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What are you reading in 2018?

Benjamin Grimm Jan 01 2018 02:16 PM

I'm starting off the year with The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. Anyone who thinks that black people have had it easy in America (and amazingly enough, those people are out there) should read this book. But of course, they won't.

Edgy MD Jan 01 2018 03:10 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

I'm reading this memoir of Neil Young's, told through the facet of the cars that have gotten him through. It's also a good look at the guitars he's played (and attacked Stephen Stills with) across the decades.

Frayed Knot Jan 01 2018 08:07 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'm starting off the year with The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. Terrific book; read it maybe five years ago. Slavery was in some ways better than the system which followed it for many and the total effects of one of the world's largest ever internal migrations is one of the under-reported stories in this country's history.

sharpie Jan 02 2018 01:04 AM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Agree about The Warmth of Other Suns, an epic that took the author many years to write. I read Neil Young's first memoir and thought it was a piece o' crap and grievously unedited. I finished the fifth volume of Karl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle earlier today. It's the third year in a row that I have started the year reading one of those books. Not much happens but his take on not much happening is fascinating.

Rockin' Doc Jan 02 2018 04:23 AM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

I read The Warmth of Other Suns a few years ago. I thought it was well written and very enlightening regarding the many hardships that confronted blacks following the abolishment of slavery due to continued discrimination and segregation.

Fman99 Jan 02 2018 01:05 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Plowing through all of the books I've purchased the last few years of book sales at my local library. About halfway through this tome, a detailed look at the changes in media and how they relate to politics over the middle portion of the 20th century, and the change from printed news, to radio and then television.

Lefty Specialist Jan 02 2018 01:08 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

They should do a Powers That Be book for today's media landscape. Of course, you couldn't get it published because every major publisher is now an arm of a major media group.

41Forever Jan 02 2018 02:24 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

My son got me this one for Christmas. I've read a lot of books about TR, but I'v never read any of the books he authored. This one is still considered the definitive book about the naval aspect of the war.

Frayed Knot Jan 13 2018 03:11 AM Re: What are you reading in 2018? Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 13 2018 11:46 PM

A bit of a late start here, but kicking off my reading year with READY PLAYER ONE based on the recommendations of several of youse here. Enjoying it so far even though I am not and never have been in what is seemingly the book's target audience of role-playing gamer geek. Man, those types must be in heaven with this book. Either that or they quit halfway through in frustration that the world imagined by the author doesn't yet exist. But that is quite a world he creates.

Zvon Jan 13 2018 04:04 AM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

I'm reading three books at the same time for the first time in my life. I've never even read 2 at the same time before. I like to kEePeM'SePaRaTeD. ( Reading the COMPLETE AMBER CHRONICLES, 1-10. All 10 books dealing with the Nine Princes of Amber, THE only true royal family who live in the one true world (ours is not the true one. Our earth is a shadow of Amber) who don't know whether to support one another of cut their brother's throats so they are next in line to be king. They also have the pretty awesome ability to transport them selves to each other's location by using a deck of cards made in their images by an insane magician who served now missing, feared dead, King of Amber. They just reach into the card and pull the other through. They also have the magical ability to walk through shadow into all the shadow worlds that exists, and they are limitless. As they do so the scenery and things around them visually change before their eyes so they see what they desire to see, until they reach the shadow world they desire to visit. One amazing passage has the main character, Corwin of Amber, rightful heir to The Throne, traveling thru shadow with one of his brothers in a car. His brother is doing the driving as well as controlling the passage thru shadow. And every few lengths of road the car would change into a different shape, and different model, as did the landscape outside. As did their clothing. Sometimes amusing, always riveting, it starts with Corwin in a hospital bed after a bad car accident. A head wound had caused him to suffer amnesia and he didn't who he was. So he didn't know he could do these things nor that he was magical or a prince of Royal blood. And neither did the reader (yes, that's a bit of a spoiler but he finds out pretty quick. But the way he finds out.....). Most definitely my favorite opening to any book, ever. Even better than my all time favorite book, THE STAND (S.KING). If you pick up book one (NINE PRINCESS IN AMBER short and sweet, app. 120 pages), I guarantee you will be hooked and have to read all ten. Most recommended to fans of sci-fi as well as those of swords and sorcery. I read some of these Amber books some time ago, but not in order and not one right after the other. ______ I'm also re-reading some Sherlock Holmes stories. I have the complete collection in 3 volumes that I keep in the john and I'll read a few pages while taking care of business. I normally would not like to read a book in such a fashion (prefer the newspaper or a magazine while on the throne), but I've read these stories so many times already that I can leave off anywhere and pick it right up again. And Sir A.C. Doyle.....what can I say but one of the best wordsmiths to ever work a page. Reading him I feel like our race IS suffering de-evolution (with exception to the grand writers we have as members). ___________ Also reading a book my neighbor wrote. It's enjoyable if only for the fact that he wrote it. I hope he won't be insulted if he ever reads that I said he is no Sir A.C.Doyle, but who the frack is?

cooby Jan 13 2018 04:20 AM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Love Sherlock Holmes!

DocTee Jan 13 2018 03:22 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Keeping with my 2017 resolution to read a book per week, here's how I started 2018: 1. [u:1i5ct50v]The Chicago Cubs: Story of a Curse[/u:1i5ct50v]. Rich Cohen. 2. [u:1i5ct50v]Exiled: The Last Days of Sam Houston[/u:1i5ct50v]. Ron Rozelle. 3. [u:1i5ct50v]Al Capone and the 1933 World's Fair: The End of the Gangster Era in Chicago[/u:1i5ct50v]. William E. Hazelgrove.

Lefty Specialist Jan 13 2018 05:32 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Finished Fire and Fury as my vacation/beach read. Oy gevalt.

RealityChuck Jan 13 2018 11:44 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Reading The Book of Dreams, the final book in Jack Vance's Demon Princes series. Vance was an amazing writer, a master of creating bizarre planets and outre characters. He was a fine stylist.

Fman99 Jan 16 2018 05:45 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Lefty Specialist wrote: Finished Fire and Fury as my vacation/beach read. Oy gevalt. I'm about a third of the way through it. He's not a particularly skilled writer.

Lefty Specialist Jan 16 2018 06:47 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Fman99 wrote: Lefty Specialist wrote: Finished Fire and Fury as my vacation/beach read. Oy gevalt. I'm about a third of the way through it. He's not a particularly skilled writer. No, there are tons of simple errors that editors should have caught, which I found a bit annoying. It's like the book was blurted out on a cocaine all-nighter.

Vic Sage Jan 16 2018 08:18 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Zvon wrote: ... Reading the COMPLETE AMBER CHRONICLES, 1-10. All 10 books dealing with the Nine Princes of Amber, THE only true royal family who live in the one true world (ours is not the true one. Our earth is a shadow of Amber) who don't know whether to support one another of cut their brother's throats so they are next in line to be king. They also have the pretty awesome ability to transport them selves to each other's location by using a deck of cards made in their images by an insane magician who served now missing, feared dead, King of Amber. They just reach into the card and pull the other through. They also have the magical ability to walk through shadow into all the shadow worlds that exists, and they are limitless. As they do so the scenery and things around them visually change before their eyes so they see what they desire to see, until they reach the shadow world they desire to visit. One amazing passage has the main character, Corwin of Amber, rightful heir to The Throne, traveling thru shadow with one of his brothers in a car. His brother is doing the driving as well as controlling the passage thru shadow. And every few lengths of road the car would change into a different shape, and different model, as did the landscape outside. As did their clothing. Sometimes amusing, always riveting, it starts with Corwin in a hospital bed after a bad car accident. A head wound had caused him to suffer amnesia and he didn't who he was. So he didn't know he could do these things nor that he was magical or a prince of Royal blood. And neither did the reader (yes, that's a bit of a spoiler but he finds out pretty quick. But the way he finds out.....). Most definitely my favorite opening to any book, ever. Even better than my all time favorite book, THE STAND (S.KING). If you pick up book one (NINE PRINCESS IN AMBER short and sweet, app. 120 pages), I guarantee you will be hooked and have to read all ten. Most recommended to fans of sci-fi as well as those of swords and sorcery. I read some of these Amber books some time ago, but not in order and not one right after the other... i loved LOVED LOVED those books when i read them in high school. I should re-read them. Zelazney is one of my all time faves. currently reading JULIET, NAKED by Nick Hornby. Liking it muchly.

Lefty Specialist Jan 16 2018 08:40 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Also read this while on vacation, where I was in no hurry at all: A quick, fun read. Big cosmic stuff presented in a conversational tone with the occasional bad joke thrown in.

Frayed Knot Jan 16 2018 08:44 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Lefty Specialist wrote: Lefty Specialist wrote: Finished Fire and Fury as my vacation/beach read. Oy gevalt. I'm about a third of the way through it. He's not a particularly skilled writer. No, there are tons of simple errors that editors should have caught, which I found a bit annoying. It's like the book was blurted out on a cocaine all-nighter. Just the existence and the timing of the book certainly gives it the appearance of a rush job - especially considering it's describing an ongoing situation where story lines could change drastically within weeks.

Lefty Specialist Jan 17 2018 03:41 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

And I'd say that 60-70% of that book is Bannon, or more properly Bannon talking for hours on end to the author. Not that Bannon comes off like a hero by any stretch, but the narrative seems driven by his thoughts.

Fman99 Jan 17 2018 03:50 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

I gave up on it about 85 pages in. I just don't care. It's a big shit show, and the book's best points have already all been shared on news sites. I switched gears to "Farenheit 451," which I've somehow never read before. So far, so good.

Lefty Specialist Jan 17 2018 04:27 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Don't you want to know how it ends?

Zvon Jan 17 2018 04:40 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Lefty Specialist wrote: Lefty Specialist wrote: Finished Fire and Fury as my vacation/beach read. Oy gevalt. I'm about a third of the way through it. He's not a particularly skilled writer. No, there are tons of simple errors that editors should have caught, which I found a bit annoying. It's like the book was blurted out on a cocaine all-nighter. No one does that!

Zvon Jan 17 2018 04:44 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

i loved LOVED LOVED those books when i read them in high school. I should re-read them. Zelazney is one of my all time faves. currently reading JULIET, NAKED by Nick Hornby. Liking it muchly. Do re-read them. If you get the same copy of The Amber Chronicles that I bought years ago, be warned: In book one, The Nine Princes In Amber, they printed a big chunk OUT OF ORDER! In the wrong place! It jumps a bunch of pages and then picks up again where in jumped from. I had read book one at least twice before I got the collection so I noticed right away. I was just appalled that they could make this mistake! I even wrote to the publishers about it. Never heard back.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 26 2018 05:50 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Been enjoying a trip thru the 70s with John D'Acquisto. At some point I conflate D'Acquisto with his one-time teammate John "The Count" Montefusco. The former was famous for being among the first to light up the radar gun at 100 mph+ but had bad control problems, then elbow issues There's some Kingman and Hernandez content and a kind of cool "soundtrack" as he relates his ball experiences to the Klassik Rawk tunes he loves. Still in the middle of it but hoping for some postcareer coverage as he was imprisoned for securities fraud for a while. I didn't realize till I searched for a cover image to accompany this book (I'm kindling it) that Greg Fafif provides back-cover approval.

RealityChuck Mar 27 2018 01:45 AM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

It's Nebula season (the ballot is due this week), so I'm catching up. Currently reading Autonomous Just finished The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter. Going to be a touch choice between the two.

Fman99 Mar 27 2018 02:04 AM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'm starting off the year with The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. Anyone who thinks that black people have had it easy in America (and amazingly enough, those people are out there) should read this book. But of course, they won't. Finished this in February. Powerful stuff.

Frayed Knot Apr 05 2018 01:33 AM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

[fimg=550]https://i.cbc.ca/1.4104941.1494265936!/fileImage/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/16x9_1180/ken-dryden.png?imwidth=720[/fimg] Steve Montador was a marginally talented player who managed to carve out a 10 year NHL career for himself, but then became just one of a growing handful of ex-NHL'ers who died young in recent years, in his case from the effects of a combination of drugs--both legal and not, prescribed and otherwise--taken to combat the effects of depression, mood swings, headaches, memory loss, etc., likely caused by too many hits to the head. And, yes, a post mortem confirmed CTE. He was 35. Dryden didn't know 'Monty' prior to his death, but digs not only into his backstory but also examines the whole history, traditions, and the psyche of hockey in Canada as a way of explaining how things got to this point and where he thinks the sport he still follows passionately, despite it being the one who denies the connection between their sport and head injuries to a greater degree than the NFL, should go from this point forward. Now the question is, will anyone who matters listen? Dryden is a former Stanley Cup winning (x6) goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, a former NCAA champion (Cornell) and an NHL HoF'er. He later was at various times a lawyer, a club President (Maple Leafs), and a member of Canada's Parliament and a Cabinet Minister. This is his third book about hockey.

Chad Ochoseis Apr 05 2018 02:02 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

I'm not a big hockey fan anymore, and I never thought of it as much of a head-injury sport. Is this a result of the fights, or do skaters just tend to take a lot of hard checks into harder walls? Either way, this sounds easier to resolve than football's issues, where the hits to the head are more or less a part of the game. Threadjack prevention - I'm reading Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry, which was originally a screenplay written for John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart, and became a TV miniseries in the late 1980s. I'm not a big Western guy, but I'm a huge fan of his singer-songwriter son James, and I was curious where all the brilliant writing came from. It's 945 pages long, and I'm about done with the pore lonesome cowboy tales, but the man certainly can write.

Edgy MD Apr 05 2018 02:12 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

I think in hockey, it's more a case of cowboy culture, where players get a skate to the face in the first period, get some stitches, and are back skating in period two. It makes for good stories about a guy's toughness, and so it becomes expected. And that means players returning from concussions far faster than they should. Head injuries probably aren't as super common or as compounded by repetition as in football, but the players (and historically, the teams) probably think they can return as soon as they are able to skate without dizziness, while they need some brain-healing time. The NHL also is a rare case of a league that dialed back safety protocols, going to mandatory helmets, while allowing some Ron Duguays out there a grandfather clause to go helmetless. After a decade, with all the helmetless players retired, the league decided to allow some players to go without again. Weird.

Fman99 Apr 05 2018 02:38 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Seriously literary and scary. The guy can build up a story to a dramatic point.

Edgy MD Apr 05 2018 02:43 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Yeah, that's great. That guy wrote in a fever, keeping a lot of metaphors in play at once, keeping a handle on them all, never descending into expressionism.

Frayed Knot Apr 05 2018 09:21 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Chad Ochoseis wrote: ... Is this a result of the fights, or do skaters just tend to take a lot of hard checks into harder walls? Yes! Edgy wrote: I think in hockey, it's more a case of cowboy culture, where players get a skate to the face in the first period, get some stitches, and are back skating in period two. It makes for good stories about a guy's toughness, and so it becomes expected. And that means players returning from concussions far faster than they should. Head injuries probably aren't a super common or as compounded by repetition as in football, but the players (and historically, the teams) probably think they can return as soon as they are able to skate without dizziness, while they need some brain-healing time. Alla that too! Chad wrote: Either way, this sounds easier to resolve than football's issues, where the hits to the head are more or less a part of the game. Which is the frustrating part about it. Gary Bettman (commish) is doing his clever lawyer bit ('you can't prove it', where's the correlation?', 'where's the evidence?') in an attempt to keep the issue from biting the league legally rather than trying to proactively solve the problem.

TransMonk Apr 06 2018 12:26 AM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'm starting off the year with The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. Anyone who thinks that black people have had it easy in America (and amazingly enough, those people are out there) should read this book. But of course, they won't. This is what I am currently reading.

cooby Apr 06 2018 01:58 AM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

I am reading a Dick Francis book, “Driving Force”. If you are familiar with Dick Francis, you know his mysteries revolve around horse racing. I never get tired of them. Fortunately my library has a lot of them!

Fman99 Apr 11 2018 02:49 AM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

"Homer & Langley: A Novel," by E.L. Doctorow. Sucks me in with the prose, every time. What an underrated giant of 20th century American lit.

TransMonk May 13 2018 02:11 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

[fimg=250:1fflumm5]https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1449239660l/28098152.jpg[/fimg:1fflumm5] I've been on a mid-west kick this spring. I've recently finished these two: [fimg=250:1fflumm5]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41D%2Bjau2RlL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg[/fimg:1fflumm5] [fimg=250:1fflumm5]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51nSdU8GjML._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg[/fimg:1fflumm5] and I have this one queued up: [fimg=250:1fflumm5]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41rB0ld%2BKwL._SX324_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg[/fimg:1fflumm5]

DocTee May 13 2018 02:44 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

4. [u:13xa9mz3]The Mad Bomber of New York: The Extraordinary True Story of the Manhunt that Paralyzed a City[/u:13xa9mz3]. Michael Greenburg. 5. [u:13xa9mz3]The Witch of Lime Street: Seance, Seduction, and Houdini in the Spirit World[/u:13xa9mz3]. David Jaher. 6. [u:13xa9mz3]Breakfast with Socrates: An Extraordinary (Philosophical) Journey through your Ordinary Day[/u:13xa9mz3]. Robert R. Smith. 7. [u:13xa9mz3]Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit[/u:13xa9mz3]. Chris Matthews. 8. [u:13xa9mz3]All Souls: A Family Story from Southie[/u:13xa9mz3]. Michael Patrick McDonald. 9. [u:13xa9mz3]If the Oceans Were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and Journey to the Heart of the Quran[/u:13xa9mz3]. Carla Power. 10.[u:13xa9mz3] Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the F.B.I.[/u:13xa9mz3] David Grann 11. [u:13xa9mz3]Zero K[/u:13xa9mz3]. Don DeLillo. 12. [u:13xa9mz3]The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11[/u:13xa9mz3]. Lawrence Wright. 13. [u:13xa9mz3]Bad Jobs and Poor Decisions: Dispatches from the Working Class[/u:13xa9mz3]. JR Helton 14. [u:13xa9mz3]Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone.[/u:13xa9mz3] Brene Brown. 15. [u:13xa9mz3]A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership[/u:13xa9mz3]. James Comey. 16. [u:13xa9mz3]Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, A Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill[/u:13xa9mz3]. Candace Millard. 17. [u:13xa9mz3]American Crucifixion: The Murder of Joseph Smith and the Fate of the Mormon Church[/u:13xa9mz3]. Alex Beam. 18. [u:13xa9mz3]From Here to Eternity: Travelling the World to Find the Good Death[/u:13xa9mz3]. Caitlin Doughty. 19. [u:13xa9mz3]Inseparable: The Original Siamese Twins and their Rendezvous with American History[/u:13xa9mz3]. Yunte Huang.

Rockin' Doc May 14 2018 01:19 AM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Transmonk, what did you think of "Janesville"? I saw it in the bookstore and it caught my interest. I have it on my list of possible books to read in the future.

TransMonk May 14 2018 02:12 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

I enjoyed it. I live about 25 miles from Janesville, though I rarely visit since I work about 25 miles in the other direction from my town. The book tells the stories of several different families dealing with the closure of the GM plant in 2008. Obviously, it was a horrible time for the towns largest employer and a large part of the city's identity to close as that was the beginning of the spiral into the recent economic recession. My takeaway was that Janesville is a resilient city that has rebuilt itself many times and is in the process of rebuilding itself again. Much of the book was researched and written prior to the election of Trump, but I think Janesville also bucks some of the MSM narrative surrounding the "rustbelt" and the manufacturing workers relationship with politics. Paul Ryan is from Janesville. He had obviously been elected several times to Congress, but when he was the VP nominee in 2012, the city and county voted Democrat for president. They did so again in the 2016 presidential race and he is obviously deciding not to run for Congress again in 2018. Janesville has also had a mixed relationship with WI governor Scott Walker. It was a fairly short read and I would recommend it for anyone interested in the story of a hard working mid-western town.

Rockin' Doc May 14 2018 08:02 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Thanks for the information. I knew the basics of the story and thought it sounded interesting. I wii get to it later this summer. I have 3 books waiting on me as it is.

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 14 2018 08:25 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Well written!

cooby May 19 2018 08:37 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

I have always enjoyed spy novels, murder mysteries, stuff about the morbid, etc. One thing that has surprisingly arisen from the current administration is that I now read them with somewhat less enjoyment. I am currently reading an old Robert Ludlum novel “Bourne Ultimatum” that has quite a lot of Federal Government involvement. Since I currently have zero respect for the President or his cabinet, I am finding it hard to get into it. It’s not the old technology that’s tedious. That in some ways is charming. I remember the first time I read a book that used DNA evidence and I was riveted! Anyway, hopefully when the assclown and his cronies move on, I can get back into Brad Thor, Tom Clancy, Patricia Cornwell. Putting this in both the Book Thread and Politics. Don’t think you are seeing double!

Frayed Knot May 29 2018 10:51 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

currently reading JULIET, NAKED by Nick Hornby. Liking it muchly. So I read this entire book only to find out that not only is there no one named Juliet in it but nowhere is there even anyone naked!! That's false advertising if you ask me. Actually this one was a lot of fun, traveling as it does over the well-worn Hornby path of relationships, music, and relationships through music. The only real drawback is dealing with the fact that people seeing you read it in public think you're consuming porn (or maybe they just look at me and assume I'm consuming porn) To be a motion picture, slated for August 2018 release: Ethan Hawke, Rose Byrne, and Chris O'Dowd in the leads.

TransMonk Jul 05 2018 02:26 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

This is the best book I've read so far this year. A memoir about a child of Mormon survivalists who started out being home-schooled and follows her journey through higher education and her escape from her family's dysfunction and seclusion.

Benjamin Grimm Jul 05 2018 02:31 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

I've completed 18 books so far this year, and I gave three of them a five-star rating on Goodreads. They are:

seawolf17 Jul 05 2018 03:26 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Library holds placed all around. Thanks for the tips, fellas.

Vic Sage Jul 06 2018 02:58 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

In honor of Mr. Ellison's passing, I'm re-reading one of the great short story collections ever: In addition to the classic title story, it includes "A Boy And His Dog", and "Santa Claus vs S.P.I.D.E.R." I found this original paperback (first printing) at a old bookstore in SF for $4. Its pretty brittle, but if it was in good shape, it'd be worth like $75 or more. I just love reading old paperbacks. You have to be gentle, but i love the feeling in my hands, and the smell.

Benjamin Grimm Jul 06 2018 03:01 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

If you're like me, you also sniff comic books. The ones from the 1960s, on old newsprint. A wonderful smell!

Lefty Specialist Jul 13 2018 01:54 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

My weekend read. And no, it's not a joke or a short comic book, it's a full-length mystery novel- Obama and Biden try to unravel the death of Joe's favorite Amtrak conductor. Well, jeez, it's got to be better than reality. On edit: Finished it fairly quickly and it's a bit silly in that this would never ever happen. But Obama explaining climate change to a cashier at a gas station convenience store is pure comedy gold.

Mets Willets Point Jul 16 2018 07:40 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Two recently-published books I've read. Van Morrison lived in the Boston area in 1968 and toured around New England with a band of Boston musicians that year while writing his album Astral Weeks. This book uses Morrison's time in Boston to tie together other things that happened in Boston in 1968. A collection of essays on sports' counterfactuals various sportswriters by - some silly, some serious, most of them interesting.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 04 2018 02:38 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

I realized just before leaving for vacation that a sequel to BEARTOWN is out and dare I say it's maybe better.

Edgy MD Sep 04 2018 03:01 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Mets Willets Point wrote: Two recently-published books I've read. Van Morrison lived in the Boston area in 1968 and toured around New England with a band of Boston musicians that year while writing his album Astral Weeks. This book uses Morrison's time in Boston to tie together other things that happened in Boston in 1968. Sounds a lot like ... ... which came to me recommended by JCL. A window into the summer of 1972 as filtered through Canada's great bard.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 04 2018 03:16 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Which reminds me I also finished David Hepworth's NEVER A DULL MOMENT, which makes the case that 1971 was rock's best-ever year. It's not entirely objective but makes a hell of a case that the birth of the singer songwriter, the Beatles break up, the ascension of the LP, recording techniques and culture all came together, leaving behind the classic rawk canon (Aqualung, Who's Next, zofo, Tapestry, Sticky Fingers, Every Picture Tells a Story, Ziggy, et etc)

Edgy MD Sep 04 2018 03:49 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

The Question of 1971: What's Going On? [fimg=200]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/84/MarvinGayeWhat%27sGoingOnalbumcover.jpg/220px-MarvinGayeWhat%27sGoingOnalbumcover.jpg[/fimg] The Answer of 1971: There's a Riot Going On: [fimg=200]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c9/Slyfam-riot1.jpg/220px-Slyfam-riot1.jpg[/fimg]

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 04 2018 11:23 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

both of those topics are covered.

batmagadanleadoff Sep 05 2018 04:04 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

But how's the bustle in your hedgerow?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 05 2018 04:39 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

One of the highlights of the book is his description of IV, saying Bonham's drum entry in Rock n Roll sounded as though "someone pushed over a wardrobe full of bricks at the top of a stone staircase."

Fman99 Sep 05 2018 04:44 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Which reminds me I also finished David Hepworth's NEVER A DULL MOMENT, which makes the case that 1971 was rock's best-ever year. It's not entirely objective but makes a hell of a case that the birth of the singer songwriter, the Beatles break up, the ascension of the LP, recording techniques and culture all came together, leaving behind the classic rawk canon (Aqualung, Who's Next, zofo, Tapestry, Sticky Fingers, Every Picture Tells a Story, Ziggy, et etc) A lot of my favorites came out that year, to be sure.

Frayed Knot Sep 05 2018 04:52 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

I read that one a couple of years ago. I think anyone could (and probably has) make a case that [inset year here] was the best year ever for R&R, but this guy makes a pretty good case. Plus I liked his throwdown at the beginning of the book: [paraphrasing] Others might claim a different year was better, but they're wrong and I'm right

Edgy MD Sep 05 2018 04:54 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

The funny thing about There's a Riot Going On is that it was a good record despite itself. With drug abuse and Sly's aloofness foreshadowing his coming withdrawal from society, it's more solo album than band album. Despite the "family" aesthetic the band tried to cultivate, virtually everybody was pissed at Sly. And with the Black Panthers taking advantage and insinuating themselves into his confidence, he was under a lot of pressure to fire the white members of the band, while the label was pressuring him to get some product out while the brand was still hot. Despite his increasing detachment, Sly was able to cut most of the record, playing most of the instruments and singing most of the tracks, bringing band members in to do overdubs, and somehow came out with a coherent record. The big single "Family Affair," was supposedly the first hit ever to incorporate a drum machine, as drummer Greg Errico had had enough of the bullshit (and of the Panthers) and threw in the towel. I was joking above when I suggested the album title was an answer to Marvin Gaye's album, but looking it up, it turns out to have been exactly that. What was our top 30 of 1971?

Frayed Knot Sep 05 2018 05:47 PM Re: What are you reading in 2018?

Edgy MD wrote: What was our top 30 of 1971? When we did that year by year thing a bunch of years ago I don't think we went back as far a '71