A really great debut novel by Ling Ma. It’s a post-apocalyptic zombie novel about a millennial workaholic, Candace Chen, who works for a book publisher in Manhattan. When Shen Fever (a fatal plague that causes people to become non-violent zombie versions of themselves) begins spreading throughout the world, Candace, one of the fortunate few who manages to not become infected,…
I took a plane to Zanzibar immediately after Mission Rabies Tanzania completed. Start HERE to check out the Mission Rabies Tanzania Journey from the beginning. We (Mike and I) got a ride to the airport, got through security, and boarded our flight to Zanzibar. It was a small plane, and there were about 50 passengers on it. The plane was…
I’ve been a Sex Pistols and a Public Image LTD fan from day one. I read Lydon’s first two books. This book is a limited edition (only 10,000 copies printed), autographed, individually numbered, in a clamshell box. The paper quality and graphic design are great. The content… that’s another story. The book is a random collection of Lydon’s thoughts and…
Well, it’s upon us: the last day of the project. Hard to believe how quickly this project has flown by. Despite all of the Covid-related logistical nightmares that Mission Rabies has had to put up with, the project has been a remarkable success, with the vaccine numbers about to exceed last year’s numbers. In fact, Mission Rabies is sending the…
A simple, emotional tale, both heartbreaking and hopeful, about finding love late in life. Addie Moore and Louis Waters are neighbors in the small town of Holt, Colorado. She’s a widow; he’s a widower, both in their 70s. They live alone, in their respective houses. One day, Addie knocks on Louis’s door and asks him if he might consider coming…
Great day today. We were roaming again, in an area called Singisi. It’s a pretty area, with lots of lush green foliage. Many interesting pathways and homes. Courtnie had to get her pre-flight Covid test this morning, along with several other volunteers who are flying to the UK on Thursday, so I was by myself in the morning. I had…
In this (very) unique book, we follow Patti’s year of wandering in the year of the monkey, according to the Chinese zodiac. It’s part memoir (as she talks of concerts, museum visits, politics, the hospitalization and subsequent death of her friend Sandy Pearlman), part fiction (conversations with hotel signs), and I dunno… part fever dream? If you’re looking for any…
Our assignment today was to roam in two areas. In the morning, we were covering a new area, and we saw a reasonable amount of dogs and a surprisingly high number of cats. When we set up a static point clinic, the vast majority of the pets are dogs, because they can walk their dogs over relatively easily. People here…
Recently I acquired The Criterion Collection version of Robert Altman’s film, Short Cuts. The film is inspired by a collection of nine short stories and a poem by Raymond Carver, and the boxed set includes the book. I’ve wanted to read Carver for a while, and I’m glad I finally did. These stories, of ordinary people, were dark and quirky.…
Well, it’s confirmed. Our KLM flight is definitely a no-go. Initially, KLM sent me an email saying that our flight was a Covid-Tested corridor flight and is therefore exempt from the new Netherlands regulations. Now I’ve received an email that said that the first email was sent in error. Our flight is NOT a Covid-Tested corridor flight. It was just…
A Very Punchable Face, by Colin Jost. This is a really funny memoir by Saturday Night Live comedy writer and Weekend Update host Colin Jost. It’s filled with hilarious, self-deprecating stories from his childhood as well as his life as a stand-up comic and SNL cast member. The stories in the book are really, really funny. Laugh-out-loud funny. There’s a…
I’ve read all of Malcolm Gladwell’s previous books – Blink, The Tipping Point, Outliers, What the Dog Saw – and like millions of readers, I enjoyed them. He’s an excellent writer who really knows how to tell a story and capture your attention. Of all of his books, however, I liked this one the least. The enjoyment from some parts…
Today could only be described as exhilarating. We started this first day of our second week with what we thought would be a quick trip to the medical clinic to get my second post-exposure rabies vaccine (I got scratched by a kitten last week). Well, today is Saturday, and the doctor doesn’t arrive until 9:00. We couldn’t wait that…
After my recent safari to the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania where I saw many elephants, my fascination with them was rekindled, and I thought I’d read a book about them. Unfortunately, I found this book a little disappointing. I was hoping for a more scientific book, with a lot of detail about their biology and their social structure. This book…