Your Move, Jonathan Kay & Joan Moriarity
The two authors find interesting ways to explore human society and psychology through the lens of board games. Overall, it is pretty thought-provoking. The first couple chapters were set up as if they are going to dive into detail about what board games can teach us about people and personalities. But the tone turned quite negative as the authors do quite a bit of complaining about mainstream games. It started to feel very personal and elitist. However, it’s still interesting, quick and entertaining. I would recommend this to any tabletop gamer or armchair psycologist.
Brutal Kunnin, Mike Brooks
A fun book, with lots of action and some unexpected subplot. The Orky parts are great and fun to read. The Mechanicum sections were a bit tough to get through at times but I still found them interesting. The author uses genderless pronouns for his human characters and it makes it a bit confusing to read at times. However, if you want a good Ork story – from the Ork point of view! – this definitely a good one to pick up.
Rise of the Red Blade, Delilah Dawson
I love witnessing a fall to the Dark Side of the Force. This is a tale of solitude, untapped potential, loneliness, and roiling anger. As the main character – Iskat Akaris – goes from Jedi to Inquisitor, her thoughts, feelings, and reasoning lead her further down a dark path. And it looks damn good on her. This is a must-read for anyone looking to fully give themselves to the dark side!
When Genius Failed, Roger Lowenstein
An interesting, well-told account of the rise and fall of Long-Term Capital Management and John Meriwether. Written as a cautionary tale of what happens when brilliant people rely on models and ignore the human element in investing. It is written as pretty straightforward journalism and reads easily without getting into too many technical details. Factual and informative, I’ll walk away from this book having learned about a company and a crisis I was rather ignorant of beforehand.
The History of the World in Bite-Sized Chunks, Emma Marriott
I thought this would be fun. Divided into six eras and regions within the eras, it’s easy to quickly look at a particular region through the ages. Of course there is a lot of context and continuity missing considering the brief looks at each period. It only tells facts, no comments or analysis. But it’s easily forgettable due to the lack of explanation and because everything is being told so briefly. It’s a great read for those who just want to brush up on some high level facts and figures throughout history.
Da Gobbo’s Demise, Denny Flowers
A dark, silly, brilliant slapstick comedy. This felt like Home Alone in the Warhammer 40K universe – with a great bit of gore. Fast paced and really fun to read. Long live Da Revolushun!
Reframe Your Brain, Scott Adams
All of Scott’s books are thought provoking and useful. I’m a big fan of his hypnotism based philosophy. This book is functional, like a desk reference for his previous books – and then some. Many of the re-frames are bite sized pieces from larger concepts he’s previously covered in depth. If you haven’t been exposed to his ideas, this is a great place to start. You will find at least 3 or 4 re-frames that’ll change your life for the better. Attitude and perspective are everything.
Kenobi, John Jackson Miller
I met JJ Miller at a Galaxy Con convention last year and was able to chat with him a bit about this book. That made this read even better! A western style Star Wars story that didn’t feel like a cheesy western. You spend some interesting time with the Tuskens and learn some of their culture. The story shifts narrative perspective to the viewpoint of A’Yark, a Tusken war band leader, and it adds a lot to the story. As for Obi-wan, you can really see the lines being drawn between the Episode III character and the Episode IV character. You feel both personalities tugging at him and it is great. Even though this is now Legends, it still fits well into the gap between Episode III and the Obi-wan miniseries.