2012 Book Reading Challenge Recap

READING CHALLENGES FOR 2012
*Reading Challenge Addicts Challenge for 2012

*150+ Reading Challenge for 2012
1) A Feast Unknown: by Philip José Farmer (Sci-Fi/Adventure)
2) The Burden of Guilt: by Daniel Allen Butler (History/WWI)
3) The Divide: by William Overgard(Alternate History)
4) Tunnel Through Time: by Lester Del Rey (Sci-Fi)
5) Planet Hulk: written by Greg Pak (Graphic Novel)
6) Gods of Manhattan: by Al Ewing. Part of the Pax Britannia series (science fiction/pulpy)
7) Six Days of War: by Michael B. Oren, narrated by Robert Whitfield (History/Middle-East) - Audio Book
8) Myth of the Great War: by John Mosier. One of the two best books on World War I to come out in recent years. (History/World War I)
9) Tarzan at the Earth's Core: by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Sci-fi/Fantasy)
10) The Untold History of the Potato: by John Reader. (audio book narrated by Martin Hyder) (History)
11) The Kingdom: by Mark Waid (graphic novel)
12) Into Africa: by Martin Dugard (History/Africa) - Audio Book
13) Sir Jolly Jingle's Beastly Journey: by Wallace Tripp (Picture Book)
14) Warlord of Mars: Fall of Barsoom: By Robert Place Napton & Roberto Castro. (Graphic Novel)
15) The Red Baron: by Manfred von Richtofen (Memoir/World War I)
16) The Crying of Lot 49: by Thomas Pynchon
17) Forgotten Bookmarks: by Michael Popek
18) Oh My Gods: by Philip Freeman (Mythology)
19) Watson's Afghan Adventure: by Kieran McMullen
20) The Quantum Story: by Jim Baggott (Science)
21) The Other Teddy Roosevelts: by Mike Resnick
22) Kull: Exile of Atlantis: by Robert E. Howard
23) Snuff: by Terry Pratchett (Fantasy)
24) Firestorm: by Taylor Anderson
25) Ready Player One: by Ernest Cline (Science Fiction)
26) The Bloody White Baron: by James Palmer (History)
27) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: by Lewis Carroll (fantasy)
28) The Elephant's Child: by Rudyard Kipling (picture book)
29) Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm: by the Brothers Grimm
30) Children of the Sky: by Vernor Vinge (science fiction)
31) Iron Gray Sea: by Taylor Anderson (book 7 of Destoryermen series)
32) War is a Racket: by Smedley D. Butler
33) Coup d'Etat: by Harry Turtledove (part 4 of the War That Came Early series)
34) Brave New World: by Aldous Huxley
35) The Long Earth: by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
36) Space Wars: by William Scott
37) Life of Black Hawk: by Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak
38) Animal Farm: by George Orwell
39) Shakedown Socialism: by Oleg Atbashian
40) Red Orc's Rage: by Philip Jose Farmer
41) A Woman A Day: by Philip Jose Farmer
42) Jesus on Mars: by Philip Jose Farmer
43) Kingmaker Part 1 - Stolen Land: by James Jacobs (Pathfinder Adventure path)
44) Presidential Pulp: by Ivan Eland (Presidential history/Politics)
45) Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World: by Jack Weatherford
46) Through the Looking-Glass: Lewis Carroll
47) The Peerless Peer: by Philip Jose Farmer
48) Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II: by Keith Lowe (History/WWII)
49) Star Wars: Scoundrels: by Timothy Zahn
50) Rethinking the American Union for the Twenty-First Century: by Donald W. Livingston
51) Skull & Shackles part 1: The Wormwood Mutiny: by Richard Pett (RPG/Pathfiinder adventure path)
52) CCH Master Tax Guide: Didn't read this entire thing - but a lot of it for a 80 self-study course.
53) Across The Universe: The DC Universe Stories: by Alan Moore (graphic novel)
54) The Black Count: by Tom Reiss (history)
55) The Dardenelles Disaster: by Dan van der Vat (history/WWI)
56) The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle: Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes)
57) Red Shirts: A Novel with Three Codas: by John Scalzi
58) My Ideal Bookshelf: by Thessaly la Force
59) Underground Warfare, 1914-1918: by Simon Jones (history/WWI)
60) Gulliver of Mars: by Edwin Lester Arnold

*2012 Read 52 books in 52 weeks
While I did read over 1 book a week I didn't write enough reviews or post to the challenge host blog. We'll count that as a fail.
*Chunkster Challenge 2012: Striving for Chubby Chunkster level
Reading 4 really large books.... didn't read even one over 1,000 pages - unless you count the Master Tax Guide, which I don't.
*Get Steampunked! 2012: Striving for Geared level
Got one out of five on this one. Maybe two if Tarzan at Earth's Core is included (it did have an airship in it) 1) Gods of Manhattan: by Al Ewing. Part of the Pax Britannia series

*Graphic Novels Challenge 2012
Missed a few months on this one.
1) January - Planet Hulk: written by Greg Pak
2) February - The Kingdom: written by Mark Waid
3) March - Warlord of Mars: Fall of Barsoom: By Robert Place Napton & Roberto Castro.
4) April -
5) May -
6) June -
7) July -
8) August -
9) September -
10) October -
11) November -
12) December - Across The Universe: The DC Universe Stories: by Alan Moore (graphic novel)

*Non-Fiction Non-Memoir Reading 2012 Challenge: Master's Degree level
Was shooting for 25 books -
1) The Burden of Guilt: by Daniel Allen Butler
2) Myth of the Great War: by John Mosier
3) The Bloody White Baron: by James Palmer
4) Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World: by Jack Weatherford

5) Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II: by Keith Lowe (History/WWII)
6) Rethinking the American Union for the Twenty-First Century: by Donald W. Livingston
7) The Black Count: by Tom Reiss (history)
8) The Dardenelles Disaster: by Dan van der Vat (history/WWI)
9) Underground Warfare, 1914-1918: by Simon Jones (history/WWI)

*Read Your Name Challenge 2012
S: Sir Jolly Jingle's Beastly Journey: by Wallace Tripp
E: The Elephant's Child: by Rudyard Kipling
A: A Feast Unknown: by Philip José Farmer
N:
Man! That is the height of laziness. Didn't even look for a quick book for the letter N.
*Time Travel Reading Challenge 2012: Mind-boggling Voyage: 10 to 12 time travel books level
1) Tunnel Through Time: by Lester Del Rey
A couple other books I read this year had time travel elements in them. If I could go back in time I'd change the level I tried for in this challenge.
*2012 Short Story Reading Challenge: Tell Me A Story level (1-3)
1) Presidential Pulp: by Ivan Eland (Presidential history/Politics)
I did read at least one short story anthology for the 1-3 required for the Tell Me A Story level of the 2012 Short Story reading challenge. Got One! Just not a very impressive level of one.
*A-Z Book Challenge
A) A Feast Unknown: by Philip José Farmer
B) The Burden of Guilt: by Daniel Allen Butler
C) The Crying of Lot 49: by Thomas Pynchon
D) The Divide: by William Overgard(Alternate History)
E) The Elephant's Child: by Rudyard Kipling
F) Forgotten Bookmarks: by Michael Popek

G) Gods of Manhattan: by Al Ewing. Part of the Pax Britannia series
H) Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm: by the Brothers Grimm
I) Iron Gray Sea: by Taylor Anderson
J) Jesus on Mars: by Philip Jose Farmer
K) Kingmaker Part 1 - Stolen Lands: by James Jacobs
L) The Long Earth: by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
M) Myth of the Great War: by John Mosier
N)
O)Oh My Gods: by Philip Freeman (Mythology)
P) The Peerless Peer: by Philip Jose Farmer
Q)
R) The Red Baron: by Manfred von Richtofen
S) Sir Jolly Jingle's Beastly Journey: by Wallace Tripp
T) Tunnel Through Time: by Lester Del Rey
U) Underground Warfare, 1914-1918: by Simon Jones (history/WWI)
V)
W)Watson's Afghan Adventure: by Kieran McMullen
X)
Y)
Z)

Didn't do to bad hear. Just that letter 'N' taunting me again. *2012 Picture Book Reading Challenge: Level One
1) Sir Jolly Jingle's Beastly Journey: by Wallace Tripp
2) The Elephant's Child: by Rudyard Kipling
Two out of twelve. I suppose I could have gone to the library and quickly read ten more picture books but that would have seemed cheap.
*Truth in Fiction Challenge: Master's Level (5 pairs of books)
Big fail on this one. Didn't coordinate my reading very well.
*2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
1) A Feast Unknown: by Philip José Farmer
2) The Burden of Guilt: by Daniel Allen Butler
3) The Divide: by William Overgard(Alternate History)
4) Tunnel Through Time: by Lester Del Rey
5) Gods of Manhattan: by Al Ewing. Part of the Pax Britannia series
6) Myth of the Great War: by John Mosier
7) Tarzan at the Earth's Core: by Edgar Rice Burroughs
8) The Red Baron: by Manfred von Richtofen
9) Red Orc's Rage: by Philip Jose Farmer
10) A Woman A Day: by Philip Jose Farmer
11) Jesus on Mars: by Philip Jose Farmer
12) Brave New World: by Aldous Huxley
I might have done a bit better on this one. Didn't get near the 41 I needed. Spent too much time reading new books.
*2012 War Through the Generations Reading Challenge: WWI - Swim level 11+ books
1) The Burden of Guilt: by Daniel Allen Butler
2) Myth of the Great War: by John Mosier
3) The Red Baron: by Manfred von Richtofen
4) The Bloody White Baron: by James Palmer (involves the War and Russian Revoultion
5) The Dardenelles Disaster: by Dan van der Vat (history/WWI)
6) Underground Warfare, 1914-1918: by Simon Jones (history/WWI)
Just needed five more to finish this one up. I know I hit one of the lower levels, but I aimed for the 11+ level (the highest). This is the most embarrassing one since I have so many books on world war I on my shelf and on my Kindle. It is also an area of history I specialize in. Drat.
*The 2012 TBR Pile Challenge
1 - A Feast Unknown by Philip Jose Farmer (COMPLETED - Review coming shortly)
2 - Tarzan at the Earth's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs (COMPLETED)
3 - Frankenstein Unbound by Brian Aldiss (to be completed)
4 - Hadon of Ancient Opar by Philip Jose Farmer (to be completed)
5 - The Divide by William Overgard (COMPLETED)
6 - Gods of Manhattan by Al Ewing (COMPLETED)
7 - The Red Baron by Manfred Von Richtofen (COMPLETED)
8 - Voices From the Great War by Peter Vansittart (to be completed)
9 - Myth of the Great War by John Mosier (COMPLETED)
10 - Tunnelling to Freedom by Hugh Durnford & others (to be completed)
11 - The Burden of Guilt by Daniel Allen Butler (COMPLETED)
12 - World War I The African Front by Edward Paice (to be completed)
Got distracted during the year. Note the unread books involving World War One that would have helped with the other challenge too.
*2012 Ebook Challenge: CD Level
1)Oh My Gods: by Philip Freeman (Mythology)
2)Watson's Afghan Adventure: by Kieran McMullen
2)The Other Teddy Roosevelts: by Mike Resnick
3)The Elephant's Child: by Rudyard Kipling
4)Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: by Lewis Carroll
5)Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm: by the Brothers Grimm
6)Presidential Pulp: various authors
7)Through the Looking-Glass: by Lewis Carroll
8)Gulliver of Mars: by Edwin Lester Arnold
9)
10)
Very close on this one too. I guess I shouldn't have spent so much time reading short stories on my Kindle.
*2012 Audio Book Challenge
1) Six Days of War: by Michael B. Oren, narrated by Robert Whitfield (History/Middle-East)
2) The Untold History of the Potato: by John Reader; narrated by Martin Hyder (History/general)
3) Into Africa: by Martin Dugard (History/Africa)
4) The Quantum Story: by Jim Baggott (Science)
5) Kull: Exile of Atlantis: by Robert E. Howard
6) Snuff: by Terry Pratchett (Fantasy)
7) Firestorm: by Taylor Anderson
8) Ready Player One: by Ernest Cline (Science Fiction
9) Children of the Sky: by Vernor Vinge (science fiction)
10) Iron Gray Sea: by Taylor Anderson
11) Coup d'Etat: by Harry Hurtledove (Alternate History)
12) Brave New World: by Aldous Huxley
13) The Long Earth: by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
14) Live of Black Hawk: by Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak
15) Animal Farm: George Orwell
16) Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World: by Jack Weahterford
17) Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II: by Keith Lowe (History/WWII)
18) The Black Count: by Tom Reiss (history)
19) The Dardenelles Disaster: by Dan van der Vat (history/WWI)
20) The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle: Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes)
21) Red Shirts: A Novel with Three Codas: by John Scalzi
22)
23)
24)
25)
Came close on this one. If only I had re-joined my gym a couple months early.
*2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge: read 60 books in 2011 so must surpass this number for 2012.
I read 60 books again this year. I would grab a children's book that I could quickly finish to get up to 61 for this year - but that would be stupid. IN CONCLUSION Looks like I only succeeded in one of the challenges I entered last year. I would have bet on getting through half of them but something happened. What happened is that I didn't want my reading time dictated by random choices I made on New Year's Eve. New books came out that interested me and had be read. My interests shifted during the year. Most importantly I joined too many reading challenges. I'll have to enter only two or three for 2013. I should also get better at posting reviews of books I've read to potentially help others in deciding if it is something they should spend time on. I'll post something tomorrow on the new (and fewer) challenges I plan to participate in for 2013. Happy New Year to all. Sorry about the lapse in posts in the last few months. It has been a crazy end of 2012.

Third Sentence Thursday - Underground Warfare 1914-1918

1. Take the book you are currently reading and open it to a random page. Share the third full sentence on that page. (If there isn’t a third one – like at the end of a chapter or a blank page – you can share the third sentence of the book or just choose another random page.) Feel free to share more than one sentence, if you feel the need to do so.
2. Share your thoughts on the sentence (or sentences).
3. Post a link on Proud Book Nerd's Third Sentence for the week by clicking on the image above.
4. Visit one or two of the other blogs to check out their third sentence(s).

"He also asked that new units be recruited from the class of 1915, which need not be trained in the full range of field engineering, but only in sapping and mining." (from Underground Warfare 1914-1918 by Simon Jones (p.36)

Both sides were unprepared for the type of war that would develop. Little training had been given to sapping and mining in the years prior to the Great War, is was assumed that it would be a war of mobility. It quickly became apparent that the old skills would still be needed, and by the end of the war they would be greatly refined and many new developments in underground warfare would take place. French General Foch realized the need for sappers and made this request regarding the class of 1915.

Book Review - The Crying of Lot 49

Tax season is finally over. Time to get back to a more regular blogging schedule. Not only my blogging has been neglected in recent weeks, but my reading time as well. I have finished The Crying of Lot 49, by Thomas Pynchon. I've written up this short review, which was mildly difficult. It is a bizarre story and I wanted to be sure not to put any real spoilers in it. So here's what I came up with.

(image from Amazon.com) THE STORY
Oedipa Maas is made executor of an ex-boyfriend's estate. She uncovers the secret history of a mysterious group called W.A.S.T.E. and the Trystero family which operates an underground postal service for those who don't want to use the government postal monopoly.

During her journey Oedipa encounters a large number of eccentric and strangely named characters. She begins to piece together the secret history of the group and its attempts to overcome the postal monopoly of Thurn und Taxis in 16th & 17th century central Europe. Things begin to get more bizarre and then people start to die or change. Her psychiatrist goes insane, her husband's personality alters, and many people who might know something about Trystero die or stop talking with her.

Towards the end of the story Oedipa can't even be sure that this whole scenario isn't an elaborate prank by her dead ex-boyfriend. He had vast amounts of money and resources and might have set up the whole situation to torture her. As the estate assets begin to be disposed over a group of W.A.S.T.E. stamps are to be auctioned off as lot 49 and a bidder who Oedipa believes is a member of Trystero will be in attendance to make sure the stamps don't fall into the wrong hands. She will finally have a chance to confront one of the higher ups in the secret organization. She just has to wait for the crying of lot 49.

THE GOOD
While bizarre the story was very interesting. Interesting and obscure bits of real history tied together with fictional connections and events. A strange stage play described in detail which gives Oedipa some of her clues. I even got a number of the more obscure references; I'm going to have to read it again at some point to try to find the stuff I missed. Truly a product of the 1960s.

THE BAD
Nothing really bad about this book. It can be confusing at times but since the main character is confused it helps the reader identify with her more, if that makes any sense. The ending is similar to endings in some stories I've written for a writing group I belong to, it's a type of ending that might annoy some people.

QUOTE
There are a lot of good quotes that could be pulled out of this book. There is a scene later in the book where Oedipa thinks she is going crazy over this whole conspiracy. She visits here shrink, Dr. Hilarius.... just as he has gone insane himself. She tells him that she was hoping he would talk her out of her fantasy and he responds:
"Cherish it! What else do any of you have? Hold it tightly by its little tentacle, don't let the Freudians coax it away or the pharmacists poison it out of you. Whatever it is, hold it dear, for when you lose it you go over that much more to the others. You begin to cease to be." (page 103)

OVERALL
I loved this book.

PUBLISHER: Bantam Book
AUTHOR: Thomas Pynchon
GENRE: bizarre, mystery
PAGE COUNT: 138
ISBN: 553-05764-095
2012 CHALLENGES: 150+ Reading Challenge 2012, A-Z Challenge

COH Profile - Atomic Cow

Work has been busy the last couple weeks. Big deadlines on the 15th and 20th are now over. Time to start blogging again. Here is my newest character for City of Heroes; and also one who has advanced more rapidly than any other I've played. THE ATOMIC COW!

DESCRIPTION
Bessie is a gentically engineered cow from an factory farm. Humand DNA was combined with a cow's in hopes of making better milk. Bessie's intelligence was beyond anything that could have been imagined and she rose up against her captors. After escaping she managed to find her way to Paragon City and used her vast intellect to create her Atomic Hammer, a swarm of nanites that produce stone armor for her and allow her to teleport.

POWERS
Titan Weapons: Crushing Blow, Titan Sweep, Defensive Sweep, Follow Through, Rend Armor, Whirling Smash, Arc of Destruction

Stone Armor: Rock Armor, Stone Skin, Earth's Embrace, Brimstone Armor, Mud Pots, Rooted, Crystal Armor

Teleportation: Teleport, Recall Friend, Long Range Teleport

Speed: Hasten

Energy Mastery: Focused Accuracy

Set Bonus: Large Improved Regeneration Bonus x 3, Large Accuracy Bonus x 2, Large Increased Negative Energy Res Bonus x 2, Gift of the Ancients: Run Speed, Huge Increased Damage Bonus, Large Fear Resistance Bonus, Moderate Hold Resistance Bonus, Moderate Improved Recovery Bonus, Moderate Increased Endurance Bonus, Moderate Increased Fire Res Bonus, Moderate Increased Psionic Res Bonus, Moderate Stun Duration Bonus, Moderate Stun Resistance Bonus, Small Fire and Cold Resist Bonus, Small Improved Regeneration Bonus

OTHER DATA
Science - Brute
#Badges = 111
Alignment = Heroic
Current Level = 36


I've learned a few things playing with Titan Weapons. First is to up your difficulty as quickly as possible. There are some great area effect attacks, its nice to have a huge group around to take advantage. Before I reached 20th level I set my self at -1 level x8 players. Huge groups of enemies, a little weaker than normal so they don't overpower my defenses too quickly. That and going through inspirations like water help greatly. Also, being a Brute the large groups quickly drive my rage bar near maximum and greatly magnify my damage. Heck, even mud pots becomes effective at that point.

Like so many of my characters I have to also take advantage of the invention system and create plenty of Recovery Serum to make up for the large amount of energy I burn.

Third Sentence Thursday - The Red Baron

1. Take the book you are currently reading and open it to a random page. Share the third full sentence on that page. (If there isn’t a third one – like at the end of a chapter or a blank page – you can share the third sentence of the book or just choose another random page.) Feel free to share more than one sentence, if you feel the need to do so.
2. Share your thoughts on the sentence (or sentences).
3. Post a link on Proud Book Nerd's Third Sentence for the week by clicking on the image above.
4. Visit one or two of the other blogs to check out their third sentence(s).

"Therefore, it never occurred to me to become a pilot." (from The Red Baron by Manfred von Richtofen (p.63)

An interesting quote from the greatest fighter ace of the First World War. Of course in context it was early in the war, he was recently transferred from the cavalry to become an observer in a two-seater aircraft. At that point he felt that in the time it would take him to train to become a pilot the war would be over.

Review - Tarzan at Earth's Core

(image from Amazon.com)

THE STORY Tarzan gets hired by an American, Jason Gridley, for an expedition to find the legendary polar opening to the inner world of Pellucidar. Gridley had learned that David Innes, the Emperor of Pellucidar, has been captured by enemies in that world and is in need of rescue.

An incredible airship is constructed. Tarzan and Gridley lead an expedition of specialists to find the opening to the Earth's core and rescue Innes. The airship manages to find the opening and descends into the Earth.

In the core things are very different than on the outer crust. A central sun provides light across Pellucidar, but gives the illusion that it is constantly noon. There is no night in Pellucidar. Navigation is also difficult, even looking for mountains as landmarks can be tricky since the horizon curves up and this creates tricks that men from the outer world have trouble compensating for.

Then there are the animals that have been long extinct on the surface. Dinosaurs, sabertooth tigers, and other prehistoric beasts dominate much of this new land.

After the airship lands Tarzan becomes lost and expeditions are sent out to find him. Many of these also become lost and things begin to look hopeless. Gridley even comes across a primitive yet beautiful princess who he falls in love with but manages to accidentally offend because of their different cultures (a standard storyline in many of Burroughs' books).

In the end incredibly lucky (or contrived) circumstances bring all of the various storylines to a successful and happy conclusion.

THE GOOD Tarzan and dinosaurs. Doesn't get much better than that. Fairly standard Burroughs story so if you like his other works you should love this one. Quick and easy read. Early on it also shows that Tarzan is highly intelligent, including about scientific matters. This is often overlooked by people since they think that since he was raised by apes he has to be some sort of idiot. Tarzan taught himself how to read - only a true genius could manage such a feat.

THE BAD The contrived and predictable situations. I know that convenient events are sometimes needed, especially in adventure stories, but they can many times border on unbelievable and could possibly threaten to ruin an otherwise good story.

The ending also seemed a bit rushed.

OVERALL A solid offering in the Tarzan series. It also ties the Tarzan and Pelluciar series together. Recommended for those who want a quick and entertaining story.

PUBLISHER: Ballantine Books
AUTHOR: Edgar Rice Burroughs
GENRE: Science Fiction, pulp adventure
PAGE COUNT: 191
ISBN: 345-24483-4-125
2012 CHALLENGES: 150+ Reading Challenge 2012, 2012 Read 52 Books in 52 weeks, 2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Year of the Dragon

Just got back form roller derby bouts at the Dome Arena. Guess I'll give a quick report. This was the first night of derby action of the extended travel season. The local B-sides took on the Worcester Roller Derby and the Roc Stars battled the Tri-City Thunder.

The B-Siders had the advantage in the first bout. The Worcester team had a long trip to get to Rochester and were also short on players. There were times that players would play in consecutive jams without a rest. While this fatigue would hurt them in the long run the B-Siders still pulled to an earlier lead with some outstanding playing. In the end the B-siders won 125-71.

The second bout got off to a bad start for the Roc Stars. Tri-City Thunder jammers were becoming lead jammer on a regular basis and got in a really large lead in the first few minutes. Penalties were quickly racked up by both teams, some players were spending so much time in the penalty box they should have been paying rent. By half-time Tri-City had outscored Rochester by about two to one.

In the second half the Roc Stars had a wonderful opportunity to close the gap in the score. A few jams later they were actually a few points ahead of Tri-City. Things were looking good and it was certainly exciting, and the penalty box was still pretty full. Unfortunately the Roc Stars jammers would end up in the penalty box too often giving Tri-City power jam opportunities that allowed them to re-establish a dominating lead which they held until the end of the bout. Final score, the Roc Stars lost to Tri-City 92-124. Still a great bout.

The musical interludes were performed by Roarshark. Normally I'm not too much into music, a bit hard of hearing. It's always hard to have conversations with friends during intermission with the music playing. While I had the same problem tonight, I actually did enjoy their music.

All in all it was a great time. Next bout is March 24, 2012 at the RIT Field House.

2012 Book Haul

Recently I sold about 48 DVDs via Amazon Trade-In. Ended up getting about $68 in credit for them. It may not seem like that good of a deal, selling DVDs I originally paid nearly $500 for at such a low price. But a number of the DVDs were old and most I hadn't watched in a couple years. Amazon will make money off them and I cleared out shelf space and was able to buy some books I've wanted for some time. A win-win situation.

I ended up clearing some of the books off my want list. Nine of them in all. A wide variety of topics from science fiction, graphic novels, and pulp fiction to anthropology, history, and political science. A very interesting haul, and possibly the only “book haul” I'll manage this year. Total postage for all of these was about $35.55; more than half of the amount I traded the DVDs in for.

Doctor Omega: by Arnould Galopin. A French sci-fi novel from 1905 translated to English. Unfortunately it has been “modernized” a bit in the process of translation. Possible inspiration for Doctor Who.

The Ayn Rand Lexicon: edited by Harry Binswanger. Looks like this will be a great reference guide to learning more about Rand's philosophy. I'm not really an Objectivist but want to learn more about them.

Adventure volume one: edited by Chris Roberson. Well over a dozen new pulp-style stories by about seventeen different authors. This promises to be very good, and was much larger than I anticipated. Overall I'm usually very happy with Monkeybrain Books.

The Political Philosophy of Bakunin: by G.P. Maximoff. I know a little about Bakunin. I want to read some of his writings to see if my picture of him is correct. Even if my initial perceptions of him are wrong I'm sure he's still a better man than Marx.

Road Belong Cargo: by Peter Lawrence. An anthropological study of the Cargo Cults of New Guinea. Has a bit of underlining and highlighting. Looks like it may be an ex-college book. Looking forward to reading it; I've always wanted to learn more about the Cargo Cults.

The Seychelles Affair: by Mike Hoare. The story of Hoare's failed attempt to liberate the Seychelles after being hired by its government in exile. I've read some magazine articles on the subject, it'll be nice to read the memoirs of the man in charge of that operation.

The Kingdom: Graphic novel by DC Comics. A sequel to the awesome Kingdom Come series. While not nearly as good as the original I do remember the stories begin entertaining.

Gold & Iron: by Fritz Stern. A study of the relationship between Bismarck and Gerson von Bleichroder and how it influenced the rise of the German nation. Hopefully there will be some useful insights in this book. Some very light pencil underlining and a little stained but good binding.

Pearls from Peoria: by Philip José Farmer. A large collection of short stories by Farmer. This book is huge; about 770 pages or so. It is an ex-library book but in pretty good shape considering that.

The biggest problem I have now is to decide which of these to read first. And since they are new acquisitions for me they won't count for my TBR Pile reading challenges for this year. Well, there are far worse problems to have.

Third Sentence Thursday - Tarzan at Earth's Core

1. Take the book you are currently reading, and share the third sentence in the first chapter (NOT the preface, preamble, introduction, etc. – Chapter 1). Feel free to share more (maybe the first three, the second through fourth, or the third plus the two following) if you’d prefer.
2. Share your thoughts on the sentence (or sentences).
3. Post a link on Proud Book Nerd's Third Sentence for the week by clicking on the image above.
4. Visit one or two of the other blogs to check out their third sentence(s).

"You could have smelled nothing but the mustiness of decaying vegetation, which blended with the aroma of growing things." (from Tarzan at Earth's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs)

Sounds like Tarzan is at home in the jungle. It turns out he is in Africa about to be approached by an American who offers him a chance to take a journey to Earth's core.

In this book Burroughs crosses over his popular Tarzan series with his Pellucidar stories. Should be quite an adventure.

Review - Gods of Manhattan

I'm already slipping behind in my reading challenges. While I know I'm not going to reach the 150+ goal I hope to make a much better showing than the 60 I read last year.

After doing some heavier reading I decided to read some fiction. Back during a Borders clearance sale a book caught my eye. It had a really cool cover and I figured, "what the heck, 80% off is worth it for the cover." So I picked it up. It was Al Ewing's Gods of Manhattan, part of the Pax Britannia series.

(image from Amazon.com)

The book is set in an alternate universe where it appears technology is more based of steam-tech than regular science. There were going to be potentially cool characters like Doc Thunder, the Blood Spider, and El Sombra. Pulp adventures in a world that won't limit it to our history. Lots of potential.

Overall the book is well written and does have some interesting characters. The story had many references to events that the characters were involved in years earlier and all the back story felt real in that 'comic booky' sort of way. It feels like a 'lived-in' world which helps enhance the realism of the setting.

Basically a man is murdered, a man who was long thought to be dead and who wasn't a very nice person to begin with. That death leads to a chain of events that will grow to threaten all of Manhattan, the United Socialist States of America, and possibly the entire world! Nice flow of action as the events progress and escalate.

While there are multiple main characters Doc Thunder got the most 'screen time.' Despite that I got the feeling that El Sombra was THE main character of the story. There was a rather interesting supporting character who is Doc Thunder's chef; a man who made a very interesting deal with the Devil. Too bad that wasn't developed a bit more... but then again that would have distracted form the main storyline.

There was a hints of modern day politics being thrown in. There were a couple times I got pulled out of the story because I felt like I read something from the comments section of a news article. None of it ruined the story, it was just a little distracting.

Some of the main characters are in desperate need of development. For the Blood Spider there is no development, he is a one-dimensional character whose only motive seems to be murdering minorities. The Batman/Shadow-type character is actually a fascist? I've seen that on numerous occasions; nothing new there. In fact it was done much better in From the Notebooks of Doctor Brain by Minster Faust.

That being said there is one highly used character that will never get old. Although he did not make an appearance he was mentioned.... Hitler's brain in a jar! Well something like that was mentioned anyway.

THE GOOD
Overall the story is interesting. Not too many surprises, but there are plenty of nice pulp & comic book schticks to be entertaining. There was a bit of a mystery, some good action, and plenty of great concepts. The writing was well done for the most part.

Nice looking cover too....

THE BAD
Some of the main characters are weak. Blood-Spider is very one-dimensional, Doc Thunder is a bit better but I would have preferred if he was a bit more on the level of Doc Savage instead of an early Golden Age Superman. El Sombra was almost as fanatical as Blood-Spider but had a little more to him. I'm sure he got great development and back story in his own book, El Sombra, which predated this one.

OVERALL
Overall I would recommend this book to any one who likes pulpy action or who wants to explore a world that is filled with great potential. I'll be returning to Pax Britannia at some point. The cover of Dark Side of the Moon looks cool.... of course you can't always judge a book by its cover.

PUBLISHER: copyright 2010 by Rebellion.
AUTHOR: Al Ewing
GENRE: Science Fiction, pulp adventure, some steampunk elements
PAGE COUNT: 238
ISBN: 978-1-906735-86-9
2012 CHALLENGES: 150+ Reading Challenge 2012, 2012 Read 52 Books in 52 weeks, 2012 A-Z Book Challenge, 2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge, Steampunked reading challenge

Review - Planet Hulk

Back in 'The Day' I used to read a lot of comic books. Probably not as many as many of my peers, but a fair number over the years. I've purged most of the comics I had collected; they were taking up space and most comics from Marvel or DC from the last 30 years aren't worth much. I sold them for what I could but saved a few short series I liked and a few "graphic novels."

However there was one more recent graphic novel I just had to pick up after seeing just the covers and learning about the concept of the original issues. That would be Planet Hulk.



The Hulk trapped on an alien planet becoming a slave and eventually ruler of the planet! Cool monsters, gladiator fights, The Hulk with armor and a sword, all sorts of goodness was promised by the covers of the original comic issues. All of that is collected into this graphic novel.

The basic story is the betrayal of the Hulk by a group of fellow heroes. They shoot him into deep space supposedly to a planet with no intelligent life where he can live in peace. Something goes wrong. The Hulk's ship falls through a wormhole and crashes on a world of violence, the world of Sakaar.

Our hero is weakened by his trip through the wormhole and is enslaved by the soldiers of the Emperor. He begins to quickly regain his strength thanks to the constant hostile stimulants he receives. He eventually befriends a number of fellow gladiators and they begin to work on gaining their freedom. The group eventually swears an oath making them Warbound.

Eventually the Warbound are given a task to finally gain their freedom that they are unwilling to perform. Luckily the obedience disks implanted on them are destroyed and they are able easily fight through the imperial army to freedom. They begin attracting more and more followers as the Emperor tries to have them destroyed.

After a long struggle against the insane Emperor the Warbound are victorious and the Hulk is proclaimed the Green King. His feats during the conflict were amazing and topped anything he has done in the past. At one point he even plunged into the cracking crust of the planet and managed to pull it back together, saving the world! Now he was victorious. He was now King of an entire world and had a queen and even an offspring on the way. The citizens celebrated their new ruler, they did not fear him. And while wanting to be left alone he now has the responsibility to rule a world; and it seems he will grow to fill that obligation.

However more happens in the last few pages that set they next stage of the Hulk's story in motion. I never continued on to find out what happened next. I knew what would happen next. The Hulk would get screwed and would never get proper vengeance. No need for me to read any of the comics that came after this.

I was never regularly read the Hulk comics, but I loved this story. A misunderstood being who just wants to live in peace and freedom who is betrayed by his friends and continues to try to live his life as best he can under constant unwanted events.

A short story related to the main one is also included. Amadeus Cho is a young man and the seventh smartest person on Earth. He is also a real friend of the Hulk. I love how Cho puts the evil Reed Richards in his place for Richards' part in the Hulk's exile. He even shows how the world's 'heroes' are more dangerous to the Earth than the Hulk ever was. "And you have to wonder if there wouldn't be fewer dead folks out there in your little civil war if you'd launched yourselves into space instead of him."

Rounding out the book are great write ups about the planet Sakaar and its solar system. A history of the world and its inhabitants including a map and other great information. All in all a great addition to the collection of comic book fans.

Sorry if this was light on details. Just trying to avoid any more spoilers than necessary.

PUBLISHER: Marvel Publishing, Inc.
GENRE: Graphic Novel; Science Fiction/Fantasy
PAGE COUNT: 416
2012 CHALLENGES: 150+ Reading Challenge 2012, 2012 Graphic Novel Challenge

Third Sentence Thursday - The Myth of the Great War

1. Take the book you are currently reading and post the third sentence of the third chapter. Feel free to share one or two of the following sentences, if you’d like.
2. Share your thoughts on the sentence (or sentences).
3. Post a link on Proud Book Nerd's Third Sentence for the week by clicking on the image above.
4. Visit one or two of the other blogs to check out their third sentence(s).

"The Russians had declared a preparatory or intermediate step toward completing mobilization on the twenty-sixth, followed by an order for a general mobilization on the twenty-ninth, which was canceled and then approved on the thirtieth." (from The Myth of the Great War by John Mosier)

I started this one today, I've read too much fiction that last couple weeks, back into World War One. The Russians seem to have fumbled a bit in their reaction to Austro-Hungary's partial mobilization against Serbia.

Russia wanted to intimidate Austria in an attempt to limit the Empire's vengeance against Serbia. They had trouble with a partial mobilization since their plans and time tables were geared for full mobilization. They didn't want to antagonize Germany, but the Germans were itching for a fight.

Not long after most of Europe was at war. A war that would draw in much of the world including Japan and the United States.

(image from Amazon.com)

Book Review - Tunnel Through Time

This is the first time travel story for the year that I've read. It is an old Scholastic book I got off of Bookmoch.

THE STORY
A scientist exploring the secrets of gravity accidentally invents a time machine. After making sure it would be safe to send humans back in time a paleontologist friend of his becomes the first time traveler. However something goes wrong and the man doesn't return.

At this point the main character, a seventeen-year old boy, and the son of the missing man go back eighty-million years in time to find the boy's father. Encounters with dinosaurs and other strange creatures result.

Eventually they accomplish their mission and prepare to return home. The only problem is that they have to take smaller steps to get back to 1966. A brief stop in the Ice Age and then another stop about 20,000 years ago where they encounter early humans.

THE CHARACTERS
Bob Miller - the narrator and main character. The 17-year old son of the inventor of the time machine. Bob is athletic and brave.

Pete - the son of Doc Tom, the paleontologist. He has his 18th birthday while 20,000 years in the past. Pete is a bit of a nerd, not much of the physical type. But he does pull his own weight during the adventure.

Doc Tom - Pete's father and the world's first time traveler.... unless you count the primitive girl that ended up briefly traveling to 1966. Technically she became the first time traveler 20,000 years before Doc Tom did. I kept reading his name as Doc Tomorrow... I was picturing him as some sort of pulp hero.

There was also Bob's father, some other scientists, and numerous primitive humans.

FINAL ANALYSIS
This was a younger reader title. It was a quick and interesting read. The pseudo-science they used sounded pretty good for 1966. They only problem I had with it was where the characters got into a battle with some of the natives 20,000 years ago and had to shoot a number of them. Seriously, when they returned to 1966 they would have ended up in a totally divergent universe form the massive changes resulting in the deaths of a dozen or more people that long ago at the dawn of humanity.

PUBLISHER: Scholastic Book Services; 1967 printing; copyright 1966 by Lester Del Rey
GENRE: Science Fiction; Time Travel
PAGE COUNT: 160
2012 CHALLENGES: 150+ Reading Challenge 2012, 2012 Read 52 Books in 52 weeks, 2012 A-Z Book Challenge, 2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

2012 Audio Book Challenge Sign-up

A few weeks ago I signed up for a number of reading challenges including ones for graphic novels and picture books. I found one for audio books that I just had to add to my list of challenges for the year.

Over at Teresa's Reading Corner is the audio book challenge for 2012. I'll be signing up for the 'Lover' level; that means during the year I'll try to finish 25 audio books. I'm part way through one right now. It looks like I'll have to visit the library to find some more and/or sign up with Audible.com to get through this challenge.

I'll be sure to post reviews of the books I listen to. My progress can be tracked on my Book Reading Challenges page.

Book Review - The Divide

(image from Amazon.com) William Overgard's The Divide is an alternate history tale involving a world where the Axis Powers won the Second World War. From what I could tell history diverged at a couple points, one being the election of an isolationist President in the United States and the second being a change in Germany's tactics that allowed them a quick victory over Britain.

THE STORY
It is 1976. Two-hundred years since the Declaration of Independence and thirty years since the United States surrendered to the Axis. The elderly Hitler and Tojo plan a historic meeting in the center of America at a place they call the Divide. America has been a peaceful place for a number of years, no real uprisings, citizens being willing slaves to their German and Japanese masters. All that is about to change.

A number of people get involved in setting the stage for a new American Revolution. It starts with the bizarre assassination of a Japanese general on the Fourth of July. The story then jumps between various characters - the trio of freedom fighters and their interactions with other rebel elements, an SS officer tasked with destroying the resistance, and other people whose lives are touched by the ongoing events.

Pieces start to fall in place and all of the threads lead to the meeting of the two rulers at the Divide. There are plenty of set-backs and a few twists and turns along the way.

Overgard's style is interesting. There is a tendency to introduce new information and then spend a few pages telling the back-story of that new information, usually in the form of flashbacks. While this works in most cases, there were a couple of times I wished he would shorten some of the flashbacks and keep going with the events in the 'present'.

THE CHARACTERS
The Old Man (Wayne Stubbs) is the main character of the story. He has a checkered past involving accidentally injuring a prostitute, indirectly causing his wife to commit suicide, and then wounding another prostitute in an attempt to kill her while suffering the rage and despair following his wife's death. He then fled to Canada and eventually made his way back after America fell to the Axis. Not the most heroic of backgrounds but he now feels he has to make up for the past by saving the country's future.

The Cowboy (Cooper): This young man was raised by The Old Man. He was raised to be a hero and to be an inspiration for others in the coming revolution. He plays his role well but gets caught up in his first real encounters with women (he and The Old Man lived a very isolated and hobo-like lifestyle).

Claus Dieter is the antagonist from the SS. He is on the trail of the heroes after the July 4th assassination. He is an evil and deceitful man who, while smart, is usually in over his head. He tries to destroy the resistance while keeping his superiors from getting rid of him for any failures.

In addition there are numerous other characters, an Amerind girl, a Jewish woman who is putting the finishing touches on her father's bomb, and many others. Most of the characters are interesting and the liberal use of flashbacks in the novel gives us all the information we need about them.

FINAL ANALYSIS
A great story overall. I have mentioned the sometimes annoying use of flashbacks, but there were only a couple of places that this really bothered me. The ending, while it wrapped up the main story, did not reveal the eventual results of the new Revolution. In fact the last page was about Hitler's daughter being pregnant. I'm not sure if this was to set up a sequel or just to establish that history keeps chugging along, even after some really historic events take place.

As with life, there are not happy endings, just another day and new challenges following the last.

PUBLISHER: Jove Publications, Inc.; copyright 1980 by William Overgard
GENRE: Alternate History
PAGE COUNT: 244
ISBN: 0-515-05492-5
2012 CHALLENGES: 150+ Reading Challenge 2012, 2012 Read 52 Books in 52 weeks, 2012 A-Z Book Challenge, 2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge, The 2012 TBR Pile Challenge

Third Sentence Thrusday - The Divide

"Centered between the olive drab of the Honda halftracks and Mitsubishi combat cars was the shine of a Toyota limousine, yellow CNC pennants snapping at the fendertips." (from The Divide by William Overgard)

Sounds like the Japanese military is on the move. Someone important, like a general, given the Toyota limo with the pennants.

Of course, looking at the cover these vehicles are probably moving somewhere across the western United States. I wonder what they are up to and how the Germans and American resistance will respond.

(image from Amazon.com)

Third Sentence Thursday #12

"I was conceived and born in 1888." (from A Feast Unknown by Philip José Farmer)

This was the third sentence in the Foreword. It was part of the first person narration of the main character, Lord Grandrith. Normally when I hear the year 1888 my mind jumps to one thing. Despite all of the events that took place in 1888; The founding of the National Geographic Society, the Washington Monument opening to the public, Susan B. Anthony organizing a Congress for Women's Rights, George Eastman's patent on a camera that uses film rolls, the crowing of Wilhelm II as the Emperor of Germany, and countless other events of that year.

No, the first thing I think of hearing 1888 is Jack the Ripper.

This time my instincts would be right. The fourth sentence of the Foreword is: "Jack the Ripper was my father."

(image from Amazon.com)

Preparing for 1882

Tonight I've been working on more background material for a steampunk/superhero role-playing game I run on some Fridays. Its origins are a little complicated but after the one-shot adventure we decided to keep it going. The 2011 sessions of the game were set in 1881 and now that we have made it to 2012 it is time for my campaign to enter into 1882.

With 'four-color' power level heroes instead of pulp-level heroes (basically Power Level 10 in third edition Mutants & Masterminds) will easily change the world. Since it is going to be changed I started out with an alternate history. The first major change in the timeline was the Second French Empire defeating Prussia in the Franco-Prussian War. Now Germany is still a collection of Germanic states - the Northern German Confederation, Bavaria, Baden, Ruritania, etc. and the French annexed some German territory as well as Luxembourg. The French are in the process of constructing a tunnel to Algeria.

Africa currently has a few scattered European outposts and the Cape Colony and Boer states in Southern Africa. With the discovery of an incredible new element in the African Kingdom of Nri an interest in colonization is increasing. However it will go very differently than in our world. The very fact that France won its war with Prussia changed how the partitioning of Africa will take place. Add the complication of a powerful mummy rising in Egypt named Hsekiu and the reluctance of either France or England to allow the other to gain control of Egypt as Ottoman power collapses is going to lead to some chaos. Without a base of operations in Egypt the Mahdist uprising in Sudan will also have a much different course.

On top of this the player characters saved American President Garfield from assassination - another change in the timeline that will have dramatic effects. On top of that are the incredible technologies being developed by Scientists the world over and it will be interesting to see how things transform during 1882.

For source material I mainly use Victorian era fiction with a few interesting comic book related cliches. With my interest in the Wold Newton Universe and being in the final phases of writing a Victorian era adventure novel this campaign is allowing me to do things and use materials that don't fit exactly in either of those categories.

Counter-factual histories are fascinating. Even without superheroes this one would have some very interesting developments. It helps to prove the importance of certain events or people to history. Sure there the size and power of certain nations will lead to the same long-term results regardless of the exact people involved, but the journey and surprises along the way are worth the effort.

It's also great for the player characters since they will be well aware that their actions will have consequences and that future history has not yet been written.

Has anyone else developed an elaborate alternate Earth history for a role-playing campaign? If so what did you do and how did the PCs react to it?

Book Review - A Feast Unknown

I've finished reading my first book for 2012. I decided to start the years off with Philip José Farmer. I grabbed one of his books off my shelf that I had yet to read and picked A Feast Unknown. This book is certainly for adults only.

(image from Amazon.com)

While much of Farmer's writings touch on sexuality this book was at times a bit over the top on the subject. It is told first person by Lord Grandrith, an English lord who was raised by apes in Africa from the age of 1. Basically he is the real person behind Burrough's Tarzan series. Grandrith is attacked and hunted by the Kenyan military, Albanian mercenaries, and Doc Caliban (who was the 'real' person which the Doc Savage pulps were based on).

To the Grandrith's shock he finds that violence and death now cause sexual excitement and release while actual sexual activity does not arouse him any longer. Something similar is happening to Doc Caliban.

Behind it all are the mysterious Nine. A group of near immortal beings that control the world. Both Grandrith and Caliban are servants of the Nine and have their lives extended well beyond normal. Now the Nine are manipulating the two into conflict.

I won't go into details here, but many things are touched on during the story; infidelity, rape, incest, bestiality, homosexuality, and the general linking of sex and violence being experienced by the main character as I mentioned above. It is well written but if you are uncomfortable with such topics you may want to stay clear of this book. It is also clear that this book was written in the sixties.

The story leads all the characters to Grandrith's estates in England (well, all except the Kenyan military, I don't think they got through customs). A battle of a pretty large scale takes place between the various factions. After that Grandrith and Caliban battle each other for the right to fill an open seat in the Nine.

This book is not part of Farmer's Wold Newton universe. In this both Grandrith and Caliban are revealed to be children of Jack the Ripper which certainly does not fit the family trees created in Tarzan Alive and Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life.

Overall I enjoyed this book. Nearly non-stop action. At times the violence was a bit silly, and Lord Grandrith's uninhibited descriptions of various sexual topics was uncomfortable at times the story was, in total, interesting. While I haven't decided what scale to use for rating all the books I plan to review this year I'll just go with a six out of ten for it.

PUBLISHER: PEI Books, Inc. Copyright 1969 Philip José Farmer, cover copyright 1980 PEI books, inc.
GENRE: Science-Fiction, Adventure
PAGE COUNT: 288
ISBN: 0-872-16586-8
2012 CHALLENGES: 150+ Reading Challenge 2012, 2012 Read 52 Books in 52 weeks, Read Your Name 2012, 2012 A-Z Book Challenge, 2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge, The 2012 TBR Pile Challenge