Books that Thomas has Read
Note from Thomas: Below is a short (and by no means complete) list of the books that I have read, and a bit of commentary on each one.
Click on title for link to book.
As Jean and the Professor are practicing Jean's telepathic skills, an alien spacecraft crashes on earth with another alien craft hot in pursuit!
As the X-Men investigate, they come to find that these two ships could mean the end of all humanity on the earth, and the end of most life in the universe!
Can the X-Men solve this problem and save the universe in time?
Recommended by Thomas: YES
It is no secret I am a fan of the X-Men (more the canonical comics than the movies), this is because I know what it is like to be "different" and misunderstood. I can relate.
And herein lies the dilemma of the X-Men. All the earth is about to be killed simply because the aliens who crashed are just a bit different than the rest of us. The X-Men struggle morally with this issue, as it means that to save the earth, they must become what they despise, hunters of those who are different.
I don't really like the way Rogue over preaches this
in the novel, but other than that, it is a good read.
Fathers and sons (in a manner of speaking) reunite when Batman & Nightwing, Aquaman & Tempest, and Green Arrow & Arsenal team up to stop a terrorist plot.
Recommended by Thomas: YES
Unlike the DC Last Sons novel (see below), this book flows nicely with action and keeps you interested in reading. One thing I didn't really like was the way the book toggled between what was happening currently, and going back into the past to give the origins of Nightwing (formerly Robin), Tempest (formerly Aqualad) and Arsenal (formerly Speedy).
I did like the Speedy bit, though.
I like the way Black Canary took him in when Ollie kicked him out for
the heroin. Way to go, Pretty Bird.
What Your Doctor May NOT Tell You
about Fibromyalgia
Reading because it supposedly has a cure for
fibromyalgia. That cure being guaifenesin, sold under the brand
name of Mucinex.
Recommended by Thomas: YES
I set this book aside for a while but recently got
back to it. I am glad I did!
Sequel to two stories, Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the classic episode, For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky.
In the aftermath of V'Ger, the crew of the Enterprise is called back to the people of Yonada. McCoy must confront his past as he meets with Natira again, and Kirk and Spock must deal with the results of deactivating the Oracle.
Recommend by Thomas: YES
Kirk got rid of Vaal, Landru, the Oracle, he changed so many cultures and then just flew off to his next mission. Here we have a chance to see the end results of Kirk's meddling.
Sure, his intentions are good, no one can deny that.
But sometimes things don't always work out the way he thinks they will.
Songs of the Gorilla Nation
Yet
another autism autobiography.
But this one is well-written and educational and full of cool things about gorillas we never knew. Also, it was interesting to read the whole lesbian awareness coming of age going on in the background. Whether you have problems with that kind of lifestyle or not, the book makes for good reading, and is very educational about three things a lot of us have problems understanding. Autism, gorillas, and the gay lifestyle.
Recommended by Thomas: YES
Well done, Dawn. :)
Captain America: Liberty's Torch
While out on a routine patrol, Captain America and the Falcon spot a fire in the poor side of town. Rushing there, they rescue the homeless and elderly, and discover the fire was no accident! :( It was the work of Liberty's Torch, a militia organization who believes there is no place for the old or homeless or disabled in America.
Kidnapping the Captain, they put his beliefs to the test in a citizens trial as the Falcon seeks to rescue his partner.
Recommended by Thomas: YES
Not since the Lone Ranger has someone come along that is all of the good of humanity in one person. This book can be a bit on the spooky side if taken too seriously. I'd really like to think that there are no such people as what are in Liberty's Torch, but I know there are.
I find that to be unsettling.
But at least the heroes win in the end. :)
Intercessors: Discover your Prayer Power
This book was loaned to me by my friend, Vicki. It has an interesting and different take on prayer. It lists the different "types" of intercession, such as "soul intercession" (praying for someone to become a believer), or "financial intercession" (praying for $$$ for a ministry), or "crisis intercession" (praying for people in crisis).
At first I had some problems with this book because I felt somewhat like it put God in a box. I had no clue how to pray effectively back then (I am still not sure I know) but I felt this book kind of made it too easy.
However, just because this book lists certain types of intercessors doesn't mean they are wrong or that there are not other kinds not covered in the book. I saw a lot of my friends in the various types of intercessors listed. And I saw myself in the "list intercessor" and in the "personal intercessor."
Recommend by Thomas: YES
Though intercession is more than what is in this book, this book is an excellent reference for those beginning or who are curious about intercession. You have to crawl before you can walk, and this book is a good place to start. I don't think this book is wrong, I just think it may be incomplete. But to write a complete book on intercession would take untold thousands of pages.
NOT a literal Bible. God didn't have anything special to say to screenwriters that He didn't want to say to the rest of us. And if He did, what is coming out of Hollywood is proof enough that the screenwriter's could care less about it anyway.
This is a manual to teach how to write screenplays. You need special software to get the formatting right (I use Hollywood Screenwriter at the moment. Once I write a few I will upgrade to something better), and you need to know how the industry works if you watnt your script to be read.
Recommended by Thomas: YES
This book will tell you everything you need to know if you want to write the next blockbuster film. Right now, I am just using the information to write three or four minute skits for the youth at the church. :)
Lobo gets a bounty for J'onn J'onnzz, and the Man of Steel feels compelled to come to the aid of the Manhunter. Good thing, too, since it turns out that the (*yawn*) universe hangs in the balance.
Recommended by Thomas: NO
I had a hard time getting into this book. It just wasn't an enjoyable read until the last few chapters.
Five of the X-Men (Jean, Scott, Kurt, Rogue and (of course) Logan) wake up to find themselves in a mental ward in the powerless bodies of the patients. How did they get there? Where are their own bodies?
Recommended by Thomas: YES
Unlike the book above, this one
was delightful. Jean was a man and Logan and Scott were women.
The author (Marjorie M. Liu) didn't shy away from the obvious issues
here. Jean had problems learning to urinate as a man, and Logan,
well, he just had problems period being a woman. But the real
story here was trying to convince the staff (and the X-Men) they weren't crazy AND
finding a way back into their own bodies.
Good luck, X-Men!
