Books Read 2019

[Scuzz]

Babylon's Ashes by James S.A. Corey

Book 6 of the Expanse Series. I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The story was much easier to follow and was more traditional, if you will. Less sci-fi mumbo jumbo and more straight plot. That is until the end when the Deus Ex Machina kinda comes along a little to quick and a little too easy. But overall a good read.

[Kasey Chang]

Finished Payback and The Shaman by David Nees

Payback: Dan Stone retired from the military to settle down with his pregnant wife and opened a small restaurant. It was all he wanted. He refused to pay the small-time Mafia hoods protection money. When a Mafia intimidation went very wrong, Dan lost his wife and unborn child and the restaurant. After he got over the grief, he declared war on the Mafia. As he's a trained sniper, he has no problem taking down all those responsible. But there is no way out for him, with both the authorities AND Mafia after him... Until someone took notice... and needs his resourcefulness and skills.

The Shaman: Dan was sent on his first mission after being recruited by an ultra-black arm of the CIA. His objective: eliminate the kingpin of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel, who is organizing a meeting to form a cartel of cartels... What he doesn't know is the kingpin has also taken Al Qaeda money, and 60 terrorists have been smuggled into Mexico, to be forwarded into the US soon... The hit was successful, but Dan's ex-fil was betrayed by a leak, and he is stranded behind enemy lines. But he will soon find help... from the Shaman, who had been watching for a VERY long time, knew Dan was coming from the sky, and he's needed for the battle against the darkness... For he will take out the terrorists... Then assassinate the new temporary leader of the Sinaloa cartel, which will completely disorient the cartel... but in his way is the cartel army, as well as a sicario that goes by "The Snake"...

Both are pretty good thrillers, with good combat, lots of suspense, and lots of Clancy-esque fast-cuts jumping from situation to situation. I'd give both 7/8 tentacles.

[Kasey Chang]

For those who love Starship Troopers but wished it didn't have Heinleins political verbiage I give you Iron Dragoons

This is about how you train to be Armor. Good back story and pretty well written. Enough to make me pick up the next one and also look into the series written that happens before this series.

No politics -yet. But a little teeny tiny bit of mysticism.

A little more than just a teeny weeny bit of mysticism, IMHO, and the ending wasn't QUITE satisfying, but I guess they have to setup for a sequel.

My Own take from a short blurb I did back in 2017

[ImLawBoy]

Finished End of Watch by Stephen King. This was book three of the Bill Hodges trilogy. The first two were more or less straight thrillers, with only hints at anything supernatural. End of Watch goes full supernatural, though. Saying too much would give away not only plot points from this story, but also from the previous two books, so I'll keep it minimal. Hodges and Holly are running their Finders Keepers firm, but Hodges is not doing well health-wise. He has pancreatic cancer, and it's aggressive. It turns out he has one more crisis to stop, however, and it involves the catatonic Brady Hartsfield (aka, Mr. Mercedes from the first book). Hodges has to race against his failing body to prevent a lot of deaths. This does a nice job of tying up the loose strings from the first two books, and is an appropriate send off to the characters (although at least one shows up in a later King work).

Next is Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

[Jaddison]

For those who love Starship Troopers but wished it didn't have Heinleins political verbiage I give you Iron Dragoons

This is about how you train to be Armor. Good back story and pretty well written. Enough to make me pick up the next one and also look into the series written that happens before this series.

No politics -yet. But a little teeny tiny bit of mysticism.

A little more than just a teeny weeny bit of mysticism, IMHO, and the ending wasn't QUITE satisfying, but I guess they have to setup for a sequel.

My Own take from a short blurb I did back in 2017

The only real mysticism beyond the implied Templar religious following was seeing the "Saint" after taking a major hit in the battle....which could be just his mind reaching for something to bring him back to awareness. I am reading the Ember War now because of this book and she, The Saint, is still alive and armor. I'll let you know how that goes.

[Kasey Chang]

Finished Archangel One by Evan Currie.

Continuation of the Odyssey One series (which I haven't read)... Humanity has reached a truce with "The Empire"... for now. But the Empire is obviously regrouping. So the terrans are going rogue... by unleashing a new breed of starships... Basically gunboats... small and incredibly fast (for a starship) with firepower that rivals that of a destroyer or a light cruiser (even while underplaying their capabilities), and a squad of marines onboard for boarding operations, the squadron will go poking in the Empire's backyard, in the uncharted territory (for humans) that the Empire allowed some "pocket kingdoms" to exist and periodically slapped down as an excuse to train their crew and rally the public support. The terrans will be going in as mercenaries... and gather intelligence while they are at it, knowing fully well no one can know their true origins... or intentions.

Not bad, not bad, even without reading the previous series. Space opera, happy for now ending, enemy made no stupid moves (yet). 6/8

[Scuzz]

The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly

The second book by Connelly featuring lawyer Mickey Haller. This one also has another Connelly regular in it, Det. Bosch. This story picks up with Haller a few years after the first book, which makes sense based on how that one ended. I actually like this one more, maybe a little less world building and a little more plot. Haller is a likable character and it's easy to read these books.

[Kasey Chang]

Finished "The Storyteller" by Jodi Picoult

Sage is a baker, still grieving over her mother's death. When the town grandpa, Josef, befriended her at the grief support group, she accepted. Until he wanted her to help him die... because he had sinned... He claimed he was one of the SS officers at Auschwitz, and he wants to die. Sage knew her grandma is was one of the concentration camp survivors, and never talks about that time. Sage called in help from the FBI, and they may need help from her grandma to identify him. But why would Josef confess now, in his nineties, and lived a perfectly normal life until now? What is he atoning for?

There are multiple layers to this story, as there's also a fictional story written by grandma about two brothers who are basically werewolf cannibals, that parallels the story of "Josef" and his brother. There's a kind brother, and there's an evil brother (or perhaps, a brother, seduced by the power). But which one is Josef? And what would Sage do with that knowledge?

The ending was not unexpected, as I've seen something with a similar premise: DS9:"Duet", yet the shock is still there. And it's a LONG novel (500+ pages). 7/8

[Isgrimnur]

I have been remiss in keeping the list up this year, but I did just finish The Poetic Edda on Audible. The storytelling of the Norse is a bit different than we're used to, but the stories were interesting, and the author gave plenty of context and background to try and keep things accessible.

[Hipolito]

11/22/63 by Stephen King. Distinct from King's other works, and not just because of the time-travel theme. The main character, a cheerful English teacher with a witty internal monologue, is not the typical King protagonist. There is a lot of waiting and downtime, allowing him to build a new life and invest in a significant romance. Because of the amount of historical research that went into this book, I learned more about the Kennedy assassination here than from anything else I've read. It's not one of King's best works in my opinion, but it's good. 6 out of 8 hamburgers made with time-traveled meat.

Arcadian by Doug McCoy. A brief and simple look back at the author's video arcade memories. 5 out of 8 Pac-Mans.

The Dungeoneers by Jeffery Russell. I had some difficulty understanding the engineering-heavy descriptions of the heist settings, but that's on me. This book has hilarity, charm, and interesting and diverse characters. And once things start (literally) moving at the halfway point, the pace doesn't let up. 6 out of 8 bananers.

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. A golem and jinni find themselves without masters in 1890s Manhattan. They begin new lives as immigrants and struggle to blend in while controlling their superpowers. An intriguing look at the Jewish and Syrian cultures in New York City. The overall plot is decent, though some of the minor characters are boring and the writing style is dry and matter-of-fact. 4 out of 8 knishes.

The Wheel of Time, Book 1: The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (audiobook). This is my first delve into the classic series. I find the setting and concepts very interesting, and the story is fairly engaging with lively banter and distinct characters. The sexual dichotomy of the magic system is cool and it's good to have so many strong female characters. 6 out of 8 angreals.

Edit: changed manner-of-fact to matter-of-fact

[Scuzz]

11/22/63 by Stephen King. Distinct from King's other works, and not just because of the time-travel theme. The main character, a cheerful English teacher with a witty internal monologue, is not the typical King protagonist. There is a lot of waiting and downtime, allowing him to build a new life and invest in a significant romance. Because of the amount of historical research that went into this book, I learned more about the Kennedy assassination here than from anything else I've read. It's not one of King's best works in my opinion, but it's good. 6 out of 8 hamburgers made with time-traveled meat.

This is still the only King book I have read. And I really liked it. I think I liked it because of two features, time travel and the Kennedy assassination, what more could you want in a book.

[freelunch]

December 31st and I'm not going to finish another book today (not with that attitude...), so 94 for the year. A total I can live with

Jeff V, you crushed me with page count. Again.

I follow the reading threads here but seldom post because my reviews are kind of brief (and available on LibraryThing, Goodreads and Amazon.com.au if anyone is really interested)

Last year I finished 111 books, up from 36 in 2017 and 15 in 2016 (and not long before that my yearly total sank as low as 5).

Books Finished in 2019
01. A Silent Voice, Volume 5 by Yoshitoki Oima
02. The Education of Caroline by Jane Harvey-Berrick
03. P Is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever by Raj Haldar
04. When We Were Crowned by Auryn Hadley
05. Book Love by Debbie Tung
06. Cards of Love: The Moon by Sierra Simone
07. Whispers and the Roars by K. Webster
08. Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen
09. The Castle of Earth and Embers by Steffanie Holmes
10. Love in the Time of Dinosaurs by Kirsten Alene
11. The Castle of Fire and Fable by Steffanie Holmes
12. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland
13. ABCDC - A Rock & Roll Inspired Alphabet Book by Lola Willow
14. The Castle of Water and Woe by Steffanie Holmes
15. Fuck Valentine's Day by C.M. Stunich
16. The Castle of Wind and Whispers by Steffanie Holmes
17. Die, My Love by Zoe Blake, Addison Cain, Stevie J. Cole, Ashleigh Giannoccaro, Jane Henry, Julia Sykes & Celia Aaron
18. Submissive's Guide To BDSM Vol. 1 by Matthew Larocco
19. The Castle of Spirit and Sorrow by Steffanie Holmes
20. Surviving Amber Springs by Siobhan Davis
21. Cirque: Act 1 by Ashleigh Giannoccaro
22. A Pinch of Sass by Chloe Gunter & Jarica James
23. Cirque: Act 2 by Ashleigh Giannoccaro
24. Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
25. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
26. Saphyre by Scarlett Snow & Loxley Savage
27. When the Dark Wins by Jennifer Bene, Addison Cain, Cari Silverwood, Zoe Blake, Yolanda Olson, Dani René, Eris Adderly & Michelle Brown
28. Her Royal Harem by N.J. Adel
29. Fantasy Swap Online by Alyson Belle
30. Gun Shy by Lili St. Germain
31. At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen
32. The Raw Touch by Serena Akeroyd
33. Verity by Colleen Hoover
34. Bass-Ackwards: A Wrong-Way Romance by Eris Adderly
35. Wicked Ways by Cari Silverwood
36. Wicked Weapon by Cari Silverwood
37. Wicked Hunt by Cari Silverwood
38. Laci on Top by Donna Jay
39. Judah's Wife: A Novel of the Maccabees by Angela Hunt
40. Motivational Quotes to Help You Be More Positive by Chris (Simpsons Artist)
41. Cole Underneath by Donna Jay
42. The Boys by Lily Harlem
43. Three Little Mistakes by Nikki Sloane
44. Captured by Ella Goode
45. Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee
46. Mating My Mob by Amanda Cashure
47. Mistaken Identity by Donna Jay
48. My Midas Touch by B.J. Hardy
49. H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
50. Ein by Sorcha Black
51. Yes, Roya by C. Spike Trotman
52. Just Jayne by Ripley Proserpina
53. Just for Show by Jae
54. We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby
55. Filthy Vows by Alessandra Torre
56. The Wild by K. Webster
57. Fragments by Ian Banks-Jones
58. By the Book by Scarlett Parrish
59. Haunted Redemption by Rebecca Royce
60. God Creates a Snake by Charles Peterson
61. The Unrequited by Saffron A. Kent
62. The Machinery of Desire by Cari Silverwood
63. Until I Break by Michelle Leighton
64. Hometown by Luke Walker
65. Squirm: Virgin Captive of the Billionaire Biker Tentacle Monster by Cari Silverwood
66. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
67. Like Jazz by Heather Blackmore
68. Forever Theirs by Serena Akeroyd
69. Royal Guard Of Draga by Emma Dean
70. Temporary Position by Scarlett Parrish
71. Until Forever by Luisa Cloutier
72. Coyote Ate the Stars by E.A. Van Stralen
73. BloodLust by Auryn Hadley
74. Pining & Loving by Emma Sterner-Radley
75. Instinctual by Auryn Hadley
76. Blood Glyphs by Cari Silverwood
77. Cold Queen by K. Webster
78. Lord John and the Succubus by Diana Gabaldon
79. Lost in the Affair by E.K. Blair
80. Fan Anonymous: A True Story if you squint, sort of...maybe... Look! Squirrel! by Cari Silverwood
81. Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by Adam Rex
82. Dark Tales by Sinistre Ange
83. Defiance by Auryn Hadley
84. As Flame to Smoke by Eris Adderly
85. Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle
86. Oh Joy Sex Toy, Vol. 1 by Erika Moen & Matthew Nolan
87. Nepenthe by Octavia Hyde
88. Burn by Scarlett Parrish
89. A Lump Of Coal For Christmas by Ashleigh Giannoccaro
90. The Beautiful Ones by Prince
91. No Demons But Us by A.S. Etaski
92. Say Yes by Ashleigh Giannoccaro
93. Inseparable by Auryn Hadley
94. Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy by Doug Savage

[Hipolito]

11/22/63 by Stephen King. Distinct from King's other works, and not just because of the time-travel theme. The main character, a cheerful English teacher with a witty internal monologue, is not the typical King protagonist. There is a lot of waiting and downtime, allowing him to build a new life and invest in a significant romance. Because of the amount of historical research that went into this book, I learned more about the Kennedy assassination here than from anything else I've read. It's not one of King's best works in my opinion, but it's good. 6 out of 8 hamburgers made with time-traveled meat.

This is still the only King book I have read. And I really liked it. I think I liked it because of two features, time travel and the Kennedy assassination, what more could you want in a book.

Of the King books I've read, Misery is my favorite. As good as the movie is, it doesn't have the book-within-a-book meta stuff, which I loved.

[Jeff V]

December 31st and I'm not going to finish another book today (not with that attitude...), so 94 for the year. A total I can live with

Jeff V, you crushed me with page count. Again.

Did not hit 32,000 (technically, I did, I'll be finishing the 3 in progress next year and count the whole total next year like I always do). Came up 2 pages per day less than less year, and 85 total books vs. 104 last year, but that last number was probably inflated by James Patterson Bookshots (~160 page novellas). Still, no doubt I was slacking this year. I blame more frequent WFH days which can cost me up to 3 hours of listening time (one hour commute each way and one hour walk weather permitting).

I'm starting to read somewhat more substantial books (200+ pages) to my kids, I suppose I might start including some of those (but likely I'll leave off the Captain Underpants books).

The most remarkable statistic I guess is that only 1 of the 85 I listed this year were dead tree books (kids books are almost always dead tree books though). The vast majority are audio books, with one or two Kindle obligations every month courtesy of Librarything.

[freelunch]

The most remarkable statistic I guess is that only 1 of the 85 I listed this year were dead tree books (kids books are almost always dead tree books though). The vast majority are audio books, with one or two Kindle obligations every month courtesy of Librarything.

8 dead tree books for me, out of 94. I'm pretty much converted eBooks now, unless I want to read something with a lot of illustrations or photos. I've dabbled in audiobooks before but they don't work for me. I lose focus too easily if I'm not reading.

[Kasey Chang]

It's almost ALL ebooks for me. I don't think I bought a single paper book in years, except one or two from Dollartree in their clearance aisles.

But then, with Kindle Unlimited, I read 3-4 books a day with help of text-to-speech.

[Jaymann]

Finally finished The Burning White by Brent Weeks, the fifth and anticipated final installment of the Lightbringer series. Weighing in at over 900 pages, this is no thin tome. A fairly satisfying conclusion to the series, but some superfluous content, a lot of flashbacks and talky-talky. I give it 6 1/2 tentacles.

[freelunch]

2020 Thread started

[Scuzz]

I read 19 books last year. Not bad. I basically have about 5-6 months where I work evenings and I just don't get much reading done.

[ImLawBoy]

I'm starting to read somewhat more substantial books (200+ pages) to my kids, I suppose I might start including some of those (but likely I'll leave off the Captain Underpants books).

We read lengthy books to my oldest son before bed, but since we alternate nights between him and the twins (actually, we do two on, two off) I never actually read the full book. I could bump up my number a good bit if I included those, but that doesn't seem right. If I read the whole book, though, I would totally count that.

The most remarkable statistic I guess is that only 1 of the 85 I listed this year were dead tree books (kids books are almost always dead tree books though). The vast majority are audio books, with one or two Kindle obligations every month courtesy of Librarything.

I read two paper books this year, and the rest were eBooks on my Kindle app on my phone. I've never listened directly to an audio book (or a podcast, for that matter), but I overhear some of them as my oldest listens to a lot of audio books. My commute time is on the train, and the noise makes audio books a non-starter for me.

[Isgrimnur]

The prices on noise canceling headphones have come down to reasonable levels.

[ImLawBoy]

That's a possibility, but I'd still rather read the text version than listen to someone reading to me. If I were doing a long drive commute, I might reconsider (but I'll do a lot to avoid having a long drive commute!).

[Jeff V]

The L is certainly noisier than the Metra, but I think it only drown out my earbuds went it goes underground.

[ImLawBoy]

I don't understand how people can have phone conversations on the El. Part of it is I'm just old and went to too many rock shows without ear protection in my youth, but any phone conversation on the El is right out for me.

[Scuzz]

I don't understand how people can have phone conversations on the El. Part of it is I'm just old and went to too many rock shows without ear protection in my youth, but any phone conversation on the El is right out for me.

I have trouble with cell phones (and phones in general), and I blame my early days and too many rock shows. Loud restaurants are a problem for me as well. I am fine until I get someplace with background noise.

[El Guapo]

Read about 7.5 books this past year, which is well behind most of you. But I can console myself that I spend all day every day reading for work, but unfortunately I can't include "Memo on Accounting Issue" on my lists. So there's that, I guess.

[Rumpy]

I have trouble enough hearing on phones to begin with, as we often get a broken connection, so I can't imagine trying to talk on a busy place like a train that's always full of noise.

[Kasey Chang]

Total read 2019... Probably about 1200 or so. 1055 romance reviews posted, but some books are abandoned, while others are non-romance fiction and non-fiction.

[xenocide]

Well, I finally got around to updating my list for the first time since last spring sometime. Added 53 more today for a total of 82 on the year. Once again my reading time was dominated by audio titles. I only read 9 books not on audible and 2 of them were on a plane. I love audiobooks so I am mostly fine with that but I would like to physically read more books in 2020. However I did just buy a whole bunch of new games on steam and epic during the Christmas sales so that could take a lot of my time


Some Highlights:

LitRPG 2019 still going strong for me.

Viridian Gate Online: very good.
Life Reset: one of my favs.
The Completionist Chronicles: also one of my favs.
Dungeon Lord: I read the first 3 and found them so/so which is too bad as I see it often listed as one of peoples favorites on the reddit litrpg page, don't think I will continue.
Advent: Red Mage: I liked it a lot but book 1 just came out in 2019 so a long wait for the whole series.
The Way of the Shaman: I wanted a series that was already complete and this one is good so far.
Ascend Online: quite good (another series often mentioned among peoples favorites on reddit litrpg).
Into the Light: Axe Druid well it was bound to happen. My first Litrpg I did not like. Too much deus ex machina. Also the characters were way to much bros for my taste and too much swearing (and I swear more than most people I know and generally have no prob with it). An example "Yo my brother from another mother, you feel like rocking this stealth ring?" "Ahhh fuck ya bro-stein, you know I want to rock the shit out of that!" They actually call each other "bro-stein". And "bro-ski". And other bro-tastic names. In a non sarcastic way. More than once. A Lot.



A couple that didn't work for me:

Wizard's First Rule: Sword of Truth Book 1 by Terry Goodkind Did not finish. Guess I don't get why this is so well loved by so many. I liked the tv show. Did not like the novel.

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang Too long. Kind of boring. I was looking forward to it but did not live up, not too bad just meh. Still has a great cover though, guess the old saying still holds up.

Reign of the Kingfisher by T.J. Martinson - I know ImLawBoy loved this one but it was not my favorite. I see many reviews calling it a fast paced thriller with interesting characters and good prose. I don't care about prose. I didn't find the main characters particularly interesting. And I found it the opposite of fast paced. Also the final "twist" was kind of obvious.

Time of the Twins: Dragonlance Legends Book 1 This is about the audio only, not the book itself. I listened to the first 3 in the Chronicles series and they were narrated by Paul Boehmer and they were great. Thought I'd give the Legends series a listen as well but unfortunately they switch narrators to Ax Norman and he does a terrible job. So if you're in a nostalgic mood and want to revisit these, listen to the first 3 but pull out your old physical copies for Legends.



On to the good:

CIRCE by Madeline Miller - Very highly reviewed book that won some awards back in 2018. It's a retelling of the story of the Greek goddess Circe. Very well done, lived up to the hype.

Planetside by Michael Mammay - I really liked this one. A mix of military Sci-Fi and a mystery. A veteran Colonel gets called upon to investigate a missing politician's son and uncovers more. Good action, good mystery, good characters. I'm actually listening to the sequel now.

Legion versus Phalanx: The Epic Struggle for Infantry Supremacy in the Ancient World by Myke Cole - A historical look at how the Roman legion eclipsed the Hellenistic phalanx as the premier military force of its time. The author is not just a historian but also a combat vet, Sci-fi and fantasy author, and a D&D gamer. Although the book is detailed and involved and does get deep into some details, Cole does a good job of describing battles and tactics using his own military background to ground things and explain them in not just informative ways but also keeps things interesting.

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World: A Novel by C. A. Fletcher - A post apocalyptic story about a boy who goes in search of his dog. This was an excellent book. Great main character and the post apocalyptic world was well done. Highly recommended.

Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin - The last book I read in 2019 and it was one of the best. Set in the American Civil War era with much taking place on steam boats. One of the better vampire novels I've read.

And here are a couple more without reviews that I enjoyed this year:

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
Dead Six by Larry Correia & Mike Kupari
Redshirts by John Scalzi
The Dispatcher by John-Scalzi
The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch
Undying Mercenaries Book 2-5 by B. V. Larson

To Wrap up:

My Book of 2019:
Spaceman: An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe by Mike Massimino - I talked about this in an earlier post

Honorable mentions:
Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World: A Novel by C. A. Fletcher

Thanks to all contributing to this tread, I enjoy seeing what you are all reading.

[Scuzz]

Is the book "A Boy and His Dog" etc the book the old 1970's movie is based on?

EDIT: I looked at the link and no it's not.

[ImLawBoy]

Reign of the Kingfisher by T.J. Martinson - I know ImLawBoy loved this one but it was not my favorite. I see many reviews calling it a fast paced thriller with interesting characters and good prose. I don't care about prose. I didn't find the main characters particularly interesting. And I found it the opposite of fast paced. Also the final "twist" was kind of obvious.

Different stokes for different folks, but I'm glad you gave it a shot and wrote it up. I enjoy seeing what other people think of the books I've read, even if they don't have the same conclusion as I do.