George V. Reilly's Blog favicon.ico 2013-01-20T22:43:26.2154191-08:00 George V. Reilly blah, blah http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/ DasBlog Adapting Penelope, part II http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,677a1d8c-2be3-4ff0-896e-77d8412dd191.aspx 2013-01-20T22:43:26.2154191-08:00 2013-01-20T22:43:26.2154191-08:00
The Odyssey :: The Meeting of Ulysses and Penelope

Last night, I read the first third of the chapter. Tonight I will read more.

I described it as “badly punctuated.” There's no punctuation at all! No apostrophes, no commas, no periods. The “sentences” are separated by paragraph breaks.

So far, Molly Bloom has thought back to Mrs Riordan, an obnoxious elderly neighbor whom Leopold Bloom flattered; sickness; Bloom's infidelities, present and past; her own seductions and confessions; sex and childbirth; jealousy; aggravating husbands.

In the second paragraph: men are all so different; how strange Bloom is; Bloom is “mad on the subject of drawers”; their first sexual encounter; punctuality; a potential singing trip to Belfast with both Bloom and Blazes Boylan, her paramour; her last concert; hating politics; money; well-dressed men; losing weight, face lotion, and beauty on the wane; the sordid books he brings her; Bloom could do better than his advertising job; Bloom thinking he knows a lot about women's dress.

And of course lots more that I didn't note here.

Adapting Penelope, part I http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,45ea6890-07de-480b-9915-80b153c62921.aspx 2013-01-20T00:43:39.6165901-08:00 2013-01-20T00:43:39.6165901-08:00
Ulysses

We at the Wild Geese Players of Seattle have been adapting James Joyce's Ulysses for staged readings since 1998, and we will complete the book with the Penelope chapter (aka Molly Bloom's soliloquy) on Bloomsday 2013.

I shall detail my dramaturgical process over several blog posts.

The very first step is to re-read the chapter. It's been several years since I last read it and I don't remember it clearly. I've yet to look at my old friends, Gifford and Blamires, for their takes on “Penelope”.

Molly is lying in bed, daydreaming early on the morning of June 17th, 1904. Leopold climbed in to bed a little while ago, put his head at her feet (as always) and fell asleep. Her mind skits all over the place in a tour de force of stream of consciousness, reliving the past in nine enormously long, badly punctuated sentences.

I shall have to figure out how to break this up, so that our readers have something to work with. For the sake of the audience and the readers, I shall try to tease themes out of the sentences. We usually have a dozen or so readers, more than half of them male. The boys would prefer not to sit on the sidelines and I'm certainly not having them read in Monty Python falsettos, so some reverse-Shakespearean casting is likely.

Static Website Conversions http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,e58d863d-da31-474b-9cd1-851301320974.aspx 2013-01-20T00:06:05.2106473-08:00 2013-01-20T00:06:05.2106473-08:00
Webmaster

I've spent time over the last three weeks working on a new website for the Northwest C++ Users' Group. I blogged about the NWCPP website refresh over there. In brief, I moved the website from an instance of the Joomla Content Management System at Just Host to a static website generated by Pelican and hosted at Github Pages, and I'm happy with the results.

Not only am I the Webmaster (and Secretary) of NWCPP, I am also the webmaster for several other organizations:

I'm seriously considering converting the Wild Geese site and my personal site to Pelican. As I said in the conclusion of the NWCPP website refresh post, it works for me, but it wouldn't be suitable for someone who isn't familiar with reStructuredText, Git, and Python.

30 Years of Programming http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,3b384606-5c40-43c2-b50a-ce88741de897.aspx 2012-01-25T23:47:34.4354086-08:00 2012-01-25T23:47:34.4354086-08:00
Apple ][

30 years ago today, I sat down at a computer for the first time, and I wrote my first program.

I was in Fifth Year of secondary school in Ireland—the equivalent of eleventh grade. Personal computers were just coming into Ireland; few people had them. I had been taking an extracurricular course in computer programming, in the school's physics lab. We wrote code on paper at our desks, as there were no computers in the room. Somehow, I hadn't realized that there was another room with computers, in a normally off-limits part of the school, until late January.

Once I sat down at a computer, I was hooked. PRINT 2+2? 4! Writing code on paper was boring. This thing was fun!

There were five Apple ][s in that room and eight regulars, if I remember correctly. I spent a lot of time after school in that room over the next few months. I became comfortable with AppleSoft BASIC and I wrote some sloppy 6502 assembly language. (Over the next seven years, I wrote a lot of very tight 6502 code.)

Up to that point, I had some vague notion that I wanted to be a scientist. Now I knew I wanted to work with computers.

That year, I got my first summer job so that I could buy a BBC Micro. I worked as a car park (parking lot) attendant at a supermarket, standing out in the rain all day long, charging customers for the privilege of parking while buying groceries. It was so traumatic that I've never had a non-computer job since—and only the following summer's job required no programming skill.

I finished secondary school in 1983 and applied, successfully, to study Computer Science at Trinity College Dublin. I had a part-time job over the next five years, writing software for RTÉ, the Irish national TV station. I had one full-time job in Ireland. I came to the States in 1989 and got a Masters in Computers Science at Brown. I moved to Seattle in 1992 to work for Microsoft. I left Microsoft the following year, though I later went back. I've spent the last 20 years in the Seattle software industry.

I've written a lot of code over the last 30 years. I still get a thrill out of creating elegant software. I've written code that's shipped on every Windows box in the last decade—http.sys is available from Windows XP Service Pack 3 onwards—and Vim comes with every Linux and Mac.

I had no idea that day that I had changed my life, that I had found my vocation.

Christmas Pudding http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,291ba7f4-ec41-4362-99c1-3f525da5cfbf.aspx 2011-12-17T12:41:24.5760000-08:00 2011-12-17T12:50:12.5444154-08:00
Christmas Pudding

Traditional Irish Christmas Pudding.

This recipe comes from my mother, who has used it for many years. I added the soaking of the fruit in hot water.

This amount makes one large pudding and two smaller ones (4–5 quarts), so scale down to your needs.

Stick a sprig of holly in the top before bringing to the dinner table. When it's placed on the dinner table, heat a tablespoon of brandy or whisky over a flame until it catches fire, then pour over the pudding. Turn down the lights to enjoy the blue-tinged flames.

Serve with Brandy Butter.

1 lb Raisins
1 lb Sultanas
1 lb currants
1 lb suet (if you can't get suet, you could use ½lb butter)
¾ lb mixed peel
½ tsp powdered nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ lb ground almonds
½ lb brown sugar
small glass brandy (whiskey would do)
pinch salt
4 apples minced
6 ozs cherries (can be assorted colours)
11 or 12 eggs beaten
1 lb breadcrumbs
¼ lb plain flour

Place the fruit in a mixing bowl and cover with boiling water. Add whiskey or brandy. Stir well. Let the fruit soak overnight, stirring occasionally. Keep covered. It will plump up considerably. An hour before baking, drain the fruit thoroughly. Be sure to press out excess liquid.

Mix all ingredients together and stir well. Grease bowls. I put two layers of tinfoil on top and tie with string. Cook for approx 9 hours (doesn't have to be consecutive). You can steam them but be careful not to let the water boil away. What I do now is to put them standing in a roasting tray in the oven in about two inches of water and top up the water when necessary. Medium oven, about 150C or 300F.

Just heat on the day.

See also Christmas Cake:

SerializationException: the constructor was not found http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,1ea6c8bc-fb01-4f18-87de-537682e7c50d.aspx 2011-04-22T15:42:50.9298403-07:00 2011-04-22T15:42:50.9298403-07:00
Serialization

I just finished another post at the Cozi Tech Blog, SerializationException: the constructor was not found

 Security 101 for Developers http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,e7e13f5c-1144-4d2f-880a-93e3298039aa.aspx 2011-04-22T15:41:58.8517153-07:00 2011-04-22T15:41:58.8517153-07:00
Why should we care about Security?

The Cozi Tech Blog needed some love, so I wrote a post a couple of weeks ago on Security 101 for Developers.

The 1911 Census http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,bb37b83e-289c-4a49-b67d-89f375eac330.aspx 2011-04-03T14:24:36.8974142-07:00 2011-04-03T14:24:36.8974142-07:00

It's the 100th anniversary of the 1911 census of the United Kingdom, which was taken on the night of Sunday, April 2nd. Ireland was still part of the UK and hence was included in the census.

The census results are online. The Irish results are freely browsable. The UK results cost money.

Three of my grandparents were born in the 18 months following the census.

George Clery

My maternal grandfather, George Victor Clery, was born on March 30th, 1900. He died on March 3rd, 1965, twelve days before I was born. I am called George after him and Vincent after my father.

Generations of Clerys worked for the Munster & Leinster bank, which became Allied Irish Bank in the late 1960s.

Clery census form

Ethna MacDonagh

My mother's mother, Ethna MacDonagh, was born on April 28th, 1911. Her parents had moved from Ireland to London a few years earlier. Her father Francis was a journalist and died, I think, when she was a young woman. Her mother Hannah died when I was 8. Hannah was one of the first women to graduate from an Irish university.

MacDonagh census form

Patrick Reilly

Patrick “Paddy” Reilly was born on June 3rd, 1911, to a well-to-do farmer, near Kells, Co. Meath. He was one of 10 children; nine survived. The last brother, Richard “Dick” O'Reilly, lives near Vancouver.

Paddy studied medicine at Trinity College Dublin but never finished. He spent most of his career selling tyres for Goodyear.

Reilly census form

Kathleen Taylor

My father's mother, Kathleen Taylor, was born on August 1st, 1912. Her father was later a supplier to the Irish Dept of Defence, I believe. “Gam”, as we called her, was always secretive about her age and would be horrified that I've told you. She dyed her hair black until the day she died, six years ago.

Taylor census form

Review: Pawn http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,ecce2690-e34c-4b65-bc6c-140c61b13a91.aspx 2010-09-20T00:05:33.0049615-07:00 2010-09-20T00:05:33.0049615-07:00
The Pawn
Title: The Pawn
Author: Steven James
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Publisher: Onyx
Copyright: 2009
ISBN: 0451412796
Pages: 448
Keywords: thriller
Reading period: 13–19 September, 2010

Patrick Bowers PhD is an environmental criminologist for the FBI. A serial killer who calls himself the Illusionist is killing women in North Carolina and leading the FBI a merry dance. There's a major subplot involving another killer and Jonestown. And Bowers' personal life is complicated by a sullen teenage stepdaughter.

Despite the ludicrous complexity of the plot, it's an entertaining and relatively thoughtful thriller.

Review: Matter http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,87837d00-0774-4933-8c1a-36c59d9c50a6.aspx 2010-09-20T00:03:39.4733612-07:00 2010-09-20T00:03:39.4733612-07:00
Matter
Title: Matter
Author: Iain M. Banks
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Publisher: Orbit
Copyright: 2008
ISBN: 978-0316005371
Pages: 624
Keywords: science fiction
Reading period: 29 August–19 September, 2010

Sarl is a barely industrial backwater on the Eighth level of a Shellworld, a vast artificial planet of concentric levels. King Hausk is secretly murdered after a battle by his top aide, tyl Loesp. His oldest son, Ferbin the fop, witnesses the murder and flees for his life. Meanwhile, his sister Djan, who has long been a Special Circumstances operative in the Culture, hears of the death halfway across the galaxy and heads for home. Their younger brother, Oramen, is still a minor and tyl Loesp becomes the Regent.

It turns out that there's much more at stake than regicide in a primitive society. Banks moves the narrative back and forth across several levels of societal advancement, from Sarl at the bottom to the High-Level Involved like the Culture at the top of the food chain. He examines the bloody futility of war, personal heroism, (literal) world building, and an aeons-old evil, weaving them together in a well-crafted tale.

Review: Union of Renegades http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,82d3634b-b814-4fb6-aa13-24d9dd08e927.aspx 2010-09-20T00:01:35.8790583-07:00 2010-09-20T00:01:35.8790583-07:00
Union of Renegades: Rys Chronicles I
Title: Union of Renegades: Rys Chronicles I
Author: Tracy Falbe
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Publisher: Brave Luck Books
Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 097622352X
Pages: 409
Keywords: fantasy
Reading period: 12–18 September, 2010

I gave this free ebook a fair shake, but eventually the clunky writing grew too much for me.

A renegade warrior and his escaped-slave girlfriend penetrate the vast wilderness where no human has trod, and find a new race ruled by an ancient queen who needs to be overthrown…

Review: MetaGame http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,d0922d0c-c857-4fe2-b16b-c2aa193c0a10.aspx 2010-09-20T00:00:18.6441890-07:00 2010-09-20T00:00:18.6441890-07:00
MetaGame
Title: MetaGame
Author: Sam Landstrom
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
Publisher: Smashwords
Copyright: 2009
ISBN: 2940000723418
Pages: 400
Keywords: science fiction
Reading period: 15 September, 2010

A free ebook that I quickly gave up on because I couldn't stand the leaden writing and the heavyhanded exposition.

Review: Blood Engines http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,b7269eef-a8db-4f1e-9c5c-828e15ae7d46.aspx 2010-09-19T23:58:35.6123478-07:00 2010-09-19T23:58:35.6123478-07:00
Blood Engines
Title: Blood Engines
Author: T.A. Pratt
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Publisher: Spectra
Copyright: 2007
ISBN: 0553589989
Pages: 368
Keywords: urban fantasy
Reading period: 7–14 September, 2010

Marla Mason is the chief sorcerer of Felport. She's abrasive, hard-headed, and ruthless enough to stay on the top of the pile. But a challenger has arisen and she's gone to San Francisco with her sidekick Rondeau to seek the help of an old friend. That friend has been murdered by an Aztec sorcerer who's trying to bring back an Aztec god.

Fast-paced and entertaining. I found Marla too obnoxious at first, but then she grew on me.

Seattle AIDS Walk 2010 http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,dc2d4ed5-f9e0-446b-b4cc-cfe4864d4656.aspx 2010-09-15T10:08:17.8773026-07:00 2010-09-15T10:08:17.8773026-07:00
AIDS Walk 2010

This year is the 24th anniversary of the Seattle AIDS Walk. A whole generation has passed since the Northwest AIDS Walk began. AIDS used to be the unstoppable disease that killed much of a generation of gay men.

AIDS is still a serious problem, but the development of antiretroviral drugs in the Nineties means that people with HIV are living longer, healthier lives than before. More than 1.5 million Americans are now living with HIV/AIDS: 9,000 of them in King County. 40,000 people are infected every year, and most new infections are among African-Americans. The U.S. is getting off relatively lightly: about one-quarter of the adults in southern Africa have HIV!

The Lifelong AIDS Alliance provides a variety of services to those living with HIV/AIDS in Washington State. LLAA cooks 190,000 fresh meals each year, helps 3500 people, provides case management for 1200 people, provides 2300 people with health insurance support, packs 45,000 grocery bags, and distributes condoms and safe-sex information to high-risk populations.

Donations to the Lifelong AIDS Alliance are down significantly over the last couple of years, while the need for their services has grown in this perilous economy. This year's goal is to raise $750,000 and recruit more than 4000 walkers.

I've walked in the AIDS Walk every year since 1992 and I've raised thousands of dollars for AIDS. Please help me raise money again for this year's walk on Saturday, September 25th. I aim to raise at least $500.

You can sponsor me by going to http://www.georgevreilly.com/aidswalk. I'm also a member of the Freely Speaking Toastmasters team. We'd love to have you join us or sponsor us.

Note: Emma and I are having a fundraising barbecue on Saturday, September 18th, noon to 5pm. Email me for more details.

I thank you, the Lifelong AIDS Alliance thanks you, and the people you'll be helping thank you.

Review: Bitter Seeds http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,23509ac0-02be-4039-98f0-eff1a9f8214d.aspx 2010-09-13T11:42:31.8117263-07:00 2010-09-13T11:42:31.8117263-07:00
Bitter Seeds
Title: Bitter Seeds
Author: Ian Tregillis
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Publisher: Tor
Copyright: 2010
ISBN: 978-0765321503
Pages: 352
Keywords: fantasy, alternate history
Reading period: 8–9 September, 2010

A German doctor has been training a handful of children for 20 years to develop superpowers such as precognition and fire starting. They are the Nazis' secret weapon, swaying the progress of the War. To stop the Germans from crossing the English Channel, the British recruit a handful of warlocks to make a devil's bargain with ancient evil beings.

Told from the viewpoint of one of the German superbeings and two of the British agents, we see the terrible costs to each of them, as they lose their honor and draw close to insanity.

Recommended.

Review: The Unsuspecting Mage: the Morcyth Saga I http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,6f852a3a-2404-440a-9a13-ec77bd88d50d.aspx 2010-09-13T11:40:24.5134910-07:00 2010-09-13T11:40:24.5134910-07:00
The Unsuspecting Mage: the Morcyth Saga I
Title: The Unsuspecting Mage: the Morcyth Saga I
Author: Brian S. Pratt
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
Publisher: PUBLISHER
Copyright: YEAR
ISBN: 0595376304
Pages: 311
Keywords: fantasy
Reading period: 12 September, 2010

Teenage D&D-playing bookworm responds to a help-wanted ad, steps through a door, and finds himself wandering in a forest where he can do simple magic.

I couldn't take more than an hour of the clumsy writing in this free ebook.

Review: Hour of the Hunter http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,13fedc21-be42-4d21-8fbb-96453b19c2f1.aspx 2010-09-13T11:37:53.8153029-07:00 2010-09-13T11:37:53.8153029-07:00
Hour of the Hunter
Title: Hour of the Hunter
Author: J.A. Jance
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Publisher: Avon
Copyright: 1991
ISBN: 978-0380711079
Pages: 416
Keywords: mystery
Reading period: 10–12 September, 2010

Diana Ladd is the widow of a man believed to have killed an Indian girl seven years ago in the Arizona desert. The girl's grandmother, Rita Antone, is helping Diana rear her son in a remote house. Now the real killer, Andrew Carlisle, is out of jail, blaming Diana for his being put away for manslaughter.

Jance weaves together several interesting characters, their backstories, and Indian myths to make a satisfying thriller.

Review: Hostile Intent http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,2d3bfb90-2fe0-43be-b13f-899be6a0f170.aspx 2010-09-13T11:34:38.6761947-07:00 2010-09-13T11:34:38.6761947-07:00
Hostile Intent
Title: Hostile Intent
Author: Michael Walsh
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
Publisher: Pinnacle
Copyright: 2009
ISBN: 978-0786020423
Pages: 360
Keywords: thriller
Reading period: 9–10 September, 2010

Superspy Devlin, head of the U.S. government's most secret black ops team, is on the run, apparently having being framed by someone with inside knowledge.

Second-rate ripoff of Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy. Ludicrous plot, cliched characters, risible technobabble. I gave it longer than I should before abandoning it.

Avoid.

Review: 1812: The Rivers of War http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,09a52bf3-e390-4c00-bc9a-b1bc0a836e84.aspx 2010-09-08T23:29:07.6260908-07:00 2010-09-08T23:29:07.6260908-07:00
1812: The Rivers of War
Title: 1812: The Rivers of War
Author: Eric Flint
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Publisher: Del Rey
Copyright: 2005
ISBN: 978-0345465689
Pages: 560
Keywords: alternate history
Reading period: 25 August–8 September, 2010

1812: The Rivers of War is the first novel in an alternate history series that recasts the War of 1812 and later the Trail of Tears. Sam Houston, Andrew Jackson, and several Scots-Irish and Indian characters head off in a somewhat different direction than they did in our history.

Flint tells a rousing, entertaining story, with exciting battles and engaging characters. It's a period of U.S. history that I knew little about, and I enjoyed the book.

Review: Frankenstein: Prodigal Son http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,565e9ec3-d735-4eca-a234-d2556665cb16.aspx 2010-09-06T23:49:44.7414111-07:00 2010-09-06T23:49:44.7414111-07:00
Frankenstein: Prodigal Son
Title: Frankenstein: Prodigal Son
Author: Dean Koontz & Kevin J. Anderson
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Publisher: Bantam
Copyright: 2004
ISBN: 978-0553593327
Pages: 496
Keywords: horror
Reading period: 30 August–6 September, 2010

Deucalion was once the first of Victor Frankenstein's creations. In 200 years, the monster has grown wise and ethical. He learns that Victor also still lives—Victor is creating a New Race in New Orleans, a race of superhumans loyal to him, who will destroy ordinary humanity. Some of the New Race are not quite as loyal to “Father” as he thinks; some are veering far off their prescribed courses. Victor is the true monster here, the ultimate mad scientist.

The premise is interesting, but I found the writing to be flat and by the numbers. I'll probably read another book or two in the series, to see if the other co-authors do a better job.

Review: The Girl Who Played with Fire http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,c7955a45-7be7-4b3b-8cef-02438714fe85.aspx 2010-09-01T00:29:40.1488858-07:00 2010-09-01T00:29:40.1488858-07:00
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Title: The Girl Who Played with Fire
Author: Stieg Larsson
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Publisher: Vintage
Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 978-0307454553
Pages: 630
Keywords: mystery
Reading period: 29 August, 2010

Sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Mikael Blomkvist's Millennium magazine is about to publish an exposé of sex trafficking in Sweden, when the two researchers are gunned down. Lisabeth Salendar's prints are on the gun and she immediately becomes the most wanted woman in Sweden—but it's not so easy to catch her. We learn a great deal about Salander's traumatic past by the end of the book.

While the book is enthralling—I read it in less than a day—it's not especially well-written. The plot is often ludicrous, relying heavily on improbable coincidences, and the characters can be implausible. Even so, I scarcely put the book down until I finished it.

Review: White Witch, Black Curse http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,3b1b3d34-8331-4004-8564-18122ec2c1cf.aspx 2010-09-01T00:15:40.1463783-07:00 2010-09-01T00:15:40.1463783-07:00
White Witch, Black Curse
Title: White Witch, Black Curse
Author: Kim Harrison
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Publisher: Eos
Copyright: 2009
ISBN: 978-0-06-113802-7
Pages: 549
Keywords: urban fantasy
Reading period: 27–29 August, 2010

Sequel to The Outlaw Demon Wails; best read in sequence.

Rachel Morgan's life is complicated. She's investigating the murder of her boyfriend, the vampire Kisten. There's a banshee on the rampage in Cincinatti and the human police want her help. And she's being shunned by her fellow witches because she's thought to consort with demons. And then there's her personal life. That's complicated too.

Entertaining, but far over the top.

Review: Once Around the Track http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,5d5c30bb-6be3-4f28-b9e9-e81c1acf82cb.aspx 2010-09-01T00:07:05.0813118-07:00 2010-09-01T00:07:05.0813118-07:00
Once Around the Track
Title: Once Around the Track
Author: Sharyn McCrumb
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Publisher: Kensington
Copyright: 2007
ISBN: 978-0758207784
Pages: 320
Keywords: fiction
Reading period: 18–25 August, 2010

Badger Jenkins is a shy, unassuming NASCAR driver with chiseled cheekbones and a rabid fanbase. He's recruited to drive for the first otherwise-all-female team. For several months, we follow Badger and several of the women who work in the crew or behind the scenes, as the team coalesces and the season progresses.

This is an entertaining and well-written look at NASCAR racing from the perspective of insiders. We learn a great deal about the sport and what it takes to run a NASCAR team. We also get to see Badger from several viewpoints, ranging from the tongue-tied hero worshipper to the gruff crew chief. Most of the time, he's an irresponsible country boy who just wants to fish on his lake, but when he dons his fire suit, he becomes dangerous, almost irresistible, and wholly focused.

Recommended.

Review: Beyond Reach http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,bf45fac8-b8b6-4d11-96e7-23e8a0debeeb.aspx 2010-08-31T23:51:48.7589783-07:00 2010-08-31T23:51:48.7589783-07:00
Beyond Reach
Title: Beyond Reach
Author: Karin Slaughter
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Copyright: 2007
ISBN: 978-0385339476
Pages: 416
Keywords: mystery
Reading period: 16–17 August, 2010

Dr. Sara Linton and her husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, travel to a small Georgia town to find out why Jeffrey's detective, Lena Adams, has been found beside a burnt-out car with a corpse. They uncover a lot of dirty secrets in Reese, including neo-Nazis and drugrunning.

I found the plot gripping but also unpleasant. Slaughter seems to enjoy torturing her characters.

Review: Every Man Dies Alone http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,5df2167e-a008-4e95-924b-4d65ab6e0627.aspx 2010-08-31T23:40:23.5057003-07:00 2010-08-31T23:40:23.5057003-07:00
Every Man Dies Alone
Title: Every Man Dies Alone
Author: Hans Fallada
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Publisher: Melville House
Copyright: 1947
ISBN: 978-1933633633
Pages: 544
Keywords: fiction
Reading period: 2–24 August, 2010

Every Man Dies Alone was published in German in 1947, and became a “surprise bestseller” after it was translated into English in 2009. It's a novel of the little-known German resistance against the Nazis, loosely based on true events.

Otto and Anna Quangel are apolitical, middle-aged, working class Berliners, who become radicalized after the death of their son early in the War. Otto starts writing seditious postcards and dropping them in public buildings, hoping to foment unrest. The Gestapo grow furiouser as this goes on for two years, and several people are caught up in their dragnet before they eventually catch the Quangels.

Fallada is very good at capturing the paranoia and the aloneness of the ordinary Germans living in the Nazi police state. Even Gestapo inspectors have reason to be fearful. Fallada had, of course, just lived through it himself, under some degree of suspicion. The plotting and the characterization are clumsy and not as good as the atmosphere.

Somewhat recommended.

Review: Siren of the Waters http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,ea21c2fe-98c5-4e8e-a89d-a2f68b782dcc.aspx 2010-08-01T19:04:35.3248293-07:00 2010-08-01T19:04:35.3248293-07:00
Siren of the Waters
Title: Siren of the Waters
Author: Michael Genelin
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Publisher: Soho Crime
Copyright: 2008
ISBN: 1569475857
Pages: 304
Keywords: mystery
Reading period: 1 August, 2010

Jana Matinova is a senior Slovak police officer following the trail of a master criminal across half of Europe. His old rivals think he's dead and are squabbling over his legacy.

The book is more interesting in the long flashbacks to her early career under the Communists than in the fairly preposterous present-day plot, which relies too heavily on coincidences and clichés.

Review: Shakespeare in an Hour http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,6e6f9b39-072d-4fdd-9e77-3b303dc8bc31.aspx 2010-08-01T14:31:09.1573750-07:00 2010-08-01T14:31:09.1573750-07:00
Shakespeare in an Hour
Title: Shakespeare in an Hour
Author: Christopher Baker
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Publisher: Smith & Kraus
Copyright: 2010
ISBN: 1936232049
Pages: 112
Keywords: drama, history
Reading period: 28 July–1 August, 2010

Quick, readable intro to Shakespeare's life and plays, setting him in the context of the religious and political turmoils of the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean eras. You can't do justice to Shakespeare in an hour, of course, Most useful if you didn't already know anything about him or his work.

Review: A Nail Through the Heart http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,0b916574-41c5-4ac4-bfcf-385f4ec2b329.aspx 2010-08-01T14:24:49.0011250-07:00 2010-08-01T14:24:49.0011250-07:00
A Nail Through the Heart
Title: A Nail Through the Heart
Author: Timothy Hallinan
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2007
ISBN: 0061257222
Pages: 352
Keywords: mystery
Reading period: 31 July, 2010

Pock Rafferty is a "rough travel" writer trying to form a family in Bangkok with ex-bar girl Rose and former street kid Miaow. When he is asked to look into the disappearance of an Australian expat after the Tsunami, he finds both a sadistic child pornographer and a Khmer Rouge torturer.

Hallinan clearly knows a lot about Thai culture and brings the seedy back streets of Bangkok to life. Rafferty is no hard-bitten Marlowesque cynic however. He is a soft-hearted would-be family man, trying to bridge the cultural and emotional gaps between himself and his new family, while not getting them killed.

Either of these story lines would have been enough. Somehow, Pock in his desperation manages to play multiple sets of new enemies against each other and comes out intact.

Review: Assassin's Apprentice http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,2aa25022-e732-443d-8d12-7a5df8d907fa.aspx 2010-07-30T20:38:57.5225072-07:00 2010-07-30T20:38:57.5225072-07:00
Assassin's Apprentice
Title: Assassin's Apprentice
Author: Robin Hobb
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Publisher: Bantam Spectra
Copyright: 1995
ISBN: 055357339X
Pages: 448
Keywords: fantasy
Reading period: 30 July, 2010

The boy is abandoned at the castle gate when he's six, Prince Chivalry's bastard. Over ten years, he grows up on the sidelines, where he is ignored by most save the stable master. The king eventually finds a use for him, apprenticing the boy to his assassin.

There are few swords swung in this book. It's a character study of an outcast boy and his often strained relationships with others. It details his developing awareness of court intrigue and national politics, and the difficult choices that confront him.

Highly recommended.

Review: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,56ddc67f-2bec-4f12-aae3-e6c858c548c4.aspx 2010-07-30T20:36:16.4102234-07:00 2010-07-30T20:36:16.4102234-07:00
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Title: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Publisher: Anchor Books
Copyright: 1998
ISBN: 1400077656
Pages: 235
Keywords: mystery
Reading period: 28 July, 2010

The first of the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

Mma Precious Ramotswe sets up a one-woman detective agency in Gaborne, the capital of her native Botswana. She is shrewd and observant and makes a go of it, despite the naysayers. The book is a collection of short episodes, loosely tied together. Her good nature helps lead her to find satisfactory resolutions for most of her clients.

Enjoyable, if frothy.

Review: His Majesty's Dragon http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,f912d366-ad7d-454e-8d83-bd93b8a0c9a7.aspx 2010-07-30T20:33:25.0931494-07:00 2010-07-30T20:33:25.0931494-07:00
His Majesty's Dragon
Title: His Majesty's Dragon
Author: Naomi Novik
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Publisher: Del Rey
Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 0345481283
Pages: 384
Keywords: fantasy, alternate history
Reading period: 26 July, 2010

The first in the Temeraire series.

Capt. Will Laurence of the Royal Navy captures one of Napoleon's ships. It's carrying a dragon egg, from which the dragon Temeraire promptly hatches and bonds with Laurence. Laurence must leave the Navy and become an aviator in the socially undesirable Royal Aerial Corps, where he and Temeraire will fight against Napoleon's dragons.

This is a delightful cross between the Napoleonic seafaring of the Aubrey-Maturin novels and Dragonriders of Pern, with a little bit of Hogwarts for dragons thrown in. Temeraire is a precocious and intellectually curious dragon of exceptional abilities, who charms not only the readers but most of those he meets.

I'm looking forward to reading the next few books in the series.

Review: Bulldog Drummond http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,0e6f99d0-dc85-40d9-bb50-97d9eeb2fcd6.aspx 2010-07-30T20:30:31.5876787-07:00 2010-07-30T20:30:31.5876787-07:00
Bulldog Drummond
Title: Bulldog Drummond
Author: Sapper
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Copyright: 1920
ISBN: 1842325434
Pages: 280
Keywords: crime, pulp
Reading period: 25 July, 2010

First of the Bulldog Drummond novels.

Bored former army officer, Capt. Hugh Drummond, “late of the Royal Loamshires”, puts an advertisement in the paper looking for adventure. He gets more than he expected when a young woman puts him on the trail of a master criminal who is organizing a would-be socialist putsch.

Entertaining in a square-jawed, stiff-upper-lip sort of way.

Review: Playback http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,2f11c2b0-25bd-4629-beba-09d8d184ebd9.aspx 2010-07-30T20:21:25.0169143-07:00 2010-07-30T20:21:25.0169143-07:00
Playback
Title: Playback
Author: Raymond Chandler
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Publisher: Vintage
Copyright: 1958
ISBN: 0394757661
Pages: 176
Keywords: crime
Reading period: 23–24 July, 2010

Playback is the last Philip Marlowe novel completed by Raymond Chandler. Marlowe is hired to tail a woman who arrives on a train from the East. He follows her to a small town near San Diego, where she falls under the influence of a blackmailer—and Marlowe starts to fall for her.

Not Chandler's best work—one is left feeling that both Chandler and Marlowe are old and tired and going through the motions—but enjoyable none the less.

Review: The Scent of Shadows http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,c2a80e3b-cfff-40f0-9312-fb705d3503ef.aspx 2010-07-30T20:15:19.6062059-07:00 2010-07-30T20:15:19.6062059-07:00
The Scent of Shadows
Title: The Scent of Shadows
Author: Vicki Pettersson
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Publisher: Eos
Copyright: 2007
ISBN: 0060898917
Pages: 464
Keywords: urban fantasy
Reading period: 28 May–23 July, 2010

The plot is more than slightly ridiculous. Young woman discovers that exactly on her 25th birthday she will come into her hitherto unknown powers and join the secret superhero zodiacal troupe that protects Las Vegas from their nemeses. For her own protection, she must assume the identity of her murdered sister.

It's better than it sounds though. The heroine is appealing and copes fairly well with the traumatic upending of her life.

Review: Containment http://www.georgevreilly.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,d8d5abaf-84c2-4134-9e87-a36c82439b72.aspx 2010-07-30T20:13:37.6380734-07:00 2010-07-30T20:13:37.6380734-07:00
Containment
Title: Containment
Author: Christian Cantrell
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Publisher: Cantrell Media Company
Copyright: 2010
ISBN: 0984550518
Pages: 248
Keywords: science fiction
Reading period: 20–22 July, 2010

Arik is the smartest of the 100 young humans born to the only colony on Venus—a colony that needs to develop its independence from Earth. After he wakes from a three-month coma, he grows to realize that there is something very wrong going on in the colony.

The book starts off very slowly, with massive amounts of exposition that the author apparently couldn't bear to cut. Later, it develops some interesting ideas and unexpected plot twists, making it worthwhile.

Available as a free ebook from the author's website.