Category: Books

The Merchant Adventurer by Patrick E. McLean

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m quickly becoming a big fan of Patrick McLean’s writing. I tore through the How to Succeed in Evil series, really enjoying the concept of an “evil efficiency consultant” very much as he turns the superhero genre on its head, letting the bad guy take the wheel.

His latest, The Merchant Adventurer, similarly reverses the roles in another genre, that of fantasy adventuring. Anyone who has seen Lord of the Rings will be familiar enough with the genre, but those who have read fantasy novels or rolled the dice in a role-playing game (RPG), electronic or board, will really enjoy this most. In fact, the author based the protagonist on a computer-played RPG character from the game Wizardry.

Boltac is a shopkeeper; the guy who kits you out when you go out on your quest for fortune and glory. He theoretically is also the guy you sell your loot to if you ever return from your adventure (doubtful). He’s seen them all come and go – bold young heroes off to defeat the dread so and so and rid the land of this and that and recover the lost treasure of whatever. He nods politely, sells them the gear for exactly what it’s worth and never expects to see any of them ever again. He is Rick Blaine in Casablanca; he sticks his neck out for nobody.

But when the local wizard gets a little too ambitious and kidnaps the innkeeper of Boltac’s dreams, he feels compelled to act; not to be the hero, but to use his own strengths to get her back. And save the town, if possible. And not to be killed by either the cut-throat guide or the idiot kid hero who tags along.

The novel is a great satire. It helps if you are fluent in the genre, but really you don’t have to have read any of those books with characters with too many consonants in their names to enjoy the story. Boltac is a fun character to follow and if the end destination of the story isn’t really in doubt, the many paths and stops on the way are entirely unexpected and great.

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Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove by Questlove

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a brilliant read. Saw Quest talking to John Oliver on the Daily Show about the book and was spellbound, as was Oliver. He is such an amazing presence; a walking dictionary of music who is inspired by the sounds and can’t wait to discuss it with you. The book engages, takes to you Quest’s visual & vivid recollections of his moments frozen in time and inextricably linked to a particular song. Makes you think about the songs that define your timeline and life.

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Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Looks like I finished this for the first time one year ago today, so probably a good time to write a review. I’m nothing if not prompt. Seeing the dates on this (started 7/12, finished 7/13) reminded me of how fast I went through it. I am a terribly slow reader. Finishing a book in 2 days means I stayed up insanely late 2 days in a row reading, and this was certainly the case with Ready Player One.

It is just such an enjoyable read. I’ve read many good books and many great ones, and I guess I enjoy reading them, but that isn’t the feeling I’m trying to describe here. I enjoyed myself while reading; I had a great time. Reading this book was like spending an evening with friends you grew up with and haven’t seen in years; friends who remind you of great times you have had and completely forgotten about.

It goes without saying that this is a book of 80’s nostalgia; it’s the book’s MO. Being a child of the 80’s, it is right in my wheelhouse and I couldn’t have been more receptive. For that reason, it’s hard to gauge how effective it would be as a novel to those of a different age. I’d like to think that it’s an enjoyable adventure story, with thrilling elements and a great sense of humor and hope that would play for those of any generation. But I really can’t say. My heart tells me that based on the quality of the story, it’s worth a read for all.

And it’s Airwolf, baby…

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A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a huge Bill Bryson fan, reading probably 2 of his books to 1 of any other non-fiction author, so take that into consideration, but I loved this. An ambitious enterprise, I think it works precisely because of the style of the author; good research well-summarized and outlined and delivered with salient insights in a dry sense of humor.

If you don’t like his other things, you’ll dislike this for all of the same reasons, though the only frequent quibble I read about Bryson is that he portrays himself as an expert on subjects for which he is but an amateur. I frankly don’t read him that way; my take is that he’s a simple observer of life with a genuine interest in a host of subjects, just as many of us are. I appreciate an author who finds the world an fascinating place and sets out to communicate those things they find fascinating.

There are always more learned experts on any subject and there are always more thorough writings on any topic, but I still have a great regard for his ability to take in a ton of information and distill it into a thoughtful and fun tale.

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