The Emperor’s Tomb – Steve Berry

I was lucky enough to receive the ARC for review. Being a Steve Berry fan this novel jumped to the top of my list of books to read. I wasn't disappointed. This was a fun book. Typically in Berry's fashion is a fast-paced novel, full of action, suspense and enough twists to keep you guessing. Also enjoyed the historical aspect of this one as I learned more about Chinese history then I expected and Steve used this history to twist in a current debate over the availability of oil. Very interesting and well written. Recommend this one. It comes out on November 23rd, head over to Amazon to preorder this one!

Butcher Bird - Richard Kadrey

This is a great story of a tattoo artist named Spyder who, after being attacked by a demon, is able to see the other spheres of existence around humankind. The woman that saved him from being eaten, a swordswoman named Shrike, is hired to go to Hell to reclaim a book of magic, and she recruits Spyder to help her on the quest. This novel is replete with humor and action, and a host of great characters (my favorite being the Black Clerks, who bargain away life, one organ at a time). The story concludes with a battle in Hell, with Lucifer, one of his generals who seeks to take over, and a host of the Old Dominion. If you like A. Lee Martinez or Christopher Moore, you should definitely check out this novel!

Judgment and Wrath - Matt Hilton

Joe Hunter is back! In the author's second novel, a former military special forces operative and his colleague Rink are hired to bring the client's 18-year-old daughter home from an abusive, and rich, boyfriend. Dantalion, a hired serial killer, is seeking Marianne as well, but is aiming to kill her and anyone that happens to be around her at the time. Of course, all is not as it seems, and the abusive boyfriend may not be abusive after all, but the body count grows significantly as the novel progresses. I've been waiting for this book to come out, and Joe Hunter is definitely in the club with Jack Reacher and Myron Bolitar.

Passage to Dawn - R. A. Salvatore

Book 10 of the Drizzt saga finds our heroes six years after the events of the last novel. This was an odd novel. There seemed to be plenty of suspense and twists for the characters, but as the reader it seemed we knew everything ahead of time. There was little suspense for the reader. I think that is part of the problem with these long series. We know there are another handful of Drizzt novels coming up, so we know he gets out of his predicament somehow. As a single novel, a good enjoyable and quick read. Plenty of action as typical of Salvatore. But as a series, it's starting to drag. Perhaps I'm just getting a bit burnt out on the setting and characters and it's time to put them aside for a bit and move on to something else....there is a bit of me that is itching for the next one. That's the lure of a great novelist, even his mediocre work makes you come back wanting for more.

1L of a Ride - Andrew J. McClurg

The subtitle probably does a better job explaining the book than I - "A Well-Traveled Professor's Roadmap to Success in the First Year of Law School." So why is a guy with three law degrees reading a book on how to prepare for law school? Well, I'm writing a novel set in that first year, and I was a 1L way back in 1996, and I've forgotten much of that experience! This is a good book, and I'd actually recommend it for its stated purpose - succeeding in that most stressful few months. McClurg brings in examples from his courses, as well as the voices of fellow professors and a few students. Read this book if you're thinking about law school!

Sh*t My Dad Says - Justin Halpern

This was a fun book that took all of a day to read given its short length. It alternates between short stories of the author's father and selections of quotes. Both are quite funny, portraying the dad as interested and involved in his son's life, but are also unconcerned with certain social niceties and tact (B.S. has, as the author explains, many definitions). I'd recommend this book to anyone who is a dad, and to anyone who has had one!

Siege of Darkness – R. A. Salvatore

Another book in the Drizzt saga of books. This one left me a bit puzzled. A lot of important world changing things happened in this book, but it seemed to do so by doing absolutely nothing. If that sounds confusing, then you really do understand what I mean by that. This was not my favorite book (I say that, but it really is still a good novel in typical Salvatore fashion, just not his best) in the series so far. I think it may also be time to move on to something else for a while. I've got one more novel in The Legacy of the Drow series that I'll finish up, but I think then I'll take a break and read some other things for awhile before coming back to some of the newer Drizzt novels.