Currently Reading

[Whatss]

I have a problem staying with one book at a time so here is a list of books I'm currently reading.

Most of these books I found at a second hand bookstore, which is an awesome place.

The Luciano Store by Sid Feder and Joachim Joesten. Story of Lucky Luciano, probably the most powerful gangster in American and International history. Very exciting read about the rise and fall of Luciano.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. Interesting book to say the least. It has it's momments where it is hard to put the book down, like detailing how the Mongols in WWII tortured enemy soldiers by skinning them alive. The problem is sometimes it trails off and you have to put the book down to remain sane.

Ramones, An American Band by Jim Bessman. Just bought this book to be honest. I have always been a huge Ramones fan and well found this hiding in the bookstore. The cover is quite worn, but that is what happens sometimes at these stores, they are still awesome places to go.

I just finished reading....

Game of Shadows by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams. The book is alright. The parts about Barry Bonds were very exciting to read but the rest of it was boring. I do not find anything interesting about Victor Conte, or BALCO. I believe too much was devoted to the boring exploits of Conte and IRS agent Jeff Novitzky seems like a tool. I would recommend the book for the exploits of Bonds alone.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. I never read the book before picking up a copy at the store, I loved it.

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. My favorite book as a kid. I lent the book to my niece to read and when she returned it, I had to read it again. :D

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut is probably my favorite writer, with Mother Night being the most exciting book I have read.

What are you reading?

[BaltimoreTerp]

House and Philosophy - Pretty self-explanatory :p

The Dark Side of the Diamond - About different "darker" aspects of baseball and their causes from and effect on American society: gambling, alcohol, drugs, violence, etc.

The Complete Sherlock Holmes - Got it on my Kindle for cheap, after the aforementioned House book piqued my interest. Only just starting A Study in Scarlett, though.

[DurbBird]

Watchmen, which is knocking my socks off.

Today I picked up The Man Who Watched Trains Go By, by Georges Simenon.

[oriolesfanatic9]

Baseball for Dummies by Joe Morgan

The Art of Pitching by John Bagonzi

Both are essentially self help books and can give people more insight in to the game. I'm reading them to refresh on alot of stuff about pitching because I have a pitching clinic coming up. After reading those, I plan on moving on to Earl Weaver's book.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Baseball for Dummies by Joe Morgan

Oh God...I can't even figure out WHICH joke to use there...:laughlol:

[Who's On 1st]

I am currently reading,

Change Up An Oral History of 8 Key Events that Shaped Modern Baseball!

It has been a very easy and fun read. It has interviews from many players, coaches and sport writers from over last half-centurty.

I highly recommend it.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I am currently reading,

Change Up An Oral History of 8 Key Events that Shaped Modern Baseball!

It has been a very easy and fun read. It has interviews from many players, coaches and sport writers from over last half-centurty.

I highly recommend it.

I just started it after Dark Side. Very good so far.

[DurbBird]

The Man Who Watched Trains Go By was like a Coen Brothers' movie: I was saying, "That's awful! Why am I laughing so hard?"

I've finished the first two volumes of Fantagraphics' Complete Peanuts. I'm up to 1955.

[cmcgarvey]

Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
A People's History of the United States: 1492 – Present by Howard Zinn
Where They Ain't by Burt Solomon

[Spoonless]

I've been working my way through Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita (Pevear/Volokhonsky translation) for about a month. It's really great, but not something that I can just sit there and read a hundred pages straight of.

I just picked up Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, Burgess's A Clockwork Orange, and Golding's Lord of the Flies at a used book store for about $8.50 total, so those are next.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Where They Ain't by Burt Solomon

Orioles fans should be required by law to read this book.

Right now I'm reading Gifts of the Jews by Thomas Cahill.

My next one looks to be Bottom of the Ninth: Branch Rickey, Casey Stengel, and the Daring Scheme to Save Baseball From Itself by Michael Shapiro. Looks interesting.

[SteveA]

I just picked up Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, Burgess's A Clockwork Orange, and Golding's Lord of the Flies at a used book store for about $8.50 total, so those are next.

A little cheerful summer reading, huh? :eek:

[allstar1579]

Pride and Prejudice...and Zombies.

Makes it much more interesting in my opinion :)

[Whatss]

Right now, I'm reading...

The Witch of Prague and other stories by F. Marion Crawford.

I just wish I was better with sea talk :D

[OrangeJerseys]

The Terror by Dan Simmons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Terror_(novel))

I'm a sucker for Historical Fiction.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain.

It's...um...interesting :laughlol:

I got The Orioles Encyclopedia for my birthday, so I'll probably be in-and-out of that book for a while. I've also got a backup of history and alternative-fiction waiting for me (the one downside of working at a library: any time I hear about something that sounds good I immediately order it along with similar books I find in looking it up :p).

[twoBshorty]

Columbine, by Dave Cullen. I was only 11 when this happened, but it struck a chord. Does a good job debunking a lot of the myths surrounding the shooting (that it was caused by bullying, etc.). Also, Eric Harris is one sick puppy. The parts on his psychopathy were worth the entire read in themselves.

I have Malcolm Gladwell's new book on hold at the library. At this rate, I hope to have it by New Year's. :rolleyes: It took me 3 months just to get the Columbine book.

[DuffMan]

Battle Cry of Freedom The Cilil War Era by James M. McPherson

[BaltimoreTerp]

Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain.

It's...um...interesting :laughlol:

I got The Orioles Encyclopedia for my birthday, so I'll probably be in-and-out of that book for a while. I've also got a backup of history and alternative-fiction waiting for me (the one downside of working at a library: any time I hear about something that sounds good I immediately order it along with similar books I find in looking it up :p).

Kitchen Confidential was very good.

I also read Gray Victory in the meantime. Another of the alternate-history Civil War books I like to read. I found the point they used for the historical change (Johnston remaining in command in Georgia against Sherman, fighting to a stalemate and causing Lincoln's defeat in the 1864 election) interesting, though it really is just a setup for the main plots: the court-martial of Jeb Stuart for his actions before the Battle of Gettysburg, and the planned terrorist attack by fanatical abolitionists on the Confederate government. Really interesting storyline.

I'm now reading Satchel: The Life and Times Of an American Legend. Lots of information I didn't know about the Negro Leagues and baseball in general in the 1920s and 1930s so far.

[Eddie_Ripken]

"The Given Day" by Denis Lehane. Long book and it's hardcover and I doubt I finish it before I go to Mexico for work in two weeks so I will be picking up.....

"Blind Side" the Michael Oher story.

[rolliefingers]

The Fifties by David Halberstam

The Irony of American History by Reinhold Niebuhr

The Baltimore Book by Elizabeth Fee, et al.

Next up:

The High Cost of Free Parking by Donald Shoup

The Power Broker by Robert Caro

Infinite Jest by DFW

[rolliefingers]

Battle Cry of Freedom The Cilil War Era by James M. McPherson

Ooh this one, too. Do you read Ta-Nehisi Coates's blog at The Atlantic? He's been borderline obsessed with the Civil War lately, and he's highly recommended this book.

[ScottieBaseball]

I'm reading "Different Seasons" by Stephen King. It's a short-story compilation that includes "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption", "Apt Pupil", and "The Body" (aka "Stand by Me").

I'm always fascinated with the book-to-movie comparisons and there seems to be WAY more differences between the stories above and the movies that were based on them.

As far as Shawshank Redemption is concerned...you still come away amazed and in awe with Andy Dufresne, but the book develops his character as well as his friendship with Red way more.

Apt Pupil? The movie was weak, but the book cranked up the creepy factor by about a million, so it was good.

I'm still in the middle of "The Body". Not nearly as funny yet as the screen adaptation, but great reading so far.

[DuffMan]

Ooh this one, too. Do you read Ta-Nehisi Coates's blog at The Atlantic? He's been borderline obsessed with the Civil War lately, and he's highly recommended this book.

Not familiar with this blog. Got this book actually from a co worker who is a pretty big civil war buff (used to do re-enactments). A week or so ago I was asking for a book for him and he was mentioning how there are so many good ones, and I told him to try and find me something that covers the whole thing and he brought me this. I'm only about 1/4 through, but have definitely enjoyed what I've read.

[Lt Melmo]

Currently re-reading Half-Blood Prince so I'll be able to pinpoint all the reasons I'll hate the movie. :p After that it's Becker's The Denial of Death, per a suggestion in this forum actually, and then maybe Howard's End and Breakfast of Champions (which I've been meaning to read for several years).

[Lucky Jim]

I just finished Norman Rush's Mating.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mating_(novel)

Pretty great.

[NewMarketSean]

The Terror by Dan Simmons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Terror_(novel))

I'm a sucker for Historical Fiction.

That was a great book. Long, but I never got bored, once.

Right now I am reading a potboiler called The Eighth Day by John Case who is from DC, which is fun. Next up is Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden (I loved Black Hawk Down) and then The Unbearable Lightness of Being in anticipation of my trip to Prague this November.

[backwardsk]

"The Given Day" by Denis Lehane. Long book and it's hardcover and I doubt I finish it before I go to Mexico for work in two weeks so I will be picking up.....

"Blind Side" the Michael Oher story.

Cool! I didn't know he had a new one out. I love his stuff. Looking forward to seeing Shutter Island later this year.

Blind Side is good too.

[Eddie_Ripken]

Cool! I didn't know he had a new one out. I love his stuff. Looking forward to seeing Shutter Island later this year.

Blind Side is good too.

The Given Day I got for Christmas so it's been out a little while. Takes place in Boston in early 1900's...pretty cool so far.

Is Shutter Island going to be a movie??

I love his stuff too, has a good grit to it.

[backwardsk]

The Given Day I got for Christmas so it's been out a little while. Takes place in Boston in early 1900's...pretty cool so far.

Is Shutter Island going to be a movie??

I love his stuff too, has a good grit to it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1130884/

Yeah, Scorsese and DiCaprio are a part of it. Should be a big deal.

[sakata_catching]

Re-reading Under the Volcano for the first time in 8-9 years. There are passages in that book that will ruin you for whole days at a time.

Next up: Richard Flanagan's Wanting (http://www.amazon.com/Wanting-Novel-Richard-Flanagan/dp/080211900X/ref=pd_sim_b_4).

[gold21030]

Audacity of Hope By: Barack Obama.

[twoBshorty]

I'm reading "Different Seasons" by Stephen King. It's a short-story compilation that includes "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption", "Apt Pupil", and "The Body" (aka "Stand by Me").

I'm always fascinated with the book-to-movie comparisons and there seems to be WAY more differences between the stories above and the movies that were based on them.

As far as Shawshank Redemption is concerned...you still come away amazed and in awe with Andy Dufresne, but the book develops his character as well as his friendship with Red way more.

Apt Pupil? The movie was weak, but the book cranked up the creepy factor by about a million, so it was good.


I hated myself for enjoying "Apt Pupil." I have that book on my shelf, but I think it actually was part of the reason I don't read Stephen King any more.

This is an oldie, but I just finished Agatha Christie's "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" and it was fantastic. I sat stupefied for a good five minutes after I got to the twist ending.

[DurbBird]

I reread Milt Gross (http://lambiek.net/artists/g/gross_m.htm)'s He Done Her Wrong: the Great American Novel and Not a Word in It--No Music, Too and recently got out-of-print copies of De Night in de Front from Chreesmas, Famous Fimmales Witt Odder Ewents From Heestory, and I Should Ate the Eclair.

I'm reading Famous Fimmales right now, and finished the story of Heddem and Iv witt de soipent and de hepples.

Dun't esk!

[Art Wing]

Compass in Hand: Selections from The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection

Not much text, but just wrote a short review of it for Choice and using it for prep for my drawing 1 class in the fall.

[Spoonless]

I just read Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle. I picked up a book that contains four of his novels, and they're really some fantastic stories. Ubik is incredible.

I'm now working on Anathem, by Neal Stephenson. It's really great so far, but I have to put it down every once in a while, as sometimes I find that I just start reading the words in my head, but am not paying attention to what is going on in the story.

[DurbBird]

For some reason I had never read Suttree by Cormac McCarthy. I recently read it, and it knocked my socks off. The prose is glorious, and it's probably his funniest novel. The first three pages are astonishing.

Right now I'm about three-quarters of the way through Kathy Griffin's memoir, Official Book Club Selection. It's fun.

[Spoonless]

I just finished up Anathem, and it was really quite fantastic. Once I got used to the writing, the pages just flew by. I've read most of Stephenson's other books, and have enjoyed all the ones I've read. I'm not sure why I had trouble getting into this one, but it was certainly worth it. I'll probably re-read it a couple months down the line.

[VThokies]

Working my way through Richard Price - The Wanderers. Trying to go back and read some work from the writers from the Wire as recommended in threads here.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I just read Eagles and Empire, by David Clary, about the history of US-Mexico relations. It focused mostly on the Mexican-American War, it's lead-up and it's consequences, but also included a good bit of background as to why each nation was in their position at the time of the war.

Then I blew through The Lost Symbol, which I enjoyed.

Now I'm reading Lamb by Christopher Moore. Funny, funny book.

[Scrat1]

For some reason I had never read Suttree by Cormac McCarthy. I recently read it, and it knocked my socks off. The prose is glorious, and it's probably his funniest novel. The first three pages are astonishing.


Took me awhile to get through it, but I enjoyed it.

[Lucky Jim]

I highly recommend Netherland by Joseph O'Neill.

[zff4]

Found an unexpected copy of one of Richard Stark's "Parker" novels, Backflash.

Stark is the pseudonym of the late Donald Westlake author of the fine Dortmunder mysteries.

The Parker novels are exceptional American noir whose hero is devoid of all qualities except those needed to survive a criminal lifestyle. Gibson played Parker in "Payback" and played him pretty well.

Parker and his cronies are hard, practical men, stand-up guys for the most part, as in Parker's circle, betrayal has only one ending.

If you find any Parker novels, grab them, they really are unique.

[DuffMan]

Picked up The Lovely Bones at the airport and I'm almost finished with it. A cross country flight certainly frees up some time for reading.

[Scrat1]

Just finished Resuscitation of a Hanged Man by Denis Johnson. It's a weird one, and inconsistent, but I really enjoyed it.

[Lucky Jim]

Just finished Resuscitation of a Hanged Man by Denis Johnson. It's a weird one, and inconsistent, but I really enjoyed it.

Suffers the same problems as a lot of his novels. But it's pretty great at times, too. Reminds me a little bit of Affliction (in the intersection of insanity and mystery/suspense/conspiracy).

[Scrat1]

Suffers the same problems as a lot of his novels. But it's pretty great at times, too. Reminds me a little bit of Affliction (in the intersection of insanity and mystery/suspense/conspiracy).

It reminded me a lot of White Noise, although I prefer Johnson over Delillo.

I haven't read Affliction. Do you recommend it?

[Lucky Jim]

It reminded me a lot of White Noise, although I prefer Johnson over Delillo.

I haven't read Affliction. Do you recommend it?

I didn't read Affliction either. I was just thinking about the movie (which is pretty good, but painful).

I haven't read ROAHM since 1996, so I take whatever I say w/ a grain of salt. Or, you know, more grains than usual. :)

[twoBshorty]

Now in the middle of Kurt Eichenwald's Conspiracy of Fools, a 700-pager about the rise and fall of Enron. You wouldn't think a book on finagled accounting would be that great, but it is entirely in a narrative style, and it's absolutely gripping. I ordered it after reading an interesting article in The New Yorker that mentioned it. Andrew Fastow in particular is an infuriating little weasel.

[DuffMan]

About 1/4 of the way through "The Elfstones of Shannara" A coworker let me borrow the book as he know's I'm a big Tolkien fan. The book is pretty good so far and I'm interested to see how it plays out. It's tough to not compare it to LOTR as I'm reading it though.

[BaltimoreTerp]

SuperFreakanomics. Just as good as the first, so far.

[TGO]

SuperFreakanomics. Just as good as the first, so far.

Except for the one chapter that is a big steaming pile of [watch your mouth!]

[BaltimoreTerp]

Except for the one chapter that is a big steaming pile of [watch your mouth!]

Which one? I haven't found it yet, I don't think...

[orioles119]

Working my way through "Dreamcatcher" by Stephen King.

Don't go to the bathroom in Maine in the middle of a snowstorm, all I gotta say.

I'm intrigued by "The Men Who Stare at Goats" by Jon Ronson as well.

[TGO]

Which one? I haven't found it yet, I don't think...

Chapter 5.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Chapter 5.

I'd be curious why, but not in the thread since my guess is it will quickly delve into politics.

(And lets just say when the authors answered the question in the chapter title, my thought about it was a bit off :D)

[SurhoffRules]

Little Pink House. Nonfiction about the 2005 Supreme Court case that redefined eminent domain.

[Lefty0315]

Just finished Brian Billick's book More than a Game and have moved on to Vince Flynn's latest Pursuit of Honor.

[Lucky Jim]

Little Pink House. Nonfiction about the 2005 Supreme Court case that redefined eminent domain.

Good old Kelo.

[TGO]

Good old Kelo.

Especially timely considering Pfizer just anounced they were pulling out of New London entirely.

[BaltimoreTerp]

No Less Than Victory (http://www.amazon.com/No-Less-Than-Victory-Novel/dp/0345497929/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258585219&sr=8-1) by Jeff Shaara. Love his books.

[sakata_catching]

Plowed through the first 200 pages or so of Dan Simmons' The Terror yesterday, in advance of spending a long week in airports. Some clunky/lazy writing from time to time (as expected), but so far an above-average potboiler. It's also the third novel I've read this year that's taken the Franklin Expedition as its subject matter — the other two being Mordecai Richler's Solomon Gurski Was Here and Richard Flanagan's Wanting.

[TGO]

Just finished Three Cups of Tea the other day. It's a few years old but still quite timely and apparently the sequel is coming out on December 1, which I didn't know when I started reading.

It's a great read, really a much more dramatic and engaging narrative than I expected.

[ShaneDawg85]

I am currently reading Groupthink by Irving Janis. I originally bought it for my last class as an undergrad, and I decided to keep it because it was an interesting concept. It's a good read so far. I've gotten through the section of policy and decision-making blunders, and am now about to get into the counter cases.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Not officially "currently reading" yet, but I got my copy of Pirate Latitudes from the library today. Michael Crichton's last completed novel; supposedly there's one more that was discovered 1/3-finished after his death and the publisher is looking for an author to finish it.

Will be reading it probably as soon as I get home.

[OrangeJerseys]

Plowed through the first 200 pages or so of Dan Simmons' The Terror yesterday, in advance of spending a long week in airports. Some clunky/lazy writing from time to time (as expected), but so far an above-average potboiler. It's also the third novel I've read this year that's taken the Franklin Expedition as its subject matter — the other two being Mordecai Richler's Solomon Gurski Was Here and Richard Flanagan's Wanting.

Good book.

I'm reading Return of the Black Company by Glen Cook. Gritty military fantasy stuff.

[TGO]

I am currently reading Groupthink by Irving Janis. I originally bought it for my last class as an undergrad, and I decided to keep it because it was an interesting concept. It's a good read so far. I've gotten through the section of policy and decision-making blunders, and am now about to get into the counter cases.

I think I read a chapter of this in a class in college but not the whole thing. Actually, I'm pretty sure I read it for a class called "Political Response to Crisis," which just happened to be one of the classes I attended on 9/11/01. Timely.

[ShaneDawg85]

I think I read a chapter of this in a class in college but not the whole thing. Actually, I'm pretty sure I read it for a class called "Political Response to Crisis," which just happened to be one of the classes I attended on 9/11/01. Timely.

The last edition, at least that I know of, which is the version I have, was 1982. I'd be interested to what would be written about all the different stuff that had happened over the last 25-30 years.

[Lucky Jim]

The Anthologist (http://www.amazon.com/Anthologist-Novel-Nicholson-Baker/dp/1416572449), Nicholson Baker (about a guy trying to write the introduction to a poetry anthology).

Tinkers (http://www.amazon.com/Tinkers-Paul-Harding/dp/193413712X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260813062&sr=1-1), Paul Harding (a friend from graduate school, first novel).

The True Believer (http://www.amazon.com/True-Believer-Thoughts-Movements-Perennial/dp/0060505915/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260813115&sr=1-1), Eric Hoffer (a classic as much for it's Nietzsche-like discourse on the individual w/in society as for its well-maintained relevance).

A Pattern Language (http://www.amazon.com/Pattern-Language-Buildings-Construction-Environmental/dp/0195019199/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260813186&sr=1-1), Christopher Alexander. (" A Pattern Language offers a practical language for building and planning based on natural considerations. A beautifully-done, but quietly reactionary, response to modern and post-modern architecture).

[ShaneDawg85]

I've not yet finished the Janis book. In fact I haven't picked it up in a few weeks. Instead I've switched my attention to the newest of my many David McCullough books, Brave Companions. It's a bit different then his usual outputs, but so far it's still a good read. I'm a big McCullough fan, and once this is one is complete that will make three I have read.

[DuffMan]

My friend lent me "Into The Wild" I've been meaning to read this for a while now and that is what I'm currently reading.

[backwardsk]

My friend lent me "Into The Wild" I've been meaning to read this for a while now and that is what I'm currently reading.

Loved that book.

I just finished All the Pretty Horses. It took me awhile to get through it, and it was a little frustrating because of my lack of Spanish. I read The Road, but I think I'm going to take a break from the Border Trilogy. Has anyone read Suttree, Outer Dark, or the Sunset Limited?

[Dipper9]

I am currently reading Star Wars: Death Troopers. I love the Star Wars movies but this is the first book I've read. A little slow getting started, but its starting to pick up a little.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I'm reading But Didn't We Have Fun: An Informal History of Baseball's Pioneer Era, 1843-1870.

Since most baseball histories tend to go "Doubleday did NOT invent baseball---rounders/town ball---New York Knickerbockers---Cincinnati Red Stockings---National League" in about three pages, something that goes in-depth into that era is very interesting to me. It's a little slow, since it's mostly taken from interviews and letters and other sources from the era, but it's great stuff.

[clapdiddy]

I'm reading Team of Rivals - The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln right now. I tried starting it about a year ago and just couldn't get into it. I restarted it within the last couple of weeks and am liking it.

[twoBshorty]

Just finished Spy, by David Wise, which is an exhaustive look at the case of Robert Hanssen. I was only 13 when he was arrested but I remember reading the huge front page article in the Post and the ensuing uproar. Don't think I appreciated at the time how much damaging info he passed to the Soviet Union, or how astonishing it was that he got away with it for so long. Him and Aldrich Ames together seem to have just about wiped out every intelligence resource. I don't know how the author got the facts or access he did; the extent of his knowledge is almost creepy. Great book, though.

Currently in the middle of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaiden's Tale. Fantastic read.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I'm currently reading Washington Burning: How a Frenchman's Vision for Our Nation's Capital Survived Congress, the Founding Fathers, and the Invading British Army (http://www.amazon.com/Washington-Burning-Frenchmans-Survived-Congress/dp/0307346455/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270591551&sr=8-1). It's a really interesting book that gives background on the process of selecting a site for a permanent capitol (some sites in question were Baltimore, Annapolis, Lancaster, Peach Bottom, and an unnamed spot on the lower Susquehanna) and all of the controversy around the location, design and construction. And even though I haven't made it to that point, it seems to be heading towards how the burning by the British actually rallied American pride towards Washington as a symbol.

[TGO]

Just finished Spy, by David Wise, which is an exhaustive look at the case of Robert Hanssen. I was only 13 when he was arrested but I remember reading the huge front page article in the Post and the ensuing uproar. Don't think I appreciated at the time how much damaging info he passed to the Soviet Union, or how astonishing it was that he got away with it for so long. Him and Aldrich Ames together seem to have just about wiped out every intelligence resource. I don't know how the author got the facts or access he did; the extent of his knowledge is almost creepy. Great book, though.

Currently in the middle of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaiden's Tale. Fantastic read.

Spy is a great book. I read it in college. The author got a lot of his info because Hanssen agreed to let his psychiatrist talk.

Wise has also been doing the intelligence-journalism gig since the U2 incident in 1960, so he has built up quite a network of sources, I'm sure.

[Flip217]

I just started Pale Fire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Fire) by Nabokov. I'm only 30 pages in but so far I'm blown away.

I'm a huge fan of Lolita so I'm not exactly sure why I've waited so long to read other works by this amazing writer, and I think somebody here (Lucky Jim?) posted a while ago that Pale Fire was perhaps Nabkov's finest work.

My experience with Lolita was that I enjoyed the book much more after I stumbled across an annotated version that exposed all the puns, anagrams, and hidden or obscure references peppered throughout; I'm wondering if I should find a reader's guide or good critique of this as well.

Once I'm a bit further along, I'll post additional thoughts, but in the meantime, if you've read it, I'd love to hear your impression.

[Lucky Jim]

I just started Pale Fire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Fire) by Nabokov. I'm only 30 pages in but so far I'm blown away.

I'm a huge fan of Lolita so I'm not exactly sure why I've waited so long to read other works by this amazing writer, and I think somebody here (Lucky Jim?) posted a while ago that Pale Fire was perhaps Nabkov's finest work.

My experience with Lolita was that I enjoyed the book much more after I stumbled across an annotated version that exposed all the puns, anagrams, and hidden or obscure references peppered throughout; I'm wondering if I should find a reader's guide or good critique of this as well.

Once I'm a bit further along, I'll post additional thoughts, but in the meantime, if you've read it, I'd love to hear your impression.

Yeah - love that book. Glad you finally picked it up!

[GMU Orioles Fan]

I'm about to start Massacre in Mexico for my Latin American history class. It's about student protests in Mexico circa 1968. I've also read a ton of Shakespeare this semester since I'm an English minor.

[Lucky Jim]

The Anthologist (http://www.amazon.com/Anthologist-Novel-Nicholson-Baker/dp/1416572449), Nicholson Baker (about a guy trying to write the introduction to a poetry anthology).

Tinkers (http://www.amazon.com/Tinkers-Paul-Harding/dp/193413712X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260813062&sr=1-1), Paul Harding (a friend from graduate school, first novel).

The True Believer (http://www.amazon.com/True-Believer-Thoughts-Movements-Perennial/dp/0060505915/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260813115&sr=1-1), Eric Hoffer (a classic as much for it's Nietzsche-like discourse on the individual w/in society as for its well-maintained relevance).

A Pattern Language (http://www.amazon.com/Pattern-Language-Buildings-Construction-Environmental/dp/0195019199/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260813186&sr=1-1), Christopher Alexander. (" A Pattern Language offers a practical language for building and planning based on natural considerations. A beautifully-done, but quietly reactionary, response to modern and post-modern architecture).

Bump to note that my buddy won the Pulitzer in fiction today.

http://www.boston.com/ae/specials/culturedesk/2010/04/paul_hardings_tinkers_wins_pul.html

[Scrat1]

Bump to note that my buddy won the Pulitzer in fiction today.

http://www.boston.com/ae/specials/culturedesk/2010/04/paul_hardings_tinkers_wins_pul.html

I was just coming in here to bump this in case you hadn't heard. I just saw it on The Second Pass.

[Lucky Jim]

I was just coming in here to bump this in case you hadn't heard. I just saw it on The Second Pass.

Yeah. Good day. Especially when great things happen to great guys.

[Mooreisbetter27]

I've literally got 4 books I'm about 20-50 pages into. I can't get any of them to draw me in.

The Books are:

Strangers by Dean Koontz
Tarnsman of Gor by John Norman
The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

I never have this much problem getting into a book, but none of these books are drawing me in.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I'm reading Mike & Mike's new book: Mike and Mike's Rules for Sports and Life (http://www.amazon.com/Mike-Mikes-Rules-Sports-Life/dp/0345516222/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271200892&sr=8-1).

My recommendation? Find it in audiobook, because it's essentially a dialogue between the two anyway.

[NewMarketSean]

I am reading Shame the Devil by DC writier George Pelacanos. He is also one of The Wire guys.

Great book...I have 18 pages to go and here I am stuck at work with the book in my bag. If only there was some way to read it on the computer...

[DurbBird]

Last night I finished Dead End Gene Pool, a memoir by Wendy Burden, a descendant of Cornelius Vanderbilt. It's hilarious and heartbreaking.

Next up is Hellhound on His Trail by Hampton Sides, about James Earl Ray, the assassination of Martin Luther King, jr., and the hunt for Ray. We met Hampton Sides last weekend at a bookseller's conference--really nice guy.

[Greg Pappas]

Bump to note that my buddy won the Pulitzer in fiction today.

http://www.boston.com/ae/specials/culturedesk/2010/04/paul_hardings_tinkers_wins_pul.html

Outstanding. :)

[blid]

Reading The Obscene Bird of Night, recommended by hangout member sakata_catching :)

The narration is pretty wild, reminds me of Celine, I'm enjoying it a lot so far

[srock]

The Big Short, the new Michael Lewis book. Just finished it. I suggest everyone with a hand in the economy read it.

It is amazing how people in charge sometimes haven't a clue what is going on :(

[sakata_catching]

Reading The Obscene Bird of Night, recommended by hangout member sakata_catching :)

The narration is pretty wild, reminds me of Celine, I'm enjoying it a lot so far
Just a tremendous, tremendous novel. Quite unlike anything else you'll ever read. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it.

If you enjoy Donoso, you might also check out the Portuguese novelist Antonio Lobo Antunes, who's been shortlisted in recent years for the Nobel.

Myself, I'm getting ready to jump into Evelyn Waugh's Sword of Honour trilogy, loosely based on his experiences in WWII.

[Gulfbird44]

I wasn't sure if I should make this post as I know not all OH members/readers might not be interested in history, much less military history but I thought highly enough of the book to go ahead and recognize excellent work.

The story is about Special Force Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 574 and their work in supporting Hamid Karzai right up to prior to the surrender of the Taliban in Kandahar. In my personal opinion, Eric Blehm did an excellent job in piecing together various interviews of eyewitnesses and some official documents of events that occured between 11 Sept - 5 Dec 2001.

The book is likely still out in your local book stores in hardback and is also available through Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Only-Thing-Worth-Dying-Afghanistan/dp/0061661228/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273539511&sr=1-1

[Spoonless]

I'm about to start reading The City & the City, by China Miéville.

[cindyluvsbrady]

The Gospel According To LOST.

[VThokies]

Just finished Blood Meridian, moving on to Lehane's The Given Day.

[theonestevewh]

I'm currently reading Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It by Richard Clarke and Robert Knake. It's an interesting read and Clarke keeps the tech jargon to a minimum so most non-geeks can understand it. His cyber attack scenarios are a little too sensational and oversimplified but not ultimately unrealistic. Clarke is doing a good job to spotlight cybersecurity but it's more than likely in vain.

[Mark Carver]

Five Days in London, May 1940 (http://www.amazon.com/Five-Days-London-May-1940/dp/0300080301) by John Lukacs.



No. 8 on the 2001 Washington Post Book World Best-Seller list.

The days from May 24 to May 28, 1940 altered the course of the history of this century, as the members of the British War Cabinet debated whether to negotiate with Hitler or to continue the war. The decisive importance of these five days is the focus of John Lukacs’s magisterial new book.

Lukacs takes us hour by hour into the critical unfolding of events at 10 Downing Street, where Churchill and the members of his cabinet were painfully considering their war responsibilities. We see how the military disasters taking place on the Continent—particularly the plight of the nearly 400,000 British soldiers bottled up in Dunkirk—affected Churchill’s fragile political situation, for he had been prime minister only a fortnight and was regarded as impetuous and hotheaded even by many of his own party. Lukacs also investigates the mood of the British people, drawing on newspaper and Mass-Observation reports that show how the citizenry, though only partly informed about the dangers that faced them, nevertheless began to support Churchill’s determination to stand fast.

source (http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=0300080301)

[GMU Orioles Fan]

Read a few books this summer thus far: Game Six, great baseball book about Game Six of the 1975 World Series. I hate the Red Sox but hard not to tear up a little reading about Tiant's reunion with his folks. Read Revolutionary Road which was the novel that became the movie with DiCaprio and Winslet last year. Tragic but I like Yates writing style. I'm reading right now Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefore. It covers Stalin's life up until the revolution and it's well researched and well written. Real remarkable insight in to how Stalin became the mass murderer he was.

[24fps]

Volume 3 of Shelby Foote's Civil War trilogy.

Because, more than anything else, his language reminds me I never was from Los Angeles nor will I ever be.



(syntax intentional);)

[Spoonless]

The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K. Le Guin.

[glorydays]

Just finished The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America (http://www.amazon.com/Devil-White-City-Madness-Changed/dp/0609608444) by Erik Larson. It was fantastic!

[Spoonless]

I just finished Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars, an absolutely fantastic novel chronicling the colonization of Mars.

[Mark Carver]

Volume 3 of Shelby Foote's Civil War trilogy.

Because, more than anything else, his language reminds me I never was from Los Angeles nor will I ever be.



(syntax intentional);)

There's an audiobook version of this series out their. Foote does the reading! His words and his voice, perfecto!

[Mark Carver]

What another book on D-Day? Well I liked Antony Beevor's other books - Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943; The Fall of Berlin 1945 and The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939, so why not give his D-Day, The Battle of Normandy (http://www.amazon.com/D-Day-Battle-Normandy-Antony-Beevor/dp/0670021199/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1282521964&sr=8-1) a try. So far, so good..


Beevor has established a solid reputation as a chronicler of WWII's great eastern front battles: Stalingrad and Berlin. In addressing D-Day, he faces much wider competition with historians like Stephen Ambrose and Max Hastings, who also use his method of integrating personal experiences, tactical engagements, operational intentions and strategic plans. Beevor combines extensive archival research with a remarkable sense of the telling anecdote: he quotes, for example, an officer's description of the bloody mass of arms and legs and heads, [and] cremated corpses created by artillery fire as the Germans tried to escape the Allied breakout. He is sharply critical of senior commanders on both sides: Bernard Montgomery's conceit; Adolf Hitler's self-delusion; Dwight Eisenhower's mediocrity. His heroes are the men who took the invasion ashore and carried it forward into Normandy in the teeth of a German defense whose skill and determination deserved a better cause. The result was a battle of attrition: a bloody slog that tested British and American fighting power to the limit—but not beyond. Beevor says that it wasn't Allied forces' material superiority but their successful use of combined arms and their high learning curve that were decisive in a victory that shaped postwar Europe. Maps, illus.

[BRobinsonfan]

The Anthologist (http://www.amazon.com/Anthologist-Novel-Nicholson-Baker/dp/1416572449), Nicholson Baker (about a guy trying to write the introduction to a poetry anthology).

Tinkers (http://www.amazon.com/Tinkers-Paul-Harding/dp/193413712X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260813062&sr=1-1), Paul Harding (a friend from graduate school, first novel).

The True Believer (http://www.amazon.com/True-Believer-Thoughts-Movements-Perennial/dp/0060505915/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260813115&sr=1-1), Eric Hoffer (a classic as much for it's Nietzsche-like discourse on the individual w/in society as for its well-maintained relevance).

A Pattern Language (http://www.amazon.com/Pattern-Language-Buildings-Construction-Environmental/dp/0195019199/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260813186&sr=1-1), Christopher Alexander. (" A Pattern Language offers a practical language for building and planning based on natural considerations. A beautifully-done, but quietly reactionary, response to modern and post-modern architecture).


Not to toot my own horn - but I won 1st Place in the B. Frank Hall Philosophy and Religion Society Essay Contest for an article I wrote on Eric Hoffer's "The True Believer."

Hoffer essentially set out to answer the question: How - in the 20th Century - in an educated society - could Nazi Germany happen? His work is regarded as one of the finest on the development of mass movements ever produced.

Hoffer was basically self taught. He was a longshoreman and migrant worker in California for most of his life. After a bout with blindness as a boy (brought on by a fall) - he became a voracious reader - always fearing that his eyesight would disappear.

[backwardsk]

The Killer Angels. Yes, it was on my 11th grade reading list. Sixteen years later, and I'm finally getting around to it. :laughlol:

[BaltimoreTerp]

The Killer Angels. Yes, it was on my 11th grade reading list. Sixteen years later, and I'm finally getting around to it. :laughlol:

My all-time favorite book. Enjoy :)

[TGO]

Right now I'm working on Slaughterhouse Five (somehow never read this, though I have read Cat's Cradle).

Also reading Nudge, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I just finished a book called Medicus, by Ruth Downie. It's basically an ancient Roman murder mystery: an army doctor stationed at a fort in Britannia investigates a series of murdered prostitutes from a local bar.

Really interesting read, and I'll be starting her next book shortly.

I'm also reading Field of Schemes, the book that basically tears to shreds every argument supporting publicly-funded stadia. Probably the same way Death to the BCS will destroy the arguments around that system when my copy shows up.

[OrangeJerseys]

Cannery Row - Steinbeck
War - Sebastian Junger
Generation Kill - Evan Wright

[VThokies]

Just finishing up Richard Price's Lush Life (http://www.amazon.com/Lush-Life-Novel-Richard-Price/dp/0312428227/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293631554&sr=1-1), moving on to Don DeLillo's The Names (http://www.amazon.com/Names-Don-DeLillo/dp/0679722955/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2).

[Tank]

Just starting 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'. Saw the movie first and loved it, hope that doesn't take away from the book.

[clapdiddy]

Just finished reading "Johnny U.", a biography of John Unitas. Very good read.

[KansasO'sFan]

Just got done reading The Day Before Midnight, by Stephen Hunter. I've read several of his books, and I've enjoyed every one I've read. He's the same guy who wrote Point of Impact, which the movie Shooter was based off of.

I'm getting ready to start Ball Four (finally), and I'm definitely looking forward to it.

[cindyluvsbrady]

"Cats And Their Slaves".....By Michelle Lovric

[Tank]

Finished 'Dragon Tattoo' and have moved on to 'The Girl Who Played with Fire'. Loved the first book, even better than the Swedish movie. Can't wait to see what David Fincher does for the American version.

[weams]

Sixty Feet Six Inches (http://www.amazon.com/Sixty-Feet-Six-Inches-Pitcher/dp/0385528698)

This book may be a little too technical for the casual baseball fan, but if you know and love the game, and want to learn a little more about the nuts and bolts of pitching and hitting, this is a great read. It's not great baseball literature like Roger Angell, or the best of Roger Kahn, more of an informal conversation between two hall-of-famers and World Series greats. It's a wealth of information about how the game is played, and more importantly, how it should be played.

What makes it great is that there are a lot of fascinating anecdotes from both Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson interspersed with the technical stuff. Both men talk at some length about their early years in the game, and what they had to go through coming up as young black players in the 50's (Gibson) and 60's (Jackson). I already had great respect for Gibson, but have even more after reading this book. I wasn't as enamored of Reggie Jackson, but after reading Sixty Feet, Six Inches, I have new respect for him as well. Any serious student of baseball and baseball history would thoroughly enjoy this book.

How much fun would it be to read an account of Cy Young sitting down and talking about the pitcher/hitter battle with Ty Cobb? Or Warren Spahn with Ted Williams? We don't have any such account, but we do have Bob Gibson talking with Reggie Jackson! This book will only grow in importance over the years.

For those of us who remember Reggie's and Bob's playing career, this is a wonderfully vivid reminder. For those who do not, it will paint a detailed portrait of who they are and show why, even among vastly talented athletes, intelligence and will power decide true excellence.


The battle between hitter and pitcher is the ultimate baseball battle. These two warriors share with the reader how they survived the war so long and with so many victories.

[Lateralus]

Midway through The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 1 by Doyle.

Such a good read.

On deck, Into the Storm: Violent Tornadoes, Killer Hurricanes, and Death-defying Adventures in Extreme Weather by Reed Timmer.

[Tank]

The Girl Who Played with Fire was better than Dragon Tattoo. Just got The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest from the library to finish the trilogy.

[OrangeJerseys]

A Storm of Swords - George R.R. Martin

Next up is A Feast for Crows, but I'll probably take a break from the series. I just got:

The Killer Angels - Michael Shaara
The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen
Clapton - Eric Clapton

[weams]

A Storm of Swords - George R.R. Martin

Next up is A Feast for Crows, but I'll probably take a break from the series. I just got:

The Killer Angels - Michael Shaara
The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen
Clapton - Eric Clapton

You'll enjoy Killer Angels and Clapton.

[DuffMan]

I'm reading the Hobbit again right now. It's been a few years since I've read it so it feels pretty "new" to me.

[Who's On 1st]

A Storm of Swords - George R.R. Martin

Next up is A Feast for Crows, but I'll probably take a break from the series. I just got:

The Killer Angels - Michael Shaara
The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen
Clapton - Eric Clapton

I believe I read -The Killer Angels - Michael Shaara
My memory aint what it used to be or ever was. :rofl: But IIRC, it IS a great book. I have read a lot and have many books on the Civil War.

I have just started going back to local battlefields and taking photos. As soon as the weather clears, I'll be heading to Gettysburg.

[Who's On 1st]

I am currently reading ANSEL ADAMS - An Autobiography!

The man had some of the greatest photo's in Black and White ever.

I plan on getting back to using my old film camera, just for B/W.

[GMU Orioles Fan]

I'm taking an literature course with a heavy concentration of 1920's literature which excites me since I really love the 20's feel after enjoying Boardwalk Empire's 1st season. First book I had to read for the class that I just finished wasn't 20's at all but called Maus. Real interesting graphic novel by Art Spiegelmann that is basically a biography of his father's experiences in the years leading up to and including the Holocaust but with mice as Jews, cats as Germans, and pigs as Poles. Reading a book that is required for my Chinese history course called Chinese Village, Socialist State. In my free reading, I have Thomas Keneally's The Great Shame which is about the Irish disapora of the 19th century. (writer of the book that was adapted in to Schindler's :List) Also picked up Mark Twain's uncensored autobio but I will probably read that with more time on my schedule. I read the Willie Mays bio over the winter break and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I just started Scorecasting, the new book being promoted as essentially the sports version of Freakanomics. So far, interesting stuff on how officials decide to make/not make calls.

[RevOlution]

If you're into self help books, I'm currently reading Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart by Gordon Livingston.

It's not like I've never been able to figure out some of life's revelations, as pointed out in his book, but seeing them in print, kind of helps me understand why I do some of the things I do...like the same dumb decisions over and over again. :rolleyes:

So far, it's a good read.

[Tank]

'The Baseball Economist'

[BaltimoreTerp]

I'm currently reading The Last Boy, the Mickey Mantle Book.

I also just picked up Triumph of the City (http://www.amazon.com/Triumph-City-Greatest-Invention-Healthier/dp/159420277X/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1298501031&sr=8-1): How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier by Edward Glaeser.

Hopefully it will at least help me play SimCity a bit better :laughlol:

[BaltimoreTerp]

First, from my previous post I want to highly recommend Triumph of the City. Very interesting look at the advantages cities provide the world.

I'm reading two books right now. I'm finishing up Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, as Told By Its Stars, Writers and Guests (http://www.amazon.com/Live-New-York-Uncensored-Saturday/dp/0316735655/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302116077&sr=1-1) by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller, and starting 56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports (http://www.amazon.com/56-DiMaggio-Magic-Number-Sports/dp/1603201777/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302116148&sr=1-1) by Kostya Kennedy.

The former I highly recommend if you are an SNL fan or are curious how a TV show like that can function and adapt over the years. The latter is very interesting so far, with quite a bit of detail about the era and even (seemingly) random Americans who came to be DiMaggio fans.

[waroriole]

Infinite Jest- David Foster Wallace

[BaltimoreTerp]

Finished 56. I've read a few "one-season"-type baseball books and this might be the best of them. Kennedy really does a great job getting in DiMaggio's mind. There's also a few chapters mixed in on subjects like the mindset of a hitter when they go to bat, Pete Rose and the differences between his 44-game streak and Joe's, and a great one at the end on probability in streaks that I really think a lot of Orioles fans should go read right now :p

Starting A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. With the series coming out on HBO, I have heard so much about the books and the style and how you don't really need to like "fantasy" to enjoy them that I figured I would give the first book a try. Next up: either Campy: The Two Lives of Roy Campanella (http://www.amazon.com/Campy-Two-Lives-Roy-Campanella/dp/1416547045/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303167953&sr=8-1) by Neil Lanctot or Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game (http://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Garden-Eden-Secret-History/dp/0743294033/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1303167990&sr=8-1) by John Thorn

[Tank]

Five chapters into 'The Darak Story of Eminem'.

I wanna eventually read 'Game of Thrones'.

[DuffMan]

Game of Thrones
Decided to check it out and see what all the hype is about. Pretty impressed with it so far.

[cindyluvsbrady]

A Mighty Wind

[cindyluvsbrady]

I'm reading the Hobbit again right now. It's been a few years since I've read it so it feels pretty "new" to me.
I just bough this....!!!

[DurbBird]

I'm reading Robert Graves' autobiography, Good-bye to All That, which is mainly about his experiences in World War I. And I'm having nightmares every freaking night!

[Sammy So-So]

-"The Things They Carried" by Tim O'brien, a collection of stories from a platoon in Vietnam.
-The Bartimaeus Trilogy‎: The Amulet of Samarkand
-Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend

[srock]

"On China" by Henry Kissinger. Fascinatingly in depth. Getting my geopolitical learn on with the Kindle App for iPad.

[Spoonless]

Finished up Embassytown by China Mieville while I had jury duty. It might be his best book yet, though The City and the City and Perdido Street Station are still up there.

I'm about a third of the way through Neal Stephenson's Reamde. It's very good. It's reminiscent of Snow Crash in many ways.

[clapdiddy]

Just finished "The First Commandment" by Brad Thor. Awesome stuff.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I'm reading The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris (http://www.amazon.com/Greater-Journey-Americans-Paris/dp/1416571760/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321414290&sr=8-1) by David McCullough. It's good.

[SpOkane]

Just finished the first 100 pages of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. So far, I can't disagree with the critics who call it one of the best novels ever.

[OrangeJerseys]

Just finished the first 100 pages of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. So far, I can't disagree with the critics who call it one of the best novels ever.

Awesome book.


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk.

[orioles119]

I just started "The Strain Triology" by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan... so far, it is very interesting and the pacing is not a problem at all.

It's definitely a departure... I've been stuck lately reading the short stories of Stephen King from Four Past Midnight. They've been okay, but I would rather have a full fledged novel and found it with the Strain.

Definitely look forward to finishing Book 1 and going on to "The Fall" then "The Night Eternal."

I'll say that these vampires are NOT the Twilight version (Thank God!).

[bobmc]

Started a good one recently but a subject I didn't think I'd enjoy*. It's "The House That Ruth Built", by Robert Weintraub.

* Why you axe? I was born in Brooklyn at the time when the Yanks were moving along winning championships, dominating baseball and fostering waves of soulless zombie-like fans nationwide. I was a Giant fan like my father and his friends. We had our moments ('51 and '54, thank you very much) but we always played second fiddle to the "Dang Yankees". I grew up hating them and still do with a passion. However, this book begins when the mighty Giants and John McGraw, who were dominating the NY and "world" baseballl scene playing little ball, butting heads with Ruth, Col. Ruppert and the Yanks.

The book contains interesting trivia/facts on the building of the Stadium researched tenaciously by Weintraub. However, it also goes behind the scenes with conversations apparently recorded by film or word of mouth with Ruth, Wee Willie Keeler, McGraw, etc. One such convo had Ruth going into the Giants locker room after Game 2 of the '22 World Series and having a problem with the bench jockeying. Ruth was called the "N" word since he was (untruly) reputed to be of Afro-Am heritage. Anyway, Ruth was getting into it with the Giants in the lockerroom and said that he didn't mind being called a CS or MF but the N word was off limits. Pretty funny anecdote and only one of many.

The book also explains how McGraw played for the NL Baltimore Orioles and how the term Baltimore Chop started with McGraw's penchant for hitting high choppers off the hard field and the doctoring of the field to accommodate them. It draws a comparison between Ruth and McGraw with their Baltimore roots.

I recommend it! I mean you Frobby!

[Lucky Jim]

James Gleick's The Information: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/books/review/book-review-the-information-by-james-gleick.html?pagewanted=all

Nourielle Roubini, Crisis Economics: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/books/07book.html?pagewanted=all

JH Prynne, Poems: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._H._Prynne

Pretty interesting, though I'm not enamored with the Prynne poems - more like due diligence for my shadow career. For those who want a clear-eyed look at the causes of, and proposed solutions to, our current economic woes, Roubini is very good. Post-Keynsian/Minskian in approach, he's pretty pragmatic, recognizing core values and principles to be gleaned from Austrian economics while still presenting an adaptive, big-picture Keynsian baseline.

Gleick's book is a great entry into a lot of well-traveled territory re: information systems and technology (pre-verbal language, language, technology). I imagine I'll disagree with some conclusions, but there are fascinating insights. And it's hard not to be blown away by the polymaths of prior centuries.

[Pedro Cerrano]

James Gleick's The Information: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/books/review/book-review-the-information-by-james-gleick.html?pagewanted=all

Nourielle Roubini, Crisis Economics: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/books/07book.html?pagewanted=all

JH Prynne, Poems: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._H._Prynne

Pretty interesting, though I'm not enamored with the Prynne poems - more like due diligence for my shadow career. For those who want a clear-eyed look at the causes of, a proposed solutions to, our current economic woes, Roubini is very good. Post-Keynsian/Minskian in approach, he's pretty pragmatic, recognizing core values and principles to be gleaned from Austrian economics while still presenting an adaptive, big-picture Keynsian baseline.

Gleick's book is a great entry into a lot of well-traveled territory re: information systems and technology (pre-verbal language, language, technology). I imagine I'll disagree with some conclusions, but there are fascinating insights. And it's hard not to be blown away by the polymaths of prior centuries.

This question is based solely on curiosity but do you see the law as a long-term career or do you see yourself teaching literature in the future?

[Lucky Jim]

This question is based solely on curiosity but do you see the law as a long-term career or do you see yourself teaching literature in the future?

I can't see law as a long-long-term career, but it remains uncertain what might come next, and when. On my bad days, I'm sure I only have one more year of Big Law in me. On my good days I'm a little less sure that I have only one more year of Big Law in me.

I'm working on a second manuscript/book (poetry), and if I can publish that, I'll probably go back on the academic job market.

[Bluerocksfan]

I can't see law as a long-long-term career, but it remains uncertain what might come next, and when. On my bad days, I'm sure I only have one more year of Big Law in me. On my good days I'm a little less sure that I have only one more year of Big Law in me.

I'm working on a second manuscript/book (poetry), and if I can publish that, I'll probably go back on the academic job market.
If you don't mind you should post that manuscript/book here when you are finsihed with it. I would enjoy reading it.
Since exams for me are next week I am reving up for three weeks of reading!
A friend lent me King Dork, which she says I will like since I loved the Catcher in the Rye. I am also hoping to read one or two James Bond novels (suggestions are wlecomed on which ones) and maybe a Samuel Beckett play or two.

[Lucky Jim]

If you don't mind you should post that manuscript/book here when you are finsihed with it. I would enjoy reading it.
Since exams for me are next week I am reving up for three weeks of reading!
A friend lent me King Dork, which she says I will like since I loved the Catcher in the Rye. I am also hoping to read one or two James Bond novels (suggestions are wlecomed on which ones) and maybe a Samuel Beckett play or two.

I'm pretty unlikely to put anything up here, but thanks for your interest. (For a multitude of reasons, but mostly because it'll be, like, a year from now at the earliest and it'll be w/ publishers, who frown on stealing their thunder.) As a trade-off, here's a really good article about Bond and John LeCarre that might give you some ideas re: Bond novels: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/12/the-anti-james-bond/8708/

[TGO]

I really need to read LeCarre's entire Smiley arc. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is one of my favorite novels.

[BRobinsonfan]

Just finished Neil Sheehan's "A Bright Shinning Lie: John Paul Vann and the America in Vietnam." Truly one of the best books I've read in a long time. The history backdrop provided by Sheehan was a real eye opener for me. An incredibly well researched book.

[Lucky Jim]

Just finished Neil Sheehan's "A Bright Shinning Lie: John Paul Vann and the America in Vietnam." Truly one of the best books I've read in a long time. The history backdrop provided by Sheehan was a real eye opener for me. An incredibly well researched book.

My father (a history teacher) is a huge fan of that book.

[BRobinsonfan]

My father (a history teacher) is a huge fan of that book.

Since my father and brother both fought in Vietnam I've been acutely interested in that subject for years. Sheehan's book is the best thing I've read about the Vietnam war and it isn't even particularly close.

[Lucky Jim]

Since my father and brother both fought in Vietnam I've been acutely interested in that subject for years. Sheehan's book is the best thing I've read about the Vietnam war and it isn't even particularly close.

I enjoyed Lessons in Disaster, about McGeorge Bundy. Might be a good follow-up.

[Frobby]

I finished Michael Lewis' The Big Short this weekend. Fascinating book about a few investors who saw the folly of what the large financial institutions were doing with subprime mortgages, and made a killing betting against it. It's a great insight into how financial crises inevitably seem to arise out of speculation, greed and a willingness to suspend common sense.

I'm going to have to check out Boomerang, his new book about the debt crisis in Europe and elsewhere.

[srock]

I finished Michael Lewis' The Big Short this weekend. Fascinating book about a few investors who saw the folly of what the large financial institutions were doing with subprime mortgages, and made a killing betting against it. It's a great insight into how financial crises inevitably seem to arise out of speculation, greed and a willingness to suspend common sense.

I'm going to have to check out Boomerang, his new book about the debt crisis in Europe and elsewhere.

The Big Short was excellent. Liar's Poker 2.0.

What killed me in that book is how these few people shorting housing should have been a much larger group. If enough investors knew what they were doing, then rampant shorting should have stopped the bubble before the meltdown occurred. At least, that's how these markets are supposed to operate.

Obviously, things were more complicated then this which made it hard to see the bubble forming.

I'm also starting Boomerang.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

[Orioles4Life21]

I recently finished reading Pet Sematary

[backwardsk]

The Big Short was excellent. Liar's Poker 2.0.

What killed me in that book is how these few people shorting housing should have been a much larger group. If enough investors knew what they were doing, then rampant shorting should have stopped the bubble before the meltdown occurred. At least, that's how these markets are supposed to operate.

Obviously, things were more complicated then this which made it hard to see the bubble forming.

I'm also starting Boomerang.

I recommend that both you and Frobby read House of Cards. It's about the Bear Stearns collapse. A lot of mini-biographies in there. I'm about ready to start Too Big to Fail.

Currently reading Snowball. Buffett's biography. I also read Dinosaur, Dinasaur to my daughter. It was epic.

[OrangeJerseys]

11/23/63 by Stephen King.

Pretty damn good, but I usually like his stuff. A lot.

[NewMarketSean]

The Cut by George Pelacanos. I can't get enough of his books but his characters are all pretty similar. It's like reading a different variation of the same story over and over again.

[backwardsk]

The Cut by George Pelacanos. I can't get enough of his books but his characters are all pretty similar. It's like reading a different variation of the same story over and over again.

Got it for Christmas, finished it in a few days. Could have read it in a day if I had the time. What other books by him do you recommend? He's very similar to dennis lehane.

[NewMarketSean]

Got it for Christmas, finished it in a few days. Could have read it in a day if I had the time. What other books by him do you recommend? He's very similar to dennis lehane.

All of them. They are all really good/great. I'd probably say Shame the Devil, The Way Home, and The Night Gardener are the best. The Derek Strange books are good, too.

If you haven't read any Richard Price yet, check him out too. I'd say he's even better than Pelecanos. Especially Samaritan and Lush Life.

[Tank]

A Game of Thrones.

Why did I wait this long???

[waroriole]

A People's History of the World.

[backwardsk]

Has anyone read The Last Great Game? It's about the duke/Kentucky game in 92. I heard an interview with the writer, sounds awesome.

[OrangeJerseys]

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.

[NewMarketSean]

Soft Target by former Sun movie critic Stephen Hunter.

[ThisIsOurHouse]

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.
I have heard great reviews on this book so far.
Currently reading Moral Leadership: The Theory and Practice of Power, Judgment, and Policy

[Don Quixote]

The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger.

[Objectivity]

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.

Great book. I never realized what an idiot savant he was. That and how his ideas about new age self-healing directly led to his death.

I just finished The Rook. Excellent book.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I've been reading the New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. For the last month.

It's a bit wordy.

[RavNMadMan]

I just finished "The Reapers" written by John Connolly. I liked it but it's not for the faint of heart.

[Spoonless]

Re-reading Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment (Pevear/Volokhonsky translation).

[BaltimoreTerp]

Just starting Out Of My League by Dirk Hayhurst (The Bullpen Gospels) and World War Z by Max Brooks.

[Don Quixote]

Get Back: The Unauthorized Chronicle of The Beatles' Let it Be Disaster by Doug Sulpy and Ray Schweighardt.

[Jurczak]

Finishing up Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs by Buddy Levy. Good read, seems to give a pretty fair treatment and is written at a good pace.

[BRobinsonfan]

Re-reading "In Dubious Battle" by John Steinbeck

[CrimsonTribe]

Recently started The Honourable Schoolboy by John le Carre after I finished up Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

[Can_of_corn]

Lysistrata by Aristophanes

Not for the prudish but very funny.

[Lucky Jim]

I'm reading lots of "new" poetry and some theory these days. But my pleasure reading is David Foster Wallace's book on (the birth and concept of) infinity, Everything and More.

[Skeletor]

I'm reading lots of "new" poetry and some theory these days. But my pleasure reading is David Foster Wallace's book on (the birth and concept of) infinity, Everything and More.

Have you read Rudy Rucker's Infinity and the Mind?

[Lucky Jim]

Have you read Rudy Rucker's Infinity and the Mind?

This is my first book on the subject - followed DFW to it, rather than seeking it out on its own. Though I've been reading a bit on a bunch of science and math topics (was just reading Feynman's QED).

[Oriology]

Pride and Prejudice. Fun times.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Pride and Prejudice. Fun times.

Ugh. I hope it's for English class.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Pride and Prejudice. Fun times.


Ugh. I hope it's for English class.

Unless it involves zombies...

[Mooreisbetter27]

The Sword of the Templars by Paul Christopher.

Enjoying it a lot too.

[RavNMadMan]

"Bad Blood" by John Sandford. If you like crime fiction, it's a keeper. Not finished though.....

[Lucky Jim]

Godel, Escher, Bach, Hofstadter - BS, but brilliant BS. ;)

[twoBshorty]

I just finished The Hunger Games. It wasn't exactly high-brow literature and I have no intention of seeing the movie but the plot was riveting. I was hooked practically from the first sentence.

[CrimsonTribe]

I just finished The Hunger Games. It wasn't exactly high-brow literature and I have no intention of seeing the movie but the plot was riveting. I was hooked practically from the first sentence.

I read the whole thing on Tuesday at the beach so I could go see the movie with the wife last night. The first person was annoying as heck, but the story was ok and it was quick enough to get through in one day. The move was pretty "meh" though.

[andrewochs615]

Does anyone know of any good action adventure type books maybe like the Uncharted or Assassins Creed video games? I am not big into reading, but I wouldn't mind trying something that could really catch my eye.

[Can_of_corn]

Does anyone know of any good action adventure type books maybe like the Uncharted or Assassins Creed video games? I am not big into reading, but I wouldn't mind trying something that could really catch my eye.

Give this a look

http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Jhereg-Steven-Brust/dp/0441006159/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1335287429&sr=8-5

[RavNMadMan]

"Bad Blood" by John Sandford. If you like crime fiction, it's a keeper. Not finished though.....

I finished it. Good book and food for thought. The protagonist is Virgil Flowers for those of you familiar with Sandford books. It's creepy and touches on very dark and evil things.

[SpOkane]

Just completed, as bedtime reading, The Hobbit to my nine year old son in anticipation of the movie in December. Started reading LOTR to him. He loves it.

For myself, I'm currently reading The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson. So far, so good.

[OrangeJerseys]

The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King.

Still getting through A Storm of Swords by Geaorge RR Martin as well.