For those who still like to read . . .

I heard something on National Public Radio recently about a new novel by Herman Wouk and it got me thinking of books of his that I have really, really liked.

As a result, I recently finished re-reading "The Winds of War" (1971) and am now reading the sequel, "War and Remembrance" (1978). They're just as good as (if not better than) I remembered and 500% better than those over-long movies that came out of the books (though Robert Mitchum was pretty good).

If anyone else still has the patience for two very long books, you can't do better.

Caine Mutiny is next, then Youngblood Hawke. Then I'll try his new one, "A Hole in Texas."

Well, I'm going to back Jim up in his quest to raise the tone and bring a bit of literary culture to the forum.

Although I am aware of him, I haven't read the author mentioned as war fiction is not one of my favourite genres. I am however, enjoying the books of Edward Abbey just now after a hot tip received from one of the forum's other literature-appreciatin' gentlemen, Pat "Bonsaistud".

So, I am now quite hooked on American literature and would welcome suggestions from across the Pond as to future choices. I'm reasonably well acquainted with poetry and drama so it's really fiction I'm interested in. American classics and modern - it matters not. Not Salinger though - have just spent two months teaching "Catcher" and probably could now recite it to you!

Nothing so 'hi-brow' for me. Going through my Bonsai library yet again and having a break from novels which is winter reading. Lee Childs Jack Reacher is my chosen 'fun' release. Shall start again in October...until then it is Peter Adams, Dan Barton, Craig Cousinns among others for now.

Mike

Ive started on a book that seems like is one for me atm. A frequent translated work: Dante's Inferno. I have the translation by Sean O'brien (If I remember correctly). I must admit, for me that doesnt use that language much, its a bit hard to read and get hold on it.
Im mostly into fantasy myself, or some dark litterature.

Aha, and I thought I would be out of place mentioning that I'm currently reading Dante's Inferno. But to be fair, I just finished reading Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. Excelent!

I am finishing Jeff Shaara's WW II trilogy. Very well done.

If you'd like to read a novel written by a member of this forum then try my novel Balance of Terror, written by myself and my twin brother and recently published by Createspace on Amazon.

Right now its available for Kindle readers at
http://www.amazon.com/Balance-of-Terror-ebook/dp/B003JMEKTI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1274793971&sr=1-2

But a paperback version will be available very soon via Amazon.

See


http://www.amazon.com/Balance-Terror-Bernard-Kempinski/dp/1452854491/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274818865&sr=1-2

Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath" remains my all-time favorite book by an American author. And, his "Of Mice and Men" is nearly as high on my list of must reads.

Then, for something completely different, Kenneth Roberts' "Arundel," and "Rabble in Arms" - (WARNING: These are about our Revolutionary War -- but not really "war stories".) There are others by Roberts, too, but these two are his best.

And, Fiona, I hope you are reading more of Ed Abby than his fiction. "The Monkeywrench Gang" is fun, but pales in comparison to "Desert Solitaire" and his other non-fiction. And anyone who is reading American environmental literature MUST read the original -- Aldo Leopold's "A Sand County Almanac."

And don't anyone mention Henry Thorou's "On Waldon Pond" -- yeccch.

Actually, my favorite authors are James Herriot, R. F. Delderfield and W.E.B. Griffin.

Most of what I am reading currently is Bonsai books, carpentry manuals and Do-It-Yourself stuff. But I recently found my copy of "To Serve Them All My Days" and I've been trying to decide when I want to re-read it.

In high school I read Herriot's "All Creatures Great and Small, "All Things Bright and Beautiful", "All Things Wise and Wonderfull" and "The Lord God Made Them All". (The titles of these books are fromthe poem "Maker of Heaven and Earth" by Cecil Frances Alexander) I wasn't really aware of anything else he wrote until today, Wikipedia lists 11 other works, so naturally I'll have to read them.

Delderfield produced quite an extensive list of works and I had only read 5 or 6. Someday, I plan on picking them all up and reading/'re-reading his entire list.

Griffin wrote several series of books. One series "The Corps" takes 5 or 6 Marine Corps characters from China, Post WWI through 1950. He spent an amaxing amount of time taking these fictional characters in and out of the historically based scenarios of the Marine Corps history. My wife bought me book number 3 or 4. When I found out there were 9 volumes, I put the one she gave me away and started hitting Barnes and Noble until I cought up to mine, then finished out the collection.

JimLewis wrote:Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath" remains my all-time favorite book by an American author. And, his "Of Mice and Men" is nearly as high on my list of must reads.

Then, for something completely different, Kenneth Roberts' "Arundel," and "Rabble in Arms" - (WARNING: These are about our Revolutionary War -- but not really "war stories".) There are others by Roberts, too, but these two are his best.

And, Fiona, I hope you are reading more of Ed Abby than his fiction. "The Monkeywrench Gang" is fun, but pales in comparison to "Desert Solitaire" and his other non-fiction. And anyone who is reading American environmental literature MUST read the original -- Aldo Leopold's "A Sand County Almanac."

And don't anyone mention Henry Thorou's "On Waldon Pond" -- yeccch.

Oops. Should have put Steinbeck into the Salinger category. "The Grapes of Wrath" and "Of Mice and Men" are two I teach regularly. Interestingly, one of the things I do when starting a new novel with a class is trying to guess from the title what it might be about, and it never fails to amaze (and disappoint) me that Scottish kids can't work out that it might be about plans/dreams that go wrong because they've never heard the Burns' lines from which the title is taken. Sad.

Jim: have got "Desert Solitaire" lined up on the to read pile (which currently is almost touching the living room ceiling), having just finished "A Voice Crying in the Wilderness". Someone gave me Thoreau's "Walden" but I might put it a bit further down the pile after your comments.

Rob: Howzabout a signed copy of your novel? btw are there really two of you?

fiona wrote:

Rob: Howzabout a signed copy of your novel? btw are there really two of you?

Can be arranged, and yes, I am merely half an egg.

fiona wrote: Rob, are there really two of you?

Rob Kempinski wrote: yes, I am merely half an egg.

I just looked at a pic of him on FB - he's a good looking fella.

So. Not identical twins then?



Only joking.

Any thoughts on Rachel Carson's controversial book Silent Spring?

Pat

Harry Potter is as far as my reading goes these days. I read it to my son every night and having turned my nose up to it when all the adults were reading it i now love reading it to my son.

I used Silent Spring for school assemblies when I was head of year.

I've almost stopped reading novels for pleasure, since my eyesight demanded that I wear glasses. I was an avid reader of sci-fi for about three decades, starting in the sixties. Since then I read much more widely. One of the most enjoyable and memorable, for me, was Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.

Nowadays I prefer factual stuff and travelogues, but it doesn't have to be "heavy". Anything from Bill Bryson to Louis Leakey.

Looking for a good book? These are highly recommended! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Read

I've just finished reading, A short history of tractors in Ukrainian, by Marina Lewycka. Very readable and very funny, and for those with attention deficit disorder, quite short too.

I picked up two books at our office used book sale (for the local Humane Society). I bought 'The Hobit' and 'The Silmarillion", both by Tolkien, although I believe 'The Silmarillion' was finished and submitted by his son. 'The Hobit' was great, couldn't put it down. Trying to read 'The Silmarillion' was painful. Way too much background information leading towards tryting to explain, or justify, stuff in his other works. Kind of like reading all the "begat" chapters in the Old Testament!

For the modern Sci-Fi fans, someone left a copy of 'Jumper' by Steven Gould. Another one that kept me reading and on the edge of my seat.

Jay

"Silent Spring" is a good read, but it's hard to imagine that most everyone hasn't already read it.

Her "The edge of the Sea" and the "Sea Around Us" are eminently readable, not as dated seeming, and a bit less depressing (till you recall what's happening now in the Gulf of Mexico).

On SF -- I have signed firsts of The Hobbit, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy -- as well as copies of all of them that I re-read every few years. I prefer fantasy to hard SF and read a lot of it. I recommend L.E. Modisett for both.

That's interesting, Jay and Jim. I too read "The Hobbit" and thoroughly enjoyed it and then just could not get into "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy at all,to the extent of being put off watching the movies because of it. I must admit I like my fantasy novels a bit more tongue-in-cheek and have to fess up to being a Terry Pratchett fanatic, although tragically his Alzheimer's is beginning to show in a loss of sharpness of wit in his novels. Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is a favourite all-time read as well.

Boy aren't we a literary lot? And here we are at page two and nobody's mentioned Dan Brown yet.

What was that about tongue-in-cheek again?

Hello Jay. The Hobbit and LOTR trilogy are excellent books and I have read them countless times over the years. Silmarillion, on the other hand was extremely hard work. Have you read Robert Jordans Wheel of time series? 10 books and counting, all about the 800 pages mark . I found them a bit too detailed but very imaginitive writing. Philip Pullmans Dark Materials trilogy is also a must read.

Don't forget Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. One of Adams best.

Kev Bailey wrote:One of the most enjoyable and memorable, for me, was Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.

Nowadays I prefer factual stuff and travelogues, but it doesn't have to be "heavy". Anything from Bill Bryson to Louis Leakey.

Looking for a good book? These are highly recommended! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Read

I enjoyed "Pillars of the Earth" too by Follett but couldn't get into his follow on "World Without End."
I read several of his other novels but got a kick out of "Code to Zero" as one of the scenes takes place in a building I used to work in at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (the Space Center.)

I usually alternate between reading fiction and non-fiction. If you like botany, I highly recommend "Botany of Desire" by Michael Pollan

Oh.. Oh.... Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. Another book I couldn't put down.

When I was a lad, my parents really pushed the reading. Once I joined the military... I sort of forgot how!

I've been in a rut for a few years and allowed myself to enjoy the movies, without reading the books. I plan on reading the Lord of the Rings Trilogy this fall.

Another in the sci-fi fantasy genra is 'The Death Gate Cycle' by Tracy Hickman & Margaret Weiss. Both Hickman & Weiss have worked extensively on the Dungeons & Dragons material. Both had written a great deal more collectively and seperately.

The Death Gate Cycle is as disconnected a story as you'l find, but fascinating just the same.

Then again, Kurt Vonnegut and Ray Bradbury were vavorites of mine in high school, although the only Bradbury book I have read was 'Farenheit 451'.

will baddeley wrote: Philip Pullmans Dark Materials trilogy is also a must read.

Again, I just couldn't get into it, much as I wanted to. I think I like the concept of the Fantasy genre much more than I like its execution.

Jay Gaydosh wrote: Then again, Kurt Vonnegut and Ray Bradbury were vavorites of mine in high school, although the only Bradbury book I have read was 'Farenheit 451'.

One of my private students did "Fahrenheit 451" as his personal text and one of the angles he chose for his essay was the extent to which Bradbury's vision of the future had come true. It was really quite scary how much has indeed come to be -especially the manipulation and controlling of people's minds and lives by the broadcast media.

Jay, talking of movie versions, if you're going to proceed with some more Bradbury, never ever watch the movie version of his short story "A Sound of Thunder". It's appallingly awful - Hollywood and CGI interfering with a good plot to bring it in line with their "formula". Yeuch.