"Books Read Recently":
(See also: "Comics Read Blog.")

[For identical list, arranged alphabetically by book title, click here.]

Captain America: The Great Gold Steal (1968)
Ted White
Introduction by Stan Lee.  Second novel based on Marvel Comics characters ever published (following The Avengers Battle the Earth-Wrecker).  (Currently reading)

How Few Remain (1997)
Harry Turtledove
(Currently reading)

Vulcan's Soul Book 3: Epiphany (2007)
("Star Trek" novel)
Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz
Third book in the "Vulcan's Soul" trilogy (follows Exodus and Exiles).  In this final novel in the Vulcan's Soul trilogy, we see the fate of Karatek and his people stranded and enslaved on the frozen half of the Romulan twin world, Remus, and also the origins of both the Remans and the Watraii.  In the present, post-Dominion War Next Generation time frame, Ambassador Spock, Captain Saavik, and the others aboard the U.S.S. Alliance face a confrontation with not only the Watraii but also the Romulans over the ancient Romulan relic stolen by the Watraii and recovered by Spock and company.  Adding to the situation is the kidnapping of the Romulan Praetor by the Watraii, to which Starfleet sends in Captain Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise-E to assist.  Over the course of the novel, the connections between the various sub-plots (the "Memory" sections from the time of the Sundering and those in the present) become apparent.  Opinion: best of the three (then, again, I'm a Star Trek: The Next Generation fan in general, so my interest picked up even more when Picard and company came into the story.  The Karatek storyline gets better here, too, however, as it nears it's inevitable conclusion.  There are even some somewhat interesting side chapters delving into the minds of the various high ranking Romulan and Federation political figures.  However, there are also a few parts where it is not entirely clear just what is being referred to if one has not already read Sherman and Shwartz's earlier novels, Vulcan's Forge and Vulcan's Heart.  (Finished reading 2/2/10)

How Oliver Olson Changed the World (2009)
Claudia Mills; Pictures by Heather Maione
Children's book (work related reading).  (Finished reading 1/21/10)

A Book (2009)
Mordicai Gerstein
Children's picture book (work related reading).  (Finished reading 1/21/10)

The Texas Run (1985)
("V" novel)
Geo. W. Proctor
Tenth original "V" novel (eleventh overall).  California resistance member, Rick Hurley, unexpectedly finds himself drawn into the middle of a medical supply run into Visitor occupied Dallas/Fort Worth.  Meanwhile, the Houston Visitor mothership commander has ambitions not only to further his own career status but also to capture resistance member, Sheryl Lee Darcy (whom Rick has fallen for).  His goal: to force her to conceive another "star child" (like Elizabeth from the television series).  When Sheryl Lee's mother, whom the commander is obsessed with, turns out to have died, the commander turns his sights on her daughter, Sheryl Lee.  An okay enough "V" novel.  Nothing special though.  (Only television character in the book is Mike Donovan, in the first chapter.)  Next book in my chronological "V" reading/viewing: The New England Resistance.  (Finished reading 1/13/10)

The Avengers Battle the Earth-Wrecker (1967)
Otto Binder
Introduction by Stan Lee.  First novel based on Marvel Comics characters.  The Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Goliath/Ant-Man, and the Wasp) must defeat "Karzz, the Conqueror" (an alien time traveller from the 70th century) who threatens to set in place "four world-doom catastrophes" to destroy the Earth out of revenge for humanity's stepping in the way of his complete rule over the galaxy in his own, future, time.  By destroying the Earth in the 20th century, he plans to create an entirely different timeline where he is ruler of all.  Notable for being the first novel based on Marvel Comics characters more than anything else.  Very campy.  (Makes Batman Versus Three Villains of Doom--see below--downright serious, in comparison.)  Doubtlessly, Binder was trying to emulate the then "hip" writing style Stan Lee was using in the Marvel Comics of the time, but an entire novel of said style can be rather difficult to take, to put it lightly.  For collectors/completists only, I'm afraid.  (Oh, and by the way, while Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch appear on the book's cover, they are not actually present in the novel itself.  However they and Thor are described as "former members" early on in the novel, and are represented by statues dedicated to each of them during an Avengers themed telecast.)  (Finished reading 1/6/10)

Vulcan's Soul Book 2: Exiles (2006)
("Star Trek" novel)
Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz
Second book in the "Vulcan's Soul" trilogy (follows Exodus and continues in Epiphany). The two separate (but presumably related) stories begun in book one continue onward.  The first, that of Karatek, his family, and contemporaries aboard the ships that thousands of years ago left their homeworld of Vulcan behind in what would later be referred to as "the Sundering".  They eventually arrive at their new home.  But, after surviving the many trials of the long voyage, Karatek and his family have one last betrayal to face upon their arrival.  The second storyline, which takes place in the Star Trek: The Next Generation/Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 24th century time frame, follows Ambassador Spock, Captain Saavik, Captain Montgomery Scott, Lt. Commander Data, and Romulan expatrate Ruanek's attempt to rescue Admiral Chekov from the Watraii.  (Finished reading 12/26/09)

Vulcan's Soul Book 1: Exodus (2004)
("Star Trek" novel)
Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz
First book in the "Vulcan's Soul" trilogy (is followed by Exiles and Epiphany).  In the present day scenes, which take place within the Next Generation/Deep Space Nine time period just one year following the end of the Dominion War, the Romulan Empire is attacked by a mysterious race calling themselves the Watraii, who claim that the Romulan home planets of Romulus and Remus rightfully belong to them and not the Romulans.  Ambassador Spock, Captain Saavik, Admiral Uhura, and Admiral Chekov work to resolve the situation, ultimately leading a fleet of vessels from various races confronting the Watraii before the latter can attack Romulus.  The larger portion of the novel, however, follows events on Vulcan two thousand years earlier, just prior to the exodus of a segment of the greater population leaving their home planet in hopes of finding a planet to colonize so that at least some small portion of the Vulcan race might survive.  Prominent characters in the flashback portions include a former physicist at the Vulcan Science Academy named Karatek who comes into contact with Surak--the radical philosopher and pacifist and father of the Vulcan logic movement--and who eventually becomes the reluctant leader of the Vulcans in exile (who eventually become the Romulans).  The flashback portions take place from 280 A.D. to 380 A.D., while the present day scenes take place in the year 2377 (the Dominion War ended in late 2375), with a brief prologue that takes place soon following the Next Generation episode, "The Neutral Zone", in 2364, and a chapter showing Admiral Chekov's reaction to the start of the Dominion War in 2373. (Finished reading 9/14/09)

Five Weeks in a Balloon [via Project Gutenberg] (1863; English translation, 1869)
Jules Verne
Originally released in French in 1863; first published in English in 1890 (English translation by William Lackland).  First in Verne's Extraordinary Voyages series.  Full title: Five Weeks in a Balloon, or, Journeys and Discoveries in Africa by Three Gentlemen.  In this first of Verne's adventure novels, you can start to see the mix of ingredients which would later make him so popular: adventure, exotic locations, entertaining dialogue between the principal characters, and a pinch of science (or pseudoscience) tossed in.  In Five Weeks in a Balloon, there are just three principal characters: Dr. Samuel Ferguson, his man servant Joe, and his friend, sportsman, Richard "Dick" Kennedy.  Dr. Ferguson and his companions launch upon an unprecedented journey across the continent of Africa in a hot-air balloon filled with hydrogen of Ferguson's design.  The three characters face many trials and dangers on their journey, from threats of starvation, less than cooperative weather and wind currents, capture by dangerous African tribes, and even condors threatening to rip their balloon apart.  Verne's writing style overall is a nice and easy one to follow, although at times he tosses in historical details which some might find themselves skipping over.  Interest in Africa was still high at the time Five Weeks came out as the continent had not yet fully been explored and Verne's novel fully demonstrates this.  Most disconcerting (and at times outright uncomfortable) is the very negative stereotypes of the African natives, which would be completely unacceptable by today's standards.  For a work written in the early 1860s, while the Civil War was raging over in the U.S., it probably should not be all that surprising, but that realization does not make it any the more pleasant.  Outside of this aspect, however, I found Five Weeks to be an enjoyable read.  While not certainly his best, I imagine (this is the first Verne novel I've read, I believe), it was worthwhile to go back and start reading his works from the beginning in order to see how they developed as he went along.  (Read as part of my "1860s to 1920s" project.) (Finished reading 8/31/09)

The Adventures of Superman (1942; 2005 reprint/facsimile edition)
George Lowther
Originally published in 1942 (first reprinted in an unauthorized paperback edition in 1979 and again--this time, authorized--in a 1995 hardcover facsimile edition.  As detailed in the new introduction written by Roger Stern (who had just recently written the novelization of the Death of Superman storyline), by 1942 Superman had already moved the comic books (introduced in Action Comics #1, June 1938 cover date) to the newspaper comic strips (daily strip starting on January 16, 1939), a radio program (premiering February 12, 1940), and animated theatrical cartoons (September 1941).  So when this novel clearly aimed at younger readers (although a special "Armed Services Edition" was also sent overseas to military personnel), Superman was clearly still riding a rather large wave of popularity.  This novel is well known to die-hard Superman afficionados/historians as being the source of several key elements of what eventually became the standard Superman mythos, amongst them being Superman's Kryptonian parents' names being given as "Jor-el" and "Lara" for the first time--building upon the earlier names of "Kal-L" and "Lora" given in the Superman newspaper strips; "Jor-el" would eventually come to be written as "Jor-El".  (He also gave us the names "Sarah" and "Eben Kent" for Clark's adoptive parents.  As Stern describes, the names for these characters changed several times over the years before settling upon "Jonathan" and "Martha Kent".)

The novel itself follows the a pretty standard pattern.  It begins with Jor-el warning his fellow members of the "Council of One Hundred" at "Krypton's magnificent Temple of Wisdom" of the planet's impending destruction.  They, of course, do not believe him.  Jor-el and Lara barely are able to get their infant son, Kal-el, into the model rocket ship Jor-el had been building (prior to building a much larger one) and send him on to the planet Earth.  There, he is found by a poor farmer and his wife.  (The material up to this point is probably the least interesting as it's been done over and over again; the 1948 Superman movie serial and first episode of the George Reeves The Adventures of Superman television series both use many of the same names as Lowther does, here.)  We then skip ahead a bit to Clark's thirteenth year, when he begins to discover his unique abilities (first spotting an award ribbon stuck at the back of the teacher's desk drawer with his x-ray vision; his teacher's name is "Miss Lang"(!), no relation to Lana Lang, I presume).  We then get a rather detailed scene in which Eben enters an anvil lifting contest at the state fair (the family is greatly in debt and the award for the winner is $500).  Long story short, Eben puts up a good effort but can't beat the much younger man known as "The Bull".  Clark gets upset when his father is laughed at and walks right up and easily lifts the anvil high over his head.  Later, however, it turns out that Eben had strained his heart past the point of recovery and later dies.

Soon after this (skipping ahead a bit), Clark leaves and attempts to get a job as a newspaper reporter at The Daily Planet in Metropolis.  He had briefly met Perry White at the state fair (White was a reporter looking for a story).  By this point, White is the editor of the Planet.  He can't guarantee Clark a job as Clark has no newspaper experience, but he sends Clark up to Maine to look into reported sightings of a phantom clipper ship with a skeleton crew.  From this point forward, the novel very much takes on the feeling of the classic Superman radio shows, which is natural as George Lowther wrote many of those.  The writing style is simple yet engaging.  Joe Shuster, the original Superman comic book and comic strip artist and co-creator of the character (along with writer Jerry Siegel), along with the artists in his studio, provides ten full page illustrations (four in color), plus many more sketches of Superman as heading off each chapter.  While hardly "great writing", this first ever novel based on a comic book superhero is still an enjoyable read (and a "must read" for diehard Superman afficionados interested in the early development of the character).   (Finished reading 8/18/09)

The Complete Making of Indiana Jones: The Definitive Story Behind All Four Films (2008)
J. W. Rinzler
A treasure trove for Indiana Jones fans!  First off, the "credits": new interviews by Laurent Bouzereau; written by J.W. Rinzler; foreward by Steven Spielberg; preface by George Lucas.  This book goes takes you from the earliest discussions between Lucas and Spielberg while vacationing in Hawaii--at the same time Star Wars was opening in theaters in the U.S.--in 1977 about this notion Lucas had for a series of movies about an "adventurer-archaeologist" in the style of the old 1930s/40s "B-movies", through the four year development and production (pre-production, shooting, and post-production) of the first Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and onwards through the making of the following three sequels.  In addition to newly conducted interviews with all of the principal figures, much of the information gathered here is from film shooting logs, meeting transcript, and media publications of the time.  And there is a wealth of beautiful color and black and white photographs direct from the Lucasfilm archives.  I can not recommend this book enough to fans of the series.  Buy this book!  (Or, at least, try to check it out from your local library and give it a serious skimming through, taking in all of the gorgeous photos and picking out your own favorite moments to read about.) (Finished reading 8/15/09.)

Augustus Green in the Lair of the Pye-a-Saw (2009)
Thomas G. Lammers
A self-published, first novel (actually, more of a "novella" in length) by Lammers, an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh.  The author, a fervent botanist who has been to many exotic locales over the years, collecting samples, brings this wealth of knowledge and experience in his chosen field to good use in this tale of "Augustus Green", another botanist living at the very end of the 18th century in the still young United States.  He and his guide, a French-Canadian named Jacques Blondin, venture into the then Spanish held territory which is now southeastern Iowa--then known as "northern Louisiana"--against the wishes of the Spanish Lieutenant-Governor over that area, Zenon Trudeau.  Green makes many interesting botanical discoveries in the region, but soon finds himself more enthralled by the tale of the "Pye-a-Saw", a giant predatory bird which once menaced the Native Americans living there.  Furthermore, rumors have spread that the Pye-a-Saw has actually returned.  Green and Blondin become resolute to discover if this is indeed the case, and, if so, to bring down this monster before it can kill again.  This entire tale is told via Green's journal of the expedition, discovered in the attic of a college administration building about to be demolished in 1948 (the novella's framing sequence).  This first work of fiction by Dr. Lammers is an enjoyable read.  Occasionally the botanical verbage (the various scientific names of the various plants Green encounters) can become a bit distracting to someone not used to them (although they do add to the feeling of authenticity, that one is reading an actual journal kept recording such an expedition), and I couldn't help but wish that we could have seen an additional scene or two of Green and Blondin avoiding discovery by the Spanish authorities, however those are minor quibbles.  I very much look forward to whatever future tales Dr. Lammers comes up with.  (Note, being a self-published book, Augustus Green is not on Amazon, so I have put a link here to Missouri Botanical Garden Press instead, as they currenly carry it.)  (Finished reading 8/9/09)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)
J.K. Rowling
Seventh (and final) book in the Harry Potter series. (I broke with my usual routine--which is to wait to read in the next book in the Harry Potter series right before going out and seeing the movie version--and went ahead and read Deathly Hallows immediately after finishing Half-Blood Prince.  After all, this is the last of the series, and I didn't want to wait another year!)  All I can say is that Rowling did a wonderful job finishing things up.  Half-Blood Prince is a perfect tease, leading into this book, and Deathly Hallows definitely meets the expectations resulting from this.  My favorite thing about Deathly Hallows is that it breaks the pattern Rowling has established in the first six books of how each book starts out.  As indicated at the end of Half-Blood Prince, Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione do not go back to Hogwarts to attend their seventh year of studies.  Instead, they embark upon a dangerous quest in order to bring down the defeat of Lord Voldemort, who has largely taken over things in the wizarding world (albeit behind the scenes).  There are many exciting adventures (including infiltrating both the Ministry of Magic and Gringott's Wizarding Bank).  Harry also visits, amongst other places, the house where he lived as a baby and where his parents were murdered by Voldemort, and his parents' graves.  And, fear not, as one would expect, Hogwarts and the familiar professors do eventually appear in a significant section of the novel.  This is a really meaty book--759 pages--with a lot going on and lots of characters, but Rowling manages to keep the reader engaged and wanting to know what will come next.  I couldn't help but feel conflicted at times, both wanting to get to the big final battle while at the same time realizing that once I did then it would be all over.  I can't remember the last novel series which kept me so enthralled right to the end of the final book like this.  (Perhaps Timonthy Zahn's first Star Wars "Thrawn" trilogy of books: Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command.  No, more recently it probably be the Lord of the Rings trilogy, although I don't know if my excitement level for either of these was quite that as mine was while reading the final two Harry Potter books. (Finished reading 8/5/09)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005)
J.K. Rowling
Sixth book in the Harry Potter series. (Read just prior to watching the movie version, as has been my custom with the previous Harry Potter books.) Harry and his friends return to Hogwarts for their sixth year.  However, things are becoming very dire as Voldemore continues to work behind the scenes to reestablish his power base.  Dumbledore takes a direct role in Harry instruction this year, sharing with Harry what is known of the dark lord's past.  These flashbacks via the the magical device of Dumbledore's called the Pensieve are a focal part of this novel.  At the same time, Ron and Hermione experience another rather sizable "bump in the road" in their relationship, while Harry starts to develope feelings for Ron's sister, Ginny.  The pace of the book can seem a bit slow at times, especially with all of the Pensieve flashbacks, but once Voldemort's biggest, darkest secret is discovered and it is revealed what Dumbledore and Harry must do to defeat him, things really pick up fast.  From a dangerous mission of just the two of them away from the school and back to the school again where the forces of Voldemort have infiltrated the school's defenses and are on the attack.  Significant things happen in this installment in the series (including the death of a major character), and present an almost irresistible lead-in to the final, seventh, volume in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  (Finished reading 7/19/09)

Batman vs. Three Villains of Doom (1966)
Winston Lyon
Original novel based on Batman television series (1966-1968) (Cover blurb: "Now a spectacular new ABC-TV network series starring Adam West and Burt Ward."  Cover title given as "Batman vs. 3 Villains of Doom".)  The Joker, Penguin, and Catwoman all vie for the "Tommy" award, given once every ten years by the heads of the underworld to "the man or woman who has done the most for CRIME".  The mission each has to succeed at: the outwit or destroy Batman and Robin.  (Finished reading 6/10/09)

Shelby Foote, The Civil War, A Narrative: 40th Anniversary Edition: Volume 1: Secession to Fort Henry (1958, 1998)
Shelby Foote
Text first published in 1958 as part of Volume I of The Civil War, A Narrative: Fort Sumter to Perryville by Shelby Foote.  A nice, gradually paced, accounting of the years leading up to the Civil War (especially focusing on Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis) and the first year of fighting (the election of President Lincoln in November 1860 through the Union forces taking of Fort Henry--a Confederate held fort on the Tennesse River--in February 1862).  In addition to the in-depth looks at the personalities and daily difficulties Lincoln and Davis faced, plus those of the many other notable figures (largely composed of high ranking officers on both sides of the fight), I also enjoyed especially the parts dealing with the political situations back in Washington, D.C., and the Confederate capitals of Mobile, Alabama, and, later, Richmond, Virginia, the attempts made by the Confederacy to elicit official recognition by European powers (which nearly led to war between the North and Britain over of the "Trent affair"), and the engagements which involved the North's much superior naval powers and river "ironclad" gun-boats.  Lots of really nice pictures and graphics (maps, engravings, etc.) from the period in this "40th Anniversary Edition" printing from Time-Life Books.  Chapter titles: (1) Secession: Davis and Lincoln; (2) Sumter; Early Maneuvers; (3) Statistics North and South; (4) Manassas--Southern Triumph; (5) Anderson, Frémont, McClellon; (6) Scott's Anaconda: The Navy; (7) Diplomacy; The Build-up; (8) The West: Grant, Fort Henry.  (Finished reading 5/24/09)

Total Access: A Journey to the Center of the NFL Universe (2007)
Rich Eisen
NFL Network host takes reader through what a year of covering various NFL events is like, starting with the Super Bowl and culminating in "the eight game package" (eight regular season games shown on NFL network at season's end).  I enjoyed this one a lot, thanks to Eisen's oftentimes witty and interesting style.  Ironically, I was finishing reading the book right about the time I was also losing my "access" to NFL Network thanks to the situation between them and Comcast Cable.  (Finished reading 5/2/09)

Superman on Film, Television, Radio and Broadway (2008)
Bruce Scivally
(Reading barely begun when book had to be returned to library.  May return to later.)

The Complete Little Orphan Annie, Volume One: Will Tomorrow Ever Come?: Daily Comic Strips 1924-1927 (2008)
Harold Gray
(Reading put on hold.)

Tarzan in Color, Volume 2 (1932-1933) (1993)
Hal Foster
Reprints Sunday "Tarzan" newspaper strips from September 25, 1932 to August 17, 1933. (Reading put on hold.)

Tarzan in Color, Volume 1 (1931-1932) (1992)
Hal Foster
Reprints Sunday "Tarzan" newspaper strips from September 27, 1931 to September 18, 1932. (Finished reading 5/29/08)

Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia (1951 [renewed, 1994])
("The Chronicles of Narnia")
C.S. Lewis
Second book (in order of original release; numbered "book four" in later printings to place the books in chronological order) in C.S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia" series. The four Pevensie children are drawn by to the magical world of Narnia. It is one year later for them but more than a thousand years for the denizens of Narnia. They have been called back because an evil despot, King Miraz, has conquered Narnia and this nephew, Prince Caspian (the rightful monarch) now leads a ragtag army of fellow insurgents (magical creatures) against him but all looks lost so Prince Caspian has ordered the legendary horn of Queen Susan, which is said to bring magical aid in one's most dire hour, to be blown. The four children (who, while in Narnia, are known as High King Peter, King Edmund, Queen Susan, and Queen Lucy) are reunited with Aslan, the wise old lion, and join forces with Prince Caspian and his army to overthrow King Miraz and his Telmarine forces. (Finished reading 5/7/08)

Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon Volume 2 (2003)
Alex Raymond
Reprints Sunday "Flash Gordon" newspaper strips from April 21, 1935 to October 11, 1936. (Finished reading 10/31/07)

The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy Volume 1: 1931-1933 (2006)
Chester Gould
Reprints daily "Dick Tracy" newspaper strips from October 12, 1931 to May 20, 1933, and Sunday strips from October 4, 1931 to May 14, 1933. (Finished reading 9/27/07)

Popeye Volume 1: "I Yam What I Yam" (2006)
E.C. Segar
(Finished reading 5/28/07)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2004)
J.K. Rowling
Fifth book in the Harry Potter series. (Read just prior to watching the movie version, as is/was my custom with the Harry Potter, Lord of Rings, and Narnia books and movies.) I am now typing this February 25, 2008, nearly seven months later, so I can't go into too many details at the moment. It's been too long for me to remember that much. But even as I look at the blurb on the back of the book, I recall how much I enjoyed this one. By this, book five, and the previous installment, book four, The Goblet of Fire, the Harry Potter series is really starting to grab the reader. The return of Lord Voldemort leads Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the rest of the regular characters down pathways unforeseen in the first couple books. Harry, in particular, continues to mature, taking on a new role of leadership forced upon him by changing circumstances at Hogwarts. And even before journeying to the magical school for the new semester, evil forces seek to attack him back home, forcing him to use his magic to defend himself (which in turn brings him under the scrutiny of the Ministry of Magic, who threaten to expel Harry from Hogwarts for "improper use of magic"). The tone of the book is rather dark, but the subject matter warrants such an approach as the series continues to lead towards an inevitable final confrontation.) (Finished reading 8/5/07)

The Bounty Hunter Wars, Book Three: Hard Merchandise (1999)
("Star Wars" novel)
K.W. Jeter
(As per the note for book two of this trilogy, I'm afraid that I waited too long to sit down and make this entry after having finished reading the book (seven months prior to my making this entry). I do recall liking this last book of the three pretty well, as I did the entire three book series. Again, as I wrote for book two, if you liked book one of the trilogy, chances are you will enjoy books two and three, I think.) (Finished reading 7/13/07)

The Bounty Hunter Wars, Book Two: Slave Ship (1998)
("Star Wars" novel)
K.W. Jeter
(As you can tell from the "finished reading" dates, I finished this one just a couple weeks after the first book in this trilogy, but unfortunately I never took the time to write down my thoughts on it back then. It is now February 24, 2008, as I type this and any specific thoughts have now long since left me, aside from recalling that I enjoyed the Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy pretty well, as a whole. If you liked book one of the trilogy, chances are you will enjoy books two and three, I think.) (Finished reading 5/28/07)

The Bounty Hunter Wars, Book One: The Mandalorian Armor (1998)
("Star Wars" novel)
K.W. Jeter
Book one of "Bounty Hunter Wars" trilogy. Focuses on Boba Fett and other bounty hunters, many of whom were first seen briefly in The Empire Strikes Back (including Bossk, Dengar, Zuckuss, and IG-88). Story switches back and forth between the present day (events occurring "during" Return of the Jedi, but after the Boba Fett's falling into the Sarlacc creature during the big "rescue of Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt" scene early in the film) and several years in the past ("just after the events of Star Wars: A New Hope"). In the present, Boba Fett is barely alive after his encounter with the Sarlacc (having literally blown his way out of the creature's stomach). He is found dying in the desert by Dengar. With the aid of two wandering medical droids, formerly part of Jabba's large assortment, he tries to save Boba Fett (and to keep those who would prefer Fett dead from killing him) for his own reasons. They are also joined by Neelah, a former slave dancing girl of Jabba's with only a partial memory. All she knows is that she had a past before winding up in Jabba's palace and that Boba Fett knows something about it. In the past scenes, Boba Fett is hired to infiltrate the Bounty Hunter's Guild and to destroy it from within by turning the forces within it against each other. He is hired by Prince Xizor (who was introduced in the novel Shadows of the Empire) as part of plan to benefit the Emperor (and, secretly, Xizor himself), while a skeptical Darth Vader watches on but has to focus most of his attention on tracking down and destroying the Rebel Alliance (the Emperor and Vader appear in only chapter of this novel, however it is lengthy and quite singificant to the story). The Bounty Hunter's Guild is led by the elder Trandosian, Cradossk, father of Bossk. Already rivals, Bossk comes to hate Boba Fett even more for what he ends up doing to the Guild, which plays out many years later in the "present day" scenes of this trilogy of novels.
  While I probably wouldn't count this novel as one of my favorite Star Wars novels, it did succeed in holding my interest. Jeter does a pretty good job of depicting the various bounty hunters and their different personalities. He does an especially good job with Fett himself (remember, this novel trilogy was written prior to Star Wars: Episode Two - Attack of the Clones, which introduced us to Boba Fett's father, Jango Fett, and showed us Boba Fett as the cloned child of Jango). The focus of this trilogy is very much on the "bad guys". Indeed, outside of a few brief references (and one key tantalizing mystery pointing back to the murder of Luke Skywalker's aunt and uncle at the hands of the stormtroopers in A New Hope), the regular principle Star Wars characters (Luke, Han, Leia, etc.) don't appear at all. Instead, our primary characters are Boba Fett, Dengar, and Neelah. Therefore, at times I did have a bit of a hard time bringing myself to care too much as to what happened to these characters (as none of them are "good guys" in the typical sense). But, like I said, Jeter did a good enough job with the various personalities and his weaving of the various elements of the Star Wars mythos to keep my attention for the most part. About the only character I had a hard time reading about for very long was a new spider like character named Kud'ar Mub'at, the "middle man" of sorts between Fett and Xizor. An extrememly bizarre creature, it would take me way too long to go into very much detail about him, here. For more information on him, see this site. (Finished reading 5/15/07)

Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary (1973)
( Psalms 1-72: An Introduction and Commentary on Books I and II of the Psalms)
( Psalms 73-150: An Introduction and Commentary on Books III-V of the Psalms)
("Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries", Vols. 14a-14b)
Derek Kidner
(Was reading as supplement to daily Bible devotions. Didn't finish. May return to later. Dropped from "currently reading" status on 3/31/07.)

1 Chronicles: An Introduction and Commentary (1994)
("Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries", Vol. 10a)
Martin J. Selman
(Was reading as supplement to daily Bible devotions. Didn't finish. May return to later. Dropped from "currently reading" status on 3/31/07.)

The Truce at Bakura (1994)
("Star Wars" novel)
Kathy Tyers
Truce at Bakura was one of the first of Bantam's run of original Star Wars novels which started with Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire in 1991. Bakura picks up the story immediately after Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Before Luke, Leia, Han, and company can gather their breaths following the defeat of the Emperor, a distress call is received from an Imperial world out on the rim called Bakura, one under attack from a mysterious new alien race called the Ssi-ruuk. Luke leads a small rebel strike force to the planet in hopes of driving back the aliens while Leia, Han, and Chewie are sent to try to convince the native people of Bakura to reject their Imperial rulers and join the Rebel Alliance. When they arrive, however, they find a bit more than they had counted on. The Ssi-ruuk have unique technology with which they "entech" prisoners, tranferring their very life energies in order to power attack droids and other Ssi-ruuk technology. Dangers lies both from the Ssi-ruuk and from the Imperial Governor Nereus, who is eager to betray the fragile truce between Imperials and rebels as soon as the Ssi-ruuk can be turned away. (Finished reading 3/26/07. Also read earlier when it first came out in 1994.)

Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon Volume 1 (2003)
Alex Raymond
Reprints Sunday "Flash Gordon" newspaper strips from January 7, 1934 (beginning of strip) to April 14, 1935. Further comments on this book will be posted on the "Comics Read Blog" page. (Finished reading 12/29/06 (or thereabouts))

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds V (2002), VI (2003), 8 (2005), and 9 (2006)
Edited by Dean Wesley Smith, et al.
Read at this time: From Strange New Worlds V, "Disappearance on 21st Street" by Mary Scott-Wiecek, and "The Difficulties of Being Evil" by Craig Gibb; from Strange New Worlds VI, "Whales Weep Not" by Juanita Nolte, and "The Beginning" by Annie Reed; from Strange New Worlds 8, "Assignment: One" by Kevin Lauderdale; and from Strange New Worlds 9, "The Rules of War" (also) by Kevin Lauderdale. (Also, "When the Stars Come a-Calling" by Ben Raab and John Lucas from Star Trek Special #1 (Wildstorm [comics], 2001).)
  These stories all take place in the pre-Star Trek: Enterprise time frame, from "The Beginning" circa 2,000 B.C.(?) to "Rules of War" in 1994. "The Beginning" is a "Speculations" type story giving us one possible portrayal of the "origin" of the Borg and the Borg Queen (on some unnamed alien planet). "Disappearance" ties into the classic "City on the Edge of Forever" episode of the original Star Trek series (which took place in 1930 New York City). "When the Stars" (a comic book short story in the one-shot comic, Star Trek Special, by Wildstorm) shows us how Benny Russell (the 1930s science fiction writer character Benjamin Sisko apparently "became" while in certain visions, first seen in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode, "Far Beyond the Stars") first got his job writing science fiction stories at Incredible Tales magazine. "Difficulties" is a "Captain Proton" story, this time from the perspective of the villainous "Dr. Chaotica" (taking place, so to speak, on the Star Trek timeline circa 1939). "Whales Weep Not" is another original series based story, this one following up on Gillian Taylor's abrupt disappearance from her home in San Francisco in 1986 (taken to the future with Kirk and company in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home). "The Rules of War" (another "Speculations" story) focuses on Captain Jonathan Archer's (Star Trek: Enterprise) great-grandfather while a soldier fighting in the Eugenics Wars in 1994 (Star Trek 1990s, obviously). "Assignment: One" gives us a Gary Seven story (the character first seen in the original series episode, "Assignment: Earth") taking place in September 2001. Further comments will be posted eventually at the Star Trek Chronological Reading Project webpage (and regarding "When the Stars Come a-Calling" on the "Comics Read Blog" page). (Finished reading 12/15/06 (or thereabouts))

The Crivit Experiment (1985)
("V" novel)
Allen Wold
Seventh original "V" novel (eighth overall). The Visitors have a secret facility conducting breeding experiments involving crivits (sand burrowing carnivorous creatures first seen on the "Breakout" episode of the television series) in the Piedmont Mountain region of North Carolina. They also have a secret prison camp on the former grounds of Fort Bragg military facility. Several separate groups of individuals working against the Visitors--including one group of computer scientists working covertly to bug and monitor various Visitor installations, another group of students interested in vandalizing the Visitor offices on their college campus, and a poor farmer and moon shiner who just happens to live next to the Visitors' secret crivit breeding location--eventually all come together in an concerted effort to prevent the Visitors' plans from coming to fruition.
  I enjoyed this one pretty well. While at times I had trouble remembering who some of the characters were (especially the several computer scientists and the handful of college students), I found each of the characters to be well written (especially the poor farmer/moon shiner, Durk Attweiler), and I thought that the plot was pretty well paced. The author also seemed pretty well researched in regards to the area this novel takes place in, North Carolina. Oh, and I should mention that we do see one of the regular Los Angeles based characters, Chris Faber, come in towards the end to help this fledgling group of resistance fighters to organize a raid on the prison camp. Next "V" novel up in my reading--after watching a couple of the television series episodes and also after reading some other non-"V" stuff, most likely--The Texas Run. (Finished reading 12/10/06)

Prisoners and Pawns (1985)
("V" novel)
Howard Weinstein
Fifth original "V" novel (sixth overall). First, in the order that the novels were originally released in, to reflect the events of the television series (see also notes on Death Tide novel). Takes place after "The Sanction" television episode and Death Tide (according to timeline used; only vague indications given in the novel itself as to when it takes place, especially in relation to Death Tide, which was written after Prisoners [for instance, no mention is given to Maggie and Chris's relationship seen in Death Tide, nor to Julie's recent miscarriage, also seen in Death Tide; on the other hand, Elizabeth speaks quite comfortably of her late Visitor father in Prisoners, while in Death Tide she is having very vivid nightmares involving him and his death at the hands of her mother--Robyn is "away" in Prisoners]). First book--again, as they were originally released--to focus entirely on the main "V" characters since The Pursuit of Diana, three books earlier (and Pursuit of Diana does not reflect the events of the television series as it had to be written well before any scripts for the television series were ready in order for Pursuit to hit the shelves at the same time that the series would begin airing). "Authors' Notes" comments are dated September 1984 (Death Tide's notes were dated December 1984, so Prisoners was finished approx. three months earlier) or just one month before V: The Series went on the air in October 1984. Weinstein states that he was able to read "the first few stories intended for the television series" when writing Prisoners.
  Story deals primarily with Lydia and plan of hers to capture Mike Donovan and other Resistance leaders by formulating a false invasion scheme and passing it on to the Resistance via Fifth Column members aboard her Mother Ship. At the same time that Donovan, Ham Tyler, and Chris Faber are meeting with their Fifth Column contact concerning this, they are also trying to transport a Japanese Resistance spy (one of several that they had rescued from Lydia's capture) back out of the country, and Julie Parrish is leading others on a mission to acquire more weapons for the Resistance via a secret meeting with a supply ship off the California coast. Next up in my reading: The Crivit Experiment. (Finished reading 11/19/06)

1 & 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary (1988)
("Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries", Vol. 8)
Joyce G. Baldwin
Read as supplement to daily Bible devotions. First Samuel features the birth and childhood of the prophet, priest, and judge named Samuel, and how he came to anoint Saul as the first king of Israel. We see Saul's rocky reign and how God ultimately rejects Saul and we see Samuel anoint David as Saul's replacement. We then see the rise of David from shepherd boy to slayer of Goliath and servant of Saul, and how Saul eventually sees David as a threat to his kingdom and tries to have David killed. Finally, the first book of Samuel ends with the defeat and death of Saul. Second Samuel deals with the majority of David's reign, including both his victories over various enemies and his failings/transgressions (including the infamous affair with Bathsheba and arranging of the murder of her husband Uriah and the later rebellion and temporary usurping of David's kingship by his son Absalom). I enjoyed Baldwin's style of writing, making this one of the more enjoyable commentaries to read through. Many of the events of 2 Samuel are also covered in parallel passages in 1 Chronicles, and most of the psalms of David were presumably written during this time period as well, so I took my time making my way through all of these books of the Bible--1 & 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, and Psalms, at least the psalms ascribed to David--and the Tyndale Old Testaement Commentaries devoted to each book. (Finished reading 11/13/06)

To Conquer the Throne (1987)
("V" novel)
Tim Sullivan
Twelfth original "V" novel (thirteenth overall). The London based Visitors, under the leadership of Commander Medea (seen also in Sullivan's earlier novel, The Florida Project), make plans to crush the British Resistance and the I.R.A. (the latter now actually working with their hated British adversaries against their now greater common foe, the Visitors). The Visitors have also infiltrated the House of Commons and Medea plans to cement their submission of the British people by arranging for the burial of a dead Visitor officer in Westminster Abbey, what most British citizens would consider a defilement of one of their most cherished shrines. Meanwhile, one American woman living in Britain named Gabriela Nicks finds herself finds herself thrust into the fight against the Visitors when the man she loves--whom she learns is a member of the British Resistance--is killed right before her eyes. She soon finds herself training alongside other resistance members and, after one particularly daring adventure, becomes a well known symbol of the British Resistance, leading raids against Visitor targets throughout the U.K. But unknown to Gabriela, not all is as it seems regarding the death of her lover, Nigel Smythe-Walmsley.
  Comments: Second of Tor's five "V" novels released two years after the television series went off the air and the last of the Pinnacle Books "V" novels came out. The timeline I used placed it here, along with three other novels (Death Tide, Prisoners and Pawns, and The Crivit Experiment), between the fifth ("The Sanction") and sixth ("The Dissident") episodes of the television series. I really didn't see anything within the book itself giving any indication as to why the timeline placed here, however. A couple of the main, Los Angeles based "V" characters are only mentioned briefly twice, and an early reference to the climate in England being "mild enough" for the Red Dust to not be effective anymore against the Visitors would seem to point to simply sometime after the start of the television series. Anyway, as for what I thought about the novel itself, I seemed to have a hard time getting into this one. I think it's because I didn't find this particular set of characters to be all that interesting. Also, while things do pick up a bit in the last two or three chapters, including an interesting scene involving the London based Visitor Mother Ship, the first half or so of the novel seems rather slow paced, jumping from one set of characters to another, none of which were all that interesting to me. Anyway, next up on my "V" novel reading: Prisoners and Pawns. (Finished reading 10/28/06)

Death Tide (1985)
("V" novel)
A.C. Crispin & Deborah A. Marshall
Ninth original "V" novel (tenth overall). First to really reflect the events of the television series (at least in the chronological order that I'm reading these). Takes place after "The Sanction" television episode (according to timeline used). First book to focus entirely on the main "V" characters in awhile (last one read before this that featured the main characters was The Pursuit of Diana but this one doesn't suffer from the many inconsistencies with the television series that Pursuit did thanks to this one being written after the series had been on the air for awhile; "Authors' Notes" comments are dated December 1984 which was right about midway through V: The Series' single season on the air).
  The resistance has been working to develop a new type of "red dust" that flourishes first in sea kelp. The hope is that this new red dust will not only make the oceans toxic to the Visitors but that it will cross over to land flora as well, solving the problem that the current red dust has of not remaining active in warmer climate areas such as Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Diana has received word that an emergency shipment of water is urgently need now on Sirius, the Visitors' home planet. She is outraged to discover that the waters off the coast of California have been contaminated by this new red dust. To counteract this she instructs her scientists to come up with a "red dust" of their own that will destroy all of the sea kelp up and down the California coast. When the resistance discovers this they must find a way to stop Diana from engineering such a wide scale ecological disaster. Meanwhile, Diana has also sent a converted Margorie Donavon to the resistance in hopes of finally crushing Mike Donovan and the resistance. Julie feels that she is losing Mike to his ex-wife right when Julie needs him the most as Julie has started to feel like she might be pregnant. Also appearing briefly in this book are characters from Crispin's East Coast Crisis novel, a nice bit of continuity between the two books.
  Personal comments: I enjoyed this novel. It was nice, after several books focusing on other characters, to read a novel focusing on Donovan, Julie Parrish, and the rest of the main characters of the Los Angeles resistance again. And, as I said, this novel fits into the continuity of the television series much better than any that I've read prior to this due to the authors having seen more of the episodes than the ones working on the first of the novels to be released. I'd probably rank this up there with East Coast Crisis in terms of how much I enjoyed it (in other words, one of the better ones). Next "V" novel up: To Conquer the Throne. (Finished reading 10/14/06)

The King James Only Controversy: Can You Trust the Modern Translations? (1995)
James R. White
Author James R. White uses detailed looks at the history of Bible translation and the various Greek and Hebrew texts available--including the Textus Receptus used by the original King James Version scholars--to address the claims of the "King James Only" movement and to show that modern translations such as the NIV, NASB, etc. are just as legitimate as the KJV (sometimes more so) in relating God's word accurately and clearly. White goes into great detail, addressing various claims by noted "KJV Onlyists" and analyzing the verses they often refer to as having "changed" or "deleted" something (from the KJV's translation of said verses), and how the modern translations came to be based on the Greek and Hebrew texts the modern day scholars use. "Part Two" (pages 251-271; more of an appendix, really) goes into even more detail for those really wanting to analyze key verses in the various translations versus the Greek and Hebrew texts (I chose not to take the time to read this, however). White's purpose isn't to "bash" the King James Version--although he does have a chapter addressing various unclear, misleading, and occasionally outright mistranslated passages in the KJV--but to address a serious issue that has been so divisive as to actually split churches over the issue. (Finished reading 9/27/06)

The NIV Story: The Inside Story of the New International Version (1989)
Burton L. Goddard
Inside story, written by one of the participants, of how the New International Version (NIV) English language translation of the Bible came to be. From anecdotes of future participants in the project deciding independently of each other in as early as 1957 of the need for a new translation of the Bible in contemporary ("idiomatic twentieth-century") English, through the various early committee meetings discussing issues such as whether or not a new translation really was needed, analyzing and critiquing the already existing King James Version (1611) and various modern English translations then available (the American Standard Version [1901], the Berkeley Version [New Testament, 1945; entire Bible, 1959], the Revised Standard Version [New Testament, 1946; entire Bible, 1952; various additional editions and version including the Apocrypha, 1957-1973], the New English Bible [New Testament, 1961; entire Bible, 1970], and the New American Standard Bible [New Testament, 1963; entire Bible, 1971]), the decision of what to call the new translation (I found this chapter to be especially interesting), financing issues (the New York Bible Society, later the International Bible Society, came to the group's rescue there), translating guidelines, etc., to the Bible's ultimate release in 1978 (actual publishing timeline: Gospel of John, 1969; Acts, no date given but between 1969 and 1973; the complete New Testament, 1973; Isaiah, Daniel, and Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, no dates given but between 1973 and 1978; the complete Bible including Old and New Testaments, October 27, 1978).
  As it is written by one of the participants, it is sort of an "official" history, at least in tone. A non-critical look at the development of the translation, those who worked on it, and how they came to make the decisions that they did. Details formatting decisions specific to the NIV such as the decision as whether or not to use sectional headings, standard paragraping, how to format passages of poetry, whether or not to capitalize personal pronouns, for the Deity, etc. (Note: I recommend the following website for more information regarding the NIV and other English language translations, from Anglo-Saxon versions to Today's New International Version [2005]: Bible Researcher.com : The English Versions of Scripture.) (Finished reading 9/09/06)

Crisis on Infinite Earths (2005*)
Marv Wolfman
Novelization of 1985-86 comics series written by Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez. Wolfman does a pretty good job of adapting the series to novel format, hitting most of the important beats just fine. One of the biggest changes made in the novelization is Wolfman's choice to make the primary point of view that of the Flash's (Barry Allen). This makes sense since the Flash was moving back and forth through time in the original series. It does, however, mean some new speculations on the part of Wolfman here that the Flash was present for many key scenes unseen by anyone else. Wolfman intersperses chapters focusing on other characters and their own internal reactions as to what's going on around them between chapters narrated by the Flash. And, while a certain amount of creative leeway is expected in this sort of thing in regards to changes made from the original, this seems to be less so in the beginning of the book and more so near the end. The final few chapters (adapting the last two issues of the twelve issue comics series) have many significant differences between the novel and the comics. Still, the novel is well worth reading. Wolfman does an excellent job of portraying each of the multitude of characters present in this epic story, including different dimensional counterparts of the same characters in some cases (Earth-1 Superman and Earth-2 Superman, for instance). (Finished reading 8/25/06)
  (* 2005 hardback printing, now out of print; 2006 paperback printing also available)

Crisis on Infinite Earths (1999*)
Marv Wolfman, George Pérez, et al.
Comic book hardback collection. Collects Crisis on Infinite Earths #1-12 (DC Comics, 1985-1986). Further comments on this book will be posted on the "Comics Read Blog" page. (Finished reading 8/21/06)
  (* 1999 limited edition hardback edition with slipcase; other available editions: 2001 softcover edition; 2005 oversized "Absolute" edition)

The Florida Project (1985)
("V" novel)
Tim Sullivan
Fourth original "V" novel (fifth overall). A secret Visitor installation in the Florida Everglades works to develop an army of hybrid human-reptilian creatures. Also, the Visitor in charge of the compound see his opportunity to personally mate with a female human scientist who they've taken captive in hopes of engineering their own "star child" (like Elizabeth). Those working against the Visitors this time include a football player hoping to rescue his lover (the aforementioned female scientist), a group of Indians from a nearby reservation in danger of being destroyed by the Visitors, and familiar faces Ham Tyler and Chris Faber. Also entering the fray a bit over halfway through book are "V" regulars Mike Donovan, Julie Parrish, Elias Taylor, and Willie.
  Personal comments: An enjoyable enough read. In addition to regular favorites such as Ham Tyler, Mike Donovan, and the rest (who it was nice to see again after a couple of books without them), the original characters this time were also pretty good. Matter a fact, while the overall plot probably wasn't as good as The Alien Swordmaster, I enjoyed this set of characters better. (Of course, that might be because Sullivan's dialogue didn't make me cringe like Sucharitkul's did in Swordmaster). Sullivan did a good job also of making most of the human characters likable, enough that it's a bit disappointing when some of them don't make it.
  One other thing: The timing of when this book takes place is a bit dicey I think. I presume that it's placed here because the Red Dust is still considered to be a threat to the Visitors, keeping most of them off planet. However, if it really takes place among the other novels I've just finished reading which all in turn take place prior to the first episode of the regular TV series, "Liberation Day", how do so many people in this book know so much about Elizabeth?
  Next book up (after watching the first four episodes of the television seris and reading the first eight issues of the DC Comics series, the latter of which I'll post comments about over on the "Comics Read Blog" page): Death Tide. (Finished reading 7/30/06)

The Alien Swordmaster (1985)
("V" novel)
Somtow Sucharitkul
Sixth original "V" novel (seventh overall) (read between The Chicago Conversion and The Florida Project because that's where a timeline I found online places it). Focuses on Visitors still active in Tokyo and the surrounding regions of Japan following the events of V: The Final Battle and a handful of humans working to thwart their plans. This group of Visitors survive the "red dust" by wearing "thermal pressure skins". They've set up a processing facility where Japanese people can commit ritual suicide (which, of course, fills the Visitors' food banks) and human "sushi bars". They also are kidnapping and converting martial arts experts to train converted human soldiers for the Visitors since their alien weapons supplies are dwindling and they do not know when their alien fleet of mother ships will return.
  Personal comments: I have to say that I have the most mixed feelings about this book as probably I have had about any book I've ever read. On the "pro" (good) side: I really liked the set-up. Japan is an interesting locale and a particularly appropriate one for a "V" novel. The author expertly plays on Japanese customs and how the Visitors would easily be able to take advantage of them for their own use. Also, for the first time the general creepiness (if not outright horror) of the Visitors' "feeding habits" are explored to their fullest in this novel (unlike the television series where they understandably had to restrict their meals to such fare as live rats, gerbils, etc.). Here we have, in addition to the human "sushi bars" I mentioned above, the female Visitor commander (seems like all of the Visitor commanders are female, doesn't it?) munching on literal "finger food", and when Tomoko, one of the human main characters, stumbles upon a storage area much like the ones seen on the Mother Ships this time some of the people in storage are missing body parts! On the "con" (bad) side: This book has to have some of the worst written dialogue I've ever read. Seriously. Absolutely wretched, hokey, contrived, etc. dialogue at times (note: this is mostly with the primary human characters, not the Visitors). Still, I have to say that the pros outweigh the cons here enough to make it a worthy read for "V" fans. Next up: The Florida Project (which should prove personally interesting as I grew up in Florida). (Finished reading 07/20/06)

The Chicago Conversion (1985)
("V" novel)
Geo. W. Proctor
Third original "V" novel (fourth overall). Sam Walker has been hiding out with his (defacto) wife, Kathleen, in the stables of an abandoned Chicago race track all the while the alien Visitors have been taking over. Then, (corresponding with the events of "V: The Final Battle") the Visitors are seemingly driven off of the Earth by the resistance's deadly red "V-dust". Unknown to anyone, however, just before the Visitors' hasty withdrawal, a Visitor raiding party, also in the Chicago vicinity, raids a resistance camp and confiscates one hundred pills of the "V-dust" antitoxin, thereby making one hundred enemy Visitors immune to the red dust. And hiding just on the other side of the Earth's moon is a small fleet of Visitor mother ships. Afraid to report back to their "Great Leader" their failure to subjugate the Earth, they await their chance to strike back. And those one hundred immune troops--along with influential humans still under the sway of Visitor conversion techniques--may just hold the key. Stumbling upon the Visitors' secret plans is Samuel and Kathleen. The Visitors kill Kathleen, driving Samuel to give up on hiding out and to join the resistance in their efforts to drive the Visitors off world, once and for all.
  Personal comments: I think I like this one best of the "V" novels I've read so far. At the very least, it's up there with East Coast Crisis as my favorite, and it reminds me a bit of East Coast Crisis in that it focuses on original characters (thereby avoiding the problems The Pursuit of Diana had with contradicting events later seen in the V: The Series television series. One thing I liked about The Chicago Conversion was that it didn't seem to have too many different characers to keep track of. Just the right number of "good guys" (resistance fighters) and "bad guys" (Visitors). Also, the threat of a hundred enemy Visitor shock troops immune to the "V-dust" due to the confiscated antitoxin pills is an interesting plot twist (following immediately upon the events at the end of the V: The Final Battle television mini-series. Up next in my reading: the "V" novel, The Alien Swordmaster (seventh "V" novel released but next one up on the "V" timeline I'm using). (Finished reading 06/25/06)

The Pursuit of Diana (1984)
("V" novel)
Alan Wold
In this "V" novel, which picks up immediately after the V: The Final Battle television mini-series, the resistance members must deal with the immediate issues of getting the Los Angeles Mother Ship back home to Earth safely, dealing with both the captured enemy Visitors aboard the ship and those influential humans on Earth who have been converted, reviving the thousands of humans stored in suspended animation aboard the Mother Ship, and, upper most, the capture of Diana. Note: Novel contradicts events seen in the first episode of the regular V television series, which also picks up just after V: The Final Battle.
  Personal comments: If I recall correctly, this is the only one of the "V" novels that I actually read back when they first came out. So, while I've had all of them all this time, all but Pursuit I'm now reading for the first time. My memories were that I enjoyed Pursuit. Now, years later, I found that I didn't really remember much of the actual plot of the book. And there's probably a pretty good reason for that. Pursuit is an okay read but in the end rather forgettable. There are moments that are interesting, but others that aren't particularly so, especially once Michael Donovan, Juliet Parrish, and the others aboard the Mother Ship arrive back home and are immediately captured by National Guardsmen led by a converted army colonel under Diana's sway. Next "V" novel up: The Chicago Conversion. (Finished reading 06/16/06)

East Coast Crisis (1984)
("V" novel)
Howard Weinstein & A.C. Crispin
  First original novel in the series, second overall (following Crispin's novelization of the two "V" television mini-series.) Story actually takes place parallel with the events of the two TV mini-series, the focus this time being on characters living in New York City and Washington, D.C. Like their counterparts in Los Angeles (Mike Donovan, Juliet Parrish, and the other main "V" characters as seen on the television series), these new characters witness the arrival of the Visitors in their mammoth Mother Ships. Some are skeptical of the Visitors' intentions pretty much right from the start, others believe what the Visitors say. Soon, however, the Visitors start to exact more and more influence over everyday life, to the point where martial law is declared. Once this happens (and a few of our new characters discover the Visitors' true natures--reptilian instead of human-like--and their secret plans for humanity, an east coast resistance group is formed. For most of the book they are completely independent of other resistance groups around the world as the Visitors have complete control over conventional communications systems. Near the end, however, we do have a brief appearance by "V" characters Juliet Parrish, Ham Tyler, and Maggie Blodgett, who risk traveling cross country to New York City in their captured Visitor squad vehicle to establish communication with the east coast resistance group.
  Personal comments: An enjoyable read. As it was mostly an original story, it did not have the problems that Crispin's novelization had of having details which were contradicted by the TV show (at no fault of Crispin's, of course, as she must have been working from early scripts to get her novelization out by the time the second mini-series aired). However, while I did enjoy the original characters and their own situations, I did become a bit more interested when the story intersected with events from the mini-series and we briefly got to see those main characters again, like Donovan, Parrish, and Tyler. The next "V" novel: The Pursuit of Diana. (Finished reading 06/9/06)

V (1984)
A.C. Crispin
  Novelization of both the original 1983 V television mini-series and its 1984 follow-up, V: The Final Battle. An enjoyable read. Having read the book while watching the two mini-series on DVD, however, I couldn't help but notice many of the areas where the book is different. Which is fine, normally, but in this case some of the differences are really rather distracting. Such as whole bits of dialogue being switched between characters and scenes occuring in entirely different locales.
  (This occurs more often with the second half of the book, adapting The Final Battle, than the first half, which adapts the original V mini. Obviously, Crispin must have been working only from early shooting scripts of the second mini-series since this novelization was released to coincide with its airing on NBC in May 1984. The portion of the book adapting the first V mini-series is more faithful to the original, which is understandable as presumably Crispin had the final cut of the first mini-series to go by instead of just early shooting scripts.)
  Also, a bit distracting to me was Crispin's characterization of Faye Grant's Juliet Parrish character. Crispin has Parrish cursing quite a bit--and in one scene smoking some pot with Marc Singer's Michael Donovan character. That didn't quite seem to follow Parrish's character as portrayed by Grant on the two mini-series, or at least not in my humble opinion. Still, despite the differences between it and the programs it adapts--including some pretty clunky bits of dialogue from time to time that I'm presuming came from the early shooting scripts because they weren't in the two mini-series as aired--I enjoyed reading this novelization and look forward to the fifteen original "V" novels that followed starting with the first, East Coast Crisis. (Finished reading 05/26/06)

Judges & Ruth: An Introduction and Commentary (1968)
("Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries", Vol. 7)
Arthur E. Cundall & Leon Morris
[Actual title page: Judges: An Introduction and Commentary by Arthur E. Cundall ; Ruth: An Introduction and Commentary by Leon Morris]
  Read--again, over a pretty long period, as I've been much too sporadic in doing my devotions these past months--as a supplement to my "daily" Bible devotions. An in-depth look at two Old Testament books, those of Judges and Ruth. The Judges commentary, written by Cundall, just might be the most enjoyable that I've read so far in this Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries series on purely a readability level. He doesn't get overly bogged down in analyzing the original Hebrew or the language of the various ancient texts, or with the recent archeological discovers (although he does cover those things where he feels they are relevant. Like the book of Judges itself, which is a pretty plot and character driven book of the Bible (compared the books that precede it, at the very least), Cundall's commentary likewise centers largely on the historical and theological aspects of what's actually happening in the narrative. Which, as I said, made it a bit more enjoyable to read than many of the others in the series that I've read/studied so far.
  The last hundred pages of the book are devoted to Morris's commentary of the book of Ruth. In it, we return to a style of commentary focusing very heavily on the language of the ancient texts. At times interesting (and undoubtedly just what some theological studies students are looking for at times), it is at times difficult to read through--although, granted, I should admit that commentaries are rarely intended to be read cover-to-cover as I have been doing.
  (The actual books of the Bible, Judges and Ruth, by the way, I'd certainly recommend. Judges, as I said, is a lot more character and plot-driven than many of the book from Genesis to Joshua as Judges details how Israel continued to fall into apostasy during this period only to cry out to the Lord for help, to which he provided another powerful leader to rally them to victory over their persecutors. And Ruth is a very short book--just four chapters--telling a quiet little story of one woman's--Ruth--love and devotion for her mother-in-law, Naomi.) (Finished reading 3/20/06)

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1998*)
("The Chronicles of Narnia")
C.S. Lewis
  First book--in the order as originally released--in the "Chronicles of Narnia" series. Charming tale of four children who find their way into a magical world called Narnia through a mysterious wardrobe. They find that Narnia is under the evil rulership of the White Witch, who has kept it perpetually winter there. The children--all except for young Edmund who has fallen under the White Witch's influence--immediately join the struggle against the White Witch, particularly when the great lion Aslan returns to Narnia to lead the fight. (Finished reading 02/10/06)
  (* 1998 HarperCollins The Complete Chronicles of Narnia collection edition; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe first published in 1950)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2002)
J.K. Rowling
  Fourth book in the Harry Potter series. Young Harry Potter returns for his fourth year of studies at the magical Hogwarts School. The students discover that this year something very different is planned, namely the reinstatement of the Triwizard Tournament. Three schools--Hogwarts, Beauxbatons Academy (French), and the Durmstrang Institute (Belgian) will participate. A champion will be chosen to represent each school. The champions must face three dangerous tasks. Someone enters Harry--completely without Harry's knowledge of it--as a fourth champion, and Harry is therefore bound to participate in the tournament. Harry and his friends fear that whomever put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire (which chooses each school's champion) is out to kill Harry. And, Harry is having nightmares about the return of the evil Lord Voldemort, dreams that are in actuality quite true. Goblet of Fire is by the far my favorite of the first four books. It is also by far the longest of them to this point, 636 pages in the British edition, 734 pages in the U.S. paperback edition that I read (book five, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the longest of the first six Harry Potter books, 870 pages in the U.S. paperback edition!). So there is just loads in of story packed into this book, much more than the movie version was able to present; several entire sub-plots--and many characters--from the book do not appear in the movie at all. (See Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban entry on this page for a few words as to my general feelings concerning the Harry Potter series in general.) (Finished reading 01/21/06)

Joshua: An Introduction and Commentary (1996)
("Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries", Vol. 6)
Richard S. Hess
  Read--sporadically, over four month time span--as supplement to "daily" Bible devotions (in reality, nowhere close to daily during much of this period, I'm afraid). An in-depth look at the Old Testament book of Joshua. Heavy emphasis on the original language of the book and its possible meanings, and the historical context, both in regards to other contemporary pieces and recent archaeological excavations. (Finished reading 7/30/05)

Starman: A Wicked Inclination... (1998)
James Robinson, Tony Harris, Wade von Grawbadger, et al.
  Comic book trade paperback collection. Collects Starman #17 and #19-27 (DC Comics, 1996-1997). Further comments on this book are posted on the "Comics Read Blog" page. (Finished reading 3/26/05)

Starman: Night and Day (1997)
James Robinson, Tony Harris, Wade von Grawbadger, et al.
  Comic book trade paperback collection. Collects Starman #7-12 and #12-16 (DC Comics, 1995-1996). Further comments on this book are posted on the "Comics Read Blog" page. (Finished reading 3/19/05)

Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary (1974)
("Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries", Vol. 5)
J.A. Thompson
  Read as supplement to daily Bible devotions. An in-depth look at the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy. One theme particularly discussed and in great detail is the similarities Deuteronomy shares with other ancient Near Eastern suzerainty treaties. (Finished reading 3/13/05)

Starman: Sins of the Father (1996)
James Robinson, Tony Harris, Wade von Grawbadger
  Comic book trade paperback collection. Collects Starman #0 and #1-6 (DC Comics, 1994-1995). Further comments on this book are posted on the "Comics Read Blog" page. (Finished reading 3/11/05)

The Expanse (2003)
("Star Trek: Enterprise" novelization)
J.M. Dillard
  Third "Enterprise" novelization. Adapts television episodes "The Expanse" and "The Xindi" (second season finale and third season premiere episodes). A pretty straight forward adaptation of the television episode scripts. Very few "extras" in the way of additional scenes. Most interesting, probably, was the prologue, which depicts the death of Trip's sister (not shown on the TV episode). And, as usual, the ability to know what the characters are thinking enables the reader to understand what they are going through on a deeper level. All in all, an enjoyable, if rather unremarkable, read. Dillard, like Dave Stern (What Price Honor?, Daedalus, and Daedalus's Children), does do a good job of depicting the characters in a way that is consistent with their portrayals on the television series. (True, here she is going straight from a couple of the scripts; see Surak's Soul for how she handles writing the characters in an original novel.) (Finished reading 1/30/05)

Daedalus's Children (2004)
("Star Trek: Enterprise" novel)
Dave Stern
  Fifth original "Enterprise" novel. Book two of two (continuing from Daedalus). The crew of the Enterprise is trapped in an alternate dimension and divided. Their ship is captured, and most of the crew is in an alien prison. Archer must find a way for he and his crew to escape, retake their ship, and return to their own dimension before dying (they are unable to eat the food in this parallel universe without getting sick). While doing so, Archer hopes to avert a bloody civil war. Daedalus (the first book of this "duology") was mostly about Trip (Commander Tucker), separated from the rest of his crew (except for Hoshi), trying to survive and find a way to reunite with his crewmates. To the reader, Daedalus was largely exposition on the various players in this parallel universe. Daedalus's Children, brings Archer and the rest of the crew back into the story. The tempo picks up a bit from the first book as now the action is happening on separate, simultaneous, fronts. I think I like this second book a bit more than the first if for no other reason than the focus is back on Archer (as well as on Trip). I should add that the author, Dave Stern, seems in my opinion to be the best so far at capturing the voices and personalities of the various "Enterprise" characters in his (now) three "Enterprise" novels (What Price Honor?, Daedalus, and Daedalus's Children). (Finished reading 1/23/05)

Seal of Approval: The History of the Comics Code (1998)
Amy Kiste Nyberg
  An in-depth look at the history of efforts to censor comic books in the United States, including Frederic Wertham's crusade against comic books, the Kefauver Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency's hearings on comic books in spring 1954, and the subsequent creation of the Comics Magazine Association of America trade association and its Comics Code Authority in September, 1954. Ever since, most major American comic book publishers have pre-screened their comics prior to publication in order to carry the Comics Code Authority's "Seal of Approval" (some notable exceptions: Dell Comics never joined the CMAA nor submitted their books to the Comics Code Authority for approval, and Marvel Comics dropped out of the CMAA in 2001 [several years after the publishing of this book]). Also covered here are the earlier Association of Comic Book Publishers trade assocation (and why it failed) and the famous incident of Marvel running an anti-drug story in their Amazing Spider-Man comic book without code approval in 1971. This book began as a college dissertation by the author. I found this to be a very interesting look at the topics at hand (comic book censorship, the important players in the industry at the time, the CMAA and the Comics Code Authority, etc.), if a bit dry at times (it was originally a college dissertation, after all!). I'd certainly recommend this to anyone interested in the subject. (Finished reading 12/26/04)

Stan Lee and the Rise and Fall of the American Comic Book (2003)
Jordan Raphael and Tom Spurgeon
  A very enjoyable look at the career of comic book legend Stan Lee and the history of the comic book industry during his tenure at Marvel Comics. Having read several books on Lee and the history of Marvel Comics recently (this one, Ro's Tales to Astonish, Lee's Excelsior!), I have to say that of these books, Raphael and Spurgeon's gives the most detailed look on the subject. An unauthorized account, the authors are able to be a bit more critical of some of Lee's actions and statements over the years than the more official accounts have been (they also include details of some of Lee's bigger failures, such as his disastrous 1972 "Marvel-ous Evening with Stan Lee" live show at Carnegie Hall, an event Lee chose not to include in his autobiography, Excelsior!). Raphael and Spurgeon are not completely anti-Lee however, and do spreak highly of him at times. In actuality, this is probably the most even-handed look at Lee's long career in comics. (Finished reading 11/29/04)

Numbers: An Introduction and Commentary (1981)
("Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries", Vol. 4)
Gordon J. Wenham
  Read as supplement to daily Bible devotions. (Finished reading 11/14/04)

Leviticus: An Introduction and Commentary (1980)
("Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries", Vol. 3)
R. K. Harrison
  Read as supplement to daily Bible devotions. A good resource to complement one's reading of the book of Leviticus. A hard read at times, due to the author's very detailed explanations of various ancient diseases, sacrifices, etc. Then again, so is Leviticus. (The author, Harrison, is a Ph.D. as well as D.D.) Author continually points out New Testament connections and/or applications where he feels they are appropriate. (Finished reading 10/8/04)

JLA/Avengers: The Collector's Edition (2004)
Kurt Busiek and George Pérez
  Originally published as JLA/Avengers (and Avengers/JLA) #1-4, 2003-2004. (Finished reading 10/5/04)
  (Personal notes on this book will be posted on my "Comics Read Blog" webpage.)
  (Note: Included link to Amazon summary page to be consistent with other books here. Amazon, however, appeared unable to get a copy for me in a suitable amount of time, so I ended up cancelling and getting my copy elsewhere. You may wish to look elsewhere as well. The book shipped to comic stores August 11, 2004, and I got my copy from Mile High Comics (special sale price offer) September 27. Amazon, as I'm writing this on October 3, still says that it "hasn't been released yet". Amazon and DC Comics really need to get these shipping and/or communications problems dealt with soon. I've had problems getting my DC Archives hardcover books from Amazon in a timely fashion as well lately.)

Man of Two Worlds: My Life in Science Fiction and Comics (2000)
Julius Schwartz and Brian M. Thomsen
  I enjoyed reading Man of Two Worlds very much. Comics legend Julius Schwartz (1915-2004) got his start as a literary agent for science fiction writers during the "golden years" of science fiction, working with (and friends with) many of the legends of that era. And, of course, Schwartz as an editor at DC Comics was instrumental in the resurgence of superhero comics in comics' "silver age". This is really a memoir of Schwartz's days in science fiction and comics more than an actual biography. His tales are very interesting and his style of writing is fun to read, so I'd very much recommend this book to anyone interested in the early days of science fiction and/or comics books. (Finished reading 9/17/04)

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds VI (2003) and VII (2004)
Edited by Dean Wesley Smith, et al.
  Read at this time: From Strange New Worlds VI, "Savior" by Julie Hyzy, "Preconceptions" by Penny A. Proctor, and "Cabin E-14" by Shane Zeranski"; from Strange New Worlds VII, "Earthquake Weather" by Louisa M. Swann. All "Star Trek: Enterprise" stories. Average stories. I lked "Preconceptions" (a story about a high school aged Trip Tucker meeting a Vulcan for the first time) and "Cabin E-14" (Dr. Phlox struggles with the temptation to go back in time to save a lost loved one; ties into "temporal cold war" storyline from television seris). Further comments will be posted eventually at the Star Trek Chronological Reading Project webpage. (Finished reading 9/5/04)

Exodus: An Introduction and Commentary (1973)
("Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries", Vol. 2)
R. Alan Cole
  Read as supplement to daily Bible devotions. A good resource to complement one's reading of the book of Exodus. (Finished reading 8/31/04)

Excelsior! The Amazing Life of Stan Lee (2002)
Stan Lee and George Mair
  Lee, with the help of celebrity biographer Mair, looks back at his life. While he does cover other important aspects, such as his military service during World War II and his meeting his wife Joan, he focuses primarily on his long career in the comic book industry. Lee's trademark style of writing (self-deprecating yet at the same time boisterous and self-aggrandizing) makes Excelsior! a fun read. Many of Lee's claims will be sure to irritate readers knowledgable in the area of comic book history, particularly those in the fans of Jack Kirby camp. (Finished reading 8/23/04)

Tales to Astonish: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and the American Comic Book Revolution (2004)
Ronin Ro
  Ro explores the history of the comic book industry using the life of comics artist Jack Kirby (1917-1994) as his primary focus. In actuality, Tales to Astonish (which borrows its title from the 1950s-1960s Marvel Comics series) is a biography of Kirby. While Ro includes the obligatory stories of Kirby's childhood, how he met his wife, Roz, Kirby's time serving in World War II, etc., the main focus of the book is Kirby's decades spent in the comics field as arguably its most influential artist ever. Pretty much every stage in Kirby's comics career is covered here, keynote periods including Kirby's 1940s partnership with Joe Simon (the two's most famous creation: Captain America), Kirby's role (along with Stan Lee) in the creation of Marvel's greatest super-heroes (the Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, X-Men, etc.), and Kirby's 1970s "Fourth World" books (New Gods, Forever People, Mr. Miracle) at DC Comics. As the title indicates, Ro also spends time detailing the career of Stan Lee, likewise legendary Marvel Comics writer and editor-in-chief, and a man indelibly linked with Kirby. A very enjoyable book. One quibble is the book's heavy use of quotes with no corresponding footnotes. It should be pointed out that this book is very sympathetic to the Kirby side of the Lee vs. Kirby (credit issue) debate. (Finished reading 8/10/04)

Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Peter David
  2004 movie novelization. Peter David, author of the novelization of 2002's Spider-Man movie, returns to write the novelization for Spider-Man 2. Once again, David does a very good job in adapting the movie script into novel form. And once again, David's novelization includes many scenes not in the final release cut of the movie, helping to expand on an already very good story. (Finished reading 7/28/04) (See also "Comic's Read Blog" for comments on the Spider-Man 2 comic book adaptation.)

Spider-Man (2002)
Peter David
  2002 movie novelization. Upon viewing Spider-Man 2 (and having just watched Spider-Man again on DVD, I decided it would be a good time to read the two novelizations and the two comic book adaptations back to back while the films were still fresh in my mind. Peter David, as usual, does an excellent job of adapting the script for the first movie here into novel form. His pacing is very good, quick where it's supposed to be, slower for the more introspective moments. And one thing that this novel has going for it that the movie does not is that David is able to delve into Peter's thoughts. Spider-Man has always been a very tragic character, and reading his self-doubts and fears was always a key element of the Spider-Man of the comics. And for those who don't like reading novelizations of movies unless they add quite a bit not seen on the screen in the way of additional scenes, well, I think they will enjoy David's novelization. For instance, the book opens on two separate scenes (one present day and one back when Peter was a child), neither of which were in the movie. They develop Peter's back story in a way that the film did not, especially good for those not as familiar with the comics. Anyway, I'd definitely recommend this book to people who liked the movie. (Finished reading 7/18/04) (See also "Comic's Read Blog" for comments on the Spider-Man comic book adaptation.)

Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary (1968)
("Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries", Vol. 1)
Derek Kidner
  Read as supplement to daily Bible devotions. Found introduction interesting (as I did the introduction in the Job commentary book). The annotated commentary section was a bit harder to follow at times. Still, an interesting complement to my recently completed reading of Genesis. (Finished reading 7/01/04)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2001)
J.K. Rowling
  Third book in the Harry Potter series. First, I should acknowledge that many Christians have a problem with the Harry Potter books due to their use of magic/sorcery. While I can certainly understand their concerns, I myself do not share them. Fantasy is a legitimate genre of literature, and there have been many wonderful works to come out of it (Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings", Alexander's "Prydain Chronicles"). While I would never criticize someone for not wishing to read Harry Potter due to these elements, and I would be careful to discuss these fantasy elements with my own children (if I had children) should they choose to read the books, I must admit that I personally enjoy them quite a bit. And Prisoner of Azkaban is the most exciting of the first three books by far. Sirius Black, a feared criminal, escapes from Azkaban prison; his mission, to get Harry Potter. Harry has to deal with this threat, plus several other problems, with the help of his friends Ron and Hermione, and the newest teacher at Hogwarts, Professor Lupin. Making things more complicated is that Harry learns that Sirius Black was involved in the deaths of his parents at the hands of Lord Voldemort! (Finished reading 6/20/04)

The Purpose Driven Life (2002)
Rick Warren
  I read this book as part of my daily devotions (it's broken up into short chapters meant to be read one a day). In it, Rev. Rick Warren (pastor, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, California) details what the Bible says about one's true purpose in life. Simply put: to worship God (Christ), to serve Him (with our "shape": spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences), to fellowship with His family (fellow believers), to grow like Him in character, and to fulfill His mission in the world so that He will receive glory. Warren uses a multitude of Bible verses (in many translations) to support his points. An excellent study/devotional book for Christians. (Finished reading 5/28/04)

Job: An Introduction and Commentary (1976)
("Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries", Vol. 13)
Francis I. Anderson
  I read the introduction of this commentary as I was finishing reading Job in my daily Bible devotions (my own style of devotions is to make my way through the Bible chronologically; I've done so once already and have started again, this time using a slightly different source for the order; the exactly timing as to when Job occurs is debatable, but occurs during one of the breaks of events in Genesis). Written as you would expect one of these theological commentary books to be (not exactly a "page turner"), it was interesting nonetheless as it helped me to put the book of Job into its historical and theological context. (Finished reading 5/17/04)

Spider-Man Confidential: From Comic Icon to Hollywood Hero (2002)
Edward Gross
  An interesting look at the history of the Spider-Man character from his comic books and television programs (both animated/cartoons and live action) to his upcoming (at the time) first live action motion picture (this book was released prior to the May 3, 2002 release of the Sam Raimi-Tobey Maguire movie). Of particular interest to me (since I already knew a lot about the comic book history) was the background info on the various tv shows (the "Spider-Man" 1967-1970, 1981-1982, and 1994-1998 cartoons; the 1977-1979 live action series; the little known late 1970s Japanese live action series; the 1981-1983 "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends" cartoon; and the 1999-2001 "Spider-Man Unlimited" cartoon), and the long and very convoluted road it took for the Spider-Man movie to finally arrive in 2002 (including multiple companies and contracts, from the first deal between Marvel Comics and the Cannon Group in 1985 to the 1999 deal with Sony that would finally result in the 2002 Raimi-Maguire movie). (Finished reading 5/9/04)

Knight Rider Legacy: The Unofficial Guide to the Knight Rider Universe (2004)
Joe Huth IV & Richie F. Levine
  A very interesting look into the making of the 1982-1986 "Knight Rider" television series. Also includes spin-offs "Knight Rider 2000" and "Knight Rider 2010" (TV movies), and the "Team Knight Rider" syndicated TV series, plus a guide to making a KITT replica car and television episode guides. I'd highly reccommend this book to fans of the series. (Finished reading 4/12/04)

Ship of Ghosts (2002)
("Farscape" novel)
David Bischoff
  First original "Farscape" novel written (although last released in the U.S.) of three put out by Tor Books. Fair at best. John Crichton and his companions aboard Moya are chased by the Peacekeepers into an unknown area of space. There, they are captured by a huge worldship, and discover that the inhabitants have been travelling the stars as immaterial phantoms for hundreds of years. Some wish to reclaim their physical bodies and return to their homeworld. Their leader, the "Queen of All Souls", however, wishes to destroy all of the bodies so that they will forever travel. Both sides see Crichton as their "promised one". (Finished reading 4/7/04)

Destruction of Illusions (2003)
("Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda" novel)
Keith R.A. DeCandido
  First of several original novels based on "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda" syndicated television series. A prequel to said series. Highly recommended to fans of the series. Outside of framing chapters, story takes place one year prior to the start of the TV series, focusing on what Captain Beka Valentine, Seamus Harper, Rev Bem, Trance Gemini, and Try Anasazi were up to during that period. (Finished reading 3/19/04)

Daedalus (2003)
("Star Trek: Enterprise" novel)
Dave Stern
  Fourth original "Enterprise" novel. Book one of two (continues in Daedalus's Children). While investigating an anomaly, the ship and its entire crew (except for Trip and Hoshi) are captured by the Denari. Trip and Hoshi manage to escape in the Suliban cell ship (captured previously in an episode of the TV series). They soon find themselves, however, in the midst of a rebel uprising against the tyranical dictator who has taken their ship and comrades captive. Trip is hesitant to help the rebels until he discovers that his long-thought dead mentor has been another long-time captive of the Denari government, and that captured Starfleet technology led to the desparate situation the Denari now find themselves in. Best of the "Enterprise" novels released up to this point. (Finished reading 2/25/04)

Surak's Soul (2003)
("Star Trek: Enterprise" novel)
J.M. Dillard
  Third original "Enterprise" novel. An entire race of aliens dies mysteriously. In investigating the tragedy, T'Pol accidentally kills the sole surviver (crazed to the point of attacking her), who is too weak to take the impact of a phaser at stun setting. This shakes pacifist T'Pol greatly, causing her to swear off wearing a weapon at all costs. This pledge is put to the test, however, when the crew finds itself being hunted aboard their ship by the creature that killed the alien species. Fair. (Finished reading 2/13/04)

What Price Honor? (2002)
("Star Trek: Enterprise" novel)
Dave Stern
  Second original "Enterprise" novel (not including television episode novelizations). A member of Lt. Reed's security force is killed mysteriously. Having become very close to the woman prior to her death, Reed is desperate to discover exactly what happened to her. In the meanwhile, he and his crew are caught in a civil war between two species fighting over what one species considers sacred grounds. Not bad, and best "Enterprise" novel until the release of Daedalus one year later, also by Stern. (Finished reading 2/3/04)

Tribulation Force (1997)
("Left Behind" novel)
Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
  Second book in the "Left Behind" series. The "Tribulation Force" prepare for the inevitable violence of the tribulation to come as the Antichrist, Nicolae Carpathia, assumes ultimate power. Rayford Steele reluctantly accepts the job of Carpathia's pilot (flying what was to have been the new Air Force One). Meanwhile, Buck is offered to the position of publisher of a major U.S. newspaper, the only catch being the paper (along with most news outlets) would now be owned by Carpathia. And the end of the book, jumping 18 months ahead, brings the onset of World War III and the death of one of the series's main characters. (Finished reading 1/23/04)

The Return of the King (1988*)
("Lord of the Rings")
J.R.R. Tolkien
  Third and final book of the "Lord of the Rings". Frodo and Sam must complete their journey to Mount Doom to destroy the ring. Meanwhile, the rest of the Fellowship fight the servants of the evil Sauron desperately on separate battlefields, hoping to hold out just long enough for Frodo and Sam to complete their mission. Also contains over one hundred pages of appendeces and index. (Finished reading 1/8/04)
  (* 1988 Houghton Mifflin hardback printing of second edition; 1st ed. first published in 1955; 2nd ed. first published in 1965; for more information, in addition to link above, see Available U.S. Editions of Lord of the Rings; the very nice set I have is listed there as "Houghton Mifflin 3-volume hardcover, 1987 edition")

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