Spencer's Bookcase

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Series Review

Series: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Author: Douglas Adams

Books: 5

Genre: Science Fiction and Comedy

Series Synopsis:

“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”

Seconds before the Earth is demolished for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is saved by Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised Guide. Together they stick out their thumbs to the stars and begin a wild journey through time and space.

“The Restaurant at the End of the Universe”

Facing annihilation at the hands of warmongers is a curious time to crave tea. It could only happen to the cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his comrades as they hurtle across the galaxy in a desperate search for a place to eat.

“Life, the Universe and Everything”

The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky- so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals can avert Armageddon: mild-mannered Arthur Dent and his stalwart crew.

“So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish”

Back on Earth, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription conspires to thrust him back to reality. So to speak.

“Mostly Harmless”

Just when Arthur Dent makes the terrible mistake of starting to enjoy life, all hell breaks loose. Can he save the Earth from total obliteration? Can he save the Guide from a hostile alien takeover? Can he save his daughter from herself?

(from Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

After finally finishing this series, I’ve decided to take some time to think about my thoughts on this series as a whole. There are some good things about this series: it really is funny! They are definitely some really entertaining scenes in these novels. In the first two books, in particular, I really liked the deeper Existential moments. As it did get deep into questions such as: Questions about Human Existence? What is the meaning of life? The Answer is 42.

While I didn’t like book three and four there were still things that I liked about them. I really liked the idea of Bowerick Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged, whose life purpose is going around the universe and insulting people. That character is awesome! Also the Rain God in book four was hilarious.

But… yeah after book two there was definitely a drop in the quality of these books. Things did get less funny, and to make things worse they split the cast. Why split the cast? The cast being together was part of the charm of the first two books!

The last two books were the worst though in the series. As book four, So Long and Thanks for all the Fish, while it tried something different by being more of a romance, it was a very badly written and poorly developed romance. The only reason why I think book four is better than book five is that it has a much more happier and better ending.

Book Five, Mostly Harmless though was just the worst though! It was the least funny book in the series, ignores book four. Has Arthur Dent have a daughter who appears more than halfway through the book and we get very little time between them. And it had a very abrupt ending and ends on a bad note.

My recommendation: The first two books are worth the read but you can ignore the other books in the series. If you are looking for a quick read with a little deeper thought and full of good laughs these first two books are well worth it.

Final Rating of the series:

The Subtle Knife

Title: The Subtle Knife

Author: Philip Pullman

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Series: His Dark Materials #2

Pages: 288 pages

Synopsis:

Lost in a new world, Lyra finds Will—a boy on the run, a murderer—a worthy and welcome ally. For this is a world where soul-eating Specters stalk the streets and witches share the skies with troops of angels.

Each is searching—Lyra for the meaning of Dark Matter, Will for his missing father—but what they find instead is a deadly secret, a knife of untold power. And neither Lyra nor Will suspects how tightly their lives, their loves, and their destinies are bound together… until they are split apart.

(from Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

The Subtle Knife continues right where The Golden Compass left off. If I’m being honest, I feel like this book is just as good as the first book!

The story works well, and I was interested in what was going on from beginning to end. The ending also had an interesting cliffhanger.

The Introduction of Will Parry made for a very interesting character and a great addition to this series. While it’s weird to introduce a very important main protagonist in the second novel of a trilogy, but Will Parry’s introduction was very well done. Will Parry’s relationship with Lyra is very interesting and their friendship grows pretty well in this book.

One of the best things I like about this book is Lee Scoresby’s Chapters. I really liked his chapters in this book. In the first book, Lee was an okay character, I didn’t hate him but I didn’t love this character. I felt his chapters were really fun and had a ton of action. No spoilers but I was so sad about his last chapter.

The main criticism I have about this book is I feel like the book could have expanded more on its world-building and Lore. Still no maps in this book? C’mon! Maps help make the worlds feel more real! And I wish we could have expanded a bit more on Cittigazze and its world (I was interested in it). As for lore I wanted to learn more about this Guild of the Torre degli Angeli, the book mentioned it but I was interested in learning more. I also wanted to learn more about the lore of The Subtle Knife, such as its history, and maybe more of who carried the knife before Will Parry.

This is more a nitpick, but in the Subtle Knife: Lord Asriel built a fortress and has a large army of millions. My question here is: How did you amass an army this quickly? Why did these choose to follow Lord Asriel? Wouldn’t it take years to build an army? It seems like he just got an army out of nowhere!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was gripping and interesting from beginning to end. The Characters are still really good and it’s a very solid sequel.

Rating:

My Review of His Dark Materials:

The Golden Compass

Mostly Harmless

Title: Mostly Harmless

Author: Douglas Adams

Genre: Science Fiction and Comedy

Series: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy #5

Pages: 170 pages

Synopsis:

Arthur Dent hadn’t had a day as bad as this since the Earth had been blown up.

After years of galactic wanderings, Arthur finally settles on the small planet Lamuella and becomes a sandwich maker. Looking forward to a quiet life, his plans are thrown awry by the unexpected arrival of his daughter.

There’s nothing worse than a frustrated teenager with a copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in their hands. When she runs away, Arthur goes after her determined to save her from the horrors of the universe.

After all – he’s encountered most of them before . . .

(from Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

Well, we finally made it to the last book in this weird Trilogy of Five. And if I am being honest, I think this is the worst one in this series. This book actually makes book three and four better!

Now there were still some moments in this book that definitely gave me a laugh or a smile. But I just found them few and far between in this book. I also do like that they tried bringing back the dynamic between Ford and Arthur in this book as they do share more screen time together in this book compared to the last one.

For one thing, this book just completely ignores the fourth book by completely writing out Fenchurch, Arthur Dent’s girlfriend in the previous book. She only gets mentioned once! Which makes me wonder: What was the point of the fourth book then?

Secondly, we learn that Arthur Dent has a daughter and we learn this more than halfway through the book! And to make things worse we don’t even see him spend that much time with his daughter! We barely spend any time with the daughter at all! Why should I care about a character when you spend zero time with them?

Thirdly, there was no Zaphod and Marvin in this book! I don’t understand why Douglas Adams kept the cast split. The cast being together was one of the best things about this series. Where were you Zaphod? You haven’t shown up since book three!

Lastly, the ending completely sucked! It ends abruptly and ends on a very bad note. Honestly, I prefer the ending in So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish. At least in that ending, Arthur was with somebody he loves and was happy. I’m considering that to be the true ending for this series.

Bleh! This really was the worst in this series! After this, I am very happy that I am done reading this series.

Rating:

My other Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy reviews:

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

Life, The Universe and Everything

So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish

Title: So Long, and thanks for all the Fish

Author: Douglas Adams

Genre: Romance, Comedy and Science Fiction

Series: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy #4

Pages: 120 Pages

Synopsis:

There is a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. It’s not an easy thing to do and Arthur Dent thinks he’s the only human who’s been able to master this nifty little trick – until he meets Fenchurch, the girl of his dreams.

Fenchurch knows how the world could be made a good and happy place. Unfortunately, she’s forgotten. Convinced that the secret lies within God’s Final Message to His Creation they go in search of it.

And, in a dramatic break with tradition, actually find it . . .

(from Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

This was yet another disappointment in this series. Things just seem to get even worse as this series continues.

Again there are some good things about this book. There were still a few good jokes and zingers in this novel that definitely either got me laughing, a chuckle, or even a smile. Such as: “God’s Final Message to His Creation: ‘We apologize for the inconvenience.” I also love the Rain God Character in this story, he was definitely fun.

While I have to give credit that this book did try to do something different, which was to have a romance between Arthur Dent and Fenchurch. It failed very hard trying to do so. The romance for one thing to me just felt completely underdeveloped and it just felt rushed. I feel like if this book was a little longer, this could possibly work. By making the book a romance, it no longer really felt like Science Fiction.

However, I have one question why focus on Arthur Dent and Fenchurch (who is a completely new character)? There is already a relationship that’s already established in this series that could be explored further: the relationship between Trillian and Zaphod. They were a couple in this series, so why not focus more on them? The romance between Arthur Dent and Fenchurch just felt completely forced.

Speaking of Trillian and Zaphod, where were they? They weren’t even in this book, and they are only mentioned once! One of the reasons why I liked the first two books was the interactions and dynamics of the cast. From book three onward they just split the cast and to me, it helped make this series worse. Not to mention we also miss the fun dynamic between Ford and Arthur. Their dynamic was part of the reason why I liked the earlier books. Here, Ford and Arthur don’t appear together until the very end of the book! Also poor Marvin! You’ve truly been through a lot. You were my favourite character in this entire series!

While I still found some good jokes in this series which I am thankful for, this series just keeps getting worse as I continue it in terms of its characters and story. This was definitely a disappointment. Four books down one more to go!

Rating:

My other Hitchhiker’s Guide book reviews:

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

The Restaurant at the End of the Galaxy

Life, the Universe and Everything

I, Robot

Title: I, Robot

Author: Issac Asimov

Genre: Science Fiction, Short Stories

Series: Robots #1

Pages: 244 pages

Synopsis:

The three laws of Robotics:
1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2) A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

With these three, simple directives, Isaac Asimov changed our perception of robots forever when he formulated the laws governing their behavior. In I, Robot, Asimov chronicles the development of the robot through a series of interlinked stories: from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant future–a future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete.

Here are stories of robots gone mad, of mind-read robots, and robots with a sense of humor. Of robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the world–all told with the dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction that has become Asimov’s trademark.

(from Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

I came into this book knowing that this was a Science Fiction Classic, and I was surprised to learn that this was a compilation of short stories rather than one continuous story.

There were a few stories that stood out for me such as “Reason”, in which a Robot gets Philosophical and even goes out to create his own religion with the other robots on the space station. Yes, this happens! “Liar!”, a story about the Robot that can apparently read minds was also a fun short story. The story “Evidence” was about an election between two candidates and one of them is alleged to be a Robot. I was not expecting Politics to be in this compilation of stories but I liked this story quite a bit and it fits in with the progression of Robot Technology as time goes on. My two favourite characters were Powell and Donovan, I liked their dynamic.

I do feel like this is a very accessible book to read as you should have no problem reading this in two or three days. I also found it entertaining and this book hardly feels dated at all, despite it being over 70 years old. It was also interesting how this book covers quite a few big questions such as: How would you feel if a Robot gains sentience?

I do have some issues, however, which is why I am not giving it a higher rating. I felt there Isaac Asimov did poorly at creating or building tension. Even when something bad was happening to our characters, I just wasn’t really worried for them at all. Some of the jargon did go over my head a little bit probably because I’m not a Scientist. While I did like Powell and Donovan (who were reoccurring characters), the characters were pretty flat, as none of the characters really grew as a result of their experiences over time. Some of the jargon also kind of lost me at times.

This made for a nice short read that raises good questions about Artificial Intelligence. It doesn’t really blow me away but it’s still a nice read. I recommend it if you want to have a quick read involving robots.

Rating:

Monthly Wrap-Up: February 2022

Hello everyone! Welcome to the Monthly Wrap-Up where I give updates on my reading and other things I’m up to in the past month. So let’s get to it!

Books Read: 4

The number of books I read this month definitely dropped, but I kind of predicted this would be the case as one of my weekends I just did not have time to do too much reading. However four books are still okay, and I still managed to read over 1,400 pages this month. So it wasn’t a total write-off.

Penpal by Dathan Auerbach

This was an okay Horror book. It was okay but I wouldn’t put it as one of the best Horror books ever written. It definitely had its creepy moments. I do recommend it if you want to have a quick Horror Read.

The Vinyl Cafe Celebrates by Stuart McLean

Stuart McLean is one of my favourite Canadian Authors, and his stories are timeless, hilarious, and, heartwarming. This book is no different and is a must-read if you are into his comedic short stories.

The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

Each book in the Wheel of Time Series continues to be really good. This is my new favourite Fantasy Series and I am looking forward to read the next book in the series.

Like A Charm by Elle McNicoll

Like A Charm was another great book by Elle McNicoll. She really is a good author. I liked her Fantasy book and I look forward to reading her sequel in 2023.

Currently Reading:

Right now I’m reading a Science Fiction classic I, Robot. I am looking forward to reading this novel!

What I’ve been Watching and other things:

I finished watching Around the World in 80 Days and the finale was awesome! It wrapped up everything in a very satisfying way.

I’m finally currently watching The Office Season Nine. I will do a full review of The Office in a future post. So stay tuned!

Plans for next Month:

I’m hoping March will be a better month for my reading. I do plan to continue and maybe finish The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and maybe His Dark Materials. So that way I can move on to new series.

A word about The Wheel of Time Series:

So far I’ve been able to review a Wheel of Time Book once every month since December. Going forward not all months will have a Wheel of Time book review. I just finished book three and after book three, the books are only going to get bigger. Considering there are 12 more books in this series (which is intimidating ngl), I just don’t think reading a book every month is practical. As I do want to read other books. There will still be more Wheel of Time Book reviews but they will be more spaced out going forward.

See you all next time!

Like A Charm

Title: Like A Charm

Author: Elle McNicoll

Genre: Fantasy, Disability

Pages: 313 Pages

Synopsis:

Edinburgh is a city filled with magical creatures. No one can see them… until Ramya Knox.

As she is pulled into her family’s world of secrets and spells, Ramya sets out to discover the truth behind the Hidden Folk with only three words of warning from her grandfather: Beware the Sirens.

Plunged into an adventure that will change everything, Ramya is about to learn that there is more to her powers than she ever imagined.

(from Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

Wait, Spencer? Are you reviewing a brand new release? Why yes, yes I am. This book came out on February 3 and I managed to get a copy of it!

Like A Charm is ultimately about Ramya, who has Dyspraxia. Ramya learns that she has Magic and the ability to see through Glamour, a magic ability that shields the mystical creatures from being recognized as mystical creatures. Through Glamour we cannot see the mystical creatures for what they are. She learns that there is trouble going on in the mystical community and she is the one that can save the community.

Elle McNicoll continues to give Neurodivergent Characters strong representation. This time by having the main character Ramya has Dyspraxia. Dyspraxia also known as developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD) affects your movement and coordination. I honestly cannot think of any book or media that has the main protagonist has Dyspraxia. That alone sets this book apart and make it unique. Ramya is a very good protagonist who really represents Dyspraxia very well.

The book definitely had some good Fantasy Elements in it. It had a good diversity of Fantasy Creatures such as Vampires, Kelpies, Fae, Trolls, etc. I feel okay with the Magic System in this. It was clear that Elle McNicoll wanted a “Soft Magic System”, which is fine to me because I feel Magic Systems work better when it still is a mysterious force. The worldbuilding I felt wasn’t too important in this novel as the novel took place in Edinburgh, Scotland. No spoilers but I also like the way they reject the Chosen One Trope in this book!

My main criticism of this novel is the lack of lore in this Novel. I like Lore, I want to know all of the histories. And I wanted to learn more about the mystical creatures and their history in Edinburgh. I feel like there should have been a bit more lore to the mystical creatures and maybe even some lore for the Magic. I was a little disappointed there.

Like A Charm is a fun fantasy adventure, that once again has great Neurodivergent representation. Elle McNicoll continues to get better and better as there were times when she surprised me in this novel and some of the concepts in this novel were great. Regardless of the lack of lore, this is another good read if you are interested in learning more about Neurodiversity. There is going to be a sequel to this novel coming out in 2023, and I look forward to reading it!

Rating:

The Dragon Reborn

Title: The Dragon Reborn

Author: Robert Jordan

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Wheel of Time #3

Pages: 586 pages

Synopsis:

The Dragon Reborn—the leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy it; the savior who will run mad and kill all those dearest to him—is on the run from his destiny.

Able to touch the One Power, but unable to control it, and with no one to teach him how—for no man has done it in three thousand years—Rand al’Thor knows only that he must face the Dark One. But how?

Winter has stopped the war—almost—yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is he?

Perrin Aybara is in pursuit with Moiraine Sedai, her Warder Lan, and Loial the Ogier. Bedeviled by dreams, Perrin is grappling with another deadly problem—how is he to escape the loss of his own humanity?

Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve are approaching Tar Valon, where Mat will be healed—if he lives until they arrive. But who will tell the Amyrlin their news—that the Black Ajah, long thought only a hideous rumor, is all too real? They cannot know that in Tar Valon far worse awaits…

Ahead, for all of them, in the Heart of the Stone, lies the next great test of the Dragon reborn….

(from Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

Well, I’m done with my break from Fantasy! I actually read a good amount of diverse genres: Historical Fiction, Comedy, Science Fiction, and Horror. So I decided let’s get back into Fantasy by reading book three of this Epic Fantasy series. Honestly, this series just seems to keep being very entertaining as I continue this series!

The book was very intense and the pacing was very good as something interesting was happening almost non-stop. This book is so far the first book where Rand, who is our main character kind of takes a backseat in this novel. He is in the book, but we don’t spend a lot of time with him compared to the first two books.

We get quite a few good character moments for quite a few characters. I feel like Perrin had a good character arc as he struggled a bit with who he is and what’s his place in the world. Mat Cauthon actually is starting to feel like a real character as we got to spend more time with him and he kind of needed this. As he was possessed by an evil spirit for most of the first book and wasn’t himself for most of the second book. I also loved his fight scene with Galad and Gawyn. That scene was awesome! Moiraine continues to be a true badass. Spoiler Alert: She kills a Forsaken in one blow! What a badass!

The World Building and the Lore just continue to be one of the things I enjoy about this series. The World Building continues as we learn more of the different Ajah’s amongst the Aes Sedai such as the Green Ajah. We also get to learn a little more about the Aiel culture.

While I do like the Climax (so far Robert Jordan has done a very good job writing his climaxes). I do have one issue with its climax. The defeat of Be’lal just happened a little too fast for me. I felt like they really built him up in the earlier chapters as he has the Black Ajah capture Egwene, Nynaeve, and Elayne. And he almost traps Moiraine and almost killed Faile. He fights Rand, says some villainous lines, gains the upper hand and then he just gets quickly disposed of from Moiraine. While I did like that it shows Moiraine to be a badass, it just made him look like a weak villain.

My other criticism is more of a nitpick. My boy Loial was barely in this book, but in the scenes, he was in, he almost always stoled the scene.

The Dragon Reborn was a fun ride, that gave a lot of character moments to several characters, while still giving us a lot of interesting lore and worldbuilding. One of the things that I am appreciating from this series is that we spend a lot of time with our characters. We see them grow, we see them struggle, we laugh with them, and we have our moments where you are just frustrated with them. I feel like that is something special. Three books in, and this is definitely my new favourite Fantasy Series! Three down, twelve more to go! I look forward to reading the next book!

Rating:

My reviews of The Wheel of Time:

The Eye of the World

The Great Hunt

The Vinyl Cafe Celebrates

Title: The Vinyl Cafe Celebrates

Author: Stuart McLean

Genre: Comedy and Short Stories

Pages: 332 pages

Synopsis:

From the unforgettable Christmas classic “Dave Cooks the Turkey” to the tender tribute to ice-cream-loving, potato-sitting Arthur the dog in “Morte d’Arthur”; from the joys and challenges of marriage in “The Canoe Trip” to the celebration of childhood adventure in “The Waterslide.”

From the beginning of life (the hilarious “Labour Pains”) to the end (the touching “Love Never Ends”) and all the moments–big and small–in between, these stories remind us that there are occasions to celebrate every day.

For more than two decades, Stuart McLean entered the hearts and homes of Canadians via The Vinyl Cafe radio show, his many tours across the country, and multiple nationally bestselling books. His charming, humane, and side-splitting stories brought the trials and triumphs of Dave, Morley, Sam, and Stephanie to life, and made their memorable circle of friends, family, and neighbours as real as our own.

(from Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

The Vinyl Cafe is the latest book to be released posthumously after Stuart McLean’s death. This book contains 10 never-before-published stories and ten classic stories all of the stories in this book revolve around milestones.

As always with Stuart McLean’s stories, the stories are hilarious and heartwarming stories. Unlike Christmas at the Vinyl Cafe which is meant for the Christmas season, this is a book that can be read all year round. It has its hilarious moments and it does have its serious moments as well.

While there were definitely stories included that I have heard/read before, there were plenty of stories that I have never read that helped balance things out. The Waterslide, Mary Turlington & Polly Anderson’s Christmas Collision, The Canoe Trip were stories that most stood out to me.

Whenever it comes to any Vinyl Cafe Story, I always recommend that you listen to the stories rather than read them. Just listening to the author Stuart McLean reading his own stories is just something truly special.

I have a very special connection to Vinyl Cafe, as I did listen to the radio show when it aired. I enjoyed sitting down and listening to Stuart McLean just telling his stories. And I’m choosing to post this on the day of his passing five years ago today, as a tribute to an Author that I have a lot of respect for. Stuart McLean’s stories are ultimately about people: we are flawed but we always try to make things better for the ones around us. This is truly a book that can be enjoyed at any time during the year and I think these stories are truly timeless. I’m giving this the five-star rating for his well-written stories and characters that will warm your soul.

Rating:

Penpal

Title: Penpal

Author: Dathan Auerbach

Genre: Horror

Pages: 238 Pages

Synopsis:

How much do you remember about your childhood?

In Penpal, a man investigates the seemingly unrelated bizarre, tragic, and horrific occurrences of his childhood in an attempt to finally understand them. Beginning with only fragments of his earliest years, you’ll follow the narrator as he discovers that these strange and horrible events are actually part of a single terrifying story that has shaped the entirety of his life and the lives of those around him. If you’ve ever stayed in the woods just a little too long after dark, if you’ve ever had the feeling that someone or something was trying to hurt you, if you remember the first friend you ever made and how strong that bond was, then Penpal is a story that you won’t soon forget, despite how you might try.

(from Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

Penpal is a short horror book about a man trying to remember his childhood past. The interesting thing is that this book was based off a series of posts posted to Reddit.

There were definitely a few things I like about this book. It does capture the memories and the nostalgia of childhood. As exploring and going off on adventures was a thing most children did when they were really young. I feel like Childhood Innocence was a major theme in this novel. There was, definitely quite a few creepy and scary scenes in this novel. The book definitely succeeded in creating an unsettling atmosphere. The book did a good job connecting all of the stories together. I also just like how this was a very quick read.

I do have a few issues though. The book kind of felt like an extremely long Reddit post, and I get this was based off of Reddit. However, I just don’t feel like an extremely long Reddit post just doesn’t translate well to book form. For the record, I do use Reddit all the time! Secondly, I was frustrated by the Mother’s evasion and failure to communicate information to our main character just ridiculous. Why wouldn’t you warn your son about the possible danger?

All in all, Penpal is an okay Horror Novel that does have it’s creepy and scary moments. If you want to have a quick Horror read, Penpal is a decent choice to read.

Rating: