Finished The Hazel Wood. It was pretty good, though it got weird toward the end, to the point I’m not entirely sure what happened. I’d like to read the sequels, although with the very healthy state of the TBR pile, I’ll probably need a refresher course on this book before I begin.
Next up, Blitz, the long-awaited next installment of the Rook Files, by Daniel O’Malley. As this book is nearly 700 pages, I expect it’ll be a while before you hear from me again!
My copy should be here this week!
I think I need a refresher course on this series too. It’s been like, forever since the last one.
Finished reading The 2 oz. Backpacker and The Mouse on the Moon. It’s been many years since I first read the latter, and I noticed something I wasn’t aware of before. The plot resembles Heinlein’s Rocket Ship Galileo in many ways. A small group decides to build an atomic rocket and use it to be the first ones to travel to the Moon. They avoid a lot of effort by getting hold of a surplus rocket from the United States and installing their own atomic propulsion unit in place of the chemical propulsion the ship was designed for. They are able to proceed relatively unhindered because people don’t know or don’t believe what they are up to. But Russia sends spies to keep tabs on them. The ship takes off with a minimal crew at a relatively low speed because they don’t need to go fast, and the atomic power plant puts out continuous steady output. Their progress is monitored by telescopes on the Earth. They get to the moon and can land on the belly (even though the book cover shows a vertically set-up rocket) and plant a flag on the moon. This describes both books.
Of course, a lot of the plot is dictated by the circumstances, and Wibberley plays it for satire, while Heinlein is writing a “Boys’ Own Adventure”. But I wonder if Wibberley ever read Heinlein’s book, if only as background material.
I also read all ten volumes of Transmetropolitan, Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson’s cyberpunk graphic novel series, which I hadn’t read before. It’s as if someone asked “What if Hunter S. Thompson were writing in a dystopian near-future cyberpunk atmosphere?” The books are depressing and damned addictive.
Now I’m reading W. Kamau Bell’s The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell. I’m sure I must’ve seen him on something, although I haven’t seen either of his cable TV series. I picked the book up because a.) it was on sale at the library, and b.) it’s autographed. To someone else. Their loss.
I’m loving it so far. I had no idea he was cousin to SF author N.K. Jemison. Small world.
On audio I started listening to the second half of The Complete Sherlock Holmes (THe series may be complete, but the library doesn’t have the complete series), until I was finally able to get hold of Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston’s The Book of the Dead , that last part of the “Diogenes Trilogy”. It’s a typical Preson and Child confection, with plenty of gore and absurdity.
It looks interesting, thanks. The U.S. Navy relief effort is alluded to in this Civil War song (at 0:28): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBiMFpfmIyM
I finished listening to Fairy Tale by Stephen King. It’s a tale of a fantastic adventure undertaken by an Illinois teenaged boy. Like most King books, it’s well-written and grabs you from the start until the finish. But, like many King books, it’s long, perhaps too long (think of IT or Under the Dome). The audio book is 24 hours. But it’s still a good read and I would recommend it.
@Railer13, I agree with your review. I was hooked in the first 20 pages and never got bored. On the one hand, it certainly is long, but I don’t know about too long. I can’t think of much fluff or sidetracks I’d have removed.
My one quibble, a fairly minor point at the end: the sex bit kind of came out of nowhere and went nowhere. It’s not out of character for Charlie – 17 years old and lusting after the Princess – but story-wise, it has implications that are completely ignored. So now he has a potential kid in the sealed-off world that he’ll never meet? It wasn’t as squicky as the sex scene in It, but it still felt tagged on, like King was almost to the end and suddenly realized he hadn’t included the sex scene that seems to be present in every one of his stories.
I re-read The Rook on audio book earlier this year, which may help me out if I read Blitz soon enough. But I’m hesitant. I wasn’t a big fan of book 2 in this series, so I’m not at all confident that I’ll like Blitz. I’d be interested to hear your and DZedNConfused’s thoughts on how this book compares to the other books in the series.
75% through reading the book and I keep thinking about the incredible movie/miniseries that just has to be in the works.
Maybe I was ready for it to conclude, but I thought that the ‘end game’ after Charlie and Leah vanquished the evil beings dragged out for too long. But your point is well taken.
And I certainly agree with you regarding the one-paragraph sex scene!
From Wiki:
On September 15, 2022, Deadline Hollywood reported that British filmmaker Paul Greengrass, known for the Jason Bourne film franchise, would adapt, direct, and produce a film adaptation of the novel, with American film producer Gregory Goodman co-producing the film alongside Greengrass.
So far my main complaint with book two was the near lack of Alrich. I want to have WORDS with O’Malley over this! 
Finished The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens, which I enjoyed quite a bit, despite the fact that it is unfinished. Many of the characters are very amusing.
Now I"m reading Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors, by Matt Parker.
Hollywood peeps knew they’d be adapting the novel before it was released. Wow, that’s wild.
Just finished The Trials of Harry S. Truman: The Extraordinary Presidency of an Ordinary Man, 1945-1953 by Jeffrey Frank, which is pretty good. It’s a more balanced portrayal than David McCullough’s more-famous bio (which Frank mentions only twice) and doesn’t shy away from Truman’s many mistakes and character flaws, but is generally admiring of ol’ Harry. Frank isn’t nearly as engaging or lively a writer as McCullough, but anyone interested in Truman or postwar American history would probably like the book.
Now I’m in the mood for some fiction. Next up: the 1951 sf novel Between Planets by Robert A. Heinlein, which I’ve never read before.
Question for all Dopers who follow this thread:
I am considering reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer. Is it interesting and worth reading? Too long? Too boring? Let me know your thoughts and opinions, please, and thanks!
The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology
Simon Winchester
The story of William Smith, who started from humble origins, and became a canal and mining engineer. He developed a fascination with rocks and fossils, and spend decades creating the first large scale geological map. In doing so, he helped develop the science of geology.
Interesting history, and very well written.
Highly recommended.
I’ve never read the whole thing, although I heard an extended audiobook excerpt recently and thought it was OK. A bit dated. I know movingfinger was reading it a few years ago - you may want to ask him or her. I see, from searching for the words “Shirer” and “Reich,” that 4d3fect, Horatius and Ludovic have read it, too.
I’ve told this story here before: my sister once lent that book to a friend and, without looking closely at it, stuck in an old bookmark as she did so. The friend later called her, laughing, to report that the bookmark must have been in another, very different book before. My sister had written on it, “This has a wacky cast of characters and is pretty implausible at times, but I think you’ll get some laughs out of it.”
Here’s an old thread that may be of interest: Shirer's History of the Third Reich
Soitenly!