Octopus Overlords

by **CSL** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 8:56 am

Read

January

Shock Troops: Canadians Fighting the Great War 1917-1918 by Tim Cook
What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of American, 1815-1848 by Daniel Walker Howe

February

The Eastern Front 1914-1917 by Norman Stone
Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam by Stephen W. Sears

Apri

[url=http://www.amazon.com/Fall-House-Habsburg-Edward-Crankshaw/dp/0140064591/[/url] by Edward Crankshaw

Reading

Queued

Finished: 3

Completed in 2008: ~68
Completed in 2007: 67
Completed in 2006: 50
Completed in 2005: ~40

by **YellowKing** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 9:44 am

My new rating scale:

* = awful - not fit for bathroom reading
** = average "beach read" - mundane and forgettable
*** = above average - kept me entertained
**** = stellar - would seek out more by this author and recommend to friends
***** = classic - makes my "favorite books of all time" list. (Very few books will ever get the 5-star rating)

Read

North Carolina Curiosities by Jon Elliston and Kent Priestley (***)
The Shack by William P. Young (**)
Ice Hunt by James Rollins (**)
Critical Chain by Eliyahu M. Goldratt (**) [Perhaps if I was actually interested in project management and didn't have to read this for my job, I'd rate it higher]
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (****)
The Legacy by R. A. Salvatore (***)
Crucial Conversations: Tools For Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, et al. (***)
Starless Night by R. A. Salvatore (***)
Siege of Darkness by R. A. Salvatore (***)
Passage to Dawn by R. A. Salvatore (***)
The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt (***)
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (***)
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni (**)
Zodiac Unmasked by Robert Graysmith

Reading

Queued

by **Chesspieceface** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:24 am

I'll log this year:

Edit: Book Logging FAIL. (12/29/09)

by **Jeff V** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:45 am

Read
The Rest is Noise - Listening to the 20th Century by Alex Ross :binky:

Winter Fire by Bill Trotter :binky:

Leadership Therapy - Inside the Mind of Microsoft by Anna Rowley :binky:

The Book of General Ignorance by John Mitchinson :binky:

Sword Song - The Battle for London by Bernard Cornwell :binky:

From a Buick 8 by Stephen King :binky:

American Lion by Jon Meacham :binky:

The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin :binky:

The Butlerian Jihad by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson :binky:

The Life of Charlemagne by Einhard :binky:

God Is Not Great -- How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens :binky:

Sea of Glory by Nathaniel Philbrick :binky:

The Machine Crusade by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson :binky:

Mysteries of the Middle Ages and the Beginning of the Modern World by Thomas Cahill :binky:

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson :binky:

Dune - The Battle of Corrin by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson :binky:

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien :binky:

This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin :binky:

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien :binky:

The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien :binky:

With Arrow, Sword, And Spear: A History Of Warfare In The Ancient World by Alfred Bradford :binky:

Lord of the Rings - Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien :binky:

Descarte's Bones -- A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason by Russell Shorto :binky:

Batavia's Graveyard: The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny by Mike Dash :binky:

The Afghan Campaign by Steven Pressfield :binky:

On Writing by Stephen King :binky:

Prey by Michael Crichton :binky:

William Wallace - The King's Enemy by D.J. Gray :binky:

Duma Key by Stephen King :binky:

Sphere by Michael Crichton :binky:

Lisey's Story by Stephen King :binky:

The Mental Floss History of the World :binky:

Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory :binky:

Blasphemy by Douglas Preston :binky:

The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell :binky:

The Sea-Witch by Maturin Murray Ballou :binky:

Alexander the Great and His Time by Agnes Savill :binky:

Where the Wild Things Were by William Stolzenberg :binky:

Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell :binky:

2666: A Novel by Roberto Bolano :binky:

Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell :binky:

Moonlight in Odessa by Janet Skesklien Charles :binky:

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett :binky:

Immoral by Brian Freeman :binky:

Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert :binky:

Stripped by Brian Freeman :binky:

It's Called Work for a Reason! by Larry Winget :binky:

Doubleback by Libby Fischer Hellmann :binky:

The Fury of the Northmen by John Marsden :binky:

The Greatest Show on Earth -- The Evidence for Evolution by Richard Dawkins :binky:

The Winds of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson :binky:

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson :binky:

The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston :binky:

Super Freakonomics by Steven Leavitt and Stephen Dubner :binky:

The Castle in the Forest by Norman Mailer :binky:

More Information than You Require by John Hodgman :binky:

An Artist in Treason - The Extraordinary Double Life of General James Wilkinson by Andro Linklater :binky:

The Hadrian Memorandum by Allan Folsom :binky:

Stalked by Brian Freeman :binky:

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton :binky:

Reading
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge by PMI
The Archer's Tale by Bernard Cornwell

by **WPD** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:52 am

Perhaps I'll suck less at this in 2009:

READ
The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse by Robert Rankin 2.5 out of 5 stars
Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko 3.5 out of 5
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer 4 out of 5
No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy 2.5 out of 5
Revolting Youth by C.D Payne 4.5 out of 5
The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde 3.5 out of 5
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson 3.5 out of 5
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon 2 out of 5
The Know-It-All by AJ Jacobs 4.5 out of 5
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer 4 out of 5
Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco by Bryan Burrough 4.5 out of 5
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke 4.5
Longitude by Dava Sobel 4.5
Babylon babies by Maurice G. Dantec 2
Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein 4.5
The Thirty-Nine Steps (Penguin Classics) by John Buchan 3.5
American Pastoral by Philip Roth 3
American Nerd: The Story of My People by Benjamin Nugent 2
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry 5
Armchair Economist by Steven E. Landsburg 2.5
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler 4
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood 3.5
Charlatan: America's Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man Who Pursued Him, and the Age of Flimflam by Pope Brock 3
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman 4.5
The Informant by Kurt Eichenwald 5
Anathem by Neal Stephenson 4.5
Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris 3
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess 3
The Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke 3.5
Mystic River by Dennis Lehan 4
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz 3
Word Freak by Stefan Fatsis 3.5
Legs by William Kennedy 3
Spin by Robert Charles Wilson 4.5
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane 4.5
Empire Falls by Richard Russo 4
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson 3.5

ABORTED
The Singularity Is Near by Ray Kurzweil
The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell

READING
The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge

by **Juntei** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:57 am

Currently reading: The Dracula Dossier

by **Moliere** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 11:10 am

Read
January
"The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey" by Candice Millard
"Truman" by David McCullough
“Empire” by Orson Scott Card

February
"The Lion's Pride: Theodore Roosevelt and His Family in Peace and War" by Edward J. Renehan
"Paul of Dune" by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

March
"The End of Faith" by Sam Harris
“The Last Lion - Winston Churchill, Visions of Glory: 1874-1932” by William Manchester
"Anathem" by Neal Stephenson

April
“Rendezvous With Rama” by Arthur C. Clarke
“Lightening” by Dean Koontz
“Liberty & Tyranny” by Mark Levin
“The Wheel of Darkness” by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
“Nemesis” by Isaac Asimov
“Anything For Billy” by Larry McMurtry
“Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep?” by Philip K Dick

May
“Map of Bones” by James Rollins
“Digital Citizenship” by Mossberger, Tolbert & McNeal
“Governance and Information Technology” by Mayer-Schonberger & Lazer
“The Basics of Social Research” by Earl Babbie
“Readings in Social Research Methods” by Diane Wysocki
“The Borderlands of Science” by Michael Shermer
“The Once and Future King” by T.H. White
"The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone 1932-1940" by William Manchester

Completed in 2008: 65
Completed in 2007: 37(starting in August)

by **B Dog** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:22 pm

Read
Baseball Between the Numbers - Jonah Keri (Editor)
The Beatles: The Biography - Bob Spitz
Between the Bridge and the River - Craig Ferguson
Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut
Christine Falls - Benjamin Black
Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software - Charles Petzold
The Complete Game - Ron Darling
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess - Patrick Wolff
The Diamond Age - Neal Stephenson
Everyman - Philip Roth
Everyone's 2nd Chess Book - Dan Heisman
Going Deep: 20 Classic Sports Stories - Gary Smith
Holy Fire - Bruce Sterling
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto - Michael Pollan
King's Gambit: A Son, A Father, and the World's Most Dangerous Game - Paul Hoffman
Little Brother - Cory Doctorow
Man In The Dark - Paul Auster
Mastery - George Leonard
The Pentagon: A History - Steve Vogel
A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson
Spaceman Blues: A Love Song - Brian Francis Slattery
The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell
When You Are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris

Reading
Quicksilver - Neal Stephenson

Completed in 2008: 21

by **tswright** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 1:11 pm

Read
Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth
The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks

Reading
Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks

by **Jolor** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 1:22 pm

Read
The Plot to Save Socrates - Levinson ****
The Last Knight [The Twilight of the Middle Ages and the Birth of the Modern Era] - Cantor ***
The Name of the Wind - Rothfuss *****
Tiger Virtues - Tresniowski ***
The Black Company Chronicles - Cook **
Tuck - Lawhead ****
The Best of Bobby Jones on Golf - Jones ***
Shadows & Strongholds - Chadwick ***
Stormcaller - Lloyd **
Best Served Cold - Abercrombie ****
As Hogan Said...The 389 Best Things Ever Said About How To Play Golf - Voorhees ***

Reading
How to Break 90 - Tomasi/Adams
Uther - Whyte

Queued

by **Bad Demographic** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 2:04 pm

Reading:

Read:
The Ram Rebellion ed. Eric Flint
Canoeing the Adironadacks with Nessmuk: The Adirondack Letters of George Washington Sears ed. Dan Brenan
In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
Running Blind by Lee Child
Echo Burning by Lee Child
Without Fail by Lee Child
One Shot by Lee Child
Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Born Standing Up by Steve Martin
The Enemy by Lee Child
Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik
Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks
Fool by Christopher Moore
Armor by John Steakely
On Basilisk Station by David Weber
The Honor of the Queen by David Weber
The Short Victorious War by David Weber
Persuader by Lee Child
Pyramid Scheme by Eric Flint and Dave Freer
Pyramid Power by Eric Flint and Dave Freer
Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett
The House of the Stag by Kage Baker
Horizon by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Mankind Witch by Dave Freer
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The Rats, the Bats and the Ugly by Eric Flint
The Great Taos Bank Robbery and Other True Stories of the Southwest by Tony Hillerman
Nothing to Lose by Lee Child
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
My Own Kind of Freedom by Steven Brust
The Water Room by Christopher Fowler
Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella
Field of Dishonor by David Weber

Books read in 2005: 47
Books read in 2006: 30
Books read in 2007: 57
Books read in 2008: 43

by **Lassr** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 2:11 pm

Finished:
In God we Trust, All Others Pay Cash -Jean Shepard 6*
Star Trek: The Academy -Collision Course -William Shatner 9*
Mapping Human History -Steve Olson 6*
The Road -Carmac McCarthy 7*
Manitou Blood -Graham Masterton 6*
Tyrannosaur Canyon -Douglas Preston 7*
The Zombie Survival Guide -Max Brooks 7*
Dead Sea -Brian Keene 7*
The Ice Limit -Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 7*
Homeword Bound -Harry Turtledove 7*
Infected -Scott Sigler 6*
Turning of the Tide -Don Yaeger 7*
Mission Earth Vol 1: The Invaders Plan -L. Ron Hubbard 8*

Reading:

Mission Earth Vol 2: Black Genesis -L. Ron Hubbard

Queued:

A Whole Lot of Books that have piled up over the years.

by **theohall** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 3:26 pm

Read:
Star Colony - Keith Laumer.
The Long Twilight - Keith Laumer.
Watch on the Rhine - John Ringo and Tom Kratman
Sister Time - John Ringo and Julie Cochrane
Kushiel's Scion - Jacqueline Carey
Retief's War - Keith Laumer
Retief: Emissary to the Stars - Keith Laumer
Kushiel's Justice - Jacqueline Carey
Starfire - Charles Sheffield
On Basilisk Station - David Weber (re-read - just like the story)
Off Armageddon Reef - David Weber
Retief of the CDT - Keith Laumer
The Ring of Five Dragons - Eric Van Lustbader
1634: The Ram Rebellion - Eric Flint w/ Virginia DeMarce and others

Reading:
The Shadow of Saganami - David Weber

by **Windows95** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 11:38 pm

Read:

January
Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West, by Cormack McCarthy
One of the bleakest books I’ve ever read. That said, highly recommended. Cormack McCarthy’s best work in my humble opinion. (4/4)
Passive Aggressive Notes: Painfully Polite and Hilariously Hostile Writings, by Kerry Miller
Received as a gift. A collection of the best notes from the blog of the same name. Short funny read. (2/4)
His Last Command (Warhammer 40,000), by Dan Abnett
Playing a lot of Dawn of War lately, had me in the mood for some Warhammer 40K fiction. A short pulp novel, but a fun read. (2/4)
The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
Probably about the fifth time I've read it. A classic. (4/4)
Rogue Leaders: The Story of Lucasarts, by Rob Smith
Brings back fantastic memories of LucasArts games. Lots of photos and production artwork. Not overly indepth or critical, but still a good read. (3/4)

February
Coraline, by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman tackles children literature. The result? Your children won't be able to sleep for a month. Animated stop motion film has just been released based on the story. (3/4)

by **wire** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 12:48 am

Read:

The Bro Code by Barney Stinson
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Reading:

The Tao of Photography by Philippe Gross and S.I. Shapiro
It's Not How Good You Are, Its How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden
The Psychology of Superheroes: An Unauthorized Exploration by Robin Rosenberg

Queued:

Songbook by Nick Hornby
Slam by Nick Hornby
Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana by Michael Azerrad

by **lildrgn** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 1:51 am

I'll represent the best seller readers, or LCD, as it were...

Read
Summer of Night by Dan Simmons
A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons
Rock On: An Office Power Ballad by Dan Kennedy
Killing Yourself To Live by Chuck Klosterman
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
The Poet by Michael Connelly
Persuader by Lee Child (on Kindle)
Afraid by Jack Kilborn (on Kindle)
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith (on Kindle)
Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath (Kindle)
Bloody Mary by J.A. Konrath (Kindle)
Rusty Nail by J.A. Konrath (Kindle)
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (Kindle)
Serial by Jack Kilborn and Blake Crouch (Kindle)
The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly (Kindle)
Cemetery Dance by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston (Kindle)
Be the Pack Leader by Cesar Millan
Paranoia by Joseph Finder (Kindle)
City of Thieves by David Benioff
Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan
The Last Detective by Robert Crais
Alive in Necropolis by Doug Dorst
Collision by Jeff Abbott
The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer by Philip Carlo
The Pesthouse by Jim Crace
A Few Seconds of Panic by Stefan Fatsis
Soul Patch by Reed Farrel Coleman
The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith
The Given Day by Dennis Lehane
Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly
Fuzzy Navel by J.A. Konrath
Dirty Martini by J.A. Konrath
Cherry Bomb by J.A. Konrath
Borderlands by Brian McGilloway
I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle
The Watchman by Robert Crais
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais
Shutter Island (again) by Dennis Lehane
Sunset Express by Robert Crais
Gone, Baby, Gone by Dennis Lehane
Indigo Slam by Robert Crais

Reading
The Enemy by Lee Child

On deck

DNF
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss
The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale (Kindle)
Subterranean by James Rollins
Weapons of Choice by John Birmingham (Kindle)

by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 3:04 am

READ
Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land :binky:

Silent Knights: Blowing the Whistle on Military Accidents and Their Cover-Ups :binky:

A Sniper's Journey: The Truth About the Man Behind the Rifle :binky:

An Illustrated History of World War II: Crisis and Courage: Humanity on the Brink :binky:

The Complete Peanuts 1967-1968 and 1969-1970 (Box Set) :binky:

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb - :binky:

The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb - :binky:

The Tawny Man Trilogy - :binky:

First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong :binky:

The Mistborn Trilogy

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

READING

A History of the Jews

by **JonathanStrange** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 4:36 pm

Under construction............................................................

JANUARY
Odyssey of the West IV A Classic Education through the Great Books* Timothy B. Shutt LIT
Stupid Black Men How To Play The Race Card - And Lose Larry Elder SOC
Great Sky River (Galactic Center, volume 3) Gregory Benford SCI FI
My War Killing Time In Iraq Colby Buzzell CURRENT
The Last True Story I'll EverTell: An Accidental Soldier's Account of the War in IraqJohn Crawford CURRENT
Hard Corps From Gangster to Marine Hero Marco Martinez CURRENT
In Praise of Prejudice The Necessity of Preconceived Ideas Theodore Dalrymple SOC
Why You Should Read Kafka Before You Waste Your Life James Hawkes LIT
Ony A Theory Evolution and the Battle for America's Soul Kenneth R. Miller SCI

FEBRUARY
Dumbing Us Down The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling John Taylor Gatto SOC
Battlespace Book Two of The Legacy Trilogy Ian Douglas SCI FI
Ender's Exile Orson Scott Card SCI FI
Just After Sunset Stories Stephen King FICT
Star Marines Book Three of The Legacy Trilogy Ian Douglass SCI FI

MARCH
The Soul Thief* Charles Baxter FICTION
Alive in Necropolis A Novel Doug Dorst FICTION
The Kings of New York A Year Among the Geeks, Oddballs, And Geniuses Who Make Up America's Top High School Chess Team Michael Weinreb CURRENT
Byzantium The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire Judith Herrin HISTORY
A Concise History of Byzantium Warren Treadgold HISTORY
The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World David W. Anthony HISTORY

APRIL
The Mountain People Colin Turnbull NONFICTION
The Decline and Fall of Rome* Thomas F. Madden HISTORY
The Ruin of the Roman Empire A New History James J. O'Donnell HISTORY
Justinian's Flea: Plague, Empire, and the Birth of Europe William Rosen
Your Heart Belongs To Me Dean Koontz
Is God A Mathematician? Mario Livio
Winston's War Michael Dobbs

MAY
Stalin's Children: Three Generations of Love, War, and Survival Own Matthews
Empires of Trust How Rome Built - and America is Building - a New World Thomas F. Madden
The Turnaround A Novel George Pelecanos
The SuperOrganism The Beauty, Elegance, and Strangeness of Insect Societies E. O. Wilson , Bert Holldobler
The Third Reich At War Richard J. Evans

JUNE
The Source A Novel James Michener
Unbelievable Investigations Into Ghosts, Poltergeists, Telepathy, And Other Unseen Phenomena, From The Duke Parapsychology Laboratory Stacy Horn
The ESP Enigma The Scientific Case for Psychic Phenomena Dianne Powell, M.D.
The Last Defender of Camelot Roger Zelazny
Give Me Back My Legions! Harry Turtledove
White King And Red Queen How The Cold War Was Fought On The Chessboard Daniel Johnson
Escape From Hell A Novel Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
Selections from Dreamsongs 2: Tales of Fantasy, Horror/Sci Fi and a Man Called Tuf* G.R.R. Martin
A Clockwork Orange A Novel* Anthony Burgess
Berserkers The Beginning* Fred Saberhagen
Elric of Melnibone* Michael Moorcock
Tried By War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander-In-Chief* James McPherson

JULY
Jews, God And History Max I. Dimont
The Yiddish Policemen's Union* Michael Chabon
The Killer Angels A Novel of Gettysburg* Michael Shaara
The Defeat of Rome in the East Crassus, The Parthians, and the Disastrous Battle of Carrhae, 53 BC Gareth C. Sampson
The City of Ember* Jeanne DuPrau
The Discovery of France A Historical Geography from the Revolution to the First World War Graham Robb
A Hymn Before Battle John Ringo
The Middle Ages The Complete Idiot's Guide To Timothy Hall
World Without End A Novel* Ken Follett
A Distant Mirror The Calamitous 14th Century* Barbara Tuchman
The Space-Gods Revealed A Close Look At The Theories of Erich Von Daniken Ronald Story
The Skeptic's Dictionary A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions & Dangerous Deceptions Robert T. Carroll
America Anonymous: 8 Addicts In Search of A Life Denizet-Lewis, Benoit
Why We Read What We Read: A Delightfully Opinionated Journey Through Contemporary Best-Sellers Lisa Adams

AUGUST
The Lathe of Heaven Ursula K. Le Guin
How to Build a Dinosaur: Extinction Doesn't Have to Be Forever* Jack Horner
Fighting Techniques of Naval Warfare Strategy, Weapons, Commanders and Ships 1190 BC - 1942 Thomas Dunne Books
Liberty and Tyranny A Conservative Manifesto Mark R. Levin
Berserker's Planet* Fred Saberhagen
The Man In The High Castle* Philip K. Dick
Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong Reopening the Case of The Hound of the Baskervilles Pierre Bayard
The Art of Conversation A Guided Tour of a Neglected Pleasure Catherine Blyth
How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization* Thomas Woods
The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels*Thomas Cahill
Where God Was Born A Daring Adventure Through The Bible's Greatest Stories Bruce Feiler
Empire Rising A Novel of Ancient Akkad Sam Barone
Into the Storm Destroyermen, Bk 1 Taylor Anderson
The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber/ The Snows of Kilimanjaro* Ernest Hemingway
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith
Relentless A Novel Dean Koontz
The Tyranny of Dead Ideas Unleash A New Economic Prosperity Matt Miller

SEPTEMBER
Europe Between The Oceans 9000 BC - AD 1000 Barry Cunliffe
The Stars, My Destination Alfred Bester
Deathstalker War (Owen Deathstalker, Vol. 3)* Simon Green
Reflections on the Revolution in Europe Immigration, Islam, And the West Christopher Caldwell
Cahokia Ancient America's Great City On The Mississippi Timothy Pauketat
Magic Kingdom for Sale--Sold! (The Magic Kingdom of Landover)* Terry Brooks
The Black Unicorn (Magic Kingdom of Landover series #2)* Terry Brooks
Magician's Book: A Skeptic's Adventures In Narnia Laura Miller
No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels Jay Dobyns
Wizard's First Rule (The Sword of Truth)* Terry Goodkind
Rocket Ship Galileo* Robert A. Heinlein

OCTOBER
After the Ice: A Global Human History 20,000 - 5,000 BC Steven Mithen
Before the Dawn Rediscovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors Nicholas Wade
I am Legend* Richard Matheson
The Prince* Niccolo Machiavelli
One Second After William R. Forstchen
A Princess of Landover* (Magic Kingdom of Landover series #6) Terry Brooks
Homer & Langley A Novel E. L. Doctorow
The Company A Novel K. J. Parker
Stone of Tears (The Sword of Truth series, book 2)* Terry Goodkind

NOVEMBER
The Law of Nines* Terry Goodkind
The Evolution of God Robert Wright
Dark Worlds of H. P. Lovecraft, Vol. 1* H. P. Lovecraft
The Elements of Style Strunk & White
Waiting For My Cats To Die A Morbid Memoir Stacy Horn
Transition A Novel Iain M. Banks
Fragment A Novel Warren Fahy
Conqueror Time's Tapestry Book Two Stephen Baxter
Stitches A Memoir David Small
Thunderstruck* Erik Larson
The Simpsons An Uncensored, Unauthorized History John Ortved

DECEMBER
the forgotten man A New History of the Great Depression Amity Shlaes
The Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark Ages, 400-1000 Chris Wickham
How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower Adrian Goldsworthy
Liberal Fascism The Secret History of the American Left from Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning Jonah Goldberg
Descartes' Bones A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason* Russell Shorto
Anansi Boys* Neil Gaiman
Alfred & Emily A Life Doris Lessing
Impostor's Daughter A True Memoir Laurie Sandell
The Name of the Wind Patrick Rothfuss
Crusade: Destroyermen, Book II Taylor Anderson
Loser Goes First My Thirty-Something Years of Dumb Luck and Minor Humiliation Dan Kennedy
His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire series, Book 1)* Naomi Novik
Darkly Dreaming Dexter* Jeffrey Lindsay

by **naednek** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 4:56 pm

READ
Eyes of Prey by John Sandford - March 20th 2009
Your Pregnancy, for the Father to be March 22nd 2009
The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz May 13th, 2009
Predator by Patricia Conwell (boring) June 25th 2009
Odd Hours by Dean Koontz August 16th, 2009
The Cell - Stephen King October 23rd, 2009
Faces by Dean Koontz - Sometime in November 2009
READING

IN QUEUE

by **Jaymann** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 10:05 pm

Survivor - Chuck Palahniuk
The Player of Games - Iain M. Banks
Mathematicians in Love - Rudy Rucker
Walls of the Universe - Paula Melko
Postsingular - Rudy Rucker
Matter - Iain M. Banks
Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
This Is Not a Game - Walter Jon Williams
The Books of the South - Glen Cook
The Swordbearer - Glen Cook
Troy - Lord of the Silver Bow - David Gemmell

by **Godzilla Blitz** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 5:30 pm

Finished:
Built to Last, by Jim Collins
Save the Cat, by Blake Snyder

Reading:
Save the Cat Goes to the Movies

by **Kyosho** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:00 pm

Read:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

by **Austin** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 8:13 pm

Read
Fit Bodies Fat Minds: Why Evangelicals Don't Think and What to Do About It by Os Guinness.

Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1) by Robin Hobb.

Wisdom Hunter by Randall Arthur.

No Place for Truth by David Wells.

The Call by Os Guinness.

Confessions by Augustine, Saint Aurelius. (Translated by Henry Chadwick)

Reading

Christian Theology: An Introduction by Alister McGrath

The Prodigal God

Queued
An Introduction to Wisdom Literature and the Psalms by Ballard, H. Wayne, Jr., and Dennis Tucker, Jr., eds.

The Hebrew Prophets by James D. Newsome.

Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking by Browne, M. Neil, and Stuart M. Keeley.

A Little Exercise for Young Theologians by Helmut Thielicke.

by **ydejin** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:22 am

Read

The Rise and Fall of the British Empire by Lawrence James
Victoria's Wars: The Rise of Empire by David Saul
Heaven's Command: An Imperial Progress by Jan Morris

The Black Company by Glen Cook from Chronicles of the Black Company
Shadows Linger by Glen Cook from Chronicles of the Black Company
By Schism Rent Asunder by David Weber
Witch Hunter by CL Werner in Matthias Thulmann: Witch Hunter (Omnibus)
Witch Finder by CL Werner in Matthias Thulmann: Witch Hunter (Omnibus)

Inspired by DoW2
Ragnar's Claw by William King in The Space Wolf Omnibus
Grey Hunter by William King in The Space Wolf Omnibus
13th Legion by Gav Thorpe in The Last Chancers Omnibus

Reading

The Honourable Company: A History of the English East India Company by John Keay

by **Steron** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 12:02 pm

Once again my goal is 12 books read this year. I realize several of these may not constitute 'real' books but I am tracking them just the same.

Reading

Read
I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell - Tucker Max
The Bro Code - Barney Stinson & Matt Kuhn
What NOT to do in Polite Company - Linda J. Beam
Dark Watch - Clive Cussler
Money Ball - Michael Lewis
Atlantis Found - Clive Cussler
Guilty:Liberal "Victims" and Their Assault on America - Ann Coulter
The War - Geoffrey C. Ward, Ken Burns, David McMahon
Pearl Harbor - Newt Gingrich & William R. Forstchen
Robert Ludlum's (TM) The Bourne Sanction - Eric Van Lustbader
Phil Gordon's Little Blue Book - Phil Gordon

In Queue

Finished in 2008 - A lowly 8

by **LawBeefaroni** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 12:37 pm

Reading
Target Patton - Robert K. Wilcox

Queue
Crude Continent - Duncan Clarke
The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crisis of 2008 and What It Means - George Soros
The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008 - Paul Krugman

by **The Meal** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:01 am

This'll likely be a Books Read in January of 2009 post.

Read
Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem Simon Singh
The Road to Hockeytown: Jimmy Devellano's Forty Years in the NHL Jim Devellano, Roger Lajoie
Descartes's Secret Notebook: A True Tale of Mathematics, Mysticism, and the Quest to Understand the Universe Amir D. Aczel
The Theory of Gambling and Statistical Logic, Revised Edition Richard A. Epstein
Secrets of Sit 'n' Gos: Winning Strategies for Single-table Poker Tournaments Phil Shaw
Watchmen Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Heads-Up No-Limit Hold 'em Collin Moshman
The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory D'Arcy Jenish
The Game - Neil Strauss (Hey, it was handed to me while I was traveling and in need of a read. I enjoyed it for the narrative.)

Reread
The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide: Tournament Edition Michael Craig, ed. (NLHE chapters only)
Every Hand Revealed Gus Hansen
Ace on the River: An Advanced Poker Guide Barry Greenstein

Reading
-in between books-

Video
My poker shelves (and the top half of my Astronomy shelves, due to a bad trim job {hush you!}).

by **Grundbegriff** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 1:43 pm

Here we go again.

Books read or reread in 2009:

Peter O'Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians
Steve Turner, Imagine. A Vision for Christians in the Arts
Dhrubojyoti Kayal, Pro Java EE Spring Patterns: Best Practices and Design Strategies
Donald Hall, Unpacking the Boxes: A Memoir of a Life in Poetry
Joel Spolsky, More Joel On Software
Jaroslav Tulach, Practical API Design
Joel Spolsky, User Interface Design for Programmers
A. J. Jacobs, The Year of Living Biblically
Bruno Aranda and Zubin Wadia, Facelets Essentials Guide to JavaServer Faces View Definition Framework
John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion (massively abridged), ed. by Lane & Osbourne.
Dan Cederholm, Bulletproof Web Design
Mortimus Clay, The Purloined Boy

Now reading:
Thomas Aquinas, The Shorter Summa
Jack Vance, Tales of the Dying Earth
...

by **BigBoneTone** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 3:31 am

Cry for me: I've entered a phase where every lunch and dinner isn't fulfilling unless I'm reading a book. Luckily, my wife suffers from the same malady.

Just finished: Cell - Stephen King. Wow, started so strong and then like many a King novel drifted off into strangeness. Hard to dig after The Road.

by **CSL** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 6:23 am

1. Shock Troops: Canadians Fighting the Great War 1917-1918

You could do far, far worse when selecting a volume about First World War history than Shock Troops. This is the second of two volumes chronicling the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the Great War, beginning slightly before the battle of Vimy Ridge and continuing through the rest of the war including Amiens, Arras, the Hundred Days, and the eventual demobilization of the Canadian Corps.

Shock Troops is engaging throughout, taking as it does the view that the men at the "sharp end" - the combat infantry - are to be the main viewpoint by which we see the war. While Cook does relate the war through the eyes of senior officers, such as Arthur Currie, Sir Julian Byng, and divisional commanders such as Louis Lipsett, Cook relies overwhelming on the men in the trenches to examine how the men fought, in what circumstances they lived, why they continued to fight, what motived them, and how they managed to become the premier fighting force on the western front in the last two years of the war. Cook is aided by having what is an eminently readable volume, as throughout I found myself spurning off sleep to fit in one more chapter to advance the narrative.

Those with a general interest in the Great War would be advised to pick up this volume and for Canadians it should probably be required reading.

***** out of *****

by **Matrix** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 12:02 pm

YellowKing wrote:My new rating scale:

* = awful - not fit for bathroom reading
** = average "beach read" - mundane and forgettable
*** = above average - kept me entertained
**** = stellar - would seek out more by this author and recommend to friends
***** = classic - makes my "favorite books of all time" list. (Very few books will ever get the 5-star rating)

Read

North Carolina Curiosities by Jon Elliston and Kent Priestley (***)
The Shack by William P. Young (**)
Ice Hunt by James Rollins (**)
Critical Chain by Eliyahu M. Goldratt (**) [Perhaps if I was actually interested in project management and didn't have to read this for my job, I'd rate it higher]

Reading

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Queued

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

Critical chain is not that impressive even if you are in project management, i read it when was taking project management course last year. Color me un impressed. It was ok read, but certainly it is not a book that motivates to apply it right away. Its better then text book i guess, but that is not saying much.

Reading:
Eternal Road
and will fill in this one late. Something about trade and how prosperity came about, don't remember title and not about to go look it up

by **Isgrimnur** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 4:24 pm

Critical Chain by Eliyahu M. Goldratt was required reading in my Productions and Operations Management class in college. It was a passable read and I still remember some of the details eight years later. I can't really see the need for MIS students to have had the course, but then it was under the Business school, so...

by **Jeff V** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 11:48 am

The Rest is Noise - Listening to the 20th Century by Alex Ross :binky:

Romantic, Impressionistic, neo-Classical, Avant-garde, Minimalism, Populist: musical styles were in a constant state of flux throughout the century. Technology allowed composers to experiment in ways never before possible. Powerful influences attracted the intellectual composers on direction (such as atonality) while popular demand shifted it back. During the first half of the century, Classical Music was in lock-step with the rapidly changing political scene...indeed, it would be the death of some composers to be politically incorrect. Composers were larger-than-life figures, and often considered national heroes even if their personal conduct was every bit as reprehensible as modern, drug-and-alcohol-ridden rock stars. Herein lies the most remarkable transformation -- classical music by and large escaped political repression in the latter half of the century, composers lost a good measure of glory, and classical music became another genre in a diverse musical landscape; entertainment for society's elite (or would-be elite). Yet despite the decline of power and prestige, by the end of the century, more people were consuming classical music by 1999 than any time in history.

Ross does a terrific job telling the story of the history of music, the composers, national agendas and influences, and trends. The personalities, friendships and rivalries all come alive. Most important is how Ross describes the music. As the title indicates, he tells the reader what to listen for in the music, what exemplified a particular style, what signature passages made the composer worthy of note.

I was pleasantly surprised on how complete the book is considering the vast scope. Major composers, influential as they were, command a large part of the text but minor composers also got their due, whether they were perfecting the style set forth by a mentor or helped change the course of music, even slightly. While today an uninformed listener might consider pop and classical to be opposite ends of the spectrum, in reality, the distinction has always been somewhat blurry. One of Sibelius' greatest hits was a waltz that became wildly popular in Vienna. Prokofiev and Korngold, among others, wrote notable scores for Hollywood or the movie industry. Jazz developed as almost a spin-off; many jazz greats either had classical roots or greatly influenced classical composition, like Duke Ellington and John Coltrane. In modern times, the likes of Brian Eno, David Byrne, Bjork, and even the pop-hit producer Timbaland are entwined with classical influences. The emergence of China as a political power is mirrored by it's rise on the cultural scene as well...and a wealth of eastern music and musicians are part of the new repertoire gracing concert halls throughout the US and Europe.

For me personally, prior ages of classical music have always been easy to understand. The baroque era is marked by ecclesiastical influences as composers experimented with polyphonic tones. Music of the classical age is is orderly and generally predictable -- not surprising as it was born during the Age of Reason. Romantic and Impressionistic music captures imagery and emotion. The 20th Century styles have all seemed less easy to grasp, mostly because I've always tried to listen to it as I had earlier music. I'm not sure if I'm going to suddenly like Schoenberg or Cage or Reich any more than before, but now I understand better where they are coming from, and what they were trying to accomplish. A greater understanding of the trendsetters will also help me better follow stylistic themes among their disciples. It'll take a few months to know for sure, but this book could represent an "eureka" moment that removes a barrier erected by ignorance.

by **Carpet_pissr** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 12:56 pm

Read:

The Last Lecture. Meh. Someone gave it to me as a gift. While I am/was sympathetic with his plight, especially considering I have two small children myself, as a book, I wouldn't really recommend it (obviously Amazon reviewers disagree with me). Maybe I was expecting more....inspiration, or mind blowing life lessons, but I just didn't get a lot out of it personally. Big ymmv on this I think.

Reading:

1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12

Pending:
Both of these are probably already out of date/obsolete by now...sigh.
The World is Flat (still haven't read this one, been sitting on my shelf for years)
Freakonomics (same as above)
Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera
Star Watch: The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to Finding, Observing, and Learning About over 125 Celestial Objects
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country's Foremost Relationship Expert
Shantaram

by **noxiousdog** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:06 pm

**** The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
Definitely worth reading.

**** A Civil War: Army Vs. Navy a Year Inside College Football's Purest Rivalry - John Feinstein
Not his best book, but very readable and interesting. I've yet to be dissapointed by him.
***** Caddy for Life - John Feinstein - Tear jerker, but excellent book.

***** Assassin's Apprentice - Robyn Hobb
***** Royal Assassin - Robyn Hobb
***** Assassin's Quest - Robyn Hobb

Excellent series. I haven't been this engrossed in a full series in long time. It's certainly not as epic as George R.R. Martin, but it was easily as entertaining. Besides, does George R.R. Martin have a song written about a main character?

*** Dracula - Bram Stoker

**** Men at Arms - Terry Pratchett
*** The Color of Magic - Terry Pratchett
**** The Light Fantastic - Terry Pratchett

**** Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson

**** The Complete Sherlock Holmes Vol 1 - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

***** The Wine Trials - Robin Goldstein and Alexis Herschkowitsch

*** Quantum of Solace - Ian Fleming (James Bond short stories packaged and sold with the movie name for marketing purposes).

**** Sea of Swords - R. A. Salvator

Currently reading:
What to Listen for in Music - Aaron Copland
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Tawny Man - Robin Hobb

by **YellowKing** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:39 pm

The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
Definitely worth reading.

I read it many, many, many years ago on my grandmother's recommendation, and to this day it is one of my favorite books of all time. Easily in the top 5.

by **KeriKitKat** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 9:24 pm

FINISHED
The Forest House ~ Marion Zimmer Bradley
Merle's Door ~ Ted Kerasote
Twenty Chickens for a Saddle ~ Robyn Scott
Water for Elephants ~ Sara Gruen
The Animal Dialogues ~ Craig Childs
Thunderhead ~ Preston & Child
Angels & Demons ~ Dan Brown
Flower Children ~ Maxine Swann

READING NOW
Labyrinth ~ Kate Moss

by **koanicriddle** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:32 pm

Read -

Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters by John Langan
Monstrocity by Jeffrey Thomas
Secret Lives by Jeff Vandermeer
Poe edited by Ellen Datlow
Shriek: An Afterword by Jeff Vandermeer
One by Conrad Williams
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
The Red Tree by Caitlin Kiernan
A Is for Alien by Caitlin Kiernan
Audrey's Door by Sarah Langan
Last Days by Brian Evenson

Reading -

The Company by K.J. Parker

Queued -
Too many to list

Books read in 2004 - 31
Books read in 2005 - 20
Books read in 2006 - 23
Books read in 2007 - 40
Books read in 2008 - 21

by **Nipper** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 12:19 am

Why not?
Read:
A Farewell to Arms
A Game of Thrones

Currently Reading:
A Clash of Kings

by **Jeff V** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 4:58 pm

Winter Fire by Bill Trotter

Historian, classical music afficiando, and war game reviewer Bill Trotter's 1993 debut novel combines many of his passions to great effect. The novel takes place in Germany and Finland during WW2. A conductor recruited into the Wehrmacht draws frontier duty in Finland, and becomes acquainted with the great Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius. The book weaves a path that intersects bastions of civilized culture in music halls (and the politics inherent with music at the time), mysticism (complete with mythical forest creatures of pagan origin), and the horrors of front-line combat on the Russian and Finnish fronts.

The story was a fascinating contrast of civilization, barbarism, and passion. Towards the end, the novel went a little over-the-top with the mystical. He did, however, manage to wrap it up so the events and characters of the story do not impact the continuity of history as we know it. :binky:

Leadership Therapy - Inside the Mind of Microsoft by Anna Rowley
This is one of those books that reinforces my suspicion that maybe I should have been a shrink. The anecdotal stories involving managers in high-stress roles such as Microsoft are interesting. The profiles of these individuals are familiar to anyone who has spent time in the corporate world. The book addresses techniques used to address and correct behavioral flaws, but success is far from uniform much less guaranteed. I'm still interested in hearing how such dysfunctional individuals rise to a level in the first place. While I suspect Rowley's methods can have some impact when the subjects are motivated and have trust in her, as the administrator, to make them better managers; I can't see how it will be especially practical from the observers point of view (ie, me as reader of the book). Finally, I was a little disappointed that among all of the flawed management issues brought forth in the book, none of them struck me as being personally identifiable. I know I have issues, but Rowley either doesn't mention them or tangentially skirts them. :binky:

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