Here is my new goodreads list of awesome books that I am reading or have read and enjoyed since the beginning of 2017 (although a few titles from 2016 may also make it onto the list).

CURRENTLY READING:

• SWORDS AND DEVILTRY by Fritz Leiber (Fantasy)
• EASTERN APPROACHES by Fitzroy Maclean (Autobiography)
• THE MOON POOL by A. Merritt (Fantasy)

HAVE READ:

• FLAMESONG by M.A.R. Barker (Fantasy)
• OLD SOLDIER SAHIB by Frank Richards (Autobiography/Military History)
• Carson Napier VENUS series by Edgar Rice Burroughs (SF/Fantasy)
• Various DOCTOR WHO books by Terrance Dicks (Science Fiction)
• SIR JOHN HAWKWOOD; A TALE OF THE WHITE COMPANY by Angellotti Marion Polk (History/Biography)
• THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS by Poul Anderson (SF/Fantasy)
• THE WARS OF THE ROSES by Dan Jones (History)
• THE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND AND OTHER MYSTERIOUS PLACES by William Hope Hodgson (Horror/Mystery)
• DEBT: THE FIRST 5000 YEARS by David Graeber (History)
• THE AGE OF NAPOLEON by J. Christopher Herald (History)
• THE ADVENTURES OF IBN BATTUTA by Ross E. Dudd (Biography/Adventure)
• THE FACE IN THE ABYSS by A. Merritt (Fantasy/Adventure)
• LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME by James W. Loewen (History)
• SOLOMON KANE by Robert E. Howard (Fantasy/Adventure)
• THE KING OF ELFLAND'S DAUGHTER by Lord Dunsany (Fantasy/Fairy Tale)
• THE WASHING OF THE SPEARS by Donald R. Morris (History)
• STARSWARM by Brian W. Aldiss (Science Fiction)
• THE MAZE OF THE ENCHANTER: The Collected Fantasies, Vol. 4 by Clark Ashton Smith (Fantasy/Horror/SF)
• MURDER IN THE PLACE OF ANUBIS by Lynda S. Robinson (Mystery)
• THE DREAMING CITY by Michael Moorcock (Fantasy)
• DAMNATION ALLEY by Roger Zelazny (Science Fiction)
• PLANET OF THE APES by Pierre Boulle (Science Fiction)
• THE SEVEN VOYAGES OF SINBAD and Other Tales From the Arabian Nights retold by Gladys Davidson (Fairy Tale/Folklore)
• THE ETERNAL CHAMPION by Michael Moorcock (Fantasy)
• HERETICS OF DUNE by Frank Herbert (Science Fiction)
• THE STORY OF THE MALAKAND FIELD FORCE pdf by Sir Winston Churchill (Autobiography/Military History)
• MASTER AND COMMANDER by Patrick O'Brian (Historical Fiction)
• POST CAPTAIN by Patrick O'Brian (Historical Fiction)
• TEN BEAUTIFUL LIES ABOUT JESUS pdf by David Fitzgerald (Religious History)
• QUARTERED SAFE OUT HERE: A Harrowing Tale of World War II by George MacDonald Fraser (Autobiography/Military History)
• THE STARS LIKE DUST by Isaac Asimov (Science Fiction)
• THE CURRENTS OF SPACE by Isaac Asimov (Science Fiction)
• PEBBLE IN THE SKY by Isaac Asimov (Science Fiction)
• THE MAN OF GOLD by M.A.R. Barker (Fantasy)
• GAME OF THRONES (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) by George R. R. Martin (Fantasy)
• A PRINCESS OF MARS by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Science Fantasy)
• THE GODS OF MARS by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Science Fantasy)
• THE WARLORD OF MARS by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Science Fantasy)
• THE BEST OF H.P. LOVECRAFT: BLACK SEAS OF INFINITY selected by Andrew Wheeler (Horror/SF)
• THE MAKING OF STAR WARS: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film by J. W. Rinzler (History)
• THE ULYSSES VOYAGE - Sea Search for the Odyssey by Tim Severin (History/Exploration)
• CONVERSATIONS WITH SETH (Books 1 and 2) by Susan M. Watkins (Metaphysical/Channeling)
• STORIES FROM ANCIENT CANAAN by Michael D. Coogan and Mark S. Smith (History/Mythology)
• HEAVEN AND HELL: MY LIFE IN THE EAGLES by Don Felder (Autobiography)
• THE PRINCESS BRIDE by William Goldman (Fantasy/Adventure)

MY PROGRAMMING BOOKS:

• HTML&CSS by Jon Duckett

One of the most beautifully designed programming books I've seen, clearly laid out, and has plenty of examples.



• JAVASCRIPT & JQUERY by Jon Duckett

One of the most beautifully designed programming books I've seen, clearly laid out, and has plenty of examples.



• JAVASCRIPT: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE (6th edition) by David Flanagan (The O'REILLY 'rhino book')

Everything you ever need to know about Javascript. If you can only buy one Javascript book, get this one.



• AMAZING 3-D GAMES ADVENTURE SET by Lary L. Myers

Published in 1995, this book is a fascinating look at the game engines of Wolfenstein 3D and Doom that make 2D graphics appear as 3D through the use of raycasting techniques. The author has even created his own raycasting game engine and steps through the source code, explaining each section. And of course it also comes with a CD-ROM for your 386/486. :)



• BEGINNING C++ THROUGH GAME PROGRAMMING - THIRD EDITION by Michael Dawson

This is the first book I would recommend to beginning programmers wanting to learn C++. It's one of the most fun and relatable programming books I've read - no boring or pointlessly tedious examples here. It's a great introduction to C++ and covers all the basics including class inheritance and polymorphism.



• C++ WITHOUT FEAR - SECOND EDITION by Brian Overland

Another good intoduction to C++ programming for newbies. One of the reasons this book is so interesting to me is that it covers a lot of the "C-isms" of C++, in addition to the more modern "C++ way" of doing things, which many books gloss over or try to avoid altogether. At one time, C++ was essentially a superset of C, and I have found it highly useful to understand the 'C' in C++. This book also has lots of clear and fun examples.



• THE C++ PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE: SPECIAL EDITION (3rd Edition) by Bjarne Stroustrup

The definitive guide to C++. Pretty much everything you need to know. This is the only book in this review that I don't own a hard copy of, just a pdf on the hard drive. It is also for those with some previous programming experience or a basic understanding of C++. The Special Edition is a hardcover version of the 3rd Edition which contains a couple of extra appendices, as well as a LOT of corrections and updates to the early printings of the 3rd edition. NOTE: I suppose I should mention that the C++ I am familiar with and most enjoy writing is of the more "old school" style (2003 and before), though some of the sources listed here were published as late as 2011. A number of additions and revisions to the language were introduced in the 2011 and 2017 standards updates and newer guides and tomes have been published to reflect these changes, although I would still recommend beginning with the books by Michael Dawson and Brian Overland listed above, followed by the one on data structures listed below.



• ALGORITHMIC THINKING by Daniel Zingaro

An excellent book on algorithms and data structures with interesting problems to solve and complete walkthroughs of the C code used to solve them. Topics include hash tables, trees and recursion, graphs, searches, and more. A must have for any serious programming student. Read this AFTER you are reasonably comfortable with the syntax and mindset of C++ programming.



• HANDS-ON INTRO TO GAME PROGRAMMING by Chris DeLeon

An online book, with associated video lessons, about game programming in Javascript on the HTML5 canvas. This is, quite literally, the best resource you will find for learning all the basics of browser game programming. The author offers clear and comprehensive explanations of each stage of game development, tricks of the trade, what to avoid and why, visual examples, as well as the author's own code files for each section. Highly recommend!