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Thursday, June 27, 2019

Superior Saturday by Garth Nix

Superior Saturday (The Keys to the Kingdom, #6)Superior Saturday by Garth Nix
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Review from my previous reading from 2010.

Review from 6/27/2019:
I'm re-reading this series, and I was reading so fast, and like I mentioned here, if I had the next book handy I'd just keep reading. Well, that is what I just did this time. I had book 7 handy, and I kept reading and neglected to write much on this book. So I'm sticking with the original review and my 4 stars.

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Lady Friday by Garth Nix

Lady Friday (The Keys to the Kingdom, #5)Lady Friday by Garth Nix
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

See my previous review where I only gave it 3 stars here: Lady Friday

Review from 6/20/2019:
This is another good book in the Keys to the kingdom series. There are times in the middle of the book that it feels like there are too many plot lines going, but Mr. Nix wraps them up fairly well in the end, leaving the need tension in the larger plot surrounding Saturday and Sunday. If anything, the rush at the end to tie in all of the details might have resulted in a few shortcuts. Freeing this part of The Will was a little too easy in the end. The touch of the true heir was enough? Really? How come that never worked before?

Still this is an enjoyable series best read quickly in one go, as it is all really one story. I am moving my rating up to 4 stars though (previous concerns still noted.)

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People by Gary Chapman


The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging PeopleThe Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People by Gary Chapman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm a huge fan of the Five Love Languages, the predecessor of this book. I eagerly put this one on my list, and shared it with others in my company. However, when I finally got around to reading it myself I was a little disappointed. This is a perfect example of a business book that used 200 pages to give 50 pages of information. It was laughable. The audio version I listened to had supplemental material that included interviews of the authors that I gained insights from, so I don't think there was as lack content. It just feels like it was a lazy attempt.

Am I still a believer in the Five Love Languages? Yes. Do I think this book hits on a real need in the workplace? Yes. Did this book do an effective and efficient job of repackaging the love languages into business form and delivering them to the business community. No.

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Sir Thursday by Garth Nix

Sir Thursday (The Keys to the Kingdom, #4)Sir Thursday by Garth Nix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Link to my 2010 notes.

Update from my 2019 read:

Once again, I'm giving this 5 stars, more for the whole series rather than this one book. I like the depth in the setting and plot we get in this juvenile fiction, even though it stays true to the level of the audience it was written for. Also, this being my second time through the series, I'm still finding fantastic foreshadowing I missed the first time through.

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson

The Feather ThiefThe Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My wife read this book, and loved it, and persistently recommended it to me (I didn't use the word "nag"). Then she organized a book club at MY family reunion, and assigned this book as the subject and it was over. I had to read it.

It was a fascinating read, and in the end, I'm glad I read it. It left me with a bunch of questions however, which I will list here as both my response to the book, and my teaser for anyone who hasn't read it yet.

1. How was the theft really committed?
2. How did an ex-military guy ever get paid to write this book?
3. Is there another side to this story that isn't being told? Every attempt I've heard so far to justify, even in part, the events in this book has fallen very flat.
4. While I'm not a fan of the over-used term "sustainable", the fly tying community is so obviously not sustainable that there isn't another term to use. How do they justify that?
5. While I found the blatant nature of the crime disturbing, and the attitude of the perpetrator annoying, and the failure of law enforcement and modern society to address his wrong-doing astounding, I am left with the unanswered question of what am I supposed to do with this information? I am a doer by nature, but can't join some save-the-animals type group, since I generally don't align with their assertions. Yet, this is a specific infraction being committed for an unjustifiable reason. Shouldn't we DO something about it?

So go pick this up and give it a go. It is a worthwhile read, and then there will be one more person in the world who can help me decide what to do with it.