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swynn

swynn

Joined March 2018

Librarian - sf/fantasy addict - runner - germanophile - he/him or they/them
review
swynn
The Jewel in the Skull | Michael Moorcock
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(1977, original edition 1967)

First in Moorcock's series featuring Hawkmoon, a warrior in a post-apocalyptic pseudo-medieval Germany, fighting the evil empire of Granbretan. Loved this -- it's pulpy fantasy adventure that knows exactly what it's about. Looking forward to the next.

This was my #DoubleSpin read for March

RamsFan1963 I've read Moorcock's books about Corum and Elric but not Hawkmoon. I'll have to stack this for future reading. 3h
27 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
swynn
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(1997) The author contemplates ways that a religion grounded in science might be realized: what should be the areas of concern for such a religion? Its values? Its texts? Its myths? Its ceremonies? Some of her answers resonate with me, others don't, and sometimes her critics seem to have stronger points. Still, I'm giving it a Pick for making me think thoughts I hadn't thought before, and for a stroll down a path I find very intriguing.

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swynn
The Jewel in the Skull | Michael Moorcock
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Count Brass, Lord Guardian of the Kamarg, rode out on a horned horse one morning to inspect his territories.

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

review
swynn
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Mehso-so

(1966) "The White-Trunk Caste"
Last episode left Perry and crew captives of a community of Twonosers operating inside the carcase of a "Moby" space whale. We follow the Terrans as they are carried to their destination: a labor farm among the "white-trunks," lowest of the Twonosers' three castes. And as they plot an escape. The idea and setting are great, but the story picks an annoying viewpoint character with an unsatisfying redemption arc.

review
swynn
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(2019) I've reached a point where animal stories are a comfort genre, and these filled that Rx. I expected a book of odd vet stories, but got a variety, including insights into the business of veterinary practice, pet medical care 101 (including tips on pilling your cat and reading dog poop), and yes odd vet stories. Speaking of which: on the left is a sad boy who chewed his dewclaw off (because dog) so is seeing a vet in the morning.

Leftcoastzen Awww, poor guy!🐶 1w
TheBookgeekFrau Awwww, poor pup 😔 1w
Jari-chan Get better soon, little pup ❤️🐶 1w
See All 9 Comments
dabbe Feel better, sweet pup! 🖤🐾🖤 1w
swynn @Leftcoastzen @TheBookgeekFrau @Jari-chan @dabbe Update on the dewclaw-chewer: the vet prescribed a round of painkillers and antibiotics and an entire week of wearing the e-collar. The injustice! 1w
swynn @Leftcoastzen @TheBookgeekFrau @Jari-chan @dabbe Update on the dewclaw-chewer: the vet prescribed a round of painkillers and antibiotics and an entire week of wearing the e-collar. The injustice! 1w
Jari-chan @swynn Oh no! I hope that after this week everything goes back to normal 🤞 1w
dabbe @swynn As Scooby-Doo would say, #ruhroh! And that should be a hashtag: #dewclawchewer! Hang in there, sweet boy! 🖤🐾🖤 1w
TheBookgeekFrau All good dogs end up in the collar at some point, so there's that 🙃 Speedy recovery 🐶🐾 1w
38 likes1 stack add9 comments
review
swynn
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(1966) "Guard Command Andro-Beta"

Terrand proceed with their plan to establish a base of operations in the star cluster Andro-Beta. First they investigate a barren ice planet where they discover hypnotic crystals; then they investigate the carcass of a space whale - now called a "Moby" - only to find that the dead Moby has already been colonized by one-eyed double-trunked aliens they name "Twonosers", and the Twonosers don't want to share ...

review
swynn
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(2009) Fourth in Penny's series featuring Quebec detective Armand Gamache. In this one, Gamache investigates murder at a forest resort where he & Mme Gamache celebrate their anniversary. Penny's mysteries strike me not so much as mysteries but as stories about being human that just happen to involve murder. This one is about families and how they feed and fail us. It made me squirm repeatedly.

This was my #BookSpin read for March
@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1w
bthegood Starting this series this month - sounds interesting - 🙂 1w
rretzler It‘s a great series! 1w
CarolynM I think you are right about the nature of Louise Penny‘s stories. The mystery isn‘t the important bit. 1w
44 likes4 comments
review
swynn
Bridges of Madison County | Robert James Waller
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Mehso-so

(1992) This was the bestselling book in the U.S. in 1992. Back in 1992 I worked the service desk of a public library and set a goal to read everything on the Bestseller list. No fan of romance, I liked it better than expected: I liked its direct language, attention to detail, and its brevity. This time around I like it less -- its excessive sentimentalism makes my eyes roll -- but still think it's a pretty good example of the kind of thing it is

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swynn
Bridges of Madison County | Robert James Waller
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There are songs that come free from the blue-eyed grass, from the dust of a thousand country roads. This is one of them

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

23 likes1 stack add
review
swynn
Leah Mordecai: A Novel | Belle K. Abbott
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Panpan

(1875) Leah Mordecai is a young Jewish woman whose plans for the future are foiled by her hateful conniving stepmother, who sours Leah's relationship with her father and spoils her engagement to the handsome son of a rabbi. In desperation, Leah elopes with a Christian boy, and hardship follows. It's a strange, unsatisfying historical melodrama with a complete set of period prejudices and a poor sense of how stories work.

#ReadYourKindle

Dilara Well, that does not sound appealing! How did you come across this book? 2w
swynn @Dilara I don't remember! It's been sitting in my Kindle for about 7 years, and came up in the draw for @CBee 's #ReadYourKindle challenge. But I don't remember why I got it in the first place. Almost certainly because I'd seen it referenced somewhere else, probably because of its Jewish protagonist. 2w
CBee Oof. Hopefully the next pick will be better 🤞🏻 2w
dabbe #fanofthepan! 🤩🤩🤩 1w
28 likes4 comments
review
swynn
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(1966) "Secret Satellite Troja"

Having secured the transmitter station in the System of the Lost, the Teams now push on toward the Andromeda Galaxy. For the next step they hollow out an asteroid to serve as battleship carrier and expedition headquarters, then drive it through the transmitter to Andro-Beta, a small star cluster at Andromeda's edge. Where they are promptly swallowed by a space whale.

I am delighted to report that I am not kidding

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick You legitimately made me laugh! 🤣 🐳 2w
The_Book_Ninja Sounds like this influenced Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 2w
The_Book_Ninja I mean, the alien probe is kind of a Space Whale 2w
swynn @The_Book_Ninja Both stories have space whales, so maybe? Their takes are very different. In this one, instead of rescuing or communicating with the whales, they have to find a way to escape the whale before they are digested. (Spoiler: they do this by teaming up with an intelligent parasite.) (edited) 2w
swynn @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Yay! The story made me smile, so I'm happy to share the joy. 2w
31 likes5 comments
blurb
swynn
Leah Mordecai: A Novel | Belle K. Abbott
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Here are my picks for March #ReadYourKindle .

I'm not sure which ones I'll get to, but will plug them all into my Bookspin Bingo card, and will read strategically.

Thanks @CBee !

CBee You‘re so welcome 😊 2w
34 likes1 comment
review
swynn
Supermind | A. E. van Vogt
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(1976) It's a Van Vogt fix-up, so you go into it expecting a certain sort of bonkers. And with this one you get superbrains versus space vampires. So you figure yep, that's the kind of ride you were promised.

The_Book_Ninja Sounds good 2w
32 likes1 comment
review
swynn
A Stranger in the Citadel | Tobias Buckell
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(2023) YA dystopia, set in a future world where everyone's physical needs are met by universal fabricator machines, and in exchange humans give up weapons technology, fertility, and literacy. When our heroine Lilith saves a librarian from execution, she sets out on a path that explodes her understanding of the world and takes her to its edge, with ponderings along the way about information, communication, and the responsibilities of institutions.

blurb
swynn
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And here's my #BookSpinBingo card for March.

Good luck everybody!

And thanks @TheAromaofBooks !

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looks fantastic!! 2w
30 likes1 comment
blurb
swynn
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Here are my #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin picks for March, a couple of genre reads from authors who deliver consistently. Looking forward to both.

Thanks @TheAromaofBooks !

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! 2w
Bookwomble I love Moorcock! (Hmm - better not say that out loud!) 1w
swynn @Bookwomble You can say it on *my* posts! 1w
28 likes3 comments
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swynn
A Stranger in the Citadel | Tobias Buckell
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The gods say, "You shall not suffer a librarian to live."

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

35 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
swynn
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And here's my #BookSpinBingo card for February. I scored!

Thanks for hosting @TheAromaofBooks !

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fabulous month!!! 3w
26 likes1 comment
review
swynn
Copo de Algodn | Mara Garca Espern
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(2010) It's a juvenile historical and a strange one, based on the early life of Isabel Moctezuma: daughter to Moctezuma II, witness to the arrival of Hernán Cortés, and survivor of the Spanish Conquest. It's a story of conflict between cultures that on one side practice human sacrifice, ritual cannibalism, and child marriage; and on the other, genocide. Grim themes for juvenile lit, so it's remarkable that it's also full of beauty and heartbreak

swynn This was my #BookSpin read for February. I think I said earlier that "Magic Rises" was such, but I was wrong: "Magic Rises" was my #DoubleSpin. I'm ready for March now @TheAromaofBooks ! 3w
TheAromaofBooks Great review!!! 3w
27 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
swynn
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(1966) "The Time-Trap"

Last episode, the Terrans faced a hostile reception in The System of the Lost. Reinforcements arrive, including Gucky, whom locals recognize as a war hero who helped defend against an attack on their planet a thousand years ago. But Gucky has never visited the system. Then Gucky's team stumble into a time-trap and land a thousand years into the past, and things begin to make sense. It's as fun as the cover suggests.

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swynn
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Here's my #ReadYourKindle list for March.

Thanks for hosting @CBee !

CBee Ooooo, Song of Achilles ♥️♥️♥️ 3w
swynn @CBee I know! Maybe this is its time ... 3w
21 likes2 comments
blurb
swynn
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Here's my #BookSpin #DoubleSpin #BookspinBingo list for March.

Thanks for hosting @TheAromaofBooks !

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3w
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Bridges of Madison County is on my list too! It ended up being my Bookspin. 2w
swynn @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Book sibling! I read it way back when it was a Bestseller, so I sort of know what to expect, and am interested in how my response might change; hope you like it (and if not, at least it's short)! 2w
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Lol, yay book sibling! I picked it up on a whim at a used book clearance sale and have no idea what to expect. 😅 2w
23 likes4 comments
review
swynn
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Mehso-so

(2013) Kate and Curran go to Europe. Intrigue, mayhem, and relationship drama ensue. I'm enjoying the series, and I like how this episode contributed to the series's story arc, but I am so over the extended relationship drama that could be solved with a brief conversation.

This was my #BookSpin read for February.
@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! I just finished book 3, so I'm getting to this one soon... ish lol 3w
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm The “miscommunication for the sake of drama” trope is one of my biggest pet peeves. 😅 3w
swynn @TheAromaofBooks Hope you like the series! 3w
swynn @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Especially when the same characters have to learn the same lesson repeatedly ... Grr 3w
26 likes4 comments
quote
swynn
Copo de Algodn | Mara Garca Espern
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Mi padre es un hombre triste.

= "My father is a sad man."

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

review
swynn
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(2020) First in author Butler's buddy-fantasy-adventure series "Indrajit and Fix." In this one, Indrajit and Fix accept a job to protect a singer on behalf of their employer who has underwritten a life insurance policy on her. There's much to enjoy here, including a rapid pace, a sense of humor, the dynamic between the two principals, and discussion of fantasy-world banking and insurance. Testosteroney, but fun.

32 likes1 stack add
review
swynn
Secondborn | Amy A Bartol
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(2017) I picked this up as an Amazon First Read, so it's been on my Kindle now for 6 years. I wasn't missing much, since I'm no fan of YA dystopias, and this one collects my least favorite YA-dystopia tropes in one messy package. It's about a self-absorbed super-special teenage Mary Sue telling us about oppression in a world whose rules don't make sense to me. So thumbs-down from me but I'm not the target audience so YMMV

#readYourKindle @CBee

CBee Glad it‘s over with then 😂😅 3w
swynn @CBee Yep, that's the good news. Fortunately, I don't have any others in the series sitting in my Kindle unread, so I am done with this one. 👍 3w
CBee @swynn onto the next and hopefully better one 😊 3w
35 likes3 comments
review
swynn
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(1966) Events of vol. 230 leave the Terrans cut off from the Twin system, which served as a way station to Andromeda. Their new acquaintance Grek-1 suggests an alternate route, through "The System of the Lost," an abandoned system with a still-functioning transmitter station. But when Terran explorers arrive they find it not so abandoned after all ....

review
swynn
Gullivers Travels | Jonatan Swift
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(1726) I had read excerpts in high school and college but never the whole thing. There's more necromancy than I expected, and a lot more scatological humor. I also laughed more than you'd expect for a political satire 300 years old. I much appreciated the footnotes in the Norton Critical Edition, which fill in some of the context and identify some of Swift's targets.

Graywacke Cool! I‘ve thought about trying this. I‘ve never read any of it. 4w
38 likes1 comment
quote
swynn
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"Don't throw me through the glass," Indrajit Twang advised his captors. "You'll like the big crash it makes; it'll be very dramatic, but your boss won't thank you. Glass is expensive."

(I know I'm late for #FirstLineFridays , but this one is fun enough I'm posting anyway.)

@ShyBookOwl

review
swynn
Half a King | Joe Abercrombie
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Mehso-so

(2014) Mixed feelings. The betrayal-and-revenge plot here is pretty well-worn, and the "slavery builds strength and character" trope needs to be retired ASAP. Points for the final twist being not the one I expected, but removed again for depending on implausible coincidence. OTOH, Abercrombie writes this kind of thing really well: pacing and characters are engaging, and goodness help me I'm looking forward to the next.

#ReadYourKindle @CBee

CBee Great review 😊 1mo
28 likes1 comment
review
swynn
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(1966) Last episode's events left the Terrans with Maahk commander Grek-1 in custody, with whom they have come to a mutual cautious respect. Meanwhile, the Terrans' old foes the Akons have arrived with a battle fleet at the portal to the Twin system, demanding passage. Grek-1 advises Perry to evacuate Terrans from Twin and let the Akons through -- he won't say why, but Grek-1 insists he has Earth's best interests in mind ...

review
swynn
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(2021) It's a noir thriller about two fathers of murdered gay sons, who never accepted their sons while they were alive, but come together to avenge their deaths. It's a gut-wrenching mix of introspection and violence about two flawed men who become better men while being very bad men. I liked it much.

Leftcoastzen Great review! I need to get to this one 1mo
swynn @Leftcoastzen Hope you like it as well as I did! 1mo
41 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
swynn
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(1966) "Enemy from an Alien Galaxy"

The last few episodes have focused on agent Rakal Woolver, whose twin brother Tronar was killed by Maahks. But it turns out that although Tronar's body was destroyed, his spirit survived. Now Tronar has rematerialized on the Maahk ship where he died, so Rakal and a team of teleporters go to rescue Tronar and negotiate with the Maahk commander, Grek. Tronar's return is hokey, but the Gucky-Grek dynamic is fun.

vlwelser That cover is amazing. 1mo
swynn @vlwelser Isn't it a hoot? Cover artist Johnny Bruck is on a roll in this story cycle, which has some of my favorite covers of the entire series. 1mo
29 likes2 comments
review
swynn
Walkers on the Sky | David J. Lake
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Mehso-so

(1976) The world has three levels: a Netherworld thick with flora, fauna and dense atmosphere; a Middle World positioned on a force-field stretched across the sky; and an Upper World where gods live. Sig is a young man of the Middle World who is captured by slavers, then descends to the Netherworld just as the slavers plan to raid it for slaves and plunder. The world-building is fun but the characters are weak and the sensibilities are very 1970s

DocBrown 1970s sci-fi. Does it get any better? 1mo
swynn @DocBrown Yes. It definitely gets better than 1970s sci fi. But the thing that 1970s sci fi is ... It never gets more that. 1mo
37 likes2 comments
review
swynn
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(1966) "The Revenge of the Mutant"

Rakal Woolver, a mutant with the power to travel any wave energy, once had a twin brother Tronar. But the Maahks captured Tronar, killed and duplicated him, then returned the clone to Terran space as a Maahk spy. Now, pretending to be the duplicate, Rakal infiltrates a Maahk battleship: for the good of Terran defense of course, but it's also very personal. This one delivers a satisfying number of explosions.

Graywacke Entertaining cover 1mo
swynn @Graywacke I like it too. And there are more good ones coming up! 1mo
37 likes2 comments
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swynn
Half a King | Joe Abercrombie
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Picks for the @CBee 's #readyourkindle .

I'm going to try Half a King and Secondborn. The "Living Dead" anthology is tempting but a little too thick, especially paired with the Abercrombie.

CBee Looks great!! 1mo
34 likes1 comment
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swynn
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And here's my card for February #Bookspinbingo . Bottom corners are placeholders for titles to be determined by @CBee 's #readyourkindle challenge.

I didn't score a bingo in January, but this month I have a strategy. Good luck, y'all!

And thanks @TheAromaofBooks !

CBee Looks great 😊😊 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looks fantastic!! 1mo
43 likes2 comments
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swynn
Copo de Algodn | Mara Garca Espern
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My #BookSpin for February is a juvenile historical set in precolonial Mexico; my #DoubleSpin is the next up for me in the Kate Daniels Urban fantasy series. Looking forward to both.

Thanks @TheAromaofBooks !

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Enjoy!! I'm planning to read the next Kate Daniels book as well - I'm only on book 2!! 2mo
28 likes1 comment
review
swynn
Devil's Pocketbook | Ross|Press Jeffery (DarkLit)
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(2023) My favorite thing about this book is that it introduced me to the term "devil's pocketbook," a name for the egg cases of chondrichthyans like sharks and skates. ("Chondrichthyans" is a new-to-me word and I'm not yet tired of saying it.) Go search YouTube for "mermaid's purse" and thank me and Ross Jeffery later.

The book is okay: the body horror was more extreme than my taste runs these days. But chondrichthyan egg cases? Brilliant.

thegreensofa That is just amazing! Who knew! And I was surprised at how big they are! 2mo
swynn @thegreensofa I know right?! The world is so wild 2mo
bthegood looked it up - thank you - very interesting 🙂 2mo
25 likes1 stack add3 comments
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swynn
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In the spirit of trying every good idea at least once, I'm joining @CBee 's #readyourkindle challenge in February. Friends, I have thousands of unread books in my Kindle account. This is not an exaggeration, but a very real consequence of having zero resistance to literary freebies and 99¢ sales.

So here's my list of 20 titles -- of which I'll finally read a couple in February. Probably.

CBee Awesome! Thanks for joining and I like your spirit 😁 2mo
RamsFan1963 I read Little Girl Lost, and it is one of the darkest crime novels I've ever read. Only thing darker was the sequel 2mo
swynn @RamsFan1963 Now I am intrigued. There's dark and then there's just mean, and the line between can be pretty thin. I like the first a lot, and wonder how this one will strike me. 2mo
RamsFan1963 @swynn The sequel, Songs of Innocence, has an ending that totally rocked me. It made sense for the story but it was disgusting non the less 2mo
29 likes4 comments
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swynn
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Here's my #BookSpin #DoubleSpin #BookSpinBingo list for February. Good luck everybody!

And thanks @TheAromaofBooks !

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2mo
26 likes1 comment
blurb
swynn
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What word(s) do you use for an improvised, ad-hoc solution whose only virtue is that it works?

Asking because I recently said "Jerry-rigged" in conversation and was asked what that means. So I guess that's outdated? In the 1980s and 90s everyone used "MacGyver" as a verb and ""MacGyvered' as an adjective, but is that still current? Computer science people have "kludge," but I don't think it's used much outside of CS.

What word do you use?

HeyT I think macguyvered is still relevant because they had that reboot a few years ago 2mo
julesG I think my teenage kids would just say "(life-)hacked". They understand it when I used "MacGyvered". My father used to say "improv-funden" (German) which I'd translate to "impro-vented". 2mo
swynn @julesG Oh good one. I have heard "hack" used in this context. And thanks for the German expression, which I've never encountered. 2mo
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swynn @HeyT I wasn't aware of the reboot, but that makes sense. I thought I'd heard "MacGyver" used recently by someone not old enough to remember the Richard Dean Anderson show when it was new. 2mo
julesG I think the German word is used in my family only. 2mo
Ruthiella I am old and still say jerry-rigged. 2mo
TheBookgeekFrau Still use MacGyver - of the Richard Dean Anderson era 😁 2mo
Bookwomble I'd say jury-rigged for something improvised, and jerry-built for something hastily and badly constructed. So I guess jerry-rigged might mean something that's both improvised and badly constructed. Cobbled together and bodged also come to mind for improvised, with the inference that it's a rough job, but ok for a temporary fix. 2mo
swynn @Bookwomble That's interesting: I've heard "jury-rigged", but assumed it was a variant of "jerry-rigged," and that "jerry-rigged" originated in the twentieth-century European wars. Your response sent me to the OED, which tells me that I was mistaken: both terms originated in the mid-19th century, with the distinction between "jury-rigged" and "jerry-built" as you describe. "Cobbled" I have heard, but not "bodged." Thanks! 2mo
swynn @TheBookgeekFrau Yay MacGyver! I haven't seen the reboot, but can't imagine that it could have been an improvement 2mo
TheBookgeekFrau @swynn I doubt it's an improvement, only Richard Dean Anderson is Richard Dean Anderson 😄 2mo
Karisimo I say jerry- rigged too 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2mo
The_Book_Ninja Never used MacGyver as a verb, or Jerry-rigged but if someone said either I‘d get the meaning. I‘d probably say a “quick knock-up” for one of my shoddy DIY temporary fixes. However, I‘m aware that such a phrase has other colloquial usage🫠 2mo
The_Penniless_Author Was going to say "jury-rigged" myself, but I see @Bookwomble beat me to it. I also went straight to the dictionary to see if they were just spelling variations, so it was interesting to find out the real explanation. 2mo
The_Penniless_Author Also, you and @TheBookgeekFrau are right - the reboot is painfully bad (like pretty much all of the cheap 80s/90s nostalgia vehicles that are out there right now). 2mo
swynn @Karisimo One thing I've learned from the responses here is that "jerry-rigged" is still very much in use. My sample may not be representative, but I feel validated. ? Thanks! 2mo
swynn @The_Book_Ninja "Knock-up" is another good one. I don't think I've ever used it personally, but have heard others use it. 2mo
swynn @The_Penniless_Author The difference between "jury-" and "jerry-" was a surprise to me, and a major takeaway from these responses. It makes me glad I asked! 2mo
24 likes18 comments
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swynn
Naive Lie Theory | John Stillwell
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So this came up in an automatic recommendation box as something I might be interested in and ...

I don't know man, what are you trying to say?

swynn I should add: yes, I know what Lie Theory is, just enough to make the recommendation not entirely from left field. Still it gives me a giggle 2mo
Ruthiella Don‘t believe everything algorithms are trying to tell you! 😂 2mo
The_Book_Ninja Look forward to your review 🥴 2mo
thegreensofa 😂 2mo
26 likes4 comments
review
swynn
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Pickpick

(1966) "The Duplo and His Shadow"

Last episode, Terran agent Tronar Woolver was captured by Maahks and killed, but not before the Maahks created a Duplo: a duplicate with most of Tronar's memory and under Maahk control. But because (technobabble) neither the Duplo nor the Maahks know that Tronar has a twin brother with mutant powers and an itch for revenge. More intrigue than action in this one, but the payoff next episode should be good.

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Lol, I always love the “technobabble” explanations in sci-fi. 😅❤️ 1mo
30 likes1 comment
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swynn
The Color of Magic | Terry Pratchett
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Getting out the word that HumbleBundle currently has a Discworld bundle, offering 39 Discworld books (is that all of them? I think it's all of them) for a donation of $18 or more benefiting Room to Read, a charity that supports literacy and gender equality in education.

Here you go: https://www.humblebundle.com/books/terry-pratchetts-discworld-harpercollins-book...

Ruthiella Only with Kobo. Bummer, I totally would have purchased if there were a Kindle option. 2mo
swynn @Ruthiella I use both Kobo and Kindle, so this was a buy for me; but I get it: I've turned down other offers because the format didn't work for me 2mo
24 likes2 comments
review
swynn
Na | Patricia Reimndez Prieto
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Mara lives in a world plagued by famine and war. Mara's hunger drives her into the Oak Forest, a green oasis ruled by a powerful dryad who kills any human who steps inside. But the Lady of the Forest is so charmed by Mara's determination and persistence that they form a growing friendship ...

This won the Premio Ignotus for best short novel and it's a lovely parable, a queer retelling of Beauty and the Beast without the creepy Stockholm syndrome.

33 likes1 stack add
review
swynn
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Panpan

(1991) This was the bestselling novel in the U.S. for 1991 and ... ugh.

I did not like it. But it wasn't likely that I would, since I dislike Gone With the Wind in a way that's hard to describe but "overrated Lost Cause propaganda" scratches the surface. This has less Lost Cause propaganda, but nevertheless fails to be a better book.

(Clearly, I'm not the target audience. So ymmv, etc.)

Karisimo I read back in 1991 (I was in highschool) and liked it, but wonder if I would feel the same now?! I suspect not! 2mo
DocBrown The '90s were such a weird time bookwise. Anyone remember The Celestine Prophecy? 2mo
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CatLass007 My Dad gave me a copy as a gift. I thought it was awful. 2mo
swynn @Karisimo Rereading old favorites is so unpredictable. I'll be interested in your thoughts if you'd ever decide it's worth 800+ pages to find out. 2mo
swynn @DocBrown I do! Never read it, but from talk about it I couldn't see the appeal. But the '60s had the bizarre Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and the 2000's had The Shack; it's not just the 90s for strange book fads. 2mo
swynn @Ruthiella Funny you should mention that: BOMC was the bestselling book of 1993, so I'll be reading it soon. (Actually *rereading* it so I know what I'm getting into but at least it's short.) 2mo
swynn @CatLass007 Exactly this is why I rarely get books as gifts unless I'm very sure ... 2mo
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Question for the hive intelligence: I like to give business to independent bookstores, but can't find alternatives for international books. I'm especially interested in books from the German language market. Bookshop.org, Indie bound, and Powell's.com consistently don't have the titles I look for. Amazon and B&N seem like the only sources. Anybody know of a good indie shop (serving the U.S. market) for international stock?

Ruthiella I‘m sure you can order direct from independent bookstores in German speaking countries, but it‘s the shipping costs that make it so expensive. Maybe @julesG or @Jari-chan have tips? 2mo
julesG As @Ruthiella said, you could order from German independent shops, but postage is going to cost an arm and a leg. 2mo
swynn @Ruthiella @julesG Yeah, sources for ebooks would be ideal, and after that an American retailer/distributor who would be able to minimize shipping costs. Although if I wanted a book bad enough to pay overseas shipping, I might as well pay a bookstore for it as Amazon.de, so if you have a favorite bookstore who ships overseas, I'd certainly make a note of it. 2mo
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thegreensofa I get my French novels from Abbey‘s Bookshop in Sydney Australia. They do German books as well and they post internationally (I think for AUD$25). They are a well known Independent book store in Australia and our biggest in languages. If you search by title it‘s an easy site and they happily order in anything that they don‘t have already in stock. I recommend them if the postage isn‘t too steep. And they have a rewards program that doesn‘t expire 2mo
swynn @thegreensofa Thanks! 2mo
julesG EBooks is tricky. You can't buy EBooks from independent shops here in Germany. There are only two large retailers who offer EBooks (Amazon and Thalia.de). I'll ask around whether some of the bigger cities' libraries offer online loaning to non-residents. 2mo
rwmg A German-speaking friend said Scribd (now called Everand) has a good selection of German language ebooks. It works on a subscription model so you pay a monthly fee for as many books as you want. (edited) 2mo
swynn @rwmg Thanks for this suggestion. I hadn't even thought of subscription services, but searching Scribd I can see that they have done if the titles I've looked for. It's a good option to keep in mind 2mo
Bookwomble You might try Abebooks. You can filter to search books in your continent or specific country, if you know the title in German: https://www.abebooks.com/ 2mo
swynn @Bookwomble Also a good suggestion. I do usually check Abebooks, and sometimes find what I'm looking for, though usually with overseas shipping 2mo
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Pickpick

(2009) Last year I read John Toland's seminal deist work, "Christianity Not Mysterious," and finished perplexed: what made it so controversial? and why did it seem inconsistent with what I'd been taught about deism in high school and college? This volume supplies the political, theological, and public-science context and I feel I understand the deists a little better now. It's more academic than I needed, but my questions were answered.

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Pickpick

(1965) The Terrans know now that the Duplos are Maahk spies, but are fuzzy on details of the Duplos' mission. To learn more, Atlan activates two fresh Terran agents: Rakal and Tronar Woolver, identical twins who are "parasprinters": mutants who can travel any wave energy. When the Duplos contact their Maahk overlords, the Woolver twins travel the radio wave to the Maahk battleship where answers await. Also peril. More peril than answers, tbh.