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.
Published in September of 2021, “Legacy Earth” is a science fiction novel by author Mike Buzzell. Set in the year 2256, the story follows the adventures of a group of humans who have been living on a distant planet for generations after Earth was destroyed in a catastrophic event. When they discover evidence that Earth may still exist, a small team is sent on a dangerous mission to confirm the discovery and possibly reclaim their ancestral home. Along the way, they encounter unexpected allies and enemies, and must confront the consequences of the choices their ancestors made in order to survive. The novel explores themes of environmentalism, the search for identity and belonging, and the impact of technology on society.
Legacy Earth
My Thoughts
This was an interesting book as it took several liberties with history and the military to build out a possible scenario for the future. It took a bit to get started as the main character is a little too good for belief. He doesn’t seem to slow down as the book goes on but the other characters become more likeable as they become fleshed out. There were a few things that were discordant to me which likely shouldn’t have been given that it is set 500 years in the future. Still, my exposure to Marines makes me less-than-sympathetic to people who haven’t done their research on their culture. I got over it though.
Recommendation
It was a good enough book for me to get in the door to the series. Let’s see where it goes from here.
The Great Gatsby is a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald that tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a wealthy man known for throwing extravagant parties in 1920s New York. The narrator, Nick Carraway, becomes Gatsby’s neighbor and befriends him, learning of his mysterious past and his love for Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby tries to win back Daisy’s heart, despite her marriage to the wealthy and unfaithful Tom Buchanan. The novel explores themes of love, wealth, power, and the corruption of the American Dream, culminating in a tragic and ultimately empty pursuit of a life that cannot be regained.
The Great Gatsby
My Thoughts
That background was written by ChatGPT. I think it did a great job…
The book was quite the throwback and some of the thoughts were pretty jarring. (E.g. The treatment of Jewish characters and so on.) One can pull a number of lessons out of the text beyond the surface levels of money and power. The central notion of the fundamental character of people was so bleak that it was hard to read.
How much of our suffering is really for our own good? That’s a terrifying question when you stop to consider the implications.
Recommendations
It’s a classic so you should read it. However, I didn’t enjoy it.
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 January of 2021, The Four Winds is the story of a woman and her kids leaving the farm in Texas during the dust bowl and heading to California. Things didn’t work out like they planned.
The Four Winds
My Thoughts
I read this book because our church’s adult women put it out there as their book club pick. In short, I didn’t like it. It was reading the Grapes of Wrath again but this time with an empowerment story complete with a worthless husband.
Published in 2007, A Darkling Plain is set 6 months after Infernal Devices. Hester is presumed dead as is the Stalker Fang. The world is getting ready for the last war.
A Darkling Plain
My Thoughts
This was a good resolution and I love what happened to Shrike at the end in particular.
Published in 2005, Infernal Devices is the third book in the “Mortal Engines Quartet”. It follows Predator’s Gold and starts the story 16 years after the last book ended. This story picks up with their child (Wren) and her adventures become the catalyst to change all their lives.
Infernal Devices
My Thoughts
Another good book but a little slower than the last. It took me a minute to take a shine to Wren and the other new characters.
Published in September of 2006, The Road is a dystopian story of a father and his son in a post war torn America. The Road they are traveling is full of dangers and this is no place to raise a child.
The Road
My Thoughts
While the book was well done, it was so depressing. I would truly hope that we as humans act a little better than what was portrayed. I think someone needs to give Cormac McCarthy a hug…
Recommendation
If you liked Grapes of Wrath, then you likely need a hug too. However, you’d likely like this one as well.
