#27 "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams

I try to stay away from the news. Rarely is it popular to report good news. Is it only me or does the news of one's good fortune usually leave you feeling more jealous and resentful than joyous? Must be my cynical side coming out. I want to be happy for others but envy soon follows. When it is my turn to reap some good fortune? Why does God give us the trials more than others. Yes, we should be thankful for our trials and look at them as an opportunity than a curse. Sounds good. Raise your hand if you are the first one willing to sign up to adopt a special needs child that has a short life span. I give so much credit to those that do. You are amazing people. My point. Nobody wants to have a difficult life right. We accept the lot given and move on but there's envy of those who's lot seems easier even though it may not be. Is this only me?? There is a time for sorrow and a time for laughter.

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", a good time of laughter science fiction novel filled with surprises just about around every corner. A man by the name of Arthur Dent is about to  unexpectedly loses his house to make room for a bypass being told "the plans have been available in the local planning office for the last 9 month" while Dent found earlier "sitting in a cellar, in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet, stuck in a disused lavatory(bathroom) with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of Leopard'". In its irony the author of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", alien Ford Prefect was just finishing his research for the planet Earth to write down it's "mostly harmless", runs into Dent telling him there's no need to fret about his house since "the world is about to end in ten minutes". The Vogons immediately appear into Earth atmosphere to announce on the PA of the plans to make room for a hyperspatial express by eliminating the planet. "All planning charts and demolition orders have boon on display in your local planning department in the Alpha Centauri for fifty of your Earth years." This is the subtle use of the novel's humor throughout.

Dent along with Prefect barely escape the fate of the rest of Earth's inhabitant by the use of Prefect's Sub-Etha Sens-O-Matic to hail a passing spaceship for a lift. The mode of travel for hitchhiker's, "Don't Leave Home Without It" and also don't forget your towel. Wait...what?? Yeah you will have to find out why for yourself. The two travelers get discovered as a stow away on the Vogon ship, get kicked out into space to die of asphyxiation at the loss of oxygen in the matter of minutes. Along comes the Heat of Gold ship stolen by the president of the Imperial Galactic Government, Zaphod Beeblebrox to the rescue. The ship powered by the Infinite Improbability Drive found the least probable event to happen in space at that time is the rescue of these two doomed victims. The result. Again they barely escape with their lives.

On board "The Heart of Gold" they encounter an Earth woman, Trillian, who actually had a conversation with Dent at a party right before Zaphod persuaded her to come with him on grounds that he was "from another planet. Along with her and Zaphod the ships occupants were a depressed robot constructed with a Genuine People Personality feature and an cheery annoying know-it-all Sirius Cybernetics Shipboard Computer which controlled every part of the ship.

Once they all become acquainted with each other again Zaphod's mission is revealed. The purpose of stealing "The Heart of Gold" is to find the most improbable planet that ever existed. Magrathea, the planet that custom made other planets for their suitors, "gold planets, platinum planets, and soft rubber planets with lots of earthquakes".  Folklore stated that it fell out of existence when "became the richest planet of all time and the rest of the Galaxy was reduced to abject poverty.

Who purchased Earth? Yes, Earth too was created by the Magratheans but I will not cheese up the surprise. Whomever had Earth created was preparing the prophetic planet and its inhabitants to discover the question to the answer of the question posed to the greatest computer ever to be made designed by the second greatest computer, Deep Thought, of "the meaning of life, the universe, and everything." However, Earth was destroyed right before the time when the greatest computer was to reveal the Ultimate question to the answer, 42, to the aforementioned question.

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is the first book of a trilogy so naturally I will have to continue the series or be satisfied with not knowing the Ultimate question to...you know the rest! Not a dull moment throughout this exciting adventure story that takes the reader through Adams version of life in the great known. I have quoted more than a few lines from the book to prepare who choose to undergo a brain lobotomy in English style humor. After reading a few chapters my wife commented that it's many crazy made of words reminded her of doing a MadLib. I have filled out a few with her family and they have come up with some very descriptive off the wall words. If anyone reading this blog would like to share in their best made up words I would love to hear them. Perhaps I will bust out the best ones next time we fill out a Mad Lib.

#26 "The Robber Bride" by Margaret Atwood

I am quite comfortable not talking for days. No pressure to sound funny, intelligent, pretending to be someone that I'm not. I remember during my insecure days telling my future wife that I'm not that funny. Makes me think of George on "Seinfeld" doing the exact opposite of his instincts since following his instincts has led him nowhere. Mine were to try to be what the ladies wanted and who knew being myself would land me such a HOT BABE!! I am just as comfortable being with my wife as I am by myself. Relaxing on the couch after the girls are asleep, discussing our relationship after the girls are asleep, and talking about random things after the girls are asleep.

Independent Movie "It's a disaster"

One conversation we discussed a couple on a movie where a girl at the attractiveness of an eight was dating maybe a six, if Tom Arnold were to be considered a six. My wife pointed out that if the tables were turned there is little chance an eight guy would choose to be with a six girl. It's not fair. What can I say?? I don't know why guys get duped by the physical beauty of a woman while the gals can look past the appearance to more important attributes. Yeah you look good but you're thirty years old and still shoveling out popcorn behind the counter of the movie theater. All I can say is blame it on the te te te te testosterone.

From left to right Roz, Tony, and Charis

Entering the world that Margaret Atwood created in "The Robber Bride" we encounter the lives of three middle aged women: Roz, Charis, and Tony, friends since college, standing at the funeral of another woman who at one time robbed each woman from the man they loved. Zenia, the sneaky, charming, vixen deceptively entered into a deep bond by telling each lady conflicting harrowing stories of survival through the harsh elements of her past. In their confidence she slowly and methodically duped all three ladies and their men into thinking she cared for them only to steal the men away and ditch them as soon as she got bored.

As they walked away from the funeral they reminisce over that heartrending chapter of their lives that seems to have come to an end providing, hopefully, some needed closure.

Tony, at the present, is a history professor in her spare time enjoys recreating major battle scenes in history to give the losing side a chance to win. She married her college lover West. In her college days she was a short hobbit-like woman with the insecurities to boot. Many acquaintances but few friends she was treated by most like a child. She was invited to a party by West where she was subsequently introduced to Zenia. Zenia was everything that Tony wanted to be. Smart, sexy, quick-witted, and most of all desired by many men. Zenia invaded Tony's space with her magnetic personality bringing her out of her shell. Being friends with a woman like Zenia makes you feel special. They bond sharing with each other their dark secrets and stories of their heartrending pasts. How painful it was when Zenia stole Tony's love, West, and ran away with him only to abandon him once she stole his money.

Charis, at the present, a spiritual, naturalistic woman working at a store named Radiance which sells items such as healing crystals, tarot cards, and new age music (you know these stores). When she met Zenia, Zenia was wearing sunglasses in the yoga class that Charis was teaching. Approaching her after class Zenia revealed a story of struggle with cancer and searching for alternative methods for healing. Right up Charis' alley. You know Charis is all about alternatives to modern medicine. Taking Zenia into her home where she is also harboring a draft dodger and lover, Billy. Billy, unemployed, meets up with other friends to discuss antiwar sentiment and treats Charis like she's an idiot. He initially dislikes Zenia but one day runs away with her to be abandoned after she steals away his money and possessions resulting in Billy's suicide.

Roz, at the present, is a mother of three children president of a fashion magazine and close friends with Charis and Tony. These three bond through the similar experiences of tragedy after encountering Zenia. Roz recognizes Zenia from her college days now working as a waitress at a restaurant. They eventually bond via Roz's father who supposedly saved Zenia during the war. Roz who's memory of her father is limited and the desire to know more about him set the stage for their relationship to begin. You know what happens. YUP, Roz's husband who is a philanderer, moves in with Zenia under Roz's nose and YUP gets ditched soon afterwards with a load of money.

Gathered together at their emo-style restaurant where the servers and occupants are tatted and pierced in a variety of places and clad in dark clothes, they discuss their feelings after the funeral. They notice a woman entering that closely resembles Zenia only slightly skinnier standing at the bar now. Is this a look-a-like or was her death also a lie? If so, why is she here? Scouring the room for another victim or preparing for a second go-around with us. She looks straight through us like she doesn't recognize us. The three friends cannot rest until they find out the truth. Whatever that is.






To be frank, Margaret Atwood created a well articulated, "Lifetime" style story. It kept me on the edge of my seat as I became engrossed in each woman's world. The raised from the dead Zenia  added more intrigue. I am not a "Lifetime" channel type of guy but if my wife were watching this movie I would find myself putting down the book or closing my laptop to see how this one will end. I will not recommend for the typical male reader but I will add this to my accumulating list of books for my wife to read. By the way it was made into a TV movie.

For your information other books on my wife's list. "The Life of Pi", "The Poisonwood Bible", "NurtureShock", "11/22/63", "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy", and a few more. 

bookinthroughbooks: #25 "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel

bookinthroughbooks: #23 "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel: Nope, this isn't "Water for Elephants" or "Chocolat". I am however enjoying my tasty coffee beverage with some homem...

#25 "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel

Nope, this isn't "Water for Elephants" or "Chocolat". I am however enjoying my tasty coffee beverage with some homemade mint chocolate creamer, minus the OH SO yummy hydrogenated oil to help reduce my high cholesterol, in honor of my new blog post. My coffee is much better than the book though.

"Like Water for Chocolate" is a story of love, mysticism, heartbreak, and food. Tita, a fifteen year old girl and the youngest of three sisters, falls in love with a neighbor boy named Pedro who comes to ask her Cruella Deville-like mother, Elena for Tita's hand in marriage. Elena denies this request on grounds that family tradition states the youngest daughter's role is primarily to take care of her mother until she dies. As a consolation Pedro marries Tita's sister Rosaura as a way of staying near to Tita. Their odd love for each other continued through Rosaura and Pedros' marriage, children, Tita's marriage to Dr. John Brown and Rosaura and Elena's death. By their forties Pedro and Tita finally get to be with each other.

"Turns out dad has been putting murdered cows in our hamburgers."

The end to me was like the finale of "How I Met Your Mother". Throughout the story you are rooting for Pedro and Tita to run away and damn the rest of the family. At the end you like Dr Brown who helps to free Tita from her tyrannical mother and to live her own life. Passion overrides and her loins tell her to be with Pedro instead. Just like in "HIMYM" I don't think Robin and Ted were meant to be or it would have BEEN from the start. Sorry, I've been harboring that resentment since the "HIMYM" finale. Time to cast off the series into the wild blue yonder (is that the correct term YONDER?). "Bobs' Burgers" anyone?

I'll elaborate even more. Poor Tita forced into the life of servitude to her mother only to find a little respite cooking in the kitchen. Here is the location where Tita's passion finds its release from the frustrations and joys of life. As she creates meals for special occasions like Pedro and Rosaura's wedding the partakers of the meals have unusual reactions to the way the meal was made. During a passionate exchange in the kitchen between Pedro and Tita while preparing a meal, Tita's aunt Gertudis reaction after eating the meal had her burning with lust to the point she tore her clothes off and ran for a cold shower eventually running away with a Mexican general on a horse.

The Pedro and Tita exchanges were rife with deep emotions. She loves him and he loves her. What love can endure the fact that he was married, doinking and having a child with Tita's sister. Unfortunately after her young niece died, blaming her mother, she escaped to Dr. Brown's home where he looked after her and helped her to recover from the traumatic experiences of living with her mother, the love of her life doing the nasty with her sister, and her niece's death. At the same time that they planned their wedding Rosaura dies. So now Pedro comes calling in his jealous tirade for her to choose him over the doctor now that both Rosaura and Elena are dead (oh yeah her mother died too).

Who to choose, the respectful doctor who was by your side during the hard times whom you love or the guy that was married to your sister and did I mention this included sex with her too but you feel great passionate "LOVE" towards. Oh yeah when Pedro called for her hand in marriage they really didn't know each other that well. Not like they were friends for years.

Not all good stories leave you feeling happy.

bookinthroughbooks: #24 "Youth" by J.M. Coetzee

bookinthroughbooks: #22 "Youth" by J.M. Coetzee: He went, ever on the move, with the slow, shuffling step of wandering beggars who are nowhere at home. Stijn Streuvels Read more at htt...

#24 "Youth" by J.M. Coetzee

He went, ever on the move, with the slow, shuffling step of wandering beggars who are nowhere at home.

Stijn Streuvels

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/stijn_streuvels.html#TfEG1h7g0W4lolER.99

He went, ever on the move, with the slow, shuffling step of wandering beggars who are nowhere at home.

Stijn Streuvels

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/stijn_streuvels.html#TfEG1h7g0W4lolER.99

J.M Coetzee, an author whom I've never heard of, has nine books on "The List". I thwart the feeling that there may be some bias towards specific authors. To those that are like me in my ignorance of this renown author I will give a short bio. According to NobelPrize.org, J. M. Coetzee, a South African born in 1940, is a graduate of the University of Cape Town with degrees in English and Mathematics also later receiving his PhD in English, linguistics, and Germanic languages at the University of Texas at Austin. A few of his books have won literary awards. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2003 "who in innumerable guises portrays the surprising involvement of the outsider" Nobel Prize. What?? In my history of reading award winning books they use a lot of big words and/or discuss concepts and ideas that are just way over my head.

How pleasantly surprised I was with "Youth". A fictionalized memoir of John, a young man of 18 years from South Africa who abandoned his uninspiring life for a more stimulating life in London for the purpose of unleashing the magnificent poet inside of him that his former home had kept captive. London, a city that has housed some of the greatest artists ever known.

Everything in John's life centers around the idea of becoming a renown poet. Working at a 9-5 job as a computer programmer is only a means to sustain life while he hones his art. Relationships are a physical necessity only when it doesn't intrude on his ultimate purpose in life. Loneliness and social awkwardness a necessary part of becoming a great poet. The feelings of insecurity that John's present situation brings out will only make him a better poet. The struggle. In John's view of the world, happiness is not as strong of an emotion as the depths of despair felt in the pit of the stomach of an unsatisfied life.

Quote reminds me of the main character.

What I really enjoyed about the novel is I could relate to the main character. Not a bad kid only confused. He desired intimacy without commitment but when an inebriated woman offered herself to him, regretfully, he declined and was accused of being gay. I have been in similar situations. Once at a strip club I was given an opportunity for sex and I turned it down for moral reasons. Yeah, morality is what brought me there in the first place? I won't get into the time I talked to a woman whose husband frequented a strip club and witnessed to her my beliefs. In a club. A strip club. I digress. Where was I? I also empathized with the stuck in the bubble thinking. Questions like "Am I the only one with this specific struggle? Nobody understands what I'm going through nor cares. Life is only worth living striving after the dream. No exceptions!!"

I am not that smart. Those that fear the high and mighty big words, rest assured. Although this story uses higher diction than "The Hunger Games" or "Divergent" which are geared towards teens you will not be needing a dictionary constantly to follow "Youth". Coetzee truly is intelligent just in the way he is able to express thought clearly through this 18 year old boy. While reading I didn't at all feel like I was listening to a boring lecture from a prestigious pretentious professor but someone that knows they are smart and doesn't have to prove it by flaunting his high vocabulary.

#23 "Fingersmith" by Sarah Waters and #21 "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

2:40pm: Leaving work. Thinking how I'm looking forward to spring. I really need to blog after kids are asleep tonight. I have five books finished that need to be blogged and I am so looking forward to the other books on my queue. Baby Blues ah parenting...
3:00pm: Walk in through the front door of my house to the screeching sounds of delight from my daughter Layla as she waves her arms while in her high chair as my wife had just finished feeding her. Maggie excitedly runs to me and gives me a hug and kiss. Amy frazzled. We hug each other, more like locking our bodies together knowing when we release our grasp we will be sucked into the void of parenthood.
3:10 pm-8:45pm: I wanted to just let the kids watch TV while I laid on the couch for the next few
hours. A couple more episodes of Sesame Street and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse won't cause them to have ADHD will it....? The fear of them suffering with learning difficulties wins out. So, got on the floor and played with the girls. Reading, puzzles, become a human jungle gym, diaper changes, baths, dinner, dishes, medicines for Layla, take dog out to go potty, massage Layla until both of us are exhausted and put her to bed.

8:46pm: What I wanted to do was drink a big glass of wine and start working on my next blog and then cuddle on the couch with my wife while we catch up on our DVRed shows. What I did was drink a little over a serving size glass of wine (to make the bottle last longer) and watched our shows while cuddling on the couch with my wife until I am about to pass out.
10:00 pm. Passed out in bed. Attempted to read but managed to stare at the same page and read the same few paragraphs over and over again. Maybe I'll get up at 5am and work on my blog for an hour before work.
5:45am. Damn got fifteen minutes to get ready for work. Maybe I'll work on my blog after the kids go to bed tonight.

I will be brief with these next two books and chances are I will do this in the future too.
"Never Let Me Go" , children raised in a boarding school type environment unaware initially they are clones who are being raised to eventually have their organs "donated" to "real" people. Sounds gruesome. It was. Hoping for a happy ending, for instance, a few escape from their fate after being pursued by these organ thieves to live normal human lives like the rest of us working 40+ hours a week at a life draining job.
Well, I was naïve. I was really rooting for the three main characters, two girls and a boy. Even though I expected a depressing end the author writes an intriguing story with a little mystery, love, likeable characters that kept me glued in up until the literal gut wrenching end. The novel definitely elicited a strong emotion from me. Sadness, despair and I guess that's the tell of a good author. Not a story for the casual reader looking for entertainment, but if you want to cry or have knots in your stomach by all means check it out.

Next. "Fingersmith", a story from the point of view of two orphaned girls, one, Susan Smith, raised by a family of pickpockets and thieves, the other, Maud Lilly, raised by her well-to-do pervert of an uncle in a house of privilege trained to read and copy his collection of lewd books. A scheme was devised by a Mr. Rivers to steal an inherited wealth due to Maud Lilly once she marries. He hopes that by getting Susan hired as Maud's personal maid they could work to trick Maud into falling in love and marrying Mr. Rivers. Once married he would place Maud into an insane asylum and both schemers will walk away with a large portion of the inheritance. With so many twist and turns I wasn't sure how this story was going to end.

Don't forget as I have mentioned earlier this is a novel told from two perspectives. Describing the same events from two sides is definitely unique but it came across to me long and monotonous. It's like reading the Gospels back to back to back. Even the most avid biblical scholar will get bored with the same story even if there are a few different details. Fortunately the monotony only lasted about halfway though the book.

I liked it overall. The finish was a surprise, the lifestyles of the characters were interesting, and the story told in a unique way would be the reason for it to be on "The List". I'd like to add that my hours of watching "Downton Abbey" did come in handy with the high society English life. The character Susan was a maid who I just couldn't help but picture as Daisy in the Downstairs of Downton with her wise-assed remarks.

#22 "Watchmen" by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins

The other day my wife expressed humbly and with satisfaction her amazement with my continued commitment to reading and blogging. It's not an easy thing to lovingly admit to your husband that he doesn't have any follow through to finish these tasks. Not only am I not offended but I appreciate her honesty. So many times I get gung ho about something and realized once I got started how much time and effort it required. Not only that but expectations unfulfilled can halt all good progress. Plants and vegetables die (who knew they needed watering this much), planking(abdominal exercise) to get better core strength resulting in rectus abdominis spasms, jotting down how much it costs to make the meals we usually make to organize grocery budget more proficiently (sounded fun initially). If my first two excuses weren't good enough I just get bored and quit. I don't have that gene in me that will see it through to the end like my wife. She has this internal checklist and the idea that one item just doesn't get finished is preposterous. Does anybody else relate with either of us?? Knowing my past habits I give a great deal of credit for my dedication to my readings to these well written, interesting, and thought-provoking stories so far. I'll add to my pro side that when it comes to my family I am not a quitter. Perhaps I expect marriage and children to be hard work, but rewarding.


Yay!! A book with pictures. I was truly excited to read "Watchmen" which is a sort of superhero story and the only graphic novel on "The List". Growing up I wasn't much for reading. I preferred, as I have mentioned before, climbing trees, tetherball, kickball (basically anything with a ball), and video games. I hated sitting. Now I just sit with one or both legs tucked under my rump. Recently my wife and I have read many of the graphic novels of "The Walking Dead" inspired by watching the television show of the same name. Not bad. I proceeded to scour the comic book store for something more woman friendly for my wife. What I found was woman superheroes with huge bazangas beating up bad guys. Women who understand the large chest plight, if these women can fight crime without their boobs popping out we need to improve support for the simple desire of going for a run in comfort.




"Watchmen", with its miniscule amount of boobage is a story about a collection of mostly unsuperherolike characters containing no special powers, excluding Dr. Manhattan, who all don masks and outfits in an effort to conceal their true identity while they attempt the clean the city of criminal scum. Unfortunately with their nemesis' either in prison, dead or choosing a more legal path to evil schemes, became politicians, crime continued. Streets filled with gambling and prostitution houses, murder and violence witnessed by demoralized onlookers, the threat of nuclear war looming. How will the imperfect watchmen fight against this universal disease that has no face or body to pound into submission. If God didn't rid the world of sin by destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, is it truly possible to eliminate evil from the world? An evil that all are infected with.

At the same time the decommissioned watchmen mourn the violent death of one of its former members who was presumably thrown out of a window of a skyscraper. The remaining members are apprehensive feeling that someone is in the business of taking out the watchmen one at a time. Rorschach, Doctor Manhattan, Nite Owl, Ozymandias, and Silk Spectre band together one last time to uncover who killed one of their members, The Comedian, and if there is any truth to their suspicions.

If that isn't all the majority of the graphic novel delves into the lives of each remaining member of the watchmen. A far cry from "The Justice League". Moral heroes? I don't think so. One's a sex fiend, no that would be two, one lacks the ability to understand human emotion, and there's the one that was committed, and the smartest man on the earth who is in it for the fame and money. Each began by deciding to stop turning a blind eye to injustice and to do something to better the world only to become jaded due to the citizens they were protecting's protests.

For a comic graphic novel style book I was impressed with the original idea of unsuperherolike heroes as well as the art. The wording sometimes was of higher diction quality but the plot and
character development was well done. Worth reading.


Nite Owl



Ozmandias



Comedian

Rorschach



Dr. Manhattan and Silk Spectre

#21 "Choke" by Chuck Palaniuk

I'm sorry. The time it takes for a normal person to form their thoughts to express their opinions is like the length of a commercial while for me it's more of a two hour "Lost in Translation" movie. That was short and concise, wasn't it? Not done. This is a blog, not a Facebook post. I can just picture what I'll be like when I'm old. Tossing my pearls of wisdom to whomever comes to my front door. Vacuum cleaner salesman. Sure, come on in, I'll let you clean my living room carpet free of charge. Conversation starts off with my awesome Dyson then to sports to family to advice on relationships. By then he won't be interested in selling me the vacuum, only trying to leave. I'm left hoping that young whippersnapper heeds my words, he's glad to be out of that crazy old dudes' house.

Diving into the world of "Choke" by Chuck Palaniuk I became entrenched into the life of Victor Mancini, a sexual compulsive, medical school dropout with mommy issues. Call Freud!! His dying mother suffering from Alzheimer disease in a nursing home led him to quit school to earn enough money for her to continue receiving care there. His mentally unstable mother dropping into  his life from time to time while he was living with foster parents contributed to his dysfunctional relationships with women leading to his sexual addiction and the tongue in cheek humorous stories exchanged at the sex anonymous classes.

What makes this story worth reading? First off the novel makes anatomy and physiology lessons not seem so boring. In Victor Mancini's day-to-day activities he inadvertently notices abnormal physical characteristics, due to his partial training in medical school, of those around him scanning through his mental checklist of a possible diagnosis. A friend with a runny nose. As common as a cold to a symptom of eventual death. The mole on the strippers half naked body. The ABCD acronym (asymmetry, border, color, diameter) in identifying moles for possible cancer. Maybe watching a stripper twirling around a pole on stage and talking about skin blemishes is a memorable way of teaching on that subject.

Sex, sex, and more sex. Nothing I would imagine that's comparable to the "Fifty Shades of Grey" books. Sporadically throughout the novel Victor's sexual exploits are a big topic of conversation. Although I found his sexual stories intriguing, arousing, and at times comical I don't feel this is the main objective of the author. At the end of the audiobook he describes his inspiration for the novel  attending a sex anonymous class, in more of a supporting fashion, and was moved by their stories. They were not proud of these episodes in their lives. Who is happy to admit they got their penis stuck in a Jacuzzi bubble jet or that the man or woman had to go to the doctor to get a glass bottle removed from their private parts. Tongue-in-cheek humor right. I believe Chuck desired to reveal this compulsive behavior as a big issue and nothing to poke fun of. I do enjoy hearing a well thought out and clearly spoken perspective on a part of life I am not familiar with. Some subject matter is harder than others for me to read no doubt but if I want to help others in their struggles I need to understand their situation a little.

bookinthroughbooks: #20 "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Phil...

bookinthroughbooks: #17 "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Phil...: How many people remember watching "Back to the Future Part 2"? Marty McFly travels to the future of 2015 with his frien...

#20 "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

How many people remember watching "Back to the Future Part 2"? Marty McFly travels to the future of 2015 with his friend Doc Brown. While there he is served a Pepsi by a computerized Michael Jackson resembling Max Headroom-like qualities (cheap labor), rode a hover board and flew in car. Maybe "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" or "to boldly go where no man has gone before" is more your style. Both movies show a future of intergalactic space travel, other planets with an assortment of extraterrestrial life mingling together, and of course flying space ships that have their fair share of dog fights.

Mo Technological Advancements, Mo Problems! I want to own an Ewok. Maybe I will just dress Layla up in a Ewok costume and give her big hugs. She has been working on that battle cry.

The movie that was inspired by "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep", "Blade Runner", takes place in the distant future of the 1990s. Earth is slowly being taken over by a toxic dust which came about during the last war, many animals have become extinct, androids (humanoid robots) are working on Mars, and flying around in hover cars. Too bad they didn't spend all their time making gas masks. We were obsessed with the flying vehicles dominating our future, weren't we? I would prefer to see the invention of teleportation. We could work in Tokyo and live in Wyoming. Talk about global economy. To see our families all we would have to do is step in a booth and Presto! at their front door. No screaming kids in a car, plane, train, taxi, or bus. I would probably be out of a job. Oh well. I would just get a job making booths to travel in. You want Italian for dinner. No more settling for Fazoli's. You get the idea.

"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" is another quick, a lot easier to understand, science fiction novel. Rick Deckard (70s Harrison Ford), a bounty hunter, is hired to kill retire androids who break the law by escaping to Earth. These androids resemble humans in almost every way besides their inability to feel empathy which supposedly makes them a danger to humans. The book never specifies why they are not allowed on Earth but I am guessing it has something to do with that. To differentiate one from the other Deckard subjects them to an empathy test. Since our planet is going to be uninhabitable eventually, androids work on the planet Mars(New America) to make it more habitable for the uninfected, superior minded humans who've escaped the fate of those living on Earth.

An important aspect of life on Earth is the desire to own a living animal so much so that people who can't afford the real deal purchase the electric counterpart. Deckard, wait for it, owns an electric sheep. Poor guy. Neighbor over there with his real animal and I'm over here fake feeding a programmed sheep that responds to the appearance of oats. As he continues to retire more escaped androids he accidently encounters another bounty hunter who changed his life. Watching this other man's hostility towards the androids especially this particular female opera singer, Deckard started to feel empathy for them. Unfortunate since his job is to retire them.

Again not going to tell you the whole story. Next, to read is "Watchmen", the only graphic novel on "The List" and "Choke" by Chuck Palanuik which is graphic in another way. Yikes!!

BTW. Government, if you're reading this: Teleportation. The next wave of the future. Matt, you're smart, make this happen. I will give a few thousand for the cause. Ha!

#19 "The Invention of Curried Sausage" by Uwe Timm

Can I state the obvious? It's cold outside and I'm ready for spring showers to melt this snow. We like making obvious comments, don't we? You know eating those Oreo's won't help you lose weight? Smoking cigarettes can lead to lung cancer. Driving home being reminded, "this is our turn coming up". Thanks, while your at it make sure to point out which one is our house. So you know I am using sarcasm.

At the temperature of -12 there is nothing better than snuggling up in a warm blanket with a piping hot cup of coffee and reading a good book. Well, a little hibbity dibbity with the wife can really warm things up. There's nothing comparable to the weather just not being cold with a glass of ice tea, crown and coke and an hour of video games. Besides that...Friday nights are pretty great too. Relaxing and cuddling with my wife watching "Grimm", kids asleep, stomach almost full of "Jersey Mike's" subs, and a bag of gummi bears. I retract my first comment. A good book is ok but all that other stuff sounds way better.



Haaaave you met Lena Brucker? She is the creator of the curried sausage. "The Invention of Curried Sausage" by Uwe Timm is not just a story of how Lena Brucker met the sausage (so you know that was kind of a perverted joke). It's a historical fiction novel about a woman, living in Hamburg, Germany towards the end of WWII, who's life changed dramatically during this time in which she was harboring an AWOL German soldier. The beginning of the interview with an inquisitive man asking how she came about making the popular curried sausage, she had to begin here because without him curried sausage would never have existed, she wouldn't have owned a food stand that made her a successful business woman , and still stuck in a dead end marriage with a lying, cheating, thief of a husband. You may be guessing she married this soldier by the name of Werner Bremer, fooled around in the kitchen and discovered this concoction and started the business together. You would be wrong. The ending isn't so obvious, but you will have to read the short 217 page book to find that out.

I enjoyed the novel. I like historical fictions,. It wasn't funny at all but creative and brings to light events and ideologies foreign to me that occurred in Germany at the tail end of the war. Money wasn't as important to the people during and after the war as much as a desire for specific items such as food, wood for heat. Tangible things with actual use. We take for granted today that we can just pop over to Walmart to get everything need and only in exchange for bills or a swipe of a credit card. Buying a building only requires getting a loan from a bank. Depleted Germany had to survive with its skilled citizens working together. That's all I'll say. Stay warm ya'll and like I said earlier, the best way to accomplish that is doing the you know what.

So you know, this is the end of this blog post. Go!! Have some sex!

#18 continued "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee Part 2

I would like to reiterate for a second what my blog is about. I have enjoyed reading since I've been sober on weekends. I was searching for a good story that wasn't in the best seller lists or by the authors I was already familiar with. I also didn't want to waste my time on an uninteresting novel. I've heard of the 1001 before you die series via Sami who was checking off her "1001 Places to See Before You Die" while hanging out with my wife's family in Oregon. I saw "1001 Books to Read Before You Die", picked a book to read, enjoyed it, read another one, enjoyed that and it snowballed from there. I decided from there that this might be fun challenging myself to read as many as I can throughout my lifetime and some stories just gets me itching to talk about it. GM guys can care less talking about books and my wife will go nuts listening to me talk about 1001 novels. There you go. Enjoy. Feel free to share your thoughts too.


When I think about the experiences in my past the memories that immediately jump out are the one that have had a major impact on how I am today. I will never try to climb from one tree limb to another by hanging onto a thin white clothes line. Especially when there are roots sticking out of the ground like sharks waiting to almost break my back. Then there was the scare of '99, as I like to call it now, when I thought I was going to be a daddy with a woman I'd rather have not gotten pregnant. False alarm. Oddly enough that event scared the Jesus into me. The time my dad called me out asking me what my intentions are with my girlfriend, now my wife. I respond I don't know. We are just hanging out. He threatens to call her and tell her to move back to Oregon and not waste her time with me. I believe it was only a few months later I proposed. Best decision I was swayed into making. Thanks Dad.


The story of "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a collection of memories from a tom-boyish, intelligent, inquisitive and at times oppositional girl name Jean Louis (better known as Scout) over a three year span in a small town in Macomb, Alabama during the Depression. I couldn't help picturing my mom as a child while reading this book. Looking up what 6 year old children are experiencing psychologically in Psychology Today the first few paragraphs explain how they are beginning to find their place in the world and learning that their choices have consequences. Not only that, but they still look to authority figures, especially their parents, to guide them when they need help in making the best decisions. This rings true in this story. Scout is gathering information from many different sources, from her neighbors to the poor folks down yonder, but the most important is her widowed father, Atticus Finch. He is always there to shed light for Scout and her brother Jem about the behavior of others and how to conduct themselves. He also gives a snippet of sage-like advice about how to get along in the world in which we live. Not only does he talk the talk, he walks the walk.

Central to the story is the trial between Tom Robinson (a black man) vs. Bob Ewell (a white man). Tom Robinson has been accused of attacking and raping Mayella Ewell (daughter of Bob Ewell). Atticus Finch, a lawyer, was chosen by the courts to defend Tom. Atticus knew his client was innocent based on the given facts, but living in a small racially ignorant town getting an innocent verdict would be hard to come by no matter the truth. However, he felt it was his moral duty to follow through with defending his client with the utmost effort in spite of the harassment he and his family had to endure from the town and his extended family.

Throughout the narrative Atticus treated everyone with steadfast respect while his children, showing less self control, retaliated. When his two kids complain about what others are saying he responds, "You just hold your head high and keep those fists down.  No matter what anyone says to you, don’t let ‘em get your goat", "The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience", and  "Are you proud of yourself tonight that you have insulted a total stranger whose circumstances you know nothing about?”.

Can I be honest here? My wife and I have discussed the topic of the woman's "Ugly, Messy, Monthly thing I refer to as "The DEAL". Like what's your deal!?? I will never understand what you ladies go through. It's biological. It's painful. When my wife is a little bit more chippy than usual with me knowing that "The DEAL" is occurring I can retaliate because I have the right to defend myself, but understanding that what she is going through isn't fun I choose to be respectful because I know I shouldn't respond harshly but lovingly. I then ask her, even though she has every right to be upset and angry with me or the kids to try to react likewise. Does this sound insensitive? In the case of Atticus Finch he tells his kids just this. You have all the right to respond with hate but what will that accomplish? To treat others in kind with love and respect do you think that will produce more positive results than with fists? Isn't this GRACE in action? I know I digressed a little here but I hope you follow my thought process.

Throughout the novel Scout's respect for her father slowly increases. She initially viewed her father as a loving, intelligent, sit on his chair and read the paper, oblivious to her and Jem's antics, passive, adult. As time passed her opinion changed. When it came to Boo Radley he knew their mischievous plans to get their mysterious neighbor man to come out of hiding in his house countless times. Her views on his passivity was eventually seen as a greater inner strength and more awareness of others situations. The critical witch of a woman Mrs. Dubose who's continuous ridicule towards Scout and Jem in regards to Atticus for his role in the defense of Tom Robinson was later revealed as a symptom of her fight against her addiction to pain killers. Atticus explains to them, "Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do." In the case of Mrs. Dubose she won in the end. She had real courage until the day she died. When Tom Robinson was jailed before the trial Scout and Jem witnessed Atticus' strong opposition to allow a threatening group of townspeople in. Both events would definitely impact my opinion of my father in a positive way.

The most profound feeling I got from reading this novel is how our everyday decisions no matter big or small can change the course of history. The trial may have ended on a bad note, the strong character of Atticus did rub off on a few people especially his kids. He knew it would be a miracle to get Tom Robison off on this crime but he had to do the right thing. Do you believe in the butterfly effect? That a flutter of it's wings can have a ripple effect that can impact the other side of the world. Something so minute. Sometimes I want my life to have some grand significance. Maybe I could talk to a friend about their alcoholic habits and my words, guidance or life would change his life. A woman talking about getting an abortion that I can tell her that this child is alive, give it up for adoption, or call her a murderer would be enough to help her see the light. Man I would be a saint if I could save a life. I would often think about those times in my life where I made a difference. But what about the time I just sat down to talk to a friend or co worker who seemed down on his luck. I just listened to him talk. Would that make it in my greatest hits? Maybe when I just opened the door for a woman entering a store. Who cares about that right? Sometimes the small things make the biggest difference. Why? Because we are being selfless. We are not looking for praise. To get a check mark for doing something good. God has to love me now. I saved a person.

I will just ask to whomever cares to think about our behavior at each moment if our butterfly effect will cause a ripple in time in a positive way or negative. Be nice to a customer even if they don't deserve it. The guy that cut you off while driving. Don't give them the finger. Maybe nobody sees you do it. Does that matter? Even our hidden sins don't go unnoticed. Not necessarily by God but we change even with the sins we never show others.