I'm reading "The Man in the High Castle." I like the TV series, and I'm enjoying the hell out of the novel. Philip K. Dick is damn good at getting into people's heads.

I'm reading one of Sue Grafton's last two books ("X") and enjoying it immensely. It's perfect summer reading.

summer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm reading one of Sue Grafton's last two books
> ("X") and enjoying it immensely. It's perfect
> summer reading.


Love Sue Grafton. She writes about an area I am very familiar with. IT's fun trying to find her locations by her camouflaged names.

I've read her whole series, at least, three times. Some, I've read more. She is one of my all time favorite authors. I notate the month and year when I finish a book, and go back a couple years later and read them again.

Is "Santa Teresa" really Santa Barbara? Or someplace else? I can't believe how well-crafted "X" is. The plot is put together with the precision of a puzzle. I could see myself going back to the beginning of the series and starting over as well. It helps that I never remember the endings. lol

The one Sue Grafton novel that I never got through the first few chapters of was "R is for Ricochet." So once I finish "Y is for Yesterday" I will go back and read "R."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/2018 06:11PM by summer.

summer ."

Yes. Santa Teresa is Santa Barbara, CA. She gave different names to the streets in her stories, as well as Goleta, and other outlying areas. She also changes things up with directions and real estate! :-)
She lived in the area part time. Actually, in Montecito just on the South end of SB. She signed books at a local bookstore at times and showed a map with her street names but I didn't get to the event. Most, I can figure out on my own.
Her books cover the alphabet with "A for Alibi", up to "Y is for Yesterday," before she died.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/2018 11:31PM by SusieQ#1.

And I just started this -

https://www.amazon.com/Fascism-Warning-Madeleine-Albright/dp/0062802186/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1531000692&sr=8-1&keywords=madeline+albright+fascism

I want to start Cheryl's book but even with it being in bigger type (THANK YOU) I think I am going to need to get a magnifying glass :/. Getting old SUCKS!

Just finished 'The President is Missing' . This is a political thriller ny Patterson and Bill Clinton. Good. I also read 'A Sea Of Sorrow' and 'A Song of War' . These are retellings of the Iliad and Odyssey. All three are good.

This one sounds like a great read by Clinton and Patterson. Only weirder if it were art imitating life ... although life is stranger than fiction this electoral go around.

It does address some of the current issues without naming names.

The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict by Donald Hickey

https://www.amazon.com/War-1812-Forgotten-Conflict-Bicentennial-ebook/dp/B00AB7GSD0/ref=sr_1_5?s=books



Hi Beth :)

Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen's bio. He is a surprisingly good writer.

"A Muslim Among the Settlers," in June's Atlantic. A journalist goes among West Bank settlers and writes of his experience. Surprisingly gritty read.

"Prophet's Prey," by Sam Brower.

News and specific magazines....can't seem to get into books much anymore.

I don't read as many books anymore myself, but do read a lot of news and magazine articles. The Atlantic article I just finished is scholarly and well written - so it packed more in quality than quantity for reading material. :)

I'm reading about three Sci/Fi novels a week, using Kindle Unlimited, or whatever it's called. It's $9.99/month and so far I'm getting my money's worth. I figure if I read at least four a month, I'm getting my money's worth.

Right now I'm going through author Douglas E. Richard's books; so far I've liked "Seeker" the best. He does 'hard science' rather than space opera. I like me some good space opera, but I think it's harder to do since the personalities have to be more believable.

I actually paid for the Kindle version of John Sanford's "Twisted Prey", which I really, really enjoyed. I read it in two sittings, the night it was released and the following morning, and I just read it again. It's one of his best.

Finally, I read RfM... It has soaring highs and swooping lows, and plenty of in-betweens. It is the best of times, it is the worst of times, it is the page of wisdom, it is the page of foolishness, it is the epoch of belief, it is the epoch of incredulity, it the season of light, it is the season of darkness, it is the spring of hope, it is the winter of despair, we have everything before us, we have nothing before us, we are all going to heaven, we are all going direct the other way, in short, RfM is so far like the present period, that some its noisiest authorities insist on it being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

(Complaints about the last paragraph should be directed to Chuck Dickens, at chuckdickens.com.)

It's good to get paid by the word.

Best land under Heaven, the story of the Donner Party.

The Slums of Aspen, all about the eccentric lefty environmentalists and how they take advantage of their power and prestige all on the backs of foreign labor in Colorado, but they care sooo much about saving the planet.

The History of Salt. I know it sounds like another egghead torture, but actually it's fascinating!

I'm deep into Karl Marlantes' "Matterhorn," which is set in northwestern I Corps of what was once the Republic of Vietnam. That's the area I was assigned. It's won awards and critical acclaim, but the Vietnam he describes is not the one I slogged through. Two stars.

When were you in I Corps?

Aug 68--March 69. Delta 1/4.

"Matterhorn" is a hybrid story. Marlantes writes about his experiences in 2nd Battalion, if he's basing the story on that, which I doubt, but he sets it, oddly, on "Matterhorn," his fictional name for FB Argonne.

Some of what he writes gets it, but he's off on some lingo and patrol practices, at least by my experience. Still, it's hard to fault a guy who got the Navy Cross, Bronze Star, two Navy Commendation medals and (say-what!?) 10 (TEN!) Air Medals and 2 Purple Hearts. Like, was this Chesty Puller's reincarnation or something?

"Chesty Puller's reincarnation" - the phrase conjures up his son, Lewis Burwell Puller Jr., and the sad arc of his life.


3X

III Corps, Oct 1968 - Oct 1969



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2018 09:18PM by 3X.

I never met, even heard of, another Christian Scientist who saw actual small-arms combat.

Getting relevant to the Board (although not the thread), it was an LDS 2nd Lieutenant (USN) who helped me get out of Christian Science. We were both in CO CP, and got to talking about religion. He told me about this prophet who came to restore true Christianity, special revelation and writings that only they had, the one true church, the only/best way to Heaven, etc. etc. AS he went on, I noticed so much in common with Christian Science, which I later learned was commonly found in other cults.

So an LDS looey helped free me from my cult!

I first read that as "LDS looney" ...


My pick for the most astounding Vietnam-era memoir:

"For Self and Country" by Rick Eilert:

https://www.amazon.com/Self-Country-Wounded-Vietnam-Journey-ebook/dp/B00EGWFK12/ref=sr_1_1?s=books

Thanks for the tip. I'd check it out, but I'm behind on so much other reading, and I write, too. Note that "Matterhorn" is fiction (and then some!).

What was your MOS?

long forgotten, but according to google: 96 Delta

Everybody I knew in Christian Science wound up in something like that. Good for you.

"The Narrow Road to the Deep North"?

As a Marine and a cop (and, once, a long-haul truck driver), I'm always disappointed in Marine, police, and truck driving yarns, even by those who live the roles. I picked up "Matterhorn" because it is set in the very area I fought, and at the same period of the war. The guy's credentials are sterling, but his characters are overdrawn, the narrative incredulous, and the themes very politically correct (hence its strong reviews).

It'll be a while before I pick up another war story.

Did you read Leon Uris' "Battle Cry"?

Exodus & Armeggedon. I'm a slow reader with a big backlock of material. I might give "Battle Cry" a try. I also have to read an occasional novel in my writing genre to get a feel for what other writers are doing.

My Dad was in the 6th Marine Division.

It was the Japanese resilience on Okinawa that was the final, determining factor that made Truman decide to drop our two (only) atomic bombs.

He never talked much about it but years ago mentioned that they were terrified of having to land and fight in Japan. He said they were more afraid of the housewives with pitchforks defending their home than they were of the military.
It dawned on me years ago that I wouldn't have been born if the bombs hadn't been dropped.
Life sure is complicated.

>>He said they were more afraid of the housewives with pitchforks...

My long ago martial arts instructor talked about how (perhaps mythically) the people of Okinawa had been forbidden to own weapons. So, being mostly farmers, they learned how to use their farm tools as weapons, and their bodies as weapons. The martial arts weapons that I practiced with were simple in nature and I could see how they might have started as simple household and farm tools. Grab whatever is close at hand and defend yourself.

He also told me about the naginata, which is a weapon that is a long pole with a curved blade on the end. Among others, it was often used by housewives to defend their homes when their warrior husbands were off fighting. I always liked the idea of opening the door to a stranger with a long poker in my hand. lol

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naginata

Yes! I was captivated by it.

Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky?

Aquarius123 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The History of Salt. I know it sounds like
> another egghead torture, but actually it's
> fascinating!


oh I bought that but I haven't got around to reading it yet.

It really does sound fascinating...

"The Earth is Weeping" The epic story of the Indian wars for the
American West"

And a Fannie Flagg book entitled "the whole Town's Talking".

I've got a Trabillion books on my shelf to read. Oh also I'm

reading "Sing Unburied" by Jesmyn Ward.

saucie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Aquarius123 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The History of Salt. I know it sounds like
> > another egghead torture, but actually it's
> > fascinating!
> oh I bought that but I haven't got around to
> reading it yet.

I'm waiting for Mrs. Lot's review.

Alas, Mrs. Lot has not read that yet. It looks very interesting, however, and must go on my list!

Saintcrow's "Bannon & Clare" series. Steampunk fiction with a touch of urban magic.

Also on Amazon.

Gesundheit

I find actually reading a book is too hard on my old eyes, so what little I read is on my Kindle app. That makes no sense, I know.

I'm about 20% into reading "Helter Skelter" by Vincent Bugliosi about the Tate Murders and then a night later, the La Bianca couple.

I think I read it back when it was first published but don't remember and frankly, it's kind of a hard slog since there are so many details.

I got it free on Amazon somehow and it's interesting but very dense. My ex used to call me dense, but she probably meant it in a different way.

I read in my browser now. I used to read on my iPad, but I'd fall asleep only to be rudely awakened when it smacked me on my face.

I've moved so many times and packed so many books that I borrow from the library now. I love Overdrive. I enlarge the font size, make the background sepia, turn the screen brightness way down low, and rather than getting smacked in the face when I nod off, my cat turns the pages while I'm sleeping. As long as she doesn't order anything from Amazon, I'm good.

I read it Memickyyounot....

it was full of detail but it was very interesting if you can hang with it....

Rehearsing for a production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Wollfe with the original Broadway cast recording with Uta Hagen. Now beating my head against the multiple rewrites including the 2005 revival script.

Oh, I just love all you guys so much! And, I love books! ((((Y'all and books))))

The Atra Hasis epic of the great flood.
Also continuing my study of "The Lost Book of Enki.

The Tablet of the Covenant is based upon the Babylonian epic of Atrahasis
(Ziusudra in Sumerian). It is a tale of the early days of earth, when mankind was
still young, and the gods were upon the earth. It is the tale of mankind's
corruption and the subsequent cleansing of the world by the flood weapon of the
gods. It is the story of a man, favored by the gods, who built a great ship to
escape the floodwaters that doomed the earth. It is believed by many scholars to
be the source of the biblical tale of Noah and his ark.
The Tablet of the Covenant



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Just got Cheryl's book. It's next on my list. Reading J.A.Jance Detective Beaumont series.

Broken Ice by Matt Goldman. Just started it so no comments yet.

Mississippi Blood, third book in Greg Iles trilogy of the South.

"The Outsider," I think - before I got sick and had to go into the hospital. I went on a reading jag, spending hours reading on my Kindle (which my daughter put into my phone). I don't normally watch much of anything on network TV, as we prefer Netflix, so I never turned on the TV in my "Isolation" room in the hospital.

I wasn't fully aware of it while I was in the hospital, but my mind went into a kind of torpor, and I was definitely not hitting on all cylinders. Today is the first day since about June 25th that I have felt reasonably alert and alive.

I will have to go back and start "The Outsider" all over again, as I have very little recall of what it was about, other than a good man was accused of a dreadful crime that he didn't commit.

My eyes became very sore and blurry - felt like somebody had poured Tabasco sauce into them. I went to the eye doctor a couple of days ago, and while he insisted that my vision had not changed much, the eyeglass tech said that there were all kinds of technical changes having to do with prisms and things I don't completely understand. Since I want them to use the frames I already had, I have to get by until the 18th or so without glasses. Oy.

It's difficult to read without my glasses, and normally, I read like a fish swims. I have been listening to audiobooks to keep from going crazy.

Actually, I consider just about everybody at RfM to be a sort of family.

Thank you all, for BEING THERE.

Her book, "House Rules" is about an autistic teen, on the edge younger brother, and a frazzled single Mom. I'm not very far into it but is also seems to be a murder mystery.

Don't know anyone who writes with such exquisite detail.

She's written more than 20 books, all about pertinent and timely issues and all meticulously researched.

Oh, and I just finished "Little Fires Everywhere", by Celeste Ng. One of the best books ever!

Gregg Allman- "My Cross to Bear"

Fantastic read!!! :-)

Reading 101 Textures in Graphite & Charcoal: Practical Drawing techniques by Steven Pearce. Fun to apply on landscapes at the campgrounds along 1500 miles road trip Skimming and rereading this guided retirement art (after a bachelors in science & no art classes in either high school or college; a life time with no formal art training). & CARMINE'S CELEBRATES Classic Italian Recipes for Everyday Feasts, Glenn Rolnick with Chris Person (needed inspiration on the road)

Couldn't rock fiction last month just not in the mood to read about it. Could be I need new novels.