Here’s a great CD for any Ray Charles fan or any fan of jazz/blues vocals for that matter - Genius Loves Company. This was his last album before he passed away, and it’s a great compilation of duets with a wide range of vocalists – from Norah Jones and Diana Krall to James Taylor and Johnny Mathis.

I hate to admit it, but I’m a sucker for compilation CDs. I love the variety of songs and music styles. This CD has classic Ray Charles songs like “Fever” with Natalie Cole and a wonderful version of “You Don’t Know Me” with Diana Krall. And a beautiful rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” with Johnny Mathis. Ray’s voice isn’t as clear as when he was in his prime, but he still belts out his songs with soul. And it’s fun to hear him paired with contemporary vocalists like Norah Jones. The diversity of songs and vocalists on the CD also makes it a great gift choice for a wide range of people.

(From BTW, originally published 10.27.04)

I’ve been looking for a portable scanner that I can use with my laptop as a substitute for a fax machine both at home and on the road. After reading the reviews, I’ve settled on the Canon CanoScan LiDE 35 scanner. It has a very small and light form factor (10″ x 14.5″ x 1.5″ and 3.7 pounds) and uses only a single USB 2.0 cable for power and data so there’s no bulky AC adaptor to carry around.

I’ve had the scanner for a week now and I like it a lot. The software that comes with it is pretty easy to use, and I really like the shortcut buttons on the front of the scanner. There’s a very handy File shortcut button that scans a document into a PDF - it’s a great way to create PDF documents (single-page only) without needing to buy Adobe Acrobat.

It’s also very light - though a little too large to carry in a laptop bag. I’m not sure if I would pack it in my luggage for a business trip but it’s nice to know I could. The only bad thing I can say about the scanner so far is the noise of the scanner motor - it’s not loud but it’s a little too high-pitched to be pleasant. Maybe I’ll get used to it after a while, and I don’t plan to be scanning every day.

(From BTW, originally published 3.31.05)

If you secretly harbor an urge to write a mystery novel (like I do), then here’s a book you should read, How to Write a Damn Good Mystery by James N. Frey. It’s a practical how-to book that guides you through the process of brainstorming and developing a compelling plot and interesting characters, writing visual scenes and snappy dialogue, and creating the all-important climactic ending.

Frey combines theory and examples within an easy-to-read writing style that upon first read makes the book seem like just common sense until you have a chance to think more about his advice. I suggest reading through the entire book once and then focusing on each chapter as you begin writing your novel.

For those of you who are really ambitious, the book concludes with advice on how to get an agent and sign a book deal. Good luck with writing your mystery novel and I hope to announce my new book within… let’s say ten years or so.

(From BTW, originally published 2.21.05)

Here’s a good book to buy for yourself or as a gift, The Experts’ Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do, by Samantha Ettus. She asks 100 experts for their advice on how to do a variety of things like tie a bowtie (by Tucker Carlson from CNN’s Crossfire), and make eggs (by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the famed chef and restauranteur.) The items cover a variety of categories spanning cooking, social etiquette, sports, personal grooming, and more.

All of the contributions are fairly light but some things are more useful than others. Some of the more practical things are How to Tie a Windsor Knot by the President of Thomas Pink, N.A., How to Write a Personal Note by the CEO of stationer Crane & Co., and a chocolate chip cookie recipe from Mrs. Fields. Other things are not as informative - the disappointments include How to Negotiate by Donald Trump (only a few soundbite nuggets), and How to Tell a Joke by Howie Mandel (too philosophical.)

It’s a quick, interesting read and a useful reference book that you can go back to often. The book itself looks nice too - a hardcover cross between an owner’s manual and a coffee table book, and decently priced at $13.57 ($19.95 list) at Amazon.

(From BTW, originally published 2.19.05)

Here’s a gift idea that I can recommend from my own personal experience - a Sonicare Elite 7300 power toothbrush. After doing a lot of research, this seemed to do the best job of cleaning tooth surfaces and gums gently. It uses an advanced sonic technology that sends high speed vibrations through the water in your mouth to clean areas that the brush can’t reach directly. And with the sonic technology, you don’t have to brush very hard, which is better for your tooth enamel and gums. The toothbrush feels a little funny at first - a bit ticklish - but you soon get used to it and your teeth feel great afterwards.

It comes with a 2 minute timer to help you make sure you’re spending enough time brushing (though my dental hygenist recommends brushing for at least 2 minutes - up to 3 minutes.) It comes with a nice charger which looks just like a stand (no actual plug needed for the tooth brush) and a travel case. I’ve found that the brush holds a charge for 2 weeks so you can take it on vacation without the charger.

Amazon sells the Sonicare Elite 7300 for $99.99, which is pretty competitive within the price range for higher-end electric toothbrushes. Replacement heads cost $19.88 for two, and you should replace them every 6 months. The sonic vibrations actually slow down gradually over time as the head wears down so it’s important to replace the head on a timely basis to maintain cleaning effectiveness.

(From BTW, originally published 2.17.05)

It turns out that Magiere and her half-elf partner Leesil are a pair of con-men. The con is simple: Leesil pretends to be a vampire, and Magiere makes a show of slaying him in a tremendous display of pointy wooden stakes and fake blood. The peasants are superstitious and naive enough to be fooled, and Magiere walks away with most of the town’s money. The real trouble starts when the pair hits a town with a real vampire feeding on its folk. Magiere and Leesil don’t really believe in vampires, of course, so the resulting altercation is understandably disturbing for them.

Fortunately Magiere has saved up enough money to buy a small tavern in a coastal town and she manages to convince Leesil to help her run the place. And really, what are the odds that the tavern is located in a town infested by vampires?

I definitely give “Dhampir” a solid B, in the grade department. The characters are interesting, although they do get a little bit annoying at times… Read more >>

(From Paalin’s Fantasy Book Blog, originally published 2.02.05)

Our favorite “simpleton” hero is back in Dragon Blood, the sequel to Patricia Briggs’ Dragon Bones. This time, Ward must save his love Tisala (oh, and the realm too) from the mad king Jakoven.

This book is a worthy sequel to the first, although it is a bit darker. All of the things that I liked about the first book can be found in the sequel. In particular all of the characters remain true to their nature and their motivations. Patricia Briggs never falls into the trap of making a character stupid just to advance the plot.

Interestingly, once again the ending felt rushed to me. When I was near the end, I remember wondering (again) how she was going to resolve the plot in so few pages. Don’t let that stop you from reading it, though. The book is a very enjoyable read and I look forward to getting my hands on some of Ms. Briggs’ other books.

I once again recommend this book very highly.

(From Paalin’s Fantasy Book Blog, originally published 2.01.05)

The main character in Dragon Bones, Ward of Hurog, is not your typical fantasy hero. He is large of stature, but sadly lacking in intelligence (or so it seems). It turns out that his father, an overly cruel man, saw him as a rival and beat him relentlessly. Out of self-defense, Ward decided it might be a good idea to appear less of a threat, leading to him pretending to be stupid. Of course, the stupid act comes with a price - no one really wants to see Ward rule Hurog after his father. So when an unfortunate (at least for Ward’s father) hunting accident brings the cruel leader’s reign to a sudden halt, Ward is faced with the task of taking over. Outside forces, with the intentionally mistaken impression that Ward is not fit for the position, conspire to take Hurog away from him, and he must find a way to get it back.

Let me just say first that Dragon Bones is one of my all time favorite fantasy novels. There are several reasons for that, but it really all comes down to the characters. Read more >>

(From Paalin’s Fantasy Book Blog, originally published 2.01.05)

Richard Paul Evans’ The Looking Glass was definitely a quick and easy read. I finished it in a few hours. It is a heart-warming love story, which teaches us to love ourselves the way we are. The looking glass is a way to look at ourselves and see the beauty that others see in us that we take for granted.

(From NurseAmore, originally published 1.13.05)

Jeffrey Eugenides’s Middlesex is a winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and when you read it, you can understand why. The novel is about a hermaphrodite, who tells the history of his generations, in order to understand who he/she is and how he/she became. The story covers three generations, starting with his Greek grandparents in Turkey to Cal (their grandchild). It is very interesting not only to read about the life of each generation, but also what was happening in the world during these times. So, overall, I really enjoyed this book. I found it easy to get into, easy to follow, and I learned a lot of history as well.

(From NurseAmore, originally published 1.12.05)