Review of 'Ultimate Self-Sufficiency Manual : (200+ Tips for Living off the Grid, for the Modern Homesteader, New for 2020, Homesteading, Shelf Stable Foods, Sustainable Energy, Home Remedies)' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I am now self-sufficient.
Reviews and Comments
Reading, Programming, Cooking, Renaissance Music
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Matthew Royal reviewed Normal Distance by Elisa Gabbert
Review of 'Normal Distance' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
Reads more like a notebook of thoughts than a volume of finished poems, sort of like Joan Didion's notes on traveling through the South, but without the Joan Didion.
Maud is an irascible 88-year-old Swedish woman with no family, no friends, and... no qualms …
Review of 'An elderly lady is up to no good' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
"No good" is an understatement! I love that she was detected twice, but like us readers, they were rooting for her.
Matthew Royal rated The Delirium Brief: 4 stars
Matthew Royal rated The Nightmare Stacks: 4 stars
The Nightmare Stacks by Charles Stross
"The Laundry Files' 'fast-paced blend of espionage thrills, mundane office comedy and Lovecraftian horror' (SFX) continues as Hugo Award-winning author …
Matthew Royal reviewed The Annihilation Score by Charles Stross (Laundry Files, #6)
NOBODY DOES IT BETTER ... Dr Mo O'Brien is an intelligence agent at the top …
Review of 'The annihilation score' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
I love the Laundry Files. The premise mixing Computer Science with demonology is brilliant. The narration from snarky ol' Bob is enjoyable. But honestly, I had to force myself to keep trudging through this installment of the Laundry series, fueled by the memory of how good the previous books were.
The narration is by Bob's wife Mo, but it still sounds like Bob; Mo doesn't consistently have her own voice. Most of the scenes are attending interminable meetings with none of the sharp efficiency of the previous book on vampire executives. They are obligatory, tedious, and joyless. Some books late in a series consist of nothing but monologuing dinner party scenes: this book falls into that trap. The content is ok, but needs a rewrite from telling to showing.
Sadly, this series has been demoted from the top of my "save it so you can savor it" list to my …
I love the Laundry Files. The premise mixing Computer Science with demonology is brilliant. The narration from snarky ol' Bob is enjoyable. But honestly, I had to force myself to keep trudging through this installment of the Laundry series, fueled by the memory of how good the previous books were.
The narration is by Bob's wife Mo, but it still sounds like Bob; Mo doesn't consistently have her own voice. Most of the scenes are attending interminable meetings with none of the sharp efficiency of the previous book on vampire executives. They are obligatory, tedious, and joyless. Some books late in a series consist of nothing but monologuing dinner party scenes: this book falls into that trap. The content is ok, but needs a rewrite from telling to showing.
Sadly, this series has been demoted from the top of my "save it so you can savor it" list to my bedtime book.
Matthew Royal rated The Rhesus Chart: 3 stars
Matthew Royal rated The apocalypse codex: 4 stars
The apocalypse codex by Charles Stross (Laundry Files, #4)
"For outstanding heroism in the field (despite himself), computational demonologist Bob Howard is on the fast track for promotion to …
Matthew Royal rated The cat who moved a mountain: 3 stars
The cat who moved a mountain by Jean Little
On vacation in the Big Potato Mountains, Qwilleran stumbles into a mystery involving the murder of J.J. Hawkinfield, the developer …
