Reading List

The "Reading List" sidebar is intended to be a (relatively) simple list (duh) of things that I'm currently reading or have recently read.

My original idea (and still planned at some point, when I get around to it), was a database of books, including the usual information (title, author, etc., possibly dynamically pulling some information from other sources?), but also including the "time period" (perhaps begin/end) to record when I'd read it. Then the sidebar interface would display a specified number of the most recent entries. Perhaps also with a user interface, so that a visitor could browse the entire list.

There is a Serendipity plugin ("Currently ...") which does some of this, but it only lists a single book, and it's "automatic" Amazon linking did NOT work (the last time I tried it).

So I decided to "roll my own". After a few tries in different places, in difference ways, the easiest worked out to be an HTML nugget, containing an HTML list structure (originally just an unordered list <ul>). As I added and removed books, I just comment-out the HTML for the "removed" items, leaving them for possible future refernce). Each item includes the title and author, of course, with each of these marked-up as an HTML anchor to an appropriate page (such as the Amazon.com listing for the book, or the author's website).

Later I added the "Library Symbol" graphic (I know, tables for layout is NOT proper form, but it's the only "quick-and-dirty" way I could get the graphic and text side-by-side); I also changed to using a "definition list" (<dl>) item in order to force the indentation behavior that I wanted (using any list "item" with OUT its containing list is also "bad form", but again, it looks like I want it, quick-and-dirty).

Maybe at some point, I'll investigate non-"quick-and-dirty" methods for similar appearances, but by then, maybe I'll get around to doing the whole thing RIGHT, build a full PHP database-d sidebar plugin. The "manual update" method isn't really the best idea, since the stuff I leave in text, but commented-out of the HTML code, STILL gets included into the final page source if anyone cared to look ...

In the Meantime, below is the MANUALLY generated list of ALL items from the "Reading List" (since I have to type all this in once anyway, but only the most recent/current are kept the side-bar nugget), in more-or-less ascending chronological order since about April 2008 ...

Older Reading List Items

Reading List

Java Programming for Kids, Parents and Grandparents by by Yakov Fain [Ongoing]

Meme (PDF E-Book) by Sean Sinjin [Ongoing/Pending]

Thinking in Java (3rd Ed, HTML E-Book) by Bruce Eckel [Ongoing/Pending]

Voyage by Stephen Baxter [2008/01]

Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke [2008/03]

New Voices in Science Fiction Editor Mike Resnick [2008/04/11-2008/04/24]

The Vampire Virus by Michael Romkey [2008/04/25-2008/05/01]

12 Monkeys by Elisabeth Hand [2008/05]

Venus by Ben Bova [2008/05/23-2008/05/27]

My Cat Loki Vol. 1 by Bettina Kurkoski [2008/05]

Future Crimes by Martin H. Greenberg [2008/05/28-2008/06/18]

Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts [2008/06]

Hunted by William W. Johnstone [2008/06]

The Return by Richard Maynard [2008/06/17-2008/06/27?]

Desperation by Stephen King [2008/06/28-2008/07/07]

Farnam's Freehold by Robert A. Heinlein [2008/07/07-2008/07/09]

To Sail Beyond the Sunset by Robert A. Heinlein [2008/07/09-2008/07/12]

Demons Don't Dream by Peirs Anthony [2008/07/12-2008/07/19?]

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor [2008/07]

Second Genesis by Jeffrey Anderson, M.D. [2008/07/30-2008/08/03]

Psychosphere by Brian Lumley [2008/08/03-NotCompleted:2nd-of-Trilogy]

The Stand by Stephen King [2008/08/03-2008/08/12]

Second Chance by Paul Strassels [2008/08/04]

The Hollow by Nora Roberts [2008/08/10?-2008/08/12?]

The Cat Who Walks Through Walls by Robert A. Heinlein [2008/08/12-2008/08/14]

A Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein [2008/08/15-?]

Wired Magazine June 2008 at the Wired.com  Cover Browser

Wired Magazine July 2008 at the Wired.com  Cover Browser

Wired Magazine September 2008 at the Wired.com  Cover Browser

Robots by Jack Dann [2008/10/05-2008/10/22]

danger.com @2//Firestorm/ by Jordan Cray [2008/10/25-2008/10/26]

The Last of the Dog Team by William W. Johnstone [2008/10/27-2008/10/28]

Basilica by William D. Montalbano [2008/10/29-2008/10/31]

Transgressions Vol. 4 by Ed McBain, Ed. [2008/10/13-2008/11/16]

The Incredible Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson [2008/11/08-Pending]

Replay (PDF E-Book) by Ken Grimwood [2008/11/09-Pending]

Fade by Kyle Mills [2008/11/18-2008/11/19]

A Feast Unknown (HTML E-Book) by Philip José Farmer [2008/11/18-2008/12/08]

Buying Time by Joe Haldeman [2008/11/19-2008/11/24]

Infinity's Child by Harry Stein [2008/11/28-12/20 ... TBD]

Reader's Digest, October 2007 [2008/12/17-2008/12/31]

The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts [2009/01/01-2009/01/05]

Dangerous Games by Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois, Ed. [2009/01/06-2009/01/25]

The HAN SOLO Adventures by Brian Daley [Pending]

The Double Helix by James D. Watson [Pending]

God Game by Andrew M. Greeley [Pending]

The Book of God by Walter Wangerin Jr. [Pending]

Midnight at the Well of Souls by Jack L. Chalker [2009-04-03-2009-04-12]

Naked Emperors (Essays of a Taboo Stalker) by Garret Hardin [Pending]

Unintended Consequences (PDF E-Book) by John Ross [2009/01/25-Pending]

Wired Magazine August 2008 at the Wired.com  Cover Browser [2009/01/28-2009/02/07]

Wired Magazine October 2008 at the Wired.com  Cover Browser [2009/02/08-2009/03/16]

Highlander by Garry Kilworth [2009/03/13-2009/03/14]

Wired Magazine December 2008 at the Wired.com  Cover Browser [2009/03/17-]

Replay (Audio-Book) by Ken Grimwood [2009/03/15-2009/04/24]

Wired Magazine January 2009 at the Wired.com  Cover Browser [2009/04/01-]

Forrest Gump by Winston Groom [2009/04/19-2009/04/20]

Gump & Co. by Winston Groom [2009/04/21-2009/04/22]

Have Spacesuit Will Travel (Audio-book) by Robert A. Heinlein [2009/04/23-]

GOLD by Isaac Asimov [2009/04/26-2009-05-24]

Twice Upon a Time by Allen Appel [2009-05-25-]