Comments on: Book reading 2011

By: Ruth Ellen

Ruth Ellen — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 07:49:22 +0000

It’s a cruise to Brazil, with stops in Barbados and Devil’s Island. I’m looking forward to a lot of reading and knitting.

By: walt

walt — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:13:45 +0000

Nah, if you’ve tried it more than once, it’s not your cup of tea. My first reaction to your other comment is that there’s no such thing as too much time at sea, but I guess that really depends on the cruise line and your own tastes. (Admittedly, if it’s something like an LA/Hawaii cruise, there are a lot of days at sea.)

By: Ruth Ellen

Ruth Ellen — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:47:18 +0000

Everybody in the world seems to love Good Omens. I’ve tried it once or twice and couldn’t get past the first few pages. But so many people love it that I’ll probably try again. Maybe I’ll take it on my vacation in February (a cruise at which we spend way too much time at sea, so I’ll have plenty of reading time).

By: walt

walt — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:56:47 +0000

Ruth Ellen: While Wee Free Men was good, I don’t think it measures up to either Pratchett’s many Discworld books or Good Omens, which he wrote with Neil Gaiman. I don’t list any Discworld books here because I either read them before or I own the paperbacks and haven’t gotten around to them yet, but I’ve enjoyed all of them.

By: Ruth Ellen

Ruth Ellen — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:26:32 +0000

Angel, I agree that Ghost Brigades wasn’t as good as Old Man’s War, but the third book, The Last Colony, was good. I recommend it. I haven’t read Zoe’s Tale, yet, because I’m saving it for a trip I’m taking in February. I think my favorite thing from the series is the Brain Pal. I really want one. Walt, Wee Free Men was my first Terry Pratchett book. I listed to it on CD a few years ago and I liked it very much. The guy who reads his books in audio format is an excellent reader.

By: walt

walt — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:47:13 +0000

And, you know, what the hell: For anybody who comes back here, here’s the list of books I gave B+ to, which means I enjoyed it a lot but didn’t think it was quite up to the A- level:
Blind Descent Nevada Barr
Blood Lure Nevada Barr
Chances Are: Adventures in Probability Michael & Ellen Kaplan
Cops and Robbers Donald E. Westlake
Deep South Nevada Barr
Endangered Species Nevada Barr
Flashback Nevada Barr
How to Get Happily Published Judith Appelbaum
Ill Wind Nevada Barr
Liberty Falling Nevada Barr
The Complete Self-Publishing Handbook Brownstone & Franck
The Wee Free Men Terry Pratchett
The Writing Class Jincy Willett

Make of that what you will.

By: walt

walt — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:17:22 +0000

Yes, Livermore Public does have generous loan times (DVDs and CDs are 7-day, with, I think, two renewals). Renewals for books are two weeks/two renewals. (And, yes, you get email two or three days before items are due reminding you of the due date, and of course you can renew online…)

I’m guessing the collection is considered adequately large for the population, and I think that’s right. (228,000 volumes for 85K people, including 55K registered borrowers. 13 circs per capita, which is lower than the two comparable libraries I used to use, but twice the state average. Decently-funded: $54 pc op. exp., again lower than the two previous comparables but a lot higher than the state’s $33 average. Great programming, with over half a million attending and lots of activity at all levels.)

By: Angel

Angel — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:16:36 +0000

That public library of yours is generous in loan times, Walt. Our public library here only gives two weeks (with one renewal). Anyhow, just found the factoid interesting.

Read Old Man’s War and liked it. Did not like Ghost Brigades as much, but still read it. Have not chosen to read the sequels. I do read Scalzi’s blog as he does have some interesting stuff in it once in a while.

Thanks for posting this, as I always find it interesting to see what others are reading.

Best, and keep on blogging.

By: Ruth Ellen

Ruth Ellen — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:19:11 +0000

Thanks. I loved Old Man’s War (and sequels). I could NOT get past the first few pages of Yiddish Policemen’s Union, in either book or audio format. Shopgirl is on my list to read. Some of the others look interesting.

By: walt

walt — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:36:33 +0000

Well…of the ones I liked best, none got a “straight A,” but here they are, noting that my tastes might not be yours, and I might not even like these as well if I read them again. In no particular order:
Among the Gently Mad Nicholas A. Basbanes
Delusion Peter Abrahams
Howard Hughes: The Untold Story Brown & Broeske
Old Man’s War John Scalzi
Plastic Fantastic Eugenie Samuel Reich
Shopgirl Steve Martin
The Ghost Brigades John Scalzi
The Hook Donald E. Westlake
The Yiddish Policemen’s Union Michael Chabon
When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It Ben Yagoda
Winner of the National Book Award Jincy Willett