Tag: 50bookchallenge

i readed some buks

I read some professional literature for #23 & #24.

First Have Something To Say by Walt Crawford is a must-read for anyone who wants to write for the library profession. The language is accessible, and Walt lays out the processes in a way that just makes sense. I plan to purchase my own copy soon.

I read Walt’s book in preparation for reading and reviewing Meredith Farkas’ Social Software in Libraries. I won’t be posting the review here or anywhere because (hopefully) it will be published in the first issue of the Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship next year. If you have any interest in incorporating social software in your library, I recommend reading Meredith’s book. She asks all (or nearly all) of the questions you need to ask before deciding to implement anything.

For anyone who’s counting, that puts me at 24 books read this year, which is one more than I did last year. w00t!

crazy busy – an update

Read some stuff, reviewed some stuff, and I’m still working until late at night.

I’ve been swamped at work and at play, leaving little time for blogging. For anyone who is keeping score, I read two more books towards my goal of 50 this year, thus bringing me up to 22 total. Those two were Nemesis and Ordeal By Innocence, both by Agatha Christie. I re-read them before watching the new film adaptations of them. My review will be published on Blogcritics this week.

Speaking of which, I had two more music reviews published. Sweet Honey in the Rock’s Experience…101, which was released last week, and Amy Grant’s Greatest Hits, which was released today. I have been fans of the music of both for many years, so it was a nice change to review something… familiar.

The insanity will continue. I have tons of committee and seasonal work in my day job to keep me busy for quite a while, and my Blogcritics work is increasingly consuming even more time in the evenings. There’s still enough of it that I enjoy to keep the balance, but I fear that it may one day tip and something will have to go.

#20

This is my least favorite Miss Marple mystery, but I had to re-read it before watching the new film adaptation of it.

At Bertram’s Hotel is my least favorite Miss Marple mystery, but I had to re-read it before watching the new film adaptation of it. It is just as unsatisfying as I remembered it being. Much like Bertram’s Hotel, the characters are not who they seem to be, and even though it is a Christie mystery, one is left with the feeling that something is not quite right. I wonder if the new version will be more appealing?

#19

I’m not sure if re-reads count for the 50 book challenge.

Towards Zero by Agatha Christie

I’m not sure if re-reads count for the 50 book challenge. In this case, it’s one of four Agatha Christie mysteries I’ll be re-reading before watching the adaptations for the new Marple series starring Geraldine McEwan. The original book does not have any of the more well known sleuths, although Poirot is mentioned by the lead detective, Superintendent Battle, who also appears in a minor role in other books. The mystery is solid, and is told well. I had forgotten the outcome, so it was still a bit of a surprise. I wonder how Miss Marple will be incorporated into it?

#18

A fun romp through alternate history.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

I hadn’t planned on reading another book on my trip, so I had nothing for the return flight. In fact, I have a pile of podcast episodes to catch up on, so I figured I’d listen to them on the way home. However, after my time warp experience with reading on the flight out, I decided to find a book while in the Atlanta airport. Anything that will make the four hour flight to Seattle more tolerable is worth seeking out.

I had almost given up in my search when I spotted a Penguin paperback edition of The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. I have a copy of this in hardcover, but I haven’t read it yet. I decided that buying a second copy was better than the torture of sitting bored out of my mind in a cramped space for four hours. After reading it, my only complaint is that it was too short. By the time I finished, I still had an hour and a half to go before we landed. Maybe next time I won’t start reading a half an hour before the boarding process begins.

As for the book itself, I felt a bit ignorant at times. I’ve read Jane Eyre and a handful of the other classics referenced in the story, but often I felt as though something would have more significance if I knew the other works better than I do. Still, quite a fun romp through alternate history!

#17

This fantasy novel with a twist is a great beginning for a new author.

My review of Pat Nelson Childs’ book Orphan’s Quest has been published on Blogcritics.org. This was the first book I have read on a plane in longer than I can remember. For several years, I would drag a book or two along with me when I traveled, but for some reason I was always too distracted to read them. However, this time I was compelled by a deadline, so even before my plane backed out from the gate, I had cracked it open to the first page. Thanks to the 4+ hour flight to Atlanta and the delayed arrival of my connecting flight, I was able to finish it before I arrived at my destination.

I was surprised to realize that as I closed the book, I was wishing that I had waited to read it until the other two were published so that I would not have to wait so long to find out what happens next.

I think I’m going to have to do this reading on the plane thing again. It made the time fly by much faster than anything else I’ve been doing lately. Or maybe it was because I had such a compelling book to read….

#16

This young adult science fiction novel is a delightful read for anyone who enjoys tales of personal growth.

My review of the revised edition of Sylvia Louise Engdahl’s book Journey Between Worlds has been published on Blogcritics.org. I have been meaning to read the book and write the review for some time, but eventually it became one of those things that was easy to procrastinate on. But, this weekend I had other more significant things to procrastinate over, so I read the book instead. Not the best reason to read a book, but as it turns out, I’m very glad I finally read it, because it’s something I think most everyone would find interesting.

The author dwells less on the technology and shiny gadgetry of space travel and planetary colonization, and more on the human aspect thereof. This results in a very accessible story for readers who are interested in space colonization as well as readers who enjoy stories about personal growth and relationships.

#15

Maker by Michael Jan Friedman

The main story arc of the mini-series has been completed, and most everything has come to a satisfactory conclusion. Unsurprisingly, Friedman takes the events of The Valiant and ties them into this book. He still displays a penchant for old Trek episodes, but for the most part keeps his ideas and creations relatively fresh. Even so, I can’t help but think that the baddie ends up being the oil slick that will eventually kill Tasha Yar. Oh, yeah, SPOILER ALERT: Picard keeps his rank and command, despite the efforts of Admiral McAteer.

I am now officially burnt out on Star Trek books for the time being. They’re like brain candy, and after a while, the craving is sated and it’s time to move on to something different. On the other hand, I’m much closer to my reading goal for the year, if one is concerned with numbers like that. Nine books in ten days is the fastest rate I’ve read since summer breaks when I was in college. It’s also probably a sign that I need to do something about my social life.

#14

Enigma by Michael Jan Friedman

This book tied up the loose end known as Dikembe Ulelo. Friedman has been dangling that one since the first book in the series, and I wondered when he’d finally get around to the explanation. Turns out, it’s a crucial point in the plot of this book.

Admiral McAteer makes an appearance again, but this time he’s a part of the action instead of off plotting somewhere. He’s still out to get Picard and has arranged for a review to determine if Picard is fit to be a captain. This is not resolved by the end of the book.

The mini story arc in the book closes nicely, even though there are still a few unresolved problems/questions. But, Friedman then does something that I find immensely irritating: He adds a cliffhanger. Sure, the reader might be concerned that Picard is going to have a rough time, but we all know how that eventually works out. On the other hand, Friedman has left another main character in a deadly and dangerous predicament. Stay tuned…. for the next book.

Thankfully, I already have it on my bookshelf. If I did not, I think I’d be particularly perturbed.

#13

Oblivion by Michael Jan Friedman

I promise this blog won’t turn into a “which Star Trek book did Anna read today” blog. I swear! I mean it!

Okay, so, yeah. Another book in Friedman’s Stargazer series. This one is much more memorable and interesting that the last one, so I’m happy about that. It also provided another example of the paradoxes of time travel. In this case, it was that the first time Picard meets Guinan is also the second time she has met Picard. Don’t try to think too hard on that one or you’ll hurt yourself.

One thing I’ve noticed with this series is that like television episodes, the each book focuses on different characters from among the crew, and the focus shifts from book to book. For example, the Asmunds play a large role in the last book, Three, but they are only mentioned and not see or heard from in this one. The nice thing about this is that Friedman has been given the opportunity to develop a large set of characters that are mainly of his own creation, and he’s been able to further their development over time (and a series of books). I think that is when authors get to have fun in the Star Trek universe.

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