#51

Super Moderator
San Diego, Cal., USA
(10-05-2015, 03:04 AM)yohannrjm Wrote:
(10-04-2015, 03:31 PM)Freddy Wrote:
(10-04-2015, 02:39 PM)yohannrjm Wrote: I am now re-reading (for probably the fiftieth time) 'The Hobbit' by JRR Tolkein. It's one of my favourite books of all time, and I read it at least once a year (and sometimes more than that).

Every time I pick it up, it brings back memories of the first time I read it........many decades ago. Good times! Smile

Yohann, I  just cannot seem to get into Tolkein. I have tried to read The Hobbit three different times and never made it past page 10. I thought there was something wrong with me because it is so
universally loved. However, I have since met a few others who also just could not get into the work. I wonder why because I so enjoy getting lost in a good story.  Undecided
Freddy:

Not everyone is going to enjoy this book (or any book, for that matter).

I happened to read The Hobbit at the right time in my life, and it stuck with me. My wife and older daughter (who's a voracious reader) have never liked it.

It's sort of the same with me and 'The Catcher in the Rye' -- I know it's a classic, but I really didn't like it.

I read The Catcher in the Rye in the early 1960s and could not associate with the character.  It was not a particularly enjoyable read for me.
#52

Member
Austin, TX
(10-01-2015, 06:39 PM)Freddy Wrote: The Black House by Peter May is the first of the Lewis Trilogy and was so good that I plan on reading the other two books in the series.  It is a police procedural that takes place on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland.  I liked the way the central character is fleshed out in the story so one can appreciate how he thinks and why.

[Image: q8h5AId.jpg]

Freddy, you and I seem to share literary taste- I read the Lewis Trilogy some time ago and very much enjoyed them.

I am currently reading the last installment from Alex Dryden, The Blind Spy.
Kevin
#53

Super Moderator
San Diego, Cal., USA
kwsher, I was introduced to the Lewis Trilogy while visiting my friend in Scotland last month.  She raved about it and thought I might really enjoy it.  I found The Black House in a charity shop there and enjoyed the book so much that I immediately purchased the other two.  They are awaiting me after I finish my current read. Smile
#54

Posting Freak
(This post was last modified: 10-11-2015, 11:50 PM by Marko.)
(09-17-2015, 02:00 PM)Cincinnatus Wrote: I just finished:

Soldier of Rome: The Legionary (The Artorian Chronicles Book 1)

This is a book that follows the life of Artorian - a Roman citizen that joins the Legion to avenge his brother's death.  Fictional soldier but all of the battles, the leaders, and movements of the Legion are historical.

Reading:

Better Beekeeping: The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Stronger Colonies and Healthier, More Productive Bees
and
The Templars: The History and the Myth: From Solomon's Temple to the Freemasons

Those sound interesting. Have you read Eagle in the Snow by Wallace Breem? Excellent book on the declining side of the Roman Empire.

I'm currently reading:
  • Hsin Hsin Ming: The Zen Understanding of Mind and Consiousness by OSHO


    re-reading 8 Minute Meditation by Victor Davich


    Straight to Hell by John Lefevre


    Assholes  A Theory by Aaron James


    On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt.

    I recently finished
    Genghis Kahn and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford

    I'm recently retired (by circumstance rather than choice I worked in the oil and gas business) and I swore that I would clear the backlog of concurrent reads and focus on one book at a time.  I'm almost there as soon as I get through these ones.  

    There are some very interesting titles on this thread - I can see additional threads arising in order to discuss specific books / series or authors.
#55

Member
Southern Ohio
>>>>Those sound interesting.  Have you read Eagle in the Snow by Wallace Breem?  Excellent book on the declining side of the Roman Empire.



I have not read that book but sounds interesting.

I have about 20 books in my stack that I will get to at some point including:

Rome and the Sword - Book about Roman weapons
The Complete Roman Army
Naval Warfare Under Oars
A book on the history of the Templars
A book about Athenian naval history
The Command of the Ocean
Broadsides - The Age of Fighting Sail
Out of the Depths - A survivers story of the USS Indianapolis
Master & Commander

And the one non-history book in my stack is:

The Cold Dish - the first book in the Longmire mystery series.
#56

Posting Freak
(10-12-2015, 01:56 PM)Cincinnatus Wrote: >>>>Those sound interesting.  Have you read Eagle in the Snow by Wallace Breem?  Excellent book on the declining side of the Roman Empire.



I have not read that book but sounds interesting.

I have about 20 books in my stack that I will get to at some point including:

Rome and the Sword - Book about Roman weapons
The Complete Roman Army
Naval Warfare Under Oars
A book on the history of the Templars
A book about Athenian naval history
The Command of the Ocean
Broadsides - The Age of Fighting Sail
Out of the Depths - A survivers story of the USS Indianapolis
Master & Commander

And the one non-history book in my stack is:

The Cold Dish - the first book in the Longmire mystery series.

I like your titles.  I think you'd enjoy Eagle in the Snow, its one of the best books I've read on the Roman Empire.  If you like historical fiction Conn Iggulden has written some great ones - a series on Julius Caesar is excellent and his Conquerer series on Genghis Kahn is excellent as well.  He's also written The Dangerous Book for Boys which has all kinds of fun stuff for young boys that don't involve computers or smart phones.  Simon Scarrow has written an excellent series following the Roman Legions.

I'm about to undertake some works on the American Civil War, first out of the blocks will be Shelby Foote's 3 volume The Civil War.  It should be fun.
Mark
#57

Member
Southern Ohio
I have a pile of Civil War books, about half of them are in the Ironclads and the Civil War navy. When living on the east coast I was a Civil War re-enactor mostly with the 1st Georgia Volunteer Infantry but also with the 1st Minnesota and the 146th NY Zouaves so I spent a great deal of time reading books from a soldiers perspective rather then the grand scheme battle point of view. Interesting to read the view of the soldier and see how 150 years later they sound no different then the view of the modern soldier. Both complain about the food, being away, questioning leadership, and the living conditions.

I will need to look up the series you mentioned after I get through my stack.

Marko likes this post
#58

Member
VB VA
So I'm looking for suggestions. A while ago I read Ready Player One, which I thought was an awesome book so i thought I would read his second book the Armada but I was disappointed with it. I also like horror books, I enjoyed Joe Hill books quite a bit.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
#59
Bought this for a $1.00 at a yard sale. Journal of the Public Executioner of Nuremburg 1573-1617. Quite an insight into the lives, people, laws and punishments of the period.

[Image: Lc5fanO.jpg]
“If you think this Universe is bad, you should see some of the others.”  Phillip K. Dick

#60

Vintage Shaver
Seattle, WA
I'm reading Last Days of the Condor by James Grady, the sequel to Six Days of the Condor, upon which the Three Days... movie with Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway was based. Fair to middling.
John


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)