What are you reading - Fiction.

[Daddyjt 8,357]

Several years ago, I used to read before bed every night.  Then, with the advent of the IPad, I got into the habit of surfing the web, doing crossword puzzles, and checking the various news sites I frequent before bed.  Lately, I’ve gone back to reading, and I’ve found I sleep MUCH better than when I “IPad” before bed.

 

I am always reading two books at a time, a fiction book, and a non-fiction book.  I typically read fiction before bed, and non-fiction in the morning and at lunch. This thread is for the Fiction books that we are all currently reading.  See THIS thread for your current non-fiction reads.

 

Hopefully I’m not the only reader here (and willing to discuss some great literature)!

 

[Will Meyer 1,613]

I'm a Scifi fan. 

 

I used to buy paper books, but since getting a Kindle, all my purchases are in electronic media. They definately take up less room.

 

Currently I'm reading a space opera, The Lost Fleet, by Jack Campbell.

I'm on book #2 of the series, Fearless. 

 

[oldtexasdog 2,314]

Alan Furst

Historical spy novels. Like potato chips you read one and you will be reading the rest.

His research. Is very impressive. Kinda like a mix of Clancy at his best and John le Carre for depth.

[Daddyjt 8,357]

18 minutes ago, oldtexasdog said:

Alan Furst

Historical spy novels. Like potato chips you read one and you will be reading the rest.

His research. Is very impressive. Kinda like a mix of Clancy at his best and John le Carre for depth.

That sounds right up my alley - thanks for the reference!

[Daddyjt 8,357]

[Daddyjt 8,357]

[CT-Seven 762]

I too read but I am more focused on Ocean Liners that crossed the Atlantic between 1900’s to the 1960’s (wanted to be a maretime historían)

 

I am currently reading 

 

[Daddyjt 8,357]

[AndrewJohn 6,528]

Time to resurrect this thread that Mark started.  Been a while and I am guessing a few books have been read since the last post.  New members may also read!!  (And the non-fiction thread..., search "what are you reading non-fiction")

 

OK, here's my reading for the last three books.  In this order listed below.  I went through these over the last 2 months to keep my sanity as I exited my job (finally, on Friday, past).

 

I read Ayn Rand in school, but it was "forced" as it was an assignment, and I was too busy chasing other things a 17-year-old did in those days...  Revisiting these three books now, where I am, with my life experience, in our current socio-political and economic climate..., Was just AWESOME to re-accomplish.  Loved every minute of the reading.

 

There are many perspectives one can take and learn from these works.  I'll leave it at that.  Ayn, limited by the medium of fiction, had to sharpen the story to make her points, and she does.  Of course, the intelligent reader can discern and filter to see how and what can be applied to find the obvious balance between the main point, and reality..., (there's a good book that Ayn is quoted that points out this "balance" between having to write a perfect story, to make a point, and reality - obviously, the "looters" and  "idiots" are not going to all disappear like in Atlas Shrugged - and of course, new ones are born every day.  I'll leave it at that.

 

"Critical Thinking."  Encapsulates "discernment" and "filtering".  For me, a main point and two-word takeaway from reading these.

 

Book one: Ayn Rand's Anthem.  As a dry, unembellished statement this short text sets a foundation for Ayn's lifetime perspectives on contrasting objectivism with collectivism in defining her philosophy.

 

Book two: Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead.  One of my absolute favorites. I spent 25 years working with architects and met some of the greats who are way WAY out there, Gehry, Pelli, and others.  If you've watched the PBS documentary on Frank Loydd Wright's "Buffalo", there is a scene in it showing the Martin home designed by FLW, you can see one project in The Fountainhead with a statue at the end of a corridor outside the window in the garden..., which is speculated as the basis for parts of this story.  (Youtube serach for "FLW Buffalo", if you know Ayn's story, it will connect the dots. Play to about 32:00 in the posted video where the narrator describes the conservatory with a statue of Nike representing ..." .

 

Book three: Ayn Rand's epic, Atlas Shrugged.  Nearly 1500 pages (in bible-sized text 4pt?), but with characters so well developed you feel you know them Dagne Taggert, John Galt, Francisco d'Anconia, Ragnar Danneskjöld, Henry Reardon, and the struggle, conflict, and evolution of revelation and epiphany.  The "looters"... 'nuff said.  Worth the read.  Ayn Rand did an interview with Mike Wallace, that is also on YouTube, as well as one of Ayn's final public lecture (also on YouTube) to where she is working on a miniseries script..., she died before she could finish it. And, spot-watching some of the "clips" from productions of the Atlas Socienty..., pale in comparison to reading the book. Would have been good to get this full story, in Ayn's own mind's presentation, to more people (that don't read).

[oldtexasdog 2,314]

Jim Butcher-The Dresden Files

Very addictive-fast read-a-hoot. If you start from the first book (which was his first)  you get to kinda watch the author get better and better as his writing skills improve.

[iamjohngalt 1,812]

On 3/25/2023 at 12:54 PM, AndrewJohn said:

Time to resurrect this thread that Mark started.  Been a while and I am guessing a few books have been read since the last post.  New members may also read!!  (And the non-fiction thread..., search "what are you reading non-fiction")

 

OK, here's my reading for the last three books.  In this order listed below.  I went through these over the last 2 months to keep my sanity as I exited my job (finally, on Friday, past).

 

I read Ayn Rand in school, but it was "forced" as it was an assignment, and I was too busy chasing other things a 17-year-old did in those days...  Revisiting these three books now, where I am, with my life experience, in our current socio-political and economic climate..., Was just AWESOME to re-accomplish.  Loved every minute of the reading.

 

There are many perspectives one can take and learn from these works.  I'll leave it at that.  Ayn, limited by the medium of fiction, had to sharpen the story to make her points, and she does.  Of course, the intelligent reader can discern and filter to see how and what can be applied to find the obvious balance between the main point, and reality..., (there's a good book that Ayn is quoted that points out this "balance" between having to write a perfect story, to make a point, and reality - obviously, the "looters" and  "idiots" are not going to all disappear like in Atlas Shrugged - and of course, new ones are born every day.  I'll leave it at that.

 

"Critical Thinking."  Encapsulates "discernment" and "filtering".  For me, a main point and two-word takeaway from reading these.

 

Book one: Ayn Rand's Anthem.  As a dry, unembellished statement this short text sets a foundation for Ayn's lifetime perspectives on contrasting objectivism with collectivism in defining her philosophy.

 

Book two: Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead.  One of my absolute favorites. I spent 25 years working with architects and met some of the greats who are way WAY out there, Gehry, Pelli, and others.  If you've watched the PBS documentary on Frank Loydd Wright's "Buffalo", there is a scene in it showing the Martin home designed by FLW, you can see one project in The Fountainhead with a statue at the end of a corridor outside the window in the garden..., which is speculated as the basis for parts of this story.  (Youtube serach for "FLW Buffalo", if you know Ayn's story, it will connect the dots. Play to about 32:00 in the posted video where the narrator describes the conservatory with a statue of Nike representing ..." .

 

Book three: Ayn Rand's epic, Atlas Shrugged.  Nearly 1500 pages (in bible-sized text 4pt?), but with characters so well developed you feel you know them Dagne Taggert, John Galt, Francisco d'Anconia, Ragnar Danneskjöld, Henry Reardon, and the struggle, conflict, and evolution of revelation and epiphany.  The "looters"... 'nuff said.  Worth the read.  Ayn Rand did an interview with Mike Wallace, that is also on YouTube, as well as one of Ayn's final public lecture (also on YouTube) to where she is working on a miniseries script..., she died before she could finish it. And, spot-watching some of the "clips" from productions of the Atlas Socienty..., pale in comparison to reading the book. Would have been good to get this full story, in Ayn's own mind's presentation, to more people (that don't read).

I couldn't agree more, AJ, as you probably guessed from my nickname here.

Listening to the complete audio book of Atlas Shrugged is a fantastic way to drive coast to coast, too.

(OK, it would probably take several such drives to hear it all.)

 

[iamjohngalt 1,812]

Unintended Consequences by John Ross

The novel includes a fascinating history of the "gun culture" in the US, and

factual history of the federal government's actions, both legal and illegal,

against people who enjoy their 2nd amendment rights.

Examples:

Bonus Army March on Washington, D.C. (1932)
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (1943)
Battle of Athens, Tennessee (1946)
Ken Ballew raid (1971)
1985 MOVE bombing in Philadelphia (1985)
FBI shootout in Miami, Florida (1986)

 

The characters are complex and heroic, and the plot moves along well.

I found it difficult to put it down once I started reading it.

It has become a cult classic and books are selling for north of $100,

with signed copies for much more.

(The author passed away in 2022.)

See link below for a free download.

 

 

Free download: https://archive.org/details/unintended-consequences-by-John-Ross

[iamjohngalt 1,812]

For excellent entertainment, I can recommend the Jack Reacher series of books by Lee Child.

https://www.jackreacher.com/us/the-jack-reacher-books-in-order/

 

Lee Child has  referred to Reacher on multiple occasions as a 'knight-errant'[9][12] and in an interview for Time magazine describes the character as: "(He's) two things in one. On the surface, he is an ex-military cop who is suddenly dumped out into the civilian world. He doesn't fit in, and he spends his time wandering America, seeing the things that he's never had time to see before. He's trying to stay out of trouble, but masterfully once a year getting into trouble. He's also the descendant of a very ancient tradition: the noble loner, the knight errant, the mysterious stranger, who has shown up in stories forever… He is a truly universal character... I'm writing the modern iteration of a character who has existed for thousands of years."

 

These are also great books to take on a vacation or to have by the hammock or on the screened porch for summer.

[AndrewJohn 6,528]

1 hour ago, iamjohngalt said:

Listening to the complete audio book of Atlas Shrugged is a fantastic way to drive coast to coast, too.

(OK, it would probably take several such drives to hear it all.)

 

60 hours..., coast to coast, and back. 😉 

 

There are some things Ayn Rand had to compromise to make the book happen..., the end is definitely accelerated..., it could have been a 5 volume epic..., And, well, it's not always that black and white.  However to do the story, she did a great job.  And, she is a self-professed "author of fiction"..., and in her later interviews did not like being called a philosopher.