Plague Year - Jeff Carlson

This was another of my alternates for the Unread Authors challenge - I have a bad habit of reading the alternates first - ha ha.

I enjoyed this - it reminds me a lot of Michael Chrichton, both because of the nanobot plotline, and in the general style. This had a lot less science, though. The characters were interesting, if a little flat in some parts. I would have liked a better picture of how devastated the world was, and what the survivors still faced. It was a quick read, though - perfect for the end of summer.

I finally started reading "The Guardians", so that will be next.

We - Yevgeny Zamyatin

I read about this classic on another blog, and picked it up at the bookstore the other day. I bought the mass market paperback version, and what an unattractive book it is - the typeface is blotchy and the paper was rough and very cheap feeling. I hated picking it up every time. All the same, I'm glad I didn't pay more for a different version, because I wasn't very fond of the contents, either. I felt like I was being forced to read it for school, and couldn't seem to enjoy it at all. It evoked 1984, which was written after it of course, but I couldn't relate to the people, and I often had trouble following the story. I think the fault is all mine, though, because I didn't give it the attention it probably deserved. Anyway, it qualifies for the Unread Author's challenge, so at least I get credit for that!

Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

As predicted, I finished this last night. I loved this book! It's funny, clever, witty and entertaining. It reminds me of both Douglas Adams and Piers Anthony in its tone. The authors' notes at the end describe how people bring beat-up, well-loved copies to books signings, or new copies because friends keep "stealing" their old copies. I can understand this: I will definitely keep this on my "keeper" shelf, but I also want to recommend it to all of my friends who like this sort of book.

Starting the Unread Authors Challenge

I'm so glad it's September, so I can get started on the Unread Authors Challenge at last! This pile of books has been calling my name for a while, and I am already 100 or so pages into "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I am loving it so far, and will probably finish it this weekend.

At the mall today I picked up "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin and "The Plague Year" by Jeff Carlson, so I will be adding them to the unread authors challenge as well. They both are short, so it shouldn't be a problem. I've been reading during my lunch hour at work, so I can get a good bit of reading done every day. I have also started on books on tape for the drive to and from work (half an hour each way), and my first selection for that is an old favorite: "Over Sea, Under Stone" by Susan Cooper. I have the next two in the series on tape (all from the library) as well, and the final 2 are on their way to the hold shelf at my library for me. I loved this series as a child and I find they hold up remarkably well.

I skipped "Booking Through Thursday" this week, but will return to it next week. I'm considering starting the "Encyclopedia of Me" meme I saw at another blog. Basically you do one post for each letter of the alphabet. I do want to post more frequently, and it seems like a fun way to do it, as well as a way to show my personality more. I would intersperse book reviews along the way, of course.

Unread Authors Challenge

Yay! A new challenge! The Unread Authors Challenge runs from September - February, so that should be plenty of time for me to read 6 books for it. My preliminary list is:

Angel's Town - Ralph Cintron
Reading Lolita in Tehran - Azar Nafisi
Wicked - Gregory Maguire
Switchcraft - Mary Castillo
Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (this on is a two-fer; I haven't read either author)
The Guardians - Ana Castillo
High Fidelity - Nick Hornby (also for the Book to Movie Challenge)