What are you reading?

Grillnut


I'm currently reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.  After decades of watching several different film/television adaptations, I've finally gotten around to reading the source material.

From what I've read so far (the Ghost of Christmas Present is just about to show up), the 1950s Alistair Sim version and the 1990s Patrick Stewart version are the most true to the original story.

George Scott's version also uses a lot of the original Dickens.

Yes, my son read that in school last year and had a bit of a hard time with it...so I went through it with him...they usually take lots of liberties with the original....great story to read for the season!!

I just finished two very hard-to-find mystery novels, both by R. Austin Freeman, featuring his medico-jurist protagonist, Dr. John Thorndyke, who appeared in countless novels and short stories between 1907 and 1941.

The two books that I read were 1) The Cat's Eye (1923) and 2) The Mystery of Angelina Frood (1924).  I am always impressed by Freeman's exactitude in compositional exposition and story structure development.  Even though he plays fair with the reader, there are very few who can second guess Thorndyke.  The plots are quite original.  Highly recommended.

"Scarpetta" by Patricia Cornwell, can't decide if I like it or not,75 pages in, not a good sign!

MikeS.


Brad Thor's Scot Harvath series. I'm currently on book 4 of 6, Blowback.

I love his books, Vince Flynn type reading.

On the strength of Pat T Hat's recommendation, I just read Christopher Buckley's "Supreme Courtship".  It is, indeed, a hoot.

I'm also reading Deerhunting with Jesus" by Joe Bageant, which Nancypalooza recommended.  I am enjoying it as well.  It reminds me a bit 0f "Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich.

Let me say that I appreciate this thread and often consult it before going to the library.

This past year I have read three of Bill Bryson's books the most recent of which, 'The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid' is really funny especially for those of us who spent their childhood in the 1950's.  His next best is 'Walk in the Woods',detailing his attempt at the Appalachian Trail...also very funny.  The third one is 'I'm a Stranger Here Myself' which is a travel book of his return to Great Britain after having lived there 20 years previously and his descriptions of the British and their reactions to him are a riot. 
I'd have never picked up one of these books except two of them were recommended to me along with borrowed copies of them.  Normally I stick to crime/mystery type stuff.  Curently in the middle of John Sandford's 'Heat Lightning".

Currently, I am reading one of my Christmas presents "The Rape of Nanking" by Iris Chang.  I put it on my Christmas want list after reading "Flyboys".

Yesterday I finished a collection of the original Tales From The Crypt comics, the first six issues. Great stuff.

Jan picked up a copy of the latest (to us) Clive Cussler novel, "The Chase". It occupied a day of relaxed reading for me. While I don't label it Cussler's Best Work, It did involve trains and a typical Cussler hero, so it filled my requirement for entertaining reading.

sandy let me know what you thought of 'Deerhunting for Jesus' when you're done.  I thought it was very interesting.

I just now finished reading AOL by George! the Inside History of AOL by George Thornally. George was the original Macintosh Communications Forum Leader at AOL and a good friend of mine at the time on AOL. We had gotten together annually at MacWorld Expo and a few times at AOL headquarters in Vienna, VA. Other than that it was a pioneering online community where we had nearly nightly real-time forum leader chats online in the "Hole in the Wire" chat room. I had just learned of the book published in 1999 and that George had died in an airplane crash in September 2007. His recollections differ a little bit from mine and centered solely on his own forum and not AOL in general but was entertaining as only George could be in his own unique way. As I mentioned I did not know about this until I reconnected with my old forum producer on Facebook.

Just started reading the giant cocktail table- sized book: Hopalong Cassidy,An American Legend...by his wife. Having grown up in the early 50's watching his movies, and the TV show, I've collected copies of all his movies and find this large photo-book fascinating. Recommend this new release to any Hoppy fans out there!!

I had the Hopalong Cassidy black double holster and cap gun set when I was a kid.

Well, I just bought a number of new books ( a Christmas present to myself ), and it's going to take me quite a while to get thru them all. I'm currently working on the new edition of Roadfood ( surprise, surprise ), and after that I'll get started on Southern Belly by John T. Edge ( 200+ southern restaurants! ), and then it's Hamburger America by George Motz. After that, there's five books about one of my favorite subjects, electric railroads ( trolleys, interurbans, light rail and urban rapid transit. ) Last but not least, a new book about The Andy Griffith Show. Oh, I almost forgot; I just got thru reading Two For The Road by Jane and Michael Stern - great, great book! Lots to keep me busy on these cold winter nights.....  

Nancy -  I think he has it about right, although I think he could have distributed the blame a bit more evenly between the parties.  Since it was published in 2007, I think he did a fine job of foreseeing the extent of the economic implosion (of which Cheney recent claimed "Nobody saw it coming.").  There were a few parts of it that were funny but mostly I found it sad and infuriating.  I think it should be recommended to all of us in the working class, along with "Nickle and Dimed" and " Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich - and Cheat Everybody Else".
 
And, your thoughts?

Sandy Thruthegarden


Nancy -  I think he has it about right, although I think he could have distributed the blame a bit more evenly between the parties.  Since it was published in 2007, I think he did a fine job of foreseeing the extent of the economic implosion (of which Cheney recent claimed "Nobody saw it coming.").  There were a few parts of it that were funny but mostly I found it sad and infuriating.  I think it should be recommended to all of us in the working class, along with "Nickle and Dimed" and " Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich - and Cheat Everybody Else".
 
And, your thoughts?

 
Thank God for the Federal Reserve!    pb

I probably can't talk a lot about my thoughts.  I just don't think the presumed subject of the last book you mentioned is anything at all new, is all.  We were talking tonight about the similarities between mill villages and medieval fiefdoms.  I do have to say that I have a different approach to the second amendment after reading his book--I think he changed my mind a little.  Glad you liked it!

I am reading:

The Frontiersmen by allan Eckert WOW is he detailed I can only read so much before I need a break to let it all sink in

For fun reading I just read:

Red badge of Courage
Puddin Head Wilson
All quiet on the western front
My brother Sam is Dead

The Art of Racing in the Rain.

Highly recommend

I just finished George Pelecanos' "Hell to Pay." I've never read any Pelecanos before and I really liked this. I'll definitely be seeking out more of his books.

I just watched the great movie "Point Blank" and I'm definitely in a crime novel mood.

Any Given Day - Lehman...not sure yet

interesting thread with much food for thought and good suggestions!

i just finished fahrenheit 451 by ray bradbury.  great commentary on the condition of our society.  

it's not about what you may think it is - see the wikipedia entry for more info.  i got the point of it and he couldn't have been more correct - which is amazing since things were in their infancy at the time he wrote this (late 40's)!  he was a very insightful man.

I just started The Testament by John Grisham and just finished Prey by Michael Crichton.

I just found Roads to Quoz, An American Mosey, by William Least-Heat Moon.  If you have never heard of him, you ought to look him up!  This book is about wandering around the backroads of America and the interesting/crazy/weird stuff (and people) that are out there.  I'm only 30 pages in and there's already roadfood stuff. (The local small restaurant that is across from the arches but manages to stay in business on quality, not quantity) Looks like it will be a great book.

Back in the late 70's, I believe, he wrote Blue Highways, a travel story of crossing America on Route 50 from MD to CA.  It was great.  A John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley with a roadie attitude!

The guy only writes about about one book a decade, all non fiction, but I have loved them all.

Roy


This past year I have read three of Bill Bryson's books the most recent of which, 'The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid' is really funny especially for those of us who spent their childhood in the 1950's.  His next best is 'Walk in the Woods',detailing his attempt at the Appalachian Trail...also very funny.  The third one is 'I'm a Stranger Here Myself' which is a travel book of his return to Great Britain after having lived there 20 years previously and his descriptions of the British and their reactions to him are a riot. 
I'd have never picked up one of these books except two of them were recommended to me along with borrowed copies of them.  Normally I stick to crime/mystery type stuff.  Curently in the middle of John Sandford's 'Heat Lightning".

 
Bill Bryson is a very funny - and erudite - guy.  I also lived in the UK and he was right-on about it (And if you liked it, read Paul Theroux's Kingdom by the Sea).  Bryson has some other great books.  Read the one about Australia.  I just bought his book on Shakespeare.
 
Oh, and John Sanford is great!  I think I've read all of his books, both the Davenport series as well as the others

I am reading "The House Without a Key" (1925) by Earl Derr Biggers.  This is the novel that introduced Charlie Chan.  Five more Chan books followed.

Nancypalooza


Have any of y'all ever read Carl Hiaasen's stuff?  They are a little too off-kilter to be straight detective fiction and he doesn't have one stock character but rather a small cast who pop up randomly in his books.  My favorite is 'Native Tongue'--I don't really like most detective fiction but his stuff is so funny I kind of make an exception for him.

If you like Hiaasen's stuff and the world of whacky Floridians, check out Tim Dorsey

FriedClamFanatic

Roy


This past year I have read three of Bill Bryson's books the most recent of which, 'The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid' is really funny especially for those of us who spent their childhood in the 1950's.  His next best is 'Walk in the Woods',detailing his attempt at the Appalachian Trail...also very funny.  The third one is 'I'm a Stranger Here Myself' which is a travel book of his return to Great Britain after having lived there 20 years previously and his descriptions of the British and their reactions to him are a riot. 
I'd have never picked up one of these books except two of them were recommended to me along with borrowed copies of them.  Normally I stick to crime/mystery type stuff.  Curently in the middle of John Sandford's 'Heat Lightning".

 
Bill Bryson is a very funny - and erudite - guy.  I also lived in the UK and he was right-on about it (And if you liked it, read Paul Theroux's Kingdom by the Sea).  Bryson has some other great books.  Read the one about Australia.  I just bought his book on Shakespeare.

I enjoyed his book "Out of Iowa", although it's been a number of years since I read it.  Given that it's about travelling across the USA I think a lot of people here might like it.
 
I finished Mike Mills' "Peace Love and Barbecue" not too long ago and have been reading bits and pieces of it since then.
 
Brad

"Child 44" by Tom Rob Smith - I've got about 50 pages to go, and it's a real page turner about an MGB agent in 1953 Soviet Union who realizes that there is a serial killer murdereing children, but knows that mentioning this is a crime against the state in the  workers' paradise.  Smith does an excellent job bringing the reader into the paranoid world f Stalinist times.