Currently Reading: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Understandably being a guy, I don't often read romances. I'm more of a Sci-fi kind of person. This book manages to be both, and the author weaves a convincing tale that is both very amusing and engaging.

Time-Travel is always a hard subject to write about. There are always the 'What If's' to think about, and the eventual paradoxes. Sometimes these paradoxes are part of the plot, and sometimes they're left unmentioned as part of a plot hole due to sloppy writing. The author acknowledges and even makes fun of them by having the main character meet up with himself multiple times and even having chats with him.

It's the story of a man, Henry DeTamble, with a disorder he describes as very few people having; the ability to slip out of time at a moment's notice, stress being the trigger. When he travels, he loses his clothes; he is naked and in search of new attire. This causes complications, especially if someone catches sight of him.

His time-travelling is mostly to places he's already been in the past, where he meets his future wife, Clare Abshire when she is a child. Romance builds between these visits, until she's old enough to marry.

It's certainly an interesting premise, and one that holds a lot of promise and humour. If Back to the Future was a time-travelling classic of the 80's, then this is the time-travelling classic of the 2000's.

There's a movie in production, and it remains to be seen how it's handled, but I'm looking forward to it.

Currently Reading - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Hey everyone,

So, what has this bookworm been reading these past few weeks? I'm reading Mary Shelley's Frankeinstein, which has long been overdue on my part. It had been sitting on my shelf, neglected ever since I got it as part of a free book promotion. So, me being a Sci-Fi fan, and with Mary Shelley oft-considered to be the mother of Sci-Fi, naturally I was curious.

Now, before I get into the book itself, I'll paint a picture. Apparently the black and white classic that's been so far ingrained into our culture and is a staple of every halloween, is actually quite far removed from the book. From what I've read, the movie doesn't follow the book very closely and only resembles it in name. Hard to believe since it's been considered such a classic. I think anything like that today would end up being called a hack job.

Now, there's a more recent version of Frankenstein which came out in 1994 starring Robert DeNiro, and apparently this one follows the book more closely. Mind you, I haven't seen either, but I'll be watching both, the original to see the history behind it, and the recent one to experience the story the way it was meant to be.

Frankenstein is more than just a story about a monster on a rampage. It's about a man and his ambition towards a goal and the realization of his mistake; a story about the human condition. And this is quite clearly shown throughout the book, and so far I've been impressed and how well it's held up. The classic movie tends to only show the horror and focuses more on the creature rather than Frankenstein himself, leaving out the human condition. I can see why it's become a classic, but I would have been more interested if it followed the story more closely.

So, after I'm done reading, I'll make it a point to watch both and compare, but I think I'll end up liking the one released in 1994 more, which should have been the way to do it in the first place.

Top Star Trek Books

I promised last week, that I'd make a post concerning what I think are essential Trek books, so here we are. These aren't in any order, unless my mind puts one subconsciously before another. So, what's the criteria?

There are a lot of Trek books that have been written, just like there have been a lot of Star Wars books written. Nobody in their right mind expects a person to read every single one of them. Some are aweful, while some of them are average. Every once in awhile though, there will be a gem in the rough. These in my opinion are really good stories, that not only are really good in terms of Trek, but stand alone as good literature that can be enjoyed by anyone, and not just die hard fans. So, that's my criteria. A really good Trek book that can stand alone on its own merits. It's rare, but when you find one, they really tend to be great works of fiction. So, let's get to it.

Federation by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens: Ever wondered how the Federation came about? Ever wonder how Warp Drive was invented? You'll find that out here in Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens's Federation, in what is arguably the best Trek novel ever written, featuring the crew of Kirk and Picard's Enterprises in a plot that involves both crews and other familiar characters after a Time Warp accident. What is remarkable about this novel is that each crew never actually come face to face and manages to be stronger for it. Many episodes and novels would tend to have our crews face to face, which in my opinion lessens the impact by taking an easy way out. Having them not come face to face is a harder challenge in my opinion, and they've pulled it off beautifully. This novel came out before 1994's Generations where Kirk and Picard met, and still yet before 1996's First Contact where Picard's crew go back in time to help Zefram Cochrane with his Warp Drive experiment, and so some of it is invalidated due to those movies, but many people feel that this novel does it better than the both of them. In my opinion, it's far more tactfully done.

Immortal Coil by Jeffrey Lang: A Next Generation novel featuring Data. Probably the only one focusing on Data. The result is an Asimovian style story in which Data learns he is not unique. All throughout the show, he's been striving to become more human, ultimately curious to know what it takes to be human, learning how to correct himself and try to be less perfect, less like an android, all the while, adding puzzle pieces that an Android normally doesn't have, like humor with the use of a chip in Generations. The second plot point in this novel has him finding love, something which had eluded him until now, which more or less helps him complete his quest in becoming more human. Lots of references to both TOS and TNG episodes, but that shouldn't really get in the way of things. In fact, they just serve to add more depth to those who get the references.

The Ashes of Eden by William Shatner (Reeves-Stevens): For some perspective, when Federation came out, when William Shatner was thinking of writing a Star Trek novel, since Federation was so successfull, they had asked the duo if they would like to write with Shatner. They said yes, and this is their result. It's a wonderful story about Kirk retiring, meeting a new love, marrying her and then living off-world with her. It's age old innocence at its best. This book is actually part of a trilogy, although after this came out, Generations came out and went ahead and killed off Kirk. Now, Shatner wanted to keep Kirk alive, and so he wrote a sequel which contradicted even all the other novels published around the same time. He's a rebel, that's what he is. The publishers have given him leeway into doing what he wants, in that it won't affect the other novels people are writing. This is what people are affectionately calling 'The Shatnerverse'. Now, I'm not recommending picking up the rest of the books, as this one stands well enough on its own, since the sequel, 'The Return', finds an implausible, as far as Sci-Fi goes, way to bring him back to life. It goes downhill from there anyhow. Leave it at Ashes of Eden.

The Lives of Dax by Various Authors: Dax was a character on Deep Space Nine, and is a Trill. Now, the idea of Trills is that, some of them are joined, and some of them are not. By being joined, it means they have a symbiont inside of them, an alien creature able to retain memories by living inside the Trill and using them as host. If a Trill dies, they can still save the symbiont and transfer it to another host , which will then carry the memories of that dead Trill. The Dax symbiont has lived many generations, and Deep Space Nine portrayed two of those, including another which is featured in this book. The concept of this novel is brilliant. It is not one long story, but rather short stories, each taking on a different generation of the Dax symbiont, so what you get more or less is a history of the universe and its evolution through the eyes of the Dax symbiont, from before the Trill were discovered by the Federation, to Kirk's era, to Next Generation, and finally to Deep Space Nine. Each story though is interlocked by the memories of the previous and what you get is a spellbinding page turner, in which you can pick up and read and be finished with a story all while during a coffee break.

Q-Squared by Peter David: Have you ever met Q? He's delightfully annoying, always causing trouble for Captain Picard, while having so much fun tormenting the crew. In a way, he's the perfect villain for the Next Generation, who first appeared in the pilot to judge Picard on his actions. Actions he says that weigh in on the human race's survival. This arrogant omnipotent being thinks the human race is beneath him, and so hilarity ensues when he actually comes to Picard for help. Trelane was a similar being for Kirk, though he never was specified what he was; only that he was very immature for his age and always liked to play games. This novel takes a brilliant approach and assumes that Trelane is the same species as Q. So, when Q comes to Picard for help, it's because he's been tasked by Trelane's parents to keep an eye on him. Picture a daycare for omnipotent beings, and that's pretty much the concept of this novel. Alternate universes clash together as Trelane unravels the very fibers that keep them distinct, and before you know it, each universe blends into one. The galaxy is the Omnipotent's building blocks.

Prime Directive by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens: This is one of the few other novels the Reeves-Stevenses wrote before engaging themselves with William Shatner. Again, this shows why they were chosen to write for him. This novel really is a piece of quality work. I have never seen a Trek novel capture the essence and spirit of Star Trek so well. They all act as you would expect them to act, and at times, you can really picture this being a movie. A good book in my opinion, is one in which you can hear the voices without having to wonder how they would say a certain thing. This one has it in abundance. It's about the story of Kirk and his crew, and a mistake they make for which they pay the price of. The Prime Directive is General Order Number 1. It's the most important rule to which Starfleet Captains must adhere to. Here they've apparently broken it, and their actions lead to a chain reaction. They must figure out how they triggered a destruction of a whole world.

A Stitch In Time by Andrew J. Robinson: Garak, a character in Deep Space Nine, has always been in the shadows. As a clothier, we never actually knew how he got there and what his past was, which made him an intriguing character with all sorts of secrets. Apparently, the actor who played him, Andrew Robinson, liked playing him so much, that after the series ended, he decided to write a book about the character's past, and what an interesting book this is. You don't even have to like the character of Garak or even know who he is to appreciate it. For instance, Garak wasn't one of my favourite characters before reading this book, but reading gave me a whole new appreciation for him, to becoming one of my favourite characters in Trek ever. Not just a great Trek book, but a great book overall that deserves the title of Literature.

Currently Reading: Star Trek - Titan: Orion's Hounds

Hello, everyone! It has been awhile hasn't it? Unfortunately I haven't had much to write about and I have had several health problems which I won't mention here, which has distracted me from posting.

I have to say, I really enjoyed The Golden Compass and would recommend it for anyone wanting to read a good fantasy. I'm looking forward to the movie. The full trailer has finally been released, so look for it either on Yahoo or the Quicktime trailers site.

Currently I'm reading the 3rd book in the Titan series, following the adventures of Riker and his crew aboard his ship, the USS Titan. I'm half-way through it, and it's more or less a sequel to the first TNG episode, Encounter at Farpoint. It's not bad, but I still like the first book so far. I'm finding that this one and the previous one aren't holding my attention as good as the first one did. Anyhow, as always, here is the synopsis from Amazon.

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As the U.S.S. Titan ventures beyond the outermost reaches of known space, the telepaths in her crew -- including Diplomatic Officer Deanna Troi -- are overwhelmed by an alien cryof distress, leading the ship to the scene of a shocking act of carnage: a civilization of interstellar "whalers" preying upon and exploiting a familiar species of sentient spaceborne giants.

Appalled but reluctant to rush to judgment, Captain William Riker and his crew investigate, discovering a cosmic spawning ground in a region of active star formation -- the ecosystem for a bewildering array of diverse but similarly vast life-forms. While attempting to negotiate an end to the victimization of these creatures, Riker's crew inadvertently grants them the means to defeat their hunters' purpose...only to learn that things are not exactly as they seem.

Currently Reading: The Golden Compass - Philip Pullman

Weee, It's been awhile hasn't it? From being in Vermont for a week, and then having just coming back from Ottawa for a vacation, I haven't had much time to post.

During my vacation, I managed to finished Stephenson's System of the World, and I was happy to have finally finished it, yet sad that I did, but now I can leave it behind and concentrate on lighter stuff for awhile.

Unfortunately, I finished it while I was on vacation and I needed something for the trip back, so, surprise surprise, I've picked up yet another book!

This time it's The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, and it's pretty good. An acclaimed children's series much in the vein of Harry Potter.

Also, a movie Starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig is in the works and I believe it will be released this november.

Here's a link to the website: http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/

New Books

It's been awhile, I know! I haven't really had much to say lately. But let's see, I'll try to change that. I just came back from Vermont and visited my favourite bookstore there, and those who know me will know that entering a bookstore is dangerous to me. I always come out with a number of books, and this time was no different. Ok, well, I got three, and I'll be getting more later this month. And hey, guess what, I still haven't finished reading the books on my shelf! I've got a backlog of at least a year at this point. And this is why I haven't raced to pick up HP & The Deathly Hallows. Why do I keep doing this? Well, one could say I love my books a bit too much.

Books I got:

- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams : I haven't read it yet in all this time and I've always been meaning to pick it up but have always been sidetracked, which happens a lot with what I want to read.

- Mercury by Ben Bova: A favourite author of mine ever since I read Mars by him, which I consider a classic in Mars fiction.

- The Zero by Jess Walter: First time I see his name, but the cover and description won me over. It seems to have gotten a lot of praise, plus it's from one of my favourite publishers. Description below.

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The Zero

Hero Cop Brian Remy wakes up after shooting himself in the head -- and so begins a harrowing tour of a city and country shuddering through the aftershocks of a devastating terrorist attack (9/11). Lurching between lucid moments and entire days when he feels he's living another's life. Remy confronts a landscape at once fractured and oddly familiar. As he tries to make sense of his new life -- chasing paper scraps for a shadowy intelligence agency -- Remy can't be certain whether the trail will lead him to an elusive terror cell... or send him circling nightmarishly back to himself.

Currently Reading: System of the World - Neal Stephenson

It's nice and sunny out now, thankfully. It's actually summer weather compared to the fall weather we've been having the last few days. You may be wondering, what I'm reading. Well, read on and let me tell you.

I'm currently reading part 3 of Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, System of the World. From what I hear, for those who have stuck with reading this trilogy, is a treat for the readers. I'm currently about a quarter of a way through it and I'm really enjoying getting back to reading about the characters that I loved so much in the first two installments. I'll post the synopsis for each of the volumes for you to get an idea of the extensiveness of the story.

QuickSilver:

In Quicksilver, the first volume of the "Baroque Cycle," Neal Stephenson launches his most ambitious work to date. The novel, divided into three books, opens in 1713 with the ageless Enoch Root seeking Daniel Waterhouse on the campus of what passes for MIT in eighteenth-century Massachusetts. Daniel, Enoch's message conveys, is key to resolving an explosive scientific battle of preeminence between Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz over the development of calculus. As Daniel returns to London aboard the Minerva, readers are catapulted back half a century to recall his years at Cambridge with young Isaac. Daniel is a perfect historical witness. Privy to Robert Hooke's early drawings of microscope images and with associates among the English nobility, religious radicals, and the Royal Society, he also befriends Samuel Pepys, risks a cup of coffee, and enjoys a lecture on Belgian waffles and cleavage-—all before the year 1700.

The Confusion (as by Publisher's Weekly):

The title of Stephenson's vast, splendid and absorbing sequel to Quicksilver (2003) suggests the state of mind that even devoted fans may face on occasion as they follow the glorious and exceedingly complex parallel stories of Jack Shaftoe, amiable criminal mastermind, and Eliza, Countess de la Zeur, courageous secret agent and former prisoner in a Turkish harem. In 1689, Jack recovers his memory in Algiers, evades galley slavery and joins a quest for the lost treasure of a Spanish pirate named Carlos Olancho Macho y Macho. This leads to adventures at sea worthy of Patrick O'Brian, and hairbreadth escapes from the jaws of the Inquisition. Meanwhile, Eliza is captured by the historical (and distinguished) French privateer Jean Bart while trying to escape to England with her baby. She must then navigate the intrigues of the court of Louis XIV, which are less lethal than those of the Inquisition by a small margin, but still make for uneasy sleep for a friendless female spy. Her correspondence with such scientific minds as Wilhelm Leibniz helps propel the saga's chronicling of the roots of modern science at a respectable clip. Of course, one can't call anything about the Baroque Cycle "brisk," but the richness of detail and language lending verisimilitude t? the setting and depth to the characters should be reward enough for most readers.

System of the World (as by Publisher's Weekly):

The colossal and impressive third volume (after Quicksilver and The Confusion) of Stephenson's magisterial exploration of the origins of the modern world in the scientific revolution of the baroque era begins in 1714. Daniel Waterhouse has returned to England, hoping to mediate the feud between Sir Isaac Newton and Leibniz, both of whom claim to have discovered the calculus and neither of whom is showing much scientific rationality in the dispute. This brawl takes place against the background of the imminent death of Queen Anne, which threatens a succession crisis as Jacobite (Stuart, Catholic) sympathizers confront supporters of the Hanoverian succession. Aside from the potential effect of the outcome on the intellectual climate of England, these political maneuverings are notable for the role played by trilogy heroine Eliza de la Zeur, who is now wielding her influence over Caroline of Ansbach, consort of the Hanoverian heir. Eliza has risen from the streets to the nobility without losing any of her creativity or her talents as a schemer; nor has outlaw Jack Shaftoe lost any of his wiliness. What he may have lost is discretion, since he oversteps the boundaries of both law and good sense far enough to narrowly escape the hangman. In the end, reluctant hero Waterhouse prevails against the machinations of everybody else, and scientific (if not sweet) reason wins by a nose. The symbol of that victory is the inventor Thomas Newcomen standing (rather like a cock crowing) atop the boiler of one of his first steam engines. This final volume in the cycle is another magnificent portrayal of an era, well worth the long slog it requires of Stephenson's many devoted readers.

Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age becoming a mini-series

Ok, so if you read this blog, you probably know I'm a Neal Stephenson fan by now, so I was really excited when I found news of The Diamond Age being adapted by the Sci-Fi channel as a mini-series and being produced by George Clooney. Did I mention I'm really excited? Neal himself is writing the screenplay. Oh , yeah, I'm really excited.

Diamond Age, based on Neal Stephenson's best-selling novel The Diamond Age: Or a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer, is a six-hour miniseries from Clooney and fellow executive producer Grant Heslov of Smokehouse Productions.

When a prominent member of society concludes that the futuristic civilization in which he lives is stifling creativity, he commissions an interactive book for his daughter that serves as a guide through a surreal alternate world. Stephenson will adapt his novel for the miniseries, the first time the Hugo and Nebula award winner has written for TV.

More info straight from the horse's mouth: http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=39447

Currently Reading: Nighttime is My Time - Mary Higgins Clark

Well, I just started this one a few days ago as I don't feel like getting into anything heavy just yet.

This is my first from hers and it's not bad, but it's also not that great. The character names are very generic sounding, and the chapters are also very short. I suppose that's kind of what I'm getting to with this kind of mainstream author. I'll post an update when I finish this book and post my thoughts about it in more detail, which is something I should be doing from now on with books.

Description:

"The definition of an owl had always pleased him: a night bird of prey...sharp talons and soft plumage which permits noiseless flight...applied figuratively to a person of nocturnal habits. 'I am The Owl,' he would whisper to himself after he had selected his prey, 'and nighttime is my time.'"

Jean Sheridan, a college dean and prominent historian, sets out to her hometown to attend the twenty-year reunion of Stonecroft Academy alumni, where she is to be honored along with six other members of her class. There is something uneasy in the air: one woman in the group about to be feted, Alison Kendall, a beautiful, high-powered Hollywood agent, drowned in her pool during an early-morning swim. Alison is the fifth woman in the class whose life has come to a sudden, mysterious end.

Adding to Jean's sense of unease is a taunting, anonymous fax she received, referring to her daughter -- a child she had given up for adoption twenty years ago.

At the award dinner, Jean is introduced to Sam Deegan, a detective obsessed by the unsolved murder of a young woman who may hold the key to the identity of the Stonecroft killer. Jean does not suspect that among the distinguished people she is greeting is The Owl, a murderer nearing the countdown on his mission of vengeance against the Stonecroft women who had mocked and humiliated him, with Jean as his final victim.

UPDATE - April 25th: Well, I finished the book and while I originally thought I wouldn't like it, I did really like it and I thought it was quite a good mystery. I realize there are two types of mystery novels. There are the murder mysteries and some of them can tend to be quite gruesome. I personally like them when it's just hinted at and not explicitly given in detail, and this book rides the thin line between both. I did like the fact that I kept on guessing who the murderer was as hints were dropped about who it may be. It maybe you realize that everyone is not as who they seem at first. I think that in the future I'll be reading more of these books of hers.



Author: Mary Higgins Clark
Publisher: Pocket Books
Pages: 464

Currently Reading: Titan: The Red King

Just a short note to update you all on what I'm currently reading. I'm reading the second book in the Titan series of Trek books, The Red King. You'll remember I started the series in June with Taking Wing.

I was actually reading something before this and after The Dueling Machine, but it was actually quite unremarkable and not really worth mentioning, so that's why it's taken me awhile to post anything on here.

Retro Reading - The Dueling Machine

So, I finish this stack of old books with one called The Dueling Machine by Ben Bova. Ben Bova had become one of my favourite authors after having read Mars by him, and so when I was picking out these old books, it was a delight to see a Ben Bova book.

I never know how these books will turn out. A lot of them can be really awful, while there can also be some real gems, and I'm glad to say that this is definitely a gem and Ben Bova's writing didn't disappoint.

The setting takes place in a world that feel have pretty much solved the conflict of mankind by allowing people to step into these booths and settle grudges by creating scenarios, much like those in a Holodeck. The catch is that there isn't supposed to be any harm to the people involved in these scenarios, so when someone dies after coming out of it, and another one going into a coma, the inventor of the dueling machine gets called to the planet where this occured to find the reasons why it did. The result is quite a story as we later find out that it's all due to a plot from an enemy planet to try to take over the entire sector after having found some of the flaws of the machine. Sure, it sounds like standard Sci-fi fare, but it really is quite remarkably written in that you really get involved in the story wondering what will happen next. Its probably not considered a classic by authority figures, but I sure consider it a classic in my collection. Sometimes the older books tend to have the best writing and can actually be called literature. A lot of newer would always like to be considered that, but it isn't always the case.

Retro Reading - The House of Many Worlds

I have a pile of old books I that I've mentioned from time to time. This is a pile that I still haven't managed to get through yet and it's been more than a year. Most of these books tend to be duds, but then I take chances and I find some gems. The House of Many Worlds is a gem among the rough. It's one of those books that are very good even after all the time has passed. It's one of those books has passed the test of time. Upon reading the first sentences, I knew this would be something special. I was right, of course, as I'm really enjoying what I'm reading.

Basically, the story is that of a strange house (not a haunted house as even the story mentions), but a house that has strange things happen to it. The owner of the house explains that it is a tangential point; a gateway to parallel worlds. At the point where I am in the story, the characters are now in a parallel world where the United States are called The Columbian Republic, and the nation's capital is New Orleans, not Washington, where the world doesn't have rockets, but have vehicles propelled by some form of propulsion.

It's all very interesting and it's apparently one of the better Alternate History novels published.

Synopsis:

Ancient, encrusted with legend, supposedly empty, the old mansion on Spindrift Key stood like a dark and lowering wraith. In this classic science fiction novel the New York Times called "a fast-moving adventure, told with engaging humor," reporter Elspeth Marriner`s nose for news leads her into a world of trouble. Make that, in worlds of trouble. When she and photographer Mack Fraser, the man she loves to hate, are sent to investigate the old mansion in the Hatteras, they never dream that once inside their lives will never be the same. For the house is a gateway to alternate Earths, watched over by a mysterious group called the Workers, who guard against more advanced civilizations crossing the dimensional barriers to conquer defenseless neighbors. From the Workers, Elspeth learns that her and Mack`s presence at the house is no accident. They have been personally selected by the Workers for a dangerous assignment. Their unique combination of talents and knowledge are needed to counter a threat that could plunge the entire world into war. If Elspeth accepted the assignment, she would have to cross to another world, aided only by her native ingenuity, then surmount a succession of plots and counterplots, with death the price of failure. Worse, she would have to work more closely than ever with the detested Mark Fraser. "Merwin has created characters that are human ¦ House of Many Worlds is entertaining and realistic." San Francisco Chronicle. "House of Many Worlds is an exciting ... story, with a new and highly unusual twist ¦ outstanding for its realistic characters and expert seasoning of thrills and horror." H. L. Gold, Galaxy Magazine.

Currently Reading: Deception Point

I became a fan of Dan Brown after reading the Da Vinci Code, and I think many did after that one, although it is a book that you either love or hate. Ironically, it was the second book in a series of books that became extremely popular, and it was only after it became popular that they reprinted Angels & Demons, his first book in the series. I actually ended up liking Angels & Demons better then the Da Vinci Code, and I hope they make a movie out of it like they made the Da Vinci Code a movie, which I found to be very cleverly made due to the book's visual clues. So far, all those books in the series have religion as a recurring topic. Angels & Demons presented a topic that is a very heated debate topic; one of Science vs Religion. The Da Vinci Code showed us that we should keep an open mind, that not everything should be taken at face value, that there is often an other side to what we are told. Apparently the yet unnamed third book will tackle the topic of Religion vs Politics, or Religion vs State, the Pentagon being a location in the story. It's all speculation of course, but I'm anxiously awaiting for its release.

In the mean time, I've wanted to read one of his earlier novels called Deception Point. I've wanted to read it for quite some time ever since I read an excerpt of it in, I think Angels & Demons, and I got it as a present last Christmas and only getting to it now.

Here's the description and synopsis:

When a NASA satellite discovers an astonishingly rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice, the floundering space agency proclaims a much-needed victory — a victory with profound implications for NASA policy and the impending presidential election. To verify the authenticity of the find, the White House calls upon the skills of intelligence analyst Rachel Sexton. Accompanied by a team of experts, including the charismatic scholar Michael Tolland, Rachel travels to the Arctic and uncovers the unthinkable: evidence of scientific trickery — a bold deception that threatens to plunge the world into controversy. But before she can warn the President, Rachel and Michael are ambushed by a deadly team of assassins. Fleeing for their lives across a desolate and lethal landscape, their only hope for survival is to discover who is behind this masterful plot. The truth, they will learn, is the most shocking deception of all.

Synopsis

When a NASA satellite discovers an astonishingly rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice, the floundering space agency proclaims a much-needed victory -- a victory with profound implications for NASA policy and the impending presidential election.

The Trip: Loot

Well, I picked up quite a bit of stuff during my trip, mainly in music and books. I'll list them here with a sentence or two, where I'll save bigger descriptions for later when I actually get to read them.

First stop was when I was in Ottawa. We headed to the Chapters in the market, the one that's two stories big. Wow, I had fun in there. Didn't think I'd spend so much time in there, but we spent nearly 2 hours there, maybe 3. It was almost too easy to get lost and get tempted to keep picking up more books. So, here's what I got there.

System of the World by Neal Stephenson: This is the book that finishes the Baroque Cycle. It's volume 3 of 3. Finally I have them all.

Kydd by Julian Stockwin: Saw this new series on the bookshelf and thought I might as well give it a try. It's a new series in the lines of Horatio Hornblower by C.S Forester and Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian. In other words, napoleonic era, which I like.

Star Trek Titan (book 2): The Red King: You'll remember I read Titan: Taking Wing earlier this year, and I thought they were well written, so I picked up The Red King, and Orion's Hounds.

Star Trek Titan (book 3): Orion's Hounds: You'll remember I read Titan: Taking Wing earlier this year, and I thought they were well written, so I picked up The Red King, and Orion's Hounds. Yes, I did this on purpose. You're not experiencing double vision.

King Jerry by David Arnason: Picked this up in the bargain section. Couldn't resist. Well, who wouldn't when it's priced at $2.99. It's essentially a modern retelling of King Lear. The book says itself "A satirical modern-day version of King Lear set in a western-Canadian university English Department. "

Now for the music. Well, when we were in Quebec, on our way back, that is, we went to View Quebec and stopped in at Archambaud, which I think I mentioned in my original post. This store is a treasure of a store for finding french music, and has 3 floors! A bit on the pricy side, but then I'll take that over not being able to find them at all. Over there, I found at least two CDs I wouldn't even have had the chance of finding in Ontario, and I found them so easily.

C'est Ici Que Je Veux Vivre - Marie-Michèle Desrosier: Got this one and decided to give it to my Mom as it has many old french Quebec songs by other artists on this. I thought that she would like it more than me considering that. It was so easy to find to and I didn't have very much trouble at all finding it. In fact, one could say that it found me. I went to one corner of the store and it was just there, staring at me. Funny how that goes.

Plus Grand Que Les Mots - Les Muses: Wow, I had been looking for this one ever since I'd seen them on the East Coast Music Awards two years ago. Ask about them in Ontario, and you get weird looks and people wondering if you're thinking of Muses, Throwing Muses, or other bands using that word. In other words, it didn't exist to them. This is truly an awesome record. Beautiful french songs, with very clear words, which is quite rare as recordings aren't always too clear and sound compressed. It's beautiful even if you don't speak french.

When We Get There - Lennie Gallant: The only non-french album that I got while there. It's really quite a good album. It's my first of his and he's a great songwriter. Good songs.

Currently Reading: Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume 1

You're right. I haven't really had much time for reading this month. Mostly because I was busy with a trip and I didn't do much reading during that trip as I was too busy doing other things. I'll post more about my trip later, like when I get my pictures downloaded from my camera.

But, right before the trip, I did start a new book. This one is the Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume 1, which was given to me by my brother for Christmas this year. It's a definitive version of the best science fiction short-stories published, this one between 1929 and 1964, and great stories they are!

Anyway, I know it's not much of a post now, but I'll have more posting to do in the next few days that will make up for this smallish post.

Currently Reading: Hornblower & The Atropos

Did I say I was a slow reader? Sure seems like I'm going through books lately and contridicting what I said earlier. But the fact of the matter is, the books I've been reading lately have been easier to read than I thought they would, so I'm just blowing through books at a fast pace.

This one is part of C.S Forester's Horatio Hornblower series of novels, and the first novel of his that I read. It's part of the books in the pile that I got last year while in Vermont. Amazing that I've still got books in that pile that I haven't read yet and I only paid a dollar total for all of them. They sure were worth it for the reading I've been doing with them.

Unfortunately, I can't find a summary of this book without spoiling it both here and for myself, but if you've seen the A&E series of movies, then you'll love reading this. I've started reading the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey/Maturin series of novels, which the Master & Commander movie was based on, and in comparison, this novel feels more simplistic and less stylistic, and almost more mainstream. So far, I've enjoyed the Patrick O'Brian novels more since he has more of a flair for descriptions, and makes you almost feel like you're there, enough to smell the sea water. So, so far, it's good, but not as good as I'd hoped it would be.

Currently Reading: Pattern Recognition

I, err, forgot. That's right, I forgot to post the book that I'm currently reading. I'm more than halfway through it now, but I suppose it's better late than never, right? I sure don't want to make a habit of forgetting.

Right, so with that out of the way, I'm currently reading Pattern Recognition by William Gibson. It's my first book of his that I picked up in the bargain section at Chapters, and some say that it's far from being his best book, this one taking place in the present, while most of his other books take place in a far away future. Since I don't have much to say about it so far, I'll just post the synopsis from the book itself:

"Cayce Pollard is an expensive, spookily intuitive market-research consultant. In London on a job, she is offered a secret assignment: to investigate some intriguing snippets of video that have been appearing on the Internet. An entire subculture of people is obsessed with these bits of footage, and anybody who can create that kind of brand loyalty would be a gold mine for Cayce's client. But when her borrowed apartment is burgled and her computer hacked, she realizes there's more to this project than she had expected.

Still, Cayce is her father's daughter, and the danger makes her stubborn. Win Pollard, ex-security expert, probably ex-CIA, took a taxi in the direction of the World Trade Center on September 11 one year ago, and is presumed dead. Win taught Cayce a bit about the way agents work. She is still numb at his loss, and, as much for him as for any other reason, she refuses to give up this newly weird job, which will take her to Tokyo and on to Russia. With help and betrayal from equally unlikely quarters, Cayce will follow the trail of the mysterious film to its source, and in the process will learn something about her father's life and death."

Title: Pattern Recognition
Pages: 368 [Hardcover Edition]
Author: William Gibson
Publisher: P.G Putnam & Sons

Currently Reading: Star Trek - Titan: Taking Wing

Yes, don't laugh! I do read Star Trek books. I like reading them for light reading material when I don't want my brain to overload. Not going to say much as I've only just started it, but this one takes places after Nemesis is a new series about Riker's new command, the Titan. Should be exciting. I've wanted to read this one for quite awhile now. It was staring at me on my bookshelf, pleading to be read, and maybe after that I'll pick up the two other books in the series.

Ok, so as you've noticed, I finished reading Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince. It was quite good. I'm glad that I've finally read it so that I don't have to keep people silent.

Currently Reading: You-Know-What!

It's been awhile since I've posted what I've been reading. I'd forgotten to actually post what I've been reading ever since I finished reading The Confusion. And that's mostly because I'd been reading books in my pile that I had gotten in Vermont last year that aren't really worth mentioning. Yes, still trying to catch up, and I still have books that I got for Christmas. Wonder how long it will take me? I'm guessing I'll be done all of them by the time Christmas comes around.

Anyway, yes, I'm reading HP: And the Half-Blood Prince. It's taken long enough already to get to it, and I figured this was as good a time as any. I'm a slow reader and don't plow through like most people, so you'll just have to bear with me and wait until I finish it to discuss anything that I know you're bursting to talk about. I'm currently on Chapter 16 for those who are curious. And this is the UK cover, the one that is also used for the Canadian release. I tend to like the UK covers better than the American covers. The American covers sometimes tend to look a bit overdone in my opinion, and the one thing that makes the UK and Canadian releases stand out is the fact that they don't use chapter images.

And then of course, there are the Adult versions of the cover for each book. As a treat, I'm posting this one:

Currently Reading: The Confusion

Well, Ok, I guess it's about time for a new post isn't it? I haven't told you what I've been reading ever since November, and what a better way to start off the new year. This one is going to be taking me awhile, since it's 848 pages. Hah, never fear though. I like big books and I'm never scared of having to read them even if they look daunting at first. I consider them more bang for the buck I just alternate between a big meaty book and a light read to give my mind a break, so the next one after this will be a book that will take me a week or two to read through.

I've been a fan of Neal Stephenson ever since I read Snow Crash. I think it's the book that started many people reading him, and as any fan will know, he's quite wordy, and his descriptions can go on and on. That's basically why I like him. He can make some of the most mundane things really stand out, and his prose can be quite good and memorable. I've read everything of his ever since. Well, I think there is one I haven't read and that's the one set in a university, and those that were previously under a different pen name co-written with an uncle of his.

Anyway, this book is the second book in what is called The Baroque Cycle, a 3 book series, and it was originally going to be published all as one book, but that would have been a bit daunting for anyone, including me, considering they all have approximately the same amount of pages. It's set in the 1600's, and it's essentially a prequel series to his previous book, Cryptonomicon, which took place in WWII and present day. All the characters in The Baroque Cycle are ancestors to the characters in Cryptonomicon, and it's interesting to see what these characters do in relation to what happened in Cryptonomicon, meaning that whatever these people do, will end up creating a legacy for the people that follow in their footsteps. For example, in the Baroque Cycle, there are Jack and Bob Shaftoe, and in Cryptonomicon there is Bobby Shaftoe. Daniel Waterhouse in the Baroque Cycle, Lawrence Pritchard (1940's) and Randy (1990's) Waterhouse in Cryptonomicon. All of this presents a certain depth to the universe that is being read, and all of them at the end of the Baroque Cycle will end up close to where the characters in Cryptonomicon are born, I think. I find it nice when an author puts some thought into writing like this as you can expect a certain quality to it. It makes the stories that much more meaty, and that's the kind of thing I like, and it makes me keep coming back for more. I mean, nobody likes a turkey filled with air, right? ;)

As an aside, I hope everyone had some nice holidays. My computer, which is practically all new now is running great, and it's only a matter of time before I get some games to show off it's awesome power. I got two new CDs as a Christmas present from my sister that arrived in the mail on Friday, so you can expect to see reviews of those fairly soon.