WWW Wednesdays November 13, 2013

W.W.W. Wednesdays is a weekly event brought to you by MizB from Should Be Reading.  To play along, answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you are going to read next?

Here is my WWW for today:

What are you currently reading?  I literally just picked up The Coach’s Son by Jeffrey Hickey.  Can’t wait to get started.  Check it out:

Synopsis:  Have you ever felt that your presence at a sporting event influenced the result? Are you certain your team could not possibly succeed without you at the game? Do you believe your adherence to a precise routine on game day, whether at the stadium or in your own home, is the key to winning or losing? And if you don’t hold to these rituals exactly, do you believe in your heart that your team is doomed? If you are a sports fan, you know about superstitions, curses and hexes. The sporting world is littered with these legends. Some, like the Curse of the Bambino, the Curse of the Billy Goat, or being on the cover of Sports Illustrated, are well known and documented. More recently, there has been a rising swell of evidence supporting the Madden Curse. But there are other stories similar to these that have never been told. This is one of those stories. It is the story of a boy named Mark O’Bern.

What did you recently finish reading?  I just finished reading Intermission: A Place In Time by Glenda Lee Vollmecke, Four Seasons of Patrick by Susan Hughes, and Upload by Mark McClelland.  My reviews of Intermission and Four Seasons of Patrick will be up shortly.  You can see my review of Upload here.

What do you think you are going to read next?   I am going to read Morehead by Jeffrey Hickey.

Synopsis:  Morehead is an explicitly adult novel, about Dave Morehead, a young man living in San Francisco during the height of the sexual revolution, in the late 1970’s to mid-1980’s. It was a time of sexual, evolutionary, and political change, with both glorious and nearly catastrophic consequences. San Francisco was teeming with diversity, and an evolving political base that forever changed the landscape of what had always been a progressive city. Harvey Milk, Halloween in the Castro, college classes where heterosexuals are in the minority, the first Gay Games, and spiritual cults comprise just part of the terrain Dave must traverse in order to get from where he was, to what he will become. Along the way, he is challenged, assaulted, and forced to defend himself, while relying on an expanding and surprising variety of friends. At the same time, a mysterious “gay cancer” is beginning to afflict some of his new friends and the community at large. Dave has to grow up, and he has to make choices. Will he be there for his friends, or will he let them go? Morehead is a coming of age story in the first person. It is told from the perspective of journals, classroom assignments, and transcribed audio recordings. Morehead comically, bluntly, graphically, and poignantly tells the tale of a straight young man living in a gay old city.

Review: Upload by Mark McClelland

Author:  Mark McClelland

Paperback, 277 pages

Published in 2012 by lulu.com

Reader Category:  Adult

Synopsis:  His criminal past catching up with him, a troubled young man seeks escape into digital utopia by uploading his consciousness into a computer — just as first love casts his life in a new light. In this thrilling near-future science-fiction novel, Mark McClelland explores the immense potential of computer-based consciousness and the philosophical perils of simulated society.

My Review: This book reminded me of a mix between Total Recall and Tron.  Our antihero, Raymond is not totally unlikeable.  Naturally the crime that he committed had me scratching my head at his decisions, but I also found myself having a degree of sympathy for him.

McClelland’s ability to describe not only the technical scenes, but the many layers of the “created” worlds was exemplary.  I am glad that he not only included the flowers and beautiful aspects that one would hope to see in a fantasy world, but the dark and ugly parts that would have to serve as a counterbalance as well.  The story is well thought out, eerily projecting what may be possible in our near future.  A good mixture of science fiction, morality and love can be found here.

Although I often found myself struggling through some of the more technical passages, I found the story fascinating.  I would recommend it to any science fiction fan.

Disclaimer:  I received this book from the author free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

Teaser Tuesdays November 5, 2013

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading.  Everyone is invited to play along.  Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title and author as well so that others can add the book to their To Be Read list!

Alright, alright, this has been a slow reading week for me.  I am still reading Upload by Mark McClelland.  Check out the new teaser and synopsis below:

Nurania was not the only world Raymond had ever built.  As a child, he created many v-worlds, deleting them and starting over, again and again, refining his vision and his skills through trial error.  Page 174

Synopsis:  His criminal past catching up with him, a troubled young man seeks escape into digital utopia by uploading his consciousness into a computer – just as first love casts his life in a new light.  In this thrilling near-future science-fiction novel, Mark McClelland explores the immense potential of computer-based consciousness and the philosophical perils of simulated society.

WWW Wednesdays October 30, 2013

W.W.W. Wednesdays is a weekly event brought to you by MizB from Should Be Reading.  To play along, answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you are going to read next?

Wow.  I can’t believe that October is almost at an end.  It feels like fall outside and I am loving it.  Perfect time to grab your read and a cup of tea.  Enjoy!  Here is my WWW for today:

What are you currently reading?  I am reading Upload by Mark McClelland.  So far it’s really good.  Check it out:

Synopsis:  His criminal past catching up with him, a troubled young man seeks escape into digital utopia by uploading his consciousness into a computer – just as first love casts his life in a new light.  In this thrilling near-future science-fiction novel, Mark McClelland explores the immense potential of computer-based consciousness and the philosophical perils of simulated society.

What did you recently finish reading?  I just finished reading Marcel Proust in Taos by Jon Foyt and The Hanging Tree by Michael Phillip Cash.  See my review of The Hanging Tree here.  I am waiting for interview question responses from Jon Foyt before I post my review for Marcel Proust in Taos, so stay tuned.

What do you think you are going to read next?   I am going to read Intermission by Glenda Lee Vollmecke.  It’s a pretty short read so hoping to read The Coach’s Son by Jeffrey Hickey right after.  Check them out below:

Synopsis:  Who would have thought that a young girl like Glen born in the aftermath of WWII, whose family lived on a fixed income would be present at Rock-n-Roll’s most memorable events when the Beatles took Liverpool and the world, by storm. Glen who at seven years old lost her adored father, and adapted to boarders taken in to help with the bills. Subsequently, she endured the selfish antics of her stepfather who even tried to dispatch her to Scotland at the age of eight, by placing her on the wrong train.

Amazing vivid descriptions of this era, her associations with the Beatles and other Liverpool musicians bring to life an incredible period. The Liverpool lads knew she was there, and during their initial appearances, she recalls fond memories of her favorite Beatle Ringo, who was quite a clown. She shares her life from age six until sixteen, and it is an overwhelming journey. You will not put this book down! Take a break, and enjoy this ‘place in time’ and feel the ambiance, familiarity, and awareness of the past.

From Goodreads:  Have you ever felt that your presence at a sporting event influenced the result? Are you certain your team could not possibly succeed without you at the game? Do you believe your adherence to a precise routine on game day, whether at the stadium or in your own home, is the key to winning or losing? And if you don’t hold to these rituals exactly, do you believe in your heart that your team is doomed? If you are a sports fan, you know about superstitions, curses and hexes. The sporting world is littered with these legends. Some, like the Curse of the Bambino, the Curse of the Billy Goat, or being on the cover of Sports Illustrated, are well known and documented. More recently, there has been a rising swell of evidence supporting the Madden Curse. But there are other stories similar to these that have never been told. This is one of those stories. It is the story of a boy named Mark O’Bern.

Tell me about your WWW’s!

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Teaser Tuesdays October 29, 2013

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading.  Everyone is invited to play along.  Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title and author as well so that others can add the book to their To Be Read list!

This week I am reading Upload by Mark McClelland.  Check out the teaser and synopsis below:

The group made their way through what felt like an ancient fog-enshrouded crypt, down crowded plaster-walled corridors, ethereal voices whispering eerie bits of poetry.  Raymond leaned forward, over Anya’s shoulder.  Page 72

Synopsis:  His criminal past catching up with him, a troubled young man seeks escape into digital utopia by uploading his consciousness into a computer – just as first love casts his life in a new light.  In this thrilling near-future science-fiction novel, Mark McClelland explores the immense potential of computer-based consciousness and the philosophical perils of simulated society.

WWW Wednesdays October 23, 2013

W.W.W. Wednesdays is a weekly event brought to you by MizB from Should Be Reading.  To play along, answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you are going to read next?

Here is my WWW for today:

What are you currently reading?  I am on an indie author roll!  I am currently reading Marcel Proust in Taos by Jon Foyt.

Synopsis:  A Los Alamos physicist, Christopher, retires to Taos, New Mexico to write a novel about nuclear terrorism. There he meets aspiring artist Marlene, and the two fall in love. Together they open a microbrewery and find themselves confronting terrorism of a new sort—in unmapped emotional territory.

What did you recently finish reading?  I just finished reading scary, man by Jeffrey Hickey.  See my review and an interview with the author here.

Synopsis:  Droll and dead-on in its sizing up of contemporary culture scary, man is author Jeffrey Hickey’s wry and singular story of one man, his wife, and their daughter. Together, they embrace a new normal at the turn of the twenty-first century in America, while trying their hardest in the land of the free, and the home of the afraid. As Griffin shuffles from one appearance to the next as a man working in the world of children, he becomes increasingly vulnerable to the fears and suspicions of others. He also has plenty of his own well-earned, obvious flaws that feed into the small-town gum-flapping. At the same time, his wife Samantha, who runs a home day care, is on the brink of her own existential malaise. This propels her to follow her calling as a teacher, going back to school to do so and creating some distance between herself and her family. To add further complexity to family life, their canny, candid daughter Clare is nursing her own identity crisis that’s just about ready to bubble to the surface.

scary, man is an absorbing work of literary fiction peppered with gay themes and social commentary, this humor-inflected take on small towns, small minds, rumor mills, and rampant paranoia will strike an all-too-familiar chord with readers trying to make their way through the shaky American landscape, while keeping marriage and morals intact, and mayhem at bay. It will leave readers nodding in queasy recognition, while at the same time scratching their heads at the plight of the protagonist who is plenty bright, but who just can’t seem to get it right.

What do you think you are going to read next?   I just received Upload by mark McClelland.  Check out the synopsis below:

Synopsis:  His criminal past catching up with him, a troubled young man seeks escape into digital utopia by uploading his consciousness into a computer – just as first love casts his life in a new light.  In this thrilling near-future science-fiction novel, Mark McClelland explores the immense potential of computer-based consciousness and the philosophical perils of simulated society.

Tell me about your WWW’s!

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