The Girl Who Played With Fire, by Stieg Larsson

I had very high expectations for this book, given how much I enjoyed Larsson's prior novel in the series. Simply put, this just wasn't as good.

I found the first third of the book slow moving, the second only a touch better. The last third seemed to move faster, although the ending became predictable.

Still, I'll read Larsson's third (and sadly final) novel when it is printed.

Cutting-edge Band Saw Tricks, by Kenneth Burton

This is an excellent reference. It has great illustrations, shows practical tips, and even includes a couple of projects.

Fragment, by Warren Fahy

It would have been easy to stop reading this after only a few dozen pages, that's how uninteresting the character development and writing are. But I kept going on this Jurassic Park riff (compared to which Fahy does not deserve comparison against Crichton's writing skill), and in the end I'd give it a C+. Surely there will be a sequel, and the author is no doubt shopping the script to Hollywood.... maybe the movie will be better than the original.

The Bandsaw Book, by Lonnie Bird

This was an okay introduction to the bandsaw, but not great. Perhaps it was just too introductory in nature, but for whatever reason, I don't recommend it.

Phil Gordon's Little Green Book, by Phil Gordon

I thought it might be useful to learn how to play Texas Hold-em poker, and this book got good reviews on Amazon. It was very interesting, although it is probably better for people who actually have experience or talent at the game than it was for me.

I found it a bit advanced, with some nuances that I didn't quite get, and analytics that I'm not quite prepared to address at this point. Still and all, seems worth the price.

I'll probably read another in this space; that will give me a better comparison point.

First Family, by David Baldacci

You can rely on Mr. Baldacci for a solid mystery. This one includes recurring characters, bad guys who are good guys too, good guys who are very much bad guys, and only a little bit of sugar-coated plot devices. It is a winner in its genre.

Sand Trapped, by John Gratton

When Rodney suggested that I write a "murder mystery that involves a software strategist, a mysterious tattooed girl and a golf club," I told him I have something pretty close on my to-read queue. This is it.

The main character is too slow to be a good strategist, the heroine is pierced but not tattooed, and there's a lot less golf involved than the title would have you think. This is a fast and amusing novel with an engaging plot.

The Increment, by David Ignatius

This is a spy novel about a CIA agent done in close to a traditional British spy tone. It is complex, but interesting. On a flight, this would be a great book; sitting on the deck with a cool beverage it drops to average (there's more amusement against which it must compete).

Oddly the title (even though there's a brief inside-flap explanation of it) has very little to do with the story.

Breach of Trust, by DiAnn Mills

I should have given up on this book at page two, but kept at it out of stubbornness. The book wasn't that bad, other than the writing and the plot development.

Here's a sample; see for yourself if I'm overly critical:

"She scraped the grasshopers from her shoes and onto the curb. The pests were everywhere this time of year. Reminded her of a few gadflies she'd been forced to trust overseas. She'd swept the crusty hoppers off her porch at home and the entrance to the library as she'd done with the shadow makers of the past. But nothing could wipe the nightmares from her internal hard drive."

Sigh.

Armor of God, by Paul Block & Robert Vaughan

Eh.

I know, out of respect for anyone who goes to the trouble to read this blog, I ought to at least attempt a complete review. But really, "eh" just says it all.