Jerry Towler

Self-driven.

Reading

Book Art

How to Take Smart Notes

Sönke Ahrens


    books

    Finished reading: The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson

    Apparently Sanderson’s fiftieth novel, and the last of the four Kickstarter books. Directly impacts the Cosmere, and the first of these weird ones where having read everything Cosmere really …

    books

    Finished reading: A Demon in Silver (War of the Archons) by R.S. Ford

    Magic is creeping back into the world. Some parts think they’re ready; others have no idea; almost nobody’s prepared for what actually happens.

    A fun read, with disparate threads …

    ...

    Last night, I entered all my upcoming trips into my Obsidian trips database. The year is getting crowded, and we haven’t made it out of January yet. (I also haven’t entered some known trips for the back half of the year; at least August, …

    One day I’ll post something more interesting. Today, it’s another puzzle.

    Conlextions #132 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦 Solve Time: 1 minute, 6 seconds

    Posting NYT instead of @lex because the purples today are hilarious.

    Connections Puzzle #219 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟪🟪🟪🟪

    Also I initially made a silly mistake with the blues in Conlextions today, but I fixed it.

    Conlextions #129 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩 Solve …

    This puzzle continues to bring a little joy (and sometimes frustration) to my day.

    Conlextions #128 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟪🟪🟪🟪 Solve Time: 1 minute, 24 seconds

    I found this one took a little more patience than some.

    Conlextions #127 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩 Solve Time: 2 minutes, 59 seconds

    Conlextions #119 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩 Solve Time: 1 minute, 59 seconds

    I discovered @lex‘s Conlextions puzzles through Dr. Drang at the end of December and immediately ripped through the archives. It has just now occurred to me I can post results here.

    Obviously, I will cherry-pick the good ones where I made no …

    books

    Finished reading: The Law by Jim Butcher.

    A fairly weak entry in the series, maybe intended as a palate cleanser after Battle Ground. We see a little of Dresden’s psyche, but not much. A short return to the early novels’ PI theme, but with Dresden …

    books

    Finished reading: Heroes by Stephen Fry.

    A fantastic addition to Mythos. Fry picks some of the best-known Greek heros (and one not-so-well-known) and brings them and their complete stories to life. He tells complete stories, bringing in all the …

    Year in books for 2023

    Here are the books I finished reading in 2023. I also keep a running log throughout the year.

    MythosLast Argument of KingsBefore They Are HangedThe Blade ItselfYumi and the Nightmare PainterLegends & LattesThe Kaiju Preservation SocietyThirty QuestionsThe One Hour BibleFor the BodySenlin AscendsThe Lies of Locke LamoraThe Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval EnglandThe LawMoving PicturesSpinning SilverThe Wise Man's FearThe Name of the WindTress of the Emerald SeaEricLeague of DragonsBlood of TyrantsCrucible of GoldTongues of SerpentsVictory of EaglesGuards! Guards!The Lost MetalEmpire of IvoryBlack Powder WarThrone of JadeHis Majesty's DragonThe Girl in the TowerPyramidsWyrd SistersThe Bear and the NightingaleSourceryMortUprootedThe Golden EnclavesThe Last GraduateA Deadly EducationThe Bands of MourningShadows of SelfEqual RitesThe Light FantasticThe Color of Magic

    books

    Finished reading: Mythos by Stephen Fry.

    Excellent retelling of the classic Greek myths. Plus some I’ve never heard. If you ever read (or refused to read) Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, you owe it to yourself to read this one. Fry brings the characters …

    ...

    Two more fall beers tonight:

    • Altstadt Okt
    • Samuel Adams Jack-O

    🎃🍻

    Two beer bottles on a table: Altstadt Okt and Samuel Adams Jack-O
    ...

    Every year, my wife and I grab as many pumpkin/yam/märzen/oktoberfests as we can and do a little home tasting. The selection at our local H-E-B this year is shockingly good, so I have a lot to post. I’ll make it a full page later; for now, just a …

    ...

    Not a good day for football in our house. Nice of Apple News to sum up the day so conveniently though… 🏈

    College football scores for VT-Marshall (17-24) and SMU-TCU (17-34).

    books

    Finished reading: Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie. An epic end to an epic trilogy. Disappointing in all the best ways. One smidge darker than I’d hoped, but you have to be realistic about these things. 📚

    Got off a plane from New Zealand Thursday night, back on a plane (to Atlanta this time) this afternoon. I often can’t decide whether I love this life of travel or wish I could spend some more time in my own bed. Today it’s the former.

    books

    Finished reading: Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie. Even better than the first. Characters you want to know better, mysteries abound, swords and sorcery and sex and what else do you want from a book? 📚

    ...

    I’m a day late to the cycle photo @challenges but I’m going to post this anyway since I’m enjoying these photo challenges and it’s actually a nice shot of Melbourne from across the lake in Albert Park.

    A little boy on a bicycle on the shore of Albert Park Lake with the skyline of Melbourne in the background.
    ...

    I wanted to make a joke about “divided by a common language”, but “this escalator is being rested” is such a great replacement for “down for maintenance” that I’ll just leave it at that.

    Top of an escalator blocked by an orange bar with a blue flag reading in white letters, “Not currently in use, this escalator is being rested.” The flag also has an escalator icon with a thought bubble filled with Z’s.

    I missed the first Virginia Tech football game last week (against ODU) because we were in New Zealand. An acceptable tradeoff, of course, but it’s nice to be back in the US this weekend and watch the Hokies take on Purdue. 🏈📺🦃

    UPDATE: Having said …

    ...

    photos

    Leaving Queenstown yesterday, Meera snapped one of the best sea-earth-sky yonder photos I’ve ever seen. Plane-window photos never work, but New Zealand is so picturesque it didn’t matter. 📸

    A New Zealand fjord. Blue water in the middle, green mountains on both sides, a full horizon of snow-capped peaks in the distance, and a plane engine in the lower-right.

    books

    Finished reading: The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. Dirty, but not dark. Cynical, but leavened with hard work. Clichés and anti-clichés. Excellent, not stereotypical fantasy. 📚

    ...

    photos

    During our stop in Glenorchy yesterday, we encountered some surprisingly well-dressed travelers on the shore of Lake Wakatipu.

    We assume they were there for wedding pictures or something similar, because Glenorchy’s not exactly a formalwear kind of …