Books I've Read
Recent Books
I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom
Synopsis from Good Reads: Outside Los Angeles, a driver pulls up to find a young woman sitting on a large black box. She offers him $200,000 cash to transport her and that box across the country, to Washington, DC. -- Yeah, outside of Los Angeles...like 86 miles in Victorville!!
Quote:
Sometimes she liked to have a little puddle of [sugar] granules at the end; it was like the coffee's dessert.Quote:
"If you think about it," she said, "Party City is kind of the apex of human civilization."Read:
1/2024
To Be Taught, If Fortunate
Several astronauts exploring planets in various systems. I have not quite finished it, six pages to go, but I thought I better get it in the log, as it were.
Read:
1/2025
To Challenge Heaven
With Chris Kennedy. Out of the Dark #3. Good story, sums everything up. I didn't see as much snappy dialogue with this one, as opposed to #2. Oh well.
Words I Had To Look Up:
PunctilioRead:
1/2025
The Library At Mount Char
Lots of humor, lots of violence. The Library has lots of books, but these "librarians" are more like researchers, or students.
Quote:
"I'm really sorry about all this. I'm in sort of a situation, and--"
"Yes, I am quite sure. Please go fuck yourself."Quote:
"Are you a Buddhist?"
"No. I'm an asshole. But I keep trying."Quote:
"You're really extra-fucking-special under arrest."Quote:
"Possessed? You mean, like, by demons? That kind of possessed?"
"What? No." Carolyn laughed. For one horrifying moment Steve thought she might pinch his cheek. "There's no such thing, Steve."Read:
1/2025
With Chris Kennedy. Out of the Dark #2. Great cliffhanger ending!
Quote:
...he could see that Cecilia's eyes were bright red.
"Oh, shit," he muttered. "That's not good."Words I Had To Look Up:
podium -- I'm still not sure of the difference between a dais and a podium, but I think this should have been "lecturn". Quote:
"It sounds to me like somebody got caught trying to sneak into the syldak coop.Quote:
...give Sokyr ous just deserts! -- Really? Is this a translator device mistake? The author being playful? Quote:
"I told them not to do this, and now the krats have come home to roost." -- Indeed! Read:
1/2025
A Peace Divided
Peacekeeper, #2; Confederation, #7. I liked the book, but had trouble reading it. I can't put my finger on it, though. I CAN contrast with David Weber's books, those I just flow right through.
Quote:
"Fukking Humans First," Craig sighed. "They make the rest of us look bad."
"Or good in comparison," Binti offered." And at least they got rid of the apostrophe."Quote:
...the future was in plastics.Quote:
fossick -- page 411Quote:
fossick -- page 752 Quote:
seekindying dae hurricna -- I have NO idea!Quote:
"I don't even know what a goose is," Binti admitted. "And I'm the same species you are."Read:
1/2025
Out Of The Dark
Out of the Dark #1. An alien task force arrives to take over the Earth (which has no idea there ARE aliens!) and subject its peoples. Said peoples fight back. But, but I said, but it's not enough. Until a Deux Ex Machina (in my opinion) figure arrives to save the day. A good read, I will read the next two books some day.
Quote:
A Maglite flashlight -- Oh, how cute, a Maglite. Well, this was written in 2010. Read:
12/2024
Condor In The Stacks
A novella about the character from Six Days Of The Condor. Vin (Condor) is assigned to work in the Library Of Congress sorting books to into the CIA archive or to be shredded. Two of the "coffins" (Vin's name for the wooden boxes) he is supposed to have seem to be missing. Where could they be? Good story, but I was often confused as to what was happening.
Quote:
Talking heads blather from an unseen TV, insist this, know that, sell whatever.Read:
12/2024
The Arctic Patrol Mystery
The brothers head off to Iceland to look for an old fisherman who is coming into some money. Chet and eventually Biff are there to help, too. Then there is the missing astronaut...
Read:
12/2024
Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting
I am writing this even though I have not finished the book. I was reading along this evening and it occurred to me that all of a sudden I liked this book very much. The first have was kind of OK, I had been thinking, but right about the half-way mark I had this revelation. So, we shall see how it goes...
Later: Yes, this book is fabulous! Gave me a lot to think about.
Quote:
"Here, do it harder," said Iona, leaning forward across the table and giving him a hefty thump with a closed fist, which she found rather more enjoyable than she should have done, given the circumstances.Quote:
"It was an earwig," said Piers. "Eric."Quote:
When, Iona wondered, had people started reaching out, instead of merely calling?Quote:
Harry picked up his pillow, held it in front of him, and, with surprising amount of force, plunged his fist into it several times. "Take that, you arrogant, annoying bastard," he said.Quote:
"Who'd have thought I'd end up basing my life choices on an eccentric lesbian?"Quote:
They want us to be small. You have to stand tall.Read:
12/2024