Whatcha reading?

[ConferenceRoom 6132]

12 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

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.

https://www.amazon.com/-/he/PatrickOBrian/dp/B009CV3T9W

I have this set, it looks great on the book shelf. No idea where I got it, because it wasn't $310. 

[mdmost 42954]

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.

Finished this last night. It was pretty interesting. Broken into 3 subjects which were interspersed in subsequent chapters. The Engineer that brought water to LA to feed the growing need, while at the same pissing off the valley they were taking the water from. The Artist whose silent movies made Hollywood what it was until "talkies" took over. The Preacher who brought evanglism to LA. The last was fairly interesting because she was the inspiration for Sister Alice in the excellent first season of the HBO series Perry Mason. Overall, an enjoyable read. It wasn't quite what I was wanting but it was a good dive into early LA. I still need to find a golden age of Hollywood book but that wasn't the era this book was set in.  

[billfromlaketravis 11386]

I might bail on the Davis Simon audiobook. The narrator sucks, and it’s the same old shit in every chapter. Overworked cops use The Wire McDonald’s trick over and over again to get confessions from kids that don’t know any better. 

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

Needed something a little lighter after finishing War and Peace. About a third of the way through this one. It's a fun read.

[satyanash 14371]

Just finished a classic of Indian literature, The Guide by R.K. Narayan. It's the life story of "Railway Raju", a shopkeeper/conman/tourist guide who earns wealth, status and prestige through his cunning and ambition, only to lose it all due to his greed and selfishness before reinventing himself as a spiritual guru and coming to terms with his past in his final days. The story takes place in Malgudi, a fictionalized version of the town of Mysore, and gives a nice picture of how people lived in South India during the pre- and post-Independence periods. Mysore goes from a sleepy town without a railway station to a bustling metropolis over the course of the story, in many ways mirroring Raju's own character development, before the story shifts to a dilapidated riverside temple in a rural village named 'Mangala' in the final act.

[BearSchlong 8079]

I just finished Hillbilly Elegy, and I thought it was a really good social commentary that made me re-think many of my perceptions as an elite born on 3rd base and married to a social worker.

I’ll reserve other opinions for CR, other than to say that he emerged from the rust belt with a surprisingly optimistic attitude in contrast to the Florida governor.

It wasn’t quite as enjoyable as Michelle Obama’s book, but then again, she had great family role models.

[Post Oak 20191]

Just finished this and now it looks like it's gonna be a movie opening this fall.  Excellent book. Stellar cast fingers crossed.

If you've never read Robert Harris, he's pretty good. Ive read a few of his and enjoyed all of them.

 

The pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, one hundred and eighteen cardinals from all over the globe will gather to cast their votes in the world's most secretive election. They are holy men. But they are not immune to the human temptations of power and glory. And they are not above the tribalism and factionalism that consumes humanity. When all is said and done, one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on Earth. Is

 

 

[mdmost 42954]

Endurance was so damn good. An amazing tale of survival and never giving up. I could not imagine having to endure those conditions and sense of hopelessness against those massive odds. Really happy I chose to read that.

I've been having good luck reading two books a month so I'm going to add a 2nd book. I have an idea for the first one which I've seen on here and wanted to try out.

Heard good things about this one:

My 2nd book for the month will be based on the 65th release of one of my favorite albums on August 17th.

[Post Oak 20191]

Im late to the party on Grann.  So far pretty good 

[mdmost 42954]

On 7/30/2024 at 6:50 AM, mdmost said:

Endurance was so damn good. An amazing tale of survival and never giving up. I could not imagine having to endure those conditions and sense of hopelessness against those massive odds. Really happy I chose to read that.

I've been having good luck reading two books a month so I'm going to add a 2nd book. I have an idea for the first one which I've seen on here and wanted to try out.

Heard good things about this one:

 

 

I finished this in 2 days. Got through 112 pages on day 1 and the rest today. Might be the easiest, most efficient read I've ever done. It really has no proper place for you to stop except for when she sidebars with some historical backgrounds on nuclear weapons or tactics. An amazingly scary as hell read. I would highly recommend it but just know you're getting something very bleak. It read like a Tom Clancy novel about the end of the world. 

I need to look at another book to get on in the interim because I wasn't planning to read the Kind of Blue book until mid-August. 

Edited August 4 by mdmost

[satyanash 14371]

Recently finished Robert A. Heinlein's Friday. I'd never read one of his books before and it was available for cheap at the local bookstore, so I figured why not.

It's a strange and engaging read, but the plot meanders for a while and eventually fizzles out towards the end. It's quite polemic, and Heinlein's befuddling mix of political views are reflected through the protagonist (pro-women and transgender rights, anti-racist, anti-abortion, anti-corporation, suspiciously pro-fascist, questionable views of rape, etc. etc.) The strength of the novel is Friday herself, a genetically engineered AP (artificial person) who is a very compelling protagonist despite her lengthy internal monologues. There's also lots of mega starships, faster-than-light travel, artificial life, and complicated polyamory for the sci-fi enthusiasts out there.

Only after reading the book did I learn that it's a sequel to an earlier Heinlein novel Gulf, written some thirty years earlier. Maybe I'll read it, maybe not.

 

Edited August 8 by satyanash

[NeverMarryAStripper 21784]

He has better choices to read.  The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is one of my favorites, along with Glory Road

[Post Oak 20191]

On 7/31/2024 at 9:23 PM, Post Oak said:

Im late to the party on Grann.  So far pretty good 

Enjoyed this one. Tied two storylines together well at the end. He's obviously a talented writer. 

Oh and you couldnt pay me to trek through the Brazilian rain forest

[Buzzrock 14883]

Finally finished The Stand and starting Dune Messiah. I can’t believe how much smaller it is than Dune. 

[NorthLoop 14143]

Pre-ordered this and read it in like 2 days. Like most of Hellers books, it's beautifully descriptive and really gets you in the feels. Unfortunately like some of his other books, the ending feels rushed and leaves you wanting more. Gave it 4/5 stars. 

 

[MinerProphet 71]

On 7/19/2024 at 8:02 PM, BearSchlong said:

I just finished Hillbilly Elegy, and I thought it was a really good social commentary that made me re-think many of my perceptions as an elite born on 3rd base and married to a social worker.

I’ll reserve other opinions for CR, other than to say that he emerged from the rust belt with a surprisingly optimistic attitude in contrast to the Florida governor.

It wasn’t quite as enjoyable as Michelle Obama’s book, but then again, she had great family role models.

I just bought this book and looking forward to reading it and making a judgment for myself.

[MinerProphet 71]

Re-reading Hunter S. Thompson's "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved".

It dawned on me while reading David Foster Wallace's "Consider the Lobster" that he was Gen X's flavor and version of the gonzo like the former, and I hadn't read it in a while. 

[SimonBolivar 10949]

 

Highly recommend it if you like this kind of thing.

[satyanash 14371]

Just finished Watership Down. Highly recommended if you enjoy stories of cute little bunny rabbits suffering gruesome and violent deaths.

All jokes aside, the story is not only a great adventure, but allegorical for all sorts of things. The Aeneid, World War II, the fight against fascism, the birth of Zionism, the decision to drop the nuclear bomb, etc. are all reflected in the story's themes. And there's a ton of rabbit mythology and culture; Richard Adams even created a rabbit conlang to describe concepts germane to rabbits but foreign to humans.

[NorthLoop 14143]

edit: already posted

 

Edited August 27 by NorthLoop

[Post Oak 20191]

Finished this. It was just ok.  I like Klosterman on Bill Simmons pod so I thought I'd give it a shot.  

I was born in 79 so the 90s are iny wheelhouse.

Klosterman has interesting ideas about Nirvana, the Gulf War, Bill Clinton etc and just drones on and on about them. I was worn out at the end. I wouldn't recommend it. I lost interest about halfway through.

Starting this tonight. 

 

[horn_of_the_morning 978]

Finished Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy recently. Not the kind of book I read usually. This was published in 1983 I think, so before I was born. Had to keep reminding myself that a lot of what we accept as socially "normal" today was once considered radically progressive. Conroy has the rare ability to bring alive scenes, scenery and characters. Apparently a movie was made out of it which was nominated for 7 oscars. Will definitely check it out.

Would recommend if you love gritty family dramas with hard hitting story-lines and great writing. Could have been about 10% shorter but that is just me. This book should be known more widely, imo.

And oh yeah..there is that scene (iykyk, wont spoil it for you guys, but you've been warned)

[TwiceHorn 31361]

4 minutes ago, horn_of_the_morning said:

Finished Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy recently. Not the kind of book I read usually. This was published in 1983 I think, so before I was born. Had to keep reminding myself that a lot of what we accept as socially "normal" today was once considered radically progressive. Conroy has the rare ability to bring alive scenes, scenery and characters. Apparently a movie was made out of it which was nominated for 7 oscars. Will definitely check it out.

Would recommend if you love gritty family dramas with hard hitting story-lines and great writing. Could have been about 10% shorter but that is just me. This book should be known more widely, imo.

And oh yeah..there is that scene (iykyk, wont spoil it for you guys, but you've been warned)

PoT the book wasn't nearly as sappy as the movie, I enjoyed it.  I've read just about everything Conroy wrote, he's great and goes down as one of my favorites.

If you weren't aware, he also wrote Lords of Discipline and The Great Santini.  Much of his work seems semi-autobiographical.  I think Conrack may be my favorite of his.

[horn_of_the_morning 978]

4 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

PoT the book wasn't nearly as sappy as the movie, I enjoyed it.  I've read just about everything Conroy wrote, he's great and goes down as one of my favorites.

If you weren't aware, he also wrote Lords of Discipline and The Great Santini.  Much of his work seems semi-autobiographical.  I think Conrack may be my favorite of his.

Yeah, looking forward to the movie. I really enjoyed Conroy's writing style and therefore researched his other books. The plots/stories themselves did not seem compelling to me from the reviews/blurbs but may ultimately read something just because on how much I enjoyed his writing style in PoT.

[horn_of_the_morning 978]

Finished The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko recently. This book immediately became one of my all time favorites. Right up there with Into Thin Air and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. 

The cover says that it is about "The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon". Correct. The story and characters in this book are absolutely epic. Is there anything more epic than the setting? The Grand Canyon and the Colorado river with historically high flows and the nuts who decide to set a speed record in a tiny wooden dory. However, this book is so much more than that. It is also about the history of the Colorado's exploration, the conservation movement, the Glen Canyon Dam, the subculture of the river guides, how rapids are formed and run, the mega flood of 1983 and how the Glen Canyon Dam almost failed. 

Spoiler

I still cant believe that the dam engineers used 4ft military grade plywood boards to artificially "raise" the height of the dam and buy themselves 24-48 hrs to prevent the overflow tunnel from failing and avoiding one the biggest ever man-made catastrophes.

 

This is a must read if you love adventure and narrative non-fiction or if you are mildly obsessed with the Grand Canyon (like I am), National Parks or Natural History. Once I started, it was very difficult to put his one down.

 

Edited September 1 by horn_of_the_morning

[Red Five 40704]

About a third of the way through this and really enjoying it.

[Hefeweizen 5307]

On 8/10/2018 at 9:06 PM, wild_turkey said:

Just finished East of Eden. Holy hell that was a great book. Why have I never read Steinbeck before?

It really is fantastic.  My personal favorite is the Log from the Sea of Cortez, but you’re looking for a shorter, very different read, Cannery Row is worth it, as is its sequel Sweet Thursday, which isn’t quite as brilliant but still pretty pretty good.

 

Steinbeck is my favorite American writer, but I’m biased as I live a stones throw from his old house in pacific grove.

 

[Hefeweizen 5307]

On 7/31/2024 at 7:23 PM, Post Oak said:

Im late to the party on Grann.  So far pretty good 

I thought it was a little ponderous.  Whereas The Wager was fantastic.  May have been subject matter for me, as any sort of misadventure on the high seas is fun to read.

[Post Oak 20191]

I enjoyed it and thought it was good. A little long at the end.  Finishing The Wager now. It's much better

[mdmost 42954]

Started this tonight. Enjoying it so far.

[BurgleBro 787]

Cleared out a box of books, some from undergrad, to make room for the kiddos toys. 

Took a break the couch and the 14mo came walking holding dialogs of Plato he found in the book box.  Started reading Pythahoras to him and he sat silently staring at me, as if listening. 

Then I realized he was taking a dump.  

Think I'll finish Pythagoras anyways haha, prob been a couple decades since last read. 

[Foosters 17769]

Going through a Tom Wolfe phase. Finished "Bonfire of the Vanities" in the Spring, and about 70% through "A Man in Full." I'm enjoying it, but imo doesn't come close to Bonfire. I think that's a top 5 all-timer for me.

[TonyTexas 10493]

You’ll no longer feel like you’re weight lifting while reading as Robert Caro’s The Power Broker is finally available in digital form. 

[TonyTexas 10493]

About a 1/4 of the way through this. So far, so good

 

[wild_turkey 3154]

I thought it was a little ponderous.  Whereas The Wager was fantastic.  May have been subject matter for me, as any sort of misadventure on the high seas is fun to read.

I liked The Wager much more than KOTFM or LCoZ. Agree heavily with your last comment.

[mdmost 42954]

On 9/17/2024 at 10:44 PM, mdmost said:

Started this tonight. Enjoying it so far.

Very enjoyable. The chapters about when Reagan was shot and 9/11 were really interesting to read. I can't imagine the stress of being in a place that at any moment on 9/11 or even after could've been destroyed in an instant. The detail behind the Bin Laden raid was also great. I feel I need to pick up McRaven's bio at some point. Tying it back to the failed Desert One rescue with Secretary Gates was a nice bookend. Lot of unsung heroes working behind the scenes to keep us safe and keep the government running. The Trump chapter made me queasy because the chaos felt excruciating. 

Not sure where I go from here. 

Edited September 26 by mdmost

[Judge Roybeanbag 11811]

I’ve been on a Win Blevins binge lately.  His book on Crazy Horse was interesting.

[bluto 4900]

For those many of you that read devil in the white city here’s a video rendering of the world’s fairgrounds. Supposedly Scorsese and Leo are still working on a tv series

 

https://x.com/brianroemmele/status/1838368013961302474?s=46&t=sTauicHoL_NDuvhAnU_w4g

[mdmost 42954]

Started this last night.

[Post Oak 20191]

Read this one. I usually like Larson but I did not enjoy this one.

Just finished this one. It was a good quick read. I didn't love it but I see why others did.

 

Starting this one today.

 

[mdmost 42954]

On 10/2/2024 at 7:02 AM, mdmost said:

Started this last night.

I thought this was fantastic. It could easily have been a Netflix or HBO documentary. The sheer balls of this guy and his girlfriend to steal works of art from multiple museums in Europe, mostly spur of the moment thefts with little planning, was amazing to read about. This was an instance of a book cover catching my eye and leading to an enjoyable reading experience.

Next is one I've been putting off due to its high page count but I'm hoping it's an enthralling read and not a slog. I would assume it's good as lots of Best Of list have it on there.

[BearSchlong 8079]

Demon of Unrest was enlightening, especially with regards to South Carolina's role in starting the civil war.

Just finished this one. Great read.

[SimonBolivar 10949]

October 2024 has been a good one

 

I might continue the spooky theme into November as I have my eye on,

 

[Nigel Tufnel 197]

Catching up on some reading now that Lil’ Nigel is off at school and we only have one left in the house. 
 

I had certainly heard more about All the Light and nothing but good at that.  It was fantastic and an enjoyable read.  

But Demon Copperhead resonated with me longer.  It is just remarkable.  Then I remembered how much I enjoyed The Poisonwood Bible and I have an even greater respect for Barbara Kinsolver.  I need to read her other books.

[Nigel Tufnel 197]

On a bit of a lighter note, I read Where the Crawdads Sing in very short order.  It is very fun and engaging and a remarkable first attempt at fiction from the author.  It is a bit clunky/inconsistent in spots, but forgivable.   

I thought the movie did a good job of telling the story as well as you can in 2 hours.  It did a very good job of setting the scene very near how I pictured it, which is nice.

[safe sex 11688]

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (and much more) from the perspective of Jim. And after finishing this horrific and hilarious novel, it feels wrong to call him Jim. He's James.

Read Twain and follow it immediately with Everett. Fantastic literature. They complete one another in many ways, and I'm not sure I'll ever read one without the other again.

[Nigel Tufnel 197]

Just finished this.  It won The Pulitzer Prize along with Demon Copperhead.  It is a story (of a Wall Street tycoon) told from four separate perspectives and you have to piece together what “truth” and “history” really are.  I thought it was fantastic and like any good book, makes you think about its themes long after you have finished.

I loved this line:

”If I am ever wrong, I must make use of all my means and resources to bend and align reality according to my mistake so that it ceases to be a mistake.”

[Nigel Tufnel 197]

I read this recently as well.  While this is in no way a plot driven book, it is satire at its finest.  It turns our perceptions, discussions, views, etc., of race/racism on their heads.  It is laugh out loud funny and it is one of the funniest books that I have read.  It is hardcore satire.