锘? 2008 was a rich year for really great books. Most of you that know me know that I refuse point blank to step into a Book Store adidas honey stripes low uomo , the books found inside such dens of iniquity are either over edited, under achieving New York Times Bestsellers or their fellow siblings from the giant Wal Mart publishing houses. I prefer to seek out more satisfying fare. I am not sure how many books I read in 2008, but I will guarantee it s at least 100 more than the average reader! I am not sure that I have a favorite book for the year, but I certainly have a favorite author, so good were his books that I am going to recommend all three. Last spring I was invited to review Prophecy by Paul Mark Tag. It was a great read, a thriller with just a hint of Sci Fi. What would happen if ESP was found to be a genetic trait? A little twist in part of our DNA. Would a government view this as a potential weapon? Could this gene be a way to create the ultimate fighting force? I am not usually a fan of Sci Fi themes, but Paul Mark Tag hovers in that gray area where science fact meets science fiction. I found the book irresistible. Following an interview with him he asked if I would be interested in reading his first book Category 5, a weather related thriller adidas stan smith bianche e verdi , once again a book that plays on the very edge of established science. This book was superbly crafted, it grabbed you on page one and held you in its grasp till he hit the back cover. The bad guys were pure evil, the heroes, heroic, a classic thriller, score two for Paul Mark Tag. Late Summer he contacted me once again, would I be interested in his soon to be released book The Errant Ricochet. I said ?of course?. But, he warned me adidas superstar argento e bianche , this is not like Cat 5 or Prophecy, this is a collection of short stories, most of which were written a while ago. It transpired that short stories were the medium Paul used to hone his craft. Quite frankly he could have told me that the title was ?How To Avoid Diaper Rash? and I would still have read it, I really like this author s style of writing. The Errant Ricochet had one failing, it was too damn short! The stories are wonderful. In the early 70?s children s author Roal Dahl produced a series of adult short stories, which formed the basis for a very successful TV series ?Tales Of The Unexpected?. The stories themselves were compact in construction, yet deep in plot, and each one had a sting in its tail. This sums up The Errant Ricochet very well. If I ever have the opportunity to teach a short story writing class adidas superstar fiori di loto , The Errant Ricochet would be on my must read list. The rest of my picks are not in any order of significance, I have however tried to keep them in the order that I read them. They are all splendid, and every one is an award winner in my eyes. I read because I enjoy it, and these authors represent the best of the best! My favorite Non Fiction writing team is Terry Turchie and Kathleen Puckett, two ex FBI wheels who wrote the wonderful book ?Hunting The American Terrorist? in 2007, a book whose timing was maybe not quite right. It hit the market right when a whole plethora of books on terrorism were published, and did not get the publicity that it richly deserved. Their new collaboration is Homeland Insecurity. This takes a long hard look at how the political machine, and some of Capitol Hill s household names have taken advantage of homeland security to further their political ends adidas superstar bianche e leopardate , rather than the security of our borders. My good friend Don Bracken of History Publishing Company permitted me to take a sneak peek a couple of months prior to release. This meant I had to sit on my review for weeks! Hardest darn thing I think I have ever done! This book should be read by anyone who has an interest in the American political system. Those of you that know me also know that when I am not buried in a book I am likely listening to music. I have not counted, but I would be willing to bet that I wrote over 250 reviews in 2008. My favorite musical period being the 1970?s and the rise and fall of progressive rock. One of my musical contacts sent me a CD by Ken Hensley, Ken was one of the forces behind the 70?s prog band Uriah Heep. Although they did not reach the prominence of Yes or ELP, they were certainly a force to be reckoned with. The CD Blood On The Highway was very well done, and it did not take a great deal of brain power to work out that it was a biographical work that covered Ken?s life then and now. When I mentioned this to Ken?s PR guy in the US he said, ?If you like it, you should read his book also called ?Blood On The Highway?. I did. I liked it. This is a wonderfully personal adventure that chronicles Ken?s life. Everything you have ever heard about super stars and excess are true. They had it all, but was it really theirs? What happens when the Rolls Royce?s are gone? What happens when your name is no longer on the billboard and the spot lights dim? You enter the long middle age of the fading star. The stages are much like those that face an alcoholic or drug addict adidas supercolor rosse 36 , there is denial. In the case of many rock stars this takes the form of touring constantly, but bit by bit you realize that the venues are smaller, the crowds are smaller, the glitter is gone. Over the past couple of years I have interviewed well over a dozen superstars from the 70?s and the story remains fairly constant. Blood On The Highway was my first opportunity to really understand the process. It is also rich in photography, any music lover would covet this book in their collection. Sometimes I don?t want to wrap my head around a complex book. One with seemingly hundreds of characters and so many interwoven sub plots that you need a note book to keep track of what is going on. Sometimes I just want to read a ?feel good? book, enter Dean Whitney and his delightful yarn Pinch Hitter. A forty something middle manager for a mega mart has long dreamed of playing baseball as a pro, but his aspirations were destroyed with a li.