What Books are you Reading (2023)

[CharlieH]

Link to previous years content.

[ColeBOzbourne]

Louis L'Amour: Last of the Breed.  A bit different than his normal western novels. 

[connda]

Thin Air by Richard K. Morgan

https://www.richardkmorgan.com/writing/thin-air/

[gargamon]

Ringworld, by Larry Niven.

 

With Amazon doing a TV series, thought I'd read it again to make the series more understandable. 

[Photoguy21]

The God Equation by MIchio Kaku

[connda]

On 1/7/2023 at 1:35 PM, connda said:

Thin Air by Richard K. Morgan

https://www.richardkmorgan.com/writing/thin-air/

Actually I take that back.  I've decided to wade into The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons.  I just finished the first book, Hyperion, and I'm now on book two, Fall of Hyperion.

He has a really rich writing style with complex plot lines that interweave.  It's a good Sci-Fi read.

[connda]

On 1/27/2023 at 10:07 PM, connda said:

Actually I take that back.  I've decided to wade into The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons.  I just finished the first book, Hyperion, and I'm now on book two, Fall of Hyperion.

He has a really rich writing style with complex plot lines that interweave.  It's a good Sci-Fi read.

Just started on Book 3 of the Hyperion Cantos.

 

[Social Media]

 

[gk10012001]

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind.  T Harv. Eker.  A really fun book that gives great examples and talks about financial blueprint, mindset etc.  Small paperback.  Highly recommended.

[gk10012001]

The fountains of Paradise by Arthur C  Clark.  Great Sci Fi that has some real world possibilities in the future.

[champers]

The Secret Life of Mr.Roos by Hakan Nesser.

A Swedish crime writer who more than fills the void in the genre left by the passing of Messrs Mankell and Larsson.

Inspector Barbarotti is the wry cop looking to clear up the mystery.

[spidermike007]

Everything and anything by Barry Eisler. He is the best writer in the espionage/assassin genre. Vince Flynn was a close second, before he had the audacity to die on us. Tom Wood is decent. The Victor series is entertaining. No one else even comes close, in my opinion, though there are dozens, if not hundreds out there. Most are minor talents like Brad Thor, Steve Martini, Chris Ryan, Mick Herron, Lee Child, Andy McDermott, Alex Gurlis, Scot Hovrath, Alex Hawke, Brad Taylor, Ben Coes, and Alex Berenson.

 

Any suggestions? Real writers who can flesh out their characters and the environments with distinctive prose? 

Edited March 22, 2023 by spidermike007

[John Drake]

I do all my book stuff on Goodreads. But I'll mention something worth reading, here. James Zimmerman's The Peking Express: The Bandits Who Stole a Train, Stunned the West, and Broke the Republic of China. Just out. 

[topt]

On 3/22/2023 at 10:23 AM, spidermike007 said:

Everything and anything by Barry Eisler.

I think I have only read his John Rain books. Anything else you can recommend by him?

Scot Harvath is Brad Thor's books main character.

 

Not sure if I have read any of Tom Wood so will check that out thanks.

On 3/22/2023 at 10:23 AM, spidermike007 said:

Any suggestions?

Nelson DeMille books featuring John Corey

Tom Cain - character Sam Carver

 

Did you ever read the books by John Trevanian? Eiger Sanction was turned into a film with Clint Eatwood from memory, there was another with the same character and also a book called Shibumi.

 

Eric V Lustbader - Nicholas Linnear character (and others) - he also took over writing the Bourne books.

 

[LaosLover]

Life and Death On The New York Dance floor.

 

It's about the transition from disco to new wave in downtown NYC clubs in the early 80's. I went out at least 3 times a week back then. I saw a lot of post-punk, like the famous PIL show where everyone rioted, The Talking Heads in club shows, The Clash with a rap act who was bottled off stage, to name a few.

 

The book is too detailed, it goes week by week for five years. No $40 DJ fee is too small to squabble about a half a century later. It makes me remember famous for five minute bands like Killing Joke and YouTube them up, prob for the last time.

 

Can't recco it if you weren't there, but a 500+ page music book on something non-mainstream is always an immediate buy. I liked Elvis Costello's autobiography the same way, even tho I have barely listened to his music.

[MichaelHunt]

I just finished reading this book, "Lies My Government Told Me", by Dr. Robert Malone. Very good book. Eye-opening.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Lies-My-Govt-Told-Me/dp/151077324X/

[Denim]

How a handful of men shaped the North West Frontier :

 

[bignok]

Anyone read a great book on Buddhism?

[LaosLover]

On 5/3/2023 at 7:11 AM, bignok said:

Anyone read a great book on Buddhism?

Since you're self-help oriented, take a look at Buddha Brain. The author milks the territory for another half a dozen books, but Buddha Brain says it all.

 

Also: Why Buddhism Is True.

 

For meditation inspiration and advice, I like Joseph Goldstein. Ton of his free podcasts etc. He studied with Achan Chah, a great Ubon teacher in the forest tradition. 

 

 

[Neeranam]

The Imitation of Christ -  highly recommended and I'm a Christian.

[Neeranam]

On 5/14/2023 at 10:12 PM, LaosLover said:

For meditation inspiration and advice, I like Joseph Goldstein. Ton of his free podcasts etc. He studied with Achan Chah, a great Ubon teacher in the forest tradition. 

So did Jack Cornfield.

 

Great podcasts here - https://beherenownetwork.com/

[BlueScouse]

The Forgotten Slave Trade by Simon Webb.

 

The Forgotten Slave Trade - Simon Webb.azw3

[Denim]

On 5/3/2023 at 6:11 PM, bignok said:

Anyone read a great book on Buddhism?

Zen flesh Zen Bones

 

 

Captures the spirit of Buddhist mindfulness without a lot of the lay ritual.

[AgMech Cowboy]

NEVER by Ken Folliet

[blazes]

 

 

The Odyssey  by some Greek guy.....Folio edition, a bit heavy in the hand.

[BritManToo]

19 hours ago, blazes said:

The Odyssey  by some Greek guy.....Folio edition, a bit heavy in the hand.

Thought it was written by Homer Simpson, and he was American.

[xylophone]

You could try the one recommended by Marty Feldman, "Anthony the Aardvark goes Quantity Surveying"............ 

 

On a serious note, several times I have started, "Sapiens, a brief history of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari and never got to finish it, but will get round to it one day!

 

Not into fiction at all, and not really into reading books, other than articles on the Internet.
 

[BritManToo]

Just working my way through the Rivers of London fantasy series.

Pretty good so far, about the section of the London Met that deals with monsters.

[spidermike007]

Anyone know any spy/assassin/espionage novelists on the level of Barry Eisler or Vince Flynn? I know that is rarified territory. But, keep reading hacks like Lee Child, Alan First, Stephen Leather, Brad Thor, etc. They can't polish the shoes of either Flynn or Eisler. Victor Wood is decent. So are some of the others. But, hungry for real quality work, that puts you in that time and place. No nazi or soviet stuff. Find that boring. 

[spidermike007]

On 6/11/2023 at 12:26 PM, xylophone said:

You could try the one recommended by Marty Feldman, "Anthony the Aardvark goes Quantity Surveying"............ 

 

On a serious note, several times I have started, "Sapiens, a brief history of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari and never got to finish it, but will get round to it one day!

 

Not into fiction at all, and not really into reading books, other than articles on the Internet.
 

Very sorry to hear that. Well written books are one of life's incredible delights.