Tom Kepler (Author of The Stone Dragon)

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Having been away from home and my wife for three weeks, I was looking forward to watching John Ford'sThe Quiet Man.

John Wayne gets to show his mor... Read more of this blog post »

Tom Kepler rated a book 5 of 5 stars

Bike Touring Basics
by Andrew Grant

read in December, 2012

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World bicycle travelers and authors of Bike Touring Basics, Friedel and Andrew Grant, describe their book in the introduction as "a compact and inspiring introduction to the world of bike touring, from the planning stage through to the equipment you...more World bicycle travelers and authors of Bike Touring Basics, Friedel and Andrew Grant, describe their book in the introduction as "a compact and inspiring introduction to the world of bike touring, from the planning stage through to the equipment you might need to get started." They state the book's purpose even more concisely on the title page: "A mini guide to bicycle touring, for people planning a first exploration of the world by pedal power." These words accurately describe the Grants' tightly yet warmly written eBook on the what-to's and how-to's of the bike touring world.

The front cover indicates Bike Touring Basics contains information on "bikes and gear," "life on tour," and "inspiration." Many chapters begin with a quotation from some experienced world bicycle traveler. For instance, the chapter "Why Go Bike Touring" begins with a quote by Rebeca Jensen, a portion of which is as follows: "Bicycle touring is heightened awareness. It's the difference between microwaving and cooking a meal from scratch. It's the difference between standing awe-struck in front of a painting and clicking past it on the internet."

All these quotations are linked to sites on the web, and many more avid bicyclists who helped create the book are also listed, so the book becomes a source or index for a much wider world of experienced bike touring that the Grants have connected with. The image on the cover, for instance, "was taken at 4,500 meters on the Puna de Atacama in northern Chile." It was part of a multi-month bike tour in South America, by Harriet and Neil Pike.

The touring experience of the Grants, coupled with their interaction with the world bike-touring community, provide a powerful sense of credibility to the book. The contents of the book range from the motivation of why to tour, to costs, route planning, on whether to sleep in hostels or to "wild" camp, equipment (gear), buying a bike, and loading up the bike. Equipment covered includes a balance of American and European gear. The Grants are Canadian, have lived in England, and are now living in the Netherlands, "a cycling paradise."

I found this book very readable--easy to follow and a nice balance of heart and intellect, satisfying both. I'll let the authors finish up this review.

". . . bike touring really is something anyone can do. You don't need to be super fit or below some arbitrary age barrier. You don't even need to know a lot about bike touring and you certainly don't need a fancy bike."

"Finally if you remember nothing else then remember this: people of all types and descriptions are out there right now, pedaling across their countries, continents and even the world. You can too, and you'll have the time of your life along the way."

They go on to mention that it doesn't hurt, though, to gain a little knowledge before striking out. Bike Touring Basics is an enjoyable and inspiring place to gain that knowledge.(less)

Tom Kepler rated a book 3 of 5 stars

Conquistador
by S.M. Stirling

read in March, 2011

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It's 1946. The White Man is about to discover America.

Oakland, California, 1946. Ex-soldier John Rolfe, newly back from the Pacific, is about to make a fabulous discovery. It happens with a flip of his shortwave radio switch, a thunder crack of sound...more It's 1946. The White Man is about to discover America.

Oakland, California, 1946. Ex-soldier John Rolfe, newly back from the Pacific, is about to make a fabulous discovery. It happens with a flip of his shortwave radio switch, a thunder crack of sound, and a blinding light. He blinks his eyes to discover a portal to an alternate world where Europeans have never set foot on the land he knows as America. Able to return at will to the modern world, Rolfe summons the only people with whom he is willing to share his discovery: his war buddies. And tells them to bring their families . . .

I am a native Californian who left the state many years ago--for one reason because I was sick of the damage to the state caused by people pollution, just too many people. S. M. Stirling's novel Conquistador provides a researched look at an environmental alternative, not a utopian alternative, but at least one with a greater regard for the environment and a "second chance" to do a better job of preserving the original beauty and variety of California. This new look at a familiar landscape is a major appeal of this novel, as it may be in any alternative history novel. Conquistador provided me with an imaginative alternative to my recent reading of John Muir's (see blog excerpt posts One and Two) My First Summer in the Sierra, which I read over this winter.

Most of the action of Conquistador takes place in current times, though, with flashback chapters that describe the colonization of the new, alternate world and the foundation for the conflicts that fuel the action of the novel--because the new world, the Commonwealth of New Virginia, does have its issues, mostly fueled by the fact that colonization of the world has been accomplished by recruiting people who have been displaced by political upheavals--people who have cultural and ethnic issues.

These issues lead two California game wardens to become "involuntary colonists" to New Virginia, where they meet the colony founder's grand-daughter, a dynamic and independent young woman in a culture that has somehow missed the feminist revolution, along with several other cultural revolutions in the world. The strong and interesting characters of the novel add to the book's power: gun-toting Game Wardens, a red-headed adventurous feminist (from a '50s culture), and minor characters of Native and African Americans who are characterized as real individuals and not stereotypes.

When the hides, feathers, and ivory of endangered species show up on the black market in California, two California game wardens begin an investigation that lead them to a surprising discovery. But when specimens of extinct animals are found, they find themselves no longer investigating but the objects of investigation--by an organization rich beyond belief, wealth gained from the gold fields of an alternative universe.

With humor (an authentic photo of ancient Aztec priests decked out in Grateful Dead T-shirts), research (the New World epidemics brought with the White Man), and compassion for our culture's achievements and foibles, Stirling writes a tale that provides a different possibility for our world. If you like this sort of thing, you'll enjoy this book.(less)

Tom Kepler rated a book 4 of 5 stars

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
by Candice Millard

read in July, 2011

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Theodore Roosevelt, after two terms as president of the United States, runs for a third term on the maverick Progressive Party (Bull Moose) ticket. He loses in a lopsided victory to Wilson and is at loose ends politically and personally.

An avid outdo...more

Tom Kepler rated a book 4 of 5 stars

The Rough Riders
by Theodore Roosevelt

read in November, 2012

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A stereotype of the American man exists: a man of purity with a simple, straightforward manner of supporting right and opposing wrong with bravery and fortitude. There is also another side to that stereotype: a man whose simple perspective of right a...more

Tom Kepler rated a book 3 of 5 stars

The Scarlet Plague (Science Fiction Collection)
by Jack London

read in September, 2011

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"All things pass. Only remain cosmic force and matter, ever in flux, ever acting and reacting and realizing the eternal types--the priest, the soldier, and the king. Out of the mouths of babes comes the wisdom of all the ages. Some will fight, some w...more "All things pass. Only remain cosmic force and matter, ever in flux, ever acting and reacting and realizing the eternal types--the priest, the soldier, and the king. Out of the mouths of babes comes the wisdom of all the ages. Some will fight, some will rule, some will pray; and all the rest will toil and suffer sore while on their bleeding carcasses is reared again, and yet again, without end, the amazing beauty and surpassing wonder of the civilized state."

Jack London's short novel The Scarlet Plague is a narrative of the last man alive who had lived prior to the apocalyptic plague that swept the earth in 2012, "Granser," who tells the young men the story of what life was like prior to the death and devastation. The 2012 setting was London's vision of 100 years later than the book originally was published.

And the three young men who take care of him--teasing Granser, feeding him lobster and oysters--hoot and disbelieve his story. Granser--the grandfather of the young men--continues to tell the story because he knows he is old and will die in the not-too-distant future.

Edwin, Hare-Lip, and Hoo-Hoo are those who will inherit the earth: king, soldier, and priest.

As a socialist during his life, Jack London wrote many books about the need and right of the common person to have the freedom to live life with dignity. See The Iron Heel, for instance, with its protagonist Ernest Everhard.

It's not clear to me what is London's angle for this story. The old man lists the virtues and wonders of the ancient technological world of 2012 (with London's estimated population of 8 billion). Granser tells of the breakdown of social structure during the plague's killing time. And London characterizes the three young men as ignorant, clever, and ambitious.

Perhaps London's message is "What goes around comes around." That seems to be the crux of the quotation that begins this review: the cosmic flux. Whatever was London's political agenda, the novel reads with humor, suspense, and pathos.

As always, in this novel, London is humanity's writer--a man who sees humanity and describes what he sees--warts, lice, and all.

I read this book in the free ebook edition:

Project Gutenberg (less)

Tom Kepler rated a book 4 of 5 stars

The Stone Dragon
by Tom Kepler (Goodreads Author)

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Tom Kepler rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Tarzan of the Apes (Tarzan, #1)
by Edgar Rice Burroughs

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From the Amazon review of Tarzan of the Apes (Signet Classics), written by Debra Hamel:

"Tarzan impresses as a character both because of his physical prowess and his mental acuity. He is portrayed as a noble savage, a blend of human and ape that is su...more

Tom Kepler rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations, #1-2)
by Michael J. Sullivan (Goodreads Author)

read in January, 2012

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On a Goodreads online discussion, author Michael J. Sullivan said about his books: "They are designed to be just enjoyable romps with a couple of likable main characters."

Either Sullivan is too self-effacing, or he underestimates the power of well-w...more

Tom Kepler rated a book 3 of 5 stars

A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf
by John Muir

read in June, 2011

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"Often I thought I would like to explore [New York City] if, like a lot of wild hills and valleys, it was clear of inhabitants."

In September of 1867, age 29, John Muir set out for a walking tour of the South, which extended to Cuba and eventually end...more

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	The Stone Dragon 3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 2011 — 2 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Love YA Like a Sister 2.9 of 5 stars 2.90 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2010 — 3 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Who Listened to Dragons, Three Stories 4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bare Ruined Choirs 4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2009	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Tom Kepler wrote a new blog post The Quiet Man, a movie review Having been away from home and my wife for three weeks, I was looking forward to watching John Ford'sThe Quiet Man. John Wayne gets to show his mor... Read more of this blog post »
May 20, 2013 03:40am · like
Tom Kepler rated a book 5 of 5 stars Bike Touring Basics by Andrew Grant read in December, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
World bicycle travelers and authors of Bike Touring Basics, Friedel and Andrew Grant, describe their book in the introduction as "a compact and inspiring introduction to the world of bike touring, from the planning stage through to the equipment you...more
Jan 06, 2013 05:29am · see review
Tom Kepler rated a book 3 of 5 stars Conquistador by S.M. Stirling read in March, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
It's 1946. The White Man is about to discover America. Oakland, California, 1946. Ex-soldier John Rolfe, newly back from the Pacific, is about to make a fabulous discovery. It happens with a flip of his shortwave radio switch, a thunder crack of sound...more
Nov 11, 2012 01:36pm · see review
Tom Kepler rated a book 4 of 5 stars The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard read in July, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Theodore Roosevelt, after two terms as president of the United States, runs for a third term on the maverick Progressive Party (Bull Moose) ticket. He loses in a lopsided victory to Wilson and is at loose ends politically and personally. An avid outdo...more
Nov 11, 2012 01:35pm · see review
Tom Kepler rated a book 4 of 5 stars The Rough Riders by Theodore Roosevelt read in November, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A stereotype of the American man exists: a man of purity with a simple, straightforward manner of supporting right and opposing wrong with bravery and fortitude. There is also another side to that stereotype: a man whose simple perspective of right a...more
Nov 11, 2012 01:34pm · see review
Tom Kepler rated a book 3 of 5 stars The Scarlet Plague (Science Fiction Collection) by Jack London read in September, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
"All things pass. Only remain cosmic force and matter, ever in flux, ever acting and reacting and realizing the eternal types--the priest, the soldier, and the king. Out of the mouths of babes comes the wisdom of all the ages. Some will fight, some w...more
Nov 11, 2012 01:34pm · see review
Tom Kepler rated a book 4 of 5 stars The Stone Dragon by Tom Kepler (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 11, 2012 01:33pm
Tom Kepler rated a book 4 of 5 stars Tarzan of the Apes (Tarzan, #1) by Edgar Rice Burroughs	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
From the Amazon review of Tarzan of the Apes (Signet Classics), written by Debra Hamel: "Tarzan impresses as a character both because of his physical prowess and his mental acuity. He is portrayed as a noble savage, a blend of human and ape that is su...more
Nov 11, 2012 01:33pm · see review
Tom Kepler rated a book 4 of 5 stars Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations, #1-2) by Michael J. Sullivan (Goodreads Author) read in January, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
On a Goodreads online discussion, author Michael J. Sullivan said about his books: "They are designed to be just enjoyable romps with a couple of likable main characters." Either Sullivan is too self-effacing, or he underestimates the power of well-w...more
Nov 11, 2012 01:31pm · see review
Tom Kepler rated a book 3 of 5 stars A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf by John Muir read in June, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
"Often I thought I would like to explore [New York City] if, like a lot of wild hills and valleys, it was clear of inhabitants." In September of 1867, age 29, John Muir set out for a walking tour of the South, which extended to Cuba and eventually end...more
Nov 11, 2012 01:31pm · see review

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