Review: Book Lovers by Emily Henry, 2022

Book Lovers by Emily Henry
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Book Lovers by Emily Henry, 2022

I trite retread of any one of Nora Ephron's rom-com novels turned movie starring Meg Ryan. Some may consider Book Lovers a fresh coat of makeup for all the tropes found here and updated for the times. It was a guilty read for me at first, but by the time I was halfway through and half invested in the characters, I was reading faster to get it over with and done.

In Book Lovers, Nora Stephens (I'm sure this is a nod to Nora Ephron) is an intelligent workaholic literary agent living in New York. Dragged into a monthlong trip to the picturesque small town in North Carolina by her younger sister (ulterior motives and all), Nora runs into her professional arch nemesis, Charlie. I don't think I have to say much else, but yes, Nora and Charlie get it on more than once, lurid details and all.

I rate this book 2 out of 5 stars.

#HateRead #RomCom #EmilyHenry #NotMegRyan #NotNoraEphron

View all my reviews

"Tinaca Jones", by Matt Boren 2020

I think what I did appreciate were some of the geographic references like the Grove and SAG as I do work across the street from one and live across from the other.  And admittedly, I get some of the nonsense (though most in the book are a stretch from reality), but I attribute that to being employed at one of the Guilds (not SAG).

I'm sure this audiobook will resonate with someone, just not me.  Overall mildly entertaining with a few chuckle out loud moments for me, along with a couple of eye-rolls accompanied with groans.


In the end, the plot was thin and so heavily doused with pop culture references, paparazzi stories, designer labels, and caricatures of characters that I've often wondered why I even bothered.  It was free from Audible--that's why.

So I gave it 1.75 stars.

PS: Maybe this was pilot script that couldn't work as a book unless it was re-worked to be an audible.

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut, 1965

Absurd. Absolutely absurd. Vonnegut's satirical view of modern day society is clearly humorous.

Eliot Rosewater sets out across America visiting various towns and finally lands in Rosewater County. His drunkenness and relationship with the poor make him appear eccentric.  Mushari, a scheming lawyer, is determined to prove Eliot Rosewater insane to usurp some of the Rosewater fortune.

Eliot ends up spending a year in a mental institution. There he is visited by his father, his favorite author, and a lawyer where he wills his fortune to the fifty-seven children he allegedly fathered.

The writing is clear and quite direct. It is easily understood that it reads with ease just as breathing is natural.

Admittedly, there was some great dialog that produced hilarity and sustained chortles. My only fear is the humor may have been wasted on me as I only found a small percentage funny.

I think my favorite and what I remember most is Diana Glampers. Diana is a 68-year-old virgin. Diana is described as "ugly, stupid, and boring. A lonely woman whom nobody has ever loved. She's afraid of electricity since both her parents were killed by lightning, and she has chronic kidney trouble. What a character!

Aside from Diana, Eliot himself is quite the loon himself.  I enjoyed and nearly died with laughter when I envisioned the scene where Eliot sat in his chair and played with his footlong pubic hair swirling it around his fingers.


My rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2 out of 5 stars) - It was ok.



Book description as found on Goodreads.com

"God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater" is a comic masterpiece. Eliot Rosewater, drunk, volunteer fireman, and President of the fabulously rich Rosewater Foundation, is about to attempt a noble experiment with human nature...with a little help from writer Kilgore Trout. The result is Vonnegut's funniest satire, an etched-in-acid portrayal of the greed, hypocrisy, and follies of the flesh we are all heir to.

Lost and Found (Taken Trilogy #1), Alan Dean Foster, 2005

Lost and Found (Taken Trilogy #1), Alan Dean Foster, 2005

Alien abductions, a talking dog with increased intelligence,  sassy aliens, and space travel all told with such delectable, delicious words and wordplay. What's not to like?

I laugh at more parts in the book than I can remember. Completely entertaining and had me wanting more at every turn of the page.

Human Marcus Walker is abducted by aliens with the intent of being sold for profit.  On the alien ship, among all the other aliens, he finds himself a Terran companion.  The problem is; the other Terran is a dog.  The good news; the dog, can talk and has increased intelligence.

Marcus Walker, along with George, the talking dog, find allies on the alien ship and with their help, they set on a mission to escape captivity.

If you are dog-lover, science fiction fan, and into aliens, this is a no- brainer. You will enjoy this book. It's funny, an easy read, and just plain cute.

My rating: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5 stars)  It was amazing!



The book description as found of Goodreads:

Not so long ago Marcus Walker was just another young commodities trader in Chicago, working hard and playing harder. But that’s all in the past, part of a life half forgotten—a reality that vanished when he was attacked while camping and tossed aboard a starship bound for deep space.

Desperately, Walker searches for explanations, only to realize he’s trapped in a horrifying nightmare that is all too real. Instead of being a rich hotshot at the top of the food chain, Walker discovers he’s just another amusing novelty, part of a cargo of “cute” aliens from primitive planets—destined to be sold as pets to highly advanced populations in “civilized” regions of the galaxy.

Even if he weren’t constantly watched by his captors, Walker has few options. After all, there is no escape from a speeding starship. Another man might resign himself to the inevitable and hope to be sold to a kindly owner, but not Walker. This former college football star has plenty of American ingenuity and no intention of admitting defeat, now or ever. In fact, he’s only just begun to fight.

The adventure will continue with two more novels

An Unwelcome Quest (Magic 2.0 #3), by Scott Meyer, 2015

An Unwelcome Quest (Magic 2.0 #3), by Scott Meyer, 2015

It's been at least three weeks since I've finished the book, and I'm only now getting the motivation to write a few short notes of my thoughts of it.  I'm not quite sure why but I do know it's given me some time to percolate in my thoughts.

This installment to the series lacks the humor and wittiness its predecessor shined in. In addition, less magic and wizardry in the story made for less material to be subjected to snark and comedy.

Other reviewers have also said that it's not necessary to read the first two books and that this story is fairly self-contained. I can only somewhat agree to that. I agree that the story moved the plot along and can be clearly understood without the help of the previous books. But I also firmly think knowing the back-stories of all the major characters added to the richness and fullness of it all and reading the prior two books gave that background.

So if asked if I would read the next installment in this series were it to become available, my answer would be yes.  I think there is enough magic to go around for another book.

My rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 out of 5 stars) - I liked it.

Book description as described by the author:

Ever since Martin Banks and his fellow computer geeks discovered that reality is just a computer program to be happily hacked, they’ve been jaunting back and forth through time, posing as medieval wizards and having the epic adventures that other nerds can only dream of having. But even in their wildest fantasies, they never expected to end up at the mercy of the former apprentice whom they sent to prison for gross misuse of magic and all-around evil behavior.

Who knew that the vengeful Todd would escape, then conjure a computer game packed with wolves, wenches, wastelands, and assorted harrowing hazards—and trap his hapless former friends inside it? Stripped of their magic powers, the would-be wizards must brave terrifying dangers, technical glitches, and one another’s company if they want to see Medieval England—and their favorite sci-fi movies on VHS—ever again. Can our heroes survive this magical mystery torture? Or will it only lead them and their pointy hats into more peril?

The Android's Dream (The Android's Dream #1) by John Scalzi, 2006

The Android's Dream (The Android's Dream #1) by John Scalzi, 2006

Not entirely what I expected from John Scalzi after reading much, if not all, of his books.

The book, story, characters, descriptions, scenarios, etc., were all super packed- there was just a lot of information compressed in this story. Specifically in the first half.

The latter half of the book was fast-paced and action oriented and really made up for the former.

The ridiculousness of the circumstances and situations was nothing short of brilliant in the way it all worked together.  I have to admit, I had a couple of chuckle out loud moments.

I would have liked this book a lot better if the whole book were as good as the last quarter of the book.  I found myself trudging though some parts during the first half, and not really knowing where all of it was headed. It wasn't until towards the end when all the threads wove together a great story.

My rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 out of 5 stars) - I liked it.

Here is the author's description of the book:

A human diplomat kills his alien counterpart. Earth is on the verge of war with a vastly superior alien race. A lone man races against time and a host of enemies to find the one object that can save our planet and our people from alien enslavement...

A sheep.

That's right, a sheep. And if you think that's the most surprising thing about this book, wait until you read Chapter One. Welcome to The Android's Dream.

For Harry Creek, it's quickly becoming a nightmare. All he wants is to do his uncomplicated mid-level diplomatic job with Earth's State Department. But his past training and skills get him tapped to save the planet--and to protect pet store owner Robin Baker, whose own past holds the key to the whereabouts of that lost sheep. Doing both will take him from lava-strewn battlefields to alien halls of power. All in a day's work. Maybe it's time for a raise.

Throw in two-timing freelance mercenaries, political lobbyists with megalomaniac tendencies, aliens on a religious quest, and an artificial intelligence with unusual backstory, and you've got more than just your usual science fiction adventure story. You've got The Android's Dream.

Spell or High Water (Magic 2.0 #2), by Scott Meyer, 2014

Spell or High Water (Magic 2.0 #2), by Scott Meyer, 2014

What a fantastically entertaining story. It was full of humor from start to finish. Although classified for and said to appeal to fantasy/sci-fi gamer geeks, the comedy is sure to appeal to just about anyone.

In this installment, Martin Banks a Philip travel back even further in time to Atlantis and help solve an attempted murder mystery. We also get the resolution to Jimmy's story as left from the previous book. The Jimmy subplot was entertaining enough that I didn't mind that it was barely connected to the Brit-the-Younger/Brit-the-Elder plot twist at the end of the book.

While some may recommend reading the first book prior to reading this,  I don't find it necessary. Any character and their backstory carried over from the first book is quickly and succinctly explained as they make their opening in this book.

What I found to be a nice surprise was how much of the story was driven by time travel. It was also great to see Martin's character grown up a little more since the last book. The whole two Brits was just plain clever.

It would have been interesting to have read more about the new wizard Martin greeted in Leadchurch really didn't much story time. Also, giving Agents Miller and Agent Murphy a less abrupt ending would have been nice. We spend almost more than the first half of the book with them, and it feels like they just fizzled out of the story.

As with the first book, I loved the humor, and there were lots of laugh out loud moments and witty banter.  If you can avoid the time travel aspects of the story and just accept it for what it is, then you are bound for a great ride.

My rating: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5 stars)  It was amazing!

Off to Be the Wizard (Magic 2.0 #1), by Scott Meyer, 2014

Off to Be the Wizard (Magic 2.0 #1), by Scott Meyer, 2014

Thoroughly enjoyable and humorous without all complications of lengthy world-building and plot setups.  Nerds, geeks, and gamers alike will especially take to the story and immediately related to the pop culture references from the 70's through the 2010's.

 In short, Martin Banks discovers a file on the internet that allows him to manipulate reality through tiny changes. With that discovery, he mucks up is life in his timeframe and escapes to the Middle Ages and poses as a wizard.  Upon arrival in the Middle Ages, Martin meets another wizard named Philip who takes him under their apprenticeship and introduces him to other wizards who are actually fellow time travelers as well.

After a couple minor surprises and plot changes, Martin eventually becomes fully initiated as a wizard and join his fellow wizards to battle with Merlin. Merlin is actually another fellow time traveller named Jimmy who turns out to be the bad guy.

Upon defeat of Merlin/Jimmy, Martin and rest of the wizards decide to send Jimmy forward in time, but before Martin's timeframe, without powers as punishment for the wrongdoings.

At the end, Martin doesn't get the girl, Gwen. Gwen, who was later revealed to be a Witch (female wizard), parted ways from the Middle Ages heads further back into the past to Atlantis, where female wizards have all but few have chosen to have gone.

We don't really see Martin neatly tying up loose ends with the troubles he caused in his own timeframe. What we see is probably best described as a setup for the next book in this series; the dead giveaway being Merlin/Jimmy showing up just nearby Martin's location is Martin's timeframe taking meticulous notes and with villainy flair.

I think the only warning, if it can even be considered a warning, is that Martin's character isn't easy to like. At least not at first. Martin isn't particularly bright nor well-intentioned until about half way through the book.  At that point, we see some genuine character development and start to, not only root for Martin, but he becomes wiser and likeable.

All in all, the book was a witty, comedic romp through medieval times with a likeable cast of characters. If you are a sci-fi or fantasy fan, this book will not disappoint you.

My rating: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5 stars)  It was amazing!