7-28-08 Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - Fiction

5 - As happens with most series that I read, when a new book is coming out I reread the entire series to be fresh on the story. Breaking Dawn, the fourth Twilight book, comes on August 2nd. What I find in most cases, and definitely in this one, is that I have forgotten exactly how much I love the story and/or the characters. Twilight is a great story about first, forbidden, and eternal love in such an ordinary setting. A vampire story, but these vampires defy most popular legends and myths. It's also a story about the tribulations of being a teenager, but definitely with more twists than normal. I do love these books.

7-27-08 Assassins by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins - Fiction

4 - Oops, this is the sixth book in the series. I accidentally skipped the fifth, Apollyon, which I will go back and read before continuing the series. Be that as it may, this is still and engaging story. There are still some familiar characters and some new faces and projects. The action and espionage still continue and get trickier as the net tightens around the believers. I'm still excited to see where the story goes so after reading the volume I missed, I'll be continuing the series.

7-26-08 The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - Fiction

5 - After reading this, the entire story as it was meant to be read, I can only applaud Peter Jackson more for creating the movie trilogy from such a wealth of information. The book is not so dark as the movies but is more emotionally charged for the hobbits. And it reads much easier than The Hobbit. I now understand the love and cult following for this book and its story. Beautiful lands populated by beautiful people are tempered with the ugliness that is found in all things beautiful or not. A grand adventure, emotionally compelling, with a bittersweet ending that leaves the reader on the verge of tears but with joy in the heart, The Lord of the Rings is a tale that will be read and reread for decades to come.

7-6-08 Everfree by Nick Sagan - Fiction

3 - This book is a nice wrap up to the trilogy, but is nothing spectacular. The super-human children are now adults and attempt to create a Utopia of humankind to better the world that was destroyed. Because only the wealthy and powerful were able to be frozen at the height of the Black Ep, egos and entitlement begin to twist the effort. The super-humans attempt a genetic solution to the worst of man's nature but find he can be tinkered with only so much in an attempt to improve the species. Sagan drives home the point that man is his own downfall.

Sorry about the delay

I have one book to add (Everfree), but haven't gotten around to writing it up yet. I am currently reading the complete Lord of the Rings, so it'll be about another week before any new postings. I'm about halfway through now. I'll try to get Everfree on in the next few days.

7-3-08 The Host by Stephenie Meyer - Fiction

5 - Meyer's first foray into adult scifi is a winner. The descriptions I had seen made The Host seem like it was going to be campy and corny, but it was a beautiful look at humanity. the earth has been invaded by a parasitic species who use us as hosts to live their lives. Some humans have evaded capture and implantation and some host personalities have fought back against the "souls" once implantation has occurred. Meyer, already successful for the teen Twilight series, shows that she is a force to be reckoned with in adult books as well.

6-30-08 The Saint of Dragons by Jason Hightman - Fiction

3 - It was OK. Based on the legend of St. George and the dragon, The Saint of Dragons tells the story of the last living descendants of St. George and their ongoing battle against the dragons. Dragons have evolved and now are more like man and they use their magic to put the finishing touches on the illusion. But they are still evil beings whose intention it is to destroy the human race. It is up to 13-year-old Simon and his estranged father to do justice to their legacy as Dragon Hunters. Not fantastic, but enjoyable as a fluff read.