Phil in SF finished reading Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb (The Farseer Trilogy, #3)
King Shrewd is dead at the hands of his son Regal. As is Fitz—or so …
Finished on the flight to Hawaii for vacation
Reviews and Comments
aka @kingrat@sfba.social. I'm following a lot of bookwyrm accounts, since that seems to be the only way to get reviews from larger servers to this small server. Also, I will like & boost a lot of reviews that come across my feed. I will follow most bookwyrm accounts back if they review & comment. Social reading should be social.
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Phil in SF started reading A History of the Railroad in 100 Maps by Jeremy Black
The first international history of railroads and railroad infrastructure told through stunningly reproduced maps.
Since …
I couldn't resist buying this! It arrived today.
Phil in SF reviewed In Metal, In Bone by An Owomoyela
the ability to know an object's past by touching it
4 stars
Benine has the power to see an object's past when he touches it. The government of Mortova sends him to the site of a mass grave so he can identify the remains buried there, while rebels get closer and closer.
Brings the reader right to a war without going all the way in.
Phil in SF reviewed In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne, #1)
It's a cold, snowy December in the upstate New York town of Millers Kill, and …
Starts off great, but doesn't stick the landing
3 stars
Clare Fergusson is a new Episcopal priest in Miller's Kill when she finds a baby in a box on the steps of her church with a note that the baby should be adopted by prominent parishioners who have wanted a child for ages. Russ Van Alstyne is the Miller's Kill police chief. After Fergusson requests a ride-along, the two stumble on the body of a young woman (and presumed father of the child) when patrolling the local hangout where kids go to drink.
Van Alstyne is the kind of officer I normally like in police procedurals, steady and methodical. Fergusson is not. She inserts herself in the investigation in ways that no cop would allow, messes things up, runs off without thinking things through (multiple times) putting people in danger. The reader is lead to believe that Van Alstyne is competent because of his demeanor, but multiple times Fergusson figured …
Clare Fergusson is a new Episcopal priest in Miller's Kill when she finds a baby in a box on the steps of her church with a note that the baby should be adopted by prominent parishioners who have wanted a child for ages. Russ Van Alstyne is the Miller's Kill police chief. After Fergusson requests a ride-along, the two stumble on the body of a young woman (and presumed father of the child) when patrolling the local hangout where kids go to drink.
Van Alstyne is the kind of officer I normally like in police procedurals, steady and methodical. Fergusson is not. She inserts herself in the investigation in ways that no cop would allow, messes things up, runs off without thinking things through (multiple times) putting people in danger. The reader is lead to believe that Van Alstyne is competent because of his demeanor, but multiple times Fergusson figured out key answers in the investigation that Van Alstyne should have figured out. For instance, somehow the police don't search the victim's residence until much later, and the police questioning of her roommates is half-assed at best.
It's a first book though, so I'll read the second at least to see if the first book flaws are less an issue in book 2. Also, I already have it in my library so I might as well.
Phil in SF stopped reading Blindsight by Peter Watts (Firefall, #1)
Two months since the stars fell...
Two months of silence, while a world held its …
DNFing this at 22%. There's an alien ship. There's a human ship with a bunch of weirdos sent to investigate. A lotta words about the weirdness, written in a weird way, and I can't bring myself to care.
Phil in SF stopped reading A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham (Long Price Quartet)
From debut author Daniel Abraham comes A Shadow in Summer, the first book in the …
This book could have been better if there was a lot more tell and a lot less show. There's some complicated world-building, some complicated social prescriptions, and an obtuse conspiracy. I can't make sense of most of it. 16% in, I'm done.
Phil in SF started reading A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham (Long Price Quartet)
From debut author Daniel Abraham comes A Shadow in Summer, the first book in the …
Starting another book from the large backlog of stuff in my ebook library.
Phil in SF reviewed His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (Temeraire, #1)
Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rise …
Not my thing after all
4 stars
The origin story of the dragon Temeraire, captured from the French by the captain of an English ship, William Laurence. The person who drew the short straw is rejected as a rider by Temeraire, and Laurence becomes the rider in his place, but must give up his career in the navy. Training and battles in the dragon air service follow.
It is well-written, but the extended treatment of the proper relationship between riders and dragons was not interesting enough for me to want to seek out the sequels. People who like tales of manners will find this more enjoyable.
Phil in SF reviewed The Girl Who Sang Rose Madder by Elizabeth Bear
aging former rock star contemplates how long one can make art
4 stars
Content warning reveals the science fictional element
Quite enjoyed this tale of an aging rock star who learns her sister's band's guitarist is undead.
Phil in SF commented on Promises Stronger Than Darkness by Charlie Jane Anders (Unstoppable, #3)
They're the galaxy's most wanted—and our only hope.
When Elza became a space princess, she …
I've now completed a Bookwyrm list for the Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book, with Promises Stronger Than Darkness being the final book on it (for now).
List can be found at sfba.club/list/79/s/locus-award-for-best-young-adult-book for those on SFBA.club.
Phil in SF wants to read The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro
A modern American classic, this huge and galvanizing biography of Robert Moses reveals not only …
Just acquired in ebook. Will start when I finish my current read.
Phil in SF started reading His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (Temeraire, #1)
Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rise …
This has been on my TBR for 15 years. I originally got the ebook as a freebie from suvudu.com, a long defunct site run by Penguin or Random House (I forget which company owned the Del Rey imprint before the merger). Let's finally take a crack at it.
Phil in SF stopped reading Arguing with Zombies by Paul Krugman
An accessible, compelling introduction to today’s major policy issues from the New York Times columnist, …
when i picked this up i thought it was new writing. it's actually old columns of his. they were great when i read them the first time. not really interested in re-reading them, particularly the ones from the Bush era.
Phil in SF reviewed Never Go Back by Lee Child (Jack Reacher, #18)
Former military cop Jack Reacher makes it all the way from snowbound South Dakota to …
Serviceable Reacher again
3 stars
Never Go Back has a simpler conspiracy than the previous book, A Wanted Man, and it meant I could actually enjoy this one. The bad guys mess with Reacher, setting him up to take a fall for a murder he did not commit. This sets up a cat-and-mouse between Reacher and the baddies, as he escapes, dodges the fuzz & the henchmen, tries to rescue the girl, and gets down & dirty with the woman he decided he wanted to meet something like 4 books ago.
Phil in SF commented on White Sky, Black Ice by Stan Jones (Nathan Active, #1)
In the small Alaskan village of Chukchi, what are the odds of two suicides occurring …
The woman sitting at the counter next to me at The Pork Store this morning was reading White Sky, Black Ice. I mentioned reading and liking it. Because it's not a well known book, it sparked a long discussion of our favorite authors.