My desire to read 100 books in 2010 had been derailed a bit by National Novel Writing Month, but here's my list so far. Don't know if I can read another 10 books between now and the end of the year, but I'm going to try.
90. **** The Professor of Secrets by William Eamon
This well-researched and interesting biography of Leonardo Fioravanti is a good read even to those not interested in history. Fioravanti was a brilliant, clever, colorful, and controversial doctor in Renaissance Italy. Considered a genius by many and a dangerous quack by others, Fioravanti remains one of history's most curious characters even to this day. Recommended.
89. **** Oklahoma Anthology 96 edited by Lydon Brecheisen and John Cox
A short collection of poems by Oklahoma poets and writers. With any collection, some poems speak to the reader and some do not, but overall, I found this collection to be strong with poems of sharp emotional impact and vivid imagery. It appears to be out of print, but you can probably get it through inter-library loan. Recommended.
88. **** Echo by Jack McDevitt
Another excellent science fiction book by McDevitt. He's the best SF writer out there right now, producing one great book after another. I just wish he'd write faster and publish more! In this book, antique dealers Alex Benedict and his partner Chase Kolpath come across an stone tablet that may be a link to an alien race, but someone or something is out to stop their investigation even if means killing everyone involved. Recommended.
87. **** Godlike Machines edited by Jonathan Strahan
As with any short story collection, this one has a couple of excellent stories with the rest being okay, but those two stories ("Return to Titan" by Stephen Baxter and "Hot Rock" by Greg Egan) are worth the cost of the whole collection. Unfortunately, this is a Science Fiction Book Club special and is only available through them. Recommended.
86. **** The Silent Sea by Clive Cussler with Jack Du Brul
The amazing men and women of the Oregon are back. This time they tackle the mystery of an ancient Chinese expedition that might have world changing consequences. Recommended.
85. **** First Rose by Mary Barton Wilcox
A fascinating story of a woman who dies and then goes to heaven. The imagery that Wilcox uses to describe heaven is powerful. The book has a stunning last line. Recommended.
84. *** Death Under the Dryer by Simon Brett
83. **** This Time Together by Carol Burnett
Funny, sweet, and sometimes sad, this showbiz autobiography is a great read and an excellent followup to her previous book One More Time. Recommended.
82. *** The Body in the Bonfire by Katherine Hall Page
81. **** Cat to the Dogs by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
The mystery isn't complex in this book, but the fantastic element of special cats who can speak to humans makes this book worth reading. You've got to meet Joe Grey and Dulcie, who make purrfect sleuths. Recommended.
80. *** The Morning Star by Nick Bantock
79. *** The Venetian's Wife by Nick Bantock
78. **** Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog by Lisa Scottoline
Funny and moving stories from an "Ordinary Woman." Scottoline, by the way, is a New York Times Bestselling author and Edgar winner. Not so ordinary, I think. Recommended.
77. *** The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques by John Grant and Ron Tiner
76. **** Frenzy by Robert Liparulo
The concluding volume of the first Dreamhouse Kings series comes to a satisfactory close. I enjoyed this young adult Christian fantasy series, although the breathless speed of the narrative constricted character development at times. Recommended.
75. ***** The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas G. Carr
In The Shallows, Nicholas Carr argues that the Internet is damaging our ability for deep thought and that the use of the Net is making us shallow. He provides a lot of evidence, including some fascinating and frightening scans of our brains when we use the Net. Highly recommended.
74. **** The 2009 What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles
Excellent book on how to find a job. It's updated yearly and well worth the update. Recommended.
73. *** The Golden Mean by Nick Bantock
72. *** Sabine's Notebook by Nice Bantock
71. *** Hire Me Inc. Resumes and Cover Letters by Roy J. Blitzer
70. *** Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
69. ** The Sign by Raymond Khoury
68. *** The New Frugality by Chris Farrell
67. **** State Fair by Earlene Fowler
Another entry in the Benni Harper mystery series. As always, the characters and their funny and sometimes sad interactions are as important as the mystery. Recommended.
66. *** Griffin & Sabine by Nick Bantock
65. *** Bring It On by Laura Anne Gilman
64. *** Accidentally Dead by Dakota Cassidy
63. **** I'll Mature When I'm Dead by Dave Barry
Excellent collection of humorous articles that haven't appeared in newspapers (except for one). Recommended.
62. *** Shootout in Dodge City by Judd Cameron
61. *** The Escher Twist by Jane Langton
60. *** Live Free or Die by John Ringo
59. *** Eco House Book by Terence Conran
58. *** Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you by Mardy Grothe
57. ***** Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr. Lilian Cheung
Thich Nhat Hanh is a Zen Buddhist monk, and with the assistance of Dr. Lilian Cheung, has produced an excellent book on how to eat healthy and live well. I found this book illuminating and wise and have started to see results in my own life as I've applied its principles. Highly recommended.
56. *** Into the Darkness by Harry Turtledove
55. **** Sync: How Order Emerges From Chaos In the Universe, Nature, and Daily Life by Steven H. Strogatz
Fascinating book about how order can arise at every level of the cosmos and how this synchrony effects our world. Easy to read and full of examples. One of the best science books I've read lately. Recommended.
54. *** Do-it-yourself Digital Home Office by S.E. Slack
53. **** How to Simplify Your Life: Seven Practical Steps to Letting Go of Your Burdens and Living a Happier Life by Werner Tiki Kustenmacher and Lothar Seiwert
Excellent book on how to simplify your life with wise, practical advice. The authors cover everything from your home to your job to your relationships. This book isn't about having less, but about enjoying what you have more. Recommended.
52. *** Solar Power Your Home for Dummies by Rik DeGunther
51. *** Daughter of the Empire by Raymond Feist
50. *** Choice Theory by William Glasser
49. **** Leap of Faith by Gordon Cooper with Bruce Henderson
Mercury 7 astronaut Gordon Cooper tells of his career in space and then of his belief that the U.S. government has covered up information about UFOs. Besides the surprising info about UFOs, the book details Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space projects and offers lots of surprising details about the inside workings of NASA. Recommended for UFO skeptics and believers alike.
48. *** Teach Yourself Copywriting
47. *** The Art of the Book Proposal by Eric Maisel
46. *** 2010 Guide to Literary Agents
45. *** The Puzzle of Piri Reis by Kent Conwell
44. *** The Diabetes Dtour Diet
43. *** Time Spike by Eric Flint
42. *** Catalyst by Anne McCaffrey
41. **** Assegai by Wilbur Smith
Enthralling and exciting adventure in Africa in the early 1900s. Brutal at times, it remains a deeply romantic story in which the brave hero and beautiful heroine fall as deeply in love with Africa as they do with each other. Recommended.
40. *** And Now A Few Words From Me by Bob Garfield
39. **** Photocraft by Caroline Herter, Laurie Frankel & Laura Lovett
A beautiful book perfect for your crafting table. Many projects on ways to use your photos in interesting and unexpected ways. Recommended.
38. *** Harshini by Jennifer Fallon
37. *** Treason Keep by Jennifer Fallon
36. *** Medalon by Jennifer Fallon
35. **** Null-A Continuum by John C. Wright
This is a mind blowing, confusing, but ultimately entertaining book. It is a sequel to three books by the late Golden Age writer A.E. Van Vogt. I warn you: it has more plot twists and hidden identities than any other book you've ever read. The action bounces all over the universe, back and forth in time, and anywhere else you can think of. Frankly, it's overwhelming and took me two readings before I could fully grasp the plot. While I doubt I'd read any other sequels that might follow this one, it was worth the effort.
34. *** Arms-Commander by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
33. *** Knockout by Suzanne Sommers
32. *** Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews
31. *** The Golden Shrine by Harry Turtledove
30. ** Level 26: Dark Origins by Anthony E. Zuiker with Duane Swierczynski
29. **** Breath and Bone by Carol Berg
The stunning and exciting conclusion of the duology that started with Flesh and Spirit. Valen has discovered the truth about his life, but it's a truth that makes him a target for kings, warriors, dead men, witches, and worse evils. I hated to see the book end. Recommended.
28. **** Flesh and Spirit by Carol Berg
A interesting, quirky fantasy, the first of a duology. Valen doesn't fit in anywhere and runs away from the restrictive Pureblood Registry straight into a war that will determine the fate of the entire world. Recommended.
27. **** Revision & Self-Editing by James Scott Bell
One of the best books I've ever read on how to better your writing. Lively, packed with great examples, well-organized. I'm going to buy this book for my library. Recommended.
26. *** UFO by Charles E. Sellier with Joe Meier
25. ** The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
24. *** Elyon by Ted Dekker & Kaci Hill
23. *** Lunatic by Ted Dekker & Kaci Hill
22. *** Tragic Magic by Laura Childers
21. *** Chaos by Ted Dekker
20. *** Arctic Drift by Clive Cussler & Dirk Cussler
19. *** Renegade by Ted Dekker
18. **** The City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
The true story of the disappearance of legendary British explorer Percy Fawcett in the 1920s and of the many other explorers who lost their fortunes, lives and/or sanity searching for Fawcett and the Lost City of Z. Recommended.
17. **** Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Do you like steampunk? Do you like alternate histories? If so, Leviathan is the book for you. It has zeppelins, clankers (like Star War walkers), giant living airships, cannons, politics, a prince on the run, and much, much more. The only reason this handsome teen book didn't get five stars was because it's the beginning of a series, and the story leaves you hanging. Recommended.
16. *** Infidel by Ted Dekker
15. *** Less Than Dead by Tim Downs
14. *** Florence of Arabia by Christopher Buckley
13. ** Amberville by Tim Davys
12. **** Whirlwind by Robert Liparulo
Another entry in the Dreamhouse Kings series. The King family moved into a huge creepy house and discovered that it held terrible secrets. The pace is staggering as they rush from one danger to another. This teen book has some truly creepy moments in it. Recommended.
11. *** A Darkness Forged in Fire by Chris Evans
10. **** Altar of Eden by James Rollins
James Rollins's Altar of Eden is a good book, but it dismayed me with its vulgar language in places, and frankly, it's not one of his best. Characters are slight, and the plot has a few holes. Still, Rollins is one of the best thriller writers out there, and I don't think I wasted my money; I just know Rollins has better books in him. Recommended.
9. *** Cowl by Neal Asher
8. **** Crush it! By Gary Vaynerchuk
Crush It! is a great book for anyone who is trying to turn their passion into a life-long career. It's worth your money if you've ever thought about telling your boss where to go and leaving to follow your dream.
7. *** Design it Yourself Newsletters by Chuck Green
6. ***** First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher
First Lord's Fury is my first five starred book and is the conclusion of an epic fantasy series. (Butcher also writes the Dresden Files series, the basis for the short-lived show on SyFy channel.) I hope he returns to these characters again in a new series. I think there's still plenty of stories left to be told in that fantastic world. Highly recommended.
5. *** Marvel Visionaires Chris Claremont
4. *** Orcs: Army of Shadows by Stan Nicholls
3. *** Robot Titans of Gotham by Novell Page
2. **** The Chocolate Cupid Killings by JoAnna Carl
The Chocolate Cupid Killings is the latest in a mystery series. I've not read any of the others, but I'm going to look for them. It's an excellent cozy. Carl, by the way, also lives in Oklahoma. I love Oklahoma authors!
1. *** The Light of Burning Shadows by Chris Evans
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