What book is on your nightstand? Readers!

[estricklin]

Just finished this - captivating! I laughed, I cried, it's got it all. Taking the test Saturday morning.

Interesting thing, I found a typo in the book and emailed the author. He replied in about 1 minute and told me he's gonna send me the next book (General Class) for the typo report.
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I hope congratulations are in order!

I would say that's a pretty good reward. When I punched my ticket, I took the tech and general on the same day. I took my time studying for the extra though.

The ARRL has a multitude of good books for hams. The antenna book is practically a bible for hams.

ARRL Antenna Book

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.

www.arrl.org

It's an awesome hobby, and I personally have learned a lot of skills that I use in my day job too, and have met lots of great people.

 

[passedpawn]

I hope congratulations are in order!

I would say that's a pretty good reward. When I punched my ticket, I took the tech and general on the same day. I took my time studying for the extra though.

The ARRL has a multitude of good books for hams. The antenna book is practically a bible for hams.

ARRL Antenna Book

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.

www.arrl.org

It's an awesome hobby, and I personally have learned a lot of skills that I use in my day job too, and have met lots of great people.

Thanks! Yes, I passed. Call sign not issued yet. I am planning to take General soon - waiting for my study guide to arrive.

Radio is on it's way. I've got one antenna here (6M) and one on the way(40M). I just bought that antenna book on amazon. Free shipping there.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Company Commander by Charles B. MacDonald. A memoir of his time in command of I Company, and later G Company, of the 23rd Infantry Regiment 2nd Infantry Division Nov '44 through the end of the war.

 

[topazann]

The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier - I am slowly working my way through du Maurier's works. I've read most of the more well-known ones and really enjoyed them.

 

[estricklin]

Wife and I read this over the course of a few weeks, while having some drinks on the back porch in the spring. I recommend the audio version because it is read by the author. I worked in a 4 star restaurant, and a bar when I was in college, so I could relate to a lot of the book.

Some of the better books I've read lately:

• Confessions of a Vintage Guitar Dealer: The Memoirs of Norman Harris
• Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory
• Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
• Hell Divers by Nichols Sansbury Smith
• Maze Runner by James Dashner
• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

@betarhoalphadelta I ended up picking up Broken Earth Book 1, and am most likely going to read Harbinger also, thanks for the recommendations.

 

[An Ankoù]

Folks here have mentioned Bernard Cornwell. He writes historical fiction from old England and is best known for his books on The Last Kingdom. I am reading one of his about the Elizabethan theater called Fools And Mortals. So far very engaging. I'm about 30% in.

We're just coming to the end of Season 2 of The Last Kingdom on Nitflox. It's escellent.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

@betarhoalphadelta I ended up picking up Broken Earth Book 1, and am most likely going to read Harbinger also, thanks for the recommendations.

The writer of Harbinger, Olan Thorensen, also has a series called "Destiny's Crucible". I can give a short synopsis of the premise without it really being a spoiler:

American chemistry grad student Joseph Colsco is on a flight from SF to Chicago. Looking out the window, he sees a flash and then all hell breaks loose. He wakes up on an alien craft speaking to an AI who tells him that the collision was accidental, and they have repaired his injuries (which took two years). They can't let him back on Earth, because he now knows of the existence of aliens, but these aliens are investigating the past where some other alien race transplanted humans to other planets in that region of the solar system (for unknown purpose). They offer that he can be dropped onto one of those planets, a place where technology is circa 1700's Earth, or can choose termination.

He chooses the alternative planet. He arrives on an island, slowly learns the language and blends in to the local culture, all the while trying to find ways to use his knowledge of technologies unknown in this society (and his chemistry background) to uplift their society. At the same time, the island has a small occupying force of one of the main empires from the rest of the planet, bent on subjugating the island and incorporating it into the empire. Obviously a conflict will ensue, and Joseph (now called Yozef due to language/pronunciation differences) becomes a more and more pivotal factor in that conflict due to his knowledge.

The only true "sci-fi" portion of this is the premise of how he ended up on-planet. It's not really so much "sci-fi" after that point.

To give you an idea of how this series has gripped me, there are 8 books currently. I bought book 1 on June 20. I am now halfway through book 8.

I highly recommend it.

 

[Lampy]

 Waterman, by David Davis. Bio of Duke ahanamoku, Hawaiian swimming legend and trailblazer.
It is interesting to see how the world record times of the early 20th century were basically as fast as the  state-level records of high school swimmers of the early 21st century.