Books Read in May 2018 - Beyond Tannhauser Gate

I managed to get through 7 books in May but I didn’t manage to get through Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny. At this point, I think I might pass on this book since it’s hard to follow on YouTube and 90% of my reading these days is based on audiobooks and YouTube really doesn’t cut it for a novel. I’ll put it on my “to be read” list but I’m not gonna hold my breath. I also planned on reading Nimona but that graphic novel was a bit too out of the ordinary for me to read last month. I think I’ll try to get to it in June though since I’m just setting up what comics I want to read this month.

In any case, here are my ratings for the books I read in May…

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, 1985 (A)
As I recalled, I really enjoyed this book. The second time around was just as good as the first and even though I’ve seen the movie I had no problems picking out the characterizations in the book that are much better than in the movie. Card really put a good one together here and from what I recall, the next book is even better. I’ll have to jump into that one soon.
Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov, 1952 (A-)
Asimov keeps going strong with this story and This is the novel I remember most from my earlier readings. I really liked the Mule character and how things played out in this book.
Servant of the Empire by Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts, 1987 (B+)
I’m actually enjoying this part of Feist’s Riftwar saga better than the original trilogy. The complex politics and diplomatic maneuvering makes this really interesting to read.
If I Die Tonight by Alison Gaylin, 2018 (B+)
This is another book that I am glad I have book clubs for since I would never have read it without the club. I usually stay away from thrillers or crime stories but this one was pretty good. The teenage angst is strong in this one and Alison puts together an interesting mystery and psychological thriller
Winter is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the West Must be Stopped by Gary Kasparov, 2015 (B+)
This book provides a very good argument for why we should not be celebrating the World Cup this time around. I personally am boycotting any news or mention of the soccer event because Putin does not deserve any of our attention. He’s a thug, has always been one and should be treated as the dictator and war criminal that he is. His invasions of Georgia and more recently Ukraine need to be treated as war declarations and the world needs to wake up to this. Now he’s even messing with elections in various democracies around the world. This cannot be allowed to continue and the free world needs to do something about it.
Night’s Master by Tanith Lee, 1978 (B)
This was an interesting read and while I enjoyed it, I didn’t really get drawn in as much as I wanted to. Some of the many stories were really good but I needed more connection between them, it just didn’t seem like a cohesive novel but more of a collection of short stories with a similar world.
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking , 1988 (B)
I wish I would have read this book before The Elegant Universe last month because this book is much better at giving a basis for understanding cosmology and the universe. Hawking puts things in an understandable way and clearly explains things to a layman like myself.

Running Book List for 2018 (36)

I’ve taken to ordering this list by rating and then year since I am not differentiating among books rated the same letter grade.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor, 2016 (A)
The Rook by Daniel O’Malley, 2012 (A)
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, 2011 (A)
Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov, 1988 (A)
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, 1985 (A)
Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance, 2016 (A-)
Daughter of the Empire by Raymond Feist, 1987 (A-)
Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov, 1952 (A-)
If I Die Tonight by Alison Gaylin, 2018 (B+)
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman, 2016 (B+)
Winter is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the West Must be Stopped by Gary Kasparov, 2015 (B+)
The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, 2012 (B+)
Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov, 1992 (B+)
Servant of the Empire by Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts, 1987 (B+)
Silverthorn by Raymond Feist, 1985 (B+)
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, 1953 (B+)
Foundation by Isaac Asimov, 1951 (B+)
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore, 2016 (B)
Touch by Claire North, 2015 (B)
The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington, 2013 (B)
John Dies at the End by David Wong, 2012 (B)
No Excuses!: The Power of Self Discipline by Brian Tracy, 2010 (B)
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian Greene, 1999 (B)
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking , 1988 (B)
Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond Feist, 1986 (B)
Magician: Master by Raymond Feist, 1982 (B)
Night’s Master by Tanith Lee, 1978 (B)
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, 1962 (B)
Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov, 1950 (B)
The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, 1788 (B)
Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, 2017 (B-)
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer, 2014 (B-)
The Periodic Table by Primo Levi, 1975 (B-)
Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, 1818 (C+)
Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys, 2017 (C-)

My Top Books

These lists include all the A and A- titles that I’ve read since the start of 2017.

Rated A (10)

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor (2016)
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (2014)
The Rook by Daniel O’Malley (2012)
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (2011)
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (2007)
Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov (1988)
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (1985)
Gateway by Frederick Pohl (1977)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick (1968)
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (1950)

Rated A- (13)

Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance (2016)
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel (2016)
Arcadia: A Novel by Iain Pears (2015)
Red Rising by Pierce Brown (2014)
Lock In by John Scalzi (2014)
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (2009)
Daughter of the Empire by Raymond Feist (1987)
Heechee Rendezvous by Frederick Pohl (1985)
Magician:Apprentice by Raymond Feist (1982)
Beyond the Blue Event Horizon by Frederick Pohl (1980)
Dune by Frank Herbert (1965)
Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov (1952)
The Currents of Space by Isaac Asimov (1952)

Daily Ramble 266.2 | Books – Books Read in May 2018