The Source, by James A. Michener

Summary: The book opens with an archaeological dig in Israel, during which the team makes a number of finds. It then tells various stories of the people associated with each of those finds, with occasional interludes where the team is discussing various related ideas.

Comments: As with many of Michener's books (or at least all of the ones I've read), the books is incredibly long, and has made me want to learn more about its main subject, in this case Judaism and the Talmud. Which is now on my to-read list. Never mind that I'm not going to start attacking that list until I read all the books on my floor. I feel like I might also have some understanding of the modern state of Israel and some of the views that were driving forces behind it. It's kinda like the saying "Don't judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes", only in this case, it's more that you understand a group a little better when you've observed 10,000 years of their history. (Note that I'm not claiming to actually understand anything, just that I'm close than I was when I started)

Alaska, by James A. Michener

Summary: A fairly complete summary of the history of Alaska, as told through the stories of assorted fictional characters who played different roles and filled different niches in it.

Comments: It was kinda cool learning the history of Alaska. And the fact that it was a novel rather than a true history meant I almost felt like I was part of it. And of course it was far more engaging than the average history book. But maybe not any shorter (this book is ~1000 pages). However, I may have been getting annoyed with the frequency of things like "Now we return to the story of the guy from the last chapter" or "who just so happens to be the grandson of the guy we were followed 300 pages ago" (i.e. I'm not sure the whether the number of recurring characters or recurring lineages was believable). Other than that, I enjoyed it. Just be warned that it's a long book.

And Another Thing, by Eoin Colfer

Summary: Ford, Arthur, Trillian, and Zaphod are once again wandering the galaxy having wild adventures. And I shall refrain from saying any more for fear of ruining any surprises.

Comments: First, let me say that this being a continuation of Douglas Adams's trilogy by a different author, one really ought to be skeptical of whether the new author can do a good job of making the new book mesh with the old ones. But I think Colfer does a marvelous job of that, both in staying true to the characters and in continuing the pattern of random amusing comments that comprise a large portion of Adams's books.

And the book does an excellent job of just being an amusing book independent of any context it might have. It's a gripping story line (come on, don't these characters have to somehow manage to escape sudden death at some point in the story?) with random amusing comments. What's not to like? Okay, I'm done with my random squeeing

Unseen Academicals, by Terry Pratchett

Summary: Something is going on in the city of Ankh-Morpork with respect to the game of foot-the-ball, or football, as it is sometimes called. And it's not just that the wizards of Unseen University are putting together a team. And add to the mix Nutt, who is probably one of the most erudite individuals at the University but might not actually be human. 

Comments: Given the usual insanity of Ankh-Morpork and Terry Pratchett's amusing comments, you have a book that's hard to put down. Another amazing Pratchett book. I quite like the cast of characters. They're all so real and varied. And capable of surprises. Quite the page turner (and there were lots of pages to turn...)

Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware, by M. T. Anderson

Summary: When Jasper telepathically hears a call for help, he knows it is one of his friends from the monastery of Vbngoom, presumably under attack by his arch-enemy, Bobby Spandrel. He and his friends Lily and Katie must make their way through the jungles of Delaware to whichever mountain contains the fabled monastery (the mountains have been known to switch places when no one's looking).

Comments: How anyone can say things that outrageous with a straight face, I may never know. It seems like this book is usually poking fun at something, and it's just chock full of amusing comments. The goat in the shower, for instance.

The Orange Girl, by Jostein Gaarder

Summary: Once again, a moving tale. This one is about a 15 year old boy, Georg who has just found a letter from his father, who died when Georg was 4. Most of it is the father's story about the mysterious Orange Girl, but Georg makes some interjections as well.

Comments: the mysteriousness of the first half really kept me reading. And by then I was so interested in the characters that I wasn't going to stop anyway. This book may not have the level of messing with my mind as Gaarder's other books, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Regardless, I enjoyed it. And that's what really matters, right?

Weird Washington, by Jeff Davis and Al Eufrasio

Summary: random stuff one might not know about the state--random stories and places. Can I come up with any adjectives other than "random"?

Comments: all kinds of stuff that I didn't know. And some number of small towns I'd never heard of... I rather enjoyed reading about all everything, especially some of the things that I had some hope of imagining (ie references to places I've been).