Month: June 2014

Book Group, Books

Book 285: The Grifters – Jim Thompson

Geoff W

I hope you never get tired of hearing it, but books like this are why I’m so glad Caroline and I took the chance and joined the random book group at our local library. I know I would never have picked up this book (and most of the books we read). They’re so different and I’ve enjoyed almost all that we’ve read! Sometimes, I’m not so sure about the book or I’m hesitant about the movie, but this book was great and I can’t wait to see how they adapt it to the film!

Like usual going into this month’s book I had no set expectations and knew very little about it. I vaguely knew it was about con artists, but that was about it. When I picked up my copy from the library I was tickled to see the pulp-fiction cover, who wouldn’t be? But that cover definitely made me seriously look forward to reading it, not to mention it was under 200 pages, and I blazed through the book.

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Books

Book 284: The Fall of Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos #2) – Dan Simmons

Geoff W

What a follow-up! After reading Hyperion, the first in the Hyperion Cantos, I immediately moved into the second! So glad Alex gave us both of them or I wouldn’t have known what to do, or I would’ve gone out and bought it. Although the style changed from the first novel, this one was just as strong and incredibly intelligent. There are definitely spoilers after the next paragraph so you’ve been warned.

The start of this book was a bit more confusing than the first, again it starts in the middle of the story, but with different characters. Rather than immediately going back to our seven pilgrims and their stories, Simmons introduces us to Joseph Severn, another cybrid (originally a John Keats), and brings in the character Meina Gladstone, CEO of the hegemony and mentioned many times in the previous book. There are of course other characters and they all add to the amazing story, but the core group remain the same.

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Updates

May Recap 2014

Geoff W

2014 05-30 Reunioni DUCK TOUR!May is always one of the busiest months at work. Between graduation and reunion, it’s just non-stop, but thankfully we’re moving into the quiet months of the summer and I’ll hopefully be able to catch up on blogging and other personal projects!

The major plus side of my job and reunion is I get to do fun things like go on a duck tour, to the right, visit museums and hang out—with alumni at restaurants around the city where they force you to eat food and hang out far longer than you need to, but it’s completely worth it! Add in that we had an awesome turn out for the young alumni event and I’m a happy camper. Now we’ll spend the summer planning our two big events in the fall and then we’ll keep moving forward!

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