OYENTE

VStevens

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  • 6
  • votos útiles
  • 472
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More like a 4.5

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-07-18

As I creep up on the big 4-0, I've been thinking more and more about what it means to get old and no longer be relevant. I mean, it's the easiest thing in the world to be strong and beautiful when you're young. Youth and beauty are essentially synonymous in Western culture. We seem to treat aging people (esp. celebrities) as if they've contracted some sort of disfiguring and embarrassing sexually transmitted disease.

Oh my, I'm so sorry you have those unsightly wrinkles all over your face. How unfortunate. You should have used protection!

Wait... what was I talking about? Oh yeah. The book. What's cool about Kings of the Wyld is it celebrates one of the main the strengths of getting older - experience. So yeah, at 25 my jeans were a size or two smaller, I didn't have any grey hairs, and my skin was as smooth as a baby's backside. But let's be real. I was a moron! I thought, said, and did things that literally make me cringe to this very day. You couldn't pay me enough money to go back to those days.

Beyond celebrating that people are in fact still people (and still evolving) even after they're past their "prime", this book is also chock full of humor, from subtle dry wit to full blown belly laugh moments. Loved the premise, loved the execution, and can't wait for more in this series.

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Lonesome Dove Audiolibro Por Larry McMurtry arte de portada

An all-time favorite

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-11-17

I just died a little inside, realizing that I'll never get to read this book for the first time again. What an experience.

Augustus McCrae is in the top 5 if not the very best of the fictional characters I have ever encountered in my literary life.

If you haven't read this before, please put down whatever comparative tripe you're reading now and pick up Lonesome Dove instead. You will not regret it.

Pulitzer well deserved. I'm tempted to start over from the beginning right this second.

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Funny and touching

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 02-25-17

Funny and touching, this one really tugged on my heart strings.

I received this book free from the author in exchange for an unbiased review. I'll spend a little more time sharing my thoughts tomorrow, when I haven't stayed up well past my bedtime reading a book I'm really caught up in.

*** The next day, blearily rubbing sleep from eyes***
I read and enjoyed the author's previous novel, Where the Hell is Tesla? A Novel, but I definitely liked this book more. It's a personal preference thing. I enjoy characters. The more I understand the characters, the more I care about them and the more I ultimately end up enjoying a book, even if I don't care for the genre (a perfect example here is the Dresden Files. I don't really like overtly supernatural stuff, but my god do I love Harry Dresden and his friends).

There was more character development here than in Tesla. Plus, Heyoo reminds me irresistibly of another of my favorite books, Wolves of the Calla, wherein Andy the messenger robot (many other functions) is left behind to "help" the humans. I chuckled a lot, and found the ending deeply satisfying. I look forward to future works by Rob Dircks.

I've said this before, but it's a small club of authors indeed who have any business narrating their own works. I enjoy Mr. Dirck's narration. He's quite good.

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And Still I Rise (Unabridged Selections) Audiolibro Por Maya Angelou arte de portada

Amazing narration

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-31-15

Poetry isn't really my thing. I'm too simple and distracted and am usually looking for character-driven reading material.

That being said, Maya Angelou is brilliant. I first encountered her work on a trip to Washington DC when I was much younger. I was in one of the Smithsonian gift shops and came across a beautifully printed and bound copy of On The Pulse Of Morning: Inscribed, performed by the author at Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993. It is one of the few works of poetry I have ever bought. Maya's poetry has an infectious jazz-like rhythm and an extraordinarily raw emotional power.

I recommend listening to her read her own words. Very moving.

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re-districting legislation

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-13-15

The funniest part of this book was not actually written by NDT, but by the California Legislature:

"WHEREAS, The downgrading of Pluto reduces the number of planets
available for legislative leaders to hide redistricting legislation
and other inconvenient political reform measures; and
WHEREAS, The California Legislature, in the closing days of the
2005-06 session, has been considering few matters important to the
future of California, and the status of Pluto takes precedence and is
worthy of this body's immediate attention; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the
Assembly hereby condemns the International Astronomical Union's
decision to strip Pluto of its planetary status for its tremendous
impact on the people of California and the state's long term fiscal
health; and be it further
Resolved, That the Assembly Clerk shall send a copy of the
resolution to the International Astronomical Union and to any
Californian who, believing that his or her legislator is addressing
the problems that threaten the future of the Golden State, requests a
copy of the resolution."

Who says politicians don't have a sense of humor?

This was a great read. I really enjoyed the mix of (pop) science and cultural and social issues. In fact, I think the Pluto Debacle can stand as a reasonable analogy for all the issues where people refuse to believe the evidence presented to them by science.

I had no personal opinion about Pluto coming into this book, but when NDT talks, I listen. I mean, he was voted the Sexiest Astrophysicist by People Magazine.

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Countdown to Calamity

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 02-04-15

There is just something about David that I adore. He's dorky, awkward, and clumsy while still managing to be remarkably competent. I loved this one even more than Steelheart, and the minute I finished I began waiting for the next one (Calamity) to come out. According to his website, Brandon is currently writing Calamity, so we should see it sometime next year (hooray for writers that churn out top notch books like clockwork!)

Amazing to thing that at this time last year, I had never read anything by Brandon Sanderson. Since then I have read 7 full length novels and 4 short stories. He's a master.

The narration is spot on. MacLeod Andrews manages to personify David perfectly, and crafts distinct voices for each character that are easily recognizable without being forced. Love this series!

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Seriously Dude.

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 02-04-15

Maybe 4 stars doesn't quite capture just how much I enjoyed reading (ahem, listening to) this book. I don't always stick to this convention, but I can't help the nagging feeling that 5 star reviews should be reserved for enduring literary masterpieces. So, giving a perfect score to a book where the most frequently used word is most likely either "zombie" or "[male reproductive organ]" just doesn't seem right somehow. The real test, though, is which book I'll be more likely to re-read sometime next year. In a battle between This Book Is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It and, say, A Tale of Two Cities, my money is on David Wong. I highly recommend both John Dies at the End and TBIFOS for anyone who has a sense of humor and doesn't mind the completely absurd. A love or tolerance of horror wouldn't hurt. I'm so happy I came across these books. They're unlike anything I have ever read before, but I really, really loved them.

The audiobook was expertly narrated by Nick Podehl. Honestly, I didn't notice the change in narrators, it having been some time since I listened to JDATE.

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It's Sanderson, what do you expect?

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-21-15

Probably closer to a 4.5. I really enjoy this series because the premise is so unique. The characters (I use the term "characters" loosely here, since the vast majority of them are actually imaginary) are really the compelling aspect of the Legion novellas. In both books I have found the plots to be less imaginative, but the characters and the overall framework for the story more than make up for any deficiencies (minor as they are) in the plot.

I did think Skin Deep was better than the original Legion, and I will definitely read any additional installments that are published. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for an eventual full-length novel, perhaps the story of chasing down "the one that got away".

Highly recommend!

Wyman delivers a masterful narration, picking up all of the subtleties of the various characters (and personalities) wonderfully. He's really well suited to the story.

NOTE: This is not really fantasy, despite the fact that it is written by Brandon Sanderson - it's psychological thriller/mystery/maybe a tiny hint of sci-fi just for the biotech research that serves as the underpinning of the plot.

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Really, really good

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 11-19-14

I hope you are ready for a completely nonobjective review comprised mainly of nonsensical gushing and nondescript praise. Consider yourselves warned.

The movie inspired by this classic book is on my short list of all-time favorites. Naturally, the moment that I saw As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride advertised on Audible's website and realized that the book was narrated by none other than Westley Himself, I snapped it up.

I finished this book a few days ago, but my cheeks seem like they are still aching from the perma-grin. In fact, I was listening to this book and folding laundry upstairs while my husband was downstairs with our daughters over the weekend, and after a while my youngest came to the bottom of the stairs and yelled up to me, "What's so funny, mommy?"

This book is what's so funny. There are several genuine laugh out loud moments throughout the book. Fortunately, I was never in public when I encountered one.

The writing is nothing to write home about, so to speak. But frankly, I don't care. The charm of it lies in being able to see a story that is so well-worn and comfortable in my brain that I can practically recite the lines from beginning to end from a completely different and hitherto unconsidered angle. There's nothing more satisfying than learning that the cast and crew of the movie love it just as much as I do.

If you have an enduring and not entirely explicable love of The Princess Bride (check), find yourself quoting lines at every opportunity, including work meetings (guilty), and like the idea of learning more about the making of the movie (hmm... yep), then I recommend this book. If at all possible, you should listen to Cary reading his own words; The audiobook experience makes the nostalgia that much sweeter.

Be prepared: If you're anything like me, you might have to pause listening or reading periodically to re-watch the movie. Ahhhh. Still so satisfying after all these years

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Wil Wheaton levels this book up

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 09-27-14

Ready Player One probably is really only a 4, but I don't care. Everything about this nostalgic, geek-tastic book worked for me. Especially Wil Wheaton's fantastic narration.

Take the following short quiz to determine if you should read this book:

1) Do you remember when bangs required at least three pieces of beauty equipment and half a can of Aqua Net to achieve the desired look?

Yes - Read this book immediately, and enjoy the references to all of your favorite movies, including Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, Monty Python, Indiana Jones, and War Games
No - Really? Even my grandma rocked the 80's bangs.

2) Did you ever spend more than 4 consecutive hours playing a video game where the main "character" resembled a multicolored blob and/or a flashing square?

Yes - Don't plan on doing anything else after you start the book. I recommend the audiobook if you need to be at least semi-functional
No - Oh, you must have had at least 2 older siblings. Sorry about that...

3) Do you have a pulse?

Yes - I'm pretty sure you will enjoy this book
No - Game Over.

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