By: John ScalziNarrated by: William DufrisSeries: The Old Man’s War Series, Book 3Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins Ahh Scalzi, we meet once again. I was looking for a simple read after all the history that I had been consuming. I certainly enjoyed the early books the most, this requiem was an excellent…”ok.” I found…
Author: Verse
The French Revolution: Two Books in Parallel
The French RevolutionBy: Ian DavidsonNarrated by: Clive ChaferLength: 11 hrs and 52 mins A New World BeginsBy: Jeremy D. PopkinNarrated by: Pete Cross, Jeremy D. PopkinLength: 21 hrs and 54 mins Upon finishing Lafayette’s story, I sensed a gap in my understanding of this era, prompting me to dive deeper. Thus, I embarked on a…
Hero of Two Worlds
By: Mike DuncanNarrated by: Mike DuncanLength: 17 hrs and 20 mins A great book about a man who lived in a time of great change. I think my favorite part of the book was Lafayette touring of America (when). Although one revolution ultimately failed, there was one that was successful and was grateful for his…
How Rome Fell
By: Adrian GoldsworthyNarrated by: Derek PerkinsLength: 18 hrs and 27 mins On to the next book by Adrian Goldsworthy. Some context, I started “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” by Edward Gibbon several years ago and have yet to complete that tome. This much more manageable and up-to-date version by Goldsworthy was, like…
In the Name of Rome
By: Adrian GoldsworthyNarrated by: Derek PerkinsLength: 17 hrs and 47 mins After spending considerable time immersed in the world of fiction, I felt the need to delve into substantive non-fiction. While my familiarity with the rise of Rome meant that much of the content wasn’t entirely new to me, the book nonetheless bridged gaps in…
Heavier Than a Mountain
By: Olan ThorensenNarrated by: Jonathan DavisSeries: Destiny’s Crucible, Book 3Length: 21 hrs and 14 mins And this is a wonderful addition to the series. I really enjoyed the continuation of the industrialization of Caedelium and the organization of military units. This is a really fun read, partly because it’s so believable. I could see myself…
The Gray Man
By: Mark GreaneyNarrated by: Jay SnyderSeries: Gray Man, Book 1Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins From time to time, I really enjoy reading books like this. One aspect that fascinates me is evaluating the psychology of the target audience, examining what makes compelling characters, and putting the main character in a place where they are…
Children of Time
By: Adrian TchaikovskyNarrated by: Mel HudsonSeries: The Children of Time Novels, Book 1Length: 16 hrs and 31 mins This remains one of my favorite books, and rather than venture into something new, I found myself reaching for it once more. Although I can’t pinpoint exactly when I first read it—perhaps around 2018 or 2019 as…
Arcane Ascension: Tower Defence
Sufficiently Advanced MagicBy: Andrew RoweNarrated by: Nick PodehlSeries: Arcane Ascension, Book 1Length: 21 hrs and 58 minsDate Finished: 01-29-24 On the Shoulders of TitansBy: Andrew RoweNarrated by: Nick PodehlSeries: Arcane Ascension, Book 2Length: 24 hrs and 46 minsDate Finished: 02-08-24 The Torch That Ignites the StarsBy: Andrew RoweNarrated by: Nick PodehlSeries: Arcane Ascension, Book 3Length:…
The Collapsing Empire
By: John ScalziNarrated by: Wil WheatonSeries: The Interdependency, Book 1Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins And Scalzi again. This was not great as the books I’m used to from him. By no means a strike out, more like a plink to outfield for a single. Not sure if I’ll be back for the series.
The Kaiju Preservation Society
By: John ScalziNarrated by: Wil WheatonLength: 8 hrs and 2 mins This was a breath of fresh air. Really enjoyable off the wall read. Scalzi balanced the wonderful story telling, with believable world building to create a great reading experience. I’m not into the Kaiju of typical fare, but in his world, they were great.
My Favorite Books of 2023
Reflecting on my limp literary odyssey throughout 2023 reveals a year that did not match the abundance of outstanding reads from 2022. I immersed myself in the pages of 26 books. Limp may be a bit strong as there were some quite excellent monumental works, but overall the quality just wasn’t up to par. The…