Finally!

Today, at last, I finished Dan Brown's "other" book, Angels & Demons. Since I am a guy who likes to make lists, here are the top five reasons I finished the book today....

#5 - "Every now and then, I like a good fiction that gets my "reading juices" going" - Usually at least one a summer. In previous years, authors like John Grisham, Michael Crichton, and... well.. John Grisham. But Dan Brown's the "hot author" to read, and I liked his other book. What's it called again?

#4 - "I really enjoy spiritual thriller mysteries" - The Da Vinci Code, The Testament (Grisham), Mothman Prophecies, Signs, K-Pax, Dragonfly... these are all spiritual thrillers. Unbreakable. The Sixth Sense. I guess it's my favorite type of story, and I anticipated that from this book. Dan Brown again takes aim at the Catholic church. Actually, he doesn't. That's one of the reasons I like the book, you end up seeing both sides of the story and have a lot to think about.

#3 - "Well, see, I've been reading it for over a year now." - Sometime ago, I bought a paperback copy of Angels & Demons, read 150 pages of it, and then lost it. Yep, I lost it. The new paperback copy (thanks, Amazon.com) sat on my shelf for a few months, and it was just time to pick it up. You'll see why in the following reasons...

#2 - "I simply could not put the book down." - Once I got going again, it was quite a page turner. Small pages, fast action, easy dialogue, suspense. I had no plans to finish the book this weekend. Just the next chapter. Just the next couple pages. Just the next paragraph. Robert Langdon (main character) again takes us all over Europe on a scientific symbology chase with world-shattering ramifications. It was good. There were honestly parts that were not good (violence), making this a tough movie to make. But I hear it is in the works. Not sure I'll want to see it.

#1 - "I was actually sick the last couple of days." - Strep throat. Actually, the doctor said it's probably strep, and he'll call me soon. Seriously? Believe it. So I've been bedridden for three days, with a sick throat. Doctor's first words when shining that light in my mouth were, "Wow, that's ugly." Sore throat, fever, headaches, cold sweats, stomach symptoms (need I be graphic here?), and soreness all over. The fever hit a high of 102.6 early Thursday morning. (I'm not bluffing.)

Finished the book on Saturday morning. Fever's gone. Strep's not. Throat feels sharp. Book ended well. Sentences are short. Blog is done.

(Wait a minute - did Gary just "review" a book without giving a final recommendation?)

Actually, I'd read The Da Vinci Code first. If you like that, and feel like reading another suspense spiritual thriller mystery adventure puzzle maze, then read Angels & Demons. I'm not sure which one was better...