Some Book Recommendations
I mentioned back in January that I’ve been reading more. So far I’ve read around 23 books this year. I’m not sure if that’s a big or small number. It feels small to me, but that’s because I have a kid who doesn’t let me read (or do anything quiet) for more than a few minutes at a time. Either way, I feel bad about not posting anything here in almost six months, so here’s some good books I’ve read since January:
The Cuckoo’s Egg
Not a recent book by any means, but a really fun read. My first exposure to Cliff Stoll was via Numberphile videos and his love of Klein bottles. At some point, this book got mentioned and I thought it sounded fun. It was a great read and absolutely holds up, despite the now-ancient tech landscape (which if anything, makes it more interesting).
When the Moon Hits Your Eye
John Scalzi books are generally great and his new one is no exception. It examines how the world would react if the moon suddenly turned in to cheese (yep). Without spoiling it, there’s a lot of different reactions, good and bad.
The ending got a bit too real, though.
Humans: A Brief History of How We F**ked It All Up
I’ve been trying to balance reading fiction with nonfiction. I think I’ve now read three different books that are a brief/short history of the world. All were good, but this one takes the cake for just being funny.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
I wanted to try a spy novel so I went for a classic, and yeah, it’s a classic for a reason. A little slow at times, but still fascinating. Plus it gave me an excuse to re-watch the movie which I haven’t seen since college (which also holds up pretty well).
They Came for the Schools
This one got a mention recently on a podcast I listen to, and I thought I might as well be aware of how school boards can go wrong. Especially since my daughter is starting kindergarten, so I need to start actually paying attention to what’s happening in my local school district.
As far as knowing what to look for, this book was great. As far has how to fight this kind of conservative take-over, I was left lacking. This book examines one such takeover of a district board in Texas, but ends with the conservatives still in charge. Kind of a bummer, but still an important book.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
What a fucking lovely book. Wonderful characters, wonderful world-building, and some plot in-between. I’m starting on the second book in the series now, but this one can stand on it’s own.