Books Read March 2011

TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT by Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson

A workmanlike effort by Mr. Sanderson. I’m finally starting to get used to his change of tone. I think the book is most solid when it follows Perrin, but the wheels come off when Mat takes centerstage. I can’t help but mourn the loss of Jordan when I read this book and admit to myself that I’m really just reading it for the plot. The joy of reading this series is gone for me, which has almost nothing to do with the actual quality of writing.

OLD MAN’S WAR by John Scalzi

Shades of FOREVER WAR. Rock solid, heartily tongue-in-cheek military SF. Read it for the wit and the crazyweird alien violence. I liked it enough that I’m bound to read the sequels.

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS by Paul Dini

I remember virtually nothing from reading this.

THE INCAL: THE EPIC CONSPIRACY by Alejandro Jodorowsky

Truly weird. I was at a loss explaining it to Max, who latched onto it on the way home from the library. A fine example of the Euro-style of comics. I think.

THIRD CLASS SUPERHERO by Charles Yu

I seem to recall at least two of the stories in this collection being tops. Liked them enough that I read HOW TO LIVE SAFELY IN A SCIENCE FICTIONAL UNIVERSE.

YESTERDAY’S TOMORROWS v1 ed. by Rian Hughes

This book poured straight down the rabbit hole of my brain. All that’s left is greasy dream memory. Also, there’s a piece by Grant Morrison in it. A Dan Dare story, which is kind of the flipside to the one Garth Ennis did.

THE INSTRUCTIONS by Adam Levin

Most excellent. Somewhat unlike anything I’ve ever read. Effectively, three days in the life of a would-be (Jewish) messiah.

BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE by Grant Morrison

Batman as caveman, Puritan witchfinder, cowboy, private dick… It was better than it should’ve been. That being said, I did not understand the ending of the story.

BATMAN: TIME AND THE BATMAN by Grant Morrison

This one tied up all of the Batman loose ends. This one would not make a good stand-alone read.

THE CRIPPLED GOD by Steven Erikson

The tenth and final volume of THE MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN series. Truly epic. It was bittersweet to reach the end. I’ve only been traveling with these characters for upwards of ten thousand pages. Needless to say, don’t start with this one.

PYONGYANG: A JOURNEY IN NORTH KOREA by Guy Delisle

Whimsical art combined with oppressive totalitarian government makes for truly strange reading.

BLACKSAD by Juan Diaz Canales

Anthropomorphized animals noir it up in this beautifully drawn comic. Compelling title character, too.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-05-08

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-05-01

  • Took Max to his first movie theater movie yesterday: RIO. Asked him what his favorite part was, he said: "All of it!" Super fun! #SMAtuS #
  • For all my parenting friends out there, a "children's" book: http://akashicbooks.com/gothefucktosleep.htm #
  • Max's Uncanny Memory #7948 Asked for a story I told him about Captain Nemo from about 2 months ago. One of the Jack stories. #SMAtuS #
  • Apparently, in my absence, Max has taken to referring to me as "My Shawn". EG: "My Shawn comes home every night." #SMAtuS #
  • @timbooch Say rather, Eureka! :) in reply to timbooch #
  • @sherrardewing Nice write-up! My experience was eerily similar, only involving e-, rather than audio-, books. (Only with Adobe DRM.) in reply to sherrardewing #
  • Max discovers simile! To Sarah: "I love you as fast as a cheetah. I love you as slow as a penguin waddles… as a long giraffe neck" #SMAtuS #
  • Slouching Towards Bethlehem – The King in the Hat http://j.mp/m9xEIO (via Instapaper) #
  • @cruickshank That's horrifying. in reply to cruickshank #
  • Max has realized that cartoon Jackie Chan is real: "How can I get to LOOK like Jackie Chan?" #SMAtuS #
  • Max to Alice: "I love you as big as a garbage truck!" A: "Gargage guck!", puts on baseball hat backward, looks for garbage truck. #SMAtuS #
  • @joecollver You don't have to tell me! :) in reply to joecollver #
  • Alice waved to Chewbacca, beat her chest, said, "Chewba!" Robots in glass cases: Max wonders what fuss is about. #SMAtuS #
  • Just started reading DEER HUNTING WITH JESUS by Joe Bageant. Holy cow, I'm glad I don't live in rural Virginia. #fridayreads #
  • C-3PO said, "Hello, I am C-3PO." Max said, "Hi, I'm Max!" Alice said, "Ack gack!" 40 heads swivel round. #kidswinSeattleCenter #SMAtuS #
  • Max: "Jackie Chan is a Magic Man!" #SMAtuS #
  • Max is out on the mage [balcony], blowing bubbles, and singing to himself: "I miss my Shawn he is gone all day long." Killing me. #SMAtuS #
  • Max to Sarah: "My family works all day. Should I do home work all day?" #SMAtuS #

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-04-24

  • I'd pay cash on the barrelhead to the person who can tell me what Alice means by "ahkoon". #SMAtuS #
  • Taught Max 3 rules of scissor safety. Asked him to repeat them to me. He extrapolated about 15 rules from my 3. "Do not cut nose." #SMAtuS #
  • I've gotten inexplicably clumsy. Crashing into doorways, tripping over imaginary dead turtles, dropping foodstuffs and bags, etc. #SMAtuS #
  • Apparently, Max hates it when people say "perfectimundo". I don't know why, but he said it three times, so it must be true. #SMAtuS #
  • Might be time to think about cutting back on the sugar… http://tinyurl.com/5vekcu2 #
  • TENDER MORSELS by Margo Lanagan: Those who are good are very very good, and those who are bad are horrid. Plus Old Testament-style judgment. #
  • Wow, @onestarwar, I didn't think your profile icon could get any better. Boy was I ever wrong! #
  • @RipOffRed @margolanagan Ah, sweet irony. But I was thinking more about the eye for an eye bit. Also, getting eaten by bears. in reply to RipOffRed #
  • @RipOffRed @margolanagan Also, no need to defend. I *liked* the book. :) in reply to RipOffRed #
  • SANDSTORM by Christopher Rowe: An epic in microcosm. Beautifully self-contained. Surprisingly satisfying Forgotten Realms novel. #
  • The Politics of No: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/17/965571/-No-We-Cant?detail=hide Strong and painful stuff. #
  • @margolanagan HA! The funniest thing I've read all day. Thanks for that. *wiping tear from eye* in reply to margolanagan #
  • @margolanagan Thanks! (So does my 1.5 year old daughter. :) Who I hope will be reading books like yours when she's older. in reply to margolanagan #
  • THE TABORIN SCALE by Lucius Shepard: Short and sweet. Why use 400 pages when you can tell a sharp little story in ~100? That's a big dragon! #
  • Today, I started reading Octavia Butler's PARABLE OF THE SOWER. I've been meaning to read it for at least a decade. #fridayreads #
  • According to LibraryThing stats, I've read a total of 600,000 pages! (If stacked, just taller than the Taj Mahal.) http://bit.ly/gCYimj #
  • Uncanny memory! Max remembers breaking Brian and Jamilah's "octopus toy" from our Santa Cruz visit last year. #SMAtuS #
  • Sarah asked Max what his favorite thing about today was. He pointed to her and said, "You." All together now: Awwwwww. #SMAtuS #
  • Max wants to work in a robot factory when he is a grown up. He doesn't need robot school because he can learn on the job. Smart kid. #SMAtuS #
  • As Sarah was carrying Alice inside from the car, she pointed to the sky and said, "Alice back out!" #SMAtuS #
  • @chowderino Congratulations! I'm basically doing the same thing as I sit here looking out the window… in reply to chowderino #
  • @HillaryJacques It'll probably take me another ten years at least. :) Not bad for an illiterate! #DidIsaythatoutloud in reply to HillaryJacques #
  • @joecollver No, I haven't. I've heard I've the publisher, though. Thanks for the recommendation! in reply to joecollver #
  • Wall Street's dirty, rotten scoundrels – Roger Ebert's
    Journal (via Instapaper) #

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-04-17

  • Max: Alice is working on being a woman. #SMAtuS #
  • THE LIFECYCLE OF SOFTWARE OBJECTS by Ted Chiang: So many things in this short book. AI, obsolete software, robots, early childhood learning. #
  • Alice visited the gorillas today. "Gagilla! Gagilla!" beating her chest. The gorillas were… amused. #SMAtuS #
  • FEERSUM ENDJINN by Iain M. Banks: Bascule's "dialect" was slow-going, painful to read. Liked the book, but not nearly as much as his others. #
  • Felt like I was in a Tennessee Williams play. Every beat, Max had some new strategy for keeping me home. Crying, pleading, etc. #SMAtuS #
  • Alice, while operating sandbox digger (for the first time?): "Oooooh… wow… yaaaay…" (x3) #SMAtuS #
  • I'm looking for an experienced Python programmer to help as a subject matter expert for a course I'm writing. ~2-4 hours/week. Paid! #
  • Everything was fine until I said I had to go to work. The screaming & crying sure woke me up though! #betterthancoffee #brightside? #SMAtuS #
  • Everyone wants to follow @onestarwar! Seriously: I've been learning so much! #
  • Max: Let's go to the tofu store [thai food restaurant] and bring our [chop] sticks! #SMAtuS #
  • Just finished reading SANDSTORM by Christopher Rowe. A D&D Forgotten Realms novel. Open the nostalgia floodgates! #fridayreads #
  • @OrangeTin I dig the profile pic. in reply to OrangeTin #

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-04-10

  • BLACKSAD by Juan Diaz Canales: It's got that film noir thing going on, only all the people are animals. Skeptical? It works gangbusters. #
  • This morning, instead of yelling back at her, Max ran over and gave Alice a hug and a kiss. She stopped yelling. Smart kid. #SMAtuS #
  • Alice won't nap because there's a cement mixer truck set up on the street outside our apartment. This kid loves her heavy machinery! #SMAtuS #
  • PYONGYANG: A JOURNEY IN NORTH KOREA by Guy Delisle: Quietly horrifying. Delisle makes the whole country seem like an oppressive Disneyland. #
  • REDEMPTION IN INDIGO by Karen Lord: A delight. I thought the… wait a minute. Oh hell, I can't remember if I read the book's last pages. #
  • A SICKNESS IN THE FAMILY by Denise Mina: SURPRISE! ENDING! I didn't expect it. Be glad this isn't YOUR family. Jiminy Christmas! #
  • Today's Word on the Duck: KLAXON #
  • @MarsGirl75 You know, I think that's probably where I first learned it too. in reply to MarsGirl75 #
  • @shadalicious http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/5057247588_225f10faca.jpg in reply to shadalicious #
  • @hodgman BRILLIANT! in reply to hodgman #
  • DAYTRIPPER by Gabriel Ba: Fantastic non-linear story centering on the linchpins of one man's life. Truly excellent. #
  • Alice's first conversation: A: "Hi! Hi!" Sarah: "Hi, Alice! How are you?" A: "Good." Excited, with glee: "Good! GOOD!" Beautiful. #SMAtuS #
  • CAGES by Dave McKean: At times, self-indulgent in the worst way. BUT that artwork is stellar. #
  • @radiomaru How about Mark Danielewski's HOUSE OF LEAVES house? in reply to radiomaru #
  • LOCAL by Brian Wood: Boy, I'm glad I'm not in my early 20s anymore. Pretty interesting. #
  • Started reading WINNIE THE POOH with the kids last night. So happy to not read a picture book! Max had a LOT of questions. #SMAtuS #
  • JERUSALEM POKER by Edward Whittemore: Poker in the Holy Land. But oh so much more. #fridayreads #
  • Went for a walk at lunch. In the sun(!) Like I need another distraction from work… #
  • At the park, Sarah: Let's go. Max: But Mom, it's so nice out I can actually see the sun. We have bagels. Let's stay all of the day! #SMAtuS #
  • PROGRAM OR BE PROGRAMMED by Douglas Rushkoff: It's worth thinking about the world we're creating. Also: Learn to Program! #
  • @chowderino @MarsGirl75 Whooo! (Although I find it funny that you told her first… ;) in reply to chowderino #

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-03-27

  • As of now, Adam Levin's THE INSTRUCTIONS is, hands down, the best book I've read in 2011. It's a doorstopper though at 1000+ pages! #
  • Last night, Max asked Sarah to tell him what all of his body parts were. Only he called them "skin pieces". #SMAtuS #
  • The Library of Congress has done a nice redesign of their site: http://www.loc.gov/index.html #
  • Max is a totally different kid when he's running, red-cheeked, in the sun. Could that smile get any bigger? #SMAtuS #
  • Alice is in such a hurry to grow up: not napping plus starting to use the toilet. You don't need to be in such a hurry! #SMAtuS #
  • Opt out of all the junk in your life: http://hotgarbage.org/optout/

    Thanks, Tim! #

  • Red Letter Day for Alice: Going to the park and finding a dump truck filling baseball diamond with dirt. Foot-stompingly exciting! #SMAtuS #
  • Max asked me what "crumble" means. What an interesting word! Crumbles: cookies, castles, cliffs, faces, crackers, rocks, dirt clods. #SMAtuS #
  • Alice sure loves saying "Hi" these days. Ridiculously cute. #SMAtuS #
  • It's a good thing her mama works for a mountaineering school, because I think Alice has her eye on Rainier. #SMAtuS #
  • Max drew something on the computer with a heart. Told Sarah: "So that you will remember my love." #SMAtuS #
  • THE CRIPPLED GOD by Steven Erikson: Every page, even sentence, seems fraught with meaning. Every page turn, the END approaches. #fridayreads #
  • Our car is so soggy… "How soggy is it?" …there's a mushroom growing on the floor! #SMAtuS #ThatCan'tBeHealthy #
  • Alice: too busy teaching herself how to speak to nap. Makes for a LONG day. No one wants her to nap more than Max does. Tables turn. #SMAtuS #

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-03-20

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-03-13

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-03-06

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