en-US Tue, 15 Oct 2024 08:28:39 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 768889
The Seven Kingdoms are divided by revolt and blood feud. In the northern wastes, a horde of hungry, savage people steeped in the dark magic of the wilderness is poised to invade the Kingdom of the North where Robb Stark wears his new-forged crown. And Robb's defences are ranged against the South, the land of the cunning and cruel Lannisters, who have his young sisters in their power.

Throughout Westeros, the war for the Iron Throne rages more fiercely than ever, but if the wall is breached, no king will live to claim it.]]> 663 George R.R. Martin 0006479901 Ricky 0 to-read 4.47 2000
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 20322429 345 H.E. Goodhue Ricky 5 3.78 2012
author: H.E. Goodhue
name: Ricky
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/01/27
shelves:
review:

]]> 28249028
Gary and Cloak have returned from the supervillain prison on the moon only to discover the city he plans to conquer and rule with an iron fist has been overrun with the living dead. Once again taking up the mantle of Merciless, the villain without mercy, Gary will have to pull it together quickly, find his wife, his gang, and a whole lot of help to stop the Brotherhood of Infamy from slaughtering the population of Falconcrest City and opening a portal to summon a Primal force of creation.

But Gary has a plan, or at least he's sure he'll have one soon. Just give him a second.]]> 252 C.T. Phipps Ricky 0 to-read 4.05 2015
author: C.T. Phipps
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/12/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 17338117
This journal follows one man as he searches for his girlfriend - who disappeared during the early days of the outbreak - and a nine year old girl who became his closest friend until she was taken from him to a secret location in England by a man known simply as The Suit.

Who is the mysterious man in the suit and what does he want with the young girl? Will our hero ever find his girlfriend? And if he does, will she be dead or alive?]]> 282 Ricky Kay Ricky 0 to-read 5.00 2013
author: Ricky Kay
name: Ricky
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/09/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 567678
The Wasp Factory is a work of horrifying compulsion: horrifying, because it enters a mind whose realities are not our own, whose values of life and death are alien to our society; compulsive, because the humour and compassion of that mind reach out to us all. A novel of extraordinary originality, imagination and comic ferocity.]]> 184 Iain Banks 0684853159 Ricky 5 3.78 1984
author: Iain Banks
name: Ricky
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1984
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2014/09/11
shelves:
review:

]]> 7469133 The newest novel in the New York Times bestselling series that inspired Showtime's #1 hit, Dexter. Jeff Lindsay now delivers his most macabre, witty, and purely entertaining new adventure for America's dark defender.

Dexter Morgan's happy homicidal life is undergoing some major changes. He's always live by a single golden rule - he kills only people who deserve it. But the Miami blood-spatter analyst has recently become a daddy - to an eight-pound curiosity named Lily Anne - and strangely, Dex's dark urges seem to have left him. Is he ready to become an overprotective father? To pick up soft teddy bears instead of his trusty knife, duct tape, and fishing wire? What's a serial killer to do?


Then Dexter is summoned to investigate the disappearance of an eighteen-year-old girl who seems to have been abducted by a bizarre group...who just may be vampires...and - possibly - cannibals. Nothing like the familiar hum of his day job to get Dexter's creative dark juices flowing again. Assisting his bull-in-a-china-shop detective sister, Deborah, Dex wades into an investigation that gets more disturbing by the moment. And to compound the complication of Dexter's ever-more-complicated life, a person from his past suddenly reappears...moving dangerously close to his home turf and threatening to destroy the one thing tat has maintained Dexter's pretend human cover and kept him out of the electric chair: his new family.


From an uncharacteristically racy encounter in the Florida Everglades to the most bizarre fringe nightclub in the anything-goes Miami scene, Dexter Is Delicious is an ingenious journey through the dark recesses of Dexter's lovably cold soul. Jeff Lindsay is once again at the top of his game, with this new novel that will thrill fans of his bestselling series.]]> 350 Jeff Lindsay 0385532350 Ricky 3 I'm on the second last book now anyway, so let's hope that's better.]]> 3.81 2010
author: Jeff Lindsay
name: Ricky
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2014/03/17
date added: 2014/03/17
shelves:
review:
I had read a few reviews of this book and there were ones that didn't sing much praise at all. I decided to read it myself and sure enough, it was a bit wet. Lily Anne this and Lily Anne that and at times it seemed like a distraction fromthe fun of his murdering character. Concisely, the last 100 pages of the book were thoroughly enjoyable.
I'm on the second last book now anyway, so let's hope that's better.
]]> 2999282 304 Jeff Lindsay 0752885170 Ricky 3 The perpetrator of these elaborate works of deathly art turns the table on Dexter somewhat by tracking him down and concentrating his efforts on intimidating Dexter and his family.
Dexter tracks the "bad guy" down and as far as dealing with the situation with a blade is concerned, well, I was disappointed.
An easy read, but a little too much cat and mouse.]]> 3.77 2008
author: Jeff Lindsay
name: Ricky
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2014/01/29
date added: 2014/01/31
shelves:
review:
This one started off promising and I'm really getting into these books, too, but I think Dexter by Design lost its way a little bit. There were a few corpses in the book that had been displayed in the most artist, creative way a dead body can be, what with various objects protruding from disembowelled stomachs or what have you.
The perpetrator of these elaborate works of deathly art turns the table on Dexter somewhat by tracking him down and concentrating his efforts on intimidating Dexter and his family.
Dexter tracks the "bad guy" down and as far as dealing with the situation with a blade is concerned, well, I was disappointed.
An easy read, but a little too much cat and mouse.
]]> 206682
Dexter slides through life undetected, working as a blood splatter analyst for the Miami Police Department, helping his fiancee raise her two adorable (if somewhat...unique) children, and always planning his next jaunt as Dexter the Dark Avenger under the light of the full moon.

But everthing changes when Dexter is called to a gruesome double homicide. Dex realizes he's dealing with someone a whole lot more sinister than he is and it sends the Dark Passenger into hiding. And when something scares your friendly neighborhood serial killer, you know it's serious...

More used to inspiring fear then experiencing it, Dex must investigate, while simultaneously coping with his demanding family. If he's to save himself, and those around him, Dexter must pose questions he's never dared ask - where does evil come from, and does it hide inside everyone...?]]> 307 Jeff Lindsay 0385518331 Ricky 4 It really is getting weird and going in a direction I didn't expect. I've heard things about the Dexter Series but nothing with too much detail that would spoil my reading of the books.
In this book - the third in the series - Dexter's "Passenger" leaves him. Anyone who has read these books knows that the Passenger is an entity that resides within him, pretty much taking over his body when the killing needs done.
I won't spoil any of the plot when I say we find out the origins of the the passenger and not only that, but there are others out there like Dexter, and that fact plays a large roll in this story. We are introduced to someone else, another character, who has a passenger of his own - although it isn't referred to as a passenger - and this one has an impact on Dexter's very own dark internal monster.
I managed to get through this book reasonably quick, and in between other things that command my attention throughout the day, it managed to hold my attention. I would recommend it to anyone who has read the first or the second book because I don't think it does well as a stand alone story. There are certain parts relevant to the first two books, the story arc, if you will]]> 3.56 2006
author: Jeff Lindsay
name: Ricky
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2013/11/28
date added: 2013/11/29
shelves:
review:
Yeah, I quite liked this one.
It really is getting weird and going in a direction I didn't expect. I've heard things about the Dexter Series but nothing with too much detail that would spoil my reading of the books.
In this book - the third in the series - Dexter's "Passenger" leaves him. Anyone who has read these books knows that the Passenger is an entity that resides within him, pretty much taking over his body when the killing needs done.
I won't spoil any of the plot when I say we find out the origins of the the passenger and not only that, but there are others out there like Dexter, and that fact plays a large roll in this story. We are introduced to someone else, another character, who has a passenger of his own - although it isn't referred to as a passenger - and this one has an impact on Dexter's very own dark internal monster.
I managed to get through this book reasonably quick, and in between other things that command my attention throughout the day, it managed to hold my attention. I would recommend it to anyone who has read the first or the second book because I don't think it does well as a stand alone story. There are certain parts relevant to the first two books, the story arc, if you will
]]> 136081 here

He's a charming monster... A macabre hero... A serial killler who only kills bad people.

Dexter Morgan has been under considerable pressure. It's just not easy being an ethical serial killer - especially while trying to avoid the unshakable suspicions of the dangerous Sergeant Doakes (who believes Dexter is a homicidal maniac...which, of course, he is). In an attempt to throw Doakes off his trail, Dexter has had to slip deep into his foolproof disguise. While not working as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami Police Department, he now spends nearly all his time with his cheerful girlfriend, Rita, and her two children, sipping light beer and slowly becoming the world's first serial couch potato. But how long can Dexter play Kick the Can instead of Slice the Slasher? How long before his Dark Passenger forces him to drop the charade and let his inner monster run free?

In trying times, opportunity knocks. A particularly nasty psychopath is cutting a trail through Miami - a man whose twisted technique leaves even Dexter speechless. As Dexter's dark appetite is revived, his sister, Deborah (a newly minted, tough-as-nails Miami detective), is drawn headlong into the case. It quickly becomes clear that it will take a monster to catch a monster - but it isn't until his archnemesis is abducted that Dex can finally throw himself into the search for a new plaything. Unless, of course, his plaything finds him first...

With the incredible wit and freshness that drew widespread acclaim to Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Jeff Lindsay now takes Dexter Morgan to a new level of macabre appeal and gives us one of the most original, colorful narrators in years.]]> 292 Jeff Lindsay 1400095921 Ricky 4 If you want the low-down on the story, synopsis and all that then read the wiki, I'm not going to add anything new to the story, other than one single thing annoyed me...the overuse of people biting their lip. "He bit his lip..", "..she bit her lip..", "she was so...she bit her lip.." that sort of thing. Just about every chapter had someone biting their lips in anticipation or other. I was beginning to think it was a cannibal story.
That said, the mutilations were quite disturbing but not to the point of vomiting onto my nook's screen. I'm currently reading the third book in this series, so I suppose it couldn't have been all that bad.
I like the way major characters are also affected by incidents in the story, not just the red t shirt wearing pawn we see taking a dive in Star Trek. Everyone is a possible target in this story and that's what really attracted me to it and kept me reading to the end.]]> 3.87 2005
author: Jeff Lindsay
name: Ricky
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2013/10/26
date added: 2013/11/08
shelves:
review:
I like this book. The Dexter character is familiar by this second book and I felt as though I knew him personally. His little quips and one-liners give the killer within him a certain charm, not taking anything too serious, which I like.
If you want the low-down on the story, synopsis and all that then read the wiki, I'm not going to add anything new to the story, other than one single thing annoyed me...the overuse of people biting their lip. "He bit his lip..", "..she bit her lip..", "she was so...she bit her lip.." that sort of thing. Just about every chapter had someone biting their lips in anticipation or other. I was beginning to think it was a cannibal story.
That said, the mutilations were quite disturbing but not to the point of vomiting onto my nook's screen. I'm currently reading the third book in this series, so I suppose it couldn't have been all that bad.
I like the way major characters are also affected by incidents in the story, not just the red t shirt wearing pawn we see taking a dive in Star Trek. Everyone is a possible target in this story and that's what really attracted me to it and kept me reading to the end.
]]> 17790414
Struggling with his predatory alter ego, Aaron is fractious, rebelling against his master. He desires another bloodslave, and that Michelle cannot allow. She opens her heart and soul to Aaron and he relives, through her memories, her dark, gritty tale of survival in the savagery of WWII Paris under the German occupation. Michelle's staggering revelations are deeply disturbing. The confrontation of master versus slave comes full circle as the couple faces death and separation.

And they are not alone in Paris. An investigator has followed them from Vegas seeking the unique gifts of Michelle’s blood. He’s watching and waiting for the opportunity to make his move against them.

Find out what happens in the third novel of the Nightlife Series.]]> 230 Travis Luedke Ricky 0 4.11 2013
author: Travis Luedke
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/09/15
shelves:
review:

]]> 17231 288 Jeff Lindsay Ricky 4 Dexter is a likeable character, even though he is a serial killer, and we find out at the end of the book why his life has taken this path. The murder victims are described without being overly graphic, but gives enough for your brain to be getting on with.
He also works alongside his sister, Debra, who works in the Miami Metro Police Dept., and desperately wants to achieve promotion. Dexter tries to help his sister out by throwing her pieces of info regarding murders that he seems to know a lot about.
All in all, an enjoyable read and I'll be starting the second one today as soon as I finish watching the first episode of season 1.]]> 3.91 2004
author: Jeff Lindsay
name: Ricky
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2013/09/15
date added: 2013/09/15
shelves:
review:
I really enjoyed this book. It's written in an easy to read style, which does me and my short attention span. The character, Dexter Morgan, for anyone who isn't familiar with the books or the TV show - which I wasn't - is a blood spatter pattern analyst for a fictional Miami Metro Police Department who also leads a secret life as a serial killer.
Dexter is a likeable character, even though he is a serial killer, and we find out at the end of the book why his life has taken this path. The murder victims are described without being overly graphic, but gives enough for your brain to be getting on with.
He also works alongside his sister, Debra, who works in the Miami Metro Police Dept., and desperately wants to achieve promotion. Dexter tries to help his sister out by throwing her pieces of info regarding murders that he seems to know a lot about.
All in all, an enjoyable read and I'll be starting the second one today as soon as I finish watching the first episode of season 1.
]]> 383028
Lane runs a highly illegal soldiers-for-hire operation. He will use any tool to find his beautiful wife and child. And Jack Reacher is the best manhunter in the world.

On the trail of vicious kidnappers, Reacher learns the chilling secrets of his employer’s past . . . and of a horrific drama in the heart of a nasty little war. He knows that Edward Lane is hiding something. Something dirty. Something big. But Reacher also knows He’s already in way too deep to stop now. And if he has to do it the hard way, he will.]]> 384 Lee Child 0385336691 Ricky 3 I did enjoy the actual story, and this is only my second Reacher novel after all, so I can't afford to be too critical.
I'll move on to the next one before I can accurately judge any of his other stories.

Perhaps three stars is a bit mean, but that's how I rate it for the mean time.]]> 4.13 2006
author: Lee Child
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 2013/04/22
date added: 2013/04/23
shelves:
review:
This book was slightly disappointing for me, but only because I just finished Worth Dying For (Jack Reacher#15) before picking this one up. It is a fast read, which is good for someone with my short attention span, and the characters are believable, but I wanted more action than The Hard Way gave me. Long story short, Jack Reacher started off working alongside a band of practically moral-less mercenaries whose boss' wife and kid had been kidnapped, then at the end he is against them but the fighting is kept to an absolute minimum. They are ex-elite servicemen and he is an ex-military cop, but you can count the deaths on one hand.
I did enjoy the actual story, and this is only my second Reacher novel after all, so I can't afford to be too critical.
I'll move on to the next one before I can accurately judge any of his other stories.

Perhaps three stars is a bit mean, but that's how I rate it for the mean time.
]]> 8305839 The Living Dead 2 has more of what zombie fans hunger for: more scares, more action, more... brains! Experience the indispensable series that defines the very best in zombie literature with a shambling, ravenous herd of original stories. The Living Dead 2 also features a slavering horde of reprint zombie stories. All this adds up to a landmark volume that helps define what zombie godfather John Skipp calls "The New Zombie Literature."

Additional contributing authors:
Joe McKinney
Carrie Ryan
Kim Paffenroth
R.J. Sevin
Julia Sevin
Catherine MacLeod
Mark McLaughlin
Kyra Schon
Steven Gould
Catherynne M. Valente
Jonathon Maberry
Genevieve Valentine
John Skipp
Cody Goodfellow
Sarah Langan

“Last Stand� by Kelley Armstrong. © 2010 Kelley Armstrong.
“Danger Word� by Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due. © 2004 Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due. Originally published in Dark Dreams. Reprinted by permission of the authors.
“Pirates vs. Zombies� by Amelia Beamer. © 2010 Amelia Beamer.
“We Now Pause for Station Identification� by Gary A. Braunbeck. © 2005 Gary Braunbeck. Originally published as a limited edition chapbook by Endeavor Press. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Steve and Fred� by Max Brooks. © 2010 Max Brooks.
“Living with the Dead� by Molly Brown. © 2007 Molly Brown. Originally published in Celebration: 50 Years of the British Science Fiction Association. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Zombie Gigolo� by S. G. Browne. © 2010 S. G. Browne.
“The Anteroom� by Adam-Troy Castro. © 2010 Adam-Troy Castro.
“The Human Race� by Scott Edelman. © 2009 Scott Edelman. Originally published in Space and Time. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Summer Place� by Bob Fingerman. © 2010 Bob Fingerman.
“The Rapeworm� by Charles Coleman Finlay. © 2008 Charles Coleman Finlay. Originally published in Noctem Aeternus. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Tameshigiri� by Steven Gould. © 2010 Steven Gould.
“Everglades� by Mira Grant. © 2010 Seanan McGuire.
“The Mexican Bus� by Walter Greatshell. © 2010 Walter Greatshell.
“He Said, Laughing� by Simon R. Green. © 2010 Simon R. Green.
“Rural Dead� by Bret Hammond. © 2008 Bret Hammond. Originally published in Tales of the Zombie War. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Therapeutic Intervention� by Rory Harper. © 2008 Rory Harper. Originally published on eatourbrains.com. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Lost Canyon of the Dead� by Brian Keene. © 2010 Brian Keene.
“Alone, Together� by Robert Kirkman. © 2010 Robert Kirkman.
“The Skull-Faced City� by David Barr Kirtley. © 2010 David Barr Kirtley.
“The Other Side� by Jamie Lackey. © 2010 Jamie Lackey.
“Are You Trying to Tell Me This Is Heaven?� by Sarah Langan. © 2010 Sarah Langan.
“Twenty-Three Snapshots of San Francisco� by Seth Lindberg. © 2001 Seth Lindberg. Originally published in Twilight Showcase. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Wrong Grave� by Kelly Link. © 2007 Kelly Link. Originally published in The Restless Dead. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Mouja� by Matt London. © 2010 Matt London.
“Zero Tolerance� by Jonathan Maberry. © 2010 Jonathan Maberry.
“Zombie Season� by Catherine MacLeod. © 2008 Catherine MacLeod. Originally published in Bits of the Dead. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Thought War� by Paul McAuley. © 2008 Paul McAuley. Originally published in Postscripts. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Dating in Dead World� by Joe McKinney. © 2010 Joe McKinney.
“Arlene Schabowski of the Undead� by Mark McLaughlin and Kyra M. Schon. © 2007 Mark McLaughlin and Kyra M. Schon. Originally published in Midnight Premiere. Reprinted by permission of the authors.
“Who We Used to Be� by David Moody. © 2010 David Moody.
“Thin Them Out� by Kim Paffenroth, R. J. Sevin, and Julia Sevin. © 2008 Kim Paffenroth, R. J. Sevin, and Julia Sevin. Originally published as a limited edition chapbook by Creeping Hemlock Press. Reprinted by permission of the authors.
“Category Five� by Marc Paoletti. © 2008 Marc Paoletti. Originally published in Sin. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Crocodiles� by Steven Popkes. © 2010 Steven Popkes. Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Reluctance� by Cherie Priest. © 2010 Cherie Priest.
“Flotsam & Jetsam� by Carrie Ryan. © 2010 Carrie Ryan.
“Where the Heart Was� by David J. Schow. © 1993 David J. Schow. Originally published in Hottest Blood. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Price of a Slice� by John Skipp and Cody Goodfellow. © 2010 John Skipp and Cody Goodfellow.
“Zombieville� by Paula R. Stiles © 2009 Paula R. Stiles. Originally published in Something Wicked. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“When the Zombies Win� by Karina Sumner-Smith. © 2010 Karina Sumner-Smith.
“The Days of Flaming Motorcycles� by Catherynne M. Valente. © 2010 Catherynne M. Valente. Originally publishe...]]> 496 John Joseph Adams 1597801909 Ricky 3
The front cover of my edition has a quote from Simon Pegg of Shaun of the Dead "A must for any self-respecting zombie completist."
I'll take this to mean, unless you're hardcore, don't bother.]]> 3.95 2010
author: John Joseph Adams
name: Ricky
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2013/03/29
date added: 2013/03/28
shelves:
review:
It took me a while to finish reading this because there always seemed to be better books lying around to read. I didn't want to skim over this book like so many people have done before, but I'm afraid it's that sort of book. Not every story is a winner but there are some knew angles to the zombie genre, although nothing that's going to utterly surprise you. Personally, I have quite a short attention span and there are enough short tales to hold my attention, but there are a few that could have easily developed into a fully fledged novel, given a few extra paragraphs

The front cover of my edition has a quote from Simon Pegg of Shaun of the Dead "A must for any self-respecting zombie completist."
I'll take this to mean, unless you're hardcore, don't bother.
]]> 8357992
The Duncans want Reacher gone—and it’s not just past secrets they’re trying to hide. They’re awaiting a secret shipment that’s already late—and they have the kind of customers no one can afford to annoy. For as dangerous as the Duncans are, they’re just the bottom of a criminal food chain stretching halfway around the world.Ěý

For Reacher, it would have made much more sense to keep on going, to put some distance between himself and the hard-core trouble that’s bearing down on him. For Reacher, that was also impossible.]]> 400 Lee Child 0440339340 Ricky 5
In this story, Jack becomes involved with an insidious family in Nebraska called the Duncans. There are a few twists and turns in the book but the way he deals with these elemenents is brilliant. I want to be him.

Worth Dying For is a fast paced, roller coaster of a read.

Bring on the next book.]]> 4.20 2010
author: Lee Child
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2013/02/18
date added: 2013/02/18
shelves:
review:
Excellent read. Thoroughly entertaining. The Jack Reacher character is very likeable, even if his actions seem a little unconventional and at times, quite intense. I haven't yet seen the movie with Tom Cruise in, but I think I'll give it miss and read a few more books instead.

In this story, Jack becomes involved with an insidious family in Nebraska called the Duncans. There are a few twists and turns in the book but the way he deals with these elemenents is brilliant. I want to be him.

Worth Dying For is a fast paced, roller coaster of a read.

Bring on the next book.
]]> 9541783
Fires blaze out of control. Looters are run through with speeding lead. Children scream as their flesh is torn by broken teeth. Firearms insistently discharge in the night air. Overtop of it all, the moans of the infected crowds out any pause for silence.

THE EPIDEMIC SHOWS NO MERCY

Men. Women. Fathers. Daughters. Wives. Brothers. All are susceptible, and the viral infection is a death sentence. One hundred percent communicable. One hundred percent untreatable. It's making people insane, turning them feral. Zombies. No end is in sight, and Carey Cardinal has run out of options.

ONE SHOT AT SEEING SUNRISE

Past lives, shadowed histories and long-kept secrets will emerge, making the twisted road ahead ever more difficult to navigate as Carey will discover a foe far more dangerous than the shattered grey dogs - himself.

Tick. Tick. Tick.]]> 214 Ian D.G. Sandusky 0980799643 Ricky 5 3.68 2010
author: Ian D.G. Sandusky
name: Ricky
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/02/10
shelves:
review:

]]> 10572
It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

Here is the second volume in George R.R. Martin magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R.R. Martin stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.]]> 1009 George R.R. Martin 0553381695 Ricky 0 currently-reading 4.42 1998
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.42
book published: 1998
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/01/21
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 13496
Sweeping from a harsh land of cold to a summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, A Game of Thrones tells a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; a child is lost in the twilight between life and death; and a determined woman undertakes a treacherous journey to protect all she holds dear. Amid plots and counter-plots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, allies and enemies, the fate of the Starks hangs perilously in the balance, as each side endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.]]> 835 George R.R. Martin 0553588486 Ricky 5 4.44 1996
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.44
book published: 1996
rating: 5
read at: 2013/01/10
date added: 2013/01/10
shelves:
review:

]]> 12591698
In the vast wilderness of space, James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante have been keeping the peace for the Outer Planets Alliance. When they agree to help a scientist search war-torn Ganymede for a missing child, the future of humanity rests on whether a single ship can prevent an alien invasion that may have already begun . . .]]> 624 James S.A. Corey 1841499900 Ricky 0 to-read 4.36 2012
author: James S.A. Corey
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/12/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 375802
But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway almost as long. Ender's two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. While Peter was too uncontrollably violent, Valentine very nearly lacks the capability for violence altogether. Neither was found suitable for the military's purpose. But they are driven by their jealousy of Ender, and by their inbred drive for power. Peter seeks to control the political process, to become a ruler. Valentine's abilities turn more toward the subtle control of the beliefs of commoner and elite alike, through powerfully convincing essays. Hiding their youth and identities behind the anonymity of the computer networks, these two begin working together to shape the destiny of Earth-an Earth that has no future at all if their brother Ender fails.]]> 324 Orson Scott Card 0812550706 Ricky 0 to-read 4.31 1985
author: Orson Scott Card
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1985
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/12/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 5061675 A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings are combined together in this eBook edition. Sweeping from a harsh land of cold to a summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, A Game of Thrones tells a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards who come together in a time of grim omens. Here, an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal, a tribe of fierce wildings carry men off into madness, a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne, a child is lost in the twilight between life and death, and a determined woman undertakes a treacherous journey to protect all she holds dear. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, allies and enemies, the fate of the Starks hangs perilously in the balance, as each side endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones. In the eagerly awaited second volume in this epic saga, he once again proves himself a master myth-maker, setting a standard against which all other fantasy novels will be measured for years to come. Time is out of joint. The summer of peace and plenty, ten years long, is drawing to a close, and the harsh, chill winter approaches like an angry beast. Two great leaders--Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon--who held sway over an age of enforced peace are dead...victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns, as pretenders to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms prepare to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. As a prophecy of doom cuts across the sky--a comet the color of blood and flame--six factions struggle for control of a divided land. Eddard's son Robb has declared himself King in the North. In the south, Joffrey, the heir apparent, rules in name only, victim of the scheming courtiers who teem over King's Landing. Robert's two brothers each seek their own dominion, while a disfavored house turns once more to conquest. And a continent away, an exiled queen, the Mother of Dragons, risks everything to lead her precious brood across a hard hot desert to win back the crown that is rightfully hers. A Clash of Kings transports us into a magnificent, forgotten land of revelry and revenge, wizardry and warfare. It is a tale in which maidens cavort with madmen, brother plots against brother, and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, the price of glory may be measured in blood. And the spoils of victory may just go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel ... and the coldest hearts. For when rulers clash, all of the land feels the tremors. Audacious, inventive, brilliantly imagined, A Clash of Kings is a novel of dazzling beauty and boundless enchantment--a tale of pure excitement you will never forget.]]> 864 George R.R. Martin Ricky 0 to-read 4.54 1996
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.54
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/12/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 147915
Robb Stark may be King in the North, but he must bend to the will of the old tyrant Walder Frey if he is to hold his crown. And while his youngest sister, Arya, has escaped the clutches of the depraved Cersei Lannister and her son, the capricious boy-king Joffrey, Sansa Stark remains their captive.

Meanwhile, across the ocean, Daenerys Stormborn, the last heir of the Dragon King, delivers death to the slave-trading cities of Astapor and Yunkai as she approaches Westeros with vengeance in her heart.]]> 639 George R.R. Martin 0007119550 Ricky 0 to-read 4.54 2000
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/12/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 10664113 Alternate cover edition of ASIN B004XISI4A

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance—beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. As they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.

Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way to Daenerys. But his newest allies in this quest are not the rag-tag band they seem, and at their heart lies one who could undo Daenerys’s claim to Westeros forever.

Meanwhile, to the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone—a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, will face his greatest challenge. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice.

From all corners, bitter conflicts reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all.]]> 1125 George R.R. Martin Ricky 0 to-read 4.33 2011
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/12/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 13497 Crows will fight over a dead man's flesh, and kill each other for his eyes.

Bloodthirsty, treacherous and cunning, the Lannisters are in power on the Iron Throne in the name of the boy-king Tommen. The war in the Seven Kingdoms has burned itself out, but in its bitter aftermath new conflicts spark to life.

The Martells of Dorne and the Starks of Winterfell seek vengeance for their dead. Euron Crow's Eye, as black a pirate as ever raised a sail, returns from the smoking ruins of Valyria to claim the Iron Isles. From the icy north, where Others threaten the Wall, apprentice Maester Samwell Tarly brings a mysterious babe in arms to the Citadel.

Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory will go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel and the coldest hearts.]]> 1060 George R.R. Martin 055358202X Ricky 0 to-read 4.16 2005
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/12/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 62291 An alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here

Here is the third volume in George R.R. Martin's magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. Together, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, victim of the sorceress who holds him in her thrall. Young Robb still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world. And as opposing forces manoeuver for the final showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost limits of civilization, accompanied by a horde of mythical Others—a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords...]]> 1177 George R.R. Martin 055357342X Ricky 0 to-read 4.54 2000
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/12/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 13543039 A RUTHLESS KILLERâ€�OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MINDĚý

I used to work for the Telepath’s Guild before they kicked me out for a drug habit that wasn’t entirely my fault. Now I work for the cops, helping Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino put killers behind bars.ĚýMy ability to get inside the twisted minds of suspects makes me the best interrogator in the department. But the normals keep me on a short leash. When the Tech Wars ripped the world apart, the Guild stepped up to save it. But they had to get scary to do it—real scary.ĚýNow the cops don’t trust the telepaths, the Guild doesn’t trust me, a serial killer is stalking the city—and I’m aching for a fix. But I need to solve this case. Fast. I’ve just had a vision of the future: I’m the next to die.]]> 340 Alex Hughes 0451464753 Ricky 0 to-read 3.74 2012
author: Alex Hughes
name: Ricky
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/12/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 6148028 Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol—a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest that she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before . . . and surprising readers at every turn.]]> 391 Suzanne Collins 0439023491 Ricky 0 to-read 4.34 2009
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/10/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 2767052
Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . .

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.]]> 374 Suzanne Collins Ricky 0 to-read 4.34 2008
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/10/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 7260188 My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans—except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay—no matter what the personal cost.]]> 390 Suzanne Collins 0439023513 Ricky 0 to-read 4.10 2010
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Ricky
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/10/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 179183
Each of the stories in this anthology is set in a world where the dead have risen to eat the living, and each author has his own intimate vision of what those days will be like: in the brilliant and caustic "On the Far Side of the Cadillac Dessert with Dead Folks," Joe R. Lansdale spins a lawman tracking a badman--the deadly dead, however, give that tradition a special twist; Stephen King's pregnant heroine in "Home Delivery" learns the exorbitant price of survival and of patience; Robert R. McCammon's "Eat Me" answers all the questions about love among the newly risen; and Douglas E. Winter's "Less Than Zombie" allows us a very unhealthy peak at the pampered, exclusive, and totally lifeless life-styles of the rich and famous.

Together these stories are a stream of timeless, mind-blowing spike points by some of the most talented, savage, and unique imaginations writing fiction today.

This is a book filled with flaming, frozen moments of dread and wonder you will never in a million years forget.

This is a book that goes too far.

And invites you along for the ride.
--back cover

CONTENTS
Foreword by George A. Romero
"Introduction: On Going Too Far, or Flesh Eating Zombies: New Hope for the Future" by Skipp and Spector
"Blossom" by Chan McConnell (pseudonym for David J. Schow)
"Mess Hall" by Richard Laymon
"It Helps If You Sing" by Ramsey Campbell
"Home Delivery" by Stephen King
"Wet Work" by Phillip Nutman
"A Sad Last Love at the Diner of the Damned" by Edward Bryant
"Bodies and Heads" by Steve Rasnic Tem
"Choices" by Glen Vasey
"The Good Parts" by Les Daniels
"Less Than Zombie" by Douglas E. Winter
"Like Pavlov's Dogs" by Steven R. Boyett
"Saxophone" by Nicholas Royle
"On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert With Dead Folks" by Joe R. Lansdale
"Dead Giveaway" by Brian Hodge
"Jerry's Kids Meet Wormboy" by David J. Schow
"Eat Me" by Robert R. McCammon]]> 390 John Skipp 055327998X Ricky 4
It's an excellent collection of zombie literature with works from names such as Stephen King and Robert R. McCammon.

One or two stories missed the mark with me, but only slightly, while others took a bit of convincing, such as the piece "Like Pavlov's Dogs" by Steven R. Boyett. I felt it was a bit slow at the start and almost gave up, but it got me just at the right moment and came to a great zombieriffic conclusion.

All in all, nice read from people who know what they're doing.]]> 3.78 1989
author: John Skipp
name: Ricky
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1989
rating: 4
read at: 2012/06/10
date added: 2012/08/12
shelves:
review:
A good friend of mine recommended this book to me, said it was age old, and the copy I bought looks as though it's been around since the dawn of time. It was a good read though, well worth the couple of pounds I spent to have it flown over from America.

It's an excellent collection of zombie literature with works from names such as Stephen King and Robert R. McCammon.

One or two stories missed the mark with me, but only slightly, while others took a bit of convincing, such as the piece "Like Pavlov's Dogs" by Steven R. Boyett. I felt it was a bit slow at the start and almost gave up, but it got me just at the right moment and came to a great zombieriffic conclusion.

All in all, nice read from people who know what they're doing.
]]> 12886609
Interwoven with this numb hymn to show-business are chapters detailing Boyle's worldview, an incessant fusillade of laughter and despair, the hollow clanging scream of a dying mechanical God and an honest attempt to describe the world by refusing to take it seriously.

Work! Consume! Die! is the collected wisdom of an idiot. (Nobody's looking, just stick it under your coat and run out of the shop.)]]> 331 Frankie Boyle 000742678X Ricky 0 to-read 3.48 2011
author: Frankie Boyle
name: Ricky
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/06/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>