What Are You Reading Now?

[SeattleUte]

I strongly recommend this year's surprise Pulitzer Winner, the Orphan Master's Son. It's a very captivating read.

[MarkGrace]

The Art of Fielding

[BigPiney]

I had a similar struggle with Wolf Hall. The writing style is tough, and there's a lot of details in the novel that aren't that dramatic or captivating to me. Also, I really didn't like the protagonist, nor did I find him particularly interesting. Complicated or flawed protagonists are the best, but Mantel's Thomas Cromwell just seemed opportunistic, and I never really got how he became such a spectaclular success notwithstanding his humble roots. Her approach was to make him look good by comparison to Thomas More, but even her More was in many ways more interesting -- a man who had done great deeds cracking under the strain of the protestant reformation and then England's apostasy from Christianity, falling prey to tyranny, his own and then Cromwell's. That's a better story than Cromwell's. Cromwell as an enlightened man before his time didn't do it for me, wasn't credible. Still, the English absolutely LOVE the book. I'm sure it's my fault I didn't. I warned my wife away from it. I'm not sure if I'm going to tackle Bodies.

I finished Bringing up the Bodies this week. I liked it much better than Wolf Hall. I agree that More was more interesting. I really wish they could have gone into his thought processes and justification behind some of the crap he did.

Overall I liked Bodies, but I think the books are overrated. Still I'll read the 3rd when it finally comes out, though they are going to have to move the story along more quickly and start lopping off more heads.

[happyone]

I liked Bringing up the Bodies better as well. I think maybe it was getting used to her writing style.

[happyone]

I finished HW Brands new biography of US Grant

http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Saved-...aved+the+union

excellent, one of the best biographies of Grant that I've read. In reading it one can tell Dr. Brands is an admiror of Gen Grant. He does gloss over the scandels of his adminstration and looks at his attempts to enforce civil rights in the south.

[Armenag]

The Art of Fielding

What did you think of it?

[eldiente]

Just finished Elders: A Novel
http://www.amazon.com/Elders-A-Novel...keywords=elder

Though fictional, it seemed very autobiographical. I enjoyed reflecting on some similarities to my own missionary experience but found the last third of the novel rushed and pessimistic. I gave 2 out of 5 stars on goodreads

[happyone]

Just competed

http://www.amazon.com/11-Days-Decemb...ys+in+december

my thoughts if anyone is interested

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/607271608

currently reading

http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Rome-W...rry+sidebottom

[happyone]

I've read two books since I posted last - finished Warrior of Rome and Alamo in the Ardennes

http://www.amazon.com/Alamo-Ardennes...n+the+ardennes

my thoughts on both of them

Wolves
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/609927118

Alamo

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/478910325

currently reading Niall Ferguson's

http://www.amazon.com/Civilization-W...t+and+the+rest

[PaloAltoCougar]

I'm a big fan of Mary Roach (Stiff, Bonk, Packing for Mars, etc.) who may be the funniest science writer out there. Gulp is her latest, and it's very good, packed with details about all things alimentary, including hundreds of factual tidbits about eating/digestion/elimination that will get you kicked out of many a dinner conversation (and yet I persist...). Among my favorites was a chapter devoted to the amazing storage facility that is the rectum, for which she interviewed inmates at a California correction facility (the rectum is known there as the "prison wallet" and is used to convey an astonishing number of items--one guy was found to have transported a box of paper clips, some binder rings, a couple of pens, and some other goods, and was known in the slammer as "Office Depot").

Naturally, there's also a chapter devoted to flatulence, a subject on which I have acquired some expertise over the years, but I was still surprised to learn that its odor comes not from methane but rather from hydrogen sulfide which has some very useful properties and may be an anti-carcinogen. byu71 may live forever. You'll also learn why Elvis died on the toilet, and more than you'll want to learn about Hirschsprung's disease.

It's a quick and breezy read, although if you read in bed your spouse will not be pleased by the frequent laughter.

[BigPiney]

I strongly recommend this year's surprise Pulitzer Winner, the Orphan Master's Son. It's a very captivating read.

Once again we agree, on our latest book posts again.

Just finished this last night, on the tails of Escape for Camp 14 this was very interesting. I was wary seeing that it had won the pulitzer prize, but I decided to give it a go anyway. I really liked it. No. Korea is crazy.

[pellegrino]

looking for suggestions for good audio books. I'm more interested in fiction than non fiction. All suggestions are welcome, so long as you tell me why you liked it.

[BigPiney]

looking for suggestions for good audio books. I'm more interested in fiction than non fiction. All suggestions are welcome, so long as you tell me why you liked it.

For just you? Or will the kids be in the car too?

[pellegrino]

For just you? Or will the kids be in the car too?

just me and my ipod.

[BigPiney]

just me and my ipod.

I'll take a look. The most recent book I read would be good. The Orphan Masters Son.