@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

dbsalk

@[email protected]

Recovering #hospitality professional now working in the tech industry. Husband, boy dad, #Mizzou 🐯 alum, 🥨 lover, MoT ✡️. Left the bird site early Nov 2022 after 13 yrs.

Based in NW suburbs of #Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Talk to me about #books #movies #sports #food #running #Jeopardy #Disney °o° (among other things). My header image is an avatar for my to-read list. I drink (occasionally) and I know things.

I brake for #DadJokes.

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dbsalk, to bookstodon
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Missoula: Rape and The Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer had been on my TBR since 2015, a couple years before the Me Too movement kicked off. I'm so glad this book surfaced in my reading rotation. I'm only about a fifth of the way through and am transfixed by so much: the horror and trauma these young women experienced, juxtaposed with such stoic narration and brilliant writing. I hate it and I can't stop listening. @bookstodon

dsalo, to random
@dsalo@digipres.club avatar

Pointing out that @everylibrary has joined the fedi.

If you care about US public and school libraries -- if you want to see library censorship stop -- give 'em a follow, and some spare bucks if you have 'em.

They do good work.

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@dsalo @everylibrary Replying here with hashtags for the sake of better reach and visibility: @bookstodon

yo_bj, to random
@yo_bj@glammr.us avatar

"Big Publishing is clearly seeing nothing but dollar signs as apps like Hoopla gobble up identity-linked data on readers—and so it would be natural to put our hope in public libraries, which view patron privacy as a fundamental right essential to a functioning democracy." - https://www.fastcompany.com/90996547/e-books-are-fast-becoming-tools-of-corporate-surveillance

Bonus fun fact - OverDrive's reading history setting only hides the history. The data is still being collected - https://ldhconsultingservices.com/deception-by-design/

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@yo_bj I'm assuming this applies to digital audiobooks as well?

Too bad. I guess it's time to go back to paperbacks and hardcovers until this gets resolved.

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@demerara @yo_bj @scissortail I keep coming back to this quote from the "100 Things We've Lost to the Internet" by Pamela Paul: "The United States remains the sole developed country without some kind of federal consumer protection law or agency."

@bookstodon

jillrhudy, to bookstodon
@jillrhudy@mastodon.social avatar

Dion Graham’s narration of The Wager is awesome. Just riveting.
@bookstodon

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@jillrhudy @bookstodon Eagerly anticipating getting to this one in early 2024.

dbsalk, to bookstodon
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

I need some from my bookish friends here, particularly those in the area. I'm trying to identify an independent that, instead of providing gift receipts, uses a gold sticker over the price of the book. The issue is that the gold sticker doesn't tell the recipient of the book where it's from, and I'd rather not ask if I can avoid it.

The store in in a north suburb, and knowing the person who shops there, probably an affluent one.

@bookstodon

Close-up of the back cover of a paperback book, with two gold stickers covering the price beneath the barcode.

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@failedLyndonLaRouchite @bookstodon I agree that the highest form of charity is giving anonymously with no hope of repayment. That's not relevant to my request, though.

The books were given to me as gifts from someone who thinks they know my reading taste, but obviously does not. I'm not interested in the books and would like to exchange them for something that I would enjoy. My request has nothing to do with Judaism or charity.

Respectfully, I think you shot from the hip on this one.

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@Burn_this_ @bookstodon I didn't say I was embarrassed. I just prefer to keep contact to an absolute minimum if possible. It's better that way.

sunflower, to bookstodon
@sunflower@plush.city avatar

recommend me a book! i like fantasy, paranormal romance, sci-fi, queer fiction. i need 12 recommendations from other people for a 2024 reading challenge :blobcatblep:

#reading #books #bookstodon @bookstodon

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@gravious @sunflower @bookstodon I was just talking with a friend about this book last week and "lesbian necromancers in space" was EXACTLY how he described it. I admit I tried to read it once before, but I don't think I was in the right frame of mind. My friend convinced me I should make another attempt.

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@sunflower @bookstodon The Golem and The Jinni by Helene Wecker
The Hell's Library series by A.J. Hackwith
We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix

poloniousmonk, to bookstodon
@poloniousmonk@mastodon.social avatar

@bookstodon

I'm asking non-Americans: Are your libraries full of armed thugs in bulletproof vests? A pair of thugs just strolled behind me, keeping the pressure on.

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@poloniousmonk @bookstodon I hope you taunted the thugs accordingly. I would ask them if they're worried that someone might attack them in the library? Do they feel the need need for self-defense in the children's section? Are they going to be the "good guy with a gun" that stops an armed robbery of the circulation desk? Look out for the skirmishers entrenched in the non-fiction stacks!

I'm afraid that gun culture is a uniquely American problem. 😡

kimlockhartga, to bookstodon
@kimlockhartga@beige.party avatar

@bookstodon Just out of curiosity, how close are you to your reading goal for the year? I need to read 12 more books to meet the goal I set for myself. 📚📚📚📚

Not everyone works the same way, of course. We've discussed before that reading goals are counterproductive for many. Having a goal really helps me, but it doesn't work for everyone. Just like reading for pleasure and reading to write a review are very different processes.

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@Arlenecw @kimlockhartga @bookstodon @Likewise 7 day loan period?!? That should be outlawed. 🤔

dbsalk, to bookstodon
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"In those streets everyone moved faster than me, but what they didn’t know was that I had already moved too fast, too far, and wished to travel no further."

  • Gaspery Roberts, Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

@bookstodon

dbsalk, to bookstodon
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

I'm a sucker for time travel books, but not convinced they work well as audiobooks. It's not as easy for me to follow the time jumps - or in the case of Man in the Empty Suit by Sean Ferrell - the various temporal versions of the main character without the pages in front of me.

I do like the concept of this book, which is a murder mystery where all the suspects are the same person.

@bookstodon

dbsalk, to bookstodon
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

I admit when it comes to knowledge of Peter Straub's work, I am lacking. I know of him thanks to his collaborations with Stephen King (The Talisman, Black House). When Straub passed away last Sept, I felt I had missed something by not enjoying his writing while he was still on this earth.

Many said at the time that Shadowland is his best work. I'm reading it now. Slow going, but good so far.

@bookstodon

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@Spiggitzfan @craig_patrick @bookstodon If you'd be interested in doing a "buddy read" (I've never done one before) let me know when you start Under The Dome. I've been holding off on that one because the sheer size is intimidating. Thank goodness for ebooks; someone could get hurt hauling the hardcover around.

dbsalk, to bookstodon
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

With more than 7 hours on a plane for a business trip this week, I couldn't take any chances with my reading material. I wanted to make sure I had a REALLY GOOD book, so I went with a re-read of one of my recent favorites: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. It has so much to love: romance, adventure, fantasy, a nasty villain, a feisty heroine with circumstances definitely not in her favor. It's wonderful. @bookstodon

dbsalk, to bookstodon
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton ebook is only $4.99 from your preferred retailer (Google Play Books, B&N, the A to Z place).

I remember reading and enjoying it around the time the movie starring Antonio Banderas (The 13th Warrior, a title that probably has broader appeal) was released.

@bookstodon

dbsalk, to bookstodon
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

I'm having a bit of a hard time with Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk. I knew going in that some of the short stories were going to be a bit "out there." A few are quite good, but most I think are not really my taste. I'm about 60% of the way through and hope to have it done this weekend. Really, the sooner, the better.

I know Palahniuk has written a bunch of books. This is the first of his that I've picked up.

@bookstodon

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@Montaagge @bookstodon "edgelord shock jock nonsense" is a very apt description for this book. 👍

dbsalk, to bookstodon
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

What a happy coincidence that pulled Las Vegas Noir from my TBR for me to read. I'm off to Las Vegas in a couple of weeks for work. The city - or at least the part we see the most - is constantly reinventing itself, so the represented in this book is very different from the one that exists now, 15 years after it was published.

It's been a while since I read a short story collection. These are fun. @bookstodon

dbsalk, to bookstodon
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

One day I hope to have the honor of being insulted by @TheAuthorGuy, for he is most talented in that department:

"You are a disaster, a calamity, an abject failure all rolled into one," said Rumour. "I would say you're a disappointment, but with expectations below a worm's belly, that is not possible. You are a disappointment to disappointments."

dbsalk, to bookstodon
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

I've been looking forward to Sea of Tranquility by for a while, but I felt the need to re-read Station Eleven and Glass Hotel first, and then had to wait a bit for SoT to be available from the library. I started it on Wednesday and I am NOT DISAPPOINTED. I just got to the twist (is it a true twist? there was definite foreshadowing) and now I'm worried this book is going to be over way too soon. @bookstodon

dbsalk, to bookstodon
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

To all of the bookish Mastodonians inhabiting this site: THANK YOU. Last week I posted my FridayReads toot (as usual) and it sparked a lively and engaging discussion with different perspectives and some fresh recs (as usual). You all never fail to deliver!

I used to regularly post with the FridayReads hashtag on the other site, and at best I might get a like or two, or if I was lucky, a stray comment. Nothing like what I saw the other day. @bookstodon

kimlockhartga, to bookstodon
@kimlockhartga@beige.party avatar

@bookstodon Tomorrow (today in Australia and New Zealand) is Awareness Day. What really good novels have you read that feature older protagonists?

These come to my mind:

Remnant Population, Elizabeth Moon

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Olga Tokarczuk

Deacon King Kong, James McBride

We Spread, Iain Reid

Old God's Time, Sebastian Barry

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@kimlockhartga @bookstodon The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro is about an elderly couple on a quest to find their long lost son. The story is set in Britain around the time of King Arthur.

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@ukaunz @kimlockhartga @bookstodon I loved Harold Fry. So much emotion. That book should get more accolades than it does.

dbsalk, to bookstodon
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

After I finish a book that's a bit of a slog (or, most recently, DNF), I like to treat myself with something awesome that I can really dive into. Yesterday for a palate cleanser, I decided to resume my stalled re-read of the Dark Tower series with Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower 5) by Stephen King. Mr. King is ridiculously reliable when it comes to providing something good to read. @bookstodon

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@hsgilchrist @bookstodon 💯 There's no question King has written a few stinkers. He'll even come right out and say so. No one bats 1.000. They're easy to avoid, though, like orange construction pylons. 🤣

For me, reading a book by is like checking in on an old friend. A strange and kind of quirky friend, but a friend regardless.

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@jens @hsgilchrist @bookstodon SK isn't for everyone, and that's ok! 😉

I think, though, that a lot of people think of King as JUST a horror writer. Some of my favorite stories by him don't necessarily fall in that category:

Eyes of the Dragon (fantasy/YA)
Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (novella)
The Body (novella)
The Talisman (fantasy/quest) (my favorite)
The Colorado Kid (crime/mystery)
On Writing (non-fiction)

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@paulpap @hsgilchrist @bookstodon I've noticed an outspoken portion of the Constant Reader fan base dislikes The Colorado Kid. I think it's a great story.

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@movation @paulpap @hsgilchrist @bookstodon This just goes to prove that everyone has their own taste, and that's okay! For me, Fairy Tale was... fine. Definitely not King's best work IMO. I know there are people that love it.

Two of the books you mentioned, Insomnia and Dreamcatcher, are among my least favorite.

I remember reading Needful Things in high school, and then feeling like I immediately needed to read it again because I thought it was that good.

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@jens @kimlockhartga @hsgilchrist @bookstodon Bookmarking this post for future reference. Thanks for the recommendations! 😉👍

Likewise, to bookstodon
@Likewise@beige.party avatar

Misery
Chastain
Can’t
Be
Dead.

Annie Wilkes is my second favorite villain. @bookstodon

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@Likewise @bookstodon is one of my favorite authors and I've reread a few of his books in my time, but I can't do it with Misery. Just... no.

It's [gestures vaguely] too much.

DocCarms, to bookstodon
@DocCarms@mstdn.social avatar

There was a poll that stated—Rowling’s opening line in the HP series is one of best in the world. Someone posted about how there are a bunch of other opening statements that are better.

Here’s one of my personal favorites, from Gabriel Garcia Marquez (English translated):
“It is inevitable. The scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love.”

What are some of your favorite opening lines in literature? 😊
@bookstodon

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@DocCarms @bookstodon
"I’m pretty much fucked." - The Martian by Andy Weir

Not exactly poetic, but it grabs your attention. 😉

"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." - The Gunslinger by Stephen King

King had a few great ones, but I love The Dark Tower series, so thought that one was as good as any to include in this discussion. 😎

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@courtcan @DocCarms @bookstodon Clearly we share superior taste in literature. 👍😎

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@charles222a249 @DocCarms @bookstodon Agreed! There are plenty of reasons Sai King is one of my favorite authors. The Dark Tower series is one of them.

lunalein, to bookstodon
@lunalein@federatedfandom.net avatar

Book folks, what’s your most anticipated fall read?

There’s so much that’s either freshly out or coming soon that I’m excited for, I don’t know how I’m gonna keep up! I already hit the Lauren Groff and Zadie Smith, and now I’m starting on Penance by Eliza Clark, which is intense right out of the gate…

@bookstodon

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@lunalein @bookstodon The Mysteries by Bill Watterson (yes, THAT Bill Watterson) and John Kascht. It's out next week.

I don't know if I've ever pre-ordered a book in my 40+ years of being on this planet, but I have a B&N gift card for my birthday, and I think I'm going to use it to pre-order this one.

dbsalk, to bookstodon
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

"Yeah. My meter is running, too. Isn't that the whole point of birthdays? To remind you the meter is running down?" -- Iris Ballard, ALL I CARE ABOUT IS YOU by Joe Hill @bookstodon

DebsBookReviews, to bookstodon
@DebsBookReviews@mastodon.world avatar

What have you enjoyed recently? Not your own work authors, you have Marketing Monday for that 🙄

@bookstodon

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@DebsBookReviews @bookstodon

These are some of the best books I've read recently:

The Huntress by Kate Quinn
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
The Hidden Palace by Helene Wrecker
Blacktop Westland by S.A. Crosby
The Warehouse by Rob Hart

dbsalk, to bookstodon
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

Today I started Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong In The Real World by Matt Parker. The alternate title is Humble Pi: A Comedy Of Maths Errors.

This is the second time this year I've read a book with two titles. I guess it depends on the edition? @bookstodon

dbsalk, to bookstodon
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

Hile, Wordslinger!

Wishing a very happy birthday to Stephen King, who has brought me so much enjoyment and welcome distraction through his books over so many years. May he enjoy many more long days and pleasant nights ahead.

@bookstodon

jillrhudy, to bookstodon
@jillrhudy@mastodon.social avatar

I'm in a reading slump! I had a long weekend and couldn't get any book to "catch." I need ideas! Something that grabs the reader from paragraph one but isn't a thriller. @bookstodon

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@jillrhudy @bookstodon I really liked Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Malibu Rising by the same author is also great. I wouldn't describe either of them as a "thriller" but they definitely kept me interested. Daisy Jones is written as a series of interviews, which is fun and different.

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@jillrhudy @bookstodon Oh man I bet the audiobook for Daisy Jones is a treat. I did the audio for Malibu Rising (which was terrific) and ebook for Daisy Jones. I should have flipped them.

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@jillrhudy @bookstodon Julie Whelan is a solid narrator. She knows what she's doing. 😎📚💿

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@BertL @jillrhudy @bookstodon I didn't think about it until now, but the narrator of my current audiobook can not only effectively do different accents (German, Russian, British, Boston), but can also vary how thick the accent is based on how long the character has spent living in the United States. Amazing.

The Huntress by Kate Quinn, narrated by Saskia Maarleved.

rabbit_fighter, to bookstodon
@rabbit_fighter@mastodon.world avatar

@bookstodon I'm looking for book recommendations for an 11yo who reads at a much more advanced level. He likes sci-fi. He has read the Hitchhiker's Guide series and loved them. I think he would enjoy some more 'hard' sci-fi as well. He needs something challenging but without subject matter that is too mature. Thanks for any help!

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@rabbit_fighter @bookstodon I'm surprised nobody has mentioned @scalzi in this thread. If your kid likes Star Trek, then Redshirts should be an obvious choice. Agent to the Stars is an amusing diversion too.

dbsalk, to bookstodon
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

Just finished a very good fiction book, so pivoting to some history for something a little different. Today I started A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599 by James Shapiro. Looking forward to spending some quality time in 16th century London. @bookstodon

lunalein, to bookstodon
@lunalein@federatedfandom.net avatar

@bookstodon folks, do you listen to audiobooks? If so:

  • Do you have favorite narrators? Or the opposite? Ever started or quit listening to something because of the voice?
  • if you’re talking about a book, do you say you’ve read it?

dbsalk,
@dbsalk@mastodon.social avatar

@cturnbow @paulcowdell @JMaverickJacks1 @lunalein @bookstodon Rufus Sewell is criminally underrated. He's great in everything he does.

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