What Are You Reading Now?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Read this on vacation last week.



Very good recounting of the dust-bowl - land policy, agricultural practices, weather, and the people who lived through it and remain.

I assume all you folks are reading this book because of this post:

https://www.cougaruteforum.com/showthread.php?p=251112

At least I got a pity response from UD.

[Omaha 680]

After reading Lone Survivor... It was good to read Victory Point.

It completes the story.

[YOUTUBE]18E0MOGicsE[/YOUTUBE]

Ordered. I ordered The Only Thing Worth Dying For on your recommendation as well.

I am finishing Luttrell's followup to Lone Survivor:

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Service-Navy-SEAL-Marcus-Luttrell/dp/0316185361/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346828715&sr=8-1&keywords=service"]Service: A Navy SEAL at War: Marcus Luttrell,James D. Hornfischer: 9780316185363: Amazon.com: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41YQHDWRyGL.@@AMEPARAM@@41YQHDWRyGL[/ame]

[happyone]

Finished Martin Bowman's

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/MIGHTY-EIGHTH-WAR-Luftwaffe-1943-1945/dp/1848842171/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347660773&sr=1-1&keywords=the+mighty+eighth+at+war"]Amazon.com: MIGHTY EIGHTH AT WAR, THE: USAAF 8th Air Force Bombers Versus the Luftwaffe 1943-1945 (9781848842175): Martin Bowman: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DPLY2gSlL.@@AMEPARAM@@51DPLY2gSlL[/ame]

Average at best. It has a lot of good first person accounts, but Mr. Bowman doesn't seem to tie them together in a coherent story. It is fairly short about 270 pages of prose and another 15-20 of chapter notes so it is a quick read. Definately not one of his best efforts.

A person who doesn't know alot about the air war over Germany would probably be lost.

Currently reading


[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Winter-King-Henry-Tudor-England/dp/1439191565/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347660985&sr=1-1&keywords=winter+king+the+dawn+of+tudor+england "]Amazon.com: Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England (9781439191569): Thomas Penn: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NnzULOCSL.@@AMEPARAM@@51NnzULOCSL[/ame]

The wife brought it home from the library for me - so it has gone to the top of the reading list

[Devildog]

Ordered. I ordered The Only Thing Worth Dying For on your recommendation as well.

I am finishing Luttrell's followup to Lone Survivor:

Service: A Navy SEAL at War: Marcus Luttrell,James D. Hornfischer: 9780316185363: Amazon.com: Books

Cool.

I'm reading "Service" right now.

Victory Point was a great view of the Lone Survivor story from a slightly different angle. It really reminded me of the dicked up command structures involved in war. Coulda- shoulda and all that might have been, but for human shortcomings... still, an outstanding read.

Ordered and very excited about No Easy Day.

http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/world/matt-bissonnette-no-easy-day-60-minutes-interview-navy-seal-author-talks-bin-laden-mission

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525953728/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d16_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf _rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=11BHYHQZ9P3E2HC2DBG8&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p =1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846"]No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden: Mark Owen,Kevin Maurer: 9780525953722: Amazon.com: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51vUKAqBuAL.@@AMEPARAM@@51vUKAqBuAL[/ame]

[marsupial]

I read Amazon.com: The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance: A Memoir (9780525951353): Elna Baker: Books
over the weekend. I am so glad I never spent time in post school singles wards. This is a funny, interesting book, though much more crass than I expected. She would do well in this forum.

Oh man, her Halloween costume... I cried laughing so hard.

[Katy Lied]

My local library called to tell me that two of my hold books were in. I get there and find The New York Regional Mormon Singles Dance and Cloud Atlas. Kid in a candy store. I started with Cloud Atlas and already love it even though the payoff plot tie up hasn't happened yet. Damn can David Mitchell write.

The blurb at the back of the book mentions that Mitchell is a combination of Nabokov, Eco and PK Dick. No wonder I love it. Those 3 take up positions on my top 10 writers list.

[Hypoplastic]

My son recently finished reading The Contract, Pat Forde's new book about Jimmer. He wanted me to read it too, so I started it last night.I'm a few chapters in. It certainly portrays Jimmer, his family, and the LDS Church in a very positive light. You'd almost think Pat Forde is Mormon (idk, maybe he is). My sons says they don't discuss Michelle Peralta. That's disappointing.

[BigPiney]

Oh man, her Halloween costume... I cried laughing so hard.

That was awesome.

Just read 'Lone Survivor'. I didn't like it that much. Much, much better written 'American Sniper', but his descriptions of time and space were confusing. Though that is understandable.

Also read the second Flavia de Luce book. I really like this series. Very funny and mystery that my kids can read as well.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/The-Weed-That-Strings-Hangmans/dp/0385343450/ref=cm_lmf_img_2"]The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag: A Flavia de Luce Novel (Flavia de Luce Mysteries): Alan Bradley: 9780385343459: Amazon.com: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41HscYJZWQL.@@AMEPARAM@@41HscYJZWQL[/ame]

Started book 4 in the GOT series last night.

[happyone]

finished Winter King - interesting look at the founder of the Tudor Dynesty.

I thought it was a very readable look at Henry VII and made him almost human in compared to the sterotype of a tight fisted miser.

The way Penn protrays him, his reign can almost be dived into two parts - securing the throne, whick took almost 15 yrs and the deaths of every possible Yorkist claimant to the throne and the last 9 yrs in which he was ill much of the time.

He came up with novel ways to control the nobility - one of which was to freeze them out of the decision making process of the Kingdom, another was to make them post cash bonds for their loyality. He used extrajudical means to do this, but it made him and those closest to him very wealthy!

He was a canny diplomat and very involved with the day to day running of the Kingdom.

I would recommend this to those interested in English History.

Currently reading

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Winter-World-Book-Century-Trilogy/dp/0525952926/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348589197&sr=1-1&keywords=ken+follett"]Winter of the World: Book Two of the Century Trilogy: Ken Follett: 9780525952923: Amazon.com: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51oxc81aUNL.@@AMEPARAM@@51oxc81aUNL[/ame]

[happyone]

Finished Winter of the World - meh - not his best. Though it is an entertaining read, it just didn't suck me in as some of his best stuff has done.

Follows the five familys from the first book from the Great depression and the rise of Hitler thru the beginnings of the Cold War.

For a book that is mainly centered on WW II there is suprising few combat scenes.

All that said I will read the third volume of the series when it comes out.

[happyone]

Since my last update I've read Edith Pargeter's [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Bloody-Field-Shrewsbury-Edith-Pargeter/dp/0747233667/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351042281&sr=8-1&keywords=bloody+field+shrewsbury"]A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury: Edith Pargeter: 9780747233664: Amazon.com: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5142r5WbueL.@@AMEPARAM@@5142r5WbueL[/ame]

not bad - interesting look at Henry VI, his son and Henry Percy - AKA Hotspur of Shakespeare fame.

A little dry in spots, but i enjoyed it.

Also finished the newest take on the Battle of Midway [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Pivotal-Moments-American-History/dp/0195397932/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351042413&sr=1-1&keywords=battle+of+midway+books"]The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History): Craig L. Symonds: 9780195397932: Amazon.com: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/516zJiGHjjL.@@AMEPARAM@@516zJiGHjjL[/ame]

Excellent - looks at the battle and the events that lead up to it. Symonds covers much the same ground as Toll did in Pacific Crucible

Symonds starts the book with Nimitz' taking command of the Pacific Fleet and ends with the Battle of Midway and covers all the US Navy Ops in between. He looks at the relationship between Nimitz and King, the Navy and Army, the Japanese Navy and Army.

He does cover the Kido Butai's operations in the Indian Ocean better that Toll and I think he is more even handed.

He tries to make the point that the victory at Midway was not so much the "hand of God", but the result of solid intelligence work, good calculated risk taking on Nimitz part and just a little bit of luck on the Americians part.

Some interesting things

The Dolittle raid was the Hornet's first actual combat - she was commissioned in March of 42, just in time to get from the East coast to Alemeda and load Dolittles B-25s. At Midway her air group still had not seen combat.

He states that all of Nagumo's actions were a logical result of what he new at the time.

Yamamoto blackmailed the the Chief of the Navy Staff to accept his Midway operation (tail wagging the dog)

He doesn't try to lay all the blame of the flight to nowhere by the Hornet's bombers and fighters on Cmdr Ring, but says we will never no for sure, because all of the indivual squadron after action reports are missing - or probably never submitted.

I highly recommend this for anyone interested in WW II.

[CardiacCoug]

My son recently finished reading The Contract, Pat Forde's new book about Jimmer. He wanted me to read it too, so I started it last night.I'm a few chapters in. It certainly portrays Jimmer, his family, and the LDS Church in a very positive light. You'd almost think Pat Forde is Mormon (idk, maybe he is). My sons says they don't discuss Michelle Peralta. That's disappointing.

We have a copy of this book autographed by The Jimmer itself. You can get it at the City Creek Deseret Book right next to the autographed copies of President Monson's books. I'll read it.

Pat Forde isn't LDS. I miss that Forde yard dash column he used to write for ESPN -- that was always good. I guess he moved over to Yahoo! sports.

[hostile]

I read this one awhile back. Great book, but it is not a pleasant story.

Amazon.com: Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA (9780385514453): Tim Weiner: Books

Legacy of Ashes was eye-opening. I just started Weiner's newest on the history of the FBI.



I'm about a quarter through but it is really good.

[happyone]

just finished [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Bring-Up-Bodies-Hilary-Mantel/dp/0805090037/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352444565&sr=8-1&keywords=bring+up+the+bodies+hilary+mantel"]Bring Up the Bodies: Hilary Mantel: 9780805090031: Amazon.com: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518T8Qx0kuL.@@AMEPARAM@@518T8Qx0kuL[/ame]

This is a sequal to Wolf Hall - which won the Booker Prize for Historical Fiction

It's about the fall of Ann Boylen told from Thomas Cromwell's POV.

Interesting and a good read. Her style takes a little getting used to.

Cromwell comes a cross as one who will do anything the King wants, Anne is a spoiled brat, Henry knows what he wants (Jane Seymour) and will let Cromwell do the dirty work - the less said the better.

About the only admirable person in the novel is Katherine of Aragon - who passes away about half way thru.

[eldiente]

The Oath

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Oath-Obama-White-House-Supreme/dp/0385527209/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352835144&sr=1-1&keywords=the+oath"]The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court: Jeffrey Toobin: 9780385527200: Amazon.com: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PnPVGBRlL.@@AMEPARAM@@51PnPVGBRlL[/ame]

interesting read concerning the current justices of the Supreme Court. The court is much more partisan than I was aware of.

Also, illustrates the significance of one's upbringing in shaping values.