Books I've Read
Books Listed by Author
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The Teacher Who Couldn't Read
Very interesting story of a man who became a high school teacher after graduating college, and yet was functionally illiterate.
Read:
11/2000
Lion Boy
Charlie goes on a quest to rescue his kidnapped parents. Very good story, maps, drawings, music.
Read:
11/2004
Lion Boy: The Chase
Charlie continues on his journey to rescue his parents/lions. Very PC.
Read:
12/2004
Abaddon's Gate
This is The Expanse #3. Rollicking good space opera, in my unlearned opinion, with a ton of memorable quote which I probably will get sued for posting, but I'm going to anyway. 'Cause they are memorable. And I want to memorable them! BTW, this is the book in which we meet Annushka "Anna" Volovodov.
Quote:
The pulse turned into music, and she began humming under her breath. She stopped when an Episcopalian in the seat next to her pointedly clear his throat. Quote:
No monkey ever reheated a frozen burrito.Quote:
Jesus Christ with a side of chips. -- Never heard that one before!Quote:
"Could we please not assault the patient with the crushed spinal cord,"..."because this makes me very uncomfortable."Smoke Quote:
She pulled a cigarette out and lit it as they walked. At Anna's shocked look she said, "They let you do it here. Lots of the Belters do. They obsess over air filters then suck poisonous particulates into their lungs recreationally. It's a fabulous culture."Quote:
"Just to check," Holden said. "We're throwing grenades into the place that controls the reactor?"Quote:
"Huh," Juarez said.
...
"Well," Cass said.Quote:
"Well," Holden said, his voice grim, "we have a major problem. We're out of coffee."
"We still got beer," Amos said.
"Yes," Holden said. "But beer is not coffee."Read:
11/2023
Babylon's Ashes
The Expanse #6. Hogan vs. the Free Navy. Who is gonna win?
Quote:
"Thank you, Captain," the acting ruler of Earth said and signed off.
Silence filled the deck. "You notice how she didn't say anything obscene or offensive?" Holden said.
"Did notice that."
Holden took a deep breath. "That can't be good."Read:
6/2024
Caliban's War
The Expanse #2. Just realized I read #1 back in 2017. Do not remember a thing! I need to read it again to fill in the background on this one! This was a good read, but I was just gonna read the one and move on. Then, the last sentence happened!! Yikes, WTF??? Now I HAVE to read the next one!
Quote:
"Meow meow, cry meow meow,"... "That's all I hear you say."Quote:
"No offence meant, Captain Holden," Wendall said, "but I'm starting to wish I'd just shot you when I had the chance."
"None taken." Quote:
While Amos used a torque wrench to unbolt the access panel... -- Why would he use a torque wrench?Quote:
"Ferns?" Naomi asked.
"Ferns can be very aggressive," Prax said.Read:
11/2023
Cibola Burn
The Expanse, #4. A new planet is being settled by squatters. A corporation security chief has a problem with that. Also, the planet seems to have a problem with everyone.
Quote:
"I love the period of rotation. Thirty hours. You can get in a full day's work, stay up getting drunk at the saloon, and still get a full night's sleep. I don't know why we didn't think of this back home."Quote:
"Why do I put up with your shit?"
"Because," Amos said, starting to strip an assault rifle down to its component parts, "I'm the only one on the ship that can keep the coffee maker running."Quote:
..."We're on foot from here."
"Your fancy alien train is broken?"
"My fancy alien material transfer system has been sitting unused for over a billion years and half the planet just exploded. Your ship was built less than a decade ago and you can barely keep the coffee pot running."
"You are a sad, bitter little man," Holden said...Read:
11/2023
Leviathan Falls
The Expanse #9. Finally finished the series! What a great ending!
Quote:
Amos Burton stepped out of the grass, his hands balled up into fists.
"Hi," he said, moving toward her.Quote:
"Is there anything that kills you any more?"
"Pretty sure I'm starving to death," Amos said.Quote:
"Names Amos Burton. If we're good, I'm just some asshole. If you're here to start some shit, I'm the guy you'll have to go through first. Tell 'em I said that."Read:
7/2024
Leviathan Wakes
Book 1 of the Expanse series. The author's name is a pen name for Daniel Abraham (who co-authored Hunter's Run, listed under George R. R. Martin)and Ty Franck. This space opera is too complicated for ME to sum up.
Read:
6/2017Read:
11/2023
Memory's Legion
Eight great stories from the Expanse series. My favorite was Strange Dogs.
Contents:
"Drive"Expanse #2.7
"The Butcher of Anderson Station" Expanse #1.5
Gods of Risk Expanse #2.5
The Churn Expanse #3.5
The Vital Abyss Expanse #5.5
Strange Dogs Expanse #6.5
Auberon Expanse #8.5
The Sins of Our Fathers Expanse #9.5
Quote:
"Thank you, but I don't deserve any mercy."
"Of course you don't. That's why they call it mercy. If you deserve it, they call it justice."Read:
11/2023
Nemesis Games
The Expanse, #5. Everyone is all over the place, Earth is in deep do-do.
Quote:
"What did you do?" Fred asked.
"There was a button," Holden said. "I pushed it."
"Jesus Christ. That really is how you go through life, isn't it?"
Quote:
A short walk took him to a food cart where he bought what the sign optimistically called a Belgian sausage. Unless the Belgians were famous for their flavored bean curd products, the optimism seemed misplaced.Quote:
"Sorry I didn't put a bullet in your head when I had the chance."
"Sorry I didn't know to ask. What brings you down here, anyway?"Quote:
Well, this was going to be a stupid way to die.
"What're you thinking?" she asked.
"Well, Peaches. I'm thinking that I stayed on this mudball a day too long."Quote:
" 'Be angry at the sun for setting if these things anger you.' A poet named Jeffers said that." -- That would be Robinson Jeffers, the poet that built Tor House and Hawk Tower in Carmel, California. Read:
11/2023
Persepolis Rising
The Expanse, #7. Duarte comes out of hiding. Holden sells the Rocinante.
Quote:
Chrisjen Avasarala sat in a wheelchair at the back of the hall, eating pistachios and pretending to be dotty so that people left her alone.Quote:
The sad fact of the human species that High Consul Duarte understood so well was that you could never overcome tribalism and jingoism with an argument. Tribalism was an irrational position, and it was impossible to defeat an irrational position with a rational argument.Quote:
She found herself craving a pipeful of marijuana, even though she hadn't smoked in decades. -- They still called it that? Read:
6/2024
Tiamat's Wrath
The Expanse, #8. Duarte's daughter makes a friend. Bobbie kicks total ass. Cara and Xan make an appearance.
Quote:
"Just part of the donkey show."
"Dog and pony," Holden said. Then, seeing her reaction, "The phrase is dog and pony show."
"Sure it is," she said.Quote:
"...By the time I found out about it, I already wasn't dead..."Quote:
Survival of the fittest was a technical term that covered a lot more close-enough-is-close-enough than actual design.Quote:
"You're never going to convince me that this whole 'sky' thing isn't fucking creepy. I like my air held in by something I can see, thank you very much."Read:
6/2024
Nuclear Winter Wonderland
Frat boy Adam picks up his twin sister Anna at her school so they can drive back home to attend a funeral. A bad bowl of chili, a stop at a rest stop restroom, things go bad. Anna is kidnapped by a guy with the trigger for 12 nuclear bombs, Adam is team up with a Spanish speaking clown, and the FBI and the mob are after them. It's one hairy road trip, kid.
Good writing, wacky plot, enjoyed the trip rather much.
Words I Had To Look Up:
Some docks were occupied by sleepy argosies... (pg. 248) -- A merchant ship.
...located at the rear of the texas (pg. 261) -- The uppermost deck of an inland or western river steamer. But this is an ocean steamer!
Read:
7/2009
The Making Of A Midlife Dad
I have interacted with this author several times in the geocaching world, so when he announced he had written a book and one chapter was about his geocaching experiences (SPOILER ALERT! Snakes!) I had to read it. He made great geocaches, and he has written a fun little book.
Read:
10/2023
Black Notice
Kay Scarpetta eventually goes to Paris to get clues about a serial hairy killer. Apparently her FBI boyfriend died in the last book. Good. NO, I don't mean good that he died, but it's a good book.
read:
8/2001
Blowfly
Kay goes to Baton Rouge. Actually, everbody does. Even dead guys. Handily tyes up many loose threads very quickly.
Read:
7/2004
Book of the Dead
Lucy treats a couple of kids at a cancer clinic to a spin around the parking lot in her rented Ferrari, and Kay threatens to burn down an old lady's house. Oh, and a bunch of people end up dead, and no ones' relationships are satisfactorily resolved. Sure are a lot of brand-names mentioned. I guess writing "Zodiac" is more intimate than "rubber-bottomed boat".
Quote:
Got my own filing system ... Sort of like the Dewey decibel system. (pg. 63)Some Fancy Stuff:
Agusta Brutale motorcycle -- Lucy's bike.
Lancia automobile -- Dr. Moroni's car.
Ferrari F430 Spider -- Lucy's rental.
Cessna Citation X -- Lucy's plane.
Indian Roadmaster motorcycle -- Marino's ride.
Glock 40 cal. -- Marino's pistol.
Smith & Wesson .357 -- Marino's other pistol.
Glock -- Lucy's ankle gun.
Read:
1/2008
Hornet's Nest
A reporter joins the police auxiliary. Not one of the Kay Scarpitta series.
Read:
7/1998
Point of Origin
Kay Scarpetta investigates a murder at a fire scene.
QUOTE:
"You tell me what you're planning to cook, and maybe I can give you some advice," he offered... "Different things," I replied. "Mostly I'll be boiling things."Read:
4/1999
20 books displayed
[Abadzis - Addison] [Addison - Alexander] [Alexander - Anderson] [Anderson - Asimov] [Asimov - Bacigalupi] [Backman - Baldree] [Baldree - Barnard] [Barnard - Barnes] [Barnes - Barr] [Barr - Beanton] [Beanton - Beaton] [Beaton - Beaton] [Beaton - Belzer] [Bender - Block] [Block - Block] [Block - Bodett] [Bohjalian - Bova] [Bova - Brink] [Briody - Bryson] [Buchanan - Bujold] [Bujold - Bythell] [Cain - Card] [Card - Carey] [Carlson editor - Chambers] [Chambers - Choldenko] [Choldenko - Clarke] [Clarke - Cody] [Cody - Colfer] [Colfer - Collins] [Collins - Connelly] [Connelly - Constantine] [Constantine - Corbett] [Corcoran - Cornwell] [Cornwell - Crais] [Crais - Crichton] [Crichton - Curry] [Curry - Cussler] [Cussler - Davis] [Davis - Dilloway] [Dionne - Dorsey] [Dorsey - Dowell] [Dowell - Duncan] [Duncan - Elkins] [Elkins - Evanovich] [Evanovich - Fairstein] [Fairstein - Ferris] [Ferris - Flanagan] [Flanagan - Flint] [Flint - Foster] [Fournier - Francis] [Francis - Francis] [Francis - Freedman] [Freedman - Gaiman] [Gaiman - Gash] [Gash - Goffard] [Going - Grady] [Grafton - Grant] [Grant - Greenleaf] [Greenleaf - Grimes] [Grimes - Gruwell] [Gutman - Haldeman] [Haldeman - Hall] [Hallett - Hannigan] [Hard - Heat-Moon] [Heat-Moon - Heinlein] [Heinlein - Heller] [Hemingway - Herrera] [Herriot - Hiaasen] [Hiaasen - Hiaasen] [Hiaasen - Hobb] [Hobb - Holt] [Hoose - Hudgens] [Hudson - Jackson] [Jackson - Johnson] [Johnson - Kaminsky] [Kaminsky - Keating] [Keene - Kienzle] [Kienzle - Kingsolver] [Kingsolver - Koontz] [Korman - Kurson] [Kushner - Larsson] [Lasky - Leckie] [Leckie - Leitch] [Leitch - Lescroart] [Lescroart - Linsdau] [Linville - Lovegrove] [Lovegrove - Luttrell] [Lutz - Macleod] [Macleod - Manley] [Marcinko - Martine] [Martini - Matas] [Matthews - McCall Smith] [McCall Smith - McCrumb] [McCrumb - McSwigan] [Meader - Mikaelsen] [Miles - Moon] [Moon - Morressy] [Morris - Myers] [Myers - Nimmo] [Nimmo - Norton] [Norton - O'Brian] [O'Brian - O'Faolain] [O'Nan - Palmer] [Palmer - Paretsky] [Paretsky - Parker] [Parker - Parker] [Parker - Patterson] [Patterson - Paulsen] [Pavesi - Perez-Reverte] [Perez-Reverte - Piper] [Piper - Poyer] [Poyer - Prager] [Pratchett - Pratchett] [Pratchett - Pronzini] [Pronzini - Pullman] [Pullman - Quinn] [Quinn - Reeve] [Reeve - Riggs] [Ringo - Robinson] [Robinson - Rowling] [Rowling - Russo] [Russo - Sampson] [Sanders - Scalzi] [Scalzi - Schmatz] [Schmidt - Scottoline] [Scottoline - Sepetys] [Seranella - Shusterman] [Shusterman - Smith] [Smith - Soto] [Soto - Stark] [Stark - Stephenson] [Stephenson - Stroke] [Stroke - Stroud] [Stroud - Tapply] [Tappy - Toole] [Towles - Twain] [Twain - Van Draanen] [Van Draanen - Waldman] [Walker - Weber] [Weber - Wells] [Wells - Westerfeld] [Westerfeld - Westlake] [Westlake - Wiles] [Wiles - Wodehouse] [Wodehouse - Woods] [Wouk - Zevin] [Zevin - Zusak]