Day 124: Book Haul!

I finally finished 'Beloved' (took me long enough), so I figured it was time to relive the best part of being a reader, spending lots of money on new books! This time I have four books I want to get through. One is from a new author I'd never heard of before, and the other three are some well-known titles I've had on my radar. Shout out to vicgrefer for suggesting Michael Crichton's 'Timeline' way back when I was reading 'Jurassic Park.' I did not forget, somehow.

The first book I'm going to read is called 'Nexus,' by Ramez Naam. It's his debut novel with great reviews and has really grabbed me in just the first few pages. An experimental (and illegal) drug, nexus, allows users to link their minds together through complex nanocircuitry. When a young scientist is caught trying to improve the drug, he's "thrust into a world of danger and international espionage, for there is far more at stake than anyone realizes." I mean, how could I resist right? I like reading and learning from new authors, seeing as I would like to become one, and I have high hopes that I'll be able to get a lot from 'Nexus.' It should be a fun read too. So far it reminds me of something Crichton might write about. Speaking of ...

Next I'm going to tackle Crichton's 'Timeline,' which has a really cool blurb. "Halfway around the world, archaeologists make a shocking discovery at a medieval site. Suddenly they are swept off to the headquarters of a secretive multinational corporation that has developed an astounding technology. Now this group is about to get a chance not to study the past but to enter it." I'm excited to read another Crichton novel since Jurassic Park was so good. I learned a lot about suspense and pacing from that one, and I'm sure this one will be no different, though I may also get a clinic on multiple timelines in this one. I haven't had the guts to write a story that isn't chronological yet. Maybe this one will inspire me.

After 'Timeline' I'm going to read 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.' Might seem like kind of a random addition, but I've heard it's really good and I haven't read much non-fiction or self-help so I'm hoping it will be a nice addition to the stack. Also my Mom sent me a copy for free so I have no excuse. Thanks Mom.

I'm going to finish this batch off with another Toni Morrison book, 'Jazz.' Hopefully this one doesn't take me quite as long. I don't think I'm capable of hitting you in the face any harder than the blurb, so here it is:

"In the winter of 1926, when everybody everywhere sees nothing but good things ahead, Joe Trace, a middle-aged waiter who moonlights as a door-to-door salesman of Cleopatra beauty products, shoots his teenage lover to death. At the funeral, Joe's wife, Violet, attacks the girl's corpse."

I'm not sure what this is going to be about beyond that shocker, but I do know Toni Morrison will blow me away no matter what happens. Hopefully it isn't quite as rocky a road as the last one. Something makes me suspect that won't be the case, but how anybody could ever write anything more messed up than a story about a mother who killed her own child to keep her out of the hands of slavers, I have no idea. I guess I'll find out.

That's about it for this batch, but I'm always on the lookout for stuff to read and I may add a book or two over the coming weeks. I'll probably have a first impressions ready to go by next week for 'Nexus,' but maybe even tomorrow if it keeps up this breakneck pace.

Thank you for reading,

Benjamin Hawley