STEPHEN FRY

Forgive me, but I must mention it again. I have read this book at least ten times and find I return to it routinely now, always finding something new I may have glossed over for some other tidbit on a prior reading. It is one of the most intriguing and well told books on the conquest of Siberia by the Russians I can imagine, probably because the author went to great pains for his research and is smart enough to mention his sources in his acknowledgments when he wrote this book( such as Professor James Gibson at York University ).

This historical account has a timeline starting with the birth and rise of Chingis Khan and goes on to Siberia's state into the 1990's as, primarily, influenced by the Russian governments in various forms over hundreds of years ( and Siberia is not a happy ending, ecologically speaking ). It's startling, enlightening, moving, heartbreaking, violent, and melancholy because Siberia's many natural resources took millions of years to develop and was so innocent until other nations realized ways to exploit these resources for their own shortsighted gains. It also illustrates how inhumane and cold humans can be to other humans, and how far people will go to rationalize these mindsets in order to feed their greed. The accounts of the rise and use of Gulags over a mind boggling period of time, by so many different political interests, and what occurs to the people sent to them, is almost incomprehensible. But they are stories worth knowing about, IMHO, because we need to remember that those who forget History ARE doomed to repeat it. And being ignorant of our own history never furthers awareness of ourselves, and what we must guard against devolving into just to gain this or that.

Title = "Conquest of a Continent"; //Author is W. Bruce Lincoln

Pardon me, but it's not all bad. The author brings up the heroic efforts of the Decembrists, Thirty-three Monsters ( a group of women sent to prison for their parts in various efforts to fight against the autocracy - Spiridinova probably being the most well known among these women ), an account of Lenin's fairly soft experience in exile, Dostoevskii's life altering experience in prison that led to his work "Notes from the House of the Dead", and references to Kennan's journey through Siberian prisons. Siberia's still a mystery to many, or not even on their radar, but this book really taught me a lot of things I would've probably not ever considered thinking about.

Autobiography of Mark Twain,Volume 1. I'm not yet at the half way point of this volume's 700+ pages, and I'm not disappointed. Only half of it is actually him due to the lengthy 200 page introduction and a mess of footnotes, but I'm enjoying it as much as one would expect to enjoy Twain, especially his notes and dictations. These are brilliant and have made me lol quite a bit.

"I haven't any right to criticise books, and I don't do it except when I hate them. I often want to criticise Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can't conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin. Everytime I read 'Pride and Prejudice' I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone."
- Letter to Joseph Twichell, 13 September 1898

I'm working on two books right now, which is something I don't normally like to do, but so it goes. I think I just got a bit excited that I finally had new books to read. Anyway, I'm very close to finished with Pearl S. Buck's Imperial Woman, and about one-quarter into Keepers of the Dawn by Alfred Silver. Both are historical fictions that center around female main characters, which I've found is an irresistible literary theme for me.

What's that about Ambrosia?

I'm reading three technical manuals ( zzzzzzzz ) and another I grabbed that was small and light, since I had an armful of heavy books already. It's called 'Wetbones' and the writer is good ( insert queasy stomach ) and explaining the violence of a scene. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it and it falls into a kind of 'quick, superficial reading' compartment.

Also reading for the third time in two weeks The Doctor and The Devils. The ending is kind of anti-climatic but it's written in a kind of screenplay style, which actually doesn't hurt the story at all. It also doesn't hurt that at the end there's Thomas explaining why he wrote the story, (generally: addressing the issues of 'the ends justifying the means' ) and some of the research behind it. This book is an original publish from..I think around the 50's. This one I would totally recommend!

No, it's not supernatural really. It's loosely based on real doctor by the name of Knox. The story addresses the issue of 'the ends justifying the means'. I hestiate to say anymore than that in case someone goes to read it. It's not a terribly lengthy story really. But formatted differently in that's it's like reading a script And it doesn't diminish the story at all, that's the amazing part. I think Dylan Thomas did a good job with it, though, again, I found the ending a little anti-climatic. Still, far, farrrrrr better than the piece of trash called 'Wetbones'. I am not a grizzly, graphic horror fan. The other thing is, whoever published it did a horrible job of it. If I were the author I'd be ticked off, besides thinking maybe I need to become a better writer In only about ten pages there were at least FIFTEEN spelling typos. Just really shoddy...I do not recommend this book If I'd bought it, it would be in the garbage can right now.

That story sounds interesting and I might search around on youtube.

They probably did an English version in hopes of more money because there are a whole lot of people out there who detest subtitles and won't go to a film that has them.

I am halfway through Mark Haddon’s the curious incident of the dag in the night time. I must say that this book is really funny. It’s about the death of a dog named Wellington and how Christopher, with his weird antiques, made his way out of what seemingly was a handful of a task being accused of killing the dog. It was not intended to be a funny book but humor commonly arises from what the author has written. I will give more about it when i get to finish the book.

Dude snorted his dad!