meg reads and reads

Title: A New Dawn Author: John Jackson Miller For a book that marked the reboot of the Star Wars Extended Universe, it really wasn't very remarkable. The story itself is okay, the characters are okay...but it never really got past "okay" for me. I guess I was expecting an epic story, and it just really wasn't even close to that. I just never found myself particularly interested in what was happening.  The story mainly follows Kanan, a Jedi in hiding. He has been living on a mining world that doesn't rotate and reluctantly stumbles across a plot to boost mining productivity at the expense of the planet itself. He gets pulled into a Rebel attempt to stop this from happening.  The action sequences are mildly entertaining, but the villains are dull as dirt. And I just couldn't bring myself to care very much about the heroes. I have not watched the Disney XD series that this ties into, and this didn't make me have any desire to watch it either. I'm throwing...

Title: Ezra's Gamble Author: Ryder Windham So here's the second installment in the Star Wars Rebels series, and it was also extremely enjoyable. Ezra is a very likable character with hints of a very tragic past. He is funny, quick, and very independent. He encounters Bossk, a popular bounty hunter in Star Wars canon, and helps him with a mission. This makes for some funny banter and interesting situations.  This is an easy read, again meant for a younger audience, and puts Bossk in a different light than he's been seen before. I'm not really sure why people are not enjoying these books. It just feels like they want to hate on what Disney is doing with Star Wars so much so that it's just silly. But anyway, this was fun for me to read. I read it in one sitting last night. Five out of five stars. ------------ READING PROGRESS: Last Day by Luanne Rice: 83% The Valley of Amazement  by Amy Tan: 51% Desperation by Stephen King: 12% A New Dawn by John Jackson Miller: NOW ST...

Title: Rise of the Rebels Author: Michael Kogge Looking at other people's reviews, it seems that many people did not enjoy this. I thought it was a fun read. It's very short and easy to read and definitely geared toward children, but it's really cute and the author does a great job at hinting at the back story to each of the characters. There are evidently mini episodes depicting each of the stories told in this book available on YouTube, as well.  Anyway, I just thought the characters were fun to read about, particularly Ezra.  Five out of five stars. --------------------- QUOTES "There were few signs of her people in the galaxy these days other than the notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett, who wore Mandalorian armor. His captures and kills had only helped spread the legend that the Mandalorians were the most fearsome warriors in the galaxy." "One day, maybe her own name would have a similar effect. Sabine Wren. Another Mando you didn't want to mess with. ...

Title: Honor Among Thieves Author: James S.A. Corey Here's a Han Solo Star Wars novel that feels true to Han. The dialogue is fantastic. Han and Chewie are exceptional. The book introduces a Rebel spy named Scarlet Hark, and she is cool as crap. Luke and Leia make appearances, but it doesn't feel forced. There is so much to like here. The book takes place in between Episodes IV and V. Han and Chewie are sent to extract Scarlet Hark from the midst of Imperial space. She has gotten her hands on a weapon that can turn the tide of the war if the Rebels can get away with it. This is a fast-paced adventure that feels very Star Wars. It was a very enjoyable read. Four out of five stars. ------------------------------------- QUOTES: "So how did you wind up joining the Rebellion?" "An old guy and a kid were looking for a ride and I needed the money," Han said. "After that, it was just bad luck." "We're not anarchists," she said. "We have ...

Title: Razor's Edge Author: Martha Wells I really wanted to like this book. As I've mentioned before, I'm much more of a Star Trek fan, but I like Star Wars, too. And I adore Princess Leia. This book takes place between Episodes IV and V, with the Rebels working on building their secret base on Hoth.  Sounds promising, right?  Wrong. This book is so boring, I would literally fall asleep reading it. Nightly. Within minutes. I don't know how I ever finished it. I don't really have a whole lot to say about it other than it didn't really feel much like a Star Wars book. Leia was action-wise convincingly portrayed, but her inner thoughts and inability to write off some Alderaanian pirates for what they were did not feel like the Leia I knew. The pirates and redeemed Alderaanians and the Imperial folks are virtually indistinguishable from one another, which makes it very confusing to read. I'm already not a huge fan of Luke, but he was especially pathetic in this ...

Title: Maul: Lockdown Author: Joe Schreiber I guess this is one of the last books written before Disney acquired Star Wars and wiped out the Expanded Universe (EU) as canon. I was having a hard time finding a list of Star Wars canon books written in order (rather than in chronological order by timeline), so I just started with those published in 2014 and went from there. The book itself is basically interesting. We have Maul on a mission from his Sith Master, Darth Sidious, to infiltrate a prison and acquire a piece of technology from someone who is hiding in said prison (on such a level that he is nearly mythological) and deliver it to what is essentially a cult led by a former Jedi called the Bando Gora--all without using the Force. The former Jedi leader of the Bando Gora, Komari Vosa (a former apprentice of Dooku), is not Sith either. She's just something else. There's also a whole side plot about how Maul is being used as a chess piece by Darth Sidious and ...