What are you reading?

[DUKIECB]

I just finished the first Game of Thrones on Audiobook. If not for Audible I wouldn't read half as many books as I do. Finding time to read is a troublesome task for me but being able to listen in the car and at the gym really helps, especially for fiction. I tend to zone out too much for listening to non-fiction so generally read those types of titles.

Also, I finished 11/22/63 by Stephen King a few weeks back. It was really great. No horror or spookiness in the story. I would highly recommend it even if you think you don't like King. It's about a guy who, through time travel, has the opportunity to stop the assassination of JFK. My way of judging whether or not a fiction novel was good or not is if I am sad to finish it and I was completely bummed it was over.

Somewhere upthread someone mentioned Destiny of the Republic and I concur. Fantastic read!

Will read the second Game of Thrones book next. Thought the first one was good but not great but as others have said the second book is supposed to be better. We will see.

[Doria]

On my vacation next week, I'm hoping to read a little (when I'm not working). I have Journey Under the Midnight Sun and Kizumonogatari (I ordered it, and unsure whether it was given an English title). I'm also hoping to get some writing of my own done, too.

[diablesseblu]

Recently read "The Secret Game: A Wartime Story of Courage, Change, and Basketball's Lost Triumph." Found it well written and fascinating. I could not put it down. (Also, as a former history major, loved the 50+ pages of notes and the full index.)

Lots of insight into the history of Durham, Duke, Central, race relations, the time during WW II and the history of basketball. Cannot recommend it highly enough.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[weezie]

Maybe mentioned upstream but despite it's being a popular hit, Barkskins by Annie Proulx is a terrific yarn. Perfect beach book.

[nocilla]

I am currently reading a kids book, but am thoroughly impressed. My 13 year old son read it and recommended it to his mom and me.

It starts out like a fairy tale but then shifts to the 20th century. It develops 3 different storylines and then supposedly brings them together, although I haven't gotten to that point yet. My son and wife both really liked it which is why I am reading it, so I would recommend it to your young readers, as well as to the less-young readers.

The book is Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan.

[Cormac]

I just finished Clash of Kings. I'm enjoying the series so far and I hope to finish it relatively soon so I can dig into the HBO version. Before I tackle Storm of Swords, I'm taking a break with Don Winslow's The Power of the Dog. I'm only about 70 pages in, but its fantastic so far. I have the more famous sequel, The Cartel, on my shelf as well. I believe Ridley Scott is set to direct the film version of that one. If you have any interest in a fictional take on the war on drugs from different points of view, I highly recommend checking this one out. The Cartel is loosely based on El Chapo. Its really good stuff, if you don't mind the violence. Winslow also wrote Savages which Oliver Stone directed.

[devildeac]

When Breath Becomes Air-Paul Kalanithi

As an older physician, I've found this to be a fascinating look at life/death/mortality/medicine/philosophy/marriage/parenting, especially when viewed through the eyes of a young physician facing death from widely metastatic cancer at a way too early age.

[duke79]

I know there was a separate thread on this book at some point, but I'm in the middle of John Feinstein's "The Legends Club", about Coach K, Dean, and Jimmy V. It was on the shelf of new non-fiction books at my local library and I thought..what the hell, I'll at least start to read it. So far, it is mildly interesting and entertaining and I have learned some stuff about the three coaches (and their respective basketball programs) that I did not know before. John is certainly not afraid to take Dean down a few notches (should we speak ill of the dead?) but no one is perfect, including Dean. I think JF does a good job at evoking the stress and insecurities that all big-time college (basketball or football) coaches must feel, from time to time. You realize what an insular world it really is, coaching at that level. So much of your success depends on convincing 16, 17 and 18 year-old kids to come play for you. Getting the right one or two kids at the right time can make or break your career.

[pfrduke]

I just finished Clash of Kings. I'm enjoying the series so far and I hope to finish it relatively soon so I can dig into the HBO version. Before I tackle Storm of Swords, I'm taking a break with Don Winslow's The Power of the Dog. I'm only about 70 pages in, but its fantastic so far. I have the more famous sequel, The Cartel, on my shelf as well. I believe Ridley Scott is set to direct the film version of that one. If you have any interest in a fictional take on the war on drugs from different points of view, I highly recommend checking this one out. The Cartel is loosely based on El Chapo. Its really good stuff, if you don't mind the violence. Winslow also wrote Savages which Oliver Stone directed.

I enjoyed both of these - well written, engaging characters. Definitely heavy on the violence and I can imagine there are many Mexicans who are not pleased with how it depicts their country - my reaction to the books was that if Mexico is anything like that I want to stay far, far away. I know it's sensationalized, but yikes.

[luburch]

Finished the fourth Game of Thrones last night. Thought it was the worst of the series so far and removing half the characters by splitting it in two seemed an odd choice to me. If I had to rank the books so far it would go: 3, 1, 2, 4. Hoping the 5th book bounces back a bit.

In the meantime I'm going to quickly read through Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I got it early, last weekend, but since I was finishing GoT I haven't had the chance to look at it yet. Should be a quick read since it's in play format.

[devildeac]

Alexander Hamilton-Ron Chernow

The book, not the musical.

This one will take a while at 732 pages. Fascinating start as I never knew he was an illegitimate child from the West Indies.

[Cormac]

I enjoyed both of these - well written, engaging characters. Definitely heavy on the violence and I can imagine there are many Mexicans who are not pleased with how it depicts their country - my reaction to the books was that if Mexico is anything like that I want to stay far, far away. I know it's sensationalized, but yikes.

I'm sure its sensationalized. I'm sure it could be offensive too. But there's quite a bit of truth in there too. Its pretty clear he doesn't think highly of how we've handled this entire situation, but does seem to admire some of the agents on the ground. I follow Winslow on Twitter and it's clear that he's pretty passionate and focused on the War on Drugs, and not just for writing purposes. He links to a lot of articles with similarities to the violence depicted in his books, stories on agents killed in the line of duty, etc. His last one showed the prison "cell" of an incarcerated cartel leader. It had three rooms, flat screen Tvs, etc. Rough life.

[luburch]

Finished Harry Potter and the Cursed Child last night. Quick read. Extremely different than anything else in the series and it was cheesy to boot. But it was new HP and I'll gladly welcome anything that is HP.

[jjasper0729]

Just started Robert Bryce: Smaller, Faster, Lighter, Denser, Cheaper. Looks pretty interesting talking about the handful of innovations in the last couple of hundred years that have spurred innovation as well as how whenever someone or some group says we're going to run out of something, we find ways to get more and more. Pretty interesting reading.

Once I finish, I think I'll be moving on to The Progress Paradox

[Billy Dat]

Fascinating start as I never knew he was an illegitimate child from the West Indies.

How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a
Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a
Forgotten spot in the Caribbean by providence
Impoverished, in squalor
Grow up to be a hero and a scholar?

[devildeac]

How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a
Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a
Forgotten spot in the Caribbean by providence
Impoverished, in squalor
Grow up to be a hero and a scholar?

Sorry, no spoilers allowed on DBR .

He was born with/developed an incredible desire to learn, got a huge break from one of his guardians and then sent to NY on a boat to study in America. (I'm only on page 72 as of last PM.) I'll send more updates as I progress. It is pretty amazing.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Finished the fourth Game of Thrones last night. Thought it was the worst of the series so far and removing half the characters by splitting it in two seemed an odd choice to me. If I had to rank the books so far it would go: 3, 1, 2, 4. Hoping the 5th book bounces back a bit.

In the meantime I'm going to quickly read through Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I got it early, last weekend, but since I was finishing GoT I haven't had the chance to look at it yet. Should be a quick read since it's in play format.

You'd better hurry through the GRRRR Martin books so you will be ready for Winds of Winter.

***Eye roll***

I enjoyed the books immensely. Plowed through them one after another in a month or so. Will probably have to give myself a refresher sometime in the next ten years to get ready for the next book.

[mph]

Just finished All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. It's the best novel I've read in quite some time. Just started Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance and so far it's very good.

[Olympic Fan]

I just finished "The Millionaire and the Bard" by Andrea Mays. A fascinating look at the most important and valuable book ever published (well, with the possible exception of the Guttenberg Bible) -- First Folio of 1623. Combines a history of that publication with a mini-biography of William Clay Folger, the American who became the greatest collector of First Folios (and other Shakespeare material) in the world. Mays describes how a middle-class Amherst student acquired the wealth and expertise to assemble his amazing collection (82 First Folios ... the next largest single collection in the world is 13 copies).

I'm just starting Nigel Hamilton's "Commander in Chief", the second volume in his planned trilogy about FDR's war leadership. His first volume -- Mantle of Command -- was a superb examination of FDR's oft-overlooked and disparaged role as the architect of Allied military strategy in the early part of the war. Hamilton promises to explore the delicate battle between FDR and Churchill to shape the plans of the Allied armies for the crucial middle phase of the war -- especially the debate over the invasion of France. He points out that Churchill has always had the last word in that matter, since he survived the war to write HIS version of events (in a Nobel Prize winning history of WWII), while Roosevelt never got to put his version into print.

[Devilwin]

H.G. Welles "The War Of The Worlds". Have seen both movies, they're ok, but the book is really fascinating. Got it on Kindle for 99 cents, can't lose at that price.