Ape's 2011 Challenge (3)

Prequel
Thread #1 (Book 1)
Thread #2 (Book 2)

Books Read: 5
Pages Read: 1,685

January:
1. Wave of Terror by Theodore Odrach
2. Southern Storm by Terri Blackstock
3. The Ten Thousand by Michael Curtis Ford
4. The Medical Detective by Sandra Hempel
5. Biohazard by Ken Alibek

Yep, so far I've had 1 book per thread. Considering the book I'm reading now has a lot of text-per-page, that trend may continue...

At least that's good for everyone else's wishlists!

That's true! Well, in that case, you're welcome everyone. :P

THIS time I'm going to keep up with your thread, Stephen. Yes I am! I do well for the first hundred or so messages, miss a day or two, and wham!...I'm way behind. This time....

Well hello, señor populär! Star as per usual ;D

*stumbles in and faceplants*
Hey I'll just stay here on the floor for now I'm too tired to get up at the moment.
Don't mind me :P

Welcome ladies! :)

Donna: I don't blame you. In fact, I'm far behind on your thread as well. I think I'll go get caught up right now!

Hey Katie! Y'know, I have a grenade mod now called Rain Grenades, which causes other grenades to float down from the sky when my initial one explodes. Yep, Borderlands is awesome alright. :P

*Looks down at Rachel in a heap on the floor* Well, you certainly make an entrance, don't you. :)

Haha! I haven't started Borderlands yet. Beat Fairytale Fights. Started Star Ocean, but got sidetracked by the read-a-thons. I've been playing my old NES games the last couple of days. Some X-Men, Galaga, Mario, and Paperboy. :D My original Final Fantasy doesn't work anymore tho, just get a blue screen :'(

ETA: Oh! Did you know there's a new Mortal Kombat coming out soon? It goes back to the first 3's timeline. And going for the bloodier Mature rating, not that teen crap like the last few. Not sure if your actually a fan of the franchise. . . but I know you like God of War--Kratos is playable in versus mode! And I just needed to spew that nerd-out at someone ;P

Hello, I'm still twitching from the scary onions right at the end of the last thread. OW MY EYES.

Stephen, I agree with Ellie about Black Books - Dylan Moran is a LEGEND. As is Bill Bailey. I also like Tamsin Grieg. You should watch it.

Edited to add - it's a comedy set in a bookshop. Not much talk about books, but quite quirky and usually involves lots of wine-drinking and swearing.

Katie: ...Kratos...a playable character? *jaw drops* Ok, I'm actually not a big fan of the Mortal Kombat series, the charcter movements always seems stiff and REALLY slow. I've played Mortal Kombat right after playing Soul Calibur and it was laughable, the characters were just clunky as hell. I don't know if that has been fixed...the last MK game I played was Mortal Kombat: Deception on the Playstation 2. Still, if Kratos is a playable character, I'm offically interested. :o

Poke: Oh, you mean like that show with Pamela Anderson... Stacked? :P

(Ok, I've never seen that one either. I'm hopeless!)

Haha! I was raised on MK; it is forever in my mental juices. But, yeah, SoulCal and Dynasty Warriors (especially when they teamed up with Gundam Wing *nerd spasm dance) have been ahead for a while now. So I'm hoping it will be the exalted return of the franchise. *fingers crossed. And, if Kratos is on board, I'm sure they're doing something right. (Never actually played GoW -gasps I know- but you can blame the industry not putting it on the 360. Regardless, I have heard nothing but praise, so I doubt the makers would lend out characters unless they considered the game fantastic.)

Well, I'm here, despite my better judgment, and the twitching.
Mortal Kombat, eh? I used to be so killer at that game. My husband's completely absorbed by Assassin's Creed II right now, and I can't wait to start playing it myself sometime soon.

Katie: Indeed. The reason the God of War series' gameplay is so good is the fluidity of Kratos' movements. He cannot be clunky and unresponsive. Plus, while the GoW games don't have the historic past that MK has, they are definitely a lot more popular now. I would assume that bodes well for MK.

Amber: Oh! The Assassin's Creed games...I'm really torn on them. My OCD won't let me play them out of order but I'm not all that interested in playing the original.

#2: Huh, you're actually reading a book right now? Prove it. Which one?

#11: *snort* Y'know, Stacked wasn't a bad show. I used to watch it. :P

I'm getting a new project started to get together great recommendations for books by themes. I've called it Books By Themes (BBT) and I'd love to have your suggestions! Here's the link.

Sara: Not only am I reading a book right now, but I've read 115 pages in 2 days! Granted that's pretty slow compared to my average last year, but considering I've only been reading 10-15 pages per day as of late I'd say that's quite good! :)

Ilana: Ooh, I like that idea. It's easy to find books based on genre but a bit more difficult to find books of a certain theme.

Unlike Donna, I'm not even going to pretend to keep up. But I'll pop in for my regular dose of zombies and inappropriate vegetables. :-*

Aw, thanks Luxx. Here you go:

*SNORT* I'm really glad I wasn't drinking when I read that. Thanks. ;)

Oh good - a new thread! That means I can ignore the last two and just keep up with this one instead ;o)

#10 Re "Black Books" - no idea how that conversation started, but I'll give Black Books my vote of confidence too - very funny! ...although not quite as good as "Spaced" in my opinion - but that could just be because, rather disturbingly, it's all rather familiar to me... (That isn't just a random connection, they are linked via Bill Bailey and Simon Pegg, plus when they came out...)

#19 *splutter, snigger!* - my sister will like that one too...

Ooops! Edited to close the link...

>19 Ape:: BWAAA-HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

19: AHAHAHA!!!

21: I love Spaced! :D
Never seen Black Books. Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright are genius, imo :DDDD

#23 "Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright are genius, imo :DDDD" - Yes they are. Fact. ...although, much as I've loved everything they've done since, Spaced is still my favourite. Hmmm. Time to get out the DVDs again I think...

If you liked Spaced, you'll probably enjoy Black Books too. It's not the same, but there's definitely a similar sense of humour.

Funny, right? You should see some of the other things you can find when fooling around with the term 'mushroom' on google...

19: love it!

*waves*!

#19 OMG Absolutely Hilarious !!!!!!!!!

#17: Ok, I'm impressed. That's more than I've read. (bows to the master) :P

Hello Jess and Cindy. *Waves at Tamara*

Sara: It gets better. In a fit of madness I read over 90 pages yesterday to finish my book. 70 in a single sitting. :o

The Ten Thousand by Michael Curtis Ford



Pages: 387
Rating: 4/5

Historical Ficton

Xenophon the Greek, son of Gryllus, grew up in Athens during one of the lower points of its awe-inspiring existence. Post-Peloponnesian war, in which his father fought, Xenophon lives in an Athens still recovering from Sparta's victory over them. Still, he grows up privileged with a higher education and extensive, if not brutal, training in fighting and war. He would also become a disciple of Socrates, despite his father's dislike for the man.

But when Xenophon becomes an adult, he quickly realizes there are no battles to be fought. Athens is rebuilding, and the best an Athenian can ask for is to be accepted as a mercenary. Upon being invited by his cousin to join distant Cyrus' army, Xenophon is conflicted. He is eager to finally test himself in battle, but Cyrus is a Persian, and Xenophon would be under the command of a Spartan general. Upon seeking advice from the Oracle of Delphi, however, he realizes this is what he wants, and chooses to join the army despite his father's disapproval.

Unfortunately, Cyrus isn't the most honest man in the world. Promised a short and sweet campaign against the Pisidians, the army fully expects an easy victory with lots of plunder and a quick trip back home. Soon, however, they discover Cyrus' true intentions; to fight against his brother on the opposite side of a vast desert, and far away from the Greek's beloved sea.

The Ten Thousand tells this story, full of betrayal, deception, bravery, and hardship. It is not your typical historical fiction; of commanders leading great armies on victorious conquest or kings defending their walled cities against relentless invaders. It is one of an army misled, of their despair at being so far from home, and their desperate attempt to escape the predicament their errant leader has shepherded them into.

I found it to be a very enjoyable read. While the foundation of the novel is built upon the bloody action and battle scenes you might expect from such a novel, much of it is a much more emotionally charged survival story. In fact, the only part of the novel where my attention flagged a bit was during the great battle between Cyrus and his brother about 1/3rd of the way through the book. I found the vulgar language a bit excessive and rather silly (although you must appreciate the creativity of Monkey-Faced Ass-Kisser). Aside from this minor stint, I found The Ten Thousand to be a very absorbing and engaging read, and I'll unquestionably continue to read Michael Curtis Ford's other books. 4 stars!

I think I'm gonna do a Rachel (not to be mistaken with the 'getting a Rachel' of the 90s)... You know sometimes you just don't go online for ages, and then you have fifty threads to catch up on and eight million emails and you just take a deep breath, weep a little, close the laptop and walk away? Yeah, that... :-)

That's ok, Ellie. You can do as much of that stuff as you like, EXCEPT the weeping part. *pat pat hug*

Can I go watch GG and eat a muffin then? It's my 10pm ritual these days! And my 8am ritual. And my all-day-on-days off ritual. Well, I'm ahead on my reading, I deserve some DVD and muffin time every once in a while!

Yes, that works. And I'll go kill things. Hurray for TVs.

The Ten Thousand looks very interesting! I like me some Greek and Spartan battles :}

Stephen- Good review of The Ten Thousand. Sounds interesting.

Thanks Katie and Mark. That review was a bit longer than intended...I get over-enthusiastic about these kinds of book. Not sure why I don't read them more often... *shrug*

>18 London_StJ:: Here I am still keeping up with your thread, Stephen. I always do well for the first 100 or so posts, then life interferes...or something like that.

>31 Ape:: Okay, you got your book for this thread out of the way. Now what?

Okay, you got your book for this thread out of the way. Now what?

It's all downhill from here. :)

Non-Veggie man...this one's for you:



scary..what some people can do to an innocent watermelon....

I love this....

Jude: Haha, I might be more willing to visit airports if planes looked like THAT. :)

And I don't hate veggies, there are plenty I really like. I just hate onions...and prefer vegetables be kept away from delicious meat-and-cheese main dishes.

Veggies on the side, unless it's a stew/soup, is my philosophy! :)

Congratulations on finishing another excellent book. And, thanks for the smiles that occur whenever I visit her.

that watermelon plane is reminding me of some video game character, but I can't quite pinpoint it. . . .

I tried to find something with the *dreaded* onion...alas! could not

You know that I'm just pulling your chain ..on this (onion)one....don't you??

;-)

Oh...back to Serious

I like your review of The Ten Thousand....gave it my Dainty Thumb...

Have you seen the movie "300"..or read Frank Miller's graphic novel(s) of the same name???

I love the movie...and crave the Graphic........

Thanks Linda, your smile is always welcome around here! :)

Katie: Hmmmm... *shrug* With the window-holes I think the watermelon could double as a helmet though. I'm sure charging into battle wearing that thing would strike fear into your enemies. "ZOMG, that dude is crazy...RETREAT!"

Jude: Of course. Oh, and "scary..what some people can do to an innocent watermelon...." Yea, ummm, I've heard of some pretty horrible thing. Do make sure you have safesearch on when searching for pictures of watermelons. Trust me on this one. :o

Jude: I love 300! One of my favorite movies actually. My library has the graphic novel and I see it all the time, but I haven't checked it out yet for some reason. I really need to get on that soon...

>46 Ape:

PG rated...Watermelon abuse??

Dang, what some folks will do...for a thrill....

I trust you, Stephen...do you trust me?

;-?

do you trust me?

Of COURSE not! *makes sure doors are locked just in case* :P

Yeah, with all this snow a-falling ( i assume it's doing so where you live) I'm going to creep your house..and rap on your bedroom door

*oh Stephen, my Stephen*

yeah....maybe

*;-0*

Aha! I think it's the Samus/Metroid outfit on Kirby. When I was looking it up I came across this site that has some hilarious nerdy pick up lines w/ video game references. Enjoy.

#46 To pipe in on the subject of crazy people wearing watermelon helmets: I'm from Canada and often people who support the football team Saskatchewan will wear hulled out watermelons on their heads. Just google Roughriders melonheads and you'll see the craziness. So people may not think you're crazy, just that you like Canadian football. :D

I knew there was a reason to make fun of Canadians. Thanks for the ammo, MickyFine! ;)

Oh you can go right ahead and mock us, but then I'll be forced to point out that we burned down the White House in 1812. So there. :P

LOL! Good point.

Jude: Yep, quite a bit of snow out there. Every time it's just about to melt we get another storm and it piles back up again. I'm, of course, loving it. :)

*Realizes there's no lock on his bedroom door* Oh dear oh dear oh dear...

Katie: Ha! Wow, why do I have a feeling those lines won't work very well? D'oh!

Mickyfine, just that you like Canadian football.

Like I said, CRAZY! :P

Sara: You didn't have a reason to make fun of Canadians before? C'mon, have you never heard one of them say "aboot" before? *giggles*

*sigh* It's not even the end of January .. how did I get so far behind on the threads?!!!!

By being BUSY! So how many countries have you been in already in 2011, hm?

*guffaw*

I'm suddenly re-thinking my dislike of mushrooms.

#54 - *Snort* Touche!

#56 - Wait, we're not really going to make fun of accents again, are we? ...

Tom: I know, right? There is plenty of naughty hilarity where mushroom are concerned.

Haha?

O.O

Luxx: I have no right making fun of accents, since I probably talk like a redneck considering where I live. D'oh!

Don't make me post the "Essex Wonderland" song again. ;)

*Reads lyrics* Yep, sounds familiar! :)

Essex Wonderland song?! Now I'm intrigued!

...you know I never noticed the difference between the American "about" and the Canadian "about" until South Park and I still had to listen very closely to my aunt and uncle to detect the difference... Of course, they've both lived in the UK quite a while now, so probably sound completely different anyway...

Stereotypical Baltimorean accent: Essex Wonderland

Stereotypical Ohioan accent: D'OH!!

LOL ... Those aren't even anything close to as bad as a stereotypical Massachusetts accent.

#56: Ha! That reminds me of that scene in Canadian Bacon:

Canadian Guy: "I don't know what you're talking aboot, eh?"
American #1: "Aboot! It's ABOUT! And what's with this 'eh' business?"
American #2: "We have ways of making you pronounce the letter O, pal."

#61: Yay, the revival of the zombie erection...of sorts.

#67: Get 'er done! :P Gotta love the stupid redneck accent. When there aren't the Canadians to make fun of, there are always the Midwest/Southern rednecks. Oh, and the Massachusett(ians?? ists?? my god, what're they called?); thanks, cameling.

I'm sorry, but I'm Canadian and no way do I say 'aboot' and I've never met anyone here who talks that way either. On the other hand, I'm very proud of finishing sentences with a good ol' 'eh' at the end. It's friendly like, I say, eh?

Eh? Uh, no, eh. ;)

Caro: Hmmm, not sure if I know what the Massachusetts accent sounds like.

Sara: Sara, for heaven's sake, it's a MUSHROOM! :P

Ilana: It might be in a specific part of Canada. I've heard it pronounced 'aboot' on a tv documentary with Canadians. And it was pronounced exactly as it is spelled. He said a BOOT.

But hey, I say plenty of odd things. In fact, I slur entire sentences into 1 word. Has anyone seen Jeff Foxworthy's segments, I think he calls it the "redneck dictionary." The most memorable one for me was witchadidga. "You didn't bring your truck witchadidga?" (supposed to be with you did you?.) It's memorable because I say the 'didga' part...but I say "withya didga."

I accidentally said 'aboot' once. . . :/

But I will atone by giving this pic

Katie: Of course! Old zombified foods, why didn't I think of that!?

Although, to be honest, the zombie mushroom doesn't look a whole lot different from a regular mushroom...

hiding is rude, you know...

Stephen! Why did you not make a general announcement of your new thread's existence?

Kath: Me, hide? Whatever makes you think I'd do something like that? *digs an escape tunnel in the back his cave*

Richard: I did post a public announcment. It was on the last thread you never visited. ;)

Love the shirt though! I'm not particularly fond of 'funny' shirts, considering they are only funny the first time you wear them. Still, it makes for a humorous GIF. :)

'a boot' is Canada's equivalent of redneck-speak, I'd say. And I don't know what that says about me, but I say 'didja' all the time!

Canadian rednecks! They ride mooses and get drunk on maple syrup, right? Or is that regular canadians...?? *rubs chin in deep thought*

Speaking of Canadians: poutine. Yum.

I don't know that 'aboot' is necessarily redneck speak. It's more likely to be heard from Maritimers, in my experience. But we still have our share of rednecks. I'm from Alberta and I see them. All. The. Time. *le sigh*

Tom: I've never had poutine. :o

MickyFine: Rednecks make up most of the population here in my area of Ohio. I think Jude can probably attest to it as well. There is no shortage of giant over-large trucks and beer cans along the side of the road...

Ah the big-ass truck. Familiar sight here as well. Lucky there are such refined folks like us, eh? ;)

Ha, refined, yes...that's me alright. :P

Sorry, I'm coming in 50 posts late, but I just have to ask re:The Ten Thousand (occupational hazard): Have you ever read Xenophon?

Amber: I haven't! In fact, I wasn't even 100 percent sure he was a real person going into the book. I was a good 80 pages into it before I decided to googled around and read more about him. Hurray books? :)

#72: Pshaw! Mushroom ... zombie erection ... same thing. :P

#73: Love the pic. :)

#76: Ditto: love the pic. :)

#79 nobody gets drunk on maple syrup here. we just export it to the rest of the world and charge exorbitant prices for it. No, not really, I LOVE maple syrup, are you kidding? But yeah, people like to get drunk here too. And it's not so hard to do since the beer here actually has alcohol in it. :-P

#81 It did occur to me that Maritimers might speak that way. But I'm in Montreal and I never get out of the house if I can help it so I'm not likely to meet too many Maritimers. Or rednecks. Or anyone else for that matter. O Bliss.

Poutine is pretty yummy. French fries. Gravy. Cheese curds. What's not to love?

Sara: *Gets an odd image of zombie erection growing in cow manure* ... o.o

Ilana: I never get out of the house... ...O Bliss.

*nods in agreement*

I'm actually not a huge fan of maple syrup. I know, right? Whenever I used to have pancakes I'd pour a tiny smidge of syrup off to the side and lightly dip my pancakes into it. Whenever I see a commercial where they show someone POURING gobs of the stuff all over pancakes it makes me blanche a little. Way too sweet and it makes the pancakes all soggy and *blech*

With you on soggy pancakes.
I am a moderate user of the syrup.
I really do not like the berry syrups and so on..
I stick with the maple..

I've never had any kind of berry syrup, but it doesn't sound very good...

And I hate it when syrup touches the sausage or bacon.. that has to be on the side...

Oh noes! Sausage is delicious with the syrup...it doesn't get soggy! Nom nom nom... :)

eww

Syrup on bacon is amazing. Maple syrup is delicious (really, maple anything is delicious).

IHOP has some berry-flavored syrups you can toy around with, some are good.

And speaking of bacon, Ohio and the arteries of America need to have a talk:

The Cleveland Indians's Double A affiliate announced its unique way to fill seats. The "Nice 2 Meat You" burger consists of 1.25 pounds of hamburger stuffed with a half-pound hot dog, topped with a quarter-pound of bacon, cheese and onions.

This looks vial.

http://deadspin.com/5740590/the-akron-aeros-will-feed-you-more-meat-you-could-po...

I want my pancakes (and sausage) swimming, nay, *drowning* in syrup, and not the 'real' maple kind. Mrs. Buttersworth, please.

Syrup on bacon is total yuck.
Why would you want to fruit and sugar up perfectly good salty bacon?

pffft I bet you don't like bacon chocolate either. heathen.

96: What's the point of that hamburger bun? There's no way it does anything useful.

Syrup is okay, pancakes only though. Waffles I like plain.

Oh, and on bacon. . . . Free Bacon Wednesdays! 9pm-midnight. Buy a drink get a basket of bacon, yes a whole basket, free. Mmmmmmyum.

I've never understood the whole sweet syrup with bacon and sausages either. I think you'd struggle to find many takers here in the UK! Then again, we also do pancakes properly, like crepes with lemon and sugar, not your weird, thick and chewy things covered in syrup. Very odd.

And don't get me started with syrup on top of french toast instead of sugar..........

96: ...ick! That's just disgusting. I mean, ONIONS, really? Why!?

I don't like syrup on bacon so much, but sausage is yum!

100: =O

101: Sugar or syrup are both great on french toast.

And just so we're clear, french toast is a billion times better than pancakes. No contest.

Just checking in, Stephen - not even attempting to catch up :)

>96 ty1997: *makes reservations for Cleveland, thence to hae meat-fest WITH ONIONS*

Ahem...pancakes are *properly* eaten one, and only one, way: ***heavily*** buttered with real butter; two over-easy eggs slid atop the stack; and then syrup (preferably boysenberry, then cinnamon, and maple if all else fails) poured gently and sparingly atop the bite one is about to cut and eat. All meats on a separate plate, please.

All other techniques and ingredients are hallmarks of bad parenting and late toilet-training, as well as membership in the Philistine Society of Murrika.

French toast is boring.

Waffles to need heavy buttering, and then light syruping bite-by-bite.

Hi Stasia! *Waves*

Richard: French toast? Boring? Bah, it's delicious. Onions have fried your taste buds, I think. :(

There is a place here in Chattanooga called Aretha Frankenstein's that has the most amazing waffles in the WORLD! They are called the Elephants Gerald and consist of a Belgian waffle topped with Vanilla Ice Cream, pecans in syrup, and are dusted with cinnamon. Deeelicious!!!!

*drools*

#89: Oh, well, thank you so much, Stephen, for infecting my head with that lovely zombie erection in the manure image! XP I'll remember to return the favor sometime when you least expect it.

Ditto on the maple syrup--I'm not a fan of the stuff.

#96: Ick. All this zombie erection/manure/maple syrup talk is turning me off food right now. Add large amounts of greasy animal carcass to it, and I need to go stick my head between my knees for awhile.

(pops head up for a sec)

Forgot where French toast came in in all this talk, but gets a thumbs-up from me. Delish. Better than pancakes, imho, depending on how the pancakes are made (I'm a sucker for blueberries--or any fruit--in mine).

#104

Your pancakes sound utterly vile! Clearly you are simply an American philistine who has no idea about real food.

i am so veddy veddy late here...and Stephen called be out by name in Post#82

you wanna talk rednecks....my entire Support System is made of folks that would be deemed REDNECKS....and I appreciate all of them

My Brother, the PHD....doesn't give a damn about me, although he is half-owner of this property....go figger

I take my friends where i find them.....my Book Friends are on LT

over & out

;-p

Sara, yes! French Toast > Pancaces > Waffles. I'm not fond of waffles. The squares cause all the butter/maple syrup to clump together and taste like ICKYblechPTUI, like a little bomblets of sweet noxiousness. Waffles are finger food. You eat them plain with your hands as you rush out the door. Sitting down at a table with plates and silverware to eat waffles is absurd. Like doing the same with pizza. *shrugs*

Jenny: Of course we Americans know what real food is. I don't know why everyone else in the world can't figure out that food is supposed to be made covered in cheese or gravy. A head scratcher, for sure!

Jude: Mhmmmm, we really only have 1 family of rednecks on my mom's side, but he helped me diagnose what was wrong with my care last year so hurray!

#111: Waffles are finger food.

Agreed. But then, I'm a pig and think everything is finger food. ;)

Gotta love a thread where pancakes and syrup take up, like, 50 posts! lol :-D

Oh, yeah . . . books. ;) So what's the current read, Stefano? I'm sure you're dying to know mine: The Secret Sex Lives of Animals by David Lambert. Somehow they missed all those parts in my science class. Go figure.

Sara: Yeah! Like bacon and sausages and pepperoni slices, right? :P

Ilana: Oh, we've had 50-post discussions about much worse!

Sara: The Medical Detective, and it's fantastic! John Snow is my hero.

I believe you Stephen, I believe you! :-P

By the way, the topping on the plush pancake looks like chocolate...which I think sounds ALOT better than maple syrup.

My mom always used peanut butter but I thought it was too dry.

While we are discussing food, cake and peanut butter, here is an incredible treat from my area, Tastycake Peanut Butter cupcakes.

*Drools*

I think I'm going to have to post the Nutritional Facts of my thread soon. Or at least a warning that my thread is now hazardous to your health. (Oh wait, I guess that's normal for my thread, isn't it?)

#115: If by "bacon and sausages and pepperoni slices" you mean soy fake meat, then yes, absolutely. :P

The Medical Detective . . . er, I'm gonna go with LT's prediction that I won't like it. Just call it a hunch. Medicine isn't really my thing.

#118: Very pretty. :) I would say I'd take a nibble, except the 0-calorie peanut butter substitute I've been eating has completely turned me off p.b. for good. :/

Apparently this zombie just didn't want to 'leggo.'

Hahaha! That's bloody gross. Literally.

#119: I went in search of funny health hazard signs, but I got totally distracted. There are too many of them.

French toast dipped in egg mixed with milk,vanilla and cinnamon. Place in hot skillet or hot griddle ! YUM!

#118 Linda: ohmygosh, ohmygosh - I want to go to there.

#121 Stephen: *snork!*

Also a big fan of the french toast, but it quality varies so much depending on the type of bread used. Slightly stale sourdough makes the best french toast I've ever had.

Richard (from way up there somewhere): There are no boring french toasts, only boring eaters of french toast. ;) (See, it's funny because "boring" is about the last adj. anyone could ever use to describe you, eh? Get it? *nudge nudge*)

Sara: Agreed, it is bloody gross. Everyone knows grape jelly is the best. :)

Cindy: *drools*

Amber: I've never had french toast made with sourdough. Hrmmm!

Attention! For those interested, the ever-lovely Ms Glutton for Punishment and resident Icon of Sleep Deprivation is hosting yet another read-a-thon. Yep, it's official, she's gone mad! :-) It starts later today, and you can join in by posting HERE.

Who, me? *pats hair and assumes smile of utter and very, very normal innocence*

Yes, Ellie, crazy people do usually have that innocent look, don't they? They are usually oblivious to their own madness, I think! :P

Two cents - way, way upthread, I missed the mention of "Spaced". I just watched that show a few months ago and loved it. "Yay!" *throws arms in air* I need to try BlackBooks. Also concur with Linda regarding Tastycakes. Yum!

Hi Stephen

Hi Joanne! *waves*

Hello! This thread is beginning to remind me of The Kitchen Thread! (not complaining...it's less scary this way...)

Hi Angela. The Kitchen, you say?

*pats hair and assumes smile of utter and very, very normal innocence*

ROFLMAO

...N...n...nor...*gales of uninhibited laughter*...n...ormal...*falls to ground, screaming with mirth, tears of hilarity coursing through beard*

Wow, your thread moves fast and has lots of tasty treats in it. I'm also a Black Books fan and will have to check out "Spaced". See you over on the readathon thread.

Hi Kerry! Yes, tasty treats, those are definitely common on my thread! :)

I'll be joining in on the readathon tomorrow morning. I suppose I should explain here as well for those who aren't reading the readathon thread. I'm reading a nonfiction that I'm loving, but one that I'm liking to read slowly so I can absorb everything. It's also not the kind of book I want to read for several hours straight.

So, instead, I'll be reading 1 chapter per hour. I'll sit down at the beginning of each hour and read for however long it takes to finish that chapter, whether it's 5 minutes or 55! This way I'll still be reading quite a bit, but will have lots of free time to relax and do as I please with whatever is left of the hour. I won't get as much read, I suppose, but it will (hopefully) be less exhausting as well. We'll see...

131- Blech! :P

Oh no! Don't worry, Angela, I'm pretty certain it doesn't have onions in it. *pat pat* It's ok...

HOUR 16
(Hour/Chapter 1 for me)
6am-7am

I've been reading: The Medical Detective by Sandra Hempel

Pages read: 17
Reading time: 42 minutes

Total pages read: 17
Total time read: 42 minutes

The Menu: Nothing, but my next chapter is short I think so I'll be eating breakfast shortly.

Comments: Hello and good morning, everyone! I can't possibly catch up on all the posts last night, maybe next hour, but I do hope everyone has be doing well. I'm here now and ready to read, testing my idea of reading 1 chapter per hour.

ETA: Oh, I should not since I'll be finishing up early each hour, my posts will be coming in before the hour ends. I'll try to hold off and post them close to the end of the hour. Ok, 5 minutes left, time to get to that next chapter. :)

(Oh, and I forgot to note, it makes it a lot easier to keep track of my reading time like this as well, so I'll be posting that this time too!)

pancakes ! have some while you read :)

You can read at 6am? Ugh. This is only my second day waking up then and I want to scramble my brains and give them to some poor malnourished zombie.

A short chapter this hour (9 pages) so I have time to eat breakfast and post a bit. :)

Kath: Ha! I should, but I don't have any. Instead I am eating sugary kid-cereal. Yay! :P

Katie: Oh yes, I have no problem reading early in the morning. That's 1 benefit of being an early bird. Of course, I have a hard time reading past 7pm because I can't concentrate, and I'm lucky to stay awake past 10:30pm, but I can wake up at 5:30am and read with full concentration within 15-20 minutes. AND without any need or want for coffee. :)

Yeah, I feel like falling over. . . preferably into a vat of raw caffeine. I can't wait til the entire world is 24hrs so everyone can exist in their preferred time.

Good luck with the rest of the read-a-thon. I have class all day, so I don't even get to post inspirational and wacky gifs. :/

HOUR 17
(Hour/Chapter 2 for me)
7am-8am

Pages read: 9
Reading time: 19 minutes

Total pages read: 26
Total time read: 1 hour, 1 minute

The Menu: Apple Jacks! I know, I am but a mere child. :)

Comments: This was an 'easy' hour with lots of free time. I caught up on some of the late-night posts here on the readathon, browsed the LT forums for awhile, and got some sugar in my system. I'm ready to get back to the book!

HOUR 18
(Hour/Chapter 3 for me)
8am-9am

Pages read: 17
Reading time: 36 minutes

Total pages read: 43
Total time read: 1 hour, 37 minutes

Comments: Ah, I'm settling in now, and I'm absolutely loving this format. When I sit down, I don't have that anxious feeling of having such a LONG TIME to go until the readathon is finished. I know I'm just sitting down to read that 1 little chapter. And look, 43 pages already after hour 3, and I've had plenty of free time. Hurray.

#141: I can't wait til the entire world is 24hrs so everyone can exist in their preferred time. -- I say the exact same thing, but everyone looks at me like I'm an oddball. Well, just the morning people do.

Good luck with the read-a-thon thingy, Stephen (and anyone else on this thread who's joining in--oh, Miss Ellie, of course!). I would do the same thing, except 1) it's, oh, 6:20 a.m. here (wipes the crusties out of her eyes), and I don't read before noon, and 2) I have to go to work. Must. Get. Energy. Drink. Long day ahead moving into our new building.

Another short chapter so I have some time to post a bit. Hi everone!

Sara: Oh! A new building, hurray. My library got a nice big addition a year ago and it's wonderful. Still a tiny little library, but bigger'n' before!

HOUR 19
(Hour/Chapter 4 for me)
9am-10am

Pages read: 20
Reading time: 42 minutes

Total pages read: 63
Total time read: 2 hours, 19 minutes

Comments: Another terrific hour. I'm loving the book (yay Cholera) and having these long breaks between reading is really helping with my concentration. I'm able to read and enjoy this nonfiction book without feeling like I'm rushing or that I'm too exhausted to concentrate. Yippee! (See how energetic I am?) :P

-------------------

HOUR 20
(Hour/Chapter 5 for me)
10am-11am

Pages read: 12
Reading time: 24 minutes

Total pages read: 75
Total time read: 2 hours, 43 minutes

The Menu: I had a handful of pretzels and a couple chunks of pineapple, I think I'm going to have to start searching for lunch soon.
Comments: A short and sweet chapter, I had half an hour to spend as I pleased so I played some Final Fantasy III while listening to the TV (kinda), and browsed LT a bit. I feel energized and ready for the next hour! :)

>146 Ape: Don't you mean Hour FOUR?

Pineapple chunks! OOO...I have some, I think I need to broach the can.

Oh yes, Richard, I guess when I posted two hours at the same time I confused myself. D'oh.

HOUR 21
(Hour/Chapter 6 for me)
11am-Noon

Pages read: 17
Reading time: 36 minutes

Total pages read: 92
Total time read: 3 hours, 19 minutes

The Menu: Leftover spaghetti, hurray!
Comments: Ha! At least I'm consistent. A few hours ago I read a 17 page chapter in 36 minutes and now I did it again, exactly the same time. 8-) I spent my leftover time eating leftover spaghetti and reading the forums while listening to music. Now THAT is multi-tasking.

HOUR 22
(Hour/Chapter 7 for me)
Noon-1am

Pages read: 17
Reading time: 33 minutes

Total pages read: 114
Total time read: 3 hours, 52 minutes

Comments: Only a couple more hours left! I've definitely been reading less pages this readathon with all the time spent not reading, but I'm find the time spent WHILE reading alot more enjoyable. I'm sure it helps reading such a great book. I might have a 5-star rating on my hands...perhaps! :)

#66 very funny!

Bizarrely, it took me a little while to work out it wasn't an English Essex accent (this is from a BBC resource where loads of UK accents have been recorded) - he sounds a lot like some of the true locals from the village I grew up in (by true local, I mean someone whose family has lived there for generations, not a Johnny-come-lately like myself who turned up when I was 11 and only lived there ten years, or, in my parents case, twenty.)

#101 Ah see Jenny, I do actually enjoy American pancakes almost as much as normal ones (and I'm a believer in the savory pancake - mmmmm garlic mushroomy camembert filled...). I make pretty mean American pancakes too. Blueberries. That's the way forward. Strangely, although usually anti sweet with savory, I can see maple syrup working with bacon... ;o)

#111 ...and while we're on the batter topic, THE BEST form of batter is definitely the Yorkshire pudding

#118 Linda, don't get me started on peanut butter again. Food of the devil. Officially. ;o) (incidentally, I've yet to catch up with your thread post internet-offline-ness, although I shall do - how did your surgery go last year? I hope things are better for you now?)

#121 snicker!

#133 Kerry, definitely check out Spaced!

#146 Stephen, "I'm loving the book (yay Cholera)" - no comment ;o)

Just a quick post, I'm late, it's already 2pm! I typed this when I finished but almost forgot to paste! *rushes*

HOUR 23
(Hour/Chapter 8 for me)
1pm-2pm

Pages read: 14
Reading time: 31 minutes

Total pages read: 128
Total time read: 4 hours, 23 minutes

The Menu: Some more pretzels...and then I caved and made a huge nearly-400-calorie bag of popcorn. D'oh!
Comments: I've made a serious dent in this (lovely) book and I'm quite happy with my progress so far. I think I'll wind up finishing it within the next coupld days. Hurray for that! Now, let's get that last hour/chapter finished.

HOUR 24
(Hour/Chapter 9 for me)
2pm-3pm

Pages read: 28
Reading time: 57 minutes

Total pages read: 156
Total time read: 5 hours, 20 minutes

Comments: I decided, it being the final hour, that I would read throughout the whole thing. It just didn't feel right ending half an hour early! It was perfect too, I read two chapters (each 14 pages) and read them in 30 minutes and 27 minutes! Oh, and the next chapter is only 3 pages, so I'm reading that as soon as I finish this post. :)

As suspected, I didn't get a terribly huge amount of pages finished, but I did find myself much happier with my 1-chapter-per-hour format. And hey, 156 pages isn't terrible! Plus, I'm not the least bit tired, so I'm off to read some more... :)

Hi Flissp! What isn't to like about cholera? And John Snow is only the coolest person, err, ever! :)

Wait. #100. A free basket of bacon??? Where do I sign up????

Oh, hi, Stephen. I'm behind, but I haven't forgotten you. Just checking in to see if you need an over-the-glasses-glare.

And guess what? I'll be in Ohio in April........

Hi Terri, my birthday is in April!

And now I have to spend it hiding. *shakes fist* :P

Here's something interesting. Here are the page numbers to the chapters I read during the readathon. Sandra Hempel is very consistent, it seems!

17
9
17
20
12
17
17
14
14
14

#155: Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis, MN. You can read a little blurb from the City Pages--and don't be put off by the fact they reheat it. It is still the most delicious bacon I've ever eaten. . . but that might be the required beverage talking ;P

#145: (bites tongue re: size matters innuendo) But really, congrats on your library expanding! I love looking at small libraries on roadtrips and whatnot, but when it comes to being a patron, the bigger, the better, imho.

Oh, and my favorite feature so far with our new building: the disco elevator! Has nothing whatsoever to do with books, but hey, it's like Christmas every day and night (the colors change gradually, from blue to yellow to ... you get the idea ;).

#155 & 156: Hmm, Terri'll be in OH during your birthday month. Coincidence? I think not. Starting digging, Stephen. (hands him a shovel) I'm sure you can make it to China in no time.

Wow, the 'disco' elevator is awesome! :D

You're right about Terri though. What if she hangs out at my public lbirary for the 11 hours it's open for the entire month until I eventually come in!? She's going to get me! Ahhh!! *runs crazily around in circles*

:P

I am so jealous of your disco elevator. Just saw Tron last night and now I want it to perpetually be nighttime and everything to have glow accents. So that elevator is getting close ;}

Stepehen, here is TeeFury's 1/26 TShirt of the day. Enjoy!

Katie: Ha! That's awesome! Love it. :)

Want to know what else is awesome? TWO REVIEWS ON ONE THREAD! Assuming you all don't go crazy and post 140 times before I writer it later, I'll achieve it!

Sorry! Ummm, it's a science book so, errrr, the review turned out larger than I intended. And I barely mentioned my actual opinions about the book. Whoops! Hopefully the 5-star rating is opinion enough!

4. The Medical Detective by Sandra Hempel



Pages: 283
Rating: 5/5

Nonfiction: History, Science -> Epidemiology

In the early- to mid-1800's, cholera ravaged Europe. It swept into neighborhoods in the blink of an eye, killed hundreds or thousands in days, and then just as quickly disappeared completely...only to pop up again somewhere else.. Family members watched as their loved ones went from perfect health to extreme dehydration and death in mere hours. Whole houses...whole streets were decimated, erasing the lives of everyone who lived within. Yet just as astonishingly some places were left entirely untouched, like the house next door left standing after last night's tornado.

The most horrifying aspect of cholera was how little was known about it. The speed and unpredictability of this illness flabbergasted scientists and public health officials alike, and doctors were at a loss as to how to cure the endless supply of dying patients. The mad scramble to stop this unseen menace resulted in some alarming solutions, most of which only killed people and saved barely any.

And then John Snow, father of epidemiology and anesthesia, stood glowing like a radiant sun cresting over a shadow-casting mountain and proclaimed with insurmountable logical and wisdom, maybe....just maybe, it's in the water! Sadly, only to be dismissed by his peers, his advice going unacknowledged and unknown by the general public.

John Snow is one of my favorite historical figures, and this is another fantastic book on his work during the cholera epidemics of the 1800's. So yes, of course I loved the book. It was a wonderful account of those terrible events, and this book in particular had a strong focus on Mr. Snow himself, which made it all the better in my opinion. Highly recommended.

Stephen, you must learn to be more direct and straightforward in your reviews...it would help if we could discern your opinion of a book, and what it's about. Please work on being more organized and more informative.

;->

Gee, thanks for the advice, Richard!

I should takes notes in case I forget. Okay, so be more direct, straightforward, organized and...errr, crap, what was the other one again? :P

All this talk of meat and syrup on the same plate has made me feel a bit sick. Does that mean this counts as a successful thread in your book, Stephen?

I second whoever said Yorkshire pudding is the king of all batter-based products, or words to that effect. It is wonderful.

Jen: If all it takes in life to be successful is a bit of meat and syrup, then name me king!

But no, a successful thread for me is one that creates an atmosphere where people feel comfortable and can be themselves without fear of ridicule.

Since the things I say tend to make people uncomfortable, I don't think I've had a successful thread yet! D'oh.

Really, Stephen, I'm harmless. Totally.

Great review of The Medical Detective. I like historical books which focus on the people involved in making that history. It sounds like this book does that well.

Thumb from me on your review, Stephen. I'm going to look for The Medical Detective at the library.

I gave your review a thumbs up Stephen. So there. Question: do you happen to be on BookMooch?

Terri: Perhaps to 'normal' people, but to a social-phobe you're terrifying! :P

Sherlyn: Thanks, and indeed! I'm not usually a big fan of history, too many names and dates that don't stick in my memory and I tend to get bored with the politics, but I do so love science history. :)

Pat: Thanks! Oh, and if you can't find it The Ghost Map works too. Very similar books.

Ilana: Thank you! As far as bookmooch, I'm afraid not. I'm a poor broke bastard who can't afford to buy books. I use the public library most of the time...so I just don't own enough to swap with. Plus, even if I did, I couldn't even afford to pay postage right now. Not good. :(

Good review Stephen. And I have yet to feel uncomfortable here; doesn't happen easy, so good luck in accomplishing that ;P

#172 Oops... forget I ever asked!

Katie: Thanks! Although the fact that you don't feel uncomfortable around me is making me concerned. *Puts the closest insane asylum's phone number on speed dial just in case* :P

Ilana: Ok! I'm really good at forgetting things. ^_^

Ha! Why be concerned? The crazies have much more fun

And I read that as closet insane asylum the first time. . . was almost looking forward to a blanket nest in a small enclosed space

blanket nest in a small enclosed space

What a lovely thought! *considers turning his closet into an insane asylum just for that*

>176 katelisim: - So did I!

And Stephen - you LIKED IT! *breathes sigh of relief then breaks into a 'very, very normal' happy dance* Now I just need to read mine... :-)

ETA: And congratulations on 10 thumbs and a hot review!

Adding The Medical Detective to the BlackHole. I hope you are happy, young man.

ETA: I saw this book: http://www.amazon.com/Theories-International-Politics-Zombies-Drezner/dp/0691147... and thought of you. No idea why.

Glad you liked your book Stephen.. What is next?

#154/163 Actually, The Medical Detective does sound very good... I'll look it out.

Ellie: *Big giant smooch* It was wonderful! Well, that is, if 'wonderful' is the proper word for a book about diarrheal disease. :)

Stasia: Yep, very pleased with myself. Muahaha. And that book looks great!

Kath: I'm glad you asked! I'm about to start Biohazard. It's an autobiography by Ken Alibek, who worked for the Soviet bioweapons program in the 70's, 80's, and early 90's. Yikes! I'm excited to get it started.

Flissp: Yay cholera. :P

Huzzah! Cholera! I must read about it.

Faith: Yay cholera! I tried to find a funny GIF to post here but, errr, most of the images found on google are just morbid and heart breaking. Go figure? ...

eta: html fail

ROFL, there we go.

I mean I mean, oh my gosh, Katie, what an awful thing to make a joke about! ;)

Delightful, wonderful review, sir! I really don't want to add anything more to my list, but it's going on anyway.

I skipped everything between the review and this. I'd apologize, but I'm not actually sorry.

Hope all is well! And cholera-free.

Miss a day and woah! :o Skim-skim-skim . . . wait, did you mention your closet again, Stephen? You know what hides in there, don't you? Scary little Sara monsters. You might want to rethink that aslym hideout thing in your closet. Or get some heavy-duty monster repellant.

lol @ 160. I hadn't even thought of the Tron comparison. Thanks for that! :)

Thanks Luxx! All is as well as it can be, I suppose!

Sara: *sigh* Must I post pictures of scantily clad women on my thread to prove there is no closet for me to come out of? We haven't had any of those in a long time, you know! :)

Here you go Stephen. Nothing cures Cholera quite like a sexy zombification

Wow, a zombie and a nurse. A double whammy, for sure. :P

But why is she carrying a digital camera?

>153 Ape:: Reading and rumination...what a novel approach to a readathon. I like to stop periodically in my reading, too, (esp. nonfiction) to actually think - what a concept! - about what I've read. Nice going, Stephen.

>163 Ape:: Congrats on your hot review. All that thinking between chapters paid off!

>167 Ape:: ... a successful thread for me is one that creates an atmosphere where people feel comfortable and can be themselves without fear of ridicule.

These little nuggets of wisdom tucked in between the zombie jokes and pictures are what keep me coming back to your thread. I actually came here to tell you I'm hangin' in for the long haul this time.

Hey Donna, thanks! And it's nice to know you've managed to stick around with all the cholera and decaying flesh around. :P

The 1-chapter-per-hour readathon was indeed a great way to participate with a nonfiction book. Although I didn't think between every chapter, since I played video games and browsed the internet most of the time. :P

But yes, I do think it helped me soak everything up a bit more. :)

These little nuggets of wisdom

Is that what those are? *scrutinizes nugget of wisdom* Hmmm, how much you think I can pawn these for?

I've just remembered that when I was in Chicago last year, we came across loads of people dressed (to varying degrees of success) as zombies - apparently, it was the 3rd annual zombie political rights march:



...not up to zombie nurses maybe, but we arrived after it was all over - sorry about that! ;o)

Bizarre.

Flissp: Hmm, I keep looking but for some reason I just can't find a zombie ni that picture... :P

Video game update: Borderlands finished! Great game. I have my sister's copy of Wet which I plan to start...sometime. She said she finished it in 3 days and she's prone to getting stuck and never finishing games, so it should be really quick.

That pic I found was from a zombie pub crawl in the pacific nw, don't remember which city/state. I've gone to 2 zombie pub crawls--Minneapolis (my-near-city) had its 5th annual last October :)

Thanks for the info, Katie.

Note to self: In the event of a zombie apocalypse, move to the pacific northwest.

Another Spaced fan! Love it so much!

Ack! I had to...to...to talk to someone today. The first time since...since...ummm, since the two floozies in the ditch/dentist lady! *over-dramtically collapses to the floor*

Whoah, drama queen... :P
P.S. I can totally see that cat playing Mercutio...

MERCUTIO: "A plague on both your houses! They've made dogs' meat of me..." (coughs up furball and dies)
ROMEO: "TIBBLES!!!!!!"
Romeo miaows fiercely and runs off after the Prince of Cats, a haughty-looking Siamese with a bad attitude...

And scene.

P.P.S. Whaddya know? It's only 10pm and that just rolled right out there... My late night posts are getting earlier since I started getting up hours ahead of myself to watch DVDs before work!

*Nods* We'll make an early bird out of you yet, Ellie! It won't be long before you are cheerily humming and prancing about whilst making breakfast at 4am. It's inevitable now! >:)

LOL .. you guys just kill me!

They always put a smile on my face 8-)

#201: My god!!! Who was it?? Are they gone???!

Caro/Cindy: I know, aren't Richard and Ellie just great!? ;)

Sara: Some lady with a dog in the back of her car asking if it was mine. Nope! Somehow I managed to be walking Shyanne within eyesight of the road, instead of off hidden in the woods, at the exact moment she was driving by. How does that happen!? *Clutches at chest and coughs unconvincingly*

divine intervention

you need to talk to people once in a while ya know..

Ha! Talking to people is so overrated. *Retreats to his cave where he continues reading about deadly disease outbreaks and weaponized smallpox* I'm perfectly healthy, thank you! *Runs around the house in nothing but a tinfoil hat and rubber underwear, screaming maniacally and talking to self*

If you don't start getting out a bit more, the next time you type that description, you won't be kidding.. just saying..

#209: Rubber underwear? Ouch! Think of the chafing!

>209 Ape:/11 - It makes me think of the plastic pants parents will put over toddler audience to prevent messes. Sensible on Stephen's part, I think.

Kath: Oh, don't worry, I have people like you, Jude, Richard, Stasia, and Luxx to keep me sane!

...crap, I am so doomed... :P

Stasia: Haha, you have a point...and I googled it. I thought I made it up, but it looks like there really is rubber underwear out there...

Luxx: Hmmmm, really? I might be wrong here, but that sounds like it would just make matters worse. O.O

These are what I'm talking about. They're supposed to be slipped over absorbent toddler pants (which are padded in important areas, unlike regular underwear). I think the idea is that they'd let the child feel wet (and know something was wrong), but not, I don't know, pee on the floor in a store or something? *shrug*

People make weird things for kids. Like Peepee Teepees.

Happy Sunday to you! Stopping by your thread because I know there will be quick, lively, witty fun.

That is the most bizarre baby product I've ever seen. Like that's going to work when you've got a wiggly child to change... *she says wisely, having read the reviews* I think that teething giraffe would look wonderful in the shop though - I could sit chewing it until all these wisdom teeth are safely through! *knaws pen and sighs*

Luxx: Haha, peepee teepes!? I want some!! But wait, why is there 3? Why do you need 3? Won't 1 get the job done? Is there something I don't know? :P And wait, the desciption says you get 5. FIVE!?!? *faints*

Linda! Hello, I hope you are having a nice weekend.

Ellie:

#217 - Well, if one is really necessary, I guess you'd want backups while doing the laundry. Personally, I just learned to change diapers quickly.

Oh, laundry, right! I mean, I know a guy can sometimes have feelings of inadequacy for for a second there... phew! Just laundry... *sigh of relief*

Posting review. 3 in 1 thread. Woohoo?

5. Biohazard by Ken Alibek



Pages: 306
Rating: 2/5

Kanatjan Alibekov has done some horrible things. Most notably creating a formidable strain of weaponized anthrax, but that is a mere droplet in the aerosolized mist of Alibekov's shady past. You would think his memoir, recounting his rise through the ranks of the Soviet biological warfare program, would be an eye-opening, jaw-dropping, awe-inducing read...right? Most absurdly, it wasn't.

The first noticeable problem with the book was the writing. It just wasn't good. While the book was touted as reading 'like a thriller,' it jumped around in time so much I struggled forming a timeline in my head of what was happening when. Alibekov has delivers the events of his previous life, which should be astonishing, in such a dry and bland cadence that I found the book rather boring. This is not what I expected considering the topic, and who it was written by.

Another problem is Alibekov's lack of detail. He frequently tells you he was weaponizing this and tinkering with that, but he alludes to it such an distant, emotionless manner that it didn't feel all that significant. I've never read a book about the engineering of biological weapons and found myself shrugging noncommittally, but there was just no passion in this book, and I found msyelf dissinterested.

The author also spends a lot of time guessing at things he doesn't know about. Suspicious deaths, what other people might be doing in other labs, why his leaders want biological agents, etc. He should have plenty to say about himself, but he spends much more time theorizing and hinting at things he had no part in.

The oddest part is, I didn't learn much. How can that happen? Granted I've read a quite a bit on this particular topic, but this is a book about a secret biowarfare program that few people have written about, and written by the man who was at the head of it all. How can I go through 300 pages of that and not learn something new? The only thing I learned about was Russian politics, and that was credited to someone else in the Acknowledgements section.

So...what does Kanatjan Alibekov have to offer here? Strangely, it seems not a whole lot. Yes, there is an occasional shocking detail here and there, but overall I felt very unenlightened. The book didn't carry the impact I expected, and I'm just finding myself nonplussed by the whole thing. Disappointing.

The first noticeable problem with the book was the writing. It just wasn't good. ... How can I go through 300 pages of that and not learn something new? The only thing I learned about is Russian politics, and that was credited to someone else in the Acknowledgements section.

Well, boo hiss.

Stephen, sorry I did not get back sooner. You were included about putting a smile on my face 8o).

I'm glad I'll never have to add that one to my wishlist, Stephen! :-)

Yay for adult rubber underwear. For some reason, I just don't want to click on the kid's underwear link. Eww, pp tps?

#220: One less book in the world that I need to read. Thanks for the heads up, Stephen!

I hope whatever book you are reading now it is better than that one!

#214 : I loved peepee teepees when I'm babysitting my friends' baby boy. It does work and I've taken to buying some and keeping them so when I'm called to babysit, I bring them with me in the event that my friends have run out. It's stopped me being showered or sprayed in the face when I'm changing little Keoni into new diapers.

I have people like you, Jude, Richard, Stasia, and Luxx to keep me sane!

hahahahhahahahha! hahahahahhaha! hahahahahha!

*laughing like a madman* oh, ummm....

Biohazard has a cool cover. I tend to want to buy books with cool covers. But since the inside of this one is lacking, I'll restrain myself. Sorry you didn't enjoy it!

#227: Are you trying to say that we are not sane around here, Tom? :)

Luxx: Yep, you get the idea. And your quote makes me realize how often I mix up past/present tense when writing my reviews. I'm really bad at that, and keep saying I'm going to be more aware of it while I'm typing, but I never am. Oh well!

Cindy: Now you're making me laugh. :P

Ilana/Stasia/Tom: Well, the book seems to have very high ratings/reviews elsewhere...I just can't figure out why. *shrug*

Sara: Yes, I don't blame anyone for not wanting to click on links found on my thread.

Caro! But, it's a spray of love. How can you restrict such a thing. :P

Ok everyone, I'm hoping to get into the library sometime soon, and you know what that means. RANDOMIZED BOOKS!

For those of you just joining me, let me explain. Because I check out several books at a time when I visit the library, I thought it would be fun to use Random.org to randomize a couple of my choices.

My library uses DDC, so what I do is use the random number generator to generate a number between 1-99, then add a zero to the number I get and use that to pick a nonfiction book. For example, if I were to generate the number 25, that would be any book between 250-259.

I also generate two numbers, 1-26, and apply letters to those (1=a, 2=b, 3=c, etc.) and us that to pick a fiction book. For example, the nubers 7, 1 would be Ga, so I would go to the fiction section and find a book by an author with those letters.

Also, though my library has an online catalog, I refuse to peek at what my library has to offer. Half the fun is going to the section and 'discovering' what is there to pick from.

This has been hugely successful, I have found books I never would have read otherwise, and because I have such low expectations I seem to be enjoying my selection quite a bit. It's a fun way to find books I might never have found before, and going into section of the library I've never thought to go in.

So, with all that said, my random numbers for this visit will be:

Nonfiction: 38 (380-389 - Social Science/Commerce, communications, transport)
Fiction: 20, 25 (Ty)

I'm not sure when I'll make it into the library. Either in a little while, or in a few days considering there is an ice storm in the forecast. In that case I might have to resort to another christian mystery... *shudders* Oh, the perils of not actually owning many books...

#231: I just tried it, Stephen, so on my next visit to the library, I will be checking out a book between 170-179 (Ethics) for my nonfiction book and Rh (not sure that one will work, but I will give it a shot) for my fiction book.

Cool, Stasia, I look forward to seeing what you get!

...wait a second. ...where will I see it? *gasp* I just realized I haven't been following your thread. Oh dear...must find that.

Well, I'm back from the library. I got to drive myself like a big boy (*looks up at peepee teepee discussion...*) and came back with an alarming 6 books, even though I've only been reading 4 (5 if I'm lucky) per month. My books were:

Nonfiction: The Atlantic Sound by Caryl Phillips (382 Ph)
Fiction: The Golden Shrine by Harry Turtledove (F Tu)

As you see, I had to modify my fiction choice a bit. There were plenty of Ty's, unfortunately all of them were Anne Tyler, and NO! Worse, the Turtledove is the 3rd book in a series, so it looks like I won't be reading it anyway.

*Looks over at huge imposing stack of books* Hmmm, where to start...

Ty's not good enough for you?

*pouts*

*pat pat* I'm sure there is plenty of nonfiction with great Ty authors, but those aren't arranged aphabetically.

You should be okay Stasia - there'll be names like Rhodes, Rhys, that kinda thing... Good luck! I wonder if the name-generating part of this would work for my own library? *runs off to try it* Yes, it would! So, for 15 and 12 I get 'Ol', giving me a choice of Killing Britney by Sean Olin, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, Confessions of an Actor by Laurence Olivier and Growing Up Amish by Anna Dee Olson. Hmmm, what an intriguing idea...

Just checking in...I'm usually prepared for some weirdness on this thread, but I'll admit that peepee teepees on Stephen's thread was STILL a bit of a surprise! :D

Hope your next book is better, Stephen!

#236: Oh, I like your idea of checking my personal library. I have a lot of Rhys Bowen's books, but I think the generator thing is supposed to be for last names. Hmmm.

I do not think I own any books on ethics, unethical person that I am, so that one will definitely have to come from the public library.

Hi Ellie, it's fun isn't it? Sometimes, you have so many choices, whether it's a big library or a big wishlist, that it's actually kind of fun to have such a small amount of books to choose from. Odd as that may seem... *shrug*

Angela: It is! I errr, started reading it and forgot to stop. Read 34 pages in 1 sitting, and it's not even a readathon!

Stasia: Haha, yeah, ethics isn't a popular topic 'round here! :)

I've been using Random.org to help me pick books off my TBR list. I pop the whole thing in there (one of the reasons I keep it in a Google doc) and then read whichever book is stuck at the top. It's worked pretty well so far.

P.S. I stole this idea from someone on LT but I can't remember who, so I can't take credit for the genius.

#227 That is going to make my top ten favorite posts for 2011, I am pretty sure..

Thanks for explaining the whole random numbers thing Stephen. I think I saw you mention it a few times and had no idea what it was about. Pretty cool!

#240 I'm intrigued about randomizing your own LT library. I'm not sure how to go about it, but would love to give it a try. Since I have a bunch of wishlist books in there too (and no book-buying ban, thank heavens!) could get pretty interesting!

What a cool idea! I'll try that next time I stop by the library.

MickyFine: That could work! Although I know those lists can get...unwieldy, at times. *Glares at everyone with thousands of books overrunning their houses* :P

Kath: Ooooh! *Wonders what the top ten favorite posts of 2010 looked like*

Ilana: Hmmm, I'm not sure how to randomize your LT library. How many pages of books do you have? And, when you sort your LT library, how many books do you see per-page? You could change you settings to show, say, 10-20 books per page. Then, lets say you have 100 pages, you could generate a number 1-100, and then pick a book from the randomized page. Or, after selecting the page, generate a number equal to the number of books on the page, then go to that book and choose either that book, or the one above/below it. You could also just generate a number 1-26 and do the a=1, b=2 thing to choose an author.

Emilie: It definitely makes going to the library all the more interesting, and going to that place is already my favorite thing to do ever, so yippee! :)

Someone suggested once that a way of "randomizing" reads from your LT library would be to go to your Profile page, and on the right, find "Random Books from _____'s Library." Read whatever is at the top of the list (or second, or third, or whatever rule you want to make). It changes constantly.
Just another way to do it...

Oh, that's a great way to do it, Terri. Much simpler. Yes, you could look at it as a random selection of books to pick from, so that would work very well. Of course, the books you've already read will show up, but it shouldn't be a problem most of the time...and if it is, you can just reload! :)

January summary

Books read: 5
Pages read: 1,685

Fiction: 3
Nonfiction: 2

Male authors: 3
Female authors: 2

Wow, my electricity is still on. I'm surprised...I hope it lasts. :(

I'll never tell.....

You lost me Kath... *shrug*

The wind is blowing really hard, so I think I'll be shutting my computer down for the day. I can't risk any more damage to it, I don't think the poor old thing can take it.

Enjoy your storm! On the bright side, with no LT and internets you should get plenty of reading done

*Exhibits signs of addicton by coming back 2 hours later*

The storm isn't so bad in my area, we're getting "light" snow...I say "light" because the wind is blowing it around so much that it feels more like a blizzard when you're walking through it. It's mostly going sideways and upways and everyway but downways, so it's not sticking to the ground much.

Hi Katie, yes, I'm finally hitting my stride in regards to reading this year. I finished Biohazard in 3-4 days and I'm already halfwa through The Atlantic Sound after only reading it for 2. So far, so good. :)

New thread coming soon.