tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40903133402616230662024-03-15T19:12:04.994-07:00DB Books and ReviewsDerek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.comBlogger261125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-1096003072251181702024-03-15T18:52:00.000-07:002024-03-15T19:11:32.687-07:00REVIEW: LOST SOULS (INFINITE EXISTENCE #1)An empire set in the stars...I often complain how I never ever win any sort of raffle or giveaway, but I finally was selected as a winner for a Discord giveaway and wanted to read my prize right away. HOW I RATED IT 4/5 Some rough edges and a somewhat abrupt end sequence held things back for me somewhat, but I ultimately found myself quite impressed with this book which serves as aDerek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-10320412313165307252024-03-02T08:35:00.000-08:002024-03-02T08:35:30.197-08:00FEBRUARY READSFebruary was a small, but mighty month with some great reads that moved my reading goals for this year along nicely. 1. Arcanum Unbounded (The Rosharan System and my Overall Thoughts)This ended up being a super interesting 4/5 experience for meThe only section/novella that I had left coming in to February was the one that is set on Roshar (the world of The Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-84282507827724982332024-02-29T19:28:00.000-08:002024-02-29T19:28:55.771-08:00REVIEW: ARCANUM UNBOUNDED (THE COSMERE COLLECTION)Tales from across The Cosmere...Years after purchasing this during a Barnes and Noble sale, I have finally made my way through this collection. HOW I RATED IT 4/5 This collection of stories set in Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere pairs punchy standalone novellas with essential stories that build upon his lineup of mainline series like MISTBORN and THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE. THE Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-73998345357008240662024-02-26T19:06:00.000-08:002024-02-27T18:55:42.260-08:00REVIEW: DEFIANT (SONGS OF CHAOS #3)Sons of the night...In the spirit of continuing to catch up on series I've started, I decided to read the third available book in the Songs of Chaos series, mistakenly thinking it was the last. HOW I RATED IT 4/5 In spite of my incorrect belief that this was the last book in a trilogy, I had a great deal of fun with the third entry into the SONGS OF CHAOS series. NOTE: Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-47357227178221336492024-02-01T15:00:00.000-08:002024-02-01T15:00:00.139-08:00JANUARY READSAs the new year kicked off, I was honestly not sure how much I would be able to reasonably get to, but I managed to enjoy several great reads as well as finish up something that wasn't working well for me. 1. Holy MomentsThis was a 5/5 source of modest spiritual reflection I've enjoyed a couple of Kelly's books the past couple of years and found this one to be another simple, Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-61524322870741649942024-01-31T17:20:00.000-08:002024-01-31T17:24:22.190-08:00REVIEW: A SHADE OF MADNESS (ASHES OF AVARIN #2)Madness and magic...After enjoying A TOUCH OF LIGHT for what it was, I've been curious to continue into the second book in the series, especially since the first book ended so abruptly. HOW I RATED IT 4/5 Although I enjoyed this a lot more than the first book in the series and found myself getting invested much more quickly, there are still a couple of key elements that hold Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-74888857564902512782024-01-30T18:16:00.000-08:002024-01-31T17:23:36.950-08:00REVIEW: HOLY MOMENTSThe Power of a MomentI' believe I received this book as a gift from church. I've read other books by Matthew Kelly before which have referenced this one, so I was excited to finally dive in. HOW I RATED IT 5/5 I expect that not everyone will be wildly impressed by this, but for me, I found it to be a meaningful and impactful source of daily reflection and prayer. Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-615631536843609282024-01-20T12:42:00.000-08:002024-01-20T12:42:07.658-08:00MINI REVIEW: AGILE 2Not the sequel we deserved...This is a book that was selected by colleagues at work as a group read along. It's taken me much longer to get through it than we had planned, but I think there've been some decent discussions along the way at least. HOW I RATED IT 2/5 While this book serves perfectly fine for those interested in contemplating Agile on a philosophical level (some Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-21441186089564579052024-01-20T12:25:00.000-08:002024-01-20T12:31:37.675-08:00REVIEW: UNBOUND (SONGS OF CHAOS #2) A tale of three riders...Ever since ASCENDANT really impressed me, I've been looking forward to continuing with this trilogy, so I began the second book last month and finished it up in this new year. HOW I RATED IT 3/5 Even though I did not enjoy UNBOUND quite as much as I did ASCENDANT, I still think that this is a worthy follow up to the original story and one that Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-20175359455912883452024-01-01T14:00:00.000-08:002024-01-31T18:37:54.742-08:00DECEMBER READSThe final month of the year is always busy with holiday preparations and spending some quality time with family/friends. Even with that though, I still had some quality reading time and was able to finish some great books! 1. The Wisdom of Fulton SheenThis was a 5/5 spiritual journey that lasted the whole yearThis might be a little bit of a cheat since I began this at the start of Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-55820050410110466612024-01-01T09:58:00.000-08:002024-01-01T09:58:46.170-08:00MINI REVIEW: THE WISDOM OF FULTON SHEENA daily dose of wisdom...I'd received this book as a Christmas Gift from church about a year or two ago now. As I still had a similar book to go through, I deferred this one until the start of 2023 and have been trying to stay as faithful as possible to reaching the prescribed passage each day. HOW I RATED IT 5/5 While maybe not the most perfect or in-depth source of daily Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-34237104114101751142023-12-31T19:19:00.000-08:002023-12-31T19:19:42.657-08:00REVIEW: ASCENDER VOLUME 1Mother loves you...After the wild conclusion to the DESCENDER series, I'd immediately picked up all four volumes of it's sequel series, ASCENDER, though it has taken me a lot longer to start in on this new series than I had intended.HOW I RATED IT 4/5 This volume offers a solid start to this sequel series. Things do take a little while to get going as the story takes some timeDerek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-70990254345411101762023-12-21T15:57:00.000-08:002023-12-21T15:59:15.460-08:00REVIEW: THE BANDS OF MOURNING (MISTBORN #6)In the shadow of legends...As I continue my quest to finally catch up on the Cosmere (if such a thing is even possible with the pace that Sanderson pumps out books), I knew I had to continue with MISTBORN's second era of novels and so I wasted no time in starting THE BANDS OF MOURNING.HOW I RATED IT 4/5 Fascinating expansions to the magic system and world lore coupled with excellent Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-52735915541068311052023-12-16T11:11:00.000-08:002023-12-16T11:11:45.940-08:00MINI REVIEW: IMPACT WINTER SEASON 2A child of the winter...After being so pleasantly surprised by IMPACT WINTER and Audible original audio dramas in general, I was thrilled to find out that a second season had been released this year. HOW I RATED IT 4/5 The sophomore season for IMPACT WINTER didn't quite wow me the same way that the original did, but I still found myself really enjoying coming back to thisDerek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-4764277129890444532023-12-11T18:01:00.000-08:002023-12-11T18:01:45.249-08:00REVIEW: GLOVES OF EONS (THE KALLATIAN SAGA # 3)Relics of power...In spite of how I am generally not too into the Epic Fantasy subgenre, THE KALLATIAN SAGA, has really been working for me. With the third book having just released this fall, I decided that I would continue along with this grand adventure. HOW I RATED IT 5/5 I think that I still strongly prefer more narrative-driven action stories to big epic fantasies, but Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-60064784637488002052023-12-01T15:30:00.000-08:002023-12-01T15:30:00.339-08:00NOVEMBER READSI went into this month with fairly easy-going reading plans. Ultimately, I was able to finish the small selection of books that I wanted to and enjoyed it for the most part. 1. Shadows of SelfThis was an exciting 5/5 readAlthough the second era of the Mistborn series isn't the most popular among fans, I have been really enjoying my time with it and Shadows of Self may Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-28284060772560308582023-11-25T17:37:00.000-08:002023-11-25T17:37:53.859-08:00REVIEW: THE SHADOWS OF SELF (MISTBORN #5)The faceless immortals...Ever since reading THE ALLOY OF LAW in September, I've been eager to continue with this second era of the MISTBORN mythos. So, I decided not to wait any longer before jump8ing back in. HOW I RATED IT 5/5 Fast pacing, exciting action, shocking plot twists, and compelling character development all came together to form what I would personally consider the most Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-29583375897831242202023-11-24T17:34:00.000-08:002023-11-24T17:36:24.236-08:00REVIEW: HELIOTROPEThe family that was lost and the family that was found...HELIOTROPE by Palmer Pickering is one that I've heard rather high praise for by a small selection of BookTubers. After winning a giveaway for the Audio edition, I was excited to give this one a try.HOW I RATED IT 4/5 I found my personal enjoyment of this to be a little all over the place during my reading experience for a variety Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-85936555061180769572023-11-20T18:28:00.000-08:002023-11-20T18:28:17.259-08:00REVIEW: STORM FRONT (THE DRESDEN FILES #1)Wizard for hire...After years of resistance, I finally decided to dive into the wild world of THE DRESDEN FILES to see what I think of this famous/infamous series. HOW I RATED IT 3/5 While there is an enjoyable detective story being told here that's infused with fun, magical hijinks, the overemphasis on sexual content, nudity, and a, um, appreciation... for the the female form keptDerek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-22601826771984398902023-11-01T17:58:00.000-07:002023-11-01T17:58:30.101-07:00OCTOBER READSI didn't get to everything that I meant to, partly because one of the books I read didn't work as well for me as I wanted it to, but I still had a nice month with some good reads. 1. Tress of the Emerald SeaThis was a 4/5 romp with lots of heartI won't pretend that this is the best Sanderson book I've ever read, I had a lot of fun with this nautical adventure, it's strange world, Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-41569876431888067492023-10-31T18:54:00.001-07:002023-10-31T18:55:10.057-07:00REVIEW: SKYBORN (SERAPHIM #1) Born for the skies..This was a "cover buy" that I'd picked up from Barnes and Noble years ago. It's been taunting me for so long, but finally I decided to give this a read. HOW I RATED IT 3/5 While I really enjoyed the concepts presented in this book as well as the exciting battle scenes, the meandering plot and characters I couldn't really connect with ultimately made this one a Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-21355264917252098402023-10-24T17:02:00.002-07:002023-10-24T17:02:25.468-07:00REVIEW: BONE SHROUD (THE KALLATIAN SAGA #2)A schism in the faith...After reading the first book in THE KALLATIAN SAGA, I was left wondering what would come next for these characters and this world, so I figured I would continue with the second book this month to find out. HOW I RATED IT 4/5 This still doesn't click with me in exactly the same way that the author's NEEDLE AND LEAF series does, but I enjoy it aDerek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-87545012269035302772023-10-14T11:06:00.002-07:002023-10-14T11:06:36.174-07:00REVIEW: TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA (SECRET PROJECT #1)A sea quite unlike the one you might imagine...As the first of "Brando Sando's" Secret Projects and a beautiful hardcover edition, I impulse-bought this one pretty much as soon as it became available through Dragonsteel's website (I did not back the Kickstarter). As the summer came to a close, I thought a seafaring fantasy would be the perfect way to say farewell to the season, so I finally gave Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-36375394203308461282023-10-01T11:16:00.008-07:002023-10-14T13:26:51.634-07:00SEPTEMBER READSEven though I participated in yet another readathon, some changes to my work schedule and other things I had going on made September fly by and kept me from finishing a couple of things I'd meant to get to. 1. FOUR SCOREDThis was a 5/5 for meAndrew D. Meredith did it again with the second entry into his NEEDLE AND LEAF series. It's not perfect, but I just love this world and Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4090313340261623066.post-57147433702412330232023-09-30T13:05:00.000-07:002023-09-30T13:05:27.119-07:00REVIEW: THE ALLOY OF LAW (MISTBORN #4)A new era on Scadriel...After finally finishing the original MISTBORN Trilogy about a year ago, I felt it was high time to jump into what is described as "Era Two" of the MISTBORN series. HOW I RATED IT 4/5 This new era in the world of MISTBORN is one that is pretty different in some ways from the original trilogy, but I found it to be a fun and rather unique experience Derek Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07722016432128839848noreply@blogger.com0