G's Good Reads of 2017

It's that time of year again, folks. Christmas trees and decorations adorn our house, family and friends are visiting (or are being visited), and B has allowed my one post a year on "our" blog. She really is quite generous, don't you think? :)

So, the moment I know you've all been waiting for all year, the one blog post without which the year would not be complete: G's Good Reads of 2017. Without further ado, here they are, in no particular order.

1. Terra Incognita: The Edge of the World, by Kevin J. Anderson.

This one is a bit of a departure for me, as I'm not much for fantasy novels. The Edge of the World is the first book in Anderson's Terra Incognita trilogy, a sweeping, large-scale story about the religious and political conflict between the nations of Uraba and Tierra, both of whom are convinced that their particular interpretation of their shared faith is the only correct version (sound familiar?). There are many characters and many locations, but Anderson does a good job of weaving all the individual threads of the story together into a great tapestry. I listened to this one via Audible, and the narrator did an outstanding job portraying each of the characters.






2. Invasion Rabaul, by Bruce Gamble.

Most of us are probably somewhat familiar with at least the generalities of World War II's Pacific Theater: Pearl Harbor, Midway, the island fighting, the bombings of Japan. Invasion Rabaul focuses on a small portion of this conflict--specifically, the Australian garrison of Rabaul in the Southwest Pacific, the Japanese takeover of this strategic location in early 1942, and the Australians' fight to survive in the jungle while being hunted by the Japanese. Rabaul became a key logistics and operational base for the Japanese during the conflict in the Pacific, and Gamble does a fantastic job of illuminating this (to me) little-known theater of the war. This is also the first book of a trilogy; I've already read the second, Fortress Rabaul, and intend to finish the trilogy in 2018.


3. The Short Victorious War, by David Weber.

Weber continues to deliver in this, the third book in his Honor Harrington series. The People's Republic of Haven has decided that they need a "short, victorious war" to shore up their economic problems back home, and end up in a fight with Manticore in the process. Honor Harrington, now commander of a heavy cruiser, is (as usual) right in the middle of the action. I continue to thoroughly enjoy Weber's description of space combat, even if it is a real departure from other sci-fi stories like Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica. Weber always adds a good layer of political intrigue (and in this case some social/political commentary as well), which gives depth to the fleet engagements.





4. Abbadon's Gate, by James S.A. Corey.


The continuing adventures of James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante find them dealing with the fallout of the titanic events at the end of Caliban's War. Holden (haunted by a ghost from his past who drops obscure hints about what is going on and what it means) and a few new faces are confronted with a new situation that affects all of humanity and could either increase or relieve the pressure between Earth, Mars, and the Belt. I know this all sounds vague, but this is a good series and I'm really trying not to drop any spoilers. If it sounds interesting, start at the beginning with Leviathan Wakes.







5. Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942, by Ian W. Toll.

It never ceases to surprise me how much I think I know about World War II, and how little I actually know. While I feel that I have a good handle on the Pacific conflict, Pacific Crucible illuminated and connected some events in ways that I had never considered. While the main focus of this book is on the actual combat between the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway, Toll also delves into the Japanese political and military situation that led to the Japanese attack on U.S., British, Australian, and Dutch holdings throughout the Pacific in December 1941. This is another book that I listened to via Audible, and again the narration was top-notch. In particular, Toll's description of the fight at Midway is superb, and had me on the edge of my driver's seat several times (even though I know how it ends). This is the first book in a planned trilogy; I plan to read (or listen to) the second book, The Conquering Tide, in 2018, and the third book is coming out later in 2018.




There you have it! My good reads for 2017. In 2018, I'm looking forward to finishing Gamble's Rabaul trilogy, advancing the story in The Expanse series and the Honor Harrington series, and trying to finish the Temeraire series. Oh, and the next Gaunt's Ghosts book is finally here--The Warmaster, by Dan Abnett. Definitely need to see where Abnett is taking the Tanith First-and-Only in this latest adventure.

Happy New Year!