Books I've Read
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Some Desperate Glory
I didn't like this book much, except for the Deus Ex Machina ending.
Quote:
"Like Oikos," she said.
Whatever that is, we've probably got a storeroom full of it," said Yiso.Read:
8/2024
Goofbang Value Daze
Gabe and Dori are teens in a "town of the future" that has a dome over it. I thought this would be science fiction, a sort of goofy teen romance science fiction, so I grabbed it off the shelf during inventory. It is not science fiction, though. And while there is a lot of goofy teen romance, there is a lot more. It takes place during during the 1980s, as the frequent references to contemporary events make clear. I enjoyed this book very much, but the too-frequent-for-me profanity suggests this book ought to be deselected to a high school library. There are over 15 profanities in the first 106 pages, where I ran out of sticky-tabs. Here is a list, in order: f**k, bullsh*t, h*ll, *ss, a*s, d*mn, he*l, b*tch, g*dd*mn, bi*ch, sh*tload of trouble you d*mn whiny b*tch, g*dda*mn, wise*ss, sh*t, dumbsh*t, fu*k, h*ll, f*ckin', p*sser. Well, I guess the hells and pisser aren't so bad, but there are some m*therf&ck*rs farther along, too. Although they
are part of the plot!
There is a lot of examination values, authority, and boy-girl relationships here, some satirical humor, some tragedy, and I want to say again I enjoyed the book very much.
Quote:
But rowing, too -- upstream, of course, you always go upstream. I think that's required by the Protestant ethic, using a rowing machine seems very Protestant to me. -- (pg. 72)
Quote:
I probably widened my eyes a little, looking at the back of my mother's head. Her saying "fucked over" like that, to me, told me she was really concentrating. on the problem we faced, but not on form or the proprieties. As a rule, she doesn't use the f-word, figuratively, while speaking to her impressionable son. -- (pg. 244)
Quote:
"...After all, the most important thing between two people is the f-word."
"What?" I said. Incredulous. "The f-word?"
"Sure," he said, "the f-word. Faith." -- (pg. 260)
Devlin
N.Y. police officer is framed for murdering his brother-in-law. By the author of the book that was made into the movie "Die Hard". Very gritty, not fabulous. Made into a Showtime movie. Read again, I think 8/2002
Read:
8/2002
Thurbers dogs
Cute doggy drawings and stories about dogs the author has had or known over the years. Good stuff.
Read:
4/2006
The Gangster We Are All Looking For
A young Vietnamese refugee comes to San Diego with her father. Too lyrical for my tastes, but I liked parts of it.
Read:
5/2010
Surviving The Applewhites
A deliquent juvenile is sent to a family-run private school, a family of very accomplished artistics. Very good. Read 11/2004
Read:
11/2004
The Hobbit
How many times have I read this since the first time circa 1968? Five? Six? Seven? I may even have read it to my kids, I don't know. Read it again.
Read:
9/2013Read:
10/2021
A Fraction Of The Whole
A rather amusing tale of an Australian boy, his wacky father, and his criminal brother. And Eddie.
Quote:
"That's not insect repellent," I said.
"I know. You don't tink I recognize melted chin fat when I see it?" -- pg. 460
Read:
4/2010
In The Black
The author claims it's "Hunt For Red October" in space. Well, no, I don't think so. It's a pretty good mil-sci-fi, with lots of clever and even funny dialog, and I'd read a sequel. You know, since it has a super cliff hanger ending... Well, it's five years later and there is no sequel that I can find. Apparently a lot of people dislike this author and will diss his books. I think he is a bit of a ass, but I did enjoy reading this book.
Quote:
"What's a banana?" Hurg asked.
"I have no idea." Words I Had To Look Up:
Slinky; Dolce and Gabbana. They still have that fashion house and that toy hundreds of years in the future. Wow!Quote:
her hair was platinum blond and razor straight. -- I have no idea was razor straight hair is.Quote:
...followed a millisecond later by a hundred thousand volts of electricity pulsing at sixty cycles per second. -- Sixty cycles per second? Really? Quote:
..."but large tears...would still force whole limb sections of their suits into tunicate mode at the nearest joint"... -- Near as I can find "tunicate" is a type of sea animal... Read:
8/2024
A Confederacy Of Dunces
Ignatius Reilly vs. New Orleans. Very good!
Read:
8/2004Read:
6/2022
A Gentleman In Moscow
I enjoyed reading about the Count and the women in his life.
Read:
7/2019
Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years
Not as good as the first book, seems to be a lot of British in-jokes.
QUOTE:
She said, 'he made love to some of the most beautiful women in the world, so why would he want to hang off a door?' Ivan said, 'Because it's less complicated than having a relationship with a woman. One doesn't have to tell a door twenty times a day that one loves it.Read:
10/2000
The Fall
Thieves of Fate #2, pretty good, the story is moving right along, a lot of it takes place in Nippon. Huh, sounds familiar...
Quote:
"You have this fascination with the word 'we,'" Master Meteron drawled.-- pg. 103Read:
9/2021
The Nine
Thieves Of Fate series, book 1. I BOUGHT it because the author was talking about it on the John Scalzi blog. I like fine, let us see where it goes. I was disappointed in the early demise of a character, though.
Quote:
..."I suppose drinking before breakfast is doctor's orders?"
"I don't have the benefit of a rather generous dose of morphine. So I'm making do, thank you." -pg. 348
Read:
12/2017Read:
8/2021
Lost It
A not-too-bad teen romance with complications. Tess explains how she came to have sex with Ben, how her friend is planning to blow-up a poodle, and how her grandmother buys her a car.
Read:
11/2011
They Call Me Super Mex
With co-author Sam Blair. Autobiography of the golfer. Very interesting, and I don't even care much for golf. Boy, he sure drinks a lot.
Read:
3/2012
A Bit OnThe Side
Twelve stories that I'm sure are very good, but did not interest me at all.
Words I Had To Look Up:
apposite (pg. 32) -- Apt in the circumstances or in relation to something.
Read:
9/2011
The King of Attolia
Despite a couple of incredibly boring paragraphs, I think this is a wonderful book, full of court intrigue, sly humour, exciting sword play, and fully-developed charactors. Many twists and turns. I STILL think the series needs a map! Book three of the series.
Read:
12/2007
The Queen of Attolia
Eugenides is caught and punished as a thief is. Very good. Book two of the series.
Read:
12/2007
The Thief
Gen the thief is let out of prison to steal something valuable for the king. Pretty good story, took a while to build up interest.
Read:
3/2007
20 books displayed
[Taft - Tepper] [Tesh - Turner] [Turtledove - Twain]