It is Banned Books Week here in the US, dedicated to making sure conservatives don't destroy knowledge and entertainment in the efforts of appeasing their hate-filled, dogmatic version of God. Google has a page devoted to keeping literature alive.
Daily Lit is a service that will send you sections of literature in your email, in just enough good-sized chunks that you can read quickly in a day. Then you can get a bit inspired and wait (im)patiently for the next day's selection.
As for myself, I've been reading my usual batch of sci/fi and political stuff, along with a tech manual whenever I can concentrate long enough to dig into it. Just for fun, I wanted to highlight a few of them. Who knows? You might even be interested in following my lead.
First off is the "Dies the Fire" series by S.M. Stirling. Imagine a world where technology just basically goes away. Humans are left in a pre-steam, pre-industry environment. Stirling takes us through the lives of various groups who revert to near-Middle Ages society in order to survive. The last book just came out recently and the first two are in paperback for you cheap-skates. Or just use the library.
Going along with the beyond normal theme, I really, really enjoyed the next book. Titled World War Z, it follows the oral history of a zombie war. Yes, zombies. Basically, Max Brooks has made a name for himself in zombie literature. The book is smart, well thought-out, and actually keeps your reading as the author covers the improbable and unimaginable. It literally reads like a Studs Terkel collection.
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
And don't read this without the companion guide which started it all. I sent it to Tom as a gag gift and got a copy for myself as well.
The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead
That's all for now. Yes, I do read weird stuff but it keeps me sane when on the road.
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