What are you reading?

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Tue Jan 24, 2012 4:57 pm

I got a new "old" book today. Alistair MacLean's HMS Ulysses. He wrote it 57 years ago, in 1955. His first of many good adventure books. I've read quite a few of his books, but not this one. I'm looking forward to it.

jww · Post by **jww** » Tue Jan 24, 2012 8:41 pm

Just finished Bernard Cornwell's "The Last Kingdom" and at the urging of my 24 yr old middle son, have picked up the Bartemaeus Trilogy -- on the first volume now -- so far it's quite a fun read.

Shave4Fun · Post by **Shave4Fun** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 5:42 am

As a Christian and minister, I read the Bible daily.

Of late I've been reading the "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." It is relaxing to float down the river with Huck and Jim....

Best,

Roger

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:49 am

Shave4Fun wrote:As a Christian and minister, I read the Bible daily.

Of late I've been reading the "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." It is relaxing to float down the river with Huck and Jim....

Best,

Roger

Twain/Clemons was one of the best. I recall my summers when I was a young teenager spent reading all of his books. He had me laughing out loud many times. Very enjoyable!

Shave4Fun · Post by **Shave4Fun** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 10:31 am

brothers wrote:
Shave4Fun wrote:As a Christian and minister, I read the Bible daily.

Of late I've been reading the "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." It is relaxing to float down the river with Huck and Jim....

Best,

Roger
Twain/Clemons was one of the best. I recall my summers when I was a young teenager spent reading all of his books. He had me laughing out loud many times. Very enjoyable!

Has me laughing at times, too!

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:10 pm

You should read this work by Mr Clemens next!

Chris

Nate · Post by **Nate** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:18 pm

Last night I started the first few pages of The Brothers Karamazov.

Rufus · Post by **Rufus** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:24 pm

I've just started "The Social Animal, The Hidden Sorces of Love, Character, and Achievement" by David Brooks.

jthomas60506 · Post by **jthomas60506** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 8:46 pm

Just finished fitzgerald's "Tender is the Night," which has been on my shelf for almost thirty years. Next up: "The Nature and Function of Dreaming."

jt

GregPQ · Post by **GregPQ** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 7:58 am

Currently reading two books: "The Piano Shop on the Left Bank" by Thad Carhart which I highly recommend:

And on a lark I recently downloaded a free book from the Gutenberg Project via iBooks. So now I'm enjoying Henry James' "The Bostonians" on my iPhone. Surprisingly pleasant, given the small screen. A great writer is James, and I took way too long to finally read him. And of course the book is always available--it doesn't need 3G or wifi.

Greg

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 11:05 am

I have just sailed through Hitchens' 'Prepared for the Worst' and then his 'For the Sake of Argument' -both collections of journalism. I learnt that Margaret Thatcher's infamous press secretary, Bernard Ingham, hailed from Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire. Knowing my mother-in-law's maiden name was Ingham and that she came from there, I inquired of my wife whether there was any relation. Her cousin, came the reply. Now I shall have to apply to many advice columnists to know how to proceed, as I shall not tolerate any connection to the wretched Iron Lady that made me leave England. Where's the carbolic soap? - I need to wash my hands and mouth.

For the sake of my sanity I am now immersed in "Nessmuk" - George Sears' nom de plume, under which he wrote 'Woodcraft and Camping' and imagining myself sleeping in a wool blanket bedroll under the stars of the eastern woodlands, whilst dreaming of the doom of a large trout tomorrow. Such is the happy life.

Chris

maskaggs · Post by **maskaggs** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 1:26 pm

The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 1:34 pm

maskaggs wrote:The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.

Mike, that sounds familiar to me. Is it science fiction? If so, then maybe I'd like to read it again, because I know I've read it sometime in the distant past.

Tye · Post by **Tye** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 1:36 pm

Just finished "Taken" by Robert Crais.

-Tye

Thalay Sagar · Post by **Thalay Sagar** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 6:28 pm

maskaggs wrote:The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.

Great book about coffee and Moties.

maskaggs · Post by **maskaggs** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 6:18 am

brothers wrote:
maskaggs wrote:The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.
Mike, that sounds familiar to me. Is it science fiction? If so, then maybe I'd like to read it again, because I know I've read it sometime in the distant past.

It sure is, Gary. I heard about it via Pournelle's occasional appearances on the This Week in Tech podcast series. I usually confine my sci-fi reading to the space opera side of things via Star Wars, but The Mote in God's Eye has been really great so far. Plenty of science fiction-y goodness without going over the top - this is a highly advanced universe still plagued by plenty of technological and human problems.

dosco · Post by **dosco** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 7:41 am

Have read since the beginning of the year:
Trigger Men: Shadow Team, Spider-Man, the Magnificent Bastards, and the American Combat Sniper, by Hans Halberstadt

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, by Christopher McDougall

In my pile of books that I am planning to read:
Kill or Capture: How a Special Operations Task Force Took Down a Notorious al Qaeda Terrorist, by Matthew Alexander

How to Break a Terrorist: The U.S. Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq, by Matthew Alexander and John Bruning

Books on my list:
Forsaken Heroes of the Pacific War: One Man's True Story, by Don Morrow and Kevin Moore (side note: Albert Brown, the man who inspired the book and the oldest survivor of the Bataan Death March, recently died.)

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks, by Ken Jennings

52 Loaves: One Man’s Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust, by William Alexander

Cheers-
Dave

jww · Post by **jww** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:58 pm

Dave -- my daughter is on this kick to read a full book every week in 2012. So far, I think she had to double-up this week, but one of her books at the moment is War Horse, and it's a very quick read.

Rufus · Post by **Rufus** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 10:30 am

drmoss_ca wrote: I shall not tolerate any connection to the wretched Iron Lady that made me leave England. Where's the carbolic soap? - I need to wash my hands and mouth.
Chris

Tut-tut my good doctor. I didn't take up residence and attend university in England because the duplicitous Harold Wilson and his Labour goons were running, or should I say ruining, the country at the time, when I left (Southern) Rhodesia. Somewhere I think I still have a role of TP with his profile printed on it.

Back on topic: I'm currently reading "Cesar's Way" by Cesar Milan, as we recently brought a 12 week old puppy into the house.

LouisIII · Post by **LouisIII** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 2:42 pm

drmoss_ca wrote:I have just sailed through Hitchens' 'Prepared for the Worst' and then his 'For the Sake of Argument' -both collections of journalism. I learnt that Margaret Thatcher's infamous press secretary, Bernard Ingham, hailed from Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire. Knowing my mother-in-law's maiden name was Ingham and that she came from there, I inquired of my wife whether there was any relation. Her cousin, came the reply. Now I shall have to apply to many advice columnists to know how to proceed, as I shall not tolerate any connection to the wretched Iron Lady that made me leave England. Where's the carbolic soap? - I need to wash my hands and mouth.

For the sake of my sanity I am now immersed in "Nessmuk" - George Sears' nom de plume, under which he wrote 'Woodcraft and Camping' and imagining myself sleeping in a wool blanket bedroll under the stars of the eastern woodlands, whilst dreaming of the doom of a large trout tomorrow. Such is the happy life.

Chris

Good grief

I felt genuine horror and empathy reading this.