Thread: What are You Reading?

Last week I was revisiting some of my favorite chapters from The Arabian Nights. I was just thinking this morning about resuming my effort to read more from the Harvard Bookshelf. I don't own the collection so have been finding the titles separately.

I thought some background information on the Harvard Bookshelf would be appropriate. Apparently a Harvard professor once made the claim that a man could receive the equivilant of a liberal arts degree by reading a selection of important works that would fit on a 5 foot bookshelf. A publisher challenged the professor to compile a list of titles. The collection was published with a forward to each title by the professor about that specific work and how to read it. I think there were around 50 volumes in the collection, with multiple titles per volume. The Harvard bookshelf was very popular in its day.

I'm actually trying to figure out what to read next. I just finished Stephen King's "11-22-63" the other night, and don't know if I want to move on to another of his books or switch gears a bit.

Good thread, Lynn!

Originally Posted by crouton976

I'm actually trying to figure out what to read next. I just finished Stephen King's "11-22-63" the other night, and don't know if I want to move on to another of his books or switch gears a bit.

Good thread, Lynn!

i generally find reading two books by the same author consecutively problematic, unless the books are quite different, whereas watching a tv series on dvd is good because you notice all of the little bits and bobs that the producers and directors hide in the various episodes, i usually end up with series that get sropped after 2 seasons, except lost which was completely dissapointing at the end, i wish i had been left in suspense.

"Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by TE Lawrence.

Darth, I have read a lot of L'Amour books. I always found his longer books to be much better than the short stuff. Last of the Breed, The Lonesome Gods, The Walking Drum, Jubal Sackett are some of his best works.

"Helmut for My Pillow" by Robert Leckie ; a book about the Pacific island battles during WW II.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

"Helmut for My Pillow" by Robert Leckie ; a book about the Pacific island battles during WW II.

Great book! It was one of the World War II memoirs used to make the HBO mini-series "The Pacific."

BTW...Have you read Eugene Sledge's, With the Old Breed about his days as a Marine at the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa during World War II? Its outstanding.

Originally Posted by jhenry

Great book! It was one of the World War II memoirs used to make the HBO mini-series "The Pacific."

BTW...Have you read Eugene Sledge's, With the Old Breed about his days as a Marine at the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa during World War II? Its outstanding.

I have not read "With The Old Breed", eventually I will get to it. Surprisingly, I have missed most of the books on the Pacific campaign. I'm making up for it now. I spent my youth mainly reading about the battles in Europe & Vietnam.
I just finished " No Easy Day", by Mark Owen. It was a fast, good read.

For a change of material and venue, I have been re-reading the Robert Van Gulick book series about Judge Dee- Jhien Jeh. They are a fictional stories revolving around the deeds and intelligence of an actual historical figure of ancient China. I first ran across a copy written in English in the Base Library in the early 60's while serving with the US Navy in Japan.
Judge Dee stories - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"""The Chinese Nail Murders"
Judge Dee, and his four helpers, solve three murders: that of an honored merchant, a master of martial arts, and the wife of a merchant, whose corpse has no head. Judge Dee soon comes under pressure from higher-ranking officials to end his investigation. Naturally, Judge Dee refuses to give up until he has learned the whole truth.
A nail murder was a motif of crime in ancient China.[1]
The case of the headless corpse was based on an actual 13th-century Chinese murder casebook.""

Three solutions in one book. The series of about fifteen books is quite commonly available on line for a fairly low cost per book.
~Richard

I'm not reading anything remotely educational nor informative at the moment, however, a week ago I came across a type of "Choose Your Own Adventure" type of book many of us read as children. It's entitled, "Who Killed John F. Kennedy, A Lose Your Own Adventure" from Despair, Inc. I'm certain it will be refreshing and at the same time depressing escape from the news of the day.