Nonfiction
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs(**). A disappointing account of one man's experiment at picking and choosing laws and proverbs out of context and trying to apply them to his modern, urban life. Not instructive, and less entertaining than the premise would seem.
The Blood of Lambs by Kamal Saleem(***) Autobiography of a man trained to be a radical Islamic terrorist until he met Christ and began a ministry of warning Americans of the dangers within our own borders. Strong on violence, short on spirituality. The author convinced me what a bad guy he was; he didn't say enough about his conversion or discipleship to explain how he got to the point of writing the book.
Arguing with Idiots by Glen Beck et al (**). This reads like a textbook for Beck's anti-Progressive, pro-Capitalist ideology. What should have been interesting and even humorous, however, left me flat and uninspired. While his statistics helped me debate with an idiot, some of his most significant claims did not cite his sources.
The Word on Health by Michael D. Jacobson (**). The most honest of the Christian diet and health books I have encountered. Still, its combination of incomplete scientific information with inadequate understanding of the nature of dispensational truth leaves me hungry for a better book.
10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe by Larry Osborne(****). A thought-provoking look at several trite attitude Christians take toward common situations. You will either hate or appreciate this book; it will either step on your toes or stomp on your whole foot, but you cannot ignore the serious questions it raises.
History Hunting in the Yukon by Michael Gates.(***) Essays covering the Yukon Gold rush and subsequent research and archaeology relating to it. Some are fascinating; others so uninteresting to me that I skipped them altogether.
The Supreme Court by Lamb, Swain, and Farkas, eds.(****) Transcripts of the interviews filmed for CSpan last year. An inside look at the personalities and workings of the court. Could have been 5*'s, but by presenting all interviews unedited, there is a lot of repetition.
Fiction
Wagontongue by Elmer Kelton(*****) The greatest western writer of all time looks at a black cowboy in Texas after the Civil War. Social commentary, true-to-life characters, and a decent plot.
Podkayne of Mars by Robert A. Heinlein(****) A fascinating sci-fi, with an engaging heroine, espionage, and a satisfying conclusion.
The Pumpkin Rollers by Elmer Kelton (***). The story of a young man trying to make his way in the Texas cattle lands after the Civil War
Hot Money by Dick Francis(****). A British mystery involving a jockey and his greedy family. Interesting plot twists in a classic whodunnit.