Summer Reading

[EagleD]

I just finished reading the book "Uranium". It's about, what else, uranium. How it went from a waste mineral, to extremely sought after, booms, busts, etc. It was pretty good.

I'm not much into fiction, however I did read the da Vinci code, and some various sci-fi that I enjoyed. I've been told to read "Angels and Demons". I prefer biographies and books on science. I really enjoy biographies about scientists (I'm part nerd).

With all that in mind does anyone have suggestions for summer reading? I may find some time on my hands.

[UNTflyer]

Founding Brothers, by Jospeh Ellis

[oldguystudent]

I've been told to read "Angels and Demons".

I was thoroughly entertained by the DaVinci Code. I read Angels and Demons next, but it was actually written first. It's a much more simplistic plot and conspiracy theory about the Illuminati. I didn't enjoy it nearly as much. Perhaps because so many people spent so much time and effort debunking the theories presented in the DaVinci Code, by the time I got to Angels and Demons, I was no longer able to suspend disbelief. The little History Channel demon kept sitting on my shoulder whispering, "The Illuminati aren't real. None of this is true." Kinda' ruins the experience.

If you go back even farther with Dan Brown, you get to Deception Point and Digital Fortress. You find that he writes the same story over and over again but uses different plot devices and different all too powerful entities covering up their secrets. Bottom line, you've read one Dan Brown novel, you've pretty much read them all.

The last author I was totally enamored with before my reading selections became limited to inventory control and accounting textbooks was Christopher Moore. He's got a great Vampire Trilogy, a story of intelligent whales, and the gospel of Biff, Jesus' childhood best friend. The guy is one of the funniest authors I've ever read, but if you're at all sensitive to blasphemy, you might want to put the book down. A teenage Jesus becoming a Kung Fu master in the mountains of China while assigning his friend Biff to explore pleasures of the Oriental flesh so that Jesus may understand without partaking is more than a lot of people care to handle. The vampire books aren't as sacrilegious and are just as funny. I think the most brilliant book is about a young insurance man who grew up on an Indian Reservation and killed some land bureau guys as a kid, then disappeared into mainstream America. He ends up going back and discovering himself through Indian mysticism. The part about his mystic adviser at the craps table in Las Vegas is the funniest three pages I've ever read.

[CMJ]

With all that in mind does anyone have suggestions for summer reading?

Flyer's suggestion was a great book.

I have so many books lying around my apartment, I wouldn't know where to begin to give you a good suggestion. The last one I read was, Playing for Pizza(he wrote it a few years ago I guess, but I just picked up the paperback acouple of weeks ago) by John Grsham. Tho Grisham is most famous for his legal thrillers, this was a breezy read about a 3rd string NFL quarterback that goes overseas to play in Italy's football league - which is just a step above intramurals in college.

Kind of a fun read.

Before that I read a book on the Duke/Carolina basketball rivalry called Blue Bloods. Good stuff if you enjoy hoops like I do.

The last pure historical book I picked up was The Trojan War by Barry Strauss. Strauus takes apart the Greek legends about the great war and uses the historical record and tries to piece together what the combat was like. Very extensively researched I thought, and a fast read. Definitely recommend.

Edited May 23, 2009 by CMJ

[UNTflyer]

Playing for Pizza is a good airplane book. Grisham is one of my favorite authors, but I've been disappointed in his last two legal thrillers.

The Associate is basically The Firm set in New York City. The Appeal was a great story, but the ending was a bit hard to swallow.

[CMJ]

Grisham hasn't been his best with legal thrillers in awhile I agree. Tho I believe some of his best books have been his non legal books. The Innocent Man was one of the best true crime books I've ever read.

Edited May 24, 2009 by CMJ

[eulesseagle]

Half Priced Books has great deals.

Pat Buchanan, A Republic not an Empire. Excellent writer giving a synopsis of U.S. foreign policy from Washington to Clinton.

Oriana Faluci, Any of her books...The Age of Reason. Excellent. She is an excellent Itialian writer concerning the Islamic problem in Europe.

[eulessismore]

I have just read "Lords of Finance, the Bankers who Broke the World". I found it laborious, but at times entertaining, and made the link between international banking and economic cycles somewhat understandable. And if you read closely enough, it has good and bad about both Democrats and Republicans. Warning: it did make Maynard Keynes seem smart, if weird. I consider it worth the read.

[hickoryhouse]

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielowski, I don't know how to describe it, but it is an amazing read, about a house and a tattoo apprentice and an old, I can't describe it, but it is awesome. Has anyone ele read that thing that might do a better job of describing that thing for me?

Also Freakanomics by Mark Levvitt. He basically takes interesting coincidences and puts them together to see why, for example the premise that legalizing abortion cut the crime rate in half, among others.

[FirefightnRick]

After 8 weeks as #1 on the NYTimes best sellers list, "Liberty and Tyranny" dropped to #2 this week.

Rick

[Censored by Laurie]

Do none of you just read for fun rather than stroking your neo-con egos?

I just read "The Raw Shark Texts" by a Brit named Steven Hall...its trippy and the guy can flat out write (especially considerring this is his first novel).

Kicking it old-school I'm reading a little Henry Miller right now, "Tropic of Cancer." He's like a higher end Bukowski...so hes incredibly crude...but an incredible author and worth the read if you can stomach some pretty hardcore stuff.

"The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho comes highly-recommended and is next on my reading list

[FirefightnRick]

Do none of you just read for fun rather than stroking your neo-con egos?

Sure, and some of us also like to read to educate ourselves. For instance, since we are on the threshold of the "REAL HARM" that Obama is about to do to our nation with his certain extreme liberal Supreme Court appointee I suggest another one of Mark Levin's books:

Men in Black: How the Supreme Court Is Destroying America.

Rick

[KRAM1]

Do you like Civil War history...I am currently reading "The Last Lincoln Conspirator" by Andrew C. A. Jampoler. If you like that era check it out.

[AJR2010OX]

Has anyone read the new biography on Andrew Jackson? I'm told its really interesting.

Also, both these may be dated but "Team of Rivals" is a great but long book talking about all the powers in Lincoln's presidential cabinet. "The World is Flat" is by Thomas Friedman. It was written in 2004/2005 but is still interesting.

[Shuke-D]

If you're primarily interested in non-fiction that uses investigative research to create an interesting narrative about social issues (Uranium as an example), I'd recommend Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma.

[BeanCounterGrad'03]

Friday Night Lights

I know its an oldie, but I was only 10 or 11 when it came out. Its looking like it will be the first book I completely finish since my first year at UNT.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Citizen Soldier by Ambrose (nonfiction). It has seen around a while. About WWII and mostly from the common soldier's point of view and not some General. Easy to read awhile and then come back later and read another section.

I liked Angels and Demons... but I have been to most of the places in the book and movie. Interesting blend of fiction and facts. Not very controversial as was Da Vinci Code. Not easy reading and very packed with details, more complicated than the movie.

As for Friday Night Lights.... I have started several time and can't seem to finish it ... I know several of the people in it. Interesting take of Texas HS Football.

Edited May 26, 2009 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[Shuke-D]

As for Friday Night Lights.... I have started several time and can't seem to finish it ... I know several of the people in it. Interesting take of Texas HS Football.

SE66. I feel ya on the difficulties of reading that book if you lived in the area at the time. I went to Lee High from 87-90 when it was written and also knew several of the people depicted in it. It is both simultaneously true to fact yet also overblown out of proportion at the same time. Reading it is a weird way to go back and revisit my high school days through fun-house mirrors. West Texas football in general, and the Lee/Permian rivalry at that time, are pretty hard to describe, much less believe for people from other places. Though, it's my understanding that that has changed in the last two decades, and not as big a deal now as then. I could be wrong.

[BeanCounterGrad'03]

SE66. I feel ya on the difficulties of reading that book if you lived in the area at the time. I went to Lee High from 87-90 when it was written and also knew several of the people depicted in it. It is both simultaneously true to fact yet also overblown out of proportion at the same time. Reading it is a weird way to go back and revisit my high school days through fun-house mirrors. West Texas football in general, and the Lee/Permian rivalry at that time, are pretty hard to describe, much less believe for people from other places. Though, it's my understanding that that has changed in the last two decades, and not as big a deal now as then. I could be wrong.

I went to Greenwood HS '94-'98, so I saw the rivalries from the outside (and friends that went to Midland high schools). There is still alot of familiar things in the book that I experienced first hand (i.e. the importance of football above academic concerns, racism, general bordem on the weekends, rampant conservatism, etc.) so that's why its an interesting read for me.

[Censored by Laurie]

Sure, and some of us also like to read to educate ourselves.

I guess you and I have extremely differing views on what constitutes "education."

But perhaps the "liberal arts" fall under similar liberal headings in your mind.

[eulessismore]

I guess you and I have extremely differing views on what constitutes "education."

But perhaps the "liberal arts" fall under similar liberal headings in your mind.

I'm still looking for further attacks on us Liberal Democrats based on us not being in the spirit of the"liberal arts", a "liberal education", favoring (a term Reagan used in his "tear down this wall" speech) "liberalization" of policies for those nations deserving it.

[eulessismore]

Just started on "Paul Newman, A life". I don't like biography, but this is a great book about a great man! Our manager has a son who's getting a full ride at Newman's old school, Kenyon University, from the "Newman's Best" scholarship fund that Newman and his wife started just before Newman's death. Makes you realize how a man can be ordinary, fun loving, a loving husband, tremendously successful, an international celebrity, and among the greatest philanthropists, all from humble beginnings and never forgetting his family, his college, or his country.

Edited May 28, 2009 by eulessismore