Mahsdad's (Jeff) 2018 Thread - Part 1

Welcome to thread #1 for 2018.

If you're new, my name is Jeff. I live in Southern California. I'm an avid reader. My wife might say I'm bordering on the obsessive. But then, I think that could apply to a lot of us in this group. I also enjoy photography, movies, hiking and playing games and hanging out with my family. Book-wise, I have a pretty eclectic taste in what I read and I hope to give you not so much reviews but my impressions about what I read.

What you will find here is mostly my rambling, way too many (according to some :) ) Wishlist and TBR pile temptations and a smattering of my photography. I don't really make a plan for what I'm going to read thru out the year. Its mostly what strikes my fancy from the TBR piles. Like last year, I received many wonderful books from our Christmas Swap and SantaThing, so I think that will provide me with a good list to start with.

This is my 6th year in the group, but my 5th after stepping out of the shadows and started being an active participant.

2013 Reading Thread
2014 Reading Thread
2015 Reading Thread
2016 Reading Thread
2017 Reading Thread

Come on in and sit a spell...

Welcome!

Lets kick off this New Thread and Year with an image from a recent walk/hike we took. This was taken on the PV Peninsula, in Southern California. Enjoy...

2017 Statistics - Q1

A - Audio
ER - Early Review
GN - Graphic Novel


March
16. Searching for John Hughes - Jason Diamond (A)
15. Revelation Space - Alastair Reynolds

February

14. The Relic Master - Christopher Buckley (A)
13. Descender, Vol. 5: Rise of the Robots - Jeff Lemire (GN)
12. The Dead Mountaineer's Inn - Boris Strugatsky (A)
11. Saga, Vol 8 - Brian K Vaughan (GN)
10. The Princess Diarist - Carrie Fisher (A)
Favorite:


January

9. March Vol 1 - John Lewis (GN)
8. The Gods Themselves - Isaac Asimov (A)
7. The Parking Lot Attendant - Nafkote Tamirat (ER)
6. Kill or be Killed Vol. 3 - Ed Brubaker (GN)
5. Civil War - Mark Millar (GN)
4. Wolverine: Old Man Logan - Mark Millar (GN)
3. The Hours - Michael Cunningham
2. Kingsmen: The Secret Service - Mark Millar (GN)
1. Earth Awakens - Orson Scott Card
Favorite:

Audiobook Narrators

Carrie Fisher
• The Princess Diarist (w/ Billie Lourde)

Scott Brick
• The Gods Themselves

Keith Szarabajka
• The Dead Mountaineer's Inn

James Langton
• The Relic Master

Short Stories

I listen to a lot of podcasts, some of them are 'casts about books and short stories. So I don't clutter up my "official" reading list, I'm going put any short stories that I listen to (or read) that aren't part of a larger collection, here in this list.

Evening Primrose - John Callier (A)
When We Went to See the End of the World by Dawnie Morningside, Age 11¼ - Neil Gaiman (A)
July Tale - Neil Gaiman (A)
The Monkey's Paw - WW Jacobs (A)
The Gardener - Rudyard Kipling (A)
Repairing the World - John Chu (A)
Unassigned Territory - Stephanie Powell Watts - Levar Burton Reads

Early Review Books



Rating
- 3
- 17
- 1
- 3
- 1
- 2 (DNF)

TBR - 0
Didn't Receive - 2

2013
Top Down - Jim Lehrer

2014
Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere - Julie T. Lamana
Acts of God - Ellen Gilchrist
Invisible Beasts - Sharona Muir
Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie (DNF)
Dr. Mutter's Marvels - Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
The Future for Curious People - Gregory Sherl
Furious Cool - David Henry

2015
Get in Trouble - Kelly Link
He Wanted the Moon - Mimi Baird
All The Days and Nights - Niven Govinden (Never Received)
Among the Ten Thousand Things - Julia Pierpont
Tenacity - J.S. Law
Slade House - David Mitchell

2016
God of Beer - Garret Keizer
Dodgers - Bill Beverly
The Invoice - Jonas Karlsson
I Am No One - Patrick Flanery
Souvenirs and Other Stories - Matt Tompkins
The Sunlight Pilgrims - Jenni Fagan
The Vegetarian - Han Kang
Hag-Seed - Margaret Atwood
Human Acts - Han Kang
Things We Lost in the Fire - Mariana Enriquez

2017
New Boy - Tracy Chevalier
Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker - Gregory Maguire (Never Received)
Strange Weather - Joe Hill
The Feed - Nick Clark Windo (DNF)
The Parking Lot Attendant - Nafkote Tamirat

Pulitzer's Read

Ongoing bucket list to read all the Pulitzer winning novels. Santa was very good to me this year on this front, so I got plenty to work with

Bold : On the Shelf
Strikeout : Completed

Total Read - 28

2017 - Underground Railroad
2016 - The Sympathizer
2015 - All the Light We Cannot See
2014 - The Goldfinch
2013 - The Orphan Master's Son
2012 - NO AWARD
- Swamplandia - Nominee
2011 - A Visit from the Goon Squad
2010 - Tinkers
2009 - Olive Kitterridge
2008 - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
2007 - The Road
2006 - March
2005 - Gilead
2004 - The Known World
2003 - Middlesex
2002 - Empire Falls
2001 - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
2000 - The Interpreter of Maladies
1999 - The Hours
1998 - American Pastoral
1997 - Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer
1996 - Independence Day
1995 - The Stone Diaries
1994 - The Shipping News
1993 - A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain
1992 - A Thousand Acres
- My Father Bleeds History (Maus) (Special Awards & Citations - Letters)
1991 - Rabbit at Rest
1990 - The Mambo Kings
1989 - Breathing Lessons
1988 - Beloved
1987 - A Summons to Memphis
1986 - Lonesome Dove
1985 - Foreign Affairs
1984 - Ironweed
1983 - The Color Purple
1982 - Rabbit is Rich
1981 - A Confederacy of Dunces
1980 - The Executioner's Song
1979 - The Stories of John Cheever
1978 - Elbow Room
1977 - NO AWARD
1976 - Humboldt's Gift
1975 - The Killer Angels
1974 - NO AWARD
1973 - The Optimist's Daughter
1972 - Angle of Repose
1971 - NO AWARD
1970 - The collected Stories of Jean Stafford
1969 - House Made of Dawn
1968 - The Confessions of Nat Turner
1967 - The Fixer
1966 - The Collected Stories of katherine Anne Porter
1965 - The Keepers of the House
1964 - NO AWARD
1963 - The Reivers
1962 - The Edge of Sadness
1961 - To Kill a Mockingbird
1960 - Advise and Consent
1959 - The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters
1958 - A Death in the Family
1957 - NO AWARD
1956 - Andersonville
1955 - A Fable
1954 - NO AWARD
1953 - The Old Man and the Sea
1952 - The Caine Mutiny
1951 - The Town
1950 - The Way West
1949 - Guard of Honor
1948 - Tales of the South Pacific
1947 - All the King's Men
1946 - NO AWARD
1945 - A Bell
1944 - Journey in the Dark
1943 - Dragon's Teeth
1942 - In This Our Life
1941 - NO AWARD
1940 - The Grapes of Wrath

Hugos Read

Ongoing bucket list to read all the Hugo winning novels.

Bold : On the Shelf
Strikeout : Completed

Total Read - 34

2017 - The Obelisk Gate
2016 - The Fifth Season
2015 - The Three-Body Problem
2014 - Ancillary Justice (DNF)
2013 - Redshirts
2012 - Among Others
2011 - Blackout/All Clear
2010 - The Windup Girl
The City & the City
2009 - The Graveyard Book
2008 - The Yiddish Policemen's Union
2007 - Rainbows End
2006 - Spin
2005 - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
2004 - Paladin of Souls
2003 - Hominids
2002 - American Gods
2001 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2000 - A Deepness in the Sky
1999 - To Say Nothing of the Dog
1998 - Forever Peace
1997 - Blue Mars
1996 - The Diamond Age
1995 - Mirror Dance
1994 - Green Mars
1993 - A Fire Upon the Deep
Doomsday Book
1992 - Barrayar
1991 - The Vor Game
1990 - Hyperion
1989 - Cyteen
1988 - The Uplift War
1988 - Watchmen - category : Other forms
1987 - Speaker for the Dead
1986 - Ender's Game
1985 - Neuromancer
1985 - The Crystal Spheres - David Brin - Short Story
1984 - Startide Rising
1983 - Foundation's Edge
1982 - Downbelow Station
1981 - The Snow Queen
1980 - The Fountains of Paradise
1979 - Dreamsnake
1978 - Gateway
1977 - Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang
1976 - The Forever War
1975 - The Dispossessed
1974 - Rendezvous with Rama
1973 - The Gods Themselves
1972 - To Your Scattered Bodies Go
1971 - Ringworld
1970 - Left Hand of Darkness
1969 - Stand on Zanzibar
1968 - Lord of Light
1967 - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
1966 - Dune
This Immortal
1965 - The Wanderer
1964 - Way Station
1963 - The Man in the High Castle
1962 - Stranger in a Strange Land
1961 - A Canticle for Leibowitz
1960 - Starship Troopers
1959 - A Case of Conscience
1958 - The Big Time
1956 - Double Star
1955 - The Forever Machine
1953 - The Demolished Man

Retro Hugos - this are given for years when no award was given (more than 50 years ago). Of those...

1939 - The Sword in the Stone
1951 - Farmer in the Sky
1954 - Fahrenheit 451

National Book Award Winners

2015 - Fortune Smiles
2014 - Redeployment
2001 - The Corrections
1988 - Paris Trout
1983 - The Color Purple - hardback award
1981 - The Stories of John Cheever - paperback award
1980 - The World According to Garp - paperback award
1953 - Invisible Man

Forgot to save a slot for the Man Booker winners, so I'll put them here as well.

Man Booker Books
2002 - Life of Pi
2009 - Wolf Hall - sadly I never finished this, never hooked me.
2016 - The Sellout

2017 Recap

Total Read - 78

The full list is still in my 2017 Thread (see above), but in no particular order, here are my 5 favorites from last year.



Turtles All the Way Down - John Green
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry - Fredrik Backman
Different Seasons - Stephen King
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven - Sherman Alexie
The Last Night at the Lobster - Stewart O'Nan

That'll about do it for the static posts, now to go update them all. Happy New Year!

Hey, look who's here! Hiya Jeff!

Hey RD. Real life might prevent me from updating everything until the weekend, but I wanted to at least stake my claim.

BTW, calendar is going in the mail today.

Excellent! I'm sending you Provenance. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the publisher sent me two so guess who gets the second one?

Cool, I'll take anything you liked. Especially a Leckie. Since both you and I were in the minority when it comes to Ancillary Justice (I didn't like it, couldn't finish it). I wanted to like it but it never connected with me.

I'll definitely give Provenance a chance. :)

Thanks!

Cheers, mate, when it's not icyfuckingfreezing out I'll toddle PO-ward.

No rush. You've seen my Christmas haul. Don't risk a broken hip, or a busted coccyx.

I'll make you feel "better", I went to our PO, in a t-shirt. Sunny and mid-70s. But I'll take some of your precipitation (in the form of rain), if you please.

>16 mahsdad: ...mid-70s...t-shirt...

Dropping a star on my beer & book companion. Looking forward to a fresh year of books.

Did you see my PM about the calendar and the book offer?

>18 msf59: Hey Mark. I did indeed see your message, calendar's in the mail. But I totally forgot to respond to the book offer. YES, please!

Its not even a week past Christmas and already 2 of my good bookish friends are offering me presents. Yeah me! :)

Okay, every thing is updated. Though, I think I overtasked the touchstone logic when I tried to get the full Pulitzer and Hugo lists with links.

Welcome back!

May 2018 be filled with good reads!

Dropping a star for 2018! May the New Year be filled with books, booze, hilarity and all things wonderful.

Hi Jeff, just dropping my star off mate and will pop by as often as I can to see how you are doing, have a good 2018 reading year.

Hi Jeff, just stopping by to wish you and your family a Very Happy New Year and hope that 2018 is a really good year.

Happy New Year! I wish you to read many good books in 2018.

Happy reading in 2018, Jeff!

>9 mahsdad: Turtles All the Way Down made it to my best of 2017 list too, I enjoyed My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, but it didn't make it to my top 21.

Jim, Lori, John, Rachael, Anita - Thanks for visiting my neck of the weeks. Happy New Year to you all (and any and all lurkers hanging around :))

>5 mahsdad: I decided to add a new list to my thread. Consolidated all the ER books I've won over the years.

Dropping a star, Jeff. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year
Happy New Group here
This place is full of friends
I hope it never ends
It brew of erudition and good cheer.

That Hugos list is daunting. Even just the bold-faced ones!

Happy 2018, Jeff.

I like that group of favorites from '17. I hope to read more Fredrik Backman this year.

Happy 2018!!

Dropping off a
And wishing you

Happy New Year, Jeff! May you have some great reads in 2018.

Happy Reading in 2018, Jeff! Looking forward to following you around again on your bookish adventures.

Happy New Year to everyone who stopped by today. I'm glad you're here.

I completed book 1, sorta, today.

I don't count short stories I read/listen to, stand alone. But today I discovered a new (to me) book podcast called The Guardian Books podcast. The latest episode is Neil Gaiman introducing The Gardener by Rudyard Kipling (read by Marion Bailey). A melancholy tale of loss during WWI.

Nice little story

Hi Jeff. Have a good year, whatever for you that is.

I'm starting 2018 with at least five books that have a bookmark stuck in then. Kinda stalled, but all stuff I do want to read to the conclusions. Sense and Sensibility is active currently, with Nicholas Nickleby coming up in a couple of weeks.

Hey Bill. Hope you get out of your slump. I totally understand, sometimes the book juices ain't flowing. But geesh, Sense and Sensibility AND Nicholas Nickleby. Serious stuff. You need a palette cleanser. Something light and funny or a bubble gum thriller. Get the juices flowing.

Good luck.

Speaking of getting the juices flowing, don't you hate it when your book its about 30 pages too long to finish tonight? Or is that just me. Can't quite do it. Last post and off to bed.

Dropping a star, and wanted to wish you a happy and bookish 2018!

Hello Jeff and Happy New Year!

You be starred. I look forward to your thoughts this year.

>41 mahsdad: Makes me a crazy person. I will bull through if it's a chapter that's juuussst too long, but not a whole book.

>42 LauraBrook: Welcome Laura
>43 brodiew2: You too, Brodie. Thanks for coming over.
>44 richardderus: Normally I would power thru as well, but I knew I had to get up for work in the morning and am fighting a cold. (Yeah I know...Suck i up, buttercup. I can berate myself. :)

Ugh this year's cold season is nasty! I just finished with the coughing part after two separate go-rounds with the damned thing and the second lasted eleven days. Hateful things, colds.

I posted this to the "Interesting Articles" thread, but I'll post it here, too (who wouldn't want to pad their posting numbers :)

Beginners Guide to Hard SciFi from BookRiot

https://bookriot.com/2018/01/02/hard-science-fiction/

Interesting. 2 of My SantaThing books are on this list. I consider myself an fan of Hard SciFi, but I hadn't heard of some of thiese. New Year, New BB's

>47 mahsdad: There is no escaping your web of eeevilll, is there.

Happy new year! Wishing you an awesome year of reading in 2018!

Hey it was pretty quiet around here last year. I didn't have anyone to complain about any of my evil links. Now that you're back, all bets are off. Time to poke the bear. :)

Like I'm sure I've said before, just because I post interesting lists, doesn't mean you have to buy them. They just expand my wish list. If I did nothing else but buy books just off my current list (with no additions), it would take me about 6 years to go thru it.

And like this beer that Dr Strange gave Thor, my WL is never ending.

>50 mahsdad: The DSM-V has a diagnosis that fits me perfectly: TSUNDOKU EXACERBATED BY BIBLIOHOLISM. To see a book is to covet then to possess.

Yeah I know, me too.

I suppose its better than a raging meth addiction.

Cheaper, I guess, maybe; but more salubrious fer sher.

1. Earth Awakens - Orson Scott Card - This is the 3rd book in the saga of the First Formic War story. Its the backstory to Ender's Game. This one is set primarily on Earth, where a team of paramilitary operatives in China try to defeat the Formic vanguard who are laying waste to the country side, and in space around earth, where another team is trying to take out the "mothership". Its a pretty good read, about what I expected. The most exciting stuff happens right near the end. But a lot of it is political and business intrigue that is setting up the one world government that will be looking for the hyper-intelligent children to fight the Formics on their own turn in a hundred years.

If you like Ender's world, this is a must read (after you read the first 2 books), nothing earth-shattering, but definitely a nice addition to this universe.

8/10

S: 12/10/17 - 1/2/18 (24 Days)

PBS and the New York Times is doing a book club. Check it out

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/features/now-read-this/

Looks pretty interesting. Like most scheduled reads, I will fail miserably, but it will add to my WL.

Joe Scarborough, in an Op-Ed in the Washington Post talked about asking our dear leader.... "Can you read?". The answer won't shock you, but it will sicken you.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/can-you-read/2018/01/04/46d967a2-f18c-11...

“Trump didn’t read,” Wolff writes. “He didn’t really even skim. If it was print, it might as well not exist. Some believed that for all practical purposes he was no more than semiliterate. Others concluded that he didn’t read because he didn’t have to . . . He was postliterate — total television.” But “Fire and Fury” reveals that White House staff and Cabinet members believed Trump’s intellectual challenges went well beyond having a limited reading list: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called him an “idiot,” Cohn dismissed him as “dumb,” national security adviser H.R. McMaster considered him a “dope,” and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson infamously concluded that the commander in chief was a “moron.”

And yet we elected him. SMH.

Hi, Jeff. Dropping a star.



I don't think I ever got around to reading the First Formic War books. I own them all, and I believe that Beckham has read them, but I think in my mind I would feel something was missing if Ender or Bean weren't in the book. I also purchased Children of the Fleet last year, and I do want to read that this year, as I think it may tie into Ender/Bean a little more.

I noticed that Andromeda Strain was on the list of hard sci-fi books on BookRiot. That is possibly one of the first sci-fi books I ever read - I loved Michael Crichton growing up, but then somehow grew away from his work.

Hey Robin, Thanks for stopping by.

I haven't read Children of the Fleet. I, of course have the main 4, plus the (is there only 2) Bean books. I might have to try those out.

Andromeda Strain is probably one of the first sci-fi books for me as well. It is certainly one of my most memorable early sci-fi movie experiences. Still one of my favorites to this day.

>56 mahsdad: Oh my gawd. What a nightmare to live through this ghastly individual's illegitimate reign.

New Year's Resolution.... Take More Photographs. Corollary : Share More Photographs.

To that end, I'm going to try to start back up and continue... Foto Fridays. To start off the this first Friday of 2018, I give to you the cover to my 2018 Calendar. Prior to last year, the cover of each calendar was an image of my son taken during the previous year. Last year, being a 16 yr old, he didn't really provide any opportunities for cute images. So this year, I made a collage of the 8 covers where I did have a good picture of the boy. Enjoy...

Happy Friday.

It's lovely! I'm glad to have Foto Fridays again.

>47 mahsdad: Light: Harrison by Harrison is the only one I'm completely unfamiliar with.
>55 mahsdad: I saw that. The first book, Sing, Unburied, Sing, has certainly had a lot of positive warbling by 75ers.

>61 richardderus: *smile*

>62 ronincats: I joined the FB group for it, and they certainly not the loving group of people like we are. Lots of whining and complaining about how hard it is to get the book, too expensive, only in hardback, why did you pick this book. Blah, blah, blah. I dislike the huddled masses. They should have done it here or over on GR. :)

>58 mahsdad: Jeff, I think you might be missing some of the Ender series...I'm thinking there were at least 3 books with Bean (and possibly 4) - I'm too lazy to look them up right now. I think there are about 10 or so. But it's been awhile since I've read them.

>60 mahsdad: Love the pics. I know what you mean about not getting many cute pics of 16 yo's. I can rarely even get a pic of my 16 yo - and my almost 13 yo is starting to hide from the camera now too! Sigh...

>55 mahsdad: oooh! I like to look at these challenges for inspiration, but like you, may not make the grade as far as actually reading them goes!

>47 mahsdad: I have read 5-6 of these Sci-Fi and really want to get to The Three Body Problem.

Love the idea of Foto Fridays! My 17-yr-old son isn't shying away from the camera. All his friends have photos of him--they just don't get back to me!! Grrrr.

Started reading The Hours, a book that was only on my WL because it won the Pulitzer. So I started reading it, and wasn't completely hooked, kept reading and then got to page 70 where Cunningham gives the most cogent description of a migraine that I've ever read and I thought, Okay, now I understand why it won and I'm hooked til the end. Love good writing.

In part... "Everything is infected with brightness, throbbing with it, and she prays for dark the way a wanderer lost in the desert prays for water. The world is every bit as barren of darkness as a desert is of water. There is no dark in the shuttered room, no dark behind her eyelids. There are only greater and lesser degrees of radiance. When she's crossed over to this realm of relentless brilliance, the voices start."

>65 LovingLit: I am a very poor scheduled reader. I just like to read whatever the universe tells me to read next.

>66 Berly: Hey Kim. Thanks for the reminder. I think I have The Three Body Problem as a e-book. But as with most e-books with me, I tend to forget that I have them. Out of sight, out of mind.

You're right, I'm sure if I actually followed my son on Instagram, I would see more pictures of him with his friends there.

You're welcome for the reminder. ; ) Yeah, but I don't do Twitter or Instagram. Just Facebook. Sometimes.

I read The Three-Body Problem, and liked it, although I wish he could've been a bit briefer in his remarks. Our son read that and the last two, and thinks the whole trilogy is worthwhile. I'll probably get to the second one, The Dark Forest, later this year.

>47 mahsdad: Hi Jeff. I didn't do the Christmas swap this year as I decided I already had enough books on my plate. Anyway I saw that you got two great scifi reads in your swap this year. I loved Revelation Space and have gone on to read most of Reynold's books. Consider Phlebas is also good though I have to mention his The player of games which I loved.

I finally read The Windup Girl before year's end, that came in my first LTsantathing years ago. I see that's on your Hugo list.

>67 mahsdad: Isn't that perfect? "Infected with brightness" makes me wince and squint in sympathetic, remembered agony.

Happy New Year, Jeff. I hope 2018 is a great year for you.

Hi Beth, thanks for stopping by.

>2 mahsdad: book #2 - I saw Jim mention this, so I went out on Hoopla and grabbed it...

Kingsmen : The Secret Service. Mark Millar's GN that was the basis for the movie that came out a couple years ago.

Fun read.

Yup, I thought so. And I was surprised to see how much they kept in the movie. Different, but lots of details carried over.

Morning, Jeff!

>60 mahsdad: Love that - such great photos!

And I loved The Hours - such a great book. One of my favorites.

Good morning, Jeff.

>58 mahsdad: I've always wondered about that one. I may have to finally read it. Not too long, right?

>60 mahsdad: Excellent pics!

>76 drneutron: At first (the version I read was a movie tie-in one), I wasn't sure if it was an adaptation from the move. Quickly realized, no. I like Millar's stuff

>77 Crazymamie: Hey Mamie, thanks for coming by. Yeah, I'm liking it more and more. Such tasty language.

>78 brodiew2: Mornin' Brodie. I assume you're talking about Andromeda Strain? I don't know, don't have a copy anymore. The last time I read it (back in '09), it was on audio.

Thanks for the pics praise. I appreciate it.

>78 brodiew2: >79 mahsdad: I think its around 300 pages, but its a great read.

Hey Jeff! I got your package, thanks, and will get to the P.O. to send yours out ASAP.

>60 mahsdad: "being a 16 yr old, he didn't really provide any opportunities for cute images." REEEELY? I remember being hellacute when I was 16, and the boys....yowza. Is that just my ancient brain compensating me for what I've lost in the last 50 years?

>81 richardderus: Take your time RD, no rush. Don't go out in the slush if you don't have to.

>82 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I suspect there may be some ageist compensation going on. LOL. I'm sure he's cute and adorable to the girls at school (though he has no interest in girls at this point). He's just all that photogenic when he's sitting in front of the Xbox playing Call of Duty. :) (And there is definitely a reason why you never see me any any of the pictures. Just say NO to selfies)

Happy Wednesday, Jeff. Hope the week is going well.

I mailed the package out today. Sorry, for the delay but I did throw a story collection in there too, that I really liked.

>83 mahsdad: Jeff, I think our 16 yo sons would have a lot in common. For Beckham, girls are not an interest yet, although, for him its the PC and Rainbox 6, currently!

>84 msf59: Hey Mark. Happy Thursday. Hope it wasn't IKEA catalog day (do they still do that, send out huge catalog, we haven't gotten one in a while). Thanks for sending me literary treats, I'm excited. No worries about any delay. I don't think I'm even at Base Camp on my climb of Mt. TBR.

>85 rretzler: Robin, Michael's current obsession is Destiny 2 on the Xbox, and various indie games on Steam (playing on the PC). Its so wild how he communicates with his friends. He has an App on his phone, where he and his friend have a private chat/party line where they all hang out and talk and share music and pictures while they are playing games (usually not even the same games)

I was thinking, that I've got more messages in my thread than I usually do at this stage, so I went and compared thread #1 for the last few years, and I was right. I'm about a week ahead of where I was the last 3 years. But in 2014, we were a REALLY talkative bunch. I was in the mid-80s by January 4.

....and that's one more message to pad my numbers. :)

Here's another.

Maybe one more.

Oh hell, why not get to 90.

I knew I could count on you. :)

>5 mahsdad: Updated my ER list to include my rating totals

I'll help the numbers...

See? All you had to do was ask, Jeff!

I am always happy to help out with numbers ;-)

>2 mahsdad: Listened to another good short story on the Guardian Books podcast. David Mitchell introduced a reading of The Monkey's Paw by WW Jacobs.

Its an almost cliche story about being careful what you ask for. But its the original, and its a darn good story.

I also finished #3 The Hours by Michael Cunningham. More to follow later (I got to stop finishing books late at night, no time for a snap review), but it was a really excellent read.

>86 mahsdad: Keegan is playing Destiny 2 on the Xbox right now and he is enjoying it quite a bit. He usually commandeers our TV for an hour or so every evening. Beckham plays mainly games on Steam and some on Battlenet (which has Overwatch). He and Keegan both communicate with their friends on Discord while they are playing. You're so right, it is wild how they communicate while playing. For my friends and I, it was talking on the telephone for hours. I couldn't tell you the last time Beckham or Keegan made a phone call. All of Beckham's friends are on Steam and Discord every Friday night - and it's like a big party!

They've actually got me playing some of their games, too. I used to play Minecraft with both of them, and then just Keegan, but they've kind of outgrown it now. Beckham has been trying to convince me to play Overwatch, and I have a little, but they are way too good for me!

>97 rretzler: Commandeering the TV, that sounds about right. It sounds like your kids are on the same path as mine is.

I'm playing Destiny a bit too. About a 10th as much as he is. Its funny, I used to be really good back in the day, but now he's much better. I've almost asked him for help to get thru a tough part. Almost. Oh well, pride goeth before the fall. :)

Ack, its only the 2nd week of the year and already I've slacked off on my Foto Friday posts. So then, here is a delayed Foto Friday, on Sunday.

Its the January entry for this year's calendar. Enjoy

Sticking with Mark Millar with the graphic novels. Read Wolverine: Old Man Logan. What a wild story.

I know the movie Logan was loosely based on this, but this would have been an interesting movie to see as is.

>99 mahsdad: My inattentive roommate actually noticed this photo and commented favorably on it.

Cool, glad to hear

Wow, that’s a very interesting pic!

Thanks Doc. Fun with a slow shutter and a zoom lens

3. The Hours - Michael Cunningham - This Pulitzer Prize winning novel tells a "day in the life" story of 3 women at 3 different eras all interconnected by Virgina Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway. The first, is Virginia Woolf herself, as she struggles with mental illness and inspiration as she begins writing the book that will become Mrs. Dalloway. The second, is Mrs Brown, in 1949 Los Angeles, as she is reading the book and plans her husband's birthday party. The third is Clarrisa Vaughan (who's nickname is Mrs. Dalloway), as she plans the party for her friend and former lover; Richard, who is dying of AIDS.

I've never read Mrs. Dalloway, but that didn't take away from the poignancy of the book. Excellent writing, worthy of the award. The novel is constructed in a stream of conscience way, where Cunningham jumps back and forth between the 3 woman, linking them between the woman who wrote the book, the woman who is reading the book, and the woman who is living the book. Recommend.

She knew she was going to have trouble believing in herself, in the rooms of her house, and when she glanced over at this new book on her nightstand, stacked atop the one she finished last night, she reached for it automatically, as if reading were the singular and obvious first task of the day, the only viable way to negotiate the transit from sleep to obligation.

First come the headaches, which are not in any way ordinary pain. They infiltrate her. They inhabit rather than merely afflict her the way viruses inhabit their hosts. Strands of pain announce themselves, throw shivers of brightness into her eyes so insistently she must remind herself that others can't see them. Pain colonizes her, quickly replaces what was Virginia with more and more of itself, and its advance is so forceful, its jagged contours so distinct, that she can't help imagining it as an entity with a life of its own.

9/10

S: 1/2/17 - 1/11/18 (10 Days)

Nice review, Jeff. If you posted that, I will thumb. And I am so thrilled that you liked it - one of my very favorites.

>105 mahsdad: Very touching appreciation of a book I loved. I hope you'll search out the film now, a rare case where book and film are equally good tellings of the same story.

>106 Crazymamie: I did post it to the work on LT, as well as Goodreads.

>107 richardderus: I have watched some clips and BTS videos of the movie on YT. I thought it was quite ironic (or at least interesting) that in the book Clarissa and the public on the street were wondering who the celibrity in the movie trailer was. She was sure that it was Meryl Streep. And who plays Clarissa in the movie? Meryl Streep

Latest episode of PRI's Selected Shorts podcast is hosted by Neil Gaiman (yeah, I know, RD, but I like him :) ) and he introduced 3 short stories, 2 by him and one by John Collier

Evening - Primrose : Collier - A weird little story about a poet hiding out in a department store. He is not alone
When We Went to See the End of the World by Dawnie Morningside, Age 11¼ : Gaiman - just about literally what the title says
July Tale : Gaiman - Several years ago, he asked for story ideas for a crowd sourced fiction project he was doing with Blackberry. He ended up doing a "calendar". This one was for July, and it came out of Gaiman's question; What's the strangest thing you've seen in July? Answer: An igloo made of books.

This makes me heartsick. You might not love Stephen King, but certainly can appreciate and mourn the devastation...

"Original Stephen King Manuscripts Among Items Ruined In Bangor Water Main Break"

http://mainepublic.org/post/original-stephen-king-manuscripts-among-items-ruined...

>110 mahsdad: OMIGAWD!!!

Hooray for starting off strong in 2018, Jeff. Good review of The Hours. I read this many years ago but do not remember it well. I may to try a reread one of these days.

Ooh, too bad about the Bangor flood...

>112 msf59: Thanks Mark. Once Laura gets an opportunity to read The Hours, I'll send it to you, if you want a copy. Granted, it might be a while, while an avid reader, she isn't quite as voracious as I am.

For all that care, I decided to break out my audio short story podcast listens from the main book list. I'll put them in >4 mahsdad:.

The podcasts that I listen to that are devoted to short stories are...

Levar Burton Reads
Selected Shorts
The Guardian Books podcast
The Moth - not quite short stories, but interesting essays and spoken word performances.

Great review of the hours, Jeff. And love your latest photo.

Thanks Kim!

Fantastic Foto Friday Folks!

Here's an image with interesting depth of field. I took it on a hike in Palos Verdes last month. I can't for the life of me remember what kind of plant it is. Hope everyone has a good booky weekend.

I'm currently reading...

Tipping Point - Malcom Gladwell : NF that is good, but not quite as engaging as some of his other books.
The Parking Lot Attendant - Nafkote Tamirat : my last ER book that I have on the shelf. Ethiopian immigrant story. Pretty good so far.

Nice pic!

Hello Jeff! Excellent pic. Vivid.

I'm finishing up Bonhoeffer on audio. Fascinating.

>116 mahsdad: Ooh! I like that. Also the monochromaticity. : )

Thanks! Jim, Brodie, Kim.

With a deserty/scrub area, its the contrast and shapes that attract, rather than the color. (Tho this picture is actual in color, just a lot of the same color) :)

Brodie, Bonheffer sounds very interesting.

>110 mahsdad: That's terrible.
>116 mahsdad: And THAT's gorgeous.

I know...

And Thanks!

Anybody watch Bright on Netflix?

Will Smith is an LAPD street cop in an Urban Fantasy world filled with Orcs, Elves, and Crips and Bloods. One night on the streets, fighting for a magic wand.

Pretty violent, and pretty good, IMO. A little cheesy at the end, but I thought it was good.

Yup, we liked it. My opinion pretty much lines up with yours. Saw the ending coming a mile away, but that was ok too.

>116 mahsdad: Love.

>123 mahsdad: Was happy I watched it, thought it was much much better than the critical responses gave it credit for. Cheese is the most popular thing in the entire USA so of course the ending was cheesy.

>120 mahsdad: I loved that your photo was in color and yet it was all variations of the same color! My favorite thing to photograph is textured and I love the close-ups so this is my kinda photo. ; )

Do you have a favorite bookmark?

My primary one is the one on the right. The photograph is mine (of a sculpture by Ted Gall) and embossing/embelishment by my my loving wife. My backup is the dollar. It was a simple origami pattern I found on the intertubes. I guess I'm just a booknerd. :) Happy Monday.

I have dozens and dozens but lost my favorite, an embossed sterling silver one that turned over at the top and sported a lovely little turquoise gemstone on top, in the Great Moving Debacle of 2008. Thousands of books, all my furniture, etc etc. Surprising to me how little of it I actually miss.

Hello Jeff!

>123 mahsdad: >124 drneutron: Thanks for the positive review of Bright. I have wanted to watch it, but haven't gotten around to it. Glad it's good.

The Alienist was disturbing, as expected. I loved the book, but not sure the show is for me.

>128 richardderus: Moving. Not fun. Maybe that's why I've been in my house for 20+ years. As far as stuff goes, my MIL is a bit of a pack rat, and my wife is determined not to become one, so we are trying to let go of a lot of things. Its just stuff. Tho, books would be hard to let go of.

>129 brodiew2: I was curious about the Alienist. I had read it so many years ago, when it first came out in paperback, I had almost forgot about it when I first started seeing the trailers. I guess he subject matter and the point in time, lends itself to some grusome imagery. I think we'll pass it by, at least for a show that Laura and I would watch together.

I'm currently listening to The Gods Themselves by Asimov. (Its on the Hugo list, and I was looking for something to listen to and it grabbed me). Well as I'm listening to it, I noticed that the narrator was one of those classic voices that I know I've heard many times before, but I never knew his name. (I know he says it at the beginning/end, but I never pay attention).

I thought I would change that, in my habits and try to be come more cognisant of who is reading the books I listen to. In this case its Scott Brick. Someone, that if you don't know his name, you've heard his voice.

Here's a sample. Its him talking about his favorite sci-fi book he's worked on.

https://youtu.be/p4k5ANgwaqo

Fantastic Foto Friday Folks!

Here's to the start of a great weekend. Today's images are of (or part of) my girls. The tabby (on the left) is one of the most photogenic cats we've ever had. The tortoise-shell (on the right) is hard to take pictures of, cause she's so dark, she almost absorbs light.

Happy Reading!

>132 mahsdad: I might have had one of the three of mine curled up together but the phone with the camera was in my pocket under one of the sleeping beauties.

Ha! Our first 2 cats years ago were were cuddly-buddies and would always be curled up together, but the tortie has a not-so-quiet disdain for the tabby and they keep to their own sides of the bed. :)

Hi Jeff! I thought I'd pop in and say hello!

>127 mahsdad: My favourite is a craft my daughter made me a couple years ago. It's simple construction paper with some flowers glued on but it was sweet. I should really get it laminated.

Hi Chelle, thanks for stopping by.

Lamination - my wife got a portable/home craft one pretty cheaply at Tuesday Morning several years ago. But I think there are simple "sleeve" type products that seal with an iron.

Got into a bit of a GN streak, thanks to Hoopla. >2 mahsdad:

Just finished Kill or Be Killed, Vol. 3 by Ed Brubaker. And when I finished that, I noticed that Saga, Vol. 8 was available, as well. Score.

I'm also reading March, Vol. 1, this I have in a box set of the full series.

Good gravy, man! All that GNing...careful or you'll forget how to read paragraphs!

Well, I am reading a Malcom Gladwell book, and I just this moment finished my latest ER book The Parking Lot Attendant. And I'm almost done with an Asimov, that I'm listening to on audio.

I think the written word is safe with me. ;)

*whew* I was worried.

I have so many bookmarks and I change them up depending on the book I am reading. My favorite one is currently lost somewhere in the house. I hope it shows up one of these days. ; )

Happy Sunday, Jeff. Hope you had a good weekend. I really enjoyed Strange Weather. You read this, right? Hill has been on a nice roll, although I still never got to The Fireman. Maybe, later in the year.

I did knock out my mini-review of Black Swan Green this A.M., so I will get it out to you, sometime after I get back from Mexico.

Speaking of bookmarks, I have been using the same leather bookmark for over twenty years. How geeky is that?

7. The Parking Lot Attendant - Nafkote Tamirat - I got this book thru LibraryThing's Early Review program, in exchange for an honest review. This is a debut novel by Ethiopian-American author Nafkote Tamirat, and I enjoyed it quite a lot.

The story starts out on an unnamed island with an unnamed narrator and her father, as they join a commune/cult? of some kind. They are not liked or wanted at this commune. As the reader you really don't know what's going on, other than that the girl is responsible for issues the leader of the group is having. Very quickly, we shift back in time to see how the girls Mother and Father got together, had the girl, the Father disappears, only to come back years later. We see life thru the girl's eyes, an interesting look at a culture (Ethiopian) that I wasn't familar with. As the girl becomes a teenager, she comes at odds with her father and becomes attached/enamored with the charasmatic owner of an area parking lot (thus the title). Turns out the Attendant, is the unofficial king of the community and has plans and schemes that are much bigger and darker than our narrator can conceive of. She is pulled in and pulled along to an end that was dark and unexpected. A good story, recommend.

...I didn't even believe in God. But did my believing in something render it true? Doesn't the truth remain the truth, regardless of what I think?

My mother used to say that God stopped sending plagues because He realized it would be faster to wait until we destroyed ourselves.

...and so I stopped speaking, because I didn't have anything else. I wasn't angry, and neither was he; we were awash in quite. We swam easily through our uncommunicativeness and met on the other side with closed-mouth smiles and dry kisses goodnight.

8/10

S: 1/17/18 - 1/28/18 (12 Days)

>141 Berly: I hope you find your bookmark too, Kim. :)

>142 msf59: >143 msf59: Hey Mark, you probably won't see this until you get back. Yes, you are a geek for having the same bookmark for 20 years, a geek that I aspire to. Yes, I did read (and like) Strange Weather. I need to get to The Fireman as well. Looking forward to Black Swan Green, but certainly no rush. Hope you enjoy (or did enjoy) your vaca!

Hi Jeff, hope you had a good weekend.

Hey John,

I did, hope you did as well. Thanks for stopping by.

Wow, you're really good at getting cat pictures. My cats aren't so photogenic, as two of them have too much black and the other won't stay still long enough.

>144 mahsdad: Nice review, Jeff.

I have lost all of my bookmarks, sadly - well, they must be here in the house, but I haven't seen one for awhile. I had a couple that each of the boys made me when they were in elementary school that I would mainly use. Of course, I mostly read ebooks now, which is probably why I can't find the bookmarks.

>148 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel. It helps that we have a couple serious couch potatos. The tabby, when she is on a tear, its almost impossible to take a good picture, but when she sleeps, she sleeps hard.

>149 rretzler: Hi Robin. As much as a geeky as I am, I'm still a Luddite when it comes to books. I'm much more successful with reading dead tree editions. Thus, my bookmarks are always in use.

Finished volume 1 of John Lewis's March: Book One. I normally don't review graphic novels, but this is a really profound work and I think I will do a formal review (or at least as formal as my reviews get). I have the whole set, so I'll wait until I read all 3.

>151 mahsdad: So glad you read and appreciated March: Book One, Jeff. It is profound, as you say. The next two are as good or even better, IMO.

>151 mahsdad: If you enjoyed March you should check out David Letterman's show, My Next Guest. The first episode has Barack Obama but has a significant part with John Lewis and includes Letterman and Lewis walking across the Pettus bridge and talking about the events of that day.

>153 Oberon: Yeah, I saw that. It was pretty cool. Not sure about the show in general. I think Dave was trying too hard with his interview style with Obama. I'm thinking he's not as used to the conversational style that a long form interview allows, rather than the 6 minute snipets he's known for. Looking forward to the next one.

Fantastic Foto Friday Folks!

Before I reveal today's image (which you can, of course, already see :) ), a bit of a book update.

Finished : The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher, on audio narrated by Carrie and her daughter Billy Lourd. Very good

Currently Reading:
Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Saga, Vol 8 by Brian K Vaughan

Today's image is one that I took several years ago, and is the February entry for my 2018 Calendar. (BTW, I still have a couple left, if you want one PM me).

Enjoy, hope everyone has a fantastic weekend.

I love the saturated orangey shade of the cosmos or whatever those are. Happiness for the eyes.

At some point I read Revelation Space but I have retained nothing about it. As in zero-bubkes-rien-nada. Remind me when you're done why I liked it!

Thanks RD, we're not sure what flowers those are. I never know, I just shoot what looks cool. My green-thumbed wife isn't quite sure cause she can't see the leaves. Oh well. They are purty.

Certainly will let you know about Revelation Space. Only 40 pages in and its pretty good hard sci-fi. I think its Earth in the far future, but I'm not sure yet. One things for sure, the older I get, the less I like the mass-market paperback book size. My tired old eyes like trade paperbacks now. :)

>157 mahsdad: Totally with ya on text sizes. I love the Kindle's adjustable-font feature.

8. The Gods Themselves - Isaac Asimov - (audio) This book won the Nebula Award in 1972, and the Hugo Award in 1973. The book was made of 3 different sections that could have been mostly independent novellas.

The first section is set on Earth where it is discovered that there is a parallel universe with different physical laws. Beings from the Para-universe start sending materials to our universe and we figure out how to utilize that material and send comparable material back. This exchange seems to provide an unlimited source of energy. But, as Heinlein says; TANSTAAFL (there ain't no such thing as a free lunch), the energy exchange seems to be changing the physical laws of our universe. Changes that could have catestrophic effects. Very hard sci-fi, with emphasis on the science.

The second section is told from the pari-universe and was very different from the first section. It was an interesting discussion/exploration into alien life forms. It wasn't just bipedal beings with weird noses (I'm looking at you Gene Roddenberry). They too are realizing that the energy exchange is damaging their world too. But there are many that don't want things to change.

The last section is back in our universe and is set on the moon. This one is more of a political story about how the lunar society has split apart from the Earth and the fallout from the pari-universe exchange and its reality changing effects. As you would expect from Asimov, this is a very believable story with science that is just this side of real. Recommend.

8/10

S: 1/21/18 - 1/29/18 (9 Days)

>4 mahsdad: Another Levar Burton Reads podcast short story.

Unassigned Territory by Stephanie Powell Watts - a young Jehovah's Witness spends the day making her rounds and questioning why.

Good story.

>159 mahsdad: Not a YUUUGE Asimov fan, but I remember liking that one. I think it was the imaginative leaps of the middle third.

>160 mahsdad: Ech. A head I'd just as soon stay out of!

Asimov is always hit or miss with me. Loved I Robot, have tried several times, but can't connected with Foundation. I agree, the middle third was quite striking

What I like about Burton's podcast is that it is stories that he likes, so it sometimes takes me out of my comfort zone and exposes me to authors I might never think about.

They don't all strike a chord, but they are all interesting listens

It's always valuable to stay willing to exit the comfort zone. I keep reading YAs *blech* and graphic novels *gaak* because there have been YAs worth reading *gasp* and even GNs I didn't beg the merciless goddess for death to release me from looking at.

>2 mahsdad:

Speaking of Graphic Novels, I finished Saga Vol 8 and it is excellent and weird as usual. And as is usually the case with this series and others, volume 8 just leaves me wanting volume 9.

Its that time again... Fantastic Foto Friday!

Today's image is from the tide pools at Cabrillo Beach CA. We went on a photo walk there last weekend. Took a ton of images, probably have a bunch less than a ton of good images, but I'll take it.

Hope you all have a great weekend, thanks for taking the time to visit me here.

And as a bonus, here's a couple of the creatures that live in said tidepools

Great photos! Love the little octopus!

Thanks!

Its a California Two Spot Octopus.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_two-spot_octopus

I really enjoyed Saga Vol. 8, too, Jeff. Like you, can't wait for no. 9.

>166 mahsdad: What an adorable dinky little octopus! Special photo, Jeff.

Happy Valentines Day. (if you're into that kinda thing)

Here's a quick video from Great Big Story about a couple making a living in Flint Michigan with their shared love of writing..

Ashley Antoinette and JaQuavis Coleman first met as teenagers in Flint, Michigan, while living in one of the roughest neighborhoods in the country. Soon, they were turning their stories together into books, writing about experiences they didn’t see reflected in media. Eleven years and 44 books later, the New York Times best-selling writers remain a power couple, breaking down barriers and opening doors within the publishing industry.

https://youtu.be/p0nedWE3EJI

>159 mahsdad: Asimov is one of my all time favorite authors, but I haven't read anything by him in ages. Guess I'm due for a reread - maybe I'll start the empire/robot/foundation in order.

Happy Valentine's Day, Jeff.

Happy Foto Friday Folks!

Here's another image from my photo walk at Cabrillo Beach a couple weeks ago. Enjoy...

IOs App suggestion....

For those who use Overdrive for audiobook (or ebook) borrowing from your library, check out their new app called Libby. Little bit more bells and whistles, but it is much easier (in my first time borrowing) to browse and check out books. Overdrive itself defers the searching to your library's webpage, and in my case (Los Angeles PL), it left a lot to be desired.

https://meet.libbyapp.com/

>3 mahsdad: I decided to keep track of the audiobook narrators for the books I listen to. They'll be in post #3 (for what its worth)

10. The Princess Diarist - Carrie Fisher - (audio) This is Fisher's 2016 memoir of her time making Star Wars. It was prompted by her finding the diaries she kept during production. It was published shortly before her death.

It is a no punches pulled, funny recollection of her life and beginnings of her career in the mid-70s, including revealing the details of her affair with Harrison Ford. Her daughter; Billy Lourd, read the diary pages, while Carrie narrated the modern day remembrances. A very poignant read, given her subsequent passing.

Read by : Carrie Fisher/Billy Lourd

9/10

S: 1/29/18 - 2/1/18 (4 Days)

12. The Dead Mountaineer's Inn: One More Last Rite for the Detective Genre - Boris Strugatsky - (audio) After reading Roadside Picnic and this one, I find that I am now a fan of quirky Russian scifi, or maybe just of the work of these quirky Russian brothers (Boris and Arkady).

Written in 1970, this is a "locked room" mystery story with a twist. Set in an isolated resort in the Alps, one that is further isolated by an avalanche that shuts down all access. (Perhaps a homage to Agatha Christie).

from Wikipedia : The novel begins with Peter Glebsky, a policeman by profession, going on a holiday to the Dead Mountaineer's Hotel, a small resort located in a secluded valley in the Alps.

He meets the other guests: Mr. Moses, a rich old man with highly eccenteric manners, and his stunningly beautiful wife; Mr. du Barnstocre, an illusionist who is accompanied by Brun, his niece (portrayed throughout the novel as an adolescent of unidentifiable sex); Mr. Simonet, the obsessed physicist; Mr. Hinckus, a custodial attorney; and Olaf Andvarafors.

Not long after Mr. Glebsky's arrival, an avalanche blocks the entrance to the valley, thus cutting the protagonists off from outside world. At the same time, Olaf Andvarafors is found dead in his room, his door locked and his neck impossibly twisted.

Glebsky is forced to start an investigation, but the more he searches for a logical explanation for the murder, the more he realises that the guests are not who they appear to be.

At the critical climax, the book makes a left turn that takes it from an intriguing mystery novel, to a bizarre scifi thriller. Enjoyable read, or in this case listen.

Read by : Keith Szarabajka

8/10

S: 2/1/18 - 2/13/18 (13 Days)

Turn to bizarre sci fi thriller. Now you’re speakin’ my language!

>173 mahsdad: Purty birdie.

>177 mahsdad: And The Doomed City is worth a read.

>179 richardderus: and on the list it goes. Thanks!

Hi Jeff - I love, love, love your opening photo. The road stops, the adventure begins!

The Dead Mountaineer's Inn sounds wonderful. I've made note of it, since I'm trying to avoid all book bullets. But how fun!

Hello Jeff!

>177 mahsdad: This is on my list, as I like to sprinkle celebrity memoirs into my audio listening. I can't make this up is next on my list.

>178 drneutron: Cool. Sound interesting. I'll be looking into this one.

>177 mahsdad: I'm going to be on the lookout for The Dead Mountaineer's Inn. Sounds like one I'd really enjoy.

So Jennifer Lawrence's new movie Red Sparrow is advertising a lot, and I want to see it, because, well, Jennifer Lawrence ;), but I just got an email ad from Simon & Schuster (how did I get on their list, hmmm) advertising the books that the movie is based on.

Well now I want to read the books first, ah the ongoing struggle ... #readitfirst.

Hope all are having a good day.

ETA - here's the trailer for the movie...https://youtu.be/PmUL6wMpMWw

Happy Foto Friday Folks

Today's image is on one hand a sad state on urban blight, but also an appreciation for when its at least a little artistic. Its an image from a crumbling wall at the beach where the young hooligans have asserted their manhood by graffitti'ing it. But at least this one was interesting looking.

>185 mahsdad: Artistic vandalism!

Finished Descender Vol. 5: Rise of the Robots - I love the watercolor background of this sci-fi series. 7th GN for the year.

Different subject. I was in the library today and picked up a pamphlet that had the top 10 challenged books from 2016. Thought it was an interesting list to share.

This One Summer - Mariko Tamaki
Drama - Raina Telgemeier
I Am Jazz - Jessica Herthel/Jazz Jennings
Two Boys Kissing - David Levithan
Looking for Alaska - John Green
Big Hard Sex Criminals - Matt Fraction
Make Something Up: Stories You Can't Unread - Chuck Palahniuk
Little Bill (series)- Bill Cosby
Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell

Huh, interesting list. Is this nationwide or just for that library system?

>187 mahsdad: How deeply sad that the Little Bill series is being challenged because Cosby is abusive towards women. Not that it's wrong, understand; rewarding terrible people with your dollars and/or attention is a troublingly complex topic...but that it is in any way necessary to re-evaluate his genuine achievement in that light.

>188 drneutron: Not sure Jim. it was Los Angeles Public Library (http://www.lapl.org/banned), but I'm not sure where the source of the list was from.

>189 richardderus: I totally agree. You don't have to read something or support them with your money but its damn wrong for someone to say you CAN'T read something.

Here's Bookriot's tips on reading faster. And I know with this group, we all wish we could read faster.

Interesting read. Just wanted to pass it along.

https://bookriot.com/2018/02/18/5-tips-read-faster-without-losing-comprehension/

>191 mahsdad: I did like the article, Jeff, but not all of us want to read faster ;-)
I did have times I wished I could, at the moment I am perfectly happy with my reading speed.

>192 FAMeulstee: I agree with you Anita. It really depends on the book as to whether or not I think I'm reading slow or fast.

The book I'm reading now is going really slowly. Its dense and I just feel like I'm not making any progress, I've been reading it all month.

But then the next one I could blow thru in a week.

Happy Foto Friday Folks.

Today's image is March's (heck how did it get to be March already) entry on my calendar. It is an Ocotillo bush taken in Joshua Tree NP last year. Enjoy...

I love the way that ocotillo reaches up, all snaggly and twisty and scarred, trying to get into the sky and grab some sunshine.

Thanks buddy!

I've watched this about 6 or 7 times today and it doesn't get old. Wanted to share. This is Jimmy Fallon and Lin-Manuel Miranda reacting Weird Al's Hamilton Polka. It's brilliant and I've never even seen Hamilton.

https://youtu.be/PUaB4o8xMvg

>176 mahsdad: Glad you liked The Princess Diarist, Jeff. I listened to it last year and also enjoyed it. I've put Wishful Drinking on my TBR list, but don't know when I'll get around to actually reading or listening to it.

>177 mahsdad: Definite BB!

>187 mahsdad: Sigh....

>189 richardderus: >190 mahsdad: Agreed!

>194 mahsdad: Love the angle on this one. And that you like The Princess Diarist. Not my fave, but to each his/her own. : ) Happy Sunday!

14. The Relic Master - Christopher Buckley - (audio) At the time of the Reformation and Luther's 95 thesis', Dismas is a "relic hunter", a man who aquires religious artifacts for his wealthy clients; part of the true cross, a thorn from the Crown, the toe bone from a famous Saint. Its the end of the time of buhing indulgences to lessen your time in purgatory and owning a relic can take years off of your time. It is a very lucruative business, but times are getting tough and Dismas and his friend, the German painter Albrecht Durer, conspire to make a shroud (yes THAT shroud) that would beat all the other shrouds that exist. They plan to sell it to an unsuspecting, greedy noble. But when the true nature of the shroud is discovered, the story turns from the funny historical fiction novel I thought it was to a "Ocean-11esque" caper/thriller in the 16th Century, where Dismas puts a team together to try to steal the shroud back.

This was a very engaging, funny and satrical story that is just this side of plausible. Espcially, given the continued questioning of the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, I continually thought that it was possible that Durer could have "painted" the shroud we know today. This is my third Buckley read, I've enjoyed everyone. Looking forward to reading more of his work.

Read by : James Langton

8/10

S: 2/13/18 - 2/26/18 (14 Days)

>194 mahsdad: LIKE!

Happy Sunday, Jeff. Sorry, I haven't been by in awhile but I se you are churning through the books and this is good.

>201 msf59: No worries Dude. I'm finding it hard to do little but try to keep up with your's and all my other friend's round here. I might not post a lot, but I am lurking around.

Now as far as my book count, I'm a little behind last year, but I'm enjoying what I'm reading and that's what counts.

thanks for swinging by

>200 mahsdad: A good read indeed, one I shall *sigh* have to wishlist. *heavier sigh* I hope I live long enough to get through my wishlist.

Sorry buddy. Buckley is a pretty good writer. I've also read Boomsday about millenials fighting paying higher taxes to pay for the Baby Boomers, and Little Green Men about what happens to a Meet the Press type reporter who is abducted by aliens.

He also wrote Thank You for Smoking, which is about the tobacco lobby. It was made into a movie by Jason Reitman (starring Aaron Eckhart)

50 pages to go. Boy this one's been a challenge.... Revelation Space

Fantastic Foto Friday Folks!

Today, I give you a couple phone images. One of a major milestone (drive it til it dies) and one of my youngest doing what she does best (something I aspire to).

Hope all have a great weekend. I am optimistic that I'll actually start a new book this weekend. Only 30 pages to go. :)

Hey! on photo 1

Hmm on photo 2

Okay I won't hold it against you that your not a fan of felines,but you got to admit that lounging about in a sunbeam is a fine way to spend a day.

Only improvement would be if she could read. ;)

>206 mahsdad: That is 150,000 miles? That is a lot!
I love pictures like that, our car is nearing 88,888 (not miles but kilometers), one of my favorites ;-)

Yep, Anita, it's in miles. It's a 2009 Corolla. I used to have an 80 mile round trip commute.

It's still going strong

This man is my spirit animal. ;)

https://youtu.be/dQW9NLsxOpA

>211 mahsdad: The Liberal Redneck's a riot, and pretty much spot-on all the time.

>206 mahsdad: My husband just decided to trade in his 15-year-old Tacoma, with only 115, 000 miles on it. He's having a bit of a rocky time of it, though.

>212 richardderus: Exactly

>213 laytonwoman3rd: Do you mean, he doesn't want to let it go? I can understand that. I don't like the thought of having a car payment again.

He just loves his truck, Jeff, and yes, he hates to let it go. And he's had to give up the manual transmission, because they are hard to come by these days. Oddly you have to go UP in model and engine size to get one in a Tacoma now, to the tune of beaucoup bucks. So he "settled" for an automatic. He's selling the 2003 to our nephew, though, so maybe he'll be allowed to visit it once in a while! It really is in great shape for its age, but it is starting to need maintenance from time to time. The kid has a brother-in-law and a good friend who will work on it for him for next to nothing, so he's thrilled to get it. We're getting too old for that kind of monkey(wrench) business.

Hi, Jeff. I finished My Grandmother Asked today. Thanks, for nudging me, into finishing it. (I think I was distracted with some other stuff going on that day). It was a fun read, with very memorable characters. Backman puts a fresh spin on his stories and also makes them universal. You never even realize where this one takes place. It could be anywhere.

>216 msf59: I am glad you pushed thru. I can't wait to read more of his stuff. I have Ove on the shelf.

I loved Ove and Beartown. Get busy! Grins...

>215 laytonwoman3rd: I've got a 2003 Tacoma that I use to haul stuff to the dump ad the like. It's got a bit more miles than that on it, though. 😀 All in all, it's been a solid little truck, though I liked my Ram 1500 a whole lot better when I had it. People do occasionally offer to buy the Tacoma from me when I'm out in it, which I always think is a little weird, but apparently these are highly sought-after trucks.

I just bought Beartown and I have loved the other Backmans I have read.

Do we get a new Foto Friday?! : )

>220 Berly: Kim, FF will be coming later today. I'm out at a client today and need to wait to get home and on the wifi's before I can upload some pics. We went to Palm Springs last weekend, I got a couple nice ones, I think.

>219 drneutron: People have been offering to buy this truck from my husband for years. There was a recall on it a few years back and the dealer replaced the frame, one of the mechanics who worked on it wanted to buy it at the time. My brother and my nephew both made my husband swear he'd offer it to them before getting rid of it, and reminded him of that promise repeatedly over the years. I really think the salesman who sold him the new one was dead seriously disappointed that we were not trading it in, because he claimed he would have bought it if we had. Sought after, indeed.