Anne's Updates

Anne added 'Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational'

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 08:11:02 -0700

Anne gave 4 stars to Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational (Audiobook) by Michael Shermer
bookshelves: audio, libby-app, non-fiction, read-in-2025
The Audible Original for The Great Courses is a somewhat abbreviated version of this book and well worth it if you're looking for something a bit more bite-sized. <--but still delicious!

The conspiracies covered are interesting. And I loved the way he peeled apart the difference between the "evidence" we've heard via pop culture that has propagated some of these theories into large-scale societal beliefs vs the facts that we should be looking at. Sometimes we subconsciously assume things to be true or probably true without even realizing why or how we came to that conclusion. The conspiracies are just out there in the ether with believableish sounding talking points.
The first line of defense against gullibility is to take a rational look around and try to shake our ingrained reaction toward confirmation bias.
For example, the CIA has done shady and illegal things in the past does not equal JFK was killed by the CIA, but an overwhelming number of people still believe this to be at least somewhat true.

The biggest difference I noticed between this and The Great Courses version, was that at the end of this book, it discusses how to talk to people who hold both fringe and mainstream conspiracy theories without it turning into a heated argument. Or losing relationships over the disagreements.
I really like the way Shermer is open to criticizing both sides of the political fence over their pet conspiracies. Also, that we should all be not only talking to but actively listening to people with ideas we disagree with. That's really the only way we can find the underlying causes to help us untangle the reasons behind what seems like vast gulfs of belief between family, friends, and neighbors.

Some of the more prevalent and disproven conspiracy theories tell us a lot about not only ourselves but our cultural and societal worries.
We are creatures who are hardwired to need answers. Conspiracies happen, so it's not at all crazy to stop and take a look at them. But it is important to take a look at the actual evidence and make an informed, rational, neutral decision on which ones to believe.
And it is also VERY important to look in the mirror and realize that what you would like to believe is going to make you biased. I try hard to untangle myself from my emotions when I listen to new information but I usually fail and end up with some kind of biased gut-reaction takeover of my mouth.

So that's my (belated) New Year's resolution. Shut up and listen. Take a step back. Then take a deep breath and attempt some unbiased research. Go into conversations with an open mind, and the idea that what I believe may be wrong.
I'm not, of course. Pffft. <--damn, that's a hard habit to break.
At the very least, my hope is that I'll end up with a broader understanding of the people around me, and I think this book will go a long way to helping me reach that goal.

Recommended.

Anne added 'Austenland'

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 07:36:52 -0700

Anne gave 3 stars to Austenland (Austenland, #1) by Shannon Hale
bookshelves: audio, chick-lit, libby-app, read-in-2025, romance
Cute.
If you can distance yourself from the super weird premise.

Jane is strange, no two ways about it. She apparently considers every guy she ever went on a date with (and one guy who just asked about her dog while they were getting mail) her ex-boyfriends. She has tumbled through life jumping the gun on emotions, creating marriage scenarios out of wishes, and treating each new man as the one in her mind.
That's some real yikes! behavior right there.

The root cause of this is her obsession with the BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. And like so many women, she fell in love with Firth's Mr. Darcy.
Now in her early 30s, she feels constantly let down by real-life romance and secretly longs for a Mr. Darcy of her own.

At this point, I just had to chalk up her pathetic personality as a metaphor for all of us who love Pride And Prejudice and have found ourselves being a bit silly over Firth with the wet shirt...
Why? It was such a humungous ugly shirt - he looked like he was wearing a 10-year-old girl's nightgown with some pants! And we all just lost our fucking minds.
That's talent.

Anyway. My point is that I decided to pretend that Jane wasn't icky and just roll with this story. And it turned out to be a lot better than I thought it would be, especially when you consider that she goes on a vacation (paid for by an aunt) to a place where they have re-created a version of Pemberly.
Some of the people there are guests, and some are actors.
But everyone dresses in period clothes, speaks like they're from the 1800s, follows the social customs of that period, and plays out different romantic storylines of Austen's books.
Austenland.
Yes, that does sound creepy.
Again, I decided to roll with it because a tiny part of me is a creep, too.

Ok, so while she's at Austenland she tries to live out her fantasy with the hopes that when it's over, she'll be cured of her fake obsession and open to meeting someone real.
So what happens? <--not telling you
I will say, it's a bit far-fetched.
But cute.

There's also a chance you might need to be not only a big fan of P&P the book, but of the miniseries as well, in order to not be completely skeeved out by the heroine and the plot.
And now I've got to go watch the movie they made of this book.

Recommended for fans of Firth.

Anne added 'The Inverness Cape: A Sergeant Beef Short Story'

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 07:36:06 -0700

Anne gave 4 stars to The Inverness Cape: A Sergeant Beef Short Story (Paperback) by Leo Bruce
bookshelves: audio, mystery, short-stories, read-in-a-different-collection
Sergeant Beef tells the story of the perfect alibi.
Or so it would seem...

The dubious nephew of his wealthy aunt is brutally murdered while her wheelchairbound sister looks on from her window. The sister is 100% sure the assailant was their debt-riddled nephew who would inherit. Why? Well, he was wearing the gaudy cape that he was known to gad about town in.

However, upon closer inspection, it turns out that the nephew had sent that cape off to be cleaned, so it looks as though he's in the clear.
[spoilers removed]
And they would have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for that pesky Beef.

Originally published in The Sketch magazine in 1952. I read this as part of the short story detective anthology Bodies from the Library.

Anne added 'Scalped: The Deluxe Edition, Book Four'

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 06:10:11 -0700

Anne gave 5 stars to Scalped: The Deluxe Edition, Book Four (Hardcover) by Jason Aaron
bookshelves: comics, crime, graphic-novels, hoopla, noir, read-in-2025
There's actually a story in here with a happy ending!
Stop getting my hopes up, Aaron.

But that one story about the old couple who live all alone out in the middle of nowhere and it looks like so dire for these two? That's my favorite story in this whole entire Scalped run. But you know me, I love a little something sweet from time to time.

There are several stories in the beginning of this that go off on their own and look at characters that may or may not be important later on.
Shunka's big secret! <--did not see that one coming.

Carol's pregnancy was the big story arc for me in this one.
Will she be able to kick the habit? And even if she does, then what?
It tackles really tough subject matter and talks about several abortions that characters had, mothers who wanted to abort but didn't, and how all of these decisions trickled down for good or for bad. There's no black-and-white answer to any of it, and I appreciate that Aaron didn't try to give one.

Dash might be the main character, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Dino is the character that all of us are following. Watching him walk that razor's edge, hoping he doesn't fall, that's what draws our eyes to the page. It's such a subtle but incredibly powerful vein running through the entire storyline.
This was one of my favorite books out of the whole bunch.

Highly Recommended.

Anne added 'Austenland'

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 06:09:00 -0700

Anne added 'Venetia'

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 06:08:31 -0700

Anne gave 4 stars to Venetia (Audiobook) by Georgette Heyer
bookshelves: audio, libby-app, read-in-2025, romance
For those who love a good scandal.

Venetia is quite the free spirit. And while Damerel isn't perfect, I think they make a good pair.
I was also quite shocked at the twist that allowed them to get their HEA!
Didn't see that one coming but I liked it.

Venetia has her own money and doesn't need to marry, nor does she necessarily want to, until she meets her match in Lord Damerel. Unfortunately, his scandalous past makes him a non-option to eligible young ladies like herself. It appears that he ran off with a married woman, lived in sin for a bit, and has spent his remaining time in one rakish escapade after another. So. He's had a bit of fun over the years, yeah?
And has now come back to his family's seat - right next to Veneita's.
Where they soon become fast friends.
I love that they genuinely like each other, and that's probably the main reason I rooted for these two to get their HEA.

But there are several things in the book that are products of its time, and that might make it less enjoyable for some readers.
For example, in the scene where Venetia meets Lord Jasper Damerel, he mistakes her for a servant and proceeds to forcibly kiss her.
Ew. For several reasons.
That didn't exactly endear him to me, but I can still remember thinking this sort of behavior was fun in a fantasy sort of way when I was younger. Authors had to write scenes around the values that were drummed into us as young women, so "forcibly" being kissed or touched (which allowed you to go with the fantasy and still see the girls as good) was pretty much the only avenue available to if you were marketing to the mainstream and wanted to add a bit of spice. Looking back, I try not to dock the book for social issues like that, and this was published in 1958, so...yeah.

I also think some people are thrown by the statement she makes at the end about being ok with the uncertainty that he will be able to remain faithful to her over the coming years.
But to me, that just means she's realistic about life. How can you ever be sure someone won't cheat on you? Is there something out there that I'm unaware of that can give you that 100% guarantee when you get married?
No. There's no promise that isn't breakable, and if you think there is, you're fooling yourself.
I know. I'm such a killjoy.

If you're a fan of Heyer's romances, I think you'll like this, though.
Recommended.

Anne added 'Door to Door, Night by Night Vol. 2: Knocking On Heaven's Door'

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 06:08:20 -0700

Anne gave 3 stars to Door to Door, Night by Night Vol. 2: Knocking On Heaven's Door (2) by Cullen Bunn
bookshelves: comics, graphic-novels, hoopla, horror, read-in-2025
Good second volume.

This isn't anything that I'd urge you to go out and buy due to its ingenious awesomeness.
But if you are actively looking for something along the lines of a horror/comedy, this fits the bill.
Set in the 80s, a group of door to door salesmen (salespeople) have become somewhat reluctant monster hunters as they enter each town and find some sort of creepy-crawly has infested it. Turns out, monsters are a case of once you see it, you can't unsee it and now they feel obligated to root out evil wherever they go.

It's a fun, if unnecessary, series.
And if this sounds like something you might like, you could do a whole lot worse.

Anne added 'Scalped: The Deluxe Edition, Book Three'

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 04:25:13 -0700

Anne gave 4 stars to Scalped: The Deluxe Edition, Book Three (Hardcover) by Jason Aaron
bookshelves: comics, crime, hoopla, noir, read-in-2025
Dash and Carol reconnect.
Awwww.
But instead of helping Carol up from her downward spiral of random sex and drugs, she helps Dash learn how to use heroin to numb the pain.

You find out more about FBI agent Baylis and the reasons behind his need for revenge against Lincoln. And in a shocking turn of events, it doesn't make him any more lovable or relatable. Good to know some things never change.

A con man hits the casino and some unforeseen craziness pulls Dash into a life-and-death situation. And on top of all of that, we find out who killed Dash's mom, Gina.

Highly recommended for fans of crime noir.

Anne added 'Absolute Superman (2024-) #2'

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 03:51:55 -0700

Anne gave 3 stars to Absolute Superman (2024-) #2 by Jason Aaron
bookshelves: comics, dc-infinite, graphic-novels, read-in-2025
Still not love-loving it.

Lois is a soldier who ends up cuffed to Kal-El when she tries to arrest him.
He's not Clark because there are no Kents so far other than a panel showing a burned-out farmhouse in the last issue.
And there's an unfunny joke that goes on too long as Kal refers to being "chuffed" to Lois and his AI suit keeps correcting him. Also, the suit is made out of something like nanobots that allow it to turn into dust and seal wounds, along with picking locks and swirling around to do various heroic things.

Lois gets an up close and personal look at Kal being heroic and selfless, soft-spoken and commanding, and just basically perfect in every way. This propels her to forgo the Brainiac AI (that acts like AI and gets everything slightly wrong) that usually helps her write her reports, and write her own report on "the incident" with the Super Man.
Ooooh. She likes it.
Who knew? <--kinda cute.

I don't hate it, but I'm still kind of waffling on whether or not this is a cool take on Superman.

Anne added 'The Elusive Bullet - a Dr. Priestley Short Story'

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 11:46:55 -0700

Anne gave 3 stars to The Elusive Bullet - a Dr. Priestley Short Story (Kindle Edition) by John Rhode
bookshelves: audio, mystery, short-stories, read-in-a-different-collection
Back, and to the left.

Dr. Priestley is called upon to try and exonerate the heir of a wealthy businessman who was shot on a train after they were heard arguing. No gun is found, but it turns out that the nephew hopped on the train, as well. <--what are the odds he didn't off the old man?

The explanation was far-fetched but fun.
Originally published in 1931 and read as part of the short story detective anthology Bodies from the Library.