Another cool day. I'm sitting in the family room with a trashy movie on, that being Warcraft, keeping tabs on the Blue Jays game online, and just relaxing. Jo is having a lie-in and the puppies are lying at the patio door keeping a protective eye on the garden. Having just written this, Bonnie has sensed a bug and dashed off to keep an eye on the front door.
But Daddy! There are BUGS!
I finished one book this weekend. I'll update that, plus provide the synopsis of my next book. I'll also continue with my look at my favorite authors. 'ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE!'.. No, wait..
Just Finished
"My first experience reading Dorothy Salisbury Davis was The Pale Betrayer (1965) and it was such a nice surprise; a new author for me and a pleasant surprise. Davis did write a couple of short series but mainly standalones. I've had some difficulty finding her books but diligent searching did help me find a few others. Where the Dark Streets Go (1970) is my second attempt at her books.
Father McMahon, a priest in a poor district of NY City, trying with difficulty to prepare his sermon. Young Carlos, one of his parishioners, comes running. He needs McMahon. He leads McMahon to a dying man in the basement of a slum apartment building. They have a brief conversation and the man dies, of a knife wound. This is the beginning of an interesting story, partly an investigation into discovering the identity of the man and his murderer, and partly a discovery by McMahon and others about themselves.
It's a fascinating story, simple in many ways but one that draws you in, to the characters and their lives. McMahon is a troubled priest; questions his vocation, his life, is a bit of a drinker and it seems maybe also hasn't always succeeded in maintaining his vow of celibacy. There are other characters, my favorites being Nam, a budding artist and the girlfriend of the dead man and a young lady who tests McMahon's beliefs. There is Mr. Rosenberg, the owner of a local pawn shop, who knew the dead man and had many conversations with him. He is often a sounding board for McMahon. There are the Phelans, a married couple, McMahon trying to assist with their marriage difficulties, and the husband who is a suspect in the murder. Of course there are the cops, Lt Traynor and Det Brogan, who are interjected into the story at times, as they try to investigate.
For a relatively short story, it is rich and fascinating. Davis has a way with her characters, making you see them clearly for their faults and characteristics. I like McMahon a lot and Nam is a lovely character. It was an enjoyable story, don't look for action, but just enjoy the experience. The ending will leave you feeling loss but still satisfied. (4.5 stars)"
Just Started
(My newest addition to my book shelves, but I want to read it now)
"Since debuting as the host of Jeopardy!
in 1984, Alex Trebek has been something like a family member to
millions of television viewers, bringing entertainment and education
into their homes five nights a week. Last year, he made the stunning
announcement that he had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic
cancer. What followed was an incredible outpouring of love and kindness.
Social media was flooded with messages of support, and the Jeopardy! studio received boxes of cards and letters offering guidance, encouragement, and prayers.
For
over three decades, Trebek had resisted countless appeals to write a
book about his life. Yet he was moved so much by all the goodwill, he
felt compelled to finally share his story. “I want people to know a
little more about the person they have been cheering on for the past
year,” he writes in The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life.
The
book combines illuminating personal anecdotes with Trebek’s thoughts on
a range of topics, including marriage, parenthood, education, success,
spirituality, and philanthropy. Trebek also addresses the questions he
gets asked most often by Jeopardy! fans, such as what prompted
him to shave his signature mustache, his insights on legendary players
like Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer, and his opinion of Will Ferrell’s
Saturday Night Live impersonation. The book uses a novel structure inspired by Jeopardy!,
with each chapter title in the form of a question, and features dozens
of never-before-seen photos that candidly capture Trebek over the years.
This
wise, charming, and inspiring book is further evidence why Trebek has
long been considered one of the most beloved and respected figures in
entertainment."
My Favorite Authors - John Brunner
John Kilian Houston Brunner lived from 1934 - 1995, born in Oxfordshire and dying in Glasgow. He did writer in other genres but mainly wrote Sci-Fi. Back in my university days, I read Stand on Zanzibar, originally published in 1968. Such a fantastic Sci-Fi novel. I've read a couple of times. In recent years I've tried a few other Brunner novels. I don't think they've lived up to Stand on Zanzibar but they are still, for the most part, very interesting. So let's go.
John Brunner
a. The Wrong End of Time (1971). Probably my least favorite so far. 
"I have somewhat mixed emotions about The Wrong End of Time by John Brunner. I didn't dislike it, but at the same time, can't say it wowed me in any particular way. I liked the premise; the US has isolated itself from the rest of the world and basically closed its borders. The Russians perceive a threat from outer space and send an agent into the US (yes, even with closed borders, there are still ways to get in and out.. :)), to try and contact the powers that be so that the world won't be destroyed.
Interesting plot and also in ways, an interesting story too. The Russian scientist is picked up by a Russian mole who occupies a high position within the corporation that is responsible for the defence systems that enclose the borders. A young man, with powers that allow him to divine important events and who wants to help them along, knows about this arrival and tries to follow the scientist. The US is maintained under the thumb of security organizations; original thought is dissuaded and stopped if deemed a threat.
There are lots of things to like about the story, but overall, it just left me feeling... mehhhhh.. Some aspects of the situation in the US at the moment seemed to be described by this book. America, isolated from the rest of the world by fear. This quote resonated with me, describing the situation that the book finds the US in... "There hasn't been anything genuinely new in the States for years and years, just changes rung on what we already had. But of course we were afraid of being overtaken. So we drifted into this mess we're in right now, where we care more about our own selfishness and greed than we do about anyone else or anything else." At times I kept thinking is this where the current administration will lead the US? I hope not.. (sorry for getting political)
Anyway, wish I'd enjoyed the story a bit more or if it had grabbed me a bit more.. Oh, an interesting ending by the way. An easy read and if you like Science Fiction and want to try John Brunner, probably still worth a read. (2.5 stars)"
"One man has made it his mission to liberate the mental prisoners. to restore their freedom in a world run mad.
Nickie
Halflinger, the only person to escape from Tarnover - where they raise
hyper-intelligent children to maintain the political dominance of the
USA in the 21st century – is on the run, dodging from loophole to
crevice to crack in the computerized data-net that binds the continent
like chains. After years of flight and constant changes of identity, at
the strange small town called Precipice he discovers he is not alone in
his quest. But can his new allies save him when he falls again into the
sinister grasp of Tarnover...?" (3 stars)
3. Manshape (1964).
"I'm enjoying getting back into early SciFi. This is one of Brunner's later novels. I had previously enjoyed some of his other works; The Sheep Look Up, Stand on Zanzibar (one of the most unique SciFi novels I've ever read) and The Shockwave Rider. This story presented some interesting concepts; the Bridges between worlds populated by Earth, the ongoing search by current Earth to find those worlds that had been previously been settled and to bring their people back into the fold, so to speak. I think the question being asked is what does mankind need to motivate it, what do individuals need to keep living. I did enjoy this exploration into Brunner's ideas. (3.5 stars)"
"I've enjoyed many of John Brunner's science fiction stories. Stand on Zanzibar stands as one of my favourites of all time and is a true classic of the genre. The Super Barbarians was published in 1962 and comes relatively early in his writing career. It's an entertaining, eminently readable story about Earth fighting to overthrow the Vorra, an alien race that defeated them many years ago in a space battle.
Gareth Snow is an Earthman, living on Qualavarra, serving as a major domo of sorts in the household of one of the powerful families on the planet. He also has a secret embedded in his memory that makes him a powerful enemy and a hope of Earth in their planned uprising against the Vorra. On Qualavarra is an area known as The Acre, where Earthlings are allowed to live in relative freedom. The meeting of Snow and the leaders of the city brings about the events that will commence this uprising.
I think I'll leave the story at that as it is a relatively short, but action packed and quick moving tale. I enjoyed my further reading into John Brunner's writing and found the story to be a pleasure to read. It reminds me of many of the stories I read as a teenager when I could delve into another world, another adventure that held my attention and let me enjoy these great imaginations as they create new worlds, new peoples, new adventures. (3.5 stars)"
"Gerald Howson didn't
look powerful. His body was deformed at birth, leaving him with a face
so ugly people didn't want to look at him, and crippled legs that would
never let him be as other men. But his mind was one in a billion -
gifted with the ability to send and receive thoughts more powerfully
than any other person on the face of the globe.
At first Howson
thought his peculiar ability was odd, and then he thought he might be
able to get a little extra money by snooping on people. But when his
ability finally was discovered by others, he became so powerful that he
could use his gift to heal the minds of those who suffered from terrible
emotional or psychological trauma...or he could withdraw into a
phatasmagoric wonderland of psychic imagining, never to emerge into the
real world of human experience again. Whichever decision he made, his
life and the lives of countless others would ever be the same again." (3 stars)
6. The Sheep Look Up (1972).
"An enduring classic, this book offers a dramatic and prophetic look at the potential consequences of the escalating destruction of Earth. In this nightmare society, air pollution is so bad that gas masks are commonplace. Infant mortality is up, and everyone seems to suffer from some form of ailment." (3 stars)"
Some idea of Brunner's work. His complete catalogue can be found at this link.
Have a safe week.
No comments:
Post a Comment