What Are You Reading Now?

[Flattop]

Rolling Thunder by Mark Berent

A novel set in Vietnam. The story focuses on three characters, an F-100 pilot flying close air support missions, a special forces major, and an intelligence courier who effectively become the backseater to a forward air controller (FAC). Not exactly what I was expecting, but it gets really good about halfway through.

[OhioBlue]

When You Are Engulfed in Flames
--David Sedaris

Collection of essays. Some recorded live. I'm about 3/4 of the way through, and some I have loved and others I have not, but overall I'm enjoying it.

[Green Lantern]

Just finished The Lost Symbol. meh.

Now...I have to fulfill a promise to my daughters. All 4 Twilight books.

Yippie?

I borrowed all 4 Twilight books from my babysitter so I'd have something to talk about with the 13 year old when I picked her up and drove her home. I read each one in about 48 hours and thought they were all good pulpy reads. Bonus: The babysitter and I were able to engage in lively debates about the casting of the films.

[Art Vandelay]

I borrowed all 4 Twilight books from my babysitter so I'd have something to talk about with the 13 year old when I picked her up and drove her home. I read each one in about 48 hours and thought they were all good pulpy reads. Bonus: The babysitter and I were able to engage in lively debates about the casting of the films.

Umm... that admission combined with your avatar is likely to have Chris Hansen knocking on your door sometime soon.

[John McClain]

I borrowed all 4 Twilight books from my babysitter so I'd have something to talk about with the 13 year old when I picked her up and drove her home. I read each one in about 48 hours and thought they were all good pulpy reads. Bonus: The babysitter and I were able to engage in lively debates about the casting of the films.

I have raised four daughters. I love them all. But I would never read the Twilight books, even if it helped generate conversation. I have my standards

[Brian]

I'd like to learn about what caused WW I.
Anyone have a recommendation?

[happyone]

I'd like to learn about what caused WW I.
Anyone have a recommendation?

The Guns of August - Barbara Tuchman

This is the best book I've read on the causes and the events leading up to WW I.

[Brian]

The Guns of August - Barbara Tuchman

This is the best book I've read on the causes and the events leading up to WW I.

Thanks. Picked it up on the way home.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I'd like to learn about what caused WW I.
Anyone have a recommendation?

I agree with The Guns of August as a good and interesting read. Another book I really liked is The American Heritage coffee table book about WWI. It's probably a bit pedestrian of me, but I liked all the photos as well as the concise and linear history; it was my first intro to WWI and it was a nice start.

Another book that I enjoyed very much was Alistair Horne's The Price of Glory, the story of the Battle of Verdun, one of the costliest battles in human history. The cost in human lives, as well as the almost unimaginable amount of ordnance including poison gas that was used, was staggering. Among other things, one learns how it affected the French national psyche in ways that are still very evident today.

One other thing about The Guns of August. JFK loved the book as it demonstrated how a series of misunderstandings and bad decisions by otherwise good leaders can lead one down a path to war. This was very much on his mind during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and he reportedly insisted that all of his military and political advisers read the book.

[happyone]

I agree with The Guns of August as a good and interesting read. Another book I really liked is The American Heritage coffee table book about WWI. It's probably a bit pedestrian of me, but I liked all the photos as well as the concise and linear history; it was my first intro to WWI and it was a nice start.

Another book that I enjoyed very much was Alistair Horne's The Price of Glory, the story of the Battle of Verdun, one of the costliest battles in human history. The cost in human lives, as well as the almost unimaginable amount of ordnance including poison gas that was used, was staggering. Among other things, one learns how it affected the French national psyche in ways that are still very evident today.

One other thing about The Guns of August. JFK loved the book as it demonstrated how a series of misunderstandings and bad decisions by otherwise good leaders can lead one down a path to war. This was very much on his mind during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and he reportedly insisted that all of his military and political advisers read the book.

I think Guns of August won a pulizter prize, but I'm not sure. If you are interest in other books about WW I, here are a few that I would reccommend in addition to the Americian Heritage

John Keegan
- The First World War
- An Illustrated History of the First World War; lots of pictures

I personally like Keegan's writing style He was a instructor at Sandhust, Britians West Point, and really knows the military mind

Lyn MacDonald - her books are oral history and really gets to the grunt level of combat in WWI

- 1914: The days of Hope - covers the battles of Mons, Le Cateau and the "race to sea"
- 1915: THe Loss of Innocence - the battle of Loos
- The Somme - the British 1916 offensives
- They Call it Passchendaele - the 1917 offensive
- To the Last Man: Spring 1918 - the story of the German spring offensive

One other set of books - If you like Rudyard Kipling, he wrote the Irish Guards World War I regimental history. This was a labor of love for him, he reportally didn't take any money for his efforts. His only son was a subaltern in the Irish Guards and went missing during the Battle of Loos in 1915. This is two volume set each volume covers one of the battalions.

[Eddie]

So - I just finished the Antwone Fisher story - "Finding Fish". Interesting read as he explores the biological family he came from. I haven't seen the movie, but I'm somewhat interested now.

My kids are all into the Percy Jackson books (Lightning Theif, etc.) so I told them I'd read them too. I find them highly entertaining and a quick read, and I like to know what kinds of things my kids are reading - so that was a bonus. I know they are kids books, but if you are looking for what I've seen described as airplane or vacation reading - this fit the bill for me. I've read the first three and I'm on the 4th.


I'll offer my condolensces to anyone reading the Twilight series. I made a deal with my wife and daughter that for each book of this series I read, they will read a book of my choice. I didn't find the reading too painful - but by the end I was VERY tired of reading about how pretty vampire boy is. I think she could've cut about 100 pages out of the book if she could've mentioned him being pretty just once per chapter. In all honesty - I didn't mind reading the two I've read so far, but I get it. He's pretty! I wouldn't go out of my way to read them again, but they are OK reading once. I also read the same authors other book - "Host" I think - I liked it a little more than the others.

After my trip to DC and walking through a few museums and other historical sites last week, I'm very interested in some historical reading and I'm looking forward to picking up 1776 when I finish the last of the Percy Jacksons.

[Flattop]

Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball by Edward E. Kimball (the 2005 DesBook edition).

This is an excellent sequel to the 1977 biography of President Kimball by Edward and Andrew Kimball that I read last month.

I just saw the thread in the religion category on the expanded version of the book being published by Benchmark Books. I finished reading the section on the revelation on the priesthood today, and I agree with LA Ute that it was riveting.

I think the upshot of both versions of the book will be that while First Presidency and the Twelve may not have been unanimous before they got on their knees to pray as a group on June 1, 1978, they were unanimous when they got up.

[LA Ute]

[B]I think the upshot of both versions of the book will be that while First Presidency and the Twelve may not have been unanimous before they got on their knees to pray as a group on June 1, 1978, they were unanimous when they got up.

You realize, of course, that by saying this you are placing yourself at odds with the view that the FP and Q12 are primarily composed of competing factions and difficult personalities, and driven by personal opinions and political considerations?

[Green Lantern]

Umm... that admission combined with your avatar is likely to have Chris Hansen knocking on your door sometime soon.

LOL. The funniest part was when I borrowed the fourth book and got to a "romantic" scene when I saw a big post-it note plastered on the page saying "Stop! Skip ahead to page 120!" At first I was amused that the babysitter had attempted to protect my delicate sensibilities by helping me avoid any graphic subject matter. Turns out her older sister had put that in there for her.

[Green Lantern]

I have raised four daughters. I love them all. But I would never read the Twilight books, even if it helped generate conversation. I have my standards

Which I assume means getting back to loading J-Tull Dot Com on your iPod.