Firestorm by David Klass

Summary:
His mother is not his mother; his father is not his father. If Jack hadn't broken the high school rushing record that night, he never would have known and nothing would have changed. Jack plunges into a space-time-bending game of survival with no way out. The rules are shrouded in secrets. But one thing he learns fast: Trust no one.

Publishers Weekly Review
Starred Review. This gripping first novel in the Caretaker Trilogy introduces high school senior Jack Danielson: "You want pace? I'll give you pace. You want weird? Stick around, my friend." Klass (Dark Angel), through his hyperintelligent, otherworldly narrator, delivers both. A star running back on the football team, Jack barely has time to savor a victory before his father whisks him away, warning him that everything the teen believes is a lie. Jack's high profile on the evening sportscast has brought him to the attention of sinister forces. His father, who calls Jack "our beacon of hope," sends off his son in a flurry of laser blasts and mysterious warnings, to a boat to cross the Hudson. In New York City, a beautiful girl (really a shapeshifting wolf) captures him, calling him "the Prince himself" and asking him where to find "Firestorm." Gisco, a telekinetic dog, ends up Jack's only friend on his sudden, surreal journey. A visionary from the far future has sent Jack back in time to stem the tides brought by global warming, but trailing him is the Dark Army, which thrives in the deteriorated Earth of the future. Klass's fragmented first-person narrative both suggests Jack's extraordinarily quick thinking and also keeps the pace going at lightning speed. The plot bears a strong similarity to the Terminator films, but its muscular tone and drip-by-drip reveal of secrets make it a total thrill ride, and one with a profound message.

On Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d.html/ref=mp_s_a_1/187-6625279-9812941?qid=1254250616&a=0312380186&sr=8-1
 
On Audible:
http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_RECO_001481&BV_SessionID=@@@@0684316978.1254251880@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccchadeihemfkmkcefecekjdffidfkn.0
Length: 10 hrs and 12 min

Next in my listening queue: Firestorm by David Klass. 

Starting book: Halo: Contact Harvest by Joseph Staten.

Finished book: Doomsday Warrior #8, American Glory. Book made my "keeper" list.

Halo: Contact Harvest by Joseph Staten

Publisher's Summary:
Continuing the saga of the award-winning Xbox game....This is how it began.

It is the year 2524. Harvest is a peaceful, prosperous farming colony on the very edge of human-controlled space. But we have trespassed on holy ground, strayed into the path of an aggressive alien empire known as the Covenant. What begins as a chance encounter between an alien privateer and a human freighter catapults mankind into a struggle for its very existence.

But humanity is also locked in a bitter civil war known as the Insurrection. So the survival of Harvest's citizens falls to a squad of battle-weary UNSC Marines and their inexperienced colonial militia trainees. In this unlikely group of heroes, one stands above the rest: a young Marine staff sergeant named Avery Johnson.

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_AREN_000759&BV_SessionID=@@@@1312179973.1254241521@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadeihemjhddcefecekjdffidfj.0
Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins

On Amazo: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d.html/ref=mp_s_a_1/187-6625279-9812941?qid=1254240783&a=B001IV5WBW&sr=1-1

Next in my listening queue: Halo: Contact Harvest by Joseph Staten.

Starting book: Doomsday Warrior #8, American Glory by Ryder Stacy.

Finished book: Niels Klim's Journey Under the Ground. Story was ok, but narration ruined the book.

Doomsday Warrior #8, American Glory by Ryder Stacy

Summary by Graphic Audio:
The lightening-quick Russian victory over the United States is total and complete. The Soviet thermonuclear first strike transforms America's cities into fire-scorched mounds of radioactive rubble, its vast countryside into a shattered wasteland. The onslaught of Russian invasion troops capture most Americans fortunate enough to survive the nuclear carnage, creating a slave labor force to serve every demand of the Russian overlords.

But a handful of survivors escape the Russian net and choose to live—and give their lives if need be—for freedom's cause. Led by Ted Rockson, the ultimate soldier of survival, the FreeFighters vow to drive the hated Russians from American shores at any cost. And when civil war breaks out between the two Soviet factions that rule the United States—the Red Army and the black-shirted KGB—Rockson knows it's time to strike, to divide and conquer the oppressor—or die in the attempt. The battle that will determine the very course of civilization is about to begin...

On Graphic Audio:
http://graphicaudio.net/p-316-8-american-glory.aspx
Approximate Running Time: 4 hours
ISBN: 1-59950-404-9
ISBN-13: 978-1-59950-404-9

Next in my listening queue: Graphic Audio production of Doomsday Warrior #8, American Glory by Ryder Stacy

Niels Klim's Journey Under the Ground: Narration would be greatly improved if reader used a headset microphone. Has echo of built in mike.

Finished book: Shall We Tell The President? By Jeffrey Archer. Great book. This one made my "keeper" list.

Niels Klim's Journey Under the Ground by Ludvig Holberg

Niels Klim's Underground Travels, originally published in Latin as "Nicolai Klimii Iter Subterraneum" (1741) is a satirical science-fiction/fantasy novel written by Ludvig Holberg, a Norwegian-Danish dramatist, historian, and essayist, born in Bergen, Norway. It was his first and only novel. It describes a utopian society from an outsider's point of view, and often pokes fun at diverse cultural and social topics such as moral, science, sexual equality, religion, governments, and philosophy. (Summary by Wikipedia)

On Librivox:
http://librivox.org/niels-klims-journey-under-the-ground-by-baron-ludvig-holberg/

Next in my listening queue: Niels Klim's Journey Under the Ground by Ludwig Holberg read by Librivox volunteers.

Finished book: The Amber Room. Decent book but doesn't quite make my "keepers" list.

Shall We Tell The President by Jeffrey Archer

Publisher's Summary: After years of great sacrifice and deep personal tragedy, Florentyna Kane's has finally become the first woman president in America. But on the very day that she is sworn into office, powerful forces are already in motion to take her life.

The FBI investigates thousands of false threats every year. This time, a reliable source has tipped them off about an assassination attempt. One hour later, the informant and all but one of the investigating agents are dead. The lone survivor: FBI Special Agent Mark Andrews. Now, only he knows when the killers will strike. But how can he alone unravel a ruthless conspiracy - in less than one week? The race to save the first woman president begins now...

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d.html/ref=mp_s_a_1/187-6625279-9812941?qid=1254000602&a=0312933517&sr=1-1

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_AREN_000874&BV_SessionID=@@@@0346195650.1254000653@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfadeigmljdedcefecekjdffidfhh.0
Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins.

Next in my listening queue: Shall We Tell The President by Jeffrey Archer.

On disc 7 of 13. Book is interesting, but not as thrilling/exciting as the Knights Templers & Alexandria Link.

Starting book: The Amber Room by Steve Berry.

Finished book: Vatta's War book 2 last night. Excellent book. Definitely a "keeper".

The Amber Room by Steve Berry

Publisher's Summary: The Amber Room is one of the greatest treasures ever made by man: an entire room forged of exquisite amber, from its four massive walls to its finely crafted furniture. But it is also the subject of one of history's most intriguing mysteries. Originally commissioned in 1701 by Frederick I of Prussia, the room was later perfected in Tsarskoe Selo, the Russian imperial city. In 1941, German troops invaded the Soviet Union, looting everything in their wake and seizing the Amber Room. When the Allies began the bombing of Germany in August 1944, the room was hidden. And despite the best efforts of treasure hunters and art collectors from around the world, it has never been seen again.

Now, two powerful men have set their best operatives loose in pursuit, and the hunt has begun once more....

Life is good for Atlanta judge Rachel Cutler. She loves her job, loves her kids, and remains civil to her ex-husband, Paul. But everything changes when her father, a man who survived the horrors of World War II, dies under strange circumstances and leaves behind clues to a secret he kept his entire life...a secret about something called the Amber Room.

Desperate to know the truth about her father's suspicious dealings, Rachel takes off for Germany, with Paul close behind. Shortly after arriving, they find themselves involved with a cast of shadowy characters who all claim to share their quest. But as they learn more about the history of the treasure they seek, Rachel and Paul realize they're in way over their heads. Locked in a treacherous game with ruthless professional killers and embroiled in a treasure hunt of epic proportions, Rachel and Paul suddenly find themselves on a collision course with the forces of power, evil, and history itself.

A brilliant adventure and a scintillating tale of intrigue, deception, art, and murder, The Amber Room is a classic tale of suspense and the debut of a strong new voice in the international thriller genre.

On Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d.html/ref=mp_s_a_1/187-6625279-9812941?qid=1253999733&a=0345504380&sr=8-1

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_BKOT_000844&BV_SessionID=@@@@0823396241.1253998319@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfadeigmllmldcefecekjdffidfjo.0
Length: 15 hrs and 55 min

Next in my listening queue: Steve Berry's The Amber Room.

Back to Vatta's War book 2 with disc 9 of 13.

Finished disc 8 of 13. Now music interlude of: George Strait's 50 number 1's disc 1, Phoenix, Phoenix disc 1.

Vatta's War, Bk 2; Marque & Reprisal by Elizabeth Moon

Publisher's Summary:
Although the exciting military career she hoped for never got off the ground, Ky Vatta ended up seeing plenty of combat when she took the helm of one of the commercial transport vessels in her family's fleet...and steered it into a full-blown war. Now the lessons she learned in that trial by fire are about to pay off - because this time, the war has come to her. Someone has launched a full-throttle offensive against Vatta Transport Ltd., Ky's father's interstellar shipping empire. In short order, most of Ky's family is killed, and subsequent attacks sever vital lines of communication, leaving Ky fighting, in every sense, to survive.
Ky is determined to identify the ruthless mystery enemy and avenge her family's name, but she needs not only firepower but information. And she gets both in spades - from the band of stranded mercenaries she hooks up with; from her black-sheep cousin, Stella, who has been leading a secret life; and from Stella's roguish ex-lover, Rafe. Together they struggle to penetrate the tangled web of political intrigue that is wreaking havoc within InterStellar Communications, on whose effective operation their own livelihoods - and perhaps lives - depend.

But the infighting proves to be infectious, and it isn't long before Ky's hired military muscle are turning their suspicions on the enigmatic Rafe, whose wealth of knowledge about ISC's clashing factions and startling new technologies has begun to make him smell like a rat...or a mole. With swift, violent destruction a very real possibility, the last thing Ky needs is a crew divided against itself - and she's prepared to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that Vatta stays in business, as well as in one piece.

What she is not prepared for is the shocking truth behind the terror - and a confrontation with murderous treachery from a source as unexpected as it is unrelenting.

 On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d.html/ref=mp_s_a_1/187-6625279-9812941?qid=1254000347&a=034544759X&sr=8-1

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_TANT_000844&BV_SessionID=@@@@0823396241.1253998319@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfadeigmllmldcefecekjdffidfjo.0
 Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins.

Starting book: Vatta's War, Bk 2; Marque & Reprisal by Elizabeth Moon.

Finished mix of podcasts, music & OTR.

Celine Dion & Billy Ray Cyrus albums have been enjoyable listening. Almost over though, but that's ok because the next book will be good.

Next in my queue: Vatta's War, Bk 2; Marque & Reprisal by Elizabeth Moon.

Starting a mix of music, podcasts, &; old time radio shows

Mix of Podcasts, music, & OTR (09/26/09)

Children of the Gods Chapter 5. http://childrenofthegods.net An alien race that attacked Earth 100 years ago and were barely defeated, return to try and conquer Earth again. Earth's fleet intercepts the alien fleet in the outer reaches of the solar system.

Windows Weekly #98. http://twit.tv Paul Thurott and Leo Laporte discuss Microsoft and Windows news.

Prometheus Radio Theatre: http://prometheus.libsyn.com Contents Under Pressure part 2.

Le Jazz Affair #350: mix of jazz music with some tech news.

Billy Ray Cyrus, "The Definitive Collection".

Celine Dion, "My Love Ultimate Essential Collection" disc 1.

Boston Blackie http://botar.us (old time radio show) "The Case of the Three Way Split" air date 07/23/1945. Semi detective with a ganster repetation and his girl friend solve cases.

OTR Catelog's http://otrcat.com Monster Collection's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" from 01/10/1948.

Finished book: Adventures of Lewis & Clark. Skipped rest of book after chapter 4.

Adventures of Lewis & Clark: I enjoy history & thought this would be an interesting book. The author's presentation is dry & boring.

Next in my listening queue: Mix of Podcasts, music, & OTR.

Starting book: Adventures of Lewis & Clark by William R. Lighton. Read by Librivox volunteers.

Adventures of Lewis & Clark by William R. Lighton

http://librivox.org/lewis-and-clark-by-william-r-lighton

Lewis and Clark: Meriwether Lewis and William Clark by William R. Lighton (1866-1923)

Summary by Librivox: Meriwether Lewis and William Clark – In the years 1804, 1805, and 1806, two men commanded an expedition which explored the wilderness that stretched from the mouth of the Missouri River to where the Columbia enters the Pacific, and dedicated to civilization a new empire. Their names were Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. This book relates that adventure from it's inception through it's completion as well as the effect the expedition had upon the history of the United States. (Summary from the text and Roger Melin)

Finished book: The Destroyer 98: Target of Opportunity. Got into disc 2 before deciding to skip book. Story ridiculously stupid.

Starting book: The Destroyer 98: Target of Opportunity by Warren Murphy & Richard Sapir. Out of the 3 books I've listened to, I only liked 1

The Destroyer 98: Target of Opportunity by Warren Murphy & Richard Sapir

http://www.graphicaudio.net/p-109-98-target-of-opportunity.aspx

Approximate Running Time: 7 hours

Release Date: August 2006

Summary from Graphic Audio: Remo is set to teach a few lessons in hospitality at Florida's top tourist attraction, but his mind is made up. He is a free agent. No more CURE, no more trying to solve America's problems.

But the nation goes into a state of shock when a Lee Harvey Oswald look-alike is nailed trying to shoot the President, and Remo can't ignore the call of duty—and a sense of déjà vu. Soon, a meddling television anchorwoman and strange transformations at the White House leave him feeling that he has landed a role in a bizarre Hollywood thriller.

With the direct line to the President still dead, and Chiun trying to give away the secret of CURE, Remo and Smith are hard-pressed to protect the Man who threatened to shut down CURE for good...

Finished book: Halo; Ghosts of Onyx. Great book.

Next in my listening cue: The Destroyer 98: Target of Opportunity by Warren Murphy & Richard Sapir.

Halo; Ghosts of Onyx: on disc 2. So far this book is just as good as the previous books I listened to.

Halo; Ghosts of Onyx: on disc 2. So far this book is just as good as the previous books I listened to.

Nathan Lowell Release 6th book

Nathan Lowell (http://solarclipper.com) to release 6th book "Captain's Share" September 30, 2009 on http://Podiobooks.com.

Starting book: Halo; Ghosts of Onyx By Eric Nylund. The previous 3 books I listened to were "keepers".

Finished book: Ender's Game. It was good, but not a "keeper".

Halo; Ghosts of Onyx By Eric Nylund

http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_AREN_000599&BV_SessionID=@@@@2026786359.1253796245@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccladeigkkkiifcefecekjdffidflj.0

This is an Audible.com (http://audible.com) download/version.

Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins.

Publisher's Summary: Continuing the saga of the award-winning Xbox game....

The Spartan-II Program has gone public. Tales of super-soldiers fending off thousands of Covenant attacks have become the stuff of legend. But just how many Spartans are left?

While the Master Chief defends a besieged Earth, and the myriad factions of the Covenant continue their crusade to eliminate humanity, an ultra-secret cell of the Office of Naval Intelligence, known as Section Three, devises a plan to buy the UNSC vital time. They're going to need hundreds of willing soldiers, though...and one more Spartan to get the job done.

The planet Onyx is virtually abandoned and the perfect place to set this new plan in motion. But when the Master Chief destroys Halo, something is triggered deep within Onyx: Ancient Forerunner technology stirs, and fleets of UNSC and Covenant race to claim it and change the course of the Human-Covenant War.

But this reawakened and ancient force may have plans of its own.

Ender's Game: Ender thinks he's play computer battle simulations, but he learns he was actually controlling the fleet & defeated the Buggers

Ender's Game: I'm at the point of the book where Ender graduated from battle school & is now being trained to command a fleet.

Ender's Game: I think what has made this one interesting is Ender's progress through battle school.

Next Up: Halo; Ghosts of Onyx By Eric Nylund. This will be the 4th Halo book that I have listened to. The other 3 were great.

Ender's Game: compared to this book, the later ones I tried to listen to seemed to have fizzled out. This one is much more interesting.

Starting book: Ender's Game by Scott Orson Card. Now to see if this book will be as dry & boring as other books I tried listening to.

Finished book: The Titan's Curse. Turned out to be a good listen. I've added other books by the author to my library wish lists.

Ender's Game by Scott Orson Card

http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_ALIT_000164&BV_SessionID=@@@@0674249609.1253788149@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccladeigkkkiifcefecekjdffidflj.0

Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's Summary:
The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Enter Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, the result of decades of genetic experimentation.

Is Ender the general Earth so desperately needs? The only way to find out is to throw him into ever-harsher training at Battle School, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when his training begins. He will grow up fast.

But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. His two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Among the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives.

This Special 20th Anniversary Edition of the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning classic is now digitally remastered with a full cast production. It also contains an exclusive bonus: an original postscript written and recorded by the author himself, Orson Scott Card!

Next Up: Ender's Game by Scott Orson Card. The beginning of the Battle School series.

The Titan's Curse: although the book was written for young/youth readers, I'm finding it interesting. Ordering more books by author.

The Titan's Curse: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3 By Rick Riordan

http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_LILI_000585&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

Publisher's Summary: When Percy Jackson receives an urgent distress call from his friend Grover, he immediately prepares for battle. He knows he'll need his powerful demigod allies, Annabeth and Thalia, at his side; his trusty bronze sword, Riptide; and...a ride from his mom.

The demigods race to the rescue, to find that Grover has made an important discovery: two new powerful half-bloods whose parentage is unknown. But that's not all that awaits them. The Titan lord, Kronos, has set up his most devious trap yet, and the young heroes have just fallen prey.

Hilarious and action-packed, this third adventure in the series finds Percy faced with his most dangerous challenge so far: the chilling prophecy of the Titan's curse.

Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins

Starting book: The Titan's Curse: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3 By Rick Riorda.

Finished book: Deep Black; Payback. Good book worth listening to again.

Next Up: The Titan's Curse: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3 By Rick Riordan.

Deep Black; Payback: the team must fight guerrilla & regular army troops, & find a Russian nuke that maybe detonated in Lima Peru.

Deep Black; Payback: the deep black team is in Peru to help the U.N. Enforce fair, open elections by fixing tampered voting equipment.

Deep Black; Payback: on disc 4. So far its good. I don't plan on skipping this one.

Deep Black; Payback by Stephen Coonts & Jim DeFelice

http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_BRLL_000148&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

Starting book: Deep Black; Payback by Stephen Coonts & Jim DeFelice.

Publisher's Summary

The word is out to ex-Marine sniper Charlie Dean and his crack National Security Agency team: infiltrate the highest stratum of Peruvian political power and derail a renegade general from acing an election. All Dean has to do is find a way inside an impenetrable bank vault protected by armed guards around the clock - all in a day's work for the men and women of Deep Black.

But things get complicated when Dean and company discover the renegade general's second plot. The military madman's ruse: a nuclear weapon he claims is in the hands of Marxist guerillas, a bomb that only he can rescue - and control.

When the general and his plot are exposed, the NSA concludes the threat is over. But in fact, it's only just beginning.

12 hrs and 12 mins

Starting book: Deep Black; Payback by Stephen Coonts & Jim DeFelice. More Info: http://audiobookaddit.blogspot.com

Finished book: Shadow of the Giant. Got most of the way through disc 4 before I decided to skip the rest of the book. To dry.

Next Up: Deep Black; Payback by Stephen Coonts & Jim DeFelice

Excellent books by self publishing authors

Scott Sigler (http://scottsigler.com): Horror-sci-fi; genetic engineering, football in distant space civilization, ancient aliens on Earth. Audio version read by Scott. @ http://Podiobooks.com Print versions, check Scott's website.

J. C. Hutchin's (http://jchutchins.net) "7th Son" trilogy. Government covert Ops, mind control & human clones. Audio version read by J.C. @ http://Podiobooks.com Print version Amazon.com & see J.C.'s website for other sellers.

Richard S. Tuttle (http://rstuttle.com): fantasy books with mythological creatures, wizards, witches & mid-evil times. Similar to the Eragon series. Audio version @ http://Podiobooks.com & Richard's website. Print versions on Richard's website.

Nathan Lowell (http://solarclipper.com): space travel, life on other planets. "Age of the Solar Clipper". Audio version @ http://Podiobooks.com. Print versions on Nathan's website

Starting book: Shadow of the Giant by Scott Orson Card

http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_AREN_000440&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

Publisher's Summary:
Bean, once the smallest student at the Battle School, and Ender Wiggin's right hand, has grown to be a power on Earth. He served the Hegemon as strategist and general in the terrible wars that followed Ender's defeat of the alien empire attacking Earth. Now he wishes for a safe place to build a family, something he has never known, but there is nowhere on Earth that does not harbor his enemies; old enemies from the days in Ender's Jeesh, new enemies from the wars on Earth. To find security, Bean and Petra must once again follow in Ender's footsteps. They must leave Earth behind, in the control of the Hegemon, and look to the stars.

Playing time: 12 hrs and 27 mins

For the list of books in Scott's Ender's and other series: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Orson_Scott_Card#The_Ender_saga

Starting book: Shadow of the Giant by Scott Orson Card. More info: http://audiobookaddit.blogspot.com

Finished book: Saramond Quests. An entertaining book. Derek Gilbert is an author that may have a future. Hope he isn't a 1 book wonder.

Saramond Quests: spaceman is there studying plant life with the assistance of a probe that looks like a mechanical dragon.

Saramond Quests: in episode/file 10, the dragon slayer & priests meet a man from another planet. Book is getting even better.

Next Up: Shadow of the Giant by Scott Orson Card. Library edition.

Saramond Quests: so far an interesting adventure of dragon fighting. Border line "keepers" category.

Iron Dragons Book 1; the Saramond Quests by Derek Gilbert

Starting book: http://podiobooks.com/title/iron-dragons

Summary from Podiobooks.com
Dragon pee really stinks.
With that bit of cautionary advice, master dragonslayer Davian begins his tale.
Davian is a Third Level Master of The Order, a group of men who alone have the power to battle the most fearsome creatures on all of Saramond. For thousands of years, the brothers of The Order have protected their world.
Now something has upset the balance of power between man and dragon, and Davian must face what appears to be a dragon that cannot be seen.
But Davian is losing his grip on reality — and the fate of the world rests with a stable hand, an underfed priest, and a gardener from beyond the stars.

Finished book: Deathlands #14, Dark Carnival. Great book. This one falls into my "Keeper" catagory.

Dark Carnival: Now on disc 4 of 7, what I'm hearing is starting to match the summary.

Next Up: Iron Dragons Book 1; the Saramond Quests by Derek Gilbert (http://Podiobooks.com)

Dark Carnival: I'm on disc 3. So far the summary doesn't match what I'm hearing.

James Axler's Deathlands #14, Dark Carnival

http://www.graphicaudio.net/p-41-14-dark-carnival.aspx

Summary From Graphic Audio:
Out of the ashes of global destruction, Ryan Cawdor and his roving band of warrior survivalists continue their grim odyssey across a nuke-ravaged America, searching for a sanctuary and the promise of a better life.

Emerging from a Gateway into Florida's sultry heat, they enter the domain of a wealthy baron—a technical genius whose seat of power is a rebuilt theme park where the rides are fast and thrill seekers are guaranteed the time of their lives...if they can get out alive.

Influencing the baron is a ruthless and hypnotic cult leader and his demonic "family," whose murderous games trap Ryan into a midnight killing spree...with only one way out.

In the Deathlands, the future is a dream. Reality is a nightmare.

Starting book: Deathlands #14, Dark Carnival by James Axler. See my blog for details.
http://audiobookaddit.blogspot.com

Next Up: Graphic Audio's Production of Deathlands #14, Dark Carnival by James Axler.

Mix of music, podcasts, & OTR

Candy Matson - detective audition show. A mix of humor & drama. Only about a dozen of this series were saved/still available.
http://www.otrcat.com/candy-matson-p-2044.html
Really wasn't in the mood for ORT, so I only listened to about 10 minutes of show.

Le Jazz Affair episode #349, 4/01/09. Host features an artist/group & plays an assortment of jazz each episode. 2 episodes a week. Host also includes tech news in each episode.
http://lejazzaffair.com/
I listened for about 20 minutes of the hour program until host started playing some jazz that I didn't care for.

Prometheus Radio Theatre: Contents Under Pressure episode 1. Steve Wilson writes & directs a series called the Arbiter Chronicles. He with a group of friends dramatize Steve's stories.
http://prometheus.libsyn.com/
Good episode.  I remember listening to this some time ago.  It was great listening to it again.

Old Time Radio Sci-Fi Favorites: The Tenth Planet. A collection of 1950's science fiction radio shows that otrcat.com call their listener's favorites.
http://www.otrcat.com/science-fiction-listener-favorites-p-1804.html
Really wasn't in the mood for ORT, so I only listened to about 10 minutes of show.

This Week in Tech (TWiT): Episode 185, Craig's List. Leo Laport, John Dvorak, and others discuss tech news for the week preceding the episode.
http://twit.tv/twit
A lot of talk about FaceBook, Twitter, and MySpace. Got boring after a while, so I skipped the rest of the episode.

Jackie De Shannon's To Be Free. LP from the 1970's that I digitized.
I bought this LP album a little over 35 years ago after seeing Jackie sing in a movie.
 
Toto's Super Hits. New purchase from Amazon.com Mp3 downloads.
I enjoy their album IV so I thought I would get their super hits album. Found out it wasn't as good as IV.
 

Finished book: decided to skip rest of The Fountainhead. Next a mix of music, Podcasts, and OTR.

I've decided to stop using Facebook's application I'm Reading. its easier to post book info on my blog & share that with Twitter & Facebook.

The Fountainhead: I'm on disc 5 & haven't had any real urge to skip this book about architects in the 1920's. Just feel like listening.

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

 

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (Audible.com)

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (Amazon.com)

Publisher's Summary:
 
One of the 20th century's most challenging novels of ideas, The Fountainhead champions the cause of individualism through the story of a gifted young architect who defies the tyranny of conventional public opinion. The struggle for personal integrity in a world that values conformity above creativity is powerfully illustrated through three characters: Howard Roarke, the genius who is resented because he creates purely for the delight of his own work and on no other terms; Gail Wynand, the newspaper mogul and self-made millionaire whose power was bought by sacrificing his ideals to the lowest common denominator of public taste; and Dominique Francon, the devastating beauty whose desperate search for meaning has been twisted, through despair, into a quest to destroy the single object of her desire: Howard Roarke. Dramatic, poetic, and demanding, The Fountainhead remains one of the towering books on the contemporary intellectual scene....
UNABRIDGED
32 hrs and 1 mins

Sleepwalker: decided to skip rest of book.

Sleepwalker: Debating whether to skip book.

Sleepwalker: only a few minutes into book. So far narration doesn't sound very good. I've heard better narrators on Podiobooks.com.

Sleepwalker by Keith Latch (Podiobooks.com)

http://podiobooks.com/title/sleepwalker

Summary by Podiobooks:
Night after night, beautiful young women are murdered in the city of Memphis, home of the blues. The police have no clues and it all comes down to Detective Renee Juliard, a tough, gritty woman not very well liked among her collegaues, to save the city from the fear that continues to build like an enraged hurricane.
Tim Seale, a married newspaper editor is having trouble sleeping. Morning after morning, however, he awakes with his clothing damaged and sometimes even blood on his hands. As he begins his own, private investigation, he learns things he wish he hadn't.
Because...
When Tim Seale closed his eyes, Evil awakes.

Starting book: Sleepwalker by Keith Latch. Available only on podiobooks.com http://podiobooks.com/title/sleepwalker

Finished book: Decided to skip the rest of the book after music interlude. The book got old/boring. Not a "Keeper".

Finished disc 16 of 21. Now music interlude of: Electric Light Orchestra, Part two; Lionel Richie Endless Love sound track.

All of Scott Sigler's audio books are available on http://podiobooks.com. I enjoyed Earthcore & Ancestor the most. Infected was Ok.

Scott Sigler books Infected & Contagious are listed in Jackson MI District Library catalog. They are also listed in Mich. eLibrary (MeL).

Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy (1850-1898)

http://librivox.org/looking-backward-2000-1887-by-edward-bellamy
 A year or 2 ago I got this book from Gutenberg Project & used Natural Reader & Cepstral text to speech software to make an audio book. I listened as far as where the doctor explains to the awakened sleeper how great the socialized economy is. I couldn't take all the fluff and skipped the book. I guess I'm just to conservative or a capitalist that's seen real world examples of socialism failures (collapse of U.S.S.R., Canadians coming to the US for medical treatment, China converting from socialism to capitalism) to tolerate this socialist propaganda.

DVR Recordings Over the Summer

DVR Recordings Over the Summer.
I took a break from listening to audio books to see what my DVR timers recorded off the Sci-Fi Channel. Turned out to be nothing worth keeping.
I had timers set to record Sci-Fi's Saturday night movie, along with a few series. I watched 15 minutes of 1 movie before deleting it. The others I deleted after reading the synopsis.
The Sci-Fi Channel used to have good movies, but during the past couple of years they started using really cheep looking computer graphics and horrible plots/stories. To bad the deal for Sci-Fi to make a movie from Scott Seglier's Ancestor fell through. That was an excellent book.
As for the series. I don't think they've had any decent series since the 1990's after they discontinue the Stargate series.

Revelation Space: music over. Resuming book with disc 9. The assassin boards the interstellar spaceship. The 2 stories have now merged.

Finished disc 8 of 21. Starting music interlude of: Culture Club's Color By Numbers; Various Artists, Grease 2 original Sound track.

'Revelation Space' by Alastair Reynolds

Interesting so far. Not a confusing with so many stories like Pandora's Star. A fairly long book. Audible.com version came out to 21 CD's when burned to disc.


Nine hundred thousand years ago, something annihilated the Amarantin civilization just as it was on the verge of discovering space flight. Now one scientist, Dan Sylveste, will stop at nothing to solve the Amarantin riddle before ancient history repeats itself.

With no other resources at his disposal, Sylveste forges a dangerous alliance with the cyborg crew of the starship Nostalgia for Infinity. But as he closes in on the secret, a killer closes in on him because the Amarantin were destroyed for a reason. And if that reason is uncovered, the universe - and reality itself - could be irrevocably altered.

Stony Man #40; Betrayal

A good action book, but I think I'm starting to get burned out on the series from Graphic Audio.

America is headed toward the new millennium, but the dangers of the old world still loom. The endless quest for power and the visions of madmen continue to plague the cherished freedom of humanity and Stony Man continues the endless struggle to keep the forces of evil at bay. Now a new fuse is lit in Russia...

 

The death of the Russian president creates a free-for-all among the political factions vying for supremacy in a race closely shadowed by a powerful Mafia. With anarchy and disaster a heartbeat away, Stony Man's cyber team and in-the-field commandos move into battle stateside and behind enemy lines to crush the Mafia machine. But the warriors are unaware that the enemy is lurking in their own backyard at Stony Man Farm.

Revelation Space: book has developed into 3 stories; an archeologist, an assassin in different planet colonies, & an interstellar ship.

Finished Stony Man #40, Betrayal. Starting Alastar Reynolds' Revelation Space. About half way through disc 1 and it sounds good.

Stony Man #40, Betrayal: a Stony Man team take on a Russian tank brigade to stop it from being used intimidate election results.

Finished The Alexandria Link. Started Stony Man #40, Betrayal. Stony Man teams are sent to Russia to capture smugglers & protect candidates.

Next book: Graphic Audio Production (http://graphicaudio.net) of Don Pendleton's Stony Man #40; Betrayal.

The Alexandria Link: the intelligence agent finds the library. The vice-president & attorney general plot to assassinate the president.

The Alexandria Link: the intelligence agent finds the library. The vice-president & attorney general plot to assassinate the president.

Finished Deathlands #13

 Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 3:23pm 

 

Finished Deathlands #13 this morning.
In this book Ryan Carter (group leader) and his friends materialize in a "gateway" (transporter) in Brooklyn NY. The decide to explore Manhattan and end up fighting for their lives against mutants. In addition Ryan discovers he has a 10 year old son as the result of an affair in the past. Ryan and his friends search Manhattan for Ryan's son finding out that the boy is being held captive by the mutants.

Deathlands book series

Starting the book Deathlands #13: Seeding by James Axler, dramatized by Graphic Audio(http://graphicaudio.net)..
Background: Deathland is what the United State 100 year after the U.S. is nuked by Russia on January 21, 2001. The series follows a group of 6 peoples travels around the world and space via a Star Trek type transporter.

I started with book 1 of the series about a year ago and have enjoyed all but one or two. A sister series is Outlander which is staged 200 years after the U.S. was nuked.

My Audio Book Sources

Free Books: Librivox (http://librivox.org) has books in the public domain (out of copyright). Books are read by volunteers from around the world. Any one can volunteer to read. Librivox gets a lot of their source books from Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page).
Many of the readers are good with a few as good as professional book narrators. As with any organization there are a handful of readers that really stink.

My district/county library with MeL (Michigan eLibrary http://elibrary.mel.org/search). MeL extends my library check outs to all participating district libraries in Michigan.

Free but donations requested: Podiobooks.com (http://podiobooks.com) is a site were authors can self publish the books as audio books. Many of the books are read by the author. Some authors have family members or friends do the reading. Podiobooks RSS feeds allow you to get an episode/chapter a day, week, month, every other day, as authors post episodes/chapters or if the book is completed, all episodes at once.
Although you can download books for free, they do ask for a donation that is split between Podiobooks and the author.

One problem with books from Librivox and Podiobooks, is being that readers/recorders are inexperienced may of the files are record at well below normal volume levels. I use audio editing software to increase volume levels to normal so I don't have to crank the volume all the way up on my player to hear the book.
Purchased books:

I buy download versions of audio books from Graphic Audio (http://graphicaudio.net) and Audible (http://audible.com).

Graphic audio works with authors of action serial books to create dramatize with sound effects audio books. Genres include westerns, fighting terrorists, heroes with super powers, deep space/future world, post nuclear holocaust, fantasy and DC Comics.

All books are $12.99 for MP3 downloads/MP3-CD, $19.99 for audio CD's, box sets of 5 to 10 starting at $49.99.

I also have an Audible membership an get 2 books a month for $22.95 in addition to any other books I purchase. I use Audible to get audio books that aren't available through the library.

How I listen to books

When books span 11 discs or more I insert 2 albums every 8-9 discs breaking the books into 3 parts (8-9 discs, 2 albums, 8-10 discs) for up to 19 discs.
I continue this pattern for book over 20 disc with each even numbered part music and each odd numbered part disc from the book.
Based on this pattern, Diana Gabaldon's A Breath of Snow & Ashes unabridged is 48 CD's and ends up being 11 parts.

The Lost Continent by Edgar Rice Burrows

Starting the book "The Lost Continent" by Edgar Rice Burrows. This is one of the books downloaded from Librivox (http://librivox.org). The reader is good enough to keep me from skipping listening to the book.
This book takes placed in the 21st century after a 3rd world war. South and North America become one country. To the Americas, Europe no longer exist. A crippled submarine sails for the British Isles and rediscovers the European continent which now pre-historic an African wild life now lives.
So far its interesting.

Finished The Lost Continent last evening. Story line very close to Burroughs' The Land That Time Forgot. So if you liked The Land That Time Forgot book/movie, you should like The Lost Continent as I did.

Started The Adventures of Sharpe #6; Sharpe's Enemy by Bernard Cornwell

I started this book last evening is number 6 in a series of books with the character/hero Richard Sharpe of the British army prior, during and after the first Napoleon war.
In this book Sharpe is promoted to major. He's assigned to rescue the wives of British officers being held hostage by British & French deserters. In addition he must hold a pass against the French preventing the French from invading.

This the 3rd or 4th book in the series that I've listened to. So far they all have been a good listen.
The BBC made movies from the series staring Sean Bean. Both the History Channel & BBC America have aired the movies here in the states.

A Breath of Snow & Ashes by Diana Gabaldon

This unabridged book is 48 disc long. The 2 previous books I've listened to involved a Scottish woman being magically transported approximately 200 back in time. Those books were about the woman's adventures in the 18th century.
This book is picks up where Diana's book Drums of Autumn, (the fourth in the time travel series) with Clare and her husband Jamie in the southern United States in the early 1770's.

The series goes as follows:
1) Outlander
2) Dragonfly in Amber - I listened to this one
3) Voyager - I listened to this one
4) Drums of Autumn... Read More
5) A Breath of Snow & Ashes
 

The Destroyer #97; Identity Crisis

The main character of this book is Reno Williams, a former New York cop is trained martial arts who's study allows one super human abilities. Some of the abilities shown in the 1980's movie "Reno Williams" as running across water and swimming under water for an hour without surfacing.

Reno & his martial arts master work for a covert government agency C.U.R.E. C.U.R.E.'s headquarters disguised as an asylum for the insane, is raided by the IRS & DEA. The IRS seizes the building.

Read or listen to the book for more details.

The Change series contains these 2 series.

S. M. Sterling's The Change Series

The Change series contains these 2 series.

Nantucket series:

Book #1/1; Island in the Sea of Time (1998-03-01)
Book #2/2; Against the Tide of Years (1999-05-01)
Book #3/3; On the Oceans of Eternity (2000-04-01)

The Emberverse series:

Book #4/1; Dies the Fire (2004-07-01)
Book #5/2; The Protector's War (2005-09-06)
Book #6/3; A Meeting at Corvallis (2006-09-05)

A second tetralogy, set 22 years after the Change, is in progress:

Book #7/4; The Sunrise Lands (2007-09-04)
Book #8/5; The Scourge of God (2008-09-02)
Book #9/6; The Sword of the Lady (2009)
Book #10/7; The High King of Montival (2010)

The Alexandria Link: that every x number of yrs, the organization selects a scholar to go on a hero's quest to find The Alexandria Library

The Alexandria Link: What if a secret organization saved & keep hidden the books/scroll that where in The Alexandria Library???

The Alexandria Link: "What If" the land in the Bible that God gave to the Jewish people was in Saudi Arabia instead of Palestine???

'Into the Fire (Troubleshooters, Book 13)' by Suzanne Brockmann,

After 3 chapters I couldn't get into this book.

I rated a book using I'm Reading
I gave 1 stars to 'Into the Fire (Troubleshooters, Book 13)' by Suzanne Brockmann, and listed it on my book list as 'Finished'.

Emails are frequently sent from a mobile device.

Steve Berry's the Knights Templar's.

If you liked Dan Brown's The Di Vince Code, you should like this one along with Steve Berry's the Knights Templar's.

I rated a book using I'm Reading
I gave 4 stars to 'The Alexandria Link' by Steve Berry, and listed it on my book list as 'Reading'.

Emails are frequently sent from a mobile device.

'Train Man' by P. T. Deutermann

I added Deutermann's other books to my local library and Audible.com com lists. I just hope his other ones are as good as this one.

I wrote a book review of 'Train Man' by P. T. Deutermann using I'm Reading
My review: Excellent book looking to listen to more of Deutermann's books.




Emails are frequently sent from a mobile device.

Emails are frequently sent from a mobile device.

Barry Manilow: I have several of his albums with my favorite being his "Live" album from a televised concert back in the 1970's.

CURRENT: music interlude of Barry Manilow's Barry Manilow I; Andre Kostelanetz's You Light Up My Life.

The Alexandria Link: Quest for Alexandria Library starts with a former intelligence agent's son is kidnapped followed by a trail of corpses.

The Alexandria Link: Search for the lost Alexandria Library. The last book was searching for the Knights Templer's.

Starting Steve Berry's The Alexandria Link. About month ago I listen to The Knights Templer's. It was an great book. This 1 sounds good too.