Pandemic Reading

[Texsox]

I'm asking my students to read ten minutes a day and reflect on their reading plus keep a weekly journal. I decided to read https://www.amazon.com/Beatest-State-Union-Anthology-Writing/dp/1942956088 which really is narrow-casting. Not recommended unless you appreciate the works of the Beat writers like Kerouac, Ginsberg and interested in Texas. I also know a few of the writers that are represented and studied many more. I helped a bit with the financial backing and added a little to the research so it's always fun to be holding a copy of the book. 

[caulfield12]

Reading list from last couple months...
 

Superforecasting

Little Fires Everywhere

The Three Body Problem (trilogy)

The Cactus League

Detour

Fall of Shannara

Fentanyl, Inc.

Latticework (value investing)

The Hot Zone

The Coming Plague

American Dirt

Tom Clancy/Jack Ryan, Jr. latest

Lost...James Patterson

[bmags]

Very cool Tex.

 

I really enjoyed “the last days of night”.

[hogan873]

I'm a big reader as it is, and the social distancing has allowed me more time to read.  I also listen to a lot of books, especially in the car.  I work in tissue manufacturing, so not only am I still working, I'm working more than ever.  The time driving to and from work is my time to escape into a book.  I decided to splurge (for a few months anyway) on an Audible subscription to give me another library of audio books to choose from.

Some recent books I've read/listened to:

Locke & Key (books 1 and 2)
The Boy From The Woods
Dead Wake - Book five of the great Forgotten Coast series by Dawn Lee McKenna
Bloody Genius - The latest Virgil Flowers novel by John Sanford
The Institute by Stephen King
Cyclops Road - A silly horror novel by Jeff Strand

[Texsox]

One of my favorite categories of books are books set in places I've visited by local authors. Victoria Houston has a series of about 20 books set in the Wisconsin Northwoods. CJ Box in the Rockies, Elizabeth Garcia in the Big Bend region, David Harry on South Padre Island. 

If anybody has a recommendation for a series available from Kindle Unlimited I'm starting to read more on my Kindle. 

Hogan, do you recommend the Dead Wake series? It sounds interesting. 

[southsider2k5]

Right now, I am in the Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson who has become one of my favorites since Devil in the White City.  Also have read Dead Wake, Thunderstruck (which might be better than White City) and Issac's Storm on the 1900 Galveston Hurricane.

Of all topics, I finally put John Jay on my list, and in an effort to find a book on him, bought an antique book from 1896 off of Ebay for about $10 to finally get his story.  I had gone through Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson, and Washington in the era, but John Jay is the one guy that pops up in every single person's story.  He might have been the MVP of that era just from what I got through other sources.

If you really want a long read, anything by Ron Chernow is amazing.  He is the guy who wrote the book which Lin Manual Miranda took and adopted for Hamilton the musical.  In this case the book is every bit as amazing as musical (and I don't say that lightly).  I have also gotten through his books on George Washington and John D Rockefeller, which were every bit as riveting, and long.  There are still books on General Grant and JP Morgan that I want to get to, but have not yet.

I also have something open by Simon Winchester, who I had read before in Crack in the Edge of the World on the 1906 SF Earthquake, and Krakatoa.  Currently I am in The Perfectionsts, but I am kind of bored with that one.  Beyond that I the The Map that Changed the World.

I also have Gettysburg an alternative history by Peter Tsouras cued up with the premise of how the South could have won the battle, and what it would have done for the war.

On the TV front, we also rewatched the BBC Sherlock series, and it was every bit as good the second time around.

 

[hogan873]

23 minutes ago, Texsox said:

One of my favorite categories of books are books set in places I've visited by local authors. Victoria Houston has a series of about 20 books set in the Wisconsin Northwoods. CJ Box in the Rockies, Elizabeth Garcia in the Big Bend region, David Harry on South Padre Island. 

If anybody has a recommendation for a series available from Kindle Unlimited I'm starting to read more on my Kindle. 

Hogan, do you recommend the Dead Wake series? It sounds interesting. 

I do.  The books are quick reads with great characters.  I also like series of novels that take place in interesting locations.  I haven't spent much time in Florida (where the books take place), but I grew up on the Outer Banks, and it sounds like a similar area.

Also, love the CJ Box Joe Pickett series.

[caulfield12]

23 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

Right now, I am in the Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson who has become one of my favorites since Devil in the White City.  Also have read Dead Wake, Thunderstruck (which might be better than White City) and Issac's Storm on the 1900 Galveston Hurricane.

Of all topics, I finally put John Jay on my list, and in an effort to find a book on him, bought an antique book from 1896 off of Ebay for about $10 to finally get his story.  I had gone through Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson, and Washington in the era, but John Jay is the one guy that pops up in every single person's story.  He might have been the MVP of that era just from what I got through other sources.

If you really want a long read, anything by Ron Chernow is amazing.  He is the guy who wrote the book which Lin Manual Miranda took and adopted for Hamilton the musical.  In this case the book is every bit as amazing as musical (and I don't say that lightly).  I have also gotten through his books on George Washington and John D Rockefeller, which were every bit as riveting, and long.  There are still books on General Grant and JP Morgan that I want to get to, but have not yet.

I also have something open by Simon Winchester, who I had read before in Crack in the Edge of the World on the 1906 SF Earthquake, and Krakatoa.  Currently I am in The Perfectionsts, but I am kind of bored with that one.  Beyond that I the The Map that Changed the World.

I also have Gettysburg an alternative history by Peter Tsouras cued up with the premise of how the South could have won the battle, and what it would have done for the war.

On the TV front, we also rewatched the BBC Sherlock series, and it was every bit as good the second time around.

 

Have you read In the Garden of Beasts?   All the Shaara books on the Civil War, or McPherson?   New Doris Kearns Goodwin on George Washington?

[southsider2k5]

Just now, caulfield12 said:

Have you read In the Garden of Beasts?   All the Shaara books on the Civil War, or McPherson?   New Doris Kearns Goodwin on George Washington?

I have not, but with as much I have enjoyed everything by Larson, if I come across it, I will pick it up.

Haven't done a ton of Civil War reading.  Most of what I have done is related to Gettysburg.  I was enthralled with battle after visiting the battlefield about a decade ago.  The George Washington book I read was the one by Ron Chernow.

[bmags]

38 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

I have not, but with as much I have enjoyed everything by Larson, if I come across it, I will pick it up.

Haven't done a ton of Civil War reading.  Most of what I have done is related to Gettysburg.  I was enthralled with battle after visiting the battlefield about a decade ago.  The George Washington book I read was the one by Ron Chernow.

McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom I couldn't put down. 20+ years old and still canon.

[NorthSideSox72]

Finished so far in March:

• The Ends of the World (covers the mass extinctions the Earth has experienced and their causes, etc.), by Peter Brannen
• Thunder in the Mountains (about the Nez Perce War, Chief Joseph and Oliver Otis Howard), by Daniel Sharfstein

Now on: Eisenhower in War and Peace, by Jean Edward Smith

Next in the stack:

• House Made of Dawn, by N Scott Momaday
• Hillbilly elegy, by JD Vance

I got some time, so I figure this is the time to hit the heavy stuff.

 

[bmags]

I've yet to find a book I want to go through, too stressed. Wanted to pick up Say Nothing on the troubles for a long time but...not the topic I want to get into at the moment.

[NorthSideSox72]

44 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

I have not, but with as much I have enjoyed everything by Larson, if I come across it, I will pick it up.

Haven't done a ton of Civil War reading.  Most of what I have done is related to Gettysburg.  I was enthralled with battle after visiting the battlefield about a decade ago.  The George Washington book I read was the one by Ron Chernow.

If you want a book that is Civil War era but focused on the west, one of the best-written and most engaging history books I've ever read is Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides. Nominally a biography of Kit Carson, really more a lens into the "Winning" of the West.

 

[GoSox05]

I'm reading A World Undone: The Story of the Great War 1914 to 1918.

Pretty detailed read on WWI, does some good background work on all the major players. 

 

[mqr]

I managed to finish dune in about 5 days which is no small feat for me.

[NorthSideSox72]

1 minute ago, mqr said:

I managed to finish dune in about 5 days which is no small feat for me.

They are attempting another film version of it. Hoping this one might be decent, especially with Villeneuve directing it.

 

[mqr]

1 minute ago, NorthSideSox72 said:

They are attempting another film version of it. Hoping this one might be decent, especially with Villeneuve directing it.

 

That guy can do no wrong until proven otherwise, so I'm pretty amped. 

[southsider2k5]

Also, we dug out The Stand mini-series to rewatch.  Its a shame the acting was so bad, because what a great book.

[Moan4Yoan]

24 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

Also, we dug out The Stand mini-series to rewatch.  Its a shame the acting was so bad, because what a great book.

The one with Gary Sinise?  Haha, yes it was very cheesy.  Still worth a watch though.  Ironically, one of King’s worst novels translated to the big screen the best — have you watch The Outsider on HBO?

[ron883]

Currently reading The Art of the Deal. You can purchase it below. 

https://www.amazon.com/Trump-Art-Deal-Donald-J/dp/0399594493

Will be reading Surviving at the Top next.

[southsider2k5]

8 minutes ago, Moan4Yoan said:

The one with Gary Sinise?  Haha, yes it was very cheesy.  Still worth a watch though.  Ironically, one of King’s worst novels translated to the big screen the best — have you watch The Outsider on HBO?

I have not watched that yet.  I rarely pay for HBO.  I got it during Game of Thrones and cancelled it after.  My personal favorite of all of the King books is 11/22/63.  The Hulu series is decent.

[Moan4Yoan]

2 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

I have not watched that yet.  I rarely pay for HBO.  I got it during Game of Thrones and cancelled it after.  My personal favorite of all of the King books is 11/22/63.  The Hulu series is decent.

That’s usually what I do as well.

There is also Mr. Mercedes but I haven’t seen either show.

[southsider2k5]

1 minute ago, Moan4Yoan said:

That’s usually what I do as well.

There is also Mr. Mercedes but I haven’t seen either show.

I was also ready to watch Under the Dome when it was on years back, but it died quickly and got awful reviews.

[southsider2k5]

7 minutes ago, Yearnin' for Yermin said:

Currently reading The Art of the Deal. You can purchase it below. 

https://www.amazon.com/Trump-Art-Deal-Donald-J/dp/0399594493

Will be reading Surviving at the Top next.

If you are into that I would also recommend

The Road to Jonestown, Heaven's Gate: America's UFO religion, Member of the Family, and Prophet's Prey.

[caulfield12]

3 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

If you are into that I would also recommend

The Road to Jonestown, Heaven's Gate: America's UFO religion, Member of the Family, and Prophet's Prey.

Krakauer books are a worthwhile read, as well.  Kingdom of God, but the one on Everest (Into Thin Air) and Into the Wild continues to be a classic.   Three Cups of Deceit if you are interested in non-profit.

All the Michael Lewis books are pretty great too, although some might feel a bit dated today.  Bad Blood if interested in business, or the new Picketty on Economics.