The 7th Son Trilogy, by J.C. Hutchins

By far the best Podiobooks I’ve listened to so far, and possibly the best books I’ve ever “read”.  From the website:

“7th Son chronicles the story of seven strangers who are assembled after the assassination of the U.S. president. They quickly discover they all appear to be the same man … with identical childhood memories.

Unwitting participants in a human cloning experiment, these “John Michael Smiths” have been gathered to catch the man who murdered the president. Their target? The man they were cloned from; the original John Michael Smith, code-named John Alpha.”

Brave Men Run, by Matthew Wayne Selznick

While not a terrible book, I just didn’t think it went anywhere fast.  It seems the very END of the book is where the real story begins.  I’m hoping there’s more books to come.  If not, then I really wouldn’t even bother with this one.  It claims to be a cross between X-Men and The Breakfast Club.  I’d say it was neither.  From the Website:

““Brave Men Run” is the story of Nate Charters. Born different, unsure of his origins, he’s an outcast at Abbeque Valley High School, a self-proclaimed “boy freak” with few friends and low self-esteem. When the Sovereign Era dramatically dawns, Nate finds himself in a quest to discover the truth: is he more than he seems, a misfit in a miraculous and powerful new minority… or something else entirely?”

Ancestor, by Scott Sigler

My first forey into Horror.  A good book with some good suspense.  A refreshing “read”, especially coming down from the bore-fest that was Brave Men Run.  Scott has a great writing style, and a good voice for his work.  From the website:

“On a remote island in Lake Superior, scientists struggle to solve the problem of xenotransplantation — using animal tissue to replace failing human organs. Funded by the biotech firm Genada, Dr. Claus Rhumkorrf seeks to recreate the ancestor of all mammals.”

Earthcore, by Scott Sigler

Another Sigler book.  His first, in fact.  I actually enjoyed this one far more than Ancestor.  The story was well-paced, and the characters a bit more likealbe (or dislikable in case of the villans.)  I just finished this one today, and was sad when it was all over.  From the website:

”

Deep below a desolate Utah mountain lies the largest platinum deposit ever discovered. A billion-dollar find, it waits for any company that can drill a world’s record, three-mile-deep mine shaft. EarthCore is the company with the technology, the resources and the guts to go after the mother lode. Young executive Connell Kirkland is the company’s driving force, pushing himself and those around him to uncover the massive treasure.

But at three miles below the surface, where the rocks are so hot they burn bare skin, something has been waiting for centuries. Waiting … and guarding. Kirkland and EarthCore are about to find out firsthand why this treasure has never been unearthed.”

Infected, by Scott Sigler

I actually started listening to Infected before Ancestor and Earthcore, but the podcast isn’t over yet, so I’m technically still listening to it.  My favorite Sigler book by far, the story is interesting, suspenseful, disgusting, and overall freaky.  I highly recommend this book to anyway, unless you have a really weak stomach.  From the website:

“Perry Dawsey is 6-foot-5, 265 pounds of angry ex-linebacker. He knows all too well that if he doesn’t control his quick temper, people get hurt. Through constant focus, he has locked his violent past away in the deep dungeons of his mind.

The infection changes everything.”

—

I should mention that all of these books are actually in print (save for the 7th Son Trilogy, which I think will be in print soon) and if you’re not the audiobook type, then you can pick them up from your local bookstore, or Amazon.

Johnny, Johnny
Daddy and mommy
7 sons he sired

Misunderstood
He did no good
A better world he desired

Yup.  It’s dead.  Now I have to wait for the economic stimulus check so I can buy a new Macbook Pro.

Anyway.  I’ve finally gotten myself writing again.  I’ve working on a new setting for our HDL-Setting at Tremorworks, a novella, and I’m starting to post some ficlets again as writing practice.  I’ve also gotten a nice pocket notebook for ideas on the fly.

In other self-related news, I finished Mur Lafferty’s Playing for Keeps a few weeks ago, and I have to highly recommend it.  Fantastic stuff, and I hope Mur does more with the setting.  Now I’ve started 7th-Son from J.C Hutchins.  I’m about halfway through the first book, and it’s good stuff.

Onto some work stuff.  I’ve been working with Expression Engine for a new project.  Right now I’ve got a love/hate relationship with it.  I’ve heard good things about Textpattern and will give it a look this week.  I need to figure out what system we’re going to be using by the end of the week, before out interns get here.  I also need to make sure we have an operable Nagios install before then, too.

That’s about it.  I need to keep up with this so I don’t have to post these half-assed, quick update posts.