Whatcha reading?

[TwiceHorn 31438]

11 minutes ago, hookem2010 said:

User name does not check out

EABOD.  DIAF.  GFY.

[gofuckyourself 8205]

2 hours ago, hookem2010 said:

User name does not check out

Riddles, mysteries, enigmas etc.

[NorthLoop 14181]

On 4/26/2024 at 3:01 PM, Post Oak said:

This was recommended to me from someone. Maybe here.  I'm really enjoying it so far.  The first chapter is one of the best first chapters I've ever read.  Instantly hooked.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried (1990) is considered one of the finest books about the Vietnam War. Far from a combat story of pride and glory, it is a compassionate tale of the American soldier, brimming with raw honesty and thoughtful reflection.

The book's narrator follows a platoon of infantrymen through the jungles of Vietnam. We see them trudge through the muck of a constant downpour, get hit by sniper fire, pull body parts out of a tree, laugh while they tell their stories to each other, and fall silent when faced with making sense of it all—both in the moment and twenty years later.

The book is split into a lush mosaic of vignettes drawn from O'Brien's own experiences. The title story describes what the soldiers must lug with them—both literally and figuratively—as they march: food, canteens, flak jackets, and weapons, as well as grief, terror, secrets, and memories. In another story, O'Brien tells of a young medic who brings his high-school sweetheart to his aid station in the mountains of Vietnam, chronicling her transformation from an innocent girl in a pink sweater to a cold night stalker who dons a necklace of human tongues. Yet another story tells of a soldier back from the war who drives his Chevy around his Iowa hometown, struggling to find meaning in his new life.

Central to the book is O'Brien's unique style, which blurs the lines between fact and fiction, then examines how and why he does just that. O'Brien challenges readers to ponder larger philosophical questions about truth and memory, and brings the reader closer to the emotional core of the men's experiences. "For the common soldier," O'Brien writes in "How to Tell a True War Story," "war has the feel—the spiritual texture—of a great ghostly fog, thick and permanent. There is no clarity. Everything swirls. The old rules are no longer binding, the old truths no longer true."

The Things They Carried is not just a tale of war, and the book's themes are no less relevant today than they were decades ago. This award-winning work is a brutal, sometimes funny, often profound narrative about the human heart—how it fares under pressure and what it can endure.

 

Nabbed this one at a thrift store a couple weeks ago for like 2 bucks. It's on my short list to read this month. 

[mdmost 42999]

On 4/29/2024 at 7:59 PM, mdmost said:

This was an excellent read. Very captivating. I'm planning to explore more nautical themed non-fiction like the biography of Captain Cook that just came out and Endurance. But next up is something that seemed right up my HBO's Perry Mason loving alley.

I also have this one my list. 

The Bishop and the Butterfly was excellent. Tells a great story of how the murder of a con-woman led to the downfall of Tammany Hall, the rise of FDR, and the reshaping of NYC. 

Does anyone have any good recommendations on some non-fiction in the same vein as the above book but focusing on old Hollywood/LA of the early 20th century?

Going to read A Fever in the Heartland as next book.

[The Original Greaser Bob 2822]

Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee  by Caey Cep (2019) (Audio)

I was really impressed with this book.  It goes off in different directions and is sort of like four different long New Yorker articles all mashed together.  But the writing is so swift and spare that the story just moves along.  It's just a good read/listen.

The idea of her publishers pushing for To Kill a Mockingbird over her finishing Go Set a Watchman - set years after To Kill a Mockingbird with an older and more problematic Atticus is something I never knew of but is a perfect reflection of the race politics of our own time. 

 

[The Original Greaser Bob 2822]

Fever in the Heartland was good, but didn't go where I thought it was going to go.  Interested to see what you think.

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

Finishing up The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It's good, but not really on the same level as Les Miserables. 

I plan to start The God of Small Things next. 

 

[NeverMarryAStripper 21874]

I signed up for Kindle Unlimited, so I've been reading a lot of books from there.  Not any bestsellers, but some pretty interesting stuff.  I just finished the Jerry McNeal series.  It's about a police dog that gets killed in the line of duty and comes back as a ghost to help his partner solve crimes.  Now I want to adopt a ghost dog.

[TonyTexas 10506]

48 minutes ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

I signed up for Kindle Unlimited, so I've been reading a lot of books from there. 

The public library is the way to go for digital books. Get library cards for as many systems as you can. City, county et al. Download Libby and enter your accounts. They have tens of thousands titles. Multiple copies of many. Check them out and easily send to your device, or get in a queue. Many bestsellers have long waits but you’ll eventually get there. New titles come out on Tuesdays and you can set alerts to notify you when the library gets it. You can keep each title for 2 weeks. Pro tip: If you’re not finished with the book by expiration, just put your Kindle on airplane mode and it won’t go away. 

Edited May 30 by TonyTexas

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

On 5/30/2024 at 4:48 PM, TonyTexas said:

Download Libby and enter your accounts. They have tens of thousands titles. Multiple copies of many. Check them out and easily send to your device, or get in a queue.

Libby is great. Lots of audiobooks available too. 

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

Started this one last night:

[mdmost 42999]

On 5/26/2024 at 4:27 PM, mdmost said:

The Bishop and the Butterfly was excellent. Tells a great story of how the murder of a con-woman led to the downfall of Tammany Hall, the rise of FDR, and the reshaping of NYC. 

Does anyone have any good recommendations on some non-fiction in the same vein as the above book but focusing on old Hollywood/LA of the early 20th century?

Going to read A Fever in the Heartland as next book.

This was a great read. It normally takes me a bit to get through a book which is why I set a resolution goal of 1 a month. I read this in under a week. That's how much it grabbed hold of me. I enjoy reading books like this and Empire of the Summer Moon because they fill in the gaps in my knowledge of American history. I had no idea about the massive reach of the Klan in the 20s. I guess I was naive to think the Klan was more of a Southern problem. It certainly was in post Civil War era but it then flipped in the early 20th century.

Don't want to get too CR but there are definite parallels with modern political movements here and in Europe. The rise of one man who almost had total control over an entire state with designs on taking over the nation, all through the use of fiery rhetoric to stoke anger over grievances common folk had with a changing society. It's scary how much our country could've come close to what Germany went through. There's another book I plan on checking out that talks about the growing anti-immigrant sentiment of the post-Great War era called American Midnight by Adam Hochschild but I plan on saving that for later. 

Next up, I think I'll either grab one of these or both since we have a vacation coming up later this month.

Edited June 7 by mdmost

[The Original Greaser Bob 2822]

Bad Mexicans (2022)

Would have liked a subtitle like "But Maybe One or Two are Good People" or "What's an Anarchist to Do When the Revolution's Over"

I liked this.  I did not know much about the turn of the century activity along the border, but it was very interesting and bloody.  Pure narrative.  Didn't know anything about the San Diego Plan or La Matanza. 

A good wide intro to the early thought leaders of the Mexican Revolution.

[Travo 15]

Just finished The Hobbit. I loved the first chapter, “An Unexpected Party.”

My main read right now is The Power Broker, but I’m reading it as part of a family book club schedule that is allowing room for some other reads.

I’m reading Cinema Speculation (Quentin Tarantino’s musings about the 70’s cinema he grew up on). I’m taking my time with this one as I’m watching some of the movies that are referenced.

I’m half-way through The Friends of Eddie Coyle, which was adapted into a movie in the 70’s that was mentioned in Cinema Speculation. It’s a crime drama about an arms dealer in Boston. The whole book is dialogue.

Once I finish The Friends of Eddie Coyle, I think I will go on to A Gentleman in Moscow based on recommendations in this thread also from a family member.

[TonyTexas 10506]

I wish The Power Broker was available digitally. A 4 pound book is quite the anchor. 

[BearSchlong 8083]

Hahaha agreed. That big ol volume has been taking up space in my living room for years, unfinished, because I can't seem to find room in my traveling bags.

I do have it on Audible though. All 66 hours.

[TwiceHorn 31438]

On 5/30/2024 at 4:00 PM, NeverMarryAStripper said:

I signed up for Kindle Unlimited, so I've been reading a lot of books from there.  Not any bestsellers, but some pretty interesting stuff.  I just finished the Jerry McNeal series.  It's about a police dog that gets killed in the line of duty and comes back as a ghost to help his partner solve crimes.  Now I want to adopt a ghost dog.

Pretty fascinating isn't it?  A lot of self-published and Thomas & Mercer, which is Amazon's "imprint" and not exactly Simon & Schuster.

Still, there's some pretty decent reading in there.  Some you have to overlook some bad editing and (not uniformly) poor writing, but some ripping yarns.  William Peter Grasso's war fiction is pretty damn good.

[gofuckyourself 8205]

Finally finished it. Both in the sense of long overdue and not being the speediest reader.

[Coach pop a bitch 5459]

4 hours ago, gofuckyourself said:

Finally finished it. Both in the sense of long overdue and not being the speediest reader.

Would you say its the greatest Texas novel? I haven't read it but as far as Texas novels how do you hold it up? 

[TonyTexas 10506]

8 minutes ago, Coach pop a bitch said:

Would you say its the greatest Texas novel? I haven't read it but as far as Texas novels how do you hold it up? 

For me it is. But I also really enjoyed Texas by Michener, which takes a comprehensive look at the the formation and development of this great state of ours. 

Edited June 14 by TonyTexas

[gofuckyourself 8205]

1 hour ago, Coach pop a bitch said:

Would you say its the greatest Texas novel? I haven't read it but as far as Texas novels how do you hold it up? 

It's one of the greatest novels I've read, if not the greatest. So much of it actually takes place outside of Texas that I didn't even always think of it as a "Texas" story as I was reading. The characters are so much the focus. And I can see why the name Gus surged in popularity after it was published.

I've also heard this one is a great Texas novel, and is on my list next.

 

[BearSchlong 8083]

A few Thanksgivings ago, in False River, LA, I met a cousin by marriage’s dad. His Tshirt said “We Dont Rent Pigs” and I chuckled, knowingly. He died of cancer a month later and a month after that his grandson Gus was born.

Gus and his brothers Bear and Charlie already have their own horses, their dad was a pro rodeo guy for a while.

[Post Oak 20208]

17 hours ago, Coach pop a bitch said:

Would you say its the greatest Texas novel? I haven't read it but as far as Texas novels how do you hold it up? 

 

17 hours ago, TonyTexas said:

For me it is. But I also really enjoyed Texas by Michener, which takes a comprehensive look at the the formation and development of this great state of ours. 

My British wife just read it and loved it.  I had pushed her to read it for years and finally she got around to it.  

It's my favorite novel and imo the greatest American novel. 

[Post Oak 20208]

Just finished this one. Easy fun read. Perfect for vacation.  

Enjoyed the authors style.  Gets right to the point.  

 

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

On 6/14/2024 at 1:45 PM, gofuckyourself said:

Finally finished it. Both in the sense of long overdue and not being the speediest reader.

Oh to read this one for the first time again. 

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

Started this tome this weekend:

I've read Anna Karenina, so I knew what I was getting into. Tolstoy is such a fantastic writer that it the length isn't an issue, but I always need to reference a character list with Russian novels because the names all start to run together otherwise. 

[billfromlaketravis 11447]

About 4 hours into David Simon’s Homicide: A Year of Killing on the Streets. The first 3 hours reads like a textbook, but he finally finds his grove when he works in stories and anecdotes from the Baltimore murder police. There’s a McNulty, a Bunk, and an actual Landsman. 
 

You can tell Simon learned a great deal about writing while working on Homicide the show. The book is a very unfinished product. He’s writing masterpieces by the time The Wire premiered on HBO. 

[MadTrapper 152]

Just finished Dracula for the first time.  The ending wasn't quite what I was expecting in that it was more abrupt than I'd anticipated. But the prose...beautiful. I think it may turn into a yearly read with my daughters during October/November. 

[Baboontyme 2809]

I finished The Sicilian by Puzo over the weekend. It started off a little slow but really picked up and I couldn't put it down. I wondered why it wasn't made into a movie, and then I found out that it was, and it was terrible. I tried to start it but it was nothing like what it could have/should have been. The story itself was much better than GF III and probably even II. 

[satyanash 14474]

On 6/15/2024 at 12:58 PM, Post Oak said:

It's my favorite novel and imo the greatest American novel. 

My rebuttal to this is the book I just finished, Moby-Dick.

I don't think I've ever read a book quite like it. It's whimsical, encyclopedic, deeply philosophical, and a very gripping story of the human condition. The key elements of the plot (Captain Ahab and his monomaniacal quest for revenge) happen in the first and last hundred pages. The rest of the book is about a hundred different things - the search for the ultimate Truth, man vs. Nature, life and death, the history of whaling, topics on race and homo-eroticism, etc. etc.

On 5/23/2024 at 8:54 AM, Mrs Whiggins said:

Off topic, but I do wish more people used 'inchoate' and other expressive words in their vocabulary. The idea that one is a snob or high falutin' for possession of such vocabulary when languages are as much art as they are communication tools is one I lament. I fear it is something being lost in education (no CR) when having a wide range of words from which to select is denigrated. Sure, sometimes the most appropriate phrase is "Oh shit, the brakes are out" as opposed to " a calamitous tragedy is upon us," but it's nice to have both at one's disposal.

You'll love Melville's writing.

Not yet have we solved the incantation of this whiteness, and learned why it appeals with such power to the soul; and more strange and far more portentous- why, as we have seen, it is at once the most meaning symbol of spiritual things, nay, the very veil of the Christian’s Deity; and yet should be as it is, the intensifying agent in things the most appalling to mankind. Is it that by its indefiniteness it shadows forth the heartless voids and immensities of the universe, and thus stabs us from behind with the thought of annihilation, when beholding the white depths of the milky way? Or is it, that as in essence whiteness is not so much a color as the visible absence of color; and at the same time the concrete of all colors; is it for these reasons that there is such a dumb blankness, full of meaning, in a wide landscape of snows- a colorless, all-color of atheism from which we shrink? And when we consider that other theory of the natural philosophers, that all other earthly hues- every stately or lovely emblazoning- the sweet tinges of sunset skies and woods; yea, and the gilded velvets of butterflies, and the butterfly cheeks of young girls; all these are but subtle deceits, not actually inherent in substances, but only laid on from without; so that all deified Nature absolutely paints like the harlot, whose allurements cover nothing but the charnel-house within; and when we proceed further, and consider that the mystical cosmetic which produces every one of her hues, the great principle of light, for ever remains white or colorless in itself, and if operating without medium upon matter, would touch all objects, even tulips and roses, with its own blank tinge- pondering all this, the palsied universe lies before us a leper; and like wilful travelers in Lapland, who refuse to wear colored and coloring glasses upon their eyes, so the wretched infidel gazes himself blind at the monumental white shroud that wraps all the prospect around him. And of all these things the Albino whale was the symbol. Wonder ye then at the fiery hunt?

[Post Oak 20208]

20 minutes ago, satyanash said:

My rebuttal to this is the book I just finished, Moby-Dick.

I don't think I've ever read a book quite like it. It's whimsical, encyclopedic, deeply philosophical, and a very gripping story of the human condition. The key elements of the plot (Captain Ahab and his monomaniacal quest for revenge) happen in the first and last hundred pages. The rest of the book is about a hundred different things - the search for the ultimate Truth, man vs. Nature, life and death, the history of whaling, topics on race and homo-eroticism, etc. etc.

You'll love Melville's writing.

Not yet have we solved the incantation of this whiteness, and learned why it appeals with such power to the soul; and more strange and far more portentous- why, as we have seen, it is at once the most meaning symbol of spiritual things, nay, the very veil of the Christian’s Deity; and yet should be as it is, the intensifying agent in things the most appalling to mankind. Is it that by its indefiniteness it shadows forth the heartless voids and immensities of the universe, and thus stabs us from behind with the thought of annihilation, when beholding the white depths of the milky way? Or is it, that as in essence whiteness is not so much a color as the visible absence of color; and at the same time the concrete of all colors; is it for these reasons that there is such a dumb blankness, full of meaning, in a wide landscape of snows- a colorless, all-color of atheism from which we shrink? And when we consider that other theory of the natural philosophers, that all other earthly hues- every stately or lovely emblazoning- the sweet tinges of sunset skies and woods; yea, and the gilded velvets of butterflies, and the butterfly cheeks of young girls; all these are but subtle deceits, not actually inherent in substances, but only laid on from without; so that all deified Nature absolutely paints like the harlot, whose allurements cover nothing but the charnel-house within; and when we proceed further, and consider that the mystical cosmetic which produces every one of her hues, the great principle of light, for ever remains white or colorless in itself, and if operating without medium upon matter, would touch all objects, even tulips and roses, with its own blank tinge- pondering all this, the palsied universe lies before us a leper; and like wilful travelers in Lapland, who refuse to wear colored and coloring glasses upon their eyes, so the wretched infidel gazes himself blind at the monumental white shroud that wraps all the prospect around him. And of all these things the Albino whale was the symbol. Wonder ye then at the fiery hunt?

Moby Dick was a terrible grind for me.  I didn't care for it at all. I know Im probably in the minority but it was not an enjoyable read for me. Glad you enjoyed it.

[wild_turkey 3159]

Just finished this:

A minute-by-minute account of a potential North Korean nuclear strike on the U.S., the subsequent response, and the aftermath. Pretty chilling to think about how quickly the world as we know it could end. This quote from Nikita Khrushchev stood out: "the living will envy the dead."
Seems to be well researched and entirely plausible. 

I listened to this after seeing it posted here.

Half of the book is essentially a factual reporting of the nuclear status and capabilities of the U.S. and the other countries with nukes. I found that part interesting and thought she did a good job reporting.

The other half is the hypothetical worst-case scenario involving nuclear war between North Korea, the U.S., and Russia. I liked it for a bit, but by the end I felt it was a little too focused on describing death in gritty detail and it left me wanting more information about the aftermath. It felt incomplete.

What happens to the other countries with nuclear weapons in that scenario? Did Israel, India, and Pakistan somehow get involved? What about other countries with no nuclear weapons? I know there would be nuclear winter and that affects the entire planet, so what does she think would happen in the southern hemisphere and third world countries?

Basically, I was curious to know the overall future of humanity and if places like New Zealand would stand any chance of coming out the other side with a functional civilization.

[NoName 16351]

On 6/8/2024 at 2:03 PM, TonyTexas said:

I wish The Power Broker was available digitally. A 4 pound book is quite the anchor. 

it's not the exact same but i saw someone in the airport this weekend reading a hard back copy of volume 1 of Caro's LBJ book, which is like 900 pages and like 3 lbs (not the 4 of Power Broker per Amazon)

i did a double take, but the guy was so focused in the book he didn't see me.

Edited June 24 by NoName

[wild_turkey 3159]

Finished this one recently. I’m a huge Cormac fan and I enjoyed The Passenger, but Stella Maris didn’t do much for me.

[satyanash 14474]

On 6/23/2024 at 10:52 PM, Post Oak said:

Moby Dick was a terrible grind for me.  I didn't care for it at all. I know Im probably in the minority but it was not an enjoyable read for me. Glad you enjoyed it.

Jokes aside, I get it. Melville's prose is very dense at times, and if (like me) you don't have a Christian Biblical upbringing then a lot of the references are impenetrable. I spent a decent amount of time looking things up as I progressed through the story.

[TonyTexas 10506]

Just finished this. It’s the 7th book in a series about an ex-SEAL and special ops badass who is put in lots of save-the-world situations. The books are really good if you are into that genre. The author knows a shit ton about armaments and intelligence operations.

 

[NoName 16351]

1 hour ago, TonyTexas said:

Just finished this. It’s the 7th book in a series about an ex-SEAL and special ops badass who is put in lots of save-the-world situations. The books are really good if you are into that genre. The author knows a shit ton about armaments and intelligence operations.

 

if you like him, here are some more recs. I'm assuming you are aware of most of these but for folks who may not be, here are some other recs beyond Jack Carr

• *Gray Man series by Mark Greaney (singleton, not exclusively military group, but some are. i like it more than Carr's books right now)
• *Mitch Rapp series by Vince Flynn (RIP) and Kyle Mills (modern military thriller)
• *Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva (best written stories in this genre i think, but more spy thriller than modern military thriller)
• Scot Horvath by Brad Thor (modern military thriller)
• Orphan X by Greg Hurwitz (spy thriller)
• Marcus Ryker serires by Joel C Rosenberg
• Chameleon by Remi Adeleke (new series, book 1 just came out last year)
• Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes --> guy wrote one other book that's on my kindle, but this one specifically is fantastic. like 2/3rd of the way through and really well written.

and the best resource in the game for this style book: https://therealbookspy.com/

[mdmost 42999]

On 6/7/2024 at 8:45 AM, mdmost said:

 

Next up, I think I'll either grab one of these or both since we have a vacation coming up later this month.

Really enjoyed the book on Captain Cook's final voyage. A really great read with a lot of detail about the voyage and a good discussion on the impacts "finding" a native land had both on the natives and the voyagers. It really makes me want to visit Tahiti and French Polynesia. Reading it on 7 Mile Beach in the Cayman Islands was a great backdrop. 

I may skip a month on the Endurance.

[mdmost 42999]

Going to pivot away from another nautical themed non-fiction to a history of LA and old Hollywood. I've been wanting to find something that details that era and this seemed like the best fit. Since July is a long month, I'll go to the Endurance book if I get through this one quickly.

[Post Oak 20208]

I have no interest in today's LA whatsoever.  But because I've been reading Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe books I find early 20th century LA and Hollywood endlessly fascinating.  

I'll be interested to hear your review of this.

[mdmost 42999]

6 minutes ago, Post Oak said:

I have no interest in today's LA whatsoever.  But because I've been reading Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe books I find early 20th century LA and Hollywood endlessly fascinating.  

I'll be interested to hear your review of this.

Same. I think what got me thinking on this was both the book The Bishop and the Butterfly that talked about the end of the Jazz Age in New York and the collapse of Tammany Hall plus the excellent Perry Mason show (RIP) on HBO. I would love to find something similar. I've fascinated by how LA became what it is and old Hollywood is very interesting to me. There are some good LA noir books and crimes based around Hollywood like with Lana Turner but nothing that kind of weaves together and tells the history of LA. The Hollywood system is also fascinating to me. LA Confidential is definitely in my top 10 of movies. I'm hoping this will be interesting. 

[InkaUtexas 25862]

On 6/17/2024 at 12:16 PM, Seasick Sailor said:

Started this tome this weekend:

I've read Anna Karenina, so I knew what I was getting into. Tolstoy is such a fantastic writer that it the length isn't an issue, but I always need to reference a character list with Russian novels because the names all start to run together otherwise. 

Took me a few tries. Worth it at the end. I created my own organization chart to keep up with all the people. I just started this Russian grind for the second time.

 

[TwiceHorn 31438]

On 6/17/2024 at 8:09 PM, billfromlaketravis said:

an actual Landsman. 

In case you were unaware.

More explicitly:

Edited July 2 by TwiceHorn

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

7 hours ago, InkaUtexas said:

Took me a few tries. Worth it at the end. I created my own organization chart to keep up with all the people. I just started this Russian grind for the second time.

 

I'll add this one to my list. 

I am about 3/4 of the way through War and Peace. The French are invading Moscow. The first quarter was a bit slow, but I am enjoying it now. I still prefer Dostoevsky. I'd probably rank this one behind The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment but ahead of The Idiot, The Gambler, and the Double. 

[InkaUtexas 25862]

8 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

I'll add this one to my list. 

I am about 3/4 of the way through War and Peace. The French are invading Moscow. The first quarter was a bit slow, but I am enjoying it now. I still prefer Dostoevsky. I'd probably rank this one behind The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment but ahead of The Idiot, The Gambler, and the Double. 

Love and Fate is interesting. Set in WW2. Author was a Red Army reporter.

A book judged so dangerous in the Soviet Union that not only the manuscript but the ribbons on which it had been typed were confiscated by the state, Life and Fate is an epic tale of World War II and a profound reckoning with the dark forces that dominated the twentieth century.

Interweaving a transfixing account of the battle of Stalingrad with the story of a single middle-class family, the Shaposhnikovs, scattered by fortune from Germany to Siberia, Vasily Grossman fashions an immense, intricately detailed tapestry depicting a time of almost unimaginable horror and even stranger hope.

Life and Fate juxtaposes bedrooms and snipers’ nests, scientific laboratories and the Gulag, taking us deep into the hearts and minds of characters ranging from a boy on his way to the gas chambers to Hitler and Stalin themselves.

This novel of unsparing realism and visionary moral intensity is one of the supreme achievements of modern Russian literature.

[Post Oak 20208]

Finished this one.  Its my last of the Phillip Marlowe books but I believe 5th in the series.  It was fine but not my favorite.

 

Starting this one.  

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

On 6/23/2024 at 9:29 PM, satyanash said:

You'll love Melville's writing.

I read Moby Dick the summer prior to entering college. I wouldn't call it my favorite book, but it was not a bad read. I did have to spend a fair amount of time looking things up as well, but in addition to the themes it provides a good framework for *American History (along with some other novels of its period).

 

*I have come to appreciate just how much "history" was omitted because of an overall lack of educational/career opportunities for much of the populace among other things. What stories and perspectives that are never told is not unique to this country.

[wd40 1976]

On 6/30/2024 at 11:26 AM, mdmost said:

Going to pivot away from another nautical themed non-fiction to a history of LA and old Hollywood. I've been wanting to find something that details that era and this seemed like the best fit. Since July is a long month, I'll go to the Endurance book if I get through this one quickly.

I reread Endurance about six months ago.  really not all that nautical.  it's just a truly great story about the toughest group of men I've ever heard of.  

[mdmost 42999]

On 7/6/2024 at 7:33 PM, wd40 said:

I reread Endurance about six months ago.  really not all that nautical.  it's just a truly great story about the toughest group of men I've ever heard of.  

I hear you. I'm trying to get through my current book and will head right into Endurance since July is a long month and there's not a lot of nightly distractions (read good television to watch). 

[Ghost of LL 15531]

I was on a cruise earlier this summer, so I figured I'd start the Aubrey-Maturin series.  I mean, when better to read that than when you're bouncing up and down on the waves?

I'm now on the fourth book, and it's really entertaining.  It's kind of if a Tom Clancy book were set in the Napoleonic Wars, with a scooch of Jane Eyre mixed in.