What Are You Reading

[Gairdner]

I've just finished the late Patrick O'Brian's The Surgeon's Mate. Fantastically well written books with such detailed yet flowing action and perhaps the very best character development I have ever read. Highly recommended!

 

[Smithy]

Can anyone recommend The book "Dominion" by CJ Sansom, I've heard some high praise for it, but I've yet to check it out. the plot is apparently about Germany winning the war, takes place in Britain in the 1950's

I've read it. Bit slow to get going but not bad. It was the first Sansom book I've read. One thing that did annoy the hell out of me was he gave a complete back history of every main character as they were introduced in the novel, and I mean complete history. I found that the pacing suffered because of it. But it's an interesting alternative history novel. Not as good as "Fatherland" (IMHO) but not awful if you can get past the pacing problems.

 

[Boyo]

Thanks for the input @DNO and @Smithy, I think I will pick it up in the next few days and give it a shot

 

[1mach1]

Good times...

 

[Stray Cat]

Finaly, I found a book that pulled me in:

It just stood there, on a shelf of our local library. It looked a bit shabby and worn-out; but the experienced book reader knows: best ones are the worn-out books - wear & tear comes from it being read over and over...

There was no waiting in line for that one ([size=-1]unlike one of those "Vampire Academy" ones..[/size]) :doh:

 

[Smithy]

Finaly, I found a book that pulled me in:

It just stood there, on a shelf of our local library. It looked a bit shabby and worn-out; but the experienced book reader knows: best ones are the worn-out books - wear & tear comes from it being read over and over...

There was no waiting in line for that one ([size=-1]unlike one of those "Vampire Academy" ones..[/size]) :doh:

I finished that late last year Stray Cat and loved it. It would easily be in my top 5 favourite books. And some of Fermin's diatribes had me in fits of laughter.

Great book

 

[Smithy]

Thanks for the input @DNO and @Smithy, I think I will pick it up in the next few days and give it a shot

Well if you end up not liking it, it'll make for a good doorstop

Let us know what you think once you get going with it.

 

[Stray Cat]

And some of Fermin's diatribes had me in fits of laughter.

You are true Smithy: I just finished and it's pretty amazing. :yo:
Fermin's comments are insightful, witty and require some literary knowledge to make you giggle (and he did made me giggle) lol

 

[Stray Cat]

And, now.. I must get on with:

A colleague of mine borrowed it to me, she said it's "deep and makes you think".
We will see.

 

[vitanola]

Held's Angels By two "juniors", Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr. and John Held Jr.

Charming tale of "Joe" College, a Midwestern U grad of the late 'Twenties (now generally known as "Albert J. College"), a fellow who "is not bald, but balding, not plump, but no longer lithesome, not a reactionary but tending toward conservatism, not rich but what is known as comfortably fixed", and his worries about his son who is just about to enter the class of 1956, whom he considers to be to irresponsible to resist the lure of wine, women and song at the great university. As he articulates his concerns, we flash back to Joe's own college days, snd see him as he was then, a handsome, cocky stripling with but one thought in his pork-pie bedecked noggin-have a good time.

Profusely illustrated by John Held, Jr. who makes the book look like something out of the pages of Judge, College Humor or the old Life (not the picture magazine of the 1940's).

 

[Nobert]

Nice to know that Held was still getting some work circa 1956.

 

[vitanola]

Nice to know that Held was still getting some work circa 1956.

The book was written in 1952, a freshman entering college in the autumn of that year would have been a member of the class of '56. Held's contribution appears to have been almost entirely his previously published work dating to the 1920's. Gilbreth's prose is pleasant and entertaining. He was just coming off of a run of success, with Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes under his belt.

 

[Chasseur]

Clive Cussler, "The Chase."
I have to admit never being drawn to Cussler's work given that the premise and packaging of a badly named manly adventurer (Dirk Pitt... really?) "finding treasure" seemed rather silly to me. But given that I like Victorian/Belle Epoque steampunk and mystery novels some people recommended his Isaac Bell series about an early 20th century detective. I'm trying to finish "The Chase" now but while Cussler can come up with neat premises and descriptions of historical places and technology he really drops the ball on being able to:
(1) Write dialogue that is not groan inducing and wooden
(2) Having strange plot developments that do not make sense and actually chip away at the purpose of the type of novel he's trying to write. Why build up a villain who is a the master of disguise and hide his identity for the first 1/4 of the novel and then just reveal it? Why have secret spies sent to spy on the hero just give themselves away when bumping into said hero? Why build up a whole super detective premise to solve unsolvable mystery to have said mystery be solved when hero just accidentally keeps bumping into the villains?
(3) Managing to keep a readers interest in a hero is just so perfect nothing in the novel is really challenge to him?

Not sure I can finish this one...

 

[countryclubjoe]

Just finished " Essays" by Sir Francis Bacon...

CCJ

 

[Harp]

A second attempt at The Monuments Men; Robert M Edsel's horribly written account:eeek:
of the Allied rescue of stolen art. The film opens in a week or so,:eusa_clap and hopefully I will have slogged through the manuscript by then.

 

[hatguy1]

A second attempt at The Monuments Men; Robert M Edsel's horribly written account:eeek:
of the Allied rescue of stolen art. The film opens in a week or so,:eusa_clap and hopefully I will have slogged through the manuscript by then.

Hmm. If it's the Edsel version with the yellow and black cover and pics of the movie cast at the bottom, I'm finding it an enjoyable read. What don't you like about it? Not trying to argue, I'm just curious.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Harp]

Hmm. If it's the Edsel version with the yellow and black cover and pics of the movie cast at the bottom, I'm finding it an enjoyable read. What don't you like about it?

I personally find Edsel's book poorly structured, tedious, circular in chronology and choppy; however, its basic subject matter fascinates and compels another effort. I visited Amazon's website for other reader reviews and found similar dissatisfaction; although there were posted reviews more favorable.

 

[Widebrim]

Rod Serling and the Twilight Zone: The 50th Anniversary Tribute (2009), by Douglas Brode and Carol Serling. Brode, a journalist/historian/professor, goes over what he considers seminal episodes of the program, often making references to ancient Greek drama, Freud and Jung, and other sources. He definitely brings out a lot of what Serling, the writers, and directors were attempting to convey in their stories (with a special nod to the actors involved), but also considers a LOT of shows being televised reflections/analogies to Serling's personal life. Brode does, I believe, hit the nail on the head when it comes to his opinion of why Twilight Zone has endured: (apart from providing social commentary in a fantasy/science fiction context) the fact that it very often presented "spiritual" humanist characters (although Serling ascribed to no religion) who thought of others more than themselves, and were therefore given a "second chance" in life, resulting in a future faced with cautious optimism.

 

[DNO]

Clive Cussler, "The Chase."
I have to admit never being drawn to Cussler's work given that the premise and packaging of a badly named manly adventurer (Dirk Pitt... really?) "finding treasure" seemed rather silly to me. But given that I like Victorian/Belle Epoque steampunk and mystery novels some people recommended his Isaac Bell series about an early 20th century detective. I'm trying to finish "The Chase" now but while Cussler can come up with neat premises and descriptions of historical places and technology he really drops the ball on being able to:
(1) Write dialogue that is not groan inducing and wooden
(2) Having strange plot developments that do not make sense and actually chip away at the purpose of the type of novel he's trying to write. Why build up a villain who is a the master of disguise and hide his identity for the first 1/4 of the novel and then just reveal it? Why have secret spies sent to spy on the hero just give themselves away when bumping into said hero? Why build up a whole super detective premise to solve unsolvable mystery to have said mystery be solved when hero just accidentally keeps bumping into the villains?
(3) Managing to keep a readers interest in a hero is just so perfect nothing in the novel is really challenge to him?

Not sure I can finish this one...

Quite right.

 

[DNO]

Just finished The Strain by Del Toro and Hogan. I'm not a big vampire story fan but this was a decent quick read. At least the vampire was a monster...nothing charming about it in the least.

Re-reading Bernard Cornwell's The Fort. It's a good read with interesting observations about Paul Revere...and it's set around the corner (at least around the bay) from Lizzie Maine.

Mika Waltari's 1949 best seller, The Egyptian, is in the wings.