When I'm not spending time doing research or performing my various duties across Steemit and Discord, I enjoy reading. I've done at least one book-related blog in the past, but I've decided to branch out a bit and provide some more insight into what I've been reading lately in case any of you are looking for recommendations (or books to avoid).

Therefore, today I'll be listing all the books I read in January of this year, giving a brief summary of the plot and what I liked or disliked about it, and providing a final rating and recommendation.

Tarkin by James Luceno

This is the first novel I've read from the new Star Wars canon books released after Disney acquired Lucasfilm and labeled the entire Expanded Universe as "Legends." I was quite disappointed at the time, but this book has helped sway me. I've read some of Luceno's other Star Wars novels before, so I was hopeful after my brother got me this book for Christmas.

Tarkin gives insight into the life of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin (yes, his first name is Wilhuff) before he ascended to his position at the helm of the Death Star, where we see him in A New Hope. There are some interesting moments, as you find out about the events that shaped his personality, going all the way back to his childhood.

The book also explores his title of Governor, which is how Leia addresses him in A New Hope, despite his current rank of Grand Moff. I thought it was interesting to learn about the rank of Moff, as well as Tarkin's relationship to the Emperor following the Clone Wars.

The best part of the book, in my opinion, is Tarkin's interactions with Darth Vader (apologies for this mild spoiler, but it's a book about the time period leading up to A New Hope, Vader has to make an appearance). We learn a little about how Tarkin perceives Vader, as well as how the Emperor used each one of them to accomplish goals.

When it comes to writing a book about a character which so many people know very specific information about, it can be difficult to refrain from writing a story that only serves to reference things that are already known, rather than focus on the story at hand. I call this issue "The Peter Jackson Hobbit Trilogy Fallacy." I realize that was with movies, but I believe it can still very much apply to books, especially when they are based on a universe created originally from movie screenplays. Luceno avoids this fallacy, and writes a great standalone story that gives great insight into Tarkin as a villain, Vader as a force in the galaxy, and the early days of the Resistance movement against the Empire.

It's a fun read, especially if you're a Star Wars fan. It has four out of five stars after 600 reviews on Amazon, and I tend to agree with that assessment.

I give this book an 8/10 and recommend reading it if you want somewhere to start with the new Star Wars official canon books.

• Buy Tarkin on Amazon

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

The second book I read in January was probably my favorite. I'm just going to go ahead and say it. If you're reading down the list and you want to pick from which of these books to read, this is it.

The Name of the Wind is the first book in Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicle, which currently only has two books, but for which one more is planned. If you're a fan of fantasy at all, this book will engage you from the start. The story follows Kvothe, a mysterious character that legend surrounds. The book tells the story of his background, from when he was a small boy. The story is told from his perspective, as he is recounting it to someone who is planning to write a sort of autobiography of him.

We learn of his troubled past, his struggle to survive, his experiences with magic, and plenty of other fascinating encounters with other dangerous characters. Rothfuss builds a universe rivaling that of Tolkien's Middle-Earth, and it was a marvelous adventure discovering how Kvothe fit into the entire picture.

It's hard for me to really describe what made me love this book without spoiling major themes and events in the book, so I'll just leave it at that, and I hope you'll take the time to read it. It's a very dense book, so expect it to take a while to get through. I didn't want to do anything but read it when I was working my way through, so perhaps you'll feel the same way.

There is currently a second book in the Chronicle, and if you've been following my blog, you'll know that I found a signed copy of it at a thrift store a few weeks back. I plan to read the second book soon, so I'll be sure to let you know my thoughts.

When it comes to modern fantasy epics, this book gets a 10/10. It has been one of my favorite books I've read in the past few years, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Lord of the Rings and other fantasy epics.

• Buy The Name of the Wind on Amazon

Warp by Lev Grossman

I'm not going to waste much time on this one. I had seen a few episodes of The Magicians on SyFy, which is based on Lev Grossman's trilogy of the same name. I enjoyed the underlying story, so I will probably read the trilogy eventually, but when I found Warp on discount at my local bookstore, I picked it up thinking it would be of similar nature.

It wasn't.

Probably one of the most pointless and boring books I've read. I'm not sure if it's because of the topic, which surrounds the coming of age of someone who grew up in the 1980s, and I grew up in the 90s, or if it was just because it's Grossman's first novel. Anyhow, it's not very exciting, I didn't find anything compelling about any of the characters, and the most exciting thing that happens is that a bunch of teenagers break into a mansion while the owners are away.

I do not recommend that anyone else waste money on this book.

Don't waste your time or money. It's a 2/10, and it got those two because I somehow read it all the way through.

• Google it if you want, I'm not providing a buy link

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

Pirate Latitudes is the first of Crichton's manuscripts published posthumously. I've been a big fan of some of his other works, including Sphere and Jurassic Park, and Pirate Latitudes has been sitting on my shelf for a while, so I decided to pick it up and read it. I'm a big fan of pirate stories, which you'll know if you've followed me for a while, and I definitely enjoyed the premise of the story.

The book is set in the golden age of piracy in the Caribbean (where else?), where we find a renowned pirate who is commissioned by the governor of a locality to raid a Spanish fort that everyone else has labeled impenetrable.

The story follows this pirate (or privateer, as he prefers to tell everyone) as he assembles his crew and embarks on the journey to accomplish the impossible. It becomes a fun adventure which involves the typical pirate themes of swashbuckling, sailing, and treasure.

My largest criticism of the book involves how Crichton treats the women characters. There is only one strong female character in the book, and she's one of the pirates. The rest seem like they are only there to serve the purpose of fulfilling the lustful desires of the male characters. I realize that people's attitudes toward women's roles in the 1600s were not the greatest, but I didn't appreciate the flippant way Crichton approaches these scenes. Typically, there will at least be some redeeming quality in the main character when it comes to his approach to women, but no such behavior emerges, as the main character enjoys his choice of women throughout the novel.

The book is also quite descriptive of violence during pirate fights and interrogations, which is to be expected, but it furthers my warning to younger readers that this book has mature themes.

This book gets a 6.5/10 from me. It's a quick read about a fun pirate adventure, but its handling of mature themes falls short.

• Buy Pirate Latitudes on Amazon

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson

I'm not sure I have much to add except echoes of the great reviews this book has gotten over the years. It's the fascinating tale of an investigative journalist who is tasked with the impossible: solve a disappearance case from 40 years ago that everyone else believes to be a closed case.

Larsson's characters are extremely compelling as Blomkvist, the journalist, meets and interviews members of a family which is surrounded by scandal and mystery. I very much enjoyed the adventure. The pacing was very well-done for a mystery/thriller novel, so there weren't very many boring parts of the books. Clues are found at just the right moments to keep the story moving, and the girl with the dragon tattoo herself is a fascinating character who helps Blomkvist sort out the mess. There are a few parts that might be considered unnecessary, but I don't think they take away too much from the story.

There are many mature themes throughout this book, but they are dealt with much more thoughtfully by the author and his characters. It's a very interesting look into the life of an investigative journalist, as he attempts to sort out his personal issues on top of his desire to solve the mystery.

For anyone who enjoys compelling characters and a great story with enough clues and misdirection to keep you guessing, this book is a great read. You don't have to take my word for it, as fellow Steemian @naquoya wrote his own review and summary of the book a while back.

I plan to read Larsson's other two novels in the series, so I will be sure to share my thoughts on those at a later time.

Final assessment is a 9/10. It's a great mystery with a few slow spots, but overall well-done.

• Buy The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on Amazon

Lost Empire by Clive Cussler

A while back, I was able to purchase several Cussler novels from a local bookstore for almost nothing. I have seen the books around for years, and I knew he was a bestselling author, so I decided they would be worth reading eventually. I was looking for a quick read to pick up, so I grabbed Lost Empire, which is a book in Cussler's Fargo novels, a series that follows a husband and wife treasure hunting team. I like treasure hunting, so I decided to give it a read.

The book ended up being exactly what I expected, which was a fast-paced story of the couple getting themselves into countless dangerous situations, miraculously making their way out, and then ultimately finding the treasure they were looking for. Of course, this isn't a bad thing. It was a fun, quick read, so if you're looking for something like that, there's nothing really wrong with it.

The story of Lost Empire involves a missing Confederate ship, the Aztec Empire, and East Asia. It's impressive that Cussler connected all of those things now that I think about it. Anyhow, I anticipate that Cussler's books are all very much like this one, so I'll have to keep that in mind before venturing into another one.

This book gets a 7/10 for being exactly what I expected. A treasure hunting adventure where the good guys win.

• Buy Lost Empire on Amazon

An Elegant Solution by Paul Robertson

Finally, we arrive at this book. This one is special, because I know the author very well. He's a member of the church I attend, so throughout getting to know him, I discovered he has written several books. He allowed me to borrow a copy of this one, and I was delighted to get the chance to read it.

This particular novel is set in 1725 and follows the story of the mathematician Leonhard Euler through his studies at the university in Basel, Switzerland. I would classify it as a historical fiction murder mystery. As you read, you discover the intrigue, mystery, and deception surrounding the university and its history. When a member of the town is discovered murdered, Leonhard must riddle his way through all sorts of skullduggery and subterfuge as he seeks to find out what's really going on.

There are many historical references throughout to mathematical advancements, so it's a fun story if you're familiar with Euler and his pursuits. I found the book particularly enjoyable because I know the author, but I believe it to be worth a read for anyone who enjoys a mystery.

There are occasional pacing issues, and sometimes the mathematics jargon can add confusion to the plot. However, Robertson makes up for this through his characterization of Euler.

I give this book a 7.5/10 for having a compelling cast of characters and fascinating setting.

• Buy An Elegant Solution on Amazon

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a great batch of books (except Warp) that I enjoyed tremendously. I'm currently making my way through Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach Trilogy, so you can expect blurbs on those in next month's reading update. I'd love to know your thoughts if you've read any of these books, so feel free to comment!

I'm also taking recommendations for future books to read, even though my list is already way too long. Thanks for stopping by!

Note: All images are taken from the Amazon listing page for these books, and I believe this constitutes fair use of the image covers. Please purchase these books if you are interested!