Friday, June 15, 2007

THE ELISSON BOOKSHELF

The Elisson Bookshelf

Or, What I’ve Been Reading Lately.

It’s been ten months since I’ve posted about the Old Book Pile d’Elisson. As I said last time I did so, putting up a list of the books I’ve been reading is nothing more than another great big Exercise in Self-Indulgence, right up there along with my Friday Random Ten. But, of course, that won’t stop me...

So: What has Old Uncle Elisson has been reading over this last couple of months, anyway?

March
  • On The Wealth Of Nations - P. J. O’Rourke

    The premier conservative humorist deconstructs the Founding Document of Western-style capitalism in his inimitable style.

  • Here Comes Civilization: The Complete Science Fiction of William Tenn, Volume II - William Tenn

  • Immodest Proposals: The Complete Science Fiction of William Tenn, Volume I - William Tenn

    A two-volume retrospective featuring one of the great (and underappreciated) science fiction writers of the twentieth century. Tenn is insightful and sharp-witted in this collection, a must-read for any serious SF reader. Needless to say, I read Volume II first, since I had to jump through hoops to find a copy of Volume I.

April
  • Eat What You Want and Die Like a Man: The World's Unhealthiest Cookbook - Steve H. Graham

    The author is none other than blogdom’s own Steve H., proprietor of Hog on Ice and Roller Coaster of Hate. This book, originally published using the tried-and-true vanity press route, will shortly be coming to a bookstore near you, courtesy of a Real Publisher. I recommend it more for Teh Funny than the recipes, which are devastatingly tasty-sounding but which will stop your heart.

  • Nasty Bits, The: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable Trim, Scraps, and Bones - Anthony Bourdain

    More Cheffy Fun from the author of Kitchen Confidential.

  • Good, the Spam, and the Ugly, The: Shooting It Out with Internet Bad Guys - Steve H. Graham

    Steve H. takes on Nigerian internet spammers. Hilarity ensues.

May
  • Rollback - Robert J. Sawyer

    What happens when the aliens finally start communicating with us? And how do we establish a dialogue when each message takes thirty-two years to reach its recipient? That premise is intriguing enough, but it’s just the backdrop to the real story: What if you and your True Love of a lifetime can have your youth back...and what if the treatment only works on one of you?

  • Platinum Pohl - Frederik Pohl

    An anthology of some of Fred Pohl’s finest short stories.

  • The Yiddish Policemen’s Union - Michael Chabon

    A noirish-Yiddish detective novel set in an intriguing alternate world, a world in which the Jewish homeland is established, not in Palestine, but in Alaska - an idea that actually was considered for a brief time following World War II.

June
  • America Alone: The End Of The World As We Know It - Mark Steyn

    A humorous look at a serious subject in the vein of P. J. O’Rourke, this book examines the decline of Europe and the ascendancy of Islamic “Eurabia,” a shift in civilization driven by birthrates, religion, and politics.

  • Enchanter Completed, The: A Tribute Anthology for L. Sprague de Camp - Harry Turtledove (editor)

    A collection of SF and fantasy stories honoring the late author L. Sprague de Camp, writer of Lest Darkness Fall and numerous other tales.

  • Einstein: His Life and Universe - Walter Isaacson

    A detailed and eminently readable examination of Einstein’s life and his contributions to 20th century physics - contributions that have not only changed the way we look at the world, but that have changed the world itself.

What have you been reading lately?

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