Book & Print Columns

Posts related to novels, non-fiction books, comic books, graphic novels, zines and other print-based publications.

Summer Reading List 2011

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Summer 2011 is well underway, and so is my summer reading list. While some summers I know exactly what I’m reading in the spring, this summer I stumbled into my reading list. Work’s been crazy busy (leading to June’s deficient of posts at Nuketown) but even with a high workload my brain demands an escape to my summer reading list.

I’ve divided my reading list into two parts: The Summer List and the Island List. The Summer List consists of books I’ll be reading throughout the summer, from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The Island List is a subset of books that I’ll be taking to Butler Island on Lake Champlain with me for my much-needed, oft-dreamed of summer vacation.

You can follow my progress through my Summer Reading list on GoodReads, the social networking site for bookworms.

Off the Bookshelf: Evolutionary Void, Realms of Cthulhu, iPad Book Readers

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After a long hiatus because of too much to do at work, I’ve finally gotten back to reading fiction … because of work. Specifically because of the iPad I’m trying out at my day job. I work at a college, and we’re piloting the iPad to see how tablets might be integrated into the academic … Read more

Off the Bookshelf: Century Rain, Reversing the Anthology, Temporal Void

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I finally finished New Moon by Stephanie Meyers, and I have to say the vampire/werewolf/teenager love triangle left me cold. The main character, Bella, is whiny and unsympathetic, and she’s exactly the sort of emotional heatsink that I’ll be telling my son to avoid in ten years or so.

Finishing the book allowed me to move on to my proper summer reading list, starting with Century Rain and The Space Opera Renaissance. While both books were already on my bookshelf, I did still find myself buying another book for the list: Peter Hamilton’s The Dreaming Void.

Off the Bookshelf: Cole Protocol, Skies of Pern, Century Rain

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A close-up of a helmeted Spartan trooper.

After a fiendishly busy January and February, I’ve finally had a chance to take a deep breath and spend some time reading. First up on my early spring reading list is The Cole Protocol by Tobias Buckell, a Halo Universe novel involving the quest to prevent the alien Covenant from securing navigation data leading to … Read more

Off the Bookshelf: Twilight, The Gathering Storm, Star Wars Atlas

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Cover: Twilight

Over Thanksgiving break, my wife and I made a deal: I’d read Twilight if she read the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It took me a month of on and off reading, but I finally did so. Completing that teen romance horror novel let me read the book I’ve been waiting months for: The Gathering Storm, Book 12 of the Wheel of Time.

In between the two I’ve been sneaking quick reads of Star Wars: The Essential Atlas, which is sure to become an indespensible reference for my Star Wars RPG campaign.

Off the Bookshelf: Redemption Ark, Dreaming Void, Far Side of the World

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I’m off to a good start on my Summer 2009 Reading List, having made a considerable dent it during my early summer vacation by reading Alistair Reynolds’ Redemption Ark, Peter F. Hamilton’s The Dreaming Void and finally finishing the audio version of Patrick O’Brain’s The Far Side of the World. Redemption Ark Redemption Ark by … Read more

Soliciting books for my Summer 2009 Reading List

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It’s almost summer again, which means it’s time for me to start assembling that long-running Nuketown tradition: the Summer Reading List. (check out Radio Active #50 for my 2007 reading list, and Radio Active #69 for my 2008 one). The reading list is my chance to catch up on stuff I missed during the rest … Read more

Off the Bookshelf: New Space Opera, Open Game Table, Space Opera Renaissance

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The spring hasn’t been a great time for fiction reading. After my winter reading spree, I fell into back into my video game reviewing routine at SciFi.com, but I did manage to get a few new books in: The New Space Opera, The Open Game Table, and The Space Opera Renaissance. The New Space Opera … Read more

Top of the Pile: Dark Reign, Batman, X-Factor, Astonishing X-Men

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Two big story arcs have concluded in the comics universe over the last few weeks: Marvel’s Secret Invasion mini series, in which the alien, shape-shifting Skrulls attempt to take over the Earth, and Batman R.I.P, in which the Dark Knight dies. Or appears to die, because really, what are the chances that he’s actually dead? … Read more