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May 14, 2025

Reading Roundup: The 19th week of 2025

A Busy week of re-reads and new thrilling zombie action, time twists, and haunting survival stories!

A fairly heavy week on rereads this time. Work's been busy, so re-reading means I don't miss out on devoting attention to new stuff.

4 stars to Patient Zero (Joe Ledger, #1), by Jonathan Maberry

Book Description:

"When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week there's either something wrong with your world or something wrong with your skills... and there's nothing wrong with Joe Ledger's skills. And that's both a good, and a bad thing. It's good because he's a Baltimore detective that has just been secretly recruited by the government to lead a new taskforce created to deal with the problems that Homeland Security can't handle. This rapid response group is called the Department of Military Sciences or the DMS for short. It's bad because his first mission is to help stop a group of terrorists from releasing a dreadful bio-weapon that can turn ordinary people into zombies. The fate of the world hangs in the balance..."

My Thoughts:

" This was exciting, I liked the character profiling and the cop-turned military. There were a few annoyances in the text and the chapters were ridiculously short, but as a plot, it makes Zombies real! How cool." This Book: has 421 pages, a community rating of 4.00 and was first published in 2009.

4 stars to Memories of Tomorrow, by Josh Herner

Book Description:

"What if you could do it all again? Do you think you would end up with the perfect life or would you would just end up somewhere new? "Memories of Tomorrow" by Josh Herner is a captivating journey that blurs the lines between reality and the unimaginable, offering readers a compelling narrative rich with twists and profound themes. The story begins with Tom's struggle, a man facing a series of personal and professional downturns, leading him to a mysterious job opportunity that promises to be a departure from his spiraling life. The opening chapter sets the tone for a tale that is as much about personal redemption as it is about the mysteries that Tom encounters. However, the novel is not without its complexities. The intricate plot and the abundance of details may require readers to pay close attention to fully grasp the story's scope and the significance of the events that unfold. The blending of genres—combining elements of science fiction, mystery, and drama—while innovative, might also challenge traditional genre expectations. Overall, "Memories of Tomorrow" is a thought-provoking and engaging read that offers a unique blend of suspense, science fiction, and personal drama. Josh Herner has crafted a story that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant, making it a rewarding read for those who appreciate depth, complexity, and originality in their literary choices."

My Thoughts:

"I enjoyed the narrative, and although I laughed out loud at the idea of 2 macho men squaring up and calling each other "my dear" toward the end, wanted to know where things would go, I really hope Josh has got more coming!" This Book: has 387 pages and a community rating of 4.26.

5 stars to The Blue Book of Nebo, by Manon Steffan Ros

Book Description:

"Dylan was six when The End came, back in 2018; when the electricity went off for good, and the ‘normal’ 21st-century world he knew disappeared. Now he’s 14 and he and his mam have survived in their isolated hilltop house above the village of Nebo in north-west Wales, learning new skills, and returning to old ways of living. Despite their close understanding, the relationship between mother and son changes subtly as Dylan must take on adult responsibilities. And they each have their own secrets, which emerge as, in turn, they jot down their thoughts and memories win a found notebook – the Blue Book of Nebo."

My Thoughts:

"I actually read a chapter of this out loud at work, but having the time to sit and reflect on it really drove home the potency of the work. It's an emotive, nuanced story in very little space, and it's hard to quantify exactly what about it appealed to me so but I was far away in its pages. A haunting, powerful diversion." This Book: has 120 pages, a community rating of 4.16 and was first published in 2018.

Things not on Goodreads or reread

Identity Theft, Illegal Alien and The Terminal experiment, by Robert J. Sawyer

Had a bit of a Rob revisit this week. Packing the [Neanderthal Parallax and [Quintaglio books for vacation, too.

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