If you liked Clan of the Cave Bear check out The Many Colored Land. SF, Julian May.
It has depth and mysticism and asks good questions about where we came from and where we're going, with a very Celtic feel.
The Book of Koli MR Carey has zero depth or mysticism, and is just entertaining SF. Way too lowbrow for this crowd, but I liked it.
Neal Stephenson's latest "Termination Shock" opens with the Queen of Holland and her entourage en route to a top-secret meeting with Texan geoengineers in Houston, but climate disruptive weather forces a crash landing in the Gulfstream she pilots, and she ends up in Waco. The doughty royal (Saskia) fights her way out of an attack by wild pigs, and then takes up with a Cherokee gator hunter named Red who has a bitchin' pick up truck. Stephenson is never afraid to use literary references, and Red is straight out of Moby Dick - a thinly disguised Queequeg.
It explores geopolitical factions at cross-purpose trying to solve climate change threats.
It has a cameo of the QAnon Shaman, and had me thinking "Hey, could Neal really be Q ?!?!?!?!"
The book is way better than my review.
These books can be had at Boulder Library - I put holds on 'em and pick up in NoBo.
Support the library!
Reading Termination Shock now. Pretty good. Thanks for rec of the MR Carey books. I loved reading Girl; hope I like them more than Robert did.
News flash on Cormac McCarthy: 2 companion books, The Passenger and Stella Mara to be released one month apart this fall. Different from his western books but still sound fascinating.
03-09-2022, 09:09 AM (This post was last modified: 03-09-2022, 09:37 AM by Nancy Farmer.)
(02-21-2022, 02:08 PM)Rose H-H Wrote: At last fingertips meet the keyboard to tap out what's been rolling around in my mind - what list can I add to Lynn's excellent BB thread? Risking that "pretty good initial impression of a person's salient persona by observing their reading preferences," here we go:
Stellaluna, written and illustrated by Janell Cannon - one of my all-time favorite picture books, doesn't matter how old you are to appreciate it! Yes, we can make friends with others who are very different from ourselves.
All Creatures Great and Small, by James Herriot - I practically memorized all of the books in this series when I was in that magical stage around 10 to 12 years old, when so many parts of the world are opening up to your newly-found awareness. Sleep is some of the best medicine.
Prodigal Summer, by Barbara Kingsolver - I read this pretty much every summer, loving the different voices and how their stories weave together. It's the first place where I ever heard about the Volterra Principle (oh, don't just Google it, try the book ; ) The audible book, read by the author is wonderful, too.
Solviva: How to Grow $500,000 on One Acre & Peace on Earth, by Anna Edey - part of my education when I aspired to have a small farm/greenhouse. It might happen yet. What other books have you seen that discuss how to manage a greenhouse partially heated by solar energy, partially by animals like chickens and rabbits (with reference to the BTU's put out by said animals)? Carly, I will actually get this over to you to borrow. ; )
The Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean Auel - OK, sure, there are lots of juicy parts in this series of novels about possible stories of how some of our ancient ancestors lived. There are also some nice pieces of herbal medicine. But the thing that I like the most is how these books make me ponder how we are social animals and how we evolve (and devolve) in ways to live in communities of ever-increasing concentric circles.
Polish off your reading glasses and enjoy!!!
Well, not sure how I managed to make a blank post, but here I am now. Favorites of mine:
Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth" - about the building of a cathedral in England over hundreds of years, and generations of people.
James Michener's "Centennial" (Actually a lot of Michener's books, but Centennial is about Colorado, and it's part of what brought me here lo, those many years ago.) Starts with the dinosaurs and proceeds to the 20th century - what a saga!
I'm with Rose about James Herriot's "All Creatures Great and Small" and "Clan of the Cave Bear" by Jean Auel - some of my most enjoyable reads in my younger days.
These days I'm into more escapist reads like the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth series by M.C. Beaton (English cozies and the misadventures of a Scottish detective), as well as a historical fiction series by Phillipa Gregory about the battle for the throne of England by Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots - lots of drama and intrigue and all set in complete analog times.
One more - "Big Magic" by Elizabeth Gilbert, about embracing and releasing your creative energies.
Thanks for starting this thread, Lynn - I know my tastes are pretty plebeian in comparison to yours, but I do enjoy reading when I can tear myself away from binge-watching TV, but we're not going there! :0
Also, I love the photo of the Jimtown Jug Band (or at least members thereof - Johnny Buzzard, Buddy, Nancy, Cosmo, Bianca, and some names that won't come to mind at the moment.
We are blessed in this marvelous little burg with a healthy coterie of amateur and professional naturalists so I wanted to recommend a nice little tome surveying the history of the evolution of science as it developed in the United States beginning before Independence and continuing until the 1960's. While not exhaustive in scope, it still gives a good overview of the singular and sometimes eccentric characters who developed the panorama of natural science in this country. The book is called "NATURAL HISTORY IN AMERICA" by Wayne Hanley. If this is an interest I think you will like it. On another note, I just got my copy of Jake Xerxes Fussel's new record and would be happy to burn a copy to any who are a fan of this artist. Oh, Roberto, I think I may have some carpet if you are still looking for some strips. SvH
03-29-2022, 04:56 AM (This post was last modified: 03-29-2022, 04:56 AM by RobertH.)
I'd like to borrow the Henley book, and I'll be by for the carpet.
In the meantime, the local naturalists should look like this[attachment=374]
I'll swing by for carpet. In the meantime, naturalist-smacturlist - I'd like to borrow the Henley book too
03-29-2022, 09:47 AM (This post was last modified: 03-29-2022, 09:50 AM by Lynn Wilber.)
As some of you know, Edward F. Ricketts is my main hero (along with Zorba the Greek and Muhammed Ali). Anyways, this morning I discovered this new book about his book "BETWEEN PACIFIC TIDES" which is discussed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iac5FjNgGBw . I immediately ordered a copy and I'll let you know my impression soon as I read it. If you are an EdHead you may want to score yourself a copy. If not, at least treat yourself to a copy of Steinbeck's "CANNERY ROW". Jimtown has always been, for me, the apotheosis of a Rocky Mountain version of Monterrey of the 1930's amd 40's. Don't say I didn't clue you. SvH
". . . . . the mental depths our mind conjures up are no more real than the worlds of Gormenghast or Middle-earth. The mind is flat: our mental 'surface' , the momentary thoughts, explanations and sensory experiences that make up our stream of consciousness is all there is to mental life." - Nick Chator. Since it is BE KIND TO YOUR EGG-HEADED FRIENDS Week I wanted to recommend this book I just started reading called "THE MIND IS FLAT - The Illusion of Mental Depth and the Improvised Mind" by the above mentioned Mr. Chator. I'm only thirty pages into this one and the author has definitely got my attention. For a different take on the contents of yer noodle you might want to try it. SvH
I just finished "THE MIND IS FLAT" by Nick Chator. If you relish the exhileration of having your mental Yggdrasil shaken, I think you would enjoy this one. It gets the corpuscles cooking for sure. Whether his theses hold up to close examination I don't know but it definitely makes your pate percolate. I think I better break out a copy of Zap or Tales from the Crypt to kool my jets. - SvH
