What Are You Reading Now? - My Quarterly Survey

10/01/10 | MplsSteve

[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?!

[SueRae]

Half Broke Horses and Glass Castle, both by Jeanette Walls.

[kaylar]

The Secret Books of Venus, by Tanith Lee. Lee is one of my favorite fiction writers; she writes mostly horror and dark fantasy these days.

Mysteries, by Colin Wilson. CW's works are enjoyable even if the author is, well....either very naive and gullible or dumb as a stump. (His historical/crime works are superior to his occult works IMO.)

I am working my way through the 26 volume set, Man, Myth and Magic ed Richard Cavendish. I am up to volume 19 (started in January 2010).

And the Sept/Oct issue of Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine-just picked that up yesterday.

[Snake65]

Why am I not surprised at the number of history buffs here?

With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge
Legionary: The Roman Soldier's Unofficial Manual by Philip Matyszak (author of Ancient Athens of 5 Drachmas a Day)
Northwest of Earth - The Complete Northwest Smith by C.L. Moore (one of the wonderful old sf collections put out by Planet Stories)
The Founding by Dan Abnett (media tie-in for the Warhammer 40k tabletop miniatures game)
A Different Drummer: My Thirty Years with Ronald Reagan by Michael K. Deaver

[LatinaGOP]

You can't stop there. I have read almost all she has written and plan to read the rest. Title?!?

Thanks, I was thinking the same thing, but didn't want to ask.

[apocalypto]

I also enjoy Ann Rule's books. She has a new one coming out this month, iirc.

Presently I am reading the true crime book "Cruel Games" by Rose Ciotta (saw a review of it at a site I visit). It deals with Prof. Rafael Robb's murder of his wife. Interesting. I recommend "Foreign Enemies and Traitors" by Matthew Bracken. A really, really exciting book.

[Laur]

Am just finishing “Exit Music” by Ian Rankin

[RaceBannon]

THE GRAND JIHAD - Andrew McCarthy

[Jolla]

Jackdaws by Ken Follett, the French Resistance in WWII

[cajungirl]

I paid 70 euro for burgomeister’s entire library off
1200 books for kindle. And other readers. Best thing I ever bought.

[Citizen Tom Paine]

Try from “Dawn to Decadence” by Barzun, J. ISBN 0 06 092883 2. It talks about the cultural history of the west since 1500. Western civilization is down by the bow and we are not responding to the helm.

[spitter]

Invisible Resistance To Tyranny: How To Lead A Secret Life Of Insurgency In An Increasingly Unfree World
By Mack Jefferson

[Ge0ffrey]

According to King’s memoirs, he was completely drunk when he wrote Cujo and has no recollection of having written it.

[IYAS9YAS]

According to King’s memoirs, he was completely drunk when he wrote Cujo and has no recollection of having written it.

Wouldn't surprise me.

[fml]

Rafael Robb - I remember that case, on my list now. Thanks also for the suggestion.

I just finished reading Language of Evil by Robert Beattie, Tom Murray murdered his wife in Kansas

[kaylar]

Not Christian fantasists per se, but two fantasy works with overt Catholic/Christian themes that I adore are The Detective of Dreams by Gene Wolfe, and Red as Blood by Tanith Lee.The Wolfe story if you've not read it before is well worth tracking down. It moved me to tears first time I read it.Just lovely.

(Oh, and All Hallow's Eve by Charles Williams (well, pretty much all Charles Williams novels would count as Christian fantasy, but that's considered his masterpiece.)

[IYAS9YAS]

Read the whole Traitors series in order and it’s even better!

[bert]

bump

[kevslisababy]

me too

[LatinaGOP]

According to King’s memoirs, he was completely drunk when he wrote Cujo and has no recollection of having written it.

Goes to show how much talent King really has. No one in the horror genre even approaches King's ability to spin a yarn. Even his worst stuff is heads and tails above most anyone else, Koontz included, though I like Koontz. The Stand is one of the greatest works of fiction ever written IMHO.

[ScottinSacto]

I discovered Brad Thor while waiting for Vince Flynn’s new one to come out this month and am catching up on all of his books now. Also working through Rawles book, Hopw to Survive the End of the World as we know it.