Nice & Slow...

2011 In Book Review

2012-01-02T16:10:00.005-05:00

This has been a good year overall for books.

I read
184 Books/Short Stories/Novellas
10 Unfinished books
69,086 Pages

I also started using my goodreads account reviews as my reviews here. Copy and Paste. So not exactly sure how much longer this blog will last. Of course, non-goodreads people can see this blog, while only my goodreads friends can see me on goodreads.

I think YOU should join Goodreads.com [finger point!!!!!]

001: Resident Evil: Umbrella Conspiracy-S.D. Perry-142
002: Resident Evil: Zero Hour-S.D. Perry-141
003: Lady Penitent: Ascendancy of the Last-Lisa Smedman-214
004: Strain: The Fall-G. Del Toro & Chuck Hogan-267
005: Cirque Du Freak: Vampire Mountain-Darren Shan-109
006: Cirque Du Freak: Trials of Death-Darren Shan-83
007: Cirque Du Freak: Vampire Prince-Darren Shan-122
008: Cirque Du Freak: Hunters of the Dusk-Darren Shan-87
009: Mechwarrior: The Sword and the Dagger-Ardath Mayhar-248
010: Shadows of the Apt: Salute the Dark-Adrian Tchaikovsky-392
011: Artemis Fowl: Eternity Code-Eoin Colfer-163
012: Chromosome 6-Robin Cook-457
013: Alcatraz versus the Shattered Lens-Brandon Sanderson-292
014: Shadows of the Apt: Scarab Path-Adrian Tchaikovsky-560
015: Mechwarrior: Decision at Thunder Rift-William Keith-298
016: George's Marvelous Medicine-Roald Dahl-89
017: Atlas Shrugged-Ayn Rand-1360
018: Fisherman's Children: Prodigal Mage-Karen Miller-UNFINISHED
019: Polity: Splatterjay: Voyage of the Sable Keech-Neal Asher-412
020: Bartimaeus: Ring of Solomon-Jonathan Stroud-344
021: Otherland: City of Golden Shadow-Tad Williams-770
022: Cirque Du Freak: Allies of the Night-Darren Shan-130
023: Dresden Files: Blood Rites-Jim Butcher-344
024: Mechwarrior: Mercenary's Star-William Keith-371
025: Shadow War: Shadow Moon-Chris Claremont-UNFINISHED
026: The Two Jungle Books-Rudyard Kipling-309
027: Castle Brass: Count Brass-Michael Moorcock-83
028: Ranger's Apprentice: Ruins of Gorlan-John Flanagan-195
029: Percy Jackson: Lightning Thief-Rick Riordan-237
030: Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters-Rick Riordan-181
031: Mechwarrior: Price of Glory-William Keith-327
032: Arthurian Saga: Crystal Cave-Mary Stewart-338
033: Anne of Green Gables-Lucy Montgomery-309
034: Otherland: River of Blue Fire-Tad Williams-768
035: Percy Jackson: The Titan's Curse-Rick Riordan-196
036: Ranger's Apprentice: The Burning Bridge-John Flanagan-212
037: Castle Brass: Champions of Garathorm-Michael Moorcock-80
038: Shadowmarch: Shadowheart-Tad Williams-738
039: Star Wars: Clone Wars: Gambit: Siege-Karen Miller-UNFINISHED
040: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Allies-Christie Golden-314
041: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Vortex-Troy Denning-360
042: The Wheel of Time: Strike at Shayol Ghul & Ravens-Robert Jordan-35
043: Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Purgatory-John Miller-30
044: Once A Hero-Michael Stackpole-513
045: Percy Jackson: Battle of the Labyrinth-Rick Riordan-243
046: Wheel of Time: New Spring-Robert Jordan-317
047: Malazan Book of the Fallen: The Crippled God-Steven Erikson-953
048: Ranger's Apprentice: The Icebound Land-John Flanagan-222
049: Ranger's Apprentice: Battle for Skandia-John Flanagan-238
050: Wheel of Time: Eye of the World-Robert Jordan-702
051: Otherland: Mountain of Black Glass-Tad Williams-749
052: Discworld: The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents-Terry Pratchett-170
053: Percy Jackson: The Last Olympian-Rick Riordan-234
054: Starship: Mutiny-Mike Resnick-163
055: Cirque Du Freak: Killers of the Dawn-Darren Shan-129
056: Cirque Du Freak: Lake of Souls-Darren Shan-161
057: Castle Brass: Quest For Tanelorn-Michael Moorcock-80
058: Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt-Robert Jordan-618
059: Lolita-Vladimir Nabokov-363
060: Otherland: Sea Of Silver Light-Tad Williams-1002
061: Pet Sematatary-Stephen King-411
062: Mechwarrior: Warrior: En Garde-Michael Stackpole-388
063: Moby Dick-Herman Melville-UNFINISHED
064: Hull Zero Three-Greg Bear-256
065: The Magicians-Lev Grossman-390
066: The Day of the Triffids-John Wyndham-196
067: Wheel of Time: The Dragon Reborn-Robert Jordan-595
068: Cirque Du Freak: Lord of the Shadows-Darren Shan-97
069: Cirque Du Freak: Sons of Destiny-Darren Shan-125
070: Dresden Files: Dead Beat-Jim Butcher-386
071: Polity: Splatterjay: Orbus-Neal Asher-361
072: Ranger's Apprentice: Sorcerer of the North-John Flanagan-230
073: Ranger's Apprentice: Siege of Macindaw-John Flanagan-236
074: Memory, Sorrow and Thorn: The Dragonbone Chair-Tad Williams-824
075: Starhammer-Christopher Rowley-277
076: Star Wars: Knight Errant-John Miller-310
077: Memory, Sorrow and Thorn: The Stone of Farewell-Tad Williams-727
078: Resident Evil: Caliban Cove-S.D. Perry-134
079: Asian Saga: Tai-Pan-James Clavell-655
080: Emerald Eyes-Daniel Moran-217
081: Starship: Pirate-Mike Resnick-165
082: Malaz: Bauchelain and Korbal Broach-Steven Erikson-180
083: Malaz: Crack'd Pot Trail-Steven Erikson-154
084: Polity: Prador Moon-Neal Asher-173
085: Abolethic Sovereignty: Plague of Spells-Bruce Cordell-290
086: Wheel of Time: The Shadow Rising-Robert Jordan-907
087: Acacia: The Other Lands-David Durham-504
088: Discworld: Thud!-Terry Pratchett-297
089: 5 Novels-Daniel Pinkwater-648
090: Ranger's Apprentice: Erak's Ransom-John Flanagan-327
091: Memory, Sorrow and Thorn: To Green Angel Tower-Tad Williams-1374
093: Bards of Bone Plain-Patricia McKillip-329
094: Abolethic Sovereignty: City of Torment-Bruce Cordell-UNFINISHED
095: Polity: Hilldigger-Neal Asher-505
096: Cobra War: Cobra Guardian-Timothy Zahn-388
097: Green Rider: Blackveil-Kristen Britain-773
098: Dark Angel: Before the Dawn-Max Collins-291
099: Ranger's Apprentice: Kings of Clonmel-John Flanagan-357
100: Ranger's Apprentice: Halt's Peril-John Flanagan-348
101: The Last Day-Glen Kleier-484
102: Wheel of Time: The Fires of Heaven-Robert Jordan-877
103: Grimm Dragonblaster: A Mage In The Making-Alistair Archibald-264
104: Star Wars: Old Republic: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Sentinel-John Miller-27
105: T2: Infiltrator-S.M. Stirling-513
106: Star Wars: Old Republic: Deceived-Paul Kemp-348
107: Time Traders-Andre Norton-400
108: Starship: Mercenary-Mike Resnick-338
109: WWW: Wake-Robert Sawyer-388
110: Vlad Taltos: Orca-Steven Brust-313
111: Tiffany Aching: The Wee Free Men-Terry Pratchett-289
112: Dresden Files: Proven Guilty-Jim Butcher-557
113: Tiffany Aching: A Hat Full Of Sky-Terry Pratchett-299
114: Wheel of Time: Lord of Chaos-Robert Jordan-1223
115: The Count of Monte Cristo: Unabridged-Alexandre Dumas-1606
116: Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnaught-Jack Campbell-420
117: Tiffany Aching: Wintersmith-Terry Pratchett-341
118: Night Angel: Perfect Shadow-Brent Weeks-70
119: Dark Angel: Skin Game-Max Collins-UNFINISHED
120: Lyra: Shadow Magic-Patricia Wrede-256
121: Malaz: Stonewielder-Ian Esslemont-640
122: T2: Rising Storm-S.M. Stirling-384
123: Ranger's Apprentice: Emperor of Nihon-Ja- John Flanagan-438
124: Riyria Revelations: Wintertide- Michael Sullivan-332
125: Wheel of Time: A Crown of Swords-Robert Jordan-896
126: So You Want To Be A Wizard-Diane Duane-408
127: WWW: Watch-Robert Sawyer-368
128: The New Age Movement and the Illuminati 666-William Josiah Sutton-UNFINISHED
129: The Iron Druid Chronicles: Hounded-Kevin Hearne-239
130: T2: The Future War-S.M. Stirling-368
131: Imperium: Mech-B.V. Larson-328
132: Imperium: Mech 2-B.V. Larson-252
133: Neuromancer-William Gibson-288
134: What It Is Like To Go To War-Karl Malantes-256
135: Book of the Elements: The Legions of Fire-David Drake-368
136: Broken Empire: Prince of Thorns-Mark Lawrence-336
137: Destroyermen: Into the Storm-Taylor Anderson-400
138: Destroyermen: Crusade-Taylor Anderson-400
139: The Hourglass Door-Lisa Mangum-400
140: The Eternal Champion-Michael Moorcock-484
141: Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Pantheon-John Miller-34
142: Sandkings-George RR Martin-80
143: Lyra: Daughter of Witches-Patricia Wrede-304
144: Polity: Shadow of the Scorpion-Neal Asher-250
145: Stealing Light-Gary Gibson-441
146: Wheel of Time: Path of Daggers-Robert Jordan-705
147: Videssos: An Emperor for the Legion-Harry Turtledove-336
148: Germline-T.C. McCarthy-UNFINISHED
149: A Room with a View-E.M. Forster-231
150: Star Dragon-Mike Brotherton-352
151: Time Traders II-Andre Norton-384
152: The Hobbit-J.R.R. Tolkien-256
153: Battlestar Galactica-Jeffrey Carver-269
154: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Conviction-Aaron Allston-367
155: Black Magician: Magicians Guild-Trudi Canavan-384
156: The Iron Druid Chronicles: Hexed-Kevin Hearne-246
157: Jumper-Steven Gould-345
158: Asian Saga: Gai-Jin-James Clavell-1248
159: Maze Runner-James Dashner-336
160: Killer-Karl Wagner & David Drake-193
161: Finity-John Barnes-303
162: Ranger's Apprentice: Lost Stories-John Flanagan-352
163: The Viscount & the Witch-Michael Sullivan-28
164: Shadows of the Apt: The Sea Watch-Adrian Tchaikovsky-586
165: Steel and Other Stories-Richard Matheson-320
166: The Story of My Experiments with Truth-Mahatma Gandhi-UNFINISHED
167: Wheel of Time: Winter's Heart-Robert Jordan-560
168: The Heir: Warrior Heir-Cinda Chima-272
169: The Horus Heresy: Horus Rising-Dan Abnett-295
170: The Owner: Departure-Neal Asher-352
171: Star Wars: Choices of One-Timothy Zahn-384
172: Underworld-Greg Cox-302
173: The Walking Drum-Louis L'Amour-480
174: Discworld: Making Money-Terry Pratchett-400
175: Destroyermen: Maelstrom-Taylor Anderson-400
176: Dresden Files: White Night-Jim Butcher-376
177: Timeline-Michael Crichton-436
178: Jumper: Reflex-Steven Gould-310
179: The Walls of the Universe-Paul Melko-301
180: The Onuissance Cells-Steve Jordan-162
181: Polity: The Technician-Neal Asher-391
182: Wardstone: Kings, Queens, Heroes & Fools-M.R. Mathias-500
183: Wheel of Time: Crossroads of Twilight-Robert Jordan-672
184: Seven Realms: The Demon King-Cinda Chima-340
185: Seven Realms: The Exiled Queen-Cinda Chima-402
186: Seven Realms: The Gray Wolf Throne-Cinda Chima-399
187: The Heir: The Wizard Heir-Cinda Chima-315
188: American Gods-Neil Gaiman-560
189: Spice and Wolf Book 1-Isuna Hasekura-UNFINISHED
190: The Dragon and the George-Gordon Dickson-243
191: The Iron Druid Chronicles: Hammered-Kevin Hearne-273
192: Lyra: Harp of Imach Thyssel-Patricia Wrede-308
193: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Ascension-Christie Golden-382
194: Dune-Frank Herbert-535

Never A Free Lunch...

2011-10-15T08:33:00.001-04:00

I think this sums up my attitude about Facebook, and life in general. Crystal found this and thought I'd find it amusing. Which I do, greatly...

When Did This Happen?

2011-08-20T00:13:00.000-04:00

Our church has had a VBS [Vacation Bible School] program running this week. Only in the evenings for 1.5hours, but it has been a good start for future years. It was enthusiastically attended AND staffed.

Anyway, someone was there who had been reading a book by a particular author. Crystal had told me earlier in the week that they had been reading the book and had some questions/concerns about it, so I had checked it out. Haven't read it yet, but did peruse the chapter headings and subtitles.

My first impression was that the author was a conspiracy theorist of religious idealogy and that he was a fruitcake.

So this evening at VBS the person who had been reading it was just in tears over some of the stuff they had read. So I spearheaded a little circle of friendly chatter and did my best to make them feel better and to inject some practical theology into their thinking. Mainly in an attempt to allow them to realize that this book wasn't the bible and just because someone throws Bible verses at you doesn't make them correct.

Then later I was talking to another person, who is happily married, has a young daughter and has been in the church for quite some time as well. We got talking about the book and he mentioned he had some questions as well. So I said the book was on my radar, but that I would definitely read it in the next week and we could talk about it the next Sabbath. He was appreciative and grateful.

On the way home, it hit me hard, like fear clawing up my throat. When did I become someone who could comfort someone my parents age, answer their questions, be asked for advice/thoughts by a fully mature man and be thought of as someone who people would listen to?

Thankfully, God has paired me with a wonderful wife. She pointed out the how's and why's.

I have definitely turned a corner this day. I can't pretend to be a young person, a sit on the sidelines and let the more experienced, more mature handle things. Now I have to be in the thick of things. Even if it is just in the thick of "little" things :-)

It kind of feels like I've grown up and just realized it for the first time. It is a weird feeling.

Happy Sabbath to you all.

Ultra-Lord Techno-Geek

2011-05-03T19:40:00.002-04:00

First off, the Ultra-Lord reference is from Jimmy Neutron, a silly animated claymation style movie that never fails to amuse me.

Currently, I am listening to Sarah Brightman sing about Ghost In The Machinery from my iTunes library on my desktop computer. I am also on Goodreads [my Profile] typing up the books I've read in the past couple of days.

The book info I am getting from my Sony 505, since that is what I've read the books on, and it has the titles, authors and page numbers.

Since I am not exactly rich, we have the slowest dsl available. Light years better than dial-up, but compared to even 3mbps, not to hot. So while things chug along, I am reading W Juliet in digital form on my Super Pad.

So to summarize:
I am listening to digital music while I write on a website about the digital books I read on my ereader and in between am reading digital comics on my tablet.

How much better can life get for a techno-geek? And yes, that is rhetorical :-D

ps,
all those links? Geekdom :-)

Why My Local Bookstore Will Eventually Fail...

2011-02-20T13:30:00.000-05:00

Today, I decided to pick up some manga, specifically Amazing Agent Luna 1-5.

When I was up at the counter, I decided to ask about The Shadows of the Apt, one of the best series EVER, in my opinion. I've been reading them in ebook form, but I like them enough that I want to really support the author and get them in hardback. Book 6 [of 10] just came out and I figured since I was in my local bookstore, I'd do my part and help it out against the huge, evil, greedy [etc, etc, you get the jingo-istic idea] Ultra-Mega-Corporation that sucks your soul out with every purchase you make there.
[and yes, that is totally tongue-in-cheek].

So as I'm at the counter, I ask if they have the Shadows of the Apt series in hardcover. The lady tickity tacks on her computer and then lets me know that the first book only came out in March '09 and that it is in paperback. Then, and this is what really got me, she says "you can probably find it in hardcover online somewhere".

Seriously? She doesn't ask if I want the paperback, or the ebook or even offer to look for a hardcover on their used book system [they use ABE books for all their out of print books and special orders I believe]. So I left with the books I had bought.

I shook my head as I walked out the door. They just lost a sale, or several sales in fact. And they didn't even try!!! So next time I hear some bleeding heart pretentious prick lament the disappearing of the local bookstore, I'm going to rub their face in this story.

Long Live Amazon \sarcastic face/

Bad World/Good World

2011-02-01T20:00:00.000-05:00

I was at work, at my security job, today and saw a sight that made me sad and really proud at the same time.

It was snowing out and I was at a college campus. New semester had started 2nd week of January and welcome/get oriented time runs until the end of this week.

On my circuitous perambulation, of about 50 yards, through falling snow I saw someone crossing the road and they had a cane out in front of them, making sweeping motions. I realized that they were blind. Behind them was their guide/mentor/counselor. Turns out the student was memorizing the layout of the campus and getting used to how the sidewalks, curbing and driveways all were.

It broke my heart. There was this 18 year old, forced to deal with life in darkness. And why? Because of the fall; due to sin existing in our world. I just wanted to cry; at the unfairness of it, at the rip in reality it represents, at the pain and suffering that student has gone through/will go through that none of us will ever know about.

Then the thought came to me, which was the making me proud of humanity part, this student wasn't sitting in a room at home hiding. She was outside, in bad weather, doing her hardest to seize life. She was at college. In a big campus. Living. I don't know if I could do that, to be honest. I suspect that I would be one to curl up and hide. So seeing someone doing something I wasn't sure I could, well, that got my admiration.

So there you have it, a bad world, a good world. Thankfully I know the end of the story, where only the good world remains. If you don't know that story, let me know and I'll be glad to fill you in.

Books- 2010 In Review

2010-12-31T10:45:00.003-05:00

Below is the list of all the books I've read/attempted to read and all the manga/graphic novels I've read/attempted to read in 2010.

For all you data lovers [like me], here is a quick and dirty breakdown:

149 books
[even though to be honest, I think there are about 4 or 5 short stories in that number]

124 manga/graphic novels

14 unfinished books

1 unfinished manga/graphic novel

50,136 pages read.
[no page data for manga/gn, cause that would just be not right. plus, I didn't keep track of pages for the unfinished books. So I'm sure the actual number is a bit higher, but hey, who is counting? ;-) ]

The Biggest surprise for me was how many unfinished books I had. 14! Glad I'm getting over the whole "have to finish it if I start it" mentality.

I also started being active on Goodreads.com I'd joined up back in '07, but really didn't use it til part way through this year. I'm really liking it.
Feel free to add me as a friend if you are on there.
My Goodreads Profile

1: Malazan Book of the Fallen: Memories of Ice-Steven Erikson-900
2: Stoneways: Queen Ferris-S.C. Butler-495
3: Star Wars: Imperial Commando: 501st-Karen Traviss-434
4: Malazan Book of the Fallen: House of Chains-Steven Erikson-722
5: Malazan Book of the Fallen: Midnight Tides-Steven Erikson-674
6: Malazan Book of the Fallen: The Bonehunters-Steven Erikson-909
7: Acacia: The War with the Mein-David Durham-UNFINISHED
8: Wolf: Wolf Hunting-Jane Lindskold-UNFINISHED
9: Robotech: Genesis-Jack McKinney-155
10: Robotech: Battle Cry-Jack McKinney-139
11: Robotech: Homecoming-Jack McKinney-147
12: Robotech: Battlehymn-Jack McKinney-115
13: Robotech: Force of Arms-Jack McKinney-155
14: Robotech: Doomsday-Jack McKinney-161
15: Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Precipice-John Jackson Miller-29
16: Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Skyborn-John Jackson Miller-27
17: Codex Alera: Furies of Calderon-Jim Butcher-383
18: Codex Alera: Academ's Fury-Jim Butcher-404
19: Mirror of Opposition-Timothy Robinson-172
20: War of the Spider Queen: Extinction-Lisa Smedman-228
21: War of the Spider Queen: Annihilation-Philip Athans-225
22: War of the Spider Queen: Resurrection-Paul Kemp-232
23: Quadrail: The Domino Pattern-Timothy Zahn-229
24: Green-Ted Dekker-UNFINISHED
25: Robotech: Southern Cross-Jack McKinney-123
26: Robotech: Metal Fire-Jack McKinney-151
27: Robotech: The Final Nightmare-Jack McKinney-170
28: Malaz: Night of Knives-Ian C. Esslemont-237
29: Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Paragon-John Miller-26
30: Vlad Taltos: Jhereg-Steven Brust-208
31: Vlad Taltos: Yendi-Steven Brust-167
32: Vlad Taltos: Teckla-Steven Brust-144
33: Codex Alera: Cursor's Fury-Jim Butcher-407
34: Battlechasers-Timothy Robinson-149
35: Darktower: The Gunslinger-Stephen King-UNFINISHED
36: Malazan Book of the Fallen: Reaper's Gale-Steven Erikson-969
37: Dreamwish Beasts and Snarks-Mike Resnick-UNFINISHED
38: Malazan Book of the Fallen: Toll the Hounds-Steven Erikson-961
39: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: And Another Thing-Eoin Colfer-247
40: Future Imperfect-Keith Laumer-441
41: Shogun-James Clavell-803
42: Vlad Taltos: Taltos-Steven Brust-161
43: Shadows of the Apt: Empire in Black and Gold-Adrian Tchaikovsky-571
44: Discworld: Jingo-Terry Pratchett-282
45: Doom: Knee-Deep in the Dead-Dafydd Ab Hugh-180
46: Star Wars: Death Troopers-Joe Schreiber-138
47: Robotech: Invid Invasion-Jack McKinney-135
48: Admiral's Ghost-NB VanYoos-UNFINISHED
49: Elven Ways: The Dark Ferryman-Jenna Rhodes-UNFINISHED
50: Dresden Files: Storm Front-Jim Butcher-184
51: Dresden Files: Fool Moon-Jim Butcher-214
52: Borderlands: Covenants-Lorna Freeman-375
53: Borderlands: The King's Own-Lorna Freeman-269
54: Borderlands: Shadows Past-Lorna Freeman-307
55: Codex Alera: Captain's Fury-Jim Butcher-387
56: Discworld: The Last Continent-Terry Pratchett-227
57: Robotech: Metamorphosis-Jack McKinney-148
58: Tears of Artamon: Lord of Snow and Shadows-Sarah Ash-387
59: Dresden Files: Grave Peril-Jim Butcher-255
60: Vlad Taltos: Phoenix-Steven Brust-189
61: Shadows of the Apt: Dragonfly Falling-Adrian Tchaikovsky-540
62: Shadowmarch: Shadowrise-Tad Williams-554
63: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Backlash-Aaron Allston-304
64: Malazan Book of the Fallen: Dust of Dreams-Steven Erikson-946
65: Tears of Artamon: Prisoner of the Iron Tower-Sarah Ash-384
66: Vang: The Military Form-Christopher Rowley-228
67: Vang: The Battlemaster-Christopher Rowley-215
68: Demon Cycle: The Warded Man-Peter Brett-416
69: Demon Cycle: The Desert Spear-Peter Brett-579
70: Codex Alera: Princep's Fury-Jim Butcher-350
71: Codex Alera: First Lord's Fury-Jim Butcher-457
72: Foreigner-C.J. Cherryh-UNFINISHED
73: Bill, the Galactic Hero-Harry Harrison-185
74: Riyria Revelations: The Crown Conspiracy-Michael Sullivan-228
75: Discworld: Carpe Jugulum-Terry Pratchett-227
76: Dresden Files: Summer Knight-Jim Butcher-241
77: Doppleganger-Marie Brennan-UNFINISHED
78: The Lost Fleet: Victorious-Jack Campbell-331
79: The Fourth Realm: The Traveler-John Twelve Hawks-330
80: Pride & Prejudice & Zombies-Seth Grahame-Smith-UNFINISHED
81: Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Savior- John Miller-27
82: Star Wars: Clone Wars: Wild Space-Karen Miller-279
83: Star Wars: Clone Wars: No Prisoners-Karen Traviss-175
84: Boneshaker-Cherie Priest-416
85: Tears of Artamon: Children of the Serpent Gate-Sarah Ash-420
86: The Fourth Realm: The Dark River-John Twelve Hawks-368
87: Castings: Deep Water-Pamela Freeman-506
88: Castings: Full Circle-Pamela Freeman-404
89: Athabasca-Alistair Maclean-284
90: The Passage-Justin Cronin-766
91: Season of the Spellsong: Spellsinger-Alan Dean Foster-275
92: Season of the Spellsong: Hour of the Gate-Alan Dean Foster-217
93: Season of the Spellsong: Day of the Dissonance-Alan Dean Foster-235
94: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency-Douglas Adams-171
95: Shadows of the Apt: Blood of the Mantis-Adrian Tchaikovsky-354
96: The Twelve Kingdoms: Skies of Dawn-Fuyumi Ono-642
97: The Fourth Realm: The Golden City-John Twelve Hawks-358
98: Riyria Revelations: Avempartha-Michael Sullivan-237
99: Riyria Revelations: Nyphron Rising-Michael Sullivan-277
100: Vlad Taltos: Athyra-Steven Brust-259
101: The Oort Perimeter-Steven Lake-UNFINISHED
102: Empire: Daughter of the Empire-Janny Wurts & Raymond Feist-377
103: Robotech: Symphony of Light-Jack McKinney-158
104: Guardian of the Flame: The Sleeping Dragon-Joel Rosenberg-171
105: Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance-Sean Williams-417
106: Empire: Servant of the Empire-Janny Wurts & Raymond Feist-627
107: Wars of Light and Shadow: Curse of the Mistwraith-Janny Wurts-UNFINISHED
108: The Lon Tobyn Chronicles: Children of Amarid-David Coe-600
109: Malaz: Return of the Crimson Guard-Ian Esslemont-681
110: Stormlight Archives: The Way of Kings-Brandon Sanderson-1035
111: Snow Crash- Neal Stephenson-520
112: Legends of Shannara: Bearers of the Black Staff-Terry Brooks-336
113: Lightbringer: The Black Prism-Brent Weeks-609
114: Riyria Revelations: Emerald Storm-Michael Sullivan-380
115: The Three Investigators: Secret of Terror Castle-Robert Arthur-79
116: Artemis Fowl-Eoin Colfer-143
117: Ancester-Scott Sigler-421
118: Dirk Gently: The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul-Douglas Adams-199
119: Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth-Karen Miller-293
120: Guardians of the Flame: The Sword and the Chain-Joel Rosenberg-251
121: Bios-Robert Wilson-214
122: Star Wars: Crosscurrent-Paul Kemp-214
123: Polity: Agent Cormac: Gridlinked-Neal Asher-346
124: Polity: Agent Cormac: The Line of Polity-Neal Asher-437
125: Discworld: The Truth -Terry Pratchett-239
126: Kim -Rudyard Kipling-307
127: Polity: Agent Cormac: Brass Man-Neal Asher-405
128: Brisingr-Christopher Paolini-PARTIAL REREAD
129: Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident-Eoin Colfer-146
130: Robotech: The Sentinels: The Devil's Hand-Jack McKinney-133
131: World at War: Into the Darkness-Harry Turtledove-684
132: Polity: Agent Cormac: Polity Agent-Neal Asher-403
133: Dresden Files: Death Masks- Jim Butcher-235
134: Polity: Agent Cormac: Line War-Neal Asher-395
135: Empire: Mistress of the Empire-Janny Wurts & Raymond Feist-656
136: Tau Ceti Agenda: One Day on Mars-Travis Taylor-UNFINISHED
137: Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare-Darren Shan-148
138: Conrad Stargard: Crosstime Engineer-Leo Frankowski-231
139: Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant-Darren Shan-141
140: Guardian of the Flame: The Silver Crown-Joel Rosenberg-216
141: Battle Royale-Koushun Takami-491
142: The Strain: Strain-G. Del Toro & Chuck Hogan-353
143: Lady Penitent: Sacrifice of the Widow-Lisa Smedman-202
144: Cirque Du Freak: Tunnels of Blood-Darren Shan-139
145: Conrad Stargard: the High Tech Knight-Leo Frankowski-247
146: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II-Sean Williams-295
147: The Gambler-Fyodor Dostoyevsky-130
148: Mutation-Robin Cook-367
149: The Videssos Cycle: The Misplaced Legion-Harry Turtledove-288
150: Conrad Stargard: The Radiant Warrior-Leo Frankowski-281
151: Inherit the Stars-James Hogan-203
152: DragonLords: The Last DragonLord-Joanne Bertin-471
153: Conrad Stargard: The Flying Warlord-Leo Frankowski-232
154: Polity: Spatterjay: The Skinner-Neal Asher-375
155: Rendezvous with Rama-Arthur Clarke-255
156: Lady Penitent: Storm of the Dead-Lisa Smedman-209
157: The Sword and the Dragon-M.R. Mathias-524
158: Discworld: Thief of Time-Terry Pratchett-241
159: Acacia: The War with the Mein-David Durham-756
160: Swallows and Amazons-Arthur Ransome-204
161: DragonLords: Dragon and Phoenix-Joanne Bertin-695
162: Sword of Shadows: A Cavern of Black Ice-J.V. Jones-618
163: Star Wars: Red Harvest-Joe Schreiber-244

MANGA & GRAPHIC NOVELS
1: Oh My Goddess! #32-Kosuke Fujishima
2: Oh My Goddess! #33-Kosuke Fujishima
3: Ranma 1/2 #22-Rumiko Takahashi
4: Ranma 1/2 #23-Rumiko Takahashi
5: Ranma 1/2 #24-Rumiko Takahashi
6: Ranma 1/2 #25-Rumiko Takahashi
7: Amazing Agent Luna Omnibus #2-Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir
8: Superman: The Death of Clark Kent-various
9: Fruits Basket #23-Natsuki Takaya
10: Ranma 1/2 #26-Rumiko Takahashi
11: Ranma 1/2 #27-Rumiko Takahashi
12: Ranma 1/2 #28-Rumiko Takahashi
13: Ranma 1/2 #29-Rumiko Takahashi
14: Ranma 1/2 #30-Rumiko Takahashi
15: Ranma 1/2 #31-Rumiko Takahashi
16: Yotsuba&! #6-Kiyohiko Azuma
17: Yotsuba&! #7-Kiyokiko Azuma
18: Train + Train #1-Hideyuki Kurata
19: Train + Train #2-Hideyuki Kurata
20: Train + Train #3-Hideyuki Kurata
21: Train + Train #4-Hideyuki Kurata
22: Train + Train #5-Hideyuki Kurata
23: Train + Train #6-Hideyuki Kurata
24: Elseworld: Superman: Dark Side-various
25: Ranma 1/2 #32-Rumiko Takahashi
26: Ranma 1/2 #33-Rumiko Takahashi
27: Kare Kano #1-Masami Tsuda
28: Kare Kano #2-Masami Tsuda
29: Kare Kano #3-Masami Tsuda
30: Kare Kano #4-Masami Tsuda
31: Kare Kano #5-Masami Tsuda
32: Kare Kano #6-Masami Tsuda
33: Kare Kano #7-Masami Tsuda
34: Kare Kano #8-Masami Tsuda
35: Yotsuba&! #8-Kiyohiko Azuma
36: XxxHolic #14-CLAMP
37: Ranma 1/2 #34-Rumiko Takahashi
38: Ranma 1/2 #35-Rumiko Takahashi
39: Ranma 1/2 #36-Rumiko Takahashi
40: Hunter X Hunter #22-Yoshihiro Togashi
41: Hunter X Hunter #23-Yoshihiro Togashi
42: Hunter X Hunter #24-Yoshihiro Togashi
43: Hunter X Hunter #25-Yoshihiro Togashi
44: Hunter X Hunter #26-Yoshihiro Togashi
45: Elseworld: Superman: True Brit-various
46: Case Closed #5-Gosho Aoyama
47: Case Closed #6-Gosho Aoyama
48: Case Closed #7-Gosho Aoyama
49: Case Closed #8-Gosho Aoyama
50: Case Closed #9-Gosho Aoyama
51: Case Closed #10-Gosho Aoyama
52: Case Closed #11-Gosho Aoyama
53: Case Closed #12-Gosho Aoyama
54: Case Closed #13-Gosho Aoyama
55: Case Closed #14-Gosho Aoyama
56: Case Closed #15-Gosho Aoyama
57: Case Closed #16-Gosho Aoyama
58: Case Closed #17-Gosho Aoyama
59: Case Closed #18-Gosho Aoyama
60: Case Closed #19-Gosho Aoyama
61: Case Closed #20-Gosho Aoyama
62: Case Closed #21-Gosho Aoyama
63: Case Closed #22-Gosho Aoyama
64: Case Closed #23-Gosho Aoyama
65: Case Closed #24-Gosho Aoyama
66: Case Closed #25-Gosho Aoyama
67: Case Closed #26-Gosho Aoyama
68: Prince of Tennis #3-Takeshi Konomi
69: Prince of Tennis #4-Takeshi Konomi
70: Prince of Tennis #5-Takeshi Konomi
71: Prince of Tennis #6-Takeshi Konomi
72: Prince of Tennis #7-Takeshi Konomi
73: Prince of Tennis #8-Takeshi Konomi
74: Prince of Tennis #9-Takeshi Konomi
75: Prince of Tennis #10-Takeshi Konomi
76: One Piece #22-Eichiro Oda
77: One Piece #23-Eichiro Oda
78: One Piece #24-Eichiro Oda
79: One Piece #25-Eichiro Oda
80: One Piece #26-Eichiro Oda
81: One Piece #27-Eichiro Oda
82: One Piece #28-Eichiro Oda
83: One Piece #29-Eichiro Oda
84: Prince of Tennis #12-Takeshi Konomi
85: Prince of Tennis #13-Takeshi Konomi
86: Prince of Tennis #14-Takeshi Konomi
87: Prince of Tennis #15-Takeshi Konomi
88: Prince of Tennis #16-Takeshi Konomi
89: Prince of Tennis #17-Takeshi Konomi
90: Prince of Tennis #17-Takeshi Konomi
91: Prince of Tennis #18-Takeshi Konomi
92: Prince of Tennis #19-Takeshi Konomi
93: Prince of Tennis #21-Takeshi Konomi
94: Prince of Tennis #22-Takeshi Konomi
95: Case Closed #27-Gosho Aoyama
96: Case Closed #28-Gosho Aoyama
97: Case Closed #29-Gosho Aoyama
98: Case Closed #30-Gosho Aoyama
99: Case Closed #31-Gosho Aoyama
100: Case Closed #32-Gosho Aoyama
101: Case Closed #33-Gosho Aoyama
102: Case Closed #34-Gosho Aoyama
103: Case Closed #35-Gosho Aoyama
104: Elseworld: The Superman Monster-various
105: Elseworld: Batgirl & Robin: Thrillkiller-various
106: Kare Kano #10-Masami Tsuda
107: Kare Kano #11-Masami Tsuda
108: Kare Kano #12-Masami Tsuda
109: Kare Kano #13-Masami Tsuda
110: Kare Kano #14-Masami Tsuda
111: Kare Kano #15-Masami Tsuda
112: Black Bird #1-Kanoko Sakurakoji
113: Black Bird #2-Kanoko Sakurakoji
114: Black Bird #3-Kanoko Sakurakoji
115: Elseworld: Batman & Captain American-various-UNFINISHED
116: Elseworld: Batman & Demon: A Tragedy-various
117: Elseworld: Batman & Houdini: The Devil's Workshop-various
118: Elseworld: Batman: Castle of the Bat-various
119: Elseworld: Batman: Dark Allegiances-various
120: Elseworld: Batman: Dark Knight Dynasty-various
121: Elseworld: Batman: Detective #27-various
122: Elseworld: Batman: Gotham Noir-various
123: Elseworld: Batman: Holy Terror-various
124: Elseworld: Batman: I, Joker-various
125: Elseworld: Batman: In Darkest Knight-various

Tough Days

2010-12-19T19:15:00.000-05:00

You know you've had a tough day when you have to walk a 50 yard strip continuously back and forth and then every hour walk a perimeter of about 400 yards for 6 hours.

Cause your back aches, your feet hurt, your calves can barely bend and your tummy wonders where the famine is.

Yep, life is tough sometimes...

Read It Again, Sam!

2010-10-17T00:05:00.000-04:00

I started reading Brisingr, by Christopher Paolini last week. It seemed VERY familiar. I figured I had read maybe the first 100 pages and then put it down which was why I still had it on my TBR [to be read] list.

Today I got to page 400 and I KNEW I had read at least that far. And since it was only a 700page book, something was ringing my alarm bells. So after Sabbath, I went online and checked my Book Blog and guess what? I HAD read the book, last December.

Sigh. What a waste of 400 pages. That's enough for a couple of Artemis Fowl books, or even 2 Vlad Taltos books, or 1 Shadows of the Apt. Sigh again. The pitfalls of being a voracious reader...

Banned from Talk Radio?

2010-09-05T19:50:00.000-04:00

So I was driving home this evening and turned on Talk Radio, 96.9 out of Boston.
Was listening to a show called "Right Turn" and they had some lady on who was involved with alcohol addiction prevention, etc, etc. Apparently Massachusetts had increased the alcohol tax last year and now there is a petition to repeal that.

This lady was lamenting that, saying that money was necessary for the intervention work, etc, that she was involved in. She basically was saying that more taxes are better. So I called in to dispute that :-)

I was nervous and apparently had just gotten into a bad cell area. So I started the call off saying I liked 96.9 but that I thought the lady was manipulating peoples emotions instead of presenting fact and that tax dollars shouldn't be spent based on emotional responses. Well, the host couldn't hear me, asked if I was on a cell phone, so I looked at my cell, saw I had NO bars, made a grunt of disgust and then the signal was lost.

2 minutes later I get a call from the guy who screens incoming callers and he says real fast that I was banned from calling into the show forever. I call back when I was in a better area and asked why and he said I had pranked the station by insulting the station, making funny noises and then hanging up.

When I got home I went online, found the contact info for the show and wrote them an email saying I was sorry for what they had perceived I had done, then tried to explain what had happened. Hopefully they realize I wasn't trying to be a jerk :-)

So there you have it. I got banned from Talk Radio.

Movies, etc...

2010-08-25T18:20:00.000-04:00

Today has been a movie day.

First, I watched Transporter 3. Better than 2, but the girl was a complete crock. First movie is still the best. Not a bad action flick though.

Then I watched Ratrace. Can't recommend it cause there were some rather crude parts but I laughed so hard! There was one scene in particular. A family steals Hitler's old car to finish a race [to win 2million] and ends up offending a bikergang. So they crash off the road and end up on stage at a WWII Veterans meeting. The father had swallowed a bug, so he couldn't properly talk and he had gotten something on his upper lip, so he had a Hitler mustache. So he goes to the podium to explain what is going on, and he ends up talking gibberish, and then gets frustrated at not being able to talk right, so he starts gesturing madly and hitting the podium. Exactly like a Charlie Chaplin sketch of Hitler. so then all the Vets get up in arms and one old coot pulls out a gun and takes a shot at the family. I rolled off the couch I was laughing so hard.

Now I'm in the middle of Ang Lee's Incredible Hulk. Not a bad movie, but I certainly like the newer reboot version. This is really too mental and slow moving for a Hulk movie. However, Eric Bana makes a better Banner than Edward Norton does.

Hope your day has gone as well...

Good Reads

2010-08-06T12:25:00.000-04:00

I joined up with Goodreads.com several years ago, but had done nothing on it really. It was just one of those websites that sounded like a good idea, that didn't work out for me.

I had my own record keeping Book Blog, and that was good enough for me. I wanted something to simply keep track of what I had read, with my thoughts on the books, so that I could remember what a book was like in 10 years [or more]. My Book Blog works great for that. I like the layout, I get to keep track of titles, authors and pages, and at the rate I tear through books, it is my memory for me.

Now, with all that being said, it is not a social thing. I am not a reviewer [like Fantasy Book Critic, OF Blog of the Fallen or even Dave Brendon's Scifi/Fantasy Weblog], so I don't have back and forth with people about the books I'm reading. I don't want my blog to be that. My blog is for me. The option is there for others to comment, but it isn't meant for that.

So enter Goodreads. Same idea of recording books that you've read, but within a context of a greater community. I've joined the SciFi/Fantasy club and the Star Wars: Expanded Universe club. Don't participate a whole lot, but it is fun to be around other people who are into the same stuff you are.

Steampunk- An Indepth & Erudite Essay...

2010-06-17T23:00:00.002-04:00

Basically, Steampunk is a sub-par genre, literary wise, and, in the broadest of terms, is for complete losers and pot heads.

Machinery should be sexy, quiet, deadly. Not clunky, dirty, loud, prone to break at a moments notice. Machinery should be like a mountain, it simply is. It should NOT be like the pile of steaming poo you just stepped in, thanks to your neighbor not taking care of their misbegotten wretch of a walking chinese meat dish.

Gasmasks, zombies, airships and burrowing machine monstrosities are all SEPARATE things, and should NOT be combined. Gasmasks belong in WWI or WWII history books. Zombies belong in either ultra-violent, ultra-poorly written slasher books or ultra-modern scientific fiction. Airships should stay in blurbs about the Hindenburg. And digging machines, well, they belong off planet, in the FUTURE!

So, Skynet, if you ever read this, forget John Connor. For the love of efficiency, come back and kill of the creators of Steampunk. Maybe we humans will then embrace you as an enlightened sentient being. I know I will!

Ineptepub.pyw Script for Windows

2010-06-04T17:00:00.001-04:00

The following script is what is need to created DRM free epub files after you have run the Ineptkey.pwy file and created your adept key breaker. You need Python2.6 with Pycrypto2.6 installed.

Ineptepub.pyw Download. You can either copy and paste the code or there is an option [in the upper right corner] to download it.

Save the script as Ineptepub.pyw [Notepad or Python work fine. Just copy and paste] in your python26 directory.
Using the Python GUI, also called IDLE, open the Ineptepub.pyw file.
Under the RUN tab, hit the RUN MODULE command.
A box should pop up with three lines to be filled in:
1: Your key. You created this using the Ineptkey.pwy script and should have saved it as *.der under the python26 directory.
2: Input file [the drm laden epub file]
3: Output file [where you want to save the drm free epub file and what you want it called, remember, end the file name with .epub]

Once those 3 lines are filled out, hit the appropriate response below them, and voila, you should have a drm free epub file.

ps,
don't forget to click on the label "code" at the bottom right of the post to see my other script posts

Script below does NOT work, as the indents are screwed up. Use the download link above
**********************************************************************

"""
Decrypt Adobe ADEPT-encrypted EPUB books.
"""

from __future__ import with_statement

__license__ = 'GPL v3'

import sys
import os
import zlib
import zipfile
from zipfile import ZipFile, ZIP_STORED, ZIP_DEFLATED
from contextlib import closing
import xml.etree.ElementTree as etree
import Tkinter
import Tkconstants
import tkFileDialog
import tkMessageBox

try:
from Crypto.Cipher import AES
from Crypto.PublicKey import RSA
except ImportError:
AES = None
RSA = None

META_NAMES = ('mimetype', 'META-INF/rights.xml', 'META-INF/encryption.xml')
NSMAP = {'adept': 'http://ns.adobe.com/adept',
'enc': 'http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#'}

# ASN.1 parsing code from tlslite

def bytesToNumber(bytes):
total = 0L
multiplier = 1L
for count in range(len(bytes)-1, -1, -1):
byte = bytes[count]
total += multiplier * byte
multiplier *= 256
return total

class ASN1Error(Exception):
pass

class ASN1Parser(object):
class Parser(object):
def __init__(self, bytes):
self.bytes = bytes
self.index = 0

def get(self, length):
if self.index + length > len(self.bytes):
raise ASN1Error("Error decoding ASN.1")
x = 0
for count in range(length):
x <<= 8x |= self.bytes[self.index]self.index += 1return xdef getFixBytes(self, lengthBytes):bytes = self.bytes[self.index : self.index+lengthBytes]self.index += lengthBytesreturn bytesdef getVarBytes(self, lengthLength):lengthBytes = self.get(lengthLength)return self.getFixBytes(lengthBytes)def getFixList(self, length, lengthList):l = [0] * lengthListfor x in range(lengthList):l[x] = self.get(length)return ldef getVarList(self, length, lengthLength):lengthList = self.get(lengthLength)if lengthList % length != 0:raise ASN1Error("Error decoding ASN.1")lengthList = int(lengthList/length)l = [0] * lengthListfor x in range(lengthList):l[x] = self.get(length)return ldef startLengthCheck(self, lengthLength):self.lengthCheck = self.get(lengthLength)self.indexCheck = self.indexdef setLengthCheck(self, length):self.lengthCheck = lengthself.indexCheck = self.indexdef stopLengthCheck(self):if (self.index - self.indexCheck) != self.lengthCheck:raise ASN1Error("Error decoding ASN.1")def atLengthCheck(self):if (self.index - self.indexCheck) < self.lengthCheck:return Falseelif (self.index - self.indexCheck) == self.lengthCheck:return Trueelse:raise ASN1Error("Error decoding ASN.1")def __init__(self, bytes):p = self.Parser(bytes)p.get(1)self.length = self._getASN1Length(p)self.value = p.getFixBytes(self.length)def getChild(self, which):p = self.Parser(self.value)for x in range(which+1):markIndex = p.indexp.get(1)length = self._getASN1Length(p)p.getFixBytes(length)return ASN1Parser(p.bytes[markIndex:p.index])def _getASN1Length(self, p):firstLength = p.get(1)if firstLength<=127:return firstLengthelse:lengthLength = firstLength & 0x7Freturn p.get(lengthLength)class ZipInfo(zipfile.ZipInfo):def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):if 'compress_type' in kwargs:compress_type = kwargs.pop('compress_type')super(ZipInfo, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)self.compress_type = compress_typeclass Decryptor(object):def __init__(self, bookkey, encryption):enc = lambda tag: '{%s}%s' % (NSMAP['enc'], tag)self._aes = AES.new(bookkey, AES.MODE_CBC)encryption = etree.fromstring(encryption)self._encrypted = encrypted = set()expr = './%s/%s/%s' % (enc('EncryptedData'), enc('CipherData'),enc('CipherReference'))for elem in encryption.findall(expr):path = elem.get('URI', None)if path is not None:encrypted.add(path)def decompress(self, bytes):dc = zlib.decompressobj(-15)bytes = dc.decompress(bytes)ex = dc.decompress('Z') + dc.flush()if ex:bytes = bytes + exreturn bytesdef decrypt(self, path, data):if path in self._encrypted:data = self._aes.decrypt(data)[16:]data = data[:-ord(data[-1])]data = self.decompress(data)return dataclass ADEPTError(Exception):passdef cli_main(argv=sys.argv):progname = os.path.basename(argv[0])if AES is None:print "%s: This script requires PyCrypto, which must be installed " \"separately. Read the top-of-script comment for details." % \(progname,)return 1if len(argv) != 4:print "usage: %s KEYFILE INBOOK OUTBOOK" % (progname,)return 1keypath, inpath, outpath = argv[1:]with open(keypath, 'rb') as f:keyder = f.read()key = ASN1Parser([ord(x) for x in keyder])key = [bytesToNumber(key.getChild(x).value) for x in xrange(1, 4)]rsa = RSA.construct(key)with closing(ZipFile(open(inpath, 'rb'))) as inf:namelist = set(inf.namelist())if 'META-INF/rights.xml' not in namelist or \'META-INF/encryption.xml' not in namelist:raise ADEPTError('%s: not an ADEPT EPUB' % (inpath,))for name in META_NAMES:namelist.remove(name)rights = etree.fromstring(inf.read('META-INF/rights.xml'))adept = lambda tag: '{%s}%s' % (NSMAP['adept'], tag)expr = './/%s' % (adept('encryptedKey'),)bookkey = ''.join(rights.findtext(expr))bookkey = rsa.decrypt(bookkey.decode('base64'))# Padded as per RSAES-PKCS1-v1_5if bookkey[-17] != '\x00':raise ADEPTError('problem decrypting session key')encryption = inf.read('META-INF/encryption.xml')decryptor = Decryptor(bookkey[-16:], encryption)kwds = dict(compression=ZIP_DEFLATED, allowZip64=False)with closing(ZipFile(open(outpath, 'wb'), 'w', **kwds)) as outf:zi = ZipInfo('mimetype', compress_type=ZIP_STORED)outf.writestr(zi, inf.read('mimetype'))for path in namelist:data = inf.read(path)outf.writestr(path, decryptor.decrypt(path, data))return 0class DecryptionDialog(Tkinter.Frame):def __init__(self, root):Tkinter.Frame.__init__(self, root, border=5)self.status = Tkinter.Label(self, text='Select files for decryption')self.status.pack(fill=Tkconstants.X, expand=1)body = Tkinter.Frame(self)body.pack(fill=Tkconstants.X, expand=1)sticky = Tkconstants.E + Tkconstants.Wbody.grid_columnconfigure(1, weight=2)Tkinter.Label(body, text='Key file').grid(row=0)self.keypath = Tkinter.Entry(body, width=30)self.keypath.grid(row=0, column=1, sticky=sticky)if os.path.exists('adeptkey.der'):self.keypath.insert(0, 'adeptkey.der')button = Tkinter.Button(body, text="...", command=self.get_keypath)button.grid(row=0, column=2)Tkinter.Label(body, text='Input file').grid(row=1)self.inpath = Tkinter.Entry(body, width=30)self.inpath.grid(row=1, column=1, sticky=sticky)button = Tkinter.Button(body, text="...", command=self.get_inpath)button.grid(row=1, column=2)Tkinter.Label(body, text='Output file').grid(row=2)self.outpath = Tkinter.Entry(body, width=30)self.outpath.grid(row=2, column=1, sticky=sticky)button = Tkinter.Button(body, text="...", command=self.get_outpath)button.grid(row=2, column=2)buttons = Tkinter.Frame(self)buttons.pack()botton = Tkinter.Button(buttons, text="Decrypt", width=10, command=self.decrypt)botton.pack(side=Tkconstants.LEFT)Tkinter.Frame(buttons, width=10).pack(side=Tkconstants.LEFT)button = Tkinter.Button(buttons, text="Quit", width=10, command=self.quit)button.pack(side=Tkconstants.RIGHT)def get_keypath(self):keypath = tkFileDialog.askopenfilename(parent=None, title='Select ADEPT key file',defaultextension='.der', filetypes=[('DER-encoded files', '.der'),('All Files', '.*')])if keypath:keypath = os.path.normpath(keypath)self.keypath.delete(0, Tkconstants.END)self.keypath.insert(0, keypath)returndef get_inpath(self):inpath = tkFileDialog.askopenfilename(parent=None, title='Select ADEPT-encrypted EPUB file to decrypt',defaultextension='.epub', filetypes=[('EPUB files', '.epub'),('All files', '.*')])if inpath:inpath = os.path.normpath(inpath)self.inpath.delete(0, Tkconstants.END)self.inpath.insert(0, inpath)returndef get_outpath(self):outpath = tkFileDialog.asksaveasfilename(parent=None, title='Select unencrypted EPUB file to produce',defaultextension='.epub', filetypes=[('EPUB files', '.epub'),('All files', '.*')])if outpath:outpath = os.path.normpath(outpath)self.outpath.delete(0, Tkconstants.END)self.outpath.insert(0, outpath)returndef decrypt(self):keypath = self.keypath.get()inpath = self.inpath.get()outpath = self.outpath.get()if not keypath or not os.path.exists(keypath):self.status['text'] = 'Specified key file does not exist'returnif not inpath or not os.path.exists(inpath):self.status['text'] = 'Specified input file does not exist'returnif not outpath:self.status['text'] = 'Output file not specified'returnif inpath == outpath:self.status['text'] = 'Must have different input and output files'returnargv = [sys.argv[0], keypath, inpath, outpath]self.status['text'] = 'Decrypting...'try:cli_main(argv)except Exception, e:self.status['text'] = 'Error: ' + str(e)returnself.status['text'] = 'File successfully decrypted'def gui_main():root = Tkinter.Tk()if AES is None:root.withdraw()tkMessageBox.showerror("INEPT EPUB Decrypter","This script requires PyCrypto, which must be installed ""separately. Read the top-of-script comment for details.")return 1root.title('INEPT EPUB Decrypter')root.resizable(True, False)root.minsize(300, 0)DecryptionDialog(root).pack(fill=Tkconstants.X, expand=1)root.mainloop()return 0if __name__ == '__main__':# sys.exit(cli_main())sys.exit(gui_main())

Ineptkey.pyw Version 4.3

2010-06-04T16:30:00.000-04:00

The following link is Ineptkey.pyw 4.3. It is what you need to generate the adeptkey.der file with the new Adobe Digital Editions 1.7.2.

Ineptkey_v4.3.pwy

Using the Python GUI, also called IDLE, open the ineptkey.pyw file and then under the RUN tab, hit the RUN MODULE command. This should get you the Adeptkey needed to break the adobe adept drm on epub files. The file created should automatically save under the python26 directory and be named adeptkey.der.

Then you need to run Ineptepub.pyw. Instructions and download included in the linked post.

and remember, please click on the code tag to see the other posts about DRM removal.

Unskindle- A Step by Step Guide

2010-05-28T16:55:00.004-04:00

As many of you are aware of [and those who aren't], Unswindle.pyw is no longer working with the new version of K4PC. [as of May 20th anyway]. While you can work around it with installing an older version of K4PC, you have to delete the new one, delete all files relative to it [ie, my kindle folder, etc] and turn off autoupdate. And I can guarantee that K4PC will eventually force you to update anyway :-)

So, Unskindle is still working. Download it HERE or HERE. Install to C:\skindle. Makes life easier, trust me.

Now, to de-drm your mobi, azw or prc book.

skindle [-d] [-v] -i -o [-k kindle.info file] [-p pid]

-d optional, for topaz files only, produce a decompressed output file
-i required name of the input mobi or topaz file
-o required name of the output file to generate
-k optional kindle.info path
-v dump the contents of kindle.info
-p additional PID values to attempt (can specifiy multiple times)

So to decode a non-Topaz file you should do the following:

1. In Windows, create a new folder and copy in the skindle.exe program, and copy in the book you want to remove the drm from

2. open a terminal (run command.exe) and use the cd command to change directories to your new folder (the one with skindle.exe and the book in it).

3. type in the following command line

skindle -i NAME_OF_INPUT_FILE -o NEW_NAME_FOR_OUTPUT_FILE

replacing NAME_OF_INPUT_FILE and NEW_NAME_FOR_OUTPUT_FILE as appropriate and it should do the rest.

And now an example:

1. If you are using Windows, create a separate directory for skindle such as C:\skindle

2. Copy the book you want to work with into this same directory. Looks like this: Superbook.azw

3. Open a dos window. Start – All Programs – Accessories – Command Prompt

4. go to the skindle directory. CD C:\skindle

5. To convert type as follows:

skindle -i superbook.azw -o superbook1.azw For non-Topaz

skindle -d -i suckerbook.tpz -o suckerbook1.tpz For Topaz

Output file name must be different from input name and no spaces are allowed in the file names.

Finally, to convert azw files to other formats, simply use Calibre, a free ebook manager that also allows you to change the formats of your drm-free ebooks quite easily.

Mobidedrm.py Script

2010-05-28T16:50:00.002-04:00

The following script is Mobidedrm.py [version .16], the necessary script for getting rid of DRM on .Mobi files.

Save it as Mobidedrm.py in your python directory to allow Unswindle.pyw to work uninpeded.

Mobidedrm .16

UPDATE:
As Unswindle.pyw no longer works, please use Unskindle. Downloads and instructions in the linked post

Unswindle.PYW Script (v.06)

2010-05-28T16:30:00.000-04:00

Unswindle.pyw no longer appears to be working, at least with as of May 20th, with the latest K4PC update.

Try Unskindle, with the step by step.

Below the **** line is the script for Unswindle.pyw (version 6), the decrypter necessary to turn .AZW [kindle] files into .mobi files.

You'll need Python 2.6 installed and K4PC installed with an amazon account set up. [Kindle for PC]. You will also need Mobidedrm.py in the same directory as the Unswindle.pyw to remove the DRM.

1: Save this script as Unswindle.pyw in your Python directory

2: VERY IMPORTANT-double click [or single if you have your setup to emulate a webpage] the Unswindle.pyw file. Do NOT open and run it with the Python Gui [IDLE].

3: K4PC will open.

4: Select the book you want to unlock and actually open it.

5: Close K4PC

6: After closing, a new window will pop up with the title "Select Unencrypted Mobipocket File to produce". This is where you type in what you want the new unencrypted file to be called. Default location is your python directory.

7: Type in the title, and bam, you have a new .mobi file, fully ready to be changed to whatever format you desire. I recommend Calibre, a fantastic free piece of software.

So there you go. Oh, yeah. Doesn't work on .TPZ[Topaz] files. When I find the stuff for that, I'll be posting it here too.

I am not 100% sure this script will work with a copy and paste because some of the indents might have been impacted when I copied them here to blogger. But the page size is the same as the python gui page, so it "should" be ok. If you have a problem, email me and I'll email the actual Unswindle.pyw file to you.

Elfenknight@juno.com

ps,
don't forget to click on the label "code" at the bottom right of the post to see my other script posts

*************************************************************************************

# Revision history:
# 1 - Initial release
# 2 - Fixes to work properly on Windows versions >XP
# 3 - Fix minor bug in path extraction
# 4 - Fix error opening threads; detect Topaz books;
# detect unsupported versions of K4PC
# 5 - Work with new (20091222) version of K4PC
# 6 - Detect and just copy DRM-free books

"""
Decrypt Kindle For PC encrypted Mobipocket books.
"""

__license__ = 'GPL v3'

import sys
import os
import re
import tempfile
import shutil
import subprocess
import struct
import hashlib
import ctypes
from ctypes import *
from ctypes.wintypes import *
import binascii
import _winreg as winreg
import Tkinter
import Tkconstants
import tkMessageBox
import tkFileDialog
import traceback

#
# _extrawintypes.py

UBYTE = c_ubyte
ULONG_PTR = POINTER(ULONG)
PULONG = ULONG_PTR
PVOID = LPVOID
LPCTSTR = LPTSTR = c_wchar_p
LPBYTE = c_char_p
SIZE_T = c_uint
SIZE_T_p = POINTER(SIZE_T)

#
# _ntdll.py

NTSTATUS = DWORD

ntdll = windll.ntdll

class PROCESS_BASIC_INFORMATION(Structure):
_fields_ = [('Reserved1', PVOID),
('PebBaseAddress', PVOID),
('Reserved2', PVOID * 2),
('UniqueProcessId', ULONG_PTR),
('Reserved3', PVOID)]

# NTSTATUS WINAPI NtQueryInformationProcess(
# __in HANDLE ProcessHandle,
# __in PROCESSINFOCLASS ProcessInformationClass,
# __out PVOID ProcessInformation,
# __in ULONG ProcessInformationLength,
# __out_opt PULONG ReturnLength
# );
NtQueryInformationProcess = ntdll.NtQueryInformationProcess
NtQueryInformationProcess.argtypes = [HANDLE, DWORD, PVOID, ULONG, PULONG]
NtQueryInformationProcess.restype = NTSTATUS

#
# _kernel32.py

INFINITE = 0xffffffff

CREATE_UNICODE_ENVIRONMENT = 0x00000400
DEBUG_ONLY_THIS_PROCESS = 0x00000002
DEBUG_PROCESS = 0x00000001

THREAD_GET_CONTEXT = 0x0008
THREAD_QUERY_INFORMATION = 0x0040
THREAD_SET_CONTEXT = 0x0010
THREAD_SET_INFORMATION = 0x0020

EXCEPTION_BREAKPOINT = 0x80000003
EXCEPTION_SINGLE_STEP = 0x80000004
EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION = 0xC0000005

DBG_CONTINUE = 0x00010002L
DBG_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED = 0x80010001L

EXCEPTION_DEBUG_EVENT = 1
CREATE_THREAD_DEBUG_EVENT = 2
CREATE_PROCESS_DEBUG_EVENT = 3
EXIT_THREAD_DEBUG_EVENT = 4
EXIT_PROCESS_DEBUG_EVENT = 5
LOAD_DLL_DEBUG_EVENT = 6
UNLOAD_DLL_DEBUG_EVENT = 7
OUTPUT_DEBUG_STRING_EVENT = 8
RIP_EVENT = 9

class DataBlob(Structure):
_fields_ = [('cbData', c_uint),
('pbData', c_void_p)]
DataBlob_p = POINTER(DataBlob)

class SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES(Structure):
_fields_ = [('nLength', DWORD),
('lpSecurityDescriptor', LPVOID),
('bInheritHandle', BOOL)]
LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES = POINTER(SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES)

class STARTUPINFO(Structure):
_fields_ = [('cb', DWORD),
('lpReserved', LPTSTR),
('lpDesktop', LPTSTR),
('lpTitle', LPTSTR),
('dwX', DWORD),
('dwY', DWORD),
('dwXSize', DWORD),
('dwYSize', DWORD),
('dwXCountChars', DWORD),
('dwYCountChars', DWORD),
('dwFillAttribute', DWORD),
('dwFlags', DWORD),
('wShowWindow', WORD),
('cbReserved2', WORD),
('lpReserved2', LPBYTE),
('hStdInput', HANDLE),
('hStdOutput', HANDLE),
('hStdError', HANDLE)]
LPSTARTUPINFO = POINTER(STARTUPINFO)

class PROCESS_INFORMATION(Structure):
_fields_ = [('hProcess', HANDLE),
('hThread', HANDLE),
('dwProcessId', DWORD),
('dwThreadId', DWORD)]
LPPROCESS_INFORMATION = POINTER(PROCESS_INFORMATION)

EXCEPTION_MAXIMUM_PARAMETERS = 15
class EXCEPTION_RECORD(Structure):
pass
EXCEPTION_RECORD._fields_ = [
('ExceptionCode', DWORD),
('ExceptionFlags', DWORD),
('ExceptionRecord', POINTER(EXCEPTION_RECORD)),
('ExceptionAddress', LPVOID),
('NumberParameters', DWORD),
('ExceptionInformation', ULONG_PTR * EXCEPTION_MAXIMUM_PARAMETERS)]

class EXCEPTION_DEBUG_INFO(Structure):
_fields_ = [('ExceptionRecord', EXCEPTION_RECORD),
('dwFirstChance', DWORD)]

class CREATE_THREAD_DEBUG_INFO(Structure):
_fields_ = [('hThread', HANDLE),
('lpThreadLocalBase', LPVOID),
('lpStartAddress', LPVOID)]

class CREATE_PROCESS_DEBUG_INFO(Structure):
_fields_ = [('hFile', HANDLE),
('hProcess', HANDLE),
('hThread', HANDLE),
('dwDebugInfoFileOffset', DWORD),
('nDebugInfoSize', DWORD),
('lpThreadLocalBase', LPVOID),
('lpStartAddress', LPVOID),
('lpImageName', LPVOID),
('fUnicode', WORD)]

class EXIT_THREAD_DEBUG_INFO(Structure):
_fields_ = [('dwExitCode', DWORD)]

class EXIT_PROCESS_DEBUG_INFO(Structure):
_fields_ = [('dwExitCode', DWORD)]

class LOAD_DLL_DEBUG_INFO(Structure):
_fields_ = [('hFile', HANDLE),
('lpBaseOfDll', LPVOID),
('dwDebugInfoFileOffset', DWORD),
('nDebugInfoSize', DWORD),
('lpImageName', LPVOID),
('fUnicode', WORD)]

class UNLOAD_DLL_DEBUG_INFO(Structure):
_fields_ = [('lpBaseOfDll', LPVOID)]

class OUTPUT_DEBUG_STRING_INFO(Structure):
_fields_ = [('lpDebugStringData', LPSTR),
('fUnicode', WORD),
('nDebugStringLength', WORD)]

class RIP_INFO(Structure):
_fields_ = [('dwError', DWORD),
('dwType', DWORD)]

class _U(Union):
_fields_ = [('Exception', EXCEPTION_DEBUG_INFO),
('CreateThread', CREATE_THREAD_DEBUG_INFO),
('CreateProcessInfo', CREATE_PROCESS_DEBUG_INFO),
('ExitThread', EXIT_THREAD_DEBUG_INFO),
('ExitProcess', EXIT_PROCESS_DEBUG_INFO),
('LoadDll', LOAD_DLL_DEBUG_INFO),
('UnloadDll', UNLOAD_DLL_DEBUG_INFO),
('DebugString', OUTPUT_DEBUG_STRING_INFO),
('RipInfo', RIP_INFO)]

class DEBUG_EVENT(Structure):
_anonymous_ = ('u',)
_fields_ = [('dwDebugEventCode', DWORD),
('dwProcessId', DWORD),
('dwThreadId', DWORD),
('u', _U)]
LPDEBUG_EVENT = POINTER(DEBUG_EVENT)

CONTEXT_X86 = 0x00010000
CONTEXT_i386 = CONTEXT_X86
CONTEXT_i486 = CONTEXT_X86

CONTEXT_CONTROL = (CONTEXT_i386 | 0x0001) # SS:SP, CS:IP, FLAGS, BP
CONTEXT_INTEGER = (CONTEXT_i386 | 0x0002) # AX, BX, CX, DX, SI, DI
CONTEXT_SEGMENTS = (CONTEXT_i386 | 0x0004) # DS, ES, FS, GS
CONTEXT_FLOATING_POINT = (CONTEXT_i386 | 0x0008L) # 387 state
CONTEXT_DEBUG_REGISTERS = (CONTEXT_i386 | 0x0010L) # DB 0-3,6,7
CONTEXT_EXTENDED_REGISTERS = (CONTEXT_i386 | 0x0020L)
CONTEXT_FULL = (CONTEXT_CONTROL | CONTEXT_INTEGER | CONTEXT_SEGMENTS)
CONTEXT_ALL = (CONTEXT_CONTROL | CONTEXT_INTEGER | CONTEXT_SEGMENTS |
CONTEXT_FLOATING_POINT | CONTEXT_DEBUG_REGISTERS |
CONTEXT_EXTENDED_REGISTERS)

SIZE_OF_80387_REGISTERS = 80
class FLOATING_SAVE_AREA(Structure):
_fields_ = [('ControlWord', DWORD),
('StatusWord', DWORD),
('TagWord', DWORD),
('ErrorOffset', DWORD),
('ErrorSelector', DWORD),
('DataOffset', DWORD),
('DataSelector', DWORD),
('RegisterArea', BYTE * SIZE_OF_80387_REGISTERS),
('Cr0NpxState', DWORD)]

MAXIMUM_SUPPORTED_EXTENSION = 512
class CONTEXT(Structure):
_fields_ = [('ContextFlags', DWORD),
('Dr0', DWORD),
('Dr1', DWORD),
('Dr2', DWORD),
('Dr3', DWORD),
('Dr6', DWORD),
('Dr7', DWORD),
('FloatSave', FLOATING_SAVE_AREA),
('SegGs', DWORD),
('SegFs', DWORD),
('SegEs', DWORD),
('SegDs', DWORD),
('Edi', DWORD),
('Esi', DWORD),
('Ebx', DWORD),
('Edx', DWORD),
('Ecx', DWORD),
('Eax', DWORD),
('Ebp', DWORD),
('Eip', DWORD),
('SegCs', DWORD),
('EFlags', DWORD),
('Esp', DWORD),
('SegSs', DWORD),
('ExtendedRegisters', BYTE * MAXIMUM_SUPPORTED_EXTENSION)]
LPCONTEXT = POINTER(CONTEXT)

class LDT_ENTRY(Structure):
_fields_ = [('LimitLow', WORD),
('BaseLow', WORD),
('BaseMid', UBYTE),
('Flags1', UBYTE),
('Flags2', UBYTE),
('BaseHi', UBYTE)]
LPLDT_ENTRY = POINTER(LDT_ENTRY)

kernel32 = windll.kernel32

# BOOL WINAPI CloseHandle(
# __in HANDLE hObject
# );
CloseHandle = kernel32.CloseHandle
CloseHandle.argtypes = [HANDLE]
CloseHandle.restype = BOOL

# BOOL WINAPI CreateProcess(
# __in_opt LPCTSTR lpApplicationName,
# __inout_opt LPTSTR lpCommandLine,
# __in_opt LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lpProcessAttributes,
# __in_opt LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lpThreadAttributes,
# __in BOOL bInheritHandles,
# __in DWORD dwCreationFlags,
# __in_opt LPVOID lpEnvironment,
# __in_opt LPCTSTR lpCurrentDirectory,
# __in LPSTARTUPINFO lpStartupInfo,
# __out LPPROCESS_INFORMATION lpProcessInformation
# );
CreateProcess = kernel32.CreateProcessW
CreateProcess.argtypes = [LPCTSTR, LPTSTR, LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES,
LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES, BOOL, DWORD, LPVOID, LPCTSTR,
LPSTARTUPINFO, LPPROCESS_INFORMATION]
CreateProcess.restype = BOOL

# HANDLE WINAPI OpenThread(
# __in DWORD dwDesiredAccess,
# __in BOOL bInheritHandle,
# __in DWORD dwThreadId
# );
OpenThread = kernel32.OpenThread
OpenThread.argtypes = [DWORD, BOOL, DWORD]
OpenThread.restype = HANDLE

# BOOL WINAPI ContinueDebugEvent(
# __in DWORD dwProcessId,
# __in DWORD dwThreadId,
# __in DWORD dwContinueStatus
# );
ContinueDebugEvent = kernel32.ContinueDebugEvent
ContinueDebugEvent.argtypes = [DWORD, DWORD, DWORD]
ContinueDebugEvent.restype = BOOL

# BOOL WINAPI DebugActiveProcess(
# __in DWORD dwProcessId
# );
DebugActiveProcess = kernel32.DebugActiveProcess
DebugActiveProcess.argtypes = [DWORD]
DebugActiveProcess.restype = BOOL

# BOOL WINAPI GetThreadContext(
# __in HANDLE hThread,
# __inout LPCONTEXT lpContext
# );
GetThreadContext = kernel32.GetThreadContext
GetThreadContext.argtypes = [HANDLE, LPCONTEXT]
GetThreadContext.restype = BOOL

# BOOL WINAPI GetThreadSelectorEntry(
# __in HANDLE hThread,
# __in DWORD dwSelector,
# __out LPLDT_ENTRY lpSelectorEntry
# );
GetThreadSelectorEntry = kernel32.GetThreadSelectorEntry
GetThreadSelectorEntry.argtypes = [HANDLE, DWORD, LPLDT_ENTRY]
GetThreadSelectorEntry.restype = BOOL

# BOOL WINAPI ReadProcessMemory(
# __in HANDLE hProcess,
# __in LPCVOID lpBaseAddress,
# __out LPVOID lpBuffer,
# __in SIZE_T nSize,
# __out SIZE_T *lpNumberOfBytesRead
# );
ReadProcessMemory = kernel32.ReadProcessMemory
ReadProcessMemory.argtypes = [HANDLE, LPCVOID, LPVOID, SIZE_T, SIZE_T_p]
ReadProcessMemory.restype = BOOL

# BOOL WINAPI SetThreadContext(
# __in HANDLE hThread,
# __in const CONTEXT *lpContext
# );
SetThreadContext = kernel32.SetThreadContext
SetThreadContext.argtypes = [HANDLE, LPCONTEXT]
SetThreadContext.restype = BOOL

# BOOL WINAPI WaitForDebugEvent(
# __out LPDEBUG_EVENT lpDebugEvent,
# __in DWORD dwMilliseconds
# );
WaitForDebugEvent = kernel32.WaitForDebugEvent
WaitForDebugEvent.argtypes = [LPDEBUG_EVENT, DWORD]
WaitForDebugEvent.restype = BOOL

# BOOL WINAPI WriteProcessMemory(
# __in HANDLE hProcess,
# __in LPVOID lpBaseAddress,
# __in LPCVOID lpBuffer,
# __in SIZE_T nSize,
# __out SIZE_T *lpNumberOfBytesWritten
# );
WriteProcessMemory = kernel32.WriteProcessMemory
WriteProcessMemory.argtypes = [HANDLE, LPVOID, LPCVOID, SIZE_T, SIZE_T_p]
WriteProcessMemory.restype = BOOL

# BOOL WINAPI FlushInstructionCache(
# __in HANDLE hProcess,
# __in LPCVOID lpBaseAddress,
# __in SIZE_T dwSize
# );
FlushInstructionCache = kernel32.FlushInstructionCache
FlushInstructionCache.argtypes = [HANDLE, LPCVOID, SIZE_T]
FlushInstructionCache.restype = BOOL

#
# debugger.py

FLAG_TRACE_BIT = 0x100

class DebuggerError(Exception):
pass

class Debugger(object):
def __init__(self, process_info):
self.process_info = process_info
self.pid = process_info.dwProcessId
self.tid = process_info.dwThreadId
self.hprocess = process_info.hProcess
self.hthread = process_info.hThread
self._threads = {self.tid: self.hthread}
self._processes = {self.pid: self.hprocess}
self._bps = {}
self._inactive = {}

def read_process_memory(self, addr, size=None, type=str):
if issubclass(type, basestring):
buf = ctypes.create_string_buffer(size)
ref = buf
else:
size = ctypes.sizeof(type)
buf = type()
ref = byref(buf)
copied = SIZE_T(0)
rv = ReadProcessMemory(self.hprocess, addr, ref, size, byref(copied))
if not rv:
addr = getattr(addr, 'value', addr)
raise DebuggerError("could not read memory @ 0x%08x" % (addr,))
if copied.value != size:
raise DebuggerError("insufficient memory read")
if issubclass(type, basestring):
return buf.raw
return buf

def set_bp(self, addr, callback, bytev=None):
hprocess = self.hprocess
if bytev is None:
byte = self.read_process_memory(addr, type=ctypes.c_byte)
bytev = byte.value
else:
byte = ctypes.c_byte(0)
self._bps[addr] = (bytev, callback)
byte.value = 0xcc
copied = SIZE_T(0)
rv = WriteProcessMemory(hprocess, addr, byref(byte), 1, byref(copied))
if not rv:
addr = getattr(addr, 'value', addr)
raise DebuggerError("could not write memory @ 0x%08x" % (addr,))
if copied.value != 1:
raise DebuggerError("insufficient memory written")
rv = FlushInstructionCache(hprocess, None, 0)
if not rv:
raise DebuggerError("could not flush instruction cache")
return

def _restore_bps(self):
for addr, (bytev, callback) in self._inactive.items():
self.set_bp(addr, callback, bytev=bytev)
self._inactive.clear()

def _handle_bp(self, addr):
hprocess = self.hprocess
hthread = self.hthread
bytev, callback = self._inactive[addr] = self._bps.pop(addr)
byte = ctypes.c_byte(bytev)
copied = SIZE_T(0)
rv = WriteProcessMemory(hprocess, addr, byref(byte), 1, byref(copied))
if not rv:
raise DebuggerError("could not write memory")
if copied.value != 1:
raise DebuggerError("insufficient memory written")
rv = FlushInstructionCache(hprocess, None, 0)
if not rv:
raise DebuggerError("could not flush instruction cache")
context = CONTEXT(ContextFlags=CONTEXT_FULL)
rv = GetThreadContext(hthread, byref(context))
if not rv:
raise DebuggerError("could not get thread context")
context.Eip = addr
callback(self, context)
context.EFlags |= FLAG_TRACE_BIT
rv = SetThreadContext(hthread, byref(context))
if not rv:
raise DebuggerError("could not set thread context")
return

def _get_peb_address(self):
hthread = self.hthread
hprocess = self.hprocess
try:
pbi = PROCESS_BASIC_INFORMATION()
rv = NtQueryInformationProcess(hprocess, 0, byref(pbi),
sizeof(pbi), None)
if rv != 0:
raise DebuggerError("could not query process information")
return pbi.PebBaseAddress
except DebuggerError:
pass
try:
context = CONTEXT(ContextFlags=CONTEXT_FULL)
rv = GetThreadContext(hthread, byref(context))
if not rv:
raise DebuggerError("could not get thread context")
entry = LDT_ENTRY()
rv = GetThreadSelectorEntry(hthread, context.SegFs, byref(entry))
if not rv:
raise DebuggerError("could not get selector entry")
low, mid, high = entry.BaseLow, entry.BaseMid, entry.BaseHi
fsbase = low | (mid << 16) | (high << 24)pebaddr = self.read_process_memory(fsbase + 0x30, type=c_voidp)return pebaddr.valueexcept DebuggerError:passreturn 0x7ffdf000def get_base_address(self):addr = self._get_peb_address() + (2 * 4)baseaddr = self.read_process_memory(addr, type=c_voidp)return baseaddr.valuedef main_loop(self):event = DEBUG_EVENT()finished = Falsewhile not finished:rv = WaitForDebugEvent(byref(event), INFINITE)if not rv:raise DebuggerError("could not get debug event")self.pid = pid = event.dwProcessIdself.tid = tid = event.dwThreadIdself.hprocess = self._processes.get(pid, None)self.hthread = self._threads.get(tid, None)status = DBG_CONTINUEevid = event.dwDebugEventCodeif evid == EXCEPTION_DEBUG_EVENT:first = event.Exception.dwFirstChancerecord = event.Exception.ExceptionRecordexid = record.ExceptionCodeflags = record.ExceptionFlagsaddr = record.ExceptionAddressif exid == EXCEPTION_BREAKPOINT:if addr in self._bps:self._handle_bp(addr)elif exid == EXCEPTION_SINGLE_STEP:self._restore_bps()else:status = DBG_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLEDelif evid == LOAD_DLL_DEBUG_EVENT:hfile = event.LoadDll.hFileif hfile is not None:rv = CloseHandle(hfile)if not rv:raise DebuggerError("error closing file handle")elif evid == CREATE_THREAD_DEBUG_EVENT:info = event.CreateThreadself.hthread = info.hThreadself._threads[tid] = self.hthreadelif evid == EXIT_THREAD_DEBUG_EVENT:hthread = self._threads.pop(tid, None)if hthread is not None:rv = CloseHandle(hthread)if not rv:raise DebuggerError("error closing thread handle")elif evid == CREATE_PROCESS_DEBUG_EVENT:info = event.CreateProcessInfoself.hprocess = info.hProcessself._processes[pid] = self.hprocesselif evid == EXIT_PROCESS_DEBUG_EVENT:hprocess = self._processes.pop(pid, None)if hprocess is not None:rv = CloseHandle(hprocess)if not rv:raise DebuggerError("error closing process handle")if pid == self.process_info.dwProcessId:finished = Truerv = ContinueDebugEvent(pid, tid, status)if not rv:raise DebuggerError("could not continue debug")return True## unswindle.pyKINDLE_REG_KEY = \r'Software\Classes\Amazon.KindleForPC.content\shell\open\command'class UnswindleError(Exception):passclass PC1KeyGrabber(object):HOOKS = {'b9f7e422094b8c8966a0e881e6358116e03e5b7b': {0x004a719d: '_no_debugger_here',0x005a795b: '_no_debugger_here',0x0054f7e0: '_get_pc1_pid',0x004f9c79: '_get_book_path',},'d5124ee20dab10e44b41a039363f6143725a5417': {0x0041150d: '_i_like_wine',0x004a681d: '_no_debugger_here',0x005a438b: '_no_debugger_here',0x0054c9e0: '_get_pc1_pid',0x004f8ac9: '_get_book_path',},}@classmethoddef supported_version(cls, hexdigest):return (hexdigest in cls.HOOKS)def _taddr(self, addr):return (addr - 0x00400000) + self.baseaddrdef __init__(self, debugger, hexdigest):self.book_path = Noneself.book_pid = Noneself.baseaddr = debugger.get_base_address()hooks = self.HOOKS[hexdigest]for addr, mname in hooks.items():debugger.set_bp(self._taddr(addr), getattr(self, mname))def _i_like_wine(self, debugger, context):context.Eax = 1returndef _no_debugger_here(self, debugger, context):context.Eip += 2context.Eax = 0returndef _get_book_path(self, debugger, context):addr = debugger.read_process_memory(context.Esp, type=ctypes.c_voidp)try:path = debugger.read_process_memory(addr, 4096)except DebuggerError:pgrest = 0x1000 - (addr.value & 0xfff)path = debugger.read_process_memory(addr, pgrest)path = path.decode('utf-16', 'ignore')if u'\0' in path:path = path[:path.index(u'\0')]if path[-4:].lower() not in ('.prc', '.pdb', '.mobi'):returnself.book_path = pathdef _get_pc1_pid(self, debugger, context):addr = context.Esp + ctypes.sizeof(ctypes.c_voidp)addr = debugger.read_process_memory(addr, type=ctypes.c_char_p)pid = debugger.read_process_memory(addr, 8)pid = self._checksum_pid(pid)print pidself.book_pid = piddef _checksum_pid(self, s):letters = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNPQRSTUVWXYZ123456789"crc = (~binascii.crc32(s,-1))&0xFFFFFFFFcrc = crc ^ (crc >> 16)
res = s
l = len(letters)
for i in (0,1):
b = crc & 0xff
pos = (b // l) ^ (b % l)
res += letters[pos%l]
crc >>= 8
return res

class MobiParser(object):
def __init__(self, data):
self.data = data
header = data[0:72]
if header[0x3C:0x3C+8] != 'BOOKMOBI':
raise UnswindleError("invalid file format")
self.nsections = nsections = struct.unpack('>H', data[76:78])[0]
self.sections = sections = []
for i in xrange(nsections):
offset, a1, a2, a3, a4 = \
struct.unpack('>LBBBB', data[78+i*8:78+i*8+8])
flags, val = a1, ((a2 << 16) | (a3 << 8) | a4)sections.append((offset, flags, val))sect = self.load_section(0)self.crypto_type = struct.unpack('>H', sect[0x0c:0x0c+2])[0]

def load_section(self, snum):
if (snum + 1) == self.nsections:
endoff = len(self.data)
else:
endoff = self.sections[snum + 1][0]
off = self.sections[snum][0]
return self.data[off:endoff]

class Unswindler(object):
def __init__(self):
self._exepath = self._get_exe_path()
self._hexdigest = self._get_hexdigest()
self._exedir = os.path.dirname(self._exepath)
self._mobidedrmpath = self._get_mobidedrm_path()

def _get_mobidedrm_path(self):
basedir = sys.modules[self.__module__].__file__
basedir = os.path.dirname(basedir)
for basename in ('mobidedrm', 'mobidedrm.py', 'mobidedrm.pyw'):
path = os.path.join(basedir, basename)
if os.path.isfile(path):
return path
raise UnswindleError("could not locate MobiDeDRM script")

def _get_exe_path(self):
path = None
for root in (winreg.HKEY_CURRENT_USER, winreg.HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE):
try:
regkey = winreg.OpenKey(root, KINDLE_REG_KEY)
path = winreg.QueryValue(regkey, None)
break
except WindowsError:
pass
else:
raise UnswindleError("Kindle For PC installation not found")
if '"' in path:
path = re.search(r'"(.*?)"', path).group(1)
return path

def _get_hexdigest(self):
path = self._exepath
sha1 = hashlib.sha1()
with open(path, 'rb') as f:
data = f.read(4096)
while data:
sha1.update(data)
data = f.read(4096)
hexdigest = sha1.hexdigest()
if not PC1KeyGrabber.supported_version(hexdigest):
raise UnswindleError("Unsupported version of Kindle For PC")
return hexdigest

def _check_topaz(self, path):
with open(path, 'rb') as f:
magic = f.read(4)
if magic == 'TPZ0':
return True
return False

def _check_drm_free(self, path):
with open(path, 'rb') as f:
crypto = MobiParser(f.read()).crypto_type
return (crypto == 0)

def get_book(self):
creation_flags = (CREATE_UNICODE_ENVIRONMENT |
DEBUG_PROCESS |
DEBUG_ONLY_THIS_PROCESS)
startup_info = STARTUPINFO()
process_info = PROCESS_INFORMATION()
path = pid = None
try:
rv = CreateProcess(self._exepath, None, None, None, False,
creation_flags, None, self._exedir,
byref(startup_info), byref(process_info))
if not rv:
raise UnswindleError("failed to launch Kindle For PC")
debugger = Debugger(process_info)
grabber = PC1KeyGrabber(debugger, self._hexdigest)
debugger.main_loop()
path = grabber.book_path
pid = grabber.book_pid
finally:
if process_info.hThread is not None:
CloseHandle(process_info.hThread)
if process_info.hProcess is not None:
CloseHandle(process_info.hProcess)
if path is None:
raise UnswindleError("failed to determine book path")
if self._check_topaz(path):
raise UnswindleError("cannot decrypt Topaz format book")
return (path, pid)

def decrypt_book(self, inpath, outpath, pid):
if self._check_drm_free(inpath):
shutil.copy(inpath, outpath)
else:
self._mobidedrm(inpath, outpath, pid)
return

def _mobidedrm(self, inpath, outpath, pid):
# darkreverser didn't protect mobidedrm's script execution to allow
# importing, so we have to just run it in a subprocess
if pid is None:
raise UnswindleError("failed to determine book PID")
with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(delete=False) as tmpf:
tmppath = tmpf.name
args = [sys.executable, self._mobidedrmpath, inpath, tmppath, pid]
mobidedrm = subprocess.Popen(args, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
universal_newlines=True)
output = mobidedrm.communicate()[0]
if not output.endswith("done\n"):
try:
os.remove(tmppath)
except OSError:
pass
raise UnswindleError("problem running MobiDeDRM:\n" + output)
shutil.move(tmppath, outpath)
return

class ExceptionDialog(Tkinter.Frame):
def __init__(self, root, text):
Tkinter.Frame.__init__(self, root, border=5)
label = Tkinter.Label(self, text="Unexpected error:",
anchor=Tkconstants.W, justify=Tkconstants.LEFT)
label.pack(fill=Tkconstants.X, expand=0)
self.text = Tkinter.Text(self)
self.text.pack(fill=Tkconstants.BOTH, expand=1)
self.text.insert(Tkconstants.END, text)

def gui_main(argv=sys.argv):
root = Tkinter.Tk()
root.withdraw()
progname = os.path.basename(argv[0])
try:
unswindler = Unswindler()
inpath, pid = unswindler.get_book()
outpath = tkFileDialog.asksaveasfilename(
parent=None, title='Select unencrypted Mobipocket file to produce',
defaultextension='.mobi', filetypes=[('MOBI files', '.mobi'),
('All files', '.*')])
if not outpath:
return 0
unswindler.decrypt_book(inpath, outpath, pid)
except UnswindleError, e:
tkMessageBox.showerror("Unswindle For PC", "Error: " + str(e))
return 1
except Exception:
root.wm_state('normal')
root.title('Unswindle For PC')
text = traceback.format_exc()
ExceptionDialog(root, text).pack(fill=Tkconstants.BOTH, expand=1)
root.mainloop()
return 1

def cli_main(argv=sys.argv):
progname = os.path.basename(argv[0])
args = argv[1:]
if len(args) != 1:
sys.stderr.write("usage: %s OUTFILE\n" % (progname,))
return 1
outpath = args[0]
unswindler = Unswindler()
inpath, pid = unswindler.get_book()
unswindler.decrypt_book(inpath, outpath, pid)
return 0

if __name__ == '__main__':
sys.exit(gui_main())

Kindle .AZW DRM Removal

2010-05-15T00:40:00.000-04:00

Here is a step by step walk through for anyone:
Kindle DRM Removal Walk Through

Download links and instructions in the linked post.

ps,
don't forget to click on the label "code" at the bottom right of the post to see my other script posts

Dune Movies - Some Cool Quotes

2010-05-07T20:20:00.004-04:00

It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
It is by the juice of sapho that thoughts acquire speed,
the lips acquire stains, the stains become a warning.
It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.

Not a quote from the book, true, but still, a pretty good summing up of the dangers of being a Mentat. Can't say David Lynch COMPLETELY ruined Dune.

Here's a funny spoof of that:

It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.
It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed,
the hands acquire shakes, the shakes become a warning.
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.

and of course, there is my favorite Dune quote ever,
The Litany Against Fear:

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain

101 Science Fiction Books-Updating List/Poll

2010-05-06T18:05:00.001-04:00

101 Science Fiction Books List/Poll

Quite an interesting list. I think many of the books on the list don't deserve to be there, but that is the wonder of lists. They don't actually MEAN anything except for the meaning we ourselves give them. and of course, lists give us nice ways to compare ourselves to others and feel superior :-)

I've only read around 48 of the list, as it is on 5-6-10, at 6pm. Since the poll is ongoing, I expect the list to change. Some of the stuff on there I think is complete dreck. Other stuff, I don't care for the authors style or the particular sub-genre or or some other thing or whatever. Like I said, lists are meaningless in the longterm, more of a guidepost than mountain hold.

The Big and the Little Things

2010-04-06T00:45:00.002-04:00

Sometimes it seems that the big things, the huge crushing blocks that drop down and pound you into the ground, are easier to deal with than the little things, life's petty annoyances.

The Big Things you have no hope of overcoming, so you go to God and continue, in faith that He'll take care of it. You kind of stand up, grit your teeth and keep on plugging away.

The Little Things though, they seem to be different. Suddenly an avenue of info that you took for granted has been revoked, for no good reason, and your outlet disappears. The light turns red, the one time you're 5min late to an important something or other. Something happens with a computer program that takes an extra 10min and bam, it ruins the whole evening.

The little things build up and up and up. And suddenly you have an avalanche of little stones sweeping all away. Not cool.

Corum: The Prince with the Silver Hand

2010-03-29T17:15:00.007-04:00

Finished scanning and lightly editing Corum: The Prince with the Silver: The Bull and the Spear and Corum: The Prince with the Silver Hand: The Oak and the Ram by Michael Moorcock.

They are available at H33T.

I'll be finishing the final book [The Sword and the Stallion] by the end of the week and it'll be up then too.

Huge Bowl of Cereal II

2010-03-20T08:35:00.001-04:00

Back in July '07, I wrote a very short post about eating A Huge Bowl of Cereal. One of those silly throw-away posts.

Well, ever since then I've been getting hits from people googling "huge bowl of cereal", a couple of times a month.

Now who in the world goes around googling "huge bowl of cereal" anyway? Is there some sort of sickness that makes one want to find out all about "huge bowls of cereal". Hugebowlofcerealitis perhaps?

Star Wars Music Video Spoof

2010-03-05T09:15:00.001-05:00

Don't necessarily approve of the music. But oh my goodness, I laughed my head off! and the tie-ins with the Wizard of Oz and Star Trek, priceless!

Decrypting Adobe Digital Editions 1.7.2 eBooks on Windows

2010-02-23T08:55:00.000-05:00

This post was brought to us by Viva eBooks!. Head on over and tell him what a great guy he is! Links are also at his blog.

Readers,

My original post, which is preserved below for historical purposes but has its text struck through, was wrong in certain important details and quickly outdated in others, for which I humbly apologize. It was an attempt to help you cope with the release of the 1.7.2 update to Adobe Digital Editions. ADE 1.7.2 changed the way a crucial decryption key is stored when the ADE activation takes place — when, that is, you "authorize" your computer to use your Adobe ID and password.

Here is the latest (hopefully correct) information, which is fleshed out in iPhone: Reading Adobe/EPUB eBooks:

There is now (see Step 4 in iPhone: Reading Adobe/EPUB eBooks) a new version (v.4.3) of the ineptkey Python script for Windows users, the purpose of which is to derive a key to decrypt Adobe eBooks, and also a brand new ineptkeymac Python script (v.1) for Mac users, the purpose of which is the same.

Either the ineptkey v.4.3 Python script for Windows users or the new ineptkeymac v.1 script for Mac users will produce an adeptkey.der output file that can be input to version 2 of the ineptepub script. v.2 has been the "standard" ineptepub version for a long time now, and it is again. The purpose of ineptepub is to use the key generated by either ineptkey or ineptkeymac to decrypt Adobe eBooks.

Windows or Mac users can alternatively use ineptepub_auto_version3.pyw (v.3 of ineptepub) or aineptepub.pyw (v.4.1 of ineptepub, which is different from v.4), both of which decrypt whole folders/directories of Adobe eBooks rather than just a single Adobe/EPUB file.

Version 4 of ineptepub does not work with ineptkey v.4.3, the latest ineptkey version, but only with ineptkey v.4.2, which is already obsolete ... as ineptepub v.4 is likewise already obsolete.

While ineptkey v.4.2 was current, it generated an adeptkey4.der (not adeptkey.der) file in a different internal format than adeptkey.der. That file was intended for ineptepub v.4. When ineptkey v.4.3 came out, I mistakenly told readers in my original post below to input its output file to ineptepub v.4, which led to "index out of range" errors.

Any adeptkey.der file that was generated prior to ADE version 1.7.2 is no longer usable with eBooks downloaded with ADE 1.7.2. Even though it's the right format for ineptepub v.2, it will produce a "problem decrypting session key" error when used with ADE 1.7.2-downloaded books. It will work only with books downloaded with ADE 1.7.1 or earlier.

Users that have an old adeptkey.der file that was generated while ADE 1.7.1 was active can, if they wish, hold onto it and use it to decrypt books that they downloaded before the ADE 1.7.2 update. Or they can re-download those books in ADE 1.7.2 and use a newly generated adeptkey.der file, from ineptkey v.4.3 or ineptkeymac v.1, to decrypt the newly downloaded books in any version of ineptepub other than v.4. I recommend the latter course, as it avoids having to keep track of which books were downloaded with which ADE versions.

Again, sorry for all the mix-ups,

VivaEbooks

This post was brought to us by Viva eBooks!. Head on over and tell him what a great guy he is! Links are over at his Blog

and remember, please click on the code tag to read my other DRM stripping posts.

Batch 'o Scripts....

2010-02-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

Below is the link for the latest script package (version 1.71):

If the megaupload expires, email me me know and I'll see what I can do to email it or something. It is about 4.5mb in size:

Elfenknight@juno.com

Some people have been having problems running the exe files. Here's some advice [not from me, from the guy who put this all together :-)]

"You need to extract the complete archive to the same directory (keep the directory structure).

These compiled scripts require the dll files that are in the archive."

ps,
don't forget to click on the label "code" at the bottom right of the post to see my other script posts
***************************************************************************

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=AMLZYT0J

This contains Windows binaries as well as the source code for all of the following except for UNSWINDLE which remains python only

Contents:

Adobe DeDRM scripts:
INEPTKEY
INEPTEPUB

eReader DeDrm scripts:
eRdr2Pml012
ereader2html09
xPml2XHtml018

KINDLE-MOBI fixing scripts:
KINDLEPID
KINDLEFIX

Mobipocket DeDrm Scripts:
MOBIDEDRM09
MOBIHUFF

PC Kindle DeDrm tool:
SKINDLE
UNSWINDLE (Python Script only)

Amazon.com’s Topaz DeDrm Scripts:
CMBTC_DUMP
CMBTC_DUMP_NONK4PC
CONVERT2XML
GENHTML
GENSVG
GENXML

Barnes and Noble Epub DeDrm:
IGNOBLEEPUB
IGNOBLEKEY
IGNOBLEKEYGEN

Lil' Surveyah & Da Crew

2010-01-14T19:05:00.000-05:00

I am starting a Rap Band. I will now be known as Lil' Surveyah. My Band will be Da Crew.

Lil' Surveyah is now accepting applications to be part of Da Crew. No previous experience is necessary. However, in the interview, the applicants will be quizzed on the following:

1: Applicant must be able to scream for long periods of time, uninterrupted.

2: Applicant must be able to say long words, unintelligibly, extremely quickly.

4: Applicant must look good in bling. Bling is anything that is large, gawdy and tactless.

5: That is pretty much it.

Good luck...

OK, I'm Not a Weirdo About Books...

2010-01-03T16:21:00.000-05:00

With the last post about all the books I've read, and keeping a blog dedicated to just the books I've read each month/year, I was wondering if I was a bit over the top. Obsessed, compulsive, just plain nuts.

Well, I am glad to tell you that that title does not belong to me. It belongs to this person:
Regular Book Blog & 2009 Stats WAY OVER THE TOP.

Whew. I feel better about myself now :-) Of course, it has given me ideas :-( Ideas that are hard to resist. So maybe next year I'll have to give myself the Bibliophile Fruitcake Award...

2009 in Book Review

2009-12-31T15:30:00.001-05:00

I read a LOT of books this year. My Book Blog has a month by month journal of what I read, but the following is big "quick" list of what I've read this year.

Title, Author and Number of pages.
Except part way through, I stopped putting the pages for manga, because it was such a pain to figure it out [a lot of manga is not well numbered, ie, 3 or 4 numbered pages in a book].

2009 In Review
1: Shadow of the Hegemon-Orson Scott Card-442
2: Acorna: The Unicorn Girl-Anne McCaffrey & Margaret Ball-254
3: Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa #16-Clamp-184
4: Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa #17-Clamp-182
5: Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa #18-Clamp-184
6: Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa #19-Clamp-183
7: Oh My Goddess! #30-Kosuke Fujishima-151
8: The Three Musketeers-Alexandre Dumas-738
9: One Piece #19-Eiichiro Oda-210
10: Acorna: Acorna's Quest-Anne McCaffrey & Margaret Ball-282
11: The Count of Monte Cristo-Alexandre Dumas-618
12: Dragon Ball #1-Akira Toriyama-175
13: Adam- Ted Dekker-400
14: The Prince of Nothing: The Darkness That Comes Before-R. Scott Bakker-577
15: The Dragon Keeper Chronicles: Dragonspell-Donita K. Paul-334
16: The Last Rune: Beyond the Pale-Mark Anthony-622
17: The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide-Douglas Adams-815
18: Shaman King #13-Hiroyuki Takei-190
19: Shaman King #14-Hiroyuki Takei-190
20: Shaman King #15-Hiroyuki Takei-186
21: Dinosaur Beach-Keith Laumer-186
22: Catch-22-Joseph Heller-443
23: Blessed Child- Ted Dekker & Bill Bright-351
24: A Man Called Blessed-Ted Dekker & Bill Bright-356
25: King Kelson's Bride-Katherine Kurtz-374
26: The Dragonriders of Pern: Dragonflight-Anne McCaffrey-188
27: The Dragonriders of Pern: Dragonquest-Anne McCaffrey-250
28: The Dragonriders of Pern: The White Dragon-Anne McCaffrey-295
29: Hellsing #1-Kohta Hirano-204
30: Hellsing #2-Kohta Hirano-188
31: Hellsing #3-Kohta Hirano-190
32: Hellsing #4-Kohta Hirano-205
33: Amazing Agent Luna Omnibus #1-Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir-502
34: Miss Marjoribanks-Margaret Oliphant-497
35: Noble Dead: Dhampir- Barb & JC Hendee-376
37: The Lost Fleet: Dauntless-Jack Campbell/John Hemry-283
38: The Lost Fleet: Fearless-Jack Campbell/John Hemry-295
39: Oz: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz-Frank Baum-272
40: Inuyasha #1-Rumiko Takahashi-183
41: Inuyasha #2-Rumiko Takahashi-190
42: Hellsing #5-Kohta Hirano-205
43: Hellsing #6-Kohta Hirano-191
44: Hellsing #7-Kohta Hirano-190
45: Battlefield Earth- L. Ron Hubbard-942
46: Oz: The Marvelous Land of Oz-Frank Baum-291
47: Noble Dead: Thief of Lives- Barb & JC Hendee-410
48: Noble Dead: Sister of the Dead- Barb & JC Hendee-405
49: Oz: Ozma of Oz-Frank Baum-272
50: Inuyasha #3-Rumiko Takahashi-196
51: Inuyasha #4-Rumiko Takahashi-186
52: Inuyasha #5-Rumiko Takahashi-190
53: Inuyasha #6-Rumiko Takahashi-188
54: School Rumble #1-Jin Kobayashi-176
55: School Rumble #2-Jin Kobayashi-174
56: School Rumble #3-Jin Kobayashi-174
57: School Rumble #4-Jin Kobayashi-174
58: School Rumble #5-Jin Kobayashi-176
59: American Notes & Pictures from Italy-Charles Dickens-unfinished
60: The Harper Hall of Pern: Dragonsong- Anne McCaffrey-140
61: The Harper Hall of Pern: Dragonsinger- Anne McCaffrey-192
62: The Harper Hall of Pern: Dragondrums- Anne McCaffrey-167
63: Inuyasha #7-Rumiko Takahashi
64: Inuyasha #8-Rumiko Takahashi
65: Inuyasha #9-Rumiko Takahashi
66: Inuyasha #10-Rumiko Takahashi
67: Inuyasha #11-Rumiko Takahashi
68: Inuyasha #12-Rumiko Takahashi
69: Inuyasha #13-Rumiko Takahashi
70: Inuyasha #14-Rumiko Takahashi
71: Inuyasha #15-Rumiko Takahashi
72: Inuyasha #16-Rumiko Takahashi
73: Inuyasha #17-Rumiko Takahashi
74: Inuyasha #18-Rumiko Takahashi
75: Looking Glass: Manxome Foe- John Ringo & Travis Taylor-463
76: Inuyasha #19-Rumiko Takahashi
77: Inuyasha #20-Rumiko Takahashi
78: Inuyasha #21-Rumiko Takahashi
79: Inuyasha #22-Rumiko Takahashi
80: Inuyasha #23-Rumiko Takahashi
81: Inuyasha #24-Rumiko Takahashi
82: StarWars: Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor-Matthew Stover-311
83: A Child's History of England-Charles Dickens-unfinished
84: Noble Dead: Traitor to the Blood- Barb & JC Hendee-396
85: Case Closed #1-Gosho Aoyama
86: Case Closed #2-Gosho Aoyama
87: Case Closed #3-Gosho Aoyama
88: Case Closed #4-Gosho Aoyama
89: Jane Eyre-Charlotte Bronte-502
90: Master Humphrey's Clock-Charles Dickens-144
91: The Bourne Identity-Robert Ludlum-535
92: Oz: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz-Frank Baum-256
93: The Bell at Sealey Head-Patricia McKillip-277
94: The Bourne Supremacy-Robert Ludlum-646
95: The Twelve Kingdoms: The Vast Spread of the Seas- Fuyumi Ono-294
96: Reborn! #1- Akira Amano
97: Reborn! #2- Akira Amano
98: Oz: The Road to Oz-Frank Baum-261
99: More Than One Universe-Arthur C. Clarke-554
100: The Bourne Ultimatum-Robert Ludlum-unfinished
101: Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Cestus Deception-Steven Barnes-457
102: Bridge to Terebithia-Katherine Paterson-191
103: The Council Wars: There Will Be Dragons-John Ringo-719
104: Inuyasha #25-Rumiko Takahashi
105: Inuyasha #26-Rumiko Takahashi
106: Star Wars: The Clone Wars-Karen Traviss-256
106: Recluce: Natural Ordermage-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-496
107: A Madness of Angels-Kate Griffin-538
108: A Two Handed Engine-Henry Kuttner and C.L.Moore-UNFINISHED
109: Oz: The Emerald City of Oz-Frank Baum-UNFINISHED
110: This Is Not A Game-Walter Jon Williams-367
111: Bleach #21-Tite Kubo
112: Bleach #22-Tite Kubo
113: Reborn! #3- Akira Amano
114: Reborn! #4- Akira Amano
115: Reborn! #5- Akira Amano
116: Star Wars: Cloak of Deception-James Luceno-342
117: Red Mars-Kim Stanley Robinson-572
118: The Lost Fleet: Courageous-Jack Campbell-299
119: With Friends Like These...-Alan Dean Foster-232
120: Bleach #23-Tite Kubo
121: Bleach #24-Tite Kubo
122: Bleach #25-Tite Kubo
123: The Lost Fleet: Valiant-Jack Campbell-284
124: The Swan's War: The One Kingdom-Sean Russell-517
125: Xxxholic #13-Clamp
126: The Lost Fleet: Relentless-Jack Campbell-320
127: King Raven: Tuck-Stephen Lawhead-443
128: Taken: The Candle of Distant Earth-Alan Dean Foster-262
129: Star Wars: Coruscant Nights: Jedi Twilight-Michael Reaves-343
130: The Charmed Sphere-Catherine Asaro-473
131: Visions of Fantasy-Isaac Asimov, editor-180
132: Crown of the Isles: The Gods Return-David Drake-398
133: Reborn! #6-Akira Amano
134: Reborn! #7-Akira Amano
135: Fruits Basket #22-Natsuki Takaya
136: Crossroads: Shadow Gate-Kate Elliott-475
137: Pip & Flinx: Running from the Deity-Alan Dean Foster-255
138: Star Wars: Coruscant Nights: Street of Shadows-Michael Reaves-306
139: Corean Chronicles: Alector's Choice-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-510
140: Translucent #1-Kazuhiro Okamoto
141: Yu-Gi-Oh! #1-Kazuki Takahashi
142: Yu-Gi-Oh! #2-Kazuki Takahashi
143: Yu-Gi-Oh! #3-Kazuki Takahashi
144: The Swan's War: The Isle of Battle-Sean Russell-467
145: The Cryptonomicon-Neal Stephenson-UNFINISHED
146: The Council Wars: Emerald Sea-John Ringo-490
147: Reborn! #8-Akira Amano
148: Noble Dead: Rebel Fay-Barb & J.C. Hendee-416
149: Pip & Flinx: Trouble Magnet-Alan Dean Foster-272
150: Inuyasha #27-Rumiko Takahashi
151: The Bronze Canticles: Mystic Quest-Tracy and Laura Hickman-453
152: The Swan's War: The Shadow Roads-Sean Russell-433
153: Vampire Hunter D-Hideyuki Kikuchi-238
154: Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars: The Mandalorian Armor-K.W. Jeter-387
155: Fahrenheit 451-Ray Bradbury-190
156: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle-174
157: The Bronze Canticles: Mystic Empire-Tracy & Laura Hickman-391
158: Inuyasha #28-Rumiko Takahashi
159: Around the World in Eighty Days-Jules Vern-287
160: Frontier Magic: Thirteenth Child-Patricia C. Wrede-344
161: Cat-A-Lyst-Alan Dean Foster-206
162: Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars: Slave Ship-K.W. Jeter-324
163: Night Angel: The Way of Shadows-Brent Weeks-661
164: Star Wars: Coruscant Nights: Patterns of Force-Michael Reaves-288
165: Inuyasha #29-Rumiko Takahashi
166: Firebirds-edited by Sharyn November-420
167: No Need For Tenchi! #1-Hitoshi Okuda
168: No Need For Tenchi! #2-Hitoshi Okuda
169: No Need For Tenchi! #3-Hitoshi Okuda
170: No Need For Tenchi! #4-Hitoshi Okuda
171: No Need For Tenchi! #5-Hitoshi Okuda
172: No Need For Tenchi! #6-Hitoshi Okuda
173: No Need For Tenchi! #7-Hitoshi Okuda
174: No Need For Tenchi! #8-Hitoshi Okuda
175: No Need For Tenchi! #9-Hitoshi Okuda
176: No Need For Tenchi! #10-Hitoshi Okuda
177: No Need For Tenchi! #11-Hitoshi Okuda
177: No Need For Tenchi! #12-Hitoshi Okuda
178: Corean Chronicles: Cadmian's Choice-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-510
179: Yu-Gi-Oh! #4-Kazuki Takahashi
180: Yu-Gi-Oh! #5-Kazuki Takahashi
181: Yu-Gi-Oh! #6-Kazuki Takahashi
182: Yu-Gi-Oh! #7-Kazuki Takahashi
183: The Darkwar Saga: Flight of the Night Hawks-Raymond Feist-UNFINISHED
184: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #1-Hitoshi Okuda
185: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #2-Hitoshi Okuda
186: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #3-Hitoshi Okuda
187: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #4-Hitoshi Okuda
188: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #5-Hitoshi Okuda
189: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #6-Hitoshi Okuda
190: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #7-Hitoshi Okuda
191: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #8-Hitoshi Okuda
192: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #9-Hitoshi Okuda
193: The All-New Tenchi Muyo! #10-Hitoshi Okuda
194: The Last Rune: The Keep of Fire-Mark Anthony-593
195: The Last Rune: The Dark Remains-Mark Anthony-643
196: The Last Rune: Blood of Mystery-Mark Anthony-579
197: The Last Rune: The Gates of Winter-Mark Anthony-565
198: The Last Rune: The First Stone-Mark Anthony-513
199: Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars: Hard Merchandise-K.W. Jeter-338
200: Summer of the Monkeys-Wilson Rawls-283
201: Pern: The Masterharper of Pern- Anne McCaffrey-366
202: Wolf: Through Wolf's Eyes-Jane Lindskold-579
203: Pern: The Renegades of Pern-Anne McCaffrey-305
204: Vampire Hunter D: Raiser of Gales-Hideyuki Kukuchi-215
205: Pip and Flinx: Patrimony-Alan Dean Foster-228
206: Star Wars: Jedi Trial-David Sherman & Dan Cragg-345
207: Vampire Hunter D: Demon Deathchase-Hideyuki Kukuchi-178
208: Magicians of Quality: The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After-Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer-328
209: Vampire Hunter D: Tale of the Dead Town-Hideyuki Kukuchi-167
210: Pern: All the Weyrs of Pern-Anne McCaffrey-404
211: Reborn! #9-Akira Amano
212: Inuyasha #30-Rumiko Takahashi
213: Inuyasha #31-Rumiko Takahashi
214: Imager-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-432
215: Reborn! #10-Akira Amano
216: Codgerspace-Alan Dean Foster-309
217: Corean Chronicles: Soarer's Choice-L.E. Modesitt-540
218: The Red Badge of Courage-Stephen Crane-142
219: Bleach #26-Tite Kubo
220: Wolf: Wolf's Head, Wolf's Heart-Jane Lindskold-602
221: Neon Genesis Evangelion #1-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
222: The Black Stallion-Walter Farley-187
223: JAG in Space: A Just Determination-John G. Hemry-259
223: JAG in Space: Burden of Proof-John G. Hemry-293
223: JAG in Space: Rule of Evidence-John G. Hemry-276
224: The Commonwealth: Drowning World-Alan Dean Foster-315
225: Bartimaeus: The Amulet of Samarkand-J. Stroud-462
226: Neon Genesis Evangelion #2-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
227: Neon Genesis Evangelion #3-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
228: Neon Genesis Evangelion #4-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
229: Neon Genesis Evangelion #5-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
230: Eyeshield 21 #1-Riichiro Inagaki
231: Eyeshield 21 #2-Riichiro Inagaki
232: Eyeshield 21 #3-Riichiro Inagaki
233: Eyeshield 21 #4-Riichiro Inagaki
234: Eyeshield 21 #5-Riichiro Inagaki
235: Eyeshield 21 #6-Riichiro Inagaki
236: Eyeshield 21 #7-Riichiro Inagaki
237: Eyeshield 21 #8-Riichiro Inagaki
238: Eyeshield 21 #9-Riichiro Inagaki
239: Eyeshield 21 #10-Riichiro Inagaki
240: Eyeshield 21 #11-Riichiro Inagaki
241: Eyeshield 21 #12-Riichiro Inagaki
242: Eyeshield 21 #13-Riichiro Inagaki
243: Eyeshield 21 #14-Riichiro Inagaki
244: Eyeshield 21 #15-Riichiro Inagaki
245: Eyeshield 21 #16-Riichiro Inagaki
246: Going Postal-Terry Pratchett-377
247: Lady Audley's Secret-Mary Elizabeth Braddon-440
248: The River Into Darkness: Beneath the Vaulted Hills-Sean Russell-451
249: Star Wars: Millenium Falcon-James Luceno-317
250: Night Angel: Shadow's Edge-Brent Weeks-636
251: Bartimaeus: The Golem's Eye-Jonathan Stroud-562
252: Bleach #27-Tite Kubo
253: Neon Genesis Evangelion #7-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
254: Neon Genesis Evangelion #8-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
255: Neon Genesis Evangelion #9-Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
256: Twilight-Stephanie Meyer-498
257: Wolf: The Dragon of Despair-Jane Lindskold-729
258: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #1-Kazuki Takahashi
259: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #2-Kazuki Takahashi
260: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #3-Kazuki Takahashi
261: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #4-Kazuki Takahashi
262: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #5-Kazuki Takahashi
263: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #6-Kazuki Takahashi
264: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #7-Kazuki Takahashi
265: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #8-Kazuki Takahashi
266: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #9-Kazuki Takahashi
267: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #10-Kazuki Takahashi
268: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #11-Kazuki Takahashi
269: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #12-Kazuki Takahashi
270: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #13-Kazuki Takahashi
271: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #14-Kazuki Takahashi
272: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #15-Kazuki Takahashi
273: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #16-Kazuki Takahashi
274: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #17-Kazuki Takahashi
275: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #18-Kazuki Takahashi
276: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #19-Kazuki Takahashi
277: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #20-Kazuki Takahashi
278: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #21-Kazuki Takahashi
279: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #22-Kazuki Takahashi
280: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #23-Kazuki Takahashi
281: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist #24-Kazuki Takahashi
282: Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa #20-Clamp
283: Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa #21-Clamp
284: Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa #22-Clamp
285: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Outcast-Aaron Allston-302
286: Looking Glass: The Claws that Catch-John Ringo & Travis Taylor-443
287: Noble Dead: Child of a Dead God-Barb & JC Hendee-464
288: Night Angel: Beyond the Shadows-Brent Weeks-720
289: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Omen-Christie Golden-272
290: Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World #1-Kazuki Takahashi
291: Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World #2-Kazuki Takahashi
292: Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World #3-Kazuki Takahashi
293: Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World #4-Kazuki Takahashi
294: Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World #5-Kazuki Takahashi
295: Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World #6-Kazuki Takahashi
296: Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World #7-Kazuki Takahashi
297: The River Into Darkness: The Compass of the Soul-Sean Russell-353
298: Jurassic World: The Lost World-Michael Crichton-390
299: The Long Price Quartet: A Shadow in Summer-Daniel Abraham-304
300: The Long Price Quartet: A Betrayal in Winter-Daniel Abraham-291
301: The Elven Ways: The Four Forges-Jenna Rhodes-547
302: Ranma 1/2 #1-Rumiko Takahashi
303: Ranma 1/2 #2-Rumiko Takahashi
304: Ranma 1/2 #3-Rumiko Takahashi
305: Ranma 1/2 #4-Rumiko Takahashi
306: Ranma 1/2 #5-Rumiko Takahashi
307: Ranma 1/2 #6-Rumiko Takahashi
308: Ranma 1/2 #7-Rumiko Takahashi
309: Ranma 1/2 #8-Rumiko Takahashi
310: Delver Magic: Sanctum's Breach-Jeff Inlo-445
311: Stargate-Andre Norton-144
312: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Abyss-Troy Denning-352
313: When Worlds Collide-Philip Wylie & Edwin Balmer-192
314: The Winds of Dune-Brian Herbert & Kevin Anderson-448
315: Landover: A Princess of Landover-Terry Brooks-352
316: Haze-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-303
317: Warbreaker-Brandon Sanderson-588
318: Ranma 1/2 #9-Rumiko Takahashi
319: Ranma 1/2 #10-Rumiko Takahashi
320: Ranma 1/2 #11-Rumiko Takahashi
321: Chrono Crusade #1-Daisuke Moriyama
322: Chrono Crusade #2-Daisuke Moriyama
323: Chrono Crusade #3-Daisuke Moriyama
324: Chrono Crusade #4-Daisuke Moriyama
325: Bartimaeus: Ptolemy's Gate-Jonathan Stroud-501
326: The Dark Elf: Homeland-R.A. Salvatore-271
327: The Dark Elf: Exile-R.A. Salvatore-256
328: The Dark Elf: Sojourn-R.A. Salvatore-270
329: Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull-James Rollins-330
330: Ranma 1/2 #12-Rumiko Takahashi
331: Ranma 1/2 #13-Rumiko Takahashi
332: Ranma 1/2 #14-Rumiko Takahashi
333: The Riftwar Saga-Raymond Feist-1295
334: Alcatraz versus The Evil Librarians-Brandon Sanderson-308
335: Icewind Dale: The Crystal Shard-R.A. Salvatore-344
336: The Godless World: Winterbirth-Brian Ruckley-654
337: JAG In Space: Against All Enemies-John G. Hemry-203
338: The Iron Elves: A Darkness Forged in Fire-Chris Evans-416
339: Wolf: Wolf Captured-Jane Lindskold-520
340: Twilight: New Moon-Stephanie Moon-563
341: Kingmaker, Kingbreaker: The Innocent Mage-Karen Miller-642
342: Titan-John Varley-302
343: Icewind Dale: Streams of Silver-R.A. Salvatore-377
344: Ranma 1/2 #15-Rumiko Takahashi
345: Ranma 1/2 #16-Rumiko Takahashi
346: Ranma 1/2 #17-Rumiko Takahashi
347: Inheritance: Eragon-Christopher Paolini-544
348: Icewind Dale: The Halfling's Gem-R.A. Salvatore-378
349: Kingmaker, Kingbreaker: The Awakened Mage-Karen Miller-712
350: Alcatraz versus the Scrivener's Bones-Brandon Sanderson-322
351: Castings: Blood Ties-Pamela Freeman-461
352: Clone: The Clone Republic-Steven Kent-384
353: Inheritance: Eldest-Christopher Paolini-668
354: Legacy of the Drow: The Legacy-R.A. Salvatore-316
355: Ethan Starke: Starke's War-John Hemry-216
356: Ethan Starke: Starke's Command-John Hemry-210
357: Ethan Starke: Starke's Crusade-John Hemry-218
358: A.I. Love You #1-Ken Akamatsu
359: A.I. Love You #2-Ken Akamatsu
360: A.I. Love You #3-Ken Akamatsu
361: A.I. Love You #4-Ken Akamatsu
362: A.I. Love You #5-Ken Akamatsu
363: A.I. Love You #6-Ken Akamatsu
364: A.I. Love You #7-Ken Akamatsu
365: A.I. Love You #8-Ken Akamatsu
366: Inheritance: Brisingr-Christopher Paolini-748
367: Cleric Quintet: Canticle-R.A. Salvatore-203
368: Ranma 1/2 #18-Rumiko Takahashi
369: Ranma 1/2 #19-Rumiko Takahashi
370: Ranma 1/2 #20-Rumiko Takahashi
371: Ranma 1/2 #21-Rumiko Takahashi
372: Dragon and Liberator-Timothy Zahn-364
373: The Iron Elves: The Light of Burning Shadows-Chris Evans-360
374: Hawkmoon: The Jewel in the Skull-Michael Moorcock-128
375: Hawkmoon: The Mad God's Amulet-Michael Moorcock-122
376: Hawkmoon: The Sword of the Dawn-Michael Moorcock-130
377: Hawkmoon: the Runestaff-129
378: Midas World-Frederik Pohl-276
379: After Worlds Collide-Philip Wylie & Edwin Balmer-190
380: Recluce: Mage-Guard of Hamor-L.E. Modesitt Jr-716
381: The Stoneways: Reiffen's Choice-S.C. Butler-463
382: The Forlorn-Dave Freer-260
383: Malazan Book of the Fallen: Gardens of the Moon-Steven Erikson-543
384: Malazan Book of the Fallen: Deadhouse Gates-Steven Erikson-683
385: Star Wars:Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil-Drew Karpyshyn-296
386: One Piece #21-Eiichiro Oda
387: Cobra War: Cobra Alliance-Timothy Zahn-246

My Sony 505- The Person of Quality's Ebook Reader

2009-11-14T23:05:00.002-05:00

I bought a Sony PRS [Portable Reader System] 505 this past September. I had blogged previously about Ereaders and how smitten I was with them.

I have had it a couple of months now, and I really, really, really like it!

First and foremost, this is still new technology, and as such, the greedy no good [please continue this rant for another 5 minutes using your own words to describe how you feel about big corporations trying to force you to buy their particular brand of fork to eat the electronic applepie] gooberheads make life difficult. Where to buy ebooks, reasonably priced ebooks, is still tough.

Through into the mix the fact that if you want DRM Free files you have to be on the edge of programming, and basically is just a hassle.

But enough of the problems. Here are several things I like about it.

1: Has 200+ mb of internal storage, with an sd slot capable of reading a 4 gig'er. Considering that most ebooks range from 0.1 to 1.0 mb's, that means I can always have my library, or at least a huge selection of it, always on hand, no matter where I'm traveling.

2: Is nice and light. I like to read, more and more, lying down. We have such a comfortable couch that this is the natural position for me now, hahahaa. However, reading a hardcover book lying down is TOUGH! That much weight places a good bit of strain on the wrists, where as with the 505, it is lighter than a paperback!

3: Great conversation piece when out in public. People realize just how cutting edge, cool and overall important I am when they see me with this. But I am humble enough so that I am not always rubbing that in their faces, Jesus loves non-ereader readers too.

Quick impressions.

The page refresh [page turn] took me about a month to get used to. When you "turn" the page, the page fades out and the next page fades in. It takes about 5 seconds or less, but when I first started, it really threw my rhythm of reading off. Now, I have adjusted and don't even notice it, at all. I mention this because the lag is VERY noticeable when you start using one of these and I'm sure it would turn some people off. But like I said, you adjust. Liken it to learning to walk in slightly lighter gravity.

Being able to change the text size is awesome. I like the medium best [is pretty close to a hardcover font size] but appreciate having a larger font available for the later years [or not so later years depending on how my eyes and diabetes get along with eachother]. And using Calibre, I can customize the fonts even more, even though I haven't done that yet. Don't care enough, hahahaa.

and I'm tired of writing. Here are some low quality pix, because I care so much :-)

Ineptkey.pyw Script for Windows

2009-10-04T08:45:00.007-04:00

UPDATE 2-28-10

The code below the line of ******* won't work now because ADE updated to 1.7.2. To get the correct Ineptkey.pyw file, please click on the following link, where you can download Ineptkey.pyw version4.3.

IneptKey.pyw Download

The following script [everything after the line of ********* below] is the necessary script to run under Python 2.6 with PyCrypto2.6 installed. Save this script as Ineptkey.pyw in your Python26 directory using a text editor [notepad, or even Python will work. Just copy and paste]. Using the Python GUI, also called IDLE, open the ineptkey.pyw file and then under the RUN tab, hit the RUN MODULE command. This should get you the Adeptkey needed to break the adobe adept drm on epub files. The file created should automatically save under the python26 directory and be named *.der. [where the * varies by user]

Added 1-14-10
If anyone needs it, I can email the .pyw file I've used.

Elfenknight@Juno.com

just put ineptkeybreaker or ineptepub or something similar in the subject line so it doesn't go to the trash...

ps,
don't forget to click on the label "code" at the bottom right of the post to see my other script posts

******************************************************************************

"""
Retrieve Adobe ADEPT user key under Windows.
"""

from __future__ import with_statement

__license__ = 'GPL v3'

import sys
import os
from struct import pack
from ctypes import windll, c_char_p, c_wchar_p, c_uint, POINTER, byref, \
create_unicode_buffer, create_string_buffer, CFUNCTYPE, addressof, \
string_at, Structure, c_void_p, cast
import _winreg as winreg
import Tkinter
import Tkconstants
import tkMessageBox
import traceback

try:
from Crypto.Cipher import AES
except ImportError:
AES = None

DEVICE_KEY = 'Software\\Adobe\\Adept\\Device'
PRIVATE_LICENCE_KEY_KEY = 'Software\\Adobe\\Adept\\Activation\\%04d\\%04d'

MAX_PATH = 255

kernel32 = windll.kernel32
advapi32 = windll.advapi32
crypt32 = windll.crypt32

class ADEPTError(Exception):
pass

def GetSystemDirectory():
GetSystemDirectoryW = kernel32.GetSystemDirectoryW
GetSystemDirectoryW.argtypes = [c_wchar_p, c_uint]
GetSystemDirectoryW.restype = c_uint
def GetSystemDirectory():
buffer = create_unicode_buffer(MAX_PATH + 1)
GetSystemDirectoryW(buffer, len(buffer))
return buffer.value
return GetSystemDirectory
GetSystemDirectory = GetSystemDirectory()

def GetVolumeSerialNumber():
GetVolumeInformationW = kernel32.GetVolumeInformationW
GetVolumeInformationW.argtypes = [c_wchar_p, c_wchar_p, c_uint,
POINTER(c_uint), POINTER(c_uint),
POINTER(c_uint), c_wchar_p, c_uint]
GetVolumeInformationW.restype = c_uint
def GetVolumeSerialNumber(path):
vsn = c_uint(0)
GetVolumeInformationW(path, None, 0, byref(vsn), None, None, None, 0)
return vsn.value
return GetVolumeSerialNumber
GetVolumeSerialNumber = GetVolumeSerialNumber()

def GetUserName():
GetUserNameW = advapi32.GetUserNameW
GetUserNameW.argtypes = [c_wchar_p, POINTER(c_uint)]
GetUserNameW.restype = c_uint
def GetUserName():
buffer = create_unicode_buffer(32)
size = c_uint(len(buffer))
while not GetUserNameW(buffer, byref(size)):
buffer = create_unicode_buffer(len(buffer) * 2)
size.value = len(buffer)
return buffer.value.encode('utf-16-le')[::2]
return GetUserName
GetUserName = GetUserName()

CPUID0_INSNS = create_string_buffer("\x53\x31\xc0\x0f\xa2\x8b\x44\x24\x08\x89"
"\x18\x89\x50\x04\x89\x48\x08\x5b\xc3")
def cpuid0():
buffer = create_string_buffer(12)
cpuid0__ = CFUNCTYPE(c_char_p)(addressof(CPUID0_INSNS))
def cpuid0():
cpuid0__(buffer)
return buffer.raw
return cpuid0
cpuid0 = cpuid0()

CPUID1_INSNS = create_string_buffer("\x53\x31\xc0\x40\x0f\xa2\x5b\xc3")
cpuid1 = CFUNCTYPE(c_uint)(addressof(CPUID1_INSNS))

class DataBlob(Structure):
_fields_ = [('cbData', c_uint),
('pbData', c_void_p)]
DataBlob_p = POINTER(DataBlob)

def CryptUnprotectData():
_CryptUnprotectData = crypt32.CryptUnprotectData
_CryptUnprotectData.argtypes = [DataBlob_p, c_wchar_p, DataBlob_p,
c_void_p, c_void_p, c_uint, DataBlob_p]
_CryptUnprotectData.restype = c_uint
def CryptUnprotectData(indata, entropy):
indatab = create_string_buffer(indata)
indata = DataBlob(len(indata), cast(indatab, c_void_p))
entropyb = create_string_buffer(entropy)
entropy = DataBlob(len(entropy), cast(entropyb, c_void_p))
outdata = DataBlob()
if not _CryptUnprotectData(byref(indata), None, byref(entropy),
None, None, 0, byref(outdata)):
raise ADEPTError("Failed to decrypt user key key (sic)")
return string_at(outdata.pbData, outdata.cbData)
return CryptUnprotectData
CryptUnprotectData = CryptUnprotectData()

def retrieve_key(keypath):
root = GetSystemDirectory().split('\\')[0] + '\\'
serial = GetVolumeSerialNumber(root)
vendor = cpuid0()
signature = pack('>I', cpuid1())[1:]
user = GetUserName()
entropy = pack('>I12s3s13s', serial, vendor, signature, user)
cuser = winreg.HKEY_CURRENT_USER
try:
regkey = winreg.OpenKey(cuser, DEVICE_KEY)
except WindowsError:
raise ADEPTError("Adobe Digital Editions not activated")
device = winreg.QueryValueEx(regkey, 'key')[0]
keykey = CryptUnprotectData(device, entropy)
userkey = None
for i in xrange(0, 16):
for j in xrange(0, 16):
plkkey = PRIVATE_LICENCE_KEY_KEY % (i, j)
try:
regkey = winreg.OpenKey(cuser, plkkey)
except WindowsError:
break
type = winreg.QueryValueEx(regkey, None)[0]
if type != 'privateLicenseKey':
continue
userkey = winreg.QueryValueEx(regkey, 'value')[0]
break
if userkey is not None:
break
if userkey is None:
raise ADEPTError('Could not locate privateLicenseKey')
userkey = userkey.decode('base64')
userkey = AES.new(keykey, AES.MODE_CBC).decrypt(userkey)
userkey = userkey[26:-ord(userkey[-1])]
with open(keypath, 'wb') as f:
f.write(userkey)
return

class ExceptionDialog(Tkinter.Frame):
def __init__(self, root, text):
Tkinter.Frame.__init__(self, root, border=5)
label = Tkinter.Label(self, text="Unexpected error:",
anchor=Tkconstants.W, justify=Tkconstants.LEFT)
label.pack(fill=Tkconstants.X, expand=0)
self.text = Tkinter.Text(self)
self.text.pack(fill=Tkconstants.BOTH, expand=1)
self.text.insert(Tkconstants.END, text)

def main(argv=sys.argv):
root = Tkinter.Tk()
root.withdraw()
progname = os.path.basename(argv[0])
if AES is None:
tkMessageBox.showerror(
"ADEPT Key",
"This script requires PyCrypto, which must be installed "
"separately. Read the top-of-script comment for details.")
return 1
keypath = 'adeptkey.der'
try:
retrieve_key(keypath)
except ADEPTError, e:
tkMessageBox.showerror("ADEPT Key", "Error: " + str(e))
return 1
except Exception:
root.wm_state('normal')
root.title('ADEPT Key')
text = traceback.format_exc()
ExceptionDialog(root, text).pack(fill=Tkconstants.BOTH, expand=1)
root.mainloop()
return 1
tkMessageBox.showinfo(
"ADEPT Key", "Key successfully retrieved to %s" % (keypath))
return 0

if __name__ == '__main__':
sys.exit(main())

Cha-Cha-Changes...

2009-09-16T08:00:00.001-04:00

Well, time to see what has changed in the last year.

1: I got married to Crystal. Biggest, Best Change Ever!

2: Sold my motorcycle, bought a Subaru wagon and junked my Escort.

3: Have almost twice as many books as before :-D

4: Attending a completely different church [and yet still in charge of the A/V system. God doesn't let anything go to waste I guess]

5: Much more likely to wash my hands now [thanks to Crystal's influence]

6: Working a 3rd shift job [11pm to 7am Sunday night to Friday morning] along with the 20 odd hours at my surveying job. Factory work at a direct mailing place. So when you get something from the March of Dimes asking for Money, feel free to blame some of that on me :-)

7: I finally got a Sony PRS-505. Blue. Loving it.

and there you go. Enough changes for now and quite some time [imo].

PaperBackSwap-A Bookplace for Readers...

2009-07-19T21:35:00.001-04:00

If you like reading, and have some spare money to ship books mediamail, Paperbackswap.com is the place for you.

I've been a member for several months now and have really enjoyed it. Basically, you create an account, list books that you want to get rid off and make a list of books that you want. When someone orders one of your books, you mail it off to them. Once they receive it, you receive a credit with which you can then order a book you want from another member.

I've mailed out almost 90 books, received almost 80 and have had only 1 problem. It is called Paperback book swap, but they also do hardbacks and audio books. I've gotten mostly hardback and been pleased.

If you couldn't tell, this is a shameless plug :-) If you click on the link below, or over on the side, and join up, I get a credit. Once you list 10 books on your bookshelf [books you want to get rid of], you get 2 promo credits.

So there you go. Please click and join ;-)

E-Book Revolution-Prepare Ye the Digitizational Road

2009-06-26T23:45:00.001-04:00

For those of you who do not follow the latest gadget trends [and by latest I mean 3 years to the present], you might have missed something.

The book is going electronic. Now, I am NOT talking about the reading of books on computer screens or iphones or pda's, or some other lcd screen. Those will kill your eyes. Just ask anyone who has to stare at a computer screen all day how they feel at the end of those 8 hours. Nope, ereaders [the dedicated reader, dedicated meaning that it does one job and one job only] use something called E-ink. No strain, no refresh beyond your vision that makes you squint or get headaches. It is literally electronic paper. Go google it and find out about it.

Most ereaders are about the size of a paperback. The technology, the format of the ebooks themselves, all that is still sorting itself out. Think BetaMax vs VHS but with about 6 or more different contenders.

I have been lusting after one since sometime in '05 when Sony came out with the PRS-500. Since then, they have gone to the PRS-505, Amazon has come out with the Kindle, Kindle 2 and now Kindle DX. Interead has the Cool-er E-reader in a variety of colors and more companies are jumping on the bandwagon. Good for them!

I have seen the future. And the size of our bookroom has too. I think we have about 9 6ft tall bookshelves. They are not all filled up, but we can both see it coming. Therefore, I have decided to start downloading and converting to the, what I hope will be, standard e-book format, .epub. It is an open format and both the PRS-505 and the Cool-er support it as do many in the publishing industry. I have software for converting other formats [.pdf .lit .txt .rtf .doc etc, etc] into epub. Open format means it is NOT drm'd so I don't have to worry about problems with sharing them or some company locking out my access to MY files.

I am in the process of digitizing our library. Mainly all our scifi/fantasy stuff. Downloading them from online sites for free [We've paid for them already, so we shouldn't have to be paying for them all over again in electronic format. Just like you can put your cd's onto your computer]. Once that is done, I'll be organizing them, cataloging them and generally making them ready for the day that we DO get an e-reader.

It is a great project for someone like me who likes to make lists, organize and foodle around with computer stuff :-)

Adventures...

2009-06-07T14:15:00.002-04:00

Crystal and I went up to Maine to a camp meeting for the weekend, that our area church was hosting.

It was just over 4hrs away. Went up Friday afternoon and it was a nice drive. Much nicer than I was expecting anyway :-) We had used Googlemap and everything went fine right until the end. The road Google sent us down turned out to be a hiking trail. We pushed on, thinking "it can only get better", but with only a 1/2mile to go, it petered out to barely a hiking trail. Thankfully, we had some alternative directions and weren't left cursing Google and lost in the Wilderness.

Speaking of wilderness though. We were in the middle of Nowhere, that was for sure. I sure wouldn't want to live in that area.

The weekend went well. Nothing was on time, usually 10-15min behind, except for the meetings :-) We canoed, took a hr long hike, I read, Crystal visited some horses. I ate vegan for the first time and last, if I can help it! There is nothing quite like vegan "mac and cheese". I manfully plowed through 3 spoonfuls, realized my stomach had waved the white flag at spoonful #1 and so I surrendered before being conquered.

The guest\main speaker was a vegan, naturopathic M.D. Yeah, believe it. Nothing else I can really say about that.

Left Sunday morning. Crystal wasn't feeling good, so we took off a little earlier than initially planned, but it was a good drive home. Took it slow, stopped several times for her to take some pictures and just made it a nice comfortable trip home. No pressure to "get home and be done". It was nice.

So overall, saw lots of really nice scenery on the trip, relaxed on a lake and got away from the familiar for a bit. A success. But glad to be home.

Isn't This the Truth?

2009-05-30T20:24:00.000-04:00

and let me tell ya, there are more and more every day! Bleh...

My Post-Crystal Bucket List

2009-05-07T18:40:00.000-04:00

If Crystal dies before me, I have decided that I will let out all the stops and fulfill the deepest, darkest, most hidden, criminal desires of my heart.

1) I will stop a UPS truck, tie the driver up and go through ALL the packages, just to see what is in them.

2) Using aforementioned UPS truck, I will proceed to give a love tap to however many bicyclists I can find on Chestnut Hill, at a mere 60mph. Just to show them how much I appreciate them riding on a road with no shoulder like they own it.

3) For my final trick with the UPS truck, I will hijack an armored truck, preferrably a Brinks.

4)With the guards' guns, and awesomely cool truck, I will proceed South of the Border, and shoot out as many Mass'ite tires as I can before the National Guard is called in to deal with me.

Ahh, the fantasies of a "criminal not to be" can be sweet...

Best Wife Ever!

2009-04-23T21:05:00.000-04:00

I watched LOST last night. It was a recap episode, so I didn't pay super attention. After I was done I went into the bedroom and there Crystal had a wonderful surprise for me.

There was a whole basket of those colored plastic eggs and 2 wrapped up presents. In every egg was a little gift.

So we spent the evening like this: I'd open a gift and laugh and be happy and Crystal watched me be made totally HAPPY by all the wonderful things. She had spent considerable time putting this all together and that meant a great deal to me too.

I love being married.

Books because of Brazil...

2009-03-22T20:20:00.000-04:00

Crystal and I had the chance to visit today with Jeff and Fritha Turner, who will be going to Brazil sometime in the not so distance future as full time missionaries. We all met at Wesley's place and he fed us a great lunch. [didn't want leave that out!]

As we sat around, talk turned to books, traveling, etc and the Turners told us how they'd had to weed out their books. Due to portability/weight/space issues, they obviously couldn't take them all. That got Crystal and I thinking, and then talking on the way home. If we were going to a far away place and had a limited amount we could bring, what would we bring, from the books we owned? Re-readability, depth, humor, etc, etc all played a part of what we would choose.

We settled on the number 20, just because :-) We counted omnibuses as 1 volume. The Bible didn't even count because it is such an integral part of our lives that it isn't even an option to not bring it. Without further ado, here is my list of 20 books I count essential.

1: American Standard concordance A wonderful tool to go along with ones Bible.

2: Complete Shakespeare I almost feel like this is cheating, but I do have this book. The pages are thinner than a Bibles and it is so massive that you have to read it on a big flat surface. But it is one book. And you get EVERYTHING of his. This would keep me occupied for years I suspect. I'm not even going to try to list everything.

3-12: Malazan Book of the Fallen This is a series of 10 books. The ninth book comes out later this year and book 10 next year. They are a complex, intricate fantasy series that has such great depth that re-readability is almost a necessity just to understand everything going on. I'll list the books in order:
Gardens of the Moon
Deadhouse Gates
Memories of Ice
House of Chains
Midnight Tides
Bone Hunters
Reaper's Gale
Toll the Hounds
Dust of Dreams [Forthcoming]
The Crippled God [Forthcoming]

13: Lord of the Rings Trilogy This is the father of epic fantasy. And to have such clear cut heroes and villains helps. A LOT.

14: Dune Freewill vs destiny, all set in a futuristic, quasi-religious setting. And it is just some good writing. Herbert's best in my opinion

15:Complete Jane Austen I like Austen and having an omnibus pushed her over the line pretty easy.

16: Talion: Revenant This novel by Stackpole, while a bit simple at its core, is good fantasy. Not deep and angsty, but a fun, furious ride from beginning to end.

17: Sentenced to Prism This is funny scifi by Foster. Tells an engaging story while keeping you amused. Read it in a day but always good for an uplifting re-read when you're feeling down. Feel good scifi :-)

18: The Tower at Stony Wood I had to include at least 1 book by McKillip. This is as close to poetry as I'll ever come to liking. I think my cousing Sara called it mystical prosetry or something like that. She was spot on.

19: War and Peace Considering it took me 6 determined months to read, and I loved it all, this tome has many things to discuss. Which is a very good thing in a balanced book diet.

20: Nicholas Nickleby I LOVE Dickens and I think this is my favorite Dickens. It was this or the Pickwick Papers, but with books by Foster and Austen, I thought my humor quota was filled.

Morning...

2009-03-08T08:50:00.000-04:00

I am thankful I am a morning person. Doesn't mean I LIKE to get up early, but I am aware and not all logy.

And, it helps that I had a Monster waiting in the fridge :-D

A Very "Tax"ing Post...

2009-02-23T20:45:00.001-05:00

I am tired. My head aches. I am frustrated.

I REALLY dislike the tax system. I REALLY dislike the government. I REALLY dislike people.

It is bedtime for sure! :-D

Better, Worse, Or the Same?

2009-02-19T22:05:00.001-05:00

If you have something good, is it even better if you have a negative example to compare it to?

For example: The Illusionist. A fantastic movie about a magician/illusionist. Love and right prevail and despotic selfishness comes to a just end. A very good movie. I recommend it to anyone I know. Not for children, but nothing patently offensive in it.

Now, there is another movie about magicians in roughly the same time period. The Prestige. A horrible movie, the full horribleness isn't realized until very nearly the end though, about 2 competing magicians who keep trying to out do the other. Maiming, murder/suicide, betrayal and the striving for supremacy over the other are the main themes that come through.

Now, does The Illusionist gain ANYTHING if a viewer also watches The Prestige?

Is something good made better by something worse existing? An opposite side of the coin, as it were?

I say no. Good does not derive its value from evil. Good derives its value from God.

We might "appreciate" good more with a bad example, but it does not become any better.

There, I have now gotten that bit of theology out of me.

[and you can't copy and paste this and change the answers. So there!]

How To Be A Man, In 5 Easy Steps

2009-02-12T21:15:00.001-05:00

1: Get real sick. Worse than a dog. Throw up lots. Eat and drink nothing. Let your joints ache until your think you'd rather be dead.

2: Be over the throwingup/joint ache thing in 24hrs.

3: Eat nothing but 3 bananas, 3 cans of chicken noodle soup, 10 saltines and gatorade mixed with seven-up for 3 1/2 days.

4: Prove your Manliness by recovering.

5: Prove your recovery by eating your wife's mini-vanilla wafers and bag of cheetos :-)

LOST is Real!!!

2009-01-31T17:50:00.000-05:00

If you don't believe it is true, then let me tell you. I met a guy who looked EXACTLY like Tom from LOST. His name is David and he is a singer in a male quartet. But I suspect he just made it off the Island and isn't telling anyone.

Who Is A Loser?

2009-01-14T16:15:00.000-05:00

There are 2 losers.

One kind is the guy who sits in the magazine aisle of a grocery store and reads a magazine. Whatever the reason, LOSER!

The other kind is the pretentious actor/director who says things like the following about their show/film:

1: "I just felt it was SO true to the original and that it was real important to the fans..."

2: "It was so great to work with X. They were just so [fill in the blank]"

Losers, Losers, Losers.

Enough said :-)

A Sunday in Snowy New Hampshire...

2009-01-11T12:10:00.000-05:00

I sit in front of my computer,
Amethystium playing in the background.
The snow has stopped falling;
the snowplows are banging away;
I have hamburger helper simmering on the stove;
the breadmachine bowl soaking,
awaiting a cleansing,
so I can make bread later;
Crystal is at work,
I am doing laundry.
I am alive,
she is alive.
God is good.

2008 in Review...

2009-01-01T10:20:00.000-05:00

Probably not the review you were imagining :-)

I got married. and read lots of books. Enough said, hehehehe.

There are lots of things I could say about individual books I've read. The longest, the best, the worst, the most exciting, the hardest, the most rewarding, etc, etc. But I just don't feel like it right now.

It is New Year's day and I am feeling nice and lazy.

God bless you in this next year, we're all going to need it!

1: Hogfather-Terry Pratchett-354
2: Hyperion Cantos: Endymion-Dan Simmons-563
3: Hyperion Cantos: The Rise of Endymion-Dan Simmons-709
4: Recluce: The Towers of the Sunset-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-359
5: Rurouni Kenshin #1-Nobuhiro Watsuki-199
6: Mars: A Princess of Mars-Edgar Rice Burroughs-160
7: Recluce: The Magic Engineer-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-617
8: Mars: The Gods of Mars-Edgar Rice Burroughs-195
9: Mars: The Warlord of Mars-Edgar Rice Burroughs-138
10: Les Miserables-Victor Hugo-1463
11: Recluce: The Order War-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-598
12: Star Wars: Darth Bane: Rule of Two-Drew Karpyshyn-318
13: Mars: Thuvia, Maid of Mars-Edgar Rice Burroughs-125
14: Spellsong: The Soprano Sorceress-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-664
15: Castle in the Air-Diana Wynne Jones-199
16: Dark Lord of Derkhom-Diana Wynne Jones-345
17: Spellsong: The Spellsong War-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-672
18: Bleak House Part I-Charles Dickens-511
19: The Martian Chronicles- Ray Bradbury-182
20: Something Wicked This Way Comes-Ray Bradbury-290
21: Quadrail: The Third Lynx-Timothy Zahn-350
22: Mars: The Chessmen of Mars-Edgar Rice Burroughs-222
23: Bleak House Part II-Charles Dickens-540
24: The Illustrated Man-Ray Bradbury-253
25: Princess and the Goblin-George MacDonald-161
26: Princess and Curdie-George MacDonald-160
27: The Roald Dahl Omnibus-Roald Dahl-682
28: Martin Chuzzlewit Part I-Charles Dickens-568
29: The Old Man and the Sea-Ernest Hemingway-140
30: Howl's Moving Castle-Diana Wynne Jones-329
31: Recluce: The Death of Chaos-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-640
32: Hikaru No Go #1-Yumi Hotta-192
33: Hikaru No Go #2-Yumi Hotta-192
34: Hikaru No Go #3-Yumi Hotta-192
35: Hikaru No Go #4-Yumi Hotta-192
36: Hikaru No Go #5-Yumi Hotta-192
37: Hikaru No Go #6-Yumi Hotta-192
38: Book of the Gods: Ariadne's Web-Fred Saberhagen-412
39: Martin Chuzzlewit Part II-Charles Dickens-563
40: Little Women-Louisa May Alcott-669
41: Mars: Mastermind of Mars-Edgar Rice Burroughs-160
42: Hikaru No Go #7-Yumi Hotta-192
43: Hikaru No Go #8-Yumi Hotta-192
44: Hikaru No Go #9-Yumi Hotta-192
45: Hikaru No Go #10-Yumi Hotta-192
46: Hikaru No Go #11-Yumi Hotta-192
47: Hikaru No Go #12-Yumi Hotta-192
48: Hikaru No Go #13-Yumi Hotta-192
49: Hikaru No Go #14-Yumi Hotta-192
50: Hikaru No Go #15-Yumi Hotta-192
51: Hikaru No Go #16-Yumi Hotta-192
52: Battle Royale #1-Koushun Takami-216
53: Gravity Dreams-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-468
54: The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Wind-Fuyumi Ono-317
55: Hikaru No Go #17-Yumi Hotta-192
56: Hikaru No Go #18-Yumi Hotta-192
57: Hikaru No Go #19-Yumi Hotta-192
58: Hikaru No Go #20-Yumi Hotta-192
59: Hikaru No Go #21-Yumi Hotta-192
60: Hikaru No Go #22-Yumi Hotta-192
61: Hikaru No Go #23-Yumi Hotta-192
62: MeruPuri #1-Matsuri Hino-200
63: MeruPuri #2-Matsuri Hino-200
64: MeruPuri #3-Matsuri Hino-200
65: MeruPuri #4-Matsuri Hino-200
66: IT-Stephen King-1138
67: The Old Curiosity Shop Part I-Charles Dickens-362
68: The Old Curiosity Shop Part II-Charles Dickens-355
69: Recluce: Fall of Angels-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-592
70: Azazel-Isaac Asimov-221
71: The Stand-Stephen King-1153
72: Star Wars: Republic Commando: True Colors-Karen Traviss-472
73: Mars: A Fighting Man of Mars-Edgar Rice Burroughs-200
74: Recluce: The Chaos Balance-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-596
75: One Piece #16-Eiichiro Oda-188
76: Shaman King #13- Hiroyuki Takei-190
77: The Great Gatsby-F. Scott Fitzgerald-159
78: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles #13-Clamp-208
79: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles #14-Clamp-192
80: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles #15-Clamp-192
81: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles #16-Clamp-192
82: Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet-Arthur Conan Doyle-86
83: Founding of the Commonwealth: Phylogenesis-Alan Dean Foster-327
84: Founding of the Commonwealth: Dirge-Alan Dean Foster-310
85: Shaman King #14- Hiroyuki Takei-190
86: Shaman King #15- Hiroyuki Takei-185
88: One Piece #17-Eiichiro Oda-206
89: Middlemarch-George Elliot-800
90: Founding of the Commonwealth: Diuturnity's Dawn-Alan Dean Foster-341
91: Pudd'nhead Wilson-Mark Twain-224
92: Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four-Arthur Conan Doyle-100
93: Little Dorrit Part I-Charles Dickens-433
94: Recluce: The White Order-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-468
95: Temeraire: Empire of Ivory-Naomi Novik-404
96: Little Dorrit Part II-Charles Dickens-398
97: The Four Loves-Clive Staples Lewis-192
98: Deathnote #13: How to Read-Tsugumi Ohba-270
99: The Catteni: Freedom's Landing-Anne McCaffrey-342
100: Cheaper By The Dozen-Frank Gilbreth, Jr & Ernestine Carey-180
101: Runelords: The Sum of All Men-David Farland-613
102: Retief!-Keith Laumer-589
103: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles #17-Clamp-182
104: Recluce: Colors of Chaos-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-798
105: The Fifth Elephant-Terry Pratchett-494
105: Recluce: Magi'i of Cyador-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-560
106: Prophet-Frank Peretti-461
107: Malazan Book of the Fallen: Gardens of the Moon-Steven Erikson-488
108: Night Watch-Terry Pratchett-338
109: The Dark Side of the Sun-Terry Pratchett-158
110: Fruits Basket #18-Natsuki Takaya-209
111: Barnaby Rudge-Charles Dickens-599
112: Corean Chronicles: Legacies-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-558
113: Recluce: Scion of Cyador-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-720
114: Malazan Book of the Fallen: Deadhouse Gates-Steven Erikson-598
115: Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Fury- Aaron Allston-356
116: Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Revelation- Karen Traviss-410
117: Corean Chronicles: Darkness-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-492
118: Starswarm-Jerry Pournelle-349
119: In Legend Born-Laura Resnick-461
120: Taken: The Light-Years Beneath My Feet-Alan Dean Foster-245
121: In Fire Forged: The White Dragon-Laura Resnick-491
122: Green Rider: Green Rider-Kristen Britain-504
123: Malazan Book of the Fallen: Memories of Ice-Steven Erikson-781
124: Invasive Procedures-Orson Scott Card, Aaron Johnston-352
125: Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Invincible- Troy Denning-299
126: Corean Chronicles: Scepters-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-624
127: In Fire Forged: The Destroyer Goddess-Laura Resnick-478
128: Green Rider: First Rider's Call-Kristen Britain-484
129: Oh My Goddess! #29-Kosuke Fujishima-156
130: The Looking Glass Wars-Frank Beddor-376
131: Green Rider: The High King's Tomb-Kristen Britain-679
132: Forward the Foundation-Isaac Asimov-480
133: Hard Times-Charles Dickens-257
134: The Holly-Tree- Charles Dickens-32
135: StarWars: Republic Commando: Order 66-Karen Traviss-432
136: Shannara: Genesis of Shannara: The Gypsy Morph-Terry Brooks-402
137: The Octagonal Raven-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-432
138: Dune: Paul of Dune-Brian Herbert & Kevin Anderseron-512
139: Temeraire: Victory of Eagles-Naomi Novik-329
140: Great Expectations- Charles Dickens- 479
141: The Mystery of Edwin Drood- Charles Dickens-230
142: Oliver Twist-Charles Dickens-501
143: Recluce: Wellspring of Chaos-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-400
144: Paradise: Saint-Ted Dekker-347
145: Foundation-Isaac Asimov-227
146: Foundation & Empire-Isaac Asimov-227
147: Second Foundation-Isaac Asimov-225
148: Mars: Swords of Mars-Edgar Rice Burroughs-208
149: Landover: Witches' Brew-Terry Brooks-304
150: Skin-Ted Dekker-349
151: Recluce: Ordermaster-L.E. Modesitt, Jr-494
152: Quadrail: Odd Girl Out-Timothy Zahn-379
153: Looking Glass: Into the Looking Glass-John Ringo-366
154: The Bronze Canticles: Mystic Warrior-Tracy and Laura Hickman-433
155: The Singer's Crown-Elaine Isaak-469
156: War of the Spider Queen: Dissolution-Richard Byers-344
157: War of the Spider Queen: Insurrection-Thomas Reid-338
158: Elminster: The Making of a Mage-Ed Greenwood-312
159: Where the Sidewalk Ends-Shel Silverstein-166
160: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed-Sean Williams-319
161: Looking Glass: Vorpal Blade- John Ringo & Travis Taylor-400
162: Alice's Adventure in Wonderland-Lewis Carroll-144
163: Through the Looking Glass-Lewis Carrol-164
164: War of the Spider Queen: Condemnation-Richard Baker-344
165: Not For Glory-Joel Rosenberg-232
166: Mistborn: The Hero of Ages-Brandon Sanderson-572
167: Elminster: In Myth Drannor-Ed Greenwood-378
168: Fruits Basket #19-Natsuki Takaya-216
169: Fruits Basket #20-Natsuki Takaya-192
170: At the Back of the North Wind-George MacDonald-292
171: Eon-Greg Bear-412
172: Eternity-Greg Bear-346
173: Kare Kano #4-Masami Tsuda-194
174: Kare Kano #5-Masami Tsuda-197
175: Vellum: The Book of All Hours-Hal Duncan-463
176: One Piece #17-Eiichiro Oda-206
177: One Piece #18-Eiichiro Oda-223

The Year of the Unfinished Book...

2008-12-19T12:15:00.000-05:00

I've been reading a cheesy fantasy series in which every chapter starts with some quote from some pretend book, which is always published "In the Year of the -fill in the blank". Unicorn, Sword, Staff, you know, the typical fantasy trope.

It just cracks me up because it is so oriented to the fantasy element without taking into account actually trying to track years. What I mean is, how do you keep track of Staffs, Unicorns, Swords, Anvils, Big Scary Boogums, etc?

So with that on my mind, I have decided to name this year. It is The Year of the Unfinished Book. Many times, when I read a book, even if I don't like it, I will power through it and just finish it. Well, this year I think there were at least 10 books that I just gave up on. No point in wasting my time. Unfortunately, I didn't keep track this year of books I didn't finish, so I don't even know what they were. But I know there were at least 10. Usually there is 0 or 1.

Next year I am considering naming The Year of the Epic Series, with the hope that Sanderson will actually finish Jordan's mess. Also, I am planning on reading at least 2 other "epic" type series. When each book is 600-1000 pages long and there are 8-12 books in each series, I figure The Year of the Epic Series is pretty accurate :-)

Emo DJ...

2008-12-14T13:35:00.002-05:00

The Void,
the awful void within.
Consuming me,
the emptiness consuming all.

Darkness,
despair overwhelming.
Light, faltering.
Massive nothingness in us all

Not to bad, wouldn't you say? I was actually kind of down when I started, but when I actually read it, I started laughing. What a bunch of pretentious phooey. That's what emo is all about after all, wallowing selfishly in ones own pathetic nature without trying to change it.

Hahahahaa. I feel better now :-)

Incredible Hulk

2008-12-13T21:17:00.002-05:00

I just finished watching the Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton.

It was what the Hulk was supposed to be like. Lots of brawling and bashing and smashing. I liked it.

Who Will Shoot Charlie Brown?

2008-12-08T20:50:00.000-05:00

I will give $100 to anyone who will shoot whoever necessary to get rid of those hotten-tot awful "Charlie Brown Specials" on tv.

Seriously.

Derrickus Magisterius!

2008-12-01T15:25:00.001-05:00

With my grimoire open before me, dressed in grey, I began my arcane work. Fingers twisting in mystic symbols, body contorted, I pitted my skill against the dread Brokaneous Oventium!

Thunder rolled, lightnings flashed, the ground itself trembled at our awesome displays of power. But with a twist of my hands, I was master! No longer would that recalcitrant Oventium sit there, sullen, refusing my orders. It was now under my will. It would do as I bid! I had won.

So, what did YOU do today?

Girly Men

2008-11-26T20:30:00.000-05:00

This novel, The Singer's Crown by Elaine Isaak, had an interesting plotline. A king dies, his brother kills his heirs and wife but lets his fave nephew live, but castrates him and sends him to live with singing monks. The nephew comes back many years later and retakes his throne. Ok, now the real review. This was a HORRIBLE book. By horrible, I mean I would gladly do physical violence to the author to prevent her from ever writing again. Why, you ask? Let me tell you. This lady either hates men, doesn't understand them AT all OR has some insane desire for men to actually be women inside. ALL the male good characters are the most effeminate, emotional, wussy and plain cowardly wusses I have ever wanted to throttle and then run through. How many times can you read about men "...touched his shoulder and gazed into his eyes" without wanting to just totally puke it all up! And the thing is, it is not at all homosexual. It is just girly. Men acting like women, WRONGO!

So, PLEASE, don't ever read this book. I might have to hit you if you do ;-)

An Oventful Time...

2008-11-22T18:29:00.000-05:00

Turned on the oven this evening. It made this strange noise. Crystal says "It's smoking." Turn off the oven, open it up and what do you know, the bottom heating element has burned through at one place and is starting to fire up.

Thankfully nothing happened since we promptly turned off the oven. First thing through my head is "oh great, we're going to need a new oven. Goodbye Christmas." But, the element is replaceable. So we bought a new one and it will get here next week.

So the only thing troubling us now is the fact that we don't have a working oven. Thank goodness the range works. And the microwave :-)

Rorschach

2008-11-19T21:35:00.000-05:00

If I hear one more person say that we need to "unite behind the president elect" I will go totally Rorschach [of Watchmen fame] and shove their hypocrisy right down their throat. Where was that attitude just 3 months ago in regards to the current president?

Rorschach was just a human, but he wasn't afraid, of anything. He did whatever he needed to achieve his goals. Sometimes I wish God would let us act more like that :-)

Lay It On the Line...

2008-11-05T18:53:00.004-05:00

If you support evil, go along with evil, say that evil is good, aren't you evil?

America has chosen. Prepare yourselves for the consequences of evil. Go read Lamentations to see our end.

Desperate?

2008-10-18T19:15:00.000-04:00

I think so.

I play the trading card game, Yugioh. Based on the manga/anime by the same name.

Basically you play creatures and attack your opponents creatures and whoever loses their lifepoints first loses the game. Of course, it is a lot more complicated than that, but that is the gist of it.

Anyway, I only know 1 other person who likes playing this game, and it is NOT Crystal, so my playing times/oppurtunities are pretty limited. I need more geek friends, hahahahaa.

I am at the point that I am seriously thinking of trying to recruit people. I don't know how or anything. I have no desire to go find a league in Manchester because I am not a skilled enough player. I've only been playing for about 6 or 8 weeks. I am almost thinking of mailing decks to interested friends so we can play over email or something.

I know you can play online, but you have to pay. Also, with 2700 cards in my collection, I would prefer to play with the cards I already own.

Sometimes life is just hard. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to soldier on and suck it up. Real men don't cry because they can't play Yugioh, you know? ;-)

Jonesonian Precept #1

2008-10-17T21:05:00.000-04:00

Never, EVER go anywhere without a book.

No matter if it is only for 5min. No matter if the schedule is packed beyond stuffability. Bring a book. Or else you will need it. This Precept has been tried again and again and I, his Holiness, pronounce it infallible

It Is Not Enough...

2008-10-11T18:21:00.001-04:00

to simply hate evil and eschew it. One must also learn to LOVE good and do it.

An elder at our church had a sermon today on that and it was good.

Derrick and Crystal-Some Wedding Pix

2008-10-03T18:05:00.001-04:00

Wedding Pictures from Crystal's Aunts

Wedding Pictures

More Wedding Pictures

Social Networks: Store or Castle?

2008-09-20T10:00:00.001-04:00

Ok, most of you are familiar with either social network utility Myspace or Facebook. I am guessing that more are familiar with Facebook, since in the last year the number of "friends" I have has tripled or almost quadrupled.

With so many people on, it has become QUITE obvious that different people view, and hence treat, these utilities in very different ways. This was brought starkly to my attention in the last couple of months.

Some people treat these virtual social networks as a general store. Anybody can go in, browse around and just see other people that they know. A gathering place to just "see" anybody you might have ever known in your whole life.

On the other hand, there are those who view these networks as a castle. They view their homepage as their home. The privacy settings are walls, moats, drawbridges; things to discourage the common riffraff from just coming in and tracking in dirt. Friends are always welcome, but it isn't a museum for everybody.

When these two outlooks come into contact, one of two things happens. Either the drawbridge stays up and the "general store" person feels like they have been denied a right and their feelings are hurt, or the "castle owner" feels like somebody is invading their privacy by "acquaintances" banging on the walls repeatedly saying "let me in!"

Thankfully Facebook is full of settings that allows something in the middle that makes everybody not unhappy, most of the time.

So be prepared; the castle is changing ;-)

The Scary Scissors from Heck

2008-09-17T17:40:00.000-04:00

As a wedding present, Crystal and I got a pair of scissors. Now these are NOT your typical sewing scissors.

These are massive, scary, multipurpose, Jason Voorhees uses these, kind of scissors. Not only are they scissors, they can come apart and be used as a knife, they are a bottle opener, screwdriver, nutcracker and wire/string, etc cutter. Macgyver could take over the USSR with these things ;-)

Oh my goodness! I like them :-D

So Long Singlehood...

2008-09-01T15:55:00.000-04:00

and good riddance!

This weekend was my last as a bachelor. I am glad.

!Ados Toh

2008-08-29T14:25:00.001-04:00

I left a couple of cans of Black Cherry Fresca in my trunk the other day. I was thirsty after a 9.75hr day of working on a mountain. So I popped on, knowing it would be not cold. It was hot! Almost like tea. And you know what? It tasted pretty good. Because it was canned, not bottled, it was still carbonated. It was good.

Definitely NOT for everyone. But an interesting taste...

Decidely Downward...

2008-08-26T18:20:00.001-04:00

Dero was tramping merrily along through the scenic forest, which was actually a swamp. It was sunny, warm and Dero was feeling happy and loving all of humanity.

Then he took a step and plunged up to both his knees in swamp muck/water.

Dero decided his day had taken a decidely downward turn...

Ergo Proxy- A Review

2008-08-17T20:45:00.000-04:00

This is a review of the anime series, Ergo Proxy.

There will be plenty of spoilers, mainly because I know that none of you are hardcore enough to get past episode 8.

The story centers around Re-L [pronounced Ree-el], Vincent Law [a human, a Proxy and some sort of Shadow of the Creator] and Pino [a cute little girl who is actually an AutoReiv, a robot].

The world is desolate and the last remnants of humanity live in dome cities. Turns out that each Dome city was created by a Proxy, who in turn were created by humans when they realized the scope of the destruction about to overtake the earth. The domes are pretty much little hothouses of humanity waiting for the earth to be livable again.

The problem is, the Proxies, while pretty nigh all powerful, were created with the need for love and acceptance by the humans they were to shepherd. You guessed it, humans don't do that very well :-) So one proxy, Ergo proxy, created a doppleganger of himself, erased its memories and sent it out on a complicated mission to destroy Romdo Dome, all as his revenge since nobody loved him.

So Re-L, Vincent and Pino fly around the land, which is getting to the point where humans can live on it again, recovering Vincent's memories. Come back to Romdo, defy the original Ergo's plans and pretty much sum up the whole thing as "I think, I feel, I love, therefore I have purpose". Ends with Vincent/Ergo saying he is the Agent of Death to anyone who threatens the citizens of Romdo [as some sort of flying fighters come over the horizon] an Re-L and Pino standing strong beside him.

Blah, blah, blah. One review I read called this show pretentious. I agree. The creators of the show made a mystery of EVERYTHING! There were way to many episodes relying on dreams, psychological/mind games and general whining to make this a cult favorite.

Vincent. The VA who played him [I watched this dubbed] sounded constantly tired and whiny. How many times can a character complain about "why me" or wonder who they really are? [especially AFTER they already know that they are a Proxy and not a human]. I wanted to throttle him for almost the entire series. He was pretty good for the last 4 or 5 episodes though.

Re-L. She looked like a Goth hooker. Blue eye shadow. So in one episode they are stranded and almost dying of no food, but does she ever go without the HUGE amount of blue? Nope! As a character, she was pretty capable, maybe one of the most capable characters in the series. Had a nice pistol shotgun and knew how to use it. Her VA though was a very flat sounding woman. She had one tone and that was it. I really want to watch this again, but subbed, to see how the japanese sounds.

Pino. She made it all worth it. An auto-reiv who has been infected by the Cogito virus, which gives the auto-reivs self awareness and feelings. She is funny and cute and her clear non-understanding of things like sadness, death and other such subjects really lighten things up.

Overall, the show tried to be to mysterious by keeping information until the very last. As far as I was concerned, this ruined the show. Many shows you CAN make that work. It didn't here though. I plan on watching this again, but couldn't recommend it to anyone but a hardcore fan who has the patience to sit through it and just accept without wondering why or how. You go down that path and this show will drive you completely nutters. The how and why's are for a second or third viewing.

Real Friends...

2008-08-16T13:45:00.000-04:00

know better than to let "other" friends put crushed soda cans on peoples car antennae.

Just saying, you know? ;-)

On Lightsabers

2008-08-02T08:45:00.002-04:00

Rule Number One:

Don't grab the glowy end

Sign of the Credit Times...

2008-07-29T19:25:00.001-04:00

Sunday I went to an ATM to get some cash. I accidentally used my credit card instead of my bank debit card.

It was of a larg'ish amount. And because I didn't realize I had used my cc instead of my debit, the pin didn't work and the transaction didn't go through. No biggy as far as I'm concerned. However, the cc company is alerted to a possible fraud alert on my card.

I didn't realize this until this evening. I went to Lowe's to be all manly and home improvement'ly and my cc was declined. I've dealt with enough cc scanners to know that sometimes they just don't work. To verify things, I went to Walmart and treated myself to an Irish Blend Monster Java [quite possibly the closest thing to Heavenly drink you'll get on earth]. My cc was declined there too. So I knew that something was up with my cc.

Went home and went to check the status of my cc online. There was a big "Call Customer Service at 555-555-5555" splashed up. Called them, found out what was going on and got it all straightened out.

So much for a cashless society being problem free!

Colby and I- Inspired By A True Story

2008-07-25T18:35:00.000-04:00

Once there was a big pig who sat around in the mud. A man had his picture taken next to the pig. The pig weighed 1,000 lbs. The man weighed 145lbs.

Now doesn't that just sound like the opening for a GREAT inspirational movie? I thought so too ;-)

Computers: Hate Them Or...

2008-07-21T21:15:00.000-04:00

hate them some more.

In the past couple of weeks I have had more problems with my computer than probably in the last year combined.

First, my web filter wasn't connecting to its servers, so I couldn't get on the web at all. Turned out a Windows update had a conflict with my firewall. Figures, Microsoft would conflict with anything ;-)

Then some of my add-ons in Firefox went all wonky on me with NO warning. I use Adblock Plus to block most ads and flashware junk. But it started blocking EVERY link, image and frame. It took me over 2 hours to figure out the problem. It wasn't even exactly ABP itself, but one of the subscriptions. Needless to say, I wasn't real happy.

I reinstalled Firefox, upgraded it, and it is ok. I have the "compact" version. Gives me more room with smaller icons and text. Also upgraded to the "beta"/new version of Facebook that will be the norm in a couple of weeks. I really like that.

If computers ever decide to take over the world, they'd better be prepared for some serious problems, that is all I have to say...

I like Lists...

2008-07-19T13:40:00.001-04:00

unlike Sara, who hates them :-)

I spent this morning updating my Book Collection List. I already keep a list of what books I read, but books that you own are special and deserve their own list.

Spending several hours updating it made me realize a couple of things.

1: I own a lot of books.

2: Materialism can rear its ugly head even on the Sabbath ;-)

3: I definitely have Nebuchadnezzar like tendencies when it comes to books [ie, look upon this great collection that I have built! hehehehee]

4: I probably like some of my books more than I like some of you. Those people probably won't read this post though.

And that is it.

A Biker Bad A$$ No More...

2008-07-16T20:25:00.002-04:00

After 3 years of fun, incredible experiences, good times and many things to remember, I sold my motorcycle.

Let me take a drive down memory lane.

In April of 2005, I went down to BestFord/Cycle of Amherst, NH. I wanted a Suzuki Boulevard S40. After nearly 2 months of hassle, evasions and downright lies, I finally got my bike. I have never gone back to that place and will never recommend them. Every time I drive past there, I feel like reciting some of the more inflammatory Psalms against them.

But I had my bike. I drove through sun. I drove in the dark. I drove in 45degree weather. I drove when it was so hot that putting my jacket on was an act of supreme sacrifice to safety. I drove through rainstorms. I once drove, for about 1min, through a hailstorm until I got under an underpass, where I waited it out. I have had good times driving family and friends around. I have pulled out my hair at the bikes little quirks.

I have driven on that bike in ways that, while I'm not at all proud of, were completely adrenaline pumping. I have waved to multitudes of other bikers. I have blown kisses to pretty women. I have had pretty women check me out when I drove past. I have gotten into a very emotional argument with someone about the freedoms concerning motorcycles we have here in NH.

I have been preached at. I have been praised. I have been questioned and I have been lauded.

All in all, I have had a blast owning my motorcycle. But tonight, tonight was time to say goodbye. Life called. Reality pushed its head in to my sphere. I don't regret selling it though, not at all. I got my taste of the bikerside, and now it is time to move on.

So no more will you see me roaring down the road, sunglasses reflecting the sun, clad in black/grey safety jacket, hair flying. Instead, I will be the Joe Schmuck in the 4door sedan. Albeit, with anime bumper stickers, but still ;-)

But the Biker will always be there, inside. And he'll soon be joined by a Biker Chick who also wants to ride. The Future is Unlimited...

Sprite Zero...

2008-07-05T18:30:00.000-04:00

Whenever I fly SouthWest, I always get Sprite Zero when they offer the beverages. I like it.

However, whenever I buy it from the store and drink it, I go "bleh, this stuff is so blase, why am I drinking it?"

Makes me wonder. Is SouthWest spiking their Sprite Zero?

Things that make you go "hmmm", you know?

Is It Bad...

2008-06-30T17:55:00.000-04:00

...to not be able to go into a library without getting a book?

Even when you have 6-9 books of your own waiting at home?

Makes me wonder about myself sometimes. I think I need help ;-)

My Time in CA...

2008-06-27T17:30:00.001-04:00

This post will be as scintillating as the title. Hold on to your hats.
Ha.

Due to bad weather, didn't get to Ontario International Airport until very early Friday morning. Crystal picked me up and we went to her family's house.

Friday:
Get up way to early.
Go to the Orange County Offices and get our marriage license.
Go to Riverside to the La Sierra University.
Get more things settled in regards to the service and reception.
Eat lunch and then spend some time at a local [air conditioned!] library.
Meet with Pastor Dave for some premarital counseling. He is the one having the ceremony.
Go back to Costa Mesa to Crystal's house.
Work on wedding invites and eat.
Go to bed, exhausted.

Saturday:
Get up. You wouldn't believe how hard getting up each morning was.
Get ready for the day and head back to Riverside.
Go to church.
Hang out at various places, including a bookstore and the aforementioned library.
Have another session with Pastor Dave.
Chill at the library til it was time to go.
Go to Medieval Times for dinner and a show. That was COOL!
Go home and crash.

Sunday:
Get up early and head back to La Sierra U.
Meet up with Christopher, a photographer.
Get pictures taken. Casual. VERY hot and sunny though.
Eat lunch. Kind of, if you count a Coldstone Creamery PB and chocolate shake as lunch :-)
Meet up with a bunch of Crystal's friend. That was fun. Had a good time discussing books, philosophy and other stuff.
Checked into my room at the La Sierra Towers.
Ate dinner.
Hung out with Crystal.
Took more formal pictures with Chris.
Hung out with Crystal.
Went to bed.

Monday:
wake up at 5:30am.
Realize that flight takes off at 6:35am and the airport is 25min away.
Pack everything up and get a hold of Crystal.
We try to fly to the airport.
I kiss her goodbye and race on in, at 6:20am
Check in luggage, go through security and head to my gate.
The plane has taken off.
So I get to Manchester about 10:45pm instead of 6pm.
and you know what? My luggage made it onto the flight that I missed!

So there is the long weekend in bullet form. I just don't feel like writing about everything. If you have questions, I'll do my best to answer.

Survival of the Dumbest...

2008-06-14T16:55:00.000-04:00

So, my AC stopped working last weekend. It was fixed Tuesday. It was all because a $3 air filter was plugged and needed to be replaced. The final bill: $101 for a service call.

Man, that is just wrong.

AND someone stole my motorcycle license plate. Now that was REALLY just wrong...

Alia! Alia! A Lament from the Desert

2008-06-09T19:10:00.001-04:00

Poor Preborn Baby
fully aware of the Past
the Now, the Future.

Strug'ling against the madness,
sweeping Coriolis storm!

Left by your mother,
feared by all who know of you.
Maud'Dib did love you.

Yet he could not save himself.
So you were left to yourself.

Voices crowding in.
The Baron silenced them all.
But he took control.

Thus you were lost to the good.
A danger to Maud'Dib's heirs.

You fell and you died.
Let us lament your beauty.
You were doomed from birth.

I cry for your wasted end.
I shed water for the dead.

Confound Their Impudence!

2008-06-07T06:55:00.000-04:00

Some doofus called me this Saturday morning at 6:25am.

I was so out of it that I didn't know what day it was or anything. My first thought was that it was actually Friday and I'd overslept and my boss was calling to see if I was coming in.

Apparently it was just a wrong number. I didn't get to it in time to answer and they left no voicemail and I didn't recognize the number. I thought about calling the number back, but in the mood I was in, that wouldn't have been wise.

Ha. The World is full of surprises. I hate surprises.

Wicked Productive!

2008-05-28T19:50:00.000-04:00

I came home and BAM!

I made bread.

I did laundry.

I ran a load of dishes through the dishwasher.

I talked to Crystal.

I walked to the library and dropped off some books and picked one up.

I made dinner for tomorrow and possibly friday.

I put some pizza in the oven for tonights dinner :-)

I updated my bookblog.

I am The Dude!

A Year of Star Wars?

2008-05-27T17:00:00.000-04:00

I now own enough Star Wars novels that if I wanted to, I could read nothing but Star Wars for a year and not run out of books.

Of course, that is like saying I make enough money to eat pizza 3 meals a day for a year.

No thankyou!

Bite Me!

2008-05-25T22:10:00.000-04:00

I am crabby! Crabby, crabby, crabby! Call me Lucy. Give me a Linus to beat and scold.

I don't even know exactly why. So bite me!

What God Hath Wrought...

2008-05-22T17:25:00.000-04:00

When God created the world, it was called "Good". It was the way God intended it to be.

Only Satan tried to change things. He DID change things. And look at the mess we have now.

When a creator makes something, leave it well enough alone...

The Spice Must Flow!

2008-05-12T19:25:00.000-04:00

Hahahahaha!!!!

How Wude!

2008-04-30T19:50:00.000-04:00

First off. If Jar-Jar Binks were real, I'd kill him for being so stupid. Since he's not, I'll settle for punching the daylights out of George Lucas for creating such a asinine character.

Ok, onto my real life rant :-)

I walked to the library this evening. I went up to the front door and there was a young woman right behind me, so I opened the door and let her go in first. She didn't say thank you or acknowledge in any way that I had opened the door. I just mentally shrugged and followed her up the stairs to the inner door. I was about 2 steps behind her. She opens the second door and keeps on going; I have to take an extra fast step to catch the door before it closes. All she had to do was hold the door open 1 extra second and I could have gotten it easily. But no. Apparently no one else was of a concern to this young woman.

I have never experienced such personal rudeness before. It was a complete disregard of any kind of manners or politeness. Not just once, but twice within a minute. I sure hope that girl changes, or she is going to have a very rough life.

100 Books-A Must Read?

2008-04-19T09:55:00.000-04:00

Over on Facebook, someone posted a link to a middle aged dude [and yes, I use the word 'dude'. He is a profane drinker] who was getting all maudlin about being in his middle forties. Anyway, he decided that there were 100 books that he hadn't read that he should before he dies. Actually quite interesting. He broke them up all over the place, so I wanted to consolidate them into one accessible list. Oh, I am not linking to his blog. He's not worth it, imo.

I guess he went browsing the internet and looked for "100 Greatest Books" lists and then compiled what he hadn't read and thought was the greatest. Many of these I have never read and several I've never even heard of. I definitely will be dipping into it though. Broaden my horizons in some aspect.

I've highlighted the ones I've read since 2000. I know I've read several more of these before that, but I wasn't keeping track back then and things get sketchy in my mind :-)

1. War and Peace (Tolstoy)

2. Middlemarch (George Eliot).

3. The Confessions of St. Augustine

4. The Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau.

5. In Search of Lost Time (Proust). Or "Remembrance of Things Past" or whatever
it's called these days.

6. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy).

7. The Brothers Karamazov (Dostoevsky).

8. Beloved (Toni Morrison)

9. Invisible Man (R. Ellison)

10. The Divine Comedy (Dante)

11. The Aeneid (Virgil)

12. History of the Pelloponnesian War (Thucydides)

13. Essays (Michel de Montaigne)

14. Gulliver's Travels (Jonathon Swift)

15. Jane Eyre (Bronte)

16. The Red and the Black (Stendhal)

17. As I Lay Dying (Faulkner)

18. The Sound and the Fury (Faulkner)

19. Absalom, Absalom! (Faulkner)

20. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)

21. The Naked and the Dead (N. Mailer)

22. The Portrait of Dorian Grey (Oscar Wilde)

23. The Golden Notebook (Doris Lessing)

24. The Epic of Gilgamesh

25. Leaves of Grass (Walt Whitman)

26. The Autobiography of Ben Franklin

27. Animal Farm (George Orwell)

28. Things Fall apart (Achebe)

29. Labyrinths (Borges)

30. Tess of the D'Uerbervilles (Thomas Hardy)

31. Persuasion (Jane Austen)

32. Emma (Jane Austen)

33. Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen)

34. Bleak House (Dickens)

35. Hard Times (Dickens)

36. The Count of Monte Cristo (Dumas)

37. The Three Musketeers (Dumas)

38. Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)

39. The Good Soldier (Ford Madox Ford)

40. Histories (Herodotus)

41. House of Seven Gables (Nathaniel
Hawthorne)

42. Hunchback of Notre Dame (V. Hugo)

43. Kim (Rudyard Kipling)

44. Last of the Mohicans (James F. Cooper)

45. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)

46. Metamorphoses (Ovid)

47. Main Street (Sinclair Lewis)

48. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (F. Douglass)

49. Of Human Bondage (Somerset Maughm)

50. Pere Giorot (Balzac)

51. Portrait of a Lady (Henry James)

52. Puddn'head Wilson (Mark Twain)

53. Life on the Mississippi (Mark Twain)

54. Two Years Before the Mast (Richard Henry Dana)

55. The Republic (Plato)

56. Room with a View (EM Forster)

57. Scaramouch (Rafael Sabatini)

58. Silas Marner (George Eliot)

59. Sentimental Education (Flaubert)

60. Uncle Tom's Cabin (Harriet Beecher Stowe)

61. Vanity Fair (Thackeray)

62. The Tin Drum (G. Grass).

63. An American Tragedy (T. Drieser)

64. Sister Carrie (T. Drieser)

65. My Antonia (Willa Cather)

66. USA Trilogy (Dos Passos)

67. Herzog (Saul Bellow)

68. Germinal (Emile Zola)

69. The Hound of the Baskervilles (AC Doyle)

70. Snow Country (K. Yasunari)

71. Brideshead Revisited (Evelyn Waugh)

72. The Ambassadors (Henry James)

73. Treasure Island (RL Stevenson)

74. The Maltese Falcon (D. Hammet)

75. Native Son (Richard Wright)

76. Lord of the Flies (W. Golding)

77. Winesburg, Ohio (Sherwood Anderson)

78. All the King's Men (RP Warren)

79. The Decameron (Boccaccio)

80. Faust (Goethe)

81. History of Rome (Livy)

82. Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)

83. Lives (Plutarch)

84. Journal of the Plague Year (D. Defoe)

85. Lives of the Poets (Samuel Johnson)

86. The Tale of Genji (Murasaki Shikibu)

87. The Trial (Franz Kafka)

88. Paradise Lost (Milton)

89. The New Testament

90. Beowulf

91. Notes from the Underground (Dostoevsky)

92. The Cairo Trilogy (Naguib Mahfouz)

93. The Education of Henry Adams (H. Adams)

94. Canterbury Tales (Chaucer)

95. Robinson Crusoe (D. Defoe)

96. Seven Pillars of Wisdom (TE Lawrence)

97. The Mill on the Floss (G. Eliot)

98. Moll Flanders (D. Defoe)

99. The Wealth of Nations (Adam Smith

100. Democracy in America (De Toqueville)

What Happens with No Cell Coverage

2008-04-11T20:40:00.000-04:00

I want to talk to Crystal. I can't. She is out of phone coverage. I don't necessarily want to talk to her RIGHT NOW, but I don't like not having the option. Am I a control freak? I wonder. Where does the line of concern, care and help cross over into the malignant?

I have been able to talk to her almost every day since last June. She has completely taken care of my need for words. To express myself through words, to talk on and on about nothing at all and to say the things I need to say that most people will never hear me say. I am the Word. She is the Void. I talk. She listens. I have talked with her at 6am. I have talked with her at noon. I have talked with her at 5pm. I have talked with her at midnight. She has opened her arms and taken in all my words.

I don't know if you can truly understand unless you are a words person yourself. There is a never ending river inside of me, a roiling, wild torrent of words. My poor friends have had to be the spillways to that river when it got dammed up. Then Crystal came along and tore the whole damn dam down. The river runs smoothly, gently, quietly, like it should; except when there is extreme bad weather. But even the storms don't have the same affect.

Is it ok to be so dependent on someone else? Is it healthy? I am afraid of being that dependent on someone. Because what if they stop being there? Does "becoming one" also mean that I am opening myself up to a whole new world of possible pain?

Then the sun sets and everything is ok again. The world is just the world. God is God. I am me and Crystal is Crystal. Love, Peace and Joy are no longer abstract concepts. The end of Pain, Sin and Death comes into sharp focus.

Good Sabbath everyone...

Cleverest Post EVER!

2008-04-06T17:15:00.000-04:00

On the way to church today I had the greatest idea for a little post that was just so clever it would have knocked anyones' socks off.

Unfortunately, I didn't write it down. So I forgot it. Which means this is the cleverest post ever, that wasn't. Sigh.

Sorry for getting your hopes up :-)

The Quiet Death of Madness...

2008-03-30T21:40:00.000-04:00

Like a Pond. Words are laced like rocks into the mud. When all is calm, the sky clear, the sun shining, the waters placid, the rocks stay hidden.

It is only when the winds are howling, the lightning flashing, the water raging, that the rocks are brought up. But they come up only with the mud. The ugly mud. The filthy mud. The disgusting mud.

and that is madness. To know yourself.

Affianced!

2008-03-08T18:25:00.001-05:00

Today, I, Derrick, became engaged to Crystal. Let me tell you the particulars ;-)

I picked up Crystal from Lindsay's and we had breakfast at my place. Then we went to church. Got back to my place and did some miscellaneous stuff and ate a late lunch.

Then we went to the Wadleigh Memorial Library. Unknown to Crystal, the library was closed. But I had worked things out with the Director. She let us in and Crystal went and wandered the stacks while I got things ready.

On a table I put a Bible, a rose and a bottle of Crystal's favorite mango juice. Brought her back, sat her down, got down on one knee and said something along these lines:
The Bible represents your spiritual side. I want to help you grow closer to God.
The rose represents your mind and its ability to comprehend beauty. Allow me to enjoy with you the beauty God has made in this world.
The juice represents your physical side. I want to provide for you, put a roof over your head and food on your table. I want to enjoy being with you and for you to enjoy being with me.

Will you marry me, Crystal?

and she said yes. The rest is Future History, as we scifi buffs like to say :-)

If you've missed out on who Crystal is, check out this post:
Crystal

Oh, here's a link to the Facebook pictures. Not many, but the couple of ladies at the library were kind enough to take the "couple" pictures.
Engagement Pictures

LOST- My Constant

2008-02-29T20:40:00.001-05:00

This episode, entitled My Constant, is the epitome of the reason that I watch LOST.

Fantastic Acting
I have yet to feel any kind of wooden'ness from any of the actors. Sure, some of the characters make me hate them [can anyone say "Michael"], but even that is a good thing. Hurley makes me laugh and cry at his gentleness and kindness while the world, represented in all its badness and sadness by Sawyer, mocks his exterior.

Jin and Sun. Their story book start of a marriage, quickly subverted by blood and money. Showing that even couples in love, deeply in love, in love enough to do almost anything for the other, will be at odds at times.

Then we have Locke. My favorite character, for many reasons. He became a warrior. Leading a meaningless life until his own father tried to kill him, being trapped in a wheel chair set his spirit on a new course. On the Island, Locke became the warrior he was meant to be. However, as hard a warrior as he is, he is still very vulnerable, soft and almost like a little boy. Who can forget his look of puzzlement, almost of loss, when he couldn't find Jacob's cabin with the group? He is doing his best to be a leader without a clue as to what he is leading anyone towards.

Story lines
This show makes me holler, scream, hyperventilate, dance around and generally make me EXTREMELY glad that I live in the 21st Century, AD. Being a Scifi/Fantasy lover, the elements that are "out there" [31 minutes between the payload signalling it had reached the destination and the actuality of that, etc, etc] make this show attractive. But it is all grounded in to real world experiences. People's histories tying together, strangers becoming friends, enemies and lovers.

I love LOST. Even when I hate it, Like Here, I still love it. It is like a stormy relationship. When things are good, they are real good. When things are bad, I question why I stay and then stick around because I know the good times are coming back.

So to wrap this all up, if you haven't gotten LOST yet, I strongly recommend you do. St. Peter will be giving quizzes at the Pearly Gate before he lets you in ;-) hehehehe...

Shocked!!!

2008-02-21T18:00:00.001-05:00

and that is "Shocked!!!" with TRIPLE exclamation points.

I was looking through the local library online and was browsing their Dickens selections, seeing what they had. I wanted to see what I had not read yet. I've always considered myself well read when it comes to Dickens, a bit of snobbish pride I must admit :-)

So, to double check myself, I began to search my Book Blog for all the Dickens novels that I have read since 2000. I was shocked to find that I had not read the following:
The Old Curiosity Shop
Martin Chuzzlewit
Little Dorrit
Barnaby Rudge
Mystery of Edwin Drood
Great Expectations

I know that I had read several of them [if not most of them] in highschool and in the beginning years of bibleschool, but I was SURE that I had reread them since. 8 years without rereading them! How could I hold up my head as a Reader? Well, this year will see those problems rectified.

I have a plan. Add a couple of L.E. Modesitt, Jr's The Recluce Saga, then some Dickens, then some Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars series, maybe one or two nonfiction, some StarWars and other Scifi, add a dash of matrimonial how to's [the do's and dont's of marriage], mix it all up and Voila! a year's worth of reading :-)

Plans are good...

Healthy as a Horse!

2008-02-16T14:55:00.000-05:00

Friday I had the chance to get a 12pack of Diet Coke PLUS. It was free with the purchase of some other stuff that I was getting anyway, so I figured, why not try it?

For those of you who are unfortunate enough to NOT know what DC PLUS is, I shall fill you in. It is the FUTURE of the human race. Soda with VITAMINS AND MINERALS!!!!! [please insert sounds of crowds screaming in ecstatic approval here].

As I poured this Elixir of Life down my throat, I could feel the VITAMINS AND MINERALS!!!!! coursing directly into my veins. Muscles bulged, Synapses fired. Mount Everest was a mere ant hill to my VITAMIN AND MINERAL!!!!! augmented body. Einsteinian theory was laid bare before my VITAMIN AND MINERAL!!!!! enhanced brain. I was at the top of the Food Chain, of the WHOLE world. [fade to black as the inspirational music starts]

Ok, just in case you couldn't tell, I am being TOTALLY sarcastic here. I am a soda drinker. I like soda. But you will never hear me try to twist things to make out that it is a good thing. Soda is bad for me. I know this and accept it. The pleasure I derive from drinking soda is more than worth it, to me. So when Coke puts out a soda that purports to be good for you, I just roll my eyes and write sarcastic posts. Let us call a horse a horse please...

BUSY

2008-02-10T16:20:00.000-05:00

Click on the picture to see it full sized...

YAR!

2008-02-10T09:25:00.000-05:00

So, it is Sunday and there is snow predicted all day, only 1-3inches, but I don't like driving in snow. That means I am not going to church.

I'm tired, I'm starting to get the Winter Blues and there are all sorts of other pressures as well.

I want to wrap myself in a blanket and read all day.

I did that yesterday. Ended up with a headache and going to bed at 7:30pm.

I think I just feel sorry for myself right now. Hmmph, why does Life get more complicated the longer you participate in it?

Fellow Citizens, Lighten the Load...

2008-01-25T17:00:00.000-05:00

Today I didn't work, because work is really, really slow right now. So instead of lounging around in idleness all day, I did something productive.

I did my finances. I was behind by about 2 1/2months. So I started around 8:30am. Worked steadily til noon, took a break and continued on til about 4pm.

During this time I caught up on my credit card bills. I pay it off each month in full, so it wasn't like I was amiss, but I did have 2 1/2months worth of receipts to file. Unfortunately, only half the receipts were in the Visa Receipt envelope. The other half were in my wallet. That poor thing was BLOATED! Of course, I was used to it and didn't think much of it.

However, after finishing up I went to Walmart to get some prescription stuff and when I took out my wallet to pay for it, it was like it was a whole new skinny wallet! Amazing how much room there was in it :-)

And the lesson for you all:
Empty your wallet more than every 2 months :-)

Good Sabbath All!

Emeril and I are like "BAM!"...

2008-01-23T19:00:00.000-05:00

This evening I set out on a Cooking Endeavor. To some, it might not be much. To me, it was a New Frontier.

Dicing of green peppers and onions. Pounds of groundbeef browned, drained and set aside. Cans of petit diced tomatoes and red & light red kidney beans were opened. Packets of Hot Chili seasoning were cut opened and emptied.

All of these ingredients were combined into one crockpot. Switches were thrown, gears ground, huge massive machinery churned cogs and wheels. Ok, maybe not, hahaha. I just turned it on.

In 12hrs I will have a huge pot of chili. For someone who thinks that cooking means throwing a frozen pizza into the oven, this is a HUGE step towards Culinary Freedom. Hahahhaa. Life is Good!

LOST- Dost the Prodigal Return?

2008-01-16T22:35:00.000-05:00

Last year, in my LOST Season 3 Finale Post, I was embittered in soul and spirit and swore off of LOST.

Now that Season 4 is going to start January 31st, I am forced to ask this question:
Do I Return?

With my disillusionment, the Writers Guild Strike[which means that we will only get 8 of the 16 episodes this year] and just Life in General, is the Prospect of watching this Show Each Week attainable and above all, Worth my Precious Time and Emotions?

Do I wait until next Christmas for the dvd set? How does the Writers strike affect LOST in the long term? These are Questions for which I do not as yet have the answer. I am leaning toward giving my show another chance, especially since it will be airing at 9pm, instead of the unholy hour of 10pm [11pm is WAY to late to go to bed when you have to get up at 5:30am].

Has LOST lost its head of steam with the shortened season 4, short other seasons [16 episodes vs 22+ for previous ones] and bad handling? Thankfully the End is already written ;-)

You Know You're a Library Regular When...

2008-01-04T19:45:00.000-05:00

... you fill out a request form, forget to fill out any of the personal info, ie, name, phone/email and you STILL get the book :-)