What are you reading?

[Rufus]

Just started "Saints of the Shadow Bible" by Ian Rankin.

[jww]

. . . Next on the list is 11/22/63 by Stephen King. I have wanted to read this for a very long time now. While I am not a fan of King, I have been fascinated about the topic and treatment of this pivotal day in history. . .

Wendell, maybe I should consider reading it. Sounds interesting. Just a note: A few years ago I changed out a transmission in a '64 Impala, the old one was the two speed powerglide, and after I had it sitting in my garage I decided to sell it on ebay. I got a call from a fireman in Kansas City, who wanted it for an El Camino he was restoring. When we were discussing the best way to get it to him, he told me when he dismantled the front end on the El Camino, he found there was a hand-written note glued on the firewall, out of sight, that said " . . . 11-22-1963 the assembly line was shut down today, first time in history - Kennedy assassinated" . . .

Gary -- let me give you an update. It indeed appeared promising, and having never read a King book before, I wasn't sure what to expect. Not far in, I decided to put it down due to content ..... call me a puritan, but the language was horrendous and, in my opinion, unnecessary. I am a speed reader, and typically don't even notice strong language, but this was simply too much in-your-face for me to move beyond. Too bad -- as I said, it was very promising indeed. No worries --- Costco has a great return policy, and I took it back a couple of days after purchasing it -- didn't even look like I had cracked the cover.

I've just moved on to CJ Sansom's Dissolution, which I have read before. Historical fiction set in the mid-16 century around the time of, you guessed it, the dissolution of the monasteries in England. A good ole' historical whodunit.

[Kyle76]

"To Kill a Mockingbird". If I had know how good this book is I'd have read it years ago.

Rufus, I assume you've seen the movie? If not, you're in for a real treat. On my top 10 all-time list.

[brothers]

Thanks Wendell. Your review means a lot to me, and I'll happily take a pass on that book also.
___________________________________

My current book is The Affair by Lee Child.

[Rufus]

"To Kill a Mockingbird". If I had know how good this book is I'd have read it years ago.

Rufus, I assume you've seen the movie? If not, you're in for a real treat. On my top 10 all-time list.

Thanks, didn't know there was a movie. Is it available on Netflix?

[Kyle76]

"To Kill a Mockingbird". If I had know how good this book is I'd have read it years ago.

Rufus, I assume you've seen the movie? If not, you're in for a real treat. On my top 10 all-time list.

Thanks, didn't know there was a movie. Is it available on Netflix?

Yes, it is on Netflix. Also, Turner Classic Movies usually runs it during Oscar season, and you can often at other times on network TV. If there were ever a must-see film, this would be it.

[brothers]

Rufus, I found this on Wikipedia --- you're in for a real treat!

To Kill a Mockingbird is a 1962 American drama film directed by Robert Mulligan. The screenplay by Horton Foote is based on Harper Lee's 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. It stars Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch and Mary Badham as Scout.

The film, considered to be one of the best ever made, received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. A box office success, it earned more than 10 times its budget. The film won three Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Peck, and was nominated for eight, including Best Picture.

In 1995, the film was listed in the National Film Registry. It also ranks twenty-fifth on the American Film Institute's 10th anniversary list of the greatest American movies of all time. In 2003, AFI named Atticus Finch the greatest movie hero of the 20th century.

To Kill a Mockingbird marked the film debuts of Robert Duvall, William Windom, and Alice Ghostley.

[Rufus]

Jim & Gary, thanks very much. SWMBO and I will definitely watch it; possibly this weekend.

[Squire]

I've started re-reading the Aubrey-Maturin series. Up to #7 already. Just as good the second time around.

Chris

Only your second?

[Kyle76]

Jim & Gary, thanks very much. SWMBO and I will definitely watch it; possibly this weekend.

Rufus, let us know how ya'll like it!

[churchilllafemme]

I am trying to read a Terry Goodkind fantasy novel, Temple of the Winds, but it is very slow for me, and it is 822 pages long.

[Squire]

Failing eyesight prevents me from reading a book but on the computer screen I CAN MAKE THE WORDS REAL BIG so there's not a loss worth mentioning. The kids are funny, when the temperature here dropped in the 40s they loaded some logs in the fireplace and after a few false starts came asking me how to get a fire going. Then woke me up later when the middle of the logs burned through and they couldn't figure out how to get the thing going again. Graduate Engineering students know a lot of technical stuff but are befuddled by the simple principle of shoving unburned bits into the coals and adding more wood.

My son has vivid memories of being a small child in front of a fireplace playing with toys and me in my chair with a book eschewing whatever his mother was watching on tv. I think he picked up early on that a good book by the fire was better than absorbing pablum. Don't know if it's example or his own inclination but he's now more a book guy than a tv guy.

[fallingwickets]

squire, a kindle or similar would suit you perfectly

clive

[dosco]

Graduate Engineering students know a lot of technical stuff but are befuddled by the simple principle of shoving unburned bits into the coals and adding more wood.

Just goes to show you the difference between thinking about it and doing it. Something that seems to be lost on most academics. Ah well.

My recent reads:
The Martian
Shadow Divers

Currently reading:
Redshirts
Antifragile

Regards-
Dave

[Squire]

squire, a kindle or similar would suit you perfectly

clive

They gave me a Nook for Christmas, is that a similar? Haven't used it yet.

[Rufus]

"Kim" by Rudyard Kipling...I'm an unreconstructed colonial (truly) and I love anything by Kipling.

[fallingwickets]

Nook will do the trick, Squire! Give it a whirl....you wont be sorry. What I love about mine most is the ability to increase text size so that i can read without glasses

[jww]

I do most of my reading on a Kobo and have for quite a few years now. Nook is a good device. I went to a non-Kindle because they were tied to Amazon's proprietary ebook format and I wanted a broader base to buy ... usually I purchase e-pub books. You can even find some of them for free.

[Rufus]

Jim & Gary, thanks very much. SWMBO and I will definitely watch it; possibly this weekend.

Rufus, let us know how ya'll like it!

Watched the movie this afternoon. All I can say is, Wow, it was positively outstanding; extraordinarily powerful, just as the book. The cast, especially Gregory Peck and Mary, were absolutely true to their characters. I haven't watched a better movie, ever. The script was true to the book with no liberties taken. Have I mentioned the cast...wow. I found the ending of the movie more poignant than the book itself. Thanks for pointing me to the movie; a true and timeless classic.

PS, the book and movie to which I refer is, "To Kill a Mockingbird".

[brothers]

Started Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham.