[Ray Richard]

It was a summer of biographies:

deKooning-An American Master-by Stevens/Swan- A fantastic tale of an abstract expressionist artist-he came to America as a stowaway and partied intensively for 70 years, and died with two 160 million dollar paintings in his closet.

Jack Kerouac-Letters edited by Ann Charters-Two volumes very interesting readings. also Ann Charters biography of Kerouac, and Doug Brinkleys Windblown World-Kerouac journals

Mark Twain by Ron Powers- Very readable biography of the prolific wordsman.

[Doug Ralston]

Oops, I forgot, every night, I read some form of Dr. Suess or Fancy Nancy to my five year old, she seems gets more out of it than I do.

Too bad if she does. I once read The Hobbit to children at a reading club in Knoxville. I think I loved it even more than they.

Read Harry Potter to her. I am 56 and I love that series. Rowling can tell a story, and I will NEVER forget how to be young!

I read much Sci-Fi, much fantasy, some few mysteries, some classics, some popular fiction.

I have little interest in reading non-fiction literature, though the occasional chess, golf, or caving book will attract me when I am particularly involved in that activity.

Enjoying this thread.

Doug

[Kirk Gill]

Okay, finished Echo Park. Moving on, here's what's on the stack to choose from right now:

Under Orders - Dick Francis     My librarian friend tells me that only old people read Dick Francis. What can I say.

The Collector - John Fowles

Houdini on Magic - Harry Houdini

On the subject of Flannery O'connor, and the broader subject of the short story - are a lot of you a fan of this genre? I love the short story, but it seems as if the form has slipped. Are there some new writers of this form that I need to seek out? Some favorites are Lawrence Block, Robert Coover, Poe, O'Connor, Hemingway.........so many of both lofty literary ambition and rank entertainment value......

On the list of books I'd recommend as "great" that don't seem to get read by many are The Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Lawrence, and The Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes.

Thanks for everyone's recommendations. I've added a bunch of things to my b'day and Christmas wish lists.........

I tend to walk and read. People seem to make a big deal of this. Is it really that rare?

[Mark Bourgeois]

Isn't ANYONE reading some mindless entertainment?

I mean, how are the descendants of Ian Fleming supposed to make a living with all you highbrows around?

My reading list doesn't count?

[Kalen Braley]

Isn't ANYONE reading some mindless entertainment?

I mean, how are the descendants of Ian Fleming supposed to make a living with all you highbrows around?

Dan,

I get my fill for that by logging onto GolfClubAtlas.com and hitting the discussion boards..    

[Mike McGuire]

Just finished Rick Shefchik's  Amen Corner.  Enjoyed it!

[John Keenan]

Kirk

I am also a fan of short stories. I fully agree this style sees to have fallen out of favor. I usually try to pick up the Best Short of Stories of that year when it comes out good reading especially on airplanes. I have noticed that most airport book stores carry the full line of these books. Still overall good short stories are hard to find. I am looking forward to reading Ms O'Connor's.

As I noted in an earlier post Consider the Lobster is a great book of short stories

John

[Richard Choi]

I would like to second Team of Rivals, Einstein, and 1776. All of them are some of the best non-fictions books out there.

I would add to that list:

Mayflower - Really interesting dynamics between the early settlers and Indians and how they used each other.

Kite Runner - Mike recommended the follow up book to this one - "Thousand Splendid Sun". But the first novel by the author is a far superior novel. Perhaps the best novel over the last decade. Hauntingly beautiful, tragic yet inspirational.

What? Nobody around here read THE best seller of the year - Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows?

[Rick Shefchik]

Isn't ANYONE reading some mindless entertainment?

I mean, how are the descendants of Ian Fleming supposed to make a living with all you highbrows around?

Okay, Dan, you outted me. The last few books I've read are "Killing Floor" and "One Shot" by Lee Child, "Mind Prey" by John Sandford, "Plum Island" by Nelson DeMille, and "Term Limits" by Vince Flynn. I wouldn't call anything by these fine writers "mindless," but the books are definitely escapist entertainment.

I've also recently read "Green and Golden Memories" by Bob Harlan and "Next Man Up" by John Feinstein, in preparation for writing my third Sam Skarda thriller, which will be about the NFL.

And to Mike McGuire: Thanks! Look for "Green Monster" next August.

[Mike Nuzzo]

I just got my Raconteur Reader Vol 1 in the mail....

http://www.raconteurbooks.com

It also comes with a CD by Jeremy Benson -- who is most excellent.

http://profile.myspace.com/darksongsmusic

I listen to my books in the car otherwise -- lots of hours on the road.

Cheers

[George Pazin]

Isn't ANYONE reading some mindless entertainment?

I mean, how are the descendants of Ian Fleming supposed to make a living with all you highbrows around?

Okay, Dan, you outted me. The last few books I've read are "Killing Floor" and "One Shot" by Lee Child, "Mind Prey" by John Sandford, "Plum Island" by Nelson DeMille, and "Term Limits" by Vince Flynn. I wouldn't call anything by these fine writers "mindless," but the books are definitely escapist entertainment.

I've also recently read "Green and Golden Memories" by Bob Harlan and "Next Man Up" by John Feinstein, in preparation for writing my third Sam Skarda thriller, which will be about the NFL.

And to Mike McGuire: Thanks! Look for "Green Monster" next August.

Just blasted through all of Lee Child's and Vince Flynn's novels relatively recently (Child this year, Flynn about 18 months ago). I prefer Child's tough guy to Flynn's, though both are entertaining. Also read a bunch of DeMille and Balducci - both are inconsistent, plotwise anyway.

For crime thrillers, I highly recommend Robert Ferrigno's The Wake Up, Flinch and Scavenger Hunt. He's very good at weaving multiple story lines together.

Best non-fiction book I've ever read is William Dunham's Journey Through Genius, where he each chapter is a specific problem in math. He sketches the background of the problem, explains the proof in a fairly elementary fashion, and then discusses follow up work in the field. If you're a science geek - and I am, unfortunately - it's really top notch.

And NO ONE read multiple Dr. Seuss stories to one child in one night! Seriously, pull out an old Dr. Seuss book you have laying around, they're much longer than you'd remember, usually upwards of 75 pages.

Now you guys see why I didn't want to embarrass myself before by listing stuff....

 

[Dan Boerger]

Just finished "The Kite Runner" ... really, a terrific novel. Also reading "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" right now. The Harry Potter series was a delight, if not a guilty pleasure. One of the most entertaining short stories I ever read was Wodehouse's "Uncle Fred Flits By". Lastly, I like DiLillo, too.

[JMorgan]

I took these on my recent trip out West:

Questions of Taste: The Philosophy of Wine (Smith)
The Afterlife of Gardens (Hunt)
Power and Prosperity (Olson)
Bertrand de Jouvenel (Mahoney)
Aspects of Golf Course Architecture (Hawtree)
Travels with My Aunt (Greene)
Disgrace (Coetzee)
Molecular Gastronomy (This)
Schlesinger's Journals

All highly recommended.

[KBanks]

Kirk

I am also a fan of short stories. I fully agree this style sees to have fallen out of favor. I usually try to pick up the Best Short of Stories of that year when it comes out good reading especially on airplanes. I have noticed that most airport book stores carry the full line of these books. Still overall good short stories are hard to find. I am looking forward to reading Ms O'Connor's.

As I noted in an earlier post Consider the Lobster is a great book of short stories

John

John, for short stories, have you tried Joyce's Dubliners, or any collection of Raymond Carver's stories? They won't disappoint. William Trevor and Thomas McGuane are terrific also.

Ken

[Brock Peyer]

Oops, I forgot, every night, I read some form of Dr. Suess or Fancy Nancy to my five year old, she seems gets more out of it than I do.

Too bad if she does. I once read The Hobbit to children at a reading club in Knoxville. I think I loved it even more than they.

Read Harry Potter to her. I am 56 and I love that series. Rowling can tell a story, and I will NEVER forget how to be young!

I read much Sci-Fi, much fantasy, some few mysteries, some classics, some popular fiction.

I have little interest in reading non-fiction literature, though the occasional chess, golf, or caving book will attract me when I am particularly involved in that activity.

Enjoying this thread.

Doug

Doug, you are into caving?!?!?  I am not sure that is for me.

You are right, you've got to remember to be young.

[Jeff Loh]

Imperial Life in the Emerald City
how not to "run" a country after you have invaded it

[paul cowley]

I would like to second Team of Rivals, Einstein, and 1776. All of them are some of the best non-fictions books out there.

I would add to that list:

Mayflower - Really interesting dynamics between the early settlers and Indians and how they used each other.

Kite Runner - Mike recommended the follow up book to this one - "Thousand Splendid Sun". But the first novel by the author is a far superior novel. Perhaps the best novel over the last decade. Hauntingly beautiful, tragic yet inspirational.

What? Nobody around here read THE best seller of the year - Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows?

Richard....I have also read Einstien, 1776, and Mayflower of late....I also was given Kiterunner yesterday by a friend.

Have you read '1424, the year the Chinese discovered America'?.....if not, I think you would like it.

[Kirk Gill]

John, for short stories, have you tried Joyce's Dubliners...

The Dead may be my favorite short story of all time. That, and Coover's The Babysitter........

[Scott Macpherson]

This morning driving into work I heard Scott Gummer interviewed regarding an new book called  The 7th at St Andrews. It is about the construction of the new course at St Andrews the first it way noted in over 100 years. Gummer discussed his access to David McLay Kidd and his crew during construction. Sounded interesting as it is written as a narrative which I find works well for this type of a story. Second from a GCA POV interesting in seeing how a course develops from a potato field and water treatment facility to a golf course..

Curious if anyone has read it or heard much about it.

No, but I can tell you that the two courses built at St Andrews Bay (now known as Fairmont St Andrews) in 2001, 2002 and that share a boundary with the 7th (castle) course were actually the first course built in St Andrews (defined by it's post code) for a while.

cheers

[Andrew Mitchell]

Going through this thread has made me feel quite inadequate!

I've just finished reading Mark Rowlinson's History of Alwoodley. Rich Goodale's "Experience Carnoustie" or Tom Doak's "Life & work of Alister MacKenzie" will be next in line for golf books.

Other than golf books and biographies etc I tend to stick with authors I know I like from having read their other works.  I read Sebastian Faulks "Birdsong" a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it so have read most of his other stuff, his "Human Traces" is packed for reading whilst in Egypt in a couple of weeks. I've also read most of Ian Rankin's "Rebus" series so will probably pick up the latest one at the airport bookshop.

[KBanks]

John, for short stories, have you tried Joyce's Dubliners...

The Dead may be my favorite short story of all time. That, and Coover's The Babysitter........

Kirk,

I share your view of The Dead. John Huston's adaptation of it is one of the finest films ever made of a literary masterpiece.

That it is unavailable on DVD is a travesty.

Ken

[Jim Franklin]

I started a new book yesterday, "Running the Table. The Legend of Kid Delicious, the Last Great American Pool Hustler".
Great stuff.

[PThomas]

I also just finished Game of Shadows. If this book is a lie then Barroid Bonds would have sued those guys for every nickel they are worth. If his HR record doesn't deserve an *, then I don't know what does. For Roger Maris to have an * and not that cheating prick is a crime.

I'm about 75 pages into this Jim...Bonds is such a nice guy isn't he

I hope Bonds and none of the other steroid crowd ever get into the Hall...

and it's a real shame that poor Barry's feelings were hurt cause the Giants let him go, isn't it?  what a hypocrite

[PThomas]

I tend to walk and read. People seem to make a big deal of this. Is it really that rare?

I do sometimes too Kirk

[Doug Ralston]

I will agree that Bonds should not be in 'Hall of Fame" if Mark McGwire also never makes it [though his records do not even approach Bonds. But I have not forgotten we KNEW he was taking performance enhancing drugs and treated him like a hero until we found that even Black Men were taking them.

Yes, I DO INDEED percieve racism there. Sorry, if you don't qualify for it. Go to the Devil if you do.

NOW: How bout we go back to book you are reading, eh?  

Doug

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()