What are you reading this week of December 20, 2015?

[hermetic]

I'm now into the 3rd Outlander novel, Voyager. Two hundred pages in, eight hundred to go.

Last year David Wong, author of John Dies at the End And Cracked editor wrote this funny, yet eloquent, essay about Christmas. Thought you all might enjoy reading it.
http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-true-meaning-christmas-that-everyone-forgets/

[cantbeserious]

1. Two Non-Fiction Books

The Devil's Chessboard by David Talbot

One Mind by Larry Dossey

[hermetic]

3. Hi, thanks for joining in here

The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government sounds quite interesting and a bit scary. Let us know what you think about it, in the end.

One Mind sounds like something I should read. Seems to pretty much reflect my take on life.

[cantbeserious]

4. Yes - Both Very Good So Far

eom

[TexasProgresive]

2. I miswrote last week when I said I was 2/3 through Outlander

That's about were I am now. I need to get back in it as Clair is in another bad place. That girl sure gets into trouble.

[hermetic]

5. Oh yeah, that she does

It really is quite the amazing adventure, though. I'm certainly enjoying it. Have you seen the TV series? I haven't but enjoyed looking it up on IMDB to see what the characters look like.

[TexasProgresive]

6. I haven't- I just looked at some pics and

it looks like they got Claire's hair, Jamie could be a little more flaming red. In picture on my copy they don't look quite the same. Have you watched the Rebus series.

[hermetic]

7. No, I don't have television

I do have an old TV on which I watch a few series I find at the library on DVDs. I love the Rebus books, what is the series called? I might be tempted to buy that.

I'm currently watching Rizzoli and Isles which is based on Tess Gerritsen's writings and I am enjoying them. Not GREAT but good enough. Intriguing stories, I like the relationship between the two. And they drink. Whenever they can. Reminds me of my girlfriends.

[TexasProgresive]

8. Rebus

Http://www.amazon.com/Rebus-Set-1-Ken-Stott/dp/B000FS9FGW
You might have to change the upper case H to get the link to work.

Did this on my phone!

[pscot]

9. One fiction, one biography

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his years of pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami and Young Orson, a bio of Orson Welles by Patrick McGilligan. Welles was a prodigy. He flamed early, burned hot and then subsided, like a dormant volcano. Some artists don't hit their stride 'til they're 40, but At 40 Orson Welles was done. This is presented as some kind of tragedy. I'm not sure why. Nobody ever wonders why Mt. St. Helens hasn't done anything lately. What it did was plenty. Like St. Helens, Orson stood the world on its ear for a while and left it changed; fascinating guy and an entertaining biography. It's too long, but there seems to be a rule now days that serious biographies have to weigh at least four pounds and begin with the subject's Elizabethan ancestors.

[hermetic]

13. Nice write up

My library has Murakami's After Dark which I am looking forward to reading soon.

[pscot]

15. I have been on a Murakami jag lately

I worry the next one might not be as good as the last.

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. Can I add non-fiction?

One book is ...Rust.
Yep, that is the title of it.
It is a collection of longish articles on rust.
The book opens with how they "repaired" the Statue of Liberty some years ago, and gets into early building history of the statue,
why certain material should have and should not have been used ( but were).
A lot of "tidbits" of info in the articles, rather interesting.
Another chapter tells of making tin cans, surprising amount of fascinating detail ( and does cover BPA problem).


2nd book is The Victorian Internet, which is the inside story of the telegraph.
(did you know the telegraph was invented in 1791 in France? Me neither)
author is Tom Standage. I have his 2 other books

An Edible History of Humanity

A History of the World in 6 Glasses

[hermetic]

12. Yes, I don't see why not

This is the "Fiction" group but many people respond here with non-fiction and I don't see why they shouldn't. Of course I am new to hosting here but I think we are all open to hearing about books worth reading, regardless of the genre. Back when these groups were all set up I guess someone thought it would be a good idea to differentiate but I don't think we're burning up any bandwidth here with our few opinions.

I gotta say, though: Rust? I heard on NPR yesterday that there is a book published that no one has ever purchased. The History of Toothpicks. You gotta laugh. BUT, I also know of a book called Cod about the history of cod fishing. Haven't read it yet but It is highly acclaimed. You just never know where you might find a most awesome book, regardless of its title or subject. So, I'm pretty much open to everything. So, do continue to let us know whatever you are reading. Good or bad.

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. Mark Kurlansky wrote Cod

and Salt
and a bunch of other books
Mr. Dixie says they are great.

I like historical detail...the kind of stuff you can irritate people with by saying
" did you know........"

One of my favorite authors is William Klingaman...
he wrote 1929, and 1919, and I think 1941
which are very readable narratives of the years in the title, filled with details about who was who and what they were like.
the category is "Social History", the best kind, IMHO.
Another one he wrote:
The Year Without Summer: 1816 and the Volcano That Darkened the World and Changed History

[Enthusiast]

18. I hope we never have another year without Summer.

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. We are having TWO of them.

Friend neat Dallas just sent me pics of her almost ready to pick green peppers from plants she had thought were gone for the summer
and a friend here just brought us a huge bag of varied greens, and a giant Napa cabbage, I had to hold it with both arms. She says her broccoli is ready to pick.
In Dec.
even for down here, this is a bit much. We are at least 20 degrees warmer than normal.

[Enthusiast]

20. Now that is too weird. Right now it is 65° here in Ohio. That is highly irregular!

[Enthusiast]

11. Hello, everyone! Thank you for the thread, hermetic. Nice to see so many readers this week.

I'm still reading Avenue of Mysteries by John Irving. As soon as I finish this one I will be on to In Bitter Chill by Sarah Ward.

This past week Mrs. Enthusiast read Far As The Eye Can See by Robert Bausch. Mrs. Enthusiast liked Far As The Eye Can See so much she found it hard to start a next book. Thank you for the recommendation japple.

Next she read Miracle at St. Anna by James McBride which was also a japple recommendation. She enjoyed this one very much. She didn't really know much about WWII Italy.

Mrs. Enthusiast has started reading The Ritual Bath by Faye Kellerman. This is the first of the Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series.

[TexasProgresive]

16. Let me know what Mrs. Enthusiast thinks of The Ritual Bath.

I quite enjoyed it.

[Enthusiast]

17. She has hardly been able to put it down.

I think we are going to like this series. But I have yet to read one. Thanks for generating our interest in Faye Kellerman, TexasProgresive.

You guys have a Merry Christmas or whatever Happy Holiday is appropriate.