What are you reading this week of January 15, 2017?

[hermetic]

Still reading Snow Crash. Haven't had much reading time due to being blind-sided by one of the worst winter storms to ever hit this area. A REAL snow crash. Yuck. Thought I'd moved away from that sort of thing. Anyway, I must say this book is turning out to be more than I expected. It is getting into some mind-blowing stuff about language.


I just watched Stephen King's Dead Zone. Someone on DU had mentioned that it seemed rather prophetic so I got it from the library. For a while I was wondering what the great insight was. Then, POW. Way to see the future, Mr. King. Of course our real outcome remains to be seen. Good story, though.

You reading anything prophetic this week? Or just trying to stay away from reality?

[TexasProgresive]

1. Still being mesmerized by Mitch Albom, "The Magic Stings of Frankie Presto"

Part of this story takes place in Franco's Spain. I hope this paragraph is not prophetic.

Perhaps you are wondering about Baffa (the titled character's foster father picked up by Franco's men), that poor simple soul. Frankie wondered, too. In the beginning, he asked El Maestro (his teacher) about his papa every morning, but there was no word. I have mentioned how the fear of tyrants chokes humans; to even inquire about a "disappeared person" in those years meant you might be next. The world was at war, Spain was under martial law, and anything that offended the Generalísimo's political or religious beliefs was punished by prison, even death. El Maestro told the boy it was too dangerous to speak about Baffa outside the house.

[hermetic]

2. True that

Of course we've seen this time and again in other countries. Just never expected to see it here. Not that we will. But I'm sure not betting on anything at this point.

[getting old in mke]

3. Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison

Post-apocalytic journey.

Pandemic, 98% men die and 99.8% of women. All children and mothers in childbirth going forward.

Heroine is a labor and delivery nurse who, after recovering, starts a journey to survive, provide birth control, and ultimately try to fit into some community somewhere.

Dark, ugly, and raw for much of it--society did not collapse into neat little communities banding together. Rather it is primarily raiding parties of men with women owned by them. It's the other-than-primarily groups that make her continue to live.

Pretty good look at the conflict within her as well as outside.

[shenmue]

4. The Seventh Woman, Frederique Molay

[Paladin]

5. "Infamous" by Ace Atkins (2010)

First-rate true crime novel, based on George "Machine Gun" Kelly's kidnapping of a wealthy Oklahoma oilman in 1933. Extremely well-done; would make a great Coen Bros. movie. The more I read of Ace Atkins' work, the bigger a fan I am.

[hermetic]

6. As a big Coen Bros. fan

I will check him out. I see they have one book in my library. Thanks.