What are you reading?

[tjwmason]

Yes, it's a boring Monday...so what books are on your desk, by your bed, or (as in my case) littering your floors?

I'm in the middle of three books at the moment:

Blair's Wars - John Kampfner. A journalist examines how the Prime Minister arrived in office with practically no foreign policy experience or interest - but then proceeded to take British troops into 5 wars in the first 6 years in office; most famously through his craven subservience to George Bush over Iraq.

Ancient Cities; The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece, and Rome - Charles Gates. A fascinating account of the earliest of urban civilisations - particularly interesting as it moves beyond the usual Greek and Roman to include the Near-East.

An Introduction to Shi'i Islam; The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi'ism - Moojan Momen. Pretty self explanitory title.

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. I've got one that I've only just started...

Traitors-the Worst Acts of Treason in Amercian History from Benedict Arnold to Robert Hanssen by Richard Sale

So far interesting, but I don't care for his writing style. :hi:

[tjwmason]

4. That drives me insane.

When a subject interests me, but I don't get on with the writer.

Plus what's wrong with Benedict Arnold? (Only kidding, of course :P )

[ScreamingMeemie]

6. It's driving me nuts...

This guy appears to be a CIA name dropper, adding the words "and a personal friend of mine" after every name he puts in. The interesting thing to think about is how the successful traitors are the ones who arent' written about. :hi:

[billyskank]

2. Hi mason!

I am currently reading (again) Jaiva Dharma by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. :hi:

[tjwmason]

7. Hey there billy.

I see that it's available on the web.

Do you have any recommendations for a general introduction to Hari Krishnas? :hi:

[billyskank]

9. In actual fact the best introductory I could recommend

would be Bhagavad-Gita As It Is by His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ('Srila Prabhupada' for short). You may well have heard of it. Although it is only 700 verses it is quite a large book, because of the extensive commentary. But it covers all the foundation of our philosophy. It too is available to read on the web, probably in more than one place: www.asitis.com.

[jane_pippin]

3. "Here They Come" by Yannick Murphy

I like it. It's got this weird fast-paced yet constrained feel to it. This is from the McSweney's site:


"Splitting time between a garbage-strewn apartment and an overly affectionate hot dog vendor, the observant thirteen-year-old who stands steadily at the center of Here They Come gives lyrical voice to an unforgettable instant—1970s New York, stifling, violent, and full of life. Balanced between her enigmatic siblings, borderline parents, and a quiet sense of the surreal, she recounts a year of vivid, mundane moments with dark humor and deadpan resilience. By Yannick Murphy, author of the New York Times Notable Book Sea of Trees."

http://store.mcsweeneys.net/index.cfm/fuseaction/catalog.detail/object_id/63B73E23-1B95-4DD8-8C67-88E0738A31F5/HereTheyCome.cfm

[johnnie]

5. I got two issues of Mad in the mail on Sat

So I got those to read...lol

Seriously, I am reading Elmore Leonard's "The Hot Kid". I am also reading "Autobiography of a Yogi" again. I have other books scattered throughout the house that are in various stages of completion. I have always had multiple books going.

[graywarrior]

8. Candles Burning by Tabitha King & Michael McDowell

FABulous. Very intense.

[reyd reid reed]

10. Since I haven't

brought The Memory Keeper's Daughter in from the car, and I'm too lazy to go downstairs and out to the garage at 2 a.m. (not to mention the fact that it's cold out there at 2 a.m.), I'm re-reading Auntie Mame.

I've got about a half-dozen other books waiting for me...Friday Night Lights and a couple of John Sanford titles and Stephen King's new one and a Koontz and The City of Falling Angels and a new book of baseball trivia...and I'm re-reading Auntie Mame.

Still...it's a fun read.

[tjwmason]

23. Old favourites can be great to go back to.

and good ones still provide something fresh each time as well.

[reyd reid reed]

45. They really can

I don't re-read often enough. I always say I'm going to but then I find something new and wonderful to go along with the old and comfortable.

S'okay, though. Can't have too many books.

[LSK]

11. State of Denial - Woodward

[tjwmason]

26. Looks interesting.

Might be good to read as a follow up to Blair's Wars.

I am actually very encouraged by the number of new political books which are coming out - as everything else seems to get turned into easier bite-sized nuggets, there is clearly still a market for well researched, well thought-out analysis of current events.

[bif]

12. "The Book Thief" & "This House of Sky"

Just finished "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close". Great book!

[PRETZEL]

13. State of Denial

Only about 50 pages in though.

[tjwmason]

27. We've got two on the same book.

Like I said above - it sounds like a very interesting tome.

[PRETZEL]

31. That's what I'm hoping,

just finished Corn & Isakoff's "Hubris" and although it had a boatload of information, I wasn't terribly impressed. They should have just written separate books.

[cwydro]

14. Breach of Faith

Story of the Katrina cluster-f***

[tjwmason]

22. Coverage of how badly that was handled made it over here.

Which rather implies that it was veeeeeeeery bad indeed.

Must be painful to read - but essential at the same time.

[cwydro]

35. It is amazing

I followed the story very closely at the time...and there is stuff I had not heard about....just criminal.

[RebelOne]

15. Marley and Me. Great doggie story.

[BarenakedLady]

18. Oh god that had me in tears

Great book though

[ZombieNixon]

16. Your thread.

:eyes: :P

[tjwmason]

20. My what an erudite well-read young man you're turning into.

:P

[datasuspect]

17. a river runs through the viaducts of cook county

[ganeshji]

19. The Vintage Book of Modern Indian Literature and

a busted ass, mildew smelling copy of Rabindranath Tagore's Gitanjali (my final paper is about south Asian literature so I reverted back to my own favorites) and sir billyskank's recommendation.

[tjwmason]

21. Busted ass mildew books are the best.

Or at least I think so.

Billyskank's bound to give a good recommendation.

[NoPasaran]

24. Infamous Scribblers

About American journalism from colonial days theough the Federalist period.

[Phillycat]

25. Signs and Symbols in Italian Renaissance Art

One of those subjects I can't seem to buy enough books about.

[tjwmason]

29. Well it is impossible to have too many books on Renaissance art.

The symbolism in them is incredible - they had a whole language in seemingly tiny items dotted around.

[Ikonoklast]

28. Churchill

by Roy Jenkins.

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood.

[bikebloke]

30. The Ruins by Scott Smith

A popcorn read that went off in a direction the book jacket didn't mention. Good thing. I probably wouldn't have picked it up. But it's still a quick entertaining junk read.

[Fleshdancer]

32. Voltaire's Bastards and

the latest Patricia Cornwell novel (for some reason I can't remember the name of the book right now)

[BarenakedLady]

33. Wintersmith and Thud

both by Terry Pratchett.

[ismnotwasm]

34. A People's History of the United States

By Howard Zinn

And Tranforming Rape Culture (revised edition)
by Buchwar, Fletcher and Roth

[khashka]

36. Lost Souls

by Poppy Z. Brite.


Best vampire novel ever written..... blood, sex, violence, love, loss, incest, regret, self-sacrifice, hope, fear, redemption, searching for your own identity, teenage angst..... And extremely hip.

Her first novel (and she was very young) but brilliant.

Even if you don't like horror fiction, try it. It is so much more than a horror novel.


Khash.

[swimboy]

37. I will.

:hi:

[miss_american_pie]

38. I'll second this

Poppy Brite is great. :thumbsup:

[Phillycat]

40. Ooh, that sounds good.

I will try it. :thumbsup:

[swimboy]

39. I'm currently grazing.

My mental state is at sixes and sevens due to election anxiety so I haven't committed to anything at the moment. La Joie de Vivre by Zola may be next if I can find it.

[querelle]

41. Right Now?

Myra Breckinridge by Gore Vidal. Next up is a biography of Joseph Mengele.

Q

[Hosnon]

42. "Following the Equator" - Twain. Those last two of yours look veeeeery interesting. nt

[flamingyouth]

43. "Thunderstruck," by Erik Larson

And The Dead Sea Scrolls, translated with commentary by Michael Wise, Martin Abegg Jr. and Edward Cook (we just saw the scrolls last week at the Pacific Science Center).

[swag]

44. Gore Vidal's "Point to Point Navigation" arrives tomorrow and I will read that

immediately.

I'm catching up on some finance stuff, and old New Yorkers and New York Reviews.

[naturalselection]

46. Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 and The Illustrated Man

I was at the library last week and realized: I had never read any Bradbury.

[ceile]

47. "Salem Falls" by Jodi Picoult

Seems to be a take-off of "The Crucible". Good so far.

[hopein08]

48. Too many books!!

Landing It -- Scott Hamilton

A re-read. And, quite nicely, I don't remember it being this good the first time I read it. Plus, I've learned all about Bowling Green, Ohio which is where my sister is living now.

Elli -- Livia E. Bitton Jackson

Another re-read. If you ever wanted to read a true story of the Holocaust that leaves you truly shaken, read this book. The author was 13 when she was sent to Auschwitz.

Remembering Jack -- Jacques Lowe

My obligatory picture book. Pictures of JFK.

Napoleon & Josephine -- Frances Mossiker

Just started this, my first book about Napoleon.

The Last 100 Days -- John Toland

Almost finished with this book about WWII. I thought I knew a lot about the subject but this book is proving that I've got a lot more to learn.

[Left Is Write]

49. "A Rage To Kill" by Ann Rule.

[Shell Beau]

50. Right now I am reading Mary Mary by James Patterson.

His books are such easy reads and entertaining enough.

[WCGreen]

51. Two books....

A Team of Rivals... The History of the Lincoln Cabinet...

And the Thin Man...

[smitty]

52. "Postwar" by Tony Judt, a history of Europe 1945-2005.

"Shattered Sword: the Untold Story of the Battle of Midway" The pivotal battle from the Japanese viewpoint. How bad planning can cause unforseen consequences. Highly recommended.