Richard Reyes

A long run of mediocre books not worth posting about but now nearly done with North Woods by Daniel Mason. Enjoying it a immensely.

Still Life with Woodpecker by the late, great Tom Robbins. It's the right kind of crazy. I'm in need of heavy doses of the right kind of crazy: Rebellious, smart, whimsical, mischievous, aloof, passionate and wise.

Black AF History by Michael Harriot. I plucked it from a "little library" near my house. Seemed like a fitting thing to read during Black History Month.

250 pages into The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter. I'm very much enjoying it so far. I was only 10 years old when he took office. He was neither the president nor the man I thought he was. Recommended.

Finished up some RushForum recommendations. Thanks for suggesting Earth to Moon (Moon Unit Zappa memoir) and especially Plunder by Brendan Ballou. I can't stop talking about the evil of private equity. Currently most of the way through a trip-tastic sci-fi novel called Exordia by Seth Dickinson. No blurb can do it justice. Language rich, head-spinningly weird, violently humorous, and makes hard sci-fi into a carnival ride. A book that explodes in your hands.

Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell. Half way through. So far it's decent but I'm wanting it to go bigger, weirder, darker, more glorious. Something. It needs more kick. Maybe the kick is still coming.

Read back-to-back books by Benjamin Labatut: "When We Cease to Understand the World," and, "Maniac." Both excellent books about scientists and mathematicians who push the boundaries of what humans can create and wrestle with the consequences. Currently reading "Last Date in El Zapotal" by Mateo Garcia Elizondo. Addiction, self-destruction, fear and loathing in a tiny Mexican village. Good stuff.

Recently finished 7 Men by Eric Metaxas. Interesting but unexpectedly super Christian in its lens. His Bonhoeffer book is amazing. Current read: Trust by Herman Diaz. 50 pages in. Okay so far. Hope it gets better. On deck: Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi. Book three of a series. Book one was good. Book two was good but not as good as book one.

I'm putting these links back up. I made some fixes to the text and added a few paragraphs here and there. Purchase here if you wish: General Admission. Or read a pdf of the entire novel here: Free Back cover blurb: "Miguel Sanchez is obsessed with a subgenre of music known as progressive rock and the band Rush in particular. So when his favorite band rolls into town he has big plans for the day. These plans include spending the day with his best friend, Sean, in the rock and roll parking lot, getting Everly Baxter to fall in love with him and connecting with other oddballs who share his passion for the elevating power of prog. But down every row of cars, at every tailgate, in the haze of smoke and music he is repeatedly forced to face the same question be it spoken or implied: What kind of Latino listens to prog rock? Are you sure you're in the right place? Miguel’s quest for rock turns into a quest for identity. When reality fractures into a multiverse (be it from the power of Rush or the spells of a necromancer) and a kaiju beast (a manifestation of fear) is let loose Miguel discovers anything can happen in the rock and roll parking lot. It doesn’t even have to be true to life. “General Admission” is a quasi-fantasy, sci-fi novel with overtones of critical race theory set in the early 1980s during Rush’s tour through the Bay Area. Is Miguel a modern day warrior or a misfit so alone? If he chooses not to decide, has he still made a choice? Listen as the synthesizers herald the beginning of this long and very weird day."

Just finishing up the 33 & 1/3 book about Math Rock. Next up will be another book by Mircea Cartarescu, Blinding. Once more into the breech!

I have this daydream wherein the allure of The Sphere in Vegas would lure them out for a few shows. Don't spoil my happy dream.

Whew! SOLENOID was one mammoth bean-bender of a book. Totally worth the journey. But now it's time for something light and fun. Reading some Seanan Mcguire, book 3 of the InCryptid series.

Solenoid by Mircea Cartarescu. I knew nothing about it prior to stumbling upon it in my local library. It's very fascinating. From the jacket: "Based on Cărtărescu's own experience as a high school teacher, Solenoid begins with the mundane details of a diarist's life and quickly spirals into a philosophical account of life, history, philosophy, and mathematics. The novel is grounded in the reality of Romania in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including frightening health care, the absurdities of the education system, and the misery of family life, while on a broad scale Solenoid's investigations of other universes, dimensions, and timelines attempt to reconcile the realms of life and art. The text includes sequences in a tuberculosis preventorium, encounters with an anti-death protest movement, a society of dream investigators, and an extended visit to the miniscule world of dust mites living on a microscope slide. One character asks another: When you rush into the burning building, will you save the newborn or the artwork?"

Just finished "Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughed (A Journey through the Deep State)" by Kerry Howley. Tomorrow I begin "A Fire So Wild" by Sarah Ruiz-Grossman.

IMHO, as highly regards John Steinbeck is I still hold that he is underrated. East of Eden and Grapes of Wrath are two of the greatest novels every written in any language at any time in history. Truly, that great.