Tag: 3 Star Reviews

All 3 Stars Reviews In One Place

“Rip Van Winkle” By Washington Irving Review

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Washington Irving’s story of a man who sleeps for twenty years in the Catskill Mountains and awakens to find a changed world has been a classic of American Literature. This deluxe gift edition carefully reproduces thity-four of Arthir Rackham’s enchanting and exquisuute paintings.

I gotta say that this short story isn’t as bad as some of the other short stories by Washington Irving.

This short story has a good scary aspect and descriptions but at times those descriptions falters and drags.

The plot itself for this short story has a good premise and reminds me of H.P Lovecraft’s stories, but done in a worse way than what H.P Lovecraft’s stories.

This short story has the same issue as some of the other Washington Irving’s short stories which is that the pacing of the short story is very uneven. Since it changes as the short story continues.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“Free Comic Book Day 2022: Spider-Man/Venom #1” By Al Ewing & Ram V. Review

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Fans who pick up FREE COMIC BOOK SPIDER-MAN/VENOM #1 will see the very beginning of the major storylines writer Zeb Wells and legendary artist John Romita Jr. have planned for their run on AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, including Tombstone’s first steps towards becoming Spidey’s most terrifying villain. FREE COMIC BOOK SPIDER-MAN/VENOM #1 will also give fans a chance to check out the thought-provoking work Al Ewing, Ram V, and Bryan Hitch are doing on VENOM! The groundbreaking changes this mastermind trio has in store for the symbiote mythos starts here!

I gotta admit that this comic book, is a very decent comic book from Marvel. The recent comic book I’ve read and reviewed weren’t that great as you might have noticed if you read my recent comic book reviews. But this one is pretty decent and so much better than them.

In a way this comic book offers us as readers an intriguing glimpse into the dynamic relationship between two of Marvel’s most iconic characters. But even thou I found this book to be fun and interesting it isn’t without its bad moment here and there throughout this comic book.

The storytelling in both the spider-man part and in the venom part is very good because both of the storylines are showcasing their contrasting personalities and moral complexities. But still both of the stories had their downsides at times, which in a way affect the rating I gave this comic book because of how I didn’t enjoy moments which weren’t that good.

The dialogue in both of the storylines presented in this comic book are in a way sharp, with moments of humor that feel true to character, particularly in the interactions between Spider-man and Eddie Brock aka Venom.

The narrative in both of the storylines in this comic book could have been better than what we actually got here. Because it feels rushed at times. It felt like the writer tried to cram too much plot and story into a limited space which of course this comic book is.

The artwork in this comic book is very good since its vibrant and sort of has the dynamic panel layouts to it which makes the plot a little bit more interesting. However, there are moments where the art feels overly stylized, potentially alienating readers who prefer a more traditional comic book aesthetic.

However the plots in both of the storylines feel more like an appetizer to get into Spider-man and Venom comic books rather than this comic book being a full storyline in itself.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“The Ultimate Wizarding World Guide to Magical Studies: A comprehensive exploration of Hogwarts’s classes and curriculum” By The Editors of MuggleNet Review

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This comprehensive tome examines every aspect of the Hogwarts curriculum, from class descriptions and exam questions to potion ingredients and the magical world’s perspective on Muggle history. Certain to make reading (or re-reading) the Harry Potter series that much more intriguing, this book explores the full breadth of instruction at Hogwarts, as well as the fine details of each class, from each class syllabus to final exams.

Here we are again talking about another book from the Wizarding world.

This book talks in depth look into the Hogwarts classes as well as the extracurriculars at Hogwarts and the Non-course subject offered at Hogwarts. 

To be very honest here I didn’t have a lot of expectations for this book, because I thought it would be a heavy text book type of book like the once you have to read at High School which no one really finished. But after reading this book I gotta say that it was much more interesting and enjoyable than what I thought it would be.

This book gives us history of every class and activity offered at Hogwarts but also the aspect of depending of what classes you choose at Hogwarts controls what career you can have after you finish Hogwarts.

I gotta say reading this book was like preparing to go to Hogwarts for the first time as a student. 

Some classes and extracurriculars had more information and backstory than some other once. But at the same time if you are a huge wizarding world geek as myself then you should read this book as well because it gives you more knowledge and information about Hogwarts and why it does offer the classes and extracurriculars as it does. 

This book also mentions other popular magic schools around the world other than Hogwarts of course and how all of those magic schools around the world tries to have intersected activities occasionally. Which for me was super fun to read about as well, because it extends the wizarding world in a way and it isn’t just the Hogwarts bubble.

The writing style in this book is very text-book like which at times is very heavy and I personally needed to take breaks often while reading this book. While reading this book you will easy notice that it is very clear that it wasn’t written by J.K Rowling because it doesn’t have the same vibe as the original Harry Potter books. But rather it is a book which builds onto the Wizarding world which of course J.K Rowling has created for humanity.

I gotta say that after reading this book, I got into a little reading-slump because of the heavy text-book like writing style of this book. And looking back now, reading this book in less than 24hours might not have been the greatest idea because of the writing style.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“Star Wars: Shadow Games” By Michael Reaves & Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff Review

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Javul Charn is the most famous pop star in the galaxy—and the runaway bride of a violent lieutenant in Black Sun, the crime syndicate commanded by Prince Xizor. Or so Javul says. Soon after Dash Rendar, broke and desperate, agrees to be Javul’s bodyguard, he realizes that openness is not her strong suit—and that murder is stalking her tour. Between the discovery of dead bodies in a cargo hold and an attack by an unidentified warship, Dash and co-pilot Eaden Vrill desperately try to understand who is terrorizing Javul’s tour and why. When Han Solo suddenly joins Javul’s road show, the stakes are raised even higher. Now Dash, who has a history with Han and an even worse history with Prince Xizor, follows his instincts, his discoveries, and Javul herself—straight into a world that may be too dangerous to survive.

I gotta say that this book is far from being one of the best Star Wars books I’ve read. Sure I haven’t read a lot of star wars books yet but after reading some of them I gotta say that this book is okay. 

This book has a very unique premise and plot when it comes to the Star Wars universe. Since the plot in this book follows the biggest pop star in the Star Wars universe. And this premise for a plot is the first book I come across which in the star wars universe which follows a pop star in the universe. 

The plot in this book also involves a fair share of shooting action and spacecraft action which really makes this book fun to read. But the action here isn’t as fun as in some other Star Wars books I’ve read which really didn’t impress me much in the “action” category.

After reading this book I need to say that this book feels more like a Sci-Fi Neo noir rather than a star wars books. Because there is no real star wars politician struggle, lightsaber battles, sith lords, jedi knights and all of the other stuff which makes Star Wars. 

The only connection this book has to star wars other than being part of the Star Wars book universe is that this book mentions the Rebel Alliance once and Han Solo appearance in the story in the second half of this book. Other than that there are no connection indicating that this book is in fact a Star Wars book universe.

The plot in this book feels at times very long and unnecessarily longer than it needed to be. My opinion is that this book could have cut out at least 50 pages or so and it would make this book longer. Because of the fact that this book drags for far too long at times.

The characters here are okay for the most part. We get very few characters in this book but those we get are very average characters. The characters here are okay but there isn’t a lot of depth to them and they don’t have the same feeling like the OG characters from the Star Wars which made us fall in love with them from the moment we saw them. 

The writing style in this book is pretty okay but it has the feeling that it was written by multiple authors which of course is the case in this book. The feeling of this book being written by multiple authors is the duality of this book because during the action moments the writing style feels like being written by a man (Michael Reaves) and during other moments the main character Dash gets very emotions and goes on those 5 pages long monologs like a female would do which makes the writing style feel like it was written by a woman (Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff).

However if you are looking for a stand alone star wars book to read then this book could be a good choice. Since this book is easy to read, its a quick read and it doesn’t have a connection to other books you should have read before reading this book.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“Batman Special Edition (FCBD) #1: 2021” By John Ridley & James Tynion IV Review

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The Batman creative team of James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez take their epic run to the next level. Gotham City is on the brink of a violent evolutionary path and the danger level to Batman and his allies reaches a fever pitch. The Magistrate now have full support from the mayor to handle high level law enforcement in Gotham and have branded the Dark Knight as Enemy #1. Plus, the Scarecrow has his own terrifying agenda as he takes this chaotic moment to launch his master plan. This is the first look at the epic FEAR STATE event that runs across the Batman titles beginning this Fall. The new Dark Knight, Jace Fox has arrived in this sneak peek of the upcoming I AM BATMAN series written by Academy Award-winner John Ridley with stunning art by Travel Foreman. Fans will get a taste of this blockbuster storyline starring the next Dark Knight.

I gotta admit that this comic book was a okay read for me. Even thou it wasn’t the best comic book I’ve read in my time. 

This comic book is able to offer us a engaging story and very impressive artwork. But at the same time it falls short of fully capturing the depth and complexity that Batman fans often expect.

This comic in a way gives us new elements to Batman’s character and his relationships, particularly with supporting characters. Which I found to be very interesting. But at the same time it gives us more exploration of themes like legacy and responsibility which of course is a huge part of the Batman lore.

But at the same the the artwork in this comic book is very good, since its very beautiful and plays very well with the whole Batman theme of this comic book. At the sane time the artwork in a way complements the narrative’s tone of this comic book. There are a lot of times during this entire comic book where the artwork help to elevate key moments, making the action sequences and emotional beats more impactful.

However I have to admit that this comic book has a few issues here and there. One of those problems is the pacing of this book. Because at times it feels very rushed which makes it just gloss over certain intriguing aspects which weren’t explored in depth as they should have been. 

The other problem for me with this comic book is that some character motivations could have been fleshed out more to enhance reader engagement. Because at times they feel very shallow and like there weren’t a lot of thought put into them.

The last problem I personally had with this comic book is the familiar tropes this comic book has. Above I said that the plot introduces new ideas which I liked. But the way the new ideas are introduced to us, makes it very similar to some Batman tropes we have seen a million times in other batman comic books or even batman movies. 

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World” By Tom Wright & Bradley Hope

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The dust had yet to settle on the global financial crisis in 2009 when an unlikely Wharton grad was setting in motion a fraud of unprecedented gall and magnitude–one that would come to symbolize the next great threat to the global financial system. Billion Dollar Whale will become a classic, harrowing parable about the financial world in the twenty-first century.

Ive been wanting to read this book ever since it was published back in 2018, and finally I did. I gotta say that it lived up to my expectations which doest happen very often for me. 

This book the author a lot of time to research the case and all the schemes Jho Low. The case of Jho Low involves a lot of people, companies, banks and even parties to write a book about this case in a month or so. Because at the same time because all the people, companies, banks and parties we are told about in this book the entire case becomes so much confusing and hard to keep track of.

This book makes you realize how ridiculous the entire thing was and how schemes it must have taken for the whole thing to not be exposed for so long as it did.

However this book could have used better timeline than it did. Because it keeps skipping back and forward in time without any specific reason other than telling us as much of the story as possible. 

The writing style in this book is pretty simple and easy to understand. But at times it throws at us the big fancy financial words which no one really understands who isn’t working at wall street or some other financial institutions.  

However if you liked the Jordan Belfort story, you will also enjoy this book. Because the story Jho Low involves famous people like DiCaprio, Jordan Belfort and other people from Hollywood. 

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“It Ends with Us” By Colleen Hoover Review

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Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up — she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true. Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

I gotta say that this book surprised me a lot because its the only Colleen Hoover book I’ve read so far that I actually liked. But before we get into this review I gotta give you a warning that this book talks about abuse and have some very hard moments like pushing someone down the stairs or rape attempt. 

The plot in this book is very interesting which really surprised me because the books I’ve read in the past by Colleen Hoover were pure torture for me. But this book and the plot of this book is actually interesting and somehow good written.

If you have read some of my past reviews of Colleen Hoover’s books you might know that she is the author I hate the most because of how bad her books are. And I don’t understand why her books are so overhyped while being so trash as they are. But this book made me think more lightly about Colleen Hoover, and that maybe I’m being to harsh on her other books.

This book turned out to be very quick read for me because of how interesting it was for me. I personally didn’t expect this book to be so interesting because of my experiences with Colleen Hoover’s books. 

The characters in this book were actually pretty good and I liked them a lot. The characters in this book are very well written and are very decent characters to follow for the entire book.

The ending was very good as well. At the same time it is very satisfying and really makes this book a little bit better.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day” By Jay Shetty Review

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Shetty grew up in a family where you could become one of three things—a doctor, a lawyer, or a failure. His family was convinced he had chosen option three: instead of attending his college graduation ceremony, he headed to India to become a monk, to meditate every day for four to eight hours, and devote his life to helping others. After three years, one of his teachers told him that he would have more impact on the world if he left the monk’s path to share his experience and wisdom with others. Heavily in debt, and with no recognizable skills on his résumé, he moved back home in north London with his parents.

So I heard a lot of good about this book, but after reading this book I needed to say that the internet have fooled me again because this book is way overhyped when you look at the quality of this book.

The majority of this book talks about the author’s experience of being a monk and his life after returning to normal life. We get some self help advice here and there in this book but the majority focuses on the author’s thoughts, experience and challenges. I personally think that this book should be more a biography about the author rather than a self help book. I know it might be a very unpopular opinion here but thats my opinion.

The writing style in this book was very simple and easy going. Which really makes this book for everyone and not only people with a degree in psychology. Which really made me give this book some extra points.

But because of the majority of this book being about the author’s experience I didn’t like this book as I wanted to. Because before reading this book I had no idea who the author was so of course I didn’t have any interested in the author and still don’t have after reading this book. 

For the most part this book recycles what other self help books talked about, but it doesn’t do it in its own unique way but rather in a very generic way. So because of the recycling of information and basically the same topics as other self help books I took away some points from this book. 

I personally wouldn’t recommend this book because there are much better self help this book than this one. But for the most part this book way okay and not the worst I’ve seen in self help genre of books.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“The Idiot” By Fyodor Dostoevsky Review

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Returning to Russia from a sanitarium in Switzerland, the Christ-like epileptic Prince Myshkin finds himself enmeshed in a tangle of love, torn between two women—the notorious kept woman Nastasya and the pure Aglaia—both involved, in turn, with the corrupt, money-hungry Ganya. In the end, Myshkin’s honesty, goodness, and integrity are shown to be unequal to the moral emptiness of those around him. In her revision of the Garnett translation, Anna Brailovsky has corrected inaccuracies wrought by Garnett’s drastic anglicization of the novel, restoring as much as possible the syntactical structure of the original story.

I gotta say that I didn’t have a lot of expectations for this book, and after reading this book I am glad that I didn’t have expectations for this book because if I had I think I would have enjoyed this book much less than I actually did.

To be very honest reading this book didn’t take me too much time, if I remember correctly I have read this book in 6 or 7 days which isn’t that long if you look at the fact that this book has over 700 pages (at least my copy of this book was over 700 pages long).

The plot here is okay. It talks about corruption and a guy who had fallen in love with two women who are up to no good. My problem with the plot in this book is that it drags for too long fir the majority of this book which really made me so demotivated to continue reading this book.

The characters here were okay. I don’t have any strong or any thoughts or feelings towards the characters in this book because I simple didn’t care about them enough to have any opinions about them. They weren’t bad because if they were bad characters I would have gotten negative opinion about them.

The writing style as you can expected from Dostoevsky is very chunky and heavy. Which shouldn’t surprise you if you read any of his books in the past. 

Yes Dostoevsky’s books are hard to read because of the chunky and heavy writing style combined with the big plots. 

Even thou this book isn’t my favorite book from Dostoevsky, its pretty far from it. I’m in a way happy that I read this book even thou I wouldn’t be recommending this book to anyone looking to get started reading books from Dostoevsky.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“Kenobi” By John Jackson Miller Review

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In this original novel set between the events of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi comes to the aid of the residents of Tatooine during his exile. But he struggles with his new mission when he realizes that protecting Luke Skywalker-the last hope of the galaxy-means setting aside his compassion and his Jedi warrior training, for the future of the galaxy lies not with Obi-Wan Kenobi, but with a mystical desert recluse known only by the name of Crazy Old Ben.

I gotta admit that this one isn’t the best star wars books I’ve read. This book is okay and somehow fun to read because we get to see more of what Obi-Wan was doing on Tatooine after the events of Episode 3. But other than that it has some other fun moments but for the most part. However I gotta admit that this book had disappointed me in a way.

The thing I found most disappointing in this book is that I thought it will be about Obi-Wan, since its named “Kenobi” and it has Obi-Wan on the cover but the majority of this book isn’t even about him. He is in the book yes, but he pops up every couple of pages. And I gotta say that he was in around 20% of this book but the remaining 80% of this book was not about him. But Obi-Wan being at Tatooine is critical to the events in this book but we don’t get to know his thoughts and opinions about the actions unfolding in this book. Because we as the readers we only get very few and short passages from his point of view. Which really got me angry on this book and on the author in a way because I bought and read this book to read about Obi-Wan and not some Tatooine hillbillies.

I gotta admit that this book is more like a desert western rather than a star wars book, even thou it has a lightsaber moment at the end of this book. But I gotta admit that a part of me liked this in a way because for me it was like taking a unique approach to the Star Wars universe, even thou I don’t want to see that happening often when it comes to Star Wars universe.

The pacing in this book was over odd for me personally in this book. Because it was like the first half of this book was building into this big climax and then when we get into the second half of this book we get a new path and the book and the plot itself builds back up again for a new climax and for the real conclusion of the book.

The characters here are meh to be honest, even Obi Wan in this book feels more like a watered down version of himself from Episode 3 which happened very short time before the plot in this book begins. 

The characters are very not memorable, and really I didn’t remember their names after I finished this book which really shows me personally at least how mediocre and average “Joe”s the characters were in this book. 

We follow the plot from the new characters point of view in this book, and because of this a lot of this story isn’t spend on the Obi-Wan we know and love but rather the local people seeing the new guy in town and wondering who is and where he came from. And of course the new guy in town is “Ben Kenobi” which might explain what I said above about Obi-Wan having a feeling like he is a watered down version of himself.

The writing style in this book was very average and not a lot to talk about. It didn’t feel like it was a good choice for a star wars book, because the writing style felt like it would do better in a western themed book rather than a star wars book. It focused heavily on the gun action and the schemes aspects rather than what you would expect from a Star Wars books. 

I Give This Book 3 / 5