I've Been Hit with a Meme. The Book Meme.

Had it been anyone but Riri, I probably wouldn't have bothered with this Book meme business at all. I know she's sincere instead of just following the crowd (Riri leads crowds in her own fashion), and so I'm going through with it. There doesn't seem to be a rule to this thing, so I'm free wheeling it.

The main reason I have a problem with this is that I simply read a lot and read quickly. This last week in Panama, I found a bookstore with novels in English, and have read 14 in between working on other things. I grew up on Louis L'amour, Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy, the Encyclopedia Britannica and any library that allowed me to borrow more than one book at a time. Novels didn't occupy me; I read textbooks - from Organic Chemistry to Kline's History of Mathematics to everything on programming to... Somewhere along the way, I developed a large library of over 13,000 books (documented haphazardly in a spreadsheet and most of them in a storage area that nobody knew about) that I was willing to keep, but when I left Florida for Trinidad and Tobago, I only took a fraction and donated the rest to friends and sold some to bookstores. Packed safely away somewhere in Trinidad and Tobago, having stood the test of time, are about 1,000 books I thought were worth keeping. With me? None. I'm presently hopping around in life and have simply read books and left them in places.

I'll go over the last 5 books I've read, then I'll go over books that I recommend for recreational reading, and then whatever else comes to mind.

Without further ado, I give ye:

The Last 5 Novels

MEG: Primal Waters: Diving, Carcharodon Megalodon (really Big Shark), diving, submersibles, etc. Good book by Steve Alten. Better than Jaws, though apparently I missed the first book. Typical in the developing world.

Lost City: Cussler, at it again. I used to like the books with Dirk Pitt in them in my teens, but this one was a bit of a stretch for me. My tastes have changed. Of course, Cussler was in his usual form with great research, but some of the scientific stuff in there was a real stretch, I think.

The Cestus Deception (Star Wars: Clone Wars Novel): Star Wars. I needed a dose of Star Wars after feeling like I wouldn't ever see another new lightsaber with the Revenge of the Sith done. Steve Barnes did an excellent job, really, though I expect that the timing for me was simply good. Great character development of Obi-wan Kenobi in this book, I think. Exemplary in a few ways. His style of character development is very similar to that of R.A. Salvatore, though I will not say if it is better or worse. It's just similar, and appreciated.

Story Teller: I never heard of Amy Thomson before, but I look forward to seeing more books from her. Her style, at least in this book, was simple and yet quite imaginative as well as challenging. She wrote about hard topics in a completely different world. This was an original book for me, reminiscent in a strained way of Anne McAffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. Exceptionally easy reading, but if you're one of the kooks who burned books about Harry Potter, then you're going to boost the sale of Amy Thomson. She tackles ecology, life and death, and even homosexuality in a setting which is completely new. Well done, one I recommend - not because of the topics but because it stimulates thought. If anyone else has read her book(s), I'm interested to hear what you have to say.

Time's Eye (A Time Odyssey): When I saw a book with Arthur C. Clarke's name on it, there was no question in my mind. It had to be read. With the co-authorship of Stephen Baxter, I was slightly worried (because I like Arthur C. Clarke) but this was completely unfounded. A new world, stimulating, with even Rudyard Kipling, Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan mixed in with people from our recent future, dealing with a maladjusted temporal Earth - where different eras occur in different geographical areas (alarmingly like the world now, only a little more exaggerated). This book is a must have.

Books I Otherwise Recommend. Strongly. Really.

The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide: Yes, I know, you probably saw the movie. Great. But you missed a lot by not reading the book, and unlike the books you had to report on in school, this one is fun and actually thought-provoking for people with a flexible minds. This is the full collection of the series. The people who started the 'Chicken Soup for people who never cared about Chicken Soup before' can get lost as far as I'm concerned. When I'm feeling non-creative or bogged down, I reread this book.

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress: A classic. Thought provoking. I read this book every year. Really. Why? I don't know. I like it.

Stranger in a Strange Land: To grok, water-brother, you have to read this book at least twice. Another Heinlein book I read every year. So that covers a day.

A Short History of Nearly Everything: This has got to be one of the easiest to read and most interesting Science books I have ever read. This book has me on the lookout for other Bryson books. No, you don't have to be a geek to read it - but you will come away learning more about the world than you knew.

Human Instinct: Robert Winston narrates human history as we think we know it. From why we eat as we do to how sex affects our lives to... OK. Sex should be enough for everyone. Not the Kama Sutra, but thought-provoking and yet open-ended. Like real science.

The Language Instinct : How the Mind Creates Language (Perennial Classics): If you're interested in Language, or how the mind works, or both... this book is informative. Warning - this one is well written, but may take people a while to read and even longer to digest. Good book.

Broad Sweeps

Anything by James Gleick: Whatever he writes, Gleick researches so well. I can proudly say I have read everything he has produced, and been better for it.

Anything by Richard Feynman: Brilliant, creative and clear thinker. He never actually wrote anything, it was all transcribed - but it's ALL very good and thought provoking.

But what about professional books?

Good question. My problem with professional books is that they are so easily made out of date with advancement in technology.

No more books?

Oh, I could go on, but what's the point? I've never sold a book through Amazon affiliates, though I am constantly harassed about which compensation plan I want. What's the difference between 4% and 5% of 0? Ask Amazon. I quit trying a while back because nobody I know reads as much as fast and on as many topics. It usually takes me longer to write a review on a book than it does to actually read the book, though there are instances when the review is done before the first chapter is complete. In fact, in person, I usually read the first chapter now before I buy the book. The other side is that, outside of the U.S. and Europe, by the time I do write a review, the book has been reviewed 2 months before.

So I save the book reviews that provoke strong reactions from me. Maybe with having found the Amazon password again, I'll mention more books now and then in the hope that some people will help pay for my reading addiction.

I see Amazon still has some wacky suggestions for me. It would probably help if I bought books from them, but that would require an address where things could get to me on time before I hopped to a new place. Plus I am traditional in that I like to read the back cover and skim the book after reading the first chapter... It's a mess.

But now, who shall I pass this meme along to? I have to choose 5 people? OK. Fine.

I choose Vox Popoli (that should be interesting!), Dave Farquhar, Suhit, Willy Smith and Wonko. These people weren't chosen because they will do it - rather, they were chosen because I would like to see what they suggest. Maybe it will be something new... :-)

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