Ken > Recent Status Updates

"In the third century BC the boy Emperor Elagabalus served the
severed heads of parrots at gargantuan feasts, and also to his
captive lions ( just before relesing the beasts to attack his
unsuspecting guests.) "

-Who says history has to be boring reading ?

A hidden gem.
Biology and Earth Science for all ages presented in historical,
etymological and pop cultural contexts.

Ah, a real detective novel.

I found a mint copy of this 2025 trade paperback at a small neighborhood bookstore. Chicago University published this book @ $20.00. A bent corner at pg. 58 and the overall great condition says someone likely lost interest early and passed it on.
Limited printing by a small press.
My cost : $2.50 + tax.
Am I gloating ? You betcha.
If I lose interest early on ? I still have a bibliophile's bragging rights .

Thinking about the last time I was both entertained and creeped out at
the same time. SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, anyone ? Not to be read before
bedtime.

A richly illustrated, well researched, engaging exploration of a young
America and its attempt to break the monopoly of the British East India
Company. Definitely a good read.

A rare work of non-fiction : It's living up to the hype.......

Joe Abercrombie is a master world-builder and creator of nuanced
characters.

The language is rough and the blood and gore, vivid.
A dark fantasy set in an alternative medieval Europe
overrun by bloodthirsty elves.
Not for the feint of heart. Absolutely engaging.
Director James Cameron has already purchased the rights
to the book and is currently working on a screenplay with
Abercrombie. Casting and release date to be determined.

Abercrombie's writing invokes all five senses .The foetid smells of
the unwashed. The raucous sounds of the street. Seeing the
grandeur of the religious edifices or the half-finished candle-burned
walls of the underground. Unwanted embraces or the touch of silk
against the skin. The taste of sour ale or the vomit in the back of
the throat-feel when fear engulfs you.
A medieval experience !
Now add monsters.

A tale of nature and humans as obseved by 18th century tortoise,
Timothy. Now in his eighties, a transplant from the Grecian Isles,
our narrator wanders through a hole in the fence of the English
vicarage he now calls home. An observant and poetic sort, he
learns much about the world in a little over a week's time.

Creative writing 101 : woman as animal, goddess and more.
Expect nothing as you enter these pages but prepare to be
amazed.

Who would have ever imagined this jaded, wizened mind could be so
easily drawn into the world of a bullied high school freshman. A page
turning classic.

Hiaasen's characters and plots bring you memorable beach reading
even in October in front of your artificial fire place.
Some rough language. So, not for the young 'uns.

Away for a while and picked it up at random. Reads like I never left.

Can you say "segue " ?
Richard Fortey is the master of segue.......but in a good way .
A delightful read.

Chapter one is a tour of cubbies and specimen storage areas
as the author wandered unsupervised through the British
Museum of Natural History's stored collections.Closed to the
public is a "miscellaneous repository, a place of institutional
amnesia" known as Dry Storeroom No.1.
He sees the room as a metaphor for one's lifetime : a collection of sorts.
Like suppressed memories. "We are all our own curators."

"Nobody know me. I fool 'em all."
- Muhammad Ali to Sports Illustrated writer, Mark Kram,Sr.

"A collection of speculative and experimental fiction exploring
animal intelligences, gender, and the nature of stories."
Multi-award winning Kij Johnson's short fiction from the last 10 years.
Her previously collected short fantasy fiction was published under
the title AT THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER OF BEES. One of my all time
favorite books.

Communist Laos. 1970's. Breakfast at the Hotel Pakse.

"The cook appeared and plonked down two plates and
a basket of gray bread in front of the guests. The eggs
seemed to float like flat tropical fish in pools of grease.

'Coffee's coming,' the cook said. To Civilai's ears, it
sounded like a threat. "

A prismatic approach to biography from then-current articles.
Homage and roast, analysis and tribute all in one book.