Ice, Iron and Gold by S. M. Stirling - a collection of alternate history/science fiction stories written over the years by Stirling. Lots of good stories, some set in the universes his novels are in and some not.  (100 books)

Death's Head: Maximum Offense by David Gunn - Sven Tveskoeg is back and just as deadly as ever, as he and his unit of misfits and rejects head to the artifical world of Hekati on a rescue mission. - with a new commanding officer, a greenhorn colonel who's never been in combat.  When the mission turns out to be fake, Sven wonders if he's being set up. Wouldn't be the first time. Violent, anti-anyone but his unit, 98.2% human, Sven is a seriously bad-ass soldier with a serious attitude problem.  Hmmm, my kind of guy.

Ombria in Shadow by Patricia A. McKillip - Copied from amazon.com:  In tone more gothic horror than straight fantasy, this somber novel lacks a clear protagonist, each character being more intent on finding his or her own path than fighting any clear battle. But the fine prose is nothing less than what one would expect from a World Fantasy Award winner, while the detailed portraits of the dying city coupled with the gloomy attitude of its citizenry are quite chilling. I copied it because that describes it better than I would ever be able to. I always love McKillip's work, but found this one less accessible than usual. (100 books, A to Z, BA)

Specials by Scott Westerfeld - I've enjoyed this series, but wouldn't say I loved it. Am still planning on reading the next one :)

Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley -  kind of a contemporary fantasy/science fiction blend.  Set in an alternate Earth, at a dragon preserve. Teen boy on his first solo overnight in the park finds a dead poacher, a dying dragon mother, and one live baby dragon.  Story is set as the book the guy wrote about what happened. Was good, but not great.  For great McKinley, read The Hero and the Crown, The Blue Sword, or Sunshine.

both: 100 books

Unfortunately not an especially thrilling bunch :(

Cauldron by Jack McDevitt - A failing space program gets a boost from a new star drive  and two veteran pilots get to return to deep space to test the drive and investigate some mysterious space objects. Vague description, I know :)  but the detail is too long. Book is readable and enjoyable, but has very little zip (I was going to say 'drive', but decided not to go there). Very slow throughout, and then the main mystery of the omegas is handled very quickly.  For fans mostly.

The Exchange Student by Kate Gilmore - Talk about a foreign exchange student! Fen is an alien from Chela, one of nine teen Chelans sent to Earth to live with human families and learn about life here. 16 year old Daria isn't thrilled to have Fen come into her home, but when she realizes he is as much an animal lover as she is, she opens up. She is a registered zookeeper, helping to breed endangered animals. But Fen and friends do have an ulterior motive. Which, thankfully, isn't the cliched 'eating humans' motive - though, at points, I did wish it was(Daria's sister is a stereotypical fashion fanatic teenager). Nice stuff about animals and ecological disasters.    (YAC)

Tracing the Shadow by Sarah Ash - Plot is extremely complex. Interesting characters, nice magical feel with some very different types of magic. Some good action, but loads of explication. Almost too many characters. Felt like more of a setup for the next book(s). Would be interested in the next one and in her other books. Good writing.

Flora Segunda by Ysabeau Wilce - First the purely silly - great cover to the hardback and I love the author's first name (yes, I'm a Ladyhawke fan & a Guy Gavriel Kay fan). Another complex plot, with good characters, with way too much explication as compared to the action. Some very inventive, original ideas that could have used some better editing. But would be interesting in at least looking at the next one.  (YAC)

all books: 100 books

The Stars Down Under by Sandra McDonald - I just love it when you get a good sequel :)  A combination of  of military science fiction and Australian aboriginal myth, this book has Jodenny Scott and Terry Myell grounded and on base due to the events of The Outback Stars but life doesn't stay quiet for long. Harrassed at work for his unorthodox career (and marriage) track, Myell is conscripted at gunpoint by members of a research unit investigating the mysterious gateways that allow instantaneous travel between the stars. Wild, weird stuff. Looking forward to the next one - hoping the loose ends are tied up.

Dragon Harper by Anne & Todd McCaffrey - Kindan, a young harper apprentice, becomes tasked with searching archives to see if there are ny clues to a mysterious flu-like virus attacking everywhere on Pern. The dragonriders come up short in this one due to the need for them to stay healthy to fight the coming Thread. I enjoyed it - I like learning about the inner workings of Harper Hall and the apprentices. Interesting parallels to the 1918 outbreak and the more recent SARS. The older books are still better, but it's a nice way to while away some time. (EMAH)

Moon Flights by Elizabeth Moon - Short story collection. Some SF, including one set in the Vatta's War universe(well, pre-Vatta's War series), some fantasy, mostly Chicks In Chainmail stories, and one historical military fiction.  Definitely readable, but I'm not really a short story person.

Commitment Hour by James Alan Gardner - peripherally connected to his League of Peoples/Expendable Crew Members series. In Tober Cove, the young people alternate gender from year to year until they turn 20. Then they must make the Commitment and choose the gender that they will remain for the rest of their lives. There are the usual male and female choices, plus a third choice of becoming a hermaphrodite, or Neut. But Neuts are scorned and driven out of the village. But this year, the year that Fullin and Cappie will Commit, a scientist (also feared and scorned in this village) shows up to observe, along with his companion, a Neut whose reasons for being there are hugely complicated and very deadly. Interesting concept, not as great a follow through. First parts of the book drag somewhat, but action picks up towards the last part. LOTS of expounding on gender roles. An okay read - his other books are much more interesting.



all books: 100 books (3/4s of the way!)

Victory Conditions by Elizabeth Moon -  fifth and final installment in the Vatta's War series. Definitely not a standalone - start from book one and go from there. Consistently good - good characters,  good plot, good writing. Ky Vatta is in charge of the fleet going after the pirate Turek, who targeted her family for destruction. Stella is dealing with lovestruck teenagers and piratical sympathisers. Rafe is trying to clean up the company's mess while dealing with a semi-supportive board of directors, while Aunt Grace is running security on Slotter Key and regrowing her arm. Good ending to the story, while leaving revisiting possible.

Endless Blue by Wen Spencer - A missing ship's warp drive reappears and on a mission to find out where it came from, a new world and new aliens are found, along with a possible way to stop the war going on back in the rest of the universe. That is the short, uncomplicated version :)
The long version is *very* complicated - and the new world is confusing, but this has great characters. Real, flawed, confused and absorbing.


both: 100 books, A to Z

Crystal Rain by Tobias Buckell - Kind of hard to explain :) But I'll try. A nice mix of cultures transplanted to a new world, combined with the destruction of the technology that brought them there, results in a retreat to frontier times. But an enemy bent on subjugation and sacrifice mean forcing an amnesiac to retrieve his memories to regain needed technology. I did enjoy it after I got past the Caribbean patois, which threw me for a bit. (A to Z)

Ragamuffins by Tobias Buckell - sequel but much more typically SF. Spaceships and guns :)  The aliens who control most of the galaxy have decided that humans need to be eliminated. Humans, of course, fight back.  A young woman, Nashara, has been implanted with a virus that could help take down the computer networks of the aliens' minions - but her survival afterwards is uncertain. The two books connect when the wormholes between the worlds are reopened, allowing the planet on one end and the ships on the other to seek help from each other.  I'll be looking for more from Buckell definitely!

The Service of the Sword by David Weber et. al - a Worlds of Honor story collection. I love Honor Harrington and her universe. Several excellent military sf authors offer up stories. Good stuff.(888)

The Night Room by E.M. Goldman - A group of high school students are offered a chance to to participate in "Argus", a VR program that lets you see yourself 10 years in the future at their high school reunion. The only problem is that one of them isn't alive. So the group decide to try to stop one's future death, which may have been planned by a vengeful computer hacker. Characters start off fairly stereotypical, but develop real personalities as the story goes on. Entertaining, but not essential. (YAC)

all books: 100 books

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer - I enjoyed this (not surprised as I usually like Pfeffer's work) - a meteor hits the moon and knocks it closer to Earth, resulting in catastrophic climate changes.  Told journal-style, teenager Miranda tells of life after the strike - the fear, the hoarding of supplies, and dealing with life and family in the face of possible death.  (YAC challenge, A to Z)

Strays by Ron Koertge - was good. 16 year old Ted is placed in foster care after the death of his parents.  Ted is used to spending most of his time with animals - his dad owned a pet store and they had lots of pets. Now he's at a new inner-city school, dealing with all new people and trying to deal with his parents' deaths. Nice side element of Ted talking with animals and how his new life affects that.  (A to Z)

Long May She Reign by Ellen Emerson White - Oh, man, I was so jazzed to find out this book had come out - I love the President's Daughter series. Meg is close to the edge after her kidnapping ordeal and the follow-up medical ordeals to fix her hand and knee. Feeling trapped at the White House, she decides to go ahead and go off to college, where she finds things aren't much easier - the Secret Service invasion hasn't endeared her to her dorm mates and the papparazzi annoy them all; her health issues continue; plus there's getting to know new people and the whole college experience.  Meg is a great character and White tells a great story.  (YAC challenge, A to Z)

Dark Congress (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) by Christopher Golden - An ancient goddess is released and the Dark Congress convenes to determine whether demons will continue to live in the shadows or come out into the open to prey upon humans. Old grudges will be brought to the table and the demons will need an arbiter. And they have chosen - Buffy Summers. Fun.

Genesis Alpha by Rune Michaels - Josh was a designer baby - born so his stem cells could be used to save his older brother Max, who was dying of cancer. Now Max is in jail, charged with murder. Is Max guilty? And if he is, is it Josh's fault? Something in his genes?  The dead girl's sister seems to think so.  Good thriller - interesting look at genetic engineering, also gaming (title refers to a game all four kids play)

Prom Anonymous by Blake Nelson - meh. Readable, but kind of predictable. Maybe because I didn't go to my prom? (and don't feel I missed out on much)  It's fun fluff, with some more mature issues (sex and drugs). It might pair well with the movie Pretty In Pink - man, James Spader was so delightfully nasty :) (A to Z, YAC)

all books: 100 books

edited 2/28/08 to add last book

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld - Second in the Uglies trilogy. Tally has become a pretty and has forgotten much of her time in the Smoke. But a party crasher leads her to a hidden stash: 2 pills and a letter from herself, written while still ugly. She and new boyfriend Zane each take a pill and then try to get the other pretties in their group to remember and to challenge the status quo. Definitely have to read in order, but a very good follow-up - now I have to get Specials and Extras. (challenge: YAC)

Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz - Paranormal romantic thriller. Raine is settling her late aunt Vella's estate when psychic sensibilites lead her to find a bound, kidnapped young woman in a padlocked room in the basement. Entering her life immediately after is P.I. Zack Jones, also a sensitive, who asks for her assistance. They have an immediate connection, but there is a huge complication - he works for the Arcane Society, the group she blames for her father's death. And his offer of letting her have copies of her father's case file are enhanced by the idea of working with someone who understands and shares her abilities. I love Krentz (and her alter ego Amanda Quick) - zippy dialogue, quick action, speedy plots - she'd fall into the guilty pleasures category, except that I don't feel guilty about reading :)   (challenge: Pub)

Heartsick by Chelsea Cain - With shades of Silence of the Lambs, Cain's detective Archie Sheridan is in charge of a regrouped task force charged with finding the killer of several local teen girls. His investigation is complicated by the addition of a reporter and  his weekly visits to Gretchen Lowell, an incarcerated serial killer with whom he has an intense personal connection - he was to be one of her victims, but instead she let him live and torments him with the prospect of more bodies. Cool :)  Archie is a great protagonist and Lowell is one serious deranged individual.

The 47th Samurai by Stephen Hunter - Bob Lee Swagger finds himself in Japan, delivering a sword taken as a prize of war during WWII, to the son of the man his father fought during battle. Bob Lee really likes Philip Yano and his family and is stunned to find out that they've all (except the youngest girl) been slaughtered soon after he left. Bob Lee immerses himself into the world of the samurai, determined to  avenge the Yano family. I agree with reviews that Bob Lee's swordsmanship requires total destruction of believeability, but I thought the passion of the man believeable and the samurai and sword lore was excellent.

(challenges all books: 100 books, A to Z)

The Man With the Golden Torc by Simon R. Green - nice mystery/fantasy mix

The Sunrise Lands by S. M. Stirling - continuation of the Change series, with Rudi going to investigate Nantucket. Ends on a cliffhanger - argh!

So far this month:

2 teen novels: 
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Richard Yancey - good story with interesting take on King Arthur - and what happened later.

Uglies by Scott Westerfield - got to put the next one on hold :)

Mystery:
One-Way Ticket by WIlliam G. Tapply - love this series

Nonfiction:
Overcoming Overeating by Jane R. Hirschmann and Carol H. Munter - very good.


Still a few days left in the month, we'll see what else I get read :)

Jumper: Griffin's Story by Steven Gould  -  the Jumper books are being made into a movie, so, of course, things got changed. This book goes more with the movie universe and not the book universe. Still entertaining, but the first two books are better.

A Meeting At Corvallis by S. M. Stirling  -  The Mackenzies and the Bearkillers finally have their showdown with the Protectorate in this excellent alternate Earth, where technology quit working around 10 years before.

Darkness Falls by Keith DeCandido  -  Movie tie-in - was okay.

Shoot Him If He Runs by Stuart Woods - newest Stone Barrington & Holly Barker

 I always enjoy these - good mind-candy.

Legend: An Event Group Thriller by David Lynn Golemon

The cover blurb compares this to the early works of Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, both of whom I read both together and in their solo works. The comparison is fairly apt, I think - take something from history; mix in a little supernatural; throw in some good guys, bad guys, and questionable guys; and cut them off from help. Stir well and, voilà, Michael Jackson! Umm... thriller! For this one, also add military :)  For the record, I like P&C better - this one got a bit draggy a couple of times. Probably not something I'd reread, but I'll look at the next one and see what it looks like.