If Cats Disappeared From The World

 

If Cats Disappeared From The World by Genki Kawamura  202 pages

Our narrator’s days are numbered. Estranged from his family, living alone with only his cat Cabbage for company, he was unprepared for the doctor’s diagnosis that he has only months to live. But before he can set about tackling his bucket list, the Devil appears with a special offer: in exchange for making one thing in the world disappear, he can have one extra day of life. And so begins a very bizarre week . . .

Because how do you decide what makes life worth living? How do you separate out what you can do without from what you hold dear? In dealing with the Devil our narrator will take himself – and his beloved cat – to the brink. Genki Kawamura's If Cats Disappeared from the World is a story of loss and reconciliation, of one man’s journey to discover what really matters in modern life.

This was a easy read . It made you think about what you could give up and what's important in life.

Endymion by Dan Simmons

Endymion by Dan Simmons - 576 pages

Book 3 of the Hyperion Cantos

274 years after The Fall, shepherd and convicted-murderer, Raul Endymion, is chosen to recover and protect the next messiah, Aenea, or The One Who Teaches.  At just twelve years old, Aenea has stepped into the Time Tombs and re-enters present time many decades later, for Endymion to recover her before the Pax - the futuristic, questionable Catholic church - get to her to stop her from determining the fate of the universe.  Endymion and Aenea cross over time and space, as Aenea learns and prepares for the future of humanity.

End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov

End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov - 256 pages

A group of males, called the Eternals, live outside of time, in Eternity, and are tasked with altering humanity's reality to improve it.  They focus on doing the "Minimum Necessary Change," to avoid altering reality too much.  While on assignment, Andrew Harlan, an Eternal, falls in love with a non-Eternal woman who lives in real time.  Harlan learns something of the fate of his love interest, and does everything in his power to break the rules and save her life by bringing her into Eternity with him.  By breaking the rules, Harlan has created a time loop, and is given an ultimatum:  kill his woman or let Eternity crumble.

Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov

Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov - 255 pages

While on a walk in downtown Chicago, sixty-two year old Joseph happens to be transported about 50,000 years into the future due to an accident in the nearby nuclear lab.  Earth has become radioactive and can only support 20 million people, so people who are the age of sixty or unable to work are terminated to support the young and able.  Joseph finds himself in a predicament, as he is unable to communicate with the inhabitants of Chica. Meanwhile, Dr. Bel Arvardan is trying to prove that Earth is the original world that all humans came from.  The Galactic Empire, which rules over the galaxy, cannot fathom that humanity has its roots in this dying planet.  Dr. Arvardan finds himself in Chica, where he runs into Joseph and their paths intertwine.

Victims, Part 1 by Preston Lingle

Victims, Part 1 by Preston Lingle, 265 pages

If you like the Divergent series, you will enjoy this book by my coworker Preston Lingle.  Victims is the first in what I hope will be a series.  In Part 1, we learn the world has come to an end in the future in about the year 2030.  In the future the end of world is called the Fallout.  Very few humans survive the Fallout as well as most buildings collapse.  The book follows teenager Mike as he runs away from his father, and finds refuge with a group of orphans.  The teens are left to fight for their survival and plan for the over throw of what's left of their government.

Kamisama Kiss, v. 25 by Julietta Suzuki

Kamisama Kiss, v. 25 by Julietta Suzuki - 208 pages

It's finally time for Nanami to graduate from high school.  It's also time for her and Tomoe to marry and leave Mikage Shrine.

This is the final volume in the Kamisama Kiss manga series.  It ties up of the series bringing back most of the characters for the wedding.  A good ending to a great series.

Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation by Tim Hamilton

Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation (Graphic novel) by Tim Hamilton-149 pages

I read Fahrenheit 451 a few years ago, so when I saw this I decided to read it on a whim. I do enjoy reading graphic novels for a respite from "regular" books sometimes. Fahrenheit 451 is similar to other futuristic political satires like 1984, Brave New World, and others which inspired movies like Gattaca and Equilibrium. The moral is that we have to think for ourselves and be educated. It doesn't mean we all have to get graduate degrees or even undergraduate degrees. It does mean that we should exercise our freedom of choice and never let someone take that away. I took a class in high school in which we read a bunch of this type of books and really enjoyed it and I have liked reading similar books ever since, although I just really enjoy reading period. Reading and imagining and thinking critically is good to do.

Earthborn by Orson Scott Card

Earthborn by Orson Scott Card -- 430 pages

This is the conclusion of the Homecoming Saga, and of all the books, this was probably my favorite.
The only character from the previous books is Shedemei who, wearing the cloak of the Starmaster, watches over earth from the Starship Basilica, gardening the earth like she had in the dream that the Keeper of Earth sent her before she left her home city. But she has a pressing desire to know just who and what the Keeper of Earth is. It seems to have remarkable power, but only sometimes utilizes it. And besides that burning question, she is also tired of being alone and ready to be one with the humans again.
On earth, things have turned corrupt. Angels, Diggers, and Humans alike have difficulty getting along and each is persecuted by the others at different times. When the religion of the Keeper is challenged and starts to break down, evil breaks out on whole new levels.
And is the Keeper even there?

Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card

Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card -- 384 pages

Book #3 of the Ender's Shadow series

Shadow Puppets follows the stories of Bean, Petra, and Peter as governments on earth rage against each other.

While Bean and Petra struggle to understand their relationship and Bean's condition, Peter Wiggin has plans of earth and with Bean's help, he will make history, and maybe even rule the entire world.

I also listened to this on Overdrive.

Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card

Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card -- 451 pages

Book #2 of the Ender's Shadow series

The War is over. Ender has defeated the Buggers and has joined the group of colonists who have left to explore the Buggers' left-behind homes, but on earth, the crew of brilliant children who were with Ender during the 3rd invasion are scattered among the countries and continents.

As potential weapons and some of the most powerful resources in the world, it becomes apparent that these students won't be living normal lives. Ever. One by one the battle school students are being kidnapped, except for Bean, they simply dropped a bomb on his house.

After a narrow escape, Bean turns to Ender's brother, Peter Wiggin, for help.

I listened to this through Overdrive. The audiobook is well made.

Lost Melody by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith

Lost Melody by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith -- 315 pages

Since the subway accident, Jillian King hasn't played piano. The scars on her left hand and the pain in her hip remind her almost constantly of the amazing delight and career that she lost.
It's true that her mind hasn't fully recovered, but she is certainly moving in the right direction, when she begins to have a dream over and over. Each time she wakes, she is filled with certainty of a coming disaster and a compulsion to warn people.
Is it just late signs of PTSD, as her fiance, Greg, believes? Or is there actually a coming disaster?

I listened to the audiobook. The narration was fine, but the story I found to be mediocre.

The Wrenchies

by Farel Dalrymple -- 304 pages. 

The Wrenchies was like a post-apocalyptic version of "The Warriors", but the gangs are made up of kids instead of adults.  We are thrown into a world where monsters roam freely and survival is an everyday struggle. Dalrymple's artwork was beautifully done and his character's were fascinating.  I will be looking out for his future projects.  

The 100 by Kass Morgan

The 100 by Kass Morgan  323 pages

In the future, humans live in citylike spaceships orbiting far above Earth's toxic atmosphere. No one knows when, or even if, the long-abandoned planet will be habitable again. But faced with dwindling resources and a growing populace, government leaders know they must reclaim their homeland...before it's too late.

Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents are being sent on a high-stakes mission to recolonize Earth. After a brutal crash landing, the teens arrive on a savagely beautiful planet they've only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. But they're haunted by their past and uncertain about the future. To survive, they must learn to trust-and even love-again.

Batman: Year 100, by Paul Pope, 232

Batman: Year 100, by Paul Pope, 232 pages

I thought I reviewed this already, but I don't see it, so here we go... In this incarnation, Batman takes place in a dystopian future.  A federal agent has been murdered, and all signs point to an urban legend called "the Batman." But all is not as it appears!  I thought this was an interesting take, as someone who has wondered how Bruce Wayne can still be fighting crime when he's been doing it for about 80 years by now.  Not that the question is answered, but at least it is posed... The artwork is well-done; for those who like their Batman dark and intense, this is a good one.

Memory in Death by J.D. Robb

Memory in Death by J.D. Robb - 310 pages

Eve Dallas has just had a huge shock - her foster mother Trudy Lombard has just shown out of the blue.  Turns out that she wants $2,000,000 dollars for her "trouble" taking care of  Dallas when she was younger.  She threatens to blackmail Dallas and Roarke if they don't pay.  They refuse.  Then she's found dead in her hotel room.  Luckily they have an air-tight alibi for the time of the murder.  The problem is that there are too many people would have liked to kill Trudy.
This book was mainly interesting in that it explained more of Dallas's past.  The murder was pretty simple to figure out.

Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb

Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb - 373 pages

Father Miguel Flores is killed by poisoning while offering communion during a funeral mass.  Now Eve Dallas must figure out why someone would want to kill a Catholic priest.  The big problem is that Father Flores was a fake.  He was someone else who had taken Flores' identity and face for some reason.  Who was he?  Why would he want to imitate a priest?  And who wanted to kill him?
This is another book in the Eve Dallas series by Nora Roberts.  Unlike most of the books in the series, I did not know where this one was going or who the killer was until late in the book. 

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb - 313 pages

This is the first in the Eve Dallas series by Nora Roberts.  They are futuristic mystery novels.  In this book, she investigates when someone starts killing licensed companions (a.k.a. prostitutes) including a senator's granddaughter.  Through the investigation she meets businessman Roarke and becomes involved with him.

Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb

Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb - 354 pages

Someone is killing college students to steal their "light".  He's taking the best and brightest kids, killing them, and sending photos to the news.  Eve Dallas must work quickly to stop him.  But she's distracted by Roarke.  Roarke has just discovered everything he thought he knew about his mother was a lie and it has caused him to go into a tailspin.  Eve must help Roarke and solve the murders before too many are hurt.
I pick and choose which of the J.D. Robb books I read based on what the description sounds like.  This one was interesting in that it gave most insight into Roarke.  He wasn't just the perfect man in this book -- he fell apart.  The murder story was also interesting and kept you guessing.

Thankless in Death by J.D. Robb

Thankless in Death by J.D. Robb - 402 pages

Lt. Eve Dallas is looking forward to the Thanksgiving holidays.  Roarke's family is coming in from Ireland and they're planning lots of family time.  Unfortunately, her work doesn't schedule itself around the holidays and she has a new serial killer to hunt down.  Jerry Reinhold started off by killing his parents and then sets out to take revenge on all those who he believes have slighted him throughout the years.  Eve knows who the killer is . . . now she just has to find him.
Nora Roberts' "In Death" series under J.D. Robb has put out over thirty books so far.  I haven't read all of them.  I pick up the ones that seem interesting when they come out.  I picked up this one as it mentioned Roarke's family in the description.  I wasn't aware he had any family so I read it find out more about it.  Now I need to search out the book where he discovers who his family is.

The Predicteds - Christine Seifert

The Predicteds by Christine Seifert - 340 pages

Who will it be?
Will the head cheerleader get pregnant?
Is the student council president a drug addict?

The whole school is freaking out about PROFILE, an experimental program that can predict students' future behavior. The only question Daphne wants answered is whether Jesse will ask her out... but he's Predicted, and there's something about his future he's not telling her.