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The Spy, the Writer, and the Chameleon: Dan Simmons' The Crook Factory

Book Thoughts: The Crook Factory by Dan Simmons What could have been a typical thriller about espionage in WWII turns into something far more literary, and surprisingly intimate. Introduction: Who is Dan Simmons? Dan Simmons is one of those rare authors who defies categorization—A literary chameleon. He’s written everything from genre-defining science fiction in the Hyperion Cantos , to classical reimagining in Ilium , to gothic horror in Drood , and nostalgic coming-of-age chills in Summer of Night . Each book feels like it was written by a completely different person—but in the best possible way. The Crook Factory , a work of historical fiction centered around Ernest Hemingway’s real-life counterespionage activities in WWII Cuba, only reinforces Simmons’ status as one of the most versatile authors I’ve ever read. Espionage, Literature, and a Strange Partnership The Crook Factory documents the short-lived but real intelligence network created by Hemingway in 1942–1943, where the f...
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Child of God Lights a Candle in the Darkness No One Wants to Face

Child of God is horrific. It’s fantastic. And it’s one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read. People love to talk about Blood Meridian as Cormac McCarthy ’s darkest and most disturbing work, and while it certainly is, Child of God affected me far more. I think part of that is because Blood Meridian is an epic—its violence feels distant, almost mythological. As readers, we’re pulled back, observing Glanton’s gang from afar. Even the protagonist, "the kid," remains nameless; his identity doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. This narrative distance makes the horror feel abstract, part of something larger. But Child of God is different. It’s intensely personal. We are trapped with Lester Ballard, forced to witness his descent in an uncomfortably intimate way. This difference isn’t a flaw in Blood Meridian —it’s by design. But for me, it made Child of God feel so much more brutal, for lack of a better word. As much as this book disturbed me, I also loved it. N...
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This Sci-Fi Epic Promised Wonder — But Delivered Exhaustion

I’ve got to be honest — Pandora’s Star was a slog. This book was far too long, with way too many subplots that felt unnecessary and half-baked. It honestly felt like Peter F. Hamilton had one big idea for a first contact story, but wanted to write a sprawling space opera, so he padded it with filler just to make it feel “epic,” rather than actually delivering something focused or compelling. I picked this book up on a whim. I saw it at the bookstore, recognized the title, and thought, why not? I was in the mood for a fun sci-fi read. Unfortunately, this didn’t deliver. Yes, some moments were genuinely well done — but they were few and far between. In some ways, I almost wish there hadn’t been any good parts, because then I could’ve put it down guilt-free. Instead, I kept convincing myself it might get better... and kept pushing on, long after I should’ve stopped. By the time I realized it wasn’t going to get better, I was too far in to quit. But I’ve learned my lesson — I need to ge...
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Not Every Character Needs to Be Good, and Murakami Proves It

South of the Border, West of the Sun. What a beautiful novel — and what a beautiful title. This is the second book I’ve read by Haruki Murakami, the first being Norwegian Wood . I can’t lie, I’m not sure which one I prefer. When I read Norwegian Wood in January, I knew it was something special. I didn’t think anything would come close to topping it. And yet, South of the Border, West of the Sun is right there with it. It’s incredible. From what I’ve seen on Goodreads, this book is a lot more divisive. Some people hate it. I am here to tell you they are flat-out wrong! The one complaint that people have is that the main character, Hajime, is not a great person. Am I missing something here? Since when did the characters in stories have to be good people? That is the entire point of this novel. To me, it's like watching the movie There Will Be Blood , and thinking it is horrible because Daniel Plainview is a bad person!? Or finishing Goodfellas and thinking to yourself, hmmmm, I...
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Why Revenge of the Tipping Point Makes Nonfiction Feel Effortless

Revenge of the Tipping Point , the latest book by Malcolm Gladwell, caught my attention during a recent trip to the bookstore. I first discovered Gladwell’s writing when I picked up The Bomber Mafia at Costco—mainly because the cover looked cool. At the time, I was just getting back into reading, so that was the main attractor, but that book turned out to be an incredibly informative and easy read. It helped reignite my love for reading, and I’ve been an avid reader ever since. I’m happy to say that Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering delivers a similar experience. I stumbled upon it on a front-table display and it immediately sparked my memory of The Bomber Mafia . This book was fascinating. Before picking it up, I didn’t even realize it was a follow-up to The Tipping Point , which I haven’t read, so I can’t speak to how they compare or how his ideas have evolved. But what I can say is that Gladwell remains a master at breaki...
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Why Blood Meridian Is a Work of Art That Demands to Be Read

This was my second time reading Blood Meridian , and I can say with certainty that it won’t be my last. The book is a masterpiece. I don’t know that it is my personal favourite of Cormac McCarthy’s novels, at this point, I can’t choose, but it is undoubtedly his magnum opus. There’s a lot to unpack in McCarthy’s works, and Blood Meridian is no exception. I’d argue it’s his densest novel. To fully grasp everything it has to offer, I feel like I’d need to read it many more times. It’s brimming with meaning—food for thought at every turn of the page. Even after multiple reads, the ending remains ambiguous. I don’t think anyone truly knows what happens in the final moments, nor do I believe McCarthy intended for it to be fully understood. Anyone who claims to know definitively is, in my opinion, missing the point. The ending is meant to be interpreted, not explicitly understood. Theories are fun to explore, and my interpretation shifted during this reread. I’ll discuss that later—with spo...
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Cyberpunk’s Bible? Why Neuromancer Still Reigns Supreme

This book is brilliant. There's no other way to put it. BRILLIANT! William Gibson’s Neuromancer is, in my opinion, a work of genius. I read it for the first time this year, in 2025, and it still feels modern—refreshing, even. Pop culture has drawn heavily from this book, and for good reason. While I’m not certain that this is the first cyberpunk novel ( Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? comes to mind as an earlier example), Neuromancer stands out. It has endured because of the atmosphere it radiates—its vivid, electrifying world, its tone, its style. I can’t think of another book with more striking imagery or prose so perfectly attuned to its story’s essence. Gibson sets the tone from the very first sentence: “The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.” That single line encapsulates the novel’s world—bleak, technological, and surreal. And the atmosphere it establishes carries flawlessly throughout. Speaking of Do Androids Dream of Electric S...
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