Paul’s Book Reviews
Six short book reviews: fiction, science fiction, mystery, fantasy, young adult
Paul’s Book Reviews
Seven short book reviews: science fiction/fantasy, mysteries, historical fiction, thrillers.
Paul’s Book Reviews: My Top Reads for 2018
This is going to be a short list. Looking back over the books I read in 2018, only three stand out—and by “stand out” I mean books I’d happily read again. Two are new, published this year or in late 2017; one is from 1998 but new to me. Two are mainstream fiction with historical […]
Paul’s Book Reviews: Mysteries, Thrillers, Young Adult Sci-Fi
“Out of the blue and into the black is what they called going into a tunnel. Each one was a black echo. Nothing but death in there. But, still, they went.” —Michael Connelly, The Black Echo The Black Echo (Harry Bosch #1) by Michael Connelly In an earlier review, I commented on the differences between […]
Paul’s Book Reviews: My Top Ten for 2017
This is collection of reviews previously posted on Paul’s Thing: these are the books, old and new, that I most enjoyed reading this year. I’m about to embark on Philip Pullman’s “The Book of Dust,” a potential contender, but doubt I’ll finish it before the end of the year (also, I’m sometimes disappointed with long-delayed […]
Paul’s Book Reviews: Historical Fiction, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thrillers, Classics
“I can hear the cries of the Costers upon Wall Street, below; and the calling of the Hour; and lately, now the Day darkens, a Dialogue between two waiting Chair-Men, upon the Chances of a Horse they favour to run at Flushing, named Royal Roger. Merriment, and bawdy Jests on the Subject of this Name.” […]
Paul’s Book Reviews
“And so it went, sand piling up to the heavens and homes sinking toward hell.” — Hugh Howey, Sand Omnibus Sand Omnibus Hugh Howey I looked at the different ways readers categorized this book, and one label I didn’t see was Young Adult. That surprises me. Sand has many of the elements of YA fiction: teenaged protagonists, coming-of-age subplots, […]
Paul’s Book Reviews: Fiction, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Memoir, Mystery
“Hypocrisy is the tribute that vice pays to virtue, dear man. In an imperfect world, I fear it’s the best we can manage.” — A Delicate Truth, John le Carré A Delicate Truth John le Carré John le Carré is in his 80s and still writing spy thrillers that are as contemporary and up to […]