What are y'all reading now? - Page 7

jthurow · #91 03-26-2008, 07:44 AM

Currently... "Devil in the White City" by Eric Larson. Very engrossing..

Previously... "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. Not quite as terrifying as "No Country for Old Men" but still pretty terrifying... Both great books. I looked forward to turning the pages of both to see what would happen next. But I didn't have anything close to that feeling with The other McCarthy book I've read "Blood Meridian."

Up next is "From Lance to Landis"... If I can stomach it.

I seem to be enjoying the Random House books lately...

jimi

MarleyMon · #92 03-26-2008, 08:04 AM

Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw: One Woman's Fight to Save the World's Most Beautiful Bird - Bruce Barcott.
Really great read (first 50 pages, anyway) about a dam in Belize that threatens to destroy the habitat of the last 200 Scarlet Macaws in the country. 30 years ago I managed a branch of a local chain of liquor stores. The owner had a collection of Macaws and parrots that were the store's symbol. I got to spend time w/ Goldy, a Blue & Gold Macaw. What a treat, she was such a beauty, and quite a talker.

Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash by Elizabeth Royte
She wrote the review of the Last Flight of the Scarley Macaw, so I got her book while I waited for that. She follows the trash stream from her Boerum Hill, Brooklyn home to the landfills of Staten Island, NJ and Penns. Wow, its quite a story. As Kermit said - "It ain't easy being Green".

After watching "Deadwood" on DVD I got a book called The Hearsts: An American Dynasty by Judith Robinson. It uses a lot of primary source family letters to tell the story of George (played by Gerald McRainey in the show), wife Phoebe and son William Randolph Hearst. This kind of history will be impossible to write about our times w/o the written correspondence that these folks exchanged.

I also recently read The Drama of the Gifted Child, the book swoop had recommended acouple times. Psychology book about early childhood roots of emotional disturbance in adults.

All from our fabulous new public library.

FATBOY · #93 03-26-2008, 09:37 AM

I am about to start House of Meetings by Martin Amis. His books London Fields and The Information busted me out of a book slump a few years back so I am looking forward to this one.

I seem to re-read random chapters of Catch-22 and The Gread Shark Hunt when the sleeping thing is not working.

chrisroph · #94 03-26-2008, 09:42 AM

The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery, a deeper than normal look at climate change from a scientist's perspective.

The Rider by Tim Krabbe, a fantastic look inside the mind of a Dutch amateur cyclist throughout a difficult mountainous road race. It says more about our sport than any other cycling book i've ever read.

"When Geldermans told me that Anquetil always moved his water bottle to his back pocket during climbs, so his bike would be lighter, i began paying attention. I noticed that in all the old pictures of Anquetil climbing, his bidon is always in its holder. That's straining at gnats. Geldermans' story strikes to the soul of the rider, and is therefore true.

Those pictures are inaccurate."

93legendti · #95 03-26-2008, 09:48 AM

Last 2 nights: "The Little Engine That Could", and "Harold and His Purple Crayon".

This morning: "The Battle for Jerusalem, June 5-7, 1967".

jimp1234 · #96 03-26-2008, 09:58 AM

Re-reading "John Adams" to accompany the HBO serires. The big coffee table book "Paris-Roubaix Journey thru Hell". And kindof a fun discovery the "Travis McGee" detective novels by John D. MacDonald, got 7 or 8 left.

-Jim

taz-t · #97 03-26-2008, 10:30 AM

"Hayduke Lives!" - Edward Abbey.

Had to fly to Seattle to find a copy. (Elliott Bay Book Company - thanks Julia!)

Hard to find anything in Atlanta if it hasn't been featured on Oprah's book club.

- taz

RThompson · #98 03-26-2008, 10:33 AM

Youth in Revolt by C.D. Payne.

William · #99 03-26-2008, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taz-t

"Hayduke Lives!" - Edward Abbey.

Had to fly to Seattle to find a copy. (Elliott Bay Book Company - thanks Julia!)

Hard to find anything in Atlanta if it hasn't been featured on Oprah's book club.

- taz

FYI....

Powells Books in Portland Oregon. Biggest and best bookstore on the planet...atmo.

http://www.powells.com/

http://www.powells.com/s3?kw=&title=...e=0&perpage=25

William

Bruce K · #**100** 03-26-2008, 01:35 PM

I just finished "Wicked" much darker and more political than the Braodway musical which we thoroughly enjoyed.

BK

julia · #**101** 03-26-2008, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taz-t

"Hayduke Lives!" - Edward Abbey.

Had to fly to Seattle to find a copy. (Elliott Bay Book Company - thanks Julia!)

Hard to find anything in Atlanta if it hasn't been featured on Oprah's book club.

- taz

Cool, taz-t! Glad you found it. One of my favorite places in this city for - oh, um, geez I guess it's 18 years now. Yikes.

I loved Edward Abbey's "Desert Solitaire". Bought my copy at the Park Service Ranger center at the entrance to Dinosaur National Park in Utah and started reading it while I was there, in the landscape he's writing about. Pungent stuff, old Abbey. He wants you to ride your bike, walk, or better, crawl through the desert (!) in order to appreciate the subtleties. And torch billboards while you're at it.

rsl · #**102** 03-26-2008, 02:06 PM

I'm reading:

"Human Rights in Theory and Practice" and "What is the What"

Ray · #**103** 03-26-2008, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by julia

Pungent stuff, old Abbey. He wants you to ride your bike, walk, or better, crawl through the desert (!) in order to appreciate the subtleties. And torch billboards while you're at it.

I spent a spring break in college camping and hiking in the San Juans. Ended up getting the flu and was more or less stuck in a tent on Lopez Island until I had a ride back from the ferry in Anacortes at the end of the week. I only had one book - the Monkey Wrench Gang. Read it about five times, with nothing else to do and too sick to leave the tent. Once I got back to school and felt better, I got a couple of friends together (one of them something of an explosives expert) and committed the only act of eco-terrorism I've ever pulled together. Blew up a billboard near beautiful Mud Bay, just outside of Olympia. Made the papers and we never got caught. I'm hoping the statute of limitations have run out - this was more than 30 years ago. Just cost 'em a few dollars, the thing was back up within a couple of weeks.

I decided Glen Canyon Dam was a little out of my league.

-Ray

julia · #**104** 03-26-2008, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray

I spent a spring break in college camping and hiking in the San Juans. Ended up getting the flu and was more or less stuck in a tent on Lopez Island until I had a ride back from the ferry in Anacortes at the end of the week. I only had one book - the Monkey Wrench Gang. Read it about five times, with nothing else to do and too sick to leave the tent. Once I got back to school and felt better, I got a couple of friends together (one of them something of an explosives expert) and committed the only act of eco-terrorism I've ever pulled together. Blew up a billboard near beautiful Mud Bay, just outside of Olympia. Made the papers and we never got caught. I'm hoping the statute of limitations have run out - this was more than 30 years ago. Just cost 'em a few dollars, the thing was back up within a couple of weeks.

I decided Glen Canyon Dam was a little out of my league.

-Ray

Dang, Ray, you radical! Bet it was fun too. . .

Louis · #**105** 03-26-2008, 03:52 PM

Actually, I think DB Cooper blew up that billboard...