Books Read 2012

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Odin
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Odin »

Regarding The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan (completed by Brandon Sanderson):

I'm one of the ones who got really unhappy with the series after an amazing Book 6 (Lord of Chaos), followed by a wait of a couple years for Book 7 (A Crown of Swords), only to feel that ACoS fell short of the awesomeness of LoC. I subsequently began to purchase and shelve each new volume as it was released, meaning that books 8-13 have been collecting dust on my shelf now for as long as 14 years.

I'm finally re-reading the series, and I have to say that I'm much happier with it this time around. For instance, I only vaguely remember my complaints about ACoS from 16 years ago (I felt that too little happened, that the plot was not notably advanced, that the main character accomplished little or nothing, and that the novel was spread across far too many characters, some of whom hadn't ever seemed to be "main" characters, but were now "stealing time," as it were, from the primary protagonists), and this time around I didn't especially share them. I actually feel, now, that books 7, 8, and 9 do a reasonably good job of continuing the story, as well as the "feel" of the series.

I think the big difference is getting to skip that 2-year gap waiting for the next book to come out, then devouring it in a few days and being left unsatisfied. This time around, I put down one book and immediately pick up the next, so there's a much better feeling of continuity.

I'd heard before (from folks around these parts and elsewhere) that the quality of the series deteriorated around books 7-9, and again I've found that, for me, this hasn't been the case. I'm enjoying my read-through of the series very much.

Anyway, I thought I'd share this as I know other folks here had similar complaints and reticence about the series. I unreservedly recommend giving it another go, particularly if you enjoyed the earlier books.

(Yes, he does tend to continue re-using certain turns of phrase that the reader would arguably have been better served if he'd cracked a thesaurus or just given the situation some thought - skirt-smoothing, braid-tugging, arms crossing beneath breasts, etc., but I guess I'm getting used to it.)
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WYBaugh
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by WYBaugh »

Finished Jam by Yahtzee Croshaw

Jam starts off very good with a sudden appearance of "man eating jam" taking over the entire city of Brisbane. You meet the main group of characters then everything goes slowly downhill from that point. To me it seems that nothing really gets fleshed out concerning the plots in the book. Yahtzee goes from one thing to the next without very good flow. The characters are props for dialog (stolen from Amazon) and nothing more. I hung on through the book to see exactly what the Jam was about and even that was a let down.

I guess this is a love/hate book based on the reviews but I would give it a resounding meh.
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by silverjon »

I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying Cannibal Reign by Thomas Koloniar. He sets a believable post-apocalyptic scene (I also recently finished Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, so my primer in asteroid strikes is fresh), and the writing is decent.

Couple critiques though. There's a rape plot device mentioned within the first 20 pages, for no particular reason except maybe as a reason for this character to carry a pistol (and be super-duper-extra-scared of post-apocalypse marauders). And it was a random act of violence by a stranger and blah blah blah. Served very little purpose in the story, so it's clumsy and handled really poorly.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RapeAsDrama" target="_blank
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/M ... sBackstory" target="_blank

Note that there is a LOT of rape going on (offscreen, not described) in this novel, but after the asteroid hits, it fits with the general social breakdown, so it isn't superfluous like that first revelation. If it accomplishes something in your fiction, then fine, but if it's just a cheap cop-out for not coming up with a better idea, it's kinda offensive.

Also, Marty Chittenden has some definite Marty Stu traits. He's a richer character than that, but his moments of too-good-to-be-true are far more eyeroll-inducing than those of the obvious badasses. And that's all I'll say about that without spoiling anything.

Gripes aside, I did get sucked into the story, and stayed up far into the night to get to the end. It was a first novel, and I hope Koloniar manages to keep improving as a writer, because he's got a lot of promise. A sequel is in the works.

http://www.amazon.com/Cannibal-Reign-Th ... 0062025821" target="_blank
wot?

To be fair, adolescent power fantasy tripe is way easier to write than absurd existential horror, and every community has got to start somewhere... right?

Unless one loses a precious thing, he will never know its true value. A little light finally scratches the darkness; it lets the exhausted one face his shattered dream and realize his path cannot be walked. Can man live happily without embracing his wounded heart?
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Isgrimnur »

The Argentine Fight for the Falklands by Martin Middlebrook

This is a much deeper treatise on the actual battle history of the conflict, giving little coverage to the political maneuverings of the players involved. Middlebrook actually traveled to Argentina and interviewed a large number of the participants on that side to flesh out the reports and puts in some good work to dispel some of the propaganda and outright reporting errors that were persistent during and after the war.

The Osprey book I read earlier was a good overview, giving me just enough to whet my appetite and send me looking for a deeper look. I think this book is probably fairly unique in the English-speaking world in that it doesn't have a focus solely on the British side, the easier one to chronicle and document.
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silverjon
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by silverjon »

raydude wrote:
WYBaugh wrote:
Isgrimnur wrote:The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

Here is what got me to check it out.
Great book!
I was intrigued by that comic-book style summary, got to Amazon and saw Buffy mentioned as a point of comparison. Read the first page and I was hooked. And I've just finished it, five days later. Wow - that is a great book!
I borrowed it from the library and really enjoyed it as well.
wot?

To be fair, adolescent power fantasy tripe is way easier to write than absurd existential horror, and every community has got to start somewhere... right?

Unless one loses a precious thing, he will never know its true value. A little light finally scratches the darkness; it lets the exhausted one face his shattered dream and realize his path cannot be walked. Can man live happily without embracing his wounded heart?
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Pyperkub
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Pyperkub »

Odin wrote:Regarding The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan (completed by Brandon Sanderson):

I'm one of the ones who got really unhappy with the series after an amazing Book 6 (Lord of Chaos), followed by a wait of a couple years for Book 7 (A Crown of Swords), only to feel that ACoS fell short of the awesomeness of LoC. I subsequently began to purchase and shelve each new volume as it was released, meaning that books 8-13 have been collecting dust on my shelf now for as long as 14 years.

I'm finally re-reading the series, and I have to say that I'm much happier with it this time around. For instance, I only vaguely remember my complaints about ACoS from 16 years ago (I felt that too little happened, that the plot was not notably advanced, that the main character accomplished little or nothing, and that the novel was spread across far too many characters, some of whom hadn't ever seemed to be "main" characters, but were now "stealing time," as it were, from the primary protagonists), and this time around I didn't especially share them. I actually feel, now, that books 7, 8, and 9 do a reasonably good job of continuing the story, as well as the "feel" of the series.

I think the big difference is getting to skip that 2-year gap waiting for the next book to come out, then devouring it in a few days and being left unsatisfied. This time around, I put down one book and immediately pick up the next, so there's a much better feeling of continuity.

I'd heard before (from folks around these parts and elsewhere) that the quality of the series deteriorated around books 7-9, and again I've found that, for me, this hasn't been the case. I'm enjoying my read-through of the series very much.

Anyway, I thought I'd share this as I know other folks here had similar complaints and reticence about the series. I unreservedly recommend giving it another go, particularly if you enjoyed the earlier books.

(Yes, he does tend to continue re-using certain turns of phrase that the reader would arguably have been better served if he'd cracked a thesaurus or just given the situation some thought - skirt-smoothing, braid-tugging, arms crossing beneath breasts, etc., but I guess I'm getting used to it.)
Sanderson hasn't finished the last one yet, has he?

tapatalkin'
Black Lives definitely Matter Lorini!

Also: There are three ways to not tell the truth: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Pyperkub »

My one real problem with the last three Jordan written books are that he really seemed to be dawdling for the first two, then his mortality became apparent and he closed an entire kitchen sink's worth if plot lies in a far too rapid fashion, especially some of Mat's ( which had been the most intriguing). Sanderson has done a great job continuing the story, IMHO.

tapatalkin'
Black Lives definitely Matter Lorini!

Also: There are three ways to not tell the truth: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Pyperkub »

January ( and still not on kindle... arrgh!) That lady really cheeses me off about that...

tapatalkin'
Black Lives definitely Matter Lorini!

Also: There are three ways to not tell the truth: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
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silverjon
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by silverjon »

I'm finishing up with a collection of short fiction by a neuroscientist. Each vignette describes a possible afterlife. I really like it. Philosophical popcorn.
http://epl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/738975005_sum" target="_blank

edit: metadata
Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman
wot?

To be fair, adolescent power fantasy tripe is way easier to write than absurd existential horror, and every community has got to start somewhere... right?

Unless one loses a precious thing, he will never know its true value. A little light finally scratches the darkness; it lets the exhausted one face his shattered dream and realize his path cannot be walked. Can man live happily without embracing his wounded heart?
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Isgrimnur
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Isgrimnur »

Unarmed Combat (Sas & Elite Forces Guide) by Martin J Dougherty

Picked it up for $6 at Half Price Books for an easy survey read over what they might have in terms of differences with the more hide-bound martial arts. I'm not a practitioner of any at the present, but it's been something that I've wanted to try for a while. The trick is finding which way to go.
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Odin
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Odin »

Isgrimnur wrote:Unarmed Combat (Sas & Elite Forces Guide) by Martin J Dougherty

Picked it up for $6 at Half Price Books for an easy survey read over what they might have in terms of differences with the more hide-bound martial arts. I'm not a practitioner of any at the present, but it's been something that I've wanted to try for a while. The trick is finding which way to go.
I'm pretty heavily involved in the martial arts these days. If you have any questions or want suggestions/recommendations based on certain stuff you are or are not interested in, let me know.
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Isgrimnur »

My main thought is function over form, at least to start. At this point, my biggest danger is a home invasion by small woodland creatures, but I'd like to kill two birds with one stone and get the exercise benefits out of it as well.

What are the typical time and money requirements for a starting student?
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Odin
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Odin »

It definitely varies by school and likely by region, but generally you're looking at monthly dues ranging from $50 at the absolute low-end up to $150 at the high-end. I certainly wouldn't pay more than that unless there were extreme extenuating circumstances. Somewhere in the neighborhood of $100-120 is pretty standard, and you ought to be able to find a good place to train for that if you're in an area that has some options.

There are also associated costs. Some places charge a testing fee when you test for rank, and that can cost anywhere from a trivial amount up to $100 or $150. That wouldn't be terrible if you were paying a low monthly rate, but you'd hate to be paying top-end tuition and also getting smacked for testing fees. The other semi-major potential cost would be in equipment. In some places, a basic uniform is all you'd need to train for many years, and it may even be included with your "intro package." Aikido, for instance, comes to mind as a style where you'd rarely need to invest in additional training supplies. Same with Judo. In other styles, you may need to buy sparring gear (which can range from $25 to $100 per item - head, gloves, feet, shins, ribs, etc.), weapons (bo staff, bokken sword, sai, tonfa, escrima sticks, etc.) or what have you. The good news even with that stuff is that it ought to last you quite a while, so broken down over time it doesn't add a huge burden to the cost to train. Still, getting hit for $400 for sparring gear and weapons can be a bit of a shock. It's worse if five members of your family are training together, but fortunately that's not an issue for you.

Time is MUCH easier to talk about. Most places will have classes multiple days per week, and the classes will be around an hour, give or take. You should plan to train at least twice per week to get any meaningful benefit (either in fitness/cardio or in self-defense/combat proficiency), and three times is really ideal (with more being better if you have the time). Some bigger schools have super-flexible schedules, with daytime and evening classes, lunchtime training, early mornings, etc., but the vast majority are just evenings/nights, and sometimes Saturdays.

Beyond that, the challenge is to find a place that's
a) reputable - the instructor has a meaningful lineage of instructors with demonstrated mastery of their art and accountability for truly knowing their material. Judging this is, sadly, pretty hard to do. But a teacher who never mentions where they trained (or who they continue to train under) is a pretty big red flag.

b) not a McDojo - this one's also hard to gauge unless they're REALLY blatant about it, but some places have so refined their "product" that they just dump students into the mill at one end, turn the crank for X number of years, and produce black belt martial artists out the other end. In many of the places where this is true, those end-product martial artists are often considered sub-par by their peers, and may well have been taught techniques and skills that would give them a false sense of security if they ever needed to use them.

c) a good fit with your goals and interests - which may be tough depending on what's available. What I mean by that is that not every style or every school will necessarily meet both. For instance, I trained Kali (Filipino martial arts) all last summer. I absolutely LOVED it, so I'd say it fit my interests. However if fitness/weight-loss was a major goal for me, that particular school of Kali probably wouldn't work, because there really wasn't a significant fitness element to the training. Yeah, my arms got sore/tired, but I don't think I burned half the calories that I would sparring for 30 minutes straight (for example). Aikido, on the other hand, is an amazing workout (really the best I've ever had for total-body cardio), AND it's something I enjoy, so it's a style that fits both my goals and my interests. YMMV, of course.

Lastly, consider carefully what your goals ultimately are. I caution people about pursuing martial arts for self-defense because a) if you're a grown-up in a low-risk job/neighborhood, your chances of actually needing to defend yourself are statistically pretty small. b) there's a gap of 3-5 years before what you've learned would actually be reliable if you needed it in a fight (I'll explain that below). c) if you're in a state that allows it (like Texas), you're probably FAR better off with a firearm in terms of actually defending yourself if necessary, since it's applicable to a wide array of attacks (whereas martial arts becomes increasingly less useful as you factor in weapons or as the range of attack grows (ie. somebody trying to shoot you). Bear in mind, I'm saying this as a HUGE fan of and proponent of martial arts training. It's just that, in our society, the likelihood that you will both need and successfully use martial arts training in self-defense is realistically pretty small.

Regarding the 3-5 year gap: it isn't that the basic punch (jab/cross, lunge/reverse, whatever it's called) wouldn't be effective. It's that when you suddenly find yourself in a life-and-death struggle, your muscles turn to jelly, and all of your fine motor skills evaporate, leaving you only with gross motor skills. Parts of your brain shut down, too, depriving you of any strategic advantage you might gain by being extra-smart. As a result, you turn into some sort of ape, just kind of banging away at your opponent. The only way to get back enough control of your mind/body to effectively use your martial arts training is by building so much muscle memory that your muscles do what needs to be done even as adrenaline and flight/fight response (and paralysis) and blood-flow and oxygen deprivation try to shut them down. And that takes years to build up. 3-5 is probably being generous. And if you're attacked during that time, you're likely to be left wondering afterwards what the hell went wrong and why you didn't use any of your fancy-schmantzy training. I've literally seen this happen - a judo guy I knew in college got jumped by a couple of guys who had mistaken him for somebody they wanted to hurt. They beat him up pretty good, then ran away. It was all over pretty fast, but he didn't manage to even attempt a single Judo technique on them. He was devastated afterward. At the time, I didn't have this advice for him, but looking back it's clear exactly what happened.

Anyway, that's more than I meant to get into here in our little "what I've read lately" thread, but I could go on and on and would be glad to if there's anything else I can offer. I'm afraid I can't say "just find a school that teaches X and you'll be fine" because it's never that easy, but I ought to be able to help you find someplace to train where you'll be happy.
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by WYBaugh »

Finished Red Country by Joe Abercrombie

I have loved all of Joe's books and The Heroes is probably the best book I've read in a very long time. Red Country is good but not on par with his other books. It's like a western populated with new and old characters from his series and just doesn't seem to reach the lofty goals of his other works. The introspection is there but much more cliched with these new characters. There are side characters (plots?) that just either don't come to much of a conclusion or really add nothing to the story other than a next step for some violence. I cetainly expected much more from one character from the past books.

I won't go into detail concerning specifics but when others finish the book I'd love to discuss it here to see if I'm being too harsh on the story.
Last edited by WYBaugh on Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Zarathud »

I think that's fair, WYBaugh. I blame the editing, which I understand is becoming atrocious throughout the publishing industry. There are a few characters discussed on the trail who go nowhere. Like you, I thought quite a few story threads just go nowhere. My favorite mercenary and barbarians are there, but nowhere as fully developed characters. If you haven't read the other books, you won't get them or quite a few other references. I did like the two new characters introduced to the world in the novel, particularly the Frontier Lawyer/Carpenter.
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Isgrimnur »

K-19 The Widowmaker The Secret Story of The Soviet Nuclear Submarine by Peter Huchthausen, Capt. USN (Ret.)

This book, while touching a bit on the film that graces the cover, is much more a historical look not only into the setting of the film, but also the overall history of the Soviet submarine force and its disasters, as well as the environmental legacy that it's leaving behind.

The characters of the film do not correspond directly to any real people, which is explained in Katheryn Bigelow's afterword. But, despite Hollywood's taint, the book in an excellent read by the retired captain. If you're interested in hearing about the history of the Cold War under the seas from the other side, including some of Captain Zatayev's own personal journals, I recommend it.
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Carpet_pissr »

I am finishing up my first Philip K Dick book, Ubik, and not sure I will try others. It's not bad per se, but any time I try to read science fiction from someone writing decades ago, it makes my brain hurt, and really tends to bring me out of the story, as it were, a little too much. Not sure which other titles of his might be more...modern, if any, or recommended by some here?
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by rshetts2 »

Thanks to everyone who had recommended the Expanse series by Corey. I'm about half way through Leviathan Wakes, and it is fantastic. It's a great space opera and really pulls me back to the golden age of sci fi where talents like Asimov, Clarke and Henlein were at their best. If the rest of this series holds up it will be a true classic. If you like sci fi and haven't read this yet do yourself a favor and pick it up.
Last edited by rshetts2 on Sat Dec 15, 2012 11:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Well do you ever get the feeling that the story's too damn real and in the present tense?
Or that everybody's on the stage and it seems like you're the only person sitting in the audience?
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Reemul
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Reemul »

Since January 1st 2011 I have had a kindle and not read another paperback book.

I am having a good year so far, on my kindle I have a read folder for each year.

Last year I read 121 books, this year it's up to 145.

I am about to start Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy which comes highly recommended especially as I have never read anything western yet my favourite movies are westerns.
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by silverjon »

The Newsflesh trilogy was a bit on my radar from MHS mentioning it (in the Walking Dead TV thread), but cropped up again on my library dashboard, so I gave Feed by Mira Grant a go, then ploughed through Deadline yesterday and Blackout today (and these are not short novels).

More political/conspiracy thriller than straight horror story, so readers looking for books with lots of scenes involving people being eaten have been disappointed, but I really liked them. They're intelligent and gripping, and had all the social commentary I'd expect from really good zombie fiction.

spoiler-tagged for boring silverjon-esque bitching, not for actual spoilers
Spoiler:
I will complain that at least three continuity errors crept into the last book, and I most likely would have noticed the two plot-related ones even if I'd been reading them as they were published instead of all at once. The name change of a very minor character might have slipped past me.

Also, there was a misprint of a death date in the second book that totally messed up my perception of timelines until I realized it didn't work at all and verified this with the power of basic arithmetic. Couldn't just check the first one because I returned it, which is still an inadequate argument for book ownership.
There's an ebook-only prequel. Availability of things I want to read will eventually be the factor that kicks me over into ereader ownership.

Edit: Deadline references this short story, "Cold Equations", which I was glad to have read before because it meant I got the reference (and didn't have the story spoiled for me)
http://www.spacewesterns.com/articles/105/" target="_blank
It's also a really powerful story, so I recommend it even if you don't want to read Newsflesh.
wot?

To be fair, adolescent power fantasy tripe is way easier to write than absurd existential horror, and every community has got to start somewhere... right?

Unless one loses a precious thing, he will never know its true value. A little light finally scratches the darkness; it lets the exhausted one face his shattered dream and realize his path cannot be walked. Can man live happily without embracing his wounded heart?
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by silverjon »

Trying right now to get through 10 Books That Screwed up the World (And 5 Others That Didn't Help) by Benjamin Wiker. In his introduction, Wiker explains that books containing "evil" ideas should not be burned or banned, but should be read so we can tear these ideas apart. However, it appears that he also wishes to save his audience the trouble of doing so themselves with these 15 nasty tomes, provided they're willing to accept his analysis as gospel.

Wiker slags Karl Marx for being dismissive and contemptuous of anyone whose ideas he didn't agree with, then calls John Stuart Mill a "dangerous madman" for his belief that human care and effort could solve human suffering, because that doesn't address the concept of original sin, in which Mill did not believe. Oopsie. It's not that the books Wiker wishes to tear down don't contain any examples of flawed reasoning or bias, but that Christian morality isn't the only basis on which they can be criticized.

The chapter on Darwin is up next. Wish me luck?

(Also reading an illustrated edition of Robin Hood curated by Cooper Edens, who puts together lavish volumes of children's literature compiling illustrations from all manner of artists.)
wot?

To be fair, adolescent power fantasy tripe is way easier to write than absurd existential horror, and every community has got to start somewhere... right?

Unless one loses a precious thing, he will never know its true value. A little light finally scratches the darkness; it lets the exhausted one face his shattered dream and realize his path cannot be walked. Can man live happily without embracing his wounded heart?
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Scuzz
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Scuzz »

World War Z by Max Brooks


I only decided to read this after reading some of the stuff in the movie thread about the movie being made based on the book. I am not a zombie fanboy so I went in a little apprehensive. It did take several pages to finally get into the book but overall I would say I enjoyed it. The books style didn't lend itself to addictive reading but there some segments that were very, very good.

An interesting way to approach the subject and it was handled very well. You learned about the "war" as you read the individual interviews of people who had survived the war.

This isn't a book I could recommend to everyone but I do think for sci-fi fans it probably should be a guaranteed read.
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Odin
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Odin »

Scuzz wrote:This isn't a book I could recommend to everyone but I do think for sci-fi fans it probably should be a guaranteed read.
I made my wife read it. She's not remotely a sci-fi fan and has no interest in zombies, but it's such a good book I was sure she'd like it. Sure enough, even though it definitely wasn't her thing, she said it was really good and she enjoyed reading it.
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by WYBaugh »

Finished Krampus: They Yule Lord by Brom

Here's the synopsis:
At first glance, this novel’s premise is a bit of a stretch. Krampus, child of Loki and spirit of Yule, is imprisoned by Santa Claus. There’s no love lost between the two. Krampus hates Santa for the betrayal that led to his imprisonment, while Santa Claus believes that Krampus is a relic, far past his time. Enter the hapless Jesse, who witnesses a fight between Krampus’ followers (the belsnickels) and Santa as he’s cursing himself for failing to get his daughter what she wanted for Christmas. His wife has already left him, and he’s sinking into despair. Then he finds Santa’s sack in his bedroom, where it fell through the roof of his trailer. Yes, he gets his daughter what she wanted. Then his wife accuses him of stealing it, the belsnickels track him down, and we get to the meat of the plot: Krampus’ revenge on Santa, which will reveal Santa’s true history and maybe give Jesse hope. This is a surprisingly good story, told with entertaining style and some unexpectedly sympathetic characters, and the illustrations are a treat. --Regina Schroeder
It's like Joe Abercrombie wrote a Christmas tale. I thought I was jaded from Martin and Abercrombie but I was wincing through parts of the book.

Highly recommend it and it's a nice fit for the season. The book is also very nicely bound...something you don't see as much anymore.
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silverjon
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by silverjon »

Brom's previous work that I've read has been excellent, but always very dark. Sounds good.
wot?

To be fair, adolescent power fantasy tripe is way easier to write than absurd existential horror, and every community has got to start somewhere... right?

Unless one loses a precious thing, he will never know its true value. A little light finally scratches the darkness; it lets the exhausted one face his shattered dream and realize his path cannot be walked. Can man live happily without embracing his wounded heart?
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Baroquen
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Baroquen »

Just finished the Wool Omnibus, thanks to the positive reviews on here. I liked it a lot. Will probably check out his newer stuff sooner or later, but definitely enjoyed it.

Now reading something called "Theft of Swords" because it was a kindle deal and just seemed like something I was in the mood for. And I liked the first scene, so I'll probably give it a shot.

That's 18 books for the year, which is a bit depressing, but it did include two George R.R. Martin books. I always enjoy them but get bogged down and distracted in the middle. I'm bouncing between Kindle and print, depending on the books, but this was my first year with an e-reader. 9 of the 18 books were electronic, 5 were Lending Library freebies, while the others were sale priced. I'll be interested to see how things trend this next year.
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theohall
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by theohall »

37 books this year with a slight chance at 38.

The two best were probably Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy. While many disagree with the author's politics, these two books bring an outstanding view of the history around these events - and, no, these are not written with any political view point in mind.
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Isgrimnur
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by Isgrimnur »

Red Eagles: America's Secret MiGs by Steve Davies

This book is awesome, as it sideswipes some family history for me. This details the acquisition and exploitation of export MiG aircraft that found their way into the hands of the US military. The unit was the 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron based out of Tonopah Test Range in the Nevada desert, just a short skip from Groom Lake.

During the 80s, my father was attached to another unit that utilized the Tonopah airfield, the 4450th Tactical Group. Seeing the grin on his face when I asked him if he'd ever seen the MiGs was priceless. He gave me a one-word answer of "Yes".

The book was made with the cooperation of the Air Force, even making the reading list of the Chief of Staff for 2011.

If you are at all interested in the history of Cold War air preparedness, I highly recommend it.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
RLMullen
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Re: Books Read 2012

Post by RLMullen »

I'm posting this late just to have a record...

Finished in 2012

Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge
A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
Wool Omnibus Edition (Wool 1 - 5) by Hugh Howey
First Shift - Legacy (Part 6 of the Silo Series) (Wool) by Hugh Howey
Second Shift - Order (Part 7 of the Silo Series) (Wool) by Hugh Howey
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