I 2nd Prisoners of Geography,
Very eye opening and has me researching more.
This was an excellent read. Currently, I am reading “cosmology, a very short introduction”.
Update over the past couple of months:
“Death Valley” by Melissa Broder 3-stars
Novel about depression, grief, illness, parental approval, suffering - all set in the Mohave Desert. It got a little absurdist and the characters could have been more completely filled out. It was short (200 pages). Reviews seem to be mixed on Goodreads.
“I’ll Drink to That: A Life in Style with a Twist” by Betty Halbreich 4-stars
Written by the woman who started the personal shopping department at Bergdorf Goodman in NYC. It was published in 2012 or 2015 when she was in her 80s. She’s +90 yo and still kicking. She’s lived an interesting life - only child of upper middle class parents in Chicago, married off to a rich NYer whom she met in Miami, NY society until she and her husband divorced, mental facility when she tried to kill herself, divorcee’ who fell into her fashion career.
“Death Row Welcomes You: Visiting Hours in the Shadow of the Execution Chamber” by Steven Hale 5-stars
I highly recommend this. I went and saw the author speak at one of our local bookstores. He used to write for the local weekly and still lives and writes here. This book came out of him first being a media witness to an execution here (Riverbend State Penitentiary is a 13 bike ride away from my house), and then he met some people who were/are regular death row visitors and he became a regular visitor too (still is). The book traces the lives of both the inmates, the victims and the people who visit death row. Tennessee has executed 7 men since 2018. Covid put a hold on it.
The Light Eaters - Zoe Schlanger - Fascinating read on how plants communicate
What A Mushroom Lives For - Michael Hathaway - The story of the most valuable mushroom in the world - Matsutake
China - Edward Rutherford- Great read Historical Saga,
Re-reading. - While Europe Slept Bruce Bawer. The cultural decline in the EU and radical Islam
for a bookclub, Zorba the Greek
it’s so breathtakingly misogynistic it makes a certain LR denizen’s rants sound like love poems.
I ordinarily don’t believe in trigger warnings or deplatforming but for this one i’d look the other way
Millenium by Tom Holland. A history of the tenth century in Europe.
Millenium by Tom Holland. A history of the tenth century in Europe.
His podcast with Dominic Sandbrook, “The Rest is History” is really good. I’m currently working my way through the 650 episodes of it. Great diversity of topics, of course none are covered in any great depth given the show is only about an hour, but they are interesting.
Last month I read Murder Your Employer : The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes … yes, THAT Rupert Holmes
First of all, McMasters Conservatory sounds like a Hogwarts for Assassins and Serial Killers - who’s to say the CIA/FBI/MI6/KGB don’t have one (yeah, the KGB is still ALIVE; don’t kid yourself LOL)
Secondly, I will NEVER be able to listen to “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” again because it’s painfully clear that the singer/narrator murdered his cheating partner after their meeting; or maybe the other way around?
Thirdly, I’m worried about how thoughtfully Rupert Holmes constructs the actual “deletions” - they don’t say “murder” at McMasters (example: cinder blocks + fishing line + “park right HERE”)
I read the book, then listened to the audio - as much I loved Neil Patrick Harris narrating Cliff’s journal, I would’ve liked a woman actor for the female characters’ speaking parts, instead of a falsetto narrator
ETA: Volume One, presumes a Volume TWO
I started reading Game of Thrones, made it through chapter 1. The writing isn’t great, don’t know if I’ll stick it out or not.
House of Leaves-Mark Danielewski
The Messianic Idea in Judaism-Gershom Scholem
A Year of Last Things-Michael Ondaatje
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just finished The Fortress of Solitude. Jonathan Lethem meh
Just started The Greenlanders Jane Smiley so far it’s great
Listening to the Ultra podcast about the 1940’s American First movement. Just as fucked up as the current version.
When Books Went To War, the stories that helped us win WW2 by Molly Guptill Manning. About getting books to the troops in WW2. The Armed Services Editions were small lightweight paperbacks that fit in the pockets of the soldiers uniforms. Apparently pockets were measured so the books would fit exactly. It was a joint project between the War Department and Publishing Houses to create books that were small enough and light enough to be carried around in pockets. Some of the letters by soldiers to the authors were quite eloquent and very moving. Apparently on D-Day when soldiers shed equipment to lighten their loads very few ASE’s were left behind.
There were 1200 books, the Great Gatsby being one of them. It did not sell very well when initially published in the 20’s, but when it became an ASE it became very popular and the rest is history.
Millenium by Tom Holland. A history of the tenth century in Europe.
His podcast with Dominic Sandbrook, “The Rest is History” is really good. I’m currently working my way through the 650 episodes of it. Great diversity of topics, of course none are covered in any great depth given the show is only about an hour, but they are interesting.
650 hours of podcast. Thats like 15 40 hour work weeks. Maybe I can choose by topic
650 hours of podcast.
There’s a couple of Music History podcasts I listen to which could/should go on for YEARS
A History Of Rock Music In 500 Songs - Andrew Hickey presents a history of rock music from 1938 to 1999, looking at five hundred songs that shaped the genre
He’s up to #175; counting backwards, we’re up to 1968
1001 Music Complaints - Musicians give irreverent takes on “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die”, delivered every Monday morning
They’re on #166; NOT in order
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Old Dutch Salt & Vinegar chips.
Oh wait, you said reading. Reading the Oshkosh arrival procedures… I am NOT a pilot but it’s helpful that I understand the procedure.
The Savage Detectives. Roberto Bolano
Camino island. Grisham
Hillbilly elegy. Vance.
“Flatland”. It is a novel about a two dimensional world. All the characters are two dimensional, they have different shapes but see each other only as lines and there are no shadows. Then a three dimensional sphere appears and will see how things go as I just started it.
“Flatland”. It is a novel about a two dimensional world. All the characters are two dimensional, they have different shapes but see each other only as lines and there are no shadows. Then a three dimensional sphere appears and will see how things go as I just started it.
Classic. Short quick read. Kind of hard to follow at first. Great choice !!
The Savage Detectives. Roberto Bolano
Camino island. Grisham
Hillbilly elegy. Vance.
Have you read 2666? Easily one of my favorite books ever.
The Savage Detectives. Roberto Bolano
Camino island. Grisham
Hillbilly elegy. Vance.
Have you read 2666? Easily one of my favorite books ever.
thanks for the recommend. It’s definitely on my list. The list I’m working off has Savage ranked slightly above 2666, I was surprised. A 3rd of his “Distant Star” (I think) is also ranked. I just started Savage and will be working my way through.
Thanks!!!
Just stumbled on the new Ultrabomb album “Dying to Smileâ€. It’s really good - Hüsker Dü vibes with HD bassist Greg Norton.
For reading, I’m finishing up the new Jack Carr novel, “Red Sky Mourning.†It’s garbage but it’s fun.
Next up, “A Death in Cornwall†by Daniel Silva. Also garbage but should be fun.