Best Reads of 2009

When thinking of what I would pick for my best reads of 2009 I found myself confronted by a list of titles that was actually quite long.  2009 was, quite simply, a year of good books.  Looking at the list my eyes fell upon two titles who, in one form or another, have stuck with [...]

In Which Our Hero Examines His Blog: 2009 Edition

Well we are just about at the finish line for 2009 and, as usual for myself, I’m a bit behind in examining my thoughts on the past years worth of reading and blogging.  At the end of 2008 I promised myself that I’d post more frequently and more consistently (with more substantial posts) throughout this [...]

Review: Diving Into the Wreck by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Diving Into the Wreck Kristine Kathryn Rusch Pyr, 2009 I won’t lie, this is precisely the kind of book for me.  I love derelict spaceships.  It also so happens I love science fiction that incorporates both historical and mysterious elements.  The discovery of ancient alien civilizations, the uncovering of here-to-fore unknown knowledge, and the recovery [...]

On Reviews and Being a Librarian

I caught the tail end of the twitter back and forth that prompted Mark C. Newton’s recent post on review blogs, but then disappeared for four days only to return and find a lively discussion on the nature of blogging and reviews.  In addition to the comments on Mark’s original post there have been a [...]

Some Post-Holiday Updates

I’m back from Christmas “Vacation” which, really, was almost as exhausting as the work preceding it.  I expect that over the next few weeks things will settle back down at home/work to something resembling normalcy and I’ll get back to a more consistent posting schedule.  Over my brief break I got an e-mail from Robin [...]

Review: Nova War by Gary Gibson

Nova War Gary Gibson Tor, 2009 Nova War is the sequel to 2008′s Stealing Light a book that, surprise surprise, has yet to get a release here in the states.  Nova War dispenses with some of the mystery of the first novel and trading it instead for some serious action.  Indeed things are ratcheted right [...]

Review: The Quiet War by Paul McCauley

The Quiet War Paul McCauley Pyr, 2009 In a future where Earth has been ravaged by economical disaster humanity is split down two divergent paths.  Down one path are the Outers, exiled first to the moon then to Mars and now settled on the moons surrounding Jupiter and Saturn they espouse the ideas of Ancient [...]

Warbreaker Full Cast Audio

I cracked open Dec. 09 issue of AudioFile and immediately noticed a quarter-page ad from GraphicAudio for a full-cast reading of Brandon Sanderson’s Warbreaker complete with “cinematic music” and “digital effects”.  GraphicAudio has been around since 2004 and produce full-cast versions of a variety of material a lot of it from the comic book and [...]

Stuff that isn’t a review

Yup, I’m behind already.  I’ll try and make some headway in my reading but the series of cogs that power my brain seem to be chugging along quite slowly this morning.  December is now officially the month I will be posting about why I’m not posting.  On a side note I managed to squeeze in [...]

Review: Seeds of the Earth by Michael Cobley

Seeds of the Earth Michael Cobley Orbit UK, 2009 (MM, Jan 2010) Seeds of the Earth is the first in a new space opera series by Michael Cobley.  The cover features a nice one line quote from space opera master Iain M. Banks describing the novel as “Proper galaxy-spanning space opera.”  A statement that couldn’t [...]