3 Followers
25 Following
ssimon2000

ssimon2000

Reading progress update: I've read 683 out of 683 pages.

Against All Things Ending  (The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant #3) - Stephen R. Donaldson

One of the best in the entire Thomas Covenant series! While there was a lot of changes in pacing, it was all vital to the overall story. Obviously, since this is book 3 of the final series and book 9 overall, it wouldn't make much sense to someone without reading the previous volumes first. If you want a challenging read, try tackling the series! It will be well worth your time! 

The Runes of the Earth (The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 1) - Stephen R. Donaldson

Wow! Where to start with this one? This series was one of my favorites in the late 70s and early 80s when they were first released. Even back then, Stephen R. Donaldson was hard to read, his writing so incredibly detailed and elaborate. Nothing has changed with this book. A fantastic read, and a great return to "The Land", but I'm exhausted after reading this one. And I must dive immediately into the next one because of a FANTASTIC cliff-hanger ending that I didn't see coming! 

I highly recommend this book, but you must read the first six books in the series or it won't make a lick of sense. 

Chain of Shadows - Steven Montano

This series keeps getting better and better, and book 6 is clearly the best so far. It doesn't disappoint, except for the cliffhanger ending, which I've come to expect. This begs the question, when does the next book come out? Please, not too long! 

Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep - Stephen King This is an EXCELLENT follow-up to the question Stephen King fans have been asking since 1978: what happened to little Danny Torrence after The Shining?
The writing is vintage King, starts small and keeps building more and more pressure like an old steam boiler ready to explode!
And there are plenty of "Easter Eggs" throughout the book, including George R. R. Martin and J. K. Rowling, among others.
I would highly recommend reading The Shining before starting Doctor Sleep. While it isn't a direct sequel, there are a lot of things that Mr. King brings forward from The Shining that would be lost on the reader.
Expiration Date - Duane Swierczynski An excellent try-to-wrap-your-head-around-this-time-travel story, complete with a whodunit and a surprise ending. Just when you think you've got it figured out, the author throws another twist in the story.
And make sure to read the background of this story and how it came to be published. Almost as fascinating as the story itself!
Highly recommended.
The Shining - Stephen King This was a reread in preparation for the release of the sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep. I rarely read books over, so this review will be odd...
I first read The Shining in the late 70s, and it was one of the scariest books I've ever read. Now, 36 years later, not so much. Perhaps because of my own experiences growing up, the terror just wasn't there this second time around. It was scary, but my jaded viewpoint just didn't allow the scenes to jump out this time. Still, it's well-written and a page-turner, but that description fits just about every book Stephen King has ever published.
Looking forward to Doctor Sleep!
Red, White, and Blood - Christopher Farnsworth Wow! What a cliff-hanger! When is the next book coming out?!
The President's Vampire - Christopher Farnsworth Great book! Exciting, tense, funny(!), and an all-around good read.
If you like monsters mixed with a healthy dose of government conspiracies, then this series is for you! Highly recommended!
An American Spy - Olen Steinhauer Great ending (?) to the Milo Weaver series, nicely wrapping up all of the many loose ends of all three books, many, MANY loose ends. If you are going to read this series, I highly recommend reading all three back-to-back with no break between them. The storyline is tightly wound and details are lost or forgotten over longer spans of time.
As many reviewers have already pointed, much of this final volume is devoted to characters other than Mr Weaver, but the author is an excellent writer and doesn't fail in the least to keep the reader turning the page well into the night.
I'm looking forward to more in series, and I hope Olen Steinhauer continues to bring us the adventures of Milo Weaver and the Tourists.
Chimera: A Jim Chapel Mission - David Wellington I've been following David Wellington from the days when he posted his novels in serial format on the Internet, and his writing is solid and well-crafted.
This book, his first published by a major publisher, is of a different genre than he has written in the past, almost a Ludlum style. Interesting premise and back stories with a very satisfying ending. I wonder if Mary Shelley (Frankenstein) and Philip K. Dick (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep/Blade Runner) are his influences; there's a lot of existential concepts especially from the viewpoint of the Chimeras and geneticists. Still, it was a fun read and I'm looking forward to more of the Jim Chapel Missions.
Dust (Silo, #3) - Hugh Howey Wow. Just, wow. Excellent ending to a fantastic series! Sorry to see this one end, but the entire world is there for the taking.
The story ties everything into a nice package with a perfect bow, bring the story of Jules, Solo, Donald and Charlotte all together even after starting hundreds of years apart.
Highly recommended book from this highly recommended series.

The Burned Tower

The Burned Tower - Maryna Dyachenko,  Serhiy Dyachenko Interesting Russian fairy tale, with a modern twist. There are a few places in which the translation from Russian to English is shaky, but overall, a pretty good read.
Washed Away: How the Great Flood of 1913, America's Most Widespread Natural Disaster, Terrorized a Nation and Changed It Forever - Geoff Williams Terribly written and in desperate need of a good, honest editor. Very little history and a lot of speculation about what the people were thinking, even about what they "may or may not have done", with rabbit trails about the romanticism of drowning and swimming requirements of American colleges in the early 1900s. Yes, seriously. I made it to page 41 before giving up.
Blood Skies Omnibus, Volume 1 - Steven Montano I only read the short story, Crucifix Point, since I've read the other three books recently. Great story, hard-hitting, descriptive narrative as I have come to expect from the author. This story is another worthy addition to the Blood Skies world. While I really enjoy the books, the short stories have their own appeal, and I'd like to see more of them. Good stuff!
City of Scars (The Skullborn Trilogy, Book 1) - Steven Montano Great start to Steven Montano's new trilogy! A ton of characters to follow, much like George R. R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice, and all of them are well-crafted and well-thought-out. And as usual, Mr. Montano doesn't disappoint with his exceptional world-building. Looking forward to the next installment!
Point and Shoot - Duane Swierczynski Excellent finish to an excellent series!