What book are you reading?

[philibusters]

Last four books I have read over the last four or so months

1.  The American Cultural Revolution by Chris Rufo:  I have not completed this book, about half way through.  I am enjoying it so far, but its reinforcing my existing tastes.  Rufo is a conservative pundit who is best known for his attacks on CRT.   This book basically traces CRT and DEI to the New Left of the 1960's and 1970's.  While I am a Democrat, I never liked the social justice/woke niche of the party and this book is kind of reinforcing that dislike.  Would recommend if you are conservative or you a Democrat and don'tt like the social justice/woke niche of the Democrat party.  By contrast if that is your thing I would definitely not recommend this book as it will likely leave you frustrated and annoyed.

2.  Love and Hate in Jamestown:  I live in Yorktown/Newport News Virginia which is close to Jamestown and I have been to the James Settlement Museum a couple times. I enjoy asking the educators at the Jamestown Settlement Museum lots of questions and I like the museum so I wanted to read a book on the history of Jamestown and this book hit the spot right.  This is my first book I read on this topic and I don't know how perceptive the author is, but I was really impressed by John Smith (at least the authority's portrayal of him).  I enjoyed the book.  Would recommend if you like American history, but by no means a must read.

3.   Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power: I read a couple biographies on Thomas Jefferson before but wanted to read this one by John Meachum just because it got a lot of buzz.  I picked it up when I visited Monticello last year along with the book below (the Hemmings of Monticello).  It was a solid enough history book but to be honest I was a little disappointed.  Meachum gets so much buzz as a great writer I think my expectations were too high.  Definitely a decent book for history lovers, and not a difficult read, but also by no means a must read.

4.   The Hemmings of Monticello:  I came to this book apprehensive, a bit nervous the author would have too much of a social justice analysis for my taste based on the book's subject matter (as noted in my review of American Cultural Revolution that is not my thing), but was pleasantly surprised.  The author, Annette Gordon-Reed's analysis struck me as very balanced.  She absolutely explained everything in the context of the time and did not try to impose today's moral world on people who lived over 200 years ago.   I thought she had good reads on both the Hemmings and Thomas Jefferson.  In general, she struck me as very perceptive and I read a decent amount of history so that is something I appreciate.   She also provided just the right amount of context about the culture and society that the characters were operating.     I would definitely recommend this book.

Edited February 26 by philibusters

[Skinsfan1311]

19 hours ago, philibusters said:

Last four books I have read over the last four or so months

1.  The American Cultural Revolution by Chris Rufo:  I have not completed this book, about half way through.  I am enjoying it so far, but its reinforcing my existing tastes.  Rufo is a conservative pundit who is best known for his attacks on CRT.   This book basically traces CRT and DEI to the New Left of the 1960's and 1970's.  While I am a Democrat, I never liked the social justice/woke niche of the party and this book is kind of reinforcing that dislike.  Would recommend if you are conservative or you a Democrat and don'tt like the social justice/woke niche of the Democrat party.  By contrast if that is your thing I would definitely not recommend this book as it will likely leave you frustrated and annoyed.

2.  Love and Hate in Jamestown:  I live in Yorktown/Newport News Virginia which is close to Jamestown and I have been to the James Settlement Museum a couple times. I enjoy asking the educators at the Jamestown Settlement Museum lots of questions and I like the museum so I wanted to read a book on the history of Jamestown and this book hit the spot right.  This is my first book I read on this topic and I don't know how perceptive the author is, but I was really impressed by John Smith (at least the authority's portrayal of him).  I enjoyed the book.  Would recommend if you like American history, but by no means a must read.

3.   Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power: I read a couple biographies on Thomas Jefferson before but wanted to read this one by John Meachum just because it got a lot of buzz.  I picked it up when I visited Monticello last year along with the book below (the Hemmings of Monticello).  It was a solid enough history book but to be honest I was a little disappointed.  Meachum gets so much buzz as a great writer I think my expectations were too high.  Definitely a decent book for history lovers, and not a difficult read, but also by no means a must read.

4.   The Hemmings of Monticello:  I came to this book apprehensive, a bit nervous the author would have too much of a social justice analysis for my taste based on the book's subject matter (as noted in my review of American Cultural Revolution that is not my thing), but was pleasantly surprised.  The author, Annette Gordon-Reed's analysis struck me as very balanced.  She absolutely explained everything in the context of the time and did not try to impose today's moral world on people who lived over 200 years ago.   I thought she had good reads on both the Hemmings and Thomas Jefferson.  In general, she struck me as very perceptive and I read a decent amount of history so that is something I appreciate.   She also provided just the right amount of context about the culture and society that the characters were operating.     I would definitely recommend this book.

To get off topic, just a tad.

 

I lived in Norfolk & Va Beach as a kid and still have family there.

We'll be down in VA Beach visiting in a couple of weeks and will be staying in Williamsburg for a couple of nights before we get home.  The plan is to visit Jamestown on one of those days.   We enjoy history.  Are there any "can't miss" attractions in Jamestown that you can recommend?  That, and a good restaurant for lunch?    You can DM me so we don't hijack the thread, if you don't mind.

 

And to keep in OT....still on my Tim Dorsey kick and am reading "Orange Crush"

 

 

[Dan T.]

Just finished

 

 

Written by David Grann, the same guy who wrote Killers of the Flower Moon.  A harrowing true story of survival.

[ixcuincle]

studying this in a library at the moment. very interesting especially when you can audible and add or remove ingredients to make another recipe. 

 

[Destino]

I’m reading The September House by Carissa Orlando.

[Destino]

On 2/24/2024 at 5:53 AM, Metalhead said:

The movie with Rourke, DeNiro, and Bonet is called Angel Heart. I just watched it a few months ago. One of the darkest, screwed up movies out there. I haven't read the book so I don't know how faithful the film is.

Saw the movie. Definitely messed up movie. The book was darker and better IMO. The movie was definitely a throw back to a different era of cinema. I think they made a mistake with the flashbacks in the movie, and ended up foreshadowing too heavily. 

[gbear]

I am currently reading Strange the Dreamer. I am enjoying it, and so far it has the classic build up of the veey bright orphan living in their own reality...only because everyone else has forgotten the land from their myths. It is very well written with some cool character development, even in the first quarter of the book.

 

Before this one, I read Harrow the Ninth which is the sequel to Gideon the Ninth. I liked it but less than Gideon. I think that was just because I liked the character of Gideon more, but also the madness of Harrow left a lot of figuring out who the narrator was for portions of the book.

 

Before that was Sickening which is a nonfiction book about pharmaceuticals and American Healthcare. This is a sad frustrating book about how manipulation of numbers and profit have lead to huge inefficiencies in our Healthcare market. Worse, as I read it, I realized much of what the author presented actually understated many of the problems I have personally witnessed as a patient and somebody who once worked for a consulting firm analyzing new medical technologies.

 

 

[Destino]

Now reading The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig. 

[The Evil Genius]

Probably falls under the chicklit Romantasy side..but 1/2 way through Fourth Wing. It's described as a war school fantasy , Harry Potterish like but with sex, death, etc.

 

It's also book 1 in a anticipated 5 book series. Book 2, Iron Flame, is already out.

 

[The Evil Genius]

Finished Fourth Wing and on to the sequel, Iron Flame. Solid fantasy but not young adult (under 16) probably. Let's just say the author went above and beyond on the sex scenes. Dear Penthouse foums...😆

 

 

On 2/27/2024 at 10:21 AM, Dan T. said:

Just finished

 

 

Written by David Grann, the same guy who wrote Killers of the Flower Moon.  A harrowing true story of survival.

 

Have this on the Kindle queued up after Iron Flame. We'll see if I get to it on my 11hr flight Sunday. Probably not since I have a **** load of movies and shows to watch on the ipad.

Edited April 24 by The Evil Genius

[Dan T.]

3 hours ago, The Evil Genius said:

 

Have this on the Kindle queued up after Iron Flame. We'll see if I get to it on my 11hr flight Sunday. Probably not since I have a **** load of movies and shows to watch on the ipad.

 

It makes Tom Hanks' island stay in Castaway look like a Sandals Resort getaway.

Edited April 24 by Dan T.

[Destino]

I’m reading the Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones. 

[The Evil Genius]

3 minutes ago, Destino said:

I’m reading the Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones. 

 

Thre only book I ever read by him gave me nightmares.

 

I liked it (the book, The Only Good Indians)..

 

But jeez.

Edited April 24 by The Evil Genius

[PleaseBlitz]

Finally getting around to The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.  I've been an atheist for 25 years, but have never read a book on the subject.  

 

I guess my thoughts on the book is that Dawkins is throwing every single argument out there, metaphysical, biological, psychological, logical, ethical, paradoxical, and on and on, and it's a lot.  

[Spaceman Spiff]

God bless PB.

[Bang]

War and Remembrance, Herman Wouk.
I read the first one, Winds of War, so, in or a penny, in for a pound.

Good story, weaves it well through a single family so it touches on just about everything that happened in WW2.

 

~Bang

[Corcaigh]

Just finished …

 

The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century

 

i enjoyed it.
 

 

 

 

[Corcaigh]

1 hour ago, PleaseBlitz said:

Finally getting around to The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.  I've been an atheist for 25 years, but have never read a book on the subject.  

 

I guess my thoughts on the book is that Dawkins is throwing every single argument out there, metaphysical, biological, psychological, logical, ethical, paradoxical, and on and on, and it's a lot.  

Dawkins does come across a bit as an annoying stuffy English academic - which he is of course. Sam Harris and The End of Faith might be an easier read. Sam Harris is proudly intolerant of the bull**** and dangers of certain elements of faith.

[PleaseBlitz]

29 minutes ago, Corcaigh said:

Dawkins does come across a bit as an annoying stuffy English academic - which he is of course. Sam Harris and The End of Faith might be an easier read. Sam Harris is proudly intolerant of the bull**** and dangers of certain elements of faith.

 

I do enjoy me some Sam Harris, but I generally consumer it on YouTube.