E-books and more

I bought a Nook recently and have been getting accustomed to e-books. It is a difficult transition. For one thing, having no physical book in one's hands makes it a bit more difficult to recall what I have read and what I haven't yet finished, since I no longer have piles of books to discern the difference.

With that said, here is what I have read since my last entry:

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes is probably the "newest" book on my recently read list. A novel about being an infantryman in Vietnam, it has been hailed as the first realistic depiction of what it was like to serve in that war, complete with the stupidity of the higher-ups in exaggerating the body count for public relations. There were moments when I simply shook my head at the incidents. Worthwhile.

I became enamored of Lee Child's series on ex-Military Policeman Jack Reacher, who travels with only the clothes on his back in an exploration of America and puts things right. I first read the thirteenth book in the series, Gone Tomorrow, and liked it well enough to order the preceding twelve books, which I tore through in succession. Reacher as a character is very well drawn, and his particular life and talents serve as a jumping-off point for his finding, and correcting, injustices. Great series. I look forward to much more from this author.

Sandman Slim by Richard Kadry reminded me of the Harry Dresden series in that the protagonist is not quite human, and has some superhuman powers. In this case, "Slim" is a damned soul who fought his way out of hell. If you can swallow the premise, the adventure is worth the read.

I revisited the history of World War II in The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, both by Herman Wouk. Don't know how I missed these when one of my favorite novels by this author, The Caine Mutiny, is worth rereading every couple of years. These two follow the involvement of a family through service in WWII, in Europe, the war in the Pacific, and in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. At times, the author devolves into thick historical overviews, which might encourage skimming, but the reader picks up some knowledge even in spite of the lectures.

Books read thus far this year exceed the goal of 52, and it is only September. As of today, I've read 58 new books in 2010.