I was checking out the usual suspects (read blogs) this morning, and on Trench Warfare I came across a post that I thought was a great idea. I hijacked the title (as you'll see if you go visit...) This was started by AntiSWer with a post titled "What I am reading". Let me warn you though, what THEY are reading is much heavier subject matter than what I am reading...
What I am reading: Right now, I am actually a bit short of normal, as I just finished one book and I am waiting on the next to arrive via USPS...but I am going to include that book, as it was VERY good. It's called Dies The Fire: A Novel of Change by S.M. Stirling.
The basic premise is all of a sudden, anything and everything mechanical, electrical, powered in any way other than by "Armstrong Energy" quits working. Everything. At the same time. That translates to major catastrophe - think about it - planes fall out of the sky, communication is non-existent, cell phones, land lines, radios, short-wave, all kaput. No electricity anywhere in the world. Guns don't work. Cars, trucks, buses quit where they are. No more computers. Are you getting the picture..? Riots, panic, looting. No one believes it's for good (kinda like us Americans not believing gas prices are going to stay at ridiculous levels and still buying SUVs and huge trucks...).
The book follows two different groups and their response to "The Change." One group is in a small plane when it hits. The other is in a bar (the "leader" is a Celtic singer). The singer is a witch. Yep - that's what caught my attention. But boy am I glad it did. like I said, I found this to be an excellent book.
I have read another book by the same author, "Conquistador," which is also an "alternate reality" scenario. Also very good. But despite feeling that the books were similar (as in the basic idea, not the stories themselves), I didn't realize they were the same author until I went looking for the follow-up to Dies...LOL. So now I sit, waiting for the next (two) installments to arrive :( I hate that. I have about 10-12 different series I am "waiting for the next installment" on. And several more that should have follow-ups, but seemingly won't...that majorly SUX!
Ok, the next book I am currently reading is "His Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman. As a rule, if a book grabs me, it's history! I can usually read a fairly large book (Dies has 496 pages, and reading only on my lunch hour & breaks, I finished it in less than a week), in no time flat. If it grabs me...my preferred genres are Historical Fiction, usually based on real events, Fantasy, and Horror ( although I'll admit horror has taken a backseat - mainly because I rarely buy a book new, and for a long time couldn't find any horror in the used book stores that I hadn't already read, and that wasn't romance disguised as horror...). His Dark Materials definitely falls into the Fantasy category, and I was excited when I got it, but...I have had it for several months and still haven't finished it. I probably won't. It just hasn't grabbed me...
The next book I am reading is "Black Cross" by Greg Iles. Completely different from the others. This book is set during World War II, and contains alot of Nazi/concentration camp type stuff. I like books like this. I truly believe that those who are ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it. On a side note, I used to be married to a man with the last name of "Hess." Now it would seem to be a fairly simple name, both as far as pronunciation and spelling, but apparently it isn't. As a form of clarification, when giving my name I would jokingly say "You know, like Uncle Rudolph..." Rudolph Hess, one of Hitler's right hand men, next in line after Goering, one of the most heinous and notorious people of recent (we're only talking 60 years or so ago...) history. His name should be familiar to anyone over the age of, oh say 15? who is breathing, and most definitely should at least ring a bell for those over 30. Yet I consistently received blank stares when I made that comment, followed by "Who..?" To me that is SCARY! How can you not be familiar with the name of the man who ordered and participated in the deaths of MILLIONS if not BILLIONS of people? Not just death, but mutilation, torture, experimenta-tion on, and flat out MURDER..? Do you live in the same world I do..? How will you recognize these things early enough to stop them in the future? This is how these things are allowed to occur.
Ahem...
I just started a book called "A Mankind Witch" by Dave Freer. I'm only about 20 pages in, so really can't comment yet, beyond it being set amongst the Vikings, or a Viking type peoples, and so far seems pretty good.
When it comes to books, I could go on and on. But Hunny just called and said gas prices have jumped .40 and I didn't fill up yesterday...so now I gotta go find some cheap gas before there isn't any...that is cheap, relatively speaking - $3 is never cheap...
See ya laterzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!
2 comments:
I really only do well with 1 book at at time, don't know how you manage it!
Ha, just saw that you linked to me here. I say reading is reading. I think you can learn a lot from fiction...sometimes WAY more than you can from non-fiction.
I moved on from the heavy reading and onto some of the lighter stuff lately. Too much psychological reading at night is NOT good for the dreams.
Good reviews, BTW. I can rarely, if ever, summarize like that. That "Dies The Fire" book reminds me of a Kurt Vonnegut novel (I think it was Vonnegut) that has the same premise. Argh, I wish I could remember the name of it...
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