My Most Recent Reads - July, 2015

Another month and more reads read (or listened to).  24 books accomplished--not bad for a  month that was busy with the craziness of life.  Also, pretty good, considering that I've read about 20 short stories during this month that have nothing to do with any of these books (a future project I'm working on).  But here are the highlights of the last month.


Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson

Book cover - Sherwood Anderson - Winesburg Ohio
Ever since reading Hands, one of the stories in this collection, I've always been curious to read it in its entirety, which I did.  I liked it--it had some intriguing moments captured throughout and made me think much about the ways in which our community are inevitably a part of and apart from us.  This book also happened to be the first text-only book that I read entirely on my Kindle (and the book is free on Amazon--thanks public domain!).  That was an interesting experience and I greatly appreciate just what a eReader has to offer.  Beyond helping me not to lose my place and to be lighter and easier to hold when reading, I found that I could move through the text just as well as I do with physical books and I could also highlight and annotate.  I'm not a total convert--I'll always want books as part of my library, but I am likely to read more content this way in the future. 


Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power by Dan Hurley

Hurley tracks down the various ways in which science has proven to some degree tactics that can enhance one's ability to use their mind.  It's a fun trek through all types of approaches from meditation to physical exercise to medicine to mind games (exercises that is--not someone messing with his head), brain stimulation devices and more.  In the end, he shows that there are ways that we can enhance our intelligence but like many important things, it does take work and effort.  


Star Trek and History by Nancy Reagin

Some books drive you nuts.  Not because they are bad, but because they inspire you to want to go on a bender.  In this case, Reagin's anthology of essays from various writers on the intersection of history and Star Trek leads me to want to go re-watch Star Trek (and watch for the first time, some of which I have yet to get to).  The essays tackle different shows (Original Series, Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise) and even the movies up through the 2009 reboot.  There is something for every Star Trek fan and many authors take very fascinating approaches to considering how Star Trek dealt with history (both real and imagined) and how that represents the world in which Star Trek was created.  Pop culture folks will love this one!

Here's my ongoing list of books read this year on GoodReads.  Also, here 2015's reading reflections thus far:

BOOKS

  • Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson

AUDIOBOOKS

  • Will College Pay Off?: A Guide to the Most Important Financial Decision You'll Ever Make by Peter Cappelli
  • Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
  • Who Gets What and Why: The New Economics of Matchmaking and Market Design by Alvin Roth
  • Chain Saw Confidential: How We Made the World's Most Notorious Horror Movie by Gunnar Hansen
  • Avengers: Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Dan Abnett
  • X-Men: Days of Future Past Prose Novel by Alex Irvine
  • Star Trek and History by Nancy Reagin
  • StoryCorps: Outloud by David Isay
  • How We'll Live on Mars by Stephen Petranek
  • Armada by Ernest Cline
  • Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power by Dan Hurley
  • Once in a Lifetime by Moss Hart
  • A Lesson Before Dying by Romulus Linney
  • Hacking Your Education: Escape Lectures, Save Thousands, and Hustle Your Way to a Brighter Future by Dale Stephens
  • Shadowlands by William Nicholson
  • Slow Bullets by Alastair Reynolds

GRAPHIC NOVELS

  • Teen Titans: Earth One Vol. 1 by Jeff Lemire
  • Angel & Faith: Season 10 Volume 2: Lost and Found by Victor Gischler
  • Wytches, Vol. 1 by Scott Snyder
  • The Autumnlands, Vol. 1: Tooth and Claw by Kurt Busiek
  • Day Men Vol. 1 by Matt Gagnon
  • Invincible, Vol. 21: Modern Family by Robert Kirkman
  • Trees, Vol. 1 by Warren Ellis

So what have you been reading lately?  What would you recommend?



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