Barb’s Comments (group member since Apr 01, 2009)

Barb’s comments from the Beyond Reality group.

I read it last month so I’ll join in the discussion!

I read this quite a while ago. I thought it was unique & enjoyed it. Looking forward to seeing other's opinions.

I'm a few months behind but am just about done with this book. I'm loving it & didn't find the science too much to take-BUT-I alternated between reading the book and listening to the audiobook, so maybe that helped.

I have a copy, looking forward to getting started.

I started this last night and am really enjoying it so far.

After reading the opening lines I was worried the author was going to try to hard to be "edgy" and that it would get annoying--but that turned out, at least as far as I have read, not to be the case.

Theresa wrote: "I would like to slow down and read more for quality than quantity..."

That's a good attitude to have. I set my reading goal for this year very late in the year. I saw that I had read 37 books so I made my goal 40 and I was more than halfway through 2 books at the time so I knew I'd hit it--haha. I am going to make my goal 50 for 2012 but I do have some potentially slow reads on my TBR list (i.e. Neal Stephenson,the LofTR trilogy) so I won't beat myself up if I don't make it.

Also, I don't thing there is anything wrong with including graphic novels and children's books in the count. Some of these are more sophisticated, challenging, and intellectually stimulating than supposedly "grown-up" books....I'm thinking Roald Dahl vs. Mitch Albom for example!

I read this a few years ago. I thought it was pretty good, but I remember at some points feeling like it was dragging a bit.

I read it and really liked it. It is not a typical zombie novel for sure.

I was pretty disappointed with the second book in this series though. I'm hoping the third will be an improvement.

I read this a while back and really loved it. I think Grant did a great job of creating this world. I didn't love the Georgia character but liked some of the other characters a lot--Buffy, etc.

The discussion of spoilers in this "spoiler free" thread has some pretty big spoilers in it (with not enough warning) in my opinion!

OK, I see from my laptop that the spoiler was removed, but on the Goodreads iPhone app it is still there. :(
Might just be a problem with the app--still, maybe post a warning followed by some blank lines for the iPhone users.

My guess was that "something that happened" was some sort of nuclear war. I can't remember exactly what gave me that idea, but I thought he mentioned something about the weather at some point that lead me in that direction.

I also got the feeling that the rest of the world is NOT that way. Hence the restrictions on travel, etc.

I would hope that I would be a green or a blue--more so a blue as seeing a grey sky all the time would be depressing!

This book had me thinking a lot about selective color photography. It would be odd to always see the world like that. But I get the impression that the populace in this book is being duped somehow. I almost want to reread this as I feel I missed some important clue.

There are definitely a lot of mysteries in this book--I am really looking forward to the next installment.

I read it and really liked it, though it did take a while for me to get into it.

Ron wrote:
Cyberiad -- Stanislaw Lem
The Invincible -- ditto
Memoirs Found in a Bathtub -- ditto
His Master's Voice -- ditto
Solaris -- ditto."

What a fun thread! I would have trouble coming up with a top 5, but I am enjoying reading everyone elses.
I have been wanting to read something by Stanislaw Lem so thanks Ron for those suggestions!

Candiss wrote: " I've moved it to my Paused shelf"

I understand how there are some books you have to be in the right mindset to enjoy. I am surprised I liked this as much as I did because normally, for me to really love a book, I have to feel some connection with the main character & I don't necessarily have that hear yet the I love the story.

By the way--a "paused" shelf is a great idea! So much more succinct that my "started reading but set aside" shelf! :)

I sort of liked the format of the book with them main character telling his story. Although it does seem at times that he is dragging it out!

The great detail with which he remembers everything didn't bother me. It could be attributed to his "giftedness" I suppose. But, I looked at it more like a scene from a movie where when someone has a flashback & it brings up a scene from their past. The detail is there for the viewer/reader not necessarily implying that the storyteller remembered it all in such detail.

Colleen ~blackrose~ wrote: "My favorite bits of the backstory are actually when he was younger with his parents and learning about sympathetic magic from Ben."

I agree and I think the backstory was so nice it made the scene where his parents died so much more heart wrenching.

I read it & loved it. I may skim through it again to refresh my memory for discussion and to prepare to read the sequel.

I really liked this book!

I've read a lot of first contact, space travel, & vampire books- but they were handled in unique ways in this book. There was definitely nothing cliche about this vampire!

Some of the reviews I read before reading this book complained that none of the characters were like-able enough... I don't know, I guess they weren't like-able in a way that you would want to meet them in person and be buddies, but they were definitely interesting enough that I wanted to continue reading to see what happened to them!

This was the best book I have read in a long time. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

I'm a couple chapters into this & enjoying it so far. I like the Ivan character.

Sisimka wrote: "While I read this to the end, at times it was a struggle. I skipped pages. I just often felt the plot was going nowhere or nowhere I could understand...."

I agree. I liked it, but there were points where I was confused as to who was an ally and who was an enemy & which end of which wormhole they were protecting and from whom--but I just read on hoping it would all be clear eventually--and some of it wasn't, but it was still an entertaining read for me.

I also agree that some things were a little too convenient to the plot--I noticed that in earlier books in the series too.

I picked up Cetaganda at the library today & am looking forward to starting it!