Reading through Christmas

Books I've read since Thanksgiving (highly recommended):

1. Sex, Murder, and a Double Latte by Kyra Davis.
I don't typically read Chick-Mysteries, but I'd downloaded this one for Leigh to listen to on her new Ipod Nano. That was one of Leigh's Christmas presents and she loved it. Her other favorite thing that I put on the Nano? Andy Gibb. Read about the book here.

2. Next by Michael Crichton
A fascinating book that is quite alarming in its description of the dangers of genetic research. Read about it here. A review here.

The Los Angeles Times had this to say:
On a more abstract level, however, Crichton is surely on to something: That world is changing so fast that public education, the media and the legal system have failed to keep up, and we risk being blindsided by tomorrow's challenges to our notions of what's possible and moral.

3. Night Room by Peter Straub.
An incredible read. There is a unique twist in the opening third of the book that I will never forget. A review here.

4. The Taking by Dean Koontz
This was a good read, but not a great one. Koontz can always make things scary, that is for sure, but I didn't think this was one of his best. This review captures it well:

If you’re a Koontz fan, you’ll want to read this book even though it’s not up to his usual standards. The first half is a powerhouse of creepiness with a story line build-up that showcases the best of Koontz's storytelling abilities. But the second half will likely let you down, unless your favorite theme in Koontz's books is the transcendence of horror by uplifting spirituality.