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Book Reviews

Assassin's Apprentice

Assassin's Apprentice

My "Book in 1 Sentence" is dead on. I have never been so looking forward to something to happen, and it never did. This kid grows up in a keep where half the family hates him, the other half is ok with him or loved his dad, and so he is given a modicum of freedom and support.

The Devil in the White City

The Devil in the White City

"The Devil in the White City" claims to link the Chicago World's Fair and H.H. Holmes, but it's mostly about the fair's architects and history. I expected more on Holmes, but got 70% fair details and only 30% on him. It was disappointing, too focused on biographies and not enough on the crime aspect

Shadow of Doubt

The action is high, the tradecraft is high, and you get scenes of heart thumping suspense. There are some issues of Deus Ex Machina (plot armor), but that might be the worst part of the book.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The continuation of a solid story that shows the growth of J. K. Rowling. You will see the cementing of characters personalities. This cementing also is what allows this to continue. Knowing how it ends, you can see the groundwork of where the book story is going.

Haunting Adeline

Haunting Adeline

It's a terrible book. Rape, sexual assault, and degrading material are outrageous and the author should be ashamed at an attempt to make it ok because the stalker is in "love" with the victim. This feel of crap is also added by the overwhelming amount of juvenile writing

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

This is a really great start to a very good series. Even as a kid I was so excited about the next book and that feeling still sits with me even today. I know the story and still find things that I have forgotten or Easter Eggs to future books/additional storylines we get in the future.

The Evil That Men Do

The Evil That Men Do

This book was interesting without the gruesomeness that you get from other books about serial criminals. This is also a little more informative and clinical then other books as it is talking about what investigators should look for, the pitfalls of certain investigations.

A Dance of Dragons

A Dance of Dragons

This book has to be the longest book that serves no purpose other than to be long. Characters are introduced that die, others are given a more prominent story section than in previous books, but play no big part. 900/1000 pages of nothing.

The Main Enemy

I wish I had started with this book for my spy history series that I have stumbled into. It covers so much information with such clarity. The writing of the book is so well presented that you get to feel the headaches and frustrations as well as the triumphs of each team, both the CIA and KGB.

The Terminal List

The Terminal List

This book is such a well written piece of fiction that I am really surprised it took so long to become a TV Show. What I think slowed it down and in turn brings the book down is how depressing and callus the bad guys and friends are.

American Predator

American Predator

What a crazy book that tells a story I have never heard of. The name doesn't sound familiar, his actions don't sound familiar, and the tales of corruption don't ring a bell. The fact that this dude was hunting for over 2 decades is crazy and for him to get caught like Al Capone is even better.

Batman and Psychology

Batman and Psychology

Travis Langley does a fantastic job of describing Batman through the ages, from Adam West to Christian Bale. Both dispelling myths about homoeroticism and Batman's psyche then enshrining and elevating the relationships and responsibilities of both the Bat Family and the most popular enemies.

Ikigai

I am really not sure how to review this since it was so superficial. Most of the entry point of the book, we will say the first half, are very surface level items have been said in other places.

Running Blind

Jack Reacher is once again caught in the middle of a situation that plunges him into the investigation of a killer using ritualistic patterns to kill their victims. Lee Child does a much better job in this book telling a story that makes you think about how it is unfolding.

The Cuckoo's Egg

The Cuckoo's Egg

This book was recommended to me when I first started my career in cyber security. However, I didn't read it for the first time until a couple years ago (I wasn't a big reader back then) and have now reread it for the second time as I continue to find books to recommend for those that I mentor.

Red Rising

Pierce Brown provides a great example of what a future society of interstellar travelers who rule with rules, lies, and deceit that Hunger Games attempted to do. However, it is highly predictable, boring, and plot hole ridden book.

Crash Test Girl

Crash Test Girl

Kari tells a crazy story about how her life choices made her the weird, spunky, and highly intelligent co-host of MythBusters. A part of the "triplets" that had such great chemistry that their departure from the show was one of the saddest parts of it ending.

The Martian

Andy Weir is masterful in his first novel that writes in small segments of immense imagery. I don't know of another book that is told in a log type format. While this is true, for a new reader, that it can be difficult to read and get into. I know, I first read it while stationed overseas.

Endurance

Scott Kelly provides a monotoned story whose content is what keeps you going. An incredible story of someone who really didn't know what to do until they were already in college. Kelly's story pacing is outstanding and the stories in the past help provide some clear understanding

Level Six

This book continues the story that was unique in the onset, but fails to continue the story in any meaningful manner. The book only provides new characters and a singular new event that sets up the third book but nothing else.

Who We Are and How We Got Here

Who We Are and How We Got Here

I just finished First Platoon and it talked about something that made me think of this book and I realized that I never wrote a review for this. This book provides some outstanding reasons that we are all...

First Platoon

Annie Jacobsen has easily become one of my favorite investigative authors. This time she presents something that is relatively missing from the common world, "Identity Dominance" A.K.A, collecting biometrics from everyone to serve the purpose that the government so desires.

13 Hours (Book)

13 Hours (Book)

This narrative telling of the actions of a few men doing great good is heart wrenching, frustrating, and harrowing. I think what this book does really well that others like it fail to do, is be upfront about the intent of the book, who profits from the book, and what information is shaded...

Tripwire

This is Lee Child's weakest performance in the Jack Reacher series so far, number 3, but is does manage to keep your interest with the expectation of the previous books. I enjoyed it, but felt it was overly predictable, intentionally perverse, and forced by publishers rather than for enjoyment.

Sandworm

This book provides a detailed and easily digestible to all who read it. Andy Greenberg does a fantastic job of bringing complex geopolitical, malicious code, and poor reactions to some of the largest cyber threats in the world.