Ahoy!
Looking outside with all the wind in Brooklyn I’m thinking of T.S. Eliot.
April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.
Summer surprised us, coming over the Starnbergersee
With a shower of rain; we stopped in the colonnade,
And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten,
And drank coffee, and talked for an hour.
Bin gar keine Russin, stamm’ aus Litauen, echt deutsch.
And when we were children, staying at the arch-duke’s,
My cousin’s, he took me out on a sled,
And I was frightened. He said, Marie,
Marie, hold on tight. And down we went.
In the mountains, there you feel free.
I read, much of the night, and go south in the winter.
Rough stuff, huh folks? Anyway, all is well at the homestead and all we’ve been doing is reading so I have plenty of recommendations.
Once again, if you’re bored, I've created a podcast discovery service called PodHound. It basically aggregates thousands of podcasts from around the world and, when I have enough data, it will use AI to recommend podcasts you'll like. Please check it out.
If you need anything - even if you just want to talk - email me or text me at +16462515666.
And, with that, I present the great reads.
Best,
John Biggs
The List
The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood [Kindle] [Powell’s]
By Sam Wasson
I’ve been trying hard to figure out how to watch older movies after being beat over the head with action and imagery thanks to new film styles. Sam Wasson tells us why that old style was important and explores one of the most interesting films of that era.
Life In a Medieval City [Kindle] [Powell’s]
By Frances and Joseph Gies
This is a lovely book about what it was like to live inside Troyes in medieval times. It is the basis for much of the Game of Thrones - there’s even some similarity in the names George R. R. Martin used in the book! Each chapter is a jewel box of detail.
Uncanny Valley [Kindle] [Powell’s]
By Anna Wiener
I wanted to like this book more. Wiener spent time in San Francisco among the digerati after working in publishing. Her writing is clear and bright but she refuses to name names in some sort of coy stylistic choice that leads to doubt a lot of the anecdotes. This isn’t a journalistic work, however, but a memoir and it’s an important record of an era akin to Hackers and Deeper.
Great Podcasts to Explore
This week these were the three top role-playing podcasts on PodHound.
Faeforge Academy - The Faeforge Academy is a 5th edition, Dungeons & Dragons actual play podcast featuring the Witch+Craft supplement for crafting by Astrolago press. To stay up to date with everything happening at the academy be sure to follow us on twitter @FaeforgeAcademy.
The Monster Mechanics Podcast - Why do dragons hoard gold? What sort of a fish makes up a mermaid's lower half? How does centaur digestion work? Hosts Scott Paladin and Zach Jaquays tackle these topics and more. Asking the tough questions, and then making up the answers on the spot.
DnD Raw - DnD RAW is a party of friends who mostly follow rules as written (RAW) for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition! New episode every Monday.
Want custom recommendations based on what you like?
Please fave podcasts on PodHound. Our AI will begin learning what you prefer and send you custom messages about new podcasts your love.
As always, I welcome recommendations. Just email me at john@biggs.cc
Best, JB
My podcast.
My books are available now from Amazon.
My speaking page.