Just finished listening to Howard Stern’s long interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger this morning. Arnold wrote a new book called Be Useful. It’s more of a motivational book for setting and achieving goals. Arnold may have achieved a thing or two in his life. Sounds like a good book, and he even mentioned a couple things that are in his book that I have said many times to people. I think it comes out next week. I might pick up a copy.
I really enjoyed that interview.
Tribal Elder
I started re-reading Sinclair Lewis' "It Can't Happen Here" about a year ago, maybe more. I read it many years ago and found it chilling in the same way "1984" and "The Handmaid's Tale" are chilling. I saw them as possible but remote scenarios. Shows you what I know. I'm still picking away at it, but I have to put it down after a few pages because it's all too real. So, I've more or less set that aside for LaToya Watkins' "Holler, Child." I love short stories. There are 11 in this book. As the title implies, they reflect the experiences of Black people. Most are set at least in part in west Texas. I'm 4 stories in and love it. "Cutting Horse" is both beautiful and heartbreaking.
"Keep doing things." - Jim Martin, 93 year-old paratrooper and badass.
kween
I'm about to start John Irving's new one, "The Last Chairlift." I wish TheSuze was still around to enjoy it with me.
Nolite te bastardes carborundum.
Proboscis Colossus
I finished Holly. Loved it. The political/social commentary throughout does get a little tiresome - every interaction with every new character must contain establishment of where they are on the vax/non-vax, mask/no mask spectrum - but here again, it's a legit argument that during this time, most interactions had that to some degree, even if it was nonverbal.
The antagonists are some of the most wicked, gross villains he's come up with...
***SPOILERS***
...and it's pretty interesting how they themselves are reflections on the right-wing talking points that came out during that period. He even delineates between what I see as the different types of people in that camp: the ones who believe fringe theories but would probably be content to just fume about them privately, and the ones who weaponize those views (and the people who hold them) against those for whom they harbor real hate.
And on a more surface level, EEEEWWWWWWWW!! King has wayyyy too much fun imagining and describing the different ways a person could be consumed. I will never look at any kind of chilled dessert with "swirls of red going through it" the same way again.
"God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people
That Death Thingy
I ordered a copy! It’s being delivered tomorrow. I’m looking forward to reading this. We’re thinking about buying 3 more - one for each of DH’s sister’s kids. The youngest of the 3 is in college, but the other 2 are going nowhere and don’t appear to have any goals in life other than letting mommy take care of them forever. It would make a great Xmas gift for them, IMO.
I finished Holly. Loved it. The political/social commentary throughout does get a little tiresome - every interaction with every new character must contain establishment of where they are on the vax/non-vax, mask/no mask spectrum - but here again, it's a legit argument that during this time, most interactions had that to some degree, even if it was nonverbal. The antagonists are some of the most wicked, gross villains he's come up with... ***SPOILERS*** ...and it's pretty interesting how they themselves are reflections on the right-wing talking points that came out during that period. He even delineates between what I see as the different types of people in that camp: the ones who believe fringe theories but would probably be content to just fume about them privately, and the ones who weaponize those views (and the people who hold them) against those for whom they harbor real hate. And on a more surface level, EEEEWWWWWWWW!! King has wayyyy too much fun imagining and describing the different ways a person could be consumed. I will never look at any kind of chilled dessert with "swirls of red going through it" the same way again.
Glad that you enjoyed Holly!
Holly is such a great literary character. This was my favorite King novel in recent memory.
You got 'em. Let the anticipation begin.
kind of a big deal
I just finished Holly, too, and enjoyed it.
mab, I agree, the COVID references got a little old, but that fits with Holly's hypochondriac tendencies.
Lord of the Manor
I finished reading Station Eleven yesterday. I am glad I did not read this novel during the height of the COVID pandemic, as it presents a picture of a very bleak time after a flu pandemic wipes out more than 99% of the population.
I found it to be a very good read, especially the way the book ties the different parts of the story together. I liked the way the author wrapped the story up at the end too. I have never seen the HBO series, but I suspect it is worth watching.
I would like to read something a bit lighter now, to cleanse the palate.
This was the first Kindle book I borrowed from the local library. It worked well, and I plan to do this again.
If I could make a wish I think I'd pass
I have never seen the HBO series, but I suspect it is worth watching.
It really is. A little different, but in good ways.
I started an Audible production (I'm unclear if it's published as a book) called Impact Winter. Presented as an audio drama - so it's probably not a book.
Anyway, interesting premise - comet/asteroid hits Earth, creates at least a decade of dark "winter," during which vampires are either created or are able to come out of hiding. There's a "Chosen One" character who...you know what, I'm going to stop there, because I've decided I'm not going to finish it. VERRRRRRY melodramatic and overwrought. I decided to bug out shortly after the line: "Be careful. Your heart may not beat...but it can still break."
Currently listening to, Hip-Hop (And Other Things) by Shea Serrano. Not quite what I had in mind when I started it...I was hoping to learn a lot about various hip-hop artists, trends, events, etc., and I am learning a little, but it's mostly a comedic commentary on these things. For example, there's a chapter on "Where Did Jay-Z's Stray Shots Land?" "Stray shots" being indirect disses in a song which mention another rapper or celebrity for something negative, to illustrate something else (one of the things I learned). He goes through several of these, and how they might have affected the "victims'" careers.
It's funny, but like I say, not quite what I wanted. I'll finish it, though.
Just finished The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling), the latest in his/her Comoran Strike series. I liked it.
Now I’m starting book one of the Dark Winds series.
I finished reading Station Eleven yesterday. I am glad I did not read this novel during the height of the COVID pandemic, as it presents a picture of a very bleak time after a flu pandemic wipes out more than 99% of the population. I found it to be a very good read, especially the way the book ties the different parts of the story together. I liked the way the author wrapped the story up at the end too. I have never seen the HBO series, but I suspect it is worth watching. I would like to read something a bit lighter now, to cleanse the palate. This was the first Kindle book I borrowed from the local library. It worked well, and I plan to do this again.
I enjoyed it. Although it was a bit full of itself. I did not read the book, so can’t comment on how it compares or whether it’s still worth watching if you have.
I’m going the opposite direction. I loved the HBO/Max series Winning Time, about the LA Lakers dynasty of the ‘80s. So I’ve started reading the book it was based on, Showtime by Jeff Pearlman. I love this too—can’t put it down. Highly recommended if you liked the series or are even remotely interested in this type of thing.
Dave
I read Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World by Tim Marshall. If you are a nerd for geography, history, and/or politics, this book is a must read. It’s broken into 10 chapters, each covering a region of the world, and explains how that region’s geography influenced the development of their civilizations, the ruling strategies of their leaders, and the wars they fought. Fascinating stuff. Seems the author has a few other books in a similar vein that I’ll have to check out.
Finished reading Hope, the book about the 3 girls held captive in Cleveland by that disgusting POS Ariel Castro. They were chained and raped in that home for 10 years until one day when he forgot to lock their door and one of them escaped. They were in his prison for 10 years and then he couldn’t even make it one month in prison. He cheated them out of justice by hanging himself. Those girls went through some serious shit, and their prison was far worse than the prison he eventually ended up in. It’s so hard to imagine going through something so traumatic. I’m always amazed at how strong and resilient people can be.
Now that I’m done with that book, I can move on to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new book.
Oh man that book seems like it would be tough to get through. And it’s amazing that guy could be just going about living a seemingly normal life for 10 years with no one suspecting anything.
It’s a tough read for sure, but at least they left out specific details of their torture, unlike Jaycee Dugard’s book A Stolen Life. I read Jaycee’s book a few years ago. She was 11 when she was abducted, and she was held captive for 18 years. She actually put specific details of what her kidnapper did to her. It was incredibly disturbing. I felt like I was reading kiddie porn.