Söz Mühendisi - Hasan Çep itibaren Olimpos Yayınları içinde LIT biçim

Michele Paul michelepaul — Sir John Hargrave is a minor superhero: he has made a career of pranking large companies, celebrities, governments, and other organizations that screw with the little people. His targets are judiciously chosen, and the results had me laughing out loud throughout. Between opening his own Starbucks within a Starbucks, filing his taxes using only roman numerals, waking up spammers at three am to be removed from their distribution lists, getting Walmart to sell porn, and testing various penis enlargement medications, his pranks are harmless and good humored, but illuminate some of the ridiculousness we've grown to tolerate. Sir Hargrave is very gently raging against the machine. Good for him.

Scart Javier snapies — Currently reading - in between everything else. It's a disappointment to me. I doubt I'll ever finish it. Think I would have liked it 10 years ago. Maybe. Just not enough of a story for me, on going ramblings. Just not my thing. I have conceded defeat. Although when I have nothing else to read on my iPad I may dip in again.

Floran Knezevic _loran_ — The Bastard Stepchild by George R.R. Martin was an interesting and eye-opening take on the genre of Urban Fantasy and its origins. This preface truly gets readers ready to dive into this anthology as they understand the genres that will be introduced within the pages of this book. Rating: 3 1/2 Stars (Read 03/19/13) Death by Dahlia by Charlaine Harris dives into another chapter in the petite little vampire in Rhodes, Dahlia Lindley Chivers. Once again Ms. Harris proves that even an ascension party for Dahlia's new sheriff won't deter some chaos involving vampires, demons, and werewolves, oh my! I enjoy Dahlia and her capers so I am biased when it comes to writing a review. The story itself had sex, action, mystery, and some quirky humor to set the story off even more. Was it a great story and would a novice enjoy it? No, probably not. Would fans of Charlaine Harris and Dahlia enjoy the characters and the plot? Yes, for sure. Rating: 4 Stars (Read 01/08/12) The Bleeding Shadow by Joe R. Lansdale details a down and out self-proclaimed "detective" out to help an old girlfriend find her blues playing, loser brother from a force out to steal not just his music skills but his soul as well. This story was very noirish with a setting in the deep south that rang realiztic even while introducing the paranormal. It was humorous yet gritty, urban with a touch a ghetto yet the storys' setting was well-crafted. I enjoyed the main character as he was all business and even a bit violent and yet he seemed to truly care about Alma May even though their relationship ended years prior. I liked the story in general and thought the ending was unexpected and pretty fitting for the story. The story was nicely written and a good addition to this anthology and its theme. Rating: 3 1/2 to 4 stars Hungry Heart by Simon R. Green was an enjoyable and nicely written tale of a private detective specializing in the supernatural who takes on a witchy client looking for her stolen heart, literally, while others pursue the appendage as well and nothing is as it seems. The story was fast paced and had instant appeal to me from page one. I enjoyed the setting of the story and the characters as a whole, and I thought the story itself was unique. I liked the Nightside realm the author created and would like to expore more in this universe. The ending had a nice twist to it and I truly enjoyed the dry humor written into the novella! I definitely recommend this story to fans of this author or the fantasy genre in general. Rating: 4 Stars Styx and Stones by Steven Saylor was interesting and historical tale of two Roman travelers who wish to see Babylon and learn what still exists of the famous land Alexander conquered. Although they are only tourists in the city set on seeing the site, the pair will learn of an ancient and malicious entity who haunts an abandoned temple deep in the city that even the local residents dare not venture into. This story was quirky yet had a good amount of historical facts and details mixed into it. The characters fit well with the story and there was also some funny points to the story as well. In the end, the story was a bit bland even as it picked up toward the end, in my opinion. It fit with the theme of the anthology, but just seemed to lack in the action and mystery I traditionally like in my stories. Rating: 3 Stars Pain and Suffering by S. M. Stirling ended up being a strange yet very fascinating story of a former marine with horrifying dreams and memories who investigates a fire and disappearance that is not what it appears to be and the unexplainable and dangerous are common place and death is just around the corner. What a highly interesting and gritty tale! I really enjoyed te world created in this story and loved the characters. I also liked the mystery and sarcasm laced throughout the short. I would love to read more about these characters and this world for sure and recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy with a bit of horror in their stories! Rating: 4 Stars It's Still the Same Old Story by Carrie Vaughn totally sucked me in from the first paragraph! I love this author and LOVED the story set in her Kitty Norville world with one of the more frequent background characters taking center stage. Rick has been a vampire for a very long time yet he still likes to be involved with humans and still feel like he is part of the living even if he is technically dead. So when a human friend from his past calls him for help, Rick's memory of his first meeting with Helen sparks and just like that past and present collide as this vampire will stop at nothing to help his friend while writing another chapter into his world that he will never forget as long as he exists. I truly loved this story as it had all the elements I crave in my readings. Love, heartbreak, mystery, action, paranormal elements, and humor all rolled into one nicely written tale! I liked Rick from the very first Kitty novel as he seemed so different from the vampires who were introduced in this world. I truly enjoyed seeing this new side to the vampire and learning more about him as a person. This story was a little sad but it totally made the tale even better and I cannot wait to dive into more of Carrie Vaughn's novels in the very near future! Rating: 4 1/2 to 5 Stars The Lady is a Screamer by Conn Iggulden truly tickled me with its quirky wit and awesome cynicism as the main character cons his way through widows and other trusting marks who believe him to be a true "psychic" when he comes across the real paranormal and spirits that have their own agendas and ideas about the con mans' profession. I will admit the beginning confused me a bit until I realized the first person point of view and the significance of the characters' story and thoughts. After that, I truly enjoyed the humor and the story as a whole. I was also pleasantly surprised with the emotional secret the character had inside until a particularly aggressive ghost came into the picture. That really clinched the story for me in the end and I truly enjoyed this short novella. I might have to check out some other works of Conn Iggulden in the future for sure! Rating: 4 Stars Hellbender by Laurie R. King really got me from the first page and kept me riveted even to the end! What a truly original tale of a detective with a huge genetic secret that comes to the forefront after years of denial and self loathing when a beautiful woman hires him seeking her missing brother and a few other people who have gone missing over the years. What a truly interesting story that incorporated action, sci-fi, and a bit of the noir famous with detectives in these stories. I liked the whole genetic/scientific conspiracy intwined in this short and hope the author decides to write more about this particular group of "people." Rating: 4 Stars Shadow Thieves by Glen Cook was an odd story about a strange household of paranormal and human members who help the local authorities with crimes and investigations who find themselves the recipients of sudden attacks and threats on their lives and home when a mythical and infamous box of shadows is rumored to be somewhere in their household. I'll admit, there were some funny points and interesting characters in this 1800's English feeling story, but the story itself seemed a bit rushed and I also felt I was lacking some serious backstory about all these characters and this world. The beginning was very strange as I was bit lost on some points, but the plot soon came to the forefront and finished the story on a pleasant note. In the end, the story was not a favorite of mine but it fit with the theme of the anthology and I believe if I had read some prior works based in this universe with these characters I would have enjoyed it more. Rating: 3 Stars No Mystery, No Miracle by Melinda M. Snodgrass, set in the depression era of the Midwest, detailed the journey of an ancient and paranormal being attempting to track down another of his kind and stop it from destroying the life and world around them both. This story was a bit more strange than I was expecting and I felt like this particular tale began in a previous novel before his anthology and I was just readin the middle of an epic tale. The story ended up being pretty interesting as these beings survive on emotions and literally shatter if overloaded with emotion or caught offguard in a magical situation. Plus, I did like the fact that these beings live extended lives and can assimilate within our world. That being said, I did not enjoy the references to the mentally disabled man introduced or the public feeling on people of color, even if the terms and mentality were accurate for the time period of the story. They were just so out of place and I had to remind myself several times that this was really how society was in that time and the author wants to bring her readers into this time and truly experience it. Overall, the story was well-written and fit with the theme of the anthology, but I just did not enjoy this story overall. However, I'm sure fans of the author or fans of depression era settings with paranormal attributes might find this story much more enjoyable and engaging. Rating: 3 Stars The Difference Between a Puzzle and a Mystery by M. L. N. Hanover grabbed my attention as a detective trying to prove a murderer was not possessed by any demon who gets help from an unlikely and unreal friend of his boss. I liked this story and its attributes as it was unusual and had a great twist in the end. I also liked the fact that such a short story had a great beginning, middle, and ending. This story was a great addition to the anthology! Rating: 4 Stars The Curious Affair of the Deodand by Lisa Tuttle was interesting contribution to the anthology as a Sherlock Homes type of detective and his female assistant try to solve the mysterious murder of an English man killed after leaving his fiances' home. Good story and I enjoyed the old English setting and paranormal attributes I like in my readings. The protagonist was interesting as an independent woman in a time before womens' lib. I thought the plot was well thought out and overall the story a success. Rating: 3 1/2 to 4 Stars Lord John and the Plague of Zombies by Diana Galbadon was an enjoyable and interesting historical tale of a captain sent to Jamaica to prevent an uprising of maroons and ends up finding much more than he originally bargained for in the form of superstition, magic, and zombies. For a novella, this story truly seemed like a full-length novel and I really did enjoy it. I liked the historical facts and mannerisms presented in the tale and I enjoyed the Lord John as well as he was an uncoventional and very interesting character. Definitely enjoyable and I plan to read more from this author and in this series sooner rather than later! Rating: 4 Stars Beware the Snake by John Maddox Roberts was a quirky and comical tale of an ancient Roman senator, in the time of Julius Cesar, who is sanctioned to recover a spiritual and deadly snake that has been supposedly stolen and believed to be somewhere in his city. Of course, nothing is as it seems and the senator has to investigate murder in pursuit of the missing snake. This story was entertaining and had some pretty interesting historical points sprinkled throughout the tale, but this story was just a bit short and seemed to be missing some more backstory and/or information for my liking. Of course, this story was meant to be only a novella and it does fit with the overall theme of the anthology, but it just didn't do it for me in the end. Rating: 3 Stars In Red, with Pearls by Patricia Briggs takes readers into the world of Mercy Thompson but with the main character focus on Warren, Mercy's werewolf buddy, and his attempts to find and stop the life attempts on his main squeeze Kyle. I liked this story overall because I know the characters and enjoy Ms. Briggs' writing. I liked the plotline and really enjoyed seeing Warren and his personality as a main character rather than a side-kick or a background filler. Fans of the series will appreciate the appearance of a few characters previously introduced throughout all the books and also Warren and Kyle as key players in this action and mysterious tale mixed with the paranormal. Rating: 4 1/2 Stars (Read 01/08/12) The Adakian Eagle by Bradley Denton detailed the plight of a Private in the Army 1940 Alaska who finds a dead and possibly sacrificed eagle after being ordered onto the Adakian mountainside by his Lieutenant Colonel and seeking help from Pop an unlikely older officer in charge of the army's newspaper. The Private has found more than he ever bargained for on this mountain as his past, present, and future collide and intermingle with a Pop's and deceit, greed, and murder run wild within the camp laying both their lives on the line. I liked the writing style and premise of this story and enjoyed the first person account from the Private. I thought the magical and historical attributes mingled together nicely and made for an interesting tale. It did not have a lot a magic or action involved, but the story was a nice surprise to the end of this anthology. Rating: 3 1/2 to 4 Stars Overall, this was a "strange" yet interesting and enjoyable anthology. Some stories truly shined and others were just so-so, but Down these Strange Streets took me on a journey I will not soon forget and introduced me to some new writers I hope to read more about in the future! Definitely recommend this book to fans of some or mostly all the authors and fans of Sci-Fi, Noir, Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, and Historical Fictions.