joelh.social

It's a slow burn but it will stick with you well after you've put it down.

Loved it! I've read dystopian fiction before and Wool really stands out from the rest as something unique and special. Looking forward to the rest!

I feel bad ragging on a book club pic and a story about a holocaust survivor... But damn, this really isn't a good book. The writing is bland and somehow manages to suck all emotion out of what could have been an engaging story.<br/><br/>If you want a holocaust story look somewhere else

I’ve read just about every book Abercrombie has written in the First Law series and this one is probably the best. The Heroes is action packed, fast paced, exciting, but most importantly an earnest and damning examination of the violent people he often glamorizes in other books.<br/><br/>Abercrombie writes a lot about the pointlessness of war and the waste of human life but he’s never been so focused on his critique of violence as he is in The Heroes. War is not glamorous, and “heroes” as they are often worshipped in his stories are nothing more than ordinary people that can swing a sword and have been lucky to survive long enough to earn a name… names that are soon forgotten once they’ve been put “back to the mud.” Abercrombie is usually really good at weaving complex morality into his tales, but he’s at his best in The Heroes. <br/><br/>It also sets up the Age of Madness trilogy and frame those books in a new light. Calder is now one of my favourite characters and I really didn’t see that coming and it makes me want to re read that entire trilogy!<br/><br/>Anyway, yeah, damn good read. <br/><br/><br/><br/>

It might be a 3/5 but the description of the characters learning about the concept of reading was a 5/5. Read as a part of a book club and it was an amazing book for creating great discussions.<br/><br/>It's not perfect, but if you're a fan of dystopian SCIFI you should give it a shot!

More of a 3.5 <br/><br/>A good story with some interesting characters and a surprisingly insightful view into the world of a standup comic on the road in the 90’s. It was also really cool to see Brent Butt’s writing voice come through in a totally different genre. <br/><br/>The “thriller” component was the weakest part, although it wasn’t bad. Butt uses a lot of standard “crazy guy” tropes that didn’t always work for me, but it also had some genuinely terrifying moments.<br/><br/>Good book and I recommend it, especially if you were a fan of Corner Gas!

Hey look at me! I finished Frankenstein!<br/><br/>I almost don't want to rate this book. It's clearly fantastically written and an essential classic. Everyone should read it!<br/><br/>Having said that, I found myself pushing my way through the story at the end, and I really just hate Victor Frankenstein. He's a spoiled little jackass.<br/><br/>3/5 stars for me, but with a deep respect for the literature and with a full understanding of how this could be 5/5 for others. Glad I read it!!