To Be Read Shelf:
The Horse Soldiers by Harold Sinclair
Doctor Who: The Legends of River Song
The Winds of Winter by George R. R. Martin
Currently Reading:
Revenger by Alastair Reynolds
Book Reviews – 2017
Ratings follow Goodreads standards:
- 1 Star – Did not like it
- 2 Star – It was OK
- 3 Star – Liked it
- 4 Star – Really liked it
- 5 Star – It was amazing
November
Death Shall Come: A Country House Murder Mystery by Simon R. Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Mongrel Mage by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Take Back the Sky by Greg Bear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Killing Titan by Greg Bear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
War Dogs by Greg Bear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Blood of the Cosmos by Kevin J. Anderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Massacre of Mankind by Stephen Baxter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Dark Between the Stars by Kevin J. Anderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
October
Provenance by Ann Leckie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Doctor Who: The Clockwise Man by Justin Richards
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Death’s Mistress by Terry Goodkind
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined by Steven Pinker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
September
Vanguard by Jack Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century by Steven Pinker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Excellent book. Philosophy, style and grammar. A shame the third chapter, The Curse of Knowledge, wasn’t available to me several decades ago.
The book was well worth the effort required to read.
The Alexander Inheritance by Eric Flint
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Bronze Skies by Catherine Asaro
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Infinity Engine by Neal Asher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A good story, although a bit needlessly complicated and jargoned. The third volume in a series that a good editor could have cut down to two.
The end was a bit loopy and left me with a feeling of “is that all there is.” This is the feeling I got after working my way through Umberto Eco’s “The Name of the Rose” to find out that God has a sense of humor. I mean we already knew that, didn’t we?
All in all, however, still a good read.
August
The Gods of Sagittarius by Eric Flint
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Carnelians by Catherine Asaro
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Primary Inversion by Catherine Asaro
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Gunslinger by Stephen King
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Wanted to read this because of the movie coming out soon. Ho-hum. . . .
Assassin’s Price by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
July
Treachery’s Tools by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
A Peace Divided by Tanya Huff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
June
To Hell and Back: Europe 1914-1949 by Ian Kershaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Spheres of Influence by Ryk E. Spoor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
May
Lady-Protector by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Soarer’s Choice by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Gathering Edge by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
April
King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Caine’s Mutiny by Charles E. Gannon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
March
Cadmian’s Choice by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Alector’s Choice by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
February
The Eternity Artifact by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Generals: Patton, MacArthur, Marshall, and the Winning of World War II by Winston Groom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Halo: Silentium by Greg Bear
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Halo: Primordium by Greg Bear
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Halo: Cryptum by Greg Bear
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Marked for Death: The First War in the Air by James Hamilton-Paterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey by Reid Mitenbuler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
January
The Perfect Horse: the Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis by Elizabeth Letts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Recluce Tales: Stories from the World of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Battle of the Atlantic: How the Allies Won the War by Jonathan Dimbleby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Eisenhower’s Armies: The American-British Alliance during World War II by Niall Barr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Used bookstores I shop at:
Camelot Books in Fountain Valley;
Book-Off in Costa Mesa, Westminster and Lakewood
(If you know of any other in the HB, FV, CM area – bicycling distance – please let me know.)