Well, hello again…fancy seeing you here. As you no doubt are aware, today is National Dog Day and if that doesn’t put a smile on your face, I can only assume that you laughed inappropriately when you were handed a business card by an eminently qualified woman and saw that her title was “Webmistress,” and… Continue reading Random Thursday: The Heterotroph Edition
Category: Reading & Writing
NoMoNaNoWriMo (not that there ever was any)
It’s the first day of November and I’m extending my streak to twenty years of not participating in NaNoWriMo. If that term is unfamiliar and you don’t have the inclination to click on the link that I toiled and sweated over — not that I’m complaining — here’s an abbreviated introduction. NaNoWriMo is twee code… Continue reading NoMoNaNoWriMo (not that there ever was any)
Three Books About Music and Stuff
It’s been a long time since I wrote a book review. I don’t feel really comfortable doing book reviews, because they require some wisdom and contextual insight that I lack. But sometimes it’s enough just to say here’s a book I like because… and then let you, the perceptive reader, decide whether what I like… Continue reading Three Books About Music and Stuff
An exercise in observation and creativity
I was captivated by this photo someone shared on Twitter and tracked it down in the Library of Congress archives. It’s an undated, uncredited picture of what some have dubbed the “Mark Twain Tree” (which is how it was titled on the Twitter post). I can’t confirm this (and, in fact, I doubt it; see… Continue reading An exercise in observation and creativity
Book Review: “The Leftovers”
I finished Tom Perotta’s novel, The Leftovers [Kindle | iBooks] this weekend, and found it to be both compelling and unsatisfying. The book was published in 2011, and if I ever heard anything about it, I had forgotten it. But it’s recently been getting new press due to the film adaptation that is scheduled to appear… Continue reading Book Review: “The Leftovers”
Book Review: “The Ecuadorian Deception”
My pal and former Midlander Bear Mills has published a new novel entitled The Ecuadorian Deception (available via Amazon.com in Kindle and paperback formats). I finished reading it over the Christmas holiday and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspense novels seasoned with a healthy heap of [obscure] history. I’m not a huge fan… Continue reading Book Review: “The Ecuadorian Deception”
Book Review: “The Passage” and “The Twelve”
I just finished reading The Twelve, the second book in what will eventually be author Justin Cronin’s trilogy that began with the 2010 release of The Passage. The trilogy’s conclusion, The City of Mirrors, isn’t due until sometime next year…and that seems like an eternity. If you’re already a fan of speculative fiction, you no doubt… Continue reading Book Review: “The Passage” and “The Twelve”
Book Review: “1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die”
A few weeks ago, during a post-dessert foray through Barnes & Noble, my eye lit upon a book resting on a table, notable for its thickness and heft, entitled 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die (And 10,001 You Must Download). Now, normally, when I find a book that looks promising, I look for… Continue reading Book Review: “1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die”
Five Book Mini-Reviews
There’s a good reason for the solid non-blogging going on around here lately: I’ve been reading. You know, like, books. You might find something of interest among the group, so here are some brief reviews. The linked titles lead to Amazon.com, where you can either order the hard copy version, or download the Kindle version;… Continue reading Five Book Mini-Reviews
A Trip to the Bookstore
Note: What follows is an entirely accurate account. It’s not my fault if “accurate” equates to “boring.” We went out for dinner tonight, not wanting to be the only people in Midland who didn’t do so. If there’s a restaurant in our fair city that’s not making money, it’s because the owners want a tax… Continue reading A Trip to the Bookstore