Another year has begun and we spent the Christmas madness and New Years eve away from home at the Baltic sea (a photo post might follow). Time to look back at 2011.

Before the year's over, let's have a quick look at this month's books:

Alan Bradley

A Red Herring Without Mustard: A Flavia de Luce Novel

ISBN 0385343469

The 3rd Flavia de Luce novel and again I fully enjoyed it. I guess I'll read the whole series as it comes out.

Haruki Murakami

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World: A Novel (Vintage International)

ISBN 0679743464

I've had read Norwegian Wood some years ago and was somehow expecting something in a similar melancholic style. But this book is nothing like it. Instead it's a surreal journey in and into the protagonist's mind. A really fascinating read.

The last weeks have been very busy which explains the lack of blog posts. But let's round up the books I've read over the last two months at least.

David Benioff

City of Thieves: A Novel

ISBN 0452295297

This book plays during World War II in and around the besieged city of Leningrad. Two odd friends by chance are tasked to find a doozen of eggs for a General's daughter's wedding or face to be shot as deserters. I immensely enjoyed reading this book. Thanks to Karsten Heymann for recommending it.

Neal Stephenson

Cryptonomicon

ISBN 0060512806

This is almost a classic by now and the book that was the breakthrough for Neal Stephenson. However I'm split in my opinion about this book. It plays in two different times and while I really enjoyed the World War II encryption hacking part, I was utterly bored by the 90ies Internet business crap. The end on the other hand, where time- and plotlines converge, felt a bit rushed IMHO.

Terry Pratchett

Snuff: A Novel of Discworld (Discworld Novels)

ISBN 0062011847

A Sam Vimes story is a must read for me (as is any other Terry Prattchet novel ). It was a good read, but not one of the best. Sometimes I found it a bit hard to read, sentences seemed to be somewhat more complicated than they ought to be, but maybe I was just tired.

A bit more than photos this time…

Day 1. Arrived in the afternoon. Walked along the harbor from the Ferry building over Pier 39 to Fishermans Wharf, had Crab Chowder. Saw the sea lions and visited the USS Pampanito. Took a bus back towards China Town and my hotel. Bus ticket machines don't take $5 nobody could change – a girl gave me the $2 needed. Friendly people here.

Day 2. Breakfast at Café de la Presse. Took the Tram to Pier 35 and bought a ticket for Alcatraz. Ate some mini donuts while waiting for the ferry. Took a guided tour with a park ranger who told stories about the escapes from Alcatraz. Self guided audio tour afterwards. Bought a hoodie in the gift shop, because it was too cold in the fog. Burger at the Wipeout, then walked to Lombard Street and through Russian Hill.

Day 3. Rented a Bike at Bay City Bikes. Rode to and across the Golden Gate Bridge then on to Sausalito. Had a fantastic Elephant Club Sandwich at Cafe Tutti. Went back to San Francisco with the Ferry. Took a Cable Car to the Cable Car Museum after returning the bike. Had a stroll through China Town and Kung Pao chicken in the evening.

Day 4. Breakfast at Sugar Cafe. Took the Muni to Buena Vista and climbed the hill, then strolled through Haight Street towards the Golden Gate Park. Visited the De Young Museum of Fine Arts and took a bus to Ocean Beach when I couldn't walk anymore. Had Fish'n'Chips at the Beach Chalet then a long walk at the beach. Took the Muni back home.

Day 5. Breakfast at Working Girl's Cafe, no WiFi here – first time. Visited the Wells Fargo Museum then walked in zig zag towards the Coit Tower. Climbed it. Walked through Little Italy and had a look in the Saint Peter and Paul Church. Walked down to the Marina and watched the Pelicans fishing. Ate a whole Crab at Sabella Latorre – expensive, a lot of messy work but not bad at all. Finally got my luggage and took the Caltrain to Sunnyvale

Day 6 and 7. Google Summer of Code Mentor Summit. Geeking out.

Enough text? Here are the photos:

This month I've read two books that probably my whole peer group already read: the Daemon books by Daniel Suarez.

Daniel Suarez

Daemon

Daniel Suarez

Freedom (TM) (Daemon)

While technically these are two books, it's just one single story cut in the middle. There is no way you can stop reading this after the first book.

Daemon is one of the most intriguing stories I've read in the last years. It starts out as a seemingly simple crime novel but evolves into a full blown, world-wide revolution / cyberpunk fiction / utopia thingy.

What makes these books so fascinating to me is that it was never completely over the top. Everything described – the technology, the economic results, the government and corporate reactions – are fantastic and sometimes unlikely but still imaginable. I never was sure if I should be afraid or hoping for what I was reading — typical future shock, I guess.

BTW it has some action scenes that played like a movie in my head. So much for good writing style

Seriously, if you haven't read this yet, do so!

Now, give me my D-Space glasses please, I want to join the daemon.