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Changeling - Roger Zelazny (1980)
Began: August 17 | Finished: August 26?
[8/17] I was about to return this to the library without reading it, when at the last minute I figured I read the first few pages just to see how it goes. It was good enough that I didn't return it and continued reading it during my lunch.
[9/5] I eventually finished this, but it wasn't worth more than a couple of hours of time. The whole story seemed adolescent. Character growth was minimal and shallow. It could have been better.
How the Irish Saved Civilization - Thomas Cahill (1995)
Began: August 3? | Finished: September 14
[8/16] Look, a non-fiction book! I'm carrying it around for when I take the Metro to work. Only having 20 minutes to read a bit of a fiction book is incredibly frustrating. This starts out with a look at the fall of the Roman Empire. He has this long thing on Augustine, and I think Cahill is using Augusting to make a point about the fall of the Empire, but I'm missing it. The sections on Augustine feel tangential.
[9/5] Continuing to read this, and it's still interesting. The story of St. Patrick felt much more relevant than Augustine, though I guess it was useful to have the Augustine content as contrast. The history of Christianity in Ireland is so different than other parts of the world -- much more peaceful, no forced conversion or martyrs. And yet Ireland is where there is still so much intra-Christian violence.
[9/27] I'm still not sure why he included the chapter on Augustine - perhaps just for contrast? But the rest of the book was good. Reading the notes at the end, it seems a lot of it's based on conjecture - but I'm ok with that.
Patrick brought Christianity, which brought literacy. The Saxons in England kept Ireland isolated, allowing Christianity/literacy/monasteries to develop while the Continent degenerated.
Columcille was exiled/exiled himself (? I forget already) from Ireland and started monasteries in what is now Scotland. Other Irish and Irish-trained monks followed his example and left Ireland to spread the Word, thus bringing civilization (equated here with literacy and higher thought) back to Europe. If I recall correctly, he referred to a gentleman named Scotus as the first real thinker in 300 years.
Stephanie Plum series - Janet Evanovich
#4 Four to Score (1998) Began: August 9? | Finished: August 10?
#5 High Five (1999) Began: August 11 | Finished: August 12
#6 Hot Six (2000) Began: August 13 | Finished: 13
#7 Seven Up (2001) Began: August 13 | Finished: August 14
#8 Hard Eight (2002) Began: August 14 | Finished: August 14
#9 To the Nines (2003) Began: August 14 | Finished: August 14
#10 Ten Big Ones (2004) Began: August 14 | Finished: August 14
#11 Eleven on Top (2005) Began: August 14 | Finished: August 14
[8/13] This is my second or third re-read of the series. I had to skip #3 because I don't own it and the library didn't have it in. Still as much fun as the first time. I finished High Five around midnight on Friday night and immediately picked up Hot Six. It's a bad way to go. I can barely keep my eyes open today.
[8/16] Completed the Stephanie Plum marathon at my sister's place over the weekend. I think I'll go with Hard Eight as my favorite, though Eleven on Top has some long-awaited character development for Stephanie.
'Salem's Lot - Stephen King (1975)
Began: August 11 | Finished:
[8/13] Ever since Pere Callahan showed up in Wolves of the Calla I've been wanting to re-read this. I also want to get my hands on Insomnia. The story is holding my interest so far (it's been years since I first read it, so I've forgotten most of what happens), but it has such a different feel from the Tower books.
[9/5] This is still in my "currently reading" pile, but I haven't made much progress. I made it to the part of the story where it starts to get really scary. I'm reluctant to keep going for fear of ruining my sleep with nightmares...
[9/27] Still working on it. I had my first vampire nightmare. It wasn't pretty.
Shadow of the Giant - Orson Scott Card (2005)
Began: August 3 | Finished: August 6
[8/4] I may not get all the way through this one. I've read all of the Ender books, but none have been as good as Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow. Though I did like Xenocide and Children of the Mind better the second time I read them. Speaker for the Dead I don't re-read because I recall it being a particularly painful book.
[8/8] All right, I made it all the way through. I was reading it before going to the library to see if I wanted to return it without finishing, but by the time I went to the library I was too involved with the story and needed to know how it turned out. Some interesting character development, particularly with Peter. If he continues with a book about Bean, I will be curious to read it. I'd expect a very different flavor from the Shadow series, given Bean's circumstances at the end of Shadow of the Giant.
The Dark Tower (Dark Tower Bk. VII) - Stephen King (2004)
Began: August 3 | Finished: August 9
[8/4] Finally picking this up - I got it as a Christmas present last year, but until now I didn't feel like I had the mental energy to face it. I like that I *can't* read the Dark Tower books in one sitting. I had to put this one down after about 30 pages.
[8/8] Going well so far. I'm reading it too fast, but after having come this far, and after so long, I need to know What Happens Next. I can't decide whether King's plot devices are a cop-out, a conceit, or just bloody brilliant. Only time will tell, I think. It will be good to read the entire series through from beginning to end.
[8/13] Stayed up too late several nights in a row to finish it. The ending was perfect. Author-as-character has me thinking some interesting thoughts about Reality vs. Truth. Maybe I'll write them down somewhere.
The Lord of the Flies - William Golding (1959)
Began: August 2 | Finished:
[8/4] Haven't read this in over a decade. I always found the story disturbing, but the writing is wonderful. Golding used the word 'flinked', which is possibly not a real word at all, but I still got a vivid picture in my mind.
Digital Fortress - Dan Brown (2000)
Began: August 1 | Finished: August 1
[8/2] Managed to read it in an hour and a half (maybe skim is a more accurate word here). I wouldn't have minded giving it more time, but there were other things I wanted to do. Interesting story, but very dated. Oh my gosh, the NSA! Computer worms! Never heard of such things! Also, when it came to the down-to-the-wire must-solve-the-puzzle at the end, I thought the answer was extremely obvious and it took the characters 10 pages to figure it out. But still fun.
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