My Afflation

You Don’t Have to Take My Word For It

2018-07-26T12:05:00.001-04:00

I have flown through a few episodes of LeVar Burton Reads on my commute, and it has made it so much more enjoyable. If you happen to follow me on twitter, you know exactly how I feel about Boston drivers. And yes, I know that I am so very late to this particular podcast party. Flip side, I get to binge, which is how I have been consuming most of my media lately. Yesterday morning I got caught

Just under the Wire

2018-01-01T11:32:00.000-05:00

I made it! Had to add in a few audiobooks that I had forgotten to, but it all counts, right? My 2017 in books. You can see my whole list here. What was your favorite book of 2017? What are you looking forward to reading in 2018?

Book Review: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1)

2017-11-30T15:15:00.002-05:00

Brain Candy for Firefly Fans The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers My rating: 3 of 5 stars It was really hard to not make constant comparisons between the characters in this story and some of my favorite Firefly characters and other misfit crews, Star Trek: TNG and DS9 included. Ohan was a nice surprise and it was a fun romp, but there wasn't much character development.

Book Review: Artemis

2017-11-21T17:26:00.000-05:00

Image Credit: Audible. Click through to see all the amazing extras that audible has put together for this production. Artemis by Andy Weir My rating: 5 of 5 stars A little science/chemistry heavy... But I expected that since it is Andy Weir. Rosario Dawson makes an amazing narrator for the character of Jazz. Thoroughly enjoyable on multiple levels. I was laughing out loud on multiple

Book Review: The Aeronaut's Windlass (The Cinder Spires, #1)

2016-02-10T00:45:00.000-05:00

The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher My rating: 4 of 5 stars Bridget Tagwynn is my new (YA) hero. From the prologue, I honestly thought the book was going to be a coming of age story about Gwendolyn Lancaster -- a better entitled spoiled brat has never been written. In my eyes, she quickly became a secondary character to Bridget, Folly, and Grimm -- all of whom show more maturity and

Book Review: Whiskey Rebellion (An Addison Holmes Mystery, #1)

2016-02-09T23:47:00.000-05:00

Whiskey Rebellion by Liliana Hart My rating: 3 of 5 stars I felt like this book couldn't decide if it was a Harlequin bodice-ripper or an introduction to a new detective series character. At first, Addison Holmes seemed hilariously relatable, but I quickly got tired of hearing about her hair, makeup, and outfits when they didn't really further the story. As a reader, I know Murphy's Law exists

New Year Goal: Completist

2016-01-03T21:27:00.000-05:00

This was the worst year for me yet since I started keeping track on Goodreads. I pretty much stopped reading, including audiobooks, once I moved to Houston. It's time to change that fact. This year, I might try one of these lists to broaden my horizons: I've

Book Review: The Engines of God

2015-03-19T16:11:00.002-04:00

The Engines of God by Jack McDevitt My rating: 3 of 5 stars This was my first exposure to Jack McDevitt -- I'm glad I got this as a library book instead of purchasing. I was disappointed after all of the hype I had read and heard about this series. It caused no excitement and took me over three weeks to read. It's not that long of a book, and I'm not that slow of a reader. Priscilla Hutchins

My Year in Books 2014

2014-12-31T14:43:00.002-05:00

I set myself an ambitious goal this year, 30 books (because, where was I going to find the time to read, right?) Apparently I found the time to complete 34 and I am in the middle of 35, but I don't think I will finish Drums of Autumn before midnight tonight. There should be more here, I started a lot of free ones that turned out to be rubbish and a waste of time, but the ones that I did finish, I

Book Review: Derelict

2014-06-18T20:26:00.000-04:00

Derelict by L.J. Cohen My rating: 3 of 5 stars Overall I enjoyed most of the characters, the science and tech of the story. There was one plot point/character interaction that just struck cognitive dissonance for me, made my internal creeper alarm go off, and caused me to stop reading for a few days, but, I had to find out if the main characters made it back home safe and sound, or were left

Angels and Automatons: a shared-world steampunk anthology by Stephen Minchin — Kickstarter

2014-02-01T16:17:00.000-05:00

New Zealand is at it again ... new steampunk anthology with Philippa Ballantine as a contributor. I'm excited and might be reading works from the other authors as I wait for this one to come out. Angels and Automatons is a shared-world steampunk anthology set in the town of Angelston on New Zealand’s rugged and remote West Coast. The team of authors contributing to the project includes

Book Review: Flesh and Bone

2013-11-27T17:55:00.000-05:00

Flesh and Bone by Jefferson Bass My rating: 5 of 5 stars After finishing Ghost Story (review forth-coming, maybe) I was in need of a Dresden break before I jumped into Cold Days. None of the fantasy or sci-fi on my list really grabbed my attention, so back to murder mysteries I went. I am liking the writing style(s) of Jefferson Bass much better than Kathy Reichs (but I still binge on Bones

Book Review: The Shambling Guide to New York City

2013-07-18T17:16:00.000-04:00

The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty My rating: 4 of 5 stars I got so wrapped up in this book that I nearly missed my subway stop on the way to work this morning ... after staying up late trying to finish it. It's a fun romp through NYC (why do they have all the fun?) and I can't wait for the next book in the series. Definite brain candy that the zombies will appreciate. View

National Science Fiction Day - A List

2013-01-02T18:51:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, my mom was on the hunt for an Android app that would tell her what unusual (and usually hilarious) holiday each day was. The closest we came was the Hallmark Ultimate Holiday Site (which only has the app for iDevices. MEH!). Just for $#!+$ and giggles, I checked it out today and discovered that it's National Science Fiction Day. Of course I had to share that and

Book Review: Aladdin and His Wonderfully Infernal Device

2012-07-05T14:30:00.000-04:00

Aladdin and His Wonderfully Infernal Device by Tee Morris My rating: 2 of 5 stars I've been reading and listening to Tee Morris since he podcasted Morevi: The Chronicles of Rafe and Askana. I've really enjoyed Phoenix Rising, The Janus Affair, and all of the MoPo podcasts, so much so that I automatically buy the printed collections on Nook and Kindle to support the authors (the podcasts are

Book Review: Dead Beat by Jim Butcher

2012-06-22T01:34:00.000-04:00

Dead Beat by Jim Butcher My rating: 4 of 5 stars Quick impression: Good one liners for Thomas. Some of Harry's jokes are getting old. Great character development of Butters (with plenty of encouragement by Harry). And, of course, Sue. This one should have made it into the TV series. When I first started this book, I thought it would be a continuation of Harry's relationship with Thomas

Book Review: Taft 2012

2012-02-24T02:09:00.001-05:00

Taft 2012: A Novel by Jason Heller My rating: 4 of 5 stars No wonder Americans had devolved into such a petty, sarcastic lot. They no longer had to look each other in the eye. I don't know much about Taft's presidency, but this book comes at a great time in our history. Can you imagine it? A Republican with Progressive values? My, how the party has changed. The book does go into a little

Book Review: Grave Peril

2012-01-23T17:28:00.000-05:00

My rating: 4 of 5 stars Vampires, ghosts, and righteous men, oh my! I'm late to the Dresden Files party, but better late than never right? This edition, read by James Marsters, moves along at a good pace.If I had been reading instead of listening, this definitely would have been a page-turner -- do not bother me until I am done -- type book. In this installment Harry has his hands full on

Book Review: A Reliable Wife

2011-09-20T14:14:00.000-04:00

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick My rating: 3 of 5 stars I didn't really like this book. Despite reading a lot of murder mysteries, this book really delved into the dark side of human nature and motives. There's lying, backstabbing,sex, poisoning, more sex ... but not good erotic scenes. I finished it only because I kept hoping it would get better. In the end the protagonist redeemed herself

Plan B by Joseph Finder

2011-06-23T14:25:00.000-04:00

I love free things, including short stories. I just finished listening to Plan B: A Nick Heller Story, narrated by Holter Graham. You can also get it for free in the Kindle, Borders/Kobo and Nook stores. I use short stories to introduce me to new authors. One reason why I love Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. But I digress. I like mystery and crime stories and Audible suggested Finder to me.

Freaks

2011-06-17T16:58:00.000-04:00

Freaks by Tess Gerritsen My rating: 3 of 5 stars This was a quick read during my lunch break. I do enjoy just about any show with Angie Harmon in it, so I watched a few episodes of "Rizzoli & Isles" and was intrigued that there are companion books. This version included a sneak peek at the next novel which seems way more interesting than the short story it's attached to. “Freaks” starts

The Sharing Knife: Horizon

2011-06-13T17:12:00.000-04:00

I love that Bujold's books are character driven. I have no problem going between the adventures of Fawn and Dag and those of Miles Vorkosigan. I read the other three books in this series years ago and waited for book four. And then it took me two years after it was published! It is well worth the wait. I do suggest you read all of the books in order. If you don't, you can read this

Book Review: Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

2011-05-17T16:05:00.000-04:00

I just finished listening to the Audible presentation of Grave Secrets and as much as I love Bones and Tempe Brennan, I think I would have enjoyed this presentation more reading it or having a different narrator. This review applies to the audible version. A harrowing excavation unearths a chilling tragedy never laid to rest. They are “the disappeared,” twenty-three massacre victims

Double Share by Nathan Lowell

2010-12-17T19:55:00.000-05:00

Tweet I have never had to hold in laughs so much, and only because my office is shared and cackling, guffaws, and Mary Poppins-style snorts, giggles, and small laughs are disapproved of on my commuter bus. What's the cause of all this mirth? Mr. "Call me Ishmael" Wang of the A Trader's Tale from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper series. I started Quarter Share months ago, left it, and

The Postcard Killers

2010-09-09T17:50:00.000-04:00

Art. Murder. A beautiful European backdrop. A seductive psychotic couple. And a distraught father hell-bent on catching his daughter's murderer. I recently finished reading James Patterson’s The Postcard Killers, co-written with Liza Marklund – a Swedish journalist and crime writer, courtesy of NetGalley and Klout*. I may be one of the few who has not read the Alex Cross series, but I do