Books Listed by Author
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Sparky-For-Short
Published in 1930, 85 pages. A bizarre story of a spark (as in, from Ben Franklin's kite experiment, literally!) who turns into a real boy, or something, I don't know. This is probably someone's cherished childhood book, but, other than the charming illustrations by the author, I didn't much care for it.
Read:
3/2023
A Short History Of Nearly Everything
A history of the science we know about planet Earth. A lot of detail, but interesting, and interesting anecdotes in the Bryson manner.
Read:
1/2004
A Walk In The Woods
The author and his friend Steve Katz head out to hike the Appalachian Trail. Humerous and interesting.
QUOTE:
Her name was Donna, and they were on their way to some desperate sounding community--Turkey Balls Falls or Coon Slick or somplace--another fity miles up the road, but they were pleased to drop us in Hiawassee, if they didn't kill us all first.Read:
12/1999
At Home
Mr. Bryson tells us rather little about his home, which he is ostensibly reporting on, but a great deal about everything else. A very interesting book which caused me to spend many hours looking stuff up.
Read:
4/2011
I'm A Stranger Here Myself
Comments on life in the U.S. after being away for 20 years
Read:
12/1999
In A Sunburned Country
Bill travels Australia. Very good and interesting.
QUOTE:
While Allan went off to the sundeck to see if there were any women with large breasts to look at, I settled down with my notes.Read:
10/2000
Mother Tongue
Subtitle "English & How It Got That Way". I particulary like the chapter on swearing. Very interesting, but lots of information, spiced with humour.
Read:
12/1999
Neither Here Nor There
Bill travels Europe complaining about litter and recalling a former journey with the incredible Stephen Katz. Very humorous!
QUOTE:
The photograph on the box was of a delectably attractive brunette in a transparent negligee. Either this was cruelly misleading or they had made more progress with vinyl in recent years then I had realized.Read:
1/2000
Shakespeare : The World As Stage
If it's Bryson, it's interesting. And it is. Now I know even more (or even less?) since I read Chute's book.
Read:
12/2010
The Life And Times Of TheThunderbolt Kid
Old Guy Bryson recounts his life as a youth. Hey, wait, he is the same age as me!
I can't believe he has never met anyone who remember the George Burns and Gracie Allen television show (pg. 178). I believe I forced MY kids to watch it, I loved it so much!
Words I Had To Look Up:
...world's only atomic toilets (pg. 20) -- Actually, it utilized an ultraviolet sterilizer. Seems like a good idea to me!
Read:
8/2011
You Only Die Twice
Reporter Britt Montero gets the story on a fresh corpse that washes up on the beach in Florida, of a woman who died ten years before.
Read:
7/2001
Pearl S. Buck's Book Of Christmas
I count 39 stories in 507 pages that Pearl Buck selected as her favorite Christmas stories. A Christmas Carol is there, as is The Little Match Girl, The Gift Of The Magi,and How Christmas Came To Simpson's Bar.
Words I Had To Look Up:
negus (pg. 151, A Christmas Carol In Prose) -- A beverage of wine, hot water, lemon juice, sugar, and nutmeg.
hansel (pg. 267, The conciliator Of Christendom) -- A first installment : earnest money
palliation (pg. 261, Christmas Eve On Lonesome) -- To make (an offense or crime) seem less serious; extenuate.
Cantat vacuus (pg. 304, Shakespeare's Christmas) -- Probably refers to the saying vacuus cantat coram latrone viator. The traveller with an empty purse sings in the presence of the highwayman.
Urbem quam dicunt Romam (pg. 306, Shakespeare's Christmas) -- The city which they call Rome.
precisian (pg. 309, Shakespeare's Christmas) -- One who is strict and precise in adherence to established rules, forms, or standards, especially with regard to religious observance or moral behavior.
nipcheese (pg. 310, Shakespeare's Christmas) -- A person of cheese-paring habits; a skinflint; a niggardly person.
Cecidit, cecidit Babylon illa magna! (pg. 311, Shakespeare's Christmas) -- Fallen, fallen, is Babylon, that great city.
Read:
12/2010
A Stranger In The Citadel
Distant future Earth scenario where books are banned and librarians are executed. Huge "cornucopias" feed the people.
Quote:
"It's me," said Kira.
"I know," I said. I didn't lower the musket. "That's why I'm pointing this at you."Read:
11/2023
Boomsday
Cass, a blogger and spin-doctor, ex-army, starts a revolt of Gen-Wers against the resource-hogging Baby Boomers. I laughed out loud several times, so it must be funny!
Read:
11/2009
Little Green Men
Oliver Banion is kidnapped, TWICE, by UFOs. UFOs from a secret, VERY secret, U.S. government organization. Very clever and humorous, although I AM irked by his footnotes. By the end I decided the footnotes were part of the sly humour. There were a lot of words I should have looked up, but I don't have any Post-Its!
Read:
7/2011
Supreme Courtship
A TV courtroom judge is appointed to the United States Supreme Court. A FEMALE TV courtroom judge. A female TEXAN TV courtroom judge! The hanging/suicide episode was the funniest thing I've read in a long time!
Words I Had To Look Up:
paradigmatically (pg. 3) -- An outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype.
auto-da-fé (pg. 4) -- Burning at the stake, in popular imagination.
logorrheic (pg. 46) -- Of, pertaining to, or exhibiting logorrhea, the excessive flow of words.
benisons (pg. 67) -- A blessing; a benediction.
internecine (pg. 79) -- Of or relating to struggle within a nation, organization, or group.
8th Admendment (pg. 100) -- The right to be free from excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment.
certiorari (pg. 113) -- An original writ or action whereby a cause is removed from an inferior to a superior court for review.
maisonette (pg. 180) -- a self-contained apartment (usually on two floors) in a larger house and with its own entrance from the outside. A townhouse?
quondam odium (pg. 184) -- Previous dislike?
infra dignitatem (pg. 245) -- Below ones dignity.
Stare Decisis (pg. 207) -- Let the decision stand. Funny name for an Italian restaurant!
dolor (pg. 211) -- Sorrow; grief.
anodyne (pg. 276) -- Not likely to offend or arouse tensions
dolorous (pg. 221) -- Marked by or exhibiting sorrow, grief, or pain.
Read:
8/2010Quote:
Industry is the enemy of melancholy. (pg. 223) Attributed to William F. Buckley Jr.
LIbrary Quote:
Didn't they teach you this in Boy Scouts? Or were you getting your merit badge in library science or some wimpy thing? (pg. 192) Pepper to the Chief Justice, on making him a better hangman's knot.
A salty piece of land
Tully Mars has adventures in the Caribbean involving an ancient lady, a sailing ship, a lighthouse, and two wacko chicks, among others. Pretty good stuff.
Read:
8/2005
Beguilement
First book in The Sharing Knife series. Fawn finds adventure and romance when she runs away from her problems on the family farm.
Read:
8/2010Read Again:
8/2016
Borders Of Infinity
Three Miles Vorkosigan stories tied together with a bit of text. The incredibly sad The Mountains Of Mourning, Labyrinth, and The Borders Of Infinity. Excellent stuff!
Words I Had To Look Up:
stone soap (pg. 201) -- Hard to find information, but it looks like the Nazis gave the condemned fake soap when they went to the showers to be gassed.
Read:
8/2010
Captain Vorpatril's Alliance
Ivan meets a girl. Said girl meets Ivan's relatives. And he, hers.
Words I Had To Look Up:
persiflage (pg. 6) -- a frivolous or flippant style of treating a subject.
soletta (pg. 31) -- A hypothetical magnifying device constructed in space for the purpose of amplifying the solar radiation a planet receives, in order to generate power or aid in the process of terraforming.
delope (pg. 272) -- To fire a gun into the air in order to end a duel.
Read:
1/2013
20 books displayed
[Babbit - Baen Publishing Enterprises] [Baker - Barnard] [Barnard - Barnard] [Barnes - Barr] [Barr - Baum] [Beagle - Beaton] [Beaton - Beaton] [Beaton - Beauman] [Beck - Bishop] [Bivald - Block] [Block - Bloor] [Bloor - Bosch] [Bosker - Brashares] [Breathed - Brucker] [Bruère - Bujold] [Bujold - Bujold] [Bujold - Bythell]