Book reviews written by Annabelle

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Displaying 1-10 of 91 reviews

A Time for Dragons: An Anthology of Phillipine Draconic Fiction

by
- Rated 3 stars
“I've been looking forward to this one since reading about it a few months ago. And I wasn't disappointed: I enjoyed 12 out of 17 tales. ”

Annabelle wrote this review 7 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
Just After Sunset: Stories

by Stephen King
- Rated 3 stars
“I used to be a major Stephen King fan, more so with his short stories. So for Willa, Ayana and maybe two others here (definitely not of Curtis and his foray into a packed portable toilet), I give this book 3 stars. It could have been a four, if not for Curtis's story. The end, Mr. King, was a lot of manure. Pun intended (no shit!).”

Annabelle wrote this review 7 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
The Naked Sun

by Isaac Asimov
- Rated 4 stars
“My kind of science fiction, written in my kind of era.

Isaac Asimov wrote this ages ago (the 50s), and yet some staple situations depicting his futuristic world, Solaria, are right on the button.

Picture this: In Solaria, inhabitants have voluntarily gone into seclusion. They no longer feel the need for physical interaction, thanks mainly to machines hooked up into their homes, allowing them social interaction through "viewing" rather than actual "seeing." So much so that the mere thought of having to "see" someone turns them apoplectic, even suicidal. I wish Mr. Asimov were alive today to see how the internet and Facebook is working on turning us into Solarians.”

Annabelle wrote this review 12 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
Magic: The Final Fantasy CollectionIsaac Asimov
Magic: The Final Fantasy Collection

by Isaac Asimov
- Rated 3 stars
“One star for the George and Azazel stories, and 5 stars for the second half of the book, which compose of Mr. Asimov's random musings on science fiction, speculative fiction, racial discrimination, the del Rays of science fiction and his intelligence quotient, to name but a few. ”

Annabelle wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
Eat, Pray, Love

by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Rated 2 stars
“Of course, this could only have been written by a spoiled, rich New Yorker. She encounters problems, problems everywhere. In Italy: too much food, I'm gaining weight. CRYING FIT. In India: I can't meditate, what will my Guru think of me? MORE CRYING FITS. In Indonesia: I'm so well-liked by natives and expats alike, and oh, an older, debonair Brazilian wants to "have an affair" with me! What to do, what to do, when I promised myself I'd stay celibate while I travel the world in the hopes of finding myself? LADY--YOU WANT ENLIGHTENMENT, GET YOUR BUTT TO TONDO, MANILA AND TRY LIVING AMONG THE SQUATTERS. ”

Annabelle wrote this review Wednesday, November 25 2009. ( reply | permalink )
The Lost Symbol

by Dan Brown
- Rated 2 stars
“YAWN. So masons have secret societies? I've known that since high school. At least the DB has changed his formula, somewhat. His last three books always pointed to the OLDER MENTOR/FATHER IMAGE as villain. This one deviates from that.”

Annabelle wrote this review Wednesday, November 25 2009. ( reply | permalink )
The Last Time I Saw Paris

by Elizabeth Adler
- Rated 2 stars
“I found this one while puttering around Lee Plaza's secondhand bookstall, looking for BM's Jade Okuda's wish list of authors and titles. Of course I got it only for the title--Paris being one of my fondest memories of choice. It also felt like I needed a breather, having read 4 Ray Bradbury short story collections, straight. And what a breather--this one reminds you just how many lame stories still manage to see print. ”

Annabelle wrote this review Thursday, November 19 2009. ( reply | permalink )
The Illustrated Man

by Ray Bradbury
- Rated 4 stars
“Although I don't care much for the idea of having to present these shorts through the subplot that is The Illustrated Man, I do applaud the content. Ray, my only regret is that I didn't get to read you sooner. ”

Annabelle wrote this review Thursday, November 19 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Driving Blind

by Ray Bradbury
- Rated 4 stars
“Like all of Ray's short story collections, this one feels like I'm sitting around a campfire while a very prolific, spontaneous spinner of yarns hogs your attention, imagination and lifelong appreciation. A bonus: on the last few pages, Ray explains the inspirations, or sometimes the mundane reasons, on how some of these stories came to be. A mooch from Jade of Japan.”

Annabelle wrote this review Thursday, November 19 2009. ( reply | permalink )
Quicker than the Eye

by Ray Bradbury
- Rated 4 stars
“I've been on a Ray Bradbury short story bender since late September, so it has gotten quite confusing which significant story came from which book. So let me just put it this way: I don't care for all of Ray's stories, but I love ALL of his short story collections. A book from Jade from Kyoto, Japan. ”

Annabelle wrote this review Thursday, November 19 2009. ( reply | permalink )