Last night, as I was getting ready for bed, I intended to stay up for perhaps another hour and read another hundred pages or so; I was about a hundred pages into it. I ended up not getting to bed until I had finished the last 700+ pages at three in the morning. It's still unmistakably a Harry Potter story, but I hesitate to call it a children's book. Darker in tone and heavier in content, Rowling is definitely allowing her work to mature. The only problem I had with the book was that it became difficult to like Harry. He became too moody and self-absorbed; in short, too much of a teenager (though I can't say I wasn't that way in my own adolescence; can any of us?). One warning and mild spoiler (in case you haven't already heard): something very sad happens in the climactic scene; prepare yourself for it.

Started: 2003-07-27 | Finished: 2003-08-02

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Such an interesting novel, at once hilarious and tragic. I wasn't crazy about all of the ideas put forward in the book, but I can't deny that I found it gripping. There's something bordering on insane about Vonnegut's writing, and it intrigues me to no end.

Started: 2003-07-16 | Finished: 2003-07-23

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The fourth installment of the Legacy of the Alldenata saga concludes the Human-Posleen War series. It lived up to the first three novels, if it did resort to a bit of deus ex machina in the end. I would have been upset with all the loose ends, but Ringo made it clear in his afterword that he will be writing more about these characters (although perhaps after a not-too-brief hiatus).

Started: 2003-07-09 | Finished: 2003-07-13

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I've been a huge fan of Gene Wolfe since I first picked up his Book of the New Sun series about five years ago. His novels are dense and it can be difficult to get to the core of them. A single reading is never enough to figure them out. But, oh!, they are so beautiful! The Fifth Head of Cerberus was my favorite of his books for a while, but Peace may be giving it a run for its money.

Started: 2003-07-02 | Finished: 2003-07-09

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This was a welcome change of pace after Nietzsche. Ambrose's book is a bit biased, and since it was so short and covered so much he didn't have time to really delve into any of his topics, but it was still a good read and I think I can apply the highest praise that can be given to an historian: it made me want to learn more about the people and events he described.

Started: 2003-06-28 | Finished: 2003-07-01

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I read this book as a part of my continuing quest to read all the books I was supposed to have read for various classes. It didn't take me long to remember why I skipped it the first time around. Nietzsche is a racist, a chauvenist, a classist, and, in general, a jerk. I disagree with the basic premise of his philosophy—that the basic and sole important drive in people is the will to power—as well as most of the conclusions to which it brings him. Nevertheless, he was an important influence on so many thinkers, so I suppose it wasn't a total waste of time.

Started: 2003-04-30 | Finished: 2003-06-26

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I had heard a lot about how great this book was, and I have to admit, it was a very good read. I was very surprised, though, as it was much darker than I had expected. I'm not sure I would call it a "children's" book, but I suspect you'd be more likely to find it in the "young adults" section, anyway. I can definitely recommend this book.

Started: 2003-04-28 | Finished: 2003-04-29

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The third installment of Ringo's Legacy of the Alldenata continues the series with a bang. Like a lot of military SF, the Legacy series seems to have Heinlein's Starship Troopers in mind, but it seems obvious that Ringo has a much better understanding of the military. I like this series quite a bit. It has just the right combination of blazing action, interesting plot and human interest.

Started: 2003-04-24 | Finished: 2003-04-27

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