Reading Challenge 2022
- Thread starter RobMCFC
- Start date
RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
1. The Spirit Engineer - A.J.West - 7/10
2. The Lost Man - Jane Harper - 8/10
3. The Fall of Babel – Josiah Bancroft - 5/10
4. The Forest – Michaelbrent Collings – 3/10
5. Black River – Will Dean – 7/10
6. Winter is Coming – Garry Kasparov – 9/10
7. Archangel – Robert Harris – 8/10
8. The Justice of Kings – Richard Swan - 8/10
9. Priest of Bones – Peter McLean – 8/10
10. Watching Skies: Star Wars, Spielberg and us – Mark O’Connell – 7/10
11. Björn Borg and the Super-Swedes – Mats Holm and Ulf Roosvald – 8/10
12. We Men of Ash and Shadow – HL Tinsley 6/10
We Men of Ash and Shadow – HL Tinsley
In this grimdark fantasy novel, the setting is D’Orsee, a city full of the usual underworld characters and the greed, corruption and betrayal that goes with it. It’s not a typical fantasy city, given that technology such as photographs, gas lamps and lifts are featured.
Protagonist John Vanguard, a soldier with a past, works as an assassin for Felix Sanquain, a captain who is in charge of the city. Vanguard works his way through a list of kills for Sanquain – all men who deserve to die.
The second main character is Tarryn Leersac. When we meet him, he is living in an old run-down house looking after his senile mother. It turns out that mild-mannered Tarryn has an insatiable bloodlust that makes for an ideal assassin, which is how he comes to Vanguard’s attention and the latter becomes Tarryn’s mentor.
The plot concerns revolution fermenting in the city, and when Vanguard and Tarryn hunt down the killers of two guards, they become entangled in the usual web of lies and conspiracies.
There were a few things that I struggled with in this book – whilst there are two main POV characters, we do see things through the eyes of others. But the author doesn’t separate the chapters or even the paragraphs when swapping from one character to the next. This is a personal bugbear of mine.
Also, the character of Sanquain did not feel convincing to me. He just felt like a cardboard cut-out evil guy whose motives for wanting to keep the city in his grip were not obvious.
Finally, both the characters of Vanguard and Tarryn share a special ability which when first revealed, made me sit up and think “this is going to be interesting”. But sadly, it was never explained or utilised enough. Maybe this is a thread for future books in the series.
Not a bad book, but I won’t be rushing to read any sequels.
2. The Lost Man - Jane Harper - 8/10
3. The Fall of Babel – Josiah Bancroft - 5/10
4. The Forest – Michaelbrent Collings – 3/10
5. Black River – Will Dean – 7/10
6. Winter is Coming – Garry Kasparov – 9/10
7. Archangel – Robert Harris – 8/10
8. The Justice of Kings – Richard Swan - 8/10
9. Priest of Bones – Peter McLean – 8/10
10. Watching Skies: Star Wars, Spielberg and us – Mark O’Connell – 7/10
11. Björn Borg and the Super-Swedes – Mats Holm and Ulf Roosvald – 8/10
12. We Men of Ash and Shadow – HL Tinsley 6/10
We Men of Ash and Shadow – HL Tinsley
In this grimdark fantasy novel, the setting is D’Orsee, a city full of the usual underworld characters and the greed, corruption and betrayal that goes with it. It’s not a typical fantasy city, given that technology such as photographs, gas lamps and lifts are featured.
Protagonist John Vanguard, a soldier with a past, works as an assassin for Felix Sanquain, a captain who is in charge of the city. Vanguard works his way through a list of kills for Sanquain – all men who deserve to die.
The second main character is Tarryn Leersac. When we meet him, he is living in an old run-down house looking after his senile mother. It turns out that mild-mannered Tarryn has an insatiable bloodlust that makes for an ideal assassin, which is how he comes to Vanguard’s attention and the latter becomes Tarryn’s mentor.
The plot concerns revolution fermenting in the city, and when Vanguard and Tarryn hunt down the killers of two guards, they become entangled in the usual web of lies and conspiracies.
There were a few things that I struggled with in this book – whilst there are two main POV characters, we do see things through the eyes of others. But the author doesn’t separate the chapters or even the paragraphs when swapping from one character to the next. This is a personal bugbear of mine.
Also, the character of Sanquain did not feel convincing to me. He just felt like a cardboard cut-out evil guy whose motives for wanting to keep the city in his grip were not obvious.
Finally, both the characters of Vanguard and Tarryn share a special ability which when first revealed, made me sit up and think “this is going to be interesting”. But sadly, it was never explained or utilised enough. Maybe this is a thread for future books in the series.
Not a bad book, but I won’t be rushing to read any sequels.
1. Winter - Len Deighton - 7/10
2. The Last Great Mountain - Mick Conefrey - 6/10
3. Pegasus Bridge - Stephen E. Ambrose - 6/10
4. The Dead of Jericho - Colin Dexter - 7/10
5. Agent Sonya - Ben MacIntyre - 7/10
6. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak - 9/10
7. Macbeth - A. J. Hartley and David Hewson - 9/10
8. The Ashes of London - Andrew Taylor - 7/10
9. Ashendon - W. Somerset Maugham - 5/10
10. With a Mind to Kill - Anthony Horowitz - 8/10
11. SAS: Sea King Down - Mark Aston and Stuart Tootal - 7/10
12. SS-GB - Len Deighton - 6/10
13. Nomad - Alan Partridge - 5/10
14. Jungle Soldier - Brian Moynahan - 9/10
15. The Ticket Collector from Belarus - Mike Anderson and Neil Hanson - 8/10
16. Soldier 'I' - Pete Winner and Michael Paul Kennedy - 6/10
The story of Pete Winner, soldier who served in the SAS in the 70s and 80s.
Winner was involved in the legendary Battle of Mirbat in 1972. The book tells how Winner was temporarily returned to his army unit after receiving a criminal conviction. He was lucky enough to return to the SAS in a different squadron, and was subsequently involved in the Iranian Embassy siege. He completed his hat-trick of famous modern day SAS campaigns when his unit was included in the Falklands conflict, although his role there was peripheral.
After his short temper landed him in more trouble, Winner eventually left the army, and the book tells of his adventures as a civilian. VIP protection, security, body-guarding, surveillance, training and more brushes with the law following temper tantrums.
Not my favorite soldier biography, but that could be because I've read many of these stories before. The account of Winner's return to civilian life was interesting though, with insight into some of the mental strains soldiers go through when they finish their army careers.
2. The Last Great Mountain - Mick Conefrey - 6/10
3. Pegasus Bridge - Stephen E. Ambrose - 6/10
4. The Dead of Jericho - Colin Dexter - 7/10
5. Agent Sonya - Ben MacIntyre - 7/10
6. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak - 9/10
7. Macbeth - A. J. Hartley and David Hewson - 9/10
8. The Ashes of London - Andrew Taylor - 7/10
9. Ashendon - W. Somerset Maugham - 5/10
10. With a Mind to Kill - Anthony Horowitz - 8/10
11. SAS: Sea King Down - Mark Aston and Stuart Tootal - 7/10
12. SS-GB - Len Deighton - 6/10
13. Nomad - Alan Partridge - 5/10
14. Jungle Soldier - Brian Moynahan - 9/10
15. The Ticket Collector from Belarus - Mike Anderson and Neil Hanson - 8/10
16. Soldier 'I' - Pete Winner and Michael Paul Kennedy - 6/10
The story of Pete Winner, soldier who served in the SAS in the 70s and 80s.
Winner was involved in the legendary Battle of Mirbat in 1972. The book tells how Winner was temporarily returned to his army unit after receiving a criminal conviction. He was lucky enough to return to the SAS in a different squadron, and was subsequently involved in the Iranian Embassy siege. He completed his hat-trick of famous modern day SAS campaigns when his unit was included in the Falklands conflict, although his role there was peripheral.
After his short temper landed him in more trouble, Winner eventually left the army, and the book tells of his adventures as a civilian. VIP protection, security, body-guarding, surveillance, training and more brushes with the law following temper tantrums.
Not my favorite soldier biography, but that could be because I've read many of these stories before. The account of Winner's return to civilian life was interesting though, with insight into some of the mental strains soldiers go through when they finish their army careers.
stoneblue
Well-Known Member
For those with e readers there are some good books available for just 99p for kindle - may also be available for Apple Books and Kobo.
These caught my eye….
V2 - Robert Harris
Disgrace - Jussi Adler-Olsen
Two Nights in Lisbon - Chris Pavone
A Clear Blue Sky - Duncan Hamilton and Jonny Bairstow
These caught my eye….
V2 - Robert Harris
Disgrace - Jussi Adler-Olsen
Two Nights in Lisbon - Chris Pavone
A Clear Blue Sky - Duncan Hamilton and Jonny Bairstow
Just finished Well of Tears by Rob from here. Excellent book and kept me wanting to turn the page, start new chapter, start the next book. Thanks Rob 5/5. Downloaded SAS Sea King Down as my next kindle book as recommended on here
1. Winter - Len Deighton - 7/10
2. The Last Great Mountain - Mick Conefrey - 6/10
3. Pegasus Bridge - Stephen E. Ambrose - 6/10
4. The Dead of Jericho - Colin Dexter - 7/10
5. Agent Sonya - Ben MacIntyre - 7/10
6. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak - 9/10
7. Macbeth - A. J. Hartley and David Hewson - 9/10
8. The Ashes of London - Andrew Taylor - 7/10
9. Ashendon - W. Somerset Maugham - 5/10
10. With a Mind to Kill - Anthony Horowitz - 8/10
11. SAS: Sea King Down - Mark Aston and Stuart Tootal - 7/10
12. SS-GB - Len Deighton - 6/10
13. Nomad - Alan Partridge - 5/10
14. Jungle Soldier - Brian Moynahan - 9/10
15. The Ticket Collector from Belarus - Mike Anderson and Neil Hanson - 8/10
16. Soldier 'I' - Pete Winner and Michael Paul Kennedy - 6/10
17. Seashaken Houses - Tom Nancollas - 8/10
A bit of a diversion from my usual subject matter, but it was well worth the trip.
The author chose to write his university dissertation about lighthouses, and this started an interest that ultimately led to this book being written.
There are some 20 rock lighthouses (built on rocks in the sea as opposed to on the mainland) in the seas surrounding Britain. The author chooses eight of them for this fascinating history. It describes the men that designed them, the men who built them, who occupied them, the changing technology used by them, and the dangers of the seas they seek to protect.
The book is meticulously researched, well written, and should appeal to anyone with an interest in the sea, architecture, or maritime history.
2. The Last Great Mountain - Mick Conefrey - 6/10
3. Pegasus Bridge - Stephen E. Ambrose - 6/10
4. The Dead of Jericho - Colin Dexter - 7/10
5. Agent Sonya - Ben MacIntyre - 7/10
6. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak - 9/10
7. Macbeth - A. J. Hartley and David Hewson - 9/10
8. The Ashes of London - Andrew Taylor - 7/10
9. Ashendon - W. Somerset Maugham - 5/10
10. With a Mind to Kill - Anthony Horowitz - 8/10
11. SAS: Sea King Down - Mark Aston and Stuart Tootal - 7/10
12. SS-GB - Len Deighton - 6/10
13. Nomad - Alan Partridge - 5/10
14. Jungle Soldier - Brian Moynahan - 9/10
15. The Ticket Collector from Belarus - Mike Anderson and Neil Hanson - 8/10
16. Soldier 'I' - Pete Winner and Michael Paul Kennedy - 6/10
17. Seashaken Houses - Tom Nancollas - 8/10
A bit of a diversion from my usual subject matter, but it was well worth the trip.
The author chose to write his university dissertation about lighthouses, and this started an interest that ultimately led to this book being written.
There are some 20 rock lighthouses (built on rocks in the sea as opposed to on the mainland) in the seas surrounding Britain. The author chooses eight of them for this fascinating history. It describes the men that designed them, the men who built them, who occupied them, the changing technology used by them, and the dangers of the seas they seek to protect.
The book is meticulously researched, well written, and should appeal to anyone with an interest in the sea, architecture, or maritime history.
1. Winter - Len Deighton - 7/10
2. The Last Great Mountain - Mick Conefrey - 6/10
3. Pegasus Bridge - Stephen E. Ambrose - 6/10
4. The Dead of Jericho - Colin Dexter - 7/10
5. Agent Sonya - Ben MacIntyre - 7/10
6. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak - 9/10
7. Macbeth - A. J. Hartley and David Hewson - 9/10
8. The Ashes of London - Andrew Taylor - 7/10
9. Ashendon - W. Somerset Maugham - 5/10
10. With a Mind to Kill - Anthony Horowitz - 8/10
11. SAS: Sea King Down - Mark Aston and Stuart Tootal - 7/10
12. SS-GB - Len Deighton - 6/10
13. Nomad - Alan Partridge - 5/10
14. Jungle Soldier - Brian Moynahan - 9/10
15. The Ticket Collector from Belarus - Mike Anderson and Neil Hanson - 8/10
16. Soldier 'I' - Pete Winner and Michael Paul Kennedy - 6/10
17. Seashaken Houses - Tom Nancollas - 8/10
18. The Good Germans - Catrine Clay - 5/10
One good thing about reading on a Kindle is that the device tells you how far you are through a book. This was a case of knowing how much of it I had to endure if I was to finish it.
I started the book months ago, but left it in favour of other books, after reading 25% of it. I picked it up again and struggled to 60%, skim reading parts of it. The book eventually picks up after 75%, but the last 9% of the book is taken up by accreditations, reference and acknowledgements, which was a blessed relief.
About two thirds of Germans never voted for Hitler or his Nazi party. The author picks six of these and describes their lives between 1933 and the end of WW2 in 1945.
There are twelve chapters describing their lives during the rise of the Nazi party and the war, and a final chapter telling us what happened to them and their families after the war.
Each chapter covers a period of time and includes extremely detailed stories of all six subjects. I didn't find this style particularly easy to follow.
One of the subjects was Ernst Thalmann, leader of the German Communist Party. Thalmann was incarcerated for most of the 12 years covered by the book, and he did little to actively resist the Nazis, before he was executed just before the end of the war. The book wouldn't have been poorer for his exclusion from it.
Another was Rudolf Ditzen, an author who wrote the depressing Alone in Berlin under his pseudonym Hans Fallada. Ditzen, and another Good German, Bernt Engelmann, did relatively little dangerous or subversive against the regime, and it is hard to see why they deserved inclusion in the book.
The other three were all actively involved in attempts to thwart Nazi war efforts, and they were heavily involved in Operation Valkyrie, the attempt to assassinate Hitler in 1944. They were each tried, convicted and killed for their parts in the failed mission.
The book comes to life in the final two chapters, which describe the events leading to Operation Valkyrie and its brutal aftermath. But it is a hard slog up to that point, and for that reason, I can't recommend this book with much enthusiasm.
The author also wrote Trautmann's Journey, which is on my bookshelf, and I'll get round to reading at some point. But if there are 200 pages about the time Trautmann's got into trouble with his kindergarten teacher for wearing odd socks, I'll probably lose hope and abandon it for something much lighter.
2. The Last Great Mountain - Mick Conefrey - 6/10
3. Pegasus Bridge - Stephen E. Ambrose - 6/10
4. The Dead of Jericho - Colin Dexter - 7/10
5. Agent Sonya - Ben MacIntyre - 7/10
6. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak - 9/10
7. Macbeth - A. J. Hartley and David Hewson - 9/10
8. The Ashes of London - Andrew Taylor - 7/10
9. Ashendon - W. Somerset Maugham - 5/10
10. With a Mind to Kill - Anthony Horowitz - 8/10
11. SAS: Sea King Down - Mark Aston and Stuart Tootal - 7/10
12. SS-GB - Len Deighton - 6/10
13. Nomad - Alan Partridge - 5/10
14. Jungle Soldier - Brian Moynahan - 9/10
15. The Ticket Collector from Belarus - Mike Anderson and Neil Hanson - 8/10
16. Soldier 'I' - Pete Winner and Michael Paul Kennedy - 6/10
17. Seashaken Houses - Tom Nancollas - 8/10
18. The Good Germans - Catrine Clay - 5/10
One good thing about reading on a Kindle is that the device tells you how far you are through a book. This was a case of knowing how much of it I had to endure if I was to finish it.
I started the book months ago, but left it in favour of other books, after reading 25% of it. I picked it up again and struggled to 60%, skim reading parts of it. The book eventually picks up after 75%, but the last 9% of the book is taken up by accreditations, reference and acknowledgements, which was a blessed relief.
About two thirds of Germans never voted for Hitler or his Nazi party. The author picks six of these and describes their lives between 1933 and the end of WW2 in 1945.
There are twelve chapters describing their lives during the rise of the Nazi party and the war, and a final chapter telling us what happened to them and their families after the war.
Each chapter covers a period of time and includes extremely detailed stories of all six subjects. I didn't find this style particularly easy to follow.
One of the subjects was Ernst Thalmann, leader of the German Communist Party. Thalmann was incarcerated for most of the 12 years covered by the book, and he did little to actively resist the Nazis, before he was executed just before the end of the war. The book wouldn't have been poorer for his exclusion from it.
Another was Rudolf Ditzen, an author who wrote the depressing Alone in Berlin under his pseudonym Hans Fallada. Ditzen, and another Good German, Bernt Engelmann, did relatively little dangerous or subversive against the regime, and it is hard to see why they deserved inclusion in the book.
The other three were all actively involved in attempts to thwart Nazi war efforts, and they were heavily involved in Operation Valkyrie, the attempt to assassinate Hitler in 1944. They were each tried, convicted and killed for their parts in the failed mission.
The book comes to life in the final two chapters, which describe the events leading to Operation Valkyrie and its brutal aftermath. But it is a hard slog up to that point, and for that reason, I can't recommend this book with much enthusiasm.
The author also wrote Trautmann's Journey, which is on my bookshelf, and I'll get round to reading at some point. But if there are 200 pages about the time Trautmann's got into trouble with his kindergarten teacher for wearing odd socks, I'll probably lose hope and abandon it for something much lighter.
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RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
That made me laugh!
JRockBlues
Well-Known Member
Persepolis Rising by James S. A. Corey
Book 7 of The Expanse series set 30 years after the events of the previous book sees the crew of the Rocinante about to part ways with Jim & Naomi heading off to enjoy some quiet time together after completing just one last run for the Transport Union. Things don’t quite work out as planned though as, after handing over captaincy to Bobbie as soon as they return, Laconia decides to make its presence felt in the grand scheme of things.
My major gripe with this story involves the 30 year gap. So much time passed but nobody is doing anything different. The Roci is still running little missions for Drummer who’s still head of the Transport Union. The only change is for Avasarala but even she is still around. Not convinced either by the appointment of Singh to lead the occupation of Medina Station. Definitely feels like more of a set-up book for what’s to come as the series is reaching its conclusion (just two more volumes after this). Even so, I’m still looking forward to reading those final two entries so it couldn’t have been too bad. 3½★'s
Book 7 of The Expanse series set 30 years after the events of the previous book sees the crew of the Rocinante about to part ways with Jim & Naomi heading off to enjoy some quiet time together after completing just one last run for the Transport Union. Things don’t quite work out as planned though as, after handing over captaincy to Bobbie as soon as they return, Laconia decides to make its presence felt in the grand scheme of things.
My major gripe with this story involves the 30 year gap. So much time passed but nobody is doing anything different. The Roci is still running little missions for Drummer who’s still head of the Transport Union. The only change is for Avasarala but even she is still around. Not convinced either by the appointment of Singh to lead the occupation of Medina Station. Definitely feels like more of a set-up book for what’s to come as the series is reaching its conclusion (just two more volumes after this). Even so, I’m still looking forward to reading those final two entries so it couldn’t have been too bad. 3½★'s