Reading "The Maldive Mystery" by Thor Heyerdahl author of "KON-TIKI" and other books on early travel and sea exploration.

This one is about his explorations among the Maldive Islands, an island nation south of the point of India, consisting of over a thousand little island's and atoll's in the Indian Ocean. He, and others with him, are finding numerous stone carvings and stone work such as walls and other constructions, that strongly resemble ones found in South America and other parts of the world.

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It's dissertation research (I think that's "thesis" to those of you in North America?), but also a book I've been keen on diving into for a good while - 'Genders, Transgenders and Sexualities in Japan' by Mark McLelland and Romit Dasgupta. A diverse collection of recent research in various areas of gender and sexuality studies, should be very interesting. Have read a bit of McLelland's work in the past.

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Still working on the Thor Heyerdahl book "The Maldive Mystery"... But also picking at a history of the Normandy invasion...
Been watching a lot of movies

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During last summer I read Jean Gionos The Man Who Planted Trees, it was a nice and inspiring - though very short - read.

Last week a book club consisting of three people - me included - chose Andrzej Sapkowskis The Last Wish to be read next.

I read it and liked it. As it was a collection of short stories, it was good that it had one series of stories that had a recurring theme(main characters recovery of his battle wounds) to explain some of the questions posed by the other stories.

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I like Heinlein novels, in fact almost ALL of the old Sci/Fi authors... Wells, Asimov, just so many that I can't being them to mind all at once...

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I actually read a book called Top Science Fiction 1, edited By Josh Pachter. Its idea was that authors - for example Clarke, Harrison and Pohl - sent short stories they considered their best to the editor. Out of those I liked Frederic Pohls Day Million the most. It had parts I found very funny.

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Originally posted by Threewishes


I actually read a book called Top Science Fiction 1, edited By Josh Pachter. Its idea was that authors - for example Clarke, Harrison and Pohl - sent short stories they considered their best to the editor...

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There were a number of these short story collection 'Best Science Fiction' books over the years, frequently published annually that I enjoyed. Along with the Detective ones, as well...

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Just finished "A Spell for Chameleon" by Piers Anthony

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Just read "Even Money" by English author and former steeplechase jockey Dick Francis..

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"The New Centurions" by Joseph Wambaugh... forty-five years or more since I read this one last. I read all of the Wambaugh books back then, including "The Onion Field"...

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Now reading a variety if history books written by two noted local historians. Jeez, I feel like I'm back in school studying for a test... lol

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I first started this novel a few days ago, reading a few page at a sitting. I started reading it again at about 10am on the Apr 4th and just finished it at 1am on the 5th. Reading it straight through until I finished.

"Pursuit of the Seawolf" by William P. Mack, Vice Admiral, U.S.Navy (ret.)

The story of an old 4-piper destroyer (USS O'Leary) of the US Navy and its operations during convoy duty against the U-boats of WWII. The ship and its crew are all fictional, but the events depicted are based on actual events that happened to real ships during the War. As a sailor in the USN myself, I was stationed aboard a Korean era vessel, USS Carronade IFS1 during my Vietnam duty as a Gunnersmate and later transferred aboard the USS Bayfield APA33, one of the flagships during the D-Day invasion of France on June 6, 1944. I was on gun crews on both ships, stood watchs, manned the helm and numerous others duties as required. I was able to relate to many of the events and evolutions that were in the novel with the exception of ship-to-ship combat, but even that I could see and feel in my minds eye.

The 'O'Leary DD200' was a Destroyer, actually even larger than my first ship, which was only 245 feet long. We crossed the Pacific in her, stopped one time in the middle of the Ocean where it was over 2 miles deep and held a 'swim call'. HAHA, I wasn't to join in the swim because I was up on the signal bridge with an M1 Garand rifle on SHARK watch. If any sharks showed up, i would have shot near the heads of the sharks to distract them while the men climbed back aboard up the Jacob's ladder.

We also made a number of trips between Vietnam, the Philippines and Yokosuka Japan with R&R stops in Hong Kong, Okinawa and Kobe. Oh, yeah, we stopped at Midway Island to re-fuel and take a break. I did a little snorkling there as well. We were told that we could not pester the Gooney Birds there as they were protected. lol.

I like reading books of the sea, mainly Naval ships, but also books like "Wreck of the Mary Deare" and "Captains Courageous".

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Now I'm reading a collection of tales of Oscar Wilde. Today I read the Happy Prince. But my favorite fairy tale is the Star Boy.

I'll have to see what they have at the library in the Wilde section...

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So, I finished reading Wilde. And I started reading Patrick Ness's book "More Than This." While I'm on the 5th page, but I like it already)

"In Search of a Dream - the Life and Work of Roye England."

Roye was an Australian who came to England in the mid-1920s and fell in love with the English countryside, particularly the Vale of the White Horse in Wiltshire between Swindon and Didcot through which the Great Western main railway line ran. Over the decades Roye observed change in rural life, especially farming methods, the modernisation of the traditional architecture and the destruction of so many mature trees and he decided that in some way the English rural scene of the mid 20s to mid 30s must be preserved and he resolved to do this in model form.

The result, 80 years on, is the Pendon Museum Trust in the village of Long Wittenham near Didcot. It contains a vast scene of the Vale, some 100 feet by 40 feet whose modelling is the most perfect anywhere in the world. Pendon is world famous among model makers and model railway enthusiasts as the best example anywhere of miniature English provincial architecture with a scene so vast yet so perfect that individual plants as tiny as spring onions in the cottage vegetable gardens are modelled at a scale of 4mm to the foot.

I am also currently reading several modelling books/autobiographies as well as fun titles such as "Private Owner Coal Wagons of the Forest of Dean" and such.

I tend to read fiction only rarely.

https://www.pendonmuseum.com/

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pendon...360&bih=644

Hm... that turned into a bit of blatant promotion, but if you are ever in southern central England, do go along, there is nothing else like it, anywhere.

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Isakaya High School Roleplaying Info

"An old man like me stands no chance fighting against a high school girl in her underwear" - Oshino Meme, Nekomonogatari (Kuro)

I very much enjoyed the the little "Manx Kitten" 'leaving Port Soderick' especially at about the 3:30 minute mark in the "Madder Valley Railway" video. Listening to the clickity-clack of the wheels going over the rail joins brought back memories from when I was a child up in Canada riding in a sleeper car.

I also enjoyed the 6 part Darjeeling train video. I got a kick seeing the guy sitting in his seat at the front of the engine, getting up to spread sand on the tracks by hand for friction.

You've got a wonderful hobby, Saddles.

I read mostly fiction unless it is about local history or the old American Indian stories.

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I am reading EAT.PRAY.LOVE

Just read "The Gods of Mars" by Edgar Rice Burroughs

He first wrote this as a magazine serial in 1913...

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I recently bought Public Enemies by Ann Aguirre

I'm currently reading "The Power of Now"

Welcome to the Tavern, itstrisha, we all hope you will like the site and the people here.

Husky

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