books: what are you currently reading?

[Hooked]

Incredible book - definitely second this one as a must read if you like books on endurance and the strength of the human spirit!

OK, bought the book... How am I supposed to get any work done NOW?

[MC13]

I already mentioned Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes.  Now that I've finished it, I just HAVE to give a brief book report; it was that good.

Moving, utterly moving.  It, as a novel, read like a very accurate depiction of the atrocity that is war, and specifically the Vietnam experience.  Characters I grew to love.  Heroics and "un-heroics" (if you will) which helped me to understand and appreciate what these soldiers went through.  I can't praise it highly enough.  If you can withstand reading about violence, then it is a powerful read.

I just got around to finishing Matterhorn, and agree with the previous review.  What an incredible book that cuts deep into the ugliness of battle, the impact of decision making based on conflicting motivations, operating under extreme fatigue, racial divides within the corps during the Vietnam era, heroic and un-heroic actions, idealism vs. disillusionment, etc.  Overall a pretty great, very graphic book .  What's equally impressive is the path Karl Marlantes took to getting it published: 

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2010-03-25-matterhorn25_ST_N.htm


Matt

[ryler]

MC13,

Yeah, that was just an outstanding read.  Truly.

[ryler]

Now I have to go get Unbroken.  I can't bypass multiple reviews like that.

[jeremy3220]

The only book I'm reading is called "Calculus" and yes it's a calculus textbook. It's more depressing than reading about the holocaust.

[Caleb]

A Wrinkle in Time was just great. A nice dose of Goodness that I needed. I'll be reading more from L'Engle.  I just started Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. Been meaning to read her for a while.

[vacapicker]

Zen Guitar and  Doug Youngs"Understanding DADGAD"   

[Danny]

Delta Force by Col. Charlie A. Beckwith   
The U.S. COUNTER TERRORIST UNIT and the IRAN HOSTAGE RESCUE MISSION

[rockstar_not]

Just started "Generous Justice" by Timothy Keller.  PM me if you want to be a Goodreads friend - it's a whole online community of folks doing what we are doing in this most popular of threads.

[Leona Wylie]

Just finished:

The Spook's Secret by Joseph Delaney

Currently reading:

Give Me Your Heart by Joyce Carol Oates

About to read:

Middlemarch by George Elliot
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Public Enemie by Bryan Burrough
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

[Dru Edwards]

I bought another Stephen King book yesterday - Full Dark No Stars. It'll be a few weeks before I start reading it.

[cke]

Just finished:

The Spook's Secret by Joseph Delaney

Currently reading:

Give Me Your Heart by Joyce Carol Oates

About to read:

Middlemarch by George Elliot
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Public Enemie by Bryan Burrough
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Interesting list 

and 

[LawDogStrgsAttach]

A Wrinkle in Time was just great. A nice dose of Goodness that I needed. I'll be reading more from L'Engle.  I just started Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. Been meaning to read her for a while.

A Wrinkle in Time changed my intellectual trajectory as a kid.

[ryler]

A Wrinkle in Time changed my intellectual trajectory as a kid.

From downward to upward?  That you are now a Law Dog is attributable to Madeline L'Engle?  Books can do that.  Well, not the law dog part, but the part about engaging a formerly unengaged mind.

I just checked out Unbroken because of this thread.  I have read the prologue, which is two pages.  I liked those two pages.  I'll let you know how it goes.  I have temporarily put down The 42nd Parallel because the narrative is too detached for me to care about the characters.  Very descriptive of an era if that's what you're looking for. 

[Danny]

Delta Force by Col. Charlie A. Beckwith   
The U.S. COUNTER TERRORIST UNIT and the IRAN HOSTAGE RESCUE MISSION

I finished this one and yesterday I went by to spend the afternoon with my retired military friend.

    I pulled out the book and showed it to him and asked if he had read it (knowing he must have). He says "Oh yea, Charlie, I have a signed copy and some of his other books. We spent a lot of time together ETC."

    It turns out when Col. Beckwith retired he came to Austin and my friend spent much time with him.

     So now I'm starting "Inside Delta Force" by Sergeant Major Haney, who was there in the beginning with the founding members.


                        (This stuff is better than fiction to me)

[rockstar_not]

My 'Currently Reading' list is getting kind of too big.  I picked up "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks at the library a couple weeks ago - our local branch is pretty large and there's a "Our Librarians Recommend.." shelf that hooks me with at least one title per visit.

[Caleb]

My 'Currently Reading' list is getting kind of too big.  I picked up "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks at the library a couple weeks ago - our local branch is pretty large and there's a "Our Librarians Recommend.." shelf that hooks me with at least one title per visit.

I feel you.  I'm drowning in stuff at the moment.  Pile by the bed, audio books, e-books.  Sometimes this happens and I just have to clear off the desk and start over.  

[rockstar_not]

By the way, Caleb, Ms. Houk has a new ending she might like you to try out.  She also has some seriously well-known agents interested in her book.

-Scott

[Caleb]

By the way, Caleb, Ms. Houk has a new ending she might like you to try out.  She also has some seriously well-known agents interested in her book.

-Scott

Yes! Great news. She befriended me on Goodreads recently. Thanks for the tip on Goodreads, by the way. I'm having a blast with it.

[Canuckswin]

The Steve Jobs book. Boy that guy was a d bag