This year’s book reviews #2010

As always I read far more in 2010 than I blogged about, and most of the books I did blog about were treasures. I hope I inspired you to read at least one of them. And you have certainly noticed that I have added them all to the bookstore to make it easier for you to find out more about them.

Twipping Point #twitter

I’ve had this title in my head for about a week now, the title is natur…

Just Finished Reading: “Islands in the Net” #wikileaks #books #datahaven

I’m reading Bruce Sterling‘s Islands in the Net – Amazon de…

xkcd: Online Communities

As followers of mine will know I love xkcd, and he has some gems such as this…

Just Finished Reading “Amsterdam: The Brief Life of a City” #books

I read Amsterdam: The Brief Life of a City by Geert Mak in English rather tha…

Just Finished Reading “Star Wars” #books

I’ve seen the film more than a dozen times, but I had yet to read Star …

Just Finished Reading “Redwall: Outcast of Redwall”

Brian Jacques‘s book Outcast of Redwallfollows Veil the ferret who is r…

Just Finished Reading “The Odessa File” #books

The Odessa File, by Frederick Forsyth, is another of the books I am keeping s…

Just Finished Reading “Redwall: Martin the Warrior” #books

Brian Jacques‘s book Martin the Warrior is another book from the Redwal…

Just Finished Reading “The Moon’s a Balloon” #books

I found The Moon’s a Balloon, by David Niven, in a box of old books. I …

Just Finished Reading “Redwall: Mossflower” #books

Mossflower by Brian Jacques is probably my favourite of the Redwall series, t…

Turn on, tune in, drop out: Personalised Online Education – Introduction #school #education

Timothy Leary once told us to “Turn on, tune in, drop out“, and a…

Just Finished Reading “Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA” #books

For some reason I had the book Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, by Br…

Just Finished Reading “Hitler: The Last Ten Days” #books

After having seen many films and read many books I expected that Hitler: The …

Thor the #Movie

One of my first real American comics was Thor, I really liked it. Sadly it re…

Just Finished Reading: “Wikinomics” #books #ontogenesis

I like Ontologies, Taxonomies and Folksonomies. I’m currently reading W…

Just Finished Reading “The Godfather” #books

I read Mario Puzo famed book The Godfather after having seen the movie a numb…

Just Finished Reading “Anathem” #books

As I previously said I bought Anathem at the same time I bought Cryptonomicon…

Just Finished Reading “Young Winston” #books

I borrowed a number of books from an aunt of mine, who reviewed these books f…

Just Finished Reading “The Big Yin” #books

I was standing in a secondhand book store with my father, and we wandered rou…

Just Finished Reading “Cryptonomicon” #books

As an early Christmas gift my father gave me vouchers he didn’t want to…

Just Finished Reading “The Snake”

The Snake is the first book I have read by John Godey, it was recommended to …

Just Finished Reading “Scrum and XP from the Trenches” #scrum #xp

In the company I work for they are introducing the Agile FrameWork, in the fo…

Image source: Honou

Just Finished Reading “Redwall: Outcast of Redwall”

Brian Jacques‘s book Outcast of Redwallfollows Veil the ferret who is raised by mousemaid Bryony with in the walls of Redwall. Bryony is the only one who has faith in the young ferret, after trying to poison Friar Bunfold he is banished from Redwall. The badger Sunflash, a prisoner of the ferret Swartt Sixclaw, escapes with the help of the kestrel Skarlath and makes his way through Mossflower to reach Salamandastron.

The story of a banished ferret seeking his destiny and an escapee badger doing the same, and both will cross paths with the evil Swartt Sixclaw again, will nature or nurture win out?

A great story in which we get to meet Bella’s son Sunflash. A good read.

Just Finished Reading “Redwall: Martin the Warrior” #books

Brian Jacques‘s book Martin the Warrior is another book from the Redwall series in which the sword of Martin the Warrior plays a central role.

As a young mouse, after the death of his father Luke, Martin was enslaved by Badrang and his sword taken away from him. Martin manages to escape from Marshank and with the help of Grumm and Rose, and together they travel to Noonvale to free Marshank.

As with many of the tales of Redwall this grabs you by the heart strings, a wonderful and sad story.

Just Finished Reading “Redwall: Mossflower” #books

Mossflower by Brian Jacques is probably my favourite of the Redwall series, the site that castle Kotir is build on is where Redwall Abbey will eventually be build. This is the beginning of Redwall.

After freeing Marshank and heading south Martin the Warrior is captured in Mossflower and his sword is broken by a wildcat Tsarmina, daughter of Verdauga whose tyranny reigns over Mossflower wood. Martin meets Gonff the Mousethief, the new friends escape from castle Kotir and go on a quest to Salamandastron to find Boar, father of Bella to help take back Mossflower from the wildcats. But first they will have to defeat Boar’s mortal enemy Ripfang the searat who torments Salamandastron.

I love all the Redwall books, and this one is no different.

Just Finished Reading “Redwall: The Long Patrol”

The Long Patrol by Brian Jacques a story of perilous hares, and Badger Lady Cregga Rose Eyes, before she became Badger mother of Redwall Abbey. And future Badger Lord Russano.

The story follows Tammo, a hare who longs to be a member of the Long Patrol. Who begins his travels to Salamandastron not realizing that the savage Rapscallions are on the warpath.

Another wonderful book filled with adventure.

Just Finished Reading: “Redwall: The Legend of Luke”

The Legend of Luke by Brian Jacques follow Martin the Warrior in search of his father Luke.

A chance to spend more time with Martin, and find out where he comes from. A sad and wonderful story.

Just Finished Reading “Redwall: Lord Brocktree”

Lord Brocktree, by Brian Jacques, tells the story of a Badger who is drawn to the ancestral home of the Badger Lords, Salamandastron. A great mountain filled with the perilous and ever hungry hares who make up the Long Patrol.

Salamandastron and the Long Patrol haven’t seen battle in ages, the young have left to go adventuring. Only the experienced hares remain to protect the great mountain when it is overrun with nefarious scum, with a leader believing he has been given the charge from God to take over Salamandastron and turn it into the palace of his Empire. With the help of the Badger Lord the remaining members of the Long Patrol escape to battle another day.

Lord Brocktree also believes he has a destiny, he leaves his home and travels to Salamandastron to take his place as successor to the Badger Lords legacy. He must fight to reclaim destiny.

An exciting story, and a wonderful read.

Just Finished Reading “The Pearls of Lutra”

After reading The Pearls of Lutra by Brian Jacques I was a little sad, in the series of books I have it is the second to the last. I knew there were many books I had still yet to read, so it wasn’t anything like when I put down, what I thought was, my last Asimov novel.

This story follows Tansy and Martin’s namesake, the grandson of Matthias the Warrior. Tansy finds the remains of a Redwall visitor and gets busy solving riddles to find the pearls so they can pay the ransom for their friends Abbot Durral and Viola. Martin and friends go to rescue them from the Ublaz from the far away Isle of Sampetra.

A nice balance of battle and riddles to fill the day, and beautiful poems and songs written, spoken and sung.

Just Finished Reading “Redwall: Marlfox”

In Marlfox Brian Jacques creates another wonderful story, this time about a family of legendary Marlfoxes who lay siege to Redwall Abbey. Again Jacques is about creating something new using the familiar setting of Redwall, and again he succeeds.

Family reunions are a recurring, but not overly used, theme in Mossflower wood, although not all are physically successful, eventually everybody is reunited to – the memory of – their loved ones. And everybody learns that that home is where the heart is, and for many creatures that place is Redwall Abbey.

A very fun book to read.

Just Finished Reading “Redwall: The Taggerung”

Another review in the Redwall series by Brian Jacques is The Taggerung, which for me was a rare exception in that the book is about an otter kidnapped after birth and brought up by the ferret leader of the Juska clan as the Taggerung, a great warrior. With all Redwall books the story revolves round the Abbey, this is no different. Yet it has a certain speed and flavour that differs from the majority of the books from the series.

One of my two favourite parts of the book are Cregga, a badger who recurs in a number of other Redwall novels, and the fibbing contest.

A great read!