Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Collecting Stamps

Every ten years, it's time for a new passport.  For aspiring globe-trotters, it's a bittersweet moment to relinquish all those hard-earned stamps and start fresh.  My last time, though, I was surprised that they returned the old passport to me (after a couple well-placed hole punches to make sure it can't be used any more).  I've finally gotten around to some reminisces about past travels.

First, though - that hairline!

OK, on to the fun part, piecing together some memorable trips based on (sometimes weak-handed) customs officals:

Monday, January 25, 2016

Mostly Zombies

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Seth Grahame-Smith; credit to Jane Austen; courtesy of a forgotten sister

Published in 2009, gifted to me a couple years ago; why read it now?  I've seen trailers for the movie adaptation, but that's mostly coincidence.  I saw it as possible inspiration for a similar genre-melding project.  So, what did I think?

The Fool's Progress Regresses

The Fool's Progress, by Edward Abbey; courtesy of Uncle Joe

Naturally, for a book that follows one man's long life, The Fool's Progress went through its ups and downs.  Henry Holyoak Lightcap's memories (Or Abbey's?  It's subtitled, "an honest novel"; I'll look into how autobiographical it supposedly is after getting my initial thoughts down.) of how he got to his last, desperate, cross-country homecoming - and my reactions - fell into three distinct phases.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

MediumBrow's 2015 Reading List

...On to 2015!  Not as prolific a year, and in review, a mixed bag in terms of quality.  So let's organize this year's reads with that in mind:

MediumBrow's 2014 Reading List

Missed this one by a year - must have been busy reading almost a book a week!  Quick belated month-by-month recap (by my favorites)...