I’m reading Lost Museums, a self-published book by Brian Armstrong. Armstrong has other books out through recognized publishers, but he also published several on his own. The book is well-written, but very poorly edited. The book was a Christmas present.
I’m going to have to write to the author – he’s from my home town. In fact, heused to be president of the local Historical Society that I’m not only a member of, but donated materials to. One of his “museums” is actually a private collection in the house of one of his relatives. I know for a fact that it was never operated as a museum, because I used to go by it all the time, and never saw or heard of it.
For bedside reading I’m reading the third volume of the Loeb edition of the Roman Emperor Julian’s writings, specifically Against the Galileans. Julian is the emperor who tried to turn back the clock on religions by de-establishing Christianity as a state cult, reviving the centers of pagan worship, and boosting the Jews. As far as I know he didn’t persecute Christians, but he did propagandize against them (calling them “Galileans” to emphasize the locality of their sect). He might have been more successful if he hadn’t gotten himself killed in Persia. Christian authors took to calling his “Julian the Apostate”, which isn’t really accurate – Julian wasn’t himself a apostate – he was clinging faithfully to his own beliefs. It was the Empire he was trying to convince to stop supporting Christianity. If you’re interested, you ca n read his Wikipedia page, or the novel Gore Vidal wrote about him, Julian (1964)
On audio I’ve just finished Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla: Biography of a Genius by Marc J. Seifer. It’s vert complete, using much previously unavailable material, buyt it still feels too worshipful – the book is supported bh the Tesla Society, and I think they do too much special pleading in favor of his genius (which is, even so, undeniable). I’d like to see something a little more critical. Tesla was a fascinating character, and the book’s depictions of his many detractors and enemies denying him credit for his inventions seems all too real.
I was in a bookstore this weekend and saw that the paperback edition of Adam Higginbotham’s Challengers is out. I had to look through it. I’d bought and read the hardcover edition of his account of the Challenger disaster, and was annoyed to see that they cited a paper I’d co-authored, but they left my name off the list of authors. And it was my first published work! I wrote to him about it (there was no good reason to leave off 1/3 of the authors), and was pleased to see that my name is restored in the paperback edition.
Finished The Buffalo Hunter Hunter. It was good enough. A little disappointing. I am not a horror fan per se and the book’s structure of narration inside narration inside narration has me expecting much more of buried levels of unreliable narrator.
Just started George Saunders’ latest, Vigil, which seems interesting so far.
Finished Lone Women. It was just okay, good enough to pass the time. However, over at Goodreads, someone has written it the most glowing review I’ve ever seen. I thought it was sarcasm, but no! In someone’s opinion, this is the best book of all time. I got such a bang out of that review I almost added another star to my rating.
Since my husband is in the hospital (heart valve replacement surgery next week) I am getting plenty of reading time. I finished my reread of A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher a couple days ago - loved it even more than when I first read it - and have started Network Effect by Martha Grimes. There’s a new Murbot book in May and I want to have the past books somewhat fresh in my head, also Murderbot’s snark serves me well right now.
Now about two-thirds of the way through an audiobook of Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris. It’s a historical novel about the manhunt for two of the “regicides” who took part in the execution of King Charles I of England and then fled to New England, after Oliver Cromwell’s Puritan republic ended and Charles II took the throne. After a slow start, it’s gotten much better.
Didn’t take me long to finish Habeas Circus: Illegal Humor by Alan Gerson, a collection of more-grotesque-than-funny cartoons about the practice of law.
I’m also reading with my son Star Trek: Log Eight by Alan Dean Foster, which kicks off with his novelization of the so-so 1974 ST: The Animated Series episode “The Eye of the Beholder,” but then, in the second half, takes the crew on a much more interesting First Contact mission.
Finished Stupid TV, Be More Funny: How the Golden Era of The Simpsons Changed Television–and America–Forever, by Alan Siegel. It was okay. Also finished To the Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf. The author’s use of language was sometimes interesting, but overall the book didn’t impress me.
Next up: Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life, by Stephen Jay Gould; and “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead”, by Tom Stoppard.
I got such a bang out of that review I almost added another star to my rating.