What have you read recently? 2009 -2020

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Sarah in SC said:
Dystopian? Ears perk up! Tell me more--love a great dystopian society read.
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It's actually kind of a love story - about a man's love for his ill son in a desperate, burned out, post apocalyptic world. He is taking his son down "the road" in an attempt to enable him to survive and possibly find salvation. Very disturbing and hopeful at the same time. I couldn't put it down and it stayed with me.
 
donheff said:
Is this science or psuedoscience? I have read a few books on quantum physics and cosmology lately and like them. But this one has a new-agey subtitle that makes me suspicious. :confused:
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It is science, the author is a physicist. But maybe the psuedoeysciency title will get some of those who tend towards gullibility to read it. It would be good for them.
 
I have just finished reading a series of books by Karin Slaughter. The first one is "Blindsighted". The main characters, who are in the whole series, are a female pediatrician who also doubles as small town coroner, the police chief, and his female detective. They have extremely graphic violence, much directed toward women, but in spite of that, or maybe because of it and the way it allows us to understand the characters, are some of the best books I have ever read. You don't have to read them in order, but I would suggest that you do. They are set in a small town in South Georgia, and are quite true to that setting in their tone.

I am now in the middle of the J.D. Robb "....... in Death" series, starting with "Naked in Death". Again, the main character is a female police detective. They are set in the future (2050s) and although I don't usually like sci fi, these are very clever and the fantasy aspects don't detract at all from the stories.

Obviously, I'm reading strictly for fluff at the current time.
 
donheff said:
It's actually kind of a love story - about a man's love for his ill son in a desperate, burned out, post apocalyptic world. He is taking his son down "the road" in an attempt to enable him to survive and possibly find salvation. Very disturbing and hopeful at the same time. I couldn't put it down and it stayed with me.
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Interesting. I will have to check that out. Thanks very much.

I did read a review of a cool-sounding new book by a New Zealand author (Bernard Beckett) called Genesis. It sounds quite interesting for those among us who can appreciate a good dystopian story. I read the review in the WSJ, but here's more from Amazon Amazon.com: Genesis: Bernard Beckett: Books
 
Just started "The trillion dollar meltdown ,easy money and the great credit crash " by Charles R. Morris . I thought it was time to step away from my usual fiction but I also got Jonathan Kellerman's "Bones " for the beach and a back up Michael Connelly book . This is go to the beach or lay out by the pool with a book weather.
 
Free To Canoe said:
I am reading Genetics for Dummies (curious about it) and Steel Phoenix by Chris Hall. ...
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Got curious too and checked Genetics for Dummies out of the library. It looks like something I really want to read through slooo..wly and carefully. Although I have an advanced technology oriented degree, somehow squeaked through schooling without even a biology course.

Read Kissed a Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie. The female head of a tea company is killed in London. Flashbacks to the WW2 past of some primary characters. Well written and engaging mystery.
 
Recent reading

Summer reading? Everything that I can get from my local library by PG Wodehouse, particularly if it includes Bertie and Jeeves. Funny stuff. :LOL: Wish I had paid more attention to this fellow earlier in life.
 
I´m listening to "Kane and Abel" by J. Archer and reading "The dogs of Riga" by H. Mankell. Passable both.
 
boont said:
"Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors" by Nicholas Wade

Masterfully answers many questions about human origins. Makes a good stab at answering the three most important questions of mankind...

Who are we?
Where did we come from?
Why are we here?

It "does a great job of synthesizing the discoveries of paleoanthropolgists with the findings of geneticists--in some cases, examination of human DNA has confirmed what paleoanthropolgists have long believed, in others it has raised new and sometimes disturbing questions."

This topic is my favorite subject and I'm on the board of an institute that studies just this topic. Exciting read.
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Sounds interesting. Thanks for your input. Good to have a good reference on a topic. Like this thread.

Free to canoe
 
I'm in the middle of 'Relic" by Preston&Child. Think I'll be their fan. Good that I bought along another one at my last trip at B&N already betting on it. Please, don't tell me the ending.
 
Just finished The End of Wall Street as We Know It published by WSJ. Just published a few months ago so it's very current. Good summary of what/how it happened and what to do now - although the latter is weak (no one has definitive answers). I enjoyed it, easy read too.
 
Currently reading:

"On Humanism" by Richard Norman - so far, good summary of Humanism and it lays out the case very well for a world view based on Humanism. Fairly basic overall. Good introductory text for those not familiar with Humanism, but for those more schooled in theological thought and philosophy, some chapters will be best skimmed instead of read closely.

"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare - an oldy but goody. Just started it and it's quite the page turner. The man has a knack for word play.

"Nolo's Patents for Beginners" by David Pressman - just a little light reading. Doing a little professional development you might say.

"The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition into the Forces of History" by Howard Bloom - A little bit dated, but still a good read. The author summarizes trends throughout history and incorporates interesting anecdotes into an explanation of why things in our society and world work the way they work (from his point of view). Very interesting reading though, but I don't necessarily agree with everything in the book. Bits and pieces were anti-Islamic and he expressed a good deal of fear that Islam will be a continuing enemy of the Western world. Written in 1997, it was very prescient to say the least. Many parts of the narrative sound like they were written in 2009.

Next up to bat:
Fountainhead - Ayn Rand (eventually)
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Something recent by Bart D. Ehrman[/FONT] - professor at UNC Chapel Hill - writes about historicity of bible and biblical criticism. I have not read anything by him, but I saw a clip of him speaking recently and he seemd to be a very interesting speaker.

Malcom Gladwell books - I read Blink and I enjoyed it enough to follow it up with Tipping Point and Outliers.
 
Just finished reading Dead Silence by Randy Wayne White. A wonderful writer of Florida fiction in the style made famous by my all time favorite novelist John D. MacDonald.

Also reading some old P.J. O'Rourke books. He's hilarious. I love All the Trouble in the World. Back from 1994, it is still quite relevant.
 
Just finished Relic, and started The Wheels of Darkness by the same authors. I recommend Preston & Child.
 
Just finishing Common Wealth, by Jeffrey Sachs. A very holistic view of sustainable macroeconomics. Thought provoking and somewhat depressing.
 
I recently finished House by Tracy Kidder. This is the author of The Soul of a New Machine, a Pulitzer winner in the early 80s, and a must-read for EE nerds back then.

I knew of House but never got around to it. I picked up a copy discarded by the library, paying a donation of $1.

Starting La Bella Figura - A Field Guide to the Italian Mind. This one was recently given as a gift.
 
That is House written from the perspective of a contractor building someone's dream home? I remember that--I bought it from a thrift store just before we started building our house five years ago. A very good read and a thoughtful book.
Reminds me of another book I enjoyed unexpectedly, called Uncommon Carriers, by John McPhee. Vocational literature, I guess would be what you'd call these, and quite interesting.
Nice to recall it.
 
Jill Bolte Taylor's My Stroke of Insight. A neuroscientist has a major stroke aged 37 due to a previously undetected blood vessel malformation in her head. She recovers fully over 8 years. She describes the entire event as she experienced it, knowing not only what was happening but where in her brain. Throws a whole new perspective on how to communicate with, and treat, patients who have had a stroke. It's beautifully written for the general public, complete with diagrams, but I think it should also be required reading for every medical or nursing student, as well as for family members of people who have had a stroke, or might have one. Magnificent read. Get it.
 
I am on a Middle East kick

Three cups of Tea, an inspiring account of a former mountaineer, who builds school houses for villages in the Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Recently won Pakistan highest honor, and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee.

Fiasco and the Gamble. Tom Ricks, the former military correspondent, for WSJ and the Washington Post, account of the war in Iraq from 2004 to late last year. In case you didn't think that Gen. Petrasus was an incredible man these two books will convince you.

Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, From the Soviet invasion to Sept 10,2001. By the managing editor of the Washington Post. Half way through great background.

And just for fun Foundation Fear. A sequel to Asimov's classic Sci Fi.
 
Meadbh said:
Jill Bolte Taylor's My Stroke of Insight. A neuroscientist has a major stroke aged 37 due to a previously undetected blood vessel malformation in her head. She recovers fully over 8 years. She describes the entire event as she experienced it, knowing not only what was happening but where in her brain. Throws a whole new perspective on how to communicate with, and treat, patients who have had a stroke. It's beautifully written for the general public, complete with diagrams, but I think it should also be required reading for every medical or nursing student, as well as for family members of people who have had a stroke, or might have one. Magnificent read. Get it.
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I've seen her interviewed several times, remarkably articulate. It maybe a perfect book for my sister.
 
I have "reader's block". :( I devoured books when I first FIREd, now I'm on sabattical. :D
Ever since I opened and read a little bit of Enough last fall, I put it down and have only read magazines and stuff online since then. I'll wait for the fall to get back to reading again. :D
 
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