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Books I've Read
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2012:
Affinity Bridge by George Mann:For lack of a better term it is a steampunk novel in the
vein of Sherlock Holmes. While not earth shattering, it is entertaining as you watch Sir Maurice Newbury work for the Crown in determining the
cause of mysteries that occur across London, England. It involves the occult and steampunk, a Scotland yard detective and a lovely assistant. Fun read and worth checking out.
The Chrysalids by John Wyndham: I actually enjoyed this post nuclear war novel that addresses as to what is normal
and acceptable in society. It also deals with the power of religion in determining what is normal and that abnormal things must not be
tolerated. I would definitely read it again.
Horton's Miraculous Mechanisms by Lissa Evans: This is just a really cool book
that was written for young adults. However, it holds the interest of the adult reader as it introduces us to Stuart Horten, his family and the mystery of his
great magician uncle Tim. Part mystery and part fantasy the author delivers an enjoyable tale of adventure that was really fun to read.
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2011:
Flaming Zepplins: The Adventures of Ned the Seal by Joe R. Lansdale: It was a mindless read while I was home for Christmas. This is a fantasy book
about alternate realities, including characters such as Buffalo Bill, Jules Verne, Mark Twain and the like. The humor is rather crass and it definitely isn't a story for children. I probably won't read any
other Lansdale books. It just didn't catch my fancy.
Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden:: This is an account of the Battle for the Black Sea in Somalia October 3-4, 1993. It is well researched, written and
grabs the reader into the actions that occurred during the raid to capture Mohammed Farah Aidid's top advisors in Mogadishu, Somalia. Recommended reading.
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest: Nice steampunk
book. It mixes Zombies with a fantasy world dating around 1865 or so. Pretty cool and recommended reading.
It's All About The Bike by Robert Penn: A nice book about the obsession
of a cycling junkie and the building of his dream bicycle. It includes some snippets of bicycle history and is a good read for any cycling junkie.
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2010:
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
: This is an interesting mystery kind of book that is interesting because of the layers of character development. It was a very enjoyable read.
The Carpet Makers by Andreas Eschbach: This is a sci fi book about the workings of an empire and how the emperor has manipulated his own people to instigate the empire's own downfall and is told through the story of a guild of people known as the carpet makers. While the story is not particlularly moving it does have some interesting subplots which are enjoyable to see later in the book.
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2009:
The Island of Lost Maps by Miles Harvey
: Isn't so much an account of map thief Gilbert Bland, but is more about the history of maps. Along the way the author discusses
how map thieft has always existed and the power that maps hold in our world and psyche.
Inverted World by Christopher Priest
:Is an account of a city that is ruled by Guilds and how their perception of reality shapes their lives. This is way better than
the Pristege which was also written by this author.
The Flying Scotsman by Graeme Obree
:Is an account of the life of Graeme Obree a Scottish cyclist who won the hour record. He also chronicles his life and his battle with depression.
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2008:
The Terror by Dan Simmons
: Is a historical fictional account of the failed Franklin expedition to the Arctic in 1845 with a fantasy element. It's really good and ice master
Blankey is really cool.
Hell in a Very Small Place by Bernard Fall
:An account of the battle of Dien Bien Phu which was a battle between the French and the North Vietnamese in 1954. The French defeat at this outpost resulted in the withdraw
of France as a colonial power in Indochina.
On Killing:The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society by Dave Grossman
:An analysis on how the military and society trains people to kill. It explains the firing rate of the solider going from 20% in World War II to over 95% by Vietnam.
The author also tries to explain the increase in murder rates in present US society via inadvertent desensitization to killing through the media and video games that is making
younger generations more willing to kill. It is an interesting read but I do not agree with all the author's assumptions about the rise in murder rates in present day society.
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2007:
The Musashi Flex by Steve Perry
: This is a sci-fi book that describes the origins of the 97 steps and is a prelude to The Man Who Never Missed. It is a typical Steve Perry book with martial arts as well as a good read.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
: This is a sci-fi book that describes the life of Charlie Gordon a mentally retarded man who undergoes an operation to make him "normal". It describes the difficulties of changing intelligence as well as emotional growth. It then follows the mouse Algernon's deterioration and Charlie's recording of this event.
The Prestige by Christopher Priest: This is a fantasy book that describes the origins of a feud between two magicians in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The two magicians also continually try to outdo each other. It uses the "magic" of electricity and includes Tesla. For me it was a rather slow read yet had an interesting twist at the end. I had the book since 2003 and just now got to reading it.
When Gravity Fails by George Alec Effinger: This is a futuristic sci fi book in the vein of cyberpunk and a new world order. The big countries have fallen into a series of confederated states and people are augmenting their bodies to make themselves the perfect females and can jack in modules for personalities and skills. The main character is Marid Audran who is kind of a mercenary for hire private detective. When a series of murders hit the Budayeen he then tries to figure out who the killer is and delves into the the underworld of the city, its crime lords, and depraved citizens. Wasn't a bad read at all. It is part of a series of 3 books.
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