Recent reading

Despite the ongoing meltdown at work, I have managed to read a few things here and there. A couple of capsule reviews.

John Scalzi - Old Man's War. Yeah it took me a while to get to this, mainly because of all the people telling me I needed to read it. (Folks, a PSA: telling me I need to read, listen to, watch, or do something is the best way to get me to avoid said item for years. Let me know some is cool and suggest I might be interested, and I'm more likely to check it out.) This is a fun military romp, in the grand tradition of Starship Troopers and The Forever War. I quote enjoyed it, even though a few things pushed my suspension of disbelief (the inch-tall sentient aliens? Not going to happen.) The writing is crisp and clever, and the military bits are at least feasible. 4 penguins.

Jack McDevitt - Seeker. This book won the Nebula for Best Novel in 2006 and it is clear why. This is a story of research, tracking down clues in a 9,000 year old mystery. There are moments of action and danger, but most of the book follows the lead character as she pursues leads, checks records, and questions people to locate the mother of all lost colonies. The writing is excellent, and the characters were all very real to me. Just enough detail to bring the world to life without bogging down. The resolution of the main plot line and the revelation of the villain are extremely satisfying and gripping. Five penguins.

Currently, I'm reading Jo Walton's Farthing, a murder mystery set in a world where Rudolph Hess' bizarre mission to England in 1941 actually ended the war in Europe. At a summer party held at the ancestral home of one of the "Farthing Set" (the ones who brokered the peace with Hitler) a prominent politician has been murdered, with a Star of David patch pinned to his chest. This book is a Masterpiece Theater series in print. Aristocratic England in 1949 done to perfection. The two voice characters are the daughter of the family hosting the party, a delightfully scatter-brained upper class twit who scandalized England by marrying a Jew, and the Scotland Yard inspector sent down to investigate the killing. They alternate chapters. Everything about this book is wonderful. I can't wait to finish it, and for the sequel, Ha'penny to come out in paperback. Five penguins so far, and baka49er may get it for Christmas.

So, what should I read next?

Time to play My Three Songs!

Find the connection. This time, I'm giving you three sets to work on.

#1 (fairly easy)
1. Megadeth - A Tout La Monde
2. ELO - Hold On Tight
3. R.E.M. - Talk About The Passion

#2 (a little tougher)
1. Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians - What I Am
2. Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young - Teach Your Children
3. Bob Weir - Black-Throated Wind

#3 (pretty obscure)
1. Tony Bennett - I Left My Heart in San Francisco
2. Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline
3. Frank Sinatra - New York, New York

Try to think them out before resorting to Google. Have fun!

Well, my plans for the night are set.

AMC is running The Natural and Field of Dreams as a double-header.

Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.