"Star Trek: The Next Generation: Imzadi" by Peter David

Audible.com Summary:

Years before they became crewmates on the U.S.S. Enterprise, Commander William Riker and ship's counsellor Deanna Troi had a tempestuous love affair on her home planet of Betazed. Now, as their passions have cooled, the two serve together as close friends. Yet the memories of what passed between them linger and Riker and Troi remain Imzadi, a powerful Betazoid term that describes the enduring bond they still share. On a delicate mission involving negotiations with an aggresive race called the Sindareen, Deanna mysteriously falls ill...and dies. But her death marks the start of an incredible adventure for Riker - an adventure that takes him across time, pits him against one of his closest friends, and forces him to choose between Starfleet's strictest rule and the one he calls Imzadi.

A wonderful story that explains how Riker and Troi first met. Once scene from the book is right out of TNG's episode 1 at Farpoint Station.

Author: Peter David
Narrator: Johnathan Frakes
Running Time: 3 hours
Book Rating: ****
Production: ****
(out of 5 stars)

Audiobook
Paperback

"Star Trek: The Next Generation: Q-in-Law" by Peter David

Audible.com Summary:

The U.S.S. Enterprise is chosen as the marriage site for a wedding that will unite two powerful rival families of the spacefaring merchant race, the Tizarin. But Captain Picard's happiness is soon cut short by the arrival of the Federation delegate from Betazed: Lwaxana Troi - the mother of the ship's counsellor, Deanna Troi. Despite Lwaxana's nagging presence, the festivities proceed smoothly until the arrival of the notorious and all-powerful being, Q - who has come to examine and challenge the human concept of love. Suddenly, the celebration is in turmoil, the Tizarin families are on the brink of war, and Lwaxana is determined to teach Q a lesson in love that he will never forget.

A VERY quick story but quite amusing. I've always liked the Lwaxana's character and Majel doing the voice of her own character made for a wonderful narration.

Author: Peter David
Narrator: Majel Barrett and John de Lancie
Running Time: 1 hour and 30 min.
Book Rating: ****
Production: ****
(out of 5 stars)

Audiobook
Paperback

"Star Trek: The Next Generation: Q-Squared" by Peter David

Okay... it's true... I've decided to take a short break from James Patterson. My last 8 audiobooks were by James Patterson and I wanted a change.

Just after finishing "Jack and Jill" I wanted something shorter and less serious. Q-Squared was the answer...

Audible.com Summary:

In all of his travels Captain Picard has never encountered an opponent more powerful than Q, a being from another continuum that Picard encounterd on his very first mission as captain of the Starship Enterprise. In the years since, Q has returned to harass Picard and his crew. Sometimes dangerous, sometimes merely obnoxious, Q has always been mysterious and seemingly all-powerful. But now, Trelane, another member of the continuum who Captain Kirk and his crew first encountered over one hundred years ago, has tapped into an awesome power source that makes him more powerful than the combined might of the entire continuum. Q warns that, armed with this incredible power, Trelane has become unspeakably dangerous. Now Picard must get involved in an awesome struggle between super beings. And this time the stakes are not just Picard's ship, or the galaxy, or even the universe - this time the stakes are all of creation.

Star Trek audiobooks are vastly different from a James Patterson or John Grisham because they contain audio & sound effects from the show, most are abridged and are much shorter. Which works well for me just for a quick change of pace.

A good story that merges an episode from the original series and the next generation.

Author: Peter David
Narrator: John de Lancie
Running Time: 3 hours and 1 min.
Book Rating: ****
Production: *** 1/2
(out of 5 stars)

Paperback
Audiobook

Celebrities that... well... hmmmm...

Okay, I was gonna call this the Celebrity Hit List but with Google being as good as it is, I don't want to come up in an FBI search should one of these people end up... well... burning in the fiery pit of hell... lol

So I'll call this one... Celebrities (and not so much) that if I saw trapped in a burning car, I'd look for a stick and break out the marshmallows...

ben afflick -- need I say more?
rick berman & brandon braga -- because of what they did to Star Trek
ray ramano -- because NOT everyone loves Raymond.
michael jackson -- just because money can buy freedom, doesn't make it right
george lucas -- I'll give you THREE guesses... I wish I could just wish him away...
michael moore -- because I'm american!
sean penn -- because some people need to keep their uneducated mouths closed!
tom cruise -- come on tom... time to get out of the closet!
mayor dick daley -- no dick... the entire state of illinois ISN'T chicago!
governor blago -- and I thought the corrupt george ryan was an idiot!!!
the guys at FOX who decided to cancel Firefly
rosie o'donnell -- well.. duh!

more to come

What I Podcast...

Twit - This Week in Tech
Mugglecast
Pottercast
The Official Lost Podcast

The Top 5 "Celebrities" (Alive) that I'd most like to have dinner with...

It is said that you can learn a lot about a person by what their answers are to this question...

So here we are in no particular order...

Steve Jobs
J.K. Rowling
Kevin Smith
Joss Whedon
Leo Laporte

Introducing Apple's new line of laptops...

All running the new Intel chips. Might be a good time to upgrade this 12" G4 Powerbook!

My Favorite TV Shows

That are still in production...

It is said that you can learn a lot about a person by what their favorite TV shows are...

The Shield
Lost
Nip/Tuck
Rescue Me
24
South Park
Prison Break
Sopranos

I'm also into many "edutainment" shows like Modern Marvels (History Channel), Deadliest Catch (Discovery), & Seconds from Disaster (NGC)

"Jack and Jill" by James Patterson

Amazon.com Summary:

A child killer is stalking the inner city of Washington, D.C., his latest victim Shanelle Green, an adorable first grader from Sojourner Truth School. This killing is especially unsettling to Detective Alex Cross. Sojourner Truth is the school his son Damon attends, just four blocks from his home. While the death of an inner-city black child doesn't garner much media attention, another murder is making big headlines. The same day that Shanelle was beaten to death, Senator Daniel Fitzpatrick was found handcuffed to a bed and shot execution style. The only clue the police have to go on is a bizarre rhyme, signed "Jack and Jill," promising more high-profile executions, ultimately targeting the president of the United States. When Cross is called in to help protect the president, he begins to suspect that the two cases are somehow related. As he races to put all the pieces together, the killers continue their bloody rampage, paralyzing the city.

Right off of the heels of "Kiss the Girls" I began the 3rd book in the Alex Cross series (1997). A pretty good book that was a little slow in the middle for my tastes. And once again... somebody REALLY needs to talk to James Patterson about guns! In the past several books I've finished it should be noted that you don't "cock" a Glock and it is NOT a service revolver!

Author: James Patterson
Narrator: Michael Kramer
Running Time: 11 hours and 41 min.
Book Rating: *** 1/2
Production: ***
(out of 5 stars)

Audiobook -- I couldn't get this from Audible.com unabridged so I had to borrow it from the library. This Amazon link isn't the production I just finished. Mine was narrated by "Michael Kramer" from "Books on Tape"
Paperback

"Kiss the Girls" by James Patterson

Audible.com Summary:

In the most suspenseful thriller yet from the author of Along Came a Spider, Detective Alex Cross is on the trail of 2 murderers who may be working together. Casanova preys on talented college women from the Carolinas to Florida. The Gentleman Caller is terrorizing Los Angeles. The case takes Cross coast to coast and to the Deep South, where his niece, a law student, has been abducted. Will she be the next victim of one, or both, of the killers?

A good thriller. I really liked the Kate McTiernan character and hope to see her again in future Alex Cross novels.

Author: James Patterson
Narrator: Michael Kramer
Running Time: 10 hours and 55 min.
Book Rating: ****
Production: *** 1/2
(out of 5 stars)

Audiobook -- I couldn't get this from Audible.com unabridged so I had to borrow it from the library... on TAPE no less!
Paperback