What Are You Reading

[Redshoes51]

I am reading 'Jack Hinson's One Man War.'

If you are familiar with 'Shenandoah'... the movie with Jimmy Stewart, this is a real-life version of that story. Mr. Hinson owned land and farmed... and was neutral during the Civil War. On occasion, U.S. Grant dined with Mr. Hinson and his family when he was in the area.

Two of Mr. Hinson's sons were out hunting one afternoon, captured by Union soldiers... accused of sniping at Union soldiers in the area... and were summarily executed. The young fellows were then beheaded, and an officer placed the severed heads of the boys on fenec posts at Hinson's home. Needless to say, Mr. Hinson didn't take kindly to the treatment of his sons.

The book is about his revenge...

I love reading about this History of the War Between the States...

~shoes~

 

[Harp]

Lawrence H. Tribe, Equal Dignity: Speaking Its Name, 129 Harv. L. Rev. F.16

Justice Kennedy's Obergefell opinion entwining due process and equal protection set against doctrinal pedigree.

Tribe would have proved an interesting Court justice.

Nota bene: Professor Tribe's provenance cast for Obergefell fails to establish legitimacy
by dismissing as a mere doctrinal obstacle requisite intent as an element of
Fourteenth Amendment violation. A Kantian metaphysic cite only tunes this
lyric to inane penumbra flat. A simple paean to democratic avoidance adds nothing
to Justice Kennedy's pedestrian reasoning.
-----

Jacques Barzun, To the Rescue of Romanticism; The Scholar, Spring 1940

"Romanicism, despite errors of judgement and quarrels of persons,
stands for democracy and the historical method." Indeed...

 

[DNO]

I finally have a nice backlog of books waiting to be read. Presently reading Alex Grecian's The Black Country. I enjoyed his first novel, The Yard. Both are fictionalized accounts of Scotland Yard's murder squad after the Ripper killings.

 

[AmateisGal]

Restoration by Olaf Olafsson. Set in Italy during WW2.

 

[Fading Fast]

Just started "Merry Christmas Mr. Baxter," by Edward Streeter. It was recommended by a fellow lounger as a fun Christmas time read, but I don't remember who recommended it now. I got it earlier in the year when it was recommended, but waited for Christmas to read it. I'm just a couple of chapters in, but enjoying it so far - it is set in NYC in the '50s and has a very NYC vibe.

 

[MisterCairo]

"Even Dogs in the Wild", the latest John Rebus detective novel from Ian Rankin.

Rebus has retired, again, this time being consulted professionally, while he inserts himself into the drama regardless.

Our ship visited Leith (Edinburgh) in October, but I missed the chance to see the city, and visit the Oxford Bar, owing to duties.

Dammit.....

 

[AmateisGal]

"Even Dogs in the Wild", the latest John Rebus detective novel from Ian Rankin.

Rebus has retired, again, this time being consulted professionally, while he inserts himself into the drama regardless.

Our ship visited Leith (Edinburgh) in October, but I missed the chance to see the city, and visit the Oxford Bar, owing to duties.

Dammit.....

Aww, man, that stinks that you didn't get to see the city!

 

[MisterCairo]

I did however get to spend a day at the Royal Navy's nuclear sub base at Faslane on the River Clyde.

Attending powerpoint briefings.

FUN!

 

[Fading Fast]

Just started "Merry Christmas Mr. Baxter," by Edward Streeter. It was recommended by a fellow lounger as a fun Christmas time read, but I don't remember who recommended it now. I got it earlier in the year when it was recommended, but waited for Christmas to read it. I'm just a couple of chapters in, but enjoying it so far - it is set in NYC in the '50s and has a very NYC vibe.

Just finished it and it was a very light, enjoyable, grumpy, but not "Grinchy", 1950s, NYC Christmas story. Nothing challenging, but the enjoyment comes from seeing how all the little complaints we have about Christmas today - too expensive, too commercial, etc. - were the same ones people had in the '50s. And the real enjoyment is the time travel to 1950s NYC at Christmas time - from store windows, to subways, to F.A.O Schwartz toy store, to cab etiquette you feel dropped in NYC with its cold breezes, decorations going up, crowds increasing and Christmas spirit growing. Simple escapism that - if it is your cup of tea - is a fun read for this time of year.

 

[AmateisGal]

Bringing Mulligan Home: The Other Side of the Good War by Dale Maharidge. This just came in the mail today and I've already devoured a good chunk of it. How the son of a WW2 Marine vet tracked down his father's war and tries to understand why his father returned a broken man.

 

[DNO]

Wildwood Boys by James Carlos Blake.

 

[MisterCairo]

Having finished the latest Rebus novel from Ian Rankin, I'm re-reading Dickens's The Pickwick Papers (to give it its short title).

Does anyone else recall the episode of Cheers where Frasier tries to introduce some culture to the bar by reading aloud from Dickens? He starts off reading the opening to A Tale of Two Cities ("It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."), they all get bored, so he starts freestyling an "alternate", modern, super violent version, and hooks them all?

The show ends by a dramatic, helicopter-based ending to Two Cities, and an introduction to the violence-filled debauchery of the Pickwick Papers!

Hilarious!

 

[philosophygirl78]

'The God of Delusion' Richard Dawkins

 

[Fading Fast]

Having finished the latest Rebus novel from Ian Rankin, I'm re-reading Dickens's The Pickwick Papers (to give it its short title).

Does anyone else recall the episode of Cheers where Frasier tries to introduce some culture to the bar by reading aloud from Dickens? He starts off reading the opening to A Tale of Two Cities ("It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."), they all get bored, so he starts freestyling an "alternate", modern, super violent version, and hooks them all?

The show ends by a dramatic, helicopter-based ending to Two Cities, and an introduction to the violence-filled debauchery of the Pickwick Papers!

Hilarious!

Absolutely remember it - very funny. Frazier was an outstanding character on the show and proved his worth by having his own show for many years which basically had one joke - Frazier trying to do some snobby thing and failing at it. Takes talent to do one joke over successfully for many, many years.

 

[DNO]

Re-reading Tai-Pan by James Clavell.

 

[Harp]

Jim Lefebvre, Loyal Sons; The Story of the Four Horsemen and Notre Dame Football's 1924 Championship

Waiting for the Fiesta Bowl Irish vs Ohio State matchup.

Irene Nemirovsky, Suite Francaise. Left on my desk this morning, long on my list.

 

[DNO]

The Search for Richard III: the king's grave by Langley and Jones. That was one amazing find.

 

[Harp]

The Search for Richard III: the king's grave....

...do you believe he murdered his nephews?

 

[DNO]

...do you believe he murdered his nephews?

I've always been with Josephine Tey on that one. Frankly...no. I do believe Richard III played politics the way they seem to have played it in the 15th century: rough and pretty deadly. He certainly had it in for the Woodvilles. But I suspect the nephew thing was primarily Tudor propaganda. Henry Tudor on the other hand...

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

A little Christmas gift to myself.