Book Reviews for 2013 Aug 3 (J. K. Rowling is Back!)

2013-08-03 VALIS

I finished VALIS last week, but I didn’t get a chance to post my review. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars, but that doesn’t mean I necessarily think you will like it. Full review. Next up: 

2013-08-03 Daughter  of Smoke and Bone

Next, I read Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and I thought it was pretty good. Better than Twlight, maybe not quite as good as Hunger Games. (I think I’m overestimating how good Hunger Games was as a book because of how much I liked it as a movie.) So, 3 out of 5 stars, and I’ve got a full review for that one, too.

2013-08-03 The Cuckoo's Calling

Last, and most certainly not least, I read Robert Galbraith’s The Cuckoo’s Calling. Except, of course, that it’s not actually Robert Galbraith. That’s a new pen name for the one and only J. K. Rowling. This murder-mystery is a long way from Hogwarts, but I suspect a lot of it is actually very close to her personal experiences with sudden riches and fame (a major theme of the book). I gave this one a 4 out of 5 stars, but I’m thinking about possibly upping it to 5 stars. I’ll give it some time, but I definitely recommend the book. I think–and hope–that it’s not a one-off like The Casual Vacancy, but is actually the starts of a recurring series. You can check out my full review for more info.

I also got a little ways into Hyperion (the audiobook) and I’m enjoying that a lot, and more than 1/2 way through a Great Courses series on special and general relativity that I’ve been really impressed by. When I finish with those, I’ll get reviews up as well.