I'm setting a goal of 75 for 2009, just like last year. I'd like to increase the amount of nonfiction I read, and I'm trying to branch out into non-US fiction.

Feel free to comment on my thread. I'll be posting my reviews as I go, and feedback and (especially!) book suggestions are welcome.

Okay, Jim, I signed up!

Hey, I just wanted to say thanks for starting the group up for this year. I didn't participate last time, but I really enjoyed following everyone else's reads, and I'm looking forward to trying it myself!

You're welcome! The response has been great so far, and I think we're going to have a fun year.

BOO!

:p

Eeeek!

8^}

*waves at Severn and drneutron*

I'm looking forward to the year!

1. Arsenals of Folly by Richard Rhodes

There's been a lot of books out about the history of the Cold War and the nuclear arms race written from many points of view. Many are written out of a particular agenda or with an eye to protecting (or improving) the reputations of actual participants. Arsenals of Folly is a pretty even-handed history from the early days of the Cold War to the breakup of the Soviet Union. Richard Rhodes has gone back to the original records and interviews with participants to set out the history from both sides of the conflict using an approach that lets us readers get into the heads of both US and Soviet leaders.

Rhodes begins with a detailed description of the Chernobyl incident, which first shows just how devastating even a small nuclear exchange could be and then is used to highlight Gorbachev's (and others') motivations for nuclear disarmament. This approach really works well, and captures the reader right away. From this discussion, he moves to the early days after World War II and specifically Mikhail Gorbachev's biography to show where Gorbachev's desire for change came from. The last third or so of the book details nuclear arms limitations talks in the late Reagan years, followed by the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the G. H. W. Bush presidency.

Through all this discussion, it becomes pretty clear that there were parties on both sides of the conflict that, for various reasons, didn't want arms reduction and were willing to do some pretty immoral things to keep it from happening. Gorbachev really shines in Rhodes' work as the one with the real vision to change the world, and in many ways, the US did itself and the world a disservice by not trusting him when the time came. The one weakness in Rhodes' research is that he doesn't give enough consideration to the uncertainty of our knowledge of the situation. It's pretty easy to see, now that the whole story's out on the table, what the right path was. It's a whole different problem trying to figure that out in the middle of events. This bias shows in Rhodes' choice not to include non-nuclear areas of conflict in the discussion. Decision-makers at the time on both sides had to consider all events, not just a limited set related to nuclear arms, when developing policy. In spite my concern, Arsenals of Folly is well worth reading, and we can learn an awful lot from Rhodes work.

What a great review, DrNeutron! I'm going to try to read more non-fiction this year, so Arsenals of Folly is definitely going on my list.

#8: I read the book last year, doc, and agree with your review. Another great one from you!

This sounds great - have you read his book on the making of the atomic bomb? When I was at grad school a friend's girfriend was a research assistant for him on that book. I've been meaning to read it for 15 years!!

This is the first Rhodes book I've read, but I thought I'd try a few more. The bomb histories look interesting to me. I'm already pretty familiar with the history, but I'm probably going to give 'em a try.

#12: I thought the same thing, doc, so I checked Rhodes' book Why They Kill out of the library. I hope it is good!

Sigh

*shuffles off to the TBR pile and throws another on*

OK, that'll be 3 for the pile from the first 13 posts in your thread!

8^}

Turnabout's fair play!

Thanks for the excellent review! Like Stasia, I read this book previously and thought it well worth the time spent in doing so.

#14 cal - Cackles!! I have this hilarious picture in my mind. Is your TBR pile by any chance running out of a room into a hallway? :)

It's everywhere-on the bookshelves, in boxes, upstairs, downstairs. I really would like to rein it in some but darn that library and the bookstores. And did I mention LT!!?? They keep taunting me and showing me their goods. I'm only human!

We all might have a nightmare of Farenheit 451 by Bradbury...oh the horrors of big brother coming after us to burn TBR books and our libraries. What a HUGE conflagration it would be.

Alcottacre's books would be the foundation and all others would be piled high to the sky!

#20: Now that is the stuff of nightmares!

#2 - Ending an Ending by Danny Birt

Ending an Ending is the first in the Laurian Pentology by Danny Birt. In the interest of full disclosure, Danny and I are regulars in the Green Dragon group here on LibraryThing, so I know him a bit. Having said that, Ending an Ending is a pretty good fantasy. Danny plays a bit with the types we usually find in the genre and manages to break out of the stereotypical box. But then, he tells us that in the forward.

Danny's story is involving, and his characters feel real. The book is interwoven with some interesting philosophical questions about the nature of his universe given the differences from our own and how higher powers might interact with their creation. It's fun to see how he plays with these ideas, and the story ends on an exciting note pushing us into the next volume in the series. There are a couple of flaws with the work. The early chapters are a bit too expository and the plot could use a little juicing up in these chapters.

All in all, it's a pretty good book, and I'm looking forward to the next one!

Hey, I'll read an LT author! Thanks for the heads up on Birt's book. I will look for it.

> 22 Dr N: Danny Birt sounds like an interesting writer. I like books with philosophical questions - so I might enjoy Ending an Ending. But not a huge fantasy fan.

- TT

Message edited by its author, Jan 8, 2009, 7:33am.

There's also a group read of Danny's book going on in The Green Dragon with spoiler-free and spoiler threads for discussion. If you're curious and want more detail, there'll be lots more discussion over the next couple of weeks.

>25 Dr No: We have our own resident Dragon aka WWW! :) Don''t want to join any more discussion groups, thanks. Can't keep up!

- TT

Hey -- glad to be part of your thread again -- looking forward to your year's reads :) -- Susan

drneuteron - I'm reading Ending an Ending now. I swapping back and forth between that and Night Shift by Stephen King.

Me, too, GD. Throw in Ghosts in the Mirror by Leslie Rule and Survival in Auschwitz too. I usually only read three at a time but I have so many books begging to be read that I couldn't put any aside. I'm such a sissy.

Cool! I've already commented some on the spoiler thread, so I'll keep an eye out for your thoughts.

cal - I made the mistake of picking up The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie so it's part of the swap now. Why do we do this to ourselves??

drneutron - I've looked at the "no spoilers" thread and I'm trying to stay away from the other one.

Message edited by its author, Jan 10, 2009, 1:55pm.

#3. The Tain by Ciaran Carson

The Táin Bó Cúailnge, or The Cattle Raid of Cooley, is a very old Irish folktale concerning the deeds of Cu Chulainn in defending his homeland from invasion by a competing army. The story is full of heroic deeds, warriors fighting, trickery and more - usually told over fires by bards. Ciaran Carson's new translation, The Tain, preserves that bardic sense, with text that just begs to be read aloud. If you like heroic mythology and epic stories, this is a great one!

Oooh sounds good. How did you come across this one?

#32: Definitely getting that one. Thanks for the recommendation!

Found it at the public library. Well, when I say "found it", I mean it was on the RSS feed I get daily of all the new items put in the catalog. What can I say, I read weird things. Or at least the wife and my friends tell me so...That doesn't happen to you does it? 8^}

#32 - I read The Cattle Raid of Cooley (Cu Chulainn) in 9th grade (honors english...) and remember really loving it. I'd probably benefit from a re-reading, but alas! too many books on this year's slate.

#4 - Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman

The world is in trouble. There's some debate about how much trouble, what time frame we have before the point of no return, and what we ought to do about it. Friedman's Hot, Flat and Crowded tackles all of these questions with an inspiring and practical vision of America as the world leader in what is shaping up to be the next big thing.

Friedman's analysis deals with systems of systems - how massively interconnected systems affect each other and how we can understand and control them. As a system engineer, I really got into that part of the discussion. He makes it pretty clear that solving the energy/climate/ecology problem isn't just about those particular issues. Instead these problems ripple into so many other things. As a small example, the US Army is moving to solar arrays to power forward field posts instead of diesel generators, thus eliminating the cost (in dollars and in human lives) of hauling diesel fuel through dangerous territory. But this "greening" of the Army also has the effect of pushing civilian technology forward and provides the market base for reducing the cost of the technology to reasonable levels. Even if readers are skeptical of ecological and climate change arguments, it's hard to find fault with Friedman's discussions of energy supply and the growth of the middle class. But fortunately, as he points out so well, solving one problem often gives you other solutions for free.

Highly recommended, but fair warning - you may find yourself running around the house turning off lights and changing bulbs to compact fluorescents!

Thank you for what passes in my mind as an expert's opinion. I have this book on my TBR pile, I may have to move it up. I already run around turning lights off, turning the heat down, and saving water (this in an environment of floods). I am verging on despairing that humanity has even the slightest chance of turning around the trends which are moving us to extinction.

I suspect that Obama has read Friedman. Some of his economic stimulus talk is clearly influenced by Hot, Flat and Crowded. I'm not saying I agree with everything Friedman wrote, but he's right about the big things, IMHO, and if so, we need to get crackin'. I think you'll find the book fascinating - depressing in spots, uplifting in spots. The story doesn't have to have a sad ending, and I'm sensing a change in the winds in the technical community.

As an engineer, it excites me to see the fun technological problems out there to be worked on. Some are almost worth leaving my spacecraft work!

Thanks for a great review, doc. I wasn't planning to buy this book, but I will add it to my ever growing wish list.

#32 - Thanks for the review! I've read some translations of Cu Chulainn but never got into them because the translations were so terrible. I'll check this one out!

I read Hot, Flat, and Crowded and Gusher of Lies in the same time frame. Both authors made some points that made me think. I did come away not liking the idea of Fortress Energy America or a wall of energy built around America's borders.

In a world as networked and globalized as ours is I think the solutions are going to come from everywhere. A little from here, a little from there, and a little from yon. So far, no country is energy independent with many national energy policies being practiced and morphed at the current time. I have my doubts any one country is going to solve its energy problems alone. Some will be earlier adopters and the savings will build up in some countries before others but this will be a global effort not a country one.

Just a current example, France just purchased a large portion of some American nuclear companies. The US is now decades past the building of new plants. Others have much more recent experience.

From an engineering perspective I think you're spot on. Never before has there been such huge projects that have involved so many branches of science. I've lost track but I think we're up to seven scientists named to Obama's administration?

#5. Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates

Americans seem to be fascinated with psychopaths. They're all over the movies and TV, and when real psychopaths make the news, it's a big story. For me, part of this fascination is in wondering just how these people who are so different from me see the world. I can't imagine what their inner life is like or what brings about such an alien world. In Zombie, Joyce Carol Oates managed to get inside the head of a psychopath and drag us along, and it astounds me that she could do this with such authenticity. Everything about the book evokes the sense of the truly foreign and inhuman.

I didn't enjoy Zombie. It's hard for me to imagine how someone could enjoy it in the sense that one could enjoy a great action thriller or fantasy book - the character and the point of view are just plain disturbing. But I couldn't put it down. The writing and the storytelling was that good. Would I read it again? Maybe, but it'll be a bit. Would I recommend it to others? Depends. If someone wants to look into the mind of a psychotic killer, this is a great way to go. But only with full disclosure!

In spite of the disturbing nature of the work, Zombie's my first 5 star book of 2009.

wow

Yeah, I need something light and cheery to cleanse the pallet, so I'm finishing up 'Salem's Lot. 8^}

#39 This morning, in an NPR piece about Obama's reading habits and what that means for the publishing industry, they definitely said he'd read Hot, Flat and Crowded.

drneutron - Do you have that time travel problem worked out? I'm going to need to go back and in time occasionally to keep up with my ever growing and never ending TBR pile.

**gently tosses another one the pile**

I thought this might be relevant to the above discussion (sorry, couldn't resist):

Nice review, drneutron. I have yet to experience a novel by Joyce Carol Oates, but I have heard great things. I will have to hunt this one down. Your review made me think of Leisure release last year of Succulent Prey by Wrath James White. It is one of those books that you truly enjoy reading, but it was so dark and disturbing, you are afraid to tell anyone you enjoyed it with the thought of being judged. Have you read it yet?

>48 hehe :) I love the lolcats site!

Saw that one on Lolcats too and almost posted it here!

I haven't read Succulent Prey yet, but it looks interesting. I'll keep my eye open for it!

Msg #31, Georgia Dawn, I take it from your comment that you didn't like The Gun Seller? I read it a couple of years ago and, while the story was a bit forced, I really enjoyed Laurie's voice in his writing. The sarcastic tone was fun to read, even if the story was kinda outlandish.

Msg #43, Book #5, doc, I have the same curiosity you do about getting inside the mind of psychopath. I have a few suggestions on non-fiction books which address the idea if you are interested. Let me know.

A good reading year for you so far
!!

BDB - fire away with the recommendations!

>52 Mac, I thought The Gun Seller was disappointing. I was expecting something a bit more scintillating!

- TT

#52 blackdogbooks - Oh, no, I didn't mean that at all. I'm just reading it now. I was saying that I had added yet another book to the ones I was swapping back and forth trying to read. I get too many books and want to read them all at once.

#54 Tortoise - It's not jumping off the page at me, that's for sure. I do like the writing; I just wish it were more exciting.

drneutron - Sorry for hijacking your thread. :)

I love your review of Zombie. I know exactly what you mean about a great book that is troubling to read. I felt that way about Blindness by Jose Saramago.

Well, you people did it again. Now Blindness is on the TBR pile...8^}

This place is a two-edged sword. The great thing is that we receive wonderful book suggestions to add to our TBR pile. The bad thing is that we receive wonderful book suggestions to add to our TBR pile.

Yes, I added Blindness and Zombie to my TBR pile. I just went online and requested both from the library. They'll be here in a week or so. *sigh*

#57 drneu and #58 georgiadawn

I really hope you both enjoy Blindness as I absolutely devoured and loved it, despite taking a little while to get used to the writing etc. It does take a bit of work and concentration at first but I am SO glad I put that in cos it is a 5/5 book for me. And yes, very troubling. It made me thing, and I definitely needed a lighthearted book afterwards.

I've read quite a few things where other people were disappointed by it though, so I hope I haven't built it up too much!!

#59 I also enjoyed Blindness, and also found it disturbing, but, I have to say, I wasn't completely convinced by it... Been meaning to look out the sequel for ages actually...

#52 and #53, Here goes:

In the Belly of the Beast by Jack Henry Abbott....a career criminal and murderer, he found a talent for writing while behind bars. His release from prison was secured with help from Norman Mailer, with whom he struck up a friendship with through letters and visits. He killed again shortly after his release.

Buried Dreams by Tim Cahill....written by a journalist based on interviews with John Wayne Gacy.

These two are about as close as they come to true first person accounts from serial killers.

Try any book written by either Roy Hazlewood or Robert Ressler both part of the FBI team that essentially founded the behavioral sciences unit. They worked with John Douglas, who is more famous but also much more self serving. They are better, more honest writers.

The Mormon Murders by Steven Naifeh....while this guy was not your typical serial killer, this book is a well laid out history of violence and criminal thought in one particular sub-culture. It does a good job of peeling back layers to see what motivated one particular killer and sets it in the context of the Mormon religion's history.

For a more scientific approach, which I am sure will also appeal to you, try:

Without Conscience by Robert D. Hare....one of the leading professionals in the world of psycopathy and criminal thinking.

Inside the Criminal Mind by Stanton Samenow......an often quoted and referenced manual on the subject.

Interestingly, I thought Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov was a startling and near completely accurate depiction of the mind of a child predator. I was haunted in reading it by the accuracy of the character's thought process.

Excellent! Thanks!!

On the TBR pile they go!

#6. The Shack by William P. Young

With so many reviews and so much discussion of The Shack available today, it's hard for me to figure out what to add that would help. Mostly, I liked it. Young's concept of redemption and forgiveness really spoke to me. His picture of the Trinity was - for me - creative and useful for shaking me out of my standard modes of thinking. The background story was a bit more tearjerker than I usually appreciate, but was well done in the context of the other discussion. While I have a few minor quibbles with the theology as presented and I think that some of Young's comments about churches today went a little too far, there's good stuff to be had here.

Is this a book worth spending a little time with? Yes. It's certainly possible to get hung up on some of the finer details. But the good stuff in The Shack is well worth the time spent.

>64 Glad to hear there are redeeming qualities to The Shack. It's on my book group's list to read later this year, and I was dreading it after things I had read. Thanks!

Just sticking my head in quickly to say that I too *loved* Blindness. Not the happiest read of my life, but certainly one that will stick with me and I wish I could read it in the original language instead of the English translation.

#64

re The Shack

Thanks for the thoughtful and balanced review. I had decided to let this one go even though I have had some people who would like to talk to me about it, including some of my YA and adult students. I think now I should give this a look because it might be a book that would be helpful to some of them.

I'm pleased to see so many other folks who enjoyed Blindness. I read it as part of a book group; I was the only one who liked it. That was a bit disappointing at the time. Thought (again) that there was something wrong with me. Has anyone seen the movie?

#64: This is one I will respectfully disagree with you on, doc. Sorry, but I did not even make my 50 page rule on it.

> 66, 68 i just had to say something when a favorite author of mine is the subject -- don't worry, scaifea, u didn't lose much not reading it in Portuguese -- i've browsed through it (my hold of the language not excellent but good enough to get through reading)
the english translation was very well done. Pontiero translated most of Saramago's books, and was considered one of the best translators of portuguese into english that a prestigious portuguese translation prize was even set up in his memory.

> 68, i saw the movie, and it was good -- the acting was impressive; Meirelles did a really good job. the scenes were more shocking and had more "realism" than how i imagined them to be while reading the book.

Stasia - No problem, to each his/her own!

#70 deebee1: That makes me feel much better about it, then. I always feel guilty about reading things in translation (it's an occupational hazard that I generally distrust translations). The language of this particular translation was quite beautiful, though, and I'm not surprised that he's won awards for his ability.

message #43
So sorry to be late in responding...It is difficult to keep on top of all the posts and I was away for ten days.

I read Zombie last year and had the same impressions as you. While I couldn't necessarily recommend it, the book did haunt me and I found it disturbing.

I finished Zombie today. Horrifying, disturbing, difficult to put down.

Told ya...8^}

So, are you going to try any more Joyce Carol Oates?

Of course! :)

7. 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King

I picked up several replacement King books a few months ago, and this one's been waiting for me patiently. It made the perfect read for use when on the treadmill at the gym - captivating prose, great characters, a few chills up and down the spine. Made the time pass nicely!

One of my faves, so obviously recommended!

Message edited by its author, Mar 12, 2009, 8:53am.

I've been waffling on whether or not to pick up Salem's Lot. Thanks for the recommendation!

I think Salem's Lot is one of the earlier King novels. I liked this one, but The Shining still remains my favorite.

I'm *still* reading Salem's lot.

Interesting to read thoughts on J C Oates...I have Mother, Missing sitting in front of me, which I found recently in my favourite secondhand store. From what I've read she doesn't seem like my kind of author, but this one strikes a chord. Have any of you read it?

I haven't. It seems very different from Zombie and some of her other books I've been looking at. I wonder if it's more autobiographical than her usual work.

'Salem's Lot is one of my favorite Stephen King novels. It made the hair stand up on the back of my head, and even he doesn't do that to me very often. In this context, I always have to recommend another creepy book that I absolutely loved, which a lot of people haven't heard of-The Other, by Thomas Tryon. Dr. N, I don't see how you read on the treadmill---it would make me motion sick. I can't even read while eating soup or cereal because my head keeps moving, and the tri-focals can't keep up!

The Other was my first horror novel back in the late 70s. It may be one reason why I devoutly avoid horror to this day. I'm not saying it was bad. It did its job well. The ideas and images stuck and ...

8. According To Their Deeds by Paul Robertson

According To Their Deeds is billed as "inspirational suspense" in a blurb on the back cover. I went into the book not so sure what to think - well, in reality, I suspected that this book would be similar to many of the Christian fiction books out there that just aren't any good. Fortunately, my suspicions were unfounded. In reality, it's a fine little mystery with an attractive set of characters and a way with words that's delightful, especially to bibliophiles, even if it's not that suspenseful. Honestly, Robertson's characters were the main attraction for me - I'd love to spend some time in the bookshop getting to know the Beales and their employees and friends. So I'm hoping According To Their Deeds becomes a series!

Recommended as a nice, light mystery story.

Thanks -- what a breath of fresh air! :)

#85 Another one for the TBR pile. Why do I do this to myself?

>83 laytonwoman3rd

The Other was one of my favorite books in the 70's when I read it. You may want to try a couple of the other works by Thomas Tryon (if you haven't alread): Harvest Home, another horror story, and Lady, a southern coming of age story. I read them so many years ago, maybe I should re-read them to see if I still like them!

>88 I did read those two Tryon books, lorie. I enjoyed Harvest Home, though not as much as The Other, and I just don't remember what I thought of Lady. I see he has several other books I wasn't aware of. Maybe I'll have to look for some of them.

#85: I'm in for the book, too, doc. Thanks for the recommendation!

DrNeutron:
"feedback and (especially!) book suggestions are welcome" ???
You do realize you just set a death trap for yourself there, right? And then you're worried I'M gonna have too many books on my TBR :P

*snort*

9. Never Tell A Lie by Hallie Ephron

Sometimes the simplest things can trigger a chain of events that changes the rest of your life. For Ivy, the event was a yard sale - where an old high school acquaintance shows up - and then subsequently goes missing. Ivy's husband is the main suspect in the disappearance, and she's driven to dig into the mystery to clear him while also dealing with a late term pregnancy.

Ephron's Never Tell A Lie is a little mystery, a little action, a little love story that kept me reading well into the night to finish. There are some first book flaws - the dialogue's a bit choppy, the prose is a bit too functional for my tastes, and there are no plot surprises - but it's not a bad effort at all. I'll definitely be looking for more from Ephron.

>61. BDB,
The books in this post all revolve around a similar theme (some of which have made my TBR) have you recently read these or are they accounts of past reads?

Ti99er, The most recent read of those listed is Lolita. All of those listed are favorites of mine on the subject for various reasons and I have read them over the last 15 years. They are similar in theme because the doc was looking for such suggestions. You'll have to let me know how you enjoy those which landed on your TBR.

I'll be sure to BlackDog. I am awiating Buried Dreams that I just mooched on BookMooch.

10. His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis

Washington bios tend to fall into two camps - they either buy into the mythology of the Father of our Country or they try to knock him off the pedestal. Ellis takes a middle road by treating Washington as human, but extraordinary. The book taught me some things about the times and about the man, and was well worth the time to get a sense of who Washington was - as best we can from more than 200 years away.

Recommended, but the reader should be familiar with the basic history of the American revolutionary period.

Message edited by its author, Mar 11, 2009, 11:39pm.

Thx Doc. I've wishlisted it -- for myself! That's something I rarely do. :)

#97: I have read 4 of Ellis' books about the Revolutionary War period (including the one you mentioned, doc) and found them all to be excellent. He does a very good job of 'de-mything' the founding fathers and making them just men who were trying to do the seemingly impossible.

11. Brother Odd by Dean Koontz

I finished up the third in the Odd Thomas series at lunch today. It's easily the best I've read so far! I hear Koontz is starting a larger story arc with the 4th one, so it'll be interesting to see where he goes with Odd. If this series continues to go well, it may make up for that awful tv movie Frankenstein he did. 8^}

Message edited by its author, Mar 11, 2009, 11:40pm.

I have some Dean Koontz books on my shelf. Your post regarding Brother Odd inspires me to dust them off.

Koontz is my all-time favorite author. I've read everything he's written, with the exception of some of his early porno, kiddie books, and In Odd We Trust. (I actually have the graphic novel, but I haven't read it yet.)

Some of my favorites: Watchers, Whispers, The Door to December, Mr. Murder, and Life Expectancy.

THanks guys >100ff I have Koontz unread here at home too, so next time I'm shopping (ha!) I'll browse that section :)

> 100
I've read the first in the Odd series, now it sounds like I need to get focused and read the others.

I read Koontz all through high school and beyond and credit him with my high scores in vocabulary sections on the ACT and GRE. He really packs in those words!

I have the second Odd Thomas book on hold at the library. Maybe it will be here soon!

All of this talk about Odd Thomas has forced me to Mooch a copy to see what all of the hubub is about.

Message edited by its author, Feb 1, 2009, 8:37am.

I added Odd Thomas to my list last year and didn't read it, now after reading the comments, I'll need to move it up a few notches.

12. The Skull Mantra by Eliot Pattison

On one level, The Skull Mantra is a police procedural set in an unusual place, with a very different sort of detective. Shan is a former investigator with the Chinese government whose corruption investigations rub high level officials the wrong way. As a consequence, he's now a prisoner in a work camp in Tibet. And when the local prosecutor is murdered, the local military commander brings him in to resolve the situation quickly. Of course, this case is not what it seems and things get political very quickly.

The Skull Mantra is also a fascinating picture of the Chinese intervention in Tibet in the late 90's. Pattison pulls no punches, but fills his books with real characters - the Chinese aren't wholly evil, the Tibetans aren't wholly innocent. The portrait he paints is sad and haunting and compelling all at the same time.

Highly recommended.

Message edited by its author, Mar 11, 2009, 11:40pm.

Sounds terrific, doc! On to the Continent it goes.

BTW - Have you read The Last Six Million Seconds by John Burdett? It is a mystery set in Hong Kong just as it is about to be handed over by the British.

I haven't. I'll have to check it out!

Let me know what you think of it when you get a chance to read it.

I just bought The Skull Mantra for my Kindle. $4.00 !!!!!!!!! Nice

>108: re: #10 The Skull Mantra

This book sounds fascinating and I do love a good murder mystery which turns out to be something more.

I was wondering..I know only the bare bones (no pun intended) about China in Tibet. Do you think one would need to read up on the topic before fully appreciating this novel? Or does it stand on its own?

Thank you for the great review!

profiler...Your question is a good one and I wondered the same.

I don't know a lot about China and Tibet and would be interested in reading The Skull Mantra if I could do so without knowledge of the happenings there.

Pattison's setting is pretty self-contained. There's no need to read a history of China and Tibet to enjoy the book. I didn't know much before I started, but I'm thinking about poking into the history now. Just what I need - more books on the TBR pile! 8^}

BTW, this is the first of a series of 5 or so books - I've already put the second on reserve at the library.

13. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

Folks in the 2009 challenge have been saying good things about Ella Minnow Pea for a while now, and I finally jumped on the bandwagon. I'm glad I did - it was fantastic! I loved the way Dunn plays with language and the idea is wonderfully creative. His exploration of how societies fall apart under the influence of small groups of powerful people is spot on.

Thanks for pointing this one out to me! This is why LT is such a cool thing!

Message edited by its author, Mar 11, 2009, 11:40pm.

I'm thinking of jumping on it myself, it looks like quite a ride ;)

G-U-G

I you like word play and humor with subtle undertones of seriousness and things to ponder you will love it!

Thanks Drneutron...
I was able to get a copy of Ella Minnow Pea at my local library...I hope to read this book this weekend!

#119: I think you will enjoy it very much, Linda. I hope you get as many chuckles out of it as I did. I was laughing out loud at some of the lunacy in the book.

Right, after all these wonderful things everyone's been saying about Ella Minnow Pea, I can see that's definitely going to have to be added to my wishlist!

re #97, the George Washington book, that sounds fascinating, but I know very little about that period - is there any book you could recommend me that might give me a good grounding?

#121: If I might make a suggestion - any of Joseph Ellis' books that are in the American Revolutionary War period are worthwhile. Besides the book on Washington mentioned above, I would recommend Founding Brothers and American Creation. I know he has written others, but these would be a good place to start.

Thanks alcottacre!

I've added His Excellency: George Washington to my TBR list. I never thought I'd approach the limit for book loans at my library. However.....

Message edited by its author, Feb 7, 2009, 10:05am.

14. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Well, there are 130 reviews of this one on LT, so I'm not sure I can add much new. I thought the book was very good, but not fantastic. Having said that, it's worth reading. The plot was well done - essential for a mystery, for sure - and well told. The characters were interesting and original. I'll be reading others by Larsson, I'm sure.

Message edited by its author, Mar 11, 2009, 11:41pm.

15. The Pluto Files by Neil deGrasse Tyson

The Pluto Files is, if nothing else, a decent layman's intro into the controversy about Pluto's status and why it all matters (or doesn't). There's plenty in it on the current thinking about what a planet is, and how to best represent the different objects in our solar system. Mostly, though, the book's about Neil Degrasse Tyson and his experiences with the aftermath of a decision to take a new approach to presenting the solar system at the planetarium he leads. When America goes ape over the change in the planetary definition by the IAU (really, an attempt to actually create a definition of planet) that changes Pluto's "status", he and his organization again bear the brunt of the public's displeasure.

As such, it's an interesting sociological story. After all, Pluto doesn't know or care whether it's a planet or not. So really, this story is about us and how we like to understand the universe by putting things into neat boxes. And when more research seems to require a rearrangement of the boxes, how we react to the change.

My only complaints about the book are that (i) it's fairly heavily Tyson-centric, (ii) Tyson occasionally quotes clearly tongue-in-cheek emails and letters he's received as serious, and (iii) the book gets a bit repetitive in spots. These negatives shouldn't necessarily cause one to avoid the book, but did diminish my enjoyment of the book a bit.

Message edited by its author, Mar 11, 2009, 11:41pm.

Thanks for a review of a book I might not usually encounter. Interesting, even if they only thing I ever read about this is just your review.

Just catching up on your thread drneutron - Some good books you've got here. I've added Arsenals of Folly, Zombie, and Ella Minnow Pea to my TBR pile. Ella Minnow Pea looks especially charming!

>127, I enjoyed your thoughts on The Pluto Files, which I read right at the end of last year through the ER program. I agree with your complaints about the book. Tyson does think quite fondly of himself & I found it particularly obnoxious when he made fun of little kids.

I hope you do get to read Blindness this year - it was one of my favorite books of the last year, despite the fact that it was rather disturbing to read.

It's on the library list. I'm looking forward to it!

DrNeutron - Thanks for your review of The Pluto Files. I saw Tyson on The Daily Show a couple of weeks ago and thought that the book sounded interesting. My kids were quite disturbed when Pluto lost its planet status!

I have Blindness sitting on my bedside table. I have so much trouble deciding what to read when! I need to post my TBR pile and let someone organize it for me!

fannyprice - I'm assuming you would encourage me to read it sooner rather than later.

>131, GeorgiaDawn, I think it all depends on what you're in the mood for. If you want beautifully written but harrowing, then go for it. I realize that's not very useful, is it?

Actually, it is very helpful. I've been in a bit of a "harrowing" mood lately. Thanks!

drneutron: I'm not surprised to hear that the Pluto book was Tyson-centric. My husband went to a talk he gave last year at a physics conference and said he was pretty egotistical.

Doesn't take me long on your thread Dr. N: Ella Minnow Pea and Blindness added to the mountain.

Message edited by its author, Feb 9, 2009, 2:00pm.

8^}

#125 Book 12.

I just picked up Girl with the Dragon Tattoo which I have to read this week because I can't renew it.

I'm glad to read your comment because when I checked the review page on LT the reviews were encouraging but the bar I clicked to see if I would like it said "no!" That has happened to me several times since they added that bar--usually on books I was checking because I thought they sounded like something I would like. Now I will be to test how accurate it is. :-) (I wouldn't not check out a book I wanted to try just because of what a generic test said. However, I think it is fun to check it out. When I add my reviews to the books I've read lately I think I will check to see if that bar agrees with my opinion of whether I liked it or not!)

Message edited by its author, Feb 9, 2009, 4:49pm.

>137: MM, I've decided that bar is actually the un-recommender.

Here are its opinions of the new books to which I've given the three highest ratings this year (all got 4½ stars):

Three Day Road - "Very High" confidence that I would "Certainly Not Like" the book.

Haroun and the Sea of Stories - "Very High" confidence that I would "Probably Not Like" the book.

Confederates in the Attic - "High" confidence that I would "Probably Not Like" the book.

I have a "Very High" confidence that I would "Certainly Not Like" the algorithm used by that component.

Message edited by its author, Feb 9, 2009, 4:56pm.

No 138 - Where I could find your opinion about Haroun and the Sea of Stories? I would like to read it :)

>138, I find the bar is simply untrustworthy - sometimes it predicts with great accuracy, other times it is completely off base. I think I read that its based on a comparison of the libraries of others who have the book with your library, which means there are so many things it doesn't take into account. I find it more fun to use after the fact, just to see what it thinks.

It actually told me that I wouldn't like it with high certainty. In fact, I did like it. So, I've got issues with the algorithm too!

>140: On my thread in this group, of course. :-)

It's here if you can't find it.

#138 TadAD

I feel better! I thought it was just me. What's really ironic, I tried it on a book I knew I would never in a million years; it was very confident I would like it! I'm going to make up my own mind--it's worked at about 85 to 90% accuracy most of my life! :-)

I had fun catching up on your thread Dr. Added Hot, Flat and Crowded, Zombie and The Skull Mantra. Great stuff!

16. Dark Cities Underground by Lisa Goldstein

When he was a child, Jeremy Jones told his mother stories of the Neverwas - she then used the stories in a series of popular books. Now he's an adult, estranged from his mother, and living as a near recluse. Ruth Berry is an author researching a book about Jeremy and the stories of the Neverwas. But now something is stirring in the subways under the world's big cities, and Jeremy and Ruth are about to get pulled into another story of the Neverwas.

Goldstein's fantasy is an interesting imagining of a world below and yet part of our world, with great characters and a neat plot. The pace moves right along and takes the reader along for a nice ride - quick and entertaining. I really liked this one, but it's tough to tell why without major spoilers!

Message edited by its author, Mar 11, 2009, 11:42pm.

drneutron, you've intrigued me enough that I've added Dark Cities Underground to my wish list. Thanks for the review.

Message edited by its author, Feb 10, 2009, 9:21pm.

Why? Why do I ever think I'm going to read everything on my TBR list when I keep adding? Dark Cities Underground just made the list.

Why? Why do I ever think I'm going to read everything on my TBR list when I keep adding?

Because you are delusional just like the rest of us, lol. I am adding Dark Cities Underground to the Continent, too.

Message edited by its author, Feb 11, 2009, 5:44am.

Me too! It sounds wonderful!

Drnewt, I don't know...I may have to "un-star" you if you keep making me add books to my wish list. Dark Cities Underground was very inticingly reviewed by you.

drneutron...

I learned from the 2008 challenge that your thread was one of those that caused my tbr pile to expand. Therefore, I'm not surprised that it is happening again. Add my name to the list of those who find your thread fascinating. I'm also adding Dark Cities Underground to the ever growing HUGE tbr pile.

Pretty good movie version of Dark Cities Underground or a story that sounds an awfully lot like it. The movie is called Neverwas. Wife and I saw it On Demand the other night on a lark and really enjoyed it.

The initial premise of Neverwas certainly seems to be taken from Dark Cities Underground. I haven't seen the movie, but added it my Netflix queue. Are there subways in the movie?

And another one to the TBR list... Dark Cities Underground it is!

No subways in the movie, the homeless guy is in the forest. The movie version has a bit of an environmental edge to it.

17. John Adams by David McCullough

The second of my biographies for the Presidential challenge. McCullough's book was a big hit a few years ago when a number of bios of Revolutionary War folk came out. This was one of the best, and I was pleased when HBO used it as the basis for the recent series on Adams.

Our second president has, I believe, been consistently under-appreciated over the years, both for his work before/during the Revolution and for his presidency. John Adams has remedied that to some degree, especially for Adams' private life. On the other hand, McCullough clearly likes his subject, and I wonder how objective he is when evaluating Adams' motives and his effectiveness. Ultimately, though, this is a very worthwhile book.

Message edited by its author, Mar 11, 2009, 11:42pm.

drnewt, I am finding my wish list (books I want to get) is growing, growing, growing and especially one list tagged "recommended by drneutron". Harumf! (or how ever it is spelled...)

Maggie - You too?!

#156: I really wish McCullough had done a book on Abigail while he was doing the one on her husband! I would love to see his treatment of her. I firmly believe that she was instrumental in Adams' success.

Just checked out My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams in part because of McCullough's treatment of their relationship. I agree, Stasia, that she was instrumental in Adams' success, and I think McCullough appreciated Abigail's influence. Perhaps we can start an e-mail campaign to him to write about her!

#160: I am all for a write-in campaign concerning Abigail!

I have not yet read My Dearest Friend but it is on the Continent, so I will get to it eventually.

I think my favorite part of McCullough's book is his treatment of John and Abigail's relationship. It would be great to see a treatment of their life from Abigail's point of view!

Well, that makes 3 of us. I wonder if McCullough would listen?

I'm going to have to add on a room to my house just for my TBR pile.

I have not read John Adams, but I liked the mini-series very much. Now, I guess I need to read the book!

#162 & 163

If you start a petition I'll be happy to sign! :-)

ETA GeorgiaDawn--I highly recommend you read the book. It is wonderful and beautifully written.

Message edited by its author, Feb 16, 2009, 3:15pm.

It's on the list; it's on the list. I need someone to sort my TBR list into some order. I can never decide what I need to read next.

Message edited by its author, Feb 16, 2009, 3:24pm.

>156 & ff: Have you tried Stone's Those Who Love? It's a slightly fictionalized account of John and Abigail. The history is fairly accurate; some of the details of the familial relationships are invented because, of course, we weren't there. :-) I enjoyed it.

#167: Thanks for the mention of Those Who Love, Tad. My local library has a copy of it, so I will see if I can get it in the next couple of weeks.

That is a wonderful book. I think I may have to reread it--it has been many years since i read Irving Stone!

The mention of Irving Stone takes me on a trip down memory lane when a friend and I read Lust for Life and discussed it for hours.

Tad, thanks for mentioned Those Who Love. I never knew of this one and have added it to the list.

You know, I remember reading that one when I was in high school. For some reason, my folks got all the Irving Stone books, and that one I really liked. I too will have to dig it out someplace and re-read--will count it for my US President's challenge.

I think Irving Stone must have been a favorite with Book-of-the-Month Club or some such outfit back in the day. My parents had all his books too. The Agony and the Ecstasy is the one I remember reading.

I read a lot of Irving Stone many years ago--I really enjoyed them, but at that time I wasn't too careful about how accurate historically my historic novels were so I can't speak to that issue. I'm more fussy now--which is why I read more history than historical novels these days. In addition to the two Stone novels mentioned above I remember reading one about Van Gogh called Lust for Life which was also very good.

171-172 you're both right...My folks belonged to BOMC and that's howw we got them. I also read more history now than hist fiction, but he did write good stories. I loved lust for life and agony and ecstasy for me those books were almost like sneaking a look at the naked people in Natl Geog, because Stone had 'real sex' in them. I know my parents didn't read them, or they would have been locked up! But the mild sex scenes were certainly exciting for HS age girls in catholic school in the 50's and early 60's.

Hello Doc! I finally got to read your thread and enjoyed the ride. Of course, since I'm here, I'll add my tuppence to the discussions.

Zombie sounds similar to Jim Thompson's The Killer Inside Me which was fabulous--deadly but great!

Blindness was an impulse read for me a couple of years back, but the story has stayed. I thought the translation was brilliant, although I have not been able to finish any other Saramago novels since reading this one. And I definitely want to see the movie.

Read both The Mormon Murders and The Other (as well as Tryon's other books) years ago and was fascinated with both. They made a television movie of the Tryon's book which was chilling, even with the censors all over it for broadcast.

For the record, I loved Irving Stone's biographical novels. They are fiction, but they certainly made me more interested in checking out their subjects in historical context.

Finally, you are encouraging me to finish up the Odd Thomas books which are sitting on my shelves now. Sigh! More TBR! Just as I was whittling down the books in my 999 Challenge this year!

Re: #159-165: Sorry to come in so late on this. But you might try Cokie Roberts' Founding Mothers. Not totally about Abigail Adams, but she has a good part in it, and I found it a fascinating look at the women of the American Revolution!

Yep, that one's been on my list since I heard about it on NPR one morning. So many books, so little time. Sigh.

>176/177 - I'll second tloeffler's rec. I read Founding Mothers last year and really liked it. My only complaint was that it made me want to read more about each of the women who was covered in the book - especially those who got relative brief mentions.

I have quite a few books by NPR correspondents. Naked in Baghdad by Anne Garrels is on my 999 challenge, and I just recently finished China Road by Rob Gifford.

18. Kings and Queens of Early Britain by Geoffrey Ashe

Kings and Queens of Early Britain is Geoffrey Ashe's history of Britain from the Celtic settlement through Roman oversight and withdrawal, then through Anglo-Saxon rule to Alfred the Great. He takes as foundation later works by Nennius, Gildas and Geoffrey of Monmouth that are known to be problematic for historians, sorting out legend from known or probably historical passages to make a pretty good history of the rulers over these diverse kingdoms.

Of course, one topic of much discussion is the possible historical basis for Arthur and the legends that grew up about him, mostly as documented by Geoffrey (not the much later version we're more familiar with). Ashe is suitably skeptical, but finds other sources to substantiate his idea that there's a real person hidden behind the legends. He goes on to explore this idea in other books.

Ashe is a bit terse at times, and all the names and places can be a bit confusing, but for the most part, this is a decent work. For me, the biggest negative was the lack insight into the archaeology that supports or negates the histories Ashe uses - he only occasionally touches on this work and a bit longer book that included more would have been better, I think.

Message edited by its author, Mar 11, 2009, 11:43pm.

19. Drood by Dan Simmons

Drood is Dan Simmons' imagining of the relationship between Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins, but this is no normal relationship. In the mix is a mysterious character named Drood who's a mass murderer in the slums of VIctorian London. Except maybe he's not real - after all, Wilkie Collins takes laudanum, and lots of it. So it's hard to say whether things are really happening in the book and what it all means.

Simmons mixes real events and people with wonderful imaginings of the historical characters and fantastical elements to create something pretty special. Simmons' prose is as good as ever, and there's even a reference to his previous work, The Terror! My only complaint is that the middle sags a bit, but keep reading - the ending picks back up again and is well worth it.

Message edited by its author, Mar 12, 2009, 8:55am.

20. A Slobbering Love Affair by Bernard Goldberg

There's certainly a strong case that the mainstream media favored Obama in the 2008 US Presidential election. A large number of studies show the imbalance in reporting, and for example, the Washington Post ombudsman wrote "Obama deserved tougher scrutiny than he got" in analyzing their own coverage. Even scarier, people such as Tom Brokaw admitted after the election that we really don't know much about Obama - even after he had been covering the candidate for almost two years. This trend in the mainstream media is a dangerous slippery slope and the American people deserve better.

Bernard Goldberg's A Slobbering Love Affair makes these points, but does so in a way that is seemingly designed to offend as many people as possible - or play solely to the right wing. It's unfortunate that he chooses to do so, since there are legitimate discussions we should be having about the relationships between the media and politicians and the media and the public. But that discussion is not to be found here, and the useful information is buried in polemic.

Message edited by its author, Mar 11, 2009, 11:43pm.

I have The Terror and Drood on my TBR list. It sounds like I need to read The Terror first.

No, its not a sequel or anything. There's just a quick reference to Franklin's arctic expedition, which is what The Terror is about. It just caught my eye when I read it in Drood.

Thanks. I'm not sure when I'll get to either one at the rate I'm going. I'm not reading very much lately. For some reason, I can't stay awake. :(

I appreciated your review of A Slobbering Love Affair. (I guess the touchstone is not working.) In any case, I'll not be reading the book as I am sure I would not be able to work my way through it but I agree with you that the behavior of the media in covering the Presidential race is definitely something worth discussing and asking if the populous is being served as well as we deserve. Thanks for raising the issue.

21. Forbidden Magic by Angus Wells

I needed a book to read while on the treadmill at the gym. My requirements: good story, easy to put down for several days then pick up again, characters that keep me interested. Forbidden Magic met all my requirements and more. On the face of things, it's a rather average fantasy - naive prince meets mercenary, they get roped into a quest for a magic book to save the world - and yet, it's better than that. The characters develop, the world is decently conceived, and the story keeps the reader's attention. So, all in all, a good choice for gym read!

Message edited by its author, Mar 12, 2009, 8:56am.

Jim
Glad to see you read the Goldberg book. Your review is great! And, I agree that Goldberg raised some interesting points. It seemed to me that his mission was to offend and shout, rather than teach and invite people to learn.
It was worthwhile reading, but, I shook my head at the chapter re. MSNBC and his statements about Chris Matthews.

Yeah, me too. But the chapter that spoiled the whole book for me was the ingratiating "interview" with Rush Limbaugh. Yeesh.

I'm keeping my eyes open for something more rational on the subject. If I find it, I'll let folks know.

Yes, please do let folks know when and if you find something more rational. Again, it is such a shame he went off on his tirades instead of sticking to the point. His premise was valid, but it was lost in his own bias...The very thing he hates about "the liberals."

drneutron--try What Liberal Media by Eric Alterman if you haven't already read it. (Not specifically targeted to last campaign, but at media in general.)

Yeah, I read it when it came out. As I recall it (although it's been a while), it suffers from some of the same problems as Goldberg's books - not enough actual analysis, relying on anecdote, etc - without the raving. As you mentioned, it's from 2003, so isn't going to address the last election. I've started poking into some of the reports done by researchers directly, but this is not my area of expertise, and it'll take a bit to wade through the material.

I really enjoyed Forbidden Magic as well. Glad it served :)

22. Blindness by Jose Saramago

After recommendation by a bunch of LTer's, mostly from this group, I decided to jump into Blindness. Wow, what a book. It's dystopean and shows the worst of humanity, but also some of the best. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of The Road, not the least because of the unconventional but captivating use of language.

Message edited by its author, Mar 12, 2009, 8:57am.

Glad to hear your opinion of Blindness. I just got this book last week to fill in my "Things Portuguese" category over on the 999. There have been some real mixed reviews for the ones I've come across I'm looking forward to diving into it after i finish the Lenten list.

23. The Domino Men by Jonathan Barnes

Since 1857, the British government - particularly, a supersecret agency known as the Directorate - has been at war with the House of Windsor to prevent the execution of a contract between the ruling family and an entity from beyond our universe. Henry Lamb is caught up in this war after his grandfather, an agent of the Directorate, is incapacitated with a vital piece of information that will win the war for whichever side gets it first.

The Domino Men is Jonathan Barnes' follow-on to The Somnambulist - not so much a sequel as another book set in the same universe, although a slight bit of carry-over from one book to the next will be noticed by those who've read the earlier work. The Somnambulist was good; The Domino Men is better. Barnes has improved his story pacing, and the narrative technique he uses in The Domino Men works quite well. I got a chance to read this one in a single sitting, and it's a good thing because I may not have been able to put it down otherwise!

Message edited by its author, Mar 11, 2009, 11:44pm.

This sounds like a great book.

I haven't read The Somnambulist and I'm adding both Jonathan Barnes books to my list.

>196 These do sound really good. I will put them on my list!

196: Nice review, DrNeut! I will definitely keep my eyes open for The Domino Men, when it comes to our library. :)

Message edited by its author, Mar 4, 2009, 6:20pm.

#196 hmm. Sounds like exactly my kind of thing - shall avoid it like the plague (toooooo many tbrs)... but probably will end up on my list of the year very soon ;)

24. The Silver Swan by Benjamin Black

Quirke's back in The Silver Swan, Benjamin Black's sequel to Christine Falls. He's as quirky as ever - except now he's stopped drinking and he's trying in his own way to make amends with his daughter. In The Silver Swan, an old school acquaintance has asked Quirke to help cover up his wife's suicide. Except things aren't what they seem and Quirke can't let it go until he uncovers the truth.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't up to the level of the first. Quirke and his family came off as whiny and unrealistic instead of dysfunctional. The story really lagged in the middle and until the last couple of chapters I very nearly didn't care whether I finished or not.

Message edited by its author, Mar 11, 2009, 11:44pm.

>201: oh, bother. I thought Christine Falls was a GREAT book. Sorry to hear The Silver Swan doesn't really make the cut (I have a copy on the physical shelf).

What's next in the Repairman Jack series after The Tomb? Looking at the Amazon description, it looks like it might be Legacies. The author's Web site is one of those hopeless ones that doesn't list the books in order.

Wikipedia's pretty good for Jack -

* The Tomb (1984)
* Legacies (1998)
* Conspiracies (1999)
* All the Rage (2000)
* Hosts (2001)
* The Haunted Air (2002)
* Gateways (2003)
* Crisscross (2004)
* Infernal (2005)
* Harbingers (2006)
* Bloodline (2007)
* By the Sword (2008)
* Ground Zero (2009)(To Be Released)

So Legacies is indeed next.

Thanks, DrN. I keep hearing about the series but have yet to read it. Now I know where to start.

there's two ways you can go after The Tomb, it also leads into The Adversary Cycle, which is pretty good too.

Yup. That it is!

The Tomb by F. Paul Wilson is a great book! I also like the Repairman Jack series. Now I want to read those again.

cal - This thread is as bad as mckait's! We must have strength to resist.

#202. Flossie T..After reading your post, I searched Christine Falls. It sounds like a book I would really like so I've added it to the ever growing TBR pile.

I liked Christine Falls very much - gave it 4 stars last year. So I'd go for it! The second, well, it didn't work for me so well.

Jim, I've learned to trust your judgment. I'll stick with Christine Falls.
Thanks for the guidance!

Aw, shucks...8^}

Georgia, resistance is futile! Just add them!!!

25. The Lost City of Z by David Grann

The story of Percy Fawcett's exploration of the Amazon basin in the early decades of the 20th century, his disppearance on an expedition in 1925, and also David Grann's attempt to trace what happened. Fawcett was billed as the "last of the great Victorian explorers" who spend quite a lot of time on the ground around the border between Bolivia and Brazil. Over the years, he developed a theory that the native population was once a single great civilization from which the idea of El Dorado grew when the conquistadors invaded. Fawcett called the center of this civilization Z to disguise it from competitor explorers. In 1925, Fawcett, his son Jack, and one of Jack's life-long friends disappeared on the trail of Z in a region populated by particularly hostile natives, and since he was famous in his day and his explorations were heavily covered by the press, his disappearance created quite a stir.

Up until the 1950s, people went into the region on a regular basis to try to find out what happened to Fawcett's party. Many reports of his death and his apparent survival were reported, yet nobody had any hard evidence. Towards the end of his life, Fawcett had become deeply interested in Blavatsky, theosophy and spritualism, and even managed to work Z into her theories about advanced civilizations and wise elders, so some small religious groups made their way into the region (and are still there today!) to find the door to another plane of existence that Fawcett "must have uncovered". Bits and pieces of his story even show up in the Indiana Jones movies and books. Grann does an excellent job of tying this all together with his own story and more recent attempts to find out what happened to Fawcett.

Thanks to Whisper, alcott and a few others who pointed this one out!

Message edited by its author, Mar 11, 2009, 11:45pm.

Very nice review, drneutron. I'm putting this one on the TBR pile.

Great review! You pushed me over the edge--I had been considering it because I thought I would like it; you have convinced me my husband will also like it and I'm on a mission to find books for his "pile" this summer when he retires. We have to buy his--he's never had a book due date he didn't miss! I've put this one on the Amazon "to buy" list. Thanks.

drnewt - The Lost City of Z sounds like a great story. I'll be adding it, too!

Nice review, it was also just reviewed in the last Sunday's Washington Post.

Jim, as always, nice review!

I got my copy of Lost City the other day. One of these centuries, I may actually open it!

Great review, BTW, doc.

#196 - The House of Windsor? Really? How strange. It's my understanding that they did not come into being until 1917. You'd think the author would have known that.

Yeah, that was my one little nickpick with it too. The book has a contemporary setting, but the roots of the story go back to Victoria.

Maybe in his alternate earth setting he felt he could fudge the dates?

26. Poe's Children edited by Peter Straub

A reader could reasonably expect a collection of short stories billed as "horror" to contain actual scary stories. Unfortunately, Poe's Children doesn't live up to this expectation. I've tried - with little success - to figure out what Peter Straub was doing in collecting these stories and somehow tying them and their authors back to Poe. None are remotely like Poe, and Straub's introduction incoherently mumbles about these stories as somehow "literary horror" and so somehow Poe-like. Meh, I didn't see it. The stories captured little that was Poe.

Now, don't get me wrong. There's some very good work here. The Stephen King, Joe Hill and Elizabeth Hand stories are great horror works. Several others are good stories, even if not really horror per se. About half the stories aren't worth the effort. Note that all these stories are reprints, and the best ones may be familiar to short story readers.

Message edited by its author, Mar 11, 2009, 11:45pm.

#214 The Lost City of Z - the author of this was interviewed on Midweek, on Radio 4 yesterday morning - sounded fascinating - after that and your review, I think it may have to be added to my TBP pile...

(Edited to change link)

Message edited by its author, Mar 12, 2009, 11:13am.

Reluctantly adds Lost City of Z to Wishlist, knowing that my shelves will no longer hold the books I have, never mind that one, and those still making their way to me. *weeps*

mckait
that says it all...You make me laugh out loud. I've been visiting the library lately since the book shelves in my house are filled. Now, I have library books piled high on dining room chairs.

me and Whisper1, too! LIBRARY is becoming the new tag in my LT library inventory. Full shelves; some other flat surfaces completely covered; floor files are tripping me and the dogs. Ah! so many books!

if I consumed wine and/or food at the rate I consume books, I would be in BIG trouble.

#226-228

This seems to be a "universal LT" problem--I wonder if we should blame Stasia?! :-D Or course, Linda, you can't be completely exonerated! Before I started reading the threads on LT I was the proud owner of a nice sized "personal library" neatly shelved and organized. Although the shelves were in several different rooms all the books were on them and I even had a few "display items" in empty spaces. Occasionally I would go to the library to find a book to read that I didn't own--I probably checked out about 20 to 25 books a year.

I started reading these threads in the middle of August of 2008 (almost exactly 6 months ago) and suddenly I was buying books--multiple books!--every month. Then Stasia mentioned how valuable the public library was--so now I was buying multiple books each month and checking out multiple books every 3 weeks! 98% of the library books were read and about 25% of the books purchased were read. I'm trying to improve on that last number this year--buy fewer and read more of them. So far it isn't working! :-)

I, too, have piles of books everywhere--so far I've done pretty well keeping the library books from getting lost in the personal books pile.

#229 LOL--wouldn't we all!

But at least when collections comes along (real soon now!) we'll be able catalog all those books we want to read but can't seem to get to!

#231

Does that mean I can put my entire "wish list" in one place!? Will we have a place to put who recommended it--so we know whom to blame! :-D

Think of the trees that will be saved when I don't have to fill scraps of paper as I'm perusing the LT threads!

That's the idea, and apparently, it's coming soon based on the discussions in the new features threads, etc.

I've actually been thinking about having an "OOMS" (Only on my shelf) Challenge for next year. I find that even if I cruise the library's online catalog, and don't go there until they call and say 'your hold is in' that I may go to pick up one book (or audio) but I'm still coming home with 5! So if I make a list of books that I already have ON MY SHELVES, and then say that's my challenge and I can't change it, I might stick to it. Not to say I wouldn't be reading other books for other challenges, but the only way I'm going to get them read, is to challenge myself to read them.

tututhefirst! that is a brilliant idea. If you start it, I will come. I so much need to focus some reading time on the books which are sitting OMS; or in my Kindle. Please, do that next January! I can't start on OOMS this year because I've got myself in this 75 book challenge and I have such a hard time turning my back on a challenge.

Off to read now!

#234 That would work for me only if I never read other threads. Once I discover the good books everyone else is reading I get hooked! I MUST have them ALL!!!!

There is no place I can check out library books. It has something to do with not having a local library and not being allowed to use the libraries of other cities and taxes paid by residents or some such BS. I'm not sure of the exact reasoning, but they won't give me a library card. :(

In our part of the world, people who do not live in a city which has libraries use the country library system. Is that possible for you?

#230: Let's blame Stasia? Hah! I pull books off everyone's thread, so I am blaming everyone else. I am completely with you on that, lorie. I must have them all!

I have a closet that I keep my library books in, BTW. At present, I have 93 checked out - I just move them on a weekly basis to a shelf for easy access.

>234 is **exactly** my problem with the library. And an OOMS challenge was what I was kind of meaning to do this year. My willpower is way not strong enough.

I am DETERMINED to make April OOMS month though. I have no outstanding library requests and no advance warning of any shiny new books that are likely to distract me...

this is funny, in Dutch "ooms" means "uncles", then a OOMS challenge.... LOL
But I think it is a good way to reduce the TBR pile in my shelves.

27. American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson by Joseph J. Ellis

There's been a lot of words written about Thomas Jefferson. It seems like everyone has tried to claim his legacy to further their own cause. In American Sphinx, Joseph Ellis tried to get past the ideal Jefferson to the real man and his real thoughts, especially in the political arena. He mostly succeeds in this goal - this book is a great exploration of Jefferson. Rather than a biography, Ellis uses vignettes of Jefferson's life during significant periods to explore how his thinking changed throughout his life and to reveal the man behind the American saint. The format assumes some knowledge of Jefferson's life and early American history, so this may not be the best place to start for novice. I read it just after reading McCullough's biography of John Adams, which provided the historical context for Ellis' analysis.

#241: Jim, Ellis has written extensively about America around the time of the Revolution and I highly recommend his books. His American Creation, His Excellency: George Washington, and Founding Brothers are all excellent if you want to read further about this time period in American history.

Yeah, His Excellency was my choice for Washington for the Presidents Challenge. It's great! Founding Brothers is on my list, but it'll wait until I get a few more presidents knocked out, I think.

re: OOMS -- I don't have this prob and am guessing that Peter may not have it to such an extent either (or GUG). I only read books OOMS or online... Wish I liked more of them! LOL

I'm currently reading His Excellency and I have both John Adams and American Sphinx on the backburner. Maybe I should take a closer look at the Presidents Challenge group. I'd like to read biographies of most if not all the presidents.

Another interesting one about Jefferson is The Hemingses of Monticello. It's a huge tome of a book (longer than it needs to be in fact) about Jeffersons master/slave relationships with the Hemings family. Very interesting.

Message edited by its author, Mar 18, 2009, 3:48pm.

I suggested Founding Brothers for my book club this year and everyone was quite taken with it. I particularly like Ellis' approach with our American founders - portraying them as gifted but flawed, extraordianry men of greatness who nevertheless made errors of judgment and conscience. They were human, in other words!

I'm a fan of all his histories and particularly like his "vignette" approach. After reading FB, I'll bet you will want to jump right into American Creation.

28. Mr Timothy by Louis Bayard

Mr Timothy is, in fact, Tiny Tim of A Christmas Carol, only grown up and living hand to mouth as a guest of a brothel owner. In the course of events, he discovers a plot to abduct young girls for the pleasure of rich old men, and he can't bring himself to do anything but try to end the plot and help the girls. The mystery/adventure story is quite good - the plot moves along nicely, there are some surprises and twists to keep us interested, and in the end, the book is one of those you just have to finish.

So with all those good words, why a relatively low rating from me? I didn't like the character that Bayard imagines - he's a bit whiny, a bit passive, and more than a little caught up in himself. It didn't help that I thought Bayard's use of first person perspective was wordy and in spots difficult to follow. Is it worth reading? Maybe. I recommend that folks take a look and decide for themselves; I just can't make a recommendation either way.

A nice review, drnewt, and it tweaks ones curiosity. Should I stumble across this book I certainly will give it a minutes consideration. It does not however go into the famous wish list.

Jim, Your comments regarding Mr. Timothy seem to mirror others. I don't think I've seen a five star rating for this book.

I've added it to my tbr list awhile back, but I think I'll read many others before this one,

And besides, we all know that the reformed Scrooge set Tiny Tim on the path to solid middle class success after the Christmas Carol ended. Hand to mouth in a brothel indeed! He was probably a chartered accountant or the Victorian equivalent.

tiffin
Perhaps Tiny Tim inherited all Ebenezer's money and lived in a country estate and had nothing else to do with his time but purchase art.

It would be so Dickens, though, for T.T. to lose all his inheritance and find himself in the poor house (or cat house).

In some sense, what Bayard chose for Tim in this book is pretty Dickensian. I hesitate to give away too much since some here may want to read the book. Anyway, I read his third book, The Black Tower last year and enjoyed it very much. If you're interested in Bayard's take on historical speculation, I'd start with that one.

Now to decide whether to tackle his Poe story, Pale Blue Eye...

Jim
I'm adding Pale Blue Eye and Black Tower to my tbr pile.

Thanks!

dr N I have Mr Timothy but have yet to read it.. It is on the bottom third of my TBR pile :)

>214 The author of The Lost City of Z, David Grann is being "interviewed" on The Colbert Report as I type. I'm sure someone can come up with a link to it somewhere, for those who are interested!

Your wish is my command!

http://www.hulu.com/watch/63245/the-colb...

It's a pretty good clip.

For non-US fiction, anything by David Mitchell (he of "Cloud Atlas" fame), Rose Tremain ("Sacred Country" and "The Colour" among others) and that most Brit of all, Kazuo Ishiguro ("The Remains of the Day," of course).

Read Balzac's "Pere Goriot" for a start on something deeply French, and for something completely different, go for anything by Haruki Murakami. Try "The Storyteller" by Mario Vargas Llosa for a taste of something Latin American.

29. Dark Magic by Angus Wells

The God Wars trilogy (of which this is the middle volume) is a fairly standard fantasy quest story. But the writing's reasonably well done, the story moves along, and the characters are interesting. Wells' world-building isn't as thorough or as good as some, but that doesn't seem to drag the book down for me. All-in-all, this made a nice gym book for me - it kept me entertained while spending time on a treadmill.

#257 Drneutron

Thanks for the Colbert site. Enjoyed it. The book has just arrived at the local public library and I grabbed it--now to finish it before it is due.

30. Let The Right One In by John Linqvist

So what's the deal with vampires these days? They used to be predators feeding on humans and trying to keep out of the sunlight and away from the garlic. Nowadays, it's hard to find a scary vampire story.

Fortunately, there's been a bit of recovery lately from the trend to treat vampires as humans with special abilities. First David Wellington's series re-introduced the vampire as an evil monster that needs to be eliminated, and now Lindquist has written Let The Right One In with vampires that are both predators and believable characters that still remains scary.

Let The Right One In is a great story on several levels. On the surface, it's a flat-out horror story with bad people doing bad things, violence and gore, the works. It's also about a teenager named Oskar and how he learns to cope with a world that's dealt him a rather bad hand. And it's about the ugliness in urban/suburban life that we so often overlook and how that in it's own way is vampiric.

The writing's great, the plot moves along, there's plenty of action for the horror fan. All-in-all, a pretty good read!

Message edited by its author, Mar 29, 2009, 3:01pm.

Scary - Horror - Gore not for me, I can't stand that kind of book usually but I'm really glad you enjoyed it! I'm sure there will be several comments right after this announcing the add of this book to various TBR, so I'm glad to have escaped the TBR swelling* this time. Phew!

*that is rather awkwardly phrased, yes.

Heh. The image of TBR swelling was great!

I figured fair warning was due since this one's been touted as something of a Twilight, and honestly, I can't imagine why. It's a great book, but not for early teens for sure!

I've been wondering about this book for awhile, having seen a preview for the movie based on the book which looked mighty scary. I'll definitely be checking this book out from the library!

I like scary! I am hard to scare... I startle easily, but scare, not so easily.
So scary is not so much scary as kinda scary.. ??!?!?
That is unless you are a godforsaken stink bug *shudder* or the movie Poltergeist. That one really gets me.

DrNewt, Let the Right One In sounds like a great book! You know this one has to go on the TBR list.

Hey Drneu, glad you liked it, check out the movie when you get a chance, they did a pretty good job.

It's on the Netflix queue, but I have to wait for sometime when the MrsDrNeutron isn't home...She's not much for scary movies. 8^}

Message edited by its author, Mar 29, 2009, 7:26pm.

It's not scary, it's quiet and serene, prolly all the soft focus and snow.

Small amount of gore, very toned down from the book. Oh! and the dubbing is terrible!

Now I have to add the movie to my Netflix queue. Oh, bother.

:)

31. Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz

Just in case you haven't met them yet, the Spellmans are a family of private investigators, and a very dysfunctional family they are. It's not that they hate each other - in fact, they care about each other and their close friends very much - it's just that they can't seem to talk to each other. Instead, they spy on each other and blackmail each other into doing things like visiting the Museum of Modern Art. Fortunately for us, it's all very funny stuff!

This is the third in Lutz's series on the Spellmans, and centers around the personal aftermath of Izzie's misguided investigation of a neighbor in the previous book and around her investigation into a possibly straying spouse she's doing as a favor to a friend of a friend. Throw in the relationships between the family members and a few close friends and things devolve into the usual (for the Spellmans) comedic chaos.

One of the things I appreciate about this series is that Lutz isn't trying to repeat her success with the first book, unlike another well known comedic PI series. The characters grow through the books and frankly, the story's more about that growth and change than about the mysteries they're trying to solve. I suspect this will mean that we'll get both really funny books and interesting stories for some time to come.

I couldn't stand the Spellmans in book one. If you promise me they really do get better, I'd be willing to give them one more try, but not right now.

Well, if you didn't like the first one, you probably won't like numbers 2 and 3. I'd say skip 'em if you gave the series a try and it didn't work for you.

DrNewt - I finished Forever Odd. I liked the first one better, but I enjoyed this one enough to keep going. I'm on to Brother Odd.

32. Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

Others have said lots about the end of Sanderson's Mistborn series so there's not for me to add other than - Wow! He doesn't just wrap up all the loose ends, he shows that everything's really been a tapestry all along. Tiny little details in the first book wind up having a profound effect here. If you've started the series, I promise you won't be disappointed with how he finishes things up.

I've owned his Mistborn series for awhile now. I'll have to bump it up to the top of my TBR list...

I want to reread the entire series. I may do that over the summer.

33. The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill

Folks have begun disappearing in Lafferton, a small town well away from the bustle of London where DS Freya Graffham has come to rebuild her life. At first, she's only got hints and clues that something bad is happening to the missing people, but it soon becomes clear to her that things are connected. Unfortunately, the powers that be aren't so easily convinced until a fourth person disappears...

The Various Haunts of Men is a decent serial-killer police procedural - plenty of mystery, a little misdirection, some action thrown in for good measure. But where Hill shines is in her characters. We get peeks into the lives of the victims, the investigators are fascinating, the insights into the killer are well done. By the end of the book, the reader is completely engaged with the residents of Lafferton and their lives.

Recommended for those looking for intelligent, well-written mysteries. Fortunately, this is just the first of a series of books, and I'm looking forward to diving in to the next very soon.

*deep sigh*

I am forced to add this to my TBR list. I'm off to put it on hold at the library.

#278: Thanks for the recommendation on that one, Jim. Sounds very good and right up my alley!

Mine too. Thanks!

Dr N... I just pulled The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill off of my shelf to read next. :)

What you describe is a little different than what I expected from this one, but I am off to read!

Dr N

I am 400 pages in and loving The Various Haunts of Men. British writing sucks me in almost every time.

okay, finished! and as I posted in my thread:

The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill

Fantastic read! The author handles even the most horrific details with kid gloves, softens them. At the end if the book, she slams you with reality.

I will be looking to read the next in the series..

Message edited by its author, Apr 16, 2009, 6:06am.

34. Bleeding Heart Square by Andrew Taylor

In 1930, Phillipa Penhow disappears after marrying late in life, and eventually a letter arrives to explain she ran off with an old flame. In 1934, Lydia Langstone leaves her abusive husband and moves into her father's apartment in a building once owned by Miss Penhow, now owned by Penhow's former husband. And among other mysteries, someone's leaving dead, rotting hearts for the landlord at 7 Bleeding Heart Square.

Taylor's Bleeding Heart Square is a very good mystery, with interesting twists and turns along the way to a captivating conclusion - one of the few books I've read recently that I actually couldn't put down until I finished the last third or so. The characters are complicated and real, while the period is very well represented. The only down-side to the book is a somewhat slow pace to the first few chapters - stick with it and you'll be glad you did.

Ooo, Bleeding Heart Square sounds interesting.

#285: I am still waiting for my copy from the ER program. It was the first book I was supposed to get, but I got March's book before that one, which was supposed to be from February. It is now mid-April and I am still waiting . . .

I'm still waiting for the ER copy, but found it at the library. So I decided not to wait. I'm glad I didn't...

#288: Well, I guess it is good to know that I am not the only one still waiting, Jim. Unfortunately, my local library does not have it so I am stuck in a holding pattern at the moment :(

It does sound good.. I see that I am going to have to pay a lot more attention to your reads DrN!

Bleeding Heart Square sounds good.

Have you read anything else by Taylor? Seems he has a couple of series of books.

I haven't, but I'm going to check into his other ones. He's definitely one to watch.

35. Jailbait Zombie by Mario Acevedo

The fourth in Mario Acevedo's series about Felix Gomez, vampire PI, Jailbait Zombie is easily his best so far, in my opinion. As with the previous books, Gomez is sent out on an assignment by the vampire powers-that-be, this time to track down the source of a zombie infestation in a small Colorado town. Of course, things are never simple and complications pile up fast.

Acevedo's Felix Gomez books are a tongue-in-cheek look at the current urban fantasy/romance trend, and usually have more than a bit of a nod to scifi and horror B-movies. Jailbait Zombie is no exception. There are really good hints of George Romero and Frankenstein and even Reanimator here - ok, more than just hints! All in all, it was just plain fun. If you haven't read the series, start with the first, The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, to get the full effect.

>293: I read and liked The Nymphos of Rocky Flats and X Rated Bloodsuckers but The Undead Kama Sutra didn't thrill me that much and I figured Acevedo had exhausted it. I don't know whether to try the fourth or not.

Did you ever try Gilden's books? The first was Tubular Android Superheroes. They somehow remind seem similar to me...Gilden's books poking fun at science fiction and noir.

The only way for my TBR list to stop growing is to stay away from these threads!

Tad - I haven't heard of Tubular Android Superheroes, I'll have to hunt it down!

Hi drneuton, adding The Nymphos of Rocky Flats to my TBR & glad to see you enjoyed Let the Right One In. I just ordered it after enjoying the film (can't wait to see how it compares).

Heh. My netflix copy of the movie just arrived today. Now I know what's on the tube tonight!

I'm at 300 messages and 36 books, so it's time for a continuation thread. It's here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/62831

See you there!