I’m slowly converting my blog into a full-fledged book review and commentary site, so please bear with me while I expand on my content. My intent is to focus on genre fiction, specifically romance, crime and fantasy/sci-fi/paranormal, with a tendency towards old school, hardboiled, dystopian and speculative plots. Also of concern to me are Asian studies, and the representation of Asian cultures in contemporary popular culture.

Book cover design is another interest of mine, so I will occasionally feature analyses, critiques and observations on covers.

Ratings Guide

Now I like half star ratings. That seemingly insignificant half star can mean so much more. So I have extra half stars in my ratings. But here is a general guide as to how I rate books, movies and music:

½ – 1 star – Horrid. It was painful and laden with plot and character development problems. It was a convoluted composition with no depth or not enough of it. Only some divine force barred me from setting it on fire. That or I needed to finish it to see how much more screwed up it could get. More likely the latter reason, since I am such a stickler for pain.

1½ – 2 stars – Poor. It may have a great premise or some redeeming qualities about it but ultimately it falls flat on execution, and I would caution anyone against wasting their time on said work, unless they are loyal fans of the creator or the genre.

2½ – 3 stars – Good. I enjoyed most of the work but found some parts inconsistent, problematic or mediocre. I recommend  this work with reservation.

3½ – 4 stars – Very good. It was a great, engaging read. There are a few things that I had quibbles with but overall it didn’t diminish my experience of the story.

4½ – 5 stars – Brilliant. Perfect story and perfect writing, or as good as. It is so fantastic that it rouses a need to share the love with the world in an elaborate musical number.

And of course there is the unfortunate …

… FAIL – Did Not, Could Not, Will Not Finish. I generally won’t write detailed reviews about books I cannot finish, but I may choose to talk about it because there is something glaringly disturbing to me that I feel warrants discourse and sharing.

Last updated: 9th October 2011