Finders Keepers - Russ Colchamiro

Book Title: Finders Keepers: The Definitive Edition
Author: Russ Colchamiro
Category: Adult Fiction
Pages: 310 pages
Genre: SciFi/Fantasy
Publisher: Crazy 8 Press
Release Date: October 17, 2018
Edition: Ebook
 Content Rating: PG-13 + M (A few f-bombs, and mild sex scenes + some casual drinking/pot smoking) 
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Description: In the spirit of The Good Place, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, author Russ Colchamiro has gone back to the future to deliver his wildest, funniest novel yet--the new and updated Sci-Fi/Fantasy tale Finders Keepers: The Definitive Edition. 

When a jar containing the Universe's DNA falls from Eternity, bumbling backpackers Jason and Theo find their loyalties--and sanity!--put to the test. Unaware that a motley crew from another realm is chasing them across the globe to retrieve that radioactive vessel, these intrepid new friends are forced to contend with passion, responsibility, and their own mortality--and the fate of the Solar System, which hangs in the balance. 

Traversing Europe, New Zealand, and the backbone of Eternity, Finders Keepers: The Definitive Edition ultimately asks one simple question: Is the life you're living the life you actually want . . . or does the Universe have more to offer than you can possibly imagine?

Thoughts: I really didn’t like this book, as I felt it was more of a chore than anything to read it.  I felt that that there were a lot of things that I didn’t like about the book.  The first thing was that I didn’t really find it funny. I had one small chuckle at one point during the read, but it seemed rather mundane for the most part.  Secondly I felt that the plot of the book was all over the place and there were too many characters.  I have read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and that book was more polished and coherent than this one.  For example, the book didn’t keep you with one set of characters for large periods of time and I wouldn’t get a sense of what the book was about.  I would read about one set of characters for a bit and then a few chapters later, would read about another set of characters and that switch to yet another set of characters a few chapters down the line.  I realize that the book is part of a series, but the number of characters in the book was way too much and too hard to keep track of to the point that I couldn’t tell who was who for the most part.  The author needed to have a better editor that would make the book tighter and more readable and therefore more readable.

It also needed to be shorter in terms of page length.  If the book was at least 50 pages shorter, it would be a better read.  There was too much to keep track to comprehend it properly.

I can see where the author is going with it and while it’s a good idea,  I doubt I am going to continue with the series.

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Meet the Author:

​Russ Colchamiro is the author of the rollicking space opera, Crossline, the zany SF/F backpacking comedy series Finders Keepers, Genius de Milo, and Astropalooza, and is editor of the SF anthology Love, Murder & Mayhem, all with Crazy 8 Press.

Russ lives in New Jersey with his wife, two children, and crazy dog, Simon, who may in fact be an alien himself.

Russ has also contributed to several other anthologies, including Tales of the Crimson Keep, Pangaea, Altered States of the Union, Camelot 13, TV Gods 2, They Keep Killing Glenn, and Brave New Girls. Russ is repped by The Zack Company.

Connect with Russ: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle

Title: A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet #1)
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Pages: 232
Published: 2007 (originally published 1963)
Genre: Science fiction, Fantasy, Classic, Middle-Grade
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: Out of this wild night, a strange visitor comes to the Murry house and beckons Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe on a most dangerous and extraordinary adventure - one that will threaten their lives and our universe. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I had heard a lot about how a lot of podcasters that I listen to liked this book as kids and thought I would give it a try.  To make it plain, this is probably something that should be read first as a kid, but each reader is different.  Basically I couldn't make heads over tails about what the book was trying to say.

Bottom line: Probably more ideal for middle grade readers that like science fiction or fantasy.  Recommended.

Rating: 2.75/5

The Book of New Strange Things - Michel Faber

Title: The Book of New Strange Things
Author: Michel Faber
Pages: 500
Published 2014
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: It begins with Peter, a devoted man of faith, as he is called to the mission of a lifetime, one that takes him galaxies away from his wife, Bea. Peter becomes immersed in the mysteries of an astonishing new environment, overseen by an enigmatic corporation known only as USIC. His work introduces him to a seemingly friendly native population struggling with a dangerous illness and hungry for Peter’s teachings—his Bible is their “book of strange new things.” But Peter is rattled when Bea’s letters from home become increasingly desperate: typhoons and earthquakes are devastating whole countries, and governments are crumbling. Bea’s faith, once the guiding light of their lives, begins to falter. 

Suddenly, a separation measured by an otherworldly distance, and defined both by one newly discovered world and another in a state of collapse, is threatened by an ever-widening gulf that is much less quantifiable. While Peter is reconciling the needs of his congregation with the desires of his strange employer, Bea is struggling for survival. Their trials lay bare a profound meditation on faith, love tested beyond endurance, and our responsibility to those closest to us. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: When the end of 2014 was drawing to a close, I was hear a lot about this book and I thought a bit about getting a copy, especially since it was in a genre that I try to avoid as much as possible.  But due to hearing about the book quite a bit on the various book podcasts that I listen to, I eventually relented and requested the book.

The first half of the book started a little slowly for me, as I felt that the book felt a little dense for me and as a result I struggled through this part of the book.  But there was something that kept me from pulling the plug on the book.

Once I got through the first half of the book, I felt engaged with the book and could understand the hype of the book.  I did like how Faber enveloped the reader in Peter's world and that I felt as though I was with him as he did his missionary work with Csan and how he tried to find out what was happening at his base while doing his missionary work.

There were two things that I would have liked more of in the book would have been more of Bea's perspective and a guide for the Csan's language, sa there were a few words that I couldn't make sense of.  I also liked that it took me out of my comfort zone and gave me a different perspective of missionary work  Highly recommended.

Rating: 3.75/5

Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel

Title: Station Eleven
Author: Emily St. John Mandel
Pages: 333
Published: 2014
Challenges: Just for Fun, I Love Libraries, Readers to the Rescue, Snagged @ the Library
Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Public Library

Description: One snowy night Arthur Leander, a famous actor, has a heart attack onstage during a production of King Lear. Jeevan Chaudhary, a paparazzo-turned-EMT, is in the audience and leaps to his aid. A child actress named Kirsten Raymonde watches in horror as Jeevan performs CPR, pumping Arthur's chest as the curtain drops, but Arthur is dead. That same night, as Jeevan walks home from the theater, a terrible flu begins to spread. Hospitals are flooded and Jeevan and his brother barricade themselves inside an apartment, watching out the window as cars clog the highways, gunshots ring out, and life disintegrates around them.

Fifteen years later, Kirsten is an actress with the Traveling Symphony. Together, this small troupe moves between the settlements of an altered world, performing Shakespeare and music for scattered communities of survivors. Written on their caravan, and tattooed on Kirsten's arm is a line from Star Trek: "Because survival is insufficient." But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who digs graves for anyone who dares to leave.

Spanning decades, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, this suspenseful, elegiac novel is rife with beauty. As Arthur falls in and out of love, as Jeevan watches the newscasters say their final good-byes, and as Kirsten finds herself caught in the crosshairs of the prophet, we see the strange twists of fate that connect them all. A novel of art, memory, and ambition, Station Eleventells a story about the relationships that sustain us, the ephemeral nature of fame, and the beauty of the world as we know it. (taken from Goodreads)

Thoughts: After seeing this book on a number of lists on a number bookish blogs/sites at the end of 2014, I knew that I had to read this book.  So I took the plunge and requested a copy from the library. And I wasn't disappointed and really got enraptured by the book and felt that by the end of the book that I didn't want to leave the world that Mandel created.

I felt as though Mandel really enveloped me into a post-apocalyptic world that looked strangely like mine.  The language in the book was excellent and allowed me to really experience what that world would be like (hopefully I never experience it).

Bottom line:  I really enjoyed the book, even in a genre that I don't generally enjoy reading from, as I have tried to avoid reading dystopic fiction as much as possible.  In reality, the book is much more literary than genre fiction, as Mandel really uses language to convey what is going on rather than focusing too much on events.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.5/5

Pages for 2015: 3,273

If you have read this book, what did you think of the book?

The Martian - Andy Weir

Title: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Pages (File Size): 384 (5.9 MB)
Published: 2014
Challenges: E-book, I Love Libraries
Genre: Science Fiction
Edition: E-book
Source: Library

Description: Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. 

Now, he''s sure he''ll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. 

Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. 

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him? (via ChaptersIndigo)

Description: It was a well-constructed novel, going between that of the astronaut, Mark Watney, and those on Earth, who were trying to get him back.  While reading the book, I ended up being more engaged with Mark's story than what was going on at NASA for the simple reason that I found the NASA stuff to be a bit on the dry side and was curious as to how one could survive on Mars, if one was just left there.

On the other hand, I did not like how the story was left hanging and would have liked to see how Mark's life was like after he got back.  Did he become famous and cash in on that fame?  Or did he try to shun the fame and try to resume a more normal life?

Bottom line: It was an interesting read and also quite entertaining.  I would probably recommend the book to most readers, even though the book is within a very specific genre.  Recommended to Highly recommended.

Rating: 3.75/5

Pages for 2014: 20,613

The Circle - Dave Eggars

Title: The Circle
Author: Dave Eggars
Pages (File Size): 528 (1.5 MB)
Published: 2013
Challenges: Blogger Summer Reading, E-Book, Chunkster, I Love Libraries
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Psychological
Edition: E-Book
Source: Library

Description: When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world’s most powerful internet company, she feels she’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime. The Circle, run out of a sprawling California campus, links users’ personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency. As Mae tours the open-plan office spaces, the towering glass dining facilities, the cozy dorms for those who spend nights at work, she is thrilled with the company’s modernity and activity. There are parties that last through the night, there are famous musicians playing on the lawn, there are athletic activities and clubs and brunches, and even an aquarium of rare fish retrieved from the Marianas Trench by the CEO. Mae can’t believe her luck, her great fortune to work for the most influential company in the world—even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, even as her role at the Circle becomes increasingly public. What begins as the captivating story of one woman’s ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge. (from Goodreads)

Thoughts: I head about this book about a year ago and had tried to read it earlier this year and wasn't able to get around to it due to reading other books, but it now seemed to the right time to read it.  And it basically creeped me out, especially as the book moved towards the end and really made me think about how much I share and spend on social media sites.

It was very interesting to see how Mae became more and more involved with her life at work and how the world outside of her job became less and less important to her.  While it is primarily a book about how social media sites are playing more and more of a role in our lives, it is also a story about how work has become more and more consuming and how our social lives are basically those that occur online rather than off line.

Bottom line: While it was creepy and worrisome, it does give one pause and does raise concerns to how much social media is playing a role in our lives.  It you enjoy books that have a dystopic themes, you might enjoy this one.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.75/5

Pages for 2014: 17,557

If you have read this book, what did you think about it?

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

Title: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #1)
Author: Douglas Adams
Pages: 216
Published: 1995 (first published 1979)
Challenges: Blogger Summer Reading, I Love Libraries
Genre: Science Fiction, Humor, Fantasy, Young Adult
Edition: Mass Market Paperback (Library binding)
Source: Library

Description: Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.

Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years. (from Goodreads)

Thoughts: This has been one of those book that I have been wanting to read for sometime, especially since I had heard a lot about this book over the years (in fact, I had never heard about this book until about 10 years ago).  So while I was listening to an episode of the Book Riot podcast this past June and hearing one of the hosts talk about the amazing audiobook that was narrated by Stephan Fry (it was a sponsor break for Audible that I heard about the audio), I knew I had to read this book.  So I downloaded the audio and borrowed a paper copy of the book from the library.

It took me a bit to get into the book, but once I was able to get into the rhythm of the book, it felt like a really fun ride at an amusement park and I could see why this has become a cult classic among science fiction fans and other readers over the years.  It is definitely a healthy overdose of fun for readers and non-readers alike.  I definitely had fun with the book, once I was able to relax and not take the book too seriously.

Bottom line: I really enjoyed the read and the ride.  I would recommend this to readers who at least want to try science fiction and those that have been wanting to read this book for sometime.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.75/5

Pages for 2014: 14, 638