What are you reading?

[ReardenSteel]

Hey all, what are you reading?

I was at Borders today spending my Christmas gift card. 

I got a few books but just got started on a Hitchens book. "Why Orwell Matters". (don't ask, I'm on page 21)

[Miss Mia]

I'm reading the Devil in the White City. It chronicles the Chicago World Fair and the big serial killer that was going on at the same time.  Excellent Book.


http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FMEXVD2JL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU01_AA240_SH20_.jpg

[Wretched Excess]

Infidel, by Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

it's a memoir of her childhood, and is a condemnation of islamic fundamentalism.  it's difficult to get through because her english isn't so great, but she is a riveting story teller.  it was passed along to me by a friend who usually votes democrat, but is right on the war on terror.

[Lauri]

I started "Eat Pray Love" to be with my gal pals in the neighborhood book club and the author keeps making stupid cracks about Republicans! 

Living in a rabid blue area, I am just sunk..

[ReardenSteel]

I'm reading the Devil in the White City. It chronicles the Chicago World Fair and the big serial killer that was going on at the same time.  Excellent Book.


http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FMEXVD2JL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU01_AA240_SH20_.jpg

Cool.

You mentioned it was based on true events but told really well. does it read like those history/fiction books like Jeff Shaara books? (i love those) And James alexander Thom does that style too.

Just curious, sounds like a book I would like in either case.

[Wretched Excess]

I started "Eat Pray Love" to be with my gal pals in the neighborhood book club and the author keeps making stupid cracks about Republicans! 

Living in a rabid blue area, I am just sunk..

sounds like a silly place to join a neighborhood book club

[ReardenSteel]

Infidel, by Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

it's a memoir of her childhood, and is a condemnation of islamic fundamentalism.  it's difficult to get through because her english isn't so great, but she is a riveting story teller.  it was passed along to me by a friend who usually votes democrat, but is right on the war on terror.

I need to borrow that from a friend who I know has it. I've read a few on the topic and my favorite so far in Mark Steyn's America Alone. (just how bad is the English? LOL) (I bet the book gets "cleaned up" if later editions come out)

[Miss Mia]

Cool.

You mentioned it was based on true events but told really well. does it read like those history/fiction books like Jeff Shaara books? (i love those) And James alexander Thom does that style too.

Just curious, sounds like a book I would like in either case.

I've never read Jeff Shaara.  I have read David McCullough, and he's more dry but interesting.  This book, it's like I'm not sure if they're going to pull off the fair, but I know it happens.  And he switches between the fair and the serial killer. 

My sister-in-law recommended it to me that's why I picked it up.  It satisfies that need for a fiction, but at the same time it's non-fiction. 

Next I'm going to pick up  Murdered by Mumia: A Life Sentence of Loss, Pain, and Injustice     
   
Murdered by Mumia: A Life Sentence of Loss, Pain, and Injustice by Maureen Faulkner and Michael A. Smerconish. 

[Lauri]

I started "Eat Pray Love" to be with my gal pals in the neighborhood book club and the author keeps making stupid cracks about Republicans! 

Living in a rabid blue area, I am just sunk..

sounds like a silly place to join a neighborhood book club

well, there was some alcohol involved.... and .. well.. you know.. 


"Love In The Time of Cholera" is the next one already picked.. and after that i am telling the girls that if we dont get off the Oprah Book Club band wagon, I'm quitting.. 

[ReardenSteel]

I started "Eat Pray Love" to be with my gal pals in the neighborhood book club and the author keeps making stupid cracks about Republicans! 

Living in a rabid blue area, I am just sunk..

When it's your turn maybe you could recommend something more conservative friendly. 

I'd suggest, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court by Mark Twain. It's subtle enough to be enjoyed by all political stripes but mostly it's about some dude who brings industry, capitalism and Democracy to old (really old) England. (very pro-American) 

If they are dyed in the wool hippies I'd recommend anything by Tom Robbins. He's a 60's type hippy but at least his books are LOL funny. (sexy/cool)

[Wretched Excess]

Infidel, by Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

it's a memoir of her childhood, and is a condemnation of islamic fundamentalism.  it's difficult to get through because her english isn't so great, but she is a riveting story teller.  it was passed along to me by a friend who usually votes democrat, but is right on the war on terror.

I need to borrow that from a friend who I know has it. I've read a few on the topic and my favorite so far in Mark Steyn's America Alone. (just how bad is the English? LOL) (I bet the book gets "cleaned up" if later editions come out)

the english isn't awful, but I find myself rereading sentences fairly frequently because I lost (or couldn't find) her meaning.

[Wretched Excess]

I started "Eat Pray Love" to be with my gal pals in the neighborhood book club and the author keeps making stupid cracks about Republicans! 

Living in a rabid blue area, I am just sunk..

sounds like a silly place to join a neighborhood book club

well, there was some alcohol involved.... and .. well.. you know.. 


"Love In The Time of Cholera" is the next one already picked.. and after that i am telling the girls that if we dont get off the Oprah Book Club band wagon, I'm quitting.. 

yeah, well, we are the sex and booze people, after all.

[Wretched Excess]

Cool.

You mentioned it was based on true events but told really well. does it read like those history/fiction books like Jeff Shaara books? (i love those) And James alexander Thom does that style too.

Just curious, sounds like a book I would like in either case.

I've never read Jeff Shaara.  I have read David McCullough, and he's more dry but interesting.  This book, it's like I'm not sure if they're going to pull off the fair, but I know it happens.  And he switches between the fair and the serial killer. 

My sister-in-law recommended it to me that's why I picked it up.  It satisfies that need for a fiction, but at the same time it's non-fiction. 

Next I'm going to pick up  Murdered by Mumia: A Life Sentence of Loss, Pain, and Injustice     
   
Murdered by Mumia: A Life Sentence of Loss, Pain, and Injustice by Maureen Faulkner and Michael A. Smerconish. 

I read David McCullough's biographies of truman and john adams;  I loved them both.
 

[ReardenSteel]

Cool.

You mentioned it was based on true events but told really well. does it read like those history/fiction books like Jeff Shaara books? (i love those) And James alexander Thom does that style too.

Just curious, sounds like a book I would like in either case.

I've never read Jeff Shaara.  I have read David McCullough, and he's more dry but interesting.  This book, it's like I'm not sure if they're going to pull off the fair, but I know it happens.  And he switches between the fair and the serial killer. 

My sister-in-law recommended it to me that's why I picked it up.  It satisfies that need for a fiction, but at the same time it's non-fiction. 

Next I'm going to pick up  Murdered by Mumia: A Life Sentence of Loss, Pain, and Injustice     
   
Murdered by Mumia: A Life Sentence of Loss, Pain, and Injustice by Maureen Faulkner and Michael A. Smerconish. 

Sadly, I have the free time to read a lot. (a lot, a lot, LOL)  I know of David McCullough and he's been on my "list" but I haven't read him yet.

Shaara is the son of the guy who wrote the book that the movie Gettysburg was based on.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107007/

He has completed several series of books now on the American Revolution, Civil War, WWI and most recently WWII.
http://www.jeffshaara.com/

They are really fun easy reads and done based on volumous research of the times they take place in. However, they are written in a fiction style so as to be dramatic and really interesting.

[ReardenSteel]

I read David McCullough's biographies of truman and john adams;  I loved them both.
 

Ahh! That's how I heard of him! (thanks)

It wast the john Adams book I had heard of and wanted to read. I didn't know he did Truman too, but that sounds worthwhile as well.

I never thought I would enjoy biographies untill I read one each on George Washington and Mark Twain. Shows what I know!  They can be real page turners.

[Attero Dominatus]

I am not reading anything now (focusing on writing) although I plan to pick up Warped Passages by Lisa Randall and Six Sacred Stones by Matt Reilly.

[Wretched Excess]

I read David McCullough's biographies of truman and john adams;  I loved them both.
 

Ahh! That's how I heard of him! (thanks)

It wast the john Adams book I had heard of and wanted to read. I didn't know he did Truman too, but that sounds worthwhile as well.

I never thought I would enjoy biographies untill I read one each on George Washington and Mark Twain. Shows what I know!  They can be real page turners.

truman won a pulitzer, and I thought adams was actually better.  perhaps I am just more interested in that era of american history.  the founding era has always fascinated me.  and I have always loved reading biographies. 

[ReardenSteel]

I am not reading anything now (focusing on writing) although I plan to pick up Warped Passages by Lisa Randall and Six Sacred Stones by Matt Reilly.

Holy moly!

My best friend is a physicist and that's some high brow stuff there. fwiw- he's told me what he does about a dozen times and I have to admit, I still haven't got a clue. (something about shape memory pallimers and deployable satalite structures or sumesuch nonsense) It's not like "he could tell me but he'd have to kill me" it's more like, "he could tell me and i still woulden't have a clue)

Are you into physics as a geek or as a profession? I myself am scientificly illiterate but I do keep a copy of stephen Hawkings A Brief History of Time on my coffee table to impress passers by. 

[ReardenSteel]

I read David McCullough's biographies of truman and john adams;  I loved them both.
 

Ahh! That's how I heard of him! (thanks)

It wast the john Adams book I had heard of and wanted to read. I didn't know he did Truman too, but that sounds worthwhile as well.

I never thought I would enjoy biographies untill I read one each on George Washington and Mark Twain. Shows what I know!  They can be real page turners.

truman won a pulitzer, and I thought adams was actually better.  perhaps I am just more interested in that era of american history.  the founding era has always fascinated me.  and I have always loved reading biographies. 

Thats cool. I have the same interest and it's why I recommended the Jeff Shaara stuff before.

I'm a history buff of sorts but only really care about ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt (in small doses) and then as far as I care, history can skip to the American Revolution and then skip again to the Cold War. (I'm a Swiss Cheese kinda history buff) 

[Attero Dominatus]

I am not reading anything now (focusing on writing) although I plan to pick up Warped Passages by Lisa Randall and Six Sacred Stones by Matt Reilly.

Holy moly!

My best friend is a physicist and that's some high brow stuff there. fwiw- he's told me what he does about a dozen times and I have to admit, I still haven't got a clue. (something about shape memory pallimers and deployable satalite structures or sumesuch nonsense) It's not like "he could tell me but he'd have to kill me" it's more like, "he could tell me and i still woulden't have a clue)

Are you into physics as a geek or as a profession? I myself am scientificly illiterate but I do keep a copy of stephen Hawkings A Brief History of Time on my coffee table to impress passers by. 

I like to read stuff on physics and other sciences and use it for the sci-fi novel I am writing. And Lisa Randall is quite a hottie.

[ReardenSteel]

I am not reading anything now (focusing on writing) although I plan to pick up Warped Passages by Lisa Randall and Six Sacred Stones by Matt Reilly.

Holy moly!

My best friend is a physicist and that's some high brow stuff there. fwiw- he's told me what he does about a dozen times and I have to admit, I still haven't got a clue. (something about shape memory pallimers and deployable satalite structures or sumesuch nonsense) It's not like "he could tell me but he'd have to kill me" it's more like, "he could tell me and i still woulden't have a clue)

Are you into physics as a geek or as a profession? I myself am scientificly illiterate but I do keep a copy of stephen Hawkings A Brief History of Time on my coffee table to impress passers by. 

I like to read stuff on physics and other sciences and use it for the sci-fi novel I am writing. And Lisa Randall is quite a hottie.

A hottie indeed. Well. Power to ya brainiac!  I hope you will feel free to post some of your stuff here.

I'm not the best sci-fi critic but thanks to my older brother I've read my share. Mostly Terry Pratchet, Dougless Adams, Piers Anthony and Terry Goodkind kinda stuff.

[Flame]

I'm reading a book called Cape Refuge right now...it's just an easy read.  I also have Diana Gabaldon's first book about Sir John (can't remember the exact title) on loan from the library.

I tend to just go through the library shelves and browse till I find something the peaks my interest.

[Lauri]

I started "Eat Pray Love" to be with my gal pals in the neighborhood book club and the author keeps making stupid cracks about Republicans! 

Living in a rabid blue area, I am just sunk..

When it's your turn maybe you could recommend something more conservative friendly. 

I'd suggest, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court by Mark Twain. It's subtle enough to be enjoyed by all political stripes but mostly it's about some dude who brings industry, capitalism and Democracy to old (really old) England. (very pro-American) 

If they are dyed in the wool hippies I'd recommend anything by Tom Robbins. He's a 60's type hippy but at least his books are LOL funny. (sexy/cool)

Tom Robbins sounds familiar... i just want something light and non political for a while. i read a few Hilary books last year and that was enough..

[Splashdown]

I'm finishing up Murdered by Mumia and starting Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends,
by "Wild" Bill Guarnere and "Babe" Heffron of Band of Brothers fame.

[Lauri]

I'm reading a book called Cape Refuge right now...it's just an easy read.  I also have Diana Gabaldon's first book about Sir John (can't remember the exact title) on loan from the library.

I tend to just go through the library shelves and browse till I find something the peaks my interest.

thats what i do as well..  the Clinton tomes were big, but pretty interesting.

i find her interesting that with all the dirt people have on her, she just keeps going as if none of it matters...