Books I Read in March 2025

Three books this month.

Pick-Up by Charles Willeford (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 1990. Originally published in 1955) 

Pick-Up is a story about two sad, lonely, and self-destructive people. After a strong start, I lost interest around the middle, but then I was drawn back in towards the end. Pretty depressing at times but the hard-boiled writing kept me reading and every time I thought I knew where the story was going it went in a different direction. 

Charles Willeford is a crime fiction author with a long career especially known for his Hoke Mosely novels beginning with Miami Blues. After I learned about him, I started keeping my eye out for his books whenever stopping by a used bookstore. Including this one, I’ve picked up (see what I did there?) five of his books so far. I was in the mood to read some crime noir, so I grabbed this one off the shelf and jumped in. It’s not a typical crime story as the crime aspect doesn’t come into play until late in the book but it was an interesting read.  

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa (Harper Perennial, 2024) 

This a sequel to Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and like that book, it takes place in Jimbocho, Tokyo, a neighborhood known for its many new and used bookstores. When I was living in Japan I visited there often. While I enjoyed spending time with these characters again, I didn’t find this as engaging as the previous book. It has a strong second half as the story finally starts moving forward, but the first half of the book felt uneven and disjointed like the author wasn't sure where to take the story. Still, I like the characters, and it takes place in one of my favorite places in Japan, so if there’s a sequel, I’ll definitely read it. 

The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson (Tachyon Publications, 2012)

An imprisoned Forger is tasked with recreating the soul of an injured emperor. This was my first Brandon Sanderson read, and I have to say I’m impressed. Sanderson packs a lot into this novella. There’s a cast of interesting characters including a clever heroine, combined with well-done world building and a fascinating magic system. While there’s intrigue, suspense, and action, the story also touches upon identity and the meaning of art. Outstanding. 

Brandon Sanderson is an author that I’ve always meant to read but just never got around to. His book Mistborn has been on my to-be-read list for a long time as many people recommend it as a good starting point, but I never bought a copy. I recently watched some YouTube videos about where to start with Sanderson and The Emperor’s Soul came up. I decided on this as it sounded really interesting and it’s shorter than a novel. It also won the 2013 Hugo Award for novella. Looking forward to reading more Sanderson in the future. 

Warhammer 40,000: Into the Maelstrom

Into the Maelstrom (2000) edited by Marc Gascoigne and Andy Jones includes twelve stories set in the Warhammer 40,000 gaming universe, which is a wild mix of military science fiction, dangerous aliens, bioweapons, psychic powers, and supernatural monsters. As I mentioned last month, I bought this and two Warhammer fantasy books (see pic at the end of this post) around fifteen years ago and didn’t read this one until last month. I’m glad that I finally got to it as I enjoyed most of the stories.

Salvation by Johnathan Green (3.5/5)

An Ultramarine who lost his memory helps out villagers after they are attacked. I enjoyed how the story felt a little like a western. 

Into the Maelstrom by Chris Pramas  (2.5/5)

Two Space Marines take on Huron Blackheart, leader of the Red Corsairs. Lots of action and betrayals but I never got into the characters. 

Emperor’s Grace by Alex Hammond (4/4)

A Commissar and a group of Imperial Guardsmen are outnumbered on a jungle planet. The action scenes didn’t hold my interest at first but once the conflict between the Commissar and the leader of the Guardsmen got started, I was all in. 

The Raven’s Claw by Jonathan Curran (4/5)

A man with no memory finds himself part of a penal legion sent to a planet with a rebel governor. I liked how everything is revealed and comes together in the end. 

Children of the Emperor by Barrington J. Bayley (5/5)

After an Imperial Guardsman troopship is ambushed, a lone Guardsman finds himself on a planet with dangerous creatures. An old school space opera adventure with interesting characters and a great balance of action and world building. While all the previous stories hinted at the world of Warhammer 40K, I felt like I learned more from this page turner of a story. Outstanding. 

The Black Pearl by Chris Pramas (4/5)

An Interrogator-Chaplain leads Space Marines on a search for a relic that has been lost for ten thousand years. Good set up, action, and ending. 

Acceptable Losses by Gav Thorpe (5/5)

After a flight commander takes charge of a motley crew of bomber pilots, they are sent on a dangerous mission. An excellent example of military SF with a great mix of characters, action, and conflict. 

Tenebrae by Mark Brendan (2.5/5)

A governor, a former soldier, reflects on his life as his planet is invaded by agents of Chaos. I didn't get into the characters again.

Ancient Lances by Alex Hammond (5/5)

After fighting in one hundred battles for the Imperium, the leader of the Attilan Rough Riders returns to the desert tribe of his home planet to find that things have changed. Maybe it’s because I’ve been listening to the Genghis Khan episodes of the Hardcore History podcast, but I was fascinated by the Rough Riders, characters based on the Hun and Mongol hordes of Eurasia. 

Hell in a Bottle by Simon Jowett (2.5/5)

The overseer of a virtual reality training facility begins to suspect there’s something wrong with the simulations. I could see where the story was going pretty much from the start. 

Unthinking Justice by Andras Millard (4/5)

Space Marines sent to stop a rebellion find that things are not what they appear to be after they engage the rebels. A good mix of interesting characters, action, and mystery. 

In the Belly of the Beast by William King (5/5)

A Space Marine chapter known as the Space Wolves are sent on a mission to investigate a mysterious object the size of a small asteroid. Trouble ensues. Excellent buildup of tension which then switches to all out action. Another outstanding story. 

The only author I was really familiar with was Barrington J. Bailey. I remember seeing his SF paperbacks in bookstores in my university days, but I never read any of them. He has three more stories in another 40K anthology, Dark Imperium (2001) and one novel, Eye of Terror (1999). Unfortunately, they’re out of print and aren’t available as e-books. I enjoyed both stories by Alex Hammond and would like to read more, but his three other 40K stories are also in an out-of-print anthology, Status: Deadzone (2017). Luckily Gav Thorpe and William King both have lots of work still available. I’m looking forward to diving deeper into the worlds of Warhammer.