Steven L Stringfellow

A classic that really deserve the name

Revisado: 04-14-23

I can see why Stephen King is such a popular writer. He friggin’ earns it. I’ve known about this book most of my life, but never read it. I’ve only seen the two movie adaptations. I’m a really big fan of King’s more recent works, but I wondered if a book from 1977 would be as interesting. The age does not detract from a fantastic story so expertly told. There are some places where it’s dated due to the technology, but that’s to be expected. The greatest strength of this book and most of King’s writing is the strength of his characters. Each one feels so real, and they are so very different from each other. When one of them speaks, it’s like a real person talking. And the level of detail really makes the world seem real. Kings prose style goes a long way in selling that realism. I love his similes and metaphors because they are so dead-on target. Add to all that a skilled narrator, and this listen is not just a listen. It’s an experience. It makes use of the N-word a few too many times for my tastes, but I take the plentiful good with the very little bad. To be clear, this is not by any means racist writing or a racist writer, it’s just a story that portrays the way some people talk and think. That too, is a testament to the realistic dialogue. I highly recommend this book.

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Never been a fan of this genre, but I am now!

Revisado: 03-10-20

You could call this “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” meets “Tru Blood.” This story is about a Cherokee Skinwalker who hunts vampires for a living. On the surface, it has a lot of tropes, but they are done with skill and humor. I don’t even gravitate towards stories like this, but I enjoyed this one so much, I will definitely get the sequel. Faith Hunter uses science to help explain the magic, and she makes a really supernatural universe that is funny and action packed. And at the risk of sounding anal, I also love the chapter titles.

Khristine Hvam’s narration is top rate. She not only voices characters in a distinct manner (you expect that), but she also juggles nearly a dozen accents and dialects. She even voices a sweet little girl to perfection.

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Amazing performances makes for an amazing story!!

Revisado: 03-10-20

The performances make the story. I could listen to the banter between each pair of characters forever. Some parts are knee-slapping funny and then there are moments when the intensity gets turned up to 10. A great little listen.

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If you’ve read this far . . .

Revisado: 02-25-20

Balefire: What a concept. Just keep reading and you’ll know what I mean. Jordan introduces a lot of concepts that are usually only scene in science fiction. I love this series. True, it could be a lot shorter, but the detail Jordan provides are so artistic and imaginative. There are no minor characters in the traditional sense. Pretty much every one of them has a last name and is well developed. There is the introduction of a particular “little old lady” and she steals the scene. But in that one scene, Jordan makes her more beloved than the main protagonist of many other books. The TV series could last for decades if they wanted.

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A lot of history for such a short listen

Revisado: 02-08-20

I read the Autobiography of Malcolm X and got a pretty good understanding of the man. I can’t help but to admire him. This perspective adds just a little bit more in terms of his flaws or contradictions. Still, it doesn’t’ diminish him in anyway. Reed saw and experienced lot of history as it pertains to Black people and emphasized the importance of preserving history. Too much of it has been ignored or distorted. In fact, I’d say that’s the biggest take-away from this audio book. On a somewhat negative note, a better or more accurate title might be “Thoughts After Malcom” or “After Malcolm,” but it’s a good listen and the narrator is serviceable. He’s just reading his account, not entertaining anyone.

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If you like Harry Potter . . .

Revisado: 02-06-20

Great Book! The story involves a girl at a school of magic, so it’s natural to compare it to the Harry Potter series, which I love. But the world Molly Harper dreams up is completely different. This book answers the questions, “what if the wizards took over?” The story explores two classes of people and what happens when the status quo is upset. There is even a specific scene that reflects a scene in Harry Potter, but the outcome is very different and the consequences are explored. I’m not the biggest fan of teen romance, but the romantic element in this story did not sicken me by being too sappy or showing the main character to be an idiot like certain other heroines, specifically the ones that date vampires. (That’s how I see ‘em.) Lastly, the narrator is awesome. Her accents really add flavor to an already great story. I am looking forward to the next installment.

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One of the best conceived fantasy worlds

Revisado: 01-29-20

This is the fourth book in a series of fifteen books, including the prequal. Don’t proceed unless you love this world. This is the most complex and massive fantasy story I’ve read or heard. Robert Jordan gives name and voice to virtually every person in his universe. If he did Star Wars, we’d know the names and relations of every storm trooper. This extreme detail can be trying at time, such as when the characters take a long journey. The writer likes to talk about every step along the way, or at least a lot of them, but it’s worth it when the characters get where they are going. The story is not overly predictable. The main characters continue to grow, and are so distinct from each other. There are some GREAT characters in this story that were just good in previous books. The lore and world building are so imaginative and well-conceived it feels like a modern version of Middle-Earth. (not in a cheap rip off kinda way) And there are so many layers to the story and challenges for the heroes. They can’t just toss a ring into a volcano and go home. (Hey! I love Lord of the Rings) There are so many characters with their agendas and allegiances, it would do any chess board proud.

As always, the narrators are fantastic. FYI, I learned recently that they are husband and wife.

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It’s like reading the myth for the first time!

Revisado: 12-07-19

Madeline Miller has a beautiful writing style, particularly her similes. Each one embodies truth and is insightful into the moment. Combined with Perdita Week’s smooth-as-silk, sexy, intelligent voice, this book is a work of art. The narrator is also good at voicing male characters as well as female.

The overall story is thoughtful in that it takes a character typically dismissed as a villain and weaves her story, deed by deed. The writer portrays the character’s immortality and the cruelty and indifference of the gods. And then it comes to a satisfying ending, one I did not expect. All the characters feel authentic in terms of the things they say and do. Miller didn’t invent Greek mythology, but she owns this universe. Even if you are a fan of Greek mythology and know what will happen, learning how it will happen will be like discovering it for the first time. This is a fantastic story. I look forward to her next book.

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This will make you ask, ‘What else don’t I know?'

Revisado: 11-27-19

This book is a massive revelation of the outrageous neglect of the American education system. It is a treasure of knowledge ––to any American, but especially, to people who have an African or Native heritage. One of the books few flaws is that it is not longer and more in-depth. It provides a wealth of names and events to google, but every chapter could have been expanded into a book of its own. That said, the author explained that the length of the book was due to restrictions of the publisher.

The narrator is professional and sufficiently respectful, but he did seem awkward when he read quotes with the dialect of a Black woman from the Antebellum era. But that’s a minor blemish, if at all.

I’m writing this on the day before Thanksgiving. I’m grateful that we live in a time when works like this can be published and distributed. Many of the voices described in this book did not have that blessing. Peace.

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Brokeback Mountain meets the Iliad

Revisado: 10-28-19

First the bad: I hate it when book summaries are dishonest. They were not companions. They were lovers. This should have been presented as a romance. It becomes apparent almost from the beginning. In the end, the deception did not prevent me from enjoying the story, but it did diminish my enjoyment. That aside, the Iliad is my favorite epic poem, and this was a really worthy retelling. The story was smart, made sense and the action was pretty freakin’ awesome. Madeline Miller’s writing style is the most expressive of anyone I’ve ever read. It’s beautiful writing without being flowery. She has so many wonderfully written lines, and the narrator is spot on with every character. This was a great story, and I’m looking forward to Circe.

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