What Books Are You Reading?

[srfrgrl]

What It Takes to Be #1-By Vince Lombardi, JR.

Offical Description:
Legendary coach Vince Lombardi-loved by some, feared by others, but respected by all-was first and foremost a winner. His unparrelleled ability to inspire greatness and mold disparate groups of individuals into dominating championship teams made Lombardi an icon both on and off the playing field. In What it Takes to Be #1, the one person who could truely understand Vince Lombardi's unrelenting passion for winning-his son, acclaimed writer and professional speaker Vince Lombardi, JR. -Explores the fundamental leadership qualities that Vince Lombardi considered essential to sucess, then shows how anyone can skillfully apply those qualities to achieve breakthrough success in virtually any endeavor.

[Talon Karrde]

I've just begun reading Star Wars: Tatooine Ghost by Troy Denning. This novel takes place just after the marriage of Han Solo to Princess Leia Organa. It was written after the prequels began airing in theaters, so it ties in some of the new information we have received about the Skywalker clan.

Han, Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO travel to Tatooine to locate, and gain possession of, an Alderaanian moss painting believed to be one of the wares up for auction in Mos Espa. The painting has been missing for years and was thought destroyed when Alderaan was disintegrated by the Death Star. Although the painting is valuable to collectors as one of the few surviving pieces of Alderaanian art, there is something about the painting that makes it even more valuable to the members of both the New Republic and the Imperial forces. Hidden in the painting is a secret code once used by the Rebellion (and still used by the New Republic) to talk to their undercover agents throughout the galaxy. It's up to the Solos to keep the painting out of Imperial hands. If that wasn't enough to worry about, Leia has been having strange visions involving Luke - visions of him turning to the dark side!

I've only read about 30 pages or so, but so far so good! I love the bantor between Han and Leia. Troy Denning has that down perfectly so far.

[Talon Karrde]

srfrgrl said:

What It Takes to Be #1-By Vince Lombardi, JR.

Offical Description:
Legendary coach Vince Lombardi-loved by some, feared by others, but respected by all-was first and foremost a winner. His unparrelleled ability to inspire greatness and mold disparate groups of individuals into dominating championship teams made Lombardi an icon both on and off the playing field. In What it Takes to Be #1, the one person who could truely understand Vince Lombardi's unrelenting passion for winning-his son, acclaimed writer and professional speaker Vince Lombardi, JR. -Explores the fundamental leadership qualities that Vince Lombardi considered essential to sucess, then shows how anyone can skillfully apply those qualities to achieve breakthrough success in virtually any endeavor.

I just started reading this book myself, It was recommended to me in a recent management class I attended.

[Talon Karrde]

Just started reading Star Wars: Survivor's Quest by Timothy Zahn.

In response to fans who asked for novels set after Return of the Jedi and before Vector Prime, and armed with new information supplied by the prequel movies, Star Wars writers (old favorites and new) have been writing a score of novels that serve two purposes. They give the fans what they want and they fill in gaps in the Star Wars timeline.

Survivor's Quest is set three years after the marriage of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade. The two have been approached by the alien race, the Chiss, and asked to join them on a mission to recover the remains of Outbound Flight. Believed to have been destroyed 50 years ago by Grand Admiral Thrawn, Outbound Flight was a Jedi-sponsored expedition that sought to explore galaxies outside their own. They never quite made it that far. Luke and Mara are intrigued, since they had been led to believe that all six of Outbound Flight's dreadnaught-class starships had been disintigrated. Luke agrees in an effort to discover possible clues as to the Jedi of old and how they might be applied to his own rebuilt Jedi Academy. Mara has a more personal reason...one that has been lying dormant and has only begun to make itself felt. But is this discovery a reality, or is it a trap laid out by the Chiss in an effort to destroy the Skywalkers? To confound matters, random acts of sabotage take place throughout the flight - someone doesn't want the other members of the expedition to make it to Outbound Flight.

Timothy Zahn is a perfect choice to write this novel, as he created many of the characters that star in it. The popularity of The Thrawn Trilogy, written by Zahn and introduced to the public in 1991, showed the powers that be that Star Wars was still just as popular then as it was in the 70's and 80's. With that trilogy making it to the bestseller list, a new line of Star Wars novels was planned and the Expanded Universe continues to grow to this day. One of my favorite Expanded Universe characters, Mara Jade, was created by Timothy Zahn, and it is my firm belief that, although many have tried, no one can truly write that character the way Zahn can. And a quick read! I just started reading this novel and already have read 100 pages.

[Talon Karrde]

I love the cleverness of whoever it was that created the title of the book I'm currently reading. The book is a compilation of three short stories and the title is a combination of the titles of all three tales: Murder & Mayhem In The Godbox On A Billion Dollars A Day.

I am almost finished with the first tale, Murder, Mayhem, and Music by Judith Tracy which takes place in a world where murder is legal so long as you have an approved permit. Morlax is an employee for the firm Murder, Mayhem, and Music, Inc., which has evolved from a monthly music club to a licenser of murders. But Morlax lives a double life as a member of an interplanetary defense group charged with keeping the universe safe from the being known as the Great Ordainer of Destruction. Having remained dormant for many years, the universe had begun to feel safe from the ominous being known to have destroyed numerous worlds in his great acts of cleansing and purging. Morlax had always expected his return. Now that the Great Ordainer has returned, what can Morlax do to persuade him to veer from his path of destruction?

So far, the first story is tremendously entertaining. I'm hoping the rest of the tales are just as enjoyable.

[Talon Karrde]

I finished my trilogy and have now moved on to a monster of a book: Amazin' by Peter Golenbock. The book tells the story of the New York Mets, from their inception to the team of today. Golenbock uses excerpts from the players, coaches, and journalists to assist in his description of the team. I'm thirty pages into the book already and loving every minute of it. Good thing it's a fast read - 'tis over 600 pages long.

[Talon Karrde]

I'm currently reading Bronx Accent: A Literary and Pictorial History of the Borough by Lloyd Ultah and Barbara Unger. The book chronicles the social and economic transformations of the Bronx, New York over the last three hundred years of its existence. In addition to the facts offered about the borough, excerpts of literature from leading writers such as Edgar Allen Poe, James Fenimore Cooper, Washington Irving, Kate Simon, Sholem Aleichem, and more.

I must admit, I was leary of this book from the start, but now, I am totally absorbed! I love the use of literature excerpts in describing the Bronx of the past and present!

[Justine]

I am reading the as yet unreleased book, Eyes Everywhere by Matthew Warner, and it is incredible so far! Stay tuned for my review in coming weeks.

[Talon Karrde]

I'm currently reading Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones by R. A. Salvatore. I just started reading it today and I'm already on page 119. Okay, so some of you are going - so what, you're a Star Wars nut so of course you're breezing through it. But Let me tell you, this is not just a retelling of the movie. There are whole sections of this book that are not in the movie or the deleted scenes. In the movie, all we see of Shmi Skywalker is shown half-way through the movie when she is found by Anakin in the Tusken Raiders camp. Salvatore does a terrific job giving Shmi more of a presence in this novel, telling her story prior to her capture by the Tusken Raiders. We're even given a glimpse as to what her captivity was like. I love the little details added to this book. Action scenes are longer and more exciting. Little conversations and trips inside the minds of the characters give us a more in-depth look at the heroes and villians of the tale. Some movie adaptations are horrible and some are just word-for-word renditions. Attack of the Clones by R. A. Salvatore is anything but. A book well-worth the read!

[Talon Karrde]

I have moved on to another book. Yup, I go through books very quickly. This time, it's Twisted, a collection of short stories by novelist Jeffery Deaver. I have always been a fan of Jeffery Deaver's writing, particularly his Lincoln Rhyme series. For those of you who don't remember who Lincoln Rhyme is, he was the main character of the movie The Bone Collector which was based on the novel of the same name by Jeffery Deaver. I chose this particular novel because it includes a Lincoln Rhyme short story. I haven't gotten to that particular story yet, but I am over 150 pages into the book and I have to say that I am really enjoying it! Each short story has a major twist in it that just seems to floor you! Hence, the title of the book - Twisted. I predict that I will probably finish this one in the next couple of days.

[Talon Karrde]

I was right! Twisted only lasted me one week and what a helluva ride!!

I am now reading Star Wars: Dark Nest I: The Joiner King.


I've also started reading Bronx Primitive by Kate Simon, a memior and coming-of-age story set in the Bronx, New York in the years after World War I.

[Talon Karrde]

Vacation is over and I have finished reading the two books I started just before it began...in addition to a trade paperback - Batgirl: Year One.

I have just begun reading Point Clear by Jennifer Paddock. The book centers around would-be writer Caroline Berry, a woman who lost her way some time after her father's death. Her hopes and dreams for life seem to have passed her by until she receives an inheritence from her grandfather. This leads her to make an uncharacteristic and bold decision - she quits her two jobs and leaves New York, en route to an old southern hotel in Point Clear, Alabama. But, as is Caroline's luck, Hurricane Ivan is en route to her location only a couple of days after she has arrived. Ordered to evacuate the area, Caroline makes another uncharacteristic move - she hides in the hotel and waits out the storm alone. What happens in the hurricane's aftermath changes her life forever.

I will say this - the book is certainly a fast read. I just started it and already I am on page 52. Not a bad start. However, some of the events in the book are just a tad bit too...fantastic. I'm hoping things get a bit more believable soon.

[Talon Karrde]

That was, quite possibly, the fastest I've ever read a novel before. I have now started reading The Triangle by David Von Drehle. The book is about the Triangle shirtwaist factory fire that occured in 1911. The fire consumed 3 floors of the building within minutes. 146 workers lost their lives, many jumping from windows to escape the blaze. It was considered the worst workplace disaster in New York City and it became the catylist for change in the safety practices of workplaces throughout New York City and eventually throughout the country. The book is critically acclaimed with top accolades from the New York Times, the New York Public Library, the Washington Post, ALA, Amazon, Providence Journal, and the list goes on and on.

So far, the book is incredibly interesting although I was only able to read 13 pages of it today. The book begins with the striking laborers in the clothing factories, looking for better treatment, better working conditions and fairer wages. I've been interested in reading about it ever since seeing the movie The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal on television when I was a kid. The movie had a serious impact on me...serious enough, that when I saw this book over 20 years later, I had to read it!

[Justine]

Hey people!

I've just read the Angel graphic novel Long Night's Journey. It was decent. You can check out my review. Next up will be the second graphic novel of The Astonishing X-Men!

[Talon Karrde]

Yeah, I finished another two books. What? I read fast. *shrugs*

Anyways, I have now moved on to Star Wars: Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen by Troy Denning. The Killiks are still causing trouble in the galaxy thanks to the Dark Nest, which was not exterminated by the Jedi as was once thought. This would appear to be the secret revealing novel, as numerous secrets are revealed within the first hundred or so pages. What secrets are Mara and Jacen hiding? Will Jaina and Zekk ever stop clicking and clucking like annoying insects? You'll have to read the book to find out.