Catch-up Blog: Recent Reading

Well, hi there!

I have been absent from these pages for a rather long time, and I wanted to bring both of my dedicated readers up-to-date on what I have been reading since last August. Rather than doing a separate post for each book, I am simply providing the table below which lists the book, my rating of the book and the beginning of my goodreads.com review of the book.

To see the rest of any of the review text, just click on the Title link of the book and you will be taken to the goodreads page for this book and my review.

(The formatting is a bit of a mess for this blog. I will fix that as I have time.)

	Title	Rating	Review
	The Miracle at Speedy Motors (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #9)	2/5	I picked up this book because I had heard good things about the series and because this particular book had "Speedy Motors" in the title. :)…more [close] I picked up this book because I had heard good things about the series and because this particular book had "Speedy Motors" to the list. :) It was nothing special to me. I thought it was a reasonably enjoyable easy read, but I cannot say that I would really recommend it to anyone. There are much better books out there. (My tepid evaluation is not shared by the many other fans of this series, so perhaps the book will work better for you.) [close]
	Blood Diamonds	3/5	A very good exploration of the tragic circumstances surrounding the diamond industry in general and Sierra Leone in particular. The book also does a …more [close] A very good exploration of the tragic circumstances surrounding the diamond industry in general and Sierra Leone in particular. The book also does a good job of explaining the hold De Beers has over the diamond industry, inventory and, ultimately, value. [close]
	Brisingr (Inheritance, #3)	3/5	A decent third book in the series. If you liked the earlier ones, you will like this one. If you did not like the earlier ones, this one will not wi…more [close] A decent third book in the series. If you liked the earlier ones, you will like this one. If you did not like the earlier ones, this one will not win you over to being an Inheritance Series fan. I was most disappointed that this was not the end of the story. The author just could not bring himself to close things out in this book, so there will be another. I seriously think with a bit more discipline, the series would have been easily covered in 3 books. [close]
	A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains (The Western Frontier Library, 14)	2/5	The book is a fascinating account of Bird's travels mostly through Colorado. She was a tough old bird (pun intended), and she attempted something tha…more [close] The book is a fascinating account of Bird's travels mostly through Colorado. She was a tough old bird (pun intended), and she attempted something that most others would not have. I do respect her for that. I found reading about her trials pretty interesting. That said, I think she was an average writer at best. Perhaps I have been spoiled by the likes of Jon Krakauer. Independent of the quality of her writing, Bird strikes me as very self-centered and judgmental. This is significant to me as it was likely to affect the objectivity of her writing. That and it annoyed me at times. She also compromised her credibility by claiming Colorado to be a state before it actually was. I am not sure if this was just a mistake while she was writing or if (as the editor suggests) she went back and modified this part of her letters at a later date. (If the latter, what else might she have modified?) The Longs Peak climb was of interest to me, as I have made that trek myself. I took the traditional route that the 2 younger men with her took. I did not even know the route that she and Jim took was possible, but her account of the the ledge the 2 younger men took was not exaggerated. It is very narrow with a drop-off that seems to go forever. (This makes 2-way traffic on that ledge ... interesting.) In any case, she was not in the proper shape for this climb, and she was lucky to make it back alive. [close]
	The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium, #2)	3/5	I have very much enjoyed reading Stieg Larsson's first 2 books of this (Millennium) series. I would probably give this book a 3.5 if I could. Larsso…more [close] I have very much enjoyed reading Stieg Larsson's first 2 books of this (Millennium) series. I would probably give this book a 3.5 if I could. Larsson does a good job maintaining the suspense throughout the story. There are surprises and twists, and I like the 2 main characters. [close]
	Pride and Prejudice	2/5	I know this is supposed to be a great book, and I know that most of you enjoyed it far more than me. It just didn't work for me. Yes, I saw the hum…more [close] I know this is supposed to be a great book, and I know that most of you enjoyed it far more than me. It just didn't work for me. Yes, I saw the humor and satire. I even enjoyed it. But not enough. I found the language tiring, the story predictable and many of the characters annoying. (Although that last bit, I expect, is intended to add to the humor.) I am just not with the majority on this one. [close]
	Outlander (Outlander, #1)	2/5	Most guys should not read this book. It's not that it is particularly poorly written -- it's not, but it does seem primarily designed to make women…more [close] Most guys should not read this book. It's not that it is particularly poorly written -- it's not, but it does seem primarily designed to make women horny (which I am not saying is bad) whilst giving them an actual story to follow. This is a book that works very hard to make it okay for its married, modern day protagonist to have sex with a young, studly Scots warrior from the past. It's not her fault. She had no choice, you see. Hell, it's so okay that even the church reassures her that she has committed no sin for: - marrying and having sex with her young stud from the past - not returning to her own time and husband when she had the chance - killing a dude Sin-free, guilt-free sex with a tough, young, studly dude from the past wearing a kilt. What's not for a lady to love ... or lust anyway. Beats me, I am no lady. [close]
	The Magicians' Guild (Black Magician Trilogy, #1)	3/5	This is a pretty good "young adult" or younger book. I did not connect with it all that well, but I would give it a strong recommendation f…more [close] This is a pretty good "young adult" or younger book. I did not connect with it all that well, but I would give it a strong recommendation for kids under 15 that love to read. [close]
	The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics	4/5	And another book I would like to rate 3.5. Actually is was a 4.0 until the last quarter of the book, so I am biasing up my rating here. It's a 4.5 o…more [close] And another book I would like to rate 3.5. Actually is was a 4.0 until the last quarter of the book, so I am biasing up my rating here. It's a 4.5 on explaining complex but interesting technical concepts for most of the book, but falls to 2.5 or 3.0 near the end. Or perhaps I am not bright enough for the book. Also, good lord is Susskind arrogant -- bright, but arrogant! [close]
	Ringworld (Ringworld series, Book 1)	3/5	I sounds like a broken record, but I'd give this SciFi classic a 3.5 as well. Pretty good, pretty well-told story. I am not yet sure if I will read …more [close] I sounds like a broken record, but I'd give this SciFi classic a 3.5 as well. Pretty good, pretty well-told story. I am not yet sure if I will read any others in this series. [close]
	Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon	3/5	I'd give it a 3.5 if I could. This book is a very interesting and insightful view into the internal workings NASA throughout most of the 60's. [close] I'd give it a 3.5 if I could. This book is a very interesting and insightful view into the internal workings NASA throughout most of the 60's.
	The Magicians	3/5	This book was about a 3.5 for me. It is an interesting mix of Narnia and Potter with more adult themes. I really *did* enjoy it, but it bugged me th…more [close] This book was about a 3.5 for me. It is an interesting mix of Narnia and Potter with more adult themes. I really *did* enjoy it, but it bugged me that the protagonist (IMHO) never really figured out what he wanted out of life. On the other hand, the hedonistic tendencies of these more mature magicians do strike me as more realistic that the characters in similar books targeted at a younger audience. [close]
	Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon, #1)	2/5	Good premise for a story, but not all that well executed. …more [close] Good premise for a story, but not all that well executed.
	The Glass Castle	4/5	Jeannette Walls does a wonderful job of telling the difficult story of her childhood. The reader gets a real sense of what things were like for her a…more [close] Jeannette Walls does a wonderful job of telling the difficult story of her childhood. The reader gets a real sense of what things were like for her at the time of the actual experiences. There was both pain and humor. There was the tragedy of her childhood and the parenting to which she was subjected and joy of Jeannette coming through all of it as well as she did. Of the many "troubled childhood" books I have read of late, this is probably the best. [close]
	The Secret Life of Bees	2/5	This book is about a 2.5 to me. Parts of the book are a 3.5-4.0. In particular, the depiction of the black vs. white conflicts and struggles of th…more [close] This book is about a 2.5 to me. Parts of the book are a 3.5-4.0. In particular, the depiction of the black vs. white conflicts and struggles of the time is a difficult subject that is well presented. I also appreciated the narration by 14 year-old Lily -- both the way the story was told and the language used. But the story itself was a 2.0 in many ways. Parts were believable and parts were not. I expect many will enjoy this book, but too much of the bees' honey escaped into the story for my tastes. [close]
	Brothers: A Novel	3/5	This novel is great in the way it conveys the cultural revolution of China, but it is hobbled by the absurdity of its many coincidences. This story o…more [close] This novel is great in the way it conveys the cultural revolution of China, but it is hobbled by the absurdity of its many coincidences. This story of 2 extraordinary half-brothers is engaging, and I enjoyed moving through it and the recent history of China at the time. The book is primarily told in first person narrative form alternating between the two brothers. Their lives rise and fall (for the most part) inversely to one another. That would be coincidence enough, but that they both separately fall in love with the same woman at different times is a bit too much for me. The book is worth the reader's investment because of the insight it provides non-Chinese readers on a very tumultuous time in China's history. And the story is also very well told -- if you can suspend disbelief. [close]
	Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration of the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel	3/5	I think this is a 3.5 star book, but I am grading on the low side today. :) This is a fascinating book about many of the "impossible" th…more [close] I think this is a 3.5 star book, but I am grading on the low side today. :) This is a fascinating book about many of the "impossible" things portrayed in various sci-fi books and movies. The author does a very good job of making the outer edge of physics as we know it accessible to the average reader to the extent that it might be needed to achieve these supposedly impossible things. I was interested to learn how many "impossible" things are difficult but not inconsistent with the laws of physics. In the whole book there are only 2 things Kaku notes as being outside our current understanding of the laws of physics: perpetual motion machines and precognition. If you like Hawking's lighter works, you will like this book as well. [close]