Armada by Ernest Cline

2015. 349 pgs

First, this is no Ready Player One. In all honesty, if it was, I would have been very disappointed. For those that are fans of Ready Player One, the 1980’s references are still used throughout the book. This one still uses video games as it’s main association and refers to many SiFi classics for a different take on why video games are designed…

Aliens!

Ok. That is all I’m going to tell about the book. It is a fantastic read. Starts off a little slow and the picks up. Right about the point that many young men that play video games and role-playing games wish would happen sometimes, this includes the younger version of myself, is when the hook is set and the fisherman pulls the line!

Once it started to pick up, I didn’t want to let go (just like RPO) and just read through it and enjoyed every little morsel on each page.

Happy Reading!

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien
1954    398pgs

Book one and two of the Lord of the Rings.  No, for those that have not read the books, it’s not an error on my half.  The book was originally written as six books, two books for each novel.

This novel is a monster!  The details in each page are amazing.   After I had read just a 2 to 3 pages, I felt that I complete 10.  It is mind-blowing.  Not for the skimming reader.  Although the first book starts slow, it does start to pick up until the end of the novel.  It does make one want to start reading The Two Towers, however, for me, I’m taking a break from Tolkien for at least one book.

The movies were great.  Naturally, like many, I was blown away when I saw the movies and told myself that I needed to read the books.   While reading the novel, I thought to myself, is this in the movie?  Was that scene in the movie?  Going back and watching the movie, I realized the spirit of the scene was in the movie.  After finishing The Fellowship, I actually prefer what happened with Boromir in the movie then how the book portrays the breaking of the fellowship.  It was a better flow.

The book is still a great read.  Like some previous novels that I read, you could miss a lot of details if you are trying to bear through it.  If one were to take in all the essence of the novel, it a great story.

Happy reading!

Lopaka

The Lord Of The Rings
I The Fellowship of the Ring
II The Two Towers
III The Return of the King

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
1937    187pgs

Along with The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men is considered one of the best books by John Steinbeck.  A very short story, one could finish this book in a few hours.  The story is simple and to the point.  Also, in classic Steinbeck, it takes place near his hometown of Salinas, California during the Great Depression.

It deals deeply with what people felt and were desired at that time which he was very familiar with since John Steinbeck was also one of those individuals trying to survive and looking for work where ever it was available.

Isolation and loneliness are the main themes.   The dreams of better days in the future that for millions in the United States would never come true until after the New Deal and World War II would bring America out of the Great Depression.

Naturally, being a Steinbeck fan, I would recommend this novel for an easy and quick read.

Lopaka

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
2001 pgs. 465

A very different take on old gods from the old world and how they got to America.  The story focuses on a prisoner that gets released from prison early to bury his recently deceased wife.  While on the way to his hometown, he meets an individual that turns out to be an old world god stuck on earth.  From their, the journey takes the former prisoner into the world of the gods, including the new ones, and a very fascinating conclusion.

Naturally, I don’t want to give too much of the plot away.  I really enjoyed reading this novel and once the story really started to move along, it was very difficult to put the book down.  The dynamics that Mr. Gaiman brought with discussions with the various gods really make someone who enjoys mythology smile.

I would recommend this book for a nice sit back and take me away read.

Lopaka

Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
1935 207 pages

Tortilla Flat is a classic novella that takes place just after the first world war in Monterey, California.  The main cast is Danny and his gang of friends that eventually live in Danny’s house.

This is a very easy and enjoyable book to read.  Steinbeck tried to write about people that he knew and even wrote with dialect as spoken by them.  It was very entertaining reading how individuals would do behavior that many of us would state is wrong, however, in their thoughts, it is justified.

The stories are simple everyday matters that the gang goes through every day and the central character in the stories is the house that Danny owns.  This is the simple object that the entire book flows around like a river around a rock.

It is an easy read that doesn’t take long to finish.

Happy reading.

Lopaka

The Choice: A Fable of Free Trade and Protectionism by Russell Roberts
2007 132 pgs (116pg story)

First, I’m not a mental masochist, this was not on my must reads.  This is a required reading for my class in International Economics.  It only took me a few hours to read, although it is detailed.  I’m sure that I’ll have to read it again to get all the gritty information for the class.

David Ricardo, an English Economist, is a wanderer in heaven waiting for his theory of economics that he laid out in On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation to come too fruition so he may get into heaven.

Ed Johnson is President of Stellar Television Company in Star, Illinois.  He was asked to give a speech for the 1960 presidential nomination of Congressman Fred Bates at a major convention.  Earlier, he asked the congressman to pass a bill that would limit the imports of Japanse Televisions.  After the success of that bill, the congressman is running on a “Buying American will make America Rich again” platform and plans after being elected to limit all imported goods for the greater of the American economy.

The night before Ed is to give the key speech to introduce Fred as the right Presidental candidate with the right platform, Dave comes down to earth to convince Ed that Free Trade is better for the nation.  He does this by showing Ed what Star Illinois would like in 2005 with Free Trade and then Tariffs.   There is a lot of point-counterpoint on why Free Trade is better for workers and for other nations.

So, to summarize, this is “It’s a Wonderful Life” for economist and Dave is Clarence and Ed is George.

It makes a good explanation why Free Trade is better for all nations in a simple story.

Enjoy your reading!

Lopaka

1. How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt
2. The Choice: A Fable of Free Trade and Protectionism  by Russell Roberts
3. Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
4. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
6. Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
7. Armada by Ernest Cline
8. It by Stephen King
9. The Martian by Andy Weir
10. Make Your Bed by Admiral Willam H McRaven, (USN, Retired)
11. Artemis by Andy Weir
12. Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations by Michal Walzer
13. The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band by Neil Strauss, Mick Mars, Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, and Tommy Lee
14. The Shining by Stephen King
15. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
16. Dracula by Bram Stoker
17. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
18. 1984 by George Orwell