Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

Prev Next
Re: What are you reading? [Sulliesbrew] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I had a crazy, hectic spring but after moving at the end of May I was happy to finally have time and mental space to read "heavier", more time consuming books.

I picked up "The End", book six of Karl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle series, and am partway into that. Then I got excited about a new Guy Gavriel Kay so am taking a break from Knausgaard to read "A Brightness Long Ago." It's amusing that pretty much everything about Kay's writing style is what Knausgaard is railing against in his novels. It may not be high art but it's entertaining. Neal Stephenson also has a new book, but I'll have to make more headway on The End before I start that one.
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [Alibabwa] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Just started Midnight at Chernobyl; I was fascinated by the HBO series this book takes a deep dive not only into what happened but the Soviets approach to nuclear power in the years prior to the plant even being built.



"You can never win or lose if you don't run the race." - Richard Butler

Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [RandMart] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
RandMart wrote:
Duffy wrote:
Quote:
Breath by Tim Winton was also a good book


So far, the best surf centric book I’ve read.



D'Kid's library has both Barbarian Days and Breath, so I'll be picking them up in the near future, thanks


Finally picked it up. Read a couple other books between Barbarian Days and now

I failed to make my Goodreads challenge of 20 books in 2019, but I should be able to make or surpass in 2020

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [RandMart] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Who Killed Hunter S. Thompson? for me. Not bad. But it's a bunch of guys all trying to honor Thompson by writing about him in the gonzo style, and none of them are nearly as good as Thompson was.

Also this is the first book in a while that I've read in full hardcover/paper form, and it's exhausting holding the book up. Even though I've been doing CrossFit for a few years now.
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [trail] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Shortest Way Home - Pete Buttigieg

Interesting guy, obviously very smart and willing to take long shots in political runs (hence his campaign for president). Overall there are things I like and dislike about him. Liked: very down to earth, level headed, not cocky and admits his mistakes. Disliked, acts like he has a lifetimes worth of business world experience after 2 years at McKinsey and it seems like running for higher office was his goal since high school. I get the impression he joined the Navy Reserves only because it would look good on a political resume.

I'm personally consider myself in the middle, but I want to learn more about these candidates.
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [AndysStrongAle] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
"This is Your Brain on Music"

I'm learning a ton from this book so far (only about 100 pages in). It's one that I am taking my sweet ass time with though as I really want to get these concepts down.

If you're interested here's a presentation the author did a while back (I have not watched it myself but figure it probably hits the high points): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c7d5W0_NPA
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [Skipjack] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells. As fun as it sounds.
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [kiki] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Replying to the thread in general...

I'm currently reading:

Physical Origins of Time Asymmetry by JJ Halliwell et. al. (A bit dated and dry, but some interesting perspectives from some heavyweight physicists.)

Schrodinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality by John Gribbin (Also a bit dated, and light on maths, but some interesting concepts.)

and

Something Deeply Hidden by Sean Carroll (Also light on maths, but current and thought provoking.) Carroll also has an outstanding video on the subject:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6FR08VylO4


"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [MOP_Mike] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I've seen a few interviews with Sean Carroll and he seems to have the ability to break these heady concepts into something this knuckle dragger can wrap his head around.

If you were to start reading his stuff what would you recommend? The Big Picture?
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [Skipjack] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Reading The Witcher series of books. Almost done reading The Last Wish before moving on to the next ones.

~Brad
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Shift, by Hugh Howey (prequel to Wool, which I read a few years ago). Good so far, seems to be setting the stage for the events in Wool pretty well, even early on.

Also picked up Dust, the sequel, so that'll be next unless I decide I need to read Wool again in between.
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [Skipjack] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Skipjack wrote:
I've seen a few interviews with Sean Carroll and he seems to have the ability to break these heady concepts into something this knuckle dragger can wrap his head around.

If you were to start reading his stuff what would you recommend? The Big Picture?

Something Deeply Hidden is my first foray into Carroll's catalog, so I can't really make a good recommendation. I believe SDH is his most recent work, though. And, I think that it stands well enough on its own as a starting point.


"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [MOP_Mike] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Daniel Yergin’s Pulitzer winning “ The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power.

Fascinating look at the history of oil and how it’s helped shape modern history.
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [MOP_Mike] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
In a pinch on airport travel a while back picked up "The Alice Network" . Supposedly about women spies in WWII and stuff. Fiction. Was supposedly a good seller. I hated it.

Good idea, but the execution was way too juvenile for my reading tastes.

I'd give it a "don't buy".

I know folks don't care for my political views (and subsequent related reads) but currently am reading "Open Veins". I'd say it's good. Still somewhat stained with communist sympathies, but I take it with a grain of salt the same way that I read US based history stuff that has a stain of excess nationalism and exceptionalism.

Speaking of that.........I felt that the WWII in Color series on Netflix was fantastic. No sympathies for communism, no died in the wool nationalism and exceptionalism. Seemed to be just the footage, the timeline, the names, the dates, the facts. Outstanding.
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I've been doing audio books for my commute.

Just finished Labyrinth of Ice, this is about the Greeley expedition into the arctic in the 1850s.

Working on A Land so Strange, this is about Spanish conquistadors. Cabeza de Vaca was a member of a Spanish expedition to settle part of Mexico. They set sail from Cuba and royally screwed their navigation and ended up in Tampa bay. Cabeza de Vaca and 3 others ended up spending nearly a decade wandering the gulf coast and northern Mexico before stumbling across more Spaniards and making their way to Mexico City.

Next in queue Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire


Labyrinth of Ice got me on an expedition story kick, now I want more on the Age of Exploration.

Pactimo brand ambassador, ask me about promo codes
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [Sulliesbrew] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I read a fair bit of a translation of Cabez de Vaca's diary ages ago. It's spectacular and you might see if you can find it (I read it online).

I can't understand why his story hasn't been made into a film, it would be epic.
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [kiki] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I will have to look into it.

My wife had to listen to some of the book on a road trip. The part we listened to was how Cortes conquered Mexico. I never new he basically broke rank to launch is conquest. She commented on how little we actually ever heard about the nitty gritty of what happened.

Pactimo brand ambassador, ask me about promo codes
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [Sulliesbrew] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I'm rereading George Orwell's novel 1984 right now. Winston is still my fav literature character.
Last edited by: WilliG: Jan 24, 20 4:07
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.

Arctic Obsession by Alexis S. Toubetzkoy.

Geology of the Sierra Nevada by Mary Hill.

When I'm done with one of those it'll be replaced by The Art of Intelligence by Henry A. Crumpton.

War is god
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [Crank] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I’ve finished four books so far this month.

“Heft On Wheels: A Field Guide to Doing a 180” NT Mike Magunson. A writer and college professor gives up booze and cigarettes and takes up the bicycle. I liked it. It was a quick, fun read. 5 stars.

“On Drinking” by Charles Bukowski. This was definitely not what I thought it would be when I picked. Series of poems and essays and interviews. Bukowski was a serious hard-core drunk. I’m surprised he lived until his 70s. 3 stars.

“All the Single ladies: unmarried women and the rise of an independent nation” by Rebecca Traister. This is a book club pick and I really liked it. The history of how single women have taken up various causes interspersed with interviews with single women today. 5 stars.

“There There” by Tommy Orange. It was nominated for mini awards last year and won a few. I don’t usually read fiction but this was really good. A lot of characters and the suspense builds throughout the book. I only picked it up because of a reading challenge at our local independent bookstore, but I’m glad I did. 4 stars.

Reading challenge here:

https://www.nashvillescene.com/...20-reading-challenge

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
Last edited by: ironclm: Jan 24, 20 5:10
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
 
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [ThisIsIt] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
My book for commuting right now is After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia Sunni Split in Islam. I knew and still know very little of the start of Islam but it is pretty fascinating how the religion quickly evolved after the death of Muhammed.

On the trainer I just started Silent Spring.

Pactimo brand ambassador, ask me about promo codes
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [Sulliesbrew] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I just finished The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, which I recommend to all. It's a beautiful book. I'm writing an essay about my fav book right now. Luckily I found superbpaper review, hope with their help I'll finish my essay in the near future.
Last edited by: WilliG: Jan 31, 20 4:47
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [WilliG] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
WilliG wrote:
I just finished The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, which I recommend to all. It's a beautiful book.


Pretty good movie too from what I remember.

Seems like audio versions of many of these older books are available on Youtube.

No idea where my message above went.

Anyway listening to and enjoying Dune. Pleasantly surprised.
Last edited by: ThisIsIt: Jan 27, 20 7:00
Quote Reply
Re: What are you reading? [RandMart] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
RandMart wrote:
RandMart wrote:
Duffy wrote:
Quote:
Breath by Tim Winton was also a good book


So far, the best surf centric book I’ve read.



D'Kid's library has both Barbarian Days and Breath, so I'll be picking them up in the near future, thanks


Finally picked it up.

The last quarter or so felt rushed. I wanted to know more about how exactly he became an EMT, what sort of "circle of chairs on a linoleum floor" [I read hat as group therapy] is was in for, and other bits & pieces of his life after 15 that just got stitched together as random paragraphs at the end

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin
Quote Reply

Prev Next