Reading Recap, week 34
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A modest week in the books. Here’s what’s up:
Audiobooks
I finished THE FOURTH WALL by Williams and ERUPTION by Crichton/Patterson. Both got videos on the channel.
The former was the third book in the Dagmar Shaw series of thrillers. Williams took the unusual route of changing perspectives for the end of a trilogy by introducing a new character and writing the book in the first person. As I said in the video, it was like he had two half-ideas for different books and he combined them into one, and I didn’t mind it. Compared to the others it was noticeable, yet on its own it was still a strong and enjoyable read. Content warning for profanity and sexual situations.
The latter was a typical Crichton science thriller about a volcanic eruption in Hawaii, intensified by a nearby toxic waste dump that—if destroyed—could release a world-ending plague. So the science guys had to put on their science pants and science the hell out of this science to save the world, and they did. It gives the expected levels of Crichton excitement and reminds me of the pre-Jurassic Park era of his writing. A little more intense than CONGO, a little less intelligent than the dinosaur books. Fine overall if you’re considering reading it. Content warning for profanity.
Print and Comics
Good week in comics! We got TRANSFORMERS #11 and GEIGER #5.
The Transformers comic showed some changes with a couple of characters, but overall the action didn’t move forward a whole ton. The Autobots went on the offensive and Ultra Magnus has PTSD from being tortured by Shockwave, that’s pretty much it. I think I’m going to finish this arc (it wraps up soon) and then just wait for the collected editions instead of buying them each month. The story might be slow just because I’m reading it literally one chapter at a time. I do feel like it moved better in the first five issues though.
Geiger continues to surprise and impress me. Granted, they went the emotionally easy route of having him rescue his dog from a villain, but the “how” of it—and the grit he showed when he was at a disadvantage—makes him a heroic character. And like a true lover of lore, I enjoyed the ending because it showed us more of what’s happening in Geiger’s wasteland, especially on the East Coast with the White House. Keep expanding on that stuff, Geoff Johns; you’re going great work.
Next Week:
For comics I think it’s Destro and Redcoat. I’m more excited by the latter. I’m going to try to read some more Silmarillion, I need to get back into that one. That whole project might release next year.
Audio-wise, I’ve got SAVAGE SON (Terminal List #3), FARNSWORTH’S CLASSICAL ENGLISH RHETORIC, TROUBLE WALKED IN, and NOT A PENNY MORE NOT A PENNY LESS. The last one was recommended by my Nana when I visited her a few weeks ago and she’s one of the few people I know who has read more books than I have. For it to stand out in her memory at 89 years old is cool.
I’m back on 5 days at work so audiobook time is easier to come by. All of those reads should be single-day reads.
Thanks guys. Tell your friends about the campaign for my brother’s car!