Books I've Read
Recent Books
Grave Peril
The Dresden Files, #3. Harry investigates a rash of missing persons. Also, struggles to say three little words to Susan.
Quote:
Oops.Quote:
"Oh. Damn. This is one of those right and wrong issues again, isn't it."
"Yes, one of those."
"I'm still confused about this whole morality thing, Harry."
"Join the club," I muttered.Read:
10/2025
The Ship With The Flat Tire
I first read this back in the 60s when I was a teen. I found it intensely amusing then and intensely amusing now.
Quote:
"[...] Tell him..."
"Yes, Mr. Westbury?"
"Tell him there's a porkchop driving his ship."Read:
10/2025
A Boy And His Dog At The End Of The World
I am of mixed feelings about this story. It was just OK for a very long while, then the purported big reveal, then a REALLY big reveal, all with some weirdness mixed in. I was gonna down grade because of that, but I DID kinda tear up at the end, so that's a plus. But mostly, the author's note afterwards On Dogs And Stories was VERY moving!
Quote:
I [...} lay there thinking this was a very stupid way to die. -- Been there, thought that! Quote:
I don't quite have the way of poetry in my head -- Nice sentence, I don't either. Quote:
fifing three quivers -- "Firing" maybe? Typo? Quote:
I walked to the end of a lonely pier jutting into the eye of a narratively convenient storm coming in off the North Sea and hid my tears in the wind and the rain. -- Just a lovely sentence! Read:
10/2025
Autonomous
Robots and robot-people and people "battle" Big Pharm to get affordable drugs for the poor working folk. I thought it was OK.
Quote:
He partitioned his mind: 80 percent for combat, 20 percent for searches on faggots.Read:
10/2025
Half A War
Shattered Sea, #3.
Princess Scara's story. A conclusion of the trilogy. Lots of surprises!
Quote:
"It is traditional for the farmer and the butcher to divide the meat without seeking the opinions of the pigs," said Varoslaf.Read:
9/2025
Half The World
Shattered Sea, #2. Thorn learns how to fight. And maybe, when.
Quote:
"The girl is stupid as a stump. Worse. Most stumps have the dignity to rot quietly without causing offense."
"I'm right here," Thorn managed to hiss from her hands and knees.Quote:
"You're supposed to be killing him!" called Skifr, "not coupling with him! That you can do on your own time."Read:
9/2025
Storm Front
The Dresden Files, #1. Harry Dresden, Wizard, helps the police solve a series of murders, and helps a lady find her husband.
Read:
9/2025
Half A King
Shattered Sea, #1.
Prince Yarvi, who is actually, and quite suddenly, the king now that his father and brother were murder, is betrayed and sold into slavery.
Quote:
By his calculation he was sold for less than the cost of a good sheep. He made no complaint at the price.Quote:
"Oars out, oars in," grunted Rulf. "You'd think they could make up their bloody minds."Quote:
Yarvi curled his tongue and neatly spat over the side of the ship.
"Nice." Rulf gave him a nod. "You rowing's not up to much, but you're coming on where it really matters."Read:
9/2025
The Heroes
First Law World, #5.
Wait a minute, this is another series? Some of the characters are the same. I am confused.
Lots of good quotes!
Quote:
Ain't we fighting a war?"
Hardbread cuffed him again and made him squeal. "No reason to be rude, you little shit."Quote:
"Is this another example of everyone shitting on he head of the man below?"
"Very good, Yolk. We may make a soldier of you yet."Quote:
Might be the worst letter the poor woman ever got, he owed it to her to put a decent crease in the damn thing.Read:
9/2025
Analog Science Fiction and Fact April 1966
Probably the first science fiction I ever purchased. Sold it to Mackay-Smith in 1971 or so.
Some of the contents(from Goodreads):
"The Best Made Plants..." • essay by John W. Campbell, Jr.
Moon Prospector • [New Lensman] • novelette by William B. Ellern
Rat Race • shortstory by Raymond F. Jones
Lucky Pierre • short story by
The Easy Way Out • shortstory by G. Harry Stine [as by Lee Correy ]
Drifting Continents • essay by Dr. Robert S. Dietz
Who Needs Insurance? • novelette by Robin Scott Wilson [As by Robin S. Scott ]
A Sun Invisible • [David Falkayn] • novelette by Poul Anderson
Also, there is a science article about continental drift that was very interesting.
Read:
8/2025