Ghost
Trigger warning, I suppose. This like a Tom Clancy book, but with weirder sex, much of it non-consensual. Also, not as well thought through or as well researched or as believable. I couldn't bring myself to finish it.
The Human Division
I originally read this as a series of short stories released on the kindle, but the paperback collation of those has been out for a while and deserved a read. These stories are classic Scalzi, and read well. If you like the Old Man's War universe you will like this book. The chapters of the book are free standing because of how they were originally written, and that makes the book a bit disjointed. The cliff hanger at the end is also pretty annoying given the next book hasn't been released. So, an interesting experiment that perhaps isn't perfect, but is well worth the read.
Fast Food Nation
I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but I decided to finally read this book having had it sit on the shelf for a few years. I'm glad I read it, but as someone who regularly eats in the US I am not sure if I should be glad or freaked out. The book is an interesting study in how industrialization without proper quality controls can have some pretty terrible side effects. I'm glad to live in a jurisdiction where we actively test for food quality and safety. The book is a good read, and I'd recommend it to people without weak stomaches.
Lock In
I know I like Scalzi stuff, but each series is so different that I like them all in different ways. I don't think he's written a murder mystery before, and this book was just as good as Old Man's War, which is a pretty high bar. This book revolves around a murder being investigated by someone who can only interact with the real world via personal androids. Its different from anything else I've seen, and a unique idea is pretty rare these days. Highly recommended.
The Decline and Fall of IBM: End of an American Icon?
This book is quite readable, which surprises me for the relatively dry topic. Whilst obviously not everyone will agree with the author's thesis, it is clear that IBM hasn't been managed for long term success in a long time and there are a lot of very unhappy employees. The book is an interesting perspective on a complicated problem.
Don’t Tell Mum I Work On The Rigs
I read this book while on a flight a few weeks ago. Its surprisingly readable and relatively short -- you can knock it over in a single long haul flight. The book covers the memoirs of an oil rig worker, from childhood right through to middle age. That's probably the biggest weakness of the book, it just kind of stops when the writer reaches the present day. I felt there wasn't really a conclusion, which was disappointing. An interesting fun read however.
The Hot Gate
This book follows on from Live Free or Die and Citadel. This time we focus solely on Dana as she is transferred to a new unit. The story is interesting, although perhaps it focusses on the dysfunction of the Latin American countries a little more than is really necessary. More interestingly, the book ends the series (as best as I can tell) in an unusual manner for a book like this, with the humans not winning a simple out right victory -- moral or otherwise. Overall, a fun light read.
Citadel
This book follows on from Live Free or Die. I like the approach of this book, as it follows a couple of relatively normal people trying to get by, and how the main protagonist from the last book's actions affect them. Its an engaging read, while still progressing the overall arc of the series. I really enjoyed it.
The Runaway Jury
This is an older book now, and I read it many many years ago but re-read it this last couple of weeks. I enjoyed this book. Its believable (if a little dated now), and interesting. It certainly made me think more about the first amendment and how it affects dangerous products like cigarettes than I would have otherwise.
Live Free or Die
This book is useful. When the Earth is invaded by evil aliens intent on stripping us of our heavy metals, I now know how to fight back using just Maple Syrup and a Death Star I just happen to have hanging around. That's education right there. This book is delightfully not sexist compared with some of Ringo's other books, which makes me happy. It does lack strong female characters, but at least they're not being used for titillation (refer to Cally's War for an example of how this isn't always true). I enjoyed this book.