Another long time in between finished books, but finally I am through with Calculating God, by Robert J. Sawyer. This was a “That sounds kind of intriguing” pick from my last trip to the library. I’d never heard of Robert Sawyer, but I’m: a) a big sci-fi geek, and b) interested in religious discourse. Score on both things.

This was a delightful read. It starts out with the whimsy of a Douglas Adams tome and steadily metamorphoses into an oftentimes provocative examination of what it would mean if aliens reached Earth and we learned they were a far more advanced species that believes God created the universe and all within it. Such is the dichotomy for the Human protagonist, Tom Jericho, an atheist who now finds himself faced with uncertainty about the beginning and ending of life, both through personal crisis and professional dealings with the alien visitors.

I’m still a little uncertain as to whether or not I found the ending to be satisfying. On some levels, yes, it works. I’m not really sure what exactly is holding me back from giving this a perfect 5, but there’s something there that’s not quite what I expected it would be. I guess I was expecting an 11th hour option that I secretly knew was never going to occur. Perhaps a second read is necessary, but for now, I will give this a final score of 4.5/5.

Next is Walking in Circles Before Lying Down, by Merrill Markoe. I know nothing more about this book than it has a photo of a dog on the cover. Yes, I have done blind book buys before based solely on the fact that a dog was on the cover, and I did it this time, too. Hopefully, this will end up being as successful as the last time I did this and ended up being introduced to the wonderment of Paul Auster through his delightful book, Timbuktu.

This was the perfect sorbet after a hearty meal like Dan Raviv’s tome against Wall Street greed. I actually finished this one in a little more than a day. I was just too lazy to come online this weekend to write about it. Yeah, sorry about that.

I must confess that I do enjoy watching some of the shows on Food Network. I’m by no means a culinary aficionado. I boil a mean pot of water and I’ve been told that my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are to die for 😉 Okay, that’s not completely true, but I’m not really a fan of cooking. I do, however love some of the Food Network stars. Chief among the elite is, of course, Paula Deen. I like real women. I think Paula falls smack in the middle of that category – either that or she’s a better actor than Elizabethtown revealed her to be.

This memoir, It Ain’t All About the Cookin’, while a quick read, was packed with the intimate details of how Paula Deen went from small town Georgia girl to the queen of all things Southern food. And when I say intimate, I mean intimate, right down to a joke about spitting or swallowing. Oh yeah.

She’s funny, self-deprecating, honest, and bawdy, and if you’re looking for a great summer beach book, this should definitely make your list. Plus, she ends almost each chapter with a yummy recipe, so it’s like confessional and cookbook all rolled into one!

Final score: 3/5.

Next on the reading list: Calculating God, by Robert J. Sawyer.

P.S. – Paula, honey, don’t think that you were ever foolin’ anyone about the fact that you smoke(d). That glorious nicotine-soaked laugh of yours gave you away from the word “go.”

Finally! You ever end up with a book that you don’t think you will EVER finish? That’s how I felt about Comic Wars, by Dan Raviv.

Don’t get me wrong: It is an interesting book, detailing the near bankruptcy of the company that has brought about some of my all-time favorite superheroes, including my favorite band of merry mutants, the X-Men. But it was a dense mofo. Any book that’s more than 300 pages of single-spaced, 11-point-font text with no hard returns between paragraphs is going to take a while to read – especially when it deals with the machinations of Wall Street slime.

This was like Gordon Gekko: The Marvel Years. If you think that Wall Street tycoons are nothing but fiduciary schmucks…well, this book is most assuredly not going to change your opinion. Didn’t really do much to bolster my view of lawyers either. It’s also a lot of posturing, investor speak, legalese, and courtroom grappling, so if you’re not of that mindset, it might be a long and dull road at some points.

All that said, I’m glad that I stuck with it and finally finished it. Final score for Mr. Raviv’s effort: 3/5.

I’ve already jumped right in to Book 10, It Ain’t All About the Cookin’, Paula Deen’s memoir. Favorite part so far? The library book has a smudge of what looks like chocolate fudge along the top of the front cover (oh, I hope it’s fudge). What else would Paula Deen’s memoir have on it? Well, maybe a big stick of butter as the bookmark…

I’m a little behind with this post (make note that this is one of those rare moments when “little behind” can be honestly associated with me 😐 ). Every year since 2003, book nerds from across the globe have committed themselves to the 50 Book Challenge. Considering the depressing truth that too many people don’t even crack open one book a year, this might sound like quite the insurmountable challenge.

But it is a challenge that I have chosen to accept this year. I’m a bit off my target number for this far into the year: I should be finished with 16 books so far. I’m only at that half-way mark. Ruh-roh. Which is why I’m posting this information here as a means of keeping myself focused and on-target. I will post an update each time I complete a book and update my tally at the same time. That way we can all follow along! I know, I’m too kind in all the gifts I give you here at the lair. Oh yeah.

Anyway, here is where I’m at so far:

1. 10 Most Beautiful Experiments, by George Johnson (3.5/5)
2. The Dumbest Generation, by Mark Bauerlein (3/5)
3. The Memory of Running, by Ron McLarty (4.5/5)
4. Gene Roddenberry: The Last Conversation, by Yvonne Fern (4.5/5)
5. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman (4.5/5)
6. The Eyes of the Beholders, by A.C. Crispin (3.5/5)
7. Watchmen, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (2.5/5)
8. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet: Horror Stories by Richard Matheson (4.5/5)

So far, my favorite new discovery has been The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty. I bought this book from the remainder aisle at the local generic chain bookstore. It was a hardback for $2, which is my English major kryptonite. I was so very pleased to find that this was more of a bargain than I expected. It is clean, simple prose, told with oftentimes discomfiting honesty. The main character, “Smithy” Ide, is quite reminiscent of John Kennedy Toole’s anti-hero, Ignatius J. Reilly, from A Confederacy of Dunces. Luckily, however, they are primarily surface similarities. Smithy is a far more likable and sympathetic character, which makes it easier to get behind him, even during his more difficult choices and confessions.

If you can find a copy of this book at your library or bookstore, I’d definitely recommend picking it up…especially if you can find it for 2 bucks like I did!