Ape's 2013 Challenge (13)

Currently reading: The White Devil
Currently playing: Grand Theft Auto V







Thread #1 (Book 1)
Thread #2 (Book 2)
Thread #3 (Books 3-4)
Thread #4 (Books 5-7)
Thread #5 (Books 8-9)
Thread #6 (Books 10-12)
Thread #7 (Books 13-13)
Thread #8 (Books 13-16)
Thread #9 (Books 17-17)
Thead #10 (Books 18-21)
Thread #11 (Books 22-27)
Thread #12 (Books 28-33)

Books read: 42
Pages read: 13,685

January:
1. Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
2. The Second Opinion by Michael Palmer
3. Plague by H.W. Bernard
4. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

February:
5. Smoking Ears and Screaming Teeth by Trevor Norton
6. Psychlone by Greg Bear
7. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
8. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
9. Being Written by William Conescu

March:
10. The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart
11. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
12. Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card
13. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

April:
14. The Four Fingers of Death by Rick Moody
15. The Best of the Rejection Collection by Matthew Diffee
16. Ancient Greece by Paul Cartledge

May:
17. The Lost World by Michael Crichton
18. The Black Country by Alex Grecian
19. Notes for a War Story by Gianni Pacinotti
20. Sciencia by Burkard Polster

June:
21. Congo by Michael Crichton
22. On the Beach by Nevil Shute
23. The Winter Road by Terry Hokenson
24. Things I Learned About My Dad (in Therapy) edited by Heather B. Armstrong
25. The Isle of Stone by Nicholas Nicastro

July:
26. On Desire by William B. Irvine
27. The Ascending by T. M. Wright
28. Tithe by Holly Black
29. Next by Michael Crichton

August:
30. Among Others by Jo Walton
31. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
32. Odds Against Tomorrow by Nathaniel Rich
33. The Tent by Margaret Atwood
34. The Lizard King by Bryan Christy
35. Harm by Brian W. Aldiss
36. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

September:
37. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
38. Escape from Communist Heaven by Dennis W. Dunivan
39. America the Edible by Adam Richman
40. I'm Not Scared by Nicollo Ammanitti

October:
41. 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
42. Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman

Page for page, you are definitely way ahead of me. Oh yeah, and hi! :)

Hi there, Sara! It's not the size that matters...

Good lord, how have you made it to 13 already? Oh wait, I know.

Hi there, Leah! Ummmm, I don't know, perhaps I talk to myself a lot? ;)

Well! Finally! First time in ages that your thread showed up on my home page with less than a zillion posts!
Hello, Stephen! Hope all is going well for you!

Happy official Thingaversary!

Hi Terri and Laura! *Hugs*

Happy new thread, Stephen!

Thanks and welcome, Lori! :)

34. The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World's Greatest Reptile Smugglers by Bryan Christy



Pages: 239
Rating: 4/5

Nonfiction: True Crime/Herpetology
Owned

It has never crossed my mind while visiting a zoo that many of the animals I am looking at could have potentially been smuggled into the country illegally, but reading this has really opened my eyes to how common it is for that very thing to be the case. Michael Van Nostrand was, and still is to this day, a reptile wholesaler who sells a massive amount of reptiles and amphibians to pet shops and zoos across the country. In the 80's and 90's, he was illegally smuggling into the country incredibly rare and endangered animals from all across the world, and selling them to zoos with forged papers claiming they were captive-bred. Since he smuggled in so much "merchandise" during that time, it's not so far-fetched to believe that rare and exotic lizard you are looking at behind the glass in the reptile house of your local zoo was either smuggled illegally or bred from illegal imports.

The Lizard King is both enlightening and entertaining. I can't really compare it to other true crime books because I've never read any; I read it for the herpetology aspect, and I can say I liked it as much as The Snake Charmer by Jamie James, a book I read last year on the same topic. I did feel that occasionally I felt like the author was straying too far away from the "plot" (so to speak), but in the end each deviation had a worthwhile point and I don't think I would have changed anything in the end.

If you are one of those people that heard those horror stories about puppy mills and couldn't look at pet shop dogs the same way, this book may have the same effect on you with reptiles. When I was a teenager my mom bought me a turtle from a pet shop, and when she brought it home I remember her saying that she thought they "weren't allowed" to sell them. I don't know what the laws are now or what they were then, but I don't think I'll look at any animal in any pet shop or zoo without wondering where it came from. I also wonder why I never did this in the first place.

Checking in. Hmm, seems extra creepy crawly this time around...

Hi Micky! *Smooch* Snakes are super awesome, in my book, but unfortunately they usually grow to eat cute little mousies, and who wants to feed cute little mousies to super awesome snakes? Not me! :(

Okay then. Right. I can expect to have nightmares tonight just for having looked at the small section of a snake on the cover. Seriously. I have a severe phobia for snakes. Super awesome. Hells no.

Don't worry, Amber, as you know I'm well aware of how phobias can prevent us from experiening cool things. Like holding super awesome snakes. :D

>13 Ape: Heya. :) That reminds me. A couple weekends ago I stopped in at a pet store to pick up stuff for Mycroft and there was a girl in line ahead of me picking up dead baby mice/rats to feed to some reptile. *shudder* I'll take giving Mycroft a scoop of kibble over that any day.

Y'know, that's not so bad, I could just pretend they all died of natural causes. ;)

#11: Poor snakes (and other critters). :( I doubt I'll read that one this year, but the topic's interesting.

Yeah, some smugglers justify their actions by saying that, by smuggling reptiles into other countries and supplying them to breeders, they are actually increasing the population of the endangered animals. It's not true at all though, a lot of animals die during the smuggling process, as being strapped down in a hidden compartment and left to starve and dehydrate for who-knows-how-long isn't terribly healthy. Also, captive animals are generally too dumb to be good for anything other than looking at, so I don't think that's doing much good the animal's endangered status.

. . . I stumble in from a month long LT absence to find a nearly empty thread AND that you read a YA book?!?!?!
*shocked*
*checks LT compass*
*it spins wildly*
*slowly backs away*

I've read TWO young adult books, actually, if you count The Winter Road. :)

Never heard of that one, but from the description it looks like it's pretty solid in the YA category. I wasn't big into the survivalist books when I was younger, but I like to read them every once in a while now. Might drop that on the tbr.

#19: Yeah, the smugglers really have to delude themselves to think they're doing it for the animal's good. And I'm not a big fan of animal breeders either. :/

Btw, we do have The Lizard King at work, so I just put a hold on it. Again, I doubt I'll read it, but it'll be interesting to flip through. Thanks for the eye-opener! :)

>17 Ape: Mmkay. You do that. Although did you read Redwall books growing up? Does anthropomorphization of mice affect your views?

Katie: I guess it's my solitary nature, but the survivalist novel is very appealing to me. That's probably why I like apocalypse novels too.

Sara: Haha, that's okay, I check out books just to look at all the time. :P

Micky: I read (and own) Lord Brocktree, but that's the only one I've had the pleasure of reading, I'm afraid. Personally, I think doing that to mice is just horrible! I mean, obviously they would be put to better use in science experiments, what a waste! ;)

So I had a huge 5-paragraph review for the book I just finished but I lost it, so now I'm just going to go weep now. -.-

35. Harm by Brian W. Aldiss



Pages: 225
Rating: 3/5

Science Fiction
Owned

So, a Muslim fella moves to England and writes a book where he casually mentions the death of the prime minister. He's actually a citizen, and a perfectly good one, but he's Muslim, so the local authorities apprehend him and send him to some unknown prison-like facility, where they proceed to beat the crap out of him until he confesses his terrorist plots to assassinate the prime minister.

Mr. Muslim Guy, whose name is Paul, is also known as Fremant in Stygia, a city on a distant where he is tasked to assassinate some tyrannical overlord or another. The planet was populated by a group of people who traveled there in the form of DNA, and were later reconstituted into physical bodies upon reaching their destination. This has had negative effects on their minds and memories, which has led Fremant to forget that he was once a Muslim on Earth, and was wrongfully accused of a nonexistent crime and punished horrendously for it. Then again, Paul has a personality disorder, so it's possible that Fremant and Stygia are all a product of his shattered mind. It's your choice, really.

It is obvious that the "modern" plot has religious implications, and the "science fiction" plot uses the reconstitution issues to play with various religious sects in a cardboard cutout sort of way. Stygia is obviously Muslim in a cultural sense with all the strict conservative nonsense, but from an infrastructure standpoint it feels very Western. Likewise, a city introduced later in the book is very Middle Eastern in setting with a Christian sense of morality.

If you are still reading this, then I'm afraid to say that the book isn't all that great. After consulting a thesaurus I would say that the best word to describe this book is meh. Yep, just meh. It's okay, it's an cool idea and the author has some interesting things to say, but meh. I didn't like the way the English interrogators were portrayed, for starters. They reminded me of the way a pubescent boy would write them, with lots of swearing and vulgarity. It's hard to feel bad for the main character when you are too busy rolling your eyes at the dialogue. The author obviously wanted them to be intimidating, but I mostly found them obnoxious and annoying. Other characters were disappointing as well. It's a big stinker that Stygia has a potentially strong female character who kind of falls of the map at some point. That was a missed opportunity, mister!

Harm isn't bad, it really isn't it's just so...underwhelming. I feel like it should be so much more, and it just 200 pages it certainly could have been! But it isn't, so it gets 3 stars. Oh well.

>25 Ape: I still have strong memories of being very upset by the end of Martin the Warrior. Just going to ignore the rest of that comment. :P

>27 Ape: Sorry to hear about the meh read. Hopefully you're next one is much better. If you let me pick a book for you, I guarantee it would be... ;)

I wish I would have read more of the Redwall books as a child. Not that it isn't too late now, of course.

My next book will be The Penelopiad, so I'm guessing you approve? :)

>29 Ape: Never too late for any book. :)

And I absolutely approve of your next read! I'll be really interested to see your thoughts.

So I had a huge 5-paragraph review for the book I just finished but I lost it, so now I'm just going to go weep now.

I cried when something similar happened to me and ever since then I have typed everything up in notepad first so I can just copy and paste into the message slot.

Sorry to see Harm was such a 'meh' read, although the way you have described the plot summary, it is one I wouldn't feel the need to read so happily, I don't have to because you have already made the sacrifice for us. ;-)

Micky: I'm about 50 pages into it now and I'm really liking it so far, even if she made an insensitive remark about men with small penises AGAIN. *Rolls eyes*

Lori: Yeah, in this case my computer froze so typing it into a wordpad would have been just as disastrous. I should have saved! Blargh!

>32 Ape: Chortle. Atwood doesn't pull punches, man.

Really? I find it to be hurtful and mean-spirited, personally. I guess it makes sense that a feminist would be so fascinated with big penises though, I hear they are very, ummm, empowering...

On a similar note, I finished the book and I thought it was pretty good, I just wish it had been bigger. *sigh*

36. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood



Pages: 138
Rating: 3/5

Fiction: Mythology
Library check-out

I'm sure by now you know that The Penelopiad is a retelling of the Odysseus myth through the eyes of Penelope. This is only partially true, but it would more accurately be described as a fleshing out of Penelope as a character, and it also does a wonderful job of pointing out the overly sexist nature of the original work.

I'm so incredibly disappointed this book isn't longer, because it would have been an amazing piece of work had she been able to truly build up on this plot involving the 12 maids. Honestly, this could have been on par with The Handmaid's Tale had she been able to truly get the reader attached to them, but at 130 pages it ends before the reader can really build up an emotional investment. That doesn't make her point any more valid and she still does a great job of condemning Odysseus for his actions, but still, I can't help but think this could have been so much more.

>34 Ape: *smack*

>35 Ape: Glad you enjoyed it. I think I was a bit more satisfied with the book than you were. I found the 12 maids enigmatic, which suits their position as the chorus. I also got to see the play version of the work a few weeks after reading it and the actresses in the production were hugely influential in developing an emotional attachment to those women, which probably colours my reading retroactively.

Just so you know, I really am upset with the author and the jokes she has made, which I believe she has done in every book I've read by her. I would compare it to a man who determines the value of a woman by the size of her breasts, and commenting that women who aren't well-endowed aren't worthwhile of any man's attention. I suspect women with small breasts would find this offensive, and even if they aren't as insecure as I am, I suspect they would think the man a pig and not value his opinion on things such as gender equality. Her comments about men and the size of their opinion SEVERELY affect my opinion of her as an equal rights activist. She isn't one. She is a feminist, and this is exactly why I consider them completely different things. She supports women and women only, and she has no problem saying hurtful things to make her point.

At least, that is my opinion so far. I've only read 3 of her books. Also, I've only read 1 of her GOOD books. I still think she's an amazing author because of The Handmaid's Tale, which by the way had a strong male character which made the book feel less feminist and more equalist in my mind, and I still need to read her more popular books to form a more accurate opinion however. For now, though, I think she is mean and hurtful, and though I TOTALLY understand that she is an angry feminist I don't see why I should be made to feel bad about it. I'm sorry women in the past have had such a bad run of things. I'm sorry the men were despicable, and I'm sorry women had to do so much just to be treated equally! It's bad enough that it happened and it's worse that it lasted for SO FUCKING LONG, and still continues to this day. But I was born in 1988, my only sibling is my sister and I was raised by a single mother. I didn't do anything wrong, I wasn't there, so I don't know why she has to go out of her way to make me feel bad.

I'm with you on the angry woman schtick - it's irritating. And it's annoying, too, because she *is* a good writer, but that gets bogged down by her insistence on the woman stuff. And it's really silly to get up-in-arms about how Penelope was portrayed. Uh, yep, the Greeks were misogynistic; how 'bout you beat some other dead horse, eh? And by the way, if you *really* read Homer's version (aka: the Real version), you'll notice that Penelope isn't a helpless, weak, passive, one-sided character. She's a pretty strong woman, who holds her own against myriad suitors (who NEVER physically touch her, by the way - they wouldn't dare), and she does so with her cleverness, which she has in spades (and she's not fooled for one instance about who that new beggar in town is - she's a match for Odysseus' cleverness and then some, since she's the only person in the entire epic who's able to shit the shitter, so to speak).

The great thing is, though, you can do something about it - just stop reading her stuff. There - fixed!

NB: I'm a bit sensitive about people writing 'Penelope's story,' when usually I'm completely fine with writers riffing on classical lit. and myth. In Penelope's case, I think it's just not quite right - she's aloof and mysterious on purpose - she's quite private and doesn't want her secrets or her thoughts revealed. So I think Atwood and others of her ilk do this character a disservice.

Thanks Amber, you are actually one of the few people I have ever known that has genuinely equalist opinions. Maybe it's because you have a son, or maybe it's because you are so well-versed in a topic that is so commonly misogynist, as you say, but it's incredibly rare that I can respect anyone for their opinions on this topic - and you are one of them. It's true that she's a great writer, but responding to sexist with more sexism isn't the answer. I don't like that attitude in women any more than I like it in men. Prejudice is prejudice, both genders are capable of behaving in such a way. The only difference is one gender seems to be 'allowed' to be sexist. It's just disappointing, really. Most people just can't get past gender/race/sexuality/etc, and I think everyone should be held accountable if they have bigoted beliefs, regardless of their gender.

I don't think Atwood herself is a bigot at all, but she is definitely spiteful. :(

I'll continue to read her work, I suspect, because I do genuinely like her writing. I suspect, however, that I will continue to feel offended by some of her opinions.

Sing it, brother! :)

That's, by the way, part of why I think I have the viewpoint that I do - I grew up the younger sister to three brothers...

That's pretty amazing actually, because growing up around that many men would, I would think, increase the likelihood that you would experience anti-female bigotry. So, were none of them sexist? I would have said that your parents did an AMAZING job already simply by know you, but this is further testament to the fact that your parents knew what they were doing. :)

I think a lot of it comes down to personal experience. Women who have suffered through male bigotry are much more likely to be defensive about it. I think the key to being an equalist is realizing that you aren't the only one that experiences discrimination. Everyone experiences discrimination for just about every reason imaginable. A woman doesn't get the respect she deserves in the work place, a man MUST have a job or he is considered worthless scum, a black man can't walk down the street without every white person in the vicinity gripping their wallet or purse, and for crying out loud gay people can't get married in most places!

As soon as we lose sight of this and start victimizing ourselves, or even worse start going on the offensive and responding to prejudice with hateful or hurtful messages, we immediately lose sight the very thing we are claim to stand for.

Very well said Stephen. Agree with you completely.

Thanks Calm. As sad as it sounds, I always feel like it is a hazardous endeavor to discuss such things one a forum that is largely populated by women. I think humans generally have a natural tendency to cluster into like-minded and physically-similar groups, and though on an individual and intellectual level every person in that group can form their own opinion, upon being clustered so a hive mind of a sort begins to develop.

So to speak out against feminism among a rather large group of incredibly intelligent women feels rather precarious, although I always hope I can get across that I'm not opposed to feminism because I don't want equal rights for women but that I'm an equalist in favor of equal rights for everyone.

I find it strange that we fight for equal rights by dividing ourselves into separate groups. It just seems counter productive. If we want to argue for the sake of equality, why do we separate into groups of women, and groups of gay people? Why not have a more uniform movement where everyone argues for the sake of everyone, instead of everyone clamoring for better treatment for "ME ME ME ME ME!" As soon as a white woman actively defends a black man's rights, and a straight man defends a gay woman's rights, and a Muslim defends an Atheists rights, THEN we'll be on the surer path to equality, at least in the Western world.

Obviously that is different in the Middle East and Asia, where feminism is still absolutely necessary, but as an American I favor a more neutral 'equalist movement' over feminism. The only specific group I would say I support is the LGBT community, and that's only because they are being actively discriminated against by the GOVERNMENT. Once it stops becoming a political issue and starts becoming a social one, I would sooner see the LGBT community merge with my idea of this group of 'equalist.' Since that is not the case right now, they should be supported whole-heartedly. Ignoring the social prejudice that we all go through, it's terrible that there are laws in place that prohibit them from doing things simply because of who they are. TERRIBLE!

Does any of that make any sense? :)

Completely - I am really sorry to have to say that I've been thinking along those lines longer than you have been alive. Fortunately things are changing but too slowly, in my opinion.

Stephen, Amber, and others, I wholeheartedly agree with you! It's so frustrating and infuriating to me that there is so much ME ME ME ME ME out there and so little US US US basic humanity. Or, if there is, the squeaky wheel gets all the grease (all those shouty TV one-viewpoint channels and childish House/Government/Senate idiots who refuse to play nicely with others are two immediate examples that spring to mind). And Stephen, I'm with you - LBGTQ communities should get our active support since they're being legally barred from being who they are. UGH! The world (and especially this country, I'm sorry to say) are rage-inducing to even the most pacifist person by their idiotic "thinking" and backward ways. No one wants to help anyone else out unless it makes them look good (higher-up influential people, that is, not regular people who do the good and helpful stuff every day of our lives) or it's popular, or whatever.

Okay, I need to hop off of this little soapbox because I'm getting myself so angry and worked up over things that I can't fix at this very moment.

Ok, I'm going to hop on my soapbox for a minute and then I'm staying out of this argument.

Feminism at its core is about equality FOR EVERYONE. Feminists advocate for issues that affect women but that have wider implications for visible minorities, the LGBTQ community, and the impoverished. Historically, feminists (of all races) were major players in the civil rights movement. Feminists continue to challenge the status quo set by straight, white (rich) men who still have insane amounts of privilege. Women still make less than men for comparable work. The Equal Rights Amendment in the U.S. still hasn't been ratified by all 50 states. In Canada, women were only recognized as "persons" under the law in 1929. Women still suffer from ridiculous double standards, particularly on issues around sex, such as losing our virginity, number of sexual partners, and very frequently having to prove they did not provoke sexual assault. And when we're in a situation where large groups of men discuss a women's right to choose (a debate that has implications for lifestyle choices for both genders and a wide range of lifestyles), we are not where we should be. I'm for equality for all and so are feminists at large.

End rant.

I'm now going to go eat some candy in the corner.

Calm: It's sad isn't it? I think we are making tremendous strides, but I sometimes wonder if we aren't taking huge steps backwards as well...

Laura: Yeah, I know, it's an infuriating topic to discuss. :(

Micky: I know! I know all of that, I'm not saying that any of that isn't true. I'm saying that women who complain that they aren't treated equally are less likely to be successful than men who point out that women aren't treated equally, just like men who complain that they aren't being treated equally are less likely to be successful than women who point out that men aren't being treated equally. When we argue for rights for OURSELVES the perception is that you are being selfish, even if you have perfectly reasonable points.

For example:

Women still suffer from ridiculous double standards, particularly on issues around sex, such as losing our virginity, number of sexual partners, and very frequently having to prove they did not provoke sexual assault.

Whereas women are pressured to not have sex, men are pressured to have sex as soon as possible, and the longer he doesn't the more of a 'total loser' he is. In court battles over child custody, men have to prove that the mother is totally and absolutely as incompetent as possibly imaginable to have any remote chance of gaining custody of their kids, and even then they might go to the grandparents.

Women still make less than men for comparable work.

It's true, however a people think nothing of a woman that doesn't work, where as men that don't work are worthless slugs. In fact, I have faced this sort of prejudice right here on Librarything. Someone once said that they would never date a man that didn't have a job, because it showed that he had his shit together. Insinuating that men without jobs don't have their shit together. Have you ever heard a man say "I won't date a woman without a job because it shows she doesn't have her shit together"? Of course not.

I'm not saying these things because you are wrong, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT that women face many social prejudices. But so does everyone else. That's why I'm an equalist, not a feminist.

As for your "feminism is about equal rights for everyone," you can't possibly believe that...

Feminism is about equal rights for everyone. Some people just choose to use that word to their own ends. It's very similar to the way that some people use otherwise peaceful and loving religions to justify their hate and bigotry.

I consider myself a feminist (though I think it's an antiquated term) but don't think that women are in any way better or worse than men. The idea that women are better than men goes against everything I believe in, which is that we are all humans first and gender is just a matter of a few different genes.

It's a testament that women aren't better than men that many need to put men down to empower themselves. Women are just flawed people too. I don't typically call myself a feminist because, like you, I prefer the concept of equalism but I refer to myself as a humanist. For me, that encompasses all the best parts of feminism and applies them across the board, something feminism was meant to do. I had a veritable meltdown on another forum over a very well known French feminist who has written a whole book bashing OTHER WOMEN as setting feminism back because they CHOOSE to breastfeed and embrace natural parenting and cook for their families and stay at home. I believe feminism or humanism should work to raise people up and celebrate them rather than looking for things that are imperfect and magnifying them. You can't ignore injustices, but I don't believe they are fixed by belittling others.

My perception of feminism isn't that it's about equal rights for everyone. It was designed and intended to create equal rights specifically for women, and at the time of it's creation I think it was absolutely critical and important, just like the LGBT community now. I absolutely sympathize with women, but calling myself a feminist just doesn't seem to fit. I don't want to "promote" women, so to speak, any more than I want to promote men, or any other group of people. I just want everyone to get a fair shot at anything they do, adn the term feminism just doesn't imply that, for me. Maybe it is just the name, I think it is antiquated, and I like the term humanist immeasurably!

Ironic, considering I find most people unpleasant to be around. Perhaps humanist isn't the proper term after all. ;)

Yeah, I wouldn't call myself a humanist either. :) I don't like people, in general.

Feminism grew hand in hand with abolitionism, both of which flourished amongst Quakers who are all about equality of every kind. It was decidedly NOT about women being better but showing that women, like Africans or Natives, were simply human beings who deserved dignity and rights. It's second wave feminism that you are reacting against. That came in the 60s and 70s with the sexual revolution and then a backlash of anti-men.

So feminism at it's core is directly wrapped up in what we'd see as humanism. The later offshoots can be problematic.

Sara: Do you think that makes us inhumanists?

Leah: Oh, thanks! But, if feminism has become something entirely different, isn't that all the more reason for the more selfless of feminist to abandon the title and move on to terms like humanist and equalist? I know it's just a title, but I think the perception is completely different.

I prefer anti-human. Or pro-animal. Either or. ;)

Pro-animal isn't pessimistic enough for my liking. How about pro-nonhuman? That way it balances out.

Sure. That way we can keep the aliens and monsters, too. :)

Yeah, monsters are so misunderstood, and aliens have cool genitals!

Great discussion over here, Stephen! I agree with everyone else who has posting here having an issue with the ME, ME, ME approach some individuals exhibit. I like that there are vocal individuals out there that feel that it it their role in life to 'inform' the masses, but not when they take an 'I am right, you are wrong' approach to it. Everyone has the right to have a different POV and to make different decisions, so I get my back up when even friends take a position I don't agree with and they spend all of the conversation trying to convince me that I should really be agreeing with their POV, which is sadly how some of these feminist types are. They give feminism a bad name, but don't try to tell them that! ;-)

Yeah, Lori, it's so annoying when people are selfish like that. Bah. If only they would think like ME ME ME, everything would be so much better. :P

> 59 - LOL! ;-)

I had a dream that I was reading a library book when I noticed an orange spot on the page. I went to brush at it to see if it would come off and it turned into a giant, thumb-sized smudge across the page. I then noticed that that the outside edges of all the pages were smeared with orange smudges, and upon turning the pages back all the previous pages had orange all over them too. That's when I noticed that my fingers were covered in Dorito cheese, and the ruined library book was ALL MY FAULT.

Worst nightmare ever.

:P

Poor, poor Stephen. ;)

It was awful, and I don't even have any Doritos!

Could be worse. Could have been cheese curls...

It's true! I think the moral of the story is Fake Chese is just plain EVIL.

#57: Agreed. I haven't checked out any alien junk lately, so I'll just take your word on that one. o_0

#63: Well, obviously you don't have any Doritos now. Are you sure you didn't eat the bag while you were night-reading/eating? :P

#64: Are cheese curls the same thing as Cheetos?

#65: Well, yes. That and you shouldn't eat while you're reading library books, tsk tsk. (gives Stephen an evil pseudo-librarian glare)

I didn't have Doritos BEFORE going to sleep. Although I did come across an orange fingerprint stain in a book recently, so that must have been what spawned such a horrible nightmare. :P

I think cheese curls are the same thing as cheese puffs. I know they are coated in EVIL fake cheese, regardless.

I rarely eat and read at the same time, I'm just not cooridinated enough. I would probably poke my eye out, or take a bit out of my book by mistake.

Poke your eye out with cheese? Ha! Good luck doing that. And send us a picture if you happen to accomplish it. ;) Kidding, of course. Maybe you should wear glasses just to protect your eyes from pokey food.

And you're probably right: seeing that orange finger stain on a book probably had something to do with your "nightmare." (If only my nightmares were that tame.)

And yes, I'll agree with you again. (What is this world coming to??) Cheese-covered anything is evil. XP And cows seems to think so, too: Cows revenge for eating them, their milk and cheese, and tipping them over just for the heck of it.

And omg, I need to stay off google: I found you a job--MINE! No thank you required. :P

Oh, and backing up to the Doritos thing. We had Hempfest here in WA awhile back, and this is what the police were handing out: Doritos bags with our new pot laws on it. No offense, but I don't think pot smokers know how to read.

My nightmares usually involve nudity, so they usually aren't that tame, trust me. :P

The cows are just creepy. Oh, and that job is just awesome! Unfortunately, I don't think either of us are eligibly. It specifically says 'no weirdos' at the end. Bummer! I'm really intrigued by what's going on in that mirror's reflection though. To the right I think I see a girl (I hope) in white cowboy boots, short yellow shorts, and a funny hat, and I'm pretty certain a dude is masturbating through his white pants in the bottom of the image. o.o

I found an pretty amazing job yesterday, I was so excited. Ohio University was hiring someone to work in their library Annex. They needed someone to keep the place organize, shelve books, and truck books back and forth between the annex and the university. Sounded like a dream job, only it was for students only. I applied anyway.

The Doritos thing is just too funny!

D'oh! No weirdos? (holds thumb over that part) I read no such thing. Yep, definitely wankers in the reflection. :P

That's awesome about the OU job! :) Why would they only allow students to apply for it though? Seems kind of wrong. But best of lucky anyway!

Yes, the Doritos story is a bit of stupid WA history now. Last I heard, people were selling those Doritos bags on eBay. So, basically, the joke would be on the cops? Because you know the sellers weren't using their earnings to pay bills.

It's just an on-campus job for students of the university, I had to apply on their website and I had to create a student account to do it. :P

August Summary:

Books: 7
Pages: 1,729

Fiction: 6
Nonfiction: 1

Owned: 2
Library Checkout: 5

Maybe you should try to become a student! Then you could have the job and be a student, too!
:) My daughter worked in the Ambridge library when she was in high school. She then worked in the college library when she was a student there. Roanoke College ( University, now ) It was a great library.

So is the rumor true? Are you running the Halloween reads? I always look forward to and like to follow that...

Oh, that job sounds amazing! It could be a work-study job, though, which would explain the students-only bit. Good luck!

Going back to the ERA discussion, as usual, the West Wing does an amazing job discussing it (I wanted to post this earlier, but only had my cell phone in Indiana. Also, sorry if you can't watch, Stephen.):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH3rLvzfizU

West Wing is generally quite good, it discusses and supports Democrat policies, obviously, but on important issues, Republican arguments are given a fair representation as well.

Kath: Ha! But by the time I became a student the job would be gone. Nice try though! ;)

And yes, I am hosting the Halloween reads, and the thread is up now! :)

Amber: I don't think I have any chance at all, but it couldn't hurt to apply anyway.

Hi there, Piyush! *Waves*

Very happy to see you are hosting the Halloween reads this year, Stephen! Interesting fake cheese infused dream ... have you fully analyzed it? I don't think it is appropriate for the Ohio University job to be restricted to just Univ students...... what is the world coming to? Goods for you on applying anyways!

Lori: I think it was a symbolic representation of the way I feel when I speak out against feminism; good intent that winds up getting me into trouble, every second I'm thinking "just stop now, just stop now, just stop now...yo're making it worse!" but I keep wiping my cheese-coated fingers all over the book anyway. :P

Well, You know I had to try, right? Maybe you should become a student anyway, so you are eligible next time?

I will check out the Halloween thread. I think you will be a good host!

Kath: Becoming a student would require money, and keep in mind I've been applying for work for 2 years now without success, so nothing like that is remotely considerable right now.

#76 Hi Stephen! *waves back*

My mom's husband's car broke down, so I'm without a car again. Curses! I seriously hope it's fixed before October otherwise I won't be able to pick up books at the library for my yearly Halloween theme read! Oh, the horror! Or lack thereof.

Halloween Reads! Halloween Reads! My favorite part of the year!

I always look forward to it as well.

Oh, and my library is having a book sale in October. Doubly awesome. :)

Sorry to hear about the car - here's hoping it doesn't last too long!

Yeah! Apparently the car had to be abandoned, so I'm guessing he is under pressure to get it towed to the nearest mechanic as soon as possible. Sounds good to me. ;)

Hoping things get straightened out with the car sooner rather than later. Happy Friday!

Thanks Micky! *Smooches*

37. American Gods by Neil Gaiman



Pages: 592
Rating: 5/5

Fiction - Mythology
Library check-out

America is no place for gods. Though it is made up of people from all across the world, people who brought their ancient, well-established gods with them. Unfortunately, those gods quickly lost favor in the New World and faded into obscurity, becoming weak shells of their former selves that must desperately cobble together an existence from the thin scrapings of the American melting pot.

There are new gods, however. Incarnations of the things Americans worship, like the railway, the television, and the internet. These gods are a threat to the old ones, and our main character is enlisted by a strange man with a glass eye to help rally the troops to give the old gods a fighting chance.

I really love what Gaiman has done here, it's great on so many levels! The mythology is brought to life and modernized wonderfully, he uses many clever tricks to make the character feel more connected to the text, and at its core it's an interesting story. There is so much going on within this novel too, it's expertly layered and I suspect I could read it a dozen times and discover something new each time.

Though I've read the Sandman series, this is my first Gaiman novel and I'm thinking it was probably a mistake to wait so long to try his books. I have so much to catch up on!

So glad you liked this - my Hubby is a Gaiman addict and spent years nagging me to read this. I finally got round to it and adored it - much to his 'I-told-you-do-ness'.

WOOHOO!! Now, you need to come and visit me, since I live only about 20 minutes from The House on the Rock, which is a real(ly strange) place! Come on, you know you want to...

#89: lol @ America is no place for gods. -- I could've told you that. ;) I haven't read American Gods yet, but it's definitely on my Want to Read list. I've only read Neverwhere, which I loved, and Good Omens (co-written with Terry Pratchett), which I didn't like so much. I might try and work The Graveyard Book in for your Halloween read you mentioned on this thread. Btw, does it have to be read during October or finished by Halloween or...?

Bekka: Yeah, I feel pretty much the same way. I've been bombarded with the man's work from all directions, everyone talking about how good it is, and I was always avoiding his work because I have an obnoxious tendency to aviod things that is popular among other people. Well, I'm glad I read it, becaues it was amazing.

Amber: Oh, you know I would absolutely love that. If only I wasn't a poor broke bastard (and afraid of other human beings) I would totally be there! Alas, I couldn't even visit Foggidawn again if she wanted to right now. In fact, I've been scrambling around trying to find things to sell so I can 'raise funds' for a game system. So yeah, no road trips for me. :P

Sara: You can start and finish whenever you like! I usually try to fit my books into the month of October, starting October 1st, but since I might be reading a 600+ page vampire book, I may start mid-september to be sure I have enough time to finish everything.

Ah, good, because I might change my mind by October and start reading something else. Best of luck with that 600+ vampire book. Yikes.

Haha, thanks. :P I really don't want to read a 600+ page vampire book, but I haven't found anything else I like yet.

Edit: Huh, I just looked it up (It's 'Salem's Lot, by the way) and my library's catalogue says it's only 427 pages. Well, that's encouraging, although I could have sworn I picked it up once and say that it was over 600. Hmmmmmm...

Salem's Lot may be longish, but it'll go fast.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking, which makes it harder to know when to start it. I want to FINISH it in October, so it'll be in my October stats, but if I start it too soon I'll finish it in September, and if I start it too late I'll not have enough time to read everything. Perhaps I'll start it early and read slow on purpose.

I have a soft spot for Coraline and The Graveyard Book

Gaiman is not a favorite author, but he has written some really great books...
And I agree, Salem's Lot will go fast..

#95: There are TONS of vampire books out there. Granted a lot of them are paranormal romances, but still, take a look-see, if you think Salem's Lot is too long. I tried finding a page number for Salem's Lot on LT, but I couldn't find one. We'll just stick with 500 pages, how's that? ;) Btw, I haven't read the book, but it's good to know it's a fast read.

Bryony: Yeah, my library has Coraline so that is definitely on my wishlist! :)

Kath: Yes. Must read more. *Twitch* I read American Gods because Amber wanted me to read Anansi Boys, so that will be the next book of his that I will read. Since I'll be reading horror throughout October, it looks like it will have to wait until November at least.

Sara: Oh, yes, I know there are TONS of vampire books, but it's hard to find one that isn't romance, isn't part of a series, and is available at my small-town library. I've been using the tag feature, as you linked to, but I've been using tag combinations to rule out all the junk. "Vampires, Horror, -Romance" helps a lot, but then I have to cross-reference with my library's catalogue, and finding something that suits me has been trying this year. The only other book I've found is Children of the Night by Dan Simmons, but it's not much shorter than the King novel and it probably won't read as quickly.

Good thinking. I probably should've done the "-Romance" bit when I gave you that link. As for Children of the Night, I haven't read it, but I do remember it's pretty big (most of Dan Simmons books are). Maybe Salem's Lot would be a good pick either way. That or I would say go with a vampire graphic novel. Easy padding!

Yeah, I've read graphic novels in the past, but only as extra bonuses. A year or 2 ago I read The Nightmare Factory, for example. I'll be reading full novels for the 4 'monsters' though, and consider graphic novels after I've finished those. :)

Glad you enjoyed your first proper Gaiman novel. I really loved Neverwhere *nudge nudge*.

I'm a big Neverwhere fan, too, Stephen, although I don't nudge as well as Micky.

#103: I have the second Nightmare Factory graphic novel, but I haven't read the first. Maybe I'll add that one to my Halloween reads. Thanks! :)

Micky: Haha, okay okay, on the list it goes, but I'll need to check my library for it first.

Joe: Don't worry, I don't think it's your fault. It always seems as though nudges from ladies are much more persuasive, don't you think?

Sara: Bwhahahaha! Errr, I mean, you're welcome! :)

No bwahaha needed. :P I was planning on reading the second Nightmare Factory, but I may do it sooner than later. We'll see.

I pity the library that doesn't have Neverwhere.

Sara: So what you are saying is I made you want to read it AND made you thinnk you wanted to read it all along. Ah, I underestimated my own power. ;)

Micky: Well then, you should pity my library, because it looks like they don't have it. o.o

>110 Ape: Submit a request for purchase. Right now. No library should be without a copy of its awesomeness.

#110: Exactly. And I'll blame you, too, if it sucks. :P

But you could at least watch the movie version of it. I've seen the movie (it's ok), but I still liked the book better.

lol @ 111! Love it. :)

#112: Psst. He'll have no talk to a librarian. Not gonna happen. :)

Richard: Best thing to come out of McDonald's ever!! :D

Micky/Sara: Actually, if I'm not mistaken, there is a request form thing, but it's RIGHT where all the librarians are, so you have to fill it out while they look at you, then they pull it out and read it immediately so they know who requested it anyway. Now what good is that? Wouldn't it be better if the request box were moved in some far corner where no one ever goes? Of course not! But I sure would like it better there. :P

They probably put the request form under their "evil glare" to prevent bad patrons from getting overly creative with their titles, like "F*ck U and the Horse You Rode Last Night" (no, unfortunately, that's not a title...hmm, as far as I know). That or they're just out to get you, Stephen. ;) Y'know, you could have your sister or somebody fill out the form for you. Or have them distract the librarian, so you can fill it out in peace.

They are definitely out to get me. You can tell by the way they always say 'hello' to me every time I walk in the door. Librarian's are evil, I tell you. ;)

And they read minds. Double evil.

Jeez Louise, I hope it goes un-noted that this is my first visit to this thread. *naughty*

I cant even catch up today, but rest assured that I have good reason in my temporary disability and ancient computer which gets me wound up tighter than a two-bob watch. I know you feel my pain.

Sara: Ohhhhh, hm. I'm not sure who I should be concerned for, me or them....

Megan: Disability is no excuse! Anciet computers can be problematic though. I'm glad you visited, regardless! :)

Ok, here's the plan:

You casually walk past the desk and pick up a recommendation form. Go into the stacks and fill out. Wait until someone else is asking a question of the desk (if necessary bring a relative to serve as decoy in this role). Drop the completed form into desk unobserved.

Mission: Accomplished!

It'll never work, the box is in sight of 2 desks, and I only have 1 potential decoy. :P

What about Shyanne? Let her loose in the library. >:)

That has potential, actually. I thought she would calm down as she got older, but she is still maniacally energetic!

I just heard about the new spray-able caffeine. This sounds like such a horrible idea! Plus, I find these sprayable, 'absorbed through the skin' products to be incredibly unappealing. It means if someone is getting their caffeine fix next to me in public I'll be absorbing it as well. It's a lot like second-hand smoke.

Am I the only one that doesn't like this stuff? What about you ladies, are you worried about the 'absorbable' testosterone treatments? In case you weren't aware, there is a way for men to "take testosterone" by applying it under the arms, like deodorant. It advises women to avoid the application site, because if you come into contact with it you'll absorb the testosterone yourself, which means you'll probably grow a lady-stache. Does it worry you that a guy could brush past you in public with that stuff somewhere on his skin and you could get a shot of testosterone?

Wait, what? I've never heard of this stuff. Sounds ridiculous. I'm agin it.

Yep! The caffeine spray is sprayed on the neck, is absorbed into the bloodstream, and then gives the user a jolt of caffeinated "energy." If it's legal to spray in public, then I'm sure everyone around them will be getting a jolt as well. And just imagine the high school kids who get their hands on it and think it's funny to spray it on all their friends at school. Lovely!

The testosterone "stick" is called Axiron. I believe the user is not allowed to shower for 2 hours after application, which I assume means it takes 2 hours for the stuff to sink in. If that is true, a man could potential contaminate you with testosterone for 2 hours after application if he gets it on his fingers, hands, arms, or clothes.

Axiron causes body hair/acne in women, and causes children to go into early puberty, so it's advised that they "avoid the application site." It all just seems like a really bad idea.

Ugh. Yes, a bad idea.

I was aware of the caffeine spray, but I've never tried it. Personally, I like caffeine (I have no energy, so any pick-me-up is great), but I'll skip on the testosterone spray. Yes, testosterone is very, very bad. :P And I'm guessing it takes awhile for the skin to absorb these sprays, so I'm sure there's ample time to wash away some of the "contamination" if you were caffeine/testosterone-bombed. Hmm, you're giving me some bad ideas, Stephen.

Well, Sara, you have all the more reason to despise human contact, considering you could get a jolt of testosterone after shaking a guys hand now. :)

Testosterone stick!? Caffeine spray!?

Passing/avoiding both like the plague.....

Hi Stephen, I love the idea of using Shyanne as a diversion, but then again I am a mischievous imp at heart. I am also the kid that always had to do what they were specifically told not the do so my advice isn't something that should be relied on. ;-)

As if boy cooties weren't bad enough, sheesh. Now I have to worry about spray-on testosterone.

Lori: It's funny, I was an extremely well-behaved child, I rarely caused trouble ever, throughout much of my childhood. If I was told to do something, or go somewhere, or behave a certain way, I would always do it. However, I was a very curious child, and whenever I was told not to do something I almost immediately had to try it, the first chance I got.

Sara: I think it's still boy cooties, only now it is literally contagious, instead of just a way parents keep their children from having sex until they are out of elementary school.

38. Escape from Communist Heaven by Dennis Dunivan



Pages: 386
Rating: 3/5

Fiction
Owned (Early Reviewers book)

Viet Nguyen was 14 years old when the American left Vietnam. People were celebrating the end of the war, but Viet's father knew better. The northern communist would sweep down into the south, wresting control from the hands of the southerners and converting them to the ways of communism. It wasn't long after that when Viet was wrongfully arrested and taken to a "labor camp" called Vinh An, where he was starved and worked to exhaustion in deadly, deplorable conditions. It was a sad fate that he shared with over 300,000 other men and women.

Dennis Dunivan met Viet Nguyen in his 20's, and was naturally amazed by his story. It is, after all, a bewildering and harrowing story of survival and escape. Unfortunately, the book is fictionalized, which sort of defeats the purpose. It's hard to say how much is real and how much is entirely imagined, especially since Viet and Dennis have different answers about how much of the story is true. Both are interviewed, and the interviews can be read on the book's website (Communistheaven.com) and when Dennis is asked about the validity of the story he focuses on Viet before he was arrested, and says the following:

The brainwashing, labor and torture in the reeducation camp were confirmed many times by the refugees I interviewed, and also by human rights organizations.

When Viet is asked how much of the story is based on his life, he says "nearly all of it."

Such is the nature of fictionalized accounts of true stories, I suppose. If they were really so spectacular they would be works of nonfiction, wouldn't they? As a fictional novel, it does a great job of highlighting the atrocities of Vietnamese labor camps in the 1970's. The writing is fine, and the story is as alarming as it is eye opening, and though I loathed the ending, Viet Nguyen thankfully ties up the loose ends in his interview. Overall, I'd definitely consider it a worthwhile read, and I'm glad I was able to snag a copy through the Early Reviewers program.

Okay everyone, October is nearly hear and it's just about time to stat up my yearly October Halloween reads. If you are new to my thread and haven't read the Group Read thread, every year I read a vampire book, a zombie book, a werewolf book, and a ghost/haunting book. I've been doing this since 2010, and will definitely be continuing it this year! Here is what I have read over the years:

2010
Vampires: They Hunger
Werewolves: The Wereling
Zombies: World War Z
Ghosts: The Haunting of Hill House
Extras: Horrorween and The Conqueror Worms

2011
Vampires: Midnight Mass
Werewolves: Shapeshifter
Zombies: Dead of Night
Ghosts: The Man in the Picture
Extras: The Taking

2012
Vampires: Dracula the Un-Dead
Werewolves: Saint Peter's Wolf
Zombies: Dead Sea
Ghosts: Black Creek Crossing
Extras: Hallows Eve

I haven't completely finalized my list for the year, however I do know that I will be reading a 600 page vampire novel, so I'm starting early in hopes of finishing it at the beginning of October and still have time for a few more books. Here is the working list:

Vampires: 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
Werewolves: Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman
Zombies: Undecided
Ghosts: Undecided, but leaning towards The White Devil, because my library doesn't have Ghost Story like I thought.

I'm excited to see what you think of Salem's Lot - it's still one of my favorite King novels.

Okay. I've been MIA. For three months. But I am glad to see that nothing has changed. Right back with the Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies!! ; )

Amber: I was going to start it next, but I'm afraid I'll finish it too fast, so I may read another short book before starting it. Not sure what though, I need to peruse my book and see if I have a 100-pager laying about somewhere.

Hi Kim! *Hugs* I've been wondering why it felt like there was a hole in my life for the past 3 months, now I know why. ;)

I am pitching for the Zombies. As you have read classics this year Pride, predadece and zombies.

P.s sorry cant spell need to work on the.

I think I need to read Pride and Prejudice first, but that is definitely on the "eventually" list. :)

Nice to know its there. Do you read graphic novals?

I do occassionally, although I haven't read any in over a year. My local library doesn't have much of a selection, unfortunately.

See if they have the walking dead. That has Zombies.

Oh yes, The Walking Dead is definitely on my list. It is listed on their website but I can never find it on the shelves, even when it's listed as being available. They must be hiding it from me. ;)

I belive they are you may have to have a stake out at your library.

I'm sure they already find me stalkerish, considering the considerable lengths of time I spend browsing about the shelves, so yeah, what's the worst that can happen? :)

:) on sad note my tread is very empty and will probly stay that way till i get on the main computer tommorow( Well today as its 01:47 here)

Don't worry, my fat ass can take up LOTS of space, so it's less empty now. ;)

In other news, I found a book to read before I start my horror theme read. I'm not Scared. Ha! Perfect title, right? :)

39. America the Edible: A Hungry History, from Sea to Dining Sea by Adam Richman



Pages: 256
Rating: 4/5

Owned
Nonfiction - Food/Travel Writing

America the Edible is a travel and food memoir of a sort, written by Adam Richman - most popular for his work on Man Vs. Food, a travel and food show on the Travel Channel. First, let me say that this is NOT a novelization of the television show, this is an account of his own personal experiences traveling and eating outside of the show. He also gives a small amount of the food-related history of the city in question, and details how this resulted in what the locals there are eating now, which I found pretty fascinating.

This is a very different Adam Richman than I am familiar with. Whereas on his show he comes off as a goofy, witty young man with a childlike sense of humor, in his book he's a bit more lewd a vulgar, and his "childlike sense of humor" would be better described as "obnoxious immature frat-boy humor." There are regular F-bombs, and he must spend time in every chapter telling you about the women he is sleeping with in every city he visits across the country. Meh.

Fortunately, his wit is still sharp, and it turns out that he's a great writer. I particularly like his scathing commentary about hipsters, which I naturally adored and chuckled over the couple of times it cropped up. What I like most of all about this book, and about Adam in general, is that he is a foodie without any of the pretentiousness that is common among foodies. As a food lover, he always pushes the importance of fresh, local foods cooked by local small businesses, he specifically says that the best meals usually come from those divey joints with faded signs hanging from ramshackle building. He has an amazing sense of taste - I'll never forget when he was fed a 'secret sauce' on his show and he started picking it apart ingredient-by-ingredient, much to the owner's alarm. With all that said, he's not above eating things corn dogs or deep-fried things and exclaiming how wonderful they are. It's about the ingredients, people, not the SHAPE of the food.

He's also incredibly open-minded about food, and he even says that while traditional food is great, what important is that the food tastes good, and he'd sooner take a "weird" new dish that is delicious over a traditional dish that is bland and boring, just like he'd sooner take a simply-prepared traditional dish that is cooked perfectly over a fancy schmancy new dish that is all flash and no substance. Gah, the guy is so sensible, why is this so uncommon among people? Seriously! This is why when it comes to food, I respect his opinion so much - along with Anthony Bourdain's.

I enjoyed the book. There is one issue, the book is filled with pictures of the food he is eating, but unfortunately these are printed on the regular pages, in black-and-white, and in very small sizes. It's basically impossible to get anything out of them, and so they don't really add anything to the book at all. It's too bad, but the book is enjoyable nevertheless.

#147 Very :)

Happy "talk like a pirate" day everyone! I unfortunately can't find a decent English-to-Somali translator, so I'm afraid I can't join in the revelry.

*snork*

*eye roll* Goofball.

Ahoy Matie!! Can't seem to find my eyepatch anywhere....

40. I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti



Pages: 200
Rating: 3/5

Fiction
Owned

Michele lives in a small village composed of just a few small houses in southern Italy, the "poor half" of the country as his father says, and so he lives a very simple and sheltered life. During an oppressive heat wave the children of the village find themselves exploring an abandoned farm house, where MIchele makes a horrific discovery that will shatters his innocent view of the world. His father warns him to stop worrying about monsters, it's men you have to be afraid of, and throughout the book he comes to realize just how true that is.

This is a wonderful book, it really and truly is, but there were 2 major issues that irritated me enough to drop a star off the rating. It should be a 4-star book, dammit! But I just can't do it. When Michele makes his discovery in the farmhouse all I could think was how odd the other children were behaving. The ending is also awful, and by that I mean it's nonexistent. Okay, yes, I totally understand why some authors use open endings to let their readers decide what happens next, but man, it's so not cool to do that in a suspense novel. You are built up and built up and you eagerly rush through the novel...and then you are just left hanging. Oh, how infuriating!!!

Otherwise it's a wonderful book. It really and truly is.

That one looks like something I'd read. :) I'm kind of with you on open endings. I generally like everything resolved, but I think some authors want the reader to fill in the blanks, either because they're lazy or want readers to use their imagination, who knows. Open endings work best with horror/thrillers, imho.

Yeah, I also think open endings opens up lines of discussion for those who read the book in a group, but in this case it just left me feeling dissatisfied. :(

>154 Ape: I'm scared of the cover... So I'll be staying away from that one. :P

Don't be! That's a crappy cover taken from the movie adaptation. The others are much better. :)

I am going to pass on both of your more recent reads Stephen and instead, wish you a happy weekend!

Yeah, I don't think I'll read that one, either - I don't like the sound of that ending at all. Ptooey!

Thanks Lori! So far I've sat about being lazy, so I'd say it's been a pretty happy one so far. ;)

>158 Ape: Uh-huh. You are familiar with my reading tastes, right? Does this really sound like something I'd pick up?

Amber: I didn't realize we had cross-posted. Yeah, the ending was disappointing, and it could have been fixed with a few paragraphs.

Micky: No, it doesn't at all. However, the cover is a poor excuse. :P

Excuse me while I recover from shock. You just admitted that not reading a book because of its cover is a poor excuse. Madness!

Haha! I meant that it's a poor excuse in this situation, because there are better ones available. ;)

You know what has a *great* ending? Muppets from Space. Just sayin'.

I'm sure even if my library had those, they would be in the children's section, so I'm not listening! :P

Arrrgh.

Okay everyone, I've officially started my yearly October theme read. The copy of Salem's Lot is in pretty horrendous condition. I don't normally like to check out older paperbacks from the public library, because it feels like they are practically crumbling in my hands, and I am so not okay with damaging library books. There are few things as unpleasant as opening a library paperback and discovering a loose binding, which triggers fears of perhaps ripping the book right in half or something equally as appalling!

Fortunately that hasn't happened! But, you can imagine my apprehension when I pulled Salem's Lot off the paperback shelf and it looked like this:



Oh, and the binding is so bad! The poor thing. I want to protect it, or wrap it in duct tape. I can't decide.

Here's the funny part. I started reading it earlier, and in the introduction Stephen King is reminiscing about reading an old, battered copy of Dracula that his mom brought home from the library for him.

"I remember that Stratford Library book clearly and with great affection. It had that comfortably sprung, lived-in look that library books with a lively circulation always get; bent page corners, a dab of mustard on page 331, a whiff of some reader's spilled after-dinner whisky on page 468. Only library books speak with such wordless eloquence of the power good stories hold over us; how good stories abide, unchanged, and mutely wise, while we poor humans grow older and slower."

Sprung? Lived-in? That's one way of putting it...

Ha! It has certainly been well-loved...

Stephen, It's wonderful that your edition of Salem's Lot is so battered well loved. I stopped reading King when I realized I needed to get control of my insomnia (he wasn't helping) but I still think Salem's Lot is one of my faves (from memory).

Now that is a well-read book! I just picked up The Green Mile by Stephano King. I love Salem's Lot!!

>169 Ape: That baby needs to be weeded and replaced.

>171 EBT1002:: I keep stopped and then re-starting my way through King's bibliography because he makes me lose sleep, too.

Now that why i am greatful the serise of libraries near me plastic cover their book keeps them looking newer!

Ellen: I haven't read many King novels so I can't say which is my favorite so far, but it's hard to imagine this could top The Stand. I'm a big fan of apocalypse novels, and that was a great one. I still to this day remember many of the character's names, which is pretty amazing because I usually forget names by the time I go to write my review upon completing a book.

Kim: Nice! I'm reading Salem's Lot for my Vampire book this year, and as part of the group read here in the 75er group. :)

Micky: Tell me about it. I've never seen a book in that kind of condition in my library before. In fact, I usually go to the library sale and find books in perfect condition there, which is a little sad. I don't know why they seem to be holding on to his one....

Amber: Haha, yeah, I think reading straight through Stephen King's novels could have unwanted effects on a person's psyche. Not to mention it would take freaking forever!

Bryony: Yeah, my library wraps their hardcover books too, but not the paperbacks. They do sometimes put tap around the bindings, which seems to do a great job keeping them solid, but this one seems to have been neglected.

I do love the plastic they put around the hardcovers though. I find books that are in atrocious condition at library sales, then I cut off the plastic and wouldn't you know it, the book is in pretty much perfect condition underneath, it was just the plastic that was scratched and stained. Libraries really need to consider tearing off the plastic and checking the book underneath before discarding those books, they often aren't nearly as bad as they look. Isn't that the point of the plastic in the first place?

Yes indeed, it takes a very long time: I've been working at his books for, well, 20 years off and on. I'm pretty slow at it, granted, and as I said, I've been taking breaks from him when I get too troubled by him, but he doesn't help matters - he keeps writing more! Ha!

Salem's Lot is very different from The Stand - I think it's a more straight-forward horror story, and since it's one of his first novels (*the* first, maybe? I can't remember.), it's more simply told, too (but not in a bad way). I still think you'll love it.

I'm trying desperately to catch up with everyone's thread after being mostly off-line all weekend!

I'm just dropping by to tell you that Zoe and Mary and I saw Benjamin Percy speak at the National Book Festival and we agreed that his new book Red Moon looks right up your alley.

>176 Ape: Books get weeded for a variety of reasons: condition, age, and lack of circulation are the big ones. Also, many libraries turn donated books straight over to book sales, which might be why there are pristine copies.

So has Captain Hook scared you away from my thread? :P

>178 norabelle414: Also, his voice is amazing.

>180 _Zoe_: Indeed, that too. But Stephen doesn't listen to audiobooks so he will never know!

>169 Ape: yup- that book could be on its last legs. I recommend thick tape and/or cosseting it in a book wrapper.

Amber: Straight-forward horror is what I after right now, so I'm glad to hear it!

Nora: Uhhhh, yeah, apocalyptic werewolf horror? I'm even willing to ignore the huge "thriller" tag for something like that! ;)

Micky: Yeah, my library dumps a lot of books straight into the library sale. I'd rather they had them than me, but I'll take them if they insist...

Zoe/Nora: ......

Megan: It's a library book, so I won't be doing anything to repair it. I'm just hoping it doesn't crumble to dust in my hands. I feel like it is dangerous simply to read it in direct sun light, but then again it's a vampire novel so maybe that has something to do with it. :P

>181 norabelle414: Yeah, I don't listen to audiobooks either. But it still seemed worth noting.

>183 Ape: apocalyptic werewolf horror caused by a VIRUS, no less.

Ohh! I missed the virus part. Unfortunately my library doesn't appear to have a copy. :(

lol @ 169. Ouch, that's bad. Poor, poor book.

>186 Ape: It's very very new. So just keep an eye out for it.

Sara: I know. You should totally cuddle it, and love it, and lick...errr, wait, what were we talking about?

Nora: Yes ma'am!

Having my way with your library book. You'll have to pay for water damages, of course. :P

Sounds like money well-spent! :P

:D Sicko. But you know you'll get one of those librarian types that'll want to sniff the book when you return it.

Wait, there are librarians that like to sniff books? Oh my god, can you introduce us? :P

I totally would, except there's that whole you living in OH Land and them living in WA Land. You could always exchange scratch-and-sniff postcards maybe.

That sounds entirely unsatisfying. :(

I know. I could kidnap them, stuff 'em in a box, then mail them to you. How's that?

That sounds like a plan! I'll prepare my box opener...

Ah, but don't forget that Stephen won't give out his address to anyone. *ahem*

Oh, right. *Looks down sadly at box opener* Ah, well, now what am I going to do with this?

Give yourself a manicure?

Hum... you all pretty much lost me back at post #189 all the way to this one, which probably is a good thing. I really should expect stuff like this when I drop by unexpectedly to visit. ;-)

Chaos and confusion is the name of the game on Stephen's thread. :)

#176- Of the ones I've read, The Stand is still definitely his best. Salem's Lot is a sentimental favorite because it was the first of his that I read, and I found it at a time in my teenage years when I was looking for something other than romance novels (ugh) to read!

Sara: Hahaha, a manicure!!! *Dies laughing*

Lori: Oh yeah, when you visit me unexpectedly it's hard to expect what you'll walk in on me doing. ;)

Sara: Actually, the name of the game is "pull the tail off the honky." Who wants to go next? *Brandishes blind fold* :P

Ellen: My first King novel was Cell, and I gave it 5 stars, but I'm thinking that was a gullible rating that mostly resulted from inexperience, as I remember being totally frustrated by the ending (or lack thereof).

Don't worry--I have a staple gun for when you cut your fingers off trying to give yourself a manicure. :)

How about just Whip the Honky Until He Cries? With a blind fold on us, of course, just to give you time to run away. See? I'm not all evil. :P

ETA: Hmm, I may try Cell this year, too. Thanks for that, Stephykins!

You didn't get my box opener joke, did you? :(

It was over my head, I guess. I r braindead most of the time.

I hope you mean my joke was over your head, and not my box opener.

I have no idea if that means anything or not.

September Summary:

Books: 4
Pages: 1,434

Fiction: 3
Nonfiction: 1

Owned: 3
Library checkout: 1

#208: A little of both. And it always means something sexual with you, so you get a slap on the ol' noggin. You're welcome. :)

Eeep. o.o

>209 Ape: Oh man, those covers are creepy. October is going to be worse, isn't it?

Afraid so, deary. However, my werewolf book isn't so bad, just a leafless tree and a moon, so there won't be any creepy covers for awhile yet. :)

Just checking in after having been away... How's the King coming along?

Hi there, Amber. *Hugs* I finished Salem's Lot yesterday and am just now working on my review. :)

Oooh! I'm excited!

*waiting patiently...*

Halloween Theme Read #1

Vampires






41. 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King



Pages: 639
Rating: 4/5

Horror - Vampires
Library check-out

'Salem's Lot is basically a modernized version of Dracula, in which a vampire moves into a small town in Maine and proceeds to corrupt the local townspeople, turning them into obligatory "paranoid superstitious locals" similar to those poor people who were unlucky enough to dwell at the foot of Dracula's castle. Naturally, A small group of people grow wise to the dark goings-on in Salem's Lot and band together to vanquish the evil that has settled into their sleepy little town.

There are many similarities that can be drawn between the two novels, Salem's Lot isn't so much influenced by the original but inspired by it, at times even emulating it. I don't doubt that if they were read with a more scholarly approach much could be said about King's opinion about Stoker's work, as he has clearly imitated it in many ways and I suspect King has made some social commentary with the use of his characters in comparison to the original.

Reading Dracula isn't necessary to enjoy this novel, however. At the end of the day, it's a great vampire tale, with Stephen King's ability to draw you in at indeterminable lengths. One of the most memorable scenes in the novel, for me, was when a man was being influenced by the vampires, he kept coming out of his daze and being alarmed at the time that had past in what felt like just a few seconds, and I had the same feeling every time I looked up from the book and saw the clock on the wall. Perhaps the proper term for the novel is a time sucker, one that sensually draws you in and doesn't let you go until it has bled you dry and made you one of them. How can you resist?

Yay! I'm so glad you liked it! Great review, too.

I'm glad you like that I liked it. :P

>213 Ape: Yay? :P

Oh happy October!!!

#217: Congrats on finishing it! :) And it's only the beginning of October. Good job!

Micky: =P

Bryony: Yeah!

Sara: I paced myself nicely, and had 40 pages to go on October first, which I finished pretty early in the day, actually. I'm 50 pages into my werewolf book now...I'm liking it so far, even though they main characters had sex 3 times in 17 pages. -.-

Just take a deep breath, Stephen. S/he'll tire him/herself out eventually. Or maybe werewolves have super human sexual stamina. Lucky you! :)

I'm pretty certain most animals ejaculate after, like, 3 seconds...but all those biology/zoology books I used to read never seemed to mention werewolves, so I can't say for certain.

#225...uh.....

Back to Stephen King...I finished The Green Mile which I enjoyed a lot. I think I might have to fit in another King in honor of the month.

I may wind up reading another Stephen King book myself. If I have enough time, I might read an alien horror novel to fill in the month, and the only alien horror novels my library has are Stephen King novels. I really wish my library had a copy of Day of the Triffids though!

Oooh, Stephen King and aliens! The Tommyknockers is pretty classic (=excellent) King...

Yeah, I was looking at either that one or Infected by Scott Sigler, which seems to have an Alien tag even though it doesn't mention them in the summary. That probably ruins the ending or something. -.-

#225: We'll give werewolves 3.5 seconds then? Sounds generous. ;)

#229: I hope not it doesn't ruin the end. Infected might be good (don't know; haven't read it). I would recommend The Host, but I'm not that mean. :P

Haha, yeah, The Host kept coming up in my tag mash of "aliens" and "horror". Hmmm, yeah, not happening. I went to the library and picked up Infected over The Tommyknockers. Sorry Amber! The Tommyknockers lost out simply because it had more pages, and I need shorter books if I'm going to fit them all in. The Infected has is 300 pages with big text, wide margins, and a new chapter every 4 pages or so. I think it'll read quickly.

I have a copy of The Day of the Triffids....

S'okay. You'll hopefully get there some day, and you'll love it when you do.

Terri: Just what are you getting at here? ;)

Amber: Yes, it's funny, it never crosses my mind to read Stephen King's books but whenever I do I really like them. Maybe that will be my alien book next year.

And, like Salem's Lot, it would go very quickly. No matter how tome-y his stuff gets, it's always a fast read.

Yeah, I was thinking that as I was comparing sizes, but Infected looked like a fast read itself, so I opted for that one.

Halloween Theme Read #2

Werewolves




42. Those Across the River by Christoher Buehlman



Pages: 358
Rating: 4/5

Horror - Werewolves
Library checkout

Wow, a werewolf book that has real werewolves - and scary ones at that! What a surprise! Every year during October I read books for vampires, zombies, werewolves, and ghosts, and the werewolves have been spectacularly bad. They've been murderers in wolf masks, happy werewolves, or told from the perspective of the werewolf to make the reader feel sympathetic for their condition. Finally, after 4 years, I found this. Creepy, scare-your-face-off werewolves who terrorize a small town in Georgia, and there isn't a single vampire crime detective to be gangbanged by them. Thank you, Mr. Buehlman!

And to think I nearly didn't read this novel. The first 15 or so pages of this book were so ceaselessly awful that I nearly put the book down a couple chapters in. The narrator is really arrogant, he refers to his partner as a 'greyhoud bitch' whilst having sex with her, and he spoils the ending of a book I haven't read. What a jerk!

Fortunately I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did. It's the dark, creepy, mostly-traditional werewolf story I've been looking for, and it was a great book to read during the month of October.

Wow, it must have been really good to make up for that beginning!

Yeah! I nearly gave up on it, but someone else read it for the October theme read and mentioned liking it, so I gave it a shot. The 'greyhound bitch' thing really got to me, although I guess it has something to do with the whole werewolf theme. I just thought he was a total douchebag.

Glad you like it, since I picked it up from the library yesterday! :)

By the way, you hit it out of the park picking The Reapers are the Angels. This may be one of the best books I've read this year. Loving the Cormac McCarthy vibe!

>237 Ape: Definitely won't read it, but the cover is pretty.

Jim: I really liked The Reapers are the Angels, so I'm glad you did too. The opening scene was particularly creepy, for me. It's nice when a horror novel can open up in that way. The Descent does the same...or was it the sequel? Hmmmm...

Micky: Ha! I'm afraid you won't find the next cover very pretty. I'm trying to find a smaller image of the video game I'm playing so it won't be so huge and scare you off. ;)

Oh yay. (heavy dose of sarcasm there)

I am here to tell you a bout a wonderful happenstance that happened today. I have a book jar, it contains all the books on my shelf yet to be read today I pick out Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. Yay for October!

Micky: Haha, sorry. If it makes you feel any better, it appears there is going to be LOTS of sex in it, so it'll probably make me more uncomfortable than it does you.

ETA: Oh, and now you know the dread I feel when someone posts hot hunky men on their thread. Only I have slow internet, and my computer tends to freeze on images for a few seconds before loading the rest of the page, so I get to stare at them EVERY TIME I load the thread. It's terribly unpleasant. *Sigh*

Bryony: Hurray! I settled on Blood Crazy for my zombie read, myself. I've read Warm Bodies though, and I really liked it. :)

I am 30 pages in had to put the book down i have to be up and getting ready for work in 7 hours and i feel that i will just keep reading and not sleep again.

Haha, yeah, sleep is important. Sometimes.... :P

It is when you have only had about 14 hour in the last 5 days! ;)

You get to sleep right this second, missy!

Ok if you say so:p

>245 Ape: Meh, I can handle creepy book covers far better than you handle topless men. *snicker* Sorry, unintentional innuendo in that phrasing.

Bryony: :P

Micky: -.-

New thread is up!