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Author Topic: Reading anything?  (Read 742810 times)
Rev. Powell
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« Reply #1425 on: June 06, 2014, 05:35:50 PM »



Decided to read the entire Holy Bible.  I'm reading the NIV but I kind of think I might switch to the King James because this one is less stimulating from a linguistic standpoint.  I'm only in Numbers right now and my god, some of this stuff is a tough slog.  Mind-numbing lists of names of descendents and tribes, anguished and detailed descriptions of all the sacred ritual B.S. and what have you.


SPOILER ALERT: When you get to the end, Paul's going to tell you you don't need to pay attention to that stuff in Leviticus and Numbers anyway.
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Pilgermann
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« Reply #1426 on: June 06, 2014, 11:29:22 PM »


Decided to read the entire Holy Bible.  I'm reading the NIV but I kind of think I might switch to the King James because this one is less stimulating from a linguistic standpoint.  I'm only in Numbers right now and my god, some of this stuff is a tough slog.  Mind-numbing lists of names of descendents and tribes, anguished and detailed descriptions of all the sacred ritual B.S. and what have you.

SPOILER ALERT: When you get to the end, Paul's going to tell you you don't need to pay attention to that stuff in Leviticus and Numbers anyway.

lol, but I still want to torture myself with elaborate descriptions of fabrics and the number of specific animals necessary to sacrifice for a particular sin offering.  If we have anything in common with God it's that the smell of barbequed meat is a pleasing aroma.
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BoyScoutKevin
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« Reply #1427 on: June 07, 2014, 05:06:01 PM »

Ye-es!

6 of 1. Half a dozen of the other + 1 non-fiction

Bess Lovejoy's
Rest in Pieces :
the Curious Fate of Famous Corpses
1 more non-fiction

The abuse, misuse, and use of over 50 of the most famous and infamous people who ever lived then died.


Pankhurst and Hawksley's
When Art Really Works
20 more non-fiction by Hawksley

10 aspects of each work of art described then explained. Also a history, quotation about the art or artist, and similiar examples of each work of art.

Plus artists biographies and galleries where each work of art can be found.


Brian Stelter's
Top of the Morning :
Inside the Cut Throat World of Morning TV
1 more non-fiction

Or the rise of "Good Morning, America" on ABC and the fall of "The Today Show" on NBC.


Jonathan Alter's
The Center Holds :
Obama and His Enemies
4 more non-fiction

Obviously an Obama centric book.


Joline Godfrey's
Raising Financially Fit Kids
5 more non-fiction

And you thought your training days were done, when you potty trained them.


Robert Keilder's
The Best Film You've Never Seen :
35 Directors Champion the Forgotten or Critically Savaged Movies They Love
4 more non-fiction

The directors make a better case for some other director's film, then they do when championing one of their own films.


Lawrence Leamer's
The Price of Justice :
a True Story of Greed and Corruption
14 more non-fiction


Next time: 6 of 1. Half a dozen of the other. + 1 graphic novels
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« Reply #1428 on: June 18, 2014, 04:10:28 PM »

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« Reply #1429 on: June 18, 2014, 05:27:31 PM »

Ye-es!

Derf Backderf's
My Friend Dahmer
3 more graphic novels

Before there was Jeff Dahmer, serial killer, there was Jeff Dahmer, high school student.

Written and illustrated by a man who went to school with Dahmer. What most struck me was how the same place at the same time could produced such diametrically different people. One a serial killer, and the other who had his head screwed on straight as anybody that I have seen. Especially, when he said that he had empathy for Dahmer, till Dahmer killed his 1st victim, and that is when he lost all his empathy for Dahmer.

There is also a photo of Dahmer, when he was in high school. Darn! But he was a big sucker. He'd have been a good fullback on the high school football team. It is unfortunate that he did not participate in sports when in school, as he might have found what he was looking for in a more appropriate manner then how he found it.


Glen Weldon
Superman :
the Unauthorized Biography
1st non fiction


Superman Batman :
the Greatest Stories Ever Told
various writers and artists between 1952 and 2003.


Geoff Johns
Superboy :
the Boy of Steel
4 more graphic novels


The Simpsons :
Fun-filled Frightfest


Matt Groenig's
Simpson's Comics Confidential


Star Wars Omnibus
Dark Times
v.1.

Next time: 6 of 1. A half dozen of the other + 1 "Doctor Who" over the next few weeks.
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BoyScoutKevin
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« Reply #1430 on: June 24, 2014, 04:44:53 PM »

Y-es!

Rhys Bowen's
The Family Way
12th in the Molly Murphy series
2 more series


Loren D. Estelman's
Alive
3rd in the Valentino series
2 non-fiction books

When test footage of Bela Lugosi's screentest as Frankenstein's Monster becomes available, after it's owner dies a suspicious death, everyone seems to want it, including the previous owner's widow, a gangster, the gangster's lawyer, a man who collects horror memorabilia, a woman who buys and sells film collectibles, and our hero.


C. M. Wendel Boe's
Death on the Greasy Grass
3rd in the Spirit Road series

When a Native American reenactor is killed at an reenactment of Custer's Last Stand, the question is not who killed him, which is known, but who wanted the victim dead and why. And what does the death have to do with a diary from one of the participant's at the original battle. A diary which has suddently gone missing. It is up to a full-blooded FBI agent and his best friend, a tribal policeman, to find the answer.


Jacqueline Winspear's
Leaving Everything Most Loved
10th in the Maisie Dobbs series


James Henry's [writing duo]
First Frost :
a DS Jack Frost Investigation
1st in the Jack Frost series

The original Jack Frost series had an interesting history. It was originally written to be a series of books, but when the publisher turned down the series, the author rewrote the books, as a radio series, which was so successful, that the originals were then published as a book series. The series was also a TV series, which is how I first came across it.


Alex Grecian's
The Black Country
2nd in the Scotland Yard Murder Squad series

When a family disappears from a town up north, 2 policement are sent up from London to investigate, and discover that it is not only people who are disappearing, but so is the town, which was originally built over an old abandoned coal mine, causing the buildings to slowly sink into soil. And who is the mysterious American, with the ruined face, who got off the train at the same time as our policemen.

The author has trouble with dialogue and moving the characters around in the story, but it is better than his first in the series, which I found totally unreadable. He has published a 3rd in the series, which we'll get to later, and he is working on a 4th in the series.


Justin Richards'
Doctor Who :
Plague of the Cybermen
3rd in the series with Matt Smith as the Doctor.

Take a familiar story, but throw in a couple of twists to keep it fresh. Kill enough of the characters to get the emotional resonator going, but leave enough alive at the end to keep going, and most importantly, remember those who passed on before. That is good writing.


6 of 1. Half a dozen of the other non-fiction + 1 Doctor Who.
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« Reply #1431 on: June 28, 2014, 10:46:07 AM »

I have been reading a few Young Adult novels lately, and will say many aren't bad at all, the genre is probably keeping the publishing industry afloat right now, and the fact that books are enjoying so much popularity among young people these days is an encouraging trend.
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BoyScoutKevin
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« Reply #1432 on: July 05, 2014, 03:35:57 PM »

Ye-es!

Daniel Harmon's
Super Pop :
Pop Culture's Top Ten Lists to Help You win at Trivia, Survive in the Wild, and Make It Through the Holidays.


William Andrews'
Medieval Punishments :
an Illustrated History of Torture
4 more non-fiction

Not so much torture, but means of execution during Medieval times in the U.K.
A reprint of an earlier edition, which in and of itself was an reprint of an earlier edition.
For something written so long ago, it is surprisingly readable. Not all books written almost a hundred years ago can be said to be that.


Mike Mayo's
The Horror Show Guide :
the Ultimate Frightfest of Movies
4 more non-fiction. 1 more fiction.


Joe Moto's
An Atheist in the Foxhole :
a Liberal eight-year Odyssey Inside the Heart of the Right-Wing Media

Nothing he says is likely to change one's mind. If you dislike Fox News before, this just confirms your opinion. If you like Fox News before, this won't change your opinion.


John O'Bryan's
A History of Weapons :
Crossbows, Caltrops, Catapults, and Lots of Other Things That Can Seriously Mess You Up.

Almost 800,000 years in the history of weapons from the rock to the Maxim gun, and a popular, and somewhat humorous look, at the development of the sword, the gun, the cannon, and the bow and arrow, etc.

One jarring note to what is basically a fine and easy read. The unnecessary profanity in the book.


Zimmerman and Vansant's
The Hammer and the Anvil :
Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the End of Slavery in America.

The story of the two men who were probably the most responsible for ending slavery in America. (In graphic form.)

I actually found the story of Douglas more interesting than that of Lincoln. Maybe because I knew kess about Douglass than I did about Lincoln.


Loborik, Gibson, and Laing's
Doctor Who :
Character Encyclopedia

Aliens from Abzorbaloff to Zygon
Companions (All) from Ace to Zoe Heriot
Humans from Adelaide Brook to Weng-chiang
Time Lords (All)
Also Cyborgs, earth creatures, entities, and robots.

Actually, I found the Companions more interesting than the Time Lords. Maybe because an effort was made to do something other than an all-white, adult, male.

What I also discovered for new, maybe because I first saw it as an adult, first enjoyed it as an adult, and at a  time it was turning into a more adult-oriennted program with a more adult audience, was that while, you could not call it a children's program, much of it was written for children, and there is no greater proof than this, then the fact that a surprising number of the Companions, were still teenagers.


Next time: 6 of 1. A half dozen mysteries + a Dr. Who.
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Flangepart
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« Reply #1433 on: July 10, 2014, 05:06:25 PM »

Tim Conway's autobiography WHAT'S SO FUNNY?

The man is funny. And with his background, how could he not be?
His dad was a 5' 10" Irishman who married a 5" Romanian, and it starts from there.

From his days working with Ernie Anderson in Cleveland, to the Carol Burnett show to today (And a form of apology for the failed attempts to do lead roles. He's a second banana and happy with it) this is a fun read.
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Neville
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« Reply #1434 on: July 10, 2014, 05:47:13 PM »

Dashiell Hammett's "The Dain Curse".

I've had this anthology of Hammett's works sitting for a while in my "to read" pile of books on my nightstand. I finally cleared most of the books I wanted to read inmediately and started with "The Dain Curse", just because I found the title interesting. It's a series of connected short stories about the dealings of an unnamed private eye with the Dains, a rich family whose daughter has an irresistible tendency to get herself involved in murders, either as a suspect or as a witness. The plots are tipically hard to decipher, and the characters a bit too Victorian for my taste, but as usual Hammett's writing is terrific, straight to the point and filled with implied violence.
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« Reply #1435 on: July 14, 2014, 03:10:50 AM »

The Ultimate Survival Manual by Rich Johnson and the editors of Outdoor Life very useful.
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BoyScoutKevin
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« Reply #1436 on: July 15, 2014, 01:22:45 PM »

The Ultimate Survival Manual by Rich Johnson and the editors of Outdoor Life very useful.

I like those survival manuals for their good advice.

Does this one tell you how to prevent attacks from aliens from outer space?

The one I saw said the 3 things to do to prevent an attack from aliens from outer space is to . . .

(1) Do not make any loud noises!
(2) Do not make any fast moves!
(3) And do not look hostile!
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BoyScoutKevin
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« Reply #1437 on: July 15, 2014, 01:49:19 PM »

Ye-es!

Susan Spann's
Claws of the Cat
1st in the the Shinobi series
1st novel

When a Japanese geisha is accused of murdering a Japanese samurai, it is up to a Japanese ninja and a Portuguese priest to prove her innocence within 3 days, or she may be executed for a crime she did not commit.


Peter Tremayne's
The 7th Trumpet :
a mystery of ancient Ireland
23rd in the Fidelma of Cashel series


Martin Walker's
The Devil's Cave
6th in the Bruno, Chief of Police series

When the body of a naked woman comes floating down the river through the center of town, in a boat covered in Satanic symbols, our hero has to figure out whether the woman's death was an accident, murder, or suicide? And what does the woman's death have to do with the caves in the cliffs that overlook the town.

What separates this one from most mysteries is here is a hero who likes everyone he meets, or, at least, understands the foibles of everyone he meets.


Anne Cleeland's
Murder in Thrall
1st in the Acton and Doyle series
1st novel


Benjamin Black's
Holy Orders
6th in the Quirke series

When the body of a naked man is found floating face down in one of Dublin's canals, it is discovered that the man was a good friend of the hero's daughter and as a reporter, was working on a story which he said would blow the lid off of the Catholic Church.

The author also has another mystery series. One featuring the private detective Philip Marlowe. Yes, that Philip Marlowe. One we will get to later.


Bill Crider's
Compound Murder
20th in the Dan Rhodes series

Just a normal day in the neighborhood.
Someone has broken into the local beauty parlor.
A professor at the local community college is found dead on campus under suspicious circumstances.
And someone else is stealing aluminium and copper and selling it as scrap metal.
Do any of these cases have anything to do with each other?
And what if anything do they have to do with the compound of armed survivalists on the outskirts of town?


Stephen Bast's
Doctor Who :
the wheel of ice
2nd in this particular Doctor Who series

Some great writing, for when 4 young men, 3 not yet out of their teens, and one not much older are exploring an ice cave on one of the moons circling one of the planets in the solar system, the cave begins to collapse in and around them. Not knowing whether any of them will get out alive, they gather in a group, form a square, put their hands on each other's shoulders, bow their heads, and say a silent prayer to whatever Deity they believe in. What makes this great writing is the writer realizes that whatever has happened in the past, whatever will happen in the future, no moment will be ever as great as this moment of male bonding.


Next time: 6 of 1 and a half dozen more mysteries + what made "Dr. Who" a great TV show. It was the writing.


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BoyScoutKevin
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« Reply #1438 on: July 21, 2014, 05:37:06 PM »

Ye-es!

Michael Pearce's
The Bride Box
17th in the Mamur Zapt series

When an young girl is found hiding on board a train in Egypt, and her older sister is found dead on the same train, the head of Egypt's secret police, a Welshman, and his best friend, an Egyptian lawyer, head to southern Egypt to find out what is going on and encounter Egyptian rebels, English gunrunners, and Sudanese slavers.


Alex Kava's
Stranded
11th in the Maggie O'Dell series


William Kent Krueger's
Tamarack County
in the Cork O'Connor series


Louise Penry's
How the Light Gets In
8th in the Chief Inspector Gamache series

When an elderly woman is found dead in her home under suspicious circumstances, it is discovered that she was the last surviving member of the 1st set of quintuplets born in Canada. And the chief law enforcement official and the chief politician in Quebec are conspiring together. No doubt to do something very illegal.

Two stories. The 1st one is better than the 2nd (IMHO), but the 2nd one has the better denouement. This would seem to be a good place to end the series, but there is at least 1 more book in the series upcoming.


Lynn Shepherd's
A Fatal Likeness

A series of historical psychological mysteries with a bit of suspense. 2 already in the series, besides this 1. At least 1 more upcoming.


Robert Galbraith's
The Cuckoo's Calling
1st in the Cormoran Strike series

When a high end fashion model takes a dive off her apartment balcony to land smack on the street below, was it an accident? Murder? or Suicide? And if it was murder, who helped her take the dive? Was it . . .

her half brother -- her BFF -- a building employee -- her fiance -- the gay fashion designer -- the make-up artist -- the movie producer, who also lives in the building -- the producer's wife -- the rap artist, who is moving into the building -- the rival model -- or someone else.

Of course, Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for J. K. (Harry Potter) Rowling. There is a 2nd one coming up in the series, and so far it has gotten stellar reviews, but I wonder if that does not have more to do with who wrote it, then what was written, as the reviews for the 1st one was at best only mediocre.

Plus . . .

The 50 year success of "Dr. Who" had a lot to do with the well-written scripts that were produced. Scripts with . . .

imaginative ideas -- emphatic characters -- no restrictions on place -- no restrictions on time period -- and scripts that emphasized the cheap jack production values, which actually added to the appeal of the program (IMHO.)

Next time: 6 of 1. Half a dozen of the other non-fiction and travel guides + some Sherlock Holmes, as an young man.


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« Reply #1439 on: July 27, 2014, 02:38:16 PM »

I just finished an unpublished manuscript called A Guide to Preshistoric Surgery given to me last spring. It was to be its writer's Master's thesis but he left graduate school and is now just looking for a publisher down the road when he polishes it a little more, but this describes how evidence shows surgery, even complex surgery, was carried out far back into the Stone Age, in a few cases with the operation in question changing very little into modern times. He takes a few procedures into much later eras, but his study is on surgery that pre-dates anesthesia and mostly surgery that pre-dates written history itself. It is fascinating, revealing, gruesome, and in a way it testifies to how amazing human beings have always been.

In one chapter he tells of Neaderthals performing tooth extractions, in another it is shown that there was apparent trepanning of skulls of Neolithic patients who actually survived the operations and lived on long after the holes drilled into their heads had healed. C-sections were far older than the era of Julius Caesar, after whom the procedure is supposedly named, and here and there he talks about how even in the 21st century there are types of surgeries routinely undertaken with no pain killers administered at all, something uniting people today with humans of distant epochs. In China acupuncture needles were placed by Zhou Dynasty physicians as a means of pain control some 800 years before Christ, and in modern China doctors still do the same thing, seemingly with the same pain-deadening result. He cites a Babylonian text that relates how a doctor around 600 BC removed a tumor from a woman's eye so skillfully she did not lose her sight. And then there's his chapter on shudder-inducing ritual surgeries among the classical Maya, but I'll spare descriptions of those!

It's a good read and I hope he is able to get it into book form.
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