Started reading “Running Out of Time” to my 9yo at bedtime. I liked it at his age when it was first released and he seems to be enjoying it now, too.
made me think of the Princess Bride back story
Finished Chapterhouse-Dune today, the sixth book in the Dune series.
Great read but I think I need a break from SciFi books after reading the six Dune novels and the entire Foundation series this year. Herbert and Asimov were incredible writers.
I just read Now Wait for Last Year by Philip K Dick.
Earth is caught in an unwinnable war between two alien civilizations. Earth’s leader (The Mole) seems to be hover on the verge of death. Dr. Eric Sweetscent works with his wife Kathy at the Tijuana Fur & Dye corporation. TF&D are producing material for use in the war.
Things get really interesting after Kathy tries a new illicit drug, which is highly addictive. Eventually she discovers that it haphazardly sends its users traveling through time.
Eric Sweetscent eventually is pressed into serving for The Mole, to treat his health problems. But his view of the war and both alien races is completely upended after he takes the drug and travels through time.
I have read a few novels by Philip K Dick recently, and this was the best of the bunch. I found the story really compelling.
Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury
I thought it was seasonal, but the “monsters” seem to be humans perpetuating abuse. Ugh. Might not finish.
Still listening to Demon Copperhead when I remember. It’s on audible and I find myself listening to library books and podcasts first.
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Lately, I’ve picked up a little Bill Bryson, Mary Roach, and T Kingfisher.
Of the 3, Mary Roach is my favorite?
Currently halfway through Grunt, which is basically a look at the non-weapons researchers for the army.
Somewhat similar to her book Packing for Mars, which covers the human aspects of space science.
She does a great job of highlighting the many weird / gross / absurd / unreal things that come up.
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next genre is Classics, wanted something small to travel with, so went with Heidi - Spyri
Decided to give Cormac McCarthy another shot and picked up Blood Meridian. Really like it so far.
Read The Road several years ago and hated it. Maybe a bit too real for me as a post-apocalyptic scenario.
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Had not read a Philip Roth novel for a while so read American Pastoral, possibly his best novel.
The story recounts the tragic life of Swede Levov. “The Swede” lives the American dream until 1968 when his 16 year old daughter joins an anarchist group that blows up the local post office killing a doctor. The book traces The Swede’s personal deterioration in the aftermath of the bombing against the background of the chaotic 1968 to 1973 period in American history.
Disturbing tragedy on a personal level but also chronicles the deterioration of cities such as Newark after the Second World War.
next genre up Woman’s Fiction, get yhis one wrong, a lot, but going with The Hours, Cunningham
Nah, there were monsters. Well, a monster house and some
[details=“Summary”]
maggots
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It was a decent read if you like this sort of thing, but sexual abuse was a theme (all in the past tense) and there was emotional abuse as well. So if that’s a trigger or just not a topic you want in your fiction, you have been warned.
And now for something completely different: Counting Miracles by Nicolas Sparks.
Recently finished Gideon the Ninth, moving on to Harrow the Ninth, books 1 and 2 in the Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir. Highly recommend. Somehow manages to stick the landing of characters with vastly different power levels having plausible fight outcomes. First 2 books in the series got Hugo nominations for best novel, books 1 and 3 got Nebula award nominations.
next genre up - Action / Adventure,
War and Remembrance - Wouk
I finished Mr Penumbra’s 24-hour Bookstore. It was OK. I thought it started out with an interesting premise (young unemployed web developer loses his job and finds a job working nights at af small old 24hr bookstore, which turns out to have a mysterious rental room that he’s not allowed to explore. It is visited by odd people at odd hours.) Once that initial mystery begins to get cleared up, though, the book pretty much stops developing characters and relies too much on a coincidence to wrap up. The mystery ending is more or less what you’d expect.
I decided to finish off Margo’s Got Money Troubles.
I finished Margo’s Got Money Troubles. meh. The last half is even less “hilarious”. Student at a CC gets knocked up by her prof and keeps the baby. Prof, who’s married, wants nothing to do with her or the kid. Student has so support from mom or ex-wrestler ex-addict dad, who is married to someone other than mom. Student loses her job, friends who babysat bail eventually, roommate leaves, etc, etc. Being desparate, student starts a business rating and writing about dick pics sent to her. Mom decides to get married to hyperreligious dude, who turns student in to DCFS. Prof sues for custody, etc, etc. So it’s an overcoming a load of obstaces and growing up and standing up for herself book. Not hilarious.
One thing of note - it’s the first audiobook I’ve run into that explicitly says you can’t use the audiobook to train any kind of AI. That is stated at the very end of the book.
Once again, I’ve got a couple books that should be arriving any time now and I think I’ll wait before starting something else.
Gonna start “The Winners” soon. Third of the “Beartown” trilogy. 600 effing pages.
Yeah, I’ve been delaying The Winners for that reason.
Read Louise Penny’s A World of Curiosities. This may be the best of the 18 Penny novels that I have read. Could not put it down once I started it.
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Is this a new book in her Inspector Gamache séries?