Note: I will not be around this morning, but will be back in the early afternoon.
For those who are new ... we discuss books. I list what I'm reading, and people comment with what they're reading. Sometimes, on Sundays, I post a special edition on a particular genre or topic.
If you like to trade books, try bookmooch
I've written some book reviews on Yahoo Voices:
Book reviews on Yahoo
Book Readers schedule
Readers & Book Lovers Series Schedule
And here is the code without the links:
Readers & Book Lovers Series Schedule
DAY |
TIME (EST/EDT) |
Series Name |
Editor(s) |
SUN |
6:00 PM |
Young Reader's Pavilion |
The Book Bear |
Sun (hiatus) |
9:30 PM |
SciFi/Fantasy Book Club |
quarkstomper |
Bi-Monthly Sun |
Midnight |
Reading Ramblings |
don mikulecky |
MON |
8:00 PM |
Monday Murder Mystery |
Susan from 29 |
Mon |
11:00 PM |
My Favorite Books/Authors |
edrie, MichiganChet |
alternate Tuesdays |
8:00AM |
LGBT Literature |
Texdude50, Dave in Northridge |
Tue |
10:00 PM |
Contemporary Fiction Views |
bookgirl |
WED |
7:30 AM |
WAYR? |
plf515 |
Wed |
8:00 PM |
Bookflurries Bookchat |
cfk |
THU |
8:00 PM |
Write On! |
SensibleShoes |
Thu (third each month, beginning 9/20) |
11:00 PM |
Audiobooks Club |
SoCaliana |
FRI |
8:00 AM |
Books That Changed My Life |
Diana in NoVa |
SAT (fourth each month) |
11:00 AM |
Windy City Bookworm |
Chitown Kev |
Sat |
4:00 PM |
Daily Kos Political Book Club |
Freshly Squeezed Cynic |
Sat |
9:00 PM |
Books So Bad They're Good |
Ellid |
Just finished
Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell. The story of a doctor (and former hit-man for the mafia) who now has to keep one of his former associates alive or face retribution of the worst kind. Dark. The author's view of nearly everything (from medicine to international relations to holocaust memory to the mafia) is grim. But it was a good book and kept me turning the pages.
Now reading
A Behavioral Theory of Elections by Jonathan Bendor et al. Traditional "rational choice" models of voter behavior don't mesh all that well with how voters actually behave, in particular, they don't do well with predicting turnout. This is an attempt at a different formulation. This will interest election geeks.
Cooler Smarter: Practical tips for low carbon living by the scientists at Union of Concerned Scientists, a great group. These folk make sense, concentrating on the changes you can make that have the biggest impact with the least effort.
Thinking, fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman. Kahneman, most famous for his work with the late Amos Tversky, is one of the leading psychologists of the times. Here, he posits that our brains have two systems: A fast one and a slow one. Neither is better, but they are good at different things. This is a brilliant book: Full of insight and very well written, as well.
To promote the general welfare: The case for big government. This is a collection of essays by historians on the idea that the federal government has always played a key role in Americans' lives, from the founding of the Republic to the present day. Each chapter is about a different area of life - transport, education, etc. - and each outlines the history of the federal government's role.
Alien Diplomacy by Gini Koch. The further adventures of Katherine Katt-Martini, new mother, newlywed (she's married to an alien) as she continues to save the universe from evil (but not if it interferes with Mommy and Me class) while having lots of great sex with her husband. Fun stuff.
Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds. Dan Sylveste is intent on figuring out what happened to the Amarantin civilization, hundreds of thousands of years ago. Lots of other stuff going on as well, with a lot of interesting hard-SF ideas.
Just started
A re-read of Guards! Guards!. This is early in the Discworld series and is the first book introducing the Night Watch and Sam Vimes. The watch is nearly defunct. Vimes is a drunk. Crime is organized and accepted. But now Carrot (the 6'6" dwarf) has arrived in AnkhMorpork. And some people have summoned a dragon. Marvelous. One of my favorites in the series.