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The Accidental Time Machine

Haldeman, Joe
Matt accidentally assembles a time machine. Very Heinlein-ish, without all the social philosophy. I enjoyed it very much.

Words I Had To Look Up:

no Baedecker for the future (pg. 82) -- Possibly mispeled in the book, Baedeker is a publisher of travel guidebook.

with obvious lacunae. (pg. 123) -- An empty space or a missing part; a gap or deficiency.

"Prenolphthalein. Big deal." (pg. 167) -- A white or yellowish-white crystalline compound used in analysis as an indicator because its solution is brilliant red in alkalies and is decolorized by acids and in medicine as a laxative.

"That's e to the x. Plus C." (pg. 270) -- I don't know what it means. Something to do with calculus.

Here is a joke I don't get, too:

Two mathematicians walk into a risque restaurant. Long-time friends, they discuss the lamentable lack of math knowledge in the general population while ogling the ambience.

Presently, one mathematician excuses himself to visit the men's room. The other calls over a waitress. Snapping gum, the waitress asks "Want another drink?"

"No," the mathematician answers, "My friend and I have a bet going. I'll give you $20 if you play along."

"Sure," the waitress says.

"Ok. When he comes back, I'll ask you a question. It doesn't matter what it is. I want you to answer me saying 'x squared over 2."

"Eggs qwared...over to?" the waitress asked.

"Yes. Just say that," the mathematician said.

"Ok."

The second mathematician returned from the men's room and they again began to discuss math. The first one said "You know, maybe it's not as bad as all that. I'll bet you $100 that if I ask the waitress a calculus question she'll know the right answer."

The second mathematician said "You're on!"

They call over the waitress, and the first asks her "Honey, what's the integral of X?"

She pauses for a second, and then says "X squared over two."

Walking back to the kitchen she continues "....Plus C."

Read:

7/2008

Enna Burning

Hale, Shannon
Enna, a girl of the Forest, finds her brother has learned how to draw in heat and send it out again, with devastating results.

Read:

7/2011

Princess Academy

Hale, Shannon
All the eligible girl's of Miri's village must attend the Princess Academy so that the prince can choose a bride. A number of startling revelations change the entire viewpoint of the protagonist.

Read:

10/2008

The Actor And The Housewife

Hale, Shannon
A Mormon mother-of-four from Utah sells a movie script in LA and becomes best friends with a famous actor. Explores what friendship and marriage relationships are, with lots of witty dialogue. Some of the things that happened were like a punch in the gut to me, so it is not all fun.

Quote:

(I need to keep it just as it is, just in case it was all a mistake, just in case Mike's alive and coming home any day.) -- page 278

Read:

8/2014

$10,000 In Small Unmarked Puzzles

Hall, Parnell
I'm too lazy to work the puzzles, and I'm annoyed by Cora, but these stories have a certain charm. In this one Cora's niece, Sherry is have a baby, and Cora's annoying ex is being harassed by a loan shark.

Read:

7/2023

A clue for the puzzle-lady

Hall, Parnell
The first of the series. Light enjoyable read, with a crossword puzzle to solve.

Read:

9/2004

A Puzzle In A Pear Tree

Hall, Parnell
The Puzzle lady is in an unlikely 12 Days Of Christimas production. The Virgin Mary gets murdered. First time I read this series, so let me get this straight; everybody thinks she can solve puzzles, but she can't? Huh? Several acrostics to be puzzled over. I like Stanley more, but the puzzles are interesting.

Read:

9/2003

Client

Hall, Parnell
Stanley is hired to follow a guys estranged wife.

Read:

9/2000

Cozy

Hall, Parnell
Stanley goes on vacation with Alice to an inn, where a girl drops dead of poison. Irritating dialogue with the police chief. Includes recipes!! .

Read:

4/2002

Detective

Hall, Parnell
Evidently (get it?) the first of the Stanley Hastings books. Pretty OK, not the best, but enjoyable.

Read:

5/2000

Hitman

Hall, Parnell
Stanley is supposed to help a hitman not hit someone. Things go awry. I wasn't too excited by this one. I found the repartee confusing.

Read:

4/2008

Read:

7/2012

Juror

Hall, Parnell
P.I. Stanley Hastings can't get out of jury duty. I like this guy!

Read:

5/2000

Manslaughter

Hall, Parnell
P.I. Stanley Hastings is hired to find a blackmailer. Rather convaluted plot, I say. Neato ending.

Read:

9/2003

Read Again:

12/2005

Movie

Hall, Parnell
Stanley Hastings investigates murder on the set of the movie he wrote a script for.

Read:

6/2000

Scam

Hall, Parnell
Stanley Hastings, P.I., is afraid his client is pulling some sort of scam on him.

QUOTE:

I'm being set up!

Read:

5/2000

Strangler

Hall, Parnell
Stanley Hastings tries to find out who is strangling his boss's clients.

Read:

6/2000

Suspense

Hall, Parnell
Stanley Hastings is hired to find out who is threatening a suspense writer's wife.

Read:

6/2000

The Puzzle Lady vs The Soduku Lady

Hall, Parnell
Cora gets some competition when a Japanese puzzle woman comes to town with her sixteen-year-old niece in tow.

Read:

8/2010

With this puzzle, I thee kill

Hall, Parnell
A Puzzle Lady mystery. Cora and Sherry's friend Brenda somehow are planning a double wedding, Brenda to Sherry's abusive ex-spouse.

Read:

12/2005

The Case Of The Missing Servant

Hall, Tarquin
An P.I. in India investigates the murder of a servant girl, among other things. Pretty good.

Read:

7/2016
20 books displayed
[Abadzis - Akers, pseud.] [Akers, pseud. - Anaya] [Anderson - Armstrong] [Arngrim - Aveyard] [Avi - Baen Publishing Enterprises] [Baen Publishing Enterprises - Barnard] [Barnard - Barnes] [Barnes - Barr] [Barr - Beanton] [Beanton - Beaton] [Beaton - Beaton] [Beaton - Benford] [Bennett - Block] [Block - Block] [Block - Bonner] [Borchert - Brashares] [Breathed - Bryson] [Bryson - Bujold] [Bujold - Bujold] [Bunting - Card] [Card - Card] [Card - Chabon] [Chainani - Choldenko] [Choldenko - Clarke] [Clarke - Cody] [Cody - Colfer] [Colfer - Collins] [Collins - Connelly] [Connelly - Constantine] [Constantine - Corey] [Corey - Craig] [Craig - Crais] [Crais - Crombie] [Cronley - Cussler] [Cussler - Dashner] [Dashner - DiCamillo] [DiCamillo - Doctorow] [Doig - Drake] [Drake - DuPrau] [Durham - Emerson] [Emerson - Evanovich] [Evans - Farley] [Farmer - Fitzgerald] [Fitzhugh - Fletcher] [Flinn - Foster] [Foster - Francis] [Francis - Francis] [Francis - Francis] [Francis - Funke] [Fussell - Gardner] [Gardner - Gilman] [Gladwell - Gores] [Gormley - Granger] [Grann - Greenleaf] [Greenleaf - Grimes] [Grimes - Grisham] [Grogan - Haldeman] [Haldeman - Hall] [Hallett - Harper] [Harris - Heinlein] [Heinlein - Heinlein] [Heinlein - Henry] [Henry - Hershon] [Herzog - Hiaasen] [Hiaasen - Hillerman] [Hillerman - Hoeg] [Holling - Horvath] [Hosseini. - Ibbotson] [Irving - Jocelyn] [Johansen - Kadohata] [Kaminsky - Kandel] [Karr - Kienzle] [Kienzle - Kingsolver] [Kingsolver - Koontz] [Korman - Kushner] [L'Amour - Lasky] [latham - Leckie] [Leckie - Leonard] [Leonard - Lewis] [Lewis - Loewen] [London - Lubar] [Luna - MacLachlan] [Maclean - Mandel] [Mankell - Martin] [Martine - Mass] [Massey - McCaffrey] [McCaffrey - McCrumb] [McCrumb - Meier] [Meloy - Modesitt Jr.] [Modesitt Jr. - Moon] [Moon - Mosley] [Mosley - Napoli] [Napoli - Niven] [Niven - O'Brian] [O'Brian - O'Brien] [O'Brien - Osman] [Osman - Paretsky] [Paretsky - Parker] [Parker - Parker] [Parker - Patterson] [Patterson - Paulsen] [Paulsen - Penny] [Perez-Reverte - Pinkwater] [Piper - Poyer] [Poyer - Pratchett] [Pratchett - Pratchett] [Pratchett - Pronzini] [Pronzini - Pullman] [Pullman - Reeve] [Reeve - Ringo] [Ringo - Robinson] [Rodman - Rowling] [Rowling - Rust] [Ryan - Scalzi] [Scalzi - Schmidt] [Schmidt - Scottoline] [Scottoline - Setterfield] [Shaffer - Shute] [Shute - Smith] [Smith - Specht] [Spector - Stark] [Stark - Stephenson] [Stephenson - Stross] [Stross - Swanson] [Swee - Teague] [Telsep - Turner] [Turtledove - Vachss] [Valente - Vande Velde] [Vanderpool - Wasdin] [Watkins - Webster] [Weeks - Wells] [Werlin - Westlake] [Westlake - Wiles] [Wiles - Wister] [Wodehouse - Woods] [Wouk - Zimmerman] [Zusak - Zusak] 

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