June is Ray Bradbury Month

June is Ray Bradbury Month (in my world anyway). Last year, June 5th, Ray Bradbury died. Bradbury wrote some of the greatest science fiction novels (Fahrenheit 451, Martian Chronicles) and is my personal favorite author. Since his death I decided that each June I would read new (to me) book of his.

Last year I read 'R is for Rocket' which are a collection of Twilight Zone-esque short stories on space travel. Highly recommended.


This year I picked up a used copy of 'Dandelion Wine' from Twice Told Books in Guernville, CA (great little book store if you're ever in that neighborhood). The description sounds a lot like "Something Wicked This Way Comes'. Can't wait to get started!


For other Bradbury fans, I encourage you to do the same. For others who may not be Bradbury fans, I suggest you find another author who is special to you and honor them in a similar way.

Below is a great tribute to Bradbury written by Neil Gaiman. I posted this link last June, definitely worth a listen if you haven't heard this before (Bradbury fan or not).
soundcloud.com/neilgaiman/the-man-who-forgot-ray-bradbury

Dear Internet...

Dear Internet,

I don't understand you. I don't post anything in a month in a half and my view average doesn't drop one bit. I come back to the blog with two new posts and the view average dropped 75% in the days since.

Weird.

Some Redshirt Funnies

June Book of the Month: Redshirts by John Scalzi

via goodreads.com:

Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory.

Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces, (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations, and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.

Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.

May Book of the Month: We Band of Angels by Elizabeth Norman

 


via goodreads.com:

Hailed by The New York Times Book Review as a "grippingly told" story of "power and relevance," here is the true, untold account of the first American women to prove their mettle under combat conditions. Later, during three years of brutal captivity at the hands of the Japanese, they also demonstrated their ability to survive. Filled with the thoughts and impressions of the women who lived it, "every page of this history is fascinating" (The Washington Post). We Band of Angels

In the fall of 1941, the Philippines was a gardenia-scented paradise for the American Army and Navy nurses stationed there. War was a distant rumor, life a routine of easy shifts and evenings of dinner and dancing under the stars. On December 8 all that changed, as Japanese bombs rained on American bases in Luzon, and the women's paradise became a fiery hell. Caught in the raging battle, the nurses set up field hospitals in the jungles of Bataan and the tunnels of Corregidor, where they saw the most devastating injuries of war, and suffered the terrors of shells and shrapnel.

But the worst was yet to come. As Bataan and Corregidor fell, a few nurses escaped, but most were herded into internment camps enduring three years of fear and starvation. Once liberated, they returned to an America that at first celebrated them, but later refused to honor their leaders with the medals they clearly deserved. Here, in letters, diaries, and firsthand accounts, is the story of what really happened during those dark days, woven together in a compelling saga of women in war.

Free Comic Book Day!

Yesterday was Free Comic Book Day (1st Saturday in May), and to celebrate the occasion I went to Flying Colors Comics in Concord, CA (2980 Treat Blvd) (flyingcolorscomics.com). Besides being one of the best comic book stores in the Bay Area, it is also where Free Comic Book Day originated!

Here were my prizes for waiting in line for an hour:

Free pink lemonade by a Trader Joe's employee dressed as Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter


A photo of a guy in a pretty impressive Darth Vader costume (my oldest son now thinks I know the actual Darth Vader)


A free assortment of homemade cookies

An hour long conversation with few 5 star comic book readers. (*FYI- Unless you are at least a 3 star comic book reader, these conversations should be avoided.) Luckily, the conversation eventual shifted to the topic of Chinese urbanization. Though I did get some great recommendations on titles I should explore.

Autographs by several writers and authors that everyone in line seemed impressed with but I was clueless about. The one writer/artist I looked up that is pretty impressive is Gene Luen Yang (twitter @geneluenyang). He is the author of American Born Chinese (currently #31 on goodreads.com best graphic novels list http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/210.Best_Graphic_Novels#118944)

Additionally, he is the author of the Avatar: Last Airbender comic series and the graphic novels Boxers and Saints.


Finally, the comics. There were about 30 to choose from. We were allowed to pick 3. With my 3 picks and the 2 author signings I left with 5 in all. Some for me, some for my little ones.

April Book of the Month: How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid

 
via goodreads.com:

His first two novels established Mohsin Hamid as a radically inventive storyteller with his finger on the world’s pulse. How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia meets that reputation—and exceeds it. the astonishing and riveting tale of a man’s journey from impoverished rural boy to corporate tycoon, it steals its shape from the business self-help books devoured by ambitious youths all over “rising Asia.” It follows its nameless hero to the sprawling metropolis where he begins to amass an empire built on that most fluid, and increasingly scarce, of goods: water. Yet his heart remains set on something else, on the pretty girl whose star rises along with his, their paths crossing and recrossing, a lifelong affair sparked and snuffed and sparked again by the forces that careen their fates along.
       How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia is a striking slice of contemporary life at a time of crushing upheaval. Romantic without being sentimental, political without being didactic, and spiritual without being religious, it brings an unflinching gaze to the violence and hope it depicts. And it creates two unforgettable characters who find moments of transcendent intimacy in the midst of shattering change.

BAM!!

Kat Potente replies!

I sent an email to katpotente@gmail.com about my research into some of the historical figures in the book.

Below is the reply...

griffo gerritszoon == franceso griffo, yes! more or less.

gerritszoon the font is more like… garamond, maybe.

good sleuthing!

More Cool Findings (Maybe Spoilers, But Not Really)

To begin, in case you couldn't tell by the recent deluge of posts, I am really enjoying this month's book. (http://pleasanthillbookclub.blogspot.com/2013/03/march-book-of-month-mr-penumbras-24.html)

Ok, now the reason for this latest post. From the reading I was inspired to flip through my copy of The Smithsonian Book of Books by Michael Olmert. As I opened the inside cover there was an inscription "Ex Libris" (meaning From Books) similar to the "Ad Libris" (To Books) we see in Mr. Penumbra. Cool, but not overly. Then, turning the page I see...

the Festina Lente mark (http://pleasanthillbookclub.blogspot.com/2013/03/what-is-festina-lente.html) of 15th century printer Aldus Manutius!  Super cool!

While reading the entry about Aldus I came across an entry about the man who created the type face (font) used by Aldus and it is pretty similar to what is described in the book. Turns out that "Griffo Gerritszoon" the font creater from the book, is actually Francesco Griffo who was born in the same year as Aldus (1450) and died three years after him (1518).

The type setting "Gerritszoon", as far as I can determine, created by the real Griffo is actually "Times New Roman".  This would fit based on the description of "Gerritszoon" (though I can't find a "Gerritszoon Display" version of Times New Roman) as found as Kindle type and the font found on every computer. The Smithsonian Book of Books also has a photo sample of Aldus' work which, to my untrained eye, looks very much like Times New Roman.

If it seems weird that a 15th century printer would be using something as simple as Times New Roman, I must note that Aldus is heralded for not only printing great classical writings, but "these books [became] widely available in small, affordable editions, [and] easy to read."(Olmert p. 130)

PS- I'm only 51% through the book. I'm sure I'll be posting more soon. Or I might only be writing this much because 3rd quarter grades are due and I am procrastinating. In which case I won't follow up until 2nd semester grades come due.

Hadoop! and Mechanical Turk

Unlike many things mentioned Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hou Bookstor, Hadoop! and Mechanical Turk are real. Follow the links below to learn more. 

http://hadoop.apache.org

https://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome

I signed up to be a Mechanical Turk. It takes 48 hours to be approved. I'll update with details on the experience in the near future.

What is Festina Lente?

via wikipedia:

Festina lente or σπεῦδε βραδέως (speude bradeos) is a classical adage and oxymoron meaning "make haste slowly" or "more haste, less speed". It has been used as the motto of many people including the emperors Augustus and Titus, the Medicis and the Onslows.

The meaning of the phrase is that activities should be performed with a proper balance of urgency and diligence. If tasks are rushed too quickly then mistakes are made and good long-term results are not achieved. Work is best done in a state of flow in which one is fully engaged by the task and there is no sense of time passing^. "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast."

The emblem of the dolphin and anchor which has been used since Roman times to illustrate the adage. This example is the printer's mark of Aldus.

Punumbra Fact Checks and Other Thises and Thats

Before I begin, yes, I know this is a fiction novel...

and b), if you aren't as far as I am (33%), there are no spoilers below

1. Sadly, Grumble does not exist :( Not so much for the free pirated material, but the 3-D Sci-Fi universe map sounds cool

2. Still waiting for a reply from katpotente@gmail.com

3. Monkey Money does not appear to be an actual rising start-up. More like an online gambling site

4. As a Bay Area resident. It would have been nice if he called the trains "BART" and not just trains

5. The font Gerritszoon, mentioned several times in the book, does not exist


PS- go to www.robinsloan.com. He's got some short stories there and you can enter your email to sign up for "secrets, etc."

March Book of the Month: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

 
via goodreads.com:

The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco Web-design drone—and serendipity, sheer curiosity, and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey has landed him a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead “checking out” impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he’s embarked on a complex analysis of the customers’ behavior and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what’s going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore.

With irresistible brio and dazzling intelligence, Robin Sloan has crafted a literary adventure story for the twenty-first century, evoking both the fairy-tale charm of Haruki Murakami and the enthusiastic novel-of-ideas wizardry of Neal Stephenson or a young Umberto Eco, but with a unique and feisty sensibility that’s rare to the world of literary fiction. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is exactly what it sounds like: an establishment you have to enter and will never want to leave, a modern-day cabinet of wonders ready to give a jolt of energy to every curious reader, no matter the time of day.