When I Was 17: The Book List

“My name was Brian McGee, I stayed up listening to Queen, when I was 17 . . .”

Actually, no, I never bought alcohol with a fake ID like Homer Simpson, but when I was 17, I did read Joseph R. Garber’s Vertical Run about 10 times. For some reason, I absolutely loved that book—I liked the idea of evil contractors doing bio warfare research, an unwitting executive with a Vietnam history accidentally getting infected with one particular germ that could kill humanity, his would-be killers doing everything they could to capture him but being unable to because he was an elite soldier. I loved that he didn’t know what was going on until nearly the end, and that he got away; loved that the end of the book more or less confirms that the bug wasn’t lethal once special parameters were applied, and that the protagonist was probably alive and well and about to create a media frenzy with the help of the Vietnam commander he once betrayed (but who still loves him like a son) and the woman who helped him out as the evil contractors tried to kill him. Given that I’d been reading yarns by Michael Crichton and his ilk at the time, Vertical Run fit into my then-literary tastes.

Thank God I have matured.

Not that Vertical Run is a terrible read—far from it. It’s a good enough thriller, still clever when it comes to the descriptions of conflict, but a little lacking in character development. Not much is needed, however; David Elliot is the only one you’re really supposed to care about, though Mamba Jack Kreuter is a pretty good sketch that could’ve been developed more. I picked it up at the Wheaton Library’s used bookstore—once I spotted it, I knew it was coming home with me. I finally got around to rereading it this week. Time has worn away at the book; technologies that were cutting edge back in 1995 produce titters of nostalgic glee in 2007; a college education in English literature made me cluck at some of the writing. The pace, which seemed so fast back in 1995, seems a bit plodding in 2007. It is still a fast read, but it’s easier to spot the weaknesses, plot holes and sheer implausibilities of Vertical Run.

I still like the fact that he got away, though. Sorry for giving away the plot! The book was long ago optioned, but no film has been forthcoming (obviously). If it ever gets off the ground, a lot of modifications will have to be made to make the plot remotely resemble the novel.

Still reading the Barbara King book—it is a tough read because it slows down at times . . . it’s written for the layman, but the scientist in King can’t resist going to the history of her field, which at times is interesting, but at times doesn’t help me follow the overall thesis of her book. Ah, that’s what I’m trying to say—she strays. And as you can see, I’ve ordered more books that are currently winging their way to me. For now, though, you can add another book to 2007’s book list:

Finished:

1) Love Is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield
2) Galileo’s Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love by Dava Sobel
3) Helen of Troy by Margaret George
4) Writing Ann Arbor: A Literary Anthology Edited by Laurence Goldstein
5) You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
6) Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
7) The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror, Version 2.0 by Christopher Moore
8) Radio On: A Listener’s Diary by Sarah Vowell

Re-read:

1) Vertical Run by Joseph R. Garber

Currently Reading:

1) Evolving God: A Provocative View on the Origins of Religion by Barbara J. King

Waiting To Be Read (Already Purchased, Got as Gifts, Borrowed from My Boyfriend, or Otherwise Accessible without the Use of Funds, But Not an Assurance That I Will Read These Before I Buy More Books):

1) The Secret History by Donna Tartt
2) Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro by Zachary M. Schrag
3) College Girls: Bluestockings, Sex Kittens, and Co-Eds, Then and Now by Lynn Peril