Random

Anthony Bourdain lists his top three books on BN.com. Two of his picks were not surprising, but I was quite intrigued by Friends of Eddie Coyle, which he calls the "truest of its genre." I've come to the crime genre much later than say, science fiction, so there remain many greats unknown to me. So it is always nice to hear about the likes of this.

Reporter Dexter Filkins has a new Iraq book coming out called the Forever War. It looks rather good, but I am happy to see a geek reference in a serious work of non-fiction. While clearly a response to Vietnam, Haldeman's novel is even more appropriate for Iraq, where servicepeople are being called back again and again.

Stephenson's Anathem is now out and you should check it out. Here is my take.

Did you know that Roald Dahl was a spy in World War 2, and that he was in the same unit as Ian Fleming? Jennet Conat has the details in the Irregulars.