The following is some of the books I read in 2023 that I thought were pretty good. Science Fiction Wool by Hugh Howey was excellent. It’s the first book in the Silo series of books. Lots of mystery and surprises. A Call to Duty and A Call to Arms by David Weber: Are the first two books in the Manticore Ascendant series, a prequel to the Honor Harrington books. Upgrade by Blake Crouch ...
The big reason to use an eReader is portability. eReaders let you carry a bunch of books around in a very small package. It sure beats a backpack full of books. For my use case, the smaller size eReaders (6"-7") hit the sweet spot between price and portability. Once you get bigger than that, they are harder to carry and the price is infringing on tablet prices. So, at that point, you might as well carry a tablet with eReader software installed on it. ...
It just occurred to me that I did not write up my reading highlights for 2021. I finished the year having read a total of 56 books. Science Fiction and Fantasy As usual, sci-fi dominated my reading last year. Stand outs include: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir - Much better than expected. The ending was special. Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey - The final book in the Expanse series. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan - Put off reading any of these until I had more time. Really enjoyed it. The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi - A different take on a galactic empire. Other favorite authors from the year’s reads included C. J. Box, Tony Hillerman, and Terry Pratchett. ...
The phrase learning the ropes means to learn or understand how a to do or perform a job, task, or activity. I was wondering where that phrase came from, so of course, I did some searching on the internet. But just for fun… do think the origin of the phrase, “learning the ropes” comes from: A - The Theater When stage hands were learning a new play, they would have to learn the ropes that were used to raise and lower the correct scenery elements at the correct time. ...
2020 was a banner year for reading since I spent a lot more time at home. I ended with a personal high of 84 books read during the year. I am usually a big reader of science fiction. Not last year. My favorite science fiction of the year was the Tao books by Wesley Chu and Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel. I also continue to enjoy books in the Destroyermen series by Taylor Anderson. ...
The first amendment is incredibly powerful. If nothing else, please read that one. In 45 words it establishes the freedom of religion, speech, the press, and peaceful protest. Given the times we are in, I think it is worth reviewing and considering carefully. The copy of the United States Bill of Rights duplicated below is from constitution.com. The Preamble to The Bill of Rights Congress of the United States Begun and held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine. ...
I just finished listening to the audiobook version of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer originally published in 1960. The unabridged audiobook consisted of 64 files and weighed in at 57 hours 11 minutes run time, making it the longest audiobook I’ve listened to. I read it over the course of five weeks, renewing it twice from the Houston Public Library’s Overdrive Media site. ...
For the first time, I ran into a quote where the phrase “around the turn of the century” was referring to the year 2000 instead of 1900. Up until now, I have always associated that phrase with the change from the 1800’s to the 1900’s. Sorry, I did not capture the source where I read that. But, I like it… even though it makes me realize I’m getting old.
Thoughts on the last year of book reading. Read more to find out the highlights for 2019.
I’ve just finished reading “The Queen’s Gambit” by Walter Tevis. This novel was first published in 1983. I have not read any of his other works previously. This is the best book that I have read in a very long time. I’m not here to review it, or give out plot details. If you are looking for a book that will move you, I highly recommend reading this one. Look into reading this book. Here are some links to more info. ...