BS: Read any good books lately?

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: heric
Date: 13 Jul 09 - 02:27 PM

There are 400 British ships in New York harbor. Hessien mercenary and British regular reconnaissance teams are astounded at the material and agricultural wealth around them, completely mystified as to what motivates these people to invite such destruction. The suspense is killing me.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Diva
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 02:33 AM

Have finished the first two of the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. Complete change from my usual kind of read; mind you I did describe them to a friend as Mills and Boon with blood!!!!

The Nineteenth Wife got that to read on the train when going to Girvan at the begining of May. Can't remember the the author

Picked up a history of the Kennedy Family that has been languishing on my bookshelf for years but it is quite out of date.

Am re reading Queen Amang the Heather by Sheila Stewart, about the life of her mother Belle. It is a wonderful read.

Dipping into the new edition of The Merry Muses of Caledonia

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Slag
Date: 09 Jun 09 - 10:10 PM

My apologies! The title of David Frankel's book and the subsequent movie is "Marley and Me". My opinion still stands.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Slag
Date: 09 Jun 09 - 10:08 PM

I recently read "Marley" which was better than the movie by the same name, which is not to say that the book was good. It was ho-hum and predictable, mediocre writing and really, a waste of time.


I also read Lis Wiehl's "Face of Betrayal". This was the FOX news lady 's first attempt at writing a novel. It has had a lot of publicity and heavy promotion on the network. She is supposed to be writing from her "wheelhouse" about things she knows of the legal profession and FBI. If I could sum up the opus in one word, it would probably be "YAWN". Predictable, not great literature, no force of language, self-serving and pretty much, a "rabbit-out-of-the-hat" ending. I think the ending was supposed to be a "twist". The misdirections were very apparent as she tried to clutter up the landscape and hide the culprit. A lot of the events were too, too similar to many recent headline stories in the news of late. Not much imagination. Save yourselves time and money and avoid these books

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Rowan
Date: 09 Jun 09 - 08:30 PM

A post I put on a thread about the Kokoda track elicited a riposte from a 'catter that I was sure contained some misinterpretations, so I went and read "Kokoda", by Peter FitzSimons; he compiled it from official histories, published information and interviews he conducted with survivors. It's a great read and goes into details relevant to Australians and Japanese who have (or had) relatives who were involved. Those interested in the Australian aspects of Douglas MacArthur's WWII activities might also find it interesting.

I'm gratified that it confirmed the substantive issues of my post but, more importantly, refamiliarising myself with the graphic details of that campaign was excoriating; much of it had me in tears.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Jun 09 - 10:31 AM

The first Inspector Lynley mystery post the murder of his wife and unborn son: Careless in Red and also the next to latest of the No. 1 Ladies Detective series: The Good Husband of Zebra Drive. Great reads, both of them!

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 09 Jun 09 - 09:41 AM

Persevere, Ebbie. It ends satisfyingly well.
Try also 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by the same author.
And, 'The Bookseller of Kabul' (by a female Swedish author, based on her real-life experiences living with a family in Kabul). A real insight into the oppression of women in that region.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 09 Jun 09 - 09:35 AM

Lot of public-domain history books recently added at Librivox. Roman, Irish, Scottish, early church history...

John Muir books also just added.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: heric
Date: 02 Jun 09 - 08:49 PM

I wish you hadn't triggered that. No doubt there are many people upthread who liked as so many millions do - and it's all subjective. The guy presented it as heartfelt rendering of his homeland with his personal shame exposed - so it's got lots of good qualities as well. But, yeah - I still agree with you.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: heric
Date: 02 Jun 09 - 08:29 PM

Agree on the Kite Runner Ebbie. So simplistic in the good/evil split - in the honor/dishonor, pride versus shame etc. that it forces you away to stand outside of it and think - oh, I see what he's doing - with all the subtlety of forced sodomy or a rock to the head. Kites good. Stadium executions bad.

I'm reading An Exploding Case of Mangoes.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Ebbie
Date: 02 Jun 09 - 06:28 PM

I just realized - it's kind of like "Lord of the Flies". Both books present themselves as revealing human nature but since they are fiction they lack credibility. IMO

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Ebbie
Date: 02 Jun 09 - 06:26 PM

As usual I'm reading several books but one is a disappointment to me. It is the highly acclaimed 'The Kite Runner'. If it were a true story I'd be a lot more forgiving but this way...

At this point I am where 'Amir' is setting Hassan up as a thief. I may not even finish it which for me is a rare thing.

He presents Amir as evil, even if he doesn't label it as such. The story is so bleak with no redeeming bits of humor that to me the boy is just not believable.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: robomatic
Date: 02 Jun 09 - 04:39 PM

Finished: "Every Man Dies Alone" from the 1947 book by Hans Fallada: Jeder Stirbs fur sich allein. The author had spent several months in a German asylum toward the end of the war, and as the East German government took form under the Soviets, a friend of his loaned him the dossier on the Hampel case, which he fictionalized by entering the minds of the participants.

An unusual story, very readable translation.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 28 May 09 - 02:49 AM

Just finished 'The Shack' - excellent.
Halfway through 'The Gargoyle' - also excellent (but for different reasons).

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: robomatic
Date: 28 May 09 - 02:33 AM

Just started "Every Man Dies Alone" by Fallada, a book written during the war by a German author and published in 1947. It's about a grieving German who protests the war in Germany by sending flagrant postcards in the mails and relying on their anonymity to keep him safe, yet there is an official trying to track him down. It is supposedly based on an actual case, but I'm freshly into it. This latest publication is very recent.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Riginslinger
Date: 27 May 09 - 09:29 PM

The recent posts reminded me of Elizabeth Bowen and "The Last September." The current economic situation reminds me of it as well.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Neil D
Date: 26 May 09 - 06:18 AM

"Delta Blues" by Ted Gioia

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 25 May 09 - 10:36 AM

I have just finished Coventry By Helen Humphries..what a wonderful writer she is. The Best of all Canadian writers is Alistair MacCleod, especially "No Great Mischief".

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: olddude
Date: 25 May 09 - 10:17 AM

Kendall was kind enough to give me a copy of his book
I laughed on every page. What a great book ....

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: GUEST,quokka
Date: 25 May 09 - 10:04 AM

I'm discovering some Canadian authors...Alistair McLeod's 'The Island', David Adams Richards:'Mercy Among the Children' and Ann-Marie McDonald:'Fall on Your Knees'. All amazing books. Now I just need to put them DOWN so I can do some damn work!!!!!
Cheers,
Quokka (who's meant to be finishing an essay)

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 24 May 09 - 12:23 PM

I also found Peter Bowen's book sheer delight! I managed to read them in the order written to get the "life story" straight. That makes a difference to me.
Loved Elizabeth Peters also but would not do a reprise.
Ellis Peters, Brother Cadfael (sp?) series, with all its wonderful herbal references, are fun.
Lately: Water for Elephants, Snow in August, Last Night I Dreamed of Peace (marvellous to me but others could not read it).

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 May 09 - 12:07 PM

Lin, moving??? Good luck and I hope that is what you wanted?! THANKS for the recommendations. I will definitely look into those. May you soon unpack and get your hands on your books, again! luvya!

HiLo, thanks, too, for your recommendations.

I am reading Peace Like A River by Leif Enger, also recommended by a Mudcatter. Wow, what an incredible book; I can't put it down.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 24 May 09 - 09:56 AM

I've just finished Crewe Train by Rose MacCaulay... very good. I seem to keep going back to read some older things..Read Random Harvest by James Hilton..another great read.The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox is a great yarn as is the sequel, The Glass of Time. And Last but by no means least, The Complete Molesworth...what fun that is, great laughs all the way through.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: GUEST,Lin in Kansas
Date: 21 May 09 - 12:04 AM

Kat: If you're looking for an author that loves Montana, have you tried Peter Bowen? His books are wonderful, about the Metis Indians, fiddle music, and mysteries to boot.

Also: Anything by James Lee Burke is good. I noticed, way back up there, that you had read one of his and was wondering if the New Orleans landmarks were still there. His latest novels are post-Katrina. He also has a series set in Texas, about a Texas Ranger called Billy Bob (only JLB could get away with that for a hero's name) that's pretty good.

We've been packing the house to move, so all my hardbacks are in storage. I made John leave one box of paperbacks out so I would have something to read--I lucked out and found it full of old Elizabeth Peters novels, so I've been enjoying re-reading her stuff the last couple of weeks.

Would also recommend Charlaine Harris, Kim Armstrong, James Crumley, and too many more to remember without the books to look at. I miss them already!

Lin

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 May 09 - 11:41 PM

I LOVED Pillars of the Earth, LH!

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 20 May 09 - 06:01 PM

Correction: I think the first book was called "Those Damned Rebels!"

I have since returned it to the library. It's great because it clearly explains the mistakes both sides made, the courage and efficiency they both showed, and the things they both did right. Either side might have won. It was a very close thing, that war.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 20 May 09 - 05:40 PM

I recently finished reading a hardbound book I got from the library called "Damned Rebels" (a sort of humorous title). It's a very thorough study of the American Revolutionary War from the British point of view, but it's quite even-handed. Absolutely fascinating! I recommend it as good reading for anyone, American, Canadian, or British...it would hardly matter. It's an old book, so you might have some difficulty finding it, specially in the USA, I expect. It was written by an Englishman in the 1940s or 1950s (don't remember exactly).

I am now about 1/3 of the way through "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follet. It's very good. It's a novel about the building of an English cathedral in the medieval period, and the lives of various individuals of that time.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Joe_F
Date: 19 May 09 - 09:09 PM

Browsing in my 50-yr-old copy of von Neumann & Morgenstern's _Theory of Games and Economic Behavior_. Game theory is much mentioned these days, often by people who don't know the first thing about it. To learn the first thing about it (utility theory), read Chapter 3.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 May 09 - 11:36 AM

I have not read this yet, as I haven't received my copy, but I did do a little editing when my friend was first writing it. Anyway, I'd like to introduce her murder mystery series Paws for Love Mystery and encourage folks to support her. There's a pretty slick trailer for her first novel, Murder with a View, on youtube.

Thanks,

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Riginslinger
Date: 23 Apr 09 - 09:38 PM

Does everybody receive those e-mails from Amazon.com? They research what you've ordered in the past, and then they try to interest you in what they think you might want to read. I got one the other day for a book they were hyping as "just out." When I looked into it, it was published in 2005.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Neil D
Date: 23 Apr 09 - 12:27 PM

I've been reading Jeff Shaara's military historic novels about the American Revolution and WWII. Quite well researched.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Becca72
Date: 23 Apr 09 - 12:05 PM

Currently reading "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon". Excellent read, but I suppose only if you're a Warren Zevon fan...

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 23 Apr 09 - 10:47 AM

I am presently reading the sequel to The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox, it is called The Glass of Time. An excellent yarn which takes place in Victorian England and is written in that style. I have also recently re re read three minor classics...Brat Fararr by Josephine Tey, Crewe Train by the wonderful and undervalued Rose Macaulay and Random Harvest by James Hilton. I enjoyed them all/ Thanks for this thread, lots of good suggestions here.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 06:15 AM

Back in January Ruth Archer asked if anyone had read 'Affluenza' by Oliver James. Well, yes, I read it last year (and I've come late to this thread) - and do you know, I can't remember very little about it - except, possibly, that wanting and having a surfeit of things is bad ... ?

The style rather reminded me of those womens' magazines like 'Cosmopolitan' that I occasionally encounter in dentists' waiting rooms: "Jill, a marketing consultant from Weybridge, had so many designer handbags that her arm fell off" - that sort of thing.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Emma B
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 06:04 AM

I've been addicted to the charming books about The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, a series of ten novels by British author Alexander McCall Smith set in Gaborone, capital of Botswana, and the indomitable Mma Precious Ramotswe, who features as the stories' protagonist.
Just reading the most recent book 'Tea Time for the Traditionally Built'

A continent and 60 years apart, I'm also reading 'Idle Women' a book I bought at the Inland Waterways museum on a trip on the Grand Union Canal last week.
Originally published in 1947, it recounts the experiences of the IW women (nicknamed the Idle Women although very from it) who were the volunteers who manned the cargo boats that ran from London to Birmingham in world War 2

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Amergin
Date: 17 Apr 09 - 11:14 PM

I recently reread a series by Harry Turtledove....all based on the premise of the Confederacy winning the war....it starts in How Few Remain....in the Civil War....then in a second war that takes place twenty years later.....the next set in this series involve the great war....the trenches are all along the usa/csa border....and then the next set takes place between world wars, and shows the rise of fascism, then comes world war two....a great series for anyone who likes history...and alternative history.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Riginslinger
Date: 17 Apr 09 - 10:15 PM

Speaking of that, who's the mystery writer who sets his stories in Cincinnati? They drive down Ezard Charles Boulevard from time to time, which is how I figured out they were in Cincinnati.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Joe_F
Date: 17 Apr 09 - 08:27 PM

Harvey Pekar, _Another Day_ & _Another Dollar_. Good old-fashioned Pekar, writing about himself, none of that serious stuff, just everyday misery in Cleveland. In the immortal words of A. Lincoln, for those of us who like this kind of thing, this is just the kind of thing we will like.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: ranger1
Date: 17 Apr 09 - 08:07 PM

Just finished two really good books. Bone Rattler by Eliot Pattison and Asta in the Wings by Jan Elizabeth Watson. Very different books, but both hard to put down. Of the two, I think I liked Bone Rattler best.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Apr 09 - 08:00 PM

Nothing earth-shattering, but The Hum Bug by Harold Schechter was a fun read this week.

Also read another Brother Cadfael...The Holy Thief.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: DougR
Date: 21 Mar 09 - 01:53 AM

No, but I'm looking forward to reading George W. Bush's book.

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Amos
Date: 21 Mar 09 - 01:46 AM

I am greatly enjoying The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb--a meandering set of essays on the intricate traps we set for our own ways of thinking, well communicated with an easy nipping sense of humor I enjoy greatly.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Joe_F
Date: 20 Mar 09 - 09:01 PM

I recently read _Dreams from My Father_ by Barack Obama. A remarkable example of hybrid vigor. I downloaded his family tree & used it for a bookmark.

I am now working on _What Have You Changed Your Mind About?_ (John Brockman, Ed.), which I bought because I have not changed my mind about anything recently. 1- to 3-p. snippets by "150 high-powered thinkers" (it says). Some of them, IMO, have changed in the wrong direction.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 20 Mar 09 - 05:38 AM

Good man Heric, and I am sure you are much the wiser regarding the great man, Kavanagh.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Rowan
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 11:06 PM

Rowan, thanks for the further information. Now, when you spend 14 months there??!!! Do tell!? Pretty please? Separate thread? I'd love to hear more!

and

Daisy Bates in the Desert :

Somehow I've missed this thread for a while (must have been all the stuff on the fires sidetracking me) so please accept my apologies, kat.

Second things first:
Daisy Bates was indeed a remarkable woman and the book on her was recently accompanied by a half hour program on Radio National (Oz ABC); you might find a podcast still there. At one stage she was married to Harry "Breaker" Morant who was a horse breaker who wrote quite a lot of "bush verse" as it's known in Australia. Kit Denton (the father of Andrew Denton, for those into Oz TV) wrote Breaker Morant's biography and it is a good read in itself. Morant was part of the Australian military contingent to the Boer War in South Africa (then formally known as the "U of SA", just to confuse you States-siders) and was courtmartialled by the British for following Kitchener's orders with more zeal than ethics. He was shot for it and Australians military forces personnel were never since allowed to be courtmartialled by the British. The events were made into a cracking film about 30 years ago.

First things second:
About my stay at Mawson,I can say, with a completely straight face, that I'm a sixtyniner. Our team left Oz before Christmas in 1968 and returned late in February 1970. There were lots of books in the station library and it was where I first encountered Shackleton's description of his "Endurance" expedition and the voyage from Elephant Island to South Georgia. Coincidentally, the trip across South Georgia, from west to east, which Shackleton and co did in three days with no proper gear, was repeated during 1969 by a special contingent of Royal Marines, who had the very latest of lightweight gear; they took three weeks to replicate Shackleton's three-day trip. And they had maps!

And, kat, whenever anyone asked "What was it like?" I'd reply, "Not in any particular order, it was cold, windy, isolated and celibate! And I would recommend anyone jump at the chance to go!"

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: Janie
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 08:30 PM

In going through a box of books in storage, I came across "Hanta Yo" (Ruth Beebe Hill). I first read it almost 30 years ago, and am about half way through this second reading. Although Hill took a sound, and apparently deserved, drubbing from Native American critics regarding her misrepresentation or misunderstanding of an archaic Sioux culture, it is still a mighty good read.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: heric
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 04:32 PM

I read The Green Fool on your recommendation here many years ago Ard. Great stuff.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 02:40 PM

Two Penguin classics by Patrick Kavanagh, - Tarry Flynn - and -The Green Fool-, two wonderful books by the writer of Raglan Road, and -Borstal Boy- by Brendan Behan, the great wit at his best.

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Mar 09 - 03:23 PM

Well, it was over the whole past month.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Read any good books lately?
From: heric
Date: 18 Mar 09 - 02:32 PM

Hey slow down! Not fair.

Kidnapped ended and I'm reading The Wild Trees.