Sunday Morning Book Thread - 06-18-2023 ["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 (a terrific book about a young man in search of his father). 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 (weedwhacker attachment optional)...

So relax, find yourself a warm kitty (or warm puppy--I won't judge) to curl up in your lap, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, and dive into a new book. What are YOU reading this fine morning?

PIC NOTE

Today's pic is from a Father's Day display at Half Price Books in Corpus Christi, Texas, though I don't know what year. Seems to be a mix of books about sports, barbecue, brewing beer, military history, and farting, for some reason (I never saw much humor in fart jokes, but to each their own). What books are missing?

DADS IN LITERATURE

Since I did a post about Moms in Literature on Mother's Day this year, it seems only fair to do a post about Dads in Literature.

What makes for a good father figure in a story? I went looking through my own library and found a few examples of fathers.

First up, we have Michael Carpenter from Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files. Michael is Harry Dresden's best friend, a devout Catholic, and a devoted husband and father. Happily married for decades, raising a large family in peaceful times. But when Harry needs help, Michael will join Harry on his adventures, wielding Amoracchius, the Sword of Love, one of the Three Swords of the Cross. Most folks know it by its more familiar name, Excalibur. Michael is a truly stand-up character, well-written, strong, and caring when he needs to be. He's compassionate, wise, and forgiving. It's why he was chosen by God to wield the Sword of Love. When Harry's own daughter is threatened, Michael and his family are quick to offer her their protection, as their house is guarded by literal archangels. Michael loves Harry's daughter Maggie as if she were his own flesh and blood. Michael Carpenter is easily among my top three dads in literature.

Next up we have Samuel Vimes, Commander of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Vimes is a recovering alcoholic who also struggles to manage his anger issues. He married rather late in life and fathered a son. He's so devoted to his son that he will drop everything he's doing in order to make it home at a certain hour to read Where's My Cow to his son. Of course, he is also a father figure to the members of the City Watch. Captain Carrot, Vimes' second in command may be the lost king of Ankh-Morpork in hiding, but it's Vimes that ensures that the Watch's needs are provided for, regardless of the cost to himself. Before he married the richest woman in Ankh-Morpork, he devoted most of his meager salary to supporting the widows and orphans of the Watch. He still does that, of course, with the help of his faithful wife who supports the downtrodden of the city as well.

Thirdly, we have Gemmel Errekren, from an obscure series by Peter Morwood called The Book of Years. Gemmel is a wizard (think Gandalf or Dumbledore) who finds a young man wounded in battle. He nurses the young man back to health in part because Aldric is the spitting image of Gemmel's own son, who died many years before. Aldric comes to regard Gemmel as his foster father because his own family was slaughtered through treachery. It's Gemmel that sets Aldric on the path to achieving his goal of vengeance for the betrayal, but he also shows Aldric how to live a better life as a man who cares about others. Aldric, in turn, teaches Gemmel what it truly means to be an honorable man through his own examples learned from growing up in his honor-bound society.

Finally, there's "Slippery" Jim DiGriz, from the Stainless Steel Rat series by Harry Harrison, the best criminal mastermind in the galaxy. He's spent his lifetime evading the law while amassing (and losing) several fortunes. He eventually marries a woman who is just as crooked as he is, though she's also highly unstable and sociopathic when they first meet. Fortunately, psychosurgical techniques have come a long way in the 30,000 years or so in the future, so this little quirk is quickly fixed. Jim and his lovely bride have twin boys, who inherit their parents' penchant for criminality. Jim sees this as an opportunity to expand his own criminal empire even as his family is sent on missions by the Special Corps to stop the true monstrous criminals in the galaxy. Together they fight crime while causing much mayhem of their own in the process. Maybe "Slippery" Jim won't win "Father of the Year," but he's an entertaining father-figure nonetheless.

Who are some of YOUR favorite father figures in literature and why? Have you learned any lessons from reading about other fathers?

BOOKS BY MORONS

Moron author Vince Milam has just released another exciting entry in his Case Lee series of books:

I'd appreciate it if you'd pimp my new novel, The Alaska Job.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6R6NGYR

I published it two weeks ago, and it's doing well (always a challenge when going up against the big publishers).

Sincere thanks as always,

Vince
---
Tasked with recovering a fabled billion-dollar hoard, Case becomes entangled in a web of espionage and ruthless competitors. As he follows the trail of clues etched in long-ago history, danger lurks at every turn. From encounters with enigmatic Buddhist monks to unearthing secrets held by long-forgotten Russian fur traders, Case's journey evolves into a race against time and a battle for survival. Spies and brutal treasure hunters are hot on his trail, creating a combustible mix of shadowy intentions and insatiable greed.

Case must rely on his instincts and experience to navigate a world where every step could be his last. To even the odds, Case calls on his former teammates, unleashing their special skills in a high-stakes race against time.

Brace yourself for a white-knuckle ride through Korea, windswept arctic islands, and Alaska's untamed wilderness as Case is pushed to the brink.

There are currently an even dozen books in the series. If you've never read one, they are action thrillers where Case Lee and his merry band of eclectic friends have to stop very bad people from doing very bad things. This will be the third such book featured on the Sunday Morning Book Thread since I took it over last year.

MORON RECOMMENDATIONS

This looks like a fun read for those of us who've dreamed of establishing our own domain: "Micronations: the Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations":

https://tinyurl.com/bdhc88y8

My grand plan of becoming Imperatrix of Beaver Island is still in the planning stage.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at June 11, 2023 09:13 AM (kGAbD)

Comment: I'm reminded of a timeless quote from everyone's favorite precocious little scamp, Bender "Bending" Rodriguez: "You know, Fry, I've often thought about becoming Prime Minister." What would the government of Acetopia look like?

Just finished Tim Willocks' novel The Religion.

It's a gory, lurid first person fictional account of the Siege of Malta where the Knights Hospitaller held off a vast Ottoman army.

Gory and Lurid are understatements. I almost bailed in the very beginning because the violence felt pornographic. And I really like Abercrombie's stuff.

I'm glad I didn't stop though. It isn't actually pornographic because that was what those people were like. They did live at fever pitch and ran risks we seem incapable of as a matter of course.

"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Rev 3-16 kjv

The whole earth, perpetually steeped in blood, is nothing but an immense altar on which every living thing must be sacrificed without end, without restraint, without respite until the consummation of the world, the extinction of evil, the death of death. - Joseph de Maistre

Those two quotes are the book. It's a really profound meditation on the feeling of the time and on Christianity.

It's also a great read as just a mad violent bloody account of a mad violent bloody battle.

I've been thinking about this book a lot after finishing it.

Posted by: Thesokorus at June 11, 2023 11:11 AM (IadJe)

Comment: A great book keeps you invested in the story long after you've finished it. Those are the ones that keep me coming back to read them again and again, hoping to uncover something new each time. Christianity has a very bloody history, starting from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was founded on pain and suffering. He suffered on Earth so that we would not suffer for Eternity. It can be easy to forget that, sometimes.

Decided to go ahead and finish reading the juvenile modern western novel, Tick Tock and Jim, Deputy Sheriffs. It was an easy read, just over two hundred pages.

I think it would work for pre-teen boys, or adventurous pre-teen girls who don't mind a "boy" story. The horse doesn't speak or anything like that, but it does show a bit of internal motivation in its mind interacting with the villains and when it's lost on its own.

Jim runs a delivery service with his horse, and he stumbles onto a dropped box on the side of a road, two men come back for it and take it from him, leading to an adventure and detective story.

Book is from the late 40s, so you'd probably have to find it on resale sites. As such, the adults aren't stupid, just normal parent types, and they do know what they're doing. The kids aren't smarter than the adults, they way society used to be portrayed.

Recommend, if anyone might be interested in that kind of story.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at June 11, 2023 09:18 AM (Angsy)

Comment: Sounds like a pretty basic plot structure, but it's the kind of hook that can go in many different directions, depending on the writer. Finding something that others want is a pretty common plot device, as the protagonist then has to uncover the mystery surrounding the MacGuffin. It's a good way to interest younger readers as well, as they can follow the hero's journey and become invested in the overall story.

The newly minted Mrs. Exile and I finally finished Eye of the World (fantasy, book 1 of Wheel of Time) while relaxing on a beach. We started the book when we first met and then life interrupted Robert Jordan's wordy adventure.

We still promptly checked out the second book.

Posted by: Corona exile-back_in_exile at June 11, 2023 09:54 AM (Yftzv)

Comment: I decided to include this recommendation for a couple of reasons, even though I know Robert Jordan's Eye of the World is a somewhat divisive novel among fans of fantasy literature (full disclosure: I love it and you can't convince me otherwise). First, I think it's nice that Corona and his bride Mrs. Exile enjoy this story together as a couple. It's great when our loved ones can share in our favorite reading experiences. Second, Wheel of Time has some truly awesome father figures sprinkled throughout to give the heroes hope and resolve as they tackle the seemingly impossible challenge of saving the world. Indeed, both Rand Al'Thor and his friend Mat Cauthon rely on their fathers' teachings for guidance on their heroic journey. The payoff at the end--especially for Rand--is immensely satisfying.

More Moron-recommended reading material can be found HERE! (824 Moron-recommended books so far!)

WHAT I'VE BEEN READING THIS PAST WEEK:

• The Book of the New Sun - Volume 1 - Shadow and Claw by Gene Wolfe -- As mentioned last week, it has a lot of overtones of both Jack Vance and Mervyn Peake. Now I can detect hints of William Hope Hodgeson, Lord Dunsany, and Tanith Lee as well. It's OK, but I wouldn't call it "great." There's not much of a plot to speak of, just Severian wandering from scene to scene, repeatedly encountering the same characters even as he meets new ones in his travels. I can see how it influenced later authors, just as Wolfe was influenced by earlier authors, but I just don't quite get the hype around this series.
• Forgotten Realms - The Harpers Book 7 - Soldiers of Ice by David Cook -- A young female ranger is tasked with closing a portal to the paraelemental plane of ice, and in the process saving a village of gnomes from rampaging gnolls. It'll be interesting to see how well this story conforms to the Rules for Writing in Hollywood that I discussed last week.
• The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson -- I'm finally getting around to reading this...

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...

PREVIOUS SUNDAY MORNING BOOK THREAD - 06-11-23 (NOTE: Do NOT comment on old threads!)

posted by Open Blogger at 09:00 AM

| Access Comments