Books I've Read
Books Listed by Author
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Skyship Academy
Volume one of The Pearl Wars. Engaging story of foundling recruited to travel to the surface of Earth to acquire the "Pearls" that are used to power technology.
Read:
3/2012
The Broken Kingdoms
Book two of the trilogy, it takes place ten years later with a different main character, a blind woman named Oree. It was pretty good, then it got a whole lot better at the end.
Read:
5/2018
The City We Became
First book in series. The city of New York is under attack and the avatars of the borough (who didn't know they were the avatars of the boroughs) work together (mostly) to repel the Enemy. Pretty good, and certainly different!
Read:
5/2021
The Fifth Season
First book in the The Broken Earth series. Very nice storytelling. Some people have the power to control the earth, like stopping earthquakes and volcanoes. Seem vaguely Earth-like, we shall see what happens!
Read:
8/2018
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
Book one of The Inheritance Trilogy. Yeine is summoned, by her estranged grandfather, to the ruling city were he is effectively the ruler of pretty much everything. Really good, I'm looking forward to the next book.
Read:
3/2018
The Obelisk Gate
The second book in the Broken Earth series. Pretty good, but I didn't weep reading this book.
Read:
8/2018
The Stone Sky
Book Three of The Broken Earth trilogy. Everything seems all tied up neatly!
Read:
8/2018
Lost In A Blizzard
Historical story, with made-up dialog, of the so-called Towner Bus Tragedy of 1931 in which several children and the school bus driver died in a blizzard. Written at just the right level for me, third grade, there are lots of pictures and explanations of how life was back then. I enjoyed this very much, even though I cried a bit.
Read:
6/2010
Planet Funny: How Comedy Took Over Our Culture
Very interesting, but a lot was over my head. The author writes a good book, though!
Read:
7/2023
Nam-a-rama
A rather unlikely novel of the Viet Nam war involving two Marine helicopter pilots, a president name Larry Bob, an actress named Barbonella, and the president of North Viet Nam that drives a Corvette.
Quote:
My suggestion--that the U.S. commander in chief be constitutionally required to garb him- or herself in full battle dress, replete with facial camouflage and flora-festooned helmet, whilst any U.S. troops are engage in combat--will most likely not be adopted.Read:
8/2006
Three Men In A Boat
Takes place in 1876. Very funny, is referred in a Heinlein book. Classic humour. 250 p.
Read:
10/2001
Three Men On The Bummel.
Three guys take a bicycle trip through the the Black Forest in Germany. Very amusing. Read as a Project Gutenberg e-book. Not amusing, because, basically, one is staring at a light bulb for hours on end.
Read:
8/2007
Mable Riley: A Reliable Record Of Humdrum, Peril, and Romance
Mable and her sister Viola take rooms on a dairy farm in a distant village when Viola becomes the new teacher in the small school. Mable meets a rabble-rousing woman who wears bloomers and rides a bicycle. I enjoyed Mable's adventures very much.
Read:
12/2012
Double Blind
Co-author Roy Johansen. A woman shot and hit by a car trying to deliver something to Kendra. Kendra and Lynch (and a bunch of others) try to figure out what is going on. Almost OK. Didn't care for it.
Read:
11/2019
Beyond belief
Joe Bailey is a bunco squad police detective and former professional magician. He is trying to figure out how an eight-year-old boy came to murder a man by using psychic powers. Pretty ok, learned some stuff.
Read:
7/2005
Vorpal Blade
A student at work told me that he really like John Ringo's books, so I thought I had better try another after the disaster of Sister Time. This title caught my eye, and I checked it out even thought it is book two of the series, book one, Looking Glass, not being available. I was prepared to dislike it, and in fact was annoyed by several things. The artificial cursing (grapping, maulk) bothered me, but I see a need for soldiers (Marines!) cursing, so I can't think of another way around it, this book being intended for teens. Older teens! Anyway, lots of physics (the author says, hey, it's science fiction!), lots of shooting, almost everyone dies. The last hundred pages were real page-turners!
Words I Had To Look Up:
when the Santa Annas blew down (pg. 31) -- Should be Anas, I think.
"Semper-grapping-Fi, behanchod,"Berg muttered (pg. 67) -- You don't really want to know what it means. This book is aimed at teens?
in like flint (pg. 167) -- It is generally agreed the actual phrase is in like Flynn. In Like Flint is a movie. Derek Flint. James Coburn. Jeesh!
talking like Donald Duck... That's a side effect of hydrogen. (pg. 204) -- It's also flammable, dude!
Quote:
"On the Bounce, Marines!" ...
"What the hell is 'On the Bounce'?" Hatt asked.
"Oh. My. God," Berg answered, grinning inside his suit.
"Top read that book, too?: Jaen said. "Cool." -- (pg. 365) Love it!
Read:
2/2009
This Book Is Overdue!
Subtitled: How Librarians And Cybrarians Can Save Us All. Made me ALMOST sign up for Second Life...
Read:
1/2013
The Great Greene Heist
A good conjob story has always been enjoyable, and a bit of humor heops. I didn't laugh out loud until page 133, but I enjoyed reading this very much.
Quote:
Allegedly. Read:
10/2014
Bone By Bone By Bone
David's father, a racist doctor in 1960s (cit. needed) Tennessee, inspires love and hate in his son. Some story incidents inspired by author's father, she says she does not apologize for the sometimes strong language, as it was how her father expressed himself. I paraphrase. The "N" word is used often, too.
Words I Had To Look Up:
Miss Grace was in a real swivet (pg. 75) -- A state of extreme agitation.
Read:
6/2009
Entice
Bad Pixies are abducting teens in Bedford, Maine. Zara, now a good Pixie, formerly a human, battles to protect the humans while trying to find the way to Vahalla to bring back her love Nick.
I think the reason I didn't really care for this book is the same reason I didn't really care for the Kim Harrison book I read the other week. They were not written for the likes of me! They are for girls! And again, this is the third book in the series, so if you start here you are missing a lot of back story.
I read the Advance Uncorrected Proof edition.
Read:
2/2011
20 books displayed
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