Author Topic: Books , authors , let's discuss  (Read 4652 times)

Online AJ Huff

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #30 on: February 19, 2021, 07:44:53 PM »


I've read a few Tolkien books. :laugh: Silmarillion might be my all time favorite book. I can't count how many times I've read it.

I love all of Trevanian's books though the last one I read was probably 20 years ago.

The Odessa File maybe has impacted my life more than any other book with the depiction of a Nazi concentration camp.

I read one book electronically and one book in paper at the same time. For the past five years or so the e-book I read is a download from Project Gutenberg. I pick end of the 19th century, turn of the 20th century best sellers. Also the earliest gothic or fantasy books I can find. I have an extreme dislike for horror but am working my way through the complete works of HP Lovecraft on my tablet. I think I have 4 more stories left. My current in print book is The Watchmen. Current e-book is Sons and Lovers.

Usually I alternate fiction, with non-fiction. My grandmother was a librarian as well as my aunt. My mother-in-law retired as an English teacher. We have an unhealthy reverence for books in our families. Like my grandmother, I have a record of every book I've ever read since high school.

-AJ
« Last Edit: February 19, 2021, 07:46:20 PM by AJ Huff »
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Offline delrod

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #31 on: February 19, 2021, 07:47:12 PM »
Children of the Lion series by Peter Danielson. Almost certainly not in print still they were old in the 80's .Have read most of the series twice 20 years apart. Good fictionalized historic stuff following the bloodline of Cain and Abel through several generations
Doug in Pittsburg KS
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Offline kingoffleece

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #32 on: February 19, 2021, 07:47:54 PM »
Gorky Park.  Martin Cruz Smith.
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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #33 on: February 19, 2021, 07:59:00 PM »
One metric for how good a book is how disappointing the movie is. Can't recommend more strongly for:
1. Shogun-James Clavell
2. The Stand (long or short edition)-Stephen King
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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #33 on: February 19, 2021, 07:59:00 PM »

Offline LowRyter

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #34 on: February 19, 2021, 08:04:03 PM »
WARNING...SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION...





Hi all,                                                                                               2-19-21

I wrote this book a few years ago.  It is available on Amazon and Kindle.  It is about 400 pages in length and will come out as an audio book in about 4-5 months.   The plotline deals with a health insurance company that seeks to increase its profits by eliminating the most costly (chronically ill), policy holders...in a most insidious way.  If the description on Amazon does not interest you, please do not purchase.  If it tickles your interest, try it. 

Click on the thumbnail for a more complete image.

Be well, stay well,
DougG

This almost sounds like Hitchcock...meets.. .perhaps Soylent Green & Money Ball ?

You need to give us a link, not just a picture.  I looked and couldn't Google you or your book.
John L 
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Offline delrod

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #35 on: February 19, 2021, 08:07:25 PM »
Currently rereading (for the third time) The Oregon Desert Good account of ranch life in the Oregon Desert .  I kinda enjoy rereads . Another good one was Kon Tiki 1st & 2nd reading separated by 35-40 years
Doug in Pittsburg KS
2003EVT

Offline Gliderjohn

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #36 on: February 19, 2021, 08:09:22 PM »
Another interesting author from Emporia, KS no less is Don Goldsmith. He wrote a historically based but a fictional series of books on the plains Indians from the Indians point of view. It is something like 22 books starting with the first meetings of the Spanish explorers to the late 18 hundreds. The first book is titled the "The Trail of the Spanish Bit."
GliderJohn
« Last Edit: February 20, 2021, 09:10:26 AM by Gliderjohn »
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Online John A

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #37 on: February 19, 2021, 08:17:08 PM »
I recommend “Escape from Eden” by Paul Wallice  and ”Stage of Time” by Matthew LaCroix.
They are both about mans ancient beginnings . Solid works if you’re interested in that. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/escaping-from-eden-paul-wallis/1132436663
https://thestageoftime.com
« Last Edit: February 19, 2021, 09:34:36 PM by John A »
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Offline Tom

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #38 on: February 19, 2021, 08:18:59 PM »
Rascals in Paradise.  James Michener.
Hope for the Highway.....New Testament.
Great Expectations.  Charles Dickens.
Sojurners & Settlers.  Glick.
Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things.  Panati.
Guzziology.  1st Edition when it came out.
The Bounty Trilogy.  Different authors.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2021, 08:20:11 PM by Tom »
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Offline JC85

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #39 on: February 19, 2021, 08:31:01 PM »
Ah, I would be remiss if I didn't mention my all time favorite non fantasy book: "The Monkey Wrench Gang." Who's read it, and for those who have, who is your favorite character? I'm a Seldom Seen Smith man, myself.
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Offline Gliderjohn

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #40 on: February 19, 2021, 08:32:44 PM »
I have always been an avid reader and have an MS degree but... my father born in 1904 with and 8th grade education could go toe to toe with me on historical and classical literature. Our own Dusty here is one of the most self educated persons I have ever known. Formal education is rarely time wasted but with an open mind and some self-motivation one can become very educated.
GliderJohn
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Online Ncdan

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #41 on: February 19, 2021, 08:33:04 PM »
A true iron man,



👍 on Lonesome Dove. I didn’t read that series but I read the 3 after that.

Offline JC85

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #42 on: February 19, 2021, 08:34:37 PM »
One metric for how good a book is how disappointing the movie is. Can't recommend more strongly for:

My favorite example of this is "I am Legend." Discovered the book in high school, and it's an excellent, totally original take on the vampire theme. Then came this Will Smith POS with some kind of weird zombie things and a completely different plotline that doesn't even resemble the book. I kid you not, the ONLY thing that the book and movie have in common is the name of the main character and the fact that there's a dog involved.
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Offline JC85

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #43 on: February 19, 2021, 08:39:07 PM »
One metric for how good a book is how disappointing the movie is. Can't recommend more strongly for:

Just thought of another example: Interview With a Vampire vs Queen of the Damned. The film adaptation of Interview with a Vampire was excellent and spot on from the book. Why? Because Anne Rice, the author of the book, WROTE the screenplay, and was involved in production. Then came Queen of the Damned, one of the other adaptations from that books series. Anne Rice wasn't involved in any capacity, and lo and behold, it was absolute trash on every level. Ok, I'm done complaining. Back to discussing good books!  :laugh:
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Offline JC85

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #44 on: February 19, 2021, 08:40:56 PM »
Currently rereading (for the third time) The Oregon Desert Good account of ranch life in the Oregon Desert .  I kinda enjoy rereads . Another good one was Kon Tiki 1st & 2nd reading separated by 35-40 years

I'm also a rereader. I have one book that I reread every single winter, and a couple of others that I reread at least once, every few years.
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Online DonT

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #45 on: February 19, 2021, 08:53:56 PM »
Ever since newspapers disappeared, I've doubled up on books; especially reading over breakfast.  A similar thread a few years back was great. 
My wife works in the town library and brings home whatever she thinks I'd like. 
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Offline Siamese

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #46 on: February 19, 2021, 09:04:45 PM »
From Huzo:Agree, a good Vietnam era book.
GliderJohn

Yeah...Chickenhawk.  Awesome book.  If you pay attention at all, you walk away with a good understanding of how a helicopter works, and how they're flown. 

Offline V7Record

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #47 on: February 19, 2021, 09:23:24 PM »
I'm not sure I could name a favorite but like a few others I enjoy rereads. 
Some of my favorite rereads would be LOTR or almost anything by Heinlein or Edgar Rice Burroughs.

For the past couple years I've been signed up with bookbub.  They send daily emails with deals, usually free to a couple bucks, on ebooks from Amazon/B&N/etc.  Some of these are new authors, many are 1st in a series where they hope to suck you in.  I tend towards the freebies but have also bought quite a few.  While bookbub is free I've found myself reading a lot more variety since signing up.  They have you indicate genre's etc that interest you so you mostly see titles that have a chance of interesting you.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2021, 09:26:17 PM by V7Record »

Offline Siamese

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #48 on: February 19, 2021, 09:32:11 PM »
I was annoyed that the OP opened this thread, but then realized...these are Guzzi riders!  I'll bet they read good books. 

I'll second Gary Jenning's Aztec.  His other books are good, too. 

I suspect Aztec is based on The Egyptian, by Mika Waltari.  Highly recommend The Egyptian. 

Oh, and pretty much every Nelson Demille book.  A good one to start with might be The Gatehouse. 

I resisted Michener, because I thought his books were written to become TV mini-series.  Until I read one.  And then read all of them. 

Can also recommend The Frontiersmen by Alan Eckerts.  Great true adventure story about frontiersman, Simon Kenton and Tecumseh. 

Follow the River by James Alexander Thom
Another book about the American frontier. 

And, anything by Bernard.  Historical fiction.  He has series of novels on the American Civil War, English bowmen, King Arthur, and more.  Always fun to read, and he wrote a lot of books.  I was sad when I realized I had finally read them all. 

Jeff Shaara's Gods and Generals, if you like good historical fiction.  This one's about the American Civil War, and focuses on Gettysburg.  His father Michael also writes novels about the American Civil War, and The Killer Angels is good. 

Offline Siamese

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #49 on: February 19, 2021, 09:39:12 PM »
Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana


oldbike54

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #50 on: February 19, 2021, 09:41:50 PM »
 Bill Bryson writes some really enjoyable travel books , and his treatise on the English language is nonpareil . Humor combined with scholarship is an amazing way to tell a story .

 Dusty

Online John Croucher

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #51 on: February 19, 2021, 10:03:38 PM »
I never considered myself a reader.   But, actually I have always been a reader and researcher. 

Recently I heard a big crash two floors down from bed.  Didn't smell smoke and rolled over.

Next day hit office door and 5 rolls 16 ft lg of library was on the floor.  Plastic  shelves suck.

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #52 on: February 19, 2021, 10:54:50 PM »
I never considered myself a reader.   But, actually I have always been a reader and researcher. 

Recently I heard a big crash two floors down from bed.  Didn't smell smoke and rolled over.

Next day hit office door and 5 rolls 16 ft lg of library was on the floor.  Plastic  shelves suck.

  :laugh:

 Dusty

Offline Tom

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #53 on: February 19, 2021, 10:58:07 PM »
Same for garage shelves if you have stuff on them like engine, parts etc.  Wood is good but steel is for real. 
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Offline DougG

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #54 on: February 20, 2021, 07:17:27 AM »
Hi All,                                                                                 2-20-21

Since I was asked...

This is the link to my book on Amazon.  It's easiest if you have a Kindle reader.  Enjoy!

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=raw+data...fixing+the+numbers&rh=n%3A154606011&ref=nb_sb_noss








Be well, stay well,
DougG
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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #55 on: February 20, 2021, 07:53:11 AM »
 I like military history.......Super fortress, the story of the B29 in action by General Curtiss Lemay, Flyboys, accounts of US flyer Pow's, Unroken, another Pow powerful story. Blitzed, very interesting accounts of Nazi drug use...And like him or not, Bill  O' Reilly's series of "the killing of Lincoln, Kennedy etc are well written and free from political opinion.

Online skippy

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #56 on: February 20, 2021, 08:49:29 AM »
Someone already mentioned a good read being destroyed when made into a movie and that is certainly true with Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers. This was the first book of Heinlein that read when I was 15 and I have devoured everything Heinlein has written since. In fact I keep copies of all of his work because they are all worth rereads. I will say that Starship Troopers was very controversial when it was written and Heinlein's publisher refused to publish. Heinlein took it to an other publisher and it became a smash hit.

Also on my shelf as worthy rereads is of course C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Bradbury, Orwell, Golding, Fleming. I have to specifically mention Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Brilliant!

I am not sure where to end. There are just simply to many great Reads out there and the more I think about it the harder it is for me to make up my mind. Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Patton is a good read. Dick Gregory has had a couple of good reads as well (I won't type the title to his first book, some of you will know why.)

Everything Harry Potter was fun. Can't wait for my daughter to be a little bit older so I can start chapter book reading at bedtime instead of the stuff we have now. (Still fun, but...)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy by Stieg Larsson was published posthumously and was then carried on with another series by David Lagercrantz. Again, Hollywood changed the story a bit so don't base your opinion of it on the Danial Craig movie. The Swedish film trilogy is much better and worth a watch though.

I better stop now. I just keep coming up with great reads!

I almost forgot to mention for those fans of The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Universe crowd, check out Red Dwarf by Grant Naylor (Rob Grant, Doug Naylor).

Skippy   
« Last Edit: February 20, 2021, 08:57:31 AM by skippy »
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Offline Gliderjohn

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #57 on: February 20, 2021, 09:16:40 AM »
From Rough Edge Racing:
Quote
I like military history.......Super fortress, the story of the B29 in action by General Curtiss Lemay, Flyboys, accounts of US flyer Pow's, Unroken, another Pow powerful story. Blitzed, very interesting accounts of Nazi drug use...And like him or not, Bill  O' Reilly's series of "the killing of Lincoln, Kennedy etc are well written and free from political opinion.
Flyboys is very good, but a tough, tough read. I cannot begin to imagine being in those POW's situation. Horrible.
GliderJohn
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Offline JC85

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #58 on: February 20, 2021, 09:43:01 AM »
Everything Harry Potter was fun. Can't wait for my daughter to be a little bit older so I can start chapter book reading at bedtime instead of the stuff we have now. (Still fun, but...)

Skippy

My daughter and I made our way through the Harry Potter books one chapter at a time during bedtime over the course of a couple of years. She has a lot of fond memories of laying there in rapt attention while I did every voice. She's 17 now, and I sure do miss those days.
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Offline DaveJT

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Re: Books , authors , let's discuss
« Reply #59 on: February 20, 2021, 10:05:36 AM »
Ah, I would be remiss if I didn't mention my all time favorite non fantasy book: "The Monkey Wrench Gang." Who's read it, and for those who have, who is your favorite character? I'm a Seldom Seen Smith man, myself.

I think I’ve got the paperwork.  Kinda of a Ken Kesey bunch thing?
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