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Post by wildfire2099 on Sept 27, 2023 9:21:47 GMT -5
A Desolation called Peace Arcady Martine This is a tough one to review. It's definitely a good book. Arkady Martine is an excellent writer. She also manages to hit just about everyone one of my pet peeves in writing. You see the end coming a mile away. You want to yell at the characters and shake them because it's clear what the answer is and it takes them forever to figure it out. The point of view shifts at exactly the most annoying times. The characters have random relationship issues that are of no service to the story whatsoever and would have been avoid if they'd just talked to each other for 2 minutes... and it's even worse here since both characters are diplomats and their whole lives are talking. I'd still recommend it.. its a very unique world that I hope we haven't seen the last of. The book also has at least a moderately decent ending. It still screams for a 3rd book, but it's not a cliffhanger. Maybe someday  .
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Sept 30, 2023 10:59:57 GMT -5
 You Can Die Laughing by A. A. Fair
This may be the quintessential Cool and Lam book. It's not quite as twisty and turny as some. And Donald doesn't really pull out the legal shenanigans like he sometimes will. But the mystery is clean and interesting. Donald and Bertha are in character and on point. We get some nice time from Captain Frank Sellers. And the book is just compellingly readable. I jammed through this one in one semi-long sitting because I just couldn't put it down. The secondary characters are generally well thought out and have personality. Just a stellar entry in a great series that does tend to run to formula...but it's such a readable formula. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 4, 2023 22:33:43 GMT -5
Rebels at Sea
Eric Jay Dolin
I really need to not go to the library if I ever want to make a dent in my to read shelf here at home, but they just have so many books there!
This one was on the new arrivals shelf and it jumped out at me.. the author tries to make the argument that Privateers during the American Revolution were just as patriotic as the soldiers fighting elsewhere and not totally motivated by profit. He pretty much completely fails to do so (at least for this reader)... not only did all his hypothesis have a more exceptions than points to prove them, but he played a bit fast and loose with the scant statistics available.. using different data sets that fit his theory but really comparing apples and oranges in the process.
He DID have some great, well researched stories about naval adventures during that time, so the book is worth reading for that, but as far as his stated purpose, he did little to convince me.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Oct 8, 2023 14:55:35 GMT -5
 Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and the Wickedest Town in the American West by Tom Clavin
Popular history writer Tom Clavin looks at what is probably the quintessential cow-town of the old west, Dodge City, Kansas, with a particular view toward two of its frequent (and most famous) lawmen, Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. Clavin does what he can to strip away the myths that have grown up around the West, the town and both Earp and Masterson over the last 150 years and present an accurate picture of the towns place in history and the two lawmen's place within the town and the broader history of the West. As always, Clavin puts out a solid, readable and well researched book (I loved his "The Heart of Everything That Is" with Bob Drury). The narrative is somewhat fractured, but that worked for me. Clavin does a good job of giving enough background to allow you to understand why Dodge was important and how it came into existence, as well as background on Earp and Masterson before they came to Dodge. And we get significant, but not overwhelming looks at prominent figures like Luke Short, Charlie Bassett and Bill Tilghman. The book isn't without faults. Clavin takes some unnecessary detours. While it adds a bit of context, I don't think that the time spent in Tombstone helped the book. If I want to read about Tombstone and the Earp's time there, I'll read about it elsewhere. I don't need that in a book about Dodge City. Clavin also repeats the Wyatt Earp/Clay Allison confrontation that likely never actually happened. But it's nice book and a good overview of a town that was important far beyond its size and that has gone on to become a part of American mythology. It also inspires a sincere desire for good modern biographies of both Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson (and I'll add in Virgil Earp, Luke Short and Charlie Bassett while I'm at it). |
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Post by EdoBosnar on Oct 9, 2023 13:47:55 GMT -5
Slavic MythsIntroduction (and probably compiled) by Ema Lakinska, 2023  First and foremost, the title is misleading, which is suggested to some extent in the introduction by Ema Lakinska –a researcher at the Macedonian Literature Institute, Ss. Cyril & Methodius University in Skopje. What this book actually contains is a collection of Slavic folk and fairy tales, and that’s mostly because there are hardly any surviving myths about the Slavic pagan deities, like there are for say, the Greek, Roman or Norse pagan pantheons. Mainly only their names and some of their qualities have been preserved. Anyway, a selection of Slav folk tales is not a bad thing, either (I remember when I was a kid in the 1970s/80s, all I could find in libraries were collections of Russian fairy stories and folk tales). And this book has a pretty broad selection of not only Russian, but also Polish, Czech, ‘Cossack’, Serbian, Croatian and Macedonian tales, as well as one from Belarus and one from Bosnia. However, there is nothing from Slovakia, Bulgaria, Slovenia or Ukraine (maybe that’s covered by the ‘Cossack’ category?), to say nothing of ‘stateless’ Slav groups like the Rusyns. Also, and even more troubling, is the fact that the three Croatian entries, “Reygoch,” “Fisherman Plunk and His Wife” and “Stribor’s Forest” are not, in fact, traditional folk/fairy tales. Rather they are from the early 20th century book Croatian Tales of Long Ago by Ivana Brlic Mazuranic (which I wrote about for the 12 days of classic comics x-mas a few years ago). All of those stories, while based on and drawing inspiration from Croatian or general Slavic fairy tales and folk traditions, are very much Brlic Mazuranic’s own creations and thus do not really belong in this book –at least not without some kind of explanatory text as to why they were included. It would be similar to including excerpts from Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit in a collection of English or northern European fairy tales.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 9, 2023 20:16:55 GMT -5
Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and the Wickedest Town in the American West by Tom Clavin
Popular history writer Tom Clavin looks at what is probably the quintessential cow-town of the old west, Dodge City, Kansas, with a particular view toward two of its frequent (and most famous) lawmen, Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. Clavin does what he can to strip away the myths that have grown up around the West, the town and both Earp and Masterson over the last 150 years and present an accurate picture of the towns place in history and the two lawmen's place within the town and the broader history of the West. As always, Clavin puts out a solid, readable and well researched book (I loved his "The Heart of Everything That Is" with Bob Drury). The narrative is somewhat fractured, but that worked for me. Clavin does a good job of giving enough background to allow you to understand why Dodge was important and how it came into existence, as well as background on Earp and Masterson before they came to Dodge. And we get significant, but not overwhelming looks at prominent figures like Luke Short, Charlie Bassett and Bill Tilghman. The book isn't without faults. Clavin takes some unnecessary detours. While it adds a bit of context, I don't think that the time spent in Tombstone helped the book. If I want to read about Tombstone and the Earp's time there, I'll read about it elsewhere. I don't need that in a book about Dodge City. Clavin also repeats the Wyatt Earp/Clay Allison confrontation that likely never actually happened. But it's nice book and a good overview of a town that was important far beyond its size and that has gone on to become a part of American mythology. It also inspires a sincere desire for good modern biographies of both Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson (and I'll add in Virgil Earp, Luke Short and Charlie Bassett while I'm at it). I read this a while back and I remember liking it |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 10, 2023 7:38:37 GMT -5
God Save the Mark
by Donald Westlake
I've been wanting to check out Dortmunder for a while now, after the last review by Slam I was inspired to see if any of the books could be had at the library.. I found this instead.
Fred Fitch is a perfect lovable loser, every really is out to get him because he can't possibly believe anyone is conning him ever. This gives Westlake a chance to depict just about every two bit con he's ever heard of (and perhaps make up a few for this book).
Somehow it all turns into a coherent plot in which Fred fears for his life after inheriting a fortune from a long lost uncle he didn't know he had. This book was just what the doctor ordered.. it is so fun. You can't help but both laugh at and root for Fred at the same time... and the plot ends up being totally logical, but still a surprising....very happy I picked it up!
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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 15, 2023 9:38:27 GMT -5
Northworld
by David Drake
It definitely took me longer than it should have to get through this one... there were alot of cuts from one scene to another that left you guessing at what was going on. While it was fairly obvious, the fact that it wasn't spelled out definitely was disconcerting.
Drake has some good action scenes here with the main character being a one man wrecking crew, or a few time commanding a small unit, and he's an interesting character, not quite the same as the usual hero type. The plot leaves something to be desired though. I'm hoping the new book will make it clear (since I have the whole trilogy already)
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Post by driver1980 on Oct 16, 2023 8:20:48 GMT -5
In case anyone is interested:
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Oct 18, 2023 10:18:41 GMT -5
 Battle Cry by Leon Uris
This was a massive nostalgia rush as I read it at least two or three times when I was school age. It had been easily 40 years since I'd read it, so I was unsure how it would hold up. I was pleased to find that it held quite well for me. This was Uris' first novel and was a major best-seller. It's a bit of a pot-boiler and was probably a bit risque for 1953 with its fallen women and pre-marital relations. Tame stuff, now, but I've read enough novels from the time period to say this was bolder than most. It was also based on Uris' experiences as a radioman with the 6th Marines during World War II where he served in Guadalcanal and Tarawa. That gives the training and battle portions of book a definite air of authenticity. The book follows members a Marine radio squad from the train ride to basic, through basic training, radio school and on to combat and the time in between. There is certainly emphasis on the personal lives of the members, to greater and lesser extent depending on the individual. Our narrator (though it switches to third person where he could not be present) is an old regular salty Marine who watches his boys become men. There seems to be a lot of stereotypes here...the All-American football player, the Indian, the Texan, etc. But then I remember that this was written in 1953...were they already clichés at that point? Ultimately this is just a major page-turner and it was the right remedy for a fairly serious bout of readers block. |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Oct 18, 2023 13:04:44 GMT -5
And, I've been fairly bad about keeping up, so some quick hits on stuff I didn't review.
The Leper of Saint Giles by Ellis Peters. Very enjoyable entry in the Cadfael series. There's very definitely a formula to these books, but it's an enjoyable formula.
I also have re-read the first three volumes of Robert Lynn Asprin's Myth series. I loved these in late junior high/high school. Honestly they hold up pretty well (at least the early books). Light, breezy and punny. The perfect antidote to the oh, so serious fantasy. Another Fine Myth, Myth Conceptions and Myth Directions.
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Post by driver1980 on Oct 18, 2023 13:38:00 GMT -5
Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and the Wickedest Town in the American West by Tom Clavin
Popular history writer Tom Clavin looks at what is probably the quintessential cow-town of the old west, Dodge City, Kansas, with a particular view toward two of its frequent (and most famous) lawmen, Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. Clavin does what he can to strip away the myths that have grown up around the West, the town and both Earp and Masterson over the last 150 years and present an accurate picture of the towns place in history and the two lawmen's place within the town and the broader history of the West. As always, Clavin puts out a solid, readable and well researched book (I loved his "The Heart of Everything That Is" with Bob Drury). The narrative is somewhat fractured, but that worked for me. Clavin does a good job of giving enough background to allow you to understand why Dodge was important and how it came into existence, as well as background on Earp and Masterson before they came to Dodge. And we get significant, but not overwhelming looks at prominent figures like Luke Short, Charlie Bassett and Bill Tilghman. The book isn't without faults. Clavin takes some unnecessary detours. While it adds a bit of context, I don't think that the time spent in Tombstone helped the book. If I want to read about Tombstone and the Earp's time there, I'll read about it elsewhere. I don't need that in a book about Dodge City. Clavin also repeats the Wyatt Earp/Clay Allison confrontation that likely never actually happened. But it's nice book and a good overview of a town that was important far beyond its size and that has gone on to become a part of American mythology. It also inspires a sincere desire for good modern biographies of both Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson (and I'll add in Virgil Earp, Luke Short and Charlie Bassett while I'm at it). Added to my list. Trying to read more like that, so please recommend any others if you read them. |
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Post by Prince Hal on Oct 18, 2023 14:12:39 GMT -5
If it's Western historical fiction you're looking for, driver1980, try most anything by Larry McMurtry, but I especially recommend "Lonesome Dove." If you're looking for non-fiction, you might also like "Empire of the Summer Moon," by S.C. Gwynne, about the Comanche nation in the southwest, with a particular focus on the saga of Cynthia Ann Parker, and her son, the great chief Quanah. "Ride the Wind" by Lucia St. Clair Robson is an unflinchingly realistic, fact-laden novel based on their story. "Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI" by David Grann is now a film by Martin Scorcese. Read the book first. Compelling, heartbreaking story of what happens when oil is discovered on land of the Osage people in Oklahoma in the early years of the twentieth century. No spoiler to tell you that white men's greed infects everything. |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Oct 18, 2023 14:49:57 GMT -5
If it's Western historical fiction you're looking for, driver1980 , try most anything by Larry McMurtry, but I especially recommend "Lonesome Dove." If you're looking for non-fiction, you might also like "Empire of the Summer Moon," by S.C. Gwynne, about the Comanche nation in the southwest, with a particular focus on the saga of Cynthia Ann Parker, and her son, the great chief Quanah. "Ride the Wind" by Lucia St. Clair Robson is an unflinchingly realistic, fact-laden novel based on their story. "Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI" by David Grann is now a film by Martin Scorcese. Read the book first. Compelling, heartbreaking story of what happens when oil is discovered on land of the Osage people in Oklahoma in the early years of the twentieth century. No spoiler to tell you that white men's greed infects everything. I'll definitely second both Empire of the Summer Moon and Killers of the Flower Moon. I have another book by Tom Clavin coming up in probably two weeks, Wild Bill: The True Story of the American Frontier's First Gunfighter. I'll let you know how it is. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 20, 2023 23:43:18 GMT -5
Vengeance (Northworld #2
David Drake
It's never a good thing when the authors has to tell you what he's doing, and you can't just tell. I had no idea the first Northworld book was telling the Edda. I've read a fair amount of different versions of quite a few of those stories, and neither the first book of this one really jump out with what stories he's telling. Sure, he's got gods and 9 planes (actually, maybe there's only 8?), but who are the analogues for who and where and not clear to me at all, except North, who seems to have lost an eye between books to make it clear.
As a result, it's kinda hard to get behind anything that's going on... Nils Hansen is supposed to be the hero, but it's not clear what he's trying to accomplish, and he's so self pitying he's annoying. That said, the setting is interesting, and I keep waiting for the point, but it's just not here yet. Sparrow's story here is good, and not one I've read before (the notes mention he is Wayland the Smith, who I have heard of but never read about), but it didn't do much for the overall narrative.
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