Consequences: A Retrieval Artist Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Consequences: A Retrieval Artist Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone. This is book 3 in the Retrieval Artist series. I really liked this one. So far it is the best book in the series. The tension between Noelle and Flint continues to grow as they try to sort out how they feel about each other. ...

July 23, 2013 · 2 min · 299 words · Dave Nelson
Extremes: A Retrieval Artist Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Extremes: A Retrieval Artist Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

I bought this audiobook from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone. This is the second book in the Retrieval Artist series of books and is a great continuation of the storyline. In this book Flint and Noelle are no longer working together and Flint is learning that he really can’t trust anyone, which is very hard for him as he really wants to trust Noelle with everything he knows, but telling her to much will endanger his clients and their families. ...

July 16, 2013 · 2 min · 295 words · Dave Nelson
The Disappeared: A Retrieval Artist Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

The Disappeared: A Retrieval Artist Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

I bought this audiobook from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone. I chose this book based upon the reviews at Audible and they were right, it is a very good listen. Jay Snyder turns in a very good performance bringing the characters to life and giving each one a uniqueness that makes them come alive. ...

July 9, 2013 · 3 min · 455 words · Dave Nelson
The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore

The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore

I bought this used hardcover book from The Book Nook II in Marietta. After reading “A Dirty Job” also be Christopher Moore I was determined to read more of his stories, so I bought 2 of them as used hardcovers. The Stupidest Angel was a very quick read, it only took me two nights of reading to finish it and I enjoyed every minute. It is a fun romp through a small town where everyone is in everyone’s business. ...

July 2, 2013 · 2 min · 304 words · Dave Nelson
Delicious Library 3 Website

Delicious Library 3

My wife and I read a lot of books. Now that our son has gotten a little older and needs less attention, I go through more than a book a week on average, Bobbie doesn’t go through as many books in number, but she is reading much larger non-fiction books and taking copious amounts of notes. Many years ago I bought Delicious Library 2 (DL2) as a part of a bundle deal. Bobbie and I used it to catalog all of our fiction and collectable books. It worked well enough and with some simple PHP and YUI coding I built a simple web page we could use on our phones to check our library while out and about. ...

June 28, 2013 · 5 min · 942 words · Dave Nelson
The Hunter by Richard Stark

The Hunter by Richard Stark

I bought this audiobook from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone. I enjoyed the movie Payback with Mel Gibson, even though I think John Myhre ruined the theatrical release, which got me interested in reading the book that it was based on. This is that book. But before reading this book, forget the theatrical release of the movie entirely. This is a dark book with a lead character that is not likeable in any way. I suspect there are plenty of people out in the world that would like to think of themselves as being a lot like Parker, hard, mean, uncaring and as tough as nails. But if they are like Parker they do not have any friends and will lead a very lonely and hard life. ...

June 25, 2013 · 2 min · 422 words · Dave Nelson
Scoundrels: Star Wars by Timothy Zahn

Scoundrels: Star Wars by Timothy Zahn

I bought this audiobook from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone. I bought this book based on reviews at Audible and my love of Star Wars. As a kid I read the novelizations and Alan Dean Foster’s Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, which were all great. Timothy Zhan does a good job of adding depth to the Star Wars universe and giving us a little more insight into the relationships between Han, Chewbacca, and Lando. ...

June 18, 2013 · 3 min · 462 words · Dave Nelson
Rip-Off!: A Collection of Short Stories

Rip-Off!: A Collection of Short Stories

I bought this audiobook from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone. This book was fun, there are a couple of stand-out stories here, but overall it didn’t really wow me. It is definitely worth listening to if you have any favorite authors with stories in it. From the publisher: In Rip-Off!, 13 of today’s best and most honored writers of speculative fiction face a challenge even they would be hard-pressed to conceive: Pick your favorite opening line from a classic piece of fiction (or even non-fiction) – then use it as the first sentence of an entirely original short story. In the world of Rip-Off!, “Call me Ishmael” introduces a tough-as-nails private eye – who carries a harpoon; The Wonderful Wizard of Oz inspires the tale of an aging female astronaut who’s being treated by a doctor named Dorothy Gale; and Huckleberry Finn leads to a wild ride with a foul-mouthed riverboat captain who plies the waters of Hell. Once you listen to Rip-Off! you’ll agree: If Shakespeare or Dickens were alive today, they’d be ripping off the authors in this great collection. The stories included in Rip-Off! are: “Fireborn” by Robert Charles Wilson “The Evening Line” by Mike Resnick “No Decent Patrimony” by Elizabeth Bear “The Big Whale” by Allen M. Steele “Begone” by Daryl Gregory “The Red Menace” by Lavie Tidhar “Muse of Fire” by John Scalzi “Writer’s Block” by Nancy Kress “Highland Reel” by Jack Campbell “Karin Coxswain” or “Death as She Is Truly Lived” by Paul Di Filippo “The Lady Astronaut of Mars” by Mary Robinette Kowal “Every Fuzzy Beast of the Earth, Every Pink Fowl of the Air” by Tad Williams “Declaration” by James Patrick Kelly As a bonus, the authors introduce their stories, explaining what they ripped-off – and why. Rip-Off! was produced in partnership with SFWA – Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. Gardner Dozois served as project editor. For more books from the authors of Rip-Off! click here. ©2012 Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. (P)2012 Audible, Inc. ...

June 11, 2013 · 2 min · 369 words · Dave Nelson
Maintainable JavaScript by Nicholas C. Zakas

Maintainable JavaScript by Nicholas C. Zakas

Maintainable JavaScript by Nicholas C. ZakasI read this book using Safari Books Online using various laptops and an iPad. This is an amazing book. Following a style guide while programming is common in many languages, but for me it is a new idea in JavaScript. Reading Douglas Crockford’s Style Guide http://javascript.crockford.com/code.html can teach you a lot, but Maintainable JavaScript teaches you not only the how, but also the why. ...

June 4, 2013 · 2 min · 234 words · Dave Nelson
The Human Division by John Scalzi

The Human Division by John Scalzi

I bought these books from Audible and listened to them using the Audible App on my iPhone. The Human Division is something different, it is a collection of 13 short stories that take place in the “Old Man’s War” universe. This review is of the first 10 books in the series as the last 3 are not yet available. I am a huge fan of John Scalzi’s writing and the first two books from Old Man’s War were pretty great. But now I have grown tired of the series and don’t feel like it is doing much anymore. My guess is that I will continue to listen to any new “Old Man’s War” books that come out in the future, but they will not be my first choice, if something else is available, I will read that first. ...

May 28, 2013 · 2 min · 378 words · Dave Nelson