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  1. #861
    Quote Originally Posted by fisheyes View Post
    OMG!

    Andy Weir's new book "Project Hail Mary" is killer!

    This book is WAY better than "The Martian" and I LOVED that book. "Artemis" was just ok but boy he came back big with this new one.

    My wife and I are listening to the book on Audible and the narrator (Ray Porter) is phenomenal.

    The story line is excellent. He has reached a new level of geek-hood in this book as well.

    We are only about 1/2 way through the book and CAN NOT STOP LISTENING!

    Anyone else "reading" this book now?
    Read this one in a few days after Father's day weekend. Greatly enjoyable, fast paced book.

  2. #862
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    St. Louis
    Quote Originally Posted by rsvman View Post
    Just starting back into Catch-22, which I read once decades ago, and which I know many of you have read.
    I have literally worn out a couple of paperback copies, and finally bought a hardback. We had a cat named Yossarian years ago.

  3. #863
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    On the Road to Nowhere
    Quote Originally Posted by dudog84 View Post
    I stumbled upon this book in the library: Young Frankenstein: The Story of the Making of the Film by Mel Brooks.

    Very easy read, contains quotes from all the major players, and is basically a coffee table book.

    Young Frankenstein may be the greatest comedy of all time. While some of my other favorites may be limiting in their appeal: Caddyshack (golf), Animal House (college boy behavior), The Big Lebowski and all of Monty Python (somewhat acquired tastes), Young Frankenstein appeals to all ages and genders. Everybody gets it.

    Nothing is perfect, but YF comes very close.
    Reading this book made me search for the old Frankenstein movies. My library had a 2-disc set which included:

    Frankenstein
    Bride of Frankenstein
    Son of Frankenstein
    Ghost of Frankenstein
    House of Frankenstein

    I had only seen the original. I was surprised at how much Young Frankenstein literally pulled from these movies. The knockers. Igor with the horn. The blind man with first food, then drink, then cigar. But mostly the inspector with the wooden arm. I was sure Brooks and Wilder had made up the scene with the darts, where the inspector jammed them into his arm for holding while he tossed. Nope, that was actually in Son of.

    Some fun trivia to spring on your friends. The first Igor was not Igor. He was Fritz.

  4. #864
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Norfolk, VA
    I took an intermission from my history books and read “Win” by Harlan Coben. This is his first book featuring Windsor Horne Lockwood III the longtime supporting character in Coben’s Myron Bolitar series. Lots of references to Myron in the novel but he doesn’t make an appearance.

    Book is typical Coben that keeps you turning the pages. A couple loose ends remain when the last page is turned so perhaps they will be addressed in the next book or a book down the road.
    Bob Green

  5. #865
    Lots of talk about history these days, what to teach our kids, etc. I’ll avoid that loaded topic, but wonder whether my current read — at least a much-shortened version thereof — might interest one or two of you on this thread.

    I’m reading James Oakes, The Crooked Path to Abolition: Abraham Lincoln and the Antislavery Constitution (2021). Oakes is and has been for several decades one of the foremost historians of slavery and emancipation. Short book, 220 pages. Even that might be more than you want. But if the topic interests you at all, just read the Preface. Brilliant summary, 20 pages.

    And ... just in case anyone wants something close to the full “life and times of Lincoln,” there are many truly fine studies. None finer, imo, than William Lee Miller’s 2-volume study: Lincoln’s Virtues: An Ethical Biography (2002), and President Lincoln: The Duty of a Statesman (2008).

  6. #866
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Vermont
    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Green View Post
    I took an intermission from my history books and read “Win” by Harlan Coben. This is his first book featuring Windsor Horne Lockwood III the longtime supporting character in Coben’s Myron Bolitar series. Lots of references to Myron in the novel but he doesn’t make an appearance.

    Book is typical Coben that keeps you turning the pages. A couple loose ends remain when the last page is turned so perhaps they will be addressed in the next book or a book down the road.
    And of course Win, like Myron, is a Blue Devil graduate.

  7. #867
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Mount Kisco, NY
    What do you guys think about people who say the read a book when they only listened to the audiobook? That feels like cheating to me, somehow.

    Speaking of listening, anyone familiar with Roger Bennett of "Men in Blazers" fame would enjoy his quick read memoir, "Reborn in the USA" which is focused on how he always considered himself an American trapped in the body and circumstances of a Liverpool Brit. It is a very warm hearted love letter to America, his adopted home.
    https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-r...rn-in-the-usa/

  8. #868
    Just started listening to an audio version of "The President is Missing" which is a book by James Patterson with a co-author credit to Bill Clinton. I've picked it up mostly for curiosity. There is a sequel (?) "The President's Daughter" by the two that was recently released.

    So far through the first little bit, it has thankfully stayed partisanly ambiguous.

  9. #869
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Norfolk, VA
    Quote Originally Posted by Billy Dat View Post
    What do you guys think about people who say the read a book when they only listened to the audiobook?
    To each their own.

    I dislike audiobooks because it is difficult to backup but I know folks who listen to them on a regular basis and swear by them.
    Bob Green

  10. #870
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Durham, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Green View Post
    To each their own.

    I dislike audiobooks because it is difficult to backup but I know folks who listen to them on a regular basis and swear by them.
    I agree. I don't like being read to, I prefer to be the reader.

  11. #871
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    On the Road to Nowhere
    Quote Originally Posted by aimo View Post
    I agree. I don't like being read to, I prefer to be the reader.
    Do you remember these tests in junior high?

    Would you rather:
    A) Read a book.
    B) Be read a book.
    C) Read a book to someone else.
    D) Watch the movie.

    Ok, I made the last one up. But I distinctly remember that question, they were already trying to pigeonhole us into careers. For example, if you'd like to read to someone they thought you would be good for social work.

    People with kids, do they still do these sorts of tests?

  12. #872
    The nice thing about audiobooks is that I can listen to them while I do yardwork, whereas I can't read a book when I'm on the tractor or weed whacker.

    I've got these on my wishlist.

    https://www.amazon.com/Worktunes-Wir.../dp/B0146A4SWA

  13. #873
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Northwest NC
    Quote Originally Posted by PackMan97 View Post
    The nice thing about audiobooks is that I can listen to them while I do yardwork, whereas I can't read a book when I'm on the tractor or weed whacker.

    I've got these on my wishlist.

    https://www.amazon.com/Worktunes-Wir.../dp/B0146A4SWA
    Agreed. I drive quite a bit for work and they help pass the time. I would rather sit down and read a book but this way I get to take in more books overall by doing both.

  14. #874
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Undisclosed
    I usually walk about 7-16 miles every weekend (weather permitting), and can cover about 2.5-5 hours of a book while exercising by listening to an audiobook. I get to kill two birds with one stone. Otherwise I have to choose which to do.

  15. #875
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Mount Kisco, NY
    I agree that audiobooks are fine and fill a need, I just think it’s weird for people to say they read a book instead of “I listened to a book”. I am wondering if my feeling is shared or am I just defending some kind of honesty standard that is outdated?

  16. #876
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Durham, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by Billy Dat View Post
    I agree that audiobooks are fine and fill a need, I just think it’s weird for people to say they read a book instead of “I listened to a book”. I am wondering if my feeling is shared or am I just defending some kind of honesty standard that is outdated?
    We are Purists!

  17. #877
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Undisclosed
    Quote Originally Posted by Billy Dat View Post
    I agree that audiobooks are fine and fill a need, I just think it’s weird for people to say they read a book instead of “I listened to a book”. I am wondering if my feeling is shared or am I just defending some kind of honesty standard that is outdated?
    I still call music releases “albums”

  18. #878
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Durham, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by OldPhiKap View Post
    I still call music releases “albums”
    Can't spork. Me, too!

  19. #879
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    St. Louis

    The Broken Heart of America

    Just finished reading The Broken Heart of America: St. Louis and the Violent History of the United States, by Walter Johnson (not the submarining pitcher of a century ago, but a history prof at Harvard). His point is that the westward expansion of the United States was dually fueled by the desire for empire-building and by racism (especially against Indians, and then Blacks). I have lived in St. Louis for over 40 years and there is stuff in the book that I didn't know (especially about the early days). I'll caution you that Johnson doesn't even pretend to be giving a balanced account; for example, he consistently refers to the August 2014 "murder" of Mike Brown in Ferguson without even mentioning any of the evidence or testimony about Brown's own behavior that would cast doubt on his conclusion.

    The one-sidedness made even a left-leaner like me cringe, but overall the book, while pretty dense, was worth reading. Probably the most interesting part had to do with the 20th-century "redevelopment" efforts that did more harm than good.

    Also, I'll add that I discussed this post with the mods before submitting it, and they suggested that I mention that this post about reading material is not an invitation to discuss the substantive issues mentioned in the post, which would clearly be PPB.

  20. #880
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Southbury, CT
    Quote Originally Posted by Tom B. View Post
    I'm currently reading False Horizon, the second novel by Duke alum Joe Reid (Class of 1995), who's a friend and fraternity brother from my undergrad days. His first novel, Takeoff, came out a couple of years ago.

    They're action/crime thrillers with a particular focus on technology and aviation that revolve around the adventures of Seth Walker, a federal air marshal. If you like Lee Child's Jack Reacher books, you might enjoy these too. Good, fun escapist entertainment for reading on the beach or at poolside during the summer. And you get to support an emerging Duke author!
    Added Takeoff and False Horizon to my reading queue and enjoyed them at the beach last week -- perfectly described above as good, fun escapist entertainment. Will definitely pickup #3 (Departure) next!
    Good people drink good beer. -Hunter S. Thompson

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