Posted on 01/16/2007 8:38:52 AM PST by Tanniker Smith
The Free Republic Book Club is an informal gathering of readers and lovers of all genre of books, which meets on an irregular basis, which would whenever I remember to post something. The last meeting, "What did you read in 2006?" was a big success with over 200 posts over the week.
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This week's topic: What's on your Reading List for 2007?
Any "Must Reads" or "Hope to Get To's""?
ping
I've read this highly acclaimed book and recommend it for every FReepers reading list. It's "The Unknown Story: Mao" by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday. Chang lived through most of Mao's catastrophic regime until she escaped in 1978, two years after Mao's death. The book is well researched and includes first person narratives. If you want to learn why and how Mao was responsible for over 70 million (peacetime!) Chinese deaths, this book goes a long way toward explaining it.
Now reading: "Life Support" - Tess Gerritson
Waiting to be read: "Bloodstream" - Tess Gerritson
Both Dexter books by Jeff Lindsay - Jeff Lindsay
"The Queen's Fool" and "Wideacre" - Phillipa Gregory
"False Impression" - Jeffrey Archer
On hold at Library: "Next" - Michael Crichton
Hi Southside, I can recommend two (very) short stories by Hemingway and London. By Hemingway, it's "A Clean Well Lighted Place." This is said to be one of the best brief existential expressions ever written. By London, it's "The White Silence." Just thinking of it makes me shiver! By the way, it's my personal opinion that NO writer better understood dogs, their behaviour and their relationship to humans.
Am now reading (in different rooms)
Kill Me by Stephen White
Women Who Make the World Worse by Kate O'Bierne
Winds of Change by Martha Grimes
Plum Lovin by Janet Evanovich
Evanly Bodies by Rhys Bowen
There are 12 books on my wait list at the library.
I enjoy this thread.
I just started "When the Wind Blows" by James Patterson (Christmas present). After that, I have some John Grisham and Brad Meltzer novels waiting for me. I also have Hans Christian Andersen: The Complete Fairy Tales and Short Stories that I would like to read.
I'm familiar with that Hemingway story. I've been plowing through the complete short stories and it's taken me a while to do it, but I do recall reading that one some time back. The London story isn't in the volume that I'm reading now, but I'll see if the library has it. Yes, he had a good handle on dogs.
I know there's a multitude of London books available but one of the best compilations (about 25) of his short stories I've seen is "To Build a Fire" - and other stories", published by TOR. Regards,
Francis Collins: "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence For Belief"; Tammy Bruce: "The Death of Right and Wrong: Exposing the Left's Assault on Our Culture and Values"; Gregg Jackson: "Conservative Comebacks to Liberal Lies"; Paul Hollander: "Political Pilgrims: Western Intellectuals in Search of the Good Society"; Jack Cashill: "Hoodwinked: How Intellectual Hucksters Have Hijacked American Culture"; Kathy Roth-Douquet and Frank Schaeffer: "AWOL: The Unexcused Absence of America's Upper Classes from Military Service - and How It Hurts Our Country"; Willa Cather; "My Antonia".......
With Robert A. Wilson's recent death, I'm reminded that I've never read his Illuminatus trilogy (although I've played the card game based on it!). However, I don't own a copy, and I'm trying to read books that I own and can get rid of. (I have waaaaaay too many. At least, that's what my wife says.)
And NYC WABC Ch 7 weatherman Bill Evans wrote a book (with a ghost writer) "Category 7", which will be coming out in a few months. If it looks interesting, I'll reserve it at the library.
TS
Yes -- "To Build a Fire." I was listening to a recording of an old Jean Shepherd radio broadcast a while back and he mentioned this story. That's what led me to go back and read some London again.
Yes, Fforde is very funny. As a voracious reader, I love his Tuesday Next series and "get" his inside jokes on literary characters. A new one comes out this summer (August I think)
Big project is to get through the Gospels in Koine. Still only halfway through Matthew.
I think you also referred to the Civil War. I've never been a Civil War buff but for some reason many years ago I started the three volume work by Shelby Foote. Don't let the idea of a three volume tome discourage you. It was one of the most readable and fascinating historical narratives I've encountered. Frankly, when I began I didn't anticipate staying with it very long. But I was intrigued. If you havn't read it, check it out. Best,
I don't know if you've heard of it but the Nestle-Alard Interlinear will help you greatly. I used it in my old seminary days and found it very useful. However, I had two years of classical Greek in my prior university days which makes koine relatively simple. How far have you progressed? What was very interesting also is how many Greek transliterations result in perfect Latin words!
Though I mainly pick my way through vocabulary at greekbible.com, I do have a nice physical Nestle-Aland text accompanied by the New Vulgate's Latin on the opposite page. It still feels like cheating to use the Latin for cribbing, but it keeps me in practice.
I read part of Foote's work about 10 years ago when I was doing considerable CW reading. Very good. I also like Bruce Catton's work. His books read like novels.
I used to love Mary Stewart's books. The Moon-Spinners was made into a movie in 1964.
I started reading 'Angels & Demons' by Dan Brown.
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