IbanezJem Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 (edited) Written in 2018, this is Meacham's response to Trump's failings in terms of Presidential character. It's a refreshingly positive look at past American leaders like Lincoln, Roosevelt, King, and how they responded to crises.I bought that when it was released, as it was around the same time as Woodward`s "Fear". Just to get a bit of err... balance... to the president dear old Bob was writing about. Meacham of course did the address at GHW Bush`s funeral, as well as being an "occasional contributor" to Biden`s speechwriting team. Edited December 3, 2020 by IbanezJem 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IbanezJem Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson. As much about the Chicago World Fair as it is about HH Holmes, but seems thoroughly researched and is quite attractively written. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaportrailer Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson. As much about the Chicago World Fair as it is about HH Holmes, but seems thoroughly researched and is quite attractively written. Read this a year or two ago. Stupidly well-researched, and very well written. I liked that the author recognized Capote's In Cold Blood as being a major influence. Have you read In Cold Blood? I just read a stupidly well-researched book about the New Jersey shark attacks of 1916, but unfortunately the book sucked. :( 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IbanezJem Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson. As much about the Chicago World Fair as it is about HH Holmes, but seems thoroughly researched and is quite attractively written. Read this a year or two ago. Stupidly well-researched, and very well written. I liked that the author recognized Capote's In Cold Blood as being a major influence. Have you read In Cold Blood? I just read a stupidly well-researched book about the New Jersey shark attacks of 1916, but unfortunately the book sucked. :(Oh! I had that book! "Close to Shore", right? I gave it away when I moved house last; alas I didn`t finish it. I have In Cold Blood, and it`s on my list of books to read - reading material which undoubtedly will take longer than I have left on earth to read. I`ve just started "Killers of the Flower Moon", about the birth of the FBI amongst other things. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaportrailer Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson. As much about the Chicago World Fair as it is about HH Holmes, but seems thoroughly researched and is quite attractively written. Read this a year or two ago. Stupidly well-researched, and very well written. I liked that the author recognized Capote's In Cold Blood as being a major influence. Have you read In Cold Blood? I just read a stupidly well-researched book about the New Jersey shark attacks of 1916, but unfortunately the book sucked. :(Oh! I had that book! "Close to Shore", right? I gave it away when I moved house last; alas I didn`t finish it. I have In Cold Blood, and it`s on my list of books to read - reading material which undoubtedly will take longer than I have left on earth to read. I`ve just started "Killers of the Flower Moon", about the birth of the FBI amongst other things. :lol: "Close to Shore" is next on my list, and is supposed to be good. I just finished "12 Days of Terror" by R Fernicola. Lotsa info, but really poor organization of material, and needlessly repetitive. It really needed an editor.Lester Stillwell's horrifying last words: "Hey fellas, watch me float!" I read "In Cold Blood" 4 or 5 years back and really enjoyed it. I ended up buying a copy, and re-read it last year. Harper Lee (of "To Kill a Mockingbird" fame) had a lot to do with the book, helping Capote with interviews, notes, etc. Apparently, it's the first non-fiction novel, so it's a very compelling read - much like "The Devil in the White City." Just started "Brave New World" this morning. Looks like a good read to get into the Christmas spirit. :P 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IbanezJem Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson. As much about the Chicago World Fair as it is about HH Holmes, but seems thoroughly researched and is quite attractively written. Read this a year or two ago. Stupidly well-researched, and very well written. I liked that the author recognized Capote's In Cold Blood as being a major influence. Have you read In Cold Blood? I just read a stupidly well-researched book about the New Jersey shark attacks of 1916, but unfortunately the book sucked. :(Oh! I had that book! "Close to Shore", right? I gave it away when I moved house last; alas I didn`t finish it. I have In Cold Blood, and it`s on my list of books to read - reading material which undoubtedly will take longer than I have left on earth to read. I`ve just started "Killers of the Flower Moon", about the birth of the FBI amongst other things. :lol: "Close to Shore" is next on my list, and is supposed to be good. I just finished "12 Days of Terror" by R Fernicola. Lotsa info, but really poor organization of material, and needlessly repetitive. It really needed an editor.Lester Stillwell's horrifying last words: "Hey fellas, watch me float!" I read "In Cold Blood" 4 or 5 years back and really enjoyed it. I ended up buying a copy, and re-read it last year. Harper Lee (of "To Kill a Mockingbird" fame) had a lot to do with the book, helping Capote with interviews, notes, etc. Apparently, it's the first non-fiction novel, so it's a very compelling read - much like "The Devil in the White City." Just started "Brave New World" this morning. Looks like a good read to get into the Christmas spirit. :PI had to (pretend) to read Brave New World at Uni. Didn`t figure it would be my thing, but that was a long, long time ago... Kinda foolish of me to think I could guess the book on the 1916 shark attacks that you were reading - it`s quite likely there is more than one, so hopefully you`ll like the one I know much more. I was given it in 2005 by a very brief girlfriend who had a thing for sharks - not a great sign of their loving ways :facepalm: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted December 4, 2020 Share Posted December 4, 2020 Norse Mythology by Neil GaimanIs that straight or is it a typical Gaiman send-up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted December 4, 2020 Share Posted December 4, 2020 Written in 2018, this is Meacham's response to Trump's failings in terms of Presidential character. It's a refreshingly positive look at past American leaders like Lincoln, Roosevelt, King, and how they responded to crises.I bought that when it was released, as it was around the same time as Woodward`s "Fear". Just to get a bit of err... balance... to the president dear old Bob was writing about. Meacham of course did the address at GHW Bush`s funeral, as well as being an "occasional contributor" to Biden`s speechwriting team.So far, it's more of a straight history review than I hoped it would be. It's well done, but pretty dry when little of it is new info. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nova Carmina Posted December 5, 2020 Share Posted December 5, 2020 Norse Mythology by Neil GaimanIs that straight or is it a typical Gaiman send-up? Not trying to preempt Krystal's answer, but it's a novelistic retelling of the Younger and Elder Eddas and it's well done. In fact, that's the text I use to teach Norse myth, since the Eddas are unpleasant. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IbanezJem Posted December 5, 2020 Share Posted December 5, 2020 I`ve started Ghost Rider - I`ve had it for a while, but needed to feel the right time to read it - and I have to say I`m really quite moved by it. I can really relate to the beginning, as I`m sure my parents would too having lost my brother was he was a teenager. Not that they`re ready to talk about it, thirty odd years later. I like how Neil writes. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaportrailer Posted December 7, 2020 Share Posted December 7, 2020 The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson. As much about the Chicago World Fair as it is about HH Holmes, but seems thoroughly researched and is quite attractively written. Read this a year or two ago. Stupidly well-researched, and very well written. I liked that the author recognized Capote's In Cold Blood as being a major influence. Have you read In Cold Blood? I just read a stupidly well-researched book about the New Jersey shark attacks of 1916, but unfortunately the book sucked. :(Oh! I had that book! "Close to Shore", right? I gave it away when I moved house last; alas I didn`t finish it. I have In Cold Blood, and it`s on my list of books to read - reading material which undoubtedly will take longer than I have left on earth to read. I`ve just started "Killers of the Flower Moon", about the birth of the FBI amongst other things. :lol: "Close to Shore" is next on my list, and is supposed to be good. I just finished "12 Days of Terror" by R Fernicola. Lotsa info, but really poor organization of material, and needlessly repetitive. It really needed an editor.Lester Stillwell's horrifying last words: "Hey fellas, watch me float!" I read "In Cold Blood" 4 or 5 years back and really enjoyed it. I ended up buying a copy, and re-read it last year. Harper Lee (of "To Kill a Mockingbird" fame) had a lot to do with the book, helping Capote with interviews, notes, etc. Apparently, it's the first non-fiction novel, so it's a very compelling read - much like "The Devil in the White City." Just started "Brave New World" this morning. Looks like a good read to get into the Christmas spirit. :PI had to (pretend) to read Brave New World at Uni. Didn`t figure it would be my thing, but that was a long, long time ago... Kinda foolish of me to think I could guess the book on the 1916 shark attacks that you were reading - it`s quite likely there is more than one, so hopefully you`ll like the one I know much more. I was given it in 2005 by a very brief girlfriend who had a thing for sharks - not a great sign of their loving ways :facepalm: I was surprised at how much I enjoyed "Brave New World." It was a pretty breezy read, although I avoided the Introduction and Foreward. It reminded me of Vonnegut more than once. The funny thing about those 1916 shark attack books is that they were both published in the same year by New Jersey authors, so it's easy to get them mixed up."Close to Shore" seems a sequential re-telling of the attacks, sometimes from the shark's point of view, with plenty of background information."12 Days of Terror"starts off with the attacks, then drifts into the murky waters of minutiae and conjecture, with plenty of background information. I can see why you left "Close to Shore" behind, it's very slow and pretty dry so far (ooh! tell me more about Philadelphia!). "12 Days of Terror" jumps all over the place and seems to be written while highly caffeinated. :cheers: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IbanezJem Posted December 7, 2020 Share Posted December 7, 2020 The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson. As much about the Chicago World Fair as it is about HH Holmes, but seems thoroughly researched and is quite attractively written. Read this a year or two ago. Stupidly well-researched, and very well written. I liked that the author recognized Capote's In Cold Blood as being a major influence. Have you read In Cold Blood? I just read a stupidly well-researched book about the New Jersey shark attacks of 1916, but unfortunately the book sucked. :(Oh! I had that book! "Close to Shore", right? I gave it away when I moved house last; alas I didn`t finish it. I have In Cold Blood, and it`s on my list of books to read - reading material which undoubtedly will take longer than I have left on earth to read. I`ve just started "Killers of the Flower Moon", about the birth of the FBI amongst other things. :lol: "Close to Shore" is next on my list, and is supposed to be good. I just finished "12 Days of Terror" by R Fernicola. Lotsa info, but really poor organization of material, and needlessly repetitive. It really needed an editor.Lester Stillwell's horrifying last words: "Hey fellas, watch me float!" I read "In Cold Blood" 4 or 5 years back and really enjoyed it. I ended up buying a copy, and re-read it last year. Harper Lee (of "To Kill a Mockingbird" fame) had a lot to do with the book, helping Capote with interviews, notes, etc. Apparently, it's the first non-fiction novel, so it's a very compelling read - much like "The Devil in the White City." Just started "Brave New World" this morning. Looks like a good read to get into the Christmas spirit. :PI had to (pretend) to read Brave New World at Uni. Didn`t figure it would be my thing, but that was a long, long time ago... Kinda foolish of me to think I could guess the book on the 1916 shark attacks that you were reading - it`s quite likely there is more than one, so hopefully you`ll like the one I know much more. I was given it in 2005 by a very brief girlfriend who had a thing for sharks - not a great sign of their loving ways :facepalm: I was surprised at how much I enjoyed "Brave New World." It was a pretty breezy read, although I avoided the Introduction and Foreward. It reminded me of Vonnegut more than once. The funny thing about those 1916 shark attack books is that they were both published in the same year by New Jersey authors, so it's easy to get them mixed up."Close to Shore" seems a sequential re-telling of the attacks, sometimes from the shark's point of view, with plenty of background information."12 Days of Terror"starts off with the attacks, then drifts into the murky waters of minutiae and conjecture, with plenty of background information. I can see why you left "Close to Shore" behind, it's very slow and pretty dry so far (ooh! tell me more about Philadelphia!). "12 Days of Terror" jumps all over the place and seems to be written while highly caffeinated. :cheers:Books written from the perspective of a highly caffeinated shark could be categorised as "niche" :laughing yellow guy: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chemistry1973 Posted December 7, 2020 Share Posted December 7, 2020 (edited) I`ve started Ghost Rider - I`ve had it for a while, but needed to feel the right time to read it - and I have to say I`m really quite moved by it. I can really relate to the beginning, as I`m sure my parents would too having lost my brother was he was a teenager. Not that they`re ready to talk about it, thirty odd years later. I like how Neil writes. I'd say it's pretty apparent that you appreciate Neil's writing. Joking aside, sorry about your brother. That must've been incredibly traumatizing. Edited December 7, 2020 by chemistry1973 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IbanezJem Posted December 7, 2020 Share Posted December 7, 2020 (edited) I`ve started Ghost Rider - I`ve had it for a while, but needed to feel the right time to read it - and I have to say I`m really quite moved by it. I can really relate to the beginning, as I`m sure my parents would too having lost my brother was he was a teenager. Not that they`re ready to talk about it, thirty odd years later. I like how Neil writes. I'd say it's pretty apparent that you appreciate Neil's writing. Joking aside, sorry about your brother. That must've been incredibly traumatizing.I`m going to choose to take that as a compliment ;) And yes, it wasn`t great. I`m reassured that very few people enjoy watching a loved one die, slowly, over a five-year period! Edited December 7, 2020 by IbanezJem 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cat 3 Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken hawk Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 (edited) Paulsen and his team of dogs endured snowstorms, frostbite, dogfights, moose attacks, sleeplessness, and hallucinations in the relentless push to go on. Map and color photographs. Edited December 9, 2020 by Chicken hawk 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Union 5-3992 Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaportrailer Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Entre_Perpetuo Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Just finished Ship Of Magic by Robin Hobb in my slow continuation of her book series. Man, Segue, every time I think these books are great they just get better. I'm liking the lower amount of mystery in this trilogy compared to the first one, as well as the more tangled plot. It's so hard to know who to root for sometimes too! I read this one via Amazon, but luckily I found Mad Ship for a buck at Half Priced Books a long while back, so I can continue the story in print! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nova Carmina Posted December 18, 2020 Share Posted December 18, 2020 A good discussion of the active role the government played in partnership with schools and private enterprise to create the greatest thirty years of economic growth in history. Among other interesting bits, I learned that when the planned community of Levittown, NY, was built, it was done assembly-line style with one guy going along and doing nothing but installing windows, for example, in house after house. When everything was rolling, they could frame up and finish the exterior of a home every sixteen minutes! We worry so much about scarcity now, we have lost our will to think big, to our cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cat 3 Posted December 20, 2020 Share Posted December 20, 2020 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbine Freight Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 Nice!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krystal Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 (edited) After watching the 1969 and 2000 versions of the David Copperfield movie, I decided to read the book by Charles Dickens. I found a copy of it on Monday for only $6. Currently on pg. 175.I also found out that the magician David Copperfield took his name from that book. His real name is David Kotkin. Edited December 25, 2020 by Krystal 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbine Freight Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 P.G. Wodehouse - The Jeeves Omnibus Vol. 5 I got this for a Christmas present and it now completes my Jeeves collection. I'm about 5 pages in and am laughing non-stop already. I love Jeeves and Bertie. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cat 3 Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 Jim Carroll The Basketball Diaries 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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