Angels and Demons

Yup yup, way better than The Da Vinci Code. Well, actually they're both really good and Angels and Demons (written by the genius known as Dan Brown) is noticeably longer, I think. I remember my dad reading this book on vacation a couple years ago when I was little. I was thinking, "Dang, if I ever read a book that boring-looking, I'll know my life sucks." But now, life doesn't suck, so the book was good. Dad actually said he didn't like it as much as he thought he would because Dan Brown relied too much on "divine intervention." But that's basically what the book's about.
We all know The Da Vinci code is about Robert Langdon, famous religious symbologist. Angels and Demons is technically the prequel to that book, although it's great by itself too. Robert gets called by the biggest science corporation in the world known as CERN because one of their leading scientists was killed-- and branded with a sign saying "Illuminati" on his chest in ambigram format. (Ambigrams are when the image is exactly the same forwards and backwards, something almost impossible to achieve unless you're a supergenius-- or an Illuminati member.) The murderer also cut out the scientist's eyeball to get through the retina scanner into the laboratory... to steal the most destructive substance in the world, antimatter. Now the Illuminati are threatening to release the antimatter at midnight when the battery on the canister runs out, right under Vatican City, which will completely destroy the Church and undermine religion forever. An incident like this CANNOT happen, since the cardinals are in the process of electing a new pope as the previous one died fifteen days ago. Robert Langdon teams up with the dead scientist's daughter, Vittoria Vetra, to find the hidden lair of the Illuminati Church, save four cardinals each sentenced to death by this murderer, and show that religion and science can comfortably exist side by side.
One of my favorite parts was when Robert Langdon plays the tape given to him by Kohler right before he dies. Did anyone else notice this was just like the Snape-Dumbledore-Pensieve situation? Only in digital format and not quite as heartbreakingly sad.
This book is now approved by the Nosilas Library as a FREAKIN'-AWESOME-READ-IT-OVER-AND-OVER-UNTIL-YOU'RE-SICK-OF-ROBERT-LANGDON book.