andrew pestotnik
- 27
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Stranger in a Strange Land
- By: Robert A. Heinlein
- Narrated by: Christopher Hurt
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Stranger in a Strange Land is the epic saga of an earthling, Valentine Michael Smith, born and educated on Mars, who arrives on our planet with “psi” powers—telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, telekinesis, teleportation, pyrolysis, and the ability to take control of the minds of others—and complete innocence regarding the mores of man. After his tutelage under a surrogate father figure, Valentine begins his transformation into a kind of messiah.
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We live in the world this book made
- By W. Seligman on 02-26-04
- Stranger in a Strange Land
- By: Robert A. Heinlein
- Narrated by: Christopher Hurt
I loved this book
Reviewed: 02-07-23
Plot:
In a more light hearted book by Heinlein, we follow the trials and tribulations of one Valentine Michael Smith as he, a Martian finds himself on Earth and in bad shape, unable to communicate with anyone. Early on, only Jill helps him unconditionally as everyone looks to milk a story out of him.
Jills finds herself helping Ben try to do just that as he is captured against her knowledge. Eventually she brings Michael home and exposes him to Jubil, my favorite character. An old school, no nonsense religious man who teaches him all he needs to know about how to survive in society.
Eventually Michael and Jill move out and they try several odd jobs before settling on starting a religion based around Mike's abilities.
Review:
I throughly enjoyed the entire book. Its full of high browed humor that made me giggle at work while reading it (I'm sure my coworkers think I'm nuts). In typical Heinlein fashion, it covers deep subjects like politics and religion and how they're all utterly ridiculous. Jubil does an amazing job of exposition in the book and helps the reader truly understand what the people are thinking. Solid 4/5
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Ready Player One
- By: Ernest Cline
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the OASIS, a vast virtual world where most of humanity spends their days. When the eccentric creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves behind a series of fiendish puzzles, based on his obsession with the pop culture of decades past. Whoever is first to solve them will inherit his vast fortune—and control of the OASIS itself.
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I’m sorry I waited so long to read this book.
- By Julie W. Capell on 05-27-14
- Ready Player One
- By: Ernest Cline
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
That was a Rough Read
Reviewed: 02-03-23
First, I must say, the narration was excellent. There was no issue with that. The rest of the book was an absolute pain. Everything just felt like it was only intended for a very small group of people. I love SciFi but man this was a tough read that I did not enjoy. I don't have the list positive views on humanity being a history nerd but I look like a happy hippie compared to Kline's heavy handed the politics were portrayed in this book. Does that mean he views the world that way? no. Was it still over the top? yes.
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Without Remorse
- By: Tom Clancy
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 27 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Now a major motion picture starring Michael B. Jordan - watch now on Prime Video! From Tom Clancy, the celebrated author of the Jack Ryan series, comes the number one New York Times best seller that puts CIA operative John Clark front and center...His code name is Mr. Clark. His work for the CIA is brilliant, cold-blooded. and efficient...But who is he really? In a harrowing tour de force, Tom Clancy shows how an ordinary man named John Kelly crossed the lines of justice and morality to become the CIA legend, Mr. Clark.
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Start here if you are new to Jack Ryan.
- By Daniel on 02-07-12
- Without Remorse
- By: Tom Clancy
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
An Origin Story to John Clark
Reviewed: 01-15-23
Having read many Tom Clancy novels, I enjoyed the book as it gave a lot of context to the character of John Clark.
Plot:
John Kelly is a veteran who is struggling to get over what he's seen in Vietnam. While in the Hospital he befriends a recovering addict named Pam and falls for her. Unfortunately, he leads her into danger which costs her life. This causes him to snap and Kelly takes it upon himself to avenge her death, eventually discovering everything about the dark world she came from. In Vietnam, a young American pilot sits in captivity and is tortured for information before a KGB agent intervenes. Over the course of time, The Young pilot reveals certain things he shouldn't. After Kelly kills several people involved in Pam's death, he is called upon for a secret mission to save American POW's. As he attempts to fulfill this, the mission goes awry but Kelly captures the Russian agent. This is where Douglas Ritter makes his appearance and subtlety tells the KGB to hand over all POW's that they're illegally interrogating and trades back the Russian Agent. After Kelly returns, he destroys the gang that had held Pam. The CIA, impressed with the brutal efficiency with which he destroyed the gang, recruits him.
Overall:
I enjoyed the book but I did feel that there were too many stories going on. They all played their part but there were times where things felt a bit overexplained. It is a Tom Clancy novel after all. It is a great origin story for one of Jack Ryan's most important advisors/agents.
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Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, Book 3: The Last Command
- By: Timothy Zahn
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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The embattled Republic reels from the attacks of Grand Admiral Thrawn, who has marshaled the remnants of the Imperial forces and driven the Rebels back with an abominable technology recovered from the Emperor's secret fortress: clone soldiers. As Thrawn mounts his final siege, Han Solo and Chewbacca struggle to form a coalition of smugglers for a last-ditch attack, while Princess Leia holds the Alliance together and prepares for the birth of her Jedi twins.
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UNABRIDGED! Finally hear it all.
- By Ron on 07-11-12
End of the Empire, Begginning of the New Republic
Reviewed: 12-22-22
In the final installment of the series, Thrawn attempts to start a New, efficient Empire with Clones from Wayland. The group of Luke, Mara, Leia and Han Solo make their way to Wayland as Thrawn attacks Corosaunt in an attempt to shake the New Republic into fear. Undaunted, the group continues to Wayland. Jade asks Luke flat out what happened to the Emperor and he tells her, abruptly changing her whole perspective on him, though still not convinced of her path. After making their way into Sa'b'oth's chamber, she finally sees the Empire for the hollow shadow that it really is. Fighting together, Jade and Luke defeat Sa'b'oth. At the critical moment, Thrawn is betrayed and the battle ends. Jade then accompanies Luke and the Crew back to Corosaunt.
Overall, I very much enjoyed the series. I just wish Thrawn got a cooler end than he did. He's such an awesome character across the 9 or 10 books he makes appearances in.
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Into the Fire
- A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War
- By: Dakota Meyer, Bing West
- Narrated by: Zach McLarty
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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In the fall of 2009, Taliban insurgents ambushed a patrol of Afghan soldiers and Marine advisors in a mountain village called Ganjigal. Firing from entrenched positions, the enemy was positioned to wipe out 100 men who were pinned down and were repeatedly refused artillery support. Ordered to remain behind with the vehicles, 21 year-old Marine corporal Dakota Meyer disobeyed orders and attacked to rescue his comrades.
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Exceptional Memoir
- By Jean on 06-26-16
- Into the Fire
- A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War
- By: Dakota Meyer, Bing West
- Narrated by: Zach McLarty
An honest man's perspective
Reviewed: 12-15-22
Dakota Meyer is a simple man who did extraordinary things. He has the honor and humility that everyone should look up to. The story focuses on his involvement in Ganjgal in 2009. With his men cut off, the TOC not responding and shit hitting the fan. Meyer launched himself into action to save as many lives as possible, going in 5 times despite causing lifelong injuries to himself both physically and mentally, he saved the lives of several Marines and Afghans. Never calling himself a hero, even believing himself a failure for not saving everyone. This is a truly powerful story from a guy who just wants to better himself.
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The Federalist Papers (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
- Length: 20 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Hailed by Thomas Jefferson as "the best commentary on the principles of government which was ever written," The Federalist Papers is a collection of 85 essays published by Founding Fathers Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay from 1787 to 1788, as a means to persuade the public to ratify the Constitution of the United States. With nearly two-thirds of the essays written by Hamilton, this enduring classic is perfect for modern audiences passionate about his work or seeking a deeper understanding of one of the most important documents in US history.
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I must for everyone who slept through history class
- By Claire Bassett on 06-23-19
Must Read for All Americans
Reviewed: 12-11-22
I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this book. A collection of 85 papers written by John Jay, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton over the course of about 10 months, every aspect of the Consitution was debated. The Articles of Confederation had failed. Their values, though valiant, failed to allow the government to govern the people. For several months in 1787-88 the Founding Fathers racked that minds fixing this great issue. Everything from the forming of the 3 branches of our present government, to taxes, the Army, the Electoral College, the rights of the individual citizens, and the rights of the government are covered in heavy detail. I think every American should read this to understand what our founding fathers really meant by their words printed into the constitution.
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Star Wars: Dark Force Rising: The Thrawn Trilogy, Book 2
- By: Timothy Zahn
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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The dying Empire's most cunning and ruthless warlord - Grand Admiral Thrawn - has taken command of the remnants of the Imperial fleet and launched a massive campaign aimed at the New Republic's destruction. With the aid of unimaginable weapons long hidden away on a backwater planet, Thrawn plans to turn the tide of battle, overwhelm the New Republic, and impose his iron rule. Meanwhile, Han and Lando Calrissian race against time to find proof of treason inside the highest Republican Council.
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Marc Thompson Delivers Again!
- By Tyler on 06-26-12
Very Well Written
Reviewed: 11-29-22
f you're reading this book, you've most likely read the first book so I went go into too many spoilers.
Plot:
All the characters from the Hier to the Empire return. Mara is still searching for who she is after her shared experience with Luke in the Forrest. As this is happening, the New Republic seeks to find a way to help people still under the the Empire's grip and Leia is sent in a mission, using her ancestry to get close to the Empire to figure out what they're up to, what she finds out shakes her to her core. Luke continues to learn under a strange Grey Jedi. Mara eventually finds herself in the odd situation of needing Luke's help to save her ally. Thereby putting herself in debt to him, again pushing out her attempts to kill him. Thrawn finds out the New Republic is attempt to help the Isa'L'Mari and goes from 0 to warcrimes in about 2 pages. A battle is fought and a potentially Galaxy shattering secret is revealed.
Overall: This is clearly a trilogy and this is only the 2nd book in the series. Therefore, don't expect any conclusions to the story. You'll need to read the 3rd book for that. This is definitely one of Zahn's better works. The characters have great development and the story is fluid so far. I will read the final book, "The Last Command" soon.
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Caliban's War
- By: James S. A. Corey
- Narrated by: Jefferson Mays
- Length: 21 hrs
- Unabridged
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The second book in the NYT best-selling Expanse series, Caliban's War shows a solar system on the brink of war, and the only hope of peace rests on James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante's shoulders. We are not alone. On Ganymede, breadbasket of the outer planets, a Martian marine watches as her platoon is slaughtered by a monstrous supersoldier. On Earth, a high-level politician struggles to prevent interplanetary war from reigniting. And on Venus, an alien protomolecule has overrun the planet, wreaking massive, mysterious changes.
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Great Book of Great Series
- By Michael on 10-06-17
- Caliban's War
- By: James S. A. Corey
- Narrated by: Jefferson Mays
You need to read on if you've gotten here
Reviewed: 11-12-22
We rejoin Holden, Naomi, Amos and Alex in their journey through the First truly Galactic total war. There is no turning back from what they did in the previous book. The group continues to work for the OPA and begin resenting Holden for it. Along the way, they pick up a Prax Mung who is looking for his daughter. After falling out with the OPA, Holden chooses to grow as a leader and help Prax find his daughter. We are then introduced to Avasaral, a high up Earth Official who has no time for BS. Along with a former Martian Marine named Roberta Draper, she finds her way to Holden and sees first hand what happens on the Frontline. I will not drop any more spoilers than that. You'll need to read on if you want to know.
My biggest issue with the book was Avasarala. I'm all for a character being badmouthed and rough around the edges, that's how I am in real life for those of you who have talked to me. However, Avasarala has way more in common with Tony Soprano than Captain Bartlett from Ace Combat 5 or John Sheridan from Babylon 5. She acts like and her actions speak more like a Hutt from Tatooine than a politician from most fiction. Maybe my standards are a bit off. She's not a bad character or one that just gets whatever she wants. She just is more comical than a character I take seriously.
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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Robert Louis Stevenson
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 2 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Dr. Henry Jekyll, fascinated by the dichotomy of good and evil, no longer wants to inhibit his dark side. He concocts a potion to create the alter ego of Mr. Edward Hyde. With the burden of evil placed on Hyde, Jekyll can now take pleasure in his immoral, nefarious fantasies - free of conscience and guilt. It's when Hyde turns to murder that Jekyll realizes how monstrous his impulses are and how hard they are to suppress.
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Compelling Even Though We All Know the Plot Twist
- By Anony 2112 on 11-17-23
Inside the Mind of a Madman
Reviewed: 10-18-22
I've always heard of this book, but never took the time to read it. Its a short story that delves into the mind of a man gone mad with the duality of humanity itself. One moment he's Dr. Jekyll and he other he's Mr. Hyde. Though short, it shows what might have been going on inside Stevenson's mind in his latter years. Though his health was in decline, and potentially dying of Tuberculosis, he continued to produce pieces like this. Worth a read in my opinion
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Red Storm Rising
- By: Tom Clancy
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 31 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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When Muslim fundamentalists blow up a key Soviet oil complex, making an already critical oil shortage calamitous, the Russians figure they are going to have to take things into their own hands. They plan to seize the Persian Gulf, and more ambitiously, to neutralize NATO. Thus begins Red Storm, an audacious gamble that uses diplomatic maneuver to cloak a crash military build-up.
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Good Story, Good Narrative, Good Book!
- By PatC on 04-11-12
- Red Storm Rising
- By: Tom Clancy
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
Clancy's best work
Reviewed: 10-17-22
As I've seen in other places, I'd agree that this is the best Tom Clancy novel I've read so far. Every bit of it grabs the educated mind and has you on the edge of your seat. The very thing every Cold War person woke up fearing comes to pass as Russian oil production takes a tumble. They're forced (at least in their minds) to finally take on NATO in an attempt to gain oil rich areas in the Middle East; engaging in a lengthy conflict in every facet of Warfare. Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen on all sides are wrapped into this massive battle for supremacy of resources.
Overall, I won't get into many spoilers because you should definitely read this book. That's how highly I think of it. The plot is pretty thick so set aside time to read this one. The characters are intriguing and well thought out, even the minor ones. Mystery, Suspense, Action and Drama all wrapped into one long book.
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