Grand unified books thread

[garbon]

Off to a book signing by Anne Rice!

[CountDeMoney]

Bringing your dogeared, yellow-highlighter copy of Exit to Eden with you? 

[garbon]

I'm too innocent for that. I'm just having her sign her brand new book. I think this makes her 27th book that I'll have read.

[11B4V]

Time to tackle Powell's Chickamauga tome.

[Ed Anger]

spoiler:Union loses that battle

[11B4V]

spoiler:Union loses that battle

YOU'VE SPOILED IT.

[Josephus]

The Idiot by some Russian dude.

I read this back when I was 16 in 1983. I remember I was in Grade 11, and my history teacher, seeing it on my desk, remarked sarcastically: 'Your autobiography?"

I found it in my parents' bookshelf and decided to re-read it over the hols. Although it's always been the least powerful of Dostoevsky's big four, I was quite surprised with how quickly I swallowed it up. A great read. Like many of his books, the characters and plot are either unfinished or inconsistent, as it was being published as he was writing it, but it still packs a message. And ode to old Russia and yet a criticism of the ruling class.

[mongers]

Another year, yet another book to read. 

[Syt]

Guess it fits better here than in the Rogue One thread.

Finished the Tarkin audio book. Written by Luceno, like Catalyst (the Rogue One prequel), I thought it was much better than the newer book. I hear that Catalyst required major rewriting after the Rogue One changes, so that may have caused some of the "by the number" feel of Catalyst.

This book has Tarkin and Vader look into a series of seditious incidents and uncovering a conspiracy. It's still early years for the Empire - they're still mostly using the V-Wing instead of the TIE-Fighter, and some of the organizational structure still has to gel. Flashbacks show how Tarkin was raised, how he became so ruthless, and how he first met Palpatine.

The interactions between Vader, Tarkin, and Palpatine are pretty good, and Tarkin's analytical ways give him occasionally a bit of a Sherlock air (which would be fitting, considering that Cushing played the detective in movies).

The book was one of the first of the new canon, and it brings back a host of familiar names from the Expanded Universe, though mostly just name dropping them. Armand Isard (father of Ysanne Isard of the X-Wing books), Screed (the Imperial from the Droids cartoon and Star Wars Rebellion game), the planets of Jomark and Obroa-Skai from the Thrawn trilogy, Interdictor Cruisers, Victory Class Star Destroyers, CC-7700 frigates (also from Star Wars Rebellion), Carrack Cruisers, TaggeCo, and plenty more.

[Caliga]

Finished 'The Forge of God' by Greg Bear yesterday.  Pretty good.

[11B4V]

Time to tackle Powell's Chickamauga tome.

Good, detailed book so far, but WOULD SOMEBODY ATTACK ALREADY. WHAT A COMEDY SHIT SHOW.

[celedhring]

Reading the Ancillary Justice / Sword / Mercy trilogy. They are good, but not "win every major scifi award" good. I was slightly disappointed.

[Ed Anger]

Chick writers suck.

[Valmy]

Time to tackle Powell's Chickamauga tome.

Good, detailed book so far, but WOULD SOMEBODY ATTACK ALREADY. WHAT A COMEDY SHIT SHOW.

Rosecrans was a genius

At least until he had that mental breakdown. Maybe he was bipolar.

[Ed Anger]

He was a good Ohio boy.