What Are Your Favorite Books To Reread? / How Many Times? / Why?

Fading Fast · Feb 14, 2018

An author that doesn't come up in our reading thread often, but who has a real Fedora Lounge soul is Pete Hamill.

I've read several of his books - and have enjoyed them all - but a couple that I want to read again because they create a wonderful Golden Era atmosphere are "North River" in the fiction world and "Why Sinatra Matters" in the non-fiction one.

Has anyone else read these or anything by Hamill?

LizzieMaine · Feb 14, 2018

I used to read his stuff in the Daily News, and was especially fond of his baseball columns. As far as I know he was the first writer to commit the "Shoot O'Malley Twice" joke to print, and for that alone he's a favorite. I've never read any of his fiction, though -- perhaps I should.

Harp · Feb 14, 2018

Bugguy said:
Boss - Mike Royko
Slats Grobnik and some other friends - Mike Royko
Deathworld (Vol. 1) - Harry Harrison
Snakes Alive: And How They Live - Clifford Pope

If I took all the books I have left over to Half-Price Books, these would be the four I kept.

1st - There will only be one Boss, and not that guy from New Jersey. You'd need to grow up in Chicago and read Royko's columns in the Tribune to fully understand the Machine. The Dems today wish the had the clout... mere pretenders of the Great One. Fast Eddie and his buddies were never cut a break.

2nd - Royko never lived long enough to see the Cubs win the series. He - like my father - lived under the curse of the billy goat. Read this and you'll gain an appreciation for his completely non-PC sarcasm, wit and unwavering loyalty to the Cubs (and Bears, and Da Coach); as well as the politicians, reporters and off-duty cops that have long moved on from the Billy Goat Tavern on Lower Wacker.

I met Royko when he gave a talk to the Veterans Club at the University of Illinois-Chicago; one of a kind and a real character. Had Boss autographed, lost it
of course, but a first-rate political science text in addition to a brass knuckler take on the Machine.

The Cubs are clearly primed for a repeat World Series season. Lester, Hendricks, Quintana, Chatwood, Darvish, Montgomery, Morrow, and, perhaps, Wilson penned.

Fading Fast · Feb 14, 2018

LizzieMaine said:
I used to read his stuff in the Daily News, and was especially fond of his baseball columns. As far as I know he was the first writer to commit the "Shoot O'Malley Twice" joke to print, and for that alone he's a favorite. I've never read any of his fiction, though -- perhaps I should.

I think you'd like "North River," it's got a good vibe to it. IMHO, one reads his books for "atmosphere" and "time travel" more than the plots (his weakness).

Also, you read some heavy and hard hitting stuff (as do I, just not as often as you), so it's nice sometimes to just read a good, enjoyable book that doesn't bring all of the world's harshness front and center.

If you do, please let me know what you think of it. I remember also enjoying his "Snow in August," "Downtown" and the aforementioned Sinatra book. My guess, "North River" would be the one you'd enjoy the most, but you might want to read through the summaries of those before you choose.

HadleyH1 · Feb 14, 2018

All books about the Lost Generation, American artists, wtiters, painters who went to Europe ...Paris 1920s....

also

Bios about Tzar Nicholas II and family, their last days and their horrible murder by the Bolsheviks which will remain one of the darkest moments of last century.

I would/have reread any of those, two times at least.

Harp · Feb 14, 2018

HadleyH1 said:
All books about the Lost Generation, American artists, wtiters, painters who went to Europe ...Paris 1920s....

Have you ever read Geniuses Together: American Writers in Paris in the 1920s writ by Humphrey Carpenter?
Supposedly a bit staid about the Montparnasse crowd but its wrap includes the second tier straphangers and other folk caught in the postwar Paris orbit.

HadleyH1 · Feb 14, 2018

Harp said:
Have you ever read Geniuses Together: American Writers in Paris in the 1920s writ by Humphrey Carpenter?
Supposedly a bit staid about the Montparnasse crowd but its wrap includes the second tier straphangers and other folk caught in the postwar Paris orbit.

Absolutely I have! (several times

)

"The author depics fascinatingly the wealth of talent in Paris in the 20s.....gossipy but sensitive"
Vogue-

One of the best books about the Lost Generation

love it

Harp · Feb 16, 2018

HadleyH1 said:
Absolutely I have! (several times)

I spent several years in Europe, mainly in Greece-Thessalonikki and Athens betwixt Honolulu, goofing around during my early twenties.
Touched Paris, thought about staying there for school, flirted with the notion of attending the Sorbonne on Vietnam's GI Bill but returned
to Chicago instead. Some regrets about leaving perhaps too soon.

Stanley Doble · Feb 18, 2018

A book I have read several times is Dreemz by Ben Stein. It tells the story of his first year in Hollywood. It always makes me laugh for some reason I can't explain.

Antje · Apr 26, 2019

I love re-reading Harry Potter, and I don't know how many times I read Lad a dog, I love it every time

Fading Fast · Apr 26, 2019

Antje said:
I love re-reading Harry Potter, and I don't know how many times I read Lad a dog, I love it every time

As a dog family and with a girlfriend who is dog crazy and from a dog-crazy family - I can't believe I've never heard of "Lad A Dog," but will be ordering a copy today.

Antje · Apr 26, 2019

Fading Fast said:
As a dog family and with a girlfriend who is dog crazy and from a dog-crazy family - I can't believe I've never heard of "Lad A Dog," but will be ordering a copy today.

OH you should it is such a lovely book, Albert Payson Terhune wrote multiple dog books

Fading Fast · Apr 26, 2019

Antje said:
OH you should it is such a lovely book, Albert Payson Terhune wrote multiple dog books

Done - a copy is on its way to us. Thank you for the recommendation.

And to return the recommendation favor, the best dog book I've read recently is this one: https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/what-are-you-reading.10557/page-397#post-2425450

Woodtroll · Apr 26, 2019

Antje said:
I love re-reading Harry Potter, and I don't know how many times I read Lad a dog, I love it every time

I loved that book as a teenager, and reread it several times. I have no idea where the original went, but will have to find another copy.

Antje · Apr 27, 2019

Fading Fast said:
Done - a copy is on its way to us. Thank you for the recommendation.

And to return the recommendation favor, the best dog book I've read recently is this one: https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/what-are-you-reading.10557/page-397#post-2425450

Well that sounds like a great story too, might check that one out

anyexcuse · Nov 23, 2019

I've read like others have the Lord of the Rings trilogy multiple times, along with some of Hemmingway's books. A few others, I'm sure. I read somewhere that a person should read the classic books at least three times on one's life. Once when they are young, again when they are middle aged and yet again when they are old. Each time the perspective of age will bring different meanings the the writings.

jackpot · Dec 18, 2019

Tiki Tom,

Wow, your post brought me back.... I guess it was in the 70's when I read as much Michener as I could get my hands on. Loved Tales of the South Pacific; Islands in the Stream is also one of my favorites. In more recent decades, favorites include Tolkien's works, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, the works of Clarke/Bradbury, Blank Spots on the Map, the works of (the Late) Peter Mayle, and pretty much everything by William Gibson.

Old Mariner · May 20, 2020

It depends upon the subject matter I am dealing with:

The majority of my books are "guidebooks" - for example, essential oil profiles, or herb profiles. These can be accessed either frequently or not depending on whether or not I am working with said item/s. I happened to download samples of books where I can "transfer" my herbal work knowledge to that of making more of my own bitters and liquors and such. (I already made my own Orange Bitters, which turned out well.) In this case, I can cross reference between the booze books and my herbal books.

Other actual "sit down and read" books, I have read a few times over. I have a number of maritime/merchant marine type books which I like to reference when something comes up with shipping (like the current pandemic or natural disaster). Two helpful books in this regard are: The Box (2nd ed.) and Ninety Percent of Everything. (The former being about how the shipping container changed the global economy.)

On the rare occasion that something regarding WWI, inter-war/pre-WWII, and early WWII comes up on U Boats, I can then go reference that as that is the specific period I focus on, not so much mid to late war.

jackpot · May 20, 2020

Fading Fast said:
As a dog family and with a girlfriend who is dog crazy and from a dog-crazy family - I can't believe I've never heard of "Lad A Dog," but will be ordering a copy today.

Hi,

Just came upon your post... Terhune is buried not very far from my home in NJ. Also, his most famous dog, Lad, is buried about a mile or so away from me, in Sunnybank Park. I've visited it a few times. My dad told me about Terhune when we moved into the area, years ago.

Turnip · Jul 31, 2020

Read this one two times completely so far and take it in hand from time to time looking up facts, names...

If you‘re interested in how the third Reich‘s police, extinction system and oppression aparatus has been organized, who the people were who ran that system and how they organized their transfer into post war society this is for sure one of THE titles of younger German history research to read.

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