What are you reading now?

Currently trying to get through the gauntlet by John g Doyle. I only knew about him from TikTok.

In reply to Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) :

I read Demon Copperhead a couple of months ago. Like you, I recommend it.

Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) said:

Read "Demon Copperhead" by Barbara Kingsolver.  Obvious why it won a Pulitzer Prize.   As an aside, it explains how devastating the opoid crisis was to Appalachia, if Charles Dickens was writing it.

Sounds like Hillbilly Elegy; if you've read it, are you able to compare them? 

Have not read Hillbilly Elegy yet.  Need to but it on the list.

Just finished "The Guns of August" by Barbara W. Tuchman.  OMG, easy to understand why it won the Pilitzer Prize. Even though it was first published in 1962 it is riveting.  I couldn't put it down.  The link between the war of 1870 eventually resulting in WW2.   So many bad decisions compounded by more ego filled bad decisions.

I'm about a third into this book and it's fascinating. It's history that was never taught ... or even had a minor mention in the history books we had in school. I'll add to my thoughts about this as I read more. So far it has really held my interest.

In reply to Beer Baron :

x2 on Children of Time. I've read the first two so far on your recommendation and have not been disappointed. Good Sci-fi. Very compelling

It's a collection of magazine articles he wrote about pop culture forming in the 50s and 60s  a lot of it around cars including the original Last American Hero article, a long story on So Cal hot rods, and one about the creation of demolition derbies on Long Island   One of the demo derby drivers mentioned, Charlie Turbash still has family racing there  

In reply to Wally (Forum Supporter) :

I forgot about that book.  I like Tom Wolfe's stuff, but I don't think I ever got around to that one.  Thanks for reminding me.

Currently most of the way through Jim Butcher's Furies Of Calderon, first book in his Codex Alera series.  Written about 4 years after the first Dresden Files book, which I haven't read but I know has fans here.

It's... just OK.  Most of the characters are decent, if a bit one-dimensional.  To his credit, his women are mostly strong and smart, which I like.  And it's an interesting take on magic, a little different from typical swords-n-sorcery stuff.

But his writing could use a good editor.  In the opening chapters, 2 characters were in a tense situation.  I swear to Bob, one or the other of them licked their lips at least 10 times in about 3 pages.  And he has a tendency to use the same word, or even the same phrase, repeatedly and very close together.  It really could have used another read-through before going to press.

And I recently got through a long scene that was just... weird, and didn't really fit the rest of the book so far.  It's like he had been saving this really cool idea for a long time and couldn't stand it any more, so he just kind of jammed it into this story.

I'll finish it without regret, but I probably won't read more of this series.

I have been reading absolutely everything in John D MacDonald's catalog, and loving everything. I sadly finished the Travis McGee series, and am on A Flash of Green now.

Also https://www.amazon.com/Let-Great-World-Spin-Novel/dp/0812973992 but it's a bit sad. The author is a master at character building.

In reply to Duke :

Finished Butcher's Furies of Calderon.

It was readable, but I don't think I will go further in this series.

It was relentlessly melodramatic.  Everything was done against impossible odds, everything happened at the last possible second, and with the last ounce of strength.  Secondary characters reappeared at the absolute worst (or best) possible moment to screw things up or save the day.  There were a dozen "surprising plot twists".

Overall it wasn't hard to read, but my suspension of disbelief got tired.

Just started reading:

Thanks A Lot, Mr Kibblewhite - Roger Daltrey's autobiography.

tuna55 said:

I have been reading absolutely everything in John D MacDonald's catalog, and loving everything. I sadly finished the Travis McGee series, and am on A Flash of Green now.

 

Also https://www.amazon.com/Let-Great-World-Spin-Novel/dp/0812973992 but it's a bit sad. The author is a master at character building.

When you finish Travis McGee, you might look at the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series by Robert Crais.  I'm down to the last two or three of those and they remind me in a good way of John D. MacDonald...

I just finished this:

The author (Liam Maguire) is a good friend of my BIL, he's quite the drinking companion - so many stories about hockey in general and the NHL in particular. 
The violence in the minors was astonishing to say the least. 

I'm starting "Sea of Tranquility" by Emily St. John Mandel. I've read her other post-apocalyptic novel "Station Eleven."

Sarah Young said:

I'm starting "Sea of Tranquility" by Emily St. John Mandel. I've read her other post-apocalyptic novel "Station Eleven."

How are they?  I'm always up for good post-apocalyptica.

Some of my favorites:

Lucifer's Hammer - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

The Postman - David Brin - yeah, the movie wasn't so good, but the book is

A Canticle for Liebowitz - Walter M Miller

Just finished

"The Splendid and the Vile"

By Erik Larson Could not put it down.

Duke said:

In reply to Duke :

Finished Butcher's Furies of Calderon.

It was readable, but I don't think I will go further in this series.

It was relentlessly melodramatic.  Everything was done against impossible odds, everything happened at the last possible second, and with the last ounce of strength.  Secondary characters reappeared at the absolute worst (or best) possible moment to screw things up or save the day.  There were a dozen "surprising plot twists".

Overall it wasn't hard to read, but my suspension of disbelief got tired.

That's kind of Butcher's M.O. I enjoy the Dresden Files, but there's definitely a lot of deus ex machina in those books. They often pull stuff off at the very last moment, or through some ally unexpectedly helping him. But he brings it back around, because you get complacent and start thinking that no one is in danger because they alway pull things off through some miraculous, unexpected feat and everyone goes home none the worse for the wear, he'll up and kill/permanently cripple a major character every once in a while  

Duke said:

Sarah Young said:

I'm starting "Sea of Tranquility" by Emily St. John Mandel. I've read her other post-apocalyptic novel "Station Eleven."

How are they?  I'm always up for good post-apocalyptica.

Some of my favorites:

Lucifer's Hammer - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

The Postman - David Brin - yeah, the movie wasn't so good, but the book is

A Canticle for Liebowitz - Walter M Miller

 

I'd recommend Station Eleven. One of the Big Content Makers (maybe Max?) also made a television series based on the book.

I finished this book, but I wouldn't recommend it. I don't usually read this type of book. The reason I bought it was because the author is local, and a local historical fact is the central theme of the story.  The US government through the FCC Intelligence division force-leased a farm in Scituate, RI, just prior to WW II to create a listening post to track Nazi spies. (It was the Suddard farm by the way, and I think Margie talked about a family connection to the farm a while ago). Anyway, it's self-published, loaded with annoying  and distracting grammatical and spelling errors, and the fictional plot could never be accepted by students of WW II history. Let me count the ways. I needed a red pen to circle errors as I read. The writer needed a good editor. (BTW, this is my opinion and anybody can disagree. I won't care ).

Started out as a tough pull, but I learned long ago to give any book 100 pages before throwing it on the fire.

Author goes into a lot of detail about the combatants' personalities, Nimitz was easy going, a patient thinker and turned down the head of the Pacific Fleet a few times because he would jump ahead of 28 other officers with seniority.  FDR gave hm no choice.  Adm. King was always the smartest guy in the room and all others were not ever worthy of his disdain.  These personalities drove the way these men fought, for better or worse.  

Curious how the writer got all this on the Japanese officers.

In reply to 914Driver :

You should read this

Thanks, should have been fun because radar etc. hasn't been invented.

Reading Ship of Ghosts by James Hornfisscher.   It's the story of the USS Houston, a heavy cruiser in the South Pacific.  In the 1930s it was FDR's favorite ship.  He used it for trips from DC to California via the Panama Canal, cajoled with the troops, e was very good about learning their names and habits and they enjoyed his company.  The Houston was sunk in 1942, the survivors, barely 1/3 of the crew was used to make one of the infamous projects ever; documented in the movie Bridge on the River Kwai.

The movie vs real life ....

I'm working on "A Billion Wicked Thoughts".  Fascinating read.