What Book(s) Are You Reading?

[mutepointe]

Halfway through Atlas shrugged, starting Three cups of tea.

Is this a first read? You know how Ayn gets us all wound up around here.

[dwest]

Halfway through Atlas shrugged, starting Three cups of tea.

Is this a first read? You know how Ayn gets us all wound up around here.

Randy?

[HDSarah]

This thread should stay current. I know I always love to hear of a good book.

I recently finished Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore. As with all of Moore's books, it has plenty of laugh-out-loud funny parts, but I think it is also surprisingly respectful of the figure of Jesus Christ. I think most of my Christian friends* would enjoy it and get a good laugh, as would my atheist friends.

*To put up with me, they need a sense of humor and a relaxed, tolerant outlook on the world.

[weedie]

I've just finished reading G.Bruce Knechts' book The Proving Ground .....it's the story of the disasterous 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race in which some of the sailors lost their lives..It was a gripping read even if you're not a yachtie and I looked forward to picking it up at every reading session..
I'm now reading Frequent Fyer by one,Kinky Freidman.I've never read any of his books but remember seeing some video of him and his band,The Texas Jewboys A kind of sarcastic Country and Western outfit !...very funny.
Kinky is also responsible for one of my favourite quotes . "Find what you like and then let it kill you" ..
Next book will be one that I bought at a garage sale last week for 20 cents..The Untold Story of Israel by Jaques Derogy and Hesi Carmel... I'm hoping for a better understanding of the Middle East troubles after reading this..

[brewerpaul]

The Kinky Friedman books are fantastic. He's been described as a cross between Sam Spade and Groucho Marx, and that's a very apt description. He himself is the main character and the books are populated with his real life friends, including Willie Nelson. They're laugh out loud funny, the stories (murder mysteries) are often ingenious and the Kinkster is a keen observer of human nature. They're sort of best read in order starting with Greenwich Killing Time because various recurring characters appear and disappear but it's not totally necessary. Great fun. I gotta go check and see if there are any I've missed: thanks for reminding me.

[crookedtune]

'Blues Mandolin Man -- The Life and Music of Yank Rachell', by Richard Congress. Very well done, IMO.

[Dale]

Hi, Everyone.

I've rereading Cormac McCarthy's Border Trilogy ("All the Pretty Horses," "The Crossing," "Cities on the Plain") for the third time. I don't think there are any novels other than these that I've read three times.

I read Daniel Woodrell's "Winter's Bone," last weekend and admired it a lot (as I did the film.)

Finishing up Patti Smith's "Just Kids." Much of it I've found tedious. I wanted to like it more than I have.

[fearfaoin]

As with all of Moore's books, it has plenty of laugh-out-loud funny parts, but I think it is also surprisingly respectful of the figure of Jesus Christ.

That surprised me too. Aside from some nods
to the Infancy Gospel, and trips to India that
the Hare Krishnas love so much, it left the
character of Jesus largely intact and just played
with those around Him. I love what Moore did
with Judas.

I've rereading Cormac McCarthy's Border Trilogy ("All the Pretty Horses," "The Crossing," "Cities on the Plain") for the third time.

My favorite quote from "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me"
this week: When discussing Gov. Palin's use of
the widely unheard-of phrase "Blood Libel", Mo
Rocca said, "I thought it was a Cormac McCarthy
book."

[Innocent Bystander]

As well as ploughing/plowing through Elizabeth David's Bread and Yeast Cookery - I can't find plate 1, which distracted me - I am enjoying re-reading the Lucifer series of Graphic Novels, by Mike Carey. This is a spinoff of the Sandman series. Mike Carey ably carries on Neil Gaiman's creation.

In the Sandman series, Lucifer empties Hell and gives the key to the Sandman. After bumming around Australia, he opens a nightclub and plays piano in cabaret. This continues his experiences, beginning with a commission taking him to Tzodsil - Navaho country - Navaho myth. In the story, Blue Flint woman calls him "Atse 'hashke", which means "First Angry". I finally got around to looking up the name, and I'm glad I did.

Graphic novel enthusiasts will enjoy. Those who imagine comics are kid's stuff, should steer clear.

[RonKiley]

Right now I am reading The Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper. I just finished his Last of the Mohicans. Since many of the classics can be downloaded to Kindle for free I have been reading many of the books I haven't read in over 50 years. In the recent past I have read Robinson Crusoe, The Time Machine, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and others. I am finding meaning in some of these books that I never understood when I was younger.

Ron

[benhall.1]

I think I'm out of step with everyone else's tastes ...

Thank goodness, I've now finished the terminally boring "A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian" and I'm back to Dickens - Bleak House. I'm only a couple of chapters in, but already it's brilliant.

[mutepointe]

I just checked out of the library "The Secret Life of Dust". I have to know what is going on in my house.

[fearfaoin]

I just checked out of the library "The Secret Life of Dust". I have to know what is going on in my house.

No good will come of that.

[brewerpaul]

Right now I am reading The Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper. I just finished his Last of the Mohicans. Since many of the classics can be downloaded to Kindle for free I have been reading many of the books I haven't read in over 50 years. In the recent past I have read Robinson Crusoe, The Time Machine, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and others. I am finding meaning in some of these books that I never understood when I was younger.

Ron

Find a copy of Mark Twain's "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses"-- you'll laugh your butt off.

I'm in the midst of Valhalla Rising, one of the Dirk Pitt novels by Clive Cussler. Hardly great literature, but they're highly entertaining.

[Anyanka]

Ron, last year's Sherlock Holmes film (the Robert Downey/Jude Law feast) got me reading the stories for the first time - and loving them. Conan Doyle had a beautiful, witty writing style.

I'm now back with one of my all-time favourite authors, Anne Tyler. 'Digging to America'. With her novels, I don't worry about where it'll end, because the journey there is so engrossing. She is a master of characterisation, warm, perceptive and tolerant.
I have also received my second-hand copy of Grey Larsen's flute & whistle bible, but unfortunately the two CDs were not included, so it'll have to go back!