“Shadowmarch: Shadowmarch: Volume I” by Tad Williams
Big Tad Williams fan. I got into him while I was in the army, when he released the first two books of his fantasy series “Memory, Sorrow & Thorn,” which was the best thing of it’s kind I’d read since “Lord of the Rings.” Years later, I devoured his massive, four-book series “Otherworld” (amazing). So far, this one’s right up there with the rest of his work. I am awestruck by his ability to create so many simultaneous plotlines, each of which suck you in and keep things moving at a pretty good clip.
Recent books:
“Kids, Parents, and Power Struggles: Winning For a Lifetime” by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
I’m pretty sure everybody enters into parenthood believing that they’re going to be able to improve upon the manner in which their own parents handled the inevitable power struggles that arise between parent and child, but I’m increasingly realizing that the only tool I learned to carry around in my conflict-resolution toolbox is a hammer. This book — like a couple others by Kurcinka that I’ve read — offers some insightful approaches that require some serious self evaluation. Given the stakes, it seems worth the effort.
“Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time” by Valerie Bertinelli
Wonder Woman read this months ago, and told me I would enjoy it, as it was largely filled with tales about Eddie Van Halen (and we all know by now about me and Van Halen, right?). I flew through it in a couple of nights a while back … but never got around to adding it here. Easy read. She’s very engaging, and the Van Halen stuff would definitely be of interest to any VH fans out there.
My only in-person encounter with Valerie was on the day I spent at the studio on her and Eddie’s estate. She walked into the room I was in and said, “Where is he?” I had a pretty good idea who she meant, but I wasn’t crazy about being talked to like the hired help, so I said, “Where’s who?” “My husband,” she answered. “I have no idea,” I told her. And that was the sum total of my Valerie Bertinelli encounter. (Of course, based on all the bullshit she put up with from him for all those years, I can’t really blame her for being a bit grumpy.)
“Farewell, My Lovely” by Raymond Chandler
So I’m a Chandler/Philip Marlowe fan now.
The library copy of “The Big Sleep” turned out to be a two-fer: “The Big Sleep” and “Farewell My Lovely” housed in the same binding.
I found myself squirming a bit because of the story’s overtly racist content. Originally published in 1940, the book predates the civil-rights movement and desegregation by a long shot. The casual throwing around of the N-word and other derogatory terms is a bit disconcerting … but it does make for a fascinating study of the period during which it was written.
Chandler doesn’t write with quite the same conciseness and clarity as Parker, but the similarities are clear. Still, this one felt like a bit more of an effort to read. I’m sure I’ll read the rest of Chandler’s stuff, but I could use a break after lumbering through this one.
“The Big Sleep” by Raymond Chandler
One of the only books Robert B. Parker has authored that I haven’t read is “Perchance to Dream,” which is billed as a sequel to Raymond Chandler’s “The Big Sleep.”
From the first page, it’s clear what an influence Chandler had on Parker. Chandler’s Los Angeles-based P.I. (Philip Marlowe) is the 1930s version of Parker’s Boston P.I. (Spenser). The two authors’ writing styles are almost indiscernible.
Thoroughly enjoyed the book, and that enjoyment was enhanced by the added quirk of reading something from a different era, complete with all the pop-culture references and ultra-dated expressions of the day. Reading it felt like watching a classic black-and-white film. Pretty sure I’ll be reading all of Chandler’s novels now.
» Amazing Trips
“Take four-year-old triplets and a one-year-old toddler, add in two parents that juggle part-time careers and train for triathlons in their spare time …”
» At Large
My former editor and, more importantly, a fine and funny writer.
» blurbomat
The husband of Heather “dooce” Armstrong.
» Crankopotamus
My good friend Dave, another fine writer.
» dooce
The preeminent “Mommy Blogger” … and the woman whose blog inspired me to start my own.
» Finslippy
Alice Bradley, about whom I originally wrote a brief and utterly lame-ass description. She’s way cooler than that. Just go read her blog, OK?
» Fussy
OK, so I read a lot of mommy bloggers … and she’s another very talented one.
» i am bossy
“i am bossy is not an advice blog. It’s not a mom blog, or a political blog. It is the whimsical, scattershot effort of Georgia Getz.”
» Laid Off Dad
Great writer. Plus, us dads gotta stick together.
» Leah Peah
She writes, she shoots, she paints, she rocks. ’nuff said.
» Loralee's Looney Tunes
Kicking adversity in the ass … in a totally bubbly and charming fashion. Go figure.
» LOST and FOUND in INDIA
A blog from a British-passport-holding Aussie woman who lives in a village in India seeking the spiritual essence of life.
» The Pioneer Woman
Kind of like Martha Stewart—if Martha Stewart lived on a massive cattle ranch in Oklahoma, was less uptight and had a better sense of humor.
» Zeldman
Author of “Designing with Web Standards,” the book that changed my web-design life. Also a fine writer.
Links
» 2004 World Champs
Killer archive of The Boston Globe’s coverage of the Red Sox’s 2004 postseason run.
» Apple
Yeah, they have a small market share; so does Lamborghini. Toyota’s Camry is the most popular car in America. Guess which one I’d rather drive.
» Gravatar
Have your personal photo/avatar show up when you leave a blog comment.
» Howard Stern
I’ve been listening for almost two decades, and I’ve only aged about half as much during that same time period thanks to all the laughter.
» NIN
You really couldn’t pick a better artist to latch on to than Mr. Trent Reznor and his Nine Inch Nails, whose website is often updated multiple times per day, and whose music is now distributed through the site itself, often for free.
» NIN Remixes
Speaking of free Nine Inch Nails music: Check out the remixes streaming 24 hours a day, some created by Trent, some by fans, all available as free MP3 downloads.
» Sitepoint
The site whose books and knowledgeable messageboard members have indirectly made DaddyScratches.com—and every other site I’ve ever built—possible. (I’m self-taught.)