Trying to find a better way to track books I want to read than a random spreadsheet. I had used readinglog.info which was provided by my local public library until they shut down the program. Luckily, I regularly backed it up via their CSV export. I've used Library Thing for years, but adding books for "To Read" really screwed up a lot of the other features of the website, like recommendations, etc. I really love Free Software & the Fediverse particularly. My primary social media account is on Friendica @fu@libranet.de for now everything I post here is automatically "re-tooted" there.
They arrived - tens of thousands of extraterrestrial beings - in huge …
First devoured the NBC Mini-Series/Mini-Series Sequel/V The Series on NEtflix like 10 years ago, watched the ABC Re-boot TV Series in less than 2 days last week on Tubi. Can't get my fix, so time to start on the books, was going to start on Book 2, but now that I've seen the reboot, I need a reminder of the OG so the novelization it is.
A priest with a lightsaber?
With these adventures and anecdotes,
Fr. Roderick Vönhogen shares his …
Much better than I expected.
5 stars
If you are a Catholic, a Star Wars fan, a runner, someone concerned about mental health or a podcaster, I recommend this book.
Geekpriest is about the adventures of an unexpected priest from a rural town in the Netherlands. He tells the story of how he grew up a Catholic, and even most people in his Catholic school thought the church teachings where dumb, he wanted to become a comic book artist, but was drawn to the priesthood, against his parents' wishes.
He wrote a hand coded website about the rumors surrounding " Star Wars The Phantom Menace" even though his bishop didn't think it was something a good priest should be doing. Along the way he was able to make references to the Catholic faith seen in the Star Wars universe, and unbeknownst to himself later when attending a Star Wars release received reports from multiple people that he …
If you are a Catholic, a Star Wars fan, a runner, someone concerned about mental health or a podcaster, I recommend this book.
Geekpriest is about the adventures of an unexpected priest from a rural town in the Netherlands. He tells the story of how he grew up a Catholic, and even most people in his Catholic school thought the church teachings where dumb, he wanted to become a comic book artist, but was drawn to the priesthood, against his parents' wishes.
He wrote a hand coded website about the rumors surrounding " Star Wars The Phantom Menace" even though his bishop didn't think it was something a good priest should be doing. Along the way he was able to make references to the Catholic faith seen in the Star Wars universe, and unbeknownst to himself later when attending a Star Wars release received reports from multiple people that he had led them (back) to the Church.
He shared his exercise podcasting, starting a podcasting network, blogs, all while struggling with the needs of his parish. I was most touched by this part. While in the 21st century most all of us now see our priests are fallen human than same as us, it's still a mystery that to too many looks like a super easy job they only work a few days a week. I was flabbergasted at his experience having to fight with the members of his parish council for the right to use the approved liturgical texts. I know Holland is known for some of the most disbelieving believers, home of the infamous "atheist priest" of the Dutch Reformed Church who "believers in a God that does not exist" but to see such inside the Catholic Church is still mind shattering to me. And he shares his struggles with mental health, and his recovery journey, related to him not meeting up to his own standards of what he should be as a "super priest."
After seeing the poverty in Uganda, he changed his lifestyle, stopped eating junk food, became a marathon runner and gave more to the global poor.
A priest with a lightsaber?
With these adventures and anecdotes,
Fr. Roderick Vönhogen shares his …
Much better than I expected.
5 stars
If you are a Catholic, a Star Wars fan, a runner, someone concerned about mental health or a podcaster, I recommend this book.
Geekpriest is about the adventures of a unexpected priest from a rural town in the Netherlands. He tells the story of how he grew up a Catholic, and even most people in his Catholic school thought the church teachings where dumb, he wanted to become a comic book artist, but was drawn to the priesthood, against his parents' wishes.
He wrote a handcoded website about the rumors surronding " Star Wars The Phantom Menace" even though his bishop didn't think it was something a good priest should be doing. Along the way he was able to make references to the Catholic faith seen in the Star Wars universe, and unbenost to himself later when attending a Star Wars release recived reports from multiple people that he had …
If you are a Catholic, a Star Wars fan, a runner, someone concerned about mental health or a podcaster, I recommend this book.
Geekpriest is about the adventures of a unexpected priest from a rural town in the Netherlands. He tells the story of how he grew up a Catholic, and even most people in his Catholic school thought the church teachings where dumb, he wanted to become a comic book artist, but was drawn to the priesthood, against his parents' wishes.
He wrote a handcoded website about the rumors surronding " Star Wars The Phantom Menace" even though his bishop didn't think it was something a good priest should be doing. Along the way he was able to make references to the Catholic faith seen in the Star Wars universe, and unbenost to himself later when attending a Star Wars release recived reports from multiple people that he had led them (back) to the Church.
He shared his exercise podcasting, starting a podcasting network, blogs, all while struggling with the needs of his parish. I was most touched by this part. While in the 21st century most all of us now see our priests are fallen human than same as us, it's still a mystery that to too many looks like a super easy job they only work a few days a week. I was flabbergasted at his experience having to fight with the members of his parish council for the right to use the approved liturgical texts. I know Holland is known for some of the most disbelieving believers, home of the infamous "atheist priest" of the Dutch Reformed Church who "believers in a God that does not exist" but to see such inside the Catholic Church is still mind shattering to me. And he shares his struggles with mental health, and his recovery journey, related to him not meeting up to his own standards of what he should be as a "super priest."
After seeing the poverty in Uganda, he changed his lifestyle, stopped eating junk food, became a marathon runner and gave more to the global poor.
This book will give the non-technical reader a general idea of what electricity is, how …
Not what I was hoping for
3 stars
I received this book for free in return for an honest review through LibraryThings early review program. It was pretty OK. Nothing particularly insightful, I was hoping to be able to use it as a reference for my kids' 4-H project, but not really going to work for us.
The Lakota carry not only their own problems but also the problems of their relatives into the sweatlodge. While the Christian Church is gradually moving toward an awareness of 'social sin,' the emphasis is still upon the sins of one's deepest heart. The Lakota sweatbath usually takes place with several and only occasionally with one; for Christian confessions, the reverse is usually true. But in communal penance ceremonies, the emphasis is moving away from forgiveness of my sins toward the forgiveness of our sins, for we in corporate groups make decisions and carry out actions which hurt others.
An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now humankind’s most …
Even better than the movie!
5 stars
I had been wanting to watch Jurassic Park again lately, but with two young night owls it's hard to find a time I can watch a PG-13 movie. I thought listening to the audio book might scratch the itch. It actually made it worse as I wanted to note all the differences I heard if they matched my memory from seeing the film in the 90s or not.
The book was fantastic. Its a story we all know pretty well by now, but told so much better. The introduction includes a number of children on the Costa Rican mainland being bit by "lizards" a workman murdered by a raptor (which they tell the doctor was a digger accident, and the workman wakes up to say "raptor" which is interprited as being a cryptozoic creature, and then an American girl was bit by a lizard on a remote beach that caused …
I had been wanting to watch Jurassic Park again lately, but with two young night owls it's hard to find a time I can watch a PG-13 movie. I thought listening to the audio book might scratch the itch. It actually made it worse as I wanted to note all the differences I heard if they matched my memory from seeing the film in the 90s or not.
The book was fantastic. Its a story we all know pretty well by now, but told so much better. The introduction includes a number of children on the Costa Rican mainland being bit by "lizards" a workman murdered by a raptor (which they tell the doctor was a digger accident, and the workman wakes up to say "raptor" which is interprited as being a cryptozoic creature, and then an American girl was bit by a lizard on a remote beach that caused all of the hullabalue that required the scientists to get involved.
without giving up too much more, the Story made a lot more scientific sense, having to learn things along the way like the T-Rex only sees you when you move, rather than them just knowing that. Park owner Mr. Hammond isn't a kind grandfather but a mad capitalist who will stop at nothing, and the ending is a lot more believable too.
The science behind the story appeared incredibly well researched. If it wasn't than Crichton does an incredible job of making it sound well researched which is almost as good. For someone who normally reads "light" science fiction, maybe science fantasy, this was a breathe of releif.
Hoist a sail? Do it solo! Explore the high seas? Who needs a crew? Not …
A great idea, a fun book, four year old lost interest.
4 stars
I received this book for free as part of LibraryThing's Early Review program an exchange for an honest review.
The book was cute. I really loved the IDEA of showing a foster kid in a new environment, his desire to have nothing to do with these new people, and in the end needing to work together and be nice to achieve a new goal.
The actual story (words) made no actual reference to the foster kid situation, it just sounded like a pirate story. When paired with the "for the parents" section before the story and the book's illustration the idea should be clear. Unfortunately, the pictures didn't seem to be enough to keep my four-year-old's attention, even though they looked great to me. She listened as she went along her playing way. I think it may have been better if the story started with a quick line about how …
I received this book for free as part of LibraryThing's Early Review program an exchange for an honest review.
The book was cute. I really loved the IDEA of showing a foster kid in a new environment, his desire to have nothing to do with these new people, and in the end needing to work together and be nice to achieve a new goal.
The actual story (words) made no actual reference to the foster kid situation, it just sounded like a pirate story. When paired with the "for the parents" section before the story and the book's illustration the idea should be clear. Unfortunately, the pictures didn't seem to be enough to keep my four-year-old's attention, even though they looked great to me. She listened as she went along her playing way. I think it may have been better if the story started with a quick line about how Pedro could no longer live in the home he grew up in and had to move to live with a new foster family, or something like that, and then go about the pirate story, not sure.
Institutes of the Christian Religion" is the world-changing book of Christian theology by John Calvin, …
A second rule is, that in reading the Scriptures we should constantly direct our inquiries and meditations to those things which tend to edification, not indulging curiosity, or in studying things of no use.
Travel to other planets is now a reality, and with overpopulation stretching the resources of …
Old Science fiction pointed toward young adults
3 stars
Probably was one of my least favorite in Heinlein's "Scribner's Juniors" "series". Like the others it's really a stand-alone story amongst a series of similar tales. (Young adults leading scientific adventures).
This one is about two teenage twin boys finishing school and invited to a symposium by the "long range foundation" a private non-profit company that can focus on funding endeavors that don't have to make investors happy with quick returns, nor be at the will of fickel politicians, they can work on projects that will be years, decades or centuries before a return, if any occurs.
The project the LRF is now working on is to deal with the overpopulation of the planet. The 1954 written book is very concerned that in the future (maybe 200 years from now?) the world population is unsustainable with over 4.5 billion people (never mind that 75 years from when ti was written …
Probably was one of my least favorite in Heinlein's "Scribner's Juniors" "series". Like the others it's really a stand-alone story amongst a series of similar tales. (Young adults leading scientific adventures).
This one is about two teenage twin boys finishing school and invited to a symposium by the "long range foundation" a private non-profit company that can focus on funding endeavors that don't have to make investors happy with quick returns, nor be at the will of fickel politicians, they can work on projects that will be years, decades or centuries before a return, if any occurs.
The project the LRF is now working on is to deal with the overpopulation of the planet. The 1954 written book is very concerned that in the future (maybe 200 years from now?) the world population is unsustainable with over 4.5 billion people (never mind that 75 years from when ti was written we are doing just find with 8 billion).
In order to explore what planets beyond or solar system may be suitable for habitation they need to find a way to communicate back to earth that is faster than the near light speeds of the ships. Ta-da the proof of telepathy that distance cannot substitute, primarily available between identical twins.
A little far-fetched but certainly interesting. I appreciate how Heinlein brings about theoretical ideas including those like over taxing large families etc.
Some of the story is pretty unbelievable though, like giant sea monster attacks in space, that could have been prevented with encoded messages from light years away being approved to be sent 2 days earlier.
The ending was anticlimactic to say the least, but all and all I still liked it.