Shady Oaks (Bob and Nikki #3)
Published August 20th 2019 by Jerry Boyd, Kindle Edition 286 pages
Bob and the boys continue their crusade against the scourge of pedestrianism.
John is taken hostage by desperate deserters. Can Dee save him with the power of sideways?
The residents of Shady Oaks need exercise. Can Snitz get the whole place on their feet?
Get the answers to these and other burning questions on the next episode of 'As the Frisbee Turns'.
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Still Smilin’The series continues with humorous bits of memorabilia plucked from movies and songs, and used to accent actions and emotions. Skillfully played, if confusing at times.
Rating: really liked it
These books have lots of faults, but I still enjoy them. They can be quite amusing, I just wish the author wouldn’t keep repeating the same banter over and over again.
Also if you look too closely at the
’world’ the author has created, it makes very little sense. All we really know about the ‘galaxy’ is that it seems to revolve around a four hundred year family feud. However it is still a fun read.
Rating: really liked it
No one is going to read Jerry Boyd for his elegant prose. His pages look choppy and the punctuation often leads to confusion and rereading to figure things out. His characters use the same endearments page after page and it gets old quickly. I wish he would clean up his act a little, but in the end, his rough style doesn't put me off enough to leave his books alone.
Boyd's self-sufficient red-neck characters are interesting and loveable. They shoot, hunt, build fast cars, take good care of their friends, and build an expansive community around themselves, and right from the opening of the first book of the series, repair flying saucers. A growing part of that community happens to be human-like aliens who make their life richer---in every sense--- more meaningful, interesting, and important.
But don't misunderstand---the main ingredients here are adventure and community service, a strange combination that works very well. Everything the main characters do has to remain hidden from the government, especially as the alien population around them grows and they themselves become space-faring medics, mechanics, and flying saucer "roadside" rescuers. They don't give a damn about political correctness and I find that immensely refreshing.
I haven't said anything about plot lines and I'm not going to. The stories move so fast they will make your head spin. Boyd is a fine storyteller if an unrefined writer. He makes no effort to justify the science in his stories, things just happen because he says so. Get used to it, it moves the action right along. And while the book titles sound farcical, the stories have heart. Please start with book #1, "Bob's Flying Saucer Repair Shop". If you don't immediately throw it across the room because it isn't deep and dark sci-fi you may get hooked, and there are already a lot of books in the series awaiting your pleasure.
Rating: really liked it
2.5 stars
Bob and Nikki has all the makings of a great television sitcom, but the book series is pretty meh, pushed barely into okay in the audiobook form due to the stellar narration. The premise is fun, the characters are somewhat likable (even if they are extremely “same-y”), and the tone is very lighthearted. The biggest issues here are that the pace of the overarching plot is much too slow for a book series (hence why this would be better as a TV sitcom) and the dialogue, while legitimately funny and lighthearted, is extremely repetitive.
This third installment introduced some solid progression in the overarching story, but was still much too slow to carry the series. The only real draw here is the fun sci fi elements and sitcom humor, which is fine if uninspired. After three books, I’m officially done with the series as it seems clear nothing will ramp up very fast, which is a bit of a shame. I can only hope Hollywood will see the potential here and make an adaption that highlights the great parts while leaving the glaring problems on the page.
Rating: really liked it
funtastic Best fun read for sci fi adventure since first introduced to E. Rice Burroughs. Ends a book making the reader wonder about the characters next challenge. ERB stared me on a life time of following a long list of very good authors. Jerry Boyd is a very good one.
Only trouble is haven’t gotten much done once started the first book. Read Bob’s Saucer Repair from 11pm to end through most of the night. Finished book two instead of any planned projects or work, but hey it was the day after my 72nd birthday. Had work for my sailing school but it was also a MLK birthday holiday. Mini remodel project supplies stayed in the car and did not come out. Did only most necessary tasks to care for another. Finished book two by mid day. Just wrapped book three. Twenty two books in the series! Oh My!
The books leave Lots in the air. Much to worry about but I have to roll out. If you’re in quarantine over C-19, celebrating a birthday or just want to enjoy a fun read, just try to read only one.
Rating: really liked it
Criminals and fugitives are people you just can't trust, it turns out. You smile, help them out, and what do they do? Act like criminals. Bob's Saucer Repair business is getting more complicated all the time. And more bounty is earned; but who to give it to now?
With Nikki on a trip to help a friend, Bob isn't quite himself. It's one problem after another--aka business as usual--but a distracted Bob is a worried Bob. Can anyone take over for him as king of paranoia? He might have to muddle through with his superpower at 1/2 empty.
Nice surprises for some of the gang, and more new friends join the ranks. Who will make it to the paintball team?
Character development us still anemic; people we wish we knew better, remain mere sketches after this 3rd book in the series. Bob is a man of few words, and with him as the primary viewpoint (yet not exactly the narrator), nothing and no one is fleshed out well. It's disappointing, but the author apparently doesn't care. Even more disappointing!
3/5 Stars
Still too much swearing for a PG rating, but not as bad as the previous books.
Rating: really liked it
Boyd, Jerry. Shady Oaks. Bob and Nikki No. 3. Kindle, 2019.
I will assume that few readers are picking up Shady Oaks without having read the first two books in the series. That being the case, all readers should know exactly what to expect by now. More aliens in need of help. More baddies getting in the way. A growing work family of rescued aliens, rejuvenated humans, dogs, and happy robots. Why nobody in town notices is a mystery best left alone. Readers will not be surprised to find a dialog-driven narrative with lots of name repetition that make the book easy to read. There are also lots of sophomoric jokes, such as, and here I paraphrase, I am Bob Wilson. Once you get to know me, you can call me asshole like everybody else. This series seems a creature out of time. It reminds me of the Saturday matinee movie serials I saw as a kid—with more contemporary pop culture references and risqué content. Best advice for reading the series: don’t worry about character or plot. Just go with the flow and enjoy the saucer ride. 3.5 stars.
Rating: really liked it
So far, I have loved the series. The dialogue sounds more like I'm watching conversations, and there's not a ton of description of each character's feelings constantly, which may be my favorite part of them. If I had to reach deep and just HAD to find something that I didn't like, it would maybe be that the end of each comes kind of suddenly, like they seem more like the end of the chapter or event, rather than the end of the book, but hat is not even close to stopping me from continuing the series, and will begin the next as soon as I finish this review.
Rating: really liked it
Light hearted Science Fiction This is book 3 of a series of a multitude of of events following the rescue of a saucer pilot (Nikki) trying to repair the saucer in Bob's garage. Which took place among other adventures in book 1. Books 2 and 3 (the one I'm trading now carry on with downhome humor and surprising challenges to Bob's ability to fix things up for better rather than worse . I look forward to reading the rest of the series!
Rating: really liked it
Such a good book!I rated books one and two only four stars because I didn’t think of the stories as “serious.’ Well, serious or not, they’re still excellent stories and deserve a five star rating which is what I’ve given this book!
Books one and two are just as good as this one, and this one is flavorful dialogue, rousing adventure, and wonderful characters!
These books have been very well worth my time, and I’ve enjoyed every moment. So will you!
Rating: really liked it
I am thoroughly enjoying this series. Boyd writes some really nice science fiction here with a healthy dose of humor besides. He has created some really great characters, a solid story line, and even though these books are part of a very large series, each story can stand on its own. I do recommend you start at the beginning of the series, to really capture the depth and growth of the characters. This was a great book and I highly recommend it.
Rating: really liked it
I love this series!Shady Oaks, book 3, is lighthearted fun with a few serious events. It’s great to read a book that makes me run the gauntlet of emotions. The characters are varied and well-developed. They’re also witty, love a good pun and a bit sassy. It is mainly dialogue driven but still gives a good story to readers. Each book seems to get better and I’m excited about reading the next one.
Read via Kindle Unlimited
Rating: really liked it
Loads of fun! First contact at its best!I have really enjoyed this series. I say that a lot, as I’m a rabid reader. I enjoy the characters and the plot. It is good, clean entertainment, and enough twists and turn to keep the pages turning. I don’t review with details. That is for the reader. I just tell you the books I like. This is certainly one of them!
Rating: really liked it
The good old boy humor is wearing a bit thin not sure if I will last the whole seriesIt is still good old fashioned space opera in the Doc Smith of lensman stories fame, leavened with the humor of the stainless steel rat stories of Harry Harrison but with not quite his sophistication. I expect I I will last to #5 or 6 but right now I doubt I will read all 15.
Rating: really liked it
Enjoyable readThe phrase a good read covers it. Is it great literature, no. Is it a fun story with lots of potential, yes. The robots becoming more self aware has potential to go in a lot of directions. The feud between the families could generate multiple stories. The writing style is light and humorous. The belief in humanity is refreshing.
