false24358341true5699555read2true3888966currently-reading15true3888965to-read131false4028145sci-fi-fantasy76false4043461role-playing-games20false4043454politics17false4043453history12false4043436graphic-novels9false4043671horror8false4043676philosophy4false4043672economics
<![CDATA[Richard added 'The Hook Mountain Massacre']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45184164
The Hook Mountain Massacre (Rise of the Runelords, #3) (Pathfinder, #3)
byNicolas Logue bookshelves: currently-reading,
role-playing-games
]]>
<![CDATA[Richard added 'The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu: Being a Somewhat Detailed Account of the Amazing Adventures of Nayland Smith in His Trailing of the Sinister Chinaman']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76709959
The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu: Being a Somewhat Detailed Account of the Amazing Adventures of Nayland Smith in His Trailing of the Sinister Chinaman (New Millennium Library)
bySax Rohmer bookshelves: currently-reading
While, like many authors of the period, Rohmer's writing is replete with politically incorrect racial considerations, the creativity of Fu Manchu's schemes is almost worth the price of admission by itself. In addition to this, however, is the subtle undertone of Rohmer chiding the British Empire for its behavior: go read the incident of "Pastor Dan" again and see if you don't see Detective Nayland Smith all but say that Britain's missionary work in China was all to the bad.
]]>
<![CDATA[Richard
is on page 72 of The Insidious Dr. Fu...
]]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76709959
Richard
is on page 72 of 232 of
The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu: Being a Somewhat Detailed Account of the Amazing Adventures of Nayland Smith in His Trailing of the Sinister Chinaman
]]>
<![CDATA[Richard added 'The King of Elfland's Daughter']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73054995
The King of Elfland's Daughter (Paperback)
byLord Dunsany bookshelves: sci-fi-fantasy
]]>
<![CDATA[Richard added 'McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Underworld']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41023280
McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Underworld (Hardcover)
byMisha Glenny bookshelves: history
]]>
<![CDATA[Richard added 'Anathem']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71264461
to: Anathem (Hardcover)byNeal Stephenson bookshelves: sci-fi-fantasy
This book bent my brain.
I chewed it up over a 3-day period and it proved to be one of the first books in a long time that forced me to go back and re-read certain sections. I've seen a review or two that says the Neal Stephenson "turns perceptions upside down" with his notions of cloistered scientists and public religions, but I'm not so sure - the difference between the "maths", monastery-like structures where people spend 1,10,100, or 1000 years divorced from the outside world to study and think deeply, does not strike as me as too far a leap from modern academia.
More than anything else, what I liked about the story was how it highlighted the importance of smart people in the world. Action heroes get all the time in film and television, but the solution to the potentially world-ending issues in this book comes from teams of very smart people combining their brain power.
It starts out as one story and goes through some rather dramatic changes along the way and, despite the importance of smart people, helpfully points out the necessity of having folks around who can solve problems with a snap kick while balancing on a bubble. Highly recommended.
]]>
<![CDATA[Richard added 'Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70075861
to: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook (Pathfinder RPG)byJason Bulmahn bookshelves: role-playing-games
]]>
<![CDATA[Richard added 'Taldor, Echoes of Glory']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70075778
Taldor, Echoes of Glory (Pathfinder Companion)
byJoshua J. Frost bookshelves: role-playing-games,
to-read
]]>
<![CDATA[Richard added 'The Skinsaw Murders']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45184156
to: The Skinsaw Murders (Rise of the Runelords, #2) (Pathfinder, #2)byRichard Pett bookshelves: role-playing-games
One of the best horror-themed RPG modules I have ever read. Richard Pett does an outstanding job of making a creepy game in a D&D universe which is not known for ramping up the fear factor (Ravenloft notwithstanding). Even if you don't plan to run this as part of the Rise of the Runelords campaign, any DM owes it to themselves to pick up the book for the write-up of Foxglove Manor, one of the best haunted houses in D&D.
]]>
<![CDATA[Richard added 'Moriarty']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64989627
to: Moriarty (Hardcover)byJohn E. Gardner
Not a bad read but very clearly unfinished at the time of the author's death as the last half of it is very uneven in pacing. Nicely evocative writing that has convinced me to go out and find other John Gardner stuff.
]]>