Whatcha reading?

[Elmer_Fudd 22259]

Started this tonight

 

[Red Five 40859]

"Jean Hanff Korelitz's The Plot is a psychologically suspenseful novel about a story too good not to steal, and the writer who steals it."

[jdhorn92 1552]

On 4/6/2023 at 12:37 PM, Chad Fuck said:

Hands down the best personal narrative of the war.

Curious, have you read Night by Eli Weisel (sp) by chance?  Its a first hand account of his experiences in the roundup-Holocaust. I appreciate those first hand experience pieces.  I'll check out the one referenced above.

Edited April 8, 2023 by jdhorn92

[Chad Fuck 17684]

On 4/8/2023 at 11:32 AM, jdhorn92 said:

Curious, have you read Night by Eli Weisel (sp) by chance?  Its a first hand account of his experiences in the roundup-Holocaust. I appreciate those first hand experience pieces.  I'll check out the one referenced above.

Yes, it's very well written.  There's a reason why students across the world read it.  

I guess my saying "best personal narrative" about With The Old Breed was a bit broad.  I should've said "best personal narrative by an infantryman."  For whatever reason, I haven't seen a first hadn't account of the war in Europe that's as good.  I think it's because he's going off contemporaneous notes, but writing it with the benefit of education and a long life experience.  That's pretty unique.  Books like "Helmet for My Pillow" are great, but they're so close in time they lack some perspective and often the language sounds dated.  WTOB is a favorite because the writing feels so relatable.  

Edited April 12, 2023 by Chad Fuck

[NeverMarryAStripper 21907]

I've begun reading the Todd Ingram series.  It follows a naval officer through the war in the Pacific.  It starts with his escape from Corregidor shortly before its fall.  I'm through the first 2 of the seven books, and it looks like it will go through most of the major sea battles in the Pacific.  It seems historically accurate to me, and I'm enjoying them.

[CycleTex87 2970]

Just started this.  One of my favorite movies of all time. 

[The Original Greaser Bob 2838]

The Song of Achilles (2011)

I guess I liked the idea behind the book, but Patroclus was such a dud of a character for most of the book it just didn't work.

Perhaps more importantly.

 

[NorthLoop 14210]

100 pages in and really liking it. I enjoyed The Martian as well.

 

[NorthLoop 14210]

Also I recently finished The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and thought it was boring as fuck. The movie trailer looks pretty sweet though.

[hookem2010 2624]

Cureenrly reading The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by Davids Graeber and Wengrow

This book is a bit more philosophical than most of the more strictly fact-based non-fiction I read, but interesting nonetheless. 

Edited May 2, 2023 by hookem2010
Clarity

[Gil Bang 25960]

Just read the Mel Brooks Autobiography.    

It's fucking fantastic.

[UpperWestside 6169]

This book was such a good read. I am a naturally quiet person when I am not at work where I have to talk for several hours. Considering the off the charts levels of stress and anxiety we have in this world right now, I would highly suggest reading a book devoted to silence. The stories they use from across the spectrum of people and their experiences are really cool.

[Sam Lin 3559]

Just re-read All the Light We Cannot See. Jesus what a beautiful book.

[midtown 3346]

Loved The Sympathizer

Juat started this

[UpperWestside 6169]

If ever there was a book that could be targeted directly towards a website this would be it. A little under 200 pages. It’s like if Lewis Black had gone into Quantum Physics and then gotten frustrated with people who have no clue what it actually is. Good read.
 

[HonkeyVape 107]

On 6/3/2023 at 2:23 PM, UpperWestside said:

If ever there was a book that could be targeted directly towards a website this would be it. A little under 200 pages. It’s like if Lewis Black had gone into Quantum Physics and then gotten frustrated with people who have no clue what it actually is. Good read.
 

 

Similiar vein, I just picked up:

Edited June 12, 2023 by HonkeyVape

[HonkeyVape 107]

I like mysteries pretty decent and I like pre-code Hollywood movies, so I've read and watched a lot of Dashiel Hammett, but have actually never read or seen anything except the very common and popular culture references of Sherlock Holmes e.g. pipe, hat, Baker St., "Elementary, Dear Watson", etc.

So I picked up and read this and it was pretty decent. Reminded me of good mix of late Victorian literature (a little Frankenstein) and Romanticism (Edgar Allen Poe/Goth/Rue Morgue).

All in all, I enjoyed how it was written, very sportingly and articulated as I guess you'd wont from an 1890's English gentleman but even in small doses the arrogance of Holmes is overbearing IMO:

 

 

I'm going to watch the movie this week and will post the review on the Movies thread, it's free on Tubo TV (1939 movie)

Edited June 12, 2023 by HonkeyVape

[4th&Five 41558]

Damn.  The best.

 

[Coach pop a bitch 5460]

20 minutes ago, 4th&Five said:

Damn.  The best.

 

Wow what a gut punch. Greatest writer ever. There will never be another close. 

[washparkhorn 9939]

My favorite author died today. RIP Cormac. 

Blood Meridian. 

[Coach pop a bitch 5460]

@washparkhorn you exist without his consent.

[NorthLoop 14210]

300 pages into Fairy Tale by Stephen King.  Slow burn but it's really good. Never read an SK novel I didn't like.

[wild_turkey 3159]

Sad to hear about Cormac. Probably my favorite author.

[wild_turkey 3159]

Just finished reading The Wager by David Grann. Really enjoyed it. He reminds me of Erik Larson in the way he researches and writes about historical events.

About to start The Lost City of Z.

[Laxtonto 12085]

[ztejas 43459]

On 6/16/2023 at 1:33 PM, wild_turkey said:

Just finished reading The Wager by David Grann. Really enjoyed it. He reminds me of Erik Larson in the way he researches and writes about historical events.

About to start The Lost City of Z.

Came in here for father's day gift ideas - thanks for jogging my memory! I heard Grann on Rusillo's podcast talking about it and thought about getting it for myself. Guess I can steal it from my dad later on.

[TwiceHorn 31488]

On 4/21/2023 at 2:05 PM, NeverMarryAStripper said:

I've begun reading the Todd Ingram series.  It follows a naval officer through the war in the Pacific.  It starts with his escape from Corregidor shortly before its fall.  I'm through the first 2 of the seven books, and it looks like it will go through most of the major sea battles in the Pacific.  It seems historically accurate to me, and I'm enjoying them.

Found those on Kindle Unlimitied.  Pretty, pretty good.

Also recommend the three series by Wm. Peter Grasso.  I found the latter to be especially good.

[mdmost 43004]

Finished this on my flight home. Top 5 movie for me so a sequel in book form was an easy sell. 

Next up, in honor of his passing,

[Coach pop a bitch 5460]

15 hours ago, mdmost said:

Finished this on my flight home. Top 5 movie for me so a sequel in book form was an easy sell. 

Next up, in honor of his passing,

Passenger and stella were outstanding 

[atomheartbevo 89685]

For some reason, my "recreational" reading has turned to older stuff, as in Roman/Greek times, and then came across this depressing meme.

[Fudge Nuggets 19195]

On 6/3/2023 at 2:23 PM, UpperWestside said:

If ever there was a book that could be targeted directly towards a website this would be it. A little under 200 pages. It’s like if Lewis Black had gone into Quantum Physics and then gotten frustrated with people who have no clue what it actually is. Good read.
 

 

On 6/12/2023 at 12:24 AM, HonkeyVape said:

Similiar vein, I just picked up:

 

I'm reading this one and enjoying the shit out of it.  It's a historical review of how some of the greatest minds ever started all the quantum physics stuff to begin with.

[Lazarus Bocanegra 305]

On 4/23/2023 at 6:23 PM, CycleTex87 said:

Just started this.  One of my favorite movies of all time. 

here's one to follow that.  I just finished it and it is terrific

[Bama Llama 1450]

Listening to Flags on the Bayou by octogenarian James Lee Burke with an ensemble cast of narrators. So far, excellent. Live me some Burke.

[Chad Fuck 17684]

here's one to follow that.  I just finished it and it is terrific

Great book.

[The Original Greaser Bob 2838]

Being Mortal (2014) by Atul Gawande

Brutal and sad and absolutely necessary.

 

[The Original Greaser Bob 2838]

Outlive by Peter Attia (2023)

I prefer the pace of just listening to his podcasts, but if you don't listen to the podcasts, pretty good summary of all major theme(s).

[ImissWallyPryor 9046]

On 4/3/2023 at 4:42 PM, ImissWallyPryor said:

Just finished Green Lights. Talk about a beating (and I’ve always liked McConaughey).

I’m on to this next…

Finally finished this. Now that I’m an old fart, I can rarely read more than 4 or 5 pages in bed before I nod off. Or I forget to bring books with me when I’m away from home.

Anyhoo, it’s an amazing true story of the failed Jeannette Expedition in search of the Open Polar Sea which was widely believed to exist. The hardships these 30+ men endured for over two years are hard to fathom.

I just started this book about the British deception of the Invasion of Sicily by using a dead man with planted war papers.

Edited August 17, 2023 by ImissWallyPryor

[Coach pop a bitch 5460]

Love the 1st hand accounts from the men Ambrose interviews. How the 5th rangers did what they did is one of the greatest feats of all time. 

[NorthLoop 14210]

Getting both of these delivered today. Can't decide which one I wanna start first. 

 

  

[Post Oak 20223]

On 8/15/2023 at 1:06 AM, ImissWallyPryor said:

Finally finished this. Now that I’m an old fart, I can rarely read more than 4 or 5 pages in bed before I nod off. Or I forget to bring books with me when I’m away from home.

Anyhoo, it’s an amazing true story of the failed Jeannette Expedition in search of the Open Polar Sea which was widely believed to exist. The hardships these 30+ men endured for over two years are hard to fathom.

I just started this book about the British deception of the Invasion of Sicily by using a dead man with planted war papers.

Netflix has a movie about this too if you are unaware.  Pretty good. Not great but worth a watch imo.

[ImissWallyPryor 9046]

10 minutes ago, Post Oak said:

Netflix has a movie about this too if you are unaware.  Pretty good. Not great but worth a watch imo.

I’m having a hard time getting into this book. I may just watch the movie and tell everyone I read (didn’t say I finished) the book. 

Edited September 5, 2023 by ImissWallyPryor

[Post Oak 20223]

I found a podcast about it about a year ago that was my introduction to the story. It was "worlds greatest con" or best con or something like that.  It was an enjoyable listen

[UpperWestside 6169]

I spent almost the entirety of summer reading about the war in the Pacific. I will post more of the books that I read when I have time, but a set of books that are just an absolute must read is Ian Toll’s trilogy on the Pacific War. It’s around 1800-1900 pages of reading in total and it’s completely worth the time spent doing so even if you do not read real fast. It took me about a month and a half, but I was doing most of the reading on the train to and from work. You can buy the hardcover as a set or do like I did and buy them individually. Toll is local to New York and I am going to attempt to find out when he will be speaking because the work put into these books is just incredible. I find the Pacific War to be more interesting so I gravitated towards these books pretty easily. Toll is a great storyteller as well. 
 

 

[horn_of_the_morning 978]

What a fantastic read! Clancy is a fantastic writer when it comes to writing naval and submarine warfare. Makes you feel like you are int he sub/ship control room with the characters. Tremendous research and execution with just the right amount of technical detail, so it adds to the experience.

Loved the movie, but the book is also great. Many details, subplots and events are not covered in the movie but they raise the quality of the book so even if you've seen the movie and know the plot, this was an enjoyable read for me.

 

Edited September 23, 2023 by horn_of_the_morning

[Fudge Nuggets 19195]

9 hours ago, horn_of_the_morning said:

What a fantastic read! Clancy is a fantastic writer when it comes to writing naval and submarine warfare. Makes you feel like you are int he sub/ship control room with the characters. Tremendous research and execution with just the right amount of technical detail, so it adds to the experience.

Loved the movie, but the book is also great. Many details, subplots and events are not covered in the movie but they raise the quality of the book so even if you've seen the movie and know the plot, this was an enjoyable read for me.

 

Red Storm Rising was better but it was 35 years or so since I read it.

[WBT 20580]

I don't think Leonard ever wrote a bad book and I've been going through them in publication order.

This one is about an ex-con and ex-nun trying to rip off a guy raising money for the contras in 1980s New Orleans.  Pretty good.

[Post Oak 20223]

 

 

Almost done with this one.  It's the first book by Harris that I've read and it's really enjoyable once it gets up to speed. 

 

 

From what is it they flee?'
He took a while to reply. By the time he spoke the men had gone inside. He said quietly, 'They killed the King.'

1660, General Edward Whalley and Colonel William Goffe, father- and son-in-law, cross the Atlantic. They are on the run and wanted for the murder of Charles I. Under the provisions of the Act of Oblivion, they have been found guilty in absentia of high treason.

In London, Richard Nayler, secretary of the regicide committee of the Privy Council, is tasked with tracking down the fugitives. He'll stop at nothing until the two men are brought to justice. A reward of £100 hangs over their heads - for their capture, dead or alive.

 

[Coach pop a bitch 5460]

[Macanudo 12979]

Read this over the weekend.  Meigs was an Army engineer before the Civil War and got the Washington Aqueduct built along with being partly responsible for the Dome of the Capitol.   But his work as Quartermaster was the most important.  It was a super fast read and pretty high level but still had some cool stuff and anecdotes.  

[UncleBuck 6454]