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Bold Women in Michigan History
By Birgina Law Burns
Read 4/20/08
This is a collection of 13 short stories detailing famous women in Michigan History. Starting with Marie-Therese Cadillac, wife of the founder of Detroit to a present day labor crusader. This is a book I have been reading off and on since last summer.
Two stories that stick in my mind are of Grace Eldering and Pear Kendrick who worked in the state lab in Grand Rapids and were the first to come up with a sucessful vaccine for whooping cough. http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-15481_19271_19357-137301--,00.html
We take some of these childhood diseases for granted now and forget that not long ago they were devastating to families.
The other was about Genevieve Gillette who was instrumental in establishing the Michigan State Park system. Since one of my great loves (and my other blog) is to go camping, I especially appreciate her contribution to Michigan
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Flash Stop Motion (9)
Flash: Stop Motion
Mark Shultz
read: 4/19/08
This is another JLA book, basically it is a comic strip turned into a novel. I first read the Batman book and liked it, because it gives you more about the characters thinking and emotion that you get in a comic book.
This book was not the best.. it was slow to develop, and while some of it did apply later in the book it was weak. The book did take a turn for the better toward the end where we learn about the true nature of the alien threat to the Earth.. but the ending wasn't memorable.
A book for the true fan, not the casual reader.
Mark Shultz
read: 4/19/08
This is another JLA book, basically it is a comic strip turned into a novel. I first read the Batman book and liked it, because it gives you more about the characters thinking and emotion that you get in a comic book.
This book was not the best.. it was slow to develop, and while some of it did apply later in the book it was weak. The book did take a turn for the better toward the end where we learn about the true nature of the alien threat to the Earth.. but the ending wasn't memorable.
A book for the true fan, not the casual reader.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Pagan Babies (8)
Pagan Babies
Elmore Leonard
read 4/14/08
My first Leonard novel of the year.. and not his strongest work. An odd ball bunch of characters, but you don't get real attached to any of them. A cool twist on this, but some of the details seem to come out too fast, then you wonder where this is going.. everybody had their own angle, but somehow this just doesnt work for me. I hate to say it, but not one of his better works.. it was enjoyable, just not as much as some of his other books.
One intersting twist.. Dutch is keeping up on Detroit in his books.. worked the MGM Grand into this one. You can see the history of Detroit in his books from Hudsons and the Book Cadillac in Swag, to modern day Detroit with the MGM.
Elmore Leonard
read 4/14/08
My first Leonard novel of the year.. and not his strongest work. An odd ball bunch of characters, but you don't get real attached to any of them. A cool twist on this, but some of the details seem to come out too fast, then you wonder where this is going.. everybody had their own angle, but somehow this just doesnt work for me. I hate to say it, but not one of his better works.. it was enjoyable, just not as much as some of his other books.
One intersting twist.. Dutch is keeping up on Detroit in his books.. worked the MGM Grand into this one. You can see the history of Detroit in his books from Hudsons and the Book Cadillac in Swag, to modern day Detroit with the MGM.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Post Office (7)
Post Office
by Charles Bukowski
read 4/8/08
This book was suggested by a co-worker as someone who is "real". The dedication page reads "This is presented as a work of fiction and dedicated to nobody."
It is the thinly veiled biography of the author. He works at the Post Office but does not like it, spends is off hours chasing women and drinking.. lots of drinking. The lives with various women, married, divorced, children, good times and in bad.. the one constant in his life seems to be the Post Office. The thankless job with sadistic supervisors and impossible work loads.
What struck me most was his indifference to everything. Especially his relationships, he is just along for the ride. At one point he develops a system and starts winning at the track. Here he lives the good life.. where every day he goes to the track, drinks, wins, then finds a quiet restaurant to have a big steak and a motel to sleep at. Next day repeat.
At one point he runs into a woman he knows at the track. He tells her he is blue because he attended a funeral of a friend that day.. 3rd funeral in 2 years. Both is parents, now this friend (who was actually a former common-law wife). This is the only mention of the family, yet he spends the next several pages explaining his horse betting system and the calls of each race and how he wins.
The ending of the book has a nice twist to it, while not completely accurate with his life, is none the less a great ending.
The book is interesting not for what he says, but for what he doesn't say, or just hints at.
by Charles Bukowski
read 4/8/08
This book was suggested by a co-worker as someone who is "real". The dedication page reads "This is presented as a work of fiction and dedicated to nobody."
It is the thinly veiled biography of the author. He works at the Post Office but does not like it, spends is off hours chasing women and drinking.. lots of drinking. The lives with various women, married, divorced, children, good times and in bad.. the one constant in his life seems to be the Post Office. The thankless job with sadistic supervisors and impossible work loads.
What struck me most was his indifference to everything. Especially his relationships, he is just along for the ride. At one point he develops a system and starts winning at the track. Here he lives the good life.. where every day he goes to the track, drinks, wins, then finds a quiet restaurant to have a big steak and a motel to sleep at. Next day repeat.
At one point he runs into a woman he knows at the track. He tells her he is blue because he attended a funeral of a friend that day.. 3rd funeral in 2 years. Both is parents, now this friend (who was actually a former common-law wife). This is the only mention of the family, yet he spends the next several pages explaining his horse betting system and the calls of each race and how he wins.
The ending of the book has a nice twist to it, while not completely accurate with his life, is none the less a great ending.
The book is interesting not for what he says, but for what he doesn't say, or just hints at.
Digital Fortress (6)
Digital Fortress
by Dan Brown
read 4/5/08
This is an earlier work by the author of DaVinci Code. Not one of his stronger works. It has the deep mystery like the other books, but it is written like a made for TV movie, constantly cutting back and forth between characters to present un-natuarl suspense.
The premise of the book is that 'Digital Fortress' is an un-breakable encryption process. The out-going head of the NSA is determined to break this, get the glory and the girl. In the end his own ambition is his undoing. The book is clever on how the plot is set up.. but the idea.. to change the code and re-release it un-noticed... I don't think that would work.. the MD5sums would be different.. Yes I know this is fiction, but the basic premise of the story should at least be believable.
Anyway.. the book was just OK.. He is a good writer, but you can skip this book.
by Dan Brown
read 4/5/08
This is an earlier work by the author of DaVinci Code. Not one of his stronger works. It has the deep mystery like the other books, but it is written like a made for TV movie, constantly cutting back and forth between characters to present un-natuarl suspense.
The premise of the book is that 'Digital Fortress' is an un-breakable encryption process. The out-going head of the NSA is determined to break this, get the glory and the girl. In the end his own ambition is his undoing. The book is clever on how the plot is set up.. but the idea.. to change the code and re-release it un-noticed... I don't think that would work.. the MD5sums would be different.. Yes I know this is fiction, but the basic premise of the story should at least be believable.
Anyway.. the book was just OK.. He is a good writer, but you can skip this book.
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