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Another Book Thread
- Thread starter jen
- Start date
Re: Another Book Thread
Recent reads
The Abduction by Mark Gimenez This was a pretty good book about an old Vietnam Vet who is living alone drinking to forget the horrors of war. He is forced to reenter society when his granddaughter is kidnapped and he must unite with his estranged son to try and save her. Not quite as good as Gimenez’s later novels.
Command a King's Ship (Richard Bolitho #8) by Alexander Kent Another very good Bolitho book which finds him commanding a ship between the American Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars to go to the Far East. One of his former captains is the ambassador and he finds himself fighting against French Mischief targeting them.
Rattlesnake Crossing (Joanna Brady #6) by J.A. Jance Another pretty good Joanna Brady series. For the second book in a row her daughter is absent for much of the book and their is more focus on police work. When investigating a bunch of dead cattle they find several murdered people and the sheriff and her team must search for the killer before the whole county gets into a panic.
The Generals of Saratoga: John Burgoyne and Horatio Gate by Max M. Mintz Growing up near Saratoga I have been to the battlefield numerous times including the reenactment on the 225th anniversary. I picked up the book as I am currently reading books on Revolutionary War figures and there is not a bio of either Gates or Burgoyne. This tells the story of the two men’s lives. It’s interesting that they once served together in the same British unit. The main thrust of the story is the lead up and battle at Saratoga. Pretty good read.
The Two Swords (Hunter's Blades #3) by R.A. Salvatore The conclusion of this Drizzt trilogy leaves one a bit lacking. All 3 books have really been one big battle campaign with the Orcs and their allies attempting to rout the dwarves out of the mountain home. It does introduce some new characters that will hopefully stick around but really doesn’t have the questing part in the book as Drizzt is separate from his companions for most of the 3 book set.
Attack at Daylight and Whip Them: The Battle of Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862 by Gregory A. Mertz I received this book when I donated money to help the American Battlefield Trust save land at Shiloh. I think this would have been most helpful if I was driving the battlefield which I was not. That being said it was a very good overview of the battle and the command decisions made. The next time I go visit the battlefield I will bring it along.
The Night Fire (Harry Bosch #22) by Michael Connelly Another solid Bosch/Ballard novel with a little bit of the Lincoln Lawyer thrown in. After attending a funeral of an old partner Harry is given an old casebook by the widow which prompts him to recruit Renee to help him solve one last case for his partner. He also gets involved in a case involving the murder or a judge thru his brother. Another solid effort.
The Guardians by John Grisham Pretty good book based on a charity similar to the Innocence Project a Priest/Lawyer working to get people he feels are innocent out of jail. The book follows several cases but focuses mainly on 1. One of the better recent Grisham novels, there were parts of the plot I felt could have been developed a little bit better.
Land of Wolves (Walt Longmire #15) by Craig Johnson The new Longmire book thankfully finds him back in Absaroka county dealing with Sheriff duties there rather than hunting down drug cartels in Mexico. Typical storyline of tracking down a Montana criminal though everyone in the office is fawning and protective of him after the injuries he received in Mexico. Good read definitely better than the last book.
Outlaw Mountain (Joanna Brady #7) by J.A. Jance Another good Brady book as this finds her investigating a missing woman found dead in the desert was it an accident was it a murder? Lots of character development with Joanna and the other people around her in her life.
Passage to Mutiny (Richard Bolitho #9) by Alexander Kent, Douglas Reeman To me the weakest of the Bolitho books with the exception of the earliest ones, I’m reading chronologically. Bolitho is still in the South Pacific we are in between the wars, American Revolution and Napoleonic. He finds himself fighting against Bureaucrats and pirates in an effort to save his crew and his career.
Deception (Alex Delaware #25) by Jonathan Kellerman A so so Delaware novel where he and Milo are investigating the death of a prep school teacher. This is complicated by the fact that the Police Chief’s son goes to the same school. A back and forth investigation leads them in many different directions.
Body of Lies by David Ignatius So this was a Goodreads recommendation. Frankly I wasn’t that impressed very much it was written more in the LeCarre spy novel style. Lots of talking and “craftwork” and very little real action.
Redcoat by Bernard Cornwell A stand alone Cornwell novel follows the career of a Redcoat in occupied Philadelphia during the Revolution. Okay book but I really expected more battlefield action and less “hanging” around HQ stuff. It does depict the Paoli Massacre and the Battle of Germantown along with the battle to take the forts outside Philadelphia. An okay read.
Recent reads
The Abduction by Mark Gimenez This was a pretty good book about an old Vietnam Vet who is living alone drinking to forget the horrors of war. He is forced to reenter society when his granddaughter is kidnapped and he must unite with his estranged son to try and save her. Not quite as good as Gimenez’s later novels.
Command a King's Ship (Richard Bolitho #8) by Alexander Kent Another very good Bolitho book which finds him commanding a ship between the American Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars to go to the Far East. One of his former captains is the ambassador and he finds himself fighting against French Mischief targeting them.
Rattlesnake Crossing (Joanna Brady #6) by J.A. Jance Another pretty good Joanna Brady series. For the second book in a row her daughter is absent for much of the book and their is more focus on police work. When investigating a bunch of dead cattle they find several murdered people and the sheriff and her team must search for the killer before the whole county gets into a panic.
The Generals of Saratoga: John Burgoyne and Horatio Gate by Max M. Mintz Growing up near Saratoga I have been to the battlefield numerous times including the reenactment on the 225th anniversary. I picked up the book as I am currently reading books on Revolutionary War figures and there is not a bio of either Gates or Burgoyne. This tells the story of the two men’s lives. It’s interesting that they once served together in the same British unit. The main thrust of the story is the lead up and battle at Saratoga. Pretty good read.
The Two Swords (Hunter's Blades #3) by R.A. Salvatore The conclusion of this Drizzt trilogy leaves one a bit lacking. All 3 books have really been one big battle campaign with the Orcs and their allies attempting to rout the dwarves out of the mountain home. It does introduce some new characters that will hopefully stick around but really doesn’t have the questing part in the book as Drizzt is separate from his companions for most of the 3 book set.
Attack at Daylight and Whip Them: The Battle of Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862 by Gregory A. Mertz I received this book when I donated money to help the American Battlefield Trust save land at Shiloh. I think this would have been most helpful if I was driving the battlefield which I was not. That being said it was a very good overview of the battle and the command decisions made. The next time I go visit the battlefield I will bring it along.
The Night Fire (Harry Bosch #22) by Michael Connelly Another solid Bosch/Ballard novel with a little bit of the Lincoln Lawyer thrown in. After attending a funeral of an old partner Harry is given an old casebook by the widow which prompts him to recruit Renee to help him solve one last case for his partner. He also gets involved in a case involving the murder or a judge thru his brother. Another solid effort.
The Guardians by John Grisham Pretty good book based on a charity similar to the Innocence Project a Priest/Lawyer working to get people he feels are innocent out of jail. The book follows several cases but focuses mainly on 1. One of the better recent Grisham novels, there were parts of the plot I felt could have been developed a little bit better.
Land of Wolves (Walt Longmire #15) by Craig Johnson The new Longmire book thankfully finds him back in Absaroka county dealing with Sheriff duties there rather than hunting down drug cartels in Mexico. Typical storyline of tracking down a Montana criminal though everyone in the office is fawning and protective of him after the injuries he received in Mexico. Good read definitely better than the last book.
Outlaw Mountain (Joanna Brady #7) by J.A. Jance Another good Brady book as this finds her investigating a missing woman found dead in the desert was it an accident was it a murder? Lots of character development with Joanna and the other people around her in her life.
Passage to Mutiny (Richard Bolitho #9) by Alexander Kent, Douglas Reeman To me the weakest of the Bolitho books with the exception of the earliest ones, I’m reading chronologically. Bolitho is still in the South Pacific we are in between the wars, American Revolution and Napoleonic. He finds himself fighting against Bureaucrats and pirates in an effort to save his crew and his career.
Deception (Alex Delaware #25) by Jonathan Kellerman A so so Delaware novel where he and Milo are investigating the death of a prep school teacher. This is complicated by the fact that the Police Chief’s son goes to the same school. A back and forth investigation leads them in many different directions.
Body of Lies by David Ignatius So this was a Goodreads recommendation. Frankly I wasn’t that impressed very much it was written more in the LeCarre spy novel style. Lots of talking and “craftwork” and very little real action.
Redcoat by Bernard Cornwell A stand alone Cornwell novel follows the career of a Redcoat in occupied Philadelphia during the Revolution. Okay book but I really expected more battlefield action and less “hanging” around HQ stuff. It does depict the Paoli Massacre and the Battle of Germantown along with the battle to take the forts outside Philadelphia. An okay read.
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Re: Another Book Thread
Good Reads Stats for 2019
184 Books
62,967 Pages
2 Books more but about 800 less pages than last year
AVERAGE LENGTH 342 pages
Shortest Book Assassins by Christopher Reich 15 pages
Longest Book Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Sebag Montefiore 848 pages
MOST POPULAR 73,517 people also read The Reckoning by John Grisham
Least Popular 5 people also read The Yellowstone Park Foundation's Official Guide to Yellowstone National Park
My Average Rating 2.9 about right as most books are rated 2 or 3 stars
Highest Rated Good reads books I read On Desperate Ground: The Marines at The Reservoir, the Korean War's Greatest Battle by Hampton Sides 4.57 my rating 4 stars
Personal ratings
5 Star 0
4 Star 24
3 Star 119
2 Star 41
1 Star 0
Good Reads Stats for 2019
184 Books
62,967 Pages
2 Books more but about 800 less pages than last year
AVERAGE LENGTH 342 pages
Shortest Book Assassins by Christopher Reich 15 pages
Longest Book Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Sebag Montefiore 848 pages
MOST POPULAR 73,517 people also read The Reckoning by John Grisham
Least Popular 5 people also read The Yellowstone Park Foundation's Official Guide to Yellowstone National Park
My Average Rating 2.9 about right as most books are rated 2 or 3 stars
Highest Rated Good reads books I read On Desperate Ground: The Marines at The Reservoir, the Korean War's Greatest Battle by Hampton Sides 4.57 my rating 4 stars
Personal ratings
5 Star 0
4 Star 24
3 Star 119
2 Star 41
1 Star 0
Last edited:
Re: Another Book Thread
A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson: very entertaining. The physics was a little cumbersome (even "dumbed down"), but lots of interesting information and written in a relatable style. I want to read his new book about the body as well.
A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson: very entertaining. The physics was a little cumbersome (even "dumbed down"), but lots of interesting information and written in a relatable style. I want to read his new book about the body as well.
Re: Another Book Thread
Just read about <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/Silent-Book-Club-women-reading-bar-San-Francisco-14954269.php?fbclid=IwAR1VHyg3MBGyLi0yHcn8dap8iLZq6qT2NGXjPAB-WfWwPA_rtWTDIl2g3Xk">Silent Book Club</a>. Awesome idea.
I feel like joining a "regular" book club will be college lit classes all over again, where loud, obnoxious, opinionated people are the only ones who discuss anything. Plus, I don't want to spend my valuable reading time reading something I have no interest in, or hate. This is almost perfect.
Just read about <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/Silent-Book-Club-women-reading-bar-San-Francisco-14954269.php?fbclid=IwAR1VHyg3MBGyLi0yHcn8dap8iLZq6qT2NGXjPAB-WfWwPA_rtWTDIl2g3Xk">Silent Book Club</a>. Awesome idea.
I feel like joining a "regular" book club will be college lit classes all over again, where loud, obnoxious, opinionated people are the only ones who discuss anything. Plus, I don't want to spend my valuable reading time reading something I have no interest in, or hate. This is almost perfect.
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Kepler
Cornell Big Red
Re: Another Book Thread
Concur.
I walked in on a Silent Writers Club meeting at a coffee house in Phoenix. Same plan but with people writing their own sh-t. It looked like heaven on Earth.
Concur.
I walked in on a Silent Writers Club meeting at a coffee house in Phoenix. Same plan but with people writing their own sh-t. It looked like heaven on Earth.
Re: Another Book Thread
I just finished The Man From the Train, a book by Bill James and his daughter Rachel (yes baseball fans, that Bill James).
It was a book that I've looked forward to reading since I first heard about it, but honestly I was kind of disappointed. The big thing is that for me it seemed like bad writing. The story is fascinating enough, and he has certainly done his typical yeoman's work in gathering data, but man the writing just wore on me.
I just finished The Man From the Train, a book by Bill James and his daughter Rachel (yes baseball fans, that Bill James).
It was a book that I've looked forward to reading since I first heard about it, but honestly I was kind of disappointed. The big thing is that for me it seemed like bad writing. The story is fascinating enough, and he has certainly done his typical yeoman's work in gathering data, but man the writing just wore on me.
Re: Another Book Thread
Saw this somewhere else and thought it was a fun question.... what books spawned your love of reading?
I remember reading the Serendipity series by Stephen Cosgrove in elementary school and checking them all out from the library. I had the Little House on the Prairie boxed set, also loved Nancy Drew, Beverly Cleary, Little Golden Books (esp. Poky Little Puppy), and a little later, Judy Blume.
As I got older, in middle school and high school, I read Sweet Valley Twins and then Sweet Valley High. Also a fantasy series called Dragonlance and everything by Michael Crichton. Probably the last time I read a fantasy book. Not sure why.
Saw this somewhere else and thought it was a fun question.... what books spawned your love of reading?
I remember reading the Serendipity series by Stephen Cosgrove in elementary school and checking them all out from the library. I had the Little House on the Prairie boxed set, also loved Nancy Drew, Beverly Cleary, Little Golden Books (esp. Poky Little Puppy), and a little later, Judy Blume.
As I got older, in middle school and high school, I read Sweet Valley Twins and then Sweet Valley High. Also a fantasy series called Dragonlance and everything by Michael Crichton. Probably the last time I read a fantasy book. Not sure why.
FadeToBlack&Gold
Kettle Medallion
Re: Another Book Thread
Crichton's career was ruined for me after he wrote State of Fear, but up until Jurassic Park he was good.
Loved David Eddings various high fantasy series as a teenager, maybe even more than LotR.
Crichton's career was ruined for me after he wrote State of Fear, but up until Jurassic Park he was good.
Loved David Eddings various high fantasy series as a teenager, maybe even more than LotR.
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Re: Another Book Thread
Last Crichton book I read was probably in 1995. Sphere was my favorite, if I recall correctly. I barely remember them now.
Last Crichton book I read was probably in 1995. Sphere was my favorite, if I recall correctly. I barely remember them now.
leswp1
New member
Re: Another Book Thread
What a fun question and what a trip down memory lane. I started to think of this and my head asploded. I read early and pretty much anything I could get my hands on. When we were in England my folks would go to the auction and pick up lots of the old Classics which I read cover to cover.
First book I remember- the story of Moses (it had beautiful watercolor illustrations)
Early elementary school- Aesop's Fables, lots of classic fairy tales, Happy Hollisters, The Bobbsey Twins, Black Beauty, Blaze (there were a few horsey books in the series) and some series that had a bunch of animals- Maybe Wind in the Willows altho I am pretty sure it was something different. The Borrowers series, Mrs Pigglewiggle. 'Striped Ice Cream' by Joan Lexau
Late Elementary- The Odyssey, The Illiad (read them Unabridged and loved them- later- blech!!), Classics by Dickens, Alcott, Twain, Robinson Crusoe, The little Princess, The Secret Garden. Harriet the Spy. Dahl, Nora Lofts series set in historical England. "Heartsease" by Peter Dickinson
Early teen- Judy Blume, James Bond, what ever science fiction was in the house, Bradbury, Poe, Hawthorne, Orwell. What ever we read for school I usually read them so fast I would end up reading what else they wrote. Loved the Transcendentalism, American Gothic period
College- Gone with the Wind and Shogun every Finals week. Tolkien. Connie Willis- Domesday and junk romance.
Grad school- Roberta Gellis Roselynde series, Brother Cadefael series, Gone with the Wind and Shogun every Finals week, Clan of the Cave Bear series
After- Outlander series- before it was popular then morphed into JD Robb, James Rollins, Cussler, Phillipa Gregory, historical novels set in Elizabethan or Medieval times and trash romance series- Jo Beverly, Julia Quinn, Amanda Quick/ Krentz.
Thank God for Libraries!! I have a wall of books that I read again- Many of them from when I was a kid. I have friends that are excited to read a book a month. I can read 2-3 new ones a week if I can find ones that I like. Have an old favorite I read right before I go to bed and what ever I am listening to when I walk every day.
Currently just finished listening to the first Poldark and now listening to Demelza Poldark (second in series). Set in Cornwall in the 1800s during the mining unrest and restructuring. Rambling but interesting. Have been to many of the places they mention and lived thru coal crisis in the 70s when the miners struck and the BBC talked about the history of mining a lot.
What a fun question and what a trip down memory lane. I started to think of this and my head asploded. I read early and pretty much anything I could get my hands on. When we were in England my folks would go to the auction and pick up lots of the old Classics which I read cover to cover.
First book I remember- the story of Moses (it had beautiful watercolor illustrations)
Early elementary school- Aesop's Fables, lots of classic fairy tales, Happy Hollisters, The Bobbsey Twins, Black Beauty, Blaze (there were a few horsey books in the series) and some series that had a bunch of animals- Maybe Wind in the Willows altho I am pretty sure it was something different. The Borrowers series, Mrs Pigglewiggle. 'Striped Ice Cream' by Joan Lexau
Late Elementary- The Odyssey, The Illiad (read them Unabridged and loved them- later- blech!!), Classics by Dickens, Alcott, Twain, Robinson Crusoe, The little Princess, The Secret Garden. Harriet the Spy. Dahl, Nora Lofts series set in historical England. "Heartsease" by Peter Dickinson
Early teen- Judy Blume, James Bond, what ever science fiction was in the house, Bradbury, Poe, Hawthorne, Orwell. What ever we read for school I usually read them so fast I would end up reading what else they wrote. Loved the Transcendentalism, American Gothic period
College- Gone with the Wind and Shogun every Finals week. Tolkien. Connie Willis- Domesday and junk romance.
Grad school- Roberta Gellis Roselynde series, Brother Cadefael series, Gone with the Wind and Shogun every Finals week, Clan of the Cave Bear series
After- Outlander series- before it was popular then morphed into JD Robb, James Rollins, Cussler, Phillipa Gregory, historical novels set in Elizabethan or Medieval times and trash romance series- Jo Beverly, Julia Quinn, Amanda Quick/ Krentz.
Thank God for Libraries!! I have a wall of books that I read again- Many of them from when I was a kid. I have friends that are excited to read a book a month. I can read 2-3 new ones a week if I can find ones that I like. Have an old favorite I read right before I go to bed and what ever I am listening to when I walk every day.
Currently just finished listening to the first Poldark and now listening to Demelza Poldark (second in series). Set in Cornwall in the 1800s during the mining unrest and restructuring. Rambling but interesting. Have been to many of the places they mention and lived thru coal crisis in the 70s when the miners struck and the BBC talked about the history of mining a lot.
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FadeToBlack&Gold
Kettle Medallion
Re: Another Book Thread
The film version of Congo was awesomely bad thanks entirely to Tim Curry. There is not one B-movie that guy can't improve.
The film version of Congo was awesomely bad thanks entirely to Tim Curry. There is not one B-movie that guy can't improve.
