My 2008 Reading Wrap-Up

*Caution, my OCD-prone nature is about to rear-it's ugly, Excel loving head.

In 2008, I read/listened to fifty books. Of those fifty books, only one was a re-read; The Sunrise Lands by S. M. Stirling. Which means, needless to say, that book is in my top reads list for the year. But seeing as I wanted to do something different this year with my "top reads" list, I did a "net worth" list instead. I ranked books on how much they were worth compared to how much I paid for them. So, with that in mind, let's cover the worst of the year.

The Three Books I Couldn't Finish:
#1 - Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley (cost $1.64 / value $0 = 0%)
#2 - The Disappeared by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (cost $14.95 / value $0 = 0%)
#3 - Roughing It by Mark Twain (cost $0 / value $0 = 0%)

Now, before you roast me for putting Twain in there, he was free, so chill out. And I love Twain, so chill out some more. But I just couldn't stomach this one, so I had to stop reading it. The Disappeared was, well, hard to get into. And Winterbirth had some way crazy names and characters I couldn't follow.

The Lowest Net Worth:
#1 - Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (cost $49.95 / value $2.50 = 5%)
#2 - Dark Lord by Ed Greenwood (cost $14.95 / value $1.95 = 13%)
#3 - The Ancient by R. A. Salvatore (cost $44.95 / value $9.95 = 22%)

Yes, part of me feels shamed that Salvatore, my once all-time favorite author, is on this list, but I think my reading habits have developed beyond puberty now and I'm ready to expand my horizons. At least a little. Brown's book was by far the most disappointing book. I was so hyped after Da Vinci that this like was a limp noodle next to it.

The Highest Net Worth:
#1 - Dies the Fire by S. M. Stirling (cost $5.95 / value $7.95 = 134%)
#2 - Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie (cost $15.00 / value $19.99 = 133%)
#3 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (cost $39.99 / value $39.99 = 100%)
tie - The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon (cost $39.95 / value $39.95 = 100%)
tie - The Protector's War by S. M. Stirling (cost $14.95 / value $14.95 = 100%)
tie - A Meeting at Corvallis by S. M. Stirling (cost $14.95 / value $14.95 = 100%)
tie - The Sunrise Lands by S. M. Stirling (cost $14.95 / value $14.95 = 100%)

Feel free to call me lame on this list, but hey, they were good books. And yes, Stirling is on the list with four titles. So sue me, I like his work. Chabon's Yiddish book is likely the biggest surprise. Never would have figured it would amount to much but the guy is an artist that paints with words and prose. Abercrombie is, well, the king. Rowling's book was okay, but I really needed that ending. Without it, I think I would have given it a much lower ranking.

Books That Are Worth It:
...but didn't make the list (net worth included)
Winter's Discord by John Zeleznik (95%)
Dead to Me by Anton Strout (94%)
Goblin Quest by Jim C. Hines (94%)
Last Argument of Kings and The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (85% and 80%)
Beyond Band of Brothers by Major Dick Winters (80%)
Crusade by Taylor Anderson (80%)
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman (75%)
Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illustrated by the un-related Nathan Hale (75%)

How would your favorite fantasy character vote?

Thanks to the constant media attention on the next election, I clearly have politics on my brain. And thanks to Palin's scheduled visit to the area today and the most recent RNC radio ad about Obama taking my guns away, I've been forced to inject some humor into politics. Or at least try to have some fun.

Kvothe - Anarchist - This was a toss up between Anarchists (who don't appear to be on the ballot) and the Libertarians. In the end, I think Kvothe would prefer the anarchy as it would allow him to hide form those greater forces that may be looking for him.

Drizzt Do'Urden - Democrat - I know they say race isn't an issue, but seriously. You know people are going to vote for or against Obama because he's black. While I don't think Drizzt would do this, I do think it would give him some pause when decided who to vote for. In the end, I think he'll look for a more peaceful party that wants to end the war in Iraq.

Jig - Undecided - By far the easiest one in my list. Jig clearly is undecided until someone tells him who to vote for. He only cares about surviving the next adventure.

Simon Canderous - Democrat - Another easy one, mainly because he lives in New York City, a hive of scum, villainy, and Democrats. I also think Simon would get a bit more funding for his department with a Democrat in office, something he and his co-workers need.

Lieutenant Commander Matthew Reddy - Republican - Because he's in the Navy, and was last seen fighting the Japanese armada in the Pacific Theatre of WWII, Reddy is going to vote for McCain. he may not be thrilled about having a skirt as Vice President, but she does have a pretty face.

Juniper Mackenzie - Green Party - As a Witch and survivor of the Change, she and her clan are clearly in the Green Party's hip pocket.

Looks like it'll be a close race.

*Profuse apologies to the creators of these fictional characters. If you see a flaw or would like to explain why your character is voting a certain way, feel free to let me know.

Friday Frustrations

I'm in the middle of one horrid book and near the end of another horrid book. And I can't decide what's worse, continuing with the horrid books or feeling bad that the books are so bad even though you really want to like them.

That's right, I'm at the halfway point of Ed Greenwood's Dark Lord, book one of the Falconfar series. I really wanted to like this one and it even started out as the right genre for me (normal Earth guy gets sucked into a fantasy world with knights and dragons). But this is no Woods Out Back. In fact, I thought Ed was a better writer. At least that's the impression I got when I listened to other people talk about him. Seeing as I never read any of his work, I'm a bit disappointed in the quality of this book. Everything feels so...fake. I know, I know, it's a fiction book. But I want to be part of the story. I want to be so engrossed I forget to eat.

Then we have The Tower of Shadows by Drew Bowling. I heard some positive rumblings awhile back about the book and finally decided to pick it up. And what do I get? A cookie cutter story about a young man destined to fight evil with a group of rag-tag friends. This feels very much like an episode of Knight Rider or something where the Knight comes in at just the right moment to save the day. I will give Drew credit for writing something and getting it published and getting big names like Terry Brooks and R. A. Salvatore to write blurbs.

But my big hangup with both books is the character development. There is none. There aren't even characters, just these two dimensional cardboard cutouts of stereotypes. Ugh. I can't wait to finish.

On a more positive note, here's proof that children are the root of happiness. Elizabeth is playing dress-up with her imaginary friend, Sickey. Oh, you can't see Sickey?* You must be a sci-fi/fantasy author!



*(Sickey's on the left.)

Another Tarzan?

The Ancient

R. A. Salvatore

I really wanted to cry at certain points during this book. Not because the story was so gripping and moving, but because it wasn't. For the first time since ready Salvatore's Tarzan adaptation, I actually wanted to stop and listen to something else.

And to make matters worse, the ending gave some serious overtones of his previous Drizzt works. The Highwayman has fancy sword work and dresses all in black(Drizzt). The priest and his female companion (Wulfgar and Catti-brie). And the red cap powrie (Bruenor).

So, in light of this general malaise from reading (well, listening technically) The Ancient and the fact that my other reviews have been rather lackluster, this is all you get. If you want a glowing review, check out Rob's.

Death of a Hero

I've been meaning to post this for some time, but have been too riddled with grief and confusion to put it down in words. After a few months of healing, I've finally gotten it out.

It was a slow death. One that's finally here and, while sad, somewhat a welcome relief. After years of a persistent illness, I regret to inform you that R. A. "Bob" Salvatore is no longer my favorite author. I weep with sadness at our departing, but know that we will both continue on in our lives and do great things.

I was introduced to Bob back in the mid 1980s. As a young boy, my aunt would take me to the bookstore in Williamsburg to buy me books or comics. On that particular day I chose a G. I. Joe comic. As I was reading it that night, again, I noticed I was continually entranced by the ad on the back cover. There was something haunting and compelling about it. Something that made me want to buy the book.

So I did. And with introductions to Drizzt, Wulfgar, Regis, Bruenor, and Catti-brie, my relationship with Bob grew. Other introductions were made over the years from Gary Leger to Elbryan and from Luthien to Nom Anor. All great people to meet, read about, and ride next to on their adventures.

But every adventure must come to an end, every McGuffin must be found. And to that end, when the story The Ancient began, I realized that our relationship had died. There was no longer a spark there. Bob's words no longer held any magic.

Over the years I've followed Bob across the country, through his life and mine. I cut my "fantasy" and "sci-fi" teeth on his books. I started following message boards back in the mid 1990s in the first incarnation of his website. I met great fans along the way and made great friends. I followed Bob to book signings. Traded emails. Even shared a drink once.

But each friendship evolves over time.

And to that end Bob, I'm sorry to say you have officially been replaced as my favorite author. Who has replaced you? Who now holds the coveted spot in my heart and in my mind? I don't know.

My favoritism is now adrift. I may have grown up reading Hardy Boy books, but I'm now looking for the new kid on the block. Man or woman, young or old, established or rookie. Nothing matters but my favoritism. There are some front runners with Patrick Rothfuss, Joe Abercrombie, Anton Strout, and others.

But who will finally arrive at the much desired spot of the trump-all author? Who will spur me on to read more of their work? Who can manage to turn my life so upside down I'm willing to spend more money just to get it spinning faster? Is it you Pat? Joe? Karen? Anton? Who can measure up in the end?

And that is where I will leave my faithful, yet small, group of readers. Salvatore is dead to me. His work doesn't measure up. I'll continue to follow his stories but only from afar. I can only hope someone will live up to the challenge.

A Drow Child

Ever see pictures of one? We know they are evil as are all Dark Elves, but this little brochure tells you how to prevent them. What water has to do with the process, I'm not sure.


Yes, this is from a real Bumbo seat. No it has not been edited (other than that red box to get your attention). We have one for William, but other than giving a comfy seat to sit in, there's no way of keeping him there. He's such a Houdini at the moment and is days/weeks from crawling.

Feel free to Kvothe me

A few weeks back I was browsing the local brick and mortar bookstore when I spied an interesting cover in the Fantasy section. I'm likely the world's biggest sucker for covers as that's how I often choose/buy books. I started reading R. A. Salvatore because of the Crystal Shard cover I saw on the back of a GI Joe comic. I loved the Hardy Boys covers. I avoided George R. R. Martin's series because the cover was just too plain.


Back to the story. I spied this interesting cover. The book was called The Name of the Wind. I didn't pay much attention to the title or the author's name, just the artwork. Something about it drew me in.


I spotted the cover again on a return trip two weeks ago. Again I was drawn to it. Over and over in my head, I kept asking myself "should I really spend $20 some odd dollars on a hardback book from an unknown author when I'm trying to cut back on my spending and my book collecting?" Over and over in my head. To buy or not to buy.


Finally I decided to buy it. I picked it up. I saw the alternate cover (the plain one) behind it. Well that's cheesy I thought. I put it back.


But that damn read-haired guy on the cover holding the lute kept pulling me back. I didn't even notice he was showing his chest. I just saw the hair. And the eyes. The eyes kept looking at me, daring me to buy this book.



I gave in. I bought it. My wife thought I was acting strange (stranger than I usually act). I got home, and put it in the honored spot on my nightstand that holds the "Book I Shall Read Tonight." It lay there quietly as I went about the rest of my day.


As night approached, I began to think about my upcoming read. A new adventure. I was hoping I wouldn't waste my money. Or my time. 600+ pages is a lot to read. The first page should have clued me in. A silence of three parts. I love the number 3. It's my lucky number. I was born on the third. As I turned to the next page, I caught a glimpse of the title page. Whoa, this book is only day one? Hmmm, now I'm even more interested.


So I read. I laughed. I groaned. I pondered. I cheered.


But I read. And I continued to read until I finished last night.


In the span of two weeks, I finished a 600+ page book. I stayed up until at 12:30 each night reading. I forced myself to keep the book at home for fear I would read at work and accomplish nothing. I spent every free moment yearning to read more. Television had become boring.


I felt like I was 12 again and reading The Crystal Shard into the wee hours of the morning by smothering my reading light with my pillow so my father would think I'm asleep. I was nearly giddy with joy at times. I had in my hands one of the best written stories I have read in ages. Years. Maybe decades.


If I haven't lost you so far, then please continue. I'll try to be more objective in my review.



Patrick Rothfuss is the new kid on the block, hangin' tough with some heavy hitters. Kvothe (pronounced quothe) is the center of the story. Posing as an inn-keeper, he lays out his life's story to the Chronicler (a journeyman scribe or historian of sorts). His story takes you from a childhood in a traveling troupe, through the death of his parents, to University where he learns magic (of a sort). He falls in love, gains friends, and makes enemies.


At times it feels like Harry Potter with a "normal" boy forced into a different life. But it goes beyond that. Potter is so full of magic and tangents that, despite being set on "Earth," it's a very "fantastic" story. Not so with the Four Corners. It is so ordinary, it's like Star Wars. Things look and feel used. Lived in. Real. Kvothe's world is so ordinary, it's noticeable. But it doesn't take away from the flow, in fact, it helps it along.



There are hints, references, even mentions of other-worldly things that bring you back to the fantasy world here and there. And Kvothe's killing of the draccas (essentially a dragon, but I prefer the lizard-chicken) is surely not ordinary. Nor his studying to be an arcanist.


Of the entire book, only the last few pages were a bit of a let-down. The ending wasn't very strong and the allusion to the future didn't quite make a great impression on me. But I know more is coming, and that does more than enough to get me hooked.


On a side note, Patrick Rothfuss is a certainly odd character. From reading his interviews, he's a charmer, a genius, and a comic. He's like that weird guy that sits in the cube next to you. He may have some strange things to add to the conversation, but he's just an ordinary guy. And he has great tastes in shirts.

First review of the year

My first review of the year is an exclusive for Fantasy Book Spot (FBS). The guys over there have been great in letting me review, leave and still feel welcome, and come back to review again. For years I have been a member of the RASalvatore site and board and felt like an active member. Things changed with time and I began to become a member that sat there and did nothing. And being a non-productive member in society isn't fun.

So when I got the invite to write for FBS, I jumped on it. Limited time and lack of creative writing skills didn't stop me, but the rights to exclusive publication did. So FBS and TK42ONE parted ways in that sense, but I was still a member, just not a reviewer.

Damon contacted me a few months back to do a Star Wars review and, well, the rest is history. I'm now a "special reviewer" of sorts, but probably more like the chief Star Wars nut.

Anyway, here's the link to the review of The Stargate SG-1 Ultimate Visual Guide. Enjoy!

Final Salvatore Podcast for 2006

And this will also be the last one I embed (unless some earth-shattering news is in a future podcast). I've enjoyed the videos, but I haven't learned too much more about Bob the person, just more about Bob the author.

Editor Available

Being an avid reader and a fan of fantasy, it's no surprise I've read some of Elaine Cunningham's work. And while I readily admit to not having read her back list, I have followed her career in some manner for a few years now.

And, more recently, I've been reading her blog (thank the maker for RSS feeds and Google Reader).

Her recent post Editor Needed got me to thinking about a couple of things. The first being the difference between EDITING and WRITING. I've always fancied myself as a writer, due mainly to my steady diet of R. A. Salvatore and Hardy Boy books as a child. I had this distinct feeling that I could create my own adventures for Drizzt or Frank and Joe quite easily. The desire to write never really developed much as I grew, and was at times a chore (mainly in high school). Sure, I had fun writing bizarre things for class at times, but the structure kept my imagination chained to the bottom of a water well.

In college I wrote a little more, but not much. And it wasn't until shortly after I graduated that I realized my creative "juices" were only present and more easily tapped when I was upset about something. Essentially, the ink would flow only when I was pissed off or depressed. And being a hard time in my personal life, I found it to be a great outlet for my anger/sadness.

As I've progressively grown older, I've found that I'm not as upset (thus less "juice" to write with) and I'm not much of a writer. And Elaine's post emphasises this point rather bluntly. I've heard Bob Salvatore say many times that a true writer can't stop writing, that it's almost a compulsion. For me, it's a hobby. I do okay, but fiction writing just isn't my niche. Even the reviews I write aren't the best, just a mediocre pile of words in a sea of reviews. Essays, these I feel more comfortable with. But I've never felt much of a market was available until I read a VanDerMeer book. It almost felt like a jumbled collection of essays. And that gave me hope.

Which brings me to the other thoughts I had about Elaine's post, editing. This is some sort of magical talent I've acquired through the years. In fact, it seems like over-night in college I was the "Comma King" and became the guy that edited every one's papers. I read so many I actually got sick of it.

But I'm now wondering if I should actively (as a non-professional amateur) pursue being an editor. I know plenty of people out there self-publish books. Surely I would be a great resource to them. I'd work cheap, do a decent job, and maybe I'd enjoy my work (that would be a change).

Yet, even if this came to be, my dreams of "making it big" still wouldn't happen. There's no professional author out there reading this. There's no publishing company reading this. Hell, it's not even something on my resume. And it never will be. It's like putting down "BA in Criminal Justice, Minor in History, Two classes short of an English minor, and 4 classes short of a Psychology minor."

Yeah. Spell S-T-U-P-I-D with me.

Oh well, hopes and dreams are always there to be burst and ruined, right? But still, I think I'll add something about that to my site. Something along the lines of "Quality editing available upon request."

Or just a simple "HIRE ME."

Salvatore Podcast V

Probably the best one I've seen so far. You get a better picture of how much he loves and misses his brother. And you get to hear about Oliver the highway halfling and Oliver his dog. Hopefully this will drive more interest in this decent series. Not the strongest and most original of fantasy books, but at least it's an easy read.

Starless Night Review

Read my review HERE.

Part Four of Salvatore's Podcast

Here's the fourth installment of Bob's podcast via rasalvatore.com. Mainly focuses on Drizzt and his 20th anniversary.

Third podcast for Salvatore

Still not the best production quality. And the content on this one is pretty obvious for those that have followed Bob online and in the news. We know Devil's Due bought the rights for Demon Wars. We know he's working with Schilling on Green Monster Games. We know the next video podcast will be the same quality.

Please guys, put a little extra love into the show. Give us some more.

Green Monster Games and Heroes

Green Monster Games

Curt Schilling has opened up shop in a 30,000 square foot office space. Interesting points to note are the plans for 50-50 profit sharing with employees (planned to number 125) and the fact that there has been no release date or theme mentioned.

Source: Boston Herald

Heroes

Follows is a short recap of last night's episode. Don't read if you haven't watched it yet.

You've been warned.

Last night we saw Niki (Micah's mother) get into a potentially fatal fight with her husband DL (who also has the super-power to move through solid objects - something you would already know if you read last week's online graphic novel).

Hiro felt guilty about not saving the gamblers from their death (by Niki's yet to be determined superpower of killing people violently).

Mohinder packs his bags and leaves the city, while his female friend/neighbor trys to entice him to stay. And we find out she's working for/with the bad guy with glasses (the cheerleader's father).

And speaking of the cheerleader, Claire's dad finds her biological parents, who turn out to not be her real parents, but agents working with her father. In turn, Clair's father learns of the message "save the cheerleader."

And of course, we see the wierd symbol again, which I believe to be a DNA stand. Look at it closely and it looks like a part of the double helix.

Salvatore, UFOs, and -edited-

Salvatore's Podcast Continues



Bob gives us some more info on Green Monster Games and playing WoW (that's World of Warcraft for you noobs). But the camera work still needs more work. The phone is ringing in the background again, the lighting is off, there's movement in the mirror, people are talking in the background, and Bob is looking at a spot that isn't conducive to a good interview. Outside of his gaming opinions, there's not much that you learn from this podcast.

UFOs and Aliens

So last night I let Henry (our dog) out to "do his business." He has a routine where he goes out just as I'm falling asleep in bed. While some pet owners wouldn't put up with this, we do because it beats him using the floor. Anyway, he's in the yard and I'm enjoying the clear night sky full of stars, planets, passing jets, and UFOs.

Now, before you think I'm crazy, let me pause the story and tell you where I stand on UFOs and aliens. I believe in them but have never seen them. I believe the chances of extraterrestrial life existing elsewhere in the galaxy or universe is too great to ignore. If Earth can play host to so many life forms, why not another planet somewhere else? No, I don't believe aliens have visited Earth and no, I don't believe people that say they've been abducted. Sorry, it makes a great TV show but, until you can prove it, it's just fiction.

Back to the story, I'm looking at the sky (towards the North and East, in the general direction of the eastern edges of D.C.) and see what looks like a jet making it's way south. Then west. Then north. Then south again. Then east. Then stopping. Then south. At this point, my immediate thought was a helicopter was flying around, not a jet. But the helicopter was at a higher altitude than the passing jets. Something I'm not sure can happen with present-technology. Or at least happen that often.

Anyway, I went to bed with thoughts of aliens and UFOs and imaginary helicopters. Oh, and if aliens attack today, I predicted it first.

-edited-

-edited-

Today's random thoughts

Virginia Flagger Certification



For those interested, you must be certified by the Virginia DOT to direct traffic. Here's the certification order form (you order a certification kit, not the certification itself).



R. A. Salvatore at ValleyCon



According to this source, ValleyCon is attempting to sign Bob for next year's event. Here's the quote:



"As I was looking over the history of the event, I did notice that author Terry Brooks was a guest several years ago, which surprised me. Next year, they hope to get author R.A. Salvatore, one of my favorite fantasy writers."



Heroes



I finally got to watch Monday's episode of Heroes last night. Wow. There are too many story lines and not enough time. But that's a good thing. It's a good show and it just keeps getting better. And now, we finally have a bit of an insight into the plot. Save the cheerleader, save the world.

And for those that follow the graphic novels as well, here's the fourth issue.

RA Salvatore PodCast

Let's start with the podcast itself:



Content - Looking older and more relaxed, Bob gives us a bit of a peek into his latest book. Okay, you could probably get more off Amazon's description. Clearly not revealing anything of the plot to the audience, Bob does make the obvious statement that there is plenty of room for future books. As he said, it is fantasy.

Videography - Please, please, please tell me things will get better. I know I'm not a professional, but there really needs to be some improvement. My wife did a better job with a Praying Mantis. The camera was moved during the shot. The subject was off center and not showing his "best side." And the phone ringing in the background? Save that for the blooper reel. Save this whole episode for the blooper reel.

I'm trying my best to give you guys the benefit of the doubt since this is the first podcast. But please, I'm begging you, make the next one better. Make it more viral, more interesting, more captivating. Think ZeFrank.

Legacy Review

Legacy
(Legend of Drizzt #7)
by R. A. Salvatore

Rating: 2 out of 5

Read my review HERE.