Twice Shy, by Dick Francis

I borrowed this from a friend as an inspiration for my daughter, who is working on a "predict horse race outcomes" science fair project. A good story - of which I trust the horse details more than than the computer stuff which is pretty dated.

Still a fun thriller - not the best Francis, but an interesting story. [it has also inspired my daughter to spend a lot of the summer burning through Dick Francis mysteries.]

Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon, by David West West Reynolds

Reynolds biggest claim to fame has been work on Star Wars related materials, chiefly the Visual Dictionaries of... This is a charming contrast, very nicely summarizing the history up to, through, and past the Apollo program. Richly illustrated with some great cutaway drawings - a coffee table book that is worth reading and admiring if you are any kind of space buff.

Cold As Ice, by Charles Sheffield

Hmm - can't remember if I've read anything by Sheffield before. Very, very good. Interesting characters and serious hard science fiction setting. A nice device is moving in a future where twenty five years earlier a devastating war was fought. The war isn't the story, but it establishes a cohesive setting and set of facts to be explored and/or discovered. Compares very well with Heinlein. Lots of fun... now I need to go dig up some more by him.....