I love to read, and figured that it would be nice to post reviews of books as I read them. Because I don't read terribly fast, the entries may take a while to build up. I'll start with what I've read so far this year, and go on from there.

The Belgariad, by David Eddings

The Belgariad is actually a series of 5 books, whose titles escape me at the moment. This is one of those stories that I like to come back to and reread. This was my 4th or 5th time reading it. It's a fantasy series with lots of magic and sword play and the inevitable conflict of the good guy allaince versus the evil empire. It's very enjoyable reading and highly recommended.

The Cathedral and the Bazaar, by Eric S. Raymond

This book explains much of the origins of open source, especially Linux. Raymond's portrayal of hackers as selfless fountains of cooperation and excellent code is a bit idealistic, and is not to be taken too seriously. Remember that this is a person describing the group he chooses to identify with. Take it all with a grain of salt, and you should be able to pick out the more reality-based portions.

Just as a side note, if any former Navy nukes read this book, check out the descriptions of hackers in the last sections and see if any of it sounds like some former co-workers.

It was ok, but not great. My advice, if your into this type of book, is to check it out from the library but don't bother paying the $19.95 cover price.

The best thing about the Turtledove books is that they are very believable. When we run into familiar names, we can easily see them playing their part in the story. Complex story lines build into unexpected consequences. For example, with the South winning the war of secession, the indian wars didn't happen the same way (much of the territory belongs to the CSA). Little Bighorn never happens, and George Custer survives to command an army group in WW I. Many lives and stories head off in new directions like that.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in alternate histories. Do yourself a favor though, and start with "How Few Remain", and then move on to the Great War series.

The story continues into the period after WW I. Those who have followed the characters through several books already will be interested enough to enjoy this book. The main problem is that it's peace time. Sure there's lots of interesting character developement and social/political action, but these books are much more interesting when there's fighting going on. Don't despair, because hell is obviously getting ready to break out. If you're an action lover though, keep your expectations reasonable for this installment in the series.

Ordnarily I would not have picked this book up, but it is the basis for "The 13th Warrior", one of my favorite movies. The book is the story of a 10th century Arab who ends up going on an adventure with a group of Vikings. The book is entertaining, and has enough differences from the movie to keep the readers interest. I have to admit that I wasn't sure if the story was historical or fiction until I read the appendix (it's written in the style of an academic interpretation of a historical account). It's worth a look, especially if you like the movie.

Continuing the story from previous books, we make into the 1930's. The continued rise of the Freedom Party in the CSA (parallel to the Nazis) comes as no suprise. The characters finally start to realize that a war is coming up, and everything starts heading that way. Once again though, we see lots of character building and setup, but little of the action we've been anticipating for a book and a half. At least we know that the new book (first of a new trilogy) will start with a bang, unless those Confederate bombers headed north in the last pages are only going to drop leaflets. I'm taking a break from turtledove for a bit to catch up on some Sci fi.

This is not the first book of the series to be published, but it's the first chronologically. For more info on the series, go to the Korval website.

The next books in the Liaden Universe series. I've decided to read this collection of books in cronological order according to the story lines, rather than the order in which they were written. It's just a personal choice, but if you are wondering about the order, that's why. In this book the story continues with some of the characters we already know. I really like Alianna, the main character. How can you not like a person who teaches a class known as "survival math"? The only problem with the books is the "romance novel in a sci fi setting" feel. If characters want to find inner joy and true love, that's fine. I'd just prefer that it be a slightly smaller part of the whole story, but I guess that's part of what space opera's all about.

This book takes place a generation after the first two. The continued developement of the world and the cultures is very good. The cultural backdrop alone makes the book worthwhile. Although the authors tend a bit towards the Heinlein tradition of "all good guys are beautiful, rich, and have advanced abilities", it doesn't go too far. The series remains excellent.

One more book in the Liaden Universe series. This one has it's ups and downs. Once again we're distracted by a "love interest" sub plot, although it's not as bad as it was in Local Custom and Scouts Progress. The plot twists get a little confusing every now and then, requiring the re-reading of pages to keep track of who is doing what. On the plus side, there's lots of action and the introduction of a new alien race - some really huge turtles. A worth while read if you've followed the series this far.

I had been planning to take a break from the Liaden Universe books for a bit and pick up again later, but the last one left me wanting to continue the story. And continue the story is exactly what it does. This one is pretty good, despite the continuing Heinlienian characters (on the other hand, a story about someone who was slow on the draw and a poor shot wouldn't be very long). The story keeps you interested and at the end leaves you wanting to find the next book.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, by J. K. Rowling

Ok, so maybe I took my time getting around to reading this one. It was worth the wait though, because it's excelent - possibly the best of the series thus far. I'm going to assume that if you, the reader, are interested in Harry Potter, you've already read it and I don't have to worry about spoiling any plot points.
So, after reading the book, I'm still not convinced that Snape has gone completely over to the dark side. The way I figure it, Dumbledore was already a goner when Snape finished him off. He may have been dying from the injury that wrecked his hand. If not that, then he was certianly dying from the poison he drank. Recall that Snape came out of the castle and looked at Dumbledore closely before taking action. He would have noticed immediately that Dumbledore was poisoned beyond recovery (since he's such an expert with potions). He then acted to: 1. Save Dumbledore a great deal of pain, 2. Save himself since he'd taken the unbreakable oath and Malfoy was wimping out, and 3. Saved Malfoy from being killed for failing, since he (Snape) acted before Malfoy had a chance to completely flake out.
Why do I think Dumbledore was mortally injured before going to recover the horcrux? He probably had some idea that retrieving the object required a life to be sacrificed (it would be very much in character for Voldemort). If he was already on the way out, he would be more likely to be willing to drink the poison.
By the way, am I the only one who's half expecting to see Sirius Black come back? Nobody ever produced a body, so we don't know for sure that he can't return.

Millenium, by Ben Bova

This is a book I read a long time ago, and decided to reread. It's a story written in 1976 about events taking place in 1999. The action centers around the U.S. and Soviet moon bases, which gives you an idea about the authors expectations. It's a good story, and is entertaining both for the science fiction and cultural aspects - the racial and gender biases of the day are very much different from the current norm. I doubt that it's in print any more, but if you see a copy at a yard sale or used book store, I recommend it.

On the Good Ship Enterprise, by Bjo Trimble

I got this book because I know the author and expected that any book of hers would be a good read. I wasn't disappionted. It's a fascinating look behind the scenes of the Star Trek world, and the entire SciFi fandom world. I never knew some of the effort that went into the conventions and fan events. It makes me regret having never gone to one the the conventions (something that will be rectified when the next one comes around).
If you can name all of the Enterprise's shuttlecraft and know which deck sick bay is on, you absolutely need this book. If you've ever stayed up way too late watching Star Trek reruns, knowing that you'll be able to make up the 8:00 class later, you should have this book. If you've ever qutoed Spock or Scotty with a straight face, you'll enjoy this book. Get it. Read it. You won't be disappointed.

Homeward Bound, by Harry Turtledove

If you've read my other reviews, you know I'm a fan of Turtledove's alternate history books. One of the series that I've read invloves an alien invasion starting in the middle of World War II. This book is the eighth and probably last of the series, which has been very entertaining. This last book, however, fell short of the previous ones. While it may have been necessary to tie up loose ends and create some sort of finality to the series, it was slow placed and just not very exciting. One the plus side, it raises some issues that science fiction fans like to ponder, like how to deal with a grandchild who is biologically older than you when you come out of suspended animation.
If you read the series, don't be afraid to stop after book 7 and move on to another series. On the other hand, if you've gone through the first seven, why not go one more? My suggestion - read it, but try to find it second hand to save a bit of cash.

We're back to the Liaden Universe for some more action. This book was excellent. It has intrigue, conflict - even a full scale planetery invasion. The story continues where the Carpe Diem left off, with Clan Korval preparing for war and the "lost" pair Val Con and Miri heading out to find some long lost kin. They stumble into a war (not the one Korval was preparing for) and end up leading a very unorthodox unit into combat. The world building that these books are famous for continues, and we even get a glimpse at the Yxtrang culture.
If you're already a Liadan fan, you can look forward to this book. If you're not a fan, I encourage you to pick up one of the books in the series and give it a try.

This book was passed on to me by a coworker. I hadn't heard of the book or author before, but what the hell? The book started out with some interesting plot twists and a bit of probability theory - not too bad. I actually made it about three quarters of the way through the book before I stopped reading. Why stop after that? Well, the first sin comitted by the author was getting Heisenberg's uncertianty theorem wrong (it has nothing to do with errors induced by measuring an event - I will explain in another section at some point). I finally stopped reading when he started making the all too common connections between physics and metaphysical mysticism. I hate that. Attention all new age meta-anythings! Please stop trying to legitimize your religion with physics. There is no connection. You think that the universe is composed of energy? Fine, I'll stay quiet when you say that. But, if you can't specify what type of energy (vibrations in a crystal lattice, kinetic, etc.) and show me a mathematical model describing some aspect of how it works, and relate it (using proper math and scientific method) to existing theories and models, please don't use the word physics. This book is ok if you're into math, but not physics. Otherwise, I'm sure you have something more interesting on your book shelf already.

Crystal Soldier, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Crystal Dragon, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

Even more books from the Liaden Universe! These are the latest two Liaden books and they are great. In these books we go back to the origins of the world that we've seen in the other novels. It's very exciting to see the pieces falling into place and the structures developing. All of the Liaden Universe books are "go back and read again" quality, but these two are especially so. If you're a Sci Fi fan, don't miss this series.

World war two has finally arrived! Harry Turtledove continues the story that left off with The Victorious Opposition. This time it starts with the Confederacy invading north, and doing a pretty good job of it. As usual, Turtledoves books are at their best when there's a war going on. Ever wondered how MacArthur and Patton would do on opposite sides? Well this is the place to find out.
In this latest installment of the story, Jake Featherson pushes north with the initail success that invading armies often have. Things quickly bog down though as the US tries to bring its considerable industrial might to bear. We also see some of the predictable side stories like unrest in occupied Canada and yet another Mormon uprising in Utah. I really like to second guess the military leaders in books, and this is a great one to do it with.
If you're a Turtledove fan already, you probably already have this series (this is the first of a four book series). If you're not, you may want to consider it - it's a very enjoyable story. You could enjoy this trilogy without having read the books that come before it, but the characters have much more depth if you have.

Ever wondered what it would be like being a Navy SEAL? I mean the real SEALs, not the hollywood ones. This book is the memoir of a former SEAL, and he gives an insight into the special forces community that you very rarely find. He doesn't go on and on about how much of a bad ass he was and all the great missions he got to take part in. Sure there are some mentions of those things, but he also talks about how being a SEAL makes you unfit for being in "normal" society. How you never quite fit in. And the missions? They range all the way from near-Hollywood to mind numbingly boring. He talks about the depression and despair of being assigned to a task that can't possibly be accomplished (Beruit). You also get a whole new appreciation of the depth of training these guys get.
I especially liked his descriptions of the training, such as Army jump school being two days in intensive training crammed into three weeks. He did change enough things in the book so that sensitive information can't be taken from it. Having been occassionaly on the periphery of the world he lived in, I was able to pick out a detail or two that had obviously been altered, but most readers wouldn't feel that much was being left out. It's an excellent book and is highly recommended.

This is one of the classics of the science fiction genre. I had seen the movie, and heard that the book was much better, so I added it to my "must read" pile. This book is indeed classic material. It adds a huge amount of depth to the story we saw in the movie. Heinlein's views of social structure and government provide a lot of material for spirited argument and contemplation. While I don't subscribe to the theory that many of our social ills would be cured if only we were to beat our children more often, his views have made me reconsider some of my plans for running the government after becoming emperor (see another portion of this site for details of the Empire).
If you're a sci fi fan and don't have this book, get it. You won't be sorry.

I finally read this book because the people around me had all read it and assured me that it was good. In fact it was fairly entertaining. After finishing it though, I had to wonder how anyone ever considered it to be anything other than a complete work of fiction. Sure, there are references to factual things, but the conclusions reached in the book didn't sound convincing at all. The most cursory of investigations into the "facts" given in the book shows many of them to be completely made up. It did mention a few things that I will look into and learn more about, but I don't accept the book's story as real. The book I read was the 'illustrated' edition, which included pictures of many of the things described in the text. The photos help a lot in understanding some of the scenes. Should you go out and buy it? Only if you're a huge fan of contemporary fiction. Otherwise check it out from a library, but do read it.

It's a dorky title, but a good book. It's a series of articles about some of the stranger weapons developed (or proposed and seriously considered) in WW II. I've always been interested in the hardware developed in World War II, and this book has a bunch of stuff that I've never seen before. Especially interesting are Zack's proposed deployment histories, where he speculates on how these projects would have affected the war had they been deployed. Not suprisingly, most of the would have simply been too little too late. If you're into war machines, it's a worthwhile book.

Settling Accounts: Drive to the East, and Settling Accounts: The Grapple, by Harry Turtledove

World war II continues, with the confederates starting out looking good, and then running into problems. The parallels between the Freedom Party (Confederate) and the Nazis continues to build, with some predictable results. The battle action is good, and I'm having a great time trying to 'armchair quarterback' the war. I had thought that this was a trilogy, but there's a fourth book due out July 31st. The hard part is waiting for it.

Dragon's Fire, by Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey

Dragon's Fire is the latest novel taking place on Pern, home of the famous dragon rider's books. The story takes place about 400 years after the settlers came to Pern. By that time, much of the cultural structure is in place, but the residents still remember a little about where they came from. The story is fairly well written, although I had a hard time keeping track of the various characters roles for the first part of the book. The only problem is that the Pern story has already been told. If this same story were written (with modifications, of course) without the pre-established world and the connection to a famous name, I'm not sure that it would have made it into print. It certianly wouldn't have made it onto the book club featured selection list.
If you're a huge (or even moderate) Pern fan, get the book and enjoy it. I found it entertaining, but will probably not ever go back and read it again. If you're not into the Pern books, then don't bother with this one.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling

I freely admit to being one of those odd people who was at a bookstore at midnight to get a copy of the new Harry Potter book. It was a fun party at the bookstore, and it turned out to be an outstanding book. Very often when a story spans several volumes, you're left wanting more or feeling unsatisfied. Given the richness and complexity of the harry Potter story, it was very hard to avoid that. I must congratulate J. K. Rowling for how well she brought the story to a close. I'm still a bit unclear on how Harry died-but-not-really, but I expect it will make more sense the second time through. I'm also glad to see that Neville got over his fumblimg stage and developed some self confidence. I must also point out that I was right in my predictions about Dumbledore's death (see my review of The Half Blood Prince).
Should there be more Harry Potter books written? I don't think so. Rowling has created a classic story loved my millions. She shouldn't mess with that.

Variable Star, By Robert Heinlein and Spider Robinson

A long time ago, Robert Heinlein wrote down an outline for a book, but never got around to writing it. Eventually those notes made their way to Spider Robinson (a much more detailed account of how that happened is included in the book). Robinson, who is a well published science fiction writer in his own right, wrote the book. I must admit that while I had heard Robinson's name mentioned in the Sci Fi community, I hadn't read any of his books. Not knowing quite what to expect, I picked up the book out of curiousity.
The basic story is very much in the Heinlein tradition - a highly talented young man gets involved with one of the richest families in the known universe. He freaks and runs away, forgetting the old saying about being able to run, but not being able to hide. We see some things that we're familiar with, like using telepaths to communicate between interstellar distances. There are also details that refer to other Heinlein works - for example, I spent days trying to remember where I'd heard of the space ship "New Frontiers", and finally had to look it up.
It's a good book, and would make a fine addition to your sci fi library. It has inspired me to start looking for Spider Robinson's books so I can see how he does alone.

In at the Death, By Harry Turtledove

We finally make it to the last book of the WW II series! The war progresses much as we expect it to, having read the previous books. Once again though, there are plenty of places to play armchair quarterback and come up with better ways to fight the war. The bottom line is that the good guys win! The Confedaracy gets completely slapped down, and is in fact non-existant by the end of the book. Nuking Philidelphia will tend to make a larger and stronger enemy really mad, ensuring the restoration of the union. It was unexpected, but well done, that Turtledove spent some time telling how the characters dealt with the post war period. After following these people through a number of books, it wouldn't be right to just say that they went home and lived happily ever after.
The series wrapped up very well, and although one could continue the story into a cold war type world, I'm satisfied with it coming to a close. It's time to move on to other things.

Six Wings, Men of Science in the Renaissance, By George Sarton

I picked up this book from a library sale at work, hoping it would have some info that I could use in my SCA research. It turned out to be an excellent reference. George Sarton is an excellent scholar and has done some very impressive work. This book is not for the casual reader. It has lots of facts, dates, names, and other specifics for the serious student of history. Sarton also assumes that the reader has a certian minimum level of education and familiarity with history. For example, he seldom translates book titles from the original Latin, German, or French, and he occasionally skims over a topic that everyone is assumed to be familiar with.
That said, he gives an entertaining look into the minds of the medieval/renaissance scientist and the world he lived and worked in. As I read the book, I had to keep taking notes of things to look into in more detail, and I would expect that many of my SCA friends would do the same. If you are interested in science history, pick up this book, or look for some of the other books Sarton has written.

Illusions, by Richard Bach

Most of us know Richard Bach for his book and movie Jonathon Livingston Seagull. This book was written after JLS, and is the story of a 'reluctant messiah' and his efforts to pass along his teachings. I have read this book many times, and have always enjoyed it thuroughly. The messianic character, Donald Shimoda, teaches that we each make our own reality using power that few of us relaize we have. I have always found it entertaining, with a few bits of wisdom here and there that I would carry with me long after I had put the book down.
It was different this time though. Since the last time I had read Illusions, I have met and spoken with a number of people who actually live by the 'make your world' philosophy. All well and good - we each build large parts of the context that surrounds us. They take it farther though (not my thing, but I have no reason to mess with thier idiology). The part that I have issues with are the attempts to validate it using modern physics - a pet peeve issue with me that will be discussed elsewhere.
My recommendation is that you should read the book. Most people find it amusing if not philosophically profound. If you don't like it, at least it's short enough that a fast reader could blow through it in a couple of hours.

Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice

I've heard much about what a great writer Anne Rice is and how great the vampire books are. When I saw the Vampire Cronicles (3 of her books in a single volume), I decided to try it out. The book starts out slow, and never really gets going. If the reader was the type who thought it would be great to be a creature of the night stalking around hunting lesser beings, then this would be the ideal book. The whole feel of the vampire genre just doesn't work for me though. I made it about half way into "Interview", and just put the book down and forgot about it. Ho hum...maybe I'll go back to some science fiction. At least that can hold my interest.

Maelstrom, by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

The McCaffrey name brought this book to my attention, which is actually the second book in a series. I haven't read the first book, but I was still able understand what was going on and enjoy the story. It is pretty well written, though a bit busy for me. There are shape shifting telepathic humans, intellegent telepathic animals (several species), a sentinent planet, hidden alien colonists, and political intrigue. That's enough material for at least two books, probably three. Cramming all that into a single volume (and not an overly large one) is too much. That issue aside, it was fairly entertaining, and if I happen across another book in the series at the local used book store, I might buy it. If you're a McCaffrey fan, go ahead and read it. Chances are you'll enjoy it.

The Terrible Hours, by Peter Maas

This book is really two stories that are intertwined. It's the story of the sinking of the USS Squalus and the rescue and salvage efforts that took place. It is also the story of one Swede Momsen, a truly extraordinary man who made the rescue possible. Even if you know little or nothing about submarines, this is a great book. For those of us who served on subs, it has special meaning. The story is well told, the characters are engaging, and the book resists your efforts to put it down.
The USS Squalus was a submarine that sank just before WW II started. In all previous cases of sub mishaps, the crew had been doomed unless they were able to get out of trouble on their own. There was even a case where all hands were lost even though one of the boats hatches was only 20 feet from the surface (they had no way to keep everyone breathing, equalize pressure, and get the hatch open). Even on modern subs, the chances of rescue are slim, but they're not zero - thanks to Swede. When the Squalus went down, all the methods and equipment for submarine rescue were unproven or experimental. It was truly a heroic effort that brought 33 of the crewmen back to the surface.
I had not realized just how much submariners owed to Momsen - maybe they teach it at sub school (I never went through sub school). If we'd known, we would definetly have hoisted a brew or two in his name.
You should add this book to your reading list.

1776, by David McCullough

We've all had some kind of overview of U.S. history - usually the public school version where all the founding fathers were big strong noble figures fighting valiantly against the evil British empire. My history classes always left me with the impression that the American fighting man was a brave man and a hard fighter. How else could they have prevailed against the British army? Well, it turns out that on closer examination, the American fighter was a poorly trained, poorly equipped farmer who would probably break and run at the first sign of incoming cannon fire.
This book puts a human face on the names that we've heard before, but didn't really get to know. It also fills in a lot of information that gets glossed over when you're trying to guide a room full of 12 year olds through a couple of centuries in a single school year. In reading the book, I couldn't help but be amazed that the United States ever came into being. Here was a disorganized, undisciplined, poorly lead group of amatures going up against the greatest army (and navy) in the world. What were they thinking? There was no way they could expect to win (which, by the way, was pretty much what the British were thinking). Over and over again we see fortifications built, and then abandoned intact in the face of the approaching enemy. Granted, there were some successes, but too few and too far between. At least we are left with a bit of hope near the end of the book when the continental army starts to show a little promise.
This is a good book, and I recommend it for any student of history. We see so many wars fought by similarly disparate forces that we can gain valuable insight from this story.

The Time Machine, by H. G. Wells

I am in the process of looking up some of the classic science fiction that I've never read. This is one of those on the list.
Every now and then you read a book and realize that you made an error by not picking it up reading it a long time ago. If I had, I would probably be reading it for the tenth time now, rather than the first. What a wonderful story - even more so in light of the time it was written (1895). There are layers of social and political commentary in the book, as well as that on the surface. To make it even better, it's written in the style of an educated an literate person, complete with big words and complex thoughts. If you haven't read this book, you must get a copy. I give it my highest rating.

Balance of Trade, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

It's been a while since I read any of the Liaden Universe books, and it was nice to go back into that world. This is the story of Jethri - a Terran boy who finds himself apprenticed to a Liaden Master Trader at a time when the two groups tolerated each other but were in no way friendly. Jethri's tale actually started out as a story in a chap book and grew into a good sized book. As always, Lee and Miller tell a good story with interesting, likeable characters and a world that keeps growing and drawing you in. It also has some very interesting ties back to Crystal Soldier and Crystal Dragon that may require reading those two books again soon.

Lest Darkness Fall, by L. Sprague de Camp

This is another one of the classics of science fiction that I'd missed out on until now. If you've read my other book reports, you know that I'm a fan of the alternate history genre. This book, written in 1939, started the whole idea. The basic premise is that a modern day (well, 1939 anyway) historian and archeologist is transported to 6th century Rome. The last remnants of the Roman empire are struggling for survival and the dark ages are about to begin. Fortunately, our hero has a detailed knoweledge of what is about to happen. He decides to try keeping the dark ages from happening by a combination of introducing new ideas (such as the printing press) and using his ability to 'see the future' to alter events. He encounters some predictable obstacles, such as being arrested for sorcery and having to deal with Goth warriors who aren't interested in being part of a disciplined army (after all, if you stay in formation, you might miss out on some of the fighting). It's an enjoyable book, and is recommended for any sci fi fan.

David Starr, Space Ranger, by Isaac Asimov

The Classic Philip Jose Farmer