What Are You Reading? vX.x

[molson]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I've held this one in the store a couple times, but haven't managed to pull the trigger yet. Is it worth the money to read just how disturbed the guy is?

I listened to the audiobook, and it was very entertaining. And I'm sure, a very quick read. Not as moving as the Farley book, but fun.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by molson

I listened to the audiobook, and it was very entertaining. And I'm sure, a very quick read. Not as moving as the Farley book, but fun.

Sounds good enough for me!

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I've held this one in the store a couple times, but haven't managed to pull the trigger yet. Is it worth the money to read just how disturbed the guy is?

I would have to say yes. The guy is a great story teller and there are plenty of chuckles interwoven in the darkness that lies underneath his carefree exterior. Some surprisingly poignant stuff related to his Father as well.

It is definitely like a trainwreck, you want to look away, you just can't. I would recommend it, especially now that it is out in paperback.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by molson

I listened to the audiobook, and it was very entertaining. And I'm sure, a very quick read. Not as moving as the Farley book, but fun.

Holy shit, how did you get through Bob Levy reading part of it?

[molson]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

Holy shit, how did you get through Bob Levy reading part of it?

Those were the best chapters! He does have a good storytelling voice. But I don't envy the editors (I've heard the outakes on the show).

Anyway, I'm continuing my streak of light pop culture reading and am about halfway through the Basketball Book. I'm absolutely loving it and look forward to getting back to it every day. Of course, I'm basically the epitome of Simmons' target audience (31, boston sports fan, huge 80s-90s NBA fan, have holes in my NBA knowledge prior to the 80s that that I was eager to fill).

[cougarfreak]

Stephen King's "Under the Dome".

[rowech]

My Barnes and Noble Nook gets delivered tomorrow. I've been holding off on reading anything because I've been waiting for it. I hope to not be disappointed.

[Scoobz0202]

Found this link on somebodies twitter. Thought you guys might enjoy:

T-Shirts with Book covers:

http://www.outofprintclothing.com/Shop_a/152.htm

[bob]

I just finished reading The Road by Cormac MccCarthy for the second time in preparation of eventually seeing the movie (still not sure why this wasn't a wide release movie). Any way, like before, I really enjoyed the book, but I'm not sure why exactly it got so much attention, and I don't think its one of the most important books of the last 25 years like many critics did. Then again, I'm not a book critic, so what do I know?

[rowech]

Bumping up to see what folks are reading...I've got about 300 pages left in Under the Dome and am thinking ahead to try and figure what's up next.

[BYU 14]

You would think after reading "Too fat to Fish" I would be looking to elevate literary content a bit, but instead I am now reading Motley Crue: The Dirt. I have no explanation for my behavior...

P.S How any of those guys are still alive is beyond me.

[Chief Rum]

I bounce around some, but for quick, interesting novel reads, I enjoy some of the mystery/crime novels out there, but I don't know if anyone else here does. I know I have mentioned Kellerman's Alex Delaware series. Well, my most recent read is another one of my favorites of these sorts of series, Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels. I just read One Shot and The Enemy. One Shot is a typical Reacher novel; you'll like it if you like the others. The Enemy is a little different; it's actually somewhat of a prequel, from back when Reacher was in the Army.

I have switched off of nonfiction and moved over to Soccernomics by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski, which takes a look at the business of soccer, more or less, but in a lighthearted manner. Pretty interesting read so far; I have to read through it more to recommend it yet, but if you're a soccer fan, especially for overseas, you might enjoy this.

[SackAttack]

Been listening to "March Upcountry" the last coupla weeks.

[sabotai]

Just got the new paperback edition of Battle Royale by Koushun Takami (the novel that the movie was based on - redid the translation and it's, supposedly, much better now. I never read it before.). As is usual, there is a group of people who claim the book is much better than the film. I loved the movie so it's going to be hard to top, but one of the things that obvious when you watch the movie is that a lot of the characters have more back story to them than the film shows. So I'm looking forward to reading it.

Some day I'll get to reading the manga series as well.

[terpkristin]

I'm reading (listening to) Shadow's Edge, which is the 2nd book in The Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks. I'm really enjoying it, and am almost done with it, just before my next Audible credits come in...I'm enjoying it so much, I'm contemplating paying full price for the book from Audible. I'll most likely finish Shadow's Edge today, or at the latest, tomorrow morning at the gym.

Next up is Beyond the Shadows, which is the 3rd book. Other than that, I still have a fair few books in the queue on my iPod:
Atlas Shrugged (never read it, am a bit intimidated by it)
Conspirata, a book by Robert Harris. It's actually the 2nd in a series (trilogy?) and I never read the first book. This was either on sale or free, and I figure, if I like the writing, I'll go back and get the first book, then finish it out.
Dead Ex, a trash novel, similar to a Janet Evanovich book.
Emma, which I got to read as part of a book club and couldn't get into. I keep it on the iPod just in case I get motivated.
FREE: The Future of a Radical Price which I got for, well, free. Sounds interesting, but I have to be in the right mood for nonfiction.
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I've read it before, and would like to read it again and then go to the next book in that "series."
Good Omens. Another one I've read before but would like to read again.
Ringworld, a classic sci-fi novel that I'd like to read at some point. When I have "time."
The Gunslinger, book 1 in the Dark Tower series. When I'm ready to read another long series, I'll go for this one.

In print, I'm reading Occult America. I'm finding it a little difficult to get into, though the subject is really interesting to me. I think it's the writing style that's troubling me.

/tk

[Autumn]

I'm in the middle of reading Stanley Lombardo's translation of Aeneid. I love his translations, and it's making this story pretty enjoyable so far. I've read his versions of Iliad and Odyssey and now this, and so far I still like the Iliad the best.

I've also gotten sidetracked into Reviving Ophelia, the book about adolescent girls that was big probably 15 years ago but I'm just now getting to it. Still very relevant. I have two boys, not girls, but a lot of interest in psychology and education especially of adolescents. Easy, quick read that's thought provoking.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

The Gunslinger, book 1 in the Dark Tower series. When I'm ready to read another long series, I'll go for this one.

Just a reminder, in case you're not aware from other Dark Tower threads...

I am hoping you'll like The Gunslinger by itself, but if you find it a little dry and slow, trust me you out to yourself to get to Book 2, which is where the story really picks up pace. Book 1's abit of an odd little series starter (but still important to the narrative), while Book 2 is what hooks you into the series, where you have to read to the end.

[Vince, Pt. II]

TK - as I (and probably Sackattack, I think Josh is the one that hooked me) will tell you, The Dark Tower series is truly amazing. I would highly recommend going the audiobook route on them, because the two guys they have to do the narrative (Frank Muller and George Guidall) are simply fantastic, and really bring the story to life.

[terpkristin]

Thanks for the tip, CR. I'll keep that in mind. Vince, I'm definitely planning on going the audio route, good to hear it's that it's really well-done!

/tk

[chesapeake]

I just finished How I Became a Famous Novelist, by Steve Hely, which I would recommend. It is laugh out loud funny at some points. I would also recommend I Will Never Be French (no matter what I do), an account of an American that falls in love with Brittany.

TK -- Don't let Ayn Rand scare you. As I recall, Atlas Shrugged is a very smooth read, albeit long-winded. You will get bludgeoned repeatedly with her philosophy, but it is unlikley to leave any permanent marks. At worst, they will blend in with your existing scars.

If any Kindle owner wants a cheap, enjoyable read, look up MetaGame by Sam Landstrom. I think it is just a couple bucks. I think it is self-published, which would explain why parts of it need an editor and some rewriting. But I still had a lot of fun with it.

[the_meanstrosity]

I just finished Robin Hobb's "Soldiers Son" trilogy. It was an ok read, but not nearly as well done as her Farseer trilogy. I can't really recommend it unless you're a big Robin Hobb fan already otherwise I would stick with her Farseer trilogy.

It looks as if Robin Hobb has started a new series called the Rain Wilds Chronicles. It looks to be an extension of the Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies. I'll probably end up buying them since I've mostly her other series.

[the_meanstrosity]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Just a reminder, in case you're not aware from other Dark Tower threads...

I am hoping you'll like The Gunslinger by itself, but if you find it a little dry and slow, trust me you out to yourself to get to Book 2, which is where the story really picks up pace. Book 1's abit of an odd little series starter (but still important to the narrative), while Book 2 is what hooks you into the series, where you have to read to the end.

Thanks for the info Chief. I read the Gunslinger, but couldn't motivate myself to move onto the second book because of how much of a struggle it was to get through the first. I'll give book two a shot then.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by the_meanstrosity

Thanks for the info Chief. I read the Gunslinger, but couldn't motivate myself to move onto the second book because of how much of a struggle it was to get through the first. I'll give book two a shot then.

Sure thing, meanstrosity. I went through the same thing, and I was encouraged to the second book at the time as well, so that helped a lot.

The Gunslinger actually probably is a very intriguing book, but the problem is that its foundation is built on the books that come after it. There is so much symbolism and things that will become important going on there, but you have to read through the rest to get that.

This reminds me that I had always intended to go back and re-read The Gunslinger, knowing what I know now, and see if it gives me a new perspective.

Book Two is excellent (I'm completely foggy on the title, Drawing Of The Three, I think) and it really hooks you into the story and drives you through the rest of the series.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by the_meanstrosity

Thanks for the info Chief. I read the Gunslinger, but couldn't motivate myself to move onto the second book because of how much of a struggle it was to get through the first. I'll give book two a shot then.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Book 1 is *much* easier to read after you've read book 2.

I read the series 2-1-3-4-5-6-7 originally, and I felt like it was a better flow than straight through 1-7.

Book 1, as chief pointed out, is really dry - it's a lot of internal monologue with a couple of periods of dialogue.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Book 1 is *much* easier to read after you've read book 2.

I read the series 2-1-3-4-5-6-7 originally, and I felt like it was a better flow than straight through 1-7.

Book 1, as chief pointed out, is really dry - it's a lot of internal monologue with a couple of periods of dialogue.

Hey, Sack, have you gone back to read The Gunslinger after reading the whole story or only after reading Book Two? As I just noted above, I realized I had never gone back to read it again after finishing the series, and thought it would be a different sort of read to take that trip again.

[the_meanstrosity]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Book 1 is *much* easier to read after you've read book 2.

I read the series 2-1-3-4-5-6-7 originally, and I felt like it was a better flow than straight through 1-7.

Book 1, as chief pointed out, is really dry - it's a lot of internal monologue with a couple of periods of dialogue.

I may do that. I haven't read Gunslinger in a while so I'll probably need to re-read it anyway. Thanks.

[Peregrine]

I am currently reading The Big Short - Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis. Really, really great stuff - the first time I have had a full and complete understanding of the sub-prime mortgage debacle, and the level of outright idiocy by so many people on Wall Street. Lewis explains all the complexity and the various options derivatives involved extremely well. It's a great story, and it's also the great story of how a few pretty obscure people figured out (from various directions)that the system was a ticking time bomb and placed bets against it.

[bbor]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

I am currently reading The Big Short - Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis. Really, really great stuff - the first time I have had a full and complete understanding of the sub-prime mortgage debacle, and the level of outright idiocy by so many people on Wall Street. Lewis explains all the complexity and the various options derivatives involved extremely well. It's a great story, and it's also the great story of how a few pretty obscure people figured out (from various directions)that the system was a ticking time bomb and placed bets against it.

If you enjoyed this book you have to read Too big to fail.It is excellent.

[chesapeake]

I finished reading Country Driving by Peter Hessler on my West Coast trip last week. It has very interesting insights into modern Chinese culture. I would recommend this and his first book, Rivertown.

[OldGiants]

Finished up several excellent books in the past ten days or so:

The Girl Who played with Fire -- the second Salandar and Blomquvist book. Starts off slowly with a lot a pedantic observations by Larsson via the Blomquvist character. However, it gets rolling about page 200 and is every bit as good as Dragon Tattoo. I should mention that if you go see the Swedish language movie of Dragon Tattoo that is now making the rounds, you will find out the 'surprise' to Fire, so don't see it before you read the second book.

If the Dead Rise Not by Philip Kerr-- another Bernie Gunther, Berlin PI in the 1930's novel. Excellent stuff. If you want to know what Nazi Germany was like for ordinary people, this is the series.

The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo. A Norwegian (as opposed to Swedish) take on the old Nazi themes of Stieg Larsson. Just as good in the plot/action area, a bit more interesting characterization for me.

All told, three Euro Anti-Nazi books and all entertaining to boot.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by OldGiants

The Girl Who played with Fire -- the second Salandar and Blomquvist book. Starts off slowly with a lot a pedantic observations by Larsson via the Blomquvist character. However, it gets rolling about page 200 and is every bit as good as Dragon Tattoo. I should mention that if you go see the Swedish language movie of Dragon Tattoo that is now making the rounds, you will find out the 'surprise' to Fire, so don't see it before you read the second book.

Interesting. I started The Girl Who Played With Fire over the weekend (listening to audiobook) and am enjoying it so far (about 3.75 hours in). Looking forward to seeing the twists and turns this one takes.

Also I'm still reading Infinite Jest. After a strong start, I've stalled a bit, about 20% through. Work hasn't helped that very much, hopefully tonight I'll get some more reading in.

/tk

[Scoobz0202]

Not sure why, but I mentioned in passing that I had finished the book The Black Flower by Howard Bahr somewhere in this thread. I should have gone on to state that it was one of the best books I have ever read. The trilogy is set during the Civil War.

hxxp://www.amazon.com/Black-Flower-Novel-Civil-War/dp/0312265077/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b

hxxp://www.amazon.com/Judas-Field-Novel-Civil-War/dp/B001O0EHL8/ref=pd_sim_b_2

hxxp://www.amazon.com/Year-Jubilo-Novel-Civil-War/dp/0312280696/ref=pd_sim_b_2

His prose is so beautiful. His descriptions of the hell that is battle and the effects that war has on men long after the battles have silenced is magnificent.

I just want to share some passages. If you enjoy these then do yourself a favor and check out the series. Some people are turned off by his.. verbosity? I have stopped reading books for that reason alone, as I'm sure a lot of you have, but something about his writing just struck me.


""For the last time, Bushrod looked up to see his army spread out across the plain. What he could see of the brigades and grand divisions still advanced in order; had there been no Strangers, no fatal purpose, no guns or muskets across the way, they might have marched on forever under their bright banners and gleaming bayonets. But already behind the ordered lines the fields were dotted with rags of the Departed, and the smoke was rising, the white smoke that soon would hide them all. Bushrod knew it was only the smoke of the guns, but for a moment it seemed as if it might have risen from the long way itself, like the mysterious fogs that crept from the ditches and hollows in the lonely country nights, that were cold on the face and made saddle horses run wild. Well, no matter. The smoke was rising; into the smoke the long lines passed, and Bushrod knew he would see them no more. 'Goodbye,' he said aloud. 'Goodbye, goodbye.'"


"
" So they grieved, and more; they were harried by guilt. That, too, was the work of the Death Angel, who chose one and let another live, who dropped this one by the roadside while his comrade walked on. The soldiers traveled always in the company of those who were gone, who were transformed by memory into better men -- gentler, funnier, braver men -- than they might have been in life. The Death Angel reminded the living always of how much promise was lost, and how, beside it, their own possibilities shrank to no consequence. He whispered how they could never do enough, be enough now to be worthy of the gift of life. And yet, are you not relieved? he would whisper. Tell yourself truly -- are you not glad it was him and not you? The soldiers might speak of tomorrow, of what good deeds they would do, of redemption or love or promise or hope, but deep in their hearts, they knew it to be a lie, a tale they told themselves to beguile their shame. "


Cass just witnessed a cat kill a mole:

"In spite of all he had seen, Cass still believed in the fundamental decency of cats and men. He knew that God believed in it, too, in spite of all He'd seen -- in spite of all His grieving and all the lies told about Him down the bloody ages. He was God after all, and had made all creatures, and he had taken the noble chance of granting to one of them a will of its own, and in the end, the gift had been worth all the trouble. Maybe the right to choose was the best gift of all and the best proof of love. It was more precious even than life itself, for without the possibility of defeat, the victories would have no meaning. "

[Vince, Pt. II]

So after starting and stopping 1776 (mostly due to time constraints on my reading), I polished off Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. They were pretty good, but definitely not "drop what you are reading to check these out." I struggled getting used to the narrative through book one, but the story won out for me. Of note, I find myself doing that a lot lately when I read "young adult" fiction nowadays - when I read the Twilight Series, I was literally irritated at the writing style of the books, but enjoyed the storyline enough to read them all. Contrary to Twilight, I found that by book two of the Olympians series I was totally fine with the writing style, and the rest of the series was quite enjoyable. I do, however, really enjoy Greek Mythology, and I'm not sure how much that influenced my enjoyment of the series. This is definitely not a series on par with Harry Potter, for example. It was a nice quick distraction though.

I'm back into 1776 now, and enjoying it a lot. I'll keep updating it as I go, but I'm finding it to be just about the perfect book to get me back into more serious reading, as the balance between informative and storytelling is fantastic. I find myself feeling like I KNOW the people McCullough is writing about, and that's a really cool feeling when you're reading about George Washington and the rest of the cast in the book.

[tyketime]

I've tried several times in the past to read the Dark Tower series, but never made it beyond Book 2. I just completed the 5th Book (Wolves of the Calla) and know that I will complete the series. These books are soooooo long! I need to take a break before diving into the 6th one, so...

We just watched the movie Gone Baby Gone this weekend, and I really liked the story. It turns out this is the 4th of 5 books that author Dennis Lehane has written that involve the two main characters. I looked up some of the other books earlier in the "series", and he seems to be well reviewed as an author that presents stories that are not so black or white. In fact, Mrs Tyke & I are still discussing the ending of the movie. That says something to me about his writing strength. So I ordered his first one, A Drink Before the War (Patrick Kenzie/Angela Gennaro Novels), and it should arrive tomorrow. I will let you know what I think.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by tyketime

I've tried several times in the past to read the Dark Tower series, but never made it beyond Book 2. I just completed the 5th Book (Wolves of the Calla) and know that I will complete the series. These books are soooooo long! I need to take a break before diving into the 6th one, so...

We just watched the movie Gone Baby Gone this weekend, and I really liked the story. It turns out this is the 4th of 5 books that author Dennis Lehane has written that involve the two main characters. I looked up some of the other books earlier in the "series", and he seems to be well reviewed as an author that presents stories that are not so black or white. In fact, Mrs Tyke & I are still discussing the ending of the movie. That says something to me about his writing strength. So I ordered his first one, A Drink Before the War (Patrick Kenzie/Angela Gennaro Novels), and it should arrive tomorrow. I will let you know what I think.

FWIW, Lehane also wrote Mystic River and Shutter Island (with respect to books turned to movies), although those aren't from that particular story arc.

[Young Drachma]

Eating The Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman (I enjoyed it well enough.)

Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith (A book about the social web and digital marketing for people who don't know anything about it. Brogan is a pretty big deal in social web circles and I think lots of us thought it was a book written for us. But it's not.)


Free - Chris Anderson (Editor of Wired. Author of The Long Tail. I enjoyed it quite a bit, talks about the new "free" economy, about some business models and trends. I like how he writes about economics and modern business. It's not necessarily a breezy read, but it's an enjoyable one.

The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance - Elna Baker

Wench - Dolen Perkins-Valdez

[JPhillips]

I'm finishing the last of The Pirates! series. They're short and funny in a Monty Python way. Too bad the author has stopped writing them.

I'm also working on Nixonland, but it's going to be a long journey. It's a very well written and engaging book on conservatism as it developed during Nixon's career, but it's a long one.

[Scoobz0202]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

FWIW, Lehane also wrote Mystic River and Shutter Island (with respect to books turned to movies), although those aren't from that particular story arc.

Shutter Island is one of my favorite books. It's been six or so years since I read it and I still remember it like it was yesterday. Couldn't stop thinking about it for days.

[Scoobz0202]

I just finished Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

hxxp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0380813815/ref=nosim/librarythin08-20

With a beautiful blend of gutbusting humor and a lot of very touching moments, Christopher Moore tells the untold story of Christ's childhood. Well, actually Biff tells the story. Christ's hillarious best friend.

4.5/5

Technically, my to-read shelf of my book collection has about 26 books. It's so damn hard picking one because I want to read every last fucking one. Two that I want to read are Infinite Jest and 2666. I think I am planning on starting Infiite Jest next month and reading it along with this

hxxp://infinitesummer.org/

I will get to Bolano's probably sometime in the last quarter of this year.

[k0ruptr]

Why I fight - The belt is just an accessory - BJ Penn's new biography book about his life his fighting and all the answers to questions everyone remotely interested in MMA /UFC / BJ has wondered.

Just started so not so sure if its the greatest read, but just wanted to get the word out there, I'm sure it will be interesting, and already has stirred some controversy with Dana White. It seems decent, check it out if any of this peaks your interest

[bbor]

Half way through Stieg Larssons new book "The girl who kicked the hornets nest",the sequel to "the girl with the dragon tattoo".

[Scoobz0202]

Amazon.com: Joker One: A Marine Platoon's Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood (9781400067732): Donovan…

Just finished Joker One: A Marine Platoon's Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood. Told by the Platoon Commander this is an excellent book. There's no politics involved. It's a straightforward, detailed account of his platoon's hellish stint in Ramadi during the summer of '04. During that stint, their company had a higher casualty rate than any company since Vietnam. Had me in tears this morning while I was finishing it up. Just a damn good book.

4.5/5

[terpkristin]

Just finished reading Infinite Jest. Wow, what a ride. It was a challenging read, but eminently worthwhile.

I'm moving on to reading Bitter Seeds, an alternate history (with fantasy/sci-fi alterations) of World War II. After that, I'll probably move to the Hunger Games books.

/tk

[OldGiants]

Originally Posted by bbor

Half way through Stieg Larssons new book "The girl who kicked the hornets nest",the sequel to "the girl with the dragon tattoo".

Actually THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE comes between these two books.

[Scoobz0202]

This is interesting.

hxxp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/after-keeping-us-waiting-for-a-century-mark-twain-will-finally-reveal-all-1980695.html

[Young Drachma]

Reading Seth Godin's Linchpin and Edward J. Epstein's The Hollywood Economist.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Just finished reading Infinite Jest. Wow, what a ride. It was a challenging read, but eminently worthwhile.

I'm moving on to reading Bitter Seeds, an alternate history (with fantasy/sci-fi alterations) of World War II. After that, I'll probably move to the Hunger Games books.

/tk

I just finished Bitter Seeds.

I did not like it, but of my reading group, I'm the only one who didn't. I personally am not interested in any of the "recent" wars (anything after the US Civil War qualifies as recent in my book), and I strongly prefer stories of OLD wars (mideval times). So I started off on a "bad" foot, not really wanting to read about World War II.

I feel like the characters were not well developed. I got no impression why they did many (most) of the things they did. There was definitely some back story missing, which leads me to my third thought...

I think he intends to follow this book up with another. He left way too much open at the end, and maybe he intends to go over some of the back story then. This is absolutely unacceptable in my book, even if a book is in a series, it should be a good story on its own, and in my opinion, this wasn't.

If anybody else reads it, or might have an interest in it, this is the Goodreads page for it: Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

/tk

[OldGiants]

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

This is interesting.

hxxp://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/after-keeping-us-waiting-for-a-century-mark-twain-will-finally-reveal-all-1980695.html

Thanks for posting that. I recently saw IS HE DEAD? a previously unproduced play by Twain. Its a farce about a French painter who needs money so he decides to fake his own death to make his work more valuable. Quite funny and very much a Twain work, even after the translation to modern idioms.

I'm looking forward to reading this, even the boring parts.

[bbor]

Ya...i always get the names of his books confused.Non the less they are all awesome.

Originally Posted by OldGiants

Actually THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE comes between these two books.

[3ric]

Originally Posted by tyketime

We just watched the movie Gone Baby Gone this weekend, and I really liked the story. It turns out this is the 4th of 5 books that author Dennis Lehane has written that involve the two main characters. I looked up some of the other books earlier in the "series", and he seems to be well reviewed as an author that presents stories that are not so black or white. In fact, Mrs Tyke & I are still discussing the ending of the movie. That says something to me about his writing strength. So I ordered his first one, A Drink Before the War (Patrick Kenzie/Angela Gennaro Novels), and it should arrive tomorrow. I will let you know what I think.

Love the Kenzie/Gennaro novels, but the first in the series is the weakest, IMHO. "Darkness, take my hand" and "Gone baby gone" are the best by far.