watchya readin'?

[monitor_ep]

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Found my latest reads at Half Priced Book Store: Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo & The Phantom and The Scorpia Menace

[B-Lister]

I feel like I could've used a copy of that ten years ago.

[palitoy]

BIFF: Quick Responses to High-Conflict People, Their Personal Attacks, Hostile Email and Social Media Meltdowns


I recently picked up this book and wish it was mandatory reading. It deals with internet conflict and the best paths to deal with it. It involves not changing anybody's mind but yours about dealing with hostile, blame-seeking people who project their mismanaged emotions at you. I've cringed reading this several times and liken it to the type of verbal judo you can practice. Excellent read and I'm only on Chapter 3.

[Mr.Marion]

I had the essential volume. Not an traditional superhero comic but if you view it as an independent book and just go for the ride.
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[Nostalgiabuff]

i'm reading Lightfoot, by Nick Jennings. it's a biography of the late Gordon Lightfoot. he was an interesting and humble man

[B-Lister]

I picked this up in Japan on my last trip.

It's called "Doctor Monster! Shoji Otomo's Best Works".

Shoji Otomo was an editor of several Shonen Magazines during the Kaiju boom of the 1960s, and pioneered the "Cutaway view" of science fiction monsters, and machinery that is still popular today. (See any of Dorling Kindersley's Star Wars Cross Section books).

[Wee67]

I decided to re-read the first "novel" I can remember reading, Matthew Looney and the Space Pirates. Of course, I had tons of picture books like Dr Suess or Curious George, but this was the first way-more-words-than-pictures book. I was also attracted to the Gahan Wilson artwork!

[J.B.]

Just finished the brutally depressing House Rules from Heather Lewis. Need something light and whimsical to pick up my spirits. Let's hope Mr. Dazai can provide some chuckles.

[B-Lister]

Currently reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II. When that's finished, I have to get caught up with the Manga "Go! Go! Loser Ranger!" (aka Sentai Daishikkaku/Ranger Reject).

[Wee67]

House Rules by Heather Lewis.

So now, I'm intrigued. Without even watching the video, I started looking for the book. It was Out Of Print and the only place I found it was, occasionally, on ebay. She only wrote 2 other books: House Rules (her first) and The Second Suspect (both OOP) before she decided to check-out at age 40. From what little information I've found on her, she lived a very troubled life, much like the characters in her books. Notice was published after her death. I got lucky and scored House Rules for a decent price on ebay. It's about abuse, sex, abuse, sex, abuse, sex.......and horsies!

You've inspired me to go back and re-read the first big boy book I ever read!

[monitor_ep]

Gordon R Dickson: Secrets Of The Deep

Currently reading:

Another SeaQuest DSV type adventure book series that would have fit into that worlds:

Robby Hoenig adventures are timeless young adult stories in the tradition of Arthur C. Clarke's Dolphin Island. Secret Under the Sea: Dive into adventure in the last unknown territory on Earth - the sea. Join Robby Hoenig and a cast of characters as unusual as any ever met on a distant planet...

Book 1: Secret Under the Sea
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Robby Hoenig's family and trained dolphin live undersea in a lab/house pod where his parents are study aquatic life and that includes some rare sea life from Mars. An aquatic visitor from another world is threatened by a criminal gang..
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Book 2: Secret Under Antarctica
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A scientific expedition becomes a race to stop a terrorist plot for world-wide disaster, buried beneath the ice of the South Pole...

Book 3: Secret Under the Caribbean
Book 3 Secret underthe Caribbean.jpg
The key to a baffling puzzle - and the truth about a mysterious monster - are locked inside a sunken Spanish ship . . .

[J.B.]

House Rules by Heather Lewis.

Never heard of this book or the author before. One day on Youtube I see this:

So now, I'm intrigued. Without even watching the video, I started looking for the book. It was Out Of Print and the only place I found it was, occasionally, on ebay. She only wrote 2 other books: House Rules (her first) and The Second Suspect (both OOP) before she decided to check-out at age 40. From what little information I've found on her, she lived a very troubled life, much like the characters in her books. Notice was published after her death. I got lucky and scored House Rules for a decent price on ebay. It's about abuse, sex, abuse, sex, abuse, sex.......and horsies!

Maybe one day I'll find a copy of Notice for a similar price; maybe not.

[KingKickass1983]

I am! I never heard of this book before now. Let me know how you like it, because I’m already sorely tempted to blind buy it.

Its good so far, I can't help but hear his voice as I read it.

[monitor_ep]

Because SeaQuest DSV came out on blu-ray I have been finding books that would have fit into that worlds:

Frederik Pohl & Jack Williamson Undersea Trilogy (Undersea Quest, Undersea Fleet, Undersea City)

Book 1 Undersea Quest by Frederik Pohl & Jack Williamson.jpg
Intrigue surrounds the mining of uranium beneath the underwater dome city of Marinia. Jim Eden, expelled from the Sub-Sea Academy on trumped-up charges, seeks out his uncle who disappeared while mining at the bottom of Eden Deep. While for looking clues to his uncle's disappearance, Jim runs into some men who try to stop him.

Book 2 Undersea Fleet by Frederik Pohl & Jack Williamson.jpg
David Craken, a firm believer in the existence of sea serpents, disappears in search of them only to reappear drifting offshore months later. His friend Jim Eden and members of the Sub-Sea Academy retrace David's journey and soon run into the strange creatures that had been only mythical before.

Book 3 Undersea City by Frederik Pohl & Jack Williamson.jpg
Krakatoan Dome was specifically designed to cope with the tremors of its earthquake prone area. Problems begin when more quakes occur than had been expected, which many experts suspect are being artificially created. The Sub-Sea Academy assigns Jim Eden to investigate, because of his experience working underwater, and also because his uncle is the prime suspect.

These came in late 60's early 70's but they read like an extension of SeaQuest DSV. They were a great read and I couldn't wait to read them. I was lucky and found them at used book store, being this old some people price these way too high.

[MRP]

I don't think we will ever get a truly accurate history of the creation of D&D because Gygax is still so deified in some circles of fandom and they don't want to ruin the myth. Some of the ugly side of the myth that has leaked out over the years was Gygax wasn't a good businessman and a goodly portion of TSRs problems were of his doing. He also could be controlling, cruel and petty. Like when he tried to erase co-creator/major contributor Dave Arneson from D&D history and prevent him from getting royalties.

By the 90s TSR was in terrible shape. Wizard of the Coast buying D&D saved the property.

Riggs actually addresses the Saint Gary perspective as a problem, and points to a lot of the mistakes and poor decisions he made on terms of running the company (including absenteeism when he went to Hollywood) and especially how the deal Gary cut with Random House for distrubution in the book trade (rather than the obby trade) came back to bite TSR and was a major factor in their collapse in the 90s. So softballing Gygax to protect his legacy is not one of the issues this book had.

-M