Plyte's Book Reads in 2013

Hi everyone. This is my second year of being part of this type of forum. Last year didn't fare so well due to complications with other activities. I know this is already a late start to joining, but I'll try and keep reading and posting what books I read this year. I am a bit behind on reviewing the books I read, but I am working on catching up. I do have a blog with the reviews on it, which you could find at http://www.plytebookreviews.blogspot.com/ . Please check it out. I will do a short little blurb along with each book as I go and include the link to the individual reviews.

Books Read

1. Watership Down by Richard Adams
2. Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes
3. Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
4. Five Patients by Michael Crichton
5. Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
6. Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
7. Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson
8. Angles and Demons by Dan Brown
9. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
10. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
11. Inferno by Dan Brown
12. Sphere by Michael Crichton
13 Deception Point by Dan Brown
14. Zoo by James Patterson
15. Timeline by Michael Crichton
16. Micro by Michael Crichton
17. Rising Sun by Michael Crichton
18. Antigone by Sophocles

Books Read 2

Books Read 3

1. Watership Down - http://www.the-book-nest.blogspot.com/2013/02/review-watership-down.html

I have read many of the books found in the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. These books basically entertained me for a good part of a year or two. On the back of almost every book, the little blurb on the back started with "In the wonderful tradition of Watership Down" or something nearly identical. I finally got the chance to read Watership Down and it was really amazing. I loved almost every part of it and could see why Jacques was inspired by this classical masterpiece.

2. Matterhorn - http://www.the-book-nest.blogspot.com/2013/04/review-matterhorn.html

This book was the first time I was completely opened to the Vietnam War. I have grown up knowing very little about the Vietnam War. This book gave me a firsthand view inside the war. I found that this was possibly one of the most moving and emotionally charged books I have every read.

Welcome on board and have fun :)

Matterhorn is a book that should become a classic...

Agree with AnnieMod, Matterhorn is brilliant.

Indeed. I picked it up at Barnes and Noble while it was showcased as a new author to read. Glad I chose to buy it.

3. The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass

I actually read this book as part of my AP English class. I found it to be more intriguing than I thought it may be. I didn't expect the level of complexity that Douglass wrote with. I worked with and analyzed the book for different essays and I learned about the impact it had on slavery in the United States. I'm glad that I read this book even though I would normally pass it up.

4. Five Patients - http://the-book-nest.blogspot.com/2013/04/review-five-patients.html

I was completely taken by surprise when reading Five Patients. I've read almost all of the books by Michael Crichton and expected this one to follow the same pattern. However, I found that it was more of a book on medical trends and the problems with the US healthcare system. I did find some parts of the information very interesting, but found myself very bored and it felt more of a chore to finish it than most books.

I also agree Matterhorn is great. I was also impressed by Marlantes' What It Is Like To Go To War although Matterhorn, which I read first, covers much of the same territory in fictional terms and is more stunning.

>9 ajagbay: I will have to put The Narrative LIfe of Frederick Douglass on my list. Douglass and Lincoln will be my next read after I finish my current book.

I have added Matterhorn to my wish list. My husband is a Viet Nam veteran, and I try to read books that give me a perspective that I didn't have before I met him.

>10 rebeccanyc: I've seen some people talk about What it is Like to Go To War and it does seem interesting. I'll see if I can pick up a copy pretty soon. It may take a while because I've just started reading the Malazan Book of the Fallen series.

>12 NanaCC: Matterhorn will be a great book for you to read. Maybe your husband will be able to help point out some details in the book that I wouldn't have noticed.

5. The Sword of Shannara - http://the-book-nest.blogspot.com/2013/04/review-sword-of-shannara.html

After reading Five Patients, I really need to try and find a good series to get into. I was searching for a new series to get into, and this book and series appeared and I decided to check it out. From the beginning, I could see the clear parallels between this book and the Lord of the Rings. Almost every character seemed to be modeled after one in The Hobbit or another book. Also, the plot line follows the same sort of path of The Hobbit. Brooks was able to differentiate the plot enough from The Hobbit without making it a complete ripoff. I did find some parts of the book very enjoyable though. The book was a good read, but just too close of a recreation of another. I've decided to skip over the series for now and try another, but will probably return to it in the future.

6. Gardens of the Moon - http://the-book-nest.blogspot.com/2013/04/review-gardens-of-moon.html

Gardens of the Moon is a book unlike any other I have ever read. The sheer vastness and detail of the world is enough tweak the curiosity of those looking for a challenge or looking to immerse themselves in another reality. The story is one of the most intriguing I have read so far, yet it still seems to be a snippet of a larger reality. Erikson has created the perfect book to capture readers everywhere and bring them into this amazing world.

>14 ajagbay:
Shannara is a good summer read but way to close to much better series. So... not loosing a lot from not reading it.

I also love the Douglass book Plyte. One of my top ten ever. I found it so fascinating listening to him describe his moral development.

>15 AnnieMod: Yeah. I may possibly come back and finish it after The Malazab Book of the Fallen series.

>16 mkboylan: It was a really good book. Biographies and autobiographies aren't really the type if books that I like to read, but this one seemed less like one of those and more like an actual story.

>17 ajagbay:
I would find something else instead - there are a lot better series out there :)

>18 AnnieMod: What other series would you suggest? I really love the type of books like The Malazan Book of the Fallen and Game of Thrones. I have read most of the Wheel of Time series and also have most of The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind sitting on one of my shelves.

It depends on why you like them... both of them are somewhat unique. But if you are looking for a good series...

Abercrombie's "The First Law"
Williams' "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn"
Robin Hobb 's Farseer
Feist's "The Riftwar Cycle".

are some of the ones that come to mind. If you need recommendations, post in the Fantasy group - they are pretty good at finding good recommendations as well.

Ok thanks. I'll make sure to go an take a look at them as soon as I can.

Welcome back. Your first two books are ones I want to read and your third book is a favorite, although I read it long ago.

Just curious, which Wheel of Time book are you on and do you plan to finish the serie? I'm trying to convince myself to pick up the last book.

I left off just a few chapters into The Lord of Chaos. I really like the series, but I think after going through the first five books and the prologue in a few months, I may have over-saturated myself in the series and burnt out on it. If your already at the last book, you may as well finish it. It would be a good way to finish off all the storylines, though I'm not sure exactly what happens in the last half of the series.

You've read most of the best ones then. Books 8-10 are consider weak (for a good reason). I will finish, eventually. Just not in the right mindset now...or for the last four months...

Haha. Thanks for telling me that. I almost always find it hard to finish some of the longer series of books. For some reason, I lose interest in what is going on. Its either I end up not liking what is going on or it seems that the story and writing is slowly morphing into something completely different than what I really loved about it in the first few books.

It's been a while since I posted anything on this, but I've been quite busy. I have had little time to read for the past two months, but my time has freed up, so I am now able to read much more. It may take a while to catch up reviewing the books I have read, but I should be done soon. I recently got Dan Brown's Inferno, so I have read all 4 of the series with Robert Landgon and they will be showing up here soon.

7. Deadhouse Gates - http://plytebookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/06/review-deadhouse-gates.html

I was stuck on this book for a while since I didn't really have the time to read it. I feel that I would have enjoyed it more if I were able to read it at a quicker pace. It would have kept the story more coherent and full than what I remember. But, I still really enjoyed the book. It was a slight change in style from the first book. A little darker and more violent, but also more intricate and detailed. In a way, I learned more about the world, but it also started to get a little confusing.

8. Angles and Demons - http://plytebookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/06/review-angles-and-demons.html

I've read this book multiple times, 3 times in the past 3 years. Even then, I still enjoy reading the book. Part of it is that I am very interested in science and especially in the research going on at CERN. One of the big things that got me interested in this book the first time around was that CERN and anti-matter played an important part in the book. The book is still as interesting and thrilling as it was the first time, even though I know what happens and about all the plot twists.

9. The Da Vinci Code - http://plytebookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/06/review-da-vinci-code.html

I haven't read this book in many years; I believe I my first copy that I owned a couple years ago at a school. Before reading Inferno, I wanted to finish first 3 and recap on what has happened. Just like Angles and Demons, The Da Vinci Code is another puzzle-ridden story by Dan Brown and I enjoyed that aspect. But, I felt that it was too bogged down by trying to explain the historical context of the Holy Grail and the different theories surrounding it. It lost the exciting edge that was part of Angles and Demons and almost felt more of a history lesson than a thriller.

I haven't had the chance to keep up with my reading for a bit. I've gone through a few books, but didn't review them or list them here. I'll try and catch up though and get this list back on track.

10. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - http://plytebookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/06/review-lost-symbol.html

When I read this book, I just got the new book in the series, Inferno, and I decided to start from the very beginning. I did a pretty quick speed-run of the four book in four days or so. Anyways, I did enjoy this book, but not as much as Angles and Demons. It's the same old Dan Brown style that he cemented in his other books. Still a great read.

11. Inferno by Dan Brown - http://plytebookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/06/review-inferno.html

I really wanted to read this book since I bought it, but I worked my way through the first 3. Once again, Robert Langdon was thrown into a crisis, but with him as a major part of the plot. I felt that this was a bit more mysterious and the plot twists were a lot better than in the previous books.

12. Sphere by Michael Crichton - http://plytebookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/08/review-sphere.html

I actually read this one in one day. Something about it just kept me hooked all the way to the end. I did find some of the parts very funny, which I find unusual in a Michael Crichton book.

13. Zoo by James Patterson - http://plytebookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/08/review-zoo.html

I picked up Zoo while shopping at a store because it seemed interesting enough. I've never read James Patterson before, but I have seen many of his books on the shelves at bookstores. While the middle section was good, I didn't really like the beginning or end. I found them a bit slow and underwhelming. I'd definitely like to try another novel sometime soon.

Timeline - http://plytebookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/09/review-timeline.html

This is probably one of my favorites of Michael Crichton's novels. I really enjoyed the foray into more historical fiction than technology.

Micro - http://plytebookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/09/review-micro.html

This is the first book from Michael Crichton that I have read that was finished by another author. Richard Preston didn't do the book justice and it felt a bit weak and underdeveloped.

Rising Sun - http://plytebookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/09/review-rising-sun.html

I don't usually read crime novels that much. Rising Sun was a unexpected story from Michael Crichton for me. I'm used to high tech thrillers, but this seemed more like a detective or mystery novel. While it was great, some things about it just doesn't work out.