What are you reading now?

[Parker36]

A little off topic, but: Does anybody hate hardcover books as much as I do? I would pay more for a paperback copy than hardcover its that bad.

 

[shecky]

We have a huge church fair every year that features literally thousands of books. That place is a gold mine for me. At $.50 a pop, I walk out of there with probably 100 books every year.

Of course, they just wind up back at the church fair the next year, but that's OK.

The only books I generally buy are things I use for reference, ie, How to Brew. I know it's online but I like to have hard-copy reference materials.

People tend to buy me sports books as gifts because of my job. I don't read them. No interest in them at all. Honestly, I tend toward crime drama/courtroom type stuff and historical fiction.

Recently discovered Michael Connelly. Great stuff. No, it's not heavy lifting but he can really write and keep a story moving.

 

[IrregularPulse]

A little off topic, but: Does anybody hate hardcover books as much as I do? I would pay more for a paperback copy than hardcover its that bad.

I'm with you there! They're just much easier to handle.

 

[Revvy]

If you're diggin Circuis books, give a read to Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I very much enjoyed it. Life as a hobo circuis employee in the 30's during the G Depression

OOOh OOH OOH...I meant to put in that post that I was looking for more circus novels... SO Thanks!!!




Oh look. http://www.cinematical.com/2007/07/09/circus-novel-water-for-elephants-optioned-by-bourne-producer/

 

[user 30639]

Right now I'm re-reading American Tabloid, by James Ellroy. The book is a fictionalized account of the Kennedy assassination and the events leading up to it. The story centers around 2 FBI agents and a retired LA cop, the Cubans, Jimmy Hoffa, the mob, etc. The usual cast of characters for a book about the JFK assassination.

If you like anything JFK related or are a historical fiction fan, I'd highly recommend it. The only book of Ellroy's that might be better is L.A. Confidential.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Hardcover or die!

 

[Parker36]

Also, slightly OT, but I just discovered audio books. Makes traffic coming back from the mountains WAY more bearable. "I am America and So Can you" is a real crowd pleaser

Hardcover or die!

You. Me. Debate Forum. Battle to death

 

[shecky]

Hardcover or die!

Mostly with you there. I have nothing against paperbacks, either, but hardcovers seem more, um, real, I guess.

I prefer paperbacks when I travel and learned this the hard way. Took stuff out of my work bag to fit a bulky hardcover in. Moved my media guides, notebooks, etc., to my checked bag. Airline then lost my luggage for 3 days.

Now I do two things: never check a bag and take less in my work bag.

 

[0202]

I prefer hardcover books.

I like a book that will sit on a table and support it's weight. I constantly
have to bend paperback pages back, hold the spine, etc.

I read both but buy hardcover when I can.

William Morris will tell you it's large format hardcover or nothing.

 

[flyangler18]

Hardcover or die!

+1.

I've even replaced some of my paperbacks with hardback editions. But, it depends completely on the title. There's something quietly reassuring about pulling the Riverside Chaucer or Riverside Shakespeare (collected in a single volume!) that's bound in cloth.

Paperbacks are certainly more convenient for travel. Some even slip into a back pocket easily- I have a copy of Dante's Inferno that goes with me on business trips, I read it that often.

 

[0202]

"Small Pox Blanket IPA 2.0"

That's just not right

 

[Birchgrove77]

Reading more was one of my primary New Year's resolutions so I've either started, finished or am in process with these titles.

Amazon.com: The Raw and the Cooked: Adventures of a Roving Gourmand: Jim Harrison: A collection of short stories or essays in which life experience has an accompanying dish. Probably best known for "Legends of the Fall", this book is incredibly difficult to put down and well written that my everyday vocabulary has evolved for the better. Reminds me of Bourdain's writing style if he had graduated from an Ivy League school with and English Literature degree.

Amazon.com: Shutter Island: Dennis Lehane: The first novel of Lehane's that I've actually read. Compelling read and great character development, and I would recommend it. If you have enjoyed any of Lehane's work, you'd probably enjoy this as well. Don't want to give to much away because if you've seen Gone, Baby Gone or Mystic River you know Lehane provides some thought provoking twists.

Amazon.com: A Chicago Tavern: A Goat, a Curse, and the American Dream.: Rick Kogan: Short, interesting historical count of The Billy Goat Tavern and Sam Sianis. More a look into the life of the tavern then it's connection to the Chicago Cubs or the SNL skit. It kind of had a Cheers vibe going on, and if someone told me the Billy Goat was the basis for Cheers, I wouldn't be shocked. Some great stories and a great bathroom read. In hindsight, this is probably the most successful thing associated with the Chicago Cubs, at least in the last 100 years.

Amazon.com: Beer: A History of Brewing in Chicago: Bob Skilnik: The title of the book is exactly what you find inside. A very historical account of the ups and downs of the Chicago brewing scene. I was shocked to learn how many breweries existed in the area and some of the history behind their connections to the mob and the Chicago political machine. The information is very detailed and exacting, but I didn't really enjoy the writing style. Great information and very well researched.



I have the Omnivores Dilemma and Radical Brewing on their way, but it seems that there are already a lot of good recommendations in this thread.

Thanks,
Patrick

 

[gratus fermentatio]

I know we have a lot of readers here. I'd like to know what you're reading now, what you would suggest for future reads, what you would suggest avoiding, etc.

I don't mean technical manuals or brewing-related stuff. Novels, biographies, histories, etc.

I bring this up because I'm nearing the end of the best book I've ever read. It's called "The Given Day" by Dennis Lehane, the man behind "Mystic River" and "Gone Baby Gone."

It is phenomenal. A bit hefty at 700+ pages but worth the time it takes. It has much of the moral ambiguity that punctuates Lehane's novels, but also goes far deeper into exploring families and the choices people make.

Shelters Of Stone by Jean M. Auel, it's the 5th book in the series. The series starts with The Clan Of The Cave Bear It's very good.

Also reading Unrestricted Warfare by Col. Qiao Liang & Col. Wang Xiangsui. It's a difficult read, but quite informative.

Just finished Crow Killer by Raymond W. Thorpe & Robert Bunker. A good read & historically accurate.

 

[shecky]

Amazon.com: Shutter Island: Dennis Lehane:[/url] The first novel of Lehane's that I've actually read. Compelling read and great character development, and I would recommend it. If you have enjoyed any of Lehane's work, you'd probably enjoy this as well. Don't want to give to much away because if you've seen Gone, Baby Gone or Mystic River you know Lehane provides some thought provoking twists.

I found Shutter Island to be Lehane's most disturbing book, and I mean that in a good way. He really is an exceptional author.

 

[TeufelBrew]

I prefer hardcover books.

I like a book that will sit on a table and support it's weight. I constantly
have to bend paperback pages back, hold the spine, etc.

I read both but buy hardcover when I can.

Agreed, both have their place, but prefer hard cover.

There is a visceral pleasure from holding a book with some heft to it!

Also, as a function of age (43) I've found it more comfortable to read hardcover because they seem to be a larger print.

Finishing Ludlum's "Parsifal Mosaic." Always good characters and the plot twists are never predicatable.

Another re-read besides Tolkein is W.E.B Griffin. Military and police fiction, but it's much more about the characters than the setting.

 

[Birchgrove77]

I found Shutter Island to be Lehane's most disturbing book, and I mean that in a good way. He really is an exceptional author.

Interesting. I had read that Shutter Island was greenlight for a movie in the near future so it will be interesting to see if a movie can do justice to the book. What would you recommend my next Lehane book be? Mystic River and Gone, Baby Gone are easily in my top 20 movies, but are the movies true to the books? The girlfriend lives in Medford, MA and from my visits and exploration of the greater Boston area, Lehane seems gifted at describing the vibe or pulse of the Boston area...kind of in the way Dickens conveyed London.

 

[MNBugeater]

Currently reading Hugh Hefner's biography "Mr. Playboy". My wife bought it...it was on the nightstand so i picked it up one night and now I cant put it down.

 

[Short Drive]

Strength To Love - Martin Luther King Jr.
Some of his sermons put to print.


Think Like a Chef - Tom Colicchio
Top Chef Judge explains basic cooking techniques and how he combines flavors and textures.

 

[Parker36]

 

[Revvy]

WTF????? Is this a joke????? Or is someone Zombifieng the classics?

 

[Parker36]

WTF????? Is this a joke????? Or is someone Zombifieng the classics?

Very real, coming to a bookstore near you:


Editorial Reviews
Product Description
"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" features the original text of Jane Austen's beloved novel with all-new scenes of bone crunching zombie action.

About the Author
JANE AUSTEN is the author of Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and other masterpieces of English literature. SETH GRAHAME-SMITH is the author of How to Survive a Horror Movie and The Big Book of Porn. He lives in Los Angeles.


Amazon.com: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance+Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!: Kenneth Grahame, Jane Austen: Books

 

[Revvy]

Very real, coming to a bookstore near you:


Editorial Reviews
Product Description
"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" features the original text of Jane Austen's beloved novel with all-new scenes of bone crunching zombie action.

About the Author
JANE AUSTEN is the author of Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and other masterpieces of English literature. SETH GRAHAME-SMITH is the author of How to Survive a Horror Movie and The Big Book of Porn. He lives in Los Angeles.


Amazon.com: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance+Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!: Kenneth Grahame, Jane Austen: Books

OMFG!!!!!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies features the original text of Jane Austen's beloved novel with all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie action. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton—and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Complete with 20 illustrations in the style of C. E. Brock (the original illustrator of Pride and Prejudice), this insanely funny expanded edition will introduce Jane Austen's classic novel to new legions of fans.

That sounds almost as funny as my favorite Christmas Zombie story.

An angel named Raziel (previously in Moore's novel Lamb) is sent to Earth to grant the wish of a child; he decides to help a boy who has witnessed the death of a man dressed as Santa Claus. Meanwhile, the town is preparing to have a community dinner-gathering at the local church, where the cemetery is located. In his inept attempt to bring the "Santa" back to life, the angel causes the townspeople to be put under siege by brain-hungry zombies who arise from their burial spots.

Chris Moore :rockin:

 

[shecky]

Interesting. I had read that Shutter Island was greenlight for a movie in the near future so it will be interesting to see if a movie can do justice to the book. What would you recommend my next Lehane book be? Mystic River and Gone, Baby Gone are easily in my top 20 movies, but are the movies true to the books? The girlfriend lives in Medford, MA and from my visits and exploration of the greater Boston area, Lehane seems gifted at describing the vibe or pulse of the Boston area...kind of in the way Dickens conveyed London.

Well, see my original post for his latest, The Given Day. Far different than anything he's done but exceptional.

If you liked Gone, Baby Gone, the main character in that is the guy in his early novels. Start with A Drink Before the War, then to Darkness Take My Hand, on to Sacred and then Prayers For Rain.

I grew up in Boston. He captures it perfectly.

 

[menschmaschine]

Just finished up One Man's Wilderness by Sam Keith/Richard Proenneke for the second time. (Guy in his early 50s build's a log cabin by hand in the middle of nowhere Alaska in the late 1960's and lives there for most of the rest of his life.) There's a documentary about it on PBS every now and then. Part of me always wanted to do something like that... for a while anyway.

Also just finished Principles of Brewing Science and Brew Like a Monk again. I need to get some new books so I can stop re-reading!

 

[PseudoChef]

Another first time Daniel Quinn reader here with The Holy. Summarized as a man's quest to find false gods, but much more contained therein.

 

[Teddypower]

Maus by Art Spiegelman. The first graphic novel I have ever read. A story of the Holocaust using mice for the Jews, cats for the Nazis, dogs for the GIs. Amazing, actually won a Pulitzer back when.

 

[atwaterville]

I'm currently reading Lincoln's Melancholy and Endgame vol 2.

 

[HBHoss]

Does anyone know the name of the author who/who's writes or has written books with the story line that is the expansion westward in the USA? He uses historical facts and weaves them into a story. It's been a number of years but I read his earlier books which started in Colonial America then went into the push west.

 

[flyangler18]

Does anyone know the name of the author who/who's writes or has written books with the story line that is the expansion westward in the USA? He uses historical facts and weaves them into a story. It's been a number of years but I read his earlier books which started in Colonial America then went into the push west.

James Michener, perhaps?

 

[atwaterville]

Right now I'm re-reading American Tabloid, by James Ellroy. The book is a fictionalized account of the Kennedy assassination and the events leading up to it. The story centers around 2 FBI agents and a retired LA cop, the Cubans, Jimmy Hoffa, the mob, etc. The usual cast of characters for a book about the JFK assassination.

If you like anything JFK related or are a historical fiction fan, I'd highly recommend it. The only book of Ellroy's that might be better is L.A. Confidential.

I love this book. Ellroy's prose is sharp and quick as ever.

 

[HBHoss]

James Michener, perhaps?

Thanks. I found him. It's Allan W. Eckert. I didn't realize he wrote back in the 60's because I read them in the 80's. Good books though if you like the historical perspective.

 

[Baumgartner]

Beer Blast: The Inside Story of the Brewing Industry's Bizarre Battles for Your Money

By: Philip Van Munching

 

[Birchgrove77]

Well, see my original post for his latest, The Given Day. Far different than anything he's done but exceptional.

If you liked Gone, Baby Gone, the main character in that is the guy in his early novels. Start with A Drink Before the War, then to Darkness Take My Hand, on to Sacred and then Prayers For Rain.

I grew up in Boston. He captures it perfectly.

Sweet! Thanks for the recommendation Mr. Shecky, looks like I have some reading to do.

 

[cellardoor]

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. Evan! recommended another book by the same author, but I've picked this one up as well. It's at least as good, but covers the same subject matter. Great read, interesting philosophical take on humanity, totalitarian agriculture, and overpopulation.

Amazon.com: Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit: Daniel Quinn: Books

+1000

Ishmael is my favorite book in the world. I read Ishmael, The story of B and My Ishmael at least once a year. Someone else mentioned The Holy and that is another good one. I seriously recommend all of Daniel Quinn's books. I've got a personalized and signed copy of graphic edition ofThe Man Who Grew Young. It's so special to me I keep it in bubble wrap on the book shelf.

 

[bad coffee]

Currently reading:
I'm just here for the food, Alton Brown
How to raise and train your pepermint shrimp, April Kirkendoll
brew like a monk,
and after watching Devil in a Blue Dress on tv the other day, I'm going to pick up a Walter Mosely and reread it. Probably 'Always out numbered, always outgunned"

I much prefer softcover for most things. The extra pound in my backpack adds up after a long day. But hardcover for anything first edition or reference.

I also get most of my books from Strand Bookstore: Home of 18 miles of New, Used, Rare and Out of Print Books

Paperbacks are 1/2 price, and most hardcovers are about 1/3 off.

I've always spent over $100 per trip for some odd reason.

B

 

[GregR]

I haven;t had the chance to read a book that I wasn't assigned for a little while but the last one I read was "Everything is Illuminated" by Johnathan Safran Foer.

it's about the Grandson of a ukrainian-jewish man who fled to america during WWII. the grandson learns about a girl who helped his grandfater escape and he goes to the ukraine to look for her and the village they lived in. a movie was made about it a while back which was a really good adaptation for the screen.
but I highly recommend it to anyone. great story and a fast read.

 

[Ashz]

Awsome post here. Great idea!

I must confess I am an avid book collector of 1st editions, while my hobby has tailed off in the past couple years I love books.

That said I don't get to actually read like I used to. I cheat now. My occupation has me on the road for quite a bit of the day and I exclusively download whatever I can find for audio books.

Currently listening to.

John Perkins - The secret history of the American empire

This is a follow up to his book Confessions of an Economic Hitman.

Both of these I highly recommend if you would like any off of mainstreet insight into world economics and how we use it to pretty much do what we want. We meaning the US. Very interesting reads/listen's

I saw some people touching on one of my favorite genre's as well. Fantasy.

Tolkien was a master of the craft. My next favorite author that follows in his epic footsteps is Robert Jordan - the Wheel of Time.

Very detailed, much like Tolkien, with history, culture, war, it is staggering the world he created. At times his series, The Wheel of time can get a bit daunting but it is one of my favorites and continues to be even in Jordan's death in 2007. I had the opportunity to meet him three times and speak with him about writing briefly the last time I met him.

Terry goodkind - The sword of truth series is quite good as well. Jordan fanatics will tell you it's a ripoff of the wheel of time, and I will admit that it is kind of murky, the lines that intersect between the two. I even once worked my nerve up to ask Jordan what he thought of Goodkind and his books, and he said, "I know of the man..." That made me smirk, though inside not out. This series I contend is a very good series taken on it's own merit.

I also Just finished George R. R. Martin's - A Song of Ice and Fire.

This is also an epic fantasy along the lines of the above books. A little bit more, soap opera like, if you will, but still good, following the turmoils of a kingdom changing hands like old world europe. Good books and am awaiting the next.

Up next on the Ipod is, Orwell's - Animal Farm, Huxley's - A Brave New World, and now whatever I can find on audio from this fantastic thread. Keep the books coming I am already hunting some of these down.

 

[gwood]

Just finished:

Amazon.com: The Tortilla Curtain: T. Coraghessan Boyle: Books

Disclaimer: I love T.C. Boyle, that said, this is one of if not the most accessable of his books that I've read so far. It takes some hard hits on some very real issues that I see everyday living in LA. Immigration is something that's in my face day to day and it was very refreshing to see this issue under such a microscope.

Amazon.com: No Country for Old Men (Vintage International): Cormac McCarthy: Books

His comand of language is impressive. Saying so much with so little is really and art. Punctuation...who needs it? A great read.

 

[Dadrick]

Thanks. I found him. It's Allan W. Eckert. I didn't realize he wrote back in the 60's because I read them in the 80's. Good books though if you like the historical perspective.

Another series of historical fiction is Kent Family Chronicles, the first book is "The Bastard", series by John Jakes. It starts with a young boy in England that meets Ben Franklin and then has to flee from his half-brother. The books follow his decendents through the Revolution, Civil War, westard expansion, and the turn of the century.

 

[Dadrick]

I don't do much real reading anymore, I tend to wake up with black smudges on my face

The way I read now is audiobooks, I have 3+ hours in commuting every day. I find a well written book that is read by a professional narrator brings a new depth to a story. I have about 50 titles now, all unabridged of course, on a wide range of subjects. Most are Scifi/Fantasy series with some classics and history mixed in.

I just finished "rereading" Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" and "Ender's Shadow" series.

A tremedous biography read is "His Excellecy" by Joseph Ellis. It gives a very well balanced account of George Washington.