Statistics on the books I've read since 1999
Categorys Alternate History 57 Astronomy 2 Computer 1 Fantasy 110 Fiction 6 Fiction-military 3 History 41 Humor 2 Mythology 23 Political 3 Sci-fi 281 Science 8	Covers hardback 342 oversized hardback 1 paperback 135 softcover 59	Collections Borrowed 50 Granddads 146 Moms 4 Shawns 337	Anthologys Anthology 60 Not an Anthology 466 Multi-Author Anthology 11	Books per year 2008: 38 2007: 50 2006: 43 2005: 35 2004: 54 2003: 92 2002: 53 2001: 41 2000: 64 1999: 40
Total books read: (includes rereads) 551		Total unique books: 537

1. I'll be getting rid of this one
2. Really bad
3. Bad
4. Average
5. A good book
6. I'll probably read it again
7. I recommend reading this
8. Read it twice in the first sitting

By Schism Rent Asunder
[14-Sep-2008] By Schism Rent Asunder by David Weber. Sci-fi: 510 pages. Volume 2 in the series Safehold. Much better than the first book. About halfway you find a new twist that actually make the story sci-fi and interesting rather than the rennisance warfare the the first book was restricted to. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Grave Peril
[14-Sep-2008] Grace Peril by Jim Butcher. Alternate History: 378 pages. Volume 3 in the series Dresden Files. Dresden teams up with a Knight who has real faith and works against ghosts and vampires. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Fool Moon
[09-Sep-2008] Fool Moon by Jim Butcher. Fantasy: 378 pages. Volume 2 in the series Dresden Files. Dresden vs werewolves of various sorts. Too many different kinds really, and even one he doesnt really explain. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Greek Alexander Romance
[05-Sep-2008] by Richard Stoneman ed. Alternate History: 196 pages The myths and legends that grew up about Alexander the Great after his death. Including his decent from the Egyptian Pharoahs, journey to the end of the earth and meetings with mythological beings. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Storm Front
[03-Sep-2008] Storm Front by Jim Butcher. Fantasy: 322 pages. Volume 1 in the series Dresden Files. The first Dresden files book. Kris left it here so I had to read it. Pretty much mimics the TV show that was based on it. Chicago wizard vs evil. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The British

[29-Aug-2008] The British by M.L. Ebbutt ed.. Mythology: 374 pages. Volume 0 in the series Myths and Legends. Much better than any other book in the series its first off about the Britsh, and second actually about folktales and legends. The editor did a great job avoiding the cliche King Arthur and Robin Hood instead giving other stories, some which were similar but not the same tired British legends we have heard. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Victory of Eagles
[27-Aug-2008] Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik. Alternate History: 332 pages. Volume 4 in the series Temeraire. I missed a volume of this series somehow. This is after Africa and Lawrence is in trouble for what he did there. Temeraire becomes and officer and Napoleon invades England. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Years Best SF 15
[22-Aug-2008] Years Best SF 13 by David G. Hartwell ed.. Sci-fi: 496 pages. Volume 15 in the series Years Best SF. I need to stop ordering these. They just arnt worth it. One or two stories are worth reading the rest are junk. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Castles of Steel
[05-Aug-2008] by Robert K. Massie History: 865 pages A pretty complete history of the naval conflict between Britain and Germany. Flips back and forth between battles and the major players, admirals and ministers. Very good until the end where is does start to repeat passages and goes into Beattys irrelevant love life. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Doc Savage
[28-Jul-2008] Doc Savage by Kenneth Robeson. Alternate History: 144 pages. Volume 1 in the series Doc Savage. 2 stories The man of bronze and the land of terror. Doc Savage is a great sample hero for my scion game. Nearly superhuman but not quite. Travels to Central America and finds lost civilizations and lost worlds in Oceania while fighting evil doers. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

More Annotated H.P. Lovecraft
[07-Jul-2008] More Annotated H.P. Lovecraft by H.P. Lovecraft. Sci-fi: 312 pages. Volume 2 in the series Annotated Lovecraft. This was no where near as good as the first one. Best was The Call of Cthulhu. The rest arnt even worth mentioning. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

The Sharing Knife Passage

[01-Jul-2008] The Sharing Knife Passage by Louis McMaster Bujold. Fantasy: 437 pages. Volume 0 in the series The Sharing Knife. The third book but for some reason dont have the second in the database. Dag and Fawn travel down the river towards the sea encountering a rouge lakewalker. Its a bit slower than the others but not a bad book. Dag is well on his way to being an evil sorcerer. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

World War Z

[24-Jun-2008] by Max Brooks Sci-fi: 342 pages The oral stories of the aftermath of the Great zombie war. Pretty good but way to many zombies. A plague killing 200 million Americans is unreasonable (thats 2/3rds of the pop in 1 year the Black Death only got 1/3 of Europes over several decades) getting that many infected by zombie bites it just beyond the suspension of disbelief. Other than that its a great read. The blind Japanese master is the best. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Annotated H.P. Lovecraft

[10-Jun-2008] The Annotated H.P. Lovecraft by H.P. Lovecraft. Alternate History: 360 pages. Volume 1 in the series Annotated Lovecraft. Research for game. Lovecraft short stories. Rats in the Walls: guy takes back over the family home, and its human sacrificing cult site and rats in the basement. The Colour of Outer Space: A meteor lands and changes things for the worst. Kind of like that twilight zone episode that this story was probably the inspiration for. The Dunwich Horror: a rural family breeds a monster, and it gets lose on the world. The Mountains of Madness: The worst of the stories, it just drags on and on. It does set a lot of scene for the later Cthulu Mythos world. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Manxhome Foe

[06-Jun-2008] Manxhome For by John Ringo. Sci-fi: 341 pages. Volume 3 in the series Looking Glass. The space sub Vorpal Blade goes again into space, to investigate a scientific expedition that vanished. They find another race, running from the Dreen. I be Kond, Boss Dude of the big ship. Greetings and sweeties we are is definatly one of the best lines in the book. The Space Marines get to do real Space Marine boarding actions to hold the Dreen off. They trash the Vorpal Blade again. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Complete Idiots Guide to Voodoo

[28-May-2008] by Shannon R Turlington Mythology: 312 pages This is pretty strictly Haitian Voodoo. It starts with a good history of how it developed on the island as a combination of native African, Catholisism and ancestor worship. There is also a great section on zombie moves at the end (where it is pointed out they are all not good Voodoo). This was good research for game and I wish whitewolf had read it before writing scion. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

In the Courts of the Crimson Kings

[22-May-2008] In the Courts of the Crimson Kings by S. M. Stirling. Alternate History: 304 pages. Volume 2 in the series The Sky People. Not as good as the Sky People. This is the alternate Mars, an ancient world wide empire, declining because of the declining planet. Technology is biological. Part of the problem is the difficult phrasing of the translated Martian. Stirling also goes much further into the aliens who caused the terraforming of Mars and Venus. The book does get better at then end as it becomes a political novel over sucession of the throne. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Into the Looking Glass

[11-May-2008] Into the Looking Glass by John Ringo. Sci-fi: 278 pages. Volume 1 in the series Looking Glass. The first book, it makes Vorpal Blade make much more sense. Someone opens a wormhole on UCF campus, nuking it, and spawing more wormholes. Then aliens invade through them and we fight back. Not as humorous as Vorpal Blade but we do spawn some wormholes on purpose on the Muslim extremists while we are messing around. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Pagan Christ
[30-Apr-2008] by Tom Harpur Mythology: 246 pages The premise is that Jesus isnt real at all and is just another mystery religion figure. The author concentrates too much on Horus and not other mystery religions essentially claiming Jesus is just Horus under a new name. His Horus myth has a lot of details I cant find anywhere else either. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Victory Conditions

[23-Apr-2008] Victory Conditions by Elizabeth Moon. Sci-fi: 398 pages. Volume 5 in the series Vatta Wars. Halfway through I thought this was going to be a typical rushed dissapointing ending. The author did well and wrapped up the story as well as had a chapter or two left over to wrap up loose ends. The war against the pirates is ended with a large scale fleet battle. Very little details of the battle in keeping with the rest of the series but more focus on the induviduals and families involved. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Greek Religion

[22-Apr-2008] by Walter Burkert Mythology: 493 pages Apparently this is the definative book on ancient Greek Religion. Ive read passage on the internet but not the whole thing. It is a little frustrating since the author makes some broad statements and cites sources to back himself up but doesnt provide the evidence itself. For instance he says Apollo is not derived from the Hittite Aplu and there is an inscription to prove it, he sites a source for the inscription but doesnt provide it itself. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Galactic Empires

[04-Apr-2008] by Gardner Dozois ed. Sci-fi: 410 pages Modern authors all writing short stories set in Galactic Empire settings. Mostly as part of larger works. Stories The Demon Trap by Peter F. Hamilton. This was a really unique setting. Wormholes are formed on planets and trains run through them to other planets. No space ships required. People commute to work just like in the NE. Oh there is a detective story too thats ok. Owner Space by Neal Asher. A future communistic society represses it citizens, some escapees try and flee to the alien but are drive to a third party that kills the alien on sight. Except this time where he corrects the Human empire. The man with the golden balloon by Robert Reed. I think i read something in this universe before. A giant, like Jupiter size spaceship is found by humans, a small party of them set out to explore an unmapped portion and discover an alien that built the ship. The Six Directions of Space by Alistair Reynolds. While interesting after it got started this was written horribly. There are alternate universes, one where the Mongols survived and came to be spacefarers. They start having problems with demensional crossings to other universes. The Seer and the Silverman by Stephan Baxter. This was crap. Enough said. The Tear by Ian Macdonald. And to top it off one of the worst stories Ive read. Some race that changes names and personalities has some problem and the author tries to follow it, but without explaining crap. Its written horrible and just a boring story till over 2/3rds the way in by which time its unrecoverable. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Urban Legands
[01-Apr-2008] by Thomas J. Craughwell Humor: 687 pages A collection of 666 urban legands. This reads like the Mythbusters episode guide. Most arnt more than a few paragraphs, and many are only one liners. They started giving more info like 100 old sources but this doesnt continue for the whole book. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Egypt
[24-Mar-2008] Egypt by Spence Lewis. Alternate History: 0 pages. Volume 0 in the series Myths and Legends. Finally a book in this series worth reading, its actually about Egyptian mythology, not some other mythology or pottery. It does a good job covering the basics of Egyptian mythology and making some distinctions of how it changed over time. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Greek Folk Religion
[12-Mar-2008] by Martin Nilsson Mythology: 166 pages Borrowed from Craig. The first chapter was excellent. It made Hermes make sense as a god. The others were not bad but not much useful. It covered customs not in the state religions we are familiar with. Information as a whole is lacking. It is interesting how many of those customs still continue today amoung the rural folk. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Vorpal Blade

[07-Mar-2008] Vorpal Blade by John Ringo. Sci-fi: 400 pages. Volume 2 in the series Looking Glass. Didnt realize this was volume 2. Apparently we have wormholes to other planets. We build our first space ship, a sub that converts into and interstellar ship. The book focus on the Marines, now Space marines and get silly with the allies we find: bipedal hamsters on hover boards, fighting demons. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

[04-Mar-2008] by Jules Verne Sci-fi: 437 pages Every so often you go and look for a book on the self and cant figure out why you dont own it. I had to go buy a copy and no one had a hardback. A French scientist is captured by a fantastic submarine and given a world tour. Verne anticipates many advance in submarines that wouldnt take place for 50 years. The only bad parts are the boring descriptions of fishes, over and over and over. Rating: 7 (out of 8)

Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
[01-Mar-2008] Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Alternate History: 158 pages. Volume 5 in the series Tarzan. Tarzan spends most the book with amnesia, but still manages to save Jane, refuses La, and defeats the evil men involved. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Son of Tarzan
[19-Feb-2008] The son of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Alternate History: 222 pages. Volume 4 in the series Tarzan. Tarzans son, one day just decideds to go all Tarzan for a few years. He ends up with a girl doing the same. Tarzan isnt in this much. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Beasts of Tarzan

[15-Feb-2008] The Beats of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Alternate History: 159 pages. Volume 3 in the series Tarzan. Tarzan acquires a group of animals to track down Jane. If I was going to say one the novels was exaggerated (for game purposes) it would be this one. Tarzans friendship with the leopard is streaching it a bit, as it no one noticing Akut isnt just a gorilla but some other species. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Flight to Opar
[13-Feb-2008] Flight to opar by Phillip Jose Farmer. Alternate History: 212 pages. Volume 2 in the series Opar. Hadon flees the capitol after he returns and the king seizes power. Not as good as the first one but it does set up for another unpublished book, and Opar as seen in the Tarzan novels. Rating: 7 (out of 8)

The Return of Tarzan
[10-Feb-2008] The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Alternate History: 221 pages. Volume 2 in the series Tarzan. The second Tarzan novel. Much of it takes place in Paris, and its not the best beginning. We do find out Tarzan is pretty much immune to pistols. Opar is introduced. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Tarzan of the Apes

[05-Feb-2008] Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Alternate History: 245 pages. Volume 1 in the series Tarzan. The obvious first Tarzan novel. It ends very clearly expecting more. Tarzan is first and Ape, then a French gentleman. Many of Farmers descriptions while accurate were not Burroughs words. The trickster is there but not as emphesized, Tarzan is strong but I think Burroughs stresses his intelligence more than physical attributes. Teaching himself to read, learning French in record time, discovering rope, and other inventions. This was research for game. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs
[02-Feb-2008] by Patrick K ODonnell History: 365 pages Short biographical accounts of OSS operatives in WWII. I was hoping to use this for research for game but its too factual and while interesting not fantastic enough for game. The real problem is that the OSS did not exist until just before WWII. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Hadon of ancient Opar

[31-Jan-2008] Hadon of ancient Opar by Phillip Jose Farmer. Alternate History: 224 pages. Volume 1 in the series Opar. Farmer took the references to Opar in the Tarzan novels and some knowledge of glacial period Africa and developed a civilization for stories. The hero, wins the great games and the right to become king by marrying the daughter of the former king but the former king has plans to overthrow the system and establish a patriarchy and send Hadon off on an expediation from which he is not expected to return. Of course he does. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

Tarzan Alive
[28-Jan-2008] by Alternate History: 328 pages A summary of the Tarzan novels written as if they were really true. Farmer tries to clean up some of the discrepincies, and dating issues. This is the basis for his Wold Newton theory that Tarzan and others are all mutant supermen related to each other. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

What everyone needs to know about Islam
[18-Jan-2008] by John L. Esposito Political: 204 pages A FAQ type of book about Islam. They covered a lot of stuff including smaller sects tham just the Sunni and Shii which was nice. They did a good job being pretty unbiased but didnt go into much theology which is what i wanted. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Hero

[30-Dec-2007] by Lord Raglan Mythology: 296 pages I was expecting better but the best part is the list that I already had and his interpretation of the points. He spends the first several chapters denying any historicity to any hero unconvincingly Then tries to argue they are also not completely imaginary but all myths are dramatic rituals, and the gods actors, heroes are mearly gods lowered in stature because they perform no miracles. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Myths from Mesopotamia

[22-Dec-2007] by Dalley Stephanie ed. Mythology: 339 pages This is a new translation of several cunifrom texts. They are really gappy any hard to read, words and even whole sections are missing. There is a lot of repetition in what is there. The Epic of Gilgamesh (2 versions) The Descent of Ishtar to the Underworld Nergal and Ereshkigal (2 versions) Adapa Etana Anzu (2 versions) The Epic of Creation Theogony of Dunnu Erra and Ishum Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Fatal Revenant

[21-Dec-2007] Fatal Revenant by Stephan R. Donaldson. Fantasy: 610 pages. Volume 2 in the series The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Its hard to write a book about a guy whose died before the series starts. I never really like Linden Avery and this book features her rather than Covenant. There is some interesting things, going back in time to meet Berek Halfhand but overall its not as good as the first series. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Crete and Pre-Hellenic

[19-Dec-2007] Crete and Pre-Hellenic by Donald Mackenzie. Mythology: 361 pages. Volume 1 in the series Myths and Legends. The series is supposed to be about Myths and Legends. Too bad its only by 150 when the author really starts to talk about them, and then goes back to pottery and archeology. This is a useless book. I got more out of Crete and prehellenic from the 2 page pdf on the gods on the Linear B tablets than out of this whole book. Rating: 2 (out of 8)

Encyclopedia of the Gods
[10-Dec-2007] by Michael Jordan Mythology: 337 pages This is a great reference work. It list 2500 deities from all cultures. More prominant ones get entries which include primary sources, and dates of worship. Traces origins and syncretions. Subject and culture indexes at ten end complete the book. Often mentions alternate myths of importance. Rating: 7 (out of 8)

The Voyage of the Argo
[09-Dec-2007] by Apollonius of Rhodes Mythology: 213 pages While not bad I can see why this is not considered as good as the 3 classical epicss. It seems unfinished, and unpolished. It doesnt start in media res and really doesnt wrap of the story at the end. The voyage out is extensive but the return is rushed. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Works and Days and The Theogony
[02-Dec-2007] Works and Days and The Theogony | by Hesiod Mythology: 128 pages 2 poems by Hesiod, Works and Days and Theogony. Works and days is addressed to his brother and describes farming techniques, in brief and other advice. The Theogony is what I was really reading for. I expected a little more details, long sections are just lists of names. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

Gods and Myths of the Viking Age

[24-Nov-2007] by H.R. Ellis Davidson Mythology: 251 pages Apparently this is one of the definative books on the origins of Norse mythology. Its published under another title also. Traces the origins of the major deities, but divided up into areas not gods so some gods appear more than once. There is a lack of original source material so some gods that should have long discussions are meerly short mentions. Took notes for game research. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

Encyclopedia of Hell
[15-Nov-2007] by Miriam Van Scott Mythology: 308 pages This was junk. Its got too many pop culture Hell references, movies, directors, b grade modern books. Even and entry on t-shirts. The facts are wrong, swashtikas are much older than 800bc. Generally useless. Rating: 3 (out of 8)

Beowulf
[10-Nov-2007] by Howell D. Chickering ed. Mythology: 446 pages More research for the game. Problem is Beowulf isnt a Scion. This version has both modern and old English on facing pages. It has a good discussion on old English pronunciation. Timing also coincided with the movie coming which i dont think ill see now. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Saga of the Volsungs
[08-Nov-2007] by Jesse Byock ed. Mythology: 145 pages The Germanic saga of the Volsung family: Sigmund and Sigurd. Unfortunatly it falls apart as it enters quasi historical near the end. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

Primative Mythology
[05-Nov-2007] Primative Mythology by Joseph Campbell. Mythology: 504 pages. Volume 1 in the series The Masks of God. Covers a lot of psychology and early myths. Unfortuntly Campbells archeology is from 1959 so its a bit dated. I also wish he would make more of a distinction between H. Sapiens myths and the other Hominids. This is more research Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Oriental Mythology
[03-Nov-2007] Oriental Mythology by Joseph Campbell. Mythology: 561 pages. Volume 2 in the series The Masks of God. This would probably be better if I cared at all about Indian, Chinese or other Oriental Mythology. Campbell seems to diverge alot into the philosophies of the East that while religion just arnt mythology making the last half really uninteresting. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Occidental Mythology
[31-Oct-2007] Occidental Mythology by Joseph Campbell. Mythology: 564 pages. Volume 3 in the series The Masks of God. Comparative mythology focusing on western civ. This is research material for my Scion game. Rating: 7 (out of 8)

The Sunrise Lands
[25-Oct-2007] The Sunrise Lands by S. M. Stirling. Alternate History: 453 pages. Volume 4 in the series Nantucket left behind. The second generation after the change. Rather than fighting each other they go off on a silly quest to Nantucket, across the continent. I like that Stirling is telling us more about the world left behind, but Im not sure this is the best way. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane
[17-Oct-2007] by Robert E. Howard Alternate History: 414 pages I think these are better than his Conan stories. Solomon Kane roams the killing evil doers and fighting demonic creatures. The high point is when Kane is equated to the heroes of ancient Greece and defeats the last of the harpies himself. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

2001 a space oddessy

[18-Sep-2007] 2001 a space oddessy by Arthur C. Clarke. Sci-fi: 222 pages. Volume 1 in the series Space Odyssey. Read this again because Mark asked about the movie. This book makes so much more sense than the movie. Well till the stuff about the star child at the end. Man finds an artifact on the moon that leads to Saturn, an insane homicidal computer makes the mission difficult and the aliens that have their own agenda. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

Foreign Legions

[13-Sep-2007] by David Drake Sci-fi: 308 pages Read a short story once where a Roman Legion is picked up and carried off by aliens as mercenaries, and later another in the same vein about a mideval english group. This book is the collection of all the stories about both groups. Its all ok till the end when it get kind of silly and we send the USS Missouri into space as a battleship against the aliens. Rating: 7 (out of 8)

MacAurthurs War
[09-Sep-2007] by Douglas Niles Alternate History: 492 pages The War in the Pacific run differently, as if MacArthur got his way at almost every turn and the Navys role was minimized. A good section on historical diversion at the end, and a discussion of where they got the info for the alternatives presented. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

Von Neumanns War
[08-Sep-2007] by John Ringo Sci-fi: 394 pages This would have been better if it had ended with a more reasonable ending, or finished the war against the machines. Ringo also shows hes a fan of the Cruxshadows using their music and quoting the entire song Citidel at the end. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Only Begotten Daughter
[16-Aug-2007] by James Morrow Sci-fi: 296 pages Jesus doesnt come back but instead god has a daughter in the modern era to a jewish man. She doesnt die, but goes to hell anyway, ad comes back to work in the world. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Three Bags Full
[12-Aug-2007] by Leonie Swann Fiction: 341 pages This sounded like it was going to be a lot funnier than it was. A murder mystery solved from the point of view of the sheep. It had potential but didnt live up to it. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

1634: The Baltic War
[08-Aug-2007] 1634: The Baltic War by David Weber. Alternate History: 728 pages. Volume 3 in the series 1632. Much better than the 1634 set in Italy. It follows a few to many characters around northern Europe however. The USE is doing well despite industrial accidents and the locals catching up to them in technology. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Disunited States of america
[03-Aug-2007] by Harry Turtledove Alternate History: 288 pages Turtledove is really pushing it. How many alternate Americas does he have? This one is where the United States never came togeather. Virginia and Ohio are at war with a Californian trapped in the area, while people from other realities help them along. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

The Sharing Knife

[29-Jul-2007] by Louis McMaster Bujold Alternate History: 485 pages Not up to the Vorkorsigan standards but not bad. A little too much love story. Bujold creates a world were wizard-lords did something really bad and now their descendants avoid magic and try and clean up their mess and protect the farmers who dont really know what happened. It forms two social classes that dont intermingle, except of course for the main characters. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

[23-Jul-2007] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling. Fantasy: 759 pages. Volume 7 in the series Harry Potter. Not as good as the others. The first half is boring, it put me to sleep, and I get getting to to do other things since it didnt hold my attention. They waste a lot of time hiding in the woods and chasing another quest thats really useless. The reasoning about the wand at then end is questionable as is the resurrection. I could see the resurrection working if he still had the stone but he didnt so why did it work? Rating: 4 (out of 8)

The Fountains of Paradise
[21-Jun-2007] by Arthur C. Clarke Sci-fi: 245 pages This is one of the definitive Space Elevator novels. It reads like I read it before, maybe there was an excerpt in the Liftport book. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

Rendezvous with Rama
[17-Jun-2007] by Arthur C. Clarke Sci-fi: 214 pages This is classic space exploration. A alien artifact sweeps through the solar system and a lone ship explores it before it rushes out. They dont understand the inside and whats going on until much too late. Now just can just wait for the next one. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

Fuzzies and Other People
[15-Jun-2007] Fuzzies and Other People by H. Beam Piper. Sci-fi: 183 pages. Volume 2 in the series Fuzzies. This is the second Fuzzy novel. Fuzzies are people but their status is still problematic. Most the book follows Wise One, a genius fuzzy in the woods rather than Little Fuzzy from the first books. Rating: 7 (out of 8)

The Fuzzy papers
[10-Jun-2007] The Fuzzy papers by H. Beam Piper. Sci-fi: 309 pages. Volume 1 in the series Fuzzies. This is a good book. What defines sentience? Its more than make fire and build tools. Humans find a race on another planet that bring that into question. A legal case over the murder and defense of one of the creatures solves the issue. Rating: 7 (out of 8)

The 1974 Annual Worlds Best SF

[01-Jun-2007] The 1974 Annual Worlds Best SF by Donald A. Wollheim ed.. Sci-fi: 245 pages. Volume 1974 in the series Annual Worlds Best SF. Its been two days since I finished this and reading the index nothing is memorable except the horrible story by that really bad author Michael Bishop (the guy who wrote Transfigurations, the worst book I own by far). Just because of him this goes in really bad. Rating: 2 (out of 8)

Collapse

[30-May-2007] by Jared Diamond Science: 560 pages No where near as good as Guns, Germs and Steel. Diamond tries to explain why civilizations collapse, and draw parallels to our future. He seems to feel deforestation over and over is a main factor. Interesting was his analysis of the Rawanda genocide. He suggests it wasnt ethnic but class struggle do to over population. He cites villages with only one ethnic group where neighbors killed neighbors in the same percentages that occured elsewhere in the country. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Roman Warfare
[21-May-2007] by Adrian Goldsworthy History: 239 pages A survey of Roman war. The author does a good job describing why the Romans were different than the others and managed to conquer everyone else, and then once the empire can about pretty much stopped expanding. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

On Her Majestys Occult Service
[19-May-2007] by Charles Stross Fiction: 555 pages A cross between Cthulhu and James Bond. The hero does survive and doesnt go crazy so its a little more James Bond but he is fighting a secret war against demons and explaner creatures often left over from Nazi programs. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Off Armageddon Reef

[11-May-2007] by David Weber Sci-fi: 605 pages The premise is that aliens have destroyed humanity except for one colony sent as far as possible to save the species and now that colony is starting to get on its feet. Too bad he doesnt really follow up. It much more of a fantasy novel of a mideval kingdom reinventing rennisance tech and fighting its enemies. It will take him several books to get back to the aliens. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

The Boy Who Would live Forever
[10-May-2007] The Boy Who Would live Forever by Frederick Pohl. Sci-fi: 465 pages. Volume 6 in the series Heechee Saga. This is the worst of the Heechee books. It jumps around follow several completely unrelated stories none of which are interesting. They at least come togeather in the end. It just still remains boring. Rating: 3 (out of 8)

The Complete Hammers Slammers II
[08-May-2007] The Complete Hammers Slammers II by David Drake. Sci-fi: 505 pages. Volume 2 in the series Hammers Slammers. I think the stories in this one were better than the first volume. More direct fighting. Particularly I liked The Warrior which follows the several year career of a hotheaded tanker who does amazing things but always at the wrong time. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Beyond the Gap

[06-May-2007] by Harry Turtledove Alternate History: 332 pages Set in a civilization between Ice Ages the ice has started receeding and cultures on each side start to clash. Im not sure turtledove did his research well on which animals were in which hemishpere. Even by the end of the story I still cant place which hemisphere they characters start in . This is clearly the first of a roposed series since nothing is resolved. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Command Decision
[01-May-2007] Command Decision by Elizabeth Moon. Sci-fi: 384 pages. Volume 4 in the series Vatta Wars. Less focused on Kylara Vatta it does include her but the important part of the story is Rafe taking over ISC and starting to correct the damage done by the Pirates. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Children of Hurin
[01-May-2007] by J.R.R. Tolkien Fantasy: 313 pages An expanded version of the story of Turin from the Silmarillion. Compiled by Tolkiens son its supposedly the last of Tolkiens works his son will publish. Nothing was surprising in the story just added details from the story we already knew. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

The Sky People
[01-Apr-2007] by S. M. Stirling Alternate History: 301 pages 1930 sci-fi, jungles on Venus, and allusions to cities on Mars discovered by the first probes sent in the 60s but written by a modern author. The cold war has been carried over to the other planets as both America and the Russians establish colonies. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Complete Hammers Slammers Volume I
[25-Mar-2007] The Complete Hammers Slammers Volume I by David Drake. Sci-fi: 395 pages. Volume 1 in the series Hammers Slammers. More research on future tanks. I have read some Hammers Slammers stories before and I remember most of them having more fighting than this set. The Slammers are a mercenary company of tankers traveling fighting on other planets. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

The Space Opera Renaissance

[25-Feb-2007] by David G. Hartwell ed. Sci-fi: 941 pages I have been reading this forever. Mainly because it was so large i didnt want to carry it around. Some of the stories Ive read before, like the Honor Harrington ones, but most were new. It takes 5 or 6 stories from each decade starting in the 60s that fit the genera. Many famous names, Jack Williamson, Leigh Brackett, David Brin, David Drake, Bujold, Weber, Benford, Le Guin, Baxter, Moorcock as well as others. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

A Boy and His Tank
[22-Feb-2007] by Sci-fi: 266 pages Not only am I getting lax on reading but lax on entering. Its been a month since I read this. Future tanks, AI and human driven the ultimate fighting tools. This was research. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

Swamp Sailors
[14-Feb-2007] by George E. Bunker History: 152 pages An account of the Navys actions in the 2nd Seminole Indian War. Basically it traces the development of the Navys involvement from an offshore cruiser force to a riverine force. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Best of C. L. Moore
[06-Feb-2007] by C. L. Moore Sci-fi: 309 pages Another book I started, and put down for months because it just didnt hold my attention. Nothing memorable excapt the title of the first story, shamblue (sp?). Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Empire
[02-Feb-2007] by Orson Scott Card Fiction-military: 351 pages This starts with a good premise America like Rome is starting to transition from Rebpublic to Empire. Then it gets silly, particularly when the mechs show up. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Good Omens
[01-Feb-2007] by Neil Gaiman Fantasy: 330 pages This is one of the funniest books I ever read. An angel and deamon loose the antichrist as a child and he goes his own way. I read it again because I god a hardback copy. Rating: 7 (out of 8)

Hitler Triumphant

[20-Jan-2007] by Peter Tsouras ed. Alternate History: 288 pages This is a series of short stories by a number of authors postulating alternative outcomes to WWII where Germany/Italy do better. In most the Axis dont win the war but arrive at a negotiated peace. The stories are mostly written as history, citing sources real, previous alternative history stories and completely imaginary. It reads like a history book. At the end of each section are a couple of paragraphs describing what really happened and the details the author changed to reach his outcome. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

The Amber Spyglass
[14-Jan-2007] The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman. Fantasy: 518 pages. Volume 3 in the series His Dark Materials. The story wraps up. The Battle against the Authority seems to end, but the Authority mearly retreats. The windows between worlds are closed. Rating: 7 (out of 8)

The Last Templar

[31-Dec-2006] by Khoury Raymond Alternate History: 526 pages The best way to describe this book is the line A sure sign of a lunatic is that sooner or later, he brings up the Templars. The author fits that perfectly. Supposed ly the Templars invented engima machines in the 1200s and used them, but everyone forgot about them after they were gone. The Vatican kept one in a basement and no one noticed. Using the machine some crackpot professor discovers the location of Jesus diary that the Templars used to blackmail everyone into giving them power. Oh then the main characters throw it away because they feel sorry for all the people going to church and dont want to destroy their false (according to the book) belief in God. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

The Suble Knife

[27-Dec-2006] The Suble Knife by Phillip Pullman. Fantasy: 326 pages. Volume 2 in the series His Dark Materials. The stangeness continues. The main characters start to travel between alternate worlds. Some of which are really odd, like having no adults. Te pick up a weapon that Lyras father will need to wage war against the Creator. A kids book where the kind of good guy fights God? What in the world is going on here? How did this get published? Rating: 7 (out of 8)

The Golden Compass

[25-Dec-2006] The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman. Fantasy: 399 pages. Volume 1 in the series His Dark Materials. This is just strange. Its a kids book, but the author drops you right into an alternate world with no explanations. Its unclear what the time period is,the seem to have a little magic, but there are airships and people exploring the Far North. Armored sentient polar bears have a kingdom up there. Lyra the main characters discovers both her father and mother in the story, and both are gray if no evil, but she still tries to help them (the father at least). Rating: 7 (out of 8)

1635: The Cannon Law
[25-Nov-2006] 1635: The Cannon Law by Eric Flint. Alternate History: 420 pages. Volume 8 in the series 1632. I really dislike the Italian 1600s. This was a good series but it has diverged into history I have no interest in. It got better once the Spanish invaded Rome but I wish they would follow the German part of the story instead. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Strange Gifts

[31-Oct-2006] by Robert Silverberg ed. Sci-fi: 191 pages All of these are about superman, the next human stage of evolution or powers most men dont have. Stories The Golden Man Phillip K. Dick. Danger-Human Gorden R. Dickson. All The People R. A. Lafferty Oddy and Id Alfred Bester The Man with English Horce L. Gold To Be Continued Robert Silverberg Humpty Dumpty Had A Great Fall Frank Bellkamp Bettyann Kris Neville Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Liftport Opening Space to Everyone

[25-Oct-2006] by Fawcett Bill ed. Science: 308 pages part Sci-fi part real information on the Space Elevator. Some of the sci-fi was ok, some was pretty bad. All the science was good info. A lot of it was older and has obviously been revised in recent years. Its also not really up to date on the robots I know liftport has build. Its more on theory than anything that has been really done. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

A Meeting At Corvallis

[25-Oct-2006] A Meeting At Corvallis by S. M. Stirling. Sci-fi: 497 pages. Volume 3 in the series Nantucket left behind. Better than the previous book, less obscure languages with no translation. He did expand more into gaelic than the last book, but at least translated it. This book should have been called the Protectors War since it was more about war between the good guys and the Protecotrate than the last one. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution
[05-Oct-2006] by Theodore Savas History: 360 pages An account of each battle of the revolution, including battle in the West Indies and far out of the typical theater. It was surprising on how small most the units were, and how few men did in each battle. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Temeraire

[24-Sep-2006] Temeraire by Naomi Novik. Alternate History: 832 pages. Volume 1 in the series Temeraire. This was a great concept. The romans started capturing and training dragons and they are now part of the military forces of the world providing a small arial corp to Napoleonic Europe. The dragons are tied somewhat to a Captain, but he has a full crew riding all about the harness on the dragon, like the crew of a small ship. Boarding actions take place a dragonback, and most combat is dragon to dragon. The story follows a British sea captain who accidently winds up as a dragon captain to a Chinese dragon ment for Napoleon. They fight for England, visit China and return to be present at Jena. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

End of the Beginning

[19-Sep-2006] End of the Beginning by Harry Turtledove. Alternate History: 519 pages. Volume 2 in the series Japan Alternate WWII. The second book. The US retakes Hawaii from Japan with overwhealming force. The book is like the first one that mentions battles only in passing and follows mostly civilians. Im not sure how well a third book will do since most the Japanese officers are gone now. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Dragons Fire

[15-Sep-2006] Dragons Fire by Todd McCaffery. Sci-fi: 366 pages. Volume 0 in the series Pern. Despite the cover saying Anne McCaffery and her son wrote this its clear he did most the work. The time period makes no sense, its early enough that fire lizards are still around, but mines are mined out? I didnt care about any of the characters, the dragon riders are peripheral. Instead we are following mostly a bunch of kids, one of whom is mute yet able to get along find in a mideaval society wander all over the planet alone. Oh and there is no way firestone is so volitile, it would have been destroyed natrually ages ago. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Thy Kingdom Come An Evangelicals Lament

[11-Sep-2006] by Randall Balmer Political: 242 pages Borrowed this from Roberto. Basically its a liberal Christian pointing out how the Religious Right has sold out thier Christian values an become hypocrites. Chapters are on things like how the focus on abortion, which the bible doesnt directly address, but are ok with divorce. He also covers Their attempt to destroy the first amendment, School vouchers, anti-scientific teachings, and environmentalism, and how the Religious Right has twisted all of them to a pont of view thats decidedly not what the bible supported. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern
[08-Aug-2006] Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern by Anne McCaffery. Sci-fi: 331 pages. Volume 0 in the series Pern. This is early history of Pern before they have lost so much and shows how they lose so much. Each plague that comes to the northern continent saps people who remember the old Earth, and its technology until it all becomes myth. Rating: 7 (out of 8)

The Dragonriders of Pern

[23-Jul-2006] The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffery. Sci-fi: 750 pages. Volume 1 in the series Pern. The best fantasy series that really isnt fantasy. Its sci-fi, despite the dragons nothing is supernatrual its all genetically engineered. This is the start of the recovery of Pern where they rediscover their past immigration from Earth and start to fight back against the alien threads that threaten their planet. Its a compilation of the 1st three books Dragonflight, Dragonquest and the White Dragon. Rating: 7 (out of 8)

Time and tomorrow

[19-Jul-2006] by John D. MacDonald Sci-fi: 504 pages 3 stories Wine of the Dreamers, The Girl, the Gold Watch, & Everything and Ballroom of the Skies. None were particualrly good. First one is about a bunch of psychics who dream into us and disrupt Earth progress because of some ancient misguded fear. @nd is a time stoppage story that goes on too long. The third on a secret society recuits the best from earth to rule the universe, but must keep earth in chaos to develop thos e people properly. All these stories had great ideas, they just wenrt well written. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Days of Infamy

[15-Jul-2006] Days of Infamy by Harry Turtledove. Alternate History: 520 pages. Volume 1 in the series Japan Alternate WWII. The Japanese take Hawaii when the attack pearl harbour. The story focuses on the inhabitants of the islands, Japanese-Americans, soliders and civilians. Its kind of drawn out since they dont get much into 1942 before it ends, there are more books to follow. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

A World out of Time

[15-Jul-2006] by Larry Niven Sci-fi: 214 pages Again this was a great idea but not carried through well. Send a man as a pilot of a ramscoop 300 years out to terraform planets, for him its only 50 years. But he goes somewhere else and comes back thousands of years later. To a really stupid crappy earth. Niven did well with the first part but fell apart after the return with the Boys and them keeping adults. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Dream Park
[28-Jun-2006] by Larry Niven Sci-fi: 341 pages This had potential, live action role playing on a semi-real/semi holodeck. Too bad they turned it into a murder mystery and picked the New Guienia mythology to base the story around making it hard it identify with. At least I already knew what cargo was. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

The Mote in Gods Eye
[22-Jun-2006] by Larry Niven Sci-fi: 475 pages Human discover an alien race trapped at a single planet who lies about thier culture trying to get the humans to help them ut of thier system. They should have let Kutuzov kill them all it would be better for humanity in the end. Rating: 7 (out of 8)

The Fires of Paratime
[18-Jun-2006] by L. E. Modessit Sci-fi: 216 pages Ive read this three or four times before. Its a short book but good. A race of time travelers think they rule the universe, until one of thier own evolves and becomes a god. Rating: 7 (out of 8)

Planet Pirates

[17-Jun-2006] by Anne McCaffery Sci-fi: 890 pages Written with Elizebeth Moon and Judy Lynn Nye this book follows two women, distantly related through a couple of hundred years fighting secret pirates. It slow. They could have cut 300 pages and done a better job. There are to many themes brought up and then just dropped. Like the Jonah theme. And the dissapearence of Lunies story for several hundred pages. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

How few Remain

[13-Jun-2006] How few Remain by Harry Turtledove. Alternate History: 565 pages. Volume 1 in the series 2nd War between the States. An alternate history of the 2nd war between the states. England and France intervened in the first one and will probably do so again. Some interesting people meet each other like Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln who would have been contemporaries if Lincoln hadnt been assassinated. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Engaging the Enemy

[04-Jun-2006] Engaging the Enemy by Elizabeth Moon. Sci-fi: 401 pages. Volume 3 in the series Vatta Wars. There isnt much engaging the enemy, mostly Ky goes from port to port ending up in trouble and just starts to build a fleet of privateers into a space force. The Vatta family is a good model of the Amber trading houses. Disparate members doing all sorts of jobs, as CEO down to sailors runing a loose trading empire. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

The Belgariad Part I

[31-May-2006] The Belgariad Part I by David Eddings. Fantasy: 759 pages. Volume 1 in the series Belgariad. This starts out very Tolkien like in the world creation. Overall its pretty good fantasy. The author does need to explain why the characters go to some of the places they go to better. They seem to be on a pointless world tour. This volume ends just as the apparent climax is reached. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Bloody Crown of Conan
[25-May-2006] The Bloody Crown of Conan by Robert E. Howard. Fantasy: 366 pages. Volume 1 in the series Conan. This took my forever to read, I think it was the small print. Its not as Cthulu like as the frist set of Conan stories these are all about Conan as a king, who seems to lose his throne on a regular basis and has to reclaim it regularly. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

In Fury Born
[18-May-2006] by David Weber Sci-fi: 848 pages This is pretty standard military scifi, kind of starship troopers like, until about halfway through when Alicia becomes possessed/mingled with the Fury Tisiphone, then merges with an AI spaceship. It stays pretty military scifi but with a definative twist. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

At All Costs

[07-May-2006] At All Costs by David Weber. Sci-fi: 855 pages. Volume 11 in the series Honorverse: Honor Harrington. It started out slow but got better in the end. Weber is obviously considering the stuff other authors write in his universe cannon since he uses it as major plot events. Technology has gotten a little crazy, I think the original ship to ship broad side was much better than the mass missles from extreme distances that he has now. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Sea Battles in Close-UP WWII

[01-May-2006] Sea Battles in Close-UP WWII by Eric Grove. History: 224 pages. Volume 2 in the series Sea Battles. Very detailed accounts of Narvik, the sea battles around the Crete evacuation, the convoys around Malta (by both sides), Java Sea, The attack on the Tirpitz, Operation Neptune, The Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf. The author assumes the reader is a navy person and knows a lot like the relationship of Jelico and Beaty. His captions are constaly pointing out radars, but he barley mentions them in the text, and never actually points out the mast they are on. I would have liked to see table of the ships involved rather than text. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Electric Forest
[19-Apr-2006] by Tanith Lee Sci-fi: 150 pages Its an interesting story, a guy remakes a cripple into a beautiful woman, tied to a capsule every 7 days for rejuvination. Then is devolves into a horrible spy/intrigue novel where he is using her to steal the technology but her duplicate is still alive. Not that good. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

The Dragon Lord

[10-Apr-2006] by David Drake Alternate History: 320 pages Drake usually writes scfi-fi. This is King Arthur period, with dragons. It advertises King Arthur and company, and delivers the King, Merlin and Lancelot only as side characters to some Irish guy and a huge Dane. Its not a bad story, they steal a skull of monster so Merlin can raise a dragon, then they steal the sword and sheild of Achilles to kill the thing. The whole King Arthur story is just kind of irrelevant. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

An Alien Heat

[04-Apr-2006] by Michael Moorcock Sci-fi: 147 pages Moorcock should stick to Elric. This was pointless, it was like reading the Great Gatsby at the end of time. Stupid vapid characters, little plot and not that good when there was some. In the far future super beings are told the world will end (over half way into the book). A time traveler shows up. One of the people falls in lover with her, instantly I might add. Goes back in time to get her, comes back to the future. Thats about it. Rating: 3 (out of 8)

The Humanoids

[02-Apr-2006] by Jack Williamson Sci-fi: 245 pages This starts out really well. Little black androids take over to help, and essentially take away everything unsafe, which is everything and then start giving happy pills to the people who wont be happy. The second half isnt as good as it jumps away from the starting character to somewhere else to fight them, introduces psychic powers, and the humanoids already control that. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Dies the Fire

[26-Mar-2006] Dies the Fire by S. M. Stirling. Sci-fi: 502 pages. Volume 1 in the series Nantucket left behind. The first of the series, I read number 2 (maybe 3) before knowing it was a series. Something happens and gunpowder, electricity and most every other physical property needed for modern tech stos working. Civilization collapses. The story follows 2 groups of survivors setting up in Western Oregon. One is a pagan group the other more miliant, both fighting against a mideval professor who thinks he is Sauron. I wish he had provided a map of the area. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies

[21-Mar-2006] Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies by C. S. Forester. Alternate History: 280 pages. Volume 9 in the series Horatio Hornblower. I wish Tmark had given me the first one no t the ninth but it was pretty good anyway. Its more a collection of short stories in chronological order than a novel. Each chapter is a seperate mostly unrelated incident in Hornblowers career. Its set in the 1820s so the great fighting from the Napoleonic Wars are over, in fact there is no real combat at all. Its definatly not Honor Harrington. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Boundry

[20-Mar-2006] Boundry by Ryk E Spoor. Sci-fi: 457 pages. Volume 1 in the series Boundry. This was coauthored by Eric Flint, part of Baens mentoring program but it seems mostly Spoors work. A paleontolgist finds an alien skeleton right on the KT boundry. A few years later we find a base on Phobos and they two stories come togeather. Could have been better without all the love story stuff and there were to many things that I caught on to long before the characters (the translation is target not crater for instance). Rating: 4 (out of 8)

1862

[15-Mar-2006] by Robert Conroy Alternate History: 410 pages A good concept, the British enter the Civil War on the side of the South over the Trent incident. Unfotunatly the author was clearly a Union supporter since the British entrace made the war short, and a Union victory. The British were inept, the author obviously never read his Mahan. They raid both Boston and New York, burning the ports, but fail to land troops and take advantage of the fact that all the Union armies are in the South. Then they sit in Canada and wait for Grant to attack them. This would have been a better book if the author was at least fair to all sides. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

The 13 Crimes of Science Fiction
[16-Feb-2006] by Isaac Asimov ed. Sci-fi: 455 pages 13 stories some of which only have a passing connection to crime. This took a long time to read because I was doing the MCSE stuff in between. Stories that stood out The Ipswich Phial, and ARM probobly Nivens worst Arm related story. Other authors are Asimov, Phillip K. dick, Simak, William Tenn and others. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Elric Saga Part IV

[12-Feb-2006] The Elric Saga Part IV by Michael Moorcock. Fantasy: 856 pages. Volume 4 in the series Elric. Elric goes off the deep end. The first story The Dreamtheifs Daughter is really an Ulric story. Its a Nazi crossover but thats ok I can see that. After that Elrics descendants become more involved in the stories and he becomes a side character. They interact with Hiawatha in The Skrayling Tree which is told from 3 points of view and jsut wrong. Elric doesnt fit with Indians on dream quests. The last one The Wite Wolfs Son is at least more in genere. Again its mostly Elrics descendants but this time fihgting an evil version of Great Britan, ruled by a strange immortal embryo, The Granbretons are interestig and fit the dark fantasy I expect from Elric but it would be nice if the was the central character. Rating: 3 (out of 8)

Wandering Stars
[03-Feb-2006] by Jack Dann ed. Sci-fi: 243 pages As the subtitle says: An Anthology of Jewish Fantasy ans Sci-fi. It took so long to read because Ive been busy that I dont remember half the stories now. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

The Crystal City
[28-Jan-2006] The Crystal City by Orson Scott Card. Alternate History: 340 pages. Volume 6 in the series Alvin Maker. I think I missed a book in this series. Alvin continues his wandering, and eventually get to the Crystal City but its not that interesting of a book. Too preachy. The books are going to far to Cards morailty rather than knacks and story. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

A Hymn Before Battle

[26-Jan-2006] A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo. Sci-fi: 467 pages. Volume 1 in the series Posleen. Needed a book for lunch and this looked good. Its a classic sci-fi story, Aliens arrive on Earth to recruit us to fight the intergalactic war against the evil aliens. Oh and the good ones are looking to screw us in the end because they think we are almost as bad as the evil aliens but without us they wont live. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Crackers and Carpetbaggers
[19-Jan-2006] by John W. Cowart History: 327 pages Andecotes on Jacksonville history. Some are repeated. There isnt a clear progression as time goes on, and the author has a whole section on himself thats useless. Most of this can be found in better history books. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Civil War on the Western Border

[12-Jan-2006] by History: 454 pages I read this before but forgot most of it. It needs maps. Never right a history book about warfare and marhcing without a single map. If nothing else at least one showing the major boundries and battles. Other than that complaint its pretty stright forward. Starts in Kansas 1854 and follows the Kansas-Missouri theater of the civil war with a few references to other places. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

The Service of the Sword

[29-Dec-2005] The Service of the Sword by David Weber. Sci-fi: 665 pages. Volume 4 in the series Honorverse: Anthologies. More short stories in the Honorverse. All good. Particularly A Ship Named Francis. Stories Promised Land by Jane Lindskold. Women escape from Masada, and Manticore takes a side. With one Stone by Timothy Zhan. The tac officer from the first book is picked up by ONI for a secret mission. A Ship Named Francis by John Ringo and Victor Mitchel. Tester, spare us this day from your Tests. One ship in the fleet has be the one with ALL the rejects. But why Tester did I have to be assigned to it? Lets go to Prague by John Ringo. What happens when secret agents decide to go on vacation, behind enemy lines. Fanactic by Eric Flint. Maybe there is such a thing as being to undercover. The Service of the Sword by David Weber. The story of the first Grayson female midshipman. Rating: 7 (out of 8)

Shadows of Amber

[03-Dec-2005] Shadows of Amber by John Gregory Betancourt. Fantasy: 254 pages. Volume 4 in the series Dawn of Amber. Stupid freaking fairies. This would be a pretty good book if it wernt for the fairy concept. Its not the first series but still better than Zelaznys Merlin series. Oberons kingdom is setting in, Chaos has gone to longer term plots rather than outright attack, and Oberon is starting to take the war to them. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

2010: Odyssey Two
[23-Nov-2005] 2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke. Sci-fi: 291 pages. Volume 2 in the series Space Odyssey. Short. Nothing much happens. Man goes to Jupiter, recovers spaceship, aliens tell man to go away, Jupiter turns into a sun. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

A Feast for Crows
[12-Nov-2005] A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin. Fantasy: 753 pages. Volume 4 in the series A Song of Fire and Ice. Not as exciting as the last books its still good. The book only covers Westeros, not the Wall or the East. Jamie becomes a really good character and Littlefinger pulls off some amazing things by just talking. Oh and Pig boy lives. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

Years Best SF 10

[01-Nov-2005] Years Best SF 10 by David G. Hartwell ed.. Sci-fi: 497 pages. Volume 10 in the series Years Best SF. This started out well. Sgt Chip was a good mutated dog goes rogue in the army. The first commandment was an interesting interpretation of gods command to Adam to name the animals, and the results. The battle of york, a retelling of american history after an oral tradition evolves. The others wernt so good. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Bran Mak Morn
[30-Oct-2005] by Robert E. Howard Fantasy: 367 pages Bran is another of Howard heros like Conan. Bran is much later in history, in the early middle ages. Howard should stick to the earlier stuff and not mix real historic races with things he made up. Bran is the last kignof the Picts, no not those Picts, Howards semi-mythical race from as far back as the fall of Atlantis. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Count of Monte Cristo
[30-Oct-2005] by Alexandre Dumas Classic: 441 pages I remember this being better. I remember more action and less junk but then its a classic novel so I dont know why I remember that. I was hoping for some ideas for the amber game out of it but didnt get any. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

The Years Best Science Fiction

[29-Oct-2005] The Years Best Science Fiction by Gardner Dozois ed.. Sci-fi: 822 pages. Volume 22 in the series Years Best. Most the stories weren't that good, and the worse they were the longer. Stories Mechano was pretty good, an autistic child controls a robot on an island and discovers a castaway. Start the Clock was jsut dumb, about a society where 9 years olds run things, but one decides to grow up. The author was trying to make some statment about age discrimination I think. The Third Party was horrendous. The Voluntary State, a future that makes no sense. Shiva in Shadow was so bad I dont even remember what it was about. Ok forget it. Just the good ones. Mayflower II a good generation ships story The Defenders Short to the point. Grandpa kills the genetic defends before they get too smart. Investments would have been a good story had it been aboute length. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

The Protector's War

[26-Oct-2005] The Protector's War by S. M. Stirling. Sci-fi: 483 pages. Volume 2 in the series Nantucket left behind. Stirling has written better. I think this is the second of a series that covers the world left behind his Nantucket series. There are a few hints in the text but nothing in the front of the book to make me sure. Its called the Protectors war but the war has barley started by the end, if it really has started. There is too much bouncing around between 3rd person narrative and internal thoughts in italics. Oh and using other languages without translations is ok sometimes, but Sindarin even Im going to have to look that up. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

A Hero Born

[26-Sep-2005] A Hero Born by Michael A Stackpole. Fantasy: 420 pages. Volume 1 in the series Realms of Chaos. A strange novel. It reads vaugly like its part of a preexisting world but its number one in the series. I think thats part of what made it good considering the twist near the end. Apparently Magicians let loose a demonic world that took over half the continent and the people are fihgting against it with long term rulers on both sids making aliiances and such. The hero is the son of a former hero who died years ago fighting the war and is of to live up to his fathers name. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Zulu War 1879

[30-Jul-2005] The Zulu War 1879 by Ian Knight. History: 93 pages. Volume 0 in the series Essential Histories. A short but complete history of the Zulu War. The war includes the famous battles of Rourkes Drift and Isandlwana. The author does a good job until halfway through the war. Then has a whole diversion, about repurcussions, what else if going on in the world and a small segemnt about a Lt. in the war. Its really distracting, like he was done and wasnt going to cover the rest of the war. Then he returns to the rest of the war. It would have been beter in another order. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Job: A Comedy of Justice
[22-Jul-2005] by Robert A. Heinlein Sci-fi: 311 pages This is a great book. God gets Loki to mess with a very devout guy since Satan wont do it anymore. The guy keeps transfering worlds everytime he gets things togeather. Its not a religious preachy book, but an alternate world one with each place being just a little different. Rating: 7 (out of 8)

The Hallowed Hunt

[19-Jul-2005] The Hallowed Hunt by Louis McMaster Bujold. Fantasy: 372 pages. Volume 3 in the series Chalion. Maybe not really the 3rd book in the series since its not realted to the other too at all but its set in the same world. A great world. Bujold continues to expand it creativly adding a pagan animal soul blending with humans to the previous 5 god structure. And she goes into ow the gods deal with the blendings. The social structure of this part of the world isnt as well done as in the last two books, it returned to Dukes and the like but the mystical stuff made up for it. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

[17-Jul-2005] Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling. Fantasy: 652 pages. Volume 6 in the series Harry Potter. Rowling again shows she as a good understanding of classical story telling. The right person dies, after the underworld journey. Though there are some hints he may come back. Most the boot was about horcurxes, storing part of the soul in an object in case you get killed so you can come back. The dead guy knew albout them and seemd to eagar to be killed not to have prepared. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The sorrows of empire

[13-Jul-2005] by Chalmers Johnson Political: 389 pages While the guy has the right idea, America is an empire, similar to rome and bound to fall his arguments are heavily biased and lacking. Statements he makes like an experiment comparable to Hitlers 1937 bombing of the Spanish village of Guernica (talking about using the the bombers on Diego Garcia) are just inflamatory and border on lies. They are just too extreme from the truth. He has few examples of our autrocities, reuses the same ones over and over and never quite explains why everyone else in hte world would give in to having American bases of they are so bad. Rating: 3 (out of 8)

Before the Golden Age
[02-Jul-2005] by Issac Asimov ed. Sci-fi: 912 pages Really old sci-fi, from the 30s. This is a collection of stories Asimov remembered reading as a kid. The science is mostly bad. Its got all other white man is superior overtones of Tarzan but its still good sci-fi. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

The Misplaced Legion
[26-Jun-2005] The Misplaced Legion by Harry Turtledove. Fantasy: 323 pages. Volume 1 in the series Videssos Cycle. A part of a Roman Legion gets transported to another world into a Byzantium like empire and must become mercenaries. A good book. Turtledove knows his Byzantine history and does a good job creating a new world with a similar empire, with a little magic. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

The Skinner

[22-Jun-2005] by Neal Asher Sci-fi: 424 pages The book dives in with strange terms and acronyms like its the second of a series, and is highly confusing till the author calms down and writes a better story. A water world where some kind of virus gives most the life rapid healing a virtual immortaility unless destroyed. Too bad the author made the only characters worth reading about the AIs. I carted nothing for the people, the infected people (the Hoopers), or the cyborg that eventually gets infected. Not well written I'll pass it on as Clayton suggested. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Tallahassee A Captial City History
[12-Jun-2005] Tallahassee A Captial City History by Julianne Hare. History: 156 pages. Volume 0 in the series The Making of America. Finally a history of Tallahassee that doesnt focus on pictures or something silly. Its rather short, but then not a lot happened here. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Floridas Seminole Wards

[30-May-2005] Floridas Seminole Wards by Joe Knetsch. History: 156 pages. Volume 0 in the series The Making of America. A short history of the Seminole Indians wars. Reads almost exactly like my other history of the wars, so much I wonder how much text is taken directly and which from which one. This one was short and had more left out, making it seem less a debacle than the other book did and presented the war with a more neutral point of view. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Shadow of the Giant

[25-May-2005] Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card. Sci-fi: 367 pages. Volume 8 in the series Ender's Game. Peter continues to try and conquer the world but rather than making him the evil we expect in the first book he seems a rather benign uniter, kind of disapointing. Bean does a lot of the work, and continues to chase after his kids, as the former teachers try and ship all the Battle school kids off to the colonies. Rating: 6 (out of 8)

Florida Wildflowers
[12-May-2005] by Walter Kingsley Taylor Science: 370 pages Picked this up to try and identfy the many flower pictures Ive taken recenty. It has 2 parts, the first half detailing eco regions of florida and what to find there. The second on induvidual flowers, descriptions and where they might be found. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

The 1981 Annual Worlds Best SF

[07-May-2005] The 1981 Annual Worlds Best SF by Donald A. Wollheim ed.. Sci-fi: 243 pages. Volume 1981 in the series Annual Worlds Best SF. I like the short stories from this period much better than those in the current best SF. I read this along with the others I have years ago and find almost everyting in in good. Stories Variation on a Theme from Beethoven by Sharon Webb Beatnik Bayou by John Varley Elbow Room by Marion Zimmer Bradley The Ugly Chickens by Howard Waldrop. A what if dods had been brought to America, and raised by backwoods folk for years. Prime Time by Norman Spinard Nightflyers by George R. R. Martin. Martin found his calling the later Game of Thrones series. This story definatly wasnt up to that caliber of writing. A Spaceship Bulit of Stone by Lisa Tuttle Window by Bob Lemon The Summer Sweet, The Winter Wild by Michael G. Coney Archanos by Lee Killough Rating: 6 (out of 8)

The 1973 Annual Worlds Best SF

[05-May-2005] The 1973 Annual Worlds Best SF by Donald A. Wollheim ed.. Sci-fi: 273 pages. Volume 1973 in the series Annual Worlds Best SF. Goat Song Goat Song by Poul Anderson. Probobly the worst story he ever wrote. I think its here jsut because of his name recognition. An Orpheus take off. The Man who walked home y James Tiptree. Time travel from the outside observer. Oh, Valinda! by Michael G. Coney The Gold at Starbows End by Frederik Pohl To Walk A Citys Street by Clifford D. Simak Rorqual Maru by T. J. Bass Changing Woman by W. Macfarlane Willies Blues by Robert J. Tlley Long Shot by Vernor Vinge Thus Love Betrays Us by Phyllis MacLennon Rating: 6 (out of 8)

With a Tangled Skein

[24-Apr-2005] With a Tangled Skein by Piers Anthony. Fantasy: 404 pages. Volume 3 in the series Incarnations of Immortality. Read this many years ago along with the rest of the series. Needed a book at All Saints one day. This one follows a girl who becomes the Incarnation of Fate, twice. The concept of people becomeing Incarnations was a great one with the first book but by this point is starting to get tired. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Gateway
[10-Apr-2005] Gateway by Frederick Pohl. Sci-fi: 278 pages. Volume 1 in the series Gateway. Its been many years since I read this and I remember it being better. This time I relized just how much talking Robbie does with the psychoanylast rather than exploring Heechee things in space. Maybe it was the rest of the series that was so much better. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The World Turned Upside Down

[01-Apr-2005] by David Drake ed. Sci-fi: 743 pages A collection of short stories that David Drake, Eric Flint and Jim Bean liked as kids and that got them into sci-fi. Almost everyone of them was a great story and Id read very few of them before. Stories Rescue Party by Arthur C. Clarke The Menace from Earth by Robert A. Heinlein Code Three by Rick Raphael Hunting Problem by Robert Seckley Black Destroyer by Van Vogt A Pail of Air by Fritz Leiber Thy Rocks and Rills by Robert Ernest Gilbert A Gun for Dinosaur by L. Sprauge de Camp Goblin Night by James H. Schmitz The only thing We Learn by C.M. Kornbluth Tigger Tide by Wyman Guin The Aliens by Murray Leinster All the way back by Michael Shaara The last command by Keith Laumer Who goes there? by John W, Campbell Quietus by Ross Rocklyne Answer by Fredric Brown The last question by Isaac Asimov The cold equations by Tom Godwin Shambleau by C. L. Moore Turning Point by Poul Anderson Heavy Planet by Lee Gregor Omnilingual by H. Beam Piper The Gentle Earth by Christpher Anvil Environment by chester S. Geier Liane the Wayfarer by Jack Vance Spawn by P. Schuyler Miller St. George and the Dragon by Gordon R. Dickson Thunder and Roses by Theodore Sturgeon Rating: 6 (out of 8)

Dragonsblood

[08-Mar-2005] Dragonsblood by Todd McCaffrey. Sci-fi: 438 pages. Volume 2 in the series Todds Dragonriders of Pern. I skipped the first novel by Todd not being sure it would be anywhere near as good as his mothers stories. It wasnt as bad as I thought it might be however. The only real problem was an over use of timing it to solve his plot problem. The book is set just after the 1st pass and just as the 3rd starts with the two stories bouncing back and forth as the two almost interact. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Scotland History of a Nation

[27-Feb-2005] by David Ross History: 384 pages I would have rated this book higher but there isnt a single map of Scotland in it. How can you write a history and not even include a map of the country your writing about? Other than the lack of maps its a very general overview of Scotland, the author doesnt go into much detail on anything and spends a lot of time on how people lived, but not too much. The chronology in the back is pretty good. Rating: 3 (out of 8)

Citizen Soldier
[21-Feb-2005] by Stephen E. Ambrose History: 528 pages Stories of the ground troops in WWII from Normandy to the fall of Germany. Most of it is from the point of view of the infantry, and small action, not the genreal and sweeping motions. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

A History of Russia
[08-Feb-2005] by Bernard Pares History: 611 pages A history of Russia from around 800, when recored Russian starts to just after WWII. The fact that the author insists on translating all Ivans to Johns makes me suspicious of the rest of the book. Its not dry enough for my tastes in history, not enough details of battles, and politics. Rating: 3 (out of 8)

The Stars at War

[05-Feb-2005] The Stars at War by David Weber. Sci-fi: 806 pages. Volume 1 in the series Insurrection. Great space battles. 2 Stories Crusade: A fanactical religious sect, created by lost human colonists attacks, and decides the heritic humans are more important to destroy than the aliens they were raised to hate. A good Prime Directive gone wrong story. In Death Ground: The next generations war against a completly inhuman agressive foe that decicdes humans make great food. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Coming of the Cimmerian

[20-Jan-2005] The Coming of the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard. Fantasy: 463 pages. Volume 1 in the series Conan. The original Conan stories. In general the barbarian runs across a supernatural, and after some trials kills it. Very Lovecraft in places. There are to many stories that are similar to seperate them here, some are fragments and drafts. The font of this book was horrible and I think the stories were better but the font turned me off the book wasnt as enjoyable as it should have been. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

America (The book)
[10-Jan-2005] by Jon Stewart ed. Humor: 227 pages Not as funny as everyone says. There are some cute things like th repeated, we couldn't afford the graphic we wanted here because the other publisher wants to much money. The international chapter at the end is probobaly the best. Rating: 4 (out of 8)

Tunnel in the Sky
[01-Jan-2005] by Robert A. Heinlein Sci-fi: 214 pages Was bored at All Saints so I picked this up and read it in about 2 hours. A Lord of the flies type of story where school kids get stuck in a primative place and have to recreate government and society before being rescued years later. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

Crown of Slaves

[31-Dec-2004] Crown of Slaves by David Weber. Sci-fi: 505 pages. Volume 1 in the series Honorverse: Princess Berry. This is really a prequal to the Saganami Island series of books and the first book of that series makes more since now since it had lots of references to this one. The Queen's neice wants to be a spy, the kingdoms spymaster has a daughter her age, so they nanobot them to look more alike and they exchange places. Then there is a kidnapping of the princess (fake one), a slave revolt and the princess (fake one) ends up a Queen, while the real princess gets to play spy. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

A Heinlein Trio

[19-Dec-2004] by Robert A. Heinlein Sci-fi: 502 pages This has 3 stories: The Puppet Masters: The best story in the series, an invasion of the body snatchers good classic sci-fi with an American superagent fighting the evil alien invaders almost alone. I was dissapointed Heinlein couldn't find a better solution than a War of the Worlds ending however. Double Star: Actor replaces politcition during a crisis. Then the politician dies and acotr assumes a permenant role. The Door into Summer: A good time travel story with touches of Rip van Winkle. You can see the ending coming about two-thirds in but its good anyway. Rating: 5 (out of 8)

The Magic Cup
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