Non Fiction

Inspired by Deborah's universe books, this month I listened to a Non Fiction title. I decided to try the bestseller, Marley & Me: life and love with the world's worst dog, by John Grogan. Despite the fact that I am in no way, shape, or form a dog person, I really did enjoy the book. The episodes flowed smoothly and painted a wonderful portrait of this crazy dog. He sort of reminded me of my neighbor's dog . . . and also of my kids in a way. I really felt like I knew the dog and I definitely had to brush back the tears when it was time for Marley to go. As it's bestseller status will attest, many people are already familiar with this book. But it is definitely one to recommend - for the dog people, for the cat people, for the relationship people - which, when you think about it, it just about everyone.

Romance

This month I decided to read a romance book. I decided to read a romance paperback series book, because, to my recollection, I have never read any series books before.

So I went right for the jugular with a Harlequin Blaze book. This series if one of the most explicit of the paperback series (as evidence by the lack of clothes on the cover). It is true what they teach you in those reader's advisory classes.

I read Baby, It's Cold Outside, by Cathy Yardley (see, it had a holiday theme and everything), in which hot shot Colin returns to his small hometown and has a fling with local golden girl Emily. Will the one night stand turn into something more? Of course it does. That's the whole point of romance novels, isn't it?

It was a quick read, an okay diversion from the holiday madness of mid-December. Would recommend to those looking for something more explicit.

Mysteries

For November I read a Mystery. I do cross over into this genre once in awhile, so I picked an author/series I hadn't read before. I listened to "A" is for Alibi by Sue Grafton. It was a pretty good story that did keep me interested. I'm not so great at figuring it all out, and I was kept guessing on this one. I can see why the series is so popular and the customers have plenty to chose from since the series is up to "T", which is due out this week.

I wasn't so thrilled with the reader of this tape. She seemed to me to be trying too hard to play the unemotional, hard-boiled PI. It was a little too much for my taste.

Endless Universe

Endless Universe: Beyond the Big Bang by Paul J. Steinhardt and Neil Turok
Instead of a "big bang" where time and space sprang into existence 14 billion years ago, the authors postulate a cyclical universe that has always existed and will continue to exist. The authors theorize there have been countless big bangs -- calling this M theory. This theory says the universe contains objects called "branes" (short for membranes). Two branes engage in an endless cycle of "collision, rebound, stretching and collision again."
I understand virtually nothing of the rationale behind this new theory except that it is intriguing to me that this theory apparently answers the multitude of questions/problems that arise when considering the Big Bang model. Even Stephen Hawking calls it "a challenging alternative to the accepted picture of the Big Bang and the future of the universe."

Jinx by Meg Cabot

Jinx by Meg Cabot

Jean Honeychurch hates her nickname “Jinx,” – though she does believe it is well deserved – remember the tornado that hit the day she was born. She moves to Manhattan to stay with relatives in order to get away from a “situation” that had developed back home in Iowa. At least she had been looking forward to seeing her cousin Tory. But the Tory she meets is far different than the fun-loving girl she remembers and it is very obvious that Tory does not want Jinx there.

Tory is playing a dangerous game with magic and seems to think that Jinx knows all about it and is in competition with her. Jinx tries to behave as if that is silly, but is it? Add the boy that they both have a crush on in the mix, and the competition really becomes fierce.

This is a suspenseful story that leaves you guessing until the end. Young adults will enjoy it.

Beyond the Earth

If you want to learn about the world beyond terra firma, these are the two books to read: An Ocean of Air by Gabrielle Walker and Death by Black Hole by Neil de Grasse Tyson. Both are well-written and geared to the lay person readers. I now understand -- in the most simplistic of terms (smile) -- the skies beyond terrestial earth -- from earth's atmosphere to the farthest reaches of the universe.
Did you know?
Because of the broiling activity taking place in the sun, it takes 1,000,000 years for a photon to travel from the center of the sun and finally leave the sun. If that same photon were able to travel without interference, that journey would take 2-3 seconds.
All the water in the oceans can be accounted for by the water added by comets (those icy snowballs from the outer solar system) hitting the earth for the past 4.5 billion. That puts into perspective how long a billion years really is.

More Science Fiction & Vampires, part 2

This month I read Laurell K. Hamilton's Killing Dance. This is book 6 in the Anita Blake, Vampire Slayer series. I may be cheating in calling it Science Fiction, but some library systems (including mine until they changed the catagloging) do file this title in Science Fiction. It would be the alternate reality/fantasy aspect of SciFi - not the traditional outer space type.

I have been enjoying this series for a couple of months now. Like the Charlaine Harris series I talked about in my Vampires, part 1 post, this series has vampires (as well as shapeshifters, fairies, trolls and let's not forget zombies) interacting in the world with us normal (non preternatural) folk. But that's were the similarities end. The Harris series has a light, fun tone to it. This series is dark and gruesome (very graphically so). Now there is violence in the Harris series - there has to be - you can't kill vampires without staking or beheading or some other really permanent way. It's just that the Anita Blake series takes it to another level. Where Sookie is a cocktail waitress, Anita is a necromancer (she raises zombies for a living). And she's the licensed official state vampire executioner. And one of her best "friends" is a monster hit man (the challenge of killing humans was gone, so he pretty much specializes in killing things that go bump in the night). This takes her involvement in the preternatural world to another level.

I would recommend these books to people who like vampires and even those who like serial killer/thriller type books. People who like monster books might like them as well. There is a developing sexual theme that is increasing as the series plays out. Anita is torn between the master vampire of the city and the leader of the werewolf pack. It looks like this will continue to develop in future books.