Sunday Morning Book Thread 01-19-2014: You Gotta Have Heart [OregonMuse]

Dick Cheney Discovers The Lame Side Of The Force

Good morning morons and moronettes and welcome to the award-winning AoSHQ's prestigious Sunday Morning Book Thread.

He's Baaaaaaaak...

OK, so Dick Cheney has a new book out, Heart, which he co-wrote with his longtime cardiologist, Jonathan Reiner. It describes how he tears the still-beating hearts out of hippies and devours them while they are forced to watch.

Har har.

Actually, Cheney was born in 1941, which means that he was only 37 when he had his first heart attack. Yow, that's gotta suck. But it's not like it there was no reason for it. According to the Weekly Standard review of his book, in his early years, Cheney smoked like a chimney, ate poorly, and got no sleep or exercise. When his doctor told him he was a prime candidate for a heart attack, he refused to believe him. Until he had one.

In 1978, when Cheney suffered his first heart attack, he received essentially the same treatment President Eisenhower had had in 1955. Since then, cardiac medicine has been revolutionized, and Cheney has benefited from nearly every medical breakthrough. At each juncture, when Cheney faced a new health challenge, the technology was one step ahead of his disease. Cheney’s story is in many ways the story of the evolution of modern cardiac care.

So there you go. The Weekly Standard review concludes:

In writing a book like this, with his vulnerabilities and unhealthy habits acknowledged quite frankly, Dick Cheney reveals a new public side. Perhaps this Cheney 2.0 can help counter the unfair-but-prevalent Darth Vader image he has among ideological critics.

Heh. This image is also cultivated, with glee, by his ideological supporters, particularly here at the HQ, based on the philosophy that it's better to be feared than loved. Also, to demonstrate that Cheney's critics are a bunch of pussies.

I should email this Weekly Standard reviewer links to the several "True facts about Dick Cheney" threads we've had.

At a time when partisanship rides high, it would be interesting to see Dick Cheney and Michelle Obama team up to lend their voices and reputations to an event that supports healthy eating and living.

Yes, it would. That would be an interesting display of bi-partisanship. But, dude. This is the most partisan administration I have ever seen. Obama's idea of "bipartisanship" is both Democrats and Republicans agreeing with him.

That may not happen, but Heart will remind readers of Dick Cheney’s humanity and his long service to the nation.

Considering all that's gone wrong with his heart, it's amazing that Cheney is alive at all. But you know that the orgy of hatred that will erupt from the left when his heart finally gives out for good is going to be epic.

Where We AoSHQ Premium Members Get Our Ampersands

(Thanks to Sabrina Chase for the photo)

Books To Movies

Here is a list of 15 books set to become movies in 2014. I haven't heard of many of them, but a few did catch my eye:

The adaptation of the first book in Veronica Roth's 'Divergent' series is set for release in March. The main character is a teen-aged girl who comes in conflict with a totalitarian society, where people are grouped by personality types. It sounds like it could be 'The Hunger Games' of 2014.

Another dystopian novel, The Giver, by Lois Lowry is about the conflicts that arise in a "perfect" society without pain or suffering. Featuring Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Katie Holmes and Taylor Swift, this one will hit the theaters in August

The adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s bestselling thriller Gone Girl will star Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. From the Amazon blurb:

On the day of their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick's wife Amy disappears. There are signs of struggle in the house and Nick quickly becomes the prime suspect. It doesn't help that Nick hasn't been completely honest with the police and, as Amy's case drags out for weeks, more and more vilifying evidence appears against him. Nick, however, maintains his innocence.

The plot contains some abrupt twists that could make for an interesting movie.

And speaking of dystopian societies, I thought Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith looked very interesting:

Stalin's Soviet Union is an official paradise, where citizens live free from crime and fear only one thing: the all-powerful state. Defending this system is idealistic security officer Leo Demidov, a war hero who believes in the iron fist of the law. But when a murderer starts to kill at will and Leo dares to investigate, the State's obedient servant finds himself demoted and exiled.

Ha. See, there is no crime in the Soviet Union. None. We know this because Joseph Stalin says so, da? So Demidov has to go against the narrative and reveal some, uh, "inconvenient" truths.

Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, and Noomi Rapace will bring this book to life on the screen.

And this is actually the first book of a trilogy. Agent 6 is the sequel, and it concludes with The Secret Speech.

And of course, the third Hunger Games movie, Mockingjay, will be released in November.

Not mentioned in the article is Ridley Scott's adaption of the book of Exodus. I mention it because of it's eyebrow-raising casting choices: It will feature Christian Bale as Moses and Joshua will be played by Jesse Pinkman. Oops, I mean, Aaron Paul, the actor who played Jesse Pinkman in the recently concluded Breaking Bad TV series. Also, Sigourney Weaver as Tuya, whoever the heck that is. I don't know, this has the makings of a real stinkeroo, and I really don't trust Ridley Scott to get it right. But let us not be hasty, as a sentient vegetable once famously advised.

Story Bleg

Years ago, my high school English teacher, in order to illustrate a point, referred to a story that was about some young guy who took his first job as a menial laborer at (I think) a grocery store. On his first day, or shortly thereafter, he sees another employee being mistreated. This makes him angry, so he tries to fix the situation, and he is unsuccessful. Unwilling to be part of an organization where such injustice lives, he resigns his position and leaves. On his way out the door for the last time, he unties his apron and throws it down and then he observes "and then I realized that my life was going to be very difficult."

Anybody know this story?

Books By Morons

Longtime moron commenter 'Jim' (who actually comments under a different nic) has a sci-fi novel coming out this week from Tor Books, A Darkling Sea:

On the planet Ilmatar, under a roof of ice a kilometer thick, a team of deep-sea diving scientists investigates the blind alien race that lives below. The Terran explorers have made an uneasy truce with the Sholen, their first extraterrestrial contact: so long as they don’t disturb the Ilmataran habitat, they’re free to conduct their missions in peace.

But of course, somebody goes and effs things up. A deep-sea guerrilla war erupts, cultures collide, and no one knows how it will all turn out.

It's available on Kindle, too.

___________

Moron commenter 'red' recommends Nightmare Range: The Collected Sueño and Bascom Short Stories by Martin Limón. Limón's main character is

George Sueño, a young Mexican American army detective stationed on the US 8th Army base in South Korea in the early 1970s, the heart of the Cold War. George and his investigating partner, the rowdy and short-fused Sergeant Ernie Bascom, are assigned cases in which the 8th Army has come into conflict with local Korean law enforcement—often incidents in which American soldiers, who are not known for being on their best behavior in their Asian host country, have committed a crime. George Sueño's job is partially to solve crimes, but mostly to cover top brass's backside and make sure the US Army doesn't look bad.

It's available on Kindle, too. But the Kindle edition is currently more expensive than the paperback.

___________

A few weeks ago, some of of you morons recommended The Black Prism, the first book in Brett Weeks 'Lightbringer' fantasy series. Since they had a reduced price on the Kindle edition, I went ahead and picked it up. I must say I'm enjoying it very much. The system of magic in this universe is based on light and the different colors of the spectrum, and only some people are able to tap into and make use of it. One of the main characters is thrown out into the world when his entire village is massacred. Only he's no hero, but rather a clumsy, awkward fat kid who needs to grow up quickly and discover who he is. I'm a little more than half way through it, and both the story and the character development is good.

They had a deal on the Kindle version at that time, so I got it for cheap. Now I see the paperback edition is $13.95. Really.

___________

So that's all for this week. As always, book thread tips, suggestions, rumors, threats, and insults may be sent to OregonMuse, Proprietor, AoSHQ Book Thread, at aoshqbookthread, followed by the 'at' sign, and then 'G' mail, and then dot cee oh emm.

What have you all been reading this week? Hopefully something good, because, as I keep saying, life is too short to be reading lousy books.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 11:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Almost finished reading "Wehrmacht Generals, West German Society, and the Debate on Rearmament, 1949-1959". Pretty good. I don't read fiction.

Posted by: SFGoth at January 19, 2014 11:01 AM (VGDJR)

2 Finished the re-read of the first Mitch Rapp book on the Kindle. It is too bad that we will not be getting any more of those. Have now moved on Tom Clancy and the Patriot Games. Too bad we will not be getting any more of his books either. He died last year.

Posted by: Vic at January 19, 2014 11:01 AM (T2V/1)

3 Cheney smoked like a chimney, ate poorly, and got no sleep or exercise.
When his doctor told him he was a prime candidate for a heart attack, he
refused to believe him. Until he had one.

I did all those things and also had an early hearts attack. But the real predictor of a heart attack is heredity. If you have a family history of heart problems (and I do) the you should avoid all those things.

Posted by: Vic at January 19, 2014 11:03 AM (T2V/1)

4 FYI, the hunger games movie is (in Hollywood Fashion) being split into two parts from what I've heard.

Meanwhile I'm still working my way though "Worshipping the State."

Good read.

Posted by: tsrblke, PhD(c) No Really! at January 19, 2014 11:05 AM (GaqMa)

5 Libertarian military sci-fi novel Freehold by Michael Z. Williamson is back in the Baen Free Library in most ebook formats.

I've read it and it's pretty good.

Posted by: BornLib at January 19, 2014 11:05 AM (zpNwC)

6 Reading "Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety"

Good read--nice insights into nuclear safety and some stories about the first bombs that I had not read before .

Posted by: Far Post at January 19, 2014 11:08 AM (HHTXF)

7 That story you mentioned - it's "A&P" by John Updike. The kid quits after the manager is rude to some bikini-clad girls.

Posted by: jethro bodine at January 19, 2014 11:08 AM (+Ak0+)

8 The Cheney book sounds interesting. I would love to see a comparison of Cheney's diet and exercise vs. Michelle "Waygu Beef and Lobster" Obama's. I get the impression Michelle Antoinette doesn't walk the walk.

* * * *
I saw Ender's Game this weekend and enjoyed it. It felt a little incomplete with the way they compressed his years of training into about a month, though. Would have been much better if they could have found a way to depict more of that. But it's motivated me to read the book again, so it's all good.

Posted by: Lizzy at January 19, 2014 11:08 AM (POpqt)

9 I'm really enjoying my kindle. I read A Yankee in King Arthur's Court on it, which I enjoyed up to the end. It was surprisingly bleak considering the humorous nature of most of it (though there were plenty of sad, emotional episodes throughout).

I've started three reading lists and am trying to alternate between them in order to start making real progress in my literary education. Does anyone make any formal outlines of plans for their reading? I want to get through more books on my lists but always seem to get distracted by other works.

Posted by: .87c at January 19, 2014 11:09 AM (6bwY+)

10 Good Morning Rons, Golden Angel has crested 55K words and is making progress.

To all of you authors, if your looking for another avenue to get out the word one your book, I have been participating in a few internet chat shows.

One is Robert Bertrands show, on Dead Wrong Radio, part of the We Built That Network. It's on Saturday night at 8pm Eastern.
http://tinyurl.com/kzz9zru

The Other is the Wriestream Radio Network Hosted by Daria Ann DiGioVanni. She can be found at the Conservative Libertarian Fiction Alliance.

Both of these people will allow you to come on and talk about your book. This does two things for you. One, It gives you a chance to promote your book to a like minded audiance. Two, It gives you the opportunity to practice speaking on the radio. It's not easy.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 11:11 AM (XIxXP)

11 Been reading "The Time-Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England," Ian Mortimer's social history of the age of Queen Bess. Well-written, lots of good information, and no apparent axe(s) to grind. Breezed right through it.

Posted by: Caliban at January 19, 2014 11:12 AM (2ArJQ)

12 Posted by: Vic at January 19, 2014 11:01 AM (T2V/1)

Have you read "Red Storm Rising?"

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 19, 2014 11:12 AM (QFxY5)

13 The adaptation of the first book in Veronica Roth's 'Divergent' series is set for release in March. The main character is a teen-aged girl who comes in conflict with a totalitarian society, where people are grouped by personality types. It sounds like it could be 'The Hunger Games' of 2014.

Posted by: Zombie John Gotti at January 19, 2014 11:13 AM (uzmcT)

14 Have you read "Red Storm Rising?"
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 19, 2014 11:12 AM (QFxY5)

My Favorite Clancy book.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 11:14 AM (XIxXP)

15 12 Have you read "Red Storm Rising?"

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 19, 2014 11:12 AM (QFxY5)

Yes

Posted by: Vic at January 19, 2014 11:14 AM (T2V/1)

16 I finished the Chernobyl Novel....

It veered a bit at the end...

Rated 2 mushroom clouds of 5.

Posted by: sven10077 at January 19, 2014 11:14 AM (TE35l)

17 I have read all of Clancy's early stuff.

Posted by: Vic at January 19, 2014 11:15 AM (T2V/1)

18 Just finished 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas'. I'm reading everything Cicero Daughter brings home from school. Then watched the movie two nights ago.

I told her that there was nothing new under the sun.

Pretty much no conversation after the movie ended...

Posted by: Cicero Kid at January 19, 2014 11:15 AM (tcK++)

19 I believe the short story you're looking for is "A (ampersand) P" by John Updike.

Posted by: DangerGirl at January 19, 2014 11:16 AM (GrtrJ)

20 Who has time to read books? I'm still trying to read all the interwebs.

Posted by: mike at January 19, 2014 11:16 AM (mt+kp)

21 I'm reading The Dinosaur Feather by Gazan. It's a Danish noir concerning a biologist defending her PhD thesis arguing that birds are the direct descendants of dinosaurs when her advisor is brutally murdered. So far, it's quite good.

Posted by: WalrusRex at January 19, 2014 11:16 AM (E+uky)

22 Big "GFM" for "Big Bad Wolves" new to VOD from Israel ...dark black humor....very disturbing subject matter...and if course twisty curvy tale of revenge .... woodchipper is out blow torch is in ...outstanding film my pick so far this year ....

Posted by: Qmark at January 19, 2014 11:17 AM (DGCH9)

23 The adaptation of the first book in Veronica Roth's 'Divergent' series is set for release in March. The main character is a teen-aged girl who comes in conflict with a totalitarian society, where people are grouped by personality types. It sounds like it could be 'The Hunger Games' of 2014.

Sorry about that. I dropped the keyboard and it landed perfectly to post that.

I read the series. It's no Hunger Games, but like that series, it's geared toward young readers who have no experience with plots. The entire series hinges on a plot twist no one sees coming. The Hunger Games trilogy gave enough information early on to let an astute reader have some idea of where it was going.

With that said, it has been a big enough book that the movie should make some money. I am only now hearing a little buzz among people reading them, so it may be a little early still to judge.

Posted by: Zombie John Gotti at January 19, 2014 11:17 AM (uzmcT)

24 Finished "The Pagan Lord" by Bernard Cornwell. Loved it. Now I have to wait for the next one.

Posted by: Tuna at January 19, 2014 11:17 AM (M/TDA)

25 I'm current reading "The King in Yellow" a short story collection by Robert W. Chambers. I was doing some research on H.P. Lovecraft and this book popped up as one that inspired Lovecraft.

It's actually pretty nifty bit of old fashioned horror, fantasy, and even romance.

Posted by: BornLib at January 19, 2014 11:19 AM (zpNwC)

26 I read a really interesting book by Chris Baker, it's called Escape from the Village. It's his first Indie book but I think it would be an awesome teen book. It's about a group of children being raised in a group setting with no names, only numbers. It shows the progression of the two main charecters, a boy and a girl and how with all things stripped away and controled, the Human being always seeks to default to freedom. It a cute, wonderful story.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 11:20 AM (XIxXP)

27 It's a Danish noir concerning a biologist defending her PhD thesis.
Posted by: WalrusRex at January 19, 2014 11:16 AM (E+uky)

Have you got anything with a Danish blond?

Posted by: Barack O'sexy at January 19, 2014 11:20 AM (2ArJQ)

28 I got Dr. K's "Things That Matter" from an office friend for X'mas. It's a collection of his favorite self-selected newspaper magazine columns that he wrote.

Things you may not know about K:

1) His native language is French.

2) He was once chief psychiatric resident at Mass General.

3) He's a chess nut.

Posted by: mnw at January 19, 2014 11:21 AM (68RU9)

29 20 Who has time to read books? I'm still trying to read all the interwebs.
Posted by: mike at January 19, 2014 11:16 AM (mt+kp)

^^This.

I'm up to my eyeballs in unread books. And I keep on buying more. Old school hardcovers too. I haven't switched to Kindle. I love Brodarting dust jackets. Maybe I should apply for a job in a library.

Posted by: rickl at January 19, 2014 11:22 AM (sdi6R)

30 Updike! Well remembered, jethro bodine--I remembered the title but not the author. Never read it myself, but I must have seen five hundred essays on it when I was tutoring with Smarthinking.

OSP, I'll check out those links in a minute, but are both shows reallytruly open to anyone? I get nervous about making such contacts, being indie (and quite the introvert). But it sounds like a good opportunity.

Gonna try to knuckle down on Loyal Valley: Bystanders this week and next. Here's hoping I can actually focus for beans....

Posted by: Elisabeth G. Wolfe at January 19, 2014 11:22 AM (Mt8eo)

31 Finished Gone Girl, meh, Divergent, big meh, and still working on Lone Survivor, very sad.

Posted by: NCKate at January 19, 2014 11:23 AM (x6fKj)

32 I did all those things and also had an early hearts attack. But the real predictor of a heart attack is heredity. If you have a family history of heart problems (and I do) the you should avoid all those things.
Posted by: Vic

A friend of mine had an unexpected 6 way bypass at 47. He was thin, drank lightly, ate meat sparingly and did not smoke.

He asked the doctors why he had such a problem despite a good lifestyle.

"You have lousy genes" was their answer.

Posted by: Meremortal at January 19, 2014 11:23 AM (1Y+hH)

33 Oops, too late. Oh well.

On the Kindle, I'm reading, "The Husband's Secret" by Liane Moriarity.
Paper book, I'm going to start "Into the Fire" by Dakota Meyer.

I set down the Game of Thrones series temporarily.

I finished one of the worst books I have ever read this past week. Called something like "9 1/2 Years Behind the Green Door" a memoir from a dancer who worked at the O'Farrell Theater in San Francisco. It wasn't that the story was bad, the writing was just god-awful. Just spectacularly horrid.

Posted by: DangerGirl at January 19, 2014 11:23 AM (GrtrJ)

34 Gonna try to knuckle down on Loyal Valley: Bystanders this week and next. Here's hoping I can actually focus for beans....
Posted by: Elisabeth G. Wolfe at January 19, 2014 11:22 AM (Mt8eo)

I get you, but these are Indie people that support consevative indie books.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 11:24 AM (XIxXP)

35 Finished Gone Girl, meh, Divergent, big meh, and still working on Lone Survivor, very sad.
Posted by: NCKate at January 19, 2014 11:23 AM (x6fKj)

Read Amy Lynn, You'll love it.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 11:25 AM (XIxXP)

36 I get you, but these are Indie people that support consevative indie books.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 11:24 AM (XIxXP)

Awesome. *adds to to-do list*

Posted by: Elisabeth G. Wolfe at January 19, 2014 11:25 AM (Mt8eo)

37 Story Bleg

Years ago, my high school English teacher, in order to illustrate a
point, referred to a story that was about some young guy who took his
first job as a menial laborer at (I think) a grocery store. On his first
day, or shortly thereafter, he sees another employee being mistreated.
This makes him angry, so he tries to fix the situation, and he is
unsuccessful. Unwilling to be part of an organization where such
injustice lives, he resigns his position and leaves. On his way out the
door for the last time, he unties his apron and throws it down and then
he observes "and then I realized that my life was going to be very
difficult."

Anybody know this story?
A P by John Updike:

//www.tiger-town.com/whatnot/updike/

Although the story is a little different than you remember - a couple of customers get hassled by the manager.

Posted by: Buck Farack, Gentleman Adventurer at January 19, 2014 11:27 AM (Nk6GS)

38 A *and* P by John Updike.

I guess I have to get to Belltown sometime for my Ampersand.

Posted by: Buck Farack, Gentleman Adventurer at January 19, 2014 11:27 AM (Nk6GS)

39 My kick-starter author project

-

"Chicken Soup for the Dumb Ass's Soul"

-

The goal a copy to every Obama voter .. more precisely, a copy tattooed on every Obama voter.

_

Posted by: BumperStickerist at January 19, 2014 11:28 AM (NQyj0)

40 11
Mortimer's "Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England" and "The Greatest Traitor" are also very good. "The Greatest Traitor" is about Sir Roger Mortimer(no relation to the author) who was involved with Isabella, with of Edward II. Excellent character study.

Posted by: Tuna at January 19, 2014 11:28 AM (M/TDA)

41 "A & P" the grocery chain.

Referred to yearly in the song "Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, But I Think I'll Skip This One This Year" in the line "A and P have pride in me"

which was the jingle for the chain.

Posted by: BumperStickerist at January 19, 2014 11:30 AM (NQyj0)

42 40
Why did IPad think "wife" needed to be changed to "with"?

Posted by: Tuna at January 19, 2014 11:31 AM (M/TDA)

43 Read Amy Lynn, You'll love it.
Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 11:25 AM (XIxXP)

That's no lie. I loved it.

Posted by: BornLib at January 19, 2014 11:31 AM (zpNwC)

44
On the 'List of 15 books set to become movies in 2014' ... this one caught my eye:

12. 'Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,' by Cheryl Strayed

I read and liked "Wild", partly because I've hiked on (small) parts of the PCT but mostly because of how the author unflinchingly recounts how badly she literally and metaphorically strayed: ruined her marriage, messed herself up with abortion and drugs, and then hiked the PCT by herself in an attempt - ultimately successful - to reboot her life.

That said, I'm not expecting Reese Witherspoon to be a believable Cheryl Strayed. But I'll give the movie a look anyway when it comes out.

Posted by: crisis du jour at January 19, 2014 11:31 AM (QHUpb)

45 That's no lie. I loved it.
Posted by: BornLib at January 19, 2014 11:31 AM (zpNwC)

Thak You.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 11:32 AM (XIxXP)

46 Has anyone read any of I. J. Parker's Heian Period Japanese mysteries. I happened upon them whilst browsing in Amazon and wondered if they're worth a look.

Posted by: Tuna at January 19, 2014 11:33 AM (M/TDA)

47 That's no lie. I loved it.
Posted by: BornLib at January 19, 2014 11:31 AM (zpNwC)

Thak You.
Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 11:32 AM (XIxXP)

That was Thank You. I bet my poor editor is still off somewhere drinking.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 11:33 AM (XIxXP)

48 I haven't read Cheney's book, but I remember watching the 2000 Republican convention and thinking that Cheney/Bush would have been a stronger ticket than Bush/Cheney. He wouldn't have won, though. Because eeeevil.

Posted by: rickl at January 19, 2014 11:34 AM (sdi6R)

49 Damn ... I found it. Thank you Sunday Book Thread for getting me to ask the right google search question.

This is an essay I read a long, long time ago on the distinction between "cow" and "bull" and the relative importance of "bull."

"Examsmanship and the Liberal Arts"

http://www.longwood.edu/staff/isaacsw/Examship.pdf

Good stuff.

link under name

Posted by: BumperStickerist at January 19, 2014 11:34 AM (NQyj0)

50 Lurker dood here. A cob-logger at The View From North Central Idaho (good gun blog), Rolf Nelson has written a Firefly type of book, only with more libertarian thought, more splodey, and a ship's AI with PTSD. An interesting twist is that it's written in a screenplay format. He'd put out chapters mostly daily when it was coming together and we goaded him into bookifying it. He got it edited so it avoids many of the first timer problems. *Very* Moron friendly.

Posted by: bikermailman at January 19, 2014 11:34 AM (nhwUd)

51 I read Child 44 about a year ago.
Outstanding book.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at January 19, 2014 11:35 AM (kFCo1)

52 Posted by: rickl at January 19, 2014 11:34 AM (sdi6R)

I read his book, It was 600+pages of Dry. However, if you can slog your way through it, I think you come away liking him more. If you don't like him to begin with, I think you'll have a grudging respect.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 11:36 AM (XIxXP)

53 I don't think that pic is at all funny.

Posted by: Prez'nit 404 at January 19, 2014 11:37 AM (Dwehj)

54 I don't think that pic is at all funny.
Posted by: Prez'nit 404 at January 19, 2014 11:37 AM (Dwehj)

Agreed, you're still standing.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 11:38 AM (XIxXP)

55 59 bikermailman:

thanks, do you have a link?

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 19, 2014 11:39 AM (fd0Pp)

56 52 Posted by: rickl at January 19, 2014 11:34 AM (sdi6R)

I read his book, It was 600+pages of Dry. However, if you can slog your way through it, I think you come away liking him more. If you don't like him to begin with, I think you'll have a grudging respect.
Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 11:36 AM (XIxXP)

Oh, I'm definitely a fan. Maybe I didn't express it well in my comment. I loved his speech at the 2000 convention and I wanted to see him at the top of the ticket.

Posted by: rickl at January 19, 2014 11:39 AM (sdi6R)

57 I am nearly finished with Sharpe's Triumph by Bernard Cornwell. The novel follows Richard Sharpe, a fictionalized British soldier, and his pursuit of a British traitor who went to fight for a Marathi prince in early 19th century India. Along the way, Sharpe finds himself fighting in a mixed army of British, East India Company and Indian soldiers led by General Arthur Wellesley (later to become Lord Wellington) at the Battle of Assaye.

Bernard Cornwell is a really good author who knows how to write an engaging story. If you like historical or military fiction, you really ought to try his books.

Posted by: nc at January 19, 2014 11:39 AM (I/rst)

58 Topic: where the film version is better than the book (or other source material):

1) House of Cards

2) Piece of Cake

3) The Layer Cake

Posted by: mnw at January 19, 2014 11:40 AM (68RU9)

59
Oh, I'm definitely a fan. Maybe I didn't express it well in my comment. I loved his speech at the 2000 convention and I wanted to see him at the top of the ticket.
Posted by: rickl at January 19, 2014 11:39 AM (sdi6R)

You get a really good background of the crew that surrounded Gerald Ford and all the heavy hitters that came from that little cabal.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 11:40 AM (XIxXP)

60 Re: Cheney and his heart, my mom and he are same age, same heart issues. She has always been the image of 'good girl' and none of the things Cheney did. No medical reason she didn't die in her sleep over 30 years ago, modern medicine has kept her going since.

Posted by: bikermailman at January 19, 2014 11:40 AM (nhwUd)

61 BornLib, thanks for the 'Freehold' tip, I just now snapped it up. 'Free' is a good price. Link:

http://www.baenebooks.com/ p-162-freehold.aspx

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 19, 2014 11:45 AM (fd0Pp)

62 take out the space in the link in #61

http://www.baenebooks.com/p-162-freehold.aspx

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 19, 2014 11:45 AM (fd0Pp)

63 50 Lurker dood here. A cob-logger at The View From North Central Idaho (good gun blog), Rolf Nelson has written a Firefly type of book, only with more libertarian thought, more splodey, and a ship's AI with PTSD. An interesting twist is that it's written in a screenplay format. He'd put out chapters mostly daily when it was coming together and we goaded him into bookifying it. He got it edited so it avoids many of the first timer problems. *Very* Moron friendly.
Posted by: bikermailman at January 19, 2014 11:34 AM (nhwUd)

That would be "The Stars Came Back" yes?

Posted by: BornLib at January 19, 2014 11:46 AM (zpNwC)

64 - de-lurk

Thanks for recommending Robert Harris's Pompeii last week - I ordered it from the HQ Amazon store that day and just finished it up on the past night shift. Harris knows his Roman stuff, and I'm hoping his other books are set in Rome, too. His characterization of Pliny was quite good, I wonder if he's ever thought of making him the hero of a series!

Reading The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 by Christopher Clark this week.

...

- /de-lurk

Posted by: Where's my prezzy at January 19, 2014 11:48 AM (P70N6)

65 Game of Thrones works better as a show than the books too. That man has no idea where that story is going and uses100 words when ten would do.

Posted by: Captain's daughter at January 19, 2014 11:50 AM (jOa+a)

66 Ack...sorry, meant to put it in.
http://tinyurl.com/okgckks

Sent an email your way yesterday OM, had intended on sending it in time for this week's post, dealing with Dad finding out he has lung cancer. Ace, keep fighting the smoking.

Posted by: bikermailman at January 19, 2014 11:52 AM (nhwUd)

67 55 59 bikermailman:

thanks, do you have a link?
Posted by: OregonMuse at January 19, 2014 11:39 AM (fd0Pp)

http://tinyurl.com/l9hmdag

Posted by: BornLib at January 19, 2014 11:53 AM (zpNwC)

68 Bornlib, it is indeed. Definitely cleaned up from the daily chapter postings last year. Commenters had fun poking him for typos.

Posted by: bikermailman at January 19, 2014 11:55 AM (nhwUd)

69 @7 & 37
I f that's the story I'm thinking of, I read it in high school. There was a description of the girl's boobs equating them to a scoop of vanilla ice cream. That imagery really moved me at the time. Funny the things you remember.

Posted by: pep at January 19, 2014 11:56 AM (6TB1Z)

70 Sent an email your way yesterday OM, had intended on sending it in time for this week's post, dealing with Dad finding out he has lung cancer. Ace, keep fighting the smoking.

Thank you, I put the thread together the day before, so if you send me something Sat. evening, it's too late.

Sorry I missed you. But I will do a write-up for next week's thread.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 19, 2014 11:57 AM (fd0Pp)

71 Thanks, I realized after the fact it might be late for today's post. I feel bad since I told Rolf I'd plug it over here. Just dropped Monday, and he's already sold over 100 copies as of yesterday.

Posted by: bikermailman at January 19, 2014 12:01 PM (nhwUd)

72 There was a description of the girl's boobs equating them to a scoop of vanilla ice cream. That imagery really moved me at the time. Funny the things you remember.
Posted by: pep at January 19, 2014 11:56 AM (6TB1Z)

How can you forget that? Wow, that's great writing.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 12:02 PM (XIxXP)

73
I f that's the story I'm thinking of, I read it in high school. There was a description of the girl's boobs equating them to a scoop of vanilla ice cream. That imagery really moved me at the time. Funny the things you remember.
-
Books and ice cream? Could I get that with frogurt?

Posted by: WalrusRex at January 19, 2014 12:02 PM (E+uky)

74 But we are misunderstanding Michelle's purpose in hectoring the food manufacturers. The purpose is to hook them into the political teat. As one of the industry lobbyists said, "They are very open to our concerns now!" IOW, why bother with producing good products when you get legislate your competitors out?

Look at the Morton's Salt box next time you're in the store. The back contains a warning label about using salt responsibly and not too often, kiddies! Seriously, it's come to this.

Posted by: PJ at January 19, 2014 12:03 PM (ZWaLo)

75 I haven't read much Updike, other than his short story about Ted Williams' last game.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/articles/hub_fans_bid_kid_adieu_article.shtml

Back in the 60s, he ran afoul of the literary establishment by supporting America's efforts in Vietnam. Neo-Neocon wrote a post about it a few years ago.

http://neoneocon.com/2009/09/12/updike-on-war-and-the-intelligentsia/

Posted by: rickl at January 19, 2014 12:05 PM (sdi6R)

76
Thanks for recommending Robert Harris's Pompeii last week - I ordered it from the HQ Amazon store that day and just finished it up on the past night shift. Harris knows his Roman stuff, and I'm hoping his other books are set in Rome, too. His characterization of Pliny was quite good, I wonder if he's ever thought of making him the hero of a series!
-
He has published two books of a trilogy about the life of Cicero. The First is Imperium.

Posted by: WalrusRex at January 19, 2014 12:06 PM (E+uky)

77 Started Michael Connelly's series about Harry Bosch, an LAPD homicide detective. Read "The Black Box" and "The Black Echo."

Both were good who done it's. He's a cop who searches for the truth, and has to deal with those who don't want the truth. He's not part of the LAPD "family."

Posted by: ExSnipe at January 19, 2014 12:06 PM (LKJt3)

78 But you know that the orgy of hatred that will erupt from the left when his heart finally gives out for good is going to be epic.

Yes, but then we get to point out to the leftards that Their Messiah has continued all of Evil Cheney's policies if not expanded them.

Posted by: --- at January 19, 2014 12:07 PM (MMC8r)

79 According to the Weekly Standard review of his book, in his early years, Cheney smoked like a chimney, ate poorly, and got no sleep or exercise. When his doctor told him he was a prime candidate for a heart attack, he refused to believe him. Until he had one.

He had his first heart attack in his 20s. Are you saying that you can't have fun even when you're young??!

Posted by: Judge Pug at January 19, 2014 12:07 PM (E4MKN)

80 Anyone read "Beautiful Data"?

Posted by: Jean at January 19, 2014 12:08 PM (4JkHl)

81 I did actually learn a useful thing off the web. A few days ago my
"insert" key came loose. I never use it, but it was annoying.
Considered taking the Acer to Network Monkeys but really didn't want to
make the drive, pay the $25 upfront fee.... did a websearch.
"Oscillating" the key re-seated it. Tarnation!

Posted by: backhoe at January 19, 2014 12:09 PM (ULH4o)

82 I remember reading that Updike story in HS. I thought at the time how stupid it was for the character to side with the rich beeotch girl(s) that thought the 'no shoes no shirt no service" rules were only for the little people and not for the rich and pretty. Today after spending time with the horde I can sympathize more with how young male gets swayed by bikini clad pretty girl but still its so very odd to hear the story described as there being actual mistreatment of anyone.

Posted by: PaleRider at January 19, 2014 12:09 PM (5CusZ)

83 By the way, can anyone recommend a good reference book for the discovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum? Preferably one with illustrations or photos of artifacts and one that also has a decent context of first century AD Rome. kthnx

Posted by: Where's my prezzy at January 19, 2014 12:10 PM (P70N6)

84 He'd have had the heart attack even if he didn't do all those things. He didn't do himself any favors by indulging that way, but heart attacks prior to the age of 50 are all down to your gene pool.

For her fans, the new Flavia de Luce mystery is available now. Loved it.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at January 19, 2014 12:10 PM (jxBoE)

85 Anyone have early reader recommendations for girls?

It seems like everything out there is Disney princesses and Barbie, neither of which I'm necessarily opposed to, but I'd like to find something of a bit higher quality.

She's just beyond the BOB book level, if that helps.

Posted by: Lauren at January 19, 2014 12:13 PM (hFL/3)

86 I know we idolize Cheney here, but he is consummate moderate establishment Republican, albeit one with teeth.

Posted by: Jean at January 19, 2014 12:13 PM (4JkHl)

87 Oh and welcome, prezzy!

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at January 19, 2014 12:15 PM (jxBoE)

88 Updike has fallen out of favor among the intelligensia since his death in 2009, but the man was a writing machine--novels, stories, essays, poems--for over 50 years. He was strongest in his short stories-especially the older ones, of which "AP" is a prime example. He did support the Vietnam War, and was raked over the coals for it, but he was an old, small-town FDR Democrat all his life....

Posted by: JoeyBagels at January 19, 2014 12:16 PM (Usdw3)

89 Obama: 'I would not let my son play pro football'

Would this be St. Trayvon or another imaginary son? How about Michelle? She's big enough to play tackle.

“At this point, there’s a little bit of caveat emptor,” Obama said. “These guys, they know what they’re doing. They know what they’re buying into. It is no longer a secret. It’s sort of the feeling I have about smokers, you know?”

Caveat emptor? What are they buying? I'm surprised the blithering idiot didn't say, Cave canem. Smokers? You aren't one yourself? What a mega douche

Posted by: TheQuietMan at January 19, 2014 12:16 PM (JivuR)

90 Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at January 19, 2014 12:10 PM (jxBoE)

Howdy,

You've been missed.

Posted by: ExSnipe at January 19, 2014 12:18 PM (LKJt3)

91 I can sympathize more with how young male gets swayed by bikini clad pretty girl but still its so very odd to hear the story described as there being actual mistreatment of anyone.

That's because I never actually read the story. I was trying to remember how it was described to me, but my memory isn't the best, so I got some details wrong.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 19, 2014 12:19 PM (fd0Pp)

92 Duh!1 is a vile, small little "man." Can't believe he got elected- twice. We really have become collectively stupid.

Posted by: backhoe at January 19, 2014 12:19 PM (ULH4o)

93 Thank you, ExSnipe! And ditto!

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at January 19, 2014 12:20 PM (jxBoE)

94 88
He did support the Vietnam War, and was raked over the coals for it, but he was an old, small-town FDR Democrat all his life....
Posted by: JoeyBagels at January 19, 2014 12:16 PM (Usdw3)

Yes, exactly. He was a member of an apparently extinct species, a liberal Democrat who loved America. Not a leftist.

Posted by: rickl at January 19, 2014 12:21 PM (sdi6R)

95 The Rabbit Books are considered Updike's magnum opus, and though somewhat dated (especially the second of the quartet,Rabbit Redux) the are still essential. The opening pages of the third, Rabbit is Rich, perfectly capture the late Jimmy Carter '70's better than anything I've ever read.

Posted by: JoeyBagels at January 19, 2014 12:21 PM (Usdw3)

96 Y'all definitely need to be reading Sgt Mom's books if you haven't been. Really well done.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at January 19, 2014 12:21 PM (jxBoE)

97 Hi, Tammy! Nice to see you, virtually speaking.

Posted by: rickl at January 19, 2014 12:22 PM (sdi6R)

98 Books for girls... well, when I was that age, I was already into C. S. Lewis and Agatha Christie, so I'm not sure if I'll be much help. Hard to go wrong with Narnia, though, unless you have particular objections to fantasy.

That said, I think I'd recommend just about any of the books I have on my Goodreads children's lit shelf, aside from maybe the Roald Dahl books and the scarier Jack Prelutsky collections: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/24972938?shelf=children Not many aimed specifically at girls, aside from the American Girls books, but there are lots of options there.

Posted by: Elisabeth G. Wolfe at January 19, 2014 12:24 PM (Mt8eo)

99 Almost all those adaptations sound like must misses. I will e have to give up my Timothy Olyphant fixation and skip the drek that he will be in with ::urp:: Tina Fey.

Posted by: Gem at January 19, 2014 12:24 PM (zw+pb)

100 And Updike's Memories of the Ford Administration fully capture, well, the Gerald Ford mid-seventies perfectly...

Posted by: JoeyBagels at January 19, 2014 12:24 PM (Usdw3)

101 Updike has fallen out of favor among the intelligensia since his death in 2009, but the man was a writing machine--novels, stories, essays, poems--for over 50 years. He was strongest in his short stories-especially the older ones, of which "AP" is a prime example. He did support the Vietnam War, and was raked over the coals for it, but he was an old, small-town FDR Democrat all his life....

That sounds like Al Capp, who drew the "Li'l Abner" comic strip. Old school liberal who hated lefties, hated radicals, hated the "peace" movement, and hate, hate, HATED hippies. He viciously lampooned them all in his comic strip

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 19, 2014 12:25 PM (fd0Pp)

102 That was a cool pix,

Darth Vader pointing a finger at Obama.

I had to laugh. You guys rock!

I have to jet now, its past bedtime in China.

Posted by: Judge_Roy_Bean at January 19, 2014 12:25 PM (zyPTC)

103 Tammy al-Thor?

Good to see you.

Posted by: backhoe at January 19, 2014 12:26 PM (ULH4o)

104 101. And yet people like Capp and Updike would never consider voting for a Republican. "The Democrats are for the working man..." and all that....

Posted by: JoeyBagels at January 19, 2014 12:27 PM (Usdw3)

105 Lauren, I'm not familiar with BOB. What age range are you looking for? Little House series, Wrinkle in Time series, The Secret Garden, Judy Blume books, Magic Treehouse, all are worth reading.

Posted by: NCKate at January 19, 2014 12:28 PM (x6fKj)

106 Thanks, Elizabeth. I will definitely check out your shelf. My daughter's in that awkward new reader stage where she is beyond just reading phonetically, but still not quite proficient, so I'm trying to load her up with tons of material that she'll really like to get her a good foundation.

Posted by: Lauren at January 19, 2014 12:31 PM (hFL/3)

107 Hmm, maybe I should read some Updike. I'm not that into short stories but I guess he makes you think and that is pretty rare these days. Tammy so nice to see your nic again. I'll have to put some Sgt Mom books on my to buy list. They've sounded interesting but I haven't pulled the trigger yet.

Posted by: PaleRider at January 19, 2014 12:31 PM (5CusZ)

108 Hi Tammy!

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 19, 2014 12:32 PM (fd0Pp)

109 14 Have you read "Red Storm Rising?"
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at January 19, 2014 11:12 AM (QFxY5)

My Favorite Clancy book.
Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 11:14 AM (XIxXP)

The 'Devil's Cross' FTW!

Posted by: RWC at January 19, 2014 12:32 PM (Q6HBD)

110 Backhoe! How are you??? Still on the Low Country?

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at January 19, 2014 12:32 PM (jxBoE)

111 shortly after 9/11, ill never forget it, i was in my car driving home from work, and i heard dick cheney utter perhaps the most concise, astute, and effective summation and retort as to what had just happened...he essentially said the following:

"WE WILL NOT ALLOW HISTORYS LATEST GROUP OF THUGS TO MURDER THEIR WAY INTO POWER"

couple that with donald rumsfelds "THERE ARE KNOWN KNOWNS; THERE ARE THINGS WE KNOW WE KNOW. THERE ARE KNOWN UNKNOWNS;THAT IS TO SAY, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE NOW KNOW WE DONT KNOW. BUT THERE ARE ALSO UNKNOWN UNKNOWNS-THERE ARE THINGS WE DO NOT KNOW WE DONT KNOW."

all in all i slept pretty well knowing that those two were next to the guy at the helm calling the shots...

how did the office of vice president and defense secretary go from these two fine gentlemen to the two goofs we got in there...what a sad state of affairs for our country

Posted by: sound awake at January 19, 2014 12:32 PM (pk/NG)

112 BOB books are basically really simple phonetic books. I'm looking for really early readers...stage 1 or 2. Basically just beyond basic phonics.

She's 5.

Posted by: Lauren at January 19, 2014 12:33 PM (hFL/3)

113 A rumor should be started that Cheney is wired to a dead-man's switch, so that when he goes, nukes go off in all major cities.

The results would be epically popcorn-worthy.

Posted by: Brother Cavil needs to sort his socks at January 19, 2014 12:34 PM (m9V0o)

114 My library had the Richard Harris Pompeii y'all recommended last week; I read it in two nights. Very good, although the Roman meals really grossed me out.

I don't know what BOB is, but I read L. Frank Baum's Oz books starting when I was 6 (who doesn't want to be Ozma?), and L.M. Montgomery's Anne books shortly after that. Although re-reading those as an adult last year, I was really impressed at how much smarter--longer sentences, bigger words--young girls were expected to be a hundred years ago than today.

Posted by: HR at January 19, 2014 12:34 PM (hO8IJ)

115 Books for girls--she might like Patricia Wrede's Dragon series, starting with "Dealing with Dragons" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dealing_with_Dragons

These are quirky fun and not the usual diabetes-inducing princess nonsense. Here, being a dragon's princess involves library cataloging and making vat-sized quantities of desserts ;-) Sword skills AND manners are considered desirable extras.

Wrede also co-wrote "Sorcery and Cecilia", a very fun epistolary novel set in a Regency England where magic is something a Lady of Quality might choose to dabble in. It's a bit more advanced than the dragon books, but not by much.

Posted by: Sabrina Chase at January 19, 2014 12:35 PM (2buaQ)

116 I am not sure what BOB books are, but I read Little House in the Big Woods when I was in kindergarten, and adored it.

Also like to recommend Elizabeth Enright's series that starts with The Saturdays, but I'm not sure how old your daughter is. How about Charlotte's Web?

I suggest you look backwards in time for better books than they're putting out now.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at January 19, 2014 12:35 PM (jxBoE)

117 I have a difficult time reading fiction because I always feel like I should be learning something when I am reading.

I know. It's stoopid.

However, for that reason, the book I requested and received for Christmas is 'Corporate Confidential: 50 Secrets Your Company Doesn't Want You to Know....'

It rates very highly on Amazon and serves as a reminder, in case you've ever momentarily lapsed from reality, that Human Resources exists to protect the company, NOT to protect you.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at January 19, 2014 12:35 PM (DmNpO)

118 Ms Tammy!!!!! Quick pop in to say hi to you on my way out to workout.

Books for girls: Little House series. I'm not sure the age/reading ability but my dad had me on to stuff like Johnny Tremaine, Penrod & Light in the Forest when I was young.

I'm currently working on Steve Berry's The King's Deception. Love him and James Rollins.

And finally, I can't recommend Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series highly enough. The man is a natural born moron, though sadly not an actual moron (I asked at a book signing. He tried real hard not to give me the uh oh she's crazy look). And if urban fantasy doesn't float your boat, then just check out his website and bookie face pages for some good laughs. Hint: Huge bacon fan.

Posted by: bebe's boobs destroy at January 19, 2014 12:35 PM (vklY5)

119 Early readers my son loved were anything with dogs: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Henry and Mudge. Also good, Frog and Toad books, anything by Kevin Henkes.

Posted by: NCKate at January 19, 2014 12:35 PM (x6fKj)

120 Lauren, there are two other fun series that I don't have on there because I can't remember which volumes I've read: Hank the Cowdog and The Magic Schoolbus. Those might be a bit older than what you're looking for, though.

Posted by: Elisabeth G. Wolfe at January 19, 2014 12:35 PM (Mt8eo)

121 really early readers...stage 1 or 2. Basically just beyond basic phonics.

Elephant and Piggy? I love my new toy!

Posted by: HR at January 19, 2014 12:36 PM (hO8IJ)

122 Tammy!?

"110
Backhoe! How are you??? Still on the Low Country?"

Still on the GA coast. Still wondering what to make of my cute cat lady widow-friend who can't seem to get shed of her late husband's near-infinite problems he left her saddled with. I am surprisingly well, considering everything.

Posted by: backhoe at January 19, 2014 12:38 PM (ULH4o)

123 Oh, how about The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew?

Very simple reading.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at January 19, 2014 12:38 PM (jxBoE)

124 I finished "Happy Happy Happy" by Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame, which I checked out from the library. It's an easy read, and overrall an enjoyable one, basically an autobiography. He certainly has led an interesting life, going from outlaw to evangelist while creating an empire in between, with a couple of stops for football and teaching along the way.

I particularly enjoyed the chapters detailing how he started with the duck calls and got them introduced to the market. How he pulled one over on the very early Walmart franchise gave me a chuckle.

I was impressed with how this really is a family business, down to having the boys doing packaging and shipping after school.

I also enjoyed the chapter toward the end detailing where Phil feels his mission is now at this stage of his life. I did not realize that he has personally baptized hundreds of people in the river behind his house. Although I knew his eldest son Andy is a minister, I did not know that Willie and Jase also have seminary training.

This is a book that you could easily read in a couple of sittings, so if you don't want to shell out the money for it, just borrow it like I did.

Posted by: grammie winger at January 19, 2014 12:38 PM (P6QsQ)

125 BAckhoe, I didn't want to pry and ask about your former boss, but I am glad to see you're still keeping company....

)

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at January 19, 2014 12:40 PM (jxBoE)

126 Oh we love Magic School Bus and Frog and Toad! I'll have to get the younger little house books, I didn't know those even existed! I think she'll really like that a lot.

Thanks guys. I know what I read as an older child (Lots of Redwall and Avi) but I can barely remember a single book from prior to about 3rd grade.

Anything has got to be better than "Barbie the Pet Vet." Yes, we own that....

Posted by: Lauren at January 19, 2014 12:40 PM (hFL/3)

127 Leo Lionni books are good books also for early readers.

Posted by: NCKate at January 19, 2014 12:40 PM (x6fKj)

128 Al Capp was a vile cretin. Everybody who ever spent 5 minutes with him hated his guts, regardless of their politics..

Posted by: mnw at January 19, 2014 12:40 PM (68RU9)

129 104 101. And yet people like Capp and Updike would never consider voting for a Republican. "The Democrats are for the working man..." and all that....

And perhaps that's just as well. Because otherwise, we get guys like David Horowitz noisily leaving the Democratic Party and claiming to be all conservative and whatnot, and that works until a conservative attacks their god FDR (cf. the book American Betrayal by Diana West) and then suddenly the mask comes off and their snarling liberal hearts, that they've buried for years, suddenly comes roiling up to the surface.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 19, 2014 12:40 PM (fd0Pp)

130 Lauren, it is probably too far on the reading scale for now, but I really liked The Witch of Blackbird Pond, My Side of the Mountain, and Bridge to Terabithia when I was a kid. I picked up a collection of Roald Dahl's work at Costco around Christmas. I couldn't pass it up. The jury is still out for the kiddos.

Posted by: no good deed at January 19, 2014 12:41 PM (vBhbc)

131 "That sounds like Al Capp, who drew the 'Li'l Abner' comic strip. Old
school liberal who hated lefties, hated radicals, hated the 'peace'
movement, and hate, hate, HATED hippies. He viciously lampooned them all
in his comic strip"

Joan Baez deserved every bit of the slashingly satirical characterization as "Joanie Phoney" that she received via Capp.

Posted by: torquewrench at January 19, 2014 12:42 PM (gqT4g)

132 HR, Elephant and Piggie looks great too.

Thank y'all so much.

Posted by: Lauren at January 19, 2014 12:43 PM (hFL/3)

133 My niece and nephews also really like Bad Kitty.
They go from picture books to chapter books.

http://badkittybooks.squarespace.com/

Posted by: HR at January 19, 2014 12:43 PM (hO8IJ)

134 Ooh, Lauren, I always forget that big reading list Lynnr Cheney put together on must reads. It's divided into age groups.

Posted by: bebe's boobs destroy at January 19, 2014 12:43 PM (vklY5)

135 bebe!!!! How do??

I'd say Hearde was an outright liberal, but the books are fun. He does get almost unbearably preachy about the dreaded evil mine owners in about the 4th or 5th book, but he lays off in the subsequent ones.

I myself get tired of he and the dog constantly talking, but the books are overall great fun.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at January 19, 2014 12:43 PM (jxBoE)

136 Fun with Moose and Friends was a big hit with my kids.

Posted by: no good deed at January 19, 2014 12:43 PM (vBhbc)

137 Oregon Muse

I really like the book thread. I get worn down by purely political/current events blogs.

Posted by: mnw at January 19, 2014 12:46 PM (68RU9)

138 I've always been a fan of Elizabeth George's books, but after twice checking out her recently released "Just One Evil Act" from the library, I've given up and have returned it, again, only partially read. I just can't get into it. I wish I could. At 736 pages, it would keep me busy for a bit.

Posted by: grammie winger at January 19, 2014 12:48 PM (P6QsQ)

139 I want to wish President Obama a Happy Martin Luuter King Day. Without Dr King all Americans would still be suffering.

Posted by: Dorcus Blimline at January 19, 2014 12:48 PM (iB0Q2)

140 Anyone have early reader recommendations for girls?
Posted by: Lauren at January 19, 2014 12:13 PM (hFL/3)

Some might disagree, but I always thought the Edgar Rice Burroughs' books always had strong women in them. His Mars, Venus, beneath the earth and other series books had women that were tough, and they are easy reads.

Posted by: ExSnipe at January 19, 2014 12:48 PM (LKJt3)

141 125? Tammy?

Yeah, my former boss-lady-- I last did runner's work a year and a half ago for her and her Realty business-- can't seem to get away from all the messes her dead Hub left her with. I am doing as much as I can and she will allow for her.
I suspect her best move would be to go home to Connecticut and start over. Once you fall out of favor on the Island there is no getting back. It's a clannish and incestuous place at best.

Posted by: backhoe at January 19, 2014 12:49 PM (ULH4o)

142 @ WalrusRex - Thanks for the rec! Oddly enough, I've read Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series, wherein the main character (Gordianus the Finder) is an investigator for hire who occasionally works for Cicero, so I wonder how another author interprets Cicero. Gordianus tends to depreciate Cicero, being very cynical, but Saylor emphasizes how loyal Tiro is (I did some research just now, based on your reply), so I'm interested in how the two authors interpret Cicero from two very different viewpoints - thanks!

Posted by: Where's my prezzy at January 19, 2014 12:50 PM (P70N6)

143 I myself get tired of he and the dog constantly talking, but the books are overall great fun.

Really? Oberon slays me. He did a bit on the webs where Oberon does his version of the 12 days of Christmas. And Yeah the enviro stuff got a bit preachy but I was able to sidestep most of it.

Posted by: bebe's boobs destroy at January 19, 2014 12:51 PM (vklY5)

144 Enjoyed Dr. K's "Things That Matter" too. His writing is much more playful than his somewhat dour t.v. persona would lead you to believe.

Kindled "Dust", the last installment of the SILO trilogy. Very satisfying end to the series.

Just finished Turtledove's "Supervolcano: Things Fall Apart", the third (final?) in the series. Opinions are very divided on this series, with some opining that HT wrote a soap opera with disaster fic trappings, but setting up an extraordinary situation and figuring out how ordinary people deal with the consequences is his schtick and he does it well. It's not just the immediate aftermath of the explosion that grips you, it's the long-term unraveling that keeps you reading. The Ferguson family ranges from the LA suburbs to FEMA camps to the upper Midwest to New England, and as a literary device it's excellent to see how different communities cope. My favorite character is the oldest son, Rob, who is stranded with his band in the wilds of Maine while on tour when the event hit. They are inaccessible for 9 months of the year and the state is slowly reverting to colonial/early 19th century rhythms, for good or ill. Their horizons have receded too. The townsfolk have come to feel this may not be a bad thing.

If you like your military SF Libertarian and fast-n-loose, I recommend Michael Z. Williamson's Freehold novel "Better to Beg Forgiveness...".

Hat Tip to the fellow who recommended "Writers Between the Covers" by Rendon and Schmidt. This would make a good double bill with Paul Johnson's "Intellectual". Who will write of the scandalous lives and inevitably sordid ends of the Moron Horde?

Posted by: All Hail Eris at January 19, 2014 12:51 PM (QBm1P)

145 Time for my contribution of "what boring religious book has Fenelon read this week" ;^) But to me . none of them have been boring, long, maybe, but boring no. This one wasn't long-pnly about 100 pages. It's called "The Solitude of Jesus" (Lessons in Life for the 21st century) and it's all about why Jesus needed and used time alone to be with His father. Monbleau, who has a radio ministry. "Let's Talk about Jesus" and a ministry called "Loving Grace Ministries which is very bible and Christ centered, talks about how silence with God trains us to be more compassionate and allows us to have a strong identity in Christ. We recognize that we are a beloved child of God and others are too, and through God's grace we can act creatively in all types of situations in which we would formerly have reacted and maybe brought more problems on ourselves.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 19, 2014 12:52 PM (7kkQJ)

146 Picked up all three books of The Strain trilogy as a Kindle deal for $2 each. Vampire nobels by Guillermo del Toro and a co-writer (who probably did the heavy lifting). Actually quite entertaining even though I don't normally read things like that. I'd recommend if you like the genre.

Also got No Easy Day as a Kindle deal too. Blew through it in about a day or so and it wasn't bad. If you can get it discounted in the overstock its worthwhile. Whether or not it should have been written - I'm not wading into that.

Posted by: Todd W at January 19, 2014 12:52 PM (lrkg9)

147 137 Oregon Muse
I really like the book thread

Thank you.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 19, 2014 12:54 PM (fd0Pp)

148 147
137 Oregon Muse

I really like the book thread

Thank you.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 19, 2014 12:54 PM (fd0Pp)

I hope it is clear to you that the Book Thread is very much appreciated and looked forward to by many of the Horde. I have read many books recommended here that I would not normally started, let alone finished.

Posted by: Hrothgar at January 19, 2014 12:56 PM (o3MSL)

149 Yes, thank you very much,. Oregon Muse-I can't contribute to the gaming thread or the gun thread so I'm glad to read and contribute to things that aren't just about politics. I appreciate your suggestions and that of others.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 19, 2014 12:56 PM (7kkQJ)

150 >>How about Michelle? She's big enough to play tackle.

Tie a cheeseburger around the neck of the player you want taken out and she will make him history.

Posted by: Aviator at January 19, 2014 12:56 PM (DI+ja)

151 113 A rumor should be started that Cheney is wired to a dead-man's switch, so that when he goes, nukes go off in all major cities.

The results would be epically popcorn-worthy.

Posted by: Brother Cavil needs to sort his socks at January 19, 2014 12:34 PM (m9V0o)

I like the way you think, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

Posted by: rickl at January 19, 2014 12:56 PM (sdi6R)

152 @ Lauren - The Hobbit is a great book for kids. My dad read it to me and my sister when we were first grade and preschool (respectively), and it set me on the road to reading Chronicles of Narnia, which are AWESOME.

The only book I recall reading at second grade was "Famous Aviators of World War II" because it made such and impression on me - in other words, I recommend not looking for "girl" books, because to hell what other people think girls should read, just give her anything interesting. Hans Christen Anderson fairytales, Japanese fairytales (Issun Boshi si a great one), translated mythology from the Greeks and Romans... anything is awesome.

Posted by: Where's my prezzy at January 19, 2014 12:57 PM (P70N6)

153

Holy shit! I wen to junior high and high school with Dr. Jonathan Reiner.

What a great kid. Go Johnny!

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at January 19, 2014 12:59 PM (olDqf)

154 "some opining that HT wrote a soap opera with disaster fic trappings"

Common with disaster plots. I believe the cliché is "showing the human element". This much is fine and, actually, necessary.

The problem is when the writer - knowing this - tries too hard to make us care about some character whom said writer is getting ready to snuff. The reader can see it coming from chapters away, and ends up hoping for the victim to get it over with already.

Posted by: boulder toilet hobo at January 19, 2014 01:01 PM (Xfl0F)

155 140 ExSnipe, I second your recommendation of the ERB Barsoom series. I devoured it as a girl, and upon rereading them this year I was pleasantly surprised at how feisty the gals were, especially Thuvia and Llana.

I think girls would enjoy the lush settings and detailed descriptions of the people, places, and cultures. I did!

Posted by: All Hail Eris at January 19, 2014 01:01 PM (QBm1P)

156 "A rumor should be started that Cheney is wired to a dead-man's switch, so that when he goes, nukes go off in all major cities."

Just Mecca.

Posted by: Bourbonchicken at January 19, 2014 01:02 PM (O+0br)

157 I think a lot of the Dr Seuss books are good. I enjoyed the Babaar the elephant king series, that may too non-PC to find these days. Diggingest dog was a hit. Other than that, I only remember the stuff I was reading in 3rd grade or so and not the very early books. There is a sweet little book I bought my mom (who did early childhood therapy and development work) called Molly the Pony, not sure what reader level it is but its lots of pics and a good story of overcoming some stuff told with just a few sentences per page. Pony is rescued from barn after Katrina, is attacked by a dog at the rescue and ends up with a prosthetic leg with a smiley face on the rubber prosthetic hoof living happily.

Posted by: PaleRider at January 19, 2014 01:03 PM (5CusZ)

158 129
And perhaps that's just as well. Because otherwise, we get guys like David Horowitz noisily leaving the Democratic Party and claiming to be all conservative and whatnot, and that works until a conservative attacks their god FDR (cf. the book American Betrayal by Diana West) and then suddenly the mask comes off and their snarling liberal hearts, that they've buried for years, suddenly comes roiling up to the surface.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 19, 2014 12:40 PM (fd0Pp)

I'm halfway through American Betrayal, but I stalled out for the moment.

Nothing wrong with the book; I'm just lazy. (See comment #20.)

It's powerful stuff. Once I finish it, I'll be sure to leave a review here.

Posted by: rickl at January 19, 2014 01:03 PM (sdi6R)

159 Terlit Hobo, HT was more interested in how they coped, so the characters made it, albeit by the skin of their teeth, and not without trauma.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at January 19, 2014 01:05 PM (QBm1P)

160 If no one's said it already, you're thinking of A&P, by John Updike.

Posted by: Sobek at January 19, 2014 01:05 PM (dWgg1)

161 Yes, many leftists will reach gleefully when Cheney dies. Heck, I read leftist who pointed themselves God and had already judged that he was going to hell (and were relishing that) but they had already done the same thing with Thatcher and Reagan as well. I guess all you can do is pray for people like that. I don't like it when some people on the right arbitrarily assign people to hell before they die because they don't agree with their politics.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 19, 2014 01:06 PM (7kkQJ)

162 Well crap, guess I'm a little slow.

Posted by: Sobek at January 19, 2014 01:08 PM (dWgg1)

163 Meant "react" and "appointed" I guess at this point the people who read my posts can translate what Shredded Chi calls "my speaking in tongues" into English. ;^)

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 19, 2014 01:09 PM (7kkQJ)

164 83 By the way, can anyone recommend a good reference book for the discovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum? Preferably one with illustrations or photos of artifacts and one that also has a decent context of first century AD Rome. kthnx
Posted by: Where's my prezzy at January 19, 2014 12:10 PM (P70N6)

I'd peruse your local library, and look for books on Herculaneum. Because it was closer to the blast, the preservation was greater. I like: Herculaneum: Past and Future Hardcover by Andrew Wallace-Hadrill He also has done some documentaries that you could probably find on the internet for free.

Also, check out:

@PompeiiApp

@photosofpompeii

Posted by: Judge Pug at January 19, 2014 01:11 PM (E4MKN)

165 The left is very revealing when it comes to whose grave they wish to dance upon.

Posted by: JoeyBagels at January 19, 2014 01:12 PM (Usdw3)

166 I remember reading The Giver in junior high. Amazing that they are still using the exact same cover at amazon that I read it with. I'm sure that will change once the movie comes out.

Posted by: Buzzion at January 19, 2014 01:13 PM (yHmPP)

167 Harry Hopkins was the Valerie Jarrett of the Roosevelt administration.

Hell, Valerie wishes she had as much power and influence as Hopkins did.

Posted by: rickl at January 19, 2014 01:14 PM (sdi6R)

168 Posted by: All Hail Eris at January 19, 2014 01:01 PM (QBm1P)

Don't forget Dejah Thoris!

Posted by: ExSnipe at January 19, 2014 01:16 PM (LKJt3)

169 I'm sure Ridley Scott will treat the religious faith of the people of exodus with the same careful consideration he gave to the faith of the crusaders in kingdom of heaven.

Posted by: Buzzion at January 19, 2014 01:17 PM (yHmPP)

170 146 Picked up all three books of The Strain trilogy as a Kindle deal for $2 each. Vampire nobels by Guillermo del Toro and a co-writer (who probably did the heavy lifting). Actually quite entertaining even though I don't normally read things like that. I'd recommend if you like the genre.
Posted by: Todd W at January 19, 2014 12:52 PM (lrkg9)

I really liked the first book. I need to finish off the trilogy at some point.

Posted by: BornLib at January 19, 2014 01:19 PM (zpNwC)

171 mnw, second that. I also listen to 247 Comedy (iheart radio app) on the weekends, just to turn oof the bullcrap.

Just finished REAMDE. His disdain for flyover country is there, but he does have it save the day, otherwise a fun read. Just started The Pagan Lord. Cornwell is good in all his work, Uhtred is a great character, and the battle scenes are wonderful/terrifying. Reading history and historical fiction shows us that weaselly backstabbers have always been around, part of the human condition.

Posted by: bikermailman at January 19, 2014 01:19 PM (et0eC)

172 In regards to children's books, one book that has stuck with me ever since I read it, maybe around 2nd grade or so, is "Follow My Leader", by James Robinson. It's the story of an active boy who is blinded in a firecracker accident, and is suddenly removed from his happy life of camping, sports, and activities with friends. He begins to despair until he is introduced to a teacher who begins to teach him Braille and ultimately pairs him with a seeing-eye dog named Leader.

It is one of those stories that I read over and over again as a child and left a lasting impression. I think the original version is out of print, but they republished it recently and it is available on Amazon.

Posted by: grammie winger at January 19, 2014 01:19 PM (P6QsQ)

173 Started reading a recent translation of The Aeneid this past week as the selection of my book group. I expected it to be a slog but once I started getting familiar with the narration (including many many references to who or where they were talking about) it became an enjoyable read. I like how the concept existed of once something was fated to happen, it was gonna happen and all the gods who were pissed off about it, for one capricious decision or another, could do was make it as difficult as possible for the humans to accomplish it. The part where the winds were cut loose to scuttle a lot of Aeneis's ships until Neptune said "WTF is happening to my body of water" and sent the winds packing back to the mountain where they came was pretty funny. Also having the gods responsible for certain unwanted emotions, in this case Dido becoming infatuated with Aeneis, is a pretty humorous way of rationalizing them.

Made a bit of progress in Gibbon where he was talking about how the early Rooskis came about and how they attacked Constantinople with multitudes of small shallow bottomed boats until they were bought off to stay the fuck away. I think that was back when the Rus were mostly transplanted Scandis because the Byzantines thought of them as invaders from the polar areas. Read some parts of Red Fortress where they're setting the stage for Ivan the Terrible where everybody around him, when he was a child, was getting thrown into jail and starved.

Posted by: Captain Hate at January 19, 2014 01:20 PM (++dPW)

174 "Harry Hopkins was the Valerie Jarrett of the Roosevelt administration."

Right down to being an unregistered agent of a foreign power.

Posted by: torquewrench at January 19, 2014 01:20 PM (gqT4g)

175 "The Hobbit is a great book for kids."

My nephew was having a hard time in school when he was growing up. Not making very good grades, kind of on the edge of going bad.

So he was visiting me on time, and I think he was about 12, and when he was about to fly back home I got him 'The Hobbit', which apparently he devoured on the plane flight. And that started him reading like crazy.

At first it was all fantasy stuff, but he also was interested in Civil War History, and started reading anything he could about it.

Cool thing that happened to him years later. He's in the lighting side of TV and Movie production. And he lives back east, so he got to spend one whole summer working on the movie "Gettysburg".

Not sure if that's been the highlight of his life, but he sure as HELL loved it!

And to this day he credits me with starting him reading, so I guess I'm not that bad of an uncle.

Posted by: HH at January 19, 2014 01:21 PM (XXwdv)

176 I have a question...

I watched the wretchedly acted 'Flowers in the Attic' on Lifetime lat night. I now know the premise but wonder if the book itself is worth a read.

Thoughts?

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at January 19, 2014 01:21 PM (DmNpO)

177 Re "Kingdom of Heaven", I missed the part where, when Saladin took Jerusalem, he demanded a ransom of every non-Muslim citizen of the town or be sold off as a slave.

Must have been in the director's-edition.

Posted by: boulder toilet hobo at January 19, 2014 01:21 PM (Xfl0F)

178
72 There was a description of the girl's boobs equating them to a scoop of vanilla ice cream. That imagery really moved me at the time. Funny the things you remember.
Posted by: pep at January 19, 2014 11:56 AM (6TB1Z)

a scoop? Double dip, please!

Posted by: Cicero Kid at January 19, 2014 01:24 PM (tcK++)

179 Listening to Foreign Influence, a Scott Harvath novel by Brad Thor. Basic espionage thriller. It's one with the dwarf/troll guy Nicholas who kind of deals me out. So far, so good.

!staP oG

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 19, 2014 01:24 PM (ZshNr)

180 freaks me out

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 19, 2014 01:25 PM (ZshNr)

181 Another good children's series is "The Chronicles of Prydain" by Lloyd Alexander, based on Welsh mythology.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at January 19, 2014 01:25 PM (QBm1P)

182 Thought for the day: imaginary racism is MSKGB's bread and butthurt.

Posted by: WalrusRex at January 19, 2014 01:27 PM (E+uky)

183 HH, that's an awesome story. Good on ya.

And nth-ing the rec of The Hobbit. Wasn't able to get all the way through LOTR until high school (and promptly devoured The Silmarillion as well), but The Hobbit was one I read and re-read countless times in late elementary and junior high. And now... let's just say the secondary lit has to go on a second shelf.

Posted by: Elisabeth G. Wolfe at January 19, 2014 01:27 PM (Mt8eo)

184 Started reading a recent translation of The Aeneid this past week as the
selection of my book group. I expected it to be a slog but once I
started getting familiar with the narration (including many many
references to who or where they were talking about) it became an
enjoyable read.

What is the specific translation, CH? I've had one for years but I'd like to find another (better) one.

Posted by: Retread at January 19, 2014 01:28 PM (cHwk5)

185
I'm halfway through John Eliot Gardner's "Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven". Gardner goes into enormous detail about the music and musicians and music business of Bach's day. Discussion of the works themselves concentrates on his works that include voices (Gardner's speciality as a conductor), so you'll learn a lot more about the cantatas than you ever imagined possible.

That being said, if you really like Bach (as I do), you'll enjoy the book immensely. However, it would be helpful to have access to recordings of the entire canon of Bach's music, because Gardner writes at great length about a great number of works, some of which are quite obscure. Ideally, one should listen to Gardner's recording plus at least one other, to compare and contrast. Given the number of works Gardner references, getting through the book could take a long time. But his guided tour through music "in the castle of Heaven" is well worth taking.

My favorite Bach anecdote: when it was realized that the Voyager spacecraft would be leaving the Solar System, NASA decided to put a record on it, on the off chance that it would be retrieved by some alien race. A lot of discussion went into the question of what music to put on the record. The first proposal was simply the collected works of Johann Sebastian Bach; but the commitee reject the idea because, in their words, "that would be bragging".

Posted by: Brown Line at January 19, 2014 01:29 PM (a5bF3)

186 Right down to being an unregistered agent of a foreign power.

That would go for just about all of my administration.

Posted by: Prez'nit 404 at January 19, 2014 01:31 PM (Dwehj)

187 I read Uncle Si's book in a very short sitting ("Si-Cology 1"). It's not that good but I got it from the library. I wouldn't recommend buying it. I learned that Si is a very nice person, though.

Posted by: mint at January 19, 2014 01:35 PM (KvsiG)

188 I mentioned Neo-Neocon in an earlier comment.

She linked this the other day:

http://www.viralnova.com/box-of-money/

It's not a book, but it's downright awesome.

Posted by: rickl at January 19, 2014 01:36 PM (sdi6R)

189 Where's the gum thread?

Posted by: Toothless Geezer at January 19, 2014 01:37 PM (rNCEP)

190 If for no other reason than giving the finger to Patrick Leahy and telling him to get fucked, I will always love Dick Cheney.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at January 19, 2014 01:37 PM (olDqf)

191
189 Where's the gum thread?
Posted by: Toothless Geezer at January 19, 2014 01:37 PM (rNCEP)

I have a gub.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at January 19, 2014 01:38 PM (olDqf)

192 If you dig the Hellbl@zer comics, thumbs up for Dead Harvest by Chris F. Holm. I have the second book but I haven't cracked it open yet

http://amzn.to/1mhLEDr

Posted by: The Dude at January 19, 2014 01:39 PM (bStrg)

193 Great story, HH!

Posted by: Lauren at January 19, 2014 01:40 PM (hFL/3)

194 Don't read fiction too much but Tom Wolfe's "Back to Blood" has been hanging around unread. Anyone read it? Give me an up or down vote on it.

Posted by: Libra at January 19, 2014 01:40 PM (GblmV)

195 I also just read "The Pagan Lord" and it was as good as the others in the Saxon Chronicles series. Cornwell writes the hell out of battles and Uhtred is truly a gem of a character.

"Serena" from the new movies from books link is a pretty darn good story about the most competent and ruthless woman you'd hope to never meet. She is a woman without a conscience who will step on or over anyone to achieve her ambitions and if the pretty, sweet faced Lawrence can portray her unrelenting evil adequately, it might be a good movie.

Posted by: huerfano at January 19, 2014 01:40 PM (bAGA/)

196 "Just finished REAMDE. His disdain for flyover country is there, but he does have it save the day, otherwise a fun read."

Really? I didn't get disdain at all for anyone except a) bad guys who I won't name so there's no spoilers and b) millennials.

Posted by: Lauren at January 19, 2014 01:42 PM (hFL/3)

197 Where's the gum thread?

Newsletter, sailor?

Posted by: The Doublemint Twins at January 19, 2014 01:43 PM (Dwehj)

198 196. I agree with you. I loved that book even though I usually don't go for that sort of thing. Fastest 1000+ pages I ever went through...

Posted by: JoeyBagels at January 19, 2014 01:44 PM (Usdw3)

199 Thanks for the recommend, Tammy al-Thor! I've got the seven books of historical fiction/Western genre out there under the name of Celia Hayes - on Amazon, etc - and in print and kindle. I am also writing a drastic reboot of the Lone Ranger, making it a straight historical set in 1840s Texas, and of course, filing off all the easily identifiable elements: Lone Star Sons is the working title. I'm intending to make it a YA adventure, aimed towards boys, and posting the adventures on my website as I finish them.

As for classic books for kids - Edward Eager - he had a whole series of magical adventures for kids. Caddie Woodlawn is another good one. Just remembered - Sally Watson also had some nice historical adventures for kids: Witch of the Glens was one, Mistress Malapert another. To Build a Land was about the founding of Israel. Ms Watson wrote lovely books for kids and tweens, all but out of print now, but well worth looking for.

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at January 19, 2014 01:44 PM (Asjr7)

200 What is the specific translation, CH? I've had one for years but I'd like to find another (better) one.

Posted by: Retread at January 19, 2014 01:28 PM (cHwk5)

Robert Fagles did the translation in 2006 and my copy is on Penguin Classics. I've seen two other editions of it withing the book group. Translations can make a difference as I'm sure you're well aware. Mrs Hate read it in Latin for high school so she can lord that over me temporarily.

Posted by: Captain Hate at January 19, 2014 01:46 PM (++dPW)

201 It's interesting at parts, but it's not worth the overall investment of time, I mean 'Back to Blood.

Posted by: Jeffrey Pelt at January 19, 2014 01:46 PM (Jsiw/)

202 Posted by: Elisabeth G. Wolfe at January 19, 2014 01:27 PM (Mt8eo)

Thanks. Funny thing is, I read the LoTR first, then the Hobbit later. But I knew at the time that it would appeal to my nephew.

He's a good guy, funny as hell, and since this is the AoSHQ, thought I should mention that my nephew was part of the lighting crew at the Washington Cathedral when Reagan died.

Last movie he worked on, from what I gather, was 'Lincoln'. Lately he's been doing sideline work for the NFL games in the Washington/Baltimore area.

Posted by: HH at January 19, 2014 01:48 PM (XXwdv)

203 Ok here is my embarrassing Flowers in the Attic story. I read the whole series when I was about 11. I thought they were good, of course at that age they seemed somewhat like "forbidden fruit" way more scandalous than Judy Blumes "Forever" anyway flash forward to adulthood and my sister tells me my 13 year old niece wants books for Christmas and I should get her something I liked to read at that age. Yep, got her Flowers in the Attic. I still, 18 years later have not heard the end of it. "remember the time Aunt Paranoid gave me the books about INCEST?"

Posted by: Paranoidgirlinseattle at January 19, 2014 01:50 PM (RZ8pf)

204 "remember the time Aunt Paranoid gave me the books about INCEST?"
Posted by: Paranoidgirlinseattle at January 19, 2014 01:50 PM (RZ8pf)

That's awesome, she'll never forget you.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at January 19, 2014 01:51 PM (XIxXP)

205 Haha, PGIS, I also read Flowers in the Attic at about 11 and thought "ooooh scandalous".

Posted by: Lauren at January 19, 2014 01:52 PM (hFL/3)

206 Lauren,

Seuss, Sandra Boynton (we love all her books and songs), Mo Willems (all of 'em, but esp. The Pigeon Drives the Bus), Eric Carle (The Very Hungry Catermiller, etc.).

And the Golden Books.

That's most of what my short people read before getting to chapter books. Well, and about 750 Thomas books that were not very well written.

Posted by: Mama AJ at January 19, 2014 01:58 PM (SUKHu)

207 I think the creepy story line of Flowers in the Attic is pretty good, and I think a whole generation of us who read the book looks at powdered donuts totally differently now.

Posted by: Paranoidgirlinseattle at January 19, 2014 01:58 PM (RZ8pf)

208 I have a gut and I'm not afraid to use it!

Posted by: andycanuck at January 19, 2014 01:59 PM (vuh7l)

209 Just finished Spheres of Influence by Ryk E. Spoor. This is the rollicking sequel to Grand Central Arena.

These two books are fresh "sense of wonder" SF. If you were raised on Doc E.E. Smith's Skylark and Lensman series, you are home again. Very good world creation, with enough in-jokes, shoutouts and references to thrill the heart of a space opera reader.

It's a tad of a throwback to John W. Campbell with the plucky Terrans verses, well, everyone in the Universe, at first.

I eagerly await the new saga of the Grand Central Arena series.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at January 19, 2014 02:00 PM (u82oZ)

210 Afternoon Horde.

I finished Black Prism not long ago. Really enjoyed it.

Posted by: BCochran1981 - Irish at January 19, 2014 02:01 PM (GEICT)

211 @201 Gracias Jeffery Pelt. I bought it because it's Wolfe. Wasn't too pleased with "Charlotte Simmons." Maybe he's lost his knack.

Posted by: Libra at January 19, 2014 02:01 PM (GblmV)

212 I've never read the book, but I just read the Wikipedia entry for "Flowers in the Attic".

Holy crap.

Posted by: rickl at January 19, 2014 02:07 PM (sdi6R)

213 Finished War and Peace on TTS. I think "Thoughts on the Causes of" could have been added at the beginning of the title as the conclusion seemed to me to be a long rumination that there is in fact no true free will. I'm willing to be corrected since I have to admit to losing focus at the end.

Still, I liked it better than Les Mis even though in many ways a lot of the characters suffered just as much.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 19, 2014 02:07 PM (GDulk)

214 I'm working through Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training 3rd Edition.

Instapundit has mentioned it a few times

It is a good read if you are interested in that type of reading

Posted by: the snarkster at January 19, 2014 02:10 PM (jsmDz)

215 Based on recommendations, I listened to Grant's autobiography on TTS this week. Since it was interesting and I enjoyed his writing it's very unfortunate that the free Kindle copy I found only has the first volume which ends in the middle of the Civil War and I'm not finding a free second volume or complete book.

I laughed when I realized Grant was am early adopter of speaking in meme, especially when he mentioned John Brown (who his father had known as a young man) and immediately added "whose body lies mouldering in the grave".

Having lived recently in Missouri and just moving to Texas, it was nice to be familiar with some of the places he mentioned from being stationed near St. Louis and then participating in the Mexican-American war.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 19, 2014 02:13 PM (GDulk)

216 Yep, got her Flowers in the Attic. I still, 18 years later have not heard the end of it. "remember the time Aunt Paranoid gave me the books about INCEST?"

***

HA!

I'm not even sure if, at 11, I would have grasped the concept.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at January 19, 2014 02:15 PM (DmNpO)

217 Just to keep the Horde updated? I don't know where my cute Island cat lady is headed. But about 3 months ago I stopped at CVS on the way home and a rather young and pretty sales associate noticed that bandanna of Emily's I wear in remembrance of her and wanted to know the story behind it- so I told her about losing Emmy and how she always wore a bandanna around her hair at home.

A few weeks ago it was bitterly cold here and she was miserable being near the automatic door- so I went home, got a pair of fingerless gloves that convert to mittens, and gave them to her. It made her so happy. I suspect she is young and pretty enough to be "already spoken for" but I figure it can't hurt to drop by and talk to her. Life returns to me.

Posted by: backhoe at January 19, 2014 02:16 PM (ULH4o)

218 Joined a book club, which is a new experience for me, and we are starting to read Killer Nurse (by John Foxjohn), nonfiction set a few years ago in Lufkin, Texas. Living not far from there, I think I am going to actually read about people in the book that I have met in real life and/or know people that know them. Going to be interesting. The first couple of chapters have been good so far.

Posted by: Charlotte at January 19, 2014 02:29 PM (u1eI9)

219 Perhaps this Cheney 2.0 can help counter the unfair-but-prevalent Darth Vader image he has among ideological critics.

Nah. Ain't gonna happen. The Left has been demonizing the guy for so long that hostility at the mention of his name is second nature.

Posted by: Blacque Jacques Shellacque at January 19, 2014 02:31 PM (itCai)

220 Going to be interesting. The first couple of chapters have been good so far.

It's weird seeing accounts of people you actually know in print. "If the Devil had a Wife" is about the Stark family (timber barons) in Orange, TX. It's a good read too. Mary Karr's memoir, "The Liars' Club" is her account of growing up in Southeast TX.

Posted by: no good deed at January 19, 2014 02:39 PM (vBhbc)

221 Lauren,
David Edding's "Belgariad" series got me into fantasy in maybe third grade. I volunteer at my kids school library and there are some second graders starting the Harry Potter books already! The Little House on the Praire books were some of the first books I can remember reading around second grade. One of my all time favorites, "A Wrinkle In Time" by Madeleine D'Engle. Around the same time frame second to third grade.

Posted by: lindafell says WTFP anymore? at January 19, 2014 02:48 PM (PGO8C)

222 I have read all of Edding's stuff. But alas, it all has the same plot.

Posted by: Vic at January 19, 2014 03:02 PM (T2V/1)

223 True Vic, but it is easy reading, funny, and good for beginning readers. It has none of the gratuitous sex, violence, and foul language that is so common now.

Posted by: lindafell says WTFP anymore? at January 19, 2014 03:06 PM (PGO8C)

224 223
True Vic, but it is easy reading, funny, and good for beginning readers.
It has none of the gratuitous sex, violence, and foul language that is
so common now.

Posted by: lindafell says WTFP anymore? at January 19, 2014 03:06 PM (PGO8C)

True

Posted by: Vic at January 19, 2014 03:07 PM (T2V/1)

225 Good fantasy books along the good vs, evil theme-"The Dark is Rising" series of six books by Susan Cooper, a British writer. The probably are meant for 5th-6th grade or older.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 19, 2014 03:12 PM (7kkQJ)

226 Posted by: backhoe at January 19, 2014 02:16 PM (ULH4o)

Thanks for the update, backhoe. That was a kind thing to do.

God bless you.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 19, 2014 03:13 PM (7kkQJ)

227 Redwall is good early fantasy. Probably 20 plus books by now. My son, 17, still keeps up with any new ones released. The author died so the series may have ended.

Posted by: NCKate at January 19, 2014 03:14 PM (x6fKj)

228 Lauren, I may be oversensitive because of the flyover bashing so much of that crowd does. But there were a lot of comments about walmarts, midwesterners, and the brother who was an über prepper/reich wing/xtofascist. The brother and gun kooks helped save the day, so it didn't bother me so much.

Posted by: bikermailman at January 19, 2014 03:21 PM (OpG/P)

229 I loved Edgar Eager as a kid. I still remember how delighted I was by reading "Half Magic" ***mumble mumble** years ago. :^)

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 19, 2014 03:29 PM (7kkQJ)

230 i hate you all with your ampersand having selves...

Just purchased Freehold and The Stars Came Back. Too many in the queue to mention, I should be reading the old ones instead of buying new ones, this Kindle app on the phone is just far too convenient...and now I have the Kindle app on not one but BOTH of my computers, including the new laptop...

Recently finished "One Second After", chilling book really. Also finished The Godshead and Highway to Tartarus by Holly Chism, can't remember if I put those up before. More recently was The Last Witchking, Wardogs Coin, and Throne of Bones by Vox Day. Also recently finished Steelheart and Mitosis by Brandon Sanderson.

Currently reading Pirates Bane by Chris Hechtl, the latest in his Wandering Engineer series.

Posted by: GGE of the Moron Horde, NC Chapter at January 19, 2014 03:44 PM (yh0zB)

231 Geez, like someone said up thread when do you guys find time to work, be here all the time, and read all these books?
I just read a children's books called, "Flawed dogs" by Berkley Breathed, the guy who use to do the Bill and Opus cartoons. It was a bit dark IMO for a kids book. His Mars needs Moms and Pete and Pickles were much better, although they also weren't chapter books like FD's either.

Posted by: lindafell says WTFP anymore? at January 19, 2014 03:52 PM (PGO8C)

232 Life returns to me.

Posted by: backhoe at January 19, 2014 02:16 PM (ULH4o)

Good for you.

I had someone ask me about the earring I wear (friends wife), she wanted to know if it was my birthstone. It isn't it's Laura's, but that isn't why she wore them. I bought her these earrings on my last cruise and got them back in an envelope at the hospital; she wore them right to the end and now I wear one.
I'm too busy at the moment to look, maybe when the kids are finally out of the house and I get the move to TN finished. Another four years, that's the plan at least.

Posted by: GGE of the Moron Horde, NC Chapter at January 19, 2014 03:55 PM (yh0zB)

233 Well, off to get ready for work. Later roonz and roonettez, fear no evil!

Posted by: GGE of the Moron Horde, NC Chapter at January 19, 2014 04:00 PM (yh0zB)

234 "Joan Baez deserved every bit of the slashingly satirical characterization as "Joanie Phoney" that she received via Capp."

Bob Dylan wrote more than one song that intimated she was a dead lay too. She later came as a lesbian.

Just finished "Rival Rails" by Bourneman about the railroads into the West that came after the first Transcontinental "Overland Route" over Donner Pass was complete.

The author came off as Judy Garland singing "The Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe." He loves the Santa Fe and thinks the Southern Pacific was the Evil Empire and the Denver and Rio Grande was run by idiots.

On the plus side, he gave some solid financial data which is rare but essential to understanding the business games. Lots of good tidbits too - Barstow California got its name from the MIDDLE name of the Santa Fe's president.

Great section on train robbers too.

Posted by: Whitehall at January 19, 2014 04:09 PM (fAM2j)

235 I suggest you look backwards in time for better books than they're putting out now.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at January 19, 2014 12:35 PM (jxBoE)

Second this. And HR's comment about vocabulary in past years. I've been actively encouraging my kids to read older books because the over-all world view (the assumptions the characters make about how the world works) are *much* more healthy as well.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 19, 2014 04:15 PM (GDulk)

236 If Dick Cheney was Darth Vader, then Joe Biden is Jar-Jar Binks.

Posted by: Chilly at January 19, 2014 04:25 PM (GUJtB)

237 Posted by: ExSnipe at January 19, 2014 12:48 PM (LKJt3)

I liked them as a kid. I knew in Jr. High that Gore Vidal was an idiot when he wrote something to the effect that "no girls ever liked Tarzan". Now that I know his life-style I'm not surprised that he was clueless about what girls liked.

Been rereading them as an adult and the books are still okay I guess. Probably encourage my kids to read them.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 19, 2014 04:27 PM (GDulk)

238 I've read one Updike book - the first in the Rabbit series.

Too depressing for me. Why do people crave depressing, downer books and movies?

I just do not get it!

Posted by: Whitehall at January 19, 2014 04:30 PM (fAM2j)

239 Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 19, 2014 12:52 PM (7kkQJ)

I thought the book you talked about last week sounded very interesting. It's a little more expensive than I want to pay, but I need to put it on my wish list so I remember to get it when I get my birthday money.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 19, 2014 04:33 PM (GDulk)

240 I have read many books recommended here that I would not normally started, let alone finished.

Posted by: Hrothgar at January 19, 2014 12:56 PM (o3MSL)

Amen. Although I keep wondering if I should avoid the thread for a couple of months and save some budget pain

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 19, 2014 04:35 PM (GDulk)

241 Posted by: grammie winger at January 19, 2014 01:19 PM (P6QsQ)

I remember the teacher reading us that book in 3rd grade. Didn't know what it was called though since I'd never seen the cover. I agree that it's a good book.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 19, 2014 04:44 PM (GDulk)

242 Posted by: Lauren at January 19, 2014 01:42 PM (hFL/3)

I felt that he made it pretty clear that in the beginning the main character thought he had "moved beyond" his gun-crazy, fly-over family.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 19, 2014 04:54 PM (GDulk)

243 Posted by: Sgt. Mom at January 19, 2014 01:44 PM (Asjr7)

Read Caddie Woodlawn a couple of times in 5th or 6th grade. I agree that it's quite good. Didn't know the author though or that she had other books.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 19, 2014 04:56 PM (GDulk)

244 Posted by: lindafell says WTFP anymore? at January 19, 2014 03:52 PM (PGO8C)

That's why I love Text to Speech. I can knit, pull weeds, exercise, whatever and still consume books. I particularly like it for the "should read to be well-rounded" type books like War and Peace that I would hate to invest that much time into if it required holding the book.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 19, 2014 05:03 PM (GDulk)

245 "228 Lauren, I may be oversensitive because of the flyover bashing so much of that crowd does. But there were a lot of comments about walmarts, midwesterners, and the brother who was an über prepper/reich wing/xtofascist. The brother and gun kooks helped save the day, so it didn't bother me so much. "

See, knowing his politics (check out the take down of moral relativism in Diamond Age) I felt like those were more to set up the fact that the "crazy" relatives were right than a bash on them.

Posted by: Lauren at January 19, 2014 05:04 PM (hFL/3)

246 Yikes! I think I'll go hide now.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 19, 2014 05:05 PM (GDulk)

247 " The author died so the series may have ended."

Oh no! I did not know that. I loved Redwall so much and have been getting my older son into them.

Posted by: Lauren at January 19, 2014 05:07 PM (hFL/3)

248 That's why I love Text to Speech.

Polli,
That's how you guys do it!!! Aha, I thought I just couldn't keep up or y'all were some type of super natural people

How's Texas treating you so far?

Posted by: lindafell says WTFP anymore? at January 19, 2014 05:13 PM (PGO8C)

249 Posted by: lindafell says WTFP anymore? at January 19, 2014 05:13 PM (PGO8C)

Pretty well. I definitely like the weather here better than CO or MO at the moment. The people are very nice also, although *having* to drive on the freeway to get any where is a little nerve-wracking since I'm not a very confident driver.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at January 19, 2014 05:17 PM (GDulk)

250 Polli, that's Houston. It's takes an hour by highway to get anywhere, at least it seems like it. It's sooooo spread out.

Posted by: lindafell says WTFP anymore? at January 19, 2014 05:24 PM (PGO8C)

251 Thanks for the books recs on this thread- I'm putting Pompeii, Child 44, and Black Prism on hold at the lib.

I tried to read American Betrayal by Diana West but it's kind of dry for me. I may give it another go when I'm feeling more serious.

Posted by: votermom at January 19, 2014 05:55 PM (GSIDW)

252 Lauren, haven't read that one. Again, being jerked around by most of the media/actor/singer/author crowd makes me a bit assuming of them. Need to remember what my HS journalism teacher said first day of class: Never assume and all the rest. 4.5' tall, hand crutches from polio, unassuming type...shocked us a bit. Thems were the days. Now you worry about teachers committing felonies.

Posted by: bikermailman at January 19, 2014 06:25 PM (nhwUd)

253 46 Has anyone read any of I. J. Parker's Heian Period Japanese mysteries. I happened upon them whilst browsing in Amazon and wondered if they're worth a look.
Posted by: Tuna at January 19, 2014 11:33 AM (M/TDA)

I picked up some of her books when they were offered free on Kindle and like them very much. I don't know enough about Japan and that time period to say if they are good that way, though. I have one on my kindle right now that I am saving for when I need something special to read.

Posted by: former lurker at January 20, 2014 04:18 AM (9bjnN)

254
Vader: "In your company I look good>"

Posted by: burt at January 20, 2014 09:25 AM (1+kJ5)

255 Testing. The Stars Came Back. Read it :-)

Posted by: Rolf at January 22, 2014 01:11 AM (+O7nZ)

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