I am reading Both Barrels From Brazil by Alan Brazil. It is a book of personel views by the ex Scottish soccer international. Easy reading.

I am reading Mad, Bad and Sad: Women and the Mind Doctors by Lisa Appignanesi. I very much enjoyed Elaine Showalter's similar but older book The Female Malady: Women, Madness, and English culture 1830-1980, so I am hoping that I also enjoy this book & that it is not too derivative of Showalter's work.

Also dipping in and out of the following two books: A Traveller's History of Cyprus and A Jury of Her Peers: American Women Writers from Anne Bradstreet to Annie Proulx.

Currently working on The Sovereign State and its Competitors. Dense, but fascinating look at why sovereign states became the norm rather than independent communities, city states, etc. Spruyt argues that this was not inevitable, and its also not inevitable that it will always be the norm.

Working my way through Persian Fire by Tom Holland. I love it, but keep misplacing it! I also have long-standing, irregular bouts with The Classical World by Lane Fox (touchstone pointing to another title).

Still plugging away through The Medieval World, (it has become one of those books where I read only a few pages at a time) but I'm also reading and enjoying Defenders of the Faith by James Reston Jr. If his other books are as good, I'm really going to have to go hunting.

I'm also reading a fiction novel, Order In Chaos by Jack Whyte.

Still not gotten to a non-fiction book, but I hope to this month. I am now reading my RL book group read and hope to be free to read my own picks soon.

Started The Cloisters after going there. I need to know more about how this museum was assembled.

I am reading Lost Languages, The Enigma of the World's Undeciphered Scripts which I saw posted here. Kind of dense information in some places but a fun browse.

Persevering with The Naked Tourist by Lawrence Osborne despite the author's revelation that he is inclined to be an urban tourist, which I most assuredly am not.

I'm reading Serge Gainsbourg: A Fistful of Gitanes by Sylvie Simmons, a bio of the wonderful French singer/songwriter.

I'm reading The Children's Blizzard and am glad it's August and that I no longer live in Minnesota.

Tonight I'm going to start reading Austerity Britain, which is a bit door-stopper-ish so I'm probably going to be reading that all the rest of August.

12 - oh gosh but it's BRILLIANT though, so it will be a happy month!

I just finished (in August) Chris Wickham's Framing the Early Middle Ages, Neil Shubin's Your Inner Fish (ha, a typo made me type "Your Inner Dish", now that would be a book....) and now I am reading Genghis Khan by John Man.
This last one is.... Well, let's just say mr. Man is not a historian, and he makes some assumptions (about locality) that are very far fetched. I am a historian, and can read through it, it is just a worrying thought that others might take his word for fact (under the guise of "It's written, therefore true")

Started The Decipherment of Linear B last night. The story of decipherment of the Bronze Age Linear B script. Really like it so far.

I'm reading 13 Things That Don't Make Sense: The Most Baffling Scientific Mysteries of our Time by Michael Brooks

Finished Genghis Khan and have moved on to The Drunkard's Walk by Leonard Mlodinow. I am worse at math than I thought, so some of it is hard to follow, but other than that it is a good read.

>16

I thought 13 Things was really interesting. Lots of things I didn't know about and now want to know more.

I've just finished His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis and have started John Adams by David McCullough, both for the U.S Presidents Challenge.

Absorbed in Life List: A Woman's Quest For The World's Most Amazing Birds by Olivia Gentile. Despite having received a dire diagnosis of metastatic melanoma, American birder Phoebe Snetsinger went on to spend years traveling the world, setting the record for the number of birds seen, more than 8,000 species. Ironically, she was killed in a car accident in Madagascar, where she had gone to see the Helmet Vanga.

Message edited by its author, Aug 12, 2009, 1:14pm.

I'm currently enjoying A Little History Of The World . The language isn't "dumbed down" for kids , for which it is intended , so as an adult reading this I don't feel silly .

Finished Blink. 'Not the deepest book in the world, but hugely entertaining, as were Gladwell's others.

I'm astounded at how quickly some (most?) of you seem to be trawling through these titles. Where do you get the time?!

I'm lucky to catch a few minutes reading late at night these days, and instead of reading for hours (sometimes all the way through the night!), now that I'm older and have two young kids to run me ragged, I tend to fall asleep after only a few pages.

So, unfortunately, I'm still on Persian Fire, but hope to finish it soon and move onto either 1776 or The Boxer Rebellion.

I read for about 3/4 hours while commuting to and from work each day. Granted, I don't read all the way all the time, but that's when I can read. I don't read at home as much.

I read When the Rivers Run Dry, about the impending (fresh) water crisis. Fascinating, and not a little scary!

>22
Retirement helps.

> 25 auntmarge64

:-)

It's the one thing I look forward to with regards to later life. Time. I just want more time!

#22> So, unfortunately, I'm still on Persian Fire, but hope to finish it soon and move onto either 1776 or The Boxer Rebellion.

Well, if you have to be on fire, I guess you might as well be on Persian fire.

Sorry. At least I think I'm funny.

btw, I haven't read The Boxer Rebellion, but 1776 is terrific.

I've just started Marilyn and Me by Susan Strasberg.

I have been reading quite a bit of non-fiction this month. I finished Marriage: A History which I didn't think was quite what it could have been, but it was full of some interesting factoids. I was shocked to see that suicide rates of married women dropped by half when states switched to no-fault divorce. I didn't realize divorce was so literally a lifesaver. Interestingly, it didn't help me come to a conclusion about what marriage should be now, or if it is necessary at all at this point in our society.

I really enjoyed The Island of the Colorblind by Oliver Sacks. His genuine, guileless curiosity with so many aspects of the living world (neurology, botany, anthropology, etc) is so refreshing.

Most recently, I finished An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan. Some aspects of it were fascinating. The Taleban were relatively new on the scene when the book was written, and my knowledge of their future roles cast a real pall of foreshadowing on some parts of the book. I think the author did a fairly good job of balancing his interest in the area and the people with some speculation on his motivation and his foreignness.

#21, I enjoyed Blink. You may want to try the opposite point of view in Think: Why Crucial Decisions Can't be Made in the Blink of an Eye by Michael R. LeGault.

I recently read Capitol Men about reconstruction in the south by through the story of the black congressmen that served then. I found it very enlightening. I also read A Matter of Degrees which was an overview of a lot of science with temperature as the unifying thread. It did a good job of conveying the thrill of discovery.

I've just started Satchel: the Life and Times of an American Legend, the new biography of Satchel Paige written by Larry Tye. The first 50 pages are quite good, giving, in addition to a good, brief picture of Paige's childhood, also an overview of Jim Crow conditions in Mobile, Alabama, in the first decades of the 20th century and a quick history of the development of the Negro Leagues. Good stuff.

currently finishing the story of chicago may, starting history of the world in six glasses, slogging through good doctors, and will eventually get back to a long walk to freedom. have kept a few on the sidelines: unnatural history of the sea and john quincy adams: a public life, a private life.

recently finished a fish caught in time and narrative of the life of frederick douglas

Reading Summer For the Gods about the Scopes trial. Great so far !

I just started The Great Arab Conquests and it is really interesting so far. He started by describing the types of historical and archeological information he will draw on for his conclusions, and the caveats of that information, which is a great way to start a history book.

I've also been reading The Dumbest Generation because a friend of mine asked me to return it to the library for her but I haven't yet got around to going. I'm not impressed with his use of statistics or his conclusions so far, and his writing seems to have a fervid, ranting quality. But of course, it may just be that my analysis is impaired, as I am a member of that "dumbest generation".

Message edited by its author, Aug 18, 2009, 11:14am.

I read Hot and Bothered: Sex and Love in the Nineties (better late than never??) by Wendy Dennis and have now retreated to fiction.

Just started Captain Francis Crozier: Last Man Standing? by Michael Smith today. I'm only a couple chapters in, but it looks good!

#22

I have the same problem. If your children are too young for school, just wait. My son just started kindergarten and is wore out from it. We have to get him in bed around 8PM now so that he will be able to wake up on time in the morning. My 2 year old daughter goes to bed at the same time now as well. All of the sudden, I have at least an hour or two each night that I can read. Other than that, I don't have any time either. I spend my lunch hour reading things that are related to my IT job, and have months and months of material there to keep me busy.

I imagine when my children are grown and no longer live at home, I will be able to blow through a couple of books a week. Until then, I am stuck with about a 2 week per book timeline.

Currently, I am reading The Art of Intrusion.

Message edited by its author, Aug 19, 2009, 3:16pm.

Just finished The Lost City of Z, excellent. Currently reading Hide-and-Seek With Angels (about J.M. Barrie) and Weekends at Bellvue (my Early Reviewers book for August). The Barrie is interesting, but overwritten. I'm only a few pages into Bellvue, so too soon to tell.

Just finished Captain Francis Crozier: Last Man Standing? and will hopefully be starting 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann with the next few days.

Currently reading The 5000 Year Leap by W. Cleon Skousen.

I'm reading Charlatan: America's Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man who Pursued him, and the Age of Flimflam by Pope Brock

I'm currently reading Half Moon: Henry Hudson and the Voyage that Redrew the Map of the New World by Douglas Hunter and having a hard time staying interested. I'm also reading The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution by Kevin Gutzman not having a hard time staying interested.

I'm reading What on earth happened? at home (because of it's size).

Just finished A Perfect Storm. Good read, just I thought they might know more about the Andrea Gail after watching the movie years ago. I now know the move was complete fiction :)

Just started adrift last night. Almost half done already, I love stories like this!

Just finished Stiff last week. I would also recommend this one. Loved it! Not for the squeamish though LOL.

Working on the audio book of three cups of tea and like it also.

Andy

I started Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson. This is about deep wreck divers and salvaging a German U-boat off the New Jersey coast. Fascinating stuff!

Message edited by its author, Aug 25, 2009, 9:10pm.

For Early Reviewers, I am reading A Supremely Bad Idea by Luke Dempsey ... about birding and, well, life too. So far (I'm about half way), it's a sweet story about birding, how fragile habitats are and friendship too.

listening to 1968 the year that rocked the world. fascinating! kurlansky is great. i love his work.

I'm finishing The Magic Lantern: The Revolution of '89 witnessed in Warsaw, Budapest, Berlin and Prague by Timothy Garton Ash. It's really interesting and well written.

#48 bfertig, I haven't read that one yet but really enjoyed Kurlansky's Basque History of the World.

I finished Why New Orleans Matters yesterday. It was pretty good; although, I feel it was more aimed at those totally unfamiliar with the city. Next in non-fiction I think I will start Rising Tide which has been on my TBR for a long time and I just got it as a present.

I'm reading Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. So far it's very interesting.

I have Rising Tide too and have wanted to read it for awhile. Once I finish with 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America, I might just start on it.

Did Why New Orleans Matters speak more to the history of the city and how it came to be relatively unique when compared to all other US cities or was it more geared towards political commentary? I ask because I would love to read about the history of the city. I've been there quite a few times, so I am familiar with the current culture, but not so much from a historical standpoint.

Rising Tide is also on my TBR pile.

Last night I finished Satchel: the Life and Times of an American Legend by Larry Tye and I have to say that it is an outstanding book. A great biography of this fascinating baseball player and legendary figure, plus a terrific picture into the history of the Negro Leagues and the players who performed on those teams. If you are a baseball fan, or even if you're just interested in history and race relations in America, I highly recommend this work.

I have put Satchel: in my waiting-for-the-paperback list, but it has some stiff competition. Thanks for the review.

Robert

This month, I've read An Alchemy of Mind by Diane Ackerman, Dewey by Vicky Myron, The Devil's Teeth by Susan Casey, The Center Cannot Hold by Elyn R. Saks, Comfort Me with Apples by Ruth Reichl and A Brain Wider than the Sky by Andrew Levy. I'm currently reading The Years of Talking Dangerously by Geoff Nunberg and The Photographer by Emmanuel Guibert. Some really good ones, but my favorites were Comfort Me with apples and The Center Cannot Hold.

I'm reading my ER book, Che and Fidel. I'm about half way and very much enjoying it. My general sweep of knowledge about them and the revolution is getting filled in immensely. I'm also reading Only Yesterday which is an excellent picture of everyday life in 1920's US.

52 - It wasn't so much the history, more the culture - music and food mostly. I would recommend it as an introduction to the city.

I finished Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson.This is a true adventure story about a group of deep wreck divers, who discover a sunken German U-boat sixty miles off the New Jersey coast, back in 1991. Highly recommended!
Can anyone here recommend any other books like this? Any World War II submarine stories or Naval battles! Thanks!

I am currently reading John Adams by David McCullough. I love that McCullough is not shy to point out the defficiencies in Adams' character, while doing a great job of detailing the remarkable life and influence of the man.

#59 You can try Twenty Million Tons Under the Sea
by Daniel V. Gallery. It's the story of the capture of U-505 which is now on display in Chicago. I recently read Wahoo: The Patrols of America's Most Famous World War II Submarine by Richard O'Kane, the title pretty much subs it up.

Thanks sarge! I appreciate it!

msf59, I am reading Blind Man's Bluff think you would enjoy it. I am!

Andy

Thanks Andy- That sounds like another good one!

After liking (with reservations) John Man's Genghis Khan, I picked up his book about Attila The Hun. It has some of the same methodological fallacies that the other book had (just because people in the same region did something 500 years before or after the time period discussed, does not mean that you can say that they did the same!). But, all in all I guess it is an entertaining read, if you keep an open mind and just don't take Man on his word...

I'm reading The Discovery of France: A Historical Geography by Graham Robb.

I just started The Jesuit and the Skull .

> 67 The Jesuit and the Skull sounds really good.

I just finished There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America about a family living in a dangerous housing project in Chicago. It was a book I'll never forget.

#66 Lynn, that looks really interesting - there's a very bad review of it from a French Lt member, but otherwise good ones. Are you enjoying it?

I'm currently reading Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History by Margaret MacMillan. I'm enjoying it but it seems a little superficial. Which I guess should not be surprising considering it is less then 170 pages.

I decided to read My life in France by Julia Child after watching the movie a few weeks ago. I'm really enjoying it; I had no idea that Julia Child was so interesting as I was only vaguely familiar with a few old clips of her PBS cooking show. However, the voice in my head is now inevitably that of Meryl Streep (who played her in the Julie & Julia movie. Now I want to visit France and learn to cook properly!

I finished Fidel and Che, and ER book last evening. I found the book to be a fascinating look at two extraordinary people working on numerous levels. As a dual biography, it presented new intimate information and painted a full portrait of each of them and their friendship. As a history of the revolution and Cuba, it once again gave a full and detailed picture, particularly up until Che's death. No matter what one thinks of the Cuban revolution, Simon Reid-Henry presents an engaging and interesting story.