Book Review: The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

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The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had heard so much praise for this series prior to reading The Eye of the World that I'm not sure it was destined to be given a fair run. I had also read every positive and negative review about the book - from the masses of people claiming that Robert Jordan copied Tolkien to the other half that worship Jordan as the best writer that ever lived. The truth is, in the end I just simply didn't care enough to consider over 1000 pages worth of content worthy of taking up so much of my time. Sure, it was extremely well written and overall a pretty brilliant and entertaining novel. And on the other hand, it was definitely very similar to Lord of the Rings (although more readable/enjoyable, in my opinion).

So the problem for me is that in the time it would take me to finish the 12,000-odd pages in the Wheel of Time series, I could read 25-30 completely unique books of a variety of topics, many of which I would surely enjoy a great deal more. It's hard to commit myself to the idea of a series that I only half enjoyed when I consider the investment involved. With that in mind, it was an okay book but I certainly will not be reading any more of the series.

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Book Review: Live by Night by Dennis Lehane

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Live by Night by Dennis Lehane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I consider it a feat of masterful writing that Dennis Lehane was able to take a subject matter that I don't care about in the least (prohibition era gangsters) and turn it into a story that I couldn't put down. Dennis Lehane is, in my opinion, one of today's most brilliant authors.

Like all of his books, Live by Night was a very character-driven book and from the moment I started it I was sucked in. It's hard to imagine empathizing so strongly with a murderous mobster but Joe was so likable that I couldn't help but have my heart go out to him, even when he offed a rival or taught someone a lesson. This is a book about a hard life during a hard time and the brutal consequences of being a decent person in a dog-eat-dog organization.

While this is definitely not Lehane's best, it is a stunning work of literary excellence.

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Sorry kids, I ate all your Halloween candy....

Pin It I got an email telling me that the kids will be on Jimmy Kimmel tonight! Awesome!

Must Read: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

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Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After reading review after review that spouted praise for Beautiful Ruins, I decided to find out for myself what the excitement is all about. Surely the dust jacket of this book didn't do justice to this story if so many people fell in love, yet I failed to stay interested enough in the synopsis to read its brief summary.

Only pages into Beautiful Ruins, I think I discovered the the reason my nights began to draw themselves out long after what is healthy for a human being to read. This book isn't incredible just because it's an incredible story. It's fantastic because it was written by Jess Walters. I don't think I have ever read a book that is so beautifully crafted and a story that is so perfectly executed as this one.

What makes reviewing this book frustrating is that it is hard to explain the story to someone without watching their eyes glaze over and drift off. While the story itself is also beautiful and romantic and fascinating, it truly took someone of greater talent than I to do it justice.

Those who are interested in reading this book will have to do as I did and have faith in the reviews of people like me who can't quite explain why this is such a wonderful novel. Just read it.

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Geeks are awesome.

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Book Review: The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom

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The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I spent the first half of The Time Keeper trying to convince myself that I should continue on. That sounds like a statement that should hardly merit a 3-star review. The thing is, the second half felt like a completely different book. In fact, at times it was reminiscent of an Og Mandino book such as The Choice, which ranks on my top 10 books of all time. It never quite got there but Mitch Albom really, REALLY tried to pull it off in the second half of the book.

The Time Keeper is basically an inspirational self-help book packaged with an uplifting storyline. Books like this are always hit or miss. Like many others that play at this genre, the story often felt contrived but I'd be lying if I said that it didn't work to some degree. More than once I was teary-eyed and moved to the point of a lip-quiver. It was a story that most people could relate to so despite some corniness and over-indulgence by the author, the book was successful at communicating its message.

The message of the book is to be satisfied with the time you have and to live in the moment you are in right now. It's a good message and something that I desperately needed to hear - which is why I rewarded the book a star more than it probably actually deserved. This book is for those who enjoy reading self-help mixed with light stories. It's a spiritual message for those who need a short, uplifting read but aren't expecting too much in the way of literary depth.

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Book Review: Carrie by Stephen King

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Carrie by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Carrie is everything I like in horror novels - short in length, not too horror-y, and focuses on the story more than the scare factor. Carrie is a character-driven novel rather than just simply indulging in the bumps and screams. It is also very timely despite the fact that it was written in 1974 - making a literary commentary about bullying, an area of much social focus today.

I found Carrie to be a very enjoyable read, and while it is unlikely to be found on anyone's must-read list, it is a fantastic taste of Stephen King's brilliant mind. I've only read one book I didn't like by King (Lisey's Story) and Carrie fits in brilliantly with his library of literary work. It is not the masterpiece that The Stand is, but it is relevant in it's own right and definitely worth the read.

I think it took me all of 3 days to read, with only a couple hours invested each day, so no one really has a good excuse not to give it a try. You won't regret it.

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