Re: What Book You Reading?

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Just finished "Gate Crashers" by Patrick S. Tomlinson. Entertaining and original sci-fi in a John Scalzi sort of way.
I recommend anything by John Scalzi. "Agent to the Stars", "The Androids Dream", the "Old Man's War" series, "Redshirts"...
Oh and I always have something by Sir Terry at close hand.

I'll have to dig out my copy of "Canticle" and give it a re-read. Probably should re-read Ursula LeGuin's "Left Hand Of Darkness" as well.
Always up for a re-read of L. Sprague DeCamp's "Lest Darkness Fall". One of my favorite books ever.
"I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations in examples of justice and liberality" - George Washington

Re: What Book You Reading?

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sikacz wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 10:38 pm “Educated” a memoir by Tara Westover. Searching, absorbing and speechless.
I read that as well.

Currently reading Nature's Silent Message by Scott Stillman. Pretty good but not as good as Edward Abbey. I have read all of Abbey's books.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,”

Re: What Book You Reading?

557
Just finished listening to the audio book of Operation Nemesis: The Assassination Plot that Avenged the Armenian Genocide. Written by Eric Bogosian--he's the actor from the movie Talk Radio from the 1980s and was also the captain on Law and Order: Criminal Intent for a few years, among other things. He narrated the book, too; great voice.

Re: What Book You Reading?

558
Started reading Forrest Gump last night. I watched the film several times, but I never got around to reading the book. But finally I made up my mind and am not disappointed yet. The first chapters are interesting and easy to read. I suppose it will be interesting further too. And so far, the film matches the book.

Re: What Book You Reading?

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Re-reading the Boney series: Arthur Upfield's set of novels about Detective Inspector Bonaparte, a half=white, half-aboriginal man who helped inspire Hillerman's Leaphorn/Chee stories on the Navajo Nation. Very much a product of its time, a mix of fascinating tracker-craft and horrifying racist descriptions, but still a worthwhile window on early-mid 20th C Australia.

e.g.:
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{49201FAC-E568-4BE4-A25A-36DA4D5CE909}Img400.jpg (29.69 KiB) Viewed 2555 times
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Re: What Book You Reading?

562
Just finished a badly-scanned English-language translation of a 19th century Spanish knife-fighting treatise. Okay, I fell down a rabbithole.

It's amazing how some things never change. In this case, the moral panic over violent crime, easy access to arms, and whether carrying and training at arms for self defense was well-advised or hypocritical. Still don't think my neighbors would approve of a trebuchet, but I have dreams.

Re: What Book You Reading?

563
Just finished audiobook version of A True History of the United States: Indigenous Genocide, Racialized Slavery, Hyper-Capitalism, Militarist Imperialism and Other Overlooked Aspects of American Exceptionalism, by Dabniel A. Sjursen.

Sjursen is a retired US Army officer with combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, West Point graduate, and former history teacher at West Point. He does not present a pretty picture of US history, and yet somehow I thought there was a patriotic voice under there if you listen closely.

Audio book was read by author, which added to it to me. He has a deep, matter-of-fact voice. Definitely not a voice actor. I like the less than polished delivery.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/558 ... ted-states

I'm thinking of asking Santa for a print version of Sjursen's Patriotic Dissent: America in the Age of Endless War.

Re: What Book You Reading?

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Just finished Dan Brown's Deception Point...It was decent, but a bit predictable. Regardless, Brown is a good enough story teller that even though I have it all figured out 1/4 into the book, I'm still in for the duration.

About half way through Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson; this is pretty darned good. It was written in the '90's but the author really did his homework, so its still very relevant technology wise, and of course the story part is timeless. This is a 3 part series, and I will likely read the other two as well.
“I think there’s a right-wing conspiracy to promote the idea of a left-wing conspiracy”

Re: What Book You Reading?

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KayBur wrote: Fri Feb 12, 2021 8:28 am Began to re-read the Atlas Shrugged trilogy by Ayn Rand. Of all the dystopias, this is the best novel, and indeed one of the best novels I've read.
Rand is universally hated by progressives, but she was a very good writer. They are very good books and very good stories that are pretty well written. They are best enjoyed when you READ them, rather than READING INTO them.
“I think there’s a right-wing conspiracy to promote the idea of a left-wing conspiracy”

Re: What Book You Reading?

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FrontSight wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 11:42 am
KayBur wrote: Fri Feb 12, 2021 8:28 am Began to re-read the Atlas Shrugged trilogy by Ayn Rand. Of all the dystopias, this is the best novel, and indeed one of the best novels I've read.
Rand is universally hated by progressives, but she was a very good writer. They are very good books and very good stories that are pretty well written. They are best enjoyed when you READ them, rather than READING INTO them.
I've read "Atlas Shrugged" several times, and come in a (nearly) full circle that she's fundamentally more fascist than even SHE wanted to believe. I do admire much of AS, and for a lay-person her intuitive knowledge of economics and money were surprisingly inciteful. Of course, her definition of gold as having an "absolute value" is pure ignorant nonsense. Gold is a commodity like anything else. It's simply been a numeraire of money, but its price goes up and down, too. There are many other holes in her theories, and her dialogue is so stilted it would make the folks who write bubbles dialogue in comic books shudder.

OTOH, her description of "value" being based on merit rather than need is insightful, as is her concept that your values are actually far more fundamental than your "morals". Still, I see her not recognizing that her own rape fantasies did NOT belong in her philosophy. Barbara Brandon's biography of Rand, and her relationship to Rand, even when Rand was openly sleeping with her husband, Nathaniel Brandon, is eye-opening.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: What Book You Reading?

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YankeeTarheel wrote:
FrontSight wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 11:42 am
KayBur wrote: Fri Feb 12, 2021 8:28 am Began to re-read the Atlas Shrugged trilogy by Ayn Rand. Of all the dystopias, this is the best novel, and indeed one of the best novels I've read.
Rand is universally hated by progressives, but she was a very good writer. They are very good books and very good stories that are pretty well written. They are best enjoyed when you READ them, rather than READING INTO them.
I've read "Atlas Shrugged" several times, and come in a (nearly) full circle that she's fundamentally more fascist than even SHE wanted to believe. I do admire much of AS, and for a lay-person her intuitive knowledge of economics and money were surprisingly inciteful. Of course, her definition of gold as having an "absolute value" is pure ignorant nonsense. Gold is a commodity like anything else. It's simply been a numeraire of money, but its price goes up and down, too. There are many other holes in her theories, and her dialogue is so stilted it would make the folks who write bubbles dialogue in comic books shudder.

OTOH, her description of "value" being based on merit rather than need is insightful, as is her concept that your values are actually far more fundamental than your "morals". Still, I see her not recognizing that her own rape fantasies did NOT belong in her philosophy. Barbara Brandon's biography of Rand, and her relationship to Rand, even when Rand was openly sleeping with her husband, Nathaniel Brandon, is eye-opening.
I tend to agree.


I’ve read both “Atlas Shrugged” and “the Fountainhead.” AS is a pretty good story until it gets to the 100 page political rant. I’ve found the FH to be a better story with less outright political treatises.

As far as political novels go none of AR’s work are in the same league as Dostoyevsky. I found her characters to be one dimensional and not that complex. She pummels you with political rants whereas Dostoyevsky has the characters subtly story-tell.

Furthermore her philosophy is shallow and egotistical. She’s a huge critic of Kant, but again, just doesn’t have the ground work of thought and discipline that someone like Kant poured into their philosophy. I studied Kant for an entire semester and barely scratched the surface.

I think Ayn Rand is interesting enough, but her philosophy & political theory doesn’t merit more than a passing consideration as it is pure fantasy porn for the obscenely wealthy and their toadies.


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Re: What Book You Reading?

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Now in my browser (because the local library didn't buy the e-book I could download into my reader), and on the to-buy hard copy list:

Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable by Joanna Schwartz

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/book ... -schwartz/


Also on the to-buy list, Pleading Out by Dan Canon. Dan lives across the Ohio River from me. I met his mother while volunteering as an escort at the local abortion clinic several years ago, and eventually met Dan as well. I won't say we're close, but I like the guy, and respect him as an attorney.

https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/dan-c ... 541674684/
Eventually I'll figure out this signature thing and decide what I want to put here.

Re: What Book You Reading?

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Actually, reading two: _Zen in the Art of Archery_ by Herrigel, and I'm almost done with Volume I of Bruce Catton's three-volume set on the American War of 1861 called _The Centennial History of the Civil War_. The first volume is _The Coming Fury_. I am quite amazed at what I read in Catton, and how there are eerie parallels to modern America. But back then there was no internet, so no cat videos.

CDFingers
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack

Re: What Book You Reading?

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CDFingers wrote: Thu Feb 16, 2023 6:55 pm Actually, reading two: _Zen in the Art of Archery_ by Herrigel, and I'm almost done with Volume I of Bruce Catton's three-volume set on the American War of 1861 called _The Centennial History of the Civil War_. The first volume is _The Coming Fury_. I am quite amazed at what I read in Catton, and how there are eerie parallels to modern America. But back then there was no internet, so no cat videos.

CDFingers
Reading the daily missives from Heather Cox Richardson, whose specialty is American History from 1830 or so through the end of the Reconstruction Era (If I recall correctly--and I'm not sure that I do), I see her point out some pretty damning parallels, too. To subscribe to her daily emails, go to https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/ and enter a valid email address. I have found them calming in the terror of the early months of the pandemic, and enlightening and encouraging since then.
Eventually I'll figure out this signature thing and decide what I want to put here.

Re: What Book You Reading?

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BearPaws wrote: Thu Feb 16, 2023 11:45 pm
CDFingers wrote: Thu Feb 16, 2023 6:55 pm Actually, reading two: _Zen in the Art of Archery_ by Herrigel, and I'm almost done with Volume I of Bruce Catton's three-volume set on the American War of 1861 called _The Centennial History of the Civil War_. The first volume is _The Coming Fury_. I am quite amazed at what I read in Catton, and how there are eerie parallels to modern America. But back then there was no internet, so no cat videos.

CDFingers
Reading the daily missives from Heather Cox Richardson, whose specialty is American History from 1830 or so through the end of the Reconstruction Era (If I recall correctly--and I'm not sure that I do), I see her point out some pretty damning parallels, too. To subscribe to her daily emails, go to https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/ and enter a valid email address. I have found them calming in the terror of the early months of the pandemic, and enlightening and encouraging since then.
Before hostilities commenced, the Confederate states thought it would be romantic and patriotic to fight to preserve slavery. That didn't work out too well for them--war is never romantic, and every soldier's job is to get the enemy to die for his own ideology. As in our eerie parallel times, our would-be Confederates also believe so many things that just aren't so. Nikki Haley says states have the right to secede. "We fought a whole war over that, Nikki, the bloodiest one in our history."

CDFingers
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack

Re: What Book You Reading?

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Not technically reading, but I am currently listening to "The Phantom Prince" by Elizabeth Kendall about her time with Ted Bundy. I read the first edition years ago but this one has new content and since I'm very interested in this case -- I even own some actual Bundy memorabilia -- I like to learn all I can about it.
The following statement is true: the previous statement was a lie.

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