December 29, 2012

2012: Books 22 - 27



Title
Author
Review
The Time In Between
Maria Duenas
This gripping quick-twisting plot stole the majority of my waking hours over labor day weekend.  A well-researched novel telling tales of struggle, war, love loss, spies and personal triumph despite the adversity of Franco's Spain, Portugal, and the Spanish Protectorate in Morroco.
A Deepness In The Sky
Vernor Vinge
A great escape in the hard-core sci-fi tradition.  Space travel, aliens, mind control, linguistics between species, anthropology.  All wrapped in a gripping tale of war, long term planning, trading, and love.
The Best Of Me
Nicholas Sparks
A quick read cheeseball love story where all variables and characters are wrapped up in a perfect ending before page 300.  Sometimes you just want brain candy, and if so, this is a great option.
Sing You Home
Jodi Picoult
A gift from my mother written by her favorite author, which I sincerely enjoyed.  A great story of love and loss and family in all of its forms.
Zero History
William Gibson
Gibson at his modern day finest.  Proper nouns are laced with sparse language and dialog that leaves you struggling to understand and filling in the missing details with your own imagination.  His morphing take on modern day culture, technology, and the intermingling between the two is, as always fascinating.  This book was enjoyable enough that I have ordered Spook Country. I am a sucker for good plot, and Spook Country was roundly criticized for its failings in that area.  But Gibson's take on modern day culture in Zero History is enjoyable enough that I can't help but want to give it a try.
A fire upon the Deep
Vernor Vinge
Pham Nuyen returns.  Humans, aliens, interstellar war and general hard sci-fi nerdery.  Enjoyable, but not quite as good as "A Deepness In the Sky"

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