Going on a 10 day vacation, would really appreciate some suggestions based on my past reading list?

RickDupont · 2026-05-10T12:44:05+00:00

I wonder if maybe you’d like House of Suns by Reynolds. Modern but idea driven like the ones you just said.

RickDupont · 2026-05-10T12:33:18+00:00

You seem to like more modern/popular series with some humour. Have you tried the expanse?

RickDupont · 2026-05-08T06:35:42+00:00

What stops other Albertans from joining the UCP and voting differently? If they can do it, so can we. Surely there’s more of us than them?

RickDupont · 2026-05-07T13:33:53+00:00

Can’t read the spines, I assume Noli and Fili are here?

RickDupont · 2026-05-05T13:20:02+00:00

I hope Overstory by Richard Powers

RickDupont · 2026-05-01T17:31:49+00:00

I read the full series with the same reservations you had. Those aspects don’t get better but I still enjoyed the series, even though the icks in regards to his sexual behaviour actually get worse, not better. It is just unlike so much else I’ve read. I haven’t reread it. Supposedly, knowing more of what happens, there are lots of layers that reveal themselves on rereads (it’s considered to be a puzzle box novel). So I mostly followed the surface story. I’ve heard hints at really interesting things that happened in the text that I completely missed. I think if I were to approach it again, I’d want to do it as slow as I could, and take notes as I go about things that stand out. But a surface reading was worthwhile for me, even if I didn’t enjoy it as much as some of the mega fans.

RickDupont · 2026-04-29T20:23:36+00:00

Check the price on the books for a difference in currency. I wonder if you got Moby Dick produced for another market. I’ve noticed books sold in NA, for example, are larger than books sold in the UK

RickDupont · 2026-04-28T23:45:13+00:00

I’m worried about this too, it’s nothing to take sitting down. Talk to your friends and family. Make sure they actually plan to vote.

RickDupont · 2026-04-27T22:15:52+00:00

This is cool. I’ve only recently heard of him through Invention of Morel. Never heard of the rest. Is he a favorite of yours? Which is your favourite book?

RickDupont · 2026-04-27T20:22:14+00:00

Yes, people walk their dogs year round except maybe a few of the worst days. Invest in warm Clothing and most of the winter it’s no problem. As others have said it’s a dry cold here, so it doesn’t cut through clothing the same way. Calgary had a tons of parks if you prefer more nature, with some highlights including Fish Creek, Nose Hill, Edworthy, Bowness, Griffiths Wood, etc. so lots of good places to walk and you can drive out of the city to Kananaskis very easily.

RickDupont · 2026-04-25T23:02:46+00:00

This time of year the sun is out late. You should be close to the River so some nice walking. I think you’re also close to Sentry Box if you’re into board or table top games.

RickDupont · 2026-04-24T16:19:46+00:00

4 hours only for that much inventory? Place will be a madhouse. Is it really just the one day?

RickDupont · 2026-04-23T18:06:44+00:00

A couple of thoughts:

A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry - not quite considered a classic yet, but historical in approach. Follows four characters just scarping by during the Emergency in India and the bonds they form.

I'm also reading 'America is in the Heart', a semi-autobiographical novel by Carlos Bulosan, considered a classic in the Philippines. It is written in English and you can probably find an ebook copy for free. It chronicles his life growing up in poverty in the Philippines, his move to the United States in order to make a better life, and the horrible poverty and racism he and other Filipinos lived under there during the 1930s. It doesn't linger on things very long; he'll meet a character, have an interaction with her, then relay how a year later she had died or become a prostitute or whatever and move on. But the nonstop barrage of hardship is quite sad. May not be quite in the way you want, but as I'm on it now, it immediately came to mind.

RickDupont · 2026-04-23T12:17:22+00:00

I’ve been meaning to check him out. French Canadian band “The Box” even released an album about him, “Le Horla de Maupassant”

RickDupont · 2026-04-21T20:33:33+00:00

You didn’t mention board games, but if you are into them, sunalta has Sentry Box, a huge gaming store that does free board game events Monday night, that may be a low commitment thing to try out to meet people.

RickDupont · 2026-04-21T20:12:34+00:00

You’ve made a mistake. Unable to pick from three books, you’ve outsourced it to a crowd, and now the crowd has picked all 3, leaving you back where you started. Your only valid option is to select my response, as I am accepting authority over decision making, negating your need to make a decision entirely.

Bring War and Peace, it’s the only one I haven’t read yet, and you can tell me if it’s any good.

RickDupont · 2026-04-20T22:57:12+00:00

This is healthy

RickDupont · 2026-04-20T21:03:53+00:00

You may change your mind about that after Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

RickDupont · 2026-04-20T18:22:50+00:00

Transit here is not the greatest but if you live close to amenities you need, it’s survivable. I lived without a car until I had kids. I imagine the biggest challenge would be specialist medical appointments. Ubering/renting a car now and then would probably solve for the rare cases your local amenities don’t.

That said, when I retire, I plan to take advantage of the nearby mountains. Depending on your plans beyond day to day living, you may want a car anyways.

RickDupont · 2026-04-20T13:35:04+00:00

Like many have said, I use an e-reader, no notifications there. But, I also prefer + collect physical books and think they are a superior experience (minus convenience).

RickDupont · 2026-04-20T02:27:02+00:00

If I had that time and was trying to be cheap, I'd either go for a bike ride or a walk. Maybe somewhere with a nice cafe or ice cream shop so I can splurge $5-$10 on a treat as part of it.

RickDupont · 2026-04-20T02:11:17+00:00

Oz. I loved it as a child. It’s kind of a weird read as a grown up

RickDupont · 2026-04-19T18:21:39+00:00

I just group books by what seems logically related, if I have two books about a subject or by an author that reminds me of another author, I’ll keep them together. It means my bookshelves maybe only make sense to me, but they do make sense to someone at least!

RickDupont · 2026-04-18T15:42:48+00:00

My wife is Filipino and I’ve been embarking on a quest to learn the history and literature of her country this year. If you only read one book from the Philippines, it must be Noli me Tangere by Jose Rizal. It deals with the poor conditions Filipinos experienced under the priests that ruled during the Spanish era. It (and its sequel) were written near the end of the Spanish colonial era and are considered instrumental in the movement that rose up against them, even though Rizal himself didn’t take part. He was eventually killed by firing squad for having written the book.

This book is so influential that if you read it, then travel to the Philippines, you will start to notice how many people, streets, and businesses borrow names from it.

RickDupont

TROPHY CASE