The weather turned, and it’s been very windy and we’ve had rain, which is welcome. In addition to helping put out the still-burning wildfires, it’s refreshing, Autumnal, and helps with drought.
Reading: I had been reading Grant by Ron Chernow, the 1,100 + page biography. I got to about page 400 (I’m reading the ebook version, and it has those funny location numbers instead of page numbers), at which point the Civil War is technically over, with all armies of the South surrendering, and Grant in Washington demoing the Army and dealing with, and avoiding if possible the politics, as Andrew Johnson has become President following the assassination of Lincoln.
But that was enough for a while. I’ll get back to it later, but for now I needed a break.
So, I read Rufus King’s The Constant God (review forthcoming) and a few short stories. Some of those will appear in posts I do for Patti Abbott’s Short Story Wednesday.
Music: I’ve been listening to CDs, specifically the music of Sir Arnold Bax. Here’s a sample, if you’re interested.
Pongo: Growing like the proverbial weed, he’s up to 8 pounds (!) and getting big. Just the other day he was a little kitten. Here’s a picture.
Tip the Wink 
He really is a very handsome cat.
Grant has always interested me, and his autobiography has been on my “to read” list for years.
I read an interesting “horror” novel, that took some time to live up to its category, Stephen Graham Jones’s The Only Good Indians. I liked it. Seems four young Blackfeet illegally killed some elk ten years earlier, and one of them turned out to be pregnant. Now something seems to be hunting the men as the ten year anniversary approaches.
I guess you could say there was a theme this week, as I read Craig Johnson’s latest Longmire book, Next to Last Stand, which is Custer related. It is relatively lighter and fun for a Longmire title and I liked it a lot.
I’ve been reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Complete Short Stories, but have taken a break to start the new Ed Hoch collection of Simon Ark stories, though he is far from my favorite Hoch series character.
Pongo thanks your the compliment.
We have the Longmire book on hold at the library, but it’s a loooong wait. I got burned out on Hoch with all the C&L collections.
Pongo takes a very good picture. He always looks perplexed. (Our cat usually looks mad or grumpy.) I am glad to hear that there is something to help alleviate the wildfires. It does seem like it takes forever for them end.
Sounds like your reading is going well. I read some short stories last night and enjoyed all of them.
I still struggle with the reading…I just finished a library book and now don’t have the next, except short stories.
I am sorry to hear that. My reading certainly is going much slower. I don’t know if it is the books (although most I am really enjoying), or concentrating on gardening while I still can, or getting lost in the internet too much.
Very pretty music. Had never heard of him.
I have CDs of all the symphonies, concertos and incidental music. He’s a favorite.
Pongo seems to be a very personable cat. If there had been a Trump-Pongo ticket rather than a Trump-Pence ticket I might have been swayed. Actually, no. Not in the least.
My reading this week has again been mainly short stories. Several of Terry Carr’s Best of the Year anthologies (I have two more at hand that I’m working on) and some of John W. Campbell’s later Analog anthologies, as well as various stories and few tales to line up for [atti’s Wednesday posts
Coming up? I’m thinking I’m in the mood for few pulp adventure hero novels. I’ll be getting to the new Longmire, the new John Connolly, and the new Dean Koontz some time soon.
Pongo is a good-looking cat, Richard. We have lots of cats and stray dogs in our neighbourhood; in fact, they’re everywhere in Mumbai. People feed them wherever they are.
Richard, can you recommend one or two definitive books on the Civil War? Over the years I have been reading about the war in fiction, mostly westerns, and in essays and articles online, and have acquired some knowledge about the event. Many thanks.
Diane and I listened to GRANT (38 CDS!) and it took us a couple of months. Even though the Civil War sections were exciting, the later chapters on Grant’s administration held our attention.
Grant is well worth reading.
Listened to the music. I found it pretty boring, but I have never liked chamber music and find the harp my least favorite instrument in the world.
Fair enough, Steve, I like his symphonic works better, but that was the clip I found.