Greetings from the belly of a huge 777 . I just boarded in Detroit for a nearly 16 hour non-stop trip to shanghai. I actually love this part of the trip… Im all snug in my seat.. My cords are not yet tangled, my seat is not yet full of crumbs. I have 15 hours of quiet meditation awaiting me…. Ahhhhh
Getting ready to head to china.. got everything but a good book to read. I put a post out to facebook about an hour ago and have already got over 40 suggestions ! I love the range of stuff people suggested…a nd even more the range of people.. old school friends , work freinds, colony friends.. . Facebook is wonderful for this kind of stuff..Please keep th suggestions coming.. I’m reading quite a bit these days..
I should put some of my own recent recommendations. …. stuff I’ve read in the past six months or so…
‘Young men and fire ‘ by Norman Maclean was suggested.. and it’s one of my fav’s ..
And the Stieg Larson ones are recommended by several.. .. a guilty pleasure tof mine t, oo.
I.’m currently reading.. and about to finish 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami… I’ve been reading everythign he’s written..(i loved Wind up bird Chronicles, Kafka by the shore, Dance, Dance, Dance. and Norwegian Wood. )..
I also just finished ‘Tell All’ by Chuck Palahnuik.. dark.. but good. ..
I also read a book of poetry by Taylor Mali.. ‘The Last. Time as We Are”.. which I sort of liked. .
‘the art of racing in the rain’ by Garth Stein.. (great !) ,
‘Ballistics:, “sailing round the room” and “picnic lightning” by Billy collins (poetry) ,
Fortress of Solitude by Jonathen Lethern (quite good) ..
Freedom by Johnanthon Franzon (Loved it !!) ,
The Grand Design by Stephen Hawkins.. (Liked it.. but didn’t get much from it) .
Old Filth by Jane Garam (loved it !.. about an old lawyer who made a fortune in Hong Kong then retires back in England. )
The Sex Lives of Cannibals by Maarten Roost (light and funny)
Thuderstruck by Erik Larson (didn’t like the writing.. but liked the story.. about Marconi)
Tinkers by Paul Harding (the story of a man’s memories as he’s dying. really imaginative.. liked it quite a bit)
Water for Elephants.. ..by Sara Gruen. light and interesting
Zeitoun – Dave Eggers (one of my favorite writers).. true story about a Syrian-american ‘s tough time during hurican Katrina.
here’s what folks recommended to me tonight:
Augie Stevens The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, by Steig Larsson
Jack Kouloheris I reread Philip Wylie’s “The Answer”. Short and moving. And still relevant
František Strnad Read “Journey to the End of the Night” by Céline. It will change your life. Well, perhaps not that much, but it’s really unique.
John Mangan Ready Player One. My favorite book of 20
Michael Massetti Money Ball … great book about baseball and statistics.
Jamison Openthe Gates A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Scott Turnbull 2nd on Stieg Larsson’s trilogy. I’m working through #3, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, now. A mix of tech, murder mystery, and political commentary.
Anne Meixner Three Dog Night a short memoir i love it so much that am reading it again even though i just finishes it. Lots of life lessons.
Seth Robinson Before I Go To Sleep was my favorite book from last year. Really excellent, compelling tale
Anthony Chirico ”She” by H.Rider Haggard
Sue Jaynes Cutting for Stone. And somehow I have ended up with multiple copies. Want one?
Augie Stevens The Silmarillion by J.R.R Tolkein is a great book that will take you a long time.
Tom Mechler The Dying Earth, Jack Vance
Muhammad Saad Einstein -a life! by Dennis Brian
Chris Nay ”Young Men & Fire” by Norman MacLean is excellent.
Meryl Goldfarb State of wonder by Ann pachett.
Jesse ßouchard you should write a book called thug life
Erándini Brizuela Herrera The Fifth Agreement. Miguel Ruíz …. =)
Martha Wales The Help.
Joey Sciacca I read Your wife’s diary …. Not bad, boy she doesn’t like you much. Did you ever read Shogun or Pillara of Eath like I told you to two frigen years ago?
R Warren Langley The Mattethorn
Trey Tarrance Possum Living… or The Screwtape Letters
Joey Sciacca O.k … Stop listening to everyone. Don’t make me Jedi mind trick your ass. Scratch what I said, and it should read Pillars of Earth. But instead read Guns,Germs and Steal.. I’m gunna call and quiz you ass.
George N Fallieras The Mysterious stranger. Twain
Zach Miller Incarnations of Immortality series, by Piers Anthony. The first book is titled On a Pale Horse.
Ben Ashe Greatest show on earth
Kevin McCullen Joe Abercrombie: The First Law Trilogy
N Laura Middleton The Outlander series, but they are historical romances with a time travel twist…probably more of a woman’s book…and I just got the 4th in the Paolini dragon series..
Kevin McCullen Peter F Hamilton: Pandora’s Star / Judas Unchained, Night’s Dawn Trilogy, “Void” Trilogy
Levi Newton One Second After by William Forstchen.
Kip Beegle I just reread Earth abides. But I agree with Levi one second after was excellent.
Scott Brooks John: Chris Nay recommended Young Men and Fire by Norman MacLean. That book was so powerful for me I mailed it to a friend of mine (back in 94) along with a plane ticket to Montana so we could explore where it took place. Other great non-fiction books: Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea (about searching for a gold-laden shipwreck in 8000 feet of water). Tremendous science; Isaac’s Storm (about a hurricane that hit Galveston in 900); and Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors (a story of incredible WWII bravery in the Pacific).
Michael Pirovano The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. It’s smartfunny
Bob Blainey God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens, who recently died. A bit of a polemic to be sure but well researched and written.
Derek Beatty The Wild Blue
Sally Pitt Larry Alex Taunton: The Grace Effect
Naohiko Takeda あらすじとイラストでわかる禅
Melissa Cefkin Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell. Wait ’till you get to the middle part – you’ll love it , as dystopic as it is (think The Colony, but not really). I haven’t yet read his more recent works, but a master of the English language.
Alexis Ash The Lost City of Z, and the Earth Children series. Great reads. Or if you want to feel all weird and thought provoking after you’re done reading, anything by John Steinbeck. The Red Pony is my favorite.
Pam Nesbitt The Zookeeper’s Wife – a prominent warsaw zoo lodges jews during world war 2; will look to see what else i read recently.
Like I said.. please keep those suggestiosn coming..
nite all, nite sam
-me
ps.. Here’s a great video that Gabe and Marcello did for a class project on the Songhai Empire
I’m trying to start a number of things and need to get my thoughts and actions in order… but I’m having a little trouble shaking off last years patterns. We treated ourselves and our very dirty car to a car wash yesterday in the hopes it would erase the deep coating o ‘no snow yet’ off our car.. As we sat in the carwash I was thinking how nice it would be to be able to put your brain through a wash like that.. Suds it up, spray it off.. put on a new coat of wax.. .. insert some shiny new thoughts and off you go..
Ahhh. if it were only that easy.. my car shined .. but y head was still muddled.. Gabe offered me another possible cure: orange juice popsicles in the shape of a brain. I gave him the mold…
Got brainfreeze trying to eat it.. but you know.. I feel smarter already… Lets see if it works tomorrow
Just back from a trip down to see my folks . I glad to have them in diving distance . Its a strange form of time travel to re-enter your parents house. Its both comfortingly familiar and disconcertingly different from your own life. The objects and atmosphere are just as you remembered them… But its like being transformed back to being a kid in terms of interpersonal dynamics.
I love talking to my parents and hearing stories of our common past. I still feel like a teenager in their house… Albeit a well cared for and much loved teenager 🙂
Ok. Gotta sleep
Nite all nite Sam
-me
