Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Door into Summer by Robert A Heinlein (1956)

I read many of Heinlein's books in the 1960's and 1970's but I missed this one.  In 2021, Netflix adapted the story to film (in Japanese).  Friends (and Reddit) claim the adaptation is good.  I have added it to our Netflix queue.  Meanwhile, I read the original.  It is quite good and holds up surprisingly well.  It's a fun story 3/5 Stars.

Artificial Condition by Margaret Wells


The stories continue to be fun.  They are short enough to get through in a few sittings and they are wonderful escape literature.  I enjoy the psychology and personalities of the AIs. 4/5 Stars.

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Unterleuten von Juli Zeh


Dies ist ein großartiger Roman über das Leben in einer ländlichen Gemeinde und die Komplexität von Beziehungen. Das Buch ist äußerst gut gemacht. Es hat eine breite Palette von tiefen Charakteren. Es ist lustig, satirisch, berührend und erschreckend. Die Handlung ist fantastisch. Ich war die ganze Zeit in der Geschichte gefangen. Dieses Buch ist das beste deutsche Buch, das ich dieses Jahr (bisher) gelesen habe. 5/5 Sterne.

Friday, January 21, 2022

Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyre


Another fun, interesting, true story by Ben Macintyre, recommended by the friend who told me to read Agent Sonya. I loved the hilarious twists and turns in the story and how truth is so much stranger than fiction. 5/5 Stars.

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Rogue Protocol (Murderbot Diaries #2) by Martha Wells

These novellas are very short and continue to be fun.  4/5 Stars.

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Imperative (Starfire #7) by Steve White & Charles Gannon


This sixth repetition of the same wet fleet navy strategy set in a space opera is not worth reading.  Despite my curiosity about the story's resolution, I shall likely not read the last book (#8).  1/5 Stars.

Monday, January 17, 2022

The return of the pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer


Fun, well-researched, wild romp through Egypt in 1910 with Sherlock Holmes & John Watson. 3/5 Stars.

Friday, January 14, 2022

All Systems Red by Martha Wells


Martha Wells won the Hugo award in 2021 for her sixth "murderbot" book so I picked up the first book in the series to find out what all the fuss is about.  The book is not bad and I understand the appeal.  The characters are quirky, three-dimensional, and the social situations (e.g. company went with the low bidder, controls costs by giving us cheapest, crappy equipment, etc.) are fun.  The main character (murderbot) is extremely neurotic and hilarious.  Much like Jasmine Bashara in Artemis, she is an anti-hero with a big heart embarking on her redemption arc.  The author writes a decent awe-and-wonder space opera with magical tech in the background while focusing on the drama and social dynamics.  The mystery and character building are excellent but the plot is mediocre and the close-combat is awful.  4/5 Stars.  The book is also surprisingly short.  I shall continue reading the series.

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Das Leben ist kurz von Seneca (Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger)


Seneca schreibt, dass das Leben nicht kurz ist, sondern schlechter Gebrauch macht es dazu. Das Schicksal gibt uns genug Zeit, um gut zu leben. Aber wir verschwenden unsere Zeit mit der Jagd nach der Befriedigung sinnlicher Begierden oder mit Gier und Ehrgeiz. Das Buch ist kurz und zugänglich. 4/5 Sterne.

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Science Fictions: How fraud, bias, negligence, hype undermine the search for truth by Stuart Ritchie


This book is the best non-fiction  book I have read in 2022 (so far). The suggestions and concepts to repair the economics, expectations, incentives, and ecosystems of our severely flawed institutions in science are brilliant.  Highly recommended, 5/5 Stars.