Something about nothing
Apr. 28th, 2014 10:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vamysteryfanAnd other books.
Nothing: Surprising Insights Everywhere from Zero to Oblivion edited by Jeremy Webb. It turns out there's a lot to consider in nothingness, whether you are talking about zero or oblivion. From the placebo effect to absolute vacuum to voodoo curse efficacy - this book covers it all. I found this collection of essays alternately charming and exasperating. Most of the essays are well written and informative and discuss interesting concepts. They tried to be a little too cutesy in the organization of the book. The chapters aren't logically arranged. Instead they have chapter headings like Surprises and Mysteries. Instead of grouping like essays together, they tried to make a "create your own story" arrangement. At the end of some (not all) essays, they offered suggestions to skip around in the book to follow particular topics. I didn't care for the approach.
Supreme Justice by Max Allan Collins. A really good suspense novel. The story is set in the near future and covers the murders of Supreme Court Justices. The protagonist is a former Secret Service agent good at reading body language. There are clever plot twists. The guy I pegged as doomed to die a heroic death turned out to be a bad guy. I liked the little chapter quotes from justices and others buried at Arlington National Cemetery. It's almost compulsively readable.
After I'm Gone by Laura Lippman I thought this was an absorbing read. Normally I don't like books with shifting points of view but she carries it out very well. The protagonist is investigating a decades-old disappearance and a murder. The book changes viewpoints and eras among the protagonist and the five women left behind in the disappearance. Each character is sharply drawn and believable. I don't want to spoil it for any readers, so I'll just say her resolution is fair and she leaves enough clues. Tess and Crow make a couple of appearances, but mostly in the epilogue. It's definitely worth reading.
Show Your Work by Austin Kleon A sequel of sorts to Steal Like An Artist, this book focuses on developing a reputation and sharing your work on the Internet and social media. Artists' communities are a time-honored tradition and we can create those communities virtually. He talks about the necessity of sharing and the importance of not oversharing. One piece of advice I've seen many times is to do something every single day. He encourages sharing work in progress. The book's design looks elementary but it contains useful information and encouragement.
Nothing: Surprising Insights Everywhere from Zero to Oblivion edited by Jeremy Webb. It turns out there's a lot to consider in nothingness, whether you are talking about zero or oblivion. From the placebo effect to absolute vacuum to voodoo curse efficacy - this book covers it all. I found this collection of essays alternately charming and exasperating. Most of the essays are well written and informative and discuss interesting concepts. They tried to be a little too cutesy in the organization of the book. The chapters aren't logically arranged. Instead they have chapter headings like Surprises and Mysteries. Instead of grouping like essays together, they tried to make a "create your own story" arrangement. At the end of some (not all) essays, they offered suggestions to skip around in the book to follow particular topics. I didn't care for the approach.
Supreme Justice by Max Allan Collins. A really good suspense novel. The story is set in the near future and covers the murders of Supreme Court Justices. The protagonist is a former Secret Service agent good at reading body language. There are clever plot twists. The guy I pegged as doomed to die a heroic death turned out to be a bad guy. I liked the little chapter quotes from justices and others buried at Arlington National Cemetery. It's almost compulsively readable.
After I'm Gone by Laura Lippman I thought this was an absorbing read. Normally I don't like books with shifting points of view but she carries it out very well. The protagonist is investigating a decades-old disappearance and a murder. The book changes viewpoints and eras among the protagonist and the five women left behind in the disappearance. Each character is sharply drawn and believable. I don't want to spoil it for any readers, so I'll just say her resolution is fair and she leaves enough clues. Tess and Crow make a couple of appearances, but mostly in the epilogue. It's definitely worth reading.
Show Your Work by Austin Kleon A sequel of sorts to Steal Like An Artist, this book focuses on developing a reputation and sharing your work on the Internet and social media. Artists' communities are a time-honored tradition and we can create those communities virtually. He talks about the necessity of sharing and the importance of not oversharing. One piece of advice I've seen many times is to do something every single day. He encourages sharing work in progress. The book's design looks elementary but it contains useful information and encouragement.
