The Phoenix Guards

Steven Brust - The Phoenix Guards
(Repost from Livejournal)
This is the first of the Dragaeran books I've managed to read - I'm still missing many Vlad Taltos books. But I think I consider myself impressed. And I'm going to tell you why.

Why, we are eager to hear that
I'm glad you think so
Charmed, I'm sure.
Well, do you condescend to listen?
Flames, it's been an hour since I've been asking anything else!
I shall do so promptly.
Argh!
( The tone of the tale definitely influenced my writing style )

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Five Hundred Years After

Steven Brust - Five Hundred Years After
(Repost from Livejournal)
After over 500 years of his reign Tortaalik has become more interested about the formalities and his daily routines and is only occasionally interested about the affairs of the state - which have become rather complex, including various Houses refusing to send their representatives or even pay their share to the Imperial Treasury. And Teckla, the commoners, are growing restless because of the rising grain prices and Tortaalik's various dictates.
( But where's the dauphin? )

Suits Me - The Double Life of Billy Tipton

Diane Wood Middlebrook - Suits Me - The Double Life of Billy Tipton
(Repost from Livejournal)
Billy Tipton was a minor Depression-era jazz musician who, among other things, organized the Billy Tipton Trio for the vaudeville circuit. However, he was born Dorothy Lucille Tipton and apparently decided to don the male costume in order to get a job as a saxophone player. He ended up living the rest of his life as a male.
( Playing jazz requires pants )

Prostho Plus

Piers Anthony - Prostho Plus
(Repost from Livejournal)
Dr. Dillingham is a human dentist who suddenly has to treat a denizen of a flying saucer. After the successful treatment, the grateful proto-Greys abduct him and sell him in outer space. Poor doctor gets acquainted with number of (amusingly) alien species and their various dental problems. Eventually he finds himself in the Galactic University of Dentistry and faces its internal politicking.
( Major drilling work for Dillingham )

Theres

Steve Sem-Sandberg – Theres

Ulrike Meinhof was West German journalist who later abandoned her family to become part of the German left-wing terrorist undergroud. Her role in Red Army Fraction was seen so important that the group was called Bader-Meinhoff-group (another prominent member was Andreas Baader who was famous for dislikes political discussions and attributed to just wanting to kill policemen).
( Inside the mind of prominent political terrorist )

Emergency Sasquatch Ordinance

Kevin Underhill - Emergency Sasquatch Ordinance

This is collection of strange laws – outside those "dumb laws" sites where lots of that stuff are actually urban legends and (intentionally?) misundertood case-specific rulings.

Name of the books refers to a county in the Washingtong state where law protects the sasquatch in case they might exist.

( Superfluity does not vitiate )

Shakespeare's tremor and Orwell's cough

John Ross - Shakespeare's tremor and Orwell's cough

John Ross is US medical doctor with literary interests. In this book he describes number of kind of case histories of literary greats.

( Life and especially Death of authors in English )

Skis against the atom

Knut Haukelid – Skis against the atom

There has been number of documentaries about how Norwegian resistance members trained in Britain were parachuted to destroy Norwegian heavy water plants. One of these men was Knut Haukelid, who later wrote the basis of this book.

In hindsight this might have been for nothing since Nazi Germany was not able to create a nuclear weapon for various reasons, some of which are still disputed. One certainly was the fact that number of German and non-German scientists were not cooperative or outright claimed that nuclear weapon was impractical. Fortunately there was not any suitable to V-2 rockets.

Destroying the heavy water factory and the shipment is actually just part of the book. Haukelid also describes the dangers of Norwegian resistance members living under Nazi occupation, including trying to live off the land in the Norwegian mountains and avoiding patrols. And people that might recognize them.