JihadiConservative
Bellingham Public Library
JihadiConservative's Completed Shelf
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Good OmensGood Omens, BookThe Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
by Gaiman, NeilBook - 2006Book, 2006
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 26, 2015
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 26, 2015
Comment:
It's rare to find a good high fantasy tale that doesn't span less than half a foot tall. Elantris is an exception. By now, nearly everyone knows who Brandon Sanderson is. You know, author of The Way of Kings, Mistborn, and all those big fat fantasy novels that are selling out quickly at the bookstore.
But the novel that first put him on the map was Elantris, a standalone fantasy novel and arguably one of the most imaginative books in the genre.
While Elantris doesn't do anything new in the genre (and few books do these days), it's a thoroughly enjoyable tale and certainly one of the better high fantasy tales you can find in packed into a single volume.
Elantris proves that you don't have to cut down a wide swath of forest to tell a fantastic fantasy tale -- something that many fantasy authors don't seem to realize. What's surprising is that Fat Fantasy Meister Sanderson started his forest-killing career with an environmentally-friendly standalone.
If you like Sanderson's other books, it's a no brainer to read Elantris. But author pedigree aside, Elantris is a great story with a rather unique (to fantasy anyway) story?
Now why should you read Elantris out of the many other great books out there? The plot is great, the characters well drawn, and it's a fantasy adventure that sucks you in and won't spit you out till you've finished the last page. The book has a strong female protagonist too (something that's quite common in most of Sanderson's books) and a likable, manly hero too.
If you are looking for a standard high fantasy tale to make this list, then Elantris is the stand-in one for that spot. Apparently, Sanderson is working (or thinking about) writing a sequel the book, though the story is completely self contained as it is.It's rare to find a good high fantasy tale that doesn't span less than half a foot tall. Elantris is an exception. By now, nearly everyone knows who Brandon Sanderson is. You know, author of The Way of Kings, Mistborn, and all those big fat fantasy…
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 26, 2015
Comment:
Book one started really strong I recommend you read it for one of the more interesting takes on dragons in fantasy. It's a fast-paced, exciting military fantasy in an alternate Napoleonic war period where talking dragons are used in place of ships. The first 3 books are quite strong and definitely worth reading I'd even say they belong on the Great Fantasy Books list) but then, sadly, the series crumbles to pieces.Book one started really strong I recommend you read it for one of the more interesting takes on dragons in fantasy. It's a fast-paced, exciting military fantasy in an alternate Napoleonic war period where talking dragons are used in place of ships.…
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 26, 2015
Comment:
Maximum Ride:The Angel Experiment is a mad scientist story from the experiment’s point of view. Max is a fourteen year-old girl, oldest of her small group of friends that are closer than family to her. Oh, and she and her friends can fly. They are avian/human hybrids who have finally found peace after escaping a secret laboratory known only as the “school”. That peace is shattered when another of the lab’s successful experiments known as Erasers, human/wolf hybrids, find their sanctuary, destroy it and kidnap one of their number. Max and her friends face adventure after adventure in their quest to rescue Angel, the young girl who was taken, and Max has some difficult calls to make. The Angel Experiment is the first in the Maximum Ride series where Max and her friends must battle against the evil scientists who run the school in order to save the world. This is not your dire, post-apocalyptic novel. Instead, this story is set in the near future, and while the lives of Max and her brood are bleak, at times, there are distinct moments of tenderness, and not a little bit of wise-cracking. These characters will make you love them and root for them as they battle against the “school”. The series is literally a thrill ride, pun definitely intended, but in the midst of all the action and adventure there is plenty of humor. However, I didn't like it very much. It was a bit dull for me. Not to mention the two page chapters.Maximum Ride:The Angel Experiment is a mad scientist story from the experiment’s point of view. Max is a fourteen year-old girl, oldest of her small group of friends that are closer than family to her. Oh, and she and her friends can fly. They are…
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 26, 2015
Comment:
Cinder is your classic Cinderella with cyborgs. What more could you ask for? A mysterious plague? Sounds good. Impending war with a group of mind-controlling aliens from the moon? Even better. Cinder could easily go the route of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies with the cyborgs only thrown into the fairy-tale to give it a sci-fi feel, but instead, this book is an incredibly imagined twist on the classic fairy tale. Cinder is a cyborg, who is forced by her stepmother to use her skills as a mechanic to earn a living for her family. Luckily, Cinder has a few friends, such as the household android Iko, and one of her not so wicked stepsisters. When Cinder and Prince Kai meet, they are attracted to one another, and their relationship slowly builds even in the face of the Prince’s weighty decision about whether or not to marry the Lunar Queen Levana to prevent an impending war. No, they do not meet at a fancy ball, instead, Kai approaches Cinder needing the skills of a mechanic, but Cinder just might have everything that he needs. The first book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder has all the classic tropes from the fairy tale mashed up with Star Wars action. While that pairing could be truly awful, Cinder comes out as an action-packed, touching and even funny story. A great intro into the genre for fans of fairy tales and fantasy, and of course, a must for anyone who loves robots.Cinder is your classic Cinderella with cyborgs. What more could you ask for? A mysterious plague? Sounds good. Impending war with a group of mind-controlling aliens from the moon? Even better. Cinder could easily go the route of Pride and Prejudice…
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 26, 2015
Comment:
This stands as one of the best damn space operas ever created, standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Hyperion. It’s packed with incredible ideas and interesting characters and wrapped around with high adventure. Folks, it doesn’t get better than this. So read the damn thing.
A Fire Upon the Deep is one of those books that some love and some hate, but needs to be read. It’s a book with an incredible vision of the galaxy and man’s future among the stars, but it’s also a rip roaring tale that doesn’t get lost in all that “vastness”. A perfect combination between story and ideas. This book won the Hugo Award and it’s pretty easy to see why it did.
There’s a lot of “back story” going on, but the basic premise is this: the galaxy is divided up into various zones. The more sophisticated the technology, the further zones you can go. The laws of physics are relaxed in the zones which make computing and technology such as faster than light travel possible that’s not possible in the Slow Zones. Earth is stuck in the Slow Zone but humanity has in fact made it into the Beyond and founded a few civilizations. The irony is that when you have made it to the Beyond, it’s hard to reach the Slow Zone because the laws of physics are more restrictive. The perfect utopia of the Beyond comes to a grinding halt when human scientists accidentally unleash an ancient evil that basically gobbles up the known world. And the fight to save the universe is on.
A Fire Upon the Deep is a fantastic read for anyone who loves old school Space Opera with plenty of hard science fiction mixed in. Indeed, there’s a hell of a lot thrown into the basket which includes physics, hard sci-fi technology, different races, galactic history, political wrangling and betrayals, conspiracy, a passionate war thriller, and even romance.
There’s an awesome prequel to this and as of 2012, a long awaited twenty years in coming sequel “Children of the Sky” was released. So there’s plenty of fodder in this universe to be entertained by.
Fans of Space Opera and/or Hard Sci-Fi will love this one. If you are a fan of Author C Clark, Larry Niven, or Peter Hamilton, Simmon’s Hyperion, read it. Even if you are not, read it!This stands as one of the best damn space operas ever created, standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Hyperion. It’s packed with incredible ideas and interesting characters and wrapped around with high adventure. Folks, it doesn’t get…
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 26, 2015
Comment:
A pinnacle of Science Fiction literature, Foundation stands at the top. Many will argue Foundation is the greatest work in the genre while just as many wonder why others love it. It's roundly regarded as a classic in the genre by one of the grandmasters science fiction writers.
The series has garned a slew of awards included a one-time Hugo award for "Best All Time Series" in 1966.
Grand concepts and epic storylines abound in this novel. This is not so much a story of personal characters but of grand ideas. If you like to “think” when you read science fiction, Foundation will deliver.
The core of the Foundations is the story concept of Psychohistory, which is a fictional branch of science that combines elements of sociology, history, and mathematics to predict the future. And the current galactic empire is doomed to a long dark age according to the mathematical model predicted by Seldon, the protagonist of the first book, unless certain steps to preserve human knowledge are taken to reduce the period before another great civilization rises.
Now the theory behind the whole concept, Psychohistory, seems a bit dated when looking through the lens of the 21st century, but you can safely ignore that fact and still enjoy the series.
This is not a series of action and war – most of that stuff happens “off screen” as it is. But it’s a riveting read full of some gob stopping ideas. If you are the type of science fiction reader that feeds on action, politics, and grand schemes, you might be more suited to a novel like Dune. But if you want a novel of ideas, then Foundation is near the top.
This book/series makes the top five because of its seminal influence on the Science Fiction genre. It’s impossible not to mention Hard SF and Foundation in the same sentence such has been the impact of Asimov’s series. Foundation helped shape the shape of the science fiction genre and because of this is pretty much required on this list.
If you have not read this series you owe it to yourself to pick it up and see just why everyone calls it a masterwork of the genre.A pinnacle of Science Fiction literature, Foundation stands at the top. Many will argue Foundation is the greatest work in the genre while just as many wonder why others love it. It's roundly regarded as a classic in the genre by one of the…
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 26, 2015
Comment:
A novel of seminal importance that’s influenced society and pop culture like few others. 1984 is the novel that invented the term Big Brother (and no, we’re not talking about that uber crappy reality TV show that locks half a dozen sex-starved drug addicts into a room for a month).
1984 has often been used as a battleground tool in the war waged by the supports of personal privacy against the forces that push for more government control in our daily lives. It’s a stark warning for the 21 century against the pitfalls of government control.
The pacing of the book is slow and often methodical, building on ideas and concepts that are now so familiar you don’t even bat an eye. Back in the day, these were the cutting edge of controversy.
What’s ironic is that 1984 was considered a work of dystopian “horror” when first released, yet many of the ideas and concepts present in the novel have been so seriously subsumed by culture that many parts of the book (parts that decades ago would have been horrific invasions of privacy) simply details what amount to the average day of life for a 2013 American.
Frankly, this book has had so much impact on society, has been so bloody right (if a bit over zealous in its early prediction of 1984; had Orwell named it to 2084, he might be pretty close to the mark) that it should be a must read for everyone. I rate this up there with the Bible in terms of cultural significance. At the very least you should read it so you know what all those references mean.
The book is certainly not a novel for the faint of heart. But it must be read. And remember, Big Brother is Watching you!A novel of seminal importance that’s influenced society and pop culture like few others. 1984 is the novel that invented the term Big Brother (and no, we’re not talking about that uber crappy reality TV show that locks half a dozen sex-starved drug…
Suitability
Contains Sexual content
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 26, 2015
Comment:
Brilliant. I must give this book that. Just brilliant. However, there was way to much gratuitous sexual content. And it was not mild. It was more prolonged and graphic than what you would find in Game Of Thrones. Good book. But the gratuitous content made the book nowhere near as good as it could of been. Didn't finish the book...Brilliant. I must give this book that. Just brilliant. However, there was way to much gratuitous sexual content. And it was not mild. It was more prolonged and graphic than what you would find in Game Of Thrones. Good book. But the gratuitous…
Suitability
Ages 19
Contains Sexual content
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 26, 2015
Comment:
A stunning classic that's influenced a generation of writers and sub genres, including the Cyberpunk movement. The Stars My Destination broke away from the main stream SF about supermen, heroes, and good guys. Instead of the handsome, altruistic good guy, we have a character who's rather repugnant, both physically and morally; an amoral black hole who manages to suck out the good around him without spitting anything of value back into the universe. And despite this,we get it; we understand what makes this man tick. And by golly,we actually emphasis with him -- which is the real genius of Bester.
The story centers on a wonderfully ruthless and tortured protagonist who has a major revenge hard-on. The quest for revenge begins when the protagonist is near-death and adrift in space in a starship a ship approaches that could help instead flies away leaving him to die. The novel is basically Gay Foyle’s obsessive revenge quest against the owners of said ship. Foyle is a flawed individual – lazy to the point of only doing enough to get by and no more, a man with potential but without the will to harness it. His lackadaisical view on life changed when he’s suddenly marooned in space; his flaws prevent him from improving his situation and he’s resigned himself to a slow death until a rescue ship deliberately ignores him. This one act galvanizes Foyle into saving himself and wrecking a horrible vengeance on the owners of said ship.
This is a violent story and the author makes no apologies for it. This is a rewrite of an old staple, the Count of Monte Cristo. A man who’s been betrayed becomes transformed into a different character by that very betrayal and returns to wreck vengeance on the culprits under a different identity. This is no common revenge tale though. The language is evocative with a rather unique journey, set in a fascinating world of unfamiliarity. The hero is thoroughly villain; he’s not some good guy who’s been wronged who turns the other check or some bad guy wrong who becomes a good guy in the process of revenge; no, he’s a bad guy who’s been wronged and motivated by one single thing: revenge.>
The Stars My Destination preceded the whole Cyberpunk movement, founded by Gibson in his seminal novel Neuromancer, but anticipates some of the cyberpunk staples: mega corporations that are the equal of governments, the cybernetic augmentation of the body, building the human mind and body according to specs, a dark unfriendly world, and a lone hero/anarchist. Because of these Cyberpunk staples, The Stars My Destination functions as a sort of proto cyberpunk novel.
The author writes in the same sort of idea-exploring way of Heinlein, but with a darker voice and a darker, completely unpredictable hero. Bester’s experimental yet wonderfully evocative prose, vivid revenge story, dark, brutal world, flawed (arguably unbalanced) yet always interesting characters make this one of the Best Science Fiction books ever written. It’s a classic among classics. If you only ever read five science fiction books, this should be one of them.A stunning classic that's influenced a generation of writers and sub genres, including the Cyberpunk movement. The Stars My Destination broke away from the main stream SF about supermen, heroes, and good guys. Instead of the handsome, altruistic…
The Imitation GameThe Imitation Game, DVD
DVD - 2015DVD, 2015
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 15, 2015
Comment:
This movies was very well done and good. However, I gave it a very poor rating because there was an obvious homosexual agenda behind it. I didn't like that. There was a definite obvious message to the story that just didn't agree to my moral standards. So, unless you want to watch a homo man get tortured, I wouldn't watch.This movies was very well done and good. However, I gave it a very poor rating because there was an obvious homosexual agenda behind it. I didn't like that. There was a definite obvious message to the story that just didn't agree to my moral…
NecronomiconNecronomicon, BookThe Best Weird Tales of H.P. Lovecraft
by Lovecraft, H. P.Book - 2008Book, 2008
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 14, 2015
Comment:
Very cool collection of weird stories. Some where scary and some were just really, really weird. However, the writing is just too..."Old" for me. So, in conclusion, this book is good. But not great.
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 14, 2015
Comment:
I thought that this was going to be like the Ultimate Visual Guide.I thought there was going to be comics, books, expanded universe, games ect...
However, this is just pictures from the movies! Disappointing!
Star Wars RebelsStar Wars Rebels, DVDSpark of Rebellion
DVD - 2014DVD, 2014
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 14, 2015
Comment:
Its got potential. I think this could be a great series (Not as good as Clone Wars) if they make it less childish and more epic. The clone Wars were amazing. It had the perfect mix of violence and humor. The CW is may more intense and mature than Rebels. So, if Rebels decides to go with the style of CW then I think this could be awesome. Right now, its a bit childish...Its got potential. I think this could be a great series (Not as good as Clone Wars) if they make it less childish and more epic. The clone Wars were amazing. It had the perfect mix of violence and humor. The CW is may more intense and mature than…
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 14, 2015
Comment:
Just average...I didn't like the writing style at all. That is really disappointing because the story is awesome!
Star Wars, Episode IIIStar Wars, Episode III, BookRevenge of the Sith
by Stover, Matthew WoodringBook - 2005Book, 2005
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 13, 2015
Comment:
Meh. I didn't like the writing style at all. Mathew Stover is one of my favorite Star Wars authors (and fantasy. he does very good fantasy).
So, this was a major disappointment! Action scenes were dull. Writing was poor. Characters weren't convincing. If you really want a good SW novel than get Shatterpoint. Its excellent.Meh. I didn't like the writing style at all. Mathew Stover is one of my favorite Star Wars authors (and fantasy. he does very good fantasy).
So, this was a major disappointment! Action scenes were dull. Writing was poor. Characters weren't…
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 12, 2015
Comment:
My childhood <3
Suitability
Ages 12
Star Wars OmnibusStar Wars Omnibus, BookClone Wars. Vol. 3, The Republic Falls
Book - 2012Book, 2012
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 11, 2015
Comment:
Very awesome omnibus! One of my favorites. This does indeed explore the very dark side of the Clone Wars. Highly Recommend!
Suitability
Contains Violence, Sexual content
Black Hawk DownBlack Hawk Down, DVD
DVD - 2002DVD, 2002
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 11, 2015
Comment:
WoW! What a wild ride! This is a very powerful story that hardly anyone knows about. It takes place in Somalia where the US Military is sent to capture a terrorist leader that is starving thousands in Somalia. However, the mission goes seriously wrong and many American soldiers die. This is very powerful and hard to watch. I am fifteen and some of the violence was disturbing and made me cringe. Some people may not be able to handle this!WoW! What a wild ride! This is a very powerful story that hardly anyone knows about. It takes place in Somalia where the US Military is sent to capture a terrorist leader that is starving thousands in Somalia. However, the mission goes seriously…
Suitability
Contains Coarse language, Violence
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 11, 2015
Comment:
What a roller coaster! From start to finish I was glued to the pages and was flipping non-stop! I highly recommend you get this in the short story collection "Skeleton Crew"
There are other very fun and scary stories in that collection. Highly recommend if you like scary and intense crazy roller coaster of a ride. And, its only 200 pages so King does not mess around and gets straight to the suspense!What a roller coaster! From start to finish I was glued to the pages and was flipping non-stop! I highly recommend you get this in the short story collection "Skeleton Crew"
There are other very fun and scary stories in that collection. Highly…
Suitability
Ages 15
Contains Coarse language, Violence, Frightening or intense scenes
Star Wars OmnibusStar Wars Omnibus, BookKnights of the Old Republic. Vol. 2
by Miller, John JacksonBook - 2013Book, 2013
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 05, 2015
Comment:
A Very good conclusion to the series. Lots of epic scenes with tons of explosions and blasters. There was some boring parts in this book, but the spectacular action scenes made up for it.
Suitability
Contains Violence
Star Wars OmnibusStar Wars Omnibus, BookAdventures
Book - 2014Book, 2014
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 05, 2015
Comment:
Meh. Just average. Didn't like very much. In fact, I would give 1 star but the Boba Fett story was boss so I gave this a 2.5.
Suitability
Contains Violence
Lost Tribe of the SithLost Tribe of the Sith, BookThe Collected Stories
by Miller, John JacksonBook - 2012Book, 2012
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added May 05, 2015
Comment:
First off, this is THE worst SW book I've ever read! And I have read a lot of bad SW books. So that means this is really bad. The writing reads like a comic book except there are no pictures to tell how to imagine things and whats going on. So, since nothing is described, I guess its up to you to decide what the story is. However, this is not surprising since Miller is a fantastic Comic writer. However, he is absolutely terrible at books. The writing is so juvenile that its almost laughable. Almost. Not Quite.
Here is a sample sentence in the book:
Then he said "What!" then the guy replied "I don't know"
"I think we are crashing!"
Then the man got up and walked over to the other man and said "Huh?"
Then the other man said....
See what I mean! Its just so repetitive! Lastly, the biggest disappointment was that I was so excited to read this! It looked amazing. However, if you are thinking the same thing I repeat, I repeat DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!First off, this is THE worst SW book I've ever read! And I have read a lot of bad SW books. So that means this is really bad. The writing reads like a comic book except there are no pictures to tell how to imagine things and whats going on. So,…
The Girl Who Loved Tom GordonThe Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Book
by King, StephenBook - 1999Book, 1999
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added Apr 02, 2015
Comment:
Okay people, don't get me wrong. SK is probably the best writer of modern times and MOST of his books are amazing. About 95% of his books are scary, horrifying, convincing, and just downright amazing. However, some of is stuff is bad. Really bad. This was one of these books that was downright boring and was just dumb. This is no knock-your-sock-off type of book. It is just about a little girl who gets lost in the woods and says bad words. So, would I read this book? No! Not unless you want to waste your time!Okay people, don't get me wrong. SK is probably the best writer of modern times and MOST of his books are amazing. About 95% of his books are scary, horrifying, convincing, and just downright amazing. However, some of is stuff is bad. Really bad.…
Suitability
Contains Coarse language
JihadiConservative's rating:
Added Mar 09, 2015
Comment:
What an amazing book! I have heard that this is Science Fictions masterpiece but I didn't realize that it was actually true. The religion is based of of Islam, the story is out-standing, the action is pretty awesome also. However, this book takes time and is very slow. It is worth reading and one of my favorite books!A stunning work of unforgettable imagination that brings the word epic to the science fiction landscape. It is such a complex weave of ideas, intrigue, mysticism and unique landscapes are present in Dune that you'll never, ever forget your first read through it.
The exotic desert setting, tapestry of complex characters, and intricate plot threads that come together into a dramatic climax just straight out blew my mind.
Dune's been called science fiction's answer to Lord of the Rings for good reason. I mean when you can surf giant sand worm monsters through a desert full of sand dunes, how can you not love or forget a book that does that?What an amazing book! I have heard that this is Science Fictions masterpiece but I didn't realize that it was actually true. The religion is based of of Islam, the story is out-standing, the action is pretty awesome also. However, this book takes…
Comment: