Books, Books, Books, and more Books

[MurphyGuy]

A little background:
I read between 50 and 100 books pretty much every year.. Maybe a bit more if I'm injured or sick, maybe a bit less if I take on a huge project for the summer..

Most are science books.... some documentaries, and the occasional book covering recent events from one perspective or another. But sometimes I get bored and I want some science fiction.. I like science fiction and I like the post apocalyptic as well.. and lately, I've been craving some good fiction...

But what the hell is going on lately? Everything being written in the fiction column is absolute crap....

The last fiction books I've read were:
Project Hail Mary _Andy Weir >This was an excellent book. I'll give this a 9 of 10..
Bobiverse (series) _ Dennis E. Taylor >This was an excellent series. Another 9
Going Home (series) _A.American >Probably the best apocalyptic series I have ever read because of the realism.. at least as far as SHTF books go. Solid 10
Expeditionary Force (series) _Craig Alanson >Another very good sci-fi book.. I really enjoyed this one because the series has 13 books in it and the story is good and has a boat load of comedy in it. Solid 10
Dimension Space (3 book series) _Dean Cole >Books 1 and 2 started off decent enough.. not great, not bad.. I couldn't finish the third book because it got stupid. A 6 of 10
Fear Saga (series) _Stephen Moss >Pretty good, worth reading and kept me interested. 7.5 of 10
Reacher (series) _Lee Child >Decent enough.. There's like 20 books so its always been a good fallback when I can't find anything else. Always a 7
Locker Nine (series) _Franklin Horton >good enough post apocalyptic series.. again, not great, but not bad either. 7
One Second After (series) _William Forstchen >good post apocalyptic book but was a bit too far on the personal drama side.. good read anyhow. 8
Quantum Space (series) _Douglas Phillips >Too strange.. shallow characters, shallow drama, the science was just off the charts stupid. 5
I've read most of Bobby Akart's books as well as Boyd Craven's.. They're not great, but not bad.. Yellowstone was decent enough. 6

The last dozen fiction books I've tried to read (not listed) were so bad I couldn't even get 1/4 the way through them.. absolutely horrible... And lately, everyone seems to be writing zombie books.. I hate zombie books because they're all stupid.

What have you read that you found exceptional lately?

 

[Dzl]

The last fiction books I've read were:
Project Hail Mary _Andy Weir >This was an excellent book. I'll give this a 9 of 10..

I recently read this also (as well as The Martian), I absolutely loved both books, loved the characters, loved Weir's clear love for problem solving and deductive reasoning and the curious+scientific mindset. I can't wait for him to write something else.

Reacher (series) _Lee Child >Decent enough.. There's like 20 books so its always been a good fallback when I can't find anything else. Always a 7

Reacher series is one of my favorite series' as well (when I want something to just get totally absorbed in). But I think the first dozen or so books were on average better than the last few which seem to be losing some of the magic. I read that the Author (Lee Child) may actually be transitioning away from writing the series and handing it over to a family member.

 

[MurphyGuy]

Reacher series is one of my favorite series' as well (when I want something to just get totally absorbed in). But I think the first dozen or so books were on average better than the last few which seem to be losing some of the magic. I read that the Author (Lee Child) may actually be transitioning away from writing the series and handing it over to a family member.

I noticed that too, which is why I gave the series an averaged out 7 on my scale. The first 4 or 5 books were really good.. The last two.. not bad, but not the same as when he started.
I should consider that it might just be that its 20+ books of the same basic thing over and over.. Even most televisions series start to get stale after a few seasons.

Give Expeditionary Force a go.. I listened to the audiobook and RC Bray did a fantastic job.

 

[Dzl]

I'll check it out, thanks! I'm always in the market for good sci-fi (its a great genre, but a lot of schlock)

In terms of sci-fi, this year I've read:
- The Martian (Loved)
- Project Hail Mary (Loved)
- The Foundation Series (loved!)
- Dune (first book) (liked but not loved)
- The Expanse (entertaining, I got into it, but realistically its rather mediocre)
- Treason (pretty good, and definitely unique)

Sci-fi is a pretty new Genre for me (at least as far as books go), The Ender's Game series is the only sci-fi I remember getting really into before recently.

 

[MurphyGuy]

I'll check it out, thanks! I'm always in the market for good sci-fi (its a great genre, but a lot of schlock)

In terms of sci-fi, this year I've read:
- The Martian (Loved)
- Project Hail Mary (Loved)
- The Foundation Series (loved!)
- Dune (first book) (liked but not loved)
- The Expanse (entertaining, I got into it, but realistically its rather mediocre)
- Treason (pretty good, and definitely unique)

Sci-fi is a pretty new Genre for me (at least as far as books go), The Ender's Game series is the only sci-fi I remember getting really into before recently.

I find that I like science fiction stories to begin with a plausible reality connected to modern day life. The Martian does that because it's set into a very near future..
Project Hail Mary definitely does it because it is set in modern day tech that is only slightly stretched out with the whole coma sleep thing. I found the space bacteria idea to be great, even if it was copied from Rodenberry, the man vs. nature plot always makes for good stories.

Expeditionary Force is not on the same level. It contains a bit of Star Gate in it with worm holes, bad guys, really bad guys, and cosmically bad guys.. and an ancient race that has disappeared and left behind some of their toys. (I did say Star Gate right?) Human intelligence is on par with a dog in the grand scheme of space faring races.
The story is not on the same intellectual level as Martian or Hail Mary, but the events and characters are far more lively and it has a lot more humor.

If you liked Star Gate, I'll bet you'll like Expeditionary Force.. If not, don't waste your time on it.

 

[HRTKD]

I find that I like science fiction stories to begin with a plausible reality connected to modern day life. The Martian does that because it's set into a very near future..
Project Hail Mary definitely does it because it is set in modern day tech that is only slightly stretched out with the whole coma sleep thing. I found the space bacteria idea to be great, even if it was copied from Rodenberry, the man vs. nature plot always makes for good stories.

Expeditionary Force is not on the same level. It contains a bit of Star Gate in it with worm holes, bad guys, really bad guys, and cosmically bad guys.. and an ancient race that has disappeared and left behind some of their toys. (I did say Star Gate right?) Human intelligence is on par with a dog in the grand scheme of space faring races.
The story is not on the same intellectual level as Martian or Hail Mary, but the events and characters are far more lively and it has a lot more humor.

If you liked Star Gate, I'll bet you'll like Expeditionary Force.. If not, don't waste your time on it.

I'm about half way through the Expeditionary Force series. I like it. Some reviews are less that great. It seems like the author does read the reviews because the writing style changed between number 2 and 3 of the series, in a good way, but I was fine with the style anyhow.

Project Hail Mary was excellent!

I read a lot of military SciFi, probably eight books a month. Anything by Brad Thor or Vince Flynn (or the authors that picked up the late Flynn's series).

I am increasingly disappointed with David Weber. An author that takes two pages that could be written in a paragraph is a waste of my time. I swear I can read a couple sentences on a page and skip to the next page and not miss anything. He spins a great yarn, but good grief is he wordy. The Safehold series is tedious at times due to the author's fascination with getting as many words on a page as possible.

 

[MurphyGuy]

I'm about half way through the Expeditionary Force series. I like it. Some reviews are less that great. It seems like the author does read the reviews because the writing style changed between number 2 and 3 of the series, in a good way, but I was fine with the style anyhow.

Well crap.. I must have been so engrossed in the story that I didn't notice the style change.. The banter between Bishop and Skippy was so entertaining for me in the context of the story that I listened (audiobook) to the series twice.

Project Hail Mary was excellent!

I read a lot of military SciFi, probably eight books a month. Anything by Brad Thor or Vince Flynn (or the authors that picked up the late Flynn's series).

I am increasingly disappointed with David Weber. An author that takes two pages that could be written in a paragraph is a waste of my time. I swear I can read a couple sentences on a page and skip to the next page and not miss anything. He spins a great yarn, but good grief is he wordy. The Safehold series is tedious at times due to the author's fascination with getting as many words on a page as possible.

The "super soldier" books kind of turn me off for some reason.. Not sure why I read Reacher since its basically another super soldier book.. You know, the hero who's muscle, skills, and training are basically far from reality? Those books don't do anything for me.

I kind of go with DZL on this one.. I like the problem solving and the science.

You might like the Locker Nine series.. it has a small sprinkle of super soldier in it and some good banter.. its a post apocalyptic EMP book, which is why I decided to read it.

Kind of hoping Weir writes a part two to Hail Mary.. Maybe Earth sends out a mission to find out what happened to him or something of that nature.

 

[Cdkipp]

This year. Loved Project Heil Mary. Loved both Migrations and Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy. All three of those books were 5 stars for me.

I read some Reachers in the early part of the years. I agree the early oners were better. (So formulaic but still fun)

I had fun working my way through the Harry Bosch series. Michael Connelly is really an excellent author and puts together a crime mystery that doesn't make magical logical leaps and where you do see the ending coming halfway through the book.

I read all of the Cork O'Conner series by William Kent Krueger. There were 19 of them and I believe I gave every one of them a 4. A very consistent writer. I live half the year in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Cork O'Connor is a sheriff in Northern Minnesota near the Boundary Waters. Both Northern Michigan and Northern Minnesota are populated by the Ojibwe Native Americans and Cork is part Ojibwe. These books are stand-alone very good crime-mystery novels but the insights into the Ojibwe culture and spiritualism take them to another level.

 

[MurphyGuy]

This year. Loved Project Heil Mary. Loved both Migrations and Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy. All three of those books were 5 stars for me.

I read some Reachers in the early part of the years. I agree the early oners were better. (So formulaic but still fun)

I had fun working my way through the Harry Bosch series. Michael Connelly is really an excellent author and puts together a crime mystery that doesn't make magical logical leaps and where you do see the ending coming halfway through the book.

I read all of the Cork O'Conner series by William Kent Krueger. There were 19 of them and I believe I gave every one of them a 4. A very consistent writer. I live half the year in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Cork O'Connor is a sheriff in Northern Minnesota near the Boundary Waters. Both Northern Michigan and Northern Minnesota are populated by the Ojibwe Native Americans and Cork is part Ojibwe. These books are stand-alone very good crime-mystery novels but the insights into the Ojibwe culture and spiritualism take them to another level.

I used to be a tour guide in the Iron Mountain iron mine! I still have my red jacket..

In my prior life, I was stationed at KI Sawyer AFB back in the days when the Soviets were are biggest concern.

 

[Cdkipp]

I used to be a tour guide in the Iron Mountain iron mine! I still have my red jacket..

In my prior life, I was stationed at KI Sawyer AFB back in the days when the Soviets were are biggest concern.

I think you would really like these books.

 

[noenegdod]

Mindset by Carol Dweck
Can Hurt Me by David Goggins
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
You are the Placebo by Joe Dispenza
The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge
The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksander Solzenitsyn
Antifragile by Nasim Nicholas Taleb
Breaking the habit of Being Yourself by Joe Dispenza
The High 5 Habit by Mel Robbins
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink
The Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink
Leadership Strategy and Tactics by Jocko Willink
Ordinary Men by Christopher Browning

 

[CJM]

Book – DIY Electric Grid

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