Books I’ve read The Bookshelf

A small story of political intrigue framed around the experience of a ghost writer. Less detailed and complex (and therefore, less interesting) than I thought it might be.

The Book of Air and Shadows

by Michael Gruber · published 2007 · read 2007-12-19

Tangentially in the DaVinci Code genre, this one focuses on a long-lost ancient manuscript, but at least this time religion isn’t involved. Scholars and mobsters cross continents and unravel codes in search of the lost play of William Shakespeare. I dug it for a while, but by the end it was losing me. Just OK, really, not great.

The Execution of Sherlock Holmes: And Other New Adventures of the Great Detective

by Donald Serrell Thomas · published 2007 · read 2007-12-12

Newly-written Sherlock Holmes stories are nearly their own genre these days. I’ve read a bunch of them, but few come as close to replicating Arthur Conan Doyle’s voice of John Watson, M. D., as does Mr. Thomas. Enjoyable little stories.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

by Jonathan Safran Foer · published 2006 · read 2007-12-07

by Paul Auster · published 2007 · read 2007-12-01

Travels in the Scriptorium

A short, baffling, almost recursive story. I’m not sure what else to say about it. It wasn’t bad; it was, though, rather curious.

A More Perfect Constitution: 23 Proposals to Revitalize Our Constitution and Make America a Fairer Country

by Larry J. Sabato · published 2007 · read 2007-12-01

A fascinating book. I’m not sure I agree with all his assumptions about what’s “fair”, but on the whole there are some good suggestions in there. I should really think about interacting with it in a longer blog post.

Malice

by Robert K. Tanenbaum · published 2007 · read 2007-11-30

The name sounds familiar, but I can’t remember reading one of this guy’s novels before. It was really quite good – a legal sort of thriller, complex in plot and flawless in execution. I’ll have to see what else he’s written.

The Wheel of Darkness

by Douglas Preston · published 2007 · read 2007-11-25

This Agent Pendergast series by Preston/Child is another one I really enjoy. This one was far more into the spiritist/Buddhism angle than previous books have been, but it still wound into the story OK. It was enjoyable to have Constance Greene (Agent Pendergast’s “ward”) play a larger role in this story, too.

Red Sea

by Emily Benedek · published 2007 · read 2007-11-25

A darn good novel for a first-time novelist, spinning a yarn about a newspaper reporter who works in league with an Israeli intelligence agent and an FBI agent to stop a terrorist plot.

Manhattan Project: The Birth of the Atomic Bomb in the Words of Its Creators, Eyewitnesses and Historians.

by Cynthia C. Kelly · published 2007 · read 2007-11-24

A compilation of bits and pieces from a multitude of writers surrounding the US development of the first atomic bomb. What could have been rather dry history stays lively and interesting as you get differing voices and viewpoints.

Engleby

by Sebastian Faulks · published 2007 · read 2007-11-21

A rather interesting first-person narrative by a character who is a liar and cheat, and may or may not have had something to do with the disappearance of a girl.

Darkness Falls

by Kyle Mills · published 2007 · read 2007-11-17

I’ve enjoyed most of Mills’ novels, so I picked this one (his latest) up. I was mildly disappointed. The basic idea is that an environmental terrorist gets his hands on an oil-eating bacteria and contaminates all the worlds oil wells, causing a massive world oil shortage. The problem is that Mills can’t decide whether he wants to write his usual thriller or an environmental missive. The result is a hodge-podge that isn’t all that thrilling, is only mildly preachy, and fails to really explore how the world might change if oil was suddenly scarce.

Spook Country

by William Gibson · published 2007 · read 2007-11-14

Gibson is one of those authors I know I’m supposed to like, but I struggle with really getting into his books. This one was OK – I was tempted to put it down half-way through, but I hate quitting books in the middle. Still, it took me a week to read it because I didn’t have any trouble putting it down to do other things.

All the Pretty Horses

by Cormac McCarthy · published 1993 · read 2007-11-06

OK, so I didn’t really plan to read two McCarthy novels in a row, but I ditched the Salman Rushdie book about a hundred pages in. So instead I catch up on McCarthy. Superlatives fail me. Not a complex plot, but beautifully written and picturesque in a way you rarely find. I can understand why they rate McCarthy as one of the top American authors. Good stuff.

The Road

by Cormac McCarthy · published 2006 · read 2007-10-28

No, I didn’t read this one because Oprah recommended it. But I’d heard talk of McCarthy and realized I’d never read anything of his, so I grabbed this one. Wowza. Dark, harrowing, but not entirely despairing. A chilling picture of the post-apocalyptic experience.

No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II

by Doris Kearns Goodwin · published 1995 · read 2007-10-28

A history of the American experience in 1940-1944, through the lens of the Roosevelt White House. DKG knows how to tell a story by pulling in the lives of the people surrounding the “name” players. (Another good example of this is her more recent book on Lincoln.) Interesting stuff. I don’t read enough history.

Simple Genius

by David Baldacci · published 2007 · read 2007-10-18

Baldacci’s investigative thrillers have always been of medium quality to me – readable, enjoyable, but not great. This one continues the trend. Too much agonizing over psychologists, too unlikely a plot. Meh.

White Night

by Jim Butcher · published 2007 · read 2007-10-14

I decided to give the Dresden series another try, and I enjoyed this one. I should probably try to back up and read from the beginning – might help with the confusion level.

Circumference of Darkness

by Jack Henderson · published 2007 · read 2007-10-11

This post-9/11 novel revolves around a brilliant computer hacker and an equally brilliant government computer expert who join forces to hold off the next attack. A bit uneven, yeah, but quite a novel for a first-time author. A fun read.

Requiem for an Assassin

by Barry Eisler · published 2007 · read 2007-10-09

I love the John Rain series. Love love love. In the Japanese-American hit man John Rain, Eisler has created a rich, multifaceted character that keeps you engaged. Another great book in the series.

Overclocked: Stories of the Future Present

by Cory Doctorow · published 2007 · read 2007-10-06

A collection of short sci-fi stories. This is the first time in recent memory that I’ve read sci-fi that really seemed to be tuned in to the present – Doctorow has managed to grab on to the realities of the internet age and project them just a bit into the future. Good stuff.

Volk’s Game

by Brent Ghelfi · published 2007 · read 2007-10-05

The review on the front said “Brent Ghelfi writes like Dostoevsky’s hooligan great-grandson on speed.” How can you resist a line like that? The hero of this international thriller is a rather bad Russian guy. It’s hip and hooligan for sure. It was OK, I enjoyed some of the characters, but it had a little too much off-color material for my taste.

Conqueror

by Stephen Baxter · published 2007 · read 2007-09-30

The second in the series, this “alternate history” deals with the ages leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Interesting to think about that period. I have enjoyed the series thus far.

Category 7

by Bill H. Evans · published 2007 · read 2007-09-27

★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

A cheap sort-of thriller about the possibilities of people being able to create and control the weather. Confusing, actually. I couldn’t keep track of the characters well at all. 🙁

Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel: A Biography

by Judith Morgan · published 1995 · read 2007-09-17

A biography of that writer we all know and love, Dr. Seuss. A fascinating picture of a man who wasn’t really interested in fame and hated the spotlight, but loved wit, wordplay, and cartooning.

The Echo Maker

by Richard Powers · published 2006 · read 2007-09-08

I’m not quite sure about this one. I read through to the end, but my big motivation was just finishing the book, not because I was quite so interested in the story. An exploration of a brother-sister relationship and who we think we are. Meh.

Making Room for Life: Trading Chaotic Lifestyles for Connected Relationships

by Randy Frazee · published 2003 · read 2007-09-03

Pastor Richard bought this one for all of the elders and we’re gonna go through it together. I found it reasonable, but not exactly revolutionary. Frazee’s conclusion: live a community-based, integrated life, and restrict your work to half the day (he suggests 6 AM – 6 PM), saving the remaining hours for family time and sleep. A bit pie-in-the-sky, the more I think about it.

The Echelon Vendetta

by David Stone · published 2007 · read 2007-08-27

The flyleaf reviews made glowing comparisons to Ludlum and LeCarre. I’ve got a grain of salt here for ya. It wasn’t bad, but certainly not up to those lofty standards.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

by J.K. Rowling · published 2007 · read 2007-08-23

Finished the series. Wow. Just wow. A nearly perfect ending.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

by J.K. Rowling · published 2005 · read 2007-08-21

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Chosen Soldier: The Making of a Special Forces Warrior

by Dick Couch · published 2007 · read 2007-08-14

The author, himself a former Navy SEAL, takes us on a journey through the five phases of an Army Special Forces (aka Green Berets) training course. I find this sort of stuff fascinating, and Couch’s ear for dialogue makes it all the more enjoyable.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

by J.K. Rowling · published 2003 · read 2007-08-12

This one is darker than the previous books, but the story really starts to develop here. It feels less like a standalone story and more like a piece of a longer saga. Good stuff.

Strike Force

by Dale Brown · published 2007 · read 2007-08-07

I enjoy Brown’s novels for being a bit forward-looking, and yeah, for the sweet technology. However, his plots are getting tired; every book for the last several has been the general with all the cool toys saving the world whilst facing opposition from a political and military establishment that distrusts him. It worked the first few times, but now, it’s getting a bit threadbare.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

by J.K. Rowling · published 2007 · read 2007-08-04

With this installment in the HP series, Rowling seems to have realized that she has the opportunity to hook readers who are older than 12. Ergo, 800+ pages, a slightly more complicated, less formulaic novel. This is my favorite so far. Three more to go.

The Book of Fate

by Brad Meltzer · published 2006 · read 2007-07-28

I was taking a chance on this one; I have gotten sick of the Davinci-esque novels, but I have enjoyed Meltzer in the past. I wasn’t disappointed here; the whole thing with the Freemasons seems to have been hacked in just so the publisher could try to sell it as being in the Davinci genre; in reality, it’s just a solid thriller/whodunit. An entertaining read.

Magic Street

by Orson Scott Card · published 2005 · read 2007-07-26

A fascinating book of fantasy, set in Los Angeles and loosely based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Card consistently turns out some of my favorite prose.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

by J.K. Rowling · published 2000 · read 2007-07-24

This volume seems to be where Rowling decides to make the novels a little more involved. This one is more detailed and more complicated than the first two volumes, which to me makes it even more enjoyable. I’ll keep reading.

Bad Luck and Trouble

by Lee Child · published 2007 · read 2007-07-23

I’ve enjoyed the Jack Reacher series, and this one didn’t disappoint. Reacher is a retired Army investigator whose entire belongings are the toothbrush in his pocket and the clothes on his back. He wanders through life and runs into his share of trouble. This one was a pretty good story.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

by J.K. Rowling · published 1999 · read 2007-07-20

I don’t know that I’m a die-hard Harry fan yet, but I’m interested enough to keep reading. Another entertaining book.

Exile

by Richard North Patterson · published 2007 · read 2007-07-16

I’ve been a fan of RNP’s novels for a while – generally lengthy (which I like) and detailed/twisted enough to be enjoyable. This story, though, was less a twisted novel and more an excursus into the politics of the Middle East wrapped in a slim fictional wrapper. Still an interesting read, though – he did a lot of research, and the characters and situations, while fictional in detail, are undoubtedly representative of real people.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

by J.K. Rowling · published 1999 · read 2007-07-12

I have resisted the HP craze until now, but with all the furor both for and against the books, I figured it was time to read them for myself. You know what? It was a fun book. Fairly imaginative, good characters, fun to read. I’ll go ahead and read the next one.

Cover placeholder for Kepler's Witch: An Astronomer's Discovery of Cosmic Order Amid Religious War, Political Intrigue, and the Heresy Trial of His Mother.

Kepler’s Witch: An Astronomer’s Discovery of Cosmic Order Amid Religious War, Political Intrigue, and the Heresy Trial of His Mother

by James A. Connor · published 2005 · read 2007-07-10

This biography of Johannes Kepler chronicles how his faith interacted with his scientific discoveries, and the persecution he went through as a Lutheran in a land dominated by Catholics. A well-written book, respectful of Kepler’s faith, and drawn from new, first-time translations of several of Kepler’s letters. Interesting stuff.

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

by Doris Kearns Goodwin · published 2006 · read 2007-06-30

I’ve been working on this one for a while. Goodwin does a heck of a job at weaving an engaging narrative. She shows how Lincoln brilliantly pulled his political rivals onto his team, and then managed to keep them together and effective throughout the Civil War. I knew before that I was impressed with Lincoln; after this book I am even more so. Good, good book.

The Execution Channel

by Ken MacLeod · published 2007 · read 2007-06-29

The flyleaf of this book called it a “blogothriller”, and while I’m not exactly sure that’s a real genre yet, Macleod shows a good grasp for how online news sources and blogs might strategically be used in the future. A moderately entertaining book.

The Children of Húrin

by J.R.R. Tolkien · published 2007 · read 2007-06-27

This was my first foray into Tolkien’s backhistory of LOTR; I haven’t tried the Simarillion or any of its kin in many years, and I never got through them in the first place. However, this volume of Tolkien is magnificent, accessible, and heartbreaking. A true epic.

The Righteous Men

by Sam Bourne · published 2006 · read 2007-06-24

I think we can all admit by now that The Davinci Code spawned a whole new genre of ancient-religious-mysticism thrillers. This is another one. I swore off Steve Berry a few books above for yet another novel bashing Christianity. This one was much better written than any of Berry’s novels, and the plot centered on Jewish mysticism rather than Christian. So far, so good, I’m thinking. But guess who the bad guys end up being? That’s right, radical, “right-wing” Christians. sigh Still, pretty well written. Entertaining.

The Gladiator

by Harry Turtledove · published 2007 · read 2007-06-18

An OK story – I just have a hard time getting into the “Crosstime” genre. The basic idea is that the Communists win the Cold War, and this is set some 150 years in the future. When you get down to it, there’s not that much story, which is probably what annoys me.

Rollback

by Robert J. Sawyer · published 2007 · read 2007-06-14

I became a fan of Sawyer’s a few years ago, but this one cements him as one of my current favorites in the sci-fi genre. In Rollback, a husband and his famous scientist wife are offered the chance for gene therapy to “roll back” their aging process – to take them from age 85 to age 25. His rollback works – hers doesn’t. Sawyer does a good job of exploring the dilemmas and frustrations a man in that position would face. Fun reading.

My Life with the Great Pianists

by Franz Mohr · published 1996 · read 2007-06-09

A short, quick, read by the man who was the primary concert piano technician for Steinway for many years. He worked closely with Horowitz, Rubinstein, and Van Cliburn. Some nice stories and anecdotes.

Deep Storm

by Lincoln Child · published 2007 · read 2007-06-08

I’ve enjoyed Child’s stuff in the past – this one was just OK. Crichton’s Sphere is a better undersea thriller, and the sci-fi aspect of this one was almost nil. Meh.

Manifold: Time

by Stephen Baxter · published 2000 · read 2007-06-05

I really enjoyed Baxter’s Manifold trilogy. A perspective on time that you won’t soon forget.

The Hunters

by W.E.B. Griffin · published 2007 · read 2007-05-31

W.E.B. is probably my favorite author of this genre, especially now that Clancy isn’t writing any more. Good military adventure fiction.

The Alexandria Link

by Steve Berry · published 2007 · read 2007-05-24

★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

I should’ve known better than to pick this one up. Fresh off his last novel which was part of the whole set of DaVinci Code knock-offs, this one set out to deny the other testament of the Bible. In this one, Sts. Jerome and Augustine conspired to mistranslate the Old Testament to give the Jews claim to Palestine rather than the real place they were from: Arabia. Give me a break. I won’t be picking up another Steve Berry book.

The Sun Also Rises

by Ernest Hemingway · published 1995 · read 2007-05-22

I can never decide whether I’m bored with Hemingway or whether I really like him. This time, his spare prose won me over. Now I need to re-listen to Andy Osenga’s Marilyn.

In War Times

by Kathleen Ann Goonan · published 2007 · read 2007-05-21

Now this was a heck of a book. Wrapping multiple time continuums up with jazz music in the setting of World War II… thoughtful, insightful. Excellent. In my top 2 for the year this far.

The Collectors

by David Baldacci · published 2006 · read 2007-05-17

Fairly basic, but fun sort of whodunit/thriller. Too many twists too late in the game for my taste, but still enjoyable.

Emperor

by Stephen Baxter · published 2007 · read 2007-05-12

I’ve been a big fan of Baxter’s sci-fi writing in the past (the Manifold: series is worth a re-read here sometime soon) so I picked this one up on the strength of his name alone. Supposedly this is an “alternate history” novel. I’ll have to admit that I guess I’m not familiar enough with the early Roman domination of Britain to know which parts were alternate. It does have an ending that really sets up the next book, though… not a bad read.

Ender’s Game

by Orson Scott Card · published 1977 · last read 2009-02-22

This one is fun, especially if you don't know the twist at the end. Not my favorite OSC, but well worth reading.

Till We Have Faces

by C.S. Lewis · published 2006 · read 2007-05-08

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Jurassic Park

by Michael Crichton · published 2004 · read 2007-05-08

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Sun of Suns

by Karl Schroeder · published 2006 · read 2007-05-03

A new sci-fi series with a neat premise: in the far future, these “worlds” are housed in space inside giant (several thousand kilometer diameter) balloons, and the whole world has an atmosphere, but gravity is only provided as the cities generate their own by rotating. There’s a lot more to it – I’m not gonna summarize the whole book, but if you’re in to this genre (*dan, this means you), you should read this book.

Odyssey

by Jack McDevitt · published 2006 · read 2007-04-25

A sci-fi adventure that reminds the reader that while there are mysteries “out there”, there is also no changing human nature. Acceptably interesting but not just blow-me-away awesome.

Our Iceberg Is Melting

by John Kotter · published 2006 · read 2007-04-17

In general, I am skeptical of short leadership/motivational books like this one, but this one was pretty good.

The Thief of Time

by John Boyne · published 2007 · read 2007-03-18

An interesting story narrated by a man who stopped aging at 50 and is now 256 years old. Mixing historical and fictional characters, it’s a compelling read.

Magic City

by James W. Hall · published 2007 · read 2007-03-16

The flyleaf claims that this novel is to Miami what LA Confidential is to Los Angeles. I don’t know that I’d go that far, but it was a decent little novel that tries to tie in the Cuban experience in Miami. A quick read.

A Farewell to Arms

by Ernest Hemingway · published 2006 · read 2007-03-15

Somehow along the way I’ve missed most of Hemingway’s stuff. Ultimately a sad, somewhat depressing story, but he draws beautiful word pictures.

The Children of Men

by P.D. James · published 2006 · read 2007-03-10

I hear that the movie is only very loosely based on the book, but I’ll still be interested to see it (I haven’t seen it yet). This book wins points from me based on the criteria I mentioned in my previous review: the author predicates a novel idea, and then explores the “what-if’s”. In this case, “what would happen if the entire human race lost the ability to reproduce?” It’s a compelling question, and the author handles it pretty well. I enjoyed this book.

The Quest

by Nelson DeMille · published 2006 · read 2007-03-06

I kept feeling like I’d read the book before… but I don’t remember reading it. A decent premise, but I’m growing more and more tired of books that have the hero averting the really bad thing. I’m more interested in the author exploring the results after the really bad thing has happened.

Cannery Row

by John Steinbeck · published 1992 · read 2007-03-01

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

The Historian

by Elizabeth Kostova · published 2005 · read 2007-03-01

Fun to read a novel dealing with medieval times that isn’t a DaVinci Code knock-off. This one, instead, dealt with Dracula. Nothing groundbreaking, but a good escapist novel.

Variable Star

by Robert A. Heinlein · published 2006 · read 2007-02-24

A sci-fi novel originally mapped out by Heinlein, then completed by Robinson after Heinlein’s death. The lead character, after finding out the girl he loves is the heir to the galaxy’s largest fortune, takes off on an “intergalactic bender”… hey, it’s a good story. Probably my favorite of the year thus far.

The Emperor’s Children

by Claire Messud · published 2006 · read 2007-02-20

This one explores morality and life choices in an intriguing way. Reminded me of On Beauty from earlier this year – this one might have been better… tough call.

The Everlasting Man

by G. K. Chesterton · published 2006 · read 2007-02-17

I’ve been working on this one for a while. You gotta read it slow just to take in all that Chesterton is saying. A brilliant response to the humanists and Rationalists of his day, and a nice end focusing on the person of Christ.

Sagramanda

by Alan Dean Foster · published 2006 · read 2007-02-12

“A Novel of near-future India.” A somewhat basic action thiller, it manages to be reasonably futuristic without abandoning a firm sense of reality. A good read.

Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time

by Rob Sheffield · published 2007 · read 2007-02-09

A short but touching account of the author’s love for and loss of his wife, and the music that provided the soundtrack.

The Traitor

by Stephen Coonts · published 2006 · read 2007-02-06

Coonts has managed to succeed where Tom Clancy failed: continuing a series even after the main character has been promoted too far to be useful. How? Introduce a new character (in this case, Tommy Carmellini), and keep Jake Grafton around as a minor player. It works.

Hell’s Best Kept Secret

by Ray Comfort · published 1989 · read 2007-02-03

★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Velvet Elvis

by Rob Bell · published 2005 · read 2007-01-27

A more extended review here.

This is Your Brain on Music

by Daniel J. Levitin · published 2006 · read 2007-01-26

A fascinating look at how our brains hear, remember, and respond to music.

A Star is Found

by Janet Hirshenson · published 2006 · read 2007-01-22

A quick conversational read about the business of casting movies. These two women have cast some of my favorite movies (The Princess Bride, for instance), so the stories of casting are a fun inside look at what might have been, or what almost wasn’t.

Empire

by Orson Scott Card · published 2006 · read 2007-01-21

OSC envisions a near future where a powerful political mastermind kicks off a Red State – Blue State civil war. The crisp prose we’ve come to expect from Card, the story nearly believable.

Treasure of Khan

by Clive Cussler · published 2006 · read 2007-01-18

I've enjoyed the Dirk Pitt novels through the years, but I think the series is getting tired.

The Archivist

by Martha Cooley · published 1998 · read 2007-01-14

by Mark Haddon · published 2004 · read 2007-01-11

None

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

A short but unique novel - narrated by a teenaged autistic boy. Good stuff. Oh, and the protagonist's first two names are Christopher John. :-)

Typical Crichton - take a scientific idea, run with it. Less plot and intensity than his classic novels; one of his weaker efforts.

On Beauty

by Zadie Smith · published 2006 · read 2007-01-02