The Wit and Wisdom of Terry Pratchett - Terry Pratchett

This is a fantastic book containing quotes out of Pratchett's Discworld series, and the author is a true master of sarcastic wit. I've always enjoyed his characters, and I've read several of the books quoted within this tome, but I couldn't pass up a collection of his finest wordplay. For example, "The speaker was Duke Vassenego, one of the oldest demons. How old, no one knew. But if he didn't actually invent original sin, at least he made one of the first copies." So much better than "he was really old," yes? This book will force the reader to laugh out loud, and there are some jokes that may not sink in until four pages later. This is a great introduction to Pratchett's world, and is a great weekend read.

Chasing the Dead - Joe Schreiber

Within the first few pages, the lead characters daughter is taken and the kidnapper is taunting her on the phone, forcing her to revisit a killing in her past. The entirety of the story takes place in a Ford Expedition on the back roads of New England, with the kidnapper drawing a specific route that the mother must travel, a route that is eventually revealed to bring the dead back to life. The Ford Expedition becomes a traveling morgue at one point, and the story quickly moves from a run-of-the-mill kidnapping to what could pass as a modern-day Sleepy Hollow piece of folklore. I enjoyed this book, and finished it in the same day I pulled it off of the shelf!

The Party of the First Part - Adam Freedman

: After nearly 600 pages of Schulz, I needed something thinner! This book examines legalese and the need to use plain English in its place. It is a pretty basic book, touching on quite a few legal terms of art including a fair bit of "created" Latin phrases that are actually modern-day words made to appear as if they are Latin in origin. The is a certain sense to the Plain English movement, people should understand what they are reading and signing, but as a lawyer myself, I love the elegance of legal prose, fictitious dead languages included!

Schulz and Peanuts - David Michaelis

FINALLY! I started this book on New Year's Eve, and am so happy to be done with it! 572 pages before an additional 80 of source notes and indices - I'm fairly certain I could go back an find what Mr. Schulz had for breakfast on any random day in 1959. With that said. this was a very good book about a very complex man. Charles Schulz drew over 17,000 comics in his 50 year career and created the characters that have come to mean so much to so many. Yet, he was constantly baffled by the attention he felt was unwarranted, and never felt that he had created a cartoon strip for children, but rather a strip about adults in children's' bodies. It was interesting to read about his clumsiness in relationships, and the way he incorporated events in his life, even hinting at an affair he was involved in at the time. Schulz had a major social impact and created an empire, yet he appeared never at peace with the world. This book made me appreciate the strip even more, as I can see how much Schulz sacrificed for his art. It'll take a week or two, but read this book.

2007 Recap

Well here we are into 2008 already.  What my parents told me as a child is true, time really does go faster when you get older.  20 Books read this year (add another 5 or so of ones, mostly technical books,  I didn't post here, mostly because I forgot.)   I don't recall what I read last year, but I'm pretty sure I slacked off a bit this year.  I went most of the summer without reading anything, but made up some of that lost time here in the fall.  For 2008, I hope to be a bit more steady, I'll come no where near Todd nor his goal of 100, but just to improve on this year would be great. Best book of 2007:  Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz Worst book of 2007:  Among the Missing by Richard Laymon