Reading anything?

[Kooshmeister]

Nabbed this on a whim at Spencer's.

[Rev. Powell]

Jerry Stahl's memoir about being a heroin-addicted television writer.

[indianasmith]

Well, I had always heard that Ulysses Grant's PERSONAL MEMOIRS were the greatest military memoir ever written by any American General - indeed, some scholars have said they are the second only to Julius Caesar's COMMENTARIES ON THE GALLIC WARS. I have read both of them now - Caesar's book this summer (English translation, of course) and Grant's book over the last couple of months. I must say that, for a work completed 130 years ago, Grant's style is simple, clear, easy to follow; his analysis insightful, and his respect for his enemies commendable. If you have never read this classic of American history, I highly recommend it!

[BoyScoutKevin]

Ye-es!

Daniel Stashower's
The Hour of Peril :
the Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War
writer of 3 more non-fiction

What a difference in history, if Lincoln's assassains had been successful. One of the most memorable things I got out ot if, was how much Lincoln was criticized, even by his friends and allies, for sneaking through Baltimore at night, and thus escaping assassaination, instead of facing his assassains in the day and risk assassaination. The only thing I can put this down to, is that there had yet to be a successfull assassaination of an American president, Lincoln was the first, and only one previous attempt to assassainate an American president, that of Andrew Jackson, which, of course, failed.

Bruce Levine's
The Fall of the House of Dixie :
the Civil War and the Social Revolution that transformed the South
writer of 5 more non-fiction

Finally, an answer to a question that has always perplexed me: "Why did the South try to defend all the Confederacy, when they did not have enough men to defend all of it adequately?" Which the author does answer in some depth. Along with a number of other questions about the South and the Civil War.

Geoff Williams'
Washed Away :
the Great Flood of 1913, America's most Wide Spread Natural Disaster, Terrorized a Nation and Changed it Forever
Writer of 1 more non-fiction

The most wide spread flood ever to strike the U.S. affecting an area of from New Hampshire in the north to Louisiana in the south to Massachusetts in the east to Nebraska in the west. And excluding floods caused by hurricanes, the 2nd most destructive in human life. From 700 to 1000 people lost their lives. Only the Johnstown Flood saw more lost of life.

And before they were famous, the following were caught up in the flood.

John Dillinger -- Mischa Elman -- Hart Crane -- Clark Gable -- Ben Hecht -- Bob Hope -- Carole Lombard -- Vincente Minnelli -- Roy Rogers -- Mary Jane Ward -- and James Thurber, who wrote one of his best short stories about his experiences in the flood.

Jane Yolen's
Curses :
Foiled Again
a graphic novel and sequel to "Foiled"

Worth reading, even if I found it inferior to the original.

Scott W. Berg's
38 nooses :
Lincoln, Little Crow, and the Beginning of the Frontier's End
Writer of 1 more non-fiction

The Indian wars in Minnesota. Almost forgotten today, because it occurred during the time of the American Civil War, but a war that resulted in the greatest mass hanging ever to occur in American jurisprudence. There would have been an even bigger hanging if Lincoln had not pardoned most of the defendants. Even then, it looks like at least one of the defendants was innocent. The war, of all the Indian Wars in the U.S., during the 19th century, also resulted in the greatest number of whites--593--ever killed in one war.

Patricia Cornwell's
The Bone Bed
20th in the Scarpetta series. Writer of 2 other fiction series, 3 nonfiction books, and 2 cookbooks.

When a billionaire is tried for the murder of his wife, whose body has disappeared, and then found not guilty, questions arise as to whether justice was served or not.

Next time: Be careful what you wish for. You may get it.

[lester1/2jr]

Indiana - Not a big fan of military history but I recall Claudius, the God, the sequel to I Claudius, had a lot of that sort of information.  Grant also figures somewhat in the book I'm reading now

[indianasmith]

That was an interesting episode.  Grant's brother-in-law tried to take advantage of him, if I recall correctly, and the President
didn't realize what the robber barons were up to until the last minute . . . . or at least, that was the take of the author I read.

[lester1/2jr]

I'm just getting into the part with the President's brother in law. In the early 80's a couple guys tried to corner the silver market. A guy who worked on that story wrote this book.

The gold price was very volatile during the civil war. Every time the south won a battle the price would go up. Events affect it's price now too though people deny it.

[indianasmith]

I just finished Bill O'Reilly's KILLING JESUS.
Some artistic license here and there, a couple of glaring historical errors, and a bit of a sensationalist take, especially in some of the descriptions of Rome.
But a good read, especially if you aren't really familiar with the narrative.

[jimpickens]

Molon Labe The Revolution begins, Molon Labe Power To The People, and Jernigan's War.

[ER]

The Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott. A 1904 collection someone gave me for Christmas. It includes Proud Maisie, which I've always found one of the most haunting poems in our language.

PROUD Maisie is in the wood,
    Walking so early;
Sweet Robin sits on the bush,
    Singing so rarely.

'Tell me, thou bonny bird,
    When shall I marry me?'
—'When six braw gentlemen
    Kirkward shall carry ye.'

'Who makes the bridal bed,
    Birdie, say truly?'
—'The grey-headed sexton
    That delves the grave duly.

'The glow-worm o'er grave and stone
    Shall light thee steady;
The owl from the steeple sing
    Welcome, proud lady!'

[BoyScoutKevin]

Ye-es!

After reading a character guide to the DC comic characters, I had wished for the same thing for the Marvel characters, and I got my wish. Little realizing it had been published before the character guide to the DC comic characters, I just did not know that it existed. So . . .

Alan Cowsill's
"The Avengers :
the Ulitmate Character Guide"

With a list of vital stats . . .
real name -- occupation -- base of operations -- height -- weight -- colour of eyes -- hair colour -- power -- allies -- foes.

Then a power ranking in 7 categories (1-7) . . . With 42 being the highest score possible and 6 being the lowest score.
energy projection -- strength -- durability -- fighting skill -- intelligence -- speed

Of course, it is not, by any means, a perfect book.

While there are 204 characters listed, it is, of course, not totally inclusive of the Marvel characters.

And while there is an effort by Marvel to do something other than white bread super heroes and super villains, except for black characters, there are not a great number of minority characters. More a problem with Marvel than the writer.

Women fare better, as there are 52 women listed.

And it'd be nice, since age is so important for a character, what the age is for each character, if one could determine the character's age.

Still, there seems to be 16 teenage characters, age from 16 to 19.

And unlike the character guide to the DC characters, where groups are included, only individuals are included in this one, even though the individual may also be a member of some group.

Yet, this is an essential introduction and guide to the the Marvel characters, if one has an interest in such.

Next time: another 6 of 1 and a half dozen of the other

[Josso]

Decided to re-read the hyperion cantos

[Kooshmeister]

[indianasmith]

Been re-reading the Agent Pendergast series by Preston and Child. 
Finished DANCE OF DEATH and nearly done now with THE BOOK OF THE DEAD.
These guys have created a very memorable main character and woven a seamless series
of adventures featuring him. A great series, even if the movie adaptation of RELIC was awful.

[lester1/2jr]