utbw's 50 for 2013

January: 4 books
February: 3 books
March: 4 books
April: 5 books
May: 3 books
June: 1 book
July: 4 books
August: 4 books
September: 3 books
October: 5 books
November: 4 books
December: 9 books

2010 thread here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/98279
2011 thread here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/105884
2012 thread here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/129459

good luck with your challenge and happy reading :-)

Thank you, Ameise1...love the banner! Happy new year to you and yours also!

Hi Andy, i see you are making a good start to 2013. I have added my career book and page tickers on my profile page. I can't remember what our respective book totals were when we first hooked up but as of now i am at 655 books and 315,581 pages. Let's see what sort of year we have.

Hey John...wow, your page totals are really impressive. All those short books I read may add to my read total, but they don't do near as much for my page totals. I am averaging a little over 402 pages per book, whereas you are cruising at almost 482 pages per book. Outstanding!

Hi Andy, i love my big books and out of my to read pile i would say that 60% are over 500 pages but i have a lot that are 700+ pages but i am going to concentrate on the 400 and below books but out of the first two i am reading the bedside one is 627 pages and i have had it about 2.5 years and really wanted to read it, the other is a mere 197 pages,ha ha.

1. Vale Of The Vole by Piers Anthony (1-3-13) (324 pages)



Pretty much follows the standard Anthony formulae at this point in the Xanth series...protagonist is introduced (Esk), encounters problem (demoness Metria), sets out on quest to solve problem and meets characters on the way (Volney, Chex, Latia, Marrow), a love interest (Bria), and travels through Xanth eventually solving problem and winning love interest. I still enjoy reading Anthony's Xanth series, but they are starting to follow the same theme.

To date: 1 book, 324 pages.

Hi Andy, i have joined you now that i have completed my first book of 2013, one down with either 49 or 74 to read depending which group you want to look at. Hope everything is well with you and your reading list looks good.

Hey John...yeah, trying to tackle several right now...some are for church and one is for the entire year, so the list will look bigger for a while. Things are moving right along. Hope things are good on the other side of the pond for you.

2. Call To Arms by W.E.B. Griffin (1-14-13) (356 pages)



I am really enjoying this series...eagerly looking forward to the next one. The characters introduced in the previous book are more layered and developed here, and it makes the reader more involved as they begin to find themselves more drawn into the war after the events of Pearl Harbor. Griffin has also done a masterful job of interweaving love stories between the Marines and their girls and the background of the war to make the story fairly intense at times.

To date: 2 books. 680 pages.

3. Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds (1-22-13) (585 pages)



Quite simply the best science fiction novel I have ever read, and I've read some great ones. Dan Sylveste sets out on a quest to find out why an ancient alien society was wiped out soon after they discovered space travel. What he discovers was one of the more original concepts I have ever come across in reading science fiction. Great characters, great story, fast paced and just damn interesting to an old geek like me. This one blew me away.

To date: 3 books, 1265 pages.

4. The Blood Gospel by James Rollins/Rebecca Cantrell (1-29-13) (479 pages)



Great story....not so great writing. My suspicions are that Rollins provided the story and Cantrell did 98% of the writing, so what could have been a great book merely was something to pass the time. What worked: a quest to find a book written by Christ himself, the antagonists being a sect around for two thousand years bent on world destruction. What did not work: stale, plodding writing that turned potentially good characters and plot lines into almost a textbook. I will read the next one, but with much trepidation.

To date: 4 books, 1734 pages.

5. Counterattack by W.E.B Griffin (2-12-13) (503 pages)



This book just missed being one of my five-star classics. I loved the way Griffin took his well-developed characters and put them right in the middle of WWII from Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal with his usual direct prose and eye for military procedural detail. What's really exciting is that this series is just starting to hit its stride. On to the next one....

To date: 5 books, 2237 pages.

6. Heaven Cent by Piers Anthony (2-21-13) (340 pages)



Another quest and find love tale from Anthony. Luckily, he makes his characters somewhat interesting and one is able to enjoy different details and plot elements from book to book. This one is the start of a trilogy so approaches that plot machine from a slightly different angle. Poor Dolph, future King of Xanth, has all the female characters throw themselves at him. Life must be tough...

To date: 6 books, 2577 pages.

Hi Andy, wish i had lots of females throwing themselves at me,lol. I see the reading is going well my friend, just finished my tenth book of the year, another small one.

Hey John...seems a bit sluggish for me starting out the year, but I guess I have too many other things going on. Congrats again on your torrid pace so far...

7. Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine by Max Lucado (2-27-13) (208 pages)



Hard to go wrong with Max Lucado...I've always found his books uplifting, inspirational, and very easy to relate to. This one mixes humor, real-life stories, and numerous examples of Biblical references to the power of God's grace, and how we can make the gift of grace work in our lives. We've followed this book in Sunday school the past two months and have really enjoyed it.

To date: 7 books, 2785 pages.

8. Battleground by W.E.B. Griffin (3-6-13) (487 pages)



Another outstanding entry in The Corps series by Griffin. The war in the Pacific is really heating up as familiar characters such as Galloway, Moore, McCoy, Dunn, and Pickering are further torn from their personal endeavors and cast into the battles with Japan near Guadalcanal and parts of Australia. With such strong characters and powerful writing, Griffin has added to one of the more memorable series I have yet tackled.

To date: 8 books, 3272 pages.

9. Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine (3-12-13) (303 pages)



Solid finale for the nine book Weather Warden series. I started this series just on a whim, and kept picking up the next one until finishing with this one. I was very impressed with Caine's ability to combine technical details, some romance, and supernatural elements in a fantasy backdrop that made for fast, entertaining reads. Very original...

To date: 9 books, 3575 pages.

10. Gravity by Tess Gerritsen (3-17-13) (380 pages)



I must admit this one caught me totally by surprise, and would definitely qualify as the best Gerritsen I've read yet. Emma Watson (not the actress) is sent to the International Space Station as a replacement for an astronaut who had to return to earth for his wife's funeral. When she arrives, she soon discovers one of the experiments on the vessel has gone horribly wrong: an alien virus is loose and is slowly infecting and killing all on board. It becomes a race as she and her husband (who is still on earth) try to find a way to save her from a certain gruesome end. This is truly a page turner, and keeps you guessing (and gasping) to the very end. I highly recommend this one for thrill-seekers in books.

To date: 10 books, 3955 pages.

Love the review Andy, this is on my book pile and after reading this i might have to make it the next book to be read. Your book and page count is going well mate. Hope everything is well with you, i am fine apart from the cold weather which is not helping my arthritis.

Thanks, John...I hear you, the cold weather is affecting me too this year. I need some warm weather!

11. Damascus Countdown by Joel C. Rosenberg (3-26-13) (465 pages)



A powerful, refreshingly honest, and spiritually uplifting closing act to the Twelfth Imam trilogy, this novel has it all. David Shirazi and those who fight with him, including several converts from Islam to Christianity, draw on the power and goodness of Christ to stop the annihilation of Israel by the Islamic leader of the foretold Caliphate of united Islamic nations. This book literally keeps you on the edge of anticipation until the cataclysmic end. I was really hoping this one would deliver, and thankfully it did. Recommended for all....

To date: 11 books, 4420 pages.

Hi Andy, hope you are well and had a good Easter my friend. Your reading seems to be steady but knowing you it will start to motor soon, i'm on a roll at the moment but it will slow down at some point i'm sure.

12. Line Of Fire by W.E.B. Griffin (4-9-13) (467 pages)



Good continuation of The Corps series, until about halfway through the book. Then, this book becomes impossible to put down. It is this portion of the book that the reader realizes that they are experiencing one of the masters of military and historical fiction at his peak. As with previous Corps books, Griffin takes his characters through situations with the war in the Pacific as the backdrop, and makes the reader really care about what happens to them. This one seemed to ratchet up the tension a bit more as well. Nice job, Mr. Griffin.

To date: 12 books, 4887 pages.

13. Hellhole Awakening by Brian Herbert/Kevin J. Anderson (4-20-13) (512 pages)



This continues to be a pretty basic, stripped down version of Dune, with different characters and different settings, but still enjoyable to a sci-fi fan like me. Probably wouldn't recommend it to people who don't care for science fiction.

To date: 13 books, 5399 pages.

14. Severe Clear by Stuart Woods (4-23-13) (363 pages)



A solid return to form by Woods for the Stone Barrington series. Not as fantasy world series as recent entries, but more focused on a fast-paced, tense plot as Stone and his acquaintances attempt to head off a lethal bomb attempt on a ritzy hotel where the president is, as well as many of Hollyweird's high and mighty. Stone's follies with the women continue to be fantasy, though....

To date: 14 books, 5762 pages.

Hi Andy, nice steady reading my friend. How are you and what's it like where you are? We are having a little bit of sunshine and the temperature ha spicked up but with a decent breeze that's keeping it from being really warm, not complaining though after the weather we have had recently.

Hey John! Not too bad today...mid 70s, slight breeze. Great for sitting on the back patio and reading. I am trying to get ramped up on my reading, make good progress during the warm weather. Wish me luck...you are knocking it out of the park this year!

Yeah, i'm not doing too bad but that's because i'm not reading any chunky books and trying to get my TBR pile down, who am i kidding. I picked up four books today at 50p each, couldn't resist although i DIDN'T have to go by the chaps stall but something pulled me in that direction. I'm a lost cause really,lol.

Lol...50p, is that about 50 cents for us? I couldn't resist those prices either!

Yes thats about right, now you know why i couldn't resist. He has his stall on the market every tuesday and i do the banking on a tuesday. Most weeks he has something decent on the stall, maybe i should go to the bank on a different day.

Wow..I can't find even decent used books here for less than $1.50 or $2.00...well done, John.

We have quite a few around here my friend, a couple of weeks ago i took my daughter to the dentist and we went into the hospice shop and they had some really good quality books in the bargain basket at 20p each. On the main shelves they had a book that had obviously been donated quite recently at 90p and had been read and gifted and had only just come out in paperback and at our Asda supermarket (part of Wal-mart) they were selling it brand new at £3.85 as opposed to £7.99 rrp. There are bargains to be had in these parts. I think the exchange rate is $1.50 to the £1.

I need to be shopping for books on the other side of the pond, methinks...:-)

You would have some serious excess baggage charges my friend, you would probably have to have them shipped in a container,lol.

Yeah, I would probably have to get one of those conex containers they put on those big cargo ships...

Yes you would and you could take books back for friends if there was some space spare, how good would that be.

15. The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson (4-24-13) (219 pages)



Good men's group bible discussion book, but I wouldn't put it near the top of inspirational books I've read. I did enjoy the author's stance on the importance of prayer and how we as Christians should be diligent about it, but....and you knew there was a but...some of his comments on parts of the Bible and "what God wants" seemed a little off kilter to me. It is thought provoking, though.

To date: 15 books, 5981 pages.

16. Man From Mundania by Piers Anthony (4-29-13) (331 pages)



Typical Pier Xanthony...character (Ivy) on a quest....finds love (Grey)...battles protagonist (Com-Pewter)....and lives happily ever after. The good: story crosses the Xanth/Mundania barrier and makes things somewhat interesting among the stereotypical characters. The bad: story bogs down later into a Matrix - Part III train wreck where Grey suddenly decides that things are really as they should be: the end. After finishing the last page, I had the same reaction as when I watched Matrix III: WTF??

To date: 16 books, 6312 pages.

17. Close Combat by W.E.B. Griffin (5-9-13) (406 pages)



Enjoyable, if not quite up to the high standards set by its five predecessors, this one read more like "these are the Days Of Our Corps". I get the feeling that Griffin intended this to be more of a set up novel for the last four, as the reader now knows that Killer McCoy is now going to the Phillipines in the near future to meet a Marine to set up guerilla tactics in Mindinao. Everyone else ended up on a Marine hero recruitment parade. Anxious to see where the author takes those characters...

To date: 17 books, 6718 pages.

18. The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen (5-15-13) (371 pages)



Great murder mystery with medical suspense thrown in that takes place in 1830 Boston and also affects present day protagonists. Julia discovers bones in her garden and her quest for answers leads her to historical documents penned by Oliver Wendell Holmes, where she uncovers a plot to conceal an illegitimate birth which may threaten several upper-crust citizens in Boston. Gerritsen never seems to disappoint...

To date: 18 books, 7089 pages.

19. Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (5-29-13) (820 pages)



I've been wanting to read this for a while...finally got to it. I'd say it was worth the wait. Richard and Kahlan make for strong, likeable characters caught up in a battle of good versus evil against Darken Rahl (swear that's his name). Much more readable and linear than the monstrous Wheel Of Time series, which will hopefully make future volumes easier to track.

To date: 19 books, 7909 pages.

20. Behind The Lines by W.E.B. Griffin (6-10-13) (559 pages)



If not the best, then right there near the top of The Corps books I've read so far. "Killer" McCoy is put in charge by the top brass (think Brigadier General Fleming via Douglas MacArthur and President FDR) to establish contact with guerilla forces in the Philippines to establish their viability as a rebel force against the Japanese during WWII. Full of emotion, politics, and some intense action scenes, this book was the perfect addition to this series.

To date: 20 books, 8468 pages.

21. A Storm Of Swords (7-15-13) (1128 pages)



Stunning...by far the best of the 3 I've read so far, and I thought the first two were some of the best fantasy I've ever read. This one goes in directions I never suspected, very satisfyingly so. The dwarf, Tyrion, continues to be the best character, and others are revealing themselves to be so much more involved in the overall plot than previously thought. Arya continues to grow with the under riding theme of revenge surrounding her. Jon Snow is now the BMOC at the Wall in the north. Daenyres is getting closer to returning home with her dragons to claim Westeros. Absolutely brilliant writing...bring on the next one.

To date: 21 books, 9596 pages.

Hi Andy, I see you are in the realm of the big books at the moment, I haven't started the Game of Thrones series or the Terry Goodkind series yet but they are looking at me from their respective places on my shelves. My reading is going quite well at the moment and I hope to keep this going.

Hey John..yes, your totals are very impressive this year. I got bit bogged down with Storm of Swords, but really, really enjoyed it. You would enjoy both series...epic writing.

22. The Eye Of God by James Rollins (7-18-13) (410 pages)



The first half of this novel was somewhat disjointed, plodding, and more of a testament to relationships within Sigma than anything else...but, as I should have known, Rollins does a great job bringing plot elements together (approaching comet, crashed satellite, North Korean gang elements, historical aspects of Ghengis Kahn, etc.), incorporating necessary characters (Gray, Monk, Kowalski, Seichan, Jada, Duncan, Painter, etc.), and having them all come together in Russia at the world's largest fresh-water lake to tie everything up neatly. The concept of averting world disaster by using their knowledge of dark energy with respect to the approaching comet made for a real nail-biting ending. Rollins has put forth another great read.

To date: 22 books, 10006 pages.

23. The Kill List by Frederick Forsyth (7-23-13) (332 pages)





A well constructed thriller that puts an international terrorist known as "The Preacher" for his jihadist, anti-Western internet sermons, squarely in the cross-hairs of "Kit" Carson, who hunts him down at all costs. Tedious at times due to the main character(s) getting shoved to the background from all the story technical detail, the plot nevertheless culminates in a satisfying, yet somewhat rushed ending. I am really struck by the overall genre similarities between this one and Forsyth's masterpiece "Day Of The Jackal". However, where DOTJ is considered a classic thriller, this one falls just short due to the one-dimensional characters. Still a good read, especially for the beach.

To date: 23 books, 10338 pages.

24. Hidden Order by Brad Thor (7-27-13) (377 pages)



Thor has written a novel that takes Scot Harvath a little off the beaten path from international terrorism expert to something a little closer to home as he ends up more in the role of police detective to solve and/or prevent the murder of candidates for the head of the Federal Reserve. The back story and history that Thor provides for the Federal Reserve is fascinating, and really makes this book go, even through the awkward slow parts that I really haven't experienced much in Thor novels. The ending is somewhat frightening in its prophetic views of what this country, and ultimately the world could experience financially...it also sets up, I hope, fairly well for the next Harvath novel.

To date: 24 books, 10715 pages.

25. The English Girl by Daniel Silva (8-4-13) (482 pages)



Easily one of the best 2 or 3 books I've read this year so far. The more Silva I read, the more I'm convinced he's the master right now in the classic international thriller genre. The plot of Russia destabilizing the U.K. government to acquire oil drilling rights in the North Sea is a master stoke, and one that the reader can easily see happen in today's world. Gabriel Allon continues to be one of the best constructed leading characters in just about any book one reads, said spy being put in charge of finding a kidnapped mistress of Great Britain's PM. Her disappearance ties in neatly with Russia's treacherous plot...and everything basically goes to hell in a handbasket the rest of the book. Highly recommended...

To date: 25 books, 11197 pages.

Hi Andy, thanks for the message on my thread, only 299 more to go now. I've lost track of where you're up to on the reading stats. Hope you are well my friend.

26. The King's Deception by Steve Berry (8-9-13) (409 pages)



I am still amazed at how much hardcore history Berry puts into his books, and this one is no exception. While the historical perspectives provide for a rich background for the plot, and gives Berry a nice playground to try certain fictional ideas along with it, the characters to me are just not quite as strong or compelling as one would expect in a truly great novel. The idea of the U.S. willing to expose that Queen Elizabeth was actually a man during her 16th century reign, thus voiding all land treaties of Northern Ireland today, as blackmail to prevent the Lockerbie bomber from being released to Libya was very interesting alongside the history revealed in this book. However, Berry needs to have characters strong enough to exist in this vehicle. He falls just shy here.

To date: 26 books, 11606 pages.

Oh, I love Steve Berry's books too, but that one I haven't read so far. I totally agree with you about the rich historical backgrounds in his books. I'm always impressed.

27. In Danger's Path by W.E.B. Griffin (8-23-13) (723 pages)



A brilliant book. I am continually in awe of how Griffin can take his strong, relatable characters and interweave them with truly historical people such as Roosevelt, Nimitz, MacArthur et al, and provide the WWII theater and events for them to be in. Pickering and McCoy are charged by the president to establish a weather station in the middle of the Gobi Desert. Following this impossible task alongside all the other players (Weston, Pick, Zimmermann, Banning, and all the women they love), and seeing how it all comes together in the middle of the desert was a real joy, at least for this reader.

To date: 27 books, 12329 pages.

28. Horus Rising by Dan Abnett (8-29-13) (412 pages)



I have to thank one of my lifelong friends for hooking me on this universe. The inner geek in me ate this one up, and I see potential for viewing this series of books as far superior to what I used to read in my Star Wars reading days. As my friend said, "This is not Jar-Jar's universe", and aptly put. This deals with literally universal war, and it is not pretty, but there's a real element and characters more identifiable to readers than anything Star Wars could ever produce. Bottom line: 30000 to 40000 years in the future, mankind has evolved on Terra to venture out across the galaxy to exterminate any and all who are not subservient to them or of similar genetic make-up. Yes, gruesome, but it hits the reader with brutal honesty than cannot be ignored in a science fiction tale. I cannot wait to start absorbing the infinite possibilities this genre could make.

To date: 28 books, 12741 pages.

Hi Andy, Glad you enjoyed Horus Rising and the review is really good, I purchased it a few months ago with a view to it being good and I would then read the series. I will get to it soon and following your review will start to get the series.

Hope you are well my friend and hope you have a good weekend.

29. The Liberty Amendments by Mark R. Levin (9-5-13) (221 pages)



More readable than Ameritopia yet not quite as impressionable as Liberty And Tyranny, this one is an outstanding and completely factual look at how our government, emphasis on the federal level, has engaged in subverting, dismantling, and rewriting the Constitution to infinitely increase federal powers to the detriment of the states and the American people. Levin has put forth an entire list of intelligent and well thought out amendments that would go a long way to diminishing the federal government's powers and returning power to the states and our citizens. Truly a book for our times...I would recommend it to ANY U.S. citizen.

To date: 29 books, 12962 pages.

30. The Last Witness by W.E.B. Griffin/William E. Butterworth IV (9-10-13) (344 pages)



A good, readable book, but definitely not anywhere close to the standards of this series set by big W.E.B. Little W.E.B. obviously is doing the writing now, penning this one as a somewhat intriguing, but rushed story with thinly developed characters. Matt Payne, the main protagonist, just seems to be more of a background character here. Also, parts of the book dedicated to rehashing past stories could have been used to better develop THIS story. Not sure how much longer the Badge Of Honor series can carry on like this.

To date: 30 books, 13306 pages.

31. False Gods by Graham McNeill (9-22-13) (406 pages)



Continuing the brutal reality started in the first book, this one deftly interweaves a political scheme where Horus is injured to the precipice of death, brought to a religious environment for healing, recovers, then totally reverses his meaning for universal conquest from man-controlled peace to total annihilation of all not deemed worthy. This conveniently includes usurping the Emperor and taking his place. I enjoyed how Chaos was injected into this and how the Astartes Mournival was basically split in two. This novel basically sets up an arena of future conflict for all parties, and sets the galaxy on a path for destruction. Told you this was pure geek...RTYB.

To date: 31 books, 13712 pages.

32. Under Fire by W.E.B. Griffin (10-10-13) (723 pages)



WWII is over and "Killer" McCoy is ostracized for an honest evaluation of the threat of communist North Korea invading South Korea. Once a Marine, always a Marine as McCoy, Pickering, Hart, Zimmerman, and an important cast of others are brought back into the Semper Fi fold to first bring McCoy back into the good graces of the U.S Marines, then work skillfully with President Truman and around the military genius of Douglas MacArthur to head off a potential long conflict through an invasion of Inchon. Griffin once again proves that he is one of the masters of military fiction as this one keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. I am continually amazed at how human Griffin makes the important players in this game seem.

To date: 32 books, 14435 pages.

33. Galaxy In Flames by Ben Counter (10-16-13) (407 pages)



While not as well written as the first two in this series, this one still delivers a real emotional punch from the shocking aspect of the story itself. Horus has now declared war on the galaxy and the god-like Emperor himself, and the reader is subjected to the angst of seeing many, good, loyal characters betrayed and destroyed by Horus' treachery. This one also sets up the coming conflict between those loyal to the Emperor and those who wish a universal rule by a godless people led by Horus. Funny how these science fiction stories can parallel today's events philosophically....

To date: 33 books, 14842 pages.

34. The Flight Of The Eisenstein by James Swallow (10-22-13) (407 pages)



The best of the four I've read so far in this series. Well-written, this one combines the right mix of technical detail with human elements that make the reader easily able to follow, and identify with, the main characters. Nathaniel Garro, Astartes from the Death Guard, commandeers the ship Eisenstein in a desperate effort to bring word to the Emperor of Terra of Horus' treachery and betrayal described in the last book. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat, and sets up well for continued novels along this storyline.

To date: 34 books, 15249 pages.

35. Collateral Damage by Stuart Woods (10-24-13) (377 pages)



Not bad..Stuart seems to be on a roll with better stories lately, although this seemed more like a Holly Barker novel than a Stone Barrington novel. Pretty basic spin on a terrorist plot in the States where Barker and Stone team up to stop a female hell-bent on revenge for her family. Another one recommended for the beach...

To date: 35 books, 15626 pages.

36. Vanished: The Sixty-Year Search For The Missing Men Of World War II by Wil S. Hylton (10-31-13) (239 pages)





This was an amazing, gripping, and at times suspenseful read that documents one man's sudden overwhelming desire to find out what happened to three B-24 Liberators shot down near Palau in the Pacific theater of World War II. Hylton does a great job of describing Pat Scannon's current-day journey of research, travel, interviews, heartaches, and elation in discovering the mystery of what happened to those lost B-24's, and shows a masterful job of interweaving that with the very personal back story of the men on those ill-fated flights. I literally had goosebumps at times while reading this. The book also does a good job at conveying just how many of our servicemen are unaccounted for in the Pacific theater, and the incredibly long odds people like Scannon and his Bent-Prop Project face in shedding light on the mysteries surrounding them. I recommend this book for anyone, especially the patriotic and those with interests in aviation and World War II.

To date: 36 books, 15865 pages.

37. Fulgrim by Graham McNeill (11-11-13) (510 pages)



A brutal, horrifying, and magnificent story encompassing the primarch Fulgrim's journey from one of the Emperor's chosen ones to an agent of Chaos bent on assisting Horus' vision of all-out galactic war. Having read the previous four in this series, I was able to clearly place where Fulgrim fit in with the overall saga, and McNeill does a masterful job of furthering the saga while describing how elements of this novel mesh with events of the previous four. The civil war that occurs on Isstvan V between various Legions (some traitors, some loyalists where the Emperor is concerned) is nothing short of epic in scope, and the reader should easily pick up on how the galaxy will be grim and dark with war from this point on. That idea is driven home at the end, when it is revealed how the Warp's dark Chaos has infiltrated those traitorous to the Emperor, Fulgrim himself confronting Horus as one of these dark agents. This sets up well for the coming invasion of Terra.

To date: 37 books, 16375 pages.

Hi Andy, i'm glad your enjoying the Horus Heresy books and your reviews are really good, I must make a start on the first one but with the number of books on my shelves and the number of series I have books on I don't know where to start. Hope you are ok my friend and you should reach fifty books again.

38. Retreat, Hell! by W.E.B. Griffin (11-19-13) (628 pages)



A satisfying and fitting ending to the Corps series, if somewhat rushed and clunky near the end. I really enjoyed the sections that dealt with the rescue of Pick Pickering and his recuperation in San Diego, as well as Killer McCoy's exposure of Douglas MacArthur's faulty Korean intelligence where China's involvement was concerned. This one flowed much like the previous nine Corps novels, tracking multiple well-developed characters across history, but I get the sense Griffin tried to kind of wrap everything up quickly. This usually leads to a lot of unanswered questions about what happened to certain characters. Maybe this was his intention...to be described in future novels or series? Overall I still immensely enjoyed this series.

To date: 38 books, 17003 pages.

39. Descent Of Angels by Mitchel Scanlon (11-25-13) (413 pages)



A departure from the linear Horus saga of the previous five books, this novel goes back to describe the early days and genesis of the Dark Angels Legion from an Order of knights comprised of ordinary men from Caliban. After conquering their on-world enemies, this group learns that their leader is one of the long-lost Primarchs, created by the Emperor to lead his crusade of galactic domination. Strong characters and a well-crafted plot are somewhat rushed at the end, but the reader should be able to pick out the important ties to the underlying Chaos that threatens all the enhanced human groups that make up the Emperor's realm. Hope this Legion is mentioned in another Horus Heresy novel soon....otherwise this story will seem more and more isolated as the saga is advanced.

To date: 39 books, 17416 pages.

40. Baseball's Creation Myth by Brian Martin (11-29-13) (194 pages)





A well-researched and very interesting presentation on the origins of baseball in this country, and how our country in the early 20th century was ready and willing to believe a strongly patriotic, and patently false, version of this creation of our National Pasttime. Abner Graves, an avid businessman from Cooperstown, sent his "version" of the creation of baseball, which lavishly told of Abner Doubleday and his "invention", to A.G. Spalding via an article in the Akron Beacon. The tale then took a life of its own, and many even now still believe in the Cooperstown origin of the game. Since other versions are presented as well, this book ultimately comes to the conclusion that the origins of baseball may truly never be known. My only criticism of the book is the painstaking detail the author presents on Abner Graves, Adam Ford, and other subjects that don't seem very relevant to the overall argument. This bogs the book down, but reader perseverance will be rewarded with the last 40-50 pages.

To date: 40 books, 17610 pages.

41. Legion by Dan Abnett (12-5-13) (412 pages)



This is a somewhat different approach to the Horus saga, as it focuses primarily on the Imperial army and what the reader would consider "normal" humans (as normal as humans of today could seem 30000 years in the future in regions far from here). The typical Emperor Astartes Legion is in more of a support role in this novel, and it took me about half of the book to adjust my thinking along those lines as the first six books was more of Legions' adventures literally thrown right in one's face. The basic premise: an alien race has the ability to forsee the coming Galactic Chaotic Civil War between humans and tries to implant a spy (John Grammaticus) into the Alpha Legion to warn them of the apocalypse in hopes the Alphas can prevent Chaos from ruling by helping to PROMOTE civil war and allowing Chaos to basically burn itself out quickly. This is a paradoxical twist that can be hard to digest for even dedicated Horus fans. I enjoyed the book, but here's hoping that future Horus novels further the saga more.

To date: 41 books, 18022 pages.

42. Apocalypse Crucible by Mel Odom (12-11-13) (326 pages)



As a reader of the Left Behind series and the first book in the Apocalypse series, I felt this one fit in fairly well with the Rapture as originally portrayed by LaHaye/Jenkins. I don't think Odom builds as strong of characters as LaHaye/Jenkins did, but he does manage to bring forth the trials and tribulations of "Goose" Gander and his wife Megan as they struggle to survive in a post-Rapture world. The side story of naval chaplain Delroy Harte's struggles makes for compelling reading as well. This one doesn't pack the emotional punch that the original series does, but is still an inspirational read nonetheless.

To date: 42 books, 18348 pages.

43. Battle For The Abyss by Ben Counter (12-17-13) (411 pages)



I'll approach this from a good/bad points view. The good: good story that somewhat advances the overall saga; good ending which really saved the book for me; good look at how different Legions view each other in light of the Heresy. The bad: Counter has now shown me to be the weakest of the Horus Heresy authors thus far by focusing not enough on character depth and development and too much on excessive and strangely timed descriptions of anything from the detail of the sub-engineering decks to the hallucinatory dreams of Astartes warriors right when the story seems to be rolling along. Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed the book, but the flowery and disjointed way the author presents this makes me feel as if I'm reading 10th grade literature in class trying to stay awake after lunch. This series needs to be presented in a harder hitting manner (re: Graham McNeill).

To date: 43 books, 18759 pages.

You are doing great. Only a few to go. Happy reading :-D

I think I am going to miss it this year, but I still enjoyed all the reading..

The only important thing is, that you enjoy your reading.
Happy reading

Hi Andy, another good quantity of books and pages my friend. Are you going to be able to finish the Stone of Tears or will this be an early 2014 finish.

Hey John....probably will push SOT into '14...along with others. My issue this year was my slacking in the summer. Maybe next year I will make it a point to bear down more in the summer. You, my friend, have absolutely kicked butt this year, and are to be commended. Congrats!!

Ameise, thank you for the encouragement:-)

44. Apocalypse Burning by Mel Odom (12-20-13) (329 pages)



The third in this series, this one was by far the best. Much more inspirational and even heart-tugging at times, I felt that Odom really succeeded in conveying the struggles that those left behind faced and how they were viewed as radicals for expressing the word of God and how it portrayed the truth of the Rapture. I was amazed at how this book almost mirrored current events with respect to stating one's beliefs and experiencing social persecution as a result. It really makes one think.....

To date: 44 books, 19088 pages.

45. For The Emperor by Sandy Mitchell (12-26-13) (395 pages)



Another Warhammer 40,000 novel, but not part of the Horus Heresy saga, this one deals with the somewhat misguided adventures of Commissar Ciaphas Cain. Mitchell has written Cain as a reluctant, yet extremely ego-driven and opportunistic character who finds himself in the middle of a war on Gravalax. It was really entertaining reading how Cain continually and grudgingly is thrust into seemingly impossible situations and manages to survive, even ending the planetary conflict between the Tau, Imperial forces, and the god awful tyranids. He even somewhat gets the girl in the end. Mitchell presents the story through several points-of-view, including the majority of the story in Cain first person view, and succeeds in weaving them all together into a fast-paced and humurous at times tale that really comes across as a great science fiction novel. Ready for the next one....

To date: 45 books, 19483 pages.

46. Unintended Consequences by Stuart Woods (12-27-13) (372 pages)



Stone Barrington wakes up in Paris to find he has no memory of the previous four days. He spends the rest of the book trying to fill in the gaps in his memory, only to find out he's the target of the Russian mob assassins to take over his hotel interests in Beverly Hills. Fast-paced and full of the direct dialogue that has become a Woods trademark in these novels, this one reads quick and is pretty much on par with most Stone Barrington stories. Fun to read, but doesn't really require much intellectual probing to get through; this is another great beach book to hold in one hand while holding a margarita in the other. Cheers...

To date: 46 books, 19855 pages.

47. Michael Vey 3: Battle Of The Ampere by Richard Paul Evans (12-29-13) (307 pages)



Continuing the adventures of the Electroclan, Evans spins a tight, enjoyable story with already identifiable characters (who didn't have issues as a teenager?) that reads easily and sets up at the end for Michael Vey 4. The group is on the run in Peru and is desperate to strike a blow against the Elgen and their fleet of naval vessels. Along the way, each deals with conflicting emotions of fear, love, and courage as they learn about themselves and the evil they fight against. I highly recommend this series for parents with teenagers.

To date: 47 books, 20162 pages.

48. A Year With C.S. Lewis by C. S. Lewis (12-31-13) (397 pages)



Glad I was able to read one page a day with this one due to the complexity and richness of each day's message. Lewis has inspirational messages for everyone, spanning a broad variety of topics. If you're looking for something different in a daily devotional that will challenge and expand your mind, give this one a try.

To date: 48 books, 20559 pages.

49. Caves Of Ice by Sandy Mitchell (12-31-13) (254 pages)



Great follow-up to the first Ciaphas Cain book...this one finds Cain leading a defense force to protect an energy refinery on Simia Orichalcae (if you can pronounce it, gold star for you). When they arrive, they discover much more than they can safely deal with, and Mitchell cleverly inserts the complex and reluctant Cain into a whirlwind of trouble deep in the ice caves of the planet. There are many humorous and tense moments that compliment each other well as the reader is treated to a narrow escape for the protagonist. The antagonist? Eldars and necrons and orks...oh my.

To date: 49 books, 20813 pages.

See you in 2014....:-)