Books

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

I read Jennifer Government by Max Barry a few months ago, and I thought I'd recommend it here.
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If anyone has played NationStates, this was the book that the game was promoting. I've never written a book review, so I don't quite know what to put here, except that I really enjoyed the book. At the end of each chapter, I wanted to continue reading onto the next.

I am a slow reader, and finished the book in a couple of days of fairly heavy reading (for me at least).

So if you want to read about a possible future scenario of the world when capitalism rears its ugly head, I highly recommend this book.

Great job!

[KWhit]

You guys who enjoy apocolyptic fiction should read:

Lucifer's Hammer

or

The Last Ship

Both are fun reads. I think The Last Ship may be the better of the two - it makes you think a bit more, IMO.

[sachmo71]

Just finished Insurrection by David Weber and Steve White.

Well, this was my first space opera, and I have to admit I enjoyed it. The book doesn't take long to get rolling, and there is plenty of action for the fan of space combat.

First, a quick word about the universe. This book is set in the universe of the tactical space wargame Starfire. I've never played the game, in fact, I'd not heard of it until I saw it mentioned on the cover of this book and did a little research. There seems to be an entire history behind this game, and I'm thinking that a fan of the game might have been able to get a little more out of this book than I did. The authors don't really go into this backstory very deeply, and the reader might have a hard time following along. A quick search for Starfire on the internet took me to a few sites where I was able to get a little information, but I still felt like this book was written for someone who knew a little more about the universe. Maybe this won't bother some people. It's just something I noticed.

The writing started out a bit weak. It seemed like the author was trying too hard to be writer, if that makes sense. Once the action began to roll, the writing seemed to come together, or else I was caught up in the story enough not to notice the feeling that I'd had earlier.

I've seen reviews of this book where they come down on the authors for tying the storyline too closely to the American Revolutionary War. The similarities are obvious, but I didn't really have a problem with it. In a universe where the enemies of humanity are stereotypical enemies ripped right from the pages of other sci-fi works, borrowing a historical event and moving it into the future seemed like it would make for a fun story, which it did.

To sum up, if you are looking for a fun space opera with action galore, this book is for you. If you are looking for great prose, deep plot, or interesting characters, you might want to keep going, but I think if you have even a slight interest in space operas, you'll find this book hard to put down.

[sachmo71]

Just finished The Corps Book 3: Counterattack by W.E.B. Griffin



I read the first eight books of this series about ten years ago (more or less), but recently I picked up the final two books. So, instead of trying to remember who everyone was in the series, I decided to start over.

W.E.B Griffin tells a wonderful story. He can take his fictional characters and seemlessly insert them into real historical events, and have them carry on involved relationships with real historical figures. Where his skill shines through is that he is able to present the historical figures in his books as they would have behaved in real life, with all of their strenght and weaknesses.

The same cannot be said for his fictional characters. While I admire Griffin's skill with description, his main characters tend to be supermen. Obviously, this makes for a good story, but it can be a little annoying after a while with them narrowly escaping death time after time so that they can get back to the loving arms of their beautiful, lusty women.

Overall, I've really enjoyed rereading this series so far. If you can suspend disbelief for a while, and root for the main characters instead of wondering how they can be THAT LUCKY, you are in for a good time. If you want real human drama, where the main characters are as vulnerable as everyone around them, keep looking.

[sachmo71]

Just finished Earth Abides by George R. Stewart

A horrible disease sweeps the planet in days, killing just about everyone. Isherwood Williams is for some reason spared from this plague, and finds himself a survivor in a barren society. The book follows the course of his life, and that of other survivors, as they live out their days in a new world.

My opinions ran wild with this book. For reason I will explain further along in the review, I started out very much enjoying the book, then my interest waned, and finally something clicked into place in my pea-sized brain, allowing me to finish the book on a strong note.

I found it very easy to step into the mind of Ish. He reacted in a way to his situation that I felt was very natural, while learning how to cope with life alone. I don't want to give much of the plot away, but roughly the first third of the book deals with Ish's life alone. Ish starts out as something of a loner and a worrier, and seems to adjust to the world...for a while. Soon, he becomes desperate for a purpose, and with that notion, sets out to find out "what happened".

Later, Ish struggles with his own weaknesses while trying to decide how to save the future. Through it all, Stewart keeps the characters consistant. I found it refreshing that he didn't try to thrust someone into the heroic role. For whatever reason, this earned him a good amount of credibility with me.

A note on the writing style; I believe this book was written in 1949, so the flow of the book seemed a little odd to me. Some of the conversations just didn't flow well, and I chalked that up to the age of the book. On the other hand, Stewart's timeline fit right in with the world we live in today, and did not really date the book. Except maybe for spraying DDT around like it was air freshener.

Around the middle of the book, I started to lose interest. I guess for me the story sort of bogged down with Ish trying, and consistantly failing, to get his people to try to focus on the finer things in life. As I said earlier, when things finally "clicked" for me, I found myself appreciating this part of the book more, as it fit in very well with who Ish was and what his purpose was.

The ending was just magnificant. I very much felt what Ish was feeling, and clearly saw that he had finally accepted that things were going to work out for his decendants, even if things didn't turn out exactly as he had planned. I can't stress enough how good of a job Stewart did with the ending.

This is not an action novel, and at points did become a bit too philosophical for it's own good. For me, it all came together at the end, but it might turn some people off. Also, as mentioned above, the writing style can seem a little strange, but overall this book shot far up my favorites list. This book easily get's five stars from me.

[KWhit]

I've been wanting to read Earth Abides for a while now. Glad to see that you liked it. I'll have to pick it up from Amazon.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by KWhit

I've been wanting to read Earth Abides for a while now. Glad to see that you liked it. I'll have to pick it up from Amazon.

I hope you enjoy it, and I'm interested to see how you like the middle of the book. I was bogging down there for a while. Glad I stuck it out, though.

[Swaggs]

I enjoyed Earth Abides, as well. I found it on Amazon when searching for apocolyptic fiction and flew through it. I though Ish's role of being a geographer and acting more analytical/observational, rather than horrified, about the situation was interesting.

A little dated, but a must-read if you enjoy this type of story.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

I enjoyed Earth Abides, as well. I found it on Amazon when searching for apocolyptic fiction and flew through it. I though Ish's role of being a geographer and acting more analytical/observational, rather than horrified, about the situation was interesting.

A little dated, but a must-read if you enjoy this type of story.

I agree. At first I was thinking "Come on! This guy isn't very upset!" but as I got to know him in the story, the more I saw that it wasn't in his nature to dwell on the loss of his loved ones. He missed them, for sure, but didn't cry for them.

[sachmo71]

Just finished Talon of the Silver Hawk by Raymond E. Feist.
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This is the beginning of another trilogy based in the world of Midkemia, but with a new set of characters. The book follows the adventures of the young man Talon of the Silver Hawk, who is the last survivor of a race of people slaughtered by a power seeking nobleman. He is saved by a group of people opposed to this nobleman, and they train him to become a weapon for the cause of good.


The Good: The book never really slows down, and Feist keep the reader interested in the core story. He creates some interesting characters, and I like what he was attempting to do with this tale. Unfortunately...

The Bad: This remined me more of a movie script than anything resembling his older work. From the start of every chapter, this book reads like Feist is picturing a camera on his heroes...or maybe a computer game? Anyway, this really wore on me after a while. I've never felt so beaten over the head with the feeling of a book being written for a purpose other then just telling a story. The whole thing smacked of commercialism.
The characters, while interesting, came across as wooden to me. In past Feist books, I was drawn deeply into the characters, and they were the strength of the story. In this book, I got the feeling that the plot was the main focus, and while the story is about the life of Talon, I never really saw his deeper self, and couldn't really like his character.
The plot itself was imaginative for the genre, but the story itself was predictable. While it was obvious Feist telegraphed his motivations (maybe to make the cutscenes work better or limit the character choices on a dialog screen?), I wasn't very surprised at how the book flowed. Think James Bond in Midkemia, and you can probably guess how the story will end.


I wasn't terribly impressed with this book. I know he can do better, because I've read better. There was a time when I thought Feist was one of the best in the genre. This book wasn't the type of work I expected from him. I may read the second and third book, but only if I see them on a bargin rack.

Overall, 3 put of 10 stars.

[sachmo71]

The Mapmakers by John Noble Wilford

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I love giving people books as gifts. Last year, I gave this book to my father for Christmas. He seemed to really enjoy it, and this year he gave it back to me to read. Lucky me!

As you can tell from the title, this book is a general history of mapmaking. The subject matter didn't exactly jump off of the page and slap me in the face when I sat down to read it, but Wilford has a very even writing style that kept me very interested in the subject matter.

As I read, I discovered that although I am very much a lover of history, I really had no idea how mapmaking progressed through history. I always took for granted the maps that were presented to me, never really understanding what was involved in the creation of them.

It's a facinating story, and learning it has deepened my understanding of history. Wilford's account of the story kept me engrossed, and all the while he was feeding me names of people and places that I really should have known more about prior to reading this book. For example, I had no idea who John Harrison was before opening this book, but now realize just how important his invention of an accurate marine clock was to the history of the world. There are gems of knowledge throughout this book, and thankfully they are presented in an entertaining way.

The only time I can say that I became a bit lost was when Wilford was discussing some of the mathematical points of mapmaking, but luckly for me he kept this discussion to a minimum. Wilford did an excellent job of presenting the history of something he seems to care very much about to the layperson. I believe that anyone who has even a passing interest in history to give this book a try. It may open your eyes to a world that you knew existed, but had no idea how it was made.

[finkenst]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

Just finished Talon of the Silver Hawk by Raymond E. Feist.
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This book wasn't the type of work I expected from him. I may read the second and third book, but only if I see them on a bargin rack.

Overall, 3 put of 10 stars.

alright so i'm commenting 6 weeks off.

I agree TotSH was a bit lacking after his superb other work. The second book, i thought was much better.

[sachmo71]

Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin


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Actually, I just finished rereading this book, but I have to sing it's praises again for those that have not had the pleasure.

In my opinion, this is one of the best fantasy books ever written.

The plot is fresh, the characters are interesting, and the writing is superb.

Just read the book, ok?

[3ric]

Agreed wholeheartedly. But did you re-read only "Game of Thrones", or all the three published books in the "Ice and Fire" series?

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by 3ric

Agreed wholeheartedly. But did you re-read only "Game of Thrones", or all the three published books in the "Ice and Fire" series?

I'm now exactly 40 pages into "A Storm of Swords". And I'm enjoying every minute of it.

[bossfan2000]

Originally Posted by Lokugh

Sachmo, if you like things a little lighter, but in the same vein, you might also look up the Spellsinger novels by Alan Dean Foster, if you've not already read them. About a failing musician who gets transported to a somewhat Narniaesque (well, in the sense of talking animals and humans mixed in) world. He finds that he can work magic by singing. Starts with "Spellsinger" and continues with "The Hour of the Gate".

The Spellsinger books are currently being rereleased...the first 3 have been published again in paperback by iPress. I picked up all 3..not sure yet when/if the rest of them are coming out...

[bossfan2000]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

I'm now exactly 40 pages into "A Storm of Swords". And I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Have you read all 3 books, or are you reading the 3rd book for the 1st time?

I have all 3 in hardback from SFBC, but havent read them yet. I usually wait until all the books in a series are out, cuz I dont like cliffhangers. Since this series is awhile yet in the making...i might try reading it before its finished. However, I do want want to start reading it if book 3 ends in the middle of something important..

any input from those who have read it?

btw...I am currently reading The Grand Crusade, the 3rd (4th, if you count the prequel) in the DragonCrown War Cycle...I would definitely recommend this series, too.

[3ric]

I'd say that book 3 has a BIG surprise at the end, but I don't think it qualifies as a cliffhanger. That revelation does have huge implications on the power play in Westeros, though.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by 3ric

I'd say that book 3 has a BIG surprise at the end, but I don't think it qualifies as a cliffhanger. That revelation does have huge implications on the power play in Westeros, though.

Well said! Although the end has left me hungry for a new book...for 4 years!

[digamma]

I've just finished a couple of books some on the board might find interesting...


The Perfect Mile by Neil Bascomb.

The Perfect Mile follows the quest to break the four minute mile by Roger Bannister, John Landy (an Australian) and Wes Santee (an American). The story picks up from the 1952 Helsinki Olympics where all three runners have disappointing performances and traces their races and performances over the next several years. Most know that Bannister broke the four minute mile in 1954, but the back story here is intriguing. It was a real page turner for me, despite Bascomb's tendency to venture into side stories and tangents. I recommend it.

Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer by Warren St. John.

Warren St. John chronicles joining the Alabama RV corps for the 1999 football season. College football is my favorite sport, so I may be a bit biased, but I thought this was a great little read. St. John begins by hitching a ride with strangers to the first Alabama game of the season, and by mid-season he's bought his own RV and is traveling to games on his own. The characters among the Alabama RV corps are fascinating. I also enjoyed St. John's writing style and his attempts to offer answers to questions about what makes us fans--or fanatical.

[MacroGuru]

Just finished Black Wind by Clive Cussler

I don't know if I can totally recommend this book, this was my first ever book by Cussler. The attempt at humour in the conversation throughout the book made me think I was watching another Die Hard or James Bond movie.

The story line was decent, and based upon some of the current world political climates, you could see something of the sort happening. I don't know how much of it was based upon truth and how much is made up.

If you want a mind numbing read, this is it. If you want something to entrap you, and pull you in, honestly, find something else.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by indoorsoccersim

Just finished Black Wind by Clive Cussler

I don't know if I can totally recommend this book, this was my first ever book by Cussler. The attempt at humour in the conversation throughout the book made me think I was watching another Die Hard or James Bond movie.

The story line was decent, and based upon some of the current world political climates, you could see something of the sort happening. I don't know how much of it was based upon truth and how much is made up.

If you want a mind numbing read, this is it. If you want something to entrap you, and pull you in, honestly, find something else.

....like A Clash of Kings by George RR Martin! This is the second book in the Song of Ice and Fire trilogy, and it is phenominal. This is a reread, in preparation for the forthcoming (!) 4th book, but I have to say I enjoyed it just as much the second time around.

Nothing to complain about here. As I said for the first book, this is one of the best series of books I have ever read. If you enjoy fantasy, read this series.

[sachmo71]

Crusade by David Weber and Steve White


With the coming of the second season of BSG, I was overwhelmed by the urge to read a book about space battles. If you want space battles, Weber is a great place to start. Crusade takes place centuries before the events in Insurrection, the "first" book in the Starfire series. The basic premise is that the Terran Federation and the Orions have made peace after three bloody wars. Just as they are settling down to enjoy the peace benefit, a terran fleet comes out of a deadly warp point. The terran fleet isn't all that it seems to be. So what happens next?
You guessed it, another war breaks out.

As I said before, if you are looking for space battles, this is your book. Nothing fancy here. Even for Weber, the characters are thin and stereotypical. But who cares? The battles are wonderful, the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. Hi-tech gadgets abound, and new theories on old problems pop into our heroes heads like thunderbolts from the gods.

Enjoy this book as desert after something more substantial!

3 out of 5 stars, with two of those stars being for fun! WhooT!

[Swaggs]

Has anyone read The Historian?

I started it a few days ago and, though I'm enjoying it, have had trouble reading more than 25-30 pages per sitting. Was wondering if anyone else found this book worthwhile?

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin


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Actually, I just finished rereading this book, but I have to sing it's praises again for those that have not had the pleasure.

In my opinion, this is one of the best fantasy books ever written.

The plot is fresh, the characters are interesting, and the writing is superb.

Just read the book, ok?

I just finished all of the books on my early summer list. As a result, I just went to the book store and spent about 150 dollars buying some more books to read. Thanks to you, I bought the first three books in this series

[sachmo71]

I actually finished this a couple of weeks ago, but have been trying to decide how I felt about this book. So, here goes:

A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo



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After recently getting back into sci-fi, I was perusing Amazon and found a description of A Hymn Before Battle. It sounded a lot like something I might be interested in, but I sort of put it off. Then a coworker told me about it, and said that it was really good. This is the same coworker who told me that Chris Bunch was a good author, so I took it with a grain of salt. :P

Anyway, I wasn't going in with high expectations, and for that I'm happy, because this is basically a comic book without the pretty pictures. Ringo takes sensational to a whole new level, but if you can put that aside, it's a fun read

The premise of A Hymn Before Battle, as well as the next five or six books in the series, is that in the year 2000, a Federation of alien races contact Earth and tell them that we are not alone, and that not all of our neighbors are peaceful. Basically, the evil Posleen have been fighting the federation and swallowing up worlds by the mouthful for hundreds of years. The big problem for the Earthlings is that good ol' mother Earth is on the menu.

So Earth gears up to fight the Posleen, and gears up in a big way. Think WWII, but we're all on the same side. Also, in typical human fashion, we aren't going to wait for them to come to us, so we load up and ride out to the sound of guns.

I believe this is Ringo's first book. It reads like a first book. Ringo seems to know his stuff as far as the military goes, at least as far as I can tell. Nothing bugs me more than an author who writes military fiction but consistantly mis-identifies hardware (Ian Slater), but I had no problems with Ringo. I believe he was in the Army, but I'd have to look that up.

The characters are bigger than life, but that fits in with Ringo's writing style. Think of a cartoon of WEB Griffin, and you are halfway there. This isn't much of a problem though, because the story itself is sensational. Ringo borrows from other sources, in fact I thought I saw Goose from Top Gun in one of the chapters, but he dies quickly. Well, pretty much everyone dies quickly, but I digress.

There is action o' plenty in A Hymn Before Battle. There is also a Hymn, which brings me to my next points...Ringo is one of those authors who likes to tell you his political views through his story. I guess lots of authors do that, but Ringo seems particulary adept at beating you over the head with it. It get's a bit tiresome, but it wasn't too bad.

I didn't really like the ending of the story, and I can't really go into why without a spoiler, so let's just say that it was very bloody and heroic, horribly unbelievable (yes, I realize it's sci fi) and good fun. That's the best part...the book is fun.

So, if you like sci-fi, and dead aliens, and politics, hop on down and pick this book up. Leave your literary criticism at the door and hang on, because it's a fast and fun read.

[WSUCougar]

Originally Posted by 3ric

I'd say that book 3 has a BIG surprise at the end, but I don't think it qualifies as a cliffhanger. That revelation does have huge implications on the power play in Westeros, though.

I'm currently reading Storm of Swords, and gobbling it up in giant, burning-the-midnight-oil chunks. I really love this series...it's everything that Robert Jordan's W.O.T. monstrosity isn't. Don't take that the wrong way about W.O.T. - I loved that, too - but when it takes Jordan 1000 pages to cover three days of story, you know he's got commitment issues.

Anyway, I just came to the part when...

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...the wedding slaughter at The Twins occurred. Damn it, I was pissed. I was so pissed I had to put the book down and walk it off. The dude has no qualms about offing major characters, that's for sure.

[Peregrine]

I've been listening to Freakonomics on audio-book. Very fascinating read/listen for almost anyone, about how economics can be applied to everyday issues.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by WSUCougar

I'm currently reading Storm of Swords, and gobbling it up in giant, burning-the-midnight-oil chunks. I really love this series...it's everything that Robert Jordan's W.O.T. monstrosity isn't. Don't take that the wrong way about W.O.T. - I loved that, too - but when it takes Jordan 1000 pages to cover three days of story, you know he's got commitment issues.

Anyway, I just came to the part when...

====SPOILER ALERT!==========SPOILER ALERT!=========

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====SPOILER ALERT!==========SPOILER ALERT!=========

====SPOILER ALERT!==========SPOILER ALERT!=========

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...the wedding slaughter at The Twins occurred. Damn it, I was pissed. I was so pissed I had to put the book down and walk it off. The dude has no qualms about offing major characters, that's for sure.

Awesome, isn't it? Having just reread it, the shock doesn't go away. He is a very brave author.

[3ric]

Ah, the Red Wedding. One of the most shocking events in fantasy literature, for sure...

[sachmo71]

Recently finished Gust Front by John Ringo.



This is the second book in the Human-Posleen war series.

A brief synopsis:

As the humans learn the true nature of the war they will be fighting, the home front is being readied for the approaching invasion. With at least a year to go until the alien landing, construction is begun on the defenses of the planet, but the Posleen throw the humans a little surprise, in the form of a scouting force. Watch out, world, because the horses are here!

Ringo has polished his writing skills a bit better book 1 and 2, and it shows. The basic descriptive sentances don't seem as if they were just pulled out of a "How To Write Sci-Fi" book, and the story is not in the same confusing chronological order as the first one. But the same warning for this book holds true...basic story structure is not what Ringo does best. He writes about battles, and he does it well. His knowledge is in small unit tactics, and that's what he writes about.

Thankfully, in this book the Posleen seem to be less mindless than in the first, setting the future up as a struggle to the ends, instead of a "human technology dominates mindless aliens" story. I think this is important, because it will give him more storylines to work with, and he'll be able to change directions often to keep things interesting.

As far as gripes, I have a coupld. First, I find the characters of Cali to be completely unbelieveable. She's 8 and she's a killing machine. something about that bothers me, aside from it just being silly.

Also, while I generally like the Mike Oneal character, and expect him to be a prototypical hero, Ringo's vision of him when he's in combat is just odd. For instance, a officer in charge of a company of infantry shouting "Nyah! Nyah! You can't hit me!" was just too zany for words. He's a tactical genius, thinks quickly on his feet, cool under fire, et all, but this is how he responds? yeek.

Overall, it's still a fun story, even if predictable. Definately fun, but I sort of wish I cared more about the characters.

[sachmo71]

Oh, I also read Sten by Chris Bunch.

Easy review...don't read it. It sucks.

Thank you!

[sachmo71]

Gods and Legions by Michael Curtis Ford

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This is a fictionalized account of the life of emperor Julian of Rome, as told from the point of view of Caesarius, his friend and personal physician. Telling you much about his life might spoil the story for you, but suffice to say he's a very interesting character.


I picked this book to read because I was looking for some good reading of ancient battles, and the book began with a bang in this regard. I settled in for a Roman-esq version of The Ten Thousand, with constant combat and hardships. The more I read, the more I realized that this book was less combat intensive, and more focused on the characters, which made it a much better read for me.

Ford mentions in the postscript that there is a wealth of information avaliable on the life of Julian, and I think he was able to use that to his advantage. This book is very much focused on his and Caesarius' lives, and how the interact with one another. The main conflict in the book, aside from Julian against the world, is the old world (paganism) against the new world (christanity). The struggle is just covert enough to make up for the lack of legions marching into battle. Ford does an excellent job building up the characters to the inevitable conflict between the two worlds, and I have to say that I was surprised by how that conflict played out.

The battles and the world were painted very well. In my opinion, Ford did a much better job in this book of putting the reader in the world than in The Ten Thousand.

I highly recommend this book.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

Gods and Legions by Michael Curtis Ford

____________________________________________________________________________________


This is a fictionalized account of the life of emperor Julian of Rome, as told from the point of view of Caesarius, his friend and personal physician. Telling you much about his life might spoil the story for you, but suffice to say he's a very interesting character.


I picked this book to read because I was looking for some good reading of ancient battles, and the book began with a bang in this regard. I settled in for a Roman-esq version of The Ten Thousand, with constant combat and hardships. The more I read, the more I realized that this book was less combat intensive, and more focused on the characters, which made it a much better read for me.

Ford mentions in the postscript that there is a wealth of information avaliable on the life of Julian, and I think he was able to use that to his advantage. This book is very much focused on his and Caesarius' lives, and how the interact with one another. The main conflict in the book, aside from Julian against the world, is the old world (paganism) against the new world (christanity). The struggle is just covert enough to make up for the lack of legions marching into battle. Ford does an excellent job building up the characters to the inevitable conflict between the two worlds, and I have to say that I was surprised by how that conflict played out.

The battles and the world were painted very well. In my opinion, Ford did a much better job in this book of putting the reader in the world than in The Ten Thousand.

I highly recommend this book.

Have you read Gates of Fire? Great Historical Novel ablout the Spartans at Thermopylae.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by CHEMICAL SOLDIER

Have you read Gates of Fire? Great Historical Novel ablout the Spartans at Thermopylae.

Not yet. It's on the list.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

I wouldn't be surprised if Gates of Fire gets turned into a blockbuster movie. Ive heard that I believe Paramount bought the rights 3 -4 years ago but their sitting on it for now.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

I've been listening to Freakonomics on audio-book. Very fascinating read/listen for almost anyone, about how economics can be applied to everyday issues.

I spent time this summer with several of the trendy nonfiction titles, including Freakonomics. I enjoyed it a bit, but felt like there wasn't much mroe to it than I could have gotten out of it from, say, an article in the New Yorker (if I recall correctly, where the whole thing started), or from any of the various radio or TV interviews pushing the book.

For my money, the best of this lot from the recent past was Malcolm Gladwell's Blink. He has a real gift for presentation of ideas, and I thiought his idea had a lot more examples and issues to raise than did Freaknomocs, which I think was basically about six interesting topics stretched out into a full book.

[WSUCougar]

Originally Posted by CHEMICAL SOLDIER

Have you read Gates of Fire? Great Historical Novel about the Spartans at Thermopylae.

Agreed, and outstanding book. I struggled through Pressfield's book Tides of War about Alcibiades and the Peloponnesian War, but am still eager to read Virtues of War (from the era of Alexander the Great).

The movie for Gates of Fire was actually in the works awhile back (see this link) but it may have died. Do you have any current news, CHEM?

[Godzilla Blitz]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

Has anyone read The Historian?

I started it a few days ago and, though I'm enjoying it, have had trouble reading more than 25-30 pages per sitting. Was wondering if anyone else found this book worthwhile?

Funny you mention that. I just finished the book a couple of weeks ago. Took me about a month to read it, where I usually finish books fairly quickly. I too read it in small chunks.

I think it's a worthy read. The book is excellently written, the subject (Dracula) is compelling, and the plot is intricate and well developed.

Having said that, there is a vague ambivalence that sits with me after having read the book. I get a sense that it's caused by two things. One, the book is in essence a suspense story, and for a book of that genre to be so well written almost feels like a mismatch. Given the genre, I simply wanted the story to move faster, and the deliberate, detailed, methodical style of the author doesn't fit with such a story. The end result is that I felt like I was watching a great action movie in slow motion. There are also sections of the book where things really bog down, and it was a bit of work to get through them.

The second difficulty I have with the book is the premise that historical scholars could take the lead in hunting down Dracula. At times, I felt the same sense of disbelief when I see movies where kids become heroes and lead the fight against evil, defeating all kinds of baddies in the process.

Overall, I'm glad I read it though. The story and writing make up for the book's faults.

[sachmo71]

Just finished 1776 by David McCullough

______________________________________________________________________________


I like to think of myself as a student of history, and I have to admit that the American Revolution is not a period I know much about. I can't really explain why I haven't read more about this period; part of it may be that much of the language of the period gives me tired head. Either way, I'd heard so many good things about this book, I thought I would enjoy it, and learn a little something about a neglected period of history.

I have to say, for such a short book (almost 300 pages), 1776 had a lot to offer. McCullough writes in a very personal style, and present the facts almost like he is writing a novel. He seems to have a knack for judging the modern American attention span; a bit of background story on the main players, some interesting facts, and then the meat of the subject he is dealing with. Very much to the point, and it keeps things moving along at a brisk pace while communicating the most important facts and remaining entertaining to boot.

Since I wasn't wasn't very familiar with the events taking place, I may have been a bit more engrossed than a student of the period may be, but I think the writing style and the wealth of information presented in the book will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. I really was surprised and shocked to find out how the fortunes of this country turned in such a remarkable short period of time. Thankfully, McCullough shows the human side of all of the historical figures, allowing the reader to determine their greatness or infamy for themselves.

The book has a number of pictures throughout to help add some color to the story, and there are copious endnotes on the research done in creating the book.

I highly recommend this book for just about anyone. In fact, I'm going to go ahead and stump for this to be added to the dreaded required reading list for Americans.

[the_meanstrosity]

I'll throw a recommendation out for those who enjoy fantasy novels. Robin Hobb's "Assassin's Apprentice". Robin Hobb actually has three trilogies; The Farseer Trilogy which Assassin's Apprentice is the first of, The LiveShip Traders trilogy, and the Tawny Man trilogy. They are all excellent reads. Just so you can get a feel of the type of authors I enjoy, George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan's earlier WOT novels, Terry Goodkind's earlier novels, Melanie Rawn, Glen Cook, L.E. Modesitt, and others. Robin Hobb is easily one of my favorites.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by the_meanstrosity

I'll throw a recommendation out for those who enjoy fantasy novels. Robin Hobb's "Assassin's Apprentice". Robin Hobb actually has three trilogies; The Farseer Trilogy which Assassin's Apprentice is the first of, The LiveShip Traders trilogy, and the Tawny Man trilogy. They are all excellent reads. Just so you can get a feel of the type of authors I enjoy, George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan's earlier WOT novels, Terry Goodkind's earlier novels, Melanie Rawn, Glen Cook, L.E. Modesitt, and others. Robin Hobb is easily one of my favorites.

I own the first Assassin book. It's in the queue. It may even have been at your earlier suggestion!

[the_meanstrosity]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

I own the first Assassin book. It's in the queue. It may even have been at your earlier suggestion!

Glad to hear you already have it in your collection. The three trilogies are all connected so it's essentially a 9 book series, but books 4-6 (LiveShip Traders trilogy) move away from the central character entirely yet still build on the storyline. I don't know if you will enjoy it more than George R.R. Martin like I did. Martin's a heck of a writer in his own right and one of my favorites as well.

I'll try to add a few book reviews of my own to this thread. Right now I'm re-reading Melanie Rawn's "The Ruins of Ambrai" series which I enjoyed the first time through.

[Peregrine]

Interesting book I'm reading is Made in America by Bill Bryson, it's basically the story of how the English language evolved in America and how our language came to be so different from the original English. Lots of interesting stories about our history and it's written in a very engaging style with lots of side notes.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

Interesting book I'm reading is Made in America by Bill Bryson, it's basically the story of how the English language evolved in America and how our language came to be so different from the original English. Lots of interesting stories about our history and it's written in a very engaging style with lots of side notes.

Added to Amazon.com wishlist! WHOOT!

[Godzilla Blitz]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

For my money, the best of this lot from the recent past was Malcolm Gladwell's Blink. He has a real gift for presentation of ideas, and I thiought his idea had a lot more examples and issues to raise than did Freaknomocs, which I think was basically about six interesting topics stretched out into a full book.

Thanks for the tip on this one. I just finished it last night. Although I was a bit disappointed in his overall message, I greatly enjoyed the individual chapters. Lots of useful, interesting stuff, and on the whole quite well presented.

Picked up his other book, The Tipping Point, yesterday.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Godzilla Blitz

Thanks for the tip on this one. I just finished it last night. Although I was a bit disappointed in his overall message, I greatly enjoyed the individual chapters. Lots of useful, interesting stuff, and on the whole quite well presented.

Picked up his other book, The Tipping Point, yesterday.

Glad you enjoyed it -- and I basically agree. I think he overdid it with the Diallo case (thinking that he really had uncovered something there, when I felt it was just conjecture) but overall I found the book rather compelling.

[sachmo71]

Next up is Wildcards edited by George RR Martin.

_______________________________________________________________________________

I originally read this book when it first came out, so that would have made me...sixteen when I read it. At the time, I was deep into comic books, and was very much looking forward to reading a book about superheroes.
I remember coming away disappointed. This book was pretty short on action. Supervillans? Sort of, but not the sort I was used to. In short, it was boring to me.

Fast forward to today, and I'm thirty-four. In my heart, I'm still looking for superheroes. I'm looking for a chance to indulge my fantasies of being large than life. Would I be bored again?

Wildcards is a collection of short stories in a universe created by George RR Martin in which an alien virus transforms ordinary humans into altered beings by changing their genetic code. Most who catch the virus die, those who survive are mostly mutated into horrible forms known as jokers, and a few lucky ones get dealt an ace, turning them into real superheroes.
An observation on the universe; the beauty is in the simplicity. No spoilers here, but the explination of why the virus comes to earth is perfectly simple in my mind. Keeping that side of the story simple so as not to distract the readers from the meat of the story, but also open-ended enough to take a plotline or two into. Since I haven't read any more of the book in the series yet, I don't know if this has been done or not, but the opportunity is there.

Each story follows a brief moment in the life of one of those affected by the virus, although many of the stories are tied together by the characters and events of others. Reading these stories again, I enjoyed them much more as an adult. There was action there when I read it as a kid; I was just too immature to recognize it. Suffice to say, the characters are real people, and none are perfect. I admire that.
Something else I enjoyed about the stories is how they wind the Wildcards universe around our own, changing the events to be more in line with the political and social situation in the book.
For example, the "riots" at the Democratic National Convention in 1968 was changed from anti-war protests to Joker's rights protests. There are many examples of this in the book, so it might appeal to the alternate history fans. I know it did for me!
Overall the writing was excellent. As I noted before, many of the stories have mentions or influnce on the others, but you could definately get a feel for the focus of the individual authors and their writing styles. I think Witness by John Walter Williams may have been my personal favorite, but I can't think of one that I didn't enjoy.

I am certainly glad I went back and reread this book. I've already purchased the next two books in the series, and we'll see if the momentum is sustained. I highly recommend this book for any sci-fi\superhero fan.

[the_meanstrosity]

Sachmo, good call on Wild Cards. Like yourself, I read that book in my teens and I've been wanting to re-read it again. I just need to find a copy, but no luck thus far at the used book shops around here.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by the_meanstrosity

Sachmo, good call on Wild Cards. Like yourself, I read that book in my teens and I've been wanting to re-read it again. I just need to find a copy, but no luck thus far at the used book shops around here.

I'll send you mine if you want. PM me your info and I'll ship it out.