The Martian by Andy Weir

This was our final book group selection for 2014, and ended up being a great book to end the year with. 

The Martian by Andy Weir

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Jacket Blurb:  Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first man to die there.

It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he's stranded millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to get him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

This was my bookgroups final selection for 2014, and  great book to finish the year on. 

I thought this was a interesting blend of 1950's genre - with the scientific observation, the breakdown on how things work and what it would take to survive - and 2010's optimism of manned flights to Mars.  The classic book that came to mind while reading The Martian was Heinlein's Have Space Suit Will Travel.

The premise of the book is, Mark Whatley is stranded on Mars due to a freak accident during an emergency evacuation.  It will take every bit of cunning and ingenuity he has to survive long enough for the next Mission to rescue him - which is about four years.  His main concern is food and water, and if he can grow potatoes, he can improve his odds of survival.  Next is water, how to make water on a waterless planet.  Then he need to reestablish communication with Earth.  Don't forget keeping all the equipment running well after it's estimated allotted time-span - there are no spares on Mars!

The odds are stacked against him - and in fact, if it can go wrong, it will go wrong.  Mark just can't get a break.  What I loved was his optimism, his sense of humor, and his "this isn't going to happen unless I make it so!" attitude.  He was a character that I cared about, and I found myself rooting along with the rest of  "Earth" for his survival.

Meanwhile, we also get Earth's point of view from Mars Mission Control.  Some good insight into "behind the scenes" action and what Earth thinks of all this.  I appreciated the author keeping these glimpses some what short and focused.  I do believe anything longer or more indepth would have detracted from the story - and Whatley.

It's by no means a 'perfect' book.  There are some questionable scenario's.   My one big question would be, would Earth really rally like it did in the book?

Ultimately, this was a book that pulled me along.  I don't claim to understand all the science, I admit to glossing over some of the scientific breakdown, but I still really enjoyed this.

Highly recommended.



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The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord

The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




Jacket Blurb:  A proud and reserved alien society finds its homeland destroyed in an unprovoked act of aggression, and the survivors have no choice but to reach out to the indigenous humanoids of their adopted world, to whom they are distantly related. They wish to preserve their cherished way of life but come to discover that in order to preserve their culture, they may have to change it forever.

Now a man and a woman from these two clashing societies must work together to save this vanishing race—and end up uncovering ancient mysteries with far-reaching ramifications. As their mission hangs in the balance, this unlikely team—one cool and cerebral, the other fiery and impulsive—just may find in each other their own destinies . . . and a force that transcends all.

November's scifi book group selection.

I'm not entirely sure what I want to say about this book.  I found it engaging.  It incorporated some interesting social commentary.  The empathy and telepathy of different humans was interesting.  The time travel was a nice touch.  But at the end of the day, this was first and foremost, a romance, set in a science fiction world.

I feel a bit betrayed. I should know better than to trust jacket blurbs.

But!  It was a very well written romance, incorporating societal differences, galactic upheaval, dogged determination, and two people who were equals even though they came from different places.   This was not a case of damsel in distress.  Our heroine had to navigate her job responsibilities and the ramifications of her decisions, her duties as a liaison and linguistics officer for the government, and what her growing feelings were toward her employer and friend. 

The above was deftly written by the author, the world building and plot gently tugged the reader along - I wanted to find out what happened next, what settlement the team was going to visit, the group dynamics of the team itself.

But at the end of the day, it was a romance.  Set in a scifi world. 

Overall, recommended.  Because it is well written.



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London Falling by Paul Cornell

London Falling by Paul Cornell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Jacket Blurb:  The dark is rising . . .

Detective Inspector James Quill is about to complete the drugs bust of his career. Then his prize suspect Rob Toshack is murdered in custody. Furious, Quill pursues the investigation, co-opting intelligence analyst Lisa Ross and undercover cops Costain and Sefton. But nothing about Toshack’s murder is normal. Toshack had struck a bargain with a vindictive entity, whose occult powers kept Toshack one step ahead of the law – until his luck ran out.

Now, the team must find a 'suspect' who can bend space and time and alter memory itself. And they will kill again. As the group starts to see London’s sinister magic for themselves, they have two choices: panic or use their new abilities. Then they must hunt a terrifying supernatural force the only way they know how: using police methods, equipment and tactics. But they must all learn the rules of this new game - and quickly. More than their lives will depend on it.

October's book group selection. 

I enjoyed this quite a bit.  Somewhat of a cross between a police procedural, mystery and urban fantasy, the story blended a bit of each into a rather well written book. 

Four unlikely characters are thrown together after a gang bust literally blows up in their faces - the crime lord's head explodes for no apparent reason.  The group finds they are blessed and damned with the gift of Sight - they can see the "other side" of London.  They can see the ghosts and shadows and the depths of Hell itself.  They can see the one old woman who has transcended time and is now a threat to London and the innocents that live there.

I had two complaints with the book.  One, the "chase" or "hunt" went on for one too many .   It started to become, "yeah, yeah, she's got supernatural powers and continues to kick your butt ((yawn))".  

And my second complaint was the shifting point of view.  I really didn't care for the paragraph blurbs for each character.  The rapidity of the shifts felt almost like a video rather than a story - I would have preferred a chapter devoted to each character, rather than a paragraph.  Perhaps this rapid fire delivery is a carryover from Mr. Cornell's comic/graphic comic background?   Whatever the reason, I found it annoying.  Though I will give a tip o' the hat to Mr. Cornell in that I never had to wonder which character the paragraph belonged to. 

Recommended.  And I see there is a book two coming out shortly.  I will have to pick that one up as well.



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The Lost Stars: Tarnished Knight by Jack Campbell (#1)

Tarnished Knight by Jack Campbell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars






Jacket Blurb:  The authority of the Syndicate Worlds’ government is crumbling. Civil war and rebellion are breaking out in many star systems despite the Syndic government’s brutal attempts to suppress disorder. Midway is one of those star systems, and leaders there must decide whether to remain loyal to the old order or fight for something new.

CEO Artur Drakon has been betrayed. The Syndic government failed to protect its citizens from both the Alliance and the alien enigmas. With a cadre of loyal soldiers under his command, Drakon launches a battle for control of the Midway Star System—assisted by an ally he’s unsure he can trust…

CEO Gwen Iceni was exiled to Midway because she wasn’t ruthless enough in the eyes of her superiors. She’s made them regret their assessment by commandeering some of the warships at Midway and attacking the remaining ships still loyal to the Syndicate empire. Iceni declares independence for the Midway Star System on behalf of the people while staying in charge as “President.” But while she controls the mobile fleet, she has no choice but to rely on “General” Drakon’s ground forces to keep the peace planet-side…

If their coup is to succeed, Drakon and Iceni must put their differences aside to prevent the population of Midway from rising up in rebellion against them, to defend Midway against the alien threat of the enigma race—and to ferret out saboteurs determined to reestablish Syndic rule…

A decent spin-off from The Lost Fleet Series, picking up where "Black Jack" Geary comes through defeated Syndicate territory on his way to meet the alien race.  There is some assumption here that the reader has read the Lost Fleet Series. 

CEO Gwen Iceni and CEO Artur Drakon have successfully staged an overthrow of the remnant Syndicate hold in the Midway Star System, placing now President Iceni and General Drakon in charge of ground and mobile forces.  It's an uneasy truce between the two as they try to solidify their power base and preempt future Syndic attacks. 

What I wasn't expecting, in part how the previous series were written and in part due to the cover, is that this series really isn't about General Drakon.  It's about President Iceni.  Quite frankly, I'm so-so about her as the predominant character. I found General Drakon to be much more interesting.  I'm also not real thrilled about another "love triangle"/romance starting.  That trope is starting to feel a bit canned in these books.

My main complaint with the series was the over use of the terms "snakes" and "vipers" to describe the Syndic power structure being dismantled.  For example:

"Did you get the snakes in the main control room?"
>
"Yes, sir, we managed to kill all the snakes."

"Good, we don't want any snakes reporting back to the vipers about our activities."

"No sir, we didn't leave any snakes alive, and we'll interrogate any workers we found to make sure they aren't covert snakes."

ARRGH!

But my quirks aside, this series has the potential to be just as interesting as Lost Fleet and perhaps a bit more interesting than Beyond the Frontier, if only because we have some new characters to follow. 

Recommended if you've read Lost Fleet series - you'll need the background information. 



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Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon

Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  Kylara Vatta is the only daughter in a family full of sons, and her father’s only child to buck tradition by choosing a military career instead of joining the family business. For Ky, it’s no contest: Even running the prestigious Vatta Transport Ltd. shipping concern can’t hold a candle to shipping out as an officer aboard an interstellar cruiser. It’s adventure, not commerce, that stirs her soul. And despite her family’s misgivings, there can be no doubt that a Vatta in the service will prove a valuable asset. But with a single error in judgment, it all comes crumbling down.

Expelled from the Academy in disgrace–and returning home to her humiliated family, a storm of high-profile media coverage, and the gaping void of her own future–Ky is ready to face the inevitable onslaught of anger, disappointment, even pity. But soon after opportunity’s door slams shut, Ky finds herself with a ticket to ride– and a shot at redemption–as captain of a Vatta Transport ship.

It’s a simple assignment: escorting one of the Vatta fleet’s oldest ships on its final voyage . . . to the scrapyard. But keeping it simple has never been Ky’s style. And even though her father has provided a crew of seasoned veterans to baby-sit the fledgling captain on her maiden milk run, they can’t stop Ky from turning the routine mission into a risky venture–in the name of turning a profit for Vatta Transport, of course.

By snapping up a lucrative delivery contract defaulted on by a rival company, and using part of the proceeds to upgrade her condemned vehicle, Ky aims to prove she’s got more going for her than just her family’s famous name. But business will soon have to take a backseat to bravery, when Ky’s change of plans sails her and the crew straight into the middle of a colonial war. For all her commercial savvy, it’s her military training and born-soldier’s instincts that Ky will need to call on in the face of deadly combat, dangerous mercenaries, and violent mutiny.


A decent and fun space opera that kept me turning the pages and entertained.  The book revolved more around a series of unfortunate events that kept the main character - Kyala Vatta - challanged, but not seriously overwhelmed.  The challenges were realistic, not over the top, and seemed appropriate for the situation(s).

The author seems to have done her homework in regards to the medical issues presented - bleeding out from a neck wound, reduced rations and how to start eating again, but yet added a nice touch of the future with regen or "medical" tanks.  It came across as plausible and realistic and added a authentic component to the story.

My one tiny complaint with the book was the writing style - it frequently came across as a bit stilted and formal, dare I say?  With wording and intonation that would have been more appropriate for a period novel like Sense and Sensibility (maybe not quite that formal...) than a space opera revolving around a shipping captain.

Overall, an enjoyable read and I will probably seek out the next book in the series.  Recommended. 



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Nexus by Ramez Naam

Nexus by Ramez Naam

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Jacket Blurb:  In the near future, the experimental nano-drug Nexus can link human together, mind to mind. There are some who want to improve it. There are some who want to eradicate it. And there are others who just want to exploit it.

When a young scientist is caught improving Nexus, he’s thrust over his head into a world of danger and international espionage – for there is far more at stake than anyone realizes.

From the halls of academe to the halls of power, from the headquarters of an elite US agency in Washington DC to a secret lab beneath a top university in Shanghai, from the underground parties of San Francisco to the illegal biotech markets of Bangkok, from an international neuroscience conference to a remote monastery in the mountains of Thailand – Nexus is a thrill ride through a future on the brink of explosion.

This was for July bookgroup.

A bit of a slow start for me, which I think was because I was distracted with other things and couldn't settle into the story.  When I finally did start reading in earnest, I found it mentally engaging and entertaining.  Just enough to cogitate on with a bit of action thrown in. 

Ramez explores an interesting concept - if you had something that could benefit everyone, but could ultimately be used for "bad" or "evil" if in the hands of an elite few, would you keep it, sell it, or distribute it?  That is ultimately, the question posed to our antagonist, Kade.  He has something two select groups of people want, but for their own purposes.  Kade feels this should belong to all, that the good people will do will outweigh the bad. 

Further, I think the Thailand/Buddhist setting was very apropos for this question - a balancing of action, of karma. An individual morality question being asked in a country where what you do as an individual determines your path. 

My one complaint with the book was the action scenes - they came across as overkill.  One combat modified woman repeatedly standing between Kade and his potential kidnappers.  One woman fighting a half-dozen combat modified soldiers and somehow winning against all odds.  Now, not, my complaint is not that she was a woman, it was the overly excessive use of force and odds  in both instances.

Overall, recommended.  I'm looking forward to the authors next book.



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Recipe Review from 7/21/14

Not much to say about the week, it was pretty uneventful.  Weather was beautiful, we got to work in the garden and yard, got out for a long bike ride, got to a baseball game, and enjoyed life sitting on the porch. 


The Meal Plan
Sun (B) Italian Sausage and Onion Quiche (S) leftover turkey
Mon (Yoga) BBQ Kielbasa (using venison polish)
Tues - leftover BBQ bolish
Wed - Chickpea and Veggie Tagine
Thurs (yoga) leftovers
Fri (Huskies Baseball Game)

Lunches - Greek Wraps, fruit, chips, nut cups, the usual...


Barbecue [Polish]  (Taste of Home via Pinterest) gluten free**

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

photo from tasteofhome.com

1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil)

1 pound Kielbasa Sausage or Polish sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices  

1 cup ketchup  (I used chili sauce)

1/3 to 1/2 cup packed brown sugar  

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce** check for gluten

 
In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. If desired, serve over rice.  

Yield: 4 servings.

Greek Style Chicken Wraps  (Ckng Lght Aug 2014)  gluten free option**
Warm weather finally came to visit and I wanted something other than traditional sandwiches for lunch.  This fit the bill perfectly - in fact, ended up making them for dinner one night because I didn't want to heat up the kitchen.   A bit putzy on the assembly, which was probably compounded by my extra steps: I made my own hummus (which is super easy, but does add to the dishes), chopped my own olives (cheaper to by them whole/pitted), added some freshly harvested Swiss Chard,  cucumbers for the Husband and zucchini for me.

I didn't toss everything together - I kept the hummus separate and used more as a thick base paste, zucchini/cucumbers were kept as rounds so we could add what we wanted, then I tossed the chicken, feta, olives, tomatoes, and oregano together.  The gluten free option would be either gluten free wraps or eat as a salad over fresh greens.

Photo from cookinglight.com

• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 3 tablespoons pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 4 ounces shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast (about 1 cup)
• 2 1 Kirby or small cucumbers, chopped  (or sub zucchini)
• 6 tablespoons plain hummus
• 6 (8-inch) whole-wheat flour tortillas 

1. (See my notes above for assembly...) Place tomatoes, olives, feta, juice, oregano, oil, pepper, chicken, and cucumber in a large bowl; toss to combine. Spread 1 tablespoon hummus over 1 side of each tortilla. Top each tortilla with about 1/2 cup chicken mixture. Roll up wraps; cut in half.

Chickpea and Vegetable Tagine (CkngLght, July 2014)  vegetarian, gluten free
Husband made this dish so I can't comment too much on assembly.  He did have it ready in about half an hour so that was pretty close to as written.  He also admitted the cinnamon got doubled, but if he hadn't said anything, I honestly wouldn't have noticed (and that was with Penzey's cinnamon - pretty potent stuff).

I loved the flavors of this dish, a bit spicy, nutty, and fresh.  Perfect for a summer dish served warm or cold.  This made enough for two of us for three meals - and I did make extra quinoa.

• 1 cup water 
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained

  

  photo from cookinglight.com

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 cups Sun Gold or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 (15-ounce) can unsalted chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring 1 cup water, quinoa, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 13 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
2. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes; cook 2 minutes or until tomatoes begin to release their liquid. Add chickpeas and zucchini. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Serve zucchini mixture with quinoa.

No-Bake Peach Pie  (CkngLght, August 2014)
Not my usual dessert since I normally eschew whipped topping, but peaches have been delicious and I do love me a lightened cream cheese-y type dessert.  This was a super simple recipe that I simplified even more.  I used a pre-made pie crust because I didn't want a box of graham crackers sitting around getting stale.  I skipped the whole "peach sauce" part because I didn't want a jar of peach sauce sitting around and I'm not even certain if I have any peach schnapps in the house!

I did add one ripe peach, cut into chunks to the pie filling, and refrigerated overnight.  I ended up not adding more peaches to the top, but that would make for a nice presentation. Result was still a delightful, light, creamy summer dish, hinting at the sweetness of peaches without being cloying heavy or sweet.  I would make this again, but maybe substitute fresh raspberries, blueberries or strawberries.  Blackberries would be divine too! 

• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 5 cookie sheets)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided

  

  Photo from cookinglight.com

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 1/2 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
• One 9" prepared graham cracker crust
• 5 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
• 2 tablespoons seedless peach spread
• 1 tablespoon peach schnapps
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 medium peeled peaches, 1 peach pitted and cut into chunks.  1 peach pitted and cut into wedges. 

1. Combine crumbs and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a food processor; process until combined. Place butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 30 seconds, stirring until chocolate is smooth. Add to processor; pulse until combined. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Freeze 20 minutes or until set.
2. Place cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gently fold in whipped topping. Carefully spread filling over bottom of crust. Place fruit spread in a large microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 30 seconds or until bubbly. Stir in remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, schnapps, and juice. Add peach chunks; fold to combine. Arrange the peach wedges over pie. Chill for 3 hours before serving.

Existance by David Brin

Existence by David Brin

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  Gerald Livingston is an orbital garbage collector. For a hundred years, people have been abandoning things in space, and someone has to clean it up. But there’s something spinning a little bit higher than he expects, something that isn’t on the decades’ old orbital maps. An hour after he grabs it and brings it in, rumors fill Earth’s infomesh about an “alien artifact.”

Thrown into the maelstrom of worldwide shared experience, the Artifact is a game-changer. A message in a bottle; an alien capsule that wants to communicate. The world reacts as humans always do: with fear and hope and selfishness and love and violence. And insatiable curiosity

June 2014 book group selection.  Not well received - nobody finished.  One member quit after 34 pages, one member made it about halfway and set it aside, I gamely plugged away, skipping bits...and with about 75 pages to go...I don't know that I'll finish.  Two members didn't even make it to the meeting.   The common theme from folks was: boring.

This particular book was slow to develop, with characters that weren't all that engaging, and a semi-interesting topic that got lost in a plethora of "stuff".  And, from my point of view, not very interesting stuff - it was small paragraphs of exposition that I thought intruded on the story and made everything more fragmented than it needed to be.  Though, one book group member liked the "stuff" and not the rest of the story. 

I've read many books by Brin in the past, I've listened to him on panels at scifi conventions (he's a fascinating and well articulated speaker), and I've watched the PBS series (?) he narrated on what would happen if humans disappeared from the earth.   His extensive knowledge comes through in this book, I could hear his "voice", but this book somehow fell short of his usual engaging characters and topics.

Recommended with reservations.





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River of Gods by Ian McDonald

River of Gods by Ian McDonald





Jacket Blurb: As Mother India approaches her centenary, nine people are going about their business-a gangster, a cop, his wife, a politician, a stand-up comic, a set designer, a journalist, a scientist, and a dropout. And so is Aj-the waif, the mind reader, the prophet-when she one day finds a man who wants to stay hidden.

In the next few weeks, they will all be swept together to decide the fate of the nation.

River of Gods teems with the life of a country choked with peoples and cultures-one and a half billion people, twelve semi-independent nations, nine million gods. Ian McDonald has written the great Indian novel of the new millennium, in which a war is fought, a love betrayed, a message from a different world decoded, as the great river Ganges flows on.

I loved this book.  It had me hooked from the first chapters and reading any opportunity I could get.  Like India, the plot is big, the characters numerous.  The author did a good job of alternating between points of view and notifying the reader of the new viewpoint with the chapter titles.  I will admit, not infrequently I needed something more than a name to remind me which character was up next, as it might have been 50 pages or so since I last 'visited' them.

I thought the Indian setting was fantastic - a non-WASP country, not the US, not England, Europe, not Russia.  Someplace exotic and complex, with hierarchy's of Gods and steeped in thousands of years of traditions that most Westerners can't even begin to fathom or comprehend.  The Ghats of Varanasi was a good example, especially well done as seen through the eyes of Vishram.  Vishram attended a funeral in Scotland and was appalled at the cremation being hidden from all eyes, because in India, the funeral pyres are on the Gandi Devi, open so the ashes can blow away for rebirth and renewal and the families and friends are witness to that cycle.  Or Thomas Lull, noting that Westerners are afraid of trains, because they can't see where the engine is going, and trains symbolize and ending, or death and are thus little used in Western worlds.  Where in India, the train is the journey, not the destination, to be able to sit and watch the world go by, knowing the destination is not the goal.

I also thought tying in the pending monsoon with the civil unrest and each person's personal unrest was well executed and nicely conveyed the growing tension an unease.  The unrest, the discord, the discontent was well paced and added to the allure of the book.

Add to all of this, a strange and fascinating background of an Indian "soapi" called Town and Country, where the actors are aeai's and nothing is really real but it seems as it is and everyone in India follows this soapi like a second religion.  It's so subtly woven into everything.

I also think, as everything came to the conclusion, there was a bit of karma happening, that what comes around, goes around.  It's one more undercurrent to everything else happening, and I might be reading more into this than there really is.  A karma aspect would be another tie-in with the Indian setting.

My main complaint with the book was the sex.  I don't like sex in my scifi.  It seemed like the sexuality in the book was more gratuitous and 'shocking' and really didn't add much to the over all story.  It didn't seem to fit.

Overall, an absolutely brilliant read.





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Ancillary Justice by Anne Lecke

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Jacket blurb:  On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Breq is both more than she seems and less than she was. Years ago, she was the Justice of Toren--a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of corpse soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.

An act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with only one fragile human body. And only one purpose--to revenge herself on Anaander Mianaai, many-bodied, near-immortal Lord of the Radch.

From debut author Ann Leckie, Ancillary Justice is a stunning space opera that asks what it means to be human in a universe guided by artificial intelligence.


This is a 2014 Hugo Nominee.  April's book group selection.

This is a book that has been getting a lot of publicity in the scifi community and was being touted as a strong Hugo contender.  It did in fact make the Hugo nominee short list.  Ultimately, I enjoyed this book because it was different.

I'm going to start with the item that has the internet world abuzz: Leckie's use of gender or non-gender.  The society the characters are moving around in is portrayed as non-gendered through the use of "she".   And here's were my issue with the book comes in - in a genderless society,  everyone is now "feminine".  So, how can this be a genderless society?   I think I would have been more comfortable with some alternate or created term to denote who was being ta.lked to, rather than the vague unsettled feeling that everyone was female.

On Tor.com, there is a great post regarding gender here.

Setting the use of gender aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of a ship persona in multiple bodies - avatars - or in Leckie's case, ancillaries.  I thought she did a great job of portraying these massive ships through the eyes of One Esk Seventeen.  How One Esk Twenty was over by the water fountain, how One Esk Eleven was walking down a street, how the bodies within sight line could see each other.

I enjoyed how One Esk Seventeen could convey emotion at being cut off from her greater whole.  How she/the ship had developed a greater personality through the ancillaries.  How her uniqueness, ultimately, led to a betrayal of sorts.

While the reader got an idea of the greater society, there are glimpses of a smaller planetary society being absorbed into the greater, and how a clash of cultures even in this advanced society can cause discomfort, unease, and disdain.  

For a first book (I think this is a first book?) it was interesting, engaging, had a few flaws, and engendered discussion.  Recommended.



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Burning Paradise by Robert Charles Wilson

Burning Paradise by Robert Charles Wilson

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


 Jacket Blurb:  Cassie Klyne, nineteen years old, lives in the United States in the year 2015—but it’s not our United States, and it’s not our 2015.

Cassie’s world has been at peace since the Great Armistice of 1914. There was no World War II, no Great Depression. Poverty is declining, prosperity is increasing everywhere; social instability is rare. But Cassie knows the world isn’t what it seems. Her parents were part of a group who gradually discovered the awful truth: that for decades—back to the dawn of radio communications—human progress has been interfered with, made more peaceful and benign, by an extraterrestrial entity. That by interfering with our communications, this entity has tweaked history in massive and subtle ways. That humanity is, for purposes unknown, being farmed.

Cassie’s parents were killed for this knowledge, along with most of the other members of their group. Since then, the survivors have scattered and gone into hiding. Cassie and her younger brother Thomas now live with her aunt Nerissa, who shares these dangerous secrets. Others live nearby. For eight years they have attempted to lead unexceptional lives in order to escape detection. The tactic has worked.

Until now. Because the killers are back. And they’re not human.

This book has been getting positive reviews in the scifi community, so I talked the book group into reading it.  I've read a fair number of Wilson's works and more often than not, enjoyed them.

The basis of Burning Paradise explores the relationship between humanity and the radiosphere, where there exists an organism which is subtly tweaking and altering humanity's behavior.  The Correspondence Society is the remnant of a group of people attacked by this 'organism' in 2007 when it became apparent to the organism that too many people were noting its existence.  Now, members are being approached once again, but this time by 'parasites', who claim they have the same objectives as the Correspondence Society...but do they?

For myself, this had the feel of a 1950's or 60's science fiction book, where there is the feeling that We Are Not Alone, but only a select group of people have figured this out.  We have a mixed group of hero's: four teenagers, a mechanic, two researchers, the head of the Correspondence Society - an eccentric rich man with deep pockets and deeper paranoia.

The first part of the story quickly drew me in, then it bogged down about halfway through as it became a series of info dumps.  I thought the info dumps were overdone - I felt I had enough information from the first third of the book to understand what was going on, what the 'hypercolony' had done and was potentially doing. The story picked up in the last third of the book as everyone makes their way to the High Desert in South America for the almost frenetic and somewhat implausible conclusion. 

Ultimately not my favorite Robert Charles Wilson book.



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Monster Hunters Vendetta (#2) by Larry Corriea

Monster Hunter Vendetta by Larry Correia

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  Accountant turned professional monster hunter, Owen Zastava Pitt, managed to stop the nefarious Old One’s invasion plans last year, but as a result made an enemy out of one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Now an evil death cult known as the Church of the Temporary Mortal Condition wants to capture Owen in order to gain the favor of the great Old Ones.
The Condition is led by a fanatical necromancer known as the Shadow Man. The government wants to capture the Shadow Man and has assigned the enigmatic Agent Franks to be Owen’s full time bodyguard, which is a polite way of saying that Owen is monster bait.

With supernatural assassins targeting his family, a spy in their midst, and horrific beasties lurking around every corner, Owen and the staff of Monster Hunter International don’t need to go hunting, because this time the monsters are hunting them. Fortunately, this bait is armed and very dangerous...

Book number two was a teeny bit slow to start, then picked up a full head of steam, and there was no stopping the action until the monsters were dead.

Corriea once again combines a beautiful, nay, brilliant, blend of Lovecraftian monsters, vampires (who don't sparkle), Gnomes with an attitude, zombie bears and elephants with zingy one-liners, wit, humor and lots of ballistics.  Our favorite Monster Hunter International organization locks horns not only with The Old Ones (can one lock 'horns' with a blimp sized tentacled overinflated squid god?) , but also with the Federal agency Monster Control Bureau as Owen and his gang wade through treachery and deceit and very old secrets.

Loved this book for the shear escapism of it all.  At one point I wanted to jump up off the couch and pump my fist in the air and shout "GO Franks!", but restrained myself to merely giggling madly.   If you've read the book, you'll know what I mean. 


Strongly recommended if you've read book one.  



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