Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Dell, 1970, 191 pages

Original copyright 1963

Read: March 2024, age 45

A really bizarre apocalyptic / post-apocalyptic novel.  It was interesting, and over fast, and I'm not sure that I really enjoyed it.  

Rating: 3

Industrial Magic - Kelley Armstrong

Seal, 2007, 528 pages

Original copyright 2004

ISBN: 978-1-4000-2528-2

Read: March 2024, age 45

 

Women of the Underworld book 4 

This was a nice book - a quick and fun read, with none of the persistence dating (i.e. stalking) that I didn't like in the first book with these characters. 

 

Rating: 4

Homefall - Chris Bunch

Roc, 2001, 338 pages

ISBN: 0-451-45841-9

Read: March 2024, age 45

 

The Last Legion, book 4 

A fitting end to the series - but generally disappointing throughout.  It was fine, the mystery ended unsatisfactorily but appropriately.  I still didn't particularly enjoy the characters.  Just overall meh.

Rating: 3

How Stella Got Her Groove Back - Terry McMillan

Signet, 1997, 445 pages

ISBN: 0-451-19200-1

Read: March 2024, age 45

This was kind of a creepy May-December romance, where both characters had no particularly redeeming characteristics - the love interest was pretty and the main character was a Mary Sue who could do no wrong.  

 

The only interesting bit was that the book was very black, and I don't often get that perspective, so that was a nice change.  

Rating: 2

First Lord's Fury - Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Penguin Audio, 2009, 24.0 hours

Original copyright: 2009

Narrated by: Kate Reading

Listened to: March 2024

 

Codex Alera, book 6

I spent most of this book feeling like there was way too much of it.  It was clearly obvious what was going to happen and how, and there were still 20 hours left!  It was fine, I guess, but predictable and certainly less interesting than the prior books.

Rating: 3

Princeps' Fury - Jim Butcher

Penguin Audio, 2009, 17.6 hours

Original copyright 2008

Read by: Kate Reading

Listened to: January 2024, age 45

 

The Codex Alera, book 5

This series continues to be strong - lots of fun.  The power creep is starting to accelerate a little bit much, though.  

Rating: 4

The Death of the Necromancer - Martha Wells (Audiobook)

Tantor Audio, 2013, 17.9 hours

Read by Derek Perkins 

Listened to: January 2025, age 46

 

Ile Rien, book 2 (one of the rare book twos where it isn't necessary to read book one)

 

I'm starting to think that Martha Wells is a bit cursed in the narrator department.  This is one of my favourite books, and it would have been fine in an audio format, but the narrator detracted from the story.  He had the wrong tone for the voices throughout - deadly serious instead of flippant or teasing - and it just didn't work for me.  I still love the story.

 

Rating: 4-