Book Review - Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship by Robert Kurson

Pirates have always fascinated me, both the myths created by storytellers and movie makers and the reality that wasn't so violent or glamorous. So little of real pirates and what they did is known, that every new nugget of knowledge is an exciting find.

Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship by Robert Kurson is a nonfiction account of an actual search and discovery of an obscure pirate and his ship that should be much more famous. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

John Banister. I had never heard of John Banister, but this book included so much of his story and character that I'm dying to see a movie about his life. He was a fascinating character, filled with brilliance and contradictions, and lived several exciting adventures that would be perfect for the silver screen.

Background on Treasure Hunting and Searches. The author did an excellent job spelling out the realities of treasure hunting, the lifestyle, the challenges, the sacrifices, and the rare payoffs. I've seen fictional portrayals of all this, but to find out what happens in real life to real people was very interesting.

The Bad

Not a Lot Happened. I enjoyed the story, but it would be hard to turn into a movie without a lot of creative license. While quite a bit happened, not at much as one would expect happened. And a lot of it wasn't unique to this particular incident, but sounded to so many other stories.

Weird "Learned from the Natives" Shoehorned in at the End. The author shoehorned in a single experience about natives using a rock and sticks to change his tire, then made it some major point of learning right at the end. It felt like pandering and trying to make the author sound enlightened and not like an experience he actually learned from. If he really was so impressed with the natives and their ingenuity, he needed to include a lot more examples thruout the book and not some quick, unnecessary side note near the end.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish there had been more to the story.

Overall

Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship by Robert Kurson is a well written account of a handful of men and a pirate that should be a lot more famous than he is. The story of John Banister, the pirate, was fascinating and would make an incredible film. The story of the discovery of his ship not so much. I give this book 4 out of 5 eReaders.

   

Book Review - Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories by Peter Clines

I am a huge lover of short stories, especially science fiction short stories. I buy and read a lot of anthologies, but find myself disappointed by a good number of stories in almost any collection (Edmond Hamilton collections being an exception). The two books I've read by Peter Clines were both excellent and original, so I thought I'd give his short fiction a whirl.

Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories is a science fiction short story anthology by Peter Clines. It's an Audible original and exclusive.

The Good

Mulligan. This story involves time travel and changing history so different species become the dominant species told thru a police interrogation.

The End of the Experiment. This is a time travel story in England.

Flesh Trade. This is a monster story mixed with a slave trade.

The Apocrypha of Gamma 202. This is an android story that explores deity.

Dead Men Can't Complain. This is another zombie story about what life is like for the undead.

Forged. This is a very short story about magic and immortality.

Contraption. This is a story about the dangers of an addictive game.

The Not-Quite-As-Good

Bedtime Story. This story is a dark version of Superman showing what would happen if he decided to make everyone safe.

The Long, Deep Dream. This story is a detective story where the private eye finds out about a secret the whole world is controlled by.

Red Neck Romancy. This is very short horror story.

The Hat Box. This is a zombie story.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

More stories!!

Overall

Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories by Peter Clines is an incredible anthology of science fiction and horror stories, each taking an original angle on a tried-and-true troupe of the genres. Even though the stories are short, they don't feel rushed or cut short. Each feels fully realized and left me satisfied while wanting a sequel. Even the not-quite-as-good stories are well done. I give it a solid 5 out of 5 eReaders.

      

Book Review: Paradox Bound by Peter Clines

The first book I ever read by Peter Clines was really good, and the next one blew me away. I kept reading more and more by this author until I got to his Ex-Heroes series that was so awful I didn't dare read anything more from this author. This book had been in my wish list for a long time, before I decided to give it a chance.

Paradox Bound is an time travel mystery adventure. It is available as an eBook, audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Characters. The characters were so distinct, well developed, and likable, even those that appeared briefly.

Original Take on Time Travel. I love time travel, but most of the time it's the same half dozen stories being retold. This was a fresh and clever take on the idea that I've never seen done before. And yet it makes so much sense that I can't understand why I haven't seen it before.

World. The author creates a really wonderful world with clearly established rules he never breaks. Exploring the world was a lot of fun.

Twist. I never saw the twist at the end coming even though it was foreshadowed and made perfect sense.

Ray Porter. Ray Porter is a master of reading audiobooks. I buy audiobooks just because he reads them, and even mediocre ones he elevates to pretty good.

The Bad

I've got nothing

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I've got nothing.

Overall

Paradox Bound by Peter Clines is pure perfection. It is one of the best books I have ever read. The characters are all so distinct and so likable. The original take on time travel was both refreshing and clever. The twist at the end I never saw coming even though it was foreshadowed and made perfect sense. I give this series a solid 5 out of 5 eReaders.

    

    

Book Review: The Cordell Logan Series by David Freed

I love finding a new series of books where each entry is as good as the last. Often books in a series get worse, or occasionally better. But once in a while you find one that starts great and never veers left or right.

The Cordell Logan Series is a series of action adventure mysteries sprinkled with a little romance about a pilot and former black ops operative who finds himself involved in life and death situations. They are available as eBooks, audiobooks, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Characters. The characters are so likable and so enjoyable to read. They're not all that unique (you will probably recognize people you know in them) but they are fleshed out in such a way that they feel real and relatable. I find myself caring what happens to them and feel like I know them.

Pacing. The books are all well paced. The mystery begins early on with a clear goal and steam forward full speed ahead. There are moments of comedy and romance to give the reader a breather, and then it's back on with the chase.

Romance. There is romance in these books, but it's more realistic than overblown and is never overused in the books. It helps to flesh out the characters and make them more human than literary figures.

Predictability. If you've read one Cordell Logan book, you've read them all. But they are so charming and

Ray Porter. Ray Porter is a master of reading audiobooks. I buy audiobooks just because he reads them, and even mediocre ones he elevates to pretty good.

The Bad

Second Story. The second story is NOT read by Ray Porter and so isn't as good as the others. I wish they'd release a new edition with the proper voice talent.

Death of an Important Character. In the fifth book, the author kills a major character. The sixth book is definitely missing that character and just isn't as enjoyable without them.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the author hadn't killed off a certain character in book five, because book six was lacking.

Overall

The Cordell Logan Series by David Freed is so enjoyable with fast-paced action, exciting adventure, a sarcastic protagonist who gives his jaded opinion about everything, and other great characters who feel so real and so human and so familiar. This series is pure entertainment with each book delivering exactly what you expect. I give this series a solid 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

    

    

Book Review - All These Worlds: Bobiverse, Book 3 by Dennis E. Taylor

The first two books of the Bobiverse trilogy were so good, I was a little nervous the author wouldn't be able to maintain his momentum and deliver a strong finish. My worries were for naught.

All These Worlds: Bobiverse, Book 3 is science fiction, philosophical, space opera, adventure written by Dennis E. Taylor. It's available in all formats: eBooks, Audiobooks, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

Overview

The "Bobs" continue to prepare to fight a Borg-like species determined to strip mine the galaxy while sending the remaining humans on Earth to other planets.

The Good

Ending an Epic. This book perfectly ended this massive epic by tying up all the loose ends, finishing all the subplots, and leaving the story at a point where a whole new epic could begin but doesn't have to. I felt very satisfied.

Philosophical Discussions/Dilemmas. While this is a science fiction story and space opera and includes a lot of cool scifi elements, the real story is about the nature of existence, identity, and the interactions of societies. This author does an excellent job of taking a well known scifi idea the readers will quickly be able to understand and be comfortable with and uses it to explore these philosophical and sociological ideas in great detail. Star Trek couldn't do any better.

Comedy. This book is filled with great humor and pop culture references.  For those who are into those, you won't be disappointed.

Ray Porter. Ray Porter may just well be the greatest reader ever. He is able to convey so much emotion without every going overboard or sounding over dramatic. He also reads so well that you feel like he is talking to you and not reading to you. The man can do no wrong.

The Bad

No Exposition. This story picks up right where the second novel ended with no exposition or explanation. This could be a problem for new readers. I know I've picked up books in the middle of a series and was grateful for the author at least briefly filling me in on what had come before.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish this had been a little longer. While I felt all the stories were fully developed and loose ends tied up, the shortness of the novel just didn't feel sufficient to end such a dramatic and epic story.  

Overall

All These Worlds: Bobiverse, Book 3 is a fitting ending to a really enjoyable trilogy. It continues to explore the same philosophical discussions and comedic tones readers enjoyed in the first two books while bringing the story and subplots to a satisfying conclusion. I give it a solid 5 out of 5 eReaders.

     

Book Review - Dogs of War: A Joe Ledger Novel by Jonathan Maberry

I picked up this book on a sale. As I read it, the names of the characters seemed awfully familiar. Then I realized I had read an earlier book in the series. The fact I didn't immediately recognize the series and characters had me worried that this book would be equally unmemorable.

Dogs of War: A Joe Ledger Novel is a science fiction, action, techno thriller by Jonathan Maberry. It's available in all formats: eBooks, Audiobooks, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Ray Porter. I know I sound like a broken record, but Ray Porter's narration was the number one reason I picked this up, and it was the best part of the story. He was at the top of his game giving each character such a unique voice and putting so much emotion into his performance.

Science. I love the edge of reality--it's such a fun place for science fiction to play--and this novel had much cutting edge and experimental science. Some of it like nanotech has been overdone, but others such as the unique use of disease and the novel designs of drones were a lot of fun.

References. This book is number 9 in the series and ties up events from the previous eight novels. I've only read two books in this series, but that was okay, because the author does an excellent job of summarizing events from previous books with enough detail that newcomers can follow it, but not so thoroughly that fans will get bored.


Ties Up The Series. This book takes most of the events from previous novels and ties them up into one giant conspiracy. Being a conspiracy theory fan, I really appreciated and enjoyed that. And it was done in a very logical, unforced way which I also appreciated. 

Great Villains. This book had some really great villains, all of them very different, and all explored sufficiently to make them interesting.

The Bad

Unoriginal Threats. This is a doomsday book with one group plotting to destroy the world for their own benefit. They use the usual back of tricks--disease, nanotech, robots, and AI. Some of it was novel, but a lot of it was pretty standard and a little stale.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I enjoyed the story, but I wish it hadn't been quite so predictable and taken all the obvious turns. I wish it had surprised me.

Overall

Dogs of War: A Joe Ledger Novel is an exciting science fiction conspiracy thriller about a small group with extensive resources using cutting edge science to destroy the world for their benefit and an elite government black ops team who fights to stop them. If that setup sounds familiar, the way it plays out won't surprise you. It's fun, it's exciting, it's incredibly well read, but nothing I haven't seen before. I give it 4 out of 5 eReaders.

    

Book Review: Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories by Peter Clines

I am a huge lover of short stories, especially science fiction short stories. I buy and read a lot of anthologies, but find myself disappointed by a good number of stories in almost any collection (Edmond Hamilton collections being an exception). The two books I've read by Peter Clines were both excellent and original, so I thought I'd give his short fiction a whirl.

Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories is a science fiction short story anthology by Peter Clines. It's an Audible original and exclusive.

The Good

Original Approach. Peter Clines takes the common, overused troupes of the science fiction and horror genres and gives each one a unique twist. I've never seen stories quite like these, which was a refreshing change.

Variety. Each story deals with a different genre from time travel to zombies to superheroes to magic to dime novel detectives, and each is done so well.

Development. The stories are very short, and yet almost none of them feel short. The characters feel sufficiently realized and fleshed out. The stories almost all have a beginning, middle, and end (unlike a lot of short stories that are little more than a scene that leaves you hanging). The ideas and messages are all clear. At the end of each story (with the exception of two), I felt satisfied, and yet still wanting a sequel.

Ray Porter. What more can be said about Ray Porter than what I've already written in other reviews. He is a master of his craft and at the height of his powers.

The Bad

Two Bad Stories. Only two of the stories weren't excellent, and they weren't so awful I had to skip past them.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

More stories!!

Overall

Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories by Peter Clines is an incredible anthology of science fiction and horror stories, each taking an original angle on a tried-and-true troupe of the genres. Even though the stories are short, they don't feel rushed or cut short. Each feels fully realized and left me satisfied while wanting a sequel. I give it a solid 5 out of 5 eReaders.

      

Book Review - The Art of Invisibility: The World's Most Famous Hacker Teaches You How to Be Safe in the Age of Big Brother and Big Data by Kevin Mitnick

Edward Snowden's revelations weren't really revelations to me, because I assumed the government and others were spying on me, but it still made me think about Internet privacy and what I could do to make it harder for others to see what I'm doing.

The Art of Invisibility: The World's Most Famous Hacker Teaches You How to Be Safe in the Age of Big Brother and Big Data is a nonfiction reference guide to maintaining privacy in a world of technology. It's available in all formats: eBooks, Audiobooks, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Information. This book is chuck full of information both on how your privacy is in danger and steps you can take to protect your privacy.

Ray Porter. Ray Porter is a great narrator who is easy to understand and puts such emotion in his performance that you feel every emotion the author is trying to convey.

The Bad

Reads Like a Reference Manual. This isn't a story but a reference manual that has stories to illustrate the points. The stories are really interesting, and the information is really good, but to read it cover to cover is not the most interesting thing to read. Also, technology is always changing, so some of the information was out of date before the book was published.

Focuses ONLY on Perfect Invisibility. This book focuses on perfect invisibility and how to achieve it through very extreme measures. Most people don't need that nor could they maintain it. It would be helpful to have more practical tips for a moderate amount of privacy you can achieve.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish this had been more interesting, but I'm not sure how to do that and still be a valuable reference manual. I also wish the author had given more levels of privacy and security. His point was absolute invisibility, which is impossible and requires extreme measures that are all for not if you make even one slip up.

Overall

The Art of Invisibility: The World's Most Famous Hacker Teaches You How to Be Safe in the Age of Big Brother and Big Data is an interesting book with a lot of good information on privacy and how much others are really watching you. There are many good tips for improving privacy, but being a book it won't be as up to date as a website could be, and many of the steps are too extreme for most people and most situations. I give it 3.5 out of 5 eReaders.