What are you currently reading?

[Florestan]

Against every rule  Law would be zakon

Thanks. 

[NikF]

[Karl Henning]

Geo. Will's tribute

The Charles Krauthammer I knew

[SimonNZ]

Finished (whew!) 1,000 well-packed excellently written pages on one of my favorite figures in American history. More sympathetic to the subject than many other biographies while still acknowledging his various frustrating limitations, mostly the result of putting guileless trust in the duplicitous surrounding him. Brilliant at background detail and context.

[Mookalafalas]

Finished (whew!) 1,000 well-packed excellently written pages on one of my favorite figures in American history. More sympathetic to the subject than many other biographies while still acknowledging his various frustrating limitations, mostly the result of putting guileless trust in the duplicitous surrounding him. Brilliant at background detail and context.

I like Chernow, but have read two other Grant bios in the last few years, so am going to have to wait for a while before I read this one. I love how he has been regenerated, however. He really is one of the true American heroes of the 19th century.

TD:
  [asin]B00L744ZRW[/asin]

It seems a lot of people dislike this because it has not plot or action.  I'm enjoying it a lot so far.

[TheGSMoeller]

Author, humorist, essayist David Sedaris' new book, Calypso. A gift for my birthday from my wife, one of our first dates was seeing Sedaris speak live in Richmond, VA. Calypso also has my vote for book cover of the year (so far).

https://www.amazon.com/Calypso-David-Sedaris/dp/0316392383/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1529765455&sr=8-1&keywords=david+sedaris

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Finished Silmarillion (again) and now turning to The Book of Lost Tales. Also reading Little Dorrit every now and then.

[Florestan]

James H. Johnson - Listening in Paris: A Cultural History

Just finished this. An extremely interesting, well-written (the author's sense of humor is exquisite) and thought-provoking book. The parallels between the political and ideological instrumentalization of music during the French Revolution (especially during the Reign of Terror) and the treatment of music in the Socialist Republic of Romania (especially during the 1980s) are striking. Also, who'd have thought that it was Rossini of all people who paved the way for Beethoven's triumph in Paris in the 1830s?

Highly recommended.

[bwv 1080]

Used to re-read Tolkein every 5-6 years, now I am on my 3rd time through Steven Erkison's Malazan Book of the Fallen. 

[Jamie]

Enjoying the coincidentally topical House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea. For a non North American it is an interesting take on one family's Mexican-American experience.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Just realized I never posted my final thoughts about Collins's "No Name". I enjoyed it a lot, although the first quarter was so unbelievably good that it overshadowed the rest of the book, which was very good too. The ending was a bit cliché though.

To most people Captain Wragge seems to be their favorite character in the book. He was definitely one of my favorites as well, liked the development of friendship between him and Magdalen. Not a simple case of business relations. I also enjoyed Mrs. Lecount, the charismatic well-rounded female adversary and Noel Vanstone makes me think of Niles Crane in all his neurotic tendencies. Or rather the other way around. But Mr. Clare possibly takes the cake as the greatest character. (one of my top reasons why I liked the first quarter so much). At first he seems like your typical emotionally abusive father who doesn't think his son ever amounts to anything. But then you start to see his son's increasing irresponsibility and see that Mr. Clare does have a good point and his kindness to Magdalen in the book under his gruff exterior is really touching.

Overall, a great book. I recommend it if you can get past occasional convoluted plot threads and the traditional cliché ending.

[Mookalafalas]

James H. Johnson - Listening in Paris: A Cultural History

Just finished this. An extremely interesting, well-written (the author's sense of humor is exquisite) and thought-provoking book. The parallels between the political and ideological instrumentalization of music during the French Revolution (especially during the Reign of Terror) and the treatment of music in the Socialist Republic of Romania (especially during the 1980s) are striking. Also, who'd have thought that it was Rossini of all people who paved the way for Beethoven's triumph in Paris in the 1830s?

Highly recommended.

My kinda book! thanks for mentioning this one. Goes on the list (most of which I will probably not live long enough to get to )

[Ken B]

Just realized I never posted my final thoughts about Collins's "No Name". I enjoyed it a lot, although the first quarter was so unbelievably good that it overshadowed the rest of the book, which was very good too. The ending was a bit cliché though.

To most people Captain Wragge seems to be their favorite character in the book. He was definitely one of my favorites as well, liked the development of friendship between him and Magdalen. Not a simple case of business relations. I also enjoyed Mrs. Lecount, the charismatic well-rounded female adversary and Noel Vanstone makes me think of Niles Crane in all his neurotic tendencies. Or rather the other way around. But Mr. Clare possibly takes the cake as the greatest character. (one of my top reasons why I liked the first quarter so much). At first he seems like your typical emotionally abusive father who doesn't think his son ever amounts to anything. But then you start to see his son's increasing irresponsibility and see that Mr. Clare does have a good point and his kindness to Magdalen in the book under his gruff exterior is really touching.

Overall, a great book. I recommend it if you can get past occasional convoluted plot threads and the traditional cliché ending.

Thanks for the review.

[NikF]

Gym reading while waiting for a bench  -



At the same time filing my nails. I'd also file my calluses, but they usually require a belt sander.

[Ken B]

Vacation starts soon, most of July. I always have a reading project. The main one this summer is Maupassant's Bel Ami in French.

I am also pondering reading Orlando furioso. Anyone read it? I'm looking at you Florestan.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Tolkien's poem "Kortirion among the trees" that I recently read from The Book of Lost Tales is absolutely mind-blowing. I think I like best the first version, though.

[Florestan]

Vacation starts soon, most of July. I always have a reading project. The main one this summer is Maupassant's Bel Ami in French.

I am also pondering reading Orlando furioso. Anyone read it? I'm looking at you Florestan.

No, I haven't read it but I've heard only good things about it. 

I warmly recommend you try this:



I read it in an excellent Romanian translation. If you are into Cervantes it should be a page turner.

[Christo]

If you are into Cervantes

Disappointed by the only thing I tried, Don Quixote. Though fascinating for its cryptic references to the underground life of conversos - giving rise to questions about Cervantes himself - and Jewish and other Moorish backgrounds of early modern Spain in general.

[Florestan]

Disappointed by the only thing I tried, Don Quixote.

Why?

[Christo]

Why?

Tell my why you don't find it humourless - that especially - and also somewhat grotesque, or pointless.