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Another Book Thread

Re: Another Book Thread

Trying to catch up on reading. Just finished The Plot To Seize The White House by Jules Archer (about the Wall Street putsch or business plot of 1934), very good book, highly recommended. Major General Smedley Butler should be a household name. Also a very incisive anecdote from General David Shoup regarding what “national security” means. If only Senators Sam Dickstein and John McCormack had a bit more courage to dig into the $ behind the putsch we might have a very different country. The notes at the end are critical.

Now reading:
Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings (I love Killing Eve!). Not heavy reading but quite fun and I love Villanelle! About 1/2 through now and will read the rest in the series.

Family of Secrets by Russ Baker. 37 pages in and i’m stunned by just how much of Poppy Bush’s life has been obscured or omitted in media when, if dissected like Baker is doing, this guy would never have become president or Vice President before that. So far a thorough dissection Of Poppy’s rise and the Bush clans ties to the Dulles brothers going all the way back to Samuel Prescott Bush (Remington Arms Co.), Prescott Sheldon Bush then HW. 460 pages to go and i’m Excited to see what Baker has uncovered. The notes at the end are extensive and vital thusfar.
 
Re: Another Book Thread

Current list; hopping about on mood:

Consider Phlebas, Iain Banks (book 1 of the Culture series)
The Plague, Albert Camus
Finnegan's Wake, James Joyce
The Prisoner In The Mask, Dennis Wheatley (book 8 -- 1st chronologically -- of the Duke de Richleau series)
The Underground Man, Ross Macdonald (book 16 of the Archer series)

Joyce is an aspirational read -- I'm never, ever going to read it all. But it's really fun to read a couple pages now and then for the brain-melting complexity.
 
Re: Another Book Thread

Hardcover
Paperback
eBook?

How do you currently read your books?

Had a thought - will future archeologists be able to read about our culture if everything is only an eBook?
 
joecct said:
Hardcover
Paperback
eBook?

How do you currently read your books?

Had a thought - will future archeologists be able to read about our culture if everything is only an eBook?
Click to expand...

Hardcover and paperback. I love the medium, just like with music I won’t go digital.
 
Re: Another Book Thread

joecct said:
Hardcover
Paperback
eBook?

How do you currently read your books?

Had a thought - will future archeologists be able to read about our culture if everything is only an eBook?
Click to expand...

Hardcover or paperback. Added audiobooks since my concussion (also had to switch to large print - not back to regular print yet).

Lately, I've had to add e-audiobooks (via Libby and Hoopla), because my library is closed.
 
Re: Another Book Thread

Went to the library to return my books; the notice is to keep them until they reopen. Even the after-hours return slot is closed.
 
Re: Another Book Thread

joecct said:
Hardcover
Paperback
eBook?

How do you currently read your books?

Had a thought - will future archeologists be able to read about our culture if everything is only an eBook?
Click to expand...
Currently listening to an audiobook, have a paperback by the bed and a hard cover library book in progress.

Audiobooks when I am walking. Started using it a few months ago. Not so keen on it if I am at home.

No kindle, ebooks. Can't seem to pay attention to them.
 
Re: Another Book Thread

If anyone is interested, I Am Legend by Richard Matheson is on sale today on various eBook/Kindle sites for $1.99 (normally $9.99)
Amazon
Apple
Barnes&Noble
Google
Kobo
 
Re: Another Book Thread

joecct said:
If anyone is interested, I Am Legend by Richard Matheson is on sale today on various eBook/Kindle sites for $1.99 (normally $9.99)
Amazon
Apple
Barnes&Noble
Google
Kobo
Click to expand...

Neat. Thanks.

The Comedy of Terrors was on TCM last night. He wrote it. But if something was interesting or screwball between 1955 and 1970 and on radio, TV, or movies, odds are it was written by either him, Arch Obler, George Lefferts (still alive at 98!), Ernest Kinoy, or Robert Sheckley.
 
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Re: Another Book Thread

Just signed up for Audible, since their availability is better for new books. I don't plan on paying for individual books, but I'll try it out and use my free credits. Currently listening to Cactus League by Emily Nemens. Just finished The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek - pretty good.

My library has 2 digital resources for e-audiobooks - Hoopla and Libby. Hoopla has better availability. Both interfaces suck and I can't wait until the library is open again.

I've been thinking of listening to The Count of Monte Cristo. Never read it. However, it is 50+ hours. I don't have any more free time than I had last week (less, actually). Still worth the time?
 
Re: Another Book Thread

joecct said:
Hardcover
Paperback
eBook?

How do you currently read your books?

Had a thought - will future archeologists be able to read about our culture if everything is only an eBook?
Click to expand...

I tend to read real books except on vacation then I take my kindle because it's easier than toting around 8-10 books.
 
Re: Another Book Thread

MissThundercat said:
Went to the library to return my books; the notice is to keep them until they reopen. Even the after-hours return slot is closed.
Click to expand...

I dropped mine into the overnight bin the morning they decided to close the library 2 weeks ago. I downloaded a couple the other day and they still have them checked out to me except now they are due on May 20th.
 
Re: Another Book Thread

I recommend Albert Camus' "The Plague." In addition to being an enjoyable (and quick) read, a great novel, and a fascinating exposition of philosophy, it is also following our epidemic note for note.
 
Re: Another Book Thread

Recent reads Not a whole lot of reading since working from home doesn't entail an hour and a half on the train. Also catching up on my short ebooks since the library is closed.

The Warsaw Protocol (Cotton Malone #15) by Steve Berry This book finds Cotton hired by the new administration to find and get information on Poland’s President in order to get missiles put in the country. At odds with almost everyone he must compete against an old adversary to obtain the information. Not as good as the prior Malone novels

Night Moves (Alex Delaware #33) by Jonathan Kellerman Certainly not the best of the Delaware series. The plot kind of meanders along and the end when it comes is a little unusual. A lot of the things that happen during the book are pretty implausible.

The Fifth Assassin (Culper Ring #2) by Brad Meltzer You have to read the first book in the series to understand the second book. A man is killing clergyman and impersonating presidential assassins to boot. I’m not sure how they make the jump to the current president is in danger. As Beecher and the ring struggle with whether or not to save a President who has it out for them. This was not that great.

Act of War (Jason Richter #1) by Dale Brown A new series from Brown finds a unit of supersoldiers in robot like suits teaming up with traditional units and law enforcement to track down terrorists. Thought the books jumped around quite a bit and I figured out the ending early on so wasn’t a whole lot of surprise.

The Old Blue Line (Joanna Brady #15.5) by J.A. Jance This is basically a Butch Dixon story. He finds himself in his bar when several detective from Las Vegas come in and accuse him of killing his ex wife who took him for everything he had. Fearing he might be charged he visits an old friend who marshals his contacts in law enforcement to try and clear his name. OK short story fills in some of the blanks regarding Butch’s past.

No Honor Among Thieves (Ali Reynolds #10.5) by J.A. Jance A short Brady/Reynolds crossover finds Brady wanting to track down a murder and Ali and her team trying to track down a Lego thief. Pretty good short read.

Random Acts (Joanna Brady #16.6) by J.A. Jance I found this short Brady novella very interesting. Usually these short stories fill in gaps between books or cover some issue from the past. This deals with a major issue involving two major characters the death of Joanna’s mother and step father. Very good read.

Stand Down (J.P. Beaumont #21.5) by J.A. Jance A Short Beaumont novella which shows how JP and Mel are adapting to their new lives. Her as policy chief and him retired. Ok read.

Ring in the Dead (J.P. Beaumont #20.5) by J.A. Jance Good short Beaumont book that looks back at one of his first cases as a homicide detective where his partner is accused of homicide and he must try to clear his name.

Still Dead (J.P. Beaumont #22.5) by J.A. Jance This JP Beaumont novella finds him working at his new job tracking down cold cases. This follows a woman who believes her sister was murdered and didn’t commit suicide like everyone thinks. Good read.

Steeplechase by James Patterson Not a good bookshots, toggles back and forth between two different time frames as a woman feels she is trying to prevent saboteurs threatening the park in both time periods.

Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers: The Texas Victory That Changed American History
by Brian Kilmeade This is a pretty short overview of the battle for Texas Independence and the life of Sam Houston. I thought it was pretty well done though not huge amounts of detail for the major battle Alamo, Goliad and San Jacinto. Also not a whole lot from the Mexican side on the motives of Santa Anna.

Exit Fee (Pike Logan #13.5) by Brad Taylor This is a short Amena story where she gets involved with a white slavery ring shortly after entering the US with Pike and Jennifer. Pretty good short ebook with a crossover to the next novel .

Dungeon of Death by Scott Keith Interesting wrestling book as it deals with the scandals and heartbreaks associated with wrestlers related to the Hart Family. The pieces on Chris Benoit, Brian Pillman along with Bret and Owen Hart’s rise and fall are very good.

Profiles in Corruption: Abuse of Power by America's Progressive Elite by Peter Schweizer A very good book on the political shenanigans and ways that most of the Democratic contenders enriched themselves, their family or repaid political donors. I’m unsure why Eric Garcetti and Sherrod Brown and thrown in. In some books he takes on both parties but this book deals completely with progressive Democrats. Well researched and once you read it you should become an advocate for term limits.
 
Re: Another Book Thread

I am currently watching Narcos on Netflix. Enjoyed the first 2 season but new a lot due to reading Killing Pablo and some other books on the Medellin Cartel. The 3rd season about the Cali Cartel had a lot of new stuff for me. Can anybody recommend a good book to read about the Cali Cartel?
 
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