What book are you currently reading?

[...of J.Temperance]

I've nearly finished:

"I Heard You Paint Houses" Frank Sheeran and Closing The Case on Jimmy Hoffa by Charles Brandt. A very good book, I've always been fascinated by Hoffa. "I Heard You Paint Houses" is a Mafia term for "I heard you kill people". To paint a house, refers to the blood splattering against the walls...charming 'eh? Anyhow, Sheeran, who was a big shot in the Teamsters and 100% trusted by Hoffa, apparently killed him in a house in Detroit.

After this, I'm going to read:

Hitler's Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII by John Cornwell.

I hope this thing being in the DU Lounge is in the correct forum.

[khashka]

1. Neveryona - Samuel R. Delany

Dinner At Deviant's Palace - Tim Powers
The Starry Rift - James Tiptree Jr.
Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman


Khash.

(Book stuff is fine in the Lounge, but there is also a Books forum for more detailed discussions.)

[skygazer]

6. Is that a new Gaiman?

I've not heard of it and I love his stuff. I've read everything else he's written and have been jonesing for more....

[khashka]

36. Yep!

It's the not-really-a-sequel to American Gods.

Khash.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

2. I'm (still) reading

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. It's a great book so far (I'm about halfway through) - I just wish I had more time to devote to it.

Next up (or at least currently on top of the pile) is "9 Highland Road: sane living for the mentally ill" by Michael Winer.

[jonnyblitz]

3. Left Out! how the Democrats helped reelect george w. bush, and

Love my rifle more than you, young and female in the U.S. Army, by kayla williams, which I put on hold at the library and which i will pick up and start reading this afternoon. I always have two books going at once...

that "Hitler's Pope" book sounds good. I will have to check that one out also..

on edit: i forgot to mention the author of the "left out!" book is joshua frank.

[tjwmason]

4. Time on the Cross

an economic history of American Negro Slavery - I got it ages ago as a course text at university and so only read the a few little parts to find quotes for essays, but now I'm rereading in more detail - it is fascinating, I'd like to find some of the follow up from those in agreement and detractors as well.

Also a book on the history of the Serbs - again utterly fascinating. The author traces through various elements of their national consciousness working up to the explosion which took place in the late 80s and played a major role in the civil war throughout the former Yugoslavia.

[NNadir]

5. The Hype About Hydrogen - Joesph Romm.

[bif]

7. "At Days Close" and an A. J. Liebling book

called "Back where I Came From".

[skygazer]

8. Witness - Voices From the Holocaust

Eyewitness testimony of survivors - riveting and tough to read. I have to put it aside frequently and step away but it's also very good and I think it's important to face the reality of history rather than gloss it over or let it fade.

Just finished "Son of a Witch" by Gregory Maguire, the sequel to "Wicked". Enjoyed it very much - didn't want it to end.

[terrya]

9. "The March" by E. L. Doctorow

A novel (on the order of Doctorow's "Ragtime") of General William Techumseh Sherman's march through Georgia during the Civil War. Sherman himself is in the book, as well as some very vivid, memorable fictionalized characters...including a freed slave girl and two Confederate young soldiers.

I love this book so far. It's writing at it's absolute best. I'm a big fan of Doctorow.

[flamingyouth]

16. I almost bought that the other day.

I probably will break down and get it shortly. Glad to hear you like it. I really love his writing. "The Waterworks" is probably my favorite by him (came out in the early '90s). :hi: Terry! :)

[flamingyouth]

10. The David Story by Robert Alter

[giant_robot]

11. I just picked up Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian

I perused it during a potty break, but I didn't get past the diagram naming all 21 sails on the HMS Surprise. I have a feeling this book is going to make my head hurt!

[Ladyhawk]

12. Just finished re-reading 1984 and Animal Farm.

1984 really depressed me. It's been awhile since I read it and it depressed me to think that someday humans may actually be technologically advanced enough to read thoughts, get into your head and essentially change you. At the same time, I felt relieved that we aren't there yet. :D

This country has its problems, but it isn't Oceania. We still have some freedom, thank goodness!

[Left Is Write]

13. Before I Say Goodbye by Mary Higgins Clark

[dorktv]

14. Never Give In! Selected Winston Churchill Speeches

or the best off...And I am also reading White Collar Sweatshop about poor white collar people who keep getting downsized. Which is bad but not as bad as the factory worker. The auther does say that too.

[Arugula Latte]

15. Just finished Life of Pi and I'm going to read the Kite Runner next. nt

[taterguy]

17. Freakonomics

Good stuff

[CrownPrinceBandar]

18. "Under the Banner of Heaven" by Jon Krakauer.........

a thoroughly depressing account of polygamy and violent suppression of women's rights within the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints community. I love Krakauer's writing style, but this book is harrowing!

[taterguy]

19. too many beers

When I saw the name Krakauer I thought you were talking about his Everest book and couldn't remember what role the Mormons and women's rights had in that tale.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

21. Definitely not a "good time" read............

I loved Into Thin Air. Its what prompted me to read this one. Can you say "heavy"?

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

23. I thought it was a really interesting book

and I agree - well written, but pretty hard going. Warren Jeffs is clearly another Koresh in waiting.

There's a documentary doing the festival rounds at the moment called Banking on Heaven about the FLDS:

http://www.bankingonheaven.com/

[CatholicEdHead]

20. Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol

It is a book with required reading for my JustFaith meetings. I should be done with it by a week from Monday.

[DemoTex]

22. "The War Between the Tates" by Allison Lurie

Written in the '60s.

[DanCa]

24. Two Presently

The unauthorised biography of Bruce Springsteen
Rock and Roll Blues Harmonica by Jon Gindick

[cwydro]

25. Awesome book

called Shadow Divers...about these guys who found a U-Boat off the NJ/NY coast...at 240 feet...several divers died on this boat as they tried to figure out which U-Boat it was...Highly recommend this book to anyone who likes diving or adventure or history nonfiction...I could not put it down...

[ashling]

26. Harry Potter #6 - Half Blood Prince

[Lubernaut]

27. Worse Than Watergate by John Dean

Turns out Bush-and-Friends© aren't very nice people.

[EFerrari]

38. John Dean is an awesome thinker and writer.

I really enjoyed his prose as much as the content of the work.

[Pushed To The Left]

28. "Raised Christian Style"

"Raised Christian Style: The Story of Bette"

I am about a third of the way through, and it is a very good book. Of course, I'm a little biased..My Dad is the author!:)

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1413719775/qid=1129423769/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-7944718-7729658?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

[CanuckAmok]

29. Time's Arrow - Martin Amis

I could have read the whole thing in a couple of hours, but I'm trying to make it last... it's very good.

[likesmountains 52]

30. I'm having bad dreams...No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy n/t

[yellowdogintexas]

31. "A Storm of Swords" by George R R Martin...reread in prep for

"A Feast of Crows" due out in November.


counting the days

[datasuspect]

32. the ass whisperer

and the viaducts of cook county

[bikebloke]

33. The Age of Anxiety: McCarthyism to Terrorism by Haynes Johnson

Just finished a popcorn read, so I'll crack it open later today. In the meantime, I'm heading out in the sun.

[Heidi]

34. "Freedom In Exile"

by The Dalai Lama. It's a very good book about his life through the mid-80s.

[jane_pippin]

35. Persepolis...

Actually I just finished that and am now on Persepolis II.

It's a graphic novel memoir of a woman, Marjane Satrapi, who grew up in Iran in the 80's. The first part is about her childhood and what it was like to go from a secular public life (school with both boys and girls in class, wearing the clothes she wanted,) to a public life under the imposed constraints of fundamentalist rule, (wearing a veil outside the home, getting in trouble for wearing nail polish, school curriculum changing to propaganda, etc.) And in the midsts of seeing her neighbors killed, her uncles in prison, etc., she's still a kid/teenager going through everything we all go through--wanting to be hip, listen to music, you know the stuff. It's a story of her country and her family and what her family did to try to save both in their own way.

Persepolis II is about her time away from Iran and her journey home again after leaving as a teenager to stay safe during the Iran-Iraq war.

Both are fantastic. Here's an Amazon link for the first one:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/037571457X/qid=1129477099/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-6491509-3707249?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

[cmf]

37. "American Dream" by Jason DeParle

Jury's still out on how I feel about it. But it is interesting.

[EFerrari]

39. Chain of Command, Hersh. But, I want to read Vonnegut's

new book. I hate to wait for paper. x(

[WCGreen]

40. The Constant Gardener....

And a Brief History of almost everything..

[Deja Q]

41. "Color Graphics - The Power of Color in Graphic Design"

Gonna be a website designer... just so long as the jobs exist. That's all I want.

Just like everyone else. :D

[grannylib]

42. Just starting "Half Alseep in Frog Pajamas" by Tom Robbins

and got one of the latest Tony Hillerman from the library too.

[kittykatkoffeekup]

43. Going Postal

Terry Pratchett