What Are You Reading

Harp · Aug 23, 2017

Rebecca Goldstein, the late-summer passion of a woman of mind

A female philosopher falls prey to Eros, reflecting the Homeric aphorism, Aphrodite robs the wits of the wise, so'er prudent.

Benzadmiral · Aug 28, 2017

Re-reading Steinbeck's The Wayward Bus, from 1947. My paperback edition's cover has a B & W still from the film, with Joan Collins as the wife of the diner owner/bus driver. The film must have been, uh, "interesting," with Joan and Jayne Mansfield (though all the other roles look like great casting). Anyway, top-notch book, with Steinbeck's trademark clear writing and sharp drawing of character.

Tiki Tom · Aug 28, 2017

"The Sign" by Thomas De Wesselow, about the search for the truth behind the Shroud of Turin. The Author is a Professor at King's College, Cambridge, and the Sunday Times describes him as "The thinking man's Dan Brown". Sounds pretty good, right? And the first half of the book is good. Mr. De Wesselow describes himself as a skeptical Agnostic. But for all that, he does a thorough job of debunking the notion that the Shroud is a medieval forgery. He savages what he calls the "carbon-dating fiasco", and he gives a convincing explanation that the shroud was a holy relic in Byzantium before that city was sacked in about the year 1200. He, in fact, comes to the conclusion that the only explanation that fits the facts is that the shroud of Turin is, in fact, genuine. Meaning that it is the burial shroud of Jesus Christ. So far, the book reads like a rather egg-headed Indiana Jones. Lots of quoting original sources and discussions with scientists, etc.

Unfortunately, he goes off the rails towards the end of the book when he comes up with (to my mind) a fairly half-baked "cultural" explanation to explain the resurrection. In short, he thinks that pre-modern peoples frequently gave their idols and icons human characteristics and that when the gospels say that so-and-so witnessed the resurrected Jesus, what they were really saying was that they saw what is now called the Shroud of Turin. It's a clever explanation that I've never heard before, but ---to me--- it doesn't ring true. Bit of a stretch. So: first half of the book was quite good, but the end had me shrugging and tossing it aside. Oh well. I did learn an awful lot about that odd ancient relic.

52Styleline · Aug 29, 2017

Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam by Mark Bowden.

Good episodic telling of the major battle scene of the Tet Offensive from the perspective of participants from both sides, and civilians caught between them. Reveals the ineptitude* of Johnson, Robert STRANGE** McNamara and General Westmoreland (and their senior staffs and officers) who all refused to face the reality of what was happening or even listen to the forces on the ground who saw it happening. The book was obviously written to engender a movie, which they are making.

The book is particularly interesting to me because at that time I was serving on a ship hanging out at Yankee Station off the coast of Viet Nam. Some of the destroyers and cruisers around us were called upon to provide fire support to the marines desperately fighting in Hue City. My ship did not fire but we certainly heard the guns. Westmoreland was faked out of his shorts by a Viet Cong feint at Khe Sanh. He started sending his forces and equipment there leaving only a small force of marines at Hue which is where Charlie was really headed-in force. He stubbornly refused to admit he had been fooled and was relieved from command shortly thereafter.

Even after all these years, the book reignited my anger at our military and political leaders of that era and the total waste of life and treasure that was the Viet Nam War.

*The author said this.
**STRANGE was really Robert's middle name.

scotrace · Aug 29, 2017

Just finished "Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner and Saint." by Nadia Bolz-Weber. I'm going to hear her speak in October and can't wait.

Harp · Aug 29, 2017

The Key to The Name of the Rose, Adele Haft, Jane G White, Robert J White

Unravels the arcana, philosophic and theological mysteries of Umberto Eco's fourteenth-century murder romp.

Tiki Tom · Aug 29, 2017

Definitely some books mentioned here that I'm gonna have to look for. That Vietnam book sounds like it's up my alley and I'm going to google Nadia Bolz-Weber. An intriguing endorsement from our Head Bartender.

Read The Name of the Rose when I was in my 20s. Would probably get a lot more out of it now!

Harp · Aug 29, 2017

52Styleline said:
Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam by Mark Bowden.

Westmoreland was faked out of his shorts by a Viet Cong feint at Khe Sanh. He started sending his forces and equipment there leaving only a small force of marines at Hue which is where Charlie was really headed-in force. He stubbornly refused to admit he had been fooled and was relieved from command ...

Tiki Tom said:
Read The Name of the Rose when I was in my 20s. Would probably get a lot more out of it now!

I admired General Giap when I was a soldier. Westmoreland was a conventional, highly overrated officer.
_____________

I stayed away from Eco's writing earlier in life because I thought his perspective on other matters was skewered Wittgenstein.
His fictional writing though is quite erudite and not to be foolishly skipped or passed over. I have learned from my mistake.

tmal · Aug 29, 2017

I recently discovered the joy of"forgotten" authors. I have been reading Sapper (Bulldog Drummond - the 007 of the 20's) Earl Beggers (Charlie Chan), and no, they are not like the movies. and H Rider Haggard (King Solomons Mines is awesome. Last night I finished Scaramouche by Sabatini - long but a real page turner.

DNO · Sep 2, 2017

Finished "Field Grey" and have started 'March Violets' by the same author, Philip Kerr. It's set in Berlin in the mid-30s. Interesting writer. I was trying to describe his approach to my wife and the best I could come up with was that he was sort of a cross between Chandler and John Le Carre. And like Le Carre, you have to pay attention...no skimming or you'll miss something.

I suspect most avid readers are like me and have several books on the go at the same time. I'm also reading 'The Blooding' by James McGee as well as 'Escape from Canada' by John Melady. The latter is a non-fiction history of German POWs in Canada.

Touchofevil · Sep 2, 2017

I've been on a Ross Macdonald kick the past couple of weeks. Black Money (1966) and now The Wycherly Woman (1961).

vintage.vendeuse · Sep 3, 2017

I recently picked up a 1940 first edition (no DJ) of I Married Adventure by Osa Johnson and am looking forward to cracking it open. It's an early 20th century true-life safari story of an interesting Kansas couple.
From Amazon dot com:
"Before Joy Adamson went to Africa, before Margaret Mead sailed to Samoa, before Dian Fossey was even born, a Kansas teenager named Osa Leighty married Martin Johnson, a pioneering photographer just back from a ‘round-the-world cruise with Jack London. Together the Johnsons flew and sailed to Borneo, to Kenya, and to the Congo, filming Simba and other popular nature movies with Martin behind the camera and Osa holding her rifle at the ready in case the scene’s big game star should turn hostile. This bestselling memoir retraces their careers in rich detail, with precisely observed descriptions and often heart-stopping anecdotes. Illustrated with scores of the dramatic photos that made the Johnsons famous, it’s a book sure to delight every lover of true adventure."

HanauMan · Sep 3, 2017

Going thru my Edwardians again (though this was actually written in WWII). Currently reading the long poem The Garden by Vita Sackville - West.

Now that I have left my small apartment for a small house with a small garden I feel its the right time to delve into this poem.

scotrace · Sep 3, 2017

Starting Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout.

AmateisGal · Sep 4, 2017

The Last Convertible by Anton Myrer.

Fading Fast · Sep 5, 2017

AmateisGal said:
The Last Convertible by Anton Myrer.

First time? If so, I'm jealous. I've read it twice, but the first time is the most fun. Great time travel.

scottyrocks · Sep 5, 2017

I just finished Norse Mythology as told by Neil Gaiman. It was very entertaining. I love his writing style, and have read many of his books.

AmateisGal · Sep 5, 2017

Fading Fast said:
First time? If so, I'm jealous. I've read it twice, but the first time is the most fun. Great time travel.

Yep, first time.

Harp · Sep 5, 2017

AmateisGal said:
The Last Convertible by Anton Myrer.

AmateisGal said:
Yep, first time.

I've read The Last Convertible more than a few times, preferably with some Big Band music playing gently in the background.

Edward · Sep 7, 2017

REcently finished 11/22/63, and moved on to Joyland. For my money, Stephen King is one of the most gifted living novelists globally, and deserves to be more highly valued. Probably will be after his death; popular authors rarely get the critical acclaim they deserve (as literature, as distinct from entertainment) during their liftetimes, especially if they are perceived as 'genre'.

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