Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a fun pulp read. It's a perfect beach read with adventure, strange characters, and almost-but-not-quite Jane Austin-style romance.

A lot of reviewers are annoyed because, being a product of its time, the story was sexist and racist, which is true. Really though, it was also really just misanthropic. If you examine it carefully, the most moral, kind-hearted, and brave character is Kala, the great ape female that adopted Tarzan. The other animals are the most moral because they kill to eat or for dominance, but never for torture or pleasure as the humans do.

I'm trying to decide whether to read the second one in the series because there is a bit of a question at the end of the first.

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The Currents of Space by Isaac Asimov

The Currents of Space by Isaac Asimov
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The ending made it a little better, but overall kind of a boring scifi/mystery.

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Killing Floor by Lee Child

Killing Floor by Lee Child
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I don't usually read action-adventure books, but this was a fun read. The main character, Jack Reacher, is a tough, ex-military, take-no-prisoners kind of guy. He's an enjoyable action hero. The story picks up pace and characters as it goes along, and the overall effect of the good guys winning the day is tough to beat.

On the minus side, it could have used some more cutting down by the editor, especially at the beginning. I hated the "coincidence" (it's always tough to get a coincidence past me in a novel). I enjoyed the ending though so it wasn't a fatal sin.

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The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov

The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun science fiction read with lots of twists and turns. (Even though the last surprise revealed was the most obvious one.)

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