What are you reading?

[Paul Beardsley]

I mean that people think things in an emergency situation that don't make sense or help, because their brains are trying to work too fast and the clever part gets in the way. You'd be amazed what people report having thought of in times of incredible stress of one kind or another. Though I'll admit "so this is it; I'm going to die" is pretty popular.

Okay, here's an actual example of a writedownism that occurs in the book.

The lone protagonist enters an apartment and finds a mass of human flesh on a couch. She sees a severed foot a few feet away from the main mass.

She actually thinks "pardon the pun" because the words "foot" and "feet" are in the same sentence.

[Gillianren]

Yeah, no, even I wouldn't do that.

[Solfe]

I mean that people think things in an emergency situation that don't make sense or help, because their brains are trying to work too fast and the clever part gets in the way. You'd be amazed what people report having thought of in times of incredible stress of one kind or another. Though I'll admit "so this is it; I'm going to die" is pretty popular.

I was in an accident, we hit a tree due to ice. The guy in the passenger seat said "I don't feel so good..." about 1/2 second from impact. After hearing those words, I honestly have to say my mind was completely blank.

Back to the real topic. I am going to break down and read The Hungry Games. My son gave up on it.

[ToSeek]

Have finished the "Monster Blood Tattoo" trilogy and will be starting on the "John Carter of Mars" trilogy tomorrow. (Don't know if it's an actual trilogy or not, but the library book contains three of the novels, so that's all I've got.)

[Paul Beardsley]

To all intents and purposes it is a trilogy - a self-contained three-volume story. Afterwards, you can read other Mars books if you want to, but you're not required to do so in order to "get" the trilogy.

[jrkeller]

Smoke Jumper, Moon Pilot: The Remarkable Life of Apollo 14 Astronaut Stuart Roosa

[Romanus]

Modernism: The Lure of Heresy, by Peter Gay. So far, it's an excellent and highly-readable introduction to an otherwise vast, intimidating topic.

[HenrikOlsen]

The Kid (what happened after my boyfriend and I decided to go get pregnant) by Dan Savage.

ETA Excellent book, I would recommend it to anyone considering open adoption, from either side.

[HenrikOlsen]

Skipping Towards Gomorrah: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Pursuit of Happiness in America also by Dan Savage.

Probably won't make converts of any who don't already think it's up to the individual to decide which forms of happiness are appropriate for that person and that trying to regulate which forms of happiness are OK for others to pursue is actually an attempt at removing their "inalienable right".

[Solfe]

Skipping Towards Gomorrah: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Pursuit of Happiness in America also by Dan Savage.

That title sounds awesome. I will have to check it out.

[Gillianren]

That title sounds awesome. I will have to check it out.

The author is an interesting person. I keep meaning to borrow the book from my best friend and keep having these enormous stacks of library books when I'm thinking about it.

[HenrikOlsen]

That title sounds awesome. I will have to check it out.

Be warned that it's written to a large extent in response to Slouching Towards Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline by Robert H. Bork, one of the self-appointed definers of virtue and criticizers of what he claims is the reason for modern society's lack of them, so there's a fair bit of political content.

Though it's far less party political that one might expect given that no politician on any side is going to come out in favor of being non-virtuous, especially for the purpose of pursuing happiness, so all get criticized.

[Solfe]

Bork is the guy that was nominated for the supreme court right? It still sounds interesting, but maybe I should read both books.

[TJMac]

I picked up a book titled "Hellhole", by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, from the library.

Ugh, tough going so far. 137 pages in, and so far, each and every character is so boring and predictable that I doubt I will finish the book.

I sort of liked the general idea for the plot. Rebellion General sentenced to live on primitive backwards planet. Possible findings of Alien Artifacts of great power .... so on and so forth.

But the opening scene is a case of, we have all your family and we will murder them if you don't do as we demand. Their blood is on your hands. I personally find
that such a supremely idiotic premise that I will often quit reading a story that uses it. (And it gets used a LOT)

I also found the original trilogy of The Morgaine Saga, by C.J. Cherryh at a used book store. It's been a really long while since I read that, so it's next on my list.

TJ

[TJMac]

Skipping Towards Gomorrah: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Pursuit of Happiness in America also by Dan Savage.

Is this the same guy who writes the newspaper column? Well, I guess it's more an advice to readers questions type column. Found only in alternative type papers, in this country. I used to look for that column for his amusing advice. Quit finding the paper that carried it a few years ago. Assuming it's the same fellow.

TJ

[HenrikOlsen]

It is.

Though he's turning rather mainstream as he's now also on MTV giving advice to teenagers.

[Gillianren]

Is this the same guy who writes the newspaper column? Well, I guess it's more an advice to readers questions type column. Found only in alternative type papers, in this country. I used to look for that column for his amusing advice. Quit finding the paper that carried it a few years ago. Assuming it's the same fellow.

The column appears on the AV Club website on Wednesdays.

[HenrikOlsen]

It's syndicated all over the place, just search for "Savage Love".

[HenrikOlsen]

Ignition! subtitled An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants by John D. Clark. Foreword by Isaac Asimov

Not the story of the rockets, but of the hellish concoctions that drive them and the record shattering exponents of far-out insanity who devised those concoctions.

[snowcelt]

Living in the End Times, by Slavoj Zizek. Heavy duty reading, but worth it so far. He examines the Four Horses of the upcoming economic Armageddon via the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

[Gillianren]

A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown, by Julia Scheeres. She tells the story through the lives of five Jonestown residents . . . and doesn't tell you in advance if any of them were among the few survivors.

[Veiligo]

I just finished reading the Julie E. Czerdena's Species Imperative trilogy - Survival (1), Migration (2) and Regeneration (3). I like how it tried to give the reader a biological/evolutionary mystery, not just some kind of good/evil dichotomy. I also like the way she tries to make her aliens more than just humans with extra limbs or green skin. I think it's one of her better written trilogies.

[HenrikOlsen]

The author is an interesting person. I keep meaning to borrow the book from my best friend and keep having these enormous stacks of library books when I'm thinking about it.

I would suggest you at least grab the time to read The Kid, it'll be a change to see open adoption from the other side.
If you'll allow the personal observation, their donor mother was not from the shallow pool of idea choices, which I get the impression that, based on the widespread idea about genetic components of psychiatric problems, you daughter likely wasn't considered to be part of either.
As ever. feel free to rip me a new one if that hit too close.

[jokergirl]

I picked up Snuff and Zero History at the airport bookstore yesterday (very well-stocked for an airport; they also had The Man in the High Castle which I got for the BF to read and for my personal collection). Already most of the way through Zero History. It was a long flight and Gibson's style just rings with me. He captures the weirdness in travelling and modern culture very well. It somehow relaxes me when travelling.
I have my e-book with me but I somehow don't mind shilling out extra for deadtree books anyway - I collect the Pratchetts and the others will be lent out semi-religiously.

[Solfe]

I finally finished The Hunger Games. Couldn't get in to the first three chapters and kept putting it down. The other day I couldn't stop and read it all in a day.

Tomorrow I have to set up a server and fix a laptop, so I might take a stab at a short story at lunch time. I need to read "Two Hearts" by Peter S. Beagle; It is the sequel to The Last Unicorn.

[Gillianren]

I would suggest you at least grab the time to read The Kid, it'll be a change to see open adoption from the other side.

Actually, Gwen gave me exactly the same advice. And I swear, I'll get to it soon.

If you'll allow the personal observation, their donor mother was not from the shallow pool of idea choices, which I get the impression that, based on the widespread idea about genetic components of psychiatric problems, you daughter likely wasn't considered to be part of either.
As ever. feel free to rip me a new one if that hit too close.

To be frank, it's hard to adopt babies of (relatively) healthy young white women in the United States. My daughter's mom and dad had already had at least one disappointment before we met. At the time, my physical ailments were either not as serious or not yet in evidence. My bipolar was at a relatively low ebb at the time, too. They do know to keep a close eye on her for evidence of bipolar, though it's not the mental problem I was most concerned about. Dyslexia runs on both sides of my family, and her father is dyslexic. However, she seems to have dodged that one and is so far showing no signs of inheriting the bipolar disorder, either.

Actually, I wrote a letter of recommendation for some old friends who are planning to adopt. I said they're the friends I have that I would most trust to adopt. That this is not saying much, I did not mention!

[DoggerDan]

Just finished Louis L'Amour's Connager.

[LookingSkyward]

the latest Monster Hunter (Legion) by Larry Correia. Lost of monstery goodness.

[Buttercup]

Abarat (1st volume/1st edition w/paintings) by Clive Barker.

I intend to read the entire series (he's just published #3; there will be 5 in total).

[ToSeek]

Library just told me it's holding John Scalzi's Redshirts for me. I'll let you know what I think of it.