War Stories by Garth Ennis

This book may be my favorite piece of fiction about soldiers in war that I have ever come across. With four separate stories contained in this volume, Ennis tells stories that are well researched, often horrifying and most of all human. This book definitely transcends any perceived limitations of the medium of the comic book to tell a masterfully constructed tale of men in wartime. There are no John Wayne heroics or black and white scenarios at play here, and anyone expecting this will be sorely disappointed.

Steam-Punk Recommendation: Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding

The original cover, before the oh so critical removal of the fellow in the foreground

I must admit, I had been looking forward to reading this book for quite a while. It spend two years bogged down in the inexplicable wait while the UK based publisher decided how they wanted to release it in the United States. For a great piece of adventure steam-punk-ish fun to be restricted to overpriced overseas shippers in an era of ebooks and print-on-demand is simply stupid. In the end, the only difference I know of between the two versions is that they edited out a person in the foreground of the cover art. This process apparently takes years and a team of experts to complete.

But enough whinging, how was the book?

Thoughts on the Kindle and other e-readers

I'll admit it, I love my Kindle. I can get just about any book I want in minutes, and I can carry an entire library in the pocket of my jacket. What isn't to love about that? But the sad reality is that this amazing little device could be signaling the death knell of my own chosen profession of librarianship. We are entering an era where instead of traveling to a library, asking a librarian and browsing the shelves for what we need, we will instead type in a phrase, press buy and be reading our chosen manuscript in a matter of minutes. Perfect if you're a traveler on the move without room for a mountain of books and the accompanying journeys to return them, not so ideal if you're a public institution reliant on visits from the public.

Nonfiction Reccomendation, Politics: Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72

It would not be an exaggeration to say that I consider Hunter S. Thompson to be one of the greatest authors of the 20th century. In his heyday in the late 60's and early 70's there was no writer who better attacked the norms and ideas of the day. His pioneering style of 'Gonzo' journalism, in which the journey and author are every bit as critical to the story as the actual subject.

Let it suffice to say that Thompson did not think highly of Nixon

Kid's Fiction Recommendation: Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl

The first of many

Are you looking for an offbeat fantasy adventure to read with your kids? Do you find the idea of a 12 year old evil genius pulling the wool over the eyes of the police, both human and otherwise, to be an appealing idea? Do you want action, adventure and daring heists? Then the first book of Colfer's Artemis Fowl series may be for you.

What this whole mess is about

As I've been told for ages by my friends that I should start one of these and begin sharing my blatherings with the world, I've decided to give it a go. This is a bit experimental, and I can't even begin to say where it will go. Hopefully any of you foolish enough to follow along will find some measure of enjoyment out of it. The things you will see here include book reviews and recommendations, musings, thoughts on baseball and other game type activities. I'll do my best to keep things family friendly and on the level, but if it wanders off of that path, you have been warned.

Look for a new recommendation or two a week and assorted other ramblings in the future.

Me, in my more carefree-living-in-Ireland days. The horror...