Post
by Konrad » Mon Oct 31, 2016 1:35 am
Books, books, books. Clearing off the shelves and these are all up for grabs.
Jackie Brown(Rum Punch), Elmore Leonard
Split Images, same
Tarantino made a movie of it, nuff said.
Spook Country. William Gibson
A quirky, almost comical spy/suspense story from the father of cyberpunk
Golden Apples of the Sun, Ray Bradbury
No autumn is complete without a bite of R.B.
The Island of the Day Before, Umberto Eco
Starts a bit slow, but well worth it once it gets rolling. Half 16th century espionage adventure, half surreal medieval metaphysical journey, but what else would you expect from the man who did "In the Name of the Rose."
White Man's Burden, William Easterly
A sharp critique of modern 3rd world relief efforts. Needless to say Mr. Easterly does not work for the World Bank anymore.
Hot Flat and Crowded, Thomas Friedman
Continues along the lines of "The World if Flat" and adds global warming, energy/resource scarcity, and population growth.
Futures- A British sci-fi anthology. Really good novella called "Watching Trees Grow", a murder mystery spanning centuries, as the protagonists are all immortal citizens of a Roman Empire that never fell.
Island- Aldous Huxley
One of Huxley's last works. A Utopian study, with some really characterful bad guys.
The Bluest Eye- Tony Morrison
Not as good as "Beloved", but "Beloved" won the Pulitzer. Warning- You'll feel guilty about being male, white and American in equal portions.
Orxy and Crake- Margaret Atwood
3rd in a series of post eco-apocalyptic novels from the writer of "A Handmaid's Tale". You don't need to read the others to get into it.
Gig, Americans Talk About Their Jobs- An anthology of interviews. Really interesting slice of new-economy life.
Old Age and Guile- P.J O Rourke- an anthology of the only humorous right-wing conservative writer I know of. Even a pinko, eco-wimp like me would not mind having a drink and shooting shit with P.J.
The Sprit of "76"- A collection of writings from the American Revolution. Really interesting stuff. Read some Thomas Paine and you'll want to go punch a Brit in the nose. Or at least spill his tea.
Ancient Rome- a general overview of Roman history, politics, religion, etc from the early Republic to the "You too Brutus" scene. Lots of original excerpts and if you think politics are ugly now in America.....
If anyone wants a book, give me a shout. These all will be going in the recycle in a few weeks.
...and now his Head was full of nothing but Inchantments, Quarrels, Battles, Challenges, Wounds, Complaints, Amours, and abundance of Stuff and Impossibilities.....
Cervantes, Don Quixote