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Topic: What book are you currently reading?
started by: allergic to bogus

Posted by allergic to bogus on Oct. 26 2006,12:08 am

I was posting on the favorite shows topic, when I realized that I generally prefer reading or writing to watching television. Hence, here I am on the forum!!! But, I am currently reading Undressed by Steph Ann Holm. What are some of your favorites? Usually, I like mysteries. Absolutely adore Westward Diaries- detailing the wagon trail. And, sometimes even medical or political informationals.

Posted by fauxtweet on Oct. 26 2006,12:52 am

All school for me

History,Logic,speech, and Physical Geology but I read nursing books and mags for fun.

Political papers when in St. Paul, but to tell you the truth they can be quite dry and hum-drum

Posted by Newbie on Oct. 26 2006,1:00 am

I am reading Imajica by Clive Barker right now.
My favorite genre is Sci-fi Fantasy. I also like horror, poetry, some mystery and certain non-fiction.
I also try to read every book my kids read so I know what they're reading and when they talk to me about them we can actually discuss them.
Also if there are movies made from books I try to have my kids read the books if they watch the movie.

Posted by Ole1kanobe on Oct. 26 2006,1:01 am

Stephen King, been working my way through the dark tower series.

Posted by Ned Kelly on Oct. 26 2006,4:18 am

Bob Woodward, State of Denial..............

...........ned

Posted by Common Citizen on Oct. 26 2006,6:58 am

Why We Want You To Be Rich - By Donald Trump and Robert T. Kiyosaki (Author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad)

Constitution in Exile - Judge Andrew P. Napolitano

I want to get the new book by Vince Flynn. It looks like fun one. Has anybody read this one yet?

Posted by Glu on Oct. 26 2006,12:14 pm

I've been reading a biography called the Lost German Slave Girl. It's a true story about a court case in New Orleans involving the identity of a slave - was she a German immigrant or a clever mulatto taking advantage of some Germans' claims that she is their long-lost relative who was kidnapped into the slave industry in the 1800's.

Very interesting read!

Posted by Wandering Tiger 73 on Oct. 26 2006,5:46 pm

The Persian Puzzle - Pollack; Man Without a Face - Wolf; and on the lighter side, Tales for the Vikings Locker Room - Williamson;

Posted by usmcr on Oct. 26 2006,7:52 pm

books i will be reading in the near future:
the innocent man, wild fire, the collectors, the mephisto club, the last white knight, act of treason & cross. would like to read more of Ron Handberg but he seems to have stopped writing. alex kava, Harlan Coben, Kathy Reichs, William j. Caunitz, Phillip Margolin, & John Sandford are authors i have enjoyed. if there are some out there who have not read Skipping Christmas, i would highly reccomend it for some light reading. painted house will also give you a glimse into the deep south years ago. wish you well is another well written book. i would also like to commend the new libarian for strightening out the library & heading in a new direction. :thumbsup:

Posted by allergic to bogus on Oct. 26 2006,9:25 pm

Here's one for you. I just picked up a book by Patricia Cornwell. For those of you unfamiliar with her, she is a coroner/ author. Very graphic in detail. Here's the kicker, it's a cookbook called Food to Die For-Secrets from Kay Scarpetta's Kitchen. (That is the name of the main character is many of her books). Actually it has some pretty yummy recipes in it. Co-authored by Marlene Brown.

Posted by nphilbro on Oct. 26 2006,10:27 pm

I'm rereading "Love Medicine" by Louise Erdrich. I find her lyrical prose and use of symbolism soothing and mesmorizing. It's generally the story of some Ojibwe families in northern Minnesota and North Dakota on the reservation.

It's wonderful, sad, and funny.

Posted by usmcr on Oct. 05 2007,10:39 am

highly recommend book - a thousand spledid suns - a thirty year journey thru afghanistan history thru the eyes of the people.
the quicke by james patterson
the bone garden by tess gerritsen

Posted by Common Citizen on Oct. 05 2007,11:55 am

Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush
by Robert Draper

Posted by JeffJimenez on Oct. 05 2007,1:01 pm

Leading with the Heart, Mike Krzyzewski(head mens BB coach - Duke University)

Posted by Botto 82 on Oct. 05 2007,1:47 pm

State of Denial
Bush at War, Part III
Bob Woodward

Posted by canvasback on Oct. 05 2007,3:17 pm

"A Pirate Looks at 50"...Jimmy Buffett

Posted by bianca on Oct. 05 2007,4:52 pm

QUOTE

State of Denial
Bush at War, Part III
Bob Woodward

What do you think so far?

Posted by ANTILIBERAL on Oct. 05 2007,5:13 pm

"The Future of Life" by Edward O. Wilson

"In the end, our society will be defined not only by what we create, but by what we refuse to destroy." John C. Sawhill

Posted by ANTILIBERAL on Oct. 05 2007,5:14 pm

Bianca,

Have you finished Curious George yet??

Posted by Shanzie on Oct. 05 2007,6:04 pm

am currently reading book 10 of the Prey books by John Sanford. Like the fact that they are based in the Twin Cities. I like reading mystery and crime and then will switch to romance for about a year but when they all seem to be the same again will go back to mystery. Haven't been to the new library yet -- need to get thru some of what I have at home first.

Posted by Spidey on Oct. 05 2007,6:34 pm

ANTILIBERAL, I just finished reading Curious George! There is a series of CG books.

I don't want to give the ending away for you, but all I can say is ... in the third book ... George is just a little too curious!!!

Posted by Botto 82 on Oct. 05 2007,9:39 pm

(bianca @ Oct. 05 2007,4:52 pm)

QUOTE

State of Denial
Bush at War, Part III
Bob Woodward

What do you think so far?

It's interesting that Bush consults with Bandar bin Sultan on as much as he does.

I loved it when, at the first WH photo op, Cheney leans over to Rumsfeld and says, "Get it right, this time."

It was also interesting to note that Bush 41 anguished greatly and lost sleep over 43's decision to go into Iraq.

Posted by jimhanson on Oct. 06 2007,3:14 pm

"The Somme"--trench warfare in WW I--horrible!

"Seizing the Enigma"--the greatest kept secret of WW II--breaking the German cipher machine.

"Marine Wings"--Marine aviators for the past 65 years, including a chapter each by Freeborn County natives Sherm Booen and Carlyle Lageson--and another friend, John Wastvedt.

I read "A Pirate Looks at 50" by Buffett before we took the trip through South America to Antarctica. I used to like his music, but his experiences were so unlike our own in South America that I couldn't find him credible--example--"We couldn't operate a seaplane (PBY flying boat) around South and Central America because of the U.S. anti-drug laws, so we gave up and called for our Cessna Citation (jet) to pick us up"

We had no problem running a seaplane in and out of EVERY country in the Carribean, Central and South America. With the exception of Brazil (which has big restrictions on operating on the Amazon) They just don't care. I believe it was part of his agenda to make the point. I believe that it was less legal restrictions than it was his own inexperience--it was no problem for the jet pilots, the National Business Aircraft Assn. shows few problems operating there, and it was no problem for us. A read through the book shows him having all kinds of problems in life, most of which he does not acknowledge as his own. Sounds more like a country western song ("my dog done died, and my pickup truck got run over by a train on my way back from prison....." :sarcasm:

than a contemporary singer.

Posted by whatshappening on Oct. 12 2007,3:58 am

Robert Jordan- Wheel of Time, whole series around 20 some book to it. Great writer if you like elfs, wizards, ect.

Posted by Common Citizen on Oct. 12 2007,8:03 am

Can anyone point me to a good book discussing Irelands history? I'm planning on taking a trip there soon and would like a little more insight to the country.

danke...

Posted by Replicant on Oct. 12 2007,8:16 am

(Common Citizen @ Oct. 12 2007,8:03 am)

QUOTE

Can anyone point me to a good book discussing Irelands history? I'm planning on taking a trip there soon and would like a little more insight to the country.

danke...

That's my #1 place to visit some day.

I just read this book, a fairly quick read, that covers Ireland's history earliest prehistoric settlers to early 21st century. You get a really good idea of how the seeds for the modern troubles were planted way back in medieval times.

< A History of Ireland, by Mike Cronin >

Posted by jimhanson on Oct. 12 2007,1:10 pm

"Beyond the 12 Bens"--a history of Ireland--from an Irish perspective. We met the author while on a trip there--she did a great job of Irish history--with an Irish twist.

Example: The British introduced the potato to Ireland. The British wouldn't let potatoes come in from any other land. The Irish became dependent on them, as any attempt to raise wheat was subject to British tax and confiscation. The potatoes became infected with blight, and the British wouldn't help, so millions died. The only way that an Irishman could receive British food was to swear fealty to the British Crown--SO THAT'S THE REASON IRISHMEN DON'T BELIEVE LYING IS DISHONEST.

It really IS a good read, though.

Posted by Wolfie on Oct. 12 2007,7:46 pm

Rereading "The Art of War" by Sun Tsu. I find it fascinating that some of the concepts of armed conflicts are so basic yet not easily grasped.

When men in suits fail, soldiers in uniform die.

Posted by allergic to bogus on Oct. 12 2007,11:01 pm

10 Minutes from Normal by Karen Hughes.

Posted by Replicant on Oct. 19 2007,12:37 pm

Just finished reading < Bush Pilots > by Bob Cary and Jack Hautala.

It's about floatplane pilots who flew primarily out of Ely in the heyday of fishing/hunting trips into what's now the BWCA.

Not great literature, but it was an interesting slice of Minnesota history about an era that's gone, FBOFW.

Posted by jimhanson on Oct. 19 2007,2:53 pm

Is the book available in the local library? I bought several non-flying airplane projects from Wiley Huatala.

I see by the link provided that it was reviewed by Kathleen Winters. She is one of the "regulars" at soaring meets in Albert Lea. She is the author of "Anne Morrow Lindbergh, First Lady of the Air". The book is the literary equivalent of a "chick flick"--less about accomplishments than about emotions and relationships--which means that guys will find this boring--but my wife liked it.

The book has been selling well, it does give an insight into her following Charles A. around, moving from house to house--but it hardly justifies the title of "First Lady of the Air."

Posted by Replicant on Oct. 19 2007,3:56 pm

I got the book as a gift, not sure if it's at the library.

Wiley Hautala is mentioned a number of times in the book. If I recall, he also flew some charters, but his specialty was plane mechanics? There was one story in particular that involved him I believe where they had to fly in a replacement engine to a floatplane that was stranded on some lake and he went with to swap it out.

All in all an entertaining read though. I haven't read a book with as many plane crashes since I read Eddie Rickenbacker's < Fighting the Flying Circus > and that was years ago.

Posted by jimhanson on Oct. 20 2007,12:15 pm

I'll order it out. Thanks for the tip!

I still have one of Huata's plane projects left--a damaged French Rallye--a low-wing, short takeoff and landing airplane. They were never popular in the U.S.--but once you understand the Gallic mindset (kind of like Zen and the art of Motorcycle maintenance?)

they are a great airplane. This one is damaged, but I intend to take it to Experimental status by converting it to a tailwheel and installing a bigger engine--sometime in my "older" age.

Posted by usmcr on Apr. 16 2008,12:11 pm

i am in the process of reading " the mulligan " by Nathan Jorgenson. it is a very well written book about a guy trying to find a new life for his self. he also wrote " waiting for white horses " which i have not read yet. he is a local writer & graduated from concordia college. it was published by flat rock publishing. this book could turn into a very good movie.

Posted by Common Citizen on Apr. 16 2008,12:32 pm

Audacity of Hope

Review: :rofl:

Two thumbs down and a cow pie.

Posted by Wareagle11B on Apr. 20 2008,8:11 pm

(whatshappening @ Oct. 12 2007,3:58 am)

QUOTE

Robert Jordan- Wheel of Time, whole series around 20 some book to it. Great writer if you like elfs, wizards, ect.

Whatshappening I am currently into the 2nd of series written by Kristen Britain. The first book is called Green Rider and it is along the lines of Robert Jordans books in that it is a fantasy book. I would also recommend the Shannara series by Terry Brooks. Brooks was the first author in the Fantasy genre that I ever read and I continue to read his Shannara series whenever a new one comes out.

I am also reading Coffee with Groucho. It is a unique book in that the author "interviews" Groucho and talks about various things with him. It looks to be quite a fun read. Another book I have finally gotten to is one that several on the forum have read. Lone Survivor is the name and I think this one may have some relavence to some local people. The story is about the destruction of Seal Team 10 in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan and it is the story through the leading Petty Officers own words. He was the sole survivor of this mission. I am not certain but it could be that this was the team that CWO Corey Goodnature was going into rescue when his MH47 Chinook helicopter was shot down and he was killed. I highly recommend this book along with the others I have mentioned.

Posted by Newbie on Apr. 21 2008,7:46 am

I'm currently reading "god is not Great" (How Religion Poisons Everything) by Christopher Hitchens. I'm about half way through. It's an interesting take on the major religions by an atheist. I usually don't like non-fiction (must be residual feelings from school :;):

Posted by Glad I Left on Apr. 21 2008,8:20 am

QUOTE

Another book I have finally gotten to is one that several on the forum have read. Lone Survivor is the name and I think this one may have some relavence to some local people. The story is about the destruction of Seal Team 10 in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan and it is the story through the leading Petty Officers own words. He was the sole survivor of this mission. I am not certain but it could be that this was the team that CWO Corey Goodnature was going into rescue when his MH47 Chinook helicopter was shot down and he was killed. I highly recommend this book along with the others I have mentioned.

I finished that book about 3 months ago and agree it is excellent. I hear it is being made into a movie (out this summer/fall I believe). I especially love Marcus' take on the media/DC politics for the Rules of Engagement. He doesn't hold back on his feelings!!
And this is the book that mentions Corey Goodnature by n name along with all the other members on the Chinook that came in to rescue him that was shot down.

Posted by KATOMAN on Apr. 22 2008,9:18 am

I have to agree,Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell, a very good read.

Posted by Common Citizen on Apr. 28 2008,4:57 pm

Battle Ready - by Tom Clancy and Tony Zinni

This is an eye opener...

Posted by bianca on May 17 2008,10:40 am

Speaking of eye openers.....

Written by a woman I have met numerous times from Minnesota wrote a first person look at poverty. Short read but an eye opener as far as poverty right here in the good ol' US of A and what "they" have to deal with day in and day out. Very humbling. Many humerous stories and interesting poems.

My Name is CHILD OF GOD...NOT "THOSE PEOPLE"
By Julia K. Dinsmore

Posted by Wizeguylefty on May 19 2008,9:12 pm

i read a lot of different things
pretty high on that list is anything by WEB Griffin he has 3 or 4 seperate series out
one is called the brotherhood of war its about army life from just shortly after ww2 to somewhere around viet nam its a look not at the army as a whole but from the perspective of 2 or 3 main characters and their interactions with the army and with each other.. i give it a 9 on a scale of 10
then theres the marine version called simply THE CORPS and its the same style of book except its starting point is pre ww2 it covers all of ww2 and some of korea
he then branches into the OSS i think thats called Men at war series.. it kinda had its start in the Corps series.. the companion series to the men at war is honor bound.. it too has its roots in the marine book series.. except where the main men at war is about europe the honor bound series is set in argentina..
he has 2 other series one is called badge of honor and its about the philadelphia cops and again its more about the main characters rather than the overall police dept.. his final series which is pretty current is called the presidential agent its a book about a man/team that does the presidents dirty work for him.. nothing illegal just stuff the president doesnt want to get out because of national security or whatever..
i also read a lot of steven king books my favorite book has to be the stand.. original and uncut and totally unabridged.. you need to pack several lunches to read this one.. its a 1600 page fine print book..lol just a short 3 day snack for me..lol
i have a collection of mack bolan books and the genere that expanded off of that.. able team phoenix force and soldiers of barrabas.. theres one other series to that and its viet nam ground zero... all good books but i havent read them in a long time.. they are collectors..
i guess you could say that i enjoy reading..

Posted by Wolfie on May 20 2008,1:14 am

Went into the basement and dusted off a few military "technical" manuals, just to refresh some info and blow out the cobwebs in my brain.

Posted by Wizeguylefty on May 20 2008,3:27 pm

heh military tech manuals.. gotta love em.... i got 3 that im proud of.. the complete set of m-60 field stripping and repair manual.... emplacement of a LMG in defilade and enfilade and a guide to the proper use of guerilla warfare and training indigenus personnel..

Posted by Newbie on May 20 2008,9:07 pm

(Wizeguylefty @ May 19 2008,8:12 pm)

QUOTE

i also read a lot of steven king books my favorite book has to be the stand.. original and uncut and totally unabridged.. you need to pack several lunches to read this one.. its a 1600 page fine print book..lol just a short 3 day snack for me..lol

You might like "Swan Song" by Robert McCammon. I read it in the nineties and I really enjoyed it. Here's a discription from amazon.

< Amazon.com >
Swan Song is rich with such characters as an ex-wrestler named Black Frankenstein, a New York City bag lady who feels power coursing from a weird glass ring, a boy who claws his way out of a destroyed survivalist compound. They gather their followers and travel toward each other, all bent on saving a blonde girl named Swan from the Man of Many Faces. Swan Song is often compared to Stephen King's The Stand, and for the most part, readers who enjoy one of the two novels, will enjoy the other. Like The Stand, it's an end-of-the-world novel, with epic sweep, apocalyptic drama, and a cast of vividly realized characters. But the tone is somewhat different: The good is sweeter, the evil is more sadistic, and the setting is harsher, because it's the world after a nuclear holocaust. Swan Song won a 1988 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel. It's a monster of a horror book, brimming over with stories and violence and terrific imagery--God and the Devil, the whole works.

Posted by Wareagle11B on May 26 2008,10:30 am

(Wizeguylefty @ May 19 2008,9:12 pm)

QUOTE

his final series which is pretty current is called the presidential agent its a book about a man/team that does the presidents dirty work for him.. nothing illegal just stuff the president doesnt want to get out because of national security or whatever..

i have a collection of mack bolan books and the genere that expanded off of that.. able team phoenix force and soldiers of barrabas.. theres one other series to that and its viet nam ground zero... all good books but i havent read them in a long time.. they are collectors..
i guess you could say that i enjoy reading..

I have The Shooters which is the latest available in paperback from the Presidential Agent series by W.E.B. Griffin. A good fast read for me.

Way back in the mid 1980's I had the entire Mack Bolan series from #1 up to the current one, (I forget what number) as well as those that were spun off, Phoenix Force and Able Team. Ground Zero had not yet come out I believe. What I find amazing is that Don Pendleton and the other authors can continue to keep this series alive. It has been out for a very long time. Mack Bolan actually started out as a soldier in Vietnam who returns home due to the mob killing his entire family and he then declares war on the mob. He then spun off into whatever issue was in the headlines. The Cold War, Terrorism etc. In other words this series has had a very long life and they are a good fast read.

Posted by Glad I Left on Jun. 23 2008,11:41 am

I was stranded at the Miami airport for a few hours and I was dying for something to read. All the bookstored didn't really have a whole lot choose from but way in the back burried under other books was a book by Neal Boortz called 'Somebody's Gotta Say It'.
I am sure I have heard his name before but I never really thought much of it.
What a good book. I am about 80% done, but by far the best part is the one on our 'government (a.k.a public) schools. I have always been for private competition in our school system and this just book just helped put me over the top of why we need tax money to follow the child and not the other way around.
Hope to finish it on my flight to Richmond today.

Posted by usmcr on Jun. 25 2008,7:54 am

Pillars of the Earth & World without end. these are both very large books, roughly 1000 pages each. the author is Ken Follett & the setting is 12th century England. Both books are very well written & depicts what the 12th century in England was like. lots of interesting characters & plots through out the books.

Posted by civilrights08 on Jul. 04 2008,3:00 pm

I am currently reading the book "So Help Me God" by Roy Moore. It says, "Chief Justice Roy Moore maintains that government must acknowledge the God upon whom America's moral principles were founded and that it is constitutional and ethical to do so. During the last fifty years, federal judges have misconstrued and abused the concept of "seperation of church and state," censoring God from the public square and depleting the moral fiber of our nation." Anywho.... I am only in the 3rd chapter now but it is very interesting.

Posted by usmcr on Jan. 01 2010,4:44 pm

JFK and the unspeakable by James W. Douglas available through selco.
this is a very provocative book concerning the assassination of JFK & the events leading up to it.
here is a link to a review of the book.
< http://search.barnesandnoble.com/JFK-and...0757556 >

Posted by Mr.L(R-MN) on Jan. 17 2010,9:00 pm

If I tell you, I'd just get Liberal and PH in a flame war with me, so I'll have to pass on this one.

Posted by irisheyes on Jun. 21 2011,6:58 pm

Lately I've been reading Once an Eagle by Anton Myer. The book is more than 1,200 pages long so I won't be done anytime soon. Mainly an anti-war book, but a relative told me it's required reading for the USMC and students at West Point, so those of you who are military or history buffs would probably enjoy it.

Posted by usmcr on Jun. 21 2011,8:26 pm

i am currently reading License to Pawn by Rick Harrison. it is about the world famous gold & silver pawn shop in las vegas. they have a tv show on the history channel. this book is about how they got started in the business. on the tv show they have a very subtle sense of humor. it is interesting to see the variety of things that people bring in to sell.

Posted by canvasback on Jun. 22 2011,9:16 am

I just finished 'Unbroken' by Laura Hillenbrand, she also wrote 'Seabiscuit'. It is the true story of Louis Zamperini, who ran in the 36 Olympics in front of Hitler, and ended up shot down in the pacific and became a Japanese POW. IF you like history or anything WWII related, check it out..great read. I believe it is number 1 on the New York Times bestseller list.

Posted by Pretzel Logic on Jun. 22 2011,11:57 am

I found a copy of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I figured I should find out why some make a big deal out of it.

I am about half way through it. I am not quite sure where she is going with it completely,but it is a brilliantly written and very engaging. It is a very fast moving book. It is hard to tell the heroes from the scoundrels and I can see where some could pick one sentence and have it become their mantra. As a book I give it high marks so far.

Posted by ThirdParty on Jun. 22 2011,12:50 pm

Good suggestion by Canvasback on "Unbroken" I tend towards most anything military, as well as Vince Flynn and John Sanford. You do not have to have an interest along any specific line however to enjoy this. Well written and detailed. Terrific (true) study of perseverance and will. Hard to imagine human beings treating each other that way....but it happened.

Posted by Stone-Magnon on Jun. 22 2011,3:28 pm

I'm working on writing the books at this point. Not reading them.

Posted by canvasback on Jun. 22 2011,4:44 pm

(Stone-Magnon @ Jun. 22 2011,3:28 pm)

QUOTE

I'm working on writing the books at this point. Not reading them.

Anyone else care to guess as to what some of those working titles might be? I can think of many, but it just seems too easy...

Posted by 2034 on Jun. 22 2011,7:02 pm

(canvasback @ Jun. 22 2011,4:44 pm)

QUOTE

(Stone-Magnon @ Jun. 22 2011,3:28 pm)

QUOTE

I'm working on writing the books at this point. Not reading them.

Anyone else care to guess as to what some of those working titles might be? I can think of many, but it just seems too easy...

Poet, porn star, musician, rocket man, medician man, radioman(paul) fish(minnow)vulcan(spock)initailman(ttt) :clap:

has lived and been everywhere, expert of all, short bus rider, jimmies best buddy :sarcasm:

_
-
-
Sorry, my side is hurting!
Please carry on.

Posted by Stone-Magnon on Jun. 22 2011,11:07 pm

I plan on finishing this mans work...

Posted by Stone-Magnon on Jun. 22 2011,11:10 pm

Posted by Stone-Magnon on Jun. 22 2011,11:12 pm

Posted by Stone-Magnon on Jun. 22 2011,11:23 pm

Posted by This is my real name on Jun. 23 2011,12:34 pm

So you're going to compile a list of his witticisms? Or just be a Bill Hicks knockoff, like Denis Leary or Dane Cook?

Posted by Common Citizen on Dec. 05 2011,8:17 pm

Just finished (for a 2nd time) American Assassin by Vince Flynn and started Memorial Day also by Flynn.

Does anyone have an e-reader like the Kindle or the Nook? Comments?

Consumer Reports listed the B&N Nook touch as the #1 pick. I like the fact that you are now able to download from the local library for free. Our library is never open when I am available so this would be a plus.

I am not interested in the Kindle Fire. It seems Expensive and heavy to hold. Besides, I already have other electronic devices that can do the extra stuff it comes with. Adding extra features will only divert my attention away from reading.

Posted by Common Citizen on Dec. 05 2011,8:24 pm

(usmcr @ Jun. 25 2008,7:54 am)

QUOTE

I read Pillars of the Earth (excellent) and just started to listen to World Without End in the car on CD. I must say that it is very enjoyable. I feel like I am right there amongst the characters.

Posted by Common Citizen on Dec. 05 2011,8:29 pm

(Common Citizen @ Apr. 16 2008,12:32 pm)

QUOTE

Audacity of Hope

Review: :rofl:

Two thumbs down and a cow pie.

Obama's autobiographical sequel just came out in time to stuff your Christmas stockings.

Audacity of a Dope
By Barrack H. Obama

Posted by Glad I Left on Dec. 05 2011,9:04 pm

Just picked up Killing Lincoln and Being George Washington at the airport in MSP for my flight to Dallas and back.
I am hoping O'Reilly and Beck can leave politics out of it and just make a good American History book. I have never done a Beck before. I just started Killing Lincoln and so far so good.

Posted by This is my real name on Dec. 06 2011,5:33 am

Recent reads:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
1984, by George Orwell
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde

Just finished Dewey by Vicky Myron the other day, and started Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis last night.

My wife and I decided this year to revisit some of the classics. Dewey (a best seller, but not a classic) was thrown into the mix because we bought that book over a year ago and it sat unread on our shelf.

Posted by ThirdParty on Dec. 09 2011,5:06 pm

Common Citizen: Vince Flynn is getting healthier and will release his next book now in January. Taking Mitch Rapp back to the beginning was a stroke of genius.

Just finished 11/22/63 by Stephen King. Not your normal Stephen King. Fascinating read if you can suspend reality for a bit on time travel...800 + pages...but I actually wish it was more. It is about much more than just the Kennedy Assasination.

Posted by grassman on Jan. 28 2012,7:35 am

I just finished The Coming American Dictatorship by John Silveira. Very in depth look at how we have strayed from the Constitution since it was devised. We have been on a slippery slope for a very long time.

Posted by hymiebravo on Jan. 28 2012,7:52 am

(grassman @ Jan. 28 2012,7:35 am)

QUOTE

Look on the bright side:

It gave John Something to write about and potentially make a lot of money in the process right?

Negativity and bad news sells.

If he would have wrote a book called something like: The USA is Fabulous and Just Gets Better Everyday.

How many copies of that do you think he would sell? lol

Posted by hymiebravo on Jan. 28 2012,7:54 am

I wonder how many Obama is Evil books there are out there today?

Posted by Self-Banished on Jan. 28 2012,8:50 am

Hymen, I'm sure your books come with "popups"

Posted by grassman on Jan. 28 2012,12:42 pm

(hymiebravo @ Jan. 28 2012,7:52 am)

QUOTE

Maybe you should read it before you do a book report. :laugh:

Posted by hymiebravo on Jan. 29 2012,10:11 am

(grassman @ Jan. 28 2012,12:42 pm)

QUOTE

(hymiebravo @ Jan. 28 2012,7:52 am)

QUOTE

Maybe you should read it before you do a book report. :laugh:

I'm not trying to put you down for what you're reading.

But how do you decide when the skepticism should end?

I look at this website that is associated with that author. And it seems more about pandering to a particular mindset who will buy things from them, and their advertisers, than anything else.

< http://www.backwoodshome.com/index.html >

Posted by hymiebravo on Jan. 29 2012,10:24 am

This guy seems to go on at length about how corrupt things are. Like many people similar to him.

But they don't seem to be so concerned that they are willing to dedicate any website space to solutions.

Yesterday I did say a Ron Paul ad there though. Which made me chuckle.

I really wish he would get elected.

Because that would remove the one supposed solution to everything, that many of these survivalist peddlers, use.

All they would have left after he was elected, and their predictions proved false, would be their goods that they peddle. IMO

Posted by QAZQAZ123 on Jan. 29 2012,10:34 am

I was almost afraid that last post would wind up as something other than hymiebravo's opinion.

Posted by QAZQAZ123 on Jan. 29 2012,10:34 am

IMO.

Posted by hymiebravo on Jan. 29 2012,10:35 am

(QAZQAZ123 @ Jan. 29 2012,10:34 am)

QUOTE

I was almost afraid that last post would wind up as something other than hymiebravo's opinion.

More cowbell!

Posted by QAZQAZ123 on Jan. 29 2012,10:41 am

Ding, Ding, Ding! Have a great day everyone! :rockon:

Posted by irisheyes on Jan. 29 2012,3:39 pm

(Glad I Left @ Dec. 05 2011,9:04 pm)

QUOTE

I know it's the title of the book, but I had to laugh when I read that last line. "I just started Killing Lincoln and so far so good." That's probably the kind of optimism John Wilkes Booth was feeling right before he injured his leg.

I got distracted from reading a U.S. History book by Eric Foner, and started reading a book on World History called The Twentieth Century and Beyond.

Posted by Glad I Left on Jan. 29 2012,5:24 pm

I suppose that did come out wrong didn't it (doh)

Posted by usmcr on Feb. 05 2012,2:29 pm

just finished patterson's new books, private & kill alex cross. private was just ok but kill alex cross was quite good. i think that had to do with that he was the author with out a partner. if you are looking for a new author in the mystery feild try out brian freeman, he is a minnesota writer. tami hoag's newest novel dsown the darkest road is also a good read.

Posted by Gamer on Feb. 06 2012,8:52 am

I'm currently reading through the Millenium Trilogy (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest). I highly recommend! :thumbsup:

Posted by Expatriate on Feb. 06 2012,9:03 am

The Secret.

a friend sent me this book, it’s about the law of attraction, positive thinking, feeling positive matching the frequency of your thoughts with the quality of your life. In short, like attracts like, think positive attract positive. But it goes father talking about the natural law of the universe and order in our personal lives, as we think and feel a frequency is sent to the universe a corresponding frequency energy is attracted to us...
I’m not sold on the concept but I’ll continue reading..
In some ways we all write the script to our own lives, the mind and visualization are powerful tools...

Posted by Common Citizen on Feb. 06 2012,2:10 pm

(Expatriate @ Feb. 06 2012,9:03 am)

QUOTE

Interesting take on life. I enjoyed it.

Posted by jrhanson_75 on Feb. 07 2012,11:14 am

The G Free Diet By Elisabeth Hasselbeck

Posted by usmcr on Mar. 10 2012,10:30 pm

i just finished reading john grisham's new novel the litigators. he is indeed a master at the lawyer books! the characters in the book are great & the book moves along quite well. the other book i recently read was entitled an available man. it is about a man whose wife recently died. his friends & family proceed to try to find him another companion. it is an interesting book.

Posted by Santorini on Mar. 11 2012,12:30 pm

Theres No Place Like Hope
By Vicki Girard
Very inspirational! :angel:

Posted by Pretzel Logic on Mar. 22 2012,11:39 am

I finished reading Atlas Shrugged for the second time, just in case there was something I missed in the heavy spots of the first reading. It amazes me the number of comments that I read in other forums, and article posts, of people trying to reference the book in some sort of cryptic fashion to what ever topic is at hand. Usually it seems that they might of read the jacket liner inside flap instead of reading the book and are trying to infer something else. I see alot of what went on in the book in our every day life. Surrounded by looters, robbers and moochers, committees of moral conditioning, those that would distort the language to mean something other than the words mean (plenty of that here

) to fuel their agendas, yet few of the mind. I encourage anyone to read this, but at 1300 odd pages it is a commitment. I have not become a devoted follower of the Ayn Rand fan club and have no desire to search out any other books written by her. Unless they find me as this one had.

Currently reading White Plague by Frank Herbert of Dune fame. A scientists family is blown up by an IRA bomb meant for the Ulstermen and the English and he wants revenge. This is an easier read than Dune was.

Posted by Pretzel Logic on Jul. 09 2012,10:12 pm

It has been good summer for sitting out side reading and tending the grill. I like to go down to the Salvation Army to buy books. Then I drop them back off after I have read them, most of them. I have found a few gems and have seen a lot of my returned books that I have repurchased, less clutter around the house. A good book I can read a number of times..( Like I can't quit watching " The Outlaw Jose Wales" for the millionth time)

I read Garrison Kelliors' Lake Wobegone, And found it pretty good even though I had resisted it for years, Mostly cuz he looked like my geeky cousin, who knows, maybe I was the geeky cousin

I found where Botto related a reference to the book on page 158 where the father figure has been reduced to a cartoon character being led around by kids and pets. Pretty spot on in some aspects.
All in all a very light hearted read. I hate to admit it, I liked it! Could be right here in A L. Thumbs up! :rockon:

Then I found a copy of 1984. Reprint date 1984. From the Albert Lea High School. Hard bound, no jacket. I paid two bucks.

I could not believe they expected me to digest this in 10th grade. The ideas, the content , the sexual matter.

This book is Scary! Find a copy, see where you are. There are many here that I would envision as being in the front line of the truncheon carriers.

On a lighter note, at the S A there is a copy of Lord Fouls Bane by Steven R. Donaldson. If you like Sci Fi with a very good story, snatch it up you won't be dissapointed. I know it is not mine cuz I still have it.. The follow up in the trilogy is the " Illearth War", wich was very good. The rest seemed to drag a bit.

Posted by irisheyes on Jul. 10 2012,12:07 am

(Pretzel Logic @ Jul. 09 2012,10:12 pm)

QUOTE

Great book, one of my favorites! The usage of doublethink is interesting since you can find a lot of correlations in history. I often use the two minutes of hate as a good example of certain news or political advertisements. So many favorite parts, I may have to reread it again soon.

I finally finished Once an Eagle a few months ago. I'd recommend it, but it's a really long book at about 1,200 pages.

Posted by Glad I Left on Jul. 10 2012,9:31 am

Summers get really busy for me with my two boys in baseball, and my daughter doing taekwondo with me but I did manage to finish Being George Washington. I didn't like it as much as Killing Lincoln, which I would recommend to anyone. Excellently written book.
Being GW, Beck put too much of his personal religious thoughts in there IMO. He at least did the nicety of gray shading his interjections so you could skip over them (which I did 90%) of the time. Historically it had a lot of interesting points in there about events in certain battles I was unaware of.
As an American History buff, I would recommend Killing Lincoln over Being GW if you only had to choose one, but both were good.
I am waiting for Killing Kennedy to come out this October.

Posted by SimpleLife on Jul. 10 2012,12:24 pm

(usmcr @ Jun. 25 2008,7:54 am)

QUOTE

Second this - the books are excellent!

My personal fave is the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, I've read the whole series through about 3 times. Right now I'm on book 3 of the Clan of the Cave Bear series.

Posted by Gamer on Jul. 10 2012,4:21 pm

I'm a little over half-way through "A Game of Thrones." So far, it's really good, and I'm excited to read the rest of the series!

Posted by usmcr on Sep. 11 2012,10:23 pm

just got done reading Zoo by j patterson & m. ledwidge.. this book is not for the animal lovers as it has to do with an animal uprising worldwide. it is not for the faint at heart! patterson is just living off his name right now, he needs to get back to some serious writing imho!

Posted by This is my real name on Sep. 12 2012,6:51 am

My wife and I have been reading some of the classics lately, some of which I blew off in high school. I think I'm enjoying them much more at 42 than I would have at 17. I've had a very busy schedule lately, so the reading is as frequent as it was a few months ago. The last one I finished (a few weeks ago) was "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Excellent book. The movie sucked. Though to be fair, since the story is a narrative, it doesn't lend itself well to the screen.

I have off and on been reading The Federalist Papers as well. Very though-provoking stuff, and still relevant.

Posted by hairhertz on Sep. 12 2012,10:57 am

I'm impressed by the selections posted, pretty heavy stuff!

I'm embarrassed :blush:

by the negligible amount I read. [low ability to concentrate]

Posted by Expatriate on Sep. 12 2012,5:14 pm

(Pretzel Logic @ Jul. 09 2012,10:12 pm)

QUOTE

I like to go down to the Salvation Army to buy books. Then I drop them back off after I have read them, most of them.

Thanks for the heads-up on the Salvation Army, never been in the place but I’ll have to check it out.
I miss the Constant Reader I love used books...

Posted by This is my real name on Sep. 12 2012,5:58 pm

(Expatriate @ Sep. 12 2012,5:14 pm)

QUOTE

(Pretzel Logic @ Jul. 09 2012,10:12 pm)

QUOTE

I like to go down to the Salvation Army to buy books. Then I drop them back off after I have read them, most of them.

Thanks for the heads-up on the Salvation Army, never been in the place but I’ll have to check it out.
I miss the Constant Reader I love used books...

Try the used book store in Clarks Grove. Nice selection there.

Posted by busybee on Sep. 14 2012,10:20 pm

Some of us read to learn and some of us read to escape/enjoy the escape from reality or we do both at some point in our lives.

I just finished reading the second book of a series of three based upon the "fifty shades of grey."

Dang those two books have been entertaining...from a female perspective anyway. LOL! :rockon:

Posted by SpiderWave625 on Sep. 18 2012,12:43 pm

I read 'The Scarlet Letter' for English last.
and
I really like the book 'The Secret Life of Bees' by Sue Monk Kidd. It's a great book that most teenage girls like.

Posted by This is my real name on Sep. 18 2012,1:35 pm

(SpiderWave625 @ Sep. 18 2012,12:43 pm)

QUOTE

I read 'The Scarlet Letter' for English last.
and
I really like the book 'The Secret Life of Bees' by Sue Monk Kidd. It's a great book that most teenage girls like.

Before having read "Gatsby", my wife and I read "The Scarlet Letter" and really enjoyed it. It's been done for the silver screen a few times, but never very well done.

I think Tim Burton would be able to capture the gothic feel of Nathaniel Hawthorne's writing. Joseph Gordon Levitt as Reverend Dimmesdale. Keira Knightley as Hester Prynne. Christopher Walken as Roger Chillingsworth. I would watch that version.

That said, no version will capture the writing of the novel. Definitely a classic. I enjoyed it more at 42 than I would have at 17 (when I was supposed to have read it in high school).

Posted by allergic to bogus on Oct. 16 2012,2:25 am

Seriously, I filled more than half of the large cart on wheels at the Public Library today with books. Hubby "suggested I clear out my bookshelf". About 50 books donated. Friends of the Library has a huge selection , I have gotten several books there. Must confess that these days I tend to download books on the Kindle Fire.

Posted by usmcr on Oct. 16 2012,8:41 pm

just finished the long awaited novel of ken follett winter of the world. it is a fictional account of families living in different countries before & during the 2nd world war. imho if you are a history buff it will be a good read. there are some explicit sexual encounters in the book, so be forewarned. imho i enjoyed his previous novels pillars of the earth & world without end much more than his current offering. to top things off i checked the book out of the local library & it reaked of smoke, not a pleasurable experience for a non smoker!

i am currently reading nypd red & have mad river in reserve! :rockon:

Posted by usmcr on Oct. 22 2012,9:39 pm

just finished nypd red by patterson & karp. if you are into murder mysteries i would highly recommend this one. it is fast paced & very well written! it is a little quricky in its overall makeup but it does retain ones interest right up to the last chapter. the next read will be mad river by john sandford.

Posted by Common Citizen on Oct. 23 2012,11:27 pm

Mad River by John Sandford

If you're a fan of Garage Logic's Joe Soucheray, this may be of interest.

It is about a few teenager's on a murder spree in southwestern Minnesota with BCA hero Virgil Flowers on the hunt.

Quick read.

Posted by Common Citizen on Oct. 23 2012,11:29 pm

(usmcr @ Oct. 22 2012,9:39 pm)

QUOTE

Funny... I posted this prior to reading yours. It was a toss up between NYPD Red and Mad River.

Swap?

Posted by usmcr on Oct. 24 2012,6:35 am

cc - no can do - my books come form the library. sandford is always a good read! this time he is collaborating with another author & it seems to be working out ok. james patterson on the other hand seems to be erratic with the different authors he teams up with, imho. brian freeman is a rather new author that you might enjoy, minnespta native.

Posted by usmcr on Oct. 27 2012,10:29 pm

just finished mad river by john sandford. excellent read, typical sanford book, well written, fast paced & good mystery. next up is bone bed by patricia cornwell.

Posted by usmcr on Nov. 07 2012,10:23 pm

bone bed by cornwell just so so - the racketeer by grisham is an ok read looked for a twsit at the end but not to be. i just cold not in vision a female lugging around gold bars to store at different sites due to the weight involved, but then again it is just fiction! i am now reading the panther by nelson demille. the novel takes place in yemen so should prove interesting. i have had these books on reserve at the library & they have all come up one after the other, so it has been a rather welcome diversion from the election!

Posted by Pretzel Logic on Nov. 21 2012,9:33 am

Finished reading "The Wilderness War" by Alan Eckart. It was a historical narrative of the revolutionary war . Written from excerpts of letters, journals and military correspondence. I have not read much in terms of this time period and location.

It centers around the Mohawk Valley region of New York and Pennsylvania and the Brittish and Iraquois League against the colonists.

The central figure in this is Joseph Brant who was on the side of the Brittish. The story the Last of the Mohiccans was written around him. I am sure I was supposed to read it in school, but didn't, nor have I watched the movie. Now I will have to, to see how it relates to what I have just read.

The Iraquois were ruthless in their attacks on the settlers. Fueled by the Brittish, who would pay at the time $10 per scalp. They had a system of marking them so to know if it was man, women or child. Whether they were killed working in the field or in the house. Whether they were shot, tomahawked or burned and tortured.

General Washingtons response was genocide of the indians fighting with the brittish. To march thru the territory and destroy the villages and crops before the coming winter.

The Iraquois were tremendous farmers. Reports of many acre fields of corn, with plants 17 ft. tall with ears 20 inches long. Vast orchards and fields of squash and other vegtables.

Just enough story to keep from being dry and an extensive footnote section to fill in the blanks.

Now off to" Ancient Evenings" by Norman Mailer

Posted by Cheyenne on Nov. 21 2012,1:25 pm

Ghosts of War by Ryan Smithson...Awesome insight into the War in Iraq through the eyes of a 19 year old GI....very good not just the bad parts of war but the helping people parts of the war is central focus.

Posted by Common Citizen on Nov. 27 2012,7:42 am

^We don't want to hear about how the US military helped people during the Iraq mission. That would make Pres. Bush look less like a war monger and more like a humanitarian...and we all know what that would do to the libs.

Posted by usmcr on Dec. 09 2012,10:45 am

black box by connelly was a good read, started out slow so if you do read it be patient. private london by patterson was also a good fast read & now have private berlin on reserve. panther by demille was justr so so.

Posted by usmcr on Nov. 13 2014,10:30 pm

i highly recommend bill o"reilly's book killing patton. it narrates world war two in europe. it focuses on general patton. another book that i have just finished is the burning room by michael connelly.

Posted by irisheyes on May 10 2015,11:55 pm

I'm currently reading Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War < Amazon Link >

The title threw me off, I make the mistake of judging a book by its cover or title too often. But the author is surprisingly intelligent and informed. Conservatives would probably appreciate Chapter 4: Valley of the Gun. Joe Bangeant repeats what many of us already know; many of the most liberal people out there are gun enthusiasts and hunters. The rest covers everything from wages to religion.

Posted by Pretzel Logic on May 11 2015,2:15 pm

Mexico by James Michner.

Just when I thought I had read them all I find another one. The center of the story is about bullfighting. Bulls and matadors. The differences between the Spanish and Mexican fighters and the effects of Spain and the U S on Mexico. Well written and pulls you along. Always a good history lesson you did not learn in school to go along with it. :thumbsup: