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The Mind's I   by Douglas R. Hofstadter, 482 pages Steve Gadd   28 July 1995

The Autobiography of Malcolm X   by Malcolm X, 460 pages Steve Gadd   20 March 1996

Great Expectations   by Charles Dickens, 454 pages Steve Gadd   21 April 1997

The Language Instinct   by Steven Pinker, 430 pages Steve Gadd   13 May 1997

The Crossing   by Cormac McCarthy, 426 pages Steve Gadd   22 July 1997

Dead Souls   by Nikolai Gogol, 417 pages Steve Gadd   24 January 1998 Fragmented, but a classic. Jointly read with some school friends, I couldn't find a copy and had to download, print, and bind the text from the Online Books page.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance   by Robert M. Pirsig, 418 pages Steve Gadd   06 July 1998 Hard to summarize; definitely worth a look.

Islands in the Stream   by Ernest Hemingway, 435 pages Steve Gadd   25 July 1998 A favorite, left unpublished by the author.

The Hill   by Leonard B. Scott, 410 pages Jeff Gadd   05 November 1998

Twilight Eyes   by Dean R. Koontz, 449 pages Jeff Gadd   05 November 1998

Lust For Life   by Irving Stone, 453 pages Steve Gadd   29 November 1998 Fictionalized biography of van Gogh. Hard to tell what's made up; I think I would prefer Dear Theo, the letters of the artist to his brother, collected by this author.

Defining Vision   by Joel Brinkley, 435 pages Steve Gadd   04 January 1999 Fascinating account of the race to develop high-definition television.

The Castle   by Franz Kafka, 417 pages Steve Gadd   29 January 1999 A sprawling, disorienting, and unfinished opus. Camus has an enlightening essay on Kafka's work in the collection The Myth of Sisyphus.

The Servants of Twilight   by Dean R. Koontz, 415 pages Jeff Gadd   19 February 1999

The Walk West   by Peter and Barbara Jenkins, 431 pages Steve Gadd   05 April 1999 Peter and his new bride honeymoon with a hike to the Pacific. More great encounters with everyday Americans.

Salem's Lot   by Stephen King, 427 pages Jeff Gadd   05 April 1999

The Bad Place   by Dean R. Koontz, 417 pages Jeff Gadd   30 April 1999

Sole Survivor   by Dean R. Koontz, 400 pages Jeff Gadd   11 May 1999

The Key to Midnight   by Dean R. Koontz, 416 pages Jeff Gadd   31 May 1999

Fear Nothing   by Dean R. Koontz, 429 pages Jeff Gadd   07 June 1999

The Grapes Of Wrath   by John Steinbeck, 440 pages Erik Bauer   23 August 1999 The story of an Oklahoma family migrating to California in the 1930's. I read it when I moved from Ohio to California, I was more fortunate than the Joads.

Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance   by Robert Pirsig, 464 pages Erik Bauer   09 September 1999 This booked helped me think more like an engineer than many of my engineering classes. The first half of the book was fantastic, but later it seems to get bogged down and cumbersome to read. Still a great read.

The Size of the World   by Jeff Greenwald, 420 pages Steve Gadd   27 November 1999 Having seen more of the world than Magellan or Marco Polo but feeling less accomplished than they, this travel writer decided to attempt to circle the world without ever boarding a plane.

The Complete Stories   by Franz Kafka, 460 pages Steve Gadd   14 December 1999 As good as existential dystopian literature gets.

The Door to December   by Dean R. Koontz, 498 pages Jeff Gadd   30 December 1999

Watchers   by Dean Koontz, 480 pages Jeff Gadd   15 June 2000

Timeline   by Michael Crichton, 444 pages Steve Gadd   17 June 2000 An imaginative and well-paced take on the time travel theme. The detailled and engrossing scenes of medieval life and combat reflect a good deal of research on the author's part.

Timeline   by Michael Crichton, 440 pages Jeff Gadd   13 July 2000

The Trench   by Steve Alten, 425 pages Jeff Gadd   30 July 2000

Snow Crash   by Neal Stephenson, 471 pages Steve Gadd   09 August 2000 Wow. Action-packed, crisply written, and carefully structured, this is a big chunk of sci-fi that makes the real world seem terribly boring every time you reluctantly stop reading.

The Crossing   by Cormac McCarthy, 426 pages Steve Gadd   09 August 2000 The introspective and tragic sequel. Another young cowboy experiences the merciless world of unforseen consequences.

Left Behind   by Tim Lahaue J,B. Jenkins, 468 pages Jeff Gadd   21 September 2000

Seize the Night   by Dean Koontz, 440 pages Jeff Gadd   30 September 2000

Job: A Comedy of Justice   by Robert A. Heinlein, 439 pages Steve Gadd   17 October 2000 A fanciful novel by the sci-fi veteran based on the wormhole motif. Thanks to Ayda for the loan.

Tribulation Force   by Tim Lahaue J,B. Jenkins, 450 pages Jeff Gadd   15 November 2000

Nicolae   by Tim Lahaue J,B. Jenkins, 415 pages Jeff Gadd   10 December 2000

Fear Nothing   by Dean Koontz, 429 pages Jeff Gadd   01 January 2001

SNOW CRASH   by Neal Stephenson, 470 pages Jeff Gadd   12 March 2001

Soul Harvest   by Tim LaHaye Jerry Jenkins, 426 pages Jeff Gadd   19 March 2001

Cobra Event   by Richard Preston, 420 pages Jeff Gadd   04 April 2001

When the Wind Blows   by James Patterson, 413 pages Jeff Gadd   01 July 2001

The Descent   by Jeff Long, 450 pages Jeff Gadd   20 July 2001

The Partner   by John Grisham, 468 pages Jeff Gadd   16 August 2001

The Bone Collector   by Jeffery Deaver, 410 pages Jeff Gadd   11 September 2001

The Empty Chair   by Jeffery Deaver, 476 pages Jeff Gadd   29 September 2001

Charlie Mike   by Leonard B. Scott, 412 pages Jeff Gadd   19 October 2001

Whispers   by Dean Koontz, 499 pages Jeff Gadd   30 November 2001

A Maiden's Grave   by Jeffery Deaver, 416 pages Jeff Gadd   30 November 2001

London Fields   by Martin Amis, 407 pages Kristin Schrock   16 January 2002 A strange story of a murder with a twist: the murder is orchestrated by the murderee.

Die Trying   by Lee Child, 422 pages Jeff Gadd   20 January 2002 A great Jack Reacher book of suspense and a great ending too it.

Killing Floor   by Lee Child, 407 pages Jeff Gadd   30 January 2002 Jack Reacher in the first book from L.C. Really great and suspenseful.

The Red Dragon   by Thomas Harris, 434 pages Steven Krise   31 January 2002 Like it says on the cover, meet Hannibal Lecter for the first time.

TripWire   by Lee Child, 401 pages Jeff Gadd   01 February 2002 Third book just as great as the first two. A great ending too the book.

The Wings of a Falcon   by Cynthia Voigt, 467 pages Julie Gephart   03 February 2002 If this hero were a little taller, he'd be Xena. My favorite of the Jackaroo series.

Jackaroo III: The Wings of a Falcon   by Cynthia Voigt, 467 pages A Bennett   11 February 2002 Because I didn't know this existed I read it out of order. Voigt kills off her third person exclusive main character (and his POV) on page 397, in one of the shortest sentences in history. Wow.

War of the Worlds The Resurrection   by J.M.Dillard, 402 pages Jeff Gadd   15 February 2002 Interesting book. A little different to H.G. Wells book.

Wit'ch Fire   by James Clemens, 439 pages Julie Gephart   17 February 2002 First book in a very enjoyable epic fantasy series. A motley group of travelers assembles around a young girl who may be the answer to an ancient prophesy.

Dark Hollow   by John Connolly, 489 pages Mike Gadd   22 March 2002

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies   by Jared Diamond, 480 pages James Donahue   23 March 2002 Interesting read. Posits that all of human history can be scientifically reduced to the initial availability of food and animal resources. (We historians are always so pleased when scientists can set us straight in our own fields; why did I bother learning about Napoleon when I should have been learning the five domesticable animals.) Some fascinating excursions from the main point, like why zebras cannot be ridden. Essential for better understanding Civilization III.

Celia Garth   by Gwen Bristow, 406 pages A Bennett   02 April 2002 Quarting redcoats is no good, but, sweet Gaea, we'd have enough towels. Assertion: Women want to find someone/something to live for; Men, someone or something to die for. During the occupation and ensuing battle for Charleston, SC during the Revolution, that thing was Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox. A man who perfectly illustrates that theory, as well as the startling realization that some people are made to excel at war--and wither in anonymity during peacetime.

Theology and Social Theory: Beyond Secular Reason   by John Milbank, 443 pages James Donahue   03 April 2002 THE theological book of the last decade. Milbank shows the erudition, attention to theological tradition, awareness of contemporary philosophy and critical thought (particularly postmodernism), detailed argumentation, and a fresh practicality that I wish other contemporary theolgians possessed. A must-read.

Over Tumbled Graves   by Jess Walter, 401 pages Mike Gadd   05 April 2002

The Feminization of American Culture   by Ann Douglas, 403 pages James Donahue   16 April 2002 This book relates how both literature and religion became captive to female sensibilities, attributes, and control during the antebellum period. Specific topics include disestablishment, the birth of rural cemetaries and undertakers, ladies' magazines overpowering theological journals, the rise of hymns, and the absence of any sort of American Romantic movement. Provocative and enlightening; a must for anyone wondering why American Christianity is so unique in the world.

BLACK HAWK DOWN   by Mark Bowden, 427 pages Jeff Gadd   26 April 2002 Just like the movie a great book, hard to put down. Make's you feel like your there.

The Dragon Queen   by Alice Borchardt, 473 pages Julie Gephart   28 April 2002 "Hello, Ms. Borchardt? This is my friend Segue. I don't believe you two have met." The premise is interesting, casting Guinevere as a powerful warrior of the ancient Celts, but this book was so full of unexplained setting jumps and free-ranging pronouns that I kept finding myself leafing back to look for missing pages.

The Homebrewer's Companion   by Charlie Papazian, 446 pages Steven Krise   01 May 2002 More in-depth follow-up to NCJHB. Start reading at page 380 to get a feel for who Papazian is.

Rift in Time   by Michael Phillips, 480 pages Mike Gadd   02 May 2002

Year Zero   by Jeff Long, 406 pages Mike Gadd   07 May 2002

Jane Eyre   by Charlotte Bronte, 433 pages Julie Gephart   11 May 2002 You have to admire a novel in which marrying the hideous, one-eyed, one-armed man is considered the "Happy Ending."

Black Hawk Down   by Mark Bowden, 430 pages Steve Gadd   14 May 2002 Minute-by-minute, bullet-by-bullet account of the peacekeeping mission in Somalia gone awry.

The Skull Mantra   by Eliot Pattison, 403 pages Mike Gadd   05 June 2002 Not a bad book, but difficult to read. My ignorance of the plight of the Tibetan monk was what slowed me down. I now have a better understanding of the type of issues that give Richard Gere fits. The story boils down to a murder of a Chinese official near a Tibetan prison camp. The prison warden learns one of the prisoners is a former investigator. He wants the prisoner to write up the paperwork in a quick and tidy fashion to keep the higher ups off his back. Stuff turns up and suspense ensues.

On Basilisk Station   by David Weber, 432 pages Julie Gephart   08 June 2002 I'm not a big fan of futuristic sci-fi novels set in space, but this one turned out pretty well after I slogged through the first seven or so chapters.

Hurricane Watch   by Melissa Good, 407 pages Julie Gephart   09 June 2002 Hey, it's uber-Xena, set in modern day Miami. Bloodthirsty warlord or ruthless corporate raider, any Xena is a good Xena.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius   by David Eggers, 478 pages James Donahue   12 June 2002 A twentysomething combines Catholic guilt, the dual death of his parents, and anchorless postmodern wit to bleed himself onto too many pages. Advertized to me as an anti-memoir, I found it anything but. Eco once commented that sarcasm is the only way of expressing ourselves in a postmodern society inundated with narrative. We sih to say to the girl "I love you," but cannot because we've seen too many romantic movies; so we say "I love you" with sarcasm, to show our emotion and our contimitant knowledge that this emotion is hackneyed. We express, but without sacrificing our critical selves. This observation by Eco sums up Eggers: he hides behind sarcasm and postmodern self-awareness to defend to himself (and the reader) his obsessive need to talk of himself and write a memoir, to be known and analyzed by strangers. Lest one think I'm kidding, just read the second-to-last chapter of the book. He says it himself. Still to me, this is not an excuse for having written, or having read, this book.

Child of the Revolution   by Wolfgang Leonhard, 432 pages James Donahue   12 June 2002 In counterpoint to Eggers, a fascinating memoir of a life worthy of reading about. Leonhard fled at thirteen to the USSR to flee Hitler, after which his mother was 'purged', he was drafted into the Comintern educational system, and then trained to reenter Germany after the war to institute a Soviet satellite state in Berlin. In the end, his love for Marxism led him to reject Stalinism, and flee to Yugoslavia in 1949 in order to participate in Tito's anti-Soviet state. A fascinating and rare look into Stalin's Russia and the workings of totalitarian education.

The Shining   by Stephen King, 444 pages Jeff Gadd   25 June 2002 A boy about 5 who can read peoples mind's and his family goes to take care of the Hotel Overlook which has a evil history.

Messiah   by Boris Starling, 457 pages Mike Gadd   29 June 2002 Bad guy thinks he's the next Messiah and he's looking to kill his 'apostles' in the same manner they died in history in order to bring them to martyrdom. Rather gory but quite intense. Nice character movement throughout and non-hollywood ending a plus.

The Bone Collector   by Jeffrey Deaver, 427 pages Steven Krise   05 July 2002 A New York crime drama. The most interesting thing about it was the emphasis and detail spent on forensic procedures. I guess there was a twist or two at the end, too, but one expects that from this genre. The twist would be not having a twist.

The Great Santini   by Pat Conroy, 440 pages Mike Gadd   09 July 2002 Meet Bull Meecham, 'The Great Santini', Marine fighter pilot, husband, and father of four. He rules with an iron fist and refers to his family as 'sportsfans' or 'hogs'. His children hate him but must learn to play by his rules. The story is as much about his oldest son, Ben, as it is about him. Ben suffers the wrath of Santini more than any other, as his mom is trying to raise a gentleman and his dad wants to make a Marine out of him. Pat Conroy tells a very colorful tale as the characters remind you of people you actually know. I might actually try to find the movie that was made of the book.

The Honor of the Queen   by David Weber, 422 pages Julie Gephart   20 July 2002 Does the author really believe that I, average Joe Reader, will be spellbound by his descriptions of the pretend physics he has invented to propel pretend spaceships? No! NO! Shut up! Go away with your stupid impeller wedges and Warshawski sails, and let's get on with the story. (Second book in the Honor Harrington series)

The Return of the Native   by Thomas Hardy, 468 pages Steve Gadd   22 July 2002 Eustacia Vye, a beautiful, cultured woman, dreams of the passionate lover who will take her away from the desolate landscape of Egdon Heath. But her poetic longing is no match for the cruelness of fate. Bonfires, burial mounds, secret meetings under the eclipsed moon, Eustacia standing on a barrow at twilight, scanning the horizon with her grandfather's spyglass -- memorable images of this gothic tragedy.

The Exorcist   by William Peter Blatty, 400 pages Jeff Gadd   23 July 2002 A very creepy book not for the less in faith people.

The Sebastopol Sketches; The Kreutzer Sonata, and other stories   by Leo Tolstoi, 459 pages James Donahue   29 July 2002 Contains Tolstoi's shorter works. Such an eye for detail. Incredibly 'fundamentalist' in his older days.

Storm   by Boris Starling, 427 pages Mike Gadd   22 August 2002 Mr. Donahue, take a breath. Put the book down. Go see a movie. I hear the pool's nice. Find another hobby... Anyway- the book. Another serial killer type. Protagonist Kate figures out who bad guy is and drags him in to be questioned. He denies all. Kate goes home to relax with the boyfriend. Oh no! Kate's wrong! The bad guy is the boyfriend! Upstairs with your son! Kate rushes out and hides at a friend's house. Ugh! Now the friend is the bad guy and Kate's in a tight spot. Fortunately a well timed lightning bolt saves the day. A little much, I should say. The first half was pretty good....... James, you're getting sleepy. Very sleepy.

The Hearse You Came In On   by Tim Cockey, 412 pages Mike Gadd   29 August 2002 Lighthearted 'who done it' with an undertaker as the main character. I have a friend in this line of work and it was fun picturing him running around in the book.

Strangers & Pilgrims: Female Preaching in America, 1740 - 1845   by Catherine Brekus, 423 pages James Donahue   02 September 2002 Yes, there were women preachers that long ago in evangelicalism, and the debates and issues surrounding them eerily remind me of today. Written for those with no background in religious history which I much appreciated. Fascinating read.

White Oleander   by Janet Finch, 469 pages Julie Gephart   02 September 2002 I almost sent this straight to the trash when it arrived with the dreaded 'Oprah's Book Club' sticker, and it turns out I would have been happier for doing so. It's about a girl going through a series of foster homes.

The Wire in the Blood   by Val McDermid, 496 pages Mike Gadd   04 September 2002 This book finished better than it started. Criminal profiling has been a popular subject of late for stories, but it gets old when every book has the best guy there ever was. They're always tormented with straying too close to the deviant mind, letting themselves 'become' like the bad guy in order to catch him but not so close so that they become him. This version improved with the sudden death of one of the main characters, and we see who the bad guy is. It becomes a game to try to catch him. Based in London, I enjoyed the local idioms and slang usage.

Totalitarian Dictatorship and Autocracy   by Carl Friedrich, 421 pages James Donahue   16 September 2002 Attempts to define totalitarianism by the methods of political science. Very influenced by Arendt. Pretty outdated in its evidentary claims.

Red Dragon   by Thomas Harris, 454 pages Jeff Gadd   23 September 2002 Interesting book,some scarry parts in it. A killer who likes Hannibal lecter is crazy.

Desecration   by Tim LaHaye/Jerry Jenkins, 405 pages Mike Gadd   24 September 2002 Book 9 in the ''Left Behind'' series. Concept is still good and the story is interesting enough to keep up through however many more they are going to write. The writing quality is at best adequate and can certainly be distracting.

Lourdes: Body and Mind in the Secular Age   by Ruth Harris, 431 pages James Donahue   01 October 2002 A compelling account of the miraculous grotto in southern France. As a historian Harris does an excellent job combining respect for the site with a critical eye. She traces the story of the grotte from Mary''s appearance to Ste. Bernadette through the current pilgrimages and healing. Compelling reading that requires no background knowledge of French or Church history.

Assassins   by Tim Lahaue J,B. Jenkins, 412 pages Jeff Gadd   03 October 2002 Assassins,Assassins,Assassins everyone wants to kill each other or someone else.

The Elegant Universe   by Brian Greene, 448 pages Steven Krise   13 October 2002 Starting with a chapter long overview of Special Relativity, General Relativity, and Quantum Mechanics, the author goes on to explore the details, implications, and possible future of the cutting edge of theoretical physics, superstring/M-theory, which purports to unify these disparate branches of modern physics into a single grandly elegant theoretical framework. Greene uses an easy to read style and simple profound analogies to help the reader get a grasp of the current best candidate for that holy grail of modern physics, the theory of everything.

The Best of Granta Travel   by various, 408 pages Steve Gadd   20 October 2002 Paul Theroux's homage to the New York City subway, Salman Rushdie eats the "eggs of love" in Nicaragua, Nicholas Shakespeare searches for the reclusive leader of the Shining Path in Peru, Ryszard Kapuscinski helps carry a dead miner home for burial in Poland. A bit heavier fare than most travel writing I've read, so I learned some things as well as hearing about some good adventures.

Christy   by Catherine Marshall, 447 pages Julie Gephart   20 October 2002 Idealistic young woman goes to poor moutain village to teach at the mission, yada yada. There is some magic in this book that makes me forget at regular intervals that I don't like it, causing me to read it again. And dislike it again. And the cycle continues.

Bohemian Paris: Culture, Politics, and the Boundaries of Bourgeois Life, 1830-1930   by Jerrold Seigel, 440 pages James Donahue   30 October 2002 An excellent cultural history of one my favorite periods and styles of art. Wonderful background info for appreciating the movie Moulin Rouge.

Smilla's Sense of Snow   by Peter Hoeg, 499 pages A Bennett   02 November 2002 This is not a book I can recommend. It took me one move, one job, and five months to finish. It's more complicated than that. But I, I really fell in love with Smilla, and through her I came to care about everything she did--the ice, Greenland, her father, Isaiah. One character sums it up best when speaking about her; "I found out a lot from that phone call. No normal woman, no normal human being would have picked up that phone." A cocktail of geology, physics, Euclid, noir, and politics. In all those months, I never lost where I was in the story or had to backtrack. Yet, this novel has no easy answers--and in the end, no answers at all.

The Hot Zone   by Richard Preston, 422 pages Steve Gadd   17 November 2002 Remember the Ebola scare? A mysterious new breed of virus -- deadlier than AIDS, possibly as contagious as influenza -- has been ravaging towns in central Africa. Then one day it appears in a group of lab monkeys just outside Washington, D.C. The gripping story reads like science fiction, but hits close to home. The "monkey house" was less than two miles from my house.

The Devil's TearDrop   by Jeffery Deaver, 451 pages Jeff Gadd   18 November 2002 Just when you think they caught the bad guys,their are more twist to the game. A man using a Uzi with a silencer,leaving no clues behind,is killing a lot of people.Interesting how the police stopped them at the end.

The Clan of the Cave Bear   by Jean M. Auel, 468 pages Julie Gephart   24 November 2002 By the time I was reading the last page, I was already walking toward the computer to order the rest of the series. Good stuff, about the early society of hunter-gatherer cave dwellers.

See Jane Run   by Joy Fielding, 404 pages Kristin Schrock   30 November 2002 This book asks the question: What if Notorious were a lifetime original movie? We've got a wife with amnesia, a Bad Husband who drugs her, and a terrible, terrible secret that threatens everyone (I said, Everyone)! Mindless and a quick read, and for some reason I'm a big fan of the amnesia plot (except on 24, that was no good).

Desecration   by Tim LaHaye Jerry Jenkins, 405 pages Jeff Gadd   22 December 2002 The nineth in the series as the AntiChrist takes his throne. People must choise a mark as a believer,or of the AntiChrist, or they will be put to death. The unbelievers are put through more plagues,diseases, and the seas turning to blood.

The Cabinet of Curiosities   by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, 466 pages Mike Gadd   04 January 2003 Contrary to brother Steve’s opinion these guys know how to write a great book. They’ve done three of my all-time favorites. This one took a little longer to develop but by the time it reached the big finish I was fully engaged. No predictable plot twists or lame story lines, just strong characters and a thrilling finish.

Light in August   by William Faulkner, 480 pages Tony Pisarenkov   08 January 2003 Faulkner's classic that starts out as a slowish period piece with no resonance to our time and experience, and ends as a bone-chilling work or profound pathos which makes you alternately throw it down in digust and keep turning the pages to find out just what else these so-called people are capable of. I am glad I read it now instead of having it spoon-fed to me in a class years ago.

Black Dog   by Stephen Booth, 466 pages Mike Gadd   24 January 2003 I've gotten to where I really enjoy a good British puzzler. This one's as good as any other. More than the usual amount of 'English-speak'. Sample sentence: Helen slotted tins of peas and new potatoes into the kitchen cupboards, glancing sideways out of the window, where she could see Gwen pottering in the garden, carefully deadheading roses with a pair of secateurs. I just found a good British to English translator online that I'll have to put to good use next time.

The Day of the Jackal   by Frederick Forsyth, 495 pages Jeff Gadd   27 January 2003 The Jackal a very clever assassin, gets caught by a very clever detective. Very interesting and greatly writting by the author. The Jackal's target is President Charles de Gaulle of France,hired by the SAO.

Black Water Transit   by Carsten Stroud, 420 pages Mike Gadd   31 January 2003 'Amazing narrative energy', 'ferociously driven'.... for once I agree with the jacket cover endorsements. This book reminded me of the movie 'The Fugitive' with the pace it took. It needs a new title though.

Sexuality, Civil Society, and the State:   by Isabel Hull, 411 pages James Donahue   02 February 2003 Through extensive archical work Hull examines marriage and sex laws in Germany from 1500 through 1830 (Reformation through Code Napoleon). She concludes that Christian absolutism was much more inclined to gender equality and sexual tolerance than bourgeois republicanism which relied upon the patriarch and the family unit to ground society. Various themes covered include: the evolution of conceptionilization of sex from animal urge to fundamental right of personhood, the invention of anti-homosexual legislation, the gendered conceptions of citizenry in the 19th-cent.

Male Fantasies (Vol 1)   by Klaus Thiewelt, 435 pages James Donahue   10 February 2003 Examines the phantasmal world of Nazi youth. Attempts to get at their world view by examining their attitudes towards sex, chaos, and women (who were equated all too often.) Disturbing but profound.

Wicked, The Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West   by Gregory Maguire, 409 pages Jeff Gadd   11 February 2003 Interesting story about the Wicked Witch from Oz, makes you not like Dorothy as much in the book as you did in the movie.

Silken Savage   by Catherine Hart, 476 pages Julie Gephart   22 February 2003 When in a reading rut, it's always a good idea to return to the classics -- like this romance novel from high school in which our requisite stubborn-yet-naive girl is kidnapped by a Cheyenne raiding party and shortly falls in love with her requisitely arrogant-yet-noble captor. She loves the squaw lifestyle (servile obedience) and even takes some tests to be adopted formally as a member of the tribe so she can marry her young chief and have his babies. Bliss! But oh no - one day while he's away, the soldiers come and slaughter her camp and forcibly rescue her back to her white family. What's a girl to do but pout and refuse to speak English and wait for her husband to come and rescue her? And just when you think you've seen all the twists, who should appear in town but her wild Cheyenne husband, dressed like a white man and speaking perfect English! Who knew that his mother was white and he had a secret double identity as a wealthy rancher all along? So then he courts and marries her again for her family's benefit, and they take off together in radiant joy "to Europe" ("to return to their fun secret lifestyle of killing and raping any white people in the vicinity.") The End.

Closing Time   by Joseph Heller, 468 pages Steven Krise   03 March 2003 I think it's supposed to be absurd and pointless so my characterization of it as luke-warm owl droppings may be a bit naive.

A Place of Execution   by Val McDermid, 404 pages Mike Gadd   07 March 2003 I learned a whole bunch of great new British phrases in this one. The story wasn't half bad either. I now know what it means 'to go completely hairless' or to 'have a feeling in your water'. I don't know what it means to 'sit there with my paper hat on pulling crackers'. I really shouldn't give a monkey's toss though, because it just doesn't mean owt. I'll just grab my mac and trilby and be on my way with a flea in my ear.

Something Dangerous   by Patrick Redmond, 415 pages Mike Gadd   14 March 2003 Mediocre story at best about a boy's school in England in the 50's. Just about everyone dies at the end when all the skeletons come out of the closet. Real uplifting. At least it read quick.

Apologia Pro Vita Sua   by John Henry Newman, 437 pages James Donahue   12 April 2003 Newman's defense and account of his conversion from Anglicanism to Catholicism. Newman was one of the main leaders of the Oxford Movement in 19th century Britain, a movement devoted to combatting liberalism by returning the church to its orthodox roots. The book is very insightful and in many ways has mirrored some of my own thoughts. It is always amazing to me how one can reach across the centuries and touch a kindred spirit in another time and another place. The more things change. . . .

The Oxford Conspirators: A History of the Oxford Movement   by Marvin O'Connell, 456 pages James Donahue   24 April 2003 Whenever you ask a professor for a book recommendation he will inevitably recommend his own book on the subject. Having learnt this lesson I picked up Prof O'Connell's book on the subject which is magisterial in scope (read: too much detail.) Still an interesting subject for me. In 1833 a group of Oxford Anglicans centered around John Henry Newman hoped to revive the church through returning to first-century Christianity. Unfortunately they had little idea that the first-century was so darn Catholic and completely unlike their Protestant fantasies. Two decades most had converted to Catholicism and re-established the Church in England. I too often identify with these men, for I also have a passion for historical theology and am also too often stuck with Protestants who believe they are living an ancient faith that is entirely invented. Like Newman I feel the pull.

City of Quartz   by Mike Davis, 440 pages Tony Pisarenkov   10 May 2003 Billed as a discussion of historical forces that made Los Angeles and its surroundings unique, the book is an extremely detailed but selective study of a variety of of social and economic trends and events at play in Southern California in the last 150 years. It reveals a lot of fascinating and frequently disturbing information, but ultimately fails to synthesize it all into a coherent whole or prove that L.A. is indeed unique among American or world cities. The last chapter, on the history of Fontana and Kaiser Steel, while a very interesting and genuinely sad story, has virtually no relation to the rest of the book.

Consciousness and Society   by H. Stuart Hughes, 431 pages James Donahue   12 May 2003 An excellent intellectual history of the generation of 1890s-1910s. Hughes organizes the book around the theme of intellectuals extending Enlightenment rationality into the irrational arenas, thereby undercutting modernity. Main figures: Freud, Weber, Pareto, Croce, Bergson, Mann, and Sorel.

Notre Dame of Paris   by Victor Hugo, 491 pages James Donahue   12 May 2003 Certainly not like the Disney movie! A wonderful read that contains Hugo's usual mixture of Christian themes of reconciliation, liberal-political allusions (written in 1830), and gripping plot. This book accomplished a difficult task: it made me love Paris all the more. Sidenote: The Penguin translation that I read was not very good.

Blood Work   by Michael Connelly, 498 pages Steven Krise   15 May 2003 They're hardly divisible, sir - well, I can do you blood and love without the rhetoric, and I can do you blood and rhetoric without the love, and I can do you all three concurrent or consecutive, but I can't do you love and rhetoric without the blood. Blood is compulsory - they're all blood, you see.

A Married Man   by Catherine Alliott, 407 pages Kristin Schrock   20 May 2003 A romantic novel in which the heroine tries unsuccessfully to have an affair with a married man (only to find true love with a man who has been her friend forever, naturally) in which we learn that dead husbands, funny, dead children, not funny.

Takedown   by Tsutomu Shimomura, 494 pages Steve Gadd   01 June 2003 The computer security expert who tracked down notorious hacker Kevin Mitnick really milks his 15 minutes with this tell-all. It's too long by half, with constant updates on the author's irrelevant love life and an overlong autobiography at the beginning. The insider's view of computer crime and security tactics is interesting, but not enough to redeem the clumsy prose. It appears that the New York Times reporter/ghost writer practically transcribed the recorded interviews of the parts of the story he didn't witness.

Martin Heidegger: Between Good and Evil   by Rudiger Safranski, 452 pages James Donahue   07 June 2003 Another wonderful biography by Safranksi. This book is recent enough to include the recent connections to Nazism that have surfaced while level-headed enough to make coherent sense of such findings. In this book Safranksi actually makes Heidegger understandable and human, two nearly impossible tasks.

To Begin Where I Am   by Czeslaw Milosz, 454 pages James Donahue   18 June 2003 This book is a collection of essays throughout Milosz's career separated into three categories: criticism, biographical, and reflective. His prose is as good as ever (Milosz is, to my mind, a master of the English language despite his Polish roots) The subject material is also fascinating, although any future readers should be forewarned that Milosz expects the reader to be conversant in Polish and European literary history. But then these essays were primarily written with one reader in mind: Milosz himself.

The Charterhouse of Parma   by Stendhal, 488 pages James Donahue   24 June 2003 Stendhal writes a novel in which the hero is passive to the intriguings and politics of a counter-revolutionary age; never has a hero done so little and been less responsible for his fate. Stendhal writes a novel that bitterly satrizies the Holy Alliance with all of the fervor of his liberalist heart. Stendhal writes a novel which sets the standard for 'realism' in the novel. Stendhal writes a ponderous, plodding novel.

Dark Passions   by Susan Wright, 432 pages Julie Gephart   04 July 2003 So, which do you suppose is more embarrassing – the soap opera title, or the fact that it’s actually a Star Trek novel?

Goebbels   by Ralf Georg Reuth, 434 pages James Donahue   10 July 2003 A good solid biography that incorporates much of the post-Iron Curtain evidence on the Third Reich. However Goebbels' political activities overshadow the person in this work, in part, I suspect, because they did so in real life.

We Were Soldiers Once and Young   by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway, 479 pages Jeff Gadd   14 July 2003 A true book about the soldiers who fought in Vietnam. Tells the story of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry fights against the North Vietnamese soldiers.

The Trench   by Steve Alten, 425 pages Jeff Gadd   15 July 2003 A story about Dark Angel, a Megalodon, a man named Jonas captures, gets loose in the ocean, and he has to capture it again a second time. Even though he allmost dies from the first time.

Sleepyhead   by Mark Billingham, 432 pages Mike Gadd   17 August 2003 In a variation of the serial killer theme, this bad guy doesn't actually want to kill his victims, just cause a massive stroke that renders them motionless but fully conscious. It was a pretty good story for a first attempt.

Charlotte Gray   by Sebastian Faulks, 497 pages A Bennett   18 August 2003 Possibly one of the most disappointing books I may have ever read. And second only to Breakfast at Tiffany's under the header: 'novel most-changed from book form to screenplay'. Something happened between Charlotte and her father when she was a child, something horrible and devastating that changed "everything" and powered her jump into WWII espionage. Of course we never find out with any certainty what this was. Easily fifteen seperate points of view exist in this work, with new ones being introduced as late as page 370. Why name a book Charlotte Gray if the first sentence is going to begin (and for a long time stay in) the mind of 'Peter Gregory'? I selected this book because I wanted to learn about women spying in WWII, about a regular person doing an extraordinary thing, only to find out that that was nowhere near the story the author wanted to tell. In favor of moodiness and overly-precious writing, Faulks throws over any hope of an exciting narrative, though surely there was one here somewhere, in some draft before he excised it almost but entirely. Also, a lot of Petain-bashing. Necessary vocabulary: Boch, frisson. Necessary reading list: Proust. Necessary pre-requisite courses: Socialism 101, French politics 1860-1945, Vichy Geography 202, Verdun and the Gaul Imagination 407.

Along Came a Spider   by James Patterson, 499 pages Jeff Gadd   26 August 2003 Along came a creepy spider named Gary Soneji, who commits a kidnap of some kids at school,to be famous for,but things just go out of hand for him. He also calls himself the Son of Lindbergh.

The Edge of Justice   by Clinton McKinzie, 420 pages Mike Gadd   27 August 2003 The cop in this story likes to rockclimb on the side. We are treated to some authentic sounding climbing techniques amid the story.

The Remnant   by Tim LaHaye/Jerry Jenkins, 405 pages Mike Gadd   09 September 2003 Book 10 down and still moving forward. Slowly. The plot keeps thinning out and I find that I don't care about some of the characters anymore.

The Diamond Age   by Neal Stephenson, 499 pages Steve Gadd   14 September 2003 Stephenson paints a rich portrait of the nanotech future. The big scheme of the story was disorganized, especially toward the end. Whose side is the Mouse Army on, anyway?

The Emperor's General   by James Webb, 464 pages Jeff Gadd   25 September 2003 A true story about Gen. McDouglas and Japanese leaders who fought against each other and their plans for Japan through the eyes of Gen. Mcouglas' second hand aide.

The Captains Brotherhood of War Book II   by W. E. B. Griffin, 406 pages Jeff Gadd   03 October 2003 About Captains in the Korean War and their using of tanks that they commanded in War.

Marpingen: Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 19th-century Germany   by David Blackbourn, 470 pages James Donahue   03 October 2003 Blackbourn has written a fascinating book about a small town with child visionaries that gets caught up in the ecclesiastical and political struggles of the period. I highly recommend it.

Clan of the Cave Bear   by Jean M Auel, 495 pages Steven Krise   04 October 2003 Recent research on mtDNA recovered from Neandertal bones suggests that Durc and Ura were an impossibility. However, that does little to diminsh the verisimilitude of Auel's world.

Chasing The Dime   by Michael Connelly, 436 pages Steven Krise   14 October 2003 Another LA crime drama from the author of Blood Work. Set in the intersection of a cutting edge nanotech computer and an online prostitution ring.

Point of Law   by Clinton McKinzie, 417 pages Mike Gadd   09 November 2003 Book 2 from the mountain climber / special agent. This one is set in time before the first book. I find that extremely distracting. Otherwise, the rock climbing scenes were engrossing enough.

Travels   by Michael Crichton, 416 pages Steve Gadd   29 November 2003 Turns out the guy behind "Jurassic Park" and "ER" is a hardcore globetrotter. He starts off with stories about his days in medical school, when he wrote thrillers to pay school bills. After moving to California and finding success in Hollywood, he began travelling to exotic places in search of new experiences. He climbed Kilimanjaro, dived with sharks, sat around with African gorillas, and sought out jungle headhunters. Meanwhile, he explored the nutty fads of California -- psychics, spoon bending, meditation, auras. His training in science makes these passages interesting. He is open to anything, but remains skeptical even as he has experiences he can't explain.

The Stone Monkey   by Jeffrey Deaver, 424 pages Steven Krise   26 December 2003 Another Lincoln Rhyme novel. This time Rhyme and Sachs are tracking down a notorious Chinese snakehead (human smuggler) with connections high in the Chinese and United States governments.

A Confederacy of Dunces   by John Kennedy Toole, 462 pages Tony Pisarenkov   26 December 2003 In all of literature, Shakespeare included, there is no character more repugnant, deranged, conniving, self-absorbed, disconnected from reality yet able to pervert it to previously unfathomable extents, than Ignatius J. Reilly. A masterpiece of the ludicrous.

The Beautiful and Damned   by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 449 pages Kristin Schrock   06 January 2004 Finally. The story of an idle, affluent couple who find that they are living outside of their means. They were beautiful and apparently damned. There's some drinking and lamenting of one's fate. Recommended vocabulary: raillery, bilphism, retogravure, maxixe, brummagem, pusillanimous, sempiternal, umbrageousness (side note: don't think I didn't notice, Ms. Gephart, how you sidled in and took fourth place. I thought I was firmly entrenched. I'll be watching you.)

Celia Garth (1959)   by Gwen Bristow, 406 pages A Bennett   08 January 2004 I wish I could duplicate for you in print the wildly spooked look in Schrock's eyes last night when she asked me, almost confrontationally, if I had finished a book. Heh. The wicked things gaddzbOOkz! does to a relationship. This book is an old favorite, while sick I picked it up as a form of familiar, entertaining comfort. It just about perfectly combines a fictional story with the seige (and subsequent taking) of Charleston by the British during the Revolutionary War, and the subsequent derring-do of the Swamp Fox, Francis Marion. Heavy on history both political and social, I can't help but feel a little sad that if someone were to write (or film) this story today, Celia would have to know kung-fu and eschew dressmaking, rather than just be who she is: a character thrown into the world of 18th-century espionage who finds she is well-suited to it, without ever possessing a weapon, taking a life, or incurring a dark past.

The Tiger in the Well (1990)   by Philip Pullman, 407 pages A Bennett   17 January 2004 As an American, born, bred and schooled, quite a shock to find out what I had thought to be a mystery novel not only turned out to be an entirely undisguised treatise on socialism, but also that same socialism proved to be the book's protagonist. A true head-scratcher. Necessary vocabulary: pogrom, two bob, peruke, shtetl.

Trickster's Choice (2003)   by Tamora Pierce, 423 pages A Bennett   26 January 2004 Utterly charming. My only criticism is that it seems to be the beginning of a series (not everything is resolved, and the Amazing Superhero Reveal is deferred), and as a new release, any follow-ups are, at present, nowhere to be found.

Douglass’ Women   by Jewell Parker Rhodes, 416 pages Jaqi Ross   01 February 2004 Rhodes offers a fictionalized account of the two women at the center of the life of legendary abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

Gone for Good   by Harlan Coben, 420 pages Mike Gadd   12 February 2004 I can't think of another book I've read that spins you around as much as this one, and yet it still keeps it's focus. You're not overwhelmed with characters to try to keep track of as the curveballs keep coming at you.

The Empty Chair   by Jeffery Deaver, 479 pages Steven Krise   20 February 2004 To quote 'The Critic', "It stinks!"

Harriet Beecher Stowe: A Life   by Joan Hendrick, 473 pages James Donahue   06 March 2004 Good detailed biography of the woman who thirved under the glare of being in America's premier evangelical family to become America's first celebrated novelist. But what she did to Byron was really inexcusible.

The Blue Hour   by T. Jefferson Parker, 480 pages Mike Gadd   13 March 2004 A good, creepy story. Nice pace with good characters.

The Selected Writings of E.H. Norman   by E.H. Norman, 464 pages James Donahue   20 March 2004 Norman was the first professional scholar of Japan in the West, crucial to the success of the 1945 Occupation, and hounded into suicide by Joseph MacCarthy. This edition celebrates the 50th anniversary of his most noted book.

Red Light   by T. Jefferson Parker, 480 pages Mike Gadd   29 March 2004 This guy writes a lot like Michael Connelly. We get the female version of Harry Bosch in this sequel to 'The Blue Hour'. (Friendly wave to A.B. on the way by.)

Daughter of the Forest   by Juliet Marillier, 454 pages Julie Gephart   03 April 2004 It's a bad idea for me to start a Saturday afternoon television marathon with a special entitled "Secrets of the Celts," because then poor TiVo gets abandoned as I go dig out this old favorite book again. A familiar fairy tale is fleshed out wonderfully in ancient Ireland.

Caramelo   by Sandra Cisneros, 439 pages Jaqi Ross   04 April 2004 Fun read; didn't care for the ending.

Persuader   by Lee Child, 465 pages Mike Gadd   14 April 2004 The more I read from this guy the more I like him. Great character development over the 6 books he's done so far. The plot moves along nicely and the big finish is always plausible.

City of the Beasts   by Isabel Allende, 406 pages A Bennett   30 April 2004 A disparate team of anthropologists, military and drug lords journey deep into the Amazon in search of discovery. Allende seems to believe (or at least put forth in the narrative) that the indigenous peoples of the rainforest are innocent; which to her seems to mean both 'without a sense of right and wrong (and therefore unable to do wrong)', and better than anyone from civilization. Well, that makes things simpler, don't it. At times awkwardly translated, as when a character is said to be lost in the 'entrails' of a mountain rather than in its 'bowels'. But maybe that's just my oppressively civilized sense of right and wrong popping up again. Curse my fork-wielding ancestors!

The Brethren   by John Grisham, 440 pages Steve Gadd   07 May 2004 Say what you will about John "The" Grisham, he's reliable for a quick read. Just compare the numbers on my last two entries: eye-opening, memorable travelogue/exposé, 6.5 pages per day; page-turning, forgettable, made-for-movies dirty lawyer conspiracy story, 88 pages per day.

The Physiology of Taste   by J.A. Brillat-Savarin, 443 pages Tony Pisarenkov   06 June 2004 Originally published in 1825, this is purportedly the first book to discuss cooking and eating as an art form. Although tedious in spots, it is mostly highly enetertaining, and fascinating because it illustrates both how much we already knew about the functioning of the human organism and how ignorant we were of what today would be considered common knowledge and even common sense. Commentary by M.F.K. Fisher (the translator) adds an entire new dimension to the text.

The Narrows   by Michael Connelly, 405 pages Mike Gadd   09 June 2004 Back on track with Harry Bosch. Now we're pulling in characters from past novels that weren't related before. It was fun seeing these characters complain about the roles they played in the 'Bloodwork' movie.

A Great and Terrible Beauty (2003)   by Libba Bray, 403 pages A Bennett   15 June 2004 Blah. Yeck. And yet, more blah. Amazing that a novel set in both Imperial India and Victorian England at a girl's finishing school rife with corsets and rosewater manages to sound not one whit like its main character (or any character in it) ever left the year 2004, much less middle America. And don't get me wrong--one of the most perfect renderings of this time period and these locales was written by a woman living in Tennessee. (See also The Little Princess and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett) Dear Ms. Bray: Please add also to my list of outrages regarding your novel: why, why write all four hundered some pages in first person PRESENT tense? P.S. I hate you.

The Devil's Teardrop   by Jeffery Deaver, 451 pages Steven Krise   28 June 2004 Parker and Jackie/Margaret catch the bad guy...eventually. Lincoln Rhyme only makes a cameo in this one.

Trickster's Choice   by Tamora Pierce, 423 pages Julie Gephart   02 July 2004 Finally, a girl who is clever and resourceful and determined and unafraid, all while still being a regular person.

The Da Vinci Code   by Dan Brown, 454 pages Mike Gadd   07 July 2004 There aren't many author's that I read that do as much research as Mr. Brown. It's hard to find the line where true history crosses over into the story he created. Not as good as 'Angels and Demons', but at least the ending didn't involve any serious eye-rolling.

The Da Vinci Code   by Dan Brown, 454 pages Steve Gadd   08 July 2004 Umberto Eco on speed. The story is so gripping, you blow right past the clunkers of prose and unlikely plot devices. A novel of esoterica, mystery, and conspiracy for the MTV generation.

Blackbird : A Childhood Lost and Found   by Jennifer Lauck , 432 pages Jaqi Ross   29 August 2004 Writing from the viewpoint of the child, rather than as an adult looking back with a mature perspective, Lauck's memoir recounts a childhood troubled by an unending string of upheavals and heartbreaks. Lauck's loving mother was chronically ill and absent for long periods of hospitalization. When she was home, she was frequently bedridden, and young Lauck, her brother and her father took turns attending to her catheter. After her mother's death, the father uprooted the family and, in an attempt to give his children a stable family, quickly remarried to an emotionally abusive woman with kids of her own. More losses followed, including the death of her father. Lauck's poignant narration matches the tone of the text: her youthful voice sounds innocent, bewildered and wounded as she tries to understand the devastations going on outside her control. At the same time, there's a core of defiance in her voice, a refusal to be beaten down by life's adversity.

The Bonesetter's Daughter   by Amy Tan, 403 pages Jaqi Ross   25 September 2004 Mediocre read about a Chinese family in three generations. Typical Amy Tan.

A Concise History of the Russian Revolution   by Richard Pipes, 432 pages James Donahue   02 October 2004 I have to confess that I wish I were not studying for Comps, so that I could read the books that Jaqi is reading. Nevertheless I am stuck skimming through umpteen books on the Russian Revolution, mostly based not on archival sources (Soviet archives were and are closed), but on emigre memoirs and polemics written by non-Stalnist socialists like Trotsky. Because of the limited source base, most of the histories simply repeat themselves. Pipes is however the best of this class. His analysis is very conservative and very cynical of the regime, which gives his work a honed edge and intellectual value too often lacking in other, more sympathetic accounts of the most brutal government in modern history

The Da Vinci Code   by Dan Brown, 454 pages Jaqi Ross   11 October 2004 A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. I'm not into murder mysteries, but the research that went into this historically accurate (at times) book made it an entertaining and quick read.

The White Road   by John Connolly, 408 pages Mike Gadd   02 November 2004 Nicely done story #4 featuring the haunted Charley Parker.

A Maiden's Grave   by Jeffery Deaver, 419 pages Steven Krise   07 November 2004 A hostage situation in an old slaughter house. The twists come in just where you expect them.

Mystic River   by Dennis Lehane, 448 pages Mike Gadd   14 November 2004 Extremely well done story with lifelike characters and strong emotion.

Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942-3   by Anthony Beevor, 431 pages James Donahue   16 November 2004 This book pulls out the day-to-day details of the most important battle of WWII between the Soviets and the Nazis. Grisly conditions and brutal defeat for Hitler, after which he never recovered. Beevor does a good job making military history accessible to the general reader.

Others   by James Herbert, 470 pages Mike Gadd   08 December 2004 One of the more unique main characters. This one was born malformed and got worse as he got older. He doesn't let his physical limitations keep him from getting his detective work done. This story turned pretty dark before it wrapped up.

Sacred   by Dennis Lahane, 400 pages Mike Gadd   16 December 2004 More Lahane. Each one seems to improve the series.

The Man Who Ate Everything   by Jeffrey Steingarten, 494 pages Tony Pisarenkov   26 December 2004 A collection of magazine pieces on every imaginable aspect of food, cooking and eating. Entertaining, irreverent and insightful; recommended to anyone who has even a passing interest in food.

The Garden of Beasts   by Jeffery Deaver, 402 pages Steven Krise   15 January 2005 An American bad guy (who's really a good guy) is sent to 1936 Berlin to kill a Nazi bad guy (who seems to be a good guy). Intrigue ensues and the American is pursued by a wiley Kripo Inspector who is a good guy.

Whipping Boy   by John Byrne, 498 pages Mike Gadd   21 January 2005 Slow read about a 15 year old boy with the ability to take everyone's pain and guilt away from all the bad stuff they ever did. It ends up being a temporary fix and violence ensues.

The Da Vinci Code   by Dan Brown, 454 pages Jonathan Misirian   31 January 2005 I admit it, I came to this book with great skepticism, and immediately was drawn into the simple linear plot. An intriguing read.

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies   by Jared Diamond, 427 pages Jonathan Misirian   14 February 2005 Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Diamond gives a convincing account of why some societies advance over others. Diamond answers the questions that are rarely asked? How did Pizarro over take the Inca nation? Why did Aboriginal societal development occur at a slower pace, then say in China? Comprehensive and complete.

Cold Pursuit   by T. Jefferson Parker, 416 pages Mike Gadd   18 February 2005

Monkeewrench   by MS. P.J. Tracy, 432 pages Mike Gadd   28 February 2005 Nicely written thriller about a killer imitating scenes from an unreleased computer game.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius   by Dave Eggers, 437 pages Mike Gadd   10 March 2005 I picked this off the shelf at Target because I liked the way it started. It begins with a Rules and Suggestions for Enjoyment of This Book. He lets the reader know that there is no overwhelming need to read the preface or the acknowledgements sections. You can also skip the table of contents, if you're short on time. You may possibly want to skip pages 239-251. These pages are primarily about twentysomethings whose lives are difficult to make interesting. In the preface there is a whole section of portions of the book that were omitted from the body of the text. He even lists how much money he was paid for writing the book and how the money was spent. The book itself was fine. A self-aware type of memoir. It seemed to run out of steam about 100 pages from the end.

The Ambient Century (From Mahler to Trance: the Evolution of Sound in the Electronic Age)   by Mark Prendergast, 473 pages Tony Pisarenkov   20 March 2005 An expansive survey of ambient and electronic musical styles and the musicians who made it, as well as other styles and influences that can in be connected with the larger idea of sonic ambience. Not particularly well-written, with a few (although not many) glaring omissions, rarely truly fascinating, but never less than interesting and a very useful resource for any fan of modern music, however you define "modern."

Trickster's Queen (2004)   by Tamora Pierce, 470 pages A Bennett   18 April 2005 So far less than Trickster's Choice that one is left to wonder what on earth could have created such a dearth of interest and quality.

Spencerville   by Nelson DeMille, 481 pages Mike Gadd   30 April 2005 I enjoyed the other 2 DeMille offerings enough to give this one a try. It wasn't too good. Too many one-diminsional characters. Not near enough dry wit to keep it worth reading.

The Enemy   by Lee Child, 464 pages Mike Gadd   13 May 2005 Number 8 in the series takes us back to the beginning for a look into what made Jack Reacher who he is.

Guns, Germs and Steel   by Jared Diamond, 457 pages Tony Pisarenkov   19 May 2005 A sweeping examination of the history of the world's native cultures and the reasons why some have developed so far beyond others as to be able to subjugate them. Asks some fascinating questions, but reads too much like a textbook for an unqualified recommendation. Thank you, Steve, for the gift.

Havana   by Stephen Hunter, 470 pages Mike Gadd   21 May 2005 Our hero, Earl Swagger is torn from his quiet family life once again because of his duty to his country. This time he must go to Cuba to help protect the American interests as Fidel Castro starts making a name for himself. All in all, it wasn't a real good story. It lacked the really bad guy the first two books had. Maybe Earl can go home now and get some rest.

The Deep End of the Ocean   by MS. Jacquelyn Mitchard, 434 pages Mike Gadd   02 June 2005 I only read this because it was supposed to be the most favorite book of a friend of mine. She wanted me to read the story of the Wicked Witch of the West before Dorothy squished her but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I caved on this one. I can happily give it back. Part 2 of this book was better than part one, but not by much. The first half dealt with a family whose 3 year old simply disappears while they are in a hotel lobby. I really don't need to see the depths and levels of depression they all go through. I'll pass on the movie, too.

A Short History of Nearly Everything   by Bill Bryson, 478 pages Steve Gadd   14 June 2005 Ever wonder how we know the mass of the earth, or the size of the universe? Years after being put off by dry science textbooks as a child, this author decided to learn as much as he could about the world, and significantly, to find out how we know these things. The result is an entertaining overview of the natural sciences as we understand them today, including the most interesting stories of the historic researchers.

Blood On the Tongue   by Stephen Booth, 424 pages Mike Gadd   26 June 2005 A nice foray back across the pond. This is the third in a series that has been enjoyable to read. Some nice new British phrases in this one, too.

The Road Home   by Jim Harrison, 446 pages Kristin Schrock   06 July 2005 Jim Harrison can tell a story. This one continues the story from his previous novel, Dalva. Epic and wonderful. Excellent read.

The Progress of Redemption   by Willem VanGemeren, 474 pages Jonathan Misirian   14 July 2005 VanGemeren delivers a masterful overview of the biblical themes of Salvation and Redemption. He traces these themes throughout each book of the Bible, providing a complete and unified look at the work of Christ.

In Her Shoes   by Jennifer Weiner, 421 pages Kristin Schrock   15 July 2005 Enjoyable summer beach book. It even has discussion questions at the back, one of which claims that a multi-character point of view story is an "unusual technique." Yes, this author is totally breaking new ground. Also, Amazon.com revealed the following stastitics--it's a 6 grade reading level book, the author uses "again" 167 times, and I got 12,540 words per dollar--which seems like a good deal.

Snow   by Orhan Pamuk, 426 pages Jonathan Misirian   18 July 2005 Pamuk, sets his novel in the city of Kars, Turkey. A love story, a budding poet, and a local political race are all subplots to the main narrative; which is the tension between Islamicists and Reformers. There appear to be just a few Muslim countries where there is still a debate about the role of Islam. Pamuk is a Reformer, and in Snow, he makes his case.

Madame de Stael   by Maria Fairweather, 474 pages James Donahue   28 July 2005 An excellent biography of the famous litteratrix, arch nemesis of Napoleon, matriach of French Romanticism, and general-all-around gender-bender. De Stael, whose homestead lay just outside Geneva, intrigued me because of my upcoming trip to her hometown, but the biography is so well-written and de Stael herself such a hoot, that I cannot but recommend this book to others with a general interest in the period.

Black Angel   by John Connelly, 496 pages Mike Gadd   15 August 2005 The strongest and best written of the series. The character builds in its complexity and you begin to see some of the bigger picture of why bad things keep happening to him.

The Closers   by Michael Connelly, 416 pages Mike Gadd   20 August 2005 Harry Bosch is back at the police force working 'open/unsolved' cases. He finally makes it through a whole book without his life falling apart in the process.

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test   by Tom Wolfe, 414 pages Steven Krise   07 September 2005 That was fuckin' trippy...hehe.

The Third Option   by Vince Flynn, 432 pages Mike Gadd   14 September 2005 I let too much time go by between this book and the two that proceeded it. I had trouble connecting some of the pieces. I was a little disappointed with this effort. The lack of a real finish didn't help.

Trial by Ice and Fire   by Clinton Mckenzie , 400 pages Mike Gadd   12 October 2005 The third in the series and the best one so far. A good mix of mountain climbing and forest fire drama.

Avalon (1965)   by Anya Seton, 440 pages A Bennett   02 November 2005 It was an older hardcover. Don't know exactly how it came to be on my shelf, but it was delightfully free of blurbs or jacket writing that told me what the plot would be and where it would go. Unfortunately, rather than discovering a gem, I found myself saddled with a Viking tale of conquest and post-Arthurian dreaminess that traveled from Cornwall to London to Dublin to Iceland and even our own Merrimac River and kept threatening to go to Greenland. It never did, and no one found Avalon. A damaged man became a monk, the woman he might have loved was kidnapped and wed to a Viking after being nearly-raped by her own father. They found each other again just in time for him to die and for them both to still not say they might care for each other. On the last page he lets her know that during the intervening years he was praying for her soul. I don't feel angry toward this book (as I did The King's General), but I do feel sad. For as much as happened, there should have been some excitement. Apparently, the weak reigns of England's King Edward and Ethelred had none to offer, and I should have skipped reading this book about them and gone straight to post-1066 and Charlemagne.

Imperial Grunts: The American Military on the Ground   by Robert Kaplan, 421 pages Jonathan Misirian   12 November 2005 The first of planned series of books, Kaplan provides a masterful account of the fighting life of the American military. Living with Special Forces in Columbia, Philippines, Yemen, Afghanistan and Iraq afforded Kaplan unparalleled access from which he wrote a honest and gripping insiders-look at the American military in action.

Dulles   by Leonard Mosley, 497 pages James Donahue   15 November 2005 A composite biography of John Foster - FCCCA bigshot and Ike's S-of-State -, Allen - chief of European intelligence during WWII and main figure of the early CIA -, and Eleonor - influential economist and key diplomat to postwar Austria and Germany. Two brothers and a sister at the heart of it all. Tone is colloquial and readable, personality and story-driven. (Mosley was the "Bob Woodward" of his generation.)

On Beauty   by Zadie Smith, 442 pages Jonathan Misirian   21 November 2005 Why do authors of modern novels feel the need to end the story w/o resolution? Smith writes a compelling story of the lives of the Besley family, set in a fictional uppity East-Coast university town. Smith’s writing talent is evident, the dialogue is natural, but the resolution leaves me empty.

Virtual History   by Niall Ferguson, 440 pages James Donahue   19 December 2005 Ferguson gets eminent Oxbridge historians to chip in their counterfactual speculations on key moments in British history - What if Hitler had invaded England? What if James II had succeeded against the Scots in the 17th-century? What if America had remained British? But, since these are after all serious academics, these contributions are not so much Turtle-esque alternative worlds, instead more of an examination of how contingent these key world-events actually were. Interesting material, excellent writing. (You can just tell these historians enjoyed letting their imaginations run outside the academic vein.)

Planning Your Pregnancy & Birth - Third edition   by The American College of Obstetricians and Gyneco.., 469 pages A Bennett   28 December 2005 from page 237, "Between feedings, place chilled cabbage leaves around your breast. The leaves of cabbage are soothing and fit nicely around your breast." This quote would probably seem more strange as opposed to funny to me if I hadn't recently read The Penultimate Peril, in which Esme Squalor spent 95% of the book in a bikini made entirely of lettuce leaves.

City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles   by Mike Davis, 435 pages Micaela Larkin   01 February 2006 Part noir, part history, part utopia, part hell.... solid non-fiction for the armchair urban historian

The Homebrewers' Companion   by Charlie Papazian, 443 pages Steven Krise   14 February 2006 My annual "pilgrimmage" to sit at the feet of the master homebrewer hisself.

The Purpose-Driven Church   by Rick Warren, 400 pages Brad Snyder   27 February 2006 This is a classic example of my judging a book by its cover... I was encouraged to read this book several years ago, but was recently forced to do so for a course I'm taking. I must admit that my protests before reading it were based solely on caricature rather than substance, and I was totally wrong in my assumptions. This is a thought-provoking book, even if I think Warren goes a little overboard in some places. There are many things in it that I would be excited to see implemented at my own quiet, traditional, Presbyterian church that would probably open the doors to more encounters with the changing demographics of our neighborhood.

The Deep Blue Alibi   by Paul Levine, 467 pages Kristin Schrock   07 March 2006 Enjoyable airplane book--he's a semi-sleazy lawyer, she's a blue-blood. Can they join forces to solve a murder? Well, of course.

Modern Philosophy: An Introduction and Survey   by Roger Scruton, 495 pages Tony Pisarenkov   25 March 2006 A sweeping and refreshingly lucid survey of Western philosophy from Descartes onwards. Scruton mostly delivers on the promise of making philosophy applicable to daily life, at least in the sections on political philosophy and aestehtic experience. His critique of deconstructionist and "liberationist" philosophies, while effective, is a bit heavy on religious language for my taste.

Accidents   by Yael Hedaya, 453 pages Jonathan Misirian   17 April 2006 Hedaya’s first novel. A widower writer with precocious daughter falls in love with another writer, whose father dies. Set in modern Jerusalem, translated into English.

Funnymen   by Ted Heller, 410 pages Kristin Schrock   19 April 2006 The story of a comic pair (think Dean and Lewis) told like a documentary with interviews. I didn't think I would like the style, but I found it surprisingly engaging.

The Hummingbird's Daughter   by Luis Albert Urrea, 495 pages Micaela Larkin   19 April 2006 Novel trying to capture the life of real life mystic Teresa Urrea who helped promote Indian revolts in turn of the century Sonora, Mexico. I was dissappointed in the book. The author's strength lies more in his award winning non-fiction on immigration and his memoirs of growing up Mexican in Southern California.

England's Lost Eden: Adventures in a Victorian Utopia (2005)   by Philip Hoare, 468 pages James Donahue   24 April 2006 Picture this: semi-pretentious British author digs into the religious past of his rural city to find Shakers, would-be Messiahs, a brooding John Ruskin, spiritualists and seances, and one large tower built as a 'modern church.' If this sort of thing catches your interest, its a fascinating read. If not, then this book won't retain you for a reader.

The Devil's Advocate   by Morris West, 430 pages Micaela Larkin   26 April 2006

Chicano: A Novel   by Richard Vasquez, 464 pages Micaela Larkin   26 April 2006 Vasquez's classic has been reprinted after thirty five years. Think Grapes of Wrath without the moral hope at the end. Drawing on his tenure as a journalist, Vasquez takes readers through the trials and disentegration of a Mexican American family from 1910 to the late 1960s.

The Lord of the Rings, Part 1: The Fellowship of the Ring   by J.R.R. Tolkien, 458 pages Brad Snyder   15 July 2006 I read this out loud to my son, using voices for all the characters, an activity I greatly enjoyed. I'm looking forward to watching the movie again, now that I understand the story more.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A natural history of Four Meals   by Michael Pollan, 410 pages Jonathan Misirian   16 July 2006 Pollan writes masterfully. He traces the genesis of corn, beef, boar and chicken from the field to the kitchen table. His chapter on Animal Rights is truly exceptional. For those who love to read lucid writing and who enjoy eating a sumptuous meal.

Arms of Love (Contemporary Catholic Fiction)   by Carmen Marcoux, 454 pages Micaela Larkin   16 July 2006 Whatever happened to the Catholic imagination is it being surplanted by mega-evangelical dating texts? This is a strange book. It might be a bit better on a literary level if the author had not self-published. On a religious level, the book is downright disturbing. The author writes in the grand tradition of Harriet Beecher Stowe, except wait a minute she is not a mid-century evangelical and you don't even have anyone to succumb to evil or a Christ figure like the little girl or Uncle Tom. They all accepted Christ into their lives and instituted "COURTSHIP" principles (no kissing before wedding) and life was perfect. I'm all for writing contemporary light fiction for religious people but I'm not so sure about books out in la la land.

Watchmen   by Alan Moore, 413 pages Steve Gadd   24 July 2006 The graphic novel that revolutionized a genre, ushering in an era of mature, adult-oriented comics. Its multilayered plot, rich symbolism, and vivid imagery make it a very immersive read.

Mr. Britling Sees It Through (1916)   by H. G. Wells, 423 pages James Donahue   26 July 2006 I never knew that Wells could write like this: touching, pastoral, significant. Written in the midst of WWI, Wells tracks the impact of the conflict on a typical British, middle-class family.

Grey of Falloden (1937)   by G. M. Trevelyan, 415 pages James Donahue   29 July 2006

ABSOLUTE WATCHMEN   by Alan Moore, 446 pages Jonathan Misirian   07 August 2006 Moore’s the genius behind many of contemporary comics most insightful and introspective publications. This is a collection of a series of DC Comics from the mid 80’s. Multi-layered stories, existentialist angst, stunning graphics… all work together to make this collection a compelling read.

Under Four Administrations (1922)   by Oscar Straus, 430 pages James Donahue   07 August 2006 Memoir: German-Jewish emigre rises to top of class at Columbia, becomes foreign minister to Turkey in 1890s, part of TR's administrations (second Labour Secretary), then served under Wilson. Good memoir, excellent eye for detail, especially of the final days of the Ottoman Empire, even if it reads as, more or less, a series of political vignettes.

Dark Star (1991)   by Alan Furst, 418 pages James Donahue   02 September 2006 Dark spy story about a Jewish Soviet agent working his sources in Nazi Germany leading up to the war. I especially liked how Furst resists giving us the omniscient-narrator-revelations so common in spy mysteries. Here the intelligence is messy, confusing, yet still penetrable.

The Best of Outside   by Outside Magazine, 416 pages Steve Gadd   15 October 2006 This magazine published the articles which later became the bestsellers "The Perfect Storm" and "Into Thin Air." This collection includes those articles and a few other hits, but overall it was a disappointment.

Visual Basic .NET Database Programming   by Rod Stephens, 405 pages Steven Krise   30 October 2006 ¿Programming database applications with Visual Basic .NET?

Disclosure   by Michael Crichton, 497 pages Steve Gadd   27 December 2006 As usual, Crichton has done his homework and includes some interesting factual background on his theme, in this case the legal consequences of sexual harassment in the workplace. The plot was engaging enough to be a quick read, but hardly compelling. The surprise ending was in the postscript revealing that the book is based on a true story, but it has been so obfuscated that it hardly matters.

My Four Years in Germany (1917)   by James Gerard, 402 pages James Donahue   12 January 2007 Upon being expelled from his ambassadorship in Berlin in 1917, Gerard wrote this book partly as a memoir/travelogue about Berlin society (a popular genre for ex-servicemen in an America ready to move onto the world stage) and partly to inform the American public why they were fighting and what they were up against. As a personal sidelight, let me mention that Gerard married local nobility, the daughter of Marcus Daly whose copper-mining built the towns I grew up in; such glimpses into their life are fascinating.

Plan of Attack (2004)   by Bob Woodward, 470 pages Jonathan Misirian   17 January 2007 Woodward’s 2nd volume traces the Bush administration’s internal plans to link Saddam with 9-11. The blood lust for war drove the administration to misconstrue intelligence, over play the WMD card, and cast aside any who presented a different option from all-out war. Powell is the tragic figure here, the diplomat - reluctant warrior, who sold the world the case for war with his UN speech, only to later regret his role.

Bush at War (2002)   by Bob Woodward, 400 pages Jonathan Misirian   21 January 2007 Woodward’s behind the scenes look at the planning and strategy that led to the 100 day Afghanistan War. At times compelling and moving, -especially recounting the inside events in response to the September 11th bombings of the WTC and the Pentagon. Bush’s own voice paints himself as more of a Texas Sheriff, then the leader of a bloodied nation.

JPod (2006)   by Douglas Coupland, 448 pages Brad Snyder   31 January 2007 Amoral 20-something video game programmers and the lives they lead. I can't figure out whether Coupland writing himself into the book as a character is a brilliant act of self-effacing humor, or a stupid stunt that irritates the snot out of me. Oh, I think I finally got the memo...this entry marks my first with the publication year after the title. Bonus.

Other Powers: The Age of Suffrage, Spiritualism, and the Scandalous Victoria Woodhull   by Barbara Goldsmith, 447 pages Micaela Larkin   03 February 2007 Goldsmith offers an engaging account of early suffragists, spiritualism, and the infamous Beecher family.

Wilson: The New Freedom (1956)   by Arthur Link, 471 pages James Donahue   11 March 2007 Link's epic covers the first two years of Wilson's presidency. Here we see WW face off against Mexican revolutionaries, be pushed into progressive legislation, create the Federal Reserve, resegregate the federal government, and fight the big, bad tariff. Remember when presidents used to do things like this?

Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker   by James Gavin, 448 pages Tony Pisarenkov   18 March 2007 Sordid does not even begin to describe it. Anyone who thinks they have seen the limits of humans' capacity to act irrationally need only to read about the countless lives Chet Baker ruined while extending his own beyond any reasonable expectation.

Wilson: Campaigns for Progressivism and Peace, 1916-1917 (1965)   by Arthur Link, 431 pages James Donahue   26 March 2007 Not as good as its predecessors. Too wrapped up in foreign affairs. Wilson and his entourage are lost in the melee, not really even there. It is as if Link was in a hurry to finish the grand project he set out for himself fifteen years ago.

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (2005)   by Lauren Willig, 428 pages Jennifer Dear   09 April 2007

H. G. Wells: Desperately Mortal (1986)   by David C. Smith, 485 pages James Donahue   14 April 2007

The Mystery of the Black Tulip (2006)   by Lauren Willig, 403 pages Jennifer Dear   14 April 2007

The Russia House   by John Le Carré, 431 pages Steve Gadd   15 April 2007 From the back cover: "An exciting spy story, which is at the same time a lively international comedy ... A well-informed, up-to-the-minute political parable, incisive and instructive ... rich ... poignant ... fascinating." --The New York Times Book Review. My excerpts from that same review would be different: "Portentous ... rather wooden ... Mr. le Carré is less good at portraying ... professional spies ... A sham and a mess ... distressing ... horse manure ... inherently pointless."

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation   by Lauren Willig, 428 pages Micaela Larkin   15 April 2007

The Mystery of the Black Tulip   by Lauren Willig, 403 pages Micaela Larkin   17 April 2007

The Pity of War (1999)   by Niall Ferguson, 462 pages James Donahue   23 April 2007 Polished Oxford Don examines the myths surrounding the Great War, exposing a reluctant peace-loving population, a preventable tragedy if Germany had only had been more militarist, and wartime trends that could have resulted in a Central victory and a Kaiser-dominated European Union.

Protestant Theology and the Making of the Modern German University (2006)   by Thomas Albert Howard, 448 pages James Donahue   04 May 2007

Next: A Novel   by Michael Chricton, 423 pages Micaela Larkin   04 May 2007 Do you own your genes?

Rage for Fame: The Ascent of Clare Boothe Luce   by Sylvia Jukes Morris, 478 pages Micaela Larkin   08 May 2007

The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana (2006)   by Umberto Eco, 449 pages James Donahue   26 May 2007 Eco continues his musing on popular culture and semiotics in this story where a man loses all his individual memory after an accident, but retains his public memory (i.e., anything he ever read in a book.) In other words, he can recite poems and discourse on Napoleon, but has no idea about who his daughter is. So he spends most of the book launching a historical investigation into himself, going through old notes and books, schooltime essays written during the Fascist era, and trying to unravel who he really is. Good, but somehow the books loses itself along the way. Perhaps a better idea than an actual book. (Read overnight in one long evening sitting outside on a warm spring's night on the curb outside the Berlin airport, locked out, waiting for them to let me board my early morning flight.)

X-Wing: Wraith Squadron (1998)   by Aaron Allston, 403 pages James Donahue   01 June 2007 Sludging onward in the series. After the last book bottomed out, a new author decided to blow up the character list and start over. Here Wedge Antilles assembles a group of no-goodnik pilots on their last chance into the most formidible fighting sqaud in the galaxy. Think of the Dirty Dozen in space. . .except without credibiility or sustained plot.

Sammy's Hill   by Kristin Gore, 400 pages Micaela Larkin   08 June 2007 Gore's daughter writes political chic lit.

Aimee Semple McPherson & the Resurrection of Christian America   by Matthew Avery Sutton, 416 pages Micaela Larkin   17 June 2007 A++++

Consumed: How markets corrupt children, infantilize adults, and swallow citizens whole (2007)   by Benjamin Barber, 402 pages Jonathan Misirian   18 June 2007 Barber’s tour de force is a critique of the way unbridled capitalism works to foment a puerile mindset among consumers. Barber reviews everything from politics to sports to Christian music, and connects the threads which show how our economic system manipulates those who are caught up in capitalism’s ebb.

The Scarlet Threat   by Francine Rivers , 401 pages Micaela Larkin   21 June 2007 My attempt to read evangelical historical fiction. Well written but.....

The Omnivore's Dilemma   by Michael Pollan, 464 pages Micaela Larkin   29 June 2007 A++++++ Corn is in everything we eat!

Off the Books: The Underground Economy of the Urban Poor (2006)   by Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh, 426 pages Jonathan Misirian   04 July 2007 Professor Venkatesh lived on the near south side of Chicago for a few years, documenting the underground economy. An in-depth look at shopkeepers, pastors, gang leaders and regular people who work underneath the system, in order to make ends meet.

What Is the What (2006)   by Dave Eggers, 475 pages Brad Snyder   04 July 2007 Fictionalized story of one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, based on the accounts of one of those boys.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)   by J. K. Rowling, 435 pages Jennifer Dear   07 August 2007 Even better than the last!

The Sleeping Doll   by Jeffery Deaver, 428 pages Steven Krise   14 August 2007 A Kathryn Dance novel.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)   by J. K. Rowling, 435 pages James Donahue   12 September 2007 Desperately trying to keep up with his seven-year-old and his wife, Raully reads Rowling late into the night holding a crying baby. That way I can be included in the breakfast conversation once again!

Night Over Water (1991)   by Ken Follett, 400 pages Brad Snyder   15 September 2007 Disappointing

Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts (2007)   by Robert Kaplan, 406 pages Jonathan Misirian   20 September 2007 Atlantic correspondent Kaplan, pens his second volume about the American Military. Following in the style of his highly acclaimed Imperial Grunts, Kaplan tours with the Navy and Air Force around the Pacific Rim. More then just provide a first-hand account of the US military, Kaplan delves into history and into future planning, providing the reader with a truly one of a kind look at the role of the military in the 21st Century.

The World of Yesterday (1941)   by Stefan Zweig, 440 pages James Donahue   01 October 2007 Zweig was one of the most praised writers and critics of his time with eyes always turned towards the next great writer and a nose primed for the center of the art scenes of the 1910s and 1920s. Zweig was Viennese, but the Nazi government forced him to be a Jew - and a refugee at that. He wrote this memoir in the States and Brazil during the Holocaust. Yet this book is not really a memoir. Zweig is barely in it at all (much less his wife!). It is a loving remembrance about the friends he loved and the Austria he loved even more. After completing the book and sending it to the publishers, he and his wife took their own life in the forests of Brazil.

The Courtship of Princess Leia (1994)   by Dave Wolverton, 403 pages James Donahue   30 October 2007 Did you know that Leia almost married Prince Isolder instead of Han Solo? (Read with Duncan during a long ride on the Empire Builder.)

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History in Four Meals   by Michael Pollan, 450 pages Tony Pisarenkov   04 November 2007 This book has generated a healthy amount of heated debate, so it's not really my place to offer any sort of critique here. Suffice it to say that I enjoyed it tremendously and heartily recommend it to everyone.

The Golden Compass (1995)   by Philip Pullman, 400 pages Jonathan Misirian   10 November 2007 Pullman writes in the style of Lewis and Tolkien, however would abhor the connection to these two English writers. The author creates a mythological world, in which children are being captured by evil forces within The Church. In interviews given in the U.S., Pullman makes it clear that his desire is to use his books to destroy Christianity.

A Confederacy of Dunces (1980)   by John Kennedy Toole, 462 pages James Donahue   12 November 2007 One of the funniest satires I have ever read. An overweight, maladjusted, half-insane medieval studies MA terrorizes New Orleans and a cast of locals, putzing from job to job, mixing a passion for the lost wisdom of Boethius with his addiction to moral disapproval of teen-bop movies. A satire full of warning for anyone (like me) who cannot seem to get out of school!

The Blind Watchmaker   by Richard Dawkins, 453 pages Steve Gadd   28 November 2007 Dawkins' answer to William Paley's argument that complexity in nature requires the existence of a designer begins by making a stronger case than Paley. He describes the intricately fine-tuned echolocation used by bats, employing sophisticated techniques developed for sonar and radar. How could such a wonderful system appear by chance? The answer, of course, is by degrees. Chance plays an essential but minor role; selection is the primary force. To the classical objection of a complex organ like the eye having to appear all at once to be useful, he presents a parade of animals -- single-celled organism, worm, mollusk, squid -- that in fact do have eyes of progressing levels of complexity and acuity. He tends to belabor his points, often writing a whole paragraph where a "vice versa" would do, but many examples of plants and animals keep the writing colorful.

Nellie Taft: The Unconventional First Lady of the Ragtime Era (2005)   by Carl Sferrazza Anthony, 418 pages James Donahue   03 December 2007 Nellie Taft drove her husband into the presidency (he fancied the Supreme Court) and then became the first political First Lady of the modern era. Among her achievements: handling the Phillipino occupation with her husband; creating the Potomac Basin park in DC and planting all those cherry trees; and promoting women's education and suffrage. Unfortunately she was struck down halfway through the term by a stroke, unable to deal with TR's ambitious betrayal in 1912, and forced to watch her husband happily ascend to the Chief Justiceship in 1921.

Selected Stories of Philip K Dick   by Philip K Dick, 476 pages Steven Krise   28 December 2007 Her name, she told him, was Mary Lorne. She was, he decided, pretty, wistful, afraid, and putting up a good front. Together they joined the other new students for a showing of a recent Herbie the Hyena cartoon which Bibleman had seen; it was the episode in which Herbie attempted to assassinate the Russian monk Rasputin. In his usual fashion, Herbie the Hyena poised his victim, shot him, blew him up six times, stabbed him, tied him up with chains and sank him in the Volga, tore him apart with wild horses, and finally shot him to the moon strapped to a rocket. The cartoon bored Bibleman.

Dark Force Rising (1992)   by Timothy Zahn, 439 pages James Donahue   07 January 2008 Did you know that Leia (who drops the "Princess") eventually gets trained the Force?

The Omnivore's Dilemma   by Michael Pollan, 415 pages Steve Gadd   05 February 2008 It's no surprise that corn finds its way into everything we eat, but the story of how corn became dominant is pretty interesting. Pollan also gives a mercifully brief look at industrial meat processing and makes vegetarianism sound pretty appealing. But a chapter later he has you ready to pick up a gun and go hunting. An engaging look at where modern food comes from. Thanks to Tony for the gift.

The God Delusion   by Richard Dawkins, 406 pages Steven Krise   10 March 2008 Fundamentalist religion is hell-bent on ruining the scientific education of countless thousands of innocent, well-meaning, eager young minds. Non-fundamentalist, 'sensible' religion may not be doing that. But it is making the world safe for fundamentalism by teaching children, from their earliest years, that unquestioning faith is a virtue.

Sunlight at Midnight: St. Petersburg and the Rise of Modern Russia   by W. Bruce Lincoln, 419 pages Tony Pisarenkov   16 March 2008 A very comprehensive and beautifully written history of St. Petersburg that emphasizes the artistic and cultural aspects of the city's life without shortchanging the political and economic ones. Recommended. More comments here

Salt: A World History   by Mark Kurlansky, 484 pages Tony Pisarenkov   31 March 2008 Chock-full of fascinating random facts about salt and how it affected commerce and, through it, the rest of history, throughout the ages. Sadly, not very well written and poorly organized. More extensive comments here

Our Daily Meds: How the Pharmaceutical Companies Transformed Themselves into Slick Marketing Machines and Hooked the Nation on Prescription Drugs (2008)   by Melody Petersen, 430 pages Jonathan Misirian   08 April 2008 As an investigative reporter for The Times, Petersen presents a scathing indictment of an industry loosely regulated and focused on profits. Petersen digs deeply into the marketing of all sorts of medications and shows that the worst thing that could happen is that a disease could be cured! So to prevent a dramatic loss in profits, many companies are turning towards quality of life issues, turning them into previously unheard-of medical conditions and treating them with medication. Witness the recent ads for ‘restless leg syndrome’ or ‘overactive bladder.’ The strength of this book lies in the evidence of the dramatic increase in medication consumption, especially in children. Maybe ‘psycho’ Tom Cruise isn’t all that crazy?

Chicago Blues: A New Collection of Crime Stories About the Real Windy City (2007)   by Edited by Libby Fischer Hellman, 456 pages Jonathan Misirian   06 June 2008 Excellent collection of 21 short stories. These Chicago writers infuse elements of the Blues in with their stories of deception, gangsters, corruption, betrayal, and greed.

Writing Real Programs in DCL   by Paul C Anagnostopoulos, 409 pages Steven Krise   13 June 2008 From the VAX Users Series. I wish I had had this book 8 years ago when I was actually writing real programs in DCL.

Journey to the End of the Night   by Lous-Ferdinand Céline, 446 pages Tony Pisarenkov   25 June 2008 I'm glad I read this now, and not fifteen years ago when I first became aware of it. Detailed comments here

Guns, Germs, and Steel - The Fates of Human Societies   by Jared Diamond, 494 pages Steven Krise   29 June 2008

The Broken Window   by Jeffery Deaver, 415 pages Steven Krise   06 July 2008 Rhyme and Sachs catch a bad guy who uses "identity theft" to frame and murder people.

Guns, Germs, and Steel   by Jared Diamond, 425 pages Steve Gadd   27 July 2008 I suspect that this is a book that many more people have started than finished. The book has a great thesis, by which the author intends to explain the advancement of some cultures over others by crediting environmental factors rather than innate ability. This idea is supported by many diverse examples, showing that cultivable plants and soil, domesticable animals, and favorable climates were the mundane but critical ingredients of empires. I was captivated by the story in Chapter 3 of the fall of the last Incan emperor, Atahualpa, in his own land surrounded by thousands of loyal soldiers, at the hands (and guns) of Piazarro and his ragged band of conquistadores. Things bog down quite a bit as the book plods on. The text seems repetitive, and the illustrating examples become more and more spread out. At times it seems the language came straight from a lecture hall, as one paragraph after another is begun by posing a question and then giving the answer -- you can almost see the Powerpoint slides.

Data Structures   by Edward M Reingold and Wilfred J Hansen, 450 pages Steven Krise   11 November 2008 My at work bathroom reading material. Much better than the previous tome I read on data structures: it had a lot of discussion of algorithms, as well, including searching, sorting, and merging. Other titles in the "Little, Brown Computer Systems Series" include 'Personal Graphics for Profit and Pleasure on the Apple II Plus Computer' and 'Computer Games for Business, School, and Home for TRS-80 Level II BASIC'.

Miles: The Autobiography   by Miles Davis with Quincy Troupe, 441 pages Tony Pisarenkov   02 January 2009 An interesting book that is not very enjoyable to read. Definitely pops Miles's mystique bubble. My favorite bits were his unpopular at the time, but brutally honest opinions of fellow musicians.

The Shadow of the Wind (2005)   by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, 487 pages Brad Snyder   09 February 2009 This outstanding book grabbed me in the first few pages and didn't let me go. It's about a boy that finds and reads a book written by an author whose works are being destroyed by a mysterious phantom-like figure. His quest to find out why leads us on a story of lost love and betrayal.

Dinosaur in a Haystack: Reflections in Natural History   by S J Gould, 480 pages Steven Krise   30 March 2009

The Language Instinct   by Steven Pinker, 430 pages Steve Gadd   10 May 2009 Pinker makes the case for an innate ability to use language, pointing out that human languages have more similarities than differences, and a child's skill at learning to speak demonstrates that there is more than simple imitation at work.

1848: Year of Revolution (2009)   by Mike Rapport, 459 pages James Donahue   14 May 2009

King Henry (2007)   by Douglas Galbraith, 409 pages James Donahue   25 May 2009 A fictional reenactment of an event too crazy to have really happened. In 1915 Henry Ford decided he could stop the war, hooked up with a zealous Hungarian suffragette, hired a cruise ship, packed it full of wide-eyed students and cynical journalists, and sailed off to Europe to stop the war on Christmas day. Oh, the things that wealth can and cannot buy.

Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Beer   by Maureen Ogle, 422 pages Steven Krise   18 June 2009 An thoroughly engaging, informative, and well-documented history of commercial beer brewing in America. The story begins in the frenetic frontier towns of Milwaukee an St Louis in the 1840s and traces all the important brewers and the events that shaped American brewing up through the early 2000s.

A Crack in the Edge of the World   by Simon Winchester, 417 pages Steve Gadd   19 June 2009 The story of San Francisco's destruction during the 1906 earthquake and fire, along with a helpful overview of plate tectonics.

The World Without Us (audio)   by Alan Weisman, 432 pages Steve Gadd   14 July 2009 This extended thought experiment is quite interesting in many parts, with visits to people-free zones in Cyprus and the Korean peninsula, and informed speculation as to what will become of bridges and other landmarks. A good deal of print (or breath, in the recorded version) is spent less engagingly rehashing fears about ecology and overpopulation.

Breaking the Spell   by Daniel Dennett, 448 pages Steven Krise   21 July 2009 Dennett's book length argument for why religion should be treated and studied as a natural phenomenon. Moderately interesting when he stopped bending over backwards trying not to scare away any religious readers.

Earth: An Intimate History   by Richard Fortey, 425 pages Steven Krise   13 October 2009 Fortey's thesis is (to paraphrase Dobzhansky) that nothing in geology makes sense except in light of plate tectonics. He then takes the reader on a tour of a dozen or so locations around the globe with various geological formations that either were pivotal in providing evidence for the theory or which finally made sense when explicated tectonically.

The Return of the Native   by Thomas Hardy, 468 pages Steve Gadd   27 October 2009