Saturday, June 30, 2012

50 States of Reading: Lousiana

My Life As a White Trash Zo...
by

My Life as a White Trash Zombie was recommended by the good folks at Urban Fantasy Aficionados at Goodreads.com.  A book I would never picked up due to the cover, I am a guy and the cover is pink, and features a girl looking zombie.   I would not be drawn in by this cover.   But, I loved the book.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

50 States of Reading: Oregon

Oregon is represented by Damned

50 States of Reading: Oklahoma

Oklahoma is Represented byAmped

3.52 of 5 stars 3.52 avg ratin
I loved the ideas expressed here but the book did not hold my attention, so this book was abandoned.   I gave it two out of five stars.  

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Top Three Reads Second Quarter of 2012


April thru June Reads



 April and June were a very productive reading time for me.  The books that most stood out were (in no particular order):
1.  Vanishing Point by David Markson: Just the facts add up to one interesting read.
2. The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides: My mind keeps wanting to go back to these characters and spend time with them.  The book has the best description on manic depression, that I have yet read.
3. Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow: because the verse style was gripping, and it was a book that took a new spin on a tried topic.

Notable books included:
Surfing for God by Michael John Cusik: a book on porn addiction and recovery.  The book is a keeper for all men that suffer with this addiction.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Modern Library Read July 2012

The poem was mentioned in the book Kim by Rudyard Kipling: 'Hear him! What harm do thy Gods suffer from play with a babe? And that song was very well sung. Let us go on and I will sing thee the song of Nikal Seyn before Delhi—the old song.'(*) The story KIM is our read for the month of July in 2012. One can listen to the story on Libri Vox and download the story via Gutenberg. I hope to hear from you about the story.Rudyard (*)Kipling. Kim (Kindle Locations 812-813).

A Ballad of John Nicholson

It fell in the year of Mutiny,
At darkest of the night,
John Nicholson by Jalándhar came,
On his way to Delhi fight.

And as he by Jalándhar came,
He thought what he must do,
And he sent to the Rajah fair greeting,
To try if he were true.

"God grant your Highness length of days,
And friends when need shall be;
And I pray you send your Captains hither,
That they may speak with me."

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Modern Library Read June 2012

Lord Jim (Everyman's Library (Cloth))Lord Jim (Everyman's Library by Joseph Conrad

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


LORD JIM is a novel focused on the imperial zeitgeist of the age. The age is the years between 1876 to the beginning of world war one. Europe was beaming in its nationalism, imperialism, and as well as aliances between nation states.   Europe could be seen as a cage where the main event in the WWE would be held, in this corner Germany and the Hapsburgs vs. London and France.  We see explorers controlling new lands and new people.  We find adventures awaiting. 
So what if you don't care about the imperial age?  Are you a Star Trek or Battle Star Galactica fan? One then can imagine the ocean as deep space, and the natives as aliens.  I found it easier to concentrate on the plot when I imagined Jim as captain Kirk.  I could understand the imperialistic superiority over native cultures, if I thought of the natives as aliens or droids.  The great Robert A. Heinline wrote Citizen of the Galaxy, a book based on KIM, another book written in the Victorian Imperialistic Age.  
Conrad poses profound questions: Can a man run away from his past ruins? Or do they hunt him down till the present moment catches up with him? Is the earth big enough to hold the caper?"
I loved the narration by Stewart Lewis on Libri Vox. He does a great job with a tricky book. I could understand Conrad's humor by Stewart Lewis's reading of the novel. 
The book overall was imperially commanding. 





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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Urban Fantasy Aficionados June 15th to July 15th Read

Sharp TeethSharp Teeth by Toby Barlow

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Good horror shares with the reader the truth of society left on its own.   The blackened heart is exposed, and the human condition is left examined to its fullest.  We the reader find man is a beast;  we are no better than the snarling dog, or the family pet.   Man is a beast in this dog eat dog world. 
The author uses free verse to build up tension.  The tension of the book will surely bite into you, and not let go till it is finished.  



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Saturday, June 16, 2012

Library Notes:

If I was deserted on an Island in the middle of the Pacific and could have only five books, which ones would they be? (My rules: 1. besides manuals, the bible, and how to books. 2. Books would be for entertainment purposes only. )  
  1. Don Quixote by Cervantes: I am lost, so what's better than the master dreamer guiding my dream.
  2. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy the Complete Edition by Douglas Adams: I need to laugh and this will make me laugh in my dire straits.
  3. The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson. I want to think that this is all prearranged and that there were people involved with my disappearance.
  4. The Dangereous Book For Boys by Hal Iggulden I could send code.  I could tie knots.  I could learn navajoh code talk.  There is plenty of stuff in that book that would be worth knowing.
  5. The Pilgrim's Progress by Paul Bunyan I think  this is my favorite all time book. 
If I was only allowed one book, it would be: The Pilgrim's Progress by Paul Bunyan.  
This is in response to the Bookrageous Crew who podcasted the idea on May 30, 2012.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

ABC Review of Suck It Wonder Woman


The book was an interesting investigation of a beauty amidst Geeks. What follows is an alphabet word search through the book. One looks for nouns with the beginning letter, each letter of the alphabet is sought. This activity is one way to interact with a book, especially one that is focused around popular culture.  My friend found this book in the bargain bin at Walmart for less than $7.00 so be on the look out. 
LetterWord
AaArtistic Voids
Bbbratty
CcComicon
DdDouche Olympics
EeEmergenC
FfFlying Solo (Han Solo's Twitter Name)
GgGame Boy
HhHollywood
IiIron Man
JjJaba the Hut
KkKittens
LlLil' Jon
MmMathletes
NnNational Pie Week
OoOklahoma
PpPolo Shirts
QqQuestions
RrRobot Nurses
SsSalad Eaters
TtTwelve Sided Dice
UuUnbuttoned Pants due to too much Pie.
VvVietnam
WwWater Bras
XxX Box 360
YyYoung Girl
ZzZombies

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

And the temperature is rising,
and like a child,
I weep with joy, at summer.

As Mentioned


James Dickey once said:

My voice in amazement
dwindles to that of a child,

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