999 Challenge

This month's books were once again across the spectrum of genres and writing styles. I read 10 books this month for the challenge, putting me nicely past the half way mark. That's a good place to be at the end of June. I have caught up from my vacation in April.

For years I've been meaning to read Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. It certainly wasn't what I expected. But now I can't tell you what I did expect beforehand. As a kid I remember the comic strip Prince Valiant in our paper, and I think I had Ivanhoe mixed up with that. I wasn't expecting Robin Hood, Prince John, or Richard the Lion Hearted. The language, too, threw me. Scott made his characters sound like Shakespeare. It's a book of daring do, heraldry, good versus evil, and the white hats always win. While the future isn't all rosy, it is for the main characters in the book, as expected. I'm glad I finally got to it.

The newest Dresden book was also finished this month - Turn Coat by Jim Butcher. I've already written about it this month. Now, sigh, I have to wait another year for the next installment (I hope I live as long as Butcher does so I can read all of these...)

I probably had the most fun with The Girl with the Long Green Heart by Lawrence Block. The one I liked the least overall was A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz. The one that bothered me the most was Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates. I was glad to add to my series mysteries with Voices by Arnaldur Indridason, When in Rome by Ngaio Marsh, and Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich. The schmaltz award for the month goes to Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks (no surprise). To round out the month, I picked up Edgar Allen Poe and lived in his macabre world for a while - which reminded me why I don't read him very often.

Reading wise it was a good month. We'll see how July goes...

Reading Lists

Newsweek has a couple reading lists I recently found. First there is their Meta-List of the top 100 books of all time. They start with the disclaimer "Declaring the best book ever written is tricky business. Who's to say what the best is?". This list was created by comparing and crunching together the "top" lists from a number of sources and creating this list from all of those combined.

Newsweek's Top 100 Books: The Meta-List

The other list has a different twist, probably aimed at Americans but possibly at the English speakers of the world. This one targets 50 books they think are applicable today that are good books. To quote: "...no one needs another best-of list telling you how great The Great Gatsby is. What we do need, in a world with precious little time to read (and think) is to know which books...open a window on the times we live in..."

What to Read Now. And Why

I've only read two or three on this second list.

50% Budget Cuts?

The Governor of Ohio announced that over the next couple years the public libraries in that state will be losing about 50% of their state funding. Many of the libraries in that state only have that money as their revenue. According to the Governor, the cuts need to be made there to maintain vital funding for other areas such as senior assistance and children's services. I agree those are valuable services. But if the library funds are cut in half, some will close. Those same two age groups rely on the libraries for assistance.

I haven't lived in Ohio for many years, but still have family there. I know most of them keep their local libraries busy. There's a big push on in the state right now to get that changed by the time the budget is finalized tomorrow. Check it out, especially if you live in Ohio. Save Ohio Libraries

If it happens there, how long before it happens where you live?

I Love My Job

Someone was in here a few minutes ago needing some specific information. Most of my work is done via email or the telephone, not so much in person. Our patrons/customers/library users (whatever - the lingo keeps changing) are spread around the country. But one of the people in the office needed help. I was able to hand her what she wanted and show her how a lot of what she needed was in one of the books. She walked out with an armload of sources and extremely happy. I love my job.

How To Hook a Reader

"Chapter 1

"Be warned. This book has no literary merit whatsoever. It is a lurid piece of nonsense, convoluted, implausible, peopled by unconvincing characters, written in drearily pedestrian prose, frequently ridiculous and wilfully bizarre. Needless to say, I doubt you'll believe a word of it.

"Yet I cannot be held wholly accountable for its failings. I have good reason for presenting you with so sensational and unlikely an account.

"It is all true. Every word of what follows actually happened, and I am merely the journalist, the humble Boswell, who has set it down. You'll have realised by now that I am new to this business of storytelling, that I lack the skill of an expert, that I am without any ability to enthral the reader, to beguile with narrative tricks or charm with sleight of hand.

"But I can promise you three things: to relate events in their neatest and most appropriate order; to omit nothing I consider significant; and to be a sfrank and free with you as I am able.

"I must ask you in return to show some little understanding for a man come late in life to tale-telling, an artless dilettante who, on dipping his toes into the shallows of a story, hopes only that he will not needlessly embarrass himself.

"One final thing, one final warning: in the spirit of fair play, I ought to admit that I shall have reason to tell you more than one direct lie.

"What, then, should you believe? How will you distinguish truth from fiction?

"Naturally, I leave that to your discretion.

"Chapter 2..."

The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes

Edward Cullen Meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Twilight is a huge phenomenon right now. I discovered the books before I knew their popularity, and have recommended them myself. Since the movie, Edward, the main vampire, has become a heart throb, a hottie, sweetheart, or whatever the current term is.

Back in the day (ten years ago) I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy's mission was to kill vamps. Both the early television show and movie were campy fun although the television show later took itself way too seriously.

Someone finally took the two - the Twilight movie and the Buffy tv show, and mashed them together. It's a hoot.



(Speaking of Buffy, the reason I started watching Bones on television was because of David Boreanaz...)

Thanks to Sardonic Girl for sharing this.

Word Picture

"At first glance, all the upper floors of the Knox Building looked alike. Each was a big open room, ablaze with fluorescent ceiling lights, that had been divided into a maze of aisles and cubicles by shoulder-high partitions. The upper panels of these dividers, waist to shoulder, were made of thick unframed plate glass that was slightly corrugated to achieve a blue-white semi-transparency; and the overall effect of this...was that of the wide indoor lake in which swimmers far and near were moving, some making steady headway, some treading water, others seen in the act of breaking to the surface or going under, and many submerged, their faces loosened into wavering pink blurs as they drowned at their desks."

From Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

If you've ever worked in a cubicle farm, or looked over one while it's in action, you can see how apt this description is.