What are you reading?

[druid2112]

The Wealth and Poverty of Nations.

Turns out that history professors know a lot more than me.

[greenonion]

Just finished "A Gentleman in Moscow." Very good and very well written.

[Bale]

Didn’t read the whole thread. Anything by Abbey or Krakauer. I haven’t read “Missoula”, college rape is not my “cup o’ tea”, (see what I did there), somebody convince me.
I will add another recommendation for “The Emerald Mile” by Fedarko. I have a question for you Grand Canyon aficionados; “The Man Who Walked Through Time” by Colin Fletcher vs the Harvey Butchart bio, “Grand Obsession”. Are either of these with reading?

[JChitwood]

Didn’t read the whole thread. Anything by Abbey or Krakauer. I haven’t read “Missoula”, college rape is not my “cup o’ tea”, (see what I did there), somebody convince me.
I will add another recommendation for “The Emerald Mile” by Fedarko. I have a question for you Grand Canyon aficionados; “The Man Who Walked Through Time” by Colin Fletcher vs the Harvey Butchart bio, “Grand Obsession”. Are either of these with reading?

Just started “The Fool’s Progress” by Ed Abbey. Only about 30 pages in very enjoyable so far. I’ve had “Grand Obsession” sitting on a shelf for years but have never started it. Maybe next read.

Can’t recommend “The Emerald Mile” enough. Perhaps the only book I’ve ever read that upon finishing the last page I turned back to page 1 and read the entire thing again. About a year later I read it a third time. Fantastic.

[druid2112]

Just finished "A Gentleman in Moscow." Very good and very well written.

One of my favorite books of recent years. As a Russophile, I loved how it was really packed with fun Russo/Soviet history interwoven into the plot (in a very painless manner for those loathe to study history), plus a great ending.

Oh, and ++ on anything Abbey. The Fool's Progress is one of my all time favs.

[sseliz1580]

The Fool's Progress is one of my favorite books of all time. I choke up almost every time I read it.

Currently reading The Stand, it seemed a propos for our current time.....or at least it makes our time *slightly easier to swallow.

[bookhouse_boy]

The Solace of Open Spaces by Greta Ehrlich. She's phenomenal.

[Brian Thomas]

Twofer Tuesday finished reading J.G. Ballard's High Rise (1975) and Kingdom Come (2006) in the last week. What better distraction from the sh*tshow of 2020 in America than reading some dystopian British novels, right? These are the first books of his I have finished reading, started reading Crash (1973) some years ago and saw the movie adaptation of autobiographical Empire Of The Sun (1984).

The Denver Public Library has contact-free pickup at most of its locations now, you show up, slip them your library card through the window, and they bring you a bag full of books.

[susanjoypaul]

I read a lot of nonfiction for work and for pleasure. Two standouts this year were The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard and Alone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration by David Roberts. Highly recommend both, enjoyed with a hot cup of cocoa because the setting - Antarctica - and the thrills will chill you to the bone. if you liked Alfred Lansing's Endurance, you'll love these books.

On the fiction side, also binged Daphne du Maurier this year. Don't let the book covers fool you: these aren't romance novels. Well, except maybe a couple...Rebecca and Frenchman's Creek come to mind. An amazing novelist clearly ahead of her time. She wrote The Birds and a lot of other great stuff: The House on the Strand, The Scapegoat, The King's General, Jamaica Inn, and a bunch more.

If you're into sci-fi (yep, old Trekkie and Asimov/Bradbury/Herbert fan here) I also recommend the Bobiverse series by Dennis E. Taylor, starting with We Are Legion (We Are Bob). I just finished the fourth book, well, I audibled it because it isn't in print yet, and the whole series is fantastic.

None of these books is going to blow you away in say, a Kurt Vonnegut or Leo Tolstoy kind of way, but they're great stories, well told, that suck you in and give you a reprieve from the trials and tribulations of 2020.

[Alpineair]

Mr. Putin by Fiona Hill and Clifford G. Gaddy. If you want a feel for where we may be headed this may be a clue.
I also enjoyed The Price of Inequality by Joseph E. Stiglitz. Hard to get started with this one, but a third of the way in it became easier.

[MtnHub]

Thanks for the suggestions, SJP! And good to hear from you!!

I was just looking for some new fiction to start. Those are all new to me, so I'll check them out.

When you mentioned, Endurance, I had just recently finished the book by the same title, but by astronaut Scott Kelly about his year in space. That is an excellent book too!

[susanjoypaul]

When you mentioned, Endurance, I had just recently finished the book by the same title, but by astronaut Scott Kelly about his year in space. That is an excellent book too!

Ah, thanks for the recommendation. I love reading about space exploration and am a big fan of Scott and his brother, Mark, too. Will have to download a copy tonight. It's funny, I tend to audible books these days or read the digital versions on my tablet, but right after I finish them I turn around and buy paperback copies of the really good ones anyway. Reading a "real book" is just a different experience. Plus I think I just like seeing them on the bookshelf.