An Unwelcome Quest (Magic 2.0) by Scott Meyer
See my log of the second book in the series: https://journal.electric-rocket.com/?p=2333
This is not my favorite of the three novels, but I still found it worthy of the series.
Book Log: Spell or High Water (Magic 2.0)
Spell or High Water (Magic 2.0) by Scott Meyer
Scott Meyer, the creater of the webcomic Basic Instructions, turns out to be a pretty sharp fantasy/sci-fi writer. I read his first book, Off to Be the Wizard, and enjoyed it quite a bit.
The fundamental premise of all three Magic 2.0 novels (and this is a limited spoiler, as it is revealed in the first chapter of the first book) is that there exists a secret file on a major corporate network, which contains the data on everything, and adjusting numbers in the file adjusts reality.
From that premise, Meyer explores the possibilities in an amusing and inventive way, doing a good job of balancing the need for story with the omnipotent potential of such a file.
It’s always nice to find a good, self-published work.
Book Log – Teleport This (Small Universe Book 1)
Teleport This (Small Universe Book 1) by Christopher M. Daniels
A self-published sci-fi comedy in the vein of Hitchhiker’s, but not as polished a writer as Adams.
The Pantry Door Project
I hate bi-fold doors.
Hate. Them.
Any closet that has them I consider wasted space, because I will never open them, because the bi-fold doors will fail in some way and run up my blood pressure and life is too short, no need to make it shorter.
The pantry, former laundry area, had very tall metal bi-fold doors, I believe probably from 1959. The doorway is a non-standard door height, and finding pre-made doors just wasn’t happening. I could get some customs done for $600 a piece, but I wasn’t having much luck otherwise.
So. The plan. Metal frames with fabric stretched inside. I can weld the metal myself. Should be easy.
Ha!
But off I went.
“Temporarily”, I had put a curtain up, to reduce my frustration with the non-functioning bi-folds. The original:
First step, purchase some 3/4″ x 3/4″ x 1/8″ steel angle from Metal Superstore (the only place I’ve found locally to get this stuff).
Cut 45 degree angles using a newly purchased, really cheap chop saw. I wish I had splurged on a nicer one.
I built a simple fixture to try and get the pieces to connect at a 90 degree angle. It worked… okay.
Welding the corners together, one by one.
Some welds aren’t as nice as the rest, because I am not proficient yet.
For a little decoration, I got some scrap metal tube and rods. I chopped the tubes to make little circles, and connected them to the frames with the rods. Going for “funky”.
Now the frustrating part: The fitting. My math was wrong, and my doors were too wide to put a substantial center post for the inner of the four doors. Also, the extreme un-rectangularness of the existing frame caused some agita. Furthermore, my welding caused some warping of the metal. All in all, this isn’t going to look machine-precise.
Adding some hinges.
And making some other hardware: handles, and little brackets (made from more cut up tube) to hang the material on.
Welding on the handle warped the metal some more. Do I need thicker angle iron? Less heat? Better clamping? Dunno.
Polishing up the metal with an angle grinder with flap pad sander.
The metal looks nice sanded. Shame I’m going to paint it. But I need to cover up the sins.
Painted.
Book Log : Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures By Kate DiCamillo
Thanks to my daughter Scout, we’re a big fan of Because of Winn-Dixie, and to a lesser extent The Tale of Despereaux, by the same author.
Our nighttime reading trio also really enjoyed this whimsical tale of a squirrel turned superhero. It’s full of strong, eccentric characters and thoughtful pacing. I especially like that it tells a good story without being overly reliant on the gimmick of the central premise.
No doubt it earns its 2014 Newberry medal.
Book Log – One Day
One Day by David Nicholls
This was another grab from our Little Free Library. I’m a sucker for gimmicky novels involving time in some way… This one tells the story of a relationship by describing the events of one day in July every year, from their twenties through forties.
If I’m honest, I didn’t like the ending. But the ride was enjoyable. The convention worked pretty well, but I didn’t really feel like it was used in any particular way. It could have just been a novel that covers a long time period, without the arbitrary single day convention. What did choosing that particular day bring to the table? Not sure.
But it was well written, and I guess other people liked it, because I see it was made into a movie a year later.
Book Log – One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories
One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by B.J. Novack
He was great on The Office. And his children’s picture book, The Book With No Pictures, is pretty brilliant.
I don’t know if I would have taken the plunge to try out this book of stories if it hadn’t shown up in the Little Free Library outside our front yard. But I’m glad I did.
He’s actually a good writer. His stories are amusing and clever, with a feel like binge-reading McSweeneys.net. I’m going to keep an eye out for his next book, because I’d be willing to pay for it. He’s just that good.
Book Log – Packing for Mars
Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
I read this earlier this year but forgot to log it. Don’t remember when.
I remember it was a good read for the most part. It’s a book of essays on different aspects of how we’re planning to live on Mars, and what it will take to get there.
I skipped the biology chapters, because… gross.
Otherwise, engaging reading.
Book Log – Yes, Please
Yes, Please by Amy Poehler
Who doesn’t love Amy Poehler?
Seriously, who? I will cut you.
She’s funny, she does one of the best female characters on television, she’s the brainchild behind the Smart Girls at the Party website (http://amysmartgirls.com/).
Her book is a fine read. She’s witty, and learning of her evolution to where she is now is a reasonably interesting story. She has a good outlook on life, and its infectious.
Perhaps there wasn’t quite enough story to tell just yet, at her young age. Or perhaps she could have fleshed it out a bit more. Her years at SNL are told in little one or two sentence snippets; Perhaps if she’d told them as full stories with more detail, we could have gotten a more vivid impression of what it was like to be her in that famous writer’s room.
Regardless, I enjoyed the book. After all… she’s Amy Freaking Poehler.
Book Log – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
This was a request from my daughter for our nightly before-bed reading. My son tolerated it, but just barely.
Scout enjoyed it, though she admitted it was super-trippy. My son didn’t understand why it was so popular, not making a whole lot of sense.
My only answer was that perhaps there weren’t so many fanciful children’s books at the time. No Harry Potters or the like, and kids grabbed on to what they could.
Or maybe kids did a lot of drugs back then. Dunno.