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RamsFan1963

RamsFan1963

Joined March 2018

LA Rams Fan, Book Lover, Old School Comics Fan, Hufflepuff and Retail Warrior
blurb
RamsFan1963
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I like it when life syncs up with what I'm reading. Yesterday a storm knocked out the power from 7pm until 10am this morning. No TV, no wi-fi, no internet, and once my phone ran down, no ebooks or audiobooks. No distractions at all, just the printed book to read. Is there something wrong with me when I say that I found no distractions very distracting? I tried to concentration on the book, but I found my mind wandering. It's not the book's ⬇️

RamsFan1963 fault, its very entertaining and Keith Laumer is one of my favorite writers, but I found reading without any background noise, of fans and the fridge, harder than normal. 3d
AnnCrystal Yikes! The unnerving part is not knowing how long it will last for 🙏💫. 3d
RamsFan1963 @AnnCrystal I suppose that's what was making it hard to concentrate, I kept expecting the power to come back on. Since I've lived in this apt, we've had occasional power outages, but never for very long, a couple of hours. According to the news, the storm knocked down several trees which took power lines with them, so they were up all night fixing things. 3d
52 likes3 comments
review
RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

43/100 Sadly, the concluding volume of Rat Queens is not as satisfying as I had hoped. They didn't stick the landing, but it wasn't a thud either. Hannah has her final confrontation with Evil Hannah, but the ending is ambiguous as to which one really won. The most jarring thing was the change of art style, again!, to a much more cartoonish style. I little manga like at times. I'll give it a low pick, but its disappointing to see ⬇️

RamsFan1963 a series with so much potential, end in such a downbeat way. 3 ⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025 6d
43 likes1 comment
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RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

42/100 I hate to sound like an old foggy, but I miss the days when comic creative teams stayed on a title more than 2 or 3 issues, not that I expect anyone to do 102 issues like Lee & Kirby did on Fantastic Four, but I appreciate continuity in writing and art. That said, I miss Kurtis Wiebe's writing style. This issues humor seemed forced, as if every other word being a cuss word was funny. I didn't mind the art style change, it was close ⬇️

RamsFan1963 enough to the previous artists style, so it wasn't a jarring change. One last volume of the Rat Queens to go. I hope there's a satisfying conclusion. A low pick. 3 ⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025 7d
53 likes1 comment
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RamsFan1963
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1. The tagged book made me laugh, made me cry, and had me blushing from the spice. I plan a relisten to the audiobook soon.
2. The Zero Stone by Andre Norton & Aristoi by Walter Jon Williams

#wonderouswednesday @Eggs

RamsFan1963 By the way, I might have forgotten to mention this, but after 3 months, I'm back in the work force with a new job. I'm selling shoes, but don't call me Al Bundy 🤣🤣 7d
Eggs Congratulations 🎉 7d
RamsFan1963 @Eggs Thanks! 7d
Lesliereadsalot That‘s great! I worked as a shoe model for awhile once upon a time. 6d
33 likes4 comments
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RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

41/100 There is a killer lose in Gotham, named Midnight, who takes the heart of their victims. Working with some of Batman's most notorious foes, Joker, Scarecrow, Clayface, they wreak terror on the city. The story is kind of clunky, exposition heavy, and Midnight's true identity is pretty obvious. What saves this from a so-so rating, is the amazing artwork by Kelly Jones. Jones truly captures Batman as a creature of the night, and since this ⬇️

RamsFan1963 is more a horror comic than a superhero one, the designs of Batman, Midnight, and Gotham itself, brings the story up a notch or two. Jones reminds me a lot of Bernie Wrightson, who was a master of horror comics. 3 ⭐⭐⭐💫 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025 7d
AnnCrystal 💫💫🦇💫💫. 7d
TheSpineView 👍📖📚 5d
40 likes3 comments
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RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

40/100 For those of you unfamiliar with the excellent Tik Tok series, Hell's Belles, this is the prequel novel. You don't have to have watched the series to enjoy the book, but it does hit different if you have. Romantasy isn't my usual chosen genre, but this book was a rollercoaster ride, one minute laughing, the next crying, then blushing from the spice. Wow, and what spice 🌶🌶🌶 The author has a very vivid imagination, and her sex scenes ⬇️

RamsFan1963 are hot, graphic, explicit, but also funny and romantic. I don't think I can hype this up enough. If you enjoy romance, adventure, found family, smoking hot sex, demons and sharks, then you need to get this. 5 Big Fat Stars 🌟 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025 TW: graphic sex, child abuse, cancer, warfare, physical injury 1w
Reggie Funny enough out of all that you had me at demons and sharks. Stacked. lol 1w
52 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

39/100 Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Norris, Van Damme, Willis, Seagal, and Chan, all the giants of 80s action movies. I grew up with these movies, especially the ones by Stallone and Schwarzenegger. I never cared for Steven Seagal, his acting was horrible and his "martial arts" always seemed faked and staged. The nostalgia is strong, plus there's plenty of behind the scene gossip. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐?

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Seagal is 100% a hack and a fraud. 😅 But I love most old action films and many of the stars. I‘ll have to check this one out, for sure. 2w
MemoirsForMe Loved all these action films too and lately have been happily binge-watching all the Charlie Chan movies. So true about Seagal.😁💤 What about Bruce Lee? 2w
RamsFan1963 @MemoirsForMe The book covered movies of the 80s and early 90s, after Bruce Lee's time. They do mention Lee when discussing Chuck Norris, who fought Lee in Enter The Dragon, and Jackie Chan, who got his start in the same film. 2w
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The_Book_Ninja You know what, everyone hates on Seagal now and rightly so, he‘s a bonafide douche…but if you grew up watching action flicks, his early films were bangers: lots of bad guys getting smacked up, awesome knife fights and the same no-nonsense heroics and street justice that makes Jack Reacher so popular. And you can‘t hate Above the Law because it‘s got the most beautiful and underrated actress in Hollywood in it: Pam Grier. 2w
RamsFan1963 @The_Book_Ninja I liked his first 3 movies, I even liked Under Siege, but after that they got repetitive and generic. I forgot he also directed On Deadly Ground, which was a bloated, preachy disaster. Seagal isn't painted in a good light in this book, his rampant egomania, his abuse of stuntmen and costars, and his distasteful attitude towards women. Not to mention he once said he was a greater martial artist than Bruce Lee. 2w
The_Book_Ninja @RamsFan1963 I agree with all of this👏🏼 2w
61 likes4 stack adds6 comments
review
RamsFan1963
Police Patrol: 2000 A.D. | Mack Reynolds
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Pickpick

38/100 I love books like this, written in 1977, envisioning the world of 2000, but looking back from 2025 and seeing how off the author's vision came to be. Sadly, no hovercars or helio-jets for the police, no Universal Credit Cards to replace money, no instant purchases delivered to your home by vaccum tube. It's still a fun read, although too short for any character development. 3 ⭐⭐⭐💫 #Read2025

CSeydel I mean … we kind of have instant purchases with Amazon same day delivery. (Imagine how cumbersome a network of vacuum tubes all over the country would be! 🤣) And ApplePay or Venmo are kind of like “universal credit cards” 2w
Ruthiella Still no flying cars! 😂 2w
RamsFan1963 @CSeydel Yes those are close, but in the book, the Universal Credit Card is issued to everyone, so it's like a government supported welfare for everyone. If you had a job, you had more on your card, but even the unemployed got what was called Inalienable Basic, so no one went homeless or starved. They also had universal health care, another thing we can't seem to get right. 2w
CSeydel Oh yeah, that‘s a very different thing! 2w
57 likes4 comments
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RamsFan1963
Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula | Loren D. Estleman
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Mehso-so

37/100 This series of "Further Adventures" of Sherlock Holmes are very hit or miss. I deem this one a definite miss. While the author does a good job mimicking the writing style of Conan Doyle, the story is kind of flat and the ending is seriously anticlimactic. Other SH stories, like The Hounds of the Baskervilles, had supernatural elements, but they were all explained in logical, reality based solution. I was hoping it wouldn't really be the ⬇️

RamsFan1963 mythical monster, but something more human hiding behind the legend. I wonder why Dracula is never portrayed in the movies with a mustache, since I understand he has one in the original novel. 3 ⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025 3w
AnnCrystal I'm the wacky kind, who becomes very disappointed when the supernatural gets debunked 😜😂🧐🧛📚💫. 3w
TheSpineView 🤩📖📚 2w
62 likes3 comments
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RamsFan1963
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Hey everybody!! I'm sorry I'm so late with this, March was not a good month for me, hopefully April will be better. I also hope everyone enjoyed Childhood's End. It's not my favorite Clarke novel, but different strokes for different folks. A reminder, April's selection is The Weapon Shops of Isher by A.E. Van Vogt. Hope everyone enjoys. #ClassicLSFBC
@Bookwomble @Ruthiella @TheSpineView @BookmarkTavern @wanderinglynn @Readergrrl

44 likes4 comments
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RamsFan1963
Once in a Blue Moon | Simon R. Green
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Pickpick

36/100 I loved this book, I've loved every book I've read by this author, but Hawk & Fisher were the first and have always remained my favorites. Once again the Forest Kingdom is threatened by the Demon Prince and his minions, so Hawk & Fisher (once Prince Rupert & Princess Julia) return to save the day and met out some bloody, gory justice. I'm sorry this is the fifth and final book in the Forest Kingdom series, but it went out with a bang! 5 🌟

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RamsFan1963
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Mehso-so

35/100 Thankfully this was fairly short, I think I would have bailed if it was longer. I liked the idea of an AI hologram agent, but it seemed used mostly for comedic effect. 3 ⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025

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RamsFan1963
The Fade Out Vol. 3 | Ed Brubaker
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Pickpick

34/100 This wasn't the conclusion that I wanted, but I guess it is the ending that best suits the story. In the end, there's no justice, for anyone, people die, the studio covers more scandals, and everyone shrugs and goes about their business as if it's all supposed to be this way. 3.75/5 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

TieDyeDude Yeah, it had kind of a Chinatown ending, which was fitting, IMO. 4w
48 likes1 comment
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RamsFan1963
The Fade Out Vol. 2 | Ed Brubaker
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Pickpick

33/100 The mystery deepens as our writer "hero" foolishly falls in love with the actress hired to replace the other actress. Plenty of secrets come out, dirty tricks, sexual assaults, perversions, scandals the studio is willing to kill to keep quiet. Charlie, the writer, is too drunk most of the time to realize the real danger he is involved in. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

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RamsFan1963
The Fade Out Vol. 1 | Ed Brubaker
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Pickpick

32/100 A very dark and gritty story of late 1940s Hollywood. A young starlet is found dead, and the studio rushes to cover up the scandal. A screenwriter, with writer's block, becomes involved because he knows the studio's story isn't true. It's very dark, there aren't any really likeable characters, even the MMC is a coward you folds under studio pressure to keep quiet. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

IMASLOWREADER ohhh you had me at old hollywood setting 🤩 1mo
58 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

31/100 This is more like it, much better than the last volume. The story was a straight forward adventure, plenty of action and gory violence, plenty of the snarky humor that I enjoy so much. Not to spoil the ending, but I love Orc David and Violet's love story. Also, is it weird that I found the half owl woman kind of sexy? 3.75/5 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

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RamsFan1963
Once in a Blue Moon | Simon R. Green
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The Dutchy of Lancre's greatest pride, problem, and most profitable tourist attraction is the Hawk and Fisher Memorial Academy.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

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RamsFan1963
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Mehso-so

30/100 This is my least favorite volume so far. I've finally got used to the change in artwork, Gieni's art grows on you, but the story was so confusing. Flashbacks, flashforward, alternate realities, alternate futures, alternate pasts, all jumbled together so by the end I wasn't sure who was who, who died and who replaced them. 2 ⭐⭐💫 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

44 likes1 stack add
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RamsFan1963
What I Ate in One Year | STANLEY. TUCCI
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Pickpick

29/100 I think I enjoyed his other book, Taste, more, but this is still a very fine book for those that love food and fine dining. Obviously Tucci's palate is much more refined than my own meat and potatoes appetite, but his loving descriptions of foods makes me want to venture out to try new dishes. I'm curious how Tucci keeps his slim shape, while he does eat very healthy, lots of fresh veggies, he also consumes a lot of pasta, potatoes ⬇️

RamsFan1963 bread and rice. If I consumed that amount of carbs, you'd have to roll me from place to place. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025 1mo
IMASLOWREADER its on my list…loved taste and his show 1mo
kspenmoll Happy Litsyversary!!!! 1mo
RamsFan1963 @kspenmoll Thanks! I missed seeing the announcement. I can't believe it's been 7 years. 1mo
61 likes1 stack add4 comments
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RamsFan1963
Muddle Earth | John Brunner
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Panpan

28/100 The only reason I didn't DNF this after 50 pages is my respect for the author's writing. If you've read any Brunner, you know he writes serious, thought provoking science-fiction, so I don't know what possessed him to write this comic farce. Sadly it's not funny, there are quite a few painful stereotypes, the gay guards at the Vatican called the Swish Guards 🙄. The only amusing part was how many famous sci-fi writers names ⬇️

RamsFan1963 he could drop into the story. A surgeon named Theodor (Theodore Sturgeon), administrator Wrong Ghoulart (Ron Goulart), a world building company called Clifford & Simak (Clifford Simak) and a world wrecking crew called E. Hamliton & Co. (Edward Hamlton). The in jokes do produce a smile, but otherwise it's a hot mess. 2 ⭐⭐ #Read2025 1mo
58 likes1 comment
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RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

27/100 I bailed on Schreiber's other Star Wars book, Red Harvest, but I really enjoyed this one. All I know about Darth Maul is what I got from Episode 1, but he's a very interesting character, brutal, viscous, and very good at fighting. For some reason, I like the Star Wars books dealing with the bad guys, more than the heroes. Schreiber's writing is dark, violent, gory and intense, definitely showing the dark ⬇️

RamsFan1963 underbelly of the Star Wars Universe. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025 1mo
eclectic-reader Do you read graphic novels? If so, I highly recommend Gillen's Darth Vader run. The focus is very much on the villains. Pretty awesome. 1mo
57 likes2 comments
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RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

26/2025 Cannibalism. It brings up horrible images, Hannibal Lector and his fava beans, but humans and animals have a long history of cannibalism, for survival, for medicinal reasons, for rituals, for conquest, and sadly for pleasure in some. Fortunately, the author sticks to the scientific reasons, and isn't lured into the sensational aspect with serial killers like Jeffery Dahmer and Ed Gein.
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025

IMASLOWREADER ohhh this sounds interesting 2mo
61 likes1 comment
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RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

25/100 While I still enjoy the characters and the world building, this is my least favorite volume for one reason: The Artwork. I really liked Roc Upchurch's more realistic art in Volumes 1 & 2, the art by Owen Gieni was much more cartoony, especially the facial expressions. It's still a pick, but on the low end, hopefully things will improve in the next volume. 3.25/5 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

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RamsFan1963
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Mehso-so

24/100 I don't believe that I have ever listened to a less interesting book involving dinosaurs and paleontology, two subjects that I'm very interested in. IMO the book spends too much time discussing religious leaders, and how they tried to align fossils with the teachings of the bible. Even when discussing Darwin and evolution, it was more about the affect on the religious community than on the validity of the theories. 3 ⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025

inkilea Good to know, thank you! (This was on my as-yet-unpurchased tbr) 2mo
61 likes1 stack add1 comment
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RamsFan1963
Childhood's End | Arthur Charles Clarke
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With the majority of votes, Childhood's End will be #ClassicLSFBC selection for March. The other three books were tied for 2nd, so I threw the names in a hat to pick April's selection. April's selection is The Weapon Shops of Ishtar by A.E. van Vogt. Childhood's End should be available at most libraries, and I've seen it on Ebay for as little as 5 dollars. Good luck and happy reading. #ClassicLSFBC
@Bookwomble @Ruthiella @TheSpineView

58 likes3 comments
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RamsFan1963
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You would think, since I'm not working, that my numbers for February would be higher, but the stress of not having a job has reeked havoc on my level of concentration. I've got some good interviews lined up this week, so I think March will be a much better month for me.

TieDyeDude I totally get that. Good luck on the interviews! 2mo
Deblovestoread Wishing you all the luck 🍀 2mo
Lesliereadsalot 🤞🤞🤞 2mo
See All 14 Comments
cjk Good luck! 🤞🏽 2mo
xicanti Good luck! 2mo
Susanita Break a leg! 2mo
mhillis Sending positive vibes!! 2mo
KadaGul @RamsFan1963, be kind to yourself, and do not lose hope. I totally understand what you‘re going through. Some days, I love to decompress with a good book or an audiobook, and other days, I find it tough to even listen. I wish you all the luck. I know some of my friends are in the same boat as you are. 2mo
rwmg Hope everything sorts itself out satisfactorily. Good luck! 2mo
CarolynM Hope those interviews go well for you🍀 2mo
inkilea Good luck for the interviews! 🍀🍀🍀 2mo
AnnCrystal Wishing you all the best with your interviews, hope you find employment that both pays well and fuels your spirit 🙏🏼☺️🤞🏼💫. 2mo
Reggie Good luck on the job hunt! 🍀 2mo
kwmg40 Good luck with the interviews! 2mo
60 likes14 comments
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RamsFan1963
The Cyberiad | Stanislaw Lem
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I decided to go with just writing in the name of the book, as I found trying to line up the picture of the book very frustrating. There was no 5 🌟 book for February, but The Cyberiad came close at 4.5. If it had been a bit shorter and a little less repetitive, it would have hit 5 for sure. Looking forward to the new Scalzi book for March.

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RamsFan1963
The Zero Stone | Andre Norton
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Bailedbailed

Sadly, my first DNF for 2025 is also #ClassicLSFBC selection for February. I tried to get into it, but it just wasn't for me. I've read and enjoyed several of Andre Norton's novels & short stories, but this one I'll have to bail on.

Aims42 You did amazing for making it to the end of February before bailing on a book 👏👏👏 #HailtheBail 🚀 2mo
51 likes1 comment
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RamsFan1963
Hotel Andromeda | Jack L. Chalker
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Pickpick

23/100 First of all, ignore Litsy's description of this book, it's totally wrong. I've given them the correct one but they have never changed it. Anyway, what this book is about is the Hotel Andromeda, a space station located in the hub between many alien and human civilizations. A collection of short stories, mostly humorous, about the employees and the visitors to the station. 3 ⭐⭐⭐💫 #Read2025

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RamsFan1963
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Here are the choices for March's #ClassicLSFBC selection:
A Princess of Mars - Edgar Rice Burroughs
Childhood's End - Arthur C. Clarke
The Weapon Shops of Isher - A.E. van Vogt
The Eyes of Heisenberg - Frank Herbert
It's a very unusual and wide ranging selection. Voting is open from today until Sunday, to give people more time to chose. I'll announce the choice on Monday 03/03. As always, the book with the second most votes will be April's choice

45 likes7 comments
review
RamsFan1963
Rat Queens Vol. 3 | Kurtis J. Wiebe
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Pickpick

22/100 The change of art was jarring at first, but the style grew on me. It's really the story that keeps me coming back, the Rat Queens are quiet a bunch of fantastic characters. Here we delved into Hannah past, why she was expelled from the mage school and more of her dark past. I didn't like the ending, but I'm sure it will be fixed in future volumes. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

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RamsFan1963
Green Arrow: Quiver | Kevin Smith
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HA!! I knew he was still alive!! After the Crisis Event, Ollie changed his name and moved from Star City to Los Angeles, where he joined a prestigious law firm to continue his fight for justice! It's almost time for Suits: LA (aka The Further Adventures of Oliver Queen) to begin.
#GreenArrow

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RamsFan1963
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Is it just me, or is anyone else distressed at the news that Amazon is taking creative control of the James Bond movie series? Barbara Broccoli & Michael G. Wilson, who have guided the series, will be kept as "consultants" but the real power is Amazon's. The idea of Jeff Bezos and Amazon picking the next actor to play Bond turns my stomach. I don't care if he's black or white, male or female, but he/she should definitely be British!!

RamsFan1963 UGH!! There is an article online about the Amazon take over of James Bond, and they're talking about Amazon's plans to expand the JB "universe" to be similar to the MCU and Star Wars franchise. That has watered down and mediocre movies written all over it!! 2mo
dabbe Bezos is trying to own the world. 😱 2mo
See All 18 Comments
TheBookgeekFrau Just another reason to loathe Amazon 2mo
RamsFan1963 @Susanita Its Inconceivable!! 🤣🤣🤣 IYKYK 2mo
julesG You forgot Lazenby, who's Australian; and Brosnan is Irish. BUT I totally agree. 2mo
RamsFan1963 @julesG I guess what I should have said was please don't have him played an American actor. I personally want Henry Cavill, but I know the chances of that happening are almost Zero 2mo
DogMomIrene @RamsFan1963 I have mixed feelings about Disney owning Star Wars. That‘s a fandom I was invested in as a kid. MCU and 007 I watch on the side. Disney watering down SW = 1000% I started watching the baby Yoda series and I noped out. But Rogue One may be my favorite SW movie ever. And I don‘t think Lucas would have ever gotten around to telling that story. I do wonder if there‘s another Rogue One quality production in Disney🤷🏻‍♀️ 2mo
lauraisntwilder @DogMomIrene Have you watched the Andor series on Disney+? 2mo
lauraisntwilder There was a rumor, years ago, about Idris Elba as Bond. I wish that had happened. Amz taking over just means I'll never see it. 2mo
Kristin_Reads Oh no. 2mo
AnishaInkspill I thought they now owned MGM? If they do maybe it's first of the many 2mo
RamsFan1963 @AnishaInkspill Yes Amazon does own MGM, and MGM has distribution rights to the James Bond series, but now Amazon is about to control how the movies are made, not just as a studio distributing the film. I'm sure the next Bond won't have an evil, bald, billionaire, trying to take over the world as its antagonist. That would be a little too on the nose. It will be evil Union organizers trying to destroy capitalism. 2mo
DogMomIrene @lauraisntwilder I haven‘t, but I‘m over here all 🤔🤓🤩 I actually forgot about it, probably because there is so much SW noise on Disney+. I‘m guessing you mentioned it because it‘s a good one. If it is, I‘ll add it to my Disney+ list for the next time I rotate into that subscription, which is great. I usually like to have 4-6 programs or movies that I know I want to see before I switch subscriptions🙌🏼 2mo
lauraisntwilder @DogMomIrene I think you'd probably like it. My husband loved Rogue One and thought Andor was great. I enjoyed it, too, but it's definitely on the darker/sadder end of the SW spectrum. It's about Cassian Andor from Rogue One (set beforehand, obviously). 2mo
DogMomIrene @lauraisntwilder Ohh thank you! That actually sounds right up my alley👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 2mo
MemoirsForMe 😱😱😱 2mo
The_Book_Ninja He needs to look like Hoagy Carmichael 2mo
59 likes18 comments
review
RamsFan1963
Slimy Underbelly | Kevin J. Anderson
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Pickpick

21/100 Book 4 in the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series. I don't think this was my favorite of the series, but it was still a lot of fun. As usual, Chambeaux has several seemingly unrelated cases, that come together in the end. An opera singing Ogre has his voice stolen, a gang of garden gnomes are on a robbery spree, a wannabe junior mad scientist has been kicked out of his secret lair by his landlord, two weather wizards are fighting ⬇️⬇️

RamsFan1963 it out to see who will be elected to run their Union, and a half-demon named Ah'Chulhu (Gesundheit!!) wants to destroy the world. There are definitely a lot of plates spinning at once, but the ending is very satisfying, with all the cases solved and all the loose ends tied up. #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025 2mo
52 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
RamsFan1963
The Zero Stone | Andre Norton
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Hey there!! Just checking in, I hope everyone found a copy of The Zero Stone and has enjoyed it. I'll be honest, I'm probably going to DNF it, I've been reading it all month, and it's just not working for me. I hope everyone else is having a better experience. Anyway, it's time to plan for March. We are open for nominations until the end of the month. As usual, most votes will be our March read, and the runner-up will be our choice for April.

RamsFan1963 I'm going very old school with my nomination, A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I'll keep tally and give the results on March 1st. @Bookwomble @Ruthiella @TheSpineView @BookmarkTavern @wanderinglynn @Readergrrl @Johanna414 @Lizpixie @BookBelle84 @Larkken @julesG 2mo
See All 12 Comments
Ruthiella I finished it but it didn‘t knock my socks off. Still, I‘m glad to have experienced something from Norton-such a prolific author. For upcoming reads, I‘d like to nominate 2mo
The_Literary_Jedi Omg! This is a struggle read for me too! It‘s just slow and uninteresting. My gosh! I‘m barely 30% through and I think I‘ll DNF too. I agree for March, 2mo
swynn The Zero Stone is one of my favorite Nortons, so I'm disappointed to see that it failed to click with others. I recently read an article about Van Vogt's “Weapon Shop“ series that made me want to revisit it. So I'll nominate 2mo
RamsFan1963 @swynn I've enjoyed many of Norton's book before, but this one just didn't click, it happens. One person's classic is another's DNF. It would be boring if we all enjoyed the same things all the time. I've only read The Voyage of the Space Beagle by Van Vogt, so if his book is picked I'd be cool with that too. 2mo
swynn @RamsFan1963 Oh it definitely happens and it's totally valid. I said I was disappointed, but should have added that I'm also not surprised -- I tried her books maybe a dozen times through grade school but never finished one till I was in my twenties. So I recognize the response, even if I'd hoped for more ZS love. 2mo
AnishaInkspill I'll try but not sure if I can fit this in. 2mo
rwmg I loved the Witch World series in my teens and twenties but haven't really come across anything by her since. This was a disappointment, but maybe I will revisit the Witch World soon to see how they hold up. 2mo
Bookwomble I'll add a non-Dune Frank Herbert to the mix 😊 2mo
CatLass007 It took me forever to figure out how to edit this darn thing. I think Princess of Mars would be perfect for March. I remember reading a lot of Edgar Rice Burroughs‘ Tarzan novels as a child, but I never got to read any of his Barsoom books. Now seems like as good a chance as any. Also, it is available from my library and it‘s free on Audible. For April, I would gladly read either Childhood‘s End or The Eyes of Heisenberg. I‘m voting not nominating (edited) 2mo
56 likes12 comments
review
RamsFan1963
Aliens: Bishop | T.R. Napper
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Mehso-so

20/100 I always enjoy another adventure in the world of the xenomorphs, but this one seemed kind of pointless. Picking up after the Aliens 3 movie, Bishop's creator salvaged his body from the prison planet to gain access to the valuable information in his head about the xenomorphs. The Chinese, the Colonial Marines and the Weyland-Yutani corporation are also chasing the same data. Of course a bunch of aliens get loose and theres plenty ⬇️

RamsFan1963 of fighting with the Colonial Marines and the Chinese soldiers. I liked the rotating POVs of all the different factions, but too many characters were confusing when the fighting got hectic. I don't know how much his adds to the Aliens lore overall, but it kept my attention. 3 ⭐⭐⭐ 2mo
MemoirsForMe Was Lance Henriksen one of the narrators? That would be so cool! I‘m a huge fan of the Alien movies but never found a decent novel. 2mo
RamsFan1963 @MemoirsForMe Sadly, no Lance Henriksen. If you want a good Aliens book, there is an anthology called Aliens: Bug Hunt this I thought was pretty entertaining. If you ever wondered what happened to the slime bag Burke after Aliens, you'll want to read this. 2mo
MemoirsForMe Oh yes, I‘d love to see the tables turn on that snake Burke. Thanks for the rec! 2mo
55 likes4 comments
review
RamsFan1963
Green Arrow: Year One | Andy Diggle
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Pickpick

19/100 Green Arrow has always been one of my favorite superheroes, much more interesting than Marvel's Hawkeye. Green Arrow's origin story was pretty much the same, but updated and streamline. Queen was still the reckless, alcoholic playboy, he still ended up on the desert island with the drug runners, it's just more gritty and violent than earlier versions of his origin. 3.75/5
#Read2025

review
RamsFan1963
Men of Wrath | Jason Aaron
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Mehso-so

18/100 I'm not sure what possesses me to read this, it's not my usual kind of material. Graphically violent and bloody, it's the story of the men of the Rath family. From father to son, they passed down their legacy of violence and death, until there were none left. I've seen Ron Garney's art on Captain American & Thor, but this was much grittier, verging on Frank Miller's style on Sin City. 3 ⭐⭐⭐💫
#Read2025

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RamsFan1963
Slimy Underbelly | Kevin J. Anderson
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It was a cold and snowy afternoon in the Unnatural Quarter.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

Traci1 I love Dan "Shamble." ? 2mo
60 likes1 comment
blurb
RamsFan1963
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#notbookrelated Yesterday was the Superbowl, so it's time to think about the 2025-2026 season. The Jets have released Aaron Rodgers. Where do you think he'll end up next? Vikings (following the path of Farve)? Cowboys? Steelers? Raiders? Titans? Browns? It will be one of the big off-season stories, just how he likes it. @KadaGul @Lesliereadsalot @AmyG @MemoirsForMe

MemoirsForMe Not a fan, so I hope he retires. 2mo
Lesliereadsalot I think he‘ll want to show the world it was the Jets not him, so he‘ll go somewhere else. Really not sure where. Maybe he‘ll be a back up haha! 2mo
OrangeMooseReads I really hope he ends up in obscurity. The Steelers are smarter than to take him. 2mo
See All 22 Comments
Susanita Following in Brett Favre‘s footsteps by sticking around too long. 🥱 2mo
ElizaMarie Ugh! - So, I am a Packer Fan 💛💚💛💚 But NOT an Aaron Rodgers Fan. I hope he gets picked up by someone - I do enjoy the “hate watching“. He is all drama, I feel sorry for who takes him. 2mo
Read4life As long as he doesn‘t end up in Denver, anyone else can have him. ☺️ 2mo
AmyG I‘m with @Read4Life on this. I don‘t care where he goes…as long as it‘s not Denver. 2mo
BooksandCoffee4Me @AmyG and not LA Rams or Chargers 😂 2mo
KadaGul How about Retiring like other Players 🙄🙄. Now, he is just bad luck. The Jets weren't in any better position with/ him. I think Robert Saleh had something going, especially in defense. 2mo
AmyG If only he had the self awareness to know to know that it‘s time to retire. 2mo
RamsFan1963 @BooksandCoffee4Me @KadaGul @Lesliereadsalot @AmyG @MemoirsForMe My fear is, with contract talks stalling with Stafford, plus his anger at Kupp being traded, the Rams will lose their QB to free agency. I trust McVay & Snead not to fall into the trap of picking up Rodgers, but with our QB unstable, anything is possible 🤢🤢🤢👎👎 2mo
RamsFan1963 @AmyG @Read4life Luckily, Denver has their franchise QB with Bo Nix and I doubt Herbert is going to leave the Chargers starting position. Dallas does have Dax, who they paid a 💩 ton to keep, but the other teams I mentioned are in need of a QB, even one as difficult as Rodgers. 2mo
Bette Well, I hope NOT the Vikings. Brady left with some class…well the first time. 🤭 2mo
MemoirsForMe @RamsFan1963 @Lesliereadsalot He would never be a backup for his bitter rival, the Bears…so we‘re safe! 😁 2mo
BooksandCoffee4Me @RamsFan1963 I‘d go for Russell Wilson before Rodgers, if it came to that. At least Wilson is a person with integrity. 2mo
Lesliereadsalot I personally think it‘s better to take a flyer on a young quarterback, even late round, instead of hiring one of these aging stars to be the starter. Look at Joe Montana and Tom Brady. 2mo
AmyG Rodgers isn‘t a francise quarterback. He is a band aid and a hope for 1 season. I hope nobody takes him. 2mo
RamsFan1963 @AmyG From what I've read online, Tom Brady is campaigning to get Rodgers into Raiders' black & silver, then use their high draft position to draft a rookie QB. Spending a year on the bench behind Rodgers would not be the worst option for a rookie, very few of them come out with seasons like C.J. Stroud & Jayden Daniels had their rookie year. 2mo
AmyG @RamsFan1963 That makes sense….all depending if it works out between the two. 2mo
Jess861 Time to retire! 2mo
The_Penniless_Author I'm guessing he retires to either become Pat McAfee's full-time guest or RFK Jr's Senior Advisor at HHS. If he ends up on the Steelers, I will throw myself into the Monongahela. 2mo
RamsFan1963 @The_Penniless_Author I can see him as RFK's senior advisor, since they share an anti-vaxx attitude, which RFK lied about during his confirmation hearings. 2mo
54 likes22 comments
review
RamsFan1963
The Cyberiad | Stanislaw Lem
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Pickpick

17/100 Until now, I've only read one book by Lem, Tales of Pirx The Pilot, and it was kind of mundane. He made being a spaceship pilot as exciting as driving a bus. Anyway, that did not prepare for this book, which is very funny. Trurl and Klapaucius are constructors, who get into many misadventures because their machines often have very unexpected consequences. The format is like short stories, but they build on each other, into absurd ⬇️⬇️

RamsFan1963 comical, and many times, surreal outcomes. I laughed at the names because Lem does enjoy his clever word play on character names and places. However, I do recommend having a dictionary if you want to read this, because Lem has quite the extensive vocabulary. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 #Read2025 2mo
60 likes1 comment
review
RamsFan1963
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Mehso-so

16/100 I've never played the video game or seen the TV series, so maybe I'm missing the context to enjoy this more than I did. It seemed pretty standard post-apocalyptic stuff, two girls escape a military camp/school and see what the world is like outside. 3 ⭐⭐⭐
#Read2025

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego The show is so good. 2mo
DogMomIrene The show is amazing. Mostly character-based plots, so I love it. I‘m debating buying a console to play the video game because the show is so good. 2mo
AudiobookingWithLeah The show is super good...looking forward to the second season! 2mo
59 likes3 comments
review
RamsFan1963
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Mehso-so

15/100 I guess I've watched too many westerns, because I found this kind of dry. The Dalton Gang was one of the last big outlaw gangs before the beginning of the 20th century, and their exploits are well know and often overly fictionalized. I don't know why, but I found the lawmen more interesting than the outlaws. 3 ⭐⭐⭐
#Read2025

Butterfinger I know I can and will Google, but I am thinking Matt McConaughey played in a movie about them with Dwight Yoakum. 2mo
Butterfinger Nope. Newtons. 2mo
RamsFan1963 @Butterfinger I had to look it up on IMDb, but there was a 1979 tv movie call The Last Ride of The Dalton Gang, which covers pretty much the last half of this book. 2mo
65 likes3 comments
review
RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

14/100 Once a year, Batman & Superman agree to meet on the anniversary of the death of a close friend. The story follows each as the two characters change, through various DC storylines like the Death of Robin (Jason Todd), the Death of Superman at Doomsday's hands, and the breaking of Batman by Bane. Well told and heart-felt, with great art by Dave Taylor & Robert Campanella. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

AnnCrystal 🦸‍♂️🤩🦇💫. 3mo
70 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
RamsFan1963
Judge Dredd Year One | Al Ewing, Matthew Smith, Michael Owen Carroll
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Pickpick

13/100 Judge Dredd is always a fascinating character. A total fascist in his pursuit of justice, which isn't always the same as the Law. These are three stories of Dredd's first year as a street Judge, but he's already cold, stoic, and stone-faced, dogged and unstoppable in his hunt for the guilty. I liked the first two stories, but the third one, by Al Ewing, was more about Dredd's corrupt brother Rico, so I found it less interesting. ⬇️

RamsFan1963 The narrator gave Dredd the kind of voice I expected, a cross between Clint Eastwood and Christian Bale's Batman. Very effective, but I bet it was murder on the narrator's throat. 3 ⭐⭐⭐💫 #Read2025 #SeriesLove2025 3mo
61 likes1 comment
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RamsFan1963
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This is my first time doing a Reading Bracket. It's harder than I thought to get the pic of the book just right. Anyway, Henry V was by far my favorite of January. I always learn new things when I read a Dan Jones book.

BethM That was so freaking hard for me that I printed it and wrote my answers in each month 😂 doing the same thing this time 🙃 3mo
RamsFan1963 @BethM I might switch to that method, I'll see how it goes 3mo
Meshell1313 Ooh I can‘t wait to read that one! I recommend PicCollage app for the perfect alignment! ❤️ 3mo
jitteryjane724 No hope for me there! I'd have mine on a whiteboard or something 😆 3mo
63 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
RamsFan1963
The Martian Chronicles | Ray Bradbury
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Pickpick

12/100 Its been a long time since I read this, back in high school, but I'd forgotten how sad this book is, how melancholy the whole world was, even in the lighter moments. Sometimes Bradbury leans too much into the poetic for my tastes, but his vision of a Mars that will never be, definitely stays with the reader when its finished. 3 ⭐⭐⭐💫 #ClassicLSFBC #Jumpstart2025 #Read2025

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RamsFan1963
The Cyberiad | Stanislaw Lem
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One day Trurl the constructor put together a machine that could create anything starting with N.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

review
RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

11/100 A different take on traditional murder stories, more the how and why than the who, since it's often the murderer themselves who are narrating the story. Several of the tales are even funny, in a very dark and morbid sense. This is the first book I've read by P.D. James but I'd definitely like to read more. 4⭐⭐⭐⭐
#Jumpstart2025 #Read2025

Lesliereadsalot I love PD James 3mo
TiredLibrarian It' been quite a while since I read PD James but I remember really liking the Dalgliesh books. 3mo
MaGoose It's been a while since I read PD James. It's time for me to revisit her stuff, I think. 3mo
78 likes2 stack adds3 comments
review
RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

10/100 Its hard to find a better, more informed writer, when it comes to English History, than Dan Jones. This makes a good companion book to his recent Henry V. Picking up with the disastrous reign of Henry VI, it follow through with various Henrys and Edwards, as different families fought for the crown, ending with the Tudors of Henry VIII. Very informative and entertaining. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
#Jumpstart2025 #Read2025

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