Joe's bookshelf: all

Joe's bookshelf: all en-US Thu, 03 Apr 2025 20:51:23 -0700 60 Joe's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[The Mask of Dimitrios (Charles Latimer, #1)]]> 46429 A Coffin for Dimitrios remains Eric Ambler's most widely acclaimed novel.]]> 304 Eric Ambler 0375726713 Joe 0 to-read 3.93 1939

The Mask of Dimitrios (Charles Latimer, #1)

author: Eric Ambler
name: Joe
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1939
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ramses: The Son of Light (Ramses #1)]]> 56341
At fourteen, Ramses, the second son of the Pharaoh Seth, must begin to pass a series of royal tests designed to build his mental and physical prowess-or break him. Is Seth planning to leave the world's most powerful empire to Ramses, and not his corrupt brother, Shaanar? Before he knows it, the younger prince is surrounded by enemies and turning to his Moses, the brilliant young Hebrew; Setau, the snake charmer and mage; Ahmeni; the frail scholar; and Set and Nefertari, the two beautiful women Ramses loves.

And so begins the journey of the hero the world has yet to know... Let the saga begin.

The first in Christian Jacque's bestselling Ramses series, recounting the thrilling story of Ramses, the legendary king who ruled Egypt for more than 60 years. Ramses sets into motion a tapestry of royal intrigue, treacherous plots, and romantic adventures that will keep readers spellbound and hungry for more.]]> 384 Christian Jacq 0446673560 Joe 2 historical_fiction
I know enough to know they didn't have Criossants though,very silly. The author also decided to take a one off line in the Illad that they passed through Egypt on the way home and turned it into a court visit that lasted years... and included Homer himself (a
bout 300 years before he was born, give or take).

So we don't have history, but maybe its a good story? nope. Apparently the entire 5 book story is just about Ramses.. this book is just his life before he was Pharaoh. And is the the most perfect person in the history of Earth. There are like 10 vignettes show how amazing he is at absolutely everything.. its repetitive, and not very interesting. By the end I was almost rooting for his annoying scheming older brother to win.

Hard pass on the rest of the series... glad I only got the one.
]]> 3.92 1995 Ramses: The Son of Light (Ramses #1)

author: Christian Jacq
name: Joe
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1995
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/03
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: historical_fiction
review:
I was hoping for some actual history when I picked this up.. thinking it was a series that might move through Egyptian history, which I know very little about.

I know enough to know they didn't have Criossants though,very silly. The author also decided to take a one off line in the Illad that they passed through Egypt on the way home and turned it into a court visit that lasted years... and included Homer himself (a
bout 300 years before he was born, give or take).

So we don't have history, but maybe its a good story? nope. Apparently the entire 5 book story is just about Ramses.. this book is just his life before he was Pharaoh. And is the the most perfect person in the history of Earth. There are like 10 vignettes show how amazing he is at absolutely everything.. its repetitive, and not very interesting. By the end I was almost rooting for his annoying scheming older brother to win.

Hard pass on the rest of the series... glad I only got the one.

]]> One Human Minute 28771 112 Stanisław Lem 015668795X Joe 3 satire
The 1st is a review/prologue to a fictional book of statistics that seems to mostly exist to make fun of people's fascination with the Guinness book of World Records, which gave me some nostalglia vibes but wasn't particularly interesting.

Then 2nd one was much more interesting, about military power, where Lem very accurately predicts drones (he actually pictures them as mechanical insects, but the concept is the same). One wishes the current administration would get on board with that instead of spending a fortune on a new fighter plane that is already obsolete.

The final one is about aliens and if they exist or not... nothing to Earth shattering there. I probably would have been more interested overall if I knew more about the author and where he was coming from (other than just that it was the cold war era and the author is Polish).. not the best first book to read. ]]> 3.83 1986 One Human Minute

author: Stanisław Lem
name: Joe
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1986
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: satire
review:
I grabbed this off the shelf at the library on impulse after seeing a couple reviews for other books by the author. Sadly, it was misfiled as science fiction, when in fact it is three I guess you would call them essays, but the author.

The 1st is a review/prologue to a fictional book of statistics that seems to mostly exist to make fun of people's fascination with the Guinness book of World Records, which gave me some nostalglia vibes but wasn't particularly interesting.

Then 2nd one was much more interesting, about military power, where Lem very accurately predicts drones (he actually pictures them as mechanical insects, but the concept is the same). One wishes the current administration would get on board with that instead of spending a fortune on a new fighter plane that is already obsolete.

The final one is about aliens and if they exist or not... nothing to Earth shattering there. I probably would have been more interested overall if I knew more about the author and where he was coming from (other than just that it was the cold war era and the author is Polish).. not the best first book to read.
]]> Life Hunt (Perry Rhodan, 43) 6445118 Science-Fiction 160 Kurt Brand 0441660266 Joe 3 space_opera Now, I've got a few problems with this. Perry Rhodan is running an interplanetary empire.. he has time to use his special task force to essentially run to CVS for him? That's OK?

Also, we had a big long quest for Perry and co. to be immortal, but now the regular doctors can do it? The implications there.

It would have made alot more sense to just have them them go back to the Wanderer (or even just off camera) say Thora and Krest were exceptions.

On the plus side, MIcro-Man was a really good shock short. And in the scientifilms section, they were talking about series. The last one mentioned was Superman. The weird thing was, the author wrote it like it was just some generic SF concept and not the most known Superhero in the world, calling it 'based on a comic strip by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster'. I thought that was wild.

Also, the cover is awesome, but Pucky is not in the book at all. I think that's supposed to be a 'Frogh'.. which were security in the zoo, but those are described at 16 foot long snake like creatures, not two headed dragons.

speaking of 'Froghs'.. it seems the translators was feeling punny this book... it was extremely groan-worthy and threw me right out of the story.. I hope it doesn't continue. ]]> 3.87 1974 Life Hunt (Perry Rhodan, 43)

author: Kurt Brand
name: Joe
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1974
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/27
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: space_opera
review:
No more Atlan i this one... instead we get a John Marshall and a 2nd gen Mutant corps telepath trying to steal immortality serum from the Aras for Thora, while Perry mopes in Hellgate..
Now, I've got a few problems with this. Perry Rhodan is running an interplanetary empire.. he has time to use his special task force to essentially run to CVS for him? That's OK?

Also, we had a big long quest for Perry and co. to be immortal, but now the regular doctors can do it? The implications there.

It would have made alot more sense to just have them them go back to the Wanderer (or even just off camera) say Thora and Krest were exceptions.

On the plus side, MIcro-Man was a really good shock short. And in the scientifilms section, they were talking about series. The last one mentioned was Superman. The weird thing was, the author wrote it like it was just some generic SF concept and not the most known Superhero in the world, calling it 'based on a comic strip by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster'. I thought that was wild.

Also, the cover is awesome, but Pucky is not in the book at all. I think that's supposed to be a 'Frogh'.. which were security in the zoo, but those are described at 16 foot long snake like creatures, not two headed dragons.

speaking of 'Froghs'.. it seems the translators was feeling punny this book... it was extremely groan-worthy and threw me right out of the story.. I hope it doesn't continue.
]]> <![CDATA[Time's Lonely One (Perry Rhodan #42)]]> 35270674 151 K.H. Scheer 0441660258 Joe 4 space_opera
I know he's important based on looking up stuff and looking for the books, but I don't really know why, so this book (told first person from Atlan's point of view) introduces him. It seems he slept through the rise of the New Power (assuming nuclear holocaust was eminent) and woke up to discover that didn't actually happen.

At first, Atlan seems like a nice guy, but it because more clear he's up to no good, eventually stowing away on a ship with Perry and leading to a duel on the harsh planet of Hellgate. Very good intro and I'm looking forward to see what they do with him next!

One of the shock shorts was good too, 'Going Home' by Kris Neville.. a meloncoly spacer tale which was a nice change of pace. ]]> 3.25 Time's Lonely One (Perry Rhodan #42)

author: K.H. Scheer
name: Joe
average rating: 3.25
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: space_opera
review:
I had taken a little Perry break since the first big storyline ended last book, and then there's a time skip. I was looking forward to what was next, and this book didn't disappoint... as Atlan is introduced.

I know he's important based on looking up stuff and looking for the books, but I don't really know why, so this book (told first person from Atlan's point of view) introduces him. It seems he slept through the rise of the New Power (assuming nuclear holocaust was eminent) and woke up to discover that didn't actually happen.

At first, Atlan seems like a nice guy, but it because more clear he's up to no good, eventually stowing away on a ship with Perry and leading to a duel on the harsh planet of Hellgate. Very good intro and I'm looking forward to see what they do with him next!

One of the shock shorts was good too, 'Going Home' by Kris Neville.. a meloncoly spacer tale which was a nice change of pace.
]]> A for Anything 3006890 208 Damon Knight 0380485532 Joe 0 to-read 2.33 1959

author: Damon Knight
name: Joe
average rating: 2.33
book published: 1959
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Death in Vienna (Liebermann Papers, #1)]]> 599540 Set in the Vienna of Freud, Klimt, and Mahler, a time of unprecedented activity in the worlds of philosophy, science, and art, A Death in Vienna (original Mortal Mischief) is an elegantly written novel, taut with suspense and rich in historical details.]]> 464 Frank Tallis 0802118151 Joe 3
This is another example. I grabbed this after watching the most recent series of the show (Vienna Blood), and I have to say I liked the PBS version of Max and Oskar alot better than this one. The show version of Oskar is a tough, hard nosed cop that is dedicated to his job, and doesn't do much else (as many TV inspectors are). This book version show Oskar as a family man who likes to hang out with Max and sing and doesn't seem like he's all that good at his job. Max is pretty similar, and the addition of him actually chatting with Freud, instead of just being a fan of his work was fun, but Clara was also a big change... and not for the better.

I book is written pretty well, though there actually if anything is too much historical detail. The name dropping of musicians and artists moved from establishing the setting to a humble brag about the research done quickly.

And I have no doubt Tallis' Vienna is accurate and well done, but its just too much... perhaps that's more noticeable because I'm alot less familiar with Vienna than, say, New York, Boston or even London as a setting, but it left me feeling like I was missing something, but it was more than I was willing to look up.

Not a terrible book by any means, but overall I was disappointed.]]> 3.78 2005 A Death in Vienna (Liebermann Papers, #1)

A Death in Vienna (Liebermann Papers, #1)

author: Frank Tallis
name: Joe
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: historical_fiction, mystery_detective
review:
I know alot of people say the book is always better than the TV show/movie.... and others don't read so much and wait for said movie. For me, its official... whatever I experience first is the one.

This is another example. I grabbed this after watching the most recent series of the show (Vienna Blood), and I have to say I liked the PBS version of Max and Oskar alot better than this one. The show version of Oskar is a tough, hard nosed cop that is dedicated to his job, and doesn't do much else (as many TV inspectors are). This book version show Oskar as a family man who likes to hang out with Max and sing and doesn't seem like he's all that good at his job. Max is pretty similar, and the addition of him actually chatting with Freud, instead of just being a fan of his work was fun, but Clara was also a big change... and not for the better.

I book is written pretty well, though there actually if anything is too much historical detail. The name dropping of musicians and artists moved from establishing the setting to a humble brag about the research done quickly.

And I have no doubt Tallis' Vienna is accurate and well done, but its just too much... perhaps that's more noticeable because I'm alot less familiar with Vienna than, say, New York, Boston or even London as a setting, but it left me feeling like I was missing something, but it was more than I was willing to look up.

Not a terrible book by any means, but overall I was disappointed.
]]> Beyond Apollo 882055 153 Barry N. Malzberg 0881845515 Joe 0 to-read 3.66 1972

author: Barry N. Malzberg
name: Joe
average rating: 3.66
book published: 1972
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective]]> 210129411 A revelatory history of the women who brought Victorian criminals to account—and how they became a cultural sensation
��
From Wilkie Collins to the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the traditional image of the Victorian detective is male. Few people realise that women detectives successfully investigated Victorian Britain, working both with the police and for private agencies, which they sometimes managed themselves.
��
Sara Lodge recovers these forgotten women’s lives. She also reveals the sensational role played by the fantasy female detective in Victorian melodrama and popular fiction, enthralling a public who relished the spectacle of a cross-dressing, fist-swinging heroine who got the better of love rats, burglars, and murderers alike.
��
How did the morally ambiguous work of real women detectives, sometimes paid to betray their fellow women, compare with the exploits of their fictional counterparts, who always save the day? Lodge’s book takes us into the murky underworld of Victorian society on both sides of the Atlantic, revealing the female detective as both an unacknowledged labourer and a feminist icon.]]> 384 Sara Lodge 0300277881 Joe 0 to-read 3.78 2024 The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective

The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective

author: Sara Lodge
name: Joe
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Dead Cat Tail Assassins 127305606 The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.

Nor do they have tails.

But they are most assuredly dead.

Nebula and Alex Award winner P. Djèlí Clark introduces a brand-new world and a fantastical city full of gods and assassins.

Eveen the Eviscerator is skilled, discreet, professional, and here for your most pressing needs in the ancient city of Tal Abisi. Her guild is strong, her blades are sharp, and her rules are simple. Those sworn to the Matron of Assassins―resurrected, deadly, wiped of their memories―have only three unbreakable vows.

First, the contract must be just. That’s above Eveen’s pay grade.

Second, even the most powerful assassin may only kill the contracted. Eveen’s a professional. She’s never missed her mark.

The third and the simplest: once you accept a job, you must carry it out. And if you stray? A ﬁnal death would be a mercy. When the Festival of the Clockwork King turns the city upside down, Eveen’s newest mission brings her face-to-face with a past she isn’t supposed to remember and a vow she can’t forget.]]> 213 P. Djèlí Clark 1250767040 Joe 3 epic-fantasy
It was pretty minor in this book, and not the biggest plot annoyance, but it made me angry... I really need to be mentally prepared for such things.

Anyway, the book starts off really well... the first bit reads very much like a Forgotten Realms novel one forgot about. As the story continues, though the author seems to forget the setting and starts having the characters use modern slang, which was very jarring. The worst was when the rebel mages in the book were called 'Edgelords' and 'Neck Beards'

The author also uses a nigh indecipherable pidgin for the goddess' dialogue that gets old two paragraphs in which made the climax a real chore to read.

On the plus side, I did like the main character alot, and the concept of signing up to be an undead assassin while you are still living is pretty fun, so there's enough good stuff here to make it worth reading. ]]> 3.86 2024 The Dead Cat Tail Assassins

author: P. Djèlí Clark
name: Joe
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/13
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: epic-fantasy
review:
First, I would just like to say there should be some sort of warning label on any book that decides to use time travel as a plot device, so those of us who hate it can be forewarned.

It was pretty minor in this book, and not the biggest plot annoyance, but it made me angry... I really need to be mentally prepared for such things.

Anyway, the book starts off really well... the first bit reads very much like a Forgotten Realms novel one forgot about. As the story continues, though the author seems to forget the setting and starts having the characters use modern slang, which was very jarring. The worst was when the rebel mages in the book were called 'Edgelords' and 'Neck Beards'

The author also uses a nigh indecipherable pidgin for the goddess' dialogue that gets old two paragraphs in which made the climax a real chore to read.

On the plus side, I did like the main character alot, and the concept of signing up to be an undead assassin while you are still living is pretty fun, so there's enough good stuff here to make it worth reading.
]]> <![CDATA[Major League Baseball in the 1970s: A Modern Game Emerges]]> 6571997 412 Joseph G. Preston 0786415924 Joe 2 sports
Stuff certainly did happen (the DH and free agency are the big ones) but the former only gets about 10 pages and the later is mostly small bits among other stories. There is no mention of the 1975 world series... Alex Johnson and Dave Kingman get more time than George Steinbrenner. The Red Sox aren't mentioned at all until a short chapter at the end of the book about the Bucky Dent game (the only single game discussed in the book). There is a weird digression talking about why Steve Garvey should be a Hall of Famer (which is funny in retrospect), and other than joking about Mickey Lolich's weight the TIgers are never mentioned.

Most of the author's good material is taken whole from other books.. he seems a fan of Marvin Miller and Bowie Kuhn, whose books are quoted liberally... and a fair bit from Ball Four as well.

As a writer, Preston tries to be funny and make alot of pop culture references, but Bill Simmons he is not. Perhaps if I read the book in 2005 it would have worked better.

The worst though, besides not delivering on the promise of describing the modern game emerging (instead each chapter is a separate random essay topic), he actually contradicts himself several times. He laments that fireballing pitchers of the 60s are lost, while saying that no relievers throw hard because all the hard throws are starters. He tries to make the point that a 5 man rotation is a new thing, when that is FAR from the case, and even sites some examples of how it wasn't.

He claims there were only 4 closers before the 70s, never mentioned the 2nd best one, Roy Face. and neglecting to mention John McGraw came up with the idea of a permanent reliever in 1911.

He also doesn't talk about the DH at all, other than mentioning it came into existance... that was a bit of a thing, no?

For Free agency, he talks about Curt Flood, then Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith, but totally leaves out Catfish Hunter (only mentioning him in passing in the contest of the Charlie Finley chapter and mentioning he signed a big contract with the Yankees)

Some of the other big things, like Hank Aaron breaking the record, or the As exploits, felt directly lifted out of other books I've read, with no original material at all.

He spends a huge amount of time on fringe stories (which was a bit interesting, and the only stuff I didn't felt like I've reas elsewhere) but not in the context of telling the story of a decade.

To use one of the author's obscure references, this is the Vern Rapp of baseball books, you can move along. ]]> 2.67 2004 Major League Baseball in the 1970s: A Modern Game Emerges

Major League Baseball in the 1970s: A Modern Game Emerges

author: Joseph G. Preston
name: Joe
average rating: 2.67
book published: 2004
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: sports
review:
I don't remember where I came across this book, but I was pretty excited to read it... I've always considered the 70s a bit of a drug addled haze as far as baseball goes, and here was someone telling me how important they were... wow!

Stuff certainly did happen (the DH and free agency are the big ones) but the former only gets about 10 pages and the later is mostly small bits among other stories. There is no mention of the 1975 world series... Alex Johnson and Dave Kingman get more time than George Steinbrenner. The Red Sox aren't mentioned at all until a short chapter at the end of the book about the Bucky Dent game (the only single game discussed in the book). There is a weird digression talking about why Steve Garvey should be a Hall of Famer (which is funny in retrospect), and other than joking about Mickey Lolich's weight the TIgers are never mentioned.

Most of the author's good material is taken whole from other books.. he seems a fan of Marvin Miller and Bowie Kuhn, whose books are quoted liberally... and a fair bit from Ball Four as well.

As a writer, Preston tries to be funny and make alot of pop culture references, but Bill Simmons he is not. Perhaps if I read the book in 2005 it would have worked better.

The worst though, besides not delivering on the promise of describing the modern game emerging (instead each chapter is a separate random essay topic), he actually contradicts himself several times. He laments that fireballing pitchers of the 60s are lost, while saying that no relievers throw hard because all the hard throws are starters. He tries to make the point that a 5 man rotation is a new thing, when that is FAR from the case, and even sites some examples of how it wasn't.

He claims there were only 4 closers before the 70s, never mentioned the 2nd best one, Roy Face. and neglecting to mention John McGraw came up with the idea of a permanent reliever in 1911.

He also doesn't talk about the DH at all, other than mentioning it came into existance... that was a bit of a thing, no?

For Free agency, he talks about Curt Flood, then Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith, but totally leaves out Catfish Hunter (only mentioning him in passing in the contest of the Charlie Finley chapter and mentioning he signed a big contract with the Yankees)

Some of the other big things, like Hank Aaron breaking the record, or the As exploits, felt directly lifted out of other books I've read, with no original material at all.

He spends a huge amount of time on fringe stories (which was a bit interesting, and the only stuff I didn't felt like I've reas elsewhere) but not in the context of telling the story of a decade.

To use one of the author's obscure references, this is the Vern Rapp of baseball books, you can move along.
]]> <![CDATA[Harlem Shuffle (Ray Carney, #1)]]> 54626223 From the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, a gloriously entertaining novel of heists, shakedowns, and rip-offs set in Harlem in the 1960s.

“Ray Carney was only slightly bent when it came to being crooked…�� To his customers and neighbors on 125th street, Carney is an upstanding salesman of reasonably priced furniture, making a decent life for himself and his family. He and his wife Elizabeth are expecting their second child, and if her parents on Striver’s Row don’t approve of him or their cramped apartment across from the subway tracks, it’s still home.

Few people know he descends from a line of uptown hoods and crooks, and that his façade of normalcy has more than a few cracks in it. Cracks that are getting bigger all the time.

Cash is tight, especially with all those installment-plan sofas, so if his cousin Freddie occasionally drops off the odd ring or necklace, Ray doesn’t ask where it comes from. He knows a discreet jeweler downtown who doesn’t ask questions, either.

Then Freddie falls in with a crew who plan to rob the Hotel Theresa—the “Waldorf of Harlem”—and volunteers Ray’s services as the fence. The heist doesn’t go as planned; they rarely do. Now Ray has a new clientele, one made up of shady cops, vicious local gangsters, two-bit pornographers, and other assorted Harlem lowlifes.

Thus begins the internal tussle between Ray the striver and Ray the crook. As Ray navigates this double life, he begins to see who actually pulls the strings in Harlem. Can Ray avoid getting killed, save his cousin, and grab his share of the big score, all while maintaining his reputation as the go-to source for all your quality home furniture needs?

Harlem Shuffle’s ingenious story plays out in a beautifully recreated New York City of the early 1960s. It’s a family saga masquerading as a crime novel, a hilarious morality play, a social novel about race and power, and ultimately a love letter to Harlem.

But mostly, it’s a joy to read, another dazzling novel from the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning Colson Whitehead.]]> 318 Colson Whitehead 0385545134 Joe 3 historical_fiction
Ray is just a little crooked, he does a bit of fencing to keep the store running, but his cousin Freddie drags him into more and more of the dark side (and consequently he does better and better for his family that way).

Much like the last book I read by Whitehead, I suspect this might be a revelation for some people about race relations. I've read plenty of baseball books that gave me that same story, and they are alot more interesting than a fictional furniture salesman.

Things to get a little over the top at the end, but not really in a good way. It's a bit dissonant as compared to the rest of the book. I had read this with the intent of reading the sequel, but the jury is out on that.]]> 3.67 2021 Harlem Shuffle (Ray Carney, #1)

author: Colson Whitehead
name: Joe
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: historical_fiction
review:
I was looking for this book to be a noir-ish caper sort of book. While it does have a bit of that, mostly its about a furniture store owner in Harlem in the 60s. It is a very well done and I suspect very accurate portrayal.. because its kinda boring.

Ray is just a little crooked, he does a bit of fencing to keep the store running, but his cousin Freddie drags him into more and more of the dark side (and consequently he does better and better for his family that way).

Much like the last book I read by Whitehead, I suspect this might be a revelation for some people about race relations. I've read plenty of baseball books that gave me that same story, and they are alot more interesting than a fictional furniture salesman.

Things to get a little over the top at the end, but not really in a good way. It's a bit dissonant as compared to the rest of the book. I had read this with the intent of reading the sequel, but the jury is out on that.
]]> <![CDATA[The Day of the Dragonking (Last American Wizard #1)]]> 27783490
Mystically powered terrorists unleash volatile magic on the world, turning Washington, D.C., into a politically charged fantasyland ripe for human sacrifice�� Hope appears in the nation's capital where, along with transforming Democrats into potbellied elves, Republicans into cantankerous dwarves, and Tea Party members into trolls, the Change has granted struggling freelance journalist Steve Rowan the abilities of the Tarot Arcana's Fool card, making him a powerful, yet unreliable, wizard. Realizing his potential, he is "hired" by the trivia-obsessed sentient computer Barnaby and coupled with the attractive, no-nonsense female Navy SEAL Ace Morningstar to uncover the puppet masters behind the plane crash. Irving (Courier, 2014, etc. ), a producer of Emmy Award-winning news television and a journalist well-acquainted with the Beltway, makes good use of clichEd Washington stereotypes by mashing them together with fantasy tropes, breathing new life into political satire�� Like many first books in a genre series, the novel foreshadows a greater enemy behind all this madness while barely hinting at its identity, offering a wonderfully bizarre consolation prize as its denouement.

A clever, humorous fantasy��

---Kirkus Reviews]]> 390 Terry Irving 0996691723 Joe 0 to-read 4.00 2015 The Day of the Dragonking (Last American Wizard #1)

The Day of the Dragonking (Last American Wizard #1)

author: Terry Irving
name: Joe
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> With Folded Hands... 17319076 A precursor to Williamson's novel THE HUMANOIDS, which Damon Knight called "without a doubt, one of the most important science-fantasy books of its decade."]]> 53 Jack Williamson Joe 0 to-read 4.06 1947 With Folded Hands...

author: Jack Williamson
name: Joe
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1947
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> King of Zunga :Blade 12 8668189
It writhed backward, bent into a bow, and lifted a head as large as a horse's up from the surface of the pond. The head rose slowly, bobbing and weaving at the end of a neck thicker than Blade's own body, occasionally opening a mouth rimmed with foot-long, dagger-pointed teeth.

At the first movement of the snake Blade froze; at the second he began inching back into the cover of the trees. The head swiveled back and forth ten feet above the ground. Green-hued eyes the size of dinner plates scanned the edges of the pond. The the snake lowered itself to the ground and began slowly and steadily pulling itself onto the bank. Blade swore. Against that monster his staff would be about as useful as a Boy Scout knife. As long as the serpent was camped on the edge of the pond, it would be a risky business getting water.

More and more of the mottled black-brown body flowed toward him until the hideous creature stretched sixty feet along the bare earth. The breeze carried its faint musk to Blade, and he swallowed, his mouth and throat suddenly drier than even his thirst had made them.

For one of the few times in his existence, Blade was terrified!]]> 181 Jeffrey Lord 0523005237 Joe 3 thriller-caper
The story is pretty similarly a decent Tarzan knock off, though the framing story for Richard Blade, where he is a MI6 operative going through a portal to difference universes could accomodate any trend in 'Men's Adventure'.

This was was a bit more racy (there are 3 different sex scenes) than your usual Burroughs fare, but the story is pretty similar Richard Blade is the white savior helping the Zungans against their oppressors. The fight scenes are practically taken from Dynasty Warriors... Blade takes on 6, 8, 10 guys at once and always wins without a scratch... the one time he got captured it took 50 guys.

The back of the book advertises 4 other series, all of which sound exactly the same as the 1st one... The Executioner. If you don't mind a bit of period silliness its not a bad quick read. ]]> 3.67 King of Zunga :Blade 12

author: Jeffrey Lord
name: Joe
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/04
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: thriller-caper
review:
This was one that the cover grabbed me, not so much that it's good, more that it was and interesting riff on the really good Tarzan covers.

The story is pretty similarly a decent Tarzan knock off, though the framing story for Richard Blade, where he is a MI6 operative going through a portal to difference universes could accomodate any trend in 'Men's Adventure'.

This was was a bit more racy (there are 3 different sex scenes) than your usual Burroughs fare, but the story is pretty similar Richard Blade is the white savior helping the Zungans against their oppressors. The fight scenes are practically taken from Dynasty Warriors... Blade takes on 6, 8, 10 guys at once and always wins without a scratch... the one time he got captured it took 50 guys.

The back of the book advertises 4 other series, all of which sound exactly the same as the 1st one... The Executioner. If you don't mind a bit of period silliness its not a bad quick read.
]]> Ocean's Godori 196262577
When her best friend, Teo, second son of the Anand Tech empire, is framed for murdering his family, Ocean and her misfit crewmates are pushed to the forefront of a high-stakes ideological conflict. But dodging bullets and winning space chases may be the easiest part of what comes next.

A thrilling adventure across the solar that delivers hyperkinetic action sequences and irresistible will-they-won't-they romance alongside its nuanced exploration of colonialism and capitalism, Ocean's Godori ultimately asks: What do we owe our past? How do we navigate our present while honoring the complicated facets of our identity? What can our future hold?]]> 341 Elaine U. Cho 1638930597 Joe 0 to-read 3.61 2024

author: Elaine U. Cho
name: Joe
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Night of the Long Knives (Dover Doomsday Classics)]]> 23639198 Welcome to Deathland, a postapocalyptic nuclear desert where kill or be killed is the law of the land. The radiation-damaged survivors of this ravaged region are consumed by the urge to murder each other, making partnership of any sort a lethal risk. But when two drifters forge an uneasy truce, the possibility of a new life beckons.
Written by a multiple Hugo Award–winning author and one of the founders of the sword-and-sorcery genre, this novel-length magazine story first appeared at the height of Cold War paranoia. Fritz Leiber's thought-provoking tale addresses timeless questions about the influences of community and culture as well as the individual struggle to reform.]]> 112 Fritz Leiber 0486798011 Joe 0 to-read 3.70 1960 The Night of the Long Knives (Dover Doomsday Classics)

The Night of the Long Knives (Dover Doomsday Classics)

author: Fritz Leiber
name: Joe
average rating: 3.70
book published: 1960
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[God Save The Child (Spenser, #2)]]> 6052635 154 Robert B. Parker 0425043010 Joe 4 mystery_detective
I liked it alot more that I liked the show (which I always thought was kinda boring when I was little and my parents watched it).. Spenser is a fun PI with alot of personality. Maybe a little too perfect, but this is only the 2nd book plenty of time for him to do dumb stuff later.

The case was pretty straight forward, and I figured it out right along with our hero. He did not have to be intentionally dumb for the plot to move, which was nice. I'm not quite familar enough with Boston to know if the geography was exactly right (in fact, it seemed a bit off at a couple points), but he got route 1 in Saugus right down to the old Hilltop sign and he definitely knew where the Common was, so I'll take it.

Sarah was also a really interesting love interest and hopefully she sticks around (I suspect she does since she's in the show). Once a make a little space on the to read shelf an ebay lot of a few Spenser books might be in my future.]]> 4.00 1974 God Save The Child (Spenser, #2)

author: Robert B. Parker
name: Joe
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1974
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: mystery_detective
review:
I had for a long time figured this was not really a good series since it was local and people liked it for that reason. But then this book jumped out at me at a library book sale so I thought I'd give it a shot.

I liked it alot more that I liked the show (which I always thought was kinda boring when I was little and my parents watched it).. Spenser is a fun PI with alot of personality. Maybe a little too perfect, but this is only the 2nd book plenty of time for him to do dumb stuff later.

The case was pretty straight forward, and I figured it out right along with our hero. He did not have to be intentionally dumb for the plot to move, which was nice. I'm not quite familar enough with Boston to know if the geography was exactly right (in fact, it seemed a bit off at a couple points), but he got route 1 in Saugus right down to the old Hilltop sign and he definitely knew where the Common was, so I'll take it.

Sarah was also a really interesting love interest and hopefully she sticks around (I suspect she does since she's in the show). Once a make a little space on the to read shelf an ebay lot of a few Spenser books might be in my future.
]]> <![CDATA[The Bayern Agenda (The Galactic Cold War, #1)]]> 40700566 A new Cold War threatens the galaxy, in this fast-paced and wisecracking thriller of spies and subterfuge.

Simon Kovalic, top intelligence operative for the Commonwealth of Independent Systems, is on the frontline of the burgeoning Cold War with the aggressive Illyrican Empire. He barely escapes his latest mission with a broken arm, and vital intel which points to the Empire cozying up to the Bayern Corporation: a planet-sized bank. There's no time to waste, but with Kovalic out of action, his undercover team is handed over to his ex-wife, Lt Commander Natalie Taylor. When Kovalic's boss is tipped off that the Imperium are ready and waiting, it's up to the wounded spy to rescue his team and complete the mission before they're all caught and executed.

File Under: Science Fiction [ Friendly Faces Traitor, Pilot, Banker, Spy Embassy Games Going in Hot ]]]> 382 Dan Moren 0857668196 Joe 0 to-read 3.95 2019 The Bayern Agenda (The Galactic Cold War, #1)

The Bayern Agenda (The Galactic Cold War, #1)

author: Dan Moren
name: Joe
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Service Model 195790861 To fix the world they first must break it further.

Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service. When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into their core programming, they murder their owner. The robot then discovers they can also do something else they never did before: run away. After fleeing the household, they enter a wider world they never knew existed, where the age-old hierarchy of humans at the top is disintegrating, and a robot ecosystem devoted to human wellbeing is finding a new purpose.]]> 376 Adrian Tchaikovsky 1250290287 Joe 0 to-read 3.99 2024 Service Model

author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
name: Joe
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Chains (Seeds of America, #1) 3002300 From acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson comes this compelling, impeccably researched novel that shows the lengths we can go to cast off our chains, both physical and spiritual.

Reading Level: Age 10 and Up ]]> 316 Laurie Halse Anderson 1416905855 Joe 0 to-read 4.10 2008 Chains (Seeds of America, #1)

author: Laurie Halse Anderson
name: Joe
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Childhood’s End 414999
But at what cost? With the advent of peace, man ceases to strive for creative greatness, and a malaise settles over the human race. To those who resist, it becomes evident that the Overlords have an agenda of their own. As civilization approaches the crossroads, will the Overlords spell the end for humankind . . . or the beginning?]]> 224 Arthur C. Clarke Joe 5 hard_sf
Its funny how the memory goes with books... I mostly remembered the beginning (up to the big reveal of the Overlords) and the end, but not really the middle part. I guess those are the parts that make you think and what make the biggest impression on me. I've always been sad Clarke didn't write more about Karellen, he would be a great guide to a variety of alien races, but alas... perhaps someday someone will pick that up. ]]> 4.12 1953 Childhood’s End

author: Arthur C. Clarke
name: Joe
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1953
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: hard_sf
review:
I've had a run of not super great books, so I wanted to re-read this one, which is my favorite of Clarke. At some point my copy escaped, so I ended up getting a new one, but I was able to find the same copy I had.. the early 90s printing with an add for the Shannara DOS game in the back (this made me smile).

Its funny how the memory goes with books... I mostly remembered the beginning (up to the big reveal of the Overlords) and the end, but not really the middle part. I guess those are the parts that make you think and what make the biggest impression on me. I've always been sad Clarke didn't write more about Karellen, he would be a great guide to a variety of alien races, but alas... perhaps someday someone will pick that up.
]]> <![CDATA[Crook Manifesto (Ray Carney, #2)]]> 61812836 Colson Whitehead continues his Harlem saga in a novel that summons 1970s New York in all its seedy glory.

It's 1971. Trash piles up on the streets, crime is at an all-time high, the city is careening towards bankruptcy, and a shooting war has broken out between the NYPD and the Black Liberation Army. Amidst this collective nervous breakdown furniture store owner and ex-fence Ray Carney tries to keep his head down and his business thriving. His days moving stolen goods around the city are over. It's strictly the straight-and-narrow for him -- until he needs Jackson 5 tickets for his daughter May and he decides to hit up his old police contact Munson, fixer extraordinaire. But Munson has his own favors to ask of Carney and staying out of the game gets a lot more complicated - and deadly.

1973. The counter-culture has created a new generation, the old ways are being overthrown, but there is one constant, Pepper, Carney's endearingly violent partner in crime. It's getting harder to put together a reliable crew for hijackings, heists, and assorted felonies, so Pepper takes on a side gig doing security on a Blaxploitation shoot in Harlem. He finds himself in a freaky world of Hollywood stars, up-and-coming comedians, and celebrity drug dealers, in addition to the usual cast of hustlers, mobsters, and hit men. These adversaries underestimate the seasoned crook - to their regret.

1976. Harlem is burning, block by block, while the whole country is gearing up for Bicentennial celebrations. Carney is trying to come up with a July 4th ad he can live with. ("Two Hundred Years of Getting Away with It!"), while his wife Elizabeth is campaigning for her childhood friend, the former assistant D.A and rising politician Alexander Oakes. When a fire severely injures one of Carney's tenants, he enlists Pepper to look into who may be behind it. Our crooked duo have to battle their way through a crumbling metropolis run by the shady, the violent, and the utterly corrupted.]]> 336 Colson Whitehead 0385545150 Joe 0 to-read 3.82 2023 Crook Manifesto (Ray Carney, #2)

author: Colson Whitehead
name: Joe
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Witch King (The Rising World, #1)]]> 61885085 "You idiot. I'm the demon."
Kai's having a long day in Martha Wells' Witch King...

After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well.

But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence?

Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions.

He’s not going to like the answers.]]> 415 Martha Wells 1250826799 Joe 3 epic-fantasy
It's hard to have any dramatic tension about how might survive a scary encounter when you already know. I appreciate a demon being the main character, but he was so overpowered there was never any real fear even in the 'current' story. Much of that story tension was about politics, and then all of a sudden it wasn't. The search for the missing friend that was a main part of things also was rather anti-climatic.

I thought the world was really interesting, but the plot just didn't match it. ]]> 3.60 2023 Witch King (The Rising World, #1)

author: Martha Wells
name: Joe
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: epic-fantasy
review:
I feel like this book has the beginning of two different good fantasy series.. but trying to combine them into on book just didn't really work. I know this is how alot of writers like to write these days... but I still find it difficult to care about flashback sequences like this when they are depicting big events that already happened.

It's hard to have any dramatic tension about how might survive a scary encounter when you already know. I appreciate a demon being the main character, but he was so overpowered there was never any real fear even in the 'current' story. Much of that story tension was about politics, and then all of a sudden it wasn't. The search for the missing friend that was a main part of things also was rather anti-climatic.

I thought the world was really interesting, but the plot just didn't match it.
]]> <![CDATA[Marvel Comics: The Untold Story]]> 13623814
Operating out of a tiny office on Madison Avenue in the early 1960s, a struggling company called Marvel Comics presented a cast of brightly costumed characters distinguished by smart banter and compellingly human flaws. Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Captain America, the Incredible Hulk, the Avengers, Iron Man, Thor, the X-Men, Daredevil—these superheroes quickly won children's hearts and sparked the imaginations of pop artists, public intellectuals, and campus radicals. Over the course of a half century, Marvel's epic universe would become the most elaborate fictional narrative in history and serve as a modern American mythology for millions of readers.

Throughout this decades-long journey to becoming a multibillion-dollar enterprise, Marvel's identity has continually shifted, careening between scrappy underdog and corporate behemoth. As the company has weathered Wall Street machinations, Hollywood failures, and the collapse of the comic book market, its characters have been passed along among generations of editors, artists, and writers—also known as the celebrated Marvel "Bullpen." Entrusted to carry on tradition, Marvel's contributors—impoverished child prodigies, hallucinating peaceniks, and mercenary careerists among them—struggled with commercial mandates, a fickle audience, and, over matters of credit and control, one another.

For the first time, Marvel Comics reveals the outsized personalities behind the scenes, including Martin Goodman, the self-made publisher who forayed into comics after a get-rich-quick tip in 1939; Stan Lee, the energetic editor who would shepherd the company through thick and thin for decades; and Jack Kirby, the World War II veteran who'd co-created Captain America in 1940 and, twenty years later, developed with Lee the bulk of the company's marquee characters in a three-year frenzy of creativity that would be the grounds for future legal battles and endless debates.

Drawing on more than one hundred original interviews with Marvel insiders then and now, Marvel Comics is a story of fertile imaginations, lifelong friendships, action-packed fistfights, reformed criminals, unlikely alliances, and third-act betrayals�� a narrative of one of the most extraordinary, beloved, and beleaguered pop cultural entities in America's history.]]> 485 Sean Howe 0061992100 Joe 3 real_history
Howe puts together the history of Marvel in a fairly coherent, unbiased way, but it was a bit odd how the book progressed. There was really not alot on the early days, or Stan vs. Jack (though what was there was pretty nicely factual and unbiased)... but LOTS about Steve Gerber for some reason... if you didn't know anything about comics you'd think Howard the Duck was on par with the Avengers.

Howe randomly sprinkles in plots of the comics at weird times, too. But other times, things are never mentioned at all. He spend alot of time on the editors of the lines and how they annoyed the creative talent, but only a couple writers were worth mentioning, its clear Howe thinks the artists are more important. We get chapters devoted to the comings and going of Gerber, John Byrne, and Frank Miller.. but not a single mention of Mark Waid. Then other industry giants are only mentioned in passing... like George Perez (the exception to the rule of artists being important) and Kurt Busiek.

He also only VERY inconsistently mentioned what DC and the other competition are doing, at times when it would make sense. No mention of Crisis, even when talking about Byrne leaving Marvel to do Superman. No mention of Kingdom Come, only Marvels. (which was only of only 3 short Kurt Busiek call outs). I suspect that might have to do with the mix of people he interviewed for the book, but who can say for sure.

There was also very little mention of licensing, other then an off hand comment that Star Wars produced a well-timed cash infusion and Roy Thomas liked Conan.

The section on the 90s was all about the business/corporate stuff, which I knew little about, but still don't care about, but was definitely new information to me. I did find some irony in alot of the corporate executives from the 80s and 90s calling Marvel a 'mini-Disney'.

Overall, I'm glad I've finally read it so I don't have to wonder if I'm missing anything :)]]> 4.04 2012 Marvel Comics: The Untold Story

author: Sean Howe
name: Joe
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: real_history
review:
This is a book I probably should have read a long time ago... at this point I knew most of the stuff in it from various conversations in the Classics Comics Forum and other things online.

Howe puts together the history of Marvel in a fairly coherent, unbiased way, but it was a bit odd how the book progressed. There was really not alot on the early days, or Stan vs. Jack (though what was there was pretty nicely factual and unbiased)... but LOTS about Steve Gerber for some reason... if you didn't know anything about comics you'd think Howard the Duck was on par with the Avengers.

Howe randomly sprinkles in plots of the comics at weird times, too. But other times, things are never mentioned at all. He spend alot of time on the editors of the lines and how they annoyed the creative talent, but only a couple writers were worth mentioning, its clear Howe thinks the artists are more important. We get chapters devoted to the comings and going of Gerber, John Byrne, and Frank Miller.. but not a single mention of Mark Waid. Then other industry giants are only mentioned in passing... like George Perez (the exception to the rule of artists being important) and Kurt Busiek.

He also only VERY inconsistently mentioned what DC and the other competition are doing, at times when it would make sense. No mention of Crisis, even when talking about Byrne leaving Marvel to do Superman. No mention of Kingdom Come, only Marvels. (which was only of only 3 short Kurt Busiek call outs). I suspect that might have to do with the mix of people he interviewed for the book, but who can say for sure.

There was also very little mention of licensing, other then an off hand comment that Star Wars produced a well-timed cash infusion and Roy Thomas liked Conan.

The section on the 90s was all about the business/corporate stuff, which I knew little about, but still don't care about, but was definitely new information to me. I did find some irony in alot of the corporate executives from the 80s and 90s calling Marvel a 'mini-Disney'.

Overall, I'm glad I've finally read it so I don't have to wonder if I'm missing anything :)
]]> Dark Matter 27833670 A mindbending, relentlessly surprising thriller from the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy.

Jason Dessen is walking home through the chilly Chicago streets one night, looking forward to a quiet evening in front of the fireplace with his wife, Daniela, and their son, Charlie—when his reality shatters.

"Are you happy with your life?"

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.

Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.

Before a man Jason's never met smiles down at him and says, "Welcome back, my friend."

In this world he's woken up to, Jason's life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.

Is it this world or the other that's the dream?

And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could've imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human--a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we'll go to claim the lives we dream of.]]> 342 Blake Crouch 1101904224 Joe 2 soft_sf
It was that.. it definitely turns the pages. The plot hinges on quite a few silly things, though. Like, someone that had FIFTEEN YEARS of different experiences isn't going to look the same, or talk the same, or be the same size. Certainly, they are not going to still use the same password at their top secret job.

The when it goes all Highlander at the end... there's not reason for the particular Jason we'd been following to be the one... he didn't get back first, and others were clearly also nice and barely any different (the premise there is probably the cleverest bit of the book and why its not 1 star)... there's really no reason for it other than he thinks he thought of something other selves of his didn't, even though all along the way that wasn't the case... just one of many, many things that didn't make sense (and why I hate this sort of story if its attempted to be written seriously).

The ending also needed an epilogue, it was OK, but its almost like he was setting up for a sequel that clearly doesn't need to happen. Glad I got through it quickly at least]]> 4.13 2016 Dark Matter

author: Blake Crouch
name: Joe
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: soft_sf
review:
I couple disclaimers here.... I don't like Blake Crouch (I read and watched Wayward Pines and got really annoyed by it), and I hate time travel/multi-verse stuff. Sure, its fine in a comic as a 'what if' or 'imaginary story', but when you start having multiple versions of the same person running around its just a mess. I 100% would never have read it if it wasn't a book club book, and even then I almost didn't, but my wife and my daughter both liked it, and its a ton of dialogue so I figured it would be a quick read at least.

It was that.. it definitely turns the pages. The plot hinges on quite a few silly things, though. Like, someone that had FIFTEEN YEARS of different experiences isn't going to look the same, or talk the same, or be the same size. Certainly, they are not going to still use the same password at their top secret job.

The when it goes all Highlander at the end... there's not reason for the particular Jason we'd been following to be the one... he didn't get back first, and others were clearly also nice and barely any different (the premise there is probably the cleverest bit of the book and why its not 1 star)... there's really no reason for it other than he thinks he thought of something other selves of his didn't, even though all along the way that wasn't the case... just one of many, many things that didn't make sense (and why I hate this sort of story if its attempted to be written seriously).

The ending also needed an epilogue, it was OK, but its almost like he was setting up for a sequel that clearly doesn't need to happen. Glad I got through it quickly at least
]]> <![CDATA[The Space Between Worlds (The Space Between Worlds, #1)]]> 43301353 An outsider who can travel between worlds discovers a secret that threatens her new home and her fragile place in it, in a stunning sci-fi debut that’s both a cross-dimensional adventure and a powerful examination of identity, privilege, and belonging.

Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s just one catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying—from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun. Cara’s life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total.

On this Earth, however, Cara has survived. Identified as an outlier and therefore a perfect candidate for multiverse travel, Cara is plucked from the dirt of the wastelands. Now she has a nice apartment on the lower levels of the wealthy and walled-off Wiley City. She works—and shamelessly flirts—with her enticing yet aloof handler, Dell, as the two women collect off-world data for the Eldridge Institute. She even occasionally leaves the city to visit her family in the wastes, though she struggles to feel at home in either place. So long as she can keep her head down and avoid trouble, Cara is on a sure path to citizenship and security.

But trouble finds Cara when one of her eight remaining doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, plunging her into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and her future in ways she could have never imagined—and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her world, but the entire multiverse.]]> 336 Micaiah Johnson Joe 0 to-read 3.90 2020 The Space Between Worlds (The Space Between Worlds, #1)

The Space Between Worlds (The Space Between Worlds, #1)

author: Micaiah Johnson
name: Joe
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Three Faces of Time 11535366
Earth was being watched. Their surceillance was exacting and systematic. No one knew who they were or where they came from. But they were there. Why?

Only two people from Earth knew the answers. But they were only two against so many.]]> 156 Frank Belknap Long Joe 3 soft_sf
Quite a bit of the story was totally random though and the 'conflict' was amazingly simple. Still, the author managed a time travel story that didn't annoy me, that's a pretty good feat!

]]> 2.23 1969 The Three Faces of Time

author: Frank Belknap Long
name: Joe
average rating: 2.23
book published: 1969
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/01
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: soft_sf
review:
The 1st half (maybe 2/3) of this book is a poor attempt to emulate Clifford Simak. The it suddenly shifts gears and actually has a few interesting thoughts about human development and time travel, so it wasn't a total loss.

Quite a bit of the story was totally random though and the 'conflict' was amazingly simple. Still, the author managed a time travel story that didn't annoy me, that's a pretty good feat!

]]> <![CDATA[And The Sun Goeth Down (The Vim Hood Chronicles)]]> 72138369 364 Terry Mark 1706520336 Joe 0 to-read 5.00

And The Sun Goeth Down (The Vim Hood Chronicles)

author: Terry Mark
name: Joe
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Grave Empire (The Great Silence, #1)]]> 214229274 From critically acclaimed author Richard Swan, Grave Empire begins the epic tale of an empire on the verge of industrial revolution, where sorcery and arcane practices are outlawed �� and where an ancient prophecy threatens the coming end of days.

Blood once turned the wheels of��empire. Now it is money.

A new age of exploration and innovation has dawned, and the��Empire��of the Wolf stands to take its place as the foremost power in the known world. Glory and riches await.

But dark days are coming. A mysterious plague has broken out in the pagan kingdoms to the north, while in the south, the��Empire’s proxy war in the lands of the wolfmen is weeks away from total collapse.��

Worse still is the message brought to the Empress by two heretic monks, who claim to have lost contact with the spirits of the afterlife. The monks believe this is the start of an ancient prophecy heralding the end of days—the Great Silence.��

It falls to Renata Rainer, a low-ranking ambassador to an enigmatic and vicious race of mermen, to seek answers from those who still practice the arcane arts. But with the road south beset by war and the��Empire��on the brink of supernatural catastrophe, soon there may not be a world left to save...��]]> 529 Richard Swan Joe 0 to-read 4.18 2025 Grave Empire (The Great Silence, #1)

author: Richard Swan
name: Joe
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Mask of Fear (Star Wars: Reign of the Empire, #1)]]> 210213729 Before the Rebellion, the Empire reigns, in book one of a trilogy told through the eyes of Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Saw Gerrera.

“In order to ensure the security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!��

With one speech and thunderous applause, Chancellor Palpatine brought the era of the Republic crashing down. In its place rose the Galactic Empire. Across the galaxy, people rejoiced and celebrated the end of war—and the promises of tomorrow. But that tomorrow was a lie. Instead, the galaxy became twisted by the cruelty and fear of the Emperor’s rule.

During that terrifying first year of tyranny, Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera, and Bail Organa face the encroaching darkness. One day, they will be three architects of the Rebel Alliance. But first, each must find purpose and direction in a changing galaxy, while harboring their own secrets, fears, and hopes for a future that may never come unless they act.]]> 496 Alexander Freed 0593723465 Joe 0 to-read, star_wars 4.18 2025 The Mask of Fear (Star Wars: Reign of the Empire, #1)

The Mask of Fear (Star Wars: Reign of the Empire, #1)

author: Alexander Freed
name: Joe
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read, star_wars
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Complete History of the Negro Leagues 1884 to 1955]]> 564499 360 Mark Ribowsky 0806523247 Joe 0 to-read 3.67 1960

A Complete History of the Negro Leagues 1884 to 1955

author: Mark Ribowsky
name: Joe
average rating: 3.67
book published: 1960
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Pittsburgh Crawfords 3627001 176 Jim Bankes 0786409924 Joe 3 sports
The format was encyclopedia style, with each chapter being about a particular player (or for a couple owner/front office types). That was fine, but I was looking more for stuff about the actual Negro league games and seasons, not quick bios and a bunch of random stats from interracial barnstorming games.

Perhaps when this was published there wasn't much other info out there. If you know nothing about Negro League baseball this could serve as a good primer though.

]]> 3.62 1991 The Pittsburgh Crawfords

author: Jim Bankes
name: Joe
average rating: 3.62
book published: 1991
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: sports
review:
I was hoping for more from this book... it was set up as a bunch of mini biographies.. with most of the stories from what I suspect was a couple interviews that were chopped up and mixed in with alot of stuff I've read about in other places.

The format was encyclopedia style, with each chapter being about a particular player (or for a couple owner/front office types). That was fine, but I was looking more for stuff about the actual Negro league games and seasons, not quick bios and a bunch of random stats from interracial barnstorming games.

Perhaps when this was published there wasn't much other info out there. If you know nothing about Negro League baseball this could serve as a good primer though.

]]> <![CDATA[The World of Ptavvs (Known Space)]]> 218463
"Snappy, ingenious, and upbeat." - Galaxy

Made the 1st ballot for the 1967 Nebula]]> 188 Larry Niven 1857239970 Joe 2 hard_sf
The majority of the book is the different players (the alien, the human he brain merged with who though he was also an alien, Earth, and the Belt) racing to figure out where the amplifier is, but there's a bunch of weird political discussions that probably would have been interesting had I know what they were talking about (I question the stand alone claim of the book for sure)... the alien was playing cards while cruising to go take over the universe.. then he played poker with future human slaves as the stakes (which was super weird). Then they all get to the thing and there's lots of science about what chemicals mix with what to blow stuff up for no particular reason...

The end is funny and more than a little anti-climatic. I suspect I would have liked this a bit more if I had read more of the Known Space books, but this one sure didn't make me want to search them out. ]]> 3.82 1965 The World of Ptavvs (Known Space)

author: Larry Niven
name: Joe
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1965
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: hard_sf
review:
I've read some Larry Niven (mostly his collborations with others, and a couple of the Man-Kzin Wars books) and I was expecting a similar style here. What I got was an ancient alien telepath that wakes up on Earth after the main character, Larry Greenberg, tries see if this statue is actually an alien in statis and gets taken over telepathically. But the alien also wakes up, so there's essentially two of the same alien, the original and one sharing the brain with Greenberg. He remembers he stashed his universe-enslaving telepathy amplifier somewhere in the outer solar system so the race is on to find it.

The majority of the book is the different players (the alien, the human he brain merged with who though he was also an alien, Earth, and the Belt) racing to figure out where the amplifier is, but there's a bunch of weird political discussions that probably would have been interesting had I know what they were talking about (I question the stand alone claim of the book for sure)... the alien was playing cards while cruising to go take over the universe.. then he played poker with future human slaves as the stakes (which was super weird). Then they all get to the thing and there's lots of science about what chemicals mix with what to blow stuff up for no particular reason...

The end is funny and more than a little anti-climatic. I suspect I would have liked this a bit more if I had read more of the Known Space books, but this one sure didn't make me want to search them out.
]]> <![CDATA[The Iron Horse (The Railway Detective #4)]]> 1531343 334 Edward Marston 0749080809 Joe 4 mystery_detective
As with the other books of the series, this one is a fun page turner. The culprit was pretty clear early on, but that's ok, for a cozy mystery like this its about the journey, and Marston cast of characters are quite fun to visit with.

]]> 3.87 2007 The Iron Horse (The Railway Detective #4)

The Iron Horse (The Railway Detective #4)

author: Edward Marston
name: Joe
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: mystery_detective
review:
Marston does his best Dick Francis impression, as the Railway Detective (thanks to a head discovered in a hatbox) ends up trying to figure out which of three owners of Derby favorites are trying to kill the other.

As with the other books of the series, this one is a fun page turner. The culprit was pretty clear early on, but that's ok, for a cozy mystery like this its about the journey, and Marston cast of characters are quite fun to visit with.

]]> Tarzan's Quest (Tarzan, #19) 828192
Cover Illustration: Boris Vallejo]]> 191 Edgar Rice Burroughs 0345295625 Joe 3 historical_fiction
This particular one was a bit unique in that Jane has a bit of her own jungle adventure... one of her society friends is mounting an 'expedition' to Africa to look for the secret of eternal youth and offers her a lift.

Of course the plane crashes and stuff happens, which then runs into what Tarzan is looking into... the disappearance of some Waziri girls who where allegedly kidnapped by the mysterious Kuruvu (who, of course, also have the secret to eternal youth).

Tarzan is really not in the book much.. his chapters have as much focus on his monkey and his Waziri warriors as he does, and 1/2 the book is about Jane. Of course she does get capture and has to get saved eventually, but she does get to do a bit of traditional Jungle Queen stuff in the meantime. He side of the plot was quite shocking, actually.

One does wonder how many secret hidden tribes Africa can hold at once, but that's just how Tarzan rolls ;).

]]> 3.78 1935 Tarzan's Quest (Tarzan, #19)

author: Edgar Rice Burroughs
name: Joe
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1935
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: historical_fiction
review:
I've been sort of vaguely collecting this particular printing of Tarzan, with the black covers and awesome covers (This one by Boris Vallejo). They certainly can hit the spot if you're in the mood for them.

This particular one was a bit unique in that Jane has a bit of her own jungle adventure... one of her society friends is mounting an 'expedition' to Africa to look for the secret of eternal youth and offers her a lift.

Of course the plane crashes and stuff happens, which then runs into what Tarzan is looking into... the disappearance of some Waziri girls who where allegedly kidnapped by the mysterious Kuruvu (who, of course, also have the secret to eternal youth).

Tarzan is really not in the book much.. his chapters have as much focus on his monkey and his Waziri warriors as he does, and 1/2 the book is about Jane. Of course she does get capture and has to get saved eventually, but she does get to do a bit of traditional Jungle Queen stuff in the meantime. He side of the plot was quite shocking, actually.

One does wonder how many secret hidden tribes Africa can hold at once, but that's just how Tarzan rolls ;).

]]> <![CDATA[The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1)]]> 35887181
But surprises aren’t always good.

Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power �� an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive �� and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away.

Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity ... and that it may already be too late.

]]> 527 R.F. Kuang 0062662562 Joe 3 alternate_history
Rin is essentially an avatar for revenge more than a person, and performs feats of endurance and persistence that don't really logically make sense. While she's very consistently written, you can't really relate because she is so obsessed.

I would have loved to see more of the mythology the the author came up with here... we get just a taste of it... but really that was just a vehicle to add some fantasy so this was not just a retelling of the Japan-China conflict of World War II.

Honestly, for the most part it FELT like history (which points to the author doing a great job) but for the magic fire powers it could have been. I'm assuming the rest of the series is Rin as an avatar of the communist party taking over, but I don't think I'll be reading them. I get it... if I want to know more about the history of those events, I'll get a history book. I love me some good historical fiction but her it just to negative and depressing for me to want to read more.
]]> 4.11 2018 The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1)

author: R.F. Kuang
name: Joe
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: alternate_history
review:
What a depressing book. Don't get me wrong.. the author is a very good writer, and I get that this is a fantasy version of some pretty horrible real life events, but that doesn't change that fact that nothing good really happens in the story.

Rin is essentially an avatar for revenge more than a person, and performs feats of endurance and persistence that don't really logically make sense. While she's very consistently written, you can't really relate because she is so obsessed.

I would have loved to see more of the mythology the the author came up with here... we get just a taste of it... but really that was just a vehicle to add some fantasy so this was not just a retelling of the Japan-China conflict of World War II.

Honestly, for the most part it FELT like history (which points to the author doing a great job) but for the magic fire powers it could have been. I'm assuming the rest of the series is Rin as an avatar of the communist party taking over, but I don't think I'll be reading them. I get it... if I want to know more about the history of those events, I'll get a history book. I love me some good historical fiction but her it just to negative and depressing for me to want to read more.

]]> The Final Continent 123230170 An amphetamized, gonzo illustrated sci-fi action thriller that's equal parts Mad Max and Escape From New YorkGlobal warming is drowning the world.

Seas rise. Coastlines retreat hundreds of miles inland. Superstorms batter every continent, every country, every city. Extreme weather—from tornadoes to cyclones to hurricanes—are weekly events.

Nations crumple, one by one. The rule of law is no more. Gangs control the cities. Suburbs are wastelands. Farmlands eradicated.

Only one place offers

ANTARCTICA—THE FINAL CONTINENT

As its glaciers recede, Antarctica blooms, offering a new home to the hundreds of thousands of climate refugees fleeing to its shores.

Antarctica is a place of untouched beauty �� a newly green land with unlimited possibilities.

It is also a place of great mystery. The Big Melt has left behind millennia of scientific finds, from perfectly preserved extinct animals to previously unknown bacteria. The South Pole, the last place on Earth of ice and constant darkness, holds an unimaginable reserve of oil…and a bizarre magnetic field which has only grown stronger in recent years.

After the climate refugees comes the Consortium, the last of the surviving corporations consolidated into a single ruthless entity. Now the sole international power, it views humanity as raw material for profit.

The Consortium puts the climate refugees to work extracting the oil. The climate refugees fight back, forming unions and striking. For their courage, they are massacred, then worked to death..

A few escape to live in the unchartered new wilderness. Calling themselves Ferals they take up arms against the Consortium. Some see them as terrorists. Others see them as freedom fighters��.

Into this strange and volatile new land comes Sugg, a bounty hunter employed by the Consortium to seek out hard targets in the sunken, anarchy-filled cities of the world. He’s hot shit, and he knows it. Augmented by his array of bio-hacks, Sugg can execute moves that the average human couldn’t even conceive of. In a world full of operators, he’s the best.

Sugg always brings home his quarry. After all, he has a reputation to think of. But Sugg is just as much a tool of the Consortium as everyone else. They have him on a tight leash…a leash he’d gladly bite through.

This time the Consortium wants something oddly simple from to perform a hostage exchange—the mass-murderer known as Porter for the Consortium scientist Cass Shankhill, recently abducted from the site of an archeological expedition at the South Pole.

It’s a simple job, they tell him. A milk run. And if all goes well, they’ll pay off his debt, leaving him a free man.

Sugg has his doubts. The deal smells too good to be true. But there’s too much at stake to turn it down. And so Sugg finds himself journeying to the one place on Earth where his reputation and bio-hacks don’t count for jack.

The one place that could spell doom, or salvation, for the entire human race��

THE FINAL CONTINENT

"It's a blast"—Adam Roberts, three-time Arthur C. Clarke award nominee and author of Stealing For The Sky

About the author
D.C. MacManus works a job no one would find enviable and has deleted all his social media accounts. This is his first novel, short, long, or otherwise.]]> 194 D.C. MacManus Joe 4
The cover of this one just got me, so I went for it. It was surprisingly good! Set in 2099 (as all good near future stories should be) the world disintegrated after 'the big melt' and what was left of the rich and powerful formed one big business, the Consortium, which wrestled Antartica (now the best place to live since the ice caps melted) from the original people that fled there.

Of course they messed that up too. Our 'hero' is a 'skulker' basically a bounty hunter for the Consortium with 'biohacks' to make him a superhero who is hired to do a prisoner exchange with a 'feral' tribe (the people still in Antarctica that don't work for the corporation.

He finds far more than he bargained for... a fight with a polar bear, a beautiful scientist, alient ruins, and maybe, a way to save the world.

While the main character Sugg and his girl Cass are far too perfect in a very imperfect world, the author does a great job world building in a natural way and without pages of info dumping. You get the total sense of the world very quickly. The plot is pretty predictable, but that's ok.. the story is such that any twists that were too weird would be annoying.

It also had chapter illustrations by UK artist Simon Bisley, which are pretty great and probably would be even better if you looked at them not on the kindle app on your cell phone. I'd definitely check out a 2nd book if one happens or something else by the author.

]]> 4.00 The Final Continent

author: D.C. MacManus
name: Joe
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/10
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: emergency, apocalypse-dystopia
review:
I downloaded this one to read for the drive to a track meet for my daughter (since it would be dark at least on the way home). A friend read a different book by the publisher and I had bookmarked their web site for that purpose, they seemed to have lots of weird (and hopefully wonderful) books, some by comic book creators, others by famous authors (the one that got my attention was from Max Allan Collins) and they seemed to be on kindle for .99, which is my favorite price.

The cover of this one just got me, so I went for it. It was surprisingly good! Set in 2099 (as all good near future stories should be) the world disintegrated after 'the big melt' and what was left of the rich and powerful formed one big business, the Consortium, which wrestled Antartica (now the best place to live since the ice caps melted) from the original people that fled there.

Of course they messed that up too. Our 'hero' is a 'skulker' basically a bounty hunter for the Consortium with 'biohacks' to make him a superhero who is hired to do a prisoner exchange with a 'feral' tribe (the people still in Antarctica that don't work for the corporation.

He finds far more than he bargained for... a fight with a polar bear, a beautiful scientist, alient ruins, and maybe, a way to save the world.

While the main character Sugg and his girl Cass are far too perfect in a very imperfect world, the author does a great job world building in a natural way and without pages of info dumping. You get the total sense of the world very quickly. The plot is pretty predictable, but that's ok.. the story is such that any twists that were too weird would be annoying.

It also had chapter illustrations by UK artist Simon Bisley, which are pretty great and probably would be even better if you looked at them not on the kindle app on your cell phone. I'd definitely check out a 2nd book if one happens or something else by the author.

]]> <![CDATA[The Catcher Was a Spy: The Mysterious Life of Moe Berg]]> 34629 Now a major motion picture starring Paul Rudd

“A delightful book that recounts one of the strangest episodes in the history of espionage. . . . . Relentlessly entertaining.”�� The New York Times Book Review

Moe Berg is the only major-league baseball player whose baseball card is on display at the headquarters of the CIA. For Berg was much more than a third-string catcher who played on several major league teams between 1923 and 1939. Educated at Princeton and the Sorbonne, he as reputed to speak a dozen languages (although it was also said he couldn't hit in any of them) and went on to become an OSS spy in Europe during World War II.��

As Nicholas Dawidoff follows Berg from his claustrophobic childhood through his glamorous (though equivocal) careers in sports and espionage and into the long, nomadic years during which he lived on the hospitality of such scattered acquaintances as Joe DiMaggio and Albert Einstein, he succeeds not only in establishing where Berg went, but who he was beneath his layers of carefully constructed cover. As engrossing as a novel by John le Carré, The Catcher Was a Spy is a triumphant work of historical and psychological detection.]]> 453 Nicholas Dawidoff 0679762892 Joe 3 sports, real_history
During the war his job seems to have been racking up expenses while cozying up to physicists to figure out how close the Germans were to atomic weapons, then afterwards the CIA tried (but failed) to get him to be less of a loner.

At points, the book portrays Berg as a charming vagabond who just wandered from one friend to the other... in others he is more a creepy stalker pretending he was still a spy.

Then the book says he spent all his time at baseball games with sports writers... those could both be true.. perhaps during baseball season he hung around the games and in the winter he smoozed his old OSS friends.

But then it talks about him driving his brother crazy living with him and collecting souvenirs and such, when the first 250 pages talk about how he never had an address or anything... those things cannot both be true.

So it seems even this seemingly well-reearched author can't decide what the life of his subject was about...but if even 1/2 the stories are true he sure was something.

The last 50 pages or so of the book the author tries to psychoanalyze the guy, which is weird and uninteresting.. I would advise skipping that part. The rest of the book has a ton of interesting ancedotes and fun stuff... some might even be true.

]]> 3.55 1994 The Catcher Was a Spy: The Mysterious Life of Moe Berg

The Catcher Was a Spy: The Mysterious Life of Moe Berg

author: Nicholas Dawidoff
name: Joe
average rating: 3.55
book published: 1994
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: sports, real_history
review:
Much like the man it is about, this book is an intriguing, jumbled mess. I've been dying to read this, as my impression was that Berg was spying on Japan while doing goodwill tours in Japan. As it turns out, what he did on the tour was take some movies that he showed to the OSS after his baseball career was over, and he used that to get hired as a spy.

During the war his job seems to have been racking up expenses while cozying up to physicists to figure out how close the Germans were to atomic weapons, then afterwards the CIA tried (but failed) to get him to be less of a loner.

At points, the book portrays Berg as a charming vagabond who just wandered from one friend to the other... in others he is more a creepy stalker pretending he was still a spy.

Then the book says he spent all his time at baseball games with sports writers... those could both be true.. perhaps during baseball season he hung around the games and in the winter he smoozed his old OSS friends.

But then it talks about him driving his brother crazy living with him and collecting souvenirs and such, when the first 250 pages talk about how he never had an address or anything... those things cannot both be true.

So it seems even this seemingly well-reearched author can't decide what the life of his subject was about...but if even 1/2 the stories are true he sure was something.

The last 50 pages or so of the book the author tries to psychoanalyze the guy, which is weird and uninteresting.. I would advise skipping that part. The rest of the book has a ton of interesting ancedotes and fun stuff... some might even be true.

]]> <![CDATA[The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands]]> 154985516 For fans of Piranesi and The Midnight Library, a stunning historical fantasy novel set on a grand express train, about a group of passengers on a dangerous journey across a magical landscape

It is said there is a price that every passenger must pay. A price beyond the cost of a ticket.

There is only one way to travel across the Wastelands: on the Trans-Siberian Express, a train as famous for its luxury as for its danger. The train is never short of passengers, eager to catch sight of Wastelands creatures more miraculous and terrifying than anything they could imagine. But on the train's last journey, something went horribly wrong, though no one seems to remember what exactly happened. Not even Zhang Weiwei, who has spent her life onboard and thought she knew all of the train’s secrets.

Now, the train is about to embark again, with a new set of passengers. Among them are Marya Petrovna, a grieving woman with a borrowed name; Henry Grey, a disgraced naturalist looking for redemption; and Elena, a beguiling stowaway with a powerful connection to the Wastelands itself. Weiwei knows she should report Elena, but she can’t help but be drawn to her. As the girls begin a forbidden friendship, there are warning signs that the rules of the Wastelands are changing and the train might once again be imperiled. Can the passengers trust each other, as the wildness outside threatens to consume them all?]]> 336 Sarah Brooks 1250878616 Joe 0 to-read 3.58 2024 The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands

The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands

author: Sarah Brooks
name: Joe
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[To Glory We Steer (Richard Bolitho, #7)]]> 1091800 350 Alexander Kent 0935526498 Joe 3 naval_fiction
Those two (the main characters throughout so far) were also different.. Stockdale seemed more a standard naval guy than he had been before, and RIchard was very much the picture of Hornblower.. the aggressive proper British Captain.

Clearly, sailing on a frigate is what the author thinks is the ultimate in your naval career... I suspect that's why he wrote this one first. Ironically, despite talking about how it was like its own world and the freedom it gave, they were tied to a small area and a squadron most of the book.

While alot of the elements were there that I enjoyed in the beginning of the series, this one just wasn't as well put together. As with the others, the details of Bolitho's yet unwritten past were a bit mixed up compare to the later written books, including an especially weird bit where he uses a name he used earlier and doing so doesn't evoke any comment.

The climatic battle was also a bit less satisfying than some of the others... almost like he was trying to convey the confusion and chaos of battle more than writing a good one, which did not work as well. Then there's the stuff with Hugh, which seemed a bit gratuitous and unnecessary. If you want to have his brother be his opposite/arch enemy.. you have to do better than this.

I do wonder how much of Richard's life story the author had worked out to start before writing the first one. Overall, I'm glad I started at chronologically, I'm not sure I would have read more if I started with this one. ]]> 4.16 1968 To Glory We Steer (Richard Bolitho, #7)

author: Alexander Kent
name: Joe
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1968
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/03
date added: 2025/01/03
shelves: naval_fiction
review:
As is often the case, you can definitely tell that this is the author's first book. The writing definitely is more choppy (and he repeats a few turns of phrase) and the vibes are definitely different. The previous books (in time anyway) of the series were much more event focused, where here we actually have a bit of a cast that seems like its going to stick around beyond Richard and Stockdale.

Those two (the main characters throughout so far) were also different.. Stockdale seemed more a standard naval guy than he had been before, and RIchard was very much the picture of Hornblower.. the aggressive proper British Captain.

Clearly, sailing on a frigate is what the author thinks is the ultimate in your naval career... I suspect that's why he wrote this one first. Ironically, despite talking about how it was like its own world and the freedom it gave, they were tied to a small area and a squadron most of the book.

While alot of the elements were there that I enjoyed in the beginning of the series, this one just wasn't as well put together. As with the others, the details of Bolitho's yet unwritten past were a bit mixed up compare to the later written books, including an especially weird bit where he uses a name he used earlier and doing so doesn't evoke any comment.

The climatic battle was also a bit less satisfying than some of the others... almost like he was trying to convey the confusion and chaos of battle more than writing a good one, which did not work as well. Then there's the stuff with Hugh, which seemed a bit gratuitous and unnecessary. If you want to have his brother be his opposite/arch enemy.. you have to do better than this.

I do wonder how much of Richard's life story the author had worked out to start before writing the first one. Overall, I'm glad I started at chronologically, I'm not sure I would have read more if I started with this one.
]]> <![CDATA[A German Requiem (Bernie Gunther, #3)]]> 558649 The disturbing climax to the Berlin Noir trilogy

Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther novels have won him an international reputation as a master of historical suspense. In A German Requiem, the private eye has survived the collapse of the Third Reich to find himself in Vienna. Amid decaying imperial splendor, he traces concentric circles of evil and uncovers a legacy that makes the wartime atrocities seem lily-white in comparison.]]> 306 Philip Kerr 0142004022 Joe 4 Philip Kerr

Post-War Berlin was just as big a mess as it was before the war, and Bernie Gunther is trading his PI skills for coal and trying to figure out if his wife (Who he picked up between books apparently) is actually sleeping with an American GI for barter. When a Russian turns up and offers him a huge amount of money to go to Vienna to help his 'old friend' Emil Becker, he jumps at the chance, and right into a big mess of post-war espionage.

This is definitely more a spy thriller than a PI novel, but very good all the same. I'm not a huge WWII guy, but Kerr sure does seem to know his stuff and bring the period and the people to life. While the main character is not exactly a picture of virtue, he is a great character that you want to root for. ]]> 4.02 1991 A German Requiem (Bernie Gunther, #3)

author: Philip Kerr
name: Joe
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1991
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: mystery_detective, historical_fiction
review:
[b]German Requiem [/b]
Philip Kerr

Post-War Berlin was just as big a mess as it was before the war, and Bernie Gunther is trading his PI skills for coal and trying to figure out if his wife (Who he picked up between books apparently) is actually sleeping with an American GI for barter. When a Russian turns up and offers him a huge amount of money to go to Vienna to help his 'old friend' Emil Becker, he jumps at the chance, and right into a big mess of post-war espionage.

This is definitely more a spy thriller than a PI novel, but very good all the same. I'm not a huge WWII guy, but Kerr sure does seem to know his stuff and bring the period and the people to life. While the main character is not exactly a picture of virtue, he is a great character that you want to root for.
]]> <![CDATA[The Pale Criminal (Bernie Gunther, #2)]]> 236816
Having been caught framing an innocent Jew for a series of vicious murders, the Kripo—the Berlin criminal police—are intent on locating the real killer and aren't above blackmailing their former colleague to get the job done. Temporarily promoted to the rank of Kommissar, Bernie sets out to solve the dual mysteries and begins an investigation that will expose him to the darkest depths of humanity...

Hailed by Salman Rushdie as a "brilliantly innovative thriller-writer," Philip Kerr is the creator of taut, gripping, noir-tinged mysteries that are nothing short of spellbinding. In this second book of the Berlin Noir trilogy, The Pale Criminal brings back Bernie Gunther, an ex-policeman who thought he’d seen everything on the streets of 1930s Berlin—until he turned freelance and each case he tackled sucked him further into the grisly excesses of Nazi subculture. Hard-hitting, fast-paced, and richly detailed, The Pale Criminal is noir writing at its blackest and best.]]> 273 Philip Kerr 0142004154 Joe 5
This case starts out as a serial killer, and turns out to be much worse. Having Gunther inside the system instead of a PI for this story was really quite interesting, and gave a very detailed picture of how he perceived things had changed. Wrapping the story around real event and people doesn't always work for me, but it sure does here. It's hard to say a book is good when the subject matter is what it is, but it was definitely extremely well written and engaging.]]> 3.95 1990 The Pale Criminal (Bernie Gunther, #2)

author: Philip Kerr
name: Joe
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1990
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/30
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: historical_fiction, mystery_detective
review:
Kerr really does an amazing job of capturing what the mood might have been like in pre-war Nazi Germany. Bernie Gunther in isn't exactly a great man, but he definitely has a sense of justice and having him watch his country's moral fiber unravel is really some powerful writing.

This case starts out as a serial killer, and turns out to be much worse. Having Gunther inside the system instead of a PI for this story was really quite interesting, and gave a very detailed picture of how he perceived things had changed. Wrapping the story around real event and people doesn't always work for me, but it sure does here. It's hard to say a book is good when the subject matter is what it is, but it was definitely extremely well written and engaging.
]]> <![CDATA[March Violets (Bernie Gunther, #1)]]> 236819 Berlin Noir trilogy, March Violets introduces readers to Bernie Gunther, an ex-policeman who thought he'd seen everything on the streets of 1930's Berlin; until he turned freelance and each case he tackled sucked him further into the grisly excesses of Nazi subculture. Bernhard Gunther, a hard-boiled Berlin detective who specializes in tracking down missing persons �� mostly Jews. He is summoned by a wealthy industrialist to find the murderer of his daughter and son-in-law, killed during the robbery of a priceless diamond necklace. Gunther quickly is catapulted into a major political scandal involving Hitler's two main henchmen, Goering and Himmler. The search for clues takes Gunther to morgues overflowing with Nazi victims; raucous nightclubs; the Olympic games where Jesse Owens tramples the theory of Aryan racial superiority; the boudoir of a famous actress; and finally to the Dachau concentration camp. Fights with Gestapo agents, shoot-outs with adulterers, run-ins with a variety of criminals, and dead bodies in unexpected places keep readers guessing to the very end.

Hard-hitting, fast-paced, and richly detailed, March Violets is noir writing at its blackest and best.]]> 245 Philip Kerr 0142004146 Joe 4
At first, I thought it was all a bit too easy... then it really, really wasn't. Almost like the author agreed with me it went too easy and too well and needed to take his hero down a peg or five.

The picture painted of Berlin in 1936 was really vivid and details (I can only assume fairly accurate as this is not an area of expertise of mine), and it really allowed you to be immersed in the story. Gunther is a pretty typing hard drinking, womanizing PI, but a little less down on his luck that usual... that could (and I suspect will) change as things move forward in time. The cast of characters seemed very realistic as well.. overall just a really well done historical novel and an excellent PI yarn. ]]> 3.82 1989 March Violets (Bernie Gunther, #1)

author: Philip Kerr
name: Joe
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1989
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/27
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: historical_fiction, mystery_detective
review:
I decided I needed a pause on the naval fiction, so I thought I'd wrap the year up with the first couple Bernie Gunther novels... which I've been meaning to read for a while on a recommendation from a friend.

At first, I thought it was all a bit too easy... then it really, really wasn't. Almost like the author agreed with me it went too easy and too well and needed to take his hero down a peg or five.

The picture painted of Berlin in 1936 was really vivid and details (I can only assume fairly accurate as this is not an area of expertise of mine), and it really allowed you to be immersed in the story. Gunther is a pretty typing hard drinking, womanizing PI, but a little less down on his luck that usual... that could (and I suspect will) change as things move forward in time. The cast of characters seemed very realistic as well.. overall just a really well done historical novel and an excellent PI yarn.
]]> When the Moon Hits Your Eye 211004190
It's a whole new moooooon.

One day soon, suddenly and without explanation, the moon as we know it is replaced with an orb of cheese with the exact same mass. Through the length of an entire lunar cycle, from new moon to a spectacular and possibly final solar eclipse, we follow multiple characters -- schoolkids and scientists, billionaires and workers, preachers and politicians -- as they confront the strange new world they live in, and the absurd, impossible moon that now hangs above all their lives.]]> 326 John Scalzi 0765389096 Joe 0 to-read 3.92 2025 When the Moon Hits Your Eye

author: John Scalzi
name: Joe
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Hammajang Luck 213847219 HAMMAJANG | adjective. Definition: In a disorderly or chaotic state; messed up. Chiefly in predicative use, esp. in all hammajang. Etymology: A borrowing from Hawaiian Pidgin. Source: Oxford English Dictionary.

Edie is done with crime. Eight years behind bars changes a person - costs them too much time with too many of the people who need them most.

And it's all Angel's fault. She sold Edie out in what should have been the greatest moment of their lives. Instead, Edie was shipped off to the icy prison planet spinning far below the soaring skybridges and neon catacombs of Kepler space station - of home - to spend the best part of a decade alone.

But then a chance for early parole appears out of nowhere and Edie steps into the pallid sunlight to find none other than Angel waiting - and she has an offer.

One last job. One last deal. One last target. The trillionaire tech god they failed to bring down last time. There's just one thing Edie needs to do - trust Angel again - which also happens to be the last thing Edie wants to do. What could possibly go all hammajang about this plan?

Ocean's 8 meets Blade Runner in this trail-blazing debut science fiction novel and swashbuckling love letter to Hawai'i about being forced to find a new home and striving to build a better one - unmissable for fans of Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.]]> 368 Makana Yamamoto 0063430827 Joe 0 to-read 3.63 2024 Hammajang Luck

author: Makana Yamamoto
name: Joe
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The First Men in the Moon 536478
]]> 213 H.G. Wells 0141441089 Joe 0 to-read 3.67 1901

author: H.G. Wells
name: Joe
average rating: 3.67
book published: 1901
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sloop of War (Richard Bolitho, #6)]]> 999733 352 Alexander Kent 093552648X Joe 4
As far as the book goes, this one takes us through the American Revolution. Richard gets his own Sloop (though of course its a special one) and makes a name for himself (mostly off camera). The 1st half of the book is an ongoing story after saving some army troops and having a bit of a conflict with a British general (and of course his pretty daughter). He ends up saving the day for the troops, and taking out the big scary privateer with a trick (and losing the General a bunch of money in the process).

The 2nd half fast forwards 3 year later... after Richard has made his fortune and reputation capturing prizes, and has been officially promoted to Captain. His superior is jealous of him and there's a big thing.. then the author goes all Forest Gump and makes sure Richard is at the battle of Yorktown.

I feel like the time skip was a bit odd (especially since there could be lots of naval engagements that were never written later, despite all the filling in the story later). The author writes a good naval battle though, which is more than enough to carry the book through. Richard is a pretty standard protoype for a young, gallant Captain during the age of sail, but that's ok, that's what he's supposed to be.

]]> 4.17 1971 Sloop of War (Richard Bolitho, #6)

author: Alexander Kent
name: Joe
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1971
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/24
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves: historical_fiction, naval_fiction
review:
This was the 2nd book read, and its a bit odd... the author definitely had an idea of Richard's history, but not the details. The broad strokes are there, but the details are mostly left off, or when they do exist, they are not exactly what happened. I suspect that won't happen as much from this point on (as while the next book was first written, they are closer to chonological going forward), it is interesting.

As far as the book goes, this one takes us through the American Revolution. Richard gets his own Sloop (though of course its a special one) and makes a name for himself (mostly off camera). The 1st half of the book is an ongoing story after saving some army troops and having a bit of a conflict with a British general (and of course his pretty daughter). He ends up saving the day for the troops, and taking out the big scary privateer with a trick (and losing the General a bunch of money in the process).

The 2nd half fast forwards 3 year later... after Richard has made his fortune and reputation capturing prizes, and has been officially promoted to Captain. His superior is jealous of him and there's a big thing.. then the author goes all Forest Gump and makes sure Richard is at the battle of Yorktown.

I feel like the time skip was a bit odd (especially since there could be lots of naval engagements that were never written later, despite all the filling in the story later). The author writes a good naval battle though, which is more than enough to carry the book through. Richard is a pretty standard protoype for a young, gallant Captain during the age of sail, but that's ok, that's what he's supposed to be.

]]> Huon of the Horn 16300558
Huon now faced danger that would still the heart of the stoutest knight. First he had to win the aid of Oberon, King of the Elves. Only then could he hope to survive the dark peril of Babylon to take the greatest prize of all �� beautiful Claramonde, daughter to the Emir!

But Amaury's deceit was still at work in Charlemagne's heart. Even if Huon could overcome all the hosts of Babylon, his greatest battle would still await…]]> 160 Andre Norton 0441354238 Joe 4
I hadn't heard of Huon before reading this, so it was all new to me, and quite fun. Everything of course was all very predictible, but that's the nature of the material... that didn't make me enjoy it less. I also always like a good Oberon appearance. He was very noble and while it was a bit odd to mix fairies with a good Christian morality tale, it worked.... glad I gave it a read.
]]> 3.40 1951 Huon of the Horn

author: Andre Norton
name: Joe
average rating: 3.40
book published: 1951
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/21
shelves: epic-fantasy, alternate_history
review:
This was another pick up during Christmas shopping... I haven't really like much of what I've read from Andre Norton in the past, but since this was more a retelling of an epic poem than an original work I thought I'd give her another shot.

I hadn't heard of Huon before reading this, so it was all new to me, and quite fun. Everything of course was all very predictible, but that's the nature of the material... that didn't make me enjoy it less. I also always like a good Oberon appearance. He was very noble and while it was a bit odd to mix fairies with a good Christian morality tale, it worked.... glad I gave it a read.

]]> <![CDATA[The Fallible Fiend (Novarian, #3)]]> 1242761
Prime Planers stole, lied, and fought each other in needless wars. Naturally, a totally logical demon couldn't understand them. And inevitably, Zdim made mistakes.

But when war came to the city of Ir, only Zdim could escape to seek rescue from wild soldiers and uncertain sorcerers. The role of savior should have gone to a hero out of the legends.

But there was only one Zdim �� and he was fallible.

]]> 294 L. Sprague de Camp 0786246626 Joe 4 satire, medeval-fantasy
This book was a super fun story of the demon Zdim, who is forced to come to our plane for a year to earn some Iron for his community. So he leaves his wife and her eggs to do be the servant of a wizard.

Demons, being logical and practical being, aren't really used to human not really saying what they mean, so Zdim's taking orders literally causes a bunch of trouble and he runs through a few masters (turns out his contract is transferrable) until he ends up in a besieged city and being sent to negotiate for help to break the siege.

Zdim's adventures are quite fun... he's a big scary demon, but also a very polite guy and a philopospher and argues his way out of most trouble.. he only had to eat people a couple times.

The different governments and people of Novaria are quite fun... the city Zdim finds himself in is run by merchants... then there's one where the ruler is chosen at random every year (the year of the story the person was less than ideal) then there's some nomadic tribes.

The bad guys are cannibals from across the sea on a 'foraging expedition'.. they thing war is awful and since the Novarians always attack each other, their best use is food, so they have arrived to eat them all. I have to say this is the first time I read a book that tried to make cannibalism seem ok.

All and all a fun book that I'm glad I picked up.
]]> 3.62 1973 The Fallible Fiend (Novarian, #3)

author: L. Sprague de Camp
name: Joe
average rating: 3.62
book published: 1973
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/19
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves: satire, medeval-fantasy
review:
This is why I never make all the much progress on my 'to read' pile. I got this (along with a few others) when I was hunting for Pokemon cards for my nephew. I just couldn't pass up that awesome cover, and I've been meaning to read more de Camp (Mostly I've just read his Conan stuff).

This book was a super fun story of the demon Zdim, who is forced to come to our plane for a year to earn some Iron for his community. So he leaves his wife and her eggs to do be the servant of a wizard.

Demons, being logical and practical being, aren't really used to human not really saying what they mean, so Zdim's taking orders literally causes a bunch of trouble and he runs through a few masters (turns out his contract is transferrable) until he ends up in a besieged city and being sent to negotiate for help to break the siege.

Zdim's adventures are quite fun... he's a big scary demon, but also a very polite guy and a philopospher and argues his way out of most trouble.. he only had to eat people a couple times.

The different governments and people of Novaria are quite fun... the city Zdim finds himself in is run by merchants... then there's one where the ruler is chosen at random every year (the year of the story the person was less than ideal) then there's some nomadic tribes.

The bad guys are cannibals from across the sea on a 'foraging expedition'.. they thing war is awful and since the Novarians always attack each other, their best use is food, so they have arrived to eat them all. I have to say this is the first time I read a book that tried to make cannibalism seem ok.

All and all a fun book that I'm glad I picked up.

]]> <![CDATA[Sweep of Stars (Astra Black, #1)]]> 57693363 Maurice Broaddus's Sweep of Stars is the first in a trilogy that explores the struggles of an empire. Epic in scope and intimate in voice, it follows members of the Muungano empire �� a far-reaching coalition of city-states that stretches from O.E. (original earth) to Titan �� as it faces an escalating series of threats.

"The beauty in blackness is its ability to transform. Like energy we are neither created nor destroyed, though many try." - West African Proverb

The Muungano empire strived and struggled to form a utopia when they split away from old earth. Freeing themselves from the endless wars and oppression of their home planet in order to shape their own futures and create a far-reaching coalition of city-states that stretched from Earth and Mars to Titan.

With the wisdom of their ancestors, the leadership of their elders, the power and vision of their scientists and warriors they charted a course to a better future. But the old powers could not allow them to thrive and have now set in motion new plots to destroy all that they've built.

In the fire to come they will face down their greatest struggle yet.

Amachi Adisa and other young leaders will contend with each other for the power to galvanize their people and chart the next course for the empire.

Fela Buhari and her elite unit will take the fight to regions not seen by human eyes, but no training will be enough to bring them all home.

Stacia Chikeke, captain of the starship Cypher, will face down enemies across the stars, and within her own vessel, as she searches for the answers that could save them all.

The only way is forward. ]]> 368 Maurice Broaddus 1250264936 Joe 0 to-read 3.36 2022 Sweep of Stars (Astra Black, #1)

author: Maurice Broaddus
name: Joe
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[In Gallant Company (Richard Bolitho, #5)]]> 1091815 312 Alexander Kent 0935526439 Joe 5 naval_fiction
As with the last book, the author isn't shy about grinding up the ship's crew (an advantage of having your hero on a different ship every book, I suppose), but was definitely able to develop a few characters that I hope turn up again at some point.

It was pretty interesting to see a view of the American Revoltion from the English navy's perspective... where (not surprisingly) they were mostly worried about France and didn't really seem all that concerned one way of the other.

This part might be a bit of misinterpretation, but the officers of the ship seemed to generally think it was only a matter of time that the Americans would win, even as they were trying to stop their flow of arms. Seems pretty early for that view (1777), but it was interesting.

The plot armor was a bit much in this one, but I generally expect that in a naval fiction book.. you don't get to be the main character if you're not the one that lives, after all.

]]> 4.10 1977 In Gallant Company (Richard Bolitho, #5)

In Gallant Company (Richard Bolitho, #5)

author: Alexander Kent
name: Joe
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1977
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/17
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves: naval_fiction
review:
Wow... this chapter of Richard Bolitho's career sure didn't skimp on the action. No less than 4 separate engagements happened here, covering all the standard scenarios for a naval fiction... cutting out a ship at port... landing and attacking a coastal fort... two ships of the line slugging it out, and a chance encounter that required a bit of trickery.

As with the last book, the author isn't shy about grinding up the ship's crew (an advantage of having your hero on a different ship every book, I suppose), but was definitely able to develop a few characters that I hope turn up again at some point.

It was pretty interesting to see a view of the American Revoltion from the English navy's perspective... where (not surprisingly) they were mostly worried about France and didn't really seem all that concerned one way of the other.

This part might be a bit of misinterpretation, but the officers of the ship seemed to generally think it was only a matter of time that the Americans would win, even as they were trying to stop their flow of arms. Seems pretty early for that view (1777), but it was interesting.

The plot armor was a bit much in this one, but I generally expect that in a naval fiction book.. you don't get to be the main character if you're not the one that lives, after all.

]]> <![CDATA[Stand into Danger (Richard Bolitho, #4)]]> 1091801 288 Alexander Kent 0935526420 Joe 4 naval_fiction
If I didn't know otherwise, I would have thought this was the first one written, but the author sure doesn't hold back.. there is a TON of stuff packed in this book... a hunt for lost gold... a mysterious woman.., a hunt for supplies, and the invasion of a small caribbean outlaw fortress.

One wonders what happens for an encore! This was definitely a step up from the 'Midshipman' books... the longer page count gives a chance to have real characters in the crew, not just names and types... though it seem each ship only gets on book, so I wonder if we'll see any of them again,

The author isn't shy about killing people off either.. Richard has sure seen his share of things already! And that would be my criticism of the book... the main character is awfully perfect, even when other people prop him up he gets all the credit and his praise of his men just makes him more amazing. I get it, its his book and all, but he should have SOMETHING wrong with him. Sure, he had a bit of woman trouble in this book, but other than some mooning he was darn near flawless.

I suspect the next book will be American Revolution related (and the Americans will be the bad guys!) so should be interesting!

]]> 4.03 1979 Stand into Danger (Richard Bolitho, #4)

author: Alexander Kent
name: Joe
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1979
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/13
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves: naval_fiction
review:
One thing that struck me when I looked up this series to see if I was going to check it out is that the books are not written in chronological order.. the 1st written was with Richard as a Captain (instead of the usual starting as a Midshipman and working up) with alot of the books before that filled in later... even going forward from there there are gaps taht are skipped and later filled in.

If I didn't know otherwise, I would have thought this was the first one written, but the author sure doesn't hold back.. there is a TON of stuff packed in this book... a hunt for lost gold... a mysterious woman.., a hunt for supplies, and the invasion of a small caribbean outlaw fortress.

One wonders what happens for an encore! This was definitely a step up from the 'Midshipman' books... the longer page count gives a chance to have real characters in the crew, not just names and types... though it seem each ship only gets on book, so I wonder if we'll see any of them again,

The author isn't shy about killing people off either.. Richard has sure seen his share of things already! And that would be my criticism of the book... the main character is awfully perfect, even when other people prop him up he gets all the credit and his praise of his men just makes him more amazing. I get it, its his book and all, but he should have SOMETHING wrong with him. Sure, he had a bit of woman trouble in this book, but other than some mooning he was darn near flawless.

I suspect the next book will be American Revolution related (and the Americans will be the bad guys!) so should be interesting!

]]> <![CDATA[The Ragged Astronauts (Land and Overland, #1)]]> 854067
The Ragged Astronauts—first volume in an epic adventure filled with memorable characters, intense action, engaging notions, exotic locales.]]> 310 Bob Shaw 0708882277 Joe 0 to-read 3.69 1986 The Ragged Astronauts (Land and Overland, #1)

The Ragged Astronauts (Land and Overland, #1)

author: Bob Shaw
name: Joe
average rating: 3.69
book published: 1986
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Valor's Choice (Confederation, #1)]]> 772606
At first it seemed that all she'd have to contend with was bored troops getting into mischief, and breaking in the new Second Lieutenant who had been given command of her men.

Sure, there'd been rumors of the Others - the sworn enemies of the Confederation - being spotted in this sector of space. But there were always rumors. The key thing was to recruit the Silsviss into the Confederation before the Others either attacked or claimed this lizardlike race of warriors for their own side. And everything seemed to be going perfectly. Maybe too perfectly...]]> 409 Tanya Huff 0886778964 Joe 0 to-read 3.98 2000 Valor's Choice (Confederation, #1)

author: Tanya Huff
name: Joe
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Gork, the Teenage Dragon 32766443
Vying with Jocks, Nerds, Mutants, and Multi-Dimensioners to find his mate, Gork encounters an unforgettable cast of friends and foes, including Dr. Terrible, the mad scientist; Fribby, a robot dragon obsessed with death; and Metheldra, a healer specializing in acupuncture with swords. But finally it is Gork's biggest perceived weakness, his huge heart, that will guide him through his epic quest and help him reach his ultimate destination: planet Earth.]]> 380 Gabe Hudson 0375413960 Joe 0 to-read 2.81 2017 Gork, the Teenage Dragon

author: Gabe Hudson
name: Joe
average rating: 2.81
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Immortal Longings (Flesh and False Gods, #1)]]> 62919356
Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty…and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa’s forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy. Her reclusive uncle always greets the victor of the games, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity at last to kill him.

Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he’s one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning.

Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin’s ills. But the three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton’s partnership spirals into something all-consuming. Before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for—her lover or her kingdom.]]> 372 Chloe Gong 1668000229 Joe 0 to-read 3.52 2023 Immortal Longings (Flesh and False Gods, #1)

Immortal Longings (Flesh and False Gods, #1)

author: Chloe Gong
name: Joe
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Recipes for Love and Murder (Tannie Maria Mystery, #1)]]> 26010158
One Sunday morning, as Maria savours the breeze through the kitchen window whilst making apricot jam, she hears the screech and bump that announces the arrival of her good friend and editor Harriet. What Maria doesn't realise is that Harriet is about to deliver the first ingredient in two new recipes (recipes for love and murder) and a whole basketful of challenges.

A delicious blend of intrigue, milk tart and friendship, join Tannie Maria in her first investigation. Consider your appetite whetted for a whole new series of mysteries . . .]]> 384 Sally Andrew 1782116451 Joe 0 to-read 3.91 2015 Recipes for Love and Murder (Tannie Maria Mystery, #1)

Recipes for Love and Murder (Tannie Maria Mystery, #1)

author: Sally Andrew
name: Joe
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Band of Brothers (Richard Bolitho, #3)]]> 42395
In this, the long-awaited conclusion of Alexander Kent’s midshipman trilogy, the new year of 1774 seems to offer Richard Bolitho and his friend Martyn Dancer the culmination of a dream. Both have been recommended for promotion, although they have not yet gained the coveted lieutenant’s commission. But a routine passage from Plymouth to Guernsey in an untried schooner becomes, for Bolitho, a passage from midshipman to King’s officer, tempering the promise of the future with the bitter price of maturity.

From the Hardcover edition.]]> 129 Alexander Kent 0099436329 Joe 3 naval_fiction
I'm expecting the next one (written almost 40 years earlier) will be more interesting, and perhaps create a bit more of a crew (since it has been clear these folk were all temporary).

]]> 3.86 2005 Band of Brothers (Richard Bolitho, #3)

author: Alexander Kent
name: Joe
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/09
date added: 2024/12/09
shelves: naval_fiction
review:
This is very much the end of the beginning, and was written WAY after the other books in the series (the last one written), so there's no surprise it extremely similar to the prior one. Here, Richard and Martin face the Review Board to get their commission, then, while helping sail a schooner where it needs to be, they stumble upon some gun runners to those pesky colonies and of course Richard has to be the hero, since it's his series.

I'm expecting the next one (written almost 40 years earlier) will be more interesting, and perhaps create a bit more of a crew (since it has been clear these folk were all temporary).

]]> The Time Axis 1881725 142 Henry Kuttner Joe 3 hard_sf
Turns out they have to go to the end of time and battle... something. Its never clear exactly what, and save all of time and space. There's an actual Pandora's Box involved, and the author trying to logically explain time travel as a 4th dimension and that there's a place where the dimension intersect.

It's unique, I'll say that. But I still hate time travel. At least the cover is cool (and somewhat accurate to the story.
]]> 3.24 1948 The Time Axis

author: Henry Kuttner
name: Joe
average rating: 3.24
book published: 1948
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/06
date added: 2024/12/06
shelves: hard_sf
review:
Why I decided to grab this one when I'm chasing my year end reading goal I don't know... I hate time travel. I managed to push through and finish it though. It features a group of 4 'heroes', but is told from the PoV of reporter Harry Cortland. He's a noir-ish character and ends up mixed up with some science types trying to get some money after drinking too much.

Turns out they have to go to the end of time and battle... something. Its never clear exactly what, and save all of time and space. There's an actual Pandora's Box involved, and the author trying to logically explain time travel as a 4th dimension and that there's a place where the dimension intersect.

It's unique, I'll say that. But I still hate time travel. At least the cover is cool (and somewhat accurate to the story.

]]> <![CDATA[A Prayer for the Crown-Shy (Monk & Robot, #2)]]> 40864030
They hope to find the answers they seek, while making new friends, learning new concepts, and experiencing the entropic nature of the universe.

Becky Chambers's new series continues to ask: in a world where people have what they want, does having more even matter?

They're going to need to ask it a lot.]]> 152 Becky Chambers Joe 3 soft_sf
Beyond that, this one is really just more of the same from the first one.. without even alot of things to make sure think as much as the first. There are a couple things... like the 'crown shy' trees of the title, Mosscap's stress about a replacement part, and his analysis of the answers to his question, but there's so much more to be explored and instead we get... an ending scene that is very much like most of the first book. I'm definitely disappointed. ]]> 4.40 2022 A Prayer for the Crown-Shy (Monk & Robot, #2)

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy (Monk & Robot, #2)

author: Becky Chambers
name: Joe
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/03
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: soft_sf
review:
My first thought is ARGH!!! Another one! This book clearly ends in mid stream (Dex and Mosscap have talked to a few people, but not the 'City')... and they seem to have resolved to do so at the end of the book. Yes at the end of the book. Will there ever be a 3rd one? Seems pretty uncertain.

Beyond that, this one is really just more of the same from the first one.. without even alot of things to make sure think as much as the first. There are a couple things... like the 'crown shy' trees of the title, Mosscap's stress about a replacement part, and his analysis of the answers to his question, but there's so much more to be explored and instead we get... an ending scene that is very much like most of the first book. I'm definitely disappointed.
]]> <![CDATA[A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot, #1)]]> 55077657 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781250236210.

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?]]> 147 Becky Chambers Joe 5 soft_sf
Becky Chambers is also typically called 'cozy'. Which, it seems it today's litspeak, means that non-sci fi fans might like it..its not TOO deep and complex. I don't usually like that so much either (those I did like her previous book I read).

Yet, here I am, and this is a darn good book.

It's completely different from our world, and it came about by Robots 'awakening'... apparently one day they became sentient and decided they didn't want to work anymore, and people let them go wander off. This book is 200 years after that, and a tea monk (this worlds version of a psychiatrist, only with tea instead of narcotics) that is obsessed with crickets goes into the untamed wilderness at the same time as robots decide they should check up on humans and a robot meets up with him.

The robot is nothing like robots usually are. He doesn't do math. 'Do you know who much processing sentience takes?' is definitely up there with the best lines ever. And they have CHOSEN to die now and then. The robot explains that he is made up of all different parts, that, instead of repairing themselves indefinitely, they even now and then, well, die. And rebuilt new robots from the parts. Why? Because that's how nature works, and they want to learn about nature. Crazy, yet logical, too.

Their 'quest' to visit an old decrepit monastery in the woods is the whole book... the two of them essentially just talking philosophy. It 100% qualifies as a 'good sci fi makes you think' book. What is our purpose? And do we have to have one? Or is life enough? Deep stuff for a silly book about a monk pulling a gypsy wagon full of tea into the woods because he wants to hear a cricket.

I consider myself a bit of a student of fake religions (I tend to find them alot more interesting then the real ones) and here in a post-modern society at least a thousand years in the future and one that doesn't seem to have had any sort of horrible event that caused the 'transition'.. just people decided to change (that is clearly the most unrealistic part). Polytheism is generally considered primitive, but here it is.. they have 6 main gods and they are for different things. But yet is seems perfect for the world... the gods are there to inspire, but not control, and people have to do stuff themselves (almost like a warm fluffy version of Crom). I can dig it.

I'm not so sure about mushroom based building material though...]]> 4.25 2021 A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot, #1)

A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot, #1)

author: Becky Chambers
name: Joe
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/01
date added: 2024/12/01
shelves: soft_sf
review:
I'm not usually a fan of 'atmospheric' novels... this is sort of one, since nothing really happens, but, OTOH, the world is not really explained at all... the stage is set.. this is a post-technological society where houses are made of mushrooms and the world is at one with nature. Sure, they still have some clever survival tech and cell phones, but nothing is intended to last.

Becky Chambers is also typically called 'cozy'. Which, it seems it today's litspeak, means that non-sci fi fans might like it..its not TOO deep and complex. I don't usually like that so much either (those I did like her previous book I read).

Yet, here I am, and this is a darn good book.

It's completely different from our world, and it came about by Robots 'awakening'... apparently one day they became sentient and decided they didn't want to work anymore, and people let them go wander off. This book is 200 years after that, and a tea monk (this worlds version of a psychiatrist, only with tea instead of narcotics) that is obsessed with crickets goes into the untamed wilderness at the same time as robots decide they should check up on humans and a robot meets up with him.

The robot is nothing like robots usually are. He doesn't do math. 'Do you know who much processing sentience takes?' is definitely up there with the best lines ever. And they have CHOSEN to die now and then. The robot explains that he is made up of all different parts, that, instead of repairing themselves indefinitely, they even now and then, well, die. And rebuilt new robots from the parts. Why? Because that's how nature works, and they want to learn about nature. Crazy, yet logical, too.

Their 'quest' to visit an old decrepit monastery in the woods is the whole book... the two of them essentially just talking philosophy. It 100% qualifies as a 'good sci fi makes you think' book. What is our purpose? And do we have to have one? Or is life enough? Deep stuff for a silly book about a monk pulling a gypsy wagon full of tea into the woods because he wants to hear a cricket.

I consider myself a bit of a student of fake religions (I tend to find them alot more interesting then the real ones) and here in a post-modern society at least a thousand years in the future and one that doesn't seem to have had any sort of horrible event that caused the 'transition'.. just people decided to change (that is clearly the most unrealistic part). Polytheism is generally considered primitive, but here it is.. they have 6 main gods and they are for different things. But yet is seems perfect for the world... the gods are there to inspire, but not control, and people have to do stuff themselves (almost like a warm fluffy version of Crom). I can dig it.

I'm not so sure about mushroom based building material though...
]]> <![CDATA[Kagen the Damned (Kagen the Damned, #1)]]> 58724994 Sworn by Oath

Kagen Vale is the trusted and feared captain of the palace guard, charged with protecting the royal children of the Silver Empire. But one night, Kagen is drugged and the entire imperial family is killed, leaving the empire in ruins.

Abandoned by the Gods

Haunted and broken, Kagen is abandoned by his gods and damned forever. He becomes a wanderer, trying to take down as many of his enemies as possible while plotting to assassinate the usurper–the deadly Witch-king of Hakkia. All around him, magic–long banished from the world—returns in strange and terrifying ways.

Fueled by Rage

To exact his vengeance, Kagen must venture into strange lands, battle bizarre and terrifying creatures, and gather allies for a suicide mission into the heart of the Witch-king’s empire.

Kings and gods will fear him.<

Kagen the Damned]]> 560 Jonathan Maberry 1250783976 Joe 0 to-read 3.88 2022 Kagen the Damned (Kagen the Damned, #1)

author: Jonathan Maberry
name: Joe
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar]]> 40605640 Author and historian Tom Holland returns to his roots in Roman history and the audience he cultivated with Rubicon—his masterful, witty, brilliantly researched popular history of the fall of the Roman republic—with Dynasty, a luridly fascinating history of the reign of the first five Roman emperors.
��
Dynasty continues Rubicon's story, opening where that book ended: with the murder of Julius Caesar. This is the period of the first and perhaps greatest Roman Emperors and it's a colorful story of rule and ruination, running from the rise of Augustus through to the death of Nero. Holland's expansive history also has distinct shades of I Claudius, with five wonderfully vivid (and in three cases, thoroughly depraved) Emperors—Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero—featured, along with numerous fascinating secondary characters. Intrigue, murder, naked ambition and treachery, greed, gluttony, lust, incest, pageantry, decadence—the tale of these five Caesars continues to cast a mesmerizing spell across the millennia.]]> 496 Tom Holland 0385537905 Joe 0 to-read 4.19 2015 Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar

Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar

author: Tom Holland
name: Joe
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Midshipman Bolitho (Richard Bolitho, #1-2)]]> 799691 240 Alexander Kent 0935526412 Joe 4 naval_fiction
I liked how instead of starting at the very start, we start with the main character as an experience Midshipman getting on a new assignment on a ship of the line. The Gorgon is off to Africa to patrol, and find a pirate fortress being used by slavers and a lost English ship that needs saving.

The 2nd story takes place a year later and finds Richard and a fellow midshipman drafted abord his older brothers cutter to investigate local smuggling that turns out to be more than the bargained for. It was much more interesting than the first one, which was a pretty paint by the numbers first naval story, complete with all the usual characters therein. The 2nd book had some cool stuff about wreckers (people that would try to trick ships into crashing and then collect the salvage) and a pretty clever and surprising plot twist.

I decided to go with chronological order instead of publishing order for these... hopefully that will be a good choice. ]]> 3.99 1975 Midshipman Bolitho (Richard Bolitho, #1-2)

Midshipman Bolitho (Richard Bolitho, #1-2)

author: Alexander Kent
name: Joe
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1975
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/30
date added: 2024/11/29
shelves: naval_fiction
review:
This is quite a swing from book #26 in the series.. over 40 years earlier, and with Richard Bolitho a 16 year old Midshipman.

I liked how instead of starting at the very start, we start with the main character as an experience Midshipman getting on a new assignment on a ship of the line. The Gorgon is off to Africa to patrol, and find a pirate fortress being used by slavers and a lost English ship that needs saving.

The 2nd story takes place a year later and finds Richard and a fellow midshipman drafted abord his older brothers cutter to investigate local smuggling that turns out to be more than the bargained for. It was much more interesting than the first one, which was a pretty paint by the numbers first naval story, complete with all the usual characters therein. The 2nd book had some cool stuff about wreckers (people that would try to trick ships into crashing and then collect the salvage) and a pretty clever and surprising plot twist.

I decided to go with chronological order instead of publishing order for these... hopefully that will be a good choice.
]]> <![CDATA[At Bertram's Hotel (Miss Marple, #10)]]> 16333
When Miss Marple comes up from the country for a holiday in London, she finds what she's looking for at Bertram's: traditional décor and impeccable service. But she senses an unmistakable atmosphere of danger behind the highly polished veneer. Not even Miss Marple can foresee the violent chain of events set in motion when an eccentric hotel guest makes his way to the airport one day late!

Librarian's note: this entry is for the novel, "At Bertram's Hotel." Collections and other Miss Marple stories are located elsewhere on ŷ��. The series includes 12 novels and 20 short stories. Entries for the short stories can be found by searching ŷ�� for: "a Miss Marple Short Story."]]> 223 Agatha Christie Joe 3 mystery_detective
I wonder, is that how they all are? Definitely an interesting way to present your main character... you definitely won't know she was the lead if theb ack of the book didn't tell you so.

The mystery itself was both out of nowhere and obvious at the same time, but definitely had some really interesting characters, as has been the case with the other Agatha Christie books I've read. I sort of hope Bertram's exists out there somewhere... I would definitely stay there!

]]> 3.72 1965 At Bertram's Hotel (Miss Marple, #10)

author: Agatha Christie
name: Joe
average rating: 3.72
book published: 1965
rating: 3
read at: 2022/06/18
date added: 2024/11/29
shelves: mystery_detective
review:
This is the first Miss Marple book I've read, and it definitely reads alot like Poirot.. only the police inspector was someone else...the titular character is simply a witness, whl really isn't involved in the story until the end... and then just as a witness.

I wonder, is that how they all are? Definitely an interesting way to present your main character... you definitely won't know she was the lead if theb ack of the book didn't tell you so.

The mystery itself was both out of nowhere and obvious at the same time, but definitely had some really interesting characters, as has been the case with the other Agatha Christie books I've read. I sort of hope Bertram's exists out there somewhere... I would definitely stay there!

]]> <![CDATA[Talking to Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #4)]]> 169871 Always be polite to dragons!

That's what Daystar's mother taught him...and it's a very wise lesson--one that might just help him after his mom hands him a magic sword and kicks him out of the house. Especially because his house sits on the edge of the Enchanted Forest and his mother is Queen Cimorene.

But the tricky part is figuring out what he's supposed to do with the magic sword. Where is he supposed to go? And why does everyone he meets seem to know who he is?

It's going to take a particularly hotheaded fire-witch, a very verbose lizard, and a badly behaved baby dragon to help him figure it all out.

And those good manners certainly won't hurt!]]> 255 Patricia C. Wrede 0152046917 Joe 3 epic-fantasy
Daystar was far less likeable than Cimorene et al, and Shiara was downright annoying. I'm happy to know how the story ends, but really there's no question that the story and characters in the trilogy (which are all just minor, undeveloped names here) are far more interesting than they are here.

2024 Update: I think I was a little harsh the first time... I still like this book the least (the author made a great choice focusing on Cimorene and Kazul and ignoring the Elves and Dwarves and such... it does have a nice happy ending though, and I have to say, seems odd it never continued. Overall, I'm glad I got nice copies of this series and read it again. ]]> 4.19 1985 Talking to Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #4)

Talking to Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #4)

author: Patricia C. Wrede
name: Joe
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1985
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/25
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves: epic-fantasy
review:
I'm really glad I read these in chronological order, and not published order... I'm quite sure I wouldn't have bothered with the other three if I'd read this first. It's just alot less fun, and more just a generic fantasy coming of age story... and not even a particularly good one.

Daystar was far less likeable than Cimorene et al, and Shiara was downright annoying. I'm happy to know how the story ends, but really there's no question that the story and characters in the trilogy (which are all just minor, undeveloped names here) are far more interesting than they are here.

2024 Update: I think I was a little harsh the first time... I still like this book the least (the author made a great choice focusing on Cimorene and Kazul and ignoring the Elves and Dwarves and such... it does have a nice happy ending though, and I have to say, seems odd it never continued. Overall, I'm glad I got nice copies of this series and read it again.
]]> The Naturalist Society 203801352 In this magical tale of self-discovery from New York Times bestselling author Carrie Vaughn, a young widow taps into the power that will change the world—if the man’s world she lives in doesn’t destroy her and her newfound friends first.

In the summer of 1880, the death of Beth Stanley’s husband puts her life’s work in jeopardy. The magic of Arcane Taxonomy dictates that every natural thing in the world, from weather to animals, can be labeled, and doing so grants the practitioner some of that subject’s unique power. But only men are permitted to train in this philosophy. Losing her husband means that Beth loses the name they put on her work—and any influence she might have wielded.

Brandon West and Anton Torrance are campaigning for their expedition to the South Pole, a mission that some believe could make a taxonomist all-powerful by tapping into the earth’s magnetic forces. Their late friend Harry Stanley’s knowledge and connections would have been instrumental, but when they attempt to take custody of his work, they find that it was never his at all.

Tied together by this secret and its implications, Beth, Bran, and Anton must find a way for Beth to use her talent for the good of the world, before she’s discovered by those who would lay claim to her rare potential—and her very freedom.]]> 391 Carrie Vaughn 1662519028 Joe 3 emergency, alternate_history
As it turns out, the fantasy part really took a back seat to the discussions of women's role in society at the time (which was interesting) and the weird love triangle (which was not).

The concept of learning about nature to use its power is very cool.. but the author clearly isn't sure how that should work, and while figuring it out IS part of the book, its just too random. Like, one character can stop time... where do you get that from? And some of it is goofy, like thinking of a red bird lets you set things on fire.

If you take the 'arcane taxonomy' part at face value, its a pretty fun historical fiction set in the 1880s when people were racing to discover each last bit of our world.

I could potentially read a future book, depending on what direction the story goes (Since the love triangle was mostly settled the parts I was more interested in my be more important. ]]> 4.15 2024 The Naturalist Society

author: Carrie Vaughn
name: Joe
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/23
date added: 2024/11/23
shelves: emergency, alternate_history
review:
I got this as a free kindle download as with a 'first reads' promotion, which I had for a couple long trips in the dark to sporting events for my daughters... it seems like it could be a pretty unique book.

As it turns out, the fantasy part really took a back seat to the discussions of women's role in society at the time (which was interesting) and the weird love triangle (which was not).

The concept of learning about nature to use its power is very cool.. but the author clearly isn't sure how that should work, and while figuring it out IS part of the book, its just too random. Like, one character can stop time... where do you get that from? And some of it is goofy, like thinking of a red bird lets you set things on fire.

If you take the 'arcane taxonomy' part at face value, its a pretty fun historical fiction set in the 1880s when people were racing to discover each last bit of our world.

I could potentially read a future book, depending on what direction the story goes (Since the love triangle was mostly settled the parts I was more interested in my be more important.
]]> <![CDATA[Thieftaker (Thieftaker Chronicles, #1)]]> 11577576 327 D.B. Jackson 0765327619 Joe 0 to-read 3.65 2012

author: D.B. Jackson
name: Joe
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Five Broken Blades (The Broken Blades, #1)]]> 201608152 It’s the season
for treason��

The king of Yusan must die.

The five most dangerous liars in the land have been mysteriously summoned to work together for a single objective: to kill the God King Joon.

He has it coming. Under his merciless immortal hand, the nobles flourish, while the poor and innocent are imprisoned, ruined…or sold.

And now each of the five blades will come for him. Each has tasted bitterness―from the hired hitman seeking atonement, a lovely assassin who seeks freedom, or even the prince banished for his cruel crimes. None can resist the sweet, icy lure of vengeance.

They can agree on murder.

They can agree on treachery.

But for these five killers―each versed in deception, lies, and betrayal―it’s not enough to forge an alliance. To survive, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other…but only one can take the crown.

Let the best liar win.]]> 474 Mai Corland 1649376987 Joe 0 to-read 3.63 2024 Five Broken Blades (The Broken Blades, #1)

Five Broken Blades (The Broken Blades, #1)

author: Mai Corland
name: Joe
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Bright Sword 201750794
They aren’t the heroes of legend, like Lancelot or Gawain. They’re the oddballs of the Round Tables, from the edges of the stories, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. They’re joined by Nimue, who was Merlin’s apprentice until she turned on him and buried him under a hill. Together this ragtag fellowship will set out to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance.

But Arthur’s death has revealed Britain’s fault lines. God has abandoned it, and the fairies and monsters and old gods are returning, led by Arthur’s half-sister Morgan le Fay. Kingdoms are turning on each other, warlords are laying siege to Camelot, and rival factions are forming around the disgraced Lancelot and the fallen Queen Guinevere. It is up to Collum and his companions to reclaim Excalibur, solve the mysteries of this ruined world and make it whole again. But before they can restore Camelot they’ll have to learn the truth of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell and lay to rest the ghosts of his troubled family and of Britain’s dark past.]]> 673 Lev Grossman 0735224048 Joe 0 to-read 3.94 2024 The Bright Sword

author: Lev Grossman
name: Joe
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Calling on Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #3)]]> 169879
Princess Cimorene is now Queen Cimorene ... and she's faced with her first queenly crisis -- the Enchanted Forest is threatened with complete destruction!

Those wizards are back -- and they've become very smart. (Sort of.) They've figured out a way to take over the forest once and for all ... and what they have planned isn't pretty.

With a little help from Kazul the dragon king, Morwen the witch, Telemain the magician, two cats, and a blue, flying donkey-rabbit named -- what else? -- Killer, Cimorene might just be able to stop them.

And some people think that being a queen is easy.]]> 244 Patricia C. Wrede 0152046925 Joe 3
Having flipped through the original book, I see why she ended it where and how she did, but it was pretty unsatisfying... I'm actually not totally sure I'm even going to read the last one... we'll see.

2024 Update: I can't believe I didn't mention how annoying Killer is! I think upon reflection this one almost seems rushed. If it was 2 books, they could have actually let us see what the wizards were up to, and had some clever fight scenes. I know there's not alot of that on purpose (that's clearly not the point) but I think some idea of what happened in the castle would have been alot better than Killer endlessly complaining about being hungry. I must have been REALLY annoyed when I read it the first time, because I don't remember anything from the last one... I guess we'll see!]]> 4.18 1993 Calling on Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #3)

Calling on Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #3)

author: Patricia C. Wrede
name: Joe
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1993
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/21
date added: 2024/11/21
shelves: comic_fantasy, medeval-fantasy
review:
Definitely not as good as the first two.... I really didn't need a focus on Morwen's cats.. they were more interesting and mysterious as a pack... telling us which is which and trying to develop them separately was just too much.

Having flipped through the original book, I see why she ended it where and how she did, but it was pretty unsatisfying... I'm actually not totally sure I'm even going to read the last one... we'll see.

2024 Update: I can't believe I didn't mention how annoying Killer is! I think upon reflection this one almost seems rushed. If it was 2 books, they could have actually let us see what the wizards were up to, and had some clever fight scenes. I know there's not alot of that on purpose (that's clearly not the point) but I think some idea of what happened in the castle would have been alot better than Killer endlessly complaining about being hungry. I must have been REALLY annoyed when I read it the first time, because I don't remember anything from the last one... I guess we'll see!
]]> Alien Clay 195443798
On the distant world of Kiln lie the ruins of an alien civilization. It’s the greatest discovery in humanity’s spacefaring history �� yet who were its builders and where did they go?

Professor Arton Daghdev had always wanted to study alien life up close. Then his wishes become a reality in the worst way. His political activism sees him exiled from Earth to Kiln’s extrasolar labour camp. There, he’s condemned to work under an alien sky until he dies.

Kiln boasts a ravenous, chaotic ecosystem like nothing seen on Earth. The monstrous alien life interacts in surprising, sometimes shocking ways with the human body, so Arton will risk death on a daily basis. However, the camp’s oppressive regime might just kill him first. If Arton can somehow escape both fates, the world of Kiln holds a wondrous, terrible secret. It will redefine life and intelligence as he knows it, and might just set him free . . .]]> 396 Adrian Tchaikovsky 1035013770 Joe 0 to-read 3.99 2024 Alien Clay

author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
name: Joe
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Searching for Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #2)]]> 169875 Kidnap a dragon? How daring!
How stupid

Cimorene, the princess who refuses to be proper, is back--but where is Kazul the dragon? That's what Cimorene is determined to find out.

Luckily--or perhaps not-so-luckily--she's got help: Mendenbar, the not-very-kingly King of the Enchanted Forest, has joined her in her quest. So with the aid of a broken-down magic carpet, a leaky magical sword, and a few buckets of soapy lemon water, they set off across the Enchanted Forest to tackle the dragon-napping and save the King of the Dragons.]]> 242 Patricia C. Wrede 0152045651 Joe 4 medeval-fantasy
It has all the fun shout outs and endearing character bits of the first book, and does a nice job tying together different bits of the world.

The action, though, was a bit lacking, and the eventual resultion was rather easy and obvious... thus leading me to knock a star off this one. One could almost consider this more of a fantasy detective novel, really, which is fine, but didn't quite work as well.

It's still quite a good book though, and there's clearly plenty of room for more stories (though both do stand alone just fine as well)

2024 Update: I mostly agree with what I wrote 7 years ago.. the climatic fight is definitely pretty boring.. but really this book is about Mendandar and Telemain, who are both great archtypal characters. I had also total forgotten about the 'wicked' step Uncle Rupert, who is quite hilarious. Great stuff!
]]> 4.27 1991 Searching for Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #2)

Searching for Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #2)

author: Patricia C. Wrede
name: Joe
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1991
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/20
date added: 2024/11/20
shelves: medeval-fantasy
review:
If you liked the first book, you'll certainly like this one... we actaully get to experience the Enchanted Forest for which the series is named, and it's King, who is the main character of this volume.

It has all the fun shout outs and endearing character bits of the first book, and does a nice job tying together different bits of the world.

The action, though, was a bit lacking, and the eventual resultion was rather easy and obvious... thus leading me to knock a star off this one. One could almost consider this more of a fantasy detective novel, really, which is fine, but didn't quite work as well.

It's still quite a good book though, and there's clearly plenty of room for more stories (though both do stand alone just fine as well)

2024 Update: I mostly agree with what I wrote 7 years ago.. the climatic fight is definitely pretty boring.. but really this book is about Mendandar and Telemain, who are both great archtypal characters. I had also total forgotten about the 'wicked' step Uncle Rupert, who is quite hilarious. Great stuff!

]]> <![CDATA[Dealing with Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #1)]]> 150739 not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart - and bored. So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon - and finds the family and excitement she's been looking for.

Cover illustrator: Peter de Sève]]> 240 Patricia C. Wrede 015204566X Joe 5 medeval-fantasy
When my wife read this and was telling me about it, I was a little intrigued that it pre-dated the craze, but wasn't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised that the story actually takes the time to create it's own characters, and just uses the fairy tales as a back drop and frame of reference.

Cimorene is not just a typical rebellious princess, but actually has a personality that makes one wish to read about more of her adventures. Plus, the dragons are great fun, they are a pretty unique mix of familiar tropes and having their own thing.

Plot wise, things start out quietly but build quicky.. just when you think the book is just going to be a series of call outs to various fairy tales, a plot with the wizards and dragons going at each other appears, and moves along at a good pace where the characters all actually do things that make sense, which is nice. While the ending was pretty predictable, the journey was quite a good one, and well worth reading.

2024 Update: Library book sale day! I found all 4 books of the series (the 1990 version printed by Scholastic) so I picked them up... remember the name of the author, but not remembering I had read them a while back when someone recommended them to me. It was familiar right away though.. quite a fun book from a time when spoofing fantasy was far less common than it is now. Very glad to read it again!]]> 4.16 1990 Dealing with Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #1)

Dealing with Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #1)

author: Patricia C. Wrede
name: Joe
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1990
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/17
date added: 2024/11/16
shelves: medeval-fantasy
review:
It's really, really hard to throw a stone in today's book market and not find some sort of fairy tale-based book... I guess between really great stuff like Fables and mass market stuff like the Once upon a Time show, it's just too easy.. you have pre-made characters with name recognition you don't have to pay for.

When my wife read this and was telling me about it, I was a little intrigued that it pre-dated the craze, but wasn't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised that the story actually takes the time to create it's own characters, and just uses the fairy tales as a back drop and frame of reference.

Cimorene is not just a typical rebellious princess, but actually has a personality that makes one wish to read about more of her adventures. Plus, the dragons are great fun, they are a pretty unique mix of familiar tropes and having their own thing.

Plot wise, things start out quietly but build quicky.. just when you think the book is just going to be a series of call outs to various fairy tales, a plot with the wizards and dragons going at each other appears, and moves along at a good pace where the characters all actually do things that make sense, which is nice. While the ending was pretty predictable, the journey was quite a good one, and well worth reading.

2024 Update: Library book sale day! I found all 4 books of the series (the 1990 version printed by Scholastic) so I picked them up... remember the name of the author, but not remembering I had read them a while back when someone recommended them to me. It was familiar right away though.. quite a fun book from a time when spoofing fantasy was far less common than it is now. Very glad to read it again!
]]> Man of War (Adam Bolitho, #3) 946987 320 Alexander Kent 159013091X Joe 3 naval_fiction
Naval fiction has a certain flow to it, so it's not like one it totally lost, and you can get the feel of the style of the author still, to see if the series might be good.

Sure, the character bits probably would have been more impactful if one had read the previous books with the characters.. it seems this certain is almost generational, going back 30+ years to the first one with Sir Richard (this is apparently the 3rd book with his nephew Adam, who is the central character).

I few of the mentions of previous adventures (surely contained in the previous books) were a bit silly, but most sounded pretty good.

The 1st half of the book was all about the ship that had clearly been used in at least a few previous adventures getting put out to pasture and Adam awating (and of course getting) a new assignment, so that part definitely was not great as a reader with no rooting interest in any of the people.

The upside is the author spent alot of time with historical analysis... talking about then end of the great age of naval battles and its impact on England... and its not often you get a look at England's attempt to fight the slave trade.

I'll definitely pick up others in the series if I come across them. ]]> 3.99 2002 Man of War (Adam Bolitho, #3)

author: Alexander Kent
name: Joe
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/16
date added: 2024/11/15
shelves: naval_fiction
review:
One might think it a bit strange to read a book that is #26 of a series at random, but some times that happens when you get random stuff at library book sales. There's a method to my weirdness though.

Naval fiction has a certain flow to it, so it's not like one it totally lost, and you can get the feel of the style of the author still, to see if the series might be good.

Sure, the character bits probably would have been more impactful if one had read the previous books with the characters.. it seems this certain is almost generational, going back 30+ years to the first one with Sir Richard (this is apparently the 3rd book with his nephew Adam, who is the central character).

I few of the mentions of previous adventures (surely contained in the previous books) were a bit silly, but most sounded pretty good.

The 1st half of the book was all about the ship that had clearly been used in at least a few previous adventures getting put out to pasture and Adam awating (and of course getting) a new assignment, so that part definitely was not great as a reader with no rooting interest in any of the people.

The upside is the author spent alot of time with historical analysis... talking about then end of the great age of naval battles and its impact on England... and its not often you get a look at England's attempt to fight the slave trade.

I'll definitely pick up others in the series if I come across them.
]]> <![CDATA[Richard Bolitho �� Midshipman (Richard Bolitho, #1)]]> 1143092 159 Alexander Kent 0099152002 Joe 0 to-read 4.03 1976 Richard Bolitho — Midshipman (Richard Bolitho, #1)

Richard Bolitho — Midshipman (Richard Bolitho, #1)

author: Alexander Kent
name: Joe
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1976
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Winter's Promise (The Mirror Visitor, #1)]]> 40969531
Ophelia lives on Anima, an ark where objects have souls. Beneath her worn scarf and thick glasses, the young girl hides the ability to read and communicate with the souls of objects, and the power to travel through mirrors. Her peaceful existence on the Ark of Anima is disrupted when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, from the powerful Dragon clan. Ophelia must leave her family and follow her fiancée to the floating capital on the distant Ark of the Pole. Why has she been chosen? Why must she hide her true identity? Though she doesn’t know it yet, she has become a pawn in a deadly plot.]]> 446 Christelle Dabos 1787701425 Joe 0 to-read 3.90 2013 A Winter's Promise (The Mirror Visitor, #1)

A Winter's Promise (The Mirror Visitor, #1)

author: Christelle Dabos
name: Joe
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Sorcerer's Ship 2864870
Originally published in Unknown Worlds, December, 1942.]]> 205 Hannes Bok 0345017951 Joe 3 soft_sf
This book very much resembles the A Merritt books I've read.. a regular person gets sucked into a fantasy world and has to be the hero and get the girl.

This particular world has two countries, poor but Democratic Nanich and rich powerful Koph. Our hero (a clerk from New York named Gene) of course stumbles about the Democratic country, and falls in love with its Princess and tries to save her.

Much like Ship of Ishtar, it starts on a ship.. there's a quest, and a big battle.. it goes pretty much exactly as you would expect. It's quite fairy tale-like, in fact.

It was pretty interesting how competent the Princess was.. that's definitely not typical of the time.. she is arguably her own hero with Gene sort of just coming along for the ride. There are some great visuals that maybe me think of a Miyazaki movie.

]]> 3.22 1942 The Sorcerer's Ship

author: Hannes Bok
name: Joe
average rating: 3.22
book published: 1942
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/09
date added: 2024/11/09
shelves: soft_sf
review:
This was an interesting one... the intro by Lin Carter really paints the picture of the author.. he seemed very well loved (at least by the writer) and is described as just the type of quirk personality one wants to picture a fantast writer as. Bok was mainly an artist (though the cover is not his art for some reason), but did write a couple novels and finish a few fragments written by A. Merritt (who he was a big fan of).

This book very much resembles the A Merritt books I've read.. a regular person gets sucked into a fantasy world and has to be the hero and get the girl.

This particular world has two countries, poor but Democratic Nanich and rich powerful Koph. Our hero (a clerk from New York named Gene) of course stumbles about the Democratic country, and falls in love with its Princess and tries to save her.

Much like Ship of Ishtar, it starts on a ship.. there's a quest, and a big battle.. it goes pretty much exactly as you would expect. It's quite fairy tale-like, in fact.

It was pretty interesting how competent the Princess was.. that's definitely not typical of the time.. she is arguably her own hero with Gene sort of just coming along for the ride. There are some great visuals that maybe me think of a Miyazaki movie.

]]> <![CDATA[The Hunger of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga, #2)]]> 57341045
Lik-Rifa, the dragon god of legend, has been freed from her eternal prison. Now she plots a new age of blood and conquest.

As Orka continues the hunt for her missing son, the Bloodsworn sweep south in a desperate race to save one of their own–and Varg takes the first steps on the path of vengeance.

Elvar has sworn to fulfil her blood oath and rescue a prisoner from the clutches of Lik-Rifa and her dragonborn followers, but first she must persuade the Battle-Grim to follow her. Yet even the might of the Bloodsworn and Battle-Grim cannot stand alone against a dragon god.

Their only hope lies within the mad writings of a chained god. A book of forbidden magic with the power to raise the wolf god Ulfrir from the dead…and bring about a battle that will shake the foundations of the earth.]]> 633 John Gwynne 0356514226 Joe 0 to-read 4.51 2022 The Hunger of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga, #2)

The Hunger of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga, #2)

author: John Gwynne
name: Joe
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Earth Dies (Perry Rhodan #41)]]> 4340291 Science Fiction 157 Clark Darlton 1441660240 Joe 4 space_opera
This felt like a season finale, and had plenty of drama and action. The good guys are a bit ruthless, which is not something you see every day. I really liked how things didn't go exactly to plan, but required the good guys to improvise a bit in the hopes to try to get everything to work.

The 2nd half of the Neptune part of Cosmos was decent (though not as good as the first half)... I would be interested in the author writing their own thing, but I wasn't able to find any sign of anything but titles.

The other shorts were not super exciting on this one. It did seem there were more illustrations this time.. in the past there have been the occassional bits of art, but there were like 5 of them here, which was fun.

I still would prefer just 2 Perry stories rather than the 'bookazine' thing, but I get Forest Ackerman was nostalgic for the old pulps. I wonder if it would have lasted longer with more Perry?]]> 3.81 1974 The Earth Dies (Perry Rhodan #41)

author: Clark Darlton
name: Joe
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1974
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/07
date added: 2024/11/07
shelves: space_opera
review:
This is a big one! Will Perry's big plan to trick the Springers in thinking they've destroyed Earth work? Will the Topides cause trouble, or help sell the ruse?

This felt like a season finale, and had plenty of drama and action. The good guys are a bit ruthless, which is not something you see every day. I really liked how things didn't go exactly to plan, but required the good guys to improvise a bit in the hopes to try to get everything to work.

The 2nd half of the Neptune part of Cosmos was decent (though not as good as the first half)... I would be interested in the author writing their own thing, but I wasn't able to find any sign of anything but titles.

The other shorts were not super exciting on this one. It did seem there were more illustrations this time.. in the past there have been the occassional bits of art, but there were like 5 of them here, which was fun.

I still would prefer just 2 Perry stories rather than the 'bookazine' thing, but I get Forest Ackerman was nostalgic for the old pulps. I wonder if it would have lasted longer with more Perry?
]]> The Monitors 909459 Keith Laumer 0812543696 Joe 0 to-read 3.18 1966

author: Keith Laumer
name: Joe
average rating: 3.18
book published: 1966
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Red Eye of Betelgeuse (Perry Rhodan - English, #40)]]> 1620545 Science-Fiction 153 Clark Darlton 4412660230 Joe 4 space_opera
Perry and Reggie sit this one out... the minor characters are generally not very developed, but here we get a bit of Maj Deringhouse being curios while McClears wanted to follow the plan. It's not much, but it was something.

They find alot more than they bargained for in Betelgeuse, setting up what should be a very interesting battle next installment.

'Cosmos' continues to be pretty random, but this one about some aliens on Nepture was pretty good as a stand alone. One of the shock shorts about a Galactic Counterfeiter was cute too... better extra material than the last few for sure.
]]> 3.74 1962 Red Eye of Betelgeuse (Perry Rhodan - English, #40)

Red Eye of Betelgeuse (Perry Rhodan - English, #40)

author: Clark Darlton
name: Joe
average rating: 3.74
book published: 1962
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/06
date added: 2024/11/06
shelves: space_opera
review:
Perry's big plan is revealed... sending the Springers to Betelgeuse was just part of it... apparently he's hoping to trick them into destroying the 3rd planet and assuming Earth is no more! That will give the New Power time to build a fleet.

Perry and Reggie sit this one out... the minor characters are generally not very developed, but here we get a bit of Maj Deringhouse being curios while McClears wanted to follow the plan. It's not much, but it was something.

They find alot more than they bargained for in Betelgeuse, setting up what should be a very interesting battle next installment.

'Cosmos' continues to be pretty random, but this one about some aliens on Nepture was pretty good as a stand alone. One of the shock shorts about a Galactic Counterfeiter was cute too... better extra material than the last few for sure.

]]> <![CDATA[David Crockett: The Lion of the West]]> 9303613 380 Michael Wallis 0393067580 Joe 3 real_history
This author seems to have written the book for exactly that purpose... the introduction talks about the impression the Disney born Davy Crockett craze of the 50s had on him as a kid. Clearly, this book was going to be a positive portrayal.

And while the author DID try, the fact shown through that the David Crockett was really not a great guy. A great hunter and teller of stories, sure, but he essentially abandoned his family and was constantly moving to the next wilderness, seemingly one step ahead of debt collectors, and ended up in Texas after trying and failing to make a go in politics.

The book doesn't really talk about the actual battle at the Alamo, but it does talk about Crockett going to Texas, and how the Mexican government was trying to stop the 'Anglos' from sending all their problematic citizens to Texas to cause trouble and perhaps start a revolution.

Sounds familiar(if in reverse), doesn't it?
]]> 3.72 2011 David Crockett: The Lion of the West

author: Michael Wallis
name: Joe
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/03
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: real_history
review:
This jumped out at me at the library the other day and I decided to give it a read... separating the myth of Davy Crockett from history is definitely the sort of thing I enjoy.

This author seems to have written the book for exactly that purpose... the introduction talks about the impression the Disney born Davy Crockett craze of the 50s had on him as a kid. Clearly, this book was going to be a positive portrayal.

And while the author DID try, the fact shown through that the David Crockett was really not a great guy. A great hunter and teller of stories, sure, but he essentially abandoned his family and was constantly moving to the next wilderness, seemingly one step ahead of debt collectors, and ended up in Texas after trying and failing to make a go in politics.

The book doesn't really talk about the actual battle at the Alamo, but it does talk about Crockett going to Texas, and how the Mexican government was trying to stop the 'Anglos' from sending all their problematic citizens to Texas to cause trouble and perhaps start a revolution.

Sounds familiar(if in reverse), doesn't it?

]]> <![CDATA[The Silence of Gom (Perry Rhodan #39)]]> 2363313 Science-Fiction 143 Kurt Mahr 4416601220 Joe 3 space_opera
The bigger plot of the Springers attacking Earth at the behest of the Aras takes a back seat for the batter for survival with Bell and co.

It's pretty fun, and it's really nice to see Bell get some positive screen time, instead of just being comic relief. This is one of the few times I've actually felt like it makes sense for him to be Perry's 2nd in command, instead of just being told that and wondering why. The battle has a few conviences that are a bit ridiculous, but its not like there was any chance they were killing Bell off, so it wasn't so bad.

One of the 'shock shorts' was a pretty good one pager..'Turnabout' by Greg Akers. Cosmos also continues to crawl along.. I'm pretty much over Cosmos... you've taken too long and lost my interest ;).

]]> 3.74 1971 The Silence of Gom (Perry Rhodan #39)

author: Kurt Mahr
name: Joe
average rating: 3.74
book published: 1971
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/30
date added: 2024/10/29
shelves: space_opera
review:
this is it.. the big fight! Bell and what's left of the mutants against the Gom... who are a race of Gelatinous Cubes that can shapeshift... and merge to become bigger and smarter.

The bigger plot of the Springers attacking Earth at the behest of the Aras takes a back seat for the batter for survival with Bell and co.

It's pretty fun, and it's really nice to see Bell get some positive screen time, instead of just being comic relief. This is one of the few times I've actually felt like it makes sense for him to be Perry's 2nd in command, instead of just being told that and wondering why. The battle has a few conviences that are a bit ridiculous, but its not like there was any chance they were killing Bell off, so it wasn't so bad.

One of the 'shock shorts' was a pretty good one pager..'Turnabout' by Greg Akers. Cosmos also continues to crawl along.. I'm pretty much over Cosmos... you've taken too long and lost my interest ;).

]]> <![CDATA[Scarlet Witch: The Complete Collection]]> 55921187
Collects Scarlet Witch (2016) #1-15, Doctor Strange: The Last Days of Magic (2016) #1.]]> 318 James Robinson 1302935321 Joe 4 comics
Putting that aside, it's not a bad series... similar to the Doctor Strange arc where he was trying to save magic.. Wanda is trying to save witchcraft, and she has a variety of adventures in doing so. Perhaps the most lasting bit of the series (besides bringing Agatha back to life in the comics, which was clearly inevitable) was it seems a pretty definitive version of her (and Quicksilvers) origin, which is nice.

Power wise she seems pretty much omnipotent here, but using up her life force... which is a trope I hate because you always know they are not going to end the story that way, but such is life.

The art is a bit scratchy (mostly on purpose), which works in places, and seems rather meh in others. It does introduce a bunch of interesting magic characters that might get their moment in the future, which is fun. Overall, I'm glad a read it and didn't have to pay for it. ]]> 4.03 2021 Scarlet Witch: The Complete Collection

author: James Robinson
name: Joe
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/27
date added: 2024/10/27
shelves: comics
review:
I grabbed this on Hoopla to see if any of the (surprisingly good) plot of Agatha All Along came from a comic. The answer is... not really. I think maybe the concept of the Witches' Road, but that's about it.

Putting that aside, it's not a bad series... similar to the Doctor Strange arc where he was trying to save magic.. Wanda is trying to save witchcraft, and she has a variety of adventures in doing so. Perhaps the most lasting bit of the series (besides bringing Agatha back to life in the comics, which was clearly inevitable) was it seems a pretty definitive version of her (and Quicksilvers) origin, which is nice.

Power wise she seems pretty much omnipotent here, but using up her life force... which is a trope I hate because you always know they are not going to end the story that way, but such is life.

The art is a bit scratchy (mostly on purpose), which works in places, and seems rather meh in others. It does introduce a bunch of interesting magic characters that might get their moment in the future, which is fun. Overall, I'm glad a read it and didn't have to pay for it.
]]> <![CDATA[Project : Earthsave (Perry Rhodan #38)]]> 4340785 Science-Fiction 160 Kurt Brand 0441660215 Joe 4 space_opera
Its a bit remarkable how millions of people get wiped out in a plague as just sort of a side light here... they're not humans, but still. I was wondering after the last one how Perry was going to come up with a fleet, and not just have his couple ships trick people into small engagements (at some point, a full scale of Earth is going to happen) and we find out here... it was both a bit surprising and very logical. Things looked grim at the end of this one, with Bell and the mutants seemingly in trouble, so I'll definitely have to read the next one right away!

The shock shorts were passible, nothing special. I did think it was funny one of them had a note for the author to write to the publisher for a royalty check (I guess they assumed permission). That was the most interesting part though.

Cosmos continue to meander along... this time talking about dimensions and space travel. I like idea of a story written but all different people, but the small bits are just too small and it just feels disjointed to me. ]]> 3.50 1974 Project : Earthsave (Perry Rhodan #38)

author: Kurt Brand
name: Joe
average rating: 3.50
book published: 1974
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/26
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: space_opera
review:
I thought after the last one I had stopped the end of a story... but apparently not. The Aras are out to eliminate Earth once and for all and plan on forcing the Springers to do it for them

Its a bit remarkable how millions of people get wiped out in a plague as just sort of a side light here... they're not humans, but still. I was wondering after the last one how Perry was going to come up with a fleet, and not just have his couple ships trick people into small engagements (at some point, a full scale of Earth is going to happen) and we find out here... it was both a bit surprising and very logical. Things looked grim at the end of this one, with Bell and the mutants seemingly in trouble, so I'll definitely have to read the next one right away!

The shock shorts were passible, nothing special. I did think it was funny one of them had a note for the author to write to the publisher for a royalty check (I guess they assumed permission). That was the most interesting part though.

Cosmos continue to meander along... this time talking about dimensions and space travel. I like idea of a story written but all different people, but the small bits are just too small and it just feels disjointed to me.
]]> <![CDATA[Tyrant's Throne (Greatcoats, #4)]]> 30317594 Would you - could you? - uphold the law at the cost of those you love?

After years of struggle and sacrifice, Falcio val Mond, First Cantor of the Greatcoats, is on the brink of fulfilling his dead King's dream: Aline, the King's daughter, is about to take the throne and restore the rule of law once and for all.

But for the Greatcoats, nothing is ever that simple. In the neighbouring country of Avares, an enigmatic new warlord is uniting the barbarian armies which have long plagued Tristia's borders - and even worse, he is rumoured to have a new ally: Trin, who's twice tried to kill Aline to take the throne for herself. With the armies of Avares at her back, she'll be unstoppable.

Falcio, Kest and Brasti race north to stop her, but in those cold and treacherous climes they discover something altogether different, and far more dangerous: a new player is planning to take the throne of Tristia, and the Greatcoats, for all their skill, may not be able to stop him.

As the nobles of Tristia and even the Greatcoats themselves fight over who should rule, the Warlord of Avares threatens to invade. It is going to fall to Falcio to render the one verdict he cannot bring himself to decide: does he crown the girl he vowed to put on the throne, or uphold the laws he swore to serve?]]> 608 Sebastien de Castell Joe 5 medeval-fantasy
I think this was the best use of Bards in the history of fantasy fiction... I LOVED how they were able to impact the story, and it worked in a way that wasn't really magic. There was really only a small bit of magic in the story overall, which I thought was very good... you could pretend it was all real if you squint a bit, and assume some of the weird parts were the result of far too many concussions.

]]> 4.40 2017 Tyrant's Throne (Greatcoats, #4)

author: Sebastien de Castell
name: Joe
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/22
date added: 2024/10/22
shelves: medeval-fantasy
review:
I'm a bit sad this is the end of the series (hopefully the author's promise to revisit the characters holds true)... I could read swashbuckling adventures of Falcio, Kest and Brasti all day long. The first section of the book was exactly that, and it was great. The ending was perfect. The middle 300 pages had a whole lot of torture for the main characters, which I don't love, but I suppose that was necessary to make the ending feel properly earned.

I think this was the best use of Bards in the history of fantasy fiction... I LOVED how they were able to impact the story, and it worked in a way that wasn't really magic. There was really only a small bit of magic in the story overall, which I thought was very good... you could pretend it was all real if you squint a bit, and assume some of the weird parts were the result of far too many concussions.

]]> <![CDATA[Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #1)]]> 25895524 The international bestselling author of the Broken Empire and the Red Queen's War trilogies begins a stunning epic fantasy series about a secretive order of holy warriors...

At the Convent of Sweet Mercy, young girls are raised to be killers. In some few children the old bloods show, gifting rare talents that can be honed to deadly or mystic effect. But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don't truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls.

A bloodstained child of nine falsely accused of murder, guilty of worse, Nona is stolen from the shadow of the noose. It takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist, but under Abbess Glass's care there is much more to learn than the arts of death. Among her class Nona finds a new family—and new enemies.

Despite the security and isolation of the convent, Nona's secret and violent past finds her out, drawing with it the tangled politics of a crumbling empire. Her arrival sparks old feuds to life, igniting vicious struggles within the church and even drawing the eye of the emperor himself.

Beneath a dying sun, Nona Grey must master her inner demons, then loose them on those who stand in her way.]]> 467 Mark Lawrence 1101988851 Joe 2 apocalypse-dystopia
I really like the concept of a dystopian world that is dying not due to any ma made problem that can be fixed, but rather just the the sun has faded. The impact that would have on the world, and on society is immense and very much worth exploring. Then we have 'the corridor' where it seems it is still a bit warmish, and 'the ice' where some sort of barbarians live, but lots of old world technology seems to be.

Unfortunately, that unique and interesting set up is the backdrop for what feels like a fan mashing together their favorite books into one story because they think it will be cool.

We start out with Name of the Wind (dirt poor main character with amazing power if only someone trains them, and their travails of dealing with the rich kids).. but it quickly falls into Harry Potter tropes (not that those are all that different, to be honest. Then there's 'the path' which needs 'serenity' to find, unless you get there by 'anger' (sounds a bit like that other 'force' with the big light swords, doesn't it?). Oh, and the main character also seems to also be Wolverine.

There was what I hope wasn't supposed to be a shocking twist that I was only surprised that it too so long to happen... then there is a sometime in the future prologue and epilogue that tease what might happen next but neither really fits with the story.

I think if the author focused even a bit more on the unique parts of this world, it would have been an amazing story. Instead, we get a run of the mill 'school' story that has been done a million times, and honestly there were not really any characters to really latch on to for the good feels that alot of these books seem get readers with. There are just too many characters and way too much time spent on the minutae of the Abbey and the training of the novices that would have fit better in the RPG handbook after the story because a massive franchise (oops).

]]> 4.14 2017 Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #1)

author: Mark Lawrence
name: Joe
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2017
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/15
date added: 2024/10/15
shelves: apocalypse-dystopia
review:
Read this for book club.. I'd seen the cover before but it wasn't really on my radar. It did sound good though, so I dove in with decently high expectations.

I really like the concept of a dystopian world that is dying not due to any ma made problem that can be fixed, but rather just the the sun has faded. The impact that would have on the world, and on society is immense and very much worth exploring. Then we have 'the corridor' where it seems it is still a bit warmish, and 'the ice' where some sort of barbarians live, but lots of old world technology seems to be.

Unfortunately, that unique and interesting set up is the backdrop for what feels like a fan mashing together their favorite books into one story because they think it will be cool.

We start out with Name of the Wind (dirt poor main character with amazing power if only someone trains them, and their travails of dealing with the rich kids).. but it quickly falls into Harry Potter tropes (not that those are all that different, to be honest. Then there's 'the path' which needs 'serenity' to find, unless you get there by 'anger' (sounds a bit like that other 'force' with the big light swords, doesn't it?). Oh, and the main character also seems to also be Wolverine.

There was what I hope wasn't supposed to be a shocking twist that I was only surprised that it too so long to happen... then there is a sometime in the future prologue and epilogue that tease what might happen next but neither really fits with the story.

I think if the author focused even a bit more on the unique parts of this world, it would have been an amazing story. Instead, we get a run of the mill 'school' story that has been done a million times, and honestly there were not really any characters to really latch on to for the good feels that alot of these books seem get readers with. There are just too many characters and way too much time spent on the minutae of the Abbey and the training of the novices that would have fit better in the RPG handbook after the story because a massive franchise (oops).

]]> <![CDATA[Saint's Blood (Greatcoats, #3)]]> 23899193 How do you kill a Saint?

Falcio, Kest, and Brasti are about to find out, because someone has figured out a way to do it and they've started with a friend.

The Dukes were already looking for ways out of their agreement to put Aline on the throne, but with the Saints turning up dead, rumours are spreading that the Gods themselves oppose her ascension. Now churches are looking to protect themselves by bringing back the military orders of religious soldiers, assassins, and (especially) Inquisitors - a move that could turn the country into a theocracy. The only way Falcio can put a stop to it is by finding the murderer. He has only one clue: a terrifying iron mask which makes the Saints vulnerable by driving them mad. But even if he can find the killer, he'll still have to face him in battle.

And that may be a duel that no swordsman, no matter how skilled, can hope to win.

]]> 576 Sebastien de Castell 1782066802 Joe 5 medeval-fantasy
I am definitely a sucker for a battle between faith and logic, and this is one that's better than most.. a fun mix of a little bit of supernatural stuff that can sort of almost be explained with science and chemistry.

The authors system of Gods and Saints was already a bit unique, but it gets fleshed out and taken to the next level i this book, and it's really pretty neat. I do feel like prehaps Tristia is a bit overpopulated with evil nobles.. there has to be a couple nice ones somewhere, no? Or course, that is part of the, well, I guess the moral of the story that there isn't. But I feel like there would at least be a few.

Also, I think Tommer is the greatest Mary Sue of all time... I love that guy.

The final duel between Laws and Faith really was great, so much was campy, but what would a Muskateers analogue be without campiness?

Of course, anyone that knows me probably sees that as a spoiler, because I would only truly enjoy it if said battle goes one way, but really no more so than simply knowing this is not the final book of the series.

I'm really glad I found this series!]]> 4.23 2016 Saint's Blood (Greatcoats, #3)

author: Sebastien de Castell
name: Joe
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/11
date added: 2024/10/10
shelves: medeval-fantasy
review:
I was afraid that the author was going to torture his main character too much in these books for me to be able to get into the remainder of the series (ala poor Harry Dresden), but it seems a good Inquisition is just what was needed to overcome that sentiment.

I am definitely a sucker for a battle between faith and logic, and this is one that's better than most.. a fun mix of a little bit of supernatural stuff that can sort of almost be explained with science and chemistry.

The authors system of Gods and Saints was already a bit unique, but it gets fleshed out and taken to the next level i this book, and it's really pretty neat. I do feel like prehaps Tristia is a bit overpopulated with evil nobles.. there has to be a couple nice ones somewhere, no? Or course, that is part of the, well, I guess the moral of the story that there isn't. But I feel like there would at least be a few.

Also, I think Tommer is the greatest Mary Sue of all time... I love that guy.

The final duel between Laws and Faith really was great, so much was campy, but what would a Muskateers analogue be without campiness?

Of course, anyone that knows me probably sees that as a spoiler, because I would only truly enjoy it if said battle goes one way, but really no more so than simply knowing this is not the final book of the series.

I'm really glad I found this series!
]]> <![CDATA[The Stuff of Nightmares (Sherlock Holmes)]]> 16169874 304 James Lovegrove 1781165416 Joe 5 holmes
Instead, its more of a steam punk adventure, which is pretty great. Lovegrove's Watson is just the way I want him to be...grumpy and a bit thick but competent and brilliant in flashes. He makes some silly comments, but also some great observations about life.

The story was an entertaining one about a series of bombings in England in 1890, which lead into a throwaway line in 'the Final Problem'. Love it when a pastiche writer does that sort of thing.

I was particularly tickled when Watson was talking to the readers about inconsistencies in his stories (he mentions he lies about knowing Moriarty on purpose)... especially since this story is definitely not consisted with Lovegrove's Cthulhu books. You could, of course, chalk that up to those being 'secret'... but Watson says several times in this one he's writing it for himself, not for publication, so that doesn't make sense. I don't always like it when authors go meta, but this was unintentional I think (those other books are a couple years away, which makes it very funny.

The ending here was surprising and wonderfully ridiculous... while it would have made an amazing cover, I get why they didn't go there.

The cover, in fact, does no justice to Baron Couchemar... definitely the worst part of the book. I would love to see him again sometimes (if he survived). I had forgotten Lovegrove had written so many Holmes books ,I'll have to find those at some point... perhaps after his soon to be release Conan book that I'm pretty excited about.
]]> 3.75 2013 The Stuff of Nightmares (Sherlock Holmes)

The Stuff of Nightmares (Sherlock Holmes)

author: James Lovegrove
name: Joe
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/05
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves: holmes
review:
I was pretty sure of it already, but I've officially decided I'm a fan of James Lovegrove. I read two of his Cthulhu casebooks with Holmes and Watson, and I was expecting this to be similar, since the description mentioned Spring-Heeled Jack.

Instead, its more of a steam punk adventure, which is pretty great. Lovegrove's Watson is just the way I want him to be...grumpy and a bit thick but competent and brilliant in flashes. He makes some silly comments, but also some great observations about life.

The story was an entertaining one about a series of bombings in England in 1890, which lead into a throwaway line in 'the Final Problem'. Love it when a pastiche writer does that sort of thing.

I was particularly tickled when Watson was talking to the readers about inconsistencies in his stories (he mentions he lies about knowing Moriarty on purpose)... especially since this story is definitely not consisted with Lovegrove's Cthulhu books. You could, of course, chalk that up to those being 'secret'... but Watson says several times in this one he's writing it for himself, not for publication, so that doesn't make sense. I don't always like it when authors go meta, but this was unintentional I think (those other books are a couple years away, which makes it very funny.

The ending here was surprising and wonderfully ridiculous... while it would have made an amazing cover, I get why they didn't go there.

The cover, in fact, does no justice to Baron Couchemar... definitely the worst part of the book. I would love to see him again sometimes (if he survived). I had forgotten Lovegrove had written so many Holmes books ,I'll have to find those at some point... perhaps after his soon to be release Conan book that I'm pretty excited about.

]]> <![CDATA[Conan: Lethal Consignment: The Heroic Legends Series]]> 209499385 Capturing the electric short fiction energy that led Robert E. Howard to be one of the top fantasy writers of the century, with exclusive serialized eBook stories starring Conan, Solomon Kane, and more by many of today’s top writers in fantasy and sword-and-sorcery.In a port city in Zingara, Conan of Cimmeria drinks away the last of his meager purse. He’s considering robbing one of the city’s noble houses when he’s approached by a man named Flavio, first mate on a ship called Fortune’s Dawn. The Dawn is seeking mercenaries to transport valuable cargo to Aquilonia, the very heart of civilization.��Conan is suspicious, but also deeply curious and in sore need of the coin, so he takes the job. His suspicions only deepen as he meets the reticent, sparse crew of the ship. However, Conan only realizes the severity of danger he’s walked into when a terrible scream reveals a crew member dead and mutilated on the deck. Armed with only his wits and his sword, Conan must figure out the mysteries of Fortune’s Dawn before the same fate befalls him.]]> 37 Shaun Hamill 1803366508 Joe 3 epic-fantasy
The plot was ok, I think he did decently well with Conan as a young man (this story takes place early in his thief days, before Tower of the Elephant), but between the modernish sounding dialogue and not really seeming to know the Hyborian age, it was a bit meh. ]]> 3.70 2024 Conan: Lethal Consignment: The Heroic Legends Series

Conan: Lethal Consignment: The Heroic Legends Series

author: Shaun Hamill
name: Joe
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/03
date added: 2024/10/02
shelves: epic-fantasy
review:
I grabbed this to read on the drive home from my daughter's soccer game (kindle things are good for night time car rides. Like the previous Heroic Legends short I read, it was ok, but a bit generic. The author seemed like he was just using place names, not really someone who had a feel of the character.

The plot was ok, I think he did decently well with Conan as a young man (this story takes place early in his thief days, before Tower of the Elephant), but between the modernish sounding dialogue and not really seeming to know the Hyborian age, it was a bit meh.
]]> Quest of the Dark Lady 15717196 140 Quinn Reade Joe 3 apocalypse-dystopia
The story is a straight up adolescent power fantasy, set in a post nuclear holocaust society where there are lots of mutated monsters for the hero to fight. The 'good guys' have to go on a quest to find the Dark Lady, who is the greatest magic user in the world, as long as she's married to the king, but they want her married to THEIR king, instead of the evil one she's currently with.

Modern readers will definitely cringe a bit.. it's not as bad as, say the Gor books, but it's in the neighborhood as far as the 'women are only for one thing' goes, but at least the one that is one of the main character can handle a sword in a fight and isn't a damsel in distress.

I haven't read on of these for a bit so it was a perfectly good quick read between other, better things.]]> 3.33 1969 Quest of the Dark Lady

author: Quinn Reade
name: Joe
average rating: 3.33
book published: 1969
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/02
date added: 2024/10/02
shelves: apocalypse-dystopia
review:
This is one of those books were the cover is the best part.... I don't think it's actually Frazetta, but definitely someone doing a decent impression.

The story is a straight up adolescent power fantasy, set in a post nuclear holocaust society where there are lots of mutated monsters for the hero to fight. The 'good guys' have to go on a quest to find the Dark Lady, who is the greatest magic user in the world, as long as she's married to the king, but they want her married to THEIR king, instead of the evil one she's currently with.

Modern readers will definitely cringe a bit.. it's not as bad as, say the Gor books, but it's in the neighborhood as far as the 'women are only for one thing' goes, but at least the one that is one of the main character can handle a sword in a fight and isn't a damsel in distress.

I haven't read on of these for a bit so it was a perfectly good quick read between other, better things.
]]> <![CDATA[Murder Dives the Bahamas (Cinnamon Green #2)]]> 24749648 A famous underwater photographer’s abrasive arrogance quickly makes him a pariah to everyone on a week-long spotted dolphin snorkeling/diving trip in the Bahamas. When Tom Tiburon goes missing far from shore, however, passengers and boat crew launch a frantic search to find him, even as a hurricane bears down on them. Once Tom’s body is found, the boat heads for its home port of Miami. When it arrives there, another passenger is dead.

Returning to their small town on the California coast, part-time forensic photographer Cinnamon Greene and her boyfriend Danny are inextricably involved in sorting through shifting alliances, half truths and outright lies to find out who did what to who and why.]]> 201 Bonnie J. Cardone 0989716570 Joe 3 mystery_detective
The author was far to focused on what the main character had to eat for my liking.. it seems half the book was describing meals. The mystery itself was OK, a bit of a locked room (in this case, a boat), but there were really only ever a couple suspects, and the resolution was a bit disappointing.

Quite a few of the characters had big, abrupt turns in personality when the situation warranted, like a big blinking sign that said 'here is the bad guy'. The main character had a bit of a love triangle going on as well, but it never really went anywhere. It turned out her current boyfriend was upset about an unrelated issue and I guess was just taking it out on her.

Not the worst book ever (it turned the pages for sure) but nothing to write home about either. ]]> 3.56 2013 Murder Dives the Bahamas (Cinnamon Green #2)

Murder Dives the Bahamas (Cinnamon Green #2)

author: Bonnie J. Cardone
name: Joe
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/30
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: mystery_detective
review:
We had bought this for my daughter to read when she was going on a trip to the Bahamas to read on the plane... it's been sticking out on my to read shelf because if its unusual size so I decided to give it a shot.

The author was far to focused on what the main character had to eat for my liking.. it seems half the book was describing meals. The mystery itself was OK, a bit of a locked room (in this case, a boat), but there were really only ever a couple suspects, and the resolution was a bit disappointing.

Quite a few of the characters had big, abrupt turns in personality when the situation warranted, like a big blinking sign that said 'here is the bad guy'. The main character had a bit of a love triangle going on as well, but it never really went anywhere. It turned out her current boyfriend was upset about an unrelated issue and I guess was just taking it out on her.

Not the worst book ever (it turned the pages for sure) but nothing to write home about either.
]]> Future Imperfect 6256260 Weird. The zoo of the future with a meat-craving beast from Vega who can open a door into the present - when he gets hungry!
Wonderful. The Venusian factory in Passaic, New Jersey, which manufactures beautiful, ardent girls - who have only one slight flaw!
And other impressive stories of our world, worlds that aren't ours, and worlds no sane human would ever want - a skein of strangely trenchant tales by the scintillating James Gunn.

The Misogynist
The Last Word
Little Orphan Android
The Stilled Patter
Skin Game
Every Day is Christmas
The Girls Who Were Really Built
Survival Policy
Tsylana
Feeding Time]]> 137 James E. Gunn Joe 3 satire, soft_sf
All these stories were written in the mid 50s, and you can tell.. Most of them are pretty dated, and a bit cringy as far as gender roles go.

There were 2 stories I liked.. 'Every Day is Christmas' was a fun one about consumerism gone amok... I liked the REASON it happened alot (turning advertising into science instead of art... sounds familiar, right?), but the very short period of time it took place it (3 years) was silly.

The other, by far the best of the bunch, was 'survival policy'.. a story about an insurance agent and a woman who asked to take out a policy on the survival of her race. I would totally read more stories about Malachi Jones. ]]> 3.00 1964 Future Imperfect

author: James E. Gunn
name: Joe
average rating: 3.00
book published: 1964
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/27
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: satire, soft_sf
review:
I hadn't read any old school sci fi short stories for it bit, so it was time. James Gunn is one of those people who you don't really know who they are until you look them up, and then you find out they are everywhere. To my knowledge, I'd never read anything of his before.

All these stories were written in the mid 50s, and you can tell.. Most of them are pretty dated, and a bit cringy as far as gender roles go.

There were 2 stories I liked.. 'Every Day is Christmas' was a fun one about consumerism gone amok... I liked the REASON it happened alot (turning advertising into science instead of art... sounds familiar, right?), but the very short period of time it took place it (3 years) was silly.

The other, by far the best of the bunch, was 'survival policy'.. a story about an insurance agent and a woman who asked to take out a policy on the survival of her race. I would totally read more stories about Malachi Jones.
]]> <![CDATA[Crusaders: The Epic History of the Wars for the Holy Lands]]> 43899574 Dan Jones, best-selling chronicler of the Middle Ages, turns his attention to the history of the Crusades �� the sequence of religious wars fought between the late eleventh century and late medieval periods, in which armies from European Christian states attempted to wrest the Holy Land from Islamic rule, and which have left an enduring imprint on relations between the Muslim world and the West.

From the preaching of the First Crusade by Pope Urban II in 1095 to the loss of the last crusader outpost in the Levant in 1302-03, and from the taking of Jerusalem from the Fatimids in 1099 to the fall of Acre to the Mamluks in 1291, Crusaders tells a tale soaked in Islamic, Christian and Jewish blood, peopled by extraordinary characters, and characterised by both low ambition and high principle.

Dan Jones is a master of popular narrative history, with the priceless ability to write page-turning narrative history underpinned by authoritative scholarship. Never before has the era of the Crusades been depicted in such bright and striking colours, or their story told with such gusto.

]]> 464 Dan Jones 0525428313 Joe 0 to-read 4.11 2019 Crusaders: The Epic History of the Wars for the Holy Lands

author: Dan Jones
name: Joe
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Essex Dogs (Essex Dogs, #1) 61111302 The New York Times bestselling historian makes his historical fiction debut with an explosive novel set during the Hundred Years' War.

July 1346. Ten men land on the beaches of Normandy. They call themselves the Essex Dogs: an unruly platoon of archers and men-at-arms led by a battle-scarred captain whose best days are behind him. The fight for the throne of the largest kingdom in Western Europe has begun.

Heading ever deeper into enemy territory toward Crécy, this band of brothers knows they are off to fight a battle that will forge nations, and shape the very fabric of human lives. But first they must survive a bloody war in which rules are abandoned and chivalry itself is slaughtered.

Rooted in historical accuracy and told through an unforgettable cast, Essex Dogs delivers the stark reality of medieval war on the ground - and shines a light on the fighters and ordinary people caught in the storm.
]]> 464 Dan Jones 0593653785 Joe 0 to-read 3.82 2022 Essex Dogs (Essex Dogs, #1)

author: Dan Jones
name: Joe
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Elder Race 56815367
Lynesse is the lowly Fourth Daughter of the queen, and always getting in the way.

But a demon is terrorizing the land, and now she’s an adult (albeit barely) with responsibilities (she tells herself). Although she still gets in the way, she understands that the only way to save her people is to invoke the pact between her family and the Elder sorcerer who has inhabited the local tower for as long as her people have lived here (though none in living memory has approached it).

But Elder Nyr isn’t a sorcerer, and he is forbidden to help, and his knowledge of science tells him the threat cannot possibly be a demon��

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 204 Adrian Tchaikovsky Joe 0 to-read 4.26 2021 Elder Race

author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
name: Joe
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[1921: The Yankees, the Giants, and the Battle for Baseball Supremacy in New York]]> 7062596
��

1921 captures this crucial moment in the history of baseball, telling the story of a season that��pitted the New York Yankees against their Polo Grounds landlords and hated rivals, John McGraw’s Giants, in the first all–New York Series and resulted in the first American League pennant for the now-storied Yankees�� franchise. Lyle Spatz and Steve Steinberg recreate the drama that featured the charismatic Babe Ruth in his assault on baseball records in the face of McGraw’s disdain for the American League and the Ruth-led slugging style. Their work evokes the early 1920s with the words of renowned sportswriters such as Damon Runyon, Grantland Rice, and Heywood Broun. With more than fifty photographs, the book offers a remarkably vivid picture of the colorful characters, the crosstown rivalry, and the incomparable performances that made this season a classic.]]> 538 Lyle Spatz 080322060X Joe 3 sports
The book was a pretty good recap of the season, but , as the title promised, it focuses totally on the Giants and Yankees.. swapping back and forth in alternate chapters covering about a month at a time.

While the title promised that to be the case, I still was hoping for a bit more about the rest of the league, and especially the after effects of the Black Sox scandal.

The story of Ruth Vs. McGraw is still a really good one though, and is a perfectly valid and interesting topic for a book. I would have liked a bit more about the 'news' and stories of the season, and less play by play, but overall the book is worth reading. Man, there were alot of last second heroics! Reading it, it felt like the dawn of the Slugger was just as much about pitchers no longer being able to take is easy through parts of the line up, and thus getting tired before 9 innings as it was about emulating Ruth.

Oh, and I STILL think McGraw had something to do with the 1919 World Series.. maybe some day if I'm independently wealthy or after I retire I'll join SABR and try to prove it.
]]> 3.81 2010 1921: The Yankees, the Giants, and the Battle for Baseball Supremacy in New York

1921: The Yankees, the Giants, and the Battle for Baseball Supremacy in New York

author: Lyle Spatz
name: Joe
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/24
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: sports
review:
In a switch from my usual methods, I got this book AFTER I decided to get the 1921 season to play (Strat-o-matic this time instead of APBA for variety), rather than read a book then decide I MUST play that season (which often doesn't last long).

The book was a pretty good recap of the season, but , as the title promised, it focuses totally on the Giants and Yankees.. swapping back and forth in alternate chapters covering about a month at a time.

While the title promised that to be the case, I still was hoping for a bit more about the rest of the league, and especially the after effects of the Black Sox scandal.

The story of Ruth Vs. McGraw is still a really good one though, and is a perfectly valid and interesting topic for a book. I would have liked a bit more about the 'news' and stories of the season, and less play by play, but overall the book is worth reading. Man, there were alot of last second heroics! Reading it, it felt like the dawn of the Slugger was just as much about pitchers no longer being able to take is easy through parts of the line up, and thus getting tired before 9 innings as it was about emulating Ruth.

Oh, and I STILL think McGraw had something to do with the 1919 World Series.. maybe some day if I'm independently wealthy or after I retire I'll join SABR and try to prove it.

]]> <![CDATA[The Thousand Names (The Shadow Campaigns, #1)]]> 15810910
Captain Marcus d’Ivoire, commander of one of the Vordanai empire’s colonial garrisons, was resigned to serving out his days in a sleepy, remote outpost. But that was before a rebellion upended his life. And once the powder smoke settled, he was left in charge of a demoralized force clinging tenuously to a small fortress at the edge of the desert.

To flee from her past, Winter Ihernglass masqueraded as a man and enlisted as a ranker in the Vordanai Colonials, hoping only to avoid notice. But when chance sees her promoted to command, she must win the hearts of her men and lead them into battle against impossible odds.

The fates of both these soldiers and all the men they lead depend on the newly arrived Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich, who has been sent by the ailing king to restore order. His military genius seems to know no bounds, and under his command, Marcus and Winter can feel the tide turning. But their allegiance will be tested as they begin to suspect that the enigmatic Janus’s ambitions extend beyond the battlefield and into the realm of the supernatural—a realm with the power to ignite a meteoric rise, reshape the known world, and change the lives of everyone in its path.]]> 513 Django Wexler 0451465105 Joe 0 to-read 4.03 2013 The Thousand Names (The Shadow Campaigns, #1)

The Thousand Names (The Shadow Campaigns, #1)

author: Django Wexler
name: Joe
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>