What have you read recently? 2009 -2020

[Meadbh]

"Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand

The life story of Louie Zamperini who was a world class, Olympic runner who participated in the Berlin Olympics and then shortly thereafter joined WWII. He was in the air force and was shot down over the Pacific, spent many, many days at sea in a life raft, was captured by the Japanese and spent years in prison camps. Excellent story that leaves you marveling at the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. I understand it will be made into a movie in the near future.

Yes, I loved this book and IIRC I read it after seeing a recommendation earlier in this thread! Angelina Jolie is directing the movie. I think it is being shot in Australia or New Zealand.

 

[NW-Bound]

I realized that while I have watched most if not all of James Bond movies, I had not read any of Ian Fleming's novels. So, I am on a plan to read all of his, going from the first, Casino Royale (1953), to the last, Octopussy and the Living Daylights (1966). The latter was published posthumously, as Ian Fleming died in 1964.

I am going to read the novels in the published chronological order, to see how Fleming evolved the Bond character over time. I just finished the 2nd in the series, Live and Let Die (1954), and am starting Moonraker (1955).

Fleming's works are a lot easier to read than those of John le Carré. The prose is simpler, and the plots are also not as intricate. There is more action, however, but it is nothing like what is shown in Bond movies. There have been no fancy gadgets so far. In fact, if the movie scripts followed the novels too closely, viewers accustomed to daring stunts and futuristic weapons would get disappointed. For some reasons, movies based on Fleming's novels always employed more of the science-fiction types of tricks than screenworks based on le Carré's. I like Fleming's novels so far, as they are closer to real life than the Bond movies full of whiz-bang weapons.

And by the way, after just two novels, the Bond character has already been injured and hurt badly by the villains. As Bond is not infallible, the bad guys lay their hands on him quite often. I fully expect that by the end of the series, his body will be completely covered with scars. I wonder if Bond is not going to be losing at least some digits, if not an eye or earlobe.

 

[Gumby]

"Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand

The life story of Louie Zamperini who was a world class, Olympic runner who participated in the Berlin Olympics and then shortly thereafter joined WWII. He was in the air force and was shot down over the Pacific, spent many, many days at sea in a life raft, was captured by the Japanese and spent years in prison camps. Excellent story that leaves you marveling at the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. I understand it will be made into a movie in the near future.

I read that a couple years ago. It was truly a great story and well worth the time to read. Amazing how strong some people are.

Edit to add: I just did a search and found that it was three years ago. I also found that everyone who posted here that they had read the book recommended it highly.

 

[Ally]

I am nearly done with the new Masterpiece book by Rebecca Eaton that I received for Christmas. We love to watch Masterpiece and I thought I would like this book a lot more than I do. I would say that 50% of it is about the author herself and seems a bit like filler. I find myself skimming through those parts to get to the parts relating to the actual production of the programs that we watched over the years. I expected less personal biographical info and more behind the scenes drama and humor. I guess I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.

 

[TromboneAl]

Gone Girl 9/10!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[Ally]

Yes, I really liked Gone Girl. I didn't like Sharp Objects nearly as much.

 

[Cassie]

Currently reading, Merry Christmas Alex Cross by James Patterson.

 

[AllDone]

I'm reading "Slavery by Another Name". It's well written, but too heart breaking to read all at once, so I've also got "The Bat" by Jo Nesbo and "Framley Parsonage" in progress. I used to keep multiple books going in different parts of the house when I was little. Now I keep them all going on the same electronic device which makes no sense what so ever.

Slavery by Another Name would be a good accompaniment to "The Bell Curve".

 

[rmark]

The Sharps Rifle by Winston Smith (1943) all about the history and development of the Sharps Rifle. Probably won't appeal to you unless you have an interest in antique firearms.

 

[W2R]

I finally got around to reading "Younger Next Year" by Crowley and Lodge, which I had heard about from past discussions on this forum. There's also a "Younger Next Year for women", but after reading reviews of both that were written by women, I decided to start with the men's version.

This is a great book for those of us who are close to retired or else retired, and who can use a little extra motivation to exercise more. I have been reading the Kindle version while riding on my stationary bike and wow, the time just flies!

I am about 1/3 of the way through the book right now. So far the main points have been:

(1) to exercise six days a week, and
(2) to do serious aerobic exercise at least 4 days a week,

for the rest of your life. But, these points are presented in such a persuasive and entertaining fashion that the book is fun to read. Since right now I have been lifting weights on MWF, and do not wish to ever stop lifting weights, I will have to work around that somehow.

Definitely worth reading!

 

[Nemo2]

Definitely worth reading!

+1

 

[Lsbcal]

DW suggested I read this short mystery: The Other Side of Silence: A Novel of Suspense: Bill Pronzini: Amazon.com: Books

It was well written and I enjoyed it. I'm somewhat familiar with the towns the author highlights in the Arizona and Nevada deserts. The only flaw for me was the main characters motivation to get so involved in the face of present danger. But to be fair the author did try to explain this to us risk avoiders who sit in armchairs and read about dangerous adventures.

 

[Meadbh]

Just finished Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. It's a well written novel about a busy executive and mom who multitasks a bit too often and crashes her car while on the phone. She has severe brain injury and is left with left hemiagnosia, which means she loses awareness of what the left side of her body, or the environment, is doing. This obviously leads to major challenges and changes in her life. This condition is not rare and the story is credible because the author is a neuroscientist, who has written other novels about people with dementia and autism, and is working on one about Huntington's chorea. It's not all a downer: there is a lot of humour and hope in the story.

 

[Marita40]

I like some True Crime books and without much scrutiny checked out an e-book out from my public library called Invisible Darkness. It is about the Paul and Karla Bernardo sex and murder spree in Canada some years back. Once I started it I couldn't put it down; it is a gripping read but such a sadistic story--and graphically related--that several days later I'm still sorry I read it through. Unbelievably sick story and certainly not for the squeamish. Makes you look at everyone differently.

 

[Nemo2]

Paul and Karla Bernardo

Up here Karla has always been known as Karla Homolka - I don't believe I've ever heard her called Karla Bernardo.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I read a book about those two, years ago. I literally had to throw it in the trash. She certainly got less time in prison than she deserved for this sick and senseless crimes. I still can remember the horrible details and it was probably 2002 when I read it. Ugh!

 

[scrabbler1]

"Tip and the Gipper," by Chris Matthews has been a good read so far. The book is due back at the library tomorrow and I am not allowed to renew it, so I have to finish the ~60 pages I have left pretty fast. The book is about Democratic House Speaker Tip O'Neill and Republican President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s when Matthews was a staffer in O'Neill's office. Those two butted heads often during the day but were friendly after 6 PM, as Matthews described it, a lessn today's pols should learn from these two.

I wasn't the political junkie back then I am today, so I like reading about the backstory from years I am otherwise familiar with.

 

[Nemo2]

I read a book about those two, years ago. I literally had to throw it in the trash. She certainly got less time in prison than she deserved for this sick and senseless crimes. I still can remember the horrible details and it was probably 2002 when I read it. Ugh!

And here she is:

Karla Homolka lives in Guadeloupe and has three children, new book reveals - The Globe and Mail

I think most people in Canada believe she was by far the worst of the two, and the instigator/murderer........the law failed us on this one.

 

[Koogie]

Up here Karla has always been known as Karla Homolka - I don't believe I've ever heard her called Karla Bernardo.

Not to get off topic but unbelievably she married her lawyers brother after she got out of prison and is now living in the Caribbean and has three children !

It is still a pretty emotional topic up here. A lot of people (including the families) believe she got off very lightly in a devils deal to make sure the crown prosecutor got Bernardo. I know that sort of bargaining is done a lot in the US court system but up here at the time it was pretty rare and was not looked on kindly.

I'm currently reading The Hare with the Amber Eyes. The Hare with Amber Eyes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In which a British artist traces his family's last remaining heirlooms to uncover their forgotten dynastic past and how they were all but ruined by the Nazis.

 

[Gumby]

Just finished The Shoes of the Fisherman by Morris West. Very thought provoking, if you are inclined to mulling theological issues.

 

[Avalon]

Just finished A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar. A biography of the mathematician John Nash.
Some fairly intense reading.

Now reading Conspiracy of Fools by Kurt Eichenwald. A detailed account of the fall of Enron.
I have to keep reminding myself this is not fiction.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Majic Bus (sic) by Douglas Brinkley. The Majic Bus: An American Odyssey: Douglas Brinkley, Brian Lamb: 9781560254966: Amazon.com: Books

Here's a nice long travelogue that would be perfect for you RVers to read while traversing these fine United States. I really enjoyed this, about his taking a group of Hofstra University students on a semester-long trip across the US to learn about their country up close and personal. Especially cool was their meeting with William S Burroughs, in light of his 100th birthday being marked in the past few days.

A wonderful discussion of how he interacted with the students, how they saw their country really for the first time in many cases, and the interactions with locals from coast to coast.

 

[phil1ben]

I mostly read history and just finished:
Divided Affections The Extraordinary Life of Maria Cosway: Celebrity Artist and Thomas Jefferson's Impossible Love

It is the story of a woman Thomas Jefferson met in France between 1784-1789. It provides an interesting look at the culture in Europe at this time.

 

[haha]

I am reading John Galsworthy's Man of Property. I think it was a $0.99 kindle book. I read it as a high school sophomore, it was assigned for class. I liked it then and I like it now. Galsworthy seems to me to be a very modern writer. Some cautionary things in this, about over-emphasizing the material.

Ha

 

[Lsbcal]

I am reading John Galsworthy's Man of Property. I think it was a $0.99 kindle book. I read it as a high school sophomore, it was assigned for class. I liked it then and I like it now. Galsworthy seems to me to be a very modern writer. Some cautionary things in this, about over-emphasizing the material.

Ha

I saw The Forsyte Saga on Masterpiece Theatre. Still available in a 5 disc series from Netflix. It was memorable.