The History Book Club discussion

Mike G, here is your new thread for 2012.

Our Format:

JANUARY

1. Winston S. Churchill

Finish date: March 2008

Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)

Rating: A

Review or a Few Words about book: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.

Note: I will delete required format post once you get started.

JANUARY

1. by Stephen King

Finish date: January 10 2012

Genre: SF

Rating: B-

A time travel story in which the main character tries to prevent the Kennedy assassination, which is harder then it sounds because history tries to defend itself. Not a bad story but much like King's Under the Dome, I was unhappy with the ending. Overall I'm glad I read it.

2. James Richard Warner

Finish date: January 11 2012

Genre: NF

Rating: C

Actually only about a dozen reasons why you should choose another profession, especially number 101 - shortened lifespan. The rest of the reasons given, while all true, are more like annoyances. A short book that is worth reading if you think you want to become a cop.

3. by Colson Whitehead

Finish date: January 13 2012

Genre: SF

Rating: B

Zombie story that never uses the word zombie. The undead are brought about by some type of plague. As the story begins the survivors are beginning to reclaim New York City. Whitehead has some thought provoking things to say about today's popular culture. I saw the end coming from about a mile away but this was still an enjoyable book.

4. by Anthony Bjorklund

Finish date: January 25 2012

Genre: Fiction

Rating: B-

After Jack Danielson is almost killed in a car accident he gives up his job, his girlfriend, and his condo and leaves Minneapolis for warmer climes. A fun story that somewhat reminded me of Tully Mars. A good story for all of us who have considered chucking everything and living life like a Jimmy Buffett song.

5. by Shaun Morey

Finish date: January 26 2012

Genre: Fiction

Rating: B

Atticus Fish is a retired lawyer living in Baja California, he got rich by winning a class action lawsuit against god. The story involves drugs, crime, fishing, and Mexico. Sort of Carl Hiaasen goes to Mexico. A fun book to kill an afternoon with. Hopefully we'll get some further adventures of Atticus Fish.

6. by David Drake

Finish date: January 26 2012

Genre: SF/Horror

Rating: B

A collection of Drake's short stories. Mostly military SF with some horror thrown in. If you like Drake, you'll like this. Most of the stories have been published previously, but not recently.

7. by Bernard Cornwell

Finish date: January 26 2012

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: C+

Two short stories featuring Richard Sharpe. If you have to read every Sharpe story then read these. If you haven't read any of the Sharpe books yet, this is not the place to start.

February
8. by David Kowalski

Finish date: February 2 2012

Genre: SF

Rating: C+

Time traveller attempts to save the Titanic, but all he does it push back the sinking by a few hours. All sorts of changes ensue. Some folks from the future decide to change the world back to the way it was supposed to be before war ends life on earth. Overall an enjoyable book with a few minor issues.

March
9. by Karl Marlantes

Finish date: March 8 2012

Genre: NF

Rating: B

Marlantes uses his experiences in Vietnam as a jumping off point for a discussion into how soldeiers should be trained prior to combat and how they should be treated afterwards to lessen the effects of PTSD. Marlantes delves into some pretty deep philosophy and psychology which I was wasn't expecting based on the title, however he makes a number of good points. Definately worth reading.

10. by Fred Reed

Finish date: March 9 2012

Genre: Mystery

Rating: B-

Reed recently released two books on KDP that he wrote but couldn't get published in the 1990s. This is the first and better of the two, a more or less standard mystery that benefits from Reed's knowledge of Washington DC and its police department. He does a good job of capturing the early 90's atmosphere. If you like gritty non-PC police stories/mysteries, give this a try. Extra credit for reminding me about The Nighthawks.

11. by Fred Reed

Finish date: March 9 2012

Genre: Mystery

Rating: C

The second of Reed's 1990's DC mysteries. Similar to the first, including some recycled discriptions and lines. This one involves a serial killer and I found it a little lacking compared to the first one.

12. by Bernard Cornwell

Finish date: March 9 2012

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: B-

13. by Officer Mac

Finish date: March 13 2012

Genre: NF

Rating: F

Whatever you do, don't read this book. If you do, don't blame me.

14. by Ralph Peters

Finish date: March 30 2012

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: B+

A fictional account of the Battle of Gettysburg to rival The Killer Angels.

April
15. by David Weber

Finish date: April 2 2012

Genre: SF

Rating: C-

Book number 17 in the Honor Harrington series and substantially shorter than the most recent volumes. Unfortunately, not much happens in this book, and much of that action that does take place, happens off camera with the reader only hearing about what happened and not actually witnessing the events.

16. by Eric Flint and David Weber

Finish date: April 4 2012

Genre: SF

Rating: C
There was nothing particularly wrong with the book or story, I was just uninterested in the characters and what happened to them.

17. by Stephen W. Sears

Finish date: April 11 2012

Genre: History - American Civil War

Rating: A

Probably the best battle study of Sharpsburg and possibly the best of any Civil War battle. If you have an interest in the ACW you really should read this.

18. by Tobias S. Buckell

Finish date: April 19 2012

Genre: SF

Rating: B

Global warming isn't as bad as you thought it was going to be.

19. by Herb Silverman

Finish date: April 19 2012

Genre: Bio

Rating: B-

Interesting bio of a atheist math professor at a bible belt college.

20. by Mary Shelley

Finish date: April 23 2012

Genre: Classic/SF

Rating: B

Not Boris Karloff.

21. by P.J. O'Rourke

Finish date: April 25 2012

Genre: Humor/Politics

Rating: B-

Worth reading, but if you're never read O'Rourke before, this is not a good place to start.

22. by Joby Warrick

Finish date: April 26 2012

Genre: NF

Rating: A-

Well written story of Humam Khalil al-Balawi, the Jordanian doctor, turned suicide bomber who killed seven CIA employees in a bombing at the Khost CIA station. Best book I've read about post-9/11 CIA.

May
23. by Tom Kratman

Finish date: May 3 2012

Genre: SF

Rating: C-

I’m of two minds about this book, good set-up, little payoff.

24. by Bob Drury

Finish date: May 7 2012

Genre: NF - Vietnam War

Rating: B+

An account of the final days of America in Vietnam as seen through the eyes of the last Americans to leave, the Marine Security Guards assigned to the embassy in Saigon. Even knowing the final outcome, the book manages to create a feeling of suspense. If no one has bought the movie rights to this book yet, they're missing out. Great book.

25. ed. Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Finish date: May 9 2012

Genre: SF

Rating: B-

A collection of SF short stories published on Tor.com during 2011. Most of the stories were interesting enough to keep reading, although there were a couple that I had to struggle to finish and one which I gave up on.

26. by Mark Mazower

Finish date: May 16 2012

Genre: History

Rating: B-

If your knowledge of Balkan history begins and ends with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand then this might be the book for you.

27. by Stephen King-Hall

Finish date: May 16 2012

Genre: Fiction

Rating: C-

I was under the impression that this was an actual diary from a First World War U-Boat commander, so it's my own fault that I read this. It's actually a fictional romance between a U-Boat commander and a girl he meets while on leave in Belgium. As a romance it's not bad, but it was not really my cup of tea.

Mike you have been one busy guy with the reading line-up! I give anyone extra credit for actually finishing a book that they rated an F - must have been a painful experience but you saw it through. Love it.

28. by David Swinson

Finish date: May 18 2012

Genre: Mystery/ Police Procedural

Rating: B+

A good first book by a good guy.

29. by Ulysses S. Grant

Finish date: June 3, 2012

Genre: Memoir/History

Rating: A

From the Mexican War to the fall of Vicksburg.

30. by Steve Umstead

Finish date: June 3, 2012

Genre: SF

Rating: B

Well-written and a good story.

31. by Joseph Nassise

Finish date: June 10, 2012

Genre: SF

Rating: B

Red Baron and zombies!

32. by Douglas Dorow

Finish date: June 17, 2012

Genre: Thriller

Rating: B-

FBI vs. Bank Robber. Lots of unanswered questions at the end.

33. by Tim Weiner

Finish date: June 18, 2012

Genre: Non-Fiction

Rating: A-

History of the CIA.

34. by Steve Umstead

Finish date: June 23, 2012

Genre: SF

Rating: B

The story continues. Unfortunately the big surprise, isn't.

35. by Steve Umstead

Finish date: June 27, 2012

Genre: SF

Rating: C+

Weakest of the trilogy, but still not bad.

36. by Barbara W. Tuchman

Finish date: July 4, 2012

Genre: History

Rating A-

Interesting and well-written account of the German effort to gain Mexico (and Japan) as a ally against the U.S. dutring the First World War.

Mike G, good progress and you are doing a pretty good job with the format; just one small edit needs to be done on all of your entries. Before your reviews - make sure to simply add the category header word - Review: before you start the written portion of the review itself.