What Am I Reading?
by Betsey Wilcox
Reading list Sep-Oct-Nov 2020
I hope that everyone is finding this column useful, entertaining and/or not awful. I have learned an important lesson from the first entry to this one. I learned not to tell you what I plan to read for the next column because that NEVER goes as planned. Case in point is the first entry here, which was nowhere on my list of books TBR (to-be-read) last newsletter. There is, so far, only one book that I said I was going to read that I have managed to read. When it comes to following a list of what to read next, I sometimes feel like a dog in a yard full of squirrels, or in this case a sentient cat in a junkyard full of bad nanobots. Cats do plan better than dogs, though.
Read the full article here.
Many thanks to Richard G. Griffiths for sending in a What Am I Reading submission:
"I first found RAH in 1959, just before turning 12. Have Space Suit Will Travel was my introduction to Science Fiction, and then I read any book or magazine I could. Over the years I have read, and reread Heinlein's work, enjoying them all, especially Glory Road and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress--the first, for you cannot always trust what you see, or think you know; and the second for..." ...Continue reading here!
Would you like so submit a What Am I Reading to be potentially featured in the next Newsletter or on our social media? Email your submissions to newsletter@heinleinsociety.org!
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Finding yourself shopping online more this year? Help us Pay It Forward by shopping at smile.amazon.com. Designate The Heinlein Society as your recipient organization and we will get a donation for each purchase, cost-free to you. Last year, THS received $196.00 in donations through Amazon Smile!
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Blood Drive Update
by Carlin Black, Blood Drive Chair
With Convention contributions to the blood supply on hold, Paying It Forward with individual local donations as often as you can is more important than ever. Please donate if you are eligible or encourage others to donate if you are not.
Many members are sponsoring blood drives at churches and other venues to Pay it Forward in these difficult times. You and a couple of friends or family would be welcomed as coordinators by the Red Cross or your local blood center.
THS Donors will will be recognized with an SF pinned Thank You card and ribbon on the Donor Wall. Send a donor selfie and USPS address to BloodDriveChair@heinleinsociety.org for recognition swag. You can credit a Con (or not) and any THS member is eligible! Help us beef up the wall! First time donors will be featured.
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This fiscal year, we’ve made 85 shipments already, totaling 1,237 books distributed. Since the program’s inception, we’ve sent 30,067 total books to our heroes.
The Heinlein For Heroes program (H4H) sends free books to troops, veterans, and military families. We send only to individuals or units that have requested SF material. Clearly many of our military men and women WANT to read good science fiction, including Heinlein. To meet that demand, our shipments go around the globe, as well as to veterans’ hospitals here at home.
Contributions keep coming in, but your help is still needed. We need gently used paperbacks—and especially Heinleins, as we include Heinlein books in every shipment.
Money contributions are used to buy books wherever we find them (book dealers, eBay) at the right price. But free is even better than cheap. Is an SF friend or neighbor downsizing? You can help them and help us!
You can send us books at:
Heinlein for Heroes
c/o John Seltzer
2906 Alvarado Dr.
Bellingham, WA 98229
Go to heinleinsociety.org/h4h/ for information!
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Subj: Books for Deployment
Good morning,
I received the box of books you sent yesterday and I can't thank you enough for them!! I didn't even get a chance to put them in the library due to everyone in the P-way seeing them and grabbing one. The titles were perfect since we only have 3 genres available. Thank you again and take care.
ET2 Imbimbo
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Good Afternoon,
On behalf of the soldiers on board the United States Army Logistic Support Vessel Charles P. Gross (LSV-5), I would like to sincerely thank you for your contributions to our crew's morale!
As Army mariners, we embark on frequent voyages to accomplish our given tasks and missions. While underway the other soldiers and myself have been reading non-stop while on our watch. It's very common to see everyone trading books they've read and encourage others to start reading. This emerging culture of reading is not only good for morale but expanding the vocabulary and knowledge of our soldiers. Personally, the reading I've done here has reignited the passion I had for medieval fantasy books I held when I was younger. The books are an escape into a different world full of adventure and thrills. I wanted to thank each of the contributors to this wonderful program for taking the time out of their lives to provide these books. We have so many options to choose from now it's amazing! I have spoken with several of the soldiers about contributing to this program in the future so that we may also help our brothers and sisters deployed. Thank you for your support!
respectfully,
Kyle
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Good morning,
I just want to say thank you for your package!!! It arrived well and is now available to all in my office. Again thank you for your support.
v/r,
Luis Machuca Gomez
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Thank you so much for your amazing service! I received 3 boxes of great books. I have been ill and so sorry it has taken me so long to send in my appreciation to these great programs that sent me such great books.
I appreciate the program so much. I am good for a while on books so can be removed from receiver side and as i get some read I will start sending them out and when our VA outpatient clinic opens again will add some there for other Veterans. Our VA is actually in the Navy base hospital so can leave some in their waiting area as well.
Thank you so very much and please let the programs know how much they are appreciated.
Hollie Bethany
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Good morning from Al Udeid!
I have received the three boxes of books! Thank you so much, I have begun to share them with other Sailors around. I plan on leaving a few in the common areas so that people may grab them as they please. I will leave the not in one of the common areas in hopes that an avid book reader requests some too! Thank you so much!
Very Respectfully,
PS1 (SW/AW/IW) Jessica Aguirre
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To the operation paperback crew,
I can’t thank you enough for all of the books that your volunteers have sent to us! We have received so many generous donations over the past few weeks that we have started a small library in our building and have even passed a number of books on to other units deployed with us. We were all surprised and humbled by the large and thoughtful shipments we received from various donors and wish you all the best in continuing your amazing services. I can speak for everyone here in saying your shipments are greatly appreciated and are helping to keep everyone in good spirits.
Respectfully,
SrA Eligh Alvarez
EOD Journeyman
380 ECES/CED
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Thank you for your shipment of SciFi books. They made it safely to Niger today. I am on a very small base so these are fantastic to have. I have pulled 4 of them aside to read and am taking the other 20 over to our small library tent for the rest of the base to enjoy.
Thank you,
MSgt Dave Werkema
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I just want to say thank you for the package that you sent to my shop. You have no idea how much this helps out. Not to mention to the command. Everyone is enjoying the books that you sent out. Thank you so much!
RAM ON!!!
V/R
AOC(AW/SW) Bray, Sean C
VFA-83
Ordnance LCPO
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Greetings
Thank you so much for the box of books! Some of our soldiers grabbed a couple of the books and the rest we have put in our
common areas. Thanks again for all you do to remember the deployed troops.
Very Respectfully,
1LT Jordan Armstrong
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Thank you so much for the books and movies. I have received two packages so far and will be sending them to my husband and his unit as they work on the Covid 19 mission. I know they get stir crazy in the hotel while “off duty” and this will be a nice change of activity for them.
Thanks,
The O’Neal’s
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