Back with 15 on 26

Yes, yes, I know. Long time no post. Apparently people still read this thing. Or they would, if I would only post something for them to read. My recent lack of posts has even alarmed some, as emails and some blog posts have questioned my continued well-being.

Why haven't I been posting, you may well ask. I'm afraid that I cannot offer any really good or satisfactory explanation beyond a certain lack of creative vision. I won't go so far back as to recount the holidays, as nothing particularly eventful transpired anyway. But I will (hopefully soon) post some tidbits from Honor's recent visit to South Bend, as well as a few other odds and ends. It's spring semester, which means law school bowling is about to start up again (tonight, in fact). I plan to reprise my role as bowling blog correspondent for my team. Also, the Winter Olympics kick off next month, so there will be some skating-related posts to come.

And now, without further ado, I present my late entry for this month's list o' 15:

Top 15 Books

15. The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook, Joshua Priven and David Borgenicht
I suppose you could consider this my (tongue in cheek) response to Derek's entry of the Boy Scout Handbook. While this is technically a series of books with advice for a wide range of situations, I'm most familiar with the original book. I'm not much of an adventurer myself, but it's good to know that if I ever find myself needing to land an airplane, escape from quicksand, fend off a shark, or perform an emergency tracheotomy, I can at least say I once read a book that told me how to do it.

14. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne
Jules Verne's authored a number of visionary classics which were the forerunners of science fiction. I read many of his books as I was growing up. In 2KLUTS as I call it (okay, I really don't, but just didn't feel like typing out the title again, which is funny because I have now typed even more words just explaining the crazy acronym), Verne imagines life under the sea in the Nautilus, captained by the mysterious Captain Nemo. These ideas were later used by Disney and Pixar to create (a now defunct) amusement ride, a song title for an animated movie about a mermaid, and an animated film about a clownfish with asymmetric fins.

13. I, Robot, Isaac Asimov
Another fine entry under the genre of sci-fi. Asimov's creativity is astounding, and as with all science fiction, his stories speak as much to the human condition as the possibilities of future technology. I, Robot is a collection of short stories (cleverly tied together to a larger narrative) that considers the three laws of robotics and the philosophical problems they create. It's a wonderful and thought-provoking read.

12. Angels and Demons, Dan Brown
Although Dan Brown is better known for The DaVinci Code, I think this is the better work (of the two -- I'm not familiar with his other titles). It features the same main character and a very similar formula, but I found it more exciting. The book features Rome and Vatican City, some clever riddles, and an interesting take on the relationship between science and religion.

11. Harry Potter (series), J. K. Rowling
I was skeptical when I first heard of Harry Potter, but after reading the first few pages of the first book a few years ago, I admit I'm hooked. Maybe they're kids books, but I find them very entertaining. Part of this is because Rowling's books have successfully balanced fun kid-oriented material with a deeper meaning and subtext that adults (and assuredly, precocious children) can pick up. In that way, the Harry Potter series lies somewhere between popular recent movies like Shrek and Finding Nemo and sophisticated classic comic strips like The Far Side and Calvin and Hobbes.

10. The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas
I'm all for great swashbuckling tales, and this is one of the greatest. Engaging characters, political intrigue, swordfights, this book has it all.

9. The Odyssey, Homer
My father was a big fan of classical mythology, and some of that love for the subject rubbed off on me. It's understandable how the tales from Greek mythology could appeal to a kid -- the stories are full of heroes, monsters, and very human-like gods and goddesses. The Odyssey is full of such great mythical characters.

8. Macbeth, William Shakespeare
Macbeth has a special place in my heart as the first Shakespearean play I ever read. In fact, for a school talent show I once acted out part of the play. Macbeth captures a very mysterious, almost creepy mood. It's full of murder, mayhem, and the supernatural. The Bard does fine work, and this tale has only gotten better as I've aged and re-read it.

7. The Brethren, Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong
As a general rule I prefer fiction to nonfiction, but The Brethren is an excellent book. It offers an inside look at the Supreme Court, a behind-the-scenes glance at the workings of the Court under Warren Burger. It covers many prominent cases and explains how things really work -- how opinions are assigned (and the headaches of "writing by committee"), how much the law clerks do, how deliberations go on -- it's a fascinating read. I highly recommend this book to anyone in/contemplating the legal profession or anyone curious as to how our country's highest court operates.

6. Contact, Carl Sagan
Sagan's Contact is probably my favorite science fiction work. It's a very thoughtful piece on the possibility of extraterrestrial life and how first contact might occur. But at its core, Contact is about how humans relate to each other both individually and as groups of people (nations, science and religion).

5. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
There are some pieces of literature that are (virtually) incontestably classics. This is one of them. It is sometimes funny, sometimes inspiring, and sometimes heartbreaking. Large themes like race and justice are showcased alongside the pains of growing up. Future lawyers who have read this book almost can't help wanting to be Atticus Finch. Saying that it's a very good book would be an understatement.

4. Hamlet, William Shakespeare
My favorite piece by Shakespeare -- the Best of the Bard. Great characters, great speeches, great plot. Eminently quotable. And as with all good Shakespearean tragedies, almost everybody dies.

3. The Real Thing, Tom Stoppard
Ahh, most people may expect a Tom Stoppard entry following Hamlet to be Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Fooled you! But seriously, this is a fine play which holds a special place in my heart because I performed it on stage. Many thanks to my friend Monica who introduced me to this play and directed the performance. It's very witty, chock full of interesting takes on relationships and romance, and has some very quotable lines. Honor and I frequently quote bits and pieces back to each other. If you haven't read The Real Thing, you should at the next available opportunity.

2. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (series), Douglas Adams
A trilogy in five parts. The HHGG is quite possibly one of the funniest things ever committed to paper in the written word. At any given time I could probably pick up one of the books, flip open to a random section, and just read for a while. This is one collection of books that may be dangerous to read in public if you're self-conscious about laughing out loud. The characters are lovingly crafted and the dialogue is very funny. But the occasional random musing on the nature of life and the universe is outright hysterical.

1. Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton
Maybe it's not the best book of all time, but it is certainly my favorite. I'm pretty much a fan of all of Michael Crichton's books, but this one stands apart from the rest. If you were to glance at my bookshelf, you'd notice that Jurassic Park is the most worn book there. It works well as a thriller, as a science fiction piece, and a cautionary tale on technology gone amok. The characters are lively and engaging (particularly "chaotician" Ian Malcolm). And don't forget the star attraction: the dinosaurs.


Honorable Mentions:
Pride and Prejudice, Julius Caesar, King Lear, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Around the World in Eighty Days, Treasure Island, Searching for Bobby Fischer, Sphere, Fahrenheit 451, The Illiad, The Aeneid, many works my Poe, any number of Sherlock Holmes mysteries, and some random children's books

Note: There are probably any number of books that I have not yet read that may make the list (or at least warrant an honorable mention) once I've finished it. This list is current as of 1/26/06.