Let me say right off the bat, there will be spoilers in this post. This is because I have to write about this short story, or novella, or I really don’t know what this was. A complete story it was not. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.
A few weeks ago, I was watching Young Sheldon and the episode centered around Sheldon and his college buddies (professors) started a book club around Isaac Asimov’s writings, and they started with the story Nightfall.
I’d never heard of this title before. Actually, I’ve had little exposure to Asimov directly, other than an ill-fated reading of Nemisis several years ago, which I thought was a little anti-climactic in and of itself.
But, I figured I would give it a go, plus I had Asimov’s Complete Works (which actually turned out to not be so complete after all).
So, let’s discuss why I thought Nightfall was a terrible read (I really hope all his works aren’t like this)….
There are few books that I’ve read in my life that have really stuck with me. In adulthood, there have been virtually no fiction books or novels that have touched me in any significant way. Nothing like when I was a kid. Back when I was 13 or 14, I would spend summers on my bed reading book after book. I would get up in the morning and ride my bike the two miles down to the library to check out books after scouring the stacks. I loved it.
I honestly can’t remember when I read Lightning for the first time. It must have been in high school. I don’t recall discovering Dean Koontz before that. But I can say that no story has ever really affected me so profoundly as this one did.
So, let’s jump into the book and explore the world Koontz created. I can’t wait..….
The second to the last book in Jean M Auel’s Earth’s Children series took awhile for me to finish. The last book I reviewed (book 4) in the series was back in July 2020, so just over a year and a half. That’s a stretch to read a book. Granted, the book is 753 page (apparently listening to the audio book doesn’t speed things up), but still, it really shouldn’t take so long, right?
But, I did finally finish it. That’s saying something. So, let’s jump in and see what has happened to Ayla and Jondalar and all the others in this bizarre and somewhat overly gratuitous fictional series.….
Part of my Unschooled Master of Theology Program is extensive reading in various, often interrelated subjects, and that includes fiction.
I stumbled onto this book awhile back, maybe a year or more, but I finally managed to read it and, I have to say, what a great story it turned out to be!
So, let’s jump in and find out why Walker Buckalew’s book
The Visioners turned out to be an incredible story you won’t want to miss….
Awhile back, while at the Eden Property, I read a book as part of my Unschooled Master of Theology Program called Before the Fall by Noah Hawley.
My workplace has a communal bookshelf where people can bring in their old books in trade for whatever’s on the shelf. I turned in a bunch of books I still had from my college years and Before the Fall was one of the books I got in exchange.
At first, I thought it was the book the movie was made from. But, later I would discover the movie is actually called, Before I Fall, and it has nothing to do with this book. I’ve also never heard of Hawley before, but his blurb mentioned he got his break after meeting Po Bronson and joining the “Writers’ Grotto.” I’ve read Bronson’s book (which I thought was a huge disappointment, too), so I’m not surprised Hawley’s book was similarly disappointing.
But, there was still something about the story that kept me going, despite being halfway bored most of the time.
Let’s talk about what that unexplored spark might have been…
Part of my Unschooled Master of Theology Program is extensive reading in various, often interrelated subjects, and that includes fiction.
As a teenager, I had a rabid fascination with all things horror, especially Dean Koontz. But, as I became an adult and left home, I rarely found a book that held my interest for very long, let alone one that really captivated me like the novels of my youth, such as Lightning, or Lord of the Flies. But, despite this, I’ve made a concerted effort to include a robust list of fiction in my uThM program, both for general reading interests and also for craft exposure.
Over the last year or so I’ve been working through The Earth’s Children Series by Jean Auel. For the longest time I’ve wanted to read Clan of the Cavebear, and to my surprise, I discovered it was a series of six books, and this week I finished the fourth book in the series, The Plains of Passage.
So, let’s jump in and see what Ayla and Jondalar are up to…
For most of my thinking life, I’ve wanted to read Clan of the Cave Bear. I’m not altogether certain why, I just knew I did.
But, of course, as life goes, one thing got before another, excuse after excuse as good as any, and I found myself in my mid 40’s without having had the pleasure.
So, when I started my uThM program, I immediately added the book to my reading list.
(You can read all of my book reviews here.)
So, now that I’ve finished this book and have checked a long over due item off my bucket list, let’s talk about it….
It’s been a while since I’ve gotten through a full novel, and I have to say, this one wasn’t that bad. I’ve wanted to read the Left Behind Series for several years now, but never could find the time. Now, with this 3 Month Intensive, I’ve sectioned off two hours a day just for fiction reading, and it’s actually worked out pretty well so far…
ISAAC HUNTER 