Book Reviews

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 MysteryDeath Shall Come: A Country House Murder Mystery by Simon R. Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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The Mongrel Mage (The Saga of Recluce, #19)The Mongrel Mage by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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Take Back the Sky (War Dogs, #3)Take Back the Sky by Greg Bear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Killing Titan (War Dogs, #2)Killing Titan by Greg Bear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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War DogsWar Dogs by Greg Bear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Blood of the CosmosBlood of the Cosmos by Kevin J. Anderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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The Massacre of MankindThe Massacre of Mankind by Stephen Baxter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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The Dark Between the StarsThe Dark Between the Stars by Kevin J. Anderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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October

 

 

ProvenanceProvenance by Ann Leckie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Ancillary Mercy (Imperial Radch #3)Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Ancillary Sword (Imperial Radch, #2)Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Doctor Who: The Clockwise ManDoctor Who: The Clockwise Man by Justin Richards
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1)Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Death's Mistress (Sister of Darkness: The Nicci Chronicles, #1)Death’s Mistress by Terry Goodkind
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has DeclinedThe Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined by Steven Pinker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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September

Vanguard (The Genesis Fleet, #1)Vanguard by Jack Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st CenturyThe 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.

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The Alexander InheritanceThe Alexander Inheritance by Eric Flint
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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The Bronze SkiesThe Bronze Skies by Catherine Asaro
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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The Collapsing Empire (The Interdependency #1)The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Infinity Engine (Transformation, #3)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.

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August

 

The Gods of SagittariusThe Gods of Sagittarius by Eric Flint
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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Carnelians (Saga of the Skolian Empire, #14)Carnelians by Catherine Asaro
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Primary Inversion (Saga of the Skolian Empire, #1)Primary Inversion by Catherine Asaro
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1)The Gunslinger by Stephen King
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Wanted to read this because of the movie coming out soon. Ho-hum. . . .

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Assassin’s Price (Imager Portfolio, #11)Assassin’s Price by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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July

 

Treachery's Tools (Imager Portfolio, #10)Treachery’s Tools by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Dragon TeethDragon Teeth by Michael Crichton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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A Peace Divided (Peacekeeper, #2)A Peace Divided by Tanya Huff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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June

 

To Hell and Back: Europe 1914-1949To Hell and Back: Europe 1914-1949 by Ian Kershaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Spheres of Influence (Grand Central Arena #2)Spheres of Influence by Ryk E. Spoor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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May

Lady-Protector (Corean Chronicles, #8)Lady-Protector by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Soarer's Choice (Corean Chronicles, #6)Soarer’s Choice by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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The Gathering Edge (Liaden Universe, #20)The Gathering Edge by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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April

King Solomon's Mines (Allan Quatermain, #1)King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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Caine's Mutiny (Tales of the Terran Republic, #4)Caine’s Mutiny by Charles E. Gannon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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March

Cadmian's Choice (Corean Chronicles, #5)Cadmian’s Choice by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Alector's Choice (Corean Chronicles, #4)Alector’s Choice by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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February

The Eternity ArtifactThe Eternity Artifact by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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The Generals: Patton, MacArthur, Marshall, and the Winning of World War IIThe Generals: Patton, MacArthur, Marshall, and the Winning of World War II by Winston Groom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Halo: SilentiumHalo: Silentium by Greg Bear
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Halo: PrimordiumHalo: Primordium by Greg Bear
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Halo: CryptumHalo: Cryptum by Greg Bear
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Marked for Death: The First War in the AirMarked for Death: The First War in the Air by James Hamilton-Paterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America's WhiskeyBourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey by Reid Mitenbuler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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January

The Perfect Horse: the Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the NazisThe 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

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Recluce Tales: Stories from the World of RecluceRecluce Tales: Stories from the World of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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The Battle of the Atlantic: How the Allies Won the WarThe Battle of the Atlantic: How the Allies Won the War by Jonathan Dimbleby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Eisenhower's Armies: The American-British Alliance during World War IIEisenhower’s Armies: The American-British Alliance during World War II by Niall Barr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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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.)

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