(2456) The Temporal Void by Hamilton, Peter F

Publisher's Summary

Long ago, a human astrophysicist, Inigo, began dreaming scenes from the life of a remarkable human being named Edeard, who lived within the Void, a self-contained microuniverse at the heart of the galaxy.
There, under the beneficent gaze of mysterious godlike entities, humans possessed uncanny psychic abilities, and Edeard's were the strongest of all. Equally strong was his determination to bring justice and freedom to a world terrorized by criminal violence and corruption.
Inigo's inspirational dreams, shared by hundreds of millions throughout the galaxy-spanning gaiafield, gave birth to a religion - Living Dream. But when the appearance of a Second Dreamer seemed to trigger the expansion of the Void - an expansion that is devouring everything in its path -the Intersolar Commonwealth was thrown into turmoil. With the adherents of Living Dream determined to set forth on a dangerous pilgrimage into the Void, interstellar war threatens to erupt.
With time running out, the fate of humanity hinges on a handful of people. There is Araminta, only now awakening to the unwelcome fact that she is the mysterious Second Dreamer - and to the dire responsibilities that go with it; Inigo, whose private dreams hint at a darker truth behind Edeard's legendary life; Paula Myo, the ruthless field operative of the Commonwealth, whose search for Araminta and Inigo is about to yield a most unpleasant surprise; and Justine, whose desperate gamble places her within the Void, where the godlike Skylords hold the power to save the universe...or destroy it.

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_TANT_001005&BV_SessionID=@@@@0224857949.1258762173@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadeilkdgjgmcefecekjdffidfgf.0

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Temporal-Void-Trilogy/dp/0345496558/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258763347&sr=1-1

Music Interlude 1:
The Lettermen, Alive Again....Naturally
Randy Travis, Storms of Life

Music Interlude 2:
Johnny Paycheck, single song "He Left It All"
The Simpsons, "The Simpsons Sing the Blues"
Bananarama Greatest Hits Collection

(2454) Ignition: great book. Exciting action of a hostage situation @ the Kennedy Space Center.

(2455) Deathlands #016; Moon Fate by James Axler

Summary:

Generations have passed since a nuclear blast all but turned America to dust. Out of the ruins emerges a band of warrior-survivalists, led by a one-eyed man called Ryan Cawdor. In their quest to find a better life, they embark on a perilous odyssey across the ravaged wasteland known as Deathlands.

An ambush by a roving group of mutant Stickies puts Ryan and Krysty Wroth in the clutches of a tyrant who plans a human sacrifice as a symbol of his power. The execution is set to take place at the new moon—one night away. Ryan devises an escape plan but is betrayed by another prisoner. As they break for freedom, the Stickie leader unleashes a team of hunter-trackers among the maze of narrow canyons of the Southwest. For Ryan and Krysty, there's nowhere left to run...

In the Deathlands, the only thing that gets easier is dying.

Approximate Run Time: 6 hours

Release Date: July 2006
ISBN: 978-1-59950-103-1

 

On Graphic Audio:  http://www.graphicaudio.net/p-43-16-moon-fate.aspx

(2454) Ignition by Kevin J. Anderson & Doug Beason

Publisher's Summary

The launch of the space shuttle Atlantis will make history. Another triumph for the space program, and a political coup: a Russian cosmonaut is scheduled to perform the first spacewalk from an American unit.
The checkout fail-safes are all go. The mission is proceeding like clockwork. The team of American and Russian astronauts are strapped in, the mission specialists in Houston see no hitches. No one knows the real danger.
For as millions of viewers tune in to watch the countdown, there's nothing to indicate that what they're seeing is a prerecorded show. Terrorists have taken over Launch Control at Cape Canaveral and are threatening to blow up the Atlantis in less than three hours unless their demands are met.
Only Colonel "Iceberg" Friese, the mission's former commander, out with a broken foot, knows about the danger to his crew. Unknown to anyone, he's sneaked into the restricted zone. And now it's up to him to stop the clock before the countdown reaches...ignition.

On Audible:  http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_BRLL_000371&BV_SessionID=@@@@0224857949.1258762173@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadeilkdgjgmcefecekjdffidfgf.0

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html/ref=sr_1_3?location=http://www.audible.com/adbl/store/welcome.jsp%3Fsource_code=WSAZS01001102000%26entryRedirect=/entry/offers/productPromo2.jsp%26entryParams=%5EproductID%7EBK_BRLL_000371&token=9C510153835443186B63A5734B33D7BA1741991C

(2453) Farewell to the Master by Harry Bates

Publisher's Summary

Were the alien and his robot here to help or hinder humankind? Find out the surprising answer in the original story that inspired the classic 1951 science-fiction movie The Day the Earth Stood Still.
This is a must-read for any science-fiction lover, for, as the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction says, "the film lost the story's ironic ending." Now listeners can discover first-hand what Hollywood left out in this best-known novella of the legendary 1930s idea man, Harry Bates.
Bates's novella, published in 1940 under the title Farewell to the Master, with its poignant, haunting last line, posthumously brought him the coveted Balrog Award (1983). Long-time science-fiction fans rank it and its creator among the greats.

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_BLAK_002905&BV_SessionID=@@@@0224857949.1258762173@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadeilkdgjgmcefecekjdffidfgf.0

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Farewell-to-the-Master-ebook/dp/B002IKLGXA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258762514&sr=1-2

(2452) Force Recon #3; The Butcher's Bill by James V. Smith Jr

Publisher's Summary

The land of Bosnia has suffered bloodshed, atrocity, and ceaseless misery. But there is one man the people fear above all else. His name is Markocevik, known throughout the region as the Butcher of Belgrade. For years, he and his team of Serbian commandos have been carrying out a merciless agenda of ethnic cleaning. And when Markocevik is declared a war criminal, Force Recon goes in after him. But no sooner do they hit the hot zone than everything falls apart, and the team must decide whether their biggest problem is the arm of kills on their tail, or the unexpected NATO air strike that is about to turn the entire area into a firestorm of death.

 On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_LIVE_000139&BV_SessionID=@@@@0224857949.1258762173@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadeilkdgjgmcefecekjdffidfgf.0

(2489) To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

Publisher's Summary

Connie Willis' Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Doomsday Book uses time travel for a serious look at how people connect with each other. In this Hugo-winning companion to that novel, she offers a completely different kind of time travel adventure: a delightful romantic comedy that pays hilarious homage to Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat.
When too many jumps back to 1940 leave 21st century Oxford history student Ned Henry exhausted, a relaxing trip to Victorian England seems the perfect solution. But complexities like recalcitrant rowboats, missing cats, and love at first sight make Ned's holiday anything but restful - to say nothing of the way hideous pieces of Victorian art can jeopardize the entire course of history.
Delightfully aided by the perfect comedic timing of narrator Steven Crossley, To Say Nothing of the Dog shows once again why Connie Willis is one of the most talented writers working today.

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Say-Nothing-Dog-Connie-Willis/dp/0613152425/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259445175&sr=1-1

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_RECO_001704&BV_SessionID=@@@@0875239135.1259443762@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadeimgdmlkjcefecekjdffidfkk.0

Music Interlude:
Henry Mancini, "A Concert of Film Music"
Mamas & Papas 16 of Their Greatest Hits

(2451) Cathedral by Nelson DeMIlle

Publisher's Summary

St. Patrick's Day, New York City. Everyone is celebrating, but everyone is in for a shock. Born into the heat and hatred of the Northern Ireland conflict, IRA man Brian Flynn has masterminded a brilliant terrorist act: the seizure of Saint Patrick's Cathedral. Among his hostages: the woman Brian Flynn once loved, a former terrorist turned peace activist. Among his enemies: an Irish-American police lieutenant fighting against a traitor inside his own ranks and a shadowy British intelligence officer pursuing his own cynical, bloody plan.
The cops face a booby-trapped, perfectly laid out killing zone inside the church. The hostages face death. Flynn faces his own demons, in an electrifying duel of nerves, honor, and betrayal.

 On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_HACH_000369&BV_SessionID=@@@@0224857949.1258762173@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadeilkdgjgmcefecekjdffidfgf.0

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cathedral-Nelson-DeMille/dp/0446358576/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258762206&sr=1-1

Music Interlude:

Helen Reddy, "Best of Helen Reddy"
Various Artists, "Classical Piano Masterpieces"

(2449) Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card

Publisher's Summary

Orson Scott Card returns to his best-selling series with a new Ender novel.
At the close of Ender's Game, Andrew Wiggin - called Ender by everyone - is told that he can no longer live on Earth, and he realizes that this is the truth. He has become far more than just a boy who won a game: he is the Savior of Earth, a hero, a military genius whose allegiance is sought by every nation of the newly shattered Earth Hegemony.
He is offered the choice of living in isolation on Eros, at one of the Hegemony's training facilities, but instead the 12-year-old chooses to leave his home world and begin the long relativistic journey out to the colonies. With him went his sister Valentine, and the core of the artificial intelligence that would become Jane.
The story of those years has never been told...until now.

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_AREN_000853&BV_SessionID=@@@@1239446863.1258290427@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadeilfhmjlecefecekjdffidfjo.0

On Audible: http://www.amazon.com/Ender-Exile-Orson-Scott-Card/dp/B002KQ6FAQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258290466&sr=1-1

Music Interlude:
These music selections were downloaded from the old MP3.com around 7 years ago, and are a mix of songs from different albums by the artists.
D. J. T. A. Disc 3
Linda Gentille Disc 1

(2448) The Last Colony by John Scalzi

Publisher's Summary:

Retired from his fighting days, John Perry is now village ombudsman for a human colony on distant Huckleberry. With his wife, former Special Forces warrior Jane Sagan, he farms several acres, adjudicates local disputes, and enjoys watching his adopted daughter grow up.
That is, until his and Jane's past reaches out to bring them back into the game - as leaders of a new human colony, to be peopled by settlers from all the major human worlds, for a deep political purpose that will put Perry and Sagan back in the thick of interstellar politics, betrayal, and war.

 On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_AREN_000845&BV_SessionID=@@@@0303411772.1258210338@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccchadeileilelmcefecekjdffidfhn.0

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Last-Colony-John-Scalzi/dp/1596062754/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258211020&sr=1-1

(2467) Kronos (Podibooks) by Jeremy Robinson

Summary:
Two years after his wife's death, oceanographer and former navy SEAL, Atticus Young, attempts to reconcile with his rebellious daughter, Giona, by taking her on the scuba dive of a lifetime-swimming with a pod of peaceful humpback whales in the Gulf of Maine. But the beauty of the sea belies a terror from the deep-a horrific creature as immense as it is ancient. There is no blood, no scream, no fight. Giona is swallowed whole by the massive jaws. Only Atticus remains to suffer the shame of the survivor and his inconsolable grief turns to an unquenchable thirst for revenge.

Drawn by the spectacle, Trevor Manfred, a ruthless billionaire, approaches Atticus with a proposition: Trevor will make available all the advanced technology of his heavily armed mega-yacht, the Titan, to aid Atticus in his death-quest. In return, Trevor is to receive the beast's corpse as the ultimate hunting trophy. But in the midst of the hunt, Atticus makes a terrifying discovery that changes the way he sees the ocean's creatures and begs the question: what is Kronos? The answer sets him on a new and much more deadly course.

About the Author: Jeremy Robinson is the author of four published novels including Antarktos Rising, which is scheduled to be released as an animated feature film in Spring 2010 and PULSE, his upcoming hard cover release from Thomas Dunne Books. Visit Jeremy at http://www.jeremyrobinsononline.com/.


On Podiobooks: http://www.podiobooks.com/title/kronos

(2447) Sly Mongoose by Tobias S. Buckell

Publisher's Summary

Welcome to Chilo, a planet with corrosive rain, crushing pressure, and deadly heat. Fortunately, 14-year-old Timas lives in one of the domed cities that float 100,000 feet above the surface, circling near the edge of a monstrous perpetual storm. Above the acidic clouds the temperature and pressure are normal. But to make a living, Timas, like many other young men, is lowered to the surface in an armored suit to scavenge what he can.Timas's life is turned upside down when a strange man crash lands on the city. The newcomer is fleeing an alien intelligence intent on invading the planet and discovering the secret hidden deep inside the perpetual storm - a secret that could lead to interplanetary war.As the invaded cities fall silent one by one, Chilo's citizens must race against time to stop the enemy. And Timas will find out what kind of man he has become in the harsh conditions of Chilo's surface.

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sly-Mongoose-Tobias-S-Buckell/dp/0765319209/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258210889&sr=1-1

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_AREN_000838&BV_SessionID=@@@@0303411772.1258210338@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccchadeileilelmcefecekjdffidfhn.0

(2446) Star Trek Movie Memories by William Shatner

Publisher's Summary

The sequel to the best-selling Star Trek Memories, documenting in deliciously lurid and candid detail all the behind-the-scenes shenanigans in the making of the six Star Trek movies, with on-the-scene reporting from the set of the seventh in which Kirk dies!
Star Trek Movie Memories recounts all the chaos, creative turmoil, backstage politics, power plays, and production nightmares that permeated every one of the six Star Trek movies, including the accumulated grudges that haven't yet mellowed with the passage of time. And the stories... Nicholas Meyer writing the script for Star Trek II in 12 days... Kirstie Alley doing her Leonard Nimoy imitation in an audition... How Kirk's love interest in Star Trek IV began as a role for Eddie Murphy... and you can imagine the rest (or maybe not).
With stories and quotes from the principles that have never before been uttered in public, this will deliver a truly unprecedented behind-the-scenes view of the Trek films that will amaze even the most avid Trekker.

 On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_HARP_001214&BV_SessionID=@@@@0303411772.1258210338@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccchadeileilelmcefecekjdffidfhn.0

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Star-Movie-Memories-William-Shatner/dp/0061093297/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258210791&sr=1-1

(2445) The Survivalist #013; Pursuit by Jerry Ahern

Summary:

When John Rourke's daughter is kidnapped by a Russian agent, Rourke follows their trail across a frozen Arctic wasteland—and stumbles upon a small pocket of humanity living in a tropical paradise surrounded by ice and snow. The community of Icelandic descendants has flourished in seclusion during the long years following the fiery holocaust, unaware of the fierce and bloody struggle in the outside world between the forces of freedom and Communist tyranny. And as the Russian strike force readies to assault the tranquil enclave, Rourke must quickly teach these people of peace the harsh realities of war, the techniques of killing to survive for freedom's sake, and the hard-earned skills of surviving!

Approximate Run Time: 5 hours

Release Date: April 2009
ISBN: 978-1-59950-558-9

 On Graphic Audio: http://www.graphicaudio.net/p-491-13-pursuit.aspx

(2444) Under Fire: I think this is the best book by Griffin I've listened to so far. Book almost finished. 1 disc to go.

(2444) Under Fire by Griffin, W.E.B

From Publishers Weekly

After eight books in the popular WWII Corps series, Griffin's latest kicks off on the Korean peninsula, where forces from the Communist North have just stormed over the 38th Parallel. Within a few weeks, the old team is back together, most under the steady command of Brig. Gen. Fleming Pickering, whom President Truman recalls from the helm of Trans Global Airways to assume the CIA's top Asian post. As the U.S. Army flounders to contain the North, Pickering struggles to restore Washington's faith in Comdr. Douglas MacArthur and his daring proposal to invade at Inchon. Meanwhile, as Capt. Ken McCoy and Master Gunner Ernie Zimmerman skulk behind enemy lines, seizing a crucial island in preparation for the invasion, a new calamity breaks out: Pickering's son, daredevil pilot Malcolm ("Pick"), gets shot down over a North Korean rice paddy. This new entry in the series moves more slowly than previous ones, as Griffin who served in the army in Korea sets up the historical elements of the conflict and positions all his characters. But once he gets going, he writes with even assurance and a keen eye for military camaraderie and nuance, offering galvanizing drama and a respectful yet irreverent treatment of military procedure and attitudes, not to mention plenty of Scotch. As the book ends with U.S. forces digging in for battle and Pick still missing the dean of the American war adventure has left himself room for plenty of action ahead. National television and ad campaign.

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Under-Fire-W-E-Griffin/dp/0515134376/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258210353&sr=1-2

Music Interlude:
John Williams "Star Wars & Close Encounters of the Third Kind"
Various Artists: "This Is Great Country" Disc 02
Herb Alpert & The Tiujana Brass "Greatest Hits Volume 2"
John Denver "Spirit"

(2443) Force Recon #2; Death Wind by James V. Smith Jr

Publisher's Summary

While on a search-and-destroy mission in the middle of Iraq, Marine Force Recon Team 2400 winds up on the wrong end of a life-or-death chase across the desert. After taking out a meeting of international extremists, the team finds itself tracked by the one terrorist who got away. Leading the team on a treacherous march for survival, Captain Jack Swayne is determined to get his boys out of the hellish landscape alive. But that might not be in the cards. The terrorist has captured someone very close to Swayne, someone who may end up as the bait leading the strike team to their own graves.

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Force-Recon-2-Death-Wind/dp/0425174069/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258120487&sr=1-1

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_LIVE_000138&BV_SessionID=@@@@1403795817.1258119143@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfadeildigklmcefecekjdffidfhn.0

(2441) The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham

Publisher's Summary

Set in the present in the village of Midwich, an event happens one afternoon that results in the pregnancy of all the women of child- bearing age. After nine months they all give birth to striking blue-eyed blonde boys, all with similar looks. The result has disastrous consequences for the villagers. This classic science-fiction novel has been filmed twice as Village of the Damned.

On Audible:  http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_CSAW_000129&BV_SessionID=@@@@1403795817.1258119143@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfadeildigklmcefecekjdffidfhn.0

(2440) OTR, Podcasts & Music by Various Performers

Old time radio show: Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, "He Four Is a Crowd Matter"

Podcast: Le Jazz Affair show # 362

Old time radio show: Gunsmoke, "The Storm"

Podcast: Prometheus Radio Theatre, "Capital Injustices" - Part 2

Music: John Denver, "Rocky Mountain High"

Music: John Williams, "The Story of Star Wars"

Podcast:  Windows Weekly show 102-Now with Unicorn Tears

(2439) Star Trek Memories (Audible) by William Shatner

Publisher's Summary

Boldly going where no audio has gone before, Star Trek Memories is William Shatner's own behind-the-scenes look at the legendary '60s television series that continues to spawn movies, books, and series spin-offs 26 years after the last episode aired. Avid Trekkers are sure to be delighted with this first-hand account from Captain Kirk himself.

On Audible:  http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_HARP_001213&BV_SessionID=@@@@1403795817.1258119143@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfadeildigklmcefecekjdffidfhn.0

(2438) White Death; a novel from the NUMA files by Cussler, Clive

Publisher's Summary

A ruthless corporation is about to take command of the seas. This is a mission for Kurt Austin and the NUMA team.

What the Critics Say

"The plot involves Austin and his partner, Joe Zavala, who are investigating a feud between a radical environmentalist group and a Danish cruiser. Austin and Zavala must come to the rescue of men trapped on the ship. They find that a giant multinational corporation is seeking to kill anyone who attempts to stop its efforts to control the seas. There's lots of action, as always; Austin dodges a hand-grenade attack by plunging into frigid water and is saved at the last minute, he fights off attackers with a trash-can lid, and - on a number of occasions - the two 'face certain death'. 'Imagine what it feels like to be torn apart by razor-sharp teeth and scattered over the ocean', one of the bad guys tells them. So it goes, more than 400 pages of action and high jinks that Cussler's fans will relish." (Booklist)
"A centuries-old treasure from the sea and a shadowy multinational corporation comprise this action adventure, skillfully read by James Naughton. He fluidly handles Eskimo dialects, various other accents, human sacrifice, and heated battle scenes with ease. His portrayal of Dr. Barker, an ego-driven fanatic, skillfully reveals the man's madness. In imperious tones, Naughton paints an unpleasant, yet captivating, picture of the chaos and murder Barker practices. Opposing him, the dashing leader of the NUMA special assignments team, Austin, is woven into the story with such bravado that the listener almost cheers. This story is well suited to listening because of its strong characterizations and sound effects."

On Audible:  http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_PENG_001381&BV_SessionID=@@@@1403795817.1258119143@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfadeildigklmcefecekjdffidfhn.0

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/White-Death-Novel-Numa-Files/dp/0399150412/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258119737&sr=1-1

Music Interlude:
Various Artists, Jazz Disc 04 music downloaded from MP3.com 6 or 7 years ago.
Various Artists, Patriotic Disc 1 music downloaded from MP3.com 6 or 7 years ago.

(2459) As She Climbed Across the Table by Jonathan Lethem

Publisher's Summary

Philip is in love with Alice. As the novel opens, he is beginning to lose her - not to another man, as he fears, but to, literally, nothing. Alice is a physicist, and a team at the university where both she and Philip work has created a hole, a vacuum, a doorway of nothingness inside the laboratory. They call it "Lack". Alice becomes obsessed with Lack, just as Philip is obsessed by Alice.
The novel is at the same time an astute and wise portrait of unrequited love (albeit of a very unusual kind), a hilarious academic parody, a novel of ideas, and a social satire. It is utterly original, but in the school of Thomas Pynchon, Don DeLillo, Katherine Dunn, and David Foster Wallace.
Passion, humor, yearning, and knowledge are blended together in a suspenseful love story that could be characterized as "American magical realism".

On Audible:  http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_RAND_001244&BV_SessionID=@@@@1040915119.1258824306@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadeiljejgmfcefecekjdffidfmf.0

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/As-She-Climbed-Across-Table/dp/0375700129/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258824403&sr=1-1

(2436) Empire: I'm really enjoying this book on an American civil war unlike Turtledove's American Empire series.

(2437) The Shooters by Griffin, W. E. B

Publisher's Summary

In a dangerous world, only extraordinary people can keep America secure. The #1 New York Times best-selling series returns with a story as up-to-date as the headlines.

From Publishers Weekly
When DEA Special Agent Byron J. Timmons is kidnapped in Asunción, Paraguay, at the start of bestseller Griffin's rousing fourth presidential agent novel (after The Hunters), Timmons's grandfather asks his friend, the mayor of Chicago, for help. The mayor passes the request on to the U.S. president, who assigns his personal in-house expert, Lt. Col. C.G. Castillo, to rescue agent Timmons. Castillo is familiar with the territory, having sorted out various terrorist and drug dealer threats in South America in earlier books in the series. Castillo spends a lot of time in meetings and flying around the globe in the course of setting up the big shoot-out. After the brief, long-awaited climax, everyone pats each other on the back and gets ready for the next adventure, which is sure to pick up the loose threads left untied from the just-completed mission. In less accomplished hands, this would be a recipe for boredom, but Griffin pulls it off, leaving satisfied thriller readers hankering for more. (Jan.)

On Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Shooters-Presidential-Agent-Novel/dp/051514570X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258119336&sr=1-1

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_PENG_001170&BV_SessionID=@@@@1403795817.1258119143@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfadeildigklmcefecekjdffidfhn.0

Music Interlude:
Various Artists, "This Is Great Country" Disc 03
Herb Alpert & the Tiujana Brass, "Whipped Cream & Other Delights"

(2436) Empire by Orson Scott Card

Publisher's Summary

Orson Scott Card is a master storyteller who has earned millions of fans and reams of praise for his previous science-fiction and fantasy works. Now he steps a little closer to the present day with this chilling look at a near-future scenario: a new American Civil War.
The American Empire has grown too fast, and the fault lines at home are stressed to the breaking point. The war of words between Right and Left has collapsed into a shooting war, though most people just want to be left alone.
The battle rages between the high-technology weapons on one side and militia foot-soldiers on the other, devastating the cities and overrunning the countryside. But the vast majority, who only want the killing to stop and the nation to return to more peaceful days, have technology, weapons, and strategic geniuses of their own.
When the American dream shatters into violence, who can hold the people and the government together? And which side will you be on?

On Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Science-Fiction-Orson-Scott/dp/0765355221/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258119221&sr=1-1

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_AREN_000582&BV_SessionID=@@@@1403795817.1258119143@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfadeildigklmcefecekjdffidfhn.0

(2435) Stony Man #42; Edge of Night by Don Pendleton

Summary:

A covert action group known only to the President, Stony Man's ultra secret command center, cyber intelligence network and crack commandos battle terror with swift and deadly force. But with the new millennium, Stony Man faces a nightmare that may turn the West into a graveyard.

An outbreak of mutated anthrax has spread from the Western embassies in the Arab world to the US, and the plague that could end civilization is unleashed. As Mack Bolan hunts for the plague's mastermind, Able Team takes on a cult arming for Armageddon, and Phoenix Force races to defuse a nuclear war in India...

As the end of the century nears, nothing—perhaps not even Stony Man—can stop the madness.

On Graphic Audio:  http://www.graphicaudio.net/p-222-42-edge-of-night.aspx

(2432) Planet of the Damned (Librivox) by Harry Harrison

Summary:

Once in a generation, a man is born with a heightened sense of empathy. Brion Brandd used this gift to win the Twenties, an annual physical and mental competition among the best and smartest people on Anvhar. But scarcely able to enjoy his victory, Brandd is swept off to the hellish planet Dis where he must use his heightened sense of empathy to help avert a global nuclear holocaust by negotiating with the blockading fleet, traversing the Disan underworld, and cracking the mystery of the savagely ruthless magter.

On Librivox: http://librivox.org/planet-of-the-damned-by-harry-harrison/

(2433) The Menace from Earth by Robert A. Heinlein

Publisher's Summary

In The Menace from Earth, Robert A. Heinlein, a master of science fiction, presents startling stories of time and space. On the day past tomorrow, time has ended and man has begun his endless journey out into the universe. For those on the Pluto colony, Earth Satellite Base holds the only possible reprieve from a terrifying death sentence. Meanwhile on Earth, alien intelligence prowls the skies, kidnapping people for its own inhuman amusement.

On Audible:  http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_HEIN_000004&BV_SessionID=@@@@1187845892.1257711225@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccladeikikmlgkcefecekjdffidfhh.0

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Menace-Earth-Robert-Heinlein/dp/0671578022/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257711697&sr=1-2

(2431) Contagious: I listened to Scott Sigler's Infected a couple years ago. It was Ok, but Earthcore & Ancestor made my "keeper" list.

(2431) Contagious (Podiobooks) by Scott Sigler

Summary:

From the acclaimed author of Infected comes an epic and exhilarating story of humanity’s secret battle against a horrific enemy.

Across America, a mysterious pathogen transforms ordinary people into raging killers, psychopaths driven by a terrifying, alien agenda. The human race fights back, yet after every battle the disease responds, adapts, using sophisticated strategies and brilliant ruses to fool its pursuers. The only possible explanation: the epidemic is driven not by evolution but by some malevolent intelligence.

Standing against this unimaginable threat is a small group, assembled under the strictest secrecy. Their best weapon is hulking former football star Perry Dawsey, left psychologically shattered by his own struggles with this terrible enemy, who possesses an unexplainable ability to locate the disease’s hosts. Violent and unpredictable, Perry is both the nation’s best hope and a terrifying liability. Hardened CIA veteran Dew Phillips must somehow forge a connection with him if they’re going to stand a chance against this maddeningly adaptable opponent. Alongside them is Margaret Montoya, a brilliant epidemiologist who fights for a cure even as she reels under the weight of endless horrors.

These three and their team have kept humanity in the game, but that’s not good enough anymore, not when the disease turns contagious, triggering a fast countdown to Armageddon. Meanwhile, other enemies join the battle, and a new threat — one that comes from a most unexpected source — may ultimately prove the most dangerous of all.

Catapulting the reader into a world where humanity’s life span is measured in hours and the president’s finger hovers over the nuclear button, rising star Scott Sigler takes us on a breathtaking, hyper-adrenalized ride filled with terror and jaw-dropping action. Contagious is a truly grand work of suspense, science, and horror from a new master.

On Podibooks: http://www.podiobooks.com/title/contagious

Music Interlude:
various artists "Hey Good Lookin'" Disc 3 (Country music)
Henry Mancini "The Cop Show Themes"

(2430) OTR, Podcasts & Music by Various Performers

Old Time Radio Show: Boston Blackie, "the Worthington Ghost" 1946.03.19

Old Time Radio Show: Gunsmoke, "Never Trust a Stranger"

Music: Henry Mancini Biggest Hits

Podcast: Le Jazz Affair, show 361

Podcast: Prometheus Radio Theatre "Capital Injustices" Pt 1

Podcast: this WEEK in TECH - MP3 Edition show 189

Music: various artists, "Urban Cowboy" soundtrack disc 2

(2429) The Soldier Spies by W.E.B. Griffin

From Publishers Weekly

The third installment and first hardcover printing of Griffin's series of WWII espionage novels (originally published under the pseudonym Alex Baldwin) once again conjures up the year 1942, an era when men were boys and women were, well... large breasted. Between bed hopping and libidinous musings, intrepid secret agents Major Richard Caniday (who's really not a major) and Eric Fulmar, members of the fledging OSS, aim to smuggle out of Germany the scientist whose knowledge of metallurgy holds the key to the Third Reich's development of jet engines. The professor has a lovely daughter, of course, who is being sexually used by the sleazy Nazis; she is also used by double agents in the German high command as a tool to help undermine Hitler's mad schemes. Other plot lines explore Fulmar's mission in Morocco and the Allies' attempt to develop a "flying bomb" of their own. Cameos by such historical figures as William "Wild Bill" Donovan, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., David Niven and Peter Ustinov lend color to a story so cluttered with specific detail concerning uniforms, automobiles, airplanes and women's silk undergarments that readers may wonder how the war was won by people so obsessed by military protocol and mammary glands. Anachronisms in speech further mar the story, but after one gets past the multiple PG-13-rated sex scenes and hackneyed plot, there are suspenseful scenes of subterfuge and derring-do. Unfortunately for those who didn't read the previous volumes and who may miss the next, this book stops rather than concludes, leaving many painstakingly embroidered subplots unresolved.


On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Soldier-Spies-Men-at-War/dp/0515128023/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257619330&sr=1-1


Music Interlude:
Various Artists, Country disc 7  & Jazz disc 3.  An assortment of country and jazz songs downloaded 6 or 7 years ago from MP3.com.

(2427) The Last Days of Krypton by Kevin J. Anderson

Publisher's Summary

Finally, the epic tale that has never been told: the tragic story of the destruction of Superman's home planet.
Everyone knows how Kal-El (Superman) was sent to Earth before his planet exploded. Now Kevin J. Anderson unfolds the riveting backstory of this iconic superhero. The Last Days of Krypton is a sweeping tale of the politics and betrayals that blinded both heroes and villains to the disaster that would destroy Krypton. Bringing to life this lost world, with its famous cities and futuristic society, Anderson offers startling new insight into familiar characters, including Superman's parents, Jor-El and Lara; his enemies, including Brainiac; and Krypton's most dangerous villain, General Zod.
Filled with adventure, intrigue, and passion, this thrilling saga adds depth and color to the legend of this classic story and is sure to be the must-have book for comic fans of all ages.

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Last-Days-Krypton-Kevin-Anderson/dp/0061340758/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258383094&sr=1-1

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_TANT_000509&BV_SessionID=@@@@0806266430.1258383099@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccckadeilfjjfhgcefecekjdffidfgo.0

Music Interlude:
Sergio Mendes "Confetti"
Gary Lewis & the Playboys "Rhythm Of The Rain"

(2426) A Miles Vorkosigan Novel; Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold

Publisher's Summary

The dwarfish, fetally damaged yet brilliant Miles Vorkosigan has more than his share of troubles. Having recently escaped an assassination plot whose tool was a brainwashed clone of himself, Miles has set the clone, Mark, free for a new chance at life. But when he decides to let his clone brother assume his secret identity and lead the Dendarii Free Mercenary on an unauthorized mission to liberate other clones from the outlaw planet of Jackson's Whole, things get really messy.
The mission goes awry, Miles' rescue attempt goes even more wrong, and Miles ends up killed and placed in cryogenic suspension for future resuscitation. Then, as if that weren't bad enough, the cryo-container is lost! Now it is up to the confused, disturbed Mark to either take Miles' place as heir of the Vorkosigan line or redeem himself by finding and saving Miles.

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Dance-Miles-Vorkosigan-Adventures/dp/0671876465/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257600211&sr=1-1

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_BLAK_002284&BV_SessionID=@@@@2095575938.1257598654@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadeikiillhfcefecekjdffidfgl.0

Music Interlude:
George Jones & Tammy Wynette Super Hits
Kris Kristofferson Super Hits

(2425) Outlanders #015; Doom Dynasty by James Axler

Summary:

Two centuries after Skydark, nine barons comprise a powerful oligarchy that all but enslaves the rest of humanity. But chaos is returning to a world that was forever changed by the nuclear holocaust of 2001. For these barons are facing extinction, the result of a struggle by a group of rebels banished to the Outlands of post holocaust America. These exiles have uncovered the dark history—and doomed destiny—of a planet whose affairs have been manipulated by a sinister force since time immemorial.

The mysterious barons—either hybrids of another race or genetic evolution gone mad—are dying. Kane, once a keeper of law and order in the new America, is part of the driving machine to return power to the true inheritors of the earth. California is the opening salvo in one baron's savage quest for immortality—and a fateful act of defiance against earth's dangerous oppressors. Yet their sanctity is grimly uncertain as an unseen force arrives for a final confrontation with those who seek to rule, or reclaim, planet Earth. (The Imperator Wars - Book #1 of 3)

On Graphic Audio: http://www.graphicaudio.net/p-466-15-doom-dynasty.aspx

(2424) Final Justice by W.E.B. Griffin

Publisher's Summary:

Just as with his remarkable military novels, millions of readers have been captured by the rich characters and vivid realism of Griffin's police dramas.
Now, in Final Justice, Detective Matt Payne - newly promoted to Sergeant and assigned to Homicide - finds himself in the middle of three major assignments. The first, a fatal shooting at a fast-food restaurant, seems simple, but rapidly becomes complicated. The second begins complicated and only gets more so, as Payne becomes involved with a local guru who has fled the country, leaving behind the mutilated body of his girlfriend in a trunk. And as if that weren't enough, the self-absorbed star of a series of improbable movies comes to town - and it is his presence that will complicate Payne's life most of all.
Filled with color and detail and plots as real as the headlines, this is a riveting novel of the men and women who put their lives on the line, from the cop on the beat to the commissioner himself.

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Final-Justice-W-E-Griffin/dp/0399149260/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257599784&sr=1-1

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_BRLL_000338&BV_SessionID=@@@@2095575938.1257598654@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadeikiillhfcefecekjdffidfgl.0

Music Interlude:
Faith Hill "Breathe"
Everette Harp "Everette Harp"

(2423) Young Wizard Series, Bk 3; High Wizardry by Diane Duane

Publisher's Summary

As young wizards, Nita and her friend, Kit, share magic spells and spectacular adventures. Twice, they have successfully thwarted a dark power called the Lone One. Each victory has protected the universe against its paralyzing force, for a while. But now Darine, Nita's 10-year-old sister, has found her wizard's manual. With the help of a laptop computer, Darine has not only absorbed the book's wisdom, she has become a powerful wizard herself. Setting off on a jaunt to distant galaxies, Darine doesn't realize she is headed toward a confrontation with the Lone One. Can Nita and Kit find her in time to help?
Children love Diane Duane's works for their fast-paced combination of sorcery and suspense. She adds wonderful technological twists to this third book in her Young Wizard series, and narrator Christina Moore's voice adds just the right touch of magic.

 On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/High-Wizardry-digest-Third-Wizards/dp/015204941X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257599666&sr=1-1

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_RECO_000243&BV_SessionID=@@@@2095575938.1257598654@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadeikiillhfcefecekjdffidfgl.0

(2421) Girl in Landscape: story style similar to Robert Heinlein books with teenagers as main characters.

(2422) Night Fall by DeMille, Nelson

Publisher's Summary

Based on true events, but unlike anything you've ever read before, #1 New York Times best-selling author Nelson DeMille has created what may be his finest work to date.
At dusk on July 17, 1996, on a deserted Long Island beach, a man and a woman engage in adulterous sex in front of a video camera. Suddenly a terrible blast lights up the dark summer sky. TWA Flight 800 has just exploded in midair with 230 souls on board, and the video camera has recorded the last moments of the doomed airliner.
Five years later, the government has declared the crash a result of mechanical failure. But John Corey, an ex-NYPD detective who is now a contract agent with the Federal Anti-Terrorist Task Force, is persuaded by Kate Mayfield, his wife and task force partner, that the case deserves a second look.
Kate, a career FBI agent, plays by the rules. Corey plays by no rules but his own. Against long odds and warnings from their superiors, they set out to reopen the case and discover its most crucial piece of evidence. The hunt will lead to a conspiracy at the highest levels and a race toward an elusive and lethal truth that could be even more horrifying than the crash of Flight 800, one with unimaginable consequences for America...and the world.

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_TIME_000365&BV_SessionID=@@@@2095575938.1257598654@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadeikiillhfcefecekjdffidfgl.0

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Night-Fall-Nelson-DeMille/dp/044617792X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257598966&sr=1-2

Music Interlude:
Don McLean "American Pie"
Barbara Mandrell "Greatest Country Hits"

(2421) Girl in Landscape by Lethem, Jonathan

Publisher's Summary

At the age of 13, Pella Marsh emigrates with her family to the Planet of the Archbuilders. These enigmatic aborigines have names like Lonely Dumptruck and Hiding Kneel, and a civilization that baffles and frightens their human visitors.
As the spikily independent Pella becomes an uneasy envoy between two species, Girl in Landscape deftly interweaves themes of exploration and otherness, loss, and sexual awakening.

What the Critics Say

"Lethem is opening up blue sky for American fiction." (Village Voice)
"Complex, scary and finally moving." (Atlanta Journal & Constitution)
"One of the most original voices among younger American novelists....Jonathan Lethem's imagination [is]...marvelously fertile." (Newsday)

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_RAND_001216&BV_SessionID=@@@@2095575938.1257598654@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadeikiillhfcefecekjdffidfgl.0

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Landscape-Novel-Jonathan-Lethem/dp/0375703918/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257598673&sr=1-1

(2420) OTR, Podcasts & Music by Various Performers

Podcast: Children Of The Gods, Chapter 10  "Furious Consequences", Part 1

Podcast: Le Jazz Affair show #360

Podcast: Leo Laporte - The Tech Guy show 564

Music: Gary Lewis & the Playboys "New Directions"

 Podcast: Prometheus Radio Theatre "Playing Politics Pt 3"

Music: Garth Brooks "Scarecrow"

Old Time Radio Show: X Minus One "Cave of Night" 1956-02-01

Old Time Radio Show: Adventures Of Philip Marlowe Starring Gerald Moore "Night Tide" 1949-05-21

(2418) Star Trek Spock vs. Q by Leonard Nimoy & John de Lancie

Publisher's Summary

As the end of the twentieth century nears, an asteroid is hurtling toward Earth. When it hits, the impact will result in the end of all life on the planet.
Ambassador Spock travels back in time to subtly warn Earth's inhabitants of impending doom while calling into question humanity's priorities. However, before the truth is told, the all-powerful being, Q, appears and reminds Spock that he is prohibited from interfering in Earth's history. Besides, Q doesn't see mankind as something worth saving.
This initial encounter between the two legendary characters explodes into a battle of wits as Spock cleverly befuddles Q with his own words. As barbs are exchanged, and humanity's flaws and wonders are laid bare, Spock's logic just may convince Q that humans are indeed a species worthy of salvation; but will he be too late?

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_SANS_000481&BV_SessionID=@@@@0222178120.1257539359@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadeikhdikmdcefecekjdffidfji.0

(2417) Force Recon #1; Force Recon by James V. Smith, Jr

Publisher's Summary

They are known as Team Midnight, an elite force trained to disappear behind enemy lines, to wreak havoc where an enemy least expects it. Their job is simple, hide in the shadows, kill without hesitation, and complete the mission at all costs. They are America's secret warriors. Called into action against an unlikely aggressor, Captain Jack Swayne must lead his team into a war zone on American soil. Dropped into a hellish snowstorm in Montana mountain country, the team chases its unknown quarry, an enemy that has the power to unleash an army of extremists upon the United States.
The first exciting chapter in the explosive new series!!!

On Audible: http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_LIVE_000137&BV_SessionID=@@@@0222178120.1257539359@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadeikhdikmdcefecekjdffidfji.0