Shields Family

Not Very Haunted But Still Fun

Revisado: 11-01-23

Got this as a quick and easy “spooky” book for the Halloween season. It’s short and written for kids or maybe teens. I think the author does a solid job with the weaving of an old tale “small town girl, leaves, comes back home, remembers life, some shenanigans ensue”. The world and characters could have been developed a great deal more if the book had been longer, but much if it is tied together enough that you can enjoy the development of the characters. All in all, we’re not breaking any new ground here but the story is warm and comfortable but with very little spookiness.

On the downside, the narrator was hard to enjoy. Something about her delivery seemed halting and often nasal. She seemed to accent words in a weird and off-rhythm manner that made it sometimes feel like Siri was reading the book. Her delivery was sometimes warm and interesting and then immediately changed to a stilted and off balance form. I would have also preferred a bit more inflection on different things the main character felt and did but instead it was just a linear delivery.

This book is fun, short, easy for kids to follow and contains no mature language. If you aren’t expecting the next best thriller, you’ll be fine with this story. But maybe read it yourself because the narration may turn you off like it did me.

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Much better than the reviews said it would be

Revisado: 12-09-22

I was really worried about reading this after the reviews I read but they were wrong! Yes, it’s got all the pop culture stuff like the first one but what did you expect from Ernest Cline? A book without pop culture challenges by Cline is like a Marvel movie with no epic battles. The story is comfortable like a warm blanket that you accidentally left behind but with more warmth than when you left it. I admit that the first part of the story was a bit difficult to latch on to but the emotional payoff required some setup. Once the story launched, it hooked me just like the last one did. Fans of Cline will absolutely enjoy this book and as long as you don’t intentionally draw connections (like to Sword Art Online) the book stands well on its own. I also admit that I’m a sucker for happy endings. Thanks for giving me one Ernest!

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David R Slayton Does it Again!

Revisado: 10-12-22

I knew very little about Slayton’s world only a few short weeks adj but I devoured White Trash Warlock with ease. I had some idea of what to expect with Trailer Park Trickster but had my concerns about how tough it would be to follow WTW. I am so glad I was wrong! This book was, dare I say, even better than it’s predecessor. It is obvious that Slayton’s mythology of his world, birthed in the White Trash Warlock has grown to a new level of depth and breadth in this installment. Using the device of the less cautious Vic, Slayton uses conversations with Argent and Silver to build out the steeper Mythos.

The book takes off very quickly and doesn’t let up! Since the majority of the book takes place in Oklahoma, and I am a native of the area, David’s depiction of the area is only confirmed by my own knowledge of the place. I could feel and see every place just like I had been to the very places that Adam and his family visit - Tilla’s trailer, the homestead, even the Guthrie library take on a shape of their own.

Beyond the general story, David again uses his deep understanding of the struggles of LGBTQ+ in highly conservative places to paint the deeper picture of what he, himself, and countless others like him experienced. But rather than keeping Adam’s highly alert and scared mentality of his identity found in the first book, the author shows Adam’s (and by extension, his own) growth in accepting his truth and starting to form a newer, more concrete identity that he no longer feels forced to defend and hide.

One of the greatest things that David R Slayton handles in this new installment of the Adam Binder series, is growth. The entire book is a growth story in almost every way. It is clear that the author doesn’t want his characters to be stale and two dimensional. Many books try to grow the backstory of their characters by slogging through nigh endless time lapses and rewinds that can grow boring to the reader. This is where David excels immensely - though there are certainly some flashbacks and the like, most of the growth of the characters is actually shown retrospectively. That is to say that the characters are faced with a previous assumption they had about themselves thrown against a new change or challenge and the way they react to it does more to show growth than countless flashbacks.

Finally, the way that Slayton depicts the “big bad” in his story is very satisfying. They start as this near unknown and near unknowable presence and with slow and simmering delivery the reader starts to piece together the truth at the same time that Adam does. This makes the final act of the book very nebulous yet ultimately satisfying.

Whatever you do, don’t miss this great book! I am already waiting for my next credits to arrive so I can get the next installment. Great work David!

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One Okie to Another

Revisado: 09-03-22

I was born and raised in rural Oklahoma so when I learned about an author from my home state I was very interested to read this book and I was not let down. David R. Slayton has a keen ability to paint a fantastical world without making it seem too impossible. His down to earth writing makes even the most fantastical elements of this book seem legitimately possible.

I must admit that I was caught off guard at learning the main character’s orientation but the author does a fantastic job at depicting the real world struggle of LGBTQ+ in a very Conservative part of the country. The author makes it clear that this is part of Adam Binder’s personality and life but he doesn’t try to overemphasize it so much that it becomes more important than the actual story, rather it is a unique part of what makes the character tick. The author masterfully depicts family strife, post traumatic stress disorder, alienation, and many hard topics in a visceral manner, you will feel them in this book!

I have always been a fan of fantasy books and have read many modern fantasy books like this. Each has their own flavor and world. David Slayton’s mythology is one part subtle and one part fantastical. He personifies many mythical creatures(I.e. elves, gnomes, leprechauns, dwarves, and - of course - manticores) in a unique style that is somewhat far afield of the normative depiction of these creatures but it is part of what makes the story so appealing.

Definitely give this book a listen if you like modern fantasy. You will be sucked in to Adam Binders world and will have quite a ride.

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A Darker Continuation of the Original Story

Revisado: 08-23-19

I definitely found this book to be a fitting continuation of the original Dune book. It allows those of us who loved Dune to learn how the hero of the original book advanced after the events in Dune’s conclusion. It does, however have many additional undertones that become more pronounced as the story progresses.

The largest message in this book is “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” And this causes the book to be far less fanciful and happy as the majority of the original book to the reader. The book is much darker and offers much more character development than the original.

Herbert’s amazing delivery of science fiction ideas far ahead of their time but not in a “dated” way as many sci-fi legends from the 60’s and 70’s are guilty of, continues through this book. The story is seemingly timeless and the delivery is as powerful, if slightly more stilted, as the first book.

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Timeless Science Fiction and Dystopia

Revisado: 08-23-19

This book is a surprisingly fresh book despite being written years ago. I think one of Herbert’s greatest abilities was to describe a sci-fi world without using any terms or descriptions that limit its relevance. I watched the movie for this eons ago but it didn’t make much sense. The book does make sense, however, and I can now see how the movie complements the book without trying to recreate it.

In this book, you will be whisked away to places that are so foreign to you yet feel so natural. From the pomp and regality of Paul’s original home on Caledan, the depraved and monstrous world of the Harkonens, to the dry and hopeless world of Arakkis (Dune) the author uses coloring of words to make the environments come alive in our heads and in our minds.

I can see why this is a historic book and how it’s message and styling are woven in to the world of modern science fiction. I just wish that the author had made some sections move a bit quicker and slowed down a few others.

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Nostalgia Sea and Political Commentary

Revisado: 08-23-19

Wow! What an amazing book! I enjoyed this even more than I thought I would. It’s awash with nostalgia that is one generation before mine for the most part but enough that I could still enjoy the ride. Cline is such a great storyteller in that he weaves some very long arcs but you trust that he’ll resolve them and he does, in the most satisfying way possible. I love the way the story dealt with the real life versus internet life so accurately that you feel the emotions from the first meeting of Parzival and Art3mis all the way to the final stoke of their relationship. You root for the good guys and strongly dislike the bad guys and you are rewarded for this emotion. Ultimately, I can almost see this as a political commentary on net neutrality but Cline does not bludgeon you with this or any other meta beliefs, he just offers them quietly with the rest of the story. Well worth the read!

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Not as good as expected but still a fun read

Revisado: 08-23-19

I have to admit that this one was not as good as I expected it would be. The writing style in this book was very jangled and confusing from the Stephen King I’m familiar with. Perhaps that is because his typical horror fare is more of his specialty and this was a switch for him. He did, however, draw some very realistic pictures of the world in which The Gunslinger lived. I enjoyed his thoroughly planned action sequences and the detail they included. The flashbacks were sometimes great and sometimes confusing. Ultimately I feel like the story had many high points but the underlying glue that held them together was not very interesting by itself. It’s still a great tale and worth the read.

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An Absurd but Genuinely Endearing Story

Revisado: 08-22-19

This was a very funny book. I was a little unsettled by the premise but it was a wonderful story of redemption mixed in with Christopher Moore's fun blend of absurdity. My favorite character, was by far, Roberto. The story is great in the end and I really love how the narrator uses different voices for the different characters and makes them all come alive. It was easy to tell the difference between Beth Curtis, Sebastian Curtis, Kimmi and so on.

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Fantastic Spiritual Growth book!

Revisado: 08-22-19

A great book from the founder of Lifechurch. It gave me guidance in some areas and peace in others. A great read for a spiritual boost! I have re-read this story many times and still enjoy the insight.

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