All Books

The sequel to Cavern of Black Ice. This series started well with interesting, gritty characters and a complex world, but I am not quiet sure where the author is taking these books, and will reserve judgement untill the last book in the triology comes out.

These books ocupy the same world as the authors' "Bakers Boy" trilogy, which were excellent books, with a consistant background and a unique and clever approach to magic. It is refreshing to come across a book provides a framework for magic use in a world occupied by non-magic users without making magic users inconsistant.

Excellent historical source covering the final collapse of German forces on the Eastern front in 1945. This is actually the sequel to the Stalingrad book, I should have read that one first, but this is a great book in it's own right.

The siege of Stalingrad, the encirclement of Paulus's 6th army and their eventual surrender to Soviet forces. This book gives a detailed account of events and offers a unique insight into the military, historical and personal impact of this, the high water mark for the Wermarch in WW2.

The first book in the "Song of Ice and Fire" epic and on a short list of my favourite fantasy books. George R R Martin is a genius. He is one of the few writers that has prompted me to seek out previous work and consistently delivers diverse, unpredictable and complex stories that seem to have an unlimited weight and substance behind them.

A Game of Thrones was overwhelming, the first time I read it. The massive host of characters that are introduced give the initial and misguided impression that, for there to be so many, each character must be pigeon holed, good, evil, inconsequential. This initial reaction slowly faded as the story unwound, as I realised that each character is not a placeholder for the storyline, but an active participant. This realization was reinforced when assumptions made about a character are shattered as their very human personalities lead to events that all my conditioning to "fantasy storylines" could never have predicted.

Fellow readers, and usually fans, can identify with the range of emotional responses evoked by the narrative twists and turns in this masterpiece.

Re-reading this description of this book, I can imagine how it might sound a little fanatical to the uninitiated, but I think if my reaction to this book was anything other than that, it would be an understatement.

A re-read of this book, with a knowledge of where the story will lead and the fate of the many of the characters, it just gets better and better.

urlllghh ... shudder ...

Really didn't like this book. I am not sure if it is the richness, quality, maturity, whatever of some of the other stuff I am reading at the moment, but this book really paled badly in comparison.

I was heartened to notice on GRRM's "From My Readers" email of the week (From My Readers):

"Either she doesn't read at all, or she's a Terry Goodkind fan, and you can move on and find someone else. It's well known, mixed marriages don't work. "

I am not sure if this is actually an criticism of Terry Goodkind or simply identifying that his books are vastly different to GRRM's books. In any case, I can definately identify with the sentiment.

Pretty average "Rincewind" story.

Not really sure why I picked this book up. A history of a military conflict that occured 100 years ago that I was vaguely aware of as a pre-curser to the Russian revolution.

This book reveals a war that was undoubtably the first modern war. Massed machine gun fire, artiliary, barbed wire, modern logistics, electronic communications, all came into being, not on the western front, but on the Korean penisula between 1904 and 1905.

This conflict wasn't only significant because it revealed man's new capacity for destruction. It was the first time an eastern power had stood up to a western empire and won. It gave an omminous preview of the new expansionist road that Imperial Japan was travelling, a road that would lead to further horrors in WW2.

Characters introduced in "Guards Guards" are clarified and a host of new, interesting characters are added to the Anhk Morpock city watch. Terry Pratchett's typical amusing punchlines are in plentiful supply, however what makes this book stand out is a plot that stands up on it's own without those things that define all Terry Pratchett's work.

A pretty decent detective story with a nice twist, some major character deaths that aren't gratuitous and a satisfying resolution, deliver the best Discworld story I have read so far..

Thanks Ted for noticing these two descriptions:

Jaqen H�Gar when he left Arya:

"Jaqen passed a hand down his face from forehead to chin, and where it went he changed. His cheeks grew fuller, his eyes closer; his nose hooked, a scar appeared on his right cheek where no scar had been before. And when he shook his head, his long straight hair, half red and half white, dissolved away to reveal a cap of tight black curls."

And then the guy who killed Pate the pigboy, in the prologue of Feast:

"He was just a man, and his face was just a face. A young man's face, ordinary, with full cheeks and the shadow of a beard. A scar showed faintly on his right cheek. He had a hooked nose, and a mat of dense black hair that curled tightly around his ears. It was not a face Pate recognized."

Another re-read after Feast for Crows and with the Jon Snow/Aegon VI Targaryen hypothesis in mind. Feel like I am really getting to know the Ice and Fire lore now and that just makes these books that much better.

For those of you that are interested. The Jon Snow/Aegon VI Targeryen hypothesis refers to doubts about Jon Snow's parentage. I think there are a whole range of clues in the books that indicate that Jon Snow is not the bastard son of Eddard Stark and some unknown woman (Ashara Dayne?) but actually the trueborn son and heir of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark.

"Prince Bran has heard that tale a hundred times, I'm sure."

"No," said Bran. "I haven't. And if I have it doesn't matter. Sometimes Old Nan would tell the same story she'd told before, but we never minded, if it was a good story. Old stories are like old friends, she used to say. You have to visit them from time to time."

This book was entertaining enough and perfect for listening to while doing other things. The plot chugged along in a kinda predictable way, but with a long history and rich descriptions to make it enjoyable.

What the hell happened with the ending though? The entire book leading up to some sort of climax at the end and then an almost absurd rush of events that culminated in a confused and sorry showdown between good and evil.

"Quick chop off his gigantic cosmic umbilical cord of unlimited power before he chops off ours!!!"

This sort of crap just doesn't fly with me anymore. But I will read on, I enjoyed most of the book and maybe there will be more giant umbilical cords of power, I just can't get enough of those.

No giant umbilical cords of power in this one, but a familiar ultimate showdown at the end of this book that, again, left me pretty unsatisfied.

I think I am done with Robert Jordan for a while. It will take a serious audio book drought to bring me back.

Story - Author(s) - Description
"Prologue" - George R. R. Martin - Introduces Dr. Tachyon and Xenovirus Takis-A.
"Thirty Minutes Over Broadway!" - Howard Waldrop - Introduces Jetboy and his failed attempt to prevent the release of Xenovirus Takis-A.
"The Sleeper" - Roger Zelazny - Introduces Croyd Crenson, "the Sleeper".
"Witness" - Walter Jon Williams - Introduces Golden Boy and the Four Aces.
"Degradation Rites" - Melinda M. Snodgrass - Details Dr. Tachyon's dark years after the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings.
"Shell Games" - George R. R. Martin - Introduces the Great and Powerful Turtle.
"The Long, Dark Night of Fortunato" - Lewis Shiner - Introduces Fortunato and the Masonic conspiracy that will influence the plot of the next two books in the series.
"Transfigurations" - Victor Mil�n - Introduces Mark Meadows, aka Captain Trips.
"Down Deep" - Edward Bryant
Leanne C. Harper - Introduces Rosemary Muldoon, "Sewer" Jack Robicheaux and Bagabond. Sets up the mob storyline that will come to fruition in later books.
"Strings" - Stephen Leigh - Introduces Puppetman and Gimli and sets up the political plot threads that will play out in later books.
"Comes a Hunter" - John J. Miller - Introduces Yeoman and Chrysalis and sets up the Asian gang plot threads.
"Epilogue: Third Generation" - Walter Jon Williams - Introduces Kid Dinosaur.

"Pennies from Hell" by Lewis Shiner
"Unto the Sixth Generation: Prologue" by Walter Jon Williams
"Ashes to Ashes" by Roger Zelazny
"Unto the Sixth Generation: Part One" by Walter Jon Williams
"Unto the Sixth Generation: Part Two" by Walter Jon Williams
"If Looks Could Kill" by Walton Simons
"Unto the Sixth Generation: Epilogue" by Walter Jon Williams
"Winter�s Chill" by George R. R. Martin
"Relative Difficulties" by Melinda M. Snodgrass
"With a Little Help From His Friends" by Victor Milan
"By Lost Ways" by Pat Cadigan
"Mr. Koyama�s Comet" by Walter Jon Williams
"Half Past Dead" by John J. Miller

I quite enjoyed the Dune prequels by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson. Ironically, however, I was left a bit flat by the original "Dune".

It was very clever and obviously laid all the complex, rich groundwork for the Dune universe, but I found the character development a bit shallow and unfortunate inconsistencies in continuity with the prequel books (obviously not a criticism of this book) tended to interrupt my suspension of disbelief.

I have the following 5 books in this series, but I am not sure if I will get back into the Dune universe for a while.

Case�s chrome skeleton and transucent flesh tripping on Betaphenethylamine. An AI controlled microlite glider decapitating a Turing agent on the Freeside archipelago. Molly the street samurai with inset mirror lenses for eyes and extendible razor fingertips. The Dixie flatline, a dead hacker�s consciousness with a spine twisting laugh.

This book defines Cyberpunk for me and is a masterpiece in it�s own right.

Systematically and thoroughly makes the argument for the overriding impact of environment factors on the rate of technological development of the variety of human cultures in the last 13,000 years. This book clearly and eloquently debunks the common, subconsciously or consciously, held misconception that the pre-eminence of western culture in technology and innovation is a result of some genetic superiority.

The book summarises by presenting four major environmental factors for different rates of technological development in post Pleostine mankind:

1. Density and variety of naturally occurring fauna and flora.

2. Ease of intra continental diffusion of ideas and technology. Significance of Eurasia's east west axis vs America and Africa�s north south axis.

3. Ease of inter continental diffusion of ideas and technology.

4. Size and potential population differences between the continents.

These four factors having a crucial impact on the tendency for human groups to adopt food producing societies (as opposed to hunter gatherer societies) and subsequently gain the benefits of a sedentary existence, increased population potential, potential for non-food producing specialists (like scribes, bureaucrats, professional soldiers, etc).

Because of the auto-catalytic nature of technology in human society these environmental factors have been compounded over the last 13,000 years to the point were we can see such a difference in the wealth of technology developed on each of the major continents.

WikiPedia Entry

Written by Edward Bryant, Leanne C. Harper, George R. R. Martin, John J. Miller, Lewis Shiner, Walton Simons, Melinda M. Snodgrass.

Rydell got his bag of cornflakes out of the cupboard and carefully unrolled it. About enough for a bowl. He opened the fridge and took out a plastic, snap-top, liter container with a strip of masking-tape across the side. He'd written MILK EXPERIMENT on the masking-tape with a heavy marker.

'What's that?' Hernandez asked.

'Milk.'

'Why's it say "experiment"?'

'So nobody'll drink it.

Even better the second time round. HBP has eclipsed The Prisoner of Azkaban as my favourite book in the series.

Now I just have to distract myself with something else so I don't wander morosely through HP forums for the next two years waiting for the grand finale to come out.

Voyage of the Sophie

The sound that woke him in the middle watch: a low cry mounting by quarter tones or less and increasing in volume to a howling shriek, then a quick series of spoken or chanted words, the mounting cry again and the shriek - the Irish men of the crew waking James Dillon, stretched there with a cross in his hands and lanterns at his head and his feet.

Voyage of the PolyChrest
Voyage of the Lively

If you anoint them with the vile decoction we drink and wash in, of course they wilt. You must send ashore for some rain-water; and at that rate of watering, some aquatic plants.

...

An intolerably tedious description of Miss Williams, whom Stephen knew a good deal better than Captain Aubrey - her appearance, virtues. 'So direct - straightforward - nothing hole in the corner, if you understand me -no damned purser's tricks - must not swear, however, - like a 32 Iber.' Could he really have likened Sophie to a thirty-two pounder? It was quite possible.

Voyage of the Lively
Voyage of the Surprise



Stephen looked sharply round, saw the decanter, smelt to the sloth, and cried, 'Jack, you have debauched my sloth.'

...

"Nymphs, forsooth. If they were nymphs, they must have had their being in a tolerably rank and stagnant pool"

Voyage of the Boadicea
Voyage of the Raisonable

Voyage of the Leopard

The wombat stared him straight in the eye, drew a length of gold lace from its mouth, and then deliberately sucked it in again.

'Pass the word for Dr Maturin,' said the Captain, looking angrily at the wombat: and a moment later, 'Come now, Stephen, this is coming it pretty high: your brute is eating my hat.'

'So he is, too,' said Dr Maturin. 'But do not be so perturbed, Jack; it will do him no harm, at all. His digestive processes -,

At this point the wombat dropped the hat, shuffled rapidly across the deck and swarmed up into Dr Maturin's arms, peering at close range into his face with a look of deep affection.

No doubt a brilliant piece of science fiction in the 50s, this classic didn't really fullfill my expectations.

The stories describing the robotic troubleshooters, Donovan and Powell, I found pretty annoying. I didn't like the characters much, and I didn't like the way that the robots reacted to the inevitable conflicts of interest.

I did, however, like the last story. Benevolent and exponentially more intelligent super AIs running the planet to achieve their own abstract and inscrutable ideal for the human condition. I think mostly because it focused on the robot AIs as abstract concepts, rather than the characters interacting with them directly.

I loved so much about this book. It's beautiful, funny and fascinating characters entirely took me in. The historical setting was evocative, tragic and overwhelming, particularly it�s treatment of Mussolini and the invasion of Greece in World War Two.

I foresaw my current inarticulate attempts to do justice to this book and as a result found myself constantly wanting to write down sentences, phrases, whole chapters as the most eloquent demonstration of the books qualities.

I won�t go into why the ending to this book prevented it�s acclamation as my absolute favourite. That explanation would probably sound like a rant and certainly spoil the ending for those who haven�t read it.

Mostly as a result of my current obsession, this book took a long time to finish. Ultimately it was satisfying and I think Chad�s review eloquently sums up how I felt about the book in the end.

The end of my first voyage through the cannon is a melancholy one knowing that this wonderful series was cut short with the author's death.

In the course of mapping the books I have already started my second run through the series. The first of many I think.

I was captured by the Harry Potter phenomenon a little after The Goblet of Fire came out (pre-dating this list), but I have been an avid fan ever since.

The speculation, waiting and anticipation has been a constant companion for such a long time that, now all's done, I wouldn't have been surprised if the departure of those feelings had left a void. It isn't so. That potential void has been filled with a satisfying elegant sufficiency. I felt, as I read the book, that I had in my hands, all the answers and that they could not have been revealed to me in a more enjoyable way. JKR has said that "Deathly Hallows' is my favourite, and that is the most wonderful way to finish the series.", and I couldn't agree more.

Last run through the series for a while.

Renders the whole horrific, disastrous, atrocity of the Spanish Civil War from it's political beginings to it's brutal end, with no partisan bias, and a level of detail that isn't overwhelming. This book has shattered the generalized preconceptions I had about the war.

A description of Robert Kennedy's fatal 1968 presidential run.

Anti war lobbiests initial pleading with Kennedy to run in 67, his refusal to run against a sitting Democractic president Johnson (desipite their mutual dislike) and their turning to Eugene, Clean Gene, McCarthy to run as the anti-war democrat.

After Johnson shock narrow victory over McCarthy in the New Hampshire primary, Kennedy enters the race at a significant disadvantage (the powerful anti-war movement having flocked around McCarthy and seeing Kennedy as a political opportunist).

The book follows the campaign, state by state, with a personal insight into the candidate and the day to day successes, failures and trials of running for president. The book ends abruptly after the win in the California primary with barely a reference to Kennedy's assasination.

The last sentence:

"Then he descended to acknowledge his victory, to talk about the violence and the divisiveness, and to let a nation discover in his death what it had never understood or believed about him during his life."

It feels like the book was being writen to describe a sitting president's road to office, was eerily cut short with Kennedy's death and published without modification.