Author Topic: What are you READING right now?  (Read 762504 times)

davisgang90

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1050 on: January 04, 2018, 06:19:44 AM »
Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power by Robert D. Kaplan

Noodle

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1051 on: January 04, 2018, 09:56:00 AM »
I have been reading "The Millionaire and the Scrublady" which is a reprint of a book of inspirational essays/parables that were written by a Congregational pastor around the beginning of the twentieth century. They aren't complex spiritual insights, but they are charming and occasionally thought-provoking (and still pretty relevant given the age) and it was a nice way to start the year.

mxt0133

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1052 on: January 11, 2018, 01:18:51 AM »
Just finished "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand, it was a good read.  I enjoyed it mostly for the historical context, the author did a great job of explaining the time and the emotions from both sides of the war.  I wish history book were more like these non-fiction stories, I would have actually paid attention and learn something in class.

I have moved on to "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" by Thomas Piketty.  It's a fascinating book on how the nature of capital evolved through history.  As the author is taking the reader through the history of capital in various countries during history, he does a great job of not just focusing on economic trends and theories of the time but the social aspect of how people lived and their use of various forms of capital.

Warlord1986

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1053 on: January 11, 2018, 06:44:24 AM »
I'm reading about the Crusades. I'm at the part where the Christians have taken Jerusalem, murdered everyone, and now the Christian commander is wading through blood and corpses up to his knees.

Jesus would be so proud. /sarcasm.

Malaysia41

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1054 on: January 11, 2018, 07:05:36 AM »
I'm reading "Collapse Now and Avoid the Rush" by John Michael Greer.

While I'm dubious about some of his predictions (he's more optimistic for humanity's prospects than I am), I've enjoyed his theories. For example:

He puts forward an idea that those who were taken up with End Of Times Christian movements in the 70s, once the end of times didn't come, revolted against the church by embracing the Satanic Bible.  They would use Ayn Rand as a shibboleth in conversations to signal their allegiance to Satan, and then go on to move Evangelical circles into a very self-made-man self-righteousness. Really mind bending theory and fun / horrifying to read.

He also re-imagines Lord of the Rings, where Frodo decides to not go on the quest and instead continue with BAU that ends in him truly burying his head in the sand as middle earth is taken over by whatever dark forces exist in LOTR (I'm not a LOTR fanatic so IDK the characters). Then it ends with you being Frodo's nephew and you can go on the quest but it's gonna be many times harder than it would've been if Frodo (read Reagan's Morning in America) had just gone on the fricking quest in the first place.

I agree with him in much of the book - how we really took a wrong turn with Reagan and all but abandoned the quest for energy conservation and instead embraced cheap-energy addiction. As a result, we are pretty well fucked right now. 

It's also kinda cool that he's an arch-druid.  I mean, I don't really know much about arch-druidism beyond his brief description, but it's a colorful affiliation.

@mxt0133 : Capital in the 21t Century is one of my favorite books ever. It's well worth reading slowly and soaking up the details.  I love how he pulls in 19th century fiction to illustrate dynamics of capital over time, for example.

After Cap in 21st Century, you may enjoy Present at the Creation by Dean Acheson.  I found it to be similarly dense yet engaging.  Different topic, but IDK, for some reason I put them in a similar category. 
« Last Edit: January 11, 2018, 07:07:22 AM by Malaysia41 »

Knapptyme

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1055 on: January 11, 2018, 07:14:56 AM »
War and Peace.  A translation of course as I can't read Russian.  Started off terrible, 1 star out of 5, but now I'm about halfway through and I've improved my current rating to 4 out of 5 stars.

I'm about halfway through this myself right now. It's a beast that had sat on my shelf for years. Agreed on the slow start.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1056 on: January 11, 2018, 07:37:00 AM »
The first of the Hornblower series by C.S. Forester, "Mr Midshipman Hornblower".

I had read this series a long time ago (may 25 or 30 years ago?), so wanted to read again.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1057 on: January 11, 2018, 07:40:28 AM »
Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power by Robert D. Kaplan

DavisGang90, What is your review of it? I have it on my list to read....

caracarn

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1058 on: January 11, 2018, 08:33:40 AM »
Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How to Spend Smarter by Dan Aierly. 

Caught my eye at the library last night as I was curious how much it aligns with the thoughts we share around here about stupid money decisions.  Only 10 pages in but so far so good.

Tyson

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1059 on: January 11, 2018, 11:47:18 AM »
Almost done with Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari - very interesting book!

Started on The Sound and the Fury by Faulkner as part of my ongoing project to read all/most of the classics.

rab-bit

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1060 on: January 12, 2018, 02:33:27 PM »
Almost done with Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari - very interesting book!

I read that one and I'm reading his second book, Homo Deus, right now - also very interesting!

mxt0133

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1061 on: January 12, 2018, 02:45:04 PM »
@rab and @tyort1 - Harari is an excellent writer and great anthropologist/sociologist.  I throughly enjoyed both books, very thought provoking ideas in both books.

@Malaysia41 - Present at the Creation by Dean Acheson is going on my reading list, thanks.

davisgang90

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1062 on: January 12, 2018, 02:51:56 PM »
Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power by Robert D. Kaplan

DavisGang90, What is your review of it? I have it on my list to read....
It's a good read.  As with most of his stuff, he covers some history and deep dives into each country around the Indian Ocean.  I'm learning a lot as usual with his stuff.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1063 on: January 12, 2018, 03:23:58 PM »
Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power by Robert D. Kaplan

DavisGang90, What is your review of it? I have it on my list to read....
It's a good read.  As with most of his stuff, he covers some history and deep dives into each country around the Indian Ocean.  I'm learning a lot as usual with his stuff.

Thanks. I should get it a week or so. I'll let you know about its accuracy about India ;-)

davisgang90

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1064 on: January 13, 2018, 05:35:33 PM »
Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power by Robert D. Kaplan

DavisGang90, What is your review of it? I have it on my list to read....
It's a good read.  As with most of his stuff, he covers some history and deep dives into each country around the Indian Ocean.  I'm learning a lot as usual with his stuff.
Overall, he is much more hopeful on India than the other countries in the region.  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks. I should get it a week or so. I'll let you know about its accuracy about India ;-)

benivur

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1065 on: January 19, 2018, 08:43:27 AM »
'Milk and Honey,' by Rupi Kaur

Davnasty

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1066 on: January 22, 2018, 01:13:42 PM »
'The Great Beanie Baby Bubble' by Zac Bissonnette.

I was inspired by recent events around Bitcoin. Even if the dollars "invested" was much greater in Bitcoin, I wonder if the absurdity of Beanie Babies will ever be matched. It read a bit like a biography of Ty Warner but also gave a decent history of how the craze got started by a few suburban housewives in Chicago on through the collapse in early 2000.


TempusFugit

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1067 on: January 22, 2018, 08:20:18 PM »
Heat by Bill Buford
Blood Rites by Jim Butcher

chaskavitch

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1068 on: January 23, 2018, 06:22:47 AM »
Heat by Bill Buford
Blood Rites by Jim Butcher

Yasssss, Jim Butcher!  I really enjoy his books.  Don't forget the Codex Alera series, and he just started a new steampunk-ish series as well.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1069 on: January 26, 2018, 02:19:14 PM »
Reading "Searching for Sitala Mata: Eradicating smallpox in India" by Dr Connie Davis.

An American doctor goes to India and works with WHO during the end stages of India eradicating smallpox. Very well written.
I have only read the first 3 chapters, but I think it will be great.

Posting now instead of when I complete since it is free for the Kindle on Amazon right now

 https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Sitala-Mata-Eradicating-Smallpox-ebook/dp/B077SHY2GP/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1517001364&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=sitala+mata&psc=1

TempusFugit

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1070 on: January 26, 2018, 05:25:10 PM »
Heat by Bill Buford
Blood Rites by Jim Butcher

Yasssss, Jim Butcher!  I really enjoy his books.  Don't forget the Codex Alera series, and he just started a new steampunk-ish series as well.

This is my second read of the Dresden Files series.  I find it very entertaining.  I haven't read his other stuff. 

davisgang90

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1071 on: January 26, 2018, 05:31:49 PM »
Reading: Infinity Born by Douglas E. Richards.

Its a scifi thriller set in the near future and covers a lot of ground, AI, uploading consciousness, gene splicing.

Its been a fun read so far.

Since I lead an industry study on Robotics and Autonomous Systems, I especially enjoy his ideas on how to build an AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) and what the trip from AGI to ASI (Super Intelligence) could look like.  His view is pretty scary.


ncornilsen

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1072 on: January 26, 2018, 05:37:13 PM »
I'm reading Cryptonomicon, for the second time.

It's quite a marathon.

TempusFugit

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1073 on: January 27, 2018, 12:26:11 PM »
I'm reading Cryptonomicon, for the second time.

It's quite a marathon.

Fantastic book, but I'm not sure I'd tackle it for a second read.  I do have his Diamond Age on my list.  And Seveneves is a great book. 

jengod

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1074 on: January 27, 2018, 02:17:47 PM »
Coming to My Senses: The Making of a Counterculture Cook by Alice Waters

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1075 on: January 27, 2018, 04:01:01 PM »
Reading "Searching for Sitala Mata: Eradicating smallpox in India" by Dr Connie Davis.

An American doctor goes to India and works with WHO during the end stages of India eradicating smallpox. Very well written.
I have only read the first 3 chapters, but I think it will be great.

Posting now instead of when I complete since it is free for the Kindle on Amazon right now

 https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Sitala-Mata-Eradicating-Smallpox-ebook/dp/B077SHY2GP/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1517001364&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=sitala+mata&psc=1

Finally finished it last night. Highly recommend. Here is my review.

A newly minted doctor who is dropped into rural India (state of West Bengal bordering Bangladesh and the state of Rajasthan), has clearly depicted the people of India. As a person who has one foot in India and one in the US, having migrated to the US about 30 years ago, her descriptions India in 1975 is quite similar to what I remember as a high schooler in Bombay and our families travels thru north India. The war against smallpox was intense. My earliest memory in elementary school in the mid-1960's was being lined up in school and given vaccinations every year (or so it felt to me at that time). There was no requirement for parental permission slips!

One mistake in the book. When Dr Davis is quickly moved from the districts bordering Bangladesh on the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, the prime minister of Bangladesh, she/American consulate attributes it to a possibility of war between India and Bangladesh. This is not correct. I believe that the reason she was moved was due to fear that Bangladeshis might lash out at US citizens due to the support that the US gave Pakistan during the Bangladeshi war of Independence in 1971.

One of the smaller chapters (Chapter 38 I believe) had the 11 lessons Dr Davis learned fighting smallpox. These lessons are not necessarily limited to medicine but are a great guide for any young person who is starting on their life.


turketron

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1076 on: January 27, 2018, 06:46:29 PM »
Cryptonomicon was my first Stephenson book and I really feel like I need to re-read it, but I know it'll be an undertaking so I haven't gotten around to it yet. I *loved* the premise of both The Diamond Age and Anathema, but for those two stories he seems to suffer from Stephen-King-itis where he writes great premises but the endings fall flat. I thought Seveneves was great, and I quite liked Reamde as well. I've been meaning to give The Baroque Cycle a read too- has anyone read the whole trilogy?

BiochemicalDJ

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1077 on: January 29, 2018, 01:09:23 PM »
Cryptonomicon was my first Stephenson book and I really feel like I need to re-read it, but I know it'll be an undertaking so I haven't gotten around to it yet. I *loved* the premise of both The Diamond Age and Anathema, but for those two stories he seems to suffer from Stephen-King-itis where he writes great premises but the endings fall flat. I thought Seveneves was great, and I quite liked Reamde as well. I've been meaning to give The Baroque Cycle a read too- has anyone read the whole trilogy?

Haven't read the baroque, but chiming in to mention if you've read Diamond Age, don't forget to check out Snow Crash- It's sort of a prequel (sort of.) Same universe, some characters recur- And I agree. Amazing rollercoaster books and then the endings just seem like the book goes *bink* and it's done. Always a bit of a surprise/letdown.

Still read them though, even though I had to get the audiobook for Anathem in order to get through it. Dense.

chaskavitch

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1078 on: January 29, 2018, 02:44:48 PM »
DH and I just started listening to The Windup Girl. 

I've read it before, and I really enjoyed it.  It's an interesting future dystopia world.  The overall story is nice and sciency, which I enjoy as a microbiologist with a genetics background, and it's also a little conspiracy theorist with a huge focus on the possible future political consequences of GMO agriculture. 

turketron

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1079 on: January 29, 2018, 04:28:13 PM »
It's been awhile since I read it, but I recall liking the premise and world-building of The Windup Girl more than the actual story itself. Been meaning to read more of his books but haven't had a chance to do so yet!

BuffaloStache

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1080 on: January 31, 2018, 08:40:07 AM »
DH and I just started listening to The Windup Girl. 

I really enjoyed that book as well.

I've started reading Vagabonding: an uncommon guide to the art of long-term world travel. I'm not planning on leaving tomorrow, but I would like to take some slow, long trips when I reach FI.

Malaysia41

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1081 on: January 31, 2018, 09:53:23 AM »
I just finished Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death. 

He published it in 1985. 

Woah. Going all the way back before the telegraph, he dissects how different communication technologies dictate content by virtue of the medium. His focus is on TV. the tl'dr is that people of Lincoln's time, for enjoyment, sat around and listened to intricate 5 hour debates on a single subject. Context, sensible progression of arguments, depth.  Now, we get bits of information just because they're news - devoid of context, sense and depth.

These ways of learning and integrating information make us stupid. And the phenomenon seems amplified in the age of smartphones. We're addicted to the fleeting distractions on our newsfeeds.  We have strong opinions about matters that we learn about through 3 minute news segments.

Sigh. It's all very heavy.

Moving on to 'Who Owns the Future' by Jaron Lanier.  You know, for more horrifying insights into what technology is doing to us.

BuffaloStache

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1082 on: January 31, 2018, 03:35:26 PM »
^I know I'm derailing the discussion a bit, but I find that concept very interesting. Did the author provide any potential possibilities to remedy this? E.g. are there any podcasts or more modern types of media that are similar in depth?

grantmeaname

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1083 on: January 31, 2018, 04:58:36 PM »
My history textbook said there weren’t any good podcasts back in 1985...

grantmeaname

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1084 on: January 31, 2018, 04:58:04 PM »
My history textbook said there weren’t any good podcasts back in 1985...

grantmeaname

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1085 on: January 31, 2018, 05:00:24 PM »
My history textbook said there weren’t any good podcasts back in 1985...

Malaysia41

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1086 on: February 01, 2018, 06:18:03 AM »
^I know I'm derailing the discussion a bit, but I find that concept very interesting. Did the author provide any potential possibilities to remedy this? E.g. are there any podcasts or more modern types of media that are similar in depth?

On whether a remedy is possible:

Quote from: Neil-Postman
In the first place, not everyone believes a cure is needed, and in the second, there probably isn't any.  But as a true-blue American who has imbibed the unshakable belief that where there is a problem, there must be a solution, I shall conclude with the following suggestions.

His suggestions for remedy:

Quote from: Neil-Postman
"only through a deep and unfailing awareness of the structure and effects of information, through a demystification of media, is there any hope of our gaining some measure of control over television, or the computer, or any other medium. How is such media consciousness to be achieved? There are only two answers that come to mind, one of which is nonsense ... the other is desperate:

1. "nonsense answer": Create TV programs whose intent would be ... to demonstrate how television ought to be viewed, to show how television recreates and degrades our conception of news, political debate, religious thought, etc.
2. "desperate answer": Education in our schools -to teach media consciousness . Rather than teachers attempting to use tv or the internet to help with or control education, teachers need to use education to help students control the media around them.

a couple other suggestions:
  - ban political commercials (as tobacco and alcohol commercials were banned) - but he doesn't believe this idea would be taken seriously.
  - have a national conversation about information, mediums of communication, and how modes of communication give new meanings to concepts such as 'piety' or 'patriotism' or 'privacy'. - but he doesn't think this will happen either.

To sum up - his suggestions are sparse and not at all hopeful.
« Last Edit: February 01, 2018, 06:40:06 AM by Malaysia41 »

davisgang90

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1087 on: February 02, 2018, 06:28:17 AM »
Just finished The Cloud, by Ray Hammond.

Interesting sci-fi book about a giant gas cloud heading for our solar system in response to a radio signal from a nearby star.  There's some pretty cool Artificial Intelligence issues explored as well.


CowboyAndIndian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1088 on: February 05, 2018, 08:40:21 AM »
Just found the series Extinct, created by Orson Scott Card from a post on Quora where he occasionally writes (https://www.quora.com/How-long-until-the-second-book-of-the-second-trilogy-of-the-Formic-Wars-is-released-I-love-your-books-so-much-and-have-been-reading-them-since-I-was-in-the-5th-grade). It is created by Orson Scott Card and by Aaron Johnston and OSC is writing the novels.

This is not a book, but a serial with about 10 episodes. https://www.byutv.org/extinct

From the blurb on the page
Four hundred years after extinction, the human race gets a second chance at life on Earth-but why? Featuring the collaboration of science-fiction legend Orson Scott Card, BYUtv's Extinct explores a riveting new world characterized by extraterrestrial species, advanced technologies, and humankind's enduring search for purpose.

Since we were talking about sci-fi books, I thought I would point out this for fans of Orson Scott Card.
« Last Edit: February 05, 2018, 08:49:14 AM by CowboyAndIndian »

grantmeaname

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1089 on: February 05, 2018, 04:15:09 PM »
I've just finished the first set of the Lost Fleet books and now I'm on to the second. I'm normally not one for military science fiction but the writing is really good and it's nice to have a series to pull you along from book to book when you're busy. I love how I can visualize the battles in my head. Unfortunately the author is midway into a fourth series in the universe and I'll have to stop myself at the end of the third series until it's done for my own good.

I'm also reading At the Existentialist Cafe a bit more slowly. It's interesting because I spent a good chunk of last year reading a book called Postwar which emphasized Sartre's problematic political views, and this book paints him much more gently. Either way, Camus is a certified 100% badass.

Malaysia41

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1090 on: February 06, 2018, 12:03:38 AM »
I've just finished the first set of the Lost Fleet books and now I'm on to the second. I'm normally not one for military science fiction but the writing is really good and it's nice to have a series to pull you along from book to book when you're busy. I love how I can visualize the battles in my head. Unfortunately the author is midway into a fourth series in the universe and I'll have to stop myself at the end of the third series until it's done for my own good.

Have you read any Jeff Shara? You're describing his writing too, at least from my perspective.

grantmeaname

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1091 on: February 06, 2018, 12:07:05 AM »
Have you read any Jeff Shara? You're describing his writing too, at least from my perspective.

Yeah! I read his and his dad’s main Civil War series in the fall and his Mexican-American War book last month. I’m trying to decide whether to go back in for the Western Campaign books or another war.

davisgang90

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1092 on: February 06, 2018, 07:17:33 AM »
Continuing my Robert D. Kaplan kick with: Mediterranean Winter: The Pleasures of History and Landscape in Tunisia, Sicily, Dalmatia, and the Peloponnese

Warlord1986

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1093 on: February 06, 2018, 11:33:02 AM »
'Darling Beast' by Elizabeth Hoyt. Love me some romances. <3

grantmeaname

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1094 on: February 25, 2018, 11:41:07 AM »
I'm halfway through a four-week business trip, so I've had unbelievable amounts of time to read lately.

This afternoon I finished Barbarians at the Gate, which I've always heard is one of the rare works of business history on the pedestal with Liar's Poker, When Genius Failed, and Too Big to Fail. I've got to say, it totally lived up to the hype. It hasn't aged a day since it came out 30 years ago, it's unbelievably thoroughly researched, and it's as much of a page turner as I've read in a long time. Highly recommended.

Now I'm halfway through At Home. It's odd, but Bill Bryson is a total prick in half his books (like I'm a Stranger Here Myself, The Road to Little Dribbling) and a methodical researcher who's really enthusiastic about his subject in the other half of his works. I almost wonder if there are two different authors with the same name sometimes. At Home is really good so far, but I just finished The Lost Continent and the contrast in tone is really striking.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1095 on: February 25, 2018, 01:59:08 PM »
Finished all 11 books of the Hornblower series. I went thru these in chronological order, not in the order they were written in.

So, some books which are later chronologically, but written earlier did not read as well.

This time, I make sure I had google ready while I read it.  Once you know the layout of the area he is talking about, the actual story makes more sense. Also, to figure out things like mizzenmast ;-)

@davisgang90, trying to read Monsoon. He seems to be an academic writing a book. Not very easy to read, I guess he did not listen to Mark Twain
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chaskavitch

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1096 on: February 27, 2018, 06:33:05 AM »
I just read Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer - there's a movie of it now, so of course I wanted to read the book first.  It's...interesting.  It's only ~ 200 pages, so it seems like it's a pretty quick read, but it's really intense.  And you're never quite sure what's real.  I enjoy sci-fi/fantasy a lot, so the weirdness was appealing, and I quite liked it.  I should probably read it again before I give it back to see if I catch anything new.

turketron

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1097 on: February 27, 2018, 07:02:15 AM »
I read Annihilation a couple years ago and wasn't really sure what to thing of it, it was just really bizarre. I liked it overall, but I had a lot of questions that the book clearly had no intention of answering. I never got around to reading the sequels after that, but my brother just read all three of them and recommended that I re-read Annihilation and then the sequels- he said if I go into it knowing that not everything is going to be answered I won't be setting myself up for disappointment.

Also, he said the movie is really good, but does deviate from the book a bit, especially towards the end, though he didn't spoil anything for me. Apparently the screenplay was adapted from just the first book before the other two were written, so he didn't have the whole story to work from.

chaskavitch

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1098 on: February 27, 2018, 07:11:42 AM »
I read Annihilation a couple years ago and wasn't really sure what to thing of it, it was just really bizarre. I liked it overall, but I had a lot of questions that the book clearly had no intention of answering. I never got around to reading the sequels after that, but my brother just read all three of them and recommended that I re-read Annihilation and then the sequels- he said if I go into it knowing that not everything is going to be answered I won't be setting myself up for disappointment.

Also, he said the movie is really good, but does deviate from the book a bit, especially towards the end, though he didn't spoil anything for me. Apparently the screenplay was adapted from just the first book before the other two were written, so he didn't have the whole story to work from.

...I definitely put both sequels on hold at the library immediately after I finished the book.  If I like the first book AT ALL I have a real problem not finishing the series.  I always feel like I might be missing out on something awesome :)

TempusFugit

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #1099 on: February 27, 2018, 04:52:34 PM »
Finally finished the Lewis & Clark book (Undaunted Courage - Ambrose).  Man that drug on for a while. 

I have read quite a few biographies (Hamilton, Franklin, Churchill x3, Roosevelt x3, Adams) and other historical books (Battle Cry of Freedom, The Greater Journey, military histories) and my experience is almost always the same.  I am very glad to have read them, and find them fascinating and encouraging to ruminate about after reading them, but the actual reading process itself can be a bit of a haul.  I will consume them in small doses of 5-10 pages after lunch.   

Fiction just motivates me to read so much more by virtue of the pure entertainment value.   I have to always be reading a fiction book along with the heavier things.  I'll get through 3,4,5, maybe even a dozen novels in the same time it takes me to finish a biography.

I've got the last Manchester bio of Churchill on my 'to read next stack' along with Primo Levi's Holocaust book If This is a Man.  But I'm gonna have to read something way lighter for a bit before those.