bakabaka84's 100 books in 2010

I have never done any reading challenges before but wanted to try it this year.



#1 Pump Six and Other Stories by Paolo Bacigalupi - *****



#2 The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia - ****



#3 The Cossacks by Leo Tolstoy - ***1/2

how i grade
4.5 - 5 stars - great book can't say enough good things about it
4 stars - good book very enjoyable
3.5 stars - enjoyable but missing something to push it to a 4 star level
3 stars - solid performance but nothing spectacular does what it does well enough but doesn't stand out in its field
2 - 2.5 - I did not like/enjoy it much but might be worth a shot for others
.5-1.5 - could not finish the book it was so bad. might make handy tinder for a fire.

Welcome to the group! I'm looking forward to seeing what you're going to be reading this year, it looks like an intriguing selection already!

Thanks for the welcome wookiebender.

Thought I would also write a few thought about what i'v read so far now that they have swirled around in my head for a few days.

Pump Six and Other Stories: I stumbled upon Bacigalupi when I was on Amazon looking for a different book and am glad I did. Bacigalupi’s stories are so intriguing and strange at the same time and found how the worlds he creates suck you in immediately. I think the one thing that I found that made these stories so good was that I could image these dystopian futures happening.

The Alchemy of Stone: I devoured this book in about a day. I just could not put it down until I found out what happened to Mattie at the end. There were many themes present in this one ranging from industrialization to humans inhumanity, I found myself thinking throughout the book that Mattie was more human then most of the people she knew. Although I originally got this book just to do some light reading I got some nice food for thought in the end

The Cossacks: I got The Cossacks as a required reading for my Russian history class last semester but was never was able to read it due to time constraints at the semesters end. Although I find after reading this that Tolstoy writing is a little dense but was still enjoyable. One thing I liked about Tolstoy is how fleshed out his characters can be to the point that you can clearly see what they look like in your mind. I would also have to say that Eroshka is probably my favored character in the book for his humorous drunken behavior and the tails he told. As Eroshka puts it at the end “it is very hard, dear brother, in a foreign land to live” and Tolstoy really expresses this throughout.

Now on to the next book
#4 The Last Frontier by Antony Kamm

The Last Frontier - ***1/2
The Last Frontier was all right. It gave a good overview of the current knowledge of Rome’s invasions into Scotland with most of the book dealing with the Agricolan invasion and the Antonine invasion. The book ended with an overview of what happened as Rome withdrew from Britain and the start of the unification of Scotland. One thing I really liked was at the end of the book the author prints a list of sights and museums one can go to see the things mentioned in the book.

#5 SATURN'S CHILDREN by Charles Stross - ***1/2

This is the third book I’ve read from Charles Stross and one thing I have found is that it takes me a few tries to read them as i find his writing style hard to get into at first. However after dealing with the initial problem I breeze through the books. Saturn's Children was an enjoyable read but the ending left me a little disappointed, as it seemed rushed. Although I enjoyed it, I think that Stross's Laundry series, which I have read the Atrocity Archives and Jennifer Morgue, were better reads and the characters fleshed out better.

#6 Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld - *****

Really enjoyed this one. as part one in the series it does a good job of immersing you in the world and setting up the next book. The one thing that really immerses you in to this alternate history world are the beautiful illustrations that are present throughout the book. I also liked how well Westerfeld blended actual historical events throughout the book as well as his use of the Darwinist creatures in a steampunk setting now i just have to wait till later this year to read the next book.

#7 Dark Assassin by Anne Perry - ***1/2

This was the first of her William Monk books that i have read and it was a decent read, however I have read elsewhere that this one was not up to the standards of the previous novels. There was the use of about 3 or 4 repetitive lines that I found detracted from the book being that you got the idea the first time and did not need to be reminded of it a chapter later. Even with this minor flaw, I think I will be picking up more of Anne Perry's Monk books and find out for my self if Dark Assassin is the black sheep of the series as others have said.

#8 Yotsubato!, Volume. 7 by Kiyohiko Azuma - ****1/2



#9 Emma, Volume. 1 by Kaoru Mori - ****1/2

Did a little light reading. Yatsubato! (aka Yotsuba&!) is always an enjoyable read, its funny and adorable. I am reading Emma as I saw the anime adaptation of it in January and loved it so I wanted to read the manga it was based off of. So far, I like it and as usual when you compare two different Medias with the same story am finding things I think were done better in the anime and things I think that were done better in the manga. I also really liked the cover of Emma as it looks and feels as if its binding was made of watercolor paper which I think adds a little vintage feel to it.

#10 Boneshaker by Cherie Priest - ***1/2



#11 Emma, Volume. 2 by Kaoru Mori - ****1/2

Boneshaker was a good read although half way through the book you could predict the ending and the ending was ant-climactic. It had less action then I though there was going to be for a steampunk style western. Overall though it was a fun read.
Just like Emma Volume. 1, Volume 2 was good and I am enjoying it. However, I was surprised to find that vol.2 ends at what was the end of the first season of the anime.

#12 Maiden of Pain by Kameron Franklin -***

Need a Governess for a bratty child? Why not hire a priest devoted to a goddess of pain drop her in a city that wants to ride itself of all magic and you have yourself an adventure!
I have to confess reading Forgotten Realms books is a guilty pleasure for me as I have been enjoying them for years and they were some of the first books I read when I really started to enjoy reading during Middle-school. Maiden of Pain has been in my TBR stack for a few years now as I had other books I wanted to read and it got buried in the stack. Maiden of Pain was your standard fair for RPG fiction, although it was Franlin's first book he did a good job. However, a few sub plots could have been done better or left out. I also wish they had played up the Governess role between Ythnel and the Child Iuna and the teachings of the Ythnels order: that life is full of pain and by experiencing pain themselves, the clerics of the order, can help other overcome their own. Overall still found it enjoyable and for Frankin's first outing, he seems to have the basics down.

#13 The Great Cat Massacre by Robert Darnton - ***1/2

This was a little of hit and miss for me. I thought that ch.1 that dealt with folklore, and ch.2 that dealt with the cat massacre were the most interesting. However ch. 3-5 were some what dull and hard for me to get through but informative none the less. ch.6 was alright and has some interesting insight on how people approached reading in 1700's but was no were near as good as the first two chapters. Over all though its a good book as there is abundance of incite into the minds of the 1700’s French and it presented well.

#14 Mainspring by Jay Lake - **1/2

Mainspring was somewhat lack luster. The world Lake has made is wonderfully done however the characters that inhabit it are flat. It also started slowly and did not pick up until about 2/3 of the way through the book. Although it is set in a steampunk world the story is more of a journey of faith for the protagonist Hethor with the steampunk taking a backseat. I will read the next book just to see were Lake is going to take this world but this series about a clockwork world is already a few minutes off in my mind.

I have been toying with the idea of reading The Great Cat Massacre by Robert Darnton (the title suckered me in to be honest!). I think your review sums up what I was afraid so I think I will try to order it from the library. Thanks for the review.

The title is what got me to read The Great Cat Massacre too.



#15 DarkHunters, Vol.1 by Sherrilyn Kenyon - ***1/2

Picked this one up on a whim as I really liked the art. The story was nothing new although I like the use of Greek mythology and the characters were fun. I don't know if I would pick up the actual novels this was based off of as they seem to be to much like Harlequin romance books for my taste but who knows. I will however pick up vol.2 of the manga.

#16 The Oxford History of Britain: The Eighteenth Century and the Age of Industry (Oxford History of Britain) by Paul Langford - ***

Decent overview of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. Hits the major points but does not go into details and is a little dry(or as a reviewer on the back of the book put it scholarly but very readable). A nice starting point if your interested in British history and it has a nice further reading list at the end if the book if you want to go deeper into the topics.

#17 Escapement by Jay Lake - ***1/2

An improvement over Mainspring. Lake brings back minor characters, Petty Officer Al-Wazir and Librarian Childress from the first book fleshes them out some more and cast them as main characters. I liked this as in the first book I found Al-Wazier and Childress more interesting then the protagonist Hethor and now that they are fleshed out they are all the more interesting. Another, plus is that the power struggle that was only mentioned in the first book takes center stage as they all vie to gain the power to make the world in their image. More action and better main characters put this series back on time for me.

#18 Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin - ***1/2

A nice light read good for a few laughs. First book i have read by Asprin; fun charicters with diolog that had me smiling throughout the book and laughing more then once. all in all just fun.

I know Another Fine Myth is part of a series, but can it be read as a standalone or does it end on a cliffhanger?

18 it can be read as a standalone no cliffhangers at the end but is left open for another adventure.

#19 The Electric Church by Jeff Somers - ***1/2

Enjoyable. Your standard dystopia cyberpunk action with a bit of a noir theme thrown in. had a good amount of action and although Avery Cates is a bad guy you cant help but root for him. In addition, a nice twist was thrown in at the end that I did not see coming. Looking forwards to reading the next two Avery Cates books.

#20 The War of 1812 by Car Benn - ***

Solid overview of the war, which is what I expect from Osprey. Nothing new is presented but as with most of the Essential Histories series a good starting point for studying this often forgotten war and Benn gives an even handed account of the war. If the only account of the War of 1812 you have read is from a High school textbook you might be in for a bit of a shock. Benn, like many of the historians writhing about the war dispels with the patriotic mythology that this was a "second war for independence" and more a war that the States started without proper planning. It is shown that we underestimated the British resistance, overestimated the fighting strengths of our militias, although we should have learned this in the Revolutionary War as we had the same problems with them, and had poor leadership. The book also has a chapter that goes over propaganda and protest as well as a chapters about the war chief Black Hawk of the Sauk peoples and a chapter on the efforts of John Strachan, a priest of the Church of England during the fighting at York. Over all you find after reading about this war that the reasons for going to war were as ambiguous as its outcome and helped start the formation of a national identity for Canada.

thanks a lot baka! I went and looked up essential histories... and found the Osprey website. Now I MUST start collecting and reading yet another series of books.

Great review and seriously.. thanks.

Your welcome kcs hiker, hope you enjoy Osprey's offering.

#21 Turn the Other Chick by Esther Friesner - ***

The Chicks in Chainmail books are always good for a few laughs and the fifth installment of the series doesn’t disappoint. A few of my favorites in this one are:
The Girl's Guide to Defeating the Dark Lord by Cassandra Claire
Over the Hill by Jim C. Hines
Brunhilde's Bra by Laura J. Underwood
The Truth About the Gotterdammerung by Eric Flint

#22 Rifles: Six Years with Wellington's Legendary Sharpshooters by Mark Urban - *****

This one was enjoyable giving you a gritty realistic view of what life was like for men of the legendary 95th Rifle Regiment during the Peninsula campaign and Waterloo. The reading was engaging and made you forget that you were reading a history book. I was especially interested at the similarities I found between the average soldier in the 1800's and ones I read about in other memoirs, such as E.B. Sledges With the Old Breed. Even though they were a century apart, you find these soldiers had the same problems of being supplied, dealing with abrasive officers, and the bloody business of fighting. You also become engrossed with the main people who are mentioned in the book; I found myself up late into the night wanting to find out what happened next to 2nd Lieutenant Simmons, or Privet Ned Costello. I also found it interesting how at this time you start to see the emergence of the modern soldier who was proficient in marksmanship, selected his target, and used cover to fire from instead of forming a line and firing in volley. If there was one problem it was that I wish there were a few more maps to make it easier to see were the names of towns and battles were located. In all a very good, even if you do not usually read history books I would say give this one a read.

#23 A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch - ***1/2

Another good Victorian mystery that was a nice light read. The first in Finch's Charles Lenox Mysteries series and also Finch's first book so some of the writing was a little choppy in parts but not bad over all and the story was strung together nicely. The mystery itself was good and kept be guessing until Lenox himself figures it out. Overall a decent first book and an enjoyable one for anyone who likes Victorian mysteries.

# 24 Imperium by Robert Harris - ****1/2

Another thoroughly enjoyable read. Set up as a fictional biography of Cicero written by his former stenographer Tiro (the actual one that is attested to by other ancient writers is lost to us), Harris does a great job blending actual events with the fictional aspects of the book. As Harris puts it at the end "the majority of these events did happen; the remainder at least could have happened." the book is well thought out and you are drawn into the description of what ancient Rome might have been like. It is also interesting to see even though somewhat fictional in this case politics really has not changed much, even though we tell our selves otherwise. Overall, a excellent read if you like ancient Rome or just a good historical fiction looking forwards to reading the book #2
In addition, a person who finds this book enjoyable might also want to read historical document The Conspiracy of Catiline written by Sallust which is the only other account left to us independent of Cicero.

It's good to know A Beautiful Blue Death is a decent read since I picked it up at a used bookstore yesterday for $3. Another book for the TBR pile and I don't know when I'll get to it!

#25 Myth Conceptions by Robert Asprin - ***1/2

Book 2 of the Myth series fun and good for a laugh but nothing ground breaking if you liked the first one you will like this one.

#26 Roman Warfare (Cambridge Introduction to Roman Civilization) By Jonathan P. Roth - ****

A very nice book that, as the title indicates introduces topics of Roman civilization. The book goes over the evolution of the roman military from its founding up to the fall of the western empire in the 5th century. It is written clearly and one can read and enjoy it without having any prior knowledge of roman history but is crammed full of information. There is a nice glossary of all the terms as well as important people in the back for reference. In addition, at the end of each chapter there are endnotes that reference primary sources that one can read that deal with the topics in each chapter. I would put this book slightly above Osprey publishing offerings, as it is more in-depth but still written for the general audience. The book doesn’t introduce anything new to the field but summarizes the core of our knowledge very well. Overall, I liked it, although I might be a little biased, as I know Professor Roth through taking many of his ancient and military history classes.

#27 The Inferno by Dante Alighieri - ****
Was good. I can know see why it is considered a classic as it was an interesting take on hell and I can see people who would have read it being horrified by what Dante describes in all the circles of hell. The reading of it was a lot easier then I thought it was going to be. Although that might just be the translation by John Ciardi I have. The summery and endnotes in each chapter really helped me understand all that was going on. Furthermore, they gave the back-story for people Dante met in hell so you could see why, according to Dante they were place in their respective hells. Overall, very good, although i might take a break before I try and tackle Purgatory.

The Inferno is my favorite of the trilogy. I love how most of the people Dante sticks in hell were his enemies. That must have been satisfying!

@ jfetting it would be satisfying wouldn't it. Now a days if someone like Dante wrote something like the Inferno he would be sued for slander.



#28 Keeping it Real by Justina Robson - ****
Nice blend of fantasy and science fiction with some romance thrown in to the mix. started off a little slow and preface hit you with a lot of world building back story stuffed into about 4 pages although in this case i can see why it had to be done. characters were good however i though that some of the constant changing of loyalties with some of them got old real fast and could have been done better. Overall good start to the series.

Now that School is done for the summer i can get back to the important things like shrinking my TBR stack.



#29 Lava Punch:First Launch -*** 1/2
This is the first publication Lava Punch, which is made of of a group of web artist from North America. The group self publishes its works so this one and their second book, which i have yet to read can only be had at comic/anime conventions they attend or by ordering it from them, although their ordering sites have not been updated in a while so i would e-mail them first if you want to order a copy, which can be found on their page at bbp.soylentworks.com/ under the order tab
Each of the 6 stories has its own flavor and distinctive artistic style with the themes varying from horror, pirate adventures, to sci-fi and fantasy. Of the six my favorites would have to be: Phantom Sisters, Brian Leath and Aviatrix. At only 174 pages it is a quick read but enjoyable. So if your looking for some independent comics or just want to see some good art by some great talent i would say pick up a copy of Lava Punch. Plus, i met some of the artists when i got my copy at a convention this year and they were all super nice.

#30 Dojin Work, Vol. 1 by Hiroyuki - ****



#31 Dojin Work, Vol. 2 by Hiroyuki - ****

A Manga about dojin (Japaneses fan made comics) and the proses of creating a comic. the books is set up in 4 panel strips with the occasional 2-3 pages set up like a normal manga. If you know anything about these topics you will enjoy these books as they are hilarious. However this is not one i would let the kids read, although nothing bad is shown some of the subjects that are lampooned are adult in nature. Overall a good light read that had me laughing a lot

#32 Demon Download by Jack Yeovil - **
Big mishmash of a story. The idea was good but execution was a failure. The problem with the book is that it was to short for what it wanted to do and needed at least another 100 pages. As it stands now events happen way to fast and there is no character development making the characters flat throughout the book. On the plus it was fun to see all the pop culture references that were crammed into the story. Overall if you need to kill time and don't mind turning your brain on autopilot its tolerable but i would not go out looking for this one as there is much better stuff out there.

updated all my reviews to have their star rating also put a rating guide in the first post

#33 Spice and Wolf, Vol. 1 by Isuna Hasekura - ****



#34 Spice and Wolf, Vol. 1 (manga) by Isuna Hasekura - ***1/2

Spice and Wolf became one of my favorite series after i first saw the anime about 2 years ago. For some reason it just struck a cord with me; maybe its because its set in medieval times and the main character is not some valiant hero destined to save the world but a humble traveling merchant trying to make ends meet,Or the interaction between the merchant Lawrence and Holo the wise wolf , or that i have always been fascinated by the idea of trade. suffice it to say I enjoy the series immensely that was why I was thrilled to see the original novel was going be translated as well as the later manga adaptation of the story. So I thought I would pick up both versions of the story and review them together and see which one I though was better. Now on to the review
First up is the novel. the major thing that I found that I liked about it over the manga adaption is that it is more fleshed out. in the book you get more insight into what Lawrence is thinking and why he does what he does. Furthermore, the book is chiefly told from his perspective while the manga is more of a third person perspective of someone who is just viewing the events. In addition, the first vol. of the manga only goes to about halfway through the first book and leaves many things unexplained. in fact in the manga the part were Lawrence is looking to meet with another trade to go over a deal that will basically set up events for the rest of the first book is summed up in almost cliff note style on one page where as in the book it is takes up a good part of a chapter. I know that in manga thinks can be shown with pictures rather then told but I think a little more could have been done with this part. As to the art in both versions, it is very good whoever I liked the softer feel that the art in the novel has over the rougher feel the art in the manga has. However I wish the had kept the original cover for the US (maybe international version too) release of the book although I understand the change might have been to appeal to a larger audience. Both translation of the book worked well and there were no awkward wording that I could find.
so to sum it up
Novel
Pros:
- good translation
-more in depth
- slightly better art
- told from one of the main characters perspective
Cons:
- US version does not have original cover
Manga
Pros:
- good art
- good translation
Cons:
- cliff notes version of major plot points
- less personal feel to the story as it is in third person
- half the length of the book
So if one were to pick up this series I would say opt for the book as I find it the better of the two and get the only manga if you become a major fan as you get basically the same story only condensed and with more pictures. As for me, I think I still will collect both versions although vol. 2 of the manga is not due out until the end of the year while vol. 2 of the book is already out and vol. 3 will be out at the end of the year as well.

#35 In Fury Born by David Weber - ****

Good military SF/Space opera with a dash of mythology thrown in during the second half of the book. The first part of the book is mainly military SF and deals with the early life of Alicia DeVries expanding the back-story given in the original version of this book Path of the Fury, which Weber released in 1992. While the second half of the book is a slightly revised edition of the original and more space opera then military SF. over all it kept me interested throughout its 800+ pages with a roller coaster of emotions and political backbiting. The ending however did seem to rush up on you whoever everything was tied up and you are left satisfied with how it turned out. as this was my first time reading one of Webers books I enjoyed it and think I will look at some of his longer series in the future.

#36 Yotsubato!, Volume 8 by Kiyohiko Azuma - ****1/2



#37 Dojin Work Volume 3 by Hiroyuki - ****

Both were enjoyable as always and had me laughing.

#38 Dojin Work Volume 4 by Hiroyuki - ***1/2

This one was alright but not as funny as the last few volumes

#39 The Looking Glass Wars By Frank Beddor - ***

An interesting take on a classic that regrettably had the substance of the Cheshire Cat. The main problem i found with the book was that all the wonderful people that should inhabit Wonderland in this telling came out as dull and flat with no real personality. also i thought that events happened way to fast with Alyss and friends travailing all over in what should have taken days to do. In addition the back of the book give you a time line of events that happen in Wonderland but fail to give a reason for why these thing were done, which if they had i think would have added more to the story instead of the bare bones feeling i got from how it is now. On the good side it was an interesting twist on a classic and liked how Beddor handled some of the things like the Card Soldiers, how ideas are made in Wonderland and how he used the Looking glasses. Overall with a little more substance this could have been a great book as it is now is merely so-so

I've got The Looking Glass Wars on the TBR pile. I think I'll put it towards the bottom! I hope your next read is a little better.

@ loriephillips luckily it was



#40 The Twisted Root by Anne Perry - ****
This is the 2nd book form Perry's William Monk series that I have read and takes place before Dark Assassin, which I read earlier this year. It started a little slow but picked up as Monk tried to peace together why a bride-to-be would hysterically run away from her soon to be in-laws party and why when found was she willing to accept the death penalty for a crime she did no do. Towards the end of the book I had an idea of where and what the twist was going to be but when it was reveled it surprised me as much as the characters in the book. Overall, another very enjoyable Victorian mystery that played with your heartstrings at the end.

#41 Fairy Tail, Volume 1 by Hiro Mashima -***1/2

Standard fantasy adventure manga so story wise there is nothing new however i really like the setting and the characters that make up the fairy tail wizards guild. Overall entertaining.

#42 Seeing Redd By Frank Beddor - ***

The Second book in the Looking Glass Wars suffers from the same problems as the first book. There is some character development for Hatter and King Arch but only slightly. i found the story slightly more interesting but being this is the middle book of the trilogy i will, for better or worse have to find out what happens in book 3. Over all another so-so outing in wonderland.

Hmm, I also have The Looking-glass Wars on my tbr pile. I didn't realise it was part of a trilogy. Based on your review, I think I'll let it stew in the lower region of my tbr mountain for now.

#43 Fairy Tail, Volume 2 by Hiro Mashima - ***1/2

Some more of the main characters are introduced and some more adventure. Overall again entertaining.

#44 Hellsing Volume 10 By Kohta Hieano - ****

Final volume of the Hellsing series, which for me has been enjoyable throughout the years. Everything was tied up nicely and ended about how i would expect it to. Do not want to say to much and spoil the end for people who have not read the series. Overall it was a nice retelling/continuation of a well known story; was a fun read throughout all 10 volumes and one I would recommend to anyone who like stories with action,horror, vampires and secret organizations.

#45 Claymore, Volume 12 by Norihiro Yagi - ****1/2



#46 Claymore, Volume 13 by Norihiro Yagi - ****1/2



#47 Claymore, Volume 14 by Norihiro Yagi - ****1/2

These where all rereads as it has been almost two years in between when i read these and when i got the next two volumes and i couldn't remember what all was going on as the new ones picked up right in the middle of a battle. Decided to start at the beginning of this story arc where they jump ahead seven years and take it from there. Overall enjoyed them as much the second time as i did the first.

#48 Claymore, Volume 15 by Norihiro Yagi - ****1/2



#49 Claymore, Volume 16 by Norihiro Yagi - ****1/2

These two volumes were really good some interesting plot twists were thrown in making this current story arc even better. Although now i will have to wait half a year till the next volume comes out. Overall very enjoyable.

#50 Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford - ****

A wonderful read. Before reading this book I, like probably most though of Genghis Khan as nothing more then a great general who led his barbarian horde to ravage civilization. However after reading this book I see that there is much more to the man and the Mongol people and how this one man created an empire who's affect can still be felt today. For instances the Mongol empire was one of the fist to promote freedom of religion, universal education for children, set up large scale printing works to make books readily available, use paper money on a large scale, and invent a universal language that could be used to try and tie all the different ethnic groups in the empire together. Weatherford does not gloss over the negative events in Mongol history telling of the mass slaying of people when cities were sacked, the infighting and assassinations in the Genghis’ family or how their sophisticated trade system inadvertently spread the black death. In addition, I found most interesting that the Europeans who gained the most from the Mongols are also the reason for their bad reputation as 18th century intellectuals such as Voltaire and Montesquieu gave Genghis Khan a bad rap and being they are held in such high standings it was reasoned that if they said it, it must be true. This in turn would hold over to the 19th and early 20th century with the idea of social Darwinism and racism that was prevalent to much of the Asian community at the time. Overall and excellent read that will open you eyes to how much we owe to the Mongols for putting in motion events that would make our modern world.

At the half-way point only at least 50 books to go.

Congratulations on the halfway point!

Funnily enough, we were just talking about Genghis Khan at work the other day - all I knew is how no one knows where he's buried because they buried him *somewhere* on the plain, and then trampled it all over with their horses. Great story.

And I wish we were discussing Khan today, I'd have far more to tell! :)

Thanks wookiebender



#51 ArchEnemy by Frank Beddor - ***

The last book in the Looking Glass Wars trilogy had the same problems that i mentioned in the first two books. There was no real character development in this one and the ending was rushed. New character were added that you don't care about and a plot about the rounding up of people with imagination by anti-imagination fanatics that would have made a better plot then the one we got. There was so much more Beddor could have done to make wonderland and its character . . . well more wonderful as it is everything is just so-so. Overall after coming out of the rabbit hole this adventure in wonderland was more like adventures in averageland.

#52 Reiko the Zombie Shop Volume 1 by Rei Mikamoto - ***1/2



#53 Reiko the Zombie Shop Volume 2 by Rei Mikamoto - ***1/2

Nice horror manga with enough blood to make even Jason blush. Reiko is a necromancer for higher that turns the dead into zombies so they can reveal the the truth to the living, which rarely goes as the people who higher Reiko plan as if the person who lead to their death is present they tend to go crazy and try and kill them. The first book works more as a prologue to the main story that does not start till book two. Overall nice dark reads although i would not recommend them to anyone younger then 17 due to the violence or to people who are squeamish as most of the deaths are very ghastly and bloody.

#54 Azumanga Daioh by Kiyohiko Azuma - *****

Azumanga Daioh follows the often hilarious school lives of a group of girls and their teachers through their entire high school period. Other then that their is no over arching plot but there are reoccurring mini stories that run through the entire book. Its a fast read being that each strip is only four panels with two strips to a page. As with any manga/comic strip series there are some that are really funny and others that are only so-so. Overall almost all of Azumanga was in the funny category most all of the time and was a very enjoyable read.

#55 Black Lagoon Volume 6 By Rei Hiroe - *****



#56 Black Lagoon Volume 7 By Rei Hiroe - *****



#57 Black Lagoon Volume 8 By Rei Hiroe - *****

These three were rereads as i wanted to read the entire El Baile de la Muerte arc from from start to its finish in vol 9



#58 Black Lagoon Volume 9 By Rei Hiroe - *****
This was a really good ending to El Baile de la Muerte arc although in the violent and brutal underworld there is no happy ending things are settled but some the characters are left with a bad taste in their mouth and others laugh it of as just another payday. You see Rock grow some and show a darker more cunning and vicious side in the respects to treating people like pawns in a game of chance which troubles him at the end when he is confronted about his action and the outcome he set in motion. Overall another great addition to Black Lagoon and a good end to El Baile de la Muerte

#59 Gunsmith Cats Revised Edition, Volume 1 by Kenichi Sonoda - ***1/2

Plays out like old action shows from the early 80's and 90's. It kind of reminds me of A-team or Magnum PI with fast cars and lots of gun fights. took a while to get to the start of what i think is going to be the main story. First few chapters were episodic and i didn't think they flowed together very well. Overall enjoyed it but hope the next vol. gets into what i hope is the main story.

#60 The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks - ***1/2

Done in the style of the numerous Worst-Case-Scenario books The Zombie Survival Guide states that by giving you tried and true tips that have been used throughout the world you too can recognize the signs of a zombie out break and how to prepare to survive one. Although this is a humor book its not going to make you laugh out loud. The humor comes from the fact that the book takes it self and the topic of zombies seriously. most of the tips tend to reinforce the idea that doing what you see in zombie movies will get you killed. For example in Dawn of the Dead the survivors hold up in a mall; whereas the Guide states that a mall is one of the worst places to hide as the large glass windows in most stores makes you easy to see for any zombie window shopper. The end of the book as a list of recorded attacks throughout history and blank pages to make a survival preparedness journal. Overall a fun read if you like the zombie fiction or movies and if you can pick out what movie Brooks might be referencing. Moreover, after reading it i think I'm ready for the zombie apocalypse.

I read Zombie Survival Guide before reading World War Z and they complement each other well. There are details, especially in the medical theory, in the guide that don't show up in the novel so you have a little extra background. Plus you know the myriad ways things can go wrong for the characters. The recorded attacks were the high point.

Definitely pick up World War Z if you haven't read it yet. It's fantastic! The other zombie book I've really liked recently is Feed by Mira Grant.

I'm seconding (thirding?) the recommendation of World War Z (and thinking I should find a copy of The Zombie Survival Guide). Feed is on Mt TBR...

World War Z is on my next book to buy list and Feed sounds good I'll have to add it to my list.

#61 The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks by Max Brooks - ****

An illustrated version of the recorded attacks that make up the last part of the survival guide. It does not contain all of the accounts from the guide but has most of the major ones. The art was great and fit well with the stories. It also reminds me a lot of the art done by Burne Hogarth because of how the shading was done. Overall fun but not an essential read however it is fun to see Brooks' zombies drawn to life . . . or would that be death?

In terms of illustrated zombies, the comic series The Walking Dead is exceptionally good. In fact, it's now been made into an AMC television series, debuting on Halloween, and ads are starting to run. (It also has the bad luck to begin in a very similar way to the film 28 Days Later -- main character wakes up after a brief coma to find zombie invasion already successful -- but does predate that film.)

For reading, there are two easy ways to find the books. Every six issues are released as a paperback (there are 12 so far) and also every twelve issues are released as a fancier hardcover (five so far). The paperbacks are widely held in public libraries.

The focus is on how a group reacts to really any post-apocalyptic scenario rather than on the zombies themselves. They spend most of their time avoiding the monsters and simply finding food, etc, rather than fighting them and also without sparing the time to figure out what caused the situation. (The author has said he'll never reveal the cause.) Very heavy on the psychology and social dynamics. Although with plenty of sudden scares. No character is safe from getting killed off so it's very unpredictable and constantly nerve-wracking. And like any of these stories, other survivors can be even more dangerous than the zombies.

kristenn, thanks for the information. I'll look for the books and the AMC series.

I too am going to have to check the series in both its formats out thank for the info kristenn.



#62 On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington) by David Weber - ****

I read Webers In Fury Born a few months ago and really enjoyed it so so when i though i would try is Honor Harrington series and i was not disappointed. The story had lots of action and political intrigue that kept me turning the pages into the early morning. The techno-mumbo-jumbo in a few of the chapters was a little dry but luckily they were few and far between and didn't detract form the story much. Unlike In Fury Born the ending didn't rush up on you so i thought Basilisk had a slightly better feel to its ending. In addition i cant get the image of a six legged carnivorous cat eating celery out of my head and it makes me chuckle every time i picture it. Overall another good military SF story and i am looking forwards to reading the next Honor Harrington book.

#63 The Ghost Brigades By John Scalzi - ****1/2

A good follow up to Scalzi's Old Man's War. The set up is a lot like Old Man's War with the first part of the story dealing with the creation, training and early combat of the main character with the second part of the book being where the main plot-line takes center stage.I liked the ideas presented on what it is t be human,the soul, and the importance and consequences of making a choice.On the down side John Perry does not appear in the book although Jane is in it as a supporting character and Jared did not have as much of a presence for me as John did. Overall another good addition to the old man's war universe and a nice expansion of the Special Forces in the CDF that were only briefly mentioned in the first book

#64 Warren Ellis' Blackgas by Warren Ellis - ***

Blackgas was alright it was a little short so there's not much of a story and i did not care much what happened to the characters. The art was standard but nothing special and a few of the panels look down right bad. I did like the idea that the gas doesn't turn you undead but makes you unable to control all the darker thoughts and urges that one might keep inside making you more like a 28 days later rage zombie. Overall standard fair for zombie books but i wouldn't go out of my way to read it.

#65 The Honor of the Queen (Honor Harrington) by David Weber - ***1/2

The 2nd book in the Harrington series was good but not as good, in my opinion as Basilisk Station. I thought that the bad guys in this book were somewhat weaker and less interesting. In the first book you could have some grudging respect for the bad guys but in this one the main ones have no redeeming quality and are only there to sure as canon fodder for Harrington. Also the bad guys plan in this book was less clever and left to much up to chance and questionable allies. The ending was alright and sets up events that are probably expanded in the next few books. Overall another good offering by Weber.

#66 Lava Punch 2: Mission Control by Jillian Ogle - ***1/2

Another nice collection from the artists of Lava Punch with a few new artist thrown in. Like the last one each story has its own flavor and theme to it. overall a nice quick read with some great art.
my favorites in this one were:
Dokodetsuka by Ben Seto
Let this day have Vikings by Lars Brown
Hole in the Wall by Alex Ahad
Aviatrix 2 by Willy Hwang

#67 Gunsmith Cats Omnibus: Volume 2 (v. 2) by Kenichi Sonoda - ***1/2

A good 2nd volume to the series. Nothting new to add that i didn't say in the review of the first volume earlier. Overall good followup to the first and a nice retro feeling crime story and a few new characters added in to keep it interesting.

#68 Gunsmith Cats Revised Edition Volume 3 by Kenichi Sonoda - ****



#69 Gunsmith Cats Revised Edition Volume 4 by Kenichi Sonoda - ****

These two i would have to say have the best in the first series as i found the story arcs to be the most interesting and all the main characters and villains have been introduced. Also most of the arcs in these two has the getaway driver Bean who i think is one of the best secondary character in the series. Overall god ending to the first series with some good showdowns and gun fights.

#70 The Short Victorious War By David Weber - ****

The Third book in Webers Harrington series was slightly better then book #2. There is some character development with Harrington herself and she comes to terms with the traumatic episode in her past that had been mentioned in the previous two books. The war that had been brewing for the last two books is final started and i liked that Weber gave equal time to both sides political maneuvering and the events to come out of them. Overall not as much action as book two but made up for it with character development and the start of the war that the other two books set in motion.

#71 Gunsmith Cats Burst Volume 1 by Kenichi Sonada - ****



#72 Gunsmith Cats Burst Volume 2 by Kenichi Sonada - ****



#73 Gunsmith Cats Burst Volume 3 by Kenichi Sonada - ****



#74 Gunsmith Cats Burst Volume 4 by Kenichi Sonada - ****



#75 Gunsmith Cats Burst Volume 5 by Kenichi Sonada - ****

Although Burst is the continuing adventures of Gunsmith Cats in reality the Burst series acts more as a 5 volume epilogue to the first series. At its end most of the plot elements that were left up in the air are tied up and I was satisfied with the ending. Only on new main character was introduced, a dirty cop out to get the transporter Bean Bandit added a little more verity to the cast. Overall had the same feel of a early 90's cop show that the first series had and was a nice conclusion to the the entire series.

#76 Field of Dishonor by David Weber - ****1/2

The 4th book in the Honor series had an absence of space combat but a very nice revenge plot that i think grew Honors character as well as solidified the position of people that she can depend on as allies. I found that Weber did a good job with this installment as i was still engrossed with this revenge plot that would led to mutual destruction for both parties and didn't even mind the absence of space combat. In fact it was actually a nice break form the fighting present in the last two books. Overall another good offering from Weber and my new favorite book in the series.

#77 Martian Knightlife by James P. Hogan - *

Finally finished this one after trudging through it for almost three months as it was so dull that i would put it down and start reading something else. Once i set my self to finish it it still took me almost 2 weeks to read the last hundred pages. What can i say about this book it was dull, had to much back story information and techno babel for a stand alone book that doesn't add much, and characters were flat. This was my first book by Hogan and probably my last. Overall I think a phone book might be more interesting.

#78 The Living Dead Edited by John Joseph Adams - ****

A nice collection of stories with different takes on zombies. There were a few Gems many average and a few stinkers in this collection but overall there was more good then bad. Almost all of these stories have been printed in other anthology's so if you have other zombie or horror anthology's i would look through it before you go to buying to see if there is enough new stuff in the book to make it worth it. Some of my favorites were:

This Year's Class Picture by Dan Simmons
The Dead by Michael Schweitzer
Sex,Death, and Starshine by Clive Barker
Sparks Fly Upwards by Lisa Morton
Meathouse Man by George R.R. Martin
Bitter Grounds by Neil Gaiman

Overall I think a phone book might be more interesting.

Ouch! But good to know.

#79 Kurohime vol 1 by Masanori Katakura - ***

This one was rather average. I've seen this type of story done before and done better; kurohime stays true to the archetype but does nothing to surpass it. the art is good but nothing i haven't seen before. Overall decent reading junk food. I'll continue the series but probably not actively seeking the rest out unless i can get them for a good deal

#80 School Rumble vol. 1 by Jin Kobayashi ***1/2

A comical school manga along the line of Azumanga Daioh but more outrages fictional elements added in (ESP, aliens, Japanese mythology). The art is standard for the genre and works well. Overall its good for a few laughs or if you want t kill half an hour with some easy reading.

#81 Spice and Wolf, Vol. 2 by Isuna Hasekura - ****

The 2nd novel in the Spice and Wolf series was just as good as the first. There is more mercantile adventure as Lawrence get taken in a deal and has to find a way repay the huge debt he incurs in 2 days or his life and maybe his freedom will be over. I also liked that you see Lawrence's character expand and grow as well as as a little bit more of Holo's past revealed.

#82 Island of the Sequined Love Nun By Christopher Moore - ***1/2

A funny romp through Micronesia with a disgraced pilot (crashed his bosses pink jet), a talking fruit bat, a drag queen navigator,a religious cult, cannibals and shady missionaries. I would skip this one if you don't like crude humor as it is in abundance here. I got some good laughs out of this one from a lot of the sarcastic remarks that come from Tucker (the pilot) as well as the entire religion based around a New York bomber pilot from WW2. Overall Love Nun was warped, funny and full of interesting characters.

#83 Blind Justice by Bruce Alexander - *****

A very good mystery set in London during the Georgian period. The main character is the historical figure Sir John Fielding the blind magistrate of Bow Street who was also behind the creation of London's first police force The Bow Street Runners and reputed to never forget a voice of one who appeared before him in court. The mystery was slowly revealed as you read the book allowing you yourself to figure out to some extent what happened in the locked room the murder happened in. Having finished the book i now see the clues that were presented, but not force fed to the reader and kicked y self for not figuring it out myself when at the end it was so easy to see what happened. Which is also what made the mystery so interesting in that the reader will not figure it out two chapter into the book. All in all an excellent book that intrigued you until the very end.

>84 bakabaka84: I am not a heavy mystery reader, but this is a series I really enjoy. I love the historical verisimilitude as well as the characters.

#84 Fool by Christopher Moore - ****
A bawdy tale loosely based on Shakespeare's King Lear that gave me many laughs. Moore changes the story from a tragedy to more of a black comedy in the British style of humor with the kings fool the central character. In this version the Fool is the puppet master setting into motion all the events that would happen to Lear, his daughters and most of the rest of the cast, although he bumbles through most of it but comes out ahead with the help of his razor sharp wit. Overall Fool was full of bawdy humor, murder and non-traditional grammar.

#85 School Rumble, Volume 2 by Jin Kobayashi - ***



#86 School Rumble, Volume 3 by Jin Kobayashi - ***



#87 School Rumble, Volume 4 by Jin Kobayashi - ***

Nothing much to add that i haven't said in my post about vol.1. The story movies along some what but not much as there is still 10 vol's. left. Some new minor characters are introduced to liven it up a bit. My one complaint is that it seem when they published the English edition DelRay put all the bonus stories at the end of the book instead of where, i assume they originally were. This can make the reading a little disjointed as some of the things in the bonus comics is referred to in the main ones but you only find this out once you read the bonus comics. Overall same as vol.1 good for a few laughs.

#88 Spice and Wolf, Vol. 2 (manga) by Isuna Hasekura - ***1/2

About the same as the first manga. The art is good but with has a rougher feel to it then the art in the light novel. however 2 vols in they still haven't got to the end of the story in the first novel and will probably need at least half of vol.3 to finish it. I did like that some of the things that were only mentioned in the light novel were shown in a little more detail here. Overall it is good but i still prefer the light novels over the manga.

#89 FATE WORSE THAN DRAGONS, A by John Moore - ***

When a knight kills the dragon he gets the princess right? But what if the fight ends in the next kingdom over and you are now forced to marry the crazy princes that talks to pot roast? You set your squire up as the fall guy and get the hell out of there.So starts another of Moore's comical takes on the traditional fairytale. Now Terry the knight has to find a new way to win the had of his love, Princess Gloria, when she comes up with a plan to fake her own kidnapping it seems perfect; only problem is she actual gets kidnapped. This is the 2nd book from Moore i have read and it was good for a few laughs but it dragged a little in the middle before picking up again at the end. I loved the reference to princess bride (if you've seen the move or read the book you will know it intently). I think Moore's books are on par with the Myth books by Robert Asprin that i read earlier this year in terms of humor. Overall funny and a quick read if it didn't drag in the middle it would have gotten another 1/2 star.

#90 Yotsubato!, Vol. 9 by Kiyohiko Azuma - ****1/2

Same as the rest but with new adventures of the everyday that are so adorable and sweet that they will give you cavities.

#91 Spice and Wolf, Vol. 3 (manga) by Isuna Hasekura - ***1/2

The third volume of the manga finished up the story from the first novel and goes into about the first chapter of the 2nd book. There were some slight changes to the end in the manga, the final fight originally took place in the sewer while in the manga it was changed to ancient ruins connected to the sewers which i actually think worked better then the original. Also i liked the added chapter that introduced Norah the Shepherd and her dissatisfaction with the her employer the church making it easier to see why she joined Lawrence in his plan to get rid of his debt. Overall it it was good but its going to take a while at the rate we they are going to catch up to the novels.

#92 Full Metal Panic vol.1 by Shouji Gatou - ***1/2

A mix of school comedy, and mecha action, although the mechs did not make an appearance in vol. 1. Its funny to see Sosuke, who knows nothing but the battlefield over react to everyday things like some one leaving a note in a persons shoe locker, Sosuke thinking that some one has tampered with it and that it is booby-trapped detonates the entire row of lockers just to be safe. Over all its an odd mix but it works some how i don't know if I'm going to priorities collecting it as the publisher the originally published the english edition when bankrupt so it might be hard to find the other books and i don't know if anyone else has picked up the license.



#93 Pumpkin Scissors 2 by Ryotaro Iwanaga - ****

A Military manga that has an interesting take on the genre as the war is over and the unit that the main characters are a part of are tasked with rooting out corruption in the government as the country tries to rebuild and help the war refugees. It also has a secret society pulling the string from behind that might be behind all the corruption and the experiments done on the members of the experimental unit called the invisible nine, such as the 901st ATT that one of the one of the main characters, Corporal Oland was a member of during the war. Also the book lightly touches on the aftermath of war and PTSD (mainly form Oland as he tryst to adjust to peaceful duties) which is often overlooked in many books. Overall a good fast read that has you rooting for this underdog unit that seems to have the government they serve against them.

#94 AkihabaraDeep Volume 1 by Ira Ishida - ***

Deep was alright. To get the most out of it you have to have a passing knowledge of otaku culture as it is a good part of the story. The art was different, good but not really to my taste. Story is so-so if you want to read a manga about otaku culture i would read Genshiken as i think it presents the topic better and has a better story. My problem with it was that the story jumped around and the characters didn't really do anything interesting. Overall passable but nothing special.



#95 Ghost Talkers Daydream, vol. 1 by Saki Okuse - ***1/2

A horror manga that deals with some heavy issues. Although the ghosts are appeased at the end of the two stories there is no real happy ending. The characters are interesting and each is an odd ball in their own way. Even though most of the stories are kind of a downer the author put a few humorous situations in to break it up a bit. Also this is another one that's not for the kiddies as there are some parts and subjects that are not suited for them. Overall a good supernatural manga and i will be looking forwards to reading the next one.

#96 No Need for Tenchi! (Book 1) by Hitoshi Okuda - ****



#97 Sword Play (No Need for Tenchi! Book 2) by Hitoshi Okuda- ****

Both of the copies i read are the old Vis Comic version from the mid 90's. I'll always have a soft spot for the Tenchi series as it was one of the first manga/anime that really got me interested in both mediums. although i have a japanese edition of sword play i only recently got the english version of book 1 & 2 from a friend who was giving them away. Both were enjoyable and were some what nostalgic. can't say much more the they are fun light reading that makes me laugh all the time.



#98 Emma vol.3 by Kaoru Mori - *****



#99 Emma vol.4 by Kaoru Mori - *****



#100 Emma vol.5 by Kaoru Mori - *****

I can't say how much a love the Emma series it has me on the edge of my seat even though i known whats going to happen from watching the anime. Maybe its the amount of detail Kaoru Mori puts into Emma, from the, clothes, to the small tea tins that might only be seen in one picture, to the proper way a Victorian should clean a house its all there and i enjoy it for some reason even though i am probably not the target audience, unless history majors were the audience :) At the end of vol 2, Emma sets out to start a new life after realizing the social barriers make it impossible for her and her love to be together and all through the next three volumes the plot thickens. Some new characters are introduced and they are just as engaging as the main ones each chapter breaths more life into this wonderful story. I would recommend Emma to anyone who likes romance stories, the Victorian era, or just good art as each panel is beautifully done. Read it if you can find it, which it might be hard as DC comics discontinued their CMX manga line which this was part of and it was hard for me to find the rest even though it was discontinued in July (vols 4-9 seem to be the hardest to find with 7 the hardest of all). Trust me it that good and this is coming form a guy who usually cant stand romantic type books

So at 11:30 Pacific Time Dec 31 I have met my goal of 100 books. Its been an interesting year and a lot of fun reading. I might do a breakdown of my selection later but for now I'm looking forwards to next years reading.

Happy New Years everyone!!! and my your bookshelves never be empty

Congratulations on making 100! And that Emma series is going on my wishlist, sounds right up my alley. (Shame it also looks hard to source, but I might get lucky...)

if you cant find the books at least watch the anime series as it follows the mangas really close and you will get the main story from it although not as much of the story's about the side characters. (And probably easier to find at this point)

here are my top pics for the books in 2010 in no particular order

Pump Six and Other Stories
The Alchemy of Stone
Leviathan
Rifles: Six Years with Wellington's Legendary Sharpshooters
Emma series
Spice and Wolf light novels
Blind Justice
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
Black Lagoon vol 6-9 for the entire El Baile de la Muerte arc
Fool