What are you reading?

[devildeac]

Some years are better than others, IMHO.

I'd agree. And, I've heard the variants at the brewery when it's released each year can be fantastic.

[Billy Dat]

"Boom Town: The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City, Its Chaotic Founding... Its Purloined Basketball Team, and the Dream of Becoming a World-class Metropolis" - by Sam Anderson

I knew basically nothing about the origins of Oklahoma or its capital and both are extremely interesting, as is the way the author weaves in the modern day story of the James Harden trade, Durant and Westbrook's relationship, the OKC bombing and the like. A must read for basketball fan history buffs.

[SoCalDukeFan]

I recently got back from a photo tour of Nepal, not a trek. Our local guide was a Sherpa who had summited Everest twice but retired from really dangerous climbing after being injured in an avalanche.

I have been intrigued by Everest for many years but was never a climber, let alone a high altitude climber. The Sherpa was a great guy, both caring and intelligent. I had read the magazine article that became the book but am now reading the book. Also recently read The Climb about the same expeditions.

Those that climb the highest mountains have a makeup that is much different from mine.

SoCal

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I recently got back from a photo tour of Nepal, not a trek. Our local guide was a Sherpa who had summited Everest twice but retired from really dangerous climbing after being injured in an avalanche.

I have been intrigued by Everest for many years but was never a climber, let alone a high altitude climber. The Sherpa was a great guy, both caring and intelligent. I had read the magazine article that became the book but am now reading the book. Also recently read The Climb about the same expeditions.

Those that climb the highest mountains have a makeup that is much different from mine.

SoCal

Well, sort of. They certainly have a lot of money.

There was a great John Oliver piece on Everest this season.

[Neals384]

I recently got back from a photo tour of Nepal, not a trek. Our local guide was a Sherpa who had summited Everest twice but retired from really dangerous climbing after being injured in an avalanche.

I have been intrigued by Everest for many years but was never a climber, let alone a high altitude climber. The Sherpa was a great guy, both caring and intelligent. I had read the magazine article that became the book but am now reading the book. Also recently read The Climb about the same expeditions.

Those that climb the highest mountains have a makeup that is much different from mine.

SoCal

And from me. Certainly there is a level of toughness and determination, together with fearlessness. I also wonder if it isn't the ultimate in self-absorption, as exemplified by socialite Sandy Pittman. Into Thin Air is certainly a great read.

That said, I'm impressed with the work of Brian Smith, who is from my neck of the woods. Roughly 10 years ago, Brian was the first climber to be hospitalized with HAPE and still summit Everest in the same year. What's more impressive, though, is he has devoted his life to helping the people of Nepal, especially following the massive 2015 earthquake. Linky.

[jaytoc]

Recently finished The Meritocracy Trap, a timely and provocative discussion of the concentration of wealth and status, widening of the cavernous income/wealth gap, the unintended consequences of our desire for a merit-based society, and the disappearance of the middle class.

Also just about a third of the way through Six Frigates, a history of the genesis of the U.S. Navy, with special attention paid to the Barbary Pirates, certain differences between the Federalists and Republicans with respect to maintenance of a navy, and the undeclared maritime war with France at the end of the 18th Century. So far. More to come, I suspect.

[Bob Green]

My daughter gives me books every Christmas and this year she gave me The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway (The Finca Vigia Edition).

While I have read some of the stories previously, there are many which will be new.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

I am 8 books into the 19 book Bob Lee Swagger series by Stephen Hunter. This is a very compelling series, and all the books are far better than the Movie Shooter, based on book 1 of the series.

Going inside the mind of snipers and into the esoteric nuances of sniping is fascinating. Good action, some funny dialogue, and very complex and interesting plots. Anyone who likes anything in the crime, spy, or war novels will love this series.

[MartyClark]

I am 8 books into the 19 book Bob Lee Swagger series by Stephen Hunter. This is a very compelling series, and all the books are far better than the Movie Shooter, based on book 1 of the series.

Going inside the mind of snipers and into the esoteric nuances of sniping is fascinating. Good action, some funny dialogue, and very complex and interesting plots. Anyone who likes anything in the crime, spy, or war novels will love this series.

Agree with you on the Bob Lee Swagger series.

I'm currently reading "Dead Wake" by Erik Larson, an historical account of the last crossing and Uboat sinking of the Lusitania. Its well written and very interesting. It's a very good insight, at least for me, into the period before the U.S. entered WWI.

[WV_Iron_Duke]

I am 8 books into the 19 book Bob Lee Swagger series by Stephen Hunter. This is a very compelling series, and all the books are far better than the Movie Shooter, based on book 1 of the series.

Going inside the mind of snipers and into the esoteric nuances of sniping is fascinating. Good action, some funny dialogue, and very complex and interesting plots. Anyone who likes anything in the crime, spy, or war novels will love this series.

+1.The same friend who turned me on to the Aubrey-Maturin Patrick O'Brian series turned me on to the Swagger series. Read all of them plus the best of the others such as Dirty White Boy. I start friends with Hot Springs which features the father Earl. If you don't care for that one then the series is not for you. Time to Hunt is also a good place to start. There was also a series that started with Point of Impact called Shooter on USA.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

+1.The same friend who turned me on to the Aubrey-Maturin Patrick O'Brian series turned me on to the Swagger series. Read all of them plus the best of the others such as Dirty White Boy. I start friends with Hot Springs which features the father Earl. If you don't care for that one then the series is not for you. Time to Hunt is also a good place to start. There was also a series that started with Point of Impact called Shooter on USA.

That is book 1 of this 19 book series. Not sure if I want to go back and read about Earl...but I might. Long time to go in this series...

[Bob Green]

Not sure if I want to go back and read about Earl...

Hot Springs is an excellent read so I second the recommendation.

[luburch]

Just finished Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste NG.

Just started Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.

[OldPhiKap]

Vonnegut's Player Piano.

Have not read that since high school. Loved Slaughterhouse Five and Cat’s Cradle; Player Piano was harder for me to get through but maybe because it was assigned instead of for fun.

A few I've read lately:

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson - I started section hiking the Appalachian Trail 10 years ago, now have 3/4's of it complete, and read this book after having been on a few hikes. I loved it then and decided a few weeks ago I would re-read it. I think I loved it even more this time. The stories of their escapades on the trail are absolutely hilarious! I have seldom ever literally laughed out loud while reading a book but did several times throughout this one. Even if you don't know anything about the trail you will love this book.

{snip}

No Country for Old Men - I remember thinking the movie version didn't really live up to the hype but man the book is really great! I loved it. Gruesome violence, great storytelling and one of the scariest characters in any book I've ever read. It's just straight forward storytelling without any fluff. This one is high on my favorites list now.

Listening to Walk in the Woods on audiobook now — I walk for about 4 or 5 hours on the weekends alone the river and this seemed like a natural. Enjoying it so far.

No Country is great, I found it much easier to read than Cormac’s All The Pretty Horses. And it’s better than the movie which itself was fantastic.

[OldPhiKap]

I recently got back from a photo tour of Nepal, not a trek. Our local guide was a Sherpa who had summited Everest twice but retired from really dangerous climbing after being injured in an avalanche.

I have been intrigued by Everest for many years but was never a climber, let alone a high altitude climber. The Sherpa was a great guy, both caring and intelligent. I had read the magazine article that became the book but am now reading the book. Also recently read The Climb about the same expeditions.

Those that climb the highest mountains have a makeup that is much different from mine.

SoCal

Into Thin Air is on the list of my all-time favorite reads, up there with Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and I, Claudius.

[duke79]

I'm most of the way through Rachel Madow's new book "Blowout" (which my mother-in-law gave to me for my birthday in November). It's a somewhat interesting and entertaining read about the (mostly) recent history of the oil and gas industry. It's a little hard to decipher her exact point-of-view (other than she is NOT a fan of big oil and big gas, for environmental and other reasons - although she does admit at the beginning of the book that she likes, as much as anybody, to be able to fill up her truck with gas and turn on the lights and heat when she gets home!) and I get the feeling that what she did was assign a bunch of research assistants to gather as many newspaper and magazine stories as possible about the oil and gas industry and then she synthesized them into chapters in the book. The book actually reads a little like her cable TV show - somewhat manic and all over the place. There are several chapters in the book about the now-deceased Duke alum Aubrey McClendon and she paints a less-than-flattering portrait of him and his role in promoting fracking throughout the country (she focuses heavily on the environmental problems with fracking and the health issues and costs to those individuals and communities in the fracking areas). She also spends much of the book looking at the rise of Putin in Russia and his role in essentially stealing oil and gas assets from private companies in that country.

Overall, a somewhat timely and interesting read!

[Tom B.]

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!

[Jim3k]

Just finished The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre (2018), Random House. This is the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, the Russian KGB officer who became an MI6 operative for the Brits. He was born into a KGB family in 1938 to a KGB family. Indeed, his older brother was an undercover KGB agent who infiltrated several countries. Following his brother was a natural thing to do. But he was slow into the international field because his brother was there. He even married (badly) a KGB female employee. When his brother died, he sought a posting in Denmark and discovered the West was far better off than portrayed by Soviet propaganda. He loved western culture and clearly had a more liberal bent than his superiors. Still, he was loyal until Soviet Union invaded the wobbling communist country of Czechoslovakia in August 1968. That proved to be an epiphany, which the book carefully explores.

He became a double agent shortly thereafter and continued, with a three year break, until his harrowing escape in 1985. During that time he divorced his first wife, married again and they had two small daughters. He had worked his way rapidly up the KGB ladder becoming the rezident-appointee in London. Then the roof began to cave in. The author explores why.

It's an informative and exciting true tale. Well worth a read if you enjoy spy stories or are interested in Cold War history. The peacetime ones are often pedestrian. Gordievsky's is not. The escape alone is a remarkable narrative, even comically involving some dirty diapers.

[IrishDevil]

Just finished The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre (2018), Random House. This is the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, the Russian KGB officer who became an MI6 operative for the Brits. He was born into a KGB family in 1938 to a KGB family. Indeed, his older brother was an undercover KGB agent who infiltrated several countries. Following his brother was a natural thing to do. But he was slow into the international field because his brother was there. He even married (badly) a KGB female employee. When his brother died, he sought a posting in Denmark and discovered the West was far better off than portrayed by Soviet propaganda. He loved western culture and clearly had a more liberal bent than his superiors. Still, he was loyal until Soviet Union invaded the wobbling communist country of Czechoslovakia in August 1968. That proved to be an epiphany, which the book carefully explores.

He became a double agent shortly thereafter and continued, with a three year break, until his harrowing escape in 1985. During that time he divorced his first wife, married again and they had two small daughters. He had worked his way rapidly up the KGB ladder becoming the rezident-appointee in London. Then the roof began to cave in. The author explores why.

It's an informative and exciting true tale. Well worth a read if you enjoy spy stories or are interested in Cold War history. The peacetime ones are often pedestrian. Gordievsky's is not. The escape alone is a remarkable narrative, even comically involving some dirty diapers.

The books sound fascinating, but I admit, this sentence intrigued me almost as much as the entire summary. How does one marry badly? Did he accidentally rip his tux and forget both his vow and the rings? Call his bride by his ex's name during the ceremony? Trip walking into the reception?

[Jim3k]

The books sound fascinating, but I admit, this sentence intrigued me almost as much as the entire summary. How does one marry badly? Did he accidentally rip his tux and forget both his vow and the rings? Call his bride by his ex's name during the ceremony? Trip walking into the reception?

To find out, check the book out from your local library and read it. It's free.