Book Review :: Choose Yourself by James Altucher

Choose Yourself: Be Happy, Make Millions, Live the Dream by James Altucher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

James Altucher is a strange cookie. One part motivational guy, one part goofball, one part geek and one part something more sinister. That said, Choose Yourself is a decent read. I don't read too many non-fiction books, but Choose Yourself doesn't lag in any part.

And one can really benefit from re-reading this book to take in all the tips and ideas that he offers in the book. Sure, no book is a key to making millions or living your dream. (What if your dream is you standing naked in an exam hall?), you have to understand it in your own way.

I read this book quite some time back and I am writing a review now. I think I will read it again. Just because.

So, yes. The book makes you feel good, gives you some inspirational stories and points you in the direction that might take you towards your dreams. But it's you who has to do the walking.

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Book Review: Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum

Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder mystery with a disturbing conclusion. The book goes along at its own pace without bothering to take the reader along, no rush. Just a calm walk. Nowhere in the book did I feel concerned for any of the characters. The intro chapters were good, but after the murder, it's all cool and calm and unbothered pace of finding the killer.

Needless to say, i am not that big a fan of murder mysteries, more like a fan of murder stories, where the murders keep happening. Give me any of that any day. April 28th and this is the first book I've finished this year!

Back to Malazan then!


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Book Review :: Half A War by Joe Abercrombie

Half a War by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Slightly less entertaining than the second book in the series, half a world, which, I think, is the most entertaining book of the trilogy.

What I liked about this trilogy was that it looked into a new direction with YA fiction, and what I didn't like was that an author like Joe Abercrombie had to hold back his hand in terms of sex, violence, and general fuckery that is a part of his books. I guess the man needed a change of pace so that whatever is coming from him next is amped to 11.

All said and done, one of the tropes in this book was better done by mark lawrence in his broken empire trilogy. I mean, come the fuck on :D, you'll know it when you read it. Perhaps it has to do something with the fact that lawrence is more of a science guy in real life, so he is better able to describe those things.

I'd really like to see an author death match between joe's characters and some of lawrence's. Because Jorg is one evil motherfucker and only Glokta can reach that kind of evil fuckedupness from abercrombie's work. But this review isn't about Broken Empire, it's about Shattered Sea books.

Yeah, you can give these a shot if you're looking for filler reading material between something like, say, Malazan series. Cuz, fuck, damn, Malazan is a heavyweight, and that would be a sheer understatement.

I don't know what I want to read next. Suggestions welcome.


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Book Review :: Midnight Tides (Malazan #5)

Midnight Tides by Steven Erikson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh god, i am still 5% to go in this book, but I'll read it when I pick up my tablet in next few hours.

Other than Tehol and Bugg, this book was a drag. But even through the drag, there were parts that were good, I liked the gold coin studded emperor and his visits to the crippled god's island. There was no Karsa in this, that made me sad. I have a legit hard-on for Karsa's antics. Guy is my spirit animal.

Also, I liked Iron Bars, the guy is a badass in his own way. There was some mention of the Crimson Guard in Gardens of the Moon, I think. One of these guys saved the thief from getting killed by a tiste andii. God, that was so long ago. I am half forgetting what happened in that book. This book was a ride in a way, even though it had slow parts. I fucking hated Udinaas. What the fuck is up with that guy? I have no idea. I couldn't give two shits about the feather witch or any of the secondary Edur characters. Fillers, all of them.

I could not make myself care about the other storylines, but the banter between T & B was amazing. That made the book worth reading for me. The jokes were funny, I can't remember how to write most of the names and right now I am too lazy to look em up. But yeah, it's an important book in the series.

Right now, I am just left with a sense of unease after reading this, but maybe that has to do with something else, something personal. But fuck that. I am not sure if I want to dive into the next book right after this one. Maybe I'll read something else to lighten the mood. This was almost 950 pages. More like 2-3 books. Phew. The new jack reacher book was out some time back, I got that, maybe I'll dig into that.

Bottom line, read this for Tehol and Bugg.


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Book Review :: House of Chains (Malazan #4)

House of Chains by Steven Erikson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WITNESS!


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Book Review :: Memories of Ice (Malazan #3)

Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I cried when I finished this book.


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Book Review: Half The World

Half the World by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a good read even if you've not read the first book. Some old characters are there, lot of new characters are there, the battles are there, the fast talking, sharp-tongued father yarvi is there, but what's really missing is the world-weary point of view of Abercrombie that's all over in everything else he writes.

Yes, this YA, it can't have all the glorious sex and violence but this is also Joe holding back all the good stuff that makes his books the gut-punches that they are. Despite that, the undercurrents of classic Abercrombie are there. The pitched battles, the violence (albeit held back), the word wrangling, the situations, the accidents, the moments when you go fuck yeah!, this book is quite a ride.

What else, really looking forward to Half A War now just so Joe can get back to writing about the first law world.

What I'd find really interesting if Abercrombie did a Richard K. Morgan and wrote some balls out cyberpunk Sci-Fi.

Now THAT'S something I'd put my money on.


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