Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?

[pachyderm]

Yeah but he was our hero because we wanted someone to be one and it sure wasn't the guy across the road (or sometimes the guy across the breakfast table). We knew the real guy across the road and that table, and Mickey Mantle was far enough away to be a hero with flaws pretty much out of focus for us kids reading the sportswriters' accolades.

All our heroes stayed heroes longer in the old days, didn't they. The ball players, the presidents, the Senators... famous composers and conductors.. all made more legendary by assorted gentlemen's agreements about how much of any public figure's feet of clay should be draped when he was set up on a pedestal.

I guess it was inevitable that biographers would eventually say ok enough with the hagiographies, let's pull the curtains off and remind everyone these guys are just humans. It has been right to do that, of course, but because fame and power do tend to corrupt, we can sometimes get the impression that there are no heroes any more. Of course that's not true either. There are lots of unsung heroes, and a few famous ones who manage to evade most of the pitfalls of their elevation to public worship. I hesitate even to name one of those lest someone come back with a blogger's proof the guy was a lowlife... but let's say Mariano Rivera, for instance. He's my hero now instead of Mickey Mantle, in the world of legendary ball players.

Anyway The Closer has been on my read-it list for awhile now... could be time to launch spring training season with a look back at a great player.

View attachment 750044​

Yeah And no one knew he was prick back then either. We never saw his flaws, or anyone's for that matter. My brother loved the Yankees and The Mick too. He is 15 years older than me so he saw him play, on the telly that is.


@LizKat Have you ever read Bums by Peter Golenbeck? I know it is about the Dogders but it is a great read.

 

[LizKat]

@LizKat Have you ever read Bums by Peter Golenbeck? I know it is about the Dogders but it is a great read.

Thanks! I'll add Golenbock's offering to my read-it list too and since we just got a new weather forecast for ten inches of snow, maybe I'll have time for even more baseball bios, who knows. Couple days ago they forecast two inches snow and we got six to ten so... we could be at the All Star game before I can get outta here after tonight.

I did read Michael Shapiro's The Last Good Season, about Dodger baseball (and the politics) of the time from when the '55 champs tried to defend in '56, that last great and heartbreaking season, through the couple bitter years that finally launched "The Move" --be sure to include enough contempt in uttering that phrase if you want to get Brooklyn's mood right there-- of the Bums to LA.

I couldn't put that book down and remember staying up too late a few times while reading it. It is about a lot more than just baseball though --politics, urban renewal, ethnic conflicts-- so maybe not everyone's cup of tea. But the battles between team owner Walter O'Malley and urban planning czar Robert Moses over whether and where and what and how to build something to replace Ebbets Field, and the reactions of lifelong Dodger fans, already unhappy about changes in the borough of Brooklyn, were just epic. And the baseball of that '56 season, wow; Shapiro more than does it justice.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Great baseball suggestions! I added every book you mentioned to my list. I plan to read many baseball books in the next few months/years.

If anyone is interested on the early history of baseball, I suggest “Baseball in the garden of Eden” by baseball historian John Thorne (a nice guy on SABR’s mailing lists). I think that many will be shocked to know how the Theophisical Society was a powerful force behind much of baseball’s early influence and organization.

 

[LizKat]

Meanwhile I was diverted enough by someone's having sent me a clip of the Futurama Robot Hell Song to decide to pick up Peter Thornton's blank verse translation of Dante's Inferno.... really enjoying it.

And I really liked that robot hell video too. Dante might have appreciated it. I mean he too had made hell seem a vibrant and moderately entertaining place after all... well,,,, depending on how you had conducted yourself as a sinner. ​

A previous translation I had read of the Inferno was Robert Pinsky's which used slant rhyme (half rhyme, near rhyme) in trying to accommodate Dante's terza rima structures in English. I admired that translation too but think the (to me) more natural flow of the Thornton may end up becoming my preference of those two. Somewhere back in college I had read one of the traditional translations that had the Italian and English side by side on opposite pages, Sinclair's, I think. I have to say there that the format was nice, but maybe the translation would not be my choice now.

In a way I do rather miss that side-by-side presentation. The original language and structures are beautiful, and it can be interesting to see differences in two different translations if you have two side-by-side offerings open at once, but I am no deep scholar of Italian and there are enough Italian (and translator) commentaries --on each and every word Dante used!-- to rival the count of commentaries on [pick a Sacred Scripture].

So this time around I just enjoy the English that Thornton has elected to use, and his copious notes at the end of each canto. The notes are not linked but the cantos have verse numbers to which the notes refer so the notes are quite usable. In back of book are expansions of abbreviations used in the notes, followed by the bibliographic info for the hundreds of works cited. I'm a happy hell camper, YMMV.

 

[0388631]

Most of the baseball books I've read were fiction. Suffice to say, I'm not a huge fan. Though I did love Moneyball. That movie, particularly the ending, gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. Or it was the triple digit September heatwave that year.

Onto the topic, I haven't read anything in a while by choice due to wanting to recuperate before reading something heavy. The warmer weather has me in a good mood... sometimes further enlightened by gentle liquids. Probably going to dig into something light and freespirited soon.

 

[ucfgrad93]

Anybody read the Frontlines series?
It was recently featured in a post on The Verge
Looks interesting to me, but would like some comments

View attachment 748893

I'm about 3/4 of the way through the first book, Terms of Enlistment. I think it is a good book, I'll definitely get the second one.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Finished two books.
1) “Colorado Kid” by Stephen King, a book in the Hard Case Crime collection of hard boiled pulps. I have no other words to describe this book: awful. It’s just information dump for a mildly interesing story with a limited cast of characters, none of them interesting enough. Minor note, the cover has nothing to do with the plot.

2) “Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969-1972, Volume 1, Foundations of Foreign Policy” published by the Department of State is the first volume of over 50 of the Nixon era collection. This book is exactly what one would expect: a collection of primary sources that help understand the thinking behind the foreign policy strategy of the time. It is very interesting to read the actual documentation and thought process that led to the various decisions. FYI the entire collection (not only for Nixon) is available on the DOS website, for free. Let me warn you - if you’re a nerd like me - this collection is insanely huge, about 40 to 60 books for each president from Truman on, in addition to several volumes of addenda, pre-Truman period tomes, and extra-documentation volumes. One could get lost in here: https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments

 

[LizKat]

Minor note, the cover has nothing to do with the plot.

That comment makes my day. So true of so much in our lives nowadays... nice to see it in a nutshell.

As to your second citation there, I should have got started a long time ago if that whole "shelf" were meant to fit in my bucket list. But thanks, and maybe I'll just have a go at LBJ. In reality I have found him one of the more interesting presidents in my lifetime. He seemed as full of contradictions as Nixon in his own way. They both made substantial, lasting contributions to the USA and both committed colossal blunders made worse by doubling down on them in the crunch.

 

[cdcastillo]

I've just finished Dark Run, recommended by The Verge, and it was a light, highly enjoyable reading that definitively reminded me of FireFly (but less bounded by censorship of Cable TV). I will surely read the next books in the series.

 

[yaxomoxay]

That comment makes my day. So true of so much in our lives nowadays... nice to see it in a nutshell.

LOL. Well, I didn’t mean to be philosophical, but yeah there might be some hidden, deep truth in that statement

As to your second citation there, I should have got started a long time ago if that whole "shelf" were meant to fit in my bucket list. But thanks, and maybe I'll just have a go at LBJ. In reality I have found him one of the more interesting presidents in my lifetime. He seemed as full of contradictions as Nixon in his own way. They both made substantial, lasting contributions to the USA and both committed colossal blunders made worse by doubling down on them in the crunch.

Yep, far from being an expert on the subject, LBJ seems a very intricate, interesting, and contradicting character. One day I’ll read his biographies. As of note, Nixon’s chief of staff Haldeman reports that’s LBJ used to call Nixon to tell him that he loved him and that he had his full support.

 

[BeefCake 15]

This was quite a humbling book by Viktor Frankl that brushes on some memories of his time in concentration camps to complement his writing on Logo Therapy. The author notes that the book was not designed to reminisce his time in concentration camps but needed to include it as the material supports his new school of thought of "Logo Therapy" and how it differs from traditional therapy methods etc. Highly recommend!

 

[yaxomoxay]

This was quite a humbling book by Viktor Frankl that brushes on some memories of his time in concentration camps to complement his writing on Logo Therapy. The author notes that the book was not designed to reminisce his time in concentration camps but needed to include it as the material supports his new school of thought of "Logo Therapy" and how it differs from traditional therapy methods etc. Highly recommend!

Most important book I’ve ever read. It’s always my first suggestion to friends. I am going to read “A will to meaning” (his follow up) pretty soon.
[doublepost=1519154433][/doublepost]I finished two books during the weekend.

1) “A Deadly Wandering” by Matt Richtel. A Non fiction book on the dangers of texting and driving. In 2006 Reggie Shaw, a good Mormon kid killed two scientists in what seemed a simple traffic accident. The truth was discovered by a relentless cop. I enjoyed it quite much, and I loved that Reggie’s story was mixed with science (since reading Cal Newport’s “Deep Work” attention science has become a topic of interest for me). BTW, it takes between 15 to 20 seconds from the moment you put the phone down to regain enough awareness to drive. Also of note, wife and I almost got hit by a SUV last Friday in a three-car accident... caused by driver’s inattention mixed with rain. Thankfully I was able to avoid at the last second the car that entered my lane. My car was ok (no hit), three other cars were virtually destroyed, one person hospitalized.

2) “Grifter’s Game” by Lawrence Block, is the first volume in the Hard Case Crime collection, and my third book of the collection. Originally published in the 1960’s, it’s your typical hard boiled pulp fiction, and a good, light page-turner. I liked the dark humour.

 

[RootBeerMan]

Just started reading Jim C. Hines "Terminal Alliance: Book One of the Janitors of the Post Apocalypse". A nice SF romp that I am, so far, enjoying a great deal.

 

[0388631]

I normally ignore space operas, but that is one cool cover.


Began Color of Water by James McBride yesterday evening. Good read so far.

 

[rhett7660]

This was quite a humbling book by Viktor Frankl that brushes on some memories of his time in concentration camps to complement his writing on Logo Therapy. The author notes that the book was not designed to reminisce his time in concentration camps but needed to include it as the material supports his new school of thought of "Logo Therapy" and how it differs from traditional therapy methods etc. Highly recommend!

I had to read this for a class and absolutely loved it. The first part of the book where he talks about how he survived his day to day tormenting through the camps is something that is amazing to read. What he does after the war is something that is short of amazing also.

Highly recommended!

I am about 85% through Starship Troopers. Man, I wished they used a lot of the weapons and armour they used in the book in the movie. It would have been a pretty badass movie. The armour reminds me a little of the weapons and armour used in "Edge of Tomorrow".

 

[RootBeerMan]

I am about 85% through Starship Troopers. Man, I wished they used a lot of the weapons and armour they used in the book in the movie. It would have been a pretty badass movie. The armour reminds me a little of the weapons and armour used in "Edge of Tomorrow".

If you're enjoying Starship Troopers (and who didn't?) you might like to see the animated movie "Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars". Lots of armour and Rico. Much better adaption than the wretched movie.

 

[rhett7660]

If you're enjoying Starship Troopers (and who didn't?) you might like to see the animated movie "Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars". Lots of armour and Rico. Much better adaption than the wretched movie.

IMHO, this looks freaking awesome! And yes that is almost what I expected based on the description! Thank you! Will have to check this one out!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

Had this on the shelf for a while, just started it and will be done with it by tomorrow most likely

 

[D.T.]

I am about 85% through Starship Troopers. Man, I wished they used a lot of the weapons and armour they used in the book in the movie. It would have been a pretty badass movie. The armour reminds me a little of the weapons and armour used in "Edge of Tomorrow".

It's such a terrific book, I think I first read it when I was like 10 or 11?

If you want another us vs. aliens, that was a really fun plot mechanism (hint: interstellar travel back and forth takes a _long_ time), check out The Forever War by Joe Haldeman, also very much a classic of the genre.

 

[0388631]

Starship Troopers is a memorable movie. Especially because when it came out, digital cable really wasn't a thing yet and PPV was an all access channel instead of a per movie fee channel. Around the time Starship Troopers became available on PPV, Mousehunt and Tomorrow Never Dies were also available. Both great movies, but Mousehunt was and still is incredibly entertaining. Nathan Lane is a genius.

On the other hand, I had no idea Starship Troopers was originally a book.

 

[D.T.]

Addendum: I even have the Starship Troopers board game (originally published by Avalon Hill).

 

[RootBeerMan]

Starship Troopers is a memorable movie. Especially because when it came out, digital cable really wasn't a thing yet and PPV was an all access channel instead of a per movie fee channel. Around the time Starship Troopers became available on PPV, Mousehunt and Tomorrow Never Dies were also available. Both great movies, but Mousehunt was and still is incredibly entertaining. Nathan Lane is a genius.

On the other hand, I had no idea Starship Troopers was originally a book.

You should take the time to read it. It's an excellent book and, once you read it, your opinion of the movie may very well change.

 

[rhett7660]

It's such a terrific book, I think I first read it when I was like 10 or 11?

If you want another us vs. aliens, that was a really fun plot mechanism (hint: interstellar travel back and forth takes a _long_ time), check out The Forever War by Joe Haldeman, also very much a classic of the genre.

I just added it to my list! In fact I think this will be the next book!!!!!!

You should take the time to read it. It's an excellent book and, once you read it, your opinion of the movie may very well change.

Agreed 100% with this, I know mine did and man the movie misses so much of the book. Don't get me wrong I liked the movie, heck anytime it is on I watch it. But after reading the book, not done with it yet, there is a lot they miss and change. They change a lot.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I just added it to my list! In fact I think this will be the next book!!!!!!



Agreed 100% with this, I know mine did and man the movie misses so much of the book. Don't get me wrong I liked the movie, heck anytime it is on I watch it. But after reading the book, not done with it yet, there is a lot they miss and change. They change a lot.

One of the reasons why (for the most part) I far prefer the book on which a story is based to the subsequent movie.