Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Frank H. (stormcreature) - Reviews

1 to 20 of 32 - Page:
And the Band Played on: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic
And the Band Played on: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic
Author: Randy Shilts
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4.3/5 Stars.
 13
Review Date: 4/10/2017


I watched the movie years ago but this was just an amazing piece of work by the author. He pulls no punches and is very honest about why the disease spread and was left unchecked. The pure volume of research the author did for this is mind-boggling.


Apathy and Other Small Victories
Apathy and Other Small Victories
Author: Paul Neilan
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 22
Review Date: 5/28/2021


I found this book hilarious. Funny from start to finish. Be warned it is a dark comedy and not for everyone.


A Boy's Hammer
A Boy's Hammer
Author: Alex Grass
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 6/8/2022


What a surprisingly fun read. Part science fiction, fantasy, mythology, and horror. The book goes deep into Finnish mythology/folklore for various characters and Tuonela which is the Finnish hell basically. Don't think that you need to know any mythology it is all explained and I was surprised by the depth of the characters. Definitely a book to keep to be re-read. I feel like it would be even more enjoyable a second time around. Would love to see this turned into a graphic novel or a Netflix series.

P.S. The band Amorphis would be proud of this work.


Busted: A Tale of Corruption and Betrayal in the City of Brotherly Love
Review Date: 5/18/2018


A really great read that you can't put down. The first thing I thought of after reading this was just how important paper investigative journalism is and has been in fighting for the people. If it becomes a lost art who will uncover corrupt police officers and politicians and other high level wrongdoings all that go unchecked because the common folk have very little chance of going against the machine and are usually scared. Well it is good to know that Ruderman and Laker are always trying to uncover the dark secrets of my city Philadelphia.


The Cutting Edge: Philosophy of the SAW Films
The Cutting Edge: Philosophy of the SAW Films
Author: C. J. Patton
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 11/7/2013


Any book title that has the word philosophy in it is usually a pass for me but being a big horror fan I was just too intrigued. This is just a fun book for any fan of the Saw series. The author C.J. Patton basically looks at the moral and philosophical reasoning of Jigsaw (John Kramer)as he kidnaps and traps his victims. It was pretty cool to really try to get into the mind of Jigsaw and I admit I look at the movies a little different now. I need to go watch the series from start to finish again.

Another cool aspect is the "Trap Index" that lists each trap in the Saw series in chronological order. Along with the trap title it includes who set the trap, reason, description, pass/fail, and comments for each one. It was fun to read how the traps would of played out in real time as opposed to what order we actually witnessed them. I had way too much fun reading the trap index and reliving each and every trap. I'm a tad concerned to be honest.

So The Cutting Edge is just a really fun and fast read. Hopefully the author will take on some other horror movie themed books in the future.


Dead Things
Dead Things
Author: Matt Darst
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 11/2/2012


Like a lot of people I am sick of Zombie stories in any form of media at this point. Dead Things was different. The story is definitely character driven but with some great legit horror scenes. My favorite part is the characters trying to figure out what caused this zombie "plague". Some of the theories will have you running to google all types of information from comets to mass disappearances. Lots of fun "geek" dialogue too that has made me now have to read Dune by Frank Herbert. Should of read it long ago anyway


The Emperor of the Eight Islands (Tale of Shikanoko, Bk 1)
The Emperor of the Eight Islands (Tale of Shikanoko, Bk 1)
Author: Lian Hearn
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 3
Review Date: 7/16/2016


I devoured this book. You would think with all the characters and places in the book it might get confusing but the author did a great job and you just fly through it. Can't wait to read the rest of the story.


Enmeshed Within
Enmeshed Within
Author: Ian Bar
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 5/5/2015


This book had it's ups and downs. Some of the negatives for me were it was a bit wordy at times and sort of drifted, the characters like Jimmy's father and friends were not really interesting to me and I was not overly happy with the ending but it seems I feel that way about 90% of the books I read anymore. The positives in the book were really a lot of fun to read. Jimmy the main character was fun and the demons he encounters along the way are just too cool. After the chapter with a certain Roman Emperor and Jimmy going back and forth I could not wait to tell my friends about it. Other demons/hallucinations show up and it is a pretty crazy ride. I highly recommend Enmeshed Within even with its faults because it was just so much fun to read.


The Fifth Gospel: A Novel
The Fifth Gospel: A Novel
Author: Ian Caldwell
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 8
Review Date: 2/10/2017


What an achievement by author Ian Caldwell. To write something that is entertaining from begining to end and also teach us about past history. I'll admit I was brought up Catholic so the religious aspects of the book made it that much more intriguing. I don't know how this book would read for somebody with no interest or background in Catholicism. I suspect that is why this books rating is not over four. It is compared to Dan Brown's work but far exceeds it. Certainly not light reading like Dan Brown.


Freaks Anon
Freaks Anon
Author: Matt Darst
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 5/2/2016


Freaks Anon is what most fans of superheroes and horror want but seldom get. Great writing with believable characters and a story that captures your imagination from page one. It brings superheroes into the 21st century and is backed up by a wonderful historical back-story that re-writes werewolf lore.


The Fury (Fury, Bk 1)
The Fury (Fury, Bk 1)
Author: Alexander Gordon Smith
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 3
Review Date: 5/2/2016


The only reasons this is a YA Horror is the age of the characters and no cursing or sex. The horror is very real. Some of the haunting images that The Fury leaves you with are amazing. The best part is the connection to the characters since it is told from each of their points of view. Great ending also.


Gone Girl
Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 780
Review Date: 2/28/2018


A bit of a disappointment with all the hype surrounding it. The first hundred pages and I pretty much hated every character in the book and could care less what happened to them. Settled in and it started getting really good only for a disappointing second half of the novel. A quick read though.


Hellraisers (The Devil's Engine, Bk 1)
Hellraisers (The Devil's Engine, Bk 1)
Author: Alexander Gordon Smith
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 5/25/2016


Another great read from Alexander Gordon Smith. This might be my favorite so far. So much more though to explore in this Devil's Engine universe. Looking forward to it. Hellraisers is highly recommended.


A Hero of France (Night Soldiers, Bk 14)
A Hero of France (Night Soldiers, Bk 14)
Author: Alan Furst
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 11
Review Date: 5/18/2016
Helpful Score: 2


I received this copy through Goodreads giveaways program.

This is the first book from author Alan Furst I have read. His writing is very smooth I see why people really like his style. What I liked best was how realistic it felt. Not only the characters but the situations and outcomes. No crazy unrealistic action scenes or escapes. So when things did happen the impact was greater. Will definitely read another novel by Alan Furst.


The Immortal Chronicles: Volumes 1 - 5
The Immortal Chronicles: Volumes 1 - 5
Author: Gene Doucette
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 6/13/2021


Such an underrated series. Great writing and lots of fun. Glad I came across it.


Killadelphia
Killadelphia
Author: Connor Pritchard, Conor Buckley
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 7/4/2016


This novel starts out as one thing and develops into something much more. At first you have an Escape From New York feel except much more realistic. In fact kudos to the author(s) for sitting down and thinking about how could something like this be done. Killadelphia has a great backstory that keeps you riveted and by the end I would say you can include a touch of sci-fi. The main character Cheo, I personally can't help but love. Certainly flawed like everybody he has an inner strength I really admire. His main asset is his brain which I also admire. The only problem is now I have to wait for book two. Highest Recommendation.


Kingston Raine and the Arena of Chaos (Volume 3)
Kingston Raine and the Arena of Chaos (Volume 3)
Author: Jackson Lear
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 7/31/2016


This is the third book in the Kingston Taine series. I enjoyed as much as the first two. This one had hardly any Death or Satan in it. It was Kingston and company competing in a once a decade contest. It includes cheating, beating people up, cheating, gambling, and cheating. The last third of the book was really great. I had no idea how it would end


Kingston Raine and the Grim Reaper (Volume 1)
Kingston Raine and the Grim Reaper (Volume 1)
Author: Jackson Lear
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 7/22/2016


Really funny book. The relationship between Death and Satan is unique and meeting literary characters from books like Robin Hood, Dracula and Don Quixote made the book even more enjoyable. Although it would of been even more fun if he chose different books of fiction to visit and take characters from. Like more recent novels.


The Last Sacrifice: The Graphic Novel (The Dominion Trilogy)
Review Date: 1/24/2018


This was a Goodreads giveaway.

This was hard to get through. I love graphic novels but this lacked in several areas for me. The art was definitely hit or miss. The dialogue was boring. The whole story was predictable and derivative. Way too many great graphic novels out there to pay for this in my opinion.


The Merciless
The Merciless
Author: Danielle Vega
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 4
Review Date: 6/29/2017


Really enjoyed this. For a "Teen Horror" I was shocked at how violent it was. Glad I gave it a shot. Will definitely check out Danielle Vega's other books.


1 to 20 of 32 - Page: