Book List: November/December 2014

17. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
18. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

Prior to these, the only Gaiman I'd really read were one Sandman story and Good Omens, which he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett. Between those and the high praise I'd heard from others, I knew I was in for some good reading.

And boy, was I. There is so much going on in these books, and all of it great--comedy, darkness, folklore, and just generally kick-ass writing. I doubt there's anything I could say that you haven't already heard about Gaiman...unless nobody has told you to read him. In which case, do that. I don't know if I'd put him as high on the "READ NOW" list as Bradbury, but he's on there.

This was the last of three B&N hardcovers I got for my birthday last year. Now I just have to read the ones I picked up for my birthday this year.


19. The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean

"Here's a book of stories about various elements and the periodic table!" I know, you're excited too. It actually was pretty interesting, as many elements have interesting histories, both in their discovery and the things they were used for. (South Dakota's own!) Sam Kean does a good job of taking these stories and making them fun to read.

After finishing this, I was only down to one more book that my sister gave me. I'm about a hundred pages or so into that one as of this writing.


20. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
21. The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells
22. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

Back to the B&N hardcovers! This one has seven Wells stories--two I was familiar with but had never read, two I hadn't read since middle school, and three I'd never heard of. I haven't made it very far into the book...not sure if it's not holding my interest, or I'm just not in a reading mood.

I was fairly familiar with The Time Machine, as I watched part of a movie version once. Turns out they added quite a bit to pad out the plot, because the story is really short. Still, it's a good sci-fi tale, and the epilogue has some sappy hopefulness that I enjoy.

Wasn't quite as enamored with the Island of Doctor Moreau. The premise is interesting, but there just doesn't seem to be a whole lot to it. I guess it's relying on the reader being horrified by Moreau's crimes against nature...but man, I've got the internet. I see a dozen more disturbing things before I finish my coffee. It probably helps to look at it in comparison to other pieces from the time.

The Invisible Man holds up better. It helps that, unlike the first two, it's mostly told as a standard written story rather than a flashback; the first two read like someone's long-winded story of their vacation to Fucking Crazyland. There is an extended "this is how it all happened to me" part, and things kind of slow down...but as Diana Rigg once said, "It's plot exposition; it has to go somewhere."

Book List: July-Oct 2014

15. Never Unprepared: The Complete Game Master's Guide to Session Prep by Phil Vecchione

My friend Steve told me about this one, as I'd been looking to run an RPG came/campaign for a while. A lot of it is just sort of general overview on how to be more prepared, but later in the book there's a few concrete details and methods on how to set up your game.

I did not use any of these, of course, and I think my players can attest to that. But in case I ever want to actually prepare, I know where to find information on that sort of thing.

16. River of Doubt by Candice Millard

One of my few forays into non-fiction, River of Doubt details Teddy Roosevelt's exploration of an uncharted river in the Amazon. It took me a while to get through it, as I got into one of my "not in the mood to read" moods for a while. When I was able to stay focused on it, I was treated to a fascinating struggle of man vs. nature, and often times man vs. man. Almost everything that could go wrong did, and yet somehow the majority of the expedition managed to survive (though not without cost, as the injuries and infections Roosevelt acquired led to his death a few years later.)

Some of the most interesting moments came when the book switched to the perspective of the Cinta Larga tribe, who inhabited the region. It was revealed later in the book that the expedition was such a momentous event that it became part of their oral history.

(This book was a Christmas gift from my aunt, who specializes in awesome Christmas gifts.)