Compiler’s note
Someone put out the call for submissions and then didn’t follow up and now some of the submissions are over a month old, thus someone is going to only post those ones and give the contributors a chance to send new book reports, reviews, and synopses and then I’ll submit the more recent submissions in a week or so. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
without further excuse making … Books!
as always we start with
Fourscore
I’m reading Patrick Henry-champion of liberty, a biography by Jon Kukla. Kukla is an historian and has authored several books and papers dealing with early America and the Revolutionary period.
This is a book for those of us whose only exposure was an American History course many long years ago.
An in-depth look at the supporting cast of Virginians that were instrumental in truly making America.
An amazing time, when wealthy landowners would risk not only their wealth but also their lives for something they truly believed in. The contrasts with today with most people satisfied with a safe environment and a 75 inch TV for Sunday football
Beau Knott
The Regicide Report, Charles Stross — Bob and Mo are back in what may be the final volume of The Laundry Files. Stross proclaims that after 25 years, this is the finale. Then he waffles a bit. Many interwoven plots, lots of old friends, and old enemies (Lecter!), return as well — not all of whom are aware of what some of the others are up to. Bob and Mo are weary. The integrity of the monarch, and Great Britain, are at stake. Excellently done. A fitting endpoint, with places that could easily serve as hooks if Stross decides he has more to say. I suspect it might do okay as a singleton — the chaff thrown about by the various plots kind of ensures that nobody quite knows what’s going on. The weird bits from earlier novels and stories are usually sufficiently explained to carry you through (imnsho), but are spoilers if you start here. I advise starting at the beginning.
Books 1 through 7 of The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. A re-read both for enjoyment and as prep for book 8, out May 5. Marvelous fun — I mean how can you resist lines like ‘There needs to be an error code that means “I received your request but decided to ignore you.”‘? It’s also an extended exploration of what it means to be a person. Very highly recommended. (No, I have not seen the TV adaptation.)
Book 8, Platform Decay. I hate to say it, but I was a bit disappointed with this one. The story was structured a bit differently, a potentially very interesting character got far too little attention, 3 new characters, related to a character who has been major from book one, weren’t introduced well, or fleshed out as much as I’d have liked. Or maybe I’m just cranky. It’s worth a read if you’re already a fan. Definitely not the place to start. Rated borrow rather than buy.
Slow Gods, Claire North. The nicest thing I can say about this book is that it is extraordinarily tedious. Didn’t finish, will not read other books by this author. 🤮
Out Law, Jim Butcher. A Dresden Files novella. Gentleman John Marcone, Baron of Chicago, saved Harry Dresden’s life (in Battle Ground). Dresden owes him and he’s come to collect. Set after Twelve Months. A quick read (194 pages), enjoyable and quite satisfying. Recommended if you’re up to date with the Dresden Files, otherwise, well, get started 😉
Radiant Star, Anne Leckie. An Imperial Radch novel. I’m ordinarily a big fan of Ms. Leckie’s work, especially the Imperial Radch novels. This one, however, was off-putting right from the start. Far more implausible gender-changing crap. I gave up on it pretty quickly. It’s possible, although not likely, that I’ll revisit it at some future time.
Re-read Yoon H Lee’s Machineries of Empire trilogy (Ninefox Gambit, Raven Stratagem, Revenant Gun). High Space Opera, very well done. Memorable characters.
Re-reading, after many years, Barry Hughart’s Chronicles of Master Li and Number 10 Ox. “My surname is Li and my personal name is Kao and there is a slight flaw in my character”. Bridge of Birds is a delight. I’m less in love with The Story of the Stone, and Eight Skilled Gentleman, but that’s largely due to the brilliance of Bridge. ESG includes the wonderful line “If you’d given Ma’s corpse an enema you could have buried what remained in a walnut shell!”
American Paladin, Larry Correia. Quoting Jim Butcher’s back cover blurb — “Intense action scenes, evil in horrifying array, good struggling against the darkness, and human beings faced with gut-wrenching moral choices.” For those of us of a certain age, there’s a definite call-back to Have Gun, Will Travel. Picked it up based on a Neal Asher recommendation. A very satisfactory read. Recommended.
Inkpot Gods, Seanan McGuire. Fourth, and presumably final, book of The Alchemical Journeys series. Middlegame, Seasonal Fears, and Tidal Creatures precede it. It is, I suppose, a fitting close, but oh, how dark. I’m not sure I’m glad I read it, tbh. Definitely not recommended if you’ve not read the first three.
A Trade of Blood, Robert Jackson Bennett. This is the third Ana and Din mystery, possibly the last. I did not like this one as much as the previous two. It was worth the read, but is unlikely to figure in future re-reads. Aside from his first trilogy (City of* (Stairs, Blades, Miracles)), he seems to come up with a good idea, then run it into the ground across the 2nd and 3rd.
There’s not a lot of character development, it’s mostly about the mystery. This, despite changes in Din and the appearance of his sister. A neural fungus used to train cat-monkeys to do simple field work is found in a modified form to have been used on humans. Who, when, how, and why? Despite RJB’s efforts, I was not very surprised by the reveal. Still, if you liked the first one or two, or are a mystery fan, it’s worth a shot.
The Raven Tower, Anne Leckie. Her first, and only so far, fantasy novel. Interesting stylistic choices in the writing, but they work. This was a re-read via the Kindle edition. I’d swear the hardcover had a somewhat different ending. Someday I’ll check; recommended either way.
Dark Diamond, Neal Asher. Book 1 of a trilogy. He’s currently (late August) editing the 3rd. Cormac is back, Mr. Crane is back, Penny Royal is back! Only half-way through; I’m finding it kind of a slog. Then again, I’ve had a lot of distractions and downers going on, so…
Threedoor
Dungeon Crawler Carl series.
A guy and his ex girlfriend’s show cat walk into a DnD dungeon and level up. Hilarity ensues.
I’ve been layed up for the last couple weeks post surgery and I’ve burned through these books. I’m currently on the eighth book of the series, out of a planned ten book series.
They are right at the intersection of my post surgery addled mind and I haven’t read anything more complex than the How to Train Your Dragon series in the last five years. Which are a hoot by the way.
DCC was recommended to me by UCS if I remember correctly. I may have that wrong if anyone remembers better than I do feel free to correct me. I have the attention span of a goldfish.
They are fun. Silly. Goofy. Adult. Kinda cringy in places. At their heart they are light science fiction with a captive human population forced into a DnD dungeon as the entertainment event of the year by competing alien governments and mega corporations.
The tone of the books is light overall, some turns toward modern politics in the beginning book or two (author can’t stand Tucker Carlson for example) and mocks a purely libertarian outlook as unworkable, but later makes a point to have the main character, Carl say he’s not going to talk about politics and no more direct mentions of modern U.S. political stuff is mentioned. It started as a web series apparently and grew from there. The author Matt Dinniman has the usual anti corporate Wet Coast slant on things and uses a modern writing convention that I can’t stand, using “woman goblin” for example instead of the correct “female goblin” phrasing. Seriously that breaks me out of suspension of disbelief and halts reading enjoyment for me.
There is a reoccurring character through the middle of the series that I found annoying as hell, Samantha, which was funny for about half of one of the books. By the 8th book the main characters literally put her away. At least for the first 105 pages which is where I’m at.
Plenty of fun and hopefully this will kick me up to reading at the fourth grade level again after not reading much for a long time.
ZWAK
James Ellroy- Red Sheets. Continuing the saga of Freddy Otash, scum ex-cop extraordinaire. This is about the early career of one Richard M. Nixon, swinging hipster. And if you hate communism, and love tough cops, it could be the book for you. I, on the other hand, did not finish it. A rarity in an Ellroy, I found it boring.
Dostoyevsky – Crime and Punishment. We get it, you feel guilty. DNF
JG Farrell – The Singapore Grip. Currently reading. Very funny in the sort of pathos- driven humor I enjoy. About British occupants of the city-state just before and during the Japanese occupation. Very well written.
Marilynn Robinson – Gilead. Currently reading. The tale of an elderly preacher attempting to relate to his very young son the issues between his father and grandfather, both also preachers, relating to the state of Kansas before the civil war, and their actions during this period. Lots of history, lots of religion, incredibly well written.
whiz
The Man from the Train: Discovering America’s Most Elusive Serial Killer, by Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James, is an in-depth study of dozens of multiple-victim, home-invasion murders that occurred over 100 years ago. The authors, Bill James (generally considered to be the father of Sabermetrics) and his daughter, did exhaustive research to try to determine which multiple murders during that time period (1890 to 1920) were similar enough that they were likely committed by the same person or people. They make the case that quite a few of them were perpetrated by a single individual who traveled about the country by train. Some of the murders are fairly well-known (like the Villisca, Iowa family of six murdered in 1912) and some are almost forgotten now. Some were at the time were thought to be related, but the authors argue that there were many, many more. A little redundant at times – laying out the commonalities and/or differences of each case – but taken together I found their analysis compelling. They also go into the drama created as the cases were investigated, including apparent wrongful convictions and lynchings. At the end they identify the actual person who they believe was “the man from the train.” Once I got into it, it was hard to put it down.
Pat
The Flaw of Averages: Why We Underestimate Risk in the Face of Uncertainty by Sam L. Savage
Written in 2009 on the heels of the 2008 financial crisis, Sam L. Savage’s The Flaw of Averages provides an overview of statistical modeling and risk analysis accessible to the layman, with a particular emphasis on the limitations of analyses in which a single average value is used to represent an uncertain number that would be better expressed as a distribution. The prototypical example of the flaw is the statistician who drowns while attempting to ford a river with an average depth of 3 feet, not taking into account that there is a cavernous dip of 10 feet that has been numerically smoothed out in the averaging. Savage elucidates the flaw by taking the reader through a variety of relatable real-world examples pulled from his experience as an academic and business consultant, as well as the then-contemporary subprime mortgage crisis, then introduces more rigorous analytical approaches that, while they lack the easily-actionable simplicity of a simple single average number, better reflect the more nuanced reality of a distribution of probabilities to a properly trained observer.
The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clark
I was recommended this book by another Glib (my sincerest apologies, as I have forgotten which one in particular, although I believe it was Tonio) somewhere around a year and a half ago as an entry point into Arthur C. Clark’s oeuvre, and finally got around to clearing it from my downloads folder in July of this year. My only prior tangential experience with Clark’s writing was 2001: A Space Odyssey, and then only with the film that was developed contemporaneously with the novel. Being an unabashed Stanley Kubrick fanboy for whom 2001 is unequivocally the best film of all time for all eternity, I have resolved never to read the novel for fear that Clark’s expository may destroy my deeply cherished interpretation of the film. But being a somewhat dilettante sci-fi geek, all the algorithms suggest I ought to be a fan of Arthur C. Clark’s work. The City and the Stars is engaging and well-written, with the same sub-Utopian techno-optimism I loved in Kubrick’s rendition of 2001. Our protagonist has just come of age in the last remaining city on earth in the post-interstellar stage of humanity, only to find that he is a “unique” — a once-in-a-million-years aberration among a population that is reincarnated by an all-powerful central computer at 100,000 year intervals. Predictably enough, the anomalous creation among a society of re-creations sets off on a hero’s journey that will ultimately reconnect a long-pacified humanity to the adventurous origins that earned its status as an interstellar species. Engaging and well written as far as it goes, although for a rather proselytizing atheist, it’s perhaps ironic that Clark ends up resorting to deus ex machina to resolve nearly every major plot point. It nevertheless ultimately made my cold heart swell.
The Hyperbole
Elmore Leonard, Glitz (1985) *** Your basic cop is hunted down by ex-con he put away, also has prostitutes and gangsters, you know a Elmore Leonard cop story.
Dashiell Hammet, Nightmare Town : Stories (1923-34) *** A collection of short stories , hard boiled noir, detective stuff.
Stuart Macbride, In a place of Darkness (2026) Just started, Serial killer police procedural, very similar to his Logan McRae series, the characters are different but the humor and violence are the same.
In closing
If you would like to be included with all the cool kids email your reviews , criticisms , and or synopsis to whatarewereading25@proton.me
Thanks and good luck, The Hyperbole.
Re-read The Library at Mount Char. What an amazing book.
I’m 80% through Blacktail. Same talent, but different storytelling. Not quite as impressive as Mount Char, but still worthwhile.
Dammit I’ve been locked into re-reads for a long time.
I did download that and should tuck into something new for a change.
I agree with kinnath.
Slow build up, slow reveal with some very surprising twists.
there is no such thing as magic
said before, after, and during the bending of reality
I just read The Library… last month after multiple recommendations here.
Phenomenal.
“The City and the Stars”
A huge favorite of mine since I was young. It coulda been me – I’m sure I’ve recommended it before.
Very well may have been – thanks if so!
Clark wrote some absolutely beautiful works.
“Imperial Earth” is another favorite from HS and hardly anyone knows about it. There are definitely some beautiful themes and passages in there.
One of this lot has WAY too much time on his hands.
Someone who clearly doesn’t have to First to put food on the table.
I’m semi retarded and can not read multiple books simultaneously. I won’t start a series until I have the all (or nearly all of them).
I followed up DCC with the Silo Series. Decent but I believe it was UCS that said the second book dragged it down. He was right. It was hard for me to care about the second book.
SPOILER, I also found the British spellings funny after I learned the story was set in the U.S. I laughed when it was the democrats that caused the apocalypse.
Curently reading Empire of Silence. Entertaining but I don’t like the author writing it as a retrospective. He gives the story away.
I didn’t useta do that, but I do now. A combination of getting burned on non-completed series, and not being able to remember WTF was going on and who is who after a year or more.
Reading – Murdoku. Okay it’s just a book of logic puzzles.
Listening to – Tekwar. It’s hilariously bizarre in worldbuilding. Cliche and derivative, but hilariously blind to the possibility of technological advances. Vidphones are all landlines, robots have paper printers embedded in them and communicate with other electronics via voice, etc. It’s not good but I can’t stop listening. It’s like a car crash.
The kids have to learn about Tekwar sooner or later
Disappointing. I expected it to be a murder mystery with some kind of sudoku tie in.
Reading: “Alternaties” by the criminally overlooked Michael P. Kube-McDowell – another favorite I first read in HS. Alternate Earths syfy thriller.
I love re-reading favorites but yeah, I need to move on.
“JG Farrell – The Singapore Grip. Currently reading. Very funny in the sort of pathos- driven humor I enjoy. About British occupants of the city-state just before and during the Japanese occupation. Very well written. ”
Oooh! That sounds damn interesting. Am keen to learn more about that time. Japan gets off incredibly light for their fucking global conquest. I wish I’d purposefully looked for more memorials and such, though they were ’round.
@Zwak+Hyp: James Ellroy- Red Sheets. — He’s THE key author in my ‘I’m Embarrassed to Say Out Loud I’ve Never Read” List. I’ve never read any of his work, and LA Confidential is my Favorite Film. Oh! It’s now #2. After (legit) serious thought, I’ve decided Clue gives me the most fun, style and wit. Yvette sure don’t hurt, neither.
“I just… HATED her… so… much.”
It’s been years since I read Go Rin no Sho – the book of 5 rings.
Sword fighting advice from a man undefeated in 40 duels: you must always strive to stab your opponent in the face.
audiobook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtok_fCpauU
@Beau: “Rated borrow rather than buy.” Well said. Would steal if I could read. (Eh. I still will.)
OOOH! I’m posting too quickly, am I(?!), Mr. SQUIRREL, if that’s what we all call you when you’re all high and mighty… Let’s see if this works. Thought posting my thoughts separately would be cleaner, but OOOOOH! My thoughtfulness is being slapped out of spite!
*Smashes walnuts with butt of revolver, Chief Wiggum-style* So let that be a lesson to the rest of you…. NUTS!
I think of it as “borrowing”
@Threedoor: “I’ve been layed up for the last couple weeks post surgery and I’ve burned through these books” — I resembled half of this comment. (I still do, but I used to, too. Just not currently recovering.)
Fantastic time-burning and book-learnin’ combined! Nice upside. Baseball and Top Gear were my sink-away entertainment.
I tried watching Breaking Bad and Top Gear during one of my surgeries. Could not watch either.
I had episodes of Seinfeld on my computer, but I quickly learned I couldn’t do that yet. That was in the roughest parts of everything, when I discovered *laughter* was an absolute No-Go Zone. (See also: Sneezing.) That was certainly my most stoic lesson: I learned ‘divorcing myself from humanity’ was crucial to avoid movement and noise and speaking and… yeeesh.
BUT! That ‘treatment’ worked. The nastiest parts of recovery were those waiting moments. Baseball on the radio was perfect ‘distraction’ for me. Plenty to occupy me, and peaceful pauses for my own thinking time.
Sorry you’re in that place right now. Onward upward always, indeed.
@Whiz: Bill James is very good at his job. That’s right up my pretty hardcore true crime kick alley. It’s a dark alley and I like it. Humans are interesting creatures, and the beyond-normal fucked up are obviously the most fun.
@Pat: The Ascent of Money by Neil Furgeson is one of my favorite books. Such a good read. I’VE READ AT LEAST ONE! Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson is another. (A few more, but another time..)
Haven’t read either, I’ll have to add them to the queue.
@Ascent: He’s an exceptional writer, and explaining the history of how money itself, and how debt, interest, etc were all created and how they go into bubbles /bursts, IIRC the 2007 crash, etc, was a fascinating way for me to learn how things kinda work, and was a fun read. One of few books I have ’round.
Short History is just tremendous. I got the big book version as a gift w all the pictures!
Video of 6 year old shooting teacher finally released.
Comments 1. “For those who don’t know the mom got a few years in jail. The school system dropped the ball. There were several reports from students and a teacher that he had a gun. No one took it seriously. They even tried to denied the teacher financial compensation.
His mom went to school with him because of his behavior problems. This was her first week he was alone. Unfortunately I’m from where this happened and I can attest that the after effect was ridiculous. They essentially put heavier security in middle and high-school. Meanwhile this happened in an elementary school.”
2: “The teacher survived and eventually sued the assistant principal, Ebony Parker, who had been told by SEVERAL other teachers that the 6 yr old possibly had a gun at school. Parker decided to let the boy go to recess and stay in class and did not contact police, instead calling the child’s mother to come to the school. In a civil trial, the teacher was awarded a $10 million verdict from the principal.”
What with our fearless public servants being so underpaid, that will take her at least 20 years to pay off!
related:
Early May, 2024. Fort Clarke Middle School, Gainesville Florida. It was my 6th day as a substitute teacher.
A black female, age maybe 11, casually strolls up to me and tells me I look like an Oompa-Loompa. I tell her to go to class.
A black boy about age 12, 4’8, and maybe 90 pounds, was throwing a ball around. I told him to put it away and do his schoolwork. He told me to go fuck myself. I took his ball, brought to the teacher’s desk, and told him he could have it back at the end of class if he behaved. This is the protocol I learned the previous day from a white teacher when a similar thing happened. The boy crumpled up a piece of paper and used that as a ball. I grabbed his arm, told him to stop, and repeated my instruction. He got scraped and threatened that he would tell his cousin to beat me up.
Another black student, age about 13, height about 5’6, weight maybe 110 pounds, took the ball from the desk. 3 or 4 times when I went to take it back, he’d yell “my hand slipped!” I got mad and put him in a triangle choke and held it for a few seconds. He stared at me with mouth open and let me take the ball. At this point, I invited him to touch the scar on my head from when 3 guys jumped me, one bashed me in the head with a club, and I had to pull out a knife to make them back off.
Same black kid yoinked a white girl’s phone to read her messages, and she chased him around for it, but I let that slide. There were cameras in the classroom, and I knew not to overplay my hand. The next period begins, and a black boy, I presume the cousin, nonchalantly walks in while staring at his phone. He moves steadily towards the ball on the teacher’s desk. I put my hand on his shoulder and tell him he can’t go there. He turns around and punches me in the face twice, giving me a bloody nose. I bear hug him to pin his arms at his sides. He breaks free and backs off. I take a pair of scissors, pop the ball, and throw the shell in the trash. He leaves.
The janitor comes. A student brings me paper towels. I go to the office and make a statement to the school cop. Yadda, yadda, the little shit gets expelled and get banned from substitute teaching in Alachua County.
At the time, I was 39, 5’4, 200 pounds, and an Army veteran. I’m not calling the cops on someone I can easily overpower. Would you?
Not under Mamdani’s watch. Social equity achieved.
I remember the first time a prog tried telling me schools were racist because they punish black students more.
It’s like have you ever been in a room with them?
I’m genuinely asking because I was in advanced classes and it was all white and Asian.
That part of Florida has a complicated racial history. The Rosewood Massacre in 1923 happened not far from Gainesville. One group of white vigilantes stood up the another to keep the violence from escalating.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-0gT476nes
My first teaching job in Florida was in Bronson, not far from where that standoff took place.
All of that and related issues are some of the things you are absolutely not allowed to talk about in current year America.
I propose sending urban juvenile delinquents to schools in backwoods West Virginia or Kentucky. There they will find they are maybe not quite as tough as they think they are.
future doctors of Chicago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-B_kmAebbQ
redneck high culture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcVdSC9Vs9A
What’s funny about the Chicago video is it’s some guy desperately trying to instill some masculinity into the life’s of kids who clearly have no father in their lives. It’s a fleeting and futile attempt to fix them.
I hope LBJ is rotting in hell.
alternative
Rowdy youths get sent to rodeo school. I’d give pardons to most offenders who agree to ride a bull.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln9RuDEea0o
Wow, kinda makes those NBA players flopping over fouls look like total pussies, right?
Also this. People don’t go flying backward when punched. If they get hit hard, they at least have a bloody nose. But because most people have very little hand to hand combat experience, they don’t know these things. Watching a choreographed fight is like listening to virgins talk about sex.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AA6N-FdvyE
The real question is will LBJ rot in hell longer than the blacks vote Democrat. Where you putting your money?
Also, shout-out to that Hispanic mother (obviously also a single mother) trying to translate her obviously disturbed daughter’s actions into reason. Why did you stab him the FIRST time? Well he was catcalling me like a dog. Mom: “I’m just hearing that she’s saying she needs someone to come over and help her.”
“One of them boys is going to bed.” HAHAHAHAHAH!
This WV-born athlete was also ~135 (132lb powerlifting), and that boy’s built waaaay differently than I was. I also never, ever boxed or sparred, and am not LEROY JENKINS!!! crazy.
In francophone Africa, they say pour l’africain, il faut le baton (for the African, you need the stick [to beat them])
I saw students get beaten in Tanzania often. I intervened to stop it once when the student (at least 18 years old) was howling in pain.
“teacher beats student illegally”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3xkzK_Pnv8
Ooh, how about an exchange program whereby troubled youths get to mine cobalt by hand in Wakanda?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcJ8me22NVs
Full Disclosure: I don’t read books. I try, but have to force myself and can never focus on one thing for ‘too’ long. Funny, I never have this problem at work. It’s funny how being PAID to do something hotwires your work-pump, right up your ass.
Your work may be different than mine.
“Once I got into it, it was hard to put it down.”
——
Bill is always like that. I skipped this one at the time and then totally forgot about it. Might have to give it a try.
Next up in my queue — Brothers Down: Pearl Harbor and the Fate of the Many Brothers Aboard the USS Arizona by historian Walter R. Borneman, who splits his writing between early American history and World War II.
In the 1930s and 40s, the US Navy encouraged siblings to serve together, such that the USS Arizona had a total of seventy-nine blood relatives among her complement at the beginning of the war.
Sixty-three of those perished on December 7. Borneman tells their stories.
USS Juneau had around 30 sets of brothers – including the five Sullivans (Waterloo, Iowa). Thanks for the book recommendation – definitely one I will read.
Thanks, Fourscore, for the Patrick Henry book that arrived today. I’ll be interested to learn more about the political rift that arose between Jefferson and Henry. Apparently, they never reconciled like TJ did with Adams.
Glitz: first Elmore Leonard book I read as part of my determination to read more modern genre “classics” from genres I don’t normally read. But, yeah, Leonard is brilliant, and I’ve added him to my rotation. Since read Rum Punch, Riding the Rap, and maybe one more?
Currently reading the Void Trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton. I’m about 2/3 of the way through the third book. It takes place about 1,000 years after Pandora’s Star and Judas Unchained, which I read and enjoyed earlier this year, but it’s not really a sequel, just takes place in the same universe and a few of the same characters show up.
There’s two basic plotlines. One is the science fiction plot – at the center of the galaxy, instead of a supermassive black hole there’s a “void”, which occasionally expands and wipes out a bunch of star systems. Some guy starts having dreams about humans who live inside the void, focusing around a messianic figure called The Waterwalker. This leads to the creation of a new religion with a goal of leading a massive pilgrimage into the void, which upsets some alien races who believe this will trigger an expansion of the void which will destroy the galaxy.
Second plotline is the story of the Waterwalker, which is more of a fantasy setting. It takes place in an early modern world where everyone has psychic powers. A guy named Edeard has exceptionally strong powers. After his village is destroyed by bandits he ends up becoming a constable in the big city, where he fights the gangs and entrenched powers and discovers new psychic abilities.
The fantasy parts are better than the scifi parts, mainly because the fantasy plot follows one character, while the scifi plot has a lot of characters who barely interact with each other and it takes a while to become clear why some of them are in the story. Still, pretty good overall.
Also kinda dipping into re-reading Michael Moorcock’s Elric books. So far they are not quite as good as I remember the being when I was 13, but at least they are quick reads.
Recent Reads:
Dark Diamond and Dark Agent by Neal Asher. Enjoyed them both.
Things pick up in the second one, which is pretty much nonstop action.
All the Frank Herbert Dune books.
I’d read up through God Emperor when I was a teenager, but never got to Heretics or Chapterhouse.
Those two are weird. Basically, the Bene Geserit have a teenage Duncan Idaho clone that they’re trying to make into a new Kwizatz Haderach, the Tlailaxu have figured out how to make artificial spice, a girl shows up on Dune who can talk to sandworms so she takes over the local sandworm-worshipping religion, and everyone’s at war with the Honored Matres, who are like the Bene Geserit except their powers are that they can control everyone with sex (because they’re really good at sex) and they can kill people with a single kick to the head.
Overall I think you’re fine stopping with God Emperor.
“Peter F. Hamilton”
I’ve read all of those and enjoyed them a lot but… they left no lasting memory. I could not tell you what any of them are about. Not sure if that is my fault or his.
I don’t remember how far I got in the Dune books.
After watching Seven Dials on Netflix, read the source Agatha Christie novel. It is a sequel to Secrets of Chimneys, which has many of the same characters. Both fun reads, but not Christie’s best as far as the actual mystery element goes. Sorry to say that the numerous changes Netflix made to Seven Dials make for a better story.
Read Space Janitor and Hold My Mop by Corey Naylor. Not bad books, but the author’s style was amusing at first, but tiring by the end of the second book. Probably won’t read any more from him.
Had previously read all the Dungeon Crawler Carl books, Agree with 3D that they enormously enjoyable books (and Samantha is annoying). As the series goes on, the number of secondary characters gets large, so take notes. In the later books, you see more of the factional struggles in the galactic civilization behind the “Crawl”.
Currently reading Somewhither and Nowhither by John C. Wright, who does over the top worldbuilding with lots of moving parts. Good stuff but I can’t read too many of his books in a row.
Well, I guess there really is a first time for everything.
Helena Bonham Carter does an outstanding job with her character, which does not appear in the book at all.
the wife and I watched that. It was decent, better than the last version i had seen.
Having dissed Corey Naylor, I will say I will steal this line and pass it off as my own at my first opportunity:
“That is the sort of sentence people say immediately before machinery becomes educational.”
I started reading that but got distracted very early and went elsewhere.
I was on the couch for almost five weeks and on drugs.
It was right up my alley. And I haven’t read much for some time. Damn you Bethesda. I should sue them for those digital drugs I bought and choose to ingest.
I thought the Samantha character was pretty funny, at first. It’s the running gag in your gaming group that won’t stop and turns cringe when it makes it to the end of the campaign and should have died. I’m sure he’ll tie it up in the next two books and we’ll learn what the character actually is.
Shane Gillis’s ex girlfriends sees an opportunity for fame and pounces.
Video has her statements from just after the break-up where she was effusive in praise of him. Likely trying to latch back on to the money train.
TO THE STOVE WITH YOU, YEE WENCH!
It’s funny, most, not all, of the women I’ve met, known, dated, whatever were not good cooks.
I wouldn’t let them near a stove, let alone a sandwich.
I have a work buddy now, I call her Big D., who is an amazing cook. Go figure.
OT… something weird AF happened today. I unwrapped some bandages from my left hand from where a nice lady had drawn some blood an hour or so earlier. I immediately got a crippling, extremely painful cramp that came in waves of about 1 minute on, 2 or 3 minutes off for about 20 minutes, then stopped.
I was just rinsing some dishes and it threatened again but I shook it off.
What the hell, me? Or was it her.
Some nerve damage?
For a second I thought maybe you’d gotten another cat.
Weird experience and slightly concerning! 😟️ I am no sort of medical professional (not even an amateur,) but if that persists, you may want to mention it to someone who is. Hope it doesn’t recur!
Oh dear god no. I am not built for that now. Enjoyed the last pair for 14 years but… one and done or something.
I still haven’t looked for a Primary since moving here last month but I have frequent enough contact with docs already so maybe I’ll bring it up next time.
*Former-phlebotomist swings onto scene, cape rumpled, but present!!!*
Allergic to latex, alcohol or iodine?
No allergies that I know of.
Dupuytren’s contracture? Probably not, just wanted to worry you.
I’ve seen that commercial a zillion times and that was a thought. Who knows.
At least your penis isn’t crooked. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen that ad.
Sure it was a cramp and not nerve pain? I get random pulsing pain that can feel as severe as a broken bone or as mundane as a slight bruise. But it’s not caused by anything but damn nerves.
No idea. Nerve pain could feel like a cramp, maybe? That was just my initial thought on how to describe the pain.
I’m having some now.
Sore
Shooting
Lightning
finished the Farrell and Robinsons, now reading a prewar Graham Greene – England Made Me. takes place in Sweden, bit of a thriller, in Greene’s way.
i tried reading a thriller from 1906, Vances A Private War. too many coincidences, non-sequeters, and such to keep me focused and not roll my eyes. Also read Cormac McCarthy’s play The Stonemason. very good.
Everybody’s favorite teen activist has joined the movement in France!
Revolting.
At this point, I wonder why she hasn’t invited the Cornell 7 to let her peg them to purge their sins.
Saint Greta will wear hijab of organic cotton and the event will be livestreamed by Rachel Maddow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzVL8PtpWm0
You will be made to care. Resistance is futile.
Pro-Hamas Antifa cosplay. So ridiculous. The West is fundamentally broken.
I’ve regressed to comic books
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/809084/dc-finest-sgt-rock-the-rock-of-easy-co-by-various/
First couple of stories aren’t hitting the way I used to love Sgt. Last time I read a Sgt Rock comic was 1999, found in an orderly room desk.
Have you read the Watchmen or Dark Knight graphic novels? Both were excellent.
Yes, but a long time ago.
I got on a short story kick with Andre Dubus, followed by Richard Ford. A Multitude of Sins is good. Moved from the Ford short stories into his Frank Bascombe series. The Sportswriter is middling, but the follow-up Independence Day is better.
Then I read The Map and the Territory by Michel Houellebecq and it’s on another level. Truly world class writer.
Shameless self promotion:
https://www.glibertarians.com/2023/03/the-penis-mightier-than-the-sword-aka-lusts-passion-will-be-served-it-demands-it-militates-it-tyrannizes-a-review-of-the-elementary-particles/
I’m little disappointed it’s not a Penthouse Letters compendium.
No sarcasm, I feel really bad for Ramirez.
Reading in fits and starts a lesser-known (at least I hadn’t heard of it) Agatha Christie mystery, Lord Edgware Dies (“Previously published as Thirteen at Dinner.”) It’s the earliest Christie I found at the local library, a Poirot, and it seems to have immediately preceded Orient Express. I hadn’t read mysteries since I was a kid and not many Christies that I recall. A pleasant diversion – I’m about halfway through and have not yet figured out whodunit. It was published in 1933, and I’ve noticed a couple of perfectly-period-appropriate (well, if not appropriate then at least unsurprising) racial/ethnic epithets such that I’m a little surprised the book hasn’t been purged from the stacks, but I’m grateful that it has not. Next on tap: a volume of Ellery Queen shorts.
My grade school or Jr high library had a bunch of her stuff. I remember that I have read that one and Orient. Cont remember anything g else about them.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJ6-pl9tEIK/?hl=en
Write what you know, they say.
How many people did Agatha Christie kill?
How many psychic kids did Stephen King meet?
How many dragons did George R R Martin ride?
Write what you like is better advice.
Christie was a serial killer.
I thought that was Jessica Fletcher.
Watched the Peter Ustinov version the other day. Strange (now) to see David Suchet in a non-Poirot role. And a relatively young Bill Nighy.
Clancy copycat. I wonder how she’ll be treated. What a fucking AWFL cunt:
“A young mom allegedly stabbed her husband and their 3-year-old son to death before trying to kill herself Monday during a family getaway in the Poconos, where she ranted about working “so hard” to be the best mother and wife, cops said.
Metallica Rose Harrison, 27, is accused of stabbing her husband, Charles Harrison, and their toddler — identified only by the initials T.H. — before slashing her wrists and neck inside a hotel room at Great Wolf Lodge, WNEP reported.
She then called 911 to ask for advice on how to find the right vein to puncture, stating she needed help dying, according to police. — Harrison, of Towanda, refused to talk to cops during her arrest, saying she was “suicidal, not stupid,” but went on a bizarre and disturbing rant to EMS as they took her away in an ambulance, according to the affidavit.”
========
This is what happens when you name your daughter Metallica. Wow. That’s like the 4th I’ve seen recently. One was a dude. (Like, a real one.)
https://nypost.com/2026/10/13/us-news/mom-stabs-husband-and-son-3-to-death-at-popular-family-resort-then-tries-to-kill-herself-cops/
I thought for a moment that this was talking about a Tom Clancy copycat. It did not sound like a Clancy plot.
I just met a Trisharella or some shit. I’ve forgotten already.
I haven’t seen her picture but I know she is on the wrong side of the hot/crazy divide.
Reason has some article on Trump ditching his ambassador to Greece (one of the son’s former fiances – she’s hideous).
They used it as a preamble to attack him for his grift. They spent half of it talking about bullshit about people staying at his hotel in DC when visiting. So basically they might as well just argue that people involved in private business should never get into politics. We need more career politicians.
They did touch on his meme coin, but I tapped out. Trump actually stated he wasn’t going to bother with conflict of interest bullshit because he rightfully points out that he put a number of prohibitions on his family in the first term only for people to pain him as a corrupt piece of shit regardless.
There were few if any stories that struck me as selling influence in Trump 1.0 until the tail end of the term when he was on the way out. Shit with Kushner in the MId East and such. But it’s hard as fuck to disentangle what’s buying influence and what would have happened naturally or even just as a result of relationships Trump world built over the 4 years. And I don’t suspect a lot of people thought Trump was going to make it back to power in 2024 anyway.
So he obviously did take the safety off in the second term. A lot of shit his family has benefited from doesn’t sit right with me, but he’s playing the game all politicians do and just has more ability to do it. He had massive wealth built in the private sector.
I get really fucked annoyed with the line of attack anyway because, again, you are basically saying that people who existed in the private sector and had success are disqualified from higher office. Which is the opposite of what we need more of.
The country aint hurting because we have a lack of career politicians who suckled at the teet of government their entire adult lives. Or who dabbled in bartending before giving the right handjob and stumbling into DC like that bitch in Legally Blond 2.
And Gavin’s ex.
Just about everybody does, it’s accepted until it’s time to unperson you. See how Hunter was protected until it was time to get rid of Joe.
I was re-reading some of the shit Hurr spewed about Biden’s classified materials and revisiting the Hillary email shit because of an online pissing contest.
What strikes me the most about the Hurr ‘investigation’ is how the guy went out of his way to explain away any evidence. Like I don’t think a regular pissant would get any such benefit of the doubt as those two did, let alone have a prosecutor start talking about how some piece of evidence might give “reasonable doubt.” If there’s reasonable doubt that something wasn’t done intentionally, it would imply that there’s more than enough reason to believe the opposite.
They were obviously looking for reasons not to prosecute and Hurr’s statements demonstrate that to the letter. They outline evidence they found and explained it away as if they were the defense team.
Harvested all my peppers today. Decided to take all the green Reapers, green tomatoes and cook them up with some green onions. Some Green Reaper sauce on the way!
My aunt’s kindle is under my account and I put all the books on it for her (87). I get lots of Amazon ads about the latest Amish Romance and Cozy Mystery books.
Give me the Rumspringa Yoder!!
Soviet joke: with capitalism, the rich become powerful; with socialism, the powerful become rich.
Very different systems indeed!
Money and power always find each other.
I think I’ve mentioned this case before, but it merits a rerun:
Karen Stewart got fired from NSA after 28 after another woman was given credit for her work because she banged the bosses. Stewart was then harassed in various ways.
https://everydayconcerned.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/letter-names-redacted-from-karen-stewart-to-dirnsa-admiral-mike-rogers-22-dec-2016.pdf
bonus – the magic word “cabal” appears.
an interview with her
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFXswDgspwk
I believe she was wrongfully fired and harassed. I’m skeptical of the directed energy weapon part.
Please let it happen
Man City will be the last one standing.
Amazing that the punishment *still* hasn’t been announced.
The universal scorn for them on display before and during their Liverpool match was amusing until that bullshit red card they were gifted.
Morning everyone not dead from climate change.
🤷🏼♀️🌊🌪️
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek0SgwWmF9w
🎶🎶
I am Neanderthal, climate change is an old friend.
I was already killed by the Y2K bug.
No net neutrality is what done me.
Good morning, Sean, U, Ted’S., Roat, and Sensei!
Morning.
I’m sorry, I spent a long time composing an email and didn’t realize I never responded.
That’s okay. I figured you were on your way to the office. How are you today?
Good morning, GT et. al.
Omicron variant, here.
Well, that sucks, ChipP! Hope you’re not feeling too bad! 😟️
I suppose I’m all right. Everyone is going “we want you to do this production work on a sunday” so I’m probably stuck doing it on a sunday. Haven’t picked one out yet.
I’d have been done with the manditory
propaganda“training“, but one of the “courses” is a webinar (when it absolutely does not need to be) and is held later today. 🙄Eating breakfast at my desk, hoping things stay quiet a little bit longer. Working on emails. Slow stuff.
@GT No, I meant that’s what done killed me.
Sorry Chipping. 🙁
I had the vanilla Wuhan Coronavirus early on and it protected me from the fad variants later.
Oh, good! You had me worried there! 😌️
I died of swine flu long ago.
Good luck with that one
KINGSTON, N.Y. — Ulster County Republicans are pushing for a resolution calling for state lawmakers to change bail rules in order to, they say, protect domestic violence victims.
Screw victims of other violent crimes, however.
Forward a resolution that won’t do a thing while appealing to a specific demographic, use it to attack opponents. A transparent political flimflam worthy of the stupid party.
Physics is a bitch
TOWN OF CLINTON – A crash involving a motorcycle and tractor-trailer sent a biker to the hospital and closed a northern Dutchess County road for about two hours on Monday afternoon.
“motorcycle involved in a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer”
Surprised the rider made it to the hospital. Maybe physics took the day off.
A morning ray of sunshine. They aren’t all slackers!
How New Yorkers Rallied to Answer One Teen’s Cry for Career Help
To ease his anxiety, a 16-year-old put up signs asking to shadow people on the job. It’s working.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/new-york-teen-shadows-workers-on-job-a771e2c7?st=9k1jHk&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
That’s pretty cool. He’s probably being exposed to a wider variety of jobs than any school-run “career education” program would allow.
Wow. Very cool.
How much are George Soros and other lefty billionaires spending on the election?
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/the-crew-of-virtually-unknown-donors-powering-the-rise-of-the-new-left-191fcc85?st=ypqkXq&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
And yet the “Democratic establishment” is in thrall to the commie wing.
It’s amazing how Chuck placates the commies.
And they seem to be single-issue voters. Can you guess what it is?
Curry commies (the stupid ones) and Muslims (who seem to be playing a long game).
NHK World, like all other westernized journalists, is all in on the “immigrants are just like us” bandwagon….
No, they are nothing like me. I have not raped, murdered, or defrauded anybody.
You murder by not funding they needs of the world.
That’s because they are engaged in similar NPR like battle with the current administration there that is changing residency and immigration requirements for the better there.
Even their most relaxed rules are far mor strict than the US and they are trying to tighten them. The brilliance of the administration is using a woman who is half white to lead the the charge and implement the rules.
True, although KBS World in Korea and Radio Taiwan International are just as bad in that area.
Apparently there was anti-Muslim “misinformation” after the most recent earthquake, and that’s the segue for a rant against social media along with a remembrance of the 1923 Kanto Massacre.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kant%C5%8D_Massacre
Agree completely with your take. I think I still have a paperback of Bridge of Birds, but I want to say my copies of the other two went somewhere. I’ll have to look; I think a re-read could be in order.
The completely useless toilet paper is a nice touch. I thought the device was small enough that he needed it to wedge the device into the USB port then I saw the picture.
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/saudi-national-charged-with-bugging-openais-office-7e960aad?st=9YT22n&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Spying for our “friends” Saudi Arabia.
I have no doubt this shit is happening everywhere – beyond and above the trade secrets we already willingly hand over to the likes of China.