The Great Geek Manual

Book: River of Stars
ISBN-13: 978-0451464972

Author: Guy Gavriel Kay
Publisher: Roc Hardcover
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Release: April 2, 2013
Length: 656 pages (Hardcover)

Book Rating: A- (96 / 100)

Verdict

River of Stars is less of a epic fantasy and more of an historical drama, but that should in no way discourage Genre fans from picking it up. The story still carries a distinct mythic flavor, largely due to the care with which Kay crafts his exquisite prose. River of Stars is more staid and majestic in terms of plot development than your run-of-the-mill fantasy novel, but the intricacy and scope of its plot are enough to satisfy even the most demand George R.R. Martin fan.

Pros: Elegant prose. Fascinating historical backdrop. Superb world building.

Cons: Slow start. The pacing of the novel is a bit slow. Less action than a fantasy.

Read the rest of this entry » » »

Here’s a round-up of all the “best books of the year” lists that I could find laying about the web. For the most part, they’re for fiction novels, sprinkled with a few lists of science books. If you know of any similar lists that I’ve missed, drop a link in the comments below!

3:AM Magazine: book
40 Forever: best books
Abby the Librarian: favorite children’s nonfiction books
About.com: most disappointing books
About.com: top books made into movies
Acorn Library’s Youth Services Blog: best young adult books
Afford Anything: best books
African/Black America: best books
Afterchurch: best books
Aleksandra’s Corner: best books
Alex in Leeds: notable contemporary fiction
Alex in Leeds: notable older fiction
Alexandra’s Scribblings: top books
Ali’s Bookshelf: best books
Alive (To the Tips of Her Fingers): best books
Alizah Salario: best books
All Books Considered: top YA/NA books
All Manner of Thing: favorite books
All Things Urban Fantasy: best paranormal fiction
Amara’s Eden: favorite books
Read the rest of this entry » » »

Book: Download the Weird
ISBN-13: 978-1609910327

Series: Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Publisher: Ripley Publishing
Genre: Non-Fiction / Trivia
Release: September 11, 2012
Length: 256 pages (Hardcover)

Verdict

Download the Weird is possibly Ripley’s most cringe-inspiring book of trivia yet. The gross-out factor alone is sure to make this book a hit with kids. It’s also likely to be a hit for trivia buffs and internet forum addicts looking to get their Twitter-portioned entertainment offline. Perfect for break rooms, coffee tables, and bathrooms.

Read the rest of this entry » » »

Book: Seawitch
ISBN-13: 978-0451464552

Author: Kat Richardson
Series: Greywalker Series, Book 7
Publisher: Roc Hardcover
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release: August 7, 2012
Length: 352 pages (Hardcover)

Book Rating: C- (67 / 100)
Series Rating: C+ (75 / 100)

Verdict

Despite having one of the most relatable protagonist in urban fantasy, Kat Richardson’s Greywalker series continues to skew towards female sensibilities. The Greywalker series involves more emotion than mystery, more internal struggle than action, and more personal closure than climax. That doesn’t make it bad series by any measure, but male readers seeking a some light reading may want to look elsewhere. Urban fantasy is, after all, a male dominated genre.

On the other hand, this series is recommended for female readers looking for an urban fantasy series without the Laurell K. Hamilton eroticism that has recently become the norm among fantasy series with female protagonists.

Pros: Well-written protagonist. Interesting magic system. Light on romance.

Cons: Short on mystery. Pacing drags, especially during action sequences.

Read the rest of this entry » » »

Audio Fiction and Podcasts

• Listen to “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” by Sir Richard Burton (Part 2).
• Listen to “The Appliance Of Science” by Sheila Crosby at Dunesteef.
• Listen to “Bread and Circuses” by Felicity Dowker at Tales to Terrify.
• Listen to “The Caretaker” by Tom Rockwell at Escapepod.
• Listen to “Digging” by Ian McDonald at StarShipSofa.
• Listen to “Gordon, the Self-made Cat” by Peter S. Beagle at Lightspeed Magazine.
• Listen to “Lizardfoot” by John Jasper Owens at Pseudopod.

Read the rest of this entry » » »

Audio Fiction and Podcasts

• Listen to “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” translated by Sir Richard Burton.
• Listen to “The American Dead” by Jay Lake at Pseudopod.
• Listen to “The Appliance Of Science” by Sheila Crosby at Dunesteef.
• Listen to “Brad Lansky and the 4DVerse” by Protophonic at Radio Drama Revival.
• Listen to “Four Short Novels” by Joe Haldeman at Lightspeed Magazine.
• Listen to “The Insanity of Jones” by Algernon Blackwood at Cthulhu Podcast.
• Listen to “Jimmy’s Roadside Cafe” by Ramsey Shehadeh at Drabblecast.
• Listen to “Lizzy Viscera and the Quest for the Perfect Sandwich” by Spencer Koelle at Cast of Wonders.
• Listen to “Return To Earth” by Ryan Jones at StarShipSofa.
• Listen to “Talking to the Enemy” by Don Webb at Escapepod.
• Listen to “What Nature Abhors” by Mark Morris at Tales to Terrify.
• Listen to “The Wrong Camera” by Catherine Ford at Peculiar Occurrences.

Read the rest of this entry » » »

Audio Fiction and Podcasts

• Listen to “After the Ape” by Stephen Volk at Tales Terrify.
• Listen to “Crystal Halloway and the Forgotten Passage” by Seanan McGuire.
• Listen to “Giant Episode: Ours is the Prettiest” by Nalo Hopkinson at PodCastle.
• Listen to “The Rainbow Serpent” by Vincent Pendergast at Pseudopod.
• Listen to “Requiem in the Key of Prose” by Jake Kerr at Lightspeed Magazine.

Comics and Graphic Novels

• io9 offers a preview of Bloodshot, about a one-man nanotech Wikileaks

Flash and Micro Fiction

• Read the flash fiction “The Agreement” by Mari Ness at Abyss & Apex.
• Read the flash fiction “The Day Of Change” by Madeline Dyer at Yesteryear Fiction.
• Read the flash fiction “The Navigator and the Sky” by Ian McHugh.
• Read the flash fiction “Pieces Of Glass” by Alex Aro at Weirdyear.

Read the rest of this entry » » »

“This documentary is a humble exploration of the world of print, as it scratches the surface of its future. It is built upon interviews with individuals who are active in the Toronto print community and question whether or not they expect to see the disappearance of the physical book within our lifetime. The act of reading a “tangible tome” has devolved from being a popular and common pastime to one that no longer is. I hope for the film to stir thought and elicit discussion about the immersive reading experience and the lost craft of the book arts, from the people who are still passionate about reading on paper.”

— Hannah Ryu Chung