Sunday Morning Book Thread - 05-21-2023 ["Perfessor" Squirrel]

Welcome to the prestigious, internationally acclaimed, stately, and illustrious Sunday Morning Book Thread! The place where all readers are welcome, regardless of whatever guilty pleasure we feel like reading (the unofficial Moron guide for rebuilding civilization). Here is where we can discuss, argue, bicker, quibble, consider, debate, confabulate, converse, and jaw about our latest fancy in reading material. As always, pants are required, especially if you are wearing these pants...

NOTE: I was alerted last night that *some* of you might be forgoing pants:

Honey, nobody wears pants in the book thread. Hell, Brian Lamb and guests go commando -- it's the only way to let your book flag fly!

Posted by: All Hail Eris at May 20, 2023 08:56 PM (nFB2T)

So relax, find yourself a warm kitty (or warm puppy--I won't judge) to curl up in your lap, pour yourself a tall glass of ice-cold lemonade, and dive into a new book. What are YOU reading this fine morning?

PIC NOTE

Last week I featured my cat Hexie on the undusted shelves of my gaming library. That seemed get some humorous reactions. Today I'm featuring my cat Allie, who guards my proper library room. She doesn't like being around the other kitties, and they sometimes chase her, so she gets to stay by herself. She has all the comforts she needs and I go in and interact with her multiple times a day. She also gets to watch kitty television on a computer monitor, as well as a bird feeder hanging outside the window. Note that in my main library, I pull the books flush with the front edge of the shelf. This makes it easy to read the spines when I am looking for something. Though when Allie jumps down off the shelves she pushes in some of the books with her paws. It also conceals the fact that these shelves are also not being dusted...

We'll be returning to regularly scheduled libraries from around the world next week...

CARE AND FEEDING OF BOOKS

Tonypete had an excellent question last week:

Physical book question - I have a number of very old volumes that have some mold on the edges and covers. Any suggestions how to remove gently? These are not rare or valuable books, I just want to clean them up a bit.

Posted by: Tonypete

Naturally, the Horde being the source of all wisdom that it is, a response was forthcoming in short order:

advice from a library preservation expert:

https://bit.ly/3Mnj5dY

https://bit.ly/3M0aoVz

Posted by: screaming in digital at May 14, 2023 09:56 AM (aBJcM)

If you don't want to click on those links, let me sum up: basically, the secret is to freeze books, which forces the mold spores to go dormant. Then clean the books with denatured alcohol, page-by-page, if necessary. This *should* kill most of the mold spores, but mold is pretty tenacious, so you still want to keep the books in a relatively cool, dry environment (<60% humidity). Heat and moisture can cause the mold to return quite quickly.

I don't think I have any moldy books in my house, but there might be a few in my garage. Of course, I do have quite a few well-worn paperback books from days gone by (e.g., 1960s, '70s, '80s, etc.) which are showing their age. I haven't always treated them as well as I should, either. Fortunately, there are methods you can use for protecting paperback books as well. You can't undo existing damage (usually), but you can always prevent them from acquiring NEW damage, or at least mitigate any continuing wear and tear. Contact paper is one method for protecting paperback books. Myself, I've started just protecting the spines by adding a layer of clear plastic packing tape to the spine. It does seem to help a bit. New books are less prone to develop creases in the spine and older books that already have creases don't pick up any more.

What are some other tips and tricks for protecting books over the long term?

IT PAYS TO INCREASE YOUR WORD POWER:

callipygian - adj. - having well-shaped buttocks (ht: Joe Mannix)

Joe Mannix used this in one of his linked ladies recently: "This leggy, callipygian brunette in a tight dress and heels doesn't buy it:"

quidnunc - n. - a person who is eager to know the latest news and gossip

I suppose a lot of us at AoSHQ could be considered "quidnuncs" of sorts because of how eager we are to read J.J.'s Morning Report, ace's Quick Hits, and the ONTs...

MORON RECOMMENDATIONS

Thanks to the recommendations of the Perfessor and others, I read Directive 51 by John Barnes. The story concerns the Constitutional continuation of the U. S. government after a catastrophic attack. Eco-terrorists provide a worldwide attack which threatens modern civilization. Ethical considerations are raised when the Constitutional next in line to the Presidency is a bumbling jackass who thinks a few public works projects will bring back civilization from the brink. How far should the law be stretched, corners cut, to save the country and and tens of thousands of lives? An interesting, thought provoking book.

Posted by: Zoltan at May 14, 2023 09:12 AM (62Hpd)

Comment: The Daybreak series by John Barnes is an interesting, thought-provoking series, all right. The major conflict is that Daybreak, some sort of mind-controlling meme of unknown origin, has convinced a group of people to unleash a technological plague on society that reduces civilization to mid-1800s level--and keeps us there. The survivors in America struggle to rebuild civlization and government according to Constitutional principles, but ultimately divide into multiple competing factions. A lot of folks also seem to prefer the new status quo, despite the lack of technology. They cite the fact that they no longer have to deal with the federal behemoth (taxes, regulations, and overreach) and are now actually FREE to pursue their own happiness for the first time in their lives. They band together to fend off Daybreak-inspired raiders, but otherwise lead pretty normal lives.

One Man's Wilderness is taken from the journals of Richard Proenneke as he built his cabin and lived off the land, mostly, in Alaska. Proenneke was a master mechanic and Sea Bee during WW II. In 1968, at 50 years old, he moved to Alaska to live on his own terms. His description of building the cabin is accurate and his observations of nature around him are realistic, not idealized, and rather poetic. The book covers his first two years there. I don't know if he intended the journals to be public but he had a skill for bringing a reader along on his journey. His attitude toward his new home and of his self-sufficiency is positive and, frankly, invigorating. (No, I'm not moving to Alaska.) It is delightful reading. And any book that quotes and alludes to the poetry of Robert Service would appeal to me.

Posted by: JTB at May 14, 2023 09:13 AM (7EjX1)

Comment: Sounds intriguing. Some folks just want to get away from it all and start over. I can definitely see the appeal. I recently watched a video showing the differences between populations in Colorado and Wyoming and as much as I like the scenic vistas in Colorado (I used to live there when I was young), the lack of population in Wyoming is very appealing to me.

Dilettante: True Tales of Excess, Triumph, and Disaster by Dana Brown is coke-and-booze-filled look back at the NYC magazine world in its last gasp of greatness. Dana Brown was a broke college dropout working as a busboy and barback at a swanky hotel restaurant frequented by New York's publishing and entertainment elite. He had interactions with Graydon Carter, co-founder of the late great Spy Magazine and in the 90's chief editor of Vanity Fair. Carter took a shine to Brown and on a whim offered him a job as a lowly assistant and general dogsbody.

Between partying and playing in his punk band at night and working long hours at the magazine, Brown somehow rose in the ranks by being assigned every task under the sun with the advice "Don't fuck up, kid!" Lots of opportunities afforded to rub shoulders with the elite.

For a barely literate brat, Brown turned into a really good writer. The book is funny as hell. Definitely worth checking out from the library.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at May 14, 2023 09:19 AM (+RQPJ)

Comment: I've never quite seen the appeal of that lifestyle. As comedian Emo Phillips put it: "Stay away from cocaine. Oh, it might seem glamorous at first...but there will come a time--believe me--there will come a time, when it will be YOUR turn to treat."

I've been waiting for A.H. Lloyd to arrive so I can report on the very enjoyable time I had reading his The Vampires of Michigan. It is a fun read and does justice to the genre which I read a lot but I was left at the end wanting more. So, here is my suggestion. I think you need to write a sequel with Malcolm as the main character. I thought he was the sexiest vampire (leather clad, motorcycle riding, gun toting, mysterious) and needs a back story and more play. He could go after JJ who is still at large. Zip could also be resurrected. And the count is awake so we could get some history about how a French vampire ended up in Michigan.

As you can see, the book provoked a lot of thought. I would challenge other paranormal readers here to read and see if they agree.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 14, 2023 10:09 AM (Y+l9t)

Comment: As usual, I like to feature recommendations of Moron-authored books. Enjoy!

More Moron-recommended reading material can be found HERE! (779 Moron-recommended books so far!)

WHAT I'VE BEEN READING THIS PAST WEEK:

• Grimnoir Chronicles Book 1 - Hard Magic by Larry Correia -- We are introduced to an alternate Earth where Power-enhanced humans are waging a not-so-secret war for supremacy against the Japanese Imperium during the 1930s.
• Grimnoir Chronicles Book 2 - Spellbound by Larry Correia -- The secret war escalates between the Grimnoir knights who are trying to protect Earth against an invasive predator from another dimension and the United States government that wants to kill or control Power-enhanced humans.
• Grimnoir Chronicles Book 3 - Warbound by Larry Correia -- The heroes go in search of the mysterious Pathfinder, who heralds the attempt by the Enemy to invade Earth and destroy the Power that gave humanity their gifts.

That's about all I have for this week. Thank you for all of your kind words regarding the Sunday Morning Book Thread. This is a very special place. You are very special people (in all the best ways!). The kindness, generosity, and wisdom of the Moron Horde knows no bounds. Let's keep reading!

If you have any suggestions for improvement, reading recommendations, or discussion topics that you'd like to see on the Sunday Morning Book Thread, you can send them to perfessor dot squirrel at-sign gmail dot com. Your feedback is always appreciated! You can also take a virtual tour of OUR library at libib.com/u/perfessorsquirrel. Since I added sections for AoSHQ, I now consider it OUR library, rather than my own personal fiefdom...

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