What book are you reading, and what do you think of it?

[J N Winkler]

Forgive me, but what would be the point?  The only reason I'm friends with anyone on Facebook is to see their posts.  Isn't that the whole point of Facebook?  What would be the point of blocking their posts but not un-friending them?

Others have explained reasons it is typically preferable to unfollow rather than de-friend.  (Blocking is a separate and more extreme action:  it sets things up so that not only do you not see the blocked profile, its owner also cannot see yours.)  I'd just add that Facebook makes algorithmic curation of your feed difficult enough to avoid that being friends with someone is no guarantee that you will see their posts.  The only way to be reasonably certain of doing so is actually to go to their profile, and it does not apply to posts that are marked as viewable by specific groups unless your friend has added you to one of those groups.

(Actually going to someone's profile to see their posts is now considered "Facebook stalking."  I don't agree it deserves such opprobrium, but I have had to be circumspect about admitting to it.)

Will I have listened to both books when the third one drops on Tuesday? Nope. But, when I'm listening to a series, I try to insert some non-related books.

I'm sort of curious whether there will be any release-day events like there used to be with Harry Potter, but not enough to find out in time to go.  Polaris (the Wichita Public Library's integrated library system) reports that there are currently 58 holds for 11 copies, and I am 23rd in the hold queue, so I expect to pick up a copy to read about a month after the library accessions the 11 copies (queue position of 23 divided by 11 copies multiplied by new-book loan period of two weeks).  Moreover, I'll be very surprised if they arrive at the library bang on publication date.  Books are marketed separately to lending institutions, and ours often has to wait for the City of Wichita to release funding before it can lodge orders.

I also gather Fourth Wing has evolved from a trilogy to a five-book series, so we'll be waiting for the fourth and fifth installments no matter what.  (This also happened to the follow-up to Pierce Brown's Red Rising trilogy--the second trilogy originally projected has turned into a tetralogy.)

[vdeane]

(Actually going to someone's profile to see their posts is now considered "Facebook stalking."  I don't agree it deserves such opprobrium, but I have had to be circumspect about admitting to it.)

Seriously?  Especially given how the algorithm is.  I open profiles to find posts I had previously seen (or that Facebook yanked in one of their auto-refreshes) decently often.  I could see a public profile of someone you don't know, but someone you're friends with?

[J N Winkler]

(Actually going to someone's profile to see their posts is now considered "Facebook stalking."  I don't agree it deserves such opprobrium, but I have had to be circumspect about admitting to it.)

Seriously?  Especially given how the algorithm is.  I open profiles to find posts I had previously seen (or that Facebook yanked in one of their auto-refreshes) decently often.  I could see a public profile of someone you don't know, but someone you're friends with?

Yup.  Sorry to say.

[Rothman]

(Actually going to someone's profile to see their posts is now considered "Facebook stalking."  I don't agree it deserves such opprobrium, but I have had to be circumspect about admitting to it.)

Seriously?  Especially given how the algorithm is.  I open profiles to find posts I had previously seen (or that Facebook yanked in one of their auto-refreshes) decently often.  I could see a public profile of someone you don't know, but someone you're friends with?

Yup.  Sorry to say.

*shrug*

Haven't been accused of stalking myself.  When meeting up with friends, their posts just help with getting conversations going.

[ZLoth]

I have had Onyx Storm, the third in the trilogy, on my library hold list since December 7.  Audience response to the Empyrean books tends to be polarized.  I liked the first two, though I was not blind to opportunities for editorial improvement, but I've seen comments in my local reading group along the lines of "I'm not a prude, but . . ."

Ah, chapter 30?

[kphoger]

Facebook makes algorithmic curation of your feed difficult enough to avoid

You deserve the Understatement of the Month award.

FWIW, keeping a short friends list does help some.

[ZLoth]

Just finished listening to Hi Bob! from Audible with my mother. Because it is out of print....

You heard "Hi Bob!" 256 times as characters greeted him on The Bob Newhart Show. Get ready to hear it again - from real-life comedy all-stars! This Audible Original production pairs the paragon of comedy with six of the funniest famous people he's inspired: Will Ferrell, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, Conan O'Brien, Judd Apatow, and Sarah Silverman. Bob Newhart matches wits with a handpicked cast of entertainment luminaries as they exchange never-before-heard personal anecdotes and, yes, jokes. Using his trademark deadpan and signature charm, Bob banters with his celebrated guests, drawing out their most interesting stories and telling his own. Listening is such a kick - you'll understand why Bob has been a wellspring for contemporary comedy talent.

Some good interviews and exchanging of stories.

[ZLoth]

Just finished Fourth Wing from the The Empyrean. I can see the appeal of the book, but I wonder how many people are also fans of the Song of Ice and Fire (which I listened to a few years ago) and/or grew up with the Harry Potter series. Yes, there are plenty of twist and turns that are, unfortunately, spoiler material.

Meanwhile, my mother and I are listening to Dangerous Beauty: Stories from the Wilds of Yellowstone which is more National Park stories, but this involves Yellowstone National Park.

[ZLoth]

I went with a short book (1 hr and 16 mins) that was released last week called Denali. It's more of an audio dramatization with the mixing of the past events and the present events, and the ending left a few hanging threads. But it allows me to go on to Iron Flame from the The Empyrean. I am amused by one line in the description...

The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order.

[GaryV]

released last week called Denali.

Good thing they got it out on time. This week it would be McKinley.

[ZLoth]

Just finished listening to Part One of Iron Flame from the The Empyrean series. 15 hours and 22 minutes down, 12 hours and 54 minutes to go.

And, with the release of Audiobookshelf 2.19 comes HTML descriptions. Now, to update all of my books in my collection.

[J N Winkler]

Just finished Fourth Wing from the The Empyrean. I can see the appeal of the book, but I wonder how many people are also fans of the Song of Ice and Fire (which I listened to a few years ago) and/or grew up with the Harry Potter series. Yes, there are plenty of twist and turns that are, unfortunately, spoiler material.

In terms of fandom overlap, I would expect a bit more with, say, Harry Potter, Twilight, and Outlander than Song of Ice and Fire, which I put in the same mental bucket as Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings--epic fantasy where the "thinking big" comes with beaucoup pacing issues.

Just finished listening to Part One of Iron Flame from the The Empyrean series. 15 hours and 22 minutes down, 12 hours and 54 minutes to go.

As of noon today, my library account manager script tells me I am 5th out of 68 in line for Onyx Storm, so I think there is a good chance it will be ready for pickup later this week.  Last week I finished Variation by the same author, which is a romance between a ballerina and a Coast Guard rescue swimmer.  It sustains tension well, but the plot becomes noticeably less coherent in the last 100 pages or so.  (I often have the sense these books are written on deadline.)

Right now I'm reading Pro Bono, Thomas Perry's latest.

[ZLoth]

Just finished Fourth Wing from the The Empyrean. I can see the appeal of the book, but I wonder how many people are also fans of the Song of Ice and Fire (which I listened to a few years ago) and/or grew up with the Harry Potter series. Yes, there are plenty of twist and turns that are, unfortunately, spoiler material.

In terms of fandom overlap, I would expect a bit more with, say, Harry Potter, Twilight, and Outlander than Song of Ice and Fire, which I put in the same mental bucket as Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings--epic fantasy where the "thinking big" comes with beaucoup pacing issues.

Good points. I had forgotten about Twilight (not on my list) and Outlander (definitely on my list). The first Harry Potter book was released in 1997 with the first film being released four years later. So, it is possible that someone could have grown up with Harry Potter, got into the other SF media, and is now attracted to the Empyrean. Again, there are some chapters (some of them quite steamy) which makes these books appropriate only for an adult audience, and questionable for teenagers.

Meanwhile, I took a break from the second book to listen to the Criminal Network: Cybercrime, Espionage, and the Cold War 2.0. Quite interesting. I'm familiar with some of the material already, and how cyberthreats from overseas (Russia) can affect United States systems, especially with Russia turning a blind eye.

[ZLoth]

My mother and I completed Dangerous Beauty: Stories from the Wilds of Yellowstone yesterday which is a compilation of stores from Yellowstone National Park involving bears, bision, park visitors, and extreme weather. It concluded with a reason why you need to inform people of your plans prior to going to the backwoods, especially if you are going alone.

We then starting listening to Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World. This book was updated in 2016, and explains some of the political decisions based upon geography. Thanks to being stuck in traffic yesterday, we are at 41% completion, although stopped after completing Chapter 4: Western Europe to stream some music from my server.

[GaryV]

My mother and I completed
//snip//
We then starting listening to

Was this during the long traffic jam? At least you had something to do.

[ZLoth]

My mother and I completed
//snip//
We then starting listening to

Was this during the long traffic jam? At least you had something to do.

We had completed all but 15 minutes of Dangerous Beauty on the way out to Mineola, Texas, and started Prisoners of Geography on the drive back. But, it made for good listening.

[elsmere241]

I read Forrest Gump by Winston Groom yesterday.  It was much better than the movie, not that the movie was all that great.  I've placed a hold for its sequel Gump & Co..

I have another book waiting for me at the library, The house of my mother: A daughter's quest for freedom by Shari Franke.  I'll try to pick it up tomorrow before the snow hits.

[ZLoth]

Just finished Iron Flame from the The Empyrean. The second part kept me hooked. Since I need a break, I started on The Mercy of the Sky: The Story of a Tornado.

And, with the release of Audiobookshelf 2.19 comes HTML descriptions. Now, to update all of my books in my collection.

And, almost two weeks later, I completed the migration.

[ZLoth]

I finished The Mercy of the Sky: The Story of a Tornado which covers the May 20, 2013 EF-5 tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma. I recognized the Interstates in that area as I had driven them once or twice during Covid. At the beginning, the books does slow down in chapters 4 through 6 as it introduces some of the key players including famed Oklahoma City Television Meteorologist Gary England as his television competition. After that, the book picks up as it covers the tornado from around 2:40 PM just before the tornado hits Moore and the following hour of devastation plus the aftermath. What is notable is that a tornado hit the same area in May, 1999. Well written with plenty of notable accounts.

I did a check, and here are the watches/warning issues for that devastating day:

• Tornado Watch - Issued 1:10 PM CDT
• Severe Thunderstorm Warning - Issued 2:12 PM CDT
• Tornado Warning - Issued 2:40 PM CDT
• Tornado Warning - Issued 3:01 PM CDT - The term "Tornado Emergency" is used here.
• Tornado Warning - Issued 3:40 PM CDT
• Severe Thunderstorm Warning - Issued 3:59 PM CDT
• Severe Thunderstorm Warning - Issued 4:49 PM CDT

Now on to Onyx Storm from the The Empyrean.

[Scott5114]

I finished The Mercy of the Sky: The Story of a Tornado which covers the May 20, 2013 EF-5 tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma. I recognized the Interstates in that area as I had driven them once or twice during Covid. At the beginning, the books does slow down in chapters 4 through 6 as it introduces some of the key players including famed Oklahoma City Television Meteorologist Gary England as his television competition. After that, the book picks up as it covers the tornado from around 2:40 PM just before the tornado hits Moore and the following hour of devastation plus the aftermath.

Gary England's coverage from 2:56 PM to 3:36 PM is available on YouTube:

[ZLoth]

My mother and I completed Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World yesterday evening. Interesting book on how the various geographic features can contribute to a region's success as well as some of the geopolitical issues.

Meanwhile, I'm about 55% of my way through Onyx Storm from the The Empyrean with about 10 hours and 46 minutes remaining.

[ZLoth]

My mother and I just started listening to A Short History of Coffee.

[kphoger]

I recently started reading The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius (in the 520s), as translated by Victor Watts.  I haven't actually started in on the text yet, because the foreword is quite substantial and rather dense.  I had asked for the book for Christmas.

I had stopped reading for a while, for no real reason.  But with the recent warm weather, I got back into reading on the front porch after work.  I just finished Book II of The Consolation of Philosophy, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.  Not knowing very much about Greek philosophy and mythology hasn't been too much of a hinderance, fortunately.

There has been debate in modern times about whether Boethius was truly a Christian or not:  this book, which he wrote while awaiting his impending execution by Theodoric the Great, seems to suggest he found pagan philosophy more of a comfort than the tenets of the Christian faith.  But he also lived in an age in which many prominent thinkers believed that, when properly understood, secular philosophy was complementary to and even supportive of Christian theology.  This view of philosophy and religion comes through, especially in Book II, and it has been an interesting exercise to try and figure out if certain passages (a) represent Christianity as seen through the veil of Greek philosophy or (b) represent a merely theist worldview that isn't necessarily Christian.  I have also already detected Neoplatonist/Gnostic influence, especially as it relates to the division of mind and body, which I suppose isn't all that surprising.

Anyway, it has been enjoyable to read.  As the personified Philosophy seeks to answer Boethius' complaints, it has been fun to sift her answers through my own Christian filter, to anticipate Boethius' possible counterarguments, and then to ponder whether my modern mind would benefit from integrating the endorsed truths into its own worldview.  Hopefully, Books III through V will be just as enjoyable.

[ZLoth]

My mother and I completed A Short History of Coffee. Not only did it cover the development of coffee as a drink, but also some of the social impacts of the beverage including the various times the drink was attempted to be banned, the rise and fall of the coffee houses as social gathering places, and some of the challenges in brewing the drink. An appendix chapter briefly covered the some notable inventions in brewing coffee. I'm going to go next with the The Lufthansa Heist: Behind the Six-million Dollar Cash Haul That Shook the World.

In addition, I also completed Onyx Storm from the The Empyrean. Talk about a series of novels with some twists and turns. Technically speaking, I'm at the end of the series, as the next book hasn't been written yet. Was it worth the 49½ hours of listening? Yes, even though parts of it is a steamy romance novel. I'm taking a break from long books and going with Zombified: Real-World Lessons from Fictional Apocalypses.

[ZLoth]

I finished Zombified: Real-World Lessons from Fictional Apocalypses. While I agree that the dead coming back to live is very fantastical, the author looks at zombies from a different perspective: "the control of one entity by another". This was a interesting view from that perspective as it does occur in nature, plus how many times have someone been obsessed with what is being passed on social media (thanks to some of the personalization algorithms) not to mention certain medical conditions. A short but interesting read.

Now onto another short book: Stranger