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Read any good books lately?

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Old 08-03-16, 07:25 PM
  #576  
Perdido
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The Sixth Extinction; An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert. Great read if you are into the natural sciences (and I am).
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Old 08-03-16, 10:32 PM
  #577  
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Richard's Bicycle Repair Manual by Richard Ballantine & Richard Grant.
A lucky yard sale find from early June that has allowed me to identify what the exact parts are that people around here keep on talking about.
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Old 08-04-16, 06:03 AM
  #578  
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Originally Posted by gaucho777
I've been on a history podcast bender recently. If you are willing to listen instead of sit down & read (good way to pass the time while wrenching or riding), Dan Carlin's 6-part series on WWI called "Blueprint for Armageddon" is great. It's part of his ongoing Hardcore History podcast series. Each episode is around 3+ hours long, and not only gives a detailed account of the events but also a visceral feel to the experiences of the front-line soldiers and really engaging narrative style. Highly recommended. This series is still available free on his Hardcore History Library or you can subscribe on iTunes, etc. (Only the most recent few series are available free before rotating out so catch this now before you have to pay for it.)

And if that interests you, I also recommend Daniele Bolelli's History on Fire podcast, and the Revolutions podcast by Mike Duncan (creator of the History of Rome podcast series), though not on WW1.
That's a good idea. I hadn't even thought of podcasts. Thanks! I'm going to check these out.
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Originally Posted by LAJ
Everyone thinks they have had a long strange trip, until they look at other folks' journeys. Then they realize everyone has had a long strange trip, just using different modes of transportation.
"The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience."
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Old 08-04-16, 06:37 AM
  #579  
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Reread Gary Zukav's [I]The Dancing Wu Li Masters[I]. Great read about physics.
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Old 08-04-16, 12:51 PM
  #580  
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"Food of the Gods", by Terrence McKenna.
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Old 08-04-16, 03:53 PM
  #581  
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"The Girl with Seven Names" by Hyeonseo Lee

"Dear Leader: Poet, Spy, Escapee-A Look Inside Norh Korea" by Jang Jin-sung

Just getting up to speed on North Korean issues/concerns/wonderments. I highly recommend both books.
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Old 08-09-16, 06:59 AM
  #582  
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This Road I Ride by Julianna Buhring
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Old 08-09-16, 08:16 AM
  #583  
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Anything by Larry Corriea
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Old 08-09-16, 08:22 AM
  #584  
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I just made it through about 50 pages of Murakami's 1Q84. Ugh.

I kind of liked The Wind Up Bird Chronicles. But this giant pile of self-indulgent wordplay left me cold.

Now I'm on to a book of essays by George Orwell.
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Old 08-09-16, 12:18 PM
  #585  
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Just finished "Kolyma" by Robert Conquest, about the Soviet death camps in the gold fields of Siberia. Currently reading "The Island: a Journey to Sakhalin" by Anton Chekhov, about the Tsarist prison colonies on Sakhalin Island in Easternmost Siberia.
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Old 08-09-16, 01:30 PM
  #586  
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I'm currently reading Saving Capitalism by Robert Reich. His ideas are not what I expected!
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Old 08-09-16, 02:51 PM
  #587  
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Originally Posted by noglider
I'm currently reading Saving Capitalism by Robert Reich. His ideas are not what I expected!

Excellent read!!!!!!
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Old 08-09-16, 03:23 PM
  #588  
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Someone told me The Stand, by Stephen King was the best book they ever read. I saw it and it was THICK! I downloaded it onto my ebook App and jumped in. I had to renew it about 3 times because after 2 weeks it would "expire" and it was really, really long. After the 3rd time renewing, I decided to just forget it.

I like 200-400 page mystery suspense type books. Anyone got any suggestions?
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Old 08-10-16, 06:16 AM
  #589  
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Originally Posted by Velocivixen
Someone told me The Stand, by Stephen King was the best book they ever read. I saw it and it was THICK! I downloaded it onto my ebook App and jumped in. I had to renew it about 3 times because after 2 weeks it would "expire" and it was really, really long. After the 3rd time renewing, I decided to just forget it.

I like 200-400 page mystery suspense type books. Anyone got any suggestions?
I don't read a lot of mysteries, but one I did like was The Casual Vacancy- J.K. Rowling's first book after the Harry Potter series. Fair warning, it is pretty dark and at times depressing, but well-written.
If you would be willing to give Stephen King a chance again, IT is one of the best horror books I have read. It's still more than your preferred length (I think my paperback copy is in the 800s), but it is a quicker read than The Stand. For light-hearted reading, try A dirty Job by Christopher Moore.
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Originally Posted by LAJ
Everyone thinks they have had a long strange trip, until they look at other folks' journeys. Then they realize everyone has had a long strange trip, just using different modes of transportation.
"The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience."
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Old 08-10-16, 08:01 AM
  #590  
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Originally Posted by rootboy
Update:

Nearly finished with Sometimes a Great Notion by Kesey. What a fine novel. He was (is) a very good writer.
While I liked the movie, and would like to watch it again if I could find it, like many movies made out of great novels, it is a mere shadow of the book. Kind of like the difference between seeing Gauguin's The Siesta, on a coffee mug or greeting card, versus standing in front of the real thing.... For instance.
This is one of the best books I've ever read. It was very challenging to read at first due to the stream of consciousness writing style. However, once I got used to the style, it just sort of clicked. It is one of the few books in which the ending took my very much by surprise, but made the entire plot make sense. Essentially, the plot goes in a big circle and you end up where it began, and what was confusing at the start all makes sense.
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Old 08-10-16, 09:47 AM
  #591  
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The Swerve, by Stephen Greenblatt


Non-fiction, takes place, mostly, in the 15th Century. Not difficult, difficult reading... Or, better, it was easy to read, but difficult from a more emotional standpoint. I had to keep something else to read at hand (BBC news, etc) to take my mind off it. I will read other works of his, very impressive from an in-depth research point of view.


I'm not a novel reader, but my wonderful daughter (you should see what she wrote inside the book, LOL!) gave me The Martian, by Andy Weir. An easy, fast, well written and worthy read, if unnecessarily heavily salted with salty language. I have one objection, but won't mention it as I don't wish to spoil someone else's read.
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Old 08-10-16, 10:18 AM
  #592  
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Originally Posted by gomango
Excellent read!!!!!!
I'm about 11% into Saving Capitalism. Have you finished it? We should discuss!
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Old 08-10-16, 10:49 AM
  #593  
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Originally Posted by noglider
I'm about 11% into Saving Capitalism. Have you finished it? We should discuss!
Yes I have!

I'll pm you my phone number today.

Otherwise, happy to do pm's as well.
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Old 08-10-16, 01:39 PM
  #594  
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Originally Posted by Velocivixen
Someone told me The Stand, by Stephen King was the best book they ever read. I saw it and it was THICK! I downloaded it onto my ebook App and jumped in. I had to renew it about 3 times because after 2 weeks it would "expire" and it was really, really long. After the 3rd time renewing, I decided to just forget it.

I like 200-400 page mystery suspense type books. Anyone got any suggestions?
If you like crime/mystery, I would suggest Tony Hillerman (died a few years ago) who wrote about the Navajo Tribal Police: or Michael Connelly who was a police reporter for the LA Times before he quit to write novels.
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Old 08-10-16, 05:36 PM
  #595  
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[MENTION=336348]dweenk[/MENTION] - Thanks! I just downloaded a book to my iPad and started it a couple hours ago. It got 5 star ratings. It's set in Ireland in the 1800's and is a crime thriller.
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Old 08-10-16, 06:01 PM
  #596  
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Originally Posted by noglider
I'm about 11% into Saving Capitalism. Have you finished it? We should discuss!
Reich's column is in our local paper every week.
I agree with just about everything that guys says.
Smart. And savy.
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Old 08-10-16, 07:41 PM
  #597  
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Originally Posted by rootboy
I agree with just about everything that guys says.
Smart. And savy.
I just ordered "Beyond Outrage" by Reich.

This one too. Democracy in America (Penguin Classics)

by Alexis de Tocqueville
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Old 08-14-16, 09:09 PM
  #598  
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Originally Posted by Velocivixen
I like 200-400 page mystery suspense type books. Anyone got any suggestions?
Anything by Raymond Chandler. And James M. Cain. Beyond that, I don't think you can beat Dashiell Hammet.

If you're into a pithier read, I'd suggest Umberto Eco's 'The Name of the Rose' (or, what if Sherlock Holmes was a 14th-century Franciscan monk?), and 'Foucault's Pendulum'.

Btw, The Name of the Rose is also a good intro to basic Latin.


As for me, I'm currently reading (yet) more Borges, and 'Doctor Illuminatus, A Ramon Llull Reader'. Llull was one of those bizarro late-medieval figures, with one foot in the Renaissance & one in the troubadouric past; an early highlight of Catalan literature.

Last edited by DIMcyclist; 08-14-16 at 09:19 PM. Reason: Spelling errors.
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Old 08-14-16, 09:27 PM
  #599  
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Originally Posted by Ed.
The Swerve, by Stephen Greenblatt
As a medievalist I feel compelled to link you this review of The Swerve, in order that it may save you from various misconceptions and blatant biases presented throughout the text by Greenblatt. Due to its popularity, it may well be one of the most counterproductive books written about late medieval history in decades.

Stephen Greenblatt's The Swerve racked up prizes ? and completely misled you about the Middle Ages - Vox
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Old 08-15-16, 12:47 AM
  #600  
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My favorite cycling related book is 'The Rider' by Tim Krabbe. It's a first person account of a one day race, pretty good light duty read.

Another good read is 'No Hands' by Judith Crown and Glen Colman. It cronicles the rise and fall of the Schwinn bicycle company and how Ignaz's heirs ruined the co.....I'm looking at you Ed.

Last edited by Wright Bros; 08-18-16 at 09:01 AM.
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