Rate the last Book you read

I've only seen two of his movies: The Best of Me and The Notebook. I haven't read The Best of Me's book, but The Notebook's movie beats the book by half-a-star IMO.

I enjoy his films and can rewatch at any time.

I heard in MOST cases, the books are better, although The Notebook seems to be the exception.

I got this one today on the moon - back to high school science class

This arrived from the library, enjoyable, quick read.

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Completed Extant Filmographies: Luis Buñuel, Federico Fellini, Satyajit Ray, Fritz Lang, Andrei Tarkovsky, Buster Keaton, Yasujirō Ozu - (for favorite directors who have passed or retired, 10 minimum)

Salem's Lot

OK, I adore King, I adore vampire stories. My dad would kick my ass if he heard me say that (well, actually he'd just be severely disappointed and try to ignore it, but hey). I've seen quite a few, read quite a few and am trying to write one. And I have to say, this is overrated. Now the prose is EXCELLENT, in the same way Updike's drawn out prose is. The description of the town and its characters is wonderful, but it drowns out the plot and the thrills, leading the human versus vampire war to feel weak sometimes. So, 7/10.

I picked this up today. It's been s long time since I have read one. Usually they are taken from a script of a deceased person, as each book is written for the individual themselves.

The prose got a little purple at the outset but Preston & Child are old hands at storytelling and it quickly settled into one of their patented thrillers. This one wrapped up the Enoch Leng cycle and involved time travel and a cunning serial killer.

A collection of twenty short stories. None of them involve his best known character. Mostly crime and criminals and people who make their living with guns. There's more than a few dependent on O. Henry type twist endings but it does provide a glimpse into his evolution as a writer.

Our Enemies Will Vanish (2024)


Very good book about the ongoing war in Ukraine, though not the best I've read on the topic. Here's to hoping their country survives given the incoming US administration...

It took me longer than it probably should have, but I finished Return of the King a few days ago. It's an excellent book. My favorite of the four Lord of the Rings books is probably Two Towers or Return of the King. If I can help it, I will never watch Peter Jackson's movies again. I know they're six of the most popular movies ever. It's just I have never liked them and now I can't fathom doing anything but hating them.

Now I'm resuming Hammer's Slammers Volume 1. I have about 122 pages left, I was reading it back and forth with Return of the King when I needed simpler prose when I'd be worn out, and it's also exceedingly great. Hammer's Slammers is a mite more murky vis it's a conglomeration of other stories strung together. Overall it flows fine, and I love how it's written overall. Also David Drake is a Vietnam War veteran, so he knows a few things about war, and can write a war story with real experience, which I think is cool. His writing is honestly a little shaky in spots because he isn't a schooled writer. At the same time, I think his rough prose is authentic and adds to the flavor. I've loved the book so far. Maybe I'll read some more tomorrow during football.

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I destroyed the dastardly dairy dame! I made mad milk maid mulch!

If you like modern day political and social history this is a good one. This covers the 1992 election and makes a lot of current day comparisons. So, I won't comment much. All the players are covered here in mini bios and some of them are very funny from Bush, Clinton, Perot, Pat Buchanan, David Duke, Sister Souljah, Rodney King, Randy Weaver, Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh and many more. Also covers the rise and influence of rap and grunge on the political and social world and various movies like Glengarry Glen Ross.

Just finished Pride and Prejudice, a book so out of my comfort zone that I didn't really expect to finish it. Going all the way back to high school, Brit Lit was never something I enjoyed reading but this was definitely better than any of the Dickens stuff we had to read. It took a couple chapters to get used to the olde English and I had to use kindles dictionary more than a few times but it never took away from the enjoyment. In that way it was a little like Moby Dick for me. This book was dense. I don't know If I've ever read a book where so much happens in so few pages, especially towards the beginning. Elizabeth immediately jumps to one of my favorite literary characters of all time. Through all her faults, she was badass.

Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. I was told last year (on Reddit of all places, tragicomically enough, where I went to vent a little when I was having a tough time) that I ‘sounded like an Ayn Rand character’. That was clearly intended as an insult. I’ve always been aware of her work in the abstract, but now that I’ve read Atlas Shrugged, I can see what that person meant, and it’s true. Every single time a character says something inappropriate or callous, I feel I could have said that if I wasn’t watching myself. I guess I’m doomed, heh. But I do relate (for once!) to quite a few characters and know I behave just like them very often. How very peculiar. I read the intro collated from Rand’s own diaries and writings and she said she wrote to create worlds she’d want to live in, perfect worlds that she approved of entirely, which, most people probably wouldn’t want to live in her worlds, but I somewhat do, so again, some shocking psychological insight here from a Reddit stranger.

Also saw Five Easy Pieces and the objectivist gathering there in a new light.

If you liked Pride and Prejudice and aren't averse to another dive into the Austen-verse, I'd highly recommend Persuasion.

If you like science and astronomy, this is a great book. Some of it was in the weeds but the author tries to keep it simple. It covers a variety of topics from synesthesia, evolution, moon gods, time keeping, calendars, tides and much more. Quite a few stories about the six Apollo landings and the subsequent scientific research which continues today. A great story about astronaut Michael Collins flying around the far side of the moon (there is no dark side) and just how alone he felt.

The book ends with a debate on whether we should colonize the moon. The Chinese are way ahead most countries on this and the author is not optimistic about what they are up to.

Sort of like a biography of the moon.

The Price of Justice (2013)


Unbelievable book about the corruption behind the Massey coal company and it's history of swaying local elections, endangering workers, etc. A bit of a tie-in to court cases like Citizens United as well.

A Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons. Crime and horror. Not in equal doses but carefully enough blended that you never get the sense of being shortchanged in either regard. There's a bank robbery and double crosses and plenty of gunplay. But there's also a loathsome cult leader and a monstrous sort of Macguffin. And at the heart of it all there's the profoundly broken protagonist, Annie Heller.

The Shadow Docket (2023)


Sometimes the pages get bogged down with a bit too much legalese, but I was able to comb through most of it with a good understanding of how the Supreme Court has procedurally changed how many cases are being used to set new precedents (often without arguments or published opinions).