5 years in Bangkok and still loving it.

  

  It has been 5 years since I emerged from my 14 day of Covid quarantine and experience Metro Bangkok for the first time. I was lucky. The day I was released from, the quarantine it was the same day Bangkok lifted some of there Covid restriction.  It took a bit of time for Thailand to bounce back from that.  When I settled on a rental condo in the working class neighborhood of  Samrong Nuea,  it took nearly 2 years for all the businesses to bounce back.  Even in the 3rd year some storefronts remained vacant. Now a days there is the same flow of the occasional new business coming in to replace one that failed for whatever reason. 

     My "Original Plan" was to stay one year. Did not want to disappoint myself if my imagined life in Thailand did not matched the reality of living in Thailand. I had, after all,  never been to Thailand. My original plan, if I was to retire overseas, was to go to Argentina. But every time I researched Best Places to Retire, Thailand always popped up in the story.  Great public transportation system, cheap rentals, low crime rate and fabulous restaurants. So in my mind my 1 year became 3 and my plan was to return stateside in 2024. Then Trump 2.0 happened and there was no way I was going to go through that again. 

     You got to realize that for retired life living overseas, 85% of what I do here,  I would do no matter where I was. Sleep, Reading, Gym and Watching TV.  Biggest difference here in Bangkok and there in the USA, is probably the amount of times I go out to eat.  Things here are way more affordable for a person on a fixed income.  Except NFL Big Ticket. It is $300 dollars here.  Looks like I will wait for a mid season special price before I sign up for that. 

     So for the next 2 years I have some plans to travel to a few places.  China for the Great Wall. In Vietnam, there is a crazy bridge in Da Nang that is supported by hands that I want to see. Hong Kong for sure. The future looks good for me even though 2026 is my last year in the 60s. 2027 will see my 70th year of being and I have some decisions to make. Prepare for the return stateside in 2029 or head off to another part of the world. 

The Year of Re-reads !!! More a pleasure than a chore.

     

      It is the year that saw some of my favorite long running series release new books.  Martha Wells' Murderbot series got a new installment Platform Decay. I had read the first in the series, All Systems Red, back in 2020. while I remembered the main concept, the various twists and turn were forgotten. Then there was the new Dungeon Crawler Carl series, Parade of Horribles. This re-read was not really necessary from a remembrance reason, but rather all the Audible version of the series was on sale. I had first read the series in e-book form but had heard great thing about the audiobook version. So it was a pleasure to experience the series in that form. If you have not started the super fun Dungeon Crawler Carl series, start it in audiobook it is that good. Finally there is a new addition to Dennis E. Taylor's Bobiverse this September in 2026. This too was a pleasure more than a chore. I know that the term Bobiverse just does not hint at serious science, but this series has it all. Biology, Anthropology, Physics and crazy pop culture shout outs.  I am going to ask you to try any Dennis E Taylor book. If you like a nice character driven story with serious thought to hard science references, pick up any of the books Mr. Taylor has written. He is the writer who has the closest thing to a Douglas Adams vibe going. 

A Parade of Horribles By Matt Dinniman

   Before this title was released, I decided to do a re-read of the pervious 7 books. Or rather a first time listen of the Audiobooks. I read the first Dungeon Crawler carl in e-book for, back in August of 2024. I was a bit hesitant to start the series as I am not a gamer. I tried the Gamer Lifestyle. Got me a X Box but every time I did play a game 14 hours passed by and my character spent the last 5 hours in a hole unable to move. So I thought that the series was not for me.  I was so wrong. So a shout out to all those who pumped the hype for this series. The series surpassed the hype. But I have to say the audiobook performance by the Soundbooth Theatre takes the experience of the tales to a whole other level. 

     This series has hidden strengths. What I mean by this, Matt writes characters to break your heart, uplift your spirits and generally give the reader hope or, in spectacular fashion, dash them. It is a beautiful ride.  

Faith of Beasts by James S.A. Corey

    It always takes me about 2 days to read a Daniel and Ty book as their writing style just hits the spot for me. Their books always makes me think of them long after I have finished.  Creative worldbuilding, and moral dilemmas are outstanding features of this series. 

     In the Captive's War series, TY and Daniel skip the heroic rebellion trope in favor of a rational collaborator protagonist who waits for the right moment—only, what if that moment never comes? The main POV works to accomplish the goals set by his captors while also scheming to connect with their enemies, who, according to a sofa-looking alien, aren’t exactly winning. It’s all so delicious.

    The story ends on a great WTF last paragraph setting up the next book perfectly. If you have never read a James S.A. Corey you are missing out on one of the best writers of Science Fiction for the last 20 years. Even their Star Wars novel Honor Among Thieves is one of the best in that universe.   

The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson

This is not the edition I found and read, but it is the edition that you can buy right now. I discovered Fran G, Bengtsson while going thru the sale table at my favorite book shop in Bangkok, Thailand,  Besides a Viking ship on the cover, it also had a blurb by my favorite authors on it. Joe Abercrombie wrote " A rip-roaring saga that's vivid and authentic... No one should go a-viking without it."  So, of course I had to buy it despite the rather worn condition. 

  So thank you Joe, This book was written in 1954 by Mr. Bengtsson who first came into the publishing world as a Swedish Poet who later on wrote a couple Swedish histories, This tale of Red Ohm is his first foray into historical fiction and I found it brilliant,

    The novel historical setting is 980 to 1010 C. Vikings  for decades set sail to gain fortune in England, Ireland and France. The books main character is called Ohm. who was captured in a raid and brought upon the Viking ship, where he quickly became a favorite among the crew and found his best friend. The tale followed his journey as Ohm went from captive to a Viking raider to galley slave to a bodyguard to Prince to a theft of a holy relic to the household of King Harald. 

    It is a book you must read if you love all thing Vikings. The pacing was perfect. The plot took enough turns to keep you glued to the page wondering what was to happens next.  

Outlaw Planet by M.R, Carey

     I still have not found an M.R. Carey book I did not love, its no surprise that his newest ended up as another love, bit it did not start out that way. As I first read the tale, I thought at first this may be better as a Mike Carey tale, the name M.R. Carey uses in real life and as a Graphic Novelist. And I kept thinking perhaps this started as a Graphic novel. I thought that because 2/3rd of this book is a Western set in a planet of Dog-like population, But then I hit the other 1/3rd that was part of the Panominion Series. a quantum timeline series, And how M.R. tied the whole book together was just amazing. 

     As I stated earlier, this tale is a Western/Science Fiction smashup. A young lady travels to a frontier town to claim the school teacher job, a border war then a civil war and the start of a complete change in her life, It is a fantastic tale. Oh, and a sentient gun, 

    The second story arc which connects this novel to the Panominion series (which begins with book *The Infinity Gate*)  In truth, this is really book three in the series, though you wouldn’t know it since it’s not mentioned anywhere on or in the physical book. I’m not sure how well readers who haven’t read the first two books will grasp that part of the story or just be more confused.  But reading any M.R. Carey tale is never a bad thing in my humble opinion. 

Daughter of the Otherworld by Shauna Lawless

         I have loved the way Shauna Lawless has smashed up Ancient Irish History with Irish Mythology from the very first book in the series,  Children of Gods and Fighting Men.  This book can be either book 4 of the Gael Song series or Gael Song Era 2 BK1. Either way, it was a great read and i was glad to be back in Shauna world.       

       150 years have passed since the event in the Gael Song Trilogy. But since the Fomorians and Tuath De Danann are ancient Irish mythical beings, we have some of the same characters we have met in he first trilogy.  Gromflaith, one of the main POV in the Gael Song, is hiding out in Europe. An actual historical figure who married three Kings, but little is know of Gromflaith in the beside that. Shauna has added to the tale a meticulously crafted character I have not read since George R.R, Martin's Cersei Lannister.         . 

       Structure of this novel has multiple POVs.  Isolde is, at the end of the first trilogy the mere babe of a King and a Tuath De Danann, is now a young lady hidden on an island. Foretold to be the one who will destroy the Fomorians, enemies of the Tuath De Danann,  Isolde thinks the Gods got it all wrong. This strong start to a new trilogy has me excited for book 2.  Shauna will also release novella to add to the tale.