Thanks. I'm about halfway through, and I don't think I've read anything that made me say, "Holy crap!" quite as often. From section 50: They [the Founders] perfectly understood the meaning of the language they used, and how it would be understood by others; and they knew that it would not in any part of the civilized world be supposed to embrace the negro race, which, by common consent, had been excluded from civilized Governments and the family of nations, and doomed to slavery. They spoke and acted according to the then established doctrines and principles, and in the ordinary language of the day, and no one misunderstood them.
Yeah, it's pretty eerie to read. Taney wasn't an idiot (although I've read some critique that shows he was pretty dishonest in neglecting to cite several points that shot his arguments to shit). If you let him walk you through it (I've never even had Law 100 or whatever though) it seems very solid and logical. I mean, the federal government doesn't have the right to deprive someone of their property just because they moved to a different sta... fuck that "property" is a PERSON!!!
I always thought that the really consequential result of his ruling was that even free black people couldn’t be considered citizens of the United States. Is that part of the case or am I thinking of another one?
You're correct, it's just finally going to the original source has shown me a lot that I didn't realize about the case.
Stumbled across the forensic science section of the library aaaaaaaaand now im reading "The Poisoner's Handbook" by Deborah Blum. (Or at least, have added it to my "to read" list. Im currently still listening to "The Disappearing Spoon" about the periodic table and just started listening to "Queen of Sorcery" AND am more than halfway through reading "Only Child") The first chapter is interesting so i may stick with it!
Paused almost halfway through The Shadow Rising (fourth Wheel of Time book) to read Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. Got it on the recommendation of a friend, and he then proceeded to tell me I was doing it wrong because I got the physical book instead of the audiobook. Audiobooks aren't my cup of coffee, and even though I told him this, I'm still wrong. Oh well! The book itself isn't bad. I wasn't expecting anything revolutionary, but McConaughey is actually a decent storyteller.
I've really been looking at that one. I saw it was very short and easy to digest, so it looked like some nice light reading. This gives me even more hope for it.
I'm not the biggest fan of McConaughey (I think I've only enjoyed two films of his, but I don't seek them out), but I'm a sucker for life stories and memoir and this one, while it does have moments where I feel like saying "okay, sure, that's not embellishment for the story," it's mostly been kind of nice.
I haven't seen many of his movies (I haven't seen many of anyone's movies) but Sahara is one of my favorite movies for watching at 1 a.m. when I'm braindead and can't sleep. Lara Croft, Tomb Raider is also on my wee hours of the morning list. A film intellectual I am not.
Accidentally started another splatterpunk horror novel. Yeah... Safe to say I never enjoy that sub genre. Going to delicately lay it back down with a grimace. Ordered five more used books though. Jaws, Pet Semetary, Books of Blood by Clive Barker, Jurassic Park, and Vicious by V. E. Schwab.
Jurassic Park is awesome if you haven't read it. Way more action than the movie depicts. I have a combined white leatherbound copy that includes the second one. Both are worth a damn at least.
I don't want to know what splatterpunk involves. Oh, yes, I do. Off to google... ... about what I expected. Nice descriptive term, though,
The last 3 months were too much of Murakami. So, I've been balancing classics and recent writings by indigenous writers and people of color off-late. After finishing Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov, I've started reading There There by Tommy Orange. An excellent hard-hitting story about displacement - talks about an important aspect of being a stranger at home - a pioneering work of the New Native Renaissance. Highly recommended!
Finished Jade War, book two of Fonda Lee's Green Bone Saga. A very strong sequel, and I'm looking forwards to Jade Legacy later this year. Also just about finished A Hat Full of Sky, book two in the Tiffany Aching Discworld subseries. I was avoiding these for the longest time because of the "for kids" stamp, but damn, it's quickly becoming one of my favorite series under the Discworld umbrella. There really isn't much to distinguish it from regular Discworld, to my mind. Tiffany is one hell of a leading lady wee big lass, and the Nac Mac Feegle are a constant hoot. I've also started Promise of Blood, book one of the Powder Mage trilogy by Brian McClellan. This Napoleonic Fantasy is steadily blowing me away with each chapter. It's very grim, promising tons of violence and political intrigue down the line. I love some of the characters, and the writing style and the sense of humor are delightful. It's not the kind of book I expect to make me laugh, but it does. I haven't gotten too well acquainted with the setting, being only a short ways in, but I sense there's a lot of depth to the worldbuilding. I'm getting strong Joe Abercrombie vibes from this, but at the same time it's very much its own thing. I can see myself blowing through this trilogy, the sequel trilogy, and all of the novellas in a fairly short amount of time.
Does anyone know Jill Paton Walsh? I read A Desert in Bohemia and was really taken with it. It was very very good. I also have her Knowledge of Angels which was nominated for a Booker Prize. I haven't read it yet though.
That's on my bookshelf — a gift from last Christmas waiting to be read. I'll make sure I get to it in the next month or two. I finished Dune yesterday (brilliant) and pulled Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone and Other Stories off the shelf to start this evening.
Moorcock was a fantastic author years ago when I read him. I forget the name of the series. Evil sword corrupting the weilder and whatnot. Havent read him recently, but still hear good things here and there.
