Ian's bookshelf: all en-US Thu, 10 Apr 2025 11:00:24 -0700 60 Ian's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[The Ganymede Club (Cold As Ice, #2)]]> 709605 342 Charles Sheffield 0812544609 Ian 4 sci-fi 4.0� Middle book in Sheffield's trilogy beginning with Cold As Ice. It's a very decent science fiction mystery, reminiscent a bit of Issac Asimov's mysteries. Like the other books it's set in a solar system recovering from a terrible war, in which many horrific crimes and dangers remain hidden. This case begins with a strange encounter out among the moons of Saturn and follows the consequences of that event ( murder and skulduggery) over the next 40 years. Well written, with good science, the story is pretty much stand alone ( the series is tied together by the character The Bat, who"s kind of Nero Wolfe of the space ways.
It features a great John Berkey cover (who did the art for all three books in the original printing).]]> 3.77 1995 The Ganymede Club (Cold As Ice, #2)
author: Charles Sheffield
name: Ian
average rating: 3.77
book published: 1995
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/08
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: sci-fi
review:
Replacing review disappeared by GR 10/04/2025
4.0� Middle book in Sheffield's trilogy beginning with Cold As Ice. It's a very decent science fiction mystery, reminiscent a bit of Issac Asimov's mysteries. Like the other books it's set in a solar system recovering from a terrible war, in which many horrific crimes and dangers remain hidden. This case begins with a strange encounter out among the moons of Saturn and follows the consequences of that event ( murder and skulduggery) over the next 40 years. Well written, with good science, the story is pretty much stand alone ( the series is tied together by the character The Bat, who"s kind of Nero Wolfe of the space ways.
It features a great John Berkey cover (who did the art for all three books in the original printing).
]]> Dark as Day (Cold as Ice, #3) 64745
On one of those moons, Alex Ligon, scion of a great interplanetary trading family has developed a wonderfully accurate new population model, and cannot wait until the newly reconstituted "Seine," the interlinked network of computers that spans the planets and moons and asteroids, comes back on line. But when it does, and he extends his perfect model a century into the future, it predicts the complete destruction of the human race.

On another moon, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence goes on, undaunted by generations of failure. And to her amazement, Millie Wu, a young genius newly recruited to the project, has found a signal . . . a signal that is coming from outside the solar system.

And in his new retreat on a minor moon of Saturn, the cranky genius Rustam Battacharyia is still collecting weapons from the Great War. He thinks he may have stumbled on an unexpected new one...but he'll need to disarm it before it destroys the Sun.]]> 480 Charles Sheffield 0812580311 Ian 4 sci-fi, currently-reading 3.82 2002 Dark as Day (Cold as Ice, #3)
author: Charles Sheffield
name: Ian
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: sci-fi, currently-reading
review:

]]> Roadside Picnic 331256
First published in 1972, Roadside Picnic is still widely regarded as one of the greatest science fiction novels, despite the fact that it has been out of print in the United States for almost thirty years.]]> 145 Arkady Strugatsky 0575070536 Ian 0 4.16 1972 Roadside Picnic
author: Arkady Strugatsky
name: Ian
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1972
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: sci-fi, lit, currently-reading
review:

]]> Songs of a Sourdough 1184698 128 Robert W. Service 0713650818 Ian 3 lit, to-read 4.20 1907 Songs of a Sourdough
author: Robert W. Service
name: Ian
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1907
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: lit, to-read
review:

]]> The Woman in the Dunes 9998 The Woman in the Dunes, by celebrated writer and thinker Kobo Abe, combines the essence of myth, suspense and the existential novel.

After missing the last bus home following a day trip to the seashore, an amateur entomologist is offered lodging for the night at the bottom of a vast sand pit. But when he attempts to leave the next morning, he quickly discovers that the locals have other plans. Held captive with seemingly no chance of escape, he is tasked with shoveling back the ever-advancing sand dunes that threaten to destroy the village. His only companion is an odd young woman, and together their fates become intertwined as they work side by side through this Sisyphean of tasks.]]> 241 Kōbō Abe 0679733787 Ian 0 lit, need-to-finish, to-read 3.89 1962 The Woman in the Dunes
author: Kōbō Abe
name: Ian
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1962
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: lit, need-to-finish, to-read
review:

]]> City 222093 Librarian's Note: Alternate cover edition available here.

Simak's City is a series of connected stories, a series of legends, myths, and campfire stories told by Dogs about the end of human civilization, centering on the Webster family, who, among their other accomplishments, designed the ships that took Men to the stars and gave Dogs the gift of speech and robots to be their hands.]]> 251 Clifford D. Simak 188296828X Ian 3 Good old-timey ( '40s'-50's) science fiction by one of John W Campbell's acolytes. It follows Simak's non conventional view of humanity's destiny from the mid Twentieth Century to thousands of years into the future, in a series of interrelated stories, collected here in one volume. Some of Simak's themes here are also some of Issac Asimov's favorite topics: the future of human settlements (cities); interaction with artificial intelligence ( robots); agoraphobia. Had something to do with the mid-20th gestalt, I guess.
Age has rendered the stories a bit quaint but there's no denying the imagination.]]> 4.08 1952 City
author: Clifford D. Simak
name: Ian
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1952
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves:
review:
2.6�
Good old-timey ( '40s'-50's) science fiction by one of John W Campbell's acolytes. It follows Simak's non conventional view of humanity's destiny from the mid Twentieth Century to thousands of years into the future, in a series of interrelated stories, collected here in one volume. Some of Simak's themes here are also some of Issac Asimov's favorite topics: the future of human settlements (cities); interaction with artificial intelligence ( robots); agoraphobia. Had something to do with the mid-20th gestalt, I guess.
Age has rendered the stories a bit quaint but there's no denying the imagination.
]]> <![CDATA[Biting the Sun (Four-BEE, #1-2)]]> 373009
Published for the first time in a single volume, Tanith Lee's duet of novels set in a hedonistic Utopia are as riveting and revolutionary as they were when they first appeared two decades ago.

It's a perfect existence, a world in which no pleasure is off-limits, no risk is too dangerous, and no responsibilities can cramp your style. Not if you're Jang: a caste of libertine teenagers in the city of Four BEE. But when you're expected to make trouble--when you can kill yourself on a whim and return in another body, when you're encouraged to change genders at will and experience whatever you desire--you've got no reason to rebel...until making love and raising hell, daring death and running wild just leave you cold and empty.

Ravenous for true adventures of the mind and body, desperate to find some meaning, one restless spirit finally bucks the system--and by shattering the rules, strikes at the very heart of a soulless society....]]> 384 Tanith Lee 0553581309 Ian 4 sci-fi 4.24 1977 Biting the Sun (Four-BEE, #1-2)
author: Tanith Lee
name: Ian
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1977
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/23
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: sci-fi
review:

]]> Mina's Matchbox 202102049 From the award-winning, psychologically astute author of The Memory Police, here is a hypnotic, introspective novel about an affluent Japanese family navigating buried secrets, and their young house guest who uncovers them.

In the spring of 1972, twelve-year-old Tomoko leaves her mother behind in Tokyo and boards a train alone for Ashiya, a coastal town in Japan, to stay with her aunt’s family. Tomoko’s aunt is an enigma and an outlier in her working-class family, and her magnificent home—and handsome, foreign husband, the president of a soft drink company—are symbols of that status. The seventeen rooms are filled with German-made furnishings; there are sprawling gardens, and even an old zoo where the family’s pygmy hippopotamus resides. The family is just as beguiling as their mansion—Tomoko’s dignified and devoted aunt, her German grandmother, and her dashing, charming uncle who confidently sits as the family’s patriarch. At the center of the family is Tomoko’s cousin Mina, a precocious, asthmatic girl of thirteen who draws Tomoko into an intoxicating world full of secret crushes and elaborate storytelling.

In this elegant jewel box of a book, Yoko Ogawa invites us to witness a powerful and formative interlude in Tomoko’s life, which she looks back on briefly from adulthood at the novel’s end. Behind the family’s sophistication are complications that Tomoko struggles to understand—her uncle’s mysterious absences, her German grandmother’s experience of the second world war, her aunt’s misery. Rich with the magic and mystery of youthful experience, Mina’s Matchbox is an evocative snapshot of a moment frozen in time—and a striking depiction of a family on the edge of collapse.]]> 288 Yōko Ogawa 0593316088 Ian 0 to-read 3.75 2006 Mina's Matchbox
author: Yōko Ogawa
name: Ian
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The World from Beginnings to 4000 BCE (New Oxford World History)]]> 1893407
In this lively and readable introduction, renowned anthropologist Ian Tattersall thoroughly examines both fossil and archaeological records to trace human evolution from the earliest beginnings of our zoological family, Hominidae, through the appearance of Homo sapiens to the Agricultural Revolution. He begins with an accessible overview of evolutionary theory and then explores the major turning points in human the emergence of the genus Homo , the advantages of bipedalism, the birth of the big brain and symbolic thinking, Paleolithic and Neolithic tool making, and finally the enormously consequential shift from hunter-gatherer to agricultural societies 10,000 years ago. Focusing particularly on the pattern of events and innovations in human biological and cultural evolution, Tattersall offers illuminating commentary on a wide range of topics, including the earliest known artistic expressions, ancient burial rites, the beginnings of language, the likely causes of Neanderthal
extinction, the relationship between agriculture and Christianity, and the still unsolved mysteries of human consciousness.

Complemented by a wealth of illustrations and written with the grace and accessibility for which Tattersall is widely admire, The World from Beginnings to 4000 BCE invites us to take a closer look at the strange and distant beings who, over the course of millions of years, would become us.]]> 160 Ian Tattersall 0195333152 Ian 0 history, non-fiction, to-read 3.73 The World from Beginnings to 4000 BCE (New Oxford World History)
author: Ian Tattersall
name: Ian
average rating: 3.73
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: history, non-fiction, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Rental Person Who Does Nothing]]> 128183600 Need a rental person who does nothing?

Shoji Morimoto provides a fascinating service to the lonely and socially anxious. After an old boss told him that he contributed nothing and that it made no difference whether he showed up to work or not, he wondered if a person who ‘does nothing� could still have a place in the world. With a tweet, his Rental Person service was born.
- Have a deep secret you desperately need to reveal, so deep that you can’t tell a friend or family member?
- Have you spent a long time home alone, and want to know what it’s like to have somebody with you at your apartment?
- Or for someone to simply think of you on a stressful day? Or wave to you as you leave the train station on a long journey?

Morimoto is dependable, non-judgmental and committed to remaining a stranger throughout each request, and his encounters are revelatory about both Japanese society and human psychology.

In Rental Person Who Does Nothing, Morimoto chronicles his extraordinary experiences in his unique line of work and reflects on how we consider relationships, jobs, and family in our search for meaningful connection and purpose in life.]]> 160 Shoji Morimoto 1035012839 Ian 3 memoirs, non-fiction A short, strange memoir by Morimoto about his career as Japan's famous Rental Person Who Does Nothing. Throughout the book he refers to himself as Rental Person; to me that was the first clue as to what's really going on here.

As he tells it, Morimoto just doesn't like to work. While highly educated, he eventually lost interest in all his jobs. His last boss told him he might as well not show up at all, for all he was doing and described him as a "permanent vacancy." As Morimoto portrays it, he decided that if all he wanted to do is nothing, why not do nothing professionally?

So he set himself up on twitter as the Rental Person who will be there for you as long as you don't need him to actually do anything. The book is mostly told in the form of his tweets describing the tasks people ask him to do. Such as accompanying a woman while she files her divorce papers, waving goodbye to somebody at a train station, holding down a tarpaulin at a festival or, frequently, going with someone to a restaurant or cafe if they're uncomfortable going alone ( apparently it's a Japanese thing).

Morimoto makes the argument that people shouldn't be valued by what they do, but simply by the fact they exist. He says the pressure to produce drove his sister to suicide and broke his brother. This is his main justification for his supposedly doing nothing. I think it's part of a carefully designed image.

Morimoto refers to himself as Rental Person because he's playing a part. It's an act. He is in fact a hugely successful social media influencer and self described "personality". He's purposely not hiding it well, often breaking the fourth wall, telling us about his TV series, or manga, or about this book which , although he was a professional writer, he says he had ghost written so he could maintain he's still doing nothing.

He makes a point about not charging his 'clients' except for travel and food costs, saying he's in it for the experience and it's all financed by his savings and his wife. That's obviously not counting his commercial projects and whatever he makes from Twitter. One American news organization reported his annual income at $80,000 US. So does that make him a fraud? I don't think so. He drops some pretty broad hints to both his readers and his Twitter "audience" about what he's doing. He makes it plain a major criteria for accepting "tasks " from " clients" is whether they'll make good content for his feed. He talks about his clients climbing up onto the "stage" with him, into the "spotlight." And for a man who claims he's not in it for the money, he devotes an entire chapter describing how he accepts it and how he likes to be paid (cash, please). Morimoto is winking at us through the entire book.

Aside from outlining Morimoto"s career/business plan, the tasks he accepts highlight the alienation and loneliness that seem to pervade Japanese society, along with the enormous pressure to conform. So maybe his Rental Person persona is his way of thumbing his nose at all that. If so, he's much like the protagonist in Sayaka Murata's great novel Convenience Store Woman, who works a low level retail job because that where she fits in.

I would not describe it as a great book but it's short (3 1/2 hours read time), and it kept me interested throughout. -30-]]> 3.32 2023 Rental Person Who Does Nothing
author: Shoji Morimoto
name: Ian
average rating: 3.32
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/18
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: memoirs, non-fiction
review:
2.6�
A short, strange memoir by Morimoto about his career as Japan's famous Rental Person Who Does Nothing. Throughout the book he refers to himself as Rental Person; to me that was the first clue as to what's really going on here.

As he tells it, Morimoto just doesn't like to work. While highly educated, he eventually lost interest in all his jobs. His last boss told him he might as well not show up at all, for all he was doing and described him as a "permanent vacancy." As Morimoto portrays it, he decided that if all he wanted to do is nothing, why not do nothing professionally?

So he set himself up on twitter as the Rental Person who will be there for you as long as you don't need him to actually do anything. The book is mostly told in the form of his tweets describing the tasks people ask him to do. Such as accompanying a woman while she files her divorce papers, waving goodbye to somebody at a train station, holding down a tarpaulin at a festival or, frequently, going with someone to a restaurant or cafe if they're uncomfortable going alone ( apparently it's a Japanese thing).

Morimoto makes the argument that people shouldn't be valued by what they do, but simply by the fact they exist. He says the pressure to produce drove his sister to suicide and broke his brother. This is his main justification for his supposedly doing nothing. I think it's part of a carefully designed image.

Morimoto refers to himself as Rental Person because he's playing a part. It's an act. He is in fact a hugely successful social media influencer and self described "personality". He's purposely not hiding it well, often breaking the fourth wall, telling us about his TV series, or manga, or about this book which , although he was a professional writer, he says he had ghost written so he could maintain he's still doing nothing.

He makes a point about not charging his 'clients' except for travel and food costs, saying he's in it for the experience and it's all financed by his savings and his wife. That's obviously not counting his commercial projects and whatever he makes from Twitter. One American news organization reported his annual income at $80,000 US. So does that make him a fraud? I don't think so. He drops some pretty broad hints to both his readers and his Twitter "audience" about what he's doing. He makes it plain a major criteria for accepting "tasks " from " clients" is whether they'll make good content for his feed. He talks about his clients climbing up onto the "stage" with him, into the "spotlight." And for a man who claims he's not in it for the money, he devotes an entire chapter describing how he accepts it and how he likes to be paid (cash, please). Morimoto is winking at us through the entire book.

Aside from outlining Morimoto"s career/business plan, the tasks he accepts highlight the alienation and loneliness that seem to pervade Japanese society, along with the enormous pressure to conform. So maybe his Rental Person persona is his way of thumbing his nose at all that. If so, he's much like the protagonist in Sayaka Murata's great novel Convenience Store Woman, who works a low level retail job because that where she fits in.

I would not describe it as a great book but it's short (3 1/2 hours read time), and it kept me interested throughout. -30-
]]> <![CDATA[World of Trouble (The Last Policeman, #3)]]> 18691070
But Detective Hank Palace still has one last case to solve. His beloved sister Nico was last seen in the company of suspicious radicals, armed with heavy artillery and a plan to save humanity. Hank's search for Nico takes him from Massachusetts to Ohio, from abandoned zoos and fast food restaurants to a deserted police station where he uncovers evidence of a brutal crime. With time running out, Hank follows the clues to a series of earth-shattering revelations.

The third novel in the Last Policeman trilogy, World of Trouble presents one final pre-apocalyptic mystery—and Hank Palace confronts questions way beyond whodunit: How far would you go to protect a loved one? And how would you choose to spend your last days on Earth?]]> 320 Ben H. Winters 1594746850 Ian 2 mystery Henry Palace, the hero of Ben Winters "Last Policeman " trilogy has to be the most beaten up detective in fiction. He's even clobbered more often than John Nyquist in Jeff Noon's books ( and that's impressive). Palace had been averaging two severe thrashings per book, up to this point in the series. In "World of Trouble" I lost track ( kicked by a horse and set on fire being the two I remember). Alas, all that pain for little gain.

The premise of the series was promising. Despite an impending extinction level asteroid crash, Palace plugs away at his cases, solving murders and finding missing persons as the days count down. The first book, 'The Last Policeman ' was a decent murder mystery. The last two, in my opinion, relied on government conspiracies/atrocities or unconvincing con jobs and are more loosely plotted, with less character development.

Still, Winters is a practiced and clever writer and is able to get readers to invest in his much abused hero ( and his goofy dog).
I stuck it out to the end but it was a hard slog at times.]]> 4.01 2014 World of Trouble (The Last Policeman, #3)
author: Ben H. Winters
name: Ian
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/10
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: mystery
review:
2.4�
Henry Palace, the hero of Ben Winters "Last Policeman " trilogy has to be the most beaten up detective in fiction. He's even clobbered more often than John Nyquist in Jeff Noon's books ( and that's impressive). Palace had been averaging two severe thrashings per book, up to this point in the series. In "World of Trouble" I lost track ( kicked by a horse and set on fire being the two I remember). Alas, all that pain for little gain.

The premise of the series was promising. Despite an impending extinction level asteroid crash, Palace plugs away at his cases, solving murders and finding missing persons as the days count down. The first book, 'The Last Policeman ' was a decent murder mystery. The last two, in my opinion, relied on government conspiracies/atrocities or unconvincing con jobs and are more loosely plotted, with less character development.

Still, Winters is a practiced and clever writer and is able to get readers to invest in his much abused hero ( and his goofy dog).
I stuck it out to the end but it was a hard slog at times.
]]> The Rough Guide to Costa Rica 22733399 464 Rough Guides 1409347885 Ian 4 travel, non-fiction Recommended.]]> 4.40 2014 The Rough Guide to Costa Rica
author: Rough Guides
name: Ian
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2019/11/14
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: travel, non-fiction
review:
4.0� An excellent, practical guidebook that doesn't hesitate to list the 'cons' of the country, along with its many pros. Well illustrated ( but not chocked-to-bursting) with coloured photos and simple maps of the major towns and attractions. It spends less space than other quides on hotel and restaurant listings ( still plenty of options) and more on things like where to get good maps and where to get laundry done. Obviously put together by people who love the country and who have spent time there. Compact yet comprehensive.
Recommended.
]]> <![CDATA[Trouble Is My Business (Philip Marlowe, #8)]]> 11318
Trouble is my business --
Finger man --
Goldfish --
Red wind]]> 224 Raymond Chandler Ian 4 mystery, lit 4.06 1950 Trouble Is My Business (Philip Marlowe, #8)
author: Raymond Chandler
name: Ian
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1950
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: mystery, lit
review:

]]> The Night of Kadar 6929742
After roving through space for centuries, a starship unburdens its cargo of human embryos on a harsh new world. They quickly grow to maturity in the ship's artificial womb. A lifetime of Earth memories is programmed into their dreams.

But before their indoctrination is complete, an alien intruder infiltrates and destroys the system ...and the reason for their odyssey is never learned.

Now, on a verdant island surrounded by quicksand, Othman, wanderer, dreamer, and self-proclaimed leader of the Earthling band, builds a mighty bridge to span the ocean of molten mud that keeps them from the world beyond.

He has yet to face the deadly toll his quest will take on the delicate ecology of the planet -- or the revolt of his beautiful, strong-willed wife, Silandi. And he has yet to discover the hidden knowledge locked deep
within their hearts. (Back Cover)]]> 206 Garry Kilworth 0380500701 Ian 0 to-read 3.50 1978 The Night of Kadar
author: Garry Kilworth
name: Ian
average rating: 3.50
book published: 1978
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Countdown City (The Last Policeman, #2)]]> 16046748
Brett Cavatone disappeared without a trace � an easy feat in a world with no phones, no cars, and no way to tell whether someone’s gone “bucket list� or just gone. With society falling to shambles, Hank pieces together what few clues he can, on a search that leads him from a college-campus-turned-anarchist-encampment to a crumbling coastal landscape where anti-immigrant militia fend off “impact zone� refugees.

The second novel in the critically acclaimed Last Policeman trilogy, Countdown City presents a fascinating mystery set on brink of an apocalypse � and once again, Hank Palace confronts questions way beyond "whodunit." What do we as human beings owe to one another? And what does it mean to be civilized when civilization is collapsing all around you?]]> 316 Ben H. Winters Ian 2 sci-fi, mystery Disappointing middle book in the Last Policeman trilogy.
Where the first novel was inventive and engaging this one just parodies itself well out beyond the limits of suspension of disbelief.
Our last policeman is looking for a missing husband as the clock runs down on the world-ending asteroid crash ( "boomsday").

But I have to call the plotting just lazy, as the unbelievable coincidences pile up culminating in a ridiculous rescue (deus ex helicopter). It's a shame because the concept had promise.
The writing is still ok but Winters skimps out on his characters, this time, in favor of increasingly bizarre action scenes. I'll likely check out the last book ( I've come this far) hoping for a third period rebound. -30-]]> 3.82 2013 Countdown City (The Last Policeman, #2)
author: Ben H. Winters
name: Ian
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: sci-fi, mystery
review:
2.4�
Disappointing middle book in the Last Policeman trilogy.
Where the first novel was inventive and engaging this one just parodies itself well out beyond the limits of suspension of disbelief.
Our last policeman is looking for a missing husband as the clock runs down on the world-ending asteroid crash ( "boomsday").

But I have to call the plotting just lazy, as the unbelievable coincidences pile up culminating in a ridiculous rescue (deus ex helicopter). It's a shame because the concept had promise.
The writing is still ok but Winters skimps out on his characters, this time, in favor of increasingly bizarre action scenes. I'll likely check out the last book ( I've come this far) hoping for a third period rebound. -30-
]]> <![CDATA[Winter's Gifts (Rivers of London, #9.5)]]> 67990585
Winter's Gifts will be Ben Aaronovitch's first US-set standalone story - featuring FBI Agent Reynolds, in the depths of winter, trying to solve a case which all gets pretty weird, pretty quick...]]> 214 Ben Aaronovitch 147322439X Ian 0 fantasy, currently-reading 3.92 2023 Winter's Gifts (Rivers of London, #9.5)
author: Ben Aaronovitch
name: Ian
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: fantasy, currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Last Policeman (The Last Policeman, #1)]]> 13330370
Detective Hank Palace has faced this question ever since asteroid 2011GV1 hovered into view. There’s no chance left. No hope. Just six precious months until impact.

The Last Policeman presents a fascinating portrait of a pre-apocalyptic United States. The economy spirals downward while crops rot in the fields. Churches and synagogues are packed. People all over the world are walking off the job—but not Hank Palace. He’s investigating a death by hanging in a city that sees a dozen suicides every week—except this one feels suspicious, and Palace is the only cop who cares.

The first in a trilogy, The Last Policeman offers a mystery set on the brink of an apocalypse. As Palace’s investigation plays out under the shadow of 2011GV1, we’re confronted by hard questions way beyond “whodunit.� What basis does civilization rest upon? What is life worth? What would any of us do, what would we really do, if our days were numbered?]]> 316 Ben H. Winters 1594745765 Ian 3 mystery, sci-fi So what is this thing?
Apocalyptic Police Procedural?
End Times Noir?
Both of those but also a pretty decent mystery.

It's the end of the world, crashing asteroid variety, with 6 months to go before the big crunch. Things are falling apart, the centre is not holding, but in Concord, New Hampshire, there's an honest policeman left. Newly minted detective Henry Palace, is assigned what looks like a run of the mill suicide ( there's a lot of that going around). But something just feels off, to our man Hank.

Author Ben Winters is a solid journeyman writer. Clean, lean prose to get you where you want to go. Aside from the main murder storyline, Winters throws in a murky government conspiracy sub plot, which looks to me like it's going to be the thread that ties this trilogy together. So now I'm off to read book two, Countdown City.
I'd suggest this as a good book for those who like their Noir, extra dark and their heros true blue.
-30-]]> 3.75 2012 The Last Policeman (The Last Policeman, #1)
author: Ben H. Winters
name: Ian
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: mystery, sci-fi
review:
3.4�
So what is this thing?
Apocalyptic Police Procedural?
End Times Noir?
Both of those but also a pretty decent mystery.

It's the end of the world, crashing asteroid variety, with 6 months to go before the big crunch. Things are falling apart, the centre is not holding, but in Concord, New Hampshire, there's an honest policeman left. Newly minted detective Henry Palace, is assigned what looks like a run of the mill suicide ( there's a lot of that going around). But something just feels off, to our man Hank.

Author Ben Winters is a solid journeyman writer. Clean, lean prose to get you where you want to go. Aside from the main murder storyline, Winters throws in a murky government conspiracy sub plot, which looks to me like it's going to be the thread that ties this trilogy together. So now I'm off to read book two, Countdown City.
I'd suggest this as a good book for those who like their Noir, extra dark and their heros true blue.
-30-
]]> <![CDATA[We All Died at Breakaway Station]]> 57731482 When race survival teetered in the balance...

Captain Absolom Bracer, with an artificial brainpan and synthetic eyes. Astrogation officer Gene O'Gwynn, a lady with a plastic face. Weapons officer Akin Darby and Communications officer Miss Cyanta, both with assorted prosthetic parts.

These were the officers of the Iwo Jima, one of the two heavy battle-cruiser starships protecting the vast cumbersome Rudolph Cragston, a hospital ship returning to Earth with thousands of wounded in cold sleep.

These brutally injured officers had been restored to temporary, artificial life to do this job because no intact man or woman could be spared from the main conflict.

But then Breakaway Station, a vital link with Earth, was suddenly threatened..]]> Richard C. Meredith Ian 2
Late 60's (1969) military space opera, complete with sex, drugs and a Vietnam era vibe. Humanity is locked in a genocidal war with aliens whose motives are unknowable. Sent on a mission to escort a hospital ship back to Earth, Captain Absolom Bracer must defend Breakaway Station, a vital communications link, just as a crucial message is being transmitted. Thing is though, Bracer's ships are shot up hulks, as are his mostly cyborg crews- on their way back to Earth to be turned into humans again. An interesting idea for it's time, though fairly well worn by todays standards. The story is stylistically reminiscent of Norman Spinarad's work, especially 'Void Captain's Tale', although Meredith's book came first. A mostly entertaining, albeit dated novel (particularly in its portrayal of women); for those appreciative of the genre. Meredith was considered an innovative author in the 60's and 70's, though now largely forgotten. He died at a relatively young age- it would have been interesting to see how his writing might have evolved.]]> 4.00 1969 We All Died at Breakaway Station
author: Richard C. Meredith
name: Ian
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1969
rating: 2
read at: 2021/11/25
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: sci-fi, guilty-pleasure-sci-fi
review:
2.4� (Rounded down)

Late 60's (1969) military space opera, complete with sex, drugs and a Vietnam era vibe. Humanity is locked in a genocidal war with aliens whose motives are unknowable. Sent on a mission to escort a hospital ship back to Earth, Captain Absolom Bracer must defend Breakaway Station, a vital communications link, just as a crucial message is being transmitted. Thing is though, Bracer's ships are shot up hulks, as are his mostly cyborg crews- on their way back to Earth to be turned into humans again. An interesting idea for it's time, though fairly well worn by todays standards. The story is stylistically reminiscent of Norman Spinarad's work, especially 'Void Captain's Tale', although Meredith's book came first. A mostly entertaining, albeit dated novel (particularly in its portrayal of women); for those appreciative of the genre. Meredith was considered an innovative author in the 60's and 70's, though now largely forgotten. He died at a relatively young age- it would have been interesting to see how his writing might have evolved.
]]> <![CDATA[Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries, #3)]]> 35519101
And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.

]]> 158 Martha Wells 1250191785 Ian 4 sci-fi
Another mayhem packed installment of the Murderbot series. Once again our cranky protagonist is forced, against it's better judgement, to protect a bunch of annoying humans from the evil GrayCris Corporation. This time Murderbot is convinced to ride to the rescue by Miki, a human form bot, who befriends it. It's kind of disgusted that Miki's basically a pet, but also intrigued by the close friendship it has with some of the humans.
Murderbot is a classic anti hero, that thinks humans ( and most everything else) are stupid and irritating. All it wants is to be left alone to binge watch its shows. But its programming/instincts to protect run as deep as any German Shepard's and that in turn brings it into conflict with the nefarious GrayCris and its mysterious plans.
A quick read (novella) and just good clean fun.]]> 4.21 2018 Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries, #3)
author: Martha Wells
name: Ian
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2020/03/17
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: sci-fi
review:
3.8�

Another mayhem packed installment of the Murderbot series. Once again our cranky protagonist is forced, against it's better judgement, to protect a bunch of annoying humans from the evil GrayCris Corporation. This time Murderbot is convinced to ride to the rescue by Miki, a human form bot, who befriends it. It's kind of disgusted that Miki's basically a pet, but also intrigued by the close friendship it has with some of the humans.
Murderbot is a classic anti hero, that thinks humans ( and most everything else) are stupid and irritating. All it wants is to be left alone to binge watch its shows. But its programming/instincts to protect run as deep as any German Shepard's and that in turn brings it into conflict with the nefarious GrayCris and its mysterious plans.
A quick read (novella) and just good clean fun.
]]> <![CDATA[Red Star Tales: A Century of Russian and Soviet Science Fiction]]> 27831695
A scientist keeps a severed head alive, and the head lives to tell the tale� An explorer experiences life on the moon, in a story written six decades before the first moon landing... Electrical appliances respond to human anxieties and threaten to crash the electrical grid� Archaeologists discover strange powers emanating from a Central Asian excavation site� A teleporting experiment goes awry, leaving a subject to cope with a bizarre sensory swap� A boy discovers the explosive truth of his father’s “antiseptic� work, stamping out dissent on distant worlds�

The last 100 years in Russia have seen an astonishing diversity and depth of literary works in the science fiction genre, by authors with a dizzying array of styles and subject matter.

This new volume brings together 18 such works, translated into English for the first time, spanning from path-breaking, pre-revolutionary works of the 1890s, through the difficult Stalinist era, to post-Soviet stories published in the 1980s and 1990s.]]> 470 Arkady Strugatsky Ian 0 to-read 4.00 2015 Red Star Tales: A Century of Russian and Soviet Science Fiction
author: Arkady Strugatsky
name: Ian
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Broken Homes (Rivers of London, #4)]]> 16078584
Before PC Peter Grant can get his head round the case a town planner going under a tube train and a stolen grimoire are adding to his case-load.

So far so London.

But then Peter gets word of something very odd happening in Elephant and Castle, on a housing estate designed by a nutter, built by charlatans and inhabited by the truly desperate.

Is there a connection?

And if there is, why oh why did it have to be South of the River?]]> 357 Ben Aaronovitch 0575132469 Ian 3 fantasy, junk-good-and-bad
So far this is the patchiest of the Peter Grant books, a series noted for its loose ends and dangling participants (characters that pop up and disappear almost randomly). Still, enjoyable, lightweight entertainment. Mildly surprising twist at the end.]]> 4.13 2013 Broken Homes (Rivers of London, #4)
author: Ben Aaronovitch
name: Ian
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/03
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: fantasy, junk-good-and-bad
review:
2.5 � Rounded up.

So far this is the patchiest of the Peter Grant books, a series noted for its loose ends and dangling participants (characters that pop up and disappear almost randomly). Still, enjoyable, lightweight entertainment. Mildly surprising twist at the end.
]]> <![CDATA[Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder]]> 199344846
On the morning of August 12, 2022, Salman Rushdie was standing onstage at the Chautauqua Institution, preparing to give a lecture on the importance of keeping writers safe from harm, when a man in black—black clothes, black mask—rushed down the aisle toward him, wielding a knife. His first thought: So it’s you. Here you are.

What followed was a horrific act of violence that shook the literary world and beyond. Now, for the first time, and in unforgettable detail, Rushdie relives the traumatic events of that day and its aftermath, as well as his journey toward physical recovery and the healing that was made possible by the love and support of his wife, Eliza, his family, his army of doctors and physical therapists, and his community of readers worldwide.

Knife is Rushdie at the peak of his powers, writing with urgency, with gravity, with unflinching honesty. It is also a deeply moving reminder of literature’s capacity to make sense of the unthinkable, an intimate and life-affirming meditation on life, loss, love, art—and finding the strength to stand up again.]]> 209 Salman Rushdie 0593730240 Ian 0 memoirs, non-fiction, to-read 4.00 2024 Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder
author: Salman Rushdie
name: Ian
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: memoirs, non-fiction, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Hanging Tree (Rivers of London, #6)]]> 21479290
Peter Grant is back as are Nightingale et al. at the Folly and the various river gods, ghosts and spirits who attach themselves to England's last wizard and the Met's reluctant investigator of all things supernatural.]]> 387 Ben Aaronovitch 0575132558 Ian 3 fantasy, junk-good-and-bad
First read February 2020

Pleasantly diverting trifle, part of Aronovitch's magic police of London series. While his world of magical cops and robbers is entertaining on the whole, it's too cluttered with loose ends and red herrings to be satisfying the way Rowling or Tolkien or Le Guin are (but to be fair, very few writers are, obviously). It's just too busy and could use tighter editing.

While I appreciate the effort to meld police procedural with wizards and wands, the book's clogged with cop acronyms that add nothing to the story. I do like that Aaronovitch, like Rowling, refuses to tone down or apologize for his Britishness to North American readers; helps to make his stories distinctive. Aaronovitch is also pretty good with "cheeky" banter, along the lines of a Doctor Who episode (for which series he was once a writer).

Still, better than average urban fantasy, with engaging characters, Just short of 4 stars,]]> 4.18 2016 The Hanging Tree (Rivers of London, #6)
author: Ben Aaronovitch
name: Ian
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: fantasy, junk-good-and-bad
review:
3,4� Updates rating and review,

First read February 2020

Pleasantly diverting trifle, part of Aronovitch's magic police of London series. While his world of magical cops and robbers is entertaining on the whole, it's too cluttered with loose ends and red herrings to be satisfying the way Rowling or Tolkien or Le Guin are (but to be fair, very few writers are, obviously). It's just too busy and could use tighter editing.

While I appreciate the effort to meld police procedural with wizards and wands, the book's clogged with cop acronyms that add nothing to the story. I do like that Aaronovitch, like Rowling, refuses to tone down or apologize for his Britishness to North American readers; helps to make his stories distinctive. Aaronovitch is also pretty good with "cheeky" banter, along the lines of a Doctor Who episode (for which series he was once a writer).

Still, better than average urban fantasy, with engaging characters, Just short of 4 stars,
]]> <![CDATA[Whispers Under Ground (Rivers of London, #3)]]> 10814687
We found one.

And that was that, I thought come Monday. First case of the day: Person Unknown has been stabbed to death on the tracks at Baker Street Underground. Magic may have been involved. Sure enough, the weapon turns out to be saturated in the tell-tale traces left by magic.

But Person Unknown turns out to be the son of a US senator, so before you can say "international incident", FBI agent Kimberley Reynolds and her firmly held religious beliefs are on my case.

And down in the dark, in the Tube tunnels of London, along with the buried rivers and remnants of Victorian sewer systems, I'm hearing some really strange things...]]> 418 Ben Aaronovitch 0575097647 Ian 3 fantasy, junk-good-and-bad 4.12 2012 Whispers Under Ground (Rivers of London, #3)
author: Ben Aaronovitch
name: Ian
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: fantasy, junk-good-and-bad
review:
2.5� Rounded up. Another installment in the Peter Grant magical mysteries. Good, lightweight fun.
]]> <![CDATA[Geronimo: My Life (Native American)]]> 1297639 The spiritual and intellectual leader of the American Indians who defended their land from both Mexico and the United States for many years, Geronimo surrendered in 1886. Two decades later, while under arrest, he told his story through a native interpreter to S. M. Barrett, an Oklahoma school superintendent. Barrett explains in his introduction, "I wrote to President Roosevelt that here was an old Indian who had been held a prisoner of war for twenty years and had never been given a chance to tell his side of the story, and asked that Geronimo be granted permission to tell for publication, in his own way, the story of his life."
This remarkable testament is the result. It begins with Geronimo's retelling of an Apache creation myth and his descriptions of his youth and family. He explains his military tactics as well as traditional practices, including hunting and religious rituals, and reflects upon his hope for the survival of his people and their culture.]]> 144 Geronimo 0486443639 Ian 0 history, memoirs, to-read 3.88 1906 Geronimo: My Life (Native American)
author: Geronimo
name: Ian
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1906
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: history, memoirs, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Amongst Our Weapons (Rivers of London, #9)]]> 59628021 Now in hardcover, the ninth book of the bestselling Rivers of London urban fantasy series returns to the adventures of Peter Grant, detective and apprentice wizard, as he solves magical crimes in the city of London.

This next book in the bestselling UK series follows Peter Grant, an ordinary constable turned magician's apprentice, as he solves crimes across London in a sensational blend of inventive urban fantasy, gripping mystery thriller, and hilarious fantasy caper.]]> 294 Ben Aaronovitch 0756414830 Ian 3 fantasy, mystery A shaggy dog of a book. The whole thing riffs off a classic Monty Python sketch.
Detective Constable Peter Grant of London's magic police aka the Folly investigates a series of supernatural murders linked to medieval persecution and relics.
It's got everything fans of the series want, from sarcastic banter to talking foxes; loads of nerd nods referencing everything from Star Trek, to Lord of the Rings, Dr. Who, the aforementioned Monty Python.
By now the series is formulaic, with repeating plot points and dialogue. Who cares? It's light entertainment, happy ending guaranteed. A better than average urban fantasy, for those who like the genre.]]> 4.23 2022 Amongst Our Weapons (Rivers of London, #9)
author: Ben Aaronovitch
name: Ian
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: fantasy, mystery
review:
3.0�
A shaggy dog of a book. The whole thing riffs off a classic Monty Python sketch.
Detective Constable Peter Grant of London's magic police aka the Folly investigates a series of supernatural murders linked to medieval persecution and relics.
It's got everything fans of the series want, from sarcastic banter to talking foxes; loads of nerd nods referencing everything from Star Trek, to Lord of the Rings, Dr. Who, the aforementioned Monty Python.
By now the series is formulaic, with repeating plot points and dialogue. Who cares? It's light entertainment, happy ending guaranteed. A better than average urban fantasy, for those who like the genre.
]]> <![CDATA[False Value (Rivers of London, #8)]]> 45016688 Peter Grant is facing fatherhood, and an uncertain future, with equal amounts of panic and enthusiasm. Rather than sit around, he takes a job with émigré Silicon Valley tech genius Terrence Skinner's brand new London start up - the Serious Cybernetics Company.

Drawn into the orbit of Old Street's famous 'silicon roundabout', Peter must learn how to blend in with people who are both civilians and geekier than he is. Compared to his last job, Peter thinks it should be a doddle. But magic is not finished with Mama Grant's favourite son.

Because Terrence Skinner has a secret hidden in the bowels of the SCC. A technology that stretches back to Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage, and forward to the future of artificial intelligence. A secret that is just as magical as it technological - and just as dangerous.

]]> 349 Ben Aaronovitch Ian 3 fantasy
Fans of the series won't be disappointed by the further adventures of magical cop Peter Grant, The Nightingale and the rest of the Folly/ River Goddess crowd. The things I like about the previous books remain the same with this one: the history and geography Aaronovitch incorporates into the story; the nerd jokes and references; the decent mystery. My gripes are also the same: the cluttered plotting and overabundance of minor characters who add little to the story; the author's overindulgence in acronyms and initials - which always seems like he's showing off. Also, I like a book that can stand on its own, even if it's part of a series; New readers joining the story at this point will be confused by the unexplained references to the previous novels.

It's fine for what it is, enjoyable light entertainment. I look forward to the next installment.]]> 4.09 2020 False Value (Rivers of London, #8)
author: Ben Aaronovitch
name: Ian
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: fantasy
review:
I liked the idea of an evil tech company that gives Aaronovitch the opportunity to parody Silicon Valley. As usual, the humor is the best part of the book.

Fans of the series won't be disappointed by the further adventures of magical cop Peter Grant, The Nightingale and the rest of the Folly/ River Goddess crowd. The things I like about the previous books remain the same with this one: the history and geography Aaronovitch incorporates into the story; the nerd jokes and references; the decent mystery. My gripes are also the same: the cluttered plotting and overabundance of minor characters who add little to the story; the author's overindulgence in acronyms and initials - which always seems like he's showing off. Also, I like a book that can stand on its own, even if it's part of a series; New readers joining the story at this point will be confused by the unexplained references to the previous novels.

It's fine for what it is, enjoyable light entertainment. I look forward to the next installment.
]]> <![CDATA[Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries, #4)]]> 35519109
Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah—its former owner (protector? friend?)—submit evidence that could prevent GrayCris from destroying more colonists in its never-ending quest for profit.

But who’s going to believe a SecUnit gone rogue?

And what will become of it when it’s caught?]]> 163 Martha Wells Ian 4 sci-fi 4� A fine conclusion to the first cycle of the Murderbot saga. Clearly from this point on our anti hero is no longer a rogue killer android on the run but an official good guy, with a crew and a homebase (Murderbot, P.I. ?) The first story in the next cycle is also the first full length novel ( as opposed to the previous novellas), due out in May. Yay! New, Improved & More: Murderbot.

So in this novella Murderbot confronts the evil GrayCris Corp on their home turf after they kidnap its first human friend and nominal owner. Bad move, GrayCris..

I've been wondering about the attraction of this series. Wells is a fine writer, who does both humoursly depressing introspection and robotic action sequences very well. Murderbot itself is a new take on the anti hero riff, with lots of little plot twists to keep you guessing. I'm forced to wonder about the connection between science fiction fans and 1) Murderbot's fundamentally anti social nature and 2) he gets most of his insight on humanity from watching TV, which is really all he wants to do. Just kidding (I think).

Basically, the books are just fun; well written, with a well developed background society and with plenty of ideas scattered about to keep you thinking.

2023 re-read.
Just priming the pump for "System Collapse!" Not long now! Also my first Murderbot audio book. Great job by narrator Kevin R Free!]]> 4.38 2018 Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries, #4)
author: Martha Wells
name: Ian
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: sci-fi
review:
Originally read 2020
4� A fine conclusion to the first cycle of the Murderbot saga. Clearly from this point on our anti hero is no longer a rogue killer android on the run but an official good guy, with a crew and a homebase (Murderbot, P.I. ?) The first story in the next cycle is also the first full length novel ( as opposed to the previous novellas), due out in May. Yay! New, Improved & More: Murderbot.

So in this novella Murderbot confronts the evil GrayCris Corp on their home turf after they kidnap its first human friend and nominal owner. Bad move, GrayCris..

I've been wondering about the attraction of this series. Wells is a fine writer, who does both humoursly depressing introspection and robotic action sequences very well. Murderbot itself is a new take on the anti hero riff, with lots of little plot twists to keep you guessing. I'm forced to wonder about the connection between science fiction fans and 1) Murderbot's fundamentally anti social nature and 2) he gets most of his insight on humanity from watching TV, which is really all he wants to do. Just kidding (I think).

Basically, the books are just fun; well written, with a well developed background society and with plenty of ideas scattered about to keep you thinking.

2023 re-read.
Just priming the pump for "System Collapse!" Not long now! Also my first Murderbot audio book. Great job by narrator Kevin R Free!
]]> <![CDATA[Lies Sleeping (Rivers of London, #7)]]> 36534574
Martin Chorley, aka the Faceless Man, wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud, and crimes against humanity, has been unmasked and is on the run. Peter Grant, Detective Constable and apprentice wizard, now plays a key role in an unprecedented joint operation to bring Chorley to justice.

But even as the unwieldy might of the Metropolitan Police bears down on its foe, Peter uncovers clues that Chorley, far from being finished, is executing the final stages of a long term plan. A plan that has its roots in London’s two thousand bloody years of history, and could literally bring the city to its knees.

To save his beloved city Peter’s going to need help from his former best friend and colleague–Lesley May–who brutally betrayed him and everything he thought she believed in. And, far worse, he might even have to come to terms with the malevolent supernatural killer and agent of chaos known as Mr Punch . . .]]> 406 Ben Aaronovitch 1473207819 Ian 3 fantasy, junk-good-and-bad 3.0�
One of the better books so far in the Peter Grant/Rivers of London series ( which I am currently binge reading). This one has our magical detective facing off against the arch villian of the series, the Faceless Man, in the final showdown. I still have my usual complaint that Aronovitch's plots are too busy and cluttered with nonessentials and that can be frustrating. But the stories are imaginative and the dialogue is funny and entertaining. I also like the glimpses of London myth and history the author provides.The conclusion is satisfying and hints of more adventures ahead for our heroes.

Dec 19/22
Winter reread, to take my mind off the frigid weather.
I'm going to leave the rating alone, in this case but it is one of the better books in the series. If I did give into temptation I'd probably bump it up a star (3.6�)

June 24 2023
Summer reread, to take my mind off...whatever. Life. It always works!]]> 4.20 2018 Lies Sleeping (Rivers of London, #7)
author: Ben Aaronovitch
name: Ian
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/18
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: fantasy, junk-good-and-bad
review:
March 07/20
3.0�
One of the better books so far in the Peter Grant/Rivers of London series ( which I am currently binge reading). This one has our magical detective facing off against the arch villian of the series, the Faceless Man, in the final showdown. I still have my usual complaint that Aronovitch's plots are too busy and cluttered with nonessentials and that can be frustrating. But the stories are imaginative and the dialogue is funny and entertaining. I also like the glimpses of London myth and history the author provides.The conclusion is satisfying and hints of more adventures ahead for our heroes.

Dec 19/22
Winter reread, to take my mind off the frigid weather.
I'm going to leave the rating alone, in this case but it is one of the better books in the series. If I did give into temptation I'd probably bump it up a star (3.6�)

June 24 2023
Summer reread, to take my mind off...whatever. Life. It always works!
]]> <![CDATA[Rivers of London (Rivers of London, #1)]]> 9317452 392 Ben Aaronovitch 0575097566 Ian 5 fantasy, mystery Introduces PC Peter Grant, DCI Nightingale, the river nymphs of London and other cast members in Aaronovitch's droll magical mystery series. I like his unapologetic Englishness as well as the history and geographical detail of London he provides. I've always thought his plots were a bit too busy and could use some tightening up but his dialogue is snappy and often funny.
Decent light entertainment and I'm proceeding rapidly through the series.

5� 12/16/22 Updates rating
Now that I've finished the Rivers of London series ( until the next one comes out and not counting the graphic novels) I've realized the first was one of the best and have changed the rating accordingly. I've reread it more than the two times listed and will likely keep doing so, in order to revisit the feeling of meeting Peter Grant; Beverley Brook; the Nightingale et al for the first time. My favorite urban fantasy series.]]> 3.83 2011 Rivers of London (Rivers of London, #1)
author: Ben Aaronovitch
name: Ian
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: fantasy, mystery
review:
3.4 � 03/07/2020
Introduces PC Peter Grant, DCI Nightingale, the river nymphs of London and other cast members in Aaronovitch's droll magical mystery series. I like his unapologetic Englishness as well as the history and geographical detail of London he provides. I've always thought his plots were a bit too busy and could use some tightening up but his dialogue is snappy and often funny.
Decent light entertainment and I'm proceeding rapidly through the series.

5� 12/16/22 Updates rating
Now that I've finished the Rivers of London series ( until the next one comes out and not counting the graphic novels) I've realized the first was one of the best and have changed the rating accordingly. I've reread it more than the two times listed and will likely keep doing so, in order to revisit the feeling of meeting Peter Grant; Beverley Brook; the Nightingale et al for the first time. My favorite urban fantasy series.
]]> <![CDATA[Implacable (The Lost Fleet: Outlands #3)]]> 63139689 Admiral John “Black Jack� Geary fears the greatest threat to humanity may be itself in this gripping continuation of the New York Times bestselling series.

As far from explored space as any human has ever been, Geary and the Alliance fleet are on their own, protecting a diplomatic mission in territory belonging to an alien species with still-unknown motives. His already complex and dangerous mission is further imperiled by deadly challenges from other human factions seeking to harm or exploit the aliens. When another alien species whose technology is far more advanced than humanity’s arrives, the stakes are raised to the highest possible level. Only the most serious danger comes from an unexpected source. When presented with orders to carry out actions he believes not only are mistaken but would be contrary to the ideals of the Alliance, Geary has to finally decide whether he must invoke the power that his long-revered name holds, all the while knowing that this might endanger his entire fleet, tear apart the Alliance, and destroy everything he has fought for.]]> 368 Jack Campbell 0593199022 Ian 0 4.26 2023 Implacable (The Lost Fleet: Outlands #3)
author: Jack Campbell
name: Ian
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Fall of Sirius (The Waisters, #2)]]> 1947549 When the vast armada of Waister starships had swept through human space, destroying entire star systems as they came, Malyene Andreivne alone possessed the initiative to save a desperate few in cryostasis. But that was 2,000 years ago...

Now she has been awakened from her epic slumber, and everything she once knew has long since turned to dust. What's more, the strange beings who wrenched her back from timelessness are the descendants of a union once considered unthinkable - half human, half Waister. And as Malye struggles to understand the unlikely inhabitants of her new world, they all face a crisis that none of them may survive - for the dreaded Waister ships are returning...

Set millennia later, in the same universe as the highly accliamed Aggressor Six.]]> 256 Wil McCarthy 0451454855 Ian 5 sci-fi One of McCarthy's early novels but still marked with his trademark originality and with a unique race of truly alien aliens. Superior hard science fiction with many ideas, the action sequences are also well handled. This is both prequel and a sequel to McCarthy's Aggressor Six; it takes place both before and after the events of the first book (which is also a very good read and sets up the universe in which our story unfolds). The two stories are stand alone and can comfortably be read out of order, if so desired.
Strong female protagonists: human; alien; and human/alien help make this a cut well above the usual space opera.
A group of Human survivors of the Waister invasion of Sirius, a thousand years past, unwillingly becomes the go-between for the unexpectedly returning Waisters and the Gateans, a Human/Waister hybrid civilization that has re-settled the wreckage of the Sirius colony. Havoc ensues. There are hints of Heinlein and Clarke here, bit it's mostly all McCarthy.
I also like it that there are still French fries in 5000AD. Of course there are.
Highly recommended.
2023 re-read
McCarthy's Waister series, of which this is the second book, is some of the most imaginative and scientifically accurate military SF I've read. Mostly it's just a good tale, well told.]]> 3.58 1996 The Fall of Sirius (The Waisters, #2)
author: Wil McCarthy
name: Ian
average rating: 3.58
book published: 1996
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: sci-fi
review:
11/09/2019 4.6�
One of McCarthy's early novels but still marked with his trademark originality and with a unique race of truly alien aliens. Superior hard science fiction with many ideas, the action sequences are also well handled. This is both prequel and a sequel to McCarthy's Aggressor Six; it takes place both before and after the events of the first book (which is also a very good read and sets up the universe in which our story unfolds). The two stories are stand alone and can comfortably be read out of order, if so desired.
Strong female protagonists: human; alien; and human/alien help make this a cut well above the usual space opera.
A group of Human survivors of the Waister invasion of Sirius, a thousand years past, unwillingly becomes the go-between for the unexpectedly returning Waisters and the Gateans, a Human/Waister hybrid civilization that has re-settled the wreckage of the Sirius colony. Havoc ensues. There are hints of Heinlein and Clarke here, bit it's mostly all McCarthy.
I also like it that there are still French fries in 5000AD. Of course there are.
Highly recommended.
2023 re-read
McCarthy's Waister series, of which this is the second book, is some of the most imaginative and scientifically accurate military SF I've read. Mostly it's just a good tale, well told.
]]> War 217217007

War is an intimate and sweeping account of one of the most tumultuous periods in presidential politics and American history.

We see President Joe Biden and his top advisers in tense conversations with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. We also see Donald Trump, conducting a shadow presidency and seeking to regain political power.

With unrivaled, inside-the-room reporting, Woodward shows President Biden’s approach to managing the war in Ukraine, the most significant land war in Europe since World War II, and his tortured path to contain the bloody Middle East conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas.

Woodward reveals the extraordinary complexity and consequence of wartime back-channel diplomacy and decision-making to deter the use of nuclear weapons and a rapid slide into World War III.

The raw cage-fight of politics accelerates as Americans prepare to vote in 2024, starting between President Biden and Trump, and ending with the unexpected elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president.

War provides an unvarnished examination of the vice president as she tries to embrace the Biden legacy and policies while beginning to chart a path of her own as a presidential candidate.

Woodward’s reporting once again sets the standard for journalism at its most authoritative and illuminating.]]> 441 Bob Woodward Ian 0 to-read 4.25 2024 War
author: Bob Woodward
name: Ian
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Aggressor Six (The Waisters, #1)]]> 1361914 Wil McCarthy 0451454057 Ian 4 sci-fi One of my very favorite military science fiction stories; it combines good writing with good science.
Basically, the human race is being invaded by a vastly superior species of alien that seems intent on exterminating us , for no reason we can figure out.
Figuring it out is the job of Agressor Six, a kind of military think tank set up to mimic one of the aliens' family units, called a "Six".
It's smart, well paced and occasionally funny. It also features my favorite science fiction dog, Shenna, the Martian Retreiver.
What's not to like?
-30-]]> 3.49 1994 Aggressor Six (The Waisters, #1)
author: Wil McCarthy
name: Ian
average rating: 3.49
book published: 1994
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: sci-fi
review:
4.0�
One of my very favorite military science fiction stories; it combines good writing with good science.
Basically, the human race is being invaded by a vastly superior species of alien that seems intent on exterminating us , for no reason we can figure out.
Figuring it out is the job of Agressor Six, a kind of military think tank set up to mimic one of the aliens' family units, called a "Six".
It's smart, well paced and occasionally funny. It also features my favorite science fiction dog, Shenna, the Martian Retreiver.
What's not to like?
-30-
]]> <![CDATA[Beggar's Sky (Rich Man's Sky Book 3)]]> 197865875 A wildly original alien contact novel, set against a vivid backdrop of near-Earth corporate intrigue.

Trillionaire Igbal Renz has constructed a starship capable of making the twenty-year journey to Alpha Centauri. So why is he stopping at barely one-tenth that distance, with a cargo of a hundred frozen scientists and diplomats? Rumors abound that Renz Ventures, Inc., has made contact with . . . something. And yet, as deadly stealth ships prowl the space lanes and as the corporate space race threatens to devolve into outright warfare, the Four Horsemen of space industry are discovering firsthand that even in a limitless and lawless frontier, no one can ever be truly self-sufficient.

At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Praise for Poor Man’s Sky:

“Full bore show-your-work SF and a tense lunar mystery! A thrilling read.� —Max Gladstone, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author

“Wil McCarthy’s skill at crafting a believable, deeply science-grounded future is on full display. He brings us the mother of all locked-room mysteries wrapped in a vision of lunar colonization that rings a bit more true than we might be comfortable with. Small, gritty moments of inspired futurism pepper Poor Man’s Sky and remind us that no matter where we go, our human nature follows.� —Kimberly Unger, author of The Extractionist and Nucleation

Praise for Rich Man’s Sky:

“Action SF built on a hard foundation of cutting-edge science.� —Walter Jon Williams

“An action-crammed story that darts at hyper-speed from Burning Man, Nevada, to Suriname to a convent on the Moon to an orbiting colony that’s clearly up to something. A jam-packed adventure fizzing with mind-blowing concepts, and a great read!� —Connie Willis

� . . . plenty of verisimilitude . . . superbly intriguing and captivating . . . bravura historical recreations, full of conjectural material. . . . Presenting us with a colorful cast of characters from across the millennia who have thick and rich existences, and affirming that the cosmic stream of life flows forcefully despite all small blockades, McCarthy has written a novel that looks both forwards and backwards, thus making a stellar return to the field.� �Locus

Praise for Wil

“McCarthy is an entertaining, intelligent, amusing writer, with Heinlein’s knack for breakneck plotting and, at the same time, Clarke’s thoughtfulness.� �Booklist

“Imagination really is the only limit.� �The New York Times

The future as McCarthy sees it is a wondrous place.� �Publishers Weekly

“Wil McCarthy demonstrates that he has a sharp intelligence, a galaxyspanning imagination, and the solid scientific background to make it all work.� —Connie Willis

Engineer/novelist/journalist/entrepreneur Wil McCarthy is a former contributing editor for WIRED magazine and science columnist for the SyFy channel. A lifetime member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, he has been nominated for the Nebula, Locus, Seiun, AnLab, Colorado Book, Theodore Sturgeon, and Philip K. Dick awards. His short fiction has graced the pages of Analog, Asimov’s, WIRED, and SF Age, and his novels include the New York Times Notable Bloom, Ama]]> 369 Wil McCarthy 1625799470 Ian 0 to-read 4.12 Beggar's Sky (Rich Man's Sky Book 3)
author: Wil McCarthy
name: Ian
average rating: 4.12
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Flies from the Amber 1361916 299 Wil McCarthy 0451454065 Ian 3 sci-fi
Another imaginative and innovative story from McCarthy. This one's about warring bunches of aliens who emerge from being frozen in the event horizon of a black hole, tear up a human colony's solar system with their eons old conflict, then dive back in, to reemerge at a future date. Repeat as needed.

McCarthy always tries to get the science right and I assume he's done so with this tale about relativity. I wouldn't be able to tell, one way or the other but all those equations he threw in looked authentic to me, just like the charts and graphs Heinlein included in some of his classic juveniles. Not that I understood those, either. I wonder if it's significant that both Heinlein and McCarthy were/are engineers?

Regardless of the accuracy of the science, its the characters and the story that drew me in. McCarthy has constructed an intriguing society, along with some two fisted adventuring ( by reluctant scientists and technicians, mostly) and some enigmatic aliens (who make two brief cameos).

A solid 3.5� hit for anybody needing a hard sci-fi fix.]]> 3.34 1995 Flies from the Amber
author: Wil McCarthy
name: Ian
average rating: 3.34
book published: 1995
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: sci-fi
review:
3.5�

Another imaginative and innovative story from McCarthy. This one's about warring bunches of aliens who emerge from being frozen in the event horizon of a black hole, tear up a human colony's solar system with their eons old conflict, then dive back in, to reemerge at a future date. Repeat as needed.

McCarthy always tries to get the science right and I assume he's done so with this tale about relativity. I wouldn't be able to tell, one way or the other but all those equations he threw in looked authentic to me, just like the charts and graphs Heinlein included in some of his classic juveniles. Not that I understood those, either. I wonder if it's significant that both Heinlein and McCarthy were/are engineers?

Regardless of the accuracy of the science, its the characters and the story that drew me in. McCarthy has constructed an intriguing society, along with some two fisted adventuring ( by reluctant scientists and technicians, mostly) and some enigmatic aliens (who make two brief cameos).

A solid 3.5� hit for anybody needing a hard sci-fi fix.
]]> A Heritage of Stars 25949279 A man hunts for lost knowledge in a future society that’s reverted to a primitive tribal state in this novel by the author of Way Station. More than a thousand years have passed since humankind intentionally destroyed its treacherous technology, choosing to revert back to a primitive tribal state. In this society the rusting brain cases of long-inert robots are considered trophies, and the scant knowledge that has survived is doled out to an inquisitive few in monastery-like “universities.� It is at one such center of learning that young Tom Cushing first reads of the legendary “Place of Going to the Stars,� rumored to exist on a high butte somewhere in the western part of the land. Driven by enthusiasm and an insatiable need to track the myth to its source, Tom sets out on an amazing trek across what was once called “America,� teaming up with a witch, the world’s last remaining robot, and other odd companions. But all the astonishing discoveries and dangers they encounter along the way will pale before the revelations that await them at journey’s end. Clifford D. Simak, award-winning science fiction Grand Master, offers a breathtaking vision of the future that is both dystopian and hopeful in equal measure. In A Heritage of Stars, he boldly displays the heart, intelligence, and awesome imaginative powers that have established him as one of the all-time greatest authors of speculative fiction. ]]> 210 Clifford D. Simak Ian 3 sci-fi
It's a decent short novel, told in Simak's somewhat talky style. It's reminiscent of A Canticle for Leibowitz, with humanity's rejection of science and technology and with a few remaining outposts of learning, awaiting the renaissance.

There's also a touch of Lord of the Rings, as a band of heros quests for salvation from darkness.
A quick, untaxing read.]]> 3.97 1977 A Heritage of Stars
author: Clifford D. Simak
name: Ian
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1977
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: sci-fi
review:
Old school sci-fi/fantasy story about a quest to kickstart civilization after an apocalyptic fall.

It's a decent short novel, told in Simak's somewhat talky style. It's reminiscent of A Canticle for Leibowitz, with humanity's rejection of science and technology and with a few remaining outposts of learning, awaiting the renaissance.

There's also a touch of Lord of the Rings, as a band of heros quests for salvation from darkness.
A quick, untaxing read.
]]> Earthlings 50269327
Now Natsuki is grown. She lives a quiet life with her asexual husband, surviving as best she can by pretending to be normal. But the demands of Natsuki's family are increasing, her friends wonder why she's still not pregnant, and dark shadows from Natsuki's childhood are pursuing her. Fleeing the suburbs for the mountains of her childhood, Natsuki prepares herself with a reunion with Yuu. Will he still remember their promise? And will he help her keep it?]]> 247 Sayaka Murata 1783785675 Ian 0 lit, need-to-finish, to-read 3.59 2018 Earthlings
author: Sayaka Murata
name: Ian
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: lit, need-to-finish, to-read
review:

]]> 2024 on ŷ 195342176 2024 on ŷ should make an interesting and varied catalogue of books to inspire other readers in 2025.

For those of you who don't like to add titles you haven't actually 'read', you can place 2024 on ŷ on an 'exclusive' shelf. Exclusive shelves don't have to be listed under 'to read', 'currently reading' or 'read'. To create one, go to 'edit bookshelves' on your 'My Books' page, create a shelf name such as 'review-of-the year' and tick the 'exclusive' box. Your previous and future 'reviews of the year' can be collected together on this dedicated shelf.

Concept created by Fionnuala Lirsdottir.
Description: Fionnuala Lirsdottir
Cover art: Paul Cézanne, The House with the Cracked Walls, 1892-1894
Cover choice and graphics by Jayson]]> Various Ian 3 I read more than the 28 books listed, but mostly 'comfort' rereads and not new works.

I had started the year wanting to 'read harder,' ie more nonfiction; less genre fiction but that didn't happen, maybe in 2025.
As always, the best part were the reviews and comments by my many GR friends, a bright spot.]]> 4.15 2024 2024 on ŷ
author: Various
name: Ian
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves:
review:
A disappointing year.
I read more than the 28 books listed, but mostly 'comfort' rereads and not new works.

I had started the year wanting to 'read harder,' ie more nonfiction; less genre fiction but that didn't happen, maybe in 2025.
As always, the best part were the reviews and comments by my many GR friends, a bright spot.
]]> The Political Party in Canada 60557218
Political parties exist at the center of democratic politics, but where does power lie within them, and how is it exercised? The Political Party in Canada explores the inner workings of these complex organizations, disaggregating the composition and roles of party members and activists, candidates, local associations, donors, and central officials. Drawing on a rich trove of data from the 2015 and 2019 federal elections, this book offers a comprehensive examination of the composition, functions, activities, and power-sharing relationships that characterize Canadian parties. Basing its astute investigation on the themes of complexity, representation, and personalization, The Political Party in Canada opens a window on a fundamental institution that makes modern democracy possible.]]> 338 William Cross 0774868236 Ian 0 to-read 5.00 The Political Party in Canada
author: William Cross
name: Ian
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us]]> 59575939 A grand tour through the hidden realms of animal senses that will transform the way you perceive the world --from the Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times bestselling author of I Contain Multitudes.

The Earth teems with sights and textures, sounds and vibrations, smells and tastes, electric and magnetic fields. But every animal is enclosed within its own unique sensory bubble, perceiving but a tiny sliver of an immense world. This book welcomes us into a previously unfathomable dimension--the world as it is truly perceived by other animals.

We encounter beetles that are drawn to fires, turtles that can track the Earth's magnetic fields, fish that fill rivers with electrical messages, and humans that wield sonar like bats. We discover that a crocodile's scaly face is as sensitive as a lover's fingertips, that the eyes of a giant squid evolved to see sparkling whales, that plants thrum with the inaudible songs of courting bugs, and that even simple scallops have complex vision. We learn what bees see in flowers, what songbirds hear in their tunes, and what dogs smell on the street. We listen to stories of pivotal discoveries in the field, while looking ahead at the many mysteries which lie unsolved.

In An Immense World, author and acclaimed science journalist Ed Yong coaxes us beyond the confines of our own senses, allowing us to perceive the skeins of scent, waves of electromagnetism, and pulses of pressure that surround us. Because in order to understand our world we don't need to travel to other places; we need to see through other eyes.]]> 464 Ed Yong Ian 0 to-read 4.46 2022 An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us
author: Ed Yong
name: Ian
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The House at Pooh Corner (Winnie-the-Pooh, #2)]]> 776407 180 A.A. Milne 0525444440 Ian 4 kid, lit 4.37 1928 The House at Pooh Corner (Winnie-the-Pooh, #2)
author: A.A. Milne
name: Ian
average rating: 4.37
book published: 1928
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/22
shelves: kid, lit
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Signs Preceding the End of the World]]> 21535546 Winner of the 2016 Best Translated Book Award for Fiction

Signs Preceding the End of the World is one of the most arresting novels to be published in Spanish in the last ten years. Yuri Herrera does not simply write about the border between Mexico and the United States and those who cross it. He explores the crossings and translations people make in their minds and language as they move from one country to another, especially when there’s no going back.

Traversing this lonely territory is Makina, a young woman who knows only too well how to survive in a violent, macho world. Leaving behind her life in Mexico to search for her brother, she is smuggled into the USA carrying a pair of secret messages � one from her mother and one from the Mexican underworld.]]> 114 Yuri Herrera 1908276428 Ian 0 to-read 3.90 2009 Signs Preceding the End of the World
author: Yuri Herrera
name: Ian
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Amazon Legion (Carerra #4)]]> 9079753
On the colony planet of Terra Nova, Carrera has achieved his revenge, destroying those who had destroyed his life by killing his wife and children in a terrorist strike. And, with this help of his second wife, he has thwarted an attempted coup that would have restored the rule of the oligarchy and undone his hard-won victory. But his fight is not over yet . . .

The problem of the Tauran Union’s control of the Transitway between Terra Nova and Earth remains, as does the problem of the nuclear armed United Earth Peace Fleet, orbiting above the planet. The Taurans will not leave, and the Balboans—a proud people, with much recent success in war � will not tolerate that they should remain.

And yet, with one hundred times the population and three or four hundred times the wealth, the Tauran Union outclasses little Balboa in almost every way, even without the support of Old Earth. Sadly, they have that support. Everything, every one , will have to be used to finish the job of freeing the country and, if possible, the planet. The children must fight. The old must serve, too. And the women?

This is their story, the story of Balboa’s Tercio Amazona , the Amazon Regiment.]]> 420 Tom Kratman 143913426X Ian 2 junk-good-and-bad It's evident Kratman knows some military history and throws in bits of it: St. Patrick's Battalion, the MInute Men, the Greeks-again ( is there a single aspiring military sci-fi author who hasn't read 'Gates of Fire'?)
As for the right wing ideology, I found that boring. He appears to want to emulate Heinlein's libertarianism but without Heinlein's knowledge of how politics and society actually work. The story also bears a resemblance to some of John Varley's later books.
I got a chuckle out of the cover illustration, of an elven amazon in a full metal tank top, toting a huge, phallic, futuristic rifle. It doesn't seem in touch with the gritty, nasty tone of the book but it's a welcome bit of comic relief.
The book did it's job, it kept me occupied on the beach. I'll never be fan but I recognize there are many who will love it. "To each, their own."]]> 3.83 2011 The Amazon Legion (Carerra #4)
author: Tom Kratman
name: Ian
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2011
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/01
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves: junk-good-and-bad
review:
Bought this for 85 pesos from the remaindered bin at a Puerto Vallarta bookstore, as a beach book. It proves the expression 'you get what you pay for.' I've seen worse writing in military sci-fi, but the big turn off for me was the war porn: gratuitous descriptions of charred corpses, scattered body parts, soldiers trying to stuff their intestines back in, brutally sadistic training, etc. I'm not adverse to graphic descriptions of war when it authentically serves the story ( Sven Hassel's books being one example) but here it seems to me calculated and titillating.
It's evident Kratman knows some military history and throws in bits of it: St. Patrick's Battalion, the MInute Men, the Greeks-again ( is there a single aspiring military sci-fi author who hasn't read 'Gates of Fire'?)
As for the right wing ideology, I found that boring. He appears to want to emulate Heinlein's libertarianism but without Heinlein's knowledge of how politics and society actually work. The story also bears a resemblance to some of John Varley's later books.
I got a chuckle out of the cover illustration, of an elven amazon in a full metal tank top, toting a huge, phallic, futuristic rifle. It doesn't seem in touch with the gritty, nasty tone of the book but it's a welcome bit of comic relief.
The book did it's job, it kept me occupied on the beach. I'll never be fan but I recognize there are many who will love it. "To each, their own."
]]> Legion of the Damned 1058611 Sven Hassel's iconic war novel about the Russian Front.

'An extraordinary book, which has captured the attention of all of Europe' - New York Times

'Legion of the Damned is an incredible picture of totalitarianism, of stupefying injustice... He is graphic, at times brilliantly so, but never brutal or bitter. He is, too, a first rate storyteller' - Washington Post

Convicted of deserting the German army, Sven Hassel is sent to a penal regiment on the Russian Front. He and his comrades are regarded as expendable, cannon fodder in the battle against the implacable Red Army. Outnumbered and outgunned, they fight their way across the frozen steppe...

This iconic anti-war novel is a testament to the atrocities suffered by the lone soldier in the fight for survival.

Sven Hassel's unflinching narrative is based on his own experiences in the German Army. He began writing his first novel, Legion of the Damned in a prisoner of war camp at the end of World War Two.]]> 256 Sven Hassel 0304366315 Ian 4 history-fiction Great characterization and writing.]]> 3.98 1953 Legion of the Damned
author: Sven Hassel
name: Ian
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1953
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: history-fiction
review:
Read this in the mid 70's. Grim, believable depiction of the Eastern Front in WWII.
Great characterization and writing.
]]> Wheels of Terror 1058609 360 Sven Hassel 0304366331 Ian 0 to-read 4.03 1958 Wheels of Terror
author: Sven Hassel
name: Ian
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1958
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity]]> 11869272
In this brilliantly written, fast-paced book, based on three years of uncompromising reporting, a bewildering age of global change and inequality is made human.

Annawadi is a makeshift settlement in the shadow of luxury hotels near the Mumbai airport, and as India starts to prosper, Annawadians are electric with hope. Abdul, a reflective and enterprising Muslim teenager, sees "a fortune beyond counting" in the recyclable garbage that richer people throw away. Asha, a woman of formidable wit and deep scars from a childhood in rural poverty, has identified an alternate route to the middle class: political corruption. With a little luck, her sensitive, beautiful daughter - Annawadi's "most-everything girl" - will soon become its first female college graduate. And even the poorest Annawadians, like Kalu, a fifteen-year-old scrap-metal thief, believe themselves inching closer to the good lives and good times they call "the full enjoy."

But then Abdul the garbage sorter is falsely accused in a shocking tragedy; terror and a global recession rock the city; and suppressed tensions over religion, caste, sex, power and economic envy turn brutal. As the tenderest individual hopes intersect with the greatest global truths, the true contours of a competitive age are revealed. And so, too, are the imaginations and courage of the people of Annawadi.

With intelligence, humor, and deep insight into what connects human beings to one another in an era of tumultuous change, Behind the Beautiful Forevers carries the reader headlong into one of the twenty-first century's hidden worlds, and into the lives of people impossible to forget.]]> 278 Katherine Boo 1400067553 Ian 0 non-fiction, to-read 3.97 2012 Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
author: Katherine Boo
name: Ian
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves: non-fiction, to-read
review:

]]> Reliquary (Pendergast, #2) 39030 464 Douglas Preston 0765354950 Ian 1 guilty-pleasure-sci-fi 4.03 1997 Reliquary (Pendergast, #2)
author: Douglas Preston
name: Ian
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1997
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves: guilty-pleasure-sci-fi
review:

]]> The Tartar Steppe 83017 198 Dino Buzzati 1567923046 Ian 0 to-read 4.24 1940 The Tartar Steppe
author: Dino Buzzati
name: Ian
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1940
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Left Hand of Darkness 18423 The Left Hand of Darkness tells the story of a lone human emissary to Winter, an alien world whose inhabitants spend most of their time without a gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the completely dissimilar culture that he encounters.

Embracing the aspects of psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness stands as a landmark achievement in the annals of intellectual science fiction.]]> 304 Ursula K. Le Guin Ian 5 sci-fi, lit, favorites 4.11 1969 The Left Hand of Darkness
author: Ursula K. Le Guin
name: Ian
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1969
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2024/11/13
shelves: sci-fi, lit, favorites
review:

]]> Monument 1905394
It was a world of dazzling but deadly beauty, where pleasure was man's most precious birthright. In this lost colony the inhabitants had forgotten the very existence of earth. Only one man remembered. He foresaw the awesome consequences if this paradise were ever rediscovered.

Monument

The novel of a frightening future - a planet in mortal combat with an alien universe.]]> 192 Lloyd Biggle Jr. 1587150514 Ian 4 sci-fi I have no idea how long ago I read this short novel, but it sticks with me, as do many of Biggle's stories. A space traveler is marooned on a lost colony world where the humans have forgotten where they came from. The world is a paradise and the people are unsophisticated but at peace with themselves and their planet. Knowing that unscrupulous developers would exploit the colonists, he devises a plan to save them. A nice little story.]]> 4.09 1974 Monument
author: Lloyd Biggle Jr.
name: Ian
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1974
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/10/29
shelves: sci-fi
review:
3.7�
I have no idea how long ago I read this short novel, but it sticks with me, as do many of Biggle's stories. A space traveler is marooned on a lost colony world where the humans have forgotten where they came from. The world is a paradise and the people are unsophisticated but at peace with themselves and their planet. Knowing that unscrupulous developers would exploit the colonists, he devises a plan to save them. A nice little story.
]]> <![CDATA[A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot, #1)]]> 40864002 ASIN B08H831J18 moved to the more recent edition

Centuries before, robots of Panga gained self-awareness, laid down their tools, wandered, en masse into the wilderness, never to be seen again. They faded into myth and urban legend.

Now the life of the tea monk who tells this story is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of "what do people need?" is answered. But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how. They will need to ask it a lot. Chambers' series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?]]> 151 Becky Chambers Ian 4 humour-satire, sci-fi Becky Chambers says it all in her dedication to this novel. "To anybody who needs a break."

A break from grim, dystopian futures; the U.S navy in space; rugged individualism run amok.
To this end she's written a gentle, undemanding novella about finding purpose and a good cup of tea. She's also tapped into a pent up market for joy and optimism in science fiction. She postulates a hopeful future for humanity based not on technological fixes, or interstellar colonization but on a change of attitude.

The story centers on Sibling Dex, a non gender specific 'tea monk' offering herb-based counseling to stressed humans on the moon Panga. Dex suffers a crisis of faith in what they're doing and heads into the wilderness on an impulsive and not at all thought-out quest for purpose. There they meet Mossback, a 'wild-built' (independent) robot, who's on an ill defined mission to the humans.

It's a quick, pick-me-up of a book, not unlike a good cup of tea. I like the author's mild humour, as when Dex struggles with the right pronoun for a robot. The ending suggests more books to come and I look forward to a refill.

2023 Reread. A fine book for the springtime, with its themes of renewal and rediscovery.
2024 Reread. A fine book for the fall, with imagery of the earth abiding.]]> 4.25 2021 A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot, #1)
author: Becky Chambers
name: Ian
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/03
date added: 2024/10/07
shelves: humour-satire, sci-fi
review:
3.8� (Rounded Up)
Becky Chambers says it all in her dedication to this novel. "To anybody who needs a break."

A break from grim, dystopian futures; the U.S navy in space; rugged individualism run amok.
To this end she's written a gentle, undemanding novella about finding purpose and a good cup of tea. She's also tapped into a pent up market for joy and optimism in science fiction. She postulates a hopeful future for humanity based not on technological fixes, or interstellar colonization but on a change of attitude.

The story centers on Sibling Dex, a non gender specific 'tea monk' offering herb-based counseling to stressed humans on the moon Panga. Dex suffers a crisis of faith in what they're doing and heads into the wilderness on an impulsive and not at all thought-out quest for purpose. There they meet Mossback, a 'wild-built' (independent) robot, who's on an ill defined mission to the humans.

It's a quick, pick-me-up of a book, not unlike a good cup of tea. I like the author's mild humour, as when Dex struggles with the right pronoun for a robot. The ending suggests more books to come and I look forward to a refill.

2023 Reread. A fine book for the springtime, with its themes of renewal and rediscovery.
2024 Reread. A fine book for the fall, with imagery of the earth abiding.
]]> The Telling 59921
Intrigued by their beliefs, Sutty joins them on a sacred pilgrimage into the mountains...and into the dangerous terrain of her own heart, mind, and soul.]]> 231 Ursula K. Le Guin 0441011233 Ian 5 sci-fi, lit, favorites 4.6� Rounded Up
A brilliant short novel in which Le Guin takes a riff off Orwell ( and/or possibly Katherine Burdekin?) about the intentional destruction of culture, history, memory. Her historical model, reportedly, was China's Cultural Revolution/ Great Leap Forward. The style, of course, is all Le Guin. She also side-swipes technological consumerism and institutionalized homophobia along the way.

The book is set in Le Guin's Hainish universe. The Hain are the primogeniture race/plot device the author uses to create and experiment with different varieties of humanity on different planets (and to tie the different stories together).

Sutty is an Earth woman and an Observer from the Ekumen ( think of the United Federation of Planets run by the Dalai Lama). She's leaving behind a personal tragedy on Earth, beginning her career as a cultural and historical observer and recorder on the planet Aka. By the time it takes her to get there, Aka has become what Le Guin calls a "fast forward" industrial society, locked into its "march to the stars." Sutty is asked by her boss to undertake a mission to find what's left of the planet's original culture, now being systematically destroyed by the Corporate world government.

It's a gentle and mannerly novel but not at all slow paced (imho). Sutty works to unravel the mystery of Aka, while at the same time avoiding being used by competing interests. The book is a thought provoking read, by a master story teller.]]> 3.97 2000 The Telling
author: Ursula K. Le Guin
name: Ian
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/07
date added: 2024/10/07
shelves: sci-fi, lit, favorites
review:
*Updated- Adds Review To Rating*
4.6� Rounded Up
A brilliant short novel in which Le Guin takes a riff off Orwell ( and/or possibly Katherine Burdekin?) about the intentional destruction of culture, history, memory. Her historical model, reportedly, was China's Cultural Revolution/ Great Leap Forward. The style, of course, is all Le Guin. She also side-swipes technological consumerism and institutionalized homophobia along the way.

The book is set in Le Guin's Hainish universe. The Hain are the primogeniture race/plot device the author uses to create and experiment with different varieties of humanity on different planets (and to tie the different stories together).

Sutty is an Earth woman and an Observer from the Ekumen ( think of the United Federation of Planets run by the Dalai Lama). She's leaving behind a personal tragedy on Earth, beginning her career as a cultural and historical observer and recorder on the planet Aka. By the time it takes her to get there, Aka has become what Le Guin calls a "fast forward" industrial society, locked into its "march to the stars." Sutty is asked by her boss to undertake a mission to find what's left of the planet's original culture, now being systematically destroyed by the Corporate world government.

It's a gentle and mannerly novel but not at all slow paced (imho). Sutty works to unravel the mystery of Aka, while at the same time avoiding being used by competing interests. The book is a thought provoking read, by a master story teller.
]]> Lovers at the Museum 204820050
Love, be it wild or tender, often defies logic. In fact, at times, the only rationale behind the instant connection of two souls is plain magic.

Bibiña Aranda, runaway bride, wakes up in the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao still wearing her wedding dress, draped in the loving arms of a naked man whose name she doesn’t know. She and the man with no clothes, Indar Zubieta, attempt to explain to the authorities how they got there. It’s a story of love at first sight and experience beyond compare, one that involves a dreamlike journey through the museum.

But the lovers� transcendent night bears no resemblance to the crude one Detective Larramendi attempts to reconstruct. And no amount of fantastical descriptions can convince the irritated inspector of the truth.

Allende’s dreamy short story has the power to transport readers in any language, leaving them to ponder the wonders of love long after the story’s over.]]> 25 Isabel Allende 1662522622 Ian 0 lit, to-read 3.47 2024 Lovers at the Museum
author: Isabel Allende
name: Ian
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/07
shelves: lit, to-read
review:

]]> Sounds Like Titanic 43291223 A young woman leaves Appalachia for life as a classical musician—or so she thinks.

When aspiring violinist Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman lands a job with a professional ensemble in New York City, she imagines she has achieved her lifelong dream. But the ensemble proves to be a sham. When the group “performs,� the microphones are never on. Instead, the music blares from a CD. The mastermind behind this scheme is a peculiar and mysterious figure known as The Composer, who is gaslighting his audiences with music that sounds suspiciously like the Titanic movie soundtrack. On tour with his chaotic ensemble, Hindman spirals into crises of identity and disillusionment as she “plays� for audiences genuinely moved by the performance, unable to differentiate real from fake.

Sounds Like Titanic is a surreal, often hilarious coming-of-age story. Hindman writes with precise, candid prose and sharp insight into ambition and gender, especially when it comes to the difficulties young women face in a world that views them as silly, shallow, and stupid. As the story swells to a crescendo, it gives voice to the anxieties and illusions of a generation of women, and reveals the failed promises of a nation that takes comfort in false realities.]]> 264 Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman 0393651657 Ian 4 humour-satire, memoirs
Well, that was...different. I'd say it's too strange to be fiction except there were one or two incidents that seemed contrived. For the most part, though, it felt like an honest memoir, at times brutally so. Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman may not have turned out to be a virtuoso violinist but she's not bad on the (computer) keyboard.

The book's hook is Hindman's career, while an impoverished student, as a "fake violinist." Her studies at New York's Columbia University were floundering; her hillbilly rural music lessons couldn't compete with the child prodigies and kids who went to Julliard when they were 4. She's thrown a lifeline, for both her pride and her finances, when she's hired to play in the Ensemble of The Composer, a music promoter who's become moderately popular with his bland, feel-good instrumental music, all of which sounds like the soundtrack to the movie Titanic.

The catch is the Ensemble doesn't actually play it's instruments loudly enough to be heard, the music comes from studio produced CD's which Hindman and her colleagues synch to. Doing a "Milli Violini" Hindman calls it. The Ensemble crisscrosses The United States in a battered RV, playing in shopping malls and community halls. The book also follows her academic life as she switches from music to Middle Eastern studies (she's in Cairo during 9/11) and eventually to literature.

The book's focus, however, is on the ever increasing blurring of the line between truth and lies; not only her fake violin performances, but the run up to the invasion of Iraq and the WMD; reality television (one of Hindman's many student jobs was to do the original research for what eventually became the Teen Mom TV series), as well as the lies we tell ourselves to survive. She points out it's not always easy to separate out the fantasy. For all of his musical fraudulence, Hindman goes easy on The Composer because he treats his audiences and fans with respect and because he truly believes he's producing music that comforts them- he does actually compose his highly derivative music- he just doesn't preform it live.

Hindman's dry, sharp humour is evident throughout the book. I like her critique of Russel Crowe's fake violin playing in the film Master and Commander and her keen observations of The Composer, her fellow musicians and the many people she meets in her travels. She's a talented writer and a remarkably determined individual. Sounds Like Titanic offers much to think about and even pointed the way to other interesting authors I hadn't heard of. It's a fine finale to my year in books.]]> 3.97 2019 Sounds Like Titanic
author: Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman
name: Ian
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2019/12/31
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: humour-satire, memoirs
review:
4.4 �

Well, that was...different. I'd say it's too strange to be fiction except there were one or two incidents that seemed contrived. For the most part, though, it felt like an honest memoir, at times brutally so. Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman may not have turned out to be a virtuoso violinist but she's not bad on the (computer) keyboard.

The book's hook is Hindman's career, while an impoverished student, as a "fake violinist." Her studies at New York's Columbia University were floundering; her hillbilly rural music lessons couldn't compete with the child prodigies and kids who went to Julliard when they were 4. She's thrown a lifeline, for both her pride and her finances, when she's hired to play in the Ensemble of The Composer, a music promoter who's become moderately popular with his bland, feel-good instrumental music, all of which sounds like the soundtrack to the movie Titanic.

The catch is the Ensemble doesn't actually play it's instruments loudly enough to be heard, the music comes from studio produced CD's which Hindman and her colleagues synch to. Doing a "Milli Violini" Hindman calls it. The Ensemble crisscrosses The United States in a battered RV, playing in shopping malls and community halls. The book also follows her academic life as she switches from music to Middle Eastern studies (she's in Cairo during 9/11) and eventually to literature.

The book's focus, however, is on the ever increasing blurring of the line between truth and lies; not only her fake violin performances, but the run up to the invasion of Iraq and the WMD; reality television (one of Hindman's many student jobs was to do the original research for what eventually became the Teen Mom TV series), as well as the lies we tell ourselves to survive. She points out it's not always easy to separate out the fantasy. For all of his musical fraudulence, Hindman goes easy on The Composer because he treats his audiences and fans with respect and because he truly believes he's producing music that comforts them- he does actually compose his highly derivative music- he just doesn't preform it live.

Hindman's dry, sharp humour is evident throughout the book. I like her critique of Russel Crowe's fake violin playing in the film Master and Commander and her keen observations of The Composer, her fellow musicians and the many people she meets in her travels. She's a talented writer and a remarkably determined individual. Sounds Like Titanic offers much to think about and even pointed the way to other interesting authors I hadn't heard of. It's a fine finale to my year in books.
]]> Leila 35514452 192 Prayaag Akbar 8193355210 Ian 0 to-read 3.97 2017 Leila
author: Prayaag Akbar
name: Ian
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Blind Ambition: The White House Years]]> 883205
Blind Ambition offers an insider’s view of the deceptions and machinations that brought down an administration and changed the American people’s view of politics and power. It also contains Dean’s own unsparing reflections on the personal demons that drove him to participate in the sordid affair.

Today, Dean is a respected and outspoken advocate for transparency and ethics in government.]]> 416 John W. Dean 0671224387 Ian 4 3.96 1976 Blind Ambition: The White House Years
author: John W. Dean
name: Ian
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1976
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves:
review:

]]> The Silmarillion 6475685 The Silmarillion is an account of the Elder Days, of the First Age of Tolkien's world. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them such as Elrond and Galadriel took part. The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor. Included in the book are several shorter works. The Ainulindalë is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallabêth recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age, as narrated in The Lord of the Rings.]]> 357 J.R.R. Tolkien 0061927643 Ian 4 fantasy, lit 4.14 1977 The Silmarillion
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Ian
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1977
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: fantasy, lit
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Rough Guide to India: Travel Guide eBook (Rough Guides Main Series)]]> 204002335
The Rough Guide to India Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Haryana, Gujarat, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Goa, Kolkata and West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand, Sikkim, the Northeast, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the Andaman Islands, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.

Inside this India travel guide you'll

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVERY TYPE OF TRAVELLER
Experiences selected for every kind of trip to India, from off-the-beaten-track adventures in Jaipur to family activities in child-friendly places, like Kanha National Park or chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas, like the Taj Mahal.

PRACTICAL TRAVEL TIPS
Essential pre-departure information including India entry requirements, getting around, health information, travelling with children, sports and outdoor activities, food and drink, festivals, culture and etiquette, shopping, tips for travellers with disabilities and more.

TIME-SAVING ITINERARIES
Includes carefully planned routes covering the best of India, which give a taste of the richness and diversity of the destination, and have been created for different time frames or types of trip.

DETAILED REGIONAL COVERAGE
Clear structure within each sightseeing chapter of this India travel guide includes regional highlights, brief history, detailed sights and places ordered geographically, recommended restaurants, hotels, bars, clubs and major shops or entertainment options.

INSIGHTS INTO GETTING AROUND LIKE A LOCAL
Tips on how to beat the crowds, save time and money and find the best local spots for caving, diving or visiting bazaars and temples.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THINGS NOT TO MISS
Rough Guides' rundown of Delhi, Gokarna, Udaipur and Madurai's best sights and top experiences help to make the most of each trip to India, even in a short time.

HONEST AND INDEPENDENT REVIEWS
Written by Rough Guides' expert authors with a trademark blend of humour, honesty and expertise, this India guide book will help you find the best places, matching different needs.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Comprehensive 'Contexts' chapter of this travel guide to India features fascinating insights into India, with coverage of history, religion, ethnic groups, environment, wildlife and books, plus a handy language section and glossary.

FABULOUS FULL COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHY
Features inspirational colour photography, including the stunning Lotus Temple and the spectacular Pichola Lake.]]> 2734 Rough Guides 1839059605 Ian 3 travel, non-fiction Obviously taking on a very big subject, this guidebook manages to do a fair job. Apparently converted to ebook form, from print, which may explain the not infrequent dropped words and other non sequiturs. The maps are not expandable and often hard to read. However it's a recent publication (2023) and all the links I tried, worked.
The format is similar to many quides: an introductory section covering the basics in overview form; individual destinations including passages on attractions, accommodation, food and drink and a final section of short essays on Indian history, culture, wildlife, etc.
The travelwalas who wrote this made a decent effort to cover a lot of ground and while I would not use it as my sole source for trip planning, I think it's a good introduction to the topic.
Of course, being me I have a few quibbles.
Like some other guides I've read it downplays the risks and obstacles travelers face, at least in it's introductory section. "...India is, on the whole, a safe country to travel"- until it isn't. In fact the body of the book contains many specific warnings about health and security issues but in an off-handed manner, spread throughout the text. It's fair to say it's philosophy is - Stay in heavily traveled tourist areas, unless you have a guide. Why not just say that off the top? Might depress sales, I suppose.
The book is geared to what it calls the "independent" tourist, including the backpacker class and looks down it's nose at "coach" or "package" or "resort" travel, ignoring the fact that for some (seniors, people with disabilities) it can be the safest and most comfortable way to access the country.
The large majority of the attractions it describes are temples, palaces, forts,etc from pre-colonial times, with a good sprinkling of museums, galleries and wildlife areas. It's generally discouraging of Indian zoos ( with one exception).
What I would have liked to see more of are sites associated with modern India-science and technology for example, or with the independence movement ( there are a handful listed).
There's also a fair bit of British slang and jargon, the meaning of which Is not always apparent.
Quibbles complete. While it would never be my "bible" for travel in India, I'm glad I read it.
However, the most memorable recently read travel advice on the topic came from the Canadian government advisory website- "Always exercise vigilance in the presence of monkeys. " Words to live by. -30-]]> 4.40 The Rough Guide to India: Travel Guide eBook (Rough Guides Main Series)
author: Rough Guides
name: Ian
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/14
date added: 2024/09/19
shelves: travel, non-fiction
review:
3.2�
Obviously taking on a very big subject, this guidebook manages to do a fair job. Apparently converted to ebook form, from print, which may explain the not infrequent dropped words and other non sequiturs. The maps are not expandable and often hard to read. However it's a recent publication (2023) and all the links I tried, worked.
The format is similar to many quides: an introductory section covering the basics in overview form; individual destinations including passages on attractions, accommodation, food and drink and a final section of short essays on Indian history, culture, wildlife, etc.
The travelwalas who wrote this made a decent effort to cover a lot of ground and while I would not use it as my sole source for trip planning, I think it's a good introduction to the topic.
Of course, being me I have a few quibbles.
Like some other guides I've read it downplays the risks and obstacles travelers face, at least in it's introductory section. "...India is, on the whole, a safe country to travel"- until it isn't. In fact the body of the book contains many specific warnings about health and security issues but in an off-handed manner, spread throughout the text. It's fair to say it's philosophy is - Stay in heavily traveled tourist areas, unless you have a guide. Why not just say that off the top? Might depress sales, I suppose.
The book is geared to what it calls the "independent" tourist, including the backpacker class and looks down it's nose at "coach" or "package" or "resort" travel, ignoring the fact that for some (seniors, people with disabilities) it can be the safest and most comfortable way to access the country.
The large majority of the attractions it describes are temples, palaces, forts,etc from pre-colonial times, with a good sprinkling of museums, galleries and wildlife areas. It's generally discouraging of Indian zoos ( with one exception).
What I would have liked to see more of are sites associated with modern India-science and technology for example, or with the independence movement ( there are a handful listed).
There's also a fair bit of British slang and jargon, the meaning of which Is not always apparent.
Quibbles complete. While it would never be my "bible" for travel in India, I'm glad I read it.
However, the most memorable recently read travel advice on the topic came from the Canadian government advisory website- "Always exercise vigilance in the presence of monkeys. " Words to live by. -30-
]]> <![CDATA[The Warrior's Apprentice (Vorkosigan Saga, #2)]]> 61906
Shortly after his arrival on Beta Colony, Miles unexpectedly finds himself the owner of an obsolete freighter and in more debt than he ever thought possible. Propelled by his manic "forward momentum," the ever-inventive Miles creates a new identity for himself as the commander of his own mercenary fleet to obtain a lucrative cargo; a shipment of weapons destined for a dangerous warzone.]]> 372 Lois McMaster Bujold 0743468406 Ian 2 I was confused by this book. I read the first two in the series and thought they were decent space opera, especially #2 Barrayar, which I quite liked. Then I read this one and it was as if Bujold had phoned it in. Tissue thin unlikable characters, lucky coincidences piled on top of each other, sappy dialogue. It wasn't until I read Bujold's helpful appendix on the chronology of her books that enlightenment occurred. Although this is chronologically #3 in the series , it was the second novel she wrote. Barrayar was her eighth book. She got better. Which gives me hope some of the later volumes will be readable. This one almost wasn't, imo. -30-]]> 4.27 1986 The Warrior's Apprentice (Vorkosigan Saga, #2)
author: Lois McMaster Bujold
name: Ian
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1986
rating: 2
read at: 2024/08/26
date added: 2024/09/10
shelves: guilty-pleasure-sci-fi, junk-good-and-bad
review:
2.3 �
I was confused by this book. I read the first two in the series and thought they were decent space opera, especially #2 Barrayar, which I quite liked. Then I read this one and it was as if Bujold had phoned it in. Tissue thin unlikable characters, lucky coincidences piled on top of each other, sappy dialogue. It wasn't until I read Bujold's helpful appendix on the chronology of her books that enlightenment occurred. Although this is chronologically #3 in the series , it was the second novel she wrote. Barrayar was her eighth book. She got better. Which gives me hope some of the later volumes will be readable. This one almost wasn't, imo. -30-
]]> <![CDATA[I'm Traveling Alone (Holger Munch & Mia Krüger, #1)]]> 25716670 From a bold new voice in international crime fiction, a chilling debut in which two detectives must hunt down a vengeful killer--and uncover the secret that ties each of them to the crime

A six-year-old girl is found in the Norwegian countryside, hanging lifeless from a tree with a jump rope around her neck. She is dressed in strange doll's clothes. Around her neck is an airline tag that says "I'm traveling alone."

A special homicide unit in Oslo re-opens with veteran police investigator Holger Munch at the helm. Holger's first step is to persuade the brilliant but haunted investigator Mia Krüger to come back to the squad--she's been living on an isolated island, overcome by memories of her past. When Mia views a photograph of the crime scene and spots the number "1" carved into the dead girl's fingernail, she knows this is only the beginning. She'll soon discover that six years earlier, an infant girl was abducted from a nearby maternity ward. The baby was never found. Could this new killer have something to do with the missing child, or with the reclusive Christian sect hidden in the nearby woods?

Mia returns to duty to track down a revenge-driven and ruthlessly intelligent killer. But when Munch's own six-year-old granddaughter goes missing, Mia realizes that the killer's sinister game is personal, and I'm Traveling Alone races to an explosive--and shocking--conclusion.]]> 388 Samuel Bjørk 0525428968 Ian 0 mystery, to-read 4.05 2013 I'm Traveling Alone (Holger Munch & Mia Krüger, #1)
author: Samuel Bjørk
name: Ian
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/30
shelves: mystery, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Around the World in Eighty Days]]> 54479 252 Jules Verne 014044906X Ian 4 lit, kid, travel 3.95 1872 Around the World in Eighty Days
author: Jules Verne
name: Ian
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1872
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/08/29
shelves: lit, kid, travel
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Speak, Bird, Speak Again: Palestinian Arab Folktales]]> 986131 Speak, Bird, Speak Again: Palestinian Arab Folktales would merit praise and attention because of its cultural rather than political approach to Palestinian studies. But it is much more than this.

Over the course of several years they collected tales in the regions of the Galilee, Gaza, and the West Bank, determining which were the most widely known and appreciated and selecting the ones that best represented the Palestinian Arab folk narrative tradition. Great care has been taken with the translations to maintain the original flavor, humor, and cultural nuances of tales that are at once earthy and whimsical. The authors have also provided footnotes, an international typology, a comprehensive motif index, and a thorough analytic guide to parallel tales in the larger Arab tradition in folk narrative.]]> 420 Ibrahim Muhawi 0520062922 Ian 0 to-read, lit 4.12 1989 Speak, Bird, Speak Again: Palestinian Arab Folktales
author: Ibrahim Muhawi
name: Ian
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1989
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/29
shelves: to-read, lit
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Adults in the Room: My Battle with Europe's Deep Establishment]]> 34673467
Varoufakis sparked one of the most spectacular and controversial battles in recent political history when, as finance minister of Greece, he attempted to renegotiate his country’s relationship with the EU. Despite the mass support of the Greek people and the simple logic of his arguments, he succeeded only in provoking the fury of Europe’s political, financial and media elite. But the true story of what happened is almost entirely unknown � not least because so much of the EU’s real business takes place behind closed doors.

In this fearless account, Varoufakis reveals all: an extraordinary tale of brinkmanship, hypocrisy, collusion and betrayal that will shake the deep establishment to its foundations.

As is now clear, the same policies that required the tragic and brutal suppression of Greece’s democratic uprising have led directly to authoritarianism, populist revolt and instability throughout the Western world.

'Adults In The Room' is an urgent wake-up call to renew European democracy before it is too late.]]> 561 Yanis Varoufakis Ian 0 to-read 4.31 2017 Adults in the Room: My Battle with Europe's Deep Establishment
author: Yanis Varoufakis
name: Ian
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Choking Doberman: And Other Urban Legends]]> 843009 256 Jan Harold Brunvand 0393303217 Ian 3 other 3.80 1981 The Choking Doberman: And Other Urban Legends
author: Jan Harold Brunvand
name: Ian
average rating: 3.80
book published: 1981
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/08/22
shelves: other
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Desert Star (Renée Ballard, #5; Harry Bosch, #24; Harry Bosch Universe, #37)]]> 60219987 LAPD detective Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch work together to hunt the killer who is Bosch’s “white whale”—a man responsible for the murder of an entire family.

A year has passed since LAPD detective Renée Ballard quit the force in the face of misogyny, demoralization, and endless red tape. Yet, after the chief of police himself tells her she can write her ticket within the department, Ballard takes back her badge, leaving “the Late Show� to rebuild the cold case unit at the elite Robbery-Homicide Division.

For years, Harry Bosch has been working a case that haunts him but that he hasn’t been able to crack—the murder of an entire family by a psychopath who still walks free. Ballard makes Bosch an offer: come work with her as a volunteer investigator in the new Open-Unsolved Unit, and he can pursue his “white whale� with the resources of the LAPD behind him.

The two must put aside old resentments to work together again and close in on a dangerous killer. Propulsive and unstoppable, this new novel demonstrates once again why “Connelly is the real deal� (Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review).]]> 400 Michael Connelly 0316421464 Ian 2 mystery, thriller 2.2 �
It's official. Harry Bosch has jumped the shark. It's also a bit ironic that Michael Connelly uses that exact phrase in the dialogue of this book. I think in his heart of hearts Connelly knows the truth- It's done.

An increasingly unpleasant Harry Bosch is lured out of his never quite retirement by Renee Ballard, who is putting the Open/Unsolved Unit back together with volunteers and part time help ( really? ). She promises Bosch he can work on his "white whale" case; the "one that got away," the one that "haunts" him. I've lost track of how many this is now, a few.

In this case it's a family of four who were brutally murdered in their beds and dumped in the desert. It has to be something repugnant in order to excuse Bosch's subsequent excesses of violence and criminality. This book pushed me over the limit of tolerance for the whole avenging angel, vigilante with a badge thing that Connelly has going. Bosch lies, commits assault, fraud and other crimes, up to and including murder (loosely disguised as self defense). Cops don't act this way. Hell, people don't act this way!

As usual, the crimes are solved through clues only Bosch can find, and the breaks always go his way. Renee Ballard is underused this time out, reduced to the hand wringing bureaucrat trying to keep her political bosses happy and scurrying after Bosch. She doesn't even get to kill anyone in this book.
In the end I just couldn't come up with the colossal suspension of disbelief this novel requires.

It's been clear that Connelly has been winding Bosch down for a couple of stories now. Frankly, he should have finished him off in this book, it would have made the ending less obvious. But by stretching it out for one more novel Connelly's building up to the "Last Bosch Book." Probably due out just before some Christmas. Which I will doubtless buy or borrow, just like all the others. -30-]]> 4.49 2022 Desert Star (Renée Ballard, #5; Harry Bosch, #24; Harry Bosch Universe, #37)
author: Michael Connelly
name: Ian
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2023/02/18
date added: 2024/08/22
shelves: mystery, thriller
review:
Original review 23/02/23 Coda added 25/02/23
2.2 �
It's official. Harry Bosch has jumped the shark. It's also a bit ironic that Michael Connelly uses that exact phrase in the dialogue of this book. I think in his heart of hearts Connelly knows the truth- It's done.

An increasingly unpleasant Harry Bosch is lured out of his never quite retirement by Renee Ballard, who is putting the Open/Unsolved Unit back together with volunteers and part time help ( really? ). She promises Bosch he can work on his "white whale" case; the "one that got away," the one that "haunts" him. I've lost track of how many this is now, a few.

In this case it's a family of four who were brutally murdered in their beds and dumped in the desert. It has to be something repugnant in order to excuse Bosch's subsequent excesses of violence and criminality. This book pushed me over the limit of tolerance for the whole avenging angel, vigilante with a badge thing that Connelly has going. Bosch lies, commits assault, fraud and other crimes, up to and including murder (loosely disguised as self defense). Cops don't act this way. Hell, people don't act this way!

As usual, the crimes are solved through clues only Bosch can find, and the breaks always go his way. Renee Ballard is underused this time out, reduced to the hand wringing bureaucrat trying to keep her political bosses happy and scurrying after Bosch. She doesn't even get to kill anyone in this book.
In the end I just couldn't come up with the colossal suspension of disbelief this novel requires.

It's been clear that Connelly has been winding Bosch down for a couple of stories now. Frankly, he should have finished him off in this book, it would have made the ending less obvious. But by stretching it out for one more novel Connelly's building up to the "Last Bosch Book." Probably due out just before some Christmas. Which I will doubtless buy or borrow, just like all the others. -30-
]]> Poetry of the Thirties 625162 304 Robin Skelton 0141184574 Ian 4 lit It's taken me a while to finish this ( mostly,) but it was well worth the effort.
The poets featured are British and as the blurb says "the children of First World War ", who wrote during the Depression, with the shadow of fascism looming over Europe. There are only a couple of women poets represented , which is unfortunate.
The slant, as to be expected, is left leaning and pacifistic (or at least, anti-militaristic ).
Although the '30's weren't that far away, chronologically, many of the poems require work to comprehend, because of dated cultural references and metaphors but also because of the strong streak of surrealism in many of them, collected in the section ^When Logics Die' ( like all the chapter titles this is a line from a poem, contained therein).
While not easy, it's worth the effort, imho, because of the importance of the 30's in shaping the politics and social climate of the decades that followed. -30-]]> 3.71 1964 Poetry of the Thirties
author: Robin Skelton
name: Ian
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1964
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/21
date added: 2024/08/21
shelves: lit
review:
3.8�
It's taken me a while to finish this ( mostly,) but it was well worth the effort.
The poets featured are British and as the blurb says "the children of First World War ", who wrote during the Depression, with the shadow of fascism looming over Europe. There are only a couple of women poets represented , which is unfortunate.
The slant, as to be expected, is left leaning and pacifistic (or at least, anti-militaristic ).
Although the '30's weren't that far away, chronologically, many of the poems require work to comprehend, because of dated cultural references and metaphors but also because of the strong streak of surrealism in many of them, collected in the section ^When Logics Die' ( like all the chapter titles this is a line from a poem, contained therein).
While not easy, it's worth the effort, imho, because of the importance of the 30's in shaping the politics and social climate of the decades that followed. -30-
]]> <![CDATA[A Brief History of American Pensions-The Origins of U.S. Retirement Plans]]> 21801712 77 Fran Hawthorne Ian 0 to-read 3.00 2013 A Brief History of American Pensions-The Origins of U.S. Retirement Plans
author: Fran Hawthorne
name: Ian
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Compulsory (The Murderbot Diaries, #0.5)]]> 195264190
While trying to watch episode 44 of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, Murderbot is—again, what is it with humans?—distracted by something that is technically outside its purview. A miner is suddenly in danger following a pointless (to Murderbot’s way of thinking) argument, and the choice is to risk discovery and leap into action, which would require hitting the pause button during a very exciting part of SanctuaryMoon, or to follow orders and stay still.

This is a tougher choice than it seems. But then, when has Murderbot ever been faced with an easy choice?

A shorter version of this story originally appeared in Wired magazine.]]> 8 Martha Wells 1645241726 Ian 4 A nice little short story from the 15,000 hours when Murderbot was still passing as a normal, totally-not-hacked Sec Unit.
He has to make a choice whether to save a stupid, annoying human, possibly blow his cover and get memory wiped and/or recycled.
We all know what he does.]]> 4.32 2018 Compulsory (The Murderbot Diaries, #0.5)
author: Martha Wells
name: Ian
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/08/16
shelves:
review:
3.5�
A nice little short story from the 15,000 hours when Murderbot was still passing as a normal, totally-not-hacked Sec Unit.
He has to make a choice whether to save a stupid, annoying human, possibly blow his cover and get memory wiped and/or recycled.
We all know what he does.
]]> <![CDATA[Some Desperate Glory: The First World War the Poets Knew]]> 18490555 The story of World War I, through the lives and words of its poets

The hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of what many believed would be the war to end all wars is in 2014. And while World War I devastated Europe, it inspired profound poetry—words in which the atmosphere and landscape of battle are evoked perhaps more vividly than anywhere else.

The poets—many of whom were killed—show not only the war’s tragedy but also the hopes and disappointments of a generation of men. In Some Desperate Glory, the historian and biographer Max Egremont gives us a transfiguring look at the life and work of this assemblage of poets. Wilfred Owen with his flaring genius; the intense, compassionate Siegfried Sassoon; the composer Ivor Gurney; Robert Graves, who would later spurn his war poems; the nature-loving Edward Thomas; the glamorous Fabian Socialist Rupert Brooke; and the shell-shocked Robert Nichols—all fought in the war, and their poetry is a bold act of creativity in the face of unprecedented destruction.

Some Desperate Glory includes a chronological anthology of the poets� works, telling the story of the war not only through the lives of these writers but also through their art. This unique volume unites the poetry and the history of the war—so often treated separately—granting readers the pride, strife, and sorrow of the individual soldier’s experience coupled with a panoramic view of the war’s toll on an entire nation.]]> 337 Max Egremont 0374280320 Ian 0 to-read 3.77 2014 Some Desperate Glory: The First World War the Poets Knew
author: Max Egremont
name: Ian
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Boy's Life 12923449 A bizarre murder in an idyllic southern town propels a boy and his father into a world of evil in this World Fantasy Award–winning horror novel. Small town boys see weird sights, and Zephyr has provided Cory Jay Mackenson with his fair share of oddities. He knows the bootleggers who lurk in the dark places outside of town. On moonless nights, he’s heard spirits congregate in the churchyard to reminisce about the good old days. He’s seen rain that flooded Main Street and left it crawling with snakes. Cory knows magic, and relishes it as only a young boy can. One frosty winter morning, he and his father watch a car jump the curb and sail into the fathomless town lake. His father dives into the icy water to rescue the driver, and finds a naked corpse handcuffed to the wheel. This chilling sight is only the start of the strangest period of Cory’s life, when the magic of his town will transform him into a man.
]]> 625 Robert McCammon Ian 2 fantasy
The recipe for this book calls for: two scoops of Ray Bradbury; one scoop Harper Lee; a thick slice of Stephen King and a generous sprinkling of Rod Serling; blend well and run through the word processor. McCammon more or less admits this in his acknowledgements, in which he lists his main author sources, in and among a big bunch of red herrings. It's the smart move. In the age of social media, writers who don't openly credit their sources end up having someone else do it for them, usually in unflattering terms.

It's a halfway decent tale. McCammon is borrowing from some very good authors, after all and he knows how to string sentences together and how to jerk a tear or two. It's fine as very light entertainment; literature it isn't.

The plot is a variation of the "magical coming of age summer" trope, with strong fantasy elements like voodoo style magic, ghosts, etc. Suspension of disbelief required is high e.g. the amount of trauma (mental and physical) suffered by our young hero, Corey, over the course of one summer, is enough to send a Green Beret into therapy. Yet Corey chugs along on his magic bicycle, always ready for the next adventure.

The novel is characterized by the heavy use of (often awkward) similes and metaphors. As in Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird", McCammon touches on racism. Unlike Lee, he uses it mostly as a plot driver and really does little to examine or explore the issue. The main black character is a stereotypical seer/witch. ( " magic negro").He adds nothing new or insightful regarding America's "original sin."


There's nothing wrong with the book as light entertainment but I'd rather re-read the better works it's derived from ('To Kill A Mocking Bird,' ' Something Wicked This Way Comes,' 'Dandelion Wine,' 'The Stand,' and others).

I'm not likely to read more of McCammon's books, as this one just isn't very memorable.

2023 update. Revised rating down 1 star, in fairness to better authors with 3 star ratings]]> 4.47 1991 Boy's Life
author: Robert McCammon
name: Ian
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1991
rating: 2
read at: 2019/11/23
date added: 2024/08/15
shelves: fantasy
review:
2.3�

The recipe for this book calls for: two scoops of Ray Bradbury; one scoop Harper Lee; a thick slice of Stephen King and a generous sprinkling of Rod Serling; blend well and run through the word processor. McCammon more or less admits this in his acknowledgements, in which he lists his main author sources, in and among a big bunch of red herrings. It's the smart move. In the age of social media, writers who don't openly credit their sources end up having someone else do it for them, usually in unflattering terms.

It's a halfway decent tale. McCammon is borrowing from some very good authors, after all and he knows how to string sentences together and how to jerk a tear or two. It's fine as very light entertainment; literature it isn't.

The plot is a variation of the "magical coming of age summer" trope, with strong fantasy elements like voodoo style magic, ghosts, etc. Suspension of disbelief required is high e.g. the amount of trauma (mental and physical) suffered by our young hero, Corey, over the course of one summer, is enough to send a Green Beret into therapy. Yet Corey chugs along on his magic bicycle, always ready for the next adventure.

The novel is characterized by the heavy use of (often awkward) similes and metaphors. As in Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird", McCammon touches on racism. Unlike Lee, he uses it mostly as a plot driver and really does little to examine or explore the issue. The main black character is a stereotypical seer/witch. ( " magic negro").He adds nothing new or insightful regarding America's "original sin."


There's nothing wrong with the book as light entertainment but I'd rather re-read the better works it's derived from ('To Kill A Mocking Bird,' ' Something Wicked This Way Comes,' 'Dandelion Wine,' 'The Stand,' and others).

I'm not likely to read more of McCammon's books, as this one just isn't very memorable.

2023 update. Revised rating down 1 star, in fairness to better authors with 3 star ratings
]]> <![CDATA[Sprinting Through No Man's Land: Endurance, Tragedy, and Rebirth in the 1919 Tour de France]]> 57903334 The inspiring, heart-pumping true story of soldiers turned cyclists and the historic 1919 Tour de France that helped to restore a war-torn country and its people.

On June 29, 1919, one day after the Treaty of Versailles brought about the end of World War I, nearly seventy cyclists embarked on the thirteenth Tour de France. From Paris, the war-weary men rode down the western coast on a race that would trace the country’s border, through seaside towns and mountains to the ghostly western front. Traversing a cratered postwar landscape, the cyclists faced near-impossible odds and the psychological scars of war. Most of the athletes had arrived straight from the front, where so many fellow countrymen had suffered or died. The cyclists� perseverance and tolerance for pain would be tested in a grueling, monthlong competition.

An inspiring true story of human endurance, Sprinting Through No Man’s Land explores how the cyclists united a country that had been torn apart by unprecedented desolation and tragedy. It shows how devastated countrymen and women can come together to celebrate the adventure of a lifetime and discover renewed fortitude, purpose, and national identity in the streets of their towns.]]> 318 Adin Dobkin 1542018846 Ian 0 to-read 3.52 2021 Sprinting Through No Man's Land: Endurance, Tragedy, and Rebirth in the 1919 Tour de France
author: Adin Dobkin
name: Ian
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[His Last Bow (Sherlock Holmes, #8)]]> 754713 242 Arthur Conan Doyle 0755334434 Ian 3 mystery 4.26 1917 His Last Bow (Sherlock Holmes, #8)
author: Arthur Conan Doyle
name: Ian
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1917
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: mystery
review:

]]> Dispatches 4339 Dispatches became an immediate classic of war reportage when it was published in 1977.

From its terrifying opening pages to its final eloquent words, Dispatches makes us see, in unforgettable and unflinching detail, the chaos and fervor of the war and the surreal insanity of life in that singular combat zone. Michael Herr’s unsparing, unorthodox retellings of the day-to-day events in Vietnam take on the force of poetry, rendering clarity from one of the most incomprehensible and nightmarish events of our time.

Dispatches is among the most blistering and compassionate accounts of war in our literature.]]> 260 Michael Herr 0679735259 Ian 0 to-read 4.22 1977 Dispatches
author: Michael Herr
name: Ian
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1977
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Harbors of the Sun (The Books of the Raksura #5)]]> 41736732 418 Martha Wells Ian 3 fantasy The conclusion, so far, of Martha Wells' Raksura series. It's a decent adventure story with a "saving the world in the nick of time" ending.
I like the author's fantasy tales, just fine, although admittedly not as much as her science fiction i.e. The Murderbot Diaries. Moon, Jade, Stone and the rest of her Raksura are fine characters but just not as well developed or nuanced as Murderbot, the cynical antihero we all need for the 2020's. I guess it's to Wells' credit as a writer that her flying, shape-shifting, lizard people are just a little less relatable and more alien than a killer cyborg with cloned human neural tissue. I liked the series, sad it's over (so far) and to answer Russell Crowe's question- "Yes, I was entertained." -30-]]> 4.39 2017 The Harbors of the Sun (The Books of the Raksura #5)
author: Martha Wells
name: Ian
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2024/01/16
date added: 2024/07/10
shelves: fantasy
review:
2.8�
The conclusion, so far, of Martha Wells' Raksura series. It's a decent adventure story with a "saving the world in the nick of time" ending.
I like the author's fantasy tales, just fine, although admittedly not as much as her science fiction i.e. The Murderbot Diaries. Moon, Jade, Stone and the rest of her Raksura are fine characters but just not as well developed or nuanced as Murderbot, the cynical antihero we all need for the 2020's. I guess it's to Wells' credit as a writer that her flying, shape-shifting, lizard people are just a little less relatable and more alien than a killer cyborg with cloned human neural tissue. I liked the series, sad it's over (so far) and to answer Russell Crowe's question- "Yes, I was entertained." -30-
]]> <![CDATA[Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7)]]> 61905 336 Lois McMaster Bujold 0743468414 Ian 3 guilty-pleasure-sci-fi I came late (by 38 years) to the Vorkostigan saga, but I think I can see why it's so popular. It's a shrewd mash up of military (or as Bujold aptly puts it " militaresque") space opera and romance novel.
I have noticed the similarities between these two genres before: both have formulas and tropes they tend to follow; strong heros tend to hook up with strong heroines, or visa versa- even if the strengths are sometimes hidden or underdeveloped; the more interesting of both types venture into social or moral issues. I found all of those characteristics in this book.
First off, though, Bujold is a highly competent writer of adventure stories with excellent pacing and good plots (so far). True, her settings and characters all seem kind of familiar but she does interesting things with them (and to be fair, she was in the game early- before the market was saturated with series like this one).
I liked this book a little better than " Shards Of Honor", which preceeded it. I found Bujold's dry humor a bit sharper, this outing. Can't get into details due to potential spoilers but she does do a number on patriarchies and militaristic societies throughout her book. She doesn't take herself too seriously though, her series ( so far) is clearly light entertainment.
An example of her space opera/romance aggregate I liked was that, after a daring and desperate secret rescue mission ( the dramatic climax), she follows it up with a (semi) royal wedding, with descriptions of the dresses, ceremony, food etc. Classic stuff, and she pulls it off well. I will continue to follow this series, which is some 20 plus novels and shorter works, as far as I can. -30-]]> 4.29 1991 Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7)
author: Lois McMaster Bujold
name: Ian
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1991
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/06
date added: 2024/07/07
shelves: guilty-pleasure-sci-fi
review:
3.4�
I came late (by 38 years) to the Vorkostigan saga, but I think I can see why it's so popular. It's a shrewd mash up of military (or as Bujold aptly puts it " militaresque") space opera and romance novel.
I have noticed the similarities between these two genres before: both have formulas and tropes they tend to follow; strong heros tend to hook up with strong heroines, or visa versa- even if the strengths are sometimes hidden or underdeveloped; the more interesting of both types venture into social or moral issues. I found all of those characteristics in this book.
First off, though, Bujold is a highly competent writer of adventure stories with excellent pacing and good plots (so far). True, her settings and characters all seem kind of familiar but she does interesting things with them (and to be fair, she was in the game early- before the market was saturated with series like this one).
I liked this book a little better than " Shards Of Honor", which preceeded it. I found Bujold's dry humor a bit sharper, this outing. Can't get into details due to potential spoilers but she does do a number on patriarchies and militaristic societies throughout her book. She doesn't take herself too seriously though, her series ( so far) is clearly light entertainment.
An example of her space opera/romance aggregate I liked was that, after a daring and desperate secret rescue mission ( the dramatic climax), she follows it up with a (semi) royal wedding, with descriptions of the dresses, ceremony, food etc. Classic stuff, and she pulls it off well. I will continue to follow this series, which is some 20 plus novels and shorter works, as far as I can. -30-
]]> <![CDATA[Shards of Honour (Vorkosigan Saga, #1)]]> 61903 253 Lois McMaster Bujold 0743468422 Ian 3 guilty-pleasure-sci-fi
Yet another military space opera series I've begun; they are a particular guilty pleasure of mine.
Bujold can write a decent enough sci-adventure tale. Her characters and settings are not especially original and her prose has a whiff of creative writing assignment about it but her pacing is good and the plot keeps you engaged all the way through. The story is about a spacewoman and spaceman from rival planets, who end up marooned on a hostile alien world together and whose fates are henceforth and forever intertwined, -30-]]> 4.14 1986 Shards of Honour (Vorkosigan Saga, #1)
author: Lois McMaster Bujold
name: Ian
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1986
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/04
date added: 2024/07/04
shelves: guilty-pleasure-sci-fi
review:
2.8⭐I

Yet another military space opera series I've begun; they are a particular guilty pleasure of mine.
Bujold can write a decent enough sci-adventure tale. Her characters and settings are not especially original and her prose has a whiff of creative writing assignment about it but her pacing is good and the plot keeps you engaged all the way through. The story is about a spacewoman and spaceman from rival planets, who end up marooned on a hostile alien world together and whose fates are henceforth and forever intertwined, -30-
]]> Brown on Resolution 2271906 155 C.S. Forester Ian 3 history-fiction
Ripping yarn of a World War I sea story by C S Forester, of Hornblower fame.
As usual Forester^s description of naval warfare is gripping, and carries the story along. It's premise was a bit unusual for the time; an independent minded upper middle class woman decides to become a single mother and to raise her son with the single intent of his joining the British navy. Which he does and becomes the great unsung hero of the book. It's old fashioned in its praise for English naval glory, not nearly as critical as Forester's other WWI book, The General. But it is, like most of his works, a thinking person's adventure story.]]> 4.01 1929 Brown on Resolution
author: C.S. Forester
name: Ian
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1929
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/03
date added: 2024/07/03
shelves: history-fiction
review:
3�

Ripping yarn of a World War I sea story by C S Forester, of Hornblower fame.
As usual Forester^s description of naval warfare is gripping, and carries the story along. It's premise was a bit unusual for the time; an independent minded upper middle class woman decides to become a single mother and to raise her son with the single intent of his joining the British navy. Which he does and becomes the great unsung hero of the book. It's old fashioned in its praise for English naval glory, not nearly as critical as Forester's other WWI book, The General. But it is, like most of his works, a thinking person's adventure story.
]]> <![CDATA[Smiley's People (George Smiley, #7; Karla Trilogy, #3)]]> 18999 397 John Le Carré 0743455800 Ian 5 spy, thriller, favorites 4.26 1979 Smiley's People (George Smiley, #7; Karla Trilogy, #3)
author: John Le Carré
name: Ian
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1979
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/29
date added: 2024/07/01
shelves: spy, thriller, favorites
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Thirties: A Dream Revolved (Non-Fiction)]]> 2015284 168 Julian Symons 1842329324 Ian 0 to-read 3.50 1973 The Thirties: A Dream Revolved (Non-Fiction)
author: Julian Symons
name: Ian
average rating: 3.50
book published: 1973
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Antares Passage (Antares #2) 1397299 Michael McCollum 1929381085 Ian 3 guilty-pleasure-sci-fi 3�
The middle book of a corny, military space opera trilogy about genocidal alien lizards threatening humanity.
The book has a mid 20th century feeling to it, like bargain basement Heinlein, without the originality or the strong characterization. The depiction of women characters is truly cringeworthy.
Still, I love my corny space opera, one of my favorite quilty pleasures. -30-]]> 3.94 1987 Antares Passage (Antares #2)
author: Michael McCollum
name: Ian
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1987
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/09
date added: 2024/06/10
shelves: guilty-pleasure-sci-fi
review:
2024 reread
3�
The middle book of a corny, military space opera trilogy about genocidal alien lizards threatening humanity.
The book has a mid 20th century feeling to it, like bargain basement Heinlein, without the originality or the strong characterization. The depiction of women characters is truly cringeworthy.
Still, I love my corny space opera, one of my favorite quilty pleasures. -30-
]]> <![CDATA[Haroun and the Sea of Stories (Khalifa Brothers, #1)]]> 4835 Haroun and the Sea of Stories inhabits the same imaginative space as Gulliver's Travels, Alice in Wonderland, and The Wizard of Oz. In this captivating novel, Haroun sets out on an adventure to restore the poisoned source of the sea of stories. On the way, he encounters many foes, all intent on draining the sea of all its storytelling powers.]]> 224 Salman Rushdie 0670886580 Ian 0 to-read 3.99 1990 Haroun and the Sea of Stories (Khalifa Brothers, #1)
author: Salman Rushdie
name: Ian
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Final Solution 16696
What is the meaning of the mysterious string of German numbers the bird spews out - a top secret SS code? The keys to a series of Swiss bank accounts perhaps? Or something more sinister? Is the solution to this last case - the real explanation of the mysterious boy and his parrot - beyond even the reach of the once-famed sleuth?

A short, suspenseful tale of compassion and wit that reimagines the classic nineteenth-century detective story.]]> 131 Michael Chabon 0060777109 Ian 4 lit, mystery
Excellent short mystery in Chabon's surrealistic style. The never named detective, heavily implied to be the elderly Sherlock Holmes, tries to solve the mystery of a 9 year old mute boy, a refugee from Nazi occupied Europe.
The boy is accompanied by an African grey parrot, which is constantly reciting strings of numbers, in German.
Chabon evokes his English setting with his well crafted, if somewhat baroque prose. His characters are well imagined and described.
Well worth the time, imo.
Thought about keeping this one, but it's well remembered and room must be made!]]> 3.35 2004 The Final Solution
author: Michael Chabon
name: Ian
average rating: 3.35
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/05/18
shelves: lit, mystery
review:
4� 2024 book purge review

Excellent short mystery in Chabon's surrealistic style. The never named detective, heavily implied to be the elderly Sherlock Holmes, tries to solve the mystery of a 9 year old mute boy, a refugee from Nazi occupied Europe.
The boy is accompanied by an African grey parrot, which is constantly reciting strings of numbers, in German.
Chabon evokes his English setting with his well crafted, if somewhat baroque prose. His characters are well imagined and described.
Well worth the time, imo.
Thought about keeping this one, but it's well remembered and room must be made!
]]> <![CDATA[Techniques of Persuasion: From Propaganda to Brainwashing (Pelican Books)]]> 2670947 336 J.A.C. Brown 0140206043 Ian 4 history, non-fiction, work A college era book originally read early to mid 70's, in there somewhere,
Dug it up again during my onoing book purge. Written in 1963, thereabouts, many of its conclusions hold up today. It's composed in a classic British scholarly fashion, erudite, precise, fully footnoted. I didn't find it dry at all, although I recognize others might.
It covers the psychology and some history of propaganda, brainwashing, advertising and other dark arts. I didn't reread the whole thing, just the section on the supposed evil influence on children of violence in the media, for which Brown found no evidence of general or frequent occurrence.
Indeed, the main conclusion I took away from this book, is It's very hard to make somebody do something, unless they are already so inclined.
In this much more cynical age, I think that's truer than previously. -30-]]> 3.91 1963 Techniques of Persuasion: From Propaganda to Brainwashing (Pelican Books)
author: J.A.C. Brown
name: Ian
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1963
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/12
date added: 2024/05/12
shelves: history, non-fiction, work
review:
4�
A college era book originally read early to mid 70's, in there somewhere,
Dug it up again during my onoing book purge. Written in 1963, thereabouts, many of its conclusions hold up today. It's composed in a classic British scholarly fashion, erudite, precise, fully footnoted. I didn't find it dry at all, although I recognize others might.
It covers the psychology and some history of propaganda, brainwashing, advertising and other dark arts. I didn't reread the whole thing, just the section on the supposed evil influence on children of violence in the media, for which Brown found no evidence of general or frequent occurrence.
Indeed, the main conclusion I took away from this book, is It's very hard to make somebody do something, unless they are already so inclined.
In this much more cynical age, I think that's truer than previously. -30-
]]> <![CDATA[The Code of the Woosters (Jeeves, #7)]]> 9858081 272 P.G. Wodehouse 0393339815 Ian 3 humour-satire Another candidate for the Great Book Purge.
A harmless farce, set in an imaginary England, where the depression apparently never happened. It's mildly funny, in an old fashioned way and strictly light entertainment. In the only attempt at political satire ( in a book written in 1938) Woodhouse dubs the homegrown British fascists the Black Shorts, because all the shirt colors were already taken. And that's as wild as it gets.
The best take on Wodehouse that I've read is George Orwell's essay defending him, after Wodehouse was accused of collaborating with the Nazis, while interned in France, in World War 2. Orwell more or less concludes that, not unlike like Bertie Wooster, Wodehouse was well meaning but naive and that he was scapegoated by British propagandists, looking to vilify a perceived privileged class. Wodehouse was so wounded by the accusations that after the war he left England and permanently settled in the U.S. -30-]]> 4.31 1938 The Code of the Woosters (Jeeves, #7)
author: P.G. Wodehouse
name: Ian
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1938
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/05/12
shelves: humour-satire
review:
3.2 �
Another candidate for the Great Book Purge.
A harmless farce, set in an imaginary England, where the depression apparently never happened. It's mildly funny, in an old fashioned way and strictly light entertainment. In the only attempt at political satire ( in a book written in 1938) Woodhouse dubs the homegrown British fascists the Black Shorts, because all the shirt colors were already taken. And that's as wild as it gets.
The best take on Wodehouse that I've read is George Orwell's essay defending him, after Wodehouse was accused of collaborating with the Nazis, while interned in France, in World War 2. Orwell more or less concludes that, not unlike like Bertie Wooster, Wodehouse was well meaning but naive and that he was scapegoated by British propagandists, looking to vilify a perceived privileged class. Wodehouse was so wounded by the accusations that after the war he left England and permanently settled in the U.S. -30-
]]> The Making of Star Trek 77759 - source unknown

"The book on how to write for TV! The complete story on how the U.S.S. Enterprise was designed, the original concept behind the show, backgrounds of the characters—the whole authentic history." - Ballantine]]> 30 Stephen E. Whitfield 0345340191 Ian 3 non-fiction 4.11 1968 The Making of Star Trek
author: Stephen E. Whitfield
name: Ian
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1968
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/04/20
shelves: non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Foxglove Summer (Rivers of London, #5)]]> 20499240
Travelling west with Beverley Brook, Peter soon finds himself caught up in a deep mystery and having to tackle local cops and local gods. And what's more all the shops are closed by 4pm ...]]> 377 Ben Aaronovitch 0575132507 Ian 5 fantasy, mystery I liked this installment of the Peter Grant/magic police series a bit better from the preceeding "Broken Homes." Not sure why, exactly. It's set in the country not London, so that's a bit different. It also features more of the classic elements of British fantasy: changelings, fairies (fae), unicorns, wizard's towers; all of which I quite enjoyed.

The story starts with Peter being seconded to help with the search for two missing girls and things get strange from there. Less direct involvement from Peter's governor and master wizard, the Nightingale but a lot from his girlfriend and minor river goddess, Beverly Brook.

As usual Aaronovitch delivers clever, light entertainment with his keen descriptions and cheeky humor.

2022 re-read. Along with the first book in the series, this is my favorite so far, for the reasons listed above, for the superior pacing, and because it's the " coziest " of the 'Rivers' stories, no doubt because of its rural setting. Nothing like a British village to bring out the foul deeds, magical or otherwise. Upped the rating to 4�.

Audio book May 2022. Decided to try this after seeing all the glowing reviews for Kobna Holdbrooke Smith's narration, which are richly deserved. Great range of accents and good pacing and clarity. Recommended.]]> 4.16 2014 Foxglove Summer (Rivers of London, #5)
author: Ben Aaronovitch
name: Ian
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/15
date added: 2024/04/16
shelves: fantasy, mystery
review:
4.0� Updated: Original review Feb. 25, 2020. Re- read April 19, 2022. Audiobook. May 15, 2022.
I liked this installment of the Peter Grant/magic police series a bit better from the preceeding "Broken Homes." Not sure why, exactly. It's set in the country not London, so that's a bit different. It also features more of the classic elements of British fantasy: changelings, fairies (fae), unicorns, wizard's towers; all of which I quite enjoyed.

The story starts with Peter being seconded to help with the search for two missing girls and things get strange from there. Less direct involvement from Peter's governor and master wizard, the Nightingale but a lot from his girlfriend and minor river goddess, Beverly Brook.

As usual Aaronovitch delivers clever, light entertainment with his keen descriptions and cheeky humor.

2022 re-read. Along with the first book in the series, this is my favorite so far, for the reasons listed above, for the superior pacing, and because it's the " coziest " of the 'Rivers' stories, no doubt because of its rural setting. Nothing like a British village to bring out the foul deeds, magical or otherwise. Upped the rating to 4�.

Audio book May 2022. Decided to try this after seeing all the glowing reviews for Kobna Holdbrooke Smith's narration, which are richly deserved. Great range of accents and good pacing and clarity. Recommended.
]]> Dune (Dune, #1) 44767458
When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.]]> 658 Frank Herbert 059309932X Ian 3 sci-fi It's been four decades plus since I first read Frank Herbert's sprawling, shambling, quasi-mystical, soap opera of a science fiction epic. Any review of Dune the novel now has to take into account Dune the phenomenon. Three movies, a miniseries and numerous prequels/sequels by Herbert and his inheritors have etched this tale into popular culture. Bottom line though; it's just a good story.

Some main elements appear well rooted in western literary tradition, from King Arthur and Robin Hood (evil Barons!) to Greek mythology; others reflect Middle Eastern religious and political influences ( Islam and the Ottoman Empire). Re-reading the book made me realize how 60's it is and how it resonates with another science fiction classic of the time, Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. That's certainly not to say the novel is dated, it just reflects the ambiance of the era in which it was written.

My older self has more patience with and more appreciation of Herbert's dive into religous and cultural themes, embodied by the Freman ( where younger me just wanted to get back to killing Harkonnens). I don't see any point in recapping the now familiar plot but clearly Herbert's vivid descriptions of his settings and his characters have kept his tale fresh for 50 years. Bottom line though; it's just a good story.

2023 Re-read
I stand by what I said in the 2021 review (above), mostly. But I dropped the rating half a star because Herbert's psuedo mystical ramblings about Paul's supposed psychic powers did get to be too much, this time. I'm getting old and cranky, I suppose.
Still a good story, though.]]> 4.33 1965 Dune (Dune, #1)
author: Frank Herbert
name: Ian
average rating: 4.33
book published: 1965
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/13
date added: 2024/04/13
shelves: sci-fi
review:
3.4� Updates Review & Rating
It's been four decades plus since I first read Frank Herbert's sprawling, shambling, quasi-mystical, soap opera of a science fiction epic. Any review of Dune the novel now has to take into account Dune the phenomenon. Three movies, a miniseries and numerous prequels/sequels by Herbert and his inheritors have etched this tale into popular culture. Bottom line though; it's just a good story.

Some main elements appear well rooted in western literary tradition, from King Arthur and Robin Hood (evil Barons!) to Greek mythology; others reflect Middle Eastern religious and political influences ( Islam and the Ottoman Empire). Re-reading the book made me realize how 60's it is and how it resonates with another science fiction classic of the time, Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. That's certainly not to say the novel is dated, it just reflects the ambiance of the era in which it was written.

My older self has more patience with and more appreciation of Herbert's dive into religous and cultural themes, embodied by the Freman ( where younger me just wanted to get back to killing Harkonnens). I don't see any point in recapping the now familiar plot but clearly Herbert's vivid descriptions of his settings and his characters have kept his tale fresh for 50 years. Bottom line though; it's just a good story.

2023 Re-read
I stand by what I said in the 2021 review (above), mostly. But I dropped the rating half a star because Herbert's psuedo mystical ramblings about Paul's supposed psychic powers did get to be too much, this time. I'm getting old and cranky, I suppose.
Still a good story, though.
]]> <![CDATA[Of quarks, quasars, and other quirks: Quizzical poems for the supersonic age]]> 109078 Excellent Book 114 Sara W. Brewton 0690012861 Ian 4
To smash the simple atom
All mankind was intent
Now, any day,
The atom may
Return the compliment
Ethel Jacobson

The Fabulous Wizard of Oz

The fabulous Wizard of Oz
Retired from the business because
With up to date science
To most of his clients
He wasn't the wiz that he was
Anon

Lots more like this and better.]]> 4.00 1977 Of quarks, quasars, and other quirks: Quizzical poems for the supersonic age
author: Sara W. Brewton
name: Ian
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1977
rating: 4
read at: 2000/01/01
date added: 2024/03/28
shelves: lit, humour-satire, space-is-the-place
review:
Atomic Courtesy

To smash the simple atom
All mankind was intent
Now, any day,
The atom may
Return the compliment
Ethel Jacobson

The Fabulous Wizard of Oz

The fabulous Wizard of Oz
Retired from the business because
With up to date science
To most of his clients
He wasn't the wiz that he was
Anon

Lots more like this and better.
]]> <![CDATA[Monstrous Regiment (Discworld, #31; Industrial Revolution, #3)]]> 34511 496 Terry Pratchett Ian 0 fantasy, junk-good-and-bad I just could not get into this book, at all. The writing wasn't terrible, but nothing special. The story was uninspiring and unoriginal to my eye.
It's really just a matter of taste, and it didn't suit mine. I might try another book, another time.
.-30-
.
.]]> 4.23 2003 Monstrous Regiment (Discworld, #31; Industrial Revolution, #3)
author: Terry Pratchett
name: Ian
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at: 2024/03/25
date added: 2024/03/25
shelves: fantasy, junk-good-and-bad
review:
DNF I wanted to give Terry Pratchett a try. So many people like his work
I just could not get into this book, at all. The writing wasn't terrible, but nothing special. The story was uninspiring and unoriginal to my eye.
It's really just a matter of taste, and it didn't suit mine. I might try another book, another time.
.-30-
.
.
]]> <![CDATA[One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich]]> 17125 The only English translation authorized by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

First published in the Soviet journal Novy Mir in 1962, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich stands as a classic of contemporary literature. The story of labor-camp inmate Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, it graphically describes his struggle to maintain his dignity in the face of communist oppression. An unforgettable portrait of the entire world of Stalin's forced work camps, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is one of the most extraordinary literary documents to have emerged from the Soviet Union and confirms Solzhenitsyn's stature as "a literary genius whose talent matches that of Dosotevsky, Turgenev, Tolstoy"--Harrison Salisbury

This unexpurgated 1991 translation by H. T. Willetts is the only authorized edition available, and fully captures the power and beauty of the original Russian.]]> 182 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Ian 5 lit 3.98 1962 One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
author: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
name: Ian
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1962
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/03/15
shelves: lit
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Siren Depths (Books of the Raksura, #3)]]> 13649197
But now a rival court has laid claim to Moon, and Jade may or may not be willing to fight for him. Beset by doubts, Moon must travel in the company of strangers to a distant realm where he will finally face the forgotten secrets of his past, even as an old enemy returns with a vengeance.

The Fell, a vicious race of shapeshifting predators, menaces groundlings and Raksura alike. Determined to crossbreed with the Raksura for arcane purposes, they are driven by an ancient voice that cries out from...THE SIREN DEPTHS]]> 277 Martha Wells 1597804401 Ian 3 The third installment of Martha Wells' Raksura saga and a good one, imho.

Our hero, the Raksura prince ( consort) Moon has a troubled past. Orphaned and abandoned at young age, he's had to make his way in the violent and often chaotic Three Worlds without the knowledge of his people or his pedigree.

So when he finally reunites with the Raksura of Cloud Indigo Court he's seen as unusual, uncouth, " feral". The first two books detail his own gradual acceptance of what he is, and his acceptance by the other Raksura ( flying, shape shifting lizard people).

Suddenly, that's all undermined by the arrival of a messenger from the far off queen of another court who claims Moon as family.

So this book contains Moon's origin story, the usual high adventures in mysterious lands, the now mandatory Lost City, and the usual wranglings and schemings by the irascible Raksura.

Wells displays her usual skill with characters and settings (aka ' world-building'). It's a fun, fast story, best suited for those somewhat familiar with the series, though Wells tries hard to provide background and context and includes a number of helpful appendices ( a pro touch, that I wish more serial authors would consider these days).]]> 4.21 2012 The Siren Depths (Books of the Raksura, #3)
author: Martha Wells
name: Ian
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2024/03/14
date added: 2024/03/14
shelves: fantasy, guilty-pleasure-sci-fi
review:
3.4�
The third installment of Martha Wells' Raksura saga and a good one, imho.

Our hero, the Raksura prince ( consort) Moon has a troubled past. Orphaned and abandoned at young age, he's had to make his way in the violent and often chaotic Three Worlds without the knowledge of his people or his pedigree.

So when he finally reunites with the Raksura of Cloud Indigo Court he's seen as unusual, uncouth, " feral". The first two books detail his own gradual acceptance of what he is, and his acceptance by the other Raksura ( flying, shape shifting lizard people).

Suddenly, that's all undermined by the arrival of a messenger from the far off queen of another court who claims Moon as family.

So this book contains Moon's origin story, the usual high adventures in mysterious lands, the now mandatory Lost City, and the usual wranglings and schemings by the irascible Raksura.

Wells displays her usual skill with characters and settings (aka ' world-building'). It's a fun, fast story, best suited for those somewhat familiar with the series, though Wells tries hard to provide background and context and includes a number of helpful appendices ( a pro touch, that I wish more serial authors would consider these days).
]]> <![CDATA[Stories of the Raksura, Volume 2: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below]]> 22750124 Moon, Jade, and other favorites from the Indigo Cloud Court return with two new novellas from Martha Wells.

Martha Wells continues to enthusiastically ignore genre conventions in her exploration of the fascinating world of the Raksura. Her novellas and short stories contain all the elements fans have come to love from the Raksura books: courtly intrigue and politics, unfolding mysteries that reveal an increasingly strange wider world, and threats both mundane and magical.

“The Dead City� is a tale of Moon before he came to the Indigo Court. As Moon is fleeing the ruins of Saraseil, a groundling city destroyed by the Fell, he flies right into another potential disaster when a friendly caravanserai finds itself under attack by a strange force. In “The Dark Earth Below,� Moon and Jade face their biggest adventure yet; their first clutch. But even as Moon tries to prepare for impending fatherhood, members of the Kek village in the colony tree’s roots go missing, and searching for them only leads to more mysteries as the court is stalked by an unknown enemy.

Stories of Moon and the shape changers of Raksura have delighted readers for years. This world is a dangerous place full of strange mysteries, where the future can never be taken for granted and must always be fought for with wits and ingenuity, and often tooth and claw. With these two new novellas, Martha Wells shows that the world of the Raksura has many more stories to tell�

Contains:
The Dead City #0.3
Mimesis #3.4
Trading Lesson #3.5
The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-ship Escarpment #3.8
The Dark Earth Below #3.7
Appendices]]> 232 Martha Wells 1597805378 Ian 3 fantasy A collection of short stories, mostly about the characters from the author's Raksura series but with one in the greater Three Worlds setting. All of them are worth reading, with my favorites being The Dead City and The Dark Earth Below, both featuring Wells' grumpy, conflicted Raksura hero, Moon.
Good for fans of the series but OK for new readers because Wells recaps the backstory and Includes appendices with background on the characters and setting. Well written fantasy that fans of Robert E Howard, Fritz Leiber etc. Will appreciate.]]> 4.23 2011 Stories of the Raksura, Volume 2: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below
author: Martha Wells
name: Ian
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2024/03/07
date added: 2024/03/07
shelves: fantasy
review:
3.4�
A collection of short stories, mostly about the characters from the author's Raksura series but with one in the greater Three Worlds setting. All of them are worth reading, with my favorites being The Dead City and The Dark Earth Below, both featuring Wells' grumpy, conflicted Raksura hero, Moon.
Good for fans of the series but OK for new readers because Wells recaps the backstory and Includes appendices with background on the characters and setting. Well written fantasy that fans of Robert E Howard, Fritz Leiber etc. Will appreciate.
]]> <![CDATA[Flying Colours (Hornblower Saga: Chronological Order, #8)]]> 90952 256 C.S. Forester 0316289396 Ian 5 favorites, history-fiction Part of my 2024 Hornblower binge reread. It's the second in the 2 book arch that began with A Ship Of The Line. A prisoner of the French, Hornblower makes a daring escape deep in enemy territory. As usual everything goes Hornblowers' way but you don't care because the writing's so good. As well as the plentiful action scenes I also like the picture it paints of early 19th century British society. I don't know how historically accurate it is but it convinced me. As one critic put it, Forester excels at superior 'literary entertainment.']]> 4.31 1938 Flying Colours (Hornblower Saga: Chronological Order, #8)
author: C.S. Forester
name: Ian
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1938
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/29
date added: 2024/03/07
shelves: favorites, history-fiction
review:
5�
Part of my 2024 Hornblower binge reread. It's the second in the 2 book arch that began with A Ship Of The Line. A prisoner of the French, Hornblower makes a daring escape deep in enemy territory. As usual everything goes Hornblowers' way but you don't care because the writing's so good. As well as the plentiful action scenes I also like the picture it paints of early 19th century British society. I don't know how historically accurate it is but it convinced me. As one critic put it, Forester excels at superior 'literary entertainment.'
]]> <![CDATA[Ship of the Line (Hornblower Saga: Chronological Order, #7)]]> 90951
May 1810, seventeen years deep into the Napoleonic Wars. Captain Horatio Hornblower is newly in command of his first ship of the line, the seventy-four-gun HMS Sutherland , which he deems "the ugliest and least desirable two-decker in the Navy List." Moreover, she is 250 men short of a full crew, so Hornblower must enlist and train "poachers, bigamists, sheepstealers," and other landlubbers.

By the time the Sutherland reaches the blockaded Catalonian coast of Spain, the crew is capable of staging five astonishing solo raids against the French. But the grisly prospect of defeat and capture looms for both captain and crew as the Sutherland single-handedly takes on four French ships.]]> 292 C.S. Forester 0316289361 Ian 5 history-fiction Part of my comfort binge reread of the Hornblower books, whilst fighting a cold.
Part one of a two part arch concluding with Flying Colors. This sees HH getting his first major command, the ship of the line Sutherland. He proceeds to the coast of Spain to confuse and harass Napoleon's forces on land and sea. Set in the Nineteenth Century, the book avoids dating with its credible descriptions of the period and interestingly, Forrester's woman characters, though few and far between in this tale of the high seas, are well drawn and historically convincing.
Just a ripping good yarn, of the old school.]]> 4.32 1938 Ship of the Line (Hornblower Saga: Chronological Order, #7)
author: C.S. Forester
name: Ian
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1938
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/02
date added: 2024/03/07
shelves: history-fiction
review:
5�
Part of my comfort binge reread of the Hornblower books, whilst fighting a cold.
Part one of a two part arch concluding with Flying Colors. This sees HH getting his first major command, the ship of the line Sutherland. He proceeds to the coast of Spain to confuse and harass Napoleon's forces on land and sea. Set in the Nineteenth Century, the book avoids dating with its credible descriptions of the period and interestingly, Forrester's woman characters, though few and far between in this tale of the high seas, are well drawn and historically convincing.
Just a ripping good yarn, of the old school.
]]> Commodore Hornblower 90949
First he must battle the terrible Baltic weather: fog, snow and icebound waterways; overcome Russian political and commercial intrigues; avoid the seductive charms of royalty as well as the deadly reach of assassins in the imperial palace; and contend with hostile armies and French privateers. With the fate of Europe balanced on a knife edge, the responsibility lies heavy on a Commodore's shoulders.]]> 384 C.S. Forester 0884119289 Ian 5 history-fiction 2024 reread. Definitely one of the better Horatio Hornblower books, this has HH knocking around the Baltic, confusing the French, hobnobbing with the Tsar and fooling about with countesses.
Forester's simple but elegant prose skips you from adventure to adventure so convincingly you almost never wonder why the breaks always fall Hornblower's way. A comfort read to distract from a nasty cold.]]> 4.22 1945 Commodore Hornblower
author: C.S. Forester
name: Ian
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1945
rating: 5
read at: 2020/12/05
date added: 2024/03/07
shelves: history-fiction
review:
5*
2024 reread. Definitely one of the better Horatio Hornblower books, this has HH knocking around the Baltic, confusing the French, hobnobbing with the Tsar and fooling about with countesses.
Forester's simple but elegant prose skips you from adventure to adventure so convincingly you almost never wonder why the breaks always fall Hornblower's way. A comfort read to distract from a nasty cold.
]]> <![CDATA[Stories of the Raksura: The Falling World]]> 41826626 The Falling World, Jade, sister queen of the Indigo Cloud Court, has traveled with Chime and Balm to another Raksuran court. When she fails to return, her consort, Moon, along with Stone and a party of warriors and hunters, must track them down. Finding them turns out to be the easy part; freeing them from an ancient trap hidden in the depths of the Reaches is much more difficult.

Can be also found in: Stories of the Raksura, Volume 1: The Falling World & The Tale of Indigo and Cloud.]]> 127 Martha Wells Ian 3 fantasy Another novella in Martha Wells' Raksura saga. Pretty good tale of a mysterious ruined city, dangerous enchantments and derring-do by our Raksura hero, Moon, and his gang.
A quick read, with Wells' usual flair for character and setting. Decent, light fantasy entertainment.]]> 3.99 2014 Stories of the Raksura: The Falling World
author: Martha Wells
name: Ian
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/03/07
shelves: fantasy
review:
3.4�
Another novella in Martha Wells' Raksura saga. Pretty good tale of a mysterious ruined city, dangerous enchantments and derring-do by our Raksura hero, Moon, and his gang.
A quick read, with Wells' usual flair for character and setting. Decent, light fantasy entertainment.
]]> Victory City 61111246
In the fourteenth century of the Common Era, in the South of what we now call India, nine-year-old Pampa Kampana, orphaned by war, starts hearing the voice of a goddess. Inspired, and imbued with powerful magic, she vows to ensure that no more women suffer her beloved mother's unconscionable fate. Aided by miracles and a gift for prophecy, she creates a mighty city; her whispered words galvanize its people to grow and change. Her poetry maps the rise and fall of its empire. And the prophetess herself--beloved, feared, timeless--watches as the world changes across the centuries and her body, frozen in the beauty of youth for decades upon decades, fades along with her city's glory. Half a millennium later, her writing is discovered, deep in the ancient earth.

The thirteenth novel from the incomparable Salman Rushdie, Victory City is an epic tale with a message for us all: our power is fleeting, but our stories last forever.]]> 336 Salman Rushdie 0593243390 Ian 4 history-fiction, lit Pampa Kampana, orphaned by war, powerless, vulnerable, victimized is touched by a goddess in order to create a place where such things won't happen. With her bag of magic seeds, she calls into being Bisnaga, the ironically misnamed 'Victory City'.
It's a story about the pointlessness of political power, prejudice and especially war. It's also about how ideals and noble principles are corrupted over time, a timely message when tolerance and inclusion seem under attack on many fronts.
In the end Pampa/Rushdie argues, it's the story that matters. "Words are the only victors," the book concludes.
The book can be read as a feminist and anti-colonialist work, a satire on contemporary society, an adventure/fantasy, or all of the above. My first book by Rushdie but certainly not the last. -30-]]> 3.71 2023 Victory City
author: Salman Rushdie
name: Ian
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/07
date added: 2024/02/07
shelves: history-fiction, lit
review:
Salman Rushdie's take on the epic Indian saga, flavored with magical realism but firmly rooted in his birth country's history.
Pampa Kampana, orphaned by war, powerless, vulnerable, victimized is touched by a goddess in order to create a place where such things won't happen. With her bag of magic seeds, she calls into being Bisnaga, the ironically misnamed 'Victory City'.
It's a story about the pointlessness of political power, prejudice and especially war. It's also about how ideals and noble principles are corrupted over time, a timely message when tolerance and inclusion seem under attack on many fronts.
In the end Pampa/Rushdie argues, it's the story that matters. "Words are the only victors," the book concludes.
The book can be read as a feminist and anti-colonialist work, a satire on contemporary society, an adventure/fantasy, or all of the above. My first book by Rushdie but certainly not the last. -30-
]]> <![CDATA[The Serpent Sea (Books of the Raksura, #2)]]> 11834447
But when the travelers reach the ancestral home of Indigo Cloud, shrouded within the trunk of a mountain-sized tree, they discover a blight infecting its core. Nearby they find the remains of the invaders who may be responsible, as well as evidence of a devastating theft. This discovery sends Moon and the hunters of Indigo Cloud on a quest for the heartstone of the tree � a quest that will lead them far away, across the Serpent Sea.]]> 340 Martha Wells 1597803324 Ian 3 fantasy, junk-good-and-bad The second book in Martha Wells' Raksura series about her sarcastic, carnivorous, shape-shifting, flying, lizard people. Yes, it's a guilty pleasure but a well written one.
Our hero, Moon and his adopted family the Cloud Indigo Court of the Raksura, have made it back to an ancestral home, a giant Mountain Tree. But someone has stolen the tree's heart seed and Moon and his gang must engage in a quest to get it back.
It's fast paced, with decent dialogue between the characters and some well staged action scenes. Wells might not be on the level of Tolkien or LeGuin but this is better than most of the other fantasy series I've tried. I will eventually read the complete series, no doubt. -30-]]> 4.06 2012 The Serpent Sea (Books of the Raksura, #2)
author: Martha Wells
name: Ian
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2024/02/05
date added: 2024/02/05
shelves: fantasy, junk-good-and-bad
review:
3.2�
The second book in Martha Wells' Raksura series about her sarcastic, carnivorous, shape-shifting, flying, lizard people. Yes, it's a guilty pleasure but a well written one.
Our hero, Moon and his adopted family the Cloud Indigo Court of the Raksura, have made it back to an ancestral home, a giant Mountain Tree. But someone has stolen the tree's heart seed and Moon and his gang must engage in a quest to get it back.
It's fast paced, with decent dialogue between the characters and some well staged action scenes. Wells might not be on the level of Tolkien or LeGuin but this is better than most of the other fantasy series I've tried. I will eventually read the complete series, no doubt. -30-
]]> Shame 11163750 321 Salman Rushdie 0307786641 Ian 0 to-read 4.07 1983 Shame
author: Salman Rushdie
name: Ian
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1983
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>