“The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern
“The Faithful Spy” by Alex Berensen
“Dead Harvest” by Chris F. Holm
“The Strain” by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
“Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline
“Fun and Games” by Duane Swierczynski
“A Clean Kill In Tokyo” by Barry Eisler
“The Memory of Running” by Ron McLarty
Do you have any other suggestions?
Have you ever read a fact that filled you with dread? I have, and thanks a lot, Smithsonian Magazine. Now I’ll never sleep again.
Last week, I was reading this article by Joseph Stromberg about nuclear forensics. Apparently scientists in Oak Ridge, Tenn., have been quietly creating the world’s most radioactive library. Actually, it’s a database that tracks the origins of nuclear materials on the black market or detonated in an attack.
Fascinating, right? I thought so, too. In fact, as I read the story, I recalled a conversation from the show “NCIS” between Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (portrayed by Mark Harmon) and forensic genius Abby Sciuto (portrayed by Pauley Perrette):
ABBY: I used the victim’s measurements and the location of his injuries to determine the height of the vehicle based on point of impact. And then I used a database for vehicle grill dimensions. Can you believe someone put together a database of vehicle grill dimensions?
GIBBS: I was about to call Ripley’s.
ABBY: I had this boyfriend once – not the balloon guy – but this one was like a computer genius. He put together a database of databases. Well, it seems obvious in retrospect, like the pet rock.
So yeah, there pretty much is a database for everything. But the National Uranium Materials Archives is a database of truly alarming things. Then I read this delightful fact:
Since 1993, there have been 419 cases of smuggled or stolen nuclear materials worldwide, and experts say the threat is increasing.
Holy. Crap.
Over 400 cases of stolen nuclear material? That is utterly terrifying. And then I had this pleasant thought: Over 400 cases of stolen nuclear material… that we know about.
Okay, I’m off to build an atomic shelter and stock up on non-perishable food.
Have a lovely week!
Terror (/ˈterər/) n.: The extreme sense of fear you feel in the middle of the night when you let the dog out to pee and notice a skunk skulking on your back porch.
Needless to say, I broke into a cold sweat and urgently whispered to Duncan to get back inside. Having been the recipient of a skunking earlier this summer, he happily compiled.
Lately, I’ve had bookstores on the brain.
While doing one of my monthly real estate porn searches, I stumbled upon an awesome property in Bangor, Maine. It’s an affordable 3-story townhouse on Main Street, right next door to the local opera house. The top floor features a huge master bedroom that opens out to a lovely roof deck. The second floor contains the living areas (family room, kitchen, bathrooms, extra bedrooms), and the ground floor is empty commercial space.
Now, if I purchased this property, I could easily convert the ground floor into an office or additional living space. Or I could use it for its intended purpose, and open a used bookstore. This fantasy has been on my mind in both the dreaming and the waking realms.
So what would a Jade Walker-owned bookstore be like?
Well, my dream bookstore would sell a lot of genre fiction. That’s what I like. That’s what I read. That’s what I know. The stock would be used, and stacked vertically on the shelves, thus saving the avid book browser from developing a nasty case of neck crick. An entire shelf would be dedicated to staff and reader recommendations, but there would also be a themed shelf to celebrate certain holidays/moods.
Decor would highlight other things that I like: ravens, old typewriters, gargoyles, bats, tombstones, moons, hourglasses, black and white photography and cats. I’d also post quotations on book ends and shelf sides, then change the signs every month or so.
Comfortable chairs and small reading tables would be positioned throughout the store, and in the back would be a small cafe that serves coffee, tea, water and various baked goods. Internet access would be free, of course. And I’d put the center shelves on wheels so they could be pushed aside for author events.
Under the cash register, I’d keep a box of intriguing bookmarks (old photos, Metro cards, snippets of poetry, dollar bills). Each customer would receive one of these treasures for free, as a token of my appreciation.
Despite these fantasies, I’m fully aware that running a used bookstore is no easy task nowadays. For the past 30 years, the big chains — and their deep discounts — have put hundreds of smaller, independent bookstores out of business. The Internet has also claimed a huge chunk of customers. Online retailers offer a wealth of information (back cover blurbs, critical reviews, customer reviews, access to other books by the same author), and deliver purchases right to your home or office. Plus, online retailers are open 24/7, which matters a great deal to vampires like me.
So yes, I love Amazon just as much as the next person. Why my Kindle has over 250 titles on it, and I’m always adding more. But I still believe there’s a place for the humble bookstore. Much like the local library, it can be an outlet for interaction with favorite writers, a quiet spot to discover new ones and an oasis for bibliophiles who simply prefer to read/buy books in the printed form.
Perhaps someday, I will own one. A girl can dream.
