Read any good books lately?

[garryrenfro]

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, The Fabric of The Cosmos by Brian Greene and Young Men and Fire by Norman MaClean are a few of the more serious things I have enjoyed over the last couple of years. When I want a good, light, fun read, I go for Robert B. Parker, who passed away last year. His cheeky wit is like perfume and cocaine to me, way addictive. Clive Cussler has been a thirty year favorite, but I like his earlier novels much better than those of the past decade.

[Bartster]

I guess Hawkings' "A brief history of time" is pushing it. I do love Junie B. Jones books with the kids !

[Greg Myers]

I too, have many going at once. Right now it's : Pearl Harbor by Newt Gingrich, Barnes Wallis' Bombs; Stephen Flower, and one about "The Ramchargers".

Just finished Go Like Hell by A.J.Baime: "TV" Tommy Ivo by Tom Cotter and The Avro Arrow Story by Bill Zuk.

Here's my Cobra list from Amazon : http://www.amazon.com/TOP-ELEVEN-COBRA-BOOKS/lm/R3HOPU136F8IRG/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt_2

Edited April 2, 2012 by Greg Myers

[heatride]

Well this might ruin my reputation but I love to read . I am currently

reading UNBROKEN its a World War 2 True Story of survival . Laura Hillenbrand

author of SEABISCUIT . Most of what I read will be non fiction ....

I really want to find a good book to read about Nikola Tesla if anybody

has a suggestion.

Edited to add the Tesla thang ........ Yes its thang !

Edited April 2, 2012 by heatride

[Shardik]

This is a great topic. It doesn't surprise me that so many of us read extensively; left and right brain working in concert, and all that.

Here's my contribution to the discusion:

Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology - Ayn Rand

Consider it a users manual for the human brain. One of her last published works, it was intended as an introduction for a more extensive treatment of Objectivist philosophy. This work does, however, stand on it's own. This is the most satisfying answer I've ever gotten to the question "What do we know, and how do we know it?". Rand understood that philosophy is needed by everyone, not just the intelectual elitists, and so has presented her philosophy in a manner accesible to anyone with a functioning brain and the willingness to use it.

Bloody April - Peter Hart

A fascinating look at military aviation in its infancy. This work focuses on the air war over Arras, France in April 1917; refered to as Bloody April because of the devastating and one-sided losses suffered by the RFC. Over half the book is comprised of after action reports and other correspondence from pilots and other personel directly involved with the conflict.

Edited April 2, 2012 by Shardik

[Junkman]

Just reading 'Don't Start The Revolution Without Me' by Jesse Ventura.

Just finished 'The New Thought Police' by Tammy Bruce and Gerhard Wisnewski's investigation of the Jörg Haider assassination.

As far as automotive literature goes, my most read book lately is the Rover 3500 workshop manual, and I'm three issues in arrears with Collectible Automobile Magazine.

[Austin T]

There is a book about barn finds that looks pretty cool.Can't remember the name right off my head.

[DavidChampagne]

If you like the "LORD OF THE RINGS" movies, you may enjoy the "Forgotten Realms" series by R.A.Salvatore about the Dark Elve "DRIZZT". I am reading the entire series again as I wait for the next book to come out.

If you enjoyed "TOP GUN" and other jet movies, you would most likely enjoy any of the DALE BROWN books. He is retired air force and his books are exciting. Not to be confused with DAN BROWN that did the DeVinci Code books. Different author.

If you are a longtime "TARSAN" fan, the first 6 orignal books are great.

Also, I have read the books on: TV Tommy Ivo, Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott, Don Garlets, Dale Sr., DW. All very interesting, especially the ways the NASCAR boys found to get around the rules. Best of all, Bill Elliotts fabulous Thunderbird that he made up 2 laps under racing at Daytona was actually 2 inches more narrow than other cars.

Lots of good stuff out there.

[charlie8575]

Johann, Bloody April sounds especially interesting. I think it's something my father, who is very big into WW I aviation, would enjoy. I'll be sure to get a copy of it.

Some very interesting books coming in, folks. I'm really happy to see this.

Charlie Larkin

[moparmagiclives]

"Killing Lincoln" by Bill O'Reilly.

If you think you know the whole story regarding Abraham Lincoln's assassination... you don't.

Wait a minute, I read the book about him killing vampires.... I don't remember any assassination.. but really, "Abraham Lincoln the vampire hunter" is good. It's pretty cleaver how his life was mixed into the fantasy life... Came across almost too... Real to not be..(insert scare music)

I would recommend the "hunger games" as well. I'm not very political, or military but it's also well done... For fiction anyway.

[Olskoolrodder]

Hmm...lately?

I leap frog books (meanng as I finish one genre,leap back to the other,and vice versa) between inspirational books (like Joel Osteen's "Everyday A Friday" or Joyce Meyer's "Battlefield of the Mind" so far this year) with bicycle themed books (generally someone's story,like "Take a Seat",one's story of north to south the entire continent on a tandem bike,and "Eat,Sleep,Ride",one's experience racing the Great Continetal Divide race...can't recall the authors and they're in the bedroom where the wife's currently asleep) a few chapters each night,as well as EVERYday devotional Bible reading (this year,for eg,I'm doing yet another in depth study,book by book,of the New Testimate,and will be readng through the New Testimate at least four times in the process from Jan 1 until Dec 31).

You'll cach things such as the Halo and Gears of War novels in my hand (think XBox games ),to the Twilight series,to graphic novels,to...well,whatever peaks interest

These in addition to buttloads of magazines (MCM being one of em),between 1:1 car/truck related,to several bicycle mags (my son and I will be featured riding around our city in Urban Velo,for eg,most likely in the May 1 issue,BTW,if you'll pardon the obvious plug* ),to whatever catches my fancy. I likes to read. Good thread here!

* http://urbanvelo.org/

Edited April 3, 2012 by Olskoolrodder

[Dave]

Pretty good thread, nice to know we read more than kit instructions, well some guys read them anyway.... I read anything by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, love their "Pendergast" novels. Read most of Tolkein works, I keep trying to read James Fenimore Cooper, but he's a tough read, As several have mentioned I have also read a couple Clive Cussler books and I really like Alton Brown's cook books, more about more about "How to" than recipes, his suggestions always work for me.

[sports850]

Another book I keep going back to is "don't stand close to a naked man"by Tim Allen . It explains a lot about his humour and how he got to where he is (or was when he wrote it at the peak of home improvement when he wrote it) . His follow up book "I'm not really here" (i think) wasn't that great however ...

[Wheels]

I absolutely enjoy reading the best selling book of all time the Bible! It's my favorite book!!

It reveals something new to me everytime I read it!

My other interests are books on the history of the automotive industry, fire fighting, construction equipment and american history.

Some other favorite books are The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings.

My wife read 1776 and said it was a really good book. I hope to read it in the near future.

"Killing Lincoln" by Bill O'Reilly sounds interesting.

Edited April 3, 2012 by Wheels

[jas1957]

Unbroken- Larura Hillenbrand, an amazing story

Destiny of the Rebuplic- Candice Millard, about the death of James Garfield

Evil The High Flying Life of Evil Knievel- Leigh Montville, an interesting story about possibly the worlds biggest jerk

Edited April 3, 2012 by jas1957

[Junkman]

...nice to know we read more than kit instructions...

Errrr... what's that?

[rmvw guy]

The last two books I have read, DW "A Lifetime Going Around in Circles" and AJ "The LIFE of America's Greatest Race Car Driver". I lean towards these type of books although my wife got me reading the whole John Grissom series. She reads while I work on my models.

[moparmagiclives]

Car related, "On a clear day you can see General Motors" Is pretty interesting. I never knew much about John Delorian untill I read that book. Its also interesting because it was written before he was "famous" for his own doings.

[Patrick2005]

I'm in the process of reading "Cannonball" by Brock Yates and "American Muscle Supercars". It's all about the cars made by Yenko, Motion Performance, Mr. Norm and others.

[OneTrickPony]

Like some others have mentioned the bible is always on top of my reading list.

Joel Rosenberg is one of my favorite current authors. He is a former CIA analyst who specialized in the middle east. His novels are based on bible prophesy and his knowledge of that area. Several things he has written about in his novels have come to pass though he does not pretend to be a prophet. Start with "The Last Jihad" if you are interested. Very fast paced.

"Lights Out" by David Crawford is an urban survival tale. A very good read.

"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" and "Starship Troopers" by Robert Heinlein are two of my favorite all time scifi books.

I plan to read "Killing Lincoln" soon. An older book on the assasination was "The Lincoln Conspiracy." It's amazing what they don't teach you in school about this sad part of our history.

[Tucohoward]

Another recommendation for Clive Cussler. I've read all of his fiction, most of them more than once. The Mad Scientists Club is another book I read at least every couple years and have since I first read it in 4th grade and I am 53 now. If you ever need to feel better, read The Jungle, and you will realize things could be a lot worse. The best nonfiction book I have read in a long time is The Creature From Jekyll Island which is the history of the Fedreral Reserve. Way more interesting than it sounds.

[Shardik]

This thread keeps getting better, and my reading list keeps getting bigger!

@ Jay; The Creature from Jekyll Island is next on my reading list. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. You might also consider The Road to Serfdom by Austrian economist F.A. Hayek (sp?).

@ Dave; Heinlein Rocks! My favorites are The Door into Summer and Friday. These deal more with sociology than science, but still have plenty of action.

Reaching back through the years, in my youth I wore out two copies of My Side of The Mountain. Oh, and of course: Shardik! If you can find it, you'll know the secret of my screen name. (Hint: my friends call me Bear)

[heatride]

The Road to Serfdom by Austrian economist F.A. Hayek (sp?).

Johann have you read Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? by Richard J. Maybury its a quick read but

good .

[heatride]

Just finished 'The New Thought Police' by Tammy Bruce and Gerhard Wisnewski's investigation of the Jörg Haider assassination.

That is on my list to read Christian , I knew you had one of those complex analytical minds , I see

the model kits you collect ! ...............

[Nick Notarangelo]

Histroy of the Knights Templar by Sharan Newman

I'm a rather big histroy buff when it comes to the Templars.