I'm pretty sure there must have been a similar thread here before but I thought I'd start a new one rather than revive a years old thread...
So, what books have everyone been reading recently? (fiction, non fiction, physical book or Kindle, anything)
I just finished this one by Tim Marshall called "Prisoners of Geography"; it's an account of how countries' geographical constraints shape their destiny (e.g. Russia's quest for a warm water port, China and India's standoff over the Himalayas, etc.). Definitely interesting stuff, and especially so, since I'm planning on studying International Relations.
On the fiction front I recently bought a copy of Stephen King's "It" at an airport bookstore after watching the 2017 film. It's literally taller and thicker than my fist, and I've barely gotten through the first quarter of it. I generally prefer reading non-fiction anyway; these days just about every good novel has been, or will soon be turned into a film or TV series or something else.
Last month I read Robin Hobb's "Assassin's apprentice" and Lucius Shepard's "The Dragon Griaule" collection. Both were very nice. Shepard's novels about that dragon are really interesting.
Now I'm finishing Ken Follet's "Fall of the Giants".
I liked "Pillars of the Earth" more I think (probably because I like medieval times) but this one is also really good.
That book about geography seems quite interesting.
Kartlis Tskhovreba ! Or rather Georgian Chronicles. I am digging out information of Eurasian steppe nations of Pechenegs and Cumans for my thesis or possibly a book.
Just finished Alexiad by Byzantine princess Anna Comnena.
Quote: "Monninen1"Komisario Koskinen-books. Here is a wikipedia article but it has old information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seppo_Jokinen the latest book was released in 2018.
Everything usually happens in Tampere, and it happens to be the city where I live.
Im also still reading this:
I dont read a lot of books. In addition to those, this month I have only read "Myntboken 2016" and Mao's red book
They don't necessarily have to be numismatic books, of course unless you are the kind of person who enjoys scrolling through a PDF of Krause's Unusual World Coins just for kicks. (read: me)
Quote: "Choucas"Last month I read Robin Hobb's "Assassin's apprentice" ...
I very much enjoyed that book (and the whole trilogy).
I intend to read the following ones as well. I really enjoyed.
If you liked this I'd recommend you a book, a masterpiece in my opinion, close of Assassin's apprentice yet quite different : "Gagner la Guerre" by Jean-Philippe Jaworski.. But unfortunately it only exists in French for the moment. I do not know if the translation will be as good as the original because the writing was really wonderful. This one definitely goes in my top 3.
I usually read on my lunch break at work, but I'm currently doing the Steptember fundraiser to raise money for children with cerebral palsy, so I'm giving reading a rest for a while and I'm out walking during lunchtime. It'll be a fair while before I'll finish reading Duma Key.
Speaking of reading, I like to indulge in short stories of all genres; they require less commitment to get through them. I like H.P. Lovecraft's stuff, as well as the occasional standalones like The Monkey's Paw and The Diamond Necklace (both also recommended for any literary connoisseurs!).
But I'm sharing with you today a short (fictional) mystery story published in a 1951 issue of an American magazine called Collier's Weekly (that I actually found archived in one of those stupid anti-climate change conspiracy theorists' sites, of all places!), about Rudolph Fentz, a man who supposedly vanished in 1876 and reappeared in 1950, where he died after being run over by a car. The story is told from the perspective of a former case officer who recounts it to an investigative journalist, and one of the key plot devices are the contents of the man's pockets:
"Captain Rihm turned on the bench to see if he'd caught my interest, then continued. "There was about a dollar in change in the dead guy's pocket, and one of the boys picked up a nickel and showed it to me. Now, you've seen plenty of nickels, the new ones with Jefferson's picture, the buffalo nickels they made before that, and once in a while you still see even the old Liberty head nickels; they quit making them before the first World War. But this one was even older than that. It had a shield on the front, a U.S. shield, and a big five on the back; I used to see that kind when I was a boy. And the funny thing was, that old nickel looked new; what coin dealers call 'mint condition,' like it was made the day before yesterday. The date on that nickel was 1876, and there wasn't a coin in his pocket dated any later."
I suspect the author might have been a coin collector themselves. Either that or they consulted one on what US coins were being used in 1876. But that's not all; the story caters to banknote collectors as well!
"Captain Rihm looked at me questioningly. "Well," I said, glancing up from my notebook, "that could happen." "Sure, it could," he answered in a satisfied tone, "but all the pennies he had were Indian-head pennies. Now, when did you see one of them last? There was even a silver three-cent piece; looked like an old style dime, only smaller. And the bills in his wallet, every one of them, were old-time bills, the big kind." Captain Rihm leaned forward and spat on the patch, a needle-jet of tobacco juice, and an expression of a policeman's annoyed contempt for anything deviating from an orderly norm. "Over seventy bucks in cash, and not a federal reserve note in the lot. There were two yellow-back tens. Remember them? They were payable in gold. The rest were old national-bank notes; you remember them, too. Issued direct by local banks, personally signed by the bank president; that kind used to be counterfeited a lot."
A David Gemmell - all of his books
I read in chronological order. Finished Drenai, Rigante, Greek and Troy( this one is the best !) series. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Gemmell
Quote: "CassTaylor"Speaking of reading, I like to indulge in short stories of all genres; they require less commitment to get through them. I like H.P. Lovecraft's stuff, as well as the occasional standalones like The Monkey's Paw and The Diamond Necklace (both also recommended for any literary connoisseurs!).
Ah! I like Lovecraft very much. I read almost everything he wrote, including what he wrote for other people. You have to be in the good mood, but Lovecraft is quite unique. In each novel and short stories, he succeeds to draw a terrifying picture of a moment of the story in my mind, that lasts very long, even if the plot itself is not always that good. I don't remember all the titles but I remember what happened in each one I read. I liked The Colour out of Space, At the mountain of Madness, Beyond the Wall of Sleep, The Lurking Fear, The rats in the walls and many others... Nonetheless, I still have lacks about other famous authors of this kind.
The descriptions in the story you quote are indeed very detailed. Most of the times, authors don't care so much about coins and banknotes. He was probably a collector, as you said.
I just finished the Enuma Elish this evening and read the entirety of the Atrahasis (both are in the same volume, and only 107 pages total so really quick). Long term book I'm working through is The Maha-bharata, but at 15 times longer than the Bible I'll be working on that a very long time. Also been reading on the Qur'an, but only when I'm feeling really motivated because it's painfully boring. The book Twilight in the Forbidden City arrived in mail today (has nothing to do with the vampire twilight series), but I think I want to finish the Qur'an before starting into it.
Quote: "CassTaylor"Speaking of reading, I like to indulge in short stories of all genres; they require less commitment to get through them. I like H.P. Lovecraft's stuff, as well as the occasional standalones like The Monkey's Paw and The Diamond Necklace (both also recommended for any literary connoisseurs!).
Ah! I like Lovecraft very much. I read almost everything he wrote, including what he wrote for other people. You have to be in the good mood, but Lovecraft is quite unique. In each novel and short stories, he succeeds to draw a terrifying picture of a moment of the story in my mind, that lasts very long, even if the plot itself is not always that good. I don't remember all the titles but I remember what happened in each one I read. I liked The Colour out of Space, At the mountain of Madness, Beyond the Wall of Sleep, The Lurking Fear, The rats in the walls and many others... Nonetheless, I still have lacks about other famous authors of this kind.
Yeah, I think part of what makes him so effective is the use of something invisible to the main narrator/character, so the reader's imagination can fill in the blanks instead. For example in "The Statement of Randolph Carter", we never see the monster; we just hear the guy in the crypt screaming for the other man outside to seal the sepulchre and flee for his life.
I also love the exotic settings, like At the Mountains of Madness and the one about Cthulhu (the city of R'yleh); the former is set in Antarctica while the other is in the remote South Pacific, far away from the nearest land.
Quote: "CassTaylor"But I'm sharing with you today a short (fictional) mystery story published in a 1951 issue of an American magazine called Collier's Weekly (that I actually found archived in one of those stupid anti-climate change conspiracy theorists' sites, of all places!), about Rudolph Fentz, a man who supposedly vanished in 1876 and reappeared in 1950, where he died after being run over by a car. The story is told from the perspective of a former case officer who recounts it to an investigative journalist, and one of the key plot devices are the contents of the man's pockets.
I've read that story. It is "I'm Scared" by Jack Finney, who was at his best writing about time travel.
I wish I had more time to read books but school is about 100 pages or reading per class per week. Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and then a bunch of non-fiction historical/politics books like Fire and Fury or Killing Kennedy.
What I collect: US, 3rd Reich Germany, Philippines, Ancients, Vatican City, North Korea.
Quote: "gridironshowcase"I wish I had more time to read books but school is about 100 pages or reading per class per week. Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and then a bunch of non-fiction historical/politics books like Fire and Fury or Killing Kennedy.
Ooof, political books. There's lots of those coming out lately; I picked up my own copy of that particular one at the same airport bookstore where I got my copy of Stephen King's It:
Very interesting stuff, but probably not the right place to talk about it.
I've been slowly getting through The Count of Monte Cristo for quite some time.. but my wife and I are just finishing up a holiday in Florida in the USA, getting down to Key West and visiting the Ernest Hemingway House and Museum - now we have a new project: tackling all of his major pieces..
Quote: "CassTaylor"Ooof, political books. There's lots of those coming out lately; I picked up my own copy of that particular one at the same airport bookstore where I got my copy of Stephen King's It:
Fire and Fury was probably the hottest book here in the States when it came out. Everybody was talking about it especially with Trump trying to have had it censored.
What I collect: US, 3rd Reich Germany, Philippines, Ancients, Vatican City, North Korea.
Quote: "CassTaylor"Ooof, political books. There's lots of those coming out lately; I picked up my own copy of that particular one at the same airport bookstore where I got my copy of Stephen King's It:
Fire and Fury was probably the hottest book here in the States when it came out. Everybody was talking about it especially with Trump trying to have had it censored.
I read to relax, so I tend to stay away from dry texts on history, or controversial books on politics.
Quote: "neilithicman"I read to relax, so I tend to stay away from dry texts on history, or controversial books on politics.
That's pretty fair. I have moods where I read to be immersed in a universe, ala fantasy novels, or I'll be in moods to learn about history/behind-the-scenes politics.
What I collect: US, 3rd Reich Germany, Philippines, Ancients, Vatican City, North Korea.
Quote: "neilithicman"I read to relax, so I tend to stay away from dry texts on history, or controversial books on politics.
That's pretty fair. I have moods where I read to be immersed in a universe, ala fantasy novels, or I'll be in moods to learn about history/behind-the-scenes politics.
I second that!
I don't really like reading history books, unless I want to get the gist of historical events quickly. As a historian I prefer sourcing and reading first hand sources; journalists' accounts, transcripts, diaries, etc; it's the most intimate and direct way to access evidence.
Of course, history books and other texts are still history per se (barring the Holocaust denial and "Lost Cause" revisionists, of course); but they've been strained through another person's interpretation so to speak, and more narrative than analytical most of the time.
Read the Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See. A novel about the changes to ethnic groups in Yunnan province in China in the last twenty years with a story around the rise and fall of puer tea. Also touches on the adopted Chinese babies by American parents.
The DamBusters by Ted Barris about the British bombing of three dams in the Ruhr valley during WWII using a bouncing bomb.
Quote: "neilithicman"I read to relax, so I tend to stay away from dry texts on history, or controversial books on politics.
That's pretty fair. I have moods where I read to be immersed in a universe, ala fantasy novels, or I'll be in moods to learn about history/behind-the-scenes politics.
I second that!
I don't really like reading history books, unless I want to get the gist of historical events quickly. As a historian I prefer sourcing and reading first hand sources; journalists' accounts, transcripts, diaries, etc; it's the most intimate and direct way to access evidence.
Of course, history books and other texts are still history per se (barring the Holocaust denial and "Lost Cause" revisionists, of course); but they've been strained through another person's interpretation so to speak, and more narrative than analytical most of the time.
I've done my time with struggling through history text books. I was a History and English major in Uni, I loved the History, hated the texts, they're always so dry. Which is why I like podcasts like this where they make the history entertaining
@Neil
Majoring in history is something I plan on doing myself quite soon as well, perhaps I'll share your opinion on history textbooks when I'm done with that; we shall see.
Totally get why people think that, but personally it doesn't bother me. There's something imposing and impressive about the formal language used in textbook reference sources as opposed to the more casual podcast language, or contemporary source language (the latter ones have their charm though, it's more about the mood one's in I suppose).
Quote: "CassTaylor"Speaking of reading, I like to indulge in short stories of all genres; they require less commitment to get through them. I like H.P. Lovecraft's stuff, as well as the occasional standalones like The Monkey's Paw and The Diamond Necklace (both also recommended for any literary connoisseurs!).
Ah! I like Lovecraft very much. I read almost everything he wrote, including what he wrote for other people. You have to be in the good mood, but Lovecraft is quite unique. In each novel and short stories, he succeeds to draw a terrifying picture of a moment of the story in my mind, that lasts very long, even if the plot itself is not always that good. I don't remember all the titles but I remember what happened in each one I read. I liked The Colour out of Space, At the mountain of Madness, Beyond the Wall of Sleep, The Lurking Fear, The rats in the walls and many others... Nonetheless, I still have lacks about other famous authors of this kind.
Yeah, I think part of what makes him so effective is the use of something invisible to the main narrator/character, so the reader's imagination can fill in the blanks instead. For example in "The Statement of Randolph Carter", we never see the monster; we just hear the guy in the crypt screaming for the other man outside to seal the sepulchre and flee for his life.
I also love the exotic settings, like At the Mountains of Madness and the one about Cthulhu (the city of R'yleh); the former is set in Antarctica while the other is in the remote South Pacific, far away from the nearest land.
Recently I enjoyed Great Gatsby very much. Situated at the end of Daisy’s East Egg dock and barely visible from Gatsby’s West Egg lawn, the green light represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams for the future. Gatsby associates it with Daisy, and in Chapter 1 he reaches toward it in the darkness as a guiding light to lead him to his goal. In the context of the novel this green light represents Gatsby’s hope to meet Daisy again and a chance to win her back. Because Gatsby’s quest for Daisy is broadly associated with the American dream, the green light also symbolizes that more generalized ideal. In Chapter 9, Nick compares the green light to how America, rising out of the ocean, must have looked to early settlers of the new nation.
Check my essay here — https://freebooksummary.com/jay-gatsby-character-analysis-2-3911
It's amazing how much French history 19th century Romantic novellists insert into their books.... reading the Count of Monte Cristo or Les Misérables gives you a history lesson as well. Both of those books' plots are hinged on Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo.
But anyway, the advertising bot above reminded me to read the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (watched all the film versions of it except the lost 1926 one, so thought I should read the book). I've also got physical copies of his other works, but have yet to find the time to read them.
Here's a beautifully-binded anthology of his short works that I got as a birthday present. Did I mention how much I like interwar decor?
That is a lovely book cover. I am with you on Art Deco and "Buck Rogers" modern style. One of my favorite places in the world is the Saint Augustin church in Brussels.
After Dumas, with Trotsky, my favorite french author is Balzac.
Jamais l'or n'a perdu la plus petite occasion de se montrer stupide. -Balzac
