2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Book 3 of the Harry Potter series, sees the slow transformation of the series from Children's literature to full blown kids-and-adults fantasy. I decided it was time to re-read the series and this book was a great treat. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this book.

In it Harry first meets his godfather Sirius Black,
his favorite defense against the dark arts teacher Professor Lupin and the dread Dementors.

1. Dr Bloodmoney

Dr Bloodmoney by Philip K Dick

This novel by P K Dick is a bit of a change of pace for the author. The setting for the story is just before and after a Nuclear Apocalypse. There are some familiar Dickian elements: the Gnostic vision of a world ruled over by a false demiurge with a distant, helpless Deity looking on from beyond the planet. In this case the demiurge is the phocomelus Hoppy Harrington and the deity is an orbitting astronaut, the witty radio voice of Dangerfield that people all over the world tune into every night when the satellite he is stranded on is within range.

After the Nuclear anihilation, the novel follows the survivors as they first escape the city of Berkeley and then head into the countryside of Northen California. All of the small towns have a doctor and a handy. A handy is someone who can fix the old technologies that still remain, such as the refrigerators or the radios the towns use to tune in the orbitting Dangerfield. One such handy is Hoppy Harrington, a man without arms or legs who can fix technology with his mind. He is also a brilliant impersonator who often entertains the town by imitating dangerfield and others.

The title character Dr Bloodmoney, or Bluthgeld, is the nuclear physicist responsible for the nuclear armageddon. Afterwards he escapes from Berkely and becomes a sheep farmer in the town of West Marin, a town he shares with Hoppy. Bluthgeld suffers from paranoia and in West Marin believes he is able to fire off another volley of nuclear weapons. Before he is able to finish this task he has a confrontation with Hoppy whose powers of telekinesis are increasing, he and this leads towards the end of the novel.

I quite enjoyed Dr Bloodmoney, is satisfied my thirst for paranoid Dickian stories and post-apocalyptic tales. Highly recommended.

starting 30 books again in 2009

I've decided to start the count over again for 2009. I didn't quite make 30 books in 2008, but I've got a bit more time now in 2009. Bring on the Sci-Fi!

17. Twilight

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
The last 150 pages of this novel earned 4.5 stars, the first 300 pages were pretty 2 stars.



Every time the main character describes the MV, (main vamp) its some trite description of his beautiful alabaster face. Makes you want to hurl after the 113th time.



I wouldn't have gotten to the good part, but I was stuck in an airport.


View all my reviews.

16. Parable of the Sower

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow, this novel gave me nightmares for a week. Bleak future. Should be required reading for anyone who fantasizes about the post-industrial collapse.


View all my reviews.

15. Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook: A Worldwide Cycling Route & Planning Guide

This was a fun and partially useful book, although it concentrates more on bicycle touring in remote places. The first half of the book concentrates on finding a good bike for riding around the world and also getting the gear for camping out anywhere from the Himalayas to the Sonora Desert. And of course everywhere in between. The second half of the book is filled with brief report backs from different bicycle adventurers. This section is both filled with practical advice and inspiring stories as well as a few scary stories as well such as the traveller who had just been dropped off by a truck that had given him a lift and was waving goodbye to them when to his horror they unknowing waved back and ran over his bike. Ouch. Watch for that. Fun good, but there may be more practical books for cyclists who plan to stay in the US.

14: The Essential Touring Cyclist: A Complete Guide for the Bicycle Traveler

This is a good book to introduce you to Bicycle Touring. It has a really good chapter on training, with advice on building up enough weekly miles to comfortably bike a century (100 miles in a day) or start off on tour.

Also another chapter discussed the different types of touring. The simplest type is supported tours: where all you have to carry is a few bottles of water, your bike tools and a rain coat, and the rest of your luggage (usually a extra large duffel bag) is carted ahead on a van. The next step up is "credit card" touring where you bike from one motel or B&B to the next, carrying all of your clothes with you, but do not need to carry a tent or food or cooking equipment. Then the big one: fully supported touring where you carry everything on your bike: tent, sleeping bag, water, extra clothes, food, camp stove and pots. The author points out its not as rigorous as backpacking however, because you really only need to carry a days supply of food at a time and since your on the road its easy to resupply water and food a few times a day.

Another chapter covers the dangers and pitfalls of touring: weather, auto traffic, flat tires, broken spokes. And the final chapter covers travelling to your tour starting point via plane, train, or bus. And there is even a handy appendix with supported week long tours in different states. I found three intense week-long tours here in colorado.

A good resource for bicyclists who want to try out touring.