What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

[westpac]

W E B Griffin Badge of Honor series. Don't get the books coauthored by his son. Tells the story of an officer through sargent. The books are like old friends.

[stoptothink]

I’m about mid-way through Harlen Coben’s Don’t Let Go. It’s a real page turner.

Someone recommended his Myron Bolitar series which started off sophomoric and fairly predictable, but with promise. I got sucked in and wound up reading the entire series plus the YA Mickey Bolitar spin-off. Coben turned into an exceptional story-teller who is very adept at putting pen to paper. My brain often feels like it’s vacuuming the words.

Anyway, consider this elevated murder mystery delivered at a very high level of competence.

Coben is one of the best!

Dave

Watched a few of the Netflix movies based on his books. They are mostly super corny and just poorly done, but come across as stories that are probably good books. Maybe I should give him a try soon.

Currently reading "Tangled Vines" by John Glatt, about the Murdaugh family and the murder case. It's interesting, but not written particularly well. I just finished "Devil's Coin" by Jennifer McAdam (about OneCoin crypto fraud), which might be the most poorly written book I've ever finished. You rarely read bad books, but I've hit a string of them recently.

[Barkingsparrow]

Hero of the Empire - The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill - Candice Millard

I thought this a well-written account of Churchill's experiences in South Africa. I did not know much about the Boer War prior to reading this book and Millard did a good job of explaining the background and consequences of the Boers actions to put things into context. Not sure what to make about Churchill. In the book, he comes off as brilliant but very ambitious, blatantly self-promoting, with that entitled attitude of rich royalty, yet fiercely loyal to his friends and gracious to his enemies. Someone whom you really did not like until perhaps you got to know him.

The Gatekeeper - A Thriller - James Byrne

First book in a series about Dez Limerick, a retired English mercenary. I enjoyed the read, although the core plot was a bit over-the-top and convoluted, as par for the course when it comes to these type of adventure thrillers.

[ekid]

"The Guns of August" by Barbara Tuchman - about 1/3 of the way in, really compelling and hard to put down!

Read ALL of Barbara Tuchman. That and a few others- you'll be ready for Francis Fukuyama.

[Dave55]

I’m about mid-way through Harlen Coben’s Don’t Let Go. It’s a real page turner.

Someone recommended his Myron Bolitar series which started off sophomoric and fairly predictable, but with promise. I got sucked in and wound up reading the entire series plus the YA Mickey Bolitar spin-off. Coben turned into an exceptional story-teller who is very adept at putting pen to paper. My brain often feels like it’s vacuuming the words.

Anyway, consider this elevated murder mystery delivered at a very high level of competence.

Coben is one of the best!

Dave

Watched a few of the Netflix movies based on his books. They are mostly super corny and just poorly done, but come across as stories that are probably good books. Maybe I should give him a try soon.

Currently reading "Tangled Vines" by John Glatt, about the Murdaugh family and the murder case. It's interesting, but not written particularly well. I just finished "Devil's Coin" by Jennifer McAdam (about OneCoin crypto fraud), which might be the most poorly written book I've ever finished. You rarely read bad books, but I've hit a string of them recently.

Harlan Coben's books are excellent.

Dave

[Blues]

I'll be the dissenting voice regarding Harlan Coben's books. (Someone had to be. I'm also not a Stephen King fan, but for one or two rare exceptions.)

Cheers!

[jebmke]

I'll be the dissenting voice regarding Harlan Coben's books. (Someone had to be. I'm also not a Stephen King fan, but for one or two rare exceptions.)

Cheers!

I haven't read Coben for a while. I likened them to the Childs' Reacher books. Sort of comic book like -- not that there is anything wrong with that. Fun for what they were but ...

[Lambert Strether]

Daniel Gordis, Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn (2016). It won awards when it came out, and it is well-written in terms of style and ability to condense a lot of information into a relatively (560 pp.) short space.

[jebmke]

"The Guns of August" by Barbara Tuchman - about 1/3 of the way in, really compelling and hard to put down!

I have this on my Libby book list.

worth reading for the same subject would be

The War That Ended Peace: The Road to 1914
and
Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World

both by Margaret McMillan

[Elsebet]

"The Guns of August" by Barbara Tuchman - about 1/3 of the way in, really compelling and hard to put down!

Read ALL of Barbara Tuchman. That and a few others- you'll be ready for Francis Fukuyama.

Thanks! Added all of Tuchman's and Fukuyama's books that my library had to my list.

"The Guns of August" by Barbara Tuchman - about 1/3 of the way in, really compelling and hard to put down!

I have this on my Libby book list.

worth reading for the same subject would be

The War That Ended Peace: The Road to 1914
and
Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World

both by Margaret McMillan

Added these to my list, thank you!

[vnatale]

Currently reading "Tangled Vines" by John Glatt, about the Murdaugh family and the murder case. It's interesting, but not written particularly well. I just finished "Devil's Coin" by Jennifer McAdam (about OneCoin crypto fraud), which might be the most poorly written book I've ever finished. You rarely read bad books, but I've hit a string of them recently.

Your description of it made me think I'd read yes.

Checked and, yes, I had.

It was sitting on the library shelves and I chose it based on little but what was on the cover.

Read it fairly quickly. Thought it was an okay book.

[vnatale]

"The Guns of August" by Barbara Tuchman - about 1/3 of the way in, really compelling and hard to put down!

Don't know if you remember a certain passage that described the leaders of one of the countries involved (Austria? Hungary? Another country?).

But I read part of the books at a softball tournament while we were waiting to play our next game.

It was in the early 2000's. I showed that passage to one of my teammates and he agreed with me that it could also have been a description of our current president. It had jumped right out at me as soon as I read it which is why I had him also read it to see if my reaction had validity.

Back to the book as a whole.

I've a few times read that during the Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy was also reading the book or had recently read it and stated that he wished that everyone involved in discussing the Cuban Missile Crisis would also read the book.

I believe one of its major themes was how wars can be started on the most happenstance occurrences.

World War I was such an example.

The driver of the vehicle that contained the person assassinated took a wrong turn which put the vehicle right in front of a person who was anti- the person he assassinated. He could not believe the opportunity that had been presented to him. Not part of any grand plan, conspiracy.

That then led to all the cascading alliances coming into play which then produced a world war.

[Fallible]

Finished Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the birth of the FBI by David Grann. There are only so many ways human beings can kill other human beings - or so I loosely assumed until reading this book, which I highly recommend. I plan now to watch Martin Scorcese's new film, Killers of the Flower Moon and am most curious to know how he handles Mollie Burkhart and Tom White.

[stoptothink]

Just finished "You Can't Joke About That" by Kat Timpf. Seems to be a trend for what I pick up on the "what's new" shelf at the library, not very well written. But, considering it was written by a comedian, there were some funny parts. As the title suggests, it was her rants about how comedy has changed - not for the good - over the past decade.

Also picked up "Outlive" by Peter Attia. Was in no rush because I am so familiar with Attia and the research in this area, but it was finally on the shelf at the library after having been reserved for several months.

[placeholder]

I have System Collapse by Martha Wells the latest murderbot diaries novel.

[FreeAtLast]

"The Commanders: The Leadership Journeys Of George Patton, Bernard Montgomery, And Erwin Rommel", by Lloyd Clark
(Atlantic Monthly Press 2022)

Some of you may not want to start off learning about these 3 famous generals by diving into thick biographies, such as those written by Carlo D'Este (Patton), David Fraser (Rommel), or Nigel Hamilton (Montgomery). If so, "Commanders" is a good place to get your feet wet. Lloyd's portrayals are illuminating, concise and very well-researched. What was especially appealing to me - since I have read all of those thick biographies and more - is that he presents complete, honest pictures of his subjects' personalities. There is zero hero worship promoted here and all of the warts are left unbandaged. Let's face it: Patton often behaved as the embarrassing buffoon and the other two were often viewed by their contemporaries as tedious, arrogant egotists. And yet they all accomplished tremendous deeds for their countries and are permanently ensconced in military history. As you read this book, this question will become foremost in your mind: are these life experiences what it takes to make a great general?

[familythriftmd]

The Origin of the Jews by Steven Weitzman. Saw it randomly at the local library. Pretty dense, but interesting.

[cs412a]

I have System Collapse by Martha Wells the latest murderbot diaries novel.

Thanks for the heads up. Just put a hold on it at the library.

[placeholder]

I have System Collapse by Martha Wells the latest murderbot diaries novel.

Thanks for the heads up. Just put a hold on it at the library.

Always good to have the universe's snarkiest bot/human security unit back in action.

[ruralavalon]

Joliet and Marquette: A New History of the 1673 Expedition, by Mark Walczynski.

"His account takes readers among the region’s diverse Native American peoples and into a vanished natural world of treacherous waterways and native flora and fauna."

A more complete description, link

Recommended

[stoptothink]

Finished "Outlive" by Peter Attia. Not necessarily what I expected (I know he rewrote it to be less science heavy and more relatable to the average reader) and nothing really new as metabolic health/exercise/nutrition is my thing, but it was good. If you are a coming up on middle-age (or are already there) and haven't taken your health all that seriously to date, this book should be on your nightstand.

[Alfonsia]

The Hundred Years' War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi. Audio version, really great for rewinding over the WTF bits of history. Library loan, probably won't finish it on this loan and it has a load of awaiting readers. 2 weeks is sometimes not enough.
A quick listen was "thinking in Bets" Anni Duke, entertaining if a bit contrived (just too many examples for me) but I will listen again. An unusual audio book when my 1.25 speed actually sounded like it was being used LOL. Normally I can't tell as narrations are so slow.