I love that you and I are exchanging reading ideas as of late. One you can skip is "Leviathan Rising" It seemed really in my wheelhouse as sci-fi and dystopian sort of theme. Dreadfully boring and takes way too long to get started. After the last tome I read I just wasn't in the mood for one of those books that you read a few pages and then immediately forget what it was because your eyes were on auto-pilot. I have started a Jack Reacher book now instead. It's stupid and we all know how it is going to turn out but at least the author gets things fucking moving and keeps the pace up.