Looking for a good read...

[|Zach|]

My fancy book learnin has given me the ability to read. I am looking to snatch up and spend some time with a good book. I don't have anything specific im looking for...I usually am into non fiction...

What say CP readers? Any ideas?

[milkman]

The Cat in The Hat! :p

[Jenson71]

I can't put it down, Zach. Halfway through after only a few days:

http://a1204.g.akamai.net/7/1204/1401/03122212011/images.barnesandnoble.com/images/7210000/7213891.jpg

[DomCasual]

My fancy book learnin has given me the ability to read. I am looking to snatch up and spend some time with a good book. I don't have anything specific im looking for...I usually am into non fiction...

What say CP readers? Any ideas?
That's a pretty open question. What kind of non-fiction? Any particular subject?

[cdcox]

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=127418

[ChiTown]

Non-Fiction, ok. But what else are you looking for?

[|Zach|]

That's a pretty open question. What kind of non-fiction? Any particular subject?Like I said...im very open...just thought some folks would throw some stuff that is tickling thier fancy.

[|Zach|]

I am considering finding something about Howard Hughes.

[|Zach|]

Non-Fiction, ok. But what else are you looking for?I am looking for anything that other people found enjoyable. :)

[Rain Man]

"You Shall Know Our Velocity", by David Eggers

or

"On The Road" by Jack Kerouac

[jspchief]

"Into Thin Air" or "Into the Wild" both by Jon Krakauer.

Short reads, but interesting. Thin air is about his disasterous Mt Everest climb. The Wild is about a young man that decides to live on his own in the wild. Both are true stories.

[DomCasual]

Like I said...im very open...just thought some folks would throw some stuff that is tickling thier fancy.
I just finished reading D-Day by Stephen Ambrose. Anything about WWII by him is going to be good.
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/068480137X.01._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_AA240_SH20_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[CosmicPal]

The Kite Runner

One of the best works of fiction written in a long time.

Hosseini's stunning debut novel starts as an eloquent Afghan version of the American immigrant experience in the late 20th century, but betrayal and redemption come to the forefront when the narrator, a writer, returns to his ravaged homeland to rescue the son of his childhood friend after the boy's parents are shot during the Taliban takeover in the mid '90s. Amir, the son of a well-to-do Kabul merchant, is the first-person narrator, who marries, moves to California and becomes a successful novelist. But he remains haunted by a childhood incident in which he betrayed the trust of his best friend, a Hazara boy named Hassan, who receives a brutal beating from some local bullies. After establishing himself in America, Amir learns that the Taliban have murdered Hassan and his wife, raising questions about the fate of his son, Sohrab. Spurred on by childhood guilt, Amir makes the difficult journey to Kabul, only to learn the boy has been enslaved by a former childhood bully who has become a prominent Taliban official. The price Amir must pay to recover the boy is just one of several brilliant, startling plot twists that make this book memorable both as a political chronicle and a deeply personal tale about how childhood choices affect our adult lives. The character studies alone would make this a noteworthy debut, from the portrait of the sensitive, insecure Amir to the multilayered development of his father, Baba, whose sacrifices and scandalous behavior are fully revealed only when Amir returns to Afghanistan and learns the true nature of his relationship to Hassan. Add an incisive, perceptive examination of recent Afghan history and its ramifications in both America and the Middle East, and the result is a complete work of literature that succeeds in exploring the culture of a previously obscure nation that has become a pivot point in the global politics of the new millennium.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1594480001.01._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_AA240_SH20_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[Jenson71]

http://a1204.g.akamai.net/7/1204/1401/05050915011/images.barnesandnoble.com/images/9620000/9625420.jpg

[Tribal Warfare]

With The Old Breed by E.B. Sledge

[dtebbe]

The Millionare Next Door

Excellent book.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671015206/002-6159843-6416813

DT

[DomCasual]

Then there's this one. :D
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B0006SHMW0.01._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_AA240_SH20_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[Jenson71]

http://a1204.g.akamai.net/7/1204/1401/04040513011/images.barnesandnoble.com/images/7580000/7580973.jpg

[ChiTown]

The Kite Runner

One of the best works of fiction written in a long time.

Hosseini's stunning debut novel starts as an eloquent Afghan version of the American immigrant experience in the late 20th century, but betrayal and redemption come to the forefront when the narrator, a writer, returns to his ravaged homeland to rescue the son of his childhood friend after the boy's parents are shot during the Taliban takeover in the mid '90s. Amir, the son of a well-to-do Kabul merchant, is the first-person narrator, who marries, moves to California and becomes a successful novelist. But he remains haunted by a childhood incident in which he betrayed the trust of his best friend, a Hazara boy named Hassan, who receives a brutal beating from some local bullies. After establishing himself in America, Amir learns that the Taliban have murdered Hassan and his wife, raising questions about the fate of his son, Sohrab. Spurred on by childhood guilt, Amir makes the difficult journey to Kabul, only to learn the boy has been enslaved by a former childhood bully who has become a prominent Taliban official. The price Amir must pay to recover the boy is just one of several brilliant, startling plot twists that make this book memorable both as a political chronicle and a deeply personal tale about how childhood choices affect our adult lives. The character studies alone would make this a noteworthy debut, from the portrait of the sensitive, insecure Amir to the multilayered development of his father, Baba, whose sacrifices and scandalous behavior are fully revealed only when Amir returns to Afghanistan and learns the true nature of his relationship to Hassan. Add an incisive, perceptive examination of recent Afghan history and its ramifications in both America and the Middle East, and the result is a complete work of literature that succeeds in exploring the culture of a previously obscure nation that has become a pivot point in the global politics of the new millennium.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1594480001.01._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_AA240_SH20_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Absolutely loved this book.

[RealSNR]

Then there's this one. :D
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B0006SHMW0.01._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_AA240_SH20_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"Mike Shanahan".... hmm.... that sure is an odd way to spell Carl Peterson :p

JK, of course. We all know Carl is a dipshit.

[Hammock Parties]

The Dig - Alan Dean Foster

My favorite book ever.

[Demonpenz]

"You Shall Know Our Velocity", by David Eggers

or

"On The Road" by Jack Kerouac


yam yum yam yum!

[listopencil]

Atlas Shrugged.

[listopencil]

Starship Troopers.

[listopencil]

Of Mice And Men.

[|Zach|]

Atlas Shrugged.Read it. Loved it.

[pikesome]

Starship Troopers.

I'm gonna pass on the "Bronco fans can read?" comment and say this is my favorite of all time. Maybe The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, too hard to decide.

I just finished The Illusion of Victory: America in World War I. A good book about the US's involvement in WWI and Pres Wilson. If you like Wilson don't read it though, he doesn't end up smelling to well by the end of the book.

[Miles]

Read it. Loved it.

Yep thats among my favorites. Though it is a little damn long.


Im not much af a non-fiction reader but Armageddon: The Battle for Germany by Max Hastings was great.

Another good one is Moneyball. Its a pretty quick read and is really enjoyable if you are into baseball.

[|Zach|]

Thanks for all the good advice folks...

[|Zach|]

Hey Miles, I wasn't able to catch the new ATHF. How was it?

[Miles]

Hey Miles, I wasn't able to catch the new ATHF. How was it?

Solid but not great. Had some pretty funny moments but it was extremly random.

[Taco John]

It's fiction but it's good...

Look up "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card

[|Zach|]

It's fiction but it's good...

Look up "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott CardEh, I think we all know ENDelts game. Thanks anyway though.

[Gaz]

For non-fiction, I would recommend The Killer Angels. His son took up the story [and back story], but this one shines.

Another very good non-fiction book is A Brief History of Time.

xoxo~
Gaz
Tends more towards fiction.

[ChiefsFanatic]

For non-fiction, I would recommend The Killer Angels. His son took up the story [and back story], but this one shines.

Another very good non-fiction book is A Brief History of Time.

xoxo~
Gaz
Tends more towards fiction.


The Killer Angels is brilliant. It won the Pulitzer.

I have a huge collection of books, and enjoy reading non-fiction, too.
I am currently reading
Shakespeare by Another Name: A Biography of Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, the Man Who Was Shakespeare (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592401031/qid=1133960182/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-2381792-7847247?n=507846&s=books&v=glance) and it is quite good.

Here are some other great non-fiction books. All excellent.
Truman (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671456547/qid=1133959886/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/002-2381792-7847247?s=books&v=glance&n=283155) This is the Pulitzer Prize winning book about our very own Harry Truman.
The Measure of All Things: The Seven-Year Odyssey and Hidden Error that Transformed the World (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000094P57/ref=pd_ys_iyr16/002-2381792-7847247?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155)
If Chins Could Kill : Confessions of a B Movie Actor (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312291450/ref=pd_ys_iyr25/002-2381792-7847247?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155) This is hilarious. I love Bruce Campbell
The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0786865334/ref=pd_ys_iyr34/002-2381792-7847247?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155)
The Glorious Cause (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345427580/ref=pd_ys_iyr48/002-2381792-7847247?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155)
John Adams (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684813637/ref=pd_ys_iyr68/002-2381792-7847247?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155)
Rise to Rebellion : A Novel of the American Revolution (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/034542753X/ref=pd_ys_iyr73/002-2381792-7847247?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155)
From Dawn to Decadence: 1500 to the Present: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060175869/ref=pd_ys_iyr88/002-2381792-7847247?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155)
The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385493282/ref=pd_ys_iyr89/002-2381792-7847247?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155)

This is one of my all-time favorites, but I am a huge James Ellroy fan. My Dark Places (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679762051/ref=pd_ys_iyr105/002-2381792-7847247?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155)

[the Talking Can]

Joan Didion is a great non-fiction wirter (hell, fiction too).

Wikipedia -
"Her collections of essays, Slouching Toward Bethlehem (1968) and The White Album (1979) -- a book described in one review as helping to define California as "the paranoia capital of the world" -- made her famous as an observer of American politics and culture with a distinctive style of reporting that mixed personal reflection and social analysis.

Both books are brilliant, especially about the culture in California. But her newest just came out...a memoir of the recent death of her husband and illness of her daughter. Not lite reading for sure, but the reviews are good and depending on your mood...:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/140004314X.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com (excerpt from the amazon page) -

Out of excruciatingly painful personal experience, Joan Didion has written a lacerating yet peculiarly stirring book "about death, about illness, about probability and luck, about good fortune and bad, about marriage and children and memory, about grief, about the ways in which people do and do not deal with the fact that life ends, about the shallowness of sanity, about life itself." In December 2003 two terrible things happened: her only child, Quintana, married months earlier, was hospitalized in a coma, and five days later her husband, John Gregory Dunne, died "in the living room of our apartment in New York [after] a sudden massive coronary event" just as he and Didion were about to have dinner. For more than a year, Didion's life was completely taken over by these events; The Year of Magical Thinking is the story of that year.

It is an intensely personal story that involves a relatively small cast of characters, but Didion's telling of it is clearly impelled in large measure by the events in New York of September 2001. The theme that persists throughout The Year of Magical Thinking is the seamless progression from the ordinary to the catastrophic: "You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends."

[ChiefsFanatic]

I almost forgot. Seabiscuit: An American Legend (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375502912/qid=1133961108/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/002-2381792-7847247?s=books&v=glance&n=283155) It is really good even if you have seen the movie. It may actually be better it you have seen the movie.

[Baby Lee]

"You Shall Know Our Velocity", by David Eggers
Did you read AHWoSG? If so, how does the sophomore effort measure?

[Gaz]

I listened to Seabiscuit on audiobook [Audible.com]. Very touching story. Made me a bit weepy.

xoxo~
Gaz
Not too tough to cry.

[Baby Lee]

J.C. Furnas - The Americans: A Social History of the United States.

[Swanman]

I just finished reading D-Day by Stephen Ambrose. Anything about WWII by him is going to be good.
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/068480137X.01._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_AA240_SH20_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

I agree on D-Day, that was a damn good book. I was skeptical going in because it seemed like a really long book about 1 battle could get a little too detailed but the book detailed a lot of facets of the battle I hadn't heard about before, such as all the deception activities undertaken by the Allies to try to fool the Germans into thinking they were going to invade somewhere other than Normandy. I would also recommend Citizen Soldier and Band of Brothers by Ambrose. Everyone's probably heard about Band of Brothers from the HBO series, the book just fleshes it out a little more and Citizen Soldier takes a wider look at the entire European Theater during WWII.

My #1 non-fiction recommendation would be Helter Skelter. It's the story of Charles Manson written by the man that prosecuted him, Vince Bugliosi. It's an amazing and very scary read.

[ChiefsFanatic]

I listened to Seabiscuit on audiobook [Audible.com]. Very touching story. Made me a bit weepy.

xoxo~
Gaz
Not too tough to cry.


I read the book after seeing the movie. The way she described the races still made my heart jump.

[ChiefsFanatic]

Here is a list of the books that I have on mp3 or wma. See anything you like? Sorry for the poor list.

Edit: I do have all the Harry Potters, they are just not listed.

[joesomebody]

If you've never read any James Clavell, you are missing out.

I would read the series in order, however it is in no way necessisary.

Shogun
Tai-Pan
Gai-Gin
King Rat
Noble House
Whirlwind

I don't beleive he wrote the books in that order, but they are in that order as far as the time period of the book.

I'd have to say Tai-Pan is the best one, but they are all absolutely outstanding.

[Bill Lundberg]

Winnning

[MOhillbilly]

Bukowski - best american poet ever.

The dogfighter - not what you would expect by the name but a damn fine read.

Hunting Humans - A-Z of modern serial killers. very chilling stuff HB only.

California Sketches - if youve never read this you should & you can knock it out in an hour or so.

[CosmicPal]

Bukowski - best american poet ever.



:clap:

Love is a Dog From Hell.

http://www.beatmuseum.org/bukowski/images/wineglas.jpg

[MOhillbilly]

I hear you cosmic,have to be careful that i dont burn through all his stuff to fast....
BEER
from: Love is A Mad Dog From Hell
I don't know how many bottles of beer
I have consumed while waiting for things
to get better
I dont know how much wine and whisky
and beer
mostly beer
I have consumed after
splits with women-
waiting for the phone to ring
waiting for the sound of footsteps,
and the phone to ring
waiting for the sounds of footsteps,
and the phone never rings
until much later
and the footsteps never arrive
until much later
when my stomach is coming up
out of my mouth
they arrive as fresh as spring flowers:
"what the hell have you done to yourself?
it will be 3 days before you can **** me!"
the female is durable
she lives seven and one half years longer
than the male, and she drinks very little beer
because she knows its bad for the figure.
while we are going mad
they are out
dancing and laughing
with horney cowboys.
well, there's beer
sacks and sacks of empty beer bottles
and when you pick one up
the bottle fall through the wet bottom
of the paper sack
rolling
clanking
spilling gray wet ash
and stale beer,
or the sacks fall over at 4 a.m.
in the morning
making the only sound in your life.
beer
rivers and seas of beer
the radio singing love songs
as the phone remains silent
and the walls stand
straight up and down
and beer is all there is.
AS CRAZY AS I EVER WAS
from: Love is A Dog From Hell
drunk and writing poems
at 3 a.m.
what counts now
is one more
tight pussy
before the light
tilts out
drunk and writing poems
at 3:15 a.m.

some people tell me that I'm
famous.
what am I doing alone
drunk and writing poems at
3:18 a.m.?
I'm as crazy as I ever was
they don't understand
that I haven't stopped hanging out of 4th floor
windows by my heels-
I still do
right now
sitting here
writing this down
I am hanging by my heels
floors up:
68, 72, 101,
the feeling is the
same:
relentless
unheroic and
necessary
sitting here
drunk and writing poems
at 3:24 a.m.

[DomCasual]

I agree on D-Day, that was a damn good book. I was skeptical going in because it seemed like a really long book about 1 battle could get a little too detailed but the book detailed a lot of facets of the battle I hadn't heard about before, such as all the deception activities undertaken by the Allies to try to fool the Germans into thinking they were going to invade somewhere other than Normandy. I would also recommend Citizen Soldier and Band of Brothers by Ambrose. Everyone's probably heard about Band of Brothers from the HBO series, the book just fleshes it out a little more and Citizen Soldier takes a wider look at the entire European Theater during WWII.

My #1 non-fiction recommendation would be Helter Skelter. It's the story of Charles Manson written by the man that prosecuted him, Vince Bugliosi. It's an amazing and very scary read.
Read both of the Ambrose books you mentioned - both also great books. I like the way he writes, and have always had an interest in WWII. Band of Brothers was his best effort, in my opinion.

[ChiefsFanatic]

Ambrose also wrote a great book about Lewis & Clark. He is a huge L&C fanatic.

[MOhillbilly]

Ambrose also wrote a great book about Lewis & Clark. He is a huge L&C fanatic.


i read that, and it is good.

[Ebolapox]

damn--so many good books out there--fiction or non?? I could say check out some clancy or grisham, but I'm sure others have said it already--I'd recommend 'without remorse' by tom clancy to anyone

the vampire chronicles are good but a bit strange as far as things go (anne rice)--the harry potter books are good, but start from the beginning

nonfiction--hmmm... too many good ones to recommend

-EB-