Anthony Bracciante > Recent Status Updates

This is a strangely compelling novel about 2 broken people that become friends and aid each other. Both are refugees from war, one an 80 year old Lithuanian from WWII and the other a 19 year old Vietnamese who came to America after the war as a child. Many references to the music and drug culture of the 1990s were hard to follow as well as passages in Lithuanian and Vietnamese.

This historic book looks at the many factors that makes for good city functioning and those that lead to their failures. It particularly looks at City Planning that led to urban renewal decisions that created giant housing projects that were colossal failures and far worse than the neighborhoods they destroyed. Not an easy read but well worth the effort.

I will be restarting this book soon as I was away on a 4 week trip and didn't take it with me. I want to give it the proper attention it deserves.

Something I learned in New Orleans on my trip was that in 1900 more than half of the population there was of Sicilian immigrants and descendants.

Second of the Discworld series pucks up from where the failed wizard Rincewind and first tourist Twofeathers have gone over the edge of the Discworld. One misadventure follows another.until Rincewind becomes a hero. Excellent story and ironic twists keep you wanting to read more.

This is the 2nd of Sir Terry Prachett's Discworld series that I have read. I loved it! Raising Steam is number 40 in this series. I first read Hogfather, number 21. I liked that but said I would not read the rest. Raising Steam, which combines my lifelong fascination with trains with fantasy and great writing, has made me decide otherwise.

This is the second time I've read this and it was definitely worth rereading. Have seen the movie and feel the book is so much better.

Funny quick read.

An informative account of the planning of the invasion of England by the Germans after Dunkirk; the British countermeasures and defenses to defeat such an Invasion; andthe German decision not to invade especially after their failure to establish air superiority during The Battle of Britain.