worth1 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 5:18 pm I can only remember reading one biography and it was about Tesla.
Read almost like science fiction.

I normally stick to fiction, but I read a couple autobiographies for school back in the day that were pretty good. They were Education of a Wandering Man, by Louis L’Amour, and Nafanua: Saving the Samoan Rainforest, by Paul Alan Cox.

Reading biographies/autobiographies about your ancestors can be pretty interesting, too. There are a lot of interesting stories out there, if you do family history.

JRinPA wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 8:01 pm Certainly most of the TV shows that have Tesla as a character come off as science fiction. Seems I saw one last year with some ridiculous magicians thrown in.

You're probably talking about The Prestige.
David Bowie played Tesla.
The thing is so complicated it's not enjoyable.
As for magic show movies The Illusionist was much better.
Both came out in 2006.

Yesterday I got the kindle version of Book 15 in the Jack Reacher series, “Worth Dying For” book 14 was good and this one might be better. Sometimes, these writers get a little better at figuring out what is best about the character and the story and then winnow out the unnecessary complications and superfluous stuff. I’m a sucker for people put into impossible situations and then having to figure out or fight their way out of it. Jack Reacher books are chock full of that kind of stuff and, thankfully, minimal to zero love and romance.

I like fiction.... every so often I go to Reddit's book thread and read reviews, check out ones I see mentioned often and make a list of 4 - 5 books to read. When I get close to done, back I go for another list. My daughter was going to buy me a book for Christmas, A Little Life, but told me after she did not because it was depressing but the best book she'd ever read. Intrigued, I read reviews and bought it. I don't think I have ever taken so long to read a book. Started in January and I've read the first 60 pages over and over. Forcing myself to pick it up, I haven't gotten to a 'I can't put this down' stage yet. So far, I'm none too impressed, feel like the writer is attempting to write a big book so just filling up pages with lots of words; we'll see. I'm determined not to give up though, if I do I will probably never pick it up again. I love to read before lights out, I can't get through more than a few sentences and I'm out - so far it is the most boring books I've ever attempted to read. My daughter said if I ever get through the first 100-200 pages, it will get better.

One of my favs is Wally Lamb's I Know This Much is True. Now that is a book I could not put down; read it in less than 48 hours and chose to re-read it at least once or twice. I also loved The Pillars of the Earth series.

CrazyAboutOrchids wrote: ↑Tue Apr 02, 2024 8:39 am I like fiction.... every so often I go to Reddit's book thread and read reviews, check out ones I see mentioned often and make a list of 4 - 5 books to read. When I get close to done, back I go for another list. My daughter was going to buy me a book for Christmas, A Little Life, but told me after she did not because it was depressing but the best book she'd ever read. Intrigued, I read reviews and bought it. I don't think I have ever taken so long to read a book. Started in January and I've read the first 60 pages over and over. Forcing myself to pick it up, I haven't gotten to a 'I can't put this down' stage yet. So far, I'm none too impressed, feel like the writer is attempting to write a big book so just filling up pages with lots of words; we'll see. I'm determined not to give up though, if I do I will probably never pick it up again. I love to read before lights out, I can't get through more than a few sentences and I'm out - so far it is the most boring books I've ever attempted to read. My daughter said if I ever get through the first 100-200 pages, it will get better.

One of my favs is Wally Lamb's I Know This Much is True. Now that is a book I could not put down; read it in less than 48 hours and chose to re-read it at least once or twice. I also loved The Pillars of the Earth series.

It seems like people either love A Little Life or hate it. I looked into it and determined I would not enjoy it so I never picked it up. When I see the phrase torture porn attached to it turned me off. Just horrible things happening to the characters one after another for no reason. Not for me.

Pillars of the Earth, tv show really mucked that up. I really liked the first two books...I think there was a third one (blah) and then an unneeded prequel that was so so. Prequels rarely work, but Follett put too much time between 1 and 2, then repeated the mistake with 3. He ran out of history that was far enough back to be written about. By the 1500s there are so many records kept that is gets hard to write historical fiction.

Winter King and Saxon Tales worked so well for Cornwell because there was not much written record in those dark ages.

Not the book but the movie but I'm going to shoehorn this in.
Believe it or not I have never seen The Godfather or any part of it in my life.
I started watching it last night for the first time ever.
Fell asleep somewhere in the movie and will have to backtrack tonight.
Watching that Hollywood movie producer wake up covered in blood and his horses head in bed with him was priceless.
I honestly laughed out loud because it's just a silly movie.

I'm sure I'll see more zany adventures along the way.

I love listening to volunteer-read public domain novels from LibriVox.org (technically hosted by archive.org).

I switched gears and started reading the “3 Body Problem” trilogy. I like science fiction, but I’m having a hard time hanging in there on book two “The Dark Forest” after struggling a little with the first book.

I could see where this might make a good series on Netflix or something.

Tomatoland: How Industrial Farming 'Destroyed' The Tasty Tomato by Barry Estarbrook (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10222093-tomatoland)

A REAL eyeopener!

The Gotch

Tomatoland
Now that is one theme park I would not mind visiting.
I would still sneak in my own water, though.

then they came for me by matthew hockenhos.
a biography of martin niemoller the pastor who defied the nazis

the full quote,

first they came for the communists, and i did not speak out
because i was not a communist.

then they came for the trade unionists, and i did not speak out
because i was not a trade unionist.

then they came for the jews, and i did not speak out
because i was not a jew.

then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak for me.


keith

Re reading The Ice Limit.

Finished “3 Body Problem” and “The Dark Forest” both by Cixin Lui. Watched eight episodes of season one, “3 Body Problem” on Netflix. Rare to experience this, but I enjoyed the television series much more than the books.

The books needed some editing that the television series evidently understood and the television series made the story far less China centric, that too was an improvement.

I guess there is one more book by Cixin Lui and then a Prequel book and another book written by a fan of the series.

Not the best science fiction books ever, but not too bad either.

I just finished Pay Dirt by Sara Paretsky. I love all of Paretsky's books. She writes mysteries with complex plots, interesting characters, and awareness of social issues.

Currently reading DV Bishop, crime series set in Medieval Florence, around the 1530s

“The Tiger” by John Vaillant. Gripping true story of a man-eating Amur Tiger from the early post-Soviet era in the Russian far east. Lot’s of tiger lore and history of encounters.

Sad too with the future wild Amur tigers are facing, these amazing creatures are pretty much sharing the same sad story with most large carnivores and fauna from all over the world. If the poaching doesn’t finished them off, the destruction of suitable habitat will.

Just started Fire Exit by Morgan Talty. It's an interesting premise and asks some interesting questions. I'm intrigued to see where he goes with it.

From the porch of his home, Charles Lamosway has watched the life he might have had unfold across the river on Maine’s Penobscot Reservation. On the far bank, he caught brief moments of Roger and Mary raising their only child, Elizabeth—from the day she came home from the hospital to her early twenties. But there’s always been something deeper and more dangerous than the river that divides him from this family and the rest of the tribal community. It’s the secret that Elizabeth is his daughter, a secret Charles is no longer willing to keep.

Now it’s been weeks since he’s seen Elizabeth and Charles is worried. As he attempts to hold on and care for what he can: his home and property, his alcoholic, quick-tempered and big-hearted friend Bobby, and his mother, Louise, who is slipping ever-deeper into dementia—he becomes increasingly haunted by his past. Forced to confront a lost childhood on the reservation, a love affair cut short, and the death of his beloved stepfather, Fredrick, in a hunting accident—a death that he and Louise cannot agree where to lay the blame—Charles contends with questions he’s long been afraid to ask. Is it his secret to share? And would his daughter want to know the truth?

james madison
a life reconsidered by lynne cheney

party politics, and infighting have been around a long time in our republic


keith

Run Silent, Run Deep

I have seen the movie, in the past, I'm sure. The book is awesome. The amount of effort that went into making and manning a submarine to fight the war was incredible.