#18 - The Way of Shadows

Brent Weeks' Night Angel Trilogy is one of those series that caught my eye and I just couldn't resist. In a sea of dark, grim, looking covers, the bright white of this series stands out too much to be ignored. I'm not normally one for assassin tales because I find them a bit boring with all the slinking about and cover of darkness business, but these seemed filled with enough action to keep my interest. And they sort of did. The author lacks creativity and imagination and it shows through terribly all over the place, so much that it made me cringe more times than I could count. Everything is cribbed from the heavy handed use of Japanese words to the alphabet being "Hyrillic" which is a barely altered name of the real "Cyrillic" alphabet. C'mon. Maybe the average target audience wouldn't pick up on any/many of these but there are a lot who will and it is just lame. There's some confusing lore and a bit too much of the author's attempts at dramatic plot twists (hint: none are). The book was actually hard to get through because while it does have a lot of action, there isn't enough substance. It's light fantasy work that drags on a bit too long for what it is. Recommended but not highly and only if you accept what you're getting into before cracking the cover.

#17 - World of Warcraft Master Guide, Second Edition

World of Warcraft is the juggernaut of the MMO world. Millions of players in a virtual world that has defied all odds and continues to eclipse any who dare to enter the market. I had actually played WoW when it first came out for about a year and got annoyed by some aspects and left for other games. After working through a number of other games and MMOs I decided to come back and see how things have progressed in my absence. Completely would be the answer. It is much easier now which can go both ways, but it also so much bigger and more complex in a few areas. I decided to turn to the strategy guide for those times when online help doesn't cut it. A great strategy guide that will help piece together some of the confusing or new bits. Highly Recommended.

#16 - Photoshop Creative

Photoshop Creative is actually more of a magazine, but it is priced in more of a book range and contains more information and instruction than most tomes on the subject. It is an imported magazine from the UK and does include a DVD-ROM for the computer filled with tutorial videos, samples, and stock photography. The subscription seems hefty but is actually quite a bargain compared to the $29.99 cover price in book shops. Full color and amazingly detailed, each issue walks you through all of the tips and tutorials that the pros use to accomplish amazing results. From photography work, to digital painting, to true digital artwork, and all of the tools, brushes, layer tricks, and tips to achieve these same results... It's all there, every issue! It's almost mind-boggling that there is more to cover in the next issue because each one is so exhaustive. If you do any sort of photography or graphic design and would like to take your craft to the next level, this is it. Far better than any Photoshop book I own. Highly Recommended.

#15 - No Touch Monkey

I took this one along on vacation since it was a travelogue sort of read. It turned out to be quite prophetic because we did actually end up touching monkeys on vacation whereby a sign in broken English advised against it because "it could bring hurt to both." Neither brought hurt, and it was actually one of the coolest moments of my life. So back to the book, it starts out well and follows a fairly hapless young woman and her travel on a budget tales with old boyfriends which has quite a few funny spots... and then it all falls apart. Somewhere about half to three-quarters through it takes this terrible nosedive into an uninteresting account of fashion show parties and her having a baby and some disjointed acting gig with her and her husband. None of which are funny in the least and are painful to endure. What a disaster for what could have been a decent book. Not recommended.

#14 -Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook 4th Edition

Even though I haven't played for over 10 years I have a love for gaming systems and design and really like the direction 4th edition went. Apparently I'm the only one though since most players have rebelled against it. I'd love to play again, but there is just no one to play with these days sadly. I really enjoyed the new book, I didn't like the Dragonborn thing but other than that I'm down. Recommended, especially if you'll DM and I can play again!

#13 - The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

Well, while on the drug subculture kick, here is a classic: The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe. What a great time in history and what a crazy ride. Get an old bus, paint it day-glo colors, attach all kinds of speakers and recording gear, pack it full of free spirits and drugs and drive it essentially across the U.S. while freaking out the marshmallows in suits and shiny shoes. It makes for quite a book, although a lot of the participants were highly regarded "beat" generation luminaries I've never been a fan of most of them personally. I think they were largely hypocritical and I think many had ulterior motives behind what they tried to publicly pass off as groundbreaking and selfless. The author is also a bit too "square" for the journey and his own judgments and bias shows through often as does his disconnect from the group. All that said, it is a classic, and a great insight to a lost time in America's past. Recommended.

#12 - Watchmen

This Watchmen graphic novel is a collection of the entire story as originally released in comic book form. I will admit I haven't watched the recent film adaptation, but most comic books turned movie don't do much for me anyhow. This is no mere comic book either, it isn't some happy-go-lucky tale of a do-gooder or mutant/superpower fest, it is simply magnificent writing and execution. I'd say this is about as good as it gets when it comes to graphic novels and really stands in a league of it's own. Highly recommended.