What are you reading right now?

[corbe]

https://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,381985.msg3073511.html#msg3073511

[Kamaji]

23 Years on Fire:  https://www.amazon.com/23-Years-Fire-Cassandra-Kresnov/dp/1522670858

[mountaineer]

Our public library was closed from Christmas to New Year's Day, and I'd run out of novels to read, so I checked out the Jerry Jenkins' "underground zealot" three-book series (Soon, Silenced and Shadowed) from the church library. They take place in the mid- late-2040s, after a worldwide government has banned the practice of all religion in the name of peace. In the first book, the underground church has prayed for God to bring down judgment on Los Angeles, and when He does, it takes the form of instantaneous drought. Water glasses, swimming pools - immediately bone dry. All foliage dries out, and the entire region becomes a uninhabited desert.

The book certainly came to mind when I heard of the fires raging through Pacific Palisades and environs!  I couldn't help it.

[Gefn]

Our public library was closed from Christmas to New Year's Day, and I'd run out of novels to read, so I checked out the Jerry Jenkins' "underground zealot" three-book series (Soon, Silenced and Shadowed) from the church library. They take place in the mid- late-2040s, after a worldwide government has banned the practice of all religion in the name of peace. In the first book, the underground church has prayed for God to bring down judgment on Los Angeles, and when He does, it takes the form of instantaneous drought. Water glasses, swimming pools - immediately bone dry. All foliage dries out, and the entire region becomes a uninhabited desert.

The book certainly came to mind when I heard of the fires raging through Pacific Palisades and environs!  I couldn't help it.

I got the first book in this trilogy free on Audible. Tried to get into it but couldn't - I'll try it again @mountaineer
I did enjoy the "Left Behind" series and the three books in the prequel


Reading a very good book this month for book club. Ill let you all know if its good- just started it.

[mountaineer]

These were the first Jenkins books I'd ever read, although I have heard of the Left Behind series. Maybe I'll check them out.

[240B]

Humans Are Not From Earth: A Scientific Evaluation Of The Evidence
by Ellis Silver



We are allergic to our own sun. In fact it will kill us if exposed to it for too long.
We need artificial clothing or furs to survive outdoors.
We do not eat most natural foods without massive alteration and preparation. Humans cannot live without fire.
We build structures to live in to protect us from the natural environment of Earth.
Most people Hate nature and living in the natural world. In fact, most would die from having to live in it.

Bottom line is: if humans evolved on Earth naturally, then why would nature kill us if we tried to survive in it. One would think that getting back to nature would be a wonderful thing. It should be like going home. Instead it is deadly. It is actually a highly specialized and highly trained skill to be able to survive in nature. And yet we evolved in nature? Really?

The natural environment of the Earth is deadly to humans. How can that be true if we evolved in it? Maybe we came from somewhere else and were transplanted here in this hostile environment? Who knows?

[Fishrrman]

I'd seen the great film "Ben Hur" a few times, but had never read the book.

I'd heard that it was a difficult book, mostly due to the 1880-ish somewhat "archaic" prose style that Lew Wallace used in his time.

Then I found that his great-great granddaughter "re-wrote" the book, revising the original text into a more modern style, and removing some of the overly-elaborite site descriptions in the original.

So I scrounged up the sorta-bowdlerized version.
Just finished it a few days ago and enjoyed it.

You want to search for:
"Ben-Hur A Tale of the Christ (Collectors Edition)"
(above can be found in epub format on z-lib)

[mountaineer]

Just finished "All Quiet on the Western Front," by Erich Maria Remarque. Very sobering and thought-provoking. I'd seen the 1930 movie with Lew Ayers but hadn't read the book until now. 

[Fishrrman]

Currently reading "Timeline", by Michael Crichton.

[Polly Ticks]

I just downloaded "Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard" by Tom Felton. Haven't started it yet, but I hear good things about it.

[Polly Ticks]

I just downloaded "Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard" by Tom Felton. Haven't started it yet, but I hear good things about it.

Came back to add that I really enjoyed this book. Very humorous, and quite introspective toward the end.

[Fishrrman]

Finished yesterday:
"Timeline", by Michael Crichton.

Started today:
"The Bridge on the River Kwai", by Pierre Boulle.

[verga]

Finished yesterday:
"Timeline", by Michael Crichton.

Started today:
"The Bridge on the River Kwai", by Pierre Boulle.

Loved Timeline.

[Lando Lincoln]

Started reading Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry. Set in a fictional town, it is a story of a barber who grew up an orphan and dreamed of becoming a priest. Instead, he became the town barber. I’m not far into it but it is full of anecdotal observations and characters. It is set in the late 30’s through the early 60’s. Good stuff.

[verga]

I am taking a class on Spiritual Direction. We have certain required books, one of which is Dorothy Day's "The Long Loneliness". How she made a living as a journalist is beyond me. It is the most boring meandering POS I have read in a long time. I am one third of the way through it and want to burn it. 

[Fishrrman]

A TIP for fellow "e-readers" out there:
z-lib now has an app.
There are app for MacOS, Windows and Android.

You might look here:
https://z-library.en.uptodown.com/windows
https://z-library.en.uptodown.com/mac
https://z-lib.en.uptodown.com/android

One other tip:
I would recommend use of a VPN when accessing z-lib.

[mountaineer]

The columnist Selena Zito made a recommendation on X for Ron Chernow's biography of Ulysses Grant, and I found it at the local library. It's nearly 1,000 pages, but I intend to have it read and returned before we leave on a mini-vacation to three Civil War battlefields. So far, 165 pages of small print in, it's very interesting.

[roamer_1]

Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan SciFi/Fan

This epic is serious. 700 pages in the first book, and it's 14 books long. It is the book that Amazon Prime's 'Wheel of Time' series is based upon.

Pretty rough getting into it... getting started. You're just thrown into it, and the author throws in a whole bunch of things you're just assumed to understand... But stick with it.

It is going to be rated right up there with the all-time-greatest epics I have ever read. Now that I'm in it, I can't put it down.

Great book. Great.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I'm actually currently listening to "Into Thin Air" by John Krakauer on audio book for my commute. It's pretty good, will be looking for more books of this nature in the future.

[mountaineer]

Into Thin Air is a fascinating story.

[Polly Ticks]

Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan SciFi/Fan

@roamer_1
I hope you will come back when you're done and give an update. Brandon Sanderson finished the last book after Robert Jordan passed away, and opinions on the result are mixed.  I'll be curious to know what you thought.

[mountaineer]

I finished the Grant bio mentioned above. It really was a thorough examination of his life, military career, presidency and post-presidency, and I enjoyed it.

[roamer_1]

@roamer_1
I hope you will come back when you're done and give an update. Brandon Sanderson finished the last book after Robert Jordan passed away, and opinions on the result are mixed.  I'll be curious to know what you thought.

*sigh*.... Well, that doesn't bode well.... 
I'll let you know... Twelve books from now...

[jafo2010]

Someone up stream mentioned reading a book that made them laugh.  The other day, I was searching for something, you know, something I put in a safe place, and I went into a cedar chest and came across the book The Rape of the APE by Allan Sherman.

Allan Sherman was a comedian that was very popular in the 60s who sang the song Hello Mother, Hello Father.  Those of you that were around back then might remember the song.

Back to his book, I can remember when I was about 20, reading paragraphs of this book to my roommates in school, and we all sat around laughing.  I worked one summer at Cedar Point Amusement Park, told a girl I was dating about the book, she asked to read it.  I gave it to her, and every time I asked about it, it was forwarded on to one of her friends to read it.  She said quite a few in her dorm enjoyed the book.  I never did get it back (paperback), but I found a hardback copy a few years later and bought it from a used book store.



Hello Mother, Hell Father   by   Allan Sherman...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZT4rksGBME&list=RDKZT4rksGBME&start_radio=1

[Bigun]

Someone up stream mentioned reading a book that made them laugh.  The other day, I was searching for something, you know, something I put in a safe place, and I went into a cedar chest and came across the book The Rape of the APE by Allan Sherman.

Allan Sherman was a comedian that was very popular in the 60s who sang the song Hello Mother, Hello Father.  Those of you that were around back then might remember the song.

Back to his book, I can remember when I was about 20, reading paragraphs of this book to my roommates in school, and we all sat around laughing.  I worked one summer at Cedar Point Amusement Park, told a girl I was dating about the book, she asked to read it.  I gave it to her, and every time I asked about it, it was forwarded on to one of her friends to read it.  She said quite a few in her dorm enjoyed the book.  I never did get it back (paperback), but I found a hardback copy a few years later and bought it from a used book store.



Hello Mother, Hell Father   by   Allan Sherman...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZT4rksGBME&list=RDKZT4rksGBME&start_radio=1

I remember the song but not the book. I'll look around for a copy.

[Cyber Liberty]

Someone up stream mentioned reading a book that made them laugh.  The other day, I was searching for something, you know, something I put in a safe place, and I went into a cedar chest and came across the book The Rape of the APE by Allan Sherman.

Allan Sherman was a comedian that was very popular in the 60s who sang the song Hello Mother, Hello Father.  Those of you that were around back then might remember the song.

Back to his book, I can remember when I was about 20, reading paragraphs of this book to my roommates in school, and we all sat around laughing.  I worked one summer at Cedar Point Amusement Park, told a girl I was dating about the book, she asked to read it.  I gave it to her, and every time I asked about it, it was forwarded on to one of her friends to read it.  She said quite a few in her dorm enjoyed the book.  I never did get it back (paperback), but I found a hardback copy a few years later and bought it from a used book store.



Hello Mother, Hell Father   by   Allan Sherman...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZT4rksGBME&list=RDKZT4rksGBME&start_radio=1

I remember that book!  Short Chapter, Long Footnote!

[verga]

Someone up stream mentioned reading a book that made them laugh.  The other day, I was searching for something, you know, something I put in a safe place, and I went into a cedar chest and came across the book The Rape of the APE by Allan Sherman.

Allan Sherman was a comedian that was very popular in the 60s who sang the song Hello Mother, Hello Father.  Those of you that were around back then might remember the song.

Back to his book, I can remember when I was about 20, reading paragraphs of this book to my roommates in school, and we all sat around laughing.  I worked one summer at Cedar Point Amusement Park, told a girl I was dating about the book, she asked to read it.  I gave it to her, and every time I asked about it, it was forwarded on to one of her friends to read it.  She said quite a few in her dorm enjoyed the book.  I never did get it back (paperback), but I found a hardback copy a few years later and bought it from a used book store.



Hello Mother, Hell Father   by   Allan Sherman...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZT4rksGBME&list=RDKZT4rksGBME&start_radio=1

I was around 18 or 19 when i read that book. Quite a shock to my Catholic upbringing sensibilities. Absolutely loved it

[Polly Ticks]

I just started "I'll Scream Later" by Marlee Matlin.

[roamer_1]

Make you laugh... Best ever, all time GOAT:

Patrick F. McManus. Start with 'They Shoot Canoes, Don't they?'

It's all pretty redneck, couched in the adventures of a kid... But many of his escapades hit too close to home, and I laughed and laughed. all the way through. Yeah... redneck... but mostly boyhood.

It's all the same thing, all they way down the series - I dunno if it will sustain itself the whole way through, but I bet you'll get six books done, one right after the other.

[Fishrrman]

Currently reading from a collection of short stories by Ray Bradbury.
1,800 pages worth! (on a 14" MacBook Pro)

[berdie]

All this talk about reading humorous books made me get a couple of Erma Bombeck books off of the shelf. I'll be interested to see if I still find her funny. Haven't read them in years.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

I am taking a class on Spiritual Direction. We have certain required books, one of which is Dorothy Day's "The Long Loneliness". How she made a living as a journalist is beyond me. It is the most boring meandering POS I have read in a long time. I am one third of the way through it and want to burn it.

Seems we are at similar ends when it comes to books we rather not read.

Am reading Shakespeare's King Lear and some other plays.

Only reason am doing so is I bought the Harvard Classics 20 book series 6 decades ago and it has been a robust shelf decoration, so I decided to read each and every one before I send off to my daughter-in-law who is homeschooling her 5 kids.

Am so glad I box the book up and send it off, never to see or hear from it again.

PS - Only two books left, leaving Dante's Inferno for the last.

[verga]

Make you laugh... Best ever, all time GOAT:

Patrick F. McManus. Start with 'They Shoot Canoes, Don't they?'

It's all pretty redneck, couched in the adventures of a kid... But many of his escapades hit too close to home, and I laughed and laughed. all the way through. Yeah... redneck... but mostly boyhood.

It's all the same thing, all they way down the series - I dunno if it will sustain itself the whole way through, but I bet you'll get six books done, one right after the other.

2 summers ago I read the entire series, sent it to a friend of mine for his birthday. Pure humorist gold right there.

[verga]

Seems we are at similar ends when it comes to books we rather not read.

Am reading Shakespeare's King Lear and some other plays.

Only reason am doing so is I bought the Harvard Classics 20 book series 6 decades ago and it has been a robust shelf decoration, so I decided to read each and every one before I send off to my daughter-in-law who is homeschooling her 5 kids.

Am so glad I box the book up and send it off, never to see or hear from it again.

PS - Only two books left, leaving Dante's Inferno for the last.

In the Seminary I had a instructor, Native speaking Italian, he would sight translate it from the original Florentine. I would bring tears to your eyes. We did the entire Divine Comedy.

[verga]

Right now I am reading St. John of the Cross "Dark Night of the Soul. Very deep IO need to reread entire paragraphs 3-4 times to grasp the meaning, but it is great.

[roamer_1]

2 summers ago I read the entire series, sent it to a friend of mine for his birthday. Pure humorist gold right there.

 

[IsailedawayfromFR]

'It's Not My Fault' by Townsend.

Discussion to get control of your life and stop blaming others or circumstances

[Fishrrman]

I've just finished a hard-hitting and pertinent novel by Tom Kratman entitled "Caliphate".

It unfolds in the 2100's in [former] Germany, now a part of "The Caliphate".

This one receives the "Fishrrman seal of approval" if you're looking for some "future fiction".

It can be found here (in various formats):
https://www.amazon.com/Caliphate-Tom-Kratman/dp/1439133425/ref=tmm_mmp_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3LJ9kJe3FrR58_7LDYy-qhrPMGZP8hcj5R65TYRTAd6bysyXWec_nh93vxhlNLaGxVe1CgkZdkfKybS5-4MjFERmrLF0PyWpWoHW5oWP40kN4M0qVuIwKxK4rsTjuLj5TTbxFY7OebNWbhNZOrnmUQ.UgxifSZpQkzBc1U-dHzeGErITp0OzV7K_sGUZiJzCHk&qid=1755888714&sr=8-1

Also in ebook format at z-lib if you're adventurous:
bookszlibb74ugqojhzhg2a63w5i2atv5bqarulgczawnbmsb6s6qead.onion/s/caliphate%20tom%20kratman
IMPORTANT: I have removed "http://" from the beginning of the above link so as to make it "un-clickable".
If you're going to visit, type (in your address bar) "http://" and then paste the above URL into it without adding any spaces after the "//".

ALSO IMPORTANT:
You need to use the TOR browser for z-lib, because of the "onion" (dark web) address.
TOR browser is free to download and use for Macs and PC's...

ALSO IMPORTANT:
I also recommend that you create an account on z-lib using a "throwaway" email address that doesn't contain your actual name. A good place to create one is on protonmail.com -- free, web-based, encrypted email (they're in Switzerland).
https://proton.me/mail

TIP: there's now an app for z-lib, for both Mac and PC and Android as well:
Windows:
https://z-library.en.uptodown.com/windows/download
Mac:
https://z-library.en.uptodown.com/mac/download
Android:
https://z-lib.en.uptodown.com/android/download
iOS/iPad (through App Store):
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zlibrary-epub-reader-pdf/id1586508277

You may need to be registered in z-lib with a username and password first.

When connecting to z-lib using the app, it's probably best to do so "through a VPN".
Proton also offers a free VPN (limited in some ways, but still works) if you already have an email account with them, as mentioned above.

If you've read this far, I suggest you ARCHIVE this post.
I'm giving you info that you're probably not going to get "through the usual sources" ...

[Cyber Liberty]

I just finished reading Kurt Schlichter's book on Civil War 2, and am currently reading Brilliant Creations by @ChemEngrMBA

[berdie]

The Nurses Story. Interesting history and drama, drama, drama.

[rustynail]

From the Insane Asylum
by Joseph Kaufer

[roamer_1]

@Polly Ticks

Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan SciFi/Fan

@roamer_1
I hope you will come back when you're done and give an update. Brandon Sanderson finished the last book after Robert Jordan passed away, and opinions on the result are mixed.  I'll be curious to know what you thought.

*sigh*.... Well, that doesn't bode well.... 
I'll let you know... Twelve books from now...

Well, that was epic, as predicted. I feel absolutely battered, like a journey of many days... What a gigantic tale. Monumental. Absolutely well worth it.

I have little to gripe about, other than Jordan's obvious fetish for women's styles in dressing, which put me off throughout... And several ways in which the story pushed at the borders of my suspension of disbelief. I can't really offer examples without spoiling things, and it is a fiction, so anything could be legit... And to be fair, I do believe most of that was by design to shock moral sensibilities, so fair game, I guess.

As to your particular remark, with full knowledge of the author change going in, I noticed very little difference in the style and weight of the story as I passed from one author to the other - Brandon Sanderson wrote the last three books, I do believe, and other than a distinct change in tempo,the story moved through the change of hands quite well, and coming from me, that is quite a compliment. There were however, some threads of the story that were left undone, though I suppose that is inevitable in a story of this scale.

All in all, a great tale. One of the best I have read.