Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Books Read: March 2014

Below is a listing of the books I read in the month of March.  All links go to my reviews.

1. Kill Shot, by Vince Flynn
2. Requiem, by Ken Scholes
3. Six-Gun Snow White, by Catherynne M. Valente
4. The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman
5. Before They Pass Away, by Jimmy Nelson
6. Lone Survivor, by Marcus Luttrell
7. Sheepfarmer's Daughter, by Elizabeth Moon
8. Sunrunner's Fire, by Melanie Rawn
9. The Yearling, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (unfinished)
10. My Dog: The Paradox, by The Oatmeal
11. Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell
12. Zombie Baseball Beatdown, by Paolo Bacigalupi
13. A Stranger in Olondria, by Sofia Samatar (unifinished)
14. Fool's Errand, by Robin Hobb

Best Book of the Month: Zombie Baseball Beatdown.  This was almost also the discovery of the month, and while there were a number of other excellent books I read this month, the book I keep coming back to as something that I want to recommend to people is Zombie Baseball Beatdown. I was delighted and I was charmed.

Disappointment of the Month: Requiem.  This really has to do with expectations. I was impressed with Lamentation and Canticle, but I struggled with Antiphon to the point that I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue with the series.  But even then, I had hopes that I would enjoy Requiem as I did the first two books and it would live up to the expectations I had for the series. Perhaps my expectations are misplaced, but I failed to care about or engage with nearly anything that occurred in this book.  I'll still read Hymn when it is published, but my expectation is going to be significantly lowered.

Discovery of the Month: Before They Pass Away. This is a ridiculously large photography book of various native tribes throughout the world.  The level of access and trust that Nelson acquired is stunning.  The beauty of the photography is amazing.

Worth Noting: Sheepfarmer's Daughter is a fantastic novel, but My Dog: The Paradox is heartfelt and touching and recommended for all dog owners and lovers. It was originally a comic on The Oatmeal, but my wife recently ordered the book to round out an Amazon order I was making. Wonderful choice.

Previous Months
January
February

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Before They Pass Away is really beautiful. And enormous!

Joe said...

It's something like 12 pounds. I had to have it on a pillow on my lap when I was reading it otherwise it might cut off circulation to my legs!