Sunday Morning Book Thread 05-02-2021

The Book Lady Bookstore - Savannah GA 01.jpg

Good morning to all you 'rons, 'ettes, lurkers, and lurkettes, wine moms, frat bros, crétins sans pantalon (who are technically breaking the rules). Welcome once again to the stately, prestigious, internationally acclaimed and high-class Sunday Morning Book Thread, a weekly compendium of reviews, observations, snark, witty repartee, hilarious bon mots, and a continuing conversation on books, reading, spending way too much money on books, writing books, and publishing books by escaped oafs and oafettes who follow words with their fingers and whose lips move as they read. Unlike other AoSHQ comment threads, the Sunday Morning Book Thread is so hoity-toity, pants are required. Even if it's these pants, which nowadays would be banned for violating laws against child abuse.

Pic Note:

A Savannah institution:

Begun in 1978 by the inimitable Anita Raskin who passed away in 2002, the expanded Book Lady Bookstore is Savannah’s only full service independent bookstore offering a broad range of new, gently used, rare, and out-of-print books. Joni Saxon-Giusti, who worked at The Book Lady with Mrs. Raskin for many years, purchased and revamped the business in 2002, and has overseen the exponential growth and relocation of the shop.

Here are a few items from the Book Lady's Rare Books Room.

It Pays To Increase Your Word Power®

New Comics Site

Moron author Hans Schantz e-mailed me this week with some news:

Thought you and the “Moron Horde” would be interested in a major development in the world of comics.

This week, Arkhaven launched a comics site, “Arktoons,” that promises weekly episodes of 34 different comics – “more comics content in the first month alone than was solicited by DC Comics in May.”

The content is all free to view, although fans may choose to support it by subscription. The site features Arkhaven Comics, SuperPrumo, Dark Legion, and Rislandia comics. And independent creators willing to abide by Arktoon’s “no sex, no satanism, and no social justice” policy are free to submit content for possible inclusion as well.

Bounding Into Comics reports on it here.

Or check out the site’s many engaging offerings here.

Free stuff? Cool! Interested morons should check it out.

Who Dis:

(Last week's 'who dis' was, relaxing at his retirement home in San Clemente, CA, President Richard Nixon)

Book Search Site

Thanks to lurking moron SnailRacer, who used to be a serious eBay bookseller, for telling me about the book search site Addall.com. It's great for researching book availability and price. The website separates new and used book searches and from there you can drill down as specific as you want to get. The addall search engine scours as many internet book sites as you choose to activate from a long list. You just have to be careful that you're not looking at duplicate hits if the seller decides to list on more than one selling site, for example Amazon and Abebooks.

If you're interested on a story about the 'kid' who started this site, you can read it here.

Moron Recommendations

Received this rec from a lurker who e-mailed:

I have been reading biographies on U.S. presidents in order. Recently, I read "The Shadow of Blooming Grove," a 1968 biography of Warren G. Harding. It is actually a fascinating insight onto a man who is not well-regarded by history. The book had to leave large blank spaces where Harding's love letters to his mistress, Carrie Phillips, should have been. As a postscript, those letters were made public in 2014 so you can see what the censored contents were.

You might be able to find the book in the library, but for me it took a special Interlibrary Loan.

P.J. O'Rourke dedicated his book Republican Party Reptile to Harding, whom he labeled "the original get-down Republican." Used copies of "The Shadow of Blooming Grove" are available for as little as $9.00.

___________

Here is another email recommendation that looks like it might be of interest:

Hi - Pat* from the Garden Thread here.

My college friend Craig Stanfill has written a book. He asked me to read his pre-release version, and comment.

I don’t normally read or watch “scary movies”.
I don’t normally read dystopian fiction.
I don’t normally read books with a lot of AI or computers in them.
I read the first few pages - and I could not put it down. I read the entire thing in one sitting.

The title “Terms of Service” is perfect! -

We never read them -

We sign them even though we’re not sure what we’re getting into -

And when we do, we don’t know all the consequences of our decision... until it’s too late.

As an aside, this was the basis for the South Park 'Human Centipede' episode, right? Not reading the software licensing agreement which contained a clause that you were agreeing to be subjected to hideous scientific experiments.

Anyway, The Kindle edition of Terms of Service: Subject to Change Without Notice by Craig Stanfill is only 99 cents. If you like it, you'll have to wait until October for the release of the second book of the series, The Prophecy of the Heron. Also 99 cents.

Here is the promo copy from Amazon:

1984 meets The Matrix in this riveting science fiction novel about corporate totalitarianism, personal freedom, and one brave character’s journey to reclaim her humanity from an oppressive regime...

For fans of classic dystopian literature like Brave New World and ground-breaking TV shows like Black Mirror, Stanfill explores the lurking dangers of a surveillance state where privacy is dead, corporations have unlimited power, and even using the word “I” is forbidden.

___________

211... Almost finished with 'Death in the Garden', Ironside. While it is a Brit mystery novel, the writing and plot development are so superb, that I'm inclined to deem it more Novel than Mystery. It is worth noting that the author's pen name is Elizabeth Ironside, but she is actually Lady Catherine Manning, wife of the British ambassador to the U.S., 2003-2007. I'll quote Wiki here in reference to him: "He authored the so-called " Manning Memo ", that summarized the details of a meeting between American president George W. Bush and British prime minister Tony Blair during the run-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003".

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at April 18, 2021 11:26 AM (vOGqy)

Let's take a look at Death in the Garden:

In 1925 beautiful, bohemian Diana Pollexfen was celebrating her 30th birthday with a party at a country estate, but the celebrations soured when her husband died, poisoned by a cocktail that had been liberally laced with some of Diana's photographic chemicals. Sixty years later, Diana's grand-niece, Helena, is also turning 30, but with rather less fanfare. An overworked attorney in London, Helena's primary social outlet is an obsessive love affair. By way of distraction, Helena starts looking through her great-aunt's papers and soon develops another obsession: Determining just who did kill George Pollexfen in that lovely, sunlit garden between the wars.

I really like novels like this that, due to their high quality, seem to transcend the genre that they're written for. Ms. Ironside is also the author of A Good Death and The Art of Deception. Unfortunately, e-book versions are not available, but that may be because there's some kind of problem with the publisher's site. There are instructions about how to purchase and download e-books, but it doesn't seem to be possible at the present time. If you're interesting in pursuing this, you can contact the publisher here.

___________

Books By Morons

Lurking moron author Shane Gries e-mailed this week to tell me that the second book of his Ashes Saga, From The Ashes Of Interstellar Empire, has just been published. It continues the story of a vanquished fleet trying to make a home on an already-inhabited world.

The planet Renas is a world populated by humans with 1950�s-level technology. It is surrounded by a fleet of starships, crewed by human beings from a far-flung system who are refugees from a bloody interstellar war. Both sides are locked in a deadly struggle to determine the fate of this isolated world.

There is a more extensive blurb at the Amazon link, From the Ashes of Interstellar Empire, which price is $5.99 for the Kindle edition.

Shane's books are published by Ring of Fire Press (author Eric Flint's outfit), and you may prefer to spend your money there, because (a) it isn't Amazon and (b) it is available is multiple e-book formats (epub, mobi, pdf, rtf). There are also sample chapters available for your perusal, more extensive than the Amazon samples. Here is the Ring of Fire link.

Here is the link to the first book in the series, From the Ashes of a Dead World, selling for $4.99. Same deal with the multiple formats and sample chapters. Also Amazon.

Ring of Fire Press carries many titles, most of which are reasonably priced at $4.99-$5.99. Their entire catalog is worth a browse.

___________

A lurking moron author introduced me to his Bill and Jodi Crawford series, which tells the story of

...a young married couple, trying to be the best at what they do, hoping for advancement that will lead to improving their life-style. On his 30th birthday, Bill is given the ability to back up time and retain the knowledge of what is about to happen...[T]hey begin to see opportunities wherein they can benefit others, and that starts an adventure in which they involve themselves in numerous situations, diverse in nature and level of danger. They will later learn that this new power is even greater than they initially thought, and the limits extend far beyond their first impression. The result: opportunities increase manifold, as do dangers they never imagined they would encounter.

This is not the direction I would have guessed. Usually, stories about people suddenly acquiring the ability to go either back and or forward in time usually involve them using their new power to win big at the track or the lottery and they end up getting done in by their greed. But this series seems to eschew that storyline. That is, instead of scoundrels trying to enrich themselves, the main characters are good people trying to help others. Nice. But even with good intentions, using that kind of power brings danger.

The first book in the 5-volume series is Back in a Moment, and the Kindle edition is $3.99.

___________

So that's all for this week. As always, book thread tips, suggestions, bribes, insults, threats, ugly pants pics and moron library submissions may be sent to OregonMuse, Proprietor, AoSHQ Book Thread, at the book thread e-mail address: aoshqbookthread, followed by the 'at' sign, and then 'G' mail, and then dot cee oh emm.

What have you all been reading this week? Hopefully something good, because, as you all know, life is too short to be reading lousy books.

20210502 book pic 03.jpg

Posted by: OregonMuse at 09:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Ahoy Hoy!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 08:00 AM (Dc2NZ)

2 hiya

Posted by: JT at May 02, 2021 08:00 AM (arJlL)

3 Tolle Lege
Now if only I can get to used book store

Posted by: Skip at May 02, 2021 08:01 AM (Cxk7w)

4 Gable and Lombard

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 08:01 AM (ONvIw)

5 From "No man of her own"?

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 08:02 AM (ONvIw)

6 Myrna Loy and Clarke Gable.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 08:02 AM (Dc2NZ)

7 Those pants are fine! Now put them on!

Posted by: f'd's mom at May 02, 2021 08:03 AM (Tnijr)

8 Who Dis looks like a photoshop.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 08:03 AM (45fpk)

9 Squeeeeeee!

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, who loves the Book Thread at May 02, 2021 08:03 AM (PiwSw)

10 Anyway, while searching for kiddie lit that was grandson worthy, I stumbled across a book of poems I bought in 8th grade from Scholastic. It was written by high schoolers. I was amazed at the difference between vocabulary and craftsmanship then v the crap kids write now.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 08:06 AM (ONvIw)

11 God help me, I think I had some pants like that, when I was about that age.

Posted by: Trimegistus at May 02, 2021 08:07 AM (QZxDR)

12 Nice Book Mart!

Those pants.....the horror, the horror.

The Who Dis is a still from the 1938 film "I Married My Pimp" starring Clark Gable and Carole Lombard.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at May 02, 2021 08:07 AM (R/m4+)

13 Even if it's these pants, which nowadays would be banned for violating laws against child abuse.

Alt Title: 3 way to get your ass kicked in the 5th Grade.

Posted by: rhennigantx at May 02, 2021 08:07 AM (yrol0)

14
g'mornin', book-ish 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at May 02, 2021 08:07 AM (DUIap)

15 Those pants were "cool" in the early 70s for non-jeans occasions

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 08:09 AM (ONvIw)

16 Currently reading PKD's The Man in the High Castle. Very different than what I expected. I tried watching the first episode of the Amazon series, but the pacing was so slow, I turned it off. The book is generally better, in any case. Funnily enough, this book reminds me of Michael Moorcock's The Warlords of the Air.
"Wild new Ubik salad dressing, not Italian, not French, but an entirely new and different taste treat that's waking up the world. Wake up to Ubik and be wild! Safe when taken as directed."

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at May 02, 2021 08:09 AM (hQrcu)

17 Thinning out the library this week. I simply have too many books to cart around to our next place.

The kids don't want them however, Catholic Family Services will accept them. I still feel bad about letting them go. I haven't looked at many of them in decades.

Posted by: Tonypete at May 02, 2021 08:09 AM (Rvt88)

18 Clark Gable and some good looking woman.

Posted by: dantesed at May 02, 2021 08:09 AM (88xKn)

19 Book Lady Bookstore?

Like "Our Bodies, Our Selves" book ladies?

Posted by: San Franpsycho at May 02, 2021 08:09 AM (EZebt)

20 That guy with Peter Falk looks a lot like the Princess Bride-era Christopher Guest.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at May 02, 2021 08:09 AM (PiwSw)

21 I've always wondered how the 'How-Catchem' format works so well, when there's no real *mystery* involved. I've figured out that it works by making the reader (or viewer, as in Columbo) identify with the criminal rather than the detective. We know exactly what the killer knows, which at the start is much more than what the detective knows. As the detective starts to uncover the truth, we know better than he does the significance of every clue. The tension comes from feeling the pursuer get closer and closer, and there's the anxiety of trying to escape approaching doom.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at May 02, 2021 08:11 AM (IlQBj)

22 Good morning fellow Book Threadists. I hope everyone had a great week of reading.

Posted by: JTB at May 02, 2021 08:14 AM (7EjX1)

23 Mostly brain candy this week. Rounding out the third in the Joe Pickett series, "Winterkill", where a stand-off is brewing between a fringey anti-Fed sovereignty group and a ravenous pack of Feds who want to score a big hit and boost their careers. This one is terrific.

Also reading "Fast Ice" - You had me at "Antarctic Nazis", Clive Cussler!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 08:15 AM (Dc2NZ)

24 Clark Gable was the master at putting on the come here baby look.

Posted by: Jmel at May 02, 2021 08:15 AM (bVhJi)

25 19 Book Lady Bookstore?

Like "Our Bodies, Our Selves" book ladies?

Posted by: San Franpsycho at May 02, 2021 08:09 AM (EZebt)

Perhaps, but I did not get a feminist vibe when I perused their site.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 08:17 AM (cid0g)

26 Posted by: Lord Squirrel at May 02, 2021 08:09 AM (hQrcu)

The book didn't have a neat ending. Neither did the series

Posted by: San Franpsycho at May 02, 2021 08:17 AM (EZebt)

27 Posted by: Lord Squirrel at May 02, 2021 08:09 AM (hQrcu)

The book didn't have a neat ending. Neither did the series

Posted by: San Franpsycho at May 02, 2021 08:17 AM (EZebt)
Yeah, so far not terribly impressed. I don't think it's one of his best novels, but it's OK in its own right. I'm halfway through it and I don't really see much of a plot. Mostly world building.

Posted by: Lord Squirrel at May 02, 2021 08:20 AM (hQrcu)

28 Even if it's these pants, which nowadays would be banned for violating laws against child abuse.

Alt Title: 3 way to get your ass kicked in the 5th Grade.
The boy second from the right is the only one who looks like he's comfortable in those pants. Either that or he's on 'Ludes. The two on the left are cringing in fear, thinking about the many lockers that await them. Far right is thinking about killing his stage Mom.

Posted by: pep at May 02, 2021 08:22 AM (v16oJ)

29 Book Ladies > Halal Guys

Posted by: San Franpsycho at May 02, 2021 08:22 AM (EZebt)

30 Thank you, OM, for another great Book Thread!

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at May 02, 2021 08:22 AM (PiwSw)

31 Good morning fellow Book Threadists. I hope everyone had a great week of reading.
Sadly, no. My thoughts turn to gardening this time of year, and I'm too tired to read at the end of the day. I'll do better, I promise!

Posted by: pep at May 02, 2021 08:23 AM (v16oJ)

32 I had the same experience with the novel Man in the High Castle. I've read other Axis-wins alternate history novels, and found Castle a bit unsatisfying. I found it too suffused with Dick's personal Gnosticism and a lot of late Sixties moral confusion.

Posted by: Trimegistus at May 02, 2021 08:24 AM (QZxDR)

33 Probably wouldn't be a big hit with this smaahhtmilitary blog, but I enjoyed it immensely: "Bill Cunningham's On the Street: Five Decades of Iconic Photography" celebrates Cunningham's look at real fashion on the streets of New York, from society dames like Nan Kempner and Blaine Trump to the art kids bouncing around Soho in huge prints. He liked to chronicle what was going on in the moment and always chose flattering snaps of his subjects. I remember all these looks!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 08:25 AM (Dc2NZ)

34 First, if Shane Gries is here, well ***WAVES***...

Second, dude, are you going to start blogging again anytime soon?

Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain, Cryptid Anarchist at May 02, 2021 08:26 AM (Clxcy)

35 I never look at the pants, but your comments intrigued me, so I looked.

I lived through that, people. Pity me.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at May 02, 2021 08:26 AM (EZebt)

36 Last week, some Moron asked for books for boys and I suggested Talbot Munday, not a great author (or a great man; it seems he had trouble distinguishing his property from that of other people) but he did write exciting boy's adventure stories. Having brought him to mind, I decided to reread Caesar Dies, a novel of the assassination of Commodus, the bad guy in Gladiator. As the conspirators are scheming away about who should succeed Commodus, one character muses on issues that seem to relate to present day.

"By observing a man's virtues one may infer what his faults are. You would try to rule the empire honestly, which is impossible. A more dishonest man would let it rule itself and claim the credit, whereas you would give the praise to others, who would shoulder off the work and all the blame on to you. An empire is like a human body, which heals itself if the head will let it. Too many heads - a conference of doctors - and the patient dies! One doctor, doing nothing with an air of confidence, and the patient gets well! There, I have told you more than all the senate knows!"

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 08:30 AM (VVEnO)

37 Finished Grendel this week. I probably should have read Beowolf before picking it up but oh well. It got better as it went along but like everything else by John Gardner it was too clever by half and more "clever" than well written. The chapter with the dragon was when enjoyment clicked up a notch. Someone reviewing it in Goodreads pointed out that each chapter corresponded to a zodiac sign which I quickly filed under information that doesn't mean a fucking thing to me. There wasn't much book group discussion since I think everyone else felt the same as I did.

The group has moved on to The Alienist by Caleb Carr that looks promising after reading three short chapters last night. I'm sure some Horde readers are familiar with it.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 08:30 AM (y7DUB)

38 I'm currently reading The Litigators by John Grisham.

I had to wait til page 37 before it started getting good.

I woulda chucked it; but hey, Grisham.

Posted by: JT at May 02, 2021 08:31 AM (arJlL)

39 I'm re-reading the Rain Wilds Chronicles by Robin Hobb. I'm in the 2nd of 4 books. It's ok again. It been over 10 years since I read it last.

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 08:31 AM (UUBmN)

40 The best Axis-wins alternate history story I've ever read is one which I can't recall either the author or title of. (Which means it's probably by Turtledove.) It appeared in one of the SF magazines in the early 1990s. The plot was about a diplomatic effort to end the "cold war" stalemate between the Reich in Europe and the Americans in the 1970s. It had some great touches: the "counterculture" kids in America adopting Nazi imagery; the use of Irish officials in occupied Britain; and the surprising number of American pop musicians who came over during the Final Evacuation from Britain as infants.

Does this ring a bell with anyone?

Posted by: Trimegistus at May 02, 2021 08:31 AM (QZxDR)

41 I found this link to Sears/Penny's/Monkey Wards Christmas catalogs 1940-2011:

https://christmas.musetechnical.com/

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 08:31 AM (Dc2NZ)

42 Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 08:30 AM (VVEnO

I think that was me. Those books seem a little advanced for an 8yo, though. Thanks

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 08:33 AM (ONvIw)

43 I never look at the pants, but your comments intrigued me, so I looked.

I lived through that, people. Pity me.
Posted by: San Franpsycho at May 02, 2021 08:26 AM (EZebt)

Likewise.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 08:33 AM (y7DUB)

44 Reading has slowed way down, since I can't read in my new contacts and the corrected lens is taking forever to come in. So now I have to wait till I'm ready to take my contacts out and break out the bifocals before I can read much of anything. Plus I'm moving and have to start packing up all the books. I started "The Portable Faulkner" thinking that would take a month anyway. It's only portable if you think concrete blocks are portable.

Posted by: who knew at May 02, 2021 08:33 AM (SfO/T)

45 Columbo was a retarded cop. Was the show a coded warning about what was happening in and to law enforcement?

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 08:34 AM (VVEnO)

46 The pants weren't really the problem. It was the polyester shirts. They were intolerable, especially in hot weather -- and I grew up in the South so there was an awful lot of hot weather.

Even now, forty years later, I am still very skeptical of synthetic fabrics.

Posted by: Trimegistus at May 02, 2021 08:35 AM (QZxDR)

47 Wow! 100% Terylene! I used to clean carburetors with that stuff.

Posted by: johnd01 at May 02, 2021 08:35 AM (uVQvU)

48 "Book Lady" ? ! ! !

Now THAT's hoity-toity.

In Austin, TX, we have "Book Woman," a gently used lesbian bookstore which has been gentrified from 6th street to southern North Lamar to northern North Lamar over the last few decades. It's where I picked up my copy of ISBN 9780867193718 about three decades ago.

Posted by: Marooned at May 02, 2021 08:35 AM (5TnwH)

49 "gently used lesbian" -- Ha!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 08:37 AM (Dc2NZ)

50 Richard kiley, the blimey weasel ended up the uk iat the end of the shiney poll.

Posted by: Alien covenant was worse at May 02, 2021 08:37 AM (hMlTh)

51 In Austin, TX, we have "Book Woman," a gently used lesbian bookstore which has been gentrified from 6th street to southern North Lamar to northern North Lamar over the last few decades. It's where I picked up my copy of ISBN 9780867193718 about three decades ago.
Posted by: Marooned
---
I haven't heard of "Book Women" but "Book People" is a well known bookstore next to REI and Whole Foods headquarters in the Lamar/5th street area.

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 08:38 AM (UUBmN)

52 Hi All, Thanks OM!

Skip, if you are still here, thanks so much for that terrific Amazon review. Much obliged.
And if Mike is here, thanks to you as well for the gracious comments about Combat Engineer.
Cheers ya'll, have a good Sunday.

Posted by: goatexchange at May 02, 2021 08:39 AM (bDyGY)

53 Wishing all the Orthodox morons a joyous Easter!

Posted by: San Franpsycho at May 02, 2021 08:39 AM (EZebt)

54 Those pants just need some cuffs....

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 08:39 AM (UUBmN)

55 I've been keeping an eye open for books that might interest our great nephews, ages 10, 7, and 2. Too soon for the youngest, of course, but I've had some good results with the other two. Treasure Island with Wyeth illustrations was a big hit. This week I came across the "Redwall" series by Brian Jacques. Turns out I had the first three on Kindle. (No, I don't know why.)

Just started the first one and I am enchanted. This isn't the first time I got into a 'kids' book and loved it. The Beatrix Potter stories and Winnie The Pooh come to mind. There are 21 books in the series and given the 9 dollar cost of the ebooks, I'll have to check the used book store for copies.

Part of the attraction is the echoes of The Hobbit and even the first Star Wars movie in tone and pace. To quote from Babylon 5, "No moral ambiguity. They were the bad guys." That awakening and development of the hero and the evil of the enemy keeps things simple and focused for kids and is appealing to me right now.

I hope the later books hold my attention this way. It is pleasant reading. Suitable for the older nephews, as well.

Any thoughts about the series?

Posted by: JTB at May 02, 2021 08:41 AM (7EjX1)

56 I can't really understand why any lesbian or gay bookstores exist any more, gently-used or not. Forty years ago there was a reason for them: they carried gay porn and Tom of Finland prints, and gay porn comics, and tiresome feminist screeds, and gay porn videos, and dishonest academic works about how fascist Amerikka oppresses gay people, and gay porn "art" books, etc.

Now all of that is basically the merchandise at every bookstore in America. They won. Why are there still specialty stores for what has become mass culture?

Posted by: Trimegistus at May 02, 2021 08:41 AM (QZxDR)

57 Kiley is the actor, mr manning was their slimmer col bearclaw

Posted by: Alien covenant was worse at May 02, 2021 08:41 AM (hMlTh)

58 All those pants need are onions on the belts.

Posted by: johnd01 at May 02, 2021 08:42 AM (uVQvU)

59 45 Columbo was a retarded cop. Was the show a coded warning about what was happening in and to law enforcement?

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 08:34 AM (VVEnO)

I have heard the theory that Columbo is patterned after the investigator in Dostoeyevsky's Crime and Punishment, an unassuming guy who seems to be just bumbling along and then asks the right question that blows the whole thing open.

And Crime and Punishment is the classic howcatchem novel, of course.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 08:42 AM (cid0g)

60 I wonder if Jane D'OH has been there before?

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 08:42 AM (jvt6t)

61 Good morning book lovers.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 08:42 AM (jvt6t)

62 55: I bought the first Redwall for my grandson this week. I haven't heard back about it, but they have some standardized test this week, so he's probably working on the practice sheets.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 08:42 AM (ONvIw)

63 I loved Columbo as a teenager, another Howcatchem later is Monk, seen most of them and they are entertaining.

Posted by: Skip at May 02, 2021 08:43 AM (Cxk7w)

64 "gently used lesbian" -- Ha!

Does she have a newsletter?

Posted by: Brucelyn Jenner at May 02, 2021 08:43 AM (W4eKo)

65 Monk is great. My kids even got into watching them. They also liked the Mentalist and Psych.

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 08:44 AM (UUBmN)

66 I thought I might go back to reading real books this week, but then my hardback Xenozoic collection arrived in the mail and, well, it was back to comic books. Xenozoic is an old black-and-white comic by Mark Schultz about a post-apocalyptic Earth, where Dinosaurs and other prehistoric plants and animals have mysteriously returned. It's also the inspiration for the old 'Cadillacs and Dinosaurs' cartoon.

The first third of the book is pretty fun. A bunch of short vignettes to establish the characters and the world. The middle third is less fun, as the story dips into late-80's eco-preaching. And the lead character devolves into a self-righteous hypocritical douche. "We need to live in balance with the world. That means you need to get rid of your farm and your road, but I get to keep my car and guns..." It gets better in the last third. The hero gets called out on being such an ass, and actually pays a price for it. And the story turns into something of a political thriller, with hints of a big quest in the future. But then the book ends at what amounts to a chapter break. The author either lost interest, or had to abandon the story for something that paid better...

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 02, 2021 08:44 AM (Lhaco)

67 .....ahhhh, yes....just one more question.....

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 08:44 AM (jvt6t)

68 I ran out of room to finish my thoughts on the Xenozoic comic. Are comments character-limited now?

Anyways, Xenozoic. Inconsistent story, but great art. Really, really great, black-and-white inked artwork. The collection is probably worth it just for that.

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 02, 2021 08:46 AM (Lhaco)

69 What is that picture/poster hanging from the ceiling of the bookstore? Looked like revolvers to me at first but now I'm not sure...

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 08:47 AM (UUBmN)

70 I remember the one Columbo episode where he busted the killer by how the victims shoes were tied. Only someone who had tied them for him would loop them that way. How he saw that with his gotch eye, I'll never know.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 08:47 AM (jvt6t)

71 Matthew rycroft noe hes the humphrey applebu ar the home office

In my novella my protagonist follows the trail that joe wilson obviously didnt to the uranium saturated soil and water of arlit to the port of cotonou whuch was accesuble only by winding road and railroad container at any point you could miscount the uranium

Posted by: Alien covenant was worse at May 02, 2021 08:47 AM (hMlTh)

72 Any thoughts about the series?
Posted by: JTB at May 02, 2021 08:41 AM (7EjX1)
-------

Good morning, JTB and all of you!

My kids read some of the Redwall books and liked them a lot. My youngest son read the entire series. The only complaint was that they could be very similar, but given the nature of the stories, that's not unusual.

We listened to a few of them while riding in the car and Brian Jacques, the author, did the reading and has a rollicking Scottish accent.

There was a children's cartoon of Redwall that used to be on Sunday mornings, I think, that was really well done too. Thumbs up!

Posted by: bluebell at May 02, 2021 08:48 AM (wyw4S)

73 Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 08:47 AM (UUBmN)

Looks like what they are. The Mystery section perhaps?

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 08:48 AM (jvt6t)

74 My week was improved when the latest edition of "Muzzleloader" magazine arrived in the mail. Great historical information, how-to articles and outstanding photography. It's a gem.

Posted by: JTB at May 02, 2021 08:49 AM (7EjX1)

75 56 I can't really understand why any lesbian or gay bookstores exist any
more, gently-used or not. Forty years ago there was a reason for them:
they carried gay porn and Tom of Finland prints, and gay porn comics,
and tiresome feminist screeds, and gay porn videos, and dishonest
academic works about how fascist Amerikka oppresses gay people, and gay
porn "art" books, etc.

Now all of that is basically the merchandise at every bookstore in
America. They won. Why are there still specialty stores for what has
become mass culture?

Posted by: Trimegistus at May 02, 2021 08:41 AM
-----
I beg to differ. ISBN 9780867193718 is NOT carried by most stores, although it can be found on abebooks.

Posted by: Marooned at May 02, 2021 08:49 AM (5TnwH)

76 What are some examples of howcatchems other than Columbo?

Posted by: Northernlurker, surgite at May 02, 2021 08:49 AM (cSyAR)

77 "What is that picture/poster hanging from the ceiling of the bookstore? "

They look like flare guns.

Posted by: f, Leading The Way In Carbon Footprint Reduction, for the children, and the clams at May 02, 2021 08:51 AM (Tnijr)

78 Posted by: Northernlurker, surgite at May 02, 2021 08:49 AM (cSyAR)

For those 29 and over, weren't the whole series of shows like Columbo, McMillan & Wife, etc. howcatchems? I think McCloud was in that group too. Just can't remember.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 08:52 AM (jvt6t)

79 I've mentioned it before, but I'd like to recommend again, for young readers, Craig Bradley's "Peter Polo and the Snow Beast of Hunza." A fun and entertaining story of adventure in the Himalayas, by a good friend of mine.
He has a sequel coming out as well.

Posted by: goatexchange at May 02, 2021 08:52 AM (bDyGY)

80 Patrick mcgoohan was more often the villain as a spy as a military academy commandant

Posted by: Alien covenant was worse at May 02, 2021 08:52 AM (hMlTh)

81 Insty had this linked: "Cry Bullies: Protecting Yourself Against Social Muggers and Victimhood Aggression":

https://tinyurl.com/47jd97fs

I read the excerpt and got it.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 08:54 AM (Dc2NZ)

82 A while back, someone on this thread recommended, "On Killing," by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Read it and be thankful that you are not a Two Percenter -- unless, of course, you ARE a Two Percenter; in which case, thank you for your service; and please, please don't kill me.

Posted by: Marooned at May 02, 2021 08:54 AM (5TnwH)

83 Currently reading Cityscapes of New Orleans by Richard Campanella. It's a ground up history of how it was founded and how each district was created and evolved over time. So far, it's been interesting.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 08:54 AM (jvt6t)

84 Book Lady has a copy of The Fountainhead (foreground).

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 08:56 AM (Dc2NZ)

85 55 ......This week I came across the "Redwall" series by Brian Jacques. ..... Any thoughts about the series?
Posted by: JTB at May 02, 2021 08:41 AM (7EjX1)

I read so many Redwall books as a child. They gave me an enduring love of castles and siege warfare. And of woodland creatures slaughtering each other with swords.

From what I remember, my favorites were 'The Long Patrol' and 'Salamandastron.' Both focus on some warrior bunnies ling in a fortress near Redwall. One other thing to note: all the books are (essentially) stand-alone stories. So you can jump in or jump off the series at any point without really loosing anything.

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 02, 2021 08:56 AM (Lhaco)

86 I'm currently rereading bits and pieces of a biography of John Hawkwood, as well as The Art of Conversation, and a book on writing metrical poetry.

Posted by: Colorado Alex in Exile at May 02, 2021 08:56 AM (jOcSX)

87 This week I finished the third of the Corfu trilogy by Gerald Durrell. The books are called My Family and Other Animals; Birds, Beasts, and Relatives; and Fauna and Family (which is the American title - the British title is Garden of the Gods). Durrell was a British naturalist who spent five years of his early life (age 10-15) in Corfu with his widowed mother and three older siblings, in the run-up to WWII. It's what the BBC series "The Durrells in Corfu" is based upon, but loosely, as I found out.

We started watching the series first and after a few episodes I hated every character and I couldn't believe the happenings in the stories were real. So I looked it up and discovered I was right, and got the first book out of the library. It was an absolute delight.

If you are looking for some funny reading with serious nature education thrown in, I highly recommend this series. And no, Sven the Buff Gay Goatherd is not a character.

Posted by: bluebell at May 02, 2021 08:56 AM (wyw4S)

88 Insty had this linked: "Cry Bullies: Protecting Yourself Against Social Muggers and Victimhood Aggression":

https://tinyurl.com/47jd97fs

I read the excerpt and got it.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace

This black woman rips Cookie Milano a new one.

https://bit.ly/2PFrRJG

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 08:58 AM (VVEnO)

89 Those pants just need some cuffs....

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 08:39 AM (UUBmN)

Baggies....plaid.

Posted by: BignJames at May 02, 2021 08:59 AM (AwYPR)

90 goatexchange my absolute pleasure,it was a fantastic book and couldn't put it down. Hope other like minded military buffs read it asput a review on it at The Miniature Page. Almost blew it as didn't put link but did put information right away.
As said my FiL was in149th Engineer Battalion and a D-day vet. He was wounded with bayonet some weeks after but fought to get back to his Battalion( never heard a word on how it happened). Often guys after recovering got sent to other units. Looking after I was done, found that Brigade stayed in Normandy area for some time though know from him eventually they went to front again.

Posted by: Skip at May 02, 2021 08:59 AM (Cxk7w)

91 I think Tess Gerritsen has written some howcatchems?

She has done a few that are close--she lets you see the killer's thoughts from the start, without telling you who it is, and you have to figure out which character is having the thoughts

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 09:00 AM (AwPyG)

92 76 What are some examples of howcatchems other than Columbo?
Posted by: Northernlurker, surgite at May 02, 2021 08:49 AM (cSyAR)

Someone upthread mentioned Monk.

The classic howcatchem is Crime and Punishment.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 09:01 AM (cid0g)

93 This week I finished reading the writing of Madame Jeanne Guyon. I'm also reading the the works of Fenelon.
Both need to be read slowly.

Posted by: Northernlurker, surgite at May 02, 2021 09:01 AM (cSyAR)

94 Good morning all ... just drying out this morning after a couple of days of occasionally-torrential thunderstorms. The Daughter Unit and I did a road trip on Thursday, up to Austin, to visit the Daiso store there - it's a Japanese version of the Dollar General, and full of interesting Japanese stuff that the Daughter Unit loves. I don't think we'll ever go back to Austin, for a while. The whole place looked desperately seedy at ground level, with elaborate graffiti murals covering whole walls and buildings. And encampments of scruffy homeless, camped out on the grass verges and under certain bridges. All very dystopic, as there are tall glass residential towers going up all over downtown and along the Colorado riverfront. The Daughter Unit remarked that it was a very stark contrast in class; the underclass/homeless in their raggedy tents, and the ruling class in their tall glass-sided towers. There's a sense of something malign in downtown Austin now - and it used to be a fun place to visit.
Then we went to Pflugerville for the Aldi store; the Daughter Unit also loves the Aldi chain. And that was another contrast: no graffiti, no homeless, everything neat, manicured.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at May 02, 2021 09:01 AM (xnmPy)

95 90 I got it Monday night and finished it by Sunday morning

Posted by: Skip at May 02, 2021 09:02 AM (Cxk7w)

96 I'm another person that bought Redwall last week. The publishers must be scratching their heads.

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 09:02 AM (AwPyG)

97 Anyway, I find most current literature to be annoying, hence the classics building effort.

Someone referred me to books written by the husband of a HS classmate. I took a look, and was turned off by the "awards" won by the guy, all from a marketing association, and the fact that the plots seemed very Robert Nathan.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 09:04 AM (ONvIw)

98 Continuing from above: Pflugerville is a smallish town, probably more of a commuter suburb for Austin now, but a world removed.
As for books, still plugging away at the Outlander series.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at May 02, 2021 09:04 AM (xnmPy)

99 For those on the hunt for good kid's books, you might consider my YA fantasy "Jinxers". Written to celebrate kids being kids and especially boys being boys

Posted by: Sabrina Chase at May 02, 2021 09:04 AM (7IHuq)

100 I'm finishing up my Dashiell Hammett re-read binge this week with _Red Harvest_. Great stuff.

It's frequently cited as the inspiration for Yojimbo and Fist Full of Dollars, but I don't see it. In those two all the fightin' and killin' is more or less done openly. Whereas in Harvest there's a lot of investigation and figuring out how to pin crimes on the culprits.

Posted by: Trimegistus at May 02, 2021 09:05 AM (QZxDR)

101 I read Michael Crichton's "Timeline" so you don't have to. What an awful book. Dull and repetitive with a dubious ending.

It's like he read some books on the Middle Ages and said, "This is cool, I should write a book in this setting", then did so. Immediately. Straight through in a few hours with no plotting. And the writing in parts was bad. Not Dan Brown bad, but bad enough that it took you out of the moment.

Posted by: Taro Tsujimoto at May 02, 2021 09:06 AM (5YmYl)

102 There's a mystery author named Lee Goldberg who used to write scripts for Monk. He would tell stories of racing to get a completed script in on time, and then at the last minute the showrunner would decide that Monk should be blind for that episode.

Very funny stories about how Hollywood works

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 09:07 AM (AwPyG)

103 A good howcatchem Hitchcock movie was Dial M For Murder starring Ray Milland and Grace Kelly.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 09:07 AM (VVEnO)

104 If the cockles of your heart are in need of warming, I have just the thing: https://tinyurl.com/59sfrfmeWhat? Mitt Romney reads. It's book thread appropriate. **slinky eyes**

Posted by: pep at May 02, 2021 09:07 AM (v16oJ)

105 Sgt. mom, I wish I would have known you were headed to Austin. I would have liked to meet up. I keep thinking the Austin area morons need to have a very casual meet up sometime but I can't figure out where. Someplace with a covered outdoor area where we could eat, drink, and visit that is conservative owned...

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 09:07 AM (UUBmN)

106 Posted by: bluebell at May 02, 2021 08:56 AM (wyw4S)

It's hard for them to stage the classics now that they have strict rules on "representation".

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 09:09 AM (Dc2NZ)

107 Not Dan Brown bad, but bad enough that it took you out of the moment.
This is unfair. Robert Ludlum is the gold standard of bad writing.

Posted by: pep at May 02, 2021 09:09 AM (v16oJ)

108 And a crowd of young boys, they're fooling around in the corner
Drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies and their platform soles

Posted by: rhennigantx at May 02, 2021 09:09 AM (yrol0)

109 Amusing reminiscence: I first read _Red Harvest_ back in the early 1980s, and the edition my library had was a paperback from the 70s, evidently trying to cash in on James Bond spy novel popularity. The cover art for Red Harvest showed a clip of red bullets marked with the hammer-and-sickle, like it was some kind of Cold War thriller.

To be fair, there is one Commie character in the book, an IWW organizer. Interestingly, pinko Hammett didn't really treat that character any more sympathetically than the tightwad tycoon who owns the town.

Posted by: Trimegistus at May 02, 2021 09:10 AM (QZxDR)

110 I read Michael Crichton's "Timeline" so you don't have to. What an awful book. Dull and repetitive with a dubious ending.

-
On the other hand, the book was better than the movie which truly sucked.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 09:12 AM (VVEnO)

111 @101

I always suspect in that case--where a good author writes a book that doesn't seem to be in his or her wheelhouse--that the publishing house is trying to latch on to the popularity of another book, and asked him to do it.

About 18 months after Twilight took off, you saw it. A lot of big authors were trying to write Young Adult.

Also note its been about 18 months since "Where the Crawdads Sing" and there's suddenly a lot of similar books for sale

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 09:12 AM (AwPyG)

112 For those 29 and over, weren't the whole series of shows like Columbo, McMillan & Wife, etc. howcatchems? I think McCloud was in that group too. Just can't remember.
Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 08:52 AM (jvt6t)

Burke's Law was the best because it had lots of starlets looking for exposure.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 09:12 AM (y7DUB)

113 It's hard for them to stage the classics now that they have strict rules on "representation".
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 09:09 AM (Dc2NZ)

When I see the Asian cast of A Raisin in the Sun, I'll care about representation.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 09:13 AM (ONvIw)

114 Joe Biden says he's putting Kamala Harris in charge of part of his jobs plan "because I know it will get done."
Posted by: rhennigantx at April 29, 2021 08:19 AM (yrol0)

I hadn't thought of that but yes it is.

Posted by: Northernlurker, surgite at May 02, 2021 09:13 AM (cSyAR)

115 Lin-Duh at #105 ... it was a spur of the moment thing. Maybe we could arrange a meet-up in summer, in Buda or Kyle, or Pflugerville at some nice place.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at May 02, 2021 09:13 AM (xnmPy)

116 I recently read part of Crichton's novel Dragon's Teeth, about the "Bone Wars" of the 1870s between rival paleontologists in the Far West. I stopped reading because it got boring -- far too much attention paid to his boring fictional viewpoint character and not enough to the fascinating real people he meets.

Posted by: Trimegistus at May 02, 2021 09:13 AM (QZxDR)

117 Going back to literary awards, is it a new thing to create new ones, so that you can keep winning? Seems the other recipients of these "awards" were marketing campaigns for corporations. I was revolted.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 09:15 AM (ONvIw)

118 To be fair, there is one Commie character in the book, an IWW organizer. Interestingly, pinko Hammett didn't really treat that character any more sympathetically than the tightwad tycoon who owns the town.
Posted by: Trimegistus

Semi-related. The Pride of Harvard, David Hogg, explains capitalism.

https://bit.ly/3aXFyet

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 09:15 AM (VVEnO)

119 Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 09:07 AM (UUBmN)

Great idea. Jack Allen's Kitchen is a cool spot. Not sure of the conservative vibe, but the food and cocktails are good.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 09:16 AM (jvt6t)

120 My daughter loves the Redwall series and has been collecting the paperbacks for a few years. She hits the used bookstores and thrift stores for good deals. Also thriftbooks.com.

Other popular childrens series in our house: The Green Ember by SD Smith, Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome, 100 Cupboards by ND Wilson, Powerless by Matthew Cody.

Posted by: DIY Daddio at May 02, 2021 09:16 AM (RJscS)

121 Robert Ludlum is the gold standard of bad writing.
Posted by: pep at May 02, 2021 09:09 AM (v16oJ)

Sitting on the beach reading one of his pieces of shit led me to an eipiphany "I've had it with reading trash".

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 09:16 AM (y7DUB)

122 I've decided to reread my Evelyn Waugh collection, starting with The Loved One.
I don't have any reason for starting with it.

Posted by: Northernlurker, surgite at May 02, 2021 09:18 AM (cSyAR)

123 Robert Ludlum is the gold standard of bad writing.
Posted by: pep at May 02, 2021 09:09 AM (v16oJ)

As a teen they were exciting and foreign. As an adult, totally wince inducing.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 09:18 AM (jvt6t)

124 Biden says he's putting Kamala Harris in charge of part of his jobs plan "because I know it will get done."
Posted by: rhennigantx at April 29, 2021 08:19 AM (yrol0)

I hadn't thought of that but yes it is.
Posted by: Northernlurker, surgite at May 02, 2021 09:13 AM (cSyAR)

I have absolutely no idea how I copied and pasted that.

Posted by: Northernlurker, surgite at May 02, 2021 09:20 AM (cSyAR)

125 Never bothered to pick up Ludlum. But to me the apex of trash is Dan Brown, with Clive Cussler a close second. Brown takes the prize because of his insufferable pretentiousness and shameless padding. His "research" is a lot of Wikipedia cut-and-paste.

Cussler actually knows something about diving and classic cars, but got so damned lazy and repetitive his later books are unreadable.

Posted by: Trimegistus at May 02, 2021 09:20 AM (QZxDR)

126 @117

When you think about it, in any industry, the "awards" are just a way to market that industry.

For publishing, if you want to see what's popular, go onto the dreaded Amazon and see what books have a lot of 5 star ratings from verified purchasers.

Goodreads is pretty good, too, although I'm not sure how they keep people from gaming the ratings, since they don't sell books.

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 09:20 AM (AwPyG)

127 Jak Sucio,
Jack Allen's is great and very close to me. Jack seems a typical lefty but the silent partner was a prominent republican politician. He was a commissioner but I can't recall his name. They don't allow Guns and they have the proper signage. I was thinking maybe 12 Fox Brewery in Dripping. It's vet owned and I heard, maybe conservative owned.

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 09:21 AM (UUBmN)

128 jI heard that Book Lady was good but Movie Lady was better.

Probably, cuz Book Lady split her binding.

Yeah, I got nuthin'.

Posted by: naturalfake at May 02, 2021 09:21 AM (dWwl8)

129 For more on award corruption, see the Hugo and Nebula awards in science fiction. They might as well be called the "Authors Tor Books Wants to Promote" awards.

Posted by: Trimegistus at May 02, 2021 09:22 AM (QZxDR)

130 Hey Skip, thanks again. My little brother is visiting, and we are reminiscing about our battlefield tour of 2016 where we re-traced my grandfather's route through France, Belgium, and Germany. That touring is what sparked my desire to write the book. Can't wait to go back, now that I know a lot more about gf's activities.
Hi SgtMom! good to see you.

Posted by: goatexchange at May 02, 2021 09:22 AM (bDyGY)

131 You guys have a real thing against bellbottoms.

Posted by: G'rump928(c) at May 02, 2021 09:23 AM (emxxF)

132 @125

Clive Cussler wore a pork-pie hat, though, so much can be forgiven him

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 09:23 AM (AwPyG)

133 We binge-watched each season of Monk. Rev has OCD so it was appealing to us for the first few seasons. Then the character started to use the excuse of OCD to turn selfish. He particularly became domineering over his assistant Natalie. What started out as endearing turned into manipulation. I didn't like him as much as the series progressed. BTW, Tony Shaloub is from Green Bay WI, home of the you-know.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:23 AM (45fpk)

134 Goodreads is pretty good, too, although I'm not sure how they keep people from gaming the ratings, since they don't sell books.

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 09:20 AM (AwPyG)

I fortunately looked up the award. Seeing him sitting there with a big gold plated "award" at a signing event made me suspicious, especially when his great books had about 6 or 7 reviews, largely written by his wife's family.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 09:23 AM (ONvIw)

135 Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 09:21 AM (UUBmN)

That's a new addition to Dripping since I lived there. Where we used to live now has a brewery called Ghost Note after we sold our land. On RR 12. Too liberal though. There are a lot of cool places in Kyle/Buda too.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 09:25 AM (jvt6t)

136 Other popular childrens series in our house: The Green Ember by SD Smith, Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome, 100 Cupboards by ND Wilson, Powerless by Matthew Cody.
Posted by: DIY Daddio at May 02, 2021 09:16 AM (RJscS)
------

Have your children read anything by Elizabeth Enright? If they haven't, they should!

Posted by: bluebell at May 02, 2021 09:26 AM (wyw4S)

137 The classic howcatchem is Crime and Punishment.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 09:01 AM (cid0g)

Doesn't compare to the classic Ash Ketchum, "Crime and Pikachu".

Yeah, still got nuthin'.

Posted by: naturalfake at May 02, 2021 09:26 AM (dWwl8)

138 Yeah, I got nuthin'.
Posted by: naturalfake at May 02, 2021 09:21 AM (dWwl

Roller Girl on the other hand......

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 09:26 AM (jvt6t)

139 @134

I don't imagine the "awards" thing works very well with book readers, unless it the reader is someone pretentious who is not likely to read it in the first place.

I think books sell on word of mouth, mostly.

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 09:27 AM (AwPyG)

140 Have your children read anything by Elizabeth Enright? If they haven't, they should!
Posted by: bluebell at May 02, 2021 09:26 AM (wyw4S)

I bought her Gone Away Lake and the Saturdays.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 09:28 AM (ONvIw)

141 124 Biden says he's putting Kamala Harris in charge of part of his jobs plan "because I know it will get done."
Posted by: rhennigantx at April 29, 2021 08:19 AM (yrol0)

I hadn't thought of that but yes it is.
Posted by: Northernlurker, surgite at May 02, 2021 09:13 AM (cSyAR)

I have absolutely no idea how I copied and pasted that.
Posted by: Northernlurker, surgite at May 02, 2021 09:20 AM (cSyAR)

Are you using a 3rd party scratch pad? I think Win10 does have a way to look back at your CUTS.

Posted by: rhennigantx at May 02, 2021 09:28 AM (yrol0)

142 130 As said your text it was easy to do a virtual reality with Google Earth maps to go to exact bridge being blocked, or a observation point and looking around just as written is a fantastic way to read history. ( helps to have two tablets going)

Posted by: Skip at May 02, 2021 09:29 AM (Cxk7w)

143 139: It seems to have failed. When your reviewers only review your books and have the first names of your wife's siblings, it doesn't seem like the award is worth the plating cost.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 09:29 AM (ONvIw)

144 Elizabeth Enright's books are a lovely read: the Saturdays was the first of a series about the Melendy family in the late 1930s and wartime years. I used to wish that my own family could visit Gone Away lake, and explore the abandoned house...

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at May 02, 2021 09:30 AM (xnmPy)

145 Have your children read anything by Elizabeth Enright? If they haven't, they should!

Posted by: bluebell at May 02, 2021 09:26 AM (wyw4S)

I keep looking for books that would appeal to Thing 2. Thing 1 is a voracious reader, and Thing 3 reads above grade level and will happily read what's put before him. But Thing 2 is a really hard challenge. School is not his strong point. He's not a good reader. He is an outdoors all-the-time kid, even in below zero weather. Chopping trees, mowing acreage, digging trenches. He's 9 and I just can't find the sweet spot. To him, reading is a punishment, not a pleasure.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:30 AM (45fpk)

146 Finished "Sweet Silver Blues" by Glen Cook last night. No longer will that book sit on the shelf mocking me for having bought it and never opened it. Now it will insult me, "Ya big dummy, look at what you almost missed!"

The plot is complex, and near the end I thought Cook was having trouble wrapping up the story. But wrap it up he did, and in a surprising manner.

Although I own many unread books, I will get the next few in the series. I know where they are -- hell, when I was at the used-book store looking for them, I put them in publication order.

Speaking of series, I finally decided to spring for trade collections of the steampunk webcomic "Girl Genius" by Phil and Kaja Foglio. Pixy isn't playing nice, so I can't describe it further .I also found online the last two trade collections of the Nodwick series, a D&D spoof. These will take the place of the single issues on my shelf. Looks neater.

Speaking of comics -- oh, my, a new comics site? Free?! This will be like my early adulthood, when I could follow 40 comics per month and keep the stories all straight.

Now, how to fit 30 hours into a day?

Posted by: Weak Geek at May 02, 2021 09:31 AM (V5lmZ)

147 I don't imagine the "awards" thing works very well with book readers

Usually if it's an award-winner, I avoid it.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:31 AM (45fpk)

148 Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:30 AM (45fpk)

Maybe a classic adventure tale like Call of The Wild?

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 09:31 AM (jvt6t)

149 Jak Sucio ,
I don't know much about Buda/Kyle except it's exploding from the Austin spillover. You have some suggestions?

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 09:31 AM (UUBmN)

150 Clive Cussler wore a pork-pie hat, though, so much can be forgiven him
Ah, but did he do it ironically? IOW, was he a precocious hipster?

Posted by: pep at May 02, 2021 09:32 AM (v16oJ)

151 Maybe a classic adventure tale like Call of The Wild?

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 09:31 AM (jvt6t)

He might like that, although I would probably have to read it to him, which I don't mind.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:33 AM (45fpk)

152 I meant to add that I'm not sure I can follow multiple comics anymore, but I'll try.

Wish we could edit posts after publication.

Posted by: Weak Geek at May 02, 2021 09:34 AM (V5lmZ)

153 Good morning!

Let's smile & be happy & strike fear in the hearts of killjoy leftists everywhere.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 02, 2021 09:35 AM (u82oZ)

154 He is an outdoors all-the-time kid, even in below zero weather. Chopping trees, mowing acreage, digging trenches. He's 9 and I just can't find the sweet spot. To him, reading is a punishment, not a pleasure.
Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:30 AM (45fpk)
---------

Wow! Do you rent him out for yard work?!

Have you tried reading out loud a chapter book to him, a chapter a day (or however often you see him)? My older son was a reluctant reader, and I started reading Hardy Boys books out loud to him when he was about Thing 2's age. H really enjoyed that.

I read out loud to all my kids, not just him. One of my fondest summer memories is bringing the kids home from morning swim team practice and giving them breakfast, then we'd sit on the couch and I would read from whatever chapter book we were on at the time. Even if it was a book meant to appeal to the younger ones, the older ones would inevitably wander in and drape themselves over the couches. Wonderful memories.

Posted by: bluebell at May 02, 2021 09:35 AM (wyw4S)

155 I loved Columbo as a teenager, another Howcatchem later is Monk, seen most of them and they are entertaining.
Posted by: Skip at May 02, 2021 08:43 AM (Cxk7w)

I always cracked up when Columbo walked into some swell's mansion smoking on his cheroot and asking them if they have an ashtray.

He would be arrested today and investigated by the DOJ and FBI, then banned from Fakebook.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at May 02, 2021 09:36 AM (R/m4+)

156 Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 09:31 AM (UUBmN)

Willies Joint in Buda comes to mind. Lots of outdoor seating under big trees and not bad fare. Horse shoes, corn-hole and outdoor activities such as that.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 09:36 AM (jvt6t)

157 I keep looking for books that would appeal to Thing 2. Thing 1 is a
voracious reader, and Thing 3 reads above grade level and will happily
read what's put before him. But Thing 2 is a really hard challenge.
School is not his strong point. He's not a good reader. He is an
outdoors all-the-time kid, even in below zero weather. Chopping trees,
mowing acreage, digging trenches. He's 9 and I just can't find the sweet
spot. To him, reading is a punishment, not a pleasure.
IMHO, you can't force it. You can provide good opportunities for him to read, and it sounds like his siblings set a good example, but if it's just not his thing, let it go. He may develop a taste for reading, as so many do, or he may never be much of a reader. It's probably impossible to tell with a young boy. Different strokes.

Posted by: pep at May 02, 2021 09:37 AM (v16oJ)

158 I finished "The Man in the High Castle" a while ago, having given up on the series shortly after wading into season 3.

I understand why "TMitHC" pisses some people off so much. The ending is abrupt and you have to think a bit about what PKD is actually saying. In any event, i get why some folks feel the novel just stops and doesn't come to a complete triumphant ending or some such thing.

Bu-u-u-ut, this is why the series started sucking so badly is that they wanted to show the "afterward" of the novel and don't possess PKD's skill or understand what he meant exactly or understand the characters as written.

I liked the book and you will to if you accept that the novel is what it is. Check it out.

Posted by: naturalfake at May 02, 2021 09:37 AM (dWwl8)

159 We've been reading Bible stories to the kids each Friday. Last week was Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego. The fiery furnace was a big hit. There's a lot of scary violence in the Bible. Great for boys.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:37 AM (45fpk)

160 150 Clive Cussler wore a pork-pie hat, though, so much can be forgiven him

Yeah? Well, Max Boot wears a fedora, but he's still an a-hole.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 09:39 AM (cid0g)

161 Cussler's "The Sea Hunters" is decent non-fiction if you're into historical shipwrecks.

Posted by: Dr. Varno at May 02, 2021 09:39 AM (vuisn)

162 grammie. He may just be a non-starter for reading. Keep trying. I finally gave up on my grandson, he's just not into it. You are lucky that he likes the outdoor pursuits, mine cannot be dragged away from his computer or playstation.

Posted by: neverenoughcaffeine at May 02, 2021 09:39 AM (DUqif)

163 Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 09:31 AM (UUBmN)

There's always The Moon Tower in South Austin. Or Scholz' Bier Garten in downtown Austin. A very cool place that is still run by the Germans.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 09:39 AM (jvt6t)

164 @148

Maybe he's destined to be a park ranger? You do curtail your options, though, if you don't like to read. Maybe try the comic books they're talking about?

There are many gifts, but the same spirit.

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 09:40 AM (AwPyG)

165 All right, that picture of the manga titles leads me to ask why manga is so popular. You can't read a comics comment board without somebody noting how manga outsells Western comics. OK, these days that's understandable.

The few manga books I've opened, the art looks terrible. Why do Japanese artists give women such big, round eyes?

What is the appeal of these books?

Posted by: Weak Geek at May 02, 2021 09:40 AM (V5lmZ)

166 IMHO, you can't force it. You can provide good
opportunities for him to read, and it sounds like his siblings set a
good example, but if it's just not his thing, let it go. He may develop a
taste for reading, as so many do, or he may never be much of a reader.
It's probably impossible to tell with a young boy. Different strokes.

Posted by: pep at May 02, 2021 09:37 AM (v16oJ)

Good advice, pep. He can recognize the words, say the words, understand the definition of the words, - he just can't seem to pull it all together and get the whole picture. Very segmented, which really hinders his reading comprehension. Reading out loud to the kids is one way I'm trying to convey a love for books. But as you say, in his own way and at his own time.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:40 AM (45fpk)

167 I keep looking for books that would appeal to Thing 2. Thing 1 is a voracious reader, and Thing 3 reads above grade level and will happily read what's put before him. But Thing 2 is a really hard challenge. School is not his strong point. He's not a good reader. He is an outdoors all-the-time kid, even in below zero weather. Chopping trees, mowing acreage, digging trenches. He's 9 and I just can't find the sweet spot. To him, reading is a punishment, not a pleasure.
Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:30 AM (45fpk)

Thing 2 sounds like your classic sports guy. That's probably what he'd most like to be doing. Not reading.

Possibly, books about sports guys he admires might appeal to him.

Posted by: naturalfake at May 02, 2021 09:41 AM (dWwl8)

168 Wish we could edit posts after publication.

Posted by: Weak Geek at May 02, 2021 09:34 AM (V5lmZ)

I can!

( *puffs out chest* )
( *preens* )

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 09:42 AM (cid0g)

169 Good morning book lovers.
That book by Elizabeth Ironside sounded like it was a perfect fit so went to my library site and they have 3 by her. Did not have Death in the Garden so reserved the earliest one they had The Accomplice.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 02, 2021 09:42 AM (sd8p8)

170 @160

This may actually be in keeping. I think a fedora says "look at me" while a pork pie hat says "I'm cool and I don't care what you think."

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 09:42 AM (AwPyG)

171 Jak,
That's the type of place I was thinking of. 12 Fox is similar. Ok, I'm thinking a Friday or Saturday long lunchtime thing.

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 09:42 AM (UUBmN)

172 Maybe he's destined to be a park ranger? You do
curtail your options, though, if you don't like to read. Maybe try the
comic books they're talking about?

There are many gifts, but the same spirit.

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 09:40 AM (AwPyG)

You're on the right track - he has already drawn up rudimentary plans to open his own landscaping business. He does a lot of yardwork for multiple neighbors. The kid is a heckuva worker.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:43 AM (45fpk)

173 Just finished Kevin McCarthy's "The Wolves of Eden" set in 1866 Dakota territory, a murder mystery set amidst the US army's attempt to stop Red Cloud and his boys killing gold rush pilgrims.

Half of it the narrative of an Irish soldier, a war veteran from the campaigns in Tennessee. His language is musical.

The Indians win.

Posted by: Mr Gaga at May 02, 2021 09:44 AM (D8OwC)

174 >>> 110 I read Michael Crichton's "Timeline" so you don't have to. What an awful book. Dull and repetitive with a dubious ending.

-
On the other hand, the book was better than the movie which truly sucked.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 09:12 AM (VVEnO)

Honestly, the movie wasn't as bad as Aliens 3 or Highlander 2. Also, in retrospect, it's now more amusing that the evil CEO-type who resembled Billy Gates was dumped into a middle of a battle at the end.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at May 02, 2021 09:44 AM (b8eqQ)

175 He's 9 and I just can't find the sweet spot. To him, reading is a punishment, not a pleasure.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:30 AM (45fpk)

Don't force him. If you keep shoving books at him, you may produce in him an active dislike for reading, which you absolutely do not want to do.

Just let it go for now. He's only 9. He may develop a taste for reading later on.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 09:44 AM (cid0g)

176 Maybe we could arrange a meet-up in summer, in Buda or Kyle, or Pflugerville at some nice place.

I'll have moved from SA to Houston by then but I'd drive back if I could for a chance to meet more of y'all. I don't know about the "conservative owned" part but what about Salt Lick in Dripping Springs?

Posted by: Oddbob at May 02, 2021 09:44 AM (qc+VF)

177 Another big vote for the Redwall series. Great for kids.

My personal fave is Mossflower.

Posted by: president kg at May 02, 2021 09:45 AM (9npt1)

178 Finished Iron Sunrise by Charles Stross.

One of his better books. I enjoyed it more than his Laundry tales or his awful Merchant Princes series series. Has the same quirky humor, which can be a plus, sometimes.

A tad too deus ex machina in the end, as the big bad guys fail to cope with the young protagonist. But all the plot opens are tied up in nice bows during the villain's soliloquy.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 02, 2021 09:45 AM (u82oZ)

179 Yikes

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 02, 2021 09:46 AM (u82oZ)

180
The few manga books I've opened, the art looks terrible. Why do Japanese artists give women such big, round eyes?

It goes back to the early days of Japanese animation. It very easy and much cheaper to portray emotions using big eyes than trying to animate the whole face.

Business and artistic decision in one neat package.

Posted by: naturalfake at May 02, 2021 09:46 AM (dWwl8)

181 I am NOT a crook!!!!

Posted by: Howie Ketchum at May 02, 2021 09:47 AM (Fc5rx)

182 Just let it go for now. He's only 9. He may develop a taste for reading later on.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 09:44 AM (cid0g)

That's so hard for me, but probably best for him.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:47 AM (45fpk)

183 Grammie: Try him with Patrick McManus. Yes, the McManus audience is beyond a nine year old. He may have very great difficulty with it. BUT, if he does get ahold of it, he just might decide to increase his reading skills and interests.

Several years ago an acquaintance had a 10 yr. old son who would be a match for your Thing 2. My friend read McManus out loud to his son. After the third such reading the boy asked for the book and for help reading it himself. This broke the dam for all genres.

McManus was an outdoor humorist. He was the only writer I've ever found who could make me laugh out loud while reading. I recommend his collections of columns he wrote for outdoor magazines. "They Shoot Canoes Don't They", "The Grasshopper Trap", "Never Sniff a Gift Fish", and "The Night the Bear Ate Goombah" are all recommended.

Posted by: Lurking Cynic at May 02, 2021 09:47 AM (RS9ZG)

184 Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:30 AM (45fpk)

Non fiction outdoors survival manuals, landscaping books, etc.

Posted by: Can't help myself at May 02, 2021 09:49 AM (2DOZq)

185 Lurking Cynic - thank you so much for that suggestion! Yes, that sounds like something I could read aloud to him. I've got Daniel in the lion's den penciled in for this Friday, but maybe after that!

Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:50 AM (45fpk)

186 179 Yikes

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 02, 2021 09:46 AM (u82oZ)

Fixed it for you. The Barrel will go hungry.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 09:50 AM (cid0g)

187 Then the character started to use the excuse of OCD to turn selfish.

I found the same thing with the lead investigator on CSI, only with him it was some sort of autism. He started off as a quirky but likeable guy, then in later seasons he became rude, abrasive and insensitive as well as given to show-off displays of pedantic knowledge.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at May 02, 2021 09:51 AM (IlQBj)

188 Captains Courageous was my favorite book as a kid and probably still in my top three.

Posted by: Can't help myself at May 02, 2021 09:51 AM (2DOZq)

189 Non fiction outdoors survival manuals, landscaping books, etc.

Posted by: Can't help myself at May 02, 2021 09:49 AM (2DOZq)

Duh. Why did I not think of this. Double duh. I'm going to Camping World.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:51 AM (45fpk)

190 Due to the death of Michael Collins earlier this week, I re-read his memoir "Carrying the Fire", and reminded of what a fine book it is. Collins writes well; he's humorous, readable, and gives an excellent account of each of his two space flights - on Gemini X, and Apollo 11. As a man, he comes across as quite likable; someone who enjoys a good meal and a glass of good wine, who recognizes the value of exercise and fitness but doesn't make a cult of it, the son and nephew of famous Army generals who chose to go his own way in the Air Force, who is highly accomplished but who also recognizes that a big measure of luck went into his being chosen for the space program. It's also a reminder of a bolder, more open America, one which produced citizens like Michael Collins. Highly recommended.

Posted by: Nemo at May 02, 2021 09:51 AM (S6ArX)

191 I started reading Westerns I think in 7th maybe 8th grade, by 9th or 10th was reading Hell in a Very Small Place

Posted by: Skip at May 02, 2021 09:51 AM (Cxk7w)

192 Stross was probably the last sci fi writer whose conceptual meanderings really interested me until he got too fucking woke.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 09:52 AM (y7DUB)

193 Finished Iron Sunrise[/] by Charles Stross.
One of his better books. I enjoyed it more than his Laundry tales or his awful Merchant Princes series series. Has the same quirky humor, which can be a plus, sometimes.
A tad too deus ex machina in the end, as the big bad guys fail to cope with the young protagonist. But all the plot opens are tied up in nice bows during the villain's soliloquy.
Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 02, 2021 09:45 AM (u82oZ)

Loved "Iron Sunrise".

Have you read "Singularity Sky"? It's the first book set in that "universe".

I wish he'd continued that series since it contains some of his best writing and plotting.

But, it was not to be.

Posted by: naturalfake at May 02, 2021 09:52 AM (dWwl8)

194 Fixed it for you. The Barrel will go hungry.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 09:50 AM (cid0g)

Divine intervention, eh?

Posted by: BignJames at May 02, 2021 09:52 AM (AwYPR)

195 "The Dangerous Book for Boys" has plenty of content for outdoor enthusiasts.

Posted by: Dr. Varno at May 02, 2021 09:52 AM (vuisn)

196 He's 9 and I just can't find the sweet spot. To him, reading is a punishment, not a pleasure.
Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:30 AM (45fpk)

Graphic novels? (Dog-man etc)
Non fiction boy oriented stuff with lots oflarge glissy photos?

Posted by: Herr Frau Doktor vmom at May 02, 2021 09:52 AM (1hZMr)

197 So I then got McCarthy's "Peeler," set in 1920s Ireland, and if you want to read about guerrilla fighters going up against an oppressive and powerful government, read this one.

And imagine it here, today. It's kill the cops, but the cops are the true enemy. Redo the Rudy Guiliani raid thing, only this time highly trained operatives kill every one of the FBI in the raid.

Posted by: Mr Gaga at May 02, 2021 09:52 AM (D8OwC)

198 It goes back to the early days of Japanese animation. It very easy and much cheaper to portray emotions using big eyes than trying to animate the whole face.

Business and artistic decision in one neat package.
Posted by: naturalfake at May 02, 2021 09:46 AM (dWwl

I thought the reason was that they knew their biggest market was in America, and since WWII was really not that long ago, they did not want to make their characters look obviously Japanese.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 09:53 AM (cid0g)

199 Both of my boys learned to read at very early age(thank you Montessori school). The older one could not get enough but younger son only wanted to read comics, especially Calvin and Hobbes. I asked the pediatrician about this at the time and she said " as long as he's reading". They both ended up being voracious readers specially science fiction. My world traveler younger son, who cares nothing for personal possessions still has his entire collection of Calvin and Hobbes.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 02, 2021 09:53 AM (sd8p8)

200 @194

A benevolent god

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 09:53 AM (AwPyG)

201 @100 --

Regarding "Red Harvest" -- I couldn't understand how such a small town had so many thugs. It didn't seem to have any normal folks. Shoes don't sell themselves.

Posted by: Weak Geek at May 02, 2021 09:54 AM (V5lmZ)

202 Salt Lick has gone down hill last time I was there but it's not terrible. It's on the possible list. It can just get really busy and crowded. Not sure if they take reservations either. How does May 28 or 29 look?

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 09:54 AM (UUBmN)

203 Posted by: Nemo at May 02, 2021 09:51 AM (S6ArX)

Well said!

Posted by: BignJames at May 02, 2021 09:54 AM (AwYPR)

204 That's so hard for me, but probably best for him.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:47 AM (45fpk)

You can't push a rope. You should be grateful he has a good work ethic and finds positive ways to spend his time.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 09:54 AM (y7DUB)

205 I'm going to look at that old poetry book a bit more and google some of the writers, it would be interesting to see if any of them made a career out of writing. The fact that I never heard of any of them since 1970 doesn't mean much.

I walk away rededicated to classics and authors who do not rely on phony awards to sell a handful of books. I was pretty disgusted by this "award" experience and called the person who told me about the "award winning author" from our school. We had a good laugh and found out the author was a marketing professor. LOL.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 09:55 AM (ONvIw)

206 Divine intervention, eh?

Posted by: BignJames at May 02, 2021 09:52 AM (AwYPR)

Not to worry. I use my power only for good.

Because my heart is pure.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 09:55 AM (cid0g)

207 I thought the reason was that they knew their biggest market was in America, and since WWII was really not that long ago, they did not want to make their characters look obviously Japanese.
Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 09:53 AM (cid0g)

My understanding is that it predates WWII.

I could be wrong about that. But, I've read the animation dealio from several different sources.

Posted by: naturalfake at May 02, 2021 09:55 AM (dWwl8)

208 Grammie's grandson will probably wind up a captain of industry, who could buy and sell us all

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 09:56 AM (AwPyG)

209 It's also a reminder of a bolder, more open America, one which produced citizens like Michael Collins. Highly recommended.

Seconded.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at May 02, 2021 09:56 AM (W4eKo)

210 Good Morning Bookies.
Grammie, your comment about Monk's OCD is exactly why I disliked teh show.
It was used to club everyone around him and was also made sport of. It seemed mean and utterly nasty towards people who have OCD.
I was unimpressed.

Posted by: Winston, GOPe, not one dime, not one vote at May 02, 2021 09:56 AM (4Oe2V)

211 My favorite time in elementary school was the scholastic reader catalogue where we would order paperback books. The anticipation for their delivery and the pure joy when they arrived hasn't been duplicated.

Posted by: Can't help myself at May 02, 2021 09:56 AM (2DOZq)

212 I was going to say The Most Dangerous Book for Boys too.

My oldest read the Redwall books too. He also like Sanderson books.

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 09:57 AM (UUBmN)

213 Robert Ludlum is the gold standard of bad writing.
Posted by: pep at May 02, 2021 09:09 AM (v16oJ)

As a teen they were exciting and foreign. As an adult, totally wince inducing.
Posted by: Jak Sucio

I read, and loved, a bunch of his books when I was younger. A lot younger.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 09:57 AM (VVEnO)

214 And imagine it here, today. It's kill the cops, but the cops are the true enemy. Redo the Rudy Guiliani raid thing, only this time highly trained operatives kill every one of the FBI in the raid.

Posted by: Mr Gaga at May 02, 2021 09:52 AM (D8OwC)

And I am afraid something like that is going to happen here if Biden doesn't cut that shit out.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 09:58 AM (cid0g)

215 @211

Scholastic is still selling those little affordable paperbacks. it's fun to have a trip down memory lane.

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 09:58 AM (AwPyG)

216 Thanks!

OregonMuse, may you continue to use your powers for good.

The Barrel. I've been in the Barrel too many times. *Stares into the distance like a library book sale line is slowly moving.*

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 02, 2021 09:58 AM (u82oZ)

217 I am reading "the fall of the roman republic"....

seems strangely apt

Posted by: sven at May 02, 2021 09:59 AM (Lzpvj)

218 211 My favorite time in elementary school was the scholastic reader catalogue where we would order paperback books. The anticipation for their delivery and the pure joy when they arrived hasn't been duplicated.

Posted by: Can't help myself at May 02, 2021 09:56 AM (2DOZq)

Seconded.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 09:59 AM (cid0g)

219 Grammie,

Another option might be how-to or how-things-work types of books. A Dangerous Book for Boys might work, with its mix of topics. Some of the topics sound like they'd match his current interests, and show that reading books can be worth reading.

Posted by: Hour of the Wolf at May 02, 2021 09:59 AM (joJfO)

220 Crichton --

Haven't read a ton of his stuff, but the one that always did it for me was one of the early books he wrote under the John Lange pen name. Nice little thriller called BINARY. In that one, the villain is planning to release nerve gas in a large city during a political convention there. The intelligence agent who's tracking him finds that agency personnel records have been hacked and the bad guy has seen his psych profile, factoring how the agent approaches problems into his plan to make sure the gas bomb goes off. So the agent has to out-think himself as well as his target. A fun read, and filmed in the 70s as PURSUIT with Ben Gazzara and E. G. Marshall.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at May 02, 2021 09:59 AM (JzDjf)

221 Finished Gunrunner by Larry Correia and John Brown
The action and world building is good, but I felt it lacked a bit in humor and character depth

Posted by: Herr Frau Doktor vmom at May 02, 2021 09:59 AM (1hZMr)

222 @213

I think that happens a lot. I read everyhting Edgar Rice Burroughs as a youngster, and now I wince, too.

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:00 AM (AwPyG)

223 Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 09:57 AM (VVEnO)

I liked a lot of Ludlum books. Stephen Hunter too. I never expected classics as they churned out a book every six months but they were fun reads.

Posted by: Can't help myself at May 02, 2021 10:01 AM (2DOZq)

224 Scholastic is still selling those little affordable paperbacks. it's fun to have a trip down memory lane.
Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 09:58 AM (AwPyG)

This book is called "Mad, Sad and Glad" and it's a compilation of their writing contest winners.

I loved getting the flyer every six weeks and picking out a couple of books. Great memory.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:02 AM (ONvIw)

225 222 Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:00 AM (AwPyG)

It is Clancy and King for me, though admittedly I knew King was a hack in real time.

I lost a lot of intellectual respect for Clancy when he started caving to Hollywood "improving his stories" and supported them in their efforts to recast every Ryanverse villain from Arab religious nuts, and Marxist IRA types to "white working class suburbicons."

Posted by: sven at May 02, 2021 10:02 AM (Lzpvj)

226 Grammie, any chance Thing 2 has some sort of reading challenge, such as dyslexia or vision issues? But anyway, one adventure book he might enjoy is Dominic by William Steig, author of Shrek. Maybe read out loud to the small people on rainy days.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at May 02, 2021 10:02 AM (b8eqQ)

227 The Scholastic reader catalogues were a big part of my childhood. I still have a few survivors on my bookshelves.

The Scholastic Corporation does good deeds, and is on NASDAQ: trading as SCHL, a S&P 600 Component.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 02, 2021 10:03 AM (u82oZ)

228 I read Gunrunner, it's was good but I agree about the character depth.

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 10:03 AM (UUBmN)

229 I liked the Chrichton novel, Dragon Teeth. Was not what I expected.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 02, 2021 10:03 AM (sd8p8)

230 Salt Lick has gone down hill last time I was there... Not sure if they take reservations either.

Yeah, I wasn't thinking about the crowded part, especially on a weekend. I wonder about maybe just finding a park somewhere and everybody can brown-bag it.

How does May 28 or 29 look?

We have to be moved by the end of the month. If we manage to get it done before that, then I'll try to be there.

Posted by: Oddbob at May 02, 2021 10:04 AM (qc+VF)

231 When I was subbing a 1st grade class last week, they got to choose books to read. Since we are told constantly that all gender differences are social constructs, it was interesting to note their choices. According to the elites, they're already brainwashed by the patriarchy by then since, although books about dogs and cats are popular with both boys and girls, the girls chose books about princesses and spring flowers and the boys picked books about cars and trucks and dinosaurs. A bit later, I had them make get well cards for a school custodian they all know well who is in the hospital (and when I said he was sick, it was touching to see their immediate concern - they were all worried about him and wanted to make him a nice get well card.) The girls were drawing bunnies and puppies. I looked at the card of a boy who had been kind of a pain in the ass all day and asked him what he was drawing to cheer the custodian up. "A garbage truck." the boy said. "He keeps the school clean so I bet he likes garbage trucks." Then the kid talked about how cool trucks are and his friend chipped in with a discussion about tractors. What an un-PC conversation!

Posted by: Donna&&&&&V at May 02, 2021 10:04 AM (HabA/)

232 229 Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 02, 2021 10:03 AM (sd8p

"State of Fear" is probably his most important work, and the main reason he has been "unpersoned."

A genuine best seller that will NEVER get a screen adaptation.

Posted by: sven at May 02, 2021 10:05 AM (Lzpvj)

233 218 211 My favorite time in elementary school was the scholastic reader catalogue where we would order paperback books. The anticipation for their delivery and the pure joy when they arrived hasn't been duplicated.

Posted by: Can't help myself at May 02, 2021 09:56 AM (2DOZq)

Oh yeah!

Posted by: Donna&&&&&V at May 02, 2021 10:06 AM (HabA/)

234 My favorite time in elementary school was the scholastic reader catalogue where we would order paperback books. The anticipation for their delivery and the pure joy when they arrived hasn't been duplicated.
Posted by: Can't help myself

I got my first chapter book, The Secret Sea by Robb White, from them, I loved it, and I began a lifetime of reading. That book, which portrayed the Japanese during WWII as the "bad guys", didn't refer to them as "Asians", and demonstrated the problem solving capabilities of violence wouldn't be allowed today.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 10:06 AM (VVEnO)

235 For those on the hunt for good kid's books, you might consider my YA fantasy "Jinxers". Written to celebrate kids being kids and especially boys being boys

Posted by: Sabrina Chase at May 02, 2021 09:04 AM (7IHuq)

Very much recommend. In fact, it's probably time for another read-through of that.

Are you going to have another book in that universe any time soon?

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 02, 2021 10:06 AM (1lKRm)

236 Then the kid talked about how cool trucks are and his friend chipped in with a discussion about tractors. What an un-PC conversation!
Posted by: Donna&&&&&V at May 02, 2021 10:04 AM (HabA/)

Even before he could speak well, grandson 1 loved watching construction sites and any sort of truck.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:07 AM (ONvIw)

237
I keep looking for books that would appeal to Thing 2.
As others have suggested, read aloud to him - to all three Things, in fact. My wife and I read aloud to all five of our kids, and all five grew up to love books and reading. To this day, we read aloud to each other - I read to her while she's making dinner, she reads aloud to me while I'm doing the dishes.
As for books, I suggest: Kipling's "Jungle Books"; Tolkien's "The Hobbit"; C. S. Lewis's Narnia books; or Madeline l'Engle's "Wrinkle in Time" and its sequels. We read all of these to our kids, and they loved them.

Posted by: Nemo at May 02, 2021 10:07 AM (S6ArX)

238 Do you like my new book deal?

Bout to get dat money!

Posted by: Bill Barr at May 02, 2021 10:08 AM (U9/k4)

239
Bout to get dat money!
Posted by: Bill Barr at May 02, 2021 10:08 AM (U9/k4)

I hate everything about you, and hope you go the way of Cass Elliot, you treacherous SOB.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:09 AM (ONvIw)

240 238 Do you like my new book deal?

Bout to get dat money!
Posted by: Bill Barr at May 02, 2021 10:08 AM (U9/k4)

May I suggest where you can relocate your chanter?

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at May 02, 2021 10:09 AM (PiwSw)

241 Does anybody elese remember elementary school reading kits where you worked up through different color coded levels? You started with, say, aqua - there were short stories and articles about different topics and when you finished with the aqua stories, you moved up to orange and so on. I just loved those stories, but I can't remember what they were called.

Posted by: Donna&&&&&V at May 02, 2021 10:09 AM (HabA/)

242 @236

I get the impression that the powers-that-be that are trying to make everything unisex have never been around kids. Or they hate kids, and are trying to punish their natural inclinations

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:09 AM (AwPyG)

243 242: They just hate boys.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:10 AM (ONvIw)

244 Cussler actually knows something about diving and classic cars, but got so damned lazy and repetitive his later books are unreadable.
Posted by: Trimegistus at May 02, 2021 09:20 AM (QZxDR)
--

I experience deja vu with every page.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 10:10 AM (Dc2NZ)

245 Grammie: If you are going to read aloud to him I shall envy you. You, too, will discover a great funny world full of people like Rancid Crabtree, take a raft ride down The Chickenout Narrows, meet a dog named Strange, and chuckle at the humor of a man who described his depression era poverty as one in which the bank was threatening to foreclose on 'the wall we had our backs against'.

Enjoy, young lady, and I really hope Thing 2 takes to the stories as well.

Posted by: Lurking Cynic at May 02, 2021 10:11 AM (RS9ZG)

246 244: I was stunned to see a vehicle like the one I drove in HS with a "historic" plate on it. I felt like such an antique.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:11 AM (ONvIw)

247 Sven, State of Fear, is a truly scary book. The fact that it is so well researched and actually footnoted makes it very real. Wouldn't you love to see him debate a "scientist"?

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 02, 2021 10:12 AM (sd8p8)

248 @240

Amazing how tone-deaf Justice Amy Barrett is, to immediately get a 2 million advance for a "book deal" after ruling the "right way" in the election cases.

Makes her look crooked, crooked crooked.

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:12 AM (AwPyG)

249 Donna&&&&&V that is so cute! I love the boy drawing the garbage truck for the custodian. It's not just something that HE is interested in, he was thoughtfully drawing something he thought the custodian would like.

Seeing the unspoiled nature of little kids makes me even more disgusted when I read stories like this one: https://tinyurl.com/4frea4x8

An activist group is campaigning to warp a school library by making the collection more (all together now) diverse and representative of the community. Just more brainwashing and propaganda. I feel like the giant grizzly bear in the Far Side cartoon, fighting off cavemen with spears and saying to his mate "Criminy! It seems every year there are more of these things!" You just can't swat them away.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at May 02, 2021 10:12 AM (IlQBj)

250 Donna of the Ampersands -- these?

https://tinyurl.com/39dppc65

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 10:12 AM (Dc2NZ)

251 Grammie --

Short stories, maybe? Nemo suggested THE JUNGLE BOOKS; Bradbury's THE OCTOBER COUNTRY or THE ILLUSTRATED MAN might be worth a try as well.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at May 02, 2021 10:13 AM (JzDjf)

252 Any Magda Szabo fans here? On a whim I picked up The Door at the library (who knows why, maybe I liked the cover art) and was fascinated by this tale of a cranky domineering Hungarian cleaning woman who led a secretive life. It was so good I told the reading group "you gotta read this *now*" and everyone loved it. Another of her books, Abigail, is on the list to be read shortly and wanted to know if anyone is familiar with it.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 10:13 AM (y7DUB)

253 Re-read some Stephenson and The Guide this week.

Man, I miss Douglas Adams.

Posted by: garrett at May 02, 2021 10:13 AM (EH5oH)

254 I'm reading a book of poetry by a local Seattle author. She writes mostly about hiking in the mountains and her passion for the outdoors. Since Ive been to several of the exact locations, it's just beautiful. She had a weekly hiking column in the Seattle Post Intelligencer decades ago. She died several years ago.

Karen Waring Sykes.

Posted by: nurse ratched at May 02, 2021 10:14 AM (U2p+3)

255 241 Does anybody elese remember elementary school reading kits where you worked up through different color coded levels? You started with, say, aqua - there were short stories and articles about different topics and when you finished with the aqua stories, you moved up to orange and so on. I just loved those stories, but I can't remember what they were called.

Posted by: Donna&&&&&V at May 02, 2021 10:09 AM (HabA/)

Yes, only different grade levels had different color schemes. I think. It's difficult to remember that far back. No, I don't remember the actual name of this program.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 10:14 AM (cid0g)

256 247 Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 02, 2021 10:12 AM (sd8p

His death was a tragedy, he would have been invaluable in the fight against MANN made "global warming."

Crichton was a brilliant mind.

Posted by: sven at May 02, 2021 10:14 AM (Lzpvj)

257 naturalfake

Yes. I read Singularity Sky first. The premise is a SF unique one, and totally improbable. But he did create an universe that has a lot of pep to it.

The Eschaton novels are probably his best, with lots to ponder and marvel at, with good characterization.

Stross has stated he has no plans to write in that universe again. There are plots that seem open to a new novel treatment, but he wants to be more woke, it appears.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 02, 2021 10:15 AM (u82oZ)

258 SRA was the color level reading program

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:15 AM (AwPyG)

259 Amazing how tone-deaf Justice Amy Barrett is, to immediately get a 2 million advance for a "book deal" after ruling the "right way" in the election cases.

Makes her look crooked, crooked crooked.
Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:12 AM (AwPyG)

I can't think of any other political figure I've soured on so quickly as her.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 10:15 AM (y7DUB)

260 Cussler actually knows something about diving and
classic cars, but got so damned lazy and repetitive his later books are
unreadable.

Posted by: Trimegistus at May 02, 2021 09:20 AM (QZxDR)

--

I experience deja vu with every page.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 10:10 AM

I skip the car chases in everyone of his books I read now. They are literally all the same. He needs to back off a bit IMO.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at May 02, 2021 10:15 AM (JUOKG)

261 250 Donna of the Ampersands -- these?

https://tinyurl.com/39dppc65

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 10:12 AM (Dc2NZ)

Yes! SRA! I remember that name now! And that blog... my eyes!

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 10:16 AM (cid0g)

262 Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 10:13 AM (y7DUB)

Never heard of her, but I just bought a used copy at your recommendation.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:16 AM (ONvIw)

263 "The Book Lady has a copy of The Fountainhead." So do I. First edition, dust-cover, signed and inscribed to my father. I should sell it.

Posted by: Pastor Charles the Simple at May 02, 2021 10:17 AM (HuH1F)

264 Yes, only different grade levels had different color schemes. I think. It's difficult to remember that far back. No, I don't remember the actual name of this program.
Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 10:14 AM (cid0g)

From the link Eris posted:

"It was called a Reading Laboratory Kit that a company called Science Research Associates (SRA) began in 1957 and teachers used in the classrooms as a reading comprehension tool geared towards individual students. The reading materials were color coded, and as you read, completed and successfully tested all of the lessons in one level, you got to move to the next level, which was another color."

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at May 02, 2021 10:17 AM (PiwSw)

265 I can't think of any other political figure I've soured on so quickly as her.
Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 10:15 AM (y7DUB)

Such a worthless whore that one.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:17 AM (ONvIw)

266 Yes! SRA! I remember that name now! And that blog... my eyes!
Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 10:16 AM (cid0g)

But, but...the pants.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 10:17 AM (Dc2NZ)

267 Donna and Eris, funny that the only thing I remember about that was that I was in competition with the smartest boy in the class to see who could advance the fastest and thrilled when I beat him to the finish. Have no remembrance of anything I read but it was a looong time ago.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 02, 2021 10:17 AM (sd8p8)

268 Cussler actually knows something about diving and classic cars, but got so damned lazy and repetitive his later books are unreadable.
Posted by: Trimegistus

I nominate Sahara for the worst movie ever made!

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 10:17 AM (VVEnO)

269 @260

I think he will back off, mainly because he's dead

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:17 AM (AwPyG)

270 Just popped back in to say grammie, I thought of another set of books that might appeal to Thing 2, the Hank the Cowdog series. Your library would probably have them, and maybe even the audio versions on CD which are great. The author reads them, and gives the characters funny voices.

If you spend any time driving your grandkids anywhere, I highly recommend getting children's books on CD from your library to listen to while you go about your errands. We listened to many books that way and it also kept the kids from squabbling (nice by-product).

Posted by: bluebell at May 02, 2021 10:18 AM (wyw4S)

271 259 Amazing how tone-deaf Justice Amy Barrett is, to immediately get a 2 million advance for a "book deal" after ruling the "right way" in the election cases.

Makes her look crooked, crooked crooked.
Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:12 AM (AwPyG)

I can't think of any other political figure I've soured on so quickly as her.
Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 10:15 AM (y7DUB)

I'm old enough to remember when sitting Supreme Court Justices didn't do book deals.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 10:18 AM (cid0g)

272 Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at May 02, 2021 10:12 AM (IlQBj)

The thing is, despite everything, if kids aren't interested in something, you can't force them to be interested. Believe me, you could have read me 20 books about garbage trucks in 1st grade, and I still wouldn't have cared about garbage trucks - I wanted to read about Cinderella. You could have read my brother 20 Cinderella books and he still would have preferred books about race cars. Children are not shy about letting you know you are boring them.

Posted by: Donna&&&&&V at May 02, 2021 10:19 AM (HabA/)

273 Trimegistus

My wife reads all the Clive Cussler fiction. It does not bother her that they are essentially the same book. To me, this is a tell.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 02, 2021 10:19 AM (u82oZ)

274 269 Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:17 AM (AwPyG)

Death is just nature's way of telling you to hire more ghost writers....

//Tom Clancy

Posted by: sven at May 02, 2021 10:19 AM (Lzpvj)

275 I thought ACB would be whoring her husband's career, not the SCOTUS. Just wow.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:19 AM (ONvIw)

276 @263

They had some Ayn Rand first editions on the Antiques Roadshow and they were worth a lot. Maybe look up the episode, to get an idea

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:19 AM (AwPyG)

277 Sharon, I too remember the fierce competition, which is probably not what the originators intended.

Give me colored stickers on a chart and I will go scorched earth on that mother.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 10:20 AM (Dc2NZ)

278 271 Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 10:18 AM (cid0g)

because "vagina"....also she "grew into the job" faster than Judas Iscariot Roberts....

a climber that one.

Posted by: sven at May 02, 2021 10:20 AM (Lzpvj)

279 Give me colored stickers on a chart and I will go scorched earth on that mother.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 10:20 AM (Dc2NZ)

*fistbump*

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at May 02, 2021 10:20 AM (PiwSw)

280 Maybe I'll submit ACB's book to that marketing agency's award contest as science fiction.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:21 AM (ONvIw)

281 Never heard of her, but I just bought a used copy at your recommendation.
Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:16 AM (ONvIw)

I should've added that I'm a large consumer of Eastern European fiction. Hope you enjoy it and don't be shy about telling me if you don't; my ego could probably use a dent or two but I think you'll find it interesting.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 10:21 AM (y7DUB)

282 SRA! That's it! I remember I loved it, but I don't remember what I read either - it was long ago. But the stories must have held my interest.

Posted by: Donna&&&&&V at May 02, 2021 10:21 AM (HabA/)

283 281: I am a fan of Hungary generally, so I'll probably like it.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:21 AM (ONvIw)

284 279 Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at May 02, 2021 10:20 AM (PiwSw)

My district had "Book Karate"....

You got a "belt" for each set of books you read on your own and could stand a verbal quiz on.

I think 3 was a blue belt, and then 9 for a yellow or somesuch.

In 5 years I read 512 books.

Posted by: sven at May 02, 2021 10:22 AM (Lzpvj)

285 Eris, made me laugh.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 02, 2021 10:23 AM (sd8p8)

286 About Barrett--

Q never said anything, but a lot of the anonymous twitter accounts that talk about that stuff hinted at the time that Barrett was a decepticon.

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:23 AM (AwPyG)

287 ISBN 9780867193718 would only be sold by gently used lesbians!

Posted by: jayhawkone at May 02, 2021 10:24 AM (ZmEMX)

288 ACB isn't tone deaf.

She doesn't GAF.

They're all there for power and enrichment.

Posted by: Just Saying at May 02, 2021 10:24 AM (U9/k4)

289 I've only read a few Cusslers, but in his defense he (or his team of shadow authors) comes up with some wild scenarios. "Atlantis Found" had a Chicxulub-level asteroid, Antarctic Nazis, AND a lost civilization. Come on. You won't find that in your precious Jane Austin!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 10:24 AM (Dc2NZ)

290 Morning.
Not book related in the slightest.
Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah, covering Heart's Barracuda.
https://youtu.be/Aej8AbSE0RI
For a woman her age Toyah is still quite delicious.

Posted by: Robert at May 02, 2021 10:24 AM (1Yy3c)

291 288 Posted by: Just Saying at May 02, 2021 10:24 AM (U9/k4)

What do you mean?

//Barney Zanders' Third Dacha

Posted by: sven at May 02, 2021 10:24 AM (Lzpvj)

292 Like movies I don't try to diagram the author's sentences and depth of writing skill. I am either engrossed in the book from the start or not. That's my measure of a book. Just like I enjoyed Night at the Roxbury, I have enjoyed consensus crappily written books.

Posted by: Can't help myself at May 02, 2021 10:25 AM (2DOZq)

293 Have a great day, everyone.

It's spring in America, which means yard chores.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 02, 2021 10:26 AM (u82oZ)

294 292 Posted by: Can't help myself at May 02, 2021 10:25 AM (2DOZq)

for real fun run works through grammerly....

what the academy thinks is good and what the public thinks is good probably don't meet often.

Posted by: sven at May 02, 2021 10:27 AM (Lzpvj)

295 Sven, if you haven't read Dragon Teeth, it is a great story about two rival dinosaur hunters based on a true story. Takes place in the Western US in the late 1800's.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 02, 2021 10:27 AM (sd8p8)

296 Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 09:31 AM (UUBmN)

Sorry, i had to step away. It looks like there may be interest in the Austin area mini MoMe.

My emails is: my nic at the gee mail dot com. Late May sounds good.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 10:28 AM (jvt6t)

297 Q never said anything, but a lot of the anonymous twitter accounts that talk about that stuff hinted at the time that Barrett was a decepticon.

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:23 AM (AwPyG)

I saw a lot of skepticism about her on traditional Catholic blogs when she was nominated.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at May 02, 2021 10:28 AM (IlQBj)

298 "Terms of Service" sounds great. For 99 cents I'm getting that one today! Thanks for this recommendation!

Posted by: jocon307 at May 02, 2021 10:28 AM (HYa+m)

299 297: Q was a larp, and ACB is too. Now she has lifetime tenure. I wish the donks would expel her ass, and Kav's too.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:30 AM (ONvIw)

300 295 Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 02, 2021 10:27 AM (sd8p

Sounds fascinating, I am not the prose reader I once was.

I am reduced essentially to reading historical works and shaking my head enough I sprain my neck.

Posted by: sven at May 02, 2021 10:31 AM (Lzpvj)

301 $2 million, same as in town.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:31 AM (ONvIw)

302 299 Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:30 AM (ONvIw)

I think Q was a psyop ran by the inner circle of the alphabet soup.

Posted by: sven at May 02, 2021 10:31 AM (Lzpvj)

303 Reading that SRA blog comments section, it seems like those kids who already liked reading breezed through it, and those who found reading a slog stayed at the lower levels and felt like losers. So maybe it didn't achieve its goal.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 10:32 AM (Dc2NZ)

304 302: Didn't they name CodeMonkeyZ as one of the larpers? I would not be surprised to read that he took a bribe from Google or Facebook.

I was thinking the IC people were behind it, too.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:33 AM (ONvIw)

305 @299

In the words of Inigo Montoya, I don't think you know what the word "decepticon" means.

The donks are the ones giving these guys rewards--they're perfectly happy with them.

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:33 AM (AwPyG)

306 There is that very real threat of making the supposed conservatives on SCOTUS irrelevant.

Posted by: Skip at May 02, 2021 10:35 AM (Cxk7w)

307 Ordered a couple of Preston and Child books from eBay. One is book 19 of the Pendergast series, Crooked River. The other is the second book of the Nora Kelly series which is a spinoff character from the Pendergast series. This book is titled, The Scorpion's Tail

Posted by: Beartooth at May 02, 2021 10:35 AM (Ugos9)

308 For a woman her age Toyah is still quite delicious.
Needs more clam shell bra.

Posted by: pep at May 02, 2021 10:35 AM (v16oJ)

309 @304

I wouldn't be surprised if codemonkey z is involved in the Arizona recount somehow, although I don't know, either way.

During the days of the fishiness, he was posting on twitter what should be done forensically to the machines, to expose the cheating. The suggestions he made then are now being put into action. So I think he was a white hat

Pending his own book deal, of course

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:35 AM (AwPyG)

310 I dropped a comment about ACB's book deal on a FB page dedicated to her. I immediately got it squashed for
bullying. LOL. I guess Zuck is her pimp.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:35 AM (ONvIw)

311 goatexchange, I finished Combat Engineer this week, and will post a review on Amazon shortly. An extremely well done tribute to a fine American.

On a personal note related to the events in the book, my Dad was a replacement for one of the 825th TD Bn soldiers who was killed during Peiper's assault on Stavelot. He also crossed the Ludendorf Bridge the day after it was captured, and saw the jets attack it several times. His outfit moved on shortly before the bridge collapesed, so he didn't witness that.

Posted by: That Deplorable SOB Van Owen at May 02, 2021 10:35 AM (bAe71)

312 Stross was the one who sent AIs hooked up to digitized copies of lobster nervous systems into outer space instead of humans, right?

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 10:36 AM (y7DUB)

313 grammie, your grandkids are reading the fun stuff in the OT. I'm plowing my way wearily through Leviticus. I will be happy to reach Kings.

I'm also reading "Millennium" by Tom Holland. I've been reading everything of his I can get my hands on since I loved "Dominion" so much. It's a bit of a downer to realize how violence ridden and desolate southern Italy became in the centuries after the fall of Rome. This book is certainly not making me love Islam, but there were plenty of nominal "Christian" villains during that time as well. The Vikings and Normans were a scary bunch.

Posted by: Donna&&&&&V at May 02, 2021 10:37 AM (HabA/)

314 Reading that SRA blog comments section, it seems
like those kids who already liked reading breezed through it, and those
who found reading a slog stayed at the lower levels and felt like
losers. So maybe it didn't achieve its goal.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at May 02, 2021 10:32 AM

It did not from what I recall. The kids who liked to read like me ran through the program quickly and the kids that didn't like to read did the minimum they had to do to pass. They would have gotten the same results no mater what program they used.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at May 02, 2021 10:37 AM (JUOKG)

315 Pending his own book deal, of course
Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:35 AM (AwPyG)

There are no "white hats". None. And I think that was failed fiction writer Brian Cates' term for nearly everyone until they shivved Trump. I suspect he's a bit of a tart, too.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:37 AM (ONvIw)

316 @310

Like I said, it just looks so bad. Interesting that the bribe wasn't just delivered in a suitcase, in the middle of the night, with no one the wiser.

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:38 AM (AwPyG)

317 It looks like there may be interest in the Austin area mini MoMe.

-
Austin Had Communists Parading Around The City All Day For May Day

-
And that's different from every other day in that . . . ?

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 10:39 AM (VVEnO)

318 I dropped a comment about ACB's book deal on a FB page dedicated to her. I immediately got it squashed for
bullying. LOL. I guess Zuck is her pimp.
Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:35 AM (ONvIw)

Ugh, Zuck's cum dumpster is as bad as it gets.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 10:39 AM (y7DUB)

319 316. This is why I will not be voting. Pence's "election Integrity Commission" made fucking sure that election integrity could never happen again.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:39 AM (ONvIw)

320 @315

There've been "black hats" and "white hats" for many years now, referring to hackers and counter-hackers. (I have a relative who is one)

And remember that the sole expressed purpose of Q was to expose the fact that a bunch of secretive pedophiles were running everything.

You might say that mission was accomplished--it sounded crazy, but now, not so much

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:41 AM (AwPyG)

321 Cool looking book store. I like the exposed beams that show traces of a plaster ceiling at one time.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at May 02, 2021 10:41 AM (VwHCD)

322 It looks like there may be interest in the Austin area mini MoMe.

-
Austin Had Communists Parading Around The City All Day For May Day

-
And that's different from every other day in that . . . ?
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 10:39 AM (VVEnO)

Since this is the book thread and reading is fundamental Austin "area" MoMe is relevant.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 10:42 AM (jvt6t)

323 failed fiction writer Brian Cates'

That overstuffed chipmunk snagged a gig with Epoch Times after literally getting every predicted outcome wrong.

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 10:42 AM (y7DUB)

324 @319

Exactly like how "Sheriff Joe" was in charge of making sure that the stimulus was not misspent.

Foxes put in charge of the hen house.

Posted by: artemis at May 02, 2021 10:42 AM (AwPyG)

325 290 Morning.
Not book related in the slightest.
Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah, covering Heart's Barracuda.
https://youtu.be/Aej8AbSE0RI
For a woman her age Toyah is still quite delicious.
Posted by: Robert at May 02, 2021 10:24 AM (1Yy3c)

Ugh. Did not like. Looked like amateur hour on TikTok. Or "Bad Conceptual Music" hosted by Leonard Pimpf Garnell.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 10:43 AM (cid0g)

326 320: Q is still BS. He accomplished nothing but creating a diversion "Trust Jeff Sessions" says it all.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:43 AM (ONvIw)

327 Morning Hordemates.
These pants! Dang. Those were the days!

Posted by: Diogenes at May 02, 2021 10:44 AM (axyOa)

328 That overstuffed chipmunk snagged a gig with Epoch Times after literally getting every predicted outcome wrong.
Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 10:42 AM (y7DUB)

I'd think he'd go back to delivering newspapers. I can't imagine he is paid well as a "pundit" if he has to beg readers to pay for his trip to CPAC.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:44 AM (ONvIw)

329 Pence's "election Integrity Commission" made fucking sure that election integrity could never happen again.
Posted by: CN

Mrs. Wrecks unwisely had MSNBC on this morning and some chick talking head whom I didn't recognize was expressing amazement that so many Americans refuse to accept the results of a free and fair election.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 10:45 AM (VVEnO)

330 Interesting how so many of us are here. Not sure if it was that program in particular but right after that, my elementary school began an AP program and picked 16 of us for the initial class. Ended up all through HS with the same classmates and offered real enrichment programs.
Too bad today's world is going in the opposite direction.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 02, 2021 10:45 AM (sd8p8)

331 312 Stross was the one who sent AIs hooked up to digitized copies of lobster nervous systems into outer space instead of humans, right?

Posted by: Captain Hate Won't Forget Ashli Babbitt at May 02, 2021 10:36 AM (y7DUB)

He did? He'll be hearing from my attorneys.

Posted by: Jordan Peterson at May 02, 2021 10:45 AM (cid0g)

332 I remember the SRA reading kits. I hated them: I just wanted to read instead of wasting time answering a lot of questions. It was the girls in my elementary school who really scored high on those things. Girls love crap like that; I don't know why.

Posted by: Trimegistus at May 02, 2021 10:46 AM (QZxDR)

333 329: the sluts on MSNBC were not so accepting of Trump's election, now were they? As I said there are no "white hats", just con artists every where you turn.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:46 AM (ONvIw)

334 CN just for things like that wish I had Facebook.

Posted by: Skip at May 02, 2021 10:49 AM (Cxk7w)

335 334 CN just for things like that wish I had Facebook.
Posted by: Skip at May 02, 2021 10:49 AM (Cxk7w)

It's the only reason I keep it. Taunting pols

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 10:49 AM (ONvIw)

336 For a South Texas book moron meet-up, May 29 does not work for me; I'll be in Seguin all day with a table at the Lone Star Book Festival.
The Salt Lick in Dripping Springs sounds good, though, as a venue.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at May 02, 2021 10:50 AM (xnmPy)

337 Finally finished Ian Toll's "Twilight of the Gods", 3rd part of his Pacific War trilogy. As with most comprehensive studies, they are generally a very good idea for those who haven't read in all that much on impossibly huge topics like this. Been so long since I read his first two that I don't recall how I felt about them, other than that they were generally good.

He makes a stab at analyzing some of the usual contested issues - Halsey's judgement at Leyte and with typhoons, MacArthur vs. Nimitz - but doesn't dwell on them. He makes a point of mentioning some lesser known notable things like the rape of Manila, morale issues (like grumbling among the troops over increasing high-living back home), and demobilization troubles (I didn't know there was a VJ Day riot on Market Street in SF that had a death count, or that discipline melting away and desertion became problems with service members once they were back in CONUS).

Surveys of such enormous scope inevitably must make hard choices on what to cover, but Toll didn't leave me thinking he'd stumbled in that process.

Posted by: rhomboid at May 02, 2021 10:50 AM (OTzUX)

338 Jak,

Just sent a test email

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 10:53 AM (UUBmN)

339 Sgt. mom What about the following weekend?

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 10:54 AM (UUBmN)

340 Have a great day everyone.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 02, 2021 10:55 AM (sd8p8)

341 Or can people do a Friday to read books together?

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 10:55 AM (UUBmN)

342 Van Owen, if you haven't read "Snow and Steel" by Peter Caddick-Adams, it's worth a look. Good treatment of the Bulge by a former British Army officer.

Posted by: rhomboid at May 02, 2021 10:55 AM (OTzUX)

343 145, grammie winger, has Thing 2 been to the eye doctor for an exam? After my experiences with the daughter I gave up for adoption, I tend to think an awful lot of stuff, including being a bookworm, is genetic. It's possible he's just an outdoors guy and always will be, but it's also possible he can't see the words, or can't see them correctly.

Posted by: Tonestaple at May 02, 2021 10:57 AM (Tkqec)

344 Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 10:53 AM (UUBmN)

Got it! Now i have to run! Y'all have a great day.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at May 02, 2021 10:57 AM (jvt6t)

345 Hans Schantz s *Hidden Truth* novels are excellent.

I just wish he had resisted the mermaid rabbit hole and would finish the series.

Of course, its set in a world gone Derp State, with massive wokeness, so where is the fiction?

Posted by: Loki, looking to water the Tree of Liberty at May 02, 2021 10:57 AM (KqiMr)

346 For those interested in a Cen-Tex MOME "book club" email me at lin-duh at the pro ton mail thing.

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 10:57 AM (UUBmN)

347 And now "Soldaten" by Sonke Neitzel, an analysis of German military psychology and attitudes based on the extensive covert recording of their conversations in captivity by the British.

Posted by: rhomboid at May 02, 2021 10:58 AM (OTzUX)

348 He makes a point of
mentioning some lesser known notable things like the rape of Manila,
morale issues (like grumbling among the troops over increasing
high-living back home), and demobilization troubles (I didn't know there
was a VJ Day riot on Market Street in SF that had a death count, or
that discipline melting away and desertion became problems with service
members once they were back in CONUS).

Posted by: rhomboid at May 02, 2021 10:50 AM
A lot of those troubles after the war ended were caused by the fact that no one had even started planning for mass demobilization's. All of the top brass thought the war was going to last for at least another 6-8 months to a year and they were all focusing on how they were going to get the troops from Europe to the Pacific. They knew nothing about the atomic bombs. Literally no one was thinking about how to demobilize the Military at that time.

They had to start planning to demobilize everyone from scratch after Japan surrendered and that caused all sorts of problems with the troops.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at May 02, 2021 10:59 AM (JUOKG)

349 For those interested in a Cen-Tex MOME "book club" email me at lin-duh at the pro ton mail thing.

Running out of the house but will do that later today. Thanks.

Posted by: Oddbob at May 02, 2021 11:00 AM (qc+VF)

350 NOOD

Posted by: Skip guy who says NOOD at May 02, 2021 11:00 AM (Cxk7w)

351 rhomboid, thanks I'll check it out. My "gold standard" for books about the Bulge has always been MacDonald's "A Time for Trumpets".

Posted by: That Deplorable SOB Van Owen at May 02, 2021 11:03 AM (bAe71)

352 Mister Scott - excellent point. And it applies to other topics as well. And is/was typical of how these things go.

The "manpower crisis" of March 1945 is not known to most. As you said, the issue was moving enough bodies from Europe, and having enough overall, for what was expected to be a brutal and bloody campaign lasting into the spring of 1946 (the invasion of the home islands).

But this is the norm in large unpredictable human events where the enemy, and fate, have votes.

We didn't invade Germany, or prepare to invade but then thankfully peacefully occupying, Japan, with the slightest idea of what we wanted to do, beyond making a WWII repeat impossible. Which was understandable.

But as with many big current day events, there is an instant uninformed pile-on of quadruple- and quintuple-guessing for everything under the sun.

Posted by: rhomboid at May 02, 2021 11:05 AM (OTzUX)

353 And thanks back to you, Van Owen, Time for Trumpets just became #693 on the list! (just the total number, not in any order of priority)

Posted by: rhomboid at May 02, 2021 11:06 AM (OTzUX)

354 I nominate Sahara for the worst movie ever made!

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at May 02, 2021 10:17 AM (VVEnO)

Hey! I *liked* the movie. It's why I picked up the book when I saw my M-i-L had it. And found out it was a freaking *zombie* story, I hate zombie stories. Skipped to the end, retrieved my eyes from where they'd rolled under the couch, and returned it to my M-i-L.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 02, 2021 11:07 AM (1lKRm)

355 354 Three Women with Shelley Duvall

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 11:10 AM (ONvIw)

356 Who is the guy with Peter Falk's Columbo in the photo above?
He looks so familiar.

Posted by: JoeF. at May 02, 2021 11:11 AM (dR6lV)

357 The guy with Columbo is Richard Kiley, from the "A Friend in Deed" episode.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at May 02, 2021 11:14 AM (fTtFy)

358 The original Sahara with Bogart was great.

I read Geronimo's biography this week; its a short read of segments told to a writer by Geronimo while in captivity. The story is sad and frustrating in a lot of ways; huge misunderstandings, stubbornness, and confusions.

Geronimo was just a young brave who went down to make a trading deal with a Mexican village with his family along with the rest of his tribe. The men left their family with a guard and went to the village and came back to find that a Mexican military group had attacked burning, looting, and killing. Geronimo's wife and kids were dead.

Now, its not clear what happened or why, whether this was a renegade troop or some official Mexican military operation or people dressed a soldiers or what. The Mexican government at the time denied it ever happened, but multiple witnesses and newspapers reported on it.

From then on, Geronimo blamed Mexicans and hated them -- not that troop, not soldiers, but all of them. He went on raids and attacks on farmers, villages, everyone he could until finally was tricked into surrendering to the US military where they claimed they'd put his Apache tribe on a reservation.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at May 02, 2021 11:16 AM (KZzsI)

359 That Fripp video looks like a hostage situation.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at May 02, 2021 11:16 AM (PiwSw)

360 off, Canadian psychologist sock!

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 11:17 AM (cid0g)

361 I forgot to add that 354 was my sole foray into Clive Cussler works. I much prefer Alistair McClean or Helen MacInnes.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 02, 2021 11:18 AM (1lKRm)

362 359 That Fripp video looks like a hostage situation.

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at May 02, 2021 11:16 AM (PiwSw)

Yes, it made my cringe so hard, I think I broke something.

Posted by: OregonMuse, AoSHQ Thought Leader, Pants Monitor & Social Distancing Professional at May 02, 2021 11:18 AM (cid0g)

363 The thing about the anti-boy bias of classrooms is that it isn't just ideological. I'm finding I have to guard against it too. Here's the problem: the little girl quietly drawing a picture of a unicorm flying off to heaven and the little boy next to her who climbs on his desk, yells "I'm Godzilla!" and jumps off the desk are both exercising their imagination, but a teacher can't allow boys to exercise their imagination by jumping off their desks. So you find yourself forcing the boys to act like the little girls - because if you don't the classroom would be a shambles in no time. It's hard - I think especially for women who can relate more to the quiet little girls - to discipline the boys without constantly nagging and dismissing what they are interested in.

Posted by: Donna&&&&&V at May 02, 2021 11:18 AM (HabA/)

364 Geronimo couldn't understand a lot of what was going on around him. Its not that he was stupid, he just was very naive and simple. The government let his tribe (by then he was chief) raise food and sell it, but took part of the money. He though that the money was just taken away, but the fund was gathered to pay for stuff like blankets, heating fuel, repairs, etc for all of the Apache on the military base.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at May 02, 2021 11:20 AM (KZzsI)

365 Hi late posters and readers!

Last week I finished my reread of Jane Eyre. Unlike most of the other women I know, I was never, and still am not, a fangirl.

While I appreciate her more now than I did when I read it in college, oh these many years ago, I find the gothic novels claustrophobic and overheated. It's not *wordiness* that gets me (I am a Trollope and Dickens fangirl) but the emotion ratcheted up to 11 all the time that just makes me itch. It's a book I see the genius of and appreciate, but don't love. It wouldn't make my box of books to take to a desert island. Which, I think, makes me a sort of heretic or somethin'.

In the midst of the Pickwick Papers at the moment, which I should finish this upcoming week. Loving it! I am also fixing to start a little historical romance/urban fantasy (?) mash up. I've read enough looooong books lately. I need something light and mostly just fun. So The Werewolf of Whitechapel by Suzannah Rowntree awaits.

Have a good week, y'all!

Posted by: SummaMamaT at May 02, 2021 11:21 AM (USQVR)

366 I think that's Carole Lombard by the way, Clark's wife. in the excellent book A Man Called Intrepid, it is revealed from declassified Brit war documents that Carole was a courier for the OSS to British intelligence, delivering intel to the Brits and back again. She did a ton of War Bond drives.

The plane crash in Nevada does not appear to have been war-related, though.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at May 02, 2021 11:27 AM (KZzsI)

367 Bookfinder dot com is my go-to book resource.

Posted by: Lurker Extraordinaire at May 02, 2021 11:32 AM (hvpEs)

368 The first weekend in June would be perfect for me, for a book 'ron meetup in South Texas. Dripping Springs, Buda/Kyle, or Lockhart would be perfectly fine as a location.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at May 02, 2021 11:40 AM (xnmPy)

369 WOOHOO!!!

Larry Correia's latest "Monster Hunter Bloodlines" is out from Baen Books in the eARC version.

Got it yesterday and I'm already half way done.

This time Owen Pitts is back, along with his shotgun Abomination and his regular Monster Hunter crew of Milo, Trip and Holly, and, yes the monsters are bigger, badder and scarier than ever.

Larry is one of those rare writers who once I start, become hooked on the narrative, with the occasional belly laugh time out.

The early release comes in at $15, but who cares? Owen is back.

Posted by: TANSTAAFL at May 02, 2021 11:53 AM (fBtlL)

370 Oh, yeah, about Owen Pitt's shotgun:

A select fire shotgun built from a Saiga 12. Milo gave the shotgun to Owen Pitt after the latter's Remington 870 was destroyed by a Vampire. When Owen asked "Exactly how many gun laws does this break?", Milo's response, after some thought, was "All of them."

Posted by: TANSTAAFL at May 02, 2021 11:54 AM (fBtlL)

371 366 Carole and Clark, No Man of her Own. She played a librarian.

Posted by: CN at May 02, 2021 11:55 AM (ONvIw)

372 /sock

Posted by: Muldoon at May 02, 2021 12:12 PM (Fc5rx)

373 Book Ladies > Halal Guys
Posted by: San Franpsycho at May 02, 2021 08:22 AM (EZebt)

Heh. Saw a "Halal Guys" store in Phoenix. Did a double-take.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at May 02, 2021 12:24 PM (HtUL8)

374 why go west for a sotxminimome? why not shiner? let some houston folks at least think about it.

Posted by: yara at May 02, 2021 01:23 PM (N7mou)

375 though lockhart might work

Posted by: yara at May 02, 2021 01:27 PM (N7mou)

376 Sgt. mom, I wish I would have known you were headed to Austin. I would have liked to meet up. I keep thinking the Austin area morons need to have a very casual meet up sometime but I can't figure out where. Someplace with a covered outdoor area where we could eat, drink, and visit that is conservative owned...

Posted by: lin-duh 27-4 at May 02, 2021 09:07 AM

Would you mind if I came up from Houston for that?

Posted by: Cybersmythe at May 02, 2021 01:46 PM (17UTy)

377 Not that I'll go to this coalescing South Texas meet-up, but --

People, not the last weekend of May. That's Memorial Day weekend.

Even if you don't have graves to decorate, the traffic will be horrendous.

This will be the first Memorial Day in which I'll be the one to decorate a grave -- Mom's -- and not just ride along with my folks.

Posted by: Weak Geek at May 02, 2021 02:05 PM (V5lmZ)

378 Cool story about Carole Lombard, courier. (Mom was named after her, although Grandma never saw a movie in her life.)

I wonder how many other stories like that are still hidden.

Posted by: Weak Geek at May 02, 2021 02:09 PM (V5lmZ)

379 146 Finished "Sweet Silver Blues" by Glen Cook last night. No longer will
that book sit on the shelf mocking me for having bought it and never
opened it.The plot is complex, and near the end I thought Cook was having
trouble wrapping up the story. But wrap it up he did, and in a
surprising manner.

Weak Geek - have had that book on shelves to read for quite some time. Think I will move it to the top of the pile.

Posted by: Charlotte at May 02, 2021 02:31 PM (/cO/2)

380 That's so hard for me, but probably best for him.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 02, 2021 09:47 AM (45fpk)
How about a suggestion of something really different? A book on how to start your own business or basics of landscaping?

Posted by: Charlotte at May 02, 2021 02:44 PM (/cO/2)

381 Just searched Amazon. They have lots of "Landscaping for Beginners."

Posted by: dilys at May 02, 2021 08:07 PM (Ax4hG)

382 As always, I spend Sunday afternoon working and on and off checking the Comments, adding books to my list of books to read. Trying to work up a pile before the kid goes to college and I'm all by myself here. Thanks, O Literate Ones.

Posted by: JoeChuikov at May 02, 2021 08:59 PM (TiJGz)

383 Been reading Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America by Jared Cohen at my mom's on Sundays. I get through a president or two at a time.

The stories are interesting, all about Vice Presidents who became president by the death of their predecessor. Tyler was the first, Johnson the last.

For a while there, we had quite a few presidents either die in office or be killed with disturbing regularity, like every 2 or 3 presidents for nearly a century. At first it was very confusing what to do when a president died.

The writer is a bit sloppy with research though, he claims Harrison was a general and Lincoln was a senator, for instance.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at May 02, 2021 09:02 PM (KZzsI)

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