The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer by Jennifer Lynch

Given that The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer is a twenty five year old media tie-in novel, I've gotta say that it holds up quite well. I'll say this as a compliment... but it was kind of hard to read it for extended amounts of time because it is just so weird, sad and creepy. So if I'm keeping in mind that this was a quickly produced book to tie in with a tv show I'll have to give it an A-. Like whenever Laura would include BOB's words in her diary it was just really creepy and made it scarier than some Stephen King novels. It far exceeded my expectations.

Sci-Fi Book # 18 - Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Even though Flowers for Algernon ended pretty much the way I thought it would, I found the journey very enjoyable and quite moving. The story follows a mentally handicapped man named Charlie that partakes in an experimental procedure that vastly increases his IQ. I guess I should try and not give too much away but the whole story just gets sadder and sadder. The fact that he reads The Great Gatsby and An American Tragedy should count as foreshadowing. I'll give it an A.

And with that I'm now half way though the top 50 Science Fiction book list... Here are my rankings:

1. Dune
2. The War of the Worlds
3. 1984
4. The Time Machine
5. The Martian Chronicles
6. Ender's Game
7. Frankenstein
8. The Handmaid's Tale
9. The Invisible Man
10. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
11. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
12. 2001
13. Flowers for Algernon
14. Brave New World
15. The Stand
16. Cat's Cradle
17. Foundation
18. Fahrenheit 451
19. The Martian
20. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
21. The Andromeda Strain
22. I, Robot
23. Jurassic Park
24. Snow Crash
25. The Mote in God's Eye

Sci-Fi Book #12 - I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Way back in 2000 or so I tried reading I, Robot and only got through the first couple of stories. After re-reading the first couple of stories I can see why I stopped reading it back then. The stories do improve as the book continues but I can't really give it a glowing recommendation. I, Robot is a collection of short stories about the gradual growth of robots in a future society... starting with robots being used to babysit and ending with machines completely running the world's economy. I guess my problem is that none of the stories are all that dramatic and end up being thought problems on why a robot acts a certain way in accordance with the laws of robotics. I enjoyed it but I guess I'm not going to be a huge Asimov fan. B

Mystery Book #15 - The Godfather by Mario Puzo

While reading The Godfather it was impossible to not imagine the characters as the actors that portrayed them in the movie. The movie follows the novel pretty closely, the only main difference is that the book includes a bit more about Johnny Fontane's career and the life of Sonny's mistress after his death (and neither story line adds much either). I enjoyed it but I'd have to say the movie is an improvement and adds more life to the story (though the novel does include a crazy story about Luca Brasi that I don't think is in the film). A-.

Mystery Book # 21 Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler

I'm pretty sure I had actually read Farewell, My Lovely twice before... but before re-reading it again I couldn't tell you anything about the plot. About half way through each major scene I'd get a general sense of recall and about two thirds of the way through I was able to remember the final plot twist. So yeah, the plot isn't the most memorable thing... but it is still a good read. I just love Chandler's style...ridiculous dialogue and random similes.  B+

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

In Norse Mythology Neil Gaiman retells a bunch of stories about Thor, Odin, Loki and a bunch of other Norse gods. For the most part I enjoyed the stories but I have a feeling that they won't stick in my memory for very long. Most of the time while reading it I was comparing these interpretations (and I'm guessing more "accurate" versions) of the Norse gods with those in the Marvel comics that I've been reading for most of my life. The one thing that I will remember is that Laufey is actually Loki's mother instead of his father (as is the case with Marvel's Loki). B

Sci-Fi Book #6 - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

It is kind of interesting how the way you remember or interpret an older book can change depending on current events and the political climate. What really stuck out to me this time when I read Fahrenheit 451 is that within the story the banning of books isn't because the government is trying to force its own ideology but rather they're just trying to make people happy by getting rid of opposing opinions in general because they cause people to argue and be unhappy. So the lesson learned this time - appreciate the freedom of speech of those with different views (which I think is a lesson that needs to be taught to the younger generation).

So I enjoyed the book, but I think I'll have to give it an A-. It seemed like the third act felt a bit rushed and the ending pretty much comes out of nowhere. *SPOILERS* I'm just not seeing how the destruction of the city really fits in with the theme. It isn't like the city destroys itself, but rather some foreign enemy destroys it for reasons unknown.