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It took me nearly a month, but I finally finished Clash of Kings, and not for a lack of interest. Blasted work and Fallout: New Vegas... anywho, on to book 3!

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This is probably the first 'non-fiction novel' I've ever read. I highly recommend it though! The way it outlines Hitler's early life is great, for it does so from the eyes of another character. Even though that character is a combination of the four best friends Hitler had and it's not really that accurate for that reason, I think Claus Hant did a superb job of making it feel believable. Some parts of the book are really well researched, so it's definitely worth having a smartphone beside you or something. There are quite a few authors who are referenced, and are also cited, in the story. For example, Arthur Schopenhauer is regularly referenced and quoted by Hitler. As a result it means you'll be looking for books referenced in this one (at least, I am anyway). I find World War II history interesting in general so this is definitely something I enjoyed reading.

Even though I've finished it now, it's a book I intend to buy in the future, just so I can have it as part of my own collection. It manages to cover all aspects of Hitler's earlier life in a believable manner, and it manages to paint him in a less tyrannical manner. That's something I liked, because I find it interesting to look at Hitler as a person, rather than a name synonymous with the systematic slaughter of millions of prisoners. Hitler is shown to be selfish and self-confident, but it is a side to him that isn't as frequently explored.

One thing in particular that the story has captured is the feeling of World War I, and the chaos in Germany afterwards. It talks of the communist revolution in Bavaria from the eyes of someone living in the area, and the starvation of the people before the Treaty of Versailles was signed. The idea of a non-fiction novel seemed slightly absurd to me at the start because I assumed the term was an oxymoron. However, I'm now thinking that I need to read more novels of that nature. Everyone with an interest in the European conflicts of World War II ought to read this. I can imagine the story being even more interesting to those who find Hitler or the Nazis their main historic focus.

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Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It

This latest Gary Taubes book is an easier read than the book before it that covered the same topic. He briefly mentions fructose, but I wish he would have explained how and why some carbohydrates are worse than others, particularly refined (fiber-less) fructose. Low carbohydrate "diets" catch a lot of (arguably undeserved) flak, so one way for everyone to lose fat, even if they are unwilling to reduce carbohydrate intake, is to replace refined fructose with glucose from unrefined sources (sweet potatoes, corn... etc). Also, replacing refined grains, like flour, with unrefined sources, like potatoes and corn, is at least a step in the right direction.

It all boils down to the carbs folks, but just like the lesson we're learning from calories, all carbs aren't created equally. I hope someone writes a book soon describing why some carbs are better than others, but until then this book is what I'll recommend.

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Just wrapped up Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. Great addition to the series, only bad part is waiting another year or so for the next one.

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Starting to re-read the Song of Ice and Fire series again before I dive into "A Dance With Dragons".. been a while and probably forgot half of the storyline, and there's a ton of that.

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I finished Assassin's Creed: Renaissance, so that I'd have all three books from the trilogy read. In my opinion it wasn't the best written book in the series, but I suppose that's hardly surprising. It was the first book Oliver Bowden had written for the game. Unsurprisingly, his writing is better in both Brotherhood and The Secret Crusade, though I'd say The Secret Crusade had the best writing.

Now, I'm onto this:

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It's a book set in Stalin's Russia, during the Great Terror. Apparently, it's very well written. Even though I'm only thirty pages or so in, it manages to build a sense of location really well. I had planned to buy this book a few weeks ago, but I only bought it recently. For ?3.97 at my local branch of Asda, it even looks nice. The author is also working on a sequel, entitled The Bloody Meadow. If this book is well written I intend to pick that up as well, hopefully.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Neal Stephenson - Reamde

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It's making for an "interesting double-bill" given that I recently read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

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Well just finished this:

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I read Rot & Ruin and this is the second in the "Imura" series of books by Jonathan Maberry.

Looking for something else now...I like a lot of character story in my books. Liked Crichton books, Prey, and also Timeline but then were also a bit more steeped in the technology, which whilst all fun, got a bit.....well drawn.

Any ideas for something similar to the above? Post-apocolyptic dramas?

Oh and one more thing now I've found this thread.....for those wanting a UK based drama...

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Absolute quality and had a profound effect on me for a few weeks after finishing it........very close to home. Don't read if borderline depressed anyway :rolleyes:

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