Things are plodding along with the steady predetermination that bored me about the last book, but there’s something new happening.
http://wp.me/p3d4Al-9K This is a shorter review, it’ll happen.
Author Archives: nredacted
nelsonmilum’s #CBR5 review #09: Foundation, by Isaac Asimov
Time for book three! Or book one, or five short stories… depending on how you look at it. I’m writing now after having completed reading the series, so I’m going over to wikipedia to help me separate out all the major plot points. This makes reviewing the books individually a tad difficult, since I have difficulty keeping things separate myself. Lesson learned, I won’t be doing it this way in the future.
nelsonmilum’s #CBR5 review #08: Forward the Foundation, by Isaac Asimov
And now we’re into the second book! There’s an interesting twist at the end of the first, and I won’t spoil it, but suffice it to say; our cast of characters has changed slightly. Hari is married, after a fashion, to Dors. The two of them have adopted a child from one of the rougher districts in the empire. Life is looking rather good!
nelsonmilum’s #CBR5 review #07: Prelude to Foundation, by Isaac Asimov
Let’s read some fiction! My reviews so far have been predominantly outside of my literary comfort zone; non-fiction, contemporary, or autobiographical. I’m usually more of a light reader, so here are my thoughts on a classic. Over the next little while I’ll be reading the Isaac Asimov Foundation series. I’ve been reading fantasy style novels for the last 15 or so years, in that time I’ve been continually annoyed by the conflation of Science Fiction and Fantasy. The two are not a single genre and shouldn’t be thought of as such. But what makes people combine them? Why are Science Fiction and Fantasy so seemingly related that people often mistake them for the same genre? The biggest and in my opinion only similarity between Science Fiction and Fantasy is the more tangible escapism; you always know behind your suspension of disbelief that the story couldn’t be actually happening anywhere nearby. Science Fiction uses technology and ideas about science as its device whereas Fantasy uses magic and superstition.
nelsonmilum’s #CBR5 review #06: The Fry Chronicles: An Autobiography by Stephen Fry
So, how does one review an autobiography? I would feel bad in saying that I disliked such a book, it would be as though I were saying to the author that their* life simply isn’t good enough to entertain me. I hope I’m not that much of an ass.
nelsonmilum’s #CBR5 Review #05: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, By Mary Roach
The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach is a non-fiction exploration of what happens to a person after death; not in the sense of what happens to the self, but what actually happens to the body. The book, and this review, may not be for the squeamish.
nelsonmilum’s #CBR5 Review #04: Half Empty, by David Rakoff
Why are positivity and optimism such lauded traits? Do I really have to be happy all the time, see the glass as half full, or think positive in order to have a fulfilling life? I don’t think so. This book by Mr. Rakoff seems to agree with me. Half Empty is a perspective on negative thinking. In the book we see the not-so-bright consequences of art, religion, sex, money, fame, and all the trappings of positivity.
See what I think of all this at my Blog
nelsonmilum’s #CBR5 Review #03: Love Anthony, by Lisa Genova
The decision to read this book came from my grandmother posting on Facebook. And while I didn’t stop what I was doing, I did immediately add it to my list to read this year. Love Anthony is a very interesting read, especially if you aren’t used to contemporary fiction. It follows the story of two women, their lives, and the affect a certain boy with autism has on them.
nelsonmilum’s #CBR5 Review #02: A Universe From Nothing by Lawrence Krauss
Cover art not withstanding, this was an awesome book
nelsonmilum’s #CBR5 Review #01: The Atheists Guide to Christmas by Ariane Sherine
My first review for the Cannonball Read is of the book that ended my 2012. With certain media outlets decrying the “War on Christmas” ostensibly being waged by the ungodly amongst us, it makes sense to find out what a certain demographic really thinks. The Atheists Guide to Chrismas is an anthology of essays, stories, and anecdotes from various non-believers mostly from the U.K. There’s a wide variety of stories, from the curmudgeonly to the ecstatic. A particular favourite was Lucy Porter’s list of alternative media to consume during the holiday.
Cannonball Read V 