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Reading Diary for 1999
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
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2012
2011
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1985

  and earlier
"The Last Man on the Moon"
by Eugene Cernan
The Last Man on the MoonCommander of the final Apollo moon mission, Gene Cernan gives a bare-bones but illuminative history of his role in the space program. Like all of the astronauts of his era (and many of us who grew up in its long shadow), he wonders why we stopped reaching for the stars and began settling.

"Americans Into Orbit"
by Gene Gurney
Americans Into OrbitMy kids' school library cleaned out all their old pre-politically correct history and science books; this look at the early American space program was pretty solid history, even if written for the younger set.

"A Private View"
by Anita Brookner
A Private ViewNot as dark as "Hotel du Lac," but still haunted by some disturbing undercurrents. Retired British gentleman gets his hormones in an uproar over sensual young American girl. Will he come to his senses? Should he? Brookner has a nice touch for such questions.

"Six Memos for the Next Millennium"
by by Italo Calvino
Six Memos for the Next MillenniumJust barely got this in before the millennium! The late Italian novelist/abusrdist Calvino organized five lectures for Harvard (he died before completing No. 6) about his theories of literature. Provocative stuff for anyone who still believes in literature as art.

"Hemingway's Chair"
by by Michael Palin
Hemingway's ChairRead this on a flight from D.C. to San Diego, and it was the best flight I've ever had. Monty Python's Palin is a wonderful story teller with believably eccentric characters and twists of plot to delight O. Henry.

"Hotel du Lac"
by Anita Brookner
Hotel du LacDark little novel about a woman trying to get away from her past, but confronted with the reality that none of us really can, that the mere fact of attempted escape is itself an act of bondage to the past.

"The Kingdom of Zydeco"
by Michael Tisserand
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The Kingdom of ZydecoBest, most complete history of Louisiana's zydeco music yet. Well-written and informative, but Tisserand seems too wed to the cultural and psychological barriers between Creole and Cajun and ignores, or at least glosses over, the important cross-pollinations. (See review of the CD that was released at the same time as the book, compiled by Tisserand.)

"Fortunes of War"
by Stephen Coonts
Fortunes of WarI hate to put down other folks' creative works, but I'm not quite sure this novel even qualifies in that category. Ridiculous story line and two-dimensional characters made this almost unreadable.

"The Kingdom of Shivas Irons"
by Michael Murphy
The Kingdom of Shivas IronsThe sequel to "Golf in the Kingdom." Answers some hanging questions from the first book, but not nearly as enchanting.

"Golf in the Kingdom"
by Michael Murphy
Golf in the KingdomGolf as metaphysics. Sometimes kind of doofy, but mostly it works as the narrator relates his encounter with Shivas Irons, Murphy's own mythical (or is he?) Irish golfing semi-deity.

"Nerds 2.0.1: A Brief History of the Internet"
by Stephen Segaller
Nerds 2.0.1: A Brief History of the InternetWell-written history of the Internet, based on the TV mini-series of the same name. (See full review.)

"Cosm"
by Gregory Benford
Buy it now from Amazon.com
CosmThis is what sci-fi ought to be: Benford creates a wonderful new world – a new cosm, actually, about the size of a bowling ball, yet the same as our own universe. Great idea, great story.

"Being Digital"
by Nicholas Negroponte
Being DigitalA collection of columnists from the Wired contributor and head of the MIT Media Lab; not nearly as interesting as it sounds or ought to be.

"The Other End of Time"
by Frederick Pohl
The Other End of TimeThis seemed kinda dopey, even for science fiction. Humans repairing an abandoned space station are kidnapped, end up in some war on other side of the universe or galaxy, and end up winning, sort of. Didn't do much for me ...