What Are You Reading Now? (My Quarterly Survey)

1/12/10

[MplsSteve]

OK, it's time for my quarterly What Are You Reading Now? survey.

I do this because I like to gauge what Freepers are reading. I believe that the Freeper community are one of the more well-read on the Internet.

What are you reading? It can be anything...a classic novel, a NY Times bestseller, a technical journal, a trashy pulp novel - in short, anything.

Please do not defile this thread by replying "I'm Reading This Thread". It became unfunny a long time ago.

I'll start. I'm reading "Pickett's Charge: A Microstudy" by George R Stewart. It was written in 1959 and is a classic read about the last day of the battle of Gettysburg. It was his only book about the Civil War but he wrote many others.

Well, what are you reading?

[Forgiven_Sinner]

“Just finished Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Heinlein.Thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Ha! Having read just about all of Heilein’s novels, I think that one is his best. His publisher thought so too.

“Have Spacesuit Will Travel” is probably number 2.

[TradicalRC]

Oh, and the latest issue of Chronicles magazine.

[JewishRighter]

The Nutmeg of Consolation by Patrick O’Brian

The Russell Crowe film “Far Side of the World” partially based on this brilliant seafaring tale of the British Navy in early 1800’s against Napoleon, et als. Part of a series of 20 novels and a partially completed 21st before the author died. Fantastic and mostly extremely appealing to conservative sensibilities.

[T Minus Four]

The Holy Bible - NIV translation. And a stack of books about international adoption.

[MinuteGal]

"The Shadow of the Winter Palace" by Edward Crankshaw.

(Russia's Drift to Revolution, 1825-1917)

The narrative is riveting. The cast of historical characters is dramatic. Those of us who study "inside politics" have a fascinating gold mine here.

The book delves into behind-the-scenes political, cultural and personal details way beyond those enumerated in more superficial and "Hollywoodish" accounts of both the revolutionary conspiracy and the imperial ineptitude that led to the fall of czarist autocracy.

Leni

[T Minus Four]

Oh yeah, you reminded me! I too am pouring over seed catalogues. It’s the best antidote for a long, cold, grey winter :-)

[henkster]

Thanks to some Christmas and birthday presents, I received David Glantz’ “Stalingrad Trilogy;” operational histories of the German/Soviet campaigns from April 1942-March 1943. This has prompted me to re-read my library of “Eastern Front” books and incorporate the new volumes as I read the entire history of this bitter “war within a war.”

I expect this project to take about a year.

[wizr]

I am reading “South Wind”, the continuation of “Tallgrass” the history of Kansas in novel form.

They were written by Don Coldsmith, who is IMHO the equivalent of Louis Lamour, concerning plains indian history and the development of this “one Nation, under God”.

[GSP.FAN]

Just received them in the mail Tuesday

Blacklisted by History / M. Stanton Evans
48 Liberal Lies About American History (That You Probably Learned in School) / Larry Schweikart
My Grandfather’s Son / Clarence Thomas
The Political Writings of John Adams / Carey, George W.; Adams, John

Just finished reading Target Patton,Going Rogue, Political Writings of Rufus Choate and reread Witness 50th edition..

I read a lot...

[riri]

Just finishing up Menace in Europe. Very good read. Link

And working my way through Atlas Shrugged. I have read all her others just never this one if you can believe it.

[Alberta's Child]

The Code: The Unwritten Rules Of Fighting And Retaliation In The NHL by Ross Bernstein

An excellent book for any hockey fan -- and it's really not what you might think it is, if you're looking for a "rah-rah" book about great fights in hockey. It's a remarkable, objective look at what drives the sport to accept this kind of behavior on the ice.

[HamiltonJay]

Reading Currently:

Forging of the Darksword - Weis & Hickman
Autonomy - Daniel Blythe

Recently Completed:

The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan

Will be starting:

Dragon Reborn - Robert Jordan
Doom of the Darksword - Weis & Hickman

The Dr Who book was a gift from my Son for Christmas, its pretty light reading, and is the first time I have read any of the DR. Who book tie inns... but I have to say it does read like an episode and while very light fair has been entertaining.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

I recently finished reading Volumes 5 & 6 of The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny, published by NESFA Press. Then I went back and re-read many of the stories from the earlier volumes in the series. Even now, after being a fan for nearly 34 years, Zelazny's prose can take me places that no other author can reach.

[Dutchgirl]

I read “When God Weeps” by Joni Earekson Tada. That led me to re-read “Surprised by Joy” by C.S. Lewis and also to discover
John Piper, who makes his books available online at

http://www.desiringgod.org

Enjoying his “The Pleasures of God” (God’s Delight in Being God) and Don’t Waste your Life”, looking forward to “Desiring God.”

Also read “The Shack” by William P. Young, which I would not have wanted to read without first reading “When God Weeps,” because of some of Young’s crunchy granola theology.

Finally, I am starting to read “At the Back of the North Wind” by George McDonald, and “George McDonald: An Anthology-365 Readings” collected by C.S. Lewis

(bonus)Last few books I read to the grandbabies: “The Stupids Have a Ball” by Harry G. Allard and “Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle,” by Betty MacDonald, as well as books on dinosaurs and origami.

Best book I read last year for kids: “Discovering Great Artists” by Maryann F. Kohl.(sample craft, when learning about Michaelangelo- have kids lie under the dining table and attempt to color on paper taped to the bottom.)

Most fascinating book read last year, “God’s Promise to the Chinese” by Ethel R. Nelson
http://www.answersingenesis.org/Home/Area/Magazines/Images/chinese_chart.jpg

[schurmann]

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an excellent series. And one I enjoy rereading. Riordan has a new series starting in May called The Kane Chronicles.

Rereading the Belgariad and Mallorean by David Eddings.

Just got Michelle Malkin’s In Defense of Internment and Ronald Kessler’s In the President’s Secret Service.

[runninglips]

Two of them were first cousins...lol. Came back from Vietnam as heroin junkies.....I didn’t know that. I was only 17 at the time, and still going to HS. They were in their early twenties, and I kinda worshipped them. They had all the good things going on....loose women, drugs.....no I did NOT inhale...and played cards and drank all night. I LOVED IT at the time. One guy used to fill his mouth with lighter fluid and blow flames....Last I heard, he is living in his parents basement still, and was recently arrested for charging down the busy street naked, screaming at people to quit driving. It was keeping him awake at about 9 AM.

[El Sordo]

“Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid”

And it is hurting my brain... But it’s a good kind of hurt.

[Sherman Logan]

I believe it’s going to take three more books to finish the series.

Randland needs more words!

[CougarGA7]

My current reading list is pretty extensive for obvious reasons. I just finished up “Mirrors of Destruction” by Omer Bartov and “The Wansee Coference and the Final Solution” by Mark Roseman. My current reading is as follows:

Ordinary Men - Christopher R. Browning
A War to be Won - Williamson Murray and Allan R. Millett
Why the Allies Won - Richard Overy
A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II - Gerhard L. Weinberg
Partners in Command - Mark Perry

When I get some time to read a page or two for fun I’m slowly working through “Midway” by Mitsuo Fuchida and Masatake Okumiya (I only read about 5 pages a week right at the moment)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

My current read-as-time-permits book is fiction - an anthology of detective novels set in Berlin called "Berlin Noir," by Philip Kerr. I have heard from a couple sources, although not explicitly from the novel itself, "March Violets," that the first is supposed to take place in 1936. Early on there are references to German pilots flying in Spain, so I would think it is later than that. I thought the civil war began in 1937. Otherwise it is an enjoyable book. The blurb on the cover says "Philip Kerr is in a league with John Le Carre and Alan Furst." I don't know who Alan Furst is, but I have read lots of Le Carre and I don't know where the comparison comes from. Kerr comes from the Raymond Chandler school.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who is familiar with this author or his work. Especially people with actual knowledge of pre-war Berlin. The reviews I found on Amazon are favorable and say they are accurate, for what that is worth.