4 - The Postman by David Brin

I've been meaning to read The Postman for a number of years.  I love post-apocalyptic stories (click here for others I've blogged about).  This one takes place in what was once Oregon, before the Doomwar.  The story is told from the point of view of Gordon Krantz, who was in his twenties when war and plague and famine tore the world apart.  Throughout the story, he travels from town to town dressed as a US Mail Carrier.  The effect his uniform and persona have on the people he meets is fascinating.

My favorite thing about this book might be the circumstances of the apocalypse itself.  There was war, beginning in Eastern Europe.  There were nuclear strikes, and there are still wide swaths of land that "glow".  But the real downfall of society came after, when people in the cities starved and people in the country died of easily prevented or cured plagues, simply because the infrastructure collapsed and people stopped cooperating.  As civilization fell, the survivalists, who were "prepared" and thus lived through the initial onslaughts, began looting, scavenging, pillaging, and enslaving those who were weaker or in need of protection.  Thus in a matter of years the societal structure of North America went from late-twentieth century urban sprawl to a feudal structure more like that of the Dark Ages in Europe.

This book was made into a movie starring Kevin Costner.  I was talking with my movie buff husband about it tonight, and it seems like there were a lot of, shall we say, differences, between the book and the movie.  I'm going to investigate how I might be able to watch it and if I do, I'll come back and post about the differences.

I looked up two words while I was reading this book (I always appreciate books which serve up new words...).  The first word I learned was abatis a defensive obstacle formed by felled trees with sharpened branches facing the enemy.  Like this:

This word comes from a French word meaning to strike down or slaughter, which is exactly what is done to the trees involved.  

The second word I looked up was solipsistic, which basically describes something related to the idea that one is the only person that exists.  In other words, if Gordon dreamed this whole apocalypse, he would be the only thing out of it that really existed, making his dream solipsistic.  I think.  That's a tricky word, grammatically and conceptually.  It's got an interesting etymology, from the Latin solus "alone" and ipse "self" with the lovely English -ism tacked on.  So it kind of means to be alone with oneself, or to believe oneself to be alone.  I like it.  

Page Count: 321
Find it on Amazon!

I am an addict

I love the bookstore. My mom received a Barnes & Noble gift card for Christmas, and she wanted to spend it this afternoon. Of course I agreed to go along for company, and ended up spending almost exactly the same amount she did...except that I didn't have a gift card, because I spent it online two days ago. :P

I bought big girl books, though! (Mom was excited!)

Master and Commander by Tim O'Brien
I've been wanting to read this for some time now. I need a new series like I need a hole in the head, but this one seems so compelling!

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett
This book followed me around the bookstore! I picked it up first in the True Crime section, and then I kept seeing it in different places around the store! Finally, I just grabbed it, because it clearly wanted to come home with me. It's a crime novel with a self-styled "bibliodick", a private eye who investigates book theft.

The Edge of the World: Terra Incognita (Book 1) by Kevin J. Anderson
Kevin J. Anderson is one of my preferred Star Wars novelists, this book is about maps, and the blurb on the back of the book contains the phrase "here be monsters". 'Nuff said.

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles
I've loved both the books I've read by this author. I blogged about Perfect Chemistry, and it looks likes Rules of Attraction should be added to the list of books I read last year and didn't blog.

13, 14, 15 - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by J. Berendt, Finger Lickin' Fifteen by J. Evanovich, Outcast by A. Allston

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt

Matt and I read this book together before we went to Savannah for our anniversary. It's a murder mystery and a marvelous character study...of both Savannah's most colorful citizens and the city herself. It was so much fun to explore the city and be able to say "This is where ___ happened!" We visited the Mercer-Williams house and Johnny Mercer's grave in Bonaventure Cemetery. It was great! The movie is also a good adaptation, given that the story is better told in chronological order on the silver screen.

Finger Lickin' Fifteen, Janet Evanovich

This was another fun installment in the Stephanie Plum series! I really wish they would make these into movies or a TV show or something! I love the characters. This one was better than some of the previous books.

Outcast, Aaron Allston

I am so thrilled to see Luke, Han, Leia, Lando, and Wedge back at the forefront of the adventure! I've enjoyed getting to know the next generation through the Yuzhaan Vong invasion and Jacen's regime, but I've been missing the old familiar characters. I think that Allston has done a good job of showing their age and the way they've changed...I hate static characters. I am really looking forward to the rest of this set.

Savannah vacation

I need to acquire and read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil this month. We are going to Savannah as an anniversary vacation in July! As I was ordering a map on Amazon, the most commonly purchased additional items were the book and DVD. It inspired a great hunger! I think I'll ask Mom if she has a copy I can borrow.

Also related to our trip, I made reservations for the Haunted Pub Crawl while we are there! The man who runs the tour company, James Caskey, wrote a book called Haunted Savannah which I might acquire while we are there. :)