BOOKS THREAD

Took me about 5 days to read "Under the Dome".

 

I believe Simmons' history of the NBA book has been mentioned on here. FYI: It's on sale at Amazon for $12.

http://www.amazon.com/Book-Basketball-NBA-According-Sports/dp/034551176X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260072263&sr=1-1-spell

 

to be savored. I have been to the bar, JPM nails it. I also knew several characters in the book, played golf with one who died in 9-11. Man, I loved this book.

 

SF_Express recommended that I read this book probably three or four years ago. It's probably the book I've related with the most in my life. The words just flow in that thing and how JR mines the thoughts from his life and goes through them like a psychologist would is amazing.

 

Here's an oldie but goodie we've been reading with our kids: "The Long Winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I realize the Little House books take a few liberties with facts, but "The Long Winter" is based on deadly blizzards in the Dakota Territory in 1880-81. It was a brutal time for the families who recently settled in that area.

A good way to get kids to consider our blessings today.

 

Coco, did you ever read the New Yorker's story on Laura Ingalls and her daughter Rose? Fascinating.

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2009/08/10/090810crat_atlarge_thurman?currentPage=all

 

That was outstanding.

 

Read "Hitler's War" by the master of Alternative History Harry Turtledove. It revolves around World War II starting when Hitler tried to take the Sudetenland and the British and French decide to fight. I always enjoy his modern era books.

 

Thanks for posting the link, Small Town. A good read, and it had information about Rose Wilder Lane's libertarian beliefs that I didn't know before.

Also, it was very interesting to see the contrasting lifestyles/attitudes of the mother and daughter. Apparently they were able to put their differences aside and craft a series of "historical fiction" that struck a chord with many people, myself included.

 

Whipped through two books in the last week.

Started with Pearlman's Boys Will Be Boys. Even though I loathe the Cowboys it was an entertaining read.

Just finished Appetite For Self Destruction by Steve Knopper, a scathing look at how the record industry shit the bed royally when it came to the digital music revoloution. This one covers all the bases: the end of disco, the rise of MTV, the creation of the CD (technical but interesting), Napster, the boy band era, the rise of the iPod and iTunes etc. Some interesting shorter essays between chapters on issues where the record biz really went wrong like the RIAA lawsuits. Highly recommended.

I am now reading Pops, the new biography of Louis Armstrong.

 

I've never been a big King fan, but I read The Stand last summer and just finished Under the Dome. Surprisingly only took me 10 days to get through 1,000+ pages.

I don't particularly like his writing, but he's great at telling a story. I just wish someone early on in his career had told him to stay away from parentheses though. Good god.