What Are You Reading? - My Quarterly Survey

3/29/11 | MplsSteve

[MplsSteve]

Hi everyone! It's time again for my "What Are You Reading?" thread.

As you know, I consider Freepers to be among the more well-read of those of us on the Internet. I like to find out what all of you are reading these days.

It can be anything...a technical journal, a NY Times best seller, a classic work of fiction, a trashy pulp novel. In short, it can be anything.

However, please do not defile this thread by posting "I'm reading this thread". it became really unfunny a long time ago.

I'll start. I'm about 15% of the way thru "Henry Clay: The Essential American" by David & Jeanne Heidler. Many books have been written on Henry Clay but this one seems to be the most comprehensive. At times, the authors can be a little long-winded - but all in all, it's a good book about one of the giants of the early 19th Century.

Well, what are YOU reading?

[Persevero]

I think you’re a little cynical. Fiction may out-sell non-fiction, but this is FR. Folks here are probably heavy duty readers, at least most of us, and seriously minded, except Laz.

Why expect FR demographics to mirror the demographics of the nation at large?

With the exception of daily Bible reading, which I never even list because I don’t much think it’s what the thread is about, I read almost exclusively fiction. Which is all I ever list.

But I believe the FReepers who post the historical and political stuff. I doubt they are all conspiring to post such things.

For all the FR fiction readers out there I’d like to mention I’ve read a few Oleg Steinhauers lately, Cold War behind the Iron Curtain stuff, and really enjoyed most of it.

[Made In The USA]

‘Decision Points’, GW Bush.

[nina0113]

Just started The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, the story of a black woman who, unbeknownst to her and her family, donated cervical cancer cells to science shortly before her death. From that small sample, scientists around the world cultured so many tissue samples for use in research that if you could pile all of the "HeLa" cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons — more than 100 Empire State Buildings. Fascinating stuff.

I finished that about a month ago. Fascinating indeed, esp. with a sib in the medical research field.

[Billthedrill]

I’m waiting for the first liar to come on here and say, “I’m reading The Federalist Papers”.

LOL! Well, I'm not reading them anymore, at least not for awhile. That project took fourteen months.

I am reading Democracy In America for the next FR Book Club. I do believe it's the first time all the way through it.

[A Texan]

Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse by James Wesley Rawles.

It is an interesting take on a possible next path for our country.

[fish hawk]

I'm reading Atlas Shrugged (for the third time) as the movie is coming out soon and I want to be fresh up on the book to compare it with the movie.

[oldtimer2]

I have been reading, on the web, an Interview with Fletcher Prouty. He is one of the people who helped to set up the C.I.A. after WW11. Very interesting! (see link)

An Interview with L. Fletcher Prouty

[Tax-chick]

Thanks! I’m number 3 on the Mecklenburg library wait-list. Anoreth will have to buy one, I’m afraid.

[latina4dubya]

The Great Tradition: classic readings on what it means to be an educated human being, edited by Richard Gamble... specifically reading from this book Plutarch’s “from ‘On Bring up a Boy.’”

[abb]

Walter Winchell: gossip, power and the culture of celebrity
by Neal Gabler

http://books.google.com/books?id=i6t6GwAACAAJ&dq=inauthor%3A%22Neal%20Gabler%22&source=gbs_similarbooks

[Tax-chick]

Our library never got it. I had read some of the content online, but the whole thing was just overwhelming. And it can’t have gotten any better there over the last 15 years.

It’s not like “Midsomer Murders” at all!

[Siena Dreaming]

Letters on England - Voltaire

The Bible as History - Werner Keller

Polar Star - Martin Cruz Smith

[Lee'sGhost]

Catching Fire — Suzanne Collins

[Monterrosa-24]

I ordered TRUE GRIT for my daughters to read.

I'm currently up to page 170 in BONHOEFFER: PASTOR, MARTYR, PROPHET, SPY by Eric Metaxas and page 139 in WAR by Robert Greene.

Already I can recommend the Metaxas’ Bonhoeffer book. The author did his research and writes well too.

[PrivateIdaho]

“The Triathlete’s Training Bible” by Joe Friel - to support my midlife crisis.

[Pan_Yan]

It’s not like “Midsomer Murders” at all!

My wife and I love that television series. I usually get her a set of the DVDs each time a present is due, then we get to spend a few hours watching them together. Don't tell her English villages aren't really like that, I'm fairly sure she plans on retiring to Badger's Drift.

[nina0113]

If you're looking for more British depression, there's The Abolition of Britain by Peter Hitchens. I picked up a copy at Goodwill. I think the original owner must have died; there was a (personal) library's-worth of historical and political non-fiction, and another customer and I were pawing through them greedily. He was scooping up the British ones, and I was taking the Mideastern, but he did cede me that one on request.

[Revolting cat!]

"Don't send me no letter 'cause I can't read" -- Fats Domino.

[Auntie Mame]

“The Lost Boys” on my MP3 player for when I walk the dog

“Absolute Zero” in paperback (I’m not real impressed with this book, it’s definitely a man’s book, but it’s not bad enough to pitch)

“The Tourist,” by Olen Steinhauer. If you’ve never read Olen Steinhauer, I highly recommend him, brilliant writer.

[jdietz]

Reading the Bolo series started by Keith Laumer and taken over by various authors after his death.

Includes

The complete Bolo By Keith Laumer
The Honor Of The Regiment
The Unconquerable
The Triumphant
Last Stand
Old Guard
Cold Steel
Bolo Brigade
Bo;o Rising