What are you reading this week of January 29, 2017?
Finally finished Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. That was quite an unusual book. It certainly stirs some thinking about a potential reason why we humans act the way we do. Maybe. It started out great, got into some really deep mystical stuff, but then turned into a hot mess. It would make a good action-packed movie but it wasn't easy to follow on the page, for me anyway. I kept nodding off during the "exciting" parts. Plus the characters were rather flat, one-dimensional. Some serious stereotyping. The ending was just sort of "MEH." Not a terrible book but not really a great one either, IMO.
Now I'm busy, busy, busy with Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle. Shout out to DUer longship who suggested it. I'm loving it, again. We are certainly now witnessing an epic granfalloon. I think the saying, "Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God" must have lodged itself firmly in my psyche back when I was a teen and then became my leitmotif.
What are you busy, busy, busy reading this week?
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It is about the work of Ansel O'Banion and Homer Lea to raise funds and raise and train an army of Chinese military leaders in the US for a revolution in China against the Manchu government and to end the Qing Dynasty-- also known as the Xinhai Revolution.
The turning point was the Wuchang Uprising on October 10, 1911- thus the name Double Ten. The success established the Republic of China. Both men also met with Sun Yat-Sen and other Chinese revolutionary leaders in the US..
With the later defeat of the Chiang's Nationalists 1949 by Mao, Chiang moved the government to "Taiwan."
Both Taiwan (ROC) and and PRC still celebrate Oct 10. And therin lies the rub. :>
))
it is a really fascinating tale. full of intrigue, secret meetings, smuggling people from the US to China, etc etc.. I had no idea of this part of history.
What is a title of one of his books? Or the series? Thanks!
I love Buddhism. It is clear, intelligent and doesn't require belief, but personal experience.
is The Skull Mantra. It won the Edgar Award for First Best Novel in 1999, I believe. Now it has become known as the Inspector Shan Tao Yun series. Nine books with one out this year! Yes, Buddhism is a practice, not a belief. Like yoga. Good for you. 
I'm going to seek these books out now. 
May all beings be safe
May all beings be healed
May all beings have peace
Spider has written so many books, going back to 1977 and they sound like fun. There's a whole series about a neighborhood tavern where time travelers and aliens meet and share stories. Sounds like a cosmic Cheers. His latest is My Favorite Shorts. Mine is some cargo shorts with 6 velcro-close pockets that I can carry all my...oh, wait. Never mind. 
Both by himself and in conjunction with Lincoln Child. Fun things.
Steve Berry's my go-to guy in that space.
I've actually spent some time talking to Lee Child at mystery conventions. Nothing earth shattering, although we did talk about my dad who started reading fiction after the age of 80 and had enjoyed Reacher so much. He's very approachable, at least in these settings. That's my name dropping for the day 
Where I was at the time of the post was more "getting back" to the mystery/adventure/espionage sort of things, being surprised at my stay in dystopia.
Thanks for the suggestions!
