“Ambush” by Luke Short is a really well written western I do not have very many western in my read category but this one would probably be at or near “Ambush” by Luke Short is a really well written western I do not have very many western in my read category but this one would probably be at or near the top even if I had hundreds in my library. It’s masterfully done throughout with detail to the true life feel of 1870’s southwest ethos that makes this a very believable multi-thread plot line with complex strategy and tactics and two interweaving developing love stories but mostly it’s about Army war against Apaches but it’s also a psychological profile of different arch type of people in this campaign focus more on the people movement and action rather than on a actual Indian war the Apaches while central to the story are for the most part off stage for much of it the author choosing to develop great depth in the character developments which comes together in the end in a very happy ending sort of way. Five stars just finely written pulp fiction an enjoyable read....more
In the Twinkling of an Eye:A Novel of Biological Terror and Espionage by James Lawler:
Excellent and set a new high standard for espionage adventures.In the Twinkling of an Eye:A Novel of Biological Terror and Espionage by James Lawler:
Excellent and set a new high standard for espionage adventures. This for me passes by John Le Carre stories and is as good as Philip Kerr or Barry Eisler stories which is as high praise as I am able to imagine. Five stars story that has a feeling of authenticity that confirms the author's Bona Fides as a senior decorated CIA career officer. Probably not since W. Somerset Maugham has an intelligent agent been such a good fiction writer. Strangest thing is how come no one knows about this writer or his work?
Merged review:
In the Twinkling of an Eye:A Novel of Biological Terror and Espionage by James Lawler:
Excellent and set a new high standard for espionage adventures. This for me passes by John Le Carre stories and is as good as Philip Kerr or Barry Eisler stories which is as high praise as I am able to imagine. Five stars story that has a feeling of authenticity that confirms the author's Bona Fides as a senior decorated CIA career officer. Probably not since W. Somerset Maugham has an intelligent agent been such a good fiction writer. Strangest thing is how come no one knows about this writer or his work?...more
Blood Opus by L. J. Dougherty: Last in a series the first being The Beasts of Caliber Lodge, then Primal Reserve now this. Fun read, Nazi hunters in tBlood Opus by L. J. Dougherty: Last in a series the first being The Beasts of Caliber Lodge, then Primal Reserve now this. Fun read, Nazi hunters in the early 50's finding both Nazi's and Monsters in a Plup-fiction sort of Horror and espionage mashup. A crazy B-movie old style horror story fun but kind of campy and silly as well. Anyway a solid three stars enjoyed the series but time to move on. ...more
Discovering Your Soul Signature: A 33-Day Path to Purpose, Passion & Joy by Panache Desai WOW!!! This was Good very very good five stars, straight up bDiscovering Your Soul Signature: A 33-Day Path to Purpose, Passion & Joy by Panache Desai WOW!!! This was Good very very good five stars, straight up best read of the year so far and has earned a top shelf place in my book shelf. I bought this as a audio-book then I bought the kindle edition to allow me to read along with the narration now I'm going to buy the hardcover so it stays top shelf inside my library. Ok so you get that I like this book. I don't often read self-help books maybe three percent of my total library is self-help books if that, so to come out strongly for a self-help book is nothing that I've done before but this one is special. It speaks to everyone it's not just for 12-steppers but if you are in a program do yourself this favor and check this book out. I strongly recommend the audio book if your not normally much of a reader but check this book out it's the real deal when it comes too understanding yourself and how you deal with fear, and shame and you name it he understands covers it and explains it in a really clear and positive way going to read this one again. I urge you too consider adding this to your to read list. 5 STARS!!!...more
Last of the Amazons by Steven Pressfield: Very good, very detailed, flows like super rich molasses not an easy read. The Author is obviously an expertLast of the Amazons by Steven Pressfield: Very good, very detailed, flows like super rich molasses not an easy read. The Author is obviously an expert of high intelligence on all things ancient and Greek. If I wasn't listening to this as an audiobook I doubt if I would have made it past the first few pages of names. Greek names (at times it seems he names every Amazon officer in the army by name as well as every opponent), it adds to the authenticity but sure slow down the flow. Long like Homer Odyssey and very similar in tone and in it's epic scale this is a high definition image of what this very knowledgeable author imagine a prehistorical accounting of a war between people of a city against people of the open plains, a war between men and women, a war that was fought before Troy but could have been used to fill out that heroic saga. A myth, a legend, here in the deep academic knowledge of the author does Amazon culture takes shape and at the height of it's power turn to face down and fight the city of Athens and it's allies to the death. I recommend the audiobook which does have weirdly long 30 second pauses between each chapter. Still worth the effort four stars. ...more
Women by Charles Bukowski: Read his work before its been awhile just wanted to touch base with his intimate narrative of booze women and jadedness (I Women by Charles Bukowski: Read his work before its been awhile just wanted to touch base with his intimate narrative of booze women and jadedness (I could have skipped it) still it's all good now I don't need to pass this way again did that read that time to move on. ...more
Slaves to Rome by Ellie Wylde: I wasn’t sure I wanted to write a book review just because it’s a book with a lot of sex in it, but it’s still a good bSlaves to Rome by Ellie Wylde: I wasn’t sure I wanted to write a book review just because it’s a book with a lot of sex in it, but it’s still a good book better than I expected. The author created a very believable recreation of Roman society around the first or second Century showing various classes of society from slaves to Nobility but this is not a still life snapshot but very well researched natural and female centered plot focusing on a number of different women and how they managed to survive this very early aggressive patriarchal society. It’s well written I enjoyed the story and followed it up by immediately getting the next book in this series. It’s a little bit more lesbian porn than I normally read but a good story none-the-less four stars....more
Hard Times by Blayne Cooper; While I gave it just three stars this was a pretty good story, in Spite of the cliche WIP and romance aspect it actually Hard Times by Blayne Cooper; While I gave it just three stars this was a pretty good story, in Spite of the cliche WIP and romance aspect it actually delivers a good hopeful and upbeat message in the end. The whole 'Orange is the new Black' stage set for this somewhat old style potboiler of a story a protective teen Lorna who kills her father later in jail she meets Kellie who is kind of like piper Chapman upper middle class and naive' this is a book for those who really liked that TV show or for younger LGBTQ people who want to read about women struggles with boundaries or control issues anger, fear, need, things that can seem really worse when your caged as you would be if you were in prison. So overall not a bad plot, good character development and I liked the ending so it's a very high three stars ...more
Pulling the Wings off Angels by K. J. Parker; I Liked this story. Short with clever dialog capturing of an Angel by the smartest man alive leads to phPulling the Wings off Angels by K. J. Parker; I Liked this story. Short with clever dialog capturing of an Angel by the smartest man alive leads to philosophical discussions with God about the nature of Faith, fairness, and Truth with a surprise ending I loved this story five stars thought it was very well done. ...more
Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty: This could be a better book than what I give it credit for I'm sure it's reaching for a hard nut of truth aboNight of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty: This could be a better book than what I give it credit for I'm sure it's reaching for a hard nut of truth about life and suffering or how shitty alone and abusive life on the rez often is. Well sorry but too damn depressing like almost the entire story is just waiting for something to happen like slice of life whose only full filling highlighs are methadone addition, beer and cigarettes. It's the last two chapters when the tone and pace changed but no happy ending for this book it's kind of bleak from beginning to end. So only two stars just wasn't my cup of tea. ...more
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Wanted to read this classic short story for awhile final made time to do so. Interesting,real 50’s noir Angst fear of nFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Wanted to read this classic short story for awhile final made time to do so. Interesting,real 50’s noir Angst fear of nuclear war and the rapid changes brought by a consumption culture many of those same fears being mirrored in todays news. This book is very 1950’s feels like movie version of The Twilight zone. Where the main character monologues his analysis of what has gone wrong with the world. The culture clash of rural vs urban values the pace of technology and life in general the fears of war and nuclear annihilation. Things that were very formative issues in shaping the politico leaders who currently hold center stage in our politics and therefore it’s still a very relevant book. While I found it interesting it was more diffuse anger boiling over and as a wordsmith this was more blunt than clever more raw emotion than clear thinking criticism so even though I recognize this as a classic I still give it just three stars. Kind of a long George Carlin type of rant without the humor. ...more
The Tale Teller by Anne Hillerman; (A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel, 5) Pick this up in Albuquerque and the bookseller told me the author is Tony HThe Tale Teller by Anne Hillerman; (A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel, 5) Pick this up in Albuquerque and the bookseller told me the author is Tony Hillerman's daughter. Well I've read Tony Hillerman before and I think I enjoyed his daughters work even more than his. Not a violent book but one that kept me guessing and is somewhat spread out in that bits and pieces of the mystery are found in each of the 21 chapters but it's not till the end that Leaphorn pulls it all together and I was surprised at the results. Good slow burn mystery gave it four stars. ...more
In The Miso Soup by Ryu Murafami; Wanted to read something from this author since he has so many good reviews and high ratings wanted to see what the In The Miso Soup by Ryu Murafami; Wanted to read something from this author since he has so many good reviews and high ratings wanted to see what the fuss was about. Not knowing anything going into this reading I was immediately intrigued by first the light natural sounding pose, A dark Kurt Vonnegut I thought, but as the story developed my metaphors morphed as well. No not a mischievous spirit definitely much darker than that. Reminded of the nightmare dream named 'The Corinthian' in Neil Gaiman "The Sandman", dark mirror to humanity's soul. Kenji shows foreign tourists the sights in Tokyo's Red light district. Frank an American tourist hires Kenji on a ride till you die journey compact dark and bloody and very well written I was drawn into the story and could hardly put the book down until the end. Four solid stars I look forward to reading more from this talented writer....more
The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson: This is my fifteenth book about climate change and the fourth I’ve read by this author. ThereforeThe Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson: This is my fifteenth book about climate change and the fourth I’ve read by this author. Therefore I have a small library of Climate stories to compare this with and it comes out as perhaps the most optimistic, and ambitious of them all somewhat reassuring even, given we are in the Anthropocene, and towards the end of it perhaps within the beginning part of the 6th extinction of life upon this planet, the first extinction resulting in large part due to our’ own actions. Mr. Robinson is a deep thinker and has flushed out hundreds of angles and several main thrusts in policies and lists of problems associated with climate and extinction. He does the difficult work of imagining what science tells us is going to happen over the next couple of generations. He see the development of Carbon Coins and all money being block chained. The Rewilding of habitats, World citizenships for refugees, and not only does he see a United Nations Ministry of the Future but he see’s a Black division developing out of frustrations and fear where publicly the ministry takes on the market place and global interests trying to convince them to change for the good of the planet. While privately it’s black division goes about killing hundreds of the worse Carbon Oligarchs tipping the balance in the climate battle. So much interesting details sometimes too much in fact it started to feel like fluffy filler like the chapter when all the countries in the UN had a representative speak about what their country was bringing as a example for the other countries to consider when discussing climate change. Nice but a long chapter that didn’t really lead anywhere and like I said felt a little like cotton candy fluff. Reassuring that we will keep going because there is no such thing as an end is the main premise of this book it took a great number of pages to make that point, a KSR story always does. Very believable description of what our future looks like beginning in just one generation from now. I give this four stars. Felt it could have been made a bit more concise but a very good climate book. ...more
Maggie’s Wall by David Sondergren; A chase by a monster story in this it’s a witch who is searching for its baby. Ok I’ve read a number of stories by Maggie’s Wall by David Sondergren; A chase by a monster story in this it’s a witch who is searching for its baby. Ok I’ve read a number of stories by this author, this one seems less engaging than his other books. I give it just three stars an average scary read from an above average writer but not his best work....more
The Children Star by Joan Slowczewski; author of the Elysium Cycle, which consists of the novels A Door into Ocean, Daughters of Elysium, The ChildrenThe Children Star by Joan Slowczewski; author of the Elysium Cycle, which consists of the novels A Door into Ocean, Daughters of Elysium, The Children Star, and Brain Plague. I've now read all four and I think the Children Star was the most difficult one but perhaps the most philosophical one as well. For much of the book I was wondering if this was a commentary on Climate change and the destruction of a planet's entire ecosystem. Perhaps the book refers to the Human race evolution, and the children star refers as a moniker too our maturity as a species, or it speaks to the lives of millions of alien micro-men that inhabit the Planet Prokaryon and later the minds of the settlers on this planet. While some things are open to interpretation the fact that this is a excellent Hard-core science fiction book with spectacular world building and involved multiple level plots goes without debate. It helps if you have read the other books in this series. Brain Plague is the closes to this one in theme and concept, although this one is more rooted in biology therefore it's not as easy to read as Brain Plague was. The multiple worlds of the fold are trying to deal with failing systems, Overpopulation, collapsing worlds, and greedy corporations. They are going to strip mine and terraform a world but is it really without intelligent life forms or is the plants communicating with each other in some manner? Ms. Slonczewski is a real scientist who happens to write some pretty wonderful books. I highly recommend her work but it's not for everyone. If your a bubblegum pop music fan your not going to appreciate a Jazz maestro and Ms. Slonczewski is the Coletrane of Science Fiction. Read some of her other books first before diving into this one it's worth the effort solid four stars....more
Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut; Been too long since I last read a Kurt Vonnegut book, I need to make Mr. Vonnegut's work my go-to get ouWelcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut; Been too long since I last read a Kurt Vonnegut book, I need to make Mr. Vonnegut's work my go-to get out of a funk reading backstop. I've read a number of his books and they always make me smile, always places me in my joy of reading spot. This is a collection of his early short stories most written before I was born and I'm retired now, so this is a time-capsule of the generation just after the second World War. A good piece of writing is timeless and this is how Mr. Vonnegut's work is, it's still speaks to it's readers about the same issues that concern us today. From 'Who am I this time' a story about how we identify ourselves by the roles we play, to 'Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow,' a story of generational structure, control and overpopulation. Issues that are as current today as it was when this was first published. In the story 'Epical', if one was to substitute Epical with ChatGPT then with very few adjustments this is a perfect commentary on our use of Artificial Intelligence. Very fun read, I give it a high four stars although I could easily have given it five but I want to save my five stars for those extraordinary novels this is very close and will occupy a honor spot on my bookshelf excellent collection of short stories highly recommend it. ...more
I, the Jury by Mickey Spillane, another promise to myself to read more Crime Noir books and this is a classic. I enjoyed it but it's a real time capsuI, the Jury by Mickey Spillane, another promise to myself to read more Crime Noir books and this is a classic. I enjoyed it but it's a real time capsule into the late 40's and 50's, where it's a white man's world, women are dames, gays are faggots, blacks are a whole number of names but appear as mostly servants or someone who needs a good beating. In spite of the heavy undertones Spillane sure can write a compelling melodrama. Nothing like that is possible anymore not the situations or the way the various players could interact. Mike Hammer would be sued or arrested within a week of doing even half the stuff he does too solve this case and even the final scene would be hard to explain in a courtroom. It makes for a very interesting story though, I do enjoy my Noir even if it is woven into a social fabric of bigotry and violence. It's still good stuff four stars for this one. ...more
The Goddesses of Brazil by Kazujo Nishimura, first thing I want to tell you about this story is it’s quality is excellent I give this five stars. ThisThe Goddesses of Brazil by Kazujo Nishimura, first thing I want to tell you about this story is it’s quality is excellent I give this five stars. This was a shot in the dark didn’t know anything about it other than it sounded interesting. Wanting to read more about South America I found this book and glad I did. Mr Nishimura ties three different stories starting with the very first native woman Guaibimpará of the Tupinambás tribe to sail to Europe. That story is followed by one focused on the Religious persecution of Jews by the Portuguese Inquisition. Then a very moving multi-generational story about the very brutal slave economy and the fight by Maroons and others trying to fight for their freedom and survival in jungle fortress of Quilombo dos Palmares. A excellent historical fiction, the stories loosely tie together and vividly paints a brutal picture of Early European enslavement of Brazil. Very well written five stars have to read more from this author....more
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