I'm an avid reader and I'm always interested in knowing what others are reading and if you have any good recommendations. I've read a few excellent books this summer:

Salvage the Bones - Jesmyn Ward - very tough book to read, but eye opening at the same time.

The Pull of the Stars - Emma Donoghue - excellent story about a nurse on a matnernity ward in Ireland during the 1918 pandemic

When the stars go dark - Paula McLain - excellent mystery about a missing girl and the cop that tries to locate her

Billy Summers - Stephen King - great story about an ex-marine sniper who is now a hired killer. Another great book by SK!

[Edited 8/26/21 11:23am]

Lately, in an effort to sleep better, I have been revisiting books I loved as a kid for my bedtime reading. The Anne of Green Gables books, Loretta Mason Potts and The Wicked Pigeon Ladies in the Garden (both by Mary Chase), Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Clearly. Nothing so engrossing that it keeps me awake or makes me want to read on when I'm sleepy.

The pandemic's really been tough on me. Since March of 2020, I've lost three close family members including my dad (none to COVID) and two major job changes. I just can't handle anything too intense, anymore. Only soothing books need apply.

The Pull of the Stars sounds good - did you enjoy that one?

peedub said:

Just finished Tess of the D'urbervilles. Kind of a slog, but a pleasure to read. I enjoyed the movie more. Currently David mamet's Chicago, which I picked up on a weekend in Chicago. So far, a tight little mob/journalist mystery in the mamet style. I'll have read it twice at once his dialogue is so...something. And Horizons West by Jim Kitses. An analysis of the western films of Anthony Mann, Budd Boetticher, John Ford etc. I've recently discovered the Boetticher films and have been absorbing all I can.

I liked Far From the Madding Crowd (also Hardy) better than Tess.

For English lit, it's hard to go wrong with Austen, the Brontes and George Eliot. Middlemarch (Eliot) is my favorite book of all time, but it's VERY hard to get into. The first hundred pages is very slow-moving (lots of exposition), but if you can get through that, it becomes a real page-turner.

I'm currently reading American Pastrol. I've been up so late quilting and sewing, it's hard to get reading time in before I fall asleep. I feel like it's taking me forever, but I'm in the last 100 pages.

Up next, I'm probably reading Stephen King's newest: Billy Summers.

I've also recently read:

• Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach (re-read, a favorite)
• Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: The Autobiography of Harriet Ann Jacobs, AKA Linda Brent - Amazing read
• Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann, part of Oklahoma history we were never taught in school in Oklahoma. It's now being made into a movie. They're fliming in Oklahoma right now. I can't wait to see it. I talked to my high school friends and we were all stunned at the book and how it was utterly erased from history class growing up. Talk about white supremacy.
• Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse

A few I'm working on at the moment.

The Iron Road - An Illustrated History of the Railroad

The Conquest of the Ocean - An Illustrated History of Seafaring

The Cambridge Companion to Blues and Gospel Music

Overpaid, Oversexed and Over Here How a Few Skinny Brits with Bad Teeth Rocked America



I have also been taking some notes for what's next from this; 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die

Genesia said:

Lately, in an effort to sleep better, I have been revisiting books I loved as a kid for my bedtime reading. The Anne of Green Gables books, Loretta Mason Potts and The Wicked Pigeon Ladies in the Garden (both by Mary Chase), Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Clearly. Nothing so engrossing that it keeps me awake or makes me want to read on when I'm sleepy.

The pandemic's really been tough on me. Since March of 2020, I've lost three close family members including my dad (none to COVID) and two major job changes. I just can't handle anything too intense, anymore. Only soothing books need apply.

The Pull of the Stars sounds good - did you enjoy that one?

I'm so sorry to hear about your struggles and losses. I hope life becomes more positive for you and all the rest of us that are struggling with losses as well as COVID fatigue.

Yes, I did enjoy The Pull of the Stars, but it was not an uplifting book. I wish I had some light reading to recommend to you, but I tend to read about the "oppressed and the depressed" mostly. Best of luck to you.

TrivialPursuit said:

I'm currently reading American Pastrol. I've been up so late quilting and sewing, it's hard to get reading time in before I fall asleep. I feel like it's taking me forever, but I'm in the last 100 pages.

Up next, I'm probably reading Stephen King's newest: Billy Summers.

I've also recently read:

• Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach (re-read, a favorite)
• Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: The Autobiography of Harriet Ann Jacobs, AKA Linda Brent - Amazing read
• Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann, part of Oklahoma history we were never taught in school in Oklahoma. It's now being made into a movie. They're fliming in Oklahoma right now. I can't wait to see it. I talked to my high school friends and we were all stunned at the book and how it was utterly erased from history class growing up. Talk about white supremacy.
• Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse

I really enjoyed Killers of the Flower Moon. I hope they do it justice with the movie. There are so many stories we didn't learn about in school, but as long as we can read, we can learn about them. I loved Billy Summers, but I usually enjoy all of King's books. Can't really think of one that I didn't like.

Thanks to everyone that has posted so far. Happy reading.

TrivialPursuit said:

• Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach (re-read, a favorite)

i read that 25 years or so ago, right around the time his Running From Safety came out. i got my copy signed when he was touring that book...it is really good. i think i might pull that one down for a long overdue re-read.

peedub said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach (re-read, a favorite)

i read that 25 years or so ago, right around the time his Running From Safety came out. i got my copy signed when he was touring that book...it is really good. i think i might pull that one down for a long overdue re-read.

A friend in the Navy, Lance, gave me the book to read. I didn't quite get all of it, but I knew I enjoyed it. I've read it over the years and understood it more. It's a shorter book, so it's a very quick read.

I used to buy those blank books to write in and I would write random thoughts like the handbook in the novel.

Genesia said:

peedub said:

Just finished Tess of the D'urbervilles. Kind of a slog, but a pleasure to read. I enjoyed the movie more. Currently David mamet's Chicago, which I picked up on a weekend in Chicago. So far, a tight little mob/journalist mystery in the mamet style. I'll have read it twice at once his dialogue is so...something. And Horizons West by Jim Kitses. An analysis of the western films of Anthony Mann, Budd Boetticher, John Ford etc. I've recently discovered the Boetticher films and have been absorbing all I can.

I liked Far From the Madding Crowd (also Hardy) better than Tess.

For English lit, it's hard to go wrong with Austen, the Brontes and George Eliot. Middlemarch (Eliot) is my favorite book of all time, but it's VERY hard to get into. The first hundred pages is very slow-moving (lots of exposition), but if you can get through that, it becomes a real page-turner.

i don't usually get off on pre 20th century english lit, especially of the romance variety. the overwhelming patriarchy of it all kinda makes me want to puke. i might try some more hardy down the line, but some of his schtick got on my nerves. he tends to belabor the point, a bit (at least in tess).

anyhow...chicago ended up alright. maybe a little disappointed. what mamet lacks in plot/story, he makes up for in style.

now on to a re-read of nod away volume 1 by josh cotter in anticipation of the arrival of volume 2, signed and sketched direct from the cartoonist to my mailbox this week. sort of a near future sci-fi exploration of ai and the internet and the consequences of their proliferation, in a style remeniscent of r. crumb. very excited for this one.

Empress said:

TrivialPursuit said:

• Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann, part of Oklahoma history we were never taught in school in Oklahoma. It's now being made into a movie. They're fliming in Oklahoma right now. I can't wait to see it. I talked to my high school friends and we were all stunned at the book and how it was utterly erased from history class growing up. Talk about white supremacy.

I really enjoyed Killers of the Flower Moon. I hope they do it justice with the movie. There are so many stories we didn't learn about in school, but as long as we can read, we can learn about them. I loved Billy Summers, but I usually enjoy all of King's books. Can't really think of one that I didn't like.

I was pretty shocked, being raised in Oklahoma, going to the Cowboy Hall of Fame to view the huge Trail of Tears sculpture, and see Native American artifacts, etc., that this story was never, ever brought up. Not in the slightest. We always heard about the "five civilized tribes," because apparently all the others were savages (including the Osage, which is what the novel is about); the peace pipe in the Oklahoma flag was always some big focus for teachers; we even reenacted the Oklahoma land run which in itself is a racist reenactment - white people claiming Native American land in a race.

Did you enjoy King's Insomnia? That was a lot to get through. King said that book, and Rose Madder, were his least favorites; that he "was trying too hard" with them. (I've not read the latter.) Insomnia seemed to really drag out near the end during the plane sequence, etc. Although, none of it was a quick trip. I also enjoyed If It Bleeds, which I read shortly after it came out.

Speaking of re-reads, I really need to re-read Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. Such a fun read. They are allegedly making The Breathing Method, the last novella in Different Seasons and the only one not to be adapted into a film. I read it for the first time last year. WOW, that ending, though! I can't wait to see how that plays out on screen.

On the verge of cracking open first book in like 15 years--the autobiography of the unparalleled GOAT of basketball play-by-play, The Real McCoy by Al McCoy.

Empress said:

I really enjoyed Killers of the Flower Moon. I hope they do it justice with the movie.

Martin Scorsese's adapting that one. If you want anybody to adapt book to screen that's probably the best guy to do it.

Just started reading the Beastie Boys Book.
Great document of the times through the eyes of two guys that grew up in that era and made it big in Hip-Hop culture.

TrivialPursuit said:

alphastreet said:

I’m reading a book of short stories called How To Pronounce Knife. Have some other books on the way as well, I love to read

OMG THAT TITLE! hahaha

Empress said:

Speaking of King, I'm continuing reading through his entire bibliography in order of release. I'm on The Stand at the moment (I'm reading the re-released unabridged version). Even though its meant to be his best I wasn't looking forward to it, knowing a little bit about it from snippets of the nineties TV movie they did.

I'm about 600 pages in and I've enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I did enjoy the first half more than the second so far though ... the stuff discussing the collapse of society was more interesting that the setting up of the new society in Boulder has been so far. I'm hoping it picks up again in the final quarter.

So excited about all the classics ahead I've yet to read!

EmmaMcG said:

Empress said:

I've been reading King since I was a teenager and I'm 58 now. I've read everything and although some of his work has been long and drawn out, I've enjoyed every book or short story. I've always enjoyed long, overblown books and for me, the longer, the better. For example, I loved every book in the Dark Tower series. I remember waiting anxiously for the next release. I know some people didn't love that series because it was so over the top and long, but those characters have stayed with me. When I go to the bookstore to buy Kings latest, I'm always hoping for a huge book that I can barely carry around - LOL. The only book I've re-read is IT as it's probably my favourite of his. I dread the day King is no longer here to write as he's been a constant in my life for decades. Fortunately, I have every book and I hope to re-read them when I retire and have more free time. Having said all of this, I'm not a huge fan of the movie adaptations. Some have been very good like The Shining, Misery and Shawshank Redemption, but I'd much rather read the book. [Edited 8/30/21 5:27am]

I absolutely love The Dark Tower series. I was so disappointed with the movie they brought out. When it was first announced that Idris Elba was playing Roland, I thought there and then that it was going to be shit. Then they made it PG-13 and that just confirmed it. I liked Ron Howard's original idea of doing straight up adaptations of the whole series as alternating movies/TV series. So The Gunslinger would be a movie, The Drawing of the Three would be a mini-series, then another movie for The Waste Lands and so on. He also planned to capture the brutality of the books, which ruled out a PG-13 rating. The only point I didn't like about his plan was his choice of actor for Roland. He wanted Josh Brolin. And just like Idris Elba, I think Josh Brolin is a great actor. But not for Roland. The only man who could possibly play Roland Deschain and do it justice is Timothy Olyphant. Well, if I'm being honest, the only actor who could do it justice would be Clint Eastwood but he's too old now. So Timothy Olyphant is the next best thing. And if they'd cast Walt Goggins as The Man In Black, well that would be the cherry on top.

Clint might be too old, but Scott Eastwood is coming on nicely as an actor. I'm hoping they cast him as the new Wolverine.

DaveT said:

DaveT said:

Speaking of King, I'm continuing reading through his entire bibliography in order of release. I'm on The Stand at the moment (I'm reading the re-released unabridged version). Even though its meant to be his best I wasn't looking forward to it, knowing a little bit about it from snippets of the nineties TV movie they did.

I'm about 600 pages in and I've enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I did enjoy the first half more than the second so far though ... the stuff discussing the collapse of society was more interesting that the setting up of the new society in Boulder has been so far. I'm hoping it picks up again in the final quarter.

So excited about all the classics ahead I've yet to read!

I envy you that you are reading King for the first time. The Stand is an absolute epic book and I loved it! Sure, like any book of its magnitude, there are some slow spots, but on the whole, it's a masterpiece IMHO. Enjoy all that's ahead of you.

EmmaMcG said:

DaveT said:

Clint might be too old, but Scott Eastwood is coming on nicely as an actor. I'm hoping they cast him as the new Wolverine.

I like Scott Eastwood too but he's no Timothy Olyphant

ok, if we're talking actors that we lets get Jason Mamoa in there.

TrivialPursuit said:

Empress said: