I am reading Steve Berry

I am finally getting a chance to read Steve Berry's 2007 book, The Alexandria Link. Yes, I am behind because Steve Berry already has information on his web page about another book to be released in December 2009 ... The Paris Vendetta.

I am only on page 39 of The Alexandria Link. So far, I know it has something to do with the conflict between the Jews and the Arabs. It starts in Palestine when the State of Israel is about to be reestablished. I know that the protagonist, Cotton Malone, has been targeted by the bad guys because he knows some secret and the US government is involved. I feel like I am reading a mystery thriller that is a cousin to The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. This is because some of the same key words have come up already: order/chaos, puzzles/codes, and secrets.

Okefenokee Book Club Selections 2009

I think my favorites this year were Secret Life of Bees, Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Shadow of the Wind I highly recommend these books for your reading pleasure. 

 January 16 Secret Life of Bees by Sue Kidd Monk 

 February 20 Dewey the Small town Library Cat by Vicki Myron 

 March 20 The Keepsake by Terri Gerritsen 

 April 17 March by Geraldine Brooks 

 May 15 Straight by Dick Francis 

 June 19 Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows 

 July 17 Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon 

 August 21 Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford 

 September 18 Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith 

 October 16 Silks by Dick and Felix Francis 

 November 20 Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, and David Oliver Relin 

 We want to start off next year with The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba.

New Book by Jeanette Walls

Remember Jeanette Walls the writer of one of our favorite book club selections, The Glass Castle? Well, Ms. Walls has a new book out. She has written the story of Lily Casey Smith, her grandmother. Ms. Walls is also featured in this month's issue of Reader's Digest. Remember Walls mother in the memoir? She is now 75 years old and no longer chooses to be homeless. She lives with Walls and is the source of the story for the second book, Half Broke Horses.

Book Club Selection

It will be Three Cups of Tea next month. That's the title of our book for discussion. November will be the last meeting for the year and we may try out Captain Joe's next time as the venue.

Brief review of The Lost Symbol

I hope the Dan Brown fans, particularly the readers of The Lost Symbol, saw him on televsion last night on NBC. I finally finished this action filled novel and decided that the themes are transformation, death, and secrecy. It's not a simple story. There are subplots and unexpected twists. Every character is looking for something inthis story. It could be a pyramid, a place, a person, a clue, a lost word with magical powers.

The transformation theme is the primary focus: transformation of a cube into a cross, transformation of body and soul, transformation of the world through human thought, and the transformation of man into God. We learn, in this novel, about symbols of death and transformation and the alchemicals that facilitate transformation.

The theme of secrecy was equally fascinating: secret underground locations in Washington D. C., secret pyramids that reveal secret locations, secret symbols that reveal lost secret words with magical powers, the Masons - a society with secrets rather than a secret society. In this novel some secrets are hidden and some are in the open waiting to be noticed and interpreted.

I loved the combination of science and mysticism in this novel. I loved the revelation of secrets of the buildings and the artwork within the buildings of Washington, D.C.

The way the novel focused on Noetic Science at the beginning of the book, I was led to believe that at least one character would use his or her mind to transform events but that did not happen.

Key words in this novel are: Apotheosis, Ancient Mysteries, Apocalypse or enlightenment, and Circumpunct. I think that in the end, the writer wants us to think about those words.

Graphic Novels by Jeff Kinney

Jeff Kinney and his creation Diary of a Wimpy Kid were featured on the View this morning. I was hearing about this series of graphic novels for children 9 to 12 years old for the first time.

Lost Symbol and Marilyn Schlitz

Very interesting article about the Institute of Noetic Science and its female President, Marilyn Schlitz. Dan Brown has made her really popular.

The Lost Symbol

I am only one page 165 and I see that transformation is a key theme of Dan Brown's fascinating new book. One tatooed man transforms himself with make up and seems to want to transform himself to be more God like. A mysterious room in the subbasement of the US Capitol has symbols of death and transformation. The sulfur and salt in saucers in the room are alchemicals that facilitate transformation.

The basic storyline so far is simple in that Professor Robert Langdon has been tricked into going to meet his friend Peter Solomon at the Rotunda in the US Capitol. The mystery person who tricked him is referred to as a lunatic by the professor but he is obviously highly educated in symbolism. But this is Dan Brown so there are more complexities to this story: Ancient Mysteries - a body of knowledge that is dangerous in the wrong hands, the Masons - a society with secrets but not a secret society, an amputated hand with tatooed finger tips, symbols, pyramids, Noetic Science. I am loving it.

This has to be read slowly. There is much to learn. I think I will recommend it for our book club.

I found this link about the US Capitol and it is clear that Dan Brown has also read William Henry's book or similar works.

Silks - Book Club Selection

Our book selection for October is Silks by Dick Francis and son, Felix. This books got some low ratings on amazon.com but so far I am enjoying it.

The main character is Geoffery Mason also known as Perry, as in Perry Mason, by his racing associates. This Mr. Mason is a lawyer and an amateur jockey. I am enjoying the legal aspects of this novel as Geoffery tries to defend jockey Steve Mitchell in court for the murder of another jockey called Scot Barlow also known as a snitch in jockey circles . I am enjoying the romance aspect as the vulnerable widow Geoffery falls in love with an attractive hardworking vet.

There seems to be a link with the suicide of Scot's sister and Scot's murder. There seems to be a link to a missing photo of Scot's sister and Scot's murderer. Geoffery Mason is under pressure from a thug named Julian Trent and Trent's unidentified accomplice, to deliberately lose the case. What is puzzling is that Geoffery gets beaten up and threatened by Julian from as early as page 52 but does not go to the police. I am on page 280 and I still don't know what the connection is with Julian, the murder victim and the accused.