User Profile

Matt

mattb@bookwyrm.social

Joined 2 years, 1 month ago

I'm in Canberra, Australia. My favourite genres are fantasy and sci-fi. Lately enjoying books by Brandon Sanderson, Tamsyn Muir and Becky Chambers. I like drawing, table-top role-playing games (TTRPGs), cats and trying not to injure my aging body while trying to run far. I live on Ngunawal & Ngambri land.

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2024 Reading Goal

Success! Matt has read 11 of 10 books.

Enrico Buonanno: Functional Programming in C#, Second Edition (2021, Manning Publications Co. LLC) 5 stars

Real world examples and practical techniques for functional programming in C# without the jargon and …

A great foundation for functional programming in C#

4 stars

This book was mentioned as an inspiration for Simon Painter's "Functional Programming With C#", and after learning a great deal of what was possible, I wanted more, and so I read this book too, and I'm glad I did!

It's the better of the two I think, explains functional programming concepts very well with good examples, and then uses the same examples throughout to show how to better implement a solution as new concepts are introduced.

Simon Painter: Functional Programming with C# (2023, O'Reilly Media, Incorporated) 3 stars

After decades of relative obscurity, functional programming is finally coming into its own. With concise, …

A good primer on using functional programming in C#

3 stars

Really good introduction to functional programming concepts in C#. Been learning F# off and on for over a decade, so seeing that I can use functional programming in C# which I use daily for work, was really cool! Simon Painter's "humour" was pretty irritating to me, but the info is good. Glad I read it, but if you only read one book on FP in C#, I think "Functional Programming in C#, Second Edition" by Enrico Buonanno is a better book - a stronger foundation.

Saying that, Simon's conversational style is an easier read..., and he has some interesting ideas that are maybe easier to implement and use straight away.

Robert E. Vardeman: The Keys to Paradise (Paperback, 1991, New EnglishLibrary) 2 stars

The golden key glowed darkly, the inset gem flashing green fire. Inscribed runes spelled out …

A favourite as a teen - didn't hold up

2 stars

A pulpy fantasy adventure, similar in feel to early Michael Moorcock maybe? But not as good. I mean, it's OK, and when I read it as a teen I thought it was really great! But 35 years later it didn't land the same. A bit problematic with female characters and their agency, but it was the 80s... But I did love how it felt like a messy D&D campaign. I liked the world building. A nice solid quest, some evil baddies, plans that get thwarted and changed on the fly. Character motivations/behaviour seemed inconsistent at times, but overall... fine?

I remember buying this book from a sale bin during the Australian Summer holidays of 1988 I think. I associate the book with the song "Run to Paradise" by The Choir Boys, which ran through my head every-time I picked it up. It was a great holiday, and this book got …