Mike Nelson's Death Rat
By Michael J. Nelson
Cute little story, great read for lunch.

The Man Who Ate Everything
By Jeffery Steingarten
A poor lunch time read because he talks about all these wonderful foods, and I was eating PB&Js.

Homegrown Democrat
By Garrison Keillor
Every reason we need to and should elect Obama this year.

Poison Study
By Maria V. Snyder
Wow. Seriously wow. I could not put this book down, and stayed up way too late to read it. I can't wait to dive into the next one!!

Star Trek Q&A
By Keith R. A. DeCandido
Much much better then Resistance. I also stayed up way too late reading this one.

Books! Yes, I've actually read some, in spite of waiting till the beginning of March to write about them.

"Why wait so long?" you ask.

Really it's because I didn't finish any books in January. Not a single one. I was reading… a little. February however I actually finished some. I however had to wait until I had enough to write about, and enough time to do the writing.

Homicide Trinity
By Rex Stout

3 short murder mysteries solved by the eccentric, fat, lazy, genius Nero Wolfe and his faithful sidekick Archie Goodwin. I was introduced to Nero Wolfe via the PBS mystery series, but this I think is the first of the books I've read.

Star Trek Strange New Worlds V

More Star Trek short stories. Some good, some bad. Nothing really exceptional this time, except maybe for "The Trouble With Borg Tribbles" which really made me smile.

The Copper Crown
By Patricia Kennealy

I don't really know how to describe this without making it sound as bad as I thought it was going to be at the end of the first chapter. Around a thousand years ago the various celtic tribes fleeing the incursion of Christianity hopped on a starship from Atlantis and colonized a distant area of space. They took with them magic (alternate power source) and psionics. Among the stars they built a multi-planet kingdom, complete with vassal alien planets. They cloaked their kingdom to hide even the existence of their stars, and to protect them from other human star-empires that seem vaguely based on other ancient Earth civilizations. Now, many years later (3,000?) an Earth scout ship encounters a Keltiad starship. This novel is about the scout ship's crew as they come to know their fellow humans.

I had a couple of quibbles with the book. Aliens exist, but I don't think you ever see one. Why are the 4 stellar nations that make up the main protagonists and antagonists all human?!? Also, the night before the battle, when the queen walks around the camp and talks to her troops? Lifted straight from Henry V.

On the other hand there was a lot that I did like. I thought the characters were pretty well written, I thought the justification for using medieval arms made sense (giant UN edict that's actually enforced) and the descriptive text was rather evocative. Plus it had a pretty good story!

Assassination Vacation
By Sarah Vowell

A surprisingly informative, light hearted, and sympathetic look at the killers of presidents by someone who is truly interested in who these men were, and how these acts were seen by them, their families and friends, and America at large.

Star Trek The Next Generation – Balance of Power
By Dafydd ab Hugh

A whimsical romp though the Trekverse. One of Geordi's old professors has died, but and his son is putting all his inventions up for auction. Every major and minor power converges to snatch up some potentially super powerful items. At the same time Wesley Crusher's roommate at the academy creates a device which can change a common metal into latinum. A 24th century philosophers stone! The device ends up in the hands of a pirate Ferengi who takes it to the auction, kidnapping Wesley in the process.

It's cool to see the Grand Nagus show up in the TNG book, plus Wesley is handled really well. Data has a great little scene with Wesley toward the end, where it suggests he may not be quite as naive as he appears.

On the flip side Geordi's character wasn't captured well, and Worf seemed a little off, and it could have flowed better. I think with a little bit of creative editing this could have been one of the best TNG books, but even still it's a good one.

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1. What song would you sing to your newborn child? (OR if you already had a child, which song did you sing to him/her?)
I'd sing The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

2. How do you think animals think? (i.e. in animal language, human language, etc.)
A combination of emotion and images.

3. As a child, did you have a dream to make a difference in the world? Can you describe your dream?
Sure I did! I thought that I would be involved with a Mars mission.

4. Do you believe in God/a Higher Being?
I think that there is more to the universe then we even begin to comprehend.

5. Do you believe in aliens?
The universe is far too massive for us to be the only life out there.

6. What is your keyring like?
Simple

7. What is your purse/bag/briefcase like?
Backpack

8. What is your wallet like?
Old

9. What is your mouse pad like?
Grey at work, Harry Potter at home.

10. What are the curtains in your bedroom like?
Relaxing

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It's been a really long week, and I'm really looking forward to some down time this weekend. Not too much, because I have homework to do, but some.

Books I've completed in January:

….

Ok, I hope you enjoyed the review of all the books I finished last month. As you can see I am well on my way toward completing my goal of 50 books by the end of the year. I'm close to finishing 2 books, but if things continue at this pace, I'll be lucky if I read 25 books this year.

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1. Which open-all-night establishment has been a lifesaver for you?

The grocery store

2. What open-all-night establishment is closest to where you live?

Giants grocery store

3. What nonexistent open-all-night establishment could you really use in your life?

Hobby/game/comic store. Heck, it would be nice if one of these existed nearby even if it wasn't 24hours/day.

4. Which open-all-night establishment in your town is least likely ever to see your

patronage in the wee hours of the morning?

I actually can't think of anything else around here that's open all night.

5. Have you ever purchased anything advertised on television late, late at night?

Never.

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In case you didn't notice, today is Super Tuesday, and also Fat Tuesday. I won't be voting until next week, and I don't expect today to really bring a democratic front runner. I was going to vote for Edwards, but now I'm leaning strongly towards Clinton.

---

Once again the temperature is crazy hot at work. 26.9 degrees!! It felt like I should have been wearing a towel while sitting next to a pile of rocks that I should pour water on. Luckily they did, eventually get the things working, and by 3 it was back down to a reasonable 22.6.

---

So Lent starts tomorrow. I'm curious what you are all giving up? Of course that only goes for the Christians on my f-list… for everyone else, what would you give up if you had to give up something?

Me? I'd be giving up… Honestly I feel kinda stripped down as it is.

A Rare Benedictine
A Morbid Taste For Bones
One Corpse Too Many
Monks Hood
By Ellis Peters

I've decided to tackle the Brother Cadfael series. I've seen some of the BBC movies with Sir Derek Jacobi and really enjoyed them, so I made sure I had the first couple, and dove in.

Star Trek Uhura's Song
By Janet Kagan

I'm really ambivalent about this book. It had a good story, and a whole lot of potential, and some of the characters are well written all of the time. On the other hand it suffers from a Mary-Sue character, and an inconsistent writing style. Uhura (the title character) is written a little overly feminine and demure, and Spock... just didn't click. Diane Duane wrote him much better. The aliens of the story are a race of cat people. They are a well written cat/alien culture, but still they're cat people.

The Birth of the Despot
Venice and the Sublime Porte
By Lucette Valensi
Translated by Arthur Denner

This text is about the shift in attitudes of the Venetian government toward the Ottoman Empire over the course of about two centuries. Most of the historical texts that are referenced in this work come from reports written by the Venetian ambassadors to the Ottoman Empire for the government of Venice. These reports were supposed to be confidential, but they never were, and in fact were widely distributed throughout the courts of Europe. It was apparently so widespread that other people would write similar reports in the same style, be they secretaries or travelling tradesmen.

---

So I didn't complete the challenge this year, and while I could spend the rest of the day finishing off some of the books I'm in the middle of, that's just not gonna happen. Maybe I'll have a little more luck with the challenge next year.

Happy onomatopoetry Day!!

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( 5 on Friday )

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I’m 7 books away from 50 book challenge. I don’t think I’m going to pull it off. Even if I managed to finish the 3 books I’m in the middle of, I don’t think I could get another 4 done before the end of the year. However, when I consider that I’ve also been in school and working full time since the summer, I don’t feel too bad. 40-something books isn’t bad for a year.

In other wacky news, a couple of miniatures that I had sold on e-bay way back in July to a guy in Belgium just got returned to me, marked "delivered damaged." The "damaged" box is really only slightly crunched, and (I'm guessing) the miniatures inside are completely intact. There isn't any odd rattling or anything. What makes this even weirder is the fact that the guy never left any feedback, never contacted me, never requested his money back, nothing! So now I'm wondering do I contact him? Do I try to mail it again? Or do I go ahead and repost the miniatures?

1. Are you married? No, but if this were about 100 years ago we would be.

2. When do your claws come out? Only when I’m really really upset. Like when someone tows my car from in front of my house in the middle of the night. Or pees on it.

3. Have you ever been in a car accident? A couple, mostly with deer, and a minivan.

4. Who is the last person you held? Tigs.

5. Describe a time you've gone overboard: I've never fallen off a boat!

6. Have you ever stayed in a hostel? If so, where? Did you like it? If you haven't stayed in a hostel, would you? I haven’t yet, but I ‘d be ok with it as long as they let Lucy stay with us too.

7. What is your favo(u)rite airport that you've been to? Why? I haven’t spent enough time at airports to have a favorite.

8. What is the best museum you have visited on vacation? Smithsonian Air & Space

9. Have you ever made friends while traveling whom you keep in touch with on a regular basis? Nope.

10. Have you ever had a conversation with a seatmate on a plane? Yes, but then I knew them.

11. What playground game do you remember most fondly? 4 square

12. What playground game did you just hate? tag

13. Which playground apparatus did you most enjoy? Monkey bars

14. Which playground apparatus did you generally avoid or not care much for? slides

15. What playground game might be really fun if grownups played it with adult rules? 4 square!

Like Peg I don’t want to be at work today. Actually I haven’t wanted to be at work at all this week. I’m feeling tired, and a little worn out, and mostly I want to curl up into a little ball and hibernate the winter away. Unfortunately that’s not an option. I think I need more sunlight. I get about 10-15 minutes of it a day at sunset. Maybe I should have more fresh greens? Luckily in another 2 weeks the days will start to get longer again.

It’s supposed to be wet/icy weather today. And then wet through at least the beginning of the week. It would have been nice to have had this rain during the summer. Better late then never I guess. Plus it’s not like I had any outdoor activities planned for the weekend! Nope, my nose will be stuck in my accounting book most of the weekend.

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Dragonflight
Dragonquest
The White Dragon
By Anne McCaffrey

I read these three novels over the last couple of months while at lunch. I’ve been trying to read stuff outside of Star Trek, and catch up on some of the “must reads” of the sci-fi & fantasy genre. I’m not sure when I’ll next get back to Pern, but I’m rather curious about the dawn sisters, and have a few other things I’m hoping to find out about later.

Star Trek The Next Generation – Resistance
By

Picking up where Death in Winter left off, Picard is confronted with the whisper of the Borg who are growing a new Queen in the alpha quadrant. Admiral Janeway orders the Enterprise to await 7 of 9 before proceeding, but by then it’ll be too late.

First off, why is Janeway such a bitch in these novels? Do the writers not know what to do with her as an admiral? And it isn’t like there are a lack of admirals to choose from.

Secondly, the Borg? Again? Can’t we do something a little different? They really aren’t that interesting an enemy, even with the addition of the queen.

Plus they introduce 3 new main characters, and then kill off a couple of them!!!

Money Secrets
by Dave Barry

You know, it would be a lot funnier if it weren't so true.

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Star Trek Voyager Homecoming
&
Star Trek Voyager The Farthest Shore
By Christine Golden
What happened in the short time after Voyagers return to Earth? A cybernetic plague strikes, Torres leaves Tom with their daughter and takes off to find her mother, the Doctor get locked up when the hologram revolt brings service industry to a grinding halt, and that's not even half of it!

Star Trek The Next Generation
Death in Winter
By Michael Jan Friedman
Picard in weeks away from relaunching the Enterprise E after the deadly events in Nemesis. Beverly has again left the Enterprise to become the Chief of Starfleet Medical, but on a secret humanitarian mission behind Romulan lines she goes missing. Picard teams up with some of his old friends from the Stargazer to complete Beverly's mission, and ends up facing an old foe.

Prey
By Michael Crichton
I seem to be reading a lot of Crichton this year. I initially wasn't very thrilled with this book, as the start of it seemed rather formulaic, but he managed to twist it just a bit, just enough to make it interesting. On the other hand, it was very clearly a Michael Crichton novel.

Plane Insanity
By Elliott Hester
Not exactly a laugh out loud look at the airline industry from an experienced flight attendant's perspective. Short tales interspersed with some short news columns from around the world. Great bathroom or just before bed reading.

Tuesday night was rough. Lucy was very much not in the mood to listen to me, and was very much in the mood to herd me. At home this isn’t such a big deal. Out on a hike, likewise, not a big deal. During agility class, as we are running side by side, and she decides to leap up and grab at my shorts and I’m in significant danger of falling on her or stepping on her, then it becomes a bigger deal. On top of the danger to her, there is also the embarrassment of having your dog not listen to you. At all. In front of the entire class. The worst part of the embarrassment is that I feel like I should know how to correct it, and I don’t. So I get frustrated, and when I get frustrated I also tend to get mad. I don’t like getting that way, because while the emotions are mine, I take it out on Lucy, and on Tigs. I get snippy, and short, and I hate it when I take it out on them.

Aside from that it’s been a decent week. I’ve gotten my grades back on all the assignments and tests for both classes, and so far I’m getting an A in both. I’m not entirely thrilled with the A in accounting though, because it’s a curved A. I’m going to have to work harder between now and the next test (2-3 weeks). I really wish that school ran on 7 week quarters, rather then the 15 week semesters. I felt so much more motivated during the summer sessions to get stuff done because I only had so much time to do it in. With 15 weeks, it feels like forever. That’s plenty of time to get everything done! Until you realize that it’s 3 weeks till the end of the term, and you now have that time to do 12 weeks worth of back homework. Personally I don’t want to spend December freaked out about school. I’d like to be comfortable with my grades and my work by that point.

I started painting up another warlock. I decided on an orange robe, something a little different, and also in the theme of the month. At first I was unsure about the color choice, but I kept at it, and wanted to see if I could make it work. At this point the robe needs maybe one more highlight, just on the very edges, and then on to the his face and hands. I really like the figure too, as there are a lot of neat little details like the frog on his shoulder, and the claw coming out of his backpack. Pictures eventually. I’d say soon, but really I can’t promise that.

( Stolen from silentrequiem )

( Friday Five! )

Damn. I was going to make pumpkin bread tonight, but the pumpkin went bad. *sigh*

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

This is the first of an annual series of short story collections written by the fans. Basically it's published fan-fiction. The rules for submission require that you can't have published more then 2 other works to be published in this. So some of these stories are really raw, and some are just downright bad. The Next Generation ones are probably the worst of the lot, but there were bad ones in each section, except DS9, which only had 2 stories, both of which were decent. I think the only ones I really enjoyed were a story about Data and a deep space encounter where the enterprise was almost lost that took all of a couple of seconds. The other was one where the Enterprise went on an adventure without it’s crew.

Hit by a Farm
or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Barn
By Catherine Friend

tigergladys ordered this one, and this weekend while I was waiting to go out, I picked it up off the coffee table and started to read. It wasn’t long before I was laughing my way deeper into the book. If you’ve ever thought about working on or even owning a farm, you need to read this book. And even if you haven’t, you probably know someone who does have those thoughts. This is then the book for you (and them)!

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
By Christopher Moore

What do you get when you mix a small town who’s psychiatrist has taken everyone off their meds, a drug lord, an ex-C-movie starlet, a stoner sheriff, and a prehistoric monster? A romping good time!

Alone
By Admiral Richard E. Byrd

Ever want to get away from it all? This is the tale of one man who did. Admiral (ret.) Richard Byrd, as part of an Antarctic scientific team decided to set up a meteorological base about 100 miles further to the south then the primary base. Further south then anyone had ever done before. The bitter cold and creeping darkness weren’t the only obstacles that had to be overcome. This is a compelling tale of a man’s struggle to survive in one of the most inhospitable places on the planet.

Star Trek Articles of Federation
by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Star Trek meets West Wing in this post-Nemesis novel. It's nice to finally get a look at the political aspect of the Trek universe. It very much builds upon the events of the "A Time To..." series.

Star Trek SCE Book One & Star Trek SCE Book Two

Collections of short stories by various Trek authors about the Starfleet Corps of Engineers, and bringing back some favorite characters like Ensign (now Commander) Gomez, and Captain Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, and introducing some new characters like the Bynar "Soloman" and the Jewish Captain David Gold

The Amber Room
by Steve Berry

Kind of like the Dan Brown books, only with less religious stuff, and more characterization. I'd actually never even heard of the Amber Room before I read this, so it was a neat discovery to find out it actually existed.

Practical Demonkeeping
by Christopher Moore

I liked this one a little more then Fluke, which is to say a whole lot! Funny, fast paced, a great summer read!

Going for the Blue
by Roger A. Caras

Everything you ever wanted to know about dog shows in a easy to understand format. Less funny then "Dog Eat Dog" but also a little more informative.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Reread, so that it would be fresh in my mind for...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I've already written about this, and so have everyone else. I'm probably going to reread it in another year or two. Rowling did a good job wrapping up a long series (some other authors *cough*RobertJordan*cough* should take note) and in her post-Hallows interviews I like the clarifications she gives to the end. I kinda wish more of that had been in the epilogue.

*A Short History of Nearly Everything
By Bill Bryson

Like the title says, this is really and truly a brief history of everything, from the formation of the universe to... well, us! It's thick, but with Bryson's writing style and humor it goes by faster then you might expect.

So your dog's not Lassie
By Betty Fisher & Suzanne Delzio

This book covers training traditionally difficult to train dogs. These include lazy dogs, wilful dogs, and smart dogs who think that if you throw the ball, you should go get the ball. As anyone who has met Lucymonster can tell you, she's smart, but she's also wilful. Part of that is her age, and part is her breed, but no matter the cause, this book gave some very useful tips.

Star Trek Titan: The Red King
By Andy Mangels & Michael Martin

Book 3 of Riker's USS Titan. Good stuff! Read book Lost Era book The Sundered, then books 1 & 2 first.

Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Gateways book 4 of 7 - Demons of Air and Darkness
By Keith R.A. DeCandido

The next book in DS9's season 8.

Green Mars
By Kim Stanley Robinson

Book 2 in the Mars trilogy. While Mars is not yet ready for human life unaided on the surface, numerous plants have taken hold. But Earth is in trouble. Not everyone is getting the life extending treatments, and the seas are literally rising. What impact will this have on the Martian colonists and natives? A big one! Now I need to order Blue Mars!

Balticon starts tomorrow. I must admit I am a little disappointed by this year’s panels. I was hoping for more science and costuming. There seems to be an awful lot of writing panels instead. Not entirely a bad thing this year, considering the Lucymonster factor.

I’m also a little frustrated by the times they’ve got for Larry Niven’s signing times. Friday at 5, and Sunday at noon. Considering that Tigs and I aren’t pre-registered this year, there isn’t any way we can make the Friday one. Maybe, if there is someone we know, who happens to be planning on it, they could take one of my books… Please?

Why aren’t I pre-registered to a con I knew that I’d be going to? Well, mostly because last year I had been planning on joining BSFS as a member, which would have negated any need to register. That however, never came to pass. And by the time I thought about it, the online registration had already closed. We won’t make that mistake this year!!

I’m taking tomorrow off, in what is to be stage 1 of the Lucymonster-Balticon Plan™. My initial plan is to take her to either Gunpowder Falls State Park or the Robert E Lee Park. I’m going to get up with Tigs first thing in the morning, and as she leaves Lucy and I will leave too.

After we get back from wherever we end up going I’m going to go grocery shopping and pick up the stuff to make chilli in the crock pot for the weekend. I’m also looking at other dishes that I can make and bring to the con that are easy, and easy to transport. I was thinking maybe a quiche? Suggestions welcome!

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Today is dragging so slowly. I all morning all I wanted to do was go to lunch and read more of Green Mars. I got to do that, and am now 15 pages from the end. 15 lousy pages!! I should have gone back to my office late. Or not wasted time eating. Ah well, I’ll be able to finish it off tonight. Sad that it’s taken me a month to read it, though considering it’s over 600 pages that isn’t too bad. It certainly could be worse, though I think that it’s going to kill the buffer I built up at the beginning of the year. Who knows though, I may squeeze another book in before the end of the month. I’ve gotten a whole bunch from paperbackswap since we started (including Green Mars) and I’ll probably end up with a new book or two from Balticon. It never fails! I’m so glad we have paperbackswap to get rid of the books we don’t want anymore. It helps to bring a little balance to things in our library.

The final Harry Potter book comes out in about 2 months, which means that in about 6 weeks I’m going to have to basically stop looking at the internet. I’m debating which (if any) of the Harry Potter books to go back and re-read. I’m fairly sure I’ll try to squeeze in book 6, but book 5… Maybe. We’ll see.

Gods how this day drags… I gave blood yesterday. It went quickly, but while I was there they had the TV on, and tuned to TBS. Now as you know, Tigs and I don’t have cable (something that my co-workers find absolutely amazing) so it’s weird seeing it. I don’t know what the show was that was on, but it was set in a high school, and I think I have seen it before, and then right after that was The Fresh Prince of Bel Air! I can’t believe they are still showing that! And not only are they still showing it, people are still watching it! No wonder America is getting fatter. Stop watching re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-runs!! The last episode aired 11 years ago this week!!

As is the standard bonus for giving blood I received yet another set of movie tickets. I think I have a total of 6 tickets now, and I know how we’ll most likely end up using 4 of them: Spider-man & Pirates.

Books 13-15

Only Forward
By Michael Marshall Smith

Sometime in the future, when people live in self divided neighborhoods based on their lifestyles a man named Stark must track down a missing person. The tale makes it's way through various neighborhoods, tells you of the past, and brings you to Jeamland, a repository of dream and memory, and spits you out in the last few pages to a shocking end. I was very surprised by this novel and hated that I was only reading it during my lunch break!

Drowned Hopes
By Donald E Westlake

This is the first Dortmunder novel I've read, though it's the 7th in the series. The writing is a little slow, but witty, the story funny, and the characters are just a whole lot of fun to laugh at. I mean how hard it is to retrieve a casket with $700,000 from an abandoned town? So what if the town was flooded as part of a new reservoir?

Dog Eat Dog: A Very Human Book About Dogs and Dog Shows
By Jane Stern & Michael Stern

This slightly more serious look at dog shows (as compared to say Best in Show) follows Mimi Einstein, owner of the Allstar Kennel in upstate New York, a bullmastiff breeder over a year as she wins and loses in the show ring. Side stories about such topics as the specialized art of dog grooming, and rare breeds are interspersed with funny touching looks at Mimi's love of her dogs, and the world they inhabit.

I'm almost done with another book, but I wanted to get this posted so I could put the books back on the shelf. A bit of a slow month, but still doing well toward my goal. Not sure if April will pick up the pace much, as it looks like it's going to be a busy month.

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Friday night was interesting. I got off of work early and went out to the Howard county fair grounds to volunteer at an obedience rally event. Tigs was already there by the time I arrived. The event started a little bit after 4, and we were there for at least 4 hours, at the end of which they fed us!

Saturday we all went to Susquehanna State Park for a hike. Unfortunately the directions weren't the best and we went down the wrong trail for about a mile. The trail we had planned on was supposed to be moderate to easy, and the one we were on was moderate to extreme! 45 degree climbs and all. Checking the book we realized the error, and figured out that we had entered the park from the wrong spot. So we hiked back to the car, and headed around to the trail we had originally planned on. That was a much flatter hike, and more populated too. At the far end of the spur was a dam, and some strategically placed porta-potties. After a few minutes watching the water pour out we headed back. Total we did about 2 miles on the difficult trail, and another 6 on the easy one.

Sunday I got in some painting time, and I am almost done with the Last Chancers. Finally!! They need a little bit of basing done, and then clear coated, and then BAM! They're done! Then I'm going to finish off the Necron Lord, and then' who knows? I'm sure I'll come up with something. In other game related news I got 2 free cases to hold minis in. That's right!! 2!! For free!! I just need to cut the foam for them to actually hold minis, rather then the medical scope that came in them.

Tonight I'll be filling out the final tax forms, and getting them into the mail tomorrow. I can't tell you how cool it is to be to be getting a nice rebate! Of course most of it is going to the credit cards. And speaking of credit cards I applied for a Discover card that came with an introductory 0% interest rate (for 12 months) and transferred the bulk of my high interest debt over to it. Now I can concentrate on paying it off, rather then paying the interest.

Freakonomics
By Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner
Ever wonder what Sumo wrestlers have in common with teachers? Or why drug dealers live with their moms? This unconventional book explores these and other oddities that occur in our economy. A very good read, and some interesting questions.

Only You Can Save Mankind
by Terry Prarchett
Definitely more of a kids book. I breezed through it really quickly, but as ever Terry Pratchett's punny humour comes through.

Star Wars Darth Maul Shadow Hunter
By Michael Reaves
I started this one years ago, got about 1/3 of the way through it, and for whatever reason got distracted and stopped. It takes place a couple of days before Episode I, and really explores the character of Darth Maul in a far better way then was explored in the movie. For all the hype that Maul got, he was a really one dimensional character with 3 lines and what is probably the most exciting fight scene out of all the movies. This book makes him a little more interesting. In it, Maul is sent to track down a missing Nimodian who has gone to sell the information of the impending Trade Federation blockade of Naboo. An information broker who hates Jedi and his droid end up getting the info, and have to work with a Jedi Padawan to attempt to get it back to the Jedi Temple. The Trade Federation also sends a bounty hunter after the Nimodian, and Maul must stop them all!

Star Trek Deep Space Nine Avatar Book 2
By S.D. Perry
Continuing the story set in motion with book 1. Not going to spoil anything, but I can't wait to read the next "episode" of DS9's season 8.

Tourist Season
By Carl Hiaasen
My second Hiaasen novel, and I'm going back for more! In this one an ex newspaper writer turned PI investigates a series of murders, including the head of the Miami Chamber of Commerce who is found with a toy alligator stuffed down his throat. It only gets weirder (and more fun to read) from there.

Currently reading Bill Bryson's A short history of nearly everything.

X-posted to 50bookchallenge & bookwyrm_lair

1. Relationship Rescue by Dr. Phil
I wish I could claim that my relationship with Tigergladys is perfect. It's not, and it could certainly use some improvement. Dr Phil give it to you straight, and asks a whole lot of you in this book. I wish I owned it, so I could have written in it. There are a lot of exercises in it that I didn't get around to doing because I had kept the book out too long from the library. It's cheap on amazon though, so the next time I order something, it'll be included.

2. Timeline by Michael Crichton
I haven't seen the movie, and have been wanting to read the book since I was at Mitchell, way back in '99. I shouldn't have waited!

3. A Medieval Home Companion translated by Tania Bayard
An instruction manual from an older husband to his 15 year old wife, written around 1393, going over everything from how to love and care for your husband to how and when to plant all the different crops, to who to trust and not trust among the staff, and how to know the difference. A very interesting read. I wish this was the full translation complete with all the religious duties

4. State of Fear by Michael Crichton
Global Warming? Maybe. Is the environmental movement just as cut throat as the big businesses? Probably. Either way, can you trust what you read? Nope.

5. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
I really liked the series at the beginning, and I thought the middle book was ok, and this book... honestly I just read it to finish the series. Having said that, the ending was well handled. I wonder if the movies they are working on will do it justice?

6. Five Patients by Michael Crichton
I didn't enjoy this as much as his other books. There was far less time spent on the titular five patients, and a whole lot of time spent on how hospitals developed, and the different phases they've gone through, and the likely direction they will go in in the future. However being written back in 1970, it comes off as rather dated.

7. Star Trek Deep Space Nine – Avatar book 1 by S.D. Perry
Set 3 months after the final episode of season 7, this novel begins the 8th season of DS9 with a forbidden book of prophesy, a lost Bajoran artifact, and a Next Gen cross-over.

Currently reading: Star Trek DS9 Avatar book 2

X-posted to 50bookchallenge & bookwyrm_lair

Once again, hours before the deadline, I finished the challenge!

Dave Barry's Homes and other Black Holes 2.75/4
I can't wait to be a home owner! And if someone wants go get me this I wouldn't mind!

Lords & Ladies
By Terry Pratchett 3.5/4
The puns even made me groan!

Legends
By Robert Littell 4/4
What do ex-CIA field agents do with their time? Try to find out who they really are. This fantastically well written novel kept me reading from cover to cover. Forget the good shepherd, this is the spy story you want to read!

The Big Over Easy
By Jasper Fforde 3.75/4
Once again we enter a world where the stories are real. All of the stories. Even nursery rhymes! But what's an upwardly mobile cop to do when assigned to the least desirable division; The Nursery Crimes division, where the murder of one egg has captured the attention of the most famous and least scrupulous detective in the force?

American Gods
By Neil Gaiman 3.5/4
Yet another look into the lives of the gods, this time seeing what has happened to the old gods who have come to the new world. I enjoyed it, though not as much as the hype seemed to indicate that I would.

Fool Moon
By Jim Butcher 3/4
The second in the Harry Dresden series, this time dealing with werewolves. A fun and fluffy read.

Bridget Jones' Diary
By Helen Fielding 3.5/4
Better then the movie, but only because of the extra detail. I had started this one years ago, only getting a little bit into it before having to give the book back to whoever was reading it at the time. I was looking forward to reading the Edge of Reason, but I figured I should finish this one off first. Kind of embarrassing to read at work due to the laughing at my cubical!

Zombies of the Gene Pool
By Sharyn Mccrumb 2.75/4
This murder mystery takes a LONG time to get going. The actual murder doesn't take place till the last quarter of the book! It starts off really well, funny, fast paced, and it keeps you curious long enough that by the time you hit the dry patch you've put too much effort into it to put it down. Weighing in at only 288 pages, I think 50 could have been trimmed without much problem. As a mystery, this was rather poor, but the humor and the characterizations made it worth it.

With one week to go I still have 2 books to go to meet my goal!

Death at Le Fenice
By Donna Leon 3.75/4
This was a very well written story, and though I had previously read one of her Commisario Brunetti books before, it was nice to have it from the beginning. I felt more comfortable being introduced to the characters this way. And the suspects were a great bunch of characters. The conductors wife, the lesbian soprano and her archaeologist lover, the old stilted lover... Great reading, and I would whole heartedly recommend that you start at the beginning of this series!

Storm Front
By Jim Butcher 3.25/4
Harry Dresden: Wizard for Hire. If only more noir style PIs were wizards... Jim Butcher provides us with a glimpse of a world where the fey roam, fanged vampires are monstrously hideous and seductive, and the mob is maybe even more deadly as in our world. Good story, and it went quickly.

Tender at the Bone
Ruth Reichl 3.5/4
Reading this just made me want to cook that much more! I was constantly hungry as every tale involved the most delicious sounding food. With each little glimpse into her life being only a couple of pages long it was easy to put down and pick up again when hunger got too great and I had to make something to eat. Also there are a number of fantastic sounding recipes that I know I'll want to try!

World War Z: An Oral Histoy of the Zombie War
By Max Brooks 3.75/4

A HUGE thank you to tritoochietops for sending me this book!!
Less fiction and more science, these tales of the zombie wars are closer to a blueprint to the unfolding of a worldwide pandemic. It covers the globe with the happening of nations, of individuals, the disintegration of industry, trade, the failure of systems and technology to combat the menace, and then the aftermath. The quelling of the plague, the retaking of the earth, and the dealing with the broken world that remains. The way it's told, as oral reports from all different types of people makes it an engrossing read. You want to find out where the next person will be from, what their point of view will be, and what they heard, saw, felt!

Star Trek Strange New Worlds VII
Edited by Dean Wesley Smith 3.75/4
I really enjoyed this anthology. There was only one story, set in immediate aftermath of Star Trek IV that I didn't enjoy. The characters just didn't feel right. Aside from that there were some great tales about the Hortas, tribbles, time travel, and so much more. I love how the writers explore beyond the core casts and look into the behind the scenes of the Trek universe.

Prince Joe
By Suzanne Brockmann 2.5/4
silentrequiem recommended this author to me, and even loaned me several of her books. This was the first I read. It went very quickly, and wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. I've never been a big fan of the romance genre, finding myself turned off be descriptions of "electric blue eyes" and "exotic cheekbones". Not to mention the pages and pages of interspective "do I love him, does he love me, or is it just sex?!?" It wasn't helped that the story in this one can be described thusly: US Navy SEAL happens to look just like a fake middle eastern/former soviet nation prince, and has to pretend to be him in order to flush out the "Dark Cloud" terrorist cell. The princes public relations coordinator (who also happens to be the former room-mate from European boarding school & best friend of the princess, who her brother married) is tasked with getting Joe (the SEAL) up to snuff in order to play the prince. Lust, Love, & gunfire ensue. If you like romance and men in uniform, this is probably for you.

Forever Blue
By Suzanne Brockmann 2.75/4
Slightly better story. This one is a murder mystery, with some fun political tie-ins, rather then a terrorist thriller. There is less "Does he love me" in this one, though there are some recycled lines involving the description of the SEALs and what they look like in their dress whites "rows and rows and rows of medals" being the most obvious. A better book, though I can't say I am too interested in reading any more of her stuff.

Looks like I am still on track for finishing this years goal! Only 13 books and 3 months to go!

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The ren faire was a lot of fun. You can see pictures here. It is at least 2-3 times bigger then the King Richards Faire, and I was most impressed by the quality and variety of shops that were available. I had my usual pickle from the street vendor, and the bread bowl of clam chowder. Luckily it turned out to be New England Clam Chowder! I would have been very upset had it turned out to be one of those other types. I spent a lot of time with tigergladys looking at various garb items and having a greater appreciation for the difference between costume garb, and garb designed to be used. I'm so glad that she is more into making real items then just flashy costumes.

It was nice getting to see celebdu, and being able to spend the day with silentrequiem and jainasolo5. I'm looking forward to next year when our coats should be done! Then we can go on Pirate Weekend! Oh, and if you like Pirate music, might I suggest Rant & Roar. The web site is kinda crap, but the music is good! Check out the clips!

Off to bed... Peace, Love, & Hope