What Books Are You Reading Right Now?

Thomas De Quincy, "On Murder, Considered as One of the Fine Arts."

Before I begin, let me say a word or two to certain prigs, who affect to speak of our society as if it were in some degree immoral in its tendency. Immoral! God bless my soul, gentlemen, what is it that people mean? I am for morality, and always shall be, and for virtue and all that; and I do affirm, and always shall, (let what will come of it,) that murder is an improper line of conduct, highly improper; and I do not stick to assert, that any man who deals in murder, must have very incorrect ways of thinking, and truly inaccurate principles; and so far from aiding and abetting him by pointing out his victim's hiding-place, as a great moralist [Immanuel Kant] of Germany declared it to be every good man's duty to do, I would subscribe one shilling and sixpence to have him apprehended, which is more by eighteen-pence than the most eminent moralists have subscribed for that purpose. But what then? Everything in this world has two handles. Murder, for instance, may be laid hold of by its moral handle, (as it generally is in the pulpit, and at the Old Bailey) and that, I confess, is its weak side; or it may also be treated æsthetically, as the Germans call it, that is, in relation to good taste.
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TraditionalMedicinal said:
I don't think there's a book thread going, if I may be so bold as to start one..

Trying to get back into reading more books lately, just picked this up the other day and so far it's good.

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This is a good one, as is his other one up on wall street . I recommend " the only investment guide you'll ever need" by Andrew Tobias.
 
gazz98 said:
R. Austin Freeman, The Famous Cases of Dr. Thorndyke. If you like Sherlock Holmes, you will like Dr. Thorndyke.

I've been on a mystery kick lately. Agatha Christies Hercule Poirot compilation book is on deck.
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After seeing this I was able to get the R. Austin Freeman "Mega Pak" from my library. The Thorndyke and others were interesting, I'm still working through it.

Currently finishing up "Blood and Treasure - Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier" by Tom Clavin and Bob Drury. This is very good, I've read others by the authors and they know how to tell a story.
 
Knives&Lint said:
Re-reading this after two decades, and highlighting some of it before giving to my son to read

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Also, just starting this

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When I worked for the U.S. Post Office (not the USPS), all the letter carriers and clerks had read Charles Bukowski's Post Office. There was a dog eared copy that passed from hand to hand. People started reading that and then bought their own copy. In those days, carriers started at $2.95/hour and my colleagues didn't have a lot of free cash for books. The stuff about the author's love life is funny (to me) and most likely fantasy (my guess based on photographs). The stuff about his alcoholism is semi-realistic, and that is pretty good for an alcoholic who is drinking. The stuff about working in the Post Office is very funny and very realistic. Even the Dickensian names (Stone the Supervisor) are realistic. A classic labor book. It is hard to find books like this, and even harder to find books like this which are funny.
 
Piso Mojado said:
When I worked for the U.S. Post Office (not the USPS), all the letter carriers and clerks had read Charles Bukowski's Post Office. There was a dog eared copy that passed from hand to hand. People started reading that and then bought their own copy. In those days, carriers started at $2.95/hour and my colleagues didn't have a lot of free cash for books. The stuff about the author's love life is funny (to me) and most likely fantasy (my guess based on photographs). The stuff about his alcoholism is semi-realistic, and that is pretty good for an alcoholic who is drinking. The stuff about working in the Post Office is very funny and very realistic. Even the Dickensian names (Stone the Supervisor) are realistic. A classic labor book. It is hard to find books like this, and even harder to find books like this which are funny.
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Wow, very cool insight. Many thanks! For whatever reason, I was late to discovering Bukowski, but I've enjoyed his poetry so I figured I'd give his novels a shot. I can already tell I'm going to dig it.
 
Currently re-reading the works of Rafael Sabatini. He was most active about a hundred years ago but his books are incredibly easy to read, with great dialogue and many savory “aha!” moments. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Sabatini


I can’t remember if I first read Captain Blood or watched the 1935 film adaptation, but they’re both excellent. Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone, and Olivia DeHaviland Star. I used to have a first edition, but I think I gifted it to someone a few years ago. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Blood_(1935_film)


Currently working my way through Scaramouche, written in 1921. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1947/1947-h/1947-h.htm


The 1952 film adaptation of Scaramouche starring Stewart Granger, Mel Ferrer, and Janet Leigh is fantastic as well. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaramouche_(1952_film)
 
Saw a segment on "Sunday Morning" regarding Mitch Albom who wrote "Tuesdays with Morrie." Morrie was Albom's sociology professor in college who he later learned was dying of ALS and with whom he spent Tuesdays getting tutored by Morrie about the "meaning" of both life and death until Morrie died.

I also watched an old episode of "Nightline" devoted exclusively to Morrie, watched a made-for-TV movie based on the book which starred Jack Lemmon and ordered the cheapest copy of the book that I could find on Amazon -- just $7 -- that I just received to read the book for myself.

Just read the intro to the book which I expect to be filled with trite but true aphorisms that normally would not interest me but with my 72nd b-day coming near, I'm currently in the mood to read/listen to such things.

A book review to follow.
 
Just finished Red Storm Rising. A good romp of a story about a conventional war between the US and the USSR.

Clancy’s best in my opinion. Very interesting given current world events.
 
Books I read this summer. The last traverse was really good. Not too far from home and I hike there with my sons. Sometimes I read these books just to learn about possible mistakes I might make.

Bought extreme ownership for my son years ago. He moved out recently so I've been going through thr books he left. If you're in sales or management, it is a good read, but my son said, "it was just a bunch of stuff you told me a million times."

Dick Marcinko passed away last Christmas. The man was a true hero and I loved reading his books as a kid. Picked up this first edition HC and re read it for the first time in a long while... his autobiography, a great story.

Reflections of a warrior by franklin miller was a great read. Spent 6 years in studies and observation group. Highly decorated including the MOH. The book reads like he's just telling you one crazy adventure after the next. He killed a lot of people. I ended up getting this bootleg copy online after months of trying to get my hands on any addition... it goes for around 200 bucks. I ordered it twice only to have it never show up... finally got this copy for 70 bucks... really good job on the binding, but you can tell it's not a true published copy... weird

Currently I'm 400 pages into the Douay version of the Old Testament... I've never read a the Bible cover to cover before. Only abbreviated additions. Spent many Sundays in church though, so it's kind of like hearing a song you used to know a long time ago. I have 1086 pages in this OT, which ends with machabees, and then 297 pages to the Apocalypse. Probably going to have to read another book or 2 before I finish.
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Just finished "Black Gun, Silver Star - The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves". An interesting biography of a former slave that becomes one of the toughest Dep US Marshals. The book is kind of boring at times, documenting many of his 3000 arrests but in the end it was good. There apparently is not much history about him, mainly because he was black. Now there is a movie, "Corsicana", based on him, I haven't watched it, yet.
 
^^love the wheel of Time series, I was in middle school when it first came out I believe.

I read a lot if e-books, currently reading "Child of Light" by Terry Brooks.

I got in the mail today Voltaire's "Candide" from some rando. Possibly Rando Calrissian. I didn't order it, just showed up. I read it in high school and college. Guy must know me somehow, had my nickname on it. Online ordering I always use my full name.
 
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