Doctor Who, Life and Updates

For Years now I have had an almost complete collection of the Doctor Who novelization that were done by Target Publishing (nothing to do with the US retailer.) In fact I am only missing 4 of the novelizations. Mission to the Unknown and The Mutation of Time (the two Novelizations of the 12 part Daleks Masterplan from the First Doctor's era and The Happiness Patrol from the 7th Doctor's era. Oh and I still dont have two of the "Missing" 6th Doctor stories (The Ultimate Evil and Mission to Magnus) but since they were never actually broadcast they dont count as much. Other than that I have everything, the episode guides put out during the 5th Doctor's era, the Quiz books,I have it all. Hell I even have Turlough and The Earthlink Dilemma, Harry Sullivan's War and I believe I even have the Crossword Puzzle book.

Well as of yesterday, I can tick one off of my list as I received the copy of Mission to the Unknown that I had purchased on Ebay. So, this afternoon, for the first time since the mid-90's I will have a new Target novelization to read. I cant wait.

In other news, my laptop, which was purchased new in January has decided to stop working. Luckily I have a backup of the system and it is still under warranty. Unfortunately, the backup is from early August so the pictures that I uploaded since then are now lost as are the IM logs for the last year. Thank goodness for uploading pictures to Facebook.

Went and saw Alan Alda talk last week. He is a very funny man, and I am almost finished with his first book "Never have your dog stuffed: and other things I've learned"

Current Assignment: Trust for America's Health: Database Creation and Archiving News Articles
Weeks I have been on assignment: 4

Woho it's on its way!!

Just got them email from Amazon.co.uk saying that my copy of the new Harry Potter novel is being prepped from shipping.

As to why I am getting it from the UK as opposed to say...going to the nearest bookstore and getting one there: I have read almost every edition first in the British edition. The reason for this is that in the first two books or so, there were differences in the text, and titles of the American and British editions. I have read every other book and have not watch any of the movies, since I don't want the movie to corrupt my reading enjoyment.

So in a few days, probably on Monday or Tuesday I will have Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in my grubby little hands.

Books Yonatan is reading

If you know me well, than you know that I love to read. There are few things as pleasurable as curling up with a good book. Back home I have a good sized library of books. Good sized that is for someone in their mid 20's who has most of his book is boxes. Here is DC however I have very few. But I am slowly increasing the amount, but there always comes the problem of having too many books on my plate. So I am going to try and push through my backlog so I can start purchasing new books. Especially as i now have a bookcase and thus, somewhere to put them.

Earlier today I finished reading Sharpes Rifles by Bernard Cornwell. It is the first of a very long series of Napoleonic War era books about a troop of elite Britsh Riflemen lead by an officer who rose from up out of the ranks to his position of command. It was also made into a long running series of Television specials by ITV. They started in the 80's and the most recent one was completed last year. They star Sean Bean as Sharpe and are the series that made Sean Bean his name. You can read more about the series here: Sharpefilm.com. I have watched all of them, but never got around to reading the books.
However, when I was in the book store across from Eastern Market with my sister on Sunday we spotted a copy of it and I picked it up.

It is a good book with a plot that keeps things moving and doesn't get to bogged down in the minutia of combat like some Historical War fiction tend to do. All in all it is a "rip-roaring adventure" (what ever that means) and really makes me want to pick up the next book in the series. the problem will be figuring out which is the next one. This is a problem because once Cornwell got finished chronologically with the Napoleonic Wars... he started going back in time and filling in bits of Sharpes past. In fact this book appears to be book 6 even though it says 1 on the spine.Probably going to have to ask my sister about this.

But first I have three other books I have to get through: Mike Carey's new book: the Devil you know, The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay (which I am 1/2 through) and the book that I will probalby read next, for no other reason than the description sounds awesome. The book is: Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home: by the author Harry Kellerman. It is part of a series of books staring a Conservative Rabbi names Rabbi Small. To quote the back of the wonderful 70's pulp paperback version that I have:

"David Small, America's favorite rabbi- and most unorthodox sleuth- is back again in his best mystery yet.
Somewhere between the Passover service and a plot to unseat part of his congregation, Rabbi David Small finds himself caught up with some very nonkosher characters in a baffling case of murder, marijuana, and militants. A superb blend of hair-slitting logic and hair-raising suspense, the rabbi's adventure i indisputable entertainment."

All in all it sounds amazing. I mean unorthodox sleuth... nonkosher characters...murder marijuana and militants...sigh I love the copy on the back of 70's paperbacks. I mean compare that to the inside flap description of the modern printing.

On Sunday, Rabbi David Small uncovers a Passover plot than undeniably raises more than Four Questions -- threatening to ruin not only his holiday seder but his role as leader of Bernard's Crossing's Jewish community. But there's no time to appeal to a Higher Source when one of his temple board members, a businessman, is rumored to be pushing drugs and all the facts point to a group of teenagers as accessories -- to murder.

I mean it has some puns... but it is nowhere as awesome as the original is...sigh...

So that is that.
Hopefully it will be a good book.

ta for now

-yonatan