No. 1 (for 2008), No. 49 (for 2007) - Njal's Saga

translated by Lee M. Hollander

Started: December 17, 2007

Finished: January 16, 2008

Notes: I've had this one a while and been meaning to get to it, so here goes. This is the first saga of Iceland I've gotten into, and one reason I'm interested in it is because one of my characters (Belgad) comes from a somewhat similar background. So, here's to learning new things.

Mini review: Boy, am I glad to be done with this one. Honestly, I think I skimmed through the last hundred pages as fast as I could. There's a lot of intersting information here, but the stories are soooooooo repetitive. There's only so many tales about feuding Icelanders I can read before they all start sounding the same. And there's not as much sword fighting as you might think. There's some, but a lot of times it was just plain old murder. And then there are lawsuits upon lawsuits. Basically, as far as I can tell, a man could kill another man as long as it was during the day and the victim sort of knew the attack was coming, and it would only be considered manslaughter at worst; then, the murdered guy's family could sue the killer, and once the money was paid, usually everything was fine and everyone went on with their lives. The few times this didn't work was when the long family feuds started. To be fair, though, I'm thinking Icelandic doesn't translate well into English, and I'm not sure this translation was very good because it seemed extremely modern in some places. I might give another saga a try, but I'd probably be tempted to go with a different translator for variety's sake if nothing else.

No. 48 - A Princess of Mars

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Started: December 11
Finished: December 16

Notes: It's about time I got around to reading this author and discovering just what all this "Sword & Planet" stuff is about. I'm very familiar with old school Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon and even Star Wars, but my understanding is that that stuff is more "Space Opera."

Mini review: Not a bad read. Not as action-oriented as I expected, reading more like a 19th-centery adventure story (which it practically is). Not boring, but has a good bit of exposition about life on Mars. I'd read more by this author, and might when I get the chance.

No. 47 - I Am Legend

by Richard Matheson

Started: December 8

Finished: December 9

Notes: I stumbled across this book this morning while going through boxes from the latest move. I've been wanting to read this one again for a long time, especially with the movie coming out, and figured now was a good time even though I'm not finished with my other book yet.

Mini review: A fine piece of fiction. The climax is a bit jarring because the pace of the book changes so swiftly, but the emotional, even social, implications are stunning, in my opinion. Especially for a novel written more than half a century ago.

No. 46 -- Red Prophet

by Orson Scott Card

Started: December 4
Finished: December 11

Notes: Because I am a glutton for punishment, and an idiot, I have agreed to read this book. Even though it's the sequel to the worst book I've read this year. A certain person promises me this book is much better. I didn't believe her, but then even the blurbs on the book say it's much better. I'll give it a shot. What's a week or two of my life?

Mini review: This book is a much better novel than the first one in this series, but I'm still glad to be done with it. I'm thinking Card isn't going to be one of my favorite authors. Still, Tecumseh shows up in this book and is a major character. If you don't know who Tecumseh is, find out here. Usually when Tecumseh shows up, lots of white people die. Which is always fun! Right, kids?

No. 45 -- Dusk Before the Dawn

by Larry Ketchersid

Started: November 30
Finished: December 3

Notes: Ancient civilizations. End of the world. Martial arts. What's there not to like?

Mini review: A fascinating mixture of mysticism, nanotechnology and martial arts. The book reminded me a bit of King's "The Stand," but not because of any story similiarities (there aren't many), but because of the way the writer deals with a multitude of characters embroiled in a world facing near-extinction. This book is an easy read, fairly short, but does a compelling job of giving you enough information about the characters and plot and settings, etc. It was a breath of fresh air to read a tight story, not something spread out over 500 or more pages.

No. 44 -- Seventh Son

by Orson Scott Card

Started: November 22
Finished: November 29

Notes: This is another author who I've never had a chance to read with the exception of a few of his shorter pieces. Thought it was time I gave him a try.

Mini review: Boring. Boring. Boring. 'Nuff said.

No 43 -- The Martian Child

by David Gerrold

Started: November 20
Finished: November 22

Notes: I don't normally pay a lot of attention to writing awards, but this book won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Picked this one up at work. I've never read any of Gerrold's prose before, though I have seen a number of TV shows he's written for (Star Trek's "The Trouble With Tribbles" being my favorite). And yes, that's John Cusack on the cover because there's a movie version of this book coming out.

Mini review: A nice, touching story, but not really my thing normally. Barely science fiction at all; in fact, if the author weren't a known sci-fi figure, I doubt this would have been classified as sci-fi.

No. 42 -- Dexter in the Dark

by Jeff Lindsay

Started: November 17
Finished: November 20

Notes: I've enjoyed the Dexter program on Showtime for the last couple of seasons, and been meaning to check out some of the novels upon which the show is based. Fortunately, I found this one when scrounging through books at work.

Mini review: A nice change of pace, with a storyline that wasn't so linear I could pick out every plot point as it came up. This novel felt almost episodic, sort of like each chapter was an episode of a TV show, instead of an ongoing narrative. Actually, despite the dark material, this book has a fine wit to it.

No. 41 -- 99 Coffins

by David Wellington

Started: November 14
Finished: November 17

Notes: This one is for another book review. I'll admit, I'm kind of tired of the whole vampire thing, but this one has a Gettysburg link to it. So, I might find it interesting. Also, I've never read this author before, and I always like discovering another talent. Also, the cover you see at right might not be the final cover; this image is of a galley.

Mini review: The first half of this novel is pretty straight-forward mystery stuff, but the second half picks up nicely and is nearly nothing but action, action, action. A small town (modern Gettysburg) has to defend itself against a group of vampires, and it's one heck of a battle.

No. 40 - Dune

by Frank Herbert

Started: November 2
Finished: November 14

Notes: Yep, I've never read this sci-fi classic. Figured it was about time I did.

Mini review: I'm not quite sure this one deserves the cult status it has fostered, but it was still a damn good book. Started well, but for me, it bogged down for about a hundred pages in the middle, then it picked up again at the end. Most of this tale is sort of political and military intrigue, with spiritual/religious overtones that seem to have more to do with heavy drugs than they do with any kind of creator or mythology (but that's just my opinion). Yep, I'd recommend this one to anybody, even you, von Darkmoor.

No. 39 - Daily Life in Medieval Times

by Frances and Joseph Gies

Started: October 16
Finished: November 2

Notes: Picked this up a few years ago at a Barnes and Noble in North Carolina. It's one of those books I'm not real excited about reading,but feel like I need to. My medieval history knowledge is spotty, at best, and this should help some. This book is a compilation of three earlier books,"Life in a Medieval Castle," "Life in a Medieval City,"and "Life in a Medieval Village."

Mini review: Another one I'm glad I read, but I'm really glad to be finished with. Not the most tedious book I've read, but not very exciting reading. Because this is a collection of three books, sometimes the information is a bit repetitive. However, all that said, this is a good book, literally opening my eyes to much about the daily world of the Middles Ages, roughly 1106 A.D. to about 1250 A.D. The most eye-opening element for me was to discover that average person had much more freedom than is generally believed. Yes, they were somewhat tied to the land and their lord, but there was more opporunity for movement and change than I would have thought.

No. 38 - The Princes of The Golden Cage

by Nathalie Mallet

Started: October 9
Finished: October 15

Notes: This one is for one of my book reviews. I'm excited about this book because it's from Night Shade Books, a known great smaller publisher. I've read the first few pages already, and it starts really good, with a nice touch of mystery. I'm also interested in this one because the cover art shows it has an "Arabian Nights" feel to it.

Mini review: One of the most entertaining books I've read this year. The fantasy element is pretty light until the end, making this read almost more like a historical mystery tale, but there's nothing wrong with that. The mystery is included right at the beginning and keeps building throughout until the end, which provides some big surprises. I imagine good things for this debuting novelist.

No. 37 - Waylander

by David Gemmell

Started: September 30
Finished: October 9

Notes: I've heard a lot good about this author, and specifically this book, so thought it was time I got around to it. I've read the first couple of chapters as of now, and so far I'm liking what I've seen.

Mini review: Wow. This is definitely fully of great action writing. Not sure I'd quite call it Sword & Sorcery, but maybe a more modern version of the genre. Some great characters, and the action rarely lets up for more than a page or two. I only have two nitpicks with this book: 1.) The ending comes at you really quick, so quick there's no wrapping up. Just a final, two-page chapter that tells you everything that happens in years to come. 2.) There's not a lot of depth here, but maybe that's to be expected in action writing. There is a lot of macho bravado, some of it quite good (in a Clint Eastwood sort of way) but sometimes it didn't quite fit. Oh, yeah, and LOTS of people die. I'll definitely be picking up some more of Gemmell's work.

No. 36 - Whispers in the Night

edited by Brandon Massey

Started: September 15
Finished: September 29

Notes:This one is for another book review. I'm actually reading the galley,but you can see the actual cover at right. This is a collection ofhorror short stories by black authors. This is the third book in theseries, so it must have something going for it. I'll let you know.

Mini review: A bit too literary for my taste, at least for my taste in horror, but there were still a few pretty good stories here. Anthony Beal's "And Death Rode With Him" was by far my favorite story, kicking ass all the way through from beginning to end.

No. 35 - Scaramouche

by Rafael Sabatini

Started: September 1
Finished: September 15

Notes: I've never read any of this author's work, and have been meaning to for years. This is one of his most popular novels, so I figured this is a good place to start.

Mini review: I heartily recommend this book, especially for anyone who happens to be a Dumas fan. Scaramouche is sort of a lesser version of Edmund Dantes in a lot of ways, driven by a thirst for vengeance, though he's not nearly as scheming as Edmund. Still, lots of intrigue, a goodly amount of action, and most of the exposition is short.

No. 34 - The Iron Lords

by Andrew Offutt

Started: August 28
Finished: August 31

Notes: Had this one for a little while, and since I'm sort of in the mood to read some sword and sorcery, this one is a natural.

Mini review: It took a long time for this one to get going, but the action picked up in the end. I believe Offutt's Cormac, Conan and Shadowspawn works are better. Though, to be fair, this is the first book in a series, so some of it was bogged down with the main character's origin story; once you got past that, which is at least the first two-thirds of this book, things get interesting.

No. 33 - Encyclopedia Horrifica

by Joshua Gee

Started: August 27
Finished: August 28

Notes: Another book to review for Apex Digest. Without reading it yet, this appears to be a children's book, explaining things like monsters and ghosts and other mysterious things. The artwork and design look fantastic.

Mini review: A fun little book. Great for kids, or those first learning about the occult, spooky things and other horrific stuff. For children ages nine and up.

No. 32 - Charles I

by Christopher Hibbert

Started: August 22
Finished: August 26

Notes: I literally found this book. It was on the floor of a restaurant near a trash can. Since I was the only customer in the place at the time, I snagged the book, asked the waiters if it was theirs, then when they said "no," I took it home. The book's in good shape, barely read, so it's not as if it's in bad condition. I've never read any Hibbert, but I've heard he's a fun historian to read, not some boring scholar. Also, for years I've been meaning to read more about Charles I and the English Civil War. And, I've read so much fiction this year, I'm starting to feel I need to get back to some non-fiction. Here goes.

Mini review: Charles I is a sad, tragic figure, perhaps one of the most tragic real figures of history. This book starts great, full of stories of intrigue that would make Dumas jealous. Towards the end, though, it gets pretty heavy, bogged down with a lot of political history, a ton of names and the like. Still, a good read. One of the better history books I've read in a long while. The Scotch-Irish in me makes me want to shout, "Down with Oliver Cromwell!"

No. 31 - Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey

by Chuck Palahniuk

Started: August 18
Finished: August 22

Notes: I picked this novel up a few months ago to get it signed by Chuck at a "Fight Club" showing downtown, but I couldn't make it. So, finally getting around to reading the book.

Mini review: Because it took so long for me to get into the story, I didn't find this one as gripping as his earlier works, though it still has a good share of the dark wit and modern insight this author is known for. There is a speculative fiction element to this tale, but you don't get into most of it until the last 60 or so pages of the book, which is really when the book gets good, just when you figure out what's been going on behind the scenes the whole time.

No. 30 - Horrorween

by Al Sarrantonio

Started: August 16
Finished: August 18

Notes: This one I'm reviewing for Apex Digest. I picked it because I'm not familiar with the author, and it's always good to expand one's reading horizons. And yes, I'll admit, the title is kind of cheddar.

Mini review: A quick, fun read. Not overly dark for the most part, with one or two scene exceptions. Sort of Stephen Kingesque, with a small town and its various characters, but the writing seems a bit more streamlined than King's.