utbw42's 50 for 2010

Okay, here goes. I got off to a real slow start this year, but I've been going like gangbusters lately. Here's my first ten (date completed) (# of pages):

1. Dawn's Light by Terri Blackstock (1-21-10) (409 pgs)



2. Crossroads Of Twilight by Robert Jordan (5-7-10) (681 pgs)



3. Takedown by Brad Thor (5-13-10) (433 pgs)



4. The First Commandment by Brad Thor (5-17-10) (451 pgs)



5. The Last Patriot by Brad Thor (5-21-10) (474 pgs)



6. Subterranean by James Rollins (5-25-10) (410 pgs)



7. The Apostle by Brad Thor (5-31-10) (354 pgs)



8. Excavation by James Rollins (6-6-10) (416 pgs)



9. Sandstorm by James Rollins (6-23-10) (569 pgs)



10. Term Limits by Vince Flynn (7-5-10) (610 pgs)



More to follow....and I will try to comment on the books as I finish them in the future. Thanks for letting me play.

More:

11. Conservative Victory by Sean Hannity (7-8-10) (231 pgs)



12. Deep Fathom by James Rollins (7-17-10) (450 pgs)



13. Foreign Influence by Brad Thor (7-18-10) (373 pgs)



14. Transfer Of Power by Vince Flynn (7-23-10) (549 pgs)



15. Star Wars: Inferno by Troy Denning (7-26-10) (289 pgs)



16. First Blood by David Morrell (8-1-10) (284 pgs)



17. The Manchurian President by Aaron Klein (8-3-10) (271 pgs)



18. Star Wars: Fury by Aaron Allston (8-4-10) (356 pgs)



19. Amazonia by James Rollins (8-8-10) (595 pgs)



20. The Third Option by Vince Flynn (8-12-10) (402 pgs)

Last five (for now):

21. The Winds of Dune by Brian Herbert (8-18-10) (448 pgs)



22. Black Order by James Rollins (8-25-10) (509 pgs)



23. Separation Of Power by Vince Flynn (8-30-10) (515 pgs)



24. Star Wars: Revelation by Karen Traviss (8-31-10) (410 pgs)



25. Titan by Ben Bova (9-5-10) (418 pgs)



....and I'll comment on Titan, because I just finished it. I love Ben Bova books. Yes, they assume a lot, and with any good science fiction book you have to suspend your beliefs and/or realities to really enjoy them, but I have no problem with that whatsoever. Titan made me feel like I was really there either in orbit around Saturn or on the famous moon of the ringed planet. The book really asks: what if? What if life was found on Titan, or in the rings of Saturn? What if we were able to set up a colony of 10000 people or so in a large habitat in orbit around Saturn? It was a lot of fun to think about.

To date: 25 books, 10907 pages.

nm

26. Ice Hunt by James Rollins (9-11-10) (619 pages)



Basic average thriller for me, fun to read, but I can't really say there was anything outstanding about it. Other Rollins books have been better.

To date: 26 books, 11526 pages.

27. Voyagers by Ben Bova (9-13-10) (383 pages)



First of a series, can't wait to see if the Americans and the Soviets join together to go after the alien ship before it leaves the solar system (don't tell me for those who have read it all). I was thoroughly entertained by this book.

To date: 27 books, 11909 pages.

28. Storm Front by Jim Butcher (9-16-10) (352 pages)



Another first of a series, which I will definitely be reading more of in the near future. I'm thinking a grown-up Harry Potter here, with all his inherent talents and dealing with the messed-up real world. Absolutely refreshing and just dang fun to read.

To date: 28 books, 12261 pages.

29. Executive Power by Vince Flynn (9-17-10) (517 pages)



The hits just keep on coming with Flynn and his popular Mitch Rapp series. The tension in these Rapp novels keeps me staring at the book intensively until the very end, and I will soon be attacking the rest of the Rapp novels.

To date: 29 books, 12778 pages.

30. The Color Of Magic by Terry Pratchett (9-21-10) (210 pages)



Hilarious fun, as it reminded me of Adams' Hitchhiker's series (which I also loved). The mis-adventures of Rincewind and Twoflower had me laughing out loud in the wild Discworld. I am definitely looking forward to more Pratchett adventures in the future.

To date: 30 books, 12988 pages.

31. Magic Kingdom For Sale - Sold! by Terry Brooks (9-24-10) (373 pages)



Loved this book, and wish I had read it when I was much younger. I thought the concept of a fantasy kingdom accessible by a hiking path in the mountains of Virginia was a very original concept, and the characters and settings in this book made it an enjoyable read. Looking forward to the future volumes in this series.

To date: 31 books, 13361 pages.

32. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher (9-28-10) (401 pages)



I liked Butcher's take on werewolves in this second book of the Dresden files. Harry's continuing tension with Murphy, and the fact that they both realize they need each other to help with the onslaught of supernatural disasters that are occurring more frequently makes for a real page turner.

To date: 32 books, 13762 pages.

will be on vacation from 10-1-10 to 10-10-10......may update, may not update during then. Stay tuned....

33. Voyagers II: The Alien Within by Ben Bova (10-1-10) (344 pages)



This book went a different direction than I thought it would, but I really enjoyed the human/alien symbiotic relationship that Bova described that occurred within Dr. Keith Stoner. Can't wait to see where this goes in the next volume of this saga.

To date: 33 books, 14106 pages.

34. The Judas Strain by James Rollins (10-6-10) (529 pages)



Slightly better than Ice Hunt (see above), but again just your average adventure read. I find some of his characters in the Sigma Force novels to be a bit bland.

To date: 34 books, 14635 pages.

35. Memorial Day by Vince Flynn (10-13-10) (574 pages)



Outstanding.....best Flynn I've read yet. This book literally had my heart pounding towards the end. Even if you don't like this type of novel, I HIGHLY recommend this book.

To date: 35 books, 15209 pages.

36. Voyagers III: Star Brothers by Ben Bova (10-14-10) (341 pages)



Continues right along with the first two in a very enjoyable way. I admit this book seems a bit rushed compared to the first two, but I do like the way it ended with Stoner, Jo, and the kids zooming out into space in the ship they built. Great fun, and will soon tackle the recent fourth book Bova penned for this saga.

To date: 36 books, 15550 pages.

37. Have You Seen My Country Lately? by Jerry Doyle (10-17-10) (236 pages)



Fairly quick read, when I wasn't trying to keep my 2 sons from destroying my house. Informative, funny, tells it like it is....I'm a conservative at heart, so I realize many out there may not agree with these types of books. It's ok, this is America last time I checked.

To date: 37 books, 15786 pages.

38. The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett (10-21-10) (241 pages)



Hilarious.......I was literally in tears laughing at some parts. Pratchett is a genius in my eyes. I hope Rincewind and Twoflower make future appearances in upcoming Discworld books.

To date: 38 books, 16027 pages.

39. Consent To Kill by Vince Flynn (10-26-10) (675 pages)



Another outstanding Flynn entry....not quite as good as Memorial Day, but emotionally charged and gripping to keep you turning the pages feverishly until the very end. Can't wait to see where Mitch Rapp goes after the tragedy in his life from this book.

To date: 39 books, 16702 pages.

40. Act Of Treason by Vince Flynn (11-1-10) (467 pages)



This was a good Flynn book, but not a great one. At this point, even a good Flynn book to me is light years above other authors. This one seemed to focus a little less on Mitch Rapp and a little more on general political intrigue occurring in and around D.C. I still found it enjoyable to read, but not quite the page turner that past Flynn entries have been.

To date: 40 books, 17169 pages.

41. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher (11-2-10) (436 pages)



Darker theme than the first two Dresden books, but equally as enjoyable. Butcher is building a nice catalogue of villians for Harry in future novels in this series.

To date: 41 books, 17605 pages.

42. Protect And Defend by Vince Flynn (11-5-10) (405 pages)



Fairly slow in the first half of the book.....I began to think this was the weakest Flynn I've read. The second half of the book was fantastic, as Rapp furiously works behind enemy lines to rescue CIA director Kennedy. Overall, a great book, better than his last novel.

To date: 42 books, 18010 pages.

43. Voyagers IV: The Return by Ben Bova (11-10-10) (418 pages)



Outstanding. I love the way Bova concluded this series and actually tied it into his Grand Tour novels. This book also managed to interweave a lot of current political issues and problems currently occurring on our world. Just fantastic and easy to read.

To date: 43 books, 18428 pages.

44. Extreme Measures by Vince Flynn (11-12-10) (515 pages)



Good read, but not up to the level of previous Flynn novels (which set the bar pretty high). This almost felt like a set-up novel, with another character besides Mitch Rapp (Mike Nash) getting a large chunk of time in the novel. The ending was great, but I would have to put this near the bottom of the Flynn novels I've read so far.

To date: 44 books, 18943 pages.

45. Pursuit Of Honor by Vince Flynn (11-17-10) (503 pages)



Better than the last Flynn novel. Flynn managed to keep the suspense of the terrorists loose in the States at a high level while mixing in the dynamics of Rapp and Nash's relationship. More Rapp in this novel than the last one, which probably is what made it a better novel, as I still find Rapp a much better character than Nash.

To date: 45 books, 19446 pages.

46. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett (11-17-10) (213 pages)



Fun read, not as funny as the previous two Discworld novels, but no less interesting. Hope someday Pratchett interweaves Esk and the Witch novels into Rincewind and Twoflower novels. Don't tell me if you've read the entire series.

To date: 46 books, 19659 pages.

47. American Assassin by Vince Flynn (11-20-10) (435 pages)



Good book, but that's it. I guess my expectations were too high for this book, but I thought there would be more Mitch Rapp development and a little less time on the characters involved in the financing of the Pan Am airliner bombing. I need to work on tempering my expectations in the future. Supposedly, Mitch Rapp was motivated by the fact his girlfriend and future wife was killed in the Pan Am bombing. This book included to some degree his desire to revenge her death by getting involved with the CIA and killing terrorists abroad, but not quite enough for me. Still a good read, but near the bottom of the Vince Flynn novels.

To date: 47 books, 20094 pages.

48. The Black Unicorn by Terry Brooks (11-24-10) (307 pages)



Entertaining read, and a solid follow-up to the start of this series. I think the characters are well developed in this series and am looking forward to the next in this series.

To date: 48 books, 20401 pages.

49. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher (12-3-10) (446 pages)



I am really enjoying this series. As each novel unfolds, one realizes that Harry Dresden is involved in some serious (stuff). Having Harry work to prevent a war between Winter and Summer was an ingenious plot device, and you really get the sense that even bigger things are coming. Great read.

To date: 49 books, 20847 pages.

50. The Last Oracle by James Rollins (12-6-10) (462 pages)



One of Rollins' better works........very engaging plot and the main characters were more interesting and somewhat more believable in this book than other Rollins books. Took a little longer to read because of the holiday, but a fun read.

To date: 50 books, 21309 pages.

yay

51. The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry (12-14-10) (423 pages)



Outstanding book. The intrigue of surviving members of the Romanov family massacre before the Russian revolutions coming back to claim the Tsar throne in present day times kept me turning the pages in this book. Berry has created a very intelligent novel, and I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially those who love fictional history.

To date: 51 books, 21732 pages.

52. A Spell For Chameleon by Piers Anthony (12-14-10) (344 pages)



This was a very enjoyable read. Imaginative, funny, and has somewhat of an adult tinge to it in some of the emotions it explores. I can't wait to see what else Anthony has in store in the world of Xanth.

To date: 52 books, 22076 pages.

53. Ill Wind by Rachel Caine (12-17-10) (337 pages)



Wow, this one caught me by surprise. Imaginative, original and intense. My love of weather studies didn't hurt, either. I found the lead character, Joanne, every bit as intriguing as Butcher's Dresden. Would love to see those two hook up in a story sometime. Ah, well, one can dream.

To date: 53 books, 22413 pages.

54. Wizard At Large by Terry Brooks (12-21-10) (303 pages)



Fun, easy read, another entertaining spin in the world of Landover. Brooks has developed these characters very well, which makes reading how they get into and out of trouble a lot of fun.

To date: 54 books, 22716 pages.

55. Mort by Terry Pratchett (12-23-10) (243 pages)



I am really enjoying these Discworld novels. Funny, funny stuff, and I really get a sense of an ever expanding world that is just full of possibilities from the genius of Terry Pratchett. I was laughing out loud at some of Death's interactions with people and his lines.

To date: 55 books, 22959 pages.

56. The Doomsday Key by James Rollins (12-28-10) (431 pages)



Best Rollins yet (haven't read his latest one). Great story, and the characters finally have begun to really develop and set up for future novels in the Sigma Force series. I especially like the love/hate relationship between Pierce and Seichan, mortal enemies but seem to need each other in weird, twisted, adventure novel sort of ways.

To date: 56 books, 23390 pages.

57. Death Masks by Jim Butcher (12-30-10) (374 pages)



Wow, this series keeps getting better and better. The fifth book of the Dresden files has intensity, character depth, passion, and intrigue. I read this one seemingly faster than the previous four. Will Harry and Nicodemus meet again soon? Can't wait to find out.

For 2010: 57 books, 23764 pages.

See you in 2011.......:-)