Good morning!
This is the first installment of a morning diary series for readers who enjoy talking about books. This series was inspired by plf515, who is taking a sabbatical break from Daily Kos, and it's similar to the evening series, Bookflurries, hosted by cfk. Since different groups of readers are online and available to participate at different times, these separate diaries help to reach more readers and book lovers who want to share their latest good reads.
So ... have I read any good books lately?
Yes. Yes, I have. How about you?
Before we get into the comment conversation, though, the book group editors and I want to thank plf515 for his excellent work in establishing an ongoing book conversation and for setting expectations about these conversations. Thanks, plf! He's taking a sabbatical from Daily Kos and hosting his book series elsewhere. For those of you who are hanging around here though, seeking a morning conversation about books, well, here we are.
Books I recently finished:
The Lathe of Heaven
by Ursula K. Le Guin
Lathe was one of the novels that propelled Le Guin's science fiction career and her reputation. Somehow I had never gotten around to reading it. Recently I decided to fill in some gaps in my SF and Le Guin reading, so I picked this one off the library shelf. I'm glad I finally did. Besides her characteristic take on atypical SF characters, one thing that struck me was that she was writing about global warming as a serious problem forty years ago.
Out of Our Heads:
Why You Are Not Your Brain, and Other Lessons from the Biology of Consciousness
by Alva Noe
I found this one disappointing. I consider myself sympathetic toward the author's apparent goal, but I found his book unpersuasive anyway. That's not good.
Book I have open:
Stories of Your Life: And Others
by Ted Chiang
I've read some of Ted Chiang's writing before, and I found it memorable.
This is a collection of speculative short fiction, including a Hugo award winning novelette.
Books I plan to read soon:
A Fisherman of the Inland Sea
by Ursula K. Le Guin
Pandora's Seed
by Spencer Wells
Book news of possible interest:
The Borders bookstore chain has filed for re-organization bankruptcy and plans to close many stores.
Will this affect you or your local economy?
Other reader and writer diary series:
Bookflurries: Bookchat , Wednesday evenings, hosted by cfk
Write On!, for people who write, Thursday evenings, by Sensible Shoes and guest writers
So, what about you? Read any good books lately?