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  • What are books that you have...

    that people wouldn't think you'd have?

    For instance, I don't know that a lot of people who know me would think I would have these, but I have copies of "The Republic", "The Prince", Euclid's "The Elements", "1984", The Federalist Papers, Wheelock's Latin, and a book on chess strategy, just off the top of my head. I'm not saying I have much time to read them, but I have them.

    So what about you?
    Skilled programmers aren't cheap. Cheap programmers aren't skilled.

  • #2
    For me, I think it would depend on where people know me from.

    My coworkers would probably be surprised to know I have a copy of the Bible, which I have read cover-to-cover (though it's been a long time). They might also be surprised to know I have several collections of HP Lovecraft stories, most of which I've read. But I doubt they'd actually get the reference, either.

    People who know me outside of work... that's a bit harder. They might be surprised that I have two collections of YA fantasy by Patricia C. Wrede.
    "I look at the stars. It's a clear night and the Milky Way seems so near. That's where I'll be going soon. "We are all star stuff." I suddenly remember Delenn's line from Joe's script. Not a bad prospect. I am not afraid. In the meantime, let me close my eyes and sense the beauty around me. And take that breath under the dark sky full of stars. Breathe in. Breathe out. That's all."
    -Mira Furlan

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    • #3
      I have quite a bookshelf.

      The Age of American Unreason, The Great Unraveling, Break Blow Burn, How to Overthrow the Government, American Fascists, Rogue Nation, Making Monsters, Raising the Devil, Satanic Panic, All the Devils Are Here, Reckless Endangerment, Perfectly Legal, With Justice For None . . .

      If you didn't know what they were, it would look terrifying, especially if one also saw my spellbooks. But I'm really quite harmless.

      The Age of American Unreason is about emotion and stupidity taking over the culture and driving out logical thinking.

      The Great Unraveling is a collection of essays by an economist.

      Break, Blow, Burn is where Camille Paglia analyzes what she considers the greatest of poetry.

      How to Overthrow the Government is by the harmless Arianna Huffington, and is an old book about how she wishes politicians would ignore polls and try leadership.

      American Fascists describes a growing cult, which we may have seen on Jan 6. Cross-reference to other works (which I don't have yet but have read) such as Kingdom Coming and The Power Worshipers.)

      Rogue Nation is about America's tendency for bad behavior among smaller nations.

      Making Monsters is about false memory syndrome and people who's lives were ruined because their children were led to believe they had MPD disorder due to abuse, once popular but now highly questioned among the psychiatric field.

      Raising the Devil & Satanic Panic are books seeking to analyze the Satanic Panic of the 80's & 90's, especially by comparing it to folklore and rumor.

      All the Devils are Here & Reckless Endangerment discuss the Wall Street Casino and what led up to the 2007 economic crash we still haven't recovered from yet.

      Perfectly Legal is about dirty tricks the powerful use to skate against the rules.

      With Justice For None is about how little people are only entitled to little justice.

      Even my spellbooks are only benign white magic, full of rules on when to cast, and when not to.

      Honestly, the only dangerous books I have are by Camille Paglia. But if you didn't know what you were looking at, my bookshelf could be badly misconstrued. And, of course, a bible. I love using it against itself when writing novels.

      All of this is a mere fragment of what's actually on my bookshelf, of course. My very favorite books being Sexual Personae and Amusing Ourselves to Death.
      Last edited by Kristev; 02-11-2021, 04:42 PM.
      Customers should always be served . . . to the nearest great white.

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      • #4
        We own literally thousands of books. There's so much variety on our shelves I'm sure anyone could find something that might surprise them. I have a huge photography book of vintage (20s-50s) crime scene photos from the LAPD archives. That would probably raise some eyebrows. And maybe Everything I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned From the Toxic Avenger by Lloyd Kaufman (signed and personalized!). Some of my husband's students would be shocked by his Battletech collection and his Black Library novels, possibly. Those are just the ones I can see from the couch here.

        Shirley Jackson and her husband Stanley Hymen had more than 22,000 books in their home. Life goals.
        https://www.facebook.com/authorpatriciacorrell/

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        • #5
          I also have thousands of book. Lots of history, science fiction, mystery, comics, graphic novels, etc.

          The one surprising book would probably be When Marnie Was There by Joan G. Robinson.

          It is not the kind of book you expect someone of my interests to read.

          The story follows Anna, a young girl who temporarily moves to Norfolk to heal after becoming ill. There she meets a mysterious girl named Marnie who lives in a house overlooking the marshes. In 2014, it was adapted by Studio Ghibli as an animated film of the same name.
          "I don't have to be petty. The Universe does that for me."

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          • #6
            I don't have thousands of books any more, due to a tragedy minor inconvenience about 15 years ago, but I do have a few hundred. Many of them are computer books, and I don't think anyone would be surprised by those. (I also have several hundred comic books, mostly from my childhood, and again, no surprises there. Unless you include the series drawn (but not written) by my tax guy's nephew -- but that's only surprising in that I kinda sorta not really know the guy and have about half the series signed by both writer and artist.)

            I suppose that the most surprising thing on my bookshelf would be the non-computer nonfiction books. Things like sociology and such. Most people would probably assume I have no interest in such things, but really, I like most nonfiction topics.

            Oh, and I have several thousand ebooks. 20+ years of collecting.
            Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, you speak with the Fraud department. -- CrazedClerkthe2nd
            OW! Rolled my eyes too hard, saw my brain. -- Seanette
            she seems to top me in crazy, and I'm enough crazy for my family. -- Cooper
            Yes, I am evil. What's your point? -- Jester

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            • #7
              I don't know if I still do, but I had a copy of "Mein Kampf" for quite a while. Never could get myself to read it.
              “There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged.
              One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world.
              The other, of course, involves orcs." -- John Rogers

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              • #8
                Quoth Nunavut Pants View Post
                I don't know if I still do, but I had a copy of "Mein Kampf" for quite a while. Never could get myself to read it.
                Well, least your not going to run out of toilet paper.

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                • #9
                  *insert "Senpai noticed me" meme here*

                  Just wanted to say thank you for putting such an amazing spin on what had to be soul-crushing moments in years past.
                  “There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged.
                  One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world.
                  The other, of course, involves orcs." -- John Rogers

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