in case you were wondering... up to 65 books read for the year - 36 fiction, 29 non-fiction. 28 library books, 34 owned and 2 e-books. 12 re-reads for the year, a good chunk of which I read last month.

Most of my reviews are over at GoodReads, but here's a couple of recent outstanding reads:

The Once and Future King - White, T.H.
How had I managed to miss this? The first book "The Sword and the Stone" (adapted for a Disney movie) is well-suited to bedtime reading for precocious elementary kids, while the remainder is good reading for any more mature reader interested in Arthurian legends retold.

The World Without Us -- Weisman, Alan.
A multi-faceted look at what would happen to the Earth if humankind were to suddenly disappear. What legacy would we leave and how quickly would the ecology return to "normal". Fascinating without being overly-preachy.

Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Cory Doctorow
Doctorow gives magical realism a whirl in this novel - his main character lives in Toronto, working with a local anarchist to put together an ad-hoc wi-fi network; yet he is the son of a mountain and a washing machine whose siblings are a lake, an undead and metroshka dolls. The ending felt a bit thrown together, but the concepts were fascinating.

The Importance of Music to Girls by Lavinia Greenlaw
A memoir in poetic essay form about growing up in a large family in a small UK town in the 1970's, obviously with a focus on music. Lovely writing & despite being separated by thousands of miles and nearly a decade - I shared many of her thoughts and feelings.

Joined the local library's Summer Reading Club again with the following goal: 1 book a week. I've gotten quite behind in my reading over the past month or so & I hope this will give me a bit more impetus. I may also kill 2 birds w/ one stone and read a couple of selections off of Mount ToBeRead that are also at the library.

Currently checked out:

* The once and future king - T.H. White. Marvelous retelling of the Arthurian legends - can't believe I've never read this before!
* Someone comes to town, someone leaves town - Cory Doctorow. Fan of the author & probably next up in the list.
* The world without us - Alan Weisman. My "good for you" book out of the current crop.
* Swine not? : a novel pig tale - Jimmy Buffett. Fan of author; should be quick reading.

On Hold
* The Importance of Music to Girls - Lavinia Greenlaw. Fresh Air interview w/author piqued my interest.
* Lamb the Gospel according to Biff, Christ's childhood pal - Christopher Moore. A re-read for me, but the audiobook version sounds interesting. 

Haven't updated in quite some time - starting with Mount ToBeRead

Any recommendations on either what to toss or what's worth moving to the top of the list are appreciated. Regular updates are more likely to be posted to my Goodreads library (anything with the "to-read" and "MountToBeRead" tags)


Updated 6/03/08 - 144 books
As of June 1: 144 books - # read, # added


( MountTBR - June 2008 )

Well, this has been a very bookish month for me - it helps that I've figured out I can read while on the treadmill...

Recent reads:
9 total - so I lj-cut the list...
( Read more... )

Working On

The 100 Greatest Advertisements -- Julian Watkins (Mount TBR)
Still stalled - may or may not finish before sending on to Una Persson

On Basilisk Station - Weber, David [e-text Baen Free Library]
On the verge of abandoning - this kind of book is why I don't like military fiction --- WAAAAAY too much info-dumping for my tastes. I'm interested in the story itself, I just don't need to know exactly how the ships work & what the details of the defenses, tactics and campaigns are.

Empire of Ivory - Novik, Naomi [library - due 24 Mar]
Just started this morning -- Laurence and Temeraire are back in England, with a new enemy to face.

Next Up:

Kiln People - Brin, David [re-read]
Detective story with a sci-fi twist

The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll: The Search for Dare Wright - Nathan, Jean [ILL REQ 2/19]
Biography about the author behind some haunting children's books - Ginnie recommended.

Corpse: Nature, Forensics, and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time of Death - Sachs, Jessica Snyder [Mount TBR]
Interest in topic

Take Me to Your Leader - Harrison, Ian [Mount TBR]
Christmas gift from Scott

The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring - Preston, Richard [library - due 24 Mar]
Daily Show & Ginnie recommendations

Recently Finished:
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists: A Novel -- by Gideon Defoe (Mount TBR)
An unnamed Pirate Captain and his crew (who are inordinately fond of ham) storm the H.M.S. Beagle with the mistaken impression that it's a Bank of England ship full of gold. After they get things straightened out, the pirates help Darwin convince the Bishop of his radical ideas about biology (not exactly what we'd expect).
Very quickie read - read in 2 sections with a total of about an hour or so. Pretty amusing & quite British, with actual factual bits about pirates and scientists (and other stuff) added as footnotes. Almost but not quite a YA book - some sexual innuendo & cartoonish violence.

Memoir from Antproof Case by Mark Helprin (Library)
A memoir that swoops back and forth thru the protagonist's personal timeline, with grand observances and tiny details treated with equal importance and lavish word pictures. Wry humour is sprinkled generously throughout, and quirky (tho well-drawn) characters are the norm.
I found the main character's utter loathing for coffee rather amusing, as I am also not a partaker (tho I enjoy the smell). Helprin definitely seems to do his homework, as the sections of the book dealing with flying and flight combat seemed very real to me; as did his character's observations and insight into the Brazilian life & character.
I truly enjoyed my time with this elderly American ex-patriate and discovering his reason for being along the way.

Mad Dog Summer: And Other Stories by Joe R. Lansdale (Library)
Strong/raw stuff at times - sex (including homosexual rape)language & violence - but very compelling. In this collection, Lansdale pulls off steampunk and straight historical fiction equally well; an essay about his mother sits cheek-by-jowl with a graphic-novel type story that mixes The Inferno with an X-rated Buckaroo Bonzai.
I'm definitely going to try more of his stuff.

The Disney Mountains: Imagineering At Its Peak -- Surrell, Jason (Mt. TBR)
Presented in rough chronological order, each "mountain" in the Disney parks (domestic and overseas) has several pages devoted to it, with a description of its development, concept art, as well as a few behind the scenes & in-progress photos. Recommended to those interested in an overview of Imagineering & Disney history as it relates to the Disney Mountain Range.

What On Earth Have I Done?: Stories, Observations, and Affirmations by Robert Fulghum (Mt. TBR)
Most of the essays/articles/bits of writing are Slice of Life experiences (including some intriguing stories from his time spent in Crete) drawn out into larger life lessons.
The snarky side of my personality finds of the material a bit eye-rolling at times; if you're looking for some feel-good, read-to-your-ailing-grandma essays, Robert's your man.

Working On

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (library - due 02-23-08)
Al-history where the Napoleonic Wars are being fought not only on land & sea... but in the air as well, with sentient dragons capable of carrying a half-dozen or more men, armed with rifles & bombs. I didn't think I liked military fiction, but this has been a ripping good yarn & am looking forward to reading the next 2 books in the trilogy.

The 100 Greatest Advertisements -- Julian Watkins (Mount TBR)
Stalled a bit as I picked up more immediately appealing books from the library. I still plan on finishing & sending on to Una Persson

Your inner fish : a journey into the 3.5-billion-year history of the human body -- Shubin, Neil (Library - due 15 Feb)
Started a bit slow, but with good introductory info on archeology (the author's avocation) - currently reading the section on arm/hand structure & enjoying so far.

Next Up
Eifelheim - Flynn, Michael (library - on hold)
Recommended by AuntiePam & delphica

Realityland: True-life Adventures at Walt Disney World - Koenig, David (Mount TBR)
Picked this up from the author at Mousefest - have enjoyed his previous books & looking forward to his take on the history of WDW.

Recently Finished

Flim-Flam! Psychics, ESP, Unicorns, and Other Delusions -- James Randi (Library - ILL)
A bit wordy to start with, as well as dry & overbearing at times; Randi covers some good historical examples -- Bermuda Triangle & The Cottingley Fairies -- before delving into the his personal experiences, mostly with psychics. James Randi has offered a monetary prize ($10,000 at the writing of the book - I think he's up to a million now?) to anyone who can demonstrate his/her psychic/otherworldly power within a verifiable situation of Randi's choosing.
There are some dated elements - transcendental meditation and biorhythms are 2 topics he addresses, but I still found it worthwhile - the chapter "Gods and their Feats of Clay" is particularly thought-provoking, considering the then-recent aftermath of Rev. Jim Jones. However, I did get to the point where the phrase "beating a dead horse" came to mind.

The Grenadillo Box: A Novel by Janet Gleeson (Library)
Historical mystery, set in mid 1700's England; London & a country estate. I enjoyed the mix of historical & fictional characters as well as the twists and turns - some of what I thought was foreshadowing became red herrings, but others came thru after all. I was reminded of Quicksilver, The Last Witchfinder and The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party - all of which I quite enjoyed.

Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett (Reread)
A re-read, set in Discworld, but mostly stand-alone. Susan Sto Helit is the main carryover character (Nanny Ogg makes a brief cameo) and the Auditors play a fairly major part as well.

The Rituals of Dinner by Margaret Visser (Mount TBR)
Visser starts with cannibalism, and from there, follows the development of meals and their accouterments, as well as the social behaviours that allow us to eat together. Visser writes with both detail and touches of humour, providing a very sound basis for exploring the topic further. An extensive notes & bibliography section is provided, as well as an index.
Overall, a wonderfully detailed look at how and why we eat, in terms of sociology & human relationships.

The Island of Dr. Moreau - H.G. Wells (e-book read)
If you can get past the language/style (and the gruesome descriptions of the vivisection process), it's a good adventure story that asks what it means to be
human.

The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis (library audiobook)
Although I'm not Lewis' intended audience, I found this approach to explaining how to live a Christian life both amusing and informative.
The John Cleese audiobook version is a gem - I can see why it won a Grammy! I particularly enjoyed the scene where he gets positively apoplectic (and turns into a centipede).
While I think I would have gotten more out of the material in print form - being able to re-read, stop & ponder.... I'm not sure if I would have completed it.

Tricks of the Trade: Over 79 Experts Reveal the Secrets Behind What They Do Best-- Jerry Dunn
The title is fairly self-explanatory, tho some of the "experts" seem a bit dated now (Tai Bablonia for figure skating?) - I also had to giggle a bit upon seeing stencils touted as the "in thing" in the article on home renovation - how late 80's - early 90's is that?
I was a bit dismayed to see "reading an aura" and "dowsing" presented as legit topics, but they're balanced out a bit by "how to fake a seance". :^)
For me, this goes on the shelf along with the Straight Dope and Uncle John's Bathroom Reader collections; something fun to leaf through while you are ... shall we say ... otherwise occupied.

Working On

The 100 Greatest Advertisements -- Julian Watkins (Mount TBR)
Published in 1949 (this edition was revised in 1959 - with 13 additional ads), it's a collection of memorable print ads from the mid 1800's to (then) present day. Each ad has (only) a paragraph or two describing its origin & source, from an advertising executive POV.
The repros of the ads are mixed quality at best, but the choices & info about them are rather interesting from a historical perspective ... considering that television & its vast potential for advertising revenue was just around the corner.

What On Earth Have I Done?: Stories, Observations, and Affirmations -- Robert Fulghum (Mount TBR)
A gift/pass-along from my mom; the subtitle is fairly accurate. Most of the essays/articles/bits of writing are Slice of Life experiences drawn out into larger life lessons. The snarky side of my personality finds of the material a bit eye-rolling at times; if you're looking for some feel-good, read-to-your-ailing-grandma essays, Robert's your man.

Memoir from Antproof Case -- Mark Helprin (Library - due 9 Feb, - will probably have to renew again)
Helprin's doing it again, with another novel that swoops back and forth thru the protagonist's personal timeline, grand observances and tiny details treated with equal importance and lavish word pictures. Wry humour is sprinkled generously throughout, and quirky characters are the norm.
Not that I'm complaining, mind you. In fact, I wish I had more time to dedicate to it at the moment.
Upstate New York features prominently, as does Switzerland and Brazil, of all places. I find the main character's utter loathing for coffee rather amusing .

Next Up

Your inner fish : a journey into the 3.5-billion-year history of the human body -- Shubin, Neil (Library - due 15 Feb)
Goodreads - Kapi via Ginnie comment


Mad dog summer and other stories -- Lansdale, Joe R (Library - on hold)
I think a GoodReads review sparked my interest; the library didn't have the book it mentioned, but I'm usually up for a short story collection.

His Majesty's Dragon -- Novik, Naomi (Library - on hold)
Multiple recommendations, most recently haardvark & Julie over on GoodReads.

Am going to try to keep this up a bit better - wish me luck!

Recently Read
The Tender Bar: A Memoir by J.R. Moehringer (library)
A Long Island boy, being raised by a single mother in the home of his dysfunctional grandparents escapes to the world of men in the neighborhood bar
where his uncle works.
Moehringer does a good job of reflecting on his life; although the story gets a bit dramatic & F. Scott Fitzgeraldian at times.

Star Trek on the Brain: Alien Minds, Human Minds by Robert Sekuler & Randolph Blake (MountTBR)
Intro level psychology/neurology info using the Star Trek universe as setups for each topic. Even tho I didn't learn much new, it was still a fun read.

---

Working On
Flim-Flam! Psychics, ESP, Unicorns, and Other Delusions - James Randi (library ILL - due 28 Jan)
A bit dry & overbearing at times (and dated - transcendental meditation and biorhythms are 2 topics he addresses), but still worthwhile - the chapter "Gods and their Feats of Clay" is particularly thought-provoking, considering the then-recent aftermath of Rev. Jim Jones. I am getting to the point where the phrase "beating a dead horse" comes to mind.

100 Greatest Advertisements -- Watkins, Julian (MountTBR)
Published in 1949, it's a collection of memorable print ads from the mid 1800's to (then) present day. Each ad has (only) a paragraph or two describing its origin & source, from an advertising executive POV.
The repros of the ads are mixed quality at best, but the choices & info about them are rather interesting from a historical perspective ... considering that television & its vast potential for advertising revenue was just around the corner.

Bathroom read: Tricks of the Trade: Over 79 Experts Reveal the Secrets Behind What They Do Best -- Dunn, Jerry (MountTBR)
The title is fairly self-explanatory, tho some of the "experts" seem a bit dated now (Tai Bablonia for figure skating?) - I was also a bit dismayed to see "reading an aura" and "dowsing" presented as legit topics, but they're balanced out a bit by "how to fake a seance". :^)

Almost done with my e-read of The Island of Dr. Moreau - Wells, H. G.
If you can get past the language (and the gruesome descriptions of the vivisection process), it's a good adventure story that asks what it means to be human.

The Grenadillo Box by Janet Gleeson (library - due 7 Feb)
Started this last night, on the recommendation of several folks in the SDMB Goodreads group - historical fiction mystery - reminds me a bit of Quicksilver & The Last Witchfinder so far...

---

Next Up
Memoir from Antproof Case : a novel -- Helprin, Mark (library - due 16 Jan)
Recommendation from koeeoaddi on either Goodreads and/or Unaboard.

The screwtape letters -- Lewis, C. S. (library - due 24 Jan)
This is the audio version, read by John Cleese - highly recommended by Ginnie over on Goodreads. Only problem - it's on cassette vs CD. :^(

Your inner fish : a journey into the 3.5-billion-year history of the human body -- Shubin, Neil. (library - ordered 4 Jan)
Suggested to library based on review by Kapi via Ginnie comment on Goodreads

Prepping for vacation, vacation & then catching up on work/being sick has taken its toll - as has the entirely too addictive website: goodreads.

I think I've finally gotten all my existing reads (2002-2007) up there & am mostly caught up with MountToBeRead. Check out my Recommended shelf if you like.

Recent Reads:
Talking to the Dead: Kate and Maggie Fox and the Rise of Spiritualism - Weisberg, Barbara
A retelling of Kate & Maggie Fox's experiences with a good chunk of historical & social background provided, starting in the 1840's Upstate New York, thru the late 1880's in NYC and London.
I'm pretty much a skeptic on this topic, but found the story fairly interesting.

Feet of Clay: A Discworld Novel - Pratchett, Terry
A re-read while on vacation -- Commander Vimes is investigating the murder of an elderly priest and a dwarf bread maker, when a strange series of events starts to revolved around the golem community - tireless beings made of clay with words as their magic. An exploration of what it means to be human (well, human/dwarvish/troll-like/werewolvian/etc) and how precarious the balance of power can (and should) be.
Pratchett's later works lean more towards the satire side of parody, but there's still quite a few chuckles along the way. Highly recommended.

Carpe Jugulum: A Discworld Novel - Pratchett, Terry
Also a re-read while on vacation -- haven't felt up to writing a review, yet.

Pyramids: A Discworld Novel - Pratchett, Terry
See above

Working On
Adverbs: A Novel - Handler, Daniel. QPB Catalog recommendation.
Short stories about love - some a bit too po-mo/stylistic for my tastes. So far, "Obviously" is my favorite. First person POV of young man, OD'd on Arthurian chivalry, pining after his co-worker at the movie theater, while also commenting on the latest blockbuster Kickass:The Movie.

The Island of Dr. Moreau - Wells, H. G. e-text - Catching up with this classic via Project Gutenberg. Once you get comfortable with the style, it's quite gripping.

Bigger Secrets: More Than 125 Things They Prayed You'd Never Find Out - Poundstone, William. Bathroom re-read; he explores secret recipes, fraternal organization initiation rites and more.

Star Trek on the Brain: Alien Minds, Human Minds - Blake, Randolph. An interest in both topics (brain/mind studies & Star Trek) spurred me to pick this up at a used bookstore. So far, the material presented is at kind of an introductory level, but the the authors are doing a great job of tying in the concepts to the Star Trek world. I think this would make a good Further Reading book for a high school or 101-level biology or psychology class.

October was a terribly busy month for me, and November is shaping up to be more of the same, but I did get a few books read along the way:

Burning Your Boats: The Collected Short Stories by Angela Carter
Recommended based on Salman Rushdie's intro to this book published in his collection Step Across This Line; I'm sad to find out she is no longer with us.
Vivid imagery and crisp characterization, with frequent ventures into the gothic and/or surreal - these stories are worth taking your time with. Some repetition of phrases, but not something you'd notice outside of a complete collection like this.
NOTE: Some strong sexual/violent imagery

---------------------
Poplorica: A Popular History of the Fads, Mavericks, Inventions, and Lore that Shaped Modern America by Martin J. Smith
An interesting collection of mini-articles on various bits & pieces of (mostly American) pop culture - things, people and places.
I appreciated that each article had a "Further Reading" section at the end, with a more complete bibliography at the end of the book, along with an index.

----------------------
Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper
This fairly pulpish story of an alien uprising against their human colonizers was fairly entertaining, despite showing more than a whiff of White Man's Burden.
The characters are on the cardboardish side, and Piper makes a bit too much of his female characters being capable despite their gender (actual publication date = 1952) Still, the aliens were interestingly presented, from a science/technical standpoint, and the plot kept my interest despite being read in bits & pieces over the course of a month or so.
-----------------------------
Thursday Next: First Among Sequels - Jasper Fforde
The British government is suffering from a surplus of stupidity & in an attempt to balance the budget, plans to turn Pride and Prejudice into a reality show, permanently altering the story. Goliath seems to have reared their ugly head once again, and Friday (Thursday's son) is dangerously behind in his future career. Despite SpecOps being disbanded, Thursday is still on the job, and a member of Jurisfiction as well- and must "travel to the outer limits of acceptable narrative possibilities" (literally!) to save the day.

Once again, I wish I'd read the previous books in the series more recently than I have; I'm not terribly lost, but there's bits & pieces that I feel I'm missing. Also, being from the other side of the pond, I'm sure there's humour/in-jokes (Swindon?) that I'm not getting, either.
----------------------------
Making Money - Terry Pratchett

Moist von Lipwig, the con-man and scalawag responsible for pulling the Ankh-Morpork Post Office back together, has been charged with the responsibility of doing the same for the Bank, with the help of its chairman (a pampered lapdog - no, really!), Mr. Bent, the chief cashier whose obsession with numbers is known far and wide, and Gladys, the first female golem. And we can't forget the Glooper, a machine designed to mirror the local economy for predictive purposes... three guesses as to how it goes wrong.

Despite sounding almost exactly like Going Postal, Pterry covers new ground, while continuing his satire of economics & politics, as well as continuing the storyline of Golem Rights.

==============================
I'm also having way too much fun over at GoodReads - same username, so if you have an account over there, go ahead & friend me!

These are the top 106 books most often marked as "unread" by LibraryThing's users (as of today). As usual, bold what you have read, italicize what you started but couldn't finish, and strike through what you couldn't stand. The numbers after each one are the number of LT users who used the tag of that book.
( Read more... )
38 read - about 1/3 required & about half I actually enjoyed.
2 I started & couldn't finish (yet)
One I couldn't stand.

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey (2001; 910p)
Recommended by several acquaintances - probably including adpaz
Bought 13 Mar 2005 - softcover Started 24 Sep 2007; finished 30 Sep 2007
------------------------------------------------
Alt-history set in late medieval France (I think - I have a hard time pinning down historical eras) - we follow the main character, a young girl growing up in semi-slavery in a temple dedicated to the art of love, who is then remanded to the care of a semi-noble and trained pretty much as a spy. She gains a warrior/priest as a companion and they get carried into multiple adventures.

Lots of political intrigue between and within the kingdoms ... and sex. Fairly explicit (tho using delicate language) BDSM sex. Not necessarily everyone's cup of tea, but I rather enjoyed it. Many, many characters - most of whom are some flavor of nobility & for me, difficult to tell apart. There was a Dramatis Personae in the front of my copy & I probably could have made better use of it. Battles figure heavily in the last third/quarter of the book - some rather graphic; that and the sex scenes would make me unlikely to recommend to teens, but more mature folk interested in medieval alt-history may find it worthwhile.

Reminds me a LOT of Maia by Richard Adams - another book I found worth reading at least once & maybe again someday. Several unresolved threads lead to the sequels;however, the book ends at a good point at which to be considered a complete read, IMHO.

Took a mini-vacation this weekend & got 2 books read:

Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins. A couple of "flower children" types open a hot dog stand in the Pacific Northwest and correspond with a friend who has inadvertently joined an order of assassin monks. They are joined by Marx Marvelous, a self-proclaimed scientist who believes that Christianity is drawing to a close. And about that mysterious Corpse that shows up at one point....

Written in 1971, aspects of this novel seem awfully dated (drug & counter-culture references abound - plenty of sex, too!), but the underlying philosophy is still valid - faith vs science -- and do they have to be versus one another? Many clever turns of phrase as well.

Recommended to those who are interested in discussions of faith & science & can handle a couple of steamy love scenes.

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A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler by Jason Roberts. A chance encounter in a library led the author to discover James Holman (1786–1857). Son of a shopkeeper, James rises to lieutenant in the British Navy right around the War of 1812. He is forced out of the Navy due to medical issues (blindness as well as rheumatic arthritis) and although nearly penniless, finds he is in the best of health when travelling in exotic countries and climes. ... alone.

Holman's charm and cunning nets him excursions to the Americas, Africa and the Orient - hunting slavers or exploring the depths of a continent. He climbs Mt. Vesuvius during its active phase and even travels nearly the width of Mother Russia before being turned back due to the Tsar's politics.
His travel memoirs made him wildly popular at first, then his blindness became a drawback - if a blind man could do all these things, how difficult could they be? Interest in his exploits flagged and James Holman faded into obscurity.
Roberts presents a thrilling tale of success against adversity - keeping Holman human, while celebrating his achievements. Recommended to anyone interested in historical travel.

Thought I'd post a visual guide to Mount ToBeRead:

East Face
Summit
West Face

If I can get the spare room cleaned up a bit more, I'll post bookshelf photos as well.

Bloodsucking Fiends - Christopher Moore (1995; 300p) library book & reread
You Suck - Christopher Moore (12007; 328p) library book

Bloodsucking Fiends was a re-read I picked back up when I realized You Suck was a sequel to it & I didn't remember enough of the original story. Fan of the author & saw YS referenced in a recent QPB catalog.

--------------------------
Jody, a twenty-something, semi-Yuppie gal living in San Francisco wakes up in an alley after being assaulted.... her senses are heightened, her hand is burned (but healing exceptionally quickly) and she feels a strange hunger. She susses out fairly quickly, if unbelievingly, that she has been turned to a vampire, so she recruits a minion to do her bidding during the day.

She chooses Tommy - a 19 year old, naive writer wanna-be recently arrived from Indiana. He does night stocking at a grocery store with a group of guys called The Animals, who play a supporting role in both books. The novel follows Jody & Tommy's exploration of her new abilities, as well as tracking down the vampire who created her, who seems to be leaving bodies all over the greater San Francisco area and leading the police right to the couple.

You Suck picks up pretty much where BF ends - Jody has turned Tommy to a vampire, and they seem to have Elijah, the vampire that started the whole thing, taken care of. They start to live their lives as best they can - recruiting goth chick Abby Normal as a new minion. However, The Animals start causing chaos with their new friend, a blue-skinned Vegas call girl.. and Elijah isn't out of the picture yet.


Both novels are pretty enjoyable - not quite parodies of the Anne Rice/Kelly Armstrong genre & but definitely poking a bit of fun. The characters are entertaining - the Emperor of San Francisco being one of my favorite recurring characters - and the plot moves along well with only a few quirks.

Recommended to fans of urban fantasy with a good sense of humour.

Inside Job by Connie Willis. (99 p: 2005)
Fan of author - found at library.
------------------------
The main character is the editor of Jaundiced Eye], a skeptic newsletter & affects a film noir detective attitude. His employee/love interest talks him into attending a public session with a channeler, who apparently has a little more going on than she thinks, as her normal "spirit guide" keeps getting interrupted by someone who seems to think it's all a load of hogwash.

I'm not sure this deserved a standalone publishing, as the story is only 99 pages. It was a nice light bit of reading, with the story twist inspiring me to delve a bit into another author's work.

Most of these were read while on vacation the first week of August:
The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett. (re-read)
A Watch book from the Discworld series. Sam Vimes is sent on a diplomatic mission: represent Ankh-Morpork at the
coronation of the new Low King of the dwarves in Uberwald. However, all is not going well, and the Vimes the Watchman gets a good workout.

Green Eyes by Lucius Shepherd. (MountTBR)
I think it was AuntiePam who called this "a zombie love story" - got a bit complicated at the end, but was a good read. It didn't knock my socks off, but it kept my attention. Stephen King fans might enjoy this.

The Scar by China Mieville. (MountTBR)
Set in the same universe & just after Perdido Street Station, the main character gets kidnapped onto a large floating pirate island & involved in a conspiracy. Mieville creates grand, sweeping environments and compelling characters - I really liked this.

Zodiac: An Eco-Thriller by Neal Stephenson. (MountTBR)
The main character -- a slacker with a biochem degree who works with a NPO to expose companies who poison the environment -- gets a little out of his depth in Boston harbor. Carl Hiassen fans should enjoy & it's not quite as complicated as later Stephenson novels.

A Piece of Salty Land by Jimmy Buffett. (MountTBR)
Tully Mars is a Wyoming cowboy who has taken his pony to the shore of the Caribbean & has a couple of adventures; it's a semi-follow up of Tales from
Margaritaville. If you like his music, you'll probably like his writings.

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom Cory Doctorow (re-read)
"Humankind, you've just eliminated death and the need to work for a living.. what are you going to do next?"
"I'm going to Disney World!"
The main character, in a bid to rediscover some sort of purpose in a post-Singularity world goes to the Happiest Place on Earth. The theme park is being maintained by a group of loyal fans as an example of 20th century pop culture; however, a sub-faction wants to replace the venerable audio-animatronic effects with experiences sent directly to the brain... and Our Hero just can't let that happen.

Pickled, potted, and canned : how the art and science of food preserving changed the world by Sue Shepard. (library)
Not quite as engaging as Kurlansky and occasionally both a bit scattershot & repetitive; but still an interesting look at the history of food preservation around the world, as well how history was influenced by the slowly improving technologies.

Spinning Disney's World: Memories of a Magic Kingdom Press Agent - Charles Ridgway (MountTBR)
A memoir of a man who's been involved in the Disney publicity machine for over 50 years - he covered the opening of Disneyland in 1955 as a reporter, and a few years later was hired on by Walt himself; his last job was to write the press book for Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened in 2005. A basic knowledge of Disney theme park history is helpful as the book is mostly recollections & stories and jumps around chronologically quite a bit. I noticed a few editing flaws (typos) but otherwise quite enjoyed reading about this aspect of the House of Mouse.

Feel free to comment....


( Fiction: )

( NonFiction: )

Anthony Bourdain -- The Nasty Bits: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable Trim, Scraps, and Bones (2006: 288p)
Recommended: QPB March 2007 Catalog - enjoyed other books by author
Library checked out: 26 Jul 2007; due 23 Aug 2007. Started 27 Jul 2007 - Finished 28 Jul 2007.
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The Nasty Bits is collection of essays written over the past several years - mostly dealing with food & traveling, but Bourdain also takes a swipe at "celebrity chefs", reminisces about the Good Old Bad New York and writes a rather charming Christmas story. The essays are gathered into 5 sections - Salty, Sweet, Sour, Bitter and Umami - with the short story at the end.

Bourdain pulls no punches & is still rather rough around the edges, tho part of me wonders how much of it is his "image". When he discussed kitchen techniques, I found myself making comparisons with the recent Pixar movie Ratatouillle (don't tell Tony!)

Bourdain's writing is vivid and entertaining - even as a non-foodie, I found myself salivating over his descriptions of meals eaten around the world, tho I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to try them by myself.

A quick read recommended to anyone interested in food and/or travel.

A History of the World in Six Glasses Tom Standage (2005: 311p)
Recommended: Unaboard, Zimaane & Left Hand of Dorkness
Library -- Started 19 Jul 2007; finished 26 Jul 2007
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The beverages referenced in this object-based history are beer, wine, alcoholic spirits, coffee, tea and cola (Coca-Cola in particular).

Overall, the book was nicely factual, without being too overloaded/boring. While I'm sure some elements were bent to support his theory that each beverage presented played an vital part in history, I did learn some new things & got a little bit better feel for the eras he covered with each beverage.

I did feel that the liquor section seemed rather Anglocentric - focusing mainly on rum and its role in the Triangle Trade of the 1700's. Whiskey got a bit of attention, but other hard alcohol, not much mention at all.

I enjoyed the Coca-Cola section, as Scott and I collect some Coke items and have been to both the World of Coke and the largest private collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

Recommended to those interested in object-based history, such as Kurlansky's Salt or Cod.

Read The Dark : New Ghost Stories ed Ellen Datlow earlier this week. Checked it out from the library as one of the stories was by Lucius Sheperd, who I've had strongly recommended to me.
The collection was.... okay. Sheperd's contribution "The Hortlak" was one of the stronger ones, but I didn't get too many really good shivers overall. Decent library read, but I wouldn't have spent any money on it.

Working on History Of The World In Six Glasses by Tom Standage. The beverages referenced are beer, wine, alcoholic spirits, coffee, tea and cola. Pretty entertaining & I'm learning some new theories, as well as bits of history. Recommended to anyone with an interest in object-based history.

Spent most of this afternoon working on Tourist Season by Carl Hiaasen. One of his older books (1987), which features Skip Wiley* - a newspaper columnist who gets involved in a plot to rid Florida of tourists by rather extreme means. A bit violent/gruesome in parts, but wickedly funny at times & a fun read. Not quite as formulaic as some of his later books, I think.

* Yes - the same guy from Jimmy Buffett's "The Ballad of Skip Wiley" - apparently based on this novel.