What book are you currently reading?

[nelsonccc]

I just finished Wrong-Why Experts Keep Failing Us. It's pretty much about how for every scientific study or expert there is another ready to refute the findings. He goes over tons of scientific examples from the last ten years or so and pretty much de-bunks the experts by using other experts. Pretty good read. Makes you notice when an article says "according to.. blah, blah" Makes you ask how right is this quote or statistic?

Good read. Now I'm on to reading Going Rogue.

[DOSS]

After the Reich (http://www.amazon.com/After-Reich-Brutal-History-Occupation/dp/0465003389)
34830

Ok.. for you History buffs this is a book you must read.. Most history of WW2 ends with Hitler and generalities of the occupation from Allied forces and the Russkies.. the Atrocities and ethnic cleansing didn't stop there.. it just started again along with systematic rape of a people.. GREAT READ!!!!
34830

[Cirrus2000]

Ok.. for you History buffs this is a book you must read.. Most history of WW2 ends with Hitler and generalities of the occupation from Allied forces and the Russkies.. the Atrocities and ethnic cleansing didn't stop there.. it just started again along with systematic rape of a people.. GREAT READ!!!!

Sounds fascinating - will have to have a look. Thanks!

[ratagonia]

I would also be very thankful for advice on a good book. I haven't read any books for such a long time and I really miss some good literature. So is there any new fiction that is really good?

Well, without any indication of what you like, here I two I think are 5 star:

First Man of Rome http://www.amazon.com/First-Man-Rome-Colleen-McCullough/dp/0380710811 which is a start of a wonderful, big series historical fiction of the Roman Republic... and

The Red Tent which I am reading now, and is really good: http://www.amazon.com/Red-Tent-Novel-Anita-Diamant/dp/0312169787/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1280524539&sr=1-1

The book-on-ipod I am listening to is wonderfully narrated.

but... people like different things...

Tom :moses:

[Iceaxe]

Who has read the "The Prince?" :popcorn:

I've read Nicolo Machiavelli's "The Prince" a half dozen times over the years. The frist time was for a Military History class, Warfare and Western Society. The last time was a month ago because it tied into anther book I was reading (Over the Edge or The Tudors, I can't remember which).

It's also on my iPod in Audiobook format. You can download it free here: Nicolo Machiavelli's - The Prince (http://www.archive.org/download/prince_librivox/prince_librivox_64kb_mp3.zip) in MP3 format. The audiobook is only 67 minutes long.



The other piece of advice that stuck with me was the one about not issuing any orders you couldn't enforce. I think that's not just good advice for a prince, but also for parents.

There is actually a bunch of great advice in the book that can be used in all different manners. It's required reading in a lot of business schools.

You can also download Carl von Clausewitz book "On War" (http://librivox.org/on-war-by-carl-von-clausewitz/) for free from the same place. On War is unquestionably the most important single work ever written on the theory of warfare and of strategy....

[DiscGo]

I turned off my TV for the summer and found that I suddenly have lots of time for reading.

I just finished reading "Into Thin Air" I had forgotten how much I dislike Krakauer's writing style. He jumps around so much that I never know if he is talking about the current subject or a previous person's exepedition.

The book I just read recently and loved was "The Hunger Games". I STRONGLY STRONGLY STRONGLY recommend it (if you enjoy light youthful reads). My wife and I read it together (aloud) and we really enjoyed it.

[dbaxter]

The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo, by Stieg Larsson. Got the set for my birthday and just started. Two thumbs up so far!

[Don]

The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo, by Stieg Larsson. Got the set for my birthday and just started. Two thumbs up so far!

I read the first of that series last week. Really enjoyed it. May have to read the other two. Reading Steven King's Under the Dome now.

[p40whk]

This one right here:

http://canyoneeringusa.com/shop/images/P/iml000fun.jpg


Thanks Tom, great read!

[nelsonccc]

Reading Steven King's Under the Dome now.

Just finished it! It's great, I love big, thick books.

[Cirrus2000]

OK, I read The Hunger Games last night and this morning. My daughter had been trying to convince me to read it for a while - she was right. WOW! About to start book 2. Book 3 is on order - to be released on August 24.

[DiscGo]

Right Kev? I loved it!!!! My wife and I read it together and we just had so much fun with that read.

[Wasatch Rebel]

http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172187918s/147602.jpg (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/147602.The_First_American) The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/147602.The_First_American)


I'm also reading this: Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15177.Bridge_of_Birds)
by Barry Hughart (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9465.Barry_Hughart)

[Wasatch Rebel]

OK, I read The Hunger Games last night and this morning. My daughter had been trying to convince me to read it for a while - she was right. WOW! About to start book 2. Book 3 is on order - to be released on August 24.

After those last two recommendations, I added it to my "to read" list at goodreads.com. It sounds good.

[Cirrus2000]

After those last two recommendations, I added it to my "to read" list at goodreads.com. It sounds good.

:nod: Definitely - both books 1 and 2 had me up until waaaayyy too late! The second book was every bit as good as the first, too.

[IntrepidXJ]

Just recently finished: Last of the Robbers Roost Outlaws - Moab's Bill Tibbetts by Tom McCourt

http://www.cnha.org/images/site_images/3334.jpg

Just picked up: Finders Keepers: A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession by Craig Childs

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51fv4VnB1wL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Hoping to start reading this on the camping trip I'm leaving for tomorrow :)

[blueeyes]

Upon Spencer (my son's recommendation) The Hunger Games

[Cirrus2000]

Upon Spencer (my son's recommendation) The Hunger Games

I thought that was just excellent. The third book in the series was released today. My wife and daughter went to a release party at a bookstore last night, and picked up the new book at midnight. Dear daughter read most of the book today, and I can't wait to get my hands on it. The first two were both great!

[dbaxter]

Just finished Duma Key by Stephen King. I didn't want to go out alone in the dark when I was done...but it was good :eek2:

[Don]

I thought that was just excellent. The third book in the series was released today. My wife and daughter went to a release party at a bookstore last night, and picked up the new book at midnight. Dear daughter read most of the book today, and I can't wait to get my hands on it. The first two were both great!

A couple co-workers were talking about that series recently. It sounded a little like Enders Game, no? I guess if Kev says it's good...

[blueeyes]

A couple co-workers were talking about that series recently. It sounded a little like Enders Game, no? I guess if Kev says it's good...

Well I just started late last night and made it to chapter 5 before I couldn't keep my eyelids open anymore. Spencer is so cute.. he rushes in this morning to ask me if I like the book. His eyes just lit up when I said "Yes so far I am enjoying it". Kid was bouncing with enthusiasm. Told me I would LOVE the second. He was hoping to win a copy of the new release yesterday at school but he didn't so I just might surprise him tonight and bring him home a copy.

[nelsonccc]

Just started the Otherland Series again by Tad Williams. There is something very satisfying about knowing I've got four tomes of 700+ pages to read over the next few months.:haha:

[cachehiker]

Just finishing the last 50 or 75 pages in Women, by Charles Bukowski.

‎"And yet women - good women - frightened me because they eventually wanted your soul, and what was left of mine, I wanted to keep."

I'm sure there's an obscure Utah law still on the books somewhere that makes it a crime to read because of its graphic nature. Every third or fourth book I read seems to be a target for burning due to sacrilegious or otherwise taboo subject matter. :roll:

[DiscGo]

I just started MockingJay (final book in the Hunger Games series) last night. So far I am 30 pages into it and still waiting for it to get good.

I liked Ender's Game and I like the Hunger Games but I wouldn't really group them together. Hunger Games has a similar excitement to Ender's Game but is an easier read (like Harry Potter).

Anyway, Hunger Games is one of my favorite books I have read in a while and certainly my favorite book of the year.

[Cirrus2000]

nelsoncc, I should read that again, too. I'm thinking of suggesting it to my son, who's going on 14. I seem to remember some mature themes in there, but not sure. Heck, I was reading stuff like that at his age, but I'll have another look. That was a great series!

Dan, I'm disappointed to hear that you're not enjoying Mockingjay as much. In fact, since I started writing this reply, I just asked my daughter, across the counter from me, how she's enjoying it. She has about 20 pages left to go. Before I told her what you said, she stated that it starts out pretty boring. While she considers it to be good, she says it's not as good as the previous two. :cry1:

[DiscGo]

My Mother-in-law is done reading it. She also said it started out slow but it eventually takes off and is good. I am still hoping it can end the series nicely, but I imagine I will likely skip ahead if I ever re-read this book.

[tallsteve]

Just ordered the Hunger Game 3-book box set from Amazon because of everyone's rave reviews. Looking forward to reading it!

[Kent K25]

Abstract Algebra - Thomas Hungerford


Gotta love textbooks :(

[JONBOYLEMON]

http://www.deepsurvival.com/

So far so good.

[ddavis]

Abstract Algebra - Thomas Hungerford

Ok, now I don't feel so silly admitting what I just finished: "The Elements: A visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe". A friend gave it to me for my birthday (I'm a chemist), and I loved it. Great photos, and I loved the fact that it included crystal structure and the electron orbital configuration.

I've also been into my Set Theory text book recently (ok, my son pulled it off the shelf and found some homework in it, and gave me some crap about it). It's been so long (over 30 years), that I couldn't read it - I don't remember the nomeclature anymore.

[DOSS]

Just started with a bunch of textbooks (going back to school AWWW) mostly history as that is my major.. but I also just started another Jared Diamond book
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed (http://www.amazon.com/Collapse-Societies-Choose-Fail-Succeed/dp/0670033375)

So far it is a great read...

Also who hear is doing most of their reading in Digital format (IE Nook, Kindle, Aluratek etc)? I just switched over and it is saving me a ton of $$ on books as well as making it easier to drag around 100 books at a time without killing my back :lol8:

[Cirrus2000]

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed (http://www.amazon.com/Collapse-Societies-Choose-Fail-Succeed/dp/0670033375)
Excellent book - I really enjoyed it. (I may have to get out my Jared Diamond library and go through it again - The Third Chimpanzee, Guns, Germs & Steel, as well as Collapse. (I should probably also order "Why Is Sex Fun?: The Evolution Of Human Sexuality" at some point, but I'd feel so diiirrrrrtttyyyy...)


Also who hear is doing most of their reading in Digital format (IE Nook, Kindle, Aluratek etc)? I just switched over and it is saving me a ton of $$ on books as well as making it easier to drag around 100 books at a time without killing my back :lol8:

Not me - I'm still an old fashioned paper guy. The idea of reading on a device like that just doesn't appeal to me. I looked at a friend's Kindle, and just wasn't impressed. I can't see myself changing over, at all - but never say never, I guess...

[tallsteve]

Thanks for the heads-up on "The Hunger Games". I have about 60 pages left to go. I finally forced myself to put it down at midnight last night. I've enjoyed the lighter reading after just finishing "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and "The Girl Who Played With Fire". The characters in those two books are some of the more fascinating ones I've read about in a novel in quite some time, but the "F" bombs all over the place (particularly in the 2nd book) put me off.

[DiscGo]

My opinion has changes. Stay away from the Hunger Games!

I loved HungerGames & Catching Fire. They were so much fun to read and I rated them on par with Harry Potter for the excitement they gave me.

We just finished book 3 and I hated it. It was slow starting, then it got pretty good, and then it totally missed the mark (in my opinion).

Mockingjay was so horribly graphic in gruesome deaths, unnecessary slaughtering of children, and the joy of the other 2 books that I wish I had never heard of the series. Because now when I think of the Hunger Games I won't think of how much I enjoyed Peeta, or the excitement of their survival. I will think of the horrible things in the 3rd book.

[cachehiker]

I wouldn't recommend Charles Bukowski's book, Women, to very many people either. It was an entertaining read at times and pointed out some interesting observations about the fairer sex and their apparent obsession with fame, fortune, keeping up with the Joneses, or lack thereof but it was a bit graphic for my tastes and lacked sufficient substance to leave me feeling like I'd read anything the least bit profound.

[FONT=Verdana]I just started on another bit of a jag into politics, philosophy, religion, and ethics with Myths America Live By, by Richard Hughes. It

[Cirrus2000]

It’s yet another book that will likely reinforce the communist label I’ve been branded with by the fundamentalist, bible thumping, self-righteous, jingoist, nationalistic absolutist right wing nut jobs I work with. :roll:

Huh - you work at Bogley?
:haha:

[cachehiker]

I didn't know anybody at Bogley actually worked. :lol8: They always seem to have so much playtime on their hands.

Do they also mistakenly believe that citizens in the original 13 colonies never paid taxes? Or that income tax rates are higher now than they were under Truman/Kennedy? Or that the founding fathers were all militant Puritans and Protestants instead of Deists?

[ibenick]

Huh - you work at Bogley?
:haha:

:lol8::lol8::lol8:

[SkyBum]

Warhammer 40,000: Eisenhorn

...yes, I'm a bit of a geek like that :nod:

[live2ride]

The Last Seson, by Eric Blehm. Book about Randy Morgensen and his life and love of being a backcountry ranger and how he got lost. One of the best books I have ever read, very good read especially if you are into Krakauer type books. Highly Reccomend it. 5 flaming turds on the scale of 1-5

Lance Armstrongs War, good book about his comeback and a little more insight into his real personality. I give this 3 flaming turds.

[CarpeyBiggs]

i need to read the last season. i remember reading the article about him in outside mag i think it was? anyways, this summer we met a couple rangers who worked with him in sequoia. tragic story indeed.

thanks for the reminder.

[Felicia]

The Red Tent which I am reading now, and is really good: http://www.amazon.com/Red-Tent-Novel-Anita-Diamant/dp/0312169787/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1280524539&sr=1-1

The book-on-ipod I am listening to is wonderfully narrated.

but... people like different things...

Tom :moses:


I just finished listening to The Red Tent - incredibly enjoyable book! I find myself overwhelmed at such a different way of looking at life.

[Wasatch Rebel]

Not me - I'm still an old fashioned paper guy. The idea of reading on a device like that just doesn't appeal to me. I looked at a friend's Kindle, and just wasn't impressed. I can't see myself changing over, at all - but never say never, I guess...

I absolutely agree with you. I will never change. Yup. I said "never".

And right now I'm reading book two of The Hunger Games series. Good call by you.

[Ride On]

The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan

[Wasatch Rebel]

The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan

I'm sorry.

[Cirrus2000]

I'm sorry.

:roflol:

I'm pretty much over Jordan's books. Though we did name our son after one of his characters...

[DiscGo]

I'm reading Percy Jackson, The Olympians, & The Lightning Thief. So far it has been a fun read. The author has a fun first person writing style.

[Wasatch Rebel]

:roflol:

I'm pretty much over Jordan's books. Though we did name our son after one of his characters...

Well, they were okay...but he introduced far too many characters to keep track of, and never finished the series. I guess Barry Sanderson is finishing it off for Jordan who died a few years ago. The last couple of books of his that I read in that series (10 and 11, I think) went virtually no where through over 1000 pages.

[tallsteve]

Well, they were okay...but he introduced far too many characters to keep track of, and never finished the series. I guess Barry Sanderson is finishing it off for Jordan who died a few years ago. The last couple of books of his that I read in that series (10 and 11, I think) went virtually no where through over 1000 pages.

I agree. I think I got through book 5 or 6 and gave up. He'd start a storyline I found interesting, go elsewhere, then not come back to it for a couple hundred pages. Way too tedious without much happening.

[Ride On]

I like them so far I'm now on the 3rd one and still liking them

[Cirrus2000]

I like them so far I'm now on the 3rd one and still liking them

Yeah, they were good for a long time. It was around 7/8/9 for me... "Holy cow, just get on with it!" If Nynaeve pulled on her braid one more time, I swear I was going to snap...

[canyonphile]

Interesting books y'all have been reading - I read 95% non-fiction, and some of these I'll put on my list for the next library visit.

I'm currently reading Landscape of Desire: Identity & Nature in Utah's Canyon Country, by Greg Gordon. He took a group of college students on an extended backpacking trip down Muddy Creek & Dirty Devil to where it drains into the Colorado, so the book is about that and is infused with geology, natural history and human impacts on the San Rafael Swell/Reef area. I totally geek out over CP geology, so I'm loving it!

I just finished Ellen Meloy's Last Cheater's Waltz, maybe one of the last books she wrote before her death. For those that like southwestern travel and natural history anthologies, Ellen's books are a must-read. Her book about boating the Green River for a season was outstanding.

And, the book I finished before that was Douglas Preston's Cities of Gold, which details his trip to replicate the Coronado expedition, starting from the Mexican border and going to Cibola/seven cities of gold (aka the Zuni Pueblo) and eventually ending at the Pecos Pueblo. Fascinating, as he infuses his trip with natural and human history of the area as he travels.

Another outstanding book I finished recently was How Men Win Glory: the Pat Tillman story, by Jon Krakauer. He's an exceptional writer.

[erial]

"Everybody hated him. When he come out of his mother, the doctor slapped her."

Clete Boyer talking about NYY manager Casey Stengel as quoted in Jane Leavy's The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle And The End Of America's Childhood. Lots of antedotes in this well researched biography.

[IntrepidXJ]

The Pueblo Revolt - David Roberts

[ratagonia]

Another outstanding book I finished recently was How Men Win Glory: the Pat Tillman story, by Jon Krakauer. He's an exceptional writer.

Yah, that one's a great book. Way more meaty than I had expected. Good as an audiobook.

Tom :moses:

[accadacca]

DEATH TO THE BCS

Getting ready to read this over the holidays. I hear it is a really good read (for CFB fans): www.deathtothebcs.com (http://www.deathtothebcs.com)

[Iceaxe]

DEATH TO THE BCS

Getting ready to read this over the holidays. I hear it is a really good read (for CFB fans): www.deathtothebcs.com (http://www.deathtothebcs.com)

That book would just piss me off more.... most CFB fans already know the BCS is a sham.... The BCS is nothing but discrimination.... the rich schools taking advantage of the poor schools... the BCS is one of the things we will look back on in 50 years and roll our eyes at for being so stupid to allow it to exist, just like we do now at the old school "colored" leagues..

[canyonphile]

Don Quixote.

I started it maybe 2 weeks ago, and am perhaps 1/8 of the way through it - not exactly light reading :haha:.

[cachehiker]

That's what I found. I wasn't exactly expecting something heavier than Great Expectations at the time. I have yet to get back to it.

[canyonphile]

That's what I found. I wasn't exactly expecting something heavier than Great Expectations at the time. I have yet to get back to it.
Ugh. I tried 2x to read Great Expectations, and just couldn't get into it. Same with Jane Eyre, The Brothers Karamazov and a few others regarded as "classic literature".

I think the thing that keeps me reading Don Quixote is that it's an epic travel and adventure tale. The assorted ass-kickings and other smackdowns the Don receives as a result of his delusional mental state is rather amusing. If written in current days, the book would be a short story: he and Sancho would have been arrested for defacing property (the windmills), and he'd be locked up in a mental institution for insisting they were monsters :lol8:. The End.

[mattandersao]

Reaching Keet Seel: Ruin's Echo and the Anasazi.

My favorite quote thus far "Citizen of a nation where, for all too many of us, no lake, plain, plateau, river or forest is more precious than what can be done to them or made out of them; born into a culture where all too often the only sacrament is money, I had come to this canyon to visit a people among whom the earth was never for sale."

[cachehiker]

Ugh. I tried 2x to read Great Expectations, and just couldn't get into it.

I got a kick out of Miss Havisham and all the other characters in Great Expectations. I started Don Quixote at the beginning of the fall semester after having been given the impression that despite being rather lengthy, it was an otherwise easy read. Words to live by: don't take reading advice from honors students. I can normally plow through just about anything but Advanced Calculus proved rather arduous and I found myself averaging too few pages in a day.

I haven't taken on Jane Eyre yet but loved Wuthering Heights. The Bronte sisters could write.

When I personally think of heavy, I think of Moby Dick, Le Morte d'Arthur, and The Iliad.

[canyonphile]

I haven't taken on Jane Eyre yet but loved Wuthering Heights. The Bronte sisters could write.

When I personally think of heavy, I think of Moby Dick, Le Morte d'Arthur, and The Iliad.

I can't remember if I read Wuthering Heights or not. I always do make a point of seeing the movie versions of all these classics, though, and have really enjoyed them as such.

The topic of "how well-read are you?" came up on an art forum I read, and several people commented that they couldn't handle Moby Dick, either :haha:. I've never tried to read it. As far as The Iliad goes....I personally can't stand reading poetry, or anything written in that verse form that all translations of this novel are that I've come across. Haven't read any Dante for the same reason. The prose version of The Odyssey that we read in high school was wonderful, though. So, until that changes, I won't be reading them. A bummer, because I love travel and adventure stories.

I always find it odd that Ayn Rand doesn't seem to make it onto any of these lists of "classics". I've read all of her fiction, and Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead remain two of my favorite novels of all time. It's probably time to re-read those, in fact.

[mattandersao]

Moby Dick would be one of my favorite books if the author had focused on Ahab trying to catch the d@mned white whale. Instead he wrote hundreds of pages about knots, ships, etc. By the end I almost considered myself an expert on the intricacies of whaling.

[cachehiker]

Oh I handled Moby Dick, Atlas Shrugged, The Iliad, Le Morte d'Arthur, The Old Testament, Lenk's Video Handbook, LabWindows/CVI Programming, etc. 10 pages at a time. Take about 150 carefully selected pages out of Moby Dick and I probably would've liked it but when the action gets unbearably slow my usual 75-ish pages per week turns into 50, then 25, and then I stall. Those 150 most onerous pages were probably responsible for my stalling and having to summon the determination to forge ahead at least a half-dozen times. I'm currently stalled in Windows 7 Inside Out.

I'm about done with Myths America Lives By and looking for the next book. I've had enough theology and history for now. I'm thinking of Dostoevsky, maybe Hugo, or possibly Hardy. After Kerouac, Bukowski, Camus, and Hesse, I need to go back to something old.

[ddavis]

The Three Musketeers - read it years ago, picked it up on a whim and read it again. I may have to re-read all the sequels too.

Also just finished A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore, a Christmas present from my son. Really enjoyed it.

[Cirrus2000]

I enjoyed Don Quixote quite a lot - started it about 12 years ago, but never finished and mislaid the book. Bought a new copy 3 years ago, and plowed through - quite good. The books I find tough to get through are the Russians - Solzhenitsyn, Dostoevsky, etc.

Been reading a lot lately, and discovered a great website - goodreads.com (http://www.goodreads.com/) - where I've been keeping track of my books and getting lots of ideas for upcoming choices. My daughter introduced me to it, and I've discovered that Tom is there, too...

Recent reads of mine:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, by Stieg Larsson.
I loved all three.

Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle by Chris Hedges
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, by Naomi Klein
These two were amazing. Eye opening. Ire-raising.

Quirkology: How We Discover the Big Truths in Small Things, by Richard Wiseman
The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman
The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution, by Gregory Cochran and Henry Harpending

Just finished Things the Grandchildren Should Know, by Mark Oliver Everett (AKA "E", lead singer of "EELS"), which was a really neat memoir of a tortured artist who's had a pretty lousy life in some ways, and some really great experiences, too.

Currently reading Aron Ralston's Between a Rock and a Hard Place.

Under the Christmas tree:

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach.
Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America, by Thomas Friedman

To pick up soon:
No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs, by Naomi Klein
Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts, by Carol Tavris
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, by Michael Pollan

And oh, so many more to read!

[ratagonia]

I enjoyed Don Quixote quite a lot - started it about 12 years ago, but never finished and mislaid the book. Bought a new copy 3 years ago, and plowed through - quite good. The books I find tough to get through are the Russians - Solzhenitsyn, Dostoevsky, etc.

Been reading a lot lately, and discovered a great website - goodreads.com (http://www.goodreads.com/) - where I've been keeping track of my books and getting lots of ideas for upcoming choices. My daughter introduced me to it, and I've discovered that Tom is there, too...

Recent reads of mine:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, by Stieg Larsson.
I loved all three.

Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle by Chris Hedges
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, by Naomi Klein
These two were amazing. Eye opening. Ire-raising.

Quirkology: How We Discover the Big Truths in Small Things, by Richard Wiseman
The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman
The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution, by Gregory Cochran and Henry Harpending

Just finished Things the Grandchildren Should Know, by Mark Oliver Everett (AKA "E", lead singer of "EELS"), which was a really neat memoir of a tortured artist who's had a pretty lousy life in some ways, and some really great experiences, too.

Currently reading Aron Ralston's Between a Rock and a Hard Place.

Under the Christmas tree:

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach.
Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America, by Thomas Friedman

To pick up soon:
No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs, by Naomi Klein
Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts, by Carol Tavris
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, by Michael Pollan

And oh, so many more to read!

Still on my Roman History Kick. Just finished Augustus by Allan Massie - historical fiction memoire from Rome's first Emperor. I know, sounds nerdy, but it was really well written and highly readable, and far less confusing than the more elaborate First Men of Rome books. He's got quite a few others in the same area I'll be checking out, then I think I deserve to read I, Claudius again.

Tom

[ratagonia]

Oh I handled Moby Dick, Atlas Shrugged, The Iliad, Le Morte d'Arthur, The Old Testament, Lenk's Video Handbook, LabWindows/CVI Programming, etc. 10 pages at a time. Take about 150 carefully selected pages out of Moby Dick and I probably would've liked it but when the action gets unbearably slow my usual 75-ish pages per week turns into 50, then 25, and then I stall. Those 150 most onerous pages were probably responsible for my stalling and having to summon the determination to forge ahead at least a half-dozen times. I'm currently stalled in Windows 7 Inside Out.

I'm about done with Myths America Lives By and looking for the next book. I've had enough theology and history for now. I'm thinking of Dostoevsky, maybe Hugo, or possibly Hardy. After Kerouac, Bukowski, Camus, and Hesse, I need to go back to something old.

If you haven't read War and Peace, it is really, really good. More soap opera than dense Russian novel. I know it has a rep as being tedious and huge, but I did not find it so. Yes, quite a long book, but it was good all the way through.

Tom

[ddavis]

Still on my Roman History Kick. Just finished Augustus by Allan Massie - historical fiction memoire from Rome's first Emperor. I know, sounds nerdy, but it was really well written and highly readable, and far less confusing than the more elaborate First Men of Rome books. He's got quite a few others in the same area I'll be checking out, then I think I deserve to read I, Claudius again.

Tom


I loved I Claudius, both books. I haven't re-read them for a while, but I did just finish re-watching the Masterpiece Theater adaptation, with Derek Jacobi. Wonderful.

[Moose Droppings]

Two from under the x-mas tree:

How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown

[I][B]G

[cachehiker]

If you haven't read War and Peace, it is really, really good.

It was considered but after discussions with my sis and another friend, it was narrowed down to Anna Karenina or Crime and Punishment. I'll start the latter after another 15 pages in this issue of Outside. Maybe tomorrow, maybe Wednesday.

One time I was told to use a 3x5 card as a bookmark and to keep track of all the characters in War and Peace. Sis agrees. Do you?

[ddavis]

One time I was told to use a 3x5 card as a bookmark and to keep track of all the characters in War and Peace. Sis agrees. Do you?

Or you could watch the Masterpiece Theater adaptation from I-don't-remember-when, starring Anthony Hopkins. It may not help with keeping track of the thousands of secondary characters, but might help with the hundreds of main characters (I read it in high school, during my world history class - took six weeks).

[mattandersao]

Just finished Catch 22 which is one of my favorite books now!

Currently reading The Golden Spruce by John Vaillant

[bbennett]

An autobiography by Bill Hickman called Brigham's Destroying Angel. Very interesting read available for free on google books at:

http://books.google.com/books?id=IVPzSuNgCjIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=brigham's+destroying+angel&hl=en&ei=8sRMTcPSEYSclgfL8YEa&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=true

[mtthwlw]

some good ones here, need a new book to read so I am going to have to look for a good outdoor/ climbing/ cycling related to something like that book.

I'm reading Shackleton by Roland Huntford. It's a good read for the winter.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41RZH45MQZL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[mtthwlw]

... it was narrowed down to Anna Karenina or Crime and Punishment.

I recently finished Crime and Punishment. I enjoyed it. Which did you decide to read?

I use a 3x5 card-- not only when I read a book like War and Peace-- but almost ANY book I read from the library, and I write notes on the end-papers if it's a book I own. My wife says I do it because I'm a nerd. I do it to keep track of events, people, and relationships in the book.

[ratagonia]

Strange Justice: the Selling of Clarence Thomas by Jane Mayer and Jill Abramson

Wow, great book, but sad. Is about the whole Anita Hill / Clarence Thomas thing. I picked it up because from Clarence's biography, it becomes clear that is one really messed up angry dude. This book confirms it. Other characters that come off really, really bad: Joe Biden. What a four-faced liar!

Recommended.

Tom :moses:

[ratagonia]

It was considered but after discussions with my sis and another friend, it was narrowed down to Anna Karenina or Crime and Punishment. I'll start the latter after another 15 pages in this issue of Outside. Maybe tomorrow, maybe Wednesday.

One time I was told to use a 3x5 card as a bookmark and to keep track of all the characters in War and Peace. Sis agrees. Do you?

Could. I think the problem is that the Russian names all "sound the same". I think it depends on how much time you can put in, and how continuously. W&P is a long book and takes a while to read. If you only put in an hour or two a week, you should take notes. Notes could also help in getting the pantheon of main characters to stay distinct. Or just read it, and stop worrying about it. What EVER!

Tom

[ratagonia]

[QUOTE=Moose Droppings;425153]Two from under the x-mas tree:

How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown

[I][B]G

[Dr. Nebz]

41416

This has been a really good read.

[cachehiker]

I recently finished Crime and Punishment. I enjoyed it. Which did you decide to read?

Given a recent turn of events at work, I picked up a real page turner: Electric Motors and Drives, Fundamentals, Types, and Applications. I know more about induction motor theory than anybody else there but that doesn't add up to much. Being the only one around able to predict how proposed engineering changes will affect performance will make me even more irreplaceable.

:roll: (Humility is the one skill I still haven't mastered. :haha:)

I'm about halfway through, maybe 4-5 weeks left to finish it. Then I'll tackle Crime and Punishment.

[Cirrus2000]

GI picked up a real page turner: Electric Motors and Drives, Fundamentals, Types, and Applications.

Sounds like a real page-turner! Enjoy! :haha:

[dbaxter]

Death in the West: Fatal Stories from America's Last Frontiers by Chris Becker. Don't read this one if you are in danger of becoming a couch potato :haha: It will push you right over the edge.

[bbennett]

Death in the West: Fatal Stories from America's Last Frontiers by Chris Becker. Don't read this one if you are in danger of becoming a couch potato :haha: It will push you right over the edge.

If you enjoyed that book or have any interest in the development of the early American west, I'd highly suggest Men to Match My Mountains; http://www.iblist.com/book58053.htm

I love that book.

[nelsonccc]

Just finished luttels' Lone Survivor. A book about the redwing mission in afganistan. Basically its about how a team of seals lost all but one member on a mission gone bad. The last guy crawls through thr mtns to survive while reaping holy hell on the pussy taliban bitches.

A very good read. Now im starting kings newest book.

[dbaxter]

If you enjoyed that book or have any interest in the development of the early American west, I'd highly suggest Men to Match My Mountains; http://www.iblist.com/book58053.htm

I love that book.

Sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out. :nod:

Just reading War by Sebastian Junger. It's written by a reporter who traveled to the Korengal Valley in Eastern Afghanistan and stayed in one of the deadliest zones in the war. There is great documentary "Restrepo" which shows his actual footage of time spent with these guys as well as interviews with them. It's one of the best books I've read in a while-.

Nelsoncc, I read Lone Survivor as well. It's another of my favorites.

[ststephen]

I'm reading "This is Your Brain on Music" by Daniel Levitin. Fascinating stuff about the how and why of our brain's reaction to music.

[Deadeye008]

Just finished In Search of the Ancient Ones. Really enjoyed it. I picked it up used off Amazon for under a buck! For anyone interested in the Anasazi I would highly suggest it.

[nelsonccc]

Sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out. :nod:

Just reading War by Sebastian Junger. It's written by a reporter who traveled to the Korengal Valley in Eastern Afghanistan and stayed in one of the deadliest zones in the war. There is great documentary "Restrepo" which shows his actual footage of time spent with these guys as well as interviews with them. It's one of the best books I've read in a while-.

Nelsoncc, I read Lone Survivor as well. It's another of my favorites.

Restrepo was awesome. Eye opening documentary for sure. Makes me very thankful for those who do it.

[Scott Card]

Re-reading "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis. Entertaining and insightful.

[ratagonia]

Re-reading "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis. Entertaining and insightful.

What's that about? T

[cachehiker]

What's that about? T

I has been a while but if I remember correctly it's a series of letters written by an old retired devil named Screwtape to his inept nephew Wormwood advising him on how best to corrupt souls.

It is, without a doubt, one of my favorites. It's short, an easier read than most of my choices, hilarious in places, and highly recommended by this bibliophile.

[Scott Card]

I has been a while but if I remember correctly it's a series of letters written by an old retired devil named Screwtape to his inept nephew Wormwood advising him on how best to corrupt souls.

It is, without a doubt, one of my favorites. It's short, an easier read than most of my choices, hilarious in places, and highly recommended by this bibliophile. What he said. Sorry, I didn't see your question.

[accadacca]

Has anyone read this one?[/URL] [url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400067677/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bogloutdcomm-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1400067677 (http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=bogloutdcomm-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1400067677)

Its a top rated book on Amazon. :ne_nau:

[ratagonia]

Has anyone read this one?[/URL] [url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400067677/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bogloutdcomm-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1400067677 (http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=bogloutdcomm-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1400067677)

Its a top rated book on Amazon. :ne_nau:

You mean:

Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth [Hardcover]
by James M. Tabor

(just helping out)

Tom

[blueeyes]

The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance by Laurie Garrett

[erial]

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (who previously authored Seabiscuit)

This is the story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who during WW2 survives a ditching in the Pacific , weeks adrift at sea, and then years of additional hardship in Japanese prison camps. The book is relentless in depicting the suffering and cruelty in the camps, but not without a welcome humourous anedote from time to time:

In Naoetsu's little POW insurgency, perhaps the most insidious fear was pulled off by Louie's friend Ken Marvin, a marine who'd been captured at Wake Atoll. At his work site, Marvin was supervised by a one-eyed civilian guard called Bad Eye. When Bad Eye asked Marvin to teach him English, Marvin saw his chance. With secret delight, he began teaching Bad Eye catastrophically bad English. From that day forward, when asked, "How are you?," Bad Eye would smilingly reply, What the **** do you care?"

Had it not been for the war, Zamperini may have broken the 4 minute mile long before Robert Bannister. His feats of survival are equally amazing.

[greyhair biker]

The Stingray Shuffle by Tim Dorsey. Absolutely hilarious sick twisted dementia humor.

[canyonphile]

The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance by Laurie Garrett

This was an awesome book! I bought it when it came out back in the mid-90's....and then made the mistake of lending it to some dude I briefly dated.

Never saw it again :angryfire: :roll:.

I just finished Good Times, by Edward Abby, and now Desert Solitaire is on my night stand.

And, this amazingly comprehensive book on the history of American tonalism painting movement (George Inness, etc.) of 1880-1920. For landscape painters and art lovers, it's a must-have. For everyone else...probably not so much :haha:.

[Randi]

Interesting, thanks for the update.

Hahahaha ~ Your avatar is Ram's stick-out-tongue-face? How wierd and special! ♥ :)

[DOSS]

In the middle of my N'th read of Freedom of the Hills :)

[Rented mule]

Print is dead.......ho hum.....boring boring to read.....reading takes away important
hiking time. I once was asked on a date years ago by a girl and we were to read
a book by a stream. A book by a stream? duh!! hello!! A stream can't write a book!!
reading sux!

Except Bo and Tanya's new book when it comes out!! yeehaw.
Hopefully lots of pictures? Can't wait.

[ratagonia]

Print is dead.......ho hum.....boring boring to read.....reading takes away important
hiking time. I once was asked on a date years ago by a girl and we were to read
a book by a stream. A book by a stream? duh!! hello!! A stream can't write a book!!
reading sux!

Except Bo and Tanya's new book when it comes out!! yeehaw.
Hopefully lots of pictures? Can't wait.

This may not be the thread for you, then.

I read books while hiking quite often. Hiking can be quite boring, even in amazing terrain. I have read books in some incredible places...

Tom

[Dr. Nebz]

This may not be the thread for you, then.

I read books while hiking quite often. Hiking can be quite boring, even in amazing terrain. I have read books in some incredible places...

Tom

I too sometimes take a good book with me. Hell, beats sitting in your tent with nothing to do during a downpour.

[Felicia]

The Giant Book of Poetry
Edited by William H Roetzheim

[dbaxter]

Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer.
The more I read from him, the more I like him.

[Iceaxe]

Too Big to Fail

:cool2:

[Don]

Finally gotten around to Stegner. Reading Big Rock Candy Mountain now. I've already got Angle on Repose on hand for when I'm done with this one. :2thumbs:

[restrac2000]

Midnight's Children
Manufacturing Consent
River of Doubt
Half the Sky

Thanks for the interesting thread. Great to have a list that goes back so many years with so many different contributors.

[accadacca]

The Rules of Work: The Unspoken Truth About Getting Ahead in Business: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0131858386/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bogloutdcomm-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0131858386

[heatheraball]

Currently reading "Walking up and Down in the World: Memoirs of a Mountain Rambler" by Smoke Blanchard.

[bbennett]

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (who previously authored Seabiscuit)

This is the story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who during WW2 survives a ditching in the Pacific , weeks adrift at sea, and then years of additional hardship in Japanese prison camps. The book is relentless in depicting the suffering and cruelty in the camps, but not without a welcome humourous anedote from time to time:

In Naoetsu's little POW insurgency, perhaps the most insidious fear was pulled off by Louie's friend Ken Marvin, a marine who'd been captured at Wake Atoll. At his work site, Marvin was supervised by a one-eyed civilian guard called Bad Eye. When Bad Eye asked Marvin to teach him English, Marvin saw his chance. With secret delight, he began teaching Bad Eye catastrophically bad English. From that day forward, when asked, "How are you?," Bad Eye would smilingly reply, What the **** do you care?"

Had it not been for the war, Zamperini may have broken the 4 minute mile long before Robert Bannister. His feats of survival are equally amazing.

I just bought that book yesterday at the suggestion of a lady that I was sitting next to on a flight to Houston and I'm already half way though. Excellent book! It's definitely one of those that you hope they turn in to a movie.

[mattandersao]

I just bought that book yesterday at the suggestion of a lady that I was sitting next to on a flight to Houston and I'm already half way though. Excellent book! It's definitely one of those that you hope they turn in to a movie.

Awesome book 5 stars for sure!!!

[mattandersao]

Unwarranted Influence: Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Military-Industrial Complex

Favorite Ike quote so far


Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed . This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is some fifty miles of concrete pavement. We pay for a single fighter plane with half a million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more than 8000 people....under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.

[Felicia]

Re-reading "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis. Entertaining and insightful.

Just downloaded the book. :-)

[Felicia]

I just finished Caleb's Crossing: A Novel. Before that I read Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague. Both books are by Geraldine Brooks.

I got the titles as a recommendation from GoodReads. Clearly I like historical fiction as I enjoyed both books!

I'm off to read my new acquisition. .

[Penelope]

Reading a rock climbing book (partially so I can get all the flippin' lingo down), as well as Out of Africa.

Anyone have some suggestions for me? I'm trying to find something along the lines of Krakauer. I've read most of his stuff and haven't found another author like him that keeps my interest and isn't too heavy on the technical jargon.

[mattandersao]

Anyone have some suggestions for me? I'm trying to find something along the lines of Krakauer. I've read most of his stuff and haven't found another author like him that keeps my interest and isn't too heavy on the technical jargon.

John Vaillant author of The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed and The Tiger. Similar style as Krakauer imo.

He does dive a little too deep into the topic. After reading Golden Spruce I am dang near an expert on the history of logging in the US/Canadian Northwest.

[Penelope]

John Vaillant author of The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed and The Tiger. Similar style as Krakauer imo.

He does dive a little too deep into the topic. After reading Golden Spruce I am dang near an expert on the history of logging in the US/Canadian Northeast.

Thanks, Matt! Will check him out.

[zzyzx]

Some Scott Kelby books.

Sent from my WinDroid HD2 using Tapatalk

[gnwatts]

"Just Kids" an autobiography by Patti Smith, about her life with Robert Mapplethorpe.

[blueeyes]

Still working on The Coming Plague (long) but also picked up The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

About the first human cells grown in culture, where they came from, how they have been used and shaped medicine.

[heatheraball]

Reading a rock climbing book (partially so I can get all the flippin' lingo down), as well as Out of Africa.

Anyone have some suggestions for me? I'm trying to find something along the lines of Krakauer. I've read most of his stuff and haven't found another author like him that keeps my interest and isn't too heavy on the technical jargon.

Have you read any of Ed Viesturs' books? I like Krakauer's books, but I really liked Viesturs' style and his idea of "getting up is optional, getting down is mandatory."

[gnwatts]

Anyone have some suggestions for me? I'm trying to find something along the lines of Krakauer. I've read most of his stuff and haven't found another author like him that keeps my interest and isn't too heavy on the technical jargon.

Anatoli Boukreev's "The Climb" is a different take on the Krakauer book. It is an interesting read, especially after "into thin air"

[uintahiker]

Just finished "The Virginian" by Owen Wister.

Recommended to: readers of Edward Abbey & lovers of Western books. I recommend it.

[Felicia]

I'm 54% of the way through "A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard. She has an incredibly positive attitude that allowed her to survive.

As a guest of my friend Joelle, I had an opportunity to hear the two officers speak about discovering/freeing Jaycee. The officers were being honored for their roll in Jaycee's freedom.

Back to reading...

[blueeyes]

I was just looking at that book last night Felicia. Think it will be the next one I read.

[Felicia]

I was just looking at that book last night Felicia. Think it will be the next one I read.

I finished the book yesterday afternoon. She is a true survivor. :2thumbs:

[Felicia]

Re-reading "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis. Entertaining and insightful.

Scott - this book was great! I think that if I were ever to join a book club, this book would spark a great discussion - letter by letter. Thanks for the recommendation. :2thumbs::2thumbs:

[dbaxter]

Rage by Richard Bachman/Stephen King

[nelsonccc]

Just finished Over the Edge of the World. It's about Magellans circumnavigation of the globe. A pretty intense read. Very interesting to read about all of these first encounters with indigenous islanders. Bergreen also does a good job of showing how the chinese had been all over with their navy prior to the europeans. Highly recommend.

Next book is Connely's Lincoln Lawyer for some light summer reading before diving into Bush's Decision Points book.

[dmMatrix]

Reading Think & Grow Rich by Napolean Hill.

Ive gotta say, this is the third time I have attempted to finish this book. I am not even half way yet. Its a fantastic book but I just can't stay focused on it. I keep switching to other books and have to come back to this one.

[BruteForce]

I just barely wrapped up:

The Heart and the Fist.
http://books.google.com/books?id=U1zMgkoUuwgC&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&l=220



By Eric Greitens - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2011) - Hardback - 320 pages - ISBN 054742485X
THE HEART AND THE FIST shares one man's story of extraordinary leadership and service as both a humanitarian and a warrior. In a life lived at the raw edges of the human experience, Greitens has seen what can be accomplished when compassion and courage come together in meaningful service. As a Rhodes Scholar and Navy SEAL, Greitens worked alongside volunteers who taught art to street children in Bolivia and led US Marines who hunted terrorists in Iraq. He's learned from nuns who fed the destitute in one of Mother Teresa's homes for the dying in India, from aid workers who healed orphaned children in Rwanda, and from Navy SEALs who fought in Afghanistan. He excelled at the hardest military training in the world, and today he works with severely wounded and disabled veterans who are rebuilding their lives as community leaders at home. Greitens offers each of us a new way of thinking about living a meaningful life. We learn that to win any war, even those we wage against ourselves; to create and obtain lasting peace; to save a life; and even, simply to live with purpose requires usevery one of usto be both good and strong

And I'm about to re-read:

Not a Good Day to Die
http://books.google.com/books?id=ClqkdjERlc4C&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&l=220



By Sean Naylor - Berkley Books (2006) - Paperback - 425 pages - ISBN 0425207870
In this New York Times bestseller, award-winning combat reporter Sean Naylor reveals how close American forces came to disaster in Afghanistan against Al Qaida-after easily defeating the ragtag Taliban that had sheltered the terrorist organization behind the 9/11 attacks. At dawn on March 2, 2002, over 200 soldiers of the 101st Airborne and 10th Mountain Divisions flew into the mouth of a buzz saw in the Shahikot Valley. Believing the war all but over, U.S. military leaders refused to commit the troops and materiel required to fight the war's biggest battle-a missed opportunity to crush hundreds of Al Qaida's fighters and some of its most senior leaders. Eyewitness Naylor vividly portrays the heroism of the young, untested soldiers unprepared for the ferocious enemy they fought; the mistakes that led to a hellish mountaintop firefight; and how thirteen American commandos embodied "Patton's three principles of war"-audacity, audacity and audacity-by creeping unseen over frozen mountains into the heart of an enemy stronghold to prevent a U.S. military catastrophe

[tallsteve]

Has anybody else started reading "Ready Player One", by Ernest Cline? A new release that is getting a ton of buzz. I'm about halfway through and all I can say is- I CAN'T PUT IT DOWN! Very cool premise and, although not new, takes it to an all new level. I understand the author sold the movie rights to Warner before the book was even released this week.

http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/030788743X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314125784&sr=1-1

[tanya]

Mine and Bo's .... it's so much better than I anticipated! I am so glad we did not go with Falcon Press, even though they were my favorite publisher. I like ours better. I am jazzed to do book 2 now! I was bored, but I can do this again.

:nod:

[tallsteve]

Mine and Bo's .... it's so much better than I anticipated! I am so glad we did not go with Falcon Press, even though they were my favorite publisher. I like ours better. I am jazzed to do book 2 now! I was bored, but I can do this again.

:nod:

Link?

[DiscGo]

I think I may enjoy more light hearted books than many of you, but I just finished reading the FableHaven series and I loved it.

[optikal]

Presently reading Mountaineering First Aid. Almost done, then it's onto the big green WFR "manual" :)

[tanya]

There is no link to the pdf. Bo was talking about a private email between the publishers and us.

[kirlope]

Again - Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert... I really love this book for it is so inspiring and such a help moving on, realizing that one has to have dreams and has to take risks in order to achieve anything in life. If you want to grow as a person and if one wants to develop his / her character this book will definitely help aiming high. :)

[Udink]

I Just picked up Contact by Carl Sagan, and The Princess Bride by William Goldman.

[live2ride]

I need a good wilderness book, something regarding some lost people or a Krakauer type book? Any suggestions?

[nelsonccc]

I need a good wilderness book, something regarding some lost people or a Krakauer type book? Any suggestions?

The last season. It's fantastic. It's about a ranger in the sierras who goes missing. Really good book about trying to figure out what happened.

[tallsteve]

Finished "Ready Player One" a few days ago. Loved it! If you lived through the 80's (although the book is set in the near future, it is loaded with 80's pop-culture references), like science fiction, fantasy, video games, intrigue and fast-paced fiction, you should like it, too.

[mattandersao]

World War Z (about the future zombie apocalypse) and Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World.

[mattandersao]

The last season. It's fantastic. It's about a ranger in the sierras who goes missing. Really good book about trying to figure out what happened.

I agree

[dmMatrix]

Currently reading a cookbook...:facepalm1:.. I told my wife I would cook dinner tonight.

Switching back and forth between "Cooking for Two" and a family recipe book that doesn't have a name that we got at our wedding..... HMMMM

[denaliguide]

The Trout Diaries (A year of fly-fishing in New Zealand) by Derek Grzelewski. Great book, fun read. My ex even read it before me and enjoyed it, and she hates fishing.

[wasatchghost]

I'm rereading the Fellowship of the Ring for the first time since I was 9. Turns out it's much more enjoyable when you know what all the words mean and can actually appreciate the writing style

[live2ride]

The last season. It's fantastic. It's about a ranger in the sierras who goes missing. Really good book about trying to figure out what happened.


I already have read it, great book and wold love something similar to that.

[greyhair biker]

Janet Evanovich - 'Wicked Appetite'. Really I am...and I just started in to the Stephanie Plum books. Oh, and studying two Hawaii guidebooks:mrgreen:

[nelsonccc]

I already have read it, great book and wold love something similar to that.

Some books that I like that are similiar to that are, One Mans Wilderness, Last Breath, Yukon Alone, and measure of a mountain. All of those are great books.

[accadacca]

Steve Jobs (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451648537/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bogloutdcomm-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1451648537)

Is anybody surprised? :lol8:

[greyhair biker]

Janet Evanovich - Ten Big Ones. :ne_nau: hey I can't help it...she's funny as hell.

[abirken]

Middlesex

[Felicia]

Janet Evanovich - Ten Big Ones. :ne_nau: hey I can't help it...she's funny as hell.

Did you start with One for the Money? Reading the books in order is fun. The books are fluff, but fun reading.

:2thumbs:

[blueeyes]

Still haven't finished The Plague but have read

"Blood: An Epic History of Medicine and Commerce" by Douglas Starr ~ Seriously and EPIC history of blood. Great read! From being feared to being worshiped to a international commodity. Covers some shocking moments in history of greedy people exploiting fellow humans to the aids crisis. Really has shown the change and growth in the Blood Bank industry.

"A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard~ surprisingly good read thanks for the recommend Felicia

"Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen~great book loved how she jumped back and forth between the old guys memory and him as a young man

The kids have me hooked on Rick Riordan and the entire series of "The Lighting Thief" we finished those last year and now we have started the "The Hero's of Olympus Series" while driving in the car long distance.

"The Demon Under the Microscope" by Thomas Hagar ~ about the first antibiotic. Again a great science read not as good or riveting as Blood.

Currently working on "The Disappearing Spoon" by Sam Kean~ This one is really fascinating it covers a little history on each element of the periodic table.

Just about ready for another book looking for some recommends. I loved Felicia's last one so I guess I will take a look at Janet Evanovich and pick a book.

[dmMatrix]

Currently reading through: The E-myth Revisited. Pretty great entrepreneurial book. Can't put it down.

I was just referred a book called: Awaken the Giant Within. Has anybody read this one?

[mattandersao]

Life-Autobiography of Keith Richards

Just finished No Country For Old Men

[greyhair biker]

Oh yeah. I've read em in order - except for the stand alone books with Diesel. They are fluff but just when I think I ought to read something else I turn the page and laugh my arse off.

[Cirrus2000]

My kids like the Rick Riordan stuff - perhaps that's worth a go. "Blood" sounds really good, too, Cher

[zzyzx]

White Canyon, remembering the little town at the bottom of Lake Powell, by Tom McCourt.

[Felicia]

I just finished reading Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K Massie. Catherine was an extremely interesting Empress that left a lasting impression on Russian culture. She was headstrong, compassionate, and cared for her adopted country after leaving Germany at the age of fourteen. Her personal life was even more interesting - even torrid by today's standards. I highly recommend the book.

[Iceaxe]

ESPN - Those guys have all the fun.

It's a good read if you are a sports fan.

[tallsteve]

"Unbroken"- the story of Olympic Runner and WWII hero, Louis Zamperini. Incredible what this guy had to go through after his B24 crashed over the Pacific. Can't put it down- a must, must, must read!

[chromehead58]

born to run, great book...lifes lessons learned, and my annual january read, desert solitare. Yes three, what can I say, the only way a guy with adhd can keep reading...

[mattandersao]

"Unbroken"- the story of Olympic Runner and WWII hero, Louis Zamperini. Incredible what this guy had to go through after his B24 crashed over the Pacific. Can't put it down- a must, must, must read!

AWESOME, AWESOME BOOK!!!

I just finished Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage (if you are looking for the most epic survival story ever recorded this is your book!) and am starting Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi Occupied Paris.

[mattandersao]

born to run, great book...lifes lessons learned, and my annual january read, desert solitare. Yes three, what can I say, the only way a guy with adhd can keep reading...

I usually wait to annual read desert solitare and monkey wrench gang until early spring! :cool2:

[ddavis]

The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry. I'm on the chapter about acids and bases. When I finish, it will sit on the shelf next to The Cartoon Guide to Statistics.

[Ventuse]

Just finished "In a sunburned country" by Bill Bryson.
Starting to re read "Kon Tiki" by Thor Heyerdahl (my favorite book)

[Felicia]

Has any read any books by Terry Tempest Williams?

[mattandersao]

Has any read any books by Terry Tempest Williams?

Yes! I like her

[Felicia]

Yes! I like her

She has a number of books. I just downloaded Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place.

Which books did you like? Why?

[dmMatrix]

By the suggestion of someone else I started reading:

Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins.... Probably one of the best books Ive ever sunk my brain into.

It basically helps you do anything.... crazy to explain... break bad habits, build your business, overcome fear of success and tons more.

Worth a read IMO.

[Mtnseeker1]

2008 YZF450X owners manual for the thousandth time.
But hey tomorrows a new day.

[BruteForce]

Suicide of a Superpower by Pat Buchanan:

50742

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312579977/forthecause-20


I just finished reading Operation Dark Heart (the heavily US Government redacted version):

http://www.operationdarkheart.com/

[mattandersao]

Just finished the lost city of z. Awesome book a new favorite! About one of the greatest Amazonian explorers who on his last expedition disappeared.

[JONBOYLEMON]

Just finished Hatchet with my 10 year old boy. Great kids book, and I really liked it at well!

[Pelon1]

Just finished A Game of Thrones great book, not sure about reading the rest have heard mixed reviews. This was a very good read.

[BruteForce]

Black Site by Dalton Fury

51015

rom former Delta Force commander and New York Times bestselling author of Kill Bin Laden comes the first novel in an explosive new series.
After September 11, 2001, Delta Force troop commander Dalton Fury was given the secret mission to hunt down and kill the most wanted man in the world, the details of which were recounted in his extraordinary New York Times bestseller Kill Bin Laden. Now, Fury draws upon his hard-won combat experience—and his gift for true-to-life storytelling—to offer a brand-new series of thrillers that are as close to reality as readers can get.


Meet Kolt Raynor. A Delta Force operator and one-time American hero, he is still trying to make sense of his life—and duty—after a secret mission gone bad. Three years ago, in the mountains of Pakistan, Raynor made a split-second decision to disobey orders—one that got some of his teammates killed and the rest captured. Now he’s been given a second chance to do right by his country, his men, and himself. But Raynor’s shot at redemption comes at a price.


A shadowy group of former colleagues has asked Raynor to return, alone, to Pakistan’s badlands. His assignment seems clear: find his missing men and bring them home. What Raynor never expected was to uncover a sinister al Qaeda plot to capture a Black Site--a secret U.S.** prison--and destabilize the region. Meanwhile, a ruthless, unknown enemy is on his trail…and he will stop at nothing to make sure that Raynor’s mission is not accomplished.


An intense, gritty work of edge-of-your-seat suspense, Black Site is the first of what promises to be one of the most exciting fiction series of the new millennium.

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Site-Delta-Force-Novel/dp/0312668376

[KapitanSparrow]

Cuba, the guidebook by Moon. Few others.

[JONBOYLEMON]

Just finished

Art of Non Conformity, not a bad read.


http://chrisguillebeau.com/the-book/

[mattandersao]

http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328480901s/17780.jpg (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17780.In_the_Heart_of_the_Sea) In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17780.In_the_Heart_of_the_Sea)

[zzyzx]

Guide to Rock Art of the Utah Region by Dennis Slifer.

[mtndude3737]

Kiss or Kill, Confessions of a Serial Climber by Mark Twight.

Another highly recommended mountaineering book: Beyond the Mountain, by Steve House

[uintafly]

Just finished A Game of Thrones great book, not sure about reading the rest have heard mixed reviews. This was a very good read.

Go for it! The next 2 are as good as the first but books 4 and 5 do slow down quite a bit, though I still enjoyed them. And I am not usually a fan of fantasy.

[greyhair biker]

'Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins . A good easy read that you won't be able to put down.

[trackrunner]

finished escape by Carolyn jessop. once I finished I said I need another book to start on & a family member handed me his book he had just finished which I've just started into, Gabby: A story of Courage and Hope

[Sombeech]

52343

Posted via Tapatapatapatalk

[restrac2000]

World War Z was amazing. I have never read anything like it.

[cookiecutter]

Another vote for the Hunger Games, I just finished the first and really enjoyed it. I fear the story will run out before the next two books do, but I will see.

I also just got my summer reading list for college, first up, "Strength in What Remains" by Tracy Kidder

[greyhair biker]

two books: And Another Thing... by Eoin Colfer
...and the new QBP catalogs. :ride: what can I say...it's all about the bike.:nod:

[tallsteve]

Just finished, "American Sniper". Good, good, book. Couldn't put it down. Here's the synopsis from Amazon:

He is the deadliest American sniper ever, called “the devil” by the enemies he hunted and “the legend” by his Navy SEAL brothers . . .

From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. The Pentagon has officially confirmed more than 150 of Kyles kills (the previous American record was 109), but it has declined to verify the astonishing total number for this book. Iraqi insurgents feared Kyle so much they named him al-Shaitan (“the devil”) and placed a bounty on his head. Kyle earned legendary status among his fellow SEALs, Marines, and U.S. Army soldiers, whom he protected with deadly accuracy from rooftops and stealth positions. Gripping and unforgettable, Kyle’s masterful account of his extraordinary battlefield experiences ranks as one of the great war memoirs of all time.

A native Texan who learned to shoot on childhood hunting trips with his father, Kyle was a champion saddle-bronc rider prior to joining the Navy. After 9/11, he was thrust onto the front lines of the War on Terror, and soon found his calling as a world-class sniper who performed best under fire. He recorded a personal-record 2,100-yard kill shot outside Baghdad; in Fallujah, Kyle braved heavy fire to rescue a group of Marines trapped on a street; in Ramadi, he stared down insurgents with his pistol in close combat. Kyle talks honestly about the pain of war—of twice being shot and experiencing the tragic deaths of two close friends.

American Sniper also honors Kyles fellow warriors, who raised hell on and off the battlefield. And in moving first-person accounts throughout, Kyles wife, Taya, speaks openly about the strains of war on their marriage and children, as well as on Chris.

Adrenaline-charged and deeply personal, American Sniper is a thrilling eyewitness account of war that only one man could tell.

[mattandersao]

World War Z was amazing. I have never read anything like it.

Have you read the walking dead comics? Not a big comic guy nor zombies but the walkind dead are awesome! I also liked world war z!!

Currently Reading Undaunted Courage (about the Lewis and Clark expedition) and The Wilderness Warrior: Teddy Roosevelt and the Crusade for America.

[restrac2000]

Have you read the walking dead comics? Not a big comic guy nor zombies but the walkind dead are awesome! I also liked world war z!!


Been debating to pick them up. I try and buy a book from my local shop once a month so maybe I will have them order a portion of the series.

Reading Kurt Vonnegut's "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater" and up next will be Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian". Have never read any Alexie so I am curious to see how it is.

Phillip

[mattandersao]

next will be Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian". Have never read any Alexie so I am curious to see how it is.

Phillip

I liked Alexies Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven.

[Iceaxe]

I normally only read non-fiction, history or military history.... so this week its

The Spartacus War

Interesting the the Romans' didn't even consider it a war, but more of a minor police action. So far its been an interesting read if you are into that type of book.

[savanna3313]

Just finished Killing Lincoln.

[Sombeech]

Just finished Killing Lincoln.

How was it?

[Iceaxe]

Just finished, "American Sniper". Good, good, book. Couldn't put it down.

Just ordered the book. Thanks for the recommend. :2thumbs:

Have you read "Marine Sniper" by Charles Henderson? It profiles Marine sniper Sergeant Carlos Hathcock and his 93 Confirmed Kills. Its an excellent book if you like this type of stuff.

[savanna3313]

How was it?


I am a history buff with the Civil War/Antebellum era being one of my favorite things to read about, so I especially enjoyed the book.

[tallsteve]

Just ordered the book. Thanks for the recommend. :2thumbs:

Have you read "Marine Sniper" by Charles Henderson? It profiles Marine sniper Sergeant Carlos Hathcock and his 93 Confirmed Kills. Its an excellent book if you like this type of stuff.

Haven't read that one but I've heard of him. He was in the Vietnam conflict, right? Thanks for the suggestion. I also really, really liked "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell: http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Survivor-Eyewitness-Account-Operation/dp/0316044695/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1333650183&sr=8-3. Excellent read.

[Iceaxe]

I am a history buff with the Civil War/Antebellum era being one of my favorite things to read about, so I especially enjoyed the book.

Yeah.... but you cheer for the south when you read these books. :haha:

[Iceaxe]

Haven't read that one but I've heard of him. He was in the Vietnam conflict, right?

That's him. The US had dropped snipers from our options after WWII and they made a return in Vietnam. This book covers part of that.

http://www.amazon.com/Marine-Sniper-93-Confirmed-Kills/dp/0425181650/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333672792&sr=1-1

[kvklay]

That's him. The US had dropped snipers from our options after WWII and they made a return in Vietnam. This book covers part of that. http://nanojpg.com/img/Bi/R.gif

http://www.amazon.com/Marine-Sniper-93-Confirmed-Kills/dp/0425181650/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333672792&sr=1-1

seems a great book
might buy this

[savanna3313]

Yeah.... but you cheer for the south when you read these books. :haha:

Only because I was raised right! :haha: :2thumbs:

[restrac2000]

Game of Thrones (Book One of series)

Never heard of the novel or tv series until late last month. George RR Martin knows how to write multiple complex characters. Halfway through and looking foward to the entire series. Originally thought it would be relatively light reading......not the case.

Phillip

[blueshade]

Just came across this thread. How nice to see it and found a few new reading ideas.

Just started "Back from Tuichi: The Harrowing Life and Death Story of Survival in the Amazon Rain Forest"

Here are a few of my favorites (that haven't been listed), from multiple genres:

He, She, and It - Marge Piercy (fiction, futuristic)
Tokyo Vice - Jake Adelstein (Japan, journalism, and organized crime)
Tahir Shah - In Arabian Nights, The Caliph's House, Trail of Feathers, Sorcerer's Apprentice (funny travel writer)
Jim Butcher - The Dresden Files (wizard in Chicago, witty)
Eating Animals - Eric Schlosser
The Story of Stuff - Annie Leonard
Cradle to Cradle - William McDonough, Michael Braungart
Freakonomics - Steven Levit, Stephen Dubner
[FONT=&quot]Seven Years in Tibet

[nelsonccc]

Game of Thrones (Book One of series)

Never heard of the novel or tv series until late last month. George RR Martin knows how to write multiple complex characters. Halfway through and looking foward to the entire series. Originally thought it would be relatively light reading......not the case.

Phillip

I read these years ago and loved them. But he took so long between the 3rd and 4th books that I have up. Now I'm tempted to read them again, especially since the series is so good.

[nelsonccc]

Just came across this thread. How nice to see it and found a few new reading ideas.

Just started "Back from Tuichi: The Harrowing Life and Death Story of Survival in the Amazon Rain Forest"

Here are a few of my favorites (that haven't been listed), from multiple genres:

He, She, and It - Marge Piercy (fiction, futuristic)
Tokyo Vice - Jake Adelstein (Japan, journalism, and organized crime)
Tahir Shah - In Arabian Nights, The Caliph's House, Trail of Feathers, Sorcerer's Apprentice (funny travel writer)
Jim Butcher - The Dresden Files (wizard in Chicago, witty)
Eating Animals - Eric Schlosser
The Story of Stuff - Annie Leonard
Cradle to Cradle - William McDonough, Michael Braungart
Freakonomics - Steven Levit, Stephen Dubner
Seven Years in Tibet – Heinrich Harrer
Joe Simpson – Touching the Void
Randy Pausch - The Last Lecture
A Crime So Monstrous - Benjamin Skinner (modern day slavery)

Of those that were listed: Lone Survivor, Life of Pi, and Three Cups of Tea are great (although the last apparently may be lacking in the truth department).

I really like The Wheel of Time, but really dislike Tad Williams, L.E. Modesitt and George R.R. Martin. Terry Goodkind is ok, but long winded. Terry Brooks was ok as a kid, but not sure now. Anne Rice, pretty good. Dune books, a little unsure. Dan Brown mostly good.

How's that synopsis? Explanations available upon request. :haha:

I really liked the wheel of time and terry good kind. I was reading them at the same time and was amazed at how similar they are. I've found myself recently going back to weis and the dragon lance series especially the new one with all the author comments.

[restrac2000]

I read these years ago and loved them. But he took so long between the 3rd and 4th books that I have up. Now I'm tempted to read them again, especially since the series is so good.

I have been told not to expect the 6th book in the series anytime soon. Might have to stage out series to avoid waiting too long for the follow up.

[Pelon1]

Calico Joe by Grisham

[BlueRoads]

Reading an older one. "The Last Frontier" by Howard Fast. About the flight of a band of Northern Cheyenne from Oklahoma to the Powder River area in 1878. So far it is quite interesting.

[tallsteve]

Did anyone else see the author of "World War Z", Max Brooks, on "Sons of Guns" last night? He wanted the team to build the best civilian Zombie defense rifle. Classic! The dude can actually shoot, too!

[Iceaxe]

American Sniper

[p40whk]

Game of Thrones, the HBO series follows the books surprisingly well.

[Iceaxe]

Best Damn Garage in Town
Smokey Yunick

This is a must read for all gear heads.

[tallsteve]

American Sniper

How did you like it?

[Iceaxe]

It's a good book. I did like Marine Sniper better, mostly because it went more into the science of the hide and shot, which I found interesting,

[Wasatch Rebel]

I'm reading The Real Romney by Michael Kranish, and also, The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.

[Don]

Just picked up Grant Palmer's An Insiders View of Mormon Origins. I'm excited to get into it.

[Scott Card]

I am trying to get my 10 year old a little more interested in reading so I am reading a early teen favorite of mine to my kids this summer... "Deathwatch" by Robb White

[DiscGo]

I just finished "Ghost in the Wires" which was pretty great.

Before that I finished "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" which was just okay.

I am looking for a great book series and haven't read one since Fablehaven.

[oldno7]

Just started "Unbroken"

[mtthwlw]

I am trying to get my 10 year old a little more interested in reading so I am reading a early teen favorite of mine to my kids this summer... "Deathwatch" by Robb White

Deathwatch was among my favorite books as a 6th or 7th grader. At that time I also loved Louis L'Amour's "Last of the Breed" and Hatchet by Gary Paulson. Great survival books and easy reads.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

[nelsonccc]

Just started Ann Rice's new novel, The Wolf Gift. Before that I got on a graphic novel kick and re-read all my hellboy and batman books. Felt like a kid again! Got King's new kennedy novel on my dresser next.

[double moo]

My son, 23, is an avid reader and has read almost everything I have heard of. He knocks out a book a week, and has for years. He was the Stirling Scholar for Literature as a senior in high school. As a freshman at the UoU his Honors English teacher gave out a 2 page (four column) reading list for them to choose from, he had read all but 2 or 3 of them. She called bullshit on him... He knew more about the books than she did!

Anyway,.. he started something interesting a year ago - for gifts (b'day, graduation,etc...) he buys the recipient a book that they have wanted or talked about enjoying in the past. He gets himself a copy and reads it during the same period that they do so that they can discuss and enjoy it together... Like a private one onone book club! It's interesting that he is reading such diverse materials at the same time in an effort to gain a better understanding of what makes us tick, what we read in our younger days, what may have helped shape our lives and philosophies.

For Father's Day he gave me a couple of Hienlien books remembering that I had read them all in my youth. Hence I am now re-reading "Stranger in a Strange Land" thirty plus years after reading it the first time. "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls" is next.

[Iceaxe]

Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell
Its the story of what happened to SEAL Team 10 in Afganistan.

Sent using Tapatalk

[tallsteve]

I am trying to get my 10 year old a little more interested in reading so I am reading a early teen favorite of mine to my kids this summer... "Deathwatch" by Robb White

I think I read all of Robb White's books when I was a young teenager. "Deathwatch" was one of the best.

[nelsonccc]

Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell
Its the story of what happened to SEAL Team 10 in Afganistan.

Sent using Tapatalk

Amazing book! The guy tells it very well and it gets pretty intense.

[restrac2000]

Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Just finished "A Feast For Crows" (Book 4 in Games of Thrones series) and "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell, which I consider to be on one of the most compelling and unique novels in our time. Brilliant. Can't wait to see what they talented directors and actors do with the movie when its released in October.

[Felicia]

Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood



Great book! I read it in the early 1990's. I was just talking about this book Saturday night. Our conversation was about how much has changed in society over the last 25 years. Enjoy

[restrac2000]

I have been. After reading Cloud Atlas I did some internet searching and stumbled across a blog that talked about relabeling such works as "Conceptual Fiction" (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/notes_on_conceptual_fiction.html). Margaret Atwood was at the top of his list of successful works in that genre. So far the other books on that list have been my most enjoyable and though provoking novels.

Also just read "The Night Circus", which I highly recommend. The author handles the idea of magic with immense grace and the plot is well executed. Reminded of me of my multiple visits to Burning Man and the authentic sense of the surreal.

[Felicia]

I have been. After reading Cloud Atlas I did some internet searching and stumbled across a blog that talked about relabeling such works as "Conceptual Fiction" (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/notes_on_conceptual_fiction.html). Margaret Atwood was at the top of his list of successful works in that genre. So far the other books on that list have been my most enjoyable and though provoking novels.

Also just read "The Night Circus", which I highly recommend. The author handles the idea of magic with immense grace and the plot is well executed. Reminded of me of my multiple visits to Burning Man and the authentic sense of the surreal.

Conceptual Fiction; interesting. Thanks for the link. When you have finished the book, I will share the context of the Saturday night conversation. :-)

[nelsonccc]

Got turned onto Jo Nesbo a few weeks back. He's a Norwegian author, writes some gritty, dark murder/cop stuff. So I'm reading The Snowman now and it's excellent. Already ordered the other books in the series. Can't wait.

I also want to start up another LONG fantasy series. I've read all the normal stuff (good kind, weis,Martin, Jordan, and brooks).

Might start up the Jordan series or good kind series again unless you guys have a good recommendation for something new.

[restrac2000]

Got turned onto Jo Nesbo a few weeks back. He's a Norwegian author, writes some gritty, dark murder/cop stuff. So I'm reading The Snowman now and it's excellent. Already ordered the other books in the series. Can't wait.

I also want to start up another LONG fantasy series. I've read all the normal stuff (good kind, weis,Martin, Jordan, and brooks).

Might start up the Jordan series or good kind series again unless you guys have a good recommendation for something new.

Have you read Dan Simmon's stuff? Someone turned me onto his Hyperion Cantos series and I found it entertaining and compelling. Its a sci-fi/fantasy series. He has also won awards for several of his other series, like Ilyium/Olympos, which play in different fantasy genres. Very different than Martin, the only author I have read amongst those you mentioned. I have never read anyone with the detail of Martin that I enjoyed as much. His style is unique. I am new to fantasy though.

[rockgremlin]

Just finished "The Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Seuss. (Well, actually my 4-yr-old had to read it to me cuz I had some trouble with the bigger words). That krazy tall-hatted cat is one big pain in the arse!! He claims he'll come back, but I hope he doesn't.

[DiscGo]

I just finished the Eragon / Inheritance series and thought it was pretty good (but not great).
I just finished the first Beyonders Book and liked it, but it seems like Brandon Mull takes a long time to get his series started (I loved the FableHaven series but the first book was too slow for me).

I also just finished the first book in the Ranger's Apprentice series. So far the Ranger's Apprentice is the best series I have started this summer and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books (but I have to wait to read them aloud with my wife).

As you can tell, I like young-adult fiction :)

[nelsonccc]

Have you read Dan Simmon's stuff? Someone turned me onto his Hyperion Cantos series and I found it entertaining and compelling. Its a sci-fi/fantasy series. He has also won awards for several of his other series, like Ilyium/Olympos, which play in different fantasy genres. Very different than Martin, the only author I have read amongst those you mentioned. I have never read anyone with the detail of Martin that I enjoyed as much. His style is unique. I am new to fantasy though.

Martin definitely has his own style. I've read a ton of fantasy and when I first read him I thought he wasn't really fantasy. But in the end I read all three books (that he had written at the time) and thinking of re-reading the series to read the two new books.

I'm going to check out the Cloud Atlas book.

[restrac2000]

Cloud Atlas is distinct as well. I don't know of anyone that has intermingled so many genres into one narrative like Mitchell did.

Heads up...the first two chapters don't resemble anything like fantasy. Without giving much away, I didn't enjoy the first chapter until the end.

Will be interesting to see what others think of his book. I really don't know how to describe it or categorize it, except for the Conceptual Fiction idea which seems to be used by a small # of people.

[restrac2000]

As far as Martin, I only discovered him recently and loved the first four novels thus far in the "Fire and Ice" series. I haven't started a Dance with Dragons yet but look forward to the plot thickening. I just saw that there seven books planned for the series which means he must still be working on the sixth.

His style took a 100 pages to get adjusted to. He is rather verbose (pot or kettle?) but you learn quickly how important every work and dialog is needed for him to paint the vivid and deep story he has. I foresee myself rereading that series a few times in my life.

[Nordschleife]

On my visit to the states this summer i picked up Ranger Confidential by Andrea Lankford which i liked.
It gives a glimps in the life of a nps ranger and makes you appreciate the rangers a bit more, since they're not always that popular around here.

[restrac2000]

I just finished the Eragon / Inheritance series and thought it was pretty good (but not great).
I just finished the first Beyonders Book and liked it, but it seems like Brandon Mull takes a long time to get his series started (I loved the FableHaven series but the first book was too slow for me).

I also just finished the first book in the Ranger's Apprentice series. So far the Ranger's Apprentice is the best series I have started this summer and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books (but I have to wait to read them aloud with my wife).

As you can tell, I like young-adult fiction :)

Just got a coupon code to get the first Eragon ebook for free. Curious to try it.

[hank moon]

I'm reading this right now - anyone else read it? Would like to discuss with someone who has.

58236



http://www.independent.org/store/book.asp?id=72


[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial]Do Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms? Or is this power vested solely in government? Recent years have seen a sea change in scholarship on the Second Amendment. Beginning in the 1960s, a view emerged that individuals had a

[rockgremlin]

I'm reading this right now - anyone else read it? Would like to discuss with someone who has.

58236


Oooo! Looks interesting! Lemme know if it's any good, you spicy little pony head. :)

[DiscGo]

I just started the Sword of Truth series and am so far really enjoying it.

[nelsonccc]

I just started the Sword of Truth series and am so far really enjoying it.

I read up to pillars (the 7th book) years ago but the caught up and now there are another 4 books. Ive been contemplating reading the series again. Liked it a lot.

[gholt]

Just finished reading a Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, and currently Reading the newest Terry Brooks. All great authors.

[ddavis]

I'm reading Steven Pinker's new book 'The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence has Declined'. It's a long book, and I'm only about 1/3 of the way through it, but I think it's an extremely good book. It's not as much work to read as some of his other books ('How the Mind Works' and 'Stuff of Thought'), but it might be more important, at least in my opinion. The book includes an impressive amount of data with some decent analysis behind it, and in reading his detailed ideas about why he thinks violence has declined, I've learned more about Enlightenment thinkers, economic and political theory than I did in my college Humanities class (although that class might have given some important background in reading this book).

A lot of what Pinker discusses in this book has some direct relevance to many of the threads in this forum, at least the ones in the basement.

Pretty amazing book. I'm more impressed with this book than I was with Jared Diamond's 'Guns, Germs,and Steel', and I thought that one was a masterpiece.