Wednesday, February 29, 2012

February '12

The MotiveThe Motive by John Lescroart

Dtb, 404 pages
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I did not realize this was Book 11 in a series. And after reading it, I still couldn't really tell. Just vague hints of the past and the future.

I guess if you like murder thrillers with large dashes of legality thrown in, this is for you.

I just read it because I needed a dtb for when my ereader was down. Outside of my genre to boot. Not a waste of time, but will not be seeking out more by the author.



I Shall Wear Midnight: A Story Of DiscworldI Shall Wear Midnight: A Story Of Discworld by Terry Pratchett

Dtb, 359 Pages
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This felt very "tacked on" to the Tiffany Aching series.

and boy, did Pratchett allow his vitriol and hate of religion show through. I know he has always not been shy about making fun of religion or anything, but this wasn't making fun, but outright scorn.

It just wasn't the light heartedness that I have always associated with Pratchett.



Distant ThundersDistant Thunders by Taylor Anderson

Ebook, 432 pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this, with the following caveats;

1) So much techno-babble made my eyes glaze over
2) it is OLD technobabble-made my eyes glaze over even more
3) introducing the split in the "british" empire, the existence of the Dominion, the existence of lots of non-grik Grik and the continued expanding threat of the Grik, it was all too much for one book.
4) step by step repairs-BORING.

But other than that, good stuff :)



Unseen Academicals (Discworld, #37)Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

Ebook, 448 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amusing, with a heavy dash of Vetinari.

phrackin' "FOOTBALL".

If I owned this ebook, I would go through and change all instances of football to the proper term of soccer.

and the fat girl getting it on with the goblin, or whatever Nutts was. Maybe Pratchett has a secret chubby fetish? I don't know.

I am crabby. Not a good time to write a review. So ignore this and go on about your business...



The Sacred Band: Book Three Of The Acacia TrilogyThe Sacred Band: Book Three Of The Acacia Trilogy by David Anthony Durham

Ebook, 544 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I found this book much like Acacia: The War with the Mein, in that I had a hard time starting, but the ending was good and I enjoyed the read.

This book definitely moved beyond the fantasy action and delved into optimism, hope, philosophy[undefined] and reason.

It made for a satisfying read, even if it was slow and not gripping.

I found it very uplifting to see the author portraying characters who deliberately broke their cycles of violence and hate and reforged circles of love and hope. Just when you thought someone was a complete badguy, they change, are redeemed and make things better.



The Dragon on the Border The Dragon on the Border by Gordon R. Dickson

Ebook, 488 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

James the Magic Dragon, [insert the rest of the stupid Puff the Magic dragon song here].

things are starting to go stale for me. James and Co have to go battle the forces of evil, yet again, without real aid from his Wizard Mentor and save the day with Brit cunning and 21st century know-how.
And the humor was gone. The first book was funny. Nothing here was funny. And the constant worrying about drinking wine all the time is getting old. Deal with it.

It was still a cool story, with practically invincible invisible enemies, and another worm to fight.



Sisterhood of DuneSisterhood of Dune by Brian Herbert

Ebook, 448 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was more enjoyable than Paul of Dune and I think I enjoyed it a little more than The Winds of Dune.

However, I was/am also reading Heretics of Dune, so was able to contrast directly between Brian Herbert/Kevin Anderson and Frank Herbert. It was just sad.

Sisterhood is just an adventure scifi story that could either stand on its own or be part of a duology or [heaven forbid!] a trilogy. Things, exciting things sometime, happen. But I honestly cannot say that I would find this book [along with all the rest of the H&A's Dune stuff] interesting if I wasn't already enthralled by the original Dune Saga by Frank.

The enjoyment from this book came from seeing the fleshing out of Frank's ideas and not from the actual authors writings or ideas. And while H&A might be laughing all the way to the bank, we the fans know that they are simply riding the coattails of a much better author.

So enjoy all the stuff by H&A [and I plan on continuing to read what they put out], but realize they are the dollop of sour cream on top of the chili. It enhance the food, but it is NOT the meal.



Heretics Of DuneHeretics Of Dune by Frank Herbert

Dtb, 471 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Good Stuff!

Having read Sisterhood of Dune at the same time, I was able to appreciate Frank Herbert as a superior author telling a superior story.

We move away from the Direct Atreides Scions and move towards a larger scope of characters, groups of humanity as main characters, as it were.

The Bene Gesserit, the Teilaxu, Honored Matres, etc. They are representative of the scope of humanity and how it has changed [or not] and each group is represented by an individual-macrocosm and microcosm come together to tell a rich story.

The metaphysical plays a big part, but Herbert also seems to have taken a crash course in freudian thinking and EVERYTHING revolves around sex. Makes you wonder if Herbert wasn't getting any by the way he seems to obsess about in this book. Or maybe he was just a lech....



The Shadow at the GateThe Shadow at the Gate by Christopher Bunn

Ebook, 462 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this as much as The Hawk and His Boy. It is a good read that is not too heavy or self-serious.

My only beef is how powerless the Anborean seem to be.

Wondering how the final book will wrap up everything because there is so much potential to be explored. Looking forward to it though.



Revan (Star Wars: The Old Republic, #3)Revan by Drew Karpyshyn

Ebook, 272 Pages
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was pedantic and the worst video game tie in so far. Completely put me off the Old Republic sub-series since it is NOTHING but a money grab.

No good story. And that was what was really disappointing. Karpyshyn did some good work with Bane, but Revan and Co just stank of cardboard and the green stench of a cash cow.



Inheritance (Inheritance Cycle Series, #4)Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

Ebook, 769 Pages
My rating: 1 of 5 stars


Review to come later this week when I have more time. But I can tell you, it won't be nice...

2.29.12

Ok. This book was several hundred pages too long. I enjoyed the ending, and the final battle was pretty good, but everything leading up to it was horrifically detailed so as to bore me out of my mind.

Paolini's writing has not changed from when he wrote Eragon. His youth saved him from many scathing comments from me. But now, he is a published author with 3 huge books under his belt, and Inheritance felt as poorly written as Eragon was.

There is NO excuse for this. He is no longer a 15 year old ripping off Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. He is a twenty something who SHOULD have matured, but this book does not reflect that in any way that I could tell.

Long winded descriptions that go on for pages. Awkward emotional scenes that just didn't really seem real. Characters who are still as 2D as they were in the first books.

This took me over a month to finish. Not because of it's size, but because I simply lost interest in the labyrinth of Paolini's love of his own words.

IF he does publish any more books, I know he is now on my Do Not Waste Time Reading list.



Spin (Spin, #1)Spin by Robert Charles Wilson

Dtb, 458 Pages
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was induced to read this by Sergio, a complete stranger who commented on my review of Bios, encouraging me to read Spin.

Bios was horrible.

But I figured that if a complete stranger could take the time to recommend a different book by the author, then I should try it.

I am glad I did.

It confirms my opinion that Wilson is a pseudo-scyence lover and a snob of HUGE proportions. And he's a complete dickhead who loves his own words like a lover.

Unlike Bios, this had an interesting premise-mankind stalled while the universe races on.

But the execution was horrific. The main character representing all those who are uncertain but don't trust religion. The sister, who gets taken in by a cult, because as we the readers all know [Wilson doesn't insinuate this point, he BLUDGEONS], all religions are false and are simply setup by smart people to take advantage of the gullible. The brother, the brilliant scientist who keeps on going in the face of any and all discouragement and setbacks and who is so pure as to sacrifice himself for Scyence's sake [and yes, Scyence seems to be Wilson's god here. He just doesn't want to admit it].

So if you enjoy thinly disguised "philosophy" [ie, I'm right, you are wrong, because I wrote it so], then I think Wilson is for you. I've read less preachy and pushy Christian romances than this, and that is saying something!

so thank you Sergio. You have helped me definitely cross off Wilson from my TBR author list. And yes, that is a good thing :D




Monthly Summary
12 Novels
5555 Pages [now is that a cool number or what!?!?]

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

January '12

The Dragon Knight (Dragon Knight #2)The Dragon Knight by Gordon R. Dickson

Ebook, 503 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


While I thought Jim had grown a pair by the end of the previous book, this book gives lie to that idea.

Jim is the wussiest over 6ft person imaginable[and he is not a stringbean]. He is athletic, smart and he HAS MAGIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I still have to hear him be concerned because someone calls him Lord James instead of plain ol' Jim.

Fun story, just not as good as it could have been with a hero who had a backbone.



The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner, #2)The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Ebook, 321 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this, and was horrified at the same time.

Some of the things that happen just gave me the willies and made me think "I'd NEVER let my pre-teen read this stuff".

And I'm still no closer to figuring out what is going on.



Dune Messiah & Children Of DuneDune Messiah & Children Of Dune by Frank Herbert

Dtb, 592 Pages

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Dune Messiah:

Paul Atreides' downfall. The Jihad has been conveniently all wrapped up and the bureaucracy is starting it's inevitable creep.

Paul has trapped himself by prescience and knowing the future destroys him.

He gives up, but I can't blame him.




Children of Dune:

Leto and Ghanima are the main characters. Alia takes the predetermined path of the preborn. Leto takes the path of vision instead of prescience and sets up humanity for the Golden Path, whatever that is.


Fantastic! Instead of a simple messianic action story like Dune, we get a full fledged galactic spanning empire intrigue underpinned by arguments of free will and what it means to be human.

There were lots of monologues and dialogues that Herbert threw in that bored me to tears, or went completely over my head, or appeared to delve into completely pointless ethereal world views,

BUT, it was great nonetheless! I feel like I can learn a lot of what is going on inside Herberts head, and I always like a psychological twist to my reads.



Cobra Gamble: Cobra War, Book IIICobra Gamble: Cobra War, Book III by Timothy Zahn

Dtb, 400 Pages
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The story snores to its inevitable ending. I was bored and glad for the end. The ending might wrap up this particular story line, but it seems more like a middle of a longer series. I'd say 5 or 6 books long.

The only good thing was seeing some of the characters exhibit real character. There were several instances where the character had to give their word and then a situation came up where it made sense to break their word, but they didn't.

I found that encouraging.



The Death Cure The Death Cure by James Dashner

Ebook, 305 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fight, run, repeat. All the way to the end.

It got repetitive and mind numbing. Ended ok, but every horrible thing that happened, felt like a waste.



Knife of Dreams (Wheel of Time, #11)Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan

Ebook, 704 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this, but it didn't get 5 stars because there just so much info not wrapping up that I couldn't truly immerse myself completely in the book.

Once I was done, I realized, this was the last book Jordan wrote by himself. And I tell you, if I had read up to this book then heard that Jordan had died, I would have been REALLY angry.

I am so glad I still have several books ahead of me.



The Dragon HeirThe Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

Ebook, 528
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A nice wrap up to this series.

It seemed like there was a lot more teenage angstyness and crap like that.

A lot more action and fighting. Good stuff.



The BrokerThe Broker by John Grisham

Dtb, 368 Pages
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

My only other Grisham was The Firm, so I don't much to compare to.
This book was bland, boring and filled with repeated, ad nauseum, references to drinking coffee and talking in Italian.

I'm never reading another John Grisham book. I'm 50/50, so I don't want to chance it getting worse...



The Hawk And His Boy (The Tormay Trilogy #1)The Hawk And His Boy by Christopher Bunn

Ebook, 225 Pages
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The more I read Young Adult books, the more I am liking them.
Clean, tight short story, bit less jaded views of good and evil.

I hope the rest of the series lives up to this book. This does suffer from first book syndrome and leaves you with a cliffhanger right at the end. Good thing we don't have to wait for the next book.



The Night Eternal (The Strain Trilogy, #3)The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro

Ebook, 318 Pages
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The weakest book in the Strain Trilogy.
Angels, some seriously blasphemous new age God re-interpretation, apocryphal scripture like stuff. It all came out of left field all of the sudden.
We have a story involving Vamps as virus vectors and how they plotted among themselves and suddenly we're all metaphysical and religious?
And very poorly thought out religion at that.

There was no tension. No suspense. Characters and situations felt like the authors had already used them up and now they were paper thin [no pun intended] and being over/misused.
It wasn't bad, it just didn't live up to the mysteriousness and high-tension created in the first book.



The Omen MachineThe Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind

Ebook, UNFINISHED


I was around the 100 page mark when I realized that Terry GoodkindRichard was still harping about freewill and determinism.

Tell me a good story, not a Ayn Rand philosophy. Could not finish it.



1Q841Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Ebook, 1084 Pages
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a moody, emotionally driven book.

I felt completely in sync with the characters ups and downs. This was some seriously good writing.

When the author wrote about a character going grocery shopping, and described it in nigh excruciating detail, I still found it engrossing.

The mystery of the little people, the 2 moons, the tension about Sakigake[or however it is spelled], the unfolding of the romance across time between the 2 main characters, I found it all absorbing and enthralling.

Then there was the graphic sex. Again, again and again. It fit with the flow of the narrative, but it was not necessary. Murakami is a good enough author that he could have gotten his point across in the way he wanted without the graphicness. When I read a book, I do not want to read that kind of stuff.

And that is why I only gave it 2 stars. The writing and storyline really deserved closer to 5, but because of the sexual aspect I could not recommend this book to anyone.

Nor am I now willing to try the author's other works. It just is not worth it to me.



God Emperor of Dune (Dune Chronicles, #4)God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert

Dtb, 404 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good stuff.

After having read Brian Herbert & Kevin Anderson's prequels and sequels, the little throw away references took on a much larger import.

The Golden Path is still not spelled out for the reader. We simply have to figure out stuff while the main story unrolls. That is one thing I really enjoy about the Dune Chronicles, they are not the "Transformers" of books, but a very thoughtful and insightful look at what it means to be human.

Herbert deftly weaves words and thoughts to reveal his idea of what humanity is and where he thinks it could go. In many ways, a psychological version of what Neal Asher graphically shows with his souped up science in his Polity universe.

Poor Leto. To see, to know, to sacrifice, all for a species that turns on him, reviles him, fears him, worships him and ultimately, just wishes he didn't exist.

Herbert also tries to posit the non-existance of any sort of God because he claims it is incompatible with free will; free will being the ability to DO anything one wants. which is why the argument fails, because free will is about the ability to make the CHOICE about doing something, even if it is between 2 horrible choices.

So anyway, lots to love about this book :)



CowlCowl by Neal Asher

Ebook, 336 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Confusing start and lots of scientific'y talk about time travel and chronal possibility, blah blah blah.

It comes down to lots of fighting and people killing things and each other.

I liked this more than Asher's The Departure., but not as much as the Polity Universe.



The Alloy of Law (Mistborn, #4)The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

Ebook, 265 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Now this book was a LOT of fun to read. It was not one of Sanderson's 600+ page epic tomes, but a fun revisitation to the Mystworld.

This was really a western at heart. I remember reading Louis Lamour when a young teen and how it appealed to me. Thankfully, Sanderson doesn't write the same ultra-cliches that Lamour did, but that spirit was there.

The untamed gunslinger/magicuser comes back to supposed civilization and ends up having to clean up messes worse than he ever found out in the Wild, Wild West.

And it was a lot of fun to see allomancy used differently. Sanderson has given some good thought to the practical application and while I didn't really care about the particulars, it was good to know that the internal physics of the world hadn't been thrown jambalaya like into the plot pot.



Prospero LostProspero Lost by L. Jagi Lamplighter

Ebook, 352 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Somebody loves them that Shakespeare fella.

I read "The Tempest" back in highschool. I can't remember to much about it.
And this series is it's sequel. Daughter of Prospero is the main protaganist. And I have to admit, I didn't much like her.

This appears to be urban fantasy desperately NOT trying to be urban fantasy. And with some really out there religious ideas, this just didn't grab me.

I'll be reading the rest of the trilogy, but it is not high on my list.



False GodsFalse Gods by Graham McNeill

Ebook, 288 pages
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Yep, I am done with this series.

For beings with such "superior intellect" ad nauseum, some of these characters sure are stupid.

The style of writing made me want to barf.



NoviceNovice by Trudi Canavan

Ebook, 480 Pages.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My main issue with this book was how Sonea kept withdrawing from conflict instead of dealing with it.

I think that mainly due to my testosterone and the male ability to put EVERYTHING into terms of "fight or die".

Something about Akkaron just doesn't wring true. The final paragraphs made me feel much better about him and that shouldn't be the case with a main antagonist.

Dannyl and his issues did make it such that I would not be buying this series. Deviancy has no place in my home.


MONTHLY SUMMARY
17 Novels
1 Unfinished novel
7464 Pages

Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 In Review

This has been a good year overall for books.

I read
184 Books/Short Stories/Novellas
10 Unfinished books
69,086 Pages


I also started using my goodreads account reviews as my reviews here. Copy and Paste. So not exactly sure how much longer this blog will last. Of course, non-goodreads people can see this blog, while only my goodreads friends can see me on goodreads.

I think YOU should join Goodreads.com [finger point!!!!!]








001: Resident Evil: Umbrella Conspiracy-S.D. Perry-142
002: Resident Evil: Zero Hour-S.D. Perry-141
003: Lady Penitent: Ascendancy of the Last-Lisa Smedman-214
004: Strain: The Fall-G. Del Toro & Chuck Hogan-267
005: Cirque Du Freak: Vampire Mountain-Darren Shan-109
006: Cirque Du Freak: Trials of Death-Darren Shan-83
007: Cirque Du Freak: Vampire Prince-Darren Shan-122
008: Cirque Du Freak: Hunters of the Dusk-Darren Shan-87
009: Mechwarrior: The Sword and the Dagger-Ardath Mayhar-248
010: Shadows of the Apt: Salute the Dark-Adrian Tchaikovsky-392
011: Artemis Fowl: Eternity Code-Eoin Colfer-163
012: Chromosome 6-Robin Cook-457
013: Alcatraz versus the Shattered Lens-Brandon Sanderson-292
014: Shadows of the Apt: Scarab Path-Adrian Tchaikovsky-560
015: Mechwarrior: Decision at Thunder Rift-William Keith-298
016: George's Marvelous Medicine-Roald Dahl-89
017: Atlas Shrugged-Ayn Rand-1360
018: Fisherman's Children: Prodigal Mage-Karen Miller-UNFINISHED
019: Polity: Splatterjay: Voyage of the Sable Keech-Neal Asher-412
020: Bartimaeus: Ring of Solomon-Jonathan Stroud-344
021: Otherland: City of Golden Shadow-Tad Williams-770
022: Cirque Du Freak: Allies of the Night-Darren Shan-130
023: Dresden Files: Blood Rites-Jim Butcher-344
024: Mechwarrior: Mercenary's Star-William Keith-371
025: Shadow War: Shadow Moon-Chris Claremont-UNFINISHED
026: The Two Jungle Books-Rudyard Kipling-309
027: Castle Brass: Count Brass-Michael Moorcock-83
028: Ranger's Apprentice: Ruins of Gorlan-John Flanagan-195
029: Percy Jackson: Lightning Thief-Rick Riordan-237
030: Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters-Rick Riordan-181
031: Mechwarrior: Price of Glory-William Keith-327
032: Arthurian Saga: Crystal Cave-Mary Stewart-338
033: Anne of Green Gables-Lucy Montgomery-309
034: Otherland: River of Blue Fire-Tad Williams-768
035: Percy Jackson: The Titan's Curse-Rick Riordan-196
036: Ranger's Apprentice: The Burning Bridge-John Flanagan-212
037: Castle Brass: Champions of Garathorm-Michael Moorcock-80
038: Shadowmarch: Shadowheart-Tad Williams-738
039: Star Wars: Clone Wars: Gambit: Siege-Karen Miller-UNFINISHED
040: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Allies-Christie Golden-314
041: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Vortex-Troy Denning-360
042: The Wheel of Time: Strike at Shayol Ghul & Ravens-Robert Jordan-35
043: Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Purgatory-John Miller-30
044: Once A Hero-Michael Stackpole-513
045: Percy Jackson: Battle of the Labyrinth-Rick Riordan-243
046: Wheel of Time: New Spring-Robert Jordan-317
047: Malazan Book of the Fallen: The Crippled God-Steven Erikson-953
048: Ranger's Apprentice: The Icebound Land-John Flanagan-222
049: Ranger's Apprentice: Battle for Skandia-John Flanagan-238
050: Wheel of Time: Eye of the World-Robert Jordan-702
051: Otherland: Mountain of Black Glass-Tad Williams-749
052: Discworld: The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents-Terry Pratchett-170
053: Percy Jackson: The Last Olympian-Rick Riordan-234
054: Starship: Mutiny-Mike Resnick-163
055: Cirque Du Freak: Killers of the Dawn-Darren Shan-129
056: Cirque Du Freak: Lake of Souls-Darren Shan-161
057: Castle Brass: Quest For Tanelorn-Michael Moorcock-80
058: Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt-Robert Jordan-618
059: Lolita-Vladimir Nabokov-363
060: Otherland: Sea Of Silver Light-Tad Williams-1002
061: Pet Sematatary-Stephen King-411
062: Mechwarrior: Warrior: En Garde-Michael Stackpole-388
063: Moby Dick-Herman Melville-UNFINISHED
064: Hull Zero Three-Greg Bear-256
065: The Magicians-Lev Grossman-390
066: The Day of the Triffids-John Wyndham-196
067: Wheel of Time: The Dragon Reborn-Robert Jordan-595
068: Cirque Du Freak: Lord of the Shadows-Darren Shan-97
069: Cirque Du Freak: Sons of Destiny-Darren Shan-125
070: Dresden Files: Dead Beat-Jim Butcher-386
071: Polity: Splatterjay: Orbus-Neal Asher-361
072: Ranger's Apprentice: Sorcerer of the North-John Flanagan-230
073: Ranger's Apprentice: Siege of Macindaw-John Flanagan-236
074: Memory, Sorrow and Thorn: The Dragonbone Chair-Tad Williams-824
075: Starhammer-Christopher Rowley-277
076: Star Wars: Knight Errant-John Miller-310
077: Memory, Sorrow and Thorn: The Stone of Farewell-Tad Williams-727
078: Resident Evil: Caliban Cove-S.D. Perry-134
079: Asian Saga: Tai-Pan-James Clavell-655
080: Emerald Eyes-Daniel Moran-217
081: Starship: Pirate-Mike Resnick-165
082: Malaz: Bauchelain and Korbal Broach-Steven Erikson-180
083: Malaz: Crack'd Pot Trail-Steven Erikson-154
084: Polity: Prador Moon-Neal Asher-173
085: Abolethic Sovereignty: Plague of Spells-Bruce Cordell-290
086: Wheel of Time: The Shadow Rising-Robert Jordan-907
087: Acacia: The Other Lands-David Durham-504
088: Discworld: Thud!-Terry Pratchett-297
089: 5 Novels-Daniel Pinkwater-648
090: Ranger's Apprentice: Erak's Ransom-John Flanagan-327
091: Memory, Sorrow and Thorn: To Green Angel Tower-Tad Williams-1374
093: Bards of Bone Plain-Patricia McKillip-329
094: Abolethic Sovereignty: City of Torment-Bruce Cordell-UNFINISHED
095: Polity: Hilldigger-Neal Asher-505
096: Cobra War: Cobra Guardian-Timothy Zahn-388
097: Green Rider: Blackveil-Kristen Britain-773
098: Dark Angel: Before the Dawn-Max Collins-291
099: Ranger's Apprentice: Kings of Clonmel-John Flanagan-357
100: Ranger's Apprentice: Halt's Peril-John Flanagan-348
101: The Last Day-Glen Kleier-484
102: Wheel of Time: The Fires of Heaven-Robert Jordan-877
103: Grimm Dragonblaster: A Mage In The Making-Alistair Archibald-264
104: Star Wars: Old Republic: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Sentinel-John Miller-27
105: T2: Infiltrator-S.M. Stirling-513
106: Star Wars: Old Republic: Deceived-Paul Kemp-348
107: Time Traders-Andre Norton-400
108: Starship: Mercenary-Mike Resnick-338
109: WWW: Wake-Robert Sawyer-388
110: Vlad Taltos: Orca-Steven Brust-313
111: Tiffany Aching: The Wee Free Men-Terry Pratchett-289
112: Dresden Files: Proven Guilty-Jim Butcher-557
113: Tiffany Aching: A Hat Full Of Sky-Terry Pratchett-299
114: Wheel of Time: Lord of Chaos-Robert Jordan-1223
115: The Count of Monte Cristo: Unabridged-Alexandre Dumas-1606
116: Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnaught-Jack Campbell-420
117: Tiffany Aching: Wintersmith-Terry Pratchett-341
118: Night Angel: Perfect Shadow-Brent Weeks-70
119: Dark Angel: Skin Game-Max Collins-UNFINISHED
120: Lyra: Shadow Magic-Patricia Wrede-256
121: Malaz: Stonewielder-Ian Esslemont-640
122: T2: Rising Storm-S.M. Stirling-384
123: Ranger's Apprentice: Emperor of Nihon-Ja- John Flanagan-438
124: Riyria Revelations: Wintertide- Michael Sullivan-332
125: Wheel of Time: A Crown of Swords-Robert Jordan-896
126: So You Want To Be A Wizard-Diane Duane-408
127: WWW: Watch-Robert Sawyer-368
128: The New Age Movement and the Illuminati 666-William Josiah Sutton-UNFINISHED
129: The Iron Druid Chronicles: Hounded-Kevin Hearne-239
130: T2: The Future War-S.M. Stirling-368
131: Imperium: Mech-B.V. Larson-328
132: Imperium: Mech 2-B.V. Larson-252
133: Neuromancer-William Gibson-288
134: What It Is Like To Go To War-Karl Malantes-256
135: Book of the Elements: The Legions of Fire-David Drake-368
136: Broken Empire: Prince of Thorns-Mark Lawrence-336
137: Destroyermen: Into the Storm-Taylor Anderson-400
138: Destroyermen: Crusade-Taylor Anderson-400
139: The Hourglass Door-Lisa Mangum-400
140: The Eternal Champion-Michael Moorcock-484
141: Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Pantheon-John Miller-34
142: Sandkings-George RR Martin-80
143: Lyra: Daughter of Witches-Patricia Wrede-304
144: Polity: Shadow of the Scorpion-Neal Asher-250
145: Stealing Light-Gary Gibson-441
146: Wheel of Time: Path of Daggers-Robert Jordan-705
147: Videssos: An Emperor for the Legion-Harry Turtledove-336
148: Germline-T.C. McCarthy-UNFINISHED
149: A Room with a View-E.M. Forster-231
150: Star Dragon-Mike Brotherton-352
151: Time Traders II-Andre Norton-384
152: The Hobbit-J.R.R. Tolkien-256
153: Battlestar Galactica-Jeffrey Carver-269
154: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Conviction-Aaron Allston-367
155: Black Magician: Magicians Guild-Trudi Canavan-384
156: The Iron Druid Chronicles: Hexed-Kevin Hearne-246
157: Jumper-Steven Gould-345
158: Asian Saga: Gai-Jin-James Clavell-1248
159: Maze Runner-James Dashner-336
160: Killer-Karl Wagner & David Drake-193
161: Finity-John Barnes-303
162: Ranger's Apprentice: Lost Stories-John Flanagan-352
163: The Viscount & the Witch-Michael Sullivan-28
164: Shadows of the Apt: The Sea Watch-Adrian Tchaikovsky-586
165: Steel and Other Stories-Richard Matheson-320
166: The Story of My Experiments with Truth-Mahatma Gandhi-UNFINISHED
167: Wheel of Time: Winter's Heart-Robert Jordan-560
168: The Heir: Warrior Heir-Cinda Chima-272
169: The Horus Heresy: Horus Rising-Dan Abnett-295
170: The Owner: Departure-Neal Asher-352
171: Star Wars: Choices of One-Timothy Zahn-384
172: Underworld-Greg Cox-302
173: The Walking Drum-Louis L'Amour-480
174: Discworld: Making Money-Terry Pratchett-400
175: Destroyermen: Maelstrom-Taylor Anderson-400
176: Dresden Files: White Night-Jim Butcher-376
177: Timeline-Michael Crichton-436
178: Jumper: Reflex-Steven Gould-310
179: The Walls of the Universe-Paul Melko-301
180: The Onuissance Cells-Steve Jordan-162
181: Polity: The Technician-Neal Asher-391
182: Wardstone: Kings, Queens, Heroes & Fools-M.R. Mathias-500
183: Wheel of Time: Crossroads of Twilight-Robert Jordan-672
184: Seven Realms: The Demon King-Cinda Chima-340
185: Seven Realms: The Exiled Queen-Cinda Chima-402
186: Seven Realms: The Gray Wolf Throne-Cinda Chima-399
187: The Heir: The Wizard Heir-Cinda Chima-315
188: American Gods-Neil Gaiman-560
189: Spice and Wolf Book 1-Isuna Hasekura-UNFINISHED
190: The Dragon and the George-Gordon Dickson-243
191: The Iron Druid Chronicles: Hammered-Kevin Hearne-273
192: Lyra: Harp of Imach Thyssel-Patricia Wrede-308
193: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Ascension-Christie Golden-382
194: Dune-Frank Herbert-535

December '11

TimelineTimeline by Michael Crichton

Dtb, 436 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Read May 2001
Reread December 2011

While this was no Jurassic Park, I certainly enjoyed this much more than Congo, Prey and definitely a lot more than that horrible State of Fear.

Time travel, medieval settings, modern wussies getting some culture shock, kickass fighting, it all came together to entertain me.

Now I want to watch the movie, even though that was a real bastardization of this novel...


ReflexReflex by Steven Gould

Ebook, 310 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A more mature Davy and his wife go through a horrifying ordeal.

This was a fully thought out novel, with the consequences mapped out for someone who is a teleport like Davy.

It rang true, not over the top comic book style, and held my attention. Definitely be reading the third book.


The Walls of the Universe (Universe, #1)The Walls of the Universe by Paul Melko

Ebook, 301 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One John was a complete dickhead at the beginning and ended up maturing into a better man.

Another John was a naive farmboy who grew into a very smart and capable man.

Both stories are a side of a multisided coin and it is quite the coin!


The Onuissance CellsThe Onuissance Cells by Steve Jordan

Ebook, 162 Pages
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Blah, blah, blah.

A bunch of preachy short stories. Given, my view of the author is biased by my passing acquaintance with him on some online forums, but this just seemed very heavy handed.


The TechnicianThe Technician by Neal Asher

Ebook, 391 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blood, guts, Jain tech and Atheters!

Another excellent addition to the Polity Universe.






Kings, Queens, Heroes, & FoolsKings, Queens, Heroes, & Fools by M.R. Mathias

Ebook, 500 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Some crude humor, some very unpolished writing [I am almost tempted to ask my cousin, who is a professional editor to go over this for my own enjoyment. I just can't afford her] but a really good follow up story to The Sword and the Dragon.

I did not see the death of one of the characters near the end coming. While it simplifies and cleans up the plot for the next book, it kind of seemed like an easy out.

But I really did enjoy this story. A good solid fantasy novel and I am looking forward to the final book in this trilogy.



Crossroads of Twilight (Wheel of Time, #10)Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan

Ebook, 672 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fantastic!

I have to admit, I am enjoying seeing Perrin pushed to the edge, and a little beyond. He really needs to "grow" but the only way is to force him along certain paths.

I find Matt's acceptance of his fate, in regards to the daughter of the nine moons, very unlike him. He always seems to have fought being forced to do anything, and now he is just going along with it?



The Demon King (Seven Realms Series #1)The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Ebook, 340 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this. More than Chima's "Heir" series.

Medieval settings always help though. And the idea of magic being like any other "tool", ie it can be totally misused and have long term bad consequences for the world, was interesting.

She definitely has a "thing" against magic users.



The Exiled Queen (The Seven Realms Series)The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima

Ebook, 402 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The story continues.

Action, intrigue, character growth, good writing, clean writing, all combine to make a good series.






The Gray Wolf ThroneThe Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

Ebook, 399 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This series gets better and better!
And all this time I was under the impression it was a trilogy so imagine my surprise when I get to the end of the book and realize it isn't the end!
I certainly don't see Chima wrapping up everything in 1 book, but she could just leave certain things undone, or for possible future series.
Either way, I am looking forward to the next book.



The Wizard Heir (The Heir Chronicles, #2)The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

Ebook, 315 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I did not enjoy this as much as The Warrior Heir. Mainly because the protagonist had to do a lot more hiding, less "actiony" stuff than in Warrior Heir.




American GodsAmerican Gods by Neil Gaiman

Ebook, 560 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this on a mental level, but had so many issues with Gaiman's world philosophy that I had to completely compartmentalize while reading this.

Well written, very interesting ideas and quite the con game. I can see why many people would like this book. It tells a dramatic, gripping story and looks at American through non-American eyes, but without all the anti-imperial bullshit so common in many modern European writings [which is SO hypocritical that I want to puke sometimes].

Now, the quick philosophical look. This is philosophy 101 for the lazy. which is why it is so popular. Take an idea that has been around for 1000's of years, modernize it, streamline it, rub off all the hard edges, everything that actually makes you think, and voila, you have a wonderful philosophical "idea".

Which is great for your a-typical modern human in a first world country who refuses to look at logic and philosophy as a logical school of thought.

All these slams are not slams on the book, but on the intended audience. I think Gaiman wrote a perfect piece for his audience. Pseudo-psychology, some darkness to scare us, some big warm fuzzies to warm us up.



Spice & Wolf, Book 1Spice & Wolf, Book 1 by Isuna Hasekura

Ebook, UNFINISHED
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Boring! Could not finish.








The Dragon and the GeorgeThe Dragon and the George by Gordon R. Dickson

Ebook, 243 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I actually read a scanned copy on my ereader.

This reminded me, a lot, of the Guardians of the Flame series by Joel Rosenburg. But this was SO much better.
We only have to deal with 1 coward/douchebag and by the end he's not a douchebag anymore, just a dummie.[unlike the Guardian series, where there is a group and they are still pretty much complete jerks even after several books]
This was a nice fun read that went quickly and gave me an hours enjoyment. I have high hopes that the rest of the series will be as fun.



Hammered (Iron Druid Chronicles, #3)Hammered by Kevin Hearne

Ebook, 273 Pages
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This will be the final book I read in this series; it just pushed the irreligious button too hard for me to ignore anymore.

Anyway, w1z3 0l dru1d g3ts tog3th3r with palz and goez aftuh Th0000r!

and they kill Thor and a whole ton of the viking pantheon.

this struck me as odd. If they could do this, why hadn't other groups assembled and there been war "in the heavens", as it were? And using Thor as an example of a "killer" god who ruined countless lives? What about some of those hindu gods? It just seemed capricious on the part of the author to pick Thor, like he wanted to use the title and wrote a story around that.

Anyway, done with this series. No more interest even when other books do come out.



The Harp of Imach ThysselThe Harp of Imach Thyssel by Patricia C. Wrede

Ebook, 308 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Best book in the Lyra series so far. I actually found myself wanting to read more, unlike the previous books where I just kind of slogged through.

I am not sure why the change in attitude for me. On the surface, this was in the EXACT same vein as the others. It strikes me more as an Andre Norton book than a Wrede book.

I enjoyed it and now have a slightly better outlook for the final books in the series.



Ascension (Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi, #8)Ascension by Christie Golden

Ebook, 382 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So many different threads being woven. I feel like I'm on a rollercoaster. As soon as one crisis is over, another one IMMEDIATELY pops up and then whammo, time for our heroes to jump into action again.

I like Luke, Leia and Han and the host of the original characters. Some of the newer people are ok, ie, Jaina, Jag, Tahiri, but most of the characters seem to be there as props.

The Sith. What a joke. What a phracking joke! Where are the ysalamari [excuse the spelling]? Why aren't they blanketing Coruscant? They are a HUGE tool to use against force users and you would think that the non-force users would have realized this by now.

Abeloth-it morphs once again into the perfect boogeyman for the writers to use without having to think very much. I am resigned to it sticking around to the end.

Overall, this series is my last I'm buying in the Starwars EU. While I enjoy parts and bits, the overall isn't as fun or as good as say, Zahn, Stackpole or Allston.



Dune (Dune Chronicles, #1)Dune by Frank Herbert


Dtb, 535 Pages
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was my first time that I have read Dune in short chunks. I usually read the whole book over a weekend and gorge myself on it.

I had a completely deeper reading by going slow. I don't think I'll ever read this way again, because it wasn't nearly as an enjoyable action story as when read in one chunk.

Herbert tones down his usually dense cryptic philosophical psycho-babble and gives us a story that almost anyone can enjoy.

Freewill, prophecy, love, genetics, time/space, guiding forces, pre-destination, all collide together on a single planet to tell a story about a young man who must face his destiny while averting a horrible future all the while being manipulated by forces outside his immediate control[at the beginning of the book].

There are books that I might enjoy more than Dune, but I have yet to find one that holds up to so many rereads or to find a book that still resonates with me even as I change because of life experiences. This would be a book I would choose to take with me to a deserted island.




Monthly Summary
17 Novels
1 Unfinished Novel
6529 Pages

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

November '11

The Lost StoriesThe Lost Stories by John Flanagan

Ebook, 352 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

John Flanagan did a great job with this book. Sometimes a collection of short stories will just fall flat and leave you feeling bleh. Not this one though.

Flanagan packed each story chock full of what I've come to expect from the RA Series-adventure, fun, a tiny bit of mystery and suspense and a good ending.

I was a little confused at the first, with the whole archeological thing, but it quickly made sense. Just the first couple of pages made me wonder if I'd gotten a bad ebook or something.


The Viscount and the Witch (The Riyria Chronicles Short #1)The Viscount and the Witch by Michael J. Sullivan

Ebook, 28 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story was over before I even got my head around that it was starting. That was my only complaint-too short :D

Really neat intro to Royce and Hadrian and "their" noble. Now I REALLY want the final book, sigh...


The Sea Watch (Shadows of the Apt, #6)The Sea Watch by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Ebook, 586 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It seems like it is Stenwold Maker against the entire Kinden world. I feel pretty bad for the poor guy. Everything seems to go wrong for him.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Not quite as much as the previous books, but I think the Wasp Empire makes a fantastic antagonist, and the underwater kinden made me feel kind of creepy/crawly and Tchaikovsky's descriptions made ME feel claustrophobic.

I have to say, it sure would be nice if somebody besides Stenwold became the major character. I just have this image of an 80 year old tottering around. I know that isn't accurate, but from the descriptions in previous books, that is how I see him.

Looking forward, with great anticipation, to the next book, Heirs to the Blade[I think that is the name].


Steel: And Other StoriesSteel: And Other Stories by Richard Matheson

Dtb, 320 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Matheson seems to see the worst in humanity and to spray that about.
I think every story was about a human being being irrational in one form or another.

I enjoyed these,[there was comic relief, even if in a bitter form] but would not want to read lots of books like this one right after the other. It would be too much.


The Story of My Experiments With TruthThe Story of My Experiments With Truth by Mahatma Gandhi

Dtb, UNFINISHED
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I simply gave up around page 300.

I didn't know much about Gandhi except that he was a pacifist and helped free India. So I wanted to find out more about him. What better way than to read the man's own words about his life? So I went in with vim and vigor, ready to learn.

I got bogged down in details that didn't mean anything to me [he wrote about current Indian authority figures like I might toss off a comment about Britney Spears].

He routinely came across as a complete prick, ie, he would almost scold the reader to do, or not do, some particular line of action simply because he, Gandhi, recommended it.[this is/was a time period thing. I've read several other pieces of non-fiction by like people from that time and it is just how they write. Still pisses me off though]. He also had no problems denying people the same benefits that he had had[college, job opportunities, etc] if the alternative was an "experiential" growing thing-ie, he denied formal education to his children because he thought they would be better off simply "knowing" people and how life worked.

He routinely acted like an authority on a subject that he had an interest in, based upon 1 or 2 instances-ie, he decries doctors, and then goes on to talk about a plague that he helped deal with and how he used some alternative medicine [doctors and him were both ineffective in that case]. It was not a case of "I found X to work for me and if you feel like it, you can try it", it really came across more as "I like X, you should use X too. It might work, it might not, but it is better than anything else".

False humility? This one I'm not sure of to be honest. He comes across as very humble in many instances, but there are flashes of extreme arrogance or ignoring certain facts that made me really wonder just how much his writing hid. Given, we all self-deceive to one degree or another [and in most cases, it isn't purposeful, we humans are simply blind to our own faults], but for a self-professed "seeker of truth" to say some of the things he did, it did not jive with humility.
But that is the kind of thing you cannot accurately judge unless you've met the person.

His wife. His poor, poor, wife. I don't know if she should be considered a saint for putting up with Gandhi, or what. Abandoned for months or years at a time while he pursues social equality in South Africa [for Indians], constantly told that material possessions are meaningless, that sex has no part in love, and in a nutshell, told that anything she wants must be subsumed to the greater good of the Indian Cause.

And that is the main reason I stopped reading. Gandhi seems to advocate the collective over the individual. And he was a prick and wicked boring. Now I am completely disillusioned with him.

I predict it will be years before I attempt another autobiography of anyone after this.


Winter's Heart (Wheel of Time, #9)Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan

Ebook, 560 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Read June 2001
Re-read November 2011.

What a difference 10 years makes. First off, I've got the final book in my hands in the next couple of months. Second, I'm reading a WoT book a month instead of a year[or 2 or 3] and I think that is just about the right amount of time.

Most of this was completely new to me because I think I stopped the first time when I realized the series wasn't at its end. I enjoyed this. Same compliments, same complaints as the previous books.
And the cleansing of Saidin was pretty cool. It did make me wonder just how strong/weak the Forsaken actually are. And if they couldn't deal with Rand and Co, why did the original Aes Sedai have such trouble?


The Warrior Heir (Heir Series #1)The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

Ebook, 272 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this.

Not much of a review, I know, but it was fun, with just the right amount of danger and uncertainty to spice it up.

And no ***** werewolves or vamps [sparkly or otherwise]...


Horus Rising (Warhammer 40,000) (The Horus Heresy, #1)Horus Rising (Warhammer 40,000) by Dan Abnett

Ebook, 295 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While a very action packed, gruesome story, I kept waiting for the "Heresy" to show itself, and it never did.

Also, logistics. A space force that is dealing with at least 3 different forms of humanity would not have integrated walkways/doorways/whatever for all 3 subspecies, it simply would be cost prohibitive.

And every bloody "hero" is always godlike, or nearly godlike. I felt like I was reading the Iliad or something. Frack that...


The DepartureThe Departure by Neal Asher

Ebook, 352 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Non-polity universe.

But blood and guts GALORE! I kind of found it over the top. And the whole mental "aha, I found a new trick that I can use until you figure out how to counter it" was used enough that it detracted from my enjoyment.

Would certainly not recommend as a first Neal Asher book. hardcore fans only.


Star Wars: Choices of OneStar Wars: Choices of One by Timothy Zahn

Ebook, 384 Pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zahn brings some much needed polished writing to the Star Wars universe. I actually put the book down when I got tired so that I would be able to understand what he was writing.[and yes, that is a good thing]

I had fun reading this, a bit more than I had reading Star Wars Allegiance, not sure why though. Seemed to have more action than I remember in Allegiance.

Glad I bought this one...


Underworld (Underworld, #1)Underworld by Greg Cox

Ebook, 302 Pages
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

If you really liked the movie, you'll probably enjoy this.

I thought the movie was a good action romp, but the book was just plain dull.

I had all three books on tap to read, but after this, I'm not going to waste my time, it is just mediocre pablum.


The Walking DrumThe Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour

Dtb, 480 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Instead of stereotyping westerns here, Louis L'Amour does medieval Europe.

It was fun, but it got kind of tiring having the hero bash Europe, praise the Middle East, learn EVERYTHING in about 2 days, and get into a new kind of danger at the end of every chapter.

So it was a typical L'Amour :D


Making Money (Discworld, #36)Making Money by Terry Pratchett

Ebook, 400 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Maybe the "Occupy Wallstreet" people should have read this before camping out and pooping in the parks ;)

Anyway, a very humorous look at the banking system, Anhk-Morpork style. We get good old Moist Von Lipwig[who I am enjoying immensely] and some more Vetinari stuff. He's the best kind of tyrant :D

And I actually found the little annoying dog funny too! Which means Pratchett wrote this well, cause I NEVER find annoying little dogs funny...


Maelstrom (Destroyermen Series #3)Maelstrom by Taylor Anderson

Ebook, 400 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, with it's very large battle at the end, but it wasn't as riveting as the previous book nor did I feel the excitement.

Taylor Anderson opens up enough extra cans that we know this could be a lengthy series[thankfully book 6!!! came out just as I was getting into this. Better not be as long as the Wheel of Time series though!]

I am not a big fan of alt/whatever, but this is keeping my interest. I do wish Anderson wouldn't speechify so much though. Sometimes I feel like I'm re-reading the previous book as characters "remember" scads of info.


White Night (The Dresden Files, #9)White Night by Jim Butcher

Ebook, 376 Pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Harry is stronger, badder and more kickass than he has ever been.

And we still get to hear lots of whining. But I do like that there are now more bad guy options.


MONTHLY SUMMARY
13 Novels
1 Short Story
1 Unfinished Novel
5107 Pages