Greg Strandberg's Blog, page 10
July 6, 2014
Getting Back Into Mistborn
Last summer I started reading Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn for the first time. I really enjoyed it, but then I got sidetracked, put the book down, picked a few others up, and pretty much forgot about it.
I always felt guilty coming to Goodreads and seeing that old book still on my ‘currently reading’ list, so I decided to start reading it again this Fourth of July weekend.
I got about another 100 pages into it and now am on page 460 or so. I don’t have a whole lot more to go, and I should finish it up.
Long absences during a book can be good or bad. I did this with Garden of Rama nearly 20 years ago now, and remember that book fondly. This one I feel as though I’ve forgotten some points in the story.
I guess I’ll just have to read it again, huh?
Mistborn: The Final Empire by
Brandon Sanderson
The Garden of Rama by
Arthur C. Clarke and
Gentry Lee
I always felt guilty coming to Goodreads and seeing that old book still on my ‘currently reading’ list, so I decided to start reading it again this Fourth of July weekend.
I got about another 100 pages into it and now am on page 460 or so. I don’t have a whole lot more to go, and I should finish it up.
Long absences during a book can be good or bad. I did this with Garden of Rama nearly 20 years ago now, and remember that book fondly. This one I feel as though I’ve forgotten some points in the story.
I guess I’ll just have to read it again, huh?
Mistborn: The Final Empire by
Brandon Sanderson
The Garden of Rama by
Arthur C. Clarke and
Gentry Lee
July 2, 2014
"Darkness" Calls
Shucks!
I wrote a review for the book "Darkness" by John Saul the other day and now I've been thinking of that book.
I first read it way back in the 90s, and at a very slow pace.
Now the book cover is staring back at me from "My Books" page.
What should I do? The Darkness calls again...!
Darkness
I wrote a review for the book "Darkness" by John Saul the other day and now I've been thinking of that book.
I first read it way back in the 90s, and at a very slow pace.
Now the book cover is staring back at me from "My Books" page.
What should I do? The Darkness calls again...!
Darkness
June 30, 2014
Organizing My Bookshelves...Again!
I spent a lot of time organizing my Goodreads bookshelves tonight. This is what I did.
First I added a few new shelves based on genre: fantasy, history, historical fiction, sci-fi, humor, and classics.
Next I went through all the books on my "read" shelf and put them in the appropriate place. This took awhile as there were about 450 books.
After that I went back through the Classics folder, which had turned into a dumping ground for miscellaneous books.
Finally I got that straightened out by adding a couple more shelves.
Now anyone looking at my profile can look through my shelves based on genre. That'll make it easier for them to look at my books to see what I have to read.
It's good for people thinking of adding you as a friend, or for people in your groups that want to know more about you.
Hope you got some ideas!
First I added a few new shelves based on genre: fantasy, history, historical fiction, sci-fi, humor, and classics.
Next I went through all the books on my "read" shelf and put them in the appropriate place. This took awhile as there were about 450 books.
After that I went back through the Classics folder, which had turned into a dumping ground for miscellaneous books.
Finally I got that straightened out by adding a couple more shelves.
Now anyone looking at my profile can look through my shelves based on genre. That'll make it easier for them to look at my books to see what I have to read.
It's good for people thinking of adding you as a friend, or for people in your groups that want to know more about you.
Hope you got some ideas!
June 29, 2014
Exploring Space: Podcast
I do lots of political podcasts on my site. Topics mainly revolve around politics in Montana, which I was just part of.
Well, I ran for the legislature and lost, so that's about it.
But I'm keeping up the pressure, and today we're talking about building infrastructure in the US that will allow us to have a similar outlet for people that the idea of the 'West' was back in the 1800s.
I wrote about this a lot in my book Tribes and Trappers and decided it would be a fun topic.
Mainly I'm worried that people on Earth are becoming increasingly unhappy with each other as overcrowding and a lack of resources rear their ugly heads.
So we've got to go under the seas into colonies or up into space. Private industry will drive that, just like it drove the opening of the West with the first fur trappers.
Those fur trappers really got going after 1806 and Lewis and Clark, and the 1820s was a big decade for them.
Check out the podcast to learn more:
http://www.bigskywords.com/2014-monta...
Tribes and Trappers: A History of Montana, Volume One
Well, I ran for the legislature and lost, so that's about it.
But I'm keeping up the pressure, and today we're talking about building infrastructure in the US that will allow us to have a similar outlet for people that the idea of the 'West' was back in the 1800s.
I wrote about this a lot in my book Tribes and Trappers and decided it would be a fun topic.
Mainly I'm worried that people on Earth are becoming increasingly unhappy with each other as overcrowding and a lack of resources rear their ugly heads.
So we've got to go under the seas into colonies or up into space. Private industry will drive that, just like it drove the opening of the West with the first fur trappers.
Those fur trappers really got going after 1806 and Lewis and Clark, and the 1820s was a big decade for them.
Check out the podcast to learn more:
http://www.bigskywords.com/2014-monta...
Tribes and Trappers: A History of Montana, Volume One
June 26, 2014
More than 10,000 people like my Epic Fantasy Novel
More than 10,000 people have downloaded The Jongurian Mission.
It’s a great book, and long. It’s epic! It’s got politics and blood and trade and ships. Yes, and even weapons masters, and old war renegades now living amongst the enemy but in semi-hiding.
It’s got a lot of things, and I’d tell you more if my wife didn’t just call me and tell me to pick her up because it’s raining.
Read more about the Jongurian Mission here:
http://www.bigskywords.com/writing-bl...
The Jongurian Mission
It’s a great book, and long. It’s epic! It’s got politics and blood and trade and ships. Yes, and even weapons masters, and old war renegades now living amongst the enemy but in semi-hiding.
It’s got a lot of things, and I’d tell you more if my wife didn’t just call me and tell me to pick her up because it’s raining.
Read more about the Jongurian Mission here:
http://www.bigskywords.com/writing-bl...
The Jongurian Mission
Mythical Ancient Chinese History eBook Now Available
I finished my book on ancient Chinese history a few days ago.
It’s a 45,000-word and 200-page book. You can get it on Amazon for $4.99 until Friday when I’ll raise the price to $7.99 which is what it’ll be at for some time.
It’s up for that price now on Smashwords and should be on iTunes and Barnes & Noble shortly.
I’m quite amazed with myself for getting it done so fast. I really worked on it a lot each day and went through a lot of different sources on Google Books and other websites. It was a lot of work!
I’m really excited about it, and here’s what it goes into detail on:
Ancient Cultures of China: Where those people moved about determined a lot when it came to their culture. The Hemuda people, for instance, had their lands flooded, something which caused them to make houses on stilts. Other cultures developed unique burial practices with jade.
Ancient Myths of China: The book goes into great detail on the origin myths of China, such as the Pangu Creation Myth and the Great Flood Myth of Nuwu and Fuxi. We also discuss a lot of the lesser deities as well as some of the demigods that possessed qualities of both gods and humans.
Wars in Ancient China: There are major battles that took place during these pre-dynastic years in ancient China, and the Battle of Zhuolu and the Battle of Banquan are two. Both were part of a larger three-battle campaign, and we dispel some myths surrounding this period. Later we discuss the Battle of Mingtiao and the Battle of Muye.
Emperors in Ancient China: The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period is a time in ancient China when semi-mythical figures ruled. These included the Yellow Emperor, Shennong, and Emperor Yao. All of them did miraculous things and we discuss it all in great detail.
The Xia Dynasty: From 2060 to 1600 BC the Xia Dynasty ruled. Started by Yu the Great after the floods, this dynasty ruled for nearly five centuries and had seventeen kings. We discuss each and every one of them, culminating in the tyrant Jie that caused his family’s rule to come to an end.
The Shang Dynasty: With the Shang Dynasty we see the idea of the Mandate of Heaven really come into play. This idea that a ruler had to be benevolent and treat his people well was always present, but it gained traction as rulers became more corrupt. There were thirty Shang kings and they ruled form 1600 to 1046 BC. They lost their way in the end, allowing the Zhou Dynasty to rise from their ashes.
Enjoy reading about these kings and tyrants, these emperors and slaves. The book’s full of amazing stories, and I know you won’t be disappointed.
http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Earth-An...
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
It’s a 45,000-word and 200-page book. You can get it on Amazon for $4.99 until Friday when I’ll raise the price to $7.99 which is what it’ll be at for some time.
It’s up for that price now on Smashwords and should be on iTunes and Barnes & Noble shortly.
I’m quite amazed with myself for getting it done so fast. I really worked on it a lot each day and went through a lot of different sources on Google Books and other websites. It was a lot of work!
I’m really excited about it, and here’s what it goes into detail on:
Ancient Cultures of China: Where those people moved about determined a lot when it came to their culture. The Hemuda people, for instance, had their lands flooded, something which caused them to make houses on stilts. Other cultures developed unique burial practices with jade.
Ancient Myths of China: The book goes into great detail on the origin myths of China, such as the Pangu Creation Myth and the Great Flood Myth of Nuwu and Fuxi. We also discuss a lot of the lesser deities as well as some of the demigods that possessed qualities of both gods and humans.
Wars in Ancient China: There are major battles that took place during these pre-dynastic years in ancient China, and the Battle of Zhuolu and the Battle of Banquan are two. Both were part of a larger three-battle campaign, and we dispel some myths surrounding this period. Later we discuss the Battle of Mingtiao and the Battle of Muye.
Emperors in Ancient China: The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period is a time in ancient China when semi-mythical figures ruled. These included the Yellow Emperor, Shennong, and Emperor Yao. All of them did miraculous things and we discuss it all in great detail.
The Xia Dynasty: From 2060 to 1600 BC the Xia Dynasty ruled. Started by Yu the Great after the floods, this dynasty ruled for nearly five centuries and had seventeen kings. We discuss each and every one of them, culminating in the tyrant Jie that caused his family’s rule to come to an end.
The Shang Dynasty: With the Shang Dynasty we see the idea of the Mandate of Heaven really come into play. This idea that a ruler had to be benevolent and treat his people well was always present, but it gained traction as rulers became more corrupt. There were thirty Shang kings and they ruled form 1600 to 1046 BC. They lost their way in the end, allowing the Zhou Dynasty to rise from their ashes.
Enjoy reading about these kings and tyrants, these emperors and slaves. The book’s full of amazing stories, and I know you won’t be disappointed.
http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Earth-An...
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
June 20, 2014
Check Out "The Water Method Man"
I would highly recommend that everyone read The Water Method Man this summer if they haven’t already.
This book really packs the laughs, and as the review from the Times or something says, it’s about 3 to 4 times funnier than most novels.
I read this while living in a crappy Chinese dorm. I remember it was a Sunday night and I was waiting to go down to the cafeteria to eat dinner. I stalled and stalled because I wanted to keep reading this book, and also because I thought I might piss myself from laughing so hard.
Needless to say, I managed to pull myself together and get down for some reheated Chinese school cafeteria food. I suspect it was green vegetables with MSG and about twice the usual amount of salt, plus some bones with meat.
All in all, a good read, and I think you’ll enjoy it!
The Water-Method Man by
John Irving
This book really packs the laughs, and as the review from the Times or something says, it’s about 3 to 4 times funnier than most novels.
I read this while living in a crappy Chinese dorm. I remember it was a Sunday night and I was waiting to go down to the cafeteria to eat dinner. I stalled and stalled because I wanted to keep reading this book, and also because I thought I might piss myself from laughing so hard.
Needless to say, I managed to pull myself together and get down for some reheated Chinese school cafeteria food. I suspect it was green vegetables with MSG and about twice the usual amount of salt, plus some bones with meat.
All in all, a good read, and I think you’ll enjoy it!
The Water-Method Man by
John Irving
June 18, 2014
Rockin' Ancient History!
I’m really cruising along on my latest book, an nonfiction history of ancient China.
This book is called From Heaven to Earth: Ancient Chinese History 8500 – 1046 BC. It should be done at the end of the month and I’m really enjoying working on it.
Well, it’s frustrating, but I think this is something more people in the world need to know about.
Will that mean the book sells well? I don’t know – with all my books I expect 0 sales upon release, and 9 times out of 10 I’m right.
Still, the ancient Chinese history books they have selling on Amazon now are doing good. Maybe this one has a chance.
Read an excerpt here:
http://www.bigskywords.com/writing-bl...
Ancient Chinese History: From Heaven to Earth, 8500 to 1046 BC
This book is called From Heaven to Earth: Ancient Chinese History 8500 – 1046 BC. It should be done at the end of the month and I’m really enjoying working on it.
Well, it’s frustrating, but I think this is something more people in the world need to know about.
Will that mean the book sells well? I don’t know – with all my books I expect 0 sales upon release, and 9 times out of 10 I’m right.
Still, the ancient Chinese history books they have selling on Amazon now are doing good. Maybe this one has a chance.
Read an excerpt here:
http://www.bigskywords.com/writing-bl...
Ancient Chinese History: From Heaven to Earth, 8500 to 1046 BC
June 14, 2014
Writing Lots of Reviews
Boy, yesterday I wrote nearly 3,000 words here on Goodreads. What, is there a new novel planned? Nope, I was just writing reviews.
If you’re anything like me you probably started using this site awhile ago, added all your old books, but never got around to writing reviews for them all.
Well, that’s what I did yesterday.
But I did more – I also updated all the covers on my “read” shelf so that they were the covers I wanted, or the covers I remember seeing each day while reading that book.
So should you embark upon a quest to get all your reviews done as well? I think so, and a good place to start is with series. Write a good review for Book 1 and then a shorter review for Books 2 & 3 and so on.
It’s a fast and efficient way to start, and maybe you’ll get a little more caught up, like me. Yep, only 373 books to go!
If you’re anything like me you probably started using this site awhile ago, added all your old books, but never got around to writing reviews for them all.
Well, that’s what I did yesterday.
But I did more – I also updated all the covers on my “read” shelf so that they were the covers I wanted, or the covers I remember seeing each day while reading that book.
So should you embark upon a quest to get all your reviews done as well? I think so, and a good place to start is with series. Write a good review for Book 1 and then a shorter review for Books 2 & 3 and so on.
It’s a fast and efficient way to start, and maybe you’ll get a little more caught up, like me. Yep, only 373 books to go!
June 5, 2014
Thank You Goodreads!
I can't begin to tell you how thrilled I am that 112 people are interested in reading my book, Tarot Card Killer.
As you know, I'm doing a giveaway with 10 copies. I'll decide who gets the books come July 3.
Sign up here to get this great thriller novel set over five days in 1973 Hong Kong.
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
Thank you so much for your support!
As you know, I'm doing a giveaway with 10 copies. I'll decide who gets the books come July 3.
Sign up here to get this great thriller novel set over five days in 1973 Hong Kong.
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
Thank you so much for your support!
