New last book you read thread

[Duke Nukum]

The Girl Who has some Big Damn Issues.

Liked the book, BTW. Nicely written plot. One hopes they didn't $*&@ it up translating into Engrish.

It is a vastly different book in Swedish, it is about a girl who's sister was bitten by a moose and her attempts to get revenge on that moose. But then, inexplicably, by the third book, it is suddenly about llamas.

The English version is, inarguably, superior.

[Eupher]

Just completed Chuck Pfarrer's book, "SEAL Target Geronimo", which is his account of events in SEAL Team 6's vermin-ridding mission of taking out OBL.

The book is not without controversy. Even Admiral McRaven, the SPECOPS flag officer, had his spokesperson deny the substance of Pfarrer's book in favor of what Barry's administration said.

Pfarrer got a couple of minor details wrong. BFD. Biden announced to the world that ST6 was the outfit that took out OBL.

Nice job, Plugs. You da man. 

My money's on Pfarrer. Barry and Biden can go **** themselves. With a pineapple, of course.

[zeitgeist]

Finished Steve Jobs (of whom I was never a fan in the first place). 

Now reading Chrissy (rhymes with Sissy) Matthews JFK.  My advice? Don't waste money on Sissy's book take it out from the library.  Long time Kennedy fans will be horrified at some of the less than flattering things Sissy points out about JFK (I assume he was trying to impress with his insider knowledge).      

[Chris_]

I finished a 'classic' WWII biography, "Helmet For My Pillow" by Robert Leckie, published in 1950.  It was very well written and had it's own humor but lacked the rawness and graphic detail of Eugene Sledge's "With The Old Breed" (still the go-to guy for WWII books).  It was still very engrossing.  Maybe it's this Kindle format.  The pages are much smaller and it feels like it takes longer to read a book than a normal printed volume would.  I think it took me three or four days to read this one. 

[rustybayonet]

Just finished reading - "In My Time" by Dick Cheney.

Interesting insite into his years in government, from The House of Representatives through Vice-President.  He talks of incidents and people he both agreed and disagreed with and why he either favored or disliked policies.  He sure didn't skirt any of the issues.  Good read for a biography of a man with few to thank for helping him get to his position, while not afraid to admit his short comings, mostly in his early years.  In a phrase from his time - "he is and was comfortable in his own skin".

[Gratiot]

I finally finished 'A Dance of Dragons'.  It only took me a month to read it.

Excellent as always... amazing story.  Now I have to wait until next year for the next one.

I finally finished it as well, and well... I don't think it was as bad as the reviews people gave.  I'm still shocked with the final few pages though, both good and bad.  I really hope that Snow wasn't killed off.  Additionally, the Others better start some serious stuff at the wall, I'm getting tired of it being alluded to for five books now... without anything significant happening.  I hope it's not going to be a long wait for the next book. 

I just finished One Second After.  The story was great and provoked a lot of thought.  It wasn't the best writing ever but I would read another of his novels.  Now I have a companion to my irrational fears of a zombie apocalypse with my new fears of multiple EMP bursts.

I love Stephen King before 2000.  After that he kinda got the crazies.  Favorites are The Talisman, The Dark Tower series, The Stand, and It.

I've been meaning to pick up One Second After as well.

Oh, I completely agree about Stephen King.  I don't even pick up his books anymore.

[Gratiot]

My current books are:

Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things
by Gail Steketee and Randy Frost

It's a pop science expose on the investigations and case studies of hoarders, with some pretty interesting revelations.  Quick short read as well. 


Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland?
by Pasi Sahlberg, Series on School Reform

I heard an interview that really drew me in about a recent educational summit where the guest speaker was truly taken back by the audience.  Apparently he was invited to give a seminar on how the Finnish educational model has become a world leader in the quality of education it grants kids.  Yet, throughout his entire lecture no one in the audience wanted to hear about what they did that worked, but how they can further political rhetoric causes like school of choice, charter schools, privatization, vouchers, etc.  It was ahem, interesting.  So I ordered the book on Amazon, just arrived and I can't wait to read for myself.

[Chris_]

I finally finished it as well, and well... I don't think it was as bad as the reviews people gave.  I'm still shocked with the final few pages though, both good and bad.  I really hope that Snow wasn't killed off.  Additionally, the Others better start some serious stuff at the wall, I'm getting tired of it being alluded to for five books now... without anything significant happening.  I hope it's not going to be a long wait for the next book. 

He's killing off everyone.

The Red Wedding was a huge shock, but I like the story line with Bran... it's extremely interesting.

[Gratiot]

He's killing off everyone.

The Red Wedding was a huge shock, but I like the story line with Bran... it's extremely interesting.

The Bran story is pretty fascinating, I was hoping for a bit more development in that story arc though. 

I was as shocked as everyone about the Red Wedding, but now view it as brilliant for story development.  Still, Snow has developed much farther and more interesting as a pivotal character to me... I'd hate to see him leave.  He's been one of the few characters that I genuinely liked and rooted for.  Granted, he could become like his uncle... hopefully not like his step-mom though.  I still don't understand what her rebirth was about or where it's going to play in some future story arc.

[TVDOC]

I'm about half way through Tom Clancy's Locked On........it's a continuation of the book released about six months ago about a secret private counterterrorism organization operating in the US under a cowardly, inexperienced, leftist Democrat president and his cronies (sound familiar?), complete with a shadowy european billionare financier supporting him covertly (also sound familiar?).

If there is nothing else in this book to love, read it for the well-veiled gratuiotus shots he continually takes at the Obama administration and their actions in the area of US national security.

Althouugh I'm not ready to state that Clancy has "jumped the shark" yet, this book isn't in the same class with The  Hunt for  Red October, and his other earlier work.  Perhaps this is because he is using cowriters now.
 
It's entertaining, and at over 850 pages is a challenge.  Overall, I'd give it a solid "B".

doc

[Wineslob]

I've started "Chewing Gum In Holy Water". So far, excellent.

[Boudicca]

I checked out Pat Buchanan's latest, Suicide of a Superpower, and as always find myself riveted by his scholarship AND the way he looks at history.  I wish he'd been the President elect in 2000; but it's all water under the bridge now.

Having finished the book, I'm more pessimistic than ever about the United States my 3-year old grandson is going to inherit.  It definitely won't be the same nation I grew up in.

[Gable72]

I am reading Dave Ramsey's book Total Money Makeover

I have actually been to the seminar and my sister is a certified instructor of Ramsey's. It really works and is easy to do. I highly recommend it for anyone whether rich or poor.

As far as my most recent books, I am a sucker for autobiographies and am currently reading My Appetite for Destruction by Stephen Adler. He was the original drummer for Guns n Roses. Very good tell all. Dude does not hide anything.

[mamacags]

I just finished The Help.  It was a lot better than the movie.  I also read Ancient Mysteries written by two guys that I am sure post at DU.  They just had to throw political bullshit and their opinions on religion into the book and ruin it.   It is nonfiction so of course I wanted facts not their dubious theories.

[ruble]

"Into Thin Air", by Jon Krakauer. A sobering look at the realities and tragedy of trying to summit Everest. Eight lives were claimed on this ill thought out expedition. Krakauer describes in detail what went wrong.

[obumazombie]

On page two someone mentioned picking up Helter Skelter in a free pile. I pride myself on finishing every book I stat, but that was one of the few rare exceptions.

[debk]

On page two someone mentioned picking up Helter Skelter in a free pile. I pride myself on finishing every book I stat, but that was one of the few rare exceptions.

I remember trying to read that book, years and years ago.
Even trying to read it as a fiction book, I couldn't do it.
Manson and the rest of them should have gotten the death penalty. No...they never should have made it to the jail in the first place. 

[obumazombie]

I remember trying to read that book, years and years ago.
Even trying to read it as a fiction book, I couldn't do it.
Manson and the rest of them should have gotten the death penalty. No...they never should have made it to the jail in the first place. 

Although the perfect interview is Geraldo and Charlie.

[Eupher]

I remember trying to read that book, years and years ago.
Even trying to read it as a fiction book, I couldn't do it.
Manson and the rest of them should have gotten the death penalty. No...they never should have made it to the jail in the first place.  

Not to pick nits, but Manson was convicted and sentenced to death. But the California Supreme Court struck down the death penalty in 1972, and Manson's death penalty was automatically commuted to life.

Since then, California's gone back to gassing/slipping people the needle after the good ol' US Supreme Court reinstated it, but not good ol' Charlie boy.

And in 2006, Commiefornia put in a moratorium against the DP while they "examine" their procedures and rules and such.  

[mamacags]

I actually liked Helter Skelter.  I am reading a young adult book now called The Maze Runner.  So far it is holding my attention.

[dixierose]

I really like Lee Child's Reacher novels, as well as Brad Thor's books. BTW...Brad Thor is a conservative, and it comes across in his books. The last one I read was The Apostle.

[DefiantSix]

Just finished all three of the Hunger Games series in one sitting.  (Yeah, I know...)

[Chris_]

Just finished all three of the Hunger Games series in one sitting.  (Yeah, I know...)

That's a long sitting.

They're good though.

[DefiantSix]

That's a long sitting.

They're good though.

All totaled, only took about 6 hours or so.

[Chris_]

I don't remember how long it took me.  I think I started re-reading the first book as soon as I got to the end.  I was up most of the night.  I probably read that damn thing a dozen times (not all at once).