The Sparrow (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sparrow-Mary-Doria-Russell/dp/0552997773/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265224819&sr=1-1) is one of my favourite books and I can't believe that it isn't more famous. It's the story of a voyage of exploration, sent out after radio signals of music are picked up from a faraway planet. While the UN debates a response, the Society of Jesus (famed for exploring and missionary work) silently send their own crew, a mixture of Christian, Jewish and atheist language specialists, botanists, scientists and random tourists, just simply because they wanted to know. The joy of the story is in the characters and their interactions, but is backed up by the wonderfully well imagined alien world of Rakhat.
The other book which I cheerlead is Mr Undesirable (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mr-Undesirable-Scott-Carpenter/dp/1414038534/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265224436&sr=8-1). It's a story of Lenny Kapowski, an 'underachieving loser living above my parent's garage, drinking every night, thinking about suicide, and compulsively jerking off to cheap porn.' His words. Stuck in a rut and still smarting from being thoroughly abused by the rich people from the right side of the tracks, his life is turned around when a lottery ticket pays off and he's suddenly got more money than he knows what to do with. So he decides to do the worst thing he can think of. He decides to become their neighbour. Very funny and a joyful read, although highly crude in places.
no subject
The other book which I cheerlead is Mr Undesirable (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mr-Undesirable-Scott-Carpenter/dp/1414038534/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265224436&sr=8-1). It's a story of Lenny Kapowski, an 'underachieving loser living above my parent's garage, drinking every night, thinking about suicide, and compulsively jerking off to cheap porn.' His words. Stuck in a rut and still smarting from being thoroughly abused by the rich people from the right side of the tracks, his life is turned around when a lottery ticket pays off and he's suddenly got more money than he knows what to do with. So he decides to do the worst thing he can think of. He decides to become their neighbour. Very funny and a joyful read, although highly crude in places.
PJW