Book reviews: Notes from Neil

Adventures in Science and Waffles

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THURSDAY, SEPT. 18 — The weather's decidedly cooler, the long-sleeved clothes have been unpacked, I've even spent a couple of evenings reading in front of the fireplace. You know what that means, don't you? The season for getting caught up on our piles of books is upon us! Here's what we're reading:



THE BULLY OF ORDER
Brian Hart

One for the Cormac McCarthy fans, this rainy, muddy novel is set in the Pacific Northwest during the very beginning of the lumber industry. Ex-Gold Rushers, pioneers and native Americans lived uneasily together in small towns literally scraped from the coastline's mud and marshes. Jacob Ellstrom arrives in The Harbor with his young wife Nell and manages to start both a successful medical practice and a family. When it's revealed that Jacob isn't actually a doctor, his life (and the book) take a much darker turn. A stranded young wife left behind with an infant son, the arrival of Jacob's malicious brother Matius, and the often violent machinations of The Harbor's "boss" and henchmen weave together for a tale that, while quite dark, is absorbing and fascinating. There's a love story, of sorts, and a high-profile murder and ensuing chase that had me turning the pages at top speed. kobo eBook



HIEROGLYPH
Edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer

Neal Stephenson was the catalyst behind this extraordinary collection of modern sci-fi stories. He's the man responsible for Project Hieroglyph, an organization composed of writers and scientists with a goal of jump-starting big ideas in scientific progress again; the type that led to a moon-landing in the 60s, and the type he and others feel have been buried by increasingly over-managed and under-imaginative boards, corporations and governments since.

To that end, the editors gathered new works of science fiction by many of today's top writers. They were tasked with creating visions that were just out of reach, not "little green men" alien planet stories or impossible time-travel scenarios. Create scientific advances, whether positive or negative, that not only have a small chance of coming to pass someday, but that ideally could spur some conversation and real advancement toward, once again, reaching for the bold ideas. The writers responded brilliantly; Stephenson's own Atmosphaera Incognita imagines bold steps forward in engineering and habitat construction; Karl Schroeder's Degrees of Freedom is an astonishing (read: frightening) take on where the continued merging of politics and social media may lead. There's one mind-stretching example after another between these covers. As an added bonus, links are provided to allow you to read scientist's responses to the stories, taking everything to a higher level. kobo eBook



WILL IT WAFFLE?

Daniel Shumski

Unless you're a true waffle obsessive, your waffle iron is something you use maybe six times a year or less, right? Mr. Shumski might just have you plugging it in more often if you take a look at this creative and fun cookbook. Some of these recipes will make perfect sense - use the iron to cook evenly crisped bacon, then use the fat left behind to cook the rest of an egg and waffle breakfast. A crispy, cheesy quesadilla with a few waffle marks on top sounds appealing. Grilled cheese sandwich? Why didn't we think of it sooner? Now it's time to take off the training wheels - reheating your leftover mac and cheese in your iron gives you something truly delectable; crusty outside and soft inside. Stuff some chocolate into your french toast and press, waffle your meatballs to give them sauce-capturing dimples, and when you're ready for the big leagues, it's time for Waffled Filet Mignon.

A discussion with some friends led to this week's question - how important is it to you that a novel have a happy ending? Will it change your opinion of a well-told story if it doesn't?

Until next week,


Neil

NeilNeil Rajala is Currently Director of Community & Business Services for Schuler Books, Neil's decade with the company has included the wearing of many different hats - and lots and lots of reading.

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