Andrew

A comprehensive introduction to the art of bonsai that covers the primary forms, suitable species, and basic techniques for training the tree. Has a bit of a UK bias given that's where the author lives and works, but he makes an effort to generalize as much as possible when talking about the seasons and handling the bonsai in different weather.

I most appreciated the section where he discussed the progress of trees in his own collection, with notes and pictures taken over the course of 10-15 years in some cases. It really highlighted both how much dramatic change a tree can be induced to undergo and also how minute, gradual refinements may go unnoticed for years at a time but add up to a noticeable difference in the final product.

As to whether or not the information and advice in the book is sufficient to help someone develop a successful bonsai...I guess get back to me in 5 years or so.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

On the one hand, this was an interesting story from the Wild West days of computer networking, before the concept of cybersecurity existed. As someone who spent my whole career in IT I enjoyed reading about the case where methods still in use today like packet capturing, audit trails, and honeypots were essentially invented on the fly. It was also enlightening to read about the philosophical standpoint of the network admins that were explicitly opposed to basic security practices because they believed in free and open collaboration and data sharing. What a happier, simpler time...

On the other hand, the book is too long by half and the middle section is so...damn...repetitive. Stoll pads the book with page after page of "On Sunday, I detected the hacker trying to break into military systems. I called the FBI but they said they couldn't get involved. Little did I know this case would last another 6 months...on Monday, the hacker was up to his old tricks. I called the NSA, but, as they had told me every day for the last 6 weeks, technically no crime had been committed. How much longer could this go on? The answer turned out to be 5 months, 3 weeks, and 6 days...on Wednesday, I was shocked to discover that..." and I can't express how much I am not exaggerating.

There are some merits to the book but at this point, 40 years after the fact, it's only of interest to aging computer nerds like myself who want to reminicise about olden times. There's no mass appeal here anymore.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

A good mix of short stories about sex, violence, and greed from throughout Block's long career. Most are standalone stories, a few take place within his popular Matt Scudder series.

My favorite of the collection was the titular story, "Catch and Release, about a 'retired' serial killer. There were two other stories, "Clean Slate" and "Speaking of Lust" had elements that made me initially think they were related or describing the same events from different perspectives...but on further reflection, I think it was more a case of an author going back to the same well more than once in his career. Who knows how much it was intentional choice?

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

A satisfying send-up of The Prisoner of Zenda. Flashman, the cowardly rogue, claims that the story was flimsily based on his own real life experience, although he was far less chaste and noble than his counterpart, Rudolph Rassendyll. In Flashman's telling, he was kidnapped by Otto von Bismarck and forced to impersonate a minor Danish noble in a plot that would have jumpstarted the Unification of German. It's a fun tale on it's own and more so for those familiar with the Ruritanian romances that it parodies.

There is one single word in the book that bumped my review score up from 3 to 3.5 stars...at one point Flashman sarcastically refers to the events as a "clever little bandobast." The text doesn't explain what a bandobast is and I had to look it up as I was unfamiliar, as I imagine 9 out of 10 other readers would be. It's an Anglicization of an Indian word that means "a plot, plan, or conspiracy." It's such a minor and unnecessary detail on Fraser's part to have Flashman use that archaic term but lends so much to the continuity and grounding that Flashman, who was stationed in India as a cavalry officer in the first book, would be familiar with this word and use it in his internal narration. I loved it.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

Very good story with a great, creepy ending. It's setup for the second book in The Captive's War series but honestly it works perfectly well on its own as a quick, disturbing, space marine tale.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

I listened to the audiobook when it first came out but sat down to read the book earlier this year to refresh myself ahead of the second novel coming out. Starts off fairly slow with a lot of buildup of plot lines that have no payoff...but on the second time through, I really see that as a strength. It helps lull you in and put you in the shoes of the characters, where all the petty workplace drama and interoffice politics they were caught up in become completely meaningless in the face of the Carryx invasion. Very good book overall, nice bit of world building and teases out enough threads to make one interested in continuing the series.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

Someone recommended this book to me, saying, "you seem like you would enjoy this." I'll have to go the rest of my life knowing that's what they think of me and never knowing what I did to give them that impression.

There's only three things the fine folks of Black Banks, Kentucky love; faith, family, and going down to the honky-tonk every Saturday night. All the women look as pretty as a peach in their ol' gingham frocks and they be cooking that cornbread just right, every waking moment. The young men come up from the coal mine all blue-eyed and muscley, wearing them Levi jeans so tight they just about fit to bust. They love their mamas and they ain't got no daddies, and in between smoking a Marlboro Red, drinking a shot of Jim Beam, or singing/listening to gospel music at least once per paragraph, they stand out in the middle of the Appalachian holler looking up at that clear blanket of stars thinking deep thoughts about their place in the universe. Lord bless, they's so many deep thinking, whiskey drinking, God fearing folk staring up at the stars it's a wonder there's enough room for them all to stand side by side.

There ain't much plot to this [smoking a Marlboro] story, it's more of a character study and series of vignettes centered around 20-something year old orphan [shot of bourbon] Clay Sizemore, who ain't never been in love before until he meets and starts courting Alma, who play the fiddle just as sweet as a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie and done runned off from her no-good husband Denzel. The story is interspersed with flashbacks to Clay's dearly departed wild child saint of a mother, Anneth, [gospel music] and some mighty powerful symbolism and metaphors that weigh as heavy as the Appalachian hills themselves...and just like those hills, the symbolism is strip-mined and hollowed out for all it's worth until there hain't nothing left [smoking another Marlboro, double shot of bourbon].

The prose is so sappy and dripping with Southern aphorisms, you could sop it up with one of your grandmammy's buttermilk biscuits. If there's a single [gospel music] hillbilly stereotype that isn't loving portrayed at some point in this book, then I'll be a monkey's uncle.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

Having followed the basic tenets of Carl Pullein's Time Sector System for a few months now, I can state that the method does work, more or less. I don't have the same professional demands or tight deadlines that Carl does; I mainly use this system to supercede my ADHD by writing a task or thought down immediately and prioritize it rather than hope I remember it later when I have both the free time and motivation to carry it through.

This book is not entirely necessary - one can get the majority of the information and work flow from watching Carl's free YouTube guides. That said, the text does go into more detail on some topics, is a handy reference guide while setting up your own system, and is a nice way to support the creator for their efforts.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

"Well, I think it was really just determination that really meant something. I can't believe that they didn't just go in and wipe us out. We confused the Japanese so much. I think it deterred them. It was a great experience."

— Thomas Stevensen, Survivor of Samuel B. Roberts

A harrowing reconstruction of the Battle off Samar. Hornfischer makes the decision to focus on a handful of sailors from each of the American escort carriers and destroyer escorts and follow the battle through their eyes, hooking readers in emotionally. It's an effective strategy as opposed to providing a clinical birds' eye view of events, but I confess to often feeling confused about where exactly each ship was in relation to each other and the Japanese during the course of action and being overwhelmed by the volume of violence and the scale of it all...but given that even the survivors themselves couldn't say with 100% accuracy what the hell happened or how they managed to live through it, I can't hold that too much against the author.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

This short story, set shortly after the events of Leviathan Falls, is not essential reading but does tie up a couple loose ends. Mainly, it shows two things: life goes on in the face of every tragedy and hardship, and that people as a whole keep making the same mistakes.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

A strong follow-up to Cop Hater. McBain put into practice his idea that "the squadroom itself could function as the hero" by having last book's protagonist, Steve Carella, out of the picture for most of this story and letting other members of the police force take center stage. The Mugger mainly follows rookie patrolman Bert Kling, who gets roped into doing a favor for an old acquaintance, while the detective squad deals with the titular mugger.

As before, McBain revels in the details of the mundane and repetitious nature of police work. Even cases of rape, assault, and murder become just another day on the job. The focus is more on the personalities and interpersonal relationships of the members of the 87th precinct than any thrilling action or solving the mystery of the case.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

Harry Flashman is perhaps the least likable, most odious, and contemptible protagonist in any book I've ever read. His only saving grace is that he knows it and will tell you so himself.

The concept of the 12-part series The Flashman Papers is that after a long and storied career in Her Majesty's Service, General Sir Harry Paget Flashman has sat down to write his memoirs and reveal how every selfless and courageous act he has been credited with was in fact either lucky happenstance, misrepresented, or a deliberate falsification in order to increase his social standing. Over the course of the series he is a sort of Victorian era Forrest Gump, regularly interacting with real world figures and often finding himself central to the most important historical events of the day between 1839-1894.

This first story details his rise as a cavalry officer and his experiences during the disastrous retreat from Kabul in 1842 during the First Angle-Afghan War. Despite spending the majority of the book sucking up to his superiors, physically and sexually abusing his servants, and shirking his duty at every opportunity, he is publicly celebrated as the Hero of Afghanistan at the end of the story by virtue of being one of the only survivors and no one being around to dispute his version of events.

As I said at the beginning, the story is framed as an elderly Flashman finally coming clean and setting the record straight, marveling at what a stupid society would let someone like him rise to the top. I feel Flashman is best looked at as a satirical representation of British colonialism and imperial attitudes distilled down into one man: rapacious, vain, intolerant, violent, cowardly, hypocritical, and never, ever noble. If the books ever played it straight or expected you to take Flashman's side, I think the whole thing would fall apart.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

Extremely well-researched and engaging biography of a modern-day sailing vagabond whose life was repeatedly marred by tragedy and traumatic events and ultimately, paradoxically, was held prisoner by his reckless pursuit of freedom.

Anyone who enjoyed Into the Wild will love this as well, as it explores similar themes of youthful idealism, intentional rejection of civilization, and self-destructive hubris.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

Difficult one for me to read or review with any degree of impartiality. I myself was a Fobbit, deployed to a Forward Operating Base on the south side of Baghdad in 2005, exactly the time in which this novel is set. It's a weird feeling to have personal experience with the events of a fictional story...

I can say that it's a competently written story and the plot comes together nicely without any wild leaps or deus ex machina workarounds. It has a strong sense of place: I was instantly brought back to my own time on a FOB and some of the dialogue is word-for-word with conversations I overheard and took part in.

There is an implication in the tone of the book that Fobbits (soldiers deployed to a combat zone who work in office jobs or support roles on base and don't see combat up close) are universally cowards, shamelessly ducking their true duty and responsibility at every opportunity, as if they could (and should!) pick up their rifle and volunteer to go out on patrol any time they wanted if only they were man enough. That is not the case...but I absolutely did know soldiers who fit that stereotype.

The absurdity of the military operations never quite reach the fever-pitch of a scathing satire or uncover any core truths...but in truth the Iraq War was absolutely an immoral, illegal, unnecessary conflict of immense idiocy. It's probably not fair to expect the author to make it make sense in under 400 pages.

And lastly, the author's obvious self-insert gets off too lightly as the only sane, thoughtful character trying to do his best amidst all the insanity and hypocrisy around him...but I also absolutely like to think of myself as "one of the good ones" when I look back.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

A disappointing follow-up to The Prisoner of Zenda, with a surprisingly bitter undercurrent to it all.

The true king, Rudolph Elphsburg, suffers PTSD from his captivity in the previous novel and paranoia that his wife and closest advisors all preferred his imposter, Rudolph Rassendyll...and he's 100% correct. His so-called friends despise and despair of his leadership and the central conflict of the plot involves trying to cover up the long-running emotional affair Queen Flavia and Rassendyll have been carrying on behind his back. When Elphsburg is murdered by the titular villain, everyone treats it as a win-win.

The novel suffers on three counts. First, that it is narrated by the stuffy and Germanic nobleman Fritz, who saps the story of energy and immediacy with his lengthy, florid, archaic language.

Second, that it overuses the impersonations, double-crosses, and misunderstandings until it becomes a confused mess: "we know that he knows that we know that he knows the King is in Zenda, but he doesn't know that we know that he knows we know that he knows!" and so forth...

And third, there's no escaping that the central conflict is an issue entirely of the protagonists' own making as they work to cover up the Queen's affair in the guise of "protecting her honor." Maybe that morality played better in 1896 but it has not held up at all.

Always love a good Quarry story...eight books into the series, you know exactly what you're getting. Sex, murder, double-crossing, Midwestern sleaze, and all the rest.

The previous book, The Last Quarry, saw the titular hitman coming out of retirement after a long time away. This standalone tale jumps all the way back to his first job in 1970. One could argue that Quarry is too cool and collected for a rookie hitman, considering everything that goes wrong with this job. I feel like it was a missed opportunity to show him learning on the job more and growing into the hardened Quarry we know from the other books, but apparently he was just born that way. It's also a remarkable coincidence how many of the women he runs into came straight from the pages of Penthouse magazine...but as always, Max Allan Collins is a master of this type of seedy crime noir storytelling and The First Quarry is a gritty, entertaining, page-turner.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

An informative and comprehensive history of crime, punishment, and fringe social status in 16th century Nuremberg that uses the city's long-serving executioner, Frantz Schmidt, as a through-line.

Harrington uses Schmidt's privately kept journal as a starting point for the history but significantly buttresses it with memoirs of the ministers and city officials Schmidt worked under, court records, census data, etc., to paint a vivid and likely accurate picture life in the city at that time.

Where it falls short in my opinion is in the central through-line of bringing Frantz Schmidt to life and providing an intimate look inside his mind through the text of his journal, which Harrington acknowledges is mainly just a list of the executions and punishments Schmidt performed with, at most, a few added details.

Harrington regularly appears to leap to assumptions about Schmidt's opinion on a case based on the fact that he described the crime instead of just the method of execution, that he wrote 3 sentences instead of 2, or that he never bothered to record a particular detail...and then uses those assumptions as foundational building blocks for Schmidt's personality.

Overall, good as a history of a fairly specific and niche window in time, less good as a convincing psychological profile of Meister Frantz Schmidt.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

Easy to see why this story was so popular it spawned an entire genre of "Romantic, Swashbuckling Adventures Set in Vaguely Germanic Fictional European Countries." It also, along with The Prince and the Pauper, established the trope of an uncanny lookalike having to impersonate a public figure in order to keep up appearances.

Despite being well over a hundred years old, it's still an easy, entertaining, witty, and action-packed read that flies by.

Full-disclosure up front: my 5 star rating is a reflection of the impact the book had on me the first time I read it 16 years ago as a recent college dropout with no prospects who had just moved back to my hometown, dissatisfied with my Catholic faith, and with no prior knowledge of Stoicism.

At that time, it was electric and revelatory. It opened the door to Stoic philosophy for me, which radically changed my way of thinking. Rereading now as someone older, more secure in my worldview, and with a broader understanding of Stoicism, I'd rate it around 3 stars.

The book is written as an introduction to Stoic philosophy and attempts to "update" it to make it applicable to modern life. It's roughly divided into 4 parts: part one being a brief history of the development and practice of Stoicism in ancient Greece and Rome, part two covering the basic axioms of Stoic practice, part three in which the author demonstrates how those practices can be of use in our daily life, and part four in which he attempts to head off criticism or doubters.

The author focuses heavily on negative visualization, or the practice of imagining bad things happening so that we're more appreciative of them not happening and more prepared for if they do. To quote one passage:

We need to keep firmly in mind that everything we value and the people we love will someday be lost to us. If nothing else, our own death will deprive us of them. More generally, we should keep in mind that any human activity that cannot be carried on indefinitely must have a final occurrence. There will be - or already has been! - a last time in your life that you will brush your teeth, cut your hair, drive a car, mow the lawn, or play hopscotch. There will be a last time you hear the sound of snow falling, watch the moon rise, smell popcorn, feel the warmth of a child falling asleep in your armals, or make love. You will someday eat your last meal, and soon thereafter you will take your last breath.

The point of this is not to leave people paralyzed with anxiety but to make them more aware of and connected to the moment, both to not take good things for granted and also to not over-catastrophize the bad things. "This too shall pass..."

The book does a good job of hammering home this point, and the author works hard to combat the perception of Stoics as cold, emotionless, robotic, etc. In practice, a good Stoic should naturally be more optimistic and relaxed than the average person, without letting themselves get carried away by the highs or lows.

The book is less successful in the third and fourth parts. Irvine does not practice a pure form of Stoicism but has simply adapted some of the more accessible practices into his own personal life and is heavily informed by his pre-existing conceptions (he was a practicing Buddhist previously) and some of his defenses of Stoicism in the fourth part feel like loosely-constructed strawmen.

However, I still find the book to be a good entry to Stoicism and would recommend it as a starting point to someone interested in the philosophy but would quickly follow that up with a recommendation of classical Stoic literature to buttress it. To his credit, Irvine says the same himself and provides a lengthy recommended reading list in the appendix.

This book is very much an elementary take on Stoicism and one should not expect to walk away an expert after reading it. But to someone in the same position I once was, lost and questioning, it can open an invaluable door towards making sense of life.

This is the downside of failing to develop an effective philosophy of life: you end up wasting the one life you have.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

Always frustrating to find out that, not only did someone already write the story you had kinda sorta meant to get around to writing someday, they did it just about before you were even born.

This is a story of the Black Company, a mercenary company with a long history that has now found itself in service to an evil cabal of ancient, undead sorcerors. Despite that, there are relatively few battles or detailed action sequences in the book. Part of this is because the main character, Croaker, is the company's medic and historian and isn't present on the front lines. But more so, that just isn't the story Glen Cook has set out to tell.

The narrative and pacing of this book reminded me more of my own time in the Army than any other fantasy novel. Anyone who has had to live the phrase, "Hurry up and wait," should easily be able to identify with the men of the Black Company. They sit around their barracks playing card games and discussing rumors of how the war is going on the other fronts (and are often wrong). They play pranks on each other to kill time. They grumble and complain about their orders but carry them out anyway, then find a dry place to sit down and break the deck of cards out again. This is the story of any close-knit fighting unit from any war ever, whether that be me and my friends sitting somewhere in Iraq twenty years ago or a fantasy mercenary unit with sorcery who conjure great flaming worms up from the dirt to eat out their enemies eyeballs.

"The unwritten law of all armies, Captain. The lower ranks have the privilege of questioning the sanity and competence of their commanders. It's the mortar holding an army together."

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

Boy, did this book annoy me. If not for the dozens of people telling me to press on, the series gets better, it'll be worth it in the end, I would've happily chucked this one aside with no lingering regret.

As is, this was my third time trying to complete this book, having previously stalled out around the 10% and 25% marks, and I still set it aside for weeks at a time. All the criticisms you've heard are true: it drops you straight into the middle of a story with no preamble. There is a huge cast of characters to keep track of. It is desperately in need of an editor. Some of the races and places appear to have been named by a generic fantasy name generator (when I doubt, throw an apostrophe into the n'ame to make it s'ound e'x'o't'i'c).

The differing storylines and POV characters don't start to coalesce into an actual plot until more than halfway through the book, and that's relatively quickly and anti-climacticly wrapped up. Hard to justify why it took 500 pages to get to this point and if I ever read the next book in the series it will be down to all the assurances I've had that they get better and my own sunk cost fallacy.

Like millions of Americans, I have some Irish ancestry, but it never expressed itself outside of being raised nominally Catholic and having strong opinions on the right way to pour a Guinness. I had heard of The Troubles, certainly, but couldn't tell you a thing about them.

This is an incredibly readable history of the Provisional IRA and their 30 year campaign against the British in Northern Ireland. It compares and contrasts their idealistic goals with the brutal reality of their methods, questions what happens to the revolutionaries after the revolution ends, and clearly illustrates the scars that violence leaves on both the victims and the perpetrators. It is a fascinating and important book not just for those interested in this particular period of Irish history, but for any marginalized community pushed beyond the brink.

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1680 x 1264

My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

Better than the preceding book, but still overly long. Grayson's character develops a little more nuance but the rest of the supporting cast are broad-stroke archetypes and I question the efficacy of some of the military tactics on offer...but as a licensed lore expansion of a tabletop gaming universe, it's a good read.

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1680 x 1264

My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

In 1968, 29-yr old Robin Knox-Johnston set off from Falmouth Harbour in Suhaili, a 32 foot wooden sailboat that he had helped build himself. Three hundred and twelve days later he returned to Falmouth, becoming the first person to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the globe. This book is Knox-Johnston's first-hand account of the trip, including excerpts from his logbooks and diary during the voyage. It is a riveting tale of adventure and man against nature. His wry sense of humor and "stiff upper-lip" attitude undersell the phenomenal challenges he faced but there is no hiding the bravery, courage, and self-actualization.

My mother, when asked for her opinion of the voyage before I sailed, had replied that she considered it 'totally irresponsible' and on this Christmas Day I began to think she was right. I was sailing around the world simply because I bloody well wanted to - and, I realized, I was thoroughly enjoying myself.

Because this book was published just months after completing the race and while the accomplishment was still fresh in public awareness, it dives directly into the action with scant little set-up. For readers not already familiar with the story of the 1968 Golden Globe Race, I highly recommend picking up Peter Nichol's A Voyage for Madmen, which does an excellent job of explaining the build-up to the race, the other competitors, and helps set Knox-Johnston's achievement into greater context. Also well worth reading is The Long Way by Bernard Moitessier, a much more philosophical first-hand account of the race from one of the other entrants, who either went a little a crazy or ascended to a higher plane of nirvana depending on your interpretation.

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My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.

Better than The Sword and the Dagger in terms of plot and characterization, but still a little rough and could have been slimmed down considerably. This novel introduces Grayson Death Carlyle and kicks off the Saga of the Gray Death Legion, one of the major storylines within the Battletech lore.

He mused about Claydon as he made his way north through Sarghad's streets toward Mara's apartment. He'd decided to walk despite the cold because he needed the time to do some thinking. Anyway, his cold-weather gear kept him warm enough.

There are many passages like that one that either cancel themselves out, make themselves immediately redundant, or repeat information over and over again. A good 40-50 pages could have been cut without losing anything of import.

My Rating Scale

5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.

4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.

3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.

2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.

1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.