What book are you reading?

[pinetreelover]

I am still making my way through Virgil Wander by Leif Enger. It is hard to explain - I don't dislike the story, but I enjoy the writing much more than the story itself and I carry on to find treasures like these:

Virgil, who had a recent head injury and memory loss, speaking with his doctor -
"He asked whether language was returning, and I said yes but slowly. Seeing my frustration, he said if a person were to lose any grammar then let it be adjectives. You could get by minus adjectives. In fact you appeared more decisive without them. He asked politely after my nouns, which were mostly intact, then declared with sudden intensity ti was verbs you must truly not lose. Without verbs nothing gets done."

And this passage describing an old friend who's husband had gone missing -
"Drawn is an adjective meaning careworn, but Nadine looked drawn in the verb sense too - as though the slight softening of her cheek, the swanlike parentheticals at her mouth were the careful work of pencils or charcoal...somehow the years revealed her strength. Like a willow she turned all weather to advantage."

[greatblueheron]

Miracle at Midway
by Gordon Prange

WWII book on the important Battle of Midway. Told from both American and Japanese sides. Said to be the turning point of the Battle of the Pacific.

...as well as continuing Pachinko.

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by DawnMTL

Tonight I'll start Once More We Saw Stars: A Memoir by Jayson Greene. I knew from the synopsis that it would be a sad, devastating read and, this morning, when I read the first few pages, it was confirmed.

Just a heads up if anyone is planning on reading this. It's a very, very difficult book to read. It's short (about 230 pages) and yet I've only been able to get to (approximately) page 65 so far. I keep turning off my e-reader to get hold of myself. Sometimes I cry. It's a horribly sad story, yes, but the way that the author talks about himself and his family (and Greta! little Greta!) makes it unbearable. I will definitely continue reading, I will definitely finish, but it's going to take time.

[Mikala43]

I'm going to start Winter World by Ken Follett as an audio book. I usually have trouble with audio books that have a long story line (fiction), but want to try.

I normally need something that will allow my mind to wander for a few minutes without having to rewind it, but sometimes something will totally capture my brain, and I really liked the first book.

[O.R.I.O.N]

Finished Killing The Deep State by Jerome Corsi. Good book now onto this huge stack I have from library. I put 50 on hold at a time and I think I have about that many here!

[greatblueheron]

Originally Posted by Mikala43

I'm going to start Winter World by Ken Follett as an audio book. I usually have trouble with audio books that have a long story line (fiction), but want to try.

I normally need something that will allow my mind to wander for a few minutes without having to rewind it, but sometimes something will totally capture my brain, and I really liked the first book.

Been a long time but I remembér liking the book....


Reading another WWII book,

D-Day
by Stephen Ambrose.

Pachinko too.

[jbgusa]

During late March and early April I read Lightfoot by Nicholas Jennings.

I'm giving the book five stars, with some minor reservations. The book does explore the singer's alcohol abuse and problems with spouses, and a few other bad decisions. The book does not really try to explain how those developed.

Those reservations aside the book is excellent, as is the subject singer. I was quite interested in the background of many of the songs, since the often tell a story. I quite agree with his favorable comparison to the even more erratic, yet more famous Bob Dylan. In many ways they are comparable. Lightfoot musically grew up in the folk coffeehouses of Toronto; Dylan in New York. Both focus heavily on lyrics and less so on music. Both have multiple troubled marriages. Personally I prefer Lightfoot though both have significant merit. As does this book.

UPDATE: I saw Gordon Lightfoot in concert last night. It was excellent. I will post more details if there is an appropriate place on CD on which to discuss concerts.

[jbgusa]

During April I read Disarmed: Unconventional Lessons from the World's Only One-Armed Special Forces Sharpshooter by Izzy Ezagui. The book was exciting, gripping and excessively disorganized. That last quibble is minor; perhaps that's what happens when memoirs are not largely written by ghostwriters. The book in many ways reminds me of Hunter Thomson, Israeli-style.

[jbgusa]

I just finished Terrible Swift Sword: The Life of General Philip H. Sheridan by Joseph Wheelan

The only reason why I don't give the book a "5" is the lack of discussion about whether Sheridan's "total war" tactics were necessary against the Plains Indians. The book discussed the necessity concerning the Civil War. The book at times verged at times on being a hagiography. Otherwise, the book contained a lot of information about both the General and the times of which I was not aware. The book had a particularly interesting discussion about Role in the early history of Yellowstone National Park. I was unaware that he had interests beyond the military.

I would recommend this book highly to any person with a serious interest in history.

[mxxm98]

Going to start reading The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. It has good reviews so I hope it’s a good one