Who are you reading this year?

Apart from socks and ill-fitting sweaters, I have received a good selection of books for christmas and I wondered what everyone else is reading.
I have just started re-reading Leon Uris (sadly departed) who just gets better and better with re-reading.
But my favourite at the moment is Martin Cruz Smith. I hope no one will be offended if I say that a lot of US writers let themselves down when they write about Europe or Asia. But Smith's research is not just meticluous, he gives the impression that he has lived in the subjest place all his life.
One of his books "Rose" could put most English writers to shame for his knowledge of Wigan (yes, I really DO mean Wigan) and England's bleak north-west in the 19th century.
I would certainly recommend his Arkady Renko novels for those long winter evenings.

 

Not as high brow as yours cozzielex but one of my gifts was an autographed copy of "What's it all about Ralphie? ". It's a biography co-written with Gary Robertson about Ralph Milne's footballing career and future.

Ralphe Milne was a star for Dundee United in the Eighties and was one of only 13 players (in an 11 a side game) to play during Uniteds Premier Division Winning season (1982/83)

Reading his story shows just how quickly the highs can turn to lows. I will always remember that young sprinter tearing down the wing and ripping defences apart but in a way I'm sorry I read this book, he didn't deserve to end up the way he did.

 

yep, Ive just been reading about him (after your post) I used to be a man utd supporter having been brought up near Manchester. But I was living abroad when he was signed by Ferguson, so I didnt hear of him. Sounds like he was killed off by his own supporters, which is always sad.
I remember when I was a kid the same thing happened to a family friend of ours, Joe Carolan, who was signed by Busby. His only claim to fame was when he was booed by his own fans for having the bad manners to trip Sir Stanley Matthews who was then playing, I believe, for Stoke. That was the end of his career!
Sometimes even the circus maximus seems fairer than Ist class football!

 

Just started reading "Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity" by Bill O'Rielly. Great book of his growing up. Reminded me of going to a Catholic school and getting in trouble with the Nuns!!!
Next book is "Highest Duty" by Capt. C. Sullenberger, pilot who safely landed on Hudson River. After reading this book you will come to the conclusion of what really matters.

 

Windows 7 Inside/Out. Then Upgrading And Repairing PCs 19th Edition.

 

The gas, water and electric meter.

 

Sp, Ive heard all three got lousy reviews so I didnt bother with them!

 

Very lousy reviews. But someone has to read them.

No gas, water or electric is worse.

Also reading alot of great posts and resolutions to problems on this site.

 

Reading a wonderful workbook on Forgiveness, entitled "Developing a Lifestyle of Forgiveness" by Steve Diehl. I went to his Forgiveness seminar a year ago, and then went to a follow class that used this book, and have been re-reading it over and over again ever since. It's just great.
What I've found is that the more I forgive others the freer I become.
Attitudes towards other people only enslave us. In extreme cases it's like this - Bitterness is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die. Bitterness only destroys us internally, and spills out onto others which eventually ruins those relationships.
Worth contemplating.
Anyone interested in picking up a copy of this book or in more info can find it here...
http://www.forgivenessministries.com/pdshop/shop/

 

This last week it has been Patricia Cornwell, Aaron Elkins, David Baldacci, Sarah Graves, Dick Francis, J. A. Jance and Michael Connolly.

Back to the library later today for another half dozen!

 

Impressive!

 

fdamp, I've seen a lot of novels by Patricia Cornwell, what does she write about?
I've just finished Armageddon by leon Uris about the Berlin Airlift in 1948, great read.

 

Being a keen golfer, I find reading all the info about the secretive Mr.T E Woods most absorbing. Neil.

 

I re-read all the Ann McCaffery Pern books and all the Mercedes Lackey Valdemar books. Us "horse people" can only dream about communicating with our horses the way they do with their Companions in Valdemar and their dragons on Pern.

Then I re-read all the Terry Pratchett Discworld books.

Since science fiction writers seem to be stuck on doom-and-gloom future histories, I guess I'll have to re-read some of my old books written backinthday when scifi writers were creating less depressing stuff.

 

Cozzielex:

The Patricia Cornwell series I like the best are those about a female Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. There crime-thrillers, of course, but good story lines.

To really get the full effect, you need to read them in chronolgical sequence of publication, as each one assumes you've read the last one and recognise the characters.

 

Personally, I prefer fiction as my life is too filled with non-fiction.

All Time Number One Favorite: Poul Anderson. Followed by, in no particular order: Mel Odom, Clive Cussler, Stephen Baxter, Jack Finney, Kage Baker, Robert Aspin,James Rollins, Phillip Farmer, W.E.B. Griffin, Frederik Pohl, et al.

 

for staters

1. Godel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter (have read it three times this will be my fourth)

2. Moby Dick (I'm cheating on this one - audio book mp3 player while at work)

3. Einstein's Miraculous Year

4. The Lost Symbol (on the list at the library - I'm number 47)

 

Was stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, TX 64-68

 

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Steig Larsson yet! His Millenium Trilogy, being published posthumously, is enthralling, and for me the best crime series that I have ever read. Start with 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' and I'm sure that you'll be hooked, and continue to 'The Girl Who Played With Fire' and 'The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest', partly because of the computer involvement.

Roger
Sorry Michael Connolly but you've dropped to number on my list!

 

Mitchell,

Good luck with Moby Dick. I've never finished it in the 20 years it's been on my book shelf. I think I'm about 2\3 of the way through, but it's just too excruciating.

This is probably the biggest "tell" about me you'll ever read, but, along with Melville, Mitchener and Hemingway are another two of my stay-away-from authors. The reason being is that they were paid by the word and not the book. I mean why else would "they" take 4 paragraphs to say, "The sun rose . . ." unless they were paid by the word?