Scalzi's SciFi, Seriously Super

I just read "Old Man's War" by John Scalzi, and holy crap was it good. Well written, with characters you care about, a main character who feels like he could be real (save for the fantastical setting), and a story that flows like the ink from a pen. Am I three years late to the party? Yep, but that's how I roll, late to the party.

I'm not gonna explain the specifics of the plot, because it's a three year old book, and besides, if you want to know the basic plot of the novel, look it up on wikipedia or something (I suggest reading the book, because it's great).

Why I Chose the Book
-Before I read this book, I had only heard of John Scalzi through some other blogs I read, and everyone seemed to agree that his work was good and that people should read it. I hadn't read any science fiction in a while, so I opted to pick this one up, because the summary sounded cool, and I like futuristic wars.

The Characters
-Most of them felt like real people, and their interactions between each other felt genuine. The chemistry between John, Harry, Jesse, and the rest of the 'Old Farts' made the seem more like college students than retirees, and reminded me of my friends, what with the being thrown into a new situation, and trying to make the best of it.

The Plot
-While it seems to jump around a little, and doesn't give too much back story about what happened before John joined the CDF, it's not necessary to John's story and would inflate the book from the tight 320 that it is (I'm just curious and would like to know why the CDF formed, how it did, and how it's evolved over the years). Once the book got to John's adventures in outer space, it really moves, and kept me me from putting down the book (a rare feat these days)

Favorite Part
-The beginning of boot camp, when the Drill Sergeant reveals how an ad campaign that John wrote saved his life. It had me laughing for quite some time, and trying to explain it to my brother was difficult, because, you know, it's one of those things you have to read to get.

Overall
-Probably the best book I've read in the last six months, if not year. I'd recommend it to pretty much everyone I know, but the issue becomes getting them to read it, what with the wacky science fiction premise and all.

All right guys, get reading, and remember, read safely.