Darwin's Radio, by Greg Bear

The last time I read a Greg Bear book I was very pleased. I expected the same from this book, but was surprised at how different it was from the "space books" of his that I had read.

It tells of a newly awakened "virus" which begins to strike the human race, and the scientists, politicians, and companies involved with dealing with this new outbreak. I can't say much more without spoiling things, but it delves into archeology, biochemistry, and Bear tries hard to get his science straight (which can be a bit boring at times) for when he wrote this book.

Very interesting, and toward the end I had trouble putting it down each night. The ending was a bit funny, but a very amusing view of how things might be sometime. Another great Greg Bear story, very innovative.

Call to Arms (The Damned, book 1), by Alan Dean Foster

I wasn't sure what to expect when a friend of mine loaned me this coverless hard back. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.

It's about races of aliens who are battling for the future of the universe, and in this effort they travel the universe seeking out new planets and systems containing intelligent life. And inevitably they come upon earth, full of strangely ruthless creatures who are constantly at war, and deemed only moderately civilized. But they sure make magnificent fighters.

The story primarily follows a man who first encounters these aliens, and his realizations (along with my own) about what a violent species humans are. And I was quite interested in the aliens, they were quite "approachable" in my mind, which goes against what so many alien movies tell us. I liked that.

Good book, I'll need to find the rest in the trilogy.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

I started reading this right after Angels & Demons. And on the whole I'd say I really enjoyed it!

As with the previous book, the facts in the book makes you want to look up the reality of everything the author talks about. I was also quite drawn in by the whole "goddess theme" of the book, which tended to center around how modern religions have removed strong female figures. This is something that I never put much thought into before.

Murder, mystery, a secret society with links to the Holy Grail. Very intriguing topics for just about everyone.

As for the story of the book, while it didn't read as quickly as the previous book, I very much enjoyed it. I'd definately recommend this to everyone %D