Day 343: Book Haul!

A new day, a new haul of books to ogle over on my shelves. Today's theme is the lack of one. I have an grab bag of random titles that have been on my list to read, plus the one for next month's book club. Speaking of ...

'The Chinese Groove' by Kathryn Ma is a coming of age novel about an overly-optimistic Chinese immigrant who comes to San Francisco with big dreams and an even bigger heart. His prospects may be dour, but that won't stop him, especially if he's able to reconnect the fractured extended family waiting for him in the US. It's been described as a quick, witty read with a lot of sweetness to it. Sounds perfect for a book club meeting.

Next up is the first in a classic sci-fi series I've had my eye on for a long time, 'Hyperion' by Dan Simmons. This Hugo award winner is set hundreds of years in the future, a time when the Hegemony of Man has grown to comprise hundreds of planets throughout the galaxy. On the planet Hyperion, far from the main hubs of civilization, there is a legendary creature known as the Shrike that stands guard over strange structures that appear to move backward through time called Time Tombs. With the Hegemony at war, and Hyperion on the verge of invasion, one last pilgrimage to the Tombs is organized. This one has a lot of moving parts. Told through six sub-stories from the different perspectives of the pilgrims, I expect to get a broad view of the universe Simmons has created. I'm hoping it's as good as all the reviews I've read say it is.

Finally, I have another book that's been on my list forever, 'Forest Gump,' which of course needs no introduction. From fighting in Vietnam, to playing chess with forest Pygmies, and running a billion-dollar shrimp enterprise, Forest Gump never ceases to amaze. I almost can't believe I haven't read this one yet, but I think I'm going to save the best for last this time. I'm sure this one will make it on to my favorites list, the only question is how high.

Thank you for reading,

Benjamin Hawley