The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Definitely one of the most “out there” premises that I’ve read from Jemisin. She pulls it off well, though, and any time I felt myself getting lost in the rules of the universe, the characters always grounded me. Fun, innovative, and a great commentary on urbanization and gentrification.

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The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hendrix takes the concept of “humans are the monsters” further in this book. The majority of the horror isn’t outright violence or hostility, but that of mistrust, fear, apathy, and a genuine inability of some to value the opinions of others, especially if those opinions are counter to our belief, or present us with an uncomfortable or inconvenient truth. So, while a vampire tale, and therefore there’s truly a monster involved, the greatest monstrosity for the characters is the indifference we can all feel towards another’s value and knowledge. Very well done.

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The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West by David McCullough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

McCullough covers a little known window of American history with THE PIONEERS. Set in the Northwest Territory, the area that would one day make up the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the book tells of the ordinance formed to allow settling in the lands ceded by the British at the end of the Revolution, and how it grew over the following decades.

With the ordnance ratified by the architects of the Constitution and the very country, we then are shown the difficulties of even reaching the site of the first settlement, Marietta, in Continue reading →

The Last Cruise of a German Raider: The Destruction of SMS Emden by Wes Olson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wes Olson’s book, THE LAST CRUISE of a GERMAN RAIDER: THE DESTRUCTION of SMS EMDEN, is a fascinating read, not only about the career of Emden, but it also provides a window into the warfare of the early 20th century. Also, I do love a good solid book, and this is one is very well-made, with thick paper, and solidly constructed, so much so that it really jumped out at me how well made the physical book is. Besides that, the book covers everything from ship design, operational logistics, area of operation, operational requirements, and the final battle between Emden and Sydney, making this an informative and satisfying read.

There is a more in-depth version of this review over at Modelwarships.com.

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The Terror by Dan Simmons
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is an odd book for me: incredibly well written, yet difficult to get through. The prose and imagery are beautiful, the characters compelling. The story takes forever to get going, and I feel that a healthy edit would have improved my experience. That said, the last section of the book mostly made the prelude worthwhile. I can see why others rave about it, but at several points during the reading, it became more of a chore than enjoyment. That being said, I’m looking forward to now watching the AMC series based on the book.

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