Deeply moral and achingly romantic, this is a book about a woman inadvertently reaching into the past to try to fix problems in her marriage to a man she desperately loves. Rainbow Rowell is a terrific writer of dialog and characters, and though Landline felt a bit shallow in places (by which I don’t mean …
Category: General
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2015/08/11/landline-by-rainbow-rowell/
Jul 24 2015
The Alloy of Law (Mistborn #4) by Brandon Sanderson
While this book didn’t have the same “Wtf, did that actually just happen?!” plot twists that are a Sanderson hallmark (I mean, I knew what would happen to Lessie and who Mr Suit had to be pretty quickly,) this was definitely a solidly entertaining, if not downright excellent projection of progress in Scandria (is that …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2015/07/24/the-alloy-of-law-mistborn-4-by-brandon-sanderson/
Mar 03 2015
The Mallet of Loving Correction by John Scalzi
I find it impossible not to like John Scalzi’s public persona. He’s clever, thoughtful, straightforward, and sometimes delightfully wacky. I read Whatever, his blog, regularly, and have for years. I also liked the first collection of writings from it, Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded. Nevertheless, even though I breezed happily through the new collection, …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2015/03/03/the-mallet-of-loving-correction-by-john-scalzi/
Jan 04 2015
The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us by James W Pennebaker
Despite the unpromising beginning, The Secret Life Of Pronouns did turn out to be a fascinating look at how our personalities and circumstances influence the language we use, unconsciously betraying us to the canny observer. I especially liked how it tied into the website and the exercises there, with bonus points for the humor. A …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2015/01/04/the-secret-life-of-pronouns-what-our-words-say-about-us-by-james-w-pennebaker/
Sep 02 2014
The Mission Song by John Le Carre
In this book Le Carre succeeds in doing what he failed to do in Tinker Tailor: creating characters that the reader actually cares about, as a well as a plot involving a covert operation whose outcome is not merely a an academic move in a geopolitical chess game. I identify in some ways with the …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/09/02/the-mission-song-by-john-le-carre/
Aug 25 2014
The Secret History by Procopius
Most later historians tend to dismiss Procopius’ account as grossly exaggerated, maintaining that Justinian and Theodora were just, able, and virtuous co-rulers. But if that is really the case, it is hard to see why he would have written this history, since it obviously posed great risk to himself. If Procopius can be believed, Justinian …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/08/25/the-secret-history-by-procopius/
Aug 22 2014
Misery by Stephen King
I was familiar with the premise of this book before I started it, and it didn’t seem very interesting, but once I started it I was surprised by how engrossing the story was. In a way, this is King’s own story, the story of a writer whose formidable talent never fails him, not even during …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/08/22/misery-by-stephen-king/
Jul 30 2014
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Volume I by Edward Gibbon
Although decline is the theme of this massive work, the Roman military machine shows itself still quite capable of defeating its enemies when competently led, and there is no shortage of outstanding emperors in this period. Special praise is reserved for Constantine, the great Christianizer and victorious general, and surprisingly, his antithesis, Julian the pagan …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/07/30/the-history-of-the-decline-and-fall-of-the-roman-empire-volume-i-by-edward-gibbon/
Jul 27 2014
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King
It’s hard to say why I liked this book; nothing much happened in it, yet it was a delight to read. For a writer of horror, King has a real knack for getting inside the mind of a child; perhaps it was the childish imagination of a young girl lost in the woods that I …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/07/27/the-girl-who-loved-tom-gordon-by-stephen-king/
Jun 12 2014
The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
This book was so long and so frustrating that for a long time I have wanted to review it just so I could pan it. But I don’t feel that way now. This story has some unusual properties, like a mysterious magical potion made out of seemingly unimpressive ingredients. Kvothe is a character like no …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/06/12/the-wise-mans-fear-by-patrick-rothfuss/
Al Singh
Doug Merrill
Doreen Sheridan
Emily Lauer
John Pitzel
Lars N. Goldschlager
Laura Eilers
Professor X
Robert Maedgen
Sylvere Ap Leanan
The Shire