The Fireman

I finished reading The Fireman by Joe Hill. It's a novel about a world plagued by an infectious disease nicknamed "Dragonscale" that manifests itself as intricate, tattoo-like designs on the hosts skin, which might be nice, except that sooner or later it causes the host to ignite and burn to death. Soon civilization collapses, with survivors either infected or terrified of infection. Cheery, school nurse Harper is infected, and is also pregnant. Realising that the baby may be born uninfected, she is determined to survive until it is born. As she avoids roaming bands of vigilantes murdering those infected, her only hope of survival is The Fireman, who has learned the secret of harnessing and controlling Dragonscale. It's a long book, 752 pages, but very good and very powerful.

I went out and got a couple of Blu-rays: Our Little Sister and Ivan's Childhood (which finally completes the Andrei Tarkovsky collection that I started in 2003). Unfortunately the store is closing down at the end of the month for relocation. I asked, but they don't know where they're going yet.

Jason Bourne

Last night was pretty quiet. I did some reading (I'm currently reading The Fireman by Joe Hill). I also did some writing, and downloaded a Mary Chapin Carpenter album,State of the Heart.

This afternoon I went out and saw Jason Bourne, directed by Paul Greengrass. It's the fifth in the Bourne franchise and the fourth to actually feature the character Jason Bourne (played by Matt Damon). In this movie a hacker investigating secret CIA operations, runs across documents revealing secrets about Bourne's past. Soon Bourne finds himself on a globe trotting quest for the truth, pursued by the CIA and a brutal hired killer. It's a good thriller and pretty exciting. Although I would warn you, it's filmed in this fast cutting, constantly shaking, moving camera, which kind of gave me a headache by the end of it.