Published in September of 2015, “The Aeronaut’s Windlass” by Jim Butcher is a steampunk adventure that follows the exploits of a group of characters as they navigate a world filled with airships, magic, and political intrigue.
The Aeronaut’s Windlass
My Thoughts
I loved the “Dresden Files” series and so I thought I’d try another from the same author. This book started off pretty slow to me but picked up as it went along. I really enjoyed the new take on technologies, wildlife, and the world as a whole. Toward the end, I couldn’t get enough. I was sad to see the series hadn’t moved along for almost a decade.
The Fellowship of the Ring is the first novel in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. The story begins in the peaceful Shire, where hobbit Frodo Baggins inherits a powerful and dangerous ring from his uncle Bilbo. Realizing the true nature of the ring, Frodo embarks on a perilous journey to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom, aided by a fellowship of eight others, including the wizard Gandalf, the elf Legolas, the dwarf Gimli, and the humans Aragorn, Boromir, Merry, Pippin, and Sam. As they journey through treacherous terrain, they encounter dark forces in the form of the Ringwraiths, who are seeking the ring for their master, the evil Sauron. The Fellowship must overcome numerous obstacles and challenges in their quest to save Middle-earth from Sauron’s tyranny. (By ChatGPT)
The Fellowship of the Ring
My Thoughts
I ran a race Saturday and wanted to have something familiar to listen to while I ran. As this was a race, there usually isn’t a lot of brainpower to learn another story and this seemed to be a good choice. Also, my oldest son just finished it again in the last month so it’s good to keep up to date. The last time I read it, I was in the dentist’s chair so this was a little more comfortable.
Recommendation
It’s a classic… A little wordy at times and I can do without all the songs but a familiar story. I keep coming back!
Published in July of 2014, Barbarian Lord is a graphic novel of fighter who goes on adventures for honor and revenge.
Barbarian Lord
My Thoughts
My son had read it and said my daughter had said it was basically He-Man in graphic novel form. So I was bound to read it. It didn’t take long at all to finish and I can’t say I’m a better person to have done so.
Visually, my daughter is correct. It is basically He-Man complete with a Skeletor-ish villain. However, there were some very graphic scenes in it which certainly wouldn’t have slipped by the censors of the early 80’s.
The plot was pretty sparce but you can’t really expect too much. It is basically a action movie in book form. (Spoiler alert, Barbarian Lord wins in the end…)
Recommendation
If this gets your kids to read then it’s all good. If not, you don’t need to spend any time with it.
Published in June of 1992, Outlander is the first book in a series of fictional books about Outlanders. People who time travel from one place to another. The first was a nurse from WWII to 16th century Scotland.
Outlander
My Thoughts
It certainly had an interesting back story and the author knows how to keep the reader engaged but I didn’t really like it. The main character was a little too much “Mary Sue” for me and I didn’t really like how she handled herself. I was looking for a good series but this just wasn’t it.
Recommendation
Skip it. For this 12 book series, I am one and done.
Published in October of 2020, Greenlights is the autobiographical musings of Matthew McConaughey (all right, all right, all right…).
Greenlights
My Thoughts
I’m always nervous when I read this celebrity bios. Most of the time I come away thinking much less of them but this time was different. My wife was talking to me about this book thinking that I had already read it. I told her that I had but I was thinking about Val Kilmer’s book. So, I had to read it…
I was pleasantly surprised. The first of it seemed like it he was trying to act all manly to counter he stereotypical RomCom role. As the story went on, he seemed to actually be the person he was representing. It also explains why he stopped doing those roles. If it wasn’t just fantasy, he earned a bit of my respect.
Published in March of 2006, “A Dirty Job” is a darkly comedic novel written by Christopher Moore that follows the life of Charlie Asher, a San Francisco bookstore owner who unexpectedly becomes a “death merchant” after the death of his wife. Charlie discovers that he is a “beta male,” a person who collects the souls of the dying and must help guide them to their next destination. As Charlie navigates his new job and the strange underworld of San Francisco’s supernatural community, he becomes embroiled in a battle between good and evil that could determine the fate of humanity. The book is both hilarious and thought-provoking, exploring themes of mortality, family, and what it means to be a hero in a world full of darkness.
A Dirty Job
My Thoughts
My intent was to read something a little lighter so I looked up the best amusing novels. This one came up on the list so I checked it out.
It was certainly engaging but a little rougher around the edges for my tastes. Certainly the idea of retrieving souls is interesting but I think they didn’t quite stick the landing at the end.
Children of Dune was published back in 1976 by Frank Herbert and is the 3rd in a 6 volume series about Dune. This story is largely about the son and daughter of Paul after he heads into the desert.
Children of Dune
My Thoughts
I didn’t really care for this book. The children were too overpowered to be much fun and his sister was a trip. Of course, that’s the idea, the cautionary tale of what can happen when you get a little too full of yourself.
Recommendation
It wasn’t terrible but I should have stopped at the first book.
Battle Ground is the 17th novel in The Dresden Files. Battle Ground was published on September 29, 2020. This book wraps up the series.
Battle Ground
My Thoughts
Due to my hosting service being terrible, I’m writing this 5 months after I read the book. However, I really did enjoy it. Harry becomes more than a little overpowered but it was all in good fun. Great series!
Published in July of 2020, Peace Talks is the 16th novel in The Dresden Files series. Harry’s brother is found in the wrong place at the wrong time and will soon be judged by the accords. Harry might have a chance to make things right but that’s just a chance.
Peace Talks
My Thoughts
Much was brought together in this book and the story is reaching it’s climax. This book was a giant set up for the next book… The author was pumping out a book a year on this series and then took 6 years to get this one out. The final book came out about 6 months after this so it is really part 1 of the end.
Recommendation
Fun book but don’t start here. Go back and read the 15 previous books.
Published in May of 2014, “Skin Game” is a fantasy novel by author Jim Butcher, which follows the story of Harry Dresden, a wizard and private investigator, as he becomes embroiled in a high-stakes heist with a group of dangerous criminals. In order to save the life of a friend, Dresden must work with a gang of supernatural beings to steal a powerful artifact from a heavily guarded vault. As the heist becomes increasingly complex and dangerous, Dresden must use all of his skills and wits to outsmart his adversaries and stay alive. Skin Game is the 15th book in The Dresden Files series.
Skin Game
My Thoughts
Back to flexible ethics… Though the author really did a good job writing this book, I didn’t care for where it took us. I do understand the necessity of the story to get to the full story arc but this wasn’t my favorite book.
