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Old 07-25-2011, 07:58 AM   #981
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T-Al, the Stand was one of my grandmother's favorite books. I re-read it every few years and every time am blown away by the complexity of his interpretation of the battle of good and evil. It is an epic novel and one of my all time favorites.

In that vein, I picked up a used copy of the Drifters, by James Michener. Like King's The Stand, I really only like this one book of his but it is a very compelling read. I most appreciate that it is told from the older (and presumably wiser) narrator's perspective, but still offers a glimpse into the young rebellious characters' minds.

Just read Robopocalypse, too. It is fantastic--the kind of book you start reading at 2 pm on a Saturday and do not put down until you finish it at 2am Sunday. Perfect vacation read!

Also, for anyone who remembers reading about the glory days of the 70s East Coast mary jane smuggling rings, there is a new book out by a SC journalist, profiling a few of the more famous of these guys. I won't deny that the book tends to glorify the weaponless playboys of that time, who eschewed violence and "hard drugs", but I still very much enjoyed the stories. The second half has more focus on the law enforcement side, with stories of the very ambitious attorney general of SC at that time and the massive amount of time, money, and energy that was devoted to putting a handful of these guys behind bars. It is called Jackpot.
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Old 07-25-2011, 08:06 AM   #982
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Just read Robopocalypse, too. It is fantastic--the kind of book you start reading at 2 pm on a Saturday and do not put down until you finish it at 2am Sunday. Perfect vacation read!
Just put in a hold on the epub version. Thx.
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Old 07-25-2011, 08:39 AM   #983
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Just put in a hold on the epub version. Thx.
Me too. Thanks for reminding me to check the ebooks library. They didn't have it at the regular library, or at paperbackswap.
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Old 07-25-2011, 09:01 AM   #984
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Books I liked and read in July:
Justin Cartwright, Amazon.com: Other People's Money: A Novel (9781608192731): Justin Cartwright: Books
The head of an old line British bank is dying. His son races to clean up the bank's financials as the evolving banking crisis threatens them.

Robert Goddard, Amazon.com: Hand in Glove (9780385339216): Robert Goddard: Books
Mysteries surround the killing of an elderly British woman whose poet brother died decades ago after volunteering in the Spanish Civil War.
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Old 07-25-2011, 03:31 PM   #985
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Old 07-31-2011, 10:58 AM   #986
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Just finished reading 'A Measureless Peril' by Richard Snow. Very enjoyable.
Amazon.com: A Measureless Peril eBook: Richard Snow: Kindle Store

From Publisher's Weekly:
Former American Heritage editor-in-chief Snow brings long experience to this graphic account of the Battle of the Atlantic. He seasons it heavily with the letters of his father, who was an officer on one of the U.S. destroyer escorts vital to the U-boat offensive's final defeat.
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Old 08-03-2011, 09:34 AM   #987
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Just finished Diablo Cody's Candy Girl about her year as a stripper. I never saw the movie she wrote, Juno, so this was my first experience with her style of writing. I thought it was both hilarious and interesting. I could definitely sympathize with her troubles with the pole! Her descriptions of the patrons and her fellow dancers were fascinating.

Also read a Kindle version of Stevenson's Treasure Island on our way home from the music festival. I can't remember if/when I read it as a youngster, but it was really quite good. Thanks to T-Al for pointing out the free edition.
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Old 08-03-2011, 09:52 AM   #988
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A few weeks ago I read "Still Missing " by Chevy Stevens . It was her first book and absolutely spell binding & weird . You will not be able to put this book down and the ending will shock you . It's about a woman who is kidnapped .
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Old 08-03-2011, 10:00 AM   #989
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A few weeks ago I read "Still Missing " by Chevy Stevens . It was her first book and absolutely spell binding & weird . You will not be able to put this book down and the ending will shock you . It's about a woman who is kidnapped .
Sounds good. I put a hold on it.
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Old 08-03-2011, 11:24 AM   #990
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Sounds good. I put a hold on it.

I hope you like it .It 's pretty strange . It may appeal more to women than guys .
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Old 08-03-2011, 11:35 AM   #991
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I hope you like it .It 's pretty strange . It may appeal more to women than guys .
You got me with weird. Strange is appealing too. If it turns out to be "chick lit" I will hand it over to DW.
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Old 08-03-2011, 11:49 AM   #992
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The Kindle version of Barry Goldwater's "Conscience of a Conservative" is just $1.99 these days, so I downloaded it. Never read it way back when. It should be interesting (to me, anyway) to see if and how conservative philosophies and ideas have changed over the past half century.
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Old 08-03-2011, 12:11 PM   #993
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I am blushing to be quoted so many times, and am happy that others recommend Unbroken, too.

I like Wallendar on PBS, so may give one of those a try. Thanks! I recently read In the Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larsen or Larson. It's non-fiction about the American ambassador's family living in Berlin during the years Hitler takes over. It was fascinating to see his true nature dawn on the family and how the ambassador's warnings were never taken seriously in Washington DC. He was considered to be a bit of a nut. (Meaning they thought the ambassador was sort of a nut.)

Another interesting book I read this year was Fifty Russian Winters: An American Woman's Life in the Soviet Unionby Margaret Wettlin. This woman went to witness the revolution in Russia and ended up staying and marrying a Russian. It was very interesting to watch things change over the years and her reactions. She eventually returned to the US to live.

I like history, what can I say.
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Old 08-03-2011, 12:36 PM   #994
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I am rereading "The Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning". Succinctly pulls a mash of retirement advice into a manageable plan. I am reading a library copy but plan on putting this one into my own e-library.
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Old 08-03-2011, 06:33 PM   #995
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I just finished " The Postcard Killers " by Patterson. It was okay . Good for the beach !
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Old 08-03-2011, 07:45 PM   #996
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I went to the library and checked out Wormwood by Susan Wittig Albert. She has written several mysteries that take place in "Thyme and Seasons", an herb shop in the Texas Hill country. The owner is China Bayles, a former attorney who purchased the store after burning out from her previous job.

Her best friend, Ruby, owns the store next door - a far-out metaphysical store; she is the local psychic. She and China find themselves in all sorts of interesting fixes. Bring in China's sig. other, McQuaid, who is a former law enforcement person, and "Smart Cookie," who is the female chief of police, and there is a medley of characters and fun plots and sub-plots.

All the stories center around solving a murder mystery and herbs. Some of the titles to her books are: Rosemary Remembered, Chili Death, A Dilly of a Death, and the like. The stories are loaded with fun herbal recipes, lore, and history of medicinal healing herbs. She's also an excellent writer; her characters and plots are well-developed - and infused with a sense of good ol' Texas humor.
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Old 08-03-2011, 08:17 PM   #997
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I like history, what can I say.
Can you recommend a history of Napoleon's campaigns against Russia in the early 19th century? I am reading (and loving) War and Peace and I would enjoy knowing more about the battles.

Ha
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Old 08-03-2011, 08:37 PM   #998
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Can you recommend a history of Napoleon's campaigns against Russia in the early 19th century? I am reading (and loving) War and Peace and I would enjoy knowing more about the battles.

Ha
Tolstoy's original title for that was War -- What is it Good For?...



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Old 08-03-2011, 09:59 PM   #999
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Haha, I'll have to see if my husband has a recommendation. He likes books about battles and military campaigns more than I do. I guess I like the human stories, biographies, different civilizations, etc.
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Old 08-04-2011, 06:01 AM   #1000
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Tolstoy's original title for that was War -- What is it Good For?...

Sure that wasn't a 60s song?
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