October 2003
The Runaway Jury
BOOK: John Grisham
I read this because I anticipated seeing the movie. Neither the novel nor the movie impressed me much.
Dark Intent
BOOK: Rae Foley
A light mystery for a rainy day. I read it in Large Print, which was refreshing.
Timeline
BOOK: Michael Crichton
I also read this book in anticipation of the new movie release in a couple of weeks. An interesting plot, believeable characters, and lots of intriguing science lessons are packed into this novel.
July 2003
Emma
BOOK: Jane Austen
I read this novel as a teenager and loved it. However, this weekend I watched the movie and knew that I had utterly misunderstood the point of the book those many years ago! So I fetched my worn copy out of my library and started over again. I just hope I can get through all the frivolous and seemingly useless chatter that fills the pages...
June 2003
Firestar
BOOK: Michael Flynn
This novel begins a story that ends in the fourth book. It details the resurrection of the space program, including moon visits and space stations, in the very-near future. The book was written in 1996, so it reads almost like a non-fictional account much of the time. The characters are deep and multi-dimensional, and Flynn has introduced most of them flawed so that they can develop through the course of the story and redeem themselves. One of the main premises of the book is that our modern-day public schools need to be radically turned around, and having a little bit of experience in education, I appreciate the author's ideas. I have read a review on all four books that basically says, "Enjoy this first one, because it only goes downhill from here." Well, I'll have to wait and see, because I bought the other three already.
May 2003
Brain Power: Learn to Improve Your Thinking Skills
BOOK: Karl Albrecht
I have had this book for several years, but I just started reading through it again to get some ideas for a story I'm writing called "Auster University", which explores the role that the subconscious mind plays in what is commonly called the sixth sense. Here is what the rear cover of this book states:
"Brain Power introduces the six functional thinking abilities you need to become an adaptive, innovative thinker. As you develop your ability to think on your feet, to isolate and arrange facts, and to avoid logical pitfalls you will see how to use creative problem solving strategies, both in business and in private life. With practical exercises to improve your full range of mental capabilities from concentration to intuition, management consultant Karl Albrecht answers all your questions on becoming a more efficient and effective thinker."
April 2003
Gravity Dreams
BOOK: L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
I'm only about halfway through this book at this point. I chose it because of the back cover summary: "In Earth's distant future, Tyndel is both teacher and mentor, a staunch devotee to his conservative and rigidly structured religious culture. Then a rogue infection of nanotechnology transforms him into a 'demon', something more than human, and he is forced into exile, fleeing to the more technologically advanced space-faring civilization that lies to the north, one that his own righteous people consider evil. Although shaken by his transformation, he has the rare talent required to become a space pilot. What no one, least of all Tyndel, expects, is his deep-space encounter with a vastly superior being--perhaps with God."
His religion is called Dzin, and the author is careful to separate the validity of Dzin from the manipulation of Dzin by the head masters to keep the people ignorant. I have been impressed with that so far. The new society of which he becomes a part is dedicated to personal responsibility and honesty, an intriguing development that I hope will be fleshed out in later chapters.
Borderlands of Science
BOOK: Charles Sheffield
Have you ever read a science fiction novel and wondered where the author got his "science"? Or have you, like me, ever wondered if you had to be a physicist or planetologist in order to write credible science fiction? This book is Sheffield's attempt to give some of the secrets of the universe to non-technical writers. I find it to be a bit technical itself, but not without merit. It's a good crash course for world building and space travel foundations.
A Storm of Swords
BOOK: George R.R. Martin
Third of six, this book is worth its weight in gold. Fantasy fiction with slighly less of the magic, sorcery, talking animals, and faerie dust than usual (which is my kind of fantasy), this series is more along the lines of Frank Herbert's Dune for me, in that political intrigue is king. George R.R. Martin is a talented writer, with deeply complex characters and a beautiful setting. This series is becoming one of my all-time favorites.
David Bloom
OBITUARY: April 6, 2003
David Bloom, along with Soledad O'Brien, marked the beginning and the end of my regular viewing of the Today show on the weekends. He always presented himself in a classy and professional manner, and in such a way as to leave his personal politics a mystery. This should be no surprise, really, considering that his mentor was none other than our own Tim Russert.