Believe it or not, 999 posts ago I started this blog with a review of E.C. Tubb’s Child of Earth, the 33rd (and last) book in the Dumarest of Terra series. So for my 1000th posting, I decided to go back where it all began: the first book in the Dumarest series, The Winds of Gath. In this book, Dumarest is introduced as an adventurer who is desperately trying to find his way back to his home planet, Earth. However, Earth appears on none of the star charts. Its existence is doubted. Only Dumarest, who remembers his bleak childhood on Earth, really believes the planet actually exists. As Dumarest finds clues to the location of Earth, he runs afoul of the cyborg cult, the Cyclan. Throughout the 33 books in the series, Dumarest becomes a hunted man. E. C. Tubb died last year, but his intrepid adventures will live on. A good place to start would be The Winds of Gath.

Ben, a yuppie, and Chon, with Navy SEALs training, run a marijuana operation in the Laguna Beach area. But their Good Times come to an end when the Mexican Baja Cartel kidnap their lover, O (for Ophelia). The Mexicans threaten to cut O’s head off with a chainsaw if Ben and Chon don’t cooperate. You can guess the rest: Ben and Chon pretend to cooperate but secretly work to undermine the Cartel. Plenty of explosions of violence and gunplay. Don Winslow knows how to write action-packed thrillers and Savages delivers. Oliver Stone is going to be the director of the movie version. GRADE: B+

By the time you read this, Diane and I will be flying to St. Louis for BOUCHERCON 2011. We hope to see many of our friends: the Criders, Abbotts, Meyersons, Art Scott, Maggie Mason, Beth Fedyn, and the irrepressible Steve Stilwell. I’ve worked ahead so there will be a posting every day we’re in St. Louis. We’re bringing the iPad so I’ll try to keep up with your comments. If you’re attending BOUCHERCON this year, hope to see you there!

This Blu-ray upgrade of the Star Wars saga includes all six films with three bonus discs, including deleted and alternate scenes, scene and costume sketches, interviews with the cast and crew and three documentaries: Star Warriors (2007), about the worldwide fan legion; A Conversation with the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later (2010); and Star Wars Spoofs (2011), a collection of Star Wars parodies. Although this box-set lists for $139.99, you can find it on AMAZON for $79.99 (43% off, a saving of $60!). Every home should have these classic movies.

Alice is 9-years old and precocious. She and her father (a school librarian) decide to read out loud for at least 10 minutes a day for 1000 days. While The Streak adds days, Alice’s mother moves out. Her older sister becomes a foreign exchange student. And Alice gets her first “C” in English in her life. This touching memoir of a young girl coping with a broken family, a well-meaning but sometimes clueless single father, and her own love of books captures the sense of growing up in an unsettled home environment. But the stability in Alice’s life is that nightly reading time with her father. I was moved by The Reading Promise and you will be too. GRADE: A

Although it’s been ten years, it feels like almost yesterday to me. I was in my office at the College. My computer was on and suddenly I saw images of the Twin Towers in flames. Our country was under attack. I went to my first class, told the students what had just happened (most of them hadn’t heard) and I cancelled the class. A little while later, the Administration cancelled all the classes that day. I went home and watched CNN like most people did. It seemed like the world had just changed dramatically. And it did. Now, 10 years later, we’re still in danger even though we’re fighting two wars, we’ve killed bin Laden, and damaged Al-Qaeda. I don’t feel much safer, do you?

Our two BORDERS stores close their doors today for the last time. I made one last trip to BORDERS and bought a half dozen of James Reasoner’s LONGARMs. I bought another handful of Elmer Kelton’s westerns. The new David Hagberg novel was still there so I scooped that up. And, although I have a copy of Samuel Johnson’s Major Works, why not have a spare? I’m sad that BORDERS is closing down. I suspect publishers will be sad, too. BORDERS, for all its faults, sold millions of books. Now, there’s a vast vacuum. Bye, bye BORDERS. I’ll miss you.

No, this is not another book in the endless STAR WARS saga despite the title. I really like the crimson cover by Richard Powers for Ian Wallace’s Deathstar Voyage (1969). Last week, Scott Cupp featured another one of Ian Wallace’s creations, the super-human Croyd. This week, another of Wallace’s unique characters, the brilliant and beautiful Claudine St. Cyr of the Galactic Police attempts to solve a series of murders on a mile-long starship whose faster-than-light drive has been compromised to the point that the ship will explode within hours. Ian Wallace has read Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and A.E. Van Vogt’s short stories. It’s apparent in the twisted plot of Deathstar Voyage. If you’re in the mood for a science fiction mystery, Deathstar Voyage will keep you entertained.

I mentioned the brilliant movie Rachel Getting Married in class the other day. After class, a student came up to me and said, “Dr. Kelley, I worked on that movie.” The student was part of the office staff of the movie’s production team. “Would you like to read the original script?” the student asked. “I would love to!” I told him. And, just a few minutes ago, I finished reading all 95 pages of Dancing With Shiva by Jenny Lumet (daughter of famed director Sidney Lumet). It’s been a few years since I last watched Rachel Getting Married, but as I was reading the script, the dialogue and the scenes came back to me. Kym has been invited to attend her sister Rachel’s wedding. Kym has been in Rehab for repeated drug problems. The family has appealed to the administrators of the Rehab program to allow Kym a weekend pass to attend the wedding. And like the straw that stirs the drink, Kym agitates the dysfunctional family in profound ways. I loved Rachel Getting Married and it was enlightening to read the original script. Dialogue was trimmed, some scenes were eliminated in the final cut of the movie. But reading the original script was a thrill!

McKay Jenkins makes a persuasive case that we’re inundated with too many toxic chemicals. Jenkins offers plenty of ways for us to avoid the worst of these toxins. Jenkins recommends using high-quality furnace filters. Avoid aerosolized indoor pesticides. Avoid synthetic carpet-cleaning chemicals. Always remove your shoes when you walk in your home (shoes track in an bacteria and toxins).

Most toothpastes and personal care products contain ethylene glycol (used in paint and anti-freeze). Think about switching to plant-based toothpaste and other personal care products from tomsofmaine.com.

Don’t buy food in cans. Virtually all cans are lined with plastic which contains bisphenol A. Whenever possible buy food packaged in glass. What’s Gotten Into Us lists hundreds of suggestions to buy less toxic furniture and appliances, clothing, and laundry products. After reading this book, you’ll change the way you look at the world. GRADE: A