Books of April 2010

April 2010 Book Total
11 Books
4631 pages

Havana
Stephen Hunter
ISBN 0-7432-3808-7
403 pages
April 3


OK


March Upcountry
David Weber and John Ringo
ISBN 067131985X
528 pages
April 4

March to the Sea
David Weber and John Ringo
ISBN 074343580X
672 pages
April 5

March to the Stars
David Weber and John Ringo
ISBN 0743488180
626 pages
April 6

We Few
David Weber and John Ringo
ISBN 1416520848
576 pages
April 9

A quadrilogy about Prince Roger.  Not a bad series.  Very similar to Weber's more recent Safehold series.  Technologically advanced persons in primitive society.  Use of Roman warfighting skills, then gunpowder and cannons, then sailing ships.  Throw in his disdain of organized religion and its assorted hypocrisies, a few jabs about the stupidity of the imperial system vs metric, and in the last third of the last book a techno space battle reminiscent of his Starfire series.


The Soccer Referee's Manual 4th Edition
David Ager
ISBN 0-7136-6676-5
150 pages
April 10

Somewhat disappointing.  Don't get me wrong, a good book, explains the laws well (except where laws have changed since published), but it is more of a 'learn the laws' kind of book.  I was hoping for 'learn to be a better referee'.  The questions and answers are OK, but pretty basic.  I prefer asktheref.com or You are the Ref since they can also cover the uncommon or rare scenarios that make you go hmmmm....


Earthwreck!
Thomas N. Scortia
ISBN none
224 pages
April 14

Tel Aviv is the target of a nuclear attack from terrorists sponsored by China.  Israel retaliates, then the Soviet Union (book was written in 1974) and China fire tactical nukes at each other prompting a world-wide nuclear war, including genetically engineered bioweapons.   The only survivors are on two space stations, one American, one Soviet.  They need to unite and continue the human race.  I'm a big fan of "end of the world" fiction.  There are lots of great books out there, this is not one of them.

Hannibal Rising
Thomas Harris
ISBN 978-0-440-24448-6
368 pages
April 17

Not bad.

The Devil of Nanking
Mo Hayder
ISBN 0-00-639499-X
460 pages
April 18


Interesting, but I ended up feeling that there was too much stuff and that the too much stuff fit together in a way that seemed too contrived.


The Science in Science Fiction
Peter Nicholls, Editor
ISBN 0-517-65335-4
208 pages
April 20

A very interesting, if very dated (1982) book.  I now have at least a dozen sci-fi books added to my to-read list.  Covers all the major sci-fi action - time travel, FTL travel, energy sources, aliens... good coverage of each with some better science explanations than expected.  I had hoped for more thoughts on general technology advances and predictions.  There is the amazing "information console" predicted in 1978, along with the concern that "such communication devices" would "reduce face-to-face relationships between people".



Whistler's Angel
John R. Maxim
ISBN 0380793555
416 pages
April 27

My M-i-L recommended this, she said it was a favourite.  I was a little surprised, not the kind of book I would of thought she would be into.  It was OK.  Part of a larger "universe" of interconnected stories/characters.  If I noticed one at a thrift store I'd probably pick it up, but wouldn't go out of my way.