Posted on 10/01/2010 8:54:31 AM PDT by MplsSteve
Hi everyone! It's time again for my quarterly "What Are You Reading Now?" thread.
As you know, I consider Freepers to be among the more well-read member of the cyber world. I like to find out what you're all reading.
Essentially, it can be anything. A timeless classic, a trashy pulp novel, a technical journal, etc. In short, anything!
Please do not ruin this thread by posting something stupid like "I'm Reading Your Thread". It became really really unfunny a long time ago.
I'll start. I'm reading "Pendergast!" by Lawrence J Larsen and Nancy J Hulston. Written in 1997, it chronicles the life as well as the rise and fall of Tom Pendergast. In the 1920's and 30's, he was the undisputed boss of Kansas City. Nothing moved or happened in that city without his approval. He was responsible for the rise of Harry S Truman as well.
Pendergast was a contradiction in many terms. he was a family man but also contracted syphilis from a prostitute. He looked out for the downtrodden by getting them jobs and food and then skimmed money off the side (on public works projects) for his own use.
And last but not least, he was a life-long Democrat as well!
All in all, this is a good book and one I'd recommend strongly.
Well, what are you reading now?!
Been reading various Medieval mystery series by authors such as Michael Jecks, Susannah Gregory, and Maureen Ash. Just finished reading “Lord of the Silent” which is Book 13 in the Amelia Peabody mystery series by Elizabeth Peters. I’ve also been reading the “Charlie Moon” mystery series by James D. Doss. I’m presently reading “The Sword of the Templars” by Paul Christopher. I’ve also read all of the Pendergast series by Lincoln Child and Doug Preston, along with several of their individual novels. I just pre-ordered their new novel titled: “Gideon’s Sword.” It’s the first book in their new “Gideon Crew” series.
I’ve got “Okinawa” about half done. I’m 100 pages or so into “Gorgon” which is a pop book about paleontology. I finished the Lincoln bio. Somewhere I’ve got a copy of “Bones” about 1/3 done, but A) I don’t know where it us under this pile of junk, and B) I’m pretty heartily sick of the author’s attention-whore (and man-bashing) writing style. I’m reading about three or four others, but off the top of my head, I can’t remember what they are. [blush] Maybe I’ll check the old threads...
I just finished “Washington’s General,” a bio of Nathanael Greene who was Washington’s #2 for the South in the last year of the War of Independence.
He was lion about it.
I read lots of books at once, and right now, I’m reading:
Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
Three New Deals - Wolfgang Schivelbush
The Jewish gospels in the New Testament
And every October, in the spirit of Halloween, I re-read classic horror novels. This year, it’s Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Robert Howard’s Solomon Kane stories, and, as always, Stoker’s classic, Dracula.
I've got Reagan's Diaries going too. God I miss his leadership and clarity.
just finished “Left to Tell” by Immaculee Ibiligiza, a Rwandan genocide survivor.
currently reading:
1. an anthology of Don Camillo stories, about a priest and a communist in a little town in 1950s Italy.
2. “Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian” with my kids.
Looking forward to:
The next book in the series that started with “Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go”. (Funny fantasy book about kids going through levels of “heck”, an age-appropriate experience of Hell. It has literary and theological allusions and bad puns. I’m hooked.)
A court opinion regarding EMS services.
I’m reading one of Sharon Kay Penman’s numerous novels about the 13th century. The name escapes me at the moment, and it’s on my Ipad. Eleanor of Aquitaine is a leading character. In this book, she just turned 50 and is feeling her age! (just like me!)
I miss the days of being able to roam a book store and purchase any amount of books I wanted.
““Frontier Regulars” by Robert M. Utley. I just visited Montana and Wyoming and wanted to learn more about the post-Civil War Indian Wars. Appears so far to be an even handed account of that period in our history.”
You will find that many of the books by Terry C. Johnston cover the Indian Wars.
He wrote 31 books about the West.
Really heartbreaking Miss Chang died by her own hand. Such a waste.
Wired for Joy by Laurel Mellin
How to Keep People from Pushing Your Buttons by Albert Ellis
"Fun" book: Rereading Stephen King's It.
The Postcatastrophe Economy
The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao
Have you ever read Neal Stephenson’s very first book “The Big U”?
He wrote it back in 1984, It’s quite unlike any of his subsequent works.
I still have the copy I bought way back in 1984.
I just read Night Train and now finishing London Fields.
I really enjoyed Night Train.
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