Another by Frederick Pohl...

THE DAY THE MARTIANS CAME
*SPOILER ALERT*

I don't ususally do spoilers, but in this case it's kind of hard to avoid. The Martians come to Earth. Says so in the title. However, the story isn't so much about the day the Martians came, as it is about the discovery of the Martians and how people on Earth respond to the astronauts bringing them back to Earth. I found the different viewpoints interesting and thought-provoking. In the end, tho, the Martians do come to Earth. The part of the story devoted to them on Earth is minimal. I'm thinking the important part is how Earthlings handle the news and relate to the Martians. An enjoyable story otherwise, considering it was pieced together from several short stories. I didn't know that going in, but it does explain the couple of instances where the story seemed to jump with no connection to another "scene", and why some of the chapters didn't flow evenly together. A tribute to the author that the story is cohesive despite those instances.

Frederick Pohl again!

This time it was "Jem", and what a gem of a book it is! I thoroughly enjoyed this story of man's attempt to settle on another planet. It amazes me that I'm only now discovering Pohl's writing. I guess I just haven't been moving in the right circles! The stories are wonderful and the issues being dealt with are issues we could find being dealt with in our world today. I love that I never feel like the story is dated or that the attitudes of the characters are out-dated. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Frederick Pohl was and is ahead of his time. If you really want to understand what I'm meaning, try "Jem". Let me know what you think!

Do you focus on one author sometimes?

I'm a Science Fiction fan but it's not the only genre I read. That being said, I was in a reading funk lately...starting several books but not really into any of them. That's when Frederick Pohl's book "Homegoing" crossed my counter. It caught my attention and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It's a story of a 20-something young man who has been raised from a zygote...rescued by the aliens as his parents died...and is now being returned to Earth. The adventures and antics involved kept me interested despite the dated feeling of the story. It was written in the '80's, but still talked about some of the relevant concerns we have today. I liked the story so much, that I'm now reading another of Frederick Pohl's books, "Jem". On deck I also have 5 other novels by Frederick Pohl. Yes, I'm focusing on him for the moment! :) Happy Reading everyone!

Catching up...

I've been away from my blog for a long time it seems! What have I been doing you might ask? Well, reading...yes...always that, but also running a used bookstore. What troubled times we're in these days. Used bookstores closing all around. I can name several in my area (city/surrounding towns) that have closed for one reason or another. The scary part is that I'm in a similar postition and right now fighting to stay open while also preparing to shut down the brick and mortar store much to the dismay of my customers. I will continue to fight to the bitter end to keep the store open, tho, and therefore am working hard to bring in the sales. If you're in my neighborhood and reading this, come take advantage of some great bargains! Who knows? You may just be instrumental in keeping the doors open! :) Just in case you are in this area, the big sale is buy up to $50 and get 25% off or buy over $50 and get 50% off! New today....all pocketbooks are $2 until the end of the month! A fantastic deal!

Island of Flowers by Nora Roberts

A newer cover pictured here than the actual book I read, but that's ok. This is one of Nora Roberts earlier works, and fits very well into the light romance genre it was published under. This was Book 10 in the Language of Love series. Romantic, a little twist to provide some tension, and the beautiful setting of Hawaii! What more could you ask? Oh...yes...boy does get girl in the end...but you knew that....right?

Knit Two by Kate Jacobs

This followup book to "The Friday Night Knitting Club" was good, but a bit light for my taste. I found that the story seemed to skip around a lot, although in the end all those loose ends tied themselves together quite nicely and I liked that. We pick up the story again a few years further down the road and check in to see how all the Knitting Club members are doing and what changes have happened in themselves, and their lives. "Knit Two" is a comfortable, light read. Good for a quiet evening. I think it's necessary to read "The Friday Night Knitting Club" first, tho, to put this one in it's proper perspective.

The Empty Chair by Jeffery Deaver

Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are at it again, but this time they've left their usual environment and so part of the story revolves around how to solve the crime when you don't have all the resources you are used to. Some time has passed since the last story, as well, and so we are given tiny glimpses into the progression of the relationship between Rhyme and Sachs. (No first names...as Rhyme would say...it's bad luck)

Keep you guessing until the last chapter....even the last page! That seems to be Jeffery Deaver's modus operandi. It works. Although I wasn't as taken with "The Empty Chair" as I have been with the first two books in this series, it was still an enjoyable book. I'll be picking up the next in the series for sure! No disappointment here.