I had read roughly up to the very memorable point of the accident
Bob Woodward's War, and not impressed. It's just a narrative of people meeting and talking, with no 'journalism' involved. I like the substance of what is there -- it's an account of Biden reckoning with Afghanistan, the Ukraine war, and the Hamas/Israel war -- but I was expecting more oomph from someone with Woodward's reputation.
Josu
Emperor
Ended Life as told by a Sapiens to a Neanderthal by Juan José Millas & Juan Luis Arsuaga
Juan Luis Arsuaga is an anthropologist who oversees the Atapuerca site. Juan José Millás is a journalist and writer, known for his simple yet ironic writing style. In this book, they recount their meetings and conversations about evolution, Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and life in general. Although entertaining, it is not a book that significantly expands one's knowledge on these subjects.
Started From Plato to Batman: A guide to educating with wisdom and values by José Carlos Ruiz
Juan Luis Arsuaga is an anthropologist who oversees the Atapuerca site. Juan José Millás is a journalist and writer, known for his simple yet ironic writing style. In this book, they recount their meetings and conversations about evolution, Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and life in general. Although entertaining, it is not a book that significantly expands one's knowledge on these subjects.
Started From Plato to Batman: A guide to educating with wisdom and values by José Carlos Ruiz
Cory Doctorow's Content and Context, two essay collections about the internet, creativity, and copyright law. Fun stuff.
PhroX
Deity
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2009
- Messages
- 2,801
Don't know the book, but the style of the cover feels wonderfully nostalgic. The art might not have always been amazing technically (and often only barely resembled what is happening in the book), but older fantasy and sci-fi covers were so much more characterful than modern ones.
Josu
Emperor
Ended Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
Good worldbuilding, good plot, characters to empathize with. TOP
Started Wind and truth by Brandon Sanderson
Good worldbuilding, good plot, characters to empathize with. TOP
Started Wind and truth by Brandon Sanderson
Grease, as in a novel based on the original play.
More of those wonderful books to go!
EnglishEdward
Deity
Last night I finished reading
Raven's Gate
by
the English author
Anthony Horowitz
copyright 2005
It is a well written young adult adventure fantasy horror supernatural story.
Raven's Gate
by
the English author
Anthony Horowitz
copyright 2005
It is a well written young adult adventure fantasy horror supernatural story.
Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Book 2 in the series.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
I finally finished reading Voyage by Stephen Baxter. This book was basically about everything BUT the voyage to Mars, which is what I was excited to read about. So the book left a bad taste in my mouth, a bit of a disappointment. I know I've already written about this, but now that I've finished the whole book I can finalize some thoughts on the novel as a whole. This is by far the worst book by Baxter I've read. Not horrible, it was decent, but all the books I've read by Baxter so far were at least great and usually outstanding. I also didn't like how the story jumped all over the place in terms of the time. A bit of that is fine, but this was a bit out of control, for no real reason. It was almost as if the author knew that he was pulling one over us by completely ignoring the voyage part of the story, so he wanted to make things a bit more interesting. Instead it added to the frustration.
Hey, this was written in the 90s and his later books were way better than this, so it seems he's learned his lessons and every author has to start somewhere.. but.. I distinctly remember really enjoying reading his sequel to the Time Machine, which was also written in the 90s. So whatever, this book gets a big yawn from me, but if your interests lie in NASA history and bureaucracy, you might enjoy this. Just don't expect to read anything at all about the actual voyage to Mars. The bits and pieces most closely related to the voyage you'll read will be about the assembly of the ship in orbit and then the landing. 99% of the story is about NASA bureaucracy, selecting astronauts, selecting mission type, the mission changing due to behind the scenes politics, etc. I suppose Baxter probably wrote this novel becasue he knows a lot about the subject matter and was the right person to give us a "what if" sort of alternate history story here, but I think this should have been two books, honestly. Voyage was 750 pages, it dragged on way too long, especially considering that we didn't even get to read much at all about the voyage itself. First book could have been a set up to the voyage, Prelude to Voyage or what have you. Basically the book I just read, cut in half or so, leading up to the exit of Earth orbit. Then the Voyage novel could have been about everything after that.
I ordered the sequel to this so I can see if the story improves. Yeah, I know, after what I just wrote? What the hell warpus, right? The thing is I do trust and respect Baxter as an author.. and.. I really enjoyed the TV show For All Mankind, which it seems has similar roots as this novel, in that it's an alternate "what if" look at what human space flight and exploration would have been like if things were a bit different back in the 60s and 70s. Voyage disappointed me, but I want to see where Baxter takes this timeline. He is good at this sort of thing, so I will keep reading, and am hoping to enjoy the sequel enough to eventually buy the 3rd book too. Another side rant - I couldn't even find anywhere to buy a mass market paperback version of the sequel in Canada. I had to buy it from our archnemesis south of the border, from some 3rd party seller. I suppose I should get used to this, as mass market paperback editions seem to be less and less popular, unfortunately.
Right now I am reading New Pompeii by Daniel Godfrey, an unknown to me author. I bought this novel because the premise fascinated me. I am only 30 pages in or so, but it's already set up an engaging beginning that's got my attention. Roman Empire alternate history stuff is kind of cliche, but this is a unique take on that, so far at least. I really dug what Baxter did with the Romans in Ultima, so we'll see if New Pompeii by Godfrey is any good. So far it's setting up to scratch that roman empire alternate history itch in a cool way, so we'll see where it goes and how good he is at setting up the characters and the drama, the climax, etc.
Hey, this was written in the 90s and his later books were way better than this, so it seems he's learned his lessons and every author has to start somewhere.. but.. I distinctly remember really enjoying reading his sequel to the Time Machine, which was also written in the 90s. So whatever, this book gets a big yawn from me, but if your interests lie in NASA history and bureaucracy, you might enjoy this. Just don't expect to read anything at all about the actual voyage to Mars. The bits and pieces most closely related to the voyage you'll read will be about the assembly of the ship in orbit and then the landing. 99% of the story is about NASA bureaucracy, selecting astronauts, selecting mission type, the mission changing due to behind the scenes politics, etc. I suppose Baxter probably wrote this novel becasue he knows a lot about the subject matter and was the right person to give us a "what if" sort of alternate history story here, but I think this should have been two books, honestly. Voyage was 750 pages, it dragged on way too long, especially considering that we didn't even get to read much at all about the voyage itself. First book could have been a set up to the voyage, Prelude to Voyage or what have you. Basically the book I just read, cut in half or so, leading up to the exit of Earth orbit. Then the Voyage novel could have been about everything after that.
I ordered the sequel to this so I can see if the story improves. Yeah, I know, after what I just wrote? What the hell warpus, right? The thing is I do trust and respect Baxter as an author.. and.. I really enjoyed the TV show For All Mankind, which it seems has similar roots as this novel, in that it's an alternate "what if" look at what human space flight and exploration would have been like if things were a bit different back in the 60s and 70s. Voyage disappointed me, but I want to see where Baxter takes this timeline. He is good at this sort of thing, so I will keep reading, and am hoping to enjoy the sequel enough to eventually buy the 3rd book too. Another side rant - I couldn't even find anywhere to buy a mass market paperback version of the sequel in Canada. I had to buy it from our archnemesis south of the border, from some 3rd party seller. I suppose I should get used to this, as mass market paperback editions seem to be less and less popular, unfortunately.
Right now I am reading New Pompeii by Daniel Godfrey, an unknown to me author. I bought this novel because the premise fascinated me. I am only 30 pages in or so, but it's already set up an engaging beginning that's got my attention. Roman Empire alternate history stuff is kind of cliche, but this is a unique take on that, so far at least. I really dug what Baxter did with the Romans in Ultima, so we'll see if New Pompeii by Godfrey is any good. So far it's setting up to scratch that roman empire alternate history itch in a cool way, so we'll see where it goes and how good he is at setting up the characters and the drama, the climax, etc.
Josu
Emperor
Ended From Plato to Batman: A guide to educating with wisdom and values by José Carlos Ruiz
Quite interesting how the author links some classic philosophers and modern superheros with values that are desirable for our children.
However they are just tips like Cicero wrote some stuff about friendship, you should encourage your children to be good friends.
I did not expect a handbook with exact steps to do that, but saying "you should try to educate your kinds on being honest and good friends" is not enough for me.
Starting Stalin: The History and Critique of a Black Legend by Domenico Losurdo
The two books I am reading currently will take me a while, I will probably intercalate some light reading
Quite interesting how the author links some classic philosophers and modern superheros with values that are desirable for our children.
However they are just tips like Cicero wrote some stuff about friendship, you should encourage your children to be good friends.
I did not expect a handbook with exact steps to do that, but saying "you should try to educate your kinds on being honest and good friends" is not enough for me.
Starting Stalin: The History and Critique of a Black Legend by Domenico Losurdo
The two books I am reading currently will take me a while, I will probably intercalate some light reading
Last edited:
thetrooper
Misanthrope
- Joined
- May 24, 2004
- Messages
- 9,079
The Seed (1940) by Norwegian poet and novelist Tarjei Vesaas.
Violence, death and guilt.
Violence, death and guilt.
JR's Convoluted Read Next Generator pulls from a Gygax recommendation in Advanced DnD. Great discovery as JR has learned that the editor also ghostwrote some of the hated Gor series and wrote a ton of even lower quality, more explicit smut under various pen names.
Walter Isaacson's biography of Benjamin Franklin. Last 100 pages or so.
EnglishEdward
Deity
On Sunday I finished reading:
These Burning Stars
copyright 2023
by Bethany Jacobs
It is a grand space opera with heroic villains set in a star system with many planets
featuring warring corporations, authoritarian assassins, bureaucrats and priests.
Quite enjoyable if one likes that sort of thing,
These Burning Stars
copyright 2023
by Bethany Jacobs
It is a grand space opera with heroic villains set in a star system with many planets
featuring warring corporations, authoritarian assassins, bureaucrats and priests.
Quite enjoyable if one likes that sort of thing,
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