Star Trek: Strange New Worlds VI
Dean Wesley Smith (Editor), John J. Ordover (Editor), Paula M. Block (Editor)
The sixth edition of the annual Trek amateur author's competition. This is actually last year's model - but... this year's just came out, so I hurried up and read this one so I could go on to the latest.

Yet again, I really enjoyed this collection, and continue to muse about trying my hand on one. Someday, someday...

These stories are enjoyable on a couple of levels - they generally distill the essence of Trek in a way only a fan (as in fanatic) can do. They give voice to the million and one "hey! what if...." speculations that the die-hard Trekker entertains. The range of the stories (over every incarnation of Trek) make these collections provide something for everyone.

One for the Money (Stephanie Plum Mystery Series)
Janet Evanovich

Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie's bail bonding company. She's got no experience. But that doesn't matter. As does the fact that the bail jumper in question is local vice cop Joe Morelli....

Well. That was different. Not as refined as Sherlock Holmes, nor even as Kinsey Milhone. Fun story, and a great sense of humor - it is always nice to start a series that has staying power and has, what... ten books so far?

What Christianity Is All about: How You Can Know and Enjoy God
Alan Kent Scholes

A re-read; this is a nice, succinct book of theology. From a Protestant theologian, but not arguing a denominational label and by no means anti-Catholic (his discussion includes Catholic opinion as well as Protestant without taking sides). Like Mere Christianity it serves as a good devotional work to re-read from time-to-time to think about the basics.

I especially like his framework of "convictions, persuasions and opinions" as three tiers of belief (which he shows is in St. Paul's writing) - this gives a believer a good measure to consider what things matter.

There is good summary and history on a number of points - I especially like the "proofs of God" discussion (one of the reasons I re-read the book this time).