Finally, here is my booklist for 2012.  It is not set in stone, of course, as I am sure new books will get added and others will be removed.

Not pictured is The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack, which I’ve already started reading.  Actually, just barely started.  Although I have increased my painting so far this year, reading is not doing so well.  I need to start setting aside time to read, again, if I’m going to get through this pile!

Here they are, in no meaningful order, other than that’s how they ended up on the shelf.

• Flaming Zeppelins – Joe Lansdale
• The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man  – Mark Hodder
• The Edinburgh Dead – Brian Ruckley
• Johannes Cabal: The Detective – Jonathan Howard
• Night of the Living Trekkies – Kevin Anderson and Sam Stall
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
• The Affinity Bridge – George Mann
• Dead Iron – Devon Monk
• Boneshaker – Cherie Priest
• The Society of Steam: The Falling Machine – Andrew Mayer
• The Buntline Special – Mike Resnick
• Destroyermen: Into the Storm – Taylor Anderson
• Star Wars: Death Troopers – Joe Schreiber
• Indiana Jones and the Hollow Earth – Max McCoy
• Indiana Jones and the Seven Veils – Rob MacGregor
• Rogue Angel: Destiny – Alex Archer
• Steampunk’d – Jean Rabe and Martin Greenberg (eds.)
• The Snow Queen’s Shadow – Jim Hines
• Soulless – Gail Carriger
• Flip This Zombie – Jesse Petersen

I can already see a few that might not get read, or at least pushed way back on the list.  Technically, since I don’t have a set order.  I usually pick a handful of books and let my wife choose.  Normally she does it with this eyes-closed, touching-feeling-energy thing of hers.  She’s weird like that.

I would like to get two books read a month.  That’s not a lot to ask, but I do need to force myself to make time.  I read best when I’m on the TTC (Toronto’s public transit system), but I can also get a few pages done at night once my wife goes to bed. 

Thanks for reading.

Like my AAR-like gaming posts, I’ve decided the new year calls for a new format for my book posts, as well.  Especially now that I’ve finished the New Jedi Order series.

New year.  New reading list.  New style.

Or something like that.

Anywho, let’s stop rambling and move on to the reason for this post: tonight I’m starting Mark Hodder’s Burton & Swinburne in The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack.

Cover borrowed from the publisher’s website, PYR, where you can read more about the book.

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Waitaminute.  I just realised something.  Crap.

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This means I’m going to need two posts per book, one “Now Reading” and one “Now Finished.”  That just won’t do.

Okay, okay…so this ISN’T going to be the new format of my book posts.  Nevermind.  Sorry for getting you excited. 

I’ll have to come up with something else.  Oh brother. 

I need more sleep.

Well, it’s over.  That’s all she wrote. This is the end…my friend.

The end of the New Jedi Order!  At minutes before midnight I read the final page of the final novel in the 19-book series.  And it only took me three years of on-and-off reading to do it!

Before I go on, it looks like someone else finally finished the series as well, not long ago.  Good for you, sir!

So, the novel of course needs to bring an end to five years of warfare with the extra-galactic race of invading aliens, the Yuuzhan Vong.  Numerous plotlines need to come together, story arcs need to be finished, and some sort of resolution needs to come to the war.  It all happens in this book, and James Luceno does a pretty good job of making it happen.

I don’t want to give any of the secrets away, and there are some big secrets here.  Really, I wouldn’t even know where to begin.  I’ll let you check out some other sites to hear about what happens (I know, total cop-out!).

Through all 19 books, a lot of stuff happens.  A lot of worlds fall, a lot of people (even major, recognizable and popular characters) die.  There are big battles, great philosophical debates and a lot of other action and events that pull you into reading the series.  I felt that even the slower books added enough to the whole story arc to be good reads.  The Unifying Force brings all of this to a climax, and let me tell you, there is some eye-popping, edge-of-your-seat climactic action in this book.

I am really glad I stuck through to the end of this series.  I quite enjoyed it as a whole, even though it sort of sucked three years of brain-power and reading-time from me.  But this will probably be the last of the Star Wars novels I read for a while.  Not because I don’t have anymore…I own nearly every paperback released, only missing a bunch of those published over the last two years or so.  That amounts to over a hundred, and that’s just the adult novels (I do own many of the young adult and kids novels too).  I’ve been collecting them since the late 90s, and haven’t stopped.  I will definitely get back to reading them again, but since the majority that I haven’t read yet are one-offs (as opposed to trilogies and mini-series), I can read them interspersed among the other books I will be reading, and not have to worry about reading them close enough together to make sure I remember what’s going on, like I did with the New Jedi Order series.

I meant to take a picture tonight of the shelf of books on my 2012 reading list, but I didn’t get a chance.  That will have to wait until tomorrow, when I will also announce which book I am starting.  It’ll be a big deal, not only as the first to be started in 2012, but also the first after being freed from the grip of the NJO series (again, glad I read them, no regrets!).

Anyway, I know this post wasn’t very…helpful…creative…exciting…but it’s late.  Yeah, that’s my excuse.  Hopefully from now on my book-related posts will include a bit more thorough a review.

Until then…

Last night on the way to Meeplemart I finished the penultimate volume in the New Jedi Order series, The Final Prophecy, by Greg Keyes.

I must say, I think this was the most captivating book of the series.  The pace was fast, the two main plots exciting, and the action plentiful.  I have to look back and see if I enjoyed Keyes’ other contributions to the NJO series as much as this.

Of course I don’t want to give away too much of what happens, but I’ll say a few things.  The book follows two main storylines: Tahiri and Corran Horn picking up some well-known Vong, and Wedge leading the Battle of Bilbringi.

The first storyline is the main one,w here the two Jedi are contacted by Nen Yim (the heretic shaper), Nom Anor (in his Prophet disguise) and Harrar (the curious priest).  The three each want to travel to Zonoma Sekot to discover its secrets, whether it holds some long-lost key to Yuuzhan Vong history, is the living planet of legend, and why Overlord Shimrra is so afraid of it.  The two Jedi travel to Couruscant (Yuuzhan’tar), secretly get in, contact the rogue Vong, and escape again in a half-organic, half-constructed ship originating from Sekot.  They get there, and things heat up.

The second storyline follows Wedge Antilles commanding part of a three-prong attack on Bilbringi, which ends up being a disaster because of new Vong technology that somehow disrupts the HoloNet communication lines.  Wedge and his battlegroup are on their own and have to fight an increasingly-losing battle.  Jaina and Twin Suns is also in the battlegroup, and is part of the action.

We don’t see much of Luke and the gang on Zonoma Sekot, but we do see a little of Han and Leia, who get involved in trying to help Wedge.

Otherwise there are some awesome space battle scenes, a bit of scientific talk, some Vong-human cooperation, some hidden agendas and backstabbing, new secrets revealed and lots of other great action.  I really enjoyed this novel and I am both elated and saddened to finally be on the last book of the NJO series.

So, Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: The Final Prophecy goes back to the bookshelf, and off comes the last book, The Unifying Force.  This is big news, as after three years of reading a mix of Star Wars and other books, I am finally finishing this series.  I will be putting Star Wars books on the shelf, literally and figuratively, for a bit as I have a tonne of other books I need to read, including a heck of a lot of steampunk-themed books.  I will probably throw a Star Wars novel into the mix in the coming year, but I’m not sure yet. 

Thanks for reading.

*Cover image taken from Wookiepedia.

Well, today while the baby was sleeping I finally finished the third-to-last book in the NJO series! Yay!

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And I do mean finally! If you look back, I finished my last book on September 30.  That’s almost a month and a half ago!  Way too long.  But I’ve been hecka busy lately.  Even my gaming has gone down to one day a week, for the most part.  So sad.

Anyway, Williams and Dix wrapped-up their Force Heretic trilogy nicely here.  Two of the sub-plots were pretty much finalised, with the two Alliance groups (i.e. our favourite main characters) completing their missions.  The third sub-plot, with Nom Anor, has come to a mighty twist, and now we’ll have to see what happens to him and his quest for vengeance and return to power.

I don’t know what else I can say about this book, other than it is a good end to the trilogy, which itself was a good addition to the New Jedi Order series as a whole.  We’ve seen some new characters and the return of old ones; we’ve seen small defeats and major victories; we’ve seen the culmination of ‘years’ of struggles.  The book would not make much sense if you haven’t read the others in the trilogy.

So, Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Force Heretic III: Reunion goes back to the bookshelf.  As I only have a month and a half before the end of the year, it’s on to the second-to-last book in the NJO series.  I need to get ‘er read quickly.  In fact, I need to sign off now so I can go start that one!

Good night.

*The image was borrowed from Wookiepedia.

This series has the longest.  titles.  ever.

I finished a book in less than three weeks! Yay!  On my way to gaming tonight I finished the last three pages of Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Force Heretic II: Refugee by Sean Williams and Shane Dix.

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Which of course meant the other half-hour there, and the hour back home I had nothing to read, other than game rules.  Yeesh.

Anyway, this book was good.  Williams and Dix are fine writers.  I never felt bored or anything, as the pace was decent, the plot was suited to the overall Yuuzhan Vong story arc, the action was sparce but good.  I think the dialogue was pretty good here, heavier on politics with a touch of the philosophy that has tended to be part of the New Jedi Order stories, especially surrounding Jacen.  A couple of small twists and shockingly-good surprises in the story, which really make me want to keep on going and see what comes up in the next book.

The Force Heretic trilogy follows three subplots: Han, Leia, Jaina, Jag and 3P0 running around making sure the galaxy stays strong and united against the Vong invasion; Luke, Mara, Jacen, Danni and Saba off hunting for Zonoma Sekot, the living planet that might help win the war; and Nom Anor, disgraced executor seeking retribution by spreading a pro-Jeedai (Jedi) heresy among the Shamed Ones caste.  I think these three plots are great, keeping all of the characters in the action, while slowly-but-surely bringing the entire story arc to an end.  What that end will be, I have no idea.  Will any more major characters die?  Will they take back Coruscant?  And many more questions to be answered.

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Force Heretic II: Refugee goes back to the bookshelf.  Now, I can either move on to the last book of this little trilogy, and the third last book in the New Jedi Order series, Reunion, or I can continue my Star Wars-other-Star Wars-other pattern.  Originally I told myself I would speed up the Star Wars books, as I want to guarantee that I finish the NJO books by the end of the year.  But now that I’ve finished this book in much less time than usual, I might not have to.  Hrm.  I’ll decide tomorrow, I guess.  Toss a coin, or something.

*Cover image has been borrowed from Wookiepedia, the Star Wars Wiki.

I was surprised this morning to find a package in my mailbox. 

I wasn’t expecting anything, and it didn’t feel like minis or anything else that I’ve gotten in the mail recently.  Upon opening, I discovered that it was a copy of The Edinburgh Dead, by Brian Ruckley!

You see, about a month ago I got back to reading more.  I’ve always got a book on the go, but depending on how busy life is, or what I’m currently obsessed with, I may not read so much.  For instance, in May my son, Aidan-Grey, was born.  Yay!  At the same time, I started driving most places I went (namely gaming nights), instead of taking public transit.  Public transit is a great way to find time to read.  This is one reason why I don’t have a smartphone or an iPad.  I feel that if I get one of these, my priorities will shift and I’ll never pick up a book!

Anyway, about a month ago I got back into reading.  I somehow stumbled onto the books news and review site, Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist, probably looking for a review of one of the many books I’ve seen recently at Chapters or Indigo that has looked interesting.

Patrick often has book giveaways, and a recent one was for Ruckley’s The Edinburgh Dead.  So, clearly I put in my name and voila, I won!  I now have a shiney new copy of the book to add to my to-read list.  I have a feeling it’ll be high on the list, too.

Speaking of that list, when I get a chance I’ll organise and take a picture of the books that are coming up.  I went on a total shopping spree recently when Chapters-Indigo had their “Buy 3, Get 1 Free” sale.  I’m a sucker for this sale, and I often pick up a few books.  This time around I went three (or was it four) times, and now have quite a number of books added to my already stupidly-large collection.  Most of the recent purchases are steampunk, and I think all of them can be found in the Science Fiction and Fantasy sections of bookstores.  Anyway, more on those later.

Until then, thanks again to Patrick (and publisher Orbit) for the book, and for such a great site – news, reviews, interviews, as well as links to other book blogs and publisher’s sites.

I used to keep track of the books I read on facebook.  But for some reason I haven’t recorded any of the books I read this year!  Weird.  So I thought, maybe I should do so here on the blog.  It’ll get me writing on it more (not much more, as I don’t read fast enough these days), and I like keeping track of things like this.  I also record my boardgame plays on BoardGameGeek, fyi.

A few hours ago I finished reading Broken Honour by Robert Earl. 

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It’s a Black Library novel set in the Warhammer Fantasy world, focusing on the ongoing fight between the Empire and the Beastmen.

The story follows the Gentleman’s Free Company of Hergig, a ragtag bunch of ex-prisoners and their mercenary captain, as they trek through the lands of Hochland, encountering ravenous hordes of Beastmen on numerous occassions.  There are a handful of sub-stories interwoven throughout as well, including one that follows the Beastlord himself.

I very much enjoyed the book.  Heh, this is something you’ll hear me say a lot about the books I read, the games I play and the movies I watch.  I’m easy to please, which makes my reviews somewhat skewed to the positive.  Anyway, Broken Honour is an entertaining read, especially if you enjoy the Warhammer world, and especially if you enjoy the Empire or Beastmen factions in it.  I picked up the book at the height of my interest in the Empire, and even though I’m less invested now, I still enjoyed all of the references to the playable army book and background.  Throughout the story you meet and hear about all sorts of units and characters that you’d recognize from the tabletop game.  Which makes the read a touch more interesting and familiar.

The writing is pretty fast-paced.  When I read a book, if I can imagine it as a movie (or mini-series, if it’s too long), then I am content.  The story never drags, which is in part attributed to the interwoven stories, and how they are woven…inter…ly.  Chapters are divided amongst the various sub-stories simply, with merely a break between them.  And each chapter might go back and forth between the stories a couple of times each.  With potential for chopiness, it actually flowed well, and quickly.

Overall, I’d be happy to recommend Broken Honour, again, especially to those who have an interest in Warhammer, the Empire or Beastmen.  Even without knowledge or interest in the game, one should be able to enjoy this book.  The pace and the action really hold the book up through its 409 pages.

Broken Honour goes back to the bookshelf.  Next to read is Star Wars – The New Jedi Order: Force Heretic II: Refugee by Sean Williams and Shane Dix, fourth last book in the NJO series.

*Cover image has been borrowed from The Black Library.