#52 - Mongo: Adventures in Trash

Woo-Hoo made it! Down to the wire! (Well, truthfully I've read more than 52 books but I wanted to end on something special) I managed to still hit my mark even with a wedding tossed in which basically consumed June and July, but my extended break now in December got me back on track.

Mongo: Adventures in Trash by Ted Botha is a book about Mongo. Mongo is loosely defined as any found item discarded by someone else, i.e. trash. I can appreciate a good find myself, and my bedroom TV would be considered "Mongo" since it came from a neighbor who was lovingly setting it out on the curb with remote and all. When I asked about it he said it worked fine but they had got a new bigger one and that he hoped someone would give it a good home since it was in excellent shape. I had a bad experience in college when we found some nice padded bar stools that after lugging across campus we found to be soaked through with what we hoped was just rainwater, they went quickly back out for the trash man or a braver hunter than I.

Ted Botha becomes one with the homeless, vagabonds, rebels, collectors, and even businessmen. Each chapter follows a new person's story and he jumps right into their world with very little apprehension or judgment. The tales are all very interesting and unique. Some are what you would expect, but others tell of rare book sellers (all found) and a man with a particular knack for hunting out some real treasures. Others hunt for food, while some hunt out of compulsion. If it were not New York City I have a feeling much of the hunting would not be so hot, but on the other hand it is nice to see that even with such riches and massive waste that there are those who turn it into a positive. This book offers a little of everything; sadness, humor, rags, and riches. Highly Recommended.

#51 - King of the Dead

King of the Dead is R.A. Macavoy's second book in the Lens of the World Trilogy and continues the tale of Nazhuret, the wandering optician. While many fantasy books, and I've read hundreds, prefer action and fights and cliche aplenty Macavoy has gone a completely different direction and focuses her considerable writing skill on depth and culture and characters. Not in the Tolkien way of boring the reader to tears but by drawing you in ever further into a world and a character's mind that is slightly absurd but still one of the most believable and rewarding characters ever put on paper. Make no mistake, though, this book does suffer the fate of all sequels in that it runs a bit flat so that it can introduce some plot and gear up for a finale. Even still, easily one of the best series I've ever read and Highly Recommended.

#50 - Bone

Bone: One Volume Edition by Jeff Smith is the complete collection of 13 years of the comic books in one massive black and white tome. I bought this a few years back when it was rarer than hen's teeth and prices were astronomical, although I found mine for cover price by chance, however now it has been reprinted and easily found. I've read and re-read this one quite a few times and it is just a great journey that puts a smile on my face every time. Following the Bone cousins and their individual quirks through an epic adventure filled with humor and drama and excellent characters is a delight. Even at 1300 pages this is a must read for just about anyone and I could imagine any kid would love to have this tale read to them and following along the quest with the great artwork. Absolutely Recommended.

#49 - The Book of Tea

102 years old, reprinted countless times by as many publishers The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura is a masterpiece. After the unremarkable time with the Japanese gift box set I had to cleanse my palate with the real deal. This is a book I have owned for over 10 years and have read and re-read often. It is almost equal parts history, philosophy, and tea ceremony. It delves into Taoism, Zen, Teaism, culture, art, and tea and in quite short order... many copies are 80 pages or less. It is centered around Japan and Japanese tea so it is not a great general information resource on tea, but what it does do it does better than any other book out there, which is why it continues to be reprinted 102 years on. Highly Recommended.

#48 - The Japanese Tea Ceremony

This is a gift box type set from Border's Bookstore that I bought a while back and shelved. One of my great passions in life is tea, not your average teabag or flavored concoction but real teas from China, Taiwan, and Japan many hand harvested and processed. The Japanese tea ceremony is a very interesting and educational ritual but I have always found it to be too formal and scripted for my tastes, I do practice "Gong Fu" brewing however which is also a skilled brewing technique.

This box contains a very small pouch of powdered green tea, a bamboo whisk, and a book titled "The Japanese Tea Ceremony." The wares are pretty much garbage with the whisk being the best of the lot but very crude. The tea is abysmal and dark and the bowl is like a terra cotta flowerpot with no resemblance to a proper tea bowl. The book, however, is very nice. It is solely centered around Japanese tea, history, and ceremony but handles it well and seems to be properly researched and as thorough as its small size allows. I'm actually Not Recommending this one as it offers no great value or benefit and there are better books on tea ceremony out there.

#47 - Southern Exposure: A Solo Sea Kayaking Journey Around New Zealand's South Island

I love to kayak and unfortunately I didn't get out at all this past summer due to being so busy with wedding preparations and being Pennsylvania winter is right out for paddling. I love the solitude and exploration it affords even in waters I have either walked, fished, or traveled via motorboat. I caught the bug on my first trip down the Shenandoah River on a summer vacation where we tackled class 2-3 rapids totally unprepared, miles of flatwater, a bald eagle, and huge carp and turtles swimming along with us. Southern Exposure is Chris Duff's account of his journey around New Zealand. It is well written and delves into his head and thoughts on a number of occasions which can be a bit long and tedious but very real in that when alone you live entirely in your own head. It isn't a harrowing tale of survival or exposure, yet it does have moments, so it can seem a bit mundane or boring but I think I related well due to our similarities in personality and thought. I've always wanted to visit New Zealand ever since close family friends moved there and I was enthralled by the stories and sights. This one probably isn't for everyone but I'd still Recommend it.

#46 - Where the Sidewalk Ends

I'll probably upset someone with this one... to be honest this just isn't for me. I had never read "Where the Sidewalk Ends" or had it read to me in my younger years but I figured I'd give it a shot since it is so widely revered. I have a great sense of humor and enjoy silliness, whimsy, and fantasy but this just was not my cup of tea. People see a lot in this book and find great depth and humor and imagination, I found it mostly to be just kiddish absurdity and some silliness that at times works and others where it falls flat. I actually re-read it in a different mindset than the first time and I still couldn't get into it. I did enjoy a few of the pieces, though, and I will admit it is more than likely my sensibilities and humor just not syncing up to the material than anything "wrong" with the work itself. I love smart absurdity such as Monty Python, but not childish absurdity like silly songs or Spongebob. I did enjoy some of the illustration work but even that did not grab me as I had expected from all of the high praise I have heard over the years. Recommended but not a classic in my eyes.

#45 - Hardening Network Security

Another big, bulky computer book... This one also specialized to the networking trade, specifically security practices and information. Networks are something most people know nothing about but use every day. The Internet, an office file share, a central network printer everyone can print to, etc. For many the network is a little jack on the wall they plug a cable into and get Internet access or they flip open their laptop and connect to a wireless access point. To make that happen there are thousands of wires, switches, devices, protocols, configurations, and languages all working hard behind the scenes often jammed in janitor closets or basements. As if that isn't enough there are a million more headaches involved in securing that network to keep unwanted people out, wanted people safe, files protected, and on and on. Unfortunately it only comes up when we learn of another hack that leaks thousands of credit card numbers or personal information to the wrong people. I've worked in very high security positions, such as a bank, and take network security very seriously and that is why I read huge tomes such as this in my spare time to stay informed. This is a bit of an older book by now but it still contains a lot of useful information and insight. Recommended.

#44 - Twisting the Rope

Twisting the Rope is the followup to R. A. MacAvoy's first novel, Tea With the Black Dragon that I recently covered. This one is more of an attempt at a murder mystery novel in addition to some of the suspense created in the first book. On its own I'd have to say it is an average story, after reading the first it is only marginally better. Tea With the Black Dragon was a very quick read and had solid pacing whereas Twisting the Rope tried to be a bit more ambitious and fell short. The two books really aren't connected in any meaningful way so it really isn't a continuation of the first tale, it's worth reading to be complete but not necessary. I'm going to make this my first Neutral Recommendation.

#43 - Eragon

While I was writing the last two entries for The Bartimaeus Trilogy it sparked my memory that I hadn't posted a book I read earlier in the year, Eragon. There is a reason I had forgot... well more like put it out of my memory. Yeah it was written by a kid, Christopher Paolini, yeah it is fantasy-like and has dragons but it is simply an insult to the genre and to the intelligence of any reader. It is a hack, heavily plagiarized, over-hyped piece of trash. Yes, I feel that strongly about it. While The Bartimaeus Trilogy borrowed quite a lot it did so in a smart way and used a number of fantasy cliches and Potterisms to come out with a totally unique world and tale, this was just derivative and pretentious at best. The kid's parents both work in the publishing industry and they did their best to capitalize on every aspect they could. Having heavily read much of the required fantasy canon over the years, each page of Eragon was a pure bastardization of at least two or three classic/groundbreaking works. I never wanted to actually destroy a book before this one and if it hadn't been my wife's book I would have. I struggled to just finish it and I could NOT recommend a book less than this garbage.

#42 - The Golem's Eye

The Golem's Eye is the second book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy. If the first had you cringing from the blatant similarity to Mr. Potter, this one manages to borrow even more! Harry, I mean Nathaniel is working for the Ministry of... I mean Office of Internal Affairs which is defending against Muggl... I mean commoners in the Resistance movement threatening to overthrow the magicians. Hermion... I mean Kitty enters the picture as a female counterpart and edges out Bartimaeus the djini for attention to some disappointment relegating the much loved djini to a minor role in this one. Normally this much cribbing would put me off totally, but damn it! these books are just too good! As much as I initially want to dislike them they present a great world, frenetic action, and a ton of fun. Rather than the plodding tomes and tales of Harry Potter these are smart, sarcastic, action-packed romps with great characters and storytelling. I've just given in to it all and enjoy the journey for what it is, not something I normally or easily do. Recommended.

#41 - The Amulet of Samarkand

The Bartimaeus Trilogy, by Jonathan Stroud, was a series I picked up a book at a time from Borders' bargain bin. It is a young adult series I had feared was going to poorly proxy the Harry Potter series, especially due to the bargain bin part, but I bit anyhow... hey the covers are metal/foil iridescent and I can't pass up shiny fantasy books. :) You know the story, orphaned boy wizard sent off to study and learn of his "ultimate sacrifice." Seriously, except for Hogwarts it is an almost carbon copy. But, and most importantly, it all wildly diverges and quickly redeemed itself in my eyes. The boy summons a 5,000 year old djini that adds humor and character to a well written tale that is easily worth reading regardless of your age. In this case I'm glad I judged a book by its, shiny, cover and not the quick summary which screamed of a poor copy cat young adult fantasy novel. Recommended.

#40 - Tea With The Black Dragon

Sometimes seemingly random events in life become much more. A book I wrote about a while back "Lens of the World" by R. A. MacAvoy that I picked up on a whim in a dollar store led me to seek out and purchase the rest of the trilogy and while I was at it I decided to grab the first two unrelated books "Tea with the Black Dragon" and "Twisting teh Rope." This book was not a fantasy novel as I had thought but ended up being a suspense/mystery title involving Taoism, Tea, Zen Buddhism, and Chinese mysticism/legend... I don't think a single book could contain more of my interests unless I personally wrote it. Totally took me by surprise and in fact was an amazing read that did not allow me to stop turning the pages. Highly Recommended!