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The Pale House Devil by Richard Kadrey
More of a short story than a novel. I don't think it even gets to Novella length. This is a full on Kadrey novel with dark magic and undead things. A pair of problem solvers from New York head to California after the way they solved a problem gets them into trouble. They find a new job and a problem to solve in Northern California. But, nothing is as it seems and their job goes all sorts of haywire.
I think the book is the opening for a new series. There is all sorts of world building. Threads are left dangling.
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Sequel being released about...now, I think?
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
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October
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Isn’t that now?
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
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(08-31-2025, 10:03 AM)Drunk Monk Wrote: Time travel
It’s how Capt. Pike knows about Romulans.
But it’s redacted by starfleet.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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(09-02-2025, 11:33 PM)Dr. Ivor Yeti Wrote: Isn’t that now?
No. No. No. No. I still have 28 days until October and I'm using up every minute of every one of those days. Goddammit.
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I just started October early and now gave 60+ days of October
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
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I reject you completely.
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Ze Germans celebrate Oktoberfest in September...
--tg
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(09-03-2025, 03:06 PM)Greg Wrote: I reject you completely.
Sigh.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
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The Director by Daniel Kehlman
A semi-fictionalized telling of the life of German director P.W. Pabst. I'm not familiar with his works but his main claim to fame was the discovery of Greta Garbo. The book charts his life from his time in Hollywood to being stuck in Germany during World War 2 where he was forced to make films for the German government. Lots of famous characters appear in his life most notably Leni Refinstahl. The book hinges on a film he made towards the end of the war and asks the question how far will you go to make a picture. That was probably the most fictionalized part.
It was dour and depressing but a fascinating look at Pabst's life.
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Legacy of Ashes: A History of the CIA by Tim Weiner
Basically, the CIA were bad at their jobs. A lot of what they got up to was horrifying and made me angry to hear about the things they did in the name of United States. The book gave a lot of details to stories I had only marginally heard about from the overthrow in Iran and many other countries to the wars waged in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos to the Iran-Contra affair. It was amazing how ill equipped and ill-prepared the CIA was for doing the job of spying. Although they were more geared towards to covert operations than intelligence gathering. They were bad at covert operations, too.
I didn't actually finish this book. I had to give it back to the library. But I'll be checking it back out to see the run-up to 9/11. Should be a hoot.
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Imperial Twilight by Stephen R. Platt Oct 6, 2025 Rating B+
A book recommendation via a podcast I listen to called Empire. This book is all about the Opium Wars. It was an eye opener to a lot of history I was vaguely aware. I didn't realize how indebted England's economy was to the Opium trade and what lengths they would go to preserve it. There is a good chunk in there about the East India Company as well. There is a fine description of the two Qing Emperors from that period, too. Platt gives a perspective from all sides, including the Americans who had their fingers in the Opium smuggling trade. ( A big chunk of the Forbes fortune comes from Opium)
Oddly, unless I had a stroke while reading, the book does not cover the major battles of the actual war. It's just kind of a footnote. It's all build up and after action report.
And there is the irony that the Chinese, in a way, are doing to us with Fentanyl what the British did to them with Opium. And they give a lot of the same excuses.
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(10-06-2025, 01:03 PM)Greg Wrote: And there is the irony that the Chinese, in a way, are doing to us with Fentanyl what the British did to them with Opium. And they give a lot of the same excuses.
Hmm, hadn't considered that.
Good point.
Now I pack narcan to every event...
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What the what?
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm
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