This book has been on my TBR list for years! I had initially planned to read it right after I had read The Da Vinci Code but just never did. No particular reason why. But I'm glad to have finally read it, to scratch it off my list. Angels and Demons is the first book in the Robert Langdon series and follows the same formula as the second book, The Da Vinci Code, which was a little disappointing. The book starts off slowly with another gruesome murder of an old guy who's related to the foreign love interest of Langdon. The foreign love interest and Langdon team up to solve the mystery which involves yet another secret anti-Vatican society. I realize this book was written before The Da Vinci Code which is why my complaint about the repetitive storyline isn't so much about this book but the series as a whole. I have no idea what The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon #3) is about but hopefully Brown switched it up a bit with that one. 
 Dan Brown is not such a great writer and his characters are frankly boring. However, in this situation I feel like he can almost sort of get away with it because the strength of the book lies not so much with the writing but with the entertainment factor. It was a good thriller. I was happily surprised on numerous occasions reading the book thinking I knew exactly what was going to happen next and then being thrown for a loop in the next moment. I did not see the ending coming. 
 What I loved most about this book (and The Da Vinci Code) is that it is educational fun (the best kind of fun!). I loved learning about CERN, the bizarre traditions of the Vatican, churches around Rome, and religious iconology. That said, I have no idea if what I read is true, that Brown really did do his research, but I'm guessing not. Either way, I'm no expert so Brown managed to convince me almost completely that his knowledge on symbology was legitimate. What I did not fall for however, was the explanation that the creation of antimatter proves that God exists. Brown gave a very shallow explanation for how this works that really fell flat for me. He is most definitely not a physicist. 
 So when will I get around to reading The Lost Symbol? Maybe in a few more years :). 
 In short: Angels and Demons is another formulaic read by Dan Brown with poor writing and characters but it does make for a good thriller with lots of fun twists.