Summer Reads: Part 2

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Genres: Horror fiction, Fantasy, Humorous Fiction

Rating/Success: 92%

Drama: check, apocalypse: check, angels and demons: check, hilarity: for sure.  The son of Satan has been born, and the end of the world is imminent.  Every single day that passes, the poor, defenseless humans have no idea what is coming their way.  However, this is not the case if the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley have anything to say about it.  A little switch at the hospital, and the End of the World does not seem so inevitable... but there is a demon and an angel that both face a ton of trouble coming from their bosses.

I could not put this book down.  It had me laughing at the wry humor and amount of mishaps that happen.  How could God and Satan both lose tabs on a plan that they have been brewing since the dawn of time?  It has innumerable plot twists.  We are talking about the end of the world, people!

Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton

Genres: Adventure fiction, Historical Fiction

Rating/Success: 88%

The Bone Wars in the American West during the 1870s.  There is intrigue, betrayal, and secrets that are worth keeping.  Everyone from old professors to adventurous students try to manipulate and scheme.  All of the fossil fanatics that travel out West are looking for the fame and recognition that comes with finding the biggest, baddest fossils.  With the exception of William Johnson--who heads out to the frontier on a bet.  Johnson never lost a bet, and he was not going down for this one.

Interesting characters always make for an excellent story.  The character development in this book is astonishing.  You watch Johnson change from a careless rich boy to a hardened, intelligent man.  He realizes that there is more to life than popularity and the simplest forms of the reputation.  Originally written as a precursor to Jurassic Park, it shows Crichton's penchant for dinosaurs and the history that they represent.