New Moon

My niece lent me New Moon last week. Read through it quite quickly during my breaks. Unlike Twilight (previous post), this is a character development book instead of action. Some people will find this a little dry compared to the first. There is plenty of action and many new jump off points for the other books, and presumably for any other side series Meyer may ever need. I will be interested in seeing the movies of these two books when they both get to DVD (or I borrow them from my niece). 3/5 for action, 4/5 for development, and 2/5 for the niece's interest in this one.

Twilight

I recently borrowed Twilight (by Stephenie Meyer of course). Compared to the literature I normally read in the vampire realms, this was definitely toned down (appropriate since it is targeted to teens IMHO). A few new twists from the traditional mythos, or perhaps a return to an earlier version, provide interesting effects. Like many stories, vampires have extraordinary abilities but these ones can live in the sunlight and choose to have a conscience about the feeding. This one will make you think twice about the loners in the lunch room of your youth.

Rhapsody in Red

Forgive me for not posting recently, but I did just complete reading Donn Taylor's Rhapsody in Red that a friend lent me. It's not my usual style (see other books on my blog), but it is a decent murder conspiracy mystery. When things don't add up, Professor Preston Barclay (referred to by friends as "Press") teams up with the least likely of his colleagues to solve a mystery. Based on the jacket information, the prof is based somewhat on Mr. Taylor himself, but you will have to read this to find out just how a history professor and a comparative religions study go on to solve a murder that just gets more interesting as the pages go on. There is wonderful character development with bits and pieces showing up right on queue to help drive this novel. I can't wait to see what's next, a symphony, concerto, or perhaps a waltz?