Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void - Mary Roach

W.W. Norton & Co., 2011, 334 pages, 

ISBN:  9780393339918 

Read: July 2025, age 47 

 

Very little to do with Mars, but all kinds of interesting tidbits about the space program that I hadn't heard anywhere else, and very well told.  Lots of fun.  I'll keep my eyes open for more from this author.

Rating: 4+ 

Rogue Ghosts and Other Miscreants - Annette Marie & Rob Jacobsen

Tantor Audio, 2021, 7.8 hours

Read by Iggy Toma 

Listened to: July 2025, age 45 

 

Guild Codex: Warped book 3 

 

This series is fantastic.  This, though, was a bit annoying - Our hero was very stuck on rescuing a kid, and it got tiresome hearing about it.  Still fun, but not as great as the rest.

 

Rating: 4
 

Druid Vices and a Vodka - Annette Marie (Audiobook)

Tantor Audio, 2020, 9.3 hours 

Read by: Cris Dukehart

Listened to: June 2025, age 47 

 

The Guild Codex: Spellbound, book 6 

 

I really like this series, especially the Tori books.  This one's no exception.

 

Rating: 5 

Falling Free - Lois McMaster Bujold - Audiobook

Blackstone Audio, 2009, 8.6 hours

Original copyright 1988

Read by Grover Gardner

Listened to: June 2025

 

Miles Vorkosigan, book 1 (by publication order) 

 

Well... no Miles, no characters that I remembered, hardly seems related to the Vorkosigan saga at all.  A good 'engineer with a wrench' story, though.

 

Rating: 3+ 

Storm Cursed - Patricia Briggs (Audiobook)

Penguin Audio, 2019, 10.3 hours

Read by: Lorelei King

Listened to: June 2025

 

Mercedes Thompson, book 11 

 

A pretty decent entry in the series, but it's starting to feel like maybe the series is getting a little long in the tooth.  This time, witches try to take over the pack's territory, and there's a big to-do about that.  More of what makes the series good, but also a bit repetitious.   

Rating: 4- 

Island in the Sea of Time - S.M. Stirling

 Roc, 1998, 608 pages

 ISBN: 978-0-451-45675-5

 Read: July 2025, age 47

 

This is the counterpart to Dies the Fire, and I was hoping for more of the same - post-apocalyptic survival and rebuilding.  I did get some of that, but more what I got was ahistorical wargaming.  As is typical with Stirling, it was detailed and a bit slow-paced.  Interesting, kind of fun, and a bit disappointing.  It didn't make me excited to read the sequel.

 

Rating: 3+ 

Thud! - Terry Pratchett

Doubleday, 2005, 362 pages

ISBN: 0-385-60867-5

Read: July 2025, age 47 

 

Discworld, book 34 

 

Amazing that there can be so much quality in such a long series.  This was an excellent instalment, and I suspect that it will be even better on a re-read. 

 

Rating: 4+