Just finished "Quantum Night" by Robert J. Sawyer.
A very good read that had me hooked from the very start. So good, in fact, that I am now going to the library to check out more of this author's books.
I definitely recommend it.
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Just finished "Quantum Night" by Robert J. Sawyer.
A very good read that had me hooked from the very start. So good, in fact, that I am now going to the library to check out more of this author's books.
I definitely recommend it.
Reading Southbound on the Appalachian Trail.
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I'm slowly working my way through the Game of Thrones series by George RR Martin. I'm on book 5 now-A Dance With Dragons. Totally engrossing, and believe it or not, a far more complicated world, characters, and "history" created and more fully realized even than Tolkien's, and he was a master. In Martin's world, the line between good and evil is far more ambiguous, and the worldview much more dark and cynical, perhaps reflecting our current age. For this series, I got into it backwards after binge-watching the series and becoming totally engrossed in the various characters and intrigues, shocking developments, etc.
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
I've been meaning to read that for years, JBpilot-always hearing quotes from it!
I finished re-reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer over the weekend. I took a grad level class on Twain in the spring so I noticed some things with this re-reading that went over my head the first time. Also, the personalities of Tom and Huck are somewhat different between this book and the adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
On a related note, I checked out a book of Bret Harte short stories. Harte was a friend and contemporary of Twain's so I wanted to read some of his works and compare the two authors. Harte is rather one-dimensional when compared to Twain.
I think the difference between the two is Tom Sawyer is a child's book that can appeal to adults, while Huckleberry Finn is an adult's book that can appeal to children. In Tom Sawyer, we mainly see the façade of humanity. In Huckleberry Finn we get more of a look at what goes on behind the curtains. Twain is my favorite writer.Quote:
Originally Posted by Leatherstockiings
Sigmund Freud. The Ego and the Id.
Started reading, "Mark Twain's Other Woman (The hidden story of his final years)" about Clemmens' final decade. After several chapters I sort of lost interest :shrug:Quote:
Originally Posted by Leatherstockiings
Replaced with Suetonius "The Twelve Caesars."
The third volume of his autobiography(unabridged version) has some scandal in it but would seem pretty tame compared to mosern standards. Volume three finishes with an appendix of documents related to his dismissal of his personal assistant and secretary.
Just read "With Reckless Abandon" memoirs of a boat obsessed life by Jim Sharp. A great read about the Windjammers sailing out of Camden Maine with a bunch of Jims other endeavors thrown in. It was amazing to read about the kind of work these boat owners put into maintaining / repairing these 100 year old ships. Imagine someone taking a 75 foot spruce tree 3 1/2' across the butt and whittling it down to a tapered mast 12" diameter at the top. Did I mention he has a bum leg from polio. I met the 83 year old author at the Windjammer Days in Camden, bought his book and chatted with him about his museum. Read the book in two nights, very hard to put it down
Now I need to find a copy of "Adventure: Queen of the Windjammers" a book about the 122' ship he sailed out of Camden for 25 years. What I wouldn't give to have sailed on her with 6000 square feet of sail pushing her to 14 knots.
That's the way that I was with it. Even still I'm reading it slowly. It's a lot to digest. Some of it is so simple yet so profound! There is one part that says avoid long drawn out wars or your population will grow weary of it. Seems true to me! (Not making judgements for or against the current wars just how the country seems to feel about them).Quote:
Originally Posted by ScoutHikerDad
Reading Victory Through Air Power by Major Alexander P. De Seversky
Written in 1942 its basically an attempt to convince America that the air is where the war will be won/lost.
He makes some good points but hindsight shows us he is a bit overoptimistic about what air power can do.
Reading Appalachian Trials. Not so much a how to guide for camping but dealing with the psychological side of hiking long term. I went to Philmont twice with my boys and you spend 10 days on the trail as a group and got to see the dynamics of group psychology play out. This book deals more with the solo hiker and how not to be in the 70% of people that fail.
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I've been on a kick of audiobooks lately. It makes the time on a treadmill more bearable.
Just finished "The 5th Wave" by Rick Yancey. It was fine, mostly meant for a young teen audience I suppose. Fine enough that I have put a hold on the second audiobook in the series.
Now moving onto some Stephen King. I think I will try "Full Dark No Stars" audiobook.
Happy weekend everyone.
"Vintage Rolex Sports Models" by Martin Skeet and Nick Urul
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Well written and interesting. A great history.
I enjoy a good mystery now and then and recently finished, "The Girl on the Train," by Paula Hawkins. I was intrigued by the premise of a woman commuter on a train who might have seen something related to a murder. However, the characters were unlikeable and repeated alcoholic blackouts of the main character became tedious. In the end, it became somewhat of a thriller, but by then I didn't really care.
On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed, "Case Histories," by Kate Atkinson. This book combines suspense with excellent writing, outstanding character development, sophisticated psychological portraits, and family saga.
I ordered some new drawers from Dulutg Trading Co and this popped up during the checkout. Light hearted.
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Note: For the life of me, I can't figure this sideways pic thing! There's no method to its madness!:confused:
I listened to "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" this weekend while driving to visit relatives. I'm also about a third way through Boone: A Biography about the life of the frontiersman Daniel Boone.
"One Second After" by John Matherson, a fictional, but nonetheless chilling book on what happens when an enemy of the US detonates a nuclear device high in the atmosphere, so that the only effect is a crippling Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP), shutting down everything contains electronics, instantly.
The Red Pavilion: A Judge Dee Mystery
by Robert Van Gulik
Fiction > Mystery & Detective
Tang dynasty, 618-907
Judges
Dee Jen-Djieh (Fictitious character)
China
A chance encounter with Autumn Moon, the most powerful courtesan on Paradise Island, leads Judge Dee to investigate three deaths. Although he finally teases the true story from a tangled history of passion and betrayal, Dee is saddened by the perversion, corruption, and waste of the world "of flowers and willows" that thrives on prostitution.
Always a good series. I have been reading them since '64 when I found one in a Naval Station library
~Richard
I get mine through Alibris used books
I'm in the middle of "The Papers of Tony Veitch" -- the second volume in William McIlvanney's "Laidlaw" trilogy. The author is widely held to be the progenitor of the Tartan Noir genre; sadly, he passed away last December.
Undermajordomo Minor, by Patrick deWitt.
So far so good.
I read "The Sisters Brothers" and enjoyed, figured I'd pick this one up too.
I like his style of writing, but it may not be for everyone.
Anyone read any Franklin Horton? I picked up a knife mag yesterday and there a full page ad for his ISIS/End of the World type books.
Logic Made Easy by Deborah J. Bennet
Before Gillette: The Quest for a Safe Razor - Inventors and Patents 1762-1901 by Robert K Waits.
Fascinating stuff on the attempts to tame the razor, lots of diagrams, easy to read in small increments.
Read that along with Anasazi Boys last month. Both books entertained me thoroughly enough to seek out out more of Neil Gaiman's work at the local library.Quote:
Originally Posted by Leatherstockiings
"The Hiding Place" the Corrie Ten Boom story. Second time reading it. I have it in a tattered hardcover I picked up from Goodwill however, the softcover I am reading now belongs to my daughter- She got it with her most recent shipment of curriculum for home schooling.
The Starz network will be airing a 10 episode series of American Gods this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Speedster
The Civil War Trilogy, "Gods and Generals", "The Killer Angels" and "The Last Full Measure."
Earlier this evening I was reading If You Give a Moose a Muffin, Where the Wild Things Are, and It's Pajama Time. I might start on a Charles Dickens novel later tonight.
I'm readin a textbook on maths, science an technology as I'm takin an open uni course leadin upto doing a secon degree in maths and physics.
For fun I am reading "Software Exploitation, How to crack the code"
Geek
Sent from my LG-H850 using Tapatalk
I just finished the following books over the Christmas break:
Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History (Brian Kilmeade). Just shows you we have been fighting the war against muslim pirates for more than 200 years.
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The Chase - an Issac Bell series by Clive Cussler.
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Now I just started "Measure Twice, Cut Once" - Norm Abram
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Finished "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom last night. Great book. When I got done I told my daughter "your turn". I think I am going to start "All the Gallant Men" next.
Read this one last weekend. Not very long, I found it interesting.
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Started "All the Gallant Men" by Don Stratton. Very good so far.
Finished "All the Gallant Men". Very good book. Started "Inside the 3rd Reich" Memoirs of Albert Speer. Still getting through the intro. So far so good. 40¢ at the thrift store- Hardcover
I just checked out Measure Twice, Cut Once: Lessons from a Master Carpenter after seeing it here. I'm already feeling handier after peekin inside.
Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham. A very entertaining read.
Mr Grisham may not ever win high-flying literary awards but, doggone it, I have always enjoyed reading his books.
This one didn't disappoint. Finished it in two days.
I'm reading "The Passage." A friend recommended it to me. I think it could have been really good, but lacks some character development. I'm just working through to the end now...
