What book(s) are you reading?

[NDFan4Life]

America the Beautiful by Ben Carson

Excellent book. Just a history lesson about where America came from and where it's heading.

 

[Fbolt]

The 10th Legion by Tom Kelly

 

[ndfi78]

Just restarted The Dreaming Void by Peter F Hamilton. So far it has not sucked me in, which I find surprising because his other books that I've read definitely did.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammet

The End of Certainty by Prigogine, Ilya - Old Man Mike mentioned some of his work in the Aliens thread

The Hero with a Thousand Faces - Joseph Campbell

I have a long line up after these but I have to savor what's on my plate, not keep eyeing the table next to me.

 

[ACamp1900]

Have the following lined up for the summer, maybe even for the year depending on how they read:

-Unbeatable: 1988 ND
-With the Old Breed
-Killing Mister Watson
-The Pillars of the Earth
-Planning on re reading Dance with Dragons just because I really flew through that one as I grew tired of Martin and I think I’ll give it a more fair shot.

Finished 1988... obviously a great one for ND fans. It drove me to re-read Notre Dame and the Civil War between the two books (Very quick read).

About half way through 'Watson' now... very much enjoying it. It takes on a real life historical mystery down in the Florida Everglades near the end of the Victorian Era and tries to rebuild a fictional retelling of what may have happened through 'first hand accounts' told years later. Very interesting book thus far. I'm not the world's biggest fiction reader so the historical ties and the fact that many 'characters' were real people really connect me to it.

 

[Emcee77]

Sabbath's Theater by Philip Roth. Listening to the audiobook during my long and brutal commutes.

The book is hilariously, scandalously obscene. You can't beat Roth for enjoyable literary fiction. His sentences are just so good, and listening to the book read aloud really adds something.

Just finished Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses. What a great book that was. I picked it up just on a whim but I liked it so much I may try to read the rest of the Border Trilogy over the summer.

Also more than halfway through Don DeLillo's Underworld. A real masterpiece from the standpoint of craft but very long and taking forever to get to what happened to the goddamn baseball. Lol.

 

[Old Man Mike]

This is probably a viable option only for Catholics or persons actually interested in The Church, and even then "of limited audience", but when Pope Francis said that he had a favorite novel, had read it three times already and was looking forward to a fourth, {because "Manzoni has given me so much"}, I bought an old version of Manzoni's THE BETHROTHED, written in the 1840s.

It's considered one of the masterpieces of Italian literature, but I find it a clever but tough read. It DOES however seem to give me some depth insight into Pope Francis, due to the way the author handles the three priests involved, and approaches certain moral situations regarding the poor and the young and the powerful-abusing-power.

...NOT however a car-chase, explosion-a-minute, page turner.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

Sabbath's Theater by Philip Roth. Listening to the audiobook during my long and brutal commutes.

The book is hilariously, scandalously obscene. You can't beat Roth for enjoyable literary fiction. His sentences are just so good, and listening to the book read aloud really adds something.

Just finished Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses. What a great book that was. I picked it up just on a whim but I liked it so much I may try to read the rest of the Border Trilogy over the summer.

Also more than halfway through Don DeLillo's Underworld. A real masterpiece from the standpoint of craft but very long and taking forever to get to what happened to the goddamn baseball. Lol.

I took Underworld to the end and was disappointed. I thought White Noise was great and I really enjoyed Libra though it's quite different.

Have you tried/enjoyed any Thomas Pynchon? He's kind of like an absurdist DeLillo and one of my favorites.

 

[Emcee77]

I took Underworld to the end and was disappointed. I thought White Noise was great and I really enjoyed Libra though it's quite different.

Have you tried/enjoyed any Thomas Pynchon? He's kind of like an absurdist DeLillo and one of my favorites.

Yes, I read Gravity's Rainbow last year. LOVED IT. If Sabbath's Theater and Underworld had a love child, it might be Gravity's Rainbow.

 

[tussin]

Things a Little Bird Told Me by Biz Stone.

 

[FDNYIrish1]

Just ordered "Gates of Fire" about the battle of Themopylae and "Men in Green Faces" about Navy SEALs in Vietnam. I have been told both a pretty epic.

Finishing up Lone Survivor right now. Also just recently finished Killing Lincoln which I loved.

If you're into Pressfield books, War of Art and Turning Pro are awesome reads. The Warrior Ethos as well. David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell was a great read too.

 

[Bishop2b5]

I have "With the Old Breed" by Eugene Sledge up next, though I literally haven't read more than a couple pages of Unbeatable... so...

Incredible book! His description of the filth, stink, mud, and exhaustion of combat are hard to fully get your head around. One of the best combat memoirs ever written.

 

[Bishop2b5]

I'm reading Great Expectations and just about to finish the last book in the Ender series by Orson Scott Card.

 

[Rack Em]

I'm reading Great Expectations and just about to finish the last book in the Ender series by Orson Scott Card.

That's an awfully big book for an Alabama fan! Good for you for trying!

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Sabbath's Theater by Philip Roth. Listening to the audiobook during my long and brutal commutes.

The book is hilariously, scandalously obscene. You can't beat Roth for enjoyable literary fiction. His sentences are just so good, and listening to the book read aloud really adds something.

Just finished Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses. What a great book that was. I picked it up just on a whim but I liked it so much I may try to read the rest of the Border Trilogy over the summer.

Also more than halfway through Don DeLillo's Underworld. A real masterpiece from the standpoint of craft but very long and taking forever to get to what happened to the goddamn baseball. Lol.

I just can't get into Roth. I started Portnoy's Complaint 3-4 times and it just felt like my 17 year old mind read through the eyes of a talented author. He no doubt has the capability of creative sentence creation, something all authors possess, but it just never materializes for me. Different strokes.

This is probably a viable option only for Catholics or persons actually interested in The Church, and even then "of limited audience", but when Pope Francis said that he had a favorite novel, had read it three times already and was looking forward to a fourth, {because "Manzoni has given me so much"}, I bought an old version of Manzoni's THE BETHROTHED, written in the 1840s.

It's considered one of the masterpieces of Italian literature, but I find it a clever but tough read. It DOES however seem to give me some depth insight into Pope Francis, due to the way the author handles the three priests involved, and approaches certain moral situations regarding the poor and the young and the powerful-abusing-power.

...NOT however a car-chase, explosion-a-minute, page turner.

Mike, you keep giving me books to read. Now it's going on my next purchase list. I was a very big Pope Benedict fan, in fact, I believe his writing really helped me see the Catholic church in a more balanced perspective. I purchased Pope Francis' Lumen Fidei but haven't made time for it (i keep adding new books into the queue)

 

[Bishop2b5]

That's an awfully big book for an Alabama fan! Good for you for trying!

It's the condensed, illustrated version from Marvel. I've gotten on a classics kick the past year. Dickens is a lot cooler than I remembered from HS lit classes.

 

[Old Man Mike]

To Veritate and Whiskey: this won't give anything away.

It helps to know that Manzoni places his novel in 17th century Italy {the Milan area} when there was no centralized Italy yet and the northwest mainly run by Spain. Power was severely broken up and Dukes and lesser family members could operate almost as a law unto themselves. The area was in famine as far as big population concentrations were concerned, although little towns were relatively OK. The French and Germans were poised to strike into a major war there, bringing the plague with them as they came. All this is real history, including the Cardinal prominent in the story, the less-known Borromeo.

Manzoni appears to be VERY historically accurate.

 

[ShawneeIrish]

Just started A Jesuit Guide to Nearly Everything last night. Im trying to do some religious readings for lent and my priest had referenced it a couple times. It is great so far both entertaining as well as clearly stating some enlightening theological perspectives. Really reccomend it.

 

[MJ12666]

The Forever War and Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman are science fiction and are very entertaining.

 

[HoosierIrish]

Has anyone ever read "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk? My professor, who seems like a very intelligent man, suggested it to improve our writing skills. He went on to say how it got him through college and law school, but didn't really say anything more than that. Has anyone ever used it to improve their writing, is it worth a buy?

 

[koonja]

Did anyone else read 'You Herd Me'?

I really enjoyed it. Very short chapters (2-6 pages) so you can read it on the go, and very funny for being a cynical man.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Hoosier,

I might have to read "Elements of Style". I've seen or heard it suggested elsewhere but I can't remember where that was. Any book that helps us convey our thoughts in a more complete or polished fashion is worth the time.


I never started "Hero with a Thousand Faces", I was sidetracked by:

The Portable Jung - a relatively thorough review of C.G. Jung's body of work

Lumen Fidei - One of Pope Francis' books. Where Pope Benedict was a prolific writer whose paragraphs could make a man choke if he didn't chew on them thoroughly, Pope Francis' book has a much lighter feel. He discusses heavy subjects but prefers to convey his thoughts with a simplistic structure rather than heavy, theological diction. Both have merit and I'm enjoying his book more than expected.

 

[ClausentoTate]

I'm reading Great Expectations and just about to finish the last book in the Ender series by Orson Scott Card.

I just finished 7/8 and he just released a new one last week I think, I can't get enough... even though he has this awful habit of going on a tangent and keeping it going for like 20-30 pages. Oh, and for having characters show so much love toward the buggers and piggys, he sure does hate gay people in real life. It's kind of upsetting to find out after buying and enjoying so many of his books.

 

[wizards8507]

America's Founding Food: The Story of New England Cooking

Interesting history of some of the iconic dishes associated with New England, where they came from, and how they were elevated to an almost mythical status in New England. So far I've covered corn, baked beans, pumpkins, and eels (which didn't make it as a "classic" New England dish). Shellfish are up next.

 

[pkt77242]

Just compiling what I want to read this summer and so far it looks like this:
The Malazan Book of the Fallen series Steven Erikson. All 10 books.
Battle Cry of Freedom James McPherson
Liberation Trilogy Rick Atkinson. All 3 books.
Probably a few more that I haven't decided on yet.

For anyone looking for some good fantasy reads this summer, I would suggest"
The Blade Itself, Before they are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie.

Also The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is one of the best books I have read, the second book in the series The Wise Man's Fears is really good as well (besides about 50 pages in the middle that leave you scratching your head). My only hesitation in recommending the series is that he is taking a long time to get the third book out.

 

[IrishLion]

Just compiling what I want to read this summer and so far it looks like this:
The Malazan Book of the Fallen series Steven Erikson. All 10 books.

Just started book 2, Deadhouse Gates.

I tried reading the first one last summer, but got turned off. Tried it again, and the last half blew my mind in a good way. I got upset with myself for not pressing past the things that turned me off in the first place.

 

[DaLastFarleyite]

Has anyone ever read "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk? My professor, who seems like a very intelligent man, suggested it to improve our writing skills. He went on to say how it got him through college and law school, but didn't really say anything more than that. Has anyone ever used it to improve their writing, is it worth a buy?

I have had The Elements of Style (Third Edition) on my desk for 30 years. Though the pages are now yellowed, I cannot write without it!

 

[DaLastFarleyite]

"Their Finest Hour" By Winston Churchill. 1949 copyright.

Cack,

If you want a different take on Winston Churchill read "Castles of Steel." It is a comprehensive look at naval warfare in WW I and Churchill's role, among others, in the conduct of naval operations in WW I. Churchill had more than his fair share of bungling. It was written by a U.S.-based historian who had access to vast amounts of personal correspondence written during the war.

On the topic of this thread, my last read was the "Icon" by Forsythe.

 

[Bishop2b5]

I'm now reading "The Afghan Campaign" by Steven Pressfield. I like the first person account from a common soldier's view of what was going on.

 

[T Town Tommy]

Just finished up on Stasiland by Anna Funder. Pretty good account of what it was like living in East Germany just after the Wall fell. Some decent insight to the Stasi.