It has been a while since we talked about what we've all been reading. And, since it is Friday, at the end of a long week of depressing news, I thought we could all use a little break this morning. So, if you are reading something you think is worth mentioning — or listening to some music you just found — or have seen a great movie in your Netflix queue – or whatever you have to share, please do so.
In the spirit of sharing, I recently finished Elizabeth Edwards' memoir "Saving Graces," and loved it. I was asked to write a review of the book for a newspaper in Edwards' hometown, and I have to say, I was a bit worried about it at the start — that I'd hate the book and have to write a scathing review — but, thankfully, I ended up really enjoying the book — despite some really tough emotional rough patches when she talks, in detail, about the loss of their son, Wade, and the painful grieving process that she is still going through after that loss. As a parent, I found that to be a very difficult read, but one that was tough to put down because she was so honest about the raw emotion of it, something I had not expected, frankly, from a politician's wife.
There are some very funny parts in the book — laugh out loud moments that I had to read aloud to Mr. ReddHedd on occasion because they were just too funny not to share with someone. ("And then the plane caught fire." If you've read the book, you know what I mean.) And several places where I was reaching for yet another tissue. One of my favorite bits is where she and her assistant on the campaign trail throw a good-bye party for her Secret Service detail, one of whom has been on the job for twenty plus years — and it ends up being the first time that anyone has ever thought to do that for him. You have to love Southern manners, don't you?
Anyway, if you are interested in my review, you can find it here at the Independent Weekly website. This is the first time I've done a review for publication like this, and I have to say that it was an enjoyable process from start to finish.
But, now that I'm done, it is on to the next book…I just need to figure out what that will be. Although I've got several in my "to read" pile at the moment, nothing is reaching out to grab me. Any suggestions of something great that you've been reading? Can't wait to see what The General suggests on Sunday.
Am also looking for some new tunes for the birthday iPod, so any album or single suggestions are welcome.
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Balrog!
Redd!
(coffee’s ready)
Redd Riding Hood! Teh Wolf!
Reading?
FDL, C&L, TNH, Glenn, Kos, MyDD, Digby, Gilliard, Ian Welsh, Liberal Oasis, TPM, BooMan, Jerelyn, . . . .
Oh you mean books? Who has time?
Morning all — just got back from dropping The Peanut off at preschool. Brrrrr….cold and snowing here this morning. Warm coffee, anyone?
while I’m working too hard these days to read, Bruce Springsteen’s Seeger Sessions is surprisingly touching and wonderful…
I’m reading John LeCarre’s ‘The Constant Gardener’ . Very involving so far.
I’m reading ‘Intrusion Prevention and Active Response – Deploying Network and Host IPS’.
Strongly recommended! Zzzzzzzzzzz.
BTW for anyone old enough and geek enough, check out the first Spotlight review of this book.
The Story About Ping
Oooooh, The Today Show is doing a bit on The Wire. LOVE that show.
just finished Helen Thomas’s book and now i am reading/playing with javascript&DHTML cookbook…
Hubris at 10 — how was Helen’s book? I would imagine it’s pretty blunt and wry, just like she seems. At least, I hope so. ;-)
Mike at 7 — you know, I’ve seen previews for the movie but haven’t gotten around to that in our netflix queue as yet. I love thriller-type books, so it’s good to know that this one is holding your interest. Might have to pick that one up. Am trying to help out Mr. ReddHedd by putting a few books on my Amazon wishlist, so I may have to add that one today.
Captain Alatriste, a novel by Arturo Perez-Reverte (who wrote The Flanders Panel), is about a “sword for hire” in the late 16th Century that finds himself on the wrong side of the Spanish Inquisition. A real swashbuckling read. This writer’s novels are a must for those longing for Umberto Eco light.
btw, all — if you are not watching The Wire (it broadcasts on HBO), then you are missing out. It is gritty, painful, and as realistic a crime/city/politics/corruption show as I have seen. They get the cop stuff and the criminal stuff right. It’s tough to watch most weeks, but it is very real — and one of the best written shows I can remember in terms of script and character development. Very well done, and worth watching. Just FYI.
Grousefinder at 13 — hmmmm, will have to take a peek at that one. I miss the older version of Eco — “Name of the Rose” and “Foucolt’s Pendulum” — his newer stuff just is not working for me.
I’ve heard mentioned somewhere before that reading blogs leads to short attention spans. I think it was Kevin Drum from Political Animal.
I’m going to agree with him. I have seven or eight highly touted books waiting, but am struggling to get to them.
Right now I’m in the midst of the 1 per cent Solution, but I find that I can only do a few pages before I turn to something else. It may just be the subject matter, or the many reviews I’ve read, or the fact that all the high points are out there already.
Hell, if I devoted half the time I spend here at the Lake, I’d have them all finished.
OldCoastie at 6 — I’ve heard that from several people. Will definitely give that a listen. Love Springsteen pretty much any time.
jeffreyw at 16 — I have actually found that it is the opposite for me. But I think it is because I spend so much time doing highly concentrated blog and news reading and synthesis to write something up for the blog, that the time I set aside for reading for fun is dear to me. Being able to sink myself into a book completely is SUCH a treat — it’s what I do for an hour or so every night before I go to sleep to clear out my mind from the day’s news.
Between reading “The Greatest Story Ever Sold” and “Wait! Don’t Move to Canada,” I needed a break, so I picked up a volume of Heinlein’s “Future History” Series…the one that starts with “Revolt in 2100″ and ends with “Methuselah’s Children.” Between those two stories is an essay by Heinlein that I found fascinating, given the climate of the past few decades. Forgive me, but I have to quote this.
It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so, and will follow it by suppressing opposition, subverting all education to seize early the minds of the young, and by killing, locking up, or driving underground all heretics. This is equally true whether the faith is Communism or Holy-Rollerism; indeed it is the bounden duty of the faithful to do so. The custodians of the True Faith cannot logically admit tolerance of heresy to be a virtue.
There’s more, and it’s insightful. The stories in this collection were written in the early fifties. I’m not sure when the essay was written.
Christy Hardin Smith @
17
Also check out the new Doors box set. It’ll take you on quite a flashback.
Back to Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations. Along with Proust, this is kind of a life-long project that I pick up and put down. I find that reading Mr. W. cleans the mind. Have picked it back up again, now that classes are over, research publications submitted, and the onset of arctic air encouraging a curl-up before the fireplace.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 17
I think you’d probably like it – wonderful and life affirming…
Golden Compass
Those of you with children…get them The Golden Compass if you are buying gift’s. It’s for 5-6th grade reading level and up. There are two sequels, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. I keep many copies of these on the shelves in my classroom. The strong readers devour them. They are novels about multiple dimensions, good vs. evil, and they dance with moral dilemmas that make the kid’s heads spin.
Christy…I agree about Eco…he is tired, but had a good run.
I’m on a Terry Pratchett kick again. I’ve been rereading all the City Watch stories, starting with “Guards! Guards!” and “Men at Arms” and have just started “Feet of Clay.”
I’m the sort of person who would like to -think- of myself as someone who reads a lot of books that inform and educate me, and I do this from time to time, but most of what I read, honestly, is quirky fiction– Pratchett, Tepper, Alice Hoffman. (shh! Don’t tell anyone!)
For music, I suggest… me! From my website there’s an “iTunes” link which links to my latest album, “Paths of Flight.”
I also suggest Laura Love. http://lauralove.net/
Grousefinder at 23 — I adore Phillip Pullman, and second the His Dark Materials series. It is a fantastic Young Adult fantasy series — great for kids who cut their reading teeth on Harry Potter and want something more, truly fantastic writing and characters that leave you wanting more and more books. And if you missed them as a kid, they are a fantastic read as an adult as well. Amazing writing, truly.
Lindy at 19 — Mr. ReddHedd is a big Heinlein fan. I’ll have to dig that one up and read the whole essay — it’s been far too long since I’ve read back through that.
Just getting going, but this is so far engaging. I’m reading it after arguing with family over T-giving about the possibility that people can be moral without Divine intervention. I’m tired of being called amoral because I don’t believe in an invisible cloud being.
Moral Minds: How Nature Designed Our Universal Sense of Right and Wrong
http://www.amazon.com/Moral-Mi…..0060780703
Julie at 24 — I met Terry at a SFF Worldcon several years ago (I think he was a guest of honor in Chicago? I can’t remember which off the top of my head at the moment…) Anyway, I was on some panels and got to hang out with him one morning in the green room before our respective sessions started. He is just as hilarious in person as you might expect from his books, wonderfully clever, and one of the nicest people I have ever met. Every time I see discussion about him, I think of our great coversation — so thanks for the smile this morning. :)
Last Stand of The Tin Can Sailors, a well done and rather stirring account of the Battle off Samar, a desperate battle fought off the Phillipine island of Leyte in 1944 by an overmatched force of USN Escort Carriers, Destroyers, and Destroyer Escorts which got caught by surprise by a Japanese force of Batlleships, Cruisers, and Destroyers. the US force should have been utterly destroyed, but wasn’t.
I love it when we have this kind of discussion. We have such a diverse group of folks who comment, and I always get such fantastic reading list ideas. :)
I have just finished “Collapse” by Jared Diamond and it is a worthwhile read. As for music I just picked up the latest Il Divo release Siempre on which they do covers of some great old rock like Nights in White Satin and Without You.
Cold but clear here in Atlanta.
Grousefinder @ 13: LOVED Captain Alatriste. The sequel novel was pretty much Second Verse Same as the First, but still fun.
Christy @ 14: I agree! The Wire is one of the most compelling series ever written. It’s been renewed for one more (final) season. Next year’s story will focus on how the mass media impacts policy/crime. Should be riveting.
Knut Wicksell @
21
I pick up the Blue and Brown Books every once in awhile. My favorite quote is: “There is the World, that is all that is the case” (or something like that.)
The Skull Mantra
One more suggestion for FDL’s…Elliot Pattison. Start with The Skull Mantra, a novel about the interface between China’s harsh gulag system and the Tibetan monks who end up in them. The book is seen through the eyes of a former Bejing official (Inspector) who ends up in the gulag system in Tibet as a prisoner. He is called upon to solve a murder by his jailers. This book, and it’s three sequels, are an excellent fictional study of Tibet’s plight with China. You will be hooked.
oh my. the Coast Guard is getting crap boats from contractors…
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16105291/from/RS.2/
I think the problem is the CG hardly ever has the bucks to buy new ships – when I was in, anything larger than a small patrol boat was usually a 30 year old hand-me-down from the Navy… now they are getting all kinds of money tossed at ‘em and don’t know how to spend it…
Exams.
Have you read “The Pickup” by Gordimer?
Im re-reading it while waiting for my book order to arrive.
It is an amazing work of fiction with insites into Muslim life.
I’m reading JR by William Gaddis.
It’s about capitalism.
Prof at 36 — well, you’ll pardon me if I pass on that one. *g* Although I hope they are good ones, for your sake.
I’m reading The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt, who wrote Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. He was in Venice just after the Fenice (the opera house) burned down, and he writes about that.
I went to the Fenice in the late 80’s, on my first trip to Venice, and we talked our way into a dress rehearsal explaining that I was an opera singer myself, and showing pictures of me in costume for an opera. The house was just beautiful, natural woods, blue fabrics, and enough putti to help the entire audience to heaven. I wish I had been able to see it as well as Berendt describes it.
The guy speaks Italian, so he was able to talk to a lot of people about the current state of Venice, and about the opera house. Good book.
I just picked up The Bar on the Seine and The Hotel Majestic by Georges Simenon. I started The Bar on the Seine last night; it’s an Inspector Maigret mystery, set in France during the 30’s. The prose is spare, but evocative, and so far the plot is clever. I think I’m going to like them.
“the world is everything that is the case” comes from the Tractatus. That is the “old” Wittgenstein.
For virtually non-stop laughs, I go back and read Richard Russo’s “Straight Man” every so often.
I’m just joining this thread, but I took time to go read Balrog’s spotlight review of Ping. I’m still laughing over that one!
My first two children were born in Taiwan, where I spent 5 years “back in the days” and Ping was their favorite book. They loved the ending, when he finally managed to get back home (his “host machine”).
rwcole @ 42
Yep, you are right. I like the old stuff better than when he “changed.”
sofistic @ 43
If you’re a Russo fan, you’ve probably read “The Risk Pool,” too. For my money, that book has one of the best opening paragraphs ever. I’ve bought the book at least four times. Always end up loaning it out!
I just finished Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941-1945
by Evan Thomas about the Battle of the Leyte Gulf. Great look at the incredible blunders, heroism, racism and humanity of both sides in, as the title says, the Last Great Naval Campaign of WWII or most likley ever.
I have been listening to Anonymous 4’s new CD, “American Angels”, a presentation of a cappella gospel singing, arrangements based in the American tradition of shape note, or sacred harp. Songs of Hope, Redemption and Glory. Go listen to a sample on Amazon, you won’t be disappointed. I just finished reading Ann Rice’s book “Christ the Lord”. I once tried to read a book by Ann Rice, on a much different subject and right from the first page I was mesmerized. After a few chapters, I realized how seductive her writhing voice is and because I am an old lady and and Catholic I got uneasy and threw the book out. But I always admired her gift, so when I saw “Christ the Lord” in paperback I was happy to buy it to see if she had the same quality of voice with a different topic. She does and I was not disappointed. Next is something I put on my Christmas list: Tom Waits CD “Real Gone” . I heard him sing “Day after Tomorrow” one night on the Daily Show and I was just knocked over. You can go to Comedy Central: Shows – the daily show with Jon Stewart and play it.
I just finished Grisham’s ‘The Innocent Man’. Stunning.
I am reading “German Cooking Today”
I’d recommend “In Sunlight, In a Beautiful Garden” by Kathleen Cambor. It’s a novel about the Johnstown flood fromt he perspective of both the “haves” and “have nots.” Even though you know what’s going to happen, it’s very engaging. And moving.
I just finished reading Monique and the Mango Rains, a beautifully written book by a late-80s Peace Corps volunteer about her time living in a rural village in Mali and working with a young midwife. You won’t forget the amazing Monique.
Deacon at 41 — I had a French professor in college who had us reading Simenon as an extra assignment each month for context and composition, and I loved them. Maigret is wonderful.
Fond of deranged, slightly warped humor? I’ve just finished Between the River and the Bridge by the host of the CBS Late Late Show, Craig Ferguson.
The book is funny as hell and Ferguson can really write. Elements of John Kennedy Toole and Douglas Adams abound.
I never laugh out loud at books. I did this time.
Richard Dawkins–God Delusion. Page turner for any sentient human. This description of the God of the Old Testament on p. 31 is worth the price of the book: The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction; jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynist, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, capriciously malevolent bully.
Ooops–now you don’t have to buy it! But there’s plenty of other good stuff. Go read.
And if you want to see him put down Liberty “U.” bullshit, see the videos at http://richarddawkins.net/arti…..11;C-SPAN2
Betty at 48 — LOVE Anonymous4. I have a couple of their older CDs, and they are perfect background music for writing — and for relaxing. Wonderful stuff. Will have to check that one out. Thanks.
I am listening, off and on, to two CD’s my brother sent me. The firest is Bob Dylan’s “Modern Times” and the second is Mark Knopfler’s “Shangri-La.” Not too excited about either, but I think I prefer Knopfler.
The Washington Post!
Eagleburger said Bush was drinking the morning that the Report was given to
him!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..01903.html
reading: Prince Rupert by Frank Kitsen
netflix: The Forsyth Saga (BBC: three parts)
music: Livin on the Fault Line (Doobie Brothers) — (found in garage following car radio malfunction).
Lindy, Redd – I reread that Heinlein series a couple of months ago. It’s amazing how well his stuff generally holds up over time.
Right now, I’m a little more than halfway through Perilous Times: Free Speech in Wartime from the Sedition Act of 1798 to the War on Terrorism by Geoffrey R. Stone. I just finished with McCarthy, and am ready to dig into Vietnam. Really well written, and absolutely filled with footnotes to document all his sources. Stunningly appropriate, too.
Oh, and I’m also reading The Not-So-Grizzly Bear Stories. Actually, The Kid is reading it to me, and I’m just there to help sound out the tough words and look at the pictures. Come to think of it, they are stunningly appropriate stories these days, too. (Like the one about the bear that was convinced to leave his tail in the lake to catch fish, until the water froze, the dogs came chasing, and then he broke off the tail as he ran to escape. Bush dangling the military in Iraq to catch some democracy, anyone?)
I’m reading “This Wheel’s On Fire – The Story of the Band” by Levon Helm. A fascinating look into one of the greatest American bands (even though 4/5 of them were Canadian) which includes a sharp aqnd unflattering portrait of Robbie Robertson.
Levon was THE man in that group, revisionist history notwithstanding.
Hey Christy, did you ever check out the new Vince Gill? If you haven’t you can get a few previews at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI5Wtx8kK64 (with the great, Big Al Anderson singing the duet). Bad mix (no Vinnie guitar) but the spirit of the song is there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UED0fvNvbjY from the CMA Awards. Wonderful song about giving rather than receiving.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHXxEkywSIg (with the amazingly gifted Bekka Bramlett, daughter of Delaney and Bonnie)
It’s a masterpiece. I haven’t said that about *anything* since 1968. And cheap. However, if you want physical CDs you may have a hard time. I got mine form the iTunes store and it went straight onto my ipod.
Amazing, powerful music. Go for it, Christy.
I’m still plowing my way through Thomas Ricks “Fiasco” — it’s depressing. I knew in my heart that Iraq would go terribly wrong, but reading about Bremer and Sanchez and Rummy flailing in the wilderness is just awful.
In my car I’ve been listening to Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book on Lincoln, “Team of Rivals”. (I’ll be listening for another month or so as it’s a 30 CD set! My local library is lenient on due dates for audiobooks, thankfully.) Whenever she talks about Lincoln’s empathy, it gives me chills as I compare his great empathy to Bush’s lack thereof.
christy- great book review that you wrote.
i just started jimmy carter’s “Palestine:peace not aparteid”. not far enough into it to have much an opinion yet.
via thinkprogress:
Where’s Dennis Hastert?
The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
I used to read voraciously, several books a month. Now I spend all my time online (frequently at FDL)
I used to build musical instruments, now I spend all my time online (frequently at FDL)
I used to build electronics projects and ham radio projects, now I spend all my time online (frequently at FDL)
Do I have a problem doc?
cnn – Jeane Kirkpatrick has died at 80
In the spirit of the season: John Galbraith’s The Good Society. A little guidance for a fresh start for the new year.
Oh, and as for music, get The Crane Wife by the Decemberists. Really terrific young band from Portland, OR.
Recent readings:
The two most recent books by Michael Lind:
The American Way Of Strategy and Made In Texas: Geoge W. Bush and the Southern Takeover of American Politics
I think Made In Texas is the most insightful piece of writing on American politics to come out in decades. Contrary to what you’d expect from the title, Dubya is mentioned only in passing until at least halfway through the book. Lind delves deeply into the history and culture of the various regions of the USA (especially Texas) to build the background to finally argue that GWB, in spite of his ancestral Northeastern roots, is culturally a Southerner, and is a fundamentally Southern politician of the most reactionary sort.
Like Made In Texas, The American Way of Strategy builds on Lind’s deep understanding of American history and culture, but for a different purpose. He asserts that the most fundamental goal of American strategy on the international scene usually has been the preservation of The American Way of Life. A central argument of the book is that American strategy has gone off the rails since the end of the Cold War. Modestly at first, under GHW Bush and Clinton, and rolled over down into the ditch under Dubya.
Another book I’d recommend is Thin Ice: Unlocking the Secrets of Climate in the World’s Highest Mountains, by Mark Bowen. This is one of the best science books I’ve ever read. It’s not the best resource for a concise presentation of the current status of climate research, but it is unrivaled in telling a big piece of the story of how the science got there. Bowen is himself a trained scientist (Physics PhD from MIT) but his career has been mostly as a science writer. The book is organized mainly around the career of Lonnie Thompson, the high-altitude glaciologist based at Ohio State who led the team that pioneered the technology of high altitude glaciology (not a trivial effort – think of lugging drilling equipment up to 20,000 feet and above). Thompson’s teams work in the Andes, the Himalayas and on Kilimanjaro was fundamental in establishing an understanding of the Earth’s past climate history as background for today’s concern about global warming.
sofistic @
66
Ya think?
The Sea, The Sea, by Iris Murdoch. A long, compelling novel about runaway egocentrism, with mystical overtones. Unique, and, of course, timely.
Free (holiday?) music: Santastic 2
I haven’t listened to it so I can’t tell you what it’s like… just that it’s free.
I started reading Ivanhoe during Thanksgiving at the same time I was picking through Phillips’ American Theocracy and also Former Slave Narratives by Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass. There are all sorts of eery parallels to be found in crusade fiction, the 19th c. and today’s situation. *shudder*
Thanks for this topic, Christy! I picked up Elizabeth Edwards’ book when it first came out–and IIRC I think I recommended it for Sunday Book time after the furor of the campaign season. Still holding back from reading it, mostly because right now we’re in leukemia treatment mode around here, so it’s a little too close to home.
This weekend I’m treating myself to Kathleen Eagle’s just released Ride a Painted Pony. I love Kathy’s writing…this one’s more suspense-y than her previous women’s fiction. She writes with authenticity about the people and lives and issues of Indian Country. And she’s a longtime dear friend, so this is unabashed logrolling. I’ve always thought of SFF as space cowboys, so my reading’s pretty eclectic from Heinlein to Zane Grey to Follett.
One of the beauties of being a monthly columnist for BookPage for several years was the wealth of great stories that came my way. One of the overwhelming “where IS my living room floor??????” penalties of being a regular reviewer is the wealth of great stories that came my way.
Genre fiction, whether SFF, Wsterns, suspense, mysteries, women’s and romance fiction, is just the thing for cold weather escapes from hard, cold realities.
A must read, but with caffeine: Healthy, Wealthy and Fair: Health Care and the Good Society , a look at American Health Policy and why the US never gets off square one toward readical universal healthcare coverage. This is a volume of chapters written by various health policy experts and ably edited by James A. Morone and Lawrence R. Jacobs
It’s a good primer to understanding the history and mechanics of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and almost, but not quite, successful policy initiatives of yore.
I also pulled out my pop-up Christmas in New York book since it is the season. :)
Just Asking @
58
Greeeat……Andrew Sullivan did say the election was an intervention.
-GSD
raven @
47
I read that just before starting Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors; it’s a decent book, but less successful, I thought, at conveying the Battle off Samar. it does try to get into the heads of some of the Japanese Admirals, which Last Stand doesn’t attempt to do, and is worth it for that perspective.
Recent and also worthwhile is Ship of Ghosts (by James Hornfischer, who wrote Last Stand), an excellent account of the USS Houston in the early months of the Pacific War, up to her loss off Java near Sunda Strait (along with the HMAS Perth), and the subsequent imprisonment of the survivors by the Japanese, which ends up tying into the story of the Burma Railway (heavily fictionalized in the film Bridge over the River Kwai).
Am reading Ireland by Frank Delaney.
Takes one to a land far away…pretty useful for a high stress autumn.
Listening to the Messiah, and getting out my childhood hymnal with Christmas carols. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear has an extra verse that is very anti-war. The lyrics were written in my town in Massachusetts, and so was the song Over the River and Thru the Woods [to grandFATHER’s house, btw].
Confessions of an Economic Hitman-John Perkins.
-GSD
I’m reading Pynchon’s Vineland. Excellent so far. A novel for our times.
Listening: Neko Case. Wow, what a voice.
The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy: and Other Stories by Tim Burton is currently my “commuting” book.
Sofistic at #33:
I had a course almost half a century ago from a visiting prof who was a well-known Wittgenstein scholar of the era; Maslow by name, IIRC. Anyway, my recollection of the first lines of his Tractatus is “The world is everything that is the case.” That’s about all I remember; that and the fact that he allegedly wrote it in the trenches during the Great War. I’ve long since lost the book and haven’t read him since. Maybe I ought to give him another try.
I’ve usually got a couple books going at the same time, which causes me some confusion if those books are dealing with subjects within a couple degrees of separation. Right now it’s Niall Ferguson’s The War of the World and Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Both are interesting. Ferguson’s is actually somewhat surprising. As an apologist for American Empire his take on the 20th Century isn’t that it was the “American Century” but, rather, the “Descent of the West.” The guy’s actually a very engaging writer of history so you’ve got to keep your wits about you when reading him.
Try: Charles Frazer’s “Thrirteen Moons”
A novel about thhe early north west.
Thomas Keneally’s “The commonwealth
of thieves” A novel of the
establishment of Australia as a
penal conolly of prisoners from
Old Baley prison in London.
I just started a new book. It’s riveting and i recommend it to everyone. It will hold your attention and render you unable to do ANYTHING else for at least 7 minutes. It’s called ‘My Pet Goat,’ maybe you’ve heard of it?
OhioTex @ 44
It’s brilliant. I wish I had written it.
universalhealth @ 76
Hah. I’ll add to this and say David Sirota’s Hostile Takeover plus Marcia Angell’s The Truth about Drug Companies make good companions too.
If you want an engaging, thoughtful, intriguing, well-written page turner give Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon a try. Set in Barcelona in the 1940s, has a historical flavor, but is mostly a wonderful tale. I have recommended it to 20 people and all have loved it.
Richard Welty @
29
IIRC, Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941-1945
By Evan Thomas
covers the same battle. Haven’t read either.
For fans of THE HUNT for RED OCTOBER, (at least the movie) there is dialogue about this battle between Connery’s character and Baldwin’s character wrt Halsey’s error.
Cider with Rosie
by Laurie Lee
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
This is the verse that isn’t usually sung, but I like what it says about war:
Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song that they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.
And this is the verse I especially love to sing to people in nursing homes, and always makes me cry:
And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 39
Well, some are inspiring, and some are heartbreaking.
I give two kinds of exams. One is an 8-hour take-home exam that consists of writing a precise, 6-page, legal memo on a convoluted hypothetical that I create on environmental law. The other kind is a 4-hour, open-book exam that requires short answers (from 10 words to 50 words, typically) to about 25 quite specific questions in administrative law or constitutional law.
The exams are exciting to read when a student ascends into A or A territory, but disheartening when I discover that a student thinks that she or he can get by with B.S. and comes up with a D or even F. (The grading is always anonymous, so I never know whose exam it is until after I turn in the grades.)
I worry about the second type of student, because they may do their clients real damage some day. I obsess over the fact that my teaching did not “take” on such a student. All my nit-picky teaching, asking students to examine and critique the logic of court decisions and lawyers’ arguments in fine detail, and passion of the semester, arguing that some day it will fall to them to “challenge authority” and not just take the word of the government, appears to have been for naught for some students.
But for some, it seems to make all the difference. One of my students from 25 years ago wrote me last month:
He is now the Director of Environment for one of our State governments.
And my best current excitement is that one of my former students has just completed 15 years of litigation that one might say has “rewritten the script” of the Jack Nicholson movie, Chinatown.
He helped force Los Angeles to put water back into the Owens River that was turned off by L.A. 93 years ago, an event that was chronicled in Chinatown in 1974. The water started flowing two days ago in what is being called the largest river restoration project in American history.
The accomplishment is chronicled in a Christian Science Monitor story, After 93 years, L.A. gives its water back, although that story leaves out the role that environmental lawsuits played in forcing L.A. to act.
I have no idea what grades either of those students got, two decades ago — maybe not the A’s, but certainly not D’s or F’s. Most importantly, they are both helping change the world.
I’m reading David Kuo’s book “Tempting Faith”. Not quite half way through, but you don’t have to read much before gettin’ a heapin’ helpin’ of his dismay about the lack of concern “Christian” conservatives have for the less privileged.
For fun I’ve been reading books about the history of the National Lampoon:
Buy This Book or We’ll Shoot this Dog
(by publisher/founder Matty Simmons)
A Futile and Stupid Gesture
(a Doug Kenney bio/Lampoon history)
I’m currently reading Jared Diamond’s Collapse,and have a stack of books in waiting.
More books are coming per holiday giving. I have a serious problem when it comes to books,I don’t really splurge on much else(except Burt’s Bees skin/hair products,yummy). If I had a million dollars,alot of it would be spent on books. One of the only good things my Mom did for me was to let me have any book I wanted and she read to me often. I could read books for first graders at age 3,and I don’t think there has been a long period of time in my life,some 4 decades later,that I wasn’t starting,in the middle of,or ending reading a book. Yay Books!
After Collapse,my next read is Banker to the Poor by Muhammed Yanus,then it’s on to a book about growing food for your family in the face of global warming/slash times of famine or other hardships. There’s also Joseph Marshall’s biography of Crazy Horse,and Allen Eckert’s fictional(but based on historical records)biography of Tecumseh,who I greatly admire,the title of that one is A Sorrow in our Heart.
We just got around to seeing An Inconvienient Truth earlier this week. Wow. I think I have a nerd girl crush on Al Gore now,lol.
My son loved all the Magic Treehouse books(directed at elementary school aged kids),they’re below his reading level now,but he still keeps up with the series(I think it’s up to 36 books now,but the books are all mostly under 10 dollars). They come in box sets and there are also study/teacher guides for many of the books. They make a good gift for the young reader. A little science,a little history,lots of magic,some adventure,mystery,and it’s all educational to boot. We like the books alot at my house. We also had quite a fling with Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear series when my son was preschool age til about kindergarten.
For early readers,Stellaluna and Verdi,two books by Janell Cannon, have some of the most beautiful and absolutely adorable illustrations EVAH. The stories are engaging and fun.
Where the Wild Things Are is one of my favorite kid’s books,I have all the Todd McFarlane Wild Things and Max figures on a shelf over my desk.Let the wild rumpus begin!
I could talk about books all day. Hard to tell,huh? lol. I just think passing on books you love to children is one of the best things you can do for them.
George @ 81
OOh, Vineland is fun. Especially the scene where the guy jumps through the window to prove he is crazy so he can stay on disability. Except this time they replaced the fake glass with real glass. Strange and wonderful characters and the setting is in my neck of the woods.
Haven’t read it yet, but I’m going to pick it up for my holiday airplane reading back to Kansas City: I Was Right On Time by KC baseball legend Buck O’Neil.
Buck’s back in the news, you see. A new batch of Presidential Medals of Freedom are being handed out . . . and no, Rummy’s not on the list. (At least not this one – he’ll have to wait a bit.) But the late great Buck is on the list, alongside blues icon BB King.
Damn, that’s a sweet pair. Gonna be a big party at 18th and Vine to celebrate, I’m sure.
O/T and apologies everyone, but this must be brought to light of day. The Bush administration wants to put lead back in gasoline:
http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/bl…..-with.html
madmax @ 85
About us eastern band Cherokees!!
It’s on my Santa list. Just cannot wait.
Team of Rivals was an excellent read. It was startling to discover the thought processes and style of men and women fron the 1800’s in America. Of course, it was truly enlightening to see the great republican Abraham Lincoln save the Union and free the slaves.
twolf1 @ 86
Fuhhh-nee!
moe99 @ 98
Thereby followed a long string of unegregious-like curses.
Lead is a brain poison. It makes children measurably less intelligent. I could go on.
I’ve started the Baroque Series by Neal Stephenson. It has been compared to Eco (and some of that is deserved); but I would say Focault’s Pendulum rather than Name of the Rose.
Still, an interesting fictional depiction of the ‘war’ between Leibniz and Newton is very engaging.
For pure fun, I am finishing Dan Simmons foray into re-telling the Iliad in SF form with the second book in the series: Olympos
Both are excellent reads and actually compliment each other for those who like to pong between lighter and heavier doses for their reading fix.
Then, of course, there’s always FDL; perpetually a good read!
I’m slowly reading Chris Mooney’s The Republican War on Science, ’cause I spend too much time reading blogs. *g* I carry around An Invitation to Poetry, edited by Robert Pinksy, to read when I have a few minutes, or I’m in a waiting room. I’m hoping to get the latest in George RR Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series for Christmas; that’s how I’ve been resisting so far buying it myself (because I know from experience that once I get it, I’ll slack off work and skimp on sleep until I finish it.)
Moe at 99 — Henry Waxman smacked them upside the head on this this week. (Yay, Henry!)
An Angry Old Broad @ 95
Yay. I would really like a progressive’s book list for children, i.e., not neccessarily political, but Disney-free and maybe even Scholastic-free and evolution-friendly at all costs. Have you been to WalMart and looked at the books they have for children? How can that ever appeal to kids of secular &/or other religions?
Hi Chrsty,
Great post…
I just finished Stanley Newman’s conversational
and word provoking essay on crossword puzzles
called Cruciverbalism… a guide to life in the
grid… he says you can cheat (look up answers)
to improve. Wow. He gave me a green light…
Also, I’m currently reading Francine Prose’s
fine book called “Reading Like a Writer”
Thanks to someone who recommended “The Paranoid Style in American Politics” by Richard Hofstadter, a favorite of mine since majoring in History many moons ago…
Jack
Grousefinder @ 13
Oh, that sounds good!
johnSwifty at 103 — I haven’t read the Iliad take from Simmons — but a tip for you: if you haven’t read his Hyperion series, do pick it up. Amazing writing — some of it as close to the amazing worlds created for Dune as I have seen. And for me, that is a huge thing to say, because Dune was just about world-building perfection in my mind.
“Q & A” by Vikas Swarup
A great novel about Indian culture and politics. It is the story of a homless street boy who ends up winning a TV game show and getting arrested for doing so.
Fun and enlightening read.
Well, let’s see…what am I reading besides FDL all day long?
Not much. Reading is a luxury these days. We are in the middle of moving chaos, looking for houses, selling ours.
But usually at this time of year, and thank you Christy for the reminder that it’s time, I pull out my Barbara Kingsolvers – The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven, the saga of Taylor, a young woman out to find out about life in the world beyond her holler in Kentucky, and Turtle, a toddler she acquires along the way. Smashing story, laugh-out-loud funny, droll, poignant and insightful.
I still have Blumenthal’s and Rajiv’s to finish. I’m savoring Sydney and raving about Rajiv to friends and family.
re: Progressive children’s book list. I think of my toddler nieces and my own mixed background and how kids on the bus used to sing that “jesus loves me” song to my face. I never understood what that was about until my sister clued me in 20 years later. Thank G*d I was a stupid kid.
Grousefinder @ 23
That is an excellent series. My son let me borrow his set and we both read it in a week. Pullman is a true talent!
halfcreek @ 89
I loved this book too!
When I read for fun, I read to escape this dark world and go visit someone else’s(*g*) I just finished Donna Leon’s latest police procedural about Comissario Brunetti’s latest crime to solve in his gorgeous city, Venice. (Through a Glass Darkly). Loved it, as usual. Wonderful characters (human and city). Anything by Henning Mankel is also great. I’ve started rereading Dorothy Dunnet’s Lymond Chronicles…incredible historical fiction about Scotland and the world in the 15th century. And, I’m reading anything I can find about fused glass, my latest addiction.
Joe Haldeman – “Forever War”
Christy,
Here’s an old one that probably passed you by. It is one of the few books that I literally could not put down and read at 2 seatings (I had to sleep in between)
The Fourth Procedure by Stanley Pottinger
Mention of the word “moon” among several comments triggered off a memory of William Least-Heat Moon’s “Blue Highways” I read many years (moons) ago. Great read, in some ways similar to the Zen of Motorcycle Maintenance.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 109
Well darlin’ of course I’ve read the Hyperion series! I cannot think of a single author, certainly within that genre, who has had my heart literally pumping with adrenaline upon reading some of his action sequences; yes, Herbert included. For modern SF I rank Simmons and Stephen R. Donaldson HIGH on the list!
I just finished “The Kite Runner”
SO GOOD!
Moe at 99 — here’s a link to a copy of Waxman’s letter to the EPA chief via TPM.
John Casper @
90
As I implied in an earlier comment, the two books approach the same subject matter very differently; Sea of Thunder is set up to follow two Japanese Admirals (Kurita and Ugaki), and two American commanders (Admiral Halsey and Commander Earnest Evans, captain of the destroyer Johnston), for a compare-and-contrast of their personalities and mindsets (Kurita was a very restrained, non-suicidal commander; Ugaki by comparison died in the very last Kamikaze attacks of the war; Halsey was overly aggressive and committed a significant error of judgment at Leyte as a result; Evans was extremely aggressive in his command of Johnston and posthumously received a Congressional Medal of Honor for his conduct during the battle). Sea of Thunder is certainly worthwhile and i learned a lot from it, but i think if you were only going to read one book on the Battle off Samar, i’d recommend Last Stand.
Books? Philip Pullman’s, recently re-read, and anything by Walter Mosley (just finished Six Easy Pieces, and it’s brilliant & moving)…
in the music world, I can’t recommend the new Joanna Newsom enough. The wierdest, most ambitious record I’ve heard in years. Like a sideways cross between Joni Mitchell and Tom Waits, but totally unlike either. Unlike anything, unless you’ve heard any other hyper-literate harpist lyricists orchestrated by Van Dyke Parks lately.
sofistic @ 117
Marvelous read; unfortunately, it was the impetus I used to begin a motorcycle journey around the continental united states when I was 19. It ended poorly, on the bumper of a 78 year old man’s Oldsmobile in St. Petersburg.
Don’t ride the duce in Florida!
mui @ 106
Most of it’s offensive to ordinary (non-TheoCon) Christians, too, on so many levels.
I’ve found that the bookstores in many museums, zoos, and national and state parks have some great books. The Kid particularly likes A Stream in the Forest and The Adventures of Phokey the Sea Otter. Both are great stories, filled with great science at a level appropriate to the reader. Found the first at Muir Woods and the second at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
It doesn’t hurt that the museums and parks get the benefit of the sales, either.
new thread open fitz!
Jambro @ 119
So sad. My copy is still damp.
Mike Nilsen @
7
LeCarre’s stuff is almost always good. In this case the book and the movie. Very convoluted tale though – not unusual for LeCarre. Rafe Feines did an excellent portrayal.
Egregious, Barbara Kingsolver is part Cherokee, too. Native heritage plays a HUGE part in the two books I mentioned and she’s also written some about the Trail of Tears, in addition to the Women Miner’s strike in Arizona years ago, many of whom were Native Americans.
I love all her books, just…these two have grabbed me and won’t let go.
mui @ 74
if you like Crusade fiction, try “Jerusalem” by Ceceila Holland.
Peterr @ 97
Great choice…
“I can honestly say I love everybody and I hate no one” Buck…
Buck O’Neil bears no grudges and has no regrets.
There’s no room for such things in his heart and head. His heart is full up with gratitude and his head with good memories and wisdom.
I wish I could say the same. I think I hate
George Bush but I’m working to change it…
Jack
I have been reading Orson Scott Card’s “Homecoming” series. I love Card, but the 5th book in the series is getting a little stale.
OT
Bay state Jack,
are you on the MA Roots list?
RevDeb @ 132
No, how do I join?
Jack
Christy Hardin Smith @ 109
Oh, yes! Dune. Read the series years ago, but it’s still so vivid. Can sure see that Herbert must’ve drawn from Afghanistan during his storybuilding.
And that reminds me…an interesting writer’s book by Chris Vogler, The Writer’s Journey, does a wonderful job of breaking down the qualities and roles of characters in stories. For readers, too, this may give you another delicious layer to fiction reading. Heroes, villains, allies, threshold guardians….and no, never met the guy *g* tho’ I’ve heard him speak at writers’ confs.
eCAHNomics @ 56
I saw this on cspan, and enjoyed it tremendously.
I think my favorite part was the Q&A, wherein he answered a critic who was curious as to how he could explain critical thinking as a consequence of evolution. He began with a quip that went something like this: Well, critical thinking is, obviously, not a universal trait. (A not so subtle dig at Liberty U.)
He went on to make the observation that he could imagine lots of good reasons why critical reasoning, the ability to make decisions based on evidence, was evident in the population. He mentioned the need to dodge saber toothed tigers as an example, and the learning needed to thrive amidst the changes wrought by an ice age. A question more deserving of study, in his opinion, was how there came to be such a lot of uncritical thinking.
Bay State Librul @ 133
send me an e-mail to my name at mac dot com and I will add you.
Something for your Christmas wish list: Gourmet Cookbook edited by Ruth Reichl. Excellent cookbook, all dishes I’vetried so far have been delicious. Beautifully organized and full of great cooking tips.
I’m on the library waiting list for My Life in France by Julia Child. Highly recommended by many. Julia’s early years – can’t wait.
I actually just started The Once and Future King. I haven’t read any fiction in a while (I’m a recovering English major.), so I figured that I would go with something that everyone I know loves. :D
Prairie Sunshine @ 134
Dune rocks! It does have some verboten words in it like j*h*d. Heh!
Hi,
I’ve recently discovered a British writer new to me, Jon Courtenay Grimwood. Stamping Butterflies and End of the World Blues are high-concept, literary hard science fiction, similar in tone to the recent work of Justina Robson and M. John Harrison. Enigmatic, complex characters whose daily lives become mixed-up in events that hint at cosmic implications, good stuff.
When I first heard the news about Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions i was less than thrilled, but the album and especially the concert were unmitigated joy. But the best rock ‘n’ roll record I’ve heard this year is The Hold Steady’s Boys and Girls In America. Think a stripped-down E Street band with a tast for punk guitar and a ranting, raving poet of a lead singer. Again, good stuff.
RevDeb @ 136
lina @ 129
lina, I think it was you who once talked about Arthurian series. Did you ever try and read Nikolai Tolstoy? It’s in my Sci-fi/Fantasy stack, but it somehow seems kind of dense.
JoeBeets @ 131
Oh, I love Card too. I haven’t visited his world since the ‘Ender’ series; but I’m always struck with the irony of his character’s (Ender’s brother and sister) rising to intergalactic power by means of controlled propaganda and political theory they release on “The Net” as individuals. That, and the ghost in the machine just happens to be named Jane…hmmmmm.
Peterr @ 124
Unfortunately eastern CT does not have a lot of spectacular museums. We have the Yale Peabody(small museum) and the Mystic Aquarium (Not as large as those on W. Coast). I probably need to order directly from Amazon.
Correction: I mean children-friendly museums that is in the eastern CT/New Haven area.
Just finished reading Declare by Tim Powers, and thought it quite good–spy novel based on the Philby case, but the author filled in all the supernatural parts (mostly genies) that he thought were missing in the real events. I still think Power’s best novel is Expiration Date.
The Cyberiad Stories by Stanislaw Lem. Wow, my head is spinning (in a good way) – laugh out loud funny and challenging at the same time. If robots, mathematics, surrealism and human foibles float your boat this book might too. It actually makes me want to read Solaris now (maybe it’ll make more sense than the Tarkovsky flick).
Oh, and many thanks for the heads up about the Story About Ping (balrog @ #8) – that’ll make a great gift for a certain sysadmin on my holiday shopping list :-)
I just finished Shogun last evening. A wonderful trip to medieval Japan. It’s an engrossing story and I highly recommend it.
Fun and games (some literal) in reading: Diane Duane’s The Empty Chair. It’s the last of her ‘Rihannsu’ series of Trek novels (they’re being released again next week), so you really have to read the others first – but I recommend all of her books of whatever variety.
jeanette @ 148
I loved all of his books. I think I read most of them. Leon Uris was also a great one.
Good morning. We just bought ourselves an iPod for xmas and put 718 songs on it in less then 3 hours this past Sun. Really enjoying Ray LaMontagnes “Trouble,” Fiona Apple’s “Tidal,” and some live Ben Harper. For xmas season, my favorite still remains Vince Guaraldi’s “Charlie Brown Christmas.”
I’m reading The End, by Lemony Snickett. I wanted to read the series before my 2nd grader did, so we would have something to talk about other than hot wheels.
For me, I just finished reading The Dante Club, by Matthew Pearl. It’s not for the weak stomach crowd, but the story was fascinating otherwise.
Next up is Oh, Pioneers.
Christy: I’ve only just discovered the British series “Balleykissangel” through Netflix…have you ever seen any of it?
OOOHHH…my favorite topic.
Some recent readings”
Devil in the White City (Larson)
Hotel Honolulu (Theroux) …love the Hawaiian scrabble game…laughed so hard. It’s not your typical Hawaiian paradise, that’s for sure.
The Book Thief (Zusak)narrated by Death during Nazi Germany. For savvy teens through adult.
Dark Tide (Puleo)about the Boston Molasses Flood of 1919. I know it doesn’t sound compelling, but it is a great read.
And, finally, for the little ones and those who appreciate pop-up books…get any one of Robert Sabuda’s amazing and gorgeous books.
Christy,
How about adding a tag for “Books” along with “Music” in the list of categories? Threads like this are ones that folks will want to come back to!
ccmask at 153 — I haven’t seen it. But if it is a good series, I’ll certainly take a peek. :)
Christy: Get the first series if you have Netflix and get hooked.
Jacob M @ 138
If you like Arthur, try Bernard Cornwell’s trilogy. I think the first one is called “The Winter King.”
jeanette @ 148
And the Richard Chamberlain mini-series isn’t bad either.
You’ll probably like Tai-Pan (I actually enjoyed it more). And it is also good historical reference (Clavell does SUCH good research) for things like Tom Delay’s little joy rides in Saipan.
I’ve just discovered Corinne Bailey Rae and I love her. Give her a try.
Perhaps I’m too late to share in the conversation, but books are very important to me.
Children’s books. AOB has a nice comment on books. Cynthia Rylant has some wonderful children’s books: Cookie Store Cat is my son’s favorite children’s book. She has some series books; one is the Mister Putter and Tabby series which is well worth the time. I second the Magic Treehouse series. There is another long series for kids called the Boxcar Children; the kids solve one mystery after another.
My son is nine, but he joined a Harry Potter reading club at school. I’m also reading the books and I think that they are quite good. The reading is a little over his head, but he reads with the cassette tapes. The reading club rule is that seeing the movie does not count so we don’t look at the movie until he has completed the book. He is really following the words and it has excited him enough to read other stuff and to write some small books of his own, complete with illustrations.
One of the earliest books (at about two years old) that I read to him regularly was Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. We still read it (a few poems at a time) and it is his very favorite book. I know that T.S. Eliot had his problems, but the book is great fun and I have been able to explain to him the racist points in the text.
My own reading is all over the place, but mostly history. I just finished Eric Alterman’s What Liberal Media. I think that it is more than a critique of the media skew toward the Right, but an outline of the zeitgeist of the late 20th century. Any historian studying American, and by extension, World History in that period would do well to start with that book to see what we were or weren’t thinking or saying that affected any topic.
I am now reading 1491 by Charles C. Mann. The subtitle is New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus. It reviews population studies, Indian-European interaction, Indian histories, and (as is said) much, much more. Quite good so far. It is as easy to read as a good novel, but with real substance.
Thomas Pynchon, Against The Day. Stretching it out so to last as long as possible into the next year. Really lovely, with much depth & sharpness. For this crowd, there is a supply of digs at Rethugs. Surprisingly accessible for those not initiated to Pynchon. Don’t look for GR2; really, you can’t expect more than one in a lifetime.
Also, pleased to see Knut Wicksell, sofistic, & rwcole re: Wittgenstein. I recommend Ray Monk’s “How to Read W.” for anyone intimidated.
Christy,
I hesitate to even mention it (for fear of loosing my morning dose — for upwards of several weeks), but are you familiar with Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander” series? Diana’s site
If you liked “The Shadow of the Moon,” you will be enrapt.
I’m regretting it already. Have fun!
I’m reading “Pirate” (an Alex Hawke Thriller) by Ted Bell. It’s my first Bell book and so far it’s a pretty good: James Bond but with a more sarcastic attitude.
Thanks,Christy for the link to Waxman’s letter. Here’s hoping that the EPA will not try some dark of night regulatory maneuvers to frustrate the will of Congress.
And as far as good reads, there is nothing better in the SF/fantasy genre than George RR Martin’s Ice and Fire Series. No one else comes close. I would second anything by Lois McMaster Bujold, however. And Patricia Briggs, and Connie Willis, and Grass by Sherrie Tepper and Greg Keyes’ new series that started with The Briar King. I would put those up against Donaldson any day. Simmons got to be too pedantic after awhile. I read this genre for escape and adventure, not for high literary qualities.
Moe99 at 165 — George R.R. Martin is pure genius. Love his books. If you like his character development, may I recommend a friend of mine — David Coe? He does exceptional character development and his work makes for great escapist reading.
I’m currently reading “House of the Spirits” by Isabel Allende. It’s my third read of this book… quite possibly my favorite of all time.
Re: Bear Country at 161: 1491 is indeed excellent, and has some rather startling but plausible conjectures regarding native population numbers and how different the American landscape may have been from how we imagine it.
moe99 @ 165
Those are all fine (actually very fine in many cases) writers; but decidedly of a ’style’ within the genre — bleeding towards fantasy. It is a style I burned out on with Ursula K Leguin (that might be an unfair first impression); but perhaps I should revisit based upon your recommendations.
Birthday iPod suggestions:
1.) Wizard Women of the North- Scandinavian folk tunes and modern interpretations, all performed by women. The fact that it is in Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian should not deter you. The indecipherable lyrics makes it easier to concentrate on the unusual melodies and vocal treatments. Great to listen to while working.
2.) Soundtrack from the movie Water: This has one of the most hauntingly beautiful scores ever written for a film. The Sountrack is punctuated by Indian “pop” music that is exhilerating, romantic, delirious. Lyrics are in Hindi. Also great for work.
3.) Shri Durga: Ok, I don’t know what it is about music that I can’t understand that I like so much but this one is absolutely my all time favorite. DJ Cheb i Shabbah mixes Indian ragas, Muslim calls to prayers, and other ambient sounds from India. The result is an acoustical soundscape and tour of the subcontinent.
4.) Neko Case has a voice reminiscent of Patsy Cline, a warm, strong sound with a faint natural echo. Her music is eclectic, hovering somewhere between country, folk and rock. I have a bunch of songs by her that are outstanding. I recommend:
Guided by Wire
John Saw that Number
Thanks a Lot
Hold On, Hold On
I Wish I Was the Moon
The Widow’s Toast
testing
my last comment didn’t post ;-(
dglen @ 162 -
How’s Against the Day? I’ve had a copy sitting on my desk for 3 weeks now (being a librarian finally pays off!) and just managed to take it home last night. Still, between cleaning, laundry, and cooking, I only was able to stare at the cover.
A-and, I’m not looking for GR2, M&D was enough of that for myself, anyway.
For music, visit
http://www.ellis-music.com
Ellis is a fabulous folk-rock singer with a strong Midwest fan base.
As far as reading goes, I’m reading the second-draft manuscript of the next Douglas Adams, “Z is for Xenophobe” by my friend Terry Faust. Publishers looking for readable, wacky science fiction well-grounded in UFOlogy-culture, this book is a gem. And a huge laugh!
I’m surprised that no one has responded that they’re reading “The Audacity of Hope.” It’s ranked so high on the best sellers list. I read it quickly and easily, then immediately read Obama’s first book, “Dreams From My Father.” Now I’m re-reading “Audacity” because I want to fully immerse myself in the ideas of our next President.
Philphan @ 172
Oh, I actually felt a ripple in the space-time continuum, emanating from Hillary’s future gravesite as she will roll continuously in her grave.
Lurking…………
“Kite Runner”
I’m reading the greatest story ever sold too…
Sorry I missed Frank Rich when he spoke here in Philadelphia last month…
I’m looking for suggestions for Hanuakah books for my soon to be 17 year old daugher.She needs some pleasure reading…
I just finished H. W. Brands’, The First American and was in the middle of Goodwin’s, Team of Rivals when I picked up a $1.00 copy of Proust’s Swanns Way, having never read Proust I really did not know what to expect. I must say it has been the most interesting, meaningful, enjoyable reading I have ever experienced. I haven’t been able to put it down. I can’t wait to get to the next book. Wish I hadn’t waited so long.
Mike @ 172; ATD is quite worthwhile, pleasurable to read. Like you, though, I read after chores at night, not the best time for concentration.
Also Cormac McCarthy’s The Road is an almost return to form: highly recommended to non-fans as well as CMcC enthusiasts.
Reading Steve Martini: Double Tap
Also enjoyed all of James Lee Burke’s novels, all of Robert Crais, all of Nevada Barr, all of Michael Connelly, all of Peter Robinson.
Kite Runner a wonderful book.
Netflix: The Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School.
Music (plug): My son’s band, Crash Davis (Santa Monica) album “Damage Control”.
Good Omens by Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaiman. The funniest book ever about the Apocolypse. This is the one book that I buy over and over again just to give it to people to read because is it just that good.
My sister, the librarian, recommended “Mayflower” at Thanksgiving. It is an excellent, but often too detailed, retelling of the real story of the pilgrims through the first 50 years in the new world.
I checked out Jimmy’s new book on Palestine and realized it was too deep for the holidays, but I definitely want to go back to it in January. The remarkable thing about Jimmy is that he was written 20 books, which is 5 times as many as GWB has read.
I loved your review and saved it for future reference. I suffer from PTSD so its hard for me to read books with a lot of suffering. But I will certainly take a look at Saving Graces.
Thank you Christy for all that you do.
Just finished True North by Jim Harrison. It’s a fascinating read, both for story and lovers of writing. Kite Runner is also wonderful, if wrenching at times. On to Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, which is starting well.
egregious @
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The GOP’s secret weapon to expand their base:
cumulative brain damage.
David Ehrenstein: Ditto on Gaddis’s JR. 2nd only in the 1970s to Gravity’s Rainbow. In fact, with today’s Corporate Media Climate, it continues to get better.
My computer died on election night. (Right around the time they were calling it for Leiberman with 2% precincts counted.) After my head exploded, and after trying scream therapy, I gazed sadly at my checkbook and credit card balances, and realized that I was computer free for some time.
The upside was that suddenly, there was extra time each day in which I’ve been wallowing in books. I’ve had great luck recently. Ian McEwen’s SATURDAY was gripping – the small details the carefully rendered interior life, I find his work fascinating, couldn’t put it down and read it non stop, as I did the first book of his that I read ATONEMENT.
Also, Annie Proulx’s POSTCARDS was wonderful and rich. Her writing, her ability to capture the rural world, speech, mindset, knocks me flat.
Another one I read with reservations – THE LOVELY BONES, by Alice Sebold. I don’t know how I would describe this. It’s told from the point of view of a dead girl. Yes, very sad. But also poignant, heartfelt, hopeful and beautiful.
I second recommendations for Eliot Patterson’s SKULL MANTRA and his other books about Tibet. And KITE RUNNER, a wonderful book.
And for kids? GOLDEN COMPASS, yes. HARRY POTTER, yes. Cornelia Funke’s THE THIEF LORD, her best book. Avi’s TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE about a girl who finds herself on a pirate ship, a rip roaring good read, and , oh, read Ursula Leguin’s CATWINGS. Sweet and beautiful. So many!
Now my computer’s back, I hope my reading is not over!
Almost done with Percy Bysshe Shelley’s massive biography ‘Shelley: The Pursuit’ by Richard Holmes that I started last January!
And wonderful Turkish poetry: Poems of Nazim Hikmet, who was a 20th century Turkish humanist/Marxist.
And the new mindblowing ‘Astrobiology: A Brief Introduction’ by Plaxco and Gross.
Today I sit in the back yard in the sun and read all day!
I’m reading a colleague’s recent book, General Ashcroft, a study of John Ashcroft’s actions as AG.
Professor Baker is a student of the AG’s office, and she can write well. Highly recommended, well-researched and documented. The only thing missing in her research was an interview with Ashcroft. He declined her requests. She tries very hard to be even-handed about things, because Ashcroft didn’t speak to her on the record.
Highly recommended, and I can’t wait for her sequel on Abu Gonzales.
Prior to that, I just finished a reread of Olshanky and Lindorff’s book on impeaching Dubya and Co, and The Republican War on Science. I just can’t get into fiction lately.
BC
BC
Almost done with Percy Bysshe Shelley’s massive biography ‘Shelley: The Pursuit’ by Richard Holmes that I started last January!
And wonderful Turkish poetry: Poems of Nazim Hikmet, who was a 20th century Turkish humanist/Marxist. My discovery of him last week in Powells in Portland while on vacation was just destiny.
And the new mindblowing ‘Astrobiology: A Brief Introduction’ by Plaxco and Gross. This book is one I have waited for and I am reading it slowly to make it last…connects us to the universe, away from the oh so myopic view of American supremacy and hubris.
…and to carolyn urban above…Pullman’s Golden Compass is one of my faves…given away three copies to kids the past year or so.
Today I sit in the back yard in the sun and read all day!
I know that this thread has been punked but if you want some interesting new music check out Copeland – new album is called Eat, Sleep, and Repeat. Former indy band that has recently been signed by Columbia Records. Album made the Top 100. Definitely worth the listen.
Hello Christy!
Thank you for this site. I love it.
I’m reading THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS by Kiran Desai, this year’s Booker Prize winner. Fresh, imaginative, involving….it’s a treasure.
I just finished A SHORT HISTORY OF TRACTORS IN UKRAINIAN by Marina Lewycka, a surprisingly funny book…worth a look.
Hope you have a Merry Christmas and we all have an accountability-filled new year. (Go Henry!)
Just finished FIELDS OF FIRE by the new Virginia Senator James Webb. It appears to be a pretty accurate portrayal of the Vietnam experience for some of those who were caught up in it. (I was, lucky for me, part of the privileged classes who were not caught up in it. This reading reminds me how indeed lucky I was.)
Music suggestions?
It’s Christmas and for folks looking for something with a bit more meat than Sleigh Ride, my suggestions for the two monumental works of the season (based on 30 years of singing in choirs.)
Handel’s The Messiah. I have four recordings and while all are fine, my favorite is by Musica Sacra, conducted by Richard Westenburg. Just the right amount of baroque ornamentation and Judith Blegen is the soprano. Simply superb!
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. My favorite is by the Netherlands Bach Society conducted by Veldhoven. I also like the version by the Akademie Fur Alte Musik Berlin conducted by Rene Jacobs. While this second recording is utterly flawless, it is sung by all males. I always sung because I LOVE the sound of female voices but if you like boy sopranos, this might be your recording of choice.
Hello Christy,
Thanks for a terrific online community.
Im reading THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS by Kiran Desai, this year’s Booker Prize winner and deservedly so. It’s fresh, imaginative, illuminates the effects of colonialism on modern India. I just finished A SHORT HISTORY OF TRACTORS IN UKRAINIAN by Marina Lewyka. Her first novel, it’s a funny, surprisingly touching quick read–a good one for long plane trips. Hope your Christmas is loads of fun for your family and that all of us enjoy a New Year filled with subpoenas, indictments, and widespread outbreaks of accountabilitis.
Just finished The Dwarf, written by Par Lakerkvist, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in the ’50s. It’s a fictional meditation on evil and violence set in the Italian Rennaisance.
Now working on Pride, written by William Wharton, one of my favorite American authors.
Oh yeh, Music!
There’s a blissful lullaby CD called THE PLANET SLEEPS put out by Sony and The Work Group in 1997. 50 cents from each retail sale goes to UNICEF. Puts young and old to sleep every time.
I just finished SECRETS by Daniel Ellsberg. It’s his quasi-memoir about the release of the Pentagon Papers and his subsequent trial. Lots of very scary parallels to the current mess in Iraq. Presidential Lying. Do nothing Congress. I don’t remember all of the history of that time so it was a good review. In fact while I was reading I substituted the names IRAQ and IRAN for VIET NAM and LAOS. History does indeed repeat itself. I highly recommend this book.
Late to the party, I know. Thanks for the post, Christy. Here’s my input:
Books: I re-read Isabel Allende often, and also Jane Austen. Kite Runner is brilliant, and very moving. The Time Traveler’s Wife was excellent–thought-provoking and also fun.
Music: Doc Watson and John Fahey (any time), Dylan’s latest, and (already mentioned above) Springsteen’s Seeger Sessions.
A friend recommended a movie to me, that I got from Netflix, and it was amazing: “Late Spring” by Yasujiro Ozu. It’s a Japanese movie from 1949, and it’s slow, lyrical, beautiful, in gorgeous black-and-white. This movie is such a tonic for those of us worn out by the hyper-speed of modern life and the madness of holidays (okay, maybe that’s only me): it’s just not in a hurry. The acting is leisurely and beautiful. It shows its themes without banging the drums (in other words, it doesn’t treat viewers like idiots). The major theme is the inevitable clash of traditional Japanese family life with sped-up, Westernized modernity. I have very little knowledge of Japanese films, but I can testify that this one is a treasure. It was really a transporting experience. I highly recommend this movie: it will relax you, and give you something to think about, without beating you over the head. I’ve ordered two more of Ozu’s films from Netflix, and I can’t wait to see them.
I’m reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, written in 1960 and based upon interviews and captured German Documents. While I don’t compare the Bush Administration to the Nazis, it is undeniable that they use the same playbook. There are countless tactics, propaganda, and speeches espoused by Nazi officials including, of course, Hitler, in which you could simply change the names of the country or person or group and you’d have a frighteningly accurate demonstration of what has been done or said to justify what has been done today.
hej @
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Shirer is well worth the time. Also of interest are the following:
The Collapse of the Third Republic, a companion to the Rise and Fall discussing the underlying causes of the fall of France in 1940.
Berlin Diary writings by Shirer while he was a journalist in Berlin in the 30s observing the rise of the Nazis.
Shirer subsequently wrote a number of memoirs: 20th Century Journey and The Nightmare Years providing a more personal account of the things he saw in France and Germany in the 20s and 30s.
I’m going to start Tony Hillerman’s latest book, “The Shape Shifter,” this weekend. When that’s done, it’s on to (gasp!) Andrew Sullivan.
On the music front, one recommendation would be to check out the Clive Gregson/Christine Collister back catalog that has shown up on the iTunes Store recently. They came together in the mid 80s as backup singers in Richard Thompson’s road band, and went on to make four or five superb records. Collister is blessed with a voice to die for, and Gregson is a good writer and better guitarist.
I agree, I read Last Stand first so this was a nice supplement.
Richard Welty @
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I’m reading Thom Hartmann’s The Last Hours Of Ancient Sunlight. While I was expecting a comfortable preaching-to-the-choir (me) read, Thom manages (as he did in his fantastic read, The Prophet’s Way) to fill this cultural analysis with a rich array of facts and thoughtful viewpoints. Sure, kick back and get ready to read with someone you already “agree” with, that’s fun enough, but wait until you see what you learn in the meantime!
I’ve been reading The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. I’ve been meaning to pick up the sequals to that and i just might, tonight on an outing. I already reread Hogfather earlier in the year, sadly. I have very little christmas shopping to do and i can finish that this weekend.
Music wise? It’s been a mishmash of Hybrid albums (mostly Morning Sci-Fi and I Choose Noise), and a south korean group called Loveholic that i found via Bittorrent. Loveholic has a mellow sound that i love despite not knowing one word of the korean language. But as all good music goes? It’s excellent. Strong, gorgeous melodies, songs that are about love and life that are so obvious from the vocals. My favorite album by them is Invisible Things. The female lead has one of the most interesting and whisky toned asian voices i’ve ever heard.
For kids? I recommend Diane Duane’s So You Want To Be a Wizard? series. She’s still writing it, but it contains magic, adventure and real conseqences(and logic!) as Kit and Nita explore the world of wizardry. I read the first two as a teenager and found the others in my 20s. I still enjoy sitting back with them to this day. Duane’s ability to build a workable system of magic and science amazes me. Her Feline Wizards series is also just as good, if more intense and for an adult or at least late teenage audience. The Book of Night With Moon and To Visit The Queen are those two. Great reads for aluriphiles everywhere. More great world building as well, from a feline point of view of things. *grins*
Fiction: Orhan Pamuk’s novel The Black Book; I also recommend another novel of his, Snow, and his memoir, Istanbul.
Nonfiction: The Great War for Civilisation – The Conquest of the Middle East, by Robert Fisk
I picked this up as a gift for a brother-in-law, and have dived into it. There’s a very good review of it in The New York Review of books which got me interested in the book. Fisk is a long time correspondent, spent about thirty years in the Middle East, met Osama bin Laden a few times; Fisk’s a very eloquent and engaging writer.
i’ll second Corinne Bailey Rae, and i’m loving the Guillemots album–a wonderful mix of 70s, Coldplay, and experimental and jazz stuff–just outstanding. Joanna Newsom’s new album is great too, but you have to be in the mood for her–a little goes a long way, i find.
The Crimson and the White was wonderful, bookswise, and Anansi Boys too.
oh, and Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler–i had never read it–amazing, and all too possible for our near future.
A little late to the party, but I’m on a non-fiction bender of a science/technology flavor. I am not a serial reader; instead preferring simultaneous consumption. Two of the three books I’m reading now get the absolute highest marks, and the last is promising.
Annals of the Former World by John McPhee: a collection of four works by my favorite essayist that takes on a trip across the continent, and into “deep geologic time”. This book isn’t just about geology (which would be more than enough), but the geologists and, surprisingly, their words. Amazing read — I’m 3/4 of the way through and doling it out in small sips to make it last.
Infrastructure: A Field Guide to the Industrial Landscape by Brian Hayes: Ever read a book you really, really wish you had written? This is one of those reads for me. One of my favorite memories as a child was my father taking me and my friends on a series of factory tours — the Ford assembly line in Fremont, the C & H Sugar factory in Crockett, the shipyards in Richmond, the sewage processing plant in Oakland. I have always been an urban tourist, and have taken my kids (almost from birth) to every port, railroad, refinery, and construction site in the area. (Of course, it didn’t hurt that driving was their only soporific!) Infrastructure is exactly what the title promises — a wonderfully illustrated guide to the industrial wilds in the style of a nature guide.
The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe by Roger Penrose: could be described as a tour of theoretical physics for the motivated/advanced layperson. I’m only a few chapters into this 1000pg. table thumper, but like what I’ve seen so far. This book seems to focus on the foundations of theoretical physics, and especially the links between math & physics. My favorite part so far — it doesn’t dumb down the math or science, yet never goes into pros-only territory. (This level works for me — I have a couple of years of graduate astrophysics in my past, and my math is metaphorically that old Ford pickup in the backyard…) It’s somewhat dense prose, but rich with content.
Cyberiad is fun. That was my first taste of Lem.
Which translation of Pamuk’s The Black Book? I’m reading that new one, only to find that it seems a very different book than the book that i read before. It’s a strange sensation. I’m used to alternate translations from older works, but with Pamuk, it feels like a trick of a dream.
Currently reading the Fagles translation of the Aeneid, Ishamel Reed’s Mumbo Jumbo, and Ismail Kadare’s Agamemnon’s Daughter. I bought the new Pynchon, but feel no desire to read it now. (Did the same thing with McCarthy’s The Road.) Just re-read the TPs of the Grant Morrison run on Doom Patrol.
I think you should read “U.S. v. Bush, et al” by Elizabeth De la Vega. She was just on Colbert Report yesterday (Dec. 7), and he had a blast with her. She writes from her 21 years’ experience as a federal prosecutor, presenting in this book a hypothetical presentation to a Grand Jury of the case for indicting Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice and Powell for conspiracy to commit fraud for deliberately misleading us into war with Iraq. It certainly is timely as we head into the 110th Congress and brace ourselves for 2 more years of “Weality.” God help us.
martha @
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Thanks, Martha for the tip on Dunnett. They will be under the tree for my wife.
State of Denial (Bob Woodward) and It Can’t Happen Here, Sinclair’s vision of Fascism coming to America in the 1930s. Interesting, and eerily similar to today’s events. Yesterday’s “Liberty Cabbage” (sauerkraut) is today’s “Freedom Fries.”
Ever since visiting my folks and catching the Sci-Fi channel Eureka marathon over thanksgiving (we don’t have cable out here in the back of beyond), I’ve really gotten hooked on the show. Finding I could get all the episodes I missed via the iTunes store was just too good to pass up.
The show’s short description is sort of like “The X Files” meets “Northern Exposure” – I enjoy the stories, but watching the characters is what really makes it work for me. Colin Ferguson as Jack Carter is just amazing to watch – the way he makes the character come to life is a treat. The chemistry between the whole cast is a pleasure. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend starting with the pilot; it sets up the story line, and the episodes since build nicely from it.
I just wish I didn’t have to wait till next sumer for the second season.
Meanwhile, thanks to a clip posted here at FDL, I was finally motivated to rent a copy of Spirited Away. A visual spectacle, a moving story. I can see why it has been so acclaimed.
The Great Turning, David Korten
Race Matters and Democracy Matters, Cornel West