** John Sandford - Rules of Prey. These books are supposed to be good, but I ended up deciding I didn’t really want to read another book about a guy who stalks and murders women. Or at least, not this one.
*** Richard K. Morgan - Broken Angels. Good future science fiction space adventure war thriller stuff.
*** Philip K. Dick - The Man in the High ( Read more... )

**** Christopher Priest - The Separation. An interesting alternate-history novel. It’s often unclear which of several parallel workings-out of WWII we’re in, and the various threads weave together and apart throughout, such that the overall impression is of a gestalt of possiblities and secrets than of a specific point about plot or identity. I ( Read more... )

*** Algis Budrys - Rogue Moon. A great idea for a story, explored in a fascinating way. I found a lot of the interpersonal hoo-ha kind of annoying and distracting, but the basic elements of the story and the characters involved were good. And there are some great twists along the way.
*** Hilary Mantel - Wolf Hall. Pretty good. The main character ( Read more... )

*** Patrick Rothfuss - The Wise Man’s Fear. This second book of the Kingkiller trilogy again kept me turning the pages. The slight problem with this one was the sheer arrogance and unbelievability of the main character. In the framing device of these books, he’s a legendary figure, with all kinds of stories and myths told about him. In the first ( Read more... )

*** Patrick Rothfuss - The Name of the Wind. Incredibly engaging, kept me turning the (many) pages and made me want to read the next book (it’s the first of a trilogy) as soon as I was done. Many aspects of the story and characters are certainly cliched, but Rothfuss manages to give them enough life and interest that you don’t really mind.
* Diana ( Read more... )

* Joseph Conrad - The Secret Agent. Blaaah. Could not read.
*** Raymond Feist - Magician: Apprentice.
** Raymond E. Feist - Magician, Master. These two books are apparently the two halves of what was elsewhere released as one book, and the beginning of a series. The first set up the standard “nobody stable boy makes good” type story, teasing the ( Read more... )

*** Alfred Bester - The Stars My Destination. Great vision of the future, great (anti)hero. I’ve been going through Alfred Bester (who I’ve never read before) recently and I just wish he’d written more full-length novels.
*** Alfred Bester - The Demolished Man. Another fascinating future with fascinating characters.
** Alfred Bester - Hobson’s ( Read more... )

*** David Foster Wallace - Fate, Time, and Language: an Essay on Free Will. I did not read all of this. It took me back to a time in my life when I was more interested in working out the logical puzzles necessitated by thinking deeply about philosophy or linguistics. Wallace had a good argument and did a good job making it clear, and that was ( Read more... )

*** Alastair Reynolds - Revelation Space. Interesting and carefully thought-out universe. Some great and compelling characters, though several of the elements driving the story never really convinced me. I’d like to read more of his writing.
** Tim Powers - The Anubis Gates. Utter cheese, but entertaining. I doubt I’ll read more of his books unless ( Read more... )

*** Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games
** Suzanne Collins - Catching Fire
** Suzanne Collins - Mockingjay
** George MacDonald Fraser - McAuslan. Entertaining for a while but not particularly gripping. A bunch of amusing anecdotes about being in the army shortly after the end of WWII.
*** John Scalzi - Old Man’s War. Great. An interesting reversal ( Read more... )