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What are you reading in 2019?

Benjamin Grimm Jan 02 2019 01:58 PM

I'm starting the year with this book, about Octavius Catto, a civil rights activist in 19th Century Philadelphia. (It's not a book about Old Hollywood! Although I'm pretty confident that my end-of-year list will include at least a half dozen or more that will fall into that category.) https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51J8%2BgmWWmL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg>

The Hot Corner Jan 03 2019 05:11 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

https://target.scene7.com/is/image/Target/52462681?wid=520&hei=520&fmt=pjpeg> Really an interesting, fast paced book. Brian Kilmeade does a good job of making history interesting.

41Forever Jan 03 2019 08:06 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

I'm preparing for the March 9 "End of the Road" concert by diving into this deep dive into the 1978 solo albums. https://d1w7fb2mkkr3kw.cloudfront.net/assets/images/book/lrg/9780/9822/9780982253762.jpg>

metsmarathon Jan 04 2019 07:50 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

The Hot Corner wrote: https://target.scene7.com/is/image/Target/52462681?wid=520&hei=520&fmt=pjpeg> Really an interesting, fast paced book. Brian Kilmeade does a good job of making history interesting. as i'd mentioned in the '18 thread, while i've found kilmeade to be an engaging storyteller, i ultimately found his book on jackson to be sorely lacking. he doesn't really present the british side of things, only to say that they made fatal errors in tactics and execution during the battle of new orleans, but those errors didn't matter anyway because they were up against an american superhero whose americanness won the day, because 'merica! it was a thread i'd not noticed in washington's secret six, then caught a slight whiff of in the tripoli pirates. but in this book, it's just overwhelming. the line below just put me over the top. “Pakenham had reason to feel optimistic. After all, he had the finest fighting force in the world and, if his scouts had it right, a considerable advantage in both men and artillery. What didn't he have? Andrew Jackson and the American commitment to victory.” it also leads one to the conclusion that the american victory was somehow pre-ordained, on account of our frontier gumption, and all that jazz, despite the fact that, new orleans aside, the british were handing our asses to us. and in a book about the strategic brilliance and excellent leadership of a terrific general and president, it terribly undercuts those themes if what carried the day was that americans just wanted to win more - and if that's truly what made the difference, then jackson wasn't nearly as important to victory afterall... plus, ugh, it really just comes across as footballtalkingheadspeak, doesn't it? the book does make me want to find more books about the war of 1812, though. if only because i felt that only such a partial story was told of a interesting and utterly underappreciated time in american history.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 04 2019 01:09 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Two at a time: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xLlfvqXVL._SX328_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg> [YOUTUBE]sTkeHnOsonU[/YOUTUBE]

Frayed Knot Jan 27 2019 06:13 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019? Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Dec 30 2019 05:14 PM

Not reading this one myself, but this is a new book just out and with decent reviews so I thought it might be right up the alley of several of the guitar types in this place [fimg=450]https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--Kzcbw3Hr--/f_auto,t_supersize/v1546971296/usa7duufo9wxyn3ahrvb.jpg[/fimg]

Fman99 Jan 27 2019 07:54 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Frayed Knot wrote: Not reading this one myself, but this is a new book just out and with decent reviews so I thought it might be right up the alley of several of the guitar types in this place That does look cool, thanks. I'm 1/3 of the way through this tome, another $1 special from my local library's used book sale back in September. It's really well written and told history. https://richardkluger.com/images/the-paper4.png?crc=4141622635>

TransMonk Jan 28 2019 11:58 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

The Birth of Loud is on my list.

41Forever Jan 28 2019 05:01 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51gVBp7UxDL.jpg> I am wrapping up the Fishsticks book, which is as good as Lunchbucket advertised. "Winning Ugly" is up next. Todd Radom is a great designer, but he's a good writer too. I love uniforms, and I'm looking into hearing the backstories of some of the classic jerseys of our youth! Expecting a whole chapter on the clown suits worn by the MFYs. They should be wearing red noses in all their team photos.

RealityChuck Jan 28 2019 05:55 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Since I keep talking about how it's a favorite of mine, I decided to reread The Sot-Weed Factor. Just a great book. https://thetuskdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/130290.jpg?resize=289%2C475>

MFS62 Jan 28 2019 06:56 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Cleaning out the attic and found some old books I never read(my wife had). So I'm starting to read them. I just started John Grisham's "A Time to Kill". https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51JECUYaDoL._SX277_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg It was his first novel, and he showed promise in the opening twelve chapters I've read so far. Later

MFS62 Jan 28 2019 06:57 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Cleaning out the attic and found some old books I never read (my wife had). So I'm starting to read them. I just started John Grisham's first novel "A Time to Kill". https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51JECUYaDoL._SX277_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg Later

whippoorwill Jan 30 2019 02:03 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

That book was good, but god that first chapter was hard to get through. I haven't read it in a while; you'll love certain parts of it, especially the staircase scene.

Willets Point Jan 31 2019 11:31 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Since I keep talking about how it's a favorite of mine, I decided to reread The Sot-Weed Factor. Just a great book. https://thetuskdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/130290.jpg?resize=289%2C475> Curious to know what you like about this book, because I found it an unbearable slog, but I'm open to alternate viewpoints.

RealityChuck Feb 16 2019 10:44 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

It's one of my favorite books of all time. This is my third time reading it. There is a lot of people telling stories to each other, but the stories are so funny, bawdy, and bizarre that it's fascinating reading.

Frayed Knot Jun 23 2019 06:41 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019? Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 24 2019 01:40 PM

Time to give this thread its traditional mid-year kick in the ass lest it fall off the back of the truck and gets lost on the side of the road somewhere. And as it happens, I've just finished up two consecutive books which are likely to be best-of-the-year type of stuff for me. THE GUARDED GATE: Bigotry, Eugenics and the Law that Kept Two Generations of Jews, Italians, and Other European Immigrants Out of America — Daniel Okrent (2019) I read Okrent's book on Prohibition of a couple years ago and this makes for a good follow-up as that, in many ways, was also a law aimed at the “immigrant invasion” of just about a century ago. This one details the road up to the eventual quota systems which were enacted in 1924 for the stated purpose of slowing down the mass immigration into the U.S. that had been going on for around four decades by that point but was really a thinly disguised method to keep certain ethnic groups out of the country. It can get a bit dry at times with the recounting of various machinations towards the final law, but what it reminds you of is that some group (or groups) are always the ‘wrong' immigrants that must be kept out for security, religious, or social issues. And, as if on cue, a recent (6/21) NYT article talks about a group up in Minnesota trying to ban a Somali influx into their city on the basis that, among other things, they are “innately” less intelligent than other Americans. A certain orange-headed one would do well to heed the lessons of this story but of course that would require him to care about not only history but specifically about history that doesn't involve him personally. Also it would require him to, y'know, read a book. https://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/9781476798080_p0_v2_s550x406.jpg> SAY NOTHING: The True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland — Patrick Radden Keefe (2019) Not intended as a complete history of ‘The Troubles', this story uses a case of the abduction and murder of a widowed mother of ten as a mini-history of the early ‘70s bloodshed as well as the aftermath right up to the present day. I was certainly aware of the goings-on in Belfast as they were happening, but I was a kid at the time and was never 'invested' in them by upbringing or heritage -- one set of great-grands was from Belfast (I'm Protestant on all sides of the family) but they left as adults back in 1905 -- so I knew very little of the specific history even as it related to the part I was alive during. So for someone like me, the details about the level of hatred, cruelty, and the third-world/war-zone aspect of Belfast in the 1970s was simply stunning. And then as the author follows the life of many of the characters towards present day the book remained at least as revelatory. Needless to say, no one on any side comes out looking very good in this. A great piece of work IMO https://crundy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/A1GGRJkhHrL-600x600.jpg>

whippoorwill Jun 24 2019 08:33 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Ron Darling's book, and also A Tale of Two Cities, and A Timetravelers Guide to Medieval England

Double Switch Jun 24 2019 08:46 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Leonard Koppett's The Thinking Fan's Guide to Baseball, Hall of Fame Edition (Revised & Updated). Presently in the chapter about the players association. I would have included a shot of the cover but have not figured out how to do that yet. Apparently I cannot upload a shot from my desktop.

41Forever Jun 25 2019 04:19 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Double Switch wrote: Leonard Koppett's The Thinking Fan's Guide to Baseball, Hall of Fame Edition (Revised & Updated). Presently in the chapter about the players association. I would have included a shot of the cover but have not figured out how to do that yet. Apparently I cannot upload a shot from my desktop. I can help! https://img.thriftbooks.com/api/images/l/0887a2c292a3b6119c2565b42d1777cd8bf05450.jpg>

RealityChuck Jun 25 2019 11:04 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

I'm hooked on Saga, probably the best comic book since Sandman. https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513qta1gFCL._SX323_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg> It's science fiction, set in a universe that been convulsed by war for centuries. Great characters, great art, great storytelling.

Double Switch Jun 25 2019 12:44 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Double Switch wrote: Leonard Koppett's The Thinking Fan's Guide to Baseball, Hall of Fame Edition (Revised & Updated). Presently in the chapter about the players association. I would have included a shot of the cover but have not figured out how to do that yet. Apparently I cannot upload a shot from my desktop. I can help! https://img.thriftbooks.com/api/images/l/0887a2c292a3b6119c2565b42d1777cd8bf05450.jpg> Thank you. I'll get this sorted out after a while.

LWFS Jun 26 2019 12:23 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

I'm hooked on Saga, probably the best comic book since Sandman. https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513qta1gFCL._SX323_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg> It's science fiction, set in a universe that been convulsed by war for centuries. Great characters, great art, great storytelling. I've been trying to get my wife into this for over a year now. "No, really, it's delightful, and profane, and all about family, really." I've even bought cheap copies of the first two collections and left them in/around her lounging areas.

Johnny Lunchbucket Jun 26 2019 06:08 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

I got worried when he discussed making "Africa" and was only a third into the book, but I have to say for an indulgent rock-star bio with way too much score-settling and "thank you my brothers" and one of the worst intros I've ever read, there was a lot of interesting things I learned in this book, and Luke comes off as an ok guy despite it https://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/onix/cvr9781642930771/the-gospel-according-to-luke-9781642930771_lg.jpg>

whippoorwill Aug 10 2019 08:54 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Has anyone read Billy Idol's book?

Double Switch Aug 10 2019 11:59 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Kristine McKenna and David Lynch's Room to Dream. It is understatement to call Lynch a fascinating guy. He has many friends and colleagues who trust him and are devoted to realizing his visions who generously share their sides of his story. Lots of great b/w photos too. https://secure.syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=9780399589195/MC.GIF&client=sepup&type=xw12&oclc=>

Benjamin Grimm Dec 30 2019 08:35 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

My year-end list. Only 19 books this year, quite a bit fewer than usual, but I've had an unusual year. 1 Tasting Freedom: Octavius Catto and the Battle for Equality in Civil War America Daniel R. Biddle 2 Even This I Get to Experience Norman Lear 3 American Eve: Evelyn Nesbit, Stanford White, the Birth of the "It" Girl and the Crime of the Century Paula Uruburu 4 Tribe of Tiger, The: Cats and Their Culture Elizabeth Marshall Thomas 5 Negro with a Hat: The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey Colin Grant 6 All My Yesterdays Edward G. Robinson, Leonard Spigelgass 7 Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America's Most Storied Hospital David M. Oshinsky 8 Interior Circuit, The: A Mexico City Chronicle Francisco Goldman 9 First Stop in the New World David Lida 10 Speed of Sound, The: Hollywood and the Talkie Revolution 1926-1930 Scott Eyman 11 Great Fortune: The Epic of Rockefeller Center Daniel Okrent 12 Bridge Over the River Kwai, The Pierre Boulle 13 Blessing Over Ashes, A Adam Fifield 14 Bangkok Babylon: The Real-Life Exploits of Bangkok's Legendary Expatriates are often Stranger than Fiction Jerry Hopkins 15 Stay Alive, My Son Pin Yathay 16 Quiet American, The Graham Greene 17 Becoming Richard Pryor Scott Saul 18 Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave Frederick Douglass 19 King Leopold's Ghost Adam Hochschild

Johnny Lunchbucket Dec 30 2019 09:45 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

The Kindle helped to up my volume but like shopping online for fruit I'm never sure what I'm gonna get. A couple of books were chores to read and took away time I should been reading more books. It was the year of the session musician BREAK AWAY: From behind the iron curtain to the NHL--the untold story of hockey's great exodus; Tal Pinchevsky --exciting tales that got boring after a while since you knew how they all ended LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL, Kenny Jones --let the old men yawn DIARY OF A ROCK STAR, Ian Hunter --charming and funny early-1970s diary GOODNIGHT, L.A.: The Rise and Fall of Classic Rock--The untold story from inside the legendary recording studios; Kent Hartman --insidery stuff about the session giants who actually played on every song you can think of UNCOMMON PEOPLE: The Rise and Fall of Rock Stars; David Hepworth --didn't really stick to me like his NEVER A DULL MOMENT book did but like that one, an interesting a opinion-led approach THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE; Steve Lukather --Overly long, too much bullshit but another interesting story of a LA session musician K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches; Tyler Kepner --Liked this book, Kepner clearly loved writing it GREETINGS FROM BURY PARK; Sarfraz Manzoor --This was the memoir that the "Blinded by the Light" movie was roughly based on. Good look into the immigrant experience in London THE BLACK JERSEY, Jorge Zepeda Patterson --tour de france novel. eh. THEY BLED BLUE: the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers; Jason Turbow --Didn't know I wanted to know about the 81 Dodgers but a good, fast-moving book with insights I didn't have into who these guys were. I liked the same author's A's book a bit more but still pretty good YELLS FOR OURSELVES: A Story of New York City and the New York Mets at the Dawn of the Millennium; Matthew Callan --I confess I quit reading this book when Diaz imploded against the Nationals. I liked the first half and think he coulda stuck to 99 only and I'd have been satisfied EVERYBODY HAD AN OCEAN: Music and Mayhem in 1960s Los Angeles; William McKeen --Another book highlighting the behind the scenes action in LA, with a focus more on the stars than the session men. Also, an eye-opening account of Charles Manson's association with that scene. BEGIN THE BEGIN: REM's Early Years; Robert Dean Lurie --Really liked most of this, very much up my alley tho CRUEL TO BE KIND: The Life and Times of Nick Lowe; Will Birch --Good subject; way too long SOLID STATE: THe Story of Abbey Road the the Beatles; Kenneth Womack --Solid book on how recording equipment influenced the Beatles, and account of their on-again, off-again deterioartion REBEL LEAGUE: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association; Ed Willes --ok, good stuff on the WHA's influence NIGHTS IN WHITE CASTLE; Steve Rushin --Funny followup to STING RAY AFTERNOONS, memoirs the antics of the class of '84 (that's me!) thru college and the first years of work THE LAGER QUEEN OF MINNESOTA; J Ryan Stardal --novel...reading NOW

TransMonk Dec 30 2019 09:46 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

I got through 51 this year and will likely finish #52 tomorrow (In Defense of Elitism by Joel Stein). The best of the bunch were: The Hill to Die On by Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming by David Wallace-Wells American Carnage by Tim Alberta Permanent Record by Edward Snowden. Orwell's 1984 was an end of the year revisit that gets more prescient every time I read it. https://i.imgur.com/k5ObHAH.png>

whippoorwill Dec 30 2019 03:24 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Diamond Dad has a new book out which is really good! Deadly Enterprise Meanwhile I got some more Dickens for Christmas, Great Expectations (a favorite) and David Copperfield, and some herb books

Double Switch Dec 30 2019 04:08 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

One of the things I thought I would do more of in retirement is read, but I don't. These lists are awesome and daunting and I wonder where you find the time. The last book I read was noted above (David Lynch's bio/autobio Room to Dream). I recently picked up Lynch's The Factory Photographs, but it's almost entirely photos so that can't count. Also borrowed is David Sedaris' Calypso. I am not a great mind but I do like to chuckle while reading. Sedaris does that for me. Oh, and I'm not finished with Rachel Maddow's Blowout. It's really meaty and when I'm reading to calm down after a day of doing whatever I please, it gets me all agitated and I can't go to sleep. Kudos to you "book a week" gang.

batmagadanleadoff Dec 30 2019 04:19 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: The Kindle helped to up my volume but like shopping online for fruit I'm never sure what I'm gonna get. A couple of books were chores to read and took away time I should been reading more books. YELLS FOR OURSELVES: A Story of New York City and the New York Mets at the Dawn of the Millennium; Matthew Callan --I confess I quit reading this book when Diaz imploded against the Nationals. I liked the first half and think he coulda stuck to 99 only and I'd have been satisfied Thanks for the reminder. I was reading this book earlier this year. I got up to about page 100 and then I must've got derailed for some reason that I can't remember which caused me to stop reading it. Here's the thing though .... I totally forgot I was reading this book until I read your 2019 book list. Now I have to find that book so I can finish it. I liked it.

Frayed Knot Dec 30 2019 05:09 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Seeing as how I'm not going to finish the one I'm working on now by tomorrow, I guess my 2019 list is now complete: WE WANT FISH STICKS: The Bizarre and Infamous Rebranding of the New York Islanders — Nicholas Hirshon (2018) *** When a rebranding flop coincides with ownership and front-office flops the results, not surprisingly, aren't pretty. HEART: A History — Sandeep Jauhar (2018) ***-1/2 Well-written history of how we came to know what we know and how we eventually came to treat the organ in question by the Director of the Heart Failure Program at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. I figure he was a guy worth listening to. THE HEARTBEAT OF WOUNDED KNEE: Native America From 1890 to the Present — David Treuer (2018) *** Pretty much as the sub-title describes: the state of American Indians since the end of armed conflicts by a (part) Indian author who grew up on a Reservation. FEAR: Trump in the White House — Bob Woodward (2018) ***-1/2 I've tended to avoid recent Bob Woodward books because much of what he writes about these days concerns ongoing story lines that are still in the midst of changing as he's writing them. But I picked this one up for free so why not, and all I have to say is: Geez what an ass! (and, no, I don't mean Woodward). ONCE UPON A TEAM: The Epic Rise and Historic Fall of Baseball's Wilmington Quicksteps — Jon Springer (2018) If you read just one book about 19th century Delaware baseball this year … THE LAST CASTLE: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation's Largest Home — Denise Kiernan (2017) **-1/2 A wee bit too soap-operish for me, but the history behind, and continuing existence of, the largest private home in the country — that would be Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC — is of some interest. (Fiction) BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE: A Novel — Fredrik Backman (2016) *** Starts a bit slow but picks up nicely. Sort of a mash-up between Backman's (later) sports novels (though soccer this time rather than hockey) and his earlier one ('Ove') where an older set in his/her ways Swede has to confront changes. (F) THE CARTEL: A Novel — Don Winslow (2009) *** A bit tough to keep up at times — long and lotsa characters — but ultimately a good, even if fictional, look at the high cost and blurred lines of the never-ending ‘War on Drugs' at the southern border. Is going to be the basis for some kind of upcoming TV series. THE GUARDED GATE: Bigotry, Eugenics and the Law that Kept Two Generations of Jews, Italians, and Other European Immigrants Out of America — Daniel Okrent (2019) **** The legal maneuvers designed to keep out “undesirable” immigrants in the early-20th centuries as well as lots of stuff on the quasi-science ‘Eugenics' movement which was used to support the restrictions. Very much a companion piece to Okrent's book on prohibition from a couple years ago which was also a set of laws very much aimed at the ‘immigrant invasion'. SKELETON KEYS: The Secret Life of Bones — Brian Switek (2019) ** A not as interesting as I hoped look at the structure and life of bones and your skeleton as a whole, without which you'd … well for starters you'd fall down a lot. SAY NOTHING: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland — Patrick Radden Keefe (2019) ****-1/2 The story behind the abduction and murder of a widowed mother of ten is used as the starting point for an examination of ‘The Troubles' in and around Belfast starting in the early ‘70s and of some of the repercussions still being felt today. My Book of the Year. SEA PEOPLE: The Puzzle of Polynesia — Christina Thompson (2019) ***-1/2 Polynesia is thousands of tiny islands covering a triangular area of the Pacific some 4,600 miles on a side (roughly NYC - Moscow - W Africa). Yet many of those dots were reached and occupied prior to written history and centuries before European ‘discovery'. So who were those people, where did they come from, how did they get there? AMERICAN MOONSHOT: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race — Douglas Brinkley (2019) ***-1/2 Mostly about Kennedy (all books lead to JFK) and how he got aboard the idea and then sold the country on putting a massive effort (and massive $$$) into space in general and the moon in particular … even if only sometimes for scientific reasons. (F) A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW — Amor Towles (2016) *** Convicted by a 1922 Soviet tribunal of the crime of being a member of the upper class, a Russian Count is sentenced to life under house arrest, his home then being a luxury hotel in central Moscow. A lot more happens than one would think considering it's a story of someone who never leaves a building for several decades. ENERGY: A Human History — Richard Rhodes (2018) *** The history of how man has found and used energy since the dawn of the industrial revolution and where we might go from here. THEY SAID IT COULDN'T BE DONE: The '69 Mets, New York City, and the Most Astounding Season in Baseball History — Wayne Coffey (2019) **-1/2 Not a whole lot that most of us geeks wouldn't know already if you were old enough at the time, except maybe for some background stories for a few of the players. K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches — Tyler Kepner (2019) ***-1/2 Four-seams, two-seams, curves, knucklers, sliders, cutters, splitters, spitters, change-ups, and screwballs. Who threw ‘em best and how. INSIDE THE EMPIRE: The True Power Behind the New York Yankees — Bob Klapisch, Paul Solotaroff (2019) **-1/2 A Cashman-centric tale on basically how the Yanx have been run since big George faded from the scene, largely told through the lens of the 2018 season. 108 STITCHES: Loose Threads, Ripping Yarns, and the Darndest Characters from My Time in the Game — Ron Darling (2019) *** Mostly just loosely-connected stories from his career, although not quite as light as I assumed as Ronnie occasionally throws a bit more feistiness into the mix than I was expecting. THE BODY: A Guide for Occupants — Bill Bryson (2019) ***-1/2 Bryson's usual writing style takes you on a guided tour through what we know, and even more about what we don't know, about what we're made of and what keeps us us ticking (or not). THE HERITAGE: Black Athletes, a Divided American, and the Politics of Patriotism — Howard Bryant (2018) *** The ‘Heritage', as Bryant explains it, is the tradition of black athletes using their position to speak out against injustice; from when it was prominent (Robeson, Jackie, Ali) to when it wasn't (Jordan, Tiger, Jeter) to where it is now in this post-9/11/Kaepernick era. CUBA LIBRE: Che, Fidel, and the Improbable Revolution that Changed World History — Tony Perrottet (2019) *** So just how did a rag-tag group of mostly middle-class students seize power from what was essentially a heavily armed military dictatorship?

Fman99 Dec 31 2019 05:42 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

These lists are great just because I'm stuck at the moment looking for something to read. I did a bad job of keeping my 2019 list but I read probably 35 books. Some of which were good.

cal sharpie Jan 02 2020 08:36 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Here's mine. Total of 65. MY STRUGGLE:BOOK SIX – Karl Ove Knausgaard STARS AND BARS – William Boyd SHAKEN AND STIRRED – Diana Secker Tesdell (ed) A WOMAN IN BERLIN -- Anonymous LINER NOTES – Loudon Wainwright III TRANSIT – Rachel Cusk A COLD CASE – Philip Gourevitch THE EVERLASTING STORY OF NORY – Nicholson Baker WASHINGTON BLACK – Esi Edugyan THE CIRCLE – Dave Eggers RECKLESS – Chrissie Hynde ASTRAL WEEKS – Ryan H. Walsh SLEEPWALKINGLAND – Mia Couto THE BOAT ROCKER – Ha Jin LAST STORIES – William Trevor THERE THERE – Tommy Orange THE ULTIMATE GOOD LUCK – Richard Ford THE RETURN OF THE NATIVE – Thomas Hardy THE SHAKESPEARE RIOTS – Nigel Cliff A GIRL NAMED ZIPPY – Haven Kimmel THE THIRD COAST – Thomas Dyja THE ROSE AND THE BRIAR – Sean Wilentz & Greil Marcus (eds.) BEHOLD THE DREAMERS – Imbolo Mbue IN THE WOODS – Tana French THE MASTER OF PETERSBURG – J.M. Coetzee THE NARROW CORNER – W. Somerset Maugham LESS – Andrew Sean Greer PONZI'S SCHEME – Mitchell Zuckoff THE GLASS ROOM – Simon Mawer THE SHAPE OF BONES – Daniel Galera THE WINTER SOLDIER – Daniel Mason MEN WITHOUT WOMEN – Haruki Murakami THE BRIEF AND FRIGHTENING REIGN OF PHIL – George Saunders THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN – David Grann TRAJECTORY – Richard Russo HAG-SEED – Margaret Atwood OUR MAN – George Packer THE NOISE OF TIME – Julian Barnes SING, UNBURIED, SING – Jesmyn Ward THE GHOST MAP – Steven Johnson THE JOURNEY HOME – Olaf Olafsson THE OVERSTORY – Richard Powers BORN TO RUN – Bruce Springsteen FURIOUS HOURS – Casey Cep THE FEATHER THIEF – Kirk Wallace Johnson MACBETH – Jo Nesbo MACHINES LIKE ME – Ian McEwan WINTER – Karl Ove Knausgaard THE RETURN – Hiisham Matar THE TESTAMENTS – Margaret Atwood TWENTIETH CENTURY BOY – Duncan Hannah BAD BLOOD – John Carreyrou A BIT ON THE SIDE – William Trevor DAYS THAT I'LL REMEMBER – Jonathan Cott EMPIRES OF THE SEA – Roger Crowley WHEN BREATH BECOMES AIR – Paul Kalanithi THE REFUGEES – Viet Thanh Nguyen PIRANHA TO SCURFY – Ruth Rendell THE SILK ROADS – Peter Frankopan THE GANGS OF NEW YORK – Herbert Asbury A GAMBLER'S ANATOMY – Jonathan Lethem MOONWALKING WITH EINSTEIN – Joshua Foer TIP OF THE ICEBERG – Mark Adams WAVELAND – Frederick Barthelme END ZONE – Don DeLillo

metsmarathon Jan 02 2020 11:03 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

this year may be the year i actually keep track of the books i'm reading. but probably not. last year, i started reading a massive biography on ulysses s. grant. still haven't finished it. i'm through the civil war, and just about to start his presidency, but, man, it's a long slog. i did, in the meantime, because i had misplaced the grant bio for a time, start and finish the massive book on the panama canal by david mcoullough, the path between the seas. an exhausting and exhaustive read. very informative and interesting, really. it's made me curious to want to follow up on some of the historical threads with regard to international relations in the western hemisphere as a response to some of the underhanded and at times clumsy dealings the united states had regarding panama in the early years of the 20th century, prior to WWI. i'll maybe have to search some of them out... and i also read a star wars book. Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray, about Quai-Gon Jin and Obi-Wan Kenobi a few years before they ever met a mop-headed young touble-maker named Anakin. a fun read. i thought for a bit they were laying in a bit of a thread to pull on for the Rise of Skywalker, but i didn't pick up on it in the actual movie, so maybe not. so.. yeah, i guess two books. and most of a third. i can only improve on it next year. right??

Frayed Knot Jan 02 2020 03:12 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

=metsmarathon post_id=29149 time=1577988191 user_id=83]last year, i started reading a massive biography on ulysses s. grant. still haven't finished it. i'm through the civil war, and just about to start his presidency, but, man, it's a long slog.

I was given that one (assuming it's the same one: Author = Ron Chernow) as a gift about a year and a half ago and still haven't gotten around to it.

I figured it would have to be a winter read (more time when there's no baseball to watch) but I never did get to it last year so maybe I'll start to dive

in over the next month or so. In the meantime it just sits there on the shelf taunting me.

Either that or I can skip it entirely and just wait until the musical comes out seeing as how Chernow also wrote the Alexander Hamilton bio that LM Miranda

adapted for the stage, so I assume it's just a matter of time until this one is too.

metsmarathon Jan 03 2020 10:16 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

yep, same book. it's a big 'un. very interesting, and chock full of detail. but, sheesh. it takes a while.

The Hot Corner Jan 04 2020 10:00 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

I read a few less books in 2019 than I have in recent years. The bolded books were ones that I particularly found worthwhile and enjoyable. 1. Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrick Bachman 2. Andrew Jackson & the Miracle of New Orleans by Brian Kilmeade 3. In the Hurricane Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick 4. The Big Fella by Jane Leavey 5. Crazy Horse and Custer by Stephen E. Ambrose 6. No Fiercer Beast by Dane Huckelbridge 7. Secrets of the FBI by Ronald Kessler 8. The Red Bandana by Tom Rinaldi 9. The Polar Bear Expedition by James Carl Nelson 10.Workin' Our Way Home by Ron Hall 11. The Escape Artists by Neal Bascomb 12.The Unforgiven Minute by Craig Mullaney 13. The Best of Enemies by Osha Gray Davidson 14. The Color of Water by James McBride 15. Ten Days In a Mad House by Nellie Bly 16.The Glory of Their Times by Laurence S. Ritter 17. Black Flags, Blue Water by Eric Jay Dolan 18. 108 Stitches by Ron Darling with Daniel Paisner 19. Janesville: An American Story by Amy Goldstein 20. Liars Poker by Michael Lewis 21. Boy Erased by Garrard Conley 22. Living With Seal by Jesse Itzler 23. The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers 24. Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI, and a Devil's Deal by Dick Lehr 25. Mrs. Sherlock Holmes by Brad Ricca 26. Beneath A Ruthless Sun by Gilbert King 27. American Made by Bill Bryson 28. Paul Simon – The Life by Robert Hilburn 29. The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe 30. The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel 31. The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre 32. Einstein: His Life and His Universe by Walter Isaacson 33. Driving Mr. Albert by Michael Paterniti 34. Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson & the Wickedest Town in America by Tom Clavin 36.The Life of John Wesley Hardin by John Wesley Hardin 37. Wild Bill by Toom Clavin 38. All Creatures Great and Small by James Heriott Cal, was Born to Run a worthwhile read? It is a book i have been considering for quite a while, but I have read mixed reviews.

Edgy MD Jan 05 2020 08:30 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

https://i.imgur.com/k5ObHAH.png> Congratulations on killing it with campaign books. These need to be read but I can't abide them.

whippoorwill Jan 08 2020 05:30 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

I know it's a bit of a swerve in the topic, but when I left my daughters house yesterday, my four year old grandson was in tears because his preschool teacher ‘Miss Kwisty' forgot to take them to the library. He was insisting that Mommy take him to the public library but it was snowing just a bit (PA-style whiteouts actually) This sweet little fellow was born for hugs anyway but leaving that scenario was tough. But he's surely a chip off the ole block cos we're a family of readers

Willets Point Jan 09 2020 10:30 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

The Wilderness of Ruin by Roseanne Montillo (A) - *** Original Sin by Andy Lane - *** The Only Rule Is It Has to Work by Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller (A) - ***1/2 A General Theory of Oblivion by Jose Eduardo Agualusa - ***1/2 What is Yours is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi (A) - ***1/2 Doomi Golo : The Hidden Notebooks by Boubacar Boris Diop - ***1/2 Solar Bones by Mike McCormick (A) - **** Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen by Sarah Bird (A) - ***1/2 American Passage: The History Of Ellis Island by Vincent J. Cannato (A) - **** The Also People by Ben Aaronovitch - **** Early Riser by Jasper Fforde - **** The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste (A) - ***1/2 Just War by Lance Parkin - ***1/2 Iron & Silk by Mark Salzman (A) - ****1/2 Dylan Goes Electric by Elijah Wald (A) - **** Alcatraz Versus the Dark Talent by Brandon Sanderson (A) - *** Happy Endings by Paul Cornell - **1/2 Woolly: The True Story of the Quest to Revive One of History's Most Iconic Extinct Creatures by Ben Mezrich (A) - *** Designing Disney: Imagineering and the Art of the Show by John Hench - ***1/2 Hidden History of Boston by Dina Vargo - ***1/2 You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train by Howard Zinn (A) - ***1/2 Help! The Beatles, Duke Ellington, and the Magic of Collaboration by Thomas Brothers (A) - *** Around Harvard Square by Christopher John Farley - ** The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff (A) - **** Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson - *** Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone by J.K. Rowling (A) - *** Christmas on a Rational Planet by Lawrence Miles - **1/2 Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella (A) - ***** The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (A) - ****1/2 Hellraisers by Robert Sellers - ***1/2 The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro (A) - **** Crimson by Niviaq Korneliussen - ***1/2 The Ultimate Entrepreneur by Glenn Rifkin and George Harrar - ***1/2 The Gay Revolution by Lillian Faderman (A) - **** The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson - ***1/2 An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole - ***1/2 The Kingdom Keepers: Disney at Dawn by Ridley Pearson -  ***1/2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (A) - **** Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkeban by J.K. Rowling (A) - **** Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (A) - **** Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (A) - **** Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (A) - **** One Giant Leap by Charles Fishman (A) - **** Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (A) - *** Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (A) - ***1/2 The Kingdom Keepers: Disney in Shadow by Ridley Pearson - **1/2 The Trick is to Keep Breathing by Janice Galloway - ***1/2 Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman (A) - **** Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory by Raphael Bob-Waksberg (A) - **** Spying on the South by Tony Horwitz (A) - **** The Kingdom Keepers: Power Play by Ridley Pearson - ***1/2 The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (A) - ***1/2 Dutch Girl by Robert Matzen (A) - ** You're on an Airplane by Parker Posey (A) - **1/2 Blood & Ivy by Paul Collins (A) - *** Never Caught by Erica Armstrong Dunbar (A) - ***1/2 The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson (A) - ***1/2 Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane (A) - **** Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974 by Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer - **** We Gon' Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation by Jeff Chang - **** Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (A) - *** The Second Amendment: A Biography by Michael Waldman (A) - **** (A) is for audiobook, ratings on a 5-star scale.

Frayed Knot Jan 09 2020 07:40 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Willets Point wrote: Hellraisers by Robert Sellers - ***1/2 By coincidence I happened upon this book just a few days ago and started reading it yesterday. I'm not expecting it to be a standard of great journalism, but it should be good for a few chuckles and it's good to see that you didn't rate it as total trash which I feared was a possibility at first.

Willets Point Jan 10 2020 09:15 AM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

It's a comic book about Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Oliver Reed, and Peter O'Toole, what could possibly go wrong?

Frayed Knot Jan 10 2020 06:46 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

National Lampoon actually did do a mock comic book about Burton & Harris within one of their issues (Oct '81). 'Double Date Comics: Trouble in Dublin' had the two Richards picking up girls in bars with predictable hi-jinx involved. I'm reasonably sure that story was one my father illustrated although I can't find any on-line examples of it, nor do I remember seeing the originals among the stuff he left behind.

Frayed Knot Apr 30 2020 01:53 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Frayed Knot wrote: =metsmarathon post_id=29149 time=1577988191 user_id=83]last year, i started reading a massive biography on ulysses s. grant. still haven't finished it. i'm through the civil war, and just about to start his presidency, but, man, it's a long slog. I was given that one (assuming it's the same one: Author = Ron Chernow) as a gift about a year and a half ago and still haven't gotten around to it. I figured it would have to be a winter read (more time when there's no baseball to watch) but I never did get to it last year so maybe I'll start to dive in over the next month or so. In the meantime it just sits there on the shelf taunting me.

Finally got over the apprehension and took the plunge into this one ... and it actually moves along quite nicely but there's just so much to it that it's gonna take a while.

A week or so in and I'm maybe 1/4 of the way through so I think this one is going to take most of May to finish.

batmagadanleadoff May 18 2020 07:21 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Two at a time. [FIMG=444]https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/sites/kwgs/files/styles/x_large/public/202004/barry-great_influenza.jpg[/FIMG] I wonder why I'm reading this one? Highly acclaimed and meticulously researched account of the 1918 influenza pandemic. The beginning of the book is a bit of a slog, I think, as the first 100 pages or so are devoted to the growth of the state of medicine in America from roughly mid 18th century up to the time of the 1918 flu epidemic -- including medical education and research -- from nothing more than charlatan factories to world leadership in medicine. I'm nearing the end of this opening section. Also .. [FIMG=444]https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/12/31/books/31seitz1/31seitz1-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale[/FIMG] Critical scholarly like essays on every single Sopranos episode, and extras. Each essay is approximately three to five pages, and can be read as stand-alones and in any order -- thus convenient to read simultaneously with another book.

batmagadanleadoff May 18 2020 07:22 PM Re: What are you reading in 2019?

Two at a time. [FIMG=444]https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/sites/kwgs/files/styles/x_large/public/202004/barry-great_influenza.jpg[/FIMG] I wonder why I'm reading this one? Highly acclaimed and meticulously researched account of the 1918 influenza pandemic. The beginning of the book is a bit of a slog, I think, as the first 100 pages or so are devoted to the growth of the state of medicine in America from roughly mid 18th century up to the time of the 1918 flu epidemic -- including medical education and research -- from nothing more than charlatan factories to world leadership in medicine. I'm nearing the end of this opening section. Also .. [FIMG=444]https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/12/31/books/31seitz1/31seitz1-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale[/FIMG] Critical scholarly like essays on every single Sopranos episode, and extras. Each essay is approximately three to five pages, and can be read as stand-alones and in any order -- thus convenient to read simultaneously with another book.