December Reading Thread

Is “cybernetics” still in common use anymore? It has the ring of “information superhighway” about it.

Elentarri said:

Do you have any recommendations for my second Virginia Woolf book?

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I've only read one other book by Woolf, and I loved it, so, in answer to your question: Orlando.

Extollager is right about the frozen Thames portion of the book; it is impressive. And would be my favorite part of the story, except that I loved the Elizabethan beginning equally.

I haven't had much to say for quite a while, on the site or in this thread, and the reason is that over the course of several months I found myself unable to finish any books, even books by authors I have enjoyed in the past. I started dozens but could not get past the first few pages or, at most, the first couple of chapters. Since the problem seemed to be with me—partly due to physical ailments and partly a vicious bout of depression— rather than with the books themselves, I haven't mentioned any of them (and I won't). But I've been better, mentally if not physically, just in the last week or two, to the extent that I've been able to take pleasure in rereading some old favorites.

So yesterday I started reading something new, The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door, by H. G. Parry, some of whose books were among those that fell by the wayside after a few pages. But this sounded promising and I seemed to be improving, so I thought I'd give it a try. And it proved sufficiently engaging that I actually read it all the way through. The setting is a college where magic is taught, the backstory involves WWI, and the actual action of the plot takes place during the 1920s, in a Britain much like that of our world, except for the magical element. Indeed, it's treatment of class and gender seemed quite true to the time period, and was integral to the story. The pace was a bit slow, but the characters were interesting, the style quite readable, the magic bits intriguing, and hooray! finally a winner—a book where I, as a reader, finally reached the finish line.

So now I am thinking I might give some of Parry's other books a second chance.

Teresa Edgerton said:

I've only read one other book by Woolf, and I loved it, so, in answer to your question: Orlando.

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Thank you!

THE YAGE LETTERS REDUX. Editor
Oliver Harris. 2006.

Danny McG said:

I'm finishing Come, hunt an Earthman by Philip E High...not as good as I remembered it from decades ago.
At the same time I was plodding my way through Nether Station by Kevin J Anderson - it got very dull but I persevered to see what happened at the end, and I got a weird cliff hanger and a "to be continued in the next book"

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I make a point when writing my current series to always "finish" the last book I write as at my age it might just be the last book I write so I don't to leave my readers on a cliffhanger

I am back on Cormac McCarthy's The Crossing I left it off as I was reading Butter by Asako Yuzuki so I could discuss it with my wife and I also wanted to finish Terraformers by Annalee Newitz.
I am enjoying the Crossing, despite huge chunks of Spanish which I have to get my wife to translate.
I enjoyed Butter, it gave me a window into Japanese culture and its treatment of women but I felt at times it could be a little too much telling (Whether this was down to the author or the translator I don't know). So you tended to get speeches like "I like (some unhealthy food) I know it isn't good for me and I should eat more healthily but I don't have the time with my busy schedule". It came across as if I'd said, "I like going to the pub but I know alchohol is unhealthy for me yet it makes me feel relaxed." It just seemed clunky.
Terraformers was very imaginative and there were some excellent sci-fi ideas in it but overall I found it oddly innoffensive, like a perfectly adequate fast food chain meal. For the most part the cast seem terribly nice save for a few cartoon villian corporate types. There was nothing to dislike, I loved the world building and the science and it concluded satisfactorily but it didn't fire me up for more.

dask said:

Is “cybernetics” still in common use anymore? It has the ring of “information superhighway” about it.

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Well, it's still a term used for a certain area of study, a little hard to define exactly, that means more than just "computers."

Patrick Harpur "Mercurius"

sigh.

420 page novel plus 50 pages of fairly erudite notes. The author's intention is to communicate his insights into the work of personal transformation through alchemy , while wrapping these up within the structure of a novel (a vicar is conducting the magnum opus in his basement). He is clearly well read on the subject and has given it much thought, probably over some years. Some parts (near the end) I found interesting, but the rest less so....
Alchemy is a challenging and frustrating subject to research..... and the gold of understanding elusive.