What are you reading?

I found this blog? or site that may be of interest to many here.
www.bakingandbooks.com

The author of this site shares the same passions as we do, good food and reading. She lists a collection of some recipe food related books and various novels with reviews.
I have a rather large collection of early cookbooks some first editions and I have been thinking about starting to get rid of them. So doing some reasearch on the net I found her site and decided to buy a couple of other books.Oh well, so much for trying to down size.
Currently I'm reading The Day of Battle by Rick Atkinson
This is the second of a trilogy. It's about the allied invasion of Sicily and Italy. Very well written and reasearched, pretty much reads like a Shaara book. Chow Jim

I just finished Stealing Lincoln’s Body by Thomas J. Craughwell

The book provides an interesting glimpse at a macabre footnote to the story of Abraham Lincoln: the true tale of how, on election night of 1876, several Chicago thugs attempted to steal and hold for ransom the president’s corpse. Along the way, the author delves into a number of subjects that are tangents of the story such as counterfeiting money and the birth of the U.S. Secret Service. It was a very interesting read.

I’m now reading The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough

Just finished Steve Martin's "Born Standing Up", a memoir of his youth and his career as a stand-up. It is well-written. imteresting, with a a sense of restraint. Worth a read if you like Mr. Martin. Also read Sara Paretsky's "Bleeding Kansas, a novel set in the Lawrence, Kansas area. It is about a terrible year in the life of a Kansas family. Ms. Paretsky grew up in Kansas and the novel is a break from her wonderful detective series set in Chicago. her writing is excellent.
i am continuing to work my way through the American Presidents series, roughly 150-175 page short biographies written by a wide variety of writers about American presidents. FDR's biography was written by former British Labour cabinet member and peer Roy Jenkins, Gerald Ford's by modern historian Douglas Brinkley. TR's by writer Louis Aunchloss. William McKinley's by Republican strategist Kevin Phillips. They have been good short reads and I look forward to more.

If your paying attention to "Election '08" like it's the only game in sports (and I am) then I'd recommend "The Race" by Richard North Patterson...If only some of these people were real...well that's fiction!

It's a rather decent look at the presidential primary process and has some interesting parallels as to what's going on in today's race.

Stephen Kings new "Duma Key" just came out and my librarian has called as I was first on the list...how!
My weekend is set.

I'm finishing up The Dirt - Motley Crue...it's actually extremely interesting! It's amazing how much they went through; I was a fan of the band and never knew all the backstory and all the hardships they had to deal with!

I'm going to move on to Nikki Sixx's: The Heroin Diaries next; has anyone read it yet?

Murder for Hire: The Peruvian Pigeon by Dana Fredsti
This is her first published novel.
Kind of hard to categorize. This is going to sound weird, but -
it's both humor and a murder mystery. Rather pun-ny, too.

quote:

Originally posted by Pat T Hat

If your paying attention to "Election '08" like it's the only game in sports (and I am) then I'd recommend "The Race" by Richard North Patterson...If only some of these people were real...well that's fiction!

It's a rather decent look at the presidential primary process and has some interesting parallels as to what's going on in today's race.

Stephen Kings new "Duma Key" just came out and my librarian has called as I was first on the list...how!
My weekend is set.

Pat, this post made my check my own account at the library. They've got Duma Key ready and waiting for me too. My weekend is set also.

"HEAT" by Bill Buford. A simple read about the author working in Mario Batali's Babbo and his quest in Italy for local pasta making techniques and ingrediants. A good fun read.

I finished Stephen King's Duma Key last night. Though it's not as gripping as his best work, I still really liked it. There were a couple of plot twists that I did not see coming.

And now the long wait for the next King book begins.

Just finished a great book. Taylor Clark, a former writer for Portland's Willamette Week paper, has written an excellent history of Starbucks called "Starbucked". It includes a brief history of coffee and is a refreshingly non-ideological look at the company. it is a quick read and it is quite well-written.

I'm rereading "The Complete Stories" by Flannery O'Connor. She always manages to come up with a phrase that provides a perfect, and amusing, description of whatever she's writing about. I hope folks still read her stories.

Flannery O'Connor was such a brilliant writer. I loved"A Good Man is Hard to Find".

quote:

Originally posted by mr chips

Flannery O'Connor was such a brilliant writer. I loved"A Good Man is Hard to Find".

Not to be confused with the porn classic "A Hard Man is Good to Find."

Dearfolk,
My last two books read were:
1) "My Life In Rock 'n' Roll Radio" -- Cousin Bruce Morrow.
2) "Just 100 Miles From Home" -- Joe Aaron.
I'll finish the one I'm working on now in a couple of daze, and add it then.
Impagently, Ort. Carlton in 30601-Central.

quote:

Originally posted by Pat T Hat

If your paying attention to "Election '08" like it's the only game in sports (and I am) then I'd recommend "The Race" by Richard North Patterson...If only some of these people were real...well that's fiction!

It's a rather decent look at the presidential primary process and has some interesting parallels as to what's going on in today's race.

Stephen Kings new "Duma Key" just came out and my librarian has called as I was first on the list...how!
My weekend is set.

Have you read "What It Takes" by Richard Ben Cramer? It's the best book on presidential campaigns ever written.

Term Limits by Vince Flynn. I love all his books. Kind of governmental espionage and conspiracy plots.

quote:

Originally posted by mr chips

Flannery O'Connor was such a brilliant writer. I loved"A Good Man is Hard to Find".

I read "A Good Man is Hard to Find" last night. It's just about perfect, right down to the cat's name, "Pitty Sing".

quote:

Originally posted by improviser

I finished Stephen King's Duma Key last night. Though it's not as gripping as his best work, I still really liked it. There were a couple of plot twists that I did not see coming.

And now the long wait for the next King book begins.

It was a little different wasn't it? I totally enjoyed it and found it a smooth comfortable read...I couldn't believe it was over, it went so fast.
He has a book of short stories coming out soon as I understand it.

I'm now in the middle of "Vinnies Head" by Marc Lecard.
The jacket compares it to Elmore Leonard on crack, Pulp Fiction on poppers, The Sopranos on acid and Carl Hiaasen on magic mushrooms, chased by a fifth of tequila...Steve Hockinsmith's review said he had to check into re-hab after reading it...hell, what's not to love!
So far it's most excellent!
It's his first book and I'm hopin' he's not a one trick pony and I'm only half way through it.
If you like Leonard and/or Hiaasen (if you like one, I know you'd have to like the other) for their snappy dialogue and quirky characters you should check this guy out...very tasty!

Read John Grisham's "The Appeal" last week and it's not his best, but I thought it was a pretty good story...not a happy one but there is something to be said about the subject matter.
I'd recommend it to most readers I know.

Finished Valerie Plame Wilson's book "My Life as a Spy...".
It took me a while to finish...needed to take long breaks so I wouldn't bash all my dishwear and smash out my windows...I really did have to stop when it made me angry ...I stopped often!

"People of the Book" by Australian author Geraldine Brooks is a must read if you like historical fiction.
It's a fantastic story, in my opinion, about a fancier than it should be antique haggadah and it's travels through many centuries.
It can't help but make you think about how the past effects the future in so many ways, and it helps put a little perspective on some things very current today.

And last but not least was James Griffando's "Last Call" where he brings back character Jack Swytech and friends after a book or two.
It's a fun little read and he does write some pretty funny dialogue.

I finished "Paradise Screwed", a collection of Carl Hiaasen's Miami Herald columns. Really good stuff. I'm a big fan.

Right now, I'm about halfway through Conrad's "Lord Jim." It's great so far.

Dearfolk,
This week, I finished "Peachtree Street, Atlanta" by William B. Williford... the 1973 reissue.
Then I tackled "The Tree That Owns Itself and Other Adventure Tales From Out Of The Past" by Loretta Johnson Hammer and Gail Langer Karwoski.
Last night I read, in its entirety, "So Far" by Kelsey Grammer.
There's no telling what I'll scrounge up next.
Turning Those Pages, Ort. Carlton in 30601-Land.

In th past 3 months:
cormac mccarthy, no country for old men
cormac mccarthy; the road
cormac mccarthy; blood meridian
stuart coleman; eddie would go
rick carrol; Iz, voice of the people
"cant buy me love"
honolulu hotel

I'm bouncing back and forth between Conrad's "Lord Jim," which I might finish tonight, and Jeffrey Steingarten's "Return of the Man Who Ate Everything," which is really interesting, although Steingarten annoys everytime he claims to be poor or underpaid. You just wrote an article about buying thousands of dollars of caviar for a taste test. You're not poor.

Finished Jeffrey Steingarten's "Return of the Man Who Ate Everything." Really enjoyed it.

Read Linda Ellerbee's "Take Big Bites." I'd seen Ellerbee on the news before but never knew much about her. A talented woman who seems to enjoy every minute of her life.

Now I'm bouncing back and forth between "Lord Jim" and Elizabeth David's "An Omelette and a Glass of Wine."

I finished The Fourth Hand by John Irving last week and am about half way through Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry - last time I read it was 18 years ago ---

I havent read Stephen Kings "The Stand" in 20 years, so I am doing so now.Fascinating and in some cases like visiting an old friend...

quote:

Originally posted by annpeeples

I havent read Stephen Kings "The Stand" in 20 years, so I am doing so now.Fascinating and in some cases like visiting an old friend...

I did the same thing about 5 years ago when I found out there was an unedited version reprinted in 1990. The 1978 version had, I believe, over 100,000 words cut. If you have this version, great. If not and you haven't gotten too far in your reread, you might want to look for the newer version. I think it's worth it; especially in terms of character development. pb

Dearfolk,
I recently finished "Southern Journey" by Tom Dent. It is now languishing in Blanch The Cadillac, waiting for me to run into my friend from the Mississippi Delta, Lucy Mae, so she can devour it next.
Before that, I plowed through "In The Footsteps Of Sherlock Holmes" by Michael Harrison.
Bookwormingly, Ort. Carlton in Literate Athens, Georgia.

I started F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Tender is the Night" last night. I have wanted to read it for years and have finally gotten around to it.

Jeff Shaara's "The Rising Tide" the first of a trilogy about WW2.

Rommel, Patton, Eisenhower and the invasion of, and the war in, North
Africa-----so far.

Just finished his "To The Last Man" the story of WW1. Fabulous book.

Having read the novels about the Revolution and Civil Wars by the Shaaras,
father and son, I was anxious to get into WW2 which I remember well. I
have not been disappointed, the book is great, even though I know how it ends.

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy Thruthegarden
I started F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Tender is the Night" last night.

Sandy,
Found a paperback copy of that today in a thrift store for 25 cents. It always sells.
Classically, Ort. Carlton in Athens, Georgia.

Dearfolk,
Night before last, I finished my Advance Reading Copy of Robb Walsh's "Are You Really Going To Eat That?"
Last night, I devoured Harold V. Shumacher's June, 1976 book, "101 Restaurants -- An Insiders Guide To Atlanta Dining." Of the 101 he mentions, 21 are still in business in the same location; one is still there with the same address and phone number, but a new name; five are still in business but have moved; two are still in their old location, but have another new one as well; eight are probably closed, but somebody else is using the same name; three have closed their original location, but remain open elsewhere; and three have expanded beyond their wildest dreams. There is only one overlap here, so that means that of the 101 in the book, 58 are gone and maybe forgotten and maybe not... amazing.
Well-Readly, Ort. Carlton in Literate Athens, Georgia.

I haven't gotten to read for pleasure in a long time and I'll have to pick up more school stuff soon, but I started 'Kabul Beauty School' by Deborah Rodriguez over the weekend and it's fascinating so far.

improviser, you're kind of a reading fool!

The Magus by John Fowles it'll probably take me a while since the weather's nice and i Have a ton of yardwork to do.

I've noticed and am guilty myself of this. After reading most of the posts on this thread Men read books written by Men and Women read books written by Women. Though not always the case but it seems to be the majority.
I would say my prefrence probably stems back to when I was forced, required reading for an english class, 7th grade, to read Little Women. I had no interest what so ever in that novel, maybe I sould revist it. On the other hand I had to read Longfellows Snowbound in the same year and couldn't put it down.
The only female writer that I actively read is Doris Kearns Goodwin, a great historian. I must broarden my horizons. Chow Jim

I've read all the Nevada Barr books.

My only lady author has been Sue Grafton---G as in Good.
Her detective is a real roadfooder--loves MacDonalds.
But her landloard is a gourmet------fun books.

So Jim I think you are right---but the Lovely Mary Ann likes
Nelson De Mille and Ken Follett---thinks Pillars of the Earth
is the best she has ever read.

I am not sure I agree. I have read almost all of Dean Koontz and think that Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain is one of the best ever written.

Susan

Jim I'm actually more guilty of that in my musical picks; I notice that my collection is full of lady singers.

Sometimes you can get nice crossover too; I think Wally Lamb writes female characters as well as anything I've ever read.

quote:

Originally posted by Ort. Carlton.

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy Thruthegarden
I started F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Tender is the Night" last night.

Sandy,
Found a paperback copy of that today in a thrift store for 25 cents. It always sells.
Classically, Ort. Carlton in Athens, Georgia.

Ort,

I got this copy at one of the quarterly book sales our local public library holds. I wait until the last day when they hand you a paper grocery bag and you can fill it up for a buck. There are always lots of classics left over, probably from years of high school and college lit. classes.

I'm really intrigued by the story and the characters of "Tender is the Night". Have you started it?

Sandy

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy Thruthegarden

quote:

Originally posted by Ort. Carlton.

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy Thruthegarden

Ort, I'm really intrigued by the story and the characters of "Tender is the Night". Have you started it? Sandy

Sandy,
Started it? I haven't even UNPACKED it yet!
Feeling Like I'm Trying To Push A Peanut Up Pike's Peak With My Nose, Ort. Carlton in Overcluttered Athens, Georgia.

Dearfolk,
My last finished read was "Eat Your Way Across The U. S. A." by none other than Jane & Michael Stern. It's a decent used hardback copy, too. I'm sure I can sell it in Atlanta.
Now I'm working on two books at once... I'll detail them when they're finished.
Turning Over Those Pages, Ort. Carlton in Athens.

Right now, I'm about 1/2 way through Ken Follett's World Without End (2007) the "long awaited" sequel to Pillars of the Earth which came out in, I believe, 1989. Takes place in 14th century England and, like the first book, is a great read; especially if you like long books (1000+ pages). Kind of hard to read in bed, though. pb

I thought I had read every book Follet had written. I have missed that one. I will purchase it right away.

Wilbur Smith is another one of my favorite authors.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I'm reading a book called"Kitchen Literacy, How We Lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes from, and Why We Need to Get It Back." It's written by historian Ann Vileisis. The book chronicles the historical changes in the way food makes it to our tables.
I'm finding it very interesting. The subject is similar to Michael Pollan's books, but approached from a different, historical perspective.

I bought Follet's World Without End last week. I couldn't wait for the paperback in a couple of years since I had read Pillars of the Earth. You're right porkbeaks it is heavy on the chest in bed and it is starting to become my life's work or the Book Without End if I don't pick up the pace of a couple pages every night.

@Davydd: I thought that World Without End might be right up your alley. Were you aware of the architect/builder angle before you read Pillars of the Earth?

@Sundancer: I, too, have enjoyed all the Wilbur Smith books. It's been so long since I've read his early ones, I ought to go back and read a few again. In the past few months, I've gone through the "Mitch Rapp" series by Vince Flynn and the "Jack Reacher" series by Lee Child. You might like them. If possible, read them in the order they came out. pb

I was very much aware of what Pillars of the Earth was about and it also took place during a period of English history I was most interested in. I also read Edward Rutherford's Sarum a similar epic but over a much longer time span but did hit the cathedral building period in great detail.

Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series is more orderly and should be read in order if possible. Lee Child's Jack Reacher series is more disoriented in chronology and consistency in character for that matter. I posed this question earlier. Could Jack Reacher take Mitch Rapp?

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd

......... Could Jack Reacher take Mitch Rapp?

Hand to hand, I'd have to go with the bigger Jack. Using weapons, Mitch has better resources. pb

Dearfolk,
I've got three to add to the ever-expanding list.
1) "A Piece Of My Mind" -- Dr. Bruce B. Dan, M. D. & Roxanne K. Young, editors. A compilation of columns in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
2) "Everything In Its Path" -- Kai T. Erikson. The story of the 1972 Buffalo Creek flood in Logan County, West Virginia and its aftermath.
3) "Some Different Kinds Of Songs" -- Deacon Lunchbox. A collection of poetry-of-sorts by a gifted performance artist, killed in April, 1992 in a terrible road accident along with two musicians whom I also knew.
Rapidly Submitted, Ort. Carlton in 30601.

quote:

Originally posted by Ort. Carlton.

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy Thruthegarden

quote:

Originally posted by Ort. Carlton.

quote:

Originally posted by Sandy Thruthegarden

Ort, I'm really intrigued by the story and the characters of "Tender is the Night". Have you started it? Sandy

Sandy,
Started it? I haven't even UNPACKED it yet!
Feeling Like I'm Trying To Push A Peanut Up Pike's Peak With My Nose, Ort. Carlton in Overcluttered Athens, Georgia.

Ort,

I'm of two minds about this book and you'll have to read it (or Cliff's Notes) to get that pun. While the writing is brilliant, much of the story is based in an archaic and long-discarded theory of mental illness. Plus Fitzgerald's view of how women think makes this a period piece; but then, he was married to Zelda who was non-compos mentis, so maybe he thought all of us dames wuz nuts. I haven't finsihed it yet so maybe I'm wrong and the whole story will turn out to be a dream. Uh, not to discourage you.

quote:

Originally posted by porkbeaks

Right now, I'm about 1/2 way through Ken Follett's World Without End (2007) the "long awaited" sequel to Pillars of the Earth which came out in, I believe, 1989. Takes place in 14th century England and, like the first book, is a great read; especially if you like long books (1000+ pages). Kind of hard to read in bed, though. pb

I have World Without End queued-up on my to-read bookshelf. I loved Pillars of the Earth, and have read it two or three times over the decades. Like Davydd, I am a student of medieval English history, which adds to the appeal.

@Porkbeaks & Davydd

I've read all of the Lee Child Jack Reacher novels, and am awaiting the June 3rd release of Nothing to Lose.

Is Mitch Rapp similar?

quote:

Originally posted by MiamiDon

@Porkbeaks & Davydd

I've read all of the Lee Child Jack Reacher novels, and am awaiting the June 3rd release of Nothing to Lose.

Is Mitch Rapp similar?

If you like Jack, I know you'll enjoy Mitch. He's a CIA black ops guy who answers only to the director and the president and, even then, only sometimes. As Davydd advised, they are best read in order of publication. pb

btw,I finished World Without End and am hoping we don't have to wait another 10 years for the next edition. It was a lot "sexier" and not as much "builder" as I remember Pillars of the Earth being. I think I too am becoming a medieval English fan.

I probably have every Medieval Welsh history book in print and several not including some I found in used book stores in small Welsh towns. English history to 1282 goes hand in hand with Welsh history. There is one Welsh out of print genealogy book I am trying to get and have had it listed on Amazon.com for over 5 years.

I'm reading two books...

1) The Warden by Anthony Trollope -- tried this one a few times before giving up, but I'm about a 1/3 through it this time around
2) The Moon in the Gutter by David Goodis

quote:

Originally posted by MiamiDon

@Porkbeaks & Davydd

I've read all of the Lee Child Jack Reacher novels, and am awaiting the June 3rd release of Nothing to Lose.

Is Mitch Rapp similar?

I thin they are very similar. I have read both authors. I personaly prefer Mitch Rapp but the Jack Reacher is also very good.

Mitch is a killer.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by westley

I'm reading two books...

1) The Warden by Anthony Trollope -- tried this one a few times before giving up, but I'm about a 1/3 through it this time around
2) The Moon in the Gutter by David Goodis

I love Trollope - I've read the Palliser series, and have the Barsetshire series, but have only read The Warden & Barchester Towers so far. I much prefer Trollope to Dickens.

I'm also about halfway through World Without End, and really enjoying it.

quote:

Originally posted by Niagara

I love Trollope - I've read the Palliser series, and have the Barsetshire series, but have only read The Warden & Barchester Towers so far. I much prefer Trollope to Dickens.

I'm also about halfway through World Without End, and really enjoying it.

I'm enjoying "The Warden" and have a few other Barchester books, so I'd like to continue with the series. I've heard that the Palliser novels are even better, so I'd also like to read those books somewhere down the line.

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

quote:

Originally posted by MiamiDon

@Porkbeaks & Davydd

I've read all of the Lee Child Jack Reacher novels, and am awaiting the June 3rd release of Nothing to Lose.

Is Mitch Rapp similar?

I thin they are very similar. I have read both authors. I personaly prefer Mitch Rapp but the Jack Reacher is also very good.

Mitch is a killer.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I downloaded a sample of Transfer of Power yesterday, and have read some. It definitely looks like my cup of tea. Thanks, guys.

Vince Flynn, the author of the Mitch Rapp series is from St. Paul and lives in Edina, MN. He is a fairly young guy and never served or been in the CIA, yet he sure puts together a convincing story. I forget which novel but he practically predicted something like 9/11 a couple of years before it happened. He is a frequent guest on drive time talk radio Garage Logic show I listen to.