The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Author: Douglas Adams
Genre: science fiction
Length: about 215 pgs.
available for purchase here ($10-15)

Hmm...what to say about this impossibly clever sci-fi adventure? Apparently, there is a cult of fanatics who are obsessed with this series, but this was my first real science-fiction read (besides reading some Bradbury in HS). HHGG wasn't a book that particularly moved me in a literary sense, BUT it did move me to laugh out loud many times and expand my mind--it was a challenging read with its innovative concepts.
There's so many new concepts and strange names to remember!

The story basically traces the week-long adventure of a human being from Earth, as he's abruptly taken from his doomed planet by his friend, who is actually an alien. Their adventure takes them throughout the galaxy on a state-of-the-art spaceship as they are reunited with old friends and learn about a new, mysterious and man-made planet called Magrathea. The funniest part to me was this one character's name, a resident of Magrathea. His name is Slartibartfast. Every time I read his name I couldn't help but laugh to myself. The plot is hard to explain, as are the characters, and this isn't really my literary genre of expertise, so all I can really say is that it was a really enjoyable and entertaining read. Here's an excerpt from one of my fav. parts of the book:

"Curiously enough, the dolphins had long known of the impending destruction of the planet Earth and had made many attempts to alert mankind to the danger; but most of their communications were misinterpreted as amusing attempts to punch footballs or whistle for tidbits. .... The last ever dolphin message was misinterpreted as a surprisingly sophisticated attempt to do a double-backward somersault through a hoop while whistling the "Star Spangled Banner..."

The Real Frank Zappa

Author: Frank Zappa
Genre: Autobiography
Length: 352 pgs.
To purchase used or new ($11-20)

If you are sincerely interested in rock music sounds and culture, along with its history and evolution, I highly recommend reading the book "The Real Frank Zappa," which my former bandmate lent me a while ago. I loved it so much that I bought my own and frequently buy it as a gift for others. Zappa seemed like my kinda guy--a music nerd with a grand sense of humor. Through his autobiography, he details his origins and history in music and recording (he was one of the early pioneers of rock recording, mixing and production) and all the way through albums and tours. The sweetest part, in my opinion, was reading his reflections on his wife and four children and being a dad. It was touching and fascinating to learn that Zappa's entire lifestyle was far from the stereotype of what one might presume of a longtime rock 'n' roller.

above: front and back cover, (an example of Zappa's amusing illustrations that appear throughout the book).