What's Currently on Your Reading List?

[jerryd6818]

About to finish Easy Going by Leon Hale. Hale was a newspaper man who wrote a column three times a week in the Houston Post and later in the Houston Chronicle[/] about places and people he encounters while traveling around Texas. This book was originally published in 1973 and is a collection of Hale's newspaper columns from the 1960s and early 1970s, and stories from his own youth while growing up in west Texas during the 1930s. Great story telling and a great read. The stories range from somber and reflective, to wry humor, to laugh-out-loud hilarious.

Ken
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Leon Hale is a paternal Uncle to one of my cousins on my dad's side, not this Leon Hale of course but it could very well be shirt tail kin because there are some of those Hales down in Texas. Couldn't find the book in our library but I did find a copy on Amazon that I may order.

[Mumbleypeg]

Leon Hale is a paternal Uncle to one of my cousins on my dad's side, not this Leon Hale of course but it could very well be shirt tail kin because there are some of those Hales down in Texas. Couldn't find the book in our library but I did find a copy on Amazon that I may order.

Funny you should say that Jerry. One chapter in the book is called "Shirttail Days", containing stories about his youth, growing up with his friends, cousins, aunts and uncles. In fact some of the funniest stories are about his oldest cousin "C.T." and all the mischief he got into. (C.T. grew up to be a preacher.) A few of the stories incidentally involve pocket knives.

I'd send you this copy but I borrowed it from my brother-in-law. I see you can get a used copy from Amazon for as little as 4 bucks though. Amazingly, the author is still living - 96 years old, and apparently still writing.

Ken

[FRJ]

That book interested me and I bought it yesterday on Amazon. For little money.
He wrote several that I put in my browse pile.
Wonderful that he is still with us.
Jerry, wouldn't it be cool if you could find a connection.

[bighomer]

Ole mitch is a b-b-a.

[jerryd6818]

Joe, you probably already know this but that's the last one actually written by Vince Flynn before his death June 19, 2013. The next three were written by Kyle Mills and if "The Survivor" is any indication, quite well done.

[bighomer]

Jerry I did not know that, l had read on this site where he'd passed and someone else had taken over , but didnt know the timeline, l have term limits written in '97 waiting in the wings. thanks. Joe.

[Paladin]

I read 'em all and I don't think you will be disappointed in a single one of them.

Ray

[steve99f]

Re-reading the Foundation books by Isaac Asimov. Read them decades ago. Needed to refresh. If you enjoy SF and haven't read them, you won't be disappointed.

[philco]

Guys I've got a few books I'd like to share with whomever would like them. All are John Grisham novels.........

The Brethren
The King Of Torts............ CLAIMED
The Firm
The Client
The Partner
The Pelican Brief

First PM claims them.

Phl

[rangerbluedog]

Mighty generous Phil. Grisham writes some good stuff.

[jerryd6818]

Phil, I've read all of those or I would be on them like white on rice.

Just finished Christmas gifts:

Picked up at the library yesterday. In process.

[rangerbluedog]

My, you are a well-read bunch!
My son got me this one for Christmas, GUERILLA DAYS IN IRELAND, by Tom Barry (an autobiography)

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[Paladin]

In the past day or two, I ordered the latest by James Lee Burke; Robicheaux,,, . Burke is far and away my favorite author and I am anxiously awaiting delivery.

Ray

[jerryd6818]

Taken from the Internet. Sue Grafton's alphabet series was a favorite for Linnea and me.

Sue Grafton, a prolific author of detective novels known for an alphabetically titled series that began in 1982 with “A Is for Alibi,” died of cancer on Thursday night in Santa Barbara, Calif. She was 77.

With the publication of her latest book in August, Ms. Grafton’s alphabetical series had reached “Y Is for Yesterday.”

[jerryd6818]

In the past day or two, I ordered the latest by James Lee Burke; Robicheaux,,, . Burke is far and away my favorite author and I am anxiously awaiting delivery.

Ray

Even with my list, I got lost in the Dave Robicheaux series and now am a bit unsure what I've read and what I have not read. I think "The Glass Rainbow" remains unread but can't be sure. At least I can be sure I haven't read his latest one.

[Mumbleypeg]

I'm just getting into The Templars by Dan Jones. First couple of chapters were a little dry but it picked up and now I can hardly put it down. It's history but written so it's very readable. If you ever wanted to know the story of the Crusades and the Christian/Muslim conflict this is a good place to get a perspective, starting with a few "warrior monks" protecting Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem from the Saracens, eventually becoming the Knights of the Temple in 1119, their rise to power across Europe and the Middle East, their fall during the Inquisition in 1307 and rapid disappearance.

Ken

[rangerbluedog]

Hey, now THAT looks interesting!

[bighomer]

Reading Brad Thor right now, got this one at the thrift store yesterday looks like it might be a decent read.

[LanG]

Based on recommendations from this thread, I picked up my first C.J. Box book a couple days ago, The Highway.
Finished it in two sittings, which is unusual for me.
I enjoyed his writing, and spent $16 of my ebay bux on 5 more of his books (they had a buy 4, get one free deal). All 5 of them from the Joe Pickett series.

If anyone would like my copy of The Highway, pm me your mailing info and it's yours.
It is a paperback copy from the thrift store, so it's used and small print!

[steve99f]

I was given "American Gods" for Christmas by Neil Gaiman. Came out about 2002. Never heard of it or the author before starting reading this. About 2/3rds of the way and still not sure where this is going. I am hooked though.

[jerryd6818]

Read the first three, "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo", "The Girl Who Played With Fire", "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest". Enjoyed them very much so I decided to see if David Lagercrantz is up to the standard Stieg Larsson set.

[Mumbleypeg]

Based on recommendations from this thread, I picked up my first C.J. Box book a couple days ago, The Highway.
Finished it in two sittings, which is unusual for me.
I enjoyed his writing, and spent $16 of my ebay bux on 5 more of his books (they had a buy 4, get one free deal). All 5 of them from the Joe Pickett series.

If anyone would like my copy of The Highway, pm me your mailing info and it's yours.
It is a paperback copy from the thrift store, so it's used and small print!

Box is probably my favorite current author. I usually get his books as soon as they're available. The only problem is my wife has taken a liking to him also and has beat me to the last two when they arrived in the mailbox. So I've had to wait until she finished them before I got my chance.

In addition to the Joe Pickett series, Box has now written three or four more of The Highway series. In addition to being pretty good mysteries, the villains in his books typically will make your skin crawl.

Ken

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

I'm currently in the middle of an interesting sci-fi thriller: Extreme Makeover by Dan Wells. I didn't know anything about this book when I started it, but now that I'm at about the halfway mark, I'm really enjoying it. I'm a huge science and speculative fiction reader (have been since I was just a nipper) and I really like the very unique way this book has taken one idea in science out to a possible future that is not very pleasant to contemplate. Every chapter in the book has a heading that gives the time, date, location and an additional line like this:

Chapter 1
Thursday, March 22
9:01 AM
NewYew Headquarters, Manhattan
267 DAYS TO THE END OF THE WORLD

[Mumbleypeg]

I'm about 3/4 through Anthony Adverse by Hervey Allen. One of the most interesting, fascinating and educational novels I've ever read. An amazing epic story set in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The book was published in 1933 and sold over a million copies then, but I had somehow never heard of it until an old movie version from 1936 that was on TCM a couple of months ago got me curious about it. The epic story of a man's life from the circumstances of his orphan birth, rise to wealth, adventures and fascinating people he meets while crisscrossing Europe, Africa, and the Americas during the French Revolution and Napoleanic Europe.

IMHO ranks right up there with Les Miserables, Great Expectations, Gone With the Wind, and Lonesome Dove. Warning - it is 1200 pages (it was later split into three books - the movie covers only about half of the original novel). I've had to frequently consult a dictionary to decipher some of the terms. But my vocabulary is much improved!

Ken

[Steve Warden]

Almost finished with this.

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