The Geekly Reader

 Check off one of my  2021 Spring Break goals , I completed my March Read of the Month, Nick  by Michael Farris Smith. Nick tells the story of Nick Carraway, the narrator in F. Scott Fitgerald's 1925 classic The Great Gatsby. Full disclosure, The Great Gatsby  is one of my favorite books of all time, so keep that in mind as I review this book. First thing, Sam Waterston is the only Nick Carraway, sorry Spiderman..... First, a quick summary of this book without giving too much away. Nick  opens in France during World War I, and we meet Nick as he is fighting the war and spending time on leave falling in love in Paris. During this time, and throughout the book, the reader is provided some flashbacks to Nick's childhood in Minnesota as well, we even get a sample of his father's famous speech that Carraway opens The Great Gatsby with; "In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. Whenever you f

 Spring break 2021 has arrived and I will not be traveling. It does not have much to do with Covid, I just prefer to not travel at this time of year. I usually save travel and vacations for the summer. So this means my spring break will take place in good old Brownstown Township this year, as usual. Here is what I have planned for my week "off." Finish and review my March Read of the Month, Nick Clean and organize my home office Walk every day, but Thursday looks quite awful here in the downriver area....one final blast of winter for everyone that remained in Michigan for spring break Shop for new shoes; all this walking means it is time for new shoes. Also, middle school track starts a week from today so this coach needs new shoes Find a book for my April Read of the Month Go back to camera shopping. This is something I was doing way back in November and put on hold. I think I will treat myself to a new camera in June for Father's Day. Watch John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Dis

 I had good intentions, I picked my February 2021 Read of the Month , that I will quickly review later in this post, I set aside time for reading and writing....and then last two months just exploded with events, activities, and life in general. For the first time since the shutdown I found myself running all over again multiple days a week, including weekends. For the first time since the pandemic hit I was finding myself doing more than just going to work and grocery shopping. So what popped up in the past two months, well here is the short list: Car shopping for my daughter, which took time.....but eventually we succeeded in finding a used Equinox to add to the family fleet. School sports started back up for my son, and then a travel basketball league to follow. In-person education continued for most of the time period, although the last two weeks has been remote for the high school (I still go in to get work done in the library) My washing machine died.....which resulted in a Lowe&

 Ok fellow dorks, dweebs, nerds, and/or geeks do I have a book for you for the month of February. One of Carlson High School's best, The Maestro himself David Brockington, suggested I add  From a Certain Point of View: Star Wars   to the CHS Library Collection. Being a true Star Wars  Geek I had no problem purchasing both this and it's companion for The Empire Strikes Back   to quickly add to our collection at CHS. February 2021's Read of the Month After last month's memoir , I definitely needed some fiction and a title that is a little "lighter" to read this month and this book will probably deliver. It is a collection of forty short stories re-telling the famous 1977 film Star Wars: A New Hope   from the point of view of various, minor characters from the film. I started the other day and I am nearly half-finished. So far, so good....I will provide a full review later this month. These freezing February days coming up will keep me inside reading I am sure. W

 Happy to report that I finished my January 2021 Read of the Month , A Promised Land by President Barack Obama . This autobiography (the first of two volumes according to this work) covers mainly Obama's political career but the major focus is on his early political career as state senator in Illinois and United States Senator. It then shifts and covers his decision to run for the office of President of the United States, his journey to win the Democratic nomination and eventually the office of President of the United States. The remainder of the book runs through his first term in office as President of the United States. The book ends with his description of the events leading up to and the eventual capture of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan, spoiler alert our Navy Seals were successful and killed Bin Laden in the May 2011 raid. Ok a few comments about the book, fair warning I am an Obama fan; not an owning Obama clothing/flag waving fan, but a fan nonetheless. As I mentioned in my

 My January 2021 Read of the Month comes from right from my 2020 Holiday Wish List.   "Santa" did bring me a copy of A Promised Land by President Barack Obama . It is not secret that I am a big Obama fan (but still not big enough to plant Obama flags all over my house/car) so asking for this book was a no-brainer. I am over 50% finished and today is only the 3rd of January so my review will be coming soon.  Showing of my new book...and my book t-shirts from Christmas Day One quick note from early in the book, President Obama started writing the book on his final trip on Air Force One after the inauguration of President Donald Trump....on a legal pad....pen/paper. I love it, it is amazing to me that this 768 page book came to together via pen and paper.