Sundiver by David Brin
The Uplift Saga series #1
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My Rating: 
3.5 out of 5 stars
First Published: February 1980
Read from: September 25 to October 1, 2014
Tag: review
Review: Blue Mars
Blue Mars
by Kim Stanley Robinson
Mars Trilogy series #3
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My Rating: 
1.5 out of 5 stars
First Published: June 1996
Read from: July 28 to September 24, 2014
Blue Mars = Boring Mars
Review: The Ghost Brigades
The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
Old Man’s War series #2
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My Rating: 
4.5 out of 5 stars
First Published: January 2006
Read from: September 9 to 14, 2014
A Sequel Better Than It’s Already Excellent Original
Reading Updates: 4 Book Ratings
Assassin’s Quest, L.A. Noire: The Collected Stories, V for Vendetta, and Old Man’s War
Haven’t felt much like writing reviews recently, but I have read quite a few very good books that I would highly recommend. So here’s my ratings and some “micro” reviews / comments. Continue reading Reading Updates: 4 Book Ratings
Review: Royal Assassin
Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
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My Rating: 
5 out of 5 stars
First Published: April 1996
Read from: July 4 to 11, 2014
Love This Assassin, Though I REALLY Want to Hate Him
Book Blurb:
Fitz has survived his first hazardous mission as king’s assassin, but is left little more than a cripple. Battered and bitter, he vows to abandon his oath to King Shrewd, remaining in the distant mountains. But love and events of terrible urgency draw him back to the court at Buckkeep, and into the deadly intrigues of the royal family.
Renewing their vicious attacks on the coast, the Red-Ship Raiders leave burned-out villages and demented victims in their wake. The kingdom is also under assault from within, as treachery threatens the throne of the ailing king. In this time of great danger, the fate of the kingdom may rest in Fitz’s hands—and his role in its salvation may require the ultimate sacrifice.
The novel Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb is the sequel to Assassin’s Apprentice and the second book in the Farseer Trilogy. This book continues the story of it’s main character Fitz Chivalry, a bastard son to a now deceased prince of the royal family of the Six Duchies. As such he has been taken in, raised and trained, and now secretly works for the King as an assassin (hence the name). Despite this character’s seemingly “evil” occupation he is quite a likable, interesting and realistically written character. The character, the world, and the story really grabbed me, pull me in and enthrall me… But it also really frustrated me. Read My Full Review →
Review: BioShock Infinite
BioShock Infinte
Release Date: Mar 2013
Genre: First Person Shooter
Developer: Irrational Games
My Rating: 
4 out of 5 stars
BioShock Infinite delivers one hell of a punch.
So I finally finished the Xbox version of the game BioShock Infinte this “weekend” and I must say the ending of the game’s intense story truly delivered a punch to my gray matter that left me reeling in much the same way as the movies Twelve Monkeys, Seven and Fight Club did. (Hmm? Just noticed that all 3 of those movies star Brad Pitt. Very weird.)
I definitely enjoyed the game-play, the “world”, the FPS action, and the intense story. I don’t fault the ending (which I will NOT reveal here) as I think it fits the story-line and genre and is pretty cool to be honest… But STILL the ending did leave me feeling a little betrayed. Read My Full Review →
Review: “X-Men: Days of Future Past” Trade Paperback
“X-Men: Days of Future Past” Trade Paperback by Marvel Comics – Chris Claremont, John Byrne & Terry Austin
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Overall “Book” Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
First Published: Trade Paperback published July 2013, collecting 7 comic book issues originally published in 1981
Read from: Jun 27 to July 12, 2014
Better Than the Movie, But…
I checked this Trade Paperback out from the library after watching the “meh” movie VERY loosely based on in it, (see my review of that movie here,) as I did not recall having read the original comic story “back in the day”. I guess I was expecting more of a graphic novel, or a longer story, so I was initially disappointed when I first started to read this collection of “classic” X-Men… Especially after reading the first story of the bunch, which is pretty darn poor. The actual “Days of Future Past” story line really only takes up 2 of the 7 comics included in this collection. While the “DOFP” story line is fair to good, a few of the other comics in the collection are actually better than this “title” story.
I have rated, reviewed & provided brief synapses of each “issue” included in this trade paperback below. With most of the stories I have provided more details for those who are curious. The spoiler-laden details are hidden in “spoiler tags” so those who want to read the TPB without ruining anything can still read on, as long as they don’t click through to the spoiler contents… Read My Full Review →
Review: Leviathan Wakes
Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
The Expanse series #1
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My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
First Published: June 2011
Read from: Jun 22 to July 3, 2014
Awards: Nominated for 2012 Hugo Awards for Best Novel and the 2012 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction
“Leviathan Wakes” My Appetite For Cool Space Opera
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Leviathan Wakes on the whole was a VERY entertaining bit of space opera science fiction, with some tantalizing bits of “hard sci-fi”, “horror”, “detective story” & “military sci-fi” thrown in. The book is the first in the highly acclaimed Expanse series, written by James S.A. Corey – a pen name for the collaboration of Albuquerque, New Mexico authors Ty Franck & Daniel Abraham, the last of which also is known to work closely with George R.R. Martin. Read My Full Review →
Weber’s Big Book of… YUMMY!
So I stumbled on this cook book the other day that inspired me to start a cooking and grilling “project”…
I don’t normally read a lot of cookbooks, but Weber’s Big Book of Burgers caught my eye. Or I should say, what caught my eye first was the gorgeous photography on the cover of some of my favorite, and very delicious looking food. Caught by the attractive cover, I started to flip through the book, and every SINGLE thing in there looks simply awesome, with clear and well laid out instructions. There is much, MUCH more in the cookbook than burgers and brats. There are side dishes, salads, drinks and general grilling and cooking tips too. Continue reading Weber’s Big Book of… YUMMY!
Review: “Witches Abroad”
Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett
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My Rating: 
3 out of 5 stars
First Published: 1991
Read from: May 31 to June 20, 2014
Witches on Holiday Make ‘Ugly Americans’ Look Like Saints
Three witches take a road trip through the Discworld on a quest to complete a deceased fairy god-mother’s last wishes: The goal, to stop the wishes of a princess from coming true, and instead give her what she really needs.