Finished: Uncommon Carriers by John McPhee, 2006, 0374280398.
I've always liked McPhee's books a lot. Except for the geology ones; they bore me to tears. This is a collection of, presumably, New Yorker pieces about 'carriers', meaning shippers. Trucks, barges, trains, etc.
McPhee always writes nonfiction. He'll hang out and observe a guy or group of people for a decent amount of time, do what seems to me like an extraordinary amount of research on the topic, and then report. McPhee is a great writer and the information he randomly plugs in to his work is surprising and illuminating.
This is the sixth book of his I have read and it was good. Uncommon just did not jolt me and highly impress me like his other books have. Maybe because this is a collection; McPhee does not have the room to expand on the subject.
This most interesting piece is about UPS and their MASSIVE sorting facility in Louisville, KY. The next most interesting piece has McPhee travel to a lake in the Swiss Alps where blue water sailors come to train on scale sized cargo ships.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
Listened to: The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket
Listened to: The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket.
I'm edging closer and closer to finishing the series off. I have read maybe one or two of the books, the rest have been audio versions. I don't even remember which number Carnivorous is in the Unfortunate Events series.
The books keep getting better. They are progressively darker and more dangerous.
Carnivorous one has Sunny, Klaus and Violet hiding in the trunk of the Count Olaf's car as the Count drives away from the burning Hostile Hospital. They travel to the Hinterlands where the Count visits Madame Lulu's carnival to have his fortune told. Disguising themselves as freaks, the orphans discover how Lulu has scammed the Count and find out that Lulu was once a member of the mysterious V.F.D. Lulu provides the orphans just enough key information about V.F.D. and their supposedly dead parents before she is eaten by lions. The orphans maintain their trick identities but the Count finds them out and kidnaps Sunny at the end of the novel. Oooohhh. A cliffhanger!
I'm edging closer and closer to finishing the series off. I have read maybe one or two of the books, the rest have been audio versions. I don't even remember which number Carnivorous is in the Unfortunate Events series.
The books keep getting better. They are progressively darker and more dangerous.
Carnivorous one has Sunny, Klaus and Violet hiding in the trunk of the Count Olaf's car as the Count drives away from the burning Hostile Hospital. They travel to the Hinterlands where the Count visits Madame Lulu's carnival to have his fortune told. Disguising themselves as freaks, the orphans discover how Lulu has scammed the Count and find out that Lulu was once a member of the mysterious V.F.D. Lulu provides the orphans just enough key information about V.F.D. and their supposedly dead parents before she is eaten by lions. The orphans maintain their trick identities but the Count finds them out and kidnaps Sunny at the end of the novel. Oooohhh. A cliffhanger!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Read: "In the Electric Mist with the Confederate Dead" by James Lee Burke
Read: In the Electric Mist with the Confederate Dead by James Lee Burke, 1993, 038072121X (paper).
I had not read one of Burke's novels in quite awhile. I had burned out on Burke's Dave Robicheaux books a few years ago after reading a string of them in a row. I'll have to try and fit in some more Robicheaux novels. I listened to one from Burke's Texas series before and did not like it so much so I'll skip that stuff.
In short, Robicheaux busts big-time actor for drunk driving, actor tells of old body in swamp, Dave lets him go, finds that body plus a murdered teen whore, gangsters come to town, Dave has hallucinations, and so on. Burke plots a good story like usual but it's his writing skills and characters that make the book.
I actually finished this about a week ago. I had passed over this novel before because of the odd title. I thought it sounded stupid.
I had not read one of Burke's novels in quite awhile. I had burned out on Burke's Dave Robicheaux books a few years ago after reading a string of them in a row. I'll have to try and fit in some more Robicheaux novels. I listened to one from Burke's Texas series before and did not like it so much so I'll skip that stuff.
In short, Robicheaux busts big-time actor for drunk driving, actor tells of old body in swamp, Dave lets him go, finds that body plus a murdered teen whore, gangsters come to town, Dave has hallucinations, and so on. Burke plots a good story like usual but it's his writing skills and characters that make the book.
I actually finished this about a week ago. I had passed over this novel before because of the odd title. I thought it sounded stupid.
Did not finish: "Zombie Butts from Uranus!" by Andy Griffiths
Did not Finish: Zombie Butts from Uranus! by Andy Griffiths, 2003, 0439424704.
This was a major disappointment. How can you screw up a book with a great title like that? A fantastic concept too. From the book cover:
"Zack Freeman is on his way to becoming a first rate butt-fighter. He has gone head-to-butt with all kinds of stinky scoundrels and butts-gone-bad. But even our doody-full hero is a-gassed by these latest stench invaders. They're round, blue, and smelly. They're ruthless, cunning, and very cheeky. Their odor is unstoppable. Their mission is downright foul. And they won't rest until Earth is wiped away by their nasty fumes."
A major part of the disappointment is that this is part of a Butt trilogy. I was all geared to read three great books and was massively disappointed.
This was a major disappointment. How can you screw up a book with a great title like that? A fantastic concept too. From the book cover:
"Zack Freeman is on his way to becoming a first rate butt-fighter. He has gone head-to-butt with all kinds of stinky scoundrels and butts-gone-bad. But even our doody-full hero is a-gassed by these latest stench invaders. They're round, blue, and smelly. They're ruthless, cunning, and very cheeky. Their odor is unstoppable. Their mission is downright foul. And they won't rest until Earth is wiped away by their nasty fumes."
A major part of the disappointment is that this is part of a Butt trilogy. I was all geared to read three great books and was massively disappointed.
Did not start: Butt Wars! The Final Conflict by Andy Griffiths
Did not Start: Butt Wars! The Final Conflict by Andy Griffiths, 2005, 0439747503.
After the disappointment of Zombie Butts from Uranus! I did not bother.
After the disappointment of Zombie Butts from Uranus! I did not bother.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Just Finished: "Akiko: Volume Seven: The Battle of Boach's Keep" by Mark Crilley
Just Finished: Akiko: Volume Seven: The Battle of Boach's Keep by Mark Crilley, 2007, 1579890644.
I was distracted while reading this because the novel is dedicated to the victims of September 11. I kept wondering if a political or moral statement was being made by Crilley on U.S. foreign policy, or the Iraq War, or terrorism, and so on. It's too bad I was distracted because Crilley did a good job. Again.
Spuckler is having a cookout with Beeba, Gax and Poog when he gets a special delivery from the Gothtek company offering to pay 250,000 Gilpots for the old Boach family property on Nostoram. Spuckler immediately leaves the barbecue and travels to Nostoram to accept the money and collect some items from the house.
Spuckler had not been home since his father died 20 years earlier. After getting to Nostoram Spuckler finds out that Gothtek plans to raze the house, along with everything else on the planet, for a beautification project. Spuckler decides his father would never have wanted the house to be destroyed and he decides to defend the property. The fact that he already accepted the money from Gothtek does not phase him.
Lots of shooting ensues between Spuckler and Gothtek attack vehicles. Akiko is pressured by King Froptoppit to act as an ambassador to Gothtek. Akiko finds out that Gothtek is not the evil planet destroying Goliath of the past. Spuckler's true reasons for defending the old house are discovered. Everyone goes home happy.
Crilley has some neat-o methods for chaning scenes and showing elapsed time . I kind of skipped through those sections because I wanted the story to keep moving.
I was distracted while reading this because the novel is dedicated to the victims of September 11. I kept wondering if a political or moral statement was being made by Crilley on U.S. foreign policy, or the Iraq War, or terrorism, and so on. It's too bad I was distracted because Crilley did a good job. Again.
Spuckler is having a cookout with Beeba, Gax and Poog when he gets a special delivery from the Gothtek company offering to pay 250,000 Gilpots for the old Boach family property on Nostoram. Spuckler immediately leaves the barbecue and travels to Nostoram to accept the money and collect some items from the house.
Spuckler had not been home since his father died 20 years earlier. After getting to Nostoram Spuckler finds out that Gothtek plans to raze the house, along with everything else on the planet, for a beautification project. Spuckler decides his father would never have wanted the house to be destroyed and he decides to defend the property. The fact that he already accepted the money from Gothtek does not phase him.
Lots of shooting ensues between Spuckler and Gothtek attack vehicles. Akiko is pressured by King Froptoppit to act as an ambassador to Gothtek. Akiko finds out that Gothtek is not the evil planet destroying Goliath of the past. Spuckler's true reasons for defending the old house are discovered. Everyone goes home happy.
Crilley has some neat-o methods for chaning scenes and showing elapsed time . I kind of skipped through those sections because I wanted the story to keep moving.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Finished: "Akiko: Volume Six" by Mark Crilley
Finished: Akiko Volume Six: Issues 32-38 "Stranded in Komura" and "Moonshopping" by Mark Crilley, 2003, 1579890571.
Typically excellent work by Crilley. A compilation of previously published comics.
Akiko is a fourth grader who has occasional adventures in outer space with Spuckler, Mr. Beeba, Gax and Poog. Stranded has Akiko and her friends from outer space crash landing in Japan after running out of fuel. Moonshopping has Mr. Beeba detailed by King Froptoppit to go purchase a moon in an alternate dimension, the Farflux Dimension, after seeing another planet's impressive, and brand new, moon.
Whimsical and fun stories with insulting banter between the scientific Mr. Beeba and the unbather space pilot, Spuckler. Fourth grader Akiko is regular a voice of reason and knowledge. I really like Crilley's illustrations; both the style and perspective are neat-o. Crilley has a series of junior novels about Akiko but I could not get into those.
Typically excellent work by Crilley. A compilation of previously published comics.
Akiko is a fourth grader who has occasional adventures in outer space with Spuckler, Mr. Beeba, Gax and Poog. Stranded has Akiko and her friends from outer space crash landing in Japan after running out of fuel. Moonshopping has Mr. Beeba detailed by King Froptoppit to go purchase a moon in an alternate dimension, the Farflux Dimension, after seeing another planet's impressive, and brand new, moon.
Whimsical and fun stories with insulting banter between the scientific Mr. Beeba and the unbather space pilot, Spuckler. Fourth grader Akiko is regular a voice of reason and knowledge. I really like Crilley's illustrations; both the style and perspective are neat-o. Crilley has a series of junior novels about Akiko but I could not get into those.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)