| Books I've read so far this decade: |
| Just Here Trying to Save a Few Lives: Tales of Live and Death from the ER - Pamela Grim, M.D. - True stories from both American emergency rooms, as well as treatment centers in Nigeria and Macedonia. These are often not pleasant to read, and many do not have a happy ending, but they certainly convey the excitement, heartache, and dedication that goes into being an ER/trauma doctor. Recommended. |
| Making Money - Terry Pratchett - The latest in the Discworld series, this time about taking over the Royal bank of Ankh-Morpork. Recommended for light reading. |
| Brisingr - Christopher Paolini - This is the third book in the four-book Inheritance series (quadrilogy?). I found I didn't like this book quite as much as the first, Eragon. Maybe it was a little too wordy, but I think part of the reason was that it seemed more of a "young adult" book than the previous ones. Nevertheless, I remained engaged enough to finish this book, and I'll probably read the final book when it comes out, if for no other reason, just to wrap things up tidily. |
| The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents - Terry Prachett - This is one of Prachett's childrens' books. Although it takes place on Discworld, it contains none of the characters we've come to know and love in the Discworld series. The real difference between this book and Prachett's novels for adults ("adult novels" doesn't sound quite right) is that the childrens' books lack the subtle humour and jokes that are prevalent in the novels. it's a cute story, nonetheless. |
Pet Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine - Marion Nestle - Nestle is a respected professor of Nutrition and has written several books on human nutrition and the food industry (a couple of which, in particular, I'd love to read). Here she takes on the daunting task of unravelling what happened with the pet food disaster of 2007, where thousands of cats and dogs died because of kidney failure caused by the illegal addition of melamine into the pet food supply.
There are a lot of problems with pet food. While this book only looks at facts directly connected with the melamine tragedy, it brings up many more questions, including issues with the source of protein in pet foods, problems with the safety of foods imported from China (reiterated in the recent problem of melamine-tainted infant formula imported from that country), and the fact that in the U.S. the pet food and human food industry are very closely tied together.
The melamine tragedy really was a case of the "Chihuahua in the coal mine," and should be a wake-up call to everyone, not only pet owners. Now I wish someone would write a book informing the general public of what goes on in the pet food industry in general, because that is something I really want to know. Highly recommended. |
| Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer - The book about the experiences of Christopher "Alexander Supertramp" McCandless, upon which the movie of the same name was based. The author goes into detail examining the last couple of years of McCandless' continent-wide explorations, attempting to discover what the young man was thinking during his time on the road, and in the backcountry. However, rather than point fingers and make accusations, the author simply outlines parallels and presents possible reasons, allowing the reader to draw their own conclusion. I found the book to be quite engaging, especially after having seen the movie. |
| Dragons of Autumn Twilight - Dragonlance Chronicles Volume I - Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman - More swords, sorcery, and dragons in the age-old fight of good against evil. This book was interesting enough that I finished reading it, but not captivating or engaging enough to make me want to read any of the other books in the series. |
| Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab - the Body Farm - Where the Dead Do Tell Tales - Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson - Here we see a return to forensic anthropology cases, this time as written by the man who completely revitalized the field. Bill Bass worked for about 50 years as an anthropologist and as such consulted on hundreds, if not thousands, of cases. It was he who, after realizing that crime investigators really had no idea what happened in the decay of a body after death and when, created The Body Farm to study this very thing. It is because of his and his student's work that we now can look at a dead body - and the insects, bacteria, and decay associated with it - and can accurately estimate the time of death. This book contains many very interesting case studies, and is highly recommended for people who like reading about this sort of thing. |
| Unnatural Death: Confessions of a Medical Examiner - Michael M. Baden, M.D. with Judith Alder Hennessee - Another book about dead bodies and the people that examine them, except this time written by an actual medical examiner. The forensics books I've read to date have all been written by anthropologists, who work in a slightly different capacity than medical examiners, who are medical doctors. While a forensic anthropologist is only called in when there is a question about the cause of or circumstances surrounding a death, and is apparently only called in when the body is no longer "fresh," an M.D. or M.E. is required to examine each and every dead body and sign off as to the cause of death. This is an interesting book, and recommended if you are interested in this sort of stuff. |
| Sellevision - Augusten Burroughs - Burroughs' first book (and his only novel to date) which focuses on a group of people working at a home shopping network. It's light reading, but amusing and engaging enough to keep your interest. |
| A Wolf at the Table - Augusten Burroughs - When I first started reading Burroughs I likened him to David Sedaris. After all, they were both gay men who, after a dysfunctional childhood, were now writing humourous autobiographical stories. However, this book is not humourous. It is a sad story of a horrible childhood, and begins to explain why Burroughs' teenage years (chronicled in Running with Scissors) was so bloody messed up. If you enjoyed Burroughs' other books and want to learn more about him as a person, this book is recommended. Just don't expect to be laughing through it. |
| Barrel Fever - David Sedaris - I was 0 for 2 on Sedaris books this time around. Barrel Fever is another collection of short stories, but three-fourths of the stories are fiction again, and unfortunately I didn't realize this when I bought the book. The four autobiographical essays are fine, but I really wish they had been published separately from the fiction. |
| Holidays on Ice - David Sedaris - A collection of six holiday-themed stories. Unfortunately, not all of them are Sedaris' trademark autobiographical essays; several stories are fiction, which is not what I expected, nor what I wanted to read. To top it off, three of the stories (two true, one fiction) were previously printed elsewhere. If you like Sedaris, don't bother with this book. |
| Michael Tolliver Lives - Armistead Maupin - The seventh book in the Tales of the City series, and the first one to take place in the 21st century. While these books are light and easy to read, they are also engaging enough that it's quite difficult to put them down. Recommended. |
| When Science Goes Wrong - Simon LeVay - An interesting book about different, major screw-ups in various branches of science. This was written by a scientist and goes into some detail about what actually happened to cause the problem. While the book could easily stray down the path of sensationalism, luckiliy it does not, and instead makes for a semi-intelligent read. |
| Twinkie, Deconstructed - Steve Ettlinger - If you've ever wondered why "processed food" is called that, then this is the book for you. The author looks at each one of the ~30 ingredients that make up Twinkies, and traces them back to their origins. You learn about the scale on which commercial food companies operate, and the hurdles individual ingredients go through before they even make it to the bakery. Two-thirds of the ingredients found in Twinkies aren't even found outside of commercial kitchens. While this book may not be an exhaustive list of all processed food ingredients, but it's certainly enough to make you want to do all your own cooking. |
| Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris - Another collection of short autobiographical stories, just as funny as his other books. Recommended. |
| Elephants on Acid and Other Bizarre Experiments - Alex Boese - Information about an assortment of experiments that were performed (presumably) in the name of science, but make you ask "why?" They range from somewhat plausible, to why bother?, to ohmygawd why?! Somewhat interesting and amusing. |
| Naked - David Sedaris (reread) - A collection of short memoirs that often have me laughing out loud. Recommended. |
| When You Are Engulfed In Flames - David Sedaris - His latest selection of autobiographical essays ranging from amusing to downright funny. This is the kind of book where you just want to read "one more chapter" before setting it down for the night. Highly Recommended. |
| Thud! - Terry Pratchett - The last book in the Discworld series. I've finished the 28 book series (at least until he writes another book)! Fun reading. |
| Going Postal - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| Mister B. Gone - Clive Barker - Clive Barker is the best horror author I've ever read. His short stories are novel and twisted, and I've found myself reading them over and over. During the past decade or so Barker has moved out of horror short stories and on to fantasy novels; they ranged from okay to good, but I missed his old style. Needless to say, when I picked up his most recent book and the jacket advertised a "return to the classic horror story," I was thrilled! But sadly, this book didn't do it for me. Maybe it was the style in which it was told (part first person narrative, part speaking directly to the reader), or maybe my expectations were too high, but it left me disappointed. |
| Monstrous Regiment - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
Born Free - Joy Adamson - This is the 40th anniversary edition of this classic book, and it contains a new forward. I remember seeing this movie as a child, and it had a very sad ending that made me cry. This book, however, did not end on a sad note; now I think the movie may have included part of the storyline from the book's sequels.
Born Free is a cute, bittersweet story of a couple in Kenya and their lioness, raised from a cub and successfully returned to the wild. It took place in the late 50s and retains a tiny bit of the cultural attitude that was prevalent at the time. Nevertheless it is highly recommended for anyone who likes animals. |
| Bones: A Forensic Detective's Casebook - Dr. Douglas Ubelaker and Henry Scammell - Dr. Ubelaker is the curator and senior scientist at the Smithsonian InstitutionŐs National Museum of Natural History, as well as a forensic consultant to the FBI. This book is a collection of case histories he has been privy to, and contains a lot of information on the sorts of things forensic scientists look for when examining a case. Recommended for anyone with an interest in that sort of thing. |
| Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance - Atul Gawande - Dr. Gawande has written this insider's look at the field of medicine, but from a different viewpoint. He looks at several specific areas of medicine, and singles out what makes a particular person or facility in that area better. And, more importantly, he looks at what others - other physicians, people in general, and specifically, himself - can do and what it takes to improve yourself. |
| Night Watch - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| Marley & Me - John Grogan - A cute story about a man and his wife, and how they decided they wanted a dog ... and Marley ended up being the the worst dog in the world. But for all his faults, Marley had them tightly wrapped around his little claw. Recommended for animal lovers. |
| An Anthropologist on Mars - Oliver Sacks - Another book of neurological case histories from this neurologist; similar to his best-seller The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. Interestingly, one chapter in this book is devoted to an autistic scientist whose work I have read - Temple Grandin. |
| The Truth - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| Inside the Not So Big House - Sarah Susanka and Marc Vassallo - This is a book designed to bring out the importance of built-in architecture in a house - details such as interior rooflines, trim, cubbyholes, bookcases, etc. It's a very important design point, but unfortunately almost every example they have in this book is of a house whose architectural style I do not like. |
| Changeling - Roger Zelazny - I liked Zelazny's Amber series, so I picked up this book to see what his other books might be like. This was a simple sci-fi book that didn't have enough depth to the plot and I found it a bit boring. Characters make major life changes and take drastic measures for reasons which do not seem significant. Don't bother. |
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto - Michael Pollan - This is Pollan's follow-up to The Omnivore's Dilemma which showed us some of the harsh realities present in the world of food. For years I have studied nutrition. I've spoken with Registered Dieticians, taken science and nutrition classes, and read book after book after book. And I have to say, In Defense of Food does an excellent job of summing up everything I have learned in just seven words: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." The two hundred pages inside simply explain what he means.
That being said, I have to state that I'm not a total Pollan devotee, and everything he writes is not perfect. For example, this book is divided into three sections. He spends the first section discussing what is wrong with the state of "nutritionism" today - how so many present-day food "facts" (like how many servings of a certain food we "should" eat on a daily basis) are based on studies biased by the organizations which funded them, and how so many nutrition studies are contradicted by other studies. Those are valid points. However, reading that chapter leaves me a little gunshy about believing any other nutrition studies. So when Pollan cites other studies in later chapters, I can't help but wonder if I can trust them.
If you're going to read just one section of this book it should be the third. This final section tells you, in plain and simple terms, what you should eat to stay healthy, avoid diet-related illnesses such as diabetes, and circumvent the psychological distress that comes from modern-day Western culture ("eat more food", "diet", "eat", "you're too fat", etc). Highly recommended.
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| Possible Side Effects - Augusten Burroughs - More of the funny, and occasionally touching, autobiographical stories I came to love in Magical Thinking. Highly recommended. |
| Dry. A memoir. - Augusten Burroughs - An alcoholic's chronicle of hitting rock-bottom, entering rehab, and the road to recovery. He does such a good job describing the life of a hard-core alcoholic (of which most people are not aware, I'm guessing) that even having a beer was the furthest thing from my mind as I read this. Highly recommended. |
| Running with Scissors - Augusten Burroughs - This is Burroughs' first memoir, chronicling his tumultuous and decidedly un-normal childhood. If the stories in here are even half-true then you wonder how he emerged sane enough to become a successful adult. Reading this book is like watching a slow-motion train wreck; you can't put it down. Highly recommended. |
| Empire of Ivory - Naomi Novik - Fourth in the Temeraire series. I am still enjoying the series, and this book has ended in a bit of a cliffhanger. I just hope the next book doesn't get too carried away with itself. Recommended. |
| Dateline Mongolia - Michael Kohn - Part travelogue, part memoir, this book was written by an American who spent three years working for an English-language newspaper in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. He writes about the many things that he researched in the course of his reporting, and provides a wealth of information that the average Westerner wouldn't otherwise know about past and present-day Mongolia. I just wish he had written more about his experiences acclimatizing to Mongolian life. Recommended. |
| Magical Thinking: True Stories - Augusten Burroughs - Short, autobiographical, and often hilarious stories from this ad man-turned-author. Burroughs writes in a style reminiscent of David Sedaris, but its possible that the former may be even better than the latter. Highly recommended. |
| Images of America series, San Francisco's Glen Park and Diamond Heights - Emma Bland Smith - I am quite interested in historical San Francisco, so it was neat reading this book about the early days of the neighborhood in which I have been living for the past 4.5 years (Glen Park). Too bad there are no photos of our house in here. Recommended. |
| Images of America series, San Francisco: A Natural History - Greg Gaar and Ryder W. Miller - San Francisco's natural landscape, its flora, fauna, and landscape, were completely different than they are today. Just a few decades after Europeans settled here The City took on an entirely new face, and it is extremely interesting to read about what SF used to look like. Highly recommended. |
| A Year in the Merde - Stephen Clarke - An account of a Brit moving to France for his new job, and the trials and tribulations he encountered. Although this is fiction, it nails the experience others have had in moving to France, and also had me giggling on several occasions. Recommended. |
| Thief of Time - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. I've read all the Pratchett books we have on-hand. Time to order the last few in this series! |
| The Fifth Element - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| Carpe Jugulum - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| The Last Continent - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| Jingo - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| Hogfather - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. A great book for the Xmas season! |
| Feet of Clay - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. As you can tell, we've been on a Pratchett kick. They're fun books. |
| The Color of Magic (reread) - Terry Pratchett - Since I've been reading so many of these books, I wanted to reread the first one in the series. His style has evolved since the beginning, and while the books are kept light, they're now more sophisticated. |
| Maskerade - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. As you can tell, we've been on a Pratchett kick. They're fun books. |
| Interesting Times - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. This was my favourite of the Pratchett books I've read recently. |
| Soul Music - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. As you can tell, we've been on a Pratchett kick. They're fun books. |
| Sure of You - Armistead Maupin - A sixth book, which extends the Tales of the City "trilogy." I'm still enjoying watching the characters move through their lives. |
| Significant Others - Armistead Maupin - A fifth book, which extends the Tales of the City "trilogy." I'm still enjoying watching the characters move through their lives. |
| Men At Arms - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill - Mark Bittner - I'm of two minds about this book. On one hand, I was thrilled to be able to learn more about San Francisco's wild parrots, whom I've occasionally seen flying around town. And part of me thinks that it's wonderful the way the author has chosen to bare his feelings and emotions in this book. But the cynical critic in me thinks negatively about a guy who goes through most of his adult life without a proper job, and who projects his own thoughts onto a flock of parrots and then reacts to those projections.
This book is recommended as an interesting slice of local somewhat-natural history, but take the author's lifestyle and emotional projections with a grain of salt. |
| Lords and Ladies - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. As you can tell, we've been on a Pratchett kick. They're fun books. |
| Babycakes - Armistead Maupin - A fourth book, which extends the Tales of the City "trilogy." I'm still enjoying watching the characters move through their lives. |
| Small Gods - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. The first book of his I didn't like. You can safely skip this one. |
| Human Bones: A Scientific and Pictorial Investigation - R. McNeill Alexander and photographer Aaron Diskin - A book which does a wonderful job of combining the art and science of one of my favourite subjects - bones. In addition to providing a quick & easy overview of human skeletal anatomy, physiology, and evolution, as well as a primer on comparative anatomy, the bones herein have been photographed and presented as art pieces. Highly recommended. |
| Zoology - Ben Dolnick - A (fictional) story about a guy who drops out of college to work at a zoo. I got this book because it struck a chord, with me being a zoology student and all. The book turned out to be not so much about the zoology thing as it was a nice little story about the transition from being a child to an adult. |
| Witches Abroad - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution - Richard Dawkins - This is one of those books that everyone should read. The Ancestor's Tale traces our heritage all the way back in time down the evolutionary tree, meeting up with such groups as the rest of the primates, mammals, birds & dinosaurs, all the way back to the bacteria (some of which we carry in our cells to this day). It not only outlines the similarities and differences between different branches of the tree as they meet up with us, but also has in-depth sections describing major elements of evolution. And speaking of evolution, there is so much evidence in this book to support evolution (probably as close to "proof" as we're ever going to get) that you wonder why creationists persist in their beliefs.
My only criticisms are that Dawkins can be a bit wordy at times, and the drawings included should really be larger and more detailed. Highly recommended. |
| Further Tales of the City - Armistead Maupin - Third in the trilogy. I found this book to be the best of the series, so far. I really did have trouble putting it down, as there's always so much happening. |
| The Sapphire Rose - David Eddings - Third and last in The Elenium series. This was a good series of fantasy books. A little predictable, although that's the norm for the genre (unless you're George R.R. Martin!). Nonetheless, it kept me entertained through the series. |
| The Ruby Knight - David Eddings - Second in The Elenium series. I'm still enjoying this series. It's better than The Tamuli, but not quite as good as The Belgariad, which is my favourite set of books by this author. |
| More Tales of the City - Armistead Maupin - Second in the trilogy. A fun, albeit slightly soap opera-y, story about a group of friends and acquaintances living on Russian Hill in San Francisco. The books began as a serial newspaper column back in the 70s, and it's fun to read about all the streets and places in your hometown. Recommended for light reading. |
| Lord of the Flies - William Golding - I had never read this classic book before and felt I needed to. It makes a very good point regarding things inherent in human nature, although all the more subtle symbolism and metaphors went over my head (I usually find it more fun to enjoy a story for what it is, rather than analyzing it to bits). Recommended. |
| Black Powder War - Naomi Novik - Third in the Temeraire series. Set in the 18th century, this is a historical novel and a new take on dragon stories. Recommended. |
| Tales of the City - Armistead Maupin - A fun, albeit slightly soap opera-y, story about a group of friends and acquaintances living on Russian Hill in San Francisco. The books began as a serial newspaper column back in the 70s, and it's fun to read about all the streets and places in your hometown. Parts of the book are slightly dated, since it was written 30 years ago, but it's a fun read nonetheless. Recommended, but prepare to read the sequels to discover the surprise plot twist. |
| The Diamond Throne - David Eddings - First in The Elenium series. This series is a prequel to his earlier Tamuli series and fills in a lot of information that was referred to in the later books. However, many of the plotlines have already been given away in the earlier-published but later-occurring books. It's starting off as a good series, and I'd recommend you read this series first before moving on to The Tamuli - there's more suspense that way. |
| Reaper Man - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| Moving Pictures - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| Eric - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| Guards! Guards! - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| Pyramids - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| Mutants: On Genetic Variety and the Human Body - Armand Marie Leroy - This is a very interesting book about different common, and some not-so-common, mutations found in our species. However, I found that the book went too into the science and genetics behind the mutations (a very odd criticism from me!) when I really wanted to hear about more examples. And sadly, this book contained very few photos, and what pictures it had were of poor quality. Ideally, this book would have contained many large-size, good quality photographs. |
| Wyrd Sisters - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead - Tamara Draut - For years I've been wondering why so many smart, educated, responsible, working people in my peer group have difficulty making ends meet. This book does a good job of answering that question. The sad part is there are many intertwined answers, and none of them are easily fixed. But it certainly shows you where we need to look in order to begin to repair our society. Recommended if you're wondering why no one can get ahead in life. |
| Not So Funny When it Happened - edited by Tim Cahill - A collection of short stories about travel and misadventure. Some parts are so funny they had me laughing out loud. Recommended for quick, light reading. |
| Throne of Jade - Naomi Novik - Second in the Temeraire series. Set in the 18th century, this is a historical novel and a new take on dragon stories. Even though it's a sequel this book seems to hold its own. I hope the third is as enjoyable. Recommended. |
| The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test - Tom Wolfe - This was one of those books I had heard of, but never knew exactly what it was about. Turns out it's about the group of friends who started the LSD/hippie movement in the SF Bay Area in the mid-60s. The book takes you on an incredible (non-fiction) trip through some amazing stuff; things that you cannot believe they got away with. Highly recommended. |
| Equal Rites - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| Serpent's Silver - Piers Anthony and Robert E. Margroff - This sequel turned into one of those books where Our Hero does everything just right, all the pieces fall into place, and everyone lives happily ever after. I'm not going to bother reading the third book in this series. |
| Dragon's Gold - Piers Anthony and Robert E. Margroff - A simple story about a boy who inadvertantly grows up to be a hero. Although it doesn't seem to have been marketed as such, it's really a book for kids. |
| The Bridge On The River Kwai - Pierre Boulle - Oh my, this book has a different ending than the movie, and it really changes the meaning of the whole thing! It's a story of WWII British prisoners in a Japanese POW camp being used as forced labour, and the results of their efforts. Recommended. |
| S is for Silence - Sue Grafton - (Part of her Alphabet series.) I bought this book at the airport because I needed something to read, and ended up being quite pleased with it. A good mystery that has enough twists and doubts to keep you wondering until the end. |
| His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik - First in the Temeraire series. Set in the 18th century, this is a historical novel and a new take on dragon stories. I think the author does a good job of weaving the dragons into the events of the day. Recommended. |
| Sourcery - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| Mort - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Quite amusing fantasy/scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| The Light Fantastic - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| The Hidden City - David Eddings - Final book in The Tamuli series. Another one of those books where Our Hero & Co. accomplishes everything necessary just in the nick of time. I was ready for this book to be over before it actually was. Oh well. |
| The Shining Ones - David Eddings - Second in The Tamuli series. |
| Domes of Fire - David Eddings - First in The Tamuli series. Fantasy novel about kings, queens, and mighty warriors, plus some intrigue and magic in there as well. This series includes some interesting relationships, insofar as who the characters really are. |
| Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside - Katrina Firlik - Stories about this neurosurgeon's experiences as a woman in a particularly male-dominated field, as well as interesting tales about some of the cases she has worked on. I enjoy reading these sorts of "medical memoirs" as they feed my interest in the medical field. Recommended. |
| Murder by the Bay - Charles F. Adams - Stories of some of the most famous and infamous murders that have occurred in and near San Francisco over the past 150+ years. Recommended if you have an interest in San Francisco history. |
| Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the World's Premiere School for Exotic Animal Trainers - Amy Sutherland - A great book that follows a group of students through the two-year exotic animal training program at Southern California's Moorpark College. You begin to understand just how demanding and competitive this field is. I found it very interesting, especially because a friend's sister recently graduated from the program. Recommended. |
| Body Brokers: Inside America's Underground Trade - Annie Cheney - An exposé on the not-so-legal market of bodies and body parts. It turns out there are people selling arms and legs, well, for an arm and a leg, all without the consent of the former owners. However, it'd be a pity if this book stopped people from donating their bodies and/or organs, as there are never enough to meet the demand. |
| Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie - Another one of those classic novels i finally got around to reading. Quite a surprise twist at the end! |
| Life's Little Annoyances - Ian Urbina - I thought this would be one of those cute & funny anecdotal books, but instead it just annoyed me. |
| Never Cry Wolf - Farley Mowat - A great book by a Canadian biologist who seems to have been one of the first to document real wolf behaviour, as opposed to fallacies and old wives' tales. An easy read, yet entertaining and funny in Mowat's own particular way. The wolves quickly find a place in your heart, and especially because of that it is extremely difficult to read the epilogue; I really wish I had skipped the last page. Recommended, nevertheless. |
| The Devil's Teeth - Susan Casey - A non-fiction book which is as much about the Farallon Islands as it is about the great white sharks who live there. The author is a journalist who spent time with the resident biologists out on the Farallones on three separate occasions. She describes the allure the islands have for her, as well as the handful of people who willingly spend months at a time out there, and you begin to feel it yourself. It just so happened that the day after I finished this book I took a trip to the Farallones - it was my first time at the islands, yet I recognized the landmarks and knew so much about what had happened out there; it was like visiting an old friend. The author has been criticized for the impact of her actions however, and that really cannot be argued. But what has happened, happened, and I still highly recommend this book. |
| The Maltese Falcon - Dashiell Hammett - A classic old-school mystery novel. I find that even ~80 years later the story still holds up pretty well. However, in this day and age of multiple intertwined storylines and crazy plot twists, it does seem a bit simple. |
| The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals - Michael Pollan - This book is very similar in scope to The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter, which I read a couple of months ago, and complements it perfectly. The author traces different meals and farming techniques and, as thoroughly as possible, describes the different methods and outcomes. One large section of the book is devoted to describing a fully-sustainable farm, and how so many of those old-fashioned, yet perfectly environmentally-friendly, farming practices have been lost due to the adoption of "modern" factory-farming techniques. Reading this book you learn things like just how much corn is grown versus how little we actually eat, and rather than growing less corn, food scientists are continually trying to invent unnatural uses for corn (corn sweeteners, animal feeds, food additives, etc). This book is a wake-up call to how messed up food production is in the U.S. Highly recommended.
|
| Fevre Dream - George R.R. Martin - This was the first of Martin's non-"Song of Ice and Fire" book I read and I was quite impressed. Set on the Mississippi River in the mid-1800s it is partially a historical novel, but Martin took what could have been a clichéd theme and gave it a new, enjoyable, twist. Recommended. |
| Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors - Jhonen Vasquez - I hadn't heard of the Squee comics before I got this book, but they're just as good as Johnny. Interested in loving families and happy stories about little boys? Well, you won't find them here! These are dark comics by and for notagoths. Recommended. |
| Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: Director's Cut - Jhonen Vasquez - I was first introduced to this comic in the mid-90s and loved them. I recently came across all of them re-released in book form and snapped them up. I can't decide if Vasquez is completely insane or a total genius - I think he's probably both. Highly recommended. |
| The Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses - Marianne Riedman - A very good reference about the biology, habits, and life cycles of all species of pinnipeds. The book contains references to scores (hundreds?) of other books and scientific papers, and is an excellent source to begin any research on these animals. |
| Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress - Dai Sijie - A story of two boys being "re-educated" during Mao's Cultural Revolution, this was based at least partially on the author's own re-education experiences. |
| The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter - Peter Singer & Jim Mason - I find this book to be a thorough, yet unbiased look at exactly what sorts of farming and ranching practices go into bringing a selection of foods to the table. The authors look at the food choices of three families - one eating a typical American diet, one set of "conscientious omnivores", and one vegan - and track their foods to the source. The book has a good "conclusions" section, and offers suggestions as to how you can best support your own personal ethics through your buying and eating habits. Even after years of reading about and studying nutrition and food sources, I learned quite a few new things. Highly recommended. |
| Dead Men Do Tell Tales - William R. Maples, Ph.D. and Michael Browning - I feel like this book was written especially for me. Included within are "The strange and fascinating cases of a forensic anthropologist," and they do not disappoint. Dr. Maples recalls some of his more interesting and puzzling cases, describes what he was looking for, and what the evidence was able to tell him. You learn what an amazing amount of information a forensic anthropologist can get from something as small as a piece of bone. Sure, these tales probably aren't for the faint of heart as they lean towards the macabre, but that's what makes them so great. My only complaint is that this book wasn't much longer; I would have liked to have continued reading on this subject. Highly recommended. |
| Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science - Atul Gawande - This book takes away as much of the mystery surrounding modern medicine as it adds back to it. Dr. Gawande presents several stories and case studies from his years of surgical residency, and adds to them the insight that only an insider would have. He lets us know that doctors are far from infallible, and sometimes medical professionals just don't know what to do. But at the same time, a physician can develop a sort of sixth sense and some unconscious clue will push them towards the correct decision, thus saving a patient's life. An interesting, well-written book that is recommended for anyone with an interest in medicine. |
| Eldest - Christopher Paolini - This is the sequel to Eragon, and the second book in the Inheritance triology. I find the story has taken on more complexities and plot twists as it moves along, making it even more enjoyable. Now I wait impatiently for the third book to be released! Highly recommended. |
| Eragon - Christopher Paolini - This book came highly recommended by a good friend, and now that I've read it, I want to recommend it to everyone else. It's a good, solid fantasy story about a boy. And a dragon. And an evil king, demonic forces, families torn asunder, battles, magic, and all that other good stuff that happens in such a book. And it's quite well-written - something that may come as a surprise when you discover the author was only 15 when he wrote the novel; it holds its own against just about any fantasy novel written by an adult. All in all, a very engaging, enjoyable story. |
| Why Is Sex Fun? - Jared Diamond - Subtitled The Evolution of Human Sexuality, this is the first mainstream book I've seen which has tackled the topic of why humans have evolved the sexual habits and physiological characteristics we have. He explains the theories behind such things as the unnecessary enlargement of human breasts and penises, why humans have sex at times other than estrus cycles, and why females experience menopause. He also compares and contrasts human behaviour and physiology to other primates, and other animals in general. It's an interesting read that's much more concise than his more well known books. |
| Dune Messiah (reread) - Frank Herbert - I first read this book about 20 years ago and I didn't think much of it then, but I figured I'd give it another try. Well, I did try, but it was so boring I skipped 100+ pages in the second half to make the end come more quickly and I don't think I missed anything. |
| Dune (reread) - Frank Herbert - I love it when you reread a great book, and it's been just long enough that you can't really remember what's going to happen next, so it's almost like reading it for the first time. This book is wonderful and I was very happy to re-experience it like that. |
| The Hobbit (reread) - J.R.R. Tolkien - As I reread this book, I realized it had been probably 15 years since I last read it, and as a result, I remembered very few details - it was almost like reading it for the first time, and that was so enjoyable. While not as sophisticated as the LotR series, The Hobbit is an excellent fantasy tale. |
| Lamb : The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal - Christopher Moore - This book was recommended by a friend, and is pretty fun and lighthearted. As the title suggests, it's the story of Jesus' childhood as told by his best friend (who was left out of the bible). I realized I would have enjoyed this book more if I didn't have to keep fighting against my own anti-religious prejudices. |
| The Elder Gods - David & Leigh Eddings - I've really liked some of David Eddings previous books, but this one didn't quite do it for me. There were a lot of words in the book, but not much was happening. They are setting the scene for sequels, but don't interest you in the story enough to want to read those sequels. |
| Home by Design - Sarah Susanka - A great book outlining design elements found in architecture, and exactly how design works and why those elements are good. After reading this I was able to go into houses and realize why a house was designed well (or poorly). Highly recommended. |
| Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned - Alan Alda - After watching M*A*S*H for the past 30 years, I figured I'd pick up Alan Alda's autobiography as I knew almost nothing of the star behind the TV show. Alda has an engaging and humourous writing style, and it was interesting to see how he grew up, and the similarities and differences between the actor and his Hawkeye Pierce character. Recommended. |
Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior - Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson - Considering one of my favourite subjects is animal behaviour, I was looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.
Grandin is an autistic woman with a Ph.D. in Animal Science, so I thought this book might have a somewhat scientific bent to it. Instead, it is written in a conversational tone, poor grammar and all. That aside, it has some other major problems: Namely, despite the book being about the similarities in behavour between animals and autistic people, the author never defines or explains autism. She occasionally refers to autistic people perceiving the world in a particular way, but the reader is left wondering what exactly autism is.
In addition, all of Grandin's information about autistic people comes from her own experiences. Not that her experiences aren't valid, but we have no idea if they are typical. And she also paints a big line and places autistic people on one side, and non-autistics on the other, and infers that non-autistics just can't see what autistics do, and that's just not always the case; I notice some of the things she says "only autistics" do, and as far as I know, I'm not autistic.
In general, there is some interesting information in here, and there are bits worth paying attention to. However, had it been written "right," it could have been a great book. |
| A Manual of Mammalogy with Keys to Families of the World - Martin/Pine/DeBlaise - I enjoyed reading this book. It outlines, compares, and contrasts the anatomy of all families of mammals, and contains a wealth of anatomical and physiological information that is not possible to find in standard "bookstore" texts. It also contains a comprehensive dichotomous key to identifying mammalian families. If my zoology classes are as interesting as this book, they'll be a lot of fun! |
| The Inhuman Condition (reread) - Clive Barker - Like In the Flesh, this is a collection of short horror stories. Both books are now 20 years old, and I think they hold up well. Sadly, because I've read them each a couple of times in the past, they no longer relay that excitement you get when reading something for the first time. |
| In the Flesh - Clive Barker (reread) - Classic short horror stories. |
| Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed - Jared Diamond - A very interesting, and quite depressing, book; a case study of why certain contemporary and historical societies have died out, what other societies have done correctly and succeeded, and why, if we don't change what we're doing and quickly, we are headed towards hell in a handbasket. Highly recommended. |
| Iron Council - China Miéville - I didn't care for the writing style Miéville used during the second quarter of the book. It takes fully half the story before you learn exactly what is going on and what the characters' "quest" is all about, and by the time I learned I no longer cared. This book didn't engage me the way his previous ones did. It wasn't bad enough that I set it down without finishing, but I only finished it in hopes that a spectacular ending would make it all worth while. And there was something interesting that happened at the end, but it wasn't enough, by far. |
| A Feast for Crows - George R. R. Martin - The latest volume in his "Song of Ice and Fire" series, which I absolutely love. Certain plot lines look like they may be wrapping up, but in true Martin fashion, there's no clear outlook as to what will happen. I love it how it sets up things so you expect one thing and are then blindsided by another. I'm looking forward to book five; part of me wants that to be the last, so I can see how this all ends, but another part of me doesn't want it to end yet. Recommended. |
| Idoru - William Gibson - A fun, easy-reading cyber novel from the man who introduced us to cyberspace. I bet this would have been real ground-breaking stuff had I read it 10 years ago when it came out. Fun, nevertheless. |
| Eats, Shoots & Leaves - Lynne Truss - A humourous and snarky look at the current use (or, more accurately, misuse) of punctuation in the world today. |
| Sharks of the World - Leonard Compagno, Marc Dando, & Sarah Fowler - The best species identification book I've seen so far. Full of both excellent ID and biological information. |
| The Scar - China Miéville - Fantasy set in the same world as Perdido Street Station, but with a different cast. Weird, but in a good way. It held my interest to the end. |
| Perdido Street Station - China Miéville - Fantasy set in a world populated by a host of unique species. Weird, but in a good way. I liked how he ended the book - it took a nice, unexpected twist. |
| A Storm of Swords (reread) - George R. R. Martin - I really did have trouble putting these books down. Excellent intertwined plots where the unexpected keeps happening. Did I mention how highly I recommend these? |
| A Clash of Kings (reread) - George R. R. Martin - Best fantasy books since the LotR trilogy. Highly recommended. |
| The Not So Big House - Sarah Susanka - About designing and planning homes that fit the most usable area into the smallest footprint. An anti-McMansion book with lots of good ideas. |
| A Game of Thrones (reread)- George R. R. Martin - Best. Fantasy. Ever. Highly recommended. |
| The Great Book of Amber: The Complete Amber Chronicles, 1-10 - Roger Zelazny - All books from the Amber series are compiled here in one volume. The stories take place both on Earth and in several parallel worlds. Enjoyable fantasy reading. |
| X-Ray Ichthyology: The Structure of Fishes - David Catania and The California Academy of Sciences - A unique and excellent book showing x-rays of 50 specimens from the Academy's extensive collection. The full collection is online. |
| A Natural History of the Senses - Diane Ackerman - An interesting essay describing each of the senses in as many ways possible, including discussing how we've used, abused, and attempted to enhance each one throughout the ages. |
| Seeress of Kell - David Eddings (reread?) - Final in the Malloreon series. A fun story, albeit predictable. Yet I kept wanting to read more and finish the series. Recommended for those who love fantasy. |
| Sorceress of Darshiva - David Eddings (reread?) - Fourth in the Malloreon series. |
| Demon Lord of Karanda - David Eddings (reread?) - Third in the Malloreon series. |
| King of the Murgos - David Eddings (reread?) - Second in the Malloreon series. |
| The Secret Life of Sharks - A. Peter Klimley, Ph.D. - Written by a marine biologist, these are his personal experiences and tales of what he did during his research projects, unlike most research books which just list the results of the studies. Highly recommended. |
| Images of America series, San Francisco, California - Patricia Kennedy - Lots of photos and descriptions of The City from the mid-1800s through the mid-1900s. I love seeing what San Francisco used to look like. Highly recommended. |
| Guardians of the West - David Eddings (reread) - First in the Malloreon series. |
| The Silent World - Jacques Yves Costeau - Written in 1953, tales from one of the men who invented SCUBA. It's very interesting to read how diving and marine knowledge then differs from today. Recommended. |
| Enchanters' End Game - David Eddings (reread) - Last in the Belgariad series. All of these books are highly recommended. |
| Castle of Wizardry - David Eddings (reread) - Fourth in the Belgariad series. |
| Magician's Gambit - David Eddings (reread) - Third in the Belgariad series. |
| Queen of Sorcery - David Eddings (reread) - Second in the Belgariad series. |
| Pawn of Prophecy - David Eddings (reread) - First in the Belgariad series. Good fantasy stuff. I first read this so long ago I no longer remembered it, so I'm thoroughly enjoying it a second time. Highly recommended. |
| The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis - Children's fantasy tale. |
| Race Against Time - Piers Anthony (reread) - I didn't remember this book at all from the first time I read it. It seems like a children's SciFi book to me. |
| Virtual Light - William Gibson - Written in '93 about a futuristic San Francisco in 2005. Interesting to contrast his vision with today's reality. A good story, too. Recommended. |
| The Integral Trees - Larry Niven - Another unique world, but this story wasn't very captivating. |
| The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, and Other Clinical Tales - Oliver Sacks - Descriptions of very interesting neurological disorders, and their physical & psychological manifestations. Recommended. |
| The Ringworld Engineers - Larry Niven - The sequel is okay, but a bit lacking. Recommended only for fans of Ringworld. |
| Ringworld - Larry Niven - SciFi set in a universe with a very interesting, ring-shaped world. Recommended. |
| Cheaper By The Dozen - Frank B. Gilbreth & Ernestine Gilbreth Carey - Autobiographical tales from the 1910-20s of a family with a dozen children. |
| The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas - Excellent tale of revenge. A timeless classic which I had difficulty putting down. Highly recommended. |
| The Pushcart War - Jean Merrill - Children's story of battling big-city truck drivers. |
| The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams (reread) - Classic humourous scifi. Recommended. |
| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (reread) - Classic humourous scifi. Recommended. |
| A Whiff Of Death - Issac Asimov - One of his few non scifi books. A scientific mystery story. |
| All The Weyrs Of Pern - Anne McCaffrey (reread) - The later Pern books begin to lose their edge. Recommended only for fans of the series. |
| Out Of It - A Cultural History of Intoxication - Stuart Walton - A great cultural and sociological look into how and why humans began and continue to use intoxicants. Highly recommended. |
| Dress Your Family In Courduroy And Denim - David Sedaris - Autobiographical short stories. Entertaining. Recommended. |
| The Trees of San Francisco - Mike Sullivan - An interesting encylopedia of the amazing variety of trees here in S.F. |
| The White Dragon - Anne McCaffrey (reread) - A classic fantasy series. Recommended. |
| Dragonquest - Anne McCaffrey (reread) - A classic fantasy series. Recommended. |
| Dragonflight - Anne McCaffrey (reread) - A classic fantasy series. Recommended. |
| Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Jules Verne - A classic tale, not quite scifi but certainly futuristic for its time. Unfortunately it's now a bit dated. |
| "What Do You Care What Other People Think?" - Richard P. Feynman - More autobiographical tales from a brilliant physicist. Recommended. |
| Earth - David Brin - Brin creates some interesting worlds, although I'm not a big fan of the "mind melds with computer" model. Recommended for those who are. |
| The Botany of Desire - Michael Pollan - Excellent botanical history of four plants and how they've made their way into everyday human lives. Highly recommended. |
| A Thief Of Time - Tony Hillerman - Good mystery story set in Navajo country in the Southwest U.S. Recommended. |
| Coldheart Canyon - Clive Barker - Leans more towards the fantasy side of horror, but a good read nonetheless. Recommended for those into Barker and/or weird stuff. |
| QED - The Strange Theory of Light and Matter - Richard P. Feynman - Explains the theory of quantum electrodynamics, but geared towards an audience of physicists. Recommended for those who already have some background in the subject. |
| all the Far Side books - Gary Larson (rereads) - What can I say? Highly recommended. |
| Lost Horizon - James Hilton - The original story of Shangri-La. Recommended. |
| A Storm of Swords - George R. R. Martin - I really did have trouble putting these books down. Excellent intertwined plots where the unexpected keeps happening. Did I mention how highly I recommend these? |
| A Clash of Kings - George R. R. Martin - Best fantasy books since the LotR trilogy. Highly recommended. |
| A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin - Best fantasy books since the LotR trilogy. Highly recommended. |
| Nickel and Dimed - Barbara Ehrenreich - Sociological study of how the poor (cannot) get by in America; the author tried several times to survive on minimal wage. |
| Feng Shui Demystified - Clear Englebert - Description of Feng Shui and how to use it. |
| Stiff - The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - Mary Roach - Excellent look at how cadavers have been and currently are used for medical and forensic research, and funny as well. Highly recommended. |
| Books of Blood, Vols. 1-3 - Clive Barker(reread) - Novel and unique horror stories, written in a descriptive style with excellent plot twists. Highly recommended. |
| Abarat - Clive Barker - Book one of a series designed for young adults. I love Barker, but this one didn't grab me. |
| Guns, Germs and Steel - Jared Diamond - Comprehensive look into why civilizations and cultures evolved in some parts of the world, but not others. Highly recommended. |
| Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays - Stephen Hawking - Assorted essays and speeches on physics and astronomy. Recommended. |
| They Shoot Canoes, Don't They? - Patrick F. McManus - Humourous short stories, often of camping, hunting and fishing. |
| A Fine and Pleasant Misery - Patrick F. McManus - Humourous short stories, often of camping, hunting and fishing. |
| Modern Meat - Orville Schell - A shocking look into what goes into our commercial food animals, and how that compares to naturally-raised meats. Highly recommended for anyone who cares about what they eat. |
| Fast Food Nation - Eric Schlosser - A history of American fast food restaurants and culture. An accurate depiction, if somewhat biased. Highly recommended. |
| The Jungle - Upton Sinclair - Turn of the (last) century novel of life in the meat packing industry, based on factual information that eventually caused new laws to be put into effect. Recommended for those interested in the subject. |
| The Practice Effect - David Brin - Scifi based in a world where practice really does make perfect. Recommended. |
| Call of the Wild - Jack London - Classic story of a loyal dog and the Alaskan wilderness. |
| Startide Rising - David Brin - Interesting premise, where other species are artifically evolved to become as intelligent as humans. |
| The Postman - David Brin - Apparently this was made into a horrible movie, but I never saw it. The book, however, is excellent. A futuristic tale about a post-apocalyptical U.S. Recommended. |
| The Light Fantastic - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| Grey Seas Under - Farley Mowat - Captivating, suspenseful tales of tugboat rescues in the stormy North Atlanic. Excellent. Highly recommended. |
| The King of Elfland's Daughter - Lord Dunsany - (I don't remember much of this.) |
| The Serpent's Coil - Farley Mowat - Captivating, suspenseful tales of tugboat rescues in the stormy North Atlanic. Excellent. Highly recommended. |
| The Annotated Alice - Martin Gardner/Lewis Carroll - Good dissection of Alice in Wonderland, filling in context that would otherwise be lost to most readers. |
| Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll - Believe it or not, this was my first time reading these classic books. |
| The Number of the Beast - Robert Heinlein - Heinlein's books begin to blur together at some point. This may have been the book which convinced me I don't need to read anything else by him. |
| Fatherland - Robert Harris - Suspense/mystery set in Germany post-WWII, except in this reality Hitler won the war. Recommended. |
| The Color Of Magic - Terry Pratchett - Part of the Discworld series. Scifi in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide.... Recommended for light reading. |
| The Computer Connection - Alfred Bester - (I don't remember much of this.) |
| California Marine Life - Marty Snyderman - Info on the creatures living off the California coast. Recommended for divers and those interested in marine biology. |
| Sharks and Rays of the Pacific Coast - A. Ferguson & G. Cailliet - Info on the Chondrichthyes living off the California coast. Recommended for divers and those interested in marine biology. |
| The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien (reread) - What do you mean you haven't read this series? Go read it now! |
| The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien (reread) - The best fantasy books ever written. Highly recommended. |
| The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien (reread) - The best fantasy books ever written. Highly recommended. |
| The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien (reread) - The best fantasy books ever written. Highly recommended. |
| In The Beginning...Was the Command Line - Neal Stephenson - Nonfiction geek stuff. I remember liking the book, but don't remember much about it. |
| The Catcher In The Rye - J.D. Salinger - A classic I never read in school, but now I see why they usually make you read it. |
| The Cat Who Walks Through Walls - Robert Heinlein - Typical Heinlein. Take that however you will. |
| The Ethical Slut - D. Easton & C. Liszt - |
| The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. LeGuin - I disliked this enough to skip large chunks of the book, and that still didn't make it any better. |
| Story of a Parish Priest - Father W. Adalbert Gluszek - Autobiography written by a (late) friend of my parents'. |
| The Wide Window - Lemony Snicket - Two kids whose lives make Murphy's look good. Amusing children's story. |
| The Stars My Destination - Alfred Bester - I don't remember much of this, other than I liked it. |
| The Reptile Room - Lemony Snicket - Two kids whose lives make Murphy's look good. Amusing children's story. |
| The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket - Two kids whose lives make Murphy's look good. Amusing children's story. |
| Crash - J.G. Ballard - A good story, but I can't help but wonder if Ballard is writing about himself, which is kinda scary. |
| Come Together - J. Lloyd & E. Rees - Some romantic tripe I bought to read on the plane. |
| Concentration Camp Dachau 1933-1945 & What Was It Like In The Concentration Camp At Dachau? - I bought these from the memorial museum at Dachau. |
| The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho - Excellent parable about persuing your dreams. Highly recommended. |
| The Demolished Man - Alfred Bester - I don't remember much of this, other than I liked it. |
| A Canticle for Leibowitz - Walter M. Miller, Jr. - This came highly recommended but I was unable to get into it. I think I just didn't get it. |
| The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress - Robert Heinlein - I think this was actually a good book. I seem to recall liking it. |
| JOB: A Comedy of Justice - Robert Heinlein (reread) - Heinlein's books blend together in my mind, but I guess I lied this one enough to read it a second time. |
| Dune - Frank Herbert (reread) - Excellent scifi. The Dune series declines in quality as time goes on, so you may want to stop after the first book. Highly recommended. |
| Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank - I never read this when I was younger, but felt the need to. Great, but sad, story. Recommended. |
| Zodiac - Neal Stephenson - Bioterrorism thriller. |
| Naked - David Sedaris - Autobiographical stories from an American writer. Recommended. |
| Magelord: The House of Bairn - Thomas K. Martin - Fantasy. |
| A Scanner Darkly - Philip K. Dick - I don't remember much of this other than it had to do with drugs. |
| Magelord: The Time of Madness - Thomas K. Martin - Fantasy. |
| Magelord: The Awakening - Thomas K. Martin - Fantasy. |
| Myths & Legends of Fiji & Rotuna - A.W. Reed and Inez Hames - Many legends which helped to shape the traditional Fijian culture. |
