Brandon's Updates

Brandon started reading 'Sing, Unburied, Sing'

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 02:00:48 -0700

Brandon started reading Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Brandon added 'Revival'

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 01:06:52 -0700

Brandon gave 5 stars to Revival (Hardcover) by Stephen King
bookshelves: 5-star-king, stephen-king, fiction-favorites, best-reads-2025
A true gem from Stephen King. This book is one of my favorites by him. It has all the usual standards that I enjoy about Stephen King. The writing is clear and fast-paced. There are everyday characters pushed to extremes. A Castle Rock setting peopled with residents who are unique but familiar and - the rarest of rarities - an ending that is satisfying and allowed to play out at its own pace. Add a Ray Bradbury/Lovecraft vibe and this book easily places in his top 10. There are no wasted moments in this story despite the fact that the villain takes a secondary role. The story spans decades as it moves from place to place. There are no asides or fillers in this book and King manages to reintroduce the bad guy at the best times. The ending is also one of his best. Utilising a Lovecraft device involving a man with secret knowledge - about electricity of all things - and exposing a horrific dimension that does not end well for those involved. It's an ending equal to 'The Stand' or 'Salems Lot'. One of his best.

Brandon wants to read 'Mars Attacks Red Sonja'

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 01:03:28 -0700

Brandon wants to read Mars Attacks Red Sonja by John Layman

Brandon added 'Van Helsing vs. Frankenstein'

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 18:32:40 -0700

Brandon gave 4 stars to Van Helsing vs. Frankenstein (Kindle Edition) by Pat Shand
bookshelves: graphic-novels
Like most Zenetrope books, this book has a new take on the familiar tale. The most obvious being that Dracula's old nemesis is now going up against the mad doctor's creation. And that is not the only difference. The birth of the monster - which does not involve any member of the family Frankenstein - is an original concept and plausible. From that point, the book becomes an action story that still manages to convey a conflict between good and evil within the monster. Like most Zentrope series this book is too short lasting only five chapters but the boob shots are kept to a minimum and thus the story takes center stage. That is a good thing, although a few more chapters would have been appreciated.

Brandon added 'Junk'

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 18:08:30 -0700

Brandon gave 3 stars to Junk (Audible Audio) by Les Bohem
bookshelves: audio-books-2025
This Audible original has a lot going on. It begins as a missing person story before morphing into much more. There is an Alien invasion in progress, secret societies behind every curtain, a pandemic that wipes out a third of the population, an apocalyptic aftermath, and more conspiracy theories than I can count. It all sounds chaotic, but I found myself enjoying this unique book. The writing is good, even if the narrative is bloated. And even if I found myself getting lost in places, I still got the gist of the story. There is a lot of modern tech in this book -i.e, internet-based communication - but I appreciate that the writer preferred to write in full paragraphs as opposed to showing vapid tweets. There are too many characters that come and go, and I did struggle with remembering who exactly everyone was, but this is an original take on the apocalyptic tale that is everywhere right now and it kept my attention throughout.

Brandon is on page 110 of 727 of Clarkesworld

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 17:58:42 -0700

Brandon is on page 110 of 727 of Clarkesworld.

Brandon is currently reading 'Revival'

Tue, 27 May 2025 10:40:47 -0700

Brandon is currently reading Revival by Stephen King

Brandon added 'Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: Best of the Best'

Tue, 27 May 2025 01:21:05 -0700

Brandon gave 3 stars to Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: Best of the Best (Ms. Marvel 2006, #1) by Brian Reed
bookshelves: graphic-novels
This book adds an interesting twist to the usual superhero fare. Here we have Ms. Marvel hiring a publicist to boost her star status in the superhero universe. She is tired of being forgotten and unrecognized in a world dominated by Spiderman, Captain America etc. Unfortunately, this concept is soon pushed aside for a more traditional story involving a renegade magician hunting her down before ending with a lead-in to the Civil War storyline. Pity, because there seemed to be a lot of potential in that original idea. Instead, we're given storylines involving a vengeful villain and alien invasion, both of which are too short and come out of nowhere. The stories are fine and put Ms. Marvel in the underserved genre of Sci-fi/fantasy, but I wish they were longer. And the side story involving the publicity machine to improve her celebrity needed to be more developed. This book shows potential, but I'll probably leave the series because it leads into the Civil War event and I found that series to be too convoluted and fractured for my taste.

Brandon started reading 'Junk'

Tue, 27 May 2025 01:15:39 -0700

Brandon started reading Junk by Les Bohem

Brandon wants to read 'Never Flinch'

Tue, 27 May 2025 01:15:05 -0700

Brandon wants to read Never Flinch by Stephen King