book of the week – Page 53

Book of the Week: Known and Unknown.

Known and Unknown: A Memoir is, obviously, the new book coming out next month by former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Apropos of nothing in particular, the title made my (much less political) wife laugh in appreciation of its wittiness – or cheekiness – which gives me some hope that the text will be as good. It certainly will make the Usual Suspects start screaming…

And thus, The Arrival… departs.

Book of the Week: The Arrival.

I flipped through The Arrival in the library yesterday while riding herd on my eldest, and it’s really pretty good. It’s a graphic novel that uses fantastic imagery to give the 21st Century reader an idea of just how mind-altering it was to immigrate to America in the 19th century. I mean mind-altering in a good sense, of course: I’d say ‘transformative,’ but the spell check doesn’t recognize that as a word and it’s probably wise to do so. Anyway: I liked it.

And so, adieu to Hogfather

Book of the Week: Hogfather.

Hogfather is Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Christmas book, and you should read it. You will feel better afterward.

That is all.

And so, adieu to Agatha H. and the Airship City until the New Year.

Book of the Week: Agatha H. and the Airship City.

Actual thought process on this one:

I don’t know why people are making such a big deal about a reprint of Agatha H. and the Airship City (Girl Genius) anyway OH WOW IT’S AN ACTUAL HONEST-TO-GOD BOOK INSTEAD OF JUST A HARDCOVER OF ALL THE COMICS WHICH WOULD NOT BE A BAD THING BUT OH WOW THIS IS SO COOL.

And so, adieu to The Difference Engine (Spectra special editions).

Book of the Week: The Difference Engine.

The Difference Engine was one of the first alt-history/steampunk books that I ever read; and it pretty much gave me a permanent taste for both. I suspect that the maps help: I love alternate history maps.

And so adieu, GURPS Basic Set: Characters, Fourth Edition. I have not forgotten why I was thinking about you, never fear.

Book of the Week: GURPS Basic Set: Characters, Fourth Edition

GURPS Basic Set: Characters, Fourth Edition seems a bit of an… odd choice; but, yeah, I may need a couple of these in a few months. Which is why it’s now also on my Wish List.

And thus, so long to America by Heart : Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag

Book of the Week: America by Heart.

Mostly because America by Heart : Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag is not even out for the next two days and it’s already #23 on Amazon: my readers are probably going to buy it from somebody, so it might as well be me. Not to mention the fact that the latest book by THAT WOMAN is promising to be the centerpiece of a sharp lesson to Gawker about why you Do Not Taunt Happy Fun Print Conglomerates. Something about how Harper Collins would very much enjoy putting a New Media icon’s head on a stick as a warning to the rest…

And on that cheery note, farewell to Bring the Jubilee.

Moe Lane

‘Bring the Jubilee.’

Not much to say about Bring the Jubilee, except of course that it’s one of the seminal if-the-South-had-won-the-Civil-War novels that made up the backbone of alternate history for so long. It’s also one of those books that the unwary will think of as ‘hackneyed,’ because the plot twists and details will be so familiar… because everybody writing this sort of alternate history ripped off Bring the Jubilee shamelessly. Well worth it, in other words. Good to know the roots of a genre.

And so, farewell to Decision Points.

Book of the Week: Decision Points.

I don’t normally buy political books, but Decision Points looks interesting. Worth checking out, at least.

And so, with associated thumb-pricking, exits Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Book of the Week: Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Finishing up our horror theme for BotW, although how horrific Something Wicked This Way Comes really is may be up for grabs. It’s more like Bradbury’s an… October person. Or something.

And so adieu to Salem’s Lot.