I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. But now that Summer has official ended, and the kids are back in school, we need fresh topics to discuss.
Hmmm, anyone read any good books lately? I am reading "Burr" by Gore Vidal. I found it in the trash outside my building along with several other Vidal's books. Personally, I think people who throw books in the trash are evil, but in this case I am glad I found this stack. I have never read any of Vidal's novels and I must say, he is an wonderful writer. And
I have to add that, since everyone is obsessing over Alexander Hamilton the man and the musical, what a stroke of luck that fate stepped in with a free book about Aaron Burr.
Though it is an historical novel, Vidal paints a really interesting word-picture of the life and times of post-Revolution New York and our 3rd Vice President Aaron Burr. I knew very little about the man who shot Hamilton in a duel or Gore Vidal's writing, so I guess I will have to forgive the person who tossed these out. And for good measure, I took a little stroll to Trinity Church graveyard and paid my respects to Alexander Hamilton just in case he's still mad about the whole being shot dead and all.
So, that's all I've got. Does anyone have anything?
P.S. Here's hoping our dear leader Andrew is still on the mend!
Hmmm, anyone read any good books lately? I am reading "Burr" by Gore Vidal. I found it in the trash outside my building along with several other Vidal's books. Personally, I think people who throw books in the trash are evil, but in this case I am glad I found this stack. I have never read any of Vidal's novels and I must say, he is an wonderful writer. And
I have to add that, since everyone is obsessing over Alexander Hamilton the man and the musical, what a stroke of luck that fate stepped in with a free book about Aaron Burr.
Though it is an historical novel, Vidal paints a really interesting word-picture of the life and times of post-Revolution New York and our 3rd Vice President Aaron Burr. I knew very little about the man who shot Hamilton in a duel or Gore Vidal's writing, so I guess I will have to forgive the person who tossed these out. And for good measure, I took a little stroll to Trinity Church graveyard and paid my respects to Alexander Hamilton just in case he's still mad about the whole being shot dead and all.
So, that's all I've got. Does anyone have anything?
P.S. Here's hoping our dear leader Andrew is still on the mend!
13 comments:
"Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements," by Bob Mehr. Common knowledge Minneapolis' obnoxious sons loved to shoot themselves in the foot while perpetually biting the hands which fed them. Ultra depressing to read it in such glorious disaster detail. Woulda, coulda, shoulda been as big or bigger than R.E.M. (who I also love). Que sera sera ...
I've recently read the first four books of Domino Finn's Black Magic Outlaw series. It's urban fantasy set in Miami starring a young Cuban man who dabbled in black magic before he woke up in a dumpster with a bunch of muscles and tattoos he doesn't remember and Haitian witchdoctors/gangbangers (among many others) determined to kill him.
It's a fun, fast read though there are no big surprises. The protagonist has a strong voice and he is facing off against some very creative enemies. I have added it to the list of series I am reading through and I recommend it to other genre fans.
Also, I recently read Urban Enemies, which is an anthology of urban fantasy short stories told from perspective of people who are at best anti heroes at worst outright villains. The game when reading is trying to spot in what way the protagonist is 'off'. I found a couple new authors through it (including Domino Finn).
Hamilton is a fascinating historical character. He had a soldier's spirit. His attack on the British redoubts at Yorktown is still considered remarkable even by the Brits. Like most humans he was not an easy person to always figure out. I just re-read The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester..the finest science fiction novel ever written.
I'm finishing up Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series myself. Aside from a few jarring editing problems I definitely like it a lot! The world is great and he definitely put some good twists on some old stories with it. It's no replacement for the Dresden Files, of course, but I do consider it to be a strong series overall. I also recently finished Larry Correia's Monster Hunter Siege, which was good stuff too! Not sure what I'll be getting into next book-wise but between books and some games on Steam I've been pretty well entertained lately.
I'm afraid my reading habit has gone stale. Something to do with having a baby, I think. I've got the latest Michael Crichton novel, Dragon Teeth on my nightstand. It was meant to be summer reading. Alas.
I have managed to finally squeeze in The Dark Tower comics. I guess I thought they'd be an addition to the story rather than retelling of parts of the novels. Oh well. The art is a little too dark (color, not mood) and too detailed for my taste.
I think some of ya'll are lawyers, so let me ask a question. That nurse in Utah that refused to draw blood, was she within her rights (or the hospital's) to do that? When does the policy of an institution override the law? Were the cops being too rough or were they just doing their duty? It seems far more complicated than the news does into.
Critch, I am not a lawyer, but I do know that in most states, by obtaining a CDL, the holder is deemed to have consented to drug/alcohol testing.
It's been over a year since I read these two books but I cannot recommend them any higher:
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. The movie was good, but the book was incredible.
The Train to Crystal City: FDR's Secret Prisoner Exchange Program and America's Only Family Internment Camp During World War II by Jan Jarboe Russell. A heartbreaking book that you will not be able to put down.
Re-Reading Issac's Storm by Eric Larson. With all of the hurricanes happening it is a great book about the 1900 Galveston, Texas storm that killed over 6,000. And it happened on Sept. 8!
Just finished "As I Lay Dying" by Faulkner. Who would have thought that the white trash movement was so old.
The newest Monster Hunter book, Monster Hunter Siege.
I figured you'd finish up Siege pretty quickly, Kit. What did you think?
Awesome.
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