31 Books Like Wired In

I could not put this book down. Lavish settings, exotic locales, hardened professionals—this book has it all—and that describes the good guys. Each chapter introduces a new, fully-developed character with his or her justifiable motivation for engaging in a sinister plot to disrupt Singapore’s financial system.

Cyber-attack expert Wendy Chen and her spy-lover Guy Anderson must thwart the attack before it happens, but will her computer expertise and his secret agent skills accomplish it before they are killed? I loved the fast-paced and colorful description done in the best Ian Fleming fashion. Added bonus: Kinsey’s narrative increased my cyber-thriller writer vocabulary.

This book’s narrative zooms from the get-go. When Crouch introduces the controlled and calculating master villain, Michael Jeter, plotting his revenge in the first chapter, the tension never disappears.

Detective Tanner Dempsy’s marriage proposal to computer security expert Bree Daniels takes a back seat to their preventing murders by slow drowning that they witness over the Internet. I was thrilled at how the author filled each page with tension, terror, and repressed longing as his hunters became the hunted.

The plot twist at the beginning delighted me. Anti-heroine and computer hacker Nina Walker plays Robin Hood on behalf of her grandmother and pays the price—a mysterious man named Carter kidnaps and forces her to return the money she stole to the other unpaid claimants. But Carter, too, has been blackmailed by the gangster Dante to retrieve the funds and has other personal motivations for dealing with him.

This twist sets up unique moral dilemmas for both characters. Though needing each other to survive, each must decide whether their growing attraction for each other outweighs their family bonds. It is a fine thriller that operates on several levels; my sole reservation is how the book’s character descriptions provide only shadowy outlines instead of fully-fleshed individuals.

The book’s opening scene caught me off-guard. An older lady dies from out-of-season Alaskan cold. Meanwhile, the heroine, Darcie Phillips, contends with the demands of her new job as Fairbanks’ Emergency Operations Center director.

Among her headaches are a rejected candidate for that position, a protest group demanding she shut down a newly installed oil pipeline, and insecurities regarding her qualifications for her position. Little does Darcie suspect the old lady’s death heralds ecological disaster if she fails to meet the demands of an unknown terrorist before the outside temperature reaches 26 degrees below zero.

The author’s use of Alaskan localisms, along with each chapter heading’s time and temperature measurements, intensifies the suspense; however, little character description and minimal display of the protagonist’s Internet abilities dampens her authenticity as a cyber expert.

Something different, a vigilante that is a mixed martial arts fighter and a philosopher. I love this guy.

Romeo is trying to relax and stay out of trouble in LA when he gets sucked into trying to help a woman find her two kidnapped children. Of course, it gets complicated.

I like that he’s a little bit of a smart ass, as I am, too, in trying to make people laugh. I like philosophy stuff and a nice vigilante. Romeo is sharing his philosophical thoughts with Latin quotes mixed into lots of action. A man with violent skills who thinks deeply about his world. It made me stop and think a few times.

It’s the first in a series of seven books. You won’t be sorry.

Balor explores the story of a man who is desperate to win at any cost.

Carver does a wonderful job exploring racism, underground fighting, voodoo and hoodoo, respectively, Our main character is selfish, egotistical, and pathetic… until he partakes of a potion from a voodoo priestess that gives him access to powers from a spirit named Balor.

Throughout the story, he is given many times to try to unleash himself from the spirit, but in exchange, he receives the fame and monetary gifts he wants.

A chilling aspect is how influential he is on his girlfriend’s son. The boy looks up to him. Will he allow Balor to take complete control in order to gain what he wants?

It’s a story told from a hedonistic view with sensual imagery, coarse language, and spiritual warfare, but such a great book.

Sociologist Cynthia Miller-Idriss offers an intimate look at recruitment and radicalization, discussing dress codes, food, mixed martial arts clubs, and online spaces in her sweeping look at the spaces where white supremacists and other far-right activists think and act. She also explores how radicals exploit common concerns of teenagers, such as a need to belong and find their identities. Miller-Idriss examines not only the hard core of radicals but also the more peripheral communities of “alt-right” and ordinary racists whose ideas and actions feed the extremes. Much of her work is about everyday hate, and that is often more disturbing and illuminating than books that focus only on the most extreme acts of violence. Because of Miller-Idriss’ focus on spaces and processes of radicalization, her findings have many implications for those who seek to prevent violence and move people off the path of hatred.

Navigating the pages of this book, I felt an unexpected yet deep kinship, not just as someone well-versed in Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), but as a mixed martial arts and boxing coach.

John Wooden's timeless coaching ethos struck a chord. Much of what Wooden espoused—extracting every ounce of effort, maximizing performance, and championing his revered Pyramid of Success—mirrors the principles that drive both OBM and the rigorous discipline of combat sports. Isn't it fascinating how the delicate balance of mental fortitude, emotional resilience, and physical prowess is as crucial in a boardroom as it is in the boxing ring?

For those who wear many hats, like me, this book offers more than leadership insights. It's a beacon, illuminating the interconnectedness of diverse realms—from the corporate maze to the fight cage. After all, isn't the ultimate goal always about achieving excellence, be it in leadership or a championship bout? Wooden’s insights?… show more.

The first book in this series takes us on a thrilling ride in a post-apocalyptic world. The romance is steamy, so if that’s not your thing, no worries, but I love a good spicy romance so I thoroughly enjoyed this entire series. Rocha does a great job of balancing the sci-fi elements along with the romance, satisfying my love of both science and romance!

Stepping away from the topic of immersive technology, The Ransomware Hunting Team instead looks at the realities of cybercrime in the US, and why especially our government infrastructure has such a hard time fighting it effectively. 

Like all the other books on my list, it’s an examination of what happens when the rubber meets the road with a new technology, and how we humans often just aren’t very good at adapting to change.  

Part of the key problem is that hackers – including the white hat hackers that you want on your side to bring down the bad guys – tend not to be social animals, and our official organizations are far happier hiring a smiling guy in a suit than a scowling nerd who would rather work from his dark bedroom at home.  (Apologies for the stereotypes, but – this really is a problem!) 

This book is an absorbing… show more.