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November 17, 2013

Sunday Morning Book Thread 11-17-2013: Unnatural Disasters [OregonMuse]
— Open Blogger

Legacy

Good morning morons and moronettes and welcome to the award-winning AoSHQ's prestigious Sunday Morning Book Thread.

Pay No Attention To That Iceberg Up Ahead

Having been put in a perversely enjoyable mood (yet another link to Jonah Goldberg's schadenboner piece) by the events of the last week, I did a search for "disaster" on Amazon to see if anything interesting would turn up.

Gone at 3:17: The Untold Story of the Worst School Disaster in American History tells the story of an horrific catastrophe I had never heard of:

At 3:17 p.m. on March 18, 1937, a natural gas leak beneath the London Junior-Senior High School in the oil boomtown of New London, Texas, created a lethal mixture of gas and oxygen in the schoolÂ’s basement. The odorless, colorless gas went undetected until the flip of an electrical switch triggered a colossal blast. The two-story school, one of the nationÂ’s most modern, disintegrated, burying everyone under a vast pile of rubble and debris. More than 300 students and teachers were killed, and hundreds more were injured.

Ouch. This tragedy, by the way, is why they now have to put that additive in (naturally odorless) natural gas to make it stinky.

Another book takes us back to July, 1919, when Chicago couldn't catch a break:

Chicago suffered a devastating 12 days. It began with the crash of the blimp, Wingfoot Express. The blimp caught fire and crashed in the heart of Chicago killing many innocent citizens. This is followed by the search for a young missing girl who turns up murdered by a predator, a transit strike, and deadly racial riots that result in the burning of many parts of the city.

All of this is recounted in City of Scoundrels: The 12 Days of Disaster That Gave Birth to Modern Chicago, as well as the over-arching political rivalry between corrupt Chicago mayor Bill "Big Bill" Thompson and the Republican governor of Illinois, Frank Lowden, both of them trying to use these disasters for their own political advantage. The end result was Lowden's downfall as a national politician and the nomination of Warren G. Harding.

And let's not forget the Great Depression: The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl, details the dust storms which devastated the midwestern states during the 1930s. This book has been mentioned in several previous book threads, and is now available on Kindle for only $2.99.

And then there's Cleveland Area Disasters, but I always thought Cleveland itself was a disaster (rimshot!).

And that book led me to this author, who is making a career out of writing bad stuff about Cleveland, for which there is apparently a crap ton of material:

The Maniac in the Bushes: More True Tales of Cleveland Crime and Disaster
They Died Crawling: And Other Tales of Cleveland Woe
The Corpse in the Cellar, and Further Tales of Cleveland Woe

And he's got others. I have to laugh out loud at some of these titles.

But getting back to the immediate subject, here is the text of the Affordable Care Act, AKA Obamacare, in all its glory. Read it, all ye mighty morons, and despair.

"...On The Other Hand, We Were Able To Sign Up Only 6 People, So It's Not That Bad."

Words, Words, Words

Here is something that looks like fun for those of us who are fascinated by words: The Forgotten English 2014 Daily Calendar brings you a different archaic, no-longer-used word every day, along with a literary excerpt demonstrating usage, and another historical reference connected to the date.

I've always found Tolkien good for this sort of thing. It was in the LOTR books that I was first exposed to words such as "dwimmerlaik" and "trothplighted". Also "fell" used as an adjective meaning fierce or deadly.

Thanks to moron commenter artemis for this.

Books By Morons

Christopher Taylor hasn't been around for awhile, but he used to comment here quite frequently. His first book, Old Habits, has been recommended by a number of morons. Mr. Taylor has just published his second book, Snowberry's Veil, and you can get it on Kindle for a buck ninety-nine. Here's the blurb:

Serving the king as a Ranger has never been boring, but once Erkenbrand takes on the responsibility of scouting for a caravan of settlers heading to the wilderness, he faces challenges like never before.

Separated from the caravan and stripped of all his gear Erkenbrand must struggle for his life before he can see his love Thealea again. Facing the wilderness, the monsters that dwell there, and the creatures he meets, Erkanbrand is alone with only his skills and will to survive. And behind it all is a dark secret that might doom both Thealea and Erkenbrand.

___________

Occasional commenter "Kort" e-mailed to let me know she has just published her first book. The Out of Order Detective is a series of short stories about a time-traveling detective whose clients are mostly of the supernatural variety:

Spying on cheating monsters, being kidnapped to the past and chasing after a husband she didn't want who's been abducted by aliens is all part of the job for Eliza Carlisle, PI. This collection of super short stories (under 1500 words each) gives a glimpse into her life and her clients.

Available for $2.99 on Kindle.

___________

So that's all for this week. As always, book thread tips, suggestions, rumors, threats, and insults may be sent to OregonMuse, Proprietor, AoSHQ Book Thread, at aoshqbookthread, followed by the 'at' sign, and then 'G' mail, and then dot cee oh emm.

What have you all been reading this week? Hopefully something good, because, as I keep saying, life is too short to be reading lousy books.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 07:05 AM | Comments (137)
Post contains 974 words, total size 8 kb.

1 the president is a scoamf and a scoamt....i'm reading David and Goliath......author escapes me at the moment.....i'm 1/2 way through and it is good so far....if you fight in ways your enemy is not accustomed to you increase your chances of winning

Posted by: phoenixgirl @phxazgrl at November 17, 2013 07:11 AM (8JJ6O)

2 malcom gladwell is the author

Posted by: phoenixgirl @phxazgrl at November 17, 2013 07:11 AM (8JJ6O)

3 Foist? Recently read an Inspector George Gently novel because mt local PBS stations can't be relied upon to feed me Brit mysteries in a consistent and timely fashion. Found it a tough slog due to colloquialisms I had to figure out, stylistic issues that threatened to give me a headache, and, about halfway through the book, realizing that I didn't particularly care about any of the characters and wasn't really interested in who dunnit. It's the first in a 4-in-1 e-book (because quantity has a quality all its own), so now I have to decide whether to read the other three. Still find the TV shw interesting, tnough.

Posted by: Anachronda at November 17, 2013 07:17 AM (U82Km)

4 If I click on the book links (and buy), does Ace get a cut? Or do I need to go to the sidebar?

Posted by: Oklahomie at November 17, 2013 07:17 AM (ul+8R)

Read Lee Childs latest Jack Reacher book "Never Go Back." If you like his previous Reacher books you'll like this one. Very good.

Currently reading Doug Stanton's "Horse Soldiers" about the early days of the Afghan War. A small group of U.S. Special Forces with Afghan tribesmen actually rode into battle on horses.

Posted by: ExSnipe at November 17, 2013 07:18 AM (57ubW)

6 Death to touchscreen "keyboards"!

Posted by: Anachronda at November 17, 2013 07:18 AM (U82Km)

7 If we nosed around enough in each of the places we live, I am sure we could write a megaton of true crime books.

Past 21k words on NaNoWriMo so still behind the curve by about 6k.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at November 17, 2013 07:18 AM (xhhOl)

8 I remember the 1958 Queen of Angels fire in Chicago. About 100 kids and nuns went up in smoke.

Posted by: Comrade Jesse, not welcoming our socialist overlords at November 17, 2013 07:20 AM (kkbgQ)

9 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Petroski

Petroski's first book, which I've pimped before, is outstanding. Not too long, but chock full of fascinating engineering disasters.

Posted by: Purp[/i][/b][/s] at November 17, 2013 07:21 AM (Xlbr8)

10 Has anyone seen a copy of (Gunny) R. Lee Ermey's new book "Gunny's Rules: How to Get Squared Away Like a Marine"? Published by Regnery. http://goo.gl/IT3J82 The 5 reviews on Amazon aren't terribly helpful. I've read Ermey's "Mail Call," but that's a very different sort of book.

Posted by: Doug at November 17, 2013 07:22 AM (yZYN0)

11 "Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New York" by Luc Sante is very good. Early days of sleazy NYC. I lent out my copy but never got it back. Fitting, I suppose.

Posted by: Dr. Varno at November 17, 2013 07:25 AM (V4CBV)

I first read about the New London school disaster when I was in college, and doing a long research project involving reading every daily issue of the Chicago Tribune - from 1935 to 1945. It was a front-page story for weeks, because it was a horrific disaster. But one day's issue, buried away on a back page in very tiny print was a brief announcement about attempts to split an atom, the smallest particle of matter known to science (or words to that effect).

Sometimes, the big stuff is buried away on the back page.

As for my own latest book, it's now available on Amazon/Kindle, B&N/Nook, although the official roll-out is this Friday in New Braunfels Texas, at the yearly Christmas Market. It's a sort of adventure western, about two young Englishwomen, coming to Texas in 1876. - The Quivera Trail - (or Mrs. Gaskell meets Zane Grey.) http://tinyurl.com/koje9fv

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at November 17, 2013 07:26 AM (Asjr7)

13 Still wending my way through Cloud Atlas and will probably finish it this week. I'm sure the author is a lib but I'm not getting the feeling that he's ramming his dumbass opinions on me which others have mentioned. For example I don't regard the Luisa Rey part as being anti nuke per se so much as a take off on 70s era garbage, which is the setting in time. Let me put it this way, I feel like other authors have rammed their dumbfuck politics on me in a much more heavy handed manner: Charles Stross and Richard Powers, I'm looking right at you fuckers. Made no progress with Gibbon BUT found a decent historical atlas at Halfprice Books which should be better than the shitty one I'd previously used that had large gaps of time. I really really hate it when I don't know where they're talking about. I think more modern history books address that.

Posted by: Captain Hate on the iPhone at November 17, 2013 07:26 AM (rMxV1)

14 Since we're talking Cleveland I might as well mention this: French government warns citizens to avoid Cleveland Heights, Lakewood, Euclid http://tinyurl.com/kohxmpo "Cleveland: the city center does not present danger the day but is not recommended at night. It is recommended to avoid certain neighborhoods adjacent, by day and by night, in particular Cleveland Heights, Lakewood and Euclid."

Posted by: BornLib at November 17, 2013 07:28 AM (zpNwC)

15 Read Sir Thursday and Lady Friday in Garth Nix's Keys of the Kingdom series. Eldest Kidlet is reading them as well so I get the chance to finish the series that only went to Wednesday when I read them several years ago.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette, assault Hobbit at November 17, 2013 07:28 AM (Pexsc)

16 Am about one-third the way through Lee Child's most recent Reacher book. He either has a new editor, a good one, or a really good ghost writer, or he reinvigorated his writing chops. It is a good read so far. The one or two or three prior to this one were just plain awful.

Posted by: the littl shyning man at November 17, 2013 07:30 AM (tmFlQ)

17 Snap! I was thinking of Our Lady of Angels school as well because I remember my parents talking about it ten years later.

How about the Eastland disaster in Chicago? Still the largest loss of life on the Great Lakes -- over 800 IIRC.

I have been reading online about the Haymarket Riots and trials. There has been new research and the political heat regarding any reexamination of the "martyrs" is amazing.

Posted by: Mustbequantum at November 17, 2013 07:31 AM (MIKMs)

18 Been reading Neitzche and was wondering if Obama is a nihilist or more likely an avatar for slave-morality versus master-morality polarity. Ubermensh for the untermensh? Can such a thing exist?

Posted by: Chaos the other dark meat at November 17, 2013 07:31 AM (m4s5N)

19 This week I read The Lies of Locke Lamora. Red Seas Under Red Skies, and Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch. I really just couldn't put them down.

Maybe next week I'll get some work done.

Posted by: Tunafish at November 17, 2013 07:31 AM (vP2wF)

20 NaNoWriMo Word Count: 60,119

Also, buy my books: http://worlds-apart.net/books.html

Posted by: Gregory of Yardale at November 17, 2013 07:32 AM (lcVWe)

21 Quick scribble using the word fell.

Lucretia shrank back in terror as the fell creature that resembled her husband advanced upon her. She blindly felt about for any weapon to defend herself with. But as the monster advanced and gobbets of putrefying flesh fell from its outstretched talons that had once been gentle hands caressing her face, Lucretia found nothing she could use as her corseted back pressed against the wainscot and then the wall. It advanced remorselessly until its fetid breath wafted over her and all Lucretia could smell was decay and death. In stark terror and closing her eyes, in desperation she lashed out with her flesh spades and as her hand connected she hardly felt any resistance. Then a fresh wave of miasma washed over the terrified woman as the beast let out a yowl of pain and there was a squishy thump as something fell upon the Persian rug. There was silence and no more fetid odor. She braced herself for what she did not know. Then five heartbeats passed, then ten more. Steeling herself she opened one aquamarine eye to peek. She gasped in shock but not in terror, for now the fell creature that had so threatened her still stood before her but sans its head.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at November 17, 2013 07:33 AM (xhhOl)

22 Am about one-third the way through Lee Child's most recent Reacher book.

He either has a new editor, a good one, or a really good ghost writer, or he reinvigorated his writing chops. It is a good read so far.
Posted by: the littl shyning man at November 17, 2013 11:30 AM (tmFlQ)

Maybe he scored some better weed this time.

Posted by: Tunafish at November 17, 2013 07:33 AM (vP2wF)

23 If I click on the book links (and buy), does Ace get a cut? Or do I need to go to the sidebar? I've been lazy these past few weeks and havven't converted any of my links to the "ace-friendly" format, so yes, you'll have to go to the sidebar.

Posted by: OregonMuse at November 17, 2013 07:34 AM (fd0Pp)

24 Polliwog, I read his Sabriel series not too long ago. It was a good read.

Posted by: no good deed at November 17, 2013 07:35 AM (k55Fc)

25 I got derailed from Stephen King's "The Shining" because of work but I'm back reading it again. And again I'm struck by what a good, perceptive writer King used to be and a damn good popular prose smith. I'm reading "The Shining" in preparation for "Doctor Sleep", though I have to admit "The Shining" is so far and above any of crap he's spewed out over the last few years, I don't hold out great hope for "Doctor Sleep". I hope I'm wrong.

Posted by: The Bourbon in Boehner's Belly at November 17, 2013 07:35 AM (0cMkb)

26 Posted by: phoenixgirl @phxazgrl at November 17, 2013 11:11 AM (8JJ6O)

Uh.....his name is Samuel.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at November 17, 2013 07:35 AM (oJ5Fd)

27 I am so behind on nanowrimo. But I will persevere. My son is doing well. He has 10,000 of his 30,000 word count. For young writers thr young writers website makes a recommendation of word count number for them. So kids don't have to write all 50,000.

Posted by: Paranoidgirlinseattle at November 17, 2013 07:36 AM (RZ8pf)

28 #14 Cleveland Heights is as safe as milk but I love that the French have gotten in the asshole mayor's otherwise empty lib head. Iirc the gun grabbing cocksucker's kid shot himself, maybe fatally, with his dickhole old man's pistol. Very responsible parenting imo.

Posted by: Captain Hate on the iPhone at November 17, 2013 07:36 AM (rMxV1)

29 NaNoWriMo was fun yesterday, I spent the bulk of it with my Main Character enjoying a trippy hallucination.

Today, he and his friends get menaced by myterious glowing orbs that chase them through the wrecked hulk of a giant space ship.

Posted by: Gregory of Yardale at November 17, 2013 07:38 AM (lcVWe)

30 Posted by: The Bourbon in Boehner's Belly at November 17, 2013 11:35 AM (0cMkb)

It's interesting how the arc of his talent plunged.

Have you read The Stand?

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at November 17, 2013 07:38 AM (oJ5Fd)

31 On to what I read this week, I read a book called Ship Breaker. It was recommended at that WSJ article that was excoriating the middle grade book market. I liked the book but decided it was a bit too old for my son to read. I let him start it but it didn't grab him right away and the we got the next I,Q book and he switched to that. The good news about the book Ship Breaker is that it wasn't entirely " oh no global warming killed the planet" but there was a bit of that.

Posted by: Paranoidgirlinseattle at November 17, 2013 07:39 AM (RZ8pf)

32 Posted by: no good deed at November 17, 2013 11:35 AM(k55Fc) That's where I started as well. My B-i-l recommended that series because he liked the unique magic system. It's nice to get a chance to finish Keys of the Kingdom since I'm too cheap to buy them and figured I was out of luck.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette, assault Hobbit at November 17, 2013 07:40 AM (Pexsc)

33
Well if I collected stamps I would pass on that one.

As for books, my daughter (

has read everyone of those 'magic tree house' books over the last year so she seems to like them if you have youngsters. Bonus that they are time travel history books. The library will have almost every one of them.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at November 17, 2013 07:44 AM (iGPSR)

34 She gasped in shock but not in terror, for now the fell creature that had so threatened her still stood before her but sans its head. Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at November 17, 2013 11:33 AM (xhhOl) So, like the head broke off inside her?

Posted by: Comrade Jesse, not welcoming our socialist overlords at November 17, 2013 07:44 AM (kkbgQ)

35 Man-caused disaster? I believe that's the phrase Barry replaced "Islam1c Terr0rist" with back in March 2009. So let's call Zerocare what it is: Islam1c Terr0rism. By the Demoncrap party.

Posted by: Laughin' Observer at November 17, 2013 07:44 AM (9csZ/)

36 Have you read The Stand? Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at November 17, 2013 11:38 AM (oJ5Fd) You know CBD, I haven't read that one. It's extreme length kind of discourages me, even though I know it's regarded as one of his better novels. Maybe over the Christmas holiday if the weather is lousy enough. What's your opinion on "The Stand"?

Posted by: The Bourbon in Boehner's Belly at November 17, 2013 07:46 AM (0cMkb)

37 What's your opinion on "The Stand"?

Posted by: The Bourbon in Boehner's Belly at November 17, 2013 11:46 AM (0cMkb)

Probably his best. Definitely my favorite.

Posted by: Tunafish at November 17, 2013 07:48 AM (vP2wF)

38 What's your opinion on "The Stand"? If you only read one Stephen King novel, that's the one you want to read. And don't be deterred by the length, the pages go by fast. King's story-telling prowess is at its peak.

Posted by: OregonMuse at November 17, 2013 07:49 AM (fd0Pp)

39 And Comrade Jesse fails reading comprehension. To the corner for you Kulak.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at November 17, 2013 07:50 AM (M5zr6)

40 Matt Bracken's Enemies Trilogy is engrossing. Plots can be gimmicky at points, but underlying elements are darn good. He is looking to the future of our nation a very short way off. And he's a gun guy!

Posted by: Nfield4 at November 17, 2013 07:52 AM (+iy8Q)

41 The Stand is a good read. With crazy scientists finding out how in 12 steps to tinker the Bird Flu into something that can be easily passed to humans, the scenario setting it up becomes all too real.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at November 17, 2013 07:53 AM (M5zr6)

42 My one Reacher novel read must have been in that stretch of bad ones. I won't waste my time trying him again even though he has fans here and I generally value the hordes opinion. The fight descriptions became tedious very quickly and there was no where near enough fun stuff to overcome all the leftist tripe. I think the title may have been 'nothing left to lose' but I don't recall and got rid of the book.

Posted by: PaleRider at November 17, 2013 07:53 AM (m+nIW)

43 So I read The October List by Jeffery Deaver. Starts with ch 36 and ends with ch 1. Kind of like Memento but not as confusing. I did have to pay more attention than usual for a novel, but at least it had a happy beginning.

Posted by: Tunafish at November 17, 2013 07:54 AM (vP2wF)

44 LOL

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/php/galleries/image.php/555/97/97.jpg

Posted by: Purp[/i][/b][/s] at November 17, 2013 07:54 AM (Xlbr8)

45 Matt Bracken's Enemies Trilogy is engrossing I'm midway through Enemies Foreign and Domestic. I'm been impressed with the quality of the writing thus far.

Posted by: OregonMuse at November 17, 2013 07:55 AM (fd0Pp)

46 I loved "The Stand" and was/is still is my favorite of King's books that I read in high school (haven't bothered reading anything he's written since the 80's). Bonus was that a good part of it was set in Boulder, my hometown, which he described in accurate detail.

I picked up "A Dance with Dragons" at the airport while traveling last week and it's become a chore to read. Way to much time spend describing food, wine, and other filler. I may actually just wait for HBO to get to this part of the saga. Anyone know if it gets better after the firth 100 pages?

Posted by: Lizzy at November 17, 2013 07:55 AM (JRmiD)

47 I find the warning about avoiding Lakewood humorous, considering for a long while it supposedly held the most gay people per capita. It's also home to a lot of organic, holistic stores, yoga centers, etc. A lot of bars and music venues for local bands. I know the high school has gotten to the point of having metal detectors, but I didn't think the overall city safety was that bad.

Meanwhile, the safer suburbs are "boring." Mostly ordinary homes inhabited by mostly ordinary people.

Posted by: Barb the Evil Genius at November 17, 2013 07:55 AM (WD0KF)

48 The Stand and the Shining were King at his best. (Although a case could be made for the Bachmann books.)

His worst... Rose Wilder, Dreamcatcher, Dolores Clairborne

Best King Film Adaptation: Misery.

Worst King Adaptation: Tommyknockers

Skimmed the new one in Costco. Not impressed.

Posted by: Gregory of Yardale at November 17, 2013 07:56 AM (lcVWe)

49 I am re-reading "The Way Of a Pilgrim"-an anonymous 19th century Russian work which recounts the narrator's journey as a mendicant pilgrim across Russia, a pilgrim who wanted to know the meaning of Paul's instruction about praying without ceasing. The pilgrim uses the Jesus Prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ have mercy upon me," a practice of ceaseless inner prayer and communion with God. I have several times before and get something out of it each time I read it.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at November 17, 2013 07:56 AM (23Kgq)

What's your opinion on "The Stand"?

Don't read it during Cold / Flu Season.

Posted by: garrett at November 17, 2013 07:58 AM (cp80l)

51 Drew M was just quoted byÂ…tata..Howard Kurtz

Posted by: Ma Bell at November 17, 2013 07:58 AM (RLdcX)

52 Howie Kurtz just read a tweet from Drew on his show

Posted by: Albie Damned at November 17, 2013 07:58 AM (Yhu4q)

53
that smiley face above is obviously an 8.

also here is a list of medical books for the post obamacare apocolypse:

http://armageddonmedicine.net/?p=1457

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at November 17, 2013 07:58 AM (iGPSR)

54 Thanks for the opinions. Any thoughts on "The Stand" original published version vs uncut version?

Posted by: The Bourbon in Boehner's Belly at November 17, 2013 07:59 AM (0cMkb)

55 Meant to say Howard Kurtz on Fox read one of DrewM's tweets

Posted by: Ma Bell at November 17, 2013 07:59 AM (RLdcX)

56 Some of King's earlier books of short stories were good, too, such as the one that includes Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.

Posted by: Lizzy at November 17, 2013 08:00 AM (JRmiD)

57 I have never read the 'uncut' version. By saying uncut it implies it is longer which could mean the plot turns turgid which then means the book becomes a slog to wade through to completion.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at November 17, 2013 08:00 AM (M5zr6)

58 His worst... Rose Wilder, Dreamcatcher, Dolores Clairborne

Don't forget the awful Gerald's Game any Lisey's Story.

The Talisman (with Peter Straub) was good enough that I reread it last year.

Posted by: Tunafish at November 17, 2013 08:00 AM (vP2wF)

59 Howard Kurtz just read one of Drew's tweet's on Fox's show Media Buzz. Drew's tweet was in response to Kurtz's tweet: @HowardKurtz Question for #Mediabuzz: Is the press right to challenge the president's credibility over Obamacare, or making policy failure too personal? @DrewMTips .@HowardKurtz He's just the President. Why in the world should the failure of his most prominent domestic policy reflect on him personally?

Posted by: [/i][/b][/u][/s] Tami at November 17, 2013 08:00 AM (bCEmE)

60 I just got a message that Doris Lessing died at 94. RIP

Posted by: Captain Hate on the iPhone at November 17, 2013 08:02 AM (rMxV1)

61 Oregon Muse I think we need a political thread to be opened. Or the book thread will become awash in political flotsam.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at November 17, 2013 08:02 AM (M5zr6)

62 The first Reacher novel was OK, but they went downhill rapidly from there. I wouldn't bother with them.

King is a bag of used douche-fluid who should have quit when he was stoned 24/7.

Posted by: OG Celtic-American at November 17, 2013 08:06 AM (vHRtU)

I have never read the 'uncut' version. By saying uncut it implies it is longer which could mean the plot turns turgid which then means the book becomes a slog to wade through to completion.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at November 17, 2013 12:00 PM (M5zr6)

Read both versions. "Turgid" and "a slog to wade through" as it applies to the uncut version is too kind. Stick to the short version.

Posted by: ExSnipe at November 17, 2013 08:07 AM (57ubW)

64 A 2010 BBC radio documentary titled Useful Idiots listed among "useful idiots" of Joseph Stalin several prominent British writers, including Doris Lessing. I had hoped she had renounced her dirty commie beliefs, but apparently not....

Posted by: Comrade Jesse, not welcoming our socialist overlords at November 17, 2013 08:08 AM (kkbgQ)

65 Morning! I enjoyed Laird of the Forest by Jack Whyte this week. I would like to say thanks everyone for great book recommendations(several of which are awaiting gifting for Christmas) and also to OregonMuse for making my sunday mornings very anticipated!

Posted by: FCF at November 17, 2013 08:13 AM (Khja4)

66 17 Jonathan H. Adler talked about this back in February. Interesting stuff. http://tinyurl.com/ndvxd7d

Posted by: BornLib at November 17, 2013 08:14 AM (zpNwC)

I would disagree about the extended version of The Stand. There are some additional parts that add to the story but also some that definitely don't, like the parts with The Kid.

My favorite is "It" followed in order by The Shining, Salem's Lot, and then The Stand.

I'm just starting "How to Counter Group Manipulation Tactics" which is, unfortunately, not a Kindle. I have developed some kind of strain in my wrist from snuggling my cats and I think I'm going to have to buy a brace so I'm not sure how long I can hold an actual book.

Posted by: Tonestaple at November 17, 2013 08:16 AM (B7YN4)

>>>She gasped in shock but not in terror; ~~, for now~~ the fell creature that had so threatened her ~~still~~now stood before her ~~but~~ sans its head.
Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at November 17, 2013 11:33 AM (xhhOl)<<<

*Sorry - some people straighten pictures; I edit in my head.....*

Posted by: Teresa in Fort Worth, TX (@Teresa_Koch) at November 17, 2013 08:17 AM (PZ6/M)

69 46 Eh, it's okay. It picks up toward the end. Martin has lost his mojo. Hope he's able to find it again for the last couple of books. That is, if he ever finishes them.

Posted by: Tuna at November 17, 2013 08:18 AM (M/TDA)

70 LOL Theresa, thanks for the edits. So what are your rates to edit someone's story?

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at November 17, 2013 08:19 AM (M5zr6)

71 Damn....here come the storms. Auntie Em! Auntie Em! Annnnd the TV is out. This is gonna be a fun day.

Posted by: [/i][/b][/u][/s] Tami at November 17, 2013 08:20 AM (bCEmE)

72 Also, buy my books: http://worlds-apart.net/books.html

Posted by: Gregory of Yardale at November 17, 2013 11:32 AM (lcVWe)

I have them all and am eagerly anticipating the next one.

Latest reads on the Kindle:

Worlds Apart book 8, love this series, thanks Gregory of Yardale

Breakers Series by Edward W. Robertson, through Breakers and Meltdown and now into Knifepoint. Kind of a "The Stand" ish vibe to them plus squidlike aliens.

Up next: A Desert called Peace, A State of Disobedience and Caliphate by Tom Kratman, never read any of his solo works but I did read Yellow Eyes once upon a time (he did that one with John Ringo)

Preordered: Monster Hunter Nemesis by Larry Correia, the latest in the Monster Hunter International series.

Posted by: GGE of the Moron Horde, NC Chapter at November 17, 2013 08:20 AM (yh0zB)

73 @46 I picked up "A Dance with Dragons" at the airport while traveling last week and it's become a chore to read. Way to much time spend describing food, wine, and other filler. I may actually just wait for HBO to get to this part of the saga. Anyone know if it gets better after the firth 100 pages?

Posted by: Lizzy at November 17, 2013 11:55 AM (JRmiD)

I bought that and started reading it - put it down before I was 1/3 of the way through it; just couldn't slog through any more of the mind-numbing drivel.

Thought I might pick it back up when I got interested again; I've probably read 100+ books since then.

Still not interested...

Posted by: Teresa in Fort Worth, TX (@Teresa_Koch) at November 17, 2013 08:23 AM (PZ6/M)

74 I read Grendel by John Gardner this week. I expected a simpler story line and enjoyed all the beast's musings. Ditto on The Stand being King's best book. I read a dozen if his most popular ones in the early nineties and thought it was the only really good one. I was really disappointed with the Shining but I saw the movie first and that may have ruined it for me. Really, the croquet mallet just wasn't scary enough after seeing Jack Nicholson running around with an ace.

Posted by: Captain's daughter at November 17, 2013 08:23 AM (MEOHJ)

75 So sans its ~~butt~~ but.

Posted by: andycanuck at November 17, 2013 08:23 AM (7Owhn)

76 I was late to discovering the Daniel Silva novels that feature the Mossad (called the Office) hit man Gabriel Allon who restores paintings. They are very good reads IMHO. Silva is married to NBC's Jamie Gangel. Reading those novels I wonder how many emotional and mental gymnastics he must have to do in order to coexist with her and the Leftists she undoubtedly is amongst. Anyone know anything about that?

Posted by: My Name is Nobody at November 17, 2013 08:25 AM (5Q1ZU)

77 If you are going to read Dystopian post-fall United States, go read Dean Ing's stuff starting with Systemic Shock.

Yellow Eyes was amusing about being set in Panama and the last Baltimore class cruisers which fired 8-in cased rounds.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at November 17, 2013 08:25 AM (M5zr6)

78 70 LOL Theresa, thanks for the edits. So what are your rates to edit someone's story?

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at November 17, 2013 12:19 PM (M5zr6)

Oh, gracious - I was just being a presumptious busybody

Honestly, I've never "done" any editing; I only do it in my head when I'm reading stuff....

"Those who can, do; those who can't.....come on blogs and show their asses...." (from "Stuff TiFW Said, Vol. 5)

Posted by: Teresa in Fort Worth, TX (@Teresa_Koch) at November 17, 2013 08:27 AM (PZ6/M)

79 I think we need a political thread to be opened. Or the book thread will become awash in political flotsam. Oh crap, I totally forgot to put up an accompanying open thread. Oh well, I guess it's too late now.

Posted by: OregonMuse at November 17, 2013 08:28 AM (fd0Pp)

80 Annnnd the TV is out. This is gonna be a fun day. Sounds like a wonderful opportunity to get some reading done.

Posted by: OregonMuse at November 17, 2013 08:29 AM (fd0Pp)

81 This is tres nifty. H/T Gushka for pointing this out to me.

Scientists are rediscovering ancient works in manuscripts. Being thrifty, they would scrape off older writings and lay down new stuff. But with technology they are discovering those older writings.

http://tinyurl.com/k2gese6

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at November 17, 2013 08:30 AM (M5zr6)

82 I'm going on a trip to Cancun this week and I need a suggestion for a sure-fire vacation-type book to bring on the plane and for the beach.

I don't like sci-fi or fantasy or horror. And for vacationing, I don't like anything scholarly that involves using my brain.

I do like mysteries and political thrillers. Any really "can't miss" suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Posted by: mama wingr at November 17, 2013 08:32 AM (P6QsQ)

83 Silva is one of Hugh Hewitt's favorite authors. Hugh does excellent author interviews -- he actually *reads* the book before the interview. Silva does not appear to be someone whose politics can be easily classified, based on Hugh's interviews. I love Silva's books. Did not care fore Deaver's "October List," despite being a Deaver fan.

Posted by: Doug at November 17, 2013 08:34 AM (yZYN0)

84 Scientists are rediscovering ancient works in manuscripts. Being thrifty, they would scrape off older writings and lay down new stuff. But with technology they are discovering those older writings. Such a re-used manuscript is called a "palimpsest" and actually, there is nothing new about this. Researchers have known about them for many years. It is neat, though, how they can recover the erased stuff.

Posted by: OregonMuse at November 17, 2013 08:34 AM (fd0Pp)

85 I do like mysteries and political thrillers. Any really "can't miss" suggestions? Thanks in advance. Posted by: mama wingr at November 17, 2013 12:32 PM (P6QsQ) Have you read any of the Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Plum series books? Easy reads, lots of dialogue and pretty funny. Any Nelson DeMille book too.

Posted by: [/i][/b][/u][/s] Tami at November 17, 2013 08:34 AM (bCEmE)

86 Sounds like a wonderful opportunity to get some reading done. Posted by: OregonMuse at November 17, 2013 12:29 PM (fd0Pp) It's back on.

Posted by: [/i][/b][/u][/s] Tami at November 17, 2013 08:35 AM (bCEmE)

87 Thanks for the suggestions Tami. I think I have read a couple Janet Evonavich books although I can't recall which ones. Daniel Silva, too , as someone mentioned above. I might look at his latest. He's a good writer.

Posted by: mama wingr at November 17, 2013 08:37 AM (P6QsQ)

88 Mama wingr - those Silva novels would be good for your trip- you can read them out of order but best from first to last

Posted by: My Name is Nobody at November 17, 2013 08:37 AM (5Q1ZU)

89 Another fine read - any of Joseph Kanon's novels.

Posted by: My Name is Nobody at November 17, 2013 08:38 AM (5Q1ZU)

90 I do like mysteries and political thrillers. Any really "can't miss" suggestions? Mama, do you have a Kindle or other e-reader? If so, I would recommend the political thriller I mentioned upthread, "Enemies Foreign and Domestic" by Matt Bracken. Good writing, and very timely.

Posted by: OregonMuse at November 17, 2013 08:39 AM (fd0Pp)

91 84 Neat little blog for those interested in illustrated manuscripts: medieval fragments.com Fascinating stuff

Posted by: Tuna at November 17, 2013 08:39 AM (M/TDA)

92 Mama Winger- If you like mysteries you've probably already read P.D. James. She has so many great ones. Or if you enjoyed Jane Austen you might like the Jane Austen mysteries by Stephanie Barron.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at November 17, 2013 08:39 AM (23Kgq)

93 My Name is Nobody -

Yes, you're right, his books aren't necessarily in order but it does help with the storyline flow a little bit. I think I will check his latest out from the library as that is one that I have not read yet. Wonderful suggestion.

Posted by: mama wingr at November 17, 2013 08:39 AM (P6QsQ)

94 I've always enjoyed the Brother Cadfael Mysteries as well.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at November 17, 2013 08:40 AM (23Kgq)

95 Fenelon - I adore PD James. I've read everything she's ever written.

That's what I hate about loving an author. When there are no more books from them to read.

Posted by: mama wingr at November 17, 2013 08:40 AM (P6QsQ)

96 I've always enjoyed the Brother Cadfael Mysteries as well.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at November 17, 2013 12:40 PM (23Kgq)

------------

I have not read those. I will check them out at my local library. Thanks for the tip!

Posted by: mama wingr at November 17, 2013 08:42 AM (P6QsQ)

97 From The Atlantic's story about the metal 3D printed gun: "It reads like a plot of a dystopian novel: People develop a technology that allows them to manufactureÂ—themselves, in the privacy of their own homesÂ—working guns. Law enforcement is unable to regulate firearms. Chaos ensues." We, It Can't Happen Here, Anthem, 1984, Brave New World, The Handmaid's Tale, and The Hunger Games were all about stuff like that right?

Posted by: BornLib at November 17, 2013 08:42 AM (zpNwC)

98    I've been recently skimming a bunch of biographies Martha Byrd and others about Claire Chennault (I'm doing a Masters thesis on aviation in China in the 1930s and he is a big part of the U.S. effort after 1937.) Apparently, Hap Arnold and all of the big wheels in the Army Air Corps were all about bombers in the 1930s. Everyone at the Air Corps Tactical School pretty much agreed that the "bomber would always get through" and that fighters were almost useless in the face of an organized bombing campaign. Chennault thought fighters were going to get more and more effective and that flying bombers unescorted would become more and more difficult. Needless to say, the "bomber mafia" didn't like this one bit.

     For his troubles, Chennault was "retired" before his negative attitudes infected too many young officers. With some bitterness, Chennault went to China, were he got a first-hand look at how Japanese bombers got chewed up by Chinese fighters unless they were escorted to the target by Japanese fighters. He sent back intel reports to the War Department describing all of this, but he was ignored (we would learn these lessons losing thousands of airmen in escorted bomber raids over the skies of Europe during WWII.) Chennault considered the Air Corps leadership to be a bunch of idiots, to put it mildly, and was not shy about pointing out the thousands of needless casualties the U.S. suffered out of sheer ignorance and arrogance.

    My question for the Horder Reading Group would be, who else fits this role of a military gadfly who was right, but was ignored by the powers that be? Would any of the current crop of generals fit the bill? General Odierno is sounding the alarm about the "hollow army," does he fit this Chennault profile? Are there leaders in the Navy or Air Force that are warning about a possible defeat or heavy losses in the future?

     In other words, who is being ignored right now that we should be listening to?

Posted by: Pave Low John at November 17, 2013 08:42 AM (mhmeG)

99 I just read James "Death at Pemberly" which I hadn't read before. I didn't think it was so very successful mainly because the humor that is in Austen was generally lacking in P.D. James. It had some humor but it really sharp. Lord known Austen can be sharp but this was really mean spirited.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at November 17, 2013 08:44 AM (23Kgq)

100 Speaking of Silva, given the recent news that the Saudis and the Israelis are collaborating against Iran (at least to allow Israel flyover rights for an air attack), I wonder what Silva might want to paint in words on that broad canvas.

Posted by: My Name is Nobody at November 17, 2013 08:47 AM (5Q1ZU)

101 The Cadfael mysteries were written by a scholar and linguist whose psuedonym was Ellis Peters. The hero is a Benedictine monk who lives in the 12th century in England. You may have seen dramatizations of them on PDS. The Sister Fildelma Mysteries are also very good. That heroine is a nun of way way, back-600 or something and her side4kick is an Anglo Saxon monk . I learned a lot about Celtic Christianity from those books but in a pleasurable way.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at November 17, 2013 08:50 AM (23Kgq)

102 For a techno-thriller set in Saudi Arabia there is Barrett Tillman's novel Warriors. In which a cadre of Americans and British are hired to raise up for Saudi Arabia their own version of the Flying Tigers flying F-20 Tigersharks. Also in the mix are agents of Iran and Israel plus lots of aerial dog fights.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at November 17, 2013 08:52 AM (M5zr6)

103 The head of the Federal Trade Commission was Orson Swindle?

I did not know that.

Posted by: scottst at November 17, 2013 08:55 AM (Fp9Vt)

104 Hey, I've had a schadenboner lasting the better part of a month. Maybe 6 weeks. Am I in any danger? will it fall off?

Posted by: I R A Darth Aggie © at November 17, 2013 08:58 AM (1hM1d)

105

"Masters of Command" by Barry Strauss tells of Alexander. Hannibal, and Caesar and their greatest battles and their strategies therein.

Strauss consideres "divine providence" as one of the deciding forces regarding the outcome. Intersting.

Posted by: Libra at November 17, 2013 09:04 AM (GblmV)

106 Thanks again Oregon Muse for all your work on the book threads. Considering the bad political news that's around -and that we're told about in very well written articles by Ace and others-it's so good to have a thread where people talk about what they do enjoy reading.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at November 17, 2013 09:05 AM (23Kgq)

107

In other words, who is being ignored right now that we should be listening to?

Posted by: Pave Low John at November 17, 2013 12:42 PM (mhmeG)

Although retired (some say forced out), USMC Gen. James "Mad Dog" Mattis had some good advice. IMHO.

I've always admired VAdm. Charles A. Lockwood from WW2. Appointed COMSUBPAC in February, 1943, he made many changes to the submarine force that helped defeat the Japanese. But it was a time, unlike today, that men like him could do what they wanted as long as they got successful results.

I'm curious if Gen. Curtis Lemay was one of those who ignored Chennault's warnings?

Posted by: ExSnipe at November 17, 2013 09:16 AM (57ubW)

108 I finished Eric Idle's "The Greedy Bastard Tour Diary" or something like that. Funny, but the reflexive anti-conservative stuff jars. Why is it that leftists feel the need to continue to bring up Reagan as some kind of boogeyman?

Actually, I think the answer to that is fairly easy: Reagan had convictions and beliefs that he followed in his daily life, and leftists have nothing but ironic, sneering detachment. It keeps them "edgy."

Posted by: Null at November 17, 2013 09:19 AM (P7hip)

109 Re unnatural disasters - a few years ago there was a massive blizzard in the DC area that dumped two feet of snow. Because this occurred on the anniversary (or a day or two away) of the Knickerbocker Theater disaster, the WaPo decided to reprint the entire front page reporting from the 1922 disaster, which was absolutely heartbreaking. I had always assumed the Knickerbocker Theater disaster occurred in New York - had no idea it was in DC or what it really was about. 98 dead, 133 injured.

Posted by: biancaneve at November 17, 2013 09:28 AM (2sR50)

110 Thanks for the mention, OregonMuse :-) And for the books to read this week. I've been looking for something a bit different.

Posted by: Kort at November 17, 2013 09:31 AM (scsv+)

111 Kort, Is the Amazon order page accurate about the book being only 29 pages long? I'm having a hard time envisioning stories that are shorter than a standard Ace movie review.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at November 17, 2013 09:34 AM (Pexsc)

112 My problem with Stephen King is he formed all of his political opinions in college and never evolved a bit since then.

When I was a kid in the late 70s, reading King was great because here was stuff aimed at adults that could hold my interest. The research was such that I learned a lot of stuff along the way. Much of it was incidental, such as how a certain automotive mechanism worked or what hidden tasks a particular job might involve. Things that involved how the world actually worked that a kid might easily have never considered and never had presented in an interesting fashion in school.

But as a kid I also didn't give much thought to how things of a political nature were presented. I had little grasp of how much these matters affected real life and lacked any real strong opinions of my own. As a kid I rendered opinions based on things a kid thought were important. My entire basis for not liking Reagan was that he was a really old guy who didn't appear to have appreciation of the things that mattered to a person of my age and era. Of course, the things that loom large for the average teenager who never wondered where the next meal was coming from generally don't matter much at all. They tend to be ephemeral and often barely remembered by the time real adulthood is reached.

King it seems is frozen at his early twenties and never completely grew up. This is possibly helpful for his writing but it also means that I can no longer get much enjoyment from his output. My patience was first severely tested when the last of the Dark Tower books had the killed off supporting cast resurrected in a world where the Reagan administrations never occurred. This is intended to be an improvement over the disparate times from which the characters came. This bit of petty fantasizing by King for King and those still devoted to hating Reagan decades after was the work of a childish mind.

The book that made me give up on King entirely was 'Under the Dome.' This was a very long and very dreary story overall. Among its weaknesses is a villain who does everything short of admire himself in the mirror, chuckle, and declare, "Damn, I'm evil." This is also the only character int he book whose political alignment is formally declared, and guess what it is?

Not much later, King wrote an opinion piece about how the federal government needed to crank up taxes on high earners because free people just cannot be relied upon to give it up voluntarily. This was his argument against those who have rightly stated, "If you don't think you're paying enough, cut a check." That isn't good enough for King because some people are insufficiently charitable. He believes it is a suitable task for the government to force the wealthy to be charitable at gun point, as that is the threat underlying all taxation. In other words, confiscation. Screw you , Stephen.

Posted by: Epobirs at November 17, 2013 09:37 AM (kcfmt)

113 #108

I recall he also was convinced Bush, who was in office at the time of writing, was going to destroy the country.

Posted by: Epobirs at November 17, 2013 09:39 AM (kcfmt)

114 Add me to the recommendations for The Stand-have reread it many times and it is always enjoyable. The freaky flu part turns into an interesting sociological/religious study of what types gather around the evil leader vs. the moral leader Have always thought BHO was very much like Randall Flag, it even talks about his genesis in the WU/Ayers types of counterculture/anarchist/OWS type groups that sow chaos and death.

Posted by: goldilocks at November 17, 2013 09:41 AM (FIMVX)

115 Am reading "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt, the author of one of my all time favorite books, "The Secret History". Very good so far, about an art theft by a 15 yr old kid, have no idea where it is going but it is enjoyable and very well written. On Audibles, the George Washington bio by Ron Chernow is excellent

Posted by: goldilocks at November 17, 2013 09:44 AM (FIMVX)

116 Pave Low John, MG HR McMaster is someone else to look up besides Odierno. He made his chops at 73 Easting in GW I and wrote Dereliction of Duty as a LTCol. That book opened my eyes at the disgusting actions of LBJ and McNamara. ExSnipe, Vic Hanson writes a great article about LeMay (American Ajax). LeMay actually pushed through the Box Formation before the -51's arrival to concentrate defensive fire for 8th AF and attempt to increase bomber crew survival.

Posted by: San Diego Lurker at November 17, 2013 09:49 AM (iNcpL)

117 Polliwog, it is indeed accurate. I've got a couple of the stories posted on my blog if you'd like to try one or two. http://steponthejourney.wordpress.com/2013/07/26/flash-fiction-friday-to-whom-it-may-concern/

Posted by: Kort at November 17, 2013 09:49 AM (scsv+)

118 My grandfather was one of the people involved with rescuing people/recovering bodies after the London school explosion. He was a pipefitter in the oil fields and they all left the site and went to help.

Posted by: Zombie John Gotti at November 17, 2013 09:50 AM (1hekh)

119 I'm currently listening to 'American Emperor' by David O. Stewart. This deals with Aaron Burr in the years after the fateful dual with Alexander Hamilton. A lot of interesting detail on how shaky things were in the early days of the nation, with numerous parties scheming to form another nation to the West of the infant US, while European powers still owned large swaths of North America.

Posted by: Epobirs at November 17, 2013 09:52 AM (kcfmt)

120 Posted by: Kort at November 17, 2013 01:49 PM (scsv+) Thank you for the link. Will go read.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at November 17, 2013 10:03 AM (Pexsc)

121 Mama Winger - Nevada Barr writes mysteries set in National Parks with a female Park Ranger* as the main character. They're good and it's interesting to learn about the various parks from a different angle.

*Yeah, not so much of a fan of Park Rangers post shut-down, but Nevada's character wouldn't have bought into that b.s.

Posted by: Lizzy at November 17, 2013 10:19 AM (JRmiD)

122 Mama Winger - Nevada Barr writes mysteries set in National Parks with a female Park Ranger* as the main character. They're good and it's interesting to learn about the various parks from a different angle.

*Yeah, not so much of a fan of Park Rangers post shut-down, but Nevada's character wouldn't have bought into that b.s.

Posted by: Lizzy at November 17, 2013 10:19 AM (JRmiD)

123 Mama Winger - Nevada Barr writes mysteries set in National Parks with a female Park Ranger* as the main character. They're good and it's interesting to learn about the various parks from a different angle.

*Yeah, not so much of a fan of Park Rangers post shut-down, but Nevada's character wouldn't have bought into that b.s.

Posted by: Lizzy at November 17, 2013 10:19 AM (JRmiD)

124 Mama Winger - Nevada Barr writes mysteries set in National Parks with a female Park Ranger* as the main character. They're good and it's interesting to learn about the various parks from a different angle.

*Yeah, not so much of a fan of Park Rangers post shut-down, but Nevada's character wouldn't have bought into that b.s.

Posted by: Lizzy at November 17, 2013 10:19 AM (JRmiD)

125 91 Illuminated not illustrated. Duh.

Posted by: Tuna at November 17, 2013 10:31 AM (M/TDA)

126 91 Illuminated not illustrated. Duh.

Posted by: Tuna at November 17, 2013 10:31 AM (M/TDA)

127 91 Illuminated not illustrated. Duh.

Posted by: Tuna at November 17, 2013 10:31 AM (M/TDA)

128 91 Illuminated not illustrated. Duh.

Posted by: Tuna at November 17, 2013 10:31 AM (M/TDA)

129 Good afternoon Morons. Late to the thread but I just got back from a road trip. What am I reading. Trying to do the Elinium series by David Eddings.

Posted by: Vic at November 17, 2013 11:02 AM (FTQyq)

130 The Worst Hard Time made me want to cry. Those stories of the dust bowl are simply heart breaking and the book, even though it was written by a former NYT reporter, lays the blame solely on incredibly stupid government policy. This even though they were warned well in advance by local Indian Tribes and long term cattle ranchers. That area of the country has still not completely recovered from that disaster.

We have a new version of that story coming up, The Worst Medical Times, as more incredibly stupid government policy will kill hundreds and maybe even thousands of citizens.

Posted by: Vic at November 17, 2013 11:12 AM (FTQyq)

131 " The Worst Hard Time" is one of my favorite non-fiction books ever. I lost a couple of nights' sleep because I couldn't put it down.

Posted by: Raul Johnson at November 17, 2013 11:25 AM (5rdqb)

132 My thanks to those morons who suggested "Neptune's Inferno", and "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors". Obtained both, and am 1/2 way through "Neptune's" now. Very good read...., and humbling. Every account that I read reminds me of the indescribable horrors that our fathers experienced, and how they persisted.

Posted by: Mike Hammer at November 17, 2013 11:28 AM (aDwsi)

133 Been busy this week to do much reading. Read issue 116 of the walking dead when it was released on Wednesday. Today in a contemplative mood reading some Thomas Merton.

Posted by: NCKate at November 17, 2013 11:40 AM (w7CQT)

134 That is definitely a "Forever" stamp.

Posted by: Bubba at November 17, 2013 01:08 PM (85SwA)

135 Husband just got back from Wharton, Tx with the boyhood memoirs of playwright Horton Foote (Tender Mercies, Trip to Bountiful, etc.). Very small town Texas in the '20's and '30's. Going on my "Books You Must Read about Texas" list. "Farewell". Horton Foote, 1999.

Posted by: Sal at November 17, 2013 02:09 PM (lrTwr)

136 126 "Last Stand...." Has to be one of my favs. I've recommended that book to more people than I can count. Incredible story, incredible men. It's one of those books that stays with you forever .

Posted by: Tuna at November 17, 2013 02:21 PM (M/TDA)

137

mama wingr - the Stephanie Plum books would be great for vacation, but only about the first 5 or 6 books in the series. After that, Evanovich just phoned them in. Too bad, because the early ones are imaginative and really, really funny.

Re: Stephen King - The Stand is one of my favorite books (but NOT the uncut version - go with the one published in the late 70s). Salem's Lot is a great vampire tale - the vampire is classic - more Nosferatu than Edward, thanks be to God. I liked the Shining, but Doctor Sleep is overpadded and a little boring. 11-22-63 is probably the best King book in the last 20 years, if you can gloss over the few gratuitous political shots. I did, and enjoyed it, but then I have a penchant for time travel books.

Have finally finished with all the Inspector Wexford mysteries. Well worth my time & I do recommend. Just started a historical mid-20th century mystery series with PI Nathan Heller. The first one features Marilyn Monroe, JFK, RFK, Jimmy Hoffa, Frank Sinatra and a whole host of recognizable people. (Bye Bye, Baby).

Posted by: Bookaday at November 17, 2013 04:40 PM (+HEUC)

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