Hamilton Boys' High School

42,968 pages read and 5,417 team points

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BJWest

16,070 pts

(16,070 pages read)

More Tall Tales

By Jeff Smith

4 stars

A fun addendum to the Bone saga, this book is a small collection of stories that fills in some back-stories for some of the characters.
Crown of Horns

By Jeff Smith

5 stars

Incredible wrap-up to the series. It appeared that every character introduced in the first 8 books all had a part to play in the conclusion. Not everyone survives, so the ending is a mixed victory, but the sacrifices are not in vain.
Treasure Hunters

By Jeff Smith

4 stars

Trust Phoncible to try to turn a tragedy into profit. Enemies withing, invaders outside, how can the heroes fight the enemy when they don't know who they can trust?
Ghost Circles

By Jeff Smith

4 stars

Excellent continuation of the series. The emphasis in this book was about trust and second chances.
Old Man's Cave

By Jeff Smith

4 stars

What happens when you base your future on a lie? The primary antagonist up to this point misinterpreted an event because she wanted her vision to be true and ends up paying the price for her mistake.
Rock Jaw

By Jeff Smith

4 stars

Continuing the incredible saga, the theme of 'Rock Jaw' centers around the concept of the dangers of neutrality and not taking sides. When faced with an aggressor, those who do nothing are in reality aiding the aggressor.
The Dragonslayer

By Jeff Smith

4 stars

As the Bone saga continues, this addition is a scary rendition on how fascists rise to power. Phoncible P Bone follows an ageless strategy as he creates an enemy for people to fear, promises to save them from what they fear, and puts himself in power convincing everyone that it was their idea because it's necessary to 'protect' them. While the format is targeted for younger readers, the simplistic and engaging plot holds some very profound concepts. Highly recommend.
Eyes of the Storm

By Jeff Smith

4 stars

Book 3 of the Bone saga. The plot is getting more serious, although there is still plenty of humor to make the reading fast and easy. The Bones still take center stage in the plot, but the past of the characters in the valley are filling out creating a larger plot linked to past events. Still an enjoyable read, even as I indulge the kid in me reading these books.
The Great Cow Race

By Jeff Smith

4 stars

A hilarious continuation of the Bone saga. The Bone cousins (whatever they are supposed to be) are creating mischief in the valley and the people are not too happy about it. The story progresses well through the hilarious antics that make the story enjoyable.
Out From Boneville

By Jeff Smith

4 stars

Some easy reading from the collection of books to keep my children loving reading. I read these to them when they were younger but they started reading on their own before I had finished reading them to them. As a result, they read them over and over multiple times, but I was unable to finish the saga. I just needed an excuse to pull them out and reread from the beginning to follow the story. Definitely a younger read, but the characters are relatable and have distinct personalities that make the story progression easy. A fun fantasy.
The Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy

By Douglas Adams

4 stars

A book that I have been wanting to read for a long time and I am not disappointed now that I have finally gotten around to it. A hilarious tale that ignores science in a science-fiction setting. Douglas Adams' analogies are so poor yet fitting with the writing style that it both works and adds to the enjoyment of the story. I look forward to picking up the remaining 4 books of the trilogy (worded this way on purpose).
Old Man's War

By John Scalzi

5 stars

An excellently written novel about the potential direction of human society and technology. Fast-paced action, the story keeps you enthralled and wanting more. The philosophical and moral implications of the direction of human engagement in the universe as well as that of some of the technologies are touched on at times, and parallel human tendencies today. Extremely relatable read.
The Eye of the World

By Robert Jordan

5 stars

An excellent reread as I continue to try to rebuild my home library which I had to leave behind when I moved to NZ. The characters are detailed and relatable. My favorite aspect of this book is that it has a conclusion - something overtly missing in many of the subsequent books of the saga.
Malvolio's Revenge

By Sophie Masson

1 stars

An uninspiring read. The characters and plot were one-dimensional, with no real developments. Every step of the story was straightforward and predictable. The end was unfulfilling.
Temple of the Winds

By Terry Goodkind

5 stars

Even though this series was supposed to be a trilogy but continued on due to pressure from the publisher because of the success, I am happy with the addition of this book and it is my favorite to date. A moral struggle of the protagonists fighting against a more powerful evil adversary that can control others through their minds. Multiple threads expertly wound together into an enjoyable experience.
Blood of the Fold

By Terry Goodkind

4 stars

New book and new dynamics added to the Sword of Truth universe. A good portion of the book is dedicated to the fight against a militant fascist group terrorizing communities in the search for those with magical abilities. Without caring who they hurt or if the accused really are gifted, they are certainly a parallel to groups that exist today. I originally rated the book lower just from the frustration of not being able to relate to the antagonists' genocidal nature, but their mindset is certainly realistic.
Stone of Tears

By Terry Goodkind

5 stars

Beautiful follow-up to Wizards First Rule. I enjoyed it more than the original book. A lot of magical twists that are woven intricately into a rich setting which made it easy to imagine myself in the plot.
Wizard's First Rule

By Terry Goodkind

4 stars

Excellent starting fantasy novel for this author. The revelation of the First Rule is hilarious in the realization it seems very accurate in today's world. Overall a great romance/fantasy read.
Allegiant

By Veronica Roth

4 stars

An enjoyable conclusion to the divergent series. One can hope that things are settled as cleanly in the real world as this fictional series as the world leaders become more chaotic.
Insurgent

By Veronica Roth

3 stars

Second book in the Divergent trilogy. The next step in this dystopian series is to fight back against those in control who view 'divergents' as dangerous. An enjoyable follow-up but leads too much into another book unlike the first.
Divergent

By Veronica Roth

4 stars

Dystopian fiction where the government keeps a close eye on the personalities of its citizens. Those who do not fit in any of the specific designated molds are 'divergent' and seen as a danger to the society that has been constructed. The story then is about the protagonist hiding her divergent nature (with help) and discovering the secrets behind the government. Sadly more realistic than I thought when first reading this book almost 15 years ago (gift from a former student). The book is much more satisfying than the movie adaptations.
The Silmarillion

By J R R Tolkien

1 stars

This is the driest prequel to any series I have ever read. It put very little of the Lord of the Rings into perspective even as it fleshed out the history of Tolkien's universe. Read it if you are curious, but don't expect an enthralling read.
The Lord of the Rings

By J R R Tolkien

4 stars

Some nostalgia from my youth as I discovered this book at a local Salvation Army thrift store. Surprisingly fast read given having already read it in the past and the text is not as engaging as I remembered it.
The First Confessor

By Terry Goodkind

4 stars

A stand-alone story in Terry Goodkind's 'Wizard's First Rule' saga. As a novel, it was decent, however, it was more enjoyable as an addition to the universe, bringing one of the historic events mentioned multiple times into it's own story.
Stay Close

By Harlan Coben

3 stars

One of the books I rescued from the library disposal pile not knowing what it was, but it sounded interesting. An enjoyable mystery with a splash of thriller in it. I was unfortunately sabotaged when my wife recognized the title as a Netflix limited series and immediately watched it. Netflix did an excellent job of keeping the story to the plot of the book, which detracted from my enjoyment finishing the book as there were too little differences to make the reading experience unique.
Blood Rites

By Jim Butcher

5 stars

Book 6 is no disappointment. More vampires? Somehow, it works. Definitely intriguing twists that makes this series work. Final book of my Christmas gifts - I need more.
Death Masks

By Jim Butcher

5 stars

Wizards vs Vampires. Another excellently written story that keeps you enthralled in the fast-paced narrative.
Summer Knight

By Jim Butcher

5 stars

Book 4 in the Dresden Files. Butcher brings the fairy world into the direct conflict. The story was intricately woven and wrapped up in a nice conclusion. I am loving this series.
Grave Peril

By Jim Butcher

5 stars

Jim Butcher decided to bring ghosts (why not) into the series, setting the stage for a continuous series. Excellently delivered story.
Fool Moon

By Jim Butcher

5 stars

Excellent follow-up to the first book in the Dresden Files (Storm Front). Introducing werewolves to a universe that already includes wizards, vampires, and demons, working it into a setting where all magical things remain unknown to the rest of the world. A must-read series.
Storm Front

By Jim Butcher

5 stars

This is the book series I've been waiting for. Extremely entertaining - I could not put it down. Entertaining fantasy set in modern times about a crime-fighting (sort of - police consultant) wizard in a world that doesn't believe in magic.
Nest

By Terry Goodkind

3 stars

RIP Terry Goodkind. An out-of-character, stand-alone science fiction that is more fiction than science. Definitely a unique take on the coevolution of the predator/prey relationship. An odd twist as it applies exclusively to humans and acts more magical (which is more in tune to Goodkind's preferred genre) with the ability to see murder in another. An enjoyable, quick read.
Night Without Stars

By Peter F Hamilton

4 stars

An enjoyable conclusion to the Chronicle of the Fallers. The story moved at a faster pace and the characters came together to complete the plot. Recommended read for those who want to lose themselves in another setting for an extended time.
The Abyss Beyond Dreams

By Peter F Hamilton

3 stars

A longer read to get into. A science fiction which is more fiction than science - really the only science involved is that it takes place in the future with advanced technology. Some fantasy elements as part of the setting was a post-industrialized society. Ended up being a good but incomplete read.
Xenocide

By Orson Scott Car

5 stars

With the physics and universe politics fully established in the first 2 books, Xenocide focused on the philosophy of when it would be appropriate to eradicate an intelligent alien species. The arguments the characters used were intelligent, well-thought out, and controversial. The characters felt more personable than in the previous books making for my favorite read of the series thus far.
Speaker for the Dead

By Orson Scott Card

4 stars

Speaker for the Dead is an enjoyable science-fiction novel by Orson Scott Card. This book continues the story of Ander Wiggins after the conclusion of Ender's Game. On a quest to undo his biggest mistake, Andrew travels the cosmos and due to relativity, he is much further in the future than expected. I enjoyed this sequel more than the original, Ender's Game. It explores the issues that may occur as humanity encounters life not of terrestrial origin. Unlike Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead ends on a cliff-hanger - not the stand-alone Ender's Game was.
Ender's Game

By Orson Scott Card

3 stars

An enjoyable science-fiction novel. Andrew is relatable and resonates with the reader. That said, there are numerous parts of the story that push the limits of believability and at times feels like questionable actions by other characters (who are supposed to be super geniuses) are done solely to push the story in the correct direction. The dynamics with the kids reminds me of Lord of the Flies, although these are under supervision. This book is certainly better than the motion picture adaptation and overall was quite enjoyable.
Revelation Space

By Alastair Reynolds

4 stars

Revelation Space is a hard-core futuristic science fiction. It starts off slow as the future setting requires copious historic context, character introduction and development, and technology explanations in order to situate the reader in the context of the story. Unfortunately, the lengthy descriptions and tedious early story progression will lose some readers before they get far into the book, as the 'what-comes-next' urgency is lacking in the onset (this detracted from my book rating). However, once sufficiently into the book, characters start meeting and linking to each other. Once this occurs, the intricate weave of Reynold's story comes together beautifully and the story adequately envelopes the reader's imagination for the duration of the reading. Revelation Space is a masterpiece that I would highly recommend to any avid science fiction reader.

9 - 0 - 1

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Hamilton Boys' High School

42,968 pages read and 5,417 team points

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