Karl the Fog

I've followed Karl the Fog on Instagram for some time and laughed at the photos of the infamous fog that shrouds San Francisco pretty much all the time, often at unexpected times, and is unexpectedly absent at times when you'd expect it. Karl's commentary to go along with the pictures is what makes the pictures so hilarious.

Then I learned that Karl wrote a book, yes, from The Husband, and he again procured it from our local library and read it then passed it on to me. I started and finished it on July 10 (it's a quick "read").

If you've ever been plagued, tricked, foiled, chilled, welcomed, enveloped by the SF fog and you need a giggle, check out this quick little read.

One of my favorite (?) fog foilings was way back in undergrad at SF State University. It was a rare sunny and warm day in SF. I had classes in the morning, afternoon, and evening. It was hot in the morning, so I decided to wear shorts and a t-shirt and sandals to school. I ignored the SF clothing mantra "layers" and hopped onto Muni ready for my long day at school. I got to school and it was sunny and hot. I finished my morning classes and it was still sunny and hot. I went to the library to read and then went to the student union to eat lunch and when I came out the fog, the thick thick wet dripping fog had rolled in. It was COLD AS F&%K. I didn't have time to go home and get back to school for my evening class, so I shivered as I walked over to Stonestown Galleria and bought (on sale - I was a poor, starving student) a sweatshirt, pants, and socks to wear with my sandals (I couldn't afford shoes too), and bundled up for the last few hours at school. 

The fog situation can turn on a dime and freeze you when you aren't expecting it or cool you down when you most need it. It's a welcome and fickle beast.

If you've ever experienced the fog in SF, you'll like this little book.

Here are a few little screenshots from Karl's Instagram.

What in God's Name by Simon Rich

I started reading this gem on June 27 and finished it on July 9, 2019. I learned of this book, What in God's Name, after seeing the preview for the TV show called "Miracle Workers" that is based on the book.

So, naturally, The Husband procured this book from our local library and I gave it a read.

It was hilarious! The general synopsis is that angels in heaven help run Earth from afar by creating little happenings to help things along. God has mostly checked out and wants to end the Earth.

That's where the miracle workers come into play - they don't want Earth to end. One of the angels makes a deal with God that he can make a difference - if he wins, Earth continues. If he doesn't win, God can blow up Earth.

That's all I can say without giving it all away. The TV show is slightly different from the book, but follows the same premise.

The book is really funny and I loved it. If you want to laugh your ass off, this just might do the trick.

A Dog's Journey by W. Bruce Cameron

Everyone loves a book with a puppy on the cover, right?  I started reading this book on June 8 and finished it on June 11 - a quick read.  Thanks to the Library Whisperer (aka the Husband), I had this book in a jiff. 

This is a movie that is currently out in theaters and has Dennis Quaid, among others.  The trailer looks interesting, though doesn't seem to completely match the book - as per usual.

The book is so sweet.  There are many dogs that take care of a human named CJ.  Each time the dog dies, it is reincarnated as another dog and somehow it finds its way back to CJ.  The type of dog differs each time, and the age of CJ differs each time too.  It all happens linearly so it makes sense.  It's not a time-travel story (that would be COOL).

I'm a total animal lover and love that this book is all about the relationship between animals and their humans.  I often wonder what animals are thinking about and how they know just when to do this or that which often has a tremendous impact on their human.

Many years back, I was in the midst of break-up blues.  I was dating a guy (not the Husband), and he up and disappeared on me - poof - gone.  I was super sad and needed to get away for the weekend.  I flew down to Southern California to spend the weekend with my sister.  She had a dog - Bixby.  At the time, I wasn't a huge fan of dogs - I've had 2 traumatic dog experiences in my life - but I really loved Bixby.  He hung around me the whole weekend - sitting on my feet, snuggling up with me, and sleeping with me both nights.  Somehow he just knew that I needed some unconditional love and snugs.  Another time, when I was about to move away to go to college, my cat wouldn't leave my side - she stayed still and with me until I was ready to go.  She just knew.

This book really reminded me of that - how animals "just know".  I've had a few other quite memorable interactions with animals - wild and domestic - and when remembering them, I always think - how did the animal know?

Anyways, this book is very sweet, the characters seemed real, and the relationship between the dogs and their humans was touching.  I loved one incarnation of the dog when he was freaking out because the humans seemed GIANT.  

...The first time my vision had cleared and I saw one of these people, though, I was shocked.  She was a giant, looming far over us... There were other dogs in other pens and when I gazed through the chain link fence a them I received a shock: they, too, were enormous!  Where was this place, where the dogs and people were gigantic monsters? ...That's when it occurred to me: it wasn't that the people and dogs were huge; it was that I was little.  I was a tiny little dog!

Turns out that incarnation was as a little chihuahua-yorkie mix dog  Each dog had its own unique personality, but had recollections of each prior incarnation.  I enjoyed the writing from the dog's perspective.

A good, sweet book that had me in happy/sad tears a the end. 

Where'd you go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

I started reading Where'd you go, Bernadette? (by Maria Semple) on May 28 and wrapped it up on June 6, 2019.

I learned of this book when The Husband and I were at the movies - we saw a preview for the movie version of this book. The movie looked hilarious, so, as per usual, I wanted to read the book.

It was HILARIOUS! Also as per usual, I think the book was better than the movie, but the movie was hilarious too.

The character development was great, the antics that happen are so funny - keep an eye out for the fishing vest, pink elephants, and Microsoft, and I love the description of the settings, from Seattle to the blackberry bushes, from their unique house to the mudslide, and of course, Antarctica.

I was laughing so much with this book, I imposed it on The Husband to read - he loved it too.  Needless to say, as soon as the movie came out - we were there. It was hilarious too. I wish movies could pack all of the details in the book into the movie and still keep it a doable length.

That's the beauty of books - authors can paint beautiful and extremely detailed pictures with their words and not have to worry about if an audience can sit through it. Readers can put the book down endless times and come back to it endless times and get more immersed in all of the details over and over again. Ah, the beauty of books.

This is a GREAT read! You'll love it.

Gmorning, Gnight by Lin-Manuel Miranda

The full title of this book is: Gmorning, Gnight - little pep talks for me & you.  What a cute title!  Love it.  The husband somehow discovered this little gem of a book and promptly checked it out of our local library for us both to read.  I've stopped asking where and how he finds these things - he's a voracious reader of all kinds of websites, newsletters, blogs, and social media - I can't keep all of his sources straight.  But I love it when he finds these awesome things and shares them with me.

I started and finished it in about 30 minutes on May 25th.  It made for an inspirational little read before bed.  This is derived from Lin-Manuel Miranda's twitter feed before the fame from Hamilton, the smash Broadway hit.  He initially wrote them for himself, as the note on the inside book jacket advises, "...Lin-Manuel Miranda as inspiring his Twitter followers with words of encouragement at the beginning and end of each day... But as Miranda's audience grew, these messages took on a life on their own."

I have to say - a few of these might have almost brought a little tear to my eye, and definitely brought a smile to my face, and a general feeling of happiness and encouragement - just as the book advertises.  The illustrations by Jonny Sun are just perfect for each of the greetings.

Here are a few of my favorite:

"Good morning!  Face the day!  If the day looms too large, kick it in the shins so it has to face you!"
"Good night.  Way to face the day.  Now climb into bed with the night and draw the shades"

"Gmorning! *quietly confident in the manifold gifts you possess, both known and unknown to you* Right behind you.  You got this."
"Gnight! *over here marveling at your manifold gifts and just how bright you shine, every day* Trust your gut.  Dream big."

"Good morning, you magnificent slice of perfection.  Yeah you."
"Good night, you generous helping of flawlessness.  I'M LOOKING AT YOU."

"Gmorning.  Crawl before you walk before you run before you fly before you ASCEND TO GREATNESS & get some food in you, maybe a banana.  Vamos!"
"Gnight.  Brush your teeth before you sleep before you dream before you flu before you CHANGE THE WORLD.  And stay hydrated!"

"Gmorning!  I wish you clarity today.  Clarity of thought, clarify of expression, and a direct line between what you feel and what to do about it."
"Gnight!  I wish you clarity tonight.  Clarify of self, clarity of purpose, and a direct line between who you want to be and how to get there."

We live in a world of criticism, critique, ridicule, shaming, etc., etc.  It's so refreshing to read this little book full of positivity, encouragement, uplifting thoughts.  No one is perfect, no one has all the answers.  If we can, even for a second, feel good and positive, and inspired - why the hell not?  Just do it.   Pick up this quick read - and read it.  I'm certain it'll bring a smile to your face and uplift you too. 

ps - I LOVE the things Jameela Jamil (from the TV show "The Good Place" posts on her instagram (here)).  She shuns body shaming, celebrity-endorsed weight-loss products, is a proponent of reproductive rights, good mental health, and body positivity.  Her words have an impact (positive) and make you think, although slightly different in nature from Miranda's, I love that she speaks out for what she feels is right.

The Mister by E L James

I heard about The Mister by E L James, of all places, on the Wendy Williams show...  Disclaimer:  I DO NOT WATCH THIS SHOW.  It was just on one morning and I happened to "see" the first 5 or so minutes of the show and Wendy was talking about it.  Now, I did read (and enjoy) the 50-Shades series of books.  I wasn't currently reading a book.  I was curious about what else she wrote about.  So, I asked the Husband to get this book for me from the library.  He's become quite the library aficionado.  He's my book sherpa.

I started this book on April 28 and finished it on May 13.

Where do I start...  I mostly enjoyed the book.  However - it was basically another 50 Shades retold in England.  There's a rich guy who sleeps around.  There's a meek, shy, not rich girl who is the rich guy's maid.  He becomes infatuated with her.  He starts sleeping with her.  He falls in love with her.  He has to save her from something bad.  And they live happily ever after.

Same plot, different character names.  Judging by a lot of reviews on Amazon, others feel the same.  I was hoping for more.  Disappointing.

Song of the Lion by Anne Hillerman

This is another book from the "free" books at my parents' house. I started Song of the Lion by Anne Hillerman on March 11 and finished it on March 20, 2019.

Again, Hillerman is great at developing her characters and weaving an interesting story. This one starts with a high school basketball game and ends with a potentially deadly fight at the Grand Canyon.

Like with the 3 of Hillerman's books I've read so far, I like the Southwest setting - she writes about many places I've been so I can really picture the landscape and the setting in my mind.

I think I connect really well with books set in places I've been. The familiar setting adds another layer of "realness" to these fictional tales because they have a real element to them.

As with most serial books, they can become a bit predictable, but if you mix them in with other books, I think they hold much of their interest, intrigue, and entertainment value. Like with the Jack Reacher and Harry Bosch books - don't just read those - read other things in between and they will continue to hold their magic for you.

Rock with Wings by Anne Hillerman

So, I read this book (Rock with Wings by Anne Hillerman) quite a while ago - 12/29/18 through 3/10/19) with a slight pause to get through some library books. So, writing this now (in Feb. 2020), I'm a bit hazy on the details of the book.

Here's what I can tell you - Hillerman does great with her character development, I love the scenery and geography she describes. I do find some serial books to be a bit formulaic - and this is no exception.

It's entertaining, a fairly quick read, if you don't interrupt it for other books, and will likely hold your interests. If you like books about cops, culture, family dynamics, with a few twists and turns - you'll probably like this one.

The Truth About Animals by Lucy Cooke

The Husband is so thoughtful - he found another book at the library and brought it home for me to read.  He knows me well.  He brought me The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from The Wild Side of Wildlife by Lucy Cooke.  I love the cover - with a furry panda.  I started this book on January 18 and finished it on March 3.  It wasn't a quick read, but it was a good read.

Chapter 3 about Sloths begins with the sentence, "The sloth is 'the stupidest animal that can be found in the world,' wrote the Spanish knight Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés..."  I mean - who can possibly think the sloth is the stupidest animal in the world???  Sloths are amazing!  This quote made me simultaneously laugh and want to cry.

Cooke wrote about several different animals including but not limited to eels, beavers, frogs, moose, penguins, chimpanzees, and others.  She quotes historical texts, my favorite (cringe) from the Comte de Buffon (published in 1749).  This Comte, he is a real buffoon.  He wrote about sloths that they were abominable, and escaped the forces that "had shaped all other animals towards their singular form of perfection."  And that they were a "defective remnant".  

Cook enlightened me to beaver balls and their supposed mystical properties.  Beavers were so tuned in to being hunted for their balls that if they suspected they were in pursuit, they would chew their own balls off and throw them at their pursuer.  Even da Vinci - yes, THE Leonardo da Vinci wrote about beaver balls.  Cook quotes da Vinci as writing, "We read of the beaver that when it is pursued, knowing that it is for the virtue in its medicinal testicles and not being able to escape, it stops; and to be at peace with its pursuers, it bites off its testicles with its sharp teeth, and leaves them to its enemies."

With all of the animals, Cook outlines some outlandish myths and old beliefs about the animal, traces where these stories came from (most often bestiaries - texts written by old old naturalists in medieval times [not the restaurant] the actual time period), and includes real (and sometimes outlandish), and current research by notable scientists (in their own time periods).  Some of the current research is good and productive and informative.  And some of it is bat-ass crazy.  It's an interesting contrast into how naturalists have done their work through the years.  It's a little horrifying some of the things people did (and still do) in the name of "science."

One of the true tales was about bats.  In 1941, a dentist, after hearing about how the Japanese bombed the US fleet at Pearl Harbor, recalled bats swarming out of Carlsbad Caverns and dreamt up a plan to strap tiny bombs to bats and releasing them into a Japanese city.  This dentist wrote to FDR who forwarded the letter to the National Research Defense Committee with a personal recommendation, "'This man is not a nut.'"  Well, our government tried to put this plan into action with bomb prototypes and inducing hibernation in the bats by putting them in refrigerators.  Surprise surprise, it didn't work.  The bats didn't cooperate.  And, in June 1943, they ran a test with real incendiary devices that didn't really go well.  The bat bombs strapped to wayward bats burned down the entire Carlsbad auxiliary field station...  Can you imagine little bat bombs escaping their building and then exploding things like they were meant to do, but really meant to do to our enemies, not the US government researchers?  Score 1 for the bats!  ha ha ha.

This book is funny - really funny, outlandish, head scratching, perplexing, and informative.  Did you know that some of the first pregnancy tests involved frogs?  They did!

Some of the illustrations from these old old tests are hilariously wrong.  Take our friends, the sloth, the beaver, and the hippo.  How about those balls on the beaver, and the beard on the hippo, and that poor lame-looking sloth?  Did these ancient dudes even LOOK at the specimens?

If you like animals, want to learn more about them, enjoy a good laugh, you'll like this book.  Thumbs up from me!

The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm by Christopher Paolini

I borrowed this book from one of my colleagues at work, Rachel, with whom I share a love for books by Christopher Paolini. I started The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm on January 4 and finished it on January 16, 2019.

I loved this book!

I love the Eragon series!

This book is not that, but includes some of the same characters in short stories. What this is not - a continuation of the Eragon books as you know them. It doesn't wrap anything up, tell us in linear terms what happens next, or offer any sort of closure of the things unresolved from the Eragon books.

What this is - a collection of short stories, unrelated, that include some of the characters we already know and some new ones we are just meeting.

I thought the stories were quite entertaining. The characters are well developed. The stories are entertaining. You'll read stories about Murtaugh, Angela, and the Urgals, and have bits of Eragon in each.

If you are expecting another Eragon-like book - this is not that. If you like the way and style Paolini writes and his characters, you'll probably like this. Don't go into this with too many expectations - keep an open mind, and I bet you'll like it.

Red War by Kyle Mills (a Vince Flynn / Mitch Rapp Novel)

So, after finishing Gang Leader for a Day, I started another book, but then the husband brought home the newest Vince Flynn book from the library.  I put the other book on pause and devoured this one.  I started it on December 29 and finished it on January 4.

First - I loved this book

Second - Mitch Rapp books follow a recipe / they are formulaic

Third - I don't care

As I was thinking about what to write about this book, the first thing that came to mind was "the sky is falling."  This book finds the formerly evil turned good(ish) guy Grisha at home in Costa Rica with danger afoot.  Of course Mitch and his boys are there to save the day.

As they try to figure out why danger came after Grisha, we get glimpses into things going amok for the Russian president.  We all know that these things will turn out to be related, and they are, of course.  Over the course of the book, we find out just how bad the sky could fall.  I can't give too much away here (I hate spoilers) but yet again the shit hits the fan and Mitch and team + Grisha are there to not let it hit the fan and splatter too much of a shitstorm.

There is always a political element to the Mitch Rapp books that seems frighteningly founded in reality.  I think to myself, the author definitely researches things for the book, how real are some of the scenarios that are written about?  Maybe I don't want to know.

This book was extremely entertaining, fast paced, somewhat predictable (from the formula/recipe standpoint), but I don't care.  I loved it.