OT Good Books You’ve Read Lately

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

I couldn’t find any relevant zombie book threads so……I recently stumbled onto a book called, “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” by John “Chick” Donahue and enjoyed it so much I had to recommend it. What guy doesn’t have (or like) a good beer run story?

Anyway, it’s a true story about a marine veteran and merchant seaman from NYC. One night he’s in town (1967), hanging at his neighborhood watering hole with his childhood buddies. They get to talking about neighborhood friends and family serving in Vietnam, or had served in Vietnam, and as the war escalated so did the protests. The guy and his buddies are outraged that these poor draftees with no choice are being spit on and called baby killers. So they think, “Hey, wouldn’t be cool if we went over to Nam, took our boys some good local beers along with cards and letters from their families, gave em all a beer and a hug and told them how proud we were of them?” The drunker they get, the better the idea sounds. The author has his seaman’s papers so he can actually get into a war zone! So over the course of a short period of time, he gathers a good mix of local beers, messages from friends and families, finds a ship headed to Vietnam and off he goes……

When he gets to Nam, incredible initial luck makes him think “this is gonna be easy”…..then the adventure starts to go south (spoiler alert, he gets to Saigon just days before New Years 1968). Great true story about friendship, loyalty and karma. And that sometimes in life you just have to do what you gotta do because it’s the right thing to do. Great true story and highly recommended for anyone needing a good read. I’m usually reluctant to make book recommendations but this was a no brainer…..

 

[crandc]

I had thought we need a book thread.

 

[Stevenson]

Just read the prequel to Pilllars of the Earth, which is one of my favorite books ever.

I'm reading Seth Rogan's book right now, Year Book. Very fun and full of crazy Hollywood stories.

 

[riverman]

Hemingway's Chair ...Novella written by Michael Palin of Monty Python fame....story about a Hemingway fanatic postal worker in a village in southern England that doesn't like change who hooks up with a New York lady who hates Hemingway....brilliant quick read....just really loved it. His reaction to the Post Office upgrades reminds me of the school district I ended my teaching career with....somethings shouldn't change that much!

 

[riverman]

Someone recommended books by Gene Hackman since he quit acting and became a full time author....he's on my list to dig into. Gets great reviews. Anybody read him yet?

 

[SlyPokerCat]

 

[riverman]

I also read "The unlikely Pilgramage of Harold Frye" by Rachel Joyce which is an amazing look into elderly issues and has a shockingly brilliant ending....great read...another British book...story of an old man who walks out to check his mail and ends up just walking the length of England to console a dying ex coworker...

 

[crandc]

Haven't seen that one but have Good Mouse keeping and Catmopolitan.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

 

[SlyPokerCat]

Cat got your tongue? You're supposed to hate cats, not oogle at them dog. This is more your style.

 

[Stevenson]

Hemingway's Chair ...Novella written by Michael Palin of Monty Python fame....

I haven't read that, but I did read North Korea Journal, a book he wrote about his travels through the hermit kingdom. Fascinating. He's become quite the travelogue writer.

 

[Lanny]

I couldn’t find any relevant zombie book threads so……I recently stumbled onto a book called, “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” by John “Chick” Donahue and enjoyed it so much I had to recommend it. What guy doesn’t have (or like) a good beer run story?

Anyway, it’s a true story about a marine veteran and merchant seaman from NYC. One night he’s in town (1967), hanging at his neighborhood watering hole with his childhood buddies. They get to talking about neighborhood friends and family serving in Vietnam, or had served in Vietnam, and as the war escalated so did the protests. The guy and his buddies are outraged that these poor draftees with no choice are being spit on and called baby killers. So they think, “Hey, wouldn’t be cool if we went over to Nam, took our boys some good local beers along with cards and letters from their families, gave em all a beer and a hug and told them how proud we were of them?” The drunker they get, the better the idea sounds. The author has his seaman’s papers so he can actually get into a war zone! So over the course of a short period of time, he gathers a good mix of local beers, messages from friends and families, finds a ship headed to Vietnam and off he goes……

When he gets to Nam, incredible initial luck makes him think “this is gonna be easy”…..then the adventure starts to go south (spoiler alert, he gets to Saigon just days before New Years 1968). Great true story about friendship, loyalty and karma. And that sometimes in life you just have to do what you gotta do because it’s the right thing to do. Great true story and highly recommended for anyone needing a good read. I’m usually reluctant to make book recommendations but this was a no brainer…..

I was in Saigon in 1968. I was too young to drink alcohol and they even had signs over the entrance that said you must be 21 to enter. We would all get serious as we entered and very soon we laughed our assess off at the stupid sign. Nobody ever asked us to show our ID, not once, not ever. If we were old enough to be targets for someone trying to kill us then we were God Damned old enough to drink.

 

[Lanny]

All I've read for the last 50 years regarding books has been technical books for college or my job. Before that I was a prolific reader even winning a contest in Oswego as a young child for reading the most books. It was so cool they would have small construction paper space ships with our names on it and they would have all these planets. sun and moons that you progressed as you read enough books to advance from one body to the next. I got so excited watching my space ship in first place as we advanced around the room just below the ceiling.

 

[Stevenson]

Read the Kingsbridge Series several years ago. Both novels aren't for over the weekend reading, but excellent and highly recommended for those that enjoy historical fiction.

Knew I liked you!

The newest one, the Pillars prequel, is excellent (and bonus: you get to learn why it's all called "Kingsbridge.") I tried to read the Pillars sequel but it seemed too much like the original.

For those who like historical fiction, Shogun and Tai-Pan by James Clavell are excellent.

 

[Lanny]

Knew I liked you!

The newest one, the Pillars prequel, is excellent (and bonus: you get to learn why it's all called "Kingsbridge.") I tried to read the Pillars sequel but it seemed too much like the original.

For those who like historical fiction, Shogun and Tai-Pan by James Clavell are excellent.

I read Shogun decades ago. Yes, it was addicting. The only part that seemed out of place was the one where he threatened suicide which was actually the crux of the story. I had to just accept that part as not real and then continue on with the story.

 

[crandc]

Some of my recent

Bread Wine Chocolate not a cookbook but about how foods spread throughout the world and how loss of biodiversity and environmental degradation affect them

Color of Law how the law segregated the US and resulted in systemic discrimination. Subject now banned in 20 states

Dona Barbara accidentally bought in original Spanish. My Spanish not up to it so gave that away and got English translation

The Vagina Bible buy one for every woman and teen girl in your life. Seriously.

Never Home Alone fascinating if somewhat creepy book about everything that lives in and on the human body

Celestial Bodies for people who really love ballet

Plant Based another America's Test Kitchen cookbook, vegetarian recipes

Still working my way through all of Shakespeare's plays. Next up Hamlet, which I have read but not for a long time

 

[andalusian]

Big fan of Christopher Moore, just about any book of his delightful. Just finished Shakespeare for squirrels - which is a raunchy fantastical retelling of a midnight summer dream.

Kind of fits the good mouse keeping by @crandc as his first book was called practical demonkeeping...

 

[Hoopguru]

Reading “when the Irish invaded canada”.
After civil war both blues and grey Irish fought side by side, thinking by invading Canada they could leverage Irelands independence from England. Finneans

 

[Chris Craig]

I've been reading

The Stand

Live From New York: The Complete Uncensored History of SNL

Is This Anything?

And Michael Crichton's Travels


All good reads

 

[ABM]

I've been reading thru the Bible in a year. I like the devotional I just purchased: A little bit of Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs every day. Great way to start the day for me!

 

[Stevenson]

I've been reading

The Stand

Live From New York: The Complete Uncensored History of SNL

Is This Anything?

And Michael Crichton's Travels


All good reads

I like books about comedy a lot too.Tthe SNL book was good. How is the Seinfeld book?

My favorite of that genre is Born Standing Up by Steve Martin. Excellent. Also, Im Dying Up Here by Jay Mohr is good.

 

[crandc]

I've been reading thru the Bible in a year. I like the devotional I just purchased: A little bit of Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs every day. Great way to start the day for me!

Have you noticed no mention of abortion?

 

[Stevenson]

Those Old Testament stories are often horrific. God wanting to see if you will kill your child to prove your devotion? Not my idea of God.

 

[Chris Craig]

I like books about comedy a lot too.Tthe SNL book was good. How is the Seinfeld book?

My favorite of that genre is Born Standing Up by Steve Martin. Excellent. Also, Im Dying Up Here by Jay Mohr is good.

Yeah, the SNL book is a fun read. I like seeing behind the scenes.

Seinfeld's book is something. I mean it's not nothing. It's also not everything. But, is it anything...sure.

It's basically a read through of all his jokes in chronological order with some exposition in between.

Haven't read the Steve Martin or Jay Mor books. Will have to do that.

 

[crandc]

Those Old Testament stories are often horrific. God wanting to see if you will kill your child to prove your devotion? Not my idea of God.

Have you seen Dawkins' famous description of the god of the bible?

 

[Stevenson]

Have you seen Dawkins' famous description of the god of the bible?

No. Video? article?

 

[crandc]

Book. I will look up quote. Give me a bit of time.

 

[ABM]

Have you noticed no mention of abortion?

God knew me before I was born - in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5). I had a name; I was an entity; I was God's creation. So glad I wasn't aborted. I'm pretty sure everyone in here feels that same way about themselves.

You seem to enjoy relating your opinion on the matter, and that's perfectly fine. You'll never change my opinion/view, though, and I think you already know that.

 

[crandc]

I found the quote for @Stevenson

The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal sadomasichistic, capriciously malevolent bully.

Richard Dawkins The God Delusion

 

[Lanny]

The Ascent of Man, by Jacob Bronowski, may be one of the greatest books you've ever read.