Footwedge;1385603 wrote:I read Orwell's book in the 70's. He wrote it I think in the late 40's. He had a lot of accurate preminitions. Might want to read the bio of the author, I forget his real name. His writings reflected his own demons on his political beliefs.

He also wrote Animal Farm....which mocked communism.....but also makes a mockery of capitalism at the same time.

1984 is maybe my favorite book. Really what started me into good literature when I was like 15.

Recently finished The Wives, http://tinyurl.com/aqtegza, a book about the wives of 6 Russian authors. It was meh.

Before that, I read Winston's War, http://tinyurl.com/bj6awnm, a biography of Churchill during the war. Also a bit of a let down.

I'm currently reading King's 11/22/63,http://tinyurl.com/7yxrb75, which is great, and The End Game, http://tinyurl.com/9wvggc7, about the Iraq war. So far, so good.

I am currently reading The 2013 Unofficial Guidebook to Walt Disney World. Yep, I'm that guy.

I don't read very well so I have invested in an IPad</SPAN>
I normally only read only small articles in newspaper or magazines </SPAN>
However I have read: Prophesied End Times Ronal Welnland</SPAN>
Implosion Joel Rosenberg</SPAN>
Sarah Palin ..book ??? Can't thnk of the name</SPAN>
Mark Levin Libery and Tyranny</SPAN>

I&#8217;ve been going throw the reading of the Bible in my daily devotions with the IPad, it working out great. Love it</SPAN>

I have been viewing some of the Books on line that I can order for the IPad that has reading options &#8230;. Any suggestive reading for Belly? </SPAN>

Finished 1984 a while ago and started reading For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto by Murray Rothbard. Awesome stuff.

I Wear Pants;1385606 wrote:Blood Meridian

I started this a long time ago but didn't get more than a few chapters in before forgetting about it. I might start reading it again while reading Rothbard. Love McCarthy.

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters




Only through two chapters, and it is an incredible (positive) slap to my face, as the father of two girls.

Belly35;1396337 wrote:I don't read very well so I have invested in an IPad
I normally only read only small articles in newspaper or magazines
However I have read: Prophesied End Times Ronal Welnland
Implosion Joel Rosenberg
Sarah Palin ..book ??? Can't thnk of the name
Mark Levin Libery and Tyranny

I&#8217;ve been going throw the reading of the Bible in my daily devotions with the IPad, it working out great. Love it

I have been viewing some of the Books on line that I can order for the IPad that has reading options &#8230;. Any suggestive reading for Belly?

I suggest "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn, it seems right up your alley.

Michael Koryta, "The Prophet" takes place in Ohio and sounds a lot like a town in the youngstown area.

Finished Nixon and Kissinger really good and one of the best biographies on either of them
Figured I'd change it up, and am about a quarter of the way through Spielman's semi-autobiography "That's Why I'm Here." on the Kindle.
I know the story, but it is still pretty inspiring.

Since the end of February, I've read:

*Diary of a Very Bad Year: Confessions of an Anonymous Hedge Fund Manager. Very, very interesting and lucid account of the financial crisis.

*Thomas Sowell, Economic Facts and Fallacies. If you like Sowell, you'll love this book. If you don't like him, you'll hate it. No real surprises.

*Steve Coll, Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power. I don't know why this has gotten so much attention. I mean, it's not like XOM is the only company lobbying or trying to make money for shareholders. To the extent you're shocked that a company acts in its own interests and doesn't attempt to serve as an arm of the American state, this is worthwhile. But I didn't find it to be all that revealing or surprising.

*Samuel Becket, Waiting for Godot. A quick, light classic.

*John Stott, Basic Christianity. Reminds me of Lewis' Mere Christianity, but not as good.

*Barry Unsworth, Sacred Hunger. Generally well-written and decent plot, but trying too hard to drive home a political point. It's one way to win the Booker Prize, but not a phenomenal book.

*Friedrich Von Hayek, The Road to Serfdom. Absolutely worth reading.

*Cormac McCarty, No Country for Old Men. I haven't seen the movie, but the book was gripping.

*Lynne Truss, Eats, Shoots, & Leaves. You can pound this out in a couple of hours. If you're a grammar nerd, it's amusing. If you're not, stay away.

*Michael Gordon, The End Game: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq. I found this to be a great look into what was going on in Iraq, and it's helpful to get a big perspective on major issues. I follow foreign affairs pretty well, but much of this was new to me.

*Stephen King, 11/22/63. Typical King: great writing; fantastic (in both senses of the word) plot; not great literature but worth the 900-page slog.

I'm currently reading Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury and David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas&#8203;.

To Kill a Mockingbird.

Busy with work for the last 3 months but I read Sniper by the recently deceased Chris Kyle. Really liked it, and he doesn't hesitate to really tell you how f'd up it really was in Afghanistan, and how stupid our governments tactics are sometimes. My gf also started reading Harry potter for the first time, and I have re-read all of them but #7.
After that I plan on reading some more Pat Conroy books, really like his writing style. Will also probly get the 2 most recent Brad Thor books. His series is pretty good

Just read "American Desperado" by Jon Roberts, infamously of the "Cocaine Cowboys" documentary. Very good read.

fan_from_texas;1430935 wrote:S

*Steve Coll, Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power. I don't know why this has gotten so much attention. I mean, it's not like XOM is the only company lobbying or trying to make money for shareholders. To the extent you're shocked that a company acts in its own interests and doesn't attempt to serve as an arm of the American state, this is worthwhile. But I didn't find it to be all that revealing or surprising.

*Michael Gordon, The End Game: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq. I found this to be a great look into what was going on in Iraq, and it's helpful to get a big perspective on major issues. I follow foreign affairs pretty well, but much of this was new to me.

Yeah. I worked under Coll at New America a few years ago while he was writing the book. It is good, but not groundbreaking. I say it is a needed a book showing the power of the private company.

I felt the same on the Gordon book. Iraq is a mess still, and is a nice review of the complexities of all the different tribes, religious sects, and strong armed nature of Maliki.


Right now, I am reading American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodward.
About 60% through. It is an interesting take on American History through the prism of 11 different types of cultures in the U.S. Pretty interesting and good so far.

Before that actually read some classics, the Wizard of Oz, Sherlock Holmes, and some Edgar Allen Poe.

ptown_trojans_1;1431025 wrote:Yeah. I worked under Coll at New America a few years ago while he was writing the book. It is good, but not groundbreaking. I say it is a needed a book showing the power of the private company.

I guess what I don't get is that the NPR interview where it was discussed made it sound like the book revealed the deep, dark secrets of XOM. In reality, it turns out that they're, you know, like Google, Walmart, and every other big company in that they try to make money, lobby, and don't needlessly pursue green goals without solid returns. I don't get the hubbub about it unless people were really, really misguided as to how this stuff works.

Finished Slaughterhouse 5. Very disappointing. Would not suggest or read again.

I'm actually reading The Great Gatsby. I plan to see the movie, and would like to be familiar with the story prior. I'm only through the first chapter so far.

friendfromlowry;1441693 wrote:I'm actually reading The Great Gatsby. I plan to see the movie, and would like to be familiar with the story prior. I'm only through the first chapter so far.

That's a pretty painful read, IMO. I never really got what all the fuss was about.

I'm being forced to go see the movie today for Mother's Day.

Sonofanump;1441651 wrote:Finished Slaughterhouse 5. Very disappointing. Would not suggest or read again.

Really? I guess I could see that, as it was very much a meta-novel type book. I thought some of the literary devices he used were clever, but it definitely isn't like your standard novel.

I had the same reaction to The Sound and the Fury. Terrible book I hated, though I realize I'm in the minority on that position.

fish82;1441729 wrote:That's a pretty painful read, IMO. I never really got what all the fuss was about.

I'm being forced to go see the movie today for Mother's Day.

Yeah, I read the second chapter last night and it made less sense than the first. We'll see.

Finished the latest Foreign Affairs, and now about 30% into the 2nd Bond novel, Live and Let Die.
Pretty good so far. Different than the movie as it is set in New York and Harlem, not New Orleans. And focus is not heroin, but gold coins used to fund SMERSH.

I agree with those who've panned The Great Gatsby. I read it and cannot for the life of me understand the accolades. It wasn't "not good"; it sucked. I have no difficulty understanding why every time it's been made into a film, it has flopped.

I am reading His Excellency by Joseph Ellis. So far, it's a enjoyable telling of what made Washington the leader he was.

Sex on the Moon by Ben Mezrich. A pretty good non-fiction caper about a thrill-seeking NASA co-op who, along with his girlfriend, successfully heisted $40 billion worth of precious moon rock from the Johnson Space Center in Houston, reportedly the most financially valuable mineral known to man.

fan_from_texas;1441736 wrote:Really? I guess I could see that, as it was very much a meta-novel type book. I thought some of the literary devices he used were clever, but it definitely isn't like your standard novel.

I had the same reaction to The Sound and the Fury. Terrible book I hated, though I realize I'm in the minority on that position.

The transition from time and place was the only thing keeping the book semi interesting.