|
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
|
|
|
Posted: 2/13/2013 6:07 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
TearawayJersey wrote: Currently reading the Greatest Generation. Do most of my reading in the winter when and for some reason this winter have not found as much time as usual. After this I am going to reread To Kill a Mockingbird. Reread Mockingbird last year with my sophomore english class. I forgot how riveting that story was. The funny thing is most of my students hated it. They thought that it was boring. Tried to tie it to more recent events without a lot of success. |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/13/2013 6:56 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
Republicdawg wrote:
TearawayJersey wrote: Currently reading the Greatest Generation. Do most of my reading in the winter when and for some reason this winter have not found as much time as usual. After this I am going to reread To Kill a Mockingbird. Reread Mockingbird last year with my sophomore english class. I forgot how riveting that story was. The funny thing is most of my students hated it. They thought that it was boring. Tried to tie it to more recent events without a lot of success. Things were much different in the early 70's as you know. There was still segregation in the south and a lot of resistance to intergration. The Black Civil Rights movement was relatively new . Point being, it was probably much easier to relate to that book in the early 70's than today's kids. Actually, without a doubt it was. I don't think the book got as widely circulated in the South at that time ? Several provinces in Canada and elsewhere wanted the book banned from public curriculums. Thought the book was to demeaning of blacks , and the subject matter and language to racy for school . I think we read it in 10th grade. I didn't see the movie until after I read the book. One of those rare instances where the movie did great justice to the book.. Just curious, do you read any Shakespeare in your classes ? The same year we read Merchant of Venice and Hamlet I believe. I really dug Shakespeare but never have read William on my own. The teacher helped us interpret much of the dialog. Otherwise much of Shakespeare with the old english passages and metaphors go right over one's head. (tons of footnotes help)
Last edited 2/13/2013 11:34 PM by TheShank
|
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/13/2013 7:26 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
BigBlueMutt wrote: Big fan of McCullough, reading The Greater Journey right now. You might want to try 'The Johnstown Flood' as well. Crazy story.
My other favorite Historical/Biographical writer is Ron Chernow. Try his book on Alexander Hamilton, one the more under appreciated founding fathers imo. Maybe because he could never be president (with his temprement he might not have been able to even if he was born here).
After that I might have to work my way through some of the Dark Tower books again... Got to meet him two summers ago at Monticello. He was there just walking around waiting to film something. Got some pics with him and the kids. Very nice man. Chernow's book on Rockefeller... Titan was excellent. The Cleveland connection and local color was very good, but the whole story is interesting. Hefty but ran thru it fast as it read well. I highly recommend a book that is a bit off the beaten path : Story of the American Chestnut tree that was once 25-30% of all eastern forests and within 30 years... gone. I cant do the book justice in a blurb but check out the reviews on amazon.
Last edited 2/13/2013 7:28 PM by max4196
|
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/13/2013 9:31 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
And forgot to add:
Anything by Bill Bryson. Truly a gifted writer my personal favorite is A Walk In The Woods about hiking the Appalachian Trail in his 50's.. freaking hilarious and you learn a bit as well.
His A Brief History of Nearly Everything is my second favorite.
|
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/13/2013 10:24 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
Great suggestions that I agree with -- DeMille, Follett, Flynn, Sharaa, Eckert -- you guys have great taste!
I also don't miss any Lee Child book. Jack Reacher is a great character but not excited about Tom Cruise playing him in the movies.
If anyone has a Kindle or Kindle app, great books can be downloaded for free on amazon.com. Just go to "Books"' then look for the "Top 100 Free". I have over 100 books that I hope to read eventually.
|
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/13/2013 10:48 PM
RE: What Books Are You Reading?
I just finished that. Not bad. I just had to wait nearly 8 years from when I first started it. I had to go back and read them all. RMosack wrote: Started reading the first Wheel of Time Book (The Eye of the World) about 20 years ago. The 14th and final volume is now in the house and ready to be read as soon as I go back through book 13 one more time.
 |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/13/2013 10:49 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
Republicdawg wrote:
RebelNC wrote:
knottcobred wrote: The Holy Bible.
Those who mentioned the Bible...out of curiosity what translation are you reading? My preference is The King James. I really enjoy the New Living Translation. NIV and sometimes the Message. Grew up with KJ |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/14/2013 12:25 AM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
TheShank wrote:
Republicdawg wrote:
TearawayJersey wrote: Currently reading the Greatest Generation. Do most of my reading in the winter when and for some reason this winter have not found as much time as usual. After this I am going to reread To Kill a Mockingbird. Reread Mockingbird last year with my sophomore english class. I forgot how riveting that story was. The funny thing is most of my students hated it. They thought that it was boring. Tried to tie it to more recent events without a lot of success. Things were much different in the early 70's as you know. There was still segregation in the south and a lot of resistance to intergration. The Black Civil Rights movement was relatively new .
Point being, it was probably much easier to relate to that book in the early 70's than
today's kids. Actually, without a doubt it was.
I don't think the book got as widely circulated in the South at that time ? Several provinces in Canada and elsewhere wanted the book banned from public curriculums. Thought the book
was to demeaning of blacks , and the subject matter and language to racy for school .
I think we read it in 10th grade. I didn't see the movie until after I read the book. One of those rare instances where the movie did great justice to the book..
Just curious, do you read any Shakespeare in your classes ? The same year we read Merchant of Venice and Hamlet I believe. I really dug Shakespeare but never have read
William on my own. The teacher helped us interpret much of the dialog. Otherwise much of Shakespeare with the old english passages and metaphors go right over one's head. (tons of footnotes help) No. I just taught sophomore english for one year as a stop gap. I had the students read Michel Chricton's "State of Fear" in the spring. Also spent a lot of time reading pertinent newspaper pieces and editorials. |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/14/2013 7:03 AM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
I just started reading Moby Duck which is about some bath toys that fell off of a cargo ship in the Pacific and found their way to beaches in the Atlantic. So far, I find it very well written with funny and poignant allusions to Moby Dick amongst other things. The book is both interesting and witty and the author is very personable. I am Legend has been a dissapointment to me so far. The story isn't bad. I simply don't care for the writing style. It reminds by of a 50's detective novel. When you can look across the river to West Virginia and see a better place, that tells you all you need to know. - Nasdaq
Last edited 2/14/2013 8:18 AM by JabbaTheMutt
|
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/14/2013 2:24 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
JabbaTheMutt wrote:
I just started reading Moby Duck which is about some bath toys that fell off of a cargo ship in the Pacific and found their way to beaches in the Atlantic. So far, I find it very well written with funny and poignant allusions to Moby Dick amongst other things. The book is both interesting and witty and the author is very personable.
I am Legend has been a dissapointment to me so far. The story isn't bad. I simply don't care for the writing style. It reminds by of a 50's detective novel. Well it was written in the 50's so it kind of makes sense. Can't wait till the weather gets nicer and on the weeknd evenings it's just me, a cheap cigar, book mde jour and a root beer (I don't drink anymore). That's the end of a good day for me. “How many consuming fires can there be in the words: freedom, peace and democracy and how easy they can be extinguished by ignorance, stupidity and arrogance?” |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/14/2013 2:29 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
bankone wrote:
Well it was written in the 50's so it kind of makes sense. Odd. My paperback says copyright 1995. When you can look across the river to West Virginia and see a better place, that tells you all you need to know. - Nasdaq |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/14/2013 9:05 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
I just went on a Dennis Lehane tear for awhile, read 'Mystic River', 'Shutter Island' and 'the Given Day' Excellent books.
I'm working my way through Patrick O'Brian's series of historical sea adventures. The books that the movie 'Master and Commander' was based on.
After that I'm going to read Gene Kerrigan's 'The Rage'. Evidently this guy is revered in Ireland as the top writer of crime fiction.
|
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 8:21 AM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
JabbaTheMutt wrote:
bankone wrote:
Well it was written in the 50's so it kind of makes sense. Odd. My paperback says copyright 1995. It was written in 1954. |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 8:40 AM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
TheShank wrote:
Things were much different in the early 70's as you know. There was still segregation in the south and a lot of resistance to intergration. The Black Civil Rights movement was relatively new . (ahem!) there was more resistance to desegregation in Boston and Philadelphia than almost anywhere in the "South," as you put it. read you some history, son, then we'll talk.  "Alls I knows is alls I knows, and what I knows is that there isn't no octopus punching in Hamlet." - Bot |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 8:58 AM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
Lumpy wrote:
JabbaTheMutt wrote:
bankone wrote:
Well it was written in the 50's so it kind of makes sense. Odd. My paperback says copyright 1995. It was written in 1954. Thanks. There's another page in my paperback that lists "copyright acknowledgements". The first entry on that list is 1954. Then it was "renewed" in 1982 by RXR inc. Then it lists a bunch of other books for some reason I don't understand. Where one normally sees the copyright, my book says 1995 by R. Matheson. That led to my confusion. I really don't understand all of these different copyright entries. Maybe the copyright was sold or something like that. :shrug eta - 1954 certainly explains the writing style. When you can look across the river to West Virginia and see a better place, that tells you all you need to know. - Nasdaq
Last edited 2/15/2013 9:01 AM by JabbaTheMutt
|
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 10:00 AM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
↑ can tell writing styles by the decade?  "Alls I knows is alls I knows, and what I knows is that there isn't no octopus punching in Hamlet." - Bot |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 10:38 AM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
olecowboy wrote: ↑ can tell writing styles by the decade?
I apparently just did. :shrug When you can look across the river to West Virginia and see a better place, that tells you all you need to know. - Nasdaq |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 10:45 AM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
"Alls I knows is alls I knows, and what I knows is that there isn't no octopus punching in Hamlet." - Bot |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 10:48 AM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
It's easy to see how someone could misunderstand you. :shrug
When you can look across the river to West Virginia and see a better place, that tells you all you need to know. - Nasdaq |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 11:48 AM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
JabbaTheMutt wrote:
It's easy to see how someone could misunderstand you. :shrug can you also tell the difference between writing styles of the 1880's and of the 1950's? "Alls I knows is alls I knows, and what I knows is that there isn't no octopus punching in Hamlet." - Bot |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 11:57 AM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
Republicdawg wrote:
TearawayJersey wrote: Currently reading the Greatest Generation. Do most of my reading in the winter when and for some reason this winter have not found as much time as usual. After this I am going to reread To Kill a Mockingbird. Reread Mockingbird last year with my sophomore english class. I forgot how riveting that story was. The funny thing is most of my students hated it. They thought that it was boring. Tried to tie it to more recent events without a lot of success. Sadly I think the book would have to include greater emphasis and detail on the rape allegations and incest overtones to get the attention of the Millenials. Racism is so 20th Centruy. |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 12:01 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
Just finished Diana, In Search of Herself. I highly recommend it. The woman was bat **** crazy. Great book for anyone dealing with a borderline personality person. Really brings the disorder to life. Just started All In, which is a book about corporate culture change.  |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 12:02 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
olecowboy wrote:
can you also tell the difference between writing styles of the 1880's and of the 1950's?
Don't know. That last thing I read from that era was Dostoyevski and that was ~30 years ago. When you can look across the river to West Virginia and see a better place, that tells you all you need to know. - Nasdaq |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 3:40 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
did you enjoy Dostoevsky? "Alls I knows is alls I knows, and what I knows is that there isn't no octopus punching in Hamlet." - Bot |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 4:09 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
olecowboy wrote: did you enjoy Dostoevsky?
What's not to enjoy about 19th Century Russia? What a festive time and place to be alive. |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 4:19 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
To be fair, the good russians were good, and the black russians are even better. "Alls I knows is alls I knows, and what I knows is that there isn't no octopus punching in Hamlet." - Bot |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 4:20 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
"Crime and Punishment" and "The Brothers Karamazov" are two of my favorite books. He's fantastic. Much better than contemporaries like Tolstoy (although I've only ever read "Anna Karenina" and I have not yet read "War and Peace") and Chekhov. HarleyD wrote:
olecowboy wrote: did you enjoy Dostoevsky?
What's not to enjoy about 19th Century Russia?
What a festive time and place to be alive.
“He followed me into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. I still said no, this is not OK, and he then had sex with me. He said it was OK.”
- He's a rapist. Don't forget that.
|
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 5:17 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
|
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 5:22 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
For Military History Rick Atkinson's final book in his World War II Liberation trilogy will be out in May this year "The Guns at last light."
The first two were great. I am really looking forward to it. “How many consuming fires can there be in the words: freedom, peace and democracy and how easy they can be extinguished by ignorance, stupidity and arrogance?” |
|
Reply |
Quote |
|
|
Posted: 2/15/2013 5:31 PM
Re: What Books Are You Reading?
olecowboy wrote: did you enjoy Dostoevsky?
Yep. Tolstoy as well. But I also liked Melville so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Unless, of course, we're talking about a book written in the fifties in first person format filled with angst and involving drinking whiskey about every third page. :shrug
When you can look across the river to West Virginia and see a better place, that tells you all you need to know. - Nasdaq |
|
Reply |
Quote |
The TAP Room