Ahira's Hangar

Yeah, I didn't bother treating it as history...just another theory is all.

--A

Just finished listening to an audiobook METAtropolis. 5 stories by different authors in a shared future world. Two of the stories were great the other three were more average. But overall worth a read or listen.

Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene. Interesting so far, but not light reading.

--A

Back to American Indian Myths and Legends by Erdoes and Ortiz. I started it before I went on sabbatical but then put it aside.

Three Days to Never by Tim Powers. So far liking it much better than Declare. And from the descriptions I would have thought Declare would be the one I really liked and TDtN only so so.

I have been on a history kick lately. Read about US Marines in the Korean War in The last Stand of Fox Company by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin then read one of the best written history books I have ever read in Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. That one was about the Lincoln administration, and even though you know the tragic ending, it was still gripping.

Another recent read was the novel Dancing with Butterflies by Reyna Grande. It was about four women associated with a dance troupe in LA that performs Mexican folk dance. All four of them end up making really questionable decisions (that lead to outright criminal acts by some of them) but the author still manages to make them somewhat sympathetic characters.

Now reading Black Hills by Dan Simmons. It is historical dark fantasy set in the Dakotas and follows the life of a Lakota boy who has the inborn skills to be a great shaman for his people - if he were not so unfortunate to live at the time of the great wars between his people and the white invaders. As it happens, he becomes infected with the ghost of Custer in the very first chapter (don't ask!). Skips around in time a lot, but so far it is a pretty interesting read (except for the Custer chapters, which are a bit tedious because they are very one note). Even has a tie in with Phases of Gravity, one of his earlier books.

I missed that Black Hills had come out. Will have to grab it on my Kindle!

EDIT: Update, grabbed it last nite and started reading. Nothing like an epic Simmons!

Reading Burroughs' original Tarzan.

--A

The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston. Historical novel set in early 20th Century Newfoundland. Pretty good actually.

--A

Jack the Ripper. Whatever happened to the Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, theories that were all the rage not that long ago. FWIW, with the current popularity of conspiracy theories one might think this reference to a massive governmental coverup to protect the royal's reputation would be more popular than it seems? Do any of the more recent fictional treatments of the Ripper, lean heavily on the connection to the royals?

Not that I've heard, but don't really pay attention.

--A

D-Day by Stephen Ambrose. Seemed like a good history book to read in the month of June.

75% through with Grant's Pass. Multi-author anthology, apocalyptic fiction. No zombies, just disease and fall of civilization stuff.

Lords of the Sea, a history of the Athenian Navy in ancient days by marine archaeologist John Hale.

Reading The Alienist by Caleb Carr. Listening to The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pychon. Tried reading Lot 49 before and struggled. Thought I'd try it as an audiobook.