A Short Guide to a Happy LIfe

Book Notes

Reads in like 10 minutes.

An expensive book for those 10 minutes of reading if you buy at the full price, so buy it for $0.01 on Amazon (and pay like $4 for shipping) or visit a used book store, which you should be doing anyway, to buy it.

Reminds me of the Last Lecture, to be honest. Another reminder that life's too short, best to enjoy oneself, cherish the small moments, find joy in small things, do good, do well.

As the saying goes, the teacher comes when the student is ready, so this book seemed to have been more of an impact than it would have had I read it in college. Though, really, in some form I did read it in college, it's saying the same thing we hear over and over again:

Life's short. Do good. Be true to yourself. Focus on what matters. Surround yourself with people you love and who love you.

Same stuff.

Still, recommended.

I think this review is as long as the book.

And today's the day I give up on the things that weren't working anyway.

Nemesis

Book Notes

This is book 4 of the Harry Hole series.

Okay, be completely (and by "completely" I mean 100%) unsurprised that the next book I read is a Harry Hole book. It's pretty much all I'm reading these days. So close to 104 books for the year, which would be twice my goal of one book a week. Go me.

This Harry Hole book had the feeling of deja vu. So much so that I had to reread a number of chapters just because I felt I had already read the chapter and wanted to reread it just to confirm that the feeling of "I've totally read this book before" wasn't valid.

In this book, Harry is set up.

Shock.

And likely about time.

By which I mean, the man has totally set himself up to be screwed by jealous and less moral coworkers.

Tom Waaler is a major character in this book, how he is a complete an total asshole and BAD COP (whoops, spoiler alert). Seriously, if you've been reading this series, that Tom is a bad guy isn't a revelation. He plays an important role in the previous two books. And yeah, he's an asshole. Takes advantage of someone else setting up Harry.

I enjoyed the book, again with the caveat "as much as I can enjoy anything with murder in it." Hate people taking advantage of other people, hate the willful destruction of other people, hate the fucking unfairness in this world. Go Harry! it gets better.

Related: OMG writing book reviews when drunk is AWESOME. Sober Kitt, you should try this more often.

Or maybe not.

Working for Bigfoot

Book Notes

Yay!

Another Dresden book!

"Book."

At least Butcher keeps his fans somewhat happy between Dresden books. Unlike some people *cough* GRRM *cough* *cough*

This one is a collection of three novellas, each longer than a short story, none able to stand on its own, all previously published. The theme of the stories is Bigfoot (-ish, he's one of the Forest People, with a tremendously strong aura) and his son, who seems to get in a lot of trouble.

What I like about this book, aside from DRESDEN (duh), is that it spans many of the books we've already read and loved about Dresden, and follows the life of a kid, Irwin Pounder, as he grows from elementary school to college. We see some of the cases that Harry takes between the big stories we read about in the novels.

And the jokes are pure Dresden / Butcher. Enjoyed the book, wish for more.

Blue's Treat!

Blog

What a Long Bunch of Longmire Crap

Blog

Wow, Longmire the television series sucks.

I started reading the books because I read about how fantastic Katee Sackhoff is as Vic in the series.

In particular:

Vic from the Longmire series—Katee Sackhoff nailed Victoria Moretti’s tough and sarcastic personality in the recently canceled-then-saved series, but trust me when I say Vic in the books is way more awesome. Instead of whining about how her relationship with her husband is falling apart, she just divorces him without fanfare and moves on. Book Vic don’t have time for his drama. Also, how can you not love a character who answers the phone like Dorothy Parker? She’s like Dorothy Parker with a badge and a gun!

Well, that article is right about Vic in the books being way more awesome than in the show. What it doesn't say is how awful the show is. Talk about bastardizing the books. Walt is an asshole. He's violent and a jerk. And the f---ing drama. God, I haven't even finished the first season and probably won't at this point (who am I kidding, I'll keep watching, if only in the background), but geez, this show sucks.

No wonder it was cancelled.

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