Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?

[LizKat]

Well I'm done with my wonderful summer's end slouch into spy novels, and trying to head into Labor Day weekend with appropriate fare: re-reading Bruce Watson's Bread and Roses, an account of American immigrant textile mill workers' strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts in the winter of 1912. The workers were from 40 countries and spoke over 60 languages. It had been thought because of their differences and in some cases disdain for each other, they would never organize against the mill owners. But as the excesses of the robber barons' Gilded Age drew that era to a close, conditions grew so harsh for workers that that assumption proved wrong. The book and chapter epigraphs were certainly well chosen for that cruel time. The one for Chapter Four stands out:

"I can hire one half of the working class to kill the other half."

-- Jay Gould, American railroad tycoon

​

 

[ucfgrad93]

The Bible, NKJV

Today's reading...Ezekiel 7-9

 

[Huntn]

Finished Treasure Island, colorful, highly reccommended, swashbuckling tale. I love the character of Long John Silver, nickname Barbecue. Told as a narrative.

I have a copy printed 1937 with this cover.​

“The black spot! I thought so," he observed. "Where might you have got the paper? Why, hillo! Look here, now; this ain't lucky! You've gone and cut this out of a Bible. What fool's cut a Bible?"

"Ah, there!" said Morgan. "There! Wot did I say? No good'll come o' that, I said."

"Well, you've about fixed it now, among you," continued Silver. "You'll all swing now, I reckon. What soft- headed lubber had a Bible?"

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Finished Treasure Island, colorful, highly reccommended, swashbuckling tale. I love the character of Long John Silver, nickname Barbecue. Told as a narrative.

View attachment 779179
I have a copy printed 1937 with this cover.​

“The black spot! I thought so," he observed. "Where might you have got the paper? Why, hillo! Look here, now; this ain't lucky! You've gone and cut this out of a Bible. What fool's cut a Bible?"

"Ah, there!" said Morgan. "There! Wot did I say? No good'll come o' that, I said."

"Well, you've about fixed it now, among you," continued Silver. "You'll all swing now, I reckon. What soft- headed lubber had a Bible?"

Have you read Kidnapped by the same author?

 

[bristleworm]

I currently reading Insomnia by Stephen King. Loving it so far.

 

[Huntn]

Have you read Kidnapped by the same author?

No, but I might, now that you mentioned it.

 

[ucfgrad93]

Finished Treasure Island, colorful, highly reccommended, swashbuckling tale. I love the character of Long John Silver, nickname Barbecue. Told as a narrative.

View attachment 779179
I have a copy printed 1937 with this cover.​

“The black spot! I thought so," he observed. "Where might you have got the paper? Why, hillo! Look here, now; this ain't lucky! You've gone and cut this out of a Bible. What fool's cut a Bible?"

"Ah, there!" said Morgan. "There! Wot did I say? No good'll come o' that, I said."

"Well, you've about fixed it now, among you," continued Silver. "You'll all swing now, I reckon. What soft- headed lubber had a Bible?"

My son had to read this over the summer. I read it after him and really enjoyed it.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

No, but I might, now that you mentioned it.

Personally, I preferred Kidnapped to Treasure Island, but both are excellent.

 

[twietee]

Hope Never Dies by Andrew Schaffer

An Obama/Biden Mystery - quite entertaining and I had actually to laugh out loud at a couple of parts which I seldom do. And who can resist the tag-line: America needs a hero. We've got two of them.

Perfect book for the beach.

"Vice President Joe Biden is fresh out of the Obama White House and feeling adrift when his favorite railroad conductor dies in a suspicious accident, leaving behind an ailing wife and a trail of clues. To unravel the mystery, “Amtrak Joe” re-teams with the only man he’s ever fully trusted: the 44th president of the United States. Together they’ll plumb the darkest corners of Delaware, traveling from cheap motels to biker bars and beyond, as they uncover the sinister forces advancing America’s opioid epidemic. The two prove that justice has no term limits"

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Hope Never Dies by Andrew Schaffer

An Obama/Biden Mystery - quite entertaining and I had actually to laugh out loud at a couple of parts which I seldom do. And who can resist the tag-line: America needs a hero. We've got two of them.

Perfect book for the beach.

"Vice President Joe Biden is fresh out of the Obama White House and feeling adrift when his favorite railroad conductor dies in a suspicious accident, leaving behind an ailing wife and a trail of clues. To unravel the mystery, “Amtrak Joe” re-teams with the only man he’s ever fully trusted: the 44th president of the United States. Together they’ll plumb the darkest corners of Delaware, traveling from cheap motels to biker bars and beyond, as they uncover the sinister forces advancing America’s opioid epidemic. The two prove that justice has no term limits"

That sounds absolutely hilarious.

 

[twietee]

That sounds absolutely hilarious.

It really is! I saw the cover in a New Yorker instagram-post and was intrigued:

followed a link to read their nicely written review. Ordered it ASAP and read it in the bathtub (no beach unfortunately!!). What can I say: 10/10 pulp entertainment.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It really is! I saw the cover in a New Yorker instagram-post and was intrigued:

followed a link to read their nicely written review. Ordered it ASAP and read it in the bathtub (no beach unfortunately!!). What can I say: 10/10 pulp entertainment.

Does Michelle make an appearance?

 

[twietee]

Does Michelle make an appearance?

I'm not fully through as of yet - don't really think so but she is mentioned of course (Jill Biden does appear though).

(From the top of my head):
When the two elderly crime fighters lie to their respective wives on the phone about what they did during the night Obama says: "The less they know about last night the less it will hurt them. And as long as they don't know they won't hurt us."

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Shall sit down with A Song for Arbonne (by Guy Gavriel Kay) later this evening.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Have been dipping in and out of "Talk of the Devil" by Riccardo Orizio.

Am gobsmacked by the extraordinary (and brilliant) - jaw-dropping chapter about Idi Amin.

Yes, of course, I remember Idi Amin, and what he did - and yes, I have read quite a number of books about Africa over the past year - but, clearly, I had forgotten some of the more lurid details of Idi Amin's tenure, not least the sheer grotesque horror of elements of his rule - rendered even more bizarre by the dry, understated tone in which it is conveyed by Orizio.

 

[0388631]

Toying with reading all of the LOTR between now and Christmas.

 

[pachyderm]

oof

 

[cartrans]

Nice post. I like your post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your posts.

 

[kritisharma]

I just finished my book: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Now I am reading Hamlet by William Shakespeare.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Toying with reading all of the LOTR between now and Christmas.

How many time have you read it (start to finish) to date? Or, is this your first time embarking on this (magisterial) work?

 

[ucfgrad93]

I am currently reading Lost Empire by Clive Cussler. Picked it up at a garage sale for 50 cents. Not bad, but kinda of outlandish in spots.

https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Empire-...preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

 

[RootBeerMan]

I am currently reading Lost Empire by Clive Cussler. Picked it up at a garage sale for 50 cents. Not bad, but kinda of outlandish in spots.

https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Empire-...preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

You over paid. I used to be a huge Cussler fan, but he really started phoning them in some years ago. The quality of his writing, compared to his earlier greats, went down hill considerably. It looks like now that he isn't even writing them himself with the number of "co-writers" he has. The publisher is likely just using his name as a house writer and sending him a check for stuff that's ghost written. Sad to see, as he was once a great thriller author.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Anyone else here a fan (or an admirer) of Martin Cruz Smith?

And still reading (with absorbed fascination) "Talk of the Devil" by Riccardo Orizio.

 

[ucfgrad93]

You over paid. I used to be a huge Cussler fan, but he really started phoning them in some years ago. The quality of his writing, compared to his earlier greats, went down hill considerably. It looks like now that he isn't even writing them himself with the number of "co-writers" he has. The publisher is likely just using his name as a house writer and sending him a check for stuff that's ghost written. Sad to see, as he was once a great thriller author.

So, give me the title of another one of Cussler's books that I could read.

 

[RootBeerMan]

So, give me the title of another one of Cussler's books that I could read.

I'd suggest the first 11 or 12 of the Dirk Pitt Adventures. These date back to the 70's and include books like "Raise The Titanic" and "The Mediterranean Caper". These were all Cussler in his prime and were great reads. Read them in order and you've got quite a good series!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Cussler#Dirk_Pitt_Adventures