What book(s) are you reading?

[ACamp1900]

"Reflections on the French Revolution" by Edmund Burke

I bet you're fun at parties.

Ha, honestly this is kind of my thing too... anything folk lore, military and social history, sports history (especially baseball) or otherwise. I get in these modes where I just read what basically equates to text books for a month or two...

 

[irish2018]

I bet you're fun at parties.

I actually was a 5 Star "partier" at ND in the late 70s and early 80s--they retired my jersey
shortly thereafter. All joking aside--the parallels with today's public square and Burke's insights and cautions are worth another or first look by those interested. Much more applicable than drawing parallels with our Civil War or the American Revolution itself to what is unfolding today.

 

[Irish YJ]

I actually was a 5 Star "partier" at ND in the late 70s and early 80s--they retired my jersey
shortly thereafter. All joking aside--the parallels with today's public square and Burke's insights and cautions are worth another or first look by those interested. Much more applicable than drawing parallels with our Civil War or the American Revolution itself to what is unfolding today.

Had to read too much EB in college. Loved that he supported the colonies, but found his RotFR to be very "English", and contradictory to an extent to his other views. That's all I really remember. Interesting dude though. If you like Burke, read up on Strauss's critique. It's a little mind numbing in places, but thought it was interesting at the time.

My jersey was retired too. Never talked Burke at the keg stand though lol.

 

[irish2018]

Had to read too much EB in college. Loved that he supported the colonies, but found his RotFR to be very "English", and contradictory to an extent to his other views. That's all I really remember. Interesting dude though. If you like Burke, read up on Strauss's critique. It's a little mind numbing in places, but thought it was interesting at the time.

My jersey was retired too. Never talked Burke at the keg stand though lol.

Burke was correct on the American Revolution, Ireland, India, domestic reform and the French Revolution in my opinion. The French Revolution was "contradictory" itself from the causes that Burke rightly supported. ( Strauss is indeed very good except if or when he contradicts Burke lol)

 

[Legacy]

The Gold Ring: Jim Fisk, Jay Gould, and Black Friday, 1869.by Kenneth Ackerman.

In the post-war Robber Barons era where the federal government was weak, Wall Street was unregulated, the financial and commodities markets were backed by gold, judges and politicians were bought or bribed, NYC was run by Boss Tweed with Tammany Hall, Gould and Fisk attempted to corner the gold supply. It resulted in a financial panic, the collapse of the markets, a national depression, and the bankruptcy of some financial houses.

Gould and Fisk had just beaten Cornelius Vanderbilt for control of the Erie Railroad, which they then looted to fund their gold purchases.

Good read.

 

[greyhammer90]

Reading Silence of Lambs for my halloween book this month.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

I'm on the third of the four "Mellennium Series" (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) books by Steig Larson.

They have all been phenomenal so far. The last one was actually written by a colleague of his after he passed, to wrap up the series.

I will have to take some of these recommendations from above. Good thread, thanks gents.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

My wife and Sister in law LOVE the 80s film... which I rate as one of the single worst movies I've ever been forced to sit through. It would be hard to pick that book up after that experience... freaking Lynch.

Anyway, I'm stopping by Barnes and Noble for lunch. Thinking of picking up "The Witch's Daughter" and/or "A Discovery of Witches". I always get in a scary/supernatural mode this time of year and kind of exhausted most all of the more well known options over the years.

It's a bit more of a quick read, and probably more on the "childish" side, but the classic "Something Wicked this Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury definitely gave me October/Halloween vibes when I read it back in HS.

 

[Irish YJ]

My wife and Sister in law LOVE the 80s film... which I rate as one of the single worst movies I've ever been forced to sit through. It would be hard to pick that book up after that experience... freaking Lynch.

Anyway, I'm stopping by Barnes and Noble for lunch. Thinking of picking up "The Witch's Daughter" and/or "A Discovery of Witches". I always get in a scary/supernatural mode this time of year and kind of exhausted most all of the more well known options over the years.

A Discovery of Witches is currently a UK series aired on Friday (two weeks in).
Love UK TV. BBC, ITV, Sky, C4 and C5 is great quality stuff.

 

[zelezo vlk]

The Gold Ring: Jim Fisk, Jay Gould, and Black Friday, 1869.by Kenneth Ackerman.

In the post-war Robber Barons era where the federal government was weak, Wall Street was unregulated, the financial and commodities markets were backed by gold, judges and politicians were bought or bribed, NYC was run by Boss Tweed with Tammany Hall, Gould and Fisk attempted to corner the gold supply. It resulted in a financial panic, the collapse of the markets, a national depression, and the bankruptcy of some financial houses.

Gould and Fisk had just beaten Cornelius Vanderbilt for control of the Erie Railroad, which they then looted to fund their gold purchases.

Good read.

This sounds great and right up my alley. Reminds me of my favorite Mark Twain work, The Gilded Age

 

[greyhammer90]

It's a bit more of a quick read, and probably more on the "childish" side, but the classic "Something Wicked this Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury definitely gave me October/Halloween vibes when I read it back in HS.

On this note, if anyone is in a more "young adult with an edge" mood for a Halloween book, I recommend Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge. It's about a small midwestern town that sends its high school seniors out every Halloween to kill (or potentially be killed) by a monster with a jack o'lantern for a head. It's an easy read with all the tropes and twists you would expect, but with a really well done gloss of Halloween/fall spirit added into everything.

 

[ACamp1900]

It's a bit more of a quick read, and probably more on the "childish" side, but the classic "Something Wicked this Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury definitely gave me October/Halloween vibes when I read it back in HS.

Read this a number of times over the years.. very enjoyable.

On this note, if anyone is in a more "young adult with an edge" mood for a Halloween book, I recommend Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge. It's about a small midwestern town that sends its high school seniors out every Halloween to kill (or potentially be killed) by a monster with a jack o'lantern for a head. It's an easy read with all the tropes and twists you would expect, but with a really well done gloss of Halloween/fall spirit added into everything.

This was my reading last year. I liked it but expected a bit more background on the town and reasoning and such. Gods of the Nowhere was another one i read last year, pretty good too, though I enjoyed Harvest more.

 

[ACamp1900]

Finished New York last week... good stuff. It wasn’t Pillars of the Earth level historical fiction but it was still quite good.

Wanted some horror for October and picked up a collection of Ray Russell, never read his works before. Reading Sardonicus first, very good thus far.

This has been great thus far... it's classic horror but written in the 60s and 70s so it reads and flows a bit better for the modern reader. It also has a modern brashness to it I didn't expect. I guess i should have though as most of his short stories debuted in Playboy originally. Looking forward to working through the entire collection over the next week or two.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Just finished A First Glance at Thomas Aquinas by deceased ND professor Ralph McInerny. Was a very quick and easy read at 180 pages. Recommended if you have any interest in Thomism.

Just started The Unintended Reformation by Brad Gregory (another ND prof).

 

[ACamp1900]

My wife and Sister in law LOVE the 80s film... which I rate as one of the single worst movies I've ever been forced to sit through. It would be hard to pick that book up after that experience... freaking Lynch.

Anyway, I'm stopping by Barnes and Noble for lunch. Thinking of picking up "The Witch's Daughter" and/or "A Discovery of Witches". I always get in a scary/supernatural mode this time of year and kind of exhausted most all of the more well known options over the years.

This has been very good thus far, about half way through.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Just finished A First Glance at Thomas Aquinas by deceased ND professor Ralph McInerny. Was a very quick and easy read at 180 pages. Recommended if you have any interest in Thomism.

Just started The Unintended Reformation by Brad Gregory (another ND prof).

I listened to some audio lectures by Brad Gregory. Very smart guy and did an excellent job of explaining the context of the Reformation

 

[Bishop2b5]

Posted in wrong thread

 

[Legacy]

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell.

Provides some great insights into factors which we don't think of in how individuals have achieved success whether it's birth months of hockey players, hours of practice by the Beatles, Mozart, Bill Day and Bill Gates, birth years and periods that allowed the most wealthy to be most fortunate (1854-56 for the Robber Barons and 1953-56 for tech giants) as well as cultural advantages.

Quotes from Outliers

 

[ickythump1225]

 

[Legacy]

The Game: Harvard, Yale, and America in 1968

 

[ACamp1900]

Picked up a number of new books today,... going to pick up, “If These Walls Could Talk” first,... it’s about the history of dwellings throughout human history,... seems very interesting.

 

[irishog77]

Picked up a number of new books today,... going to pick up, “If These Walls Could Talk” first,... it’s about the history of dwellings throughout human history,... seems very interesting.

Have you read At Home by Bill Bryson? I loved that.

Coincidentally, I just started One Summer by him. It is even more fascinating than At Home. I'm mad at myself that I waited this long to start it.

 

[ACamp1900]

Have you read At Home by Bill Bryson?

Googled it,... sounds interesting, may have to pick it up.

 

[irishog77]

Googled it,... sounds interesting, may have to pick it up.

You'll love it, dude! And One Summer

 

[ACamp1900]

You'll love it, dude! And One Summer

Prob so,... I’m a nerd over stuff like that.

 

[ickythump1225]

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

Finished Stephen King's newest book, "The Outsider." If you like creepy/thriller fiction, this on is classic Stephen King. Well-written, descriptive with just the right amount of *ucked up.

This was one of my favorites by him.

 

[ickythump1225]

Another book in the queue:

 

[ickythump1225]

Finished:
Windswept House
Very interesting and well written. Malachi Martin is a bit of a quack and led a very...interesting life to say the least. Honestly knowing what we know now IRT the sex abuse scandals and the complicity of the leadership, and the allegations of James Grein (a victim of Theodore McCarrick's going back to the 50s or 60s IIRC) about Satanism in the Church it's hard to say that Malachi Martin is off base.

Also finished:
The Early Papacy to the Synod of Chalcedon in 451
GREAT book. Short but powerful. Definitely want to thank Whiskey for putting me on to Fortescue, he's a brilliant mind.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Definitely want to thank Whiskey for putting me on to Fortescue, he's a brilliant mind.

Future saint.