9/12/99
Meg by Steve Alten, 1997- A Jurassic Park-type adventure. It was exciting, well written and hard to put down. Some people will worry about whether it was believable or not. Sometimes, I just want to be entertained. A giant prehistoric shark makes it's way into populated waters, eating everything in sight.
A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galixy, Adams - A very strange, yet funny sci fi. The story jumps around with interesting little sub-plots and unusual characters. It was light and fun to read. Despite all the little side stories, it had a plot that was all neatly wrapped up in the end.
God is my Broker, by Brother Ty with Christopher Buckley and
John Tierney, 1998-- order this book now
This is the story of Brother Ty, an ex-"not very successful" Wall Street Broker
who finds new inspiration in the contemplative life of a monastery. He
begins investing for the failing order on what he believes to be "tips" from God
and makes money like never before. Unfortunately, his Abbott, who seems to have
suffered a nervous breakdown, leads his monks on an ever more ridiculous chase for
wealth and away from the path of God. I kept hoping that God would quit giving them
"hot" tips and thus show them they had gotten off track. Apparently though, God
wanted them to go really far astray, because they just kept making more money
and grander schemes. I thought it was hilarious and wonderfully insightful. I
just couldn't decide if it was a true story or a tale made up in the manner of a parable.
There were these little "Meditations" at the end of each chapter, which I can only hope
were written tongue in cheek. They were written, according to the introduction,
by Buckley and Tierney. They made no real sense to me, detracted from the story
and weren't funny, which I think they were supposed to be. I just quit reading them.
On the whole, I found it a light, heartwarming story and would give it my
recommendation.
Circles of Stone, by Joan Dahr Lambert, 1997--order this book now
This book takes place during three separate stages of human development. Each
section is a tale complete in itself although they are all linked together by the main
characters, who are the healer women of their tribes. The first story takes place 1
million years ago, the second, 250,000 years ago, and the last was probably supposed
to be 30,000 years ago. I thought it was wonderfully entertaining because, while I
was reading, I was transported to those distant times and places. Toward the end,
it got a little preachy with goddess religion and environmental stuff, but on the whole,
it was very enjoyable. The characters were likeable, realistic and very human. This
is a book you could recommend to teenage girls, because, unlike some of this genre,
it doesn't burden itself with longwinded erotica.
Dinosaur Summer,by Greg Bear, 1997 order this book now
This book was quite a departure from what I might usually read. A fantasy set
in the 40's, it is about a teenage boy and his father who join an expedition to release
circus dinosaurs back into the wild. I liked it because the characters were likable
and the danger was from the animals, not evil villains. It was fast paced and easy
to get into. Although it is not considered a juvenile book, I would recommend it for
Junior High or High school readers because it was similar to Jurassic Park or The
Lost World, by Michael Crichton without the adult language.
Mother Earth, Father Sky, by Sue Harrison
I read this book a few years ago and got so caught up in the characters that I eagerly
awaited each new book in the trilogy. I'll have to get back with the names of those.
All three deal with the lives of the ancient Inuit people. They are similar in
type to the Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean M. Auel.
Letters from the Inside,
Return to HOME