The Library of the Uncommons

Michael Steeves reviewed Far and away by Neil Peart

No cover — Far and away (2011, ECW Press)

A serialized autobiography describing the author's life, including his career in the band Rush and …

Review of 'Far and away' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Not bad, but a bit repetitive.

Another book out together while on your with Rush.

The writing is improving, and getting better, but the subject material is well-trodden, consisting of the same sorts of stories and anecdotes as in his past couple of books.

I'd love it if eventually we'd get a book with more stories from the many cycling trips he's taken.

Michael Steeves rated Resurrection Inc.: 3 stars

Resurrection Inc. by Kevin J. Anderson

Michael Steeves rated The Republic of Nothing: 4 stars

The Republic of Nothing (Paperback, 1999, GLE Library)

The Republic of Nothing by Lesley Choyce

Michael Steeves rated Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: 5 stars

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Paperback, 2004, Scholastic Inc.)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling

There is a door at the end of a silent corridor. And it’s haunting Harry Pottter’s dreams. Why else would …

Michael Steeves rated Ubuntu: 4 stars

Ubuntu by Heather Ellis

Michael Steeves reviewed Gridlinked by Neal L. Asher

Review of 'Gridlinked' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

JAMES BOND IN SPAAAAAAAACE.

Top agent Ian Cormac is tasked with solving the mystery of how an entire planet was wiped out by a transit system going horribly wrong. As part of it, he's challenged with recapturing his humanity by doing without his grid uplink to the AI systems that he has come more and more to rely on at the expense of his ability to relate to people, which caused his mission to break apart a terrorist cell to fail with his cover blown.

This was the first Agent Cormac book, but not the first in the Polity world. I may have liked this better if I'd read more of the Polity world before this one -- a lot happened, but it felt like I should have "gotten" more of the reveals throughout the book. It also wasn't helped with Cormac -- a fairly flat and unengaging character. Jack …

JAMES BOND IN SPAAAAAAAACE.

Top agent Ian Cormac is tasked with solving the mystery of how an entire planet was wiped out by a transit system going horribly wrong. As part of it, he's challenged with recapturing his humanity by doing without his grid uplink to the AI systems that he has come more and more to rely on at the expense of his ability to relate to people, which caused his mission to break apart a terrorist cell to fail with his cover blown.

This was the first Agent Cormac book, but not the first in the Polity world. I may have liked this better if I'd read more of the Polity world before this one -- a lot happened, but it felt like I should have "gotten" more of the reveals throughout the book. It also wasn't helped with Cormac -- a fairly flat and unengaging character. Jack Reacher was done better as a hypercompetent malcontent, and Bond certainly had more flair and panache.

Michael Steeves rated Long Way down B [Paperback] [Jan 01, 2008] Charley McGregor Ewan; Boorman: 3 stars

Long Way down B [Paperback] [Jan 01, 2008] Charley McGregor Ewan; Boorman (Paperback, 2008, Sphere, imusti)

Long Way down B [Paperback] [Jan 01, 2008] Charley McGregor Ewan; Boorman by Ewan McGregor

Michael Steeves reviewed Early Retirement Extreme by Jacob Lund Fisker

Early Retirement Extreme (Paperback, 2010, Createspace)

Review of 'Early Retirement Extreme' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Not really sure what I just read it what the takeaways are....

This book was a fairly large waste of time.

A little bit of the same FIRE mantras, a lot of pseudoscience and random chartzengraphs.