Category: Book review

“Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future” By Peter Thiel Review

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If you want to build a better future, you must believe in secrets. The great secret of our time is that there are still uncharted frontiers to explore and new inventions to create. In Zero to One, legendary entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel shows how we can find singular ways to create those new things. 

To be fully honest I wanted to read this book for couple of years now, and I finally got the chance to do so. And after reading this book, I couldn’t help myself to put it as one of my favourite business books. 

This book is very enjoyable, interesting, knowledgeable and very easy to read. I read it one sitting which shows that its a really quick read. 

You will learn a lot from it. However some of the things might not go 100% with you but you will still learn at least something. 

The author gives us many good insights like “A great founder can bring out the best work from everybody at his company. But also many more which will make you think about a think or two. 

The writing style is very simple, which means that everyone will understand it. No matter if its a 15-year-old reading this book or a 60-year-old. The language is very easy, and it also has a lot of diagrams.

This book isn’t only a “how-to start a start-up” but this book also tells us how to survive the start-up phase of your company and make it one of the biggest companies in the world.

Even if you aren’t planning to start a company or a start-up this book is still worth reading, because it gives us insight on how companies like Apple, Google and Amazon went from small companies which no one really knew to being the biggest companies in the world.

I Give This Book 5 / 5

“Cujo” By Stephen King Review

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Outside a peaceful town in central Maine, a monster is waiting. Cujo is a two-hundred-pound Saint Bernard, the best friend Brett Camber has ever had. One day, Cujo chases a rabbit into a cave inhabited by sick bats and emerges as something new altogether. Meanwhile, Vic and Donna Trenton, and their young son Tad, move to Maine. They are seeking peace and quiet, but life in this small town is not what it seems. As Tad tries to fend off the terror that comes to him at night from his bedroom closet, and as Vic and Donna face their own nightmare of a marriage on the rocks, there is no way they can know that a monster, infinitely sinister, waits in the daylight.

I had a lot of expectations for this book which it didn’t live up to. Which really disappointed me because it was written by Stephen King my all time favourite author by far.

The story line in this book was not the greatest to be honest. The main theme in this book is a rabid dog named Cujo but we only see Cujo in 5% of this book. And the rest of it is just characters running around and freaking out about different things. Which really bored me out while reading it.

The characters in this book are very flat, very boring and very annoying. Which is the worst possible combination to ever exist. 

This book was one of Stephen King’s earliest books so I can give him a pass on this book. This book was also written during the time where Stephen King had alcohol problems. 

The writing style in this book really dint feel like something written by Stephen King. It might be because of the alcohol problems which I’ve talked already about. 

This book has over 400 pages but I read it in one day which means that it is a quick read once you make up your mind to read it in one day. 

I Give This Book 1 / 5

“The Last Command” By Timothy Zahn Review

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The embattled Republic reels from the attacks of Grand Admiral Thrawn, who has marshaled the remnants of the Imperial forces and driven the Rebels back with an abominable technology recovered from the Emperor’s secret fortress: clone soldiers. As Thrawn mounts his final siege, Han and Chewbacca struggle to form a coalition of smugglers for a last-ditch attack against the empire, while Leia holds the Alliance together and prepares for the birth of her Jedi twins. Overwhelmed by the ships and clones at Thrawn’s command, the Republic has one last hope–sending a small force, led by Luke Skywalker, into the very stronghold that houses Thrawn’s terrible cloning machines. There a final danger awaits, as the Dark Jedi C’baoth directs the battle against the Rebels and builds his strength to finish what he had already started: the destruction of Luke Skywalker.

This book is the last book in the 1990s Thrawn trilogy.

This book was very interesting and enjoyable. But also is a page turner. I read it in 3 sittings.

This book as the rest of the trilogy brings the old nostalgia or watching star wars for the first time. Because this book have all the things which the original star wars trilogy had which of course is bad vs good, heroism, action, battles, power struggle, romance, amazing characters and so much more. 

The plot in here is very good, and I personally had a very hard time trying to put it down once I’ve started reading. 

There is a lot of things happening in this book, and we get a lot of new character introduced. There are battles, there are amazing space ships journeys. 

The OG characters in this book which are of course Luke, Leia, Han, C-3PO, R2-D2, Chewie are still the amazing characters which we got to meet in the original trilogy. If I’m gonna be fully honest with you, they are even better in this book and this trilogy than in the original movie trilogy. 

We also get a lot of new characters in this book, (and series of course) like Mara Jade, Grand Admiral Thrawn but in this book Leia gives birth to twins Jacen and Jaina Solo. Which means that the Skywalker legacy becomes bigger. And I personally can’t wait to read more books with the twins and learning more about them.

In this book Mara Jade plays a much larger role than she did in the first two books in this trilogy. Which I loved, because we get a bigger chance to getting to know her and she is so good character with an amazing backstory which really makes her to an intriguing character.

The writing style here is amazing. This book and this trilogy really shows how good of an author Timothy Zahn really is. Because it feels like Timothy Zahn really know what words to use to grab your attention and not let you go until you finish.

The ending is so good that I don’t have words to describe it. And I can’t say too much without spoiling anything. But is the perfect ending to this trilogy and it fully left me satisfied that I read this book and the trilogy. 

However I have one problem with this book and trilogy as a whole. And that problem is that this trilogy should be canon not legends.

I Give This Book 4 / 5

“Definitely Dead” By Charlaine Harris Review

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Since Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has so few living relatives, she hates to lose one – even her cousin Hadley, undead consort of the vampire Queen of Louisiana. Hadley’s left everything she has to Sookie, but claiming that inheritance has a high risk factor. Some people don’t want her looking too deeply into Hadley’s past, or Hadley’s possessions. And they’re prepared to do anything in their power to stop her. Whoever it is, they’re definitely dangerous – and Sookie’s life is definitely on the line.

The plot here was kind of disappointing in a way because it contained too much drama and family problems than anything else. But every once and awhile we got some very fun and juicy moments which I personally came to enjoy a lot.

Of course there could be more action in this book than it actually was. In my opinion it would have made this book better. However this book doesn’t disappoint with givings us more information and details on vampires, werwolves, fairies and in general the entire world of this series.

The characters here are becoming more and more likeable. While reading the first book in this series I didn’t like Sookie but now I just love here. It might be because I used the time to read the series I just became used to her.

Every character gets more and more development with each book which makes men love them more and more. And because of this I grow to enjoy this series more and more.

In this book we also get a new character named Quinn, and he is the definition of an hot shapeshifter.

In a way I wished that this book would contain more of the vampire and werwolf action rather than spending 2/3 of this book on a cousin being killed and spending the time with on moving her stuff away from the apartment.

This book is very enjoyable, interesting and fun to read but at the same time it is very frustrating.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“Dark Force Rising” By Timothy Zahn Review

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The dying Empire’s most cunning and ruthless warlord—Grand Admiral Thrawn—has taken command of the remnants of the Imperial fleet and launched a massive campaign aimed at the New Republic’s destruction. Meanwhile, Han and Lando Calrissian race against time to find proof of treason inside the highest Republic Council—only to discover instead a ghostly fleet of warships that could bring doom to their friends and victory to their enemies.

I need to be honest and admit that this book is one of the best star wars books I’ve read so far.

This book is very interesting, intriguing, engaging and a page turner. This book has around 450 pages (depends on what version of this book you get) but I’ve read it in less than a day. 

If you never read any star wars book before, then this book might not be for you because we get new characters and there will be a lot to take in.

The plot in this book is amazing. There is a lot of action and the author just knows how to keep you at the edge of your chair. While you read this book you just can’t stop reading because you want to learn more about what happens next.

However at times the plot can be one centred about something, but it didn’t bother me that much. Because for me it made this book better at times.

The characters in this book are amazing. The OG characters like Luke, Leia, Han and Chewbacca are even better in this book than in the movies. Because we get to learn more about them which the movies didn’t show us. And we get to know them more personally and we get to see what happens to them after the movies.

When it comes to Grand Admiral Thrawn, this book fully shows why he deserves a much bigger hype than he has. because he is extremely efficient and mastermind on military tactician.

The writing style in this book is amazing, because it feels like the author knows what words to use to crab your full attention and not let it go until you finish this book. Which I love when this happens because it takes a really good author to accomplish that. 

This book also gives us the star wars nostalgia for us who grow up watching star wars movies. Because it has the same feeling as the original trilogy had, and it also keeps us waiting on what will happen next just as the original trilogy.

We get a lot of perspectives in this book. We get to follow Luke, Han, Leia and Mara. Because of this we get to know the story though different perspectives which in so big universes as star wars is always a good thing to have.

I Give This Book 5 / 5

“Heir to the Empire” By Timothy Zahn Review

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It is a time of renewal, five years after the destruction of the Death Star and the defeat of Darth Vader and the Empire. But with the war seemingly won, strains are beginning to show in the Rebel Alliance. New challenges to galactic peace have arisen. And Luke Skywalker hears a voice from his past. A voice with a warning. Beware the dark side. The Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, and driven the remnants of the old Imperial Starfleet back into barely a quarter of the territory that they once controlled. Leia and Han are married, are expecting Jedi twins, and have shouldered heavy burdens in the government of the new Republic. And Luke Skywalker is the first in a hoped-for new line of Jedi Knights.

This book have totally blown my mind because it was so fucking good. And I gotta say that is the best book to start your Star Wars book journey if you haven’t read any star wars books. 

If you have seen the original trilogy which was realised in the late 70s and early 80s you should be able to pin up this book without being confused on what is happening in this book.

In this book we get the OG characters which get even better than the movies because we get to learn more about them and we get to follow their adventures after the original trilogy. 

We get also introduced to some new characters like Mara Jade which is one of my favourite characters from the star wars books because of her journey from the dark side to being an Jedi.

Overall we get amazing and strong characters. And all of them have something unique to them which I love when it happens. 

The plot here is just wow. It is super amazing and I couldn’t pull myself away from the book. There is so much action here and we get a lot of our OG characters in this book which I’ve loved. 

The writing style here is complete amazing. It felt like it was written by George Lucas but of course it wasn’t. I need to give the author extra points for making this book feel like the original trilogy and not like trash which Disney is turning star wars to. 

I Give This Book 5 / 5

“Fire & Blood” By George R.R. Martin Review

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Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire and Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart.

This book is amazing. It was one of the best books I’ve read this year so far at least. 

The art in this book is stunning and it really adds more to this book. They were really good and amazing adds to the book.

This book is in another book from the A Song Of Ice And Fire series but this is book happens 300 ish years before the first book in the main series which means that it is sort of the backstory to the whole series.

I personally had an amazing time reading this book, but there were couple of moments were I thought that they were unnecessary. The first half of this book is very fast and it only gives us couple of sentences about previous kings and other Targaryens. Which really annoyed me because I wish that we could get more of these previous Targaryens before the main characters in the House Of The Dragon series.

The characters in this book are amazing, and they really felt like real life human beings rather than a fantasy book characters. Most of the characters in this book were so amazing that I just can’t explain. There were some characters were I felt were super flat and boring in a way. 

The plot in this book is amazing. There is so much action here, there are deaths (as you expect from George R.R Martin), there are a lot of family and politics drama and so much more. 

The writing style here is super amazing, it really is on level with the rest of books in the A Song Of Ice And Fire series. And really shows that A Song Of Ice And Fire series might be one of the best book series ever and that George R.R. Martin might be one of the best authors to ever live. 

This book is super interesting, enjoyable, fun and it really blows you off to another universe. 

I Give This Book 4 / 5

“Dead as a Doornail” By Charlaine Harris Review

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Small-town cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has had more than her share of experience with the supernatural—but now it’s really hitting close to home. When Sookie sees her brother Jason’s eyes start to change, she knows he’s about to turn into a were-panther for the first time—a transformation he embraces more readily than most shapeshifters she knows. But her concern becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population, and Jason’s new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who’s behind the attacks—unless the killer decides to find her first

To be fully honest this book might be the weakest book of the series yet. This series is nothing more than soap opera with vampires, werwolves and witches.

There was very little action in this book. The most amount we got in this book was 4-5 pages at the end. Which really isn’t enough for me if you want me to read the entire book which I did with this book.

The beginning was very, very slow and there were drama there but nothing more than that. Which really made the beginnings somehow boring to me. 

Even thou I didn’t enjoy this book as the previous books in this series, I still appreciated learning more about the world in this series and learn more about the characters in this series.

The characters here are getting better in this book, because we get to know them better with each book, and with every book there is more and more development which I love to see in books. 

The writing style here is very typical YA style and it also very simple which it makes a good mix with the easy plot.

There are some errors in this series which I’ve noticed in this book. One of these errors I’ve noticed while reading this book is that Jason’s boss is named Shirley Hennessey in Book 4, but in this book her name is Shirley Hunter. And this fact didn’t get explained at all in this book.

I Give This Book 2 / 5

“The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon” By Stephen King Review

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On a six-mile hike on the Maine-New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trail, nine-year-old Trisha McFarland quickly tires of the constant bickering between her older brother, Pete, and her recently divorced mother. But when she wanders off by herself and then tries to catch up by attempting a shortcut, she becomes lost in a wilderness maze full of peril and terror.

To be honest I didn’t know a lot of about this book before going into it. And that turned out to be the best thing for me.

The plot here isn’t a horror but rather a thriller about a child being lost in the woods for long time. The plot is for sure eerie because the thought of a child being lost woods is really scary.

This book made me realise that I would be fucked if I was lost in the woods. I have no survival skills and I wouldn’t know what to do if I was lost in the woods other than have a full on panic attack.

The main character in this book is probably the worst character ever written by Stephen King. Her thoughts never felt like the thoughts of a nine-year-old but rather as an old veteran of camping.

The side characters here, were gone for the most of the time so I didn’t even have a chance to really pin point them or have a lot of thoughts about them other than if I like them or not. And let me tell you that I didn’t like them.

The writing style didn’t go well with me. Because it felt like Stephen King was trying way too hard to rebrand to a different genre than of the horror.

Overall I had expectations for this book because it was written by my favourite author of all time. But it didn’t live up to any of them. 

I found this book boring and uninterested. This book didn’t go well with me. But there were moments which I liked. But these moments were very rare. 

I Give This Book 2 / 5

“Star Wars: The Mandalorian Junior Novel” By Joe Schreiber Review

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After the fall of the Empire but before the emergence of the First Order, a lone bounty hunter known as The Mandalorian travels the outer reaches of the galaxy. When his newest bounty hunting target turns out to be a small Child, the Mandalorian decides the Child must be protected at all costs. Relive all the excitement of the first season of the smash-hit streaming series in this action-packed junior novel by Joe Schreiber! Includes an insert of color photos from the show!

If you love The Mandalorian series as much as I do than you will love this book as well. This book is the novelisations of the first season of the series. 

This book is very quick to read, it’s interesting, its enjoyable and so much more. This book is as well a very easy read because this book is meant for kids between the ages of 9 and 12 if I remember correctly. But the age doesn’t matter as long as you are a star wars fan as I am.

The plot here is the same as in season one of The Mandalorian. Some moments from the series aren’t in the book, but the plot itself is there in this book. Because of some moments from the show aren’t here in the book it makes this book a little less fun than the show but still it is worth the time and money.

The characters here are the same as in The Mandalorian series. But to be honest the characters are better done in the show than in this book but I still loved the characters and their development during the book. 

However there are couple of moments here and there where this book gives us a little extra insight into the characters as it goes on. There aren’t a lots of these moments but they are there.

The writing style in this book is very easy and simple as I’ve mentioned above. Because it was meant for the younger readers of the franchise. But it is good if you want to turn of your brain and do something fun while relaxing after a difficult day.

I Give This Book 5 / 5