I read a lot of books while I was writing my last novel and I didn’t get a chance to write reviews. Here are the quickie reviews for each of the books I read.
The Colorado Kid – Stephen King
Characters: 5/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Story: 3/5
Fun: 3/5
Overall: Great book that proves you can have an interesting story without it resolving. Not recommended for those of you who really don’t like loose ends.
75%
WWW Series – Robert J. Sawyer (Wake, Watch, and Wonder)
Characters: 5/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Story: 4/5
Fun: 5/5
Overall: This isn’t just an amazing sci-fi series; it’s a beautiful story and an educational experience. I highly recommend it. Easily my favourite Sawyer book so far.
90%
Doctor Who: The Angel’s Kiss – Justin Richards
Characters: 3/5
Writing Style: 3/5
Story: 3/5
Fun: 4/5
Overall: Fun little book. If you like the new series of Doctor Who and like River Song, you’ll enjoy this book. The plot is predictable and River is a little overdone but it was fun.
65%
Doctor Who 50th anniversary Books
A Big Hand for the Doctor – Eoin Colfer
Doctor Who: The Nameless City – Michael Scott
Doctor Who: The Spear of Destiny – Marcus Sedgwick
Characters: 4/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Story: 3/5
Fun: 4/5
Overall: These novelettes are written by people who truly understand the doctor’s they’re writing. I feel like I’m reading a Doctor Who, mini special. That being said, they’d be a little confusing for someone who doesn’t know the Doctor in question.
75%
Over my Dead Body – Teresa Wilde
Characters: 4/5
Writing Style: 3/5
Story: 4/5
Fun: 4/5
Overall: I found this on Kobo on sale for 97 cents and I regret no having paid more. This was a great story filled with a great world and wonderful characters.
75%
Assimilation Squared – Scott Tipton, David Tipton, and Tony Lee
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Story: 3/5
Fun: 3/5
Overall: As much as I wanted to love this series they were just ok. I found the portrayal of the Doctor to be spot on but the Star Trek TNG crew to be lack luster. It was a quick read but if it wasn’t my two favourite geek properties I wouldn’t have bought these.
60%
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Characters: 4/5
Writing Style: 3/5
Story: 3/5
Fun: 3/5
Overall: By far my least favourite of the Sherlock Holmes collections. It truly felt like Doyle was tired of Holmes and had to prove that his beloved character was flawed and not as great as we thought. And then he kills him off with no foreshadowing.
65%
Doctor Who: Summer Falls – Amelia Williams
Characters: 3/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Story: 4/5
Fun: 5/5
Overall: This book was shown in an episode of Doctor Who and was “written” by one of the characters who are no longer on the show. It has some surprises for fans but the book is strong and stands on its own. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy or science fiction.
80%
Something Wicked This Way Comes – Ray Bradbury
Characters: 3/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Story: 4/5
Fun: 3/5
Overall: This is a classic and the archetype for carnival horror, but I don’t think its Bradbury’s best book. I enjoyed parts of it but it felt like a short story dragged too long. It had some fantastic ideas but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re a huge Bradbury fan.
70%
Devil in the Smoke – Justin Richards
Characters: 4/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Story: 4/5
Fun: 5/5
Overall: Another Doctor Who novel but this one is unlike any of the others. It was brilliantly written, every character spot on, and the story was so much fun. I could only wish that this author would write a series with these characters.
85%
