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Secrets Of The Tomb
By Alexandra Robbins
Read 3/27/08
My reading speed is coming up a bit. I stated this book on Monday and finished it on Thursday, not bad, especially considering I wasn't that thrilled with the book.
I think I first heard about the Skull & Bones Society in about 1992 when Geroge HW Bush was running for re-election. I remember reading a short article in Time about it. Somewhere along the line I heard about this book and added it to my book list. I had read Pledged by the same author some years ago and it was OK. The book wasn't the best... It dealt a lot with Yale history and how secret societies came to be. And a lot with how ordinary they are and dispelling myths and such. The book obviously written mainly about the Bush's released in time for the 2002 Election has a pic of both Bush and Kerry (both Bonesmen) on the cover. There is a section about the Bush's and all their connections. And a lot about people in the late 1800's which didn't mean much to me. There was also a confusing section about the author's induction into a secret society (although not mentioned, she was in Scroll & Key). Confusing because I was trying to figure out what it had to do with the rest of the book.
Don't read this and expect to learn much about the Skull and Bones aside from a few stories and traditions. One thing I did find interesting is it is quite small.. they only take 15 people, and it is a Senior Society, so they only server for 1 year. So that means at any given time there are only about 800 living members... Seems like an awful big fuss for such a small group.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Paul Delvaux
My reading has slowed considerably this year, but I am still reading. I am also looking through a lot of art books, that I don't really consider reading because they are not novels, but I will include them in my blog with some information on them.
First one is Paul Delvaux, Graphic Work
I have seen Delvaux's work in a Surrealist book, and a few other art references. This book was entirely of etchings he did in the 1970's They all look like line drawing and are mostly model studies that do not have some of the rich settings of his painting. Additionally these were in black and white with the occasional that had color added. The book was a further disappointment as it was a catalog, just listing number of prints, how signed etc. No information on the actual art. So this wasn't quite what I was hoping for, and mostly it looks like these were done quickly for commercial release and many of the models had the same look. Will continue to look for other works of Delvaux.
First one is Paul Delvaux, Graphic Work
I have seen Delvaux's work in a Surrealist book, and a few other art references. This book was entirely of etchings he did in the 1970's They all look like line drawing and are mostly model studies that do not have some of the rich settings of his painting. Additionally these were in black and white with the occasional that had color added. The book was a further disappointment as it was a catalog, just listing number of prints, how signed etc. No information on the actual art. So this wasn't quite what I was hoping for, and mostly it looks like these were done quickly for commercial release and many of the models had the same look. Will continue to look for other works of Delvaux.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
3001 (4)
3001
Arthur C Clarke
read 3/19/08
A co-worker is a sci-fi fan and loaned me this book. It is the last installment of the 2001 saga.. and I have to be honest I had to look up to see if Arthur C Clarke was still alive. So it is ironic that he passed away on the day I finished the book. I was not familiar with 2001 in 1982 when I saw the 2010 movie.. I liked it but didn't follow a lot of the story. At the time my father was in the book of the month club.. where you have to send in the cards if you DONT want the book. He forgot once and received 2010. After seeing the movie I read the book and it made more sense. In time I saw 2001 and last year read the 3rd book in the series... it sort of leaves you hanging at the end, so it was nice to read the final installment. Clarke has an easy style of writing that is fun and quick to read. The book is worthwhile, especially if you have read the others, and if you are not familiar with the whole saga, start at the begining.
Arthur C Clarke
read 3/19/08
A co-worker is a sci-fi fan and loaned me this book. It is the last installment of the 2001 saga.. and I have to be honest I had to look up to see if Arthur C Clarke was still alive. So it is ironic that he passed away on the day I finished the book. I was not familiar with 2001 in 1982 when I saw the 2010 movie.. I liked it but didn't follow a lot of the story. At the time my father was in the book of the month club.. where you have to send in the cards if you DONT want the book. He forgot once and received 2010. After seeing the movie I read the book and it made more sense. In time I saw 2001 and last year read the 3rd book in the series... it sort of leaves you hanging at the end, so it was nice to read the final installment. Clarke has an easy style of writing that is fun and quick to read. The book is worthwhile, especially if you have read the others, and if you are not familiar with the whole saga, start at the begining.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Dali (3)
Dali
Robert Radford
read 3/10/08
Hmm.. I seem to be on the schedule of a book a month, I need to pick that up some! This book was a biography of Dali, and it was neither good nor bad. It was not a lot about Dali.. but a look at his work in the context of what was going on around Dali at each time. It covers his entire life from birth to death but does not go into a lot of detail on any part.. save the Surealist movement which it gives a lot of detail on.. more about the movement itself then Dalis part of it. The book is filled with wonderful images and it speaks about the times in his life that he created them. The book is good for that and includes some works I was not familiar with, and many personal photographs. I did not learn much more about Dali that I did not already know, but it was worthwhile, none the less.
Book is more for the person familiar with Dali who want to see a perspective of his work.. not so much for the casual fan.
Robert Radford
read 3/10/08
Hmm.. I seem to be on the schedule of a book a month, I need to pick that up some! This book was a biography of Dali, and it was neither good nor bad. It was not a lot about Dali.. but a look at his work in the context of what was going on around Dali at each time. It covers his entire life from birth to death but does not go into a lot of detail on any part.. save the Surealist movement which it gives a lot of detail on.. more about the movement itself then Dalis part of it. The book is filled with wonderful images and it speaks about the times in his life that he created them. The book is good for that and includes some works I was not familiar with, and many personal photographs. I did not learn much more about Dali that I did not already know, but it was worthwhile, none the less.
Book is more for the person familiar with Dali who want to see a perspective of his work.. not so much for the casual fan.
Funeral In Berlin (2)
Funeral In Berlin
Len Deighton
Read 2/12/08
My first real book of the year is Deighton, one of my favorites. This book, one of his early works with the un-named anti-hero is a great example of his work. I enjoyed this book.. and it underlines the weariness of the cold-war spy.. how pointless a lot of the work seems and in the end.. you are part of something much bigger and your part has little to do with the eventual outcome.
A great book.. by one of my favorite authors!
Len Deighton
Read 2/12/08
My first real book of the year is Deighton, one of my favorites. This book, one of his early works with the un-named anti-hero is a great example of his work. I enjoyed this book.. and it underlines the weariness of the cold-war spy.. how pointless a lot of the work seems and in the end.. you are part of something much bigger and your part has little to do with the eventual outcome.
A great book.. by one of my favorite authors!
Diego Rivera : science and creativity in the Detroit murals
Diego Rivera : science and creativity in the Detroit murals
Dorothy McMeekin
Read 1/1/08
Started off the year by finishing a book. This was an indepth look at the Rivera murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts. I was planning on going there and wanted to read some more of the background first. It is amazing the details and realistic things he puts into his murals. To actually see the murals is ... amazing.. I am at a loss of words to describe it.
This is probably a good book to start on as I have become very interested in art and thus starts my education into the subject. Education is probably the wrong word. I am interested in Surealist most of all Dali.. but I will be sampling others works.
I have left my evening job and my reading has slowed considerably. I just need to make the effort to read, as I do enjoy it.. and I love reading a LOT of book.
Dorothy McMeekin
Read 1/1/08
Started off the year by finishing a book. This was an indepth look at the Rivera murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts. I was planning on going there and wanted to read some more of the background first. It is amazing the details and realistic things he puts into his murals. To actually see the murals is ... amazing.. I am at a loss of words to describe it.
This is probably a good book to start on as I have become very interested in art and thus starts my education into the subject. Education is probably the wrong word. I am interested in Surealist most of all Dali.. but I will be sampling others works.
I have left my evening job and my reading has slowed considerably. I just need to make the effort to read, as I do enjoy it.. and I love reading a LOT of book.
Books for 2007
Here are the books I read in 2007:
1/8/2007 The Joy Of Work Scott Adams
1/16/2007 George Burns: Hundred Year Dash George Burns
2/1/2007 The Mammoth Hunters Jean M Auel
2/15/2007 Ford, The Men And The Machine Robert Lacey
2/21/2007 Lansing Unlimited Arthur Russell Lauder
3/3/2007 Setting The Pace Helen Jones Early and James T. Walkinshaw
3/4/2007 The Essential Salvador Dali Robert Goff
3/11/2007 Hunting With Hemingway Hilary Hemingway and Jeffrey P. Lindsay
3/19/2007 In Our Time / Nick Adams Stories Ernest Hemingway
3/29/2007 The Plains of Passage Jean M Auel
4/5/2007 The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood
4/12/2007 Cat's Eye Margaret Atwood
4/16/2007 Cannery Row John Steinbeck
4/18/2007 Ernest Hemingway Fished Here Larry Wakefield
4/20/2007 Whiff of Death Isaac Asimov
4/28/2006 Treasure Clive Cussler
5/2/2007 Sole Survivor Dean Koontz
5/9/2007 Rose Martin Cruz Smith
5/14/2007 Eaters Of The Dead Michael Crichton
5/28/2007 The Naïve and Sentimental Lover John LeCarre
6/3/2007 The Billion Dollar Brain Len Deighton
6/6/2007 Get Shorty Elmore Leonard
6/10/2007 Be Cool Elmore Leonard
6/11/2007 A Coyote's in the House Elmore Leonard
6/14/2007 The Bounty Hunters Elmore Leonard
6/27/2007 Manhattan Nocturne Colin Harrison
7/5/2007 Sin City Harold Robbins
7/13/2007 Sahara Clive Cussler
7/16/2007 The Eighth Commandment Lawrence Sanders
7/19/2007 Nighfall Isaac Asimov
7/24/2007 Rising Sun Michael Crichton
7/26/2007 No Shirt. No Shoes.. NO PROBLEM! Jeff Foxworthy
8/7/2007 The Seventh Commandment Lawrence Sanders
8/15/2007 Yesterdays Spy Len Deighton
8/17/2007 Map And Compass Cliff Jacobson
8/22/2007 Hitler's Secret Life Glenn B. Infield
8/27/2007 Touch Elmore Leonard
9/6/2007 Stalins Ghost Martin Cruz Smith
Wheels Arthur Hailey
Svelenta Martin Ebon
Decent From Xanadu Harold Robbins
Murder On The Grand Christopher Meehan
9/25/2007 The Mediterranean Caper Clive Cussler
10/11/2007 Main Street Sinclair Lewis
10/21/2007 Sphere Michael Crichton
In the Shadows of the Net Patrick Carnes
Hoolies True Yooper Tales Jim Hoolie Decalire
The Storyteller Harold Robbins
12/3/2007 The Perfect Spy John LeCarre
12/12/2007 Killshot Elmore Leonard
JLA Wonder Woman Mythos Carol Lay
12/31/2007 Where the Lilies Bloom Vera Cleaver
I did something different with my reading this year and tried to concentrate on longer books rather than sheer quantity of book. I got though the Jean Auel books and a few other long ones I had. My total was way down.. and mostly because my reading dropped off at the end of the year.
As I look over the list nothing really leaps out at me.. there were some good book including the new one by Martin Cruz Smith.. perhaps the best surprise was Wheels by Huxley... even though it is 40 years old it was still very on point.. and very good in his insight to what did happen in the auto industry in the 80s.
1/8/2007 The Joy Of Work Scott Adams
1/16/2007 George Burns: Hundred Year Dash George Burns
2/1/2007 The Mammoth Hunters Jean M Auel
2/15/2007 Ford, The Men And The Machine Robert Lacey
2/21/2007 Lansing Unlimited Arthur Russell Lauder
3/3/2007 Setting The Pace Helen Jones Early and James T. Walkinshaw
3/4/2007 The Essential Salvador Dali Robert Goff
3/11/2007 Hunting With Hemingway Hilary Hemingway and Jeffrey P. Lindsay
3/19/2007 In Our Time / Nick Adams Stories Ernest Hemingway
3/29/2007 The Plains of Passage Jean M Auel
4/5/2007 The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood
4/12/2007 Cat's Eye Margaret Atwood
4/16/2007 Cannery Row John Steinbeck
4/18/2007 Ernest Hemingway Fished Here Larry Wakefield
4/20/2007 Whiff of Death Isaac Asimov
4/28/2006 Treasure Clive Cussler
5/2/2007 Sole Survivor Dean Koontz
5/9/2007 Rose Martin Cruz Smith
5/14/2007 Eaters Of The Dead Michael Crichton
5/28/2007 The Naïve and Sentimental Lover John LeCarre
6/3/2007 The Billion Dollar Brain Len Deighton
6/6/2007 Get Shorty Elmore Leonard
6/10/2007 Be Cool Elmore Leonard
6/11/2007 A Coyote's in the House Elmore Leonard
6/14/2007 The Bounty Hunters Elmore Leonard
6/27/2007 Manhattan Nocturne Colin Harrison
7/5/2007 Sin City Harold Robbins
7/13/2007 Sahara Clive Cussler
7/16/2007 The Eighth Commandment Lawrence Sanders
7/19/2007 Nighfall Isaac Asimov
7/24/2007 Rising Sun Michael Crichton
7/26/2007 No Shirt. No Shoes.. NO PROBLEM! Jeff Foxworthy
8/7/2007 The Seventh Commandment Lawrence Sanders
8/15/2007 Yesterdays Spy Len Deighton
8/17/2007 Map And Compass Cliff Jacobson
8/22/2007 Hitler's Secret Life Glenn B. Infield
8/27/2007 Touch Elmore Leonard
9/6/2007 Stalins Ghost Martin Cruz Smith
Wheels Arthur Hailey
Svelenta Martin Ebon
Decent From Xanadu Harold Robbins
Murder On The Grand Christopher Meehan
9/25/2007 The Mediterranean Caper Clive Cussler
10/11/2007 Main Street Sinclair Lewis
10/21/2007 Sphere Michael Crichton
In the Shadows of the Net Patrick Carnes
Hoolies True Yooper Tales Jim Hoolie Decalire
The Storyteller Harold Robbins
12/3/2007 The Perfect Spy John LeCarre
12/12/2007 Killshot Elmore Leonard
JLA Wonder Woman Mythos Carol Lay
12/31/2007 Where the Lilies Bloom Vera Cleaver
I did something different with my reading this year and tried to concentrate on longer books rather than sheer quantity of book. I got though the Jean Auel books and a few other long ones I had. My total was way down.. and mostly because my reading dropped off at the end of the year.
As I look over the list nothing really leaps out at me.. there were some good book including the new one by Martin Cruz Smith.. perhaps the best surprise was Wheels by Huxley... even though it is 40 years old it was still very on point.. and very good in his insight to what did happen in the auto industry in the 80s.
Where The Lilies Bloom (52)
Where The Lilies Bloom
Vera & Bill Cleaver
Read 12/31/07
I grabbed this at the library book sale one day. I vaugly remember this as a movie.. The book is somewhat interesting. Basically a young family.. the mother has died a few years earlier, and the father is now dying. He makes the 14 yr old daughter (second oldest) not to let the family get broken up.. Which basically means not to let anybody know that the father died. Also to make sure the oldest daughter who is 18 does not marry the middle aged neighbor man.
The family tries to stick together and make due in the snow and cold with little money. They do their best to keep the people at bay and not let them know they are alone.
The book was interesting but wraps up very quickly in a tidy happy ending. What I wonder most is if this is based on a true story, or if it is all fictional.
Vera & Bill Cleaver
Read 12/31/07
I grabbed this at the library book sale one day. I vaugly remember this as a movie.. The book is somewhat interesting. Basically a young family.. the mother has died a few years earlier, and the father is now dying. He makes the 14 yr old daughter (second oldest) not to let the family get broken up.. Which basically means not to let anybody know that the father died. Also to make sure the oldest daughter who is 18 does not marry the middle aged neighbor man.
The family tries to stick together and make due in the snow and cold with little money. They do their best to keep the people at bay and not let them know they are alone.
The book was interesting but wraps up very quickly in a tidy happy ending. What I wonder most is if this is based on a true story, or if it is all fictional.
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