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After Preservation: Saving American Nature in the Age of Humans
Ben A. Minteer and Stephen J. Pyne
Book
From John Muir to the Endangered Species Act, environmentalism in America has always had close to...
Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Entertainment and Education
App
A masterly app...As accessible as it is scholarly, it’s an extraordinary achievement, that brings...
Living Contradiction: A Teacher's Examination of Tension and Disruption in Schools, in Classrooms and in Self
Sean Warren and Stephen Bigger
Book
Describes how one teacher lost himself in his rigid commitment to uphold standards, and his research...
The Social History of Agriculture: From the Origins to the Current Crisis
Christopher M. Isett and Stephen Miller
Book
This innovative text provides a compelling narrative world history through the lens of food and...
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Full Dark No Stars in Books
Apr 14, 2020
Casual Review
Full Dark, No Stars is a collection of four short stories by Stephen King. These stories include 1922, Big Driver, Fair Extension, and A Good Marriage. As Stephen King admits in the Afterword at the back of the book these four stories are disturbing and hard to read at times but they are well worth it. In these four books Stephen King explores the possibility of each person having at least one more person inside them, the person that comes out when we experience something too traumatic for our typical self to handle. What happens when this person we keep hidden deep inside of us gets let out? Can we put this person back and go on to live a normal life or does it change us forever?
1922
This story reminded me largely of Poe's Tell-Tale Heart and I am sure many other bookworms will see the resemblance between these two stories. Wilfred Leland James is a farmer living on 80 acres of land with his wife and his son. When his wife is given 100 acres of adjacent land when her father dies, Wilfred is thrilled until he learns that she plans on selling all of it off to a big company and that there is nothing he can do to stop her. She is determined to sell the land and move to the city, taking their son with her either Wilfred wants to go or not. Their respective stubbornness starts a chain of events that can only end in pain and misery for all involved.
Big Driver
Tess is a mystery writer of the sort that writes simple little mysteries often read by older ladies and their book clubs and who occasionally makes guest appearances to talk about her books. When she takes a shortcut home suggested to her after one such event she finds herself in a world that she doesn't even dare to write about. A stranger stopping to help her ends up having other plans for her and leaves her for dead after raping her multiple times. Tess manages to survive and makes her way home but the damage has been done in more than one way and she sets out to get revenge on all she believes to be involved in what happened. Is it possible though that she doesn't know the full story?
Fair Extension
Dave Streeter has cancer and doesn't have much time left to live, under a year for sure. He is extremely jealous of an old friend of his from school who seems to have it all while Dave and his family are not struggling but they also are not doing as well as what his old friend is. Then one day while heading home and contemplating his life. he sees a man along the extension by the airport with a little stand set up. This man offers Dave an extension on his life but Dave has to offer someone that he hates up to this man in exchange, not to kill him but someone must pay the price.
A Good Marriage
One day while Darcy's husband is away on business and she is looking for batteries she stubbles on a box that her husband has hidden under a table in the garage. When she tries to push the box under the table the rest of the way she pushes the box up against something that she ends up wishing she never investigated. When she looks at what the box hit she ends up discovering that her husband has been harboring a horrible secret from even before they were married but this puts her in a very bad spot. She fears no one would believe that she did not know about what he was doing until now and she also fears the stigma that the discovery will leave on their children. At the same time though she must do something about what she found out.
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1922
This story reminded me largely of Poe's Tell-Tale Heart and I am sure many other bookworms will see the resemblance between these two stories. Wilfred Leland James is a farmer living on 80 acres of land with his wife and his son. When his wife is given 100 acres of adjacent land when her father dies, Wilfred is thrilled until he learns that she plans on selling all of it off to a big company and that there is nothing he can do to stop her. She is determined to sell the land and move to the city, taking their son with her either Wilfred wants to go or not. Their respective stubbornness starts a chain of events that can only end in pain and misery for all involved.
Big Driver
Tess is a mystery writer of the sort that writes simple little mysteries often read by older ladies and their book clubs and who occasionally makes guest appearances to talk about her books. When she takes a shortcut home suggested to her after one such event she finds herself in a world that she doesn't even dare to write about. A stranger stopping to help her ends up having other plans for her and leaves her for dead after raping her multiple times. Tess manages to survive and makes her way home but the damage has been done in more than one way and she sets out to get revenge on all she believes to be involved in what happened. Is it possible though that she doesn't know the full story?
Fair Extension
Dave Streeter has cancer and doesn't have much time left to live, under a year for sure. He is extremely jealous of an old friend of his from school who seems to have it all while Dave and his family are not struggling but they also are not doing as well as what his old friend is. Then one day while heading home and contemplating his life. he sees a man along the extension by the airport with a little stand set up. This man offers Dave an extension on his life but Dave has to offer someone that he hates up to this man in exchange, not to kill him but someone must pay the price.
A Good Marriage
One day while Darcy's husband is away on business and she is looking for batteries she stubbles on a box that her husband has hidden under a table in the garage. When she tries to push the box under the table the rest of the way she pushes the box up against something that she ends up wishing she never investigated. When she looks at what the box hit she ends up discovering that her husband has been harboring a horrible secret from even before they were married but this puts her in a very bad spot. She fears no one would believe that she did not know about what he was doing until now and she also fears the stigma that the discovery will leave on their children. At the same time though she must do something about what she found out.
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David McK (3233 KP) rated The Running Man in Books
Jan 28, 2019
First and foremost, if you think this is anything like the Arnie movie, think again! That movie only shares the title, a few names, and the idea of a game show with the book.
Written by Richard Bachman (aka Stephen King), this is set in a future dystopia where the gulf between the rich and the poor has widened even further, to the extent that, while the rich have access to new gadgets, medicine and groceries, life is a daily struggle to survive for the poor (who are now treated as vermin by the rich).
The top TV shows are all game shows (OK: like the movie); in all the poor are more-or-less tortured (the shows have names like 'Swimming with Crocidiles' or 'Treadmill to Fortune') to earn money. Of these, the most popular by far is 'The Running Man', which is - basically - a televised manhunt.
This is a pretty quick read - only took me about one day - with the Ben Richards of the novel far more sickly and wasted than the muscular Arnie of the film (Steve Buscemi, perhaps?), with the novel also covering a wider area of land than the Running Man set of that movie (which, remember, is only set in four zones - here, it's more-or-less right across America). The ending is also far more downbeat!
Written by Richard Bachman (aka Stephen King), this is set in a future dystopia where the gulf between the rich and the poor has widened even further, to the extent that, while the rich have access to new gadgets, medicine and groceries, life is a daily struggle to survive for the poor (who are now treated as vermin by the rich).
The top TV shows are all game shows (OK: like the movie); in all the poor are more-or-less tortured (the shows have names like 'Swimming with Crocidiles' or 'Treadmill to Fortune') to earn money. Of these, the most popular by far is 'The Running Man', which is - basically - a televised manhunt.
This is a pretty quick read - only took me about one day - with the Ben Richards of the novel far more sickly and wasted than the muscular Arnie of the film (Steve Buscemi, perhaps?), with the novel also covering a wider area of land than the Running Man set of that movie (which, remember, is only set in four zones - here, it's more-or-less right across America). The ending is also far more downbeat!
Notorious Prisons of the World
Book
The first prisons were in the dungeons of empires and castles, places of neglect and sheer oblivion....
Natural Histories: 25 Extraordinary Species That Have Changed Our World
Stephen Moss and Brett Westwood
Book
Prepare to dive to the depths of the sea with 100-foot-long giant squid, travel through space after...
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Rise of the Iron Moon (Jackelian #3) in Books
Nov 25, 2019
This book looked interesting so I picked it up. I'd not heard of Stephen Hunt or this series but the premise intrigued me.
Although this is the third book of the series and there are plenty of references to events that must take place in the previous books, and despite the writing being immersive rather than explanatory, I found it easy to get into the story.
The world is very interesting. I have read other novels set in a faux Victorian Steampunk-like world but nothing like this. This is like an alternative history, extremely divergeant from ours but with enough similarities that the combination is quite striking.
For example there was a civil war in the past which parliament won, as in the 'real' British history. However all of the royals have been locked up ever since in the Royal Breeding House - kept as figureheads under constant house arrest and threat of execution at the whim of parliament to appease the masses.
There are also countries ruled by thinking, steam driven machines. Others beneath the waves or living strictly by some political principal.
However the world is under threat. All the countries are being slowly invaded from the North by a very aggressive foe. Under attack the land of Jackals itself calls on its heroes to save the day. Purity Blake, one of the inmates of the Royal Breeding House. Molly Templar, writer of penny dreadful science fiction stories and sometimes defender of the land. Coppertracks, a machine life steam man and scientist. Their companions must overcome impossible odds and put aside the enmity between nations to fight off the attackers. Against all the odds, can they succeed?
The book is a little slow to start up, as the characters are introduced in their diverse environments. But slowly the threads are drawn together and each play their part in the fight. And as they begin to weave into the plot the pace quickens. The story twists and turns, always astonishing in its concept and direction.
The outstanding part of this book is the imagination that has gone into it. Nearly everything is completely different from our world and yet it ties together convincingly into a land both of industry and grime, poverty and privilege but also of very real myth and legend.
The ending is a little bit Deus Ex Machina but really this fits in with the tone quite well and at least keeps the pace up in the final pages. There are enough wonderful and fantastic ideas let loose to wander around in this book for several novels.
Definitely a recommended book. I now need to search out the first book - The Court Of The Air - so I can find out what has happened to the characters before.
Although this is the third book of the series and there are plenty of references to events that must take place in the previous books, and despite the writing being immersive rather than explanatory, I found it easy to get into the story.
The world is very interesting. I have read other novels set in a faux Victorian Steampunk-like world but nothing like this. This is like an alternative history, extremely divergeant from ours but with enough similarities that the combination is quite striking.
For example there was a civil war in the past which parliament won, as in the 'real' British history. However all of the royals have been locked up ever since in the Royal Breeding House - kept as figureheads under constant house arrest and threat of execution at the whim of parliament to appease the masses.
There are also countries ruled by thinking, steam driven machines. Others beneath the waves or living strictly by some political principal.
However the world is under threat. All the countries are being slowly invaded from the North by a very aggressive foe. Under attack the land of Jackals itself calls on its heroes to save the day. Purity Blake, one of the inmates of the Royal Breeding House. Molly Templar, writer of penny dreadful science fiction stories and sometimes defender of the land. Coppertracks, a machine life steam man and scientist. Their companions must overcome impossible odds and put aside the enmity between nations to fight off the attackers. Against all the odds, can they succeed?
The book is a little slow to start up, as the characters are introduced in their diverse environments. But slowly the threads are drawn together and each play their part in the fight. And as they begin to weave into the plot the pace quickens. The story twists and turns, always astonishing in its concept and direction.
The outstanding part of this book is the imagination that has gone into it. Nearly everything is completely different from our world and yet it ties together convincingly into a land both of industry and grime, poverty and privilege but also of very real myth and legend.
The ending is a little bit Deus Ex Machina but really this fits in with the tone quite well and at least keeps the pace up in the final pages. There are enough wonderful and fantastic ideas let loose to wander around in this book for several novels.
Definitely a recommended book. I now need to search out the first book - The Court Of The Air - so I can find out what has happened to the characters before.
Colin Campbell (25 KP) rated Audible – audio books, original series & podcasts in Apps
Apr 30, 2019
Choice of books (2 more)
Frequent 2 for 1 offers
Stephen Fry Narration
Some narrators (1 more)
Some books in a series are missing
Too many books, not enough time...
What can I say about Audible that hasn't been mentioned in other reviews? Probably nothing ?
I live near London and unfortunately the commute is hell, reading makes the commute go faster but with train carriages packed like cattle you can't really turn the pages of a book. This is where Audible comes in, you can unobtrusively listen to books that you may be embarrassed to show others that you are reading (eg The Very Hungry Caterpillar)
This isn't the only thing, you also get the options to listen to Audible specific Audio Shows like Frys English Delights and How Not to F**k up your kids, these are free for subscribers and pro ide a nice 30 minute piece of escapism.
Some Kindle Books come whispersync enabled which gives you an Audible copy of the book, sometimes cheaper than buying the audio book individually.
I also have the Audible app on my Fire Stick and with the sleep timer you can easily fall asleep listening to a well narrated piece of work.
Now the cons...
Not all narrators are actually good to listen to, Unfortunately it would take too much time to get more recorded and taking into account their schedules.
Some series are incomplete and it does not look they will be recorded sometime soon (Julian May, Many Coloured Land)
I live near London and unfortunately the commute is hell, reading makes the commute go faster but with train carriages packed like cattle you can't really turn the pages of a book. This is where Audible comes in, you can unobtrusively listen to books that you may be embarrassed to show others that you are reading (eg The Very Hungry Caterpillar)
This isn't the only thing, you also get the options to listen to Audible specific Audio Shows like Frys English Delights and How Not to F**k up your kids, these are free for subscribers and pro ide a nice 30 minute piece of escapism.
Some Kindle Books come whispersync enabled which gives you an Audible copy of the book, sometimes cheaper than buying the audio book individually.
I also have the Audible app on my Fire Stick and with the sleep timer you can easily fall asleep listening to a well narrated piece of work.
Now the cons...
Not all narrators are actually good to listen to, Unfortunately it would take too much time to get more recorded and taking into account their schedules.
Some series are incomplete and it does not look they will be recorded sometime soon (Julian May, Many Coloured Land)