Posts: 16,216
Threads: 989
Joined: Jan 2016
Reputation:
1
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
The book started off strong but then I grew bored as nothing seemed to be happening. And the big scenes or scenes that should have been big were done very small or off hand. The Ministry of Time has gone back in time to grab people from history, called expats, right before they should have perished to ensure they don't screw up the timeline. The people from the past are given a minder called a bridge to help them assimilate. They live together while the expats learns about modern society. But things aren't as they seem of course. People are dying. Some of the expats seem to disappear because they can't stay anchored in the current time. It was all very screwy and not well explained.
Eventually there seems to be a big coverup and people get killed to keep the secret. And I could have cared less.
The Queen loved this book and it was she who recommended it to me. It got great reviews. And yet, meh.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm
Posts: 6,707
Threads: 169
Joined: Oct 2005
Reputation:
0
(06-24-2025, 02:08 PM)Greg Wrote: The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
The book started off strong but then I grew bored as nothing seemed to be happening. And the big scenes or scenes that should have been big were done very small or off hand. The Ministry of Time has gone back in time to grab people from history, called expats, right before they should have perished to ensure they don't screw up the timeline. The people from the past are given a minder called a bridge to help them assimilate. They live together while the expats learns about modern society. But things aren't as they seem of course. People are dying. Some of the expats seem to disappear because they can't stay anchored in the current time. It was all very screwy and not well explained.
Eventually there seems to be a big coverup and people get killed to keep the secret. And I could have cared less.
The Queen loved this book and it was she who recommended it to me. It got great reviews. And yet, meh.
Because you are the King of No Fun
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
Posts: 16,216
Threads: 989
Joined: Jan 2016
Reputation:
1
Obviously.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm
Posts: 16,216
Threads: 989
Joined: Jan 2016
Reputation:
1
Bone Silence by Alastair Reynolds
This was my favorite book of the trilogy. I think I finally came to grips with the oddness of the world. The Ness sisters weren't quite as annoying and there were some really good action sequences that kept me going towards the end. Ultimately, the book left a lot of threads hanging while still feeling like the end of the series. Glad I finished. Glad there aren't any more books in this series.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm
Posts: 6,707
Threads: 169
Joined: Oct 2005
Reputation:
0
(07-04-2025, 10:04 AM)Greg Wrote: Bone Silence by Alastair Reynolds
This was my favorite book of the trilogy. I think I finally came to grips with the oddness of the world. The Ness sisters weren't quite as annoying and there were some really good action sequences that kept me going towards the end. Ultimately, the book left a lot of threads hanging while still feeling like the end of the series. Glad I finished. Glad there aren't any more books in this series.
It was the best of the three. A real haunted pirate story in space.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
Posts: 16,216
Threads: 989
Joined: Jan 2016
Reputation:
1
Fever Beach by Carl Hiassen
I guess Mr. Hiassen wanted to talk about Matt Gaetz, January 6th and of course Florida. I was expecting a mystery and was disappointed when I didn't get one. We follow the Gaetz stand is as he runs for reelection and hires a group of Proud Boys castoff to provide election security for him funded by racist land developer couple. It's all very Hiassen. If you've read him before, you know what you are going to get. It felt more like Hiassen had an ax to grind than a really good story. One of those books, I just wanted to be done reading.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm
Posts: 16,216
Threads: 989
Joined: Jan 2016
Reputation:
1
When the Moon Hits your Eye by John Scalzi
Maybe don't write every idea that comes into your head. What if the world woke up one day to find the moon had been turned to cheese. Let's write about thirty vignettes about how that would affect people around the United States. That's about it. There are a couple of characters that repeat but not many. Mostly it's how people are affected by the Cheese Moon. Some of the stories I wanted to hear more from but because of the structure that never occurred. Most of the stories are slight. If Scalzi was trying to make some big statement, I didn't get it. There were plenty of swipes towards the current administration, but that is to be expected.
Glad I got this from the library.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm
Posts: 6,707
Threads: 169
Joined: Oct 2005
Reputation:
0
G-Man, I'm just starting book 3 of The Gray Man series.
I blame you.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
Posts: 16,216
Threads: 989
Joined: Jan 2016
Reputation:
1
(07-07-2025, 09:00 PM)Dr. Ivor Yeti Wrote: G-Man, I'm just starting book 3 of The Gray Man series.
I blame you.
I warned you. You have no one to blame but yourself. And society.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm
Posts: 6,707
Threads: 169
Joined: Oct 2005
Reputation:
0
Right, we'll be booking them, too.
Adrian Tchaikovsky's Tyrant Philosophers series has been shaping up really well. I just finished book III. First book was a complicated mess, but by second book he reduced the plot threads and kept the glorious world-building. Nice to see protags from previous books show up in the later ones.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
Posts: 16,216
Threads: 989
Joined: Jan 2016
Reputation:
1
Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay
I try not to buy books anymore. But if the library doesn't carry him, I will always buy the latest Guy Gavriel Kay book. The stories might not be very intricate but the language is always evocative. And I find myself getting totally immersed and reading faster and faster, staying up later than is good to me to continue reading. All too soon, I am finished the book and counting the days until my next fix.
Like always, the books are thinly disguised tales of medieval Europe. This one covers a segment of the hundred years particularly involving the battle of Aginvcourt and Joan of Arc. I frequently find myself translating Guy's place names into the actual place names. For instance, most of the story is set in Orane, Frieres which is Paris, France. The story focuses on a tavern poet caught up in affairs of state and his adventures and near death experience when he gets involved with the powerful. I really enjoyed this and I'm awaiting the next installment.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm
Posts: 6,707
Threads: 169
Joined: Oct 2005
Reputation:
0
07-10-2025, 02:28 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-10-2025, 02:36 PM by Dr. Ivor Yeti.)
(07-10-2025, 01:43 PM)Greg Wrote: Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay
I try not to buy books anymore. But if the library doesn't carry him, I will always buy the latest Guy Gavriel Kay book. The stories might not be very intricate but the language is always evocative. And I find myself getting totally immersed and reading faster and faster, staying up later than is good to me to continue reading. All too soon, I am finished the book and counting the days until my next fix.
Like always, the books are thinly disguised tales of medieval Europe. This one covers a segment of the hundred years particularly involving the battle of Aginvcourt and Joan of Arc. I frequently find myself translating Guy's place names into the actual place names. For instance, most of the story is set in Orane, Frieres which is Paris, France. The story focuses on a tavern poet caught up in affairs of state and his adventures and near death experience when he gets involved with the powerful. I really enjoyed this and I'm awaiting the next installment.
100% agree on GGK.
Now reading: Infinity Gate by MR Carey.
He usually does horror (“The Girl with All of the Gifts”) and the Felix Castor series (as Mike Carey). Recently, the Rampart Trilogy (Book of Koli) which was post apocalyptic fiction. I think he is very good.
This one is Space Opera and pretty damn good, too. Multiverse stuff and another debate on what constitutes sentience.
Horrendous amounts of death. Good stuff so far. There is one more novel after this and then it is done.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
Posts: 16,216
Threads: 989
Joined: Jan 2016
Reputation:
1
Carey is very good. I'll have to go look for Infinity Gate.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm
Posts: 16,216
Threads: 989
Joined: Jan 2016
Reputation:
1
Bee Speaker by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Tchaikovsky continues to be enjoyable unless it's the Apt series which I never cared for.
But the War Dog series I do care for. Earth has fallen into warring small factions. Technology is waning. And a group from Mars returns to Earth after getting a distress call from a distributed intelligence bioform called Bees. Everything the people from Mars try to do to help immediately goes awry. One bad step after another.
Tchaikovsky continues to explore his uplifted animals especially dogs. And humans with built in computers. And people who are terrible. I was really glad he wrote a third one in this series. I should go back and read the others to see if any of those characters survived into this novel.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm
Posts: 6,707
Threads: 169
Joined: Oct 2005
Reputation:
0
I'll go look for those next!
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
|
