Aldawen created the Tolkein Reading Quest blog with the stated goal "to read through Tolkein's works on Middle-earth". You can find the list here; it's quite extensive. I'll admit to having more than a little head start on this list, but it looks quite doable.

BTW, it's a good time to start: The Hobbit turned 71 two days ago.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 12:33 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 65 words, total size 1 kb.

Eoin Colfer has been given permission to write a 6th book in the Hitchhiker's Guide series.

Maybe it'll be good, but I think that six books is just too long for a trilogy. Five I can stomach, but six is right out.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 02:13 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 50 words, total size 1 kb.

If, like me, you have enough books to start your own library, you might occasionally find some of your older books starting to show some wear and tear. I've mended some jacket covers and replaced the failing glue which holds the pages onto the binder. However, if you want some really great information on how to fix almost any book defect, check out this: A Simple Book Repair Manual. Excerpt:

Guiding Principles of Simple Book Repair

Reversibility: Any treatment applied to a book should be reversible, that is it can be undone easily at a later date. If only the equipment, supplies, and techniques outlined in this manual are used, reversibility should not be a problem. In reality, only enclosure of the book (as in boxing) is truly reversible.

Do No Harm: This is a corollary to reversibility. If a repair seems difficult or you think you do not have the skill to complete the repair, set the book aside.

Expediency: Almost any non-brittle book can be repaired, given enough time and the proper equipment. Simple book repair implies that the repair will not take hours or days of staff time. As you become more comfortable with simple book repair, the decision to repair in-house versus sending the book to a commercial bindery will be easier to make.

Requirements:

• The order of pages must be preserved regardless of the repair or reformat.
  
• Books must have a protective cover to the pages.
  

...
The Book Repair Toolbox

Suggested Supplies:

• Archival quality repair tape
  
• Awl
  
• Blotting paper
  
• Bone folders
  
• Book press
  
• Bull dog clips #2, #3
  
• Cotton gloves
  
• Cotton tip applicators: 6 inch
  
• Cutting board
  
• Hake brush
  
• Interleaving paper
  
• Japanese papers
  
• Knitting needles - several sizes
  
• Linen thread
  
• Methyl Cellulose,PVA & Wheat Starch Paste
  
• Mylar & Squeege
  
• Plastic erasers
  
• Puffy pads
  
• Ruler
  
• Scalpel
  
• Sewing Needles
  
• 3M brand double sided tape #415
  
• Spatulas
  
• Surgical gloves
  
• T-Square
  
• Wax paper
  

All you book philes get cracking. For the record, I have 40+ year old paperbacks that are still in very good condition because I take care of my books. As some friends can attest, I also take really good care of their books as long as I have them, even if the time spent in my possession exceeds 15 years.

Not that I'm personally aware of such a thing. I'm just sayin' is all.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 10:57 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 395 words, total size 3 kb.

I recently bought some castoff books from the local library for 50 cents each (hardcover). One of those books is this one: Thank You For Smoking. It's a fairly witty and satirical read and I'm enjoying it immensely. Quite a change of pace from my last book. I also see that there's a movie based on the book. Said movie contains the yummy Maria Bello and Katie Holmes. I'll have to check it out as soon as I finish the book.

Update: From the IMDB section containing quotes from the movie comes this little exchange:

Nick Naylor: My point is that you have to think for yourself. If your parents told you that chocolate was dangerous would you take their word for it?

[Children say no]

Nick Naylor: Exactly! So perhaps instead of acting like sheep when it comes to cigarettes you should find out for yourself.

I think that I'm gonna like the movie as much as the book. And no, I don't smoke; never have. In fact, I loathe those stinky little cancer sticks. But I'm sick and fucking tired of nanny-staters trying to legislate every part of our lives, especially when the product in question is, in fact, still legal. To be fair, the day isn't over yet.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 03:27 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 214 words, total size 2 kb.