TBR- Feburary 2009
TBR FOR February 2009
Star Trek: Destiny Book 3- Lost Souls- David Mack. This is the final book in the Destiny Series. And really, the best was saved for last. The build up in the previous books was amazing- the escalating attacks on the Federation by the Borg; the Federation President’s alliance building; the back stories of the lost Columbia Crew Members; and the stories of Captains Picard, Riker, and Dax and their perspective crews. But this one concludes the saga- in a way that was both predictable and yet, entertaining and thrilling. I was a bit disappointed in the final ending- I was hoping Mack would pull one last surprise out of the hat, but who knows- things could get interesting with the next generation of next generation.
Star Wars: New Jedi Order- Dark Tide I Onslaught - Michael Stackpole. This the 2nd book in the New Jedi Order series from about a decade back. I read the first book in the series- Vector Prime- back in ’99, and was so disappointed by who the author killed that I almost REFUSED to read any others. However, with all the new books coming out in the series, and in order to understand what is going with the future of Luke, Leia, and Han, I have to read the books. (Plus, last year, my interest in things Star Wars-y was rekindled- getting to see it with fresh eyes and a new perspective, so I wanted to get back to a time Long, Long ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far away...). Overall, I was pretty impressed by the book- I had forgotten a few of the details from the first book (thank you audio book reminder)- but for the most part, it wasn’t that hard to get caught up in the series. (And it doesn’t make a huge difference that I have not read- nor have any real interest- in the Rogue Squadron series; sure, some of the characters play big roles in the books, but I do not feel lost about what I have missed- unlike some other Trek novels I have read in the pass…).
· The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole- Sue Townsend. In the game of “Desert Island”, when asked what books would I want to bring with me, Sue Townsend’s Adrian Mole Diaries is ALWAYS at the top of my list. I have been reading these books for 2 decades now- for me, they are like comfort reading. Every couple of years, I feel the need to sit down and rediscovered the messed up, crazy, british humor that is Adrian Mole. (Furthermore, my passion for the series does not end with the books- I really first discovered the series when I was in Canada, and sat down with my grandmother and watched the series with her. The next summer, I discovered the books and never regretted. Flash forward to 2004- I suddenly find myself going through a divorce, starting a new job and going back to school. And what do my eyes discovered on the internet but a VHS AND Dvd copies of the long forgotten series,… and so, with my new found money- amazing how much money you have when you are not having to support someone’s 1.5 pack a day smoking habit- I bought the series and never regretted). This latest novel is sort of a bridging book- the last book was set in 2003-2004, while this one finds Adrian during the years of 1999 - 2001; a time when the biggest concerns are Tony Blair’s newborn child, the threat of Y2k, and the growing concern of global terrorism following the events of 9/11. In actuality, the book is a collection of faux journal entries Townsend made in The Guardian during the same time period, and examines some of the events of the time. (I read the entries back in 2004, during an afternoon of boredom while working at Zee). If there is any one series of books I would tell ANYONE to read, it is this one.
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I have decided to use this year to get back to my roots- back to the days of reading those books that seem to have fallen by the way side over the past decade. I am going to read more Star Wars- I am hoping to finish the New Jedi Order Saga this; I want to finish more than my traditional one Sherlock Holmes novel a year trend- I have over 500 Holmes theme novels and I will need to live for a LONG time if I ever want to finish them. I want to read more mysteries- Grafton, Stout, Hillerman, Paretsky, Patterson, and others. I want to read some more military fiction and non fiction, as well as some of the serial Sci Fi that I use to read- Harry Harrison’s Stainless Steel Rat or Bill, the Galactic Hero; Harry Turtledove’s Alternative History and others.
Don’t get me wrong- I will continue reading Trek and the latest books by my favorite authors, but I feel that I am almost neglecting the ones that brought me to the dance; the ones that entertained me while I was sititng in my truck in college, shivering from the cold and passing the time until my next class; the ones that were there when I was near homeless and seeking an escape from reality. I want to get back to the good old days of reading…
Trek Related
· ST: Day of Honor Saga- Various Authors
· ST:Enterprise- Rosetta- Dave Stern
· ST:Vanguard: Reap the Whirlwind- David Mack
· ST:TNG Genesis Wave Book 3 - John Vornholt
· ST: DSN- Rising Son
· ST: Voyager String Theory- Conhesion
· Star Trek: Destiny Book 3- Lost Souls- David Mack.
Star Wars Related
· Star Wars: Clone Wars- Shatterpoint -
· Star Wars: Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor - Matthew Stover
· Star Wars: New Jedi Order- Dark Tide i Onslaught - Michael Stackpole
· Star Wars: New Jedi Order- Dark Tide II: Ruin - Michael Stackpole
Sci Fi
· Earth- David Brin
Military/ Adventure
· Op Center: Line of Control
· Net Force: Spring Board - Steve Perry & Larry Segriff
· Splinter Cell - David Michaels
· Special Forces - Tom Clancy
· Last World War- daytonward
TV Based Shows-
· Quantum Leap: Pulitzer- L. Elizabeth Storm
Comic Book Related books
· Batman: Dead White - John White
· Captain America: Liberty's Torch
· Wolverine: Weapon X- Marc Cerasini
· DC Universe: Helltown
· Spiderman: The Darkness Hours- Jim Butcher
· Spiderman: Down These Mean Streets- Keith R.A. Decandido
· Lois and Clark- C.J. Cherryh
Fiction
· Camel Club- David Baldacci
· Up Country - Nelson DeMille
· Department Thirty- David Kent
· The Company- Robert Littell
· Assassini- Thomas Gifford
· Conspiracy- Allan Topol
· Avenger-Frederick Forsyth
· Inside Ring- Mike Lawson
· Then We Came to the End- Joshua Ferris
Mystery/ Legal Thriller
·Monkey's Raincoat- Robert Crais
· K is for Killer- Sue Grafton
· Four to Score- Janet Evanovich
· Blowfly - Patricia Cornwell
· Violets are Blue- James Patterson
· State of Fear- Michael Crighton
· Hard Rain- Barry Eisler
· Cruel Justice- William Berhardt
· The Red Box- Rex Stout
· Gambit- Rex Stout
· The Gun Seller- Hugh Laurie (House, M.D's Hugh Laurie)
· Tunnel Vision- Sara Paretsky
· One Fearful Yellow Eye- John D. MacDonald
Nonfiction/ Humor
· Dragons of Eden- Carl Sagan
· Nerds 2.0.1
· Dilbert Future - Scott Adams
· Why Do Men Have Nipples
· Why Do Men Fall Asleep After Sex
· The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole- Sue Townsend