Watchmen -- Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

Only one of a handful of graphic novels that I have read, however it is probably the best. I say probably because "Batman: The Long Halloween" was very good. Watchmen is dramatic and rich with a real, complex story. There is even a twist that I felt was quite unexpected and made the story very engaging and memorable. The story itself is good, but the art is engaging in it's own right. I felt that everything about this graphic novel represents what is good about the genre. I recommend it to anyone, especially someone who has never read a graphic novel or who thinks of them as just big comic books. It is really on the same level as any other form of literature.

I am also looking forward to the upcoming movie that looks as though it will also be quite good.

Dracula -- Bram Stoker

I think Dracula is one of those stories that everyone thinks they know or do know to some extent, but rarely they have read the actual book. At least, this was my case up until now. I have finally actually read this one. It was very good too. It is, however, written in a strange style. That is, the entire book is in the form of diaries or correspondences. Thus, there is no omnipresent narrator and so the information available to the reader is somewhat limited. Not really that this is a good nor bad thing, basically it just is different.

I very much enjoyed the story and I thought it took just the right amount of time to tell the story. There were some seemingly superfluous parts with people speaking in strange local dialects that were unnecessary to some degree. But, all in all, it was quite a good read. I wouldn't really call it "scary", but then again not much really is scary to me. It was written in the 19th century so that scary and today's scary are often very different. I do recommend it though to anyone, it is a quick read because of the style and it is relatively short at only 400 pages.

The Bourne Ultimatum -- Robert Ludlum

The finale of the Jason Bourne trilogy was just as good as the first two. I was satisfied with they way he chose to end the series, especially the plot of this one. After the second book, even though I knew there was a third, I could not imagine what would get Jason back in to action. Obviously, Carlos would need to have something to do with this, but I just did not foresee how he chose to do this.

Once again this novel required a lot of disbelief suspension, but it wouldn't really be a good action story if it was any other way. At times I felt like he made certain characters take actions that I just did not think they would have given what I have learned about these characters from the previous two books. For example, Marie does some really stupid things in this book, I was surprised Jason didn't just tie her to a chair and leave her. Additionally, I thought the very end was almost too corny. I mean, let's have every sit down and have a summing up conversation about life that basically saves the author time by making everything very brief and explicit. I am not really complaining, it just felt very rushed. So be it.

I highly recommend this book, but I even more so recommend starting with the first and just powering through these. It was very entertaining and I am sad they are finished. I suppose I can watch the movies now even though they have very little to do with the books.

Next -- Michael Crichton

Usually this book is not a one day read, at least I don't think under normal circumstances I would have read this so fast. However, I was stuck in the Newark airport from 7pm until my flight finally took off after 3am. After rummaging through my bag and getting a muffin, I decided to pull this book out and start reading. It was quick paced, short chapters and a lot of dialogue, the only parts that slowed the reading a bit were the "news" stories interspersed throughout the book.

The problem with Crichton is that you never know what is specifically true. I know enough about chemistry and the other sciences to know that most of what was happening scientifically in this book is a little premature. But, the main point of the book was right on target. This book appeals to those that are concerned with the litigious nature of our society or those that are not but should be. It appeals to those whom are concerned with the growth of the biotech industry because of the lack of knowledge of those who make decisions and the reckless propaganda of those who actually know what is going on.

I am not saying biotech firms are evil. Quite the contrary. However, read this book and you will understand where the concerns are. There is a lot of benefits to these products and services. They should be rewarded accordingly. However, the courts make rulings where they don't understand the facts. The scientists inside these companies are willing to compromise high academic standards in trade for sensationalizing in front of a scared, misinformed public. Obviously not all are doing this, probably only a few, but the point remains. I highly recommend this book because I agree that the world most people expect to be here in 100 years is already here in many ways.

Specifically about this book, I found the stories to be somewhat jumbled and in some cases were wrapped up hastily and were found lacking. He tried to interweave many different stories and was successful in most ways, however it seemed to me that too many different plot lines were introduced in order to account for less depth and development in all of them. It was an enjoyable read however and the negative aspects in the story telling were outweighed by the skill that was shown in what was there.

The Bourne Supremacy -- Robert Ludlum

The second book in this series kept up the excitement right where the first one let off. I enjoyed the setting of the first book, primarily France, because I am somewhat familiar with this area. However, the setting of the second book, primarily China during the 1980s, was quite interesting. Not being an expert on the region, it was a welcome change of scenery and language. The customs were different and the whole scope of the novel was much different. Jason knows a lot about who he is and is now using this knowledge, whereas in the first book it was more of a personal scavenger hunt.

The action was very well paced and again it was a very quick and easy read. I had trouble putting it down at times when I had to get back to other work. The character development seemed better and the action sequences were described in a manner that allowed them to be visualized more easily. I often felt as if I was watching a movie while reading because the descriptions are quite good.

Negative aspects of this book were few but they were still there. I am not sure actually if it is a negative or just my fault. Having read the first one so close to the second, it felt so often that he was repeating himself or dwelling on explanations of past events that I already knew about from just reading the first book. I suppose this cannot be avoided in a sequel, but it was still rather annoying at times. Other than this, we had to once again suspend disbelief to the brink at points, but it was done in a way that didn't really hurt the overall story. All in all, I definitely recommend this novel, after reading the first of course. I read on Amazon that a lot of people thought this was the better of the first two, I would say that I agree for the most part. But they are somewhat hard to compare in my mind so I leave it to you.

And Then There Were None -- Agatha Christie

I read this book rather fast and there is good reason. It was a bit dated in language, but it was still riveting. The mystery had me going until the end. I did not fully understand that whole story until the very last page. She broke the book up into smaller sections and there was quite a bit of dialogue, hence it read very easily. The twists and turns were well designed. I haven't read a mystery novel in a long time, this one did not disappoint the genre. I will definitely be reading more mystery and for sure more Christie. I very much recommend this book, it can be read in a couple days and it is a very enjoyable experience.

The Bourne Identity -- Robert Ludlum

I finally read this book. I had been meaning to after seeing the first movie years ago. I still never managed to see the second or third movies. Not because I did not like the first, but rather I just never seemed to get around to it. I thought this was somewhat of a good thing, because then when I read the three books I would not have known the entire story yet. After reading this book though, I do not think it would have been a problem. This book is so much different from the movie that I remember that I believe the second two movies are probably also very loosely based. I thoroughly enjoyed this book however. The fact that Carlos was actually in this book, albeit that most of the character in the book was false, it still lent a bit of realism to the story.

It has been a very long time since I read what I would actually call a page-turner. I could not put this thing down. Near the end of every chapter there is some new twist that nearly forces me to read on and find out what happens next. I have been reading mostly biographies lately and, before that, nothing I would call action for quite some time. Hence, this book may seem much better to me because I am not engrossed in this genre. But, it was very well executed. Obviously there were times were some disbelief needed to be suspended. Further, I did not fully buy certain characters motivations and feelings throughout. But, I don't always understand why people do certain things in real life either. Thus, with limited skepticism, I believe this is one of the better action-packed novels I have ever read. I fully recommend this book to anyone. It is a very quick read. I am certainly looking forward to the next two.

Ninety-Three -- Victor Hugo

I have been wanting to read nearly all of Hugo's books and this is my first one. I can safely say that it will not be my last. This was truly a great piece of literature. I want to start with saying that I really did enjoy the book and I thought it was executed (no pun intended) very well. However, I do have some minor complaints. I think that it is sometimes over looked that this book goes into some unnecessary detail about the people and places involved. Yes it is interesting to hear, but sometimes it goes on for full pages about the names of people who are only mentioned that one time and have little to do with the story. I understand why he does this when he does, however the book does drag at certain points. The only reason I really say this is because anyone looking to read this book might get bogged down near the beginning and even in the middle with some of these details and might possibly set the book aside. It is really worth slogging through the extra verbiage.

The book weaves a fantastic story during an incredibly interesting point in history. I have studied the French revolution from a historical non-fiction point of view as well as from the many novels that are set in this time. I can not get enough of the incredible characters and stories from that time period. This book actually has Danton, Marat and Robspierre as characters. This is possibly the only book I know of that does this. Hence, I recommend this book fully to anyone interested in reading a well developed and engaging story. Especially to those who have a pre-existing interest in the French revolution.

One fact that should actually be pointed out in addition, is the fact that Hugo has some of the best lines I have ever read. I mean that he uses language so well that nearly every sentence is one you want to write down on a post-it and stick to your wall. If I had actually written down every quote that I thought was powerful, beautiful and/or just plain cool, I could have filled a notebook. I ended up writing down page numbers but then had to stop doing that because I had too many written down. I decided at one point that the whole book is quotable and hence reading it is sort of a gift that keeps on giving.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra -- Friedrich Nietzsche

This book has been on my list of books that I should read for a long time. I am not entirely sure why, but I guess there was something in my mind that I could not quite put my finger on that told me that I should read this book. I am glad that I read it when I did and not when I was much younger.

It is an interesting work in philosophy, I disagree with a lot of his points, others he comes very close to what I think is correct and then takes massive right turns. Sometimes he does explicate what I personally believe and thus the entire book was interesting to read. It is always beneficial to broaden your knowledge and that is what I see this book doing. I am now more aware of certain classes of existentialist thought and I feel I understand how some people view the world much better.

The book is lyrical throughout and thus not entirely that easy to read unless you are focused. For example, here are some interesting quotes from throughout the book.

"It is terrible to be alone with the judge and avenger of one's own law. Thus does a star get thrown out into desolate space and into the icy breath of solitary being" (46).

"Indeed, not in satiety shall his yearning keep silent and submerge, but in beauty! Grace belongs to the graciousness of the great-minded" (92).

"Whoever has heart knows fear, but conquers fear; sees the abyss but with pride. Whoever sees the abyss, but with eagle's eyes, whoever grasps the abyss with eagle's talons: he has courage" (233).

The book is better than most philosophical books in that Nietzsche is actually a pretty good writer. He writes in a way that you can read if you put your mind into it. However, I would recommend to be constantly critical of all philosophy and to see it merely as his point of view and to determine logically from it what you actually find truth and value in. In sum, I would advise people to read this, but beware that it is not light and it can be odd at times.

A Tale of Two Cities -- Charles Dickens

One of those classics that I have always meant to read but just never did. Well, I finally did and I am only slightly sad that it took me so long. I have always loved the history of the French revolution and I did not realize how well this book portrayed this period of history. I highly recommend this book to anyone. The story is very engaging, with many interesting characters and a sufficiently interesting plot. The fact that this could be entirely true adds to the luster although it invariable is fiction. What I mean is that many of the events that seem so unlikely and implausible are but tame versions of the truth. Truly, history is stranger than fiction, but Dickens does a great job of mixing the history of this turbulent time with a brilliantly executed love story.

Lieutenant Hornblower -- C.S. Forester

The second installment of the Horatio Hornblower series. I read the first one nearly 3 years ago and for some reason waited to read the next one. I really liked the first one but just never seemed to get around to reading the rest of the books in the series. This one did not disappoint either. It is a very quick read and quite simple in terms of language. The only difficulty comes from the use of 18th century nautical terms, however that is what makes it an interesting read. This book introduces the other character that I have heard is a recurring persona throughout the series, this is Lieutenant Bush.

I forgot how much I liked Horatio's character and personality. The contrast with Bush really brings this out. We see that Bush does not really want much responsibility and is much more content taking care of the mundane tasks that he has been ordered to do. On the other hand, Hornblower is ambitious and capable. I highly recommend this book along with all of the other Hornblower books. I have only read the first one, but I plan to finish the series at some point. Hopefully it just doesn't take another 3 years before I pick up number 3.

The Bonfire of the Vanities -- Tom Wolfe

What can I really say about this book because I am not really sure if I enjoyed it. I know that sounds strange, but it was good at times and extremely boring at others. I had a lot of trouble because I did not identify with the weakness of the main character, at times I just wanted to slap him in the face. It was an interesting story that does show the weakness that is present in some of the people in power. It also does show some of the similarities that exist across socioeconomic situations where no similarities might seem to be present. I speak of some of the actions of the people in the Bronx relatively the people on Park Avenue and Wall Street, as presented in this book. I wouldn't recommend this book too highly, mostly because I found the ending to be so anticlimactic that I wanted to throw the book across the room when I turned the page and realized that was it. Other than that, it does provide a unique portrayal of some of the characters that exist in New York City, so it could be worth reading. The main problem is that it really just seems dated because it was written over 20 years ago and the world has changed a great deal since then. But all the same, the world has not changed that much and the book was worth the read to me because I see how little has changed in some areas even over two decades.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows -- J.K. Rowling

This one is pretty self-explanatory. I have been reading the Harry Potter books since the first one came out. I have enjoyed them all and this one did not disappoint. While seemingly large at nearly 760 pages, the print and her writing style allowed me to finish the final book in the series in a day. If you do not wish to spoil the ending I recommend you do not read the titles of all the chapters in the table of contents. Personally, I made that mistake and I felt like gave something away but not that much I suppose. I think that Book 6 was better and that Book 4 was the best, but in my opinion this one comes in 3rd. Thus, the order of books in terms of quality is: 4, 6, 7, 5, 3, 2, and 1. I obviously needed to read this book after reading the others, but I would recommend the entire series to anyone, young or old. Once you get past the fact that this is supposedly a children's book and that you must suspend some disbelief at times, the books are in fact very good. They are not classics of literature but they do weave an interesting tale and are worth giving a couple days to.