book review | The 50th Law by 50 cent and Robert Greene

Author: 50 Cent; Robert Greene
Title: The 50th Law
Series: –
Genre: Self-Help; Philosophy
Pages: 291
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

Now here’s a book I never thought I’d read. “The 50th Law” by 50 cent, yes, the rapper, and author Robert Greene. And interesting piece on personal development.

About the Book: A biographical book of Curtis Jackson, better known by his scene name – 50 cent, describing his journey to success. From ruthless streets to ruthless music industry, where he had to learn not only to go with the flow, but swim against it too, to stay on top of that pulse of relevancy. And with the help of Robert Greene, he tells exactly how he did it.

My Opinion: I don’t really like 50 cent, not his music, not his public persona, that’s why I’m still confused at how I got this book in the first place. Generally this is an interesting book, one of those motivational ones, but with cold leads and prodding, applying classic philosophy and art of war onto the streets of today. As, in a sense, are all Robert Greene books.

This makes for an interesting biography. A 4 out of 5.

book review | Drive by James Sallis | 1

Author: James Sallis
Title: Drive
Series: Drive 1
Genre: Thriller; Crime
Pages: 168
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

“Drive” with Ryan Gosling is one of my favorite movies. So when I spotted James Sallis books by the same title on which it was based, I had to read them.

About the Book: He drives. Nothing less and nothing more. Stunts for movies at day time, heists at night time. No details, just where, when, and where to. And still it went sideways! He tried to fix it… But you can’t expect others to have same principals as yours.

My Opinion: The story is interesting, short, but a bit tough to read. It tells a tale of a man we know as the driver. From his childhood in a chaotic broken home, to his driving talent and where it landed him, to crime business and that one job that went wrong. Tales are parallel and it’s not always clear which one you’re reading until some major detail pops up.

Saying that, the book is short, so it’s worth reading it if you enjoyed the movie enough. A 4 out of 5.

book review | Apollo 1: The Inside Story by David Whitehouse

Author: David Whitehouse
Title: Apollo 11: The Inside Story
Series: –
Genre: History; Science
Pages: 320
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

Somehow I have quite a few books on Apollo missions. Among which was “Apollo 11: The Inside Story” by David Whitehouse. A tale of the great space race to reach the moon.

About the Book: Author David Whitehouse has collected the tales of all the key players and put together a story of tension, rivalry, drama, and tragedies. From pioneers, to satellites, to rovers. The path to success, to the moon, is splattered with sweat, tears, and blood.

My Opinion: There’s quite a bit of tech stuff, but nothing’s too big or too serious. Worst is the dark side of the human beings. With rivalry unfolding there were true tragedies. And then once the goal got achieved, heroes got forgotten, in a sense, their troubles – no longer interesting. Kind of makes you wonder why we try so hard.

If you enjoy the moon landing tales, then go for it. A 4 out of 5.

book review | The Mastermind by Evan Ratliff

Author: Evan Ratliff
Title: The Mastermind
Series: –
Genre: True Crime; Biography
Pages: 480
Rate: 4/5 | goodreads

Ah, criminal masterminds. Whenever I read books like “The Mastermind” by Evan Ratliff, I can’t help but hope a biography of someone like Andrew Scott’s Jim Moriarty.

About the Book: Evan Ratliff has spent a decade on the case of a black web of crime, drugs, murder and games with the law. He contacted all he could, from family, to passerby’s, from goons, to lieutenants. Picking up information wherever he could, refusing to leave any stone unturned, putting together a true story of a criminal empire that began with selling prescription drugs online. And its ruler, Paul Le Roux.

My Opinion: It’s so very well written, you can definitely tell author has put a lot of heart into this. The story itself, well told, was interesting enough too. One of those “rise and fall” kind of tales, and a real one to that.

A good, solid book. Firm 4 out of 5.

book review | Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs | Bones 4

Author: Kathy Reichs
Title: Fatal Voyage
Series: Temperance Brennan 4
Genre: Thriller; Crime
Pages: 448
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

Crime detective for a comfort read. Though, in the Age of Pandemic, where Netflix docuseries on true crime entertain us all, it’s likely not even strange. So I’ve read “Fatal Voyage” by Kathy Reichs, fourth book in Temperance Brennan series, also known by the title of loosely based on books series – Bones.

About the Book: Plane explodes in the air, landing a debris of plane scrap and people, bodies, often not even in tact. Testimonies of something being flown out or shot into the sky before the tragedy happened. And pressure from higher up that keeps trying to get Brennan off the case… Someone truly doesn’t want her digging. But why?

My Opinion: I don’t have a firm opinion on the series as of yet. These books are neither good nor bad. It’s just comforting to read, have that familiar name around and such. And this particular one was not bad either, lots of twists and turns, some got to me completely unsuspected, turning the whole story into… something else.

Not bad. A 4 out of 5.

book review | The Silent Blade by R.A. Salvatore | 11

Author: R.A. Salvatore
Title: The Silent Blade
Series: Paths of Darkness 1
Genre: High Fantasy; Epic Fantasy
Pages: 394
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

Felt like a little bit of high fantasy, but didn’t feel like going through the worldbuilding, so I went back to the familiar. “The Silent Blade” by R.A. Salvatore is 11th book in the Legend of Drizzt series, and 1st in the Paths of Darkness trilogy.

About the Book: Evil hearts hear a beckon, a call, see visions full of promise that they can’t resist, that they must answer. Sadly, though, the call comes from a shard kept safe in a pocket of a drow elf on the surface, one who, being a good person himself, hears nothing of sorts. But since his companions and he too are a good lot, the moment they realize what’s going on, they seize the opportunity to rid the world of some evildoers, and start shaping a plan…

My Opinion: Oh how I loathe high fantasy names. I could tell you more, for there happened much more, but how am I supposed to if I can’t spell a single name? It’s a good story, well written, but just… I need a system for these characters.

As usual, neither worse, nor better. Time well spent, a 4 out pf 5, solid.

book review | Old Man’s War by John Scalzi | 1

Author: John Scalzi
Title: Old Man’s War
Series: Old Man’s War 1
Genre: Sci-fi; Military Fantasy
Pages: 332
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

Books feel difficult these days. I’m beyond unmotivated. Resources of it drained in a year of quarantine. But, if slowly, I got through “Old Man’s War” by John Scalzi, first in the series.

About the Book: Humans are slowly but surely putting their roots into the soil of the great universe. Some get to go as colonists. Others as those who’ll defend humanity, those said colonies, and make room for more. But here’s a catch… Those who can only enlist into military, can only do so when they’re 75, knowing nothing about anything out there, not even how a war is fought with such old soldiers.

My Opinion: It began a bit slow, but steadily picked up and then kept a good pace through and through. There’s action, but not too much. There’s gore, but not too much either. There’s good humor and a mediocre love story. All in all, if Expeditionary Force is too much, then this will be just right. A good book, easy to read, with a nice new view on how humans could begin their life as part of the Universe.

A very fine book. Solid 4 out of 5.

book review | Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs | Temperance Brennan 2 | Bones

Author: Kathy Reichs
Title: Death du Jour
Series: Temperance Brennan 2 | Bones
Genre: Mystery; Crime
Pages: 451
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

Took a book that needed excavating, that’s how long it sat somewhere there. “Death du Jour” by Kathy Reichs, second book in Temperance Brennan series, probably better known by the television series title Bones, loosely based on these books.

About the Book: It began as seemingly peaceful return to the roots as Brennan had to find and dig up a to-be Saint. But it wasn’t meant to be. A call, remains so charred she was irreplaceable. Family with young children, babies. To escape the image burned into her brain Brennan took her daughter to her sanctuary, but death followed her here too… And it seems this was meant to be. Through fear and decay Temperance Brennan digs up a cultish secret that connects more people in her life, dead and alive, than she’d like.

My Opinion: A cult story is always a good story in my book. This was interesting, fun to read, very captivating, but a little too predictable, with too many conveniently forgotten facts, remembered facts, slipped facts…

I like these oldies, they’re always interesting, if not in plot, then at least in the way it paints the world. A solid 4 out of 5.

Instagram | KoFi

book review | The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

Author: Hal Elrod
Title: The Miracle Morning
Series: –
Genre: Self-Help; Inspirational
Pages: 172
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

I will make a dent in my tbr, I will. Finished another dusty short little thing, “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod. It’s good for what it is.

About the Book: Facing obstacles in life many of us stop. We stop and wait for a better day. We stop and wait for more time. We stop and wait for the motivation. But truth is, nothing’s just going to happen if nothing’s being done. This here book is more or less a little condensed guide of how author, and in return you too, can make motivation at home.

My Opinion: There’s three deadly sins in this book. First, it starts by telling me about what it will tell me about. Second, there’s a lot of those “go to this website, get this, download that, purchase other thing (never a mandatory thing, so that’s a plus), tell your friends about it“. And third, it tells me to act like the person I want to be, and then contradicts this by telling me to get up early! Admittedly, later author assures us all that no, in fact, you don’t have to if your conditions truly go against it, as much as 6 minutes or just a little bit earlier than your normal would suffice. And in general, I enjoyed the book, because it was like a condensed version of several others I read. It makes me think this would be a very good starter book.

Props to the man. And if you won’t like this book, likely one of your parents will, I know that’s the case in my family. Or maybe you’ll rediscover the early-riser-self. It gets a 4 out of 5 from me, and yes, I guess I can wake up a LITTLE bit earlier…

book review | The Great Martian War: Invasion by Scott Washburn | 1

Author: Scott Washburn
Title: The Great Martian War: Invasion
Series: The Great Martian War
Genre: Sci-fi; Alternative History
Pages: 325
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

Got through “The Great Martian War: Invasion” by Scott Washburn. It’s good for what it is, but probably not for me.

About the Book: The first alien invasion ended almost as soon as it began. Pathogens, sickness. Martians had to run or die. Some died even though they ran. But their position is too desperate, they must try again, and soon.

Humans are getting ready for it, at least those who know it’ll happen again, for you can’t convince the masses that neither saw nor heard anything other than tales about some weird aliens in Europe. First airplanes are being built, first tanks, for there’s not much you can do with a shotgun off a horse’s back.

My Opinion: It’s definitely a good book for what it is. But in general, I didn’t enjoy it much. Too much riding, walking, and thinking where to ride or walk next.

It’s worth the time, and so, worth the 4 out of 5.