Joe's Notes

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This is my blog and I do whatever I want here. I write my thoughts about things and short stories, I take photos, and have lots of book reviews. Make sure to check out the PRODUCTS page to order your edgy t-shirts or the PRINTS page to get prints of my photography! Use the search bar at the bottom of this page to discover more posts. Use the ARCHIVE page to see all my posts. Categorical searches will also yield good results for those who want more of a specific group of posts such as “Photo Journal” or “Book Review”. Check out the OLD BLOG for over 270 posts that go back to 2010 and get your PRINTS at the Prints Store!

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Book Review: The Reckoning by John Grisham

February 26, 2020 by Joe Gray in Book Review

About a month ago I decided to save some money and pick up a few books from the local Good Will. I highly recommend doing this yourself as there are tons of great used books at places like that and they were only a couple dollars each. I had never read a book by John Grisham but I have seen a few movies based on them and they have all been great. The Reckoning is one of his newest offerings and reached the New York Best Seller list. I am not quite sure why.

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February 26, 2020 /Joe Gray
blog, blogger, book, book review, books, courtroom, drama, fiction, John Grisham, literature, reading, review, suspense, The Reckoning, writing
Book Review

Book Review: Touching the Void by Joe Simpson

January 11, 2020 by Joe Gray in Book Review

I was over at my brother's house last week and while waiting for some laundry we both sat reading. He was reading my copy of Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove and I decided to grab a book he had on the shelf and I just happened to pick the book that this review is about. I did not realize what I was getting myself into when I picked it up but two chapters later I was already hooked. I took it home and couldn't stop reading. 

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January 11, 2020 /Joe Gray
blog, blogger, book, book review, climbing, great books, intense, Joe Simpson, literature, mountaineering, mountains, reading, reviews, rock climbing, survival, thrilling, Touching the Void, true story, writing
Book Review

Book Review: Congo by Michael Crichton

January 04, 2020 by Joe Gray in Book Review

Congo is a science fiction novel written by Michael Crichton, the writer of the book Jurrasic park, that takes place primarily in the African jungle in the Congo region. It is written in an almost journalistic way taking the reader through different stages of the plot by breaking down dates, events and geographic locations into chapter sections. All along the way, historical and technological tangents are taken in an effort to create context and intrigue as to what surrounds the interactions that occur in the plot. Fictional accounts of previous expeditions to the Congo indicate the lack of successful attempts to study the region as well as the mysterious nature of its potential resources that might be used for the benefit of governmental interests. 

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January 04, 2020 /Joe Gray
action, adventure, blog, blogger, book review, books, congo, congo the book, fiction, gorilla, Koko, literature, michael crichton, novel, reading, reviews, sci-fi, science fiction, stories, writing
Book Review

Book Review: Dune by Frank Herbert

December 13, 2019 by Joe Gray in Book Review, Fiction, Sci-Fi

My friend recommended this book to me several times and I am very glad that I decided to take the suggestion. This book was a non-stop rollercoaster of intrigue, action, and suspense. From the very first chapter, the reader is thrown into a mysterious world where pieces to a massive puzzle are introduced through context while eluding simultaneously to a known future and an unknown present. The author introduces such puzzle pieces in a myriad of forms such as excerpts from unknown tomes that refer to unknown events, words that can only be contextualized to determine, and the names of people, cultures, and religions that will only make sense once the reader has delved deeper.

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December 13, 2019 /Joe Gray
action, adventure, blog, blogger, book review, books, Dune, Dune by Frank Herbert, dune novel, fantasy, Frank Herbert, intrigue, literature, mystery, novels, reading, recommendations, reviews, series, storytelling
Book Review, Fiction, Sci-Fi

Re-Post: Book Review: The Ten Pillars of Wealth by Alex Becker

November 29, 2019 by Joe Gray in Book Review

I decided to steal this book off of my brother's nightstand because I was drawn to the idea of getting into the mind of the wealthy. I have only recently developed a desire to make money as my own boss. I started a video and photography business about a year and a half ago with my brother and after I got my first check from independent work I become excited about the prospect of making money for myself instead of for a faceless corporate boss. I still work for a corporation now but after reading this book my mind has been set a quiver with ideas about how to become my own boss.

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November 29, 2019 /Joe Gray
10 pillars of wealth, alex becker, book, book review, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, finances, mindsets, money, review, reviews, wealth
Book Review

Book Review: Dead Man's Walk by Larry McMurtry

November 05, 2019 by Joe Gray in Book Review

After reading "Lonesome Dove" by Larry McMurtry and finding out that it was just one in a series of Western books written around the characters of Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call I went out and immediately purchased "Dead Man's Walk". For my review of "Lonesome Dove" check the link below. I was so impressed and enthralled with the storytelling in "Lonesome Dove" that I knew that I would enjoy another adventure and this book does not disappoint.

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November 05, 2019 /Joe Gray
book, book review, dead man's walk, fiction, larry mcmurtry, literature, lonesome dove, lonesome dove series, novels, plot summary, review, stories, storytelling, summary, texas rangers, westerns
Book Review
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