Great Science Fiction and Angry Young Man

The sun rose at 7:07, and brilliant orange of sunset was at 540

I read Marsbound, by Joe Haldeman, after I got home yesterday and was quite peeved that I didn't think far enough ahead to buy Starbound just in case I finished it. So, we walked to Elliott Bay Bookstore and went shopping. Saw Jamil and took in the scene that is Elliott Bay.

We walked down to the Melrose Market (obviously on Melrose Street) and fell completely in love with the rough-hewn loveliness that holds a butcher shop, sandwich shop, flowers, wine and cheese. It was packed! and we took complete advantage of the different offerings they had. There are cheese classes, home-made soups, brunch in a wonderful terrarium-like room where you can watch the cooks make your food. And it smelled so good, like rosemary and mint, exotic spices from the butcher's counter.

Such a be-yoo-ti-ful day. Blue skies, sunny, and COLD and WINDY! We didn't even break a sweat walking all those miles. I think we're going to make these long neighborhood walks on Saturdays a tradition. We've been to the Pike/Pine neighborhood twice, I know, it sounds like we've never lived on Capitol Hill, but there is so much to see and eat and drink there. How can you take it all in in two hours-long walks?

It is going to be a clear and star-filled night tonight, in the mid-20's, I'm going to go out and cover the daphne again. The poor thing looks awful.

I read Angry Young Man, by Chris Lynch, another author whose books I will read without even looking at the blurb. His books are often about young men on the edge of violence, the edges of society, difficult books to read about people who have done some awful things or who have had awful things to them. That having been said, he has also written some hysterically funny books about growing up and living with the choices that are made.

Angry Young Man is the story of two brothers, Robert, our narrator, the older brother of Xan, a misfit with a good heart, different enough to not have a comfortable place in the world. Xan's sense of justice runs high, he doesn't really have the ability to see two sides of an argument and he's worried that people can see into his soul by looking in his eyes.

Robert is in college and has a job, not enough to leave home, though; his life is hard but it's working out. When things start to get really rough at home, more bills than money, Xan is asked to get a job, too. Unfortunately, things don't go well and his behavior begins to get more and more extreme. When it looks like Xan may resort to violence to set things right, Robert has to figure out how to save him.

I love the relationship between the brothers, I love that the mom is flawed and has done the very best she could have done under the circumstances. I love the relationship between the brothers and the mom. It's a book that illustrates how quickly things can go pear-shaped and how hard they are to fix when it happens.

It's a small book, a quick read, but very good. Ages 12 and up. (Simon and Schuster. Available now. $16.99.)