What are you reading?

[Jim3k]

is long dead (1932-2010). But his most famous character, Spenser, lives on with Ace Atkins at the quill. I don't know how many Spenser books Atkins has written, but I thoroughly enjoyed his latest, Old Black Magic.

[WillJ]

For anyone else who likes historical fiction, I highly recommend the Flashman series (George MacDonald Fraser) and the Bernie Gunther series by Philip Kerr. Flashman is a cowardly, rakish Victorian era british army officer who has a Forest Gump-like ability to show up where the action is...a great way to learn 19th century british colonial (and American) history. Bernie Gunther is a German detective/military officer who gets caught up with the Nazis from 1930 to the 1950s.

[OldPhiKap]

Going to visit WWI battlefields in the spring, so pulled out All Quiet on the Western Front.

[WillJ]

Going to visit WWI battlefields in the spring, so pulled out All Quiet on the Western Front.

Consider also reading Paul Fussell's The Great War and Modern Memory.

[Jim3k]

For anyone else who likes historical fiction, I highly recommend the Flashman series (George MacDonald Fraser) and the Bernie Gunther series by Philip Kerr. Flashman is a cowardly, rakish Victorian era british army officer who has a Forest Gump-like ability to show up where the action is...a great way to learn 19th century british colonial (and American) history. Bernie Gunther is a German detective/military officer who gets caught up with the Nazis from 1930 to the 1950s.

This thread is getting pretty long and spreads in multiple directions, but Kerr and Bernie Gunther have been mentioned in several places. Your opinion jibes well with earlier commentary and recs. Supposedly a Gunther TV series is coming via Tom Hanks's production company, but remains germinating in the HBO greenhouse.

Edit: I just looked Kerr up and learned that he died in March. NYT Obit

[Ggallagher]

The Perfectionists, by Simon Winchester. The history of engineering from the beginning of the industrial revolution, with a focus on how the ability to make things with precision was key to making our modern world possible. Interesting read, like all Winchester books.

I'll second the recommendation on this book. It has a lot of fascinating detail on a pretty wide range of technical developments.

[OldPhiKap]

Consider also reading Paul Fussell's The Great War and Modern Memory.

Thanks. Someone on another thread recommended the podcast series “Blueprint for Armageddon” by DancCRlin (of Hardcore History series). That turned out to be an incredibly good recommendation, it is long but SOOOO worth it.

[pfrduke]

Thanks. Someone on another thread recommended the podcast series “Blueprint for Armageddon” by DancCRlin (of Hardcore History series). That turned out to be an incredibly good recommendation, it is long but SOOOO worth it.

I’m about halfway through and agree on both counts. Even listening at about 1.33x speed it takes a while to get through it all. But really informative and thoughtful (and horrifying).

[OldPhiKap]

I’m about halfway through and agree on both counts. Even listening at about 1.33x speed it takes a while to get through it all. But really informative and thoughtful (and horrifying).

I also recommend the “Celtic Holocaust” Episode, about Julius Caesar. Carlin is informative and interesting. He is wonderful at giving context to the events.

[Cormac]

I try to read some horror stuff in October. So I read Bird Box by Josh Malerman. Think A Quiet Place but with sight instead of sound. Meaning everyone wears blindfolds when outside. Whatever they see causes them to commit suicide. It’s pretty dark but I liked it. It’s about to be a movie on Netflix. Next I’m starting The Fireman by Joe Hill.

[fuse]

I try to read some horror stuff in October. So I read Bird Box by Josh Malerman. Think A Quiet Place but with sight instead of sound. Meaning everyone wears blindfolds when outside. Whatever they see causes them to commit suicide. It’s pretty dark but I liked it. It’s about to be a movie on Netflix. Next I’m starting The Fireman by Joe Hill.

The Fireman is excellent.
You are likely aware, Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son, and has been writing some amazing fiction, including Horns, NOS4A2, and some others I don’t recall offhand.

[devildeac]

The lyrics to Hamilton.

[Cormac]

The Fireman is excellent.
You are likely aware, Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son, and has been writing some amazing fiction, including Horns, NOS4A2, and some others I don’t recall offhand.

Yes, I knew he was King’s son, which is why I was a bit hesitant to read his books. I wasn’t sure if he was talented in his own right or riding his dads coattails. This is the first of his books that I’ve read and 50 pages in, he is quite talented all on his own. Do you have a favorite of his other books that you’d recommend I tackle next?

[fuse]

Yes, I knew he was King’s son, which is why I was a bit hesitant to read his books. I wasn’t sure if he was talented in his own right or riding his dads coattails. This is the first of his books that I’ve read and 50 pages in, he is quite talented all on his own. Do you have a favorite of his other books that you’d recommend I tackle next?

A favorite might be hard- I probably enjoyed Horns and Heart Shaped Box best, NOS4A2U and the Fireman were excellent also.

All his works that I have read are good, and he is definitely trying to stand on his own instead of riding coattails, which is impressive given he’s writing in the same genre his father has owned for decades.

I read Heart Shaped Box first not aware who he was, and have kept an eye out for his new releases since.

If you read Horns, I found the movie starring Daniel Radcliffe pretty closely followed the source material. Might not be an Oscar winner (maybe more of a guilty pleasure type movie), enjoyable nonetheless.

If you like horror / dark fiction, Clive Barker has written some pretty amazing books.

[Devilwin]

"Killing the SS", by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. An interesting read on the hunt for Nazi war criminals.

[Cormac]

A favorite might be hard- I probably enjoyed Horns and Heart Shaped Box best, NOS4A2U and the Fireman were excellent also.

All his works that I have read are good, and he is definitely trying to stand on his own instead of riding coattails, which is impressive given he’s writing in the same genre his father has owned for decades.

I read Heart Shaped Box first not aware who he was, and have kept an eye out for his new releases since.

If you read Horns, I found the movie starring Daniel Radcliffe pretty closely followed the source material. Might not be an Oscar winner (maybe more of a guilty pleasure type movie), enjoyable nonetheless.

If you like horror / dark fiction, Clive Barker has written some pretty amazing books.

Thanks Fuse!

[luburch]

Finally got around to finishing American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Felt like there was a lot of exposition and world-building for a small payoff.

[Cormac]

I finished The Fireman. It was good, but different than I had expected. Starting The Tiger by John Vaillant, which I think someone on here has read? Next, I plan on reading The Crying of Lot 49, which will be my first Pynchon.

[Bob Green]

My daughter gave me two books as Christmas presents:

1. Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man.

2. The Beatles: A Hard Day's Write

I've commenced reading Indianapolis a book on a subject I'm well versed on. The USS Indianapolis delivered the Atomic Bomb cores to the Mariana Islands, a top secret mission, and was en route to the Philippines when she was sunk by a Japanese submarine with catastrophic loss of life. Over 900 men escaped the ship into the water but only ~ 300 survived when rescuers arrived four days later. Their ordeal in the water is the story the character Clint tells in the movie Jaws.

Captain Charles B. McVay III was one of the survivors and he was sent to a court martial and convicted in a controversial action that included having the commanding officer of the Japanese submarine testify (his testimony seemed to exonerate McVay).

Captain McVay never completely overcame the event ultimately committing suicide, in 1968, at age 70.

[PackMan97]

What am I reading? The duke basketball report!