Customer Comments

Oleofox has commented on (55) products.

The Miniature Wife: And Other Stories by Manuel Gonzales

Oleofox, April 4, 2013

Overall this book was a good time spent. The author is amazing at his craft. A true story-teller in the making. Of course there were stories that pulled me in more than others; I still don't view the ones I didn't care for as a waste of time. Now for my breakdown/opinions/questions on each story:

Pilot, Copilot, Writer-
Freaky. Actually felt like I was the one trapped in an airplane for 20 years. Curious about the perpetual oil and the life sustaining drops given to everyone. Also, what did they do with the bodies of those who died during the 20 years? Chuck them into the cargo hold?

The Miniature Wife-
Brings to mind those 'Honey I Shrunk....' movies, but on a far more creepy level.

William Corbin: A Meritorious Life-
Is this based in any way on the true start of the people we now call clowns? Seems like it could be. If not, it still was a great origin type of story.

The Sounds of Early Morning-
Not sure what to make of this one. Completely strange.

The Artist's Voice-
The way this story is written makes it seem like a factual accounting of a mans life with a rare disease. A bit reminiscent of Tuesdays with Morie. After getting over the fact that the story is fake, I really found it interesting and even humorous at the end.

Henry Richard Niles: A Meritorious Life-
After reading this snippet of a story it has me thinking that this entire volume comes across as having been written on a parallel universe. Events and aspects seem extremely strange but yet there is still a shred of possibility about them.

Cash to A Killing-
Impression: great writing, spastic characters.

Harold Withy Keith: A Meritorious Life-
The folly of the overly ambitious. Can't help but laugh. Also makes me glad that I am almost done taking a medical terminology class; or else I would have been very confused while reading this story as well as The Artist's Voice.

The Animal House-
All I felt was sadness for the animals.

All of Me-
Awesome. All the inner dialogue makes me think that it was probably similar to what Sally (from the US version of Being Human) was thinking in the last few episodes I saw. The inner turmoil of trying not to eat others. Of course that is if zombies were real.

Life on Capra II-
Reminds me of various movies and tv episodes. Theme of realizing your life is being controlled by someone other than yourself. Literally.

Juan Refugio Rocha: A Meritorious Life-
Reminds me of the recent April Fool's Hoax on the news about successfully translating gorilla sounds into English.

The Disappearance of the Sebali Tribe-
This story is about a woman who exposed a hoax by 2 amateur anthropologists; (written as if it was a true accounting of events in our world). Funny, seeing as this whole book is fiction. The "men" in the story conned everyone involved in the anthropology world; and the author of this book is in a way conning some people (due to his amazing writing) into thinking that the events in the story really happened (obviously the gullible readers).

One-Horned & Wild-Eyed-
Got to love a unicorn that gets the last laugh.

Wolf!-
Different view on how werewolves are made. The author might consider pursuing more werewolf stories or possibly even a novel.

Farewell, Africa-
This story failed to have any content that really drew me into the story.

Juan Manuel Gonzales: A Meritorious Life-
Makes you wonder if a shred of this story was based off of a familial tale the author heard when he was young. Of course that could be way off base.

Escape from the Mall-
Could clearly picture this one. Felt as if I saw this or heard it before. But I think that's the case with most Zombie stories. One question comes to mind. What's with the public's increased fascination with all things Zombie related in the past year or so?

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Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson #7) by Patricia Briggs

Oleofox, March 15, 2013

Another amazing installment to this series. It always amazes me how the author can fit so much action into such a short book (any book under 400 pages is short for me). And while short, the book does not lack for details in any way. The characters are as always, excellently written. I especially liked how Mercy is still dealing with the aftermath (panic attacks) due to the events at the end of Silver Borne. It just proves that no matter what type of supernatural you are in her world; you are still human. I was also really glad to see the return of Stefan and hope to see more of him in the next book. Ben has also really grown on me and has become one of my favorite characters. It's great to see how much he has grown and that he is learning to appreciate and even care about other people besides himself. Overall I thought that the story was very good and will probably read it again as soon as I can find the time to do so.

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Don't Kill the Messenger by Eileen Rendahl

Oleofox, February 18, 2013

I really enjoyed the new spin on the whole supernatural world of vampires, werewolves, the introduction of a new character of a "messenger" that this book introduced. But overall there was a rushed feeling. At least for me. Everything in the story seemed very one dimensional. There was no in depth explanations of the "world" this book is set in. Kind of like eating a sandwich that has very little meat, cheese......contents. Despite the story being told from the main character (Melina's) point of view, to me it seemed as if the story was being told by someone else who was witnessing the story. I think that's because Melina's observations about her surroundings come across as very simplistic. Compared to the numerous other books I have read in this genre; Don't Kill the Messenger is a bit juvenile. Overall it's a good start to a series, but I would hope that future books are a bit more mature in development. As it stands, I will wait for my local library system to get additional books in this series as I don't want to end up paying for a book that I wasn't 100% thrilled with.

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Still Life with Shape-Shifter (Shifting Circle Novel) by Sharon Shinn

Oleofox, February 10, 2013

When I first picked up The Shape of Desire (first Shifting Circle novel) by Sharon Shinn I wasn't really sure about reading it. It seemed so different from all of her other books that I have read. But in the end I was extremely glad that I read it as it turned out to be amazing. And that unexplainable spark has not diminished one iota in this second book. Shinn has a way of creating stories that just draw you in as a reader. Her characters are so human. Especially in a book like this with a supernatural bent. Whereas most authors are focusing on the supernatural part of their character's lives, Shinn focuses on what makes them human as well. This book and the previous one all come down to love. How we find it in the most unexpected ways, the love we have for our families, and strength of that love when it comes to making the hardest decisions in our lives. While I truly am an avid fan of urban fantasy and supernatural/paranormal books involving shape-shifters; this series is a refreshing break within the genre. I absolutely cannot wait for the next installment.

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Thirteen by Kelley Armstrong

Oleofox, February 5, 2013

Epic conclusion to an amazing series. I have been with this series from the start and have loved every minute of it. The world and characters are so engaging and entertaining. This book truly is one of the best endings I have read for a series. Kelley Armstrong has spectacularly woven a story that blends various narrators seamlessly together to tell an action packed story. While old characters make reappearances to great effect. The only question I'm still left with is in regards to the pendant on the cover of the book. I do not see how that ties in with the series at all (and I was one of the lucky 13 who won a limited edition replica of it via a release contest via Penguin). Despite that one lingering question I completely loved this book and the short story involving Elena. I am definitely looking forward to other shorts that the author has mentioned publishing in the future. I'd really like a final story about Cassandra and Aaron. So in a way, the supernatural world that she created, is not totally gone forever.

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