Sunday Morning Book Thread - 05-12-2024 ["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. 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, unless you are wearing these pants...

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

PIC NOTE

Seeing as today is Mother's Day, I wanted to find a picture of a mother reading to her daughter. I was able to find the picture above in Adobe's massive archive of stock photos. I like this one because it not only shows a mother reading to her daughter, but the father is also involved. Reading together as a family. When I was a child, my mom would read to us kids at the breakfast table, even when we were old enough to read books on our own.

HOW TO ENJOY READING

I sometimes wonder if there are lurkers out there that peek in on the Sunday Morning Book Thread and are just gobsmacked by the quantity and quality of reading that we engage in on a week-to-week basis. Maybe they want to be become better readers but are intimidated by reading because they've never really enjoyed it before. Or maybe they themselves are active readers, but struggle to get their children or grandchildren engaged in reading. In any case, it is possible to become someone that enjoys reading if you are willing to put in the necessary time and effort. Like any skill, it takes practice, practice, and more practice!

Here are Tristan's five simple tips to enjoy reading in a nutshell:

1. Be present when you are reading - You need to devote your FULL ATTENTION to the activity of reading. This is similar to any hobby people enjoy. All those creative folks who work on neat little projects on the hobby thread devoted all of their attention to what they are doing in the moment, and because of that, their creativity shines through. Half-assing your way through building a diorama will lead to a half-assed result. Half-assing your way through reading a book will result in you missing out on the full details--and meaning--of the story that is being shared with you. Don't think of anything else other than the story that is in front of you. Even if you can only read a few pages at a time, have your full attention engaged with those few pages, as if they are the most engrossing thing in the world to you in that moment. Soon enough, you will find that your ability to focus on more and more pages will increase over time. And this can be applied to ANY skill or activity you choose to learn.
2. Switch off your devices - Now, if you read from an electronic device (e.g., Kindle app on iPad), I suppose that would not apply. However, I would strongly recommend disengaging with your phone, television, even stereo for a period of time. Remove yourself to a space in your home that does not have such devices readily available (this may mean leaving your phone elsewhere). This will greatly help with tip #1 above because you will be more fully able to devote yourself to your reading. I do this myself sometimes. I'll go read out in the sunroom where there is nothing out there to really distract me. When I read in my office, I always have my computer there, with a browser tab opened to AoSHQ, which means I'm not always engaged with my reading.
3. Immerse yourself in what you are reading - The idea behind this is to slow down and take your time. Savor the experience of reading, like you would a fine meal. Tristan says that you should not hurry through a book just to say you have read it. I find myself guilty of this on occasion because there are some books that I *do* want to say I have read, even if I didn't really enjoy them that much (e.g., William Gibson's Neuromancer). Then there are other books that I *do* like to savor and enjoy, as if I'm eating the finest culinary creation from The Deplorable Gourmet (e.g., P.C. Hodgell's Chronicles of the Kencyrath). I *immerse* myself in the story and I become saddened when it is done, even though I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
4. Listen to audio books - If you are still struggling with enjoying reading, then read with your ears and not with your eyes. However, you will still want to combine this with the first 3 tips. You will need to FOCUS on the story being read to you, meaning you should NOT listen to audio books while engaged in other tasks, because your brain will have to split its attention. You will want to switch off any other distrctions and just IMMERSE yourself in the story. Imagine what it was like when you were a child before you were a proficient reader. Children will sit quietly, enraptured when being read to, because they are devoting all of their being into the story as it's read to them. Recapture that experience.
5. Read something you are interested in! - This may be the most important piece of advice. And this is where the Moron Horde excels. Between us, we have a massive range of genres and interests that we read. We don't all read the same things, nor should we. What we can do is provide recommendations on books that we enjoyed that we believe others may also enjoy. You may not like certain books when you first start reading. That's OK. There are millions of other books out there and I guarantee you 100% that there are books out there you WILL enjoy. It may just take a bit of time to sort out your personal tastes and preferences in literature (or nonfiction, if you prefer that). Do not be discouraged!

WOKE LITERATURE AT WRITERS CONFERENCES

J.J. Sefton recently (5/2/2024) included this link to an article on Front Page Magazine by Thom Nickels. Thom points out that writers conferences are "a mixed bag of how-to workshops, self-help lectures, networking, and--in today's world--politics."

Is it even *possible* to escape politics at a conference these days? This was a writers conference, so presumably most of the participants were there to discuss the craft of writing, storytelling, publishing, etc. Yet, I suspect that most of the participants were of the left-wing bent, so don't even find it strange to infuse radical political discussions into even the most banal and innocuous conversations about books.

During one of the panel discussions, one of the women on the panel said that "Men don't read." That poses a problem for the literary world if they want to sell more books. They are alienating half their potential audience. Are writers even interested in creating stories that appeal to men anymore? Or are they pressured by the literary agents and publishers into writing stories that appeal mainly to women because the conventional wisdom is "men don't read?" Worse, young boys are actively being discouraged from reading because the only stories they are taught in school involve women central characters, instead of positive male role models.

Another point that stood out to me was this idea that people deliberately try to write a bestseller, as if there is a formula one can follow to make it happen. Stick to the formula and fame and fortune shall be yours! Instead, the truth is that the reading public will determine what sells and what doesn't, despite the best marketing efforts. Many authors struggle for *YEARS* before selling even ONE book, let alone becoming a household name. During that time, writers are working numerous other jobs in order to pay the bills. Ray Bradbury once said that he was never paid to write. He wrote over 1,000 short stories and sold around 600 or so. But no one paid him to write those stories. He did it because his creative muse would not leave him alone. And then he shopped them around from publisher to publisher until he found a buyer willing to take a chance. As his fame grew, then he had a lot more options open up to him, but he spent many years struggling to make ends meet. He used what little funds he had to rent time on typewriters at the local university in order to crank out manuscripts.

Attending writers conferences to gain insights into the publishing industry, network with peers, and improve one's craft is all part of playing the game to become an "author" as a full-time vocation. It may suck--a lot at times--but the payoff can be huge.

Any of y'all been to a writers conference like the Philadelphia Writers Conference? How was it? What did you get out of it? Has your writing improved?

BOOKS BY MORONS

Speaking of playing the game of becoming an author, we have the following submission for consideration.

I've just published my first novel, and am hoping you will give it a mention. It's a bit murder mystery, psychological thriller, and police procedural with original characters and a unique perspective. Reviews have been very good. Here's the book blurb:

When forensics engineer Ian Deal accidentally destroys a building he's supposed to fix, he creates a chaotic stream of events culminating in being accused of murdering a man he barely knew. All his efforts to clear his name only leads him deeper into a murderous conspiracy so clever the police are unaware of its existence. Doggedly pursuing him is Patricia Everett, a homicide detective with a clear directive from superiors to pin these murders on Ian Deal. Sensing that she is being manipulated by unknown players in city hall, Everett must choose to follow orders or enlist the brilliant Deal and his rag-tag group of hackers and malcontents to figure out who is killing society's least sympathetic victims.

And here's the link to it on Amazon.

Neale Martin

It's one of those books where the main protagonist's life goes horribly wrong when he makes a terrible decision that seemed like a good idea at the time. In the first chapter, Ian sneaks into a building and sets off a demolition charge that has some unforeseen consequences. Whoops! Whoopsie!

The book is available on Kindle Unlimited, so there's no purchase required if you already subscribe to that service.

MORON RECOMMENDATIONS

I'm still working my way through A Family Guide to Spiritual Warfare by Kathleen Beckman. Its a pretty comprehensive work, including case studies and deliverance prayers should one need them.

Since 2020, I've become much more attuned to spiritual things, and while it gives me greater clarity on what is going on in the world, explaining it can be difficult, particularly to people who have shut themselves off from the very possibility of there being anything other than a secular, materialist world.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 05, 2024 09:11 AM (llXky)

Comment: The more I travel in my own spiritual journey, the more attuned I seem to become to the spiritual warfare raging all around us, unseen, unheard, in the spaces between our known reality. People who live solely in a secular, materialist world don't know what they are missing. Moreover, they are vulnerable to being attacked by dark spiritual forces that do want to consume their souls.

I read Nuclear War: A Scenario by Anne Jacobson. This isn't another dystopian novel. Rather it is a minute by minute account of what would happen if the U. S. came under nuclear attack. In this scenario, North Korea launches a nuclear tipped ICBM targeted at the Pentagon. It is followed by a submarine-fired missile which targets the Diablo Nuclear Power Plant on the central coast of California. As a final shot, Kim Jung Il orders a satellite to be positioned over Omaha which detonates a nuclear bomb 300 miles up and causes an EMP.

The book is soon reading like a thriller, but it is an accurate portrayal of the scenario. Seventy-four minutes after the initial North Korean launch the U. S. and Russia have launched all their nuclear assets, except some on submarines; obeying the "use it or lose it" doctrine. A discussion of the nuclear winter aftermath is also discussed. A very interesting, informative, and chilling book.

Posted by: Zoltan at May 05, 2024 10:01 AM (gyCYJ)

Comment: Sounds interesting, but I have a difficult time buying into the premise that North Korea could successfully launch an ICBM that hits the Pentagon--unless it's by sheer chance. Still, it's always worth considering the cost of worldwide nuclear apocalypse. NO ONE will emerge unscathed--even those who skedaddle off to a remote New Zealand bunker will have to deal with the aftermath in that scenario. They may not be the power players after all when they emerge.

My off the shelf was a little book by John McPhee called The Deltoid Pumpkin Seed that lead me to read a bunch of his stuff. It showed me that almost anything is interesting if you probe into it deeply enough (and write as well as John McPhee).

Posted by: who knew at May 05, 2024 11:06 AM (4I7VG)

Comment: I will agree that ANYTHING can be interesting if it's presented well. I find that out all the time when I'm working with faculty. Although I have no desire to become practitioners in their fields, they almost all have interesting and engaging ways of presenting their knowledge in one-on-one conversations. As an example, I'm helping to redesign several geophysics courses. I don't know anything about the topic right now, but I will know a lot more through the conversations I'll have with the professor who teaches it. The Deltoid Pumpkin Seed is about a very unusual aircraft design--sort of a cross between an airplane and a rigid airship.

More Moron-recommended reading material can be found HERE! (1000+ Moron-recommended books!)

WHAT I'VE BEEN READING THIS PAST WEEK:

After reviewing some of OregonMuse's old Book Threads, I thought I'd try something a bit different. Instead of just listing WHAT I'm reading, I'll include commentary as well. Unless otherwise specified, you can interpret this as an implied recommendation, though as always your mileage may vary.

The Wonderland Gambit Book 1 - The Cybernetic Walrus by Jack L. Chalker

Programmer Cory Maddox gets more than he bargains for when he signs on to work for an off-the-books government project after being let go from his previous job. Turns out the genius Matthew Brand has stumbled onto the building blocks of all reality and his "Brand Boxes" can shape or even create entirely new virtual worlds. Or are they virtual? As one might expect from Jack L. Chalker, there is a lot of body-swapping as the main characters go on a wild ride through the multiverse attempting to find out who is *really* behind all creation. Is it God? Is it some other omnipotent entity? What is reality? From the title of the series, it's also pretty obvious that there are a lot of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass references. Entertaining fluff, mostly, but it can be difficult to track the layers of reality from one chapter to the next...

The Wonderland Gambit Book 2 - The March Hare Network by Jack L. Chalker

Cory Maddox escaped the clutches of Al Stark and jumped to a new incarnation in an alternate universe. Now he is able to continue his journey, exploring the reality behind ALL realities, reconnecting with his previous allies and making new ones. He's been at this for longer than he knew, part of an elite group of people that have ascended to a higher plane of consciousness, but still "middle-management" in the grand scheme of things. This book had A LOT of elements that could have been taken directly from the movie The Matrix except that it was written three years before that movie was released. I wonder if the Wachowskis read this series as inspiration for their own movie.

The Wonderland Gambit Book 3 - The Hot-Wired Dodo by Jack L. Chalker

In the Author's Note at the beginning mentions that Chalker and Roger Zelazny were very close friends and that Zelazny passed away while Chalker was writing this series. In hindsight, it's very obvious that Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber series directly influenced The Wonderland Gambit. The core group of characters are all part of some form of "super-reality" and travel through virtual worlds where everyone else are just "spooks" going through programmed motions. It's possible to attune oneself to the master system controlling the virtual reality and then gain a measure of control over it, creating effects that would seem magical to the "spooks" if they were aware of the changes at all. This is very similar to the rules of Amber, which is the one true reality. All other realities are just Shadows of Amber. Initiates of the Pattern can move through Shadows and create/modify them as well. Chalker just uses a supercomputer instead of a magic system for creating his worlds.

Here's a passage I never expected to read:

"A twin-sexed centaur Jesus just wasn't something I was ready for yet, although the moment I thought of it, just such an image popped into my head. I still wondered how they would crucify a centaur, and at the same time I didn't really want to know."

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Disclaimer: No Morons were harmed in the making of this Sunday Morning Book Thread. Everything you know is wrong.

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