Books you read in 2017

Discussion in 'TMB Book Club' started by CBH, Jan 4, 2017.

  1. CBH

    CBH Well-Known Member
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    1. The Gray Man by Mark Greaney (Gray Man Series #1) 7/10
     
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  2. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    1. Star Wars Catalyst - 8/10
     
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  3. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    1. Dune, by Frank Herbert (6.5/10)
     
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  4. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    1. Golden Son (Red Rising #2) - Pierce Brown (8/10)
     
  5. mizz1439

    mizz1439 Well-Known Member

    1. IT - Stephen King (6/10). Outside of The Shining I haven't read much from him I like. Couldn't get into the Dark Tower series and Mr. Mercedes was OK.
     
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  6. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    I respect your right to have bad opinions and express them on the internet
     
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  7. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    I really want to read dark tower series, but 7 King books is quite the undertaking.
     
  8. mizz1439

    mizz1439 Well-Known Member

    Thank you haha. Science fiction/fantasy just isn't my jam, but I've been told I'd like it more as the series progresses.

    Yeah that'd be a big time commitment. I'm about to start the first brilliance series book
     
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  9. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Brilliance series was great.
     
  10. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    1. Dune, by Frank Herbert (6.5/10)
    2. The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry (7/10)
    3. The Kill Artist (Gabriel Allon #1) by Daniel Silva (8.5/10)
     
    #10 Truman, Jan 14, 2017
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2017
  11. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    1. Commander In Chief - Greaney (Clancy) 7/10
    2. The Devil in the White City - Larson 6.5/10
     
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  12. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    What didnt you like about Devil in the White City?
     
  13. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    The architecture to serial killer ratio skewed way too far toward architecture. I really had to grind my way through the book.

    It was well written & Larson really painted a vivid picture of the struggles to get the fair complete. I didn't find that very interesting & expected it to be in the background more.
     
  14. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    FYI pretty much every Jack Ryan book is enjoyable to me & that was the best Greaney contribution to the series thus far.
     
  15. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Fair. I feel like you either love or hate Larson. He can get bogged down in the details, but I enjoy it. I can see how others don't. Living in Chicago that book is even more interesting to me.
     
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  16. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    Being a Chicago resident would certainly have upped the entertainment factor
     
  17. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    1. Commander In Chief - Greaney (Clancy) 7/10
    2. The Devil in the White City - Larson 6.5/10

    3. True Faith and Allegiance - Greaney 7.5/10
     
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  18. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
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    1. Poisonfeather (Gibson Vaughn #2) - Matthew FitzSimmons (7.5/10)

    I didn't enjoy it as much as the first one of the series but the ending was super good and has me very interested in the next book. The characters are really well written and I generally enjoy spending time in the world.
     
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  19. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    1. Golden Son (Red Rising #2) - Pierce Brown (8/10)
    2. Morning Star (Red Rising #3) - Pierce Brown (8/10)
    3. Scrappy Little Nobody - Anna Kendrick (6.5/10)

    Enjoyed the Red Rising series despite its flaws. Anna Kendrick's book was alright.
     
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  20. Teflon Queen

    Teflon Queen The mentally ill sit perfectly still
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    1. The Earth is Weeping - Peter Cozzens (9.9/10) Breathtaking in scope and detail. Probably the best book on American Indians ever...at worst top 2.

    2. Jefferson's America - Julie Fenster (6.5/10) Enjoyable material, writing is a bit lackluster.

    3. Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes (6.5/10) Characters are rather lame, but thoughtful and sad.

    4. The Man in the High Castle - Philip K Dick (5/10) Everytime I read a Philip Dick book I wonder why I did it, I guess I find the rantings of a lunatic to be interesting.
     
  21. Truman

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    1. Dune, by Frank Herbert (6.5/10)
    2. The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry (7/10)
    3. The Kill Artist (Gabriel Allon #1) by Daniel Silva (8.5/10)
    4. The Templar Legacy (Cotton Malone #1) by Steve Berry (6.5/10)
    5. Carve The Mark by Veronica Roth (6/10)

     
  22. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
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    1. Poisonfeather (Gibson Vaughn #2) - Matthew FitzSimmons (7.5/10)
    2. The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture - Glen Weldon (8.5/10)

    I really liked this book. Always been a huge Batman fan yet I have only read one of his comics (Shitty AMC Show Joke). This made me want to read some of the big ones over the last few decades. Great history without making me feel overwhelmed by the amount of history being dumped on me. Thought it was really funny too, which kind of surprised me. Last half of the book which dealt with the Burton, Schumacher, + Nolan films, as well as what was happening at the time with the comics, was probably my favorite part. Good stuff.
     
  23. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    1. Commander In Chief - Greaney (Clancy) 7/10
    2. The Devil in the White City - Larson 6.5/10
    3. True Faith and Allegiance - Greaney 7.5/10
    4. The Gray Man (Gray Man Series #1) - Greaney 7.5/10 - Really enjoyed this book. Plan on diving immediately into the 2nd book of the series.
     
    #23 Jorts, Jan 24, 2017
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2017
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  24. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
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    1. Listen, Liberal -- Thomas Frank (7/10)
    2. Hillbilly Elegy -- J. D. Vance (5/10)
    3. White Rage -- Carol Anderson (6/10)
     
  25. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
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    What else would be ahead of it? Empire of the Summer Moon?
     
  26. fetumpsh

    fetumpsh Well-Known Member
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    1. Signs Preceding the End of the World, Yuri Herrera (8.5/10) (spare, compelling story of a Mexican woman crossing the border to find her brother. short novel. recommended.)
    2. Transmigration of Bodies, Yuri Herrera (8/10) (noirish, kind of like Romeo and Juliet meets Raymond Chandler in a Mexican barrio, pretty fun overall and short)
    3. The Story of My Teeth, Valeria Luiselli (7.5/10) (quirky story of a man who has Marilyn Monroe's teeth in his mouth. Good, but some of the references to art, politics, and philosophy were a bit beyond me)
    4. Powder Town, David Lazar (6/10) (short essays and prose forms linked by themes from noir films. some decent pieces and language play in here, but overall the collection didn't work for me)
     
  27. Teflon Queen

    Teflon Queen The mentally ill sit perfectly still
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    That or On the Border with Crook
     
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  28. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
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    1. The Crippled God (The Malazan Book of the Fallen #10) - Steven Erikson (9/10)
    2. Dune - Frank Herbert (7/10)
    3. The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #1) - Carlos Ruiz Zafón (9/10)
    4. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury (6/10)
    5. The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1) - Stephen King (7/10)
     
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  29. Teflon Queen

    Teflon Queen The mentally ill sit perfectly still
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    I had no idea that Shadow of the Wind was a series...liked that book a lot
     
  30. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
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    Looks like he wrote a follow-up called The Angel's Game.
     
  31. CBH

    CBH Well-Known Member
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    1. The Gray Man by Mark Greaney (Gray Man Series #1) 7/10
    2. Days of Rage by Brad Taylor (Pike Logan Series #6) 7.5/10
     
  32. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    1. Golden Son (Red Rising #2) - Pierce Brown (8/10)
    2. Morning Star (Red Rising #3) - Pierce Brown (8/10)
    3. Scrappy Little Nobody - Anna Kendrick (6.5/10)
    4. Dune (Dune #1) - Frank Herbert (7.5/10)

    I feel like I would enjoy it far more upon reread.
     
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  33. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    1. Commander In Chief - Greaney (Clancy) 7/10
    2. The Devil in the White City - Larson 6.5/10
    3. True Faith and Allegiance - Greaney 7.5/10
    4. The Gray Man (Gray Man Series #1) - Greaney 7.5/10 -
    5. Duty and Honor - Grant Blackwood 3/10 : Scratch what I said earlier about enjoying every book in the Jack Ryan universe. I hated this book from the beginning & wanted Jack Jr. to die a painful death. This book was necessary for the Greaney's story sphere, but I hope this is the last Jack Ryan Jr. novel.

    ... On to Gray Man #2
     
  34. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
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    1. Poisonfeather (Gibson Vaughn #2) - Matthew FitzSimmons (7.5/10)
    2. The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture - Glen Weldon (8.5/10)
    3. Waking Gods (Themis Files #2) - Sylvain Neuvel (7.5/10)

    Got another ARC. Much like the first one, I love the way this book is written. I said it then and I'll say it now: It's amazing that a book that is told with notes, transcripts, etc. can have such great character development, but this one was able to do that again. I really loved the first 70%, probably more than the first book as a whole. There were a couple things that took away from the the last 30%, partly being rushed, that dropped the book down a tad. That said, the ending was once again great and now the slow wait for the third book begins. 7.5/10
     
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  35. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    1. Dune, by Frank Herbert (6.5/10)
    2. The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry (7/10)
    3. The Kill Artist (Gabriel Allon #1) by Daniel Silva (8.5/10)
    4. The Templar Legacy (Cotton Malone #1) by Steve Berry (6.5/10)
    5. Carve The Mark by Veronica Roth (6/10)
    6. Master of Formalities by Scott Meyer (7/10)

    Fun read. If you liked the Magic 2.0 seres you'll like this. Plot wasn't as good, but funny characters and all the goofy, slapstick humor
     
  36. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    Did you do Audiobook or ebook? If Audiobook, is it narrated by Luke Daniels like the Magic 2.0 books?
     
  37. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    ebook. Although a quick google tells me it's the same narrator.
     
  38. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    Thanks, google confuses me
     
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  39. Iron Mickey

    Iron Mickey a guy who posted here like five years ago hates me
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    1. The Atlantis Gene, A.G. Riddle, 6.5/10
    2. Grimscribe, Thomas Ligotti, 9.5/10
    3. The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch, 10/10
    4. Red Seas Under Red Skies, Scott Lynch, 9/10
    5. Hounded, Kevin Hearne, 7/10
    6. Banquet for the Damned, Adam G. Nevill, 1/10
    7. The Body Reader, Anne Frasier, 7.5/10
    8. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett, 9/10
    9. The Winter Over, Matthew Iden, 5/10
     
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  40. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    1. Dune, by Frank Herbert (6.5/10)
    2. The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry (7/10)
    3. The Kill Artist (Gabriel Allon #1) by Daniel Silva (8.5/10)
    4. The Templar Legacy (Cotton Malone #1) by Steve Berry (6.5/10)
    5. Carve The Mark by Veronica Roth (6/10)
    6. Master of Formalities by Scott Meyer (7/10)
    7. Empires of the Sea, by Roger Crowley (9/10)
    8. 1984 by George Orwell (8.5/10)


    -Empires was great. About naval warfare in the roman lake during the 1500s. Ottomans v Christians v Barbary Pirates vs Templar Knight spinoff groups. Good shit if youre into that thing.


    - 1984 ... The thing about classics is they're a classic for a reason. Great read that I skipped in HS. Especially relevant today for obvious reasons.


    Prob will start Feb Book Club's selection this weekend.
     
  41. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
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    1984 is good stuff. Thought about re-reading it because, well you know.
     
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  42. Truman

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    I skipped it in HS. Had never read it. Saw it re-emerged on the best seller list and felt it as an appropriate time to read it.
     
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  43. FTK

    FTK Well-Known Member
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    Flashboys, Michael Lewis 8/10

    Michael Lewis books are such easy, enjoyable reads. I somewhat work in the field but I think even if finance isn't your thing it's an interesting story.
     
  44. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    1. Dune, by Frank Herbert (6.5/10)
    2. The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry (7/10)
    3. The Kill Artist (Gabriel Allon #1) by Daniel Silva (8.5/10)
    4. The Templar Legacy (Cotton Malone #1) by Steve Berry (6.5/10)
    5. Carve The Mark by Veronica Roth (6/10)
    6. Master of Formalities by Scott Meyer (7/10)
    7. Empires of the Sea, by Roger Crowley (9/10)
    8. 1984 by George Orwell (8.5/10)
    9. The North Water, by Ian McGuire (7/10)
     
  45. joey jo-jo jr shabadoo

    joey jo-jo jr shabadoo you know for me, the action is the juice

    1. Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Jungle City - Greg Grandin
    2. On the Medieval Origins of the Modern State - Joseph R. Strayer
     
  46. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
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    1. Poisonfeather (Gibson Vaughn #2) - Matthew FitzSimmons (7.5/10)
    2. The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture - Glen Weldon (8.5/10)
    3. Waking Gods (Themis Files #2) - Sylvain Neuvel (7.5/10)
    4. Red Rising (Red Rising #1) - Pierce Brown (8.5/10)

    I went into the first book of this series, and the series as a whole, with a lot of hype. And I would say that the first book lived up to said hype, with even more promise to come in the final two. It definitely went a way that I didn't expect it to off the bat and the pacing of this story caught me off guard about halfway through.

    But I really enjoyed that part of the story. In a way, it felt like it went from a sci-fi novel to a fantasy story, based on the setting of the latter half of the book. Characters were great and fleshed out. And the story/what will happen next has me very excited to start the second book of the series.

    Highly recommend. 8.5/10
     
    #46 Lorne Malvo, Feb 7, 2017
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2017
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  47. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
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    1. The Crippled God (The Malazan Book of the Fallen #10) - Steven Erikson (9/10)
    2. Dune - Frank Herbert (7/10)
    3. The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #1) - Carlos Ruiz Zafón (9/10)
    4. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury (6/10)
    5. The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1) - Stephen King (7/10)
    6. The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower #2) - Stephen King (8/10)
    7. The North Water - Ian McGuire (6.5/10)
     
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  48. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    Book 2 goes back to more sci fi, but I agree that the 2nd half of book 1 feels like fantasy and I really enjoyed that.
     
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  49. Lorne Malvo

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    At first it kind of threw me off a bit. I didn't like it as much when they first started doing fantasy thing. By about 60% through the book I was all in again. Last 40% was pretty damn great. Starting the next one tonight.
     
    #49 Lorne Malvo, Feb 7, 2017
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2017
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  50. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    Going to re-read Red Phoenix for the 4th or 5th time soon, to prepare for the real life Second Korean War that I hope never happens.

    But for real, great book even though its somewhat dated now, recommended for all Tom Clancy/90's technothriller fans.
    Larry Bond probably my second favorite author of that genre/era, Vortex and Cauldron also excellent.