What Are You Reading?

Vanity | June 27, 2014 | Tax-chick

[Tax-chick]

What are you reading? There used to be a quarterly "What are you reading?" thread, but I haven't seen it for a long time. I got a lot of good book suggestions that way, and I miss it.

So here's a thread! If you're reading something interesting you think others would like, or something boring you'd recommend we all avoid, jump in! If you have a ping list of FReepers who might be interested, ping them!

[Tax-chick]

It’s a lot harder for an adult-sized teenager to just take off into independent life these days. Bad and good ... in Louis’s generation, it wasn’t unusual for full-grown boys to be given a firm shove, “Write when you find work.”

[Monkey Face]

There’s a scary thought...

[Silentgypsy]

"Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness" by Susannah Cahalan.
"Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson
"The Quest" by Nelson DeMille
"The Last Jihad" by Joel C. Rosenberg
"Shantaram: A Novel" by Gregory David Roberts
"The Psychopath Inside: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey into the Dark Side of the Brain" by James Fallor
"The Bride Wore Size 12" by Meg Cabot
"Rendezvous" by Nelson De Mille probably my fave)
Next:
"Animal Farm" by George Orwell

[Silentgypsy]

I loved, “The Chosen.”

[JoeFromSidney]

I'm reading The War that Ended Peace, a study of what led up to World War I. Among other factors, the author comments on the "childishness" of Kaiser Wilhelm. Here's a quote: "The trouble, though, was that he wanted the power and the glory without the hard work." Remind you of anyone in the news today?

[Nepeta]

The original “Perry Mason” series was one of the best ever. Everything about it was first rate and Della was a beauty.

After bad experiences with movies and radio, Gardner held off bringing Perry Mason to tv until he could exercise control over the series. That is probably why it is so well done throughout, and the characters are always themselves despite a number of scriptwriters.

Barbara Hale was something not seen in American tv or movies these days: elegant. You have to go to foreign movies to find actresses that have that kind of presence today.

[Ezekiel]

What Are You Reading?

The Daily Mail. Not that there's anything wrong with that. ;)

[Nepeta]

I got through both of those once, but really liked only “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.”

I may read that.

I just got two compilations of Clark Ashton Smith stories from the library, so those are at the top of the pile. CAS deserves to be better known.

[Nepeta]

Catastrophe 1914: Europe goes to War by Max Hastings. Very good so far (2/3 through).

I read it a few months ago. It is excellent. WW1 is fascinating so many different ways.

[Nepeta]

I’ve read most of them ages ago and what’s amazing is that the top 10 that were considered “The Best” back when I was in college in the dark ages (according to my kids) are the same books listed in the 2010s.

I think that is because 1) fantasy became a bigger market, and 2) Star Trek/Star Wars brought a lot of new fans to the market, and they think science fiction = space opera, and only space opera.

[yarddog]

I ordered some of the Perry Mason show on DVD when I had a gift subscription to Netflix.

One of the discs had a lot of personal interviews and even a fairly long video of the entire cast visiting together at one of their houses. One of the more interesting things was Burr had a pretty large zoo.

Also noticed from some of the interviews that they were all, especially Hale and the guy who played Hamilton Burger, extremely intelligent. Also discovered that Barbara Hale was the Mother of the guy who played Paul Drake jr. on the later series.

[Nepeta]

Also noticed from some of the interviews that they were all, especially Hale and the guy who played Hamilton Burger, extremely intelligent. Also discovered that Barbara Hale was the Mother of the guy who played Paul Drake jr. on the later series.

The set I borrowed from the library had none of that! sigh!

Everything I have read indicates that Perry Mason had a happy set, and everyone got on well. If anyone has not yet seen "The Case of the Final Fade Out," real crew members appear in it and Gardner is the judge.

[Tax-chick]

I read it, too. That’s how I learned the old King of Spain retired ... because there was an article about the fashion choices of the new Queen.

[jonno]

it wasn’t unusual for full-grown boys to be given a firm shove, “Write when you find work.”

Indeed.

I like to think I'm pretty independent; then I remember and am humbled by the thought of what our forebears endured: crossing oceans and continents, blazing trails, building communities from scratch, with seldom - if ever - a hint of govt assistance...

[Texan5]

When my first husband was in the AF, someone gave him a copy of Caesar’s “Gallic War” as a must read-MrT5 was in the Army, and it was considered a must-have for anyone who aspired to attend the War College-the copy I have is his, and treasured.

[firebrand]

I recently read Lionheart. Excellent of its kind. I don’t usually read historical fiction but she does capture the essence of a time and place and gives life to the historical characters.

[BlueLancer]

"I don’t usually read historical fiction"

If you liked "Lionheart", you may also like "The Sunne In Splendour", which is a novelized biography of Richard III. Very good stuff.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Koontz best two books for reading are Watchers and Lightning.

His most chilling was "Dark Rivers of the Heart" especially in light of today's events.

His books sometimes have monsters. In DROTH it is all people. Some people are far more scary then any cave monster that eats whole villages could ever be.

[airedale]

I decided on First Tycoon since it was available in audio book format that I could download from the library. The other one is out and it could take up to 30 days to get assuming I’m the only one in the que.

If you like history books try Ron Chernow’s book Hamilton on Alexander Hamilton. One of the best written history books I’ve read.

I just finished Washington’s Spies by Alexander Rose which is the basis of the TV show Turn. It’s not bad either, but doesn’t compare to Hamilton or any of Tuchman’s or McCullough’s books like the Great Bridge

If you want to have a bit of historical fun try the Flashman series by George McDonald Fraser. Start with Flashman. He’s in every major historical event from the Charge of the Light Brigade to 1894. Most are very accurate except for his insertion in the events as a key figure. The only one that’s really more fiction is the one that takes place in Germany (Royal Flash I think) which is his take off on The Prisoner of Zenda. After the first couple the books are well footnoted to tell you where he’s departed from fact or how his characterization fits with the truth either of events or the real people involved. Just search for Flashman in Wikipedia and you’ll see why he’s fun.

I prefer listening to them. David Case does a fantastic job of becoming the character of Sir Harry Paget Flashman VC, KCB, KCIE, holder of Congressional Medal of Honor and the equivent for the Confeterate States among other awards.

[firebrand]

I recently reread The Bluest Eye. Morrison is a lyric genius. In the edition I read, there was a dry nonfiction analysis by the author at the back, which should not have been there. Also, I'm not a fan of the magical, but the child's eyes actually turning blue and making her ugly to others instead of beautiful has a deep and stirring meaning.

Also, just gorgeous prose. Unique and fantastically gifted writer.

I remember when she was an editor at Knopf or Random House. imprint, can't remember which. She was writing at the same time and doing justice to neither. Her literary friends persuaded her to quit her editor post and just write, and the world is richer for it.