Book Review: Angels + Demons

On to something a little different.  When I first started blogging, I wrote at <a href="http://prittygoodbooks.blogspot.com/">Pritty Story to Tell</a>, where I did simple book reviews.  Once I began The Big Weight, that blog fell to the wayside.  I enjoy recapping the books I've read and so I'm just making it a small extension of this blog... adding a tab at the top.  Feel free to ignore the rest of this post or future book posts if you'd like :).<br /><br />I'm a little behind the book reading trend.  Angels & Demons was popular about 2-3 years ago and I'm just now getting around to reading it.  You can see why:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CO4Z64LapHXifr0YdXk4GDHgA2uHOwpvrDm4S244ywcqRKblIyqhvrq1ehDRAVbRLJ2_yfmv1__eQBiJdUzL7bi7g-xvQ2MetW99xmj4kUgFc_jg9bZL36J4C0VswqmqP3pMMnIoWgA/s1600/NYE+2012+006.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CO4Z64LapHXifr0YdXk4GDHgA2uHOwpvrDm4S244ywcqRKblIyqhvrq1ehDRAVbRLJ2_yfmv1__eQBiJdUzL7bi7g-xvQ2MetW99xmj4kUgFc_jg9bZL36J4C0VswqmqP3pMMnIoWgA/s400/NYE+2012+006.JPG" width="266" /></a></div><br />Those are all of my UNREAD books!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2AkP9w7Pf39d9eTfICQCuhpNDWsap4DM-sS92yFx8cXxwDGkB2gjPtn3QbvZVax5y0vj6yrclgY97EKvnJfgH861hoXV0p9bX4wy2aJf6e3xSvt17D3MPGuE7gKP6ZCC8ai-6aw-2es/s1600/NYE+2012+008.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2AkP9w7Pf39d9eTfICQCuhpNDWsap4DM-sS92yFx8cXxwDGkB2gjPtn3QbvZVax5y0vj6yrclgY97EKvnJfgH861hoXV0p9bX4wy2aJf6e3xSvt17D3MPGuE7gKP6ZCC8ai-6aw-2es/s400/NYE+2012+008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />A tragedy I know.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTA_zlZX-Qp8qs815zz4a11KdXAgETfDCsDMhuDEPJj2VuhjOdLiBTnp0h1b-geTP2lxIGhvGlObkQEAGmqLGrUk6hkatCpQ2rQKXdv1FL_re7z09TOJj3L6q9sILXfuYmWhyJRYVH9oA/s1600/NYE+2012+011.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTA_zlZX-Qp8qs815zz4a11KdXAgETfDCsDMhuDEPJj2VuhjOdLiBTnp0h1b-geTP2lxIGhvGlObkQEAGmqLGrUk6hkatCpQ2rQKXdv1FL_re7z09TOJj3L6q9sILXfuYmWhyJRYVH9oA/s400/NYE+2012+011.JPG" width="248" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">seagull wine glass while reading? yes please!</td></tr></tbody></table>I'm such a slow reader, and I'm also addicted to buying books.  Two problems that need rectified in 2012.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRn8Enui6y0qxfl_nD2xQ6X61joPGdga8c60brP_vW2OFY4C592dzxCukxVeTTdvHZ9i-uEH3Yaip3jcra1r6NczynyrKAOtY92coqwKXdLlTy_IovET_wTdI46fn3mmbxehyphenhyphenIXRLzCZd/s1600/914-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRn8Enui6y0qxfl_nD2xQ6X61joPGdga8c60brP_vW2OFY4C592dzxCukxVeTTdvHZ9i-uEH3Yaip3jcra1r6NczynyrKAOtY92coqwKXdLlTy_IovET_wTdI46fn3mmbxehyphenhyphenIXRLzCZd/s200/914-1.jpg" width="109" /></a></div>I finally decided to dust off the cover and crack open this book, after having toted it around for 2 moves now.  I have put it off because I wasn't a fan of Brown's Da Vinci Code.  I liked his other books, but the Da Vinci Code took me FOREVER to get through. I mean months and months.  I struggled.  I was concerned that A&D would be the same.<br /><br />Well, I do like Dan's style of short chapters that keep the pages turning, but that's about where it stops for me and this series.  I can't quite pinpoint why I'm not a fan of these books, but I'm just not.<br /><br />In short, for those who haven't read it, the gist of the book is that two scientists in Europe create this highly explosive chemical-like substance called antimatter.  If handled incorrectly, it will vaporize an entire city in a split second.  Well, this antimatter substance is stolen by the infamous Illuminati (or is it???).  Harvard symbology professor Robert Langdon is recruited to help crack the code behind the mysterious Illuminati, all the while saving Vatican City (where the antimatter resides after its confiscation).  Of course, the antimatter must be found in less than 24 hours, or Vatican City and it's surrounding area will be no more.  Almost 700 pages are devoted to hunting down the Illuminati and the antimatter with Langdon leading the way, beside scientist and antimatter creator Vittoria Vetra, the Swiss guards, and the "sit in Pope".<br /><br />I jumped at the chance to rent A&D from Redbox when I saw it in my local kiosk a few weeks ago.  It was just what I needed to get me through the remainder of the book.  I stayed up until 10:45 PM Monday night to hull my butt through it.  I did not want to get too far into this year reading a book I clearly wanted to finish ASAP.<br /><br />So, have you read Angels & Demons?  What did you think?<br /><br />The third and final book in this series is The Lost Symbol, which I already own and plan to read later this year.  I am one of <i>those </i>people... once I start something I have to finish it!<br /><br />By the way, this is my book list for 2012.... what are you reading this year?<br /><br /><style media="screen" type="text/css"> .gr_grid_container { /* customize grid container div here. eg: width: 500px; */ } .gr_grid_book_container { /* customize book cover container div here */ float: left; width: 98px; height: 160px; padding: 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; } </style> <br /><div id="gr_grid_widget_1325694252"><h2> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/222778-hilary?shelf=2012-books&utm_medium=api&utm_source=grid_widget" style="text-decoration: none;">2012 Book Montage</a> </h2><div class="gr_grid_container"><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13143.Pop_Goes_the_Weasel_Alex_Cross_5_" title="Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross, #5) "><img alt="Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross, #5)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166543086m/13143.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/79378.Roses_Are_Red" title="Roses Are Red (Alex Cross, #6)"><img alt="Roses Are Red" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170966297m/79378.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63033.The_Savage_Detectives" title="The Savage Detectives"><img alt="The Savage Detectives" border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GHi0vZnRL._SX106_.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71776.At_Home_in_Mitford" title="At Home in Mitford (Mitford Years, #1)"><img alt="At Home in Mitford" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170790148m/71776.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/112872.A_Light_in_the_Window" title="A Light in the Window (Mitford Years #2)"><img alt="A Light in the Window" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171663777m/112872.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/112874.These_High_Green_Hills" title="These High, Green Hills (Mitford Years #3)"><img alt="These High, Green Hills" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171663787m/112874.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8905140-made-to-crave" title="Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire With God, Not Food"><img alt="Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire With God, Not Food" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308973987m/8905140.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6411961-the-lost-symbol" title="The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon, #3)"><img alt="The Lost Symbol" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1303391374m/6411961.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2807199-american-wife" title="American Wife"><img alt="American Wife" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320446676m/2807199.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6314655-flowers-on-main" title="Flowers On Main (Chesapeake Shores #2)"><img alt="Flowers On Main" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255636550m/6314655.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4185796-love-your-life" title="Love Your Life: Living Happy, Healthy, and Whole"><img alt="Love Your Life: Living Happy, Healthy, and Whole" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266572347m/4185796.jpg" /></a></div><div class="gr_grid_book_container"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7089888-big-girl" title="Big Girl"><img alt="Big Girl" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320474668m/7089888.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><a class="gr_grid_branding" href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/222778-hilary" style="clear: both; color: #382110; float: right; font-size: .9em; text-decoration: none;">Hilary's favorite books »</a> <noscript>&lt;br/&gt;Share &lt;a href="http://www.goodreads.com"&gt;book reviews&lt;/a&gt; and ratings with Hilary, and even join a &lt;a href="http://www.goodreads.com/group/"&gt;book club&lt;/a&gt; on Goodreads.</noscript> </div>} </div><script charset="utf-8" src="http://www.goodreads.com/review/grid_widget/222778.2012%20Book%20Montage?cover_size=medium&hide_link=&hide_title=&num_books=20&order=a&shelf=2012-books&sort=position&widget_id=1325694252" type="text/javascript"></script>

Books Book Review: Angels + Demons

On to something a little different.  When I first started blogging, I wrote at Pritty Story to Tell , where I did simple book reviews.  Onc...

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