Stranger In A Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein
Amazon Kindle
(22-09-2023, 07:29 PM)Lilith7 Wrote: [ -> ]Haven't read that for years.
Finished Bewfore Mars & really enjoyed it. Started another also sci fi, Rejoice, Steven Erikson, ,,
https://www.reddit.com/r/printSF/comment...by_steven/
Sounds like we're not the only ones with election year fever of the Officialdom brain fade . . . .
Just odered "Killers of the Flower Moon" from Blackwells [Thx for the link}
Set in the '20's after oil discovered on their land, the Osage people started to die in mysterious circumstances
and anyone attempting to find the cause were also dying.
The movie starring Robert De Niro is being released this month.
Hild and Menewood by Nicola Griffith.
It's not really Fantsay and not exactly historical. Well it is, but as little is known about her life (pre-nun) this is made up, mostly.
And brilliant too. best historical duo I ever read.
The Denniston Rose...and Heart of Coal, by Jenny Pattrick. Published 2003 and 2004 - that's the good thing about books, unlike the latest movie or TV series, books are just out there waiting for us to find...or be found. Set in the hard pioneering days, a look at modern issues that apparently didn't happen back then...but of course they did. I generally stay away from NZ novels, but these are seriously good, so, something more to browse for me.
I get my library books digitally these days, open 24 hrs, walk the isles in the wee small hours. I won't read on a computer monitor or even lap top, but my 8'' tablet is good.
Now, I haven't mentioned these book to anyone online until today, although I did Google to find history on the author. So now Facebook is bringing up various things about Denniston. I hope they are not snooping my library, but Google certainly shares your data. I might use another search engine now.
Bits Of Catalyst, E.M.Foner.
One of many interwoven Foner-grams. (, The reading experience is definitely not enhanced by an ineffective short-term memory. Maybe there's just not any memorable books available these days?)
I've newly discovered Natalia Ginzburg, Sicilian novelist, anti-fascist and philosopher who wrote in the years following WWII. I'm reading "Happiness, as Such" on the recommendation of a learned friend and it's an absolute joy, with complex characters who would slot into any Sally Rooney novel despite being created in the 1970s. I intend to seek out all of her other novels.
Almost finished Red birds,Mohammed Hanif - not as funny as I'd expected but not bad.
Killers of the flower moon has arrived at the library so will start that once I finish the book I'm reading. I came across a discussion somewhere which mentioned an earlier book by a native American writer on the same subject & managed to find a copy of it so will read that as well.
Mean spirit, Lynda Hogan.
I'm currently re reading Travels with Charley, John Steinbeck which I haven't read for decades. I'm really enjoying it, I'd forgotten his lovely subtle sense of humour which flavours the book.
Set in America in 1961, its about trip taken with his dog Charley, (a French poodle) around America.
https://bookthoughtsfrombed.com/2019/11/...steinbeck/
Lilith7, re John Steinbeck:
Early life
Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California.[8] He was of German, English, and Irish descent.[9] Johann Adolf Großsteinbeck (1828–1913), Steinbeck's paternal grandfather, was a founder of Mount Hope, a short-lived messianic farming colony in Palestine that disbanded after Arab attackers killed his brother and raped his brother's wife and mother-in-law. He arrived in the United States in 1858, shortening the family name to Steinbeck. The family farm in Heiligenhaus, Mettmann, Germany, is still named "Großsteinbeck"
from here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck
(24-12-2023, 11:11 AM)zqwerty Wrote: [ -> ]Lilith7, re John Steinbeck:
Early life
Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California.[8] He was of German, English, and Irish descent.[9] Johann Adolf Großsteinbeck (1828–1913), Steinbeck's paternal grandfather, was a founder of Mount Hope, a short-lived messianic farming colony in Palestine that disbanded after Arab attackers killed his brother and raped his brother's wife and mother-in-law. He arrived in the United States in 1858, shortening the family name to Steinbeck. The family farm in Heiligenhaus, Mettmann, Germany, is still named "Großsteinbeck"
from here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck
Cheers for that, he's one of my favourite authors & I've got most of his books.
Yes, but my point is that he must be Jewish and as I was saying before, earlier last month or whenever, there's a lot of Jewish background people in America who have very good reasons to support Israeli's in the homeland and have no love lost for Palestinians.
The incident referred to in my post was well before the establishment of Israel and the "Arabs" mentioned would become the Palestinians, this conflict has been going on for thousands of years.
(24-12-2023, 04:22 PM)zqwerty Wrote: [ -> ]Yes, but my point is that he must be Jewish and as I was saying before, earlier last month or whenever, there's a lot of Jewish background people in America who have very good reasons to support Israeli's in the homeland and have no love lost for Palestinians.
The incident referred to in my post was well before the establishment of Israel and the "Arabs" mentioned would become the Palestinians, this conflict has been going on for thousands of years.
Yes it has - I was about to add to my post when grandkids/greatgrandkids arrived so couldn't.
That's the thing about the three Abrahamic religions, they may preach peace but they are also very swift to resort to war against those who are in some way 'other'. That instinct (to fight against those who are different) might once, in the very early days of our ancestors, have been a matter of self preservation in that those who were different to their particulat group may not be trustworthy.
I remember reading about the discovery of an ancient village in the Alps where they found the mass grave of the original inhabitants of the village, who had been slaughtered by people who then buried them & took over their village.
We're a warlike species, & probably will be until we learn to better control that side of our nature - if we ever do.
Can't fight if you are dead, therefore always wary, always ready for anything in the real world.
Ruthless; once the enemy have shown their hand.
Survive at all costs unfortunately is the only way, trust no one.
(24-12-2023, 07:14 PM)zqwerty Wrote: [ -> ]Can't fight if you are dead, therefore always wary, always ready for anything in the real world.
Ruthless; once the enemy have shown their hand.
Survive at all costs unfortunately is the only way, trust no one.
I somttimes wonder if we were somehow able to tone down our violent & aggressive side, whether that might help, or whether we'd manage to find a way to stuff it up.
