Books and Stuff...

What I've been reading this week...

I finished reading A Watery Grave. The mystery was a little thin, but I liked the setting and owe it to Joan to make the effort, so - as I had it on my shelf - I've jumped right into the next Wiki Coffin story, Shark Island.

I also started another book edited by another old Marhster, Capt Peter Hore.  It's Seapower Ashore: 200 Years of Royal Navy Operations on Land.  The intro went into the difference between a Mahanitte concept of seapower and the Corbettian view, but I'm hoping that the individual chapters will be a little lighter!  And so far, so good.  With contributions from people like Tom Pocock, Colin White and Andrew Lambert, it should be good stuff.

What I've bought this week...

James B Johnson The Alternate-Day Diet.  Actually, we ordered this almost six weeks ago  through a retailer using Amazon, after watching a very interesting docco on the telly by Michael Mosely.  The first copy went missing in the post, so we've had to wangle a second.  Michael Mosely (whose journalism we trust) was very positive about the technique, and the Amazon review were good.  We'll see.

...and downloaded for the Kindle

Journey to the Heart of Luna (Space: 1889 & Beyond Series, Book 1) by Andy Frankham-Allen- £1.98.

I've always liked the concept of Space 1889 but, not being a wargamer, never had the chance to delve into it.  I don't know if it'll stand up to my demanding standards when reading guff sci fi, but at two quid it'll provide an afternoon's entertainment or head to the delete bin.  I hoping for something like a mix of Robert Heinlein's juveniles and HG Wells' lighter works.

Not being an aficionado, I don't know whether it's considered Steampunk or whether VSF (Victorian Science Fiction) is a genre of it's own.  I stand to be corrected, but I suspect VSF consists of men in their forties with beards and beer-bellies (like me), whereas Steampunk is for dystopian vampires and girlies (in bustles).

How can you not like this sort of thing?

In fact, I'm very tempted to buy one of these steam tanks kits and have a bash at it.