Sunday, April 3, 2016

Daily Thoughts 04/03/2016

Wolfe-Over-My-Dead-Body.jpg
Over My Dead Body, Rex Stout, Nero Wolfe, Cover by Carl Mueller, The American Magazine, 1940

Daily Thoughts 04/03/2016

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook this morning.

Last night, I read Into the Maelstrom by David Drake and John Lambshead.  This is military science fiction.  Allen Allenson is the general for the Cutter Stream colonies.  He is fighting to free his homeworld from the influence of New Brasilia.  It is the second book in the series, Into the Hinterlands.  I read the first seven chapters as an e-book available as a sample through Baen books.  Then I checked out the hardcover from my library.

What is different with this story is that the general does not always win.  There are retreats and losses.  Also, there is as much skulduggery, espionage, and politics as there are battles.  Battles are won with tactics, strategy, and subterfuge.  One of the better parts of this book is that Allen Allenson loses a major battle, then retreats and rearms with the help of Terrans.  This makes for a thoughtful story.

I am looking at Bookwire which lists forthcoming books. http://www.bookwire.com

I went and had my taxes done today.  While I was waiting, I finished reading The Never Open Desert Diner A Novel by James Anderson.  I rather liked the setting on the edge of a sparsely populated desert with colorful characters.  The main character is a hard on his luck truck driver who delivers shipments to the locals.  The mystery in this novel is a bit different.  It has to do with history, family, and being different.  It had an eccentric appeal to it.  Many of the characters are hiding from the law, or want to be left alone in their own way.

I also liked that the novel had no literary pretenses and often described hard luck situations where people were barely surviving.  This novel combines noir and mystery elements in a unique setting with strong characterization.

Web Bits


How do you get Prisoners to Read?  Build a Library Like The One in This Jail

National Library Week-- If There Is Ever a Time To Read This is It

Artificial Intelligence

Who Will Own the Robots?

Welcome to the New Drone City

It even has some statements about libraries.

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