What have you read recently?

[Marita40]

I usually avoid "self-help" books, but am really liking James Clear's Atomic Habits. I have one or two bad habits I'm trying to overcome and it has helped almost immediately by reframing perspective from goals to systems. Recommended (along with 33,000 other reviewers on amazon).

 

[anethum]

The Guest List by Lucy Foley. I enjoyed this thriller, set on a fictitious island off the coast of Ireland at a destination wedding. Each short chapter is told from the viewpoint of a different character.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. I found this novel very engaging though when I finished, a few things didn't add up. It is nonetheless an impressive first novel.

A Bright Ray of Darkness by Ethan Hawke. Meh. The quality of the writing is good, but the story didn't grab me.

We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida. I heard a rave review about this novel set in 1980s pre-tech San Francisco. I liked it just as much as the reviewer. An odd story told by a teenager at an all-girls school who finds herself ostracized by her former friends.

 

[Calico]

I recently discovered the Ruth Galloway mystery series by British author Elly Griffiths. The stories are set in the Norfolk area.

I've plowed through the first four books in the last couple of weeks and have started the fifth. They are entertaining reads with a dash of archaeology layered alongside the various murders to be solved.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078YG6CN...kindle_edition&ref_=dbs_s_aps_series_rwt_tkin

 

[bolt]

"How do I TAX THEE: By Kristen Kate.

This is a great read!
I recently enjoyed a few chapters.
It seems full of pragmatic insights.

This is true: 2020
I recall going through MD tolls from a bordering state unprepared but recognizing them claiming they'll bill you no big deal.

A $1.00 toll turned into a 106.00 rip-off!!!

A $46.00 Armed services relief fund, $12 toward the taxi relief act, $32.00 Roads reliance fund, $16.00 for the EBT migrant subsidy & feed the world fund,etc.etc. Not to mention a covid-19 relief fund should I want to pay*/donate an extra $25.00.
Similar nonsensical additives were added to the billing process

I'm not kidding. MD wanted me to pay this $106.00.
This is when hiring a local MD atty. for "X" shows appropriate push-back claiming their becoming GREEDY !!

Good luck & best wishes....

 

[pacergal]

Currently reading "the Luckiest Man" about Senator John McCain. Very interesting, so much I did not know about him.
Next up will be President Obama's book " A Promised Land"

 

[Nemo2]

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/david-downing/wedding-station/

Wedding Station by David Downing....the 'prequel' to his WWII era 'Station series'

As Nazism tightens its grip on Germany, an English crime reporter tackles a handful of juicy stories.

Downing resumes the story of John Russell in a seventh Station novel, a prequel set many years before his spy work last seen in Masaryk Station (2013). In February 1933, reporter Russell is on a train when he and other passengers spot a raging fire in the distance. It’s the historic Reichstag fire; a moment later, the new chancellor, Adolf Hitler, and his information chief, Joseph Goebbels, emerge from a black Mercedes at the scene. Russell’s journalistic investigations play out against a backdrop of escalating violence and oppression. Downing's inclusion of episodes from the rise of Nazism and backstories involving Russell and his expatriate friends adds texture but slows the propulsive pace of the story. The castration and murder of young male prostitute Fredo Ratzel sends Russell in search of the man's missing roommate, Timo Baur. Divorce looms, meanwhile, for Russell and his estranged wife, Ilse, threatening his right to live in Germany. Although their relationship is amicable, Russell worries about Paul, their 6-year-old son. Through Ilse’s new partner, Russell meets war veteran Wilhelm Zollitsch, whose rebellious daughter, Lili, has disappeared. Is this the latest kidnapping by the SA, the Nazi paramilitary arm? A third provocative story that Russell is chasing involves the hit-and-run death of Konrad Mommsen, judged an accident by jaded Detective Kuzorra. Gaining access to Mommsen’s American widow, Donna, by serving as a translator in her police interview, Russell presses for more information.

 

[Nemo2]

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8526053-extreme-risk

Extreme Risk an autobiography of a bomb disposal expert by Chris Hunter

In this edgy, fast-paced and incredibly moving account, Chris Hunter chronicles the remarkable journey of a teenager with few hopes and limited prospects who went on to become one of the most successful counter-terrorism operators in Britain.
Hunter depicts his grueling officer training at Sandhurst, and afterwards as a young troop commander in Bosnia. He describes how, as a bomb disposal operator in Northern Ireland and Iraq, he witnessed horrendous acts of terrorism and recounts the methods he employed to outsmart the terrorists who repeatedly tried to target him.

Hunter takes us to some of the most perilous places on earth as he and his team relentlessly attempt to track down the world's leading terrorists and disrupt their networks. A journey that takes us from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan to the murky back-streets of Colombia and Israel. Whether he's protecting members of the Royal Family, responding to the 2005 London suicide bombings or trying to foil Al Qaeda bomb plots, he provides a fascinating, no-holds-barred insight into a fascinating world that has rarely been documented by somebody on the inside.

By turns gritty, absorbing, and heart-breaking, this is the portrait of a man prepared to sacrifice everything for his country, but to concede nothing to the terrorists.

If I ever yearned for a career, this one wouldn't be it....but, among other venues, he did get to visit Basra, Iraq, a place imbedded in my, (rapidly deteriorating through age), memory.

 

[braumeister]

If I ever yearned for a career, this one wouldn't be it.

That's at least two of us. But I did know a few EOD (bomb disposal) guys in the military, and they were indeed impressive. Nerves of steel, and they didn't see themselves as the heroes they were, but rather as very accomplished technicians (which they also were).

 

[Nemo2]

Nerves of steel

Me, I'd be like the punchline of the old "What steps would you take?" joke....."Big ones, and fast".

 

[mitchjav]

Currently reading a bit of sci-fi/fantasy written by a former colleague of
mine - marketing communications guy turned author. A change of pace from
my usual read - but really well done - enjoying it - It's called "Elthea's Realm"
(1st of a 3 book series). You can find it here:

https://www.amazon.com/Eltheas-Realm-Story-Book-ebook/dp/B01N6UVICB

 

[MuirWannabe]

RetireeRobert,
I might be crazy. Okay, let’s just acknowledge that.
But I have a recollection at some point not too long ago you made some book recommendations to me. Not the CJ Box stuff.
I think we were talking about hiking the PCT. You recommended some books maybe about the Grand Canyon??

Like a dummy, I didn’t right them down. Thought I could revisit your post when ready. Only now I can’t find that post. Do you remember or know what I’m talking about?

Thanks.

Muir

 

[ERObjd]

Right now reading 3 books off and on. "Common Sense Investing" by John Bogle

'Common Sense Mutual Fund" also by Bogle

"The Salt Fix" by Dr. Jamess DiNicolantonio

 

[Nemo2]

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-307-26837-2

The Arms Maker of Berlin by Dan Fesperman. First book, by this author, that I've read.....thoroughly enjoyed it, will certainly look for others.

Four missing documents from WWII provide the fuel for Fesperman’s fine stand-alone thriller. The FBI hires Nat Turnbull, a Nazi expert at a second-tier New England university, to find the documents, but Nat soon discovers that the agency has reasons other than historical integrity for wanting them found: to keep a lid on certain war-era sins committed by a German industrialist whose enormous company has been a major weapons supplier to the West. As Turnbull shuttles between Europe and the U.S., he manages to stay a step ahead of a mysterious killer who’s knocking off anyone who may know something about the missing files. Fesperman (The Prisoner of Guantánamo ) convincingly evokes the fraying Reich in 1944, a time of shifting allegiances when many Germans focused on positioning themselves for a Hitler-less future, though the who and why of all the recent killings remain somewhat murky. Still, readers who like a bit of history with their thrills will be thoroughly satisfied.

 

[Nemo2]

Borderlands, the first in the Inspector Devlin series, (set in Ireland at the border with Northern Ireland), and the first I've read by author Brian McGilloway....there'll be more if I can locate them:

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/brian-mcgilloway/borderlands.htm

 

[Kook]

All the Kings Men by Robert Penn Warren.


It took me a while to get into this book. In fact, I almost quit reading it a couple of times, but I kept on and I am glad I did. It picks up about half way through and I realized the descriptive writing was necessary for character development, of which he does a fantastic job. For example, he took almost 50 pages to describe the teenage relationship between Jack and Anne. But in the end, I can see how it was necessary and I appreciated it. He paints a great picture of the scene and of the times and I almost felt like I was right there with them the whole time.

The last hundred pages flew by and I stayed up way too late last night finishing it. Crazy series of events, one right after the other in the end.

 

[Markola]

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8526053-extreme-risk



Extreme Risk an autobiography of a bomb disposal expert by Chris Hunter







If I ever yearned for a career, this one wouldn't be it....but, among other venues, he did get to visit Basra, Iraq, a place imbedded in my, (rapidly deteriorating through age), memory.

Thanks, that looks amazing. I just ordered a used copy on www.abebooks.com for $10.60 with free shipping.

If y’all don’t know about Abe Books, check them out. It’s a vast network of used book stores.

 

[Nemo2]

Thanks, that looks amazing. I just ordered a used copy on www.abebooks.com for $10.60 with free shipping.

If y’all don’t know about Abe Books, check them out. It’s a vast network of used book stores.

Thanks....I purchased my copy, a paperback in pristine condition, at the local library bookstore for $1 Canadian, (~ 79¢ US)...but I'll keep Abe on the back burner.

 

[NW-Bound]

Ally (8-3-2011): 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.)

Gumby (11-27-2011): Just finished In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson (who is also the author of The Devil in the White City). It is about William Dodd, the U.S. ambassador to Germany from mid-1933 to the end of 1937. While it gives some background, it is not a biography per se. Rather, it focuses on the 4 and 1/2 years that he and his family were in Berlin.


Ambassador Dodd warned time and again that Hitler was dangerous and Germany preparing for war. But many people, including the U.S. State Department, were convinced that things were not as bad as he said and that they would be able to "work with" the Nazis. It is intriguing (and sad) to see how, little by little, an entire society went mad and the rest of the world did nothing until it was too late.

Markola (10-27-2020): Just finished Erik Larson’s “In the Garden of Beasts” about the American Ambassador to Germany and his family’s experiences in Berlin during the first two chaotic years as the Nazi’s came to power. It’s chilling to learn how narcissistic demagogues slowly spun the country into a totalitarian police state leveraging white xenophobia and their perceived victimization.

I just finished the above book, In the Garden of Beast (2011) by Erik Larson. I missed the 2 earlier reviews (the book was published 10 years ago). I reserved this book at the local library immediately after seeing it mentioned by Markola. This book was popular and I was 4th or 5th inline, and only had access to it recently after a wait of 5 months!

Erik Larson described the political atmosphere in Germany, and particularly Berlin, in the 1933-1938 period as experienced by William Dodd and his family. Dodd served as the US ambassador to Germany in those years. In later years at his post, Dodd grew despondent when his reports of the Nazi ruthless behavior were ignored back home in the US.

Martha Dodd, his adult daughter, later published her memoirs, and also the ambassador's diaries. Erik Larson drew much of his material from Martha's publications. However, Larson also researched for corroboration among other historical sources such as correspondence and memoirs of Dodd's contacts.

Martha Dodd was an interesting person. She was promiscuous, and her dates included Nazi officials, as well as French and Soviet embassy diplomats and officers. She later grew sympathetic to the Soviet communist cause, and in the 50s was charged with espionage by the US government. Martha and her husband fled to Prague, and later received permission by the Soviets to emigrate to Moscow.

I am interested in Martha's memoirs and her father's diaries, as these were contemporaneously published in 1939-1941 at the same time the war was breaking out in Europe. I would not dream of finding a copy at a public library. Perhaps a university library.

 

[donheff]

I enjoyed the Searcher, by Tana French.

"An Amazon Best Book of October 2020: Though its title recalls one classic Western, The Searcher has more in common with another classic: Shane. Ex-Chicago cop Cal Hooper rolls into town looking for a quiet life, but instead of Wyoming, this is a small, Irish mountain town. Soon, he’s strong-armed into finding the missing older brother of a local kid who’s formed an attachment to Cal. The Searcher is an atmospheric, detective story on island time, with a lesson to impart about not taking situations—or people—at face value. —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Book Review"

 

[51notout]

Breakpoint: Reckoning with America’s Environmental Crisis. By Jackson and Chapple

Just finished this book. Some good information about various environmental issues facing USA. Also gives some solutions. Last chapter talked some politics so if you’re of a “climate denier” mindset you might want to skip that bit. For the open minded it’s a good book [emoji3]

 

[MichaelB]

“Anxious People” by Fredrik Backman (translated by Neil Smith). I’ve read one other book of his, “A Man Called Ove”, and this is as good or better. Mr. Backman has a sense of humanity I find refreshing and endearing.

 

[donheff]

Corey Docterow's, "Attack Surface," is a good look at government abuse of surveillance technology and a good story to boot. It is billed as SF but the tech is real.

 

[Eucerin]

Just finished reading "Many lives, Many Masters" by Dr. Brian L. Weiss.
It is the true story of a prominent psychiatrist, his young patient, and the past-life therapy that changed both their lives.

People died but their soul moving on to other physical body to start a new life time. My question is that will soul influence individual's physical and metal behavior? if yes, how about the DNA from the parents? if no, what is soul do besides keep the human body alive?

 

[Jenna]

Right now reading 3 books off and on. "Common Sense Investing" by John Bogle

'Common Sense Mutual Fund" also by Bogle

"The Salt Fix" by Dr. Jamess DiNicolantonio

The Salt Fix was a fascinating read-I came across it when I started Intermittent Fasting 2 years ago.

 

[51notout]

What have you read recently? 2021

The Infinite Machine: How an Army of Crypto-Hackers is Building the Next Internet with Ethereum. By Camila Russo.

Just finished this book. Reads a bit like fiction but gives interesting information about the start of Ethereum and it’s goals and founders. Goes into some exciting drama around some large attacks Ethereum suffered along the way.