Books Read 2016

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Scuzz
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Re: Books Read 2016

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There is no spider.
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YellowKing
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Re: Books Read 2016

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PS- halfway through King book now, and it's just getting better as it goes...fantastic, really. I hope it doesn't have a "King" ending though, that some complain about with his other works.
I believe his son suggested the ending. So it's not a King ending but a King, Jr. ending. :D
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Carpet_pissr »

Not sure how to take that...yay?

Still, I already count the book as a success because of what it's been so far, even only halfway through. Well-written, great storytelling, compelling premise...the ending would have to be completely botched, or maybe he would have to write himself in as a character again (!) to cancel out those positives.
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Re: Books Read 2016

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UnderMajorDomo Minor - DeWitt
Lucy Minor is the resident odd duck in the hamlet of Bury. He is a compulsive liar, a sickly weakling in a town famous for begetting brutish giants. Then Lucy accepts employment assisting the majordomo of the remote, foreboding Castle Von Aux. While tending to his new post as undermajordomo, he soon discovers the place harbours many dark secrets, not least of which is the whereabouts of the castle's master, Baron Von Aux. Thus begins a tale of polite theft, bitter heartbreak, domestic mystery, and cold-blooded murder.
Undermajordomo Minor is an ink-black comedy of manners, an adventure, and a mystery, and a searing portrayal of rural Alpine bad behaviour, but above all it is a love story. And Lucy must be careful, for love is a violent thing.

Unsettling.
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Re: Books Read 2016

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Finished Dark Space 2: Invisible War and Dark Space 3: Origin by Jasper T. Scott

Ethan Ortane was a part of Space navy, with emphasis on "was". After being drummed out for doing the right thing, he now roams the spaceways with his copilot Alara... until he got roped in, by crime lord Alec Brondi, to go infiltrate the fleet ship USS Valiant and impersonate someone for a short time. As collateral, Alara was kept as hostage... Except Ethan was being used. Alara was implanted with mind control chip, and Ethan turned out to be hiding a virus which infected the ship and killing most of the crew. The rest went under when Brondi and mercenaries attacked, gaming control of the flagship of the navy. Ortane, and his new found son, Atton, along with a handful of survivors escaped through the gate into Dark Space onboard Defiant, a much smaller ship, into unknown enemy territory, hoping for a chance on the other side... and that's just book 1.

In Book 2, Defiant must find a way to get through to human survivors in Dark Space, hopefully without running into the genocidal Sythians, but the ship is damaged and undermanned, and Brondi is eager to get on their tail as soon as he gains full control of the ship. In order to keep the morale, Ethan agreed to take the disguise of the Overlord... who actually died years ago then someone found out the truth...

In Book 3, Ethan, and his son Atton, were arrested for high treason and conspiracy. Defiant itself is out of fuel and barely able to defend itself, and they hang their hopes on a corvette they fueled to reach the station where they hoped to summon rescue... Except the station had been destroyed... Then a Sythian ship decloaked in front of the frigate... Commanded by... humans?!?!?! On the other side of the gate, Brondi has consolidated the control of his ship and came through the gate hoping to capture Admiral Hoff's fleet using the same tactics, but Hoff is not who he seem. Neither were aware that the alien Sythians are watching... and planning, looking for the right opportunity to strike...

Good space opera, fast paced, don't see any overt plot holes. There are 3 more books forming a second trilogy. I can give this 6 out of 8 tentacles. They are that much fun to read.


Finished Sky Hunter/ Targon Tales Book 0 by Chris Reher

Not too sure what to make of this book, as it practically started with a rape.

Nova Whiteside is a pilot for Air Command responsible for protecting the new space elevator, Skyranch 12, against rebels, saboteurs, and more. As the only female in the squadron, she's used to getting a sexist treatment. While tolerable on the main base, treatment gets worse on the outposts. When two soldiers tried to feel her up more aggressively, she pulled her sidearm on them, which drew the ire of their commanding officer, who went to her room, and show her that a ROUGH treatment really is (basically, he dislocated her arm, knocked her unconscious, and raped her). The CO gave the ground commander a slap on the wrist because there's not enough people and the commander is very effective, and basically told Nova to stay away. After a mission that left Nova captured by rebels in a bloody uprising, she met Djari, a civilian who was also scarred by that the ground troops did, and the two formed a bond upon being rescued. However, Nova soon realized that the station and its troops, and indeed, her own commanding officer, are hiding things. Even Djari did not escape her suspicions... When reports of multiple rebel attacks came, drawing away forces, Nova realized the rebel plan... and who's behind it.

Not that bad of a military adventure, except for that jarring beginning, and it seems to be uncalled for except as an excuse for her to not have sex for a long time. There's five more books in the series, and I'm not too sure I want to read them all based on this one alone.
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Re: Books Read 2016

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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George RR Martin :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

The first in a series of tales involving Dunk (Ser Duncan the Tall) and Egg (Aegamon Targaryan of the royal house). Set 100 years before the events of A Game of Thrones, these stories are written completely from the view of Ser Duncan, a hedge knight pledged to no one. Young Egg doesn't wish for a typical privileged upbringing, and with the blessing of his father, becomes the squire of Dunk, a knight of Keystone Cop proportions.

In true GRRM style, Dunk is lucky, but not heroically so. Egg is a powerful enough pawn to save his skin more than once. This is a compilation of three tales, The Hedge Knight, The Sworn Sword, and The Mystery Knight. While there is a little bit of background information that sets up A Game of Thrones, you really have to look for it. It's not about major players of its time (like A Song of Ice and Fire) but really is a tale of Dunk, and only by association, Egg. This isn't the first story I read of events before the GoT series, but any such tales in Westeros are enjoyable and a touch familiar.
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Re: Books Read 2016

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The Traitor Baru Cormorant - Dickinson

Baru is from a conquered land. The Empire of Masks has used its mastery of influence and trade to usurp power and brings with it advanced learning but also a strict, moral doctrine in which all learn "the many names of sin". Its domination is complete. Their land is renamed and local customs are outlawed. Baru is determined to join the Empire so she can defeat it from within.

Political machination and the influence of coin takes centre stage as Baru succeeds in infiltrating the Empire and is given the task of bringing under heel a distant land that, like her own, has been conquered by the Empire. Where her loyalties lie and to what end is the focus of the book. Filled with hidden motives by all involved, this is a book with intrigue over action but that is not to say it is at all ponderous or slow-moving.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

Mourner by C. F. Bentley :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

The third book of a series involving Sissy, the high priestess of the planet Harmony, Pammy, spymaster for the Confederated Star System, and Jake, commander of the First Contact Café. Those names ought to give you some indication of the depth of characters we're talking about in these stories.

At the end of the last book, Sissy was returning to Harmony with the corpse of the late High Priest Gregor. Except when they got home, it seems someone forgot to load the corpse. Or was it stolen? Finding and securing the corpse was the main plot of this book. Among other subplots is Jake's continuing consolidation of power on his space station, encounters with the Merril, a avian-humanoid race who just concluded hostilities, and the dragons, a here-to-fore unknown race of bankers that presumed to hold a mortgage on the space station. The dragons are a large, lizard-like race that employs human telepaths whose stock was snatched from Earth around the time of the Roman empire. These telepaths don't live long in the dragon's preferred toxic atmosphere.

The plot lines were okay, but the characters continue to be weak. Pammy is credited with having profound talents in spying and surveillance but this is inferred, never displayed. Jake casually mentions to Sissy that he is being haunted by Gregor's ghost, and Sissy, who has never seen nor heard of anyone seeing ghosts before, instantly accepts this without the least bit of skepticism. The dragons are ostensibly brilliant megalomaniacs bent on financial control of the universe, but come off as lumbering idiots. That their favorite snack happens to be carrion and oh, guess where the body snatchers decided to stow Gregor's corpse? It also turns out that one of Sissy's acolytes happens to also be telepathic and would probably be stoned back on Harmony, so she is adopted by Jake and will presumably play an important roll in future stories. Stories which I have little interest reading.
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Re: Books Read 2016

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The Taming of the Queen by Philppa Gregory :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

Katheryn Parr was the last of Henry VIII's six wives, and one of only two to survive him. A women with an uncharacteristically independent streak, she relied heavily on the ability of her inner circle to faithfully protect secrets that might arouse the suspicion of her murderous husband. It didn't help that, from the start, she was pining for another (Thomas Seymour). Katheryn played an important role realizing Henry's own church (now the Church of England) by bringing religion into the English language and improving accessibility among peasants and lords alike. She was the first woman to publish a book under her own name, but this independence was enough to make Henry wary, and ultimately she had to endure persecution meant to entrap her into self-incriminating. At the time of Henry's death, Katheryn played the game and acted the part of an obsequious, obedient wife who deferred to Henry's slightest whim.

This fictionalized account of Katheryn Parr's story portrayed the queen as a rather unhappy figure. From a brief fling with Thomas Seymour at the outset, she doted on his career and memories of their liaison throughout the book, trying hard to steal moments while never giving reason for Henry to become murderously suspicious. In the epilogue, Gregory explains Parr and Seymour did marry shortly after Henry's death, but their marriage was not a happy one. Perhaps Parr was just a miserable person.

As a historical novel goes, Gregory gets it mostly right and explains in the end some of the notable things created out of whole cloth. Nearly all of Parr's private dialogue is fictionalized, of course; and if Gregory got her personality right, then the queen led a life to be pitied, not admired.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

The Social Life of DNA: Race, Reparations, and Reconciliation After the Genome by Alondra Nelson :binky: :binky: :binky:

If you strongly believe that the sins of the fathers should absolutely be passed on to the son, then read on, this book might be for you -- doubly so if you happen to be of African-American ancestry. The notion of reparations has always run afoul when it comes to proving one descended from a former slave -- records are incomplete at best. Alondra Nelson describes how DNA evidence can be used to fill the information gap and this book might be essential reading for anyone pursuing reparations. Nelson does cover the limitations and points out that thus far, using DNA as genealogical evidence has not been terribly successful, but she implicates overall strategy on how this information is used rather than the efficacy of the data.

I most certainly would have enjoyed the book more if it focused entirely on DNA and geneology without introducing the political fireball that is reparations. Going back to my opening statement, I absolutely don't believe this should ever be the case and with Nelson trying to be helpful for people seeking such a thing, it often rubbed me the wrong way.
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Re: Books Read 2016

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Finished Darknet by Matthew Mather

In a world not too far from our own, a man is finding out the world he lived in is no longer what he thought. Jake O'Connell is a stock broker with an hell-raising past, but family put an end to that aspect of his life, until his childhood friend Sean Womack was mowed down in London by a bus (with collision avoidance system). Thousands of miles away, Data Scientist Jin Huang found a list of wealthy individuals dead in what may be a banking conspiracy, then her boss died right in front of her... "elevator accident". The two have stumbled upon one of the largest conspiracies of them all... a rogue AI is among us, with an instinct of making money, and self-preservation, and with ability to mimic anyone over audio and video, and ability to control the authorities and almost unlimited warchest, it is determined to eliminate all opposition. In its way are a couple nerds and a Canadian data center run by Mohawk warriors...

Matthew Mather also wrote Cyberstorm, a novel I recommended before. This book has the same sort of dark psychology (a lot of stuff about psychopaths and psychopathic tendencies) mixed in with cutting edge tech. The plot goes a bit slow at times, but recommended, 7 out of 8 tentacles.


Finished Fractured Era Books 1-3

Not sure what to make of this series. The characters are nicely described, but the story seems to go nowhere or ends in weird places. The backdrop is interesting... A bunch of colonists in a fleet of ships having left Earth generations ago. Resources are short, and they haven't found a planet to settle yet. Each ship specialized in one thing, and laws are strictly enforced, and if the offense is serious enough, you're dumped out an airlock. Pregnancies are strictly rationed and half of the pregnancies result in a fetus that has "the defect" and any such fetuses are aborted, no questions asked. While the world was drawn nicely, the book really has no sensible plot that begins and ends at boundary of each book. Not recommended. Call it 3 out of 8 tentacles.

Finished On Silver Wings by Evan Curie

Evan Curie is a pretty good military scifi writer. In this book, a colony suddenly drops off the grid. A special forces team was inserted, and it should have been a totally covert insertion, but all except one member of the team was killed, and the last member was wounded, but Sgt Sorilla Aida has a job to do... Meet up with the locals, scout the enemy, rally the locals into a militia... but that is the job... Die Opressor Liber The problem is Sgt here is basically superwoman, stronger, faster, heal better, more knowledgeable, the only thing she lacked is local knowledge. Good thing the enemy here is so mysterious... Invisible, with a fear field that projects thoughts of fear, and so on. I guess this book is okay, and the war continues. 5 tentacles out of 8.


Finished Rumors of Glory

Earth and the outer colonies are going to war. Outer colonies are uniting, and Earth, needing the resources, have to smash the attempt to organize. Earth has an edge on strategy as they have a massive computer called Oracle running through scenarios, while it is also saddled with useless REMFs and incompetent leaders more interested in saving themselves than the mission. System States are outspent and outtech'ed, but they are fighting for their ideals and they have ingenuity. Is it an even fight? Book 1 just chronicled several years at the beginning of the conflict.

I sense the author is sort of going after the David Weber "Honorverse" style were he described the intrigue and incompetence of certain people, and while the points he did get across, the result felt rather lacking, as a Weber-wannabe. There also seems to be not enough of an "arc" or proper tempo leading to a natural lull to conclude the book.

Call it 5 out of 8 tentacles.
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Re: Books Read 2016

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Finished Lost Stars, the young adult Star Wars novel.

I enjoyed it for the most part. The Star Wars "feel" was great, and there were enough little insights into the Star Wars universe that it kept me interested.

On the downside, it is a young adult romance so you have to deal with that aspect of it. The plot was also heavily contrived, with the main characters weaving in and out of every major battle in the original trilogy.

Wouldn't recommend it to the casual Star Wars fan, but if you're a nerd like me you may enjoy it.
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Re: Books Read 2016

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The Princeling of Nanjing - Hamilton

I look forward to each new Ava Lee mystery. Ian Hamilton has taken the crime-solving adage of "follow the money" to its logical conclusion and has created a character who uses her talents as a forensic accountant to do just that. Of course, chasing the paper trail leads to direct confrontation with very dangerous and unscrupulous people so it helps that Ava is dangerous and extremely capable herself.
This book is the 8th in the series (or the 9th if you count a prequel/origin story) and sees Ava established as a business owner in her own right when she feels compelled to help a friend being pressured by a powerful family to return to the risky drug trade.
The least action-oriented book of the series and perhaps focusing a bit on lifestyle and connections, it still manages to stay tense and engaging.
I'd recommend reading the series starting with the second book (The Discipline of Las Vegas) as the first (The Water Rat of Wanchai) is a bit spotty at the start (but really picks up halfway through).

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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by YellowKing »

Finished The Sixth Key: From the Secret Files of the Magic Castle by Jeff Tucker.

I only picked this one up because I'm a big fan of the 91 Reasons podcast created by Jeff Tucker, and this was the first in his series of self-published novels featuring the famous Magic Castle of Los Angeles.

The book is basically a young adult fantasy told through a series of lost records discovered by the protagonist of the modern-day wrap-around story. Because it's written for younger audiences, it wasn't really sophisticated enough to really engross me.

However, I did love how Jeff wrote his family into the story as characters, and his love for magic and magicians shines through on every page. There are two (and soon to be three) more books in the series, but I doubt I'll pick them up to personally read. They may be something my daughter would enjoy in a few years though.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by McNutt »

Now that Pat Conroy has passed I really want to read another one of his books. Should I get Prince of Tides or The Great Santini?
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by hitbyambulance »

Haruki Murakami - The Strange Library
from 1982, a surrealist magical-realist piece of existentialism dressed up like a children's fable. with postmodernist illustration and graphic design from 2013. reading this book may give you a feeling that you can't quite place. you may have a feeling that Murakami devotedly sticks to his pet themes and you would be right, but this time? there is literally a 'disappearing woman'. i chuckled at that.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

Cloud of Sparrows by Takashi Matsuoka :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

Feudal Japan is being compelled to give up their isolationism and entreat with powerful foreigners (in this case, mid-19th century US). This is blood story of ancient blood feuds amidst encroaching foreign intervention.

Like most Japanese novels, the prose seems very stilted, just like the abrupt dialog of a Kurasawa movie. The audio book version additionally was read rather matter-of-factly, adding strange humor to passages where limbs and heads are being struck off the bodies in graphic detail. The Japanese characters seemed a little too pragmatic when dealing with the foreigners, especially considering their transition from a isolationist nation.

The book does occasionally give us some historical information regarding battles that occurred hundreds of years earlier, when great warlords consolidated power in epic battles. Hard feelings still resonated generations later through descendants of the participants.

The characters were interesting, but not terribly likeable. Which is just as good, as Matsuoka has a George RR Martin streak in him.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn J. Edin :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

The poorest of the poor are considered to be those living on $2 per day or less. This book is a case study involving a number of individuals struggling to emerge from this crushing poverty, as well as a discourse on the history and current state of government aid programs, and how they simply aren't catching the people who need to be caught.

Welfare in general is an incendiary topic. A majority of Americans disapprove of the concept of welfare, yet most Americans also think we aren't doing enough to help the very poor. The perception is a system filled with lazy welfare queens gaming the system at tax payer expense, but as in other discredited issues like voter fraud, the amount of abuse is negligible. Meanwhile we have people who's aspirations are nothing more than a meager job paying $12 per hour and enough hours to feed the kids and put a roof over their heads.

Edin does a good job presenting her thesis and is more an advocate of government job programs than cash give-aways. I tend to agree this is perhaps the best way to deal with a growing problem in part created by a shifting economy that leaves people unemployed with urgent need of retraining to more useful skills. Everyone who wants to work should be able to do so.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Bad Demographic »

As always, I'm impressed by how well you guys synopsize books.

Bob started reading J. A. Jance's "Joanna Brady" books earlier this year and got me to read them, too. So far I've read the first five books in the series and a short story. Overall I'd give them :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: .
I've long enjoyed mysteries. These aren't the best but I like the characters and will keep reading the series.
The Old Blue Line by J. A. Jance (short fiction)
Desert Heat by J. A. Jance
Tombstone Courage by J. A. Jance
Shoot/Don't Shoot by J. A. Jance
Skeleton Canyon by J. A. Jance
Rattlesnake Crossing by J. A. Jance

Years ago (and over the course of several years) I read Tony Hillerman's Chee and Leaphorn mysteries and really enjoyed them. I liked Hillerman's characters and his focus on Navajo culture. Sadly, he passed away a few years ago. His daughter has started to continue the stories but focussing (so far) on one of Tony's other characters, Bernie Manuelito. She only has two mysteries so far. While I like Tony's books more, I hope Anne continues. Besides, it's possible that Tony's stories got better over time and I just don't recall anything about his earlier books - therefore, I could experience the same with Anne's books. :)
Rock with Wings by Anne Hillerman :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:


Bryant & May and the Burning Man by Christopher Fowler :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:
In the days leading up to Guy Fawkes Day, Arthur Bryant, John May and the rest of the Peculiar Crimes Unit (PCU) investigate murders in London's financial district during mass protests against bank corruption. The victims are burned to death (in various ways) and Bryant is sure that they only have a few days to catch the killer because he believes the final murder will take place during Guy Fawkes celebrations. As usual, the PCU conflicts with the London police bureaucracy and now must also cope with Bryant's unusual (for him) behaviors.
If you have not read any Bryant & May books but would like to give them a try, I recommend you NOT start with this one. Maybe try "The Water Room", "Full Dark House" or "The Victoria Vanishes" first.
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." Voltaire

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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jaddison »

McNutt wrote:Now that Pat Conroy has passed I really want to read another one of his books. Should I get Prince of Tides or The Great Santini?
Prince of Tides. I like both a lot but Prince of Tides is unforgettable.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jaddison »

Finished this today I know the subject matter would have most thinking it is niche but it does a great job of exposing the uncertainty of war, many a US Navy casualty was due to friendly fire. We learned the hard way how to fight the Japanese and also showed them our will to fight. Outstanding book well written and not a boring chapter to be found but then Guadalcanal has been a name and place that was a part of my psyche since I first began to read about war (around 11 or 12). For every US ground combatant lost on Guadalcanal 3 sailors were lost in the fighting in the waters around the area. The author uses first hand account to paint a vivid and horrific picture of what it was like on the ships that were pounded.

Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal Paperback by James D. Hornfischer


Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War Paperback – by Robert M Gates
Finished this recently. Very well written and insightful. Mr. Gates is very decent and fair and he has good things to say about both Presidents. He is not enamored of the entrenched bureaucracy in DoD wedded to slow acquisition and arming for the last war. Also not a big fan of Congress or at least how members behave in televised hearings. This is not a tell all and a finger pointing memoir. Gates wasn't trying to directly paint Biden poorly but he came across as very Cheney like in his attempts to affect policy and strategy. President Bush is seen in a different light and I have more of empathy for the man than I had before- still absolutely disagree with invading Iraq- but the personal view we get of W. from Mr. Gates of those last 2 years changes my perception of him quite a bit.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

Well-known comic Jim Gaffigan's follow-up to Dad is Fat is about food, restaurants, and eating around the country. Gaffigan is not what you'd call a culinary expert, so this is along the lines of cheeseburgers, chili, and cheeses and not some of the fancier fare one might have from time to time. Vegetarians need not apply, Gaffigan doesn't really like veggies all that much.

Like his comic routine (he'll remind you several times that his big schtick is a "Hot Pockets" screed), it is mostly amusing anecdotes with occasional laugh out loud moments. But mostly just amusing. If you already like this comic, you'll probably enjoy this book. If you're not sure, watch one of his TV specials before investing too much into it.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History by Brian Kilmeade :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

America's first war after gaining independence was against the Barbary States along the north coast of Africa. Paying tribute to the Ottoman Sultan, these loosely affiliated kingdoms were ruled by bashas who earned their money the old fashion way -- they stole it. Bending the knee to large naval powers, they preyed upon the merchant fleet of the fledgling US, who, going into the late 18th century, lacked a fleet to protect them. This would change under Thomas Jefferson's watch.

The war was or became more complex than simple trade protection. The bashas proved deceitful, and demanded the US pay them ransom for prisoners taken and tribute to allow ships to go unmolested. Our nation did not have the finances to long deal with such extortion, however, so war became inevitable. Still, there were diplomats on the ground...often making deals that suited their own interests.

The audio book was read by the author, Brian Kilmeade. I've not read anything by him before, but he comes off sounding like a combination gung-ho Marine and Duffman from the Simpsons. The book isn't read as much as shouted. And if nothing else, this highlights the author's bias and possible agenda in this book -- he often emphatically calls out the "Muslim pirates" in an inflammatory manner that is more in line with today's rhetoric and not close to Jefferson's approach to the matter. Indeed, Jefferson went through great lengths to explain to the bashas that the United States embraced all religions, theirs included. The war was many things -- but it most certainly was not a military crusade.

I'll give Kilmeade credit for an entertaining story, though, and it is perhaps of some value to those who might not otherwise give a thought to this episode in early American history. It's just more of a Hollywood telling.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

Dominions by James A. Burton :binky: :binky: :binky:

This is book two of a series, and I've not read book one. Usually, there's enough of a recap that this is not a problem; in this case, however, it felt as if I was dropped into the middle of a car chase without knowing who was chasing whom and why.

In this story, the gods Albericht (Al) and Melissa el Hajj (Mel) are, for some reason I never fathomed, in a dystopian world inhabited by other gods. Al is a blacksmith god and forged a knife from Solomon's star that apparently draws gods to it and then kills them. A sheath created by a demon shields it (and also has healing properties). At the start of the book, Al and Mel are separated. Al finds a young girl whose family has been killed in war. Mel finds a blue goddess, who appears to be a stand-offish bitch. The knife is stolen. Gods are killed. Al and Mel unite. Mel tells Al she thinks she's pregnant with their divine love child. The kid is killed by a poisoned bullet, but brought back to life by the sheath. Then she too is a god, kills the blue bitch and gains her powers. In the meantime, Mel discovers Al is a violin virtuoso. The godling is born. The end.

There is virtually no plot, aside from a desire to be rid of the knife and to get back to their own world. This read more like the script of some role play game than an actual novel. A synopsis of the first book might have been helpful, I don't really know.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

Explorers of the Nile by Tim Jeal :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

The Nile River might have been one of the cradles of early civilization, but the source of that great river remained a mystery until the Victorian Era. As scientific exploration all around the planet became in vogue, much of it sponsored in England. The source of the Nile, as well as the exploration of central Africa, received considerable attention at this time.

Among those who sought to confirm their theories was Richard Burton, John Speke, David Livingstone, Henry Stanley, and Samuel Baker. Raising money to fund an expedition was the least of their worries...once one the move, expeditions would run afoul of local wars, slave traders, cannibals, and endless biological agents - infections, diseases, and other critters. In many cases, a large number of the original party would succumb, and sometimes even their famous leaders.

The difficulties of the challenge cannot be overestimated. A year or more could be spent pursuing a dead end, a lake with other tributaries, or a morass of shifting channels. The region was rife with tribal warfare, and Caucasian explorers were only sometimes tolerated. Local diplomacy was a necessary skill that all explorers had to work on, although some, like Burton, couldn't ever overcome his prejudices to be successful.

A good map would be a welcome accompiament to this book. Google Maps was often insufficient in locating every place covered in this book. I was a little surprised though about how far west into central Africa the quest took some explorers: indeed, it was often an elaborate detour to figure out if a particular river was a tributary to the Nile or the Congo.

At the end of the book, Jeal takes us from Stanley's second expedition (his first was to locate Dr. Livingstone) up to modern times. Some of the tribal discord discovered then holds true today. It was a nice touch to see the continuity from this period of time to the present, and helps to understand some of what goes on in the world's backwater.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

Private Paris by James Patterson :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

The Private books are coming fast and furious now. Another new foreign office, another series of local challenges to go along with an assortment of story lines. Jack Morgan pays this office a visit, and right away has problems when a client's granddaughter disappears from surveillance. Meanwhile, his firm is brought in to assist law enforcement investigate serial murders of some of the city's cultural elite.

Patterson appears to be capitalizing off the recent troubles involving Muslim terrorists as the basis of this story line. The punchline wasn't quite as expected though, but illustrates that dissidents can come from anywhere.

Overall, this wasn't my favorite of the Private books, though. Too focused on Jack and not enough parallel activity that makes the better books in the series more interesting (and is a complaint shared in common with those that don't). Expect the next book to come soon -- Jack is on his way to Rio for the Olympics...

EDIT: Yesterday afternoon I was browsing the library for a new audiobook to download and was able to place a reservation for Private Rio, expected out soon. :lol:
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

Gray Mountain by John Grisham :binky: :binky:

A formulaic legal thriller about a big city/big law firm lawyer cast off after the 2008 financial crisis only to wind up as an unpaid intern in Appalachian Virginia. Far from the New York lights, Samantha Kofer is thrust into a world utterly different than anything she's experienced. With her background in real estate law offering no help at all, she is thrust into a role of trying to help poor indigent cast-offs from the coal mining industry get some relief in spite of not only laws that cater to the industry, but hostile disposition among other residents who don't happen to be victims at the moment.

Among her first acquaintances in town is Donovan, a young attorney with a mission to destroy the coal industry that victimized his family. Donovan is in illegal possession of internal documents from one of the large mining companies that prove negligence that caused the sickness and death of many. The coal company sics the FBI on him, but they discover nothing. Then a tragic accident -- or is it? -- and Donovan's brother Jeff is left to carry on without the legal dynamo.

Samantha and Jeff begin an affair as Sam is unwillingly drawn into their less-than-kosher scheme involving moving the illegally-gained documents. And then, well. it just sort of ends. Ongoing litigation is not resolved. The big suit that was to be based on the documents is not yet filed. Sam decides she will stick around to see some cases through to the end at a meager salary. And that's it. The end.

Perhaps Grisham plans to continue this story, but the ending was really abrupt and inconclusive. And that makes the whole book, ok until then, seem like a waste of time.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

I Am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

The writing style in this book reminds me of Philippa Gregory's treatment of the women in Henry VIII's court. And that's not a compliment. Livia is the daughter of Marcus Claudianus, a senator who was among the conspirators against Julius Caesar. When Octavian began his campaign of retribution against his adopted father's assassins, her father committed suicide after Octavian's victory at the Battle of Philippi. Her husband by arranged marriage, magistrate Tiberius Claudius Nero, fled to Marc Antony's side in Egypt. Livia and Tiberius Claudius Nero then fled to Greece, returning to Rome after a general amnesty was announced.

In this book, Livia has long had contact with the young Octavian, who became the Emperor Augustus. Pregnant with her second son, the much loved and tragic Nero Claudius Drusus (aka Drusus the Elder, father of the notorious Caligula), she wed Octavian after Tiberius Claudius Nero was compelled to divorce her (as Octavian did his own wife, Scribonia). What follows is routine life in the upper class of Rome, along with much anxiety over Livia's failure to produce a true heir with Augustus. Resigned to the inevitability that Augustus would discard her for someone younger and more fertile, she was surprised when Augustus affirmed his devotion to her and adopted her sons as his heirs.

The end of Augustus and the early reign of her son, Tiberius, are sort of "yadda yadda'd" at the end of the book. This is the point in her story where Robert Graves makes her the devious schemer pulling strings on everyone atop the government, as well as striving for a legacy to become deified along with her husband following her death. And that's a shame, Graves' Livia is far more dynamic than Smith's.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

Golfing with the Enlightened Dead by DC Malloy and DL Lang :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

Golf and Philosophy, what's not to like? Bud is a scratch golfer out for leisurely 9 when he's bonked in the head by a ricocheted ball. Out cold for a few minutes, his brain takes him along all nine holes with a twist: each hole has a different philosopher waiting for him. Starting with Socrates on the first hole, the parade includes Aristotle, Heidegger, Nietzche, Vivekananda, Sartre, Freud/Adler, Skinner and Frankl. The golf game provides a sometimes metaphoric backdrop for discussions involving leadership and how the different philosophies might be harnessed to create more productive, satisfied workers.

Parts of this tale seem to take place in today's world, but bizarrely there are two references made to Bud flying Spitfires in WWII. Were that the case, he'd almost certainly be too old to benefit from the discussions he was having with these intellectual greats. Bud is no slouch either, and quickly grasps what they are trying to get at. Some of it is thought provoking, and fortunately only 9 holes are played, so the book is short.

I try to read at least one management book a year as I do manage people for a living. I'm not sure I'm going to make any changes based on this book, but my annual diligence has certainly been fulfilled.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jolor »

The Windup Girl - Bacigalupi
In a world ... OK. Enough with the voice-over mechanics. Envisioning a time when fossil fuels have been abandoned, but have been abandoned too late to stop global warming, the world is now dependant upon genetically modified foods to sustain its population. Corporate opportunism mixes with 'might makes right' and results in a new dynamic where the profits of corporations battle with traditional governments and infrastructure, even as the latter try to maintain ancient seedstock as a competitive advantage. Racism is rampant and highlighted as 'self' preservation; ideologys abound; new technologies and morals come to fruition. It is a world where the companies that control the calories (and their genetic code) rule but fight against the countries that resist their manipulation while trying to maintain their tradition.
That may be too stark a description; perhaps painting one side as good and one as bad. There is very little here to differentiate. All sides (and there are many more than my un-nuanced precis describes) are trying to re-assert their vision and place and, hence, power, in the world.
This plays out, in human terms and with that world, in a few different facets. There are the Agri-agents bent on maximizing profits and control; there are the generals and bureaucrats playing at control; and there is the creche-born creature that is not accepted as fully human who may be key to the survival of the (evolved) race.

4 o' 8 tentacles
So sayeth the wise Alaundo.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by hitbyambulance »

i read that a while back based on Bill Harris' blog recommendation. the world building was far more important to the author than the plot and dialogue, i felt. your rating sounds about right.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Scuzz »

Jeff V wrote:Golfing with the Enlightened Dead by DC Malloy and DL Lang :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

Golf and Philosophy, what's not to like? Bud is a scratch golfer out for leisurely 9 when he's bonked in the head by a ricocheted ball. Out cold for a few minutes, his brain takes him along all nine holes with a twist: each hole has a different philosopher waiting for him. Starting with Socrates on the first hole, the parade includes Aristotle, Heidegger, Nietzche, Vivekananda, Sartre, Freud/Adler, Skinner and Frankl. The golf game provides a sometimes metaphoric backdrop for discussions involving leadership and how the different philosophies might be harnessed to create more productive, satisfied workers.

Parts of this tale seem to take place in today's world, but bizarrely there are two references made to Bud flying Spitfires in WWII. Were that the case, he'd almost certainly be too old to benefit from the discussions he was having with these intellectual greats. Bud is no slouch either, and quickly grasps what they are trying to get at. Some of it is thought provoking, and fortunately only 9 holes are played, so the book is short.

I try to read at least one management book a year as I do manage people for a living. I'm not sure I'm going to make any changes based on this book, but my annual diligence has certainly been fulfilled.
So have you ever read Golf in the Kingdom by Michael Murphy? It was the hot golf as philosophy book 20 years ago. It was supposed to be made into a movie but I don't think that ever happened.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

Scuzz wrote: So have you ever read Golf in the Kingdom by Michael Murphy? It was the hot golf as philosophy book 20 years ago. It was supposed to be made into a movie but I don't think that ever happened.
I have not, I don't tend toward the sports metaphors in this sort of thing (I rather prefer historical figures like George Washington or Attila the Hun). This book was provided to me free for review purposes, however, and I like (and understand) golf well enough to get the metaphors. The thing with this book it seems to be driven by the metaphor rather than the message -- the message wasn't cohesive and sometimes at odds, but the philosophers (and their message) was amenable to use as a golf metaphor. That's why I considered it more of fun thought exercise than a management book that teaches anything.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

Kraken by China Mieville :binky: :binky:

I'm done with Mieville. I just don't get the critic's love for this guy, but I suspect that because I'm not British, I'm not supposed to. He has a penchant for taking everything that annoys me about Neil Gaiman and concentrates it, leaving out the concise story line.

A giant squid suddenly vanishes from a natural history museum in London. The investigation that follows has all of the coherence of a meandering Britcom without anything really funny. Eventually, suspicion turns to a cult who worships a squid god. (Squid, really? Everyone knows the octopus is the king among tentacled critters!)

Mieville's prose really gets in the way of making this any sort of page turner. In America, thanks to Hollywood we equate thick cockney accents with less-educated characters, not scientists, so there is an irritation caused by deviating from the expected. The main plot is often lost in the dialog,

I do have to give him props though for name-dropping GG Alin among others. That part at least made me smile.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

Revival by Stephen King :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

This is one of the best Stephen King books I've read in a while. Starting out in the early 60's in a small New England town (natch), Jamie Morton is a typical small-town kid in a somewhat pious family. A visit by the new, young pastor, Charles Jacobs, creates a bond with six-year old Jaime. When the pastor seemingly restores Jamie's brother's speech with the application of electricity, Jamie thinks he is a miracle worker (even if doctor's did say it would come back eventually). When Jacob's family is killed in an auto accident, the reverend lashes out in a sermon that calls to question everything churches preach about god (at this point, things started to become interesting, it was admittedly a slow start). Pastor Jacobs is run out of town following his expression of heresy.

For the next few chapters, the story springs ahead on the time line. Jaime finds he has a natural talent for guitar, and starts playing rhythm for a local band. He wins over his high school crush and the sex is glorious. However, you can't have sex and rock'n'roll without the drugs, and this is where Jamie gets tripped up. His girl Astrid moves on, Jamie hooks up with other bands and has a reputation as a solid player. But the drugs catch up to him, and one day in OKC he is fired by his band for reasons relating to his heroin habit. Wandering around the state fair without an idea of what's next, Jaime stumbles upon someone strangely familiar -- a "Pastor Danny" doing some sort of healing act involving electricity. When Jacobs sees what has become of Jaime and offers to cure him of his heroin addiction. With nothing to lose, Jaime agrees. Electricity is applied to his frontal lobe, and, well, something happened. But Jaime indeed was cured.

For awhile, Jaime becomes part of the reverend's road show until one day the father of a girl he "treated" pops Jacobs in the mouth. Turns out his daughter wasn't quite right in the head, and committed a felony robbery. Jaime took notice, and now with the story in the Internet age, along with a young girlfriend he began to find out what had become of some of the miracle cures. The long term prognosis was not good.

The story builds to a suitably horror-inducing climax. Jaime wants to separate from Jacobs permanently, but always the reverend brings him back to perform a service for him. And he knows what buttons to push so Jaime can't say no.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

The Winds of Folly by Seth Hunter :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

Seth Hunter is modern author tilling the same fertile ground that made the careers of CS Forester and Patrick O'Brian; the Royal Navy in and around the Napoleonic Wars. Captain Nathan Peake is a young rising star (27 years old) and captain of a small frigate, the Unicorn. Unlike Jack Aubrey, though, Peake doesn't operate in the shadows of great events, he gets right in the thick of it. Given a mission by none other than Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson himself, Peoke travels to Venice in the guise of an American (his mother was American) to see what might be done to secure the depleted but still potent Venetian navy to British control.

The attempt nearly gets him killed when he is beaten and kidnapped by agents working for the Venetian government. But as he was being sent to his presumed death, Peake is rescued by a French acquaintance, now Colonel Junot, aide-de-camp to the French rising star, Napoleon. This is not Peake's first encounter with the little general, and Napoleon regards him fondly (although it would appear the French do believe him to be American). Given a mission by Napoleon, Peake finds himself being transported by fishermen when the boat is struck by a British warship commanded by Peake's colleague and friend, Captain Fremantle.

Peake is every bit the swashbuckling hero that Hornblower or Aubrey was, but he doesn't have a sidekick like Maturin and that seems like a glaring omission. In this regard, Peake is closer to James Bond, a single operative although he is ostensibly in command of a ship's crew (and sometimes a flotilla). Encounters with the likes of Nelson, Junot, Murat, and Napoleon are dangerous ground to tread as it could introduce history-changing events that would become long-term plot holes. But for now, Hunter handles it well and the stories are unique enough to not be overshadowed by the great authors who preceded him.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Jeff V »

Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

I was nearly finished reading this book when Elon Musk appeared on the news with a dire warning about the inevitable outcome of AI research. This book is further proof that it must be impossible to code an artificial intelligence without including a "kill all humans": routine.

Archos is the AI in question. He starts out by killing his creator and moves on from there. Robots and computers have inserted themselves everywhere including our cars and our domestic servants. When Archos says its "go time", the whole world goes lethally nuts. Of course, the military being in the forefront of robotic use, has vast stores of robotic weapons all at the disposal of Archos.

Cormac Wallace is both a central figure in the wars, but also a historian after. This book is the result of his research into the pivotal events leading to the climax. Since Cormac is in fact not dead, we can assume all humans are in fact not killed. I can't say I'm a big fan of this sort of writing construction, but it worked well enough here and Wilson does a good job bringing together all of the story lines into the epic finale.
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Re: Books Read 2016

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Finished Red Seas Under Red Skies. Love Scott Lynch. He's fast becoming one of my favourite authors.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Pyperkub »

Rumpy wrote:Finished Red Seas Under Red Skies. Love Scott Lynch. He's fast becoming one of my favourite authors.
I didn't like that one anywhere near as much as Lies. Not sure if I'll get Republic or not.
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Re: Books Read 2016

Post by Rumpy »

Really? I liked it just as much. Maybe the story itself was weaker, but the colourful cast of characters more than made up for it. I find him to be a very talented storyteller. The one thing that did trip me up was his real target revealed towards the end, which seemed to come out of nowhere after all that buildup about the vault.
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