The Reading List

Just finished:

Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson. I’m a big Stephenson fan, but a few of his last have been a little inconsistent. Fall, or Dodge in Hell was just damn painful. He’s back in for on this one, and talking about a technological solution to the climate crisis. Good read. Now, that said – I just finished an audio book:
Reamde, by Neal Stephenson. Somehow I missed this one. I enjoyed it very much, and may have to revisit Fall.
All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business, by Mel Brooks. Mel’s biography. I’m a fan, and this is a great book. Memoir form from childhood to now, and goes through his productions. The Fly was produced by Mel Brooks? Did not know that. Mel Brooks and David Cronenberg. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Invisible Sun, by Charles Stross. The last of his Merchant Prince series. Humans who can walk across alternate timelines (called ‘jaunting’ in the book, although those of us who are Gully Foyle purists know it’s nothing of the kind). Solid ending to a series started more than 20 years ago, with crazy politics in two timelines.
The Surgeon’s Mate, Patrick O’Brian. The Aubrey/Maturin sea novels have been on my list to read for a log time; I finally started them mid-2021. The Russel Crowe movie, Captain and Commander, had a family friend as the technical advisor, Andy Reay-Ellers.

Journey To The Edge of Reason: The Life of Kurt Gödel by Stephen Budiansky. It’s impossible for me to decide whether to read this or not. Hey, look, a Gödel dad joke! Up in the bucket list is Hofstader’s Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, which has been on the shelf for 20 years. I figure his biography will be a warmup.
Unwinding Anxiety, by Judson Brewer. Yeah, retirement is causing me some anxiety. I’ll get over it. Maybe with a self-help book or two tossed in first, though.
The Queen’s Gambit, by Walter Tevis. I started playing chess again a couple of years ago. ‘Pushed wood’ back in the 60s/70s, dropped it for 50 years, and then picked it up again. I finally watched the show on Netflix. Nice series, but I had no idea – Walter Tevis? He wrote a couple of books that got made into movies. Like, The Hustler. Color of Money. And… The Man Who Fell To Earth Now that is some range.

And yes. Yes, I am reading two books at once and listening to another. And that was before I retired.