Another Book Thread

[jen]

Hey, it's a new book thread, since the old one closed.

Goodreads had a question on their site that generated some heated responses - what is one book you hated, but everyone else loved?

Was surprised at the amount of hate for Catcher in the Rye. There was also a lot of Fifty Shades mentioned (never read them).

My answer - Eat Pray Love, and anything by Jane Austen.

I'm sure I could come up with more.

It was also interesting to see people mention books I loved (who hates To Kill a Mockingbird??? )

 

[jen]

Re: Another Book Thread

Recent reads -

A Season in the Sun: The Rise of Mickey Mantle - Randy Roberts - this was kind of dry. About Mantle's 1956 Triple Crown season, with a little bit about earlier and later parts of his career (a lot about how fans did not embrace him until that season). One tidbit I found entertaining - he and Ted Williams were up for the batting title, so there was a bit about Williams. A catcher was complaining to the umpire about balls and strikes when Williams was batting, and the umpire told him "Mr. Williams will let you know when your pitcher throws a strike".

The Milk Lady of Bangalore: An Unexpected Adventure - Shoba Narayan - this was interesting, and a quick read. A native Indian moves from NYC back to India, and connects with a milk seller. There's a lot about cows and India's relationship with cows. Lots of cows. Many kinds of cows. It was an entertaining read.

Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng - this book was the top rated book on Goodreads in 2017. Interesting, and some memorable characters. A "moral dilemma" kind of book about adoption and who has the right to raise a child (and why). May make you hate suburbia (if you didn't already).

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Another Book Thread

Hey, it's a new book thread, since the old one closed.

Goodreads had a question on their site that generated some heated responses - what is one book you hated, but everyone else loved?

Was surprised at the amount of hate for Catcher in the Rye. There was also a lot of Fifty Shades mentioned (never read them).

My answer - Eat Pray Love, and anything by Jane Austen.

I'm sure I could come up with more.

It was also interesting to see people mention books I loved (who hates To Kill a Mockingbird??? )

Charles Dickens anything
Things Fall Apart
Ordinary People
Most other high school required reads

The only real reads that captured my mind were John Donne in high school and political philosophy in college. Post-college it has mainly been fiction novels.

 

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Charles Dickens anything
Things Fall Apart
Ordinary People
Most other high school required reads

The only real reads that captured my mind were John Donne in high school and political philosophy in college. Post-college it has mainly been fiction novels.

I don’t like dickens either with one exception- tale of two cities. And I hated the first 100 pages. Probably the first time I came to love a book after loathing the beginning.

 

[jen]

Re: Another Book Thread

I don’t like dickens either with one exception- tale of two cities. And I hated the first 100 pages. Probably the first time I came to love a book after loathing the beginning.

Same. Hated all other Dickens, but loved Tale of Two Cities - one of my favorites. Great Expectations still gives me nightmares.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: Another Book Thread

Hey, it's a new book thread, since the old one closed.

Goodreads had a question on their site that generated some heated responses - what is one book you hated, but everyone else loved?

Was surprised at the amount of hate for Catcher in the Rye. There was also a lot of Fifty Shades mentioned (never read them).

My answer - Eat Pray Love, and anything by Jane Austen.

I'm sure I could come up with more.

It was also interesting to see people mention books I loved (who hates To Kill a Mockingbird??? )

Ender's Game.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Another Book Thread

Hey, it's a new book thread, since the old one closed.

Goodreads had a question on their site that generated some heated responses - what is one book you hated, but everyone else loved?

Was surprised at the amount of hate for Catcher in the Rye. There was also a lot of Fifty Shades mentioned (never read them).

My answer - Eat Pray Love, and anything by Jane Austen.

I'm sure I could come up with more.

It was also interesting to see people mention books I loved (who hates To Kill a Mockingbird??? )

The Great Gatsby. I hated every last character in that book. And yes, I understood its message.

 

[SonofSouthie]

Re: Another Book Thread

The President Is Missing, James Patterson and Bill Clinton.

Lady friend says it's really good. She couldn't put it down.

 

[French Rage]

Re: Another Book Thread

Bad Blood - About Theranos, writtien the WSJ writer who broke the story. Crazy story. And I like the mention of all of the Palo Alto / Mountain View spots.

 

[MadTownSioux]

Re: Another Book Thread

John Irving books.

My long time favorite was The World According to Garp. Then my wife (SWMBO) had me read A Prayer for Owen Meanie - wow what a great novel. Anybody have any other favorites?

 

[Probert]

Re: Another Book Thread

Hey, it's a new book thread, since the old one closed.

Goodreads had a question on their site that generated some heated responses - what is one book you hated, but everyone else loved?

Was surprised at the amount of hate for Catcher in the Rye. There was also a lot of Fifty Shades mentioned (never read them).

My answer - Eat Pray Love, and anything by Jane Austen.

I'm sure I could come up with more.

It was also interesting to see people mention books I loved (who hates To Kill a Mockingbird??? )

Did they differentiate between books that had great critical acclaim and books that were massive bestsellers?

To me those are two separate categories, a lot of books that are massive bestsellers like 50 Shades of Gray are loathed by the critics. While some greatest books of all time, per critics weren't huge hits or bestsellers at the time and get read now because students have to read them.

For me under the Critically acclaimed two stand out Ulysses and The Great Gatsby. I like Shakespeare and Dickens and love the Iliad and the Odyssey, which I am sure were high on the list.

For the huge bestseller, movie, popular buzz Cold Mountain would probably be at the top of my list, probably partially because I thought it would be more of a Civil War book than a romance novel. Another one would be Dutch Edmund Morris's biography of Ronald Reagan, I have loved his Theodore Roosevelt trilogy but this one was complete dreck.

 

[Probert]

Re: Another Book Thread

My recent reads

15 Seconds by Andrew Gross Thought this book had a very similar plot line to No way back. A seemingly innocuous event, in this case a traffic stop and then a shocking event and our hero finds himself on the run being hunted by killers at every turn. He struggles mightily to prove his innocence and is helped by some unlikely sources. It was okay but not that great of a read.

Agent in Place (Gray Man #7) by Mark Greaney I realized as I started this that I had missed a Gray Man novel but luckily that didn’t really effect my reading of this one. Set around modern events he is hired by the Syrian Free Army to kidnap a woman who can embarrass the regime. He then ends up inside Syria confronting perhaps the most dangerous job of his career. Wasn’t particularly crazy about the ending but a great read.

The Gray Ghost (Fargo Adventure #10) by Clive Cussler, Robin Burcell This Fargo novel had an interesting concept. Recruited by a long lost relative to investigate the disappearance of their high value Rolls Royce the book at various times goes back to the original investigation when the car was stolen in the early 1900’s. The interesting fact the investigator was Isaac Bell, another of Cussler’s heroes. It was a decent read, following the typical Cussler format. I wonder if an Isaac Bell book will be coming out about the older case or if this was it.

The 17th Suspect (Women's Murder Club #17) by James Patterson Maxine Paetro 17 books into the Women’s Murder Club. Two cases on track this book Yuki is prosecuting a case where a high profile female is being charged with rape and Linsey is investigating a spree killer who is murdering the cities homeless. As I feel the case in most Patterson novels each of the two cases is truncated and not developed as much to fit within the book. I like that Yuki takes the lead in the book since she is typically one of the second bananas in the club, along with Claire. I also found the numerous mentions of Lindsey’s father, who I remember only mentioned occasionally in previous books, especially the recent one, to possibly be a premonition that he is going to come back into her life. Ok read.

The Comeback: Greg LeMond, the True King of American Cycling, and a Legendary Tour de France
by Daniel de Visé There were parts about this book that I enjoyed and parts that I did not like. I liked the description and tales of both Lemond and Laurent Fignon’s early life and how they got involved in cycling. Their early careers with Renault and the break that led Lemond to join La Vie Claire and Lemonds famous rivalry with Bernard Hinault, pretty much told completely from Lemond’s point of view. The things I dislike seems in some cases to be a total lack of research on the author’s part, a little known Belgian rider tested positive, a French rider did this, a former teammate of Hinault offered to do this. Why weren’t these people named? Did the author know them but they weren’t in the book for fear of a lawsuit since the only “proof” is what he was told by Lemond? Or does the author just assume the reader doesn’t care to know the name of the person. The book also confirms why I never was a big fan of Lemond he only seemed to get up for 2 races in his career, the Tour de France and the World Championship. He did have a couple of other decent performances, Tour De Pont, 1 Giro and 1 Vuelta. It’s funny because I remember in recent years he has criticized other cyclists for focusing solely on the Tour de France. In addition whenever he didn’t win it always seemed to be someone else’s fault, his team, officials, other riders, dopers etc. he never failed to prepare properly or used an incorrect strategy.

Final Target (Jonathan Grave #9) by John Gilstrap Another good Jonathan Graves book where he and Boxers are rescuing a captured DEA agent in Mexico. Left out to dry by the Feds they are forced their way thru hostile cartel. The escape is complicated when they pick up a bunch of orphans along the way. Good read.

The Black Hand: The Bloody Rise and Redemption of "Boxer" Enriquez, a Mexican Mob Killer by Chris Blatchford A very good biography of a former carnal in the Mexican Mafia. This book chronicles the rise of the Mexican Mafia within the California prison system. It then brings us to Boxer Enriquez and his early criminal career and his rise in the Mexican Mafia. Tells of the internal politics, their power plays on the street and the other inner workings of the gang leading up to him quitting and turning states evidence.

Starless Night (Legacy of the Drow #2) by R.A. Salvatore This Drizzt novel finds him abandoning Mithril Hall and going back to Mezzobean to confront Drow who are after him. Has some internal Drow politics as they are planning on uniting the various clans to invade Mithril Hall. A lot of action and mainly just Drizzt and Cati Brie who goes after Drizzt as he confronts some old adversaries and some new ones as well.

The Nowhere Man (Orphan X #2) by Gregg Hurwitz Good second effort for Orphan X who finds himself captured and must fight for his life against the crew holding him hostage.

The Color of Law (Scott Fenney #1) by Mark Gimenez I really enjoyed this book. Star lawyer A. Scott Fenney grew up poor but was a football star and went to the right schools and now is living the high life. Until he is asked by a federal judge to defend a prostitute accused on killing a Presidential candidates son and finds out that much of what he has earned in life is fleeting as he struggles to do what is right.

A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett Generally my preference is for Follett’s World War 2 novel but this book about a banking family set in England in the 1800’s was excellent. It traces the family and their black sheep Hugh and his cousin Edward from their early adolescence to later in life. An excellent plot and storyline with murders and high suspense finance and politics.

The Ark (Tyler Locke #1) by Boyd Morrison I had read several of the books that Morrison had co-authored with Clive Cussler so decided to give one of his stand alone books a try. This was an interesting story about the hunt for Noah’s Ark and the plague that it may unleash on the world. His Hero Tyler Locke dashes in and out of trouble with young archaeologist Dilara Kenner as they struggle to save the world.

 

[Handyman]

Re: Another Book Thread

Catcher in the Rye was awful. I tried and couldnt make it more than a few pages. Only book worse I read in HS was Grapes of Wrath.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: Another Book Thread

Most Steinbeck is a tough slog. He always wrote about blue collar people struggling to survive. Grapes was OK. I think his short stories are a bit more approachable.

Catcher is bad once you turn 20. The "Nine Stories" collection is Salinger at his best, and even it is hit-or-miss.

 

[burd]

Re: Another Book Thread

The Great Gatsby. I hated every last character in that book. And yes, I understood its message.

You hated the characters; how do you rate the book?

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Another Book Thread

You hated the characters; how do you rate the book?

I didn't like the book. I just mentioned the characters because I wanted to punch them all in their noses. I don't need to like a character to like a story, be it movie, TV show, or book. Fitzgerald's style never hit with me.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Another Book Thread

The Great Gatsby. I hated every last character in that book. And yes, I understood its message.

I want to throw that book into hell. Couldn't stand any of it.

I did FINALLY start reading Down By The River by Charles Bowden. Excellent so far. The past year, I severely lacked in reading. Didn't read a page of anything. I felt shame.

 

[Probert]

Re: Another Book Thread

Recent Reads

Excalibur (The Arthur Books #3) by Bernard Cornwell The final novel in Cornwell’s take on the legend of King Arthur. In my opinion this is the weakest of the Cornwell series when compared to Sharpe, Saxon and Starbuck. It is certainly readable and offers a different tale from the typical tale of Arthur, Guinevere and the Knights of the Round Table.

Washington's Immortals: The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution by Patrick K. O'Donnell Interesting tale of the Revolutionary War told thru the actions of Washington’s Immortals the Maryland regiment that contained some of the best and most trustworthy soldiers in the Continental Army. It tells the tales of most of the major engagements of the Revolution thru the eyes of these soldiers. Excellent read.

A Cold Heart (Alex Delaware #17) by Jonathan Kellerman Interesting Alex Delaware novel about an investigation into the murders of artists. Milo and Alex struggle to find out who is the killer before they strike again.

Bones (Alex Delaware #23) by Jonathan Kellerman Not the best of the Delaware novels this follows a complicated case involving bodies that were dumped in marsh and the disappearance of a wealthy family.

The Fox and the Hound: The Birth of American Spying by Donald E. Markle While this book is a bit dry and probably written from a historians perspective this is valuable because it covers all aspects of spying in the Revolutionary War rather than focusing on a specific ring like the Culper Ring. He goes methodically thru the various Revolutionary War departments covers the spies, the battles they helped provided intelligence for and how they helped to shape the outcome of the War. At the end of each section he gives a short profile of an exemplary spy. One of the good things about this book is that is also covers British and Loyalist spies in addition to American spies.

Secret New York - An Unusual Guide. Local Guides by Local People by T.M. Rives I am not sure how this would work as a travel book for someone coming to NYC for the 1st or second time on vacation as this certainly doesn’t cover the main “tourist” sites. But as someone who live in the suburbs and works in Manhattan this is a great book full of unseen gems that one can check out when they are in the neighborhood they are located or even a jaunt on a free day to check out multiple ones. It is broken up nicely by location as they are all grouped together. Each site is broken down into 1 photo and a 1 page description which includes details on how to get there, subway bus route etc. An excellent read.

A Yankee Century: A Celebration of the First Hundred Years of Baseball's Greatest Team by Harvey Frommer Pretty good overview of the Yankees first 100 years. Profiles of the best players, the highlights and lowlights of the franchise.

Calico Joe by John Grisham Very good non legal book about baseball from Grisham. Tells the story of a boy seeking redemption from his estranged father and trying to right a major wrong done by the father when he played in the major leagues. Just a quick short read but very good.

Takedown: The Pursuit and Capture of Kevin Mitnick, America's Most Wanted Computer Outlaw - By the Man Who Did It by Tsutomu Shimomura, John Markoff An ok book about the hunt for Kevin Mitnick the legendary computer hacker. It follows the quest of one of the people who was hacked to get justice for the intrusion of his computer system. The book shows the FBI’s non knowledge of computer crimes and their reluctance to get involved at times. It is told strictly from Shimomura’s viewpoint and can be a bit tedious and slow moving at times.

The Dark Tide (Ty Hauck #1) by Andrew Gross This book follows a woman’s quest to find out what happened to her husband who is killed in a train bombing. When she is threatened and told to pay over something he has done she teams up with local lawman Ty Hauck to see what her husband was into. It’s an okay quick read.

The Two Minute Rule by Robert Crais Interesting story by Crais in which the roles are reversed. Max Hollman is released from jail and finds out that his estranged son an LA police officer was murdered the day before. When he doesn’t get the answers he wants he believes that the police may be involved and starts to investigate assisted by the former FBI agent who put him in jail 10 years before. Good read.

Hitman: The Untold Story of Johnny Martorano: Whitey Bulger's Enforcer and the Most Feared Gangster in the Underworld by Howie Carr This book tells the story of Whitey Bulger and Steve Flemmi and the Winter Hill gang from the perspective of Johnny Martorano a hitman who killed 20 people and turned government informant once he found out that Whitey and Flemmi had been FBI informants during the whole time he knew them. Ok book but it drags a bit.

Devil's Corner by Lisa Scottoline Not a Rosato and Associates book but this is a good effort from Scottoline. Vicki Allergetti is a new US Attorney on a routine visit to a witness. She walks in on a murder that leaves the witness and the ATF witness with her dead. Told to stay off the case she investigates with an unlikely partner as they struggle to find out why the witness was killed despite the fact that the policy don’t seem that interested.

The First Rule (Elvis Cole #13) by Robert Crais Personally I prefer the Crais books where Joe Pike takes the lead over Elvis. This book follows Pike’s journey into the Eastern European underworld to find out who killed a former member of his team and his family. Non stop Pike action, good read.

Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports
by Mark Fainaru-Wada, Lance Williams This is an okay book which follows the Balco scandal and the emergin culture of steroid use in sports particularly in baseball and track and field. The book seems to go back and forth between chapter on Barry Bonds and his bulking up and the track and field athletes, in particular Marion Jones, that Balco is working with. It ends prior to Jones’s confession and being stripped of her medals and of the Bond’s trial so a lot of information is left out as the case has not concluded at the end of the book.

 

[jen]

Re: Another Book Thread

Read two non-fiction books that were interesting -

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grocery-Buying-Selling-Food-America/dp/1419723863">Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America</a> by Michael Ruhlman. This got a little preachy at times, but was still an interesting look at the evolution of eating, cooking, shopping and grocery stores.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Word-Secret-Life-Dictionaries/dp/110197026X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1534768794&sr=1-1&keywords=kory+stamper">Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries</a> by Kory Stamper. Secret life indeed. I had no idea what was involved in writing a dictionary and the detail involved (and I thought MY job was nerdy - these are super nerds). This got a little dry at times, but I think that was part of the point. Still an entertaining and very informative book.

Still cranking through Parker's Spenser series, and enjoying all of them. Just finished 26.

Also, there's a new Alex Cross book due out in October.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Another Book Thread

For Harry Potter fans.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertain...re-in-harry-potter/ar-BBMfLsD?ocid=spartandhp