Hello from wrryn

wrryn · Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 3:18 pm Post subject: Hello from wrryn

Hi. I'm a fossilized (over 50) software engineer living in Austin, Texas. Like most of my colleagues, I'm male. At one time the classroom population in computer science was split about 50-50 between genders. I'm not sure what happened since then, but I wish it hadn't.

I found BookTalk via Google search, looking for an interesting place to get involved in some reading and discussion with people who are more thoughtful than, for example, the average Amazon book reviewer.

I do most of my reading with my ears these days, while driving. Because of that, I tend toward books that can afford a lack of serious attention. That can either be fairly light fiction or it can be non-fiction if I don't care about missing some details. I do manage some actual reading as well, which allows me to attack deeper works. I tend to like "unusual".

My tastes are rather broad. I'm currently reading Team of Rivals, about Abraham Lincoln's cabinet; recently I listened to Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton. Before that, though, the closest I got to politics was River of Doubt, about Teddy Roosevelt's extraordinarily poorly planned expedition down an Amazon tributary.

I love Neil Gaiman's imagination: American Gods, Anansi Boys, Neverwhere. I like Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas character in spite of Koontz's obvious conservative leanings and snide toss-offs that sound like ill-considered ignorant rants to my liberal ears.

One of my favorite books of all time is Ship of Gold, a remarkable and remarkably written story of a California Gold Rush ship's voyage and, in the next century, the treasure hunting expedition to find it. The stories are interleaved chapter by chapter throughout most of the book, and amazingly this works rather than just being a gimmick.

As you might guess from the foregoing, I like a good, well-written adventure story. Into Thin Air is an absurdly well told story of a Mt. Everest disaster; it's also fairly short.

I used to like science fiction and fantasy. I'm finding it harder and harder to locate works in this genre that aren't ... well, to put it bluntly ... crap. Usually when I try one of these I end up throwing it across the room because the writing is terrible and the plot is ridiculous. Even Greg Bear, who has been recommended to me many times by friends who are usually reliable, has far too many cases in which a character who is nearly omniscient most of the time suddenly has a convenient blind spot when the plot needs it.

I like good writing about food. M.F.K. Fisher is a classic. I've listened to Kitchen Confidential, which will make you think twice about ordering the Monday special, as well as autobiographical works by Jacques Pepin, Julia Child, and others. These are people who know what they want to do. I wish I did. Well, at least some of them also took a while to figure it out.

One last mention: Glenn Kurtz's Practicing. Kurtz was a young classical guitar phenom who became disenchanted and left the business. Didn't touch the guitar for years. Then, much later, he returns with far greater understanding of himself and his music. He manages, as much as I imagine is possible, to convey what it's like to work at learning to play music at the very highest level.

Well, that's a start on the books. As to other things ... Not legally married, but otherwise yes; no kids, two cats. Our best vacations involve a lot of walking and hiking, with a preference for the Rockies. Hallett Peak is our most ambitious so far.

President Camacho · Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 3:41 pm Post subject:

Awesome, I'm the first to welcome you to BT!

Usually Ophelia is the first so I smile every time I manage to sneak a welcome in before she does!!! Laughing

Anyway, I've had the privilege of chatting it up with most of the members on this forum and I can say with honesty that they're extremely nice, open, and patient people. Smile

Have you read Into the Wild?? It's written by the same author who wrote Into thin Air.

Ophelia · Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 3:51 pm Post subject:

Hello Wrryn, welcome to Booktalk! Smile

Thanks for sharing the books you love with us.

The only author you mention that I have read is Greg Bear (!), I've read two of his books, found the first one enjoyable but I would say it's fine if you want an easy read and if you're willing not to look at the details too closely.

I was curious about Ship of Gold, so I looked it up.

http://www.amazon.com/Ship-Gold-Deep-Blue-Sea/dp/0375703373

Make yourself at home...