Specter of the Past

Author: Timothy Zahn
Format: Print

Oh no! Thrawn is back! I didn't like this Zahn book as much as his first trilogy, I guess I'm done with Star Wars novels for a while. I'll look forward to the third Drew Karpyshyn Bane novel, but other than that I think I'm done for a while.

The Golden Compass

Author: Philip Pullman
Format: Audiobook

It was a pretty good story. Took me a while to read this one, it didn't leave me wanting more. I think I prefer audiobooks read by one talented individual rather than a cast of people like this on. The Lyra characters voice and accent really got on my nerves. I like how Pullman mixes ideas from religion, physics, and mathematics into his fantasy world. There's even a mention of imaginary numbers.

The Number Devil

Author: Hans Magnus Enzensberger
Format: Print

A quick little adventure; this would be ideal for the middle school student. It does a great job of raising your curiosity but leaves the "why?" for you, the adventurer, to discover. I also like the analogy it gives for proof which I will use in class. It compares writing a proof to crossing a river, you have to jump from rock to rock.

Jedi Search

Author: Kevin J. Anderson
Format: Print

Great. Han goes back to Kessle, home of the infamous "Kessle Run." Luke finds some Jedi students to begin training, the Empire has yet another super weapon that the New Republic takes care of. Excited to read Dark Apprentice, the next in the duology.

Allegiance

Author: Timothy Zahn
Format: Print

Pretty good. Neat to see what Mara Jade (a character created after the movies) was up to during the timeline of the movies. Katie bought me this book for my birthday. :)

Shape Shifter

Author: Tony Hillerman
Format: Audiobook

Listened to this one with Katie on the way back from Chicago. I liked this one better than "Listening Woman." I guess it just held my attention a little better, even despite the 2.5 hour search for a windshield wiper after mine flew off on the freeway!

Listening Woman

Author: Tony Hillerman
Format: Audiobook

Katie and I listened to this one while driving to Chicago. Ended with a great canyon chase.

A Briefer History of Time

Author: Stephen Hawking
Format: Print

A great overview of some of the ideas of physics that have entered the public view. Relativity, quantum mechanics, string theory, black holes, the big bang, worm holes. By the way, did you hear about the black hole with the mass of 18 billion suns?