Karlstar's Reading in 2024 Pt. 2

Time for a new thread.

March reading
Accidental War by Walter Jon Williams
The Ends of the Circle by Paul Williams
Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia McKillip
The Dome in the Forest by Paul O. Williams
Bloody Okinawa by Joseph Wheelan
In the King's Service by Katherine Kurtz

April reading
The Saints of Salvation by Peter Hamilton
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S. Chakraborty
Animal Farm by George Orwell

May reading
The Pariah by Anthony Ryan
Starter Villain by John Scalzi
Childe Morgan by Katherine Kurtz (this is the right title, this time)
Lord Foul's Bane/The Illearth War/The Power that Preserves by Donaldson
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

June reading
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The Silent Tower by Barbara Hambly
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Beyond the Reach of Earth by Ken MacLeod

July reading
Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks
Witch King by Martha Wells
The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson
The Jet Age by Robert Serling, part of the Time-Life Epic of Flight series
Fighting Jets by Bryce Walker
Starfollowers of Coramonde by Brian Daley

August Reading
Shadow and Claw by Gene Wolfe
War in the Outposts

The usual explanation of my rating system, with updated statistics from my library here on LT.

I use a 1 to 10 rating system because I started rating books on the internet using a 10 point system and because I like the additional granularity. Checking my LT ratings, I have given out 594 8+ ratings, but I don't think I should make it even harder give out 8/10 ratings, so it is now a Top 600. I only have about 129 books rated 9 stars or higher, so either I'm being too tough or there just aren't that many 9 or 10 star books. My most common rating is 6, I like most of what I read. Here's my rating scale explained.

1 - So bad, I couldn't finish it. DO NOT READ!!!
2 - Could have finished, but didn't. Do not read. This one means I made a conscious choice not to finish, usually about halfway through the book. Something is seriously wrong here.
3 - Finished it, but had to force myself. Not recommended, unless it is part of a series you really need to finish.
4 - Finished it, but really didn't like it. Not recommended unless you really need something to read.
5 - Decent book, recommended if you have spare time and need something to read.
6 - Good book, I enjoyed it, and would recommend it.
7 - Good book, recommended for everyone. I may have read it more than once, and would consider buying the hardcover edition.
8 - Great book, I would put it in the Top 600* of all time. Read more than once, I probably have the hardcover.
9 - Great book, top 100* all time. Read more than once, if I don't have the hardcover edition, I want one!
10 - All-time great book, top 50 material. Read more than twice, I probably have more than one copy/edition.

My ratings also include the Slogging Through The Mud (STTM) rating/index. This goes back to one of Elizabeth Moon's Paksenarrion books where she spends WAY too much time actually describing how the army spent days slogging through the mud. If there is a lot of travel in the book and too much time describing the traveling, the STTM rating will be high.

My first April read, not counting the March book I just finished, is likely going to be The Saints of Salvation by Peter Hamilton, which has been sitting around for a year waiting for me to read it.

Happy New Thread!
I hope you can report great reading experiences.

Happy new thread! Looking forward to commentary.

What Peter and Jill said.

Happy new thread! Wishing you lots of good books.

Thanks everyone!

>1 Karlstar: Happy New Thread! I guess we need to move the party from MrsLee's thread over here. 🎈

>9 clamairy: A party is always welcome!

>9 clamairy: My party is so day before yesterday. I will come to this one!

>9 clamairy: >10 Karlstar: >11 MrsLee: A party that moves from one new thread to another. I seem to recall a set of teenagers enjoying the first day of their Christmas holiday that way. Breakfast at my house; second breakfast at another house; pizza for lunch. All very successful and thoroughly happy.

Happy new thread!

>11 MrsLee: >12 jillmwo: >13 Sakerfalcon: Thank you and welcome!

My reading has taken a bit of a detour, I'm still reading The Saints of Salvation off and on, but mostly have switched to The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. I'm not very far along in either one, a large part of our weekend was taken by another funeral, one of my Uncles (not one I was close to) and a couple of my gamer friends were in town for the eclipse, so we met for dinner. It was the first time I'd met these folks in person, I've been in their online D&D game for... 2? years now, one of my friends from here was in their group, I got myself invited, etc. It was great having dinner with them and their kids.

Unfortunately the cloud cover was 100% for the eclipse.

>14 Karlstar: Nooooo! I'm sorry you missed it. I'm sorry about your uncle, as well.

I'm glad you got to get together with your D&D crowd. I'll bet you felt as if you knew them even if you hadn't met face-to-face before.

>15 clamairy: Yes, 3 hours a week, about 3 weeks a month, I've actually spent a good amount of time with them, so it felt very familiar.

Edited, what the heck was that reference? Fixed.

>14 Karlstar: I am sorry to hear about your uncle...

It's nice to meet online friends in person.

>14 Karlstar: Sorry to hear about the cloud cover. Just as well my daughter did not go to your place. They got to see the eclipse in Dayton.

Condolences on your uncle's passing.

Meeting on-line friends in person is great. I have met a few GDers in person and in 2020, just before COVID struck, I got to meet an on-line friend from the Philippines who I had been in contact with for sixteen years to that point. It was like meeting up with a family member and reinforced our friendship.

As a result of yesterday's xkcd, I discover that there will be an eclipse on 22 July 2028 that will be total in central Sydney.

>20 haydninvienna: ROAD TRIP!

>14 Karlstar: More seriously, my condolences on the loss of your uncle. You've got a lot on your plate at the moment. Use the few opportunities (time slots) available for reading to take a pause and breathe in. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi will be a relaxing escape for you.

>19 pgmcc: I am still recovering from the shock of the text photo message you sent having met TJ at a convention. My poor brain was reeling as my separate worlds converged in odd and unexpected ways.

>17 Alexandra_book_life: >19 pgmcc: >21 jillmwo: Thank you. It is nice to meet folks I've only spoken to or communicated with electronically. I worked with a database admin from Brazil for years without meeting in person, then he was assigned briefly to the site I worked at, it was great and strange at the same time to meet in person finally. I have worked with one other database admin who lives in California for about 18 years now and he's still managed to avoid coming to the East Coast for work, I don't think we'll ever meet in person.

>20 haydninvienna: Yes, that last panel summed it up perfectly. The question is, do I plan on risking another cloud shrouded disappointment in 4 years?

>14 Karlstar: So sorry to hear about your Uncle.

>23 Narilka: Thank you.

>21 jillmwo:
T.J. and I were delighted you responded so quickly. We were buzzing with the coincidence. We hope to meet again in August at the Glasgow 2024 Worldcon.

Looking back, I'm behind on some reviews, so I will attempt to catch up.



Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia McKillip
STTM: 2 - very little travel in a very small kingdom
Rating: 7 out of 10

I enjoyed this one. In a small kingdom, in a large castle by the sea, there is a large library underneath the castle. Among the librarians is Nepenthe, a young woman who was a foundling, taken in by the librarians and taught to be a copyist and translator. Nepenthe, within a short amount of time is given 2 things to translate - a text on strange fabric that is nothing but drawn fish and a small book with a language that's nothing but thorny branches. Also within a few pages, we meet an older wizardess, advisor to the newly crowned, young Queen; a young librarian desperately in love with Nepenthe and a young wizard at the nearby Floating School, a student there.

Translating the two documents becomes both a consuming task and a history lesson, while politics swirl around the Queen, who is far over her head but trying to keep up. Mixed in with the current situation is an old tale of two heroes, from a kingdom that doesn't seem to have anything to do with the current kingdom at all. The story switches back and forth between the two stories and Nepenthe's progress with the translations, and her relationships, while the Queen tries to find her way of doing things.

Well written, like all McKillip novels and interesting. Not a tremendous amount of action, but there is a tense situation going on and a romance or two. I thought this one wrapped up a little too conveniently, but even so, still excellent. I can still recall the plot and even a couple of character names a month later, which is a good sign.

Was it immersive? Yes.
Was it memorable? Yes.
Would I re-read it? I expect I will.
Would I recommend it? Yes, definitely, for anyone who doesn't need a lot of physical action in a novel.

Bloody Okinawa by Joseph Wheelan
STTM: 9 - a lot of mud, a lot of slogging, both in history and in the telling
Rating: 5 out of 10

I made an unfortunate choice to pick this one up based on an Amazon recommendation. I was hoping for more of a strategic overview, with some of the political considerations included, but this book is a recounting of the hill by hill, ridge by ridge brutal battle for southern Okinawa.

As such, it is quite detailed and I think complete. There were a couple of glaring errors that did cause me to wonder about the accuracy of minor details, but not many. I just didn't need a novel focused on the detailed tactical level, down to companies and individual locations and the awful battles that happened at every one of them. I think there should have been more questioning of the leadership on the American side.

I recently saw an article about a current Marine unit in Okinawa, complete with pictures of dense vegetation. Comparing that to the depictions in this book of how the area looked after the 1945 battles - a WWI-like landscape of nothing but mud and craters, it was nice to see.

I did not find this immersive and I won't read it again, but it was memorable, in a horrible way.

In the King's Service by Katherine Kurtz
STTM: - 4 - a little bit of travel, some coming of age
Rating: 6 out of 10

I picked this book up because it was on sale on Kindle recently, though I already have the hardcover. I'm glad I did. When I first started it, I had the same expectation I had the first time I read it, that this would be a book about Alaric Morgan, Kelson's protector in the Kelson series. It isn't, it is a story about his mother. I had forgotten the plot entirely, so much so I'm not sure I finished this book the first time. This is the first book in the last of her Deryni trilogies, in publication order.

Unlike Kurtz's other series, this one isn't quite as focused on the Haldane kings and their friends. This time, it is focused on two young sisters. Recently orphaned, they are sent to a convent to grow up a bit and learn, before they have to marry, as both are inheritors of important noble titles and lands. I thought the story conveniently ignored the fact that the younger sister wasn't in line to inherit anything. The girls spend a surprising number of years in the convent before events recall them to the King's court, where they get caught up in Deryni and human politics. There's a very strange side plot with the King and his need for a protector for his sons. The plot has some of the usual Deryni plot elements, with rebellion in Meara and encroachments by neighboring Deryni kingdoms, but nothing as serious as her other books. This is all about the court, the girls, and putting people in the right places for already known history.

I liked it much more than the first time and I will go on to re-read the next book in the series. I don't remember what happens in that one either.

Edited to fix the title and image.

>26 Karlstar: This reminds me that I've been wanting to read more McKillip! So far, I've only read The Riddlemaster of Hed, Heir of Sea and Fire, and Harpist in the Wind - I enjoyed them all.

A footnote to >20 haydninvienna: and >21 jillmwo:: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/next-solar-eclipse.

>27 Karlstar: I'm not big on those Amazon recommendations. I will sometimes purchase one if it's $1.99. I'm not even that crazy about the LibraryThing algorithm's recommendations, to be honest. I find the recommendations made by other LibraryThing members (which are usually located underneath the ones the algorithm has recommended) to be much more in line with my tastes.

>29 Alexandra_book_life: I really enjoy that series and I encourage you to read more McKillip, her writing is fantastic.

>30 haydninvienna: Iceland is a lot closer! Wonder if they'll be inundated with tourists.

>31 clamairy: I'm learning to ignore them, unless it is a book in a series I've been waiting for..

We did it, we went to Curd Nerd! You may recall that I posted some time last year that a shop in Syracuse, NY, won the award for best cheesemonger in the United States. We stopped in Syracuse today for an overnight trip and among a couple others, stopped into two places - one, Funk and Waffles, in downtown Syracuse, where, you guessed it, everything is on a waffle. I had the Jive Turkey waffle, which is a stuffing waffle with mashed potatoes, turkey and gravy on it with cranberry sauce on the side. Awesome.

The other location of note was Curd Nerd. They had an impressive selection of cheeses that I've never heard of, but luckily for us, they had a whole basket of 'orphan' cheeses - 1 to 2 ounce pieces. Trish picked a few of the orphans and we added a few more common cheeses.

This was our haul:

Nancy's Camembert - say it is from NY
Dubliner Kerry Gold
Gorgonzola Dolce - also says 'DOP', not sure what that means, maybe that it is from Italy?
Maple Washed Willoughby, which says it is from 'Jasper Hill'
Shropshire Blue - Neal's Yard Dairy
Sapore Del Piave - Italy
Chevre - Lively Run daily, NY
Pecorino Romano - Italy

Also a couple of tiny jars of jam - cherry and fig. It is a tiny shop but they really had a unique selection. Very helpful and they offered to let us taste anything.

>33 Karlstar: Oh boy! I can't wait to hear your reviews of the cheeses. I've had several of those (Dubliner, Pecorino Romano) but I'm really curious about Gorgonzola and the NY Camembert. Please try to remember to report on each one.

I'm also fascinated by the very idea of a stuffing waffle.

>33 Karlstar: OMG that waffle sounds amazing. Now I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving so I can try to make one. Maybe I will break all the rules and cook a turkey in June! May will be too busy.

The cheese shop sounds great also. I hope it is close enough to you that you can return often. My problem when I go to those types of places is that they are usually so far away I know I won't likely return, so I buy way too much. I was going to say way too much for us to eat, but we do seem to manage it.

>31 clamairy:
I seldom find anything interesting in Amazon recommendations. Very often Amazon will recommend a book I bought from Amazon previously. Some recommendations are for books which I have given a very low rating and a bad review on Amazon.

>33 Karlstar:

Dubliner is a very nice cheddar.

>37 pgmcc: Seconded.

>32 Karlstar: Unfortunately, Iceland is often cloudy. We were there years ago and despite good aurora forecasts never actually saw an autroroa because of constant cloud.

Did you see that in 2037 there will be an eclipse that will actually be total right where I'm sitting now? I wonder if I'll be here to see it.

>33 Karlstar: DOP is the Italian equivalent of the French AOC. It means that the cheese comes from the officially-protected area of origin.

>35 MrsLee: I think one could easily substitute a roast chicken. Much smaller project! In fact a couple of game hens might even do the trick. I was thinking I could get away with store-bought uncured turkey slices, and then I remembered that I would need gravy. I have not found a single commercially produced gravy product to be even remotely palatable. (But it's been years since I tried any.)

>40 clamairy:
Now, when you say gravy, do you mean US gravy as in “biscuits and gravy”, or what we would call gravy.
For the record, I love both, so I have no hang-ups about the use of the word gravy. Nor do I have a hang-up about the multiple meanings of the word biscuits in this context.

>34 clamairy: >35 MrsLee: It really was a good cheese shop. We may not get back to visit Syracuse any time soon, except for two things - it isn't far from the Ren Faire we really like and it is on the direct path from here back to Poughkeepsie, so when I return for work, I'll drive right past and it is not far from the highway. There's a chance!

Funk and Waffles was featured years ago on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and the stuffing waffle was what caught my attention, I think they've perfected it in the time since.

>37 pgmcc: I haven't had much more than a taste so far, but it was very good.

>38 haydninvienna: I hadn't noticed that in the list, but I hope you will. It seems unlikely that we'll travel internationally to see an eclipse, but who knows.

>39 hfglen: Thank you!

>40 clamairy: It is hard to make a good turkey or chicken gravy without roasting the bird, though I think it can be done with just a turkey breast (the kind on the bone), though those are pricey this time of year.

>40 clamairy: One could substitute, but IMO roasted chicken does not have the same flavor as roasted turkey. Yes, I would need the gizzard, lungs, heart, liver and pan juices to get the gravy I like.

>41 pgmcc: There are as many gravies in America as there are sauces and curries and salsas in other countries. And we have all those as well! My turkey gravy is not made with any dairy. It has a flour and turkey fat roux, the finely minced internal organs that come with the bird, seasonings, roasting pan juices and turkey broth from cooking the organs. Sometimes I will add a little instant coffee to adjust the color.

My sausage gravy which goes on biscuits of the baking powder variety (if you don't have sausage just skip the gravy and use butter and honey instead), has a flour and sausage fat roux, with the sausage and milk plus seasonings.

>41 pgmcc: I meant the variety of gravy that one makes after roasting meat or a bird, not the kind one can make with drippings from sausage. I only make the 'brown' kind, not the 'gray' kind. BTW, my Italian brother-in-law called his tomato sauce 'gravy.'

>44 MrsLee: I believe this is where my wife, sisters and mother would chime in "No giblet gravy!!". Mine is a butter and flour roux with pan drippings and turkey broth (from the neck) and usually a little bit of the leftover cream from making my twice-baked potatoes, which has a little butter and chipotle pepper in adobo.

>46 Karlstar: As a rule, I would agree with them! I loathe liver, but because it gets pureed into tiny bits, I do like the depth of flavor in my gravy. The only time I ever eat liver.

>47 MrsLee: I cook all the little bits that come in the bag inside the bird with carrots, onion, seasonings and celery. Then I strain that water and use it for my gravy. And the bits get fed to whatever pets I own. (I usually eat the carrots, but the celery goes out for the raccoons and possums.)

Ogden Nash obviously had some unhappy dining experiences. I quote from memory:

I would ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross
For giblet gravy and cranberry sauce
Two treats that are held in reserve by the waiter
Till you've finished your turkey and mashed potater.

>47 MrsLee: >48 clamairy: You two are making me regret not buying a whole turkey last month when I had the chance. I believe I would get in a lot of trouble if I tried to sneak in the liver and other bits into any part of the turkey, if the ladies in my family found out.

>49 haydninvienna: I'd be cranky too if they withheld the gravy and cranberry until I was done!

Apparently from the amount I was talking on video for work this afternoon, Trish thought I needed a snack, so she made a cheese and cracker snack plate, so I have a partial report.

Gorgonzola Dolce - really creamy texture and mild blue flavor. Almost like a brie/gorgonzola combo. Really good.
Shropshire Blue - this one is orange and blue, and tastes like a cheddar and mild blue mix.
Sapore Del Piave - a hard cheese, texture like asiago, but not as sharp.
Pecorino Romano - even good on a cracker.

>51 Karlstar:
Those cheeses sound nice.

While working from home my wife became known to my colleagues as the lady who appeared on the side of the screen putting a mug of tea and a plate with a snack on the desk beside me.

>51 Karlstar: Yummy, it sounds like a great cheese selection!

>51 Karlstar: You are making me hungry!

>51 Karlstar: They all sound awesome, but I'm putting that Gorgonzola Dolce on my "find somewhere" list.

>52 pgmcc: We are both lucky!

>53 Alexandra_book_life: >54 Sakerfalcon: I will try to sample the rest today. If I can find time between meetings. We have a new manager so work has gotten a lot busier.

>55 clamairy: Good luck! Road trip to Syracuse?

Not about cheese at all: https://lithub.com/there-are-too-many-books-or-publishing-shouldnt-be-all-about-...

>57 Karlstar: This was an interesting article. Yes, I'd take quality over quantity any day ;)

>58 Alexandra_book_life: Unfortunately while I wish the publishers put more resources into the books they do publish, I think the conclusion is a little off. There are more good writers all the time, I'm just not sure the pool of people willing to buy books at a fair price is keeping up.

I think this part is also critical "(Once again I’m only talking about major publishers, but small presses are vital, and if self-published books can one day divest from Amazon they too will be crucial in creating a healthy publishing ecosystem)."

Having more healthy small publishers is important, giving more authors more opportunity to be published.

>59 Karlstar: It's not just discovery that is challenging these days. Distribution for small publishers is currently experiencing some degree of chaos with the closure of Small Press Distribution (https://spdbooks.org/) as announced abruptly at the end of March. Based on what I read, there's a lot of money and stock tied up in warehouses.

I suspect that trade publishers would tell you that they are struggling to successfully reach every possible population of readers with just the "right book" these days -- at the same time that the number of those who actually read more than a book a month is diminishing. They would like to improve quality but, like the White Queen in Through the Looking Glass, they have to run very fast just to stay in the same place. (Or was it the Red Queen who was doing that?)

Meanwhile the best seller lists hold less and less titles of interest for me. I am beginning to believe Oscar Wilde's quote "If a book is not worth reading more than once, why bother to read it at all". (That's a quote from memory and thus, it may be more of a paraphrase, but my point is that I find myself relying on re-reads or initial reads of titles that may be a good 20 years old. It's not the new stuff that's attracting me at all.)

>60 jillmwo: If only we were rich enough to start our own publishing business, or a bookstore, or something book related.

>61 Karlstar: Here's a discussion from the NY Times (gift article; no paywall) that talks about some of the current challenges facing small presses. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/17/books/small-press-distribution-closure.html?u...

SPD handled hundreds of 300 small independent presses and their abrupt closure will be felt by many independent bookstores that carry titles with primary appeal to niche audiences.

>62 jillmwo: Thanks, though it sounds like their business model was precarious.

I finished The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, which was fun. I'm impressed by how much research the author did to get the setting right.

>64 Karlstar:
Her books are very good. Have you tried, City of Brass yet? jillmwo hit me with a BB for it several years ago and I not looked back since. Thank you Jill!

>65 pgmcc: Damn it. All this time I've been giving you credit for hitting me, and it was just a ricochet! Actually, I think I bought that when it was on sale for $2.99 even though I didn't know anything about it. And then I didn't read it until you started waxing poetically about its merits.

>66 clamairy:
Shannon attended the Worldcon in 2019 which was held in Dublin. She signed my copy. If she is at Worldcon in Glasgow this year I might be lucky enough to get her to sign my copy of Amina al-Sirafi.

>65 pgmcc: I have read the first two books in that series, City of Brass and Kingdom of Copper. I haven't gotten to the third one yet.

>68 Karlstar: hang on to your hat - the third one has a lot of commotion going on! It does tie up a lot of the issues in the society between the sects, and I like how it ends. There is a fourth one, River of Silver, but it is short stories that take place all throughout the timeline of the trilogy and isn't really necessary to the plot, although some of them are good.

>69 Darth-Heather: I'm glad to hear it ties things up a bit, the unresolved political chaos was not my favorite in the 2nd book.

Looks like there will be a Project Hail Mary movie!! I hope they do a good job with it.

https://deadline.com/2024/04/ryan-gosling-project-hail-mary-release-date-1235889...

>71 Karlstar: Excellent news! I am keeping my fingers crossed...

>71 Karlstar: They're doing a SECOND movie of the Martian? (I realize the name of the movie is going to be different but both the 2015 movie and this upcoming one are still based on the same novel. Seems like that isn't much of a window.)

>73 jillmwo: Project Hail Mary is a different book by the same author.

>72 Alexandra_book_life: I agree! I hope it is as good as the other movie.

>73 jillmwo: This is a really poorly formed sentence: "The movie, filmed for Imax, is based on Weir’s (The Martian) novel". I agree with >74 Narilka:, pretty sure they are talking about Project Hail Mary though. Are you saying you haven't read it?

>73 jillmwo: I had to do a double take on that line as well. I think they only referenced The Martian because it's a better known work by that author.

I will keep my fingers crossed. I think the special effects in this one are going to be very difficult achieve.

>75 Karlstar:. I have not yet read Weir's Project Hail Mary as yet. I'm still working my way through Guy Gavriel Kay. One of these days... (And as long as I'm revealing True Confessions, I haven't seen the movie nor yet read the original novel, The Martian. )

Is flogging going to commence? Because I need to see where I can fit it into the schedule...

>77 jillmwo:
You might want to save the spoiler comments until after you read the book.

I read The Martian but was not overwhelmed by it. To me it was too much like the original series of "McIver" in which he solved every problem with the bits and pieces he found around the place. I found it a monotonous cycle of this goes wrong, he saves the day, then the solution breaks, he saves the day, and on and on and on. The predictability annoyed me. I enjoyed the film more.

>77 jillmwo: Get out the wet noodle!

You can skip the book, The Martian and go straight to the movie, I thought they did a great job with it. Project Hail Mary is one of the best scifi books written in the last decade. It really is that good. Trish, who reads zero science fiction, loved it and she's both read it and listened to it.

>79 Karlstar: Project Hail Mary is one I'd probably recommend on audio over print version. Anyone who has listened to it knows why :)

>80 Narilka: She seems to love it, she's listened to it multiple times.

>76 clamairy: I agree, special effects are going to be tricky. It also might be difficult for some people to watch.

Still working on Saints of Salvation and it is good, but I keep wandering off to do some re-reads. Up next is Animal Farm.

I enjoyed Animal Farm again, of course. Still poking away at Saints, but it seems like he's just wasting time a bit in the middle.

A bit behind on reviews, and reading, at least I can catch up on reviews.

Bloody Okinawa by Joseph Wheelan
STTM: 9 so much mud and destruction
Rating: 5 out of 10

I gave this a 6 here on LT because the book matches the title, it was complete and detailed. This is a hill by hill, fortification by fortification, recounting of the horrible battles on Okinawa in WWII. I picked it up based on an Amazon recommendation. As it turns out, I already knew all I needed to know about these battles. I could have used a bit more high-level politics and strategy discussion.

It isn't that this book does not accomplish what it set out to do, it does. However, now almost 80 years removed, I'm not sure I needed to read it. The fighting there was some of the most brutal, senseless and depraved of the entire war, on both sides. Too much death on both sides when you have to wonder, could it have been avoided somehow?

There were a couple of small factual errors that made me wonder a few times about accuracy, but I think they were minor. I did find it a bit annoying that Japanese planes were constantly referred to by their Allied nicknames and not designation, even the ones that were a bit unusual, or only appeared in limited quantities. It felt like using an acronym without defining it the first time.

Interesting article on children's reading trends.

https://slate.com/culture/2024/05/kids-reading-fun-books-decline-by-nine-crisis....

>86 Karlstar: Eye-opening and worrisome, but not totally depressing. There is hope. Keeping my fingers crossed that the next kids blockbuster series is wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

>86 Karlstar: I'm not giving up on kids yet. I do think that some of the problem is that parents and teachers and whoever else is minding the kids these days, try to fill every moment of their time with activity and keep things moving. Kids need time to be bored and figure out how to pick up a book to entertain, or use their imagination instead of having everything fed to them. Still, reading has been around a long time and I don't think it will go away too fast. A book I recently read did suggest that we might transition to oral and visual storytelling and memorizing and that it might not be all bad. Who knows?

I do know that my 2 year old grandson sat me down on the steps yesterday to read some books to him, so we just have to keep that going. I was thinking back to when I was 9. My grandmother always gave me interesting and fun books for my birthday and Christmas. She worked in a library and was "in the know." Our school encouraged us to spend time in our school library and the town library, and my mom took me once or twice a week to exchange books. My mom and dad also read books. Yes, some of my peers read, but I don't remember getting much from them. Scholastic books however, was the highlight of our year! Saving up my allowance and being able to choose and afford books on my own felt very satisfying.

>87 clamairy: I agree, a new, great middle-school series would certainly help.

>88 MrsLee: That's pretty much how I remember it as well. My grandparents and parents encouraged reading, but I was a minority, being a reader at home. I also think you are correct, a certain amount of 'entertain yourself', instead of resorting to screens is going to be required. My one grand-daughter is 7 (!) and we're just entering this age. I've been planning on moving on from the kids books to books more her age, have to pick up a few of the classics that we don't own.

>88 MrsLee: Me too! I was very lucky in that I had an adored "honorary aunt" (a third cousin twice removed or something, if you're being pedantic) in Edinburgh, who sent me books like your granny did for you. Somehow "Aunt" Eve always managed to get a book to the family in time for it to appear next to my bed on Christmas morning, so when parents returned from the dawn service I invariably had my nose in a book and a mental "do not disturb" sign much in evidence. As I later discovered, the fact that James Thin's bookshop (Aladdin's cave would be a better description!) was a short bus ride from the old dear's apartment was no disadvantage. But a good thing it was some 6000 miles from where I grew up, or I'd have bankrupted the family!

>89 Karlstar: & >90 hfglen: What I have a new perspective on, now that I am buying kids books for little ones and they are growing up, is how my grandmother was able to buy the "right" books. She never bought clunker boring or preachy ones.

>91 MrsLee: >88 MrsLee: I'm glad your grandson is a reader! Good luck in your book selections, finding the right ones for the right age is a challenge for us non-librarians. What a nice thing to have, a librarian in the family. I do know a librarian, but not in the family and she's just starting out.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms!

Still stalling on finishing Saints of Salvation, so I've picked up The Pariah by Anthony Ryan, which I am enjoying. He does a good job with semi-dark fantasy.

>93 Karlstar: Thank you!

>95 clamairy: Welcome. :)

I finished The Pariah, which was fairly standard Ryan fantasy. A little magic, a lot of intrigue and killing. I'm about 3/4 of the way done with Saints of Salvation, just starting to wonder where he's going with the plot.

I have been reading, a little, been busy with a new manager at work and generally, work stuff. It is also gardening season too.

Yesterday I made the 13.5 hour drive to Myrtle Beach, I'm at my brother's place with him and our parents, probably staying until Saturday. Probably.

Catching up on old reviews:

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
STTM: 4 a lot of sailing, mostly summarized
Rating: 6 out of 10

I enjoyed this story. I thought the setting was interesting and the author did a great job researching the time period, it is not set in the usual vague Middle-Ages or later setting with a mix of technology, this was painstakingly researched and carefully set around 1000-1100, in her equivalent of coastal Africa, Arabia and India.

Amina is a former smuggler, former pirate, retired bu forced to rejoin her crew to help save a young girl - and gain an immense fortune. Amina rounds up the old gang and gets her family ship back, so they can help confront an extremely strong sorceror and thwart a plot that might risk the world.

I like the way some of the story evolved over time - with each retelling of parts of it, we get a different, evolving viewpoint. What I didn't like is that her friends, supposedly key members of her crew, are nothing but puppets. This is a one person story, but the author goes too far in not giving any of the other characters any personality or life if they aren't in her presence.

Added later so I don't forget for the next review:

Was it immersive? Yes.
Was it memorable? Somewhat, at least Amina was.
Would I re-read it? Probably not, I don't think there's any more to get out of it.
Would I recommend it? Yes, if you like adventure fantasy, especially if you like a different type of setting.

Animal Farm by George Orwell
STTM: 0 - no travel at all
Rating: 9 out of 10

Not much to say about this one, I think this was my 3rd re-read. The classic 'fantasy story', as he put it, is the classic political cautionary tale set in a farm. Great stuff. I read the Everyman's Library edition, which I really enjoy as they come with a long introduction about the author's history and about the original publication of the book.

I Increased my old rating of 8 for this to a 9, as I realized it meets all of my criteria for a 9. Not quite a 10, it is a little short for that.

The Pariah by Anthony Ryan
STTM: 7 a lot of travel, a lot of growth
Rating: 6 out of 10

Fairly standard fantasy, but I like how Ryan builds his characters. This book follows a young man, Alwin and his friend Toria. They are part of a forest bandit group, definitely not Robin Hood type bandits, Ryan's style is too dark for that.

I think the events of the book take up about 6 years of Alwin's life, and a whole lot happens during that time. He and Toria and others get involved in the politics of the kingdom, indirectly at first them more directly, eventually. The fantasy elements come out in this one via the rare appearances of magic. Like some of his other novels, there is magic in various forms, but it is not obvious, usually and quite rare, though it can move events powerfully.

Alwin is by far the main character, with Toria and others being by far secondary figures, but there are always interesting people around. The setting is average, nothing stands out.

>98 Karlstar: I definitely need to revisit this book. Perhaps as an audio...

>99 Karlstar: I'm sorry you didn't enjoy this one more. I think I loved it because, well, it's about a woman kicking ass despite her bad knees. :o)

>97 Karlstar: I have heard (mostly) good things about this book. It's so nice to see that you enjoyed it! I'll get to it eventually :)

>98 Karlstar: An excellent book, there isn't much more to say.

>99 Karlstar: What other books by Anthony Ryan have you read? I've only tried Raven's Shadow trilogy. The first two installments were good, but the third one was a letdown. I've been skeptical towards his books ever since.

>100 clamairy: You know I'm a tough grader, I did enjoy The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, I thought the setting and plot were good and well written. I think this might have been a 7, if not for the lack of other characters.

>103 Alexandra_book_life: I've read the duology that follows Raven's Shadow, but I agree with you, book three was not as good as books 1 and 2. I actually thought the Raven's Blade books clarified book 3 quite a bit.

His Draconis Memoria series is good too, and different, but I haven't finished it yet.

>104 Karlstar: Good to know, thank you :)

>105 Alexandra_book_life: One of the things I liked about The Pariah, was how Ryan kept presenting different women in Alwin's life. First it was the bandit chief's lover - was she a mother figure to him? What was her game? Then he encountered a religious leader, a charismatic and principled one - another mother figure or just a spiritual guide? Then a 'Joan of Arc' type woman, both military leader and spiritual, also a charismatic leader. Then a mysterious powerful caster of magic. Are they all just there to teach him various things about life, or is there more to the relationship?

>106 Karlstar: It does sound interesting, I like complex relationships in books!

While I was gone, I started and finished Childe Morgan and Starter Villain and finally finished The Saints of Salvation. I'm almost done with my re-read of the First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Not sure what is next, I picked up a couple of books while I was away.

>97 Karlstar:. What I didn't like is that her friends, supposedly key members of her crew, are nothing but puppets. This is a one person story, but the author goes too far in not giving any of the other characters any personality or life if they aren't in her presence.

Well, now I need to go back and see what I may have overlooked in my reading. (Although admittedly, I have always been partial to lady pirate stories.)

>109 jillmwo: I really wanted to learn more about the lady poisoner, but that never happened.

For fans of the The Fionavar Tapestry, a special 40th anniversary poster:

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1722150280/40th-anniversary-summer-tree-unicorn?...

It even comes signed by GGK, this is official.

>111 Karlstar: That is a thing of beauty!

>112 Sakerfalcon: It is, I am very tempted, but I have just one spot left on my wall for some sort of fantasy art, usually a book cover print. I think that poster is actually too long for the spot.

>111 Karlstar: Very pretty!

>99 Karlstar: I read the first book in the Raven's Shadow and while I enjoyed it, the wait for the second book saw me lose all interest in him as an author. Never picked up another.

>111 Karlstar: I checked that out. Whooo, that is beautiful. Reminded me a lot of Kinuko Craft's style of art too, which is a big compliment :-)

I am almost finished with The Pearl and I've started Promise of Blood, the first book in the Powder Mage series, which I recall folks here talking about a few years ago. It caught my eye when I was at the bookstore, it won out when the only Joe Ambercrombie books they had were the ones I'd already read.

>116 Karlstar: I enjoyed the 6 books in the Powderverse. Did take me 2 reads of PoB to get past the gritty'ness of it, but then it was really good flintlock fantasy.

>117 BookstoogeLT: So far so good, I've jumped right in.

>115 BookstoogeLT: Maybe you'd like The Pariah more than the Raven's Shadow series. Still a bit on the dark side though.

Done with Promise of Blood, I'll give it points for immersion and being memorable, I didn't want to put it down. I'm nearly done with The Pearl too.

I think my next read is a couple of classics I want to read with my grand-daughter, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and possibly James and the Giant Peach.

James and the Giant Peach was always a big favorite of both of my kids. Enjoy sharing it with a new generation.

>119 Karlstar: We'll have to see if I have any interest once the series is done :-)

I'm really don't like surprised to admit this, but after reading it, I don't think Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is appropriate for me to read to/with my grand-daughter. Unfortunately, in places it is rather aggressively mean. For example, the funny/lightly moralistic Oompah-Loompa songs in the movie are quite long and both directly and indirectly terrible, such as saying that Augustus should be baked and made into fudge until he's no longer a glutton.

I'm not saying it shouldn't be read, but I think it is more appropriate for a slightly older age.

>123 Karlstar: I remember being slightly shocked by that book. I never read it as a child, only saw the movie. Dahl doesn't always sit well with me. Several of his books that many say are favorites left me cold. Same with my kids.

>123 Karlstar: IIRC he wrote notably nasty horror stories before writing children's books, so your strictures are no surprise. Has your granddaughter encountered Kipling's Just So Stories yet? You and she may enjoy them.

>125 hfglen: I don't think so, that's a great suggestion, thank you.

>123 Karlstar: Dahl can be a difficult author. I would go with >125 hfglen: and Kipling.

>125 hfglen:
There was a UK TV series based on dramatisation of Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected.

Some of the stories were very interesting, but totally unlike his children's stories.

>124 MrsLee: >127 jillmwo: I'm fairly certain I had not read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory before, which is why I was surprised by the nastiness. I think I've read James and the Giant Peach, I'm not sure. I'll try that one next. >125 hfglen: I will pick up a copy of Just So Stories asap.

>129 Karlstar: It's in Project Gutenberg, but you may have to scratch around for the pictures.

>129 Karlstar: James and the Giant Peach has some pretty terrifying bits as well. Those aunts are despicable.

>129 Karlstar: >130 hfglen: There are 2 versions on Project Gutenberg. This one has Kipling's own illustrations (don't miss them — he was quite an artist) and some additional ones,

>130 hfglen: >132 haydninvienna: Very nice, thanks!

>131 clamairy: Uh oh, I'll have to read that one quick.

It is the time of year where about all I have time for is work and yard work, not much for reading. I had 3 yards of mulch delivered and finally got that all distributed. Most of the planters now have fresh soil and yesterday we took some time and planted annuals in most of them, there's still some planting left to do and the raised vegetable bed is still only partially ready.

This post was interrupted by an 'emergency' watering and weeding trip outside. Back to the post.

I saw something online that reminded me of Barbara Hambly's Windrose Chronicles, so I am re-reading The Silent Tower. Good stuff if you like that sort of fantasy novel. I also heard that she's writing short stories featuring some of her old characters. I see one of them, Corridor is listed as a Kindle e-book.

We went to our favorite farm stand today and since it is just a few minutes from Lake Ontario, we stopped at the park to enjoy the lake for a while. Absolutely perfect day, clear, a little breezy, mild temperatures.

>135 Karlstar: It looks wonderful!

>135 Karlstar: Truly gorgeous view and fabulous weather for it.

>135 Karlstar:
Very pleasant looking.

Looks like the Hedge Knight series is actually going to be a thing: https://www.hbo.com/a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-the-hedge-knight

On a facebook group where someone asked who hasn't read Tolkien.

"Plenty of people haven't read it. The fact that it started everything isn't necessarily enough to make it worth reading to everyone. I happen to love it, but it's more and more an acquired taste -- not quite as dated as 1930s pulp and before, but soon enough."

I don't think it will be all that soon.

>140 Karlstar: One more reason to stay off of the Book of Evil...

>141 BookstoogeLT: I know, it is (along with many others) a discussion there's no point in having with some people.

Not to distract from any Tolkien discussion, but I'm also behind on reviews.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi
STTM: 0 - really, there's none
Rating: 7 out of 10

This is just a fun book. Is it really scifi? Not really, but there are lasers. Not sure I can say much more than my review here on LT:

" A substitute teacher gets an inheritance from an estranged uncle that turns out to be a lot more than he could have possibly imagined. A short, fun read."

I liked it, it was fun, I think it avoided several obvious plot traps and I was entertained the whole time. The main character is probably a bit more clever than he should be, but that was all right.

Was it immersive? Yes.
Was it memorable? Somewhat, I remember the plot but not the character names.
Would I re-read it? Probably, some day when I need a fun read.
Would I recommend it? Yes, if you like action/thriller type fiction with a clever, snarky (but not skilled) main character.

A couple of very short reviews.

Childe Morgan The second book in the series by the same name. Alaric is still a child and not a lot happens in this book. Really not a lot. I like Kurtz's books, but this one was disappointing.

The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant - I re-read all three books and they are just as good as ever. Thomas Covenant is still a really difficult protagonist to like, but the setting and the other characters are so fantastic.

The Pearl by John Steinbeck. Set in Mexico, it is basically a story about how horrible it is to be very poor.

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan
STTM: 3 - some travel, not much, it moved along quickly for the most part
Rating: 7 out of 10

I thought this was fun and moved along very well and it kept me engaged the whole time. There isn't a vast set of characters, but there is a good core of well-realized and well written characters. The action shifts between Adamat, a retired police investigator; Tamas, a powder mage and general; and Taniel, a powder mage and Tamas' son; and Nila, a former servant, now laundress. The story jumps right into it, chapter one is basically a palace coup that deposes a corrupt and ineffectual king. The rest of the story is the messy aftermath.

There are plots and subplots and intrigues and battles and betrayals. We get to learn a lot about the three main characters, as well as a couple of interesting other characters, but it is clear there's a lot going on that will only be revealed in future books. I thought the magic system was good, if a little bit super-hero-ish. The powder mages are really anti-mages, part of the plot here is the battle between magic systems.

Was it immersive? Yes.
Was it memorable? So far, I remember both character names and plot.
Would I re-read it? Possibly, not likely.
Would I recommend it? Yes, if you like action filled magic vs. magic types of stories.

>145 Karlstar: I hope you like the rest of the trilogy :-)

James and the Giant Peach was fine, not nearly as mean as the other. Up next is Beyond the Reach of Earth.

>147 Karlstar: Will you be reading this one to your granddaughter then?

>148 clamairy: I think so, I have no objections. It's kind of rude about the Aunts, but not horribly so.

Shameless cheese post.

Earlier this year I mentioned that we went to Syracuse NY and while there went to the Curd Nerd. Here is their website:
https://www.thecurdnerd.com/

They have a great newsletter and a monthly cheese club!

>150 Karlstar: What an awesome name for a cheese shop!

>151 clamairy: It is. I'll have to stop there now every time I drive by Syracuse, it isn't far from I-90.

The Silent Tower by Barbara Hambly
STTM: 5 - some walking trips, some growth
Rating: 7 out of 10

I really enjoyed my re-read of The Silent Tower, the first book in the Silicon Mage series, or the Windrose Chronicles. Set in the 70's, Joanna is a computer programmer working in California, with a terrible boyfriend and the weird feeling that someone is watching her when she works late at night.

Meanwhile in the fantasy world, a young warrior and his grandfather, the Archmage, go to see a wizard who was locked up years ago, unable to use any magic, because he was the apprentice to a wizard who used awful magic to dominate the region, until the master was taken down. The former wizard was a master of gates through the Void, the gap between worlds.

The book alternates between viewpoints a few times, which actually doesn't help the plot in some cases, but I didn't mind it. Apparently I like this one more than the other reviewers here on LT.

I thought this was fun and engaging. I think I have book two, but not any others. I'll likely try to re-read The Silicon Mage sometime this year. I think I knew it as the Silicon Mage series back when there were only two books.

Was it immersive? Yes.
Was it memorable? Sort of, I actually still remember the character names.
Would I re-read it? Possibly.
Would I recommend it? Yes,

>150 Karlstar:. Psst. I am quite sure that the Pub has been designated a guilt-free zone when it comes to cheese.

>153 jillmwo: That's good news. I just wish their monthly cheese club wasn't so pricey - or that you have to pick it up in person.

If you already bought your grilling or family get together supplies, this is way too late, but just in case you still need it, the Washington Post hot dog rating. I prefer Ball Park, but not the all-beef, can't remember the last time I bought an all-beef hot dog, who does that? It must be the German in me, I prefer mine more like knockwurst.

https://wapo.st/3W8ta3n

Happy 4th of July for those in the US.

I like an all-beef hotdog. Although I'll eat other kinds too, when I eat hot dogs, which is rarely; in general, I prefer bratwurst or something.

Honestly, I have always been a fan of either Nathan's Hot Dogs or the Boar's Head.

>156 reconditereader: Same here, I prefer bratwurst, but I've been having trouble finding bratwurst this year, had to substitute a local brand of knockwurst. I know, not the same at all. Still good though.

>157 jillmwo: Nathan's are good too. I hadn't even heard of most of the brands on their list.

>155 Karlstar: I stick to Hebrew National myself...

Just returning your visit. I think from time to time about re-reading the Covenant books, but there are so many nice shiny new ones. The only re-reading I've done lately has been when I'm too drugged to deal with something new. That might be an interesting state in which to re-encounter Donaldson.

>159 BookstoogeLT: Those are good too.

>160 Jim53: That might be an interesting experience! Thanks for stopping by.

We made a trip to one of our local Barnes and Nobles stores yesterday. I picked up Witch King, I'm looking forward to reading it. We noticed something strange though, probably due to shelf space, their fantasy section just stopped at the letter T, almost. I was looking for Gene Wolf, or Zelazny, what I found after T was a progressively strange jumble of game related fiction, Star Wars or Star Trek books and a few other things, but no authors starting with anything after T, except for a few Martha Wells novels. I guess they just ran out of room? What an odd way to prioritize.

>162 Karlstar: I hope you will enjoy Witch King!

Having a fantasy section that stops at T is very strange. I wonder if the people working there have an aversion to all the letters after T? ;)

I finished Beyond the Reach of Earth, which was quite good, I'm looking forward to the next one. Somewhere here people reminded me that I haven't read all of the Culture novels, Surface Detail is one of the two that I have not read. I bought SD for my Nook and I've dived in.

I finally finished Surface Detail last night, which was excellent. On to Witch King.

>165 Karlstar: Oooh, I am very interested in your take on the Wells. I don't think there's much mud slogging in this one.

>166 clamairy: So far so good, can't say I like the protagonist, but that isn't actually necessary. There's a ton of originality.

Hot take of the day, fradulent Hugo votes:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/jul/23/hugo-awards-fraudulent-vot...

>167 Karlstar: Glad you're enjoying it so far.

I'm shocked by that news about the Hugos, although I guess I shouldn't be.

>167 Karlstar: and >168 clamairy: Did you see today's story about George R.R. Martin's participation at Worldcon? https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/jul/17/game-of-thrones-writers-...

Honestly Karlstar I will be interested in your final thoughts on WitchKing. On one level I didn't like the protagonist either initially, but the action carries you rapidly ahead. I felt like I needed to read it twice before I could understand all of the things going on.

>169 jillmwo: That does seem a tad excessive. You'd think they would be crawling over themselves to accommodate an author of his standing.

>169 jillmwo: I had heard rumblings about it, but hadn't read the details. Maybe Martin started the application but got stuck halfway through and spent the next two months perfecting the last 5 sentences until he missed the deadline.

On the other hand, if he'd called and indicated he wanted to participate, they probably could have found at least one slot for him.

There's a whole lot of not well defined groups/sides in Witch King already, but it is at least moving quickly.

>171 Karlstar: "Maybe Martin started the application but got stuck halfway through and spent the next two months perfecting the last 5 sentences until he missed the deadline."

LOL!!

>172 ScoLgo: I guffawed at this as well...
:D

>171 Karlstar:, >172 ScoLgo:, >173 clamairy: I only snorted at it, but agree with the overall point.

>172 ScoLgo: >173 clamairy: :) Thanks!

>174 jillmwo: At least I earned a snort.

>172 ScoLgo: I second the LOL!

I am working my way through Witch King, still getting through the parts with the details from the past. I don't mind them.

I will likely be offline for a few days, having my knee replacement surgery tomorrow.

>177 Karlstar: Good luck, I hope the operation goes smoothly and you have lots of books to read while you wait/recover.

>177 Karlstar: Good luck, I hope everything goes well!

>177 Karlstar: Oh! Best of luck. I'm sure it will go smoothly. My brother-in-law has had both knees done and bounced back quickly, and he's 78. Is there a three foot tall book stack already set up next to your bed?

>178 Sakerfalcon: >179 Alexandra_book_life: >180 clamairy: Thank you! I have a small stack of 4 books ready by the bed, then there's the lower priority TBR pile downstairs and I plan to put a couple of books on the ereaders, plus I will get some ebooks on loan from the library.

>177 Karlstar:
Jim, good luck with your surgery. Wishing you strength and a rapid recovery from the procedure.

>177 Karlstar: Crossing thumbs and wishing you a speedy, speedy recovery. Consider milking the sympathy element for all its worth so that they'll leave you alone to read.

>177 Karlstar: Good luck with it all, and a speedy recovery!

>177 Karlstar: Good luck on your surgery and wishing you a speedy recovery.

>182 pgmcc: >183 jillmwo: >184 haydninvienna: >185 Narilka: Thank you for the good wishes. I hope to get a lot of reading done.

Just checking in on you. Hope all went smoothly.

>187 clamairy: Thank you, doing much better. This was my first surgery of any kind, actually, since back in the 1960's, so I wasn't really prepared. Did too much on Saturday, paid for it on Sunday. Much better today. I'm not sure why they think this is a good idea for inexperienced people to do on an outpatient basis, but we're learning.

I've read The Sunlit Man, Witch King, The Jet Age, and now I'm working on a re-read of Starfollowers of Coramonde and Fighting Jets. There were times I just couldn't do Sanderson or Wells, so I kept switching off with The Jet Age.

>188 Karlstar: Oh, yes. They do love to send people home when they can't walk/move at all without a lot of help. Hopefully you'll be up and around soon.

I have yet to read The Sunlit Man, even though it's been almost a year since I got it. What did you think?

>189 clamairy: I can't give The Sunlit Man a fair review, I picked 4 Sandersons from Hoopla because they were available. It was ok? Action packed, good people vs. the bad people, standard Cosmere stuff. Sanderson does excel at the amount of abuse he comes up with to put people through.

I started The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England after reading Sunlit Man, but had to give up, I was dozing off what felt like every other sentence. Maybe I'll return to it later this week.

>188 Karlstar: >190 Karlstar: Strength to you!

A couple of years ago I found myself in hospital for a procedure that required an anaesthetic. The day after I was released I had to finish editing a newsletter I'm responsible for (KZN Railway History Society Chronicle if anybody wants to know) to make a deadline. The best that can be said is that the readers -- I believe there are a few -- were kind enough not no mention the typos. Oy vay, never again!

>188 Karlstar: >191 hfglen: I was told that anesthetic takes longer to work its way through the system than patients generally realize. It didn't matter back in the olden days when hospitals would hold you in bed for three days. But when you get shipped out in less than 36 hours. (I still blame ALL the insurance companies.)

Of course, every human body is different in its response to a particular treatment. Just don't be surprised if you feel the effects for a few days after your procedure. (((Hugs))) I really am sympathetic.

>188 Karlstar: Best wishes to you, hoping for better days ahead!

>188 Karlstar: May you heal well and fast. We took care of my mom after her knee replacement. That was not fun at all. She was much older than you are, and not in good shape physically, but I still remember how unprepared I felt for the medical aspects of recovery care. I believe that every day spent in the hospital is one more day you are exposed to germs, etc., however, it would be nice if there were some sort of home care to help families for the first few days.

>188 Karlstar: Yeah, it's a shame that they rush people straight to outpatient whether they're ready or not. Good to hear you're doing better.

>189 clamairy: >191 hfglen: >192 jillmwo: >193 Alexandra_book_life: >194 MrsLee: Thanks everyone. It definitely does not seem like I posted yesterday. Every day is a little better, I'm happy to say. I've had 3 short in-home physical therapy visits, those were planned, though at this point it feels like they've given me enough exercises to keep me busy for hours.

Today the physical therapy person told me that it takes some people 3 days for the anesthesia to completely get out of some people's systems, wish they'd mentioned that before.

>196 Karlstar:
Glad to hear you are improving day by day. Hoping your recovery is quick and as painless as possible.
Interesting comments on Sanderson. I have never dipped my toe into his work.

>196 Karlstar: Glad to hear that every day is better than the last; hope things keep moving in that direction.

>196 Karlstar: Yay!

Oh yes, and the older you get the longer it takes for the anesthesia to be completely flushed from your system.

>197 pgmcc: Thank you Peter. I think there's a big difference between Sanderson's 'Cosmere' novels, which are starting to feel more and more like comic books every time I read one, and his non-Cosmere books. I think of it as the influence of the Avengers movies, where the main character(s) can take an incredible amount of punishment and just heal it quickly, while the 'normal' people around them have awful things done to them.

>198 Sakerfalcon: >199 clamairy: Thanks. I'm walking ok, with the walker so I can get around. However, the bruising they warned me about on day 2, showed up big time on day 5. I kind of wonder why they didn't mention it before the surgery.

I finished Starfollowers of Coramonde and decided to do a re-read I've been meaning to get to for a while Shadow and Claw, the first two books of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. I really don't remember the story all that well, but the writing is excellent.

edited for spelling

>201 Karlstar: Do you feel completely anesthesia-free now? You seem to be going through the books rather quickly.

>202 clamairy: Hi, yes, thankfully. I saw the Dr. yesterday and had the staples taken out and had my first physical therapy session at the PT location. That was basically a lot of the same exercises I've been given, not too much new. It is definitely coming along.

>203 Karlstar: This is all wonderful news. How much longer do you have before you have to start working again? You work from home, yes?

>203 Karlstar: Glad to hear the recovery process is moving along at a clip. *sound of masses cheering*

>203 Karlstar: This is great news! I am happy for you.

>204 clamairy: >205 jillmwo: >206 Alexandra_book_life: Thanks everyone! >204 clamairy: The doctor was non-committal when I asked, he said it would be 6 weeks if I had to drive, but since I don't... he would prefer I not sit too long, but he said if it could be for a limited number of hours, maybe next week. Mainly they don't want me sitting in one spot too long and not doing my PT.

In reading news, I finished part 1 of Shadow and Claw, The Shadow of the Torturer and I'm almost done with part 2. I've been alternating that with another of the Time-Life WW2 histories War in the Outposts.

>203 Karlstar:
It is great to hear you are making progress.

>207 Karlstar: Sounds like you are well on the mend. That's excellent.