As I thought about the last two books I requested from publishers to review, I began wondering what they indicated about my taste in reading material. Are my tastes eclectic or simply eccentric? Do they make me “well-rounded” or weird?
The first was Jason Colavito’s The Cult of Alien Gods. It explores two themes. The first is how the work of early 20th Century American horror/fantasy author H.P. Lovecraft may have given risen to modern day beliefs in and theories of alien astronauts visiting Earth during prehistory or being responsible for the origination of the human race. The other is critiquing and deconstructing those theories. I’ve got a full review at Blogcritics.
The next was America! What Have You Done to the Auld Game?. In it, W. Eric Laing, a self-described “grumpy old Scotsman,” laments and attacks how long it takes play a round of golf in the US these days. Laing offers a few potential solutions and identifies a variety of problems any golfer has seen on the course. Most of the blame, though, is laid at the feet of amateurs imitating the time the pros take during televised tournaments in the U.S. and America’s treatment of golf as a busines. A full review is forthcoming on Blogcritics.
So, what does jumping from “alien gods” to slow play on golf courses indicate about my reading habits or interests? And, for what it’s worth, the next two on the review list deal with the religious right and radio frequency identification technology. If anyone has a clue how these all fit together or if there’s some underlying theme, let me know. Then again, maybe it’s best I don’t know.
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.
Dr. Seuss, I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!
