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Erik Hill Reviews
United States
Приєднався 6 жов 2011
Hi, I'm Erik. I read stuff.
THE FAMILIAR | LEIGH BARDUGO | BOOK REVIEW
#erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube
CONTACT & FOLLOW ME:
erikhillreviews@gmail.com
goodreads.com/erikhillreviews
CONTACT & FOLLOW ME:
erikhillreviews@gmail.com
goodreads.com/erikhillreviews
Переглядів: 22
Відео
THE TEACHER | FREIDA MCFADDEN | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 5916 годин тому
#erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube What were your thoughts on this one, fellow readers? Let me know in the comments! CONTACT & FOLLOW ME: erikhillreviews@gmail.com goodreads.com/erikhillreviews
THE RISE AND FALL OF THE THIRD REICH | WILLIAM L. SHIRER | BOOK SUMMARY AND REVIEW
Переглядів 24114 днів тому
#erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube 0:00 Intro 1:49 The Rise 3:33 The Middle 8:03 The Fall 11:31 Conclusion There was a lot in this massive book, but these are the main thoughts that jumped out to me. I'll be adding more in the comments, because I'm sure I'll think of more things I wish I would have included. CONTACT & FOLLOW ME: erikhillreviews@gmail.com goodreads.com/erikhillreviews
OF MICE AND MEN | JOHN STEINBECK | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 13221 день тому
#erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube #ofmiceandmen #johnsteinbeck CONTACT & FOLLOW ME: erikhillreviews@gmail.com goodreads.com/erikhillreviews
HILLBILLY ELEGY | JD VANCE | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 58528 днів тому
#erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube CONTACT & FOLLOW ME: erikhillreviews@gmail.com goodreads.com/erikhillreviews
THE LOST WORLD | MICHAEL CRICHTON | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 182Місяць тому
#erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube I didn't mention Dodgson in later Jurassic Park movies, I know. I guess we kind of got that villain in the end, though the later movies weren't how I was picturing him, either. CONTACT & FOLLOW ME: erikhillreviews@gmail.com goodreads.com/erikhillreviews
THE DEMON OF UNREST | ERIK LARSON | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 199Місяць тому
#erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube CONTACT & FOLLOW ME: erikhillreviews@gmail.com goodreads.com/erikhillreviews
1776 | DAVID MCCULLOUGH | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 132Місяць тому
#erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube Happy 4th of July! Side note on this one, I loved McCullough's other book that's in this time period - John Adams. One of the best books I've read and also a great miniseries. I highly recommend those as well. CONTACT & FOLLOW ME: erikhillreviews@gmail.com goodreads.com/erikhillreviews
THE MIDNIGHT FEAST | LUCY FOLEY | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 360Місяць тому
#erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube CONTACT & FOLLOW ME: erikhillreviews@gmail.com goodreads.com/erikhillreviews
THE NEVER-ENDING END OF THE WORLD | ANN CHRISTY | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 372 місяці тому
#erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube CONTACT & FOLLOW ME: erikhillreviews@gmail.com goodreads.com/erikhillreviews
FOURTH WING | REBECCA YARROS | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 3582 місяці тому
#erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube CONTACT & FOLLOW ME: erikhillreviews@gmail.com goodreads.com/erikhillreviews
ERUPTION | MICHAEL CRICHTON JAMES PATTERSON | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 1,8 тис.2 місяці тому
#erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube The new Michael Crichton er... I mean James Patterson book is out. My immediate thought is who will star in this movie. CONTACT & FOLLOW ME: erikhillreviews@gmail.com goodreads.com/erikhillreviews
YOU LIKE IT DARKER | STEPHEN KING | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 1,1 тис.2 місяці тому
#erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube Doing the bracket competition was a lot of fun, but there were a lot of details in the stories that I didn't have time to go into. Let me know in the comments what stories stood out to you. What did you think was the best/worst of the bunch? CONTACT & FOLLOW ME: erikhillreviews@gmail.com goodreads.com/erikhillreviews
WORLD WAR Z | MAX BROOKS | BOOK REVIEW WITH ROBERT CARNEVALE
Переглядів 1032 місяці тому
#erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube 0:00 Introduction 0:25 Book vs. Movie 5:20 Analyzing the Book 10:13 WWZ as comedy 11:55 Theme: The human element and optimism 18:37 Sociology and human nature 21:42 Regional and dialogue quirks 26:07 Audiobook all-star cast 30:43 Economics and politics 34:54 WWZ video game 37:11 Rating the book CONTACT & FOLLOW ME: erikhillreviews@gmail.com goodreads.co...
CITYBOY | BRUCE ARIO | BOOK REVIEW with ALEX SHEREMET
Переглядів 1193 місяці тому
#erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube 0:00 Alex's background 4:09 What makes good poetry 12:52 Role of Politics 16:45 Poetry in humanity's future 19:43 Steven Pinker 24:27 Bruce Ario film 30:47 From There To There 32:37 CityBoy Novel 39:55 CityBoy morality 45:12 Innocence and being an artist 48:09 Where to start with poetry 53:47 Final thoughts For Alex's channel and GoFundMe: www.gofundme....
Q&A (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) | VIKAS SWARUP | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 1783 місяці тому
Q&A (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) | VIKAS SWARUP | BOOK REVIEW
A LONG TIME AGO IN A CUTTING ROOM FAR, FAR AWAY | PAUL HIRSCH | BOOK REVIEW WITH ROBERT CARNEVALE
Переглядів 463 місяці тому
A LONG TIME AGO IN A CUTTING ROOM FAR, FAR AWAY | PAUL HIRSCH | BOOK REVIEW WITH ROBERT CARNEVALE
KNIFE | SALMAN RUSHDIE | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 1,2 тис.3 місяці тому
KNIFE | SALMAN RUSHDIE | BOOK REVIEW
THE DAY OF THE JACKAL | FREDERICK FORSYTH | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 2954 місяці тому
THE DAY OF THE JACKAL | FREDERICK FORSYTH | BOOK REVIEW
HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE | DALE CARNEGIE | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 1244 місяці тому
HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE | DALE CARNEGIE | BOOK REVIEW
THE WILD ROBOT | PETER BROWN | BOOK REVIEW *Spoilers*
Переглядів 2254 місяці тому
THE WILD ROBOT | PETER BROWN | BOOK REVIEW *Spoilers*
EARTH: GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION | ROBERT CARNEVALE | WITH THE AUTHOR
Переглядів 1155 місяців тому
EARTH: GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION | ROBERT CARNEVALE | WITH THE AUTHOR
CHINA'S LEADERS: FROM MAO TO NOW | DAVID SHAMBAUGH | BOOK REVIEW & SUMMARY
Переглядів 665 місяців тому
CHINA'S LEADERS: FROM MAO TO NOW | DAVID SHAMBAUGH | BOOK REVIEW & SUMMARY
TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA | BRANDON SANDERSON | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 4425 місяців тому
TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA | BRANDON SANDERSON | BOOK REVIEW
THE MIST | STEPHEN KING | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 1485 місяців тому
THE MIST | STEPHEN KING | BOOK REVIEW
THE ONLY ONE LEFT | RILEY SAGER | BOOK REVIEW (No spoilers!)
Переглядів 4306 місяців тому
THE ONLY ONE LEFT | RILEY SAGER | BOOK REVIEW (No spoilers!)
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON | DAVID GRANN | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 2636 місяців тому
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON | DAVID GRANN | BOOK REVIEW
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE | ANTHONY BURGESS | BOOK REVIEW
Переглядів 2016 місяців тому
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE | ANTHONY BURGESS | BOOK REVIEW
7 Elements of an Alex Michaelides Novel
Переглядів 776 місяців тому
7 Elements of an Alex Michaelides Novel
Great review Erik! I was also questioning the romance between Luzia and Santangel. It happened too rapidly and I wish the author would've shown more training scenes between them at the beginning of the book to justify that chemistry.
If you enjoyed Nona, I would highly HIGHLY recommend going back and reading the first and second books the 1st book is probably the most reader friendly out of the series so far it’s fun and fast-paced with a really well written action, the second book is genuinely one of the best books I’ve read in my entire life but go into it knowing that you won’t understand anything going on until the last 10 pages it’s also the only time I’ve read something in second person and actually enjoyed it.
Great review..
Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!
I just finished this book in celebration of the Olympics. Thank you for your review! I appreciated your thoughts. Here is my own review of the book: ua-cam.com/video/0NswQsJgab0/v-deo.html
Just checked out your review. Well done! Looks like you've got some great stuff on your channel. So did you see the movie and what did you think?
@@erikhillreviews I have not seen all of the movie yet. I did start it, and I definitely plan on finishing it when I get a chance.
Yes but who else wrote the book? Patterson always uses a second writer. He's kind of a hack author.
Very good point. I don't quite get why Patterson is such a big deal.
Not planning to read it, but fun to hear your thoughts on the genre.
Happy to help!
I have read a couple of her books in the past. I agree, she usually is a fast listen and the decisions the characters make.... but to try to figure it all out and the last couple of pages are: What? Wait? Really? sometimes I like tose types of books. I will grab this one and read it. :) Thanks for the review, after I read it I will come and start your review at 2:20... :)
Haha, let me know what you think!
I just want to see the actual book. Like the writing and illustrations so I know if it's suitable for a little child to read.
I don't remember anything objectionable in it, though that is the "Off with her head!" scene. I listened to this one, so I can't help on the illustrations much, either.
It was defiantly one of my favorite books as a child. It's the first book I ever memorized and one of the first books I read all the way through. I fully recommend it!
@@joystarsstory9915 You memorized it? That's impressive!
@@erikhillreviews yeah, during my senior year in high school
I liked hearing both of your thoughts. I do wish you had spent 0.5 - 1% of this introducing yourselves.
Excellent point! I'll remember that for next time
It's like shave and a haircut. Dun, dun. Dun, dun.... two bits.
But aren't there five "dun"s in shave and a hair cut before two bits?
@@erikhillreviews Thus it's "like" it. If I were to type out the actual psycho theme's first five notes, it would be: Dun, dun. Dun, dun. Dun! But if you just take the first four notes, it leaves you wanting to say the last one. Like shave and a haircut... you just want to say that final "two bits". The lack of resolution is even more satisfying than the actual resolution because of how interesting it is to be dissatisfied by something so small. I scream, you scream, we all scream for... TWO BITS! Or wait... we all scream for... DUN! We definitely all scream for that one. :P
@@JacobBroderick I don't what I'd do if Bernard Herrmann gave me the first four notes of Psycho. I guess I would draw in the fifth note and convince myself it was there the whole time. Also, that would be the coolest souvenir I think I could possibly own. That would go straight into a fireproof safe.
@@erikhillreviews Haha. Wait, wait. What is he giving you these first four notes on? Is he writing out a bar of music or just writing "dun" like me? Maybe I should email this guy and see if he'll send you an autographed copy of something with just the first four notes!! :D I mean, if it's going in the fireproof safe, I think he should be willing to help you out. :) Which makes me think that being famous and loved is a lot of work.
The book mostly deals with the politics of the Third Reich, but he does have one chapter where he talks about their ideology and how the Nazis wanted to shape the world. That is the hardest chapter to read because it gets into the details of the atrocities that actually happened and the atrocities that would have happened if Germany would have won. I think Hitler would win the popular vote for most evil person who has ever lived. This chapter is a good example of why that is. Nazis were all about making assumptions about a person based on their birth circumstances. Poles were inferior to Germans and needed to have German overlords. If terrible things happened to millions of non-Germans, then it didn't really matter. That chapter isn't for the faint of heart.
The book made me think that the Axis powers could have easily won if Hitler had a firmer grasp on reality on the ground and if the Axis leaders could have worked together. If Japan had attacked Russia instead of the US, that would have been a lot smarter from a global perspective. Or if Italy and Germany had coordinated more in their movements. None of those three ever seemed to be on the same page even though they were on the same side.
This channel is a hidden gem
Much appreciated! A hidden gem makes it sound like a secret club. I like that :)
great review
Thanks!
Awesome review, as usual.
Thanks! This one was really fun to put together. It always helps when I love the book.
Thank you for this review. You’ve convinced me to spend my hard earned reading credit on this book 😂 Can I also say this was such a well put together production for this review! The video accompaniment was awesome! 😎 Kudos!
Thanks! I hope you like it. Also, I'm glad you like the production! It's been a lot of trial and error over the past couple years :)
I would agree that the description of addiction is overstated. However, it is both more damaging and more common to understate the power of addiction. The depiction of addiction as having absolute control may not be a complete picture, but complete pictures are confusing and one-liners are easier to digest. As someone who has studied neurobiology and worked with addicted patients, I believe his statement is closer to true than what most people believe. I’d like to draw a picture that makes his statement appear more reasonable. I’ll use the example of alcohol, but really any addictive behavior can be substituted. For simplicity, let’s say that outcomes in this matter can be seen as relatively binary - either things went badly or they didn’t. It becomes natural, if not helpful, for an addict to ask themself, "How far can I go without a bad outcome?" Can they get extremely drunk without bad outcomes? Can they have a few drinks? Can they have one drink? They will naturally experiment to balance their desire for alcohol against their desire to avoid the devastating consequences of addiction. When a person deals with the addiction and seriously tries to find the boundary, it is not uncommon to realize that there is no point beyond 0 drinks at which they've ever been successful at making their own agency overcome the addiction. They’ve never had a success beyond that line (or very, very rarely). Trying harder doesn’t change that fact. Wanting it more doesn’t change that fact. If it did, we wouldn’t consider them addicted. We could graph “success vs. failure” (1 or 0) against increasingly dangerous activities on the x-axis. So, on the far left is praying in the presence of nun, and on the far right is injecting alcohol into their veins: 1111111111010001000000000000000. At the point where everything after is a 0, it’s reasonable to draw a line in the sand and say, “If I cross that point, I’ve already failed.” It’s not an excuse. It’s not pushing the blame to someone else. It’s saying that, realistically, my agency has lost at that point, and whatever a normal person might be able to accomplish, I cannot. We could argue, semantically, that they never lost their agency. In the most literal sense, they are still currently determining their actions in a way that others are not - he is in control of his own muscles. But when you’re the one in the situation trying to do something about it, it’s astonishing that you can’t reverse things at that point. Despite technically having agency, functionally, they have no agency after that point. One final note, that neurobiology supports the idea that there is a difference between your brain and theirs. Dyslexic individuals will find more success reading if they just try harder, sure, but that fact doesn’t mean they’ll ever read as comfortably as you. Some patient with Parkinson’s disease might be able to take actions that reduce their tremors, but it’s absurd to then say they can control their tremors. Similarly, an addict is not in control of their addiction. If they were, it wouldn't be an addiction. It is, completely literally, a neurobiological disease.
The debate about whether addiction is a disease seems too semantic to really focus on from my perspective. The real question to me is what are the implications of that. I'm hesitant to use Matthew Perry's language because it can be a way to escape responsibility for poor decision making. But in the way you talk about it here, I'm not sure we would disagree. If a person kills someone driving under the influence, they are to blame for that action, even if they have this so called disease of alcoholism. They would know they have this vulnerability and therefore the moral blame comes at their first instance of putting themselves in the compromised situation where they knew it would be a risk. There are two dichotomies that I don't follow, however. The first is that once Matthew Perry has the first drink, he's lost all willpower and he's not responsible for what happens next. It makes more sense to think of willpower as a percentage, with 100% being in complete control and 0% as being barely conscious. The more you drink, the closer you get to 0. The second is the division between addicts and normal people. Is it really possible to divide people into these two groups? I don't understand why this isn't a spectrum. I think addiction is a universal concept, to where we can all relate to some degree with an addict's situation, even if it is on a smaller scale. Again, I'm not sure how much we disagree vs. disagree on phrasing. Thanks for lending your expertise!
I have never read any book by Steinbeck. Not being English my mother tongue but enjoying reading in English, I've always thought his books could be "heavy stuff" to digest (meaning understanding) but I enjoyed very much watching your Video. Maybe I'd try the next Fall : The Pearl.
Steinbeck is an interesting choice for people whose native language isn't English. The dialogue is very regional and informal English, so I'm guessing it would be hard to follow. I did enjoy the Pearl, though it's been a long time since I read that one. That was another book that was short, simple, and got right to the point. Anyway, glad you enjoyed, thanks!
Thanks so much for dedication and Greetings from Spain. @@erikhillreviews
You are Irish? ☘️
I'm not, but I've been told that sometimes I have an Irish lilt in the way that I talk :) What makes you ask?
Exactly that. You just have a slight hint of it in your accent 😊
@@liamsynthhead Haha, I didn't realize it was so noticeable! I'm okay with that, though :)
Does this novel seem to have an overt political agenda? I like some of their earlier works and think both too talented to have authored this. I stopped listening after six minutes into an audio recording. I can't pin down what made me think "this is trash., not worth time." Thanks Erik Hill Reviews for confirming my suspicions, and for reading "Eruption" so I don't have to. I think Clive Custler inc. makes better product.
I didn't notice a political agenda, personally. Happy to help!
@@erikhillreviews Opens with a character sketch representing a young woman academic and government worker in a negative way, straight out of the conservative meme book. It is possible I am mistaken about that, but I suspect, from listening to the review, that there will be a capitalists-saves-the-world theme in this novel.
@@andywomack3414 I didn't pick up on that sort of messaging. I can't think of any mention of capitalism. I suppose there is some governmental incompetence in the set up of the situation, but it would be a stretch to group this book with Atlas Shrugged.
@@erikhillreviews First, blame the government. Show government worker with academic credentials as selfish and troubled. I was turned off by that. Maybe I rushed to judgement, but I saw similar negative character development with Rand. At least she didn't start with anti-hero. However, as the review mentions, the book seems made to order for blockbuster action movie, and I no longer find such stories interesting, being in my face with nothing new.
@@andywomack3414 yep, good decision not to stick with it then.
Oh, I love Of Mice and Men! I only read it once way back when I was in grade 11, back in 2009; it was part of our English course. The part about "the tart" used to make me giggle, and especially because her man kept his hands soft with lotion for whenever he touched her. The part about Lenny picking up the mouse, also, made me giggle. The teacher I had at the time, who is still a very dear friend of mine, likes the book, and she enjoyed teaching it to us as a class novel. After she found out about how that other character makes me laugh, she said, "She's a tart," and it made me giggle more. And, she also said, "She's a floozy," which continued to make me giggle. I was one of those students who loved entertaining and being entertained. The giggly stuff aside, I find the book important because it deals with the themes of classism and lack of education, two things that we still see around nowadays. And, with the status quo of the world's economy, there could be days ahead like that for some people, unfortunately. Thank you for this video. The book was on my mind a little while ago because I was thinking of re-reading it as an adult, and now this video has given me the suggestion to do so. Cheers.
It's funny to me to think about what some people think about this book just because they had to read it in school. Personally, I had an immediate dislike for anything the teacher picked and was against the book before I started, just on principle. A very dumb principle, in hindsight. But that's funny, the giggling stuff that you picked up on. And I agree that it's still relevant. A timeless classic. Happy to help!
Okay, now I want to read this just to see how I, as a woman, would rate it.😂
It is a short one :) If you do, let me know!
@@erikhillreviews I read it yesterday! I definitely see why some female readers would not appreciate the story. I would say that his target audience was probably men, but I could be wrong. The way one of the men casually mentioned how he drowned half a litter of newborn pups was disturbing - even though back then that is just how people did things. The men talk about frequently going to brothels - another thing that might not be appealing to female readers. The "mercy killing" of a human being could also be off- putting. I don't consider myself to be an average female reader, though, and I enjoyed the story. I have read plenty of fiction and non-fiction stories that had dark elements like this book has. I gave it a four on Goodreads. I took away a star because I can tolerate foul language in a book for the most part except when God's name is taken in vain incessantly because when I have to read it over and over it just irritates me - like fingernails on a chalkboard. Aside from that I am glad that I read it!
@@sunnypullen82 Wow, that was fast! I'm very impressed and thanks for dropping a comment. Good points, and I think that makes sense to explain the gender divide. Also, God's name being taken in vain really is everywhere. It tough to avoid without being extremely restrictive in what you read or watch on TV. Anyway, I'm glad you (mostly) liked it!
My favorite bit of trivia is that MC only wrote the book because Steven Speilberg asked him to. What's funny about that is that the movie uses very little from the actual novel. I'm glad they kept the trailer going over the cliff, though, because that scene is pretty iconic and one of my favorite scenes in the entire Jurassic film franchise. As for the novel, it's been a while since I've read it, so I'm fuzzy about some of the details. However, characters with any emotional depth was never MC's wheelhouse. Each character usually represents a particular field that is there to explain the science of what's going on. Crichton went to medical school, and you can compare his novels to a doctor breaking down a medical emergency in a way that those without a medical background can understand. That would explain the 'cold' approach characters had when witnessing deaths and things like that. I think the novel has a lot of great dinosaur action in it. I like the mystery around it. Just like his best novels, there's a slow build-up before actually going to the island. It also makes sense that it takes the name from Sir Author Conan Doyle's book because it's literally a study of a species living in isolation ( A Lost World). I do remember the book breaking down that they couldn't actually study the process of evolution or extinction because the island wasn't sustainable for the dinosaurs. There were too many raptors, which had gone crazy and were basically attacking each other now. Again, I'm overdue to read it again, but I know it had some great dinosaur action at the very least.
Very much agree with all your points. And I had been feeling overdue to read it again for all those reasons too, and now I'm happy to say that it was just as good as I remembered. This is why I loved Crichton when I was a teenager.
Uh, you say there was no small intro scene? What about the whole pre-eruption incident two years before with the banyan trees in the botanical park? That was classic Crichton. Then you have the calm opening scene of the lead teaching surfing. Did you read an abridged version or skip the first ten pages?
You are right that he had those two scenes and that it did last about ten pages. That's where it's different from a normal Crichton novel. It's a long time in Jurassic Park before we get to the island, a long time in Timeline before they find the glasses and the warning message from the professor, a long time before they're in the habitat in Sphere... In all of these, there is a lot of exposition and a lot of set up to the central action of the story. There's also a lot of back story and history that Crichton would get into before the world is put on alert, so to speak. In this book, it was ten pages (approximately).
@@erikhillreviews Crichton always filled his books with details. The Great Train Robbery is a fun read because of the amount of detail about the criminal world he put in. This novel needed fattening of that sort, a Hawai'ian language glossary, a good description of the HVO, even a simple backstory of the billionaire and his pet vulcanologists. And especially a better description of the eruption, how tall the flow was and how it overwhelmed the town.
reading the book now -- it got so many great reviews too!!
Nice - let me know what you think!
@@erikhillreviews thanks -- so far liking it very much!!
Congrats on 1,000 subscribers! That is awesome! You had around 400ish when I subscribed maybe a year or less than a year ago. Keep up the good work!
Thanks! And thanks for all of your comments, too, I love hearing your opinions on some of the books I'm reading :)
I want to read this book too! 🇺🇸
I think if you want to read it, then you won't be disappointed by what you get. It certainly lived up to my expectations 😀
Its too short
Do you mean that as a complaint against the book, or do you mean that it was so good you didn't want it to end?
I love the second novel a bit more than the movie. Still, both of them are best.
It had been a while since I'd read this one, and I was impressed. It was even better than I remembered. I don't think the book gets enough credit.
@@erikhillreviewsHopefully one day, it will if they decide to remake the Jurassic Park franchise.
The first I read for the first time was Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, right after I was disappointed with Dominion. After reading the book, I gave it a 4/5 for a great read. After that, I found out on the list he wrote The Lost World and started reading. And after I finished reading it, I was completely blown away by how the book is completely different from the movie and gave it a solid 5/5 for the best book. Then, I got Congo novel and gave it a 4/5 and Timeline, a 3/5. And I’ve just ordered Rising Sun by Michael Crichton.
Interesting rankings! Personally, I liked Rising Sun, but I think for other people it's on the lower side of Michael Crichton's books.
@@erikhillreviewsJust finished reading Rising Sun, and it was great book. 4/5
It a really good book, after reading it, I gave it to my uncle for him to give it a read. And after he finished reading it, he said it was good, but, he said the author put a bit too much effort in the ending, character development, etc. But, he did enjoyed reading Timeline.
The author put too much effort into the ending and character development - meaning those things felt forced?
@@erikhillreviewsThat was he opinion about the book. But, he did enjoyed it nonetheless. He gave it a 3/5.
Loved this and the first movie Didn't realise it was a book until couple years ago couldn't believe how much darker and brutal the book was
Agreed! Also, when you say darker and more brutal, what scenes from the book come to mind?
@erikhillreviews nerdrys death was more brutal then the movie Dodson death in the second book
@@rhyleygrant5660 Good examples! Yeah, I think both of those haunted me when I read them as a teenager.
Who the hell watch the book reviews, wasting time over here just buy the damn book?
I think people watch book reviews to see if the book is worth buying. In this video, I'm making the case that it probably is.
I have read it several times. I give it five stars
I can see why. It's a book that kept me thinking after I read it, which is why I had to read it again. I love books that can do that. Even seeing your comment just now makes me want to read it again.
It amazes me how no one can figure out Willie The Weirdo. The grandfather becomes Willie at the end. Probably a top 5 story for me. So creepy! Answer man and Two Talented Bastids are probably the best storys. Cheers 🍻
You are spot on about Willie. Not only does the grandfather take over Willie’s body at the end it’s also obvious that all the fanciful stories the grandfather told about being a witness to historical events were true. The “grandfather” was an entity that has been living for thousands of years.
Whoa...I did miss that. Thanks for commenting! I've got to read that one again.
@frederickhart-ys5yr all inside of 10 pages, thats why I love the short stories. Cheers!
@erikhillreviews ok finished the book last nite. Rattlesnakes was maybe the best, this book is pretty good! Cheers
I am looking forward to reading this one! I really enjoyed The Devil In The White City so I am sure this one will be good as well.
Indeed! I like this guy's style, though the spelling of his first name might give me an unfair bias :)
This book is on my TBR pile! Huge fan of Erik Larson.
Me too! Partly because we spell our name the same way :)
@@erikhillreviews Lol true!
Wait, this is what it takes to get 3.5 stars? How atrocious does a book have to be to get 2 stars? As far as I’m concerned 1=worst book ever and 5 = best book ever. Therefore 3 would be about average, normal, middle of the road book.
I think most books that I read are in the 3-4 star range because I wouldn't choose to pick up the books in the 1-2 star range. I think your scale is about right. In my opinion, a 3-star book basically delivers what it sets out to do, but it has problems that held it back. I thought this book had some good points that made it slightly above that.
Currently marathoning your channel! Love your videos!
Thanks, and I'm so glad you're getting something out of them! Any recommendations?
May not hold a candle to Jurassic Park, Sphere or The Andromeda Strain, but still a fantastic read nonetheless. I love how Doniger ended up.
Interesting point about Doniger's fate. I've talked to a few people about this book that didn't like it because it was the heroes of the story basically committing murder. I don't see it that way. I think they just sent him back in time and because it's a novel and you need a sense of closure, they hint at the black death. I think the ending works beautifully. I suppose to avoid the moral ambiguity, Crichton could have done something more like the movie where it was kind of an accident that he goes back in time, but don't get me started on the shortcomings of movie Doniger from book Doniger.
I recently finished reading “Babel” and it was a great novel! R.F. Kuang is amazing and I also loved her book “Yellowface”!
I've heard good things about Yellowface, too. She's an impressive writer.
I’m about to read The Midnight Feast and I’m hearing great things about it. I wonder if you are going to post a review on “The Familiar” by Leigh Bardugo? I’m reading it now and it’s very good!
Well I'm certainly impressed with the amazon book summary of that one. I'd never heard of it before. Thanks for the recommendation! I'll see what I can do :)
One thing I should clarify - I think I oversold the ending a bit. I wouldn't call it a great ending, but it was satisfying and a solid conclusion in my opinion.
I just started reading and voila! Found this review... ❤
Happy to help! Like I said, it was just what I was looking for. Modern China has a fascinating history!
My book club just read this book, it’s such a great read
Great book club choice!
I loved the book, so let down by movie,
Yeah, that could have been a lot better. It's like they didn't even try to capture the Doniger character that was in the book. Also, I would not have gone with Paul Walker as Chris. I did like Marek, though.
This man incorrect .: I respect his opinion and not coming from hateful way lol but red rising is fun hell of read and it’s probably the worst book in the series
Respectful disagreement, fair enough. I do feel like I'm in the minority on this one. Also, I'm surprised by how many people are saying this is the worst in the series. I can't tell if the thing that bothered me about this book is in the sequels.
I just finished reading this book and I have to admit you're right about a lot of things. The worldbuilding is amazing the dragons are top notch the plot is very interesting and it's written very well. I also appreciated that we got necessary background information about the world through those scenes in which she walked across to the academy. The building and set up also looks really cool. But as I guessed from the Dutch description of the book it's almost more leaning to romantasy than fantasy. It's absolutely no surprise if you think about the fact that Rebecca Yarros only wrote romantic stories. But this book could have done without the romance being as equally important as the staying alive and finding out about what the "government" is hiding. They could have easily started with them slowly trusting each other since they are stuck with each other anyway. Also I knew from those descriptions that Xaden's secrets and Violet immidiatly telling him what she feels would become the relationship issue at the end. We get his pov at the end and know how much he cares but god this romantic relationship was so predictable. Don't get me wrong I alsways loved a good romantic subplot. But those tropes 😅🙄 This was a perfect example of hot best friend and hot enemy but oh who would she chose 😂🙄 But still it's a good book, great story, amazing dragons, great plot twist at literally the very last page. I hope the second book is just as good.
Romantasy. I hadn't heard that word before, but I like it :) Also, I agree that it was a great plot twist on the very last page. That was legitimately a big surprise and I loved it.
3.5 stars? This book was just absolutely terrible. 1 star. Who stores radioactive chemicals in glass cannisters, that could wipe out all of mankind, inside of a lava tube, in a volcano, in an active zone? To me, that was the most ridiculous part of the book. And there was never any logical explanation to that. I know the government doesn't always make the right decision, but this is just too dumb to be part of a plausible storyline. This was written for the very low IQ. This would be good writing if it was done by ten-year-olds (slightly below average ten-year-olds). And the ending was one of the most anticlimactic endings I have ever read. The entire story literally resolved itself in one paragraph. It went from a 100mph to 0 in an instant. I had to check the page number and then re-read the paragraph just to make sure I didn't miss something crucial. It was almost like they just said: fuck it, let's just put this to rest and pretend it never happened. I wish I could.
You bring up some very good points here. The ending was way too abrupt and it did leave me wondering what the point of it all was. I thought the canisters that could wipe out all of mankind being placed next to an active volcano was absurd, but I give Patterson/Crichton some credit there for at least giving a backstory of how the chemicals got there in the first place. That element of absurd unintended consequences reminded me of Crichton's style. I don't think Crichton would have gone right to the extreme, though. "If we don't stop the lava from hitting these canisters, everyone on the planet is dead!" I mean it is an action book, so you have to suspend disbelief a bit, but you still can go too far. I was having fun with it while it lasted, but ...meh. In other words, you might convince me to go 3 stars.