books: what are you currently reading?

Started by Caleb, June 21, 2006, 11:58:08 PM

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CBC Radio 1 Sunday Morning is doing an hour long documentary on L. Tolstoy right now... I'm a little hung over but hopefully the coffee will keep me hanging in there. :beer
OM-03R 2008 Twelfth Fret SE 5/12
LSV-03R 2009 Forum III 55/78

Recently finished "The federal siege at Ruby Ridge"  by Randy & Sara Weaver.  Pretty powerful stuff.  Just stared "Muscle Cars---Kings of the Street from the Golden Era".  Not much reading,  but LOTS of picures!
'74 Martin D35S
Larrivee SD 50 TSB
Unplayed Vega and Harmony banjos

rockstar_not, I am a fan of the Bill Bryson books.  I'll have to try that one.   

Mark, the device for holding the book open is pure genius.   I wish I'd invented it

I've finished the last "real" paper and ink book I was reading:  Stephen King's "11-22-63".   Now, since I've got the Kindle with 5 or 6 books loaded on it I've got to decide what to read next.   It's going to be one of these:   War Horse by Michael Morpurgo, The Drop by Michael Connely,  The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney, or Pompeii; a novel by Robert Harris.

Anyone read one of these ?

Quote from: old folky on January 16, 2012, 06:27:42 AM
Recently finished "The federal siege at Ruby Ridge"  by Randy & Sara Weaver.  Pretty powerful stuff.  Just stared "Muscle Cars---Kings of the Street from the Golden Era".  Not much reading,  but LOTS of picures!
I have a book I'm reading with history and a LOT OF PICTURES.

                     "Ultimate HARLEY DAVIDSON" by Hugo Wilson  (it's the history of Harley Davidson)



Try reading that on a Kindle :tongue:

Pictures can be worth a thousand words.  Next I'm gonna try the new Stephen King book I think.  I've read about all his other stuff although not much pictures...
'74 Martin D35S
Larrivee SD 50 TSB
Unplayed Vega and Harmony banjos

Quote from: old folky on January 16, 2012, 11:57:06 AM
Pictures can be worth a thousand words.  Next I'm gonna try the new Stephen King book I think.  I've read about all his other stuff although not much pictures...

the new Stephen King book is very thought-provoking.    Time travel with a whole new perspective.

Curious, does King say anything about CS Lewis in that book?  He died the same day as Kennedy. Aldous Huxley died that day too.

Quote from: the creature on January 16, 2012, 03:35:44 PM
Curious, does King say anything about CS Lewis in that book?  He died the same day as Kennedy. Aldous Huxley died that day too.

No, there weren't any references to CS Lewis or Aldous Huxley.    The premise of the book is that a portal is discovered that allows a person to travel to a date in June (or July, I forget) in 1958.   The title 11-22-63 refers to the fact that one of the characters is obsessed with trying to prevent the assasination of President Kennedy.   I don't think I've spoiled it for anyone;  all this info is available on the jacket of the book.   

I just finished 11/22/63 by Stephen King and I was in 3rd grade the day we were all sent home early that day.

I wouldn't try to second guess Stephen King or get inside his head but I think the reference to C.S. Lewis follows the concept of the "Chronicles of Narnia" by providing a gateway "portal" to another place in this story.

Just starting "Life Itself" by Roger Ebert.

Yeah, I didn't figure the story would include anything about Lewis.  Was just curious if it was mentioned, as that was a very odd day in history.  But the loss of JFK overshadowed all else, which is easy to understand.  I live outside of Dallas and sometimes it still gives me the creeps to drive by where it happened.

  I finished THE VICTORS by Stephen E. Ambrose last night. Always a litttle sad to finish one of his books. He was such a good writer and caring human being.

     Started "Pursuit of God" by A.W. Tozer. I found the book at a resale shop in the country, it is excellent. It has some underlining and notes in the margin that make it even more interesting to me.

Quote from: dependan on January 30, 2012, 11:07:42 AM
 

    Started "Pursuit of God" by A.W. Tozer. I found the book at a resale shop in the country, it is excellent. It has some underlining and notes in the margin that make it even more interesting to me.
Odd but this is the second time this book has come up in conversation today. It's an old favorite of mine that gets re-read quite often.  Probably the best theological work I own. Can't recommend it highly enough.

Just getting into "The Invisible Ones" by Stef Penney.   (Fiction)    Unusual story that revolves around a private detective's search for a missing woman in England.   The big twist is that most of the action involves modern-day Gypsies.   So far it's very interesting to learn about Gypsy culture in the 21st century.

Quote from: the creature on January 30, 2012, 11:11:32 AM
Odd but this is the second time this book has come up in conversation today. It's an old favorite of mine that gets re-read quite often.  Probably the best theological work I own. Can't recommend it highly enough.
He wrote it in rough draft in a train trip from Chicago to Texas. When a work just flows out like that it seems to have more weight behind it.

Quote from: dependan on January 30, 2012, 11:16:02 AM
 He wrote it in rough draft in a train trip from Chicago to Texas. When a work just flows out like that it seems to have more weight behind it.

True. My edition included a nice but short bio of Tozer. Good stuff.

I just got back from the library and picked up Slaughterhouse Five by Vonnegut and Goodbye Columbus by Phillip Roth.  Anyone have an opinion on which is better?  Surprisingly, I've read neither author.

Here's my recommendation: Kurt Vonnegut's motivation for "Slaughterhouse Five" was the firebombing of Dresden which occured while he was held as a POW there. Also make sure you go one step further and read "A Man Without A Country" which is a series of essays by Vonnegut including his insights about his experience at Dresden including this one: 

"While we were being bombed in Dresden, sitting in a cellar with our arms over our heads in case the ceiling fell, one soldier said as though he were a duchess in a mansion on a cold and rainy night, "I wonder what the poor people are doing tonight." Nobody laughed but we were glad he said it. At least we were still alive!"

Just finishing up "Life Itself" by Roger Ebert and just picked up "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Dr. Frederick Stonehouse and "Shakespeare" by Bill Bryson.



teh,
Thanks for the recommendation.  I started Slaughterhouse 5 and so far, up to page 6, it's very good. 

Reading:

The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs

Annals of a Quiet Neighborhood by George MacDonald (re-read; it's one of my favorite books of all time)


Just following up on my earlier post about "The Invisible Ones"...     I'm about 3/4 through it at this point and it's turning out to be one of the best reads I've enjoyed in quite a while.   Lots of plot twists and interesting characters.   Hope the ending doesn't disappoint !

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