Fiction on Dave Nelson

The Broken Earth Trilogy by N. K. Jemisin

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 12:00:50 +0000

I bought these books from Amazon and read them on my Kindle Paperwhite. Written by N. K. Jemisin the Broken Earth Trilogy includes the books The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, and The Stone Sky.

What caught my attention about these books and the author is that all 3 books won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. Think about that for a second, all 3 books in the trilogy won Best Novel Hugo awards, 2016, 2017, and 2018. They also won a lot of other awards, but for one author to win 3 years in a row is amazing.

The Roach by Rhett C. Bruno

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 00:29:02 +0000

The Roach is another superhero story by Rhett C. Bruno and I really like this one.

The Roach is a likable character with all kinds of flaws and the characters around him are interesting and add a lot to the story.

Publisher’s Summary

A string of killings. An identity stolen. Only he can find the truth.
Reese Roberts was the guardian of Iron City. Its fearless protector. The only one willing to do whatever it takes…until he was shot on the streets and left paralyzed from the waist down. Now, the vigilante known as the Roach has disappeared. Faded into legend.
It’s been years since Reese could take on crime and clean up the streets. He’s a shriveled old drunk, living like a hermit and waiting for his life to end. All that’s left to do is wallow in the mistakes that led him here. To wonder if he went too far.
But when a copycat steals his suit and takes justice into his own hands, a new killer emerges, leaving brutal messages behind. He wants to eliminate the Roach for good this time.
It’s time for Reese to re-emerge from his shell and fight back. Who else can stop the flurry of killings? Definitely not the corrupt police department. Iron City needs the Roach again. Only, this time, he’ll need to save it without his legs.

©2020 Aethon Books (P)2020 Podium Audio

I rate The Roach an 8 out 10 and recommend it to anyone looking for a good superhero story.

Baron Steele by Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 00:14:15 +0000

Baron Steele is a very short listen at 47 minutes and I believe it is an introduction to the Raptors series of books.

I didn’t especially like the book and probably wont be listening to the Raptors series anytime soon. The humor just didn’t work for me.

About This Audible Original

Paul Steele, known to the world as Baron Steele, isn’t your average masked crimefighter. As a matter of fact, he doesn’t even wear a mask. And he doesn’t even fight crime anymore. That’s for the guys with too much brawn and not enough brain.
No, Steele works in consulting. After having his license revoked by the Guild of Masked Crimefighters, he decided he would scout talent instead. Match up heroes with their villainous counterparts, help the young bucks and buckettes discover their talents and abilities. That sort of thing.
It’s all going fine and well until Steele gets a bad cup of coffee. No. Seriously. Day after day, the same little twerp gets his order wrong. From there, it’s a downhill spiral into chaos, and Steele finds himself fighting for his freedom in a court of law. Did he really kill a barista over a cup of joe?
Don’t miss this hilarious spin on the superhero genre from the number one Audible best-selling duo of Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle.
©2020 Aethon Books (P)2020 Aethon Books

Operation Brushfire by Rhett C. Bruno and James Wolanyk

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 00:01:03 +0000

Operation Brushfire is a solid mystery novel and Lou Diamond Phillips does a good job bringing it to life.

Publisher’s Summary

He’ll do anything for the truth. They’ll do anything to bury it.

Henry Stasik, an Internal Affairs agent for the globe-spanning Coalition, is no stranger to crooked agents or scandals. He’s a truth-junkie. An addict. But when international celebrity Anastasia Danicheva specifically demands his presence at a police station, everything changes. The Coalition, which has brought peace through uniting the world under a single banner, wants her dead. But none of their case against her adds up.

Stasik can’t help but need to know why.

Hours after taking her under his department’s protection, a cybernetically enhanced hitman nips at Stasik’s heels. Witnesses disappear or turn up in pools of blood. And lurking above it all, guarded by a genocidal AI construct, is a secret that threatens to dismantle a perfect world and–Stasik himself.

Man in the High Castle meets Blade Runner with a dash of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in this breakneck sci-fi spy thriller set in a drug-fueled alternate history from the number one Audible best-selling author of Titanborn, Rhett C. Bruno, and James Wolanyk. Performed by award-winning actor Lou Diamond Phillips, star of Prodigal Son, Young Guns, and La Bamba.

©2021 Rhett C. Bruno, James Wolanyk (P)2021 Podium Audio

One Good Dragon Deserves Another: Heartstrikers, Book 2 by Rachel Aaron

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 23:40:14 +0000

Another Heartstrikers dragon book by Rachel Aaron, who’d a thunk?

I’m working my way through the series and have to say that I am enjoying them. They are not great and amazing works of art, but they are good solid modern fantasy and I look forward to more of them.

Publisher’s Summary

After barely escaping the machinations of his terrifying mother, two all-knowing seers, and countless bloodthirsty siblings, the last thing Julius wants to see is another dragon. Unfortunately for him, the only thing more dangerous than being a useless Heartstriker is being a useful one. Now that he’s got an in with the Three Sisters, Julius has become a key pawn in Bethesda the Heartstriker’s gamble to put her clan on top. Refusal to play along with his mother’s plans means death, but there’s more going on than even Bethesda knows. Heartstriker futures are disappearing, and Algonquin’s dragon hunter is closing in. Now, with his most powerful family members dropping like flies, it’s up to Julius to save the family that never respected him and prove once and for all that the world’s worst dragon is the very best one to have on your side.

©2015 Rachel Aaron (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

The Werewolf’s 15 Minutes by Jonathan Maberry

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 13:00:38 +0000

I bought The Werewolf’s 15 Minutes from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app.

Good contemporary werewolf stories are hard to find, but I think this is one of them. It’s a modern day take on what could happen when a YouTube generation kid decides to go public about his lycanthropy.

At only 1 hour and 42 minutes in length it is short but tells an engaging story that I enjoyed.

Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 13:00:39 +0000

I got Nice Dragons Finish Last from Audible and listened using the Audible App.

It is not as fantastical as the Detroit Free Zone books and not as much humor, but still a good story and great narration by Vikas Adam.

From the publisher:

As the smallest dragon in the Heartstriker clan, Julius survives by a simple code: keep quiet, don’t cause trouble, and stay out of the way of bigger dragons. But this meek behavior doesn’t fly in a family of ambitious magical predators, and his mother, Bethesda the Heartstriker, has finally reached the end of her patience. Now, sealed in human form and banished to the DFZ – a vertical metropolis built on the ruins of Old Detroit – Julius has one month to prove he can be a ruthless dragon or kiss his true shape goodbye forever. But in a city of modern mages and vengeful spirits where dragons are considered monsters to be exterminated, he’s going to need some serious help to survive this test. He only hopes humans are more trustworthy than dragons….

©2014 Rachel Aaron (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Lost Planet Homicide by Larry Correia

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 13:00:38 +0000

I bought Lost Planet Homicide from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app.

Larry Correia always gets my attention and Gun Runners has a good start with Lost Planet Homicide. His world building skills shine here with a gritty crime riddled world settled long ago by people hoping to live in paradise, instead they end up barely being able to survive on hostile world where the air will kill them.

Privateer Tales by Jamie McFarlane

Sat, 25 Dec 2021 22:12:37 +0000

After reading Jamie McFarlane’s Junkyard Pirate series I went looking for more and found Rookie Privateer the first in his Privateer Tales series. Like the others, I read these on a Kindle Paperwhite.

I made it through the first 12 books in the series one after another during March, April, and May and stalled out on number 13. I plan on getting back into them later. Amazingly there are now 19 books in the series.

Junkyard Pirate Books by Jamie McFarlane

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 00:03:55 +0000

After finishing the Nikki and Bob Series by Jerry Boyd I dug around in the Kindle Unlimited store and found the Junkyard Pirate Books by Jamie McFarlane.

The 3 books in the Junkyard Pirate series have a lot of tropes from other books I have read, but they definitely tell a different story. I enjoyed reading them enough that once I finished them, I moved right on to the Privateer series also written by Jamie McFarlane.

Nikki and Bob Series by Jerry Boyd

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 00:20:15 +0000

After finishing all of the books Nathan Lowell has written so far I tried some books recommended by my Kindle, or more correctly “Advertised” on my Kindle, and what a total waste of time. I find it hard to describe just how BAD those books were. But then I found Bob’s Saucer Repair by Jerry Boyd.

There are currently 14 books in the series, I am on book 9 and reading through a book every other day or so. These stories are science-fiction light with lots of humor, a fast pace, not a lot of depth, and a ton of characters.

Nathan Lowell, Author

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 13:07:33 +0000

I have now read every novel available from Nathan Lowell and I am eagerly awaiting more.

Nathan Lowell’s superpower is being able to write about “normal” people in a way that draws me in. Most of his characters are everyday people living ordinary lives, right up until they are not. Their motivations and desires are easy to understand and usually uncomplicated. But his stories are not straight-forward. They have twists and turns that keep me guessing and wanting more.

The Wizard’s Butler by Nathan Lowell

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 13:00:47 +0000

My favorite Nathan Lowell book yet! This is the first Nathan Lowell book set in modern time but is a fantasy novel through and through.

It took me a little longer to read this one than the others as I savored every bit of it. It does follow some tropes that I have seen and read before, mainly the “muggle surrounded by magic but is ok with it” one but done in a way that I found very engaging.

Tanyth Fairport Adventures by Nathan Lowell

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 13:00:42 +0000

Another series by Nathan Lowell, but instead of Science Fiction, these are Fantasy. Tanyth Fairport is an old lady who has been traveling the last 20 years collecting information about herbalism from the old woman of Korlay.

We follow along with Tanyth for a couple of years as she grows into… well I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s pretty cool.

If you like fantasy that isn’t full of spell casting and dragons, then this series is for you.

Shaman’s Tales by Nathan Lowell

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 13:00:24 +0000

More fiction from Nathan Lowell set in the same universe as Trader’s Tales, Smuggler’s Tales, and Seeker’s Tales but this time we are dirtside on St. Cloud. We follow along with the Kruggs, Piranos, and a cast of others who are trying to find themselves and happiness.

I really appreciate the chance to explore the shamans of St. Cloud and these books really pay off. They span a much longer period of time than the Solar Clipper books and delve deeper into the emotions of many characters.

Seeker’s Tales by Nathan Lowell

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 15:49:10 +0000

I am continuing my reading of Nathan Lowell’s novels with the Seeker’s Tales series using Kindle Unlimited and a Kindle Paperwhite. In Seeker’s Tales we continue along with Ishmael Wang and Phillip Carstairs on a new adventure in a “new” ship.

I am still in awe of Nathan Lowell’s ability to weave a story and effortlessly create characters with so much depth and life in them. These books are really about the characters, the plot is secondary, in a good way.

Smuggler’s Tales by Nathan Lowell

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 01:00:21 +0000

Smuggler’s Tales is in the same universe as Trader’s Tales and includes some of the same characters but is told from Natalya and Zoya’s point of view. I read these on my Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Unlimited.

Smuggler’s Tales includes

Mr. Lowell, or should it be Dr. Lowell, has done such an amazing job building out this universe and by giving us 3 more books from a different perspective is wonderful. There is more action in these stories than in the Trader’s Tales, but the tone remains the same.

Trader’s Tales by Nathan Lowell

Sat, 21 Nov 2020 01:00:19 +0000

This is the first series of book that I read on my new Kindle Paperwhite. These books are available to purchase from Amazon as ebook, audiobook, and paperback versions. Instead of buying each book individually I subscribed to Kindle Unlimited to read them all.

Trader’s Tales includes the books

Quarter Share
Half Share
Full Share
Double Share
Captain’s Share
Owner’s Share

These books follow the life of Ismael Wang and his antics between the stars. I REALLY like these books; they are exactly what I was needing when I found them. They are not full of action, violence, fantasy, war, or death. They do not make up a sprawling space opera that spans centuries nor do they contain deep technical details about how people are able to live in space.

Kindle Paperwhite

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 01:00:49 +0000

![amazon kindle paperwhite book reader](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61eAq6gg-XL._AC_SL300_.jpg?ssl=1" style=“float:right;margin:0 0 15px 15px)

While studying for the Amateur Radio license exams I decided I wanted a new Kindle to read them on. Looking at the different versions of Kindle’s available I chose the Paperwhite for its price, size, backlighting, and water resistance. We have an original Kindle Keyboard and it still works, but it is larger and heavier than the Paperwhite, is not water resistant, does not have a backlight, does not have a touchscreen, and is awkward to hold. I was hesitant to buy a new Kindle as I had not been using the old one very often until I started studying for the license exams which is what got me to use the old one a lot.

Columbus Day by Craig Alanson

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 14:00:16 +0000

I am always looking for a new Sci-Fi series that has a lot of humor in it and after the Bobiverse series I wanted to keep the laughs going.

Columbus Day is the first in the Expeditionary Force series of books by Craig Alanson.

With narration by R.C. Bray, you can never go wrong, and his portrayal of Bishop, Skippy, and the entire Expeditionary Force crew is fantastic.

Where the Hell is Tesla? by Rob Dircks

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 14:00:26 +0000

This had been sitting in my Audible Wish List for some time, after listening to The Wrong Unit, I wanted to continue the goodness with another Rob Dircks novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Where the Hell is Tesla? which was made even more charming by the author’s reading of the tale.

There is not a lot new in this story, I feel like I have experienced all of the tropes before, but they are used to great effect in this time and space traveling experience. And it has Tesla!

The Wrong Unit by Rob Dircks

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 15:00:33 +0000

I really needed something humorous to read and The Wrong Unit really paid off.

There is a lot of humor and humanity in this story of a… well wait. This is yet another one of those stories where I don’t want to give too much away. Even telling you the main plot idea in the book would be giving to much away.

Let’s just say it is a very humorous story of the distant future where machines have… You’ll have to read or listen to it yourself to find out.

The Frequency of Aliens by Gene Doucette

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 15:00:59 +0000

This is the second book in the Sorrow Falls series. The first was The Spaceship Next Door which I read and reviewed last year.

I really enjoyed The Spaceship Next Door and The Frequency of Aliens continues the adventures of Annie Collins as she heads off to college. I really don’t won’t to tell you much more about the story, I feel that the less you know, the more you will enjoy it.

The Spaceship Next Door by Gene Doucette

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 20:00:55 +0000

I really liked The Spaceship Next Door, it is the first of Gene Doucette’s books I have read and now I look forward to reading/listening to his other books.

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone.

The characters Annie, who is overflowing with teen energy, and Edgar with his G-man attitude are a wonderful mix that makes this a wonderful sci-fi story even though there is really nothing new or ground-breaking.

The Fold by Peter Clines

Mon, 06 Jul 2015 20:00:45 +0000

What the heck is Joe Ledger doing in a Peter Clines novel, haha, I jest.

I really enjoyed 14 by Peter Clines and when I saw his new novel The Fold in Audible I grabbed it and gave it a listen. The audiobook is narrated by Ray Porter who also narrates the Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry so when I hear his voice I hear the voice of Joe Ledger. But this book is not much like the Ledger series.

The Martian by Andy Weir

Sun, 05 Jul 2015 03:24:11 +0000

I have been hearing about The Martian from a lot of friends over the last couple of months and it sounded to god to be true so I put it off. I really shouldn’t have.

I bought the audiobook from Audible and listened to it about as fast as I could. It has a lot in common with the many recent stranded stories like Gravity and Cast Away, but it is so much better than them.

Hard Luck Hank: Basketful of Crap, Book 2 by Steven Campbell

Tue, 16 Jun 2015 21:00:06 +0000

Hard Luck Hank is turning into a great series; Steven Campbell keeps the action and the humor coming in the second installment.

There really isn’t much more to say about Basketful of Crap, it is more of what made Screw the Galaxy so good.

From the publisher:

Hank was a dying breed on the space station Belvaille. The criminal gangs that had once made their homes there were forced out by the corporations that had taken over since the facility became an Independent Protectorate. Instead of the gentlemanly gang wars that had once dominated the scene, and made Hank’s services prized as a negotiator, the city was now plagued by the clash of corporate armies using heavy weapons. Even tanks roamed the streets regularly. Most everyone from the olden days had either fled the station or was killed due to the organizational changes. Changes that Hank personally brought about when he had negotiated Belvaille’s status with the Navy. As Hank contemplates whether he can survive in this increasingly hostile environment, he realizes that things aren’t as bad as they seem – they are quite a bit worse. The constant power plays among corporations might have further reach than just the alleys of a backwater space station at the edge of the galaxy.

©2014 Steven Campbell (P)2014 Steven Campbell

Hard Luck Hank: Screw the Galaxy by Steven Campbell

Tue, 09 Jun 2015 21:00:34 +0000

Hard Luck Hank by Steven Campbell really scratches my Sci-Fi itch. Straight-forward science fictiony goodness with plenty of humor and action.

The writing reminds me a lot of the Stainless Steel Rat series of books. Lots of good nature humor, although with Hank there is a lot more smashing and crunching involved instead of the happy go-lucky larceny of the Rat.

Code Zero: Joe Ledger, Book 6 by Jonathan Maberry

Tue, 02 Jun 2015 21:00:15 +0000

Jonathan Maberry and Ray Porter do it again with another Joe Ledger audio book. Code Zero is everything I love about the Joe Ledger series, action, action, and a bit of angst.

The highlight of Code Zero for me was the inclusion of DragonCon, I met Mr. Mayberry at DragonCon 2014 and got a couple of great photos of him. His panels were very interesting if a bit heavy on the talk about zombies and meeting him just made me want to read more.

Tokyo Raider: A Tale of the Grimnoir Chronicles by Larry Correia

Tue, 05 May 2015 20:00:30 +0000

I really love the characters and world that Larry Correia has created with the Grimnoir Chronicles and Bronson Pinchot has done an amazing job bringing them to life.

I didn’t think there was much new ground covered here, but Tokyo Raider is a solid addition to the series.

From the publisher:

With the Japanese Imperium at war with the Soviet Union, and the United States watching cautiously on the sidelines, Second Lieutenant Joe Sullivan of the U.S. Marines is sent on a dangerous mission to Tokyo. The Russians have Summoned a demon of epic proportions to attack the city, and all that stands in its deadly path is an untested Japanese super-robot. Now, Joe is at the controls, his gravity-spiking Power at the ready. But that is one huge, mean Demon….

©2014 Larry Correia (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 20:00:20 +0000

I love me some Veronica Mars, it was one of the few non-sci-fi shows I watched in real time. Kristen Bell and her friends just work for me.

Kristin Bell narrates the audiobook and does an amazing job, I felt like I could hear the actors from the show laughing about her impersonations of them. She really nails some of them and gets close enough with the others that it made the story even better.

For The Win by Cory Doctorow

Tue, 03 Mar 2015 14:00:23 +0000

Changing pace yet again I decided to binge on some Cory Doctorow goodness. If you don’t know who he is check out Cory’s Wikipeida entry, he is an interesting character. His politics are about as far from mine as they could be, but he is a really great storyteller.

You can download and read Cory’s books for free and even remix, mash-up, re-write, and mangle the contents to your hearts content following the Creative Commons Attrivutions-Noncommercial-ShareAlike license. You can get his books at Craphound.com.

Freedom by Daniel Suarez

Tue, 24 Feb 2015 13:45:17 +0000

Freedom is book 2 in the Daemon series of novels. It continues right where Daemon left off, more of the same.

I enjoyed Freedom, there are a lot of subplots in it that I really enjoyed, but it is not as good as Daemon and I found the end wanting. I would like more, I would like more of the subplots to be wrapped up. I just want more.

Daemon by Daniel Suarez

Tue, 17 Feb 2015 13:30:48 +0000

I don’t remember how this series by Daniel Suarez came to my attention. It could have been as simple as the title of the first book, “Daemon”, or my proclivity for techno-thrillers that get most of it right.

I burnt myself out reading Jack Campbell space battles one after another for a couple of months and needed a break. Daemon is about as far away from The Lost Stars as I could get.

The Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell

Tue, 20 Jan 2015 12:30:29 +0000

The Lost Fleet is a science fiction series written by John G. Hemry writing as Jack Campbell and consists of 6 novels centered around Captain “Black Jack” Geary and the Alliance Fleet. This is good old military science fiction space war stuff.

I listened to these novels as audiobooks from Audible. Christian Rummel does a great job narrating all 6 of the novels and brings all of the characters to life. When adding up the playtime of all six novels you get 60 hours of space battles, political infighting, and military atmosphere.

Lock In by John Scalzi

Tue, 02 Dec 2014 13:00:18 +0000

Here is something new, an single audiobook with 2 performances. Not 2 narrators in the same recording, but 2 narrators with their own recording. Kinda cool.

I bought the audiobook from Audible as a pre-order that came with the added benefit of giving me the Amber Benson recording of the book.

I first listened to the Wil Wheaton recoding and really enjoyed it. Wil Wheaton has turned in some great performances as a narrator of audiobooks and this is no exception.

Extinction Machine: The Joe Ledger Novels, Book 5 by Jonathan Maberry

Tue, 25 Nov 2014 13:00:18 +0000

In Extinction Machine Jonathan Maberry has Joe Ledger and Echo Team delving into the mysteries of ancient alien artifacts.

This is yet another, the fifth one in fact, exciting adventure of Joe Ledger and the Department of Military Science. I hope there a dozen more. I enjoyed Extinction Machine more than the last one, I find the subject more interesting and a little bit different than other books I have been reading lately.

Assassin’s Code: Joe Ledger Book 4 by Jonathan Maberry

Tue, 18 Nov 2014 12:00:56 +0000

Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger is back in action.

I don’t want to say anything about what is going on in Assassin’s Code as it would give away the most interesting thing about it. Suffice to say that Joe and Echo team are faced with another challenge that threatens the world while more personal threats step out of the shadows.

Ray Porter continues to do an amazing job narrating the Joe Ledger series and bringing all of the characters to life.

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 21:00:39 +0000

Listening to Ivanhoe caused me to read more Wikipedia articles than any other book or audiobook. I looked up info on the Normans, the Saxons, and a bunch of different royals.

But the story never caught my attention. It was interesting from a fictional historical perspective, but the pacing and dialog never grabbed me… Until I realized the narrator is the same guy who reads the “Lies of Locke Lamora” series by Scott Lynch. Michael Page is a great narrator and for the rest of the book I pretended that it was the Gentlemen Bastards on another adventure instead of Ivanhoe. That worked until the Robin Hood story kicked in and shattered that illusion.

Titus Alone: Volume 3 of the Gormenghast Trilogy

Wed, 29 Oct 2014 01:59:38 +0000

I am ready to be done with Titus and Gormenghast, the ride was fun but it went on for just a bit to long. I will have fond memories of the Gormenghast Trilogy but will probably never listen to or read them again.

Titus Alone had a lot to like but I never got into it, I was ready for it to be over almost as soon as it began.

Spell or High Water: Magic 2.0

Tue, 21 Oct 2014 13:00:32 +0000

Spell or High Water is the second book in Scott Meyer’s Magic 2.0 series. I absolutely loved Off to Be the Wizard and was delighted to discover that there was a second book available.

Scott’s humor mixed with Luke Daniels’ delivery on the audiobook is a winner.

I hope there are many more of these books to come.

From the publisher:

The adventures of an American hacker in Medieval England continue as Martin Banks takes his next step on the journey toward mastering his reality-altering powers and fulfilling his destiny.

A month has passed since Martin helped to defeat the evil programmer Jimmy, and things couldn’t be going better. Except for his love life, that is. Feeling distant and lost, Gwen has journeyed to Atlantis, a tolerant and benevolent kingdom governed by the Sorceresses, and a place known to be a safe haven to all female time-travelers.

Thankfully, Martin and Philip are invited to a summit in Atlantis for all of the leaders of the time-traveler colonies, and now Martin thinks this will be a chance to try again with Gwen. Of course, this is Martin Banks we’re talking about, so murder, mystery, and high intrigue all get in the way of a guy who just wants one more shot to get the girl.

The follow-up to the hilarious Off to Be the Wizard, Scott Meyer’s Spell or High Water proves that no matter what powers you have over time and space, you can’t control rotten luck.

©2014 Scott Meyer (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Y: The Last Man by Vertigo Comics

Tue, 14 Oct 2014 13:30:56 +0000

Y: The Last Man is the story of Yorick, the last living man on earth. Something has wiped out all of the males on earth, except Yorick and his pet monkey. The following years are a roller coaster ride that forces Yorick to grow up, face reality, be a man, and stay a kid at heart.

Note: this comic is intended for a mature audience, it contains nudity, sex, violence, and profanity.

Joe Ledger: The Missing Files by Jonathan Maberry

Tue, 07 Oct 2014 14:00:45 +0000

The Missing Files is considered the third-and-a-half book in Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger series of novels. It is a collection of short stories that take place in the spaces between the previous books.

There are only 5 stories here so it is a very short listen, only 4 hours and 5 minutes long, and for me it felt even shorter than that. I listened to the whole thing in one day of working around the house and running errands.

The King of Plagues: The Joe Ledger Novels, Book 3 by Jonathan Maberry

Tue, 30 Sep 2014 14:00:18 +0000

The King of Plagues is the third novel in the Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry and the audiobook is narrated by Ray Porter.

The continuing adventures of Joe Ledger… More of the same shoot-em-up goodness full of bio-tech threats and mysterious bad guys in the shadows.

From the publisher:

Saturday, 0911 hours — A blast rocks a London hospital and thousands are dead or injured.

1009 hours — Joe Ledger arrives on scene to investigate. The horror is unlike anything he has ever seen.

Compelled by grief and rage, Ledger rejoins the Department of Military Sciences, and within hours he’s attacked by a hit team of assassins and sent on a suicide mission into a viral hot zone during an Ebola outbreak.

Soon Ledger and the DMS begin tearing down the veils of deception to uncover a vast and powerful secret society using weaponized versions of the Ten Plagues of Egypt to destabilize world economies and profit from the resulting chaos. Millions will die unless Ledger meets this powerful new enemy on its own terms as he fights terror with terror.

Take another thrill ride with Joe Ledger.

©2011 Jonathan Maberry (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Neverwhere Adaptation by BBC Radio

Tue, 23 Sep 2014 14:00:48 +0000

DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS VERSION OF NEVERWHERE!

I love Neil Gaiman’s writing, and I have loved every Neil Gaiman audiobook and dramatic performance I have heard until this one.

This version of Neverwhere is overproduced with sound effects and over acting that make following the story almost impossible. I am shocked by the positive ratings it has received on Audible, so apparently someone likes it.

Read or listen to the unabridged story first then maybe give this one a try, I got it as a special offer on Audible for $1.95 but even at that price I feel like I was ripped off.

Fool: A Novel By Christopher Moore

Tue, 16 Sep 2014 14:00:06 +0000

In Fool Christopher Moore takes on William Shakespeare’s King Lear with his usual flair and heavy use of foul language. It is a retelling that only Christopher Moore would do.

I thoroughly enjoyed the sense of humor, lots of dry British-esque wit and sarcasm, with a pace that really kept the story moving along.

Euan Morton narrates with a fast paced English accent that I really enjoyed. I am looking forward to listening to more books read by Mr. Morton.

The Dragon Factory: The Joe Ledger Novels, Book 2 by Jonathan Maberry

Tue, 09 Sep 2014 14:00:01 +0000

Joe Ledger at it again, kicking butt, taking names, and saving the world from bad guys.

The Dragon Factory is the second book in the Joe Ledger series and picks up a short time after Patient Zero https://davenelson.com/patient-zero-by-jonathan-maberry/ ended.

I am enjoying these stories and Ray Porter is doing a fantastic job narrating them.

From the publisher:

Ex-Baltimore cop turned special-ops shooter Joe Ledger is back in action.

In The Dragon Factory, Ledger and his team from the Department of Military Sciences square off against two separate groups of corrupt scientists. The beautiful but twisted Jakoby Twins are creating transgenic monsters and genetically enhanced mercenaries for sale to the highest bidder. Their father, who takes evil to an entirely new level, is using cutting-edge science to complete the Nazi master-race program.

Joe must elude the NSA who are gunning for him, fight his way past rogue Spetsnaz teams, and stop these madmen before the Extinction Clock runs out. And when the bloodbath claims one of his own, Joe Ledger declares total war on those people who would burn down the world in order to reshape it in their own dark image.

Take another thrill ride with Joe Ledger.

©2010 Jonathan Maberry (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Gormenghast: Volume 2 of the Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake

Tue, 02 Sep 2014 14:00:11 +0000

In Gormenghast, book 2 in the series, we get to dive deeper into the characters that live in and around the castle. Titus really comes into his own and Fuchsia becomes a woman all the while our knowledge of the castle grows.

I really don’t like the comparison of these novels with Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. They are so very different that it is not fair to either of them. I have enjoyed reading LotR but I find much of the writing to be tedious but the language used in the Gormenghast novels makes me smile and laugh out loud.

Titus Groan: Volume 1 of the Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake

Tue, 26 Aug 2014 14:00:45 +0000

I needed a break from the science fiction and action/spy books I had been listening to so I decided to through in something completely different and you can get much more different that Titus Groan.

Titus Groan is the first book in the Gromenghast series of book written by Mervyn Peake who was an amazing illustrator and writer. The Wikipedia article on Mr. Peake is full of really interesting information about his life and works.

Patient Zero: The Joe Ledger Novels, Book 1 by Jonathan Maberry

Tue, 12 Aug 2014 04:00:52 +0000

I do not like Zombie books or movies, I have read some of the more mainstream books and have seen all of the mainstream zombie movies, but in general, I do not like them. Although I make an exception for The Walking Dead comic book series which unlike the TV show continues to be amazingly fantastic (the TV show is merely good).

Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton

Tue, 05 Aug 2014 13:00:34 +0000

Wow, this is a long audiobook. Just looking at the length of it at 36 hours 27 minutes, I know that sounds long but it is nothing compared to just how long this book feels. I repeatedly thought the story was winding down and coming to an end only to have it pick back up again and go on for hours longer. But don’t let that fool you.

Off to Be the Wizard by Scott Meyer

Tue, 29 Jul 2014 13:00:02 +0000

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Off to Be the Wizard. The 8-bit artwork on the cover and the fact I recently re-listened to Ready Player One had me in a certain mindset that didn’t match this story at all.

But just a little ways into this book I found myself really enjoying it. And the more I listened the more I liked it. By the end of the book I was cheering and laughing out loud.

Skin Game by Jim Butcher

Tue, 22 Jul 2014 13:00:12 +0000

Skin Game is the 15th book in the Harry Dresden series and James Marsters turns in another amazing job with the narration.

I enjoyed the whole breaking into the vault part of the story, but the rest of it left me a little dry. It s a good story, but it doesn’t rise to the kind of greatness that I have come to expect from the Desden series. Having said that, I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book in the series.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline Re-Listen

Tue, 15 Jul 2014 04:00:54 +0000

I absolutely love this audiobook, I think this is my third time listening to it. The combination of Ernest Cline’s writing and Wil Wheaton are an amazing geeky combination of greatness.

A co-worker recently commented that Ready Player One was pandering to geeks like me, my response was that I DON’T CARE! If I could get more people to pander to me the way this book does my life would be wonderful.

Kill Shot by Vince Flynn

Tue, 08 Jul 2014 12:00:40 +0000

After finishing American Assassin I jumped straight into Kill Shot: An American Assassin Thriller to continue with the Mitch Rapp series.

I really enjoyed the first book and I think this second one is even better. There is more spy-like action with double-crossing and backstabbing.

What I liked most about this story is that the ancillary characters are well fleshed out and I found myself caring for them and excited about their part in the story. I would love to read a series of books with the lead police detective from Paris as the protagonist.

The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett

Tue, 03 Jun 2014 12:00:21 +0000

This is about my fifth re-read of The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett. Man I love these books so much and I look forward to reading them along with the rest of the Discworld series over-and-over again. And I can’t wait to introduce them to my son.

These two books combined are the story that introduces our feeble world to Discworld and the multitude of characters that it contains. Rincewind is the protagonist of these books, but Sir Pratchett does such an amazing job of giving the other characters a chance to stand out and be compelling in their own right, I absolutely love the tourist Twoflower and his luggage (especially the luggage!)

Dead Eye: A Gray Man Novel by Mark Greaney

Tue, 27 May 2014 04:00:12 +0000

Dead Eye is the fourth Gray Man series of novels and is narrated by Jay Snider who nails his performance.

Court Gentry is taking a break while recuperating from the happenings in Ballistic when a man approaches him who has same training as Court. I found a lot of this story to be obvious, there were very few surprises for me, but that may have been Mark Greaney’s intention when he wrote it. It may have been his intention to keep the story very straightforward with the action flowing along at a steady pace.

Ballistic: A Gray Man Novel by Mark Greaney

Tue, 20 May 2014 04:00:08 +0000

Ballistic is easily my favorite Gray Man novel. The flashback story about how he met Eddie and formed a deep friendship with him is amazing writing. The pictures Mark Greaney paints of the large gun fights in this story blow me away, I really felt like I was watching it all inside my head and could picture everything like I was watching it in a movie theater or in a really great video game.

Swords of Exodus by Larry Correia and Mike Kupari

Tue, 13 May 2014 04:00:15 +0000

This is the second book in Larry Correia and Mike Kupari’s “Dead Six” series and it packs all of the punch and kick as the first Dead Six book.

Holy Cow! I am loving these books.

Lorenzo and Valentine are such great characters and the team of Correia and Kupari keep adding more and more depth to them. I really love these characters.

Dead Six by Larry Correia and Mike Kupari

Tue, 06 May 2014 04:00:57 +0000

I am a spy/thriller rampage!

Dead Six is another excellent book from Larry Correia along with Mike Kupari. As with all Larry Correia stories the characters in this one are absolutely amazing.

With two lead characters, Valentine and Lorenzo, the story bounces back and forth between the two with amazing timing leaving me on the edge of my seat time and time again. An amazing juggling act that could have easily fallen apart at any time but Larry and Mike keep all of the balls in the air throughout the entire story. Such great writing.

Into the Storm by Larry Correia

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 04:00:18 +0000

Larry Correia knocks it out of the park yet again with his tale of war in a fantasy setting full of technology mingled with magic. For the first time I really enjoyed a story full of steampunk motifs and hard sci-fi based war.

It appears that this story is set in a WarMachine, WarHammer, Iron Kingdoms miniature gaming setting. Normally this would not work for me, I took a look at some of the WarHammer books awhile back and they are not the type of book I would read. But Larry Correia has brought this type of story to a new level.

American Assassin by Vince Flynn

Tue, 15 Apr 2014 04:00:33 +0000

After reading the Gray Man series of books I still had a desire for more spy action. In one of the review of Dead Eye Vince Flynn was mentioned so I looked him up and found the Mitch Rapp series. The first book in the series is American Assassin so I picked it up from Audible and gave it a listen.

American Assassin is the first novel in the Mitch Rapp series written by Vince Flynn. This is a traditional superagent spy novel with more action than intrigue. I think it would make for a fantastic movie, especially if shot like the spy action-thriller movies of the 70’s. Mitch Rapp is a likable character with flaws that make him human.

On Target: A Gray Man Novel by Mark Greaney

Tue, 25 Mar 2014 04:00:24 +0000

On Target is the second book in the Gray Man Series.

This book has many more thoughtful moments than the first book of the series but is still chock-full of action and a bit of suspense. Jay Snider returns as narrator and does a great job once again, I can’t imagine anyone else being the voice of Court Gentry.

The Gray Man by Mark Greaney

Tue, 18 Mar 2014 04:00:20 +0000

The Gray Man novels begin with Court Gentry on the outs with the CIA and working as a killer for hire with a conscious. If that sounds familiar and derivative it is because it is. But the Gray Man is his own character with is own emotions and beliefs.

This is Mark Greaney’s first novel and it is a winner, full of action, intrigue, and twists Gray man does not disappoint.

Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

Tue, 11 Mar 2014 04:00:14 +0000

Written and set in the 1980’s, Footfall is a science fiction novel about the Earth being attacked by aliens from Space. Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle do an amazing job of story telling, character development, and language.

A big part of the story is the language used by the aliens; which is something I generally do not like in science fiction books. A bit of foreign language or difficult slang is ok for flavor, but a lot of it just makes a story very hard to read and follow. If I had bought this book as a paperback and tried to read it, there is a good chance I would not have made it all the way through, but as an audiobook it was fantastic.

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

Tue, 04 Mar 2014 05:00:00 +0000

For a 39-year-old story this one holds up pretty well and it is fun to see the origin of many of the themes in more modern science fiction stories.

I really enjoyed the idea that every time they get in a ship and head off to war they return hundreds of years later; it is an intriguing idea. So after one battle they return to find earth a very different place and the most experience veterans in the war even though they do not feel like it.

Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky , Boris Strugatsky , and Olena Bormashenko

Tue, 25 Feb 2014 05:00:11 +0000

I want so much more!

Roadside Picnic is a collection of stories, they contain the same characters, but they happen at different times, sometimes decades apart. They are great stories, great beginnings of larger stories…

I would love to read a much longer story about Red Schuhart, he is such a great character and his story in this universe is so appealing to me.

Robert Forster does a great job narrating the audiobook.

The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch

Tue, 11 Feb 2014 05:00:32 +0000

This is book 3 of the Gentleman Bastard Sequence books featuring the exploits of Locke and Jean. I really enjoyed the first 2 books, The Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas Under Red Skies, and have been looking forward to the next in the series.

In this adventure we learn more about Locke and Sabetha’s history, I really enjoyed that part, for me it deepened Locke’s character and gave insight into his motivations and desires. But the Sabetha character felt kind of flat to me, like she was not as well thought out, or maybe that she was a very simple character when I was hoping for a complex character with a lot of depth and complex reasons for her beliefs and actions. In the dialog Sabetha spends a lot of time talking about being complex, but in action she comes across as being very simple and flat.

Jumper: Griffin’s Story by Steven Gould

Tue, 28 Jan 2014 05:00:16 +0000

[Griffin’s Story](http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/Jumper-Audiobook/B002V0K9JE/ref=sa_4" title=“Jumper: Griffin’s Story at Audible) is NOT the fourth book in the [Jumper series](http://www.audible.com/series/ref=ml_1_8?asin=B0080JL0NO" title=“The Jumper Series at Audible), nor is it the novelization of the movie, it is a stand-alone story that takes place in the Jumper universe. To be correct it takes place in the Jumper universe as portrayed by the movie and not the one by the 3 books in the series with Davy.

Impulse by Steven Gould

Tue, 21 Jan 2014 05:00:51 +0000

[Impulse](http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Impulse-Audiobook/B00AZ60ATU/ref=sa_3" title=“Impulse at Audible) is the third book in the [Jumper series](http://www.audible.com/series/ref=ml_1_8?asin=B0080JL0NO" title=“The Jumper Series at Audible) and continues 10 years after Reflex ends.

Davy and Millie have a teenage daughter named Cent who desperately wants to go to a “normal” high school and be around people her own age. She is around the same age Davy was when he first discovered his abilities and fears for his daughter’s safety, and with everything that happened in the Reflex story, who could blame him.

Reflex by Steven Gould

Tue, 14 Jan 2014 05:00:30 +0000

[Reflex](http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Reflex-Audiobook/B0057YHU0M/ref=sa_2" title=“Reflex at Audible) is the second book in the [Jumper series](http://www.audible.com/series/ref=ml_1_8?asin=B0080JL0NO" title=“The Jumper Series at Audible) by Steven Gould.

This story has a split focus. One half of the story follows Davy and what he goes through while held captive by the mysterious bad guys and the other half follows his wife Millie and her… Whoops, almost let some major spoilers go there.

This story is as good if not better than the first one. We get to dive more into who Davy has chosen to be as a person and get to know Millie a lot better. A very nice read indeed.

Jumper by Steven Gould

Tue, 07 Jan 2014 05:00:58 +0000

I enjoyed the [movie Jumper](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489099/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" title=“Jumper at IMDB) when it came out in 2008, but man did it have some HUGE plot holes. So when I ran out fiction books in my Audible wish list I decided to check the Jumper books out.

[Jumper](http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Jumper-Audiobook/B0058J2F42/ref=sa_1" title=“Jumper at Audible) is the [first book in a series](http://www.audible.com/series/ref=ml_1_8?asin=B0080JL0NO" title=“Jumper Series at Audible) of 3 by Steven Gould. The story in the movie is similar to the story in the series of books, but is not the same story.

Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey

Tue, 17 Dec 2013 05:00:18 +0000

I bought this audiobook from Audible.com and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone.

I am not sure why I purchased this book, on the surface it sounds like a book I would enjoy, I guess…

I think if I had read it as a paperback I picked up from somewhere I may have enjoyed it much more, but as an audio book it just didn’t work for me.

METAtropolis edited by John Scalzi

Tue, 10 Dec 2013 05:00:37 +0000

I bought this audiobook from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone, but it looks like Audible is no longer selling it.

METAtropolis is a collection of stories from multiple authors set in the same universe that they agreed upon before writing. It is a fine idea, but most of the stories are kind of a bore.

John Scalzi and Michael Hogan were the big draw for me, I love those guys, and they both did a fine job for their part, but the book as a whole does not pay off.

Bite Me: A Love Story by Christopher Moore

Tue, 03 Dec 2013 05:00:56 +0000

Bite Me: A Love Story by Christopher MooreI bought this hardcover book used from the Book Nook in Marietta Georgia.

I loved Dirty Jobs so much that I keep hoping that Christopher Moore’s other books would be as good, but sadly the ones I have read are not. Don’t get me wrong, this book is OK, I enjoyed it overall, although some of the narration in supposed gothy-teenage slang really got on my nerves, the story itself is solid.

Pump Six and Other Stories by Paolo Bacigalupi

Tue, 26 Nov 2013 05:00:45 +0000

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone.

So this is the last Paolo Bacigalupi book I will be reading/listening to for a long while. I liked Windup Girl but everything else has not excited me, and this book is no exception.

If you have read Windup Girl you have already read one of the best stories in this book, go read Windup Girl instead of this one.

Dutch by Teri Woods

Tue, 19 Nov 2013 05:00:46 +0000

Dutch AudiobookI bought this audiobook on a sale at Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone.

Dutch is an angry story about an angry young black man from an angry place. Not being an angry young black man myself this book misses the mark for me. It does not speak to me and was not meant to.

This is not a mainstream story targeted at a widespread audience, but is targeted squarely at an urban teen African American audience, whether that was the author’s intention or not. As a movie it would probably have wider appeal.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Novel by Neil Gaiman

Tue, 29 Oct 2013 04:00:26 +0000

I bought this audiobook from Audible and listened to it on my iPhone using the Audible app.

I absolutely love Neil Gaiman and can’t get enough of his stories, not only did he write this one but he also narrates it. I really enjoy hearing stories as read by their author. The author is able to put more inflection and emotion into the characters than any other narrator could and Neil Gaiman is a fantastic narrator.

The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi

Tue, 22 Oct 2013 04:00:32 +0000

I bought this audiobook from Audible and listened to it on my iPhone using the Audible app.

This is book 2 in the Shipbreaker series, the first being “Shipbreaker”.

I did not really get into Shipbreaker, but I did like some of the characters enough to give the second book a try. The half-man Tool was my favorite character in the first book and it was great getting so much time with him in Drowned Cities.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Tue, 15 Oct 2013 04:00:27 +0000

I bought this audiobook from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone.

I really enjoyed Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi and decided to give his other books a try.

This book is a solid story. The pacing is good; the characters have clear motivations and believable emotions. But meh…

I’m not sure why but this book just didn’t reach me. It is very post-cyberpunk, I should like it a lot, but I don’t. I like it some, just not a lot.

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 04:00:50 +0000

I bought the 14 books of the Dresden Files from Audible.com and listened to them using the Audible iPhone app and my iPhone.

I ran out of books in my waiting list and decided it was time to re-listen to all of the Dresden Files books, one after the other as quickly as time would allow.

What a ride. Taking the series in like this was great, it was like having one extremely large book to listen to with no interruptions. Butcher has created a universe and characters that I will never forget.

Wool by Hugh Howey

Tue, 17 Sep 2013 04:00:15 +0000

I bought this signed hardback from Powell’s Book Store in Portland Oregon.

I have been hearing a lot about this book from every direction. Audible, Amazon, and a lot of friends have pushed it at me. But I wasn’t impressed by any of them; most of the time when a writer is unable to get a story published it is for a good reason. Wool is an exception, at least the story as a whole is, I am not sure I would have made it much past the first section of the book if I had to wait for the next section to come out. I want to say a big thanks to all of the people that encouraged Hugh Howey to keep writing.

Doctor Who: Wetworld by Mark Michalowski

Tue, 10 Sep 2013 04:00:25 +0000

I am not sure where I bought this hardback book, probably Amazon or Barnes & Noble. I read it here and there over a couple of months, it took awhile between everything else that has been going on.

Wetworld features 2 of my favorite characters, David Tennant as the 10th Doctor and Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones.

The story itself is really cookie-cutter. The companion wants to go some where/some when, the Doctor agrees while totally misinterpreting the where and when, and the TARDIS takes them to someplace that neither one of them expects. Something is wrong endangering the locals of where they land. The companion gets in trouble, the Doctor runs around acting manic, and with the help of the locals everything gets straightened out.

Dimension of Miracles by Robert Sheckley

Tue, 03 Sep 2013 04:00:07 +0000

I bought this audiobook from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone.

With such high ratings and the endorsement from Neil Gaiman, how could I pass this one up.

I am not sure why, but this book just didn’t work for me. It started out with many small technical problems with the audio, small chirps and crackling, that really distracted me. But even after those issues went away later in the book I still just couldn’t get into it.

Soft Target by Stephen Hunter

Tue, 27 Aug 2013 04:00:33 +0000

Soft Target by Stephen HunterI bought this audiobook on sale from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone.

I absolutely love Stephen Hunter’s Bob Lee Swagger series of books, but after so many books they got very stale to me. It started feeling like Mr. Hunter was not trying very hard to come up with something new, so I have not read any Stephen Hunter books in a long time. When I saw this audiobook on sale at Audible I decided to give it a try.

Doctor Who: The Forgotten Army by Brian Minchin

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 04:00:38 +0000

I bought this hardcover book from Amazon.

I really enjoy these cheesy Doctor Who novels, they are great fast reads that deepen the mythology and add a lot of depth to the characters.

This story is about the Eleventh Doctor, as played by Matt Smith and Amy Pond romping around New York saving the earth from an invading army of doll-sized aliens. Good stuff.

Buried Deep: A Retrieval Artist Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Tue, 30 Jul 2013 04:00:01 +0000

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone. This is the 4th book in the Retrieval Artist series.

Jay Snyder turns in another great performance; to bad the story is not up to snuff.

This story took the politics to far, I seriously lost interest in this story many times. I feel like there is very little action and entirely to much explanation and whining. This is not why I have been reading these books.

Consequences: A Retrieval Artist Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Tue, 23 Jul 2013 04:00:18 +0000

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.

Extremes: A Retrieval Artist Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Tue, 16 Jul 2013 04:00:16 +0000

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.

The Disappeared: A Retrieval Artist Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Tue, 09 Jul 2013 05:00:20 +0000

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.

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

Tue, 02 Jul 2013 05:00:05 +0000

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.

The Hunter by Richard Stark

Tue, 25 Jun 2013 05:00:18 +0000

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.

Scoundrels: Star Wars by Timothy Zahn

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:00:42 +0000

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.

Rip-Off!: A Collection of Short Stories

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 05:00:26 +0000

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.

The Human Division by John Scalzi

Tue, 28 May 2013 05:00:03 +0000

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.

The Human Division, Episode 1: The B-Team by John Scalzi

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 05:00:44 +0000

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone.

This is a short story that is part of a series of Old Man’s War stories.

William Dufris does a great job with these stories, but his performance was the highlight of this one.

I am feeling bored of the Old Man’s War universe and this story will be the last one I listen to for awhile, in fact I may never revisit it. All of the characters have become stereotypes to me and it feels like there is nothing new here. Nothing suprising, nothing deep and thoughtful, none of what drew me into John Scalzi’s worlds and stories to begin with. That was also my problem with Last Colony.

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 05:00:20 +0000

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone.

This is the second book in the Gentleman Bastard series.

I really enjoyed the The Lies of Locke Lamora and really looked forward to listening to this one and it did not disappoint.

Michael Page turns in another fantastic performance with subtle accents and speech patterns galore.

The Last Colony by John Scalzi

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 05:00:31 +0000

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it using my iPhone and the Audible app.

This is the third book in John Scalzi’s series Old Man’s War.

This story did not work for me, there were to many GLARING plot holes and things left half-baked. This is the first of Scalzi’s books that I didn’t really enjoy. It was ok, just not as original a story I have come to expect from him.

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 05:00:25 +0000

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it on my iPhone with the Audible app.

My friend Rod mentioned this book in a Tweet a while back and I thought I would give it a try and I am glad I did.

Scott Lynch creates a fantastical world reminiscent of renaissance Venice Italy full of royalty and thieves. I feel that it is written more like modern fiction than it is traditional fantasy, magic is present but not over-explained.

14 by Peter Clines

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 05:00:57 +0000

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone.

Such an interesting story, a mystery sci-fi inter-dimensional romp. I find it hard to write about without giving major parts of the story away.

Try it, I think you’ll like it.

From the publisher:

Padlocked doors. Strange light fixtures. Mutant cockroaches.

There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment. Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much. At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s. Because every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends. Or the end of everything….

©2012 Peter Clines and Permuted Press (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 05:00:53 +0000

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it with the Audible app on my iPhone.

This book is made up of two stories, one of them is the original Little Fuzzy short story by H. Beam Piper and the other is John Sclazi’s re-imagining.

I really like both of them for different reasons. The new version fits into what I think of as modern sci-fi and the original is good solid old-school science fiction. This is the only “re-imagining” that I can think of that I would recommend.

The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 05:00:43 +0000

This is book 2 of the Old Man’s War series and I bought it from Audible and listened to it on my iPhone using the Audible app.

This book takes a deeper dive into what it would be like to be cloned special forces marine who has the body and knowledge of an adult while having the emotional growth of a child.

I liked this story more than Old Man’s War, but rate them the same as they really do go together even though they do not contain many of the same characters. It is also narrated by William Dufris who continues to turn-in fantastic performances.

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 05:00:57 +0000

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it on my iPhone using the Audible app.

John Scalzi loves to dig into the idea of a person being able to change bodies like they change underwear. In this book changing bodies is not quite that easy, but it is a prominent element of this story. It just so happens that I really like the philosophical ideas that it brings up, it is very post human and appeals to me.

Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas by John Scalzi

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 05:00:48 +0000

I bought this book on Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone.

John Scalzi and Wil Wheaton do it again. Redshirts is good fun in a goofy sci-fi story that I am surprised has not been made into a TV mini-series. Maybe someone will make a web series out of it one day.

From the publisher:

Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the facts that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces; (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations; and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.

Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.

“2012 John Scalzi (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 05:00:45 +0000

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it with the Audible app on my iPhone.

I have heard about this book many times but have never read it or watched one of the movies or TV shows based on it, but I decided it was about time that I did. Written originally as a short story in 1958 and later in 1966 as a novel it is an amazing tale of a mentally challenged man who science turns into a genius with an incalculably high IQ even though he still has the emotions of a child.

Cold Days: The Dresden Files, Book 14 by Jim Butcher

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:00:34 +0000

I bought this book on Audible and listened to it using the Audible App for iPhone.

James Marsters is back and as great as ever, in my opinion he IS the voice of Harry Dresden, no other will do. His performance is great.

In his new role as the Winter Knight Harry Dresden leaves me feeling flat. I plan on listening to it again in a couple of months to see if I feel this way after a second listen and will update this review.

Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 05:00:58 +0000

I bought this book on Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone.

John Scalzi and Wil Wheaton knock another one out of the park. I am not listening to their books in any particular order so I am not sure if they are getting better or if I am learning to enjoy the writing and performance more and more.

Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 05:00:23 +0000

I bought this book on Audible and listened to it on my iPhone using the Audible app.

This is the first book I have gotten lately from Audible that left me very disappointed. It is a highly rated book, but it didn’t work for me.

Paul Boehmer does a good job with Doctor Impossible’s portion of the story but Coleen Marlo comes across as flat and lifeless, just dull and a little bored.

A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 05:00:15 +0000

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone.

This book was a big surprise for me, the story is fantastic and the performance is top notch. Fisher Stevens does an amazing job bringing every character to life and delivering the dry humor in a way that makes it crack me up.

I have always loved stories about Death, Terry Pratchett’s Mort and Neil Gaiman’s various incarnations of Death are some favorites. And now Christopher Moore has added the Death Merchants Minty Fresh and Charlie Asher to my list.

Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 05:00:45 +0000

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app on my iPhone. Todd McLaren does a fine job in narrating the audiobook.

This is a solid science fiction who-done-it story. I enjoyed the lead character Takeshi Kovacs and his loose morals and ethics. I look forward to reading the other books soon.

The publisher appears to not have read the story, in the summary it says “assuming one can afford the expensive procedure” while in the story everyone has their mind stored as part of basic healthcare that everyone receives, but the wealthy are able to update what is stored more often so that if they die they will loose a lot fewer memories. Also the wealthy are able to have clones of themselves available so they may transfer themselves to a younger body on a whim and be perpetually young.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:00:29 +0000

I bought this book on Audible and filled every free minute with it until it was over.

A tour-de-force for Wil Wheaton, easily the best performance I have every heard or seen from him.

If Cory Doctorow and William Gibson wrote a book together, I imagine that it would be a lot like this one. It has the fun and pacing of a Doctorow book with the environment and physical elements of a Gibson novel. But I am not saying that this story is derivative in any way, it is its own story in its own world with fantastic characters that I am going to remember for a long time.

Dodger by Terry Pratchett

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 05:00:29 +0000

And now for something completely different by Terry Pratchett…

I bought this book from Audible and used the Audible iPhone app to listen to it.

This is a great story from the creator of Discworld, Tiffany Aching, The Bromeliad Trilogy, Nation, and The Amazing Maurice. It is very different from those other stories, but it is full of his humor and voice.

Stephen Briggs does a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. His acting gives each character great depth.

Monster Hunter Alpha by Larry Correia

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 05:00:47 +0000

I read this book out of sequence, I read Monster Hunter Legion before reading this one, but it wasn’t that big a deal. In Legion they mention what happens in Alpha but most of it is kept a secret from the rest of the team, there are a few things that did not make sense, but not enough to make it awkward.

This story shows just how smart Larry Correia is, the first 2 books (and the 4th one) focused on the trials and tribulations of Owen Pitt, but the 3rd one focuses on Earl Harbinger for a change of pace and a chance to delve deeply into a different character. If he wants to, Larry Correia will be able to write Monster Hunter books forever changing the focus of each book at will.

Monster Hunter Legion by Larry Correia

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 05:00:35 +0000

OK, I screwed up and listened to this one out of order, it is the fourth book in the series when I should have been reading the third, Monster Hunter Alpha. Luckily the third book focuses on Earl so much that reading them out of order didn’t mess up the story line for me too much. But when you read them, I highly recommend reading them in the correct order.

Monster Hunter Vendetta by Larry Correia

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 05:00:59 +0000

Oliver Wyman returns to narrate the second book in Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter Vendetta, book 2 in the Monster Hunter series of books. He continues doing a great job with all of the accents and odd speech patterns.

The bad guys in this book take a huge jump up the scary scale. Owen and the other Monster Hunters of MHI are up for the challenge.

Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 05:00:20 +0000

After listening to the 2 available Grimnoir Chronicles books I decided to give the Monster Hunter International books a try. In many ways they are very similar to each other, they both have lots of action, monsters, hardboiled fighting men, and a lot of action.

But unlike the Grimnoir Chronicles, the Monster Hunter books have very little magic and the setting is more in line with our mundane reality. It definitely gives the books a different feel. But even so, they are very similar.

Spellbound: Book II of the Grimnoir Chronicles by Larry Correia

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 05:00:45 +0000

This is the follow-up to Hard Magic and shows that Larry Correia is able to keep the action steaming along.

Faye has really taken off as a character and has become my favorite of the bunch. Bronson Pinchot does a great job of making her come to life.

If you read the first book I highly recommend you jump into this one and if you have not read Hard Magic, what are you waiting for, get to it already.

Hard Magic: Book I of the Grimnoir Chronicles by Larry Correia

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 05:00:31 +0000

I got this book from audible after someone at DragonCon recommended it to me; I think. Actually it may have been on sale and recommended to me by Audible. I am not sure. Either way it was a good recommendation.

This is the first book in a new series of books by Larry Correia.

Narrated wonderfully by Bronson Pinchot, yes Balki Bartokomous from Perfect Strangers, narrates this book bringing the characters to life, it is a wonderful performance.

Year Zero: A Novel by Rob Reid

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 05:00:19 +0000

I bought this audiobook from Audible and used the Audible app on an iPhone to listen to it.

What a great surprise. This book was recommended to me by Audible a couple of times before I finally took the bait. I think that it is narrated by John Hodgman was part of the draw for me. I don’t really like John Hodgman’s sense of humor, I have listened to excerpts from his book “The Areas of My Expertise”, and didn’t find it funny, but as an actor I think he is great. And he does a fantastic job narrating this story.

Starship: Pirate by Mike Resnick

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 05:00:53 +0000

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app for iPhone.

This is the second book in Mike Resnick’s Starship series.

This book is much better than the first book Starship Mutiny, Mike Resnick’s sense of humor sneaks its way in, not as much as I would like, but it is present.

Even though I found this book not quite in the same league as Santiago or Widowmaker, it is a good read.

Starship: Mutiny by Mike Resnick

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 05:00:47 +0000

I bought this book from Audible and listened to it using the Audible iPhone app.

The Starship collection of novels are Mike Resick’s go at military science fiction, it is along the lines of Honor Harrington.

This book did not blow me away, it held my attention, but I am a big fan of Mike Resnick and I felt a little let down by this book. It doesn’t have the sense of humor or suspense that I enjoy so much from him and I found much of the story to be obvious and uninspired.

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 05:00:47 +0000

I bought this book from Audible.

The world that Paolo Bacigalupi has created is a fantastical one, capturing the world in the midst of great change. In it we are shown how even though everything is changing culture does not change as fast as the world around it.

Jonathan Davis does an amazing job narrating this story; I am totally blown away by his performance. He fills the characters with so much life, making them each a vivid character with their own desires and fears. His ability to create a palpable difference between the different Asian cultures is fantastic.

The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 05:00:44 +0000

I listened to this from an old recording narrated by John Polk.

Harry Harrison died on August 15, 2012 at 87 years old. I decided to listen to The Stainless Steel Rat in his memory.

Harry Harrison is one of the few writers who I would seek out and buy every book they produced. Harry never disappointed me. From The Stainless Steel Rat to Make Room! Make Room! to Bill the Galactic Hero to The Turing Option. I love them all and re-read many of them every couple of years.

The Android’s Dream by John Scalzi

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 05:00:25 +0000

I bought this audiobook from Audible.

I got this book because Wil Wheaton narrates it and it is rated extremely high on the Audible.com web site; there are not many books that are rated so high, 4.5 stars in “Overall,” “Performance,” and “Story,” with around 500 total reviews.

I like that Wil Wheaton narrated this story. I was surprised to learn how many books he has narrated, 18 of them currently listed on Audible. But I feel that his performance did not really bring the story to life, it left me kind of flat.