What are you reading now?

[mike renfro]

I just finished J Patterson's Private Games. He changes the names of athletes, but not totally ridiculous. The previous novel I read was P D James' "Death Come to Pemberley". It is a continuation of Austin's Pride and Prejudice. James tried to write in the style of Austin, and I found it a hard slog at first, but got into it. Dame James can write a little. After she finished off the Dalgleish series, I assumed she would retire. It was a few years, but I guess she got bored. I hope she doesn't channel Hawthorne next

[gh]

After a couple of months of brain candy from Elmore Leonard and Sue Grafton, I finally picked up a copy of The Hunger Games last night (have not seen the movie). If the Regionals TNs don't show up on time it's because I decided to play hooky and keep reading

I'm totally enthralled.

[kuha]

For the current writing project: Richard Manning's "Grassland: The History, Biology, Politics, and Promise of the American Prairie" (1995) [brilliant]; and William Least Heat Moon's "PrairyErth" (1991) [shaggy, baggy, and too long, but so far worth the effort].

[gm]

"Buried Prey" by John Sandford

Another thrilling Lucas Davenport book.

[gh]

LOVE Sandiford! And now I see that not only do I not have Buried in my collection, a new one came out a couple of weeks ago.

[Daisy]

I've been working my way through 'The Eighth Day of Creation: Makers of the Revolution in Biology' by Horace Judson.

This is not a recent book but it is timeless in laying out the players and discoveries that kick started molecular genetics. It really brings out the character of the scientists involved as well as a genuine behind the scenes look at the work that goes into producing the polished papers that end up being published.

[TN1965]

Just finished Salazar's "14 minutes."

Interesting read on how his career went wrong, and how that experience is helping him as a coach.

[Anthony Treacher]

Coincidentally "Brighton Rock" by Grahame Greene. The peripheral character Ida Arnold has an implacable belief in Right and Wrong that I recognize. She will not let a cover-up pass either.

[gh]

After a couple of months of brain candy from Elmore Leonard and Sue Grafton, I finally picked up a copy of The Hunger Games last night (have not seen the movie). If the Regionals TNs don't show up on time it's because I decided to play hooky and keep reading

I'm totally enthralled.

And now I pounded my way through the second one, getting up at 04:00 in Des Moines to finish off the last 20 pages because I feel asleep after a late post-meet dinner.

[catson52]

....
I hope you're right about World at War 1939-45 because I got it for my iPad 2 days ago

You into it? I'm about 40% done and absolutely blown away. Surprisingly, it's my first exposure to Hastings and if his other stuff is half as good as this I'll devour it. The most compelling historical read I can recall.

The sequence on the Eastern Front left me shivering, and now that I'm in the fall of Singapore and Burma,I wonder how some of the old Colonial Brits (and to lesser extent, Aussies) could look themselves in the mirror at the way they treated the "subjects" of their Empire.

Good points raised by GH and others re the WWII and the Eastern Front. The Western Press has done a dandy job in generally not pointing out what happened following the launching of Operation Barbarossa. Some simple stats. (1) German loss of material and men from 6/22/41 through DDay. Over 90% of all losses on the Eastern Front. (2) On DDay only ~15% of German Forces were on the Western Front (not including those helping the Italians on the south), whereas ~70% was tied up on the Eastern Front.

A good look at the history of the British Empire shows it basically running down from about 1850 onwards. The Crimean War (what an idiotic poem by Tennyson - one of my favorite poets - "The Charge of the Light Brigade"), the Mahdi in Sudan, the Boer War, and then the total loss of sensible leadership in the trench warfare of WWI as well as places like Gallipoli.

As far as the Aussies are concerned, the less said the better. Having lived in Australia during the "Whites Only" days, first hand experience suggests many followed up their convict based heritage.

[Conor Dary]

Speaking of WW! and the trenches and complete lunacy, I remember reading this awhile back.

http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/20 ... r_4th_time

[Conor Dary]

I just finished Robert Harris's latest novel The Fear Index about a mathematical hedge fund manager. Great read. I am a big fan of his novels.

[gh]

After a couple of months of brain candy from Elmore Leonard and Sue Grafton, I finally picked up a copy of The Hunger Games last night (have not seen the movie). If the Regionals TNs don't show up on time it's because I decided to play hooky and keep reading

I'm totally enthralled.

And now I pounded my way through the second one, getting up at 04:00 in Des Moines to finish off the last 20 pages because I feel asleep after a late post-meet dinner.

And the last couple of nights at the NCAA and on the ride home I finished book III. Even though that meant that I was soooo close to finishing when we landed that I actually got off the plane and sat in the departure area for 15 minutes before heading off to get my car so I could wrap it all up. Eager to see the movie now!

[gh]

What, did we all give up reading over the summer?!

With so much time in hotel rooms/on planes I steered clear of my normal dose of "intellectual" reading and instead went for visceral pleasures that could be grabbed in tiny doses. Spent lots of time catching up on the Elmore Leonard canon. I think I've now read 40 of his 44 books. Came across a great character in The Cool Kid who is a U.S. marshall chasing bank robbers in depression-era Oklahoma. Not sure it wasn't originally sketched out as a Raylan Givens project. Everything fits (which also means it was a great read if you're into that kind of stuff).

[Cooter Brown]

We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen is about a 100 years or so of seafaring by sailors from Marstal, Denmark. It's about 2/3rds a classic. In the last third, the tone of the book shifts so jarringly it's like another author wrote it. Regardless, I still recommend it highly.

[Per Andersen]

What, did we all give up reading over the summer?!

With so much time in hotel rooms/on planes I steered clear of my normal dose of "intellectual" reading and instead went for visceral pleasures that could be grabbed in tiny doses. Spent lots of time catching up on the Elmore Leonard canon. I think I've now read 40 of his 44 books. Came across a great character in The Cool Kid who is a U.S. marshall chasing bank robbers in depression-era Oklahoma. Not sure it wasn't originally sketched out as a Raylan Givens project. Everything fits (which also means it was a great read if you're into that kind of stuff).

It might be just me but I have tired a bit of Leonard. I was a huge fan the 80's but haven't read much since Maximum Bob. Tried Djibouti but I found it rather weak and too clever. Did not work.
Also got a bit tired of all the "clever" small time crooks.

I now prefer Michael Connelly, especially the Harry Bosch books.

[gh]

I would say that Leonard's writing has clearly stepped up a notch since the Maximum Bob days. I'd call that his early-middle period.

do agree about the clever small-time crooks however. Ole Elmore clearly has a soft spot in his heart for the slightly shady people in life.

[aaronk]

Just as with movies, I'm an avid reader as well.
Have read at least 2660 books, almost evenly divided between F and NF.
I usually have several books going at once, and always have one novel going.

Currently, in the fiction category, I'm reading a novel by Lisa Beth Kovetz called "The Tuesday Erotica Club".
An alluring title, and a good concept, but thus far, after 28 pages read (it's 332 pages), I find it slow reading.
It's about a lady lawyer who organizes a reading group in her large firm, with 40 women joining at first.
They read normal books, not necessarily about sex.
But as time goes on, the ladies get bored and drop out.
To try to save the club, its founder decides to have the women WRITE an erotic fantasy and then read it before the group.
And that's where I am right now in the book, as they read their works, and the reactions of the 4 women left in the group.
I hope it gets better!!

The non-fiction I'm reading is another book (I've read about 15 or more!!!) about Sarah Palin, but this one is written by her father and older brother, both named Chuck Heath (Sr and Jr).
I bought it on Tuesday (Sept 25), its day of release, and am about 90 pages into it.
The book is written by both dad and son, with each writing an alternate chapter, giving their own view of things.
After 90 pages, it has SOME stuff about Sarah, but it's been mostly about Alaska and the outdoors life of hunting, fishing, hiking, mountain climbing, etc.
Also about the history of Alaska.
Both of them were or are teachers, so they have some interesting tales to tell.
Most of the stuff about Sarah I already know, but they give some heretofore unknown "inside" tidbits that keep the pages turning!!

Interesting sidenote to its purchase.
Both Barnes and Noble and Target did NOT have it on Sept 25. B&N usually DO have books on the 1st day of release, so I was surprised.
My solution?
I went to THE most liberal bookstore in town, and THEY had it!!
SHOCKER!!

[aaronk]

BTW, as an addendum to my previous post, I've read MANY books about Track and Field, including FIVE by T&FN co-founder Cordner Nelson!!
Favorite T&F books were The Milers by Cordner Nelson (history of the mile through 1984), No Bugles, No Drums, an autobio by Peter Snell, Ron Clarke Talks Track, a book-long Q&A with him about his races, opponents, etc, the 2 Roberto Quercetani histories I have, Athletics and Long Distance Running, the little "memoir" by Gerry Lindgren (autographed by him when I met him at a reading here), The Silence of Great Distance by Frank Murphy, which is both a history of women's distance running and a detailed account of the tragedy of Kathy Ormsby, the former collegiate runner who, during the NCAA 10K in 1986, ran off the track during the race and disappeared. She'd kept running to a bridge, jumped off it, and is now paralyzed for life!!

Also, the FIRST track book I read was Archie's Little Black Book, by an old guy named H. Archie Richardson.
He came to our high school (North Hollywood CA) in early 1962, and sold a copy to every member of our track team.
It's really fascinating, even now!!

I've read fiction books about the sport too.
Right now, can't think of which are my favorites,.
(Although I WROTE a novel about running, never published, called The Chain, in 1977. It concerns a possible boycott---I call it a "GIRLcott", because it's organized by a woman!!---of the Moscow Olympics in 1980, because they don't have distance events for women!! The "girlcott' is successful, and a marathon is added. The winner sets a WR of 2:30:54!! I'm in the book (as a fictional character) as her volunteer coach who has an affair with her!! Interesting, because I wrote it in 1977, and there actually WAS a boycott.....but for different reasons!!

[jeremyp]

Rachel Maddow: "Drift." Brings us up to date on the ever expanding growth of military/Industrial power. She does have a Ph. D. in politics from Oxford. We may have our soldiers out of Iraq and will withdraw them from Afghanistan but our expensive contractors will still be there in the thousands, with far less oversight than the military gets.

[Friar]

Coming Apart - Con' theorist Charles Murray's latest is not nearly as substantial as
The Bell Curve but it's ok. Coins the phrase "Super Zips."

Lucking out - How a letter of recommendation from Norman Mailer got 19yo James Wolcott to leave school and start at the Village Voice.

[kuha]

Most recent titles (that I can remember). All nonfiction & recommended:

Richard Manning, "Grassland"
Stephen Greenblatt, "The Swerve"
Geoffrey Kabaservice, "Rule and Ruin"
Jeffrey D. Sachs, "The Price of Civilization"
Richard Wilkinson, "The Spirit Level"
Stephen Ambrose, "Undaunted Courage"
Michael Hiltzik, "The New Deal"
David Eagleman, "Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain"

[Flumpy]

I'm currently reading J.K. Rowling's 'A Casual Vacancy' along with the rest of the country.

I'll follow that up with Katie Price's magnum opus 'In The Name of Love'

[Conor Dary]

I just started 538's Nate Silver's new book, The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail-but Some Don't.

[dukehjsteve]

The Secret Man Bob Woodward

Killing Lincoln Bill O'Reilly

[bambam]

The Secret Man Bob Woodward

Killing Lincoln Bill O'Reilly

By Bob Woodward, just finished The Price of Politics this weekend- pretty good read. Amazing how little the pols (on both sides) care about the American people and care only about getting re-elected.

[kuha]

Have read the Tyler Hamilton book and "The Dirtiest Race in the World" back to back and am feeling really good about the glory and purity of sport. The first was very good, the second merely good (but still definitely worth reading). Now I'll go back to less depressing material--bios of serial killers, perhaps.

[gh]

I'm reading myself to sleep most nights now with the brainless (yet Spencer-evocative entertainment) of Sue Grafton's alphabet series.

But about to start this

<<In 2008, a Dutch woman on a guided trek through Uganda climbed gamely down into a remote, sunken cave - a cave better known for the few indolent pythons underfoot than for the tens of thousands of bats that teemed overhead. For several minutes, she and her party peered into the darkness and breathed the hot, pungent air, as they gingerly stepped across rocks slick with bat guano.

It was 13 days later, back home in the Netherlands, when the woman felt the first flush of illness; soon, her fever climbed, her organs failed, she went into a coma. Her shocking death was traced to a pathogen called Marburg virus: a rare (so far!) infection related to Ebola and harbored in African fruit bats.

David Quammen's "Spillover" catalogs the terrible and growing list of diseases that pass to humans from animals, and it isn't only misguided tourists who meet disaster in his grim tale. Australian parrot brokers catch psittacosis from their cockatoos. Bangladeshi climbers of date palm trees frequented by fruit bats contract Nipah virus. Neighbors of goat farms in the Netherlands come down with "Q fever."...>>


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/books/article/Spi ... z2E1iN1bXq

[kuha]

Actually, I've just discovered the Richard Stark "Parker" series, which looks like it will be pretty good fun--definitely a break from more serious stuff.

[dukehjsteve]

11/22/63 Stephen King

[26mi235]

It seems that I have been working my way through Stephen Ambrose books without really intending to. Am currently on Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad, 1863-1869.

I read Band of Brothers this fall and D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II in the spring or summer. I read Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West a couple years back. I picked up Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany, June 7, 1944 - May 7, 1945 at a library book sale this weekend (winter vacation?). Interestingly, these are all written consecutively, except the railroad book, written after ac couple more.

An oddity I did not know until now; he was an undergrad and PhD student at UW-Madison and played three years on the football team.

[gh]

I guess I now have enough bathroom reading (should that be as separate thread? ) for the rest of my life.

The 12,000-entry version of Roger's Profanisaurus, Das Krapital.

billed as "the revolutionary dictionary of bad language."

Hands up everybody who knows to what "the Fifth Marx Brother" refers. (and no, it's not a Margaret Dumont reference)

[Daisy]

I guess I now have enough bathroom reading (should that be as separate thread? ) for the rest of my life.

My TFN magazine usually end up in the bathroom reading rack. Interestingly, both my kids enjoy reading it.

[lonewolf]

Working thru my Xmas books.. currently reading "Empire of the Summer Moon" a well-documented history of Comancheria, the mid-continent realm of the Comanches 1800-1900.
sobering in the accounts of reciprocal atrocities committed by both whites and Indians..

Personally intriguing because my maternal Confederate veteran great-grandfather and Comanche great-grandmother survived the the 1860s-70s on opposite sides of the conflict.

[DoubleRBar]

Just finished reading "The Fiddler on Pantico Run" by Joe Mozingo. Joe is a writer for the Los Angeles Times and in searching his family history, he discovers ancestors from Africa. It's an interesting book with an interesting look at our history.