Catching Up

Ooops, Its Time to Catch Up

It does not seem like over a month since I posted to this blog but that is what the calender says. So lets try to get a bit caught up.


Sports:

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have played two preseason games already. After watching the games I have to keep telling myself that it is only preseason, the games dont count. Just because they look good in the Preseason does not mean that they are gonna dominate in the regular season. Anyway the results so far:

Dallas Cowboys 23 Indy Colts 10
Dallas Cowboys 31 Denver Broncos 20

Today's game is against the Houston Texans in Houston. In theory this game is for the Govenor's Cup. Most of the players I have heard interviewed in the last few days have no clue what the Govenor's cup is so that theory is pure Bovine Excrement.



Texas Rangers


The Texas Rangers continue to be one of the worst baseball teams inspite of their record setting scoring explosion this week. The Rangers scored 30 runs on 29 hits in the first game of a Double Header Wed in Baltimore. The Rangers are 56 - 72, 19 games out of first place in the worst division in the American League.



Books



Heart of Oak by Alexander Kent (http://www.mcbooks.com/bookstore/product_details.php?id=506)

During the last month I read the new Bolitho book by Alexander Kent. Heart of Oak is book 27 in this series and the third (I think) that features Adam Bolitho as the main hero following the death of his Uncle Admiral Richard Bolitho. Heart of Oak is a superb additon to the Bolitho legacy and expands on several of Adam's supporting characters. I strongly recommend this series to anyone that enjoyed the Hornblower books.



The Bloody Trail & Bluff City -- Ralph Compton Novels

Mr Compton died in 1999 but he apparently left a raft of story ideals and book drafts that Signet is hiring other writers to finish out, or in some cases take the draft and write the entire book. The latest two books in this series are.


1) Bluff City by David Robbins. (http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780451221513,00.html)

I think Mr Robbins may be my favorite of the writers that have worked on the Compton Series. The Hero of this book is Clay Adams. At the beginning of the book he is presented as a slightly shady character that is well known to the main outlaw of the book. The two get into a major disagreement and the story takes off from there. While not by any means a "Great" book it is a very enjoyable read and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys L'amour and Zane Grey.


2) The Bloody Trail by Marcus Galloway. I did not particularly care for this book. The two main characters never really grabbed my attention and the story was not that great. Unfortnately I can not recommend this book.



The Raiders, book two in the Sons of Texas series by Elmer Kelton (http://www.amazon.com/Raiders-Sons-Texas/dp/0765348985/ref=sr_1_12/002-7342915-3357619?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188057904&sr=1-12)

Mr Kelton paints a picture of early Texas that grabs the reader and forces him to pay attention. Unlike many of the books about Texas Pioneers Mr Kelton's heroes are not all the fastest gun to every walk the earth, the best tracker in history and so strong they can punch out a tree. Instead they are regular people put in extraordinary circumstances. His attention to detail and vast knowledge of western lore and early Texas make his books a real pleasure to read. I Strongely recommend this series.



Barbed Wire by Elmer Kelton

I just picked up this book and have not had a chance to read it yet.



The Good That Men Do: Star Trek Enterprise by Andy Mangels & Michael A Martin

There was a time when I eagerly awaited the release of every Star Trek book. Unfornately this book is an example of why I rarely read any of the Star Trek books anymore. It is a formula book that is very poorly written and adds nothing to the Star Trek Legacy. Save your money and avoid this book.



DC Universe: Trail of Time by Jeff Mariotte (http://www.amazon.com/DC-Universe-Trail-Time-Dc/dp/0446616591/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-7342915-3357619?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188058522&sr=8-1)

An enjoyable read about the DC Comic Characters Superman, the Phantom Stranger, Jason Lord and five of the Old West Heroes. Will it expand your mind? No. Will it impart some new facts that will help you deal with the garbage that is in all of our lives? No. If you enjoy Superman (The Comic Book) will it give you a few hours of reading pleasure? Yes. I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys Superman stories.

I wish I could give you a list of Great or even Good Science Fiction books that I have read lately but unfornately the quality of Sci Fi coming out lately seems to be very poor. Although I am eagerly awaiting


1634: The Bavarian Crisis the new 1632 novel by Eric Flint
(http://www.amazon.com/1634-Bavarian-Crisis-Ring-Fire/dp/1416542531/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/002-7342915-3357619?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188059506&sr=1-2)


Patrimony the New Pip & Flinx book by Alan Dean Foster
(http://www.amazon.com/Patrimony-Flinx-Adventure-Flix-Adventures/dp/0345485076/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-7342915-3357619?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188059351&sr=1-1)


In at the End the New Harry Turtledove alternate history book
(http://www.amazon.com/Death-Settling-Accounts-Book/dp/0345492471/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-7342915-3357619?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188059635&sr=1-1) (On order from the Science Fiction Book Club)


Final Impact the Final Book of the Axis of Time Trilogy by John Birmigham
(http://www.amazon.com/Final-Impact-Axis-Time-Trilogy/dp/0345457161/ref=pd_sim_b_img/002-7342915-3357619?ie=UTF8&qid=1188059635&sr=1-1) (On order from the Science Fiction Book Club)






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