Unmarriageable Suspect

Fiction

The Suspect by Fiona Barton. Didn't we just get a book by Barton? Let me check... No. maybe I weeded a book by someone named Barton. I'll check the paper list... Nope. Oh well. Let's describe author photos instead. Barton is seated with a poured concrete wall behind her. She has a purple sweater on. That purple is a very nice color. Hey, check that out, Barton was awarded Reporter of the Year by the British Press Awards. That must have been nice. Do you think the awardees got free drinks or did they get the cash bar?

Tear It Down by Nick Petrie. Fourth novel featuring war veteran Peter Ash. I read the first novel and enjoyed it but have not caught up with the others. Petrie spoke at the Bridges Library System dinner a couple years ago. He was very patient with me. I skipped the author photo, I already met the guy.

The Rule of Law by John Lescroart. I have no idea how to pronounce Lescroart. I follow a few authors on the Facebook box. Every once in a while I see Lescroart posts on comment threads. I don't ask him for a pronunciation guide. I skipped the author photo.

Unmarriageable: Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan by Soniah Kamal. Modern telling but set in Pakistan. This looks kinda neat actually, and I've no interest in Pride and Prejudice. Let's get back to author photo descriptions: this one is a good one. The photographer caught a real nice smile on Kamal, she looks like she was in a great mood that day.

Night of Camp David by Fletcher Knebel. re-print of a 1965 novel that reminded people of President Trump: "President... rants about his enemies, unfurling insane theories about all the people he says are conspiring against him... plans he has to make America a great world power once again." No author photo. If I could find an old photo I imagine it would be in black and white and Knebel would be posing with a pipe or wearing a turtleneck or looking like he is sucking a lemon.

Audiobooks on CD

Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking. 5 hours on 4 CDs. What kind of questions? How about these: Why does the dog have to sniff around for several minutes before finding a spot, even when it is 5 degrees out? Why is coffee so delicious? Does anyone read this blog or am I just doing this for my own enjoyment?

Bird Box by Josh Mallerman. 9.5 hours on 8 CDs. Usually people read the book and then complain about the movie. Now you can see the movie and complain about the book. Did Malerman get invited to the set and stand around. Scott Phillips mentioned visiting the set of The Ice Harvest, hung around a bit and then went home. After he left the Director said, "Where's Phillips?" He was surprised Scott left because most authors hang around the film sets forever and get in the way. Phillips has written some damn good novels.

It's All Paper and Plastric, Man.

Paper

The Songbird by Marcia Willett. It's all a bunch of paper sewn and glued together, man. It's just... like.. a thing. It's won't lead you to enlightenment, dude.

The ParAgon Hotel by Lyndsey Faye. Think of it this way: if you take this other collection of dead and compressed tree fibers how will your life change? The message inside if the meaning, man. The message inside, man, not the thing itself.

Crewel and Unusual by Molly Macrae. These books are just things. The message inside is what changes you. You gotta stop holding onto things, man. They're just things.

Plastic

One Year After by William R. Forstchen. 10 hours on 8 CDs.  See? See?! Here it is, man. A prime example. You can't get caught up in the medium. Don't listen to McLuhan. The medium is not the message. Take the knowledge and dispose of the vessel. Free yourself of objects. Of things. That's why you go to the library. They keep the things, you keep the knowledge, man.

Man? Hey, man? You listening? Oh nuts, this is my stop. Catch you later, dude.

LARGE PRINT