Outside my usual reading habits

I’ve read several books recently, three from entirely
different genres: Isaacson’s Steve Jobs , Hamilton’s
Pandora’s Star and Simon Haynes’s Hal Space Jock, a slapstick Sci-Fi.  Each of these works is outside my usual
reading habits. 

The Jobs’ biography caught my attention because I am
interested in how other people evolve and grow from clunky teenagers with odd
ideas to adults who build a place in the world for themselves and do it grandly.  They show the rest of us how it is done, mainly
reiterating the adage Do what you love
and give it all you have.  

Pandora’s Star received good reviews, but after reading about
90 percent of it (I refused to give up), I had to acknowledge that space opera
may not be the type of Science Fiction for me. 
If this is a good example of the sub-genre, then clearly I prefer novels
that have a small cast, more characterization and have a plot that is connected
far earlier in the progression of the work. 
The novel had good writing, just is not my brand of Sci-Fi.   

Now Hal Space Jock was a Sci-Fi style new to me as
well.  I have used the author’s software ,
yWriter and thought I would try to read one of his books.  It too fit a particular taste.  Whoever chooses to read it best be looking
for a purely fun read, no philosophical views on life or demanding intellect to
be found here, but fun, funny and relaxing. 

I am still reading Jobs’ bio, having only just started it, and
I’ll probably not attempt another space opera for some time yet (at least not
before summer when I can sit down for long runs at reading rather than the
short bursts I only have time for during the school year), but more than likely
I will read another Hal book.