Brightness Reef - David Brin

This novel is my first uplift experience. It's an interesting take on how humans, and other sapients of course, got to where they are. I wonder if we'll ever see the uplift books in a museum dedicated to intelligent design?

As I got closer to the end I realized I wasn't going to find a conclusion in this book. Duh! What did I think trilogy meant? I have the other two books in the trilogy ordered now and they're in my to-read queue. Highly recommended.

Twilight - Stephenie Meyer

There are vampires and then there are vampires. This novel is a love story with a twist. How would you handle it if your lab partner in high school biology was a vampire? What would you do if you fell in love with this vampire? How would you introduce a vampire to your parents? What do you wear to meet a vampire's family? What happens when some other vampires decide you're snackable? All good questions and all covered in this novel. I'm looking forward to reading the two other books in this series. Highly recommended.

This novel is suitable for teens. There's no sex and no bad language, but it does get scary at times. However, younger kids probably won't sympathize with this much teenage angst. One reason I read this book was to see if it would make a good Christmas present for my grandkids. I'll let them get a little older before I give them this book, but it's on the list.

A Lick of Frost - Laurell Hamilton

This is the sixth book in the Meredith Gentry series. If you've been following this series you know what she's been trying for and you have to read this novel. Now I have to wait for the next book! Highly recommended.

Drop Dead Gorgeous - Linda Howard

This is the sequel to To Die For. Blair is back in danger again. Wyatt is busy protecting her. The question is will they make it to their wedding or not. Highly recommended.

Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson

This book took me a long time to read. I read the paperback, which has small print and 1,139 pages, including the appendix. It's long and seems convoluted at times but it finishes strong. If you're math challenged you can skip all the interesting problems. If you have any interest in cryptography and early computers this book is for you. If you're a WWII buff, you'll find this book fascinating. If you always wondered how global finance and corporate piracy worked, there's something in this book for you too. When I first started reading, I brooded that I wasn't getting very far. In the end, I was disappointed when I ran out of words. Very highly recommended.

SPAM - way too much

How many of us lose email we want because we have spam filters that accidentally throw it away? I've had an email address since the 70's when I dialed into compuserve with a terminal and a 300 baud modem. I've had a domain since the 80's when I had a UNIX box on my desk at home. That means a lot of people have been able to scam my email address over the years and I get a ton of SPAM. What can you do?

I have a friend who's almost computer illiterate, but I got him on the web with his business back in the 90's and he's got the same SPAM problem I do. I don't recommend this as an experiment, but it sure shed some light on his SPAM problem.

He managed to click on the wrong thing a couple of weeks ago and got a virus. A nasty one that required he have XP reinstalled on the computer. We saved most of his data, but he was off the net for almost a whole week. When we got his email client reinstalled and back online there was an interesting result.

He has one email address that he's had for almost 10 years. He has three other email addresses that I setup for him in the last year for other activities like communicating with students (he's a teacher) and special projects. After a week of not checking, these three email addresses had 24 email messages combined waiting to be downloaded. The 10 year old email address had over 3,000 messages waiting to clog his inbox.

For me the lesson is, if you want to ditch spam change your email address. I know that's not possible in some cases because it's a business address with lots of clients. However, if you get yourself another email address or two, and slowly start weaning your clients and friends over to these new addresses, eventually you can slam the door on the SPAM and free your inbox. You'll have to keep the new addresses close to the vest, and clients will leak them, but it will provide some relief for some period of time.

To Die For - Linda Howard

This book made me laugh out loud a bunch of times. I have a friend who owns a fitness facility and I'll be giving her this book for Christmas. This is a hilarious tale of a southern gal who owns a gym and the police detective who is bound and determined to capture her heart. Along the way there's murder and attempted murder, and (yes it is Linda Howard!) lots of steamy sex. Sorry this is not for kids. I finished this one while I was out of town last weekend and I've already started the sequel. Highly recommended.

Still Life with Crows - Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

You have to read this one just to figure out what the title's about! It's another Agent Pendergast novel but this one doesn't take place in New York. Would you believe Kansas? I was up 'till about 02:00 this morning finishing this one. It's hard to put down, as are most Preston & Child stories. Very highly recommended.

The Cabinet of Curiosities - Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

This is another Agent Pendergast novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way. Dr. Nora Kelly and reporter Bill Smithback are in the cast of characters. New York is the setting with the Museum of Natural History playing a big part. Pendergast has some family history to deal with -- again. Very highly recommended.

The Saboteurs - W.E.B. Griffin & William E. Butterworth IV

Griffin's books have never disappointed me. This one is no exception. What made this particularly interesting was that I'm also reading Cryptonomicon by Stephenson at the same time and the books overlap in time and topic. This is a WWII novel about the OSS. A staple of Griffin's. The cast of characters will be familiar if you've been reading much Griffin, and there's much to read. This book is part of his Men of War series. You can find all of his books on his web site. Highly recommended.

Riptide - Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Pirate treasure brings out the best and the worst in people. In this novel the authors do a great job of building suspense. The setting is the coast of Maine and the treasure has an interesting twist. In addition to two billion in gold and jewels there's the infamous St. Michael's Sword. This is a great book. Highly recommended.

The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson

If you like historical novels this is a gem. This book chronicles the 1893 World's Fair that took place in Chicago, also known as the World's Columbian Exposition. This book also follows the exploits of the serial killer Dr. H. H. Holmes who used the fair as a hunting ground.

The amazing history that took place building up to and during the Columbian Exposition is fascinating reading. The historical figures and technological firsts are like finding hidden prizes throughout the text. The dark side of the book, the young women who went missing before, during, and after the fair, make an interesting counter point. If you're interested in the history of the city of Chicago this book is a must read.

The book gets bogged down in minutia at times, but it was hard to put down when Larson was writing tight. I really enjoyed the stories it contains. Highly recommended.

Double Take - Catherine Coulter

This is another FBI thriller featuring the agents Coulter has made famous: Sherlock, Savich, and Cheney. Sheriff Dix is a pivotal character in this one too. Murder and psychics make an interesting mix. Highly recommended.

If you're interested in the other FBI thrillers Coulter has penned check out her web site. Reading them in order is a big plus.

Luck in the Shadows - Lynn Flewelling

This is the first book in Flewelling's Nightrunner series. Unfortunately I read the series in the wrong order but it was still excellent. If you like fantasy and intrigue this is a worthy read. Highly recommended.

Many Bloody Returns - Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner

This is an anthology of short stories based on the theme vampires and birthdays. The volume is edited by Harris and Kelner. The book contains 13 stories by 13 different authors. Some authors I'm very familiar with. Harris is one of them. Others I've never heard of but I'll definitely be reading more of their works.

This book is kind of like an hors d'oeuvers smörgåsbord for readers. You get a little taste of a lot of things. There wasn't a story in here I didn't really enjoy. Some stories were self contained like Vampire Hours by Elaine Viets and The Mournful Cry of Owls by Christopher Golden. Others gave you a peek at a deeper story and I'll be following up for sure. Examples of these are The First Day of the Rest of Your Life by Rachel Caine and Blood Wrapped by Tanya Huff. I can't wait to read more by these authors. Very highly recommended.

It Takes a Village - Hillary Clinton

Before you can comment on a book you have to have read it. That's as good a reason as any to read this chronicle of Mrs. Clinton's vision for America. After reading it I found the book includes some very interesting pieces that illustrate problems with education, health care, families, and other areas of life in America. My conflict with this book is the premise that more government can solve all of these problem. Government is the root cause of almost every problem this book exposes. Less government will be the solution, not more.

Then there are the wild statistics with no comments in the notes section to justify them. Take for example the assertion on page nine that "135,000 children bring guns to school each day." Just think about that and scratch your head. If this wasn't pulled out of thin air then cite the origin. To compound the lack of credibility, some of the references cited in the notes section are the news media. It's bad enough the Associated Press is cited but when I saw the New York Times I laughed out loud.

I read the 10th anniversary edition of It Takes a Village. I recommend reading it so you'll know what kind of person is running for president this year and what you're likely to get if she's elected. More government, higher taxes, and less freedom.

Bones to Ashes - Kathy Reichs

This is another Temperance Brennan novel. This time the setting is Canada instead of the Carolinas. This book has multiple threads that all converge into an interesting conclusion. There's plenty of mystery and suspense, and Tempe's sister Harry shows up to add some spice to the story. Harry's presence almost makes you wish for illustrations :)   Highly recommended.

The Collectors - David Baldacci

This is another Camel Club novel. These are great books. Baldacci is an excellent writer and the mix of characters in the Camel Club is great. This novel features a little spying, a little con artistry, and a lot of murder. Just in case, the first book in this series is titled The Camel Club. I look forward to many more. Highly recommended.

Traitor's Moon - Lynn Flewelling

This is book three in the Nightrunner series. Unfortunately, last year I started with the second book in the series, Stalking Darkness, and now it's on to the first book, Luck in the Shadows.

This is the continuing tale of Seregil and Alec, the lords/thieves/spies that are the main characters in this series. In this novel they make it all the way to Aurenen, Seregil's homeland. If you like fantasy this is an excellent choice. Highly recommended.

One caveat. Flewelling has chosen to make the main protagonists in this series homosexual lovers. There are no explicit sex scenes in this book. Unlike some authors, Flewelling makes the relationships in her stories important to the plot, but the emotional connection between couples is the thread woven into the plot, not their sexual activities. However if you have a problem with this life style you may want to think twice about this book. Especially for teens and younger readers.

The Ruins - Scott Smith

This one will give you the creeps. I had to finish it tonight. Now I'll be dreaming of vines! If you like Stephen King and Dean Koontz you'll like Scott Smith. Highly recommended.