What are you reading now?

Enchanters' End Game 

The Terror by Dan Simmons. Not the first time I've read this book, but it disturbs me every time. 

NickD said:

The Terror by Dan Simmons. Not the first time I've read this book, but it disturbs me every time. 

Sounds good!  I'm going to need a book in a few days. 
 

Duke said:

NickD said:

The Terror by Dan Simmons. Not the first time I've read this book, but it disturbs me every time. 

Sounds good!  I'm going to need a book in a few days. 
 

Its roughly based on Sir John Franklin's failed 1846 expedition to find the North West Passage with the HMS Terror and HMS Erebus. But it is equal parts historical fiction and supernatural horror.

I needed something light and funny so...

Deadhouse Gates

What I'm not reading right now.

Annie read this book back in January, and then went alcohol-free for a few weeks. Bless her heart. I took the book with me to Palm Springs, but didn't read it. (Instead, I read a Walter Boyne book "Air Force Eagles," while sipping wine). Since we arrived two weeks ago, Annie has fortunately been sipping wine again too.

Going home to RI on Tuesday 

Just finished Jonathan Dimbleby's Battle Of The Atlantic: How The Allies Won The War.  A college friend of mine is posting a day-by-day account of WWII on FB based on the given date 80 years ago, so right now he's going through 1940.  I had a rough overview of this part of the war but just as last year I read up on the North African and Italian campaigns to fill in my knowledge, I read through this to increase my knowledge of the early European naval campaigns.  Dimbleby's book has a pretty good mix of high-level overview and fine detail, with emphasis on the relationship between Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin, as well as the other strategic players.  Mixed in is plenty of sea-level description of action and particular events.

Old-school emphasis on surface battle fleets (among both the Allies and the Germans), in particular very large battleships, prevented the Germans from winning the war in the early days when Dönitz was denied enough submarines to throttle off supply shipments to England and Russia, and the Allies were unwilling and/or unable to provide much in the way of convoy escorts (or, even subscribe to the convoy model instead of sending individual unarmed ships to fend for themselves).

He came pretty close to doing so anyway thanks to RAF marshal Arthur 'Bomber' Harris, who rabidly insisted that the only valid use for Allied aircraft was carpet bombing German cities.  Harris categorically refused to release any but a very few long range aircraft for any other use, despite all evidence pointing to the relative failure of strategic bombing as a method of deciding the war.

Once a serviceable numbers of long range bombers - mostly B-24s - were tasked with convoy air cover in the first half of 1943 (after almost 4 years of terrible shipping losses), the U-boat threat was ended in literally a matter of months.  Ironically, Dönitz was finally given priority for submarine construction just about the time that Harris finally loosened his death grip on the RAF bombers. So even though U-boat production numbers continued to rise through the end of the war - despite Harris's beloved strategic bombing efforts, which in reality did little to interfere with German industrial capacity - the Allies had pretty much made U-boat patrols into suicide missions by that point.

Dimbleby makes a pretty compelling case that the Allies could have ended the European war at least 6 months, if not a year, earlier by providing long range air cover to the convoys as soon as it became available in 1942.  When they finally did so in mid-'43, the effect was almost immediate and it allowed very prompt buildup of supplies and manpower for the invasion of occupied France in June of '44.

Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind       Yuval Noah Harari

A great story of the history of humankind, then becomes thought provoking as it looks forward to the future.

Third in a series. I've read the first two. Now this. Not great "literary" novels, but interesting, straightforward, technically and historically factual, and entertaining stories for aviation nerds like me who appreciate the history of aviation, particularly military aviation. So I f you think like me, look for this series. You might like it.

I'm now reading ancient greek mythology lore. I'm really into literature and want to write something myself, so I'm [going to go canoeing instead.  That E36 M3 is fun!]

NickD said:

The Terror by Dan Simmons. Not the first time I've read this book, but it disturbs me every time. 

I just put this on hold at my local library.  Thanks for the recommendation.

Duke said:

NickD said:

The Terror by Dan Simmons. Not the first time I've read this book, but it disturbs me every time. 

I just put this on hold at my local library.  Thanks for the recommendation.

It's really good. It just haunts you. Or at least it does for me.

American Dirt      by Jeanine Cummins

Usually done read novels.  Heard a lot of buzz, and it was laying around...

Eye opening to say the least.  For sure I will never visit Mexico.

I read The Catcher in the Rye as a part of my research for [my canoe dissertation].

I got "A Brief History of Time" from my girlfriend that I want to start reading.

I also found one from an interesting interview I once watched. It's called "A Fractured Mind" by Robert Oxnam. He was an expert on Asian cultures that worked with Bush 41 and Bill Gates. It's an autobiography on how he had multiple personality syndrome.

Last one I found was an interview I heard on NPR. It's called "Dadland".  This is the summary on Amazon about it:

Keggie Carew grew up in the gravitational field of an unorthodox father who lived on his wits and dazzling charm. As his memory begins to fail, she embarks on a quest to unravel his story and get to know who her father really was.

Tom Carew was a left-handed stutterer, a maverick and a law unto himself. As a member of the Jedburghs, an elite SOE unit, he was parachuted behind enemy lines to raise resistance in France, then Burma, in the Second World War. But his wartime exploits are only the start of it, and Keggie soon finds herself in a far more astonishing and consuming place than she had bargained for.

Dadland is a manhunt. Keggie takes us on a spellbinding journey, in peace and war, into surprising and shady corners of history, her rackety English childhood, the poignant breakdown of her family, the corridors of dementia and beyond. Part detective story, part memoir, part history book, it is a celebration of the Technicolor life of an impossible, irresistible, unstoppable man.

 

NickD said:

Duke said:

NickD said:

The Terror by Dan Simmons. Not the first time I've read this book, but it disturbs me every time. 

I just put this on hold at my local library.  Thanks for the recommendation.

It's really good. It just haunts you. Or at least it does for me.

I'm coming up on the halfway mark of this book.  Things have just started turning weird.  It was a somewhat odd mix of slow pace and sudden action until I realized that was exactly like the situation.  Still not sure at all where this is going.

Never even heard of Dan Simmons before this.  Thanks again for the recommendation.

I'm reading Canoeni as part of my [Canoe project.]  I love the book so far

I've been reading “The Splendid and the Vile” by Erik Larson. Nonfiction about Churchill’s first year as PM and the Battle of Britain. Feels especially right, and I am finding a lot of Churchill’s words, as well as England's bravery in the face of an enemy bent on destroying her, especially comforting.

Margie

"Bridge of Birds" by Barry Hughart. Sort of... historical buddy action detective mystery set in ancient China, featuring the adventures of Number Ten Ox and Li Kao, as told by Ox. Just finished "The Story of the Stone," so I'm reading them out of order.

Annie and I, with a lot of time on our hands of late, are listening to the audible version of Dean Koontz's novel "Eyes of Darkness." (If you're not aware, it's been in current events lately). There's a lot to be discussed here including the work going on in the Wuhan biological weapons lab. Haven't reached that point of the book yet, but there are so many other anomalies (time-wise) so far that I'm sure the original 1981 publish date was updated much more recently.

Just to show you how dumb this  E36 M3 is, just look at the prices of used copies of this book:

Turning the Tables: the story of Extreme Championship Wrestling.

Just came in the mail today, short, fast read, unauthorized at that. But, John Lister does provide a good behind the scenes look at one of the most influential wrestling organizations in the past half century. 

Pulling back the kayfabe and getting into details about Eastern Championship, the NWA feud and split, and how a bingo hall in Philly became a cultural mecca in the 90s really shines a new light on the promotion that could have only existed when it did.

I'm expecting Sabus' biography sometime next week, a book I've wanted since long before he ever announced he was writing one. 

stroker said:

Gary said:

Just ordered a book through Amazon ...  a biography of Walt Hansgen. I'm finishing-up the two-part volume on Briggs Cunningham that Annie gave me for my birthday last December. Walt Hansgen plays a major role in the Cunningham racing endeavors in the fifties and sixties. I'm looking forward to this.

I should have the book before our trip to Palm Springs starting on Feb. 18th.

We'll need a review when you finish it!

 

Autobooks-Aerobooks has 'em in stock.

Marjorie Suddard said:

I've been reading “The Splendid and the Vile” by Erik Larson. Nonfiction about Churchill’s first year as PM and the Battle of Britain. Feels especially right, and I am finding a lot of Churchill’s words, as well as England's bravery in the face of an enemy bent on destroying her, especially comforting.

Margie

Especially since they were facing potential annihilation alone.  France fell, and we weren't in the war yet.

Jerry From LA said:

Marjorie Suddard said:

I've been reading “The Splendid and the Vile” by Erik Larson. Nonfiction about Churchill’s first year as PM and the Battle of Britain. Feels especially right, and I am finding a lot of Churchill’s words, as well as England's bravery in the face of an enemy bent on destroying her, especially comforting.

Margie

Especially since they were facing potential annihilation alone.  France fell, and we weren't in the war yet.

Exactly. And though Churchill pled with Roosevelt for help, the U.S. remained committed to isolationism as England waited for the German invasion while being bombed nightly. I figure if the British people could get through that, I can get through this.

Margie