So...what are you reading lately?

Monello

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
Looking for Alaska by Peter Jenkins. I've always been somewhat jealous of the people that can go up to Alaska and eke out of living in the bush. I read a bunch of books by homesteaders. Then there was the kid from Into the Wild with his anti-capitalistic mentality.

I've enjoyed my various vacations to Alaska. All of them were during the summer months. I've yet to experience the stillness of an Alaskan winter. Actually I've been in more late season snow in Wyoming than I have in Alaska.

Back to the book. It's on OK read. It's not great prose but it's stories that interest me. He travels around the state with the purpose of writing a book. He lives a few years with this wife and daughter in Seward. He gets off the road system and into the bush communities.

In all of the books I've read about Alaska there are a few commonalities about the people. They sure are a hearty bunch. Living up there, especially off of the road is not for the faint of heart or the weak willed. It's an unforgiving land judging by the number of people that perish due to either foolishness or circumstance out in the wilderness. There is a saying about women that venture up to Alaska in search of a mate due to the favorable male to female ration. In regards to finding a mate: The odds are good, but the goods are odd.
 
Larry Gude

Larry Gude

Strung Out
Monello said:
Looking for Alaska by Peter Jenkins. I've always been somewhat jealous of the people that can go up to Alaska and eke out of living in the bush. .
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There is something to be said with a day to day life where everything you do matters. However, it ain't for everybody.
 
glhs837

glhs837

Power with Control
Just finished the second StormLight Archive book, and started the newest SafeHold series book.
 
Monello

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
Tim Tebow: Through My Eyes.

Amazon customers give it 4.5 stars. I'd rather read non fiction than fictional books. Even though TT isn't relevant today, it makes it easier to understand how he became the player that he was at the height of his collegiate career and for the 1 season in Denver where he took his team to the playoffs.

Since I don't watch a lot of TV, I didn't realize that they made a documentary about his senior year of high school called The Chosen One. It's easy to see his competitiveness and drive in that show. Imagine the movie Rudy, if Rudy had some genuine talent. He was a sort of sports prodigy not unlike Tiger Woods or the Williams sisters.

The book details mostly his 4 years in college, the recruiting process and his relationship with his coaches & teammates. Even though it's co-authored, I'd have to say that the text reads more like a lay person putting their ideas on paper. It's not flowery prose and high brow wording.

This book would be a good inspirational book for a young person just starting to get interested in organized sports. It shows all the hard work that goes on before the game even begins.

 
Tami2red

Tami2red

New Member
Lately I've been stuck on Dean Koontz and JD Robb. And for brain candy I go with Rita Mae Brown. Those are in addition to my daily "inspirational" stuff I read to keep my sanity and patience. I currently have about 15 books stacked up waiting their turn! LOL I read A LOT too!
 
Gilligan

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
Roy Chandler's "Pardner" was great fiction. Best overall of my recent reads is "Rebel Yell" by S C Gwynne. "Lost in Shangri-LA" was pretty good too... I just finished Kilmeade's "Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates" and like that one. "A Magnificent Fight" about the battle for Wake Island...another recent good read.

I read a LOT..because I travel a lot and buy at least one new book for every single trip; two for far east trips.
 
Monello

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
Odd Man Out By Matt McCarthy. Subtitled A year on the mound with a minor league misfit. I really enjoyed this read. Took all of a day and a half to finish it. He's a Yale grad, left handed pitcher that gets drafted by the Angels in the 26th round. He gets assigned to a single A ballclub in Provo, UT. He covers the tail end of his college career, the draft, then he chronicles the 70+ games he plays in roughly 3 months.

A lot of the book centers on the other players & coaches during his summer in minor league ball. Some of his team mates go on to make the major leagues. It's a somewhat honest look at the daily grind of bus rides and motel rooms. Interesting how he picks up instantly how everyone is actually rooting against others on the same team to do well. Guys are constantly back stabbing each other. But the coach wants to win every game so this mentality runs counter to winning.

After he's cut during his 2nd year, McCarthy goes to med school and becomes a doctor. Many of his team mates had nothing to return to so they stuck around as long as they could.

3.9 out of 5 on Amazon reviews. It may not be that interesting to non sport types.
 
Monello

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
The Godfather. Sorry that I waited so long to read it. The movie was great but the book is much better. Plenty of details. The narrative tells you the thought process behind the action in the movie. The parts of the book that didn't make it into the movie fill in all the blanks. Such as how did Michael avoid prosecution for killing Sollazzo & the police chief.
 
littlelady

littlelady

God bless the USA
Monello said:
The Godfather. Sorry that I waited so long to read it. The movie was great but the book is much better. Plenty of details. The narrative tells you the thought process behind the action in the movie. The parts of the book that didn't make it into the movie fill in all the blanks. Such as how did Michael avoid prosecution for killing Sollazzo & the police chief.
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I am not interested in any book/movie that glorifies corruption. I guess it is ok if you are from Sicily, or a Clinton. I can waste my time in better ways. Like getting addicted to HGTV, and staging my house, even though I am not moving again. :lol:

On topic. The last book I read was John Wayne: Life and Legend that I won from you and vrai on Amazon with your giveaways of fave things.. Love me some John Wayne. The book I read before that was Rescuing Sprite...A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish by Mark R. Levin. The author is so right about how we feel about our dogs, and other pet fam members. Recommend.
 
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vraiblonde

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
Beautiful Bad Girl, about the life of Vicki Morgan who had a long term affair with Alfred Bloomingdale, caused a scandal upon his death, then was killed by her psychotic friend. Dominick Dunne wrote a book called An Inconvenient Woman, which was a fictional account of the Morgan/Bloomingdale affair, and a very good read. This legit biography, not so much. Parts of it are interesting, but the author inserts himself into the story when he starts an affair with her and the book takes on a whole different tone after that when his perspective changes.

This is the tail end of my "lifestyles of the rich and famous" interest, unless something compelling comes along. I went on a "Truman and the Swans" odyssey and read everything by and about Truman Capote, finishing up with The Swans of Fifth Avenue, which was pretty good, even if you just want a juicy read and aren't necessarily into the psychology of it all.
 
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