What are you currently reading?

Started by facehugger, April 07, 2007, 12:36:10 AM

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Mandryka



This was published about three years ago, one of the few novels he's written in French and not Czech. It's very very good!
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

jwinter

Just started this... only about 40 pages in, but good so far.  And well-written, not too academic or dry.

The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils.
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted.

-- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

Ken B

Quote from: Mandryka on July 22, 2019, 11:44:20 PM


This was published about three years ago, one of the few novels he's written in French and not Czech. It's very very good!
Interesting. I read all of his books then in print sometime in the late 80s, but have lost track of him since. But I was thinking of him just last week. So, a book for the TBR list.

Andy D.

It's convenient that Shostakovich's 7th clicked for me yesterday, as I just received and am about to dive into this book:

Karl Henning

Quote from: Andy D. on July 29, 2019, 02:36:54 AM
It's convenient that Shostakovich's 7th clicked for me yesterday, as I just received and am about to dive into this book:

Do report, when you may.

Thread Duty:

I am boldly going where our Gurn has gone long before, reading Haydn: His Life and Music by H.C.Robbins Landon and David Wyn Jones.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

JBS


Strenously detailed. The narrative is sometimes bogged down by what might best be called psychological speculation when documentary evidence does not exist . But gripping reading.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Ken B

Quote from: JBS on July 29, 2019, 06:19:32 PM

Strenously detailed. The narrative is sometimes bogged down by what might best be called psychological speculation when documentary evidence does not exist . But gripping reading.
It occurs to me that you would like Freedom National by Oakes. I also highly recommend his Scorpion's Sting.

JBS

Quote from: Ken B on July 30, 2019, 05:47:24 AM
It occurs to me that you would like Freedom National by Oakes. I also highly recommend his Scorpion's Sting.

I will keep an eye out for them.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Ken B

Several things on the go

Devil in the Grove, King. Thurgood Marshall in Florida.
Sharpe's Revenge, Cornwell. Kinda wavering on this. I have read and liked several in the past but maybe enough.
Half life of facts, Arbesman. Audio book in the car.
Two textbooks on probability theory and stochastic processes. One more in queue.
Bleak House, Dickens. Reread
Some vintage whodunnit to be named in the next day or so. Probably Halfway House by Ellery Queen.

SimonNZ

Finished:



Started:




also my bus book for the past couple of weeks has been LeCarre's Little Drummer Girl which I'm finding to be the best thing he's written (of what I've read so far). This is by far the most attention he's paid to fleshing out characters and motivations and in general scene setting. Instead of just getting to the business of moving the story he seems to have enjoyed the process of writing this one and in taking his time.


Ken B

Quote from: SimonNZ on August 02, 2019, 01:16:27 PM
Finished:



Started:




also my bus book for the past couple of weeks has been LeCarre's Little Drummer Girl which I'm finding to be the best thing he's written (of what I've read so far). This is by far the most attention he's paid to fleshing out characters and motivations and in general scene setting. Instead of just getting to the business of moving the story he seems to have enjoyed the process of writing this one and in taking his time.



The Evans is excellent.

I liked dDrummer Girl. If you are implying he is generally dull, I agree. Not much of interest after the Karla books.

SimonNZ

Quote from: Ken B on August 02, 2019, 01:39:54 PM
The Evans is excellent.

I liked dDrummer Girl. If you are implying he is generally dull, I agree. Not much of interest after the Karla books.

I meant that he usually only provides enough characterization to move the story along. It's unusual to see it being the point and the development and interior monologue done so extensively and so successfully.

Have you read the two following Evans third reich books?

Ken B

Quote from: SimonNZ on August 02, 2019, 04:29:39 PM
I meant that he usually only provides enough characterization to move the story along. It's unusual to see it being the point and the development and interior monologue done so extensively and so successfully.

Have you read the two following Evans third reich books?

I am half way through the second. It got mislaid during packing and moving, but I plan to finish it once I find it ;)

My favorite book o the rise of the Nazis is still an old one, the German dictatorship by Bracher.

TD
I did settle on that Ellery Queen and am halfway. Not quite halfway with the Devil in the Grove. Good not great. The top of the queue is now The Marshall Plan by Steil.

SimonNZ

Quote from: Ken B on August 02, 2019, 04:44:15 PM
The Marshall Plan by Steil.

And that's another book in my queue though further down just st the moment. I'll be very interested to know what you think of it.

SonicMan46

Quote from: JBS on July 29, 2019, 06:19:32 PM

Strenously detailed. The narrative is sometimes bogged down by what might best be called psychological speculation when documentary evidence does not exist . But gripping reading.

Well, I've debated about reading that book not because of the historic importance of Douglass, but the length is over 900 pages (according to Amazon - and have looked before) and at my age and attention span, I tend to now sway away from books that hit 500+ pages - just me, I guess.  Dave :)

SonicMan46

Below my current books (first a hard copy and others on my iPad Pro) - all started - Pogue about done in view of my recent acquisition described below:

Heirs of the Founders: The Epic Rivalry of Henry Clay, John Calhoun and Daniel Webster, the Second Generation of American Giants (2018) by H.W. Brands - biography of the three giants who dominated Congress in the first half of the 19th Century, namely Henry Clay, John Calhoun and Daniel Webster - this was on my list back in early May, but just getting a start.

The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator (2019) by Timothy C. Winegard - just released - author interviewed on NPR recently which prompted my Kindle purchase - just started and already astounded by the numbers and history going back to the Jurassic era of the dinosaurs!

Turing's Vision: The Birth of Computer Science (2016) by Chris Bernhardt - another Kindle purchase and just starting; in part, prompted by the film The Imitation Game (2014) about Turing and the breaking of the code of the Enigma machine in WW II.

iPhone: The Missing Manual 12 edition by David Pogue - last week took Susan into Verizon to replace her old iPhone w/ the XR - well, they basically had a 'buy one and get one free' promo - now, I wasn't planning to replace my Jitterbug 'dumb' phone, but DID w/ that deal! Enjoying this 'new toy' and as usual, a Pogue book always helps.  Dave :)

     

Brian

Quote from: SonicMan46 on August 07, 2019, 12:09:10 PM
Well, I've debated about reading that book not because of the historic importance of Douglass, but the length is over 900 pages (according to Amazon - and have looked before) and at my age and attention span, I tend to now sway away from books that hit 500+ pages - just me, I guess.  Dave :)
Heck, I'm 29 and I try to limit the 500+ pagers to only one or two per year. My attention span is fine, but there are so many books in the world!

SonicMan46

Quote from: Brian on August 07, 2019, 01:59:39 PM
Heck, I'm 29 and I try to limit the 500+ pagers to only one or two per year. My attention span is fine, but there are so many books in the world!

Hey Brian:laugh:  Well, in my 20s, I was going through medical books that could easily hit a 1000 pages or more!  But you're right, there are just too many good books on all sorts of topics to read, and despite the 'computer age' authors seem to continue to put out numerous ones on a weekly basis, both as 'hard copies' and electronic editions which I do enjoy!  Dave

SimonNZ

#9358
Finished:



Started today, having also finished the first Evans volume which I found excellent:



edit: interesting - the first volume was a straightforward narrative, whereas this one has a thematic framework

Andy D.

#9359
Quote from: Andy D. on July 29, 2019, 02:36:54 AM
It's convenient that Shostakovich's 7th clicked for me yesterday, as I just received and am about to dive into this book:

Over halfway through and I learned so much about this era. Really engaging work about both Mitya and the historical period.

Reccomended, though I'm not sure how valuable this would be if you already know his biography and that part of history well.

I went on a wartime symphony binge while reading this one :)