CLYDE WISHAM
[b:The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 716532 The Day of Battle The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 Rick Atkinson https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1384185057s/716532.jpg 702783] is the second book in Rick Atkinson's three-part history of World War II. It picks up pretty much right where [b:An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 541920 An Army at Dawn The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 Rick Atkinson https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1383352833s/541920.jpg 1795751] ends.The battle for Italy was one of the toughest of the war. By the end of the 608 day campaign to liberate Italy, Allied forces had lost about 312,000 casualties. German losses, while uncertain, were similar in scale. The fighting was particularly brutal at the Anzio beachhead and along the Gustav line.The multiple attacks, the first three of which were bloodily repulsed, on the Gustav line seems to me to have showed a distinct lack of imagination on the part of the Allied high command. Perhaps that was dictated by the terrain and couldn't be helped. However, I find it interesting that the breakthrough, when it finally came, was due to French general Juin personally going forward to find out why his army's attack was stalling. As a result of the intelligence gained, he pulled back, made a new and timely plan, and launched a successful night attack that severed the Gustav line.I am writing this on Veteran's day. This book had many poignant points for me as my father was there – at Anzio. His unit of tank destroyers took part in the defense of the beachhead, the breakout, and then the capture of Rome. He fought on to the end of the war in northern Italy. (Would that he were still here to discuss this with.)In summary, Atkinson's obviously did a lot of research for this book. His depiction of the war in Italy is filled with a wealth of detail. The many maps are a good complement to the text. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the biggest and most brutal war ever fought.
I found [b:Ancillary Justice 17333324 Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1) Ann Leckie https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1372169565s/17333324.jpg 24064628] to be quite interesting. The main character, Breq, embodies a truly novel concept (to me at least). She is a splinter of a hive mind; the single remnant of an AI that once controlled a warship, The Justice of Toren. (That's not a spoiler. It is one of the first things you learn.) The story is told in two timelines: the present, in which Breq is seeking justice for an evil deed, and a flashback timeline in which that evil occurred. Though, Breq is only a shadow of her former self, she is still very competent and very dangerous indeed.And is Breq even a “she”? At the end of the story I still don't know. Gender indifference and gender confusion are an integral part of the story. Most characters are referred to as “she” or “her”, but gender designations switch sometimes. This reminds me somewhat of [a:Ursula K. Le Guin 874602 Ursula K. Le Guin https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1244291425p2/874602.jpg]'s [b:The Left Hand of Darkness 18423 The Left Hand of Darkness (Hainish Cycle #4) Ursula K. Le Guin https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1309282484s/18423.jpg 817527]. However, in that book (IIRC) most characters were referred to with masculine pronouns.The social system is very interesting. It is based on families and “clients” in a hierarchical structure, but with some provision for meritorious advancement. I don't think the writer meant to mimic any particular society, but it brought to mind ancient Rome and medieval Japan and has some resemblance to that of [a:Walter Jon Williams 48960 Walter Jon Williams https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1275489992p2/48960.jpg]' Dread Empire's Fall series . The entire social structure is run by an all-powerful entity made up of clones with a shared intelligence.All in all, Ancillary Justice is a good story and a solid first novel. I have to give [a:Ann Leckie 3365457 Ann Leckie https://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-d9f6a4a5badfda0f69e70cc94d962125.png] major props for imagination and world building.
This was my second time through [b:Smoke-Filled Rooms 18723285 Smoke-Filled Rooms (Smokey Dalton, #2) Kris Nelscott https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1382966698s/18723285.jpg 26592236] – this time in audiobook format. It was if anything even better than the first read.Smoky Dalton is a great character. I love this series and hope [a:Kris Nelscott 218392 Kris Nelscott https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1202526108p2/218392.jpg] will continue it.
Geno and his small band of mighty warriors are dispatched on battle missions throughout space and time by the god Hermes. God's will be done, right? But, as things progress, Geno begins to have doubts about what he is doing and even about the godhood of Hermes. And, when you come to doubt your god, there will be consequences.This is a very good first book. I will be looking for more from John Koetsier.Fair warning: [b:No Other Gods 18302730 No Other Gods John Koetsier https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1376815730l/18302730.SY75.jpg 25792490] is filled with very graphic violence.
I thoroughly enjoyed [b:The Martian 16046182 The Martian Andy Weir https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1349001400s/16046182.jpg 21825181]. It is just a really great story of survival in the face of impossible odds. It is humorous, it has moments of great tension, it has some great characters, and it pushed all my geeky buttons. What more could you want?I listened to an audiobook version (Audible). I pretty much always have an active audiobook in my “now reading” list. However, I usually listen to books only when traveling or exercising. That was not the case with The Martian. I found myself making time to listen to it – taking my lunch alone, staying up late, skipping television programs. It was that good.
I am far from the target demographic, but I quite enjoyed [b:Skye Object 3270a 11275740 Skye Object 3270a Linda Nagata http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347235662s/11275740.jpg 6557693] nonetheless. This short novel is a mixture of the young-adult and science fiction genres. The main character is a 14 year old girl oddly named “Skye Object 3270a”. Skye's odd name turns out to be related to the plot of the story.Skye is precocious and somewhat given to impetuous action. Her friends are no better. When she finds that she has a serious problem she and her friends immediately set out to fix it, but without seeking any adult guidance or assistance. This leads to dangerous situations and wondrous complications. Four teenagers are soon off on a fast-paced high-tech adventure.The story is set in the universe of [a:Linda Nagata 578581 Linda Nagata http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1293931881p2/578581.jpg]'s Nanotech Succession series. Most of the action takes place in or near the city of Silk and (I think) near the time of Nagata's [b:Deception Well 12632768 Deception Well Linda Nagata http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348623687s/12632768.jpg 1175813] story.
[b:Up Jim River 7063585 Up Jim River (January Dancer, #2) Michael Flynn http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1316129442s/7063585.jpg 7315893] is the second book in [a:Michael Flynn 126502 Michael Flynn http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1282631351p2/126502.jpg]'s Spiral Arm series. It picks up after the events of [b:The January Dancer 3437316 The January Dancer (January Dancer, #1) Michael Flynn http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1316130421s/3437316.jpg 3478325] with Mearana (the Harper) and Donovan (the Scarred Man) as they set out to find Mearana's mother. Her mother is none other than “Hound” Bridget-Ban, the super-agent who played a major role in The January Dancer. It seems that Bridget-Ban has gone missing for about two years. Her organization, the Kennel, which is the intelligence arm of the League, has given up the search for her. Or have they?Donovan who saved the day at the end of The January Dancer subsequently was broken by his former masters, “Those of Name” who control the Confederation, the other major power of the series. (The Confederation are opposed to the League, and seem to be the bad guys in the series.) As a result of the mistreatment he endured, Donovan has become a scarred and seemingly useless drunk with 7 personalities warring in his head.Mearana and Donovan travel from planet to planet into the “wild” tracing clues to her mother's fate. As they get deeper into the raw frontier, things get dangerous. Along the way they have multiple adventures, and they are joined by others, who provide skills or knowledge necessary for the journey. However, these fellow travelers have their own agendas and, some may not be trustworthy.Flynn is a very skillful writer. He deftly weaves some tropes more common to fantasy into this story without it being incongruous in any way. I had a few laugh out loud moments.I listened to audible versions of the first two books in this series. The narration was acceptable, but I think the multiple characters were really too much for the single narrator. I plan to shift to text for the final two books in the series.
I recently stumbled across a worn copy of [b:The Deep Blue Good-by 3049647 The Deep Blue Good-by (Travis McGee, #1) John D. MacDonald https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356478419l/3049647.SY75.jpg 939275] in a used book store. I had fond memories of reading it some 40+ years ago, so I idly opened it and started reading. I soon found myself hooked once again by the first Travis McGee story.Travis McGee, self-styled beach bum, philosophical knight errant, and special”salvage consultant”, promises to help a friend recover some stolen valuables. He will work for his normal fee – 50% of whatever he recovers. However, as McGee starts his investigation he finds that the thief, Junior Allen, has taken more than valuables. He also has a history of sadistically mistreating women, and McGee finds himself salvaging Allen's cast off victims as well as trying to recover the stolen treasure.As it turns out, Junior Allen is not just a sleazeball but is also a seriously dangerous sociopath. Things do not go easy for McGee and he is far from perfect. Along the way he makes mistakes that are very costly to others. In the end McGee is in it for much much more than the money. Junior Allen has to go down.This book has aged well. Toss in a few references to the internet and some cell phones and the story could be present day rather than in the 1960s.John D. MacDonald was a master of suspense, and the Travis McGee stories are some of his best. It had been more than 30 years since I last read a Travis McGee story. Looking through the list, I find that I have read about half of them. That must be fixed. I have set myself the goal of reading all the Travis McGee stories, in order. A pace of about four books a year should be good, I think.
[b:Snipers 17987183 Snipers Kristine Kathryn Rusch http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1374635429s/17987183.jpg 25223129] is a well crafted mystery with strong SF overtones. All of the action takes place in Vienna, but in two timelines–one in 1913 and the other in 2005.The main protagonist, Sofie Branstadter, is a successful investigative journalist. She is writing a book about a series of famous unsolved murders that occurred in Vienna in 1913. As her investigations lead her deeper into the mystery, she finds oddity piled on oddity.I cannot say more without giving away important details. Suffice to say, no one knew it at the time, but there was something special about Vienna in 1913.[a:Kristine Kathryn Rusch 43989 Kristine Kathryn Rusch http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1316664630p2/43989.jpg] has written a tight story filled with action in one timeline and good detective work in the other. Good book, recommended.
[b:Take The Star Road 17983349 Take The Star Road (The Maxwell Saga, #1) Peter Grant http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1369693310s/17983349.jpg 25215974] is a coming of age story set inside a space adventure. I enjoyed it, but not as much as I had hoped to. It is a sort of a “Horatio Alger myth” story played out in a space opera setting. The writing style isn't to my liking. The author really likes to explain things, and he spends a lot of time explaining cool things. Some writers have done quite well as explainers (David Weber comes to mind); however, I prefer more show and less tell. Also, the main protagonist is too good to be true. He is brave, intelligent, honorable, never puts a foot wrong, and very very lucky.On the positive side, the story itself is pretty good, and I am sure it will find its audience.
Lois McMaster Bujold is a treasure. She is best known for her Vorkosigan Saga, but her Chalion fantasy series is also very good indeed.[b:The Curse of Chalion 61886 The Curse of Chalion (Chalion, #1) Lois McMaster Bujold http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1322571773s/61886.jpg 1129349] is a high fantasy; however, it doesn't have normal fantastical elements such as elves, fairies, and dragons. The only supernatural effects are due to divine intervention.The main protagonist, Cazaril, has had a hard life. A former high-ranking commander, he was betrayed and sold into slavery. After suffering for years as an oar slave aboard an enemy galley, he finally regained his freedom. As the book opens, Cazaril is struggling to return home and hopes only to find some peace after his brutal ordeal. However, that is not to be, for he is God touched. He doesn't know it yet, but he is literally on a mission from a God. It won't be easy.Good book to add a little intrigue, adventure, action, and romance to the reading diet. Recommended even for those who think they don't like fantasy.
This is one of the better personal accounts to come out of the Vietnam War. In a remote province in Vietnam's Mekong delta, First Lieutenant David Donovan became a de facto ruler. Hence the title – [b:Once A Warrior King: Memories of an Officer in Vietnam 40502 Once A Warrior King Memories of an Officer in Vietnam David Donovan http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327815697s/40502.jpg 40091]. It is a gripping story of an unusual war and its effects on the young men who fought it.The vivid description of being saved from being overrun one night by the awesome destructive power of an Arc Light strike will probably stay with me forever.
This is the third book in Thomas Harlan's In the Time of the Sixth Sun series. It can be read alone, but you will get more out of it if you read the preceding two books first (Wasteland of Flint and House of Reeds). The stories take place in an Aztec/Japanese dominated human star empire in the far future of an alternate history line. (All three books are good stories.)
I really like Harlan's writing style. He doesn't go in for info-dumps, but rather lets the details of things such as the back story and the political situation come out naturally through the characters actions, observations, decisions, and memories. (Reminds me somewhat of Vonda N. McIntyre in that respect.)
The book follows the fortunes of four main characters: Susan Kosho, an Imperial Mexica Navy captain; Gretchen Anderssen, a Danish archeologist; Mitshharu Hadeishi, a former Navy captain who has lost his ship; and Green Hummingbird, a very devious and dangerous Imperial agent. Things can get very dangerous out on the rim of the empire, and humans aren't necessarily the toughest species out there. The Imperial scout service has found an ancient and enormous artifact that might date back to the time of the First or Second Sun. It promises enormous power but is also enormously dangerous. Naturally, the empire dispatches an expedition. The two alien races that decide to get in on the game complicate things, as do the (at least) four human factions with their own agendas. Things get very complicated and very violent with lots of naval combat. I don't think it is a spoiler to say that not everyone makes it back.
If you like Jack McDevitt's books, you will probably like this one.
In Abaddon's Gate, Jim Holden and the crew of the Rocinante have more do-or-die adventures – a lot of them. I have quite enjoyed this series (good space opera).
This is supposed to be the final book in a trilogy, but at the end of this story, the gate is literally left open for more adventures. So, I will be looking for more in the universe of The Expanse from the James S.A. Corey team.
A tour bus crash strands Jack Reacher in the remote town of Bolton South Dakota. Of course there is trouble there. There is a murder, there are strange goings on at a nearby abandoned military facility, and a brave witness who has been targeted for assassination. The stage is set for Jack Reacher.
At first I was a bit disappointed by this story, because it seemed like it was recycling some plot items from a couple of his earlier books. But then Lee Child surprised me and took the story in a new direction. Reacher has one of his toughest tests and at the end you are left wondering if he survived. (Well, we know he does because there are more Jack Reacher books.)
Perhaps not the best of the Jack Reacher series, but still a good read. Recommended.
Drift is a very important book. I hope it will be widely read in all circles – especially by those involved in economic, political, and military decisions.
Rachel Maddow wittily and skillfully describes how the USA drifted into its present state of almost perpetual war. The executive branch of the government now wages war with little restraint. It is a serious condition and it is doing terrible damage to the economic health, the spirit, and indeed the safety of the country.
She ends the book with a very good eight-point to-do list. It is a call to action and I hope our leaders will heed it.
(As good as the book is, I can't bring myself to give it five stars. That is because Maddow allowed her politics to color her writing somewhat. Though she gives nobody a pass, she directs bitter anger and ill-will most strongly at Republicans. This is unfortunate; however, it takes nothing from her basic message.)
Among Others is a lovely book, even wonderful. It is not very exciting or thrilling, but it did keep me reading.
I cannot assign it to a genre. It seems to be a coming of age story. The protagonist is a teenage girl who was raised by a mad mother and has suffered a tragedy. She is trying to get on with her life through pain and sorrow. That would make it sort of a YA book. But, Among Others won both the Nebula award and the Hugo award as best book of the year, which would make it SF&F.
Why? Well you see, the main character, Morwenna, sees and communicates with fairies. She also tries to do some magic. Whether she succeeds or not ... well you will have to read to story for that.
I myself would not call it SF&F, but just a lovely and peculiar story and leave it at that.
Oh, and by the way, Morwenna loves books and talks about them constantly. They become sort of a character in the story.
The entire Kerrion Empire trilogy is great space opera.
Notes added after a reread
I first read Dream Dancer some thirty years ago. Based on my very positive memory of the book, I gave it five stars when I started entering my reads (those I could remember) in my GoodReads DB.
I am happy to say that Dream Dancer has held up very well and is still a damn good read. Were I reading it for the first time, I would probably give it four stars; however, I will respect the opinion of my earlier self and leave my rating at five stars. (I have become more critical I suppose.)
Dream Dancer mixes SF/F genres somewhat. It is mainly space opera but has some fantasy elements (minor spell casting ability by the main protagonist, which possibly isn't actually magic), but that just makes it a better story.
One thing I noticed this time is that one of the main characters seems to have what we would call “net addiction”, and suffers when cut off. (Much like some present day compulsive smart-phone users.) This was written before there was an Internet (TCP/IP had only just been standardized) – very prescient of Janet Morris.
Good book if you can find a copy.
Note added after another reread a decade later:
The entire The entire Kerrion Empire trilogy is now available in ebook format. (DRM free apparently.)