What are you currently reading?

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Hear ye! Hear ye! Step right up! Its the Hawaiian Threads Book Club Thread.


What are you reading at the moment? Next to my bed:

• Head Cheese Category:
- Devil's Banker by Chris Reich (paperback swap)
- Queens Fool by Philippa Gregory (#2 in a series depicting Elizabeth I as a strumpet)

• Neural Lube Category:
- Economics for Dummies
- Millionaire Women Next Door

[Menehune Man]

I'm most into (Page 180 out of 214) "How in this world can I be Holy?" by Erwin W. Lutzer. During breaks from that one I started reading "The sayings of the desert fathers" Translated from Egyptian by Benedicta Ward. And for fun I'm reading "The fellowship of the ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien again. First thing in the morning... a few verses from the bible daily. Only the past few years did I get back into reading and am enjoying it very much.

[kimo55]

"What are you currently reading?"

hmmmm. this post.

[Glen Miyashiro]

I just finished Kim Stanley Robinson's Forty Signs of Rain. I tried to read Salman Rushdie's Shalimar the Clown last month but couldn't get into it.

[NoCal Boy]

"Operating Instructions, A Journal of My Son's First Year", by Anne Lamott. Great read for a (very) new parent like myself. She discusses topics and thoughts that will be familiar to anyone who has a baby in the house with great humor.

[sinjin]

"The Kindness of Strangers" by Don George

It's a collection of travel stories by various writers.

[GypsyLika]

CRUEL & UNUSAL by Patricia Cornwell. I just wen pau TRACE by the same author. I going reading all her books.

I pau read all of Laura Joh Rowland's & David Baldecci's. I'm a geek like that. :)


~Lika ;)

[alohabear]

Heads By Harry by Lois Yamanaka
Being a Hilo native( :eek: oh yes... I used the"N" Word!) it really brings back memories of growing up on the Big Island.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

I'm most into (Page 180 out of 214) "How in this world can I be Holy?" by Erwin W. Lutzer. During breaks from that one I started reading "The sayings of the desert fathers" Translated from Egyptian by Benedicta Ward. And for fun I'm reading "The fellowship of the ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien again. First thing in the morning... a few verses from the bible daily. Only the past few years did I get back into reading and am enjoying it very much.

I love bibles and I own many. On that subject, you can get reference bibles for just about every topic. Which one appeals to you?

[TurquoiseDuck]

I buy used paper back books at thrift stores. That way I can get a bag full instead of just one new one. Cause I cheap.

I am reading "Out of Africa right" now.

[Jonah K]

I'm currently reading "Umi E" by Nagi Keishi. I just finished reading Kanehara Hitomi's "Hebi ni Piasu." Unfortunately, none of Nagi's or Kanehara's works have been translated into English, although both of them have won the Akutagawa Prize. :cool:

[Menehune Man]

I love bibles and I own many. On that subject, you can get reference bibles for just about every topic. Which one appeals to you?
My main Bible is a New King James version and I have a pocket sized Gideon Bible that has a section in the front with topics and scriptural references. My next book to start is... The Christian Husband by Bob Lepine. The front cover says "God's vision for loving and caring for your wife". Sulu says I'm a great husband but I know I can get better at it so I keep on reading and learning.
This is post #100 as Menehune Man. Woo Hoo!

[kimo55]

bible thread:

http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=1342

[Pedro]

I am currently reading a sci fi book called "A Fire Upon The Deep." by Vernor Vinge. It's about 613pages. In the story humans create this archivist world known as Straumli Realm and they go to live on it, and somehow they awaken an EVIL entity or some kind of perversion in the main system. The people know about it and plan a full evacuation and they bring with them a virus that can kill the pervision the only problem is the main system knows about it. During their escape two ships leave the Straumli Realm one being a ship of all the adults and another ship carrying boxes of children who are in cryogenic slumber. The ship with all the adults gets destroyed while the ship with the kids survive and crash lands on a world of Dogs who live in packs, in a midevil era with no technology. A brother and a sister who weren't in the cryo boxes are whisked away to seperate parts of the doggie world on opposing sides. Meanwhile the Archivist World is creating havoc on other systems and destroying worlds randomly. It searches for the other ship desperately to destroy the virus that could kill it. A ship in the heart of space carying two humans and two aliens, race against time to save the kids and to get the virus to destroy the Straumli Realm.

[MadAzza]

Carl Hiassen, "Basket Case."

And, of course, the usual stack of porn.

[zztype]

Just finished "Vikings of the Pacific" by Sir Peter Buck (Te Hirangi Roa).

Continuing on with the seafaring theme, I'm now into "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway (again).

[Linkmeister]

I'm not reading, I'm cataloging! I found a nifty site called Library Thing (http://www.librarything.com/) which allows you to enter your books by author, title, or ISBN and it will automatically pull up the rest of the LC data and store it in a catalog online. You can find other folks with the same books, search other libraries, and basically spend a lot of time fiddling with books. What's cooler than that? :D

Check it out. Here's my profile (http://www.librarything.com/profile/Linkmeister).

[Glen Miyashiro]

I found a nifty site called Library Thing (http://www.librarything.com/) which allows you to enter your books by author, title, or ISBN and it will automatically pull up the rest of the LC data and store it in a catalog online.Ho, I would be scared to catalog all my books. I'd have to actually pull them all out and handle them, one by one. I have too many! They're in boxes, and stacks, and shelves, and piles all over the place. Not to mention, it would play havoc with my house because I swear, they've been there so long and are so big, some of those stacks of books have become structural supports. :rolleyes:

[Linkmeister]

I only have about 2,000-2,500, but they're mostly in shelves. They don't underpin the house yet. :D

[LikaNui]

Now: Bob Dylan's autobiography.
Next: Hoping to go to MadAzza's house to help her read.
:D

[tutusue]

Almost pau with 'The James Dean Story' by Ron Martinetti. It's much more interesting than I thought it would be. It's not normally something I'd read but, as a child, I knew one of the main players in Dean's career. What an eye opener!!!

[Pua'i Mana'o]

bible thread:

http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=1342

Mahalo for the link. But that's not a bible thread; its a Christian sect-based one. I appreciate bibles for their glimpse into the lives of the peoples of the middle east who spanned a good few thousand years. I find myself searching for appeals towards a better humanity, or the choices and results that different people and situations presented.

As for Jesus Christ, I enjoy his humanity. I am not so concerned with his diety, but I can surely become inspired at his fiery words towards shutting down those uppity Pharisees. Try reading the first four NT books and not think about the ressurection/assuncion stuff. No wonder the dude got himself killed. He broke OT laws left and right. He was very much the radical.

And that's another thing. There are so many verses that make profound statements in and of themselves, and being applicable in so many ways. And then there are a few that hearken up a good "WTF?" after rereading it a few times.

And then there is a lot of fun in reading a thematic bible with a eucummenalemaical vibe that's alien to one's own. Lot to learn that way, too.

Now, back to the book thread....

[Ailina]

A Heart Like Jesus, Max Lucado

Next...
Picture Bride, Yoshiko Uchida

[kimo55]

Mahalo for the link. But that's not a bible thread; its a Christian sect-based one.
oops yer right. thread with bible mentioned. the most we have had on HT.

[glossyp]

Re-reading Alastair Reynolds "Revelation Space"; then I will re-read "Redemption Ark" so I can finally read the third novel in the trilogy, "Absolution Gap". Well worth it and highly recommended for those who like sci-fi literature.

[cezanne]

A "Finewoodworking" magazine

[sinjin]

Just starting Herb Kawainui Kane's "Ancient Hawai'i".

[kimo55]

I appreciate bibles for their glimpse into the lives of the...
And that's another thing. There are so many verses that make profound statements in and of themselves, and being applicable in so many ways. And then there are a few that hearken up a good "WTF?" after rereading it a few times.

And then there is a lot of fun in reading a thematic bible with a eucummenalemaical vibe that's alien to one's own. Lot to learn that way, too.


But be vewwwyy kewfuw. even the vatican sez don't take the bible literally!

http://news.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=2055412005

[Pua'i Mana'o]

But be vewwwyy kewfuw. even the vatican sez don't take the bible literally!

http://news.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=2055412005

"Mr O'Nazareth", hahahaha....

Look dude, I will be seeing you in the Hereafter Tiki Lounge sooner or later, so I ain't too worried...me and my can of Aqua Net are gonna bartend it, and you can be that old buzzard sitting on the end stool, looking like a movie extra from "Casino", pounding back mango poisson duh fromage and dirty Chivas, complete with either a)gold neck chain or b)big oval blue jade ring (CHOOSE ONE).

Polyester polo shirt and Alberto V05 pomade required.

Until then, lemme enjoy reading my baibala! :D

[dick]

The Book of Absinthe - A Cultural History. Fascinating reading, and good times. Rolling-in-the-aisles laughable situations. Good ol' Van Gough, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Degas, et al.

One of the better quotes from Wilde:
"After the first glass, you see things as you wish they were. After the second, you see things as they are not. Finally you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world."

Alas, it's true.

And that garbage they sell here domestically is a joke.

[Pomai]

the Companies We Keep
Amazing stories about 450 of Hawaii's best known companies
By Bob Sigall and his students at HPU

Oh.. and HawaiiThreads.com (this thread at the moment)
:)

[Pua'i Mana'o]

The Book of Absinthe - A Cultural History. Fascinating reading, and good times. Rolling-in-the-aisles laughable situations. Good ol' Van Gough, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Degas, et al.

One of the better quotes from Wilde:
"After the first glass, you see things as you wish they were. After the second, you see things as they are not. Finally you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world."

Alas, it's true.

And that garbage they sell here domestically is a joke.

I had never heard of absinthe prior to seeing that great slice of celluloid velveeta, "Moulin Rouge". Apparently its the same ingredients found in Lake Chernobyl, about as tasty, and about as healthy for consumption.

Ah, the upside of addiction. If it weren't around to help cull the population, imagine the depletion of earth resources we would be facing now... ;)

[Pua'i Mana'o]

for everyone:

can I suggest a GREAT book catalog? www.commonreader.com their website isn't much to shake at, but when if you order away for their cheaply-printed catalogs, the way they sprinkle each entry makes it all sooo tasty!

[Lalalinder]

Green River Running Red by Ann Rule.

[jdub]

i've just finished "A Star Called Henry" by Roddy Doyle...a fictionalized account of the making of an IRA "terrorist"...brilliant...before that it was Doyle's "Paddy Clark Ha Ha Ha"...a first person narrative by a 9 year old boy growing up in rural ireland as his parents' marriage disintigrated...also brilliant and a staggeringly vivid account of an irish catholic childhood, written by a grown man...

[Leo Lakio]

Recently finished Rosa Say's "Managing With Aloha"; now for something lighter - Stuart McLean's "Stories From The Vinyl Cafe" - sort of a Canadian Garrison Keillor, these are stories from his CBC radio show.

[Leo Lakio]

the usual stack of porn.
Define "usual." In explicit detail, if you don't mind.
With stick figures, perhaps, and arrows to indicate motion.
;)

[kimo55]

or arrows and zeros to indicate other things...

[Leo Lakio]

or arrows and zeros to indicate other things...
Or ones and zeros --- if you're into digital...(EEEP! Off-topic alert!))

[kimo55]

yea. graphically, ones and zeros work, also...

[Pua'i Mana'o]

...and the thread takes a left turn into pilau territory...

[kimo55]

why deviate from tradition now?

[tiptoetulip]

Started reading "What do you care what other people think?" by Richard P. Feynman.....since finding out who da guy was in the recent trivia game question. Feynman reminds me of my husband!

[Menehune Man]

THE ODYSSEY
By Homer, translated by Samuel Butler
"An epic of Greek Mythology"
We'll see how it goes...

[Pedro]

I am currently reading WICKED: The Life and Timess Of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. It's pretty cool. It's about the Evil Witch of the West from Wizard Of Oz. After reading this book your perceptions on Wizard Of OZ will be slightly changed. I know there is a play called WICKED. I heard it's an awesome musical. I have the CD but the stage production is mostly in Chicago, New York, and I think Canada.

[TurquoiseDuck]

Have to force myself to read the owner's manual for this NextHell phone....the fumes from the manual give me an instant head ache. I think I should put the manual in the dumpster and let if off gas. *LOL*

[sinjin]

One chapter into Haunani-Kay Trask's "From a Native Daughter".

[Leo Lakio]

I am currently reading WICKED: The Life and Timess Of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. It's pretty cool. It's about the Evil Witch of the West from Wizard Of Oz. After reading this book your perceptions on Wizard Of OZ will be slightly changed. I know there is a play called WICKED. I heard it's an awesome musical. I have the CD but the stage production is mostly in Chicago, New York, and I think Canada.
I really enjoyed this book as well. Maguire's stories are often "different-perspective" variations on classic fairy tales (he's also done books on Cinderella and Snow White, among others.) He has just published a sequel to "Wicked," called "Son Of A Witch," about the character (Liir) who may or may not be the son of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.
The Broadway musical, based on "Wicked," is by Stephen Schwartz, who also composed "Godspell," "Pippin," and others, and has done lyrics for Disney films like "Pocahontas."

[Leo Lakio]

...and the thread takes a left turn into pilau territory...
Kalamai. Just too hard to resist. :p

[Albert]

Right now, Vince Flynn's "Term Limits". Engrossing yarn about some former military commandos who decide the only way to get things right in Washington is to assassinate some politicians. Took out two senators, one congressman, and the Speaker of the House in the first week.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Gene Wolfe's On Blue's Waters.

[Jonah K]

I'm currently reading Nakazawa Shinichi's ｢アースダイバー｣ ("Earth Diver"). His ｢モカシン靴のシンデレラ｣ ("Cinderella Mocassin") was pretty good too. :)

[Pua'i Mana'o]

I'm currently reading Nakazawa Shinichi's ????????? ("Earth Diver"). His ????????????? ("Cinderella Mocassin") was pretty good too. :)

I meant to ask: are you reading this in Japanese or an English translation? How did you come across them?

Right now I am nose-deep in Economics for Dummies, and am mentally chewing on the chapters concerning free markets....afterwards, I am gonna dig off the shelves "The World is Flat" and give that one a reread.

[Jonah K]

I meant to ask: are you reading this in Japanese or an English translation? How did you come across them?

Right now I am nose-deep in Economics for Dummies, and am mentally chewing on the chapters concerning free markets....afterwards, I am gonna dig off the shelves "The World is Flat" and give that one a reread.
I'm reading Nakazawa's works in Japanese. When I'm not in an area that has a good Japanese bookstore, I'll usually order from Kinokuniya or Amazon Japan...
http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/
http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/465392/ref=cs_tab_gw_1_3/249-4716266-5152308

[Mocha]

Wish I could even speak Japanese! Just finished reading Light On Snow by Anita Shreve. Didn't seem like the novel "ended" but I've read her books before.
Please continue to "suggest" good adult reading. Mahalo.

[Leo Lakio]

Oliver Statler's "Japanese Inn" - described by the publisher as "set at a Japanese inn along the road from Kyoto, this partly fictional account evokes life through four generations -- an impressionistic overview of traditional Japan solidly based on actual historic events." First published in the early 1960s, the author (who died in 2002) was a professor at UH.

[kimo55]

riddle of the pacific
a reprinted tome from 1924 of one bloke's account of a few years living on Rapa Nui.

[U'ilani]

I'm reading an excellent book called "The Glass Castle: A Memoir" by Jeanette Walls.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743247531/104-9881168-2366309?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance

[MadAzza]

Started reading "What do you care what other people think?" by Richard P. Feynman.....since finding out who da guy was in the recent trivia game question. Feynman reminds me of my husband!

Oh, that's a good one! I have that, read it about 20 years ago. I need to read it again. The title, as you know, is from something his wife (Arlene?) said to him. The guy was brilliant, and adept at getting ideas across to people with little background in physics or other hard sciences. Great book. How cool to see it come up in HT!

No, wait, I just realized, I don't have that book. I have "Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman!" ... but it's the same type of book. His experiences and teachings. Great stuff. Entertaining, fun and informative ... what more could you want?

I didn't know he was in a recent trivia question. I need to pay more attention to the trivia games!

[backwoodlessons2]

I just finished rereading "The Da Vinci Code". Right now I am reading a book on magic!!!

[Moto]

A great book called "The Collapse of the Common Good" by Phillip Howard. It's a book about how America's Lawsuits are robbing all Americans of their freedom. Great book.

[backwoodlessons2]

I just finished rereading The Da Vinci Code (great book) and now I am reading a book on magic!!!

[Leo Lakio]

I just finished rereading The Da Vinci Code (great book) and now I am reading a book on magic!!!
And listening to the CSNY album "Deja Vu" at the same time, perhaps?

[sinjin]

"We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families - Stories From Rwanda" by Philip Gourevitch.

[pzarquon]

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to read more. I used to be a ravenous reader, burning through a thick paperback in about three days, or one if it's really good. Then I got busy, and only read on long flights (usually finishing an airport-bought book per leg). Then... well, I can't remember the last time I committed to a book, and at best, pick up something my wife leaves around the house out of idle curiosity.

Well, I'm hoping to make the time next year. But I have no idea where to begin. So, of course, I first turn to the web, and book-centric social networks, and specifically, to a site that a longtime e-aquaintence of mine is always talking about. To wit:I'm not reading, I'm cataloging! I found a nifty site called Library Thing (http://www.librarything.com/) which allows you to enter your books by author, title, or ISBN and it will automatically pull up the rest of the LC data and store it in a catalog online. You can find other folks with the same books, search other libraries, and basically spend a lot of time fiddling with books. What's cooler than that?So I've just started my account (http://www.librarything.com/profile/hawaii) (I think I'll get a CueCat (http://www.librarything.com/cuecat.php) to speed cataloging), and set up a Hawaii-centric group (http://www.librarything.com/groups/hawaii). If you're a LibraryThing user, or think you might like to be one, let's link up!

Meanwhile, I again would also like to know, What are you currently reading?

[Mike_Lowery]

"Kindred" by Octavia Butler

[jdub]

"Guru: My Days With Del Close" by Jeff Griggs. Close is widely regarded as the father of improv comedy. Griggs is my little sister's poker buddy and improv colleague in Chicago.

[glossyp]

I'm doing my annual read-through of The Lord of the Rings trilogy; a tradition which began nearly 30 years ago. I always learn something new or gain a fresh insight. It is one of the best parts of my Christmas/New Year's season and I look forward to it with much anticipation.

[Fat Jeff]

I'm currently reading "Broken Trust"...OMG!!!!!!!!! Whop Jaws! If every Hawaiian read this book, whew...could be revolution time! The self serving outlined is so amazing in it's arrogance and scope...almost leaves me speechless.

On deck I have "The Pursuit of Happyness" by Chris Gardner and "Nature Girl" by Carl Hiassen.

[U'ilani]

"The Children of Men" by PD James is in my purse, and "Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson is in my den. Also, for Christmas I got "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving--I'm most excited to read that one.

[808shooter]

as a reader who doesn't make it a huge priority to make time to read, it'd be really helpful if folks post a little synopsis of the book they are reading to give folks an idea if the book is worth the time to read.

i'll be on a plane for a few hours next month and that is about the only chance i get to read - so a few ideas on what to pick up for the ride would be really helpful.

[sinjin]

Rereading "Hotel Honolulu" by Paul Theroux.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Chomping through Anne Rice's Christ the Lord (http://www.amazon.com/Christ-Lord-Egypt-Anne-Rice/dp/0375412018). So far it is a suprising and worthwhile read.

[pzarquon]

as a reader who doesn't make it a huge priority to make time to read, it'd be really helpful if folks post a little synopsis of the book they are reading to give folks an idea if the book is worth the time to read.Seconding this request, or at least suggesting folks post links. I'm interested both in what you're reading, as well as why, and how you liked it. I guess I could infer folks wouldn't post something they didn't want to read or recommend, but getting a personal take definitely helps me form an idea of what I might like or expect.

For 808shooter, here are the Amazon pages for the books most recently mentioned:


"Kindred (http://www.amazon.com/Kindred-Bluestreak-Black-Women-Writers/dp/0807083690/)" by Octavia E. Butler (Mike_Lowery)
"Guru: My Days with Del Close (http://www.amazon.com/Guru-My-Days-Del-Close/dp/1566636140/)" by Jeff Griggs (jdub)
"The Lord of the Rings (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0395193958/)" by J.R.R. Tolkien (glossyp)
"Broken Trust (http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Trust-Mismanagement-Manipulation-Charitable/dp/082483044X/)" by Samuel P. King and Randall W. Roth (Fat Jeff)
"The Children of Men (http://www.amazon.com/Children-Men-P-D-James/dp/0307275434/)" by P.D. James (U'ilani)
"Housekeeping (http://www.amazon.com/Housekeeping-Novel-Marilynne-Robinson/dp/0312424094/)" by Marilynne Robinson (U'ilani)
"A Prayer for Owen Meany (http://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Owen-Meany-John-Irving/dp/0345361792/)" by John Irving (U'ilani)
"Hotel Honolulu (http://www.amazon.com/Hotel-Honolulu-Novel-Paul-Theroux/dp/0618219153/)" by Paul Theroux (sinjin)


Meanwhile, I'm having a blast at LibraryThing (http://www.librarything.com/profile/hawaii). I've only punched in a couple dozen titles -- mostly sci-fi series -- that I know I've read and liked, and already I can hit the "Recommendations" link to see what other people who list the same titles and authors like. Ain't technology grand? :)

[Linkmeister]

Heh heh. I finally convinced somebody to really look at Library Thing.:)

For serious reading I have four monstrously-large books which I posted about here (http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/002201.html) with links to their Amazon pages. Once I'm done with those (sometime in February, no doubt!) I'll see how many of Mom's Christmas books (http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/002202.html) she's done with.

For lighter fare I just found J.D. Robb's "in Death" series...police procedural crime novels set in 2050s New York. Robb is a no-longer-concealed pseudonym for Nora Roberts, probably the best-selling romance author in the English-speaking world; these books are pretty good cop stories. There's definitely romance (although maybe it's more sex than romance--I was a little surprised at the graphic scenes), but the books focus on the crime and detection aspects.

[Leo Lakio]

"Talk To The Hand" by Lynne Truss, author of "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" - a fussy British writer's semi-humorous take on manners and (as she puts it) "the utter bloody rudeness" of the world today.

[cynsaligia]

i just picked up "why do men sleep after sex?" by mark leyner and billy goldberg, MD. WDMSAS is the sequel to "why do men have nipples." among the topics explained are:

1. whether peeing in the shower cures ringworm (it helps, but doesn't cure)
2. do dogs have belly buttons (yes)
3. can riding your bike lead to ED (can)
4. does that black stuff that atheletes smear under their eyes really reduce glare(yes)
5. why do men sleep after sex (complicated answer).

i love this book bcs it's not only educational (as the cover says, the book covers "questions you'd only ask a doctor after your third whiskey sour") but it's written in a humourous, engaging style that makes it hard to put down and likely that you'll LOL.

[Bard]

Just finished "Prometheus Rising" by Robert Anton Wilson. It's basically a discussion of human consciousness and potential, starting from Tim Leary's "brain circuits" and going through all the popular psychologists, quantum and normal physics, qabbala, Aleister Crowley, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and pretty much everything in between. Fun read :)

[timkona]

Just finished "Between a Rock & a Hard Place" by Aron Ralston. He got his arm stuck under a boulder, then cut it off to escape 6 days later.

The book was collection of careless and unsafe hiking and climbing practices by an overzealous egomaniac with a "fearless" complex. He got out of no less than 4 scrapes in his life (avalanche, blizzard, etc) prior to rolling a boulder onto his hand.

A must read for those who aspire to be better climbers. Knowing what NOT to do is nearly as important as knowing what is appropriate.

Currently reading "Culture Warrior" by the great Bill O'Reilly.

[pzarquon]

Heh heh. I finally convinced somebody to really look at Library Thing.You ain't kidding. My wife's gonna join, too (as she's working her way through several books her mother sent her). And scrivener jumped in (http://www.librarything.com/profile/onebadscrivener) with both feet! His library -- which is no doubt only just a couple of days' of entry -- is already making me feel pretty inadequate.

How could I have taken so long to sign up? Social networking plus books? It's brilliant!

Ah, Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Truss. I bought that a couple of years ago. I think it got sold at a garage sale before I even cracked it open once.

And the Why Do Men title by Goldberg that erincyn mentions? Saw that at Costco a little while ago, and very nearly picked it up! Sounds interesting.

[Leo Lakio]

Ah, Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Truss. I bought that a couple of years ago. I think it got sold at a garage sale before I even cracked it open once.Awww, Ryan --- Douglas Adams woulda laughed heartily if he had read it.

[Honoruru]

I just finished re-reading The Pigeon by Patrick Suskind, a short, Kafkaesque novel (reminds me of Melville’s Bartleby the Scrivener). Suskind is a German writer/screen writer, and is the acclaimed author of Perfume, which is now a movie (mixed reviews, currently showing on the mainland, but not in Honolulu). The Pigeon is not as well-known; in fact I believe it’s been out of print for a long time. I picked it up many years ago at a Friends of the Library book sale, after having tried in vain to find a copy (Amazon.com had yet to be born). I re-read the book specifically for a scene describing a simple meal. All in all, a delicious New Year’s day read.

Next, I’ll be starting on Stephen King’s Lisey’s Story. No need for introductions, here.

[alohabear]

CROSS (http://www.amazon.com/Cross-James-Patterson/dp/0316159794/sr=1-1/qid=1167771312/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-4368168-5961514?ie=UTF8&s=books) by James Patterson .The latest novel featuring Alex Cross(Along Came A Spider, Kiss the Girls). If you love the movies with Morgan Freeman, Patterson's books will blow you away.Fast moving and never dull.

[Leo Lakio]

Hoping to start Sam Harris' "Letter to a Christian Nation" this week.

[Mike_Lowery]

Hoping to start Sam Harris' "Letter to a Christian Nation" this week.

The former "Star Search" champion Sam Harris?

I'm hoping to start "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston this weekend, if USPS delivers ontime. Damn them for being closed on Tuesday.

[jdub]

I just finished "A Drinking Life," a poignant memoir by Peter Hamill. It started slow, and lingered a little too long in his childhood. But his prose got comfortable once he started writing about becoming an adult, and I think he did a fine job. It was a great read for me, as he grew up in the same era as my father. I feel like it helped me understand the world my father grew up in and the second generation Irish world my mother grew up in. Recommended.

[Leo Lakio]

The former "Star Search" champion Sam Harris?HA! Not quite --- this Sam Harris (http://www.samharris.org/), not that one (http://www.samharris.com/).

[Linkmeister]

I was in Jelly's looking for something else and picked up Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts on a whim and a favorable review I'd seen somewhere. I had a preconceived notion about Roberts and her romance novels, but I thought I'd give it a shot.

It's a darned good crime story about an arson cop and fires which are aimed directly at her friends and family. Sure, there's romance, but it advances the plot and is amusing in its own right. I was a little surprised that the romance wasn't at all the shy blushes and up-from-under-eyelashes looks; it was pretty damned steamy.

[808shooter]

Read a few books on a planeride this pastweekend.

Moneyball. Interesting look into modernday professional baseball. On a deeper level, the book makes you think about market inefficiencies that are waiting to be exploited. I enjoyed this book a heck of a lot more than expected.

Question Behind the Question. A book about personal responsibility. Nice light reading with some good overall personal development suggestions.

[Bard]

I'm a reading machine and I've been plowing through steadily since before Christmas... :)

Eragon -- Pretty good book, though it borrows quite heavily from basically every other sci-fi/fantasy book. Much, much better than the movie.

One, Illusions, Running From Fear, by Richard Bach -- These are all strange new-age-ish books about philosophy on life that my wife had laying around, and she keeps referencing them so I decided to read them. Pretty interesting ideas.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diane Wynne Jones --"Young adult fantasy" -- I watched the anime by Miyazaki and had to read the book it was based on. The book is quite different and, I hate to say it, makes a great deal more sense than the anime. Ghibli might ought to stick to doing original stories... :)

Dark Lord of Derkholm, also by D.W.J. -- This one I'm just gonna link (http://www.rambles.net/jones_darklord.html) because they have a good synopsis. It's a good read. DWJ is a little like J.K. Rowling in her style and subject matter, but she's a little heavier on the dry humor.

[Leo Lakio]

Airplane fodder later this week: "The Life & Times of The Thunderbolt Kid," Bill Bryson's memoir of growing up in 1950's Iowa (with his superhero persona.) Bryson is an excellent writer/humorist, whose books have included several travelogues (on the Appalachian Trail, bicycling around Australia, a cross-U.S. auto trip, life in England) as well as works on the history and usage of the English language.

[timkona]

Men, Ships, and the Sea - Published by Nat Geo Soc. Written mostly by Allen Villiers among others. Historical Narrative on man's discovery, conquest, and use of the sea, from earliest prehistoric times, to nuclear powered everything.

Excellent history book.

[reineke]

Rereading Felidae by Akif Pirincci. I don't know how to describe or recommend the book to an adult without cracking up. It's not the book, but the subject.

[cynsaligia]

Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, the founding pastor of Mars Hill. I'm only less than halfway through the book but so far, i enjoy it. By the cover and print style, it's mean for Gen X or Y readers who are contemplative about their relationship with God and what it means to be Christian.

One of the things I like is Bell's idea that faith is like a trampoline: you jump on it, it inspires you to jump higher, and you invite people to jump, too. Bell believes that a lot of people practice faith as if it were a brick wall, as in: if you don't believe that God literally created the universe in six days and rested on the seventh, then you don't really believe in God. That kind of faith is such that if one brick falters, then the whole faith crumbles. That kind of faith is exclusionary, and nothing like the trampoline.

[tutusue]

Love the trampoline analogy. Just might have to get that book. Right now I'm 2 pages into Barack Obama's "Dreams from my Father". At the rate I have time to read I just might finish it by the 2008 elections! :D

[anapuni808]

Finally started "Children of Men" by PD James. I've read her books before - she is an excellent writer of very intelligent murder mysteries. This is a new (to me) genre for her & I'm looking forward to the entire book. I've decided to read the book first, then rent the movie when it comes out on DVD.

[jkpescador]

Eragon. I borrowed it from my neighbor in the 4th grade. :) I also borrowed Harry Potter (6th book) the other year from my neighbor in the 5th grade.

I just finished "next" by Michael Crichton. Interesting but seems incomplete. A lot of characters to keep track of.

Y-The Last Man TPB 8 by Brian Vaughn. It's good stuff. Preceeds the Children of Men movie ... I'm not sure about the book. Two more TPBs and the series will be finished. I can see becoming an HBO movie.

[achow]

I am currently reading these books:


'Olelo 'Oiwi by Hokulani Cleeland
The Polynesian Family System in Ka'u, Hawai'i by E.S. Craighill Handy and Mary Kawena Puku'i

[akrauth]

Here's my list:
1. The River Between Us by Richard Peck
2. Twelve Angry Men (not sure of the author; anyone know?)
When I have time to look at it:
3. Learn Hawaiian at Home by Kahikahealani Wight
And I want to read more of:
4. A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 13: The End by Lemony Snicket
I love that series.

[U'ilani]

I hated Housekeeping by Marilyn Robinson; stopped reading that one early on--life's too short. Just finished Saving Faith by David Baldacci; fast read, nothing great though.

I'm starting The Peacegiver: How Christ Offers to Heal Hearts and Homes by James Ferrell. I haven't finished Replay, though today would have been a fitting day to complete it, being it's Groundhog Day and all. I've promised myself that right after I pick up a book that's been on hold and is waiting for me at the library, I'm not going to borrow anymore books until I get all of my current loaners read.

[Adri]

Red Sun: The Invasion of Hawaii After Pearl Harbor by Richard Ziegler and Patrick M. Patterson. It's an fictional, alternate history about what might have happened if the Japanese had taken Hawaii in the attack at Pearl Harbor.

[Ecntrc]

I just got done reading a book called Moloka'i. Funny I found it in Orange County, CA in Target. It was the only one also. Its about the history of leporsy. About a girl that was sent to Moloka'i because she has leporsy. It was a very ineresting book. Ever since then I want to read another book that contains history of Samoa in story form, which is where my mom is from. We'll see. Barnes & Noble has a wide selection so I cant wait to get home to look! Im a book worm.

[achow]

I am currently reading a book called "Teenage Roadhogs" by Michael Schein because I am learning how to drive. It is interesting.

[beaker]

The Polynesian Family System in Ka'u, Hawai'i by E.S. Craighill Handy and Mary Kawena Puku'i


That's the one I'm reading. (hefty price, too) Love history - especially when it's about an area I can visit.

[Jake's Ohana]

I'm currently reading, "Odd Thomas" by Dean Koontz. I tink I have reread the first 3 chapters a few times with all da keiki interruptions and busy stuff.:confused:

[Adri]

I finished reading Children of Men and am now reading The Sweet Potato Queens' 1st Big-Ass Novel (Stuff we didn't actually do, but could have, and may yet) by Jill Conner Browne. It's a funny, light read.

[Adri]

I was searching for How I Learned to Cook: Culinary Educations from the World's Greatest Chefs on the library website. They don't have it yet, but they did have How I Learned to Cook: And Other Writings on Complex Mother-Daughter Relationships. So I borrowed and am reading the second one. The Mother-Daughter Relationships one is a series of short stories that have all been well written so far but all about sad, dysfunctional families so I may not read all of them or at least not all of them at once.

[WindwardOahuRN]

I am reading, with no embarrassment whatsoever, "Cell" by Stephen King.

I have also read "Anna Karenina."

So there.

[WindwardOahuRN]

I'm currently reading, "Odd Thomas" by Dean Koontz. I tink I have reread the first 3 chapters a few times with all da keiki interruptions and busy stuff.:confused:


Though I have tried numerous times I just cannot get into novels by Dean Koontz. He loses me, every time. I simply don't CARE about his characters.

[makepagirl]

let's see..i've got "frangipani" by celestine vaite in my purse..for breaks at work, long wait in traffic,etc.. "molokai" publ. 1963 by the bed and "love & war" john jakes for long bubble baths!! i've got books out the ying yang..my neighbor & mom stop by often to rummage thru my "library"..nothing is better than a good book!!

[U'ilani]

This morning on NPR they talked about how students who are taught that their intelligence is continually developing had higher math scores than those who believed that it was fixed--i.e., had a "growth mindset" rather than a "fixed mindset". They interviewed Carol Dweck, the author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (http://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Success-Carol-Dweck/dp/1400062756/sr=8-1/qid=1171608167/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8066193-9228108?ie=UTF8&s=books), who has written about this study and offers ways for parents and teachers to teach this type of mindset to children.

I've put the book on hold at my library. I hope to get it in a couple of months.

[Leo Lakio]

"Darker Than the Deepest Sea" by Trevor Dann - a biography of musician Nick Drake.

[Adri]

Mistral's Kiss by Laurell K. Hamilton. Not my favorite of the Merry Gentry series.

[cynsaligia]

i am forced by my bus mgmt prof to suffer through the banal, overwrought absoeffing horror of a read that is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

*grumbles not so softly about how poor a writer is if s/he has to take 50 odd pages of the hero's "speech" to summarize a theory that his/her reader has already been bludgeoned to boredom with over the previous 900 odd pages*

i'd much rather be participating in the HT book circle.

[Adri]

Mango Days by Patty Smith. Smith was a Punahou senior when she got cancer. The book is a compilation of letters and poems she wrote and drawings she made until she died.

[Leo Lakio]

"In the Face of Disaster" - a compilation of articles from the Canadian news-magazine Maclean's, on disasters of the past century in Canada.

[timkona]

Just finished the biography of Bill Parcells. What a great coach.

Now moving on to one of the classics - Old Goriot by Honore de Balzac

[U'ilani]

Currently enjoying the audiobook, Destructive Emotions: A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama (http://www.amazon.com/Destructive-Emotions-Scientific-Dialogue-Dalai/dp/0553801716) by Daniel Goleman. Very interesting stuff. I stumbled upon this book as I've developed an interest in neuroplasticity. I'm on a long waiting list at the library for the book, Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain (http://www.amazon.com/Train-Your-Mind-Change-Brain/dp/1400063906/ref=bxgy_cc_b_text_a/002-2955697-2564020) by Sharon Begley.

Half way into Mary, Martha, and Me (http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Martha-Camille-Fronk-Olson/dp/1590385470/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-2955697-2564020?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173848986&sr=1-1)by Camille Fronk Olson. She gives the story from Luke 10 a fresh rendering, explaining that it wasn't wrong that Martha labored while Mary listened, as both were serving Christ; what was wrong was Martha judging Mary.

Just about finished The Peacegiver (http://www.amazon.com/Peacegiver-Christ-Offers-Hearts-Homes/dp/1590382234/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-2955697-2564020?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173849939&sr=1-1)by James Ferrell. I recommend it to those struggling to forgive someone, unable to be at peace. Ferrell gives us a parable of a marriage in collapse, and wraps it up in the biblical, obscure story of Abigail, Nabal, and David found in first Samuel, and the story of Jonah and the city of Nineveh. The result is no enigma (sorry, couldn't resist) but rather an excellent use of scripture to provide clear answers for modern-day problems.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Just about finished The Peacegiver (http://www.amazon.com/Peacegiver-Christ-Offers-Hearts-Homes/dp/1590382234/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-2955697-2564020?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173849939&sr=1-1)by James Ferrell. I recommend it to those struggling to forgive someone, unable to be at peace. Ferrell gives us a parable of a marriage in collapse, and wraps it up in the biblical, obscure story of Abigail, Nabal, and David found in first Samuel, and the story of Jonah and the city of Nineveh. The result is no enigma (sorry, couldn't resist) but rather an excellent use of scripture to provide clear answers for modern-day problems.

thank you for this!! That story is my most favorite in the bible; in just about every study/topical bible I peruse, I go looking at ISam25 to see what the footnotes say about it, and often that has been the deciding factor on whether or not to buy it (2nd fave is Luke 16: the parable of the manager). I can go on and on about what I get from studying that parable, but I will just say this: Abigail is the first woman in the bible specifically noted for being intelligent.

[Adri]

Naked by David Sedaris. A memoir of Sedaris' family and childhood that is both funny and sad.

[greentara]

Shark Dialogs...LOVE this author!!!!! Just finished Song of Exile can't wait to start House of Many Gods ~ by Kiana Davenport. She reminds me of the Latin American Authors – Isabel Allende or Garcia Marquez ~ kind of vacillates between reality and fantasy. :cool:

[Adri]

I just started The Audacity of Hope. It's a much more polished Obama than Dreams From My Father and has some interesting information on the inner workings of the Senate (even just in the first few pages of the book).

[U'ilani]

thank you for this!! That story is my most favorite in the bible; in just about every study/topical bible I peruse, I go looking at ISam25 to see what the footnotes say about it, and often that has been the deciding factor on whether or not to buy it (2nd fave is Luke 16: the parable of the manager). I can go on and on about what I get from studying that parable, but I will just say this: Abigail is the first woman in the bible specifically noted for being intelligent.If you get the chance to read this, let me know what you think. About a quarter way into the book, I put it down and didn't intend to finish it. I hated the whole mentoring thing that the grandfather does with the grandson (the latter being the one with the rocky marriage). But my friends urged me on, fortunately.

I'm in a book club through my church, consequently I'm reading a lot more spiritual stuff than usual. Our next book will be Believing Christ (http://www.amazon.com/Believing-Christ-Parable-Bicycle-Other/dp/0875796346)by Stephen Robinson. I also just bought through Ebay When People Are Big and God is Small (http://www.amazon.com/When-People-Are-Big-Small/dp/0875526004/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-2392395-7793766?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175159621&sr=1-1)by E. Welch. It's about overcoming peer pressure and the fear of man--hoping to get my teenage daughter to read it with me. I've also just returned to the book Replay (http://www.amazon.com/Replay-Ken-Grimwood/dp/068816112X/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-2392395-7793766?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175159683&sr=1-2) by Ken Grimwood. I'm really enjoying it. And because reading one book is never enough, I'll be starting The Beekeeper's Apprentice (http://www.amazon.com/Beekeepers-Apprentice-Laurie-R-King/dp/0553381520/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-2392395-7793766?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175159457&sr=1-1)by Laurie King tomorrow. My friend totally loved it, and it has great reviews on Amazon, so I'm hopeful about this one.

[U'ilani]

I finished Replay (http://www.amazon.com/Replay-Ken-Grimwood/dp/068816112X) by Grimwood and would highly recommend it to all the bibliophiles out there, no matter what genre you prefer (this one falls under sci-fi/fantasy, but it's just a very good story that is hard to put down). It's a bit like Groundhog's Day, only without the humor, and it's much more serious and deep. It's got some R-rated aspects to it, and so I wouldn't recommend it for teens.

[Mike_Lowery]

The Fire Next Time - James Baldwin

[Leo Lakio]

"Kind of Blue" - on the making of the classic Miles Davis album - by Ashley Kahn.

[LocoBoy]

The Innocent Man by John Grisham and Skeleton Coast by Clive Cussler.

[DaFerret]

The Dante Club (http://www.amazon.com/Dante-Club-Novel-Matthew-Pearl/dp/034549038X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-8741630-4585521?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177532599&sr=8-1). Initially, to make things a bit more interesting, I was also reading the Divine Comedy trying to see the similarities to certain events as well as locate the references made in The Dante Club. But I found it difficult to juggle two books wherever I wanted to read.

[Da Rolling Eye]

Splintered Icon, Bill Napier. Next in line are 2 Clive Cussler books I found at The Book Rack, then The Scout, a sequel to Brules, a pretty graphic western by Harry Combs. Lots of blood and violence. :D

[TATTRAT]

The Dancing Wu Li masters, Gary Zukav.

[Adri]

The Red Tent by Anita Diamont

http://www.amazon.ca/Red-Tent-Novel-CDs-Hours/dp/customer-reviews/1559277092

[XtCwVz707]

I'm currently reading the book "MOLOKA'I" Written by Alan Brennert... I'm purposely reading it slow because.. I'm SO ENGULFED by it... EXCELLENT book.

It's about Hawai'i more than a century ago and a little 7 year old girl by the name of Rachel Kalama. Her and her family live on O'ahu- She dreams about traveling and seeing other countries as her dad does. But then one day bad news hits... and Rachel has been diagnosed with Leprosy. She's taken away from her family and then sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined Leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i.... Rachel feels this is the end.. .but it is only the beginning.

I hope hope hope some big time director reads it and decides to make a movie about it.. EXCELLENT EXCELLENT BOOK. **** FOUR STARS:D

http://www.amazon.com/Molokai-Alan-Brennert/dp/0312304358/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3525777-9432145?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177971803&sr=8-1

[greentara]

I'm currently reading the book "MOLOKA'I" Written by Alan Brennert... I'm purposely reading it slow because.. I'm SO ENGULFED by it... EXCELLENT book.

It's about Hawai'i more than a century ago and a little 7 year old girl by the name of Rachel Kalama. Her and her family live on O'ahu- She dreams about traveling and seeing other countries as her dad does. But then one day bad news hits... and Rachel has been diagnosed with Leprosy. She's taken away from her family and then sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined Leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i.... Rachel feels this is the end.. .but it is only the beginning.

I hope hope hope some big time director reads it and decides to make a movie about it.. EXCELLENT EXCELLENT BOOK. **** FOUR STARS:D

http://www.amazon.com/Molokai-Alan-Brennert/dp/0312304358/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3525777-9432145?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177971803&sr=8-1
=


I just finished Moloka'i it was really good but still nothing tops Shark Dialogs.:D I love the relationship Rachel had with the other people on the Island. She really learned a lot about the human condition. It would make a great film.

Review of Shark Dialogs
From Library Journal[/B]This expansive and engrossing multigenerational saga details the history of Hawaii through the experiences of one family. It begins in the 19th century with the dramatic meeting of a young Yankee sailor and a beautiful Tahitian princess. Their descendants, who live in contemporary Hawaii, are four cousins named Vanya, Ming, Rachel, and Jess who have been brought up by Pono, a kahuna, or seer, who has never talked about her mysterious past to her four granddaughters. Davenport deftly includes much information in the narrative--about politics, leprosy, and the racial melting pot that is Hawaiian society--with a minimum of didacticism. She incorporates folklore, history, and myth in a vivid, lush prose style that only occasionally becomes overwrought. This first novel is much better written than James Michener's Hawaii (1959) and brings Hawaiian history up to the present day. Entertaining and educational, it is an excellent purchase for public libraries of any size. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/94.
- Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr . for the Book, Seattle

[XtCwVz707]

=


I just finished Moloka'i it was really good but still nothing tops Shark Dialogs.:D I love the relationship Rachel had with the other people on the Island. She really learned a lot about the human condition. It would make a great film.

Review of Shark Dialogs
From Library Journal[/b]This expansive and engrossing multigenerational saga details the history of Hawaii through the experiences of one family. It begins in the 19th century with the dramatic meeting of a young Yankee sailor and a beautiful Tahitian princess. Their descendants, who live in contemporary Hawaii, are four cousins named Vanya, Ming, Rachel, and Jess who have been brought up by Pono, a kahuna, or seer, who has never talked about her mysterious past to her four granddaughters. Davenport deftly includes much information in the narrative--about politics, leprosy, and the racial melting pot that is Hawaiian society--with a minimum of didacticism. She incorporates folklore, history, and myth in a vivid, lush prose style that only occasionally becomes overwrought. This first novel is much better written than James Michener's Hawaii (1959) and brings Hawaiian history up to the present day. Entertaining and educational, it is an excellent purchase for public libraries of any size. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/94.
- Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr . for the Book, Seattle

Ohh Shark Dialogs... I'm gonna have to check that one out!:)

[greentara]

leme know what you think when you do....:D

[U'ilani]

My 10-year-old son and I are just starting Escaping the Giant Wave (http://www.amazon.com/Escaping-Giant-Wave-Peg-Kehret/dp/0689852738)by Peg Kehret. He has very good reading skills, but he doesn't naturally love books like his sister does. It has to have a really compelling story to maintain his interest, and I think this one will be able to do that, especially since he recently had to deal with a bully at school. Anyway, here's an editorial review of it:

An earthquake, followed by a tsunami, hits the Oregon coast where 13-year-old Kyle is vacationing with his family. His parents are on a yacht, celebrating his realtor father's Salesman of the Year award, and Kyle must get his eight-year-old sister out of their burning hotel and up the hill, away from the beach. As they escape, he also saves the life of a bully who has tormented him since grade school. Later, after seeing Daren for the lying coward he is, Kyle stands up to him, ending the abusive behavior. Kyle's self-image is transformed through his experience with the tsunami and the bully. While this is a satisfying read for victims of bullying, it is unremarkable in plot and style. One character does stand out, Kyle's sister, BeeBee, a financial whiz who follows the stock market and names her teddy bear after Bill Gates. A bibliography of books, Web sites, a video, and pamphlets about tsunamis is included.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

I am emotionally struggling through The Bookseller of Kabul (http://www.amazon.com/Bookseller-Kabul-Asne-Seierstad/dp/0316734500).

[greentara]

I am emotionally struggling through The Bookseller of Kabul (http://www.amazon.com/Bookseller-Kabul-Asne-Seierstad/dp/0316734500).

I read A Hundred and One days (by the same author) a couple of weeks ago. I like her perspective on the invasion of Iraq mostly because she was there during that time and seen through the eyes of a woman journalist. I'm planning on reading the Bookseller ~ Hundred and One Days was extremely emotional too. Kite Runner was another difficult read about that part of the world. Such chaos such pain permeates the entire region. :(

[Pua'i Mana'o]

what is really bothering me about that book is her ethnocentric perspective of which she seems both quite aware and unrepentant, and my own as well as I wrestle with being tolerant to the subject at hand and the author herself. The family themselves were quite pissed about her portrayal, and I am seeing why as I read the book. It hits close to home as I myself walk the line of being encultured in western perspective yet live with private priniciples and practices that go against that grain due to my Hawaiian culture.

[greentara]

what is really bothering me about that book is her ethnocentric perspective of which she seems both quite aware and unrepentant, and my own as well as I wrestle with being tolerant to the subject at hand and the author herself. The family themselves were quite pissed about her portrayal, and I am seeing why as I read the book. It hits close to home as I myself walk the line of being encultured in western perspective yet live with private priniciples and practices that go against that grain due to my Hawaiian culture.

Interesting...I haven't read the Book Seller yet, so I can't address the issue of ethnocentricity. However, in One Hundred and One Days she does seem to take a bit of an Anti-American perspective due to the fact that one of her friend’s family members was killed when their house was bombed in the first 100 days of the invasion. Most people struggle with the conflict of cultures ~ the one they live in and the one they are born into. I struggle with the conflict being from a family of immigrants from the Azores Islands. Sorry for being off topic but I can imagine the struggle one must deal with when you compare Hawaiian Culture to the “western” perspective. They are SO different. The more I read and learn the more I realize just how different they really are. Personally I have always felt like a stranger in a strange land and I was born here in SF.

[Adri]

I really enjoyed reading the following books:

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Castle-Memoir-Alex-Awards/dp/0743247531

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

http://www.amazon.com/Water-Elephants-Novel-Sara-Gruen/dp/1565124995

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

http://www.amazon.com/Long-Way-Gone-Memoirs-Soldier/dp/0374105235/ref=pd_ts_b_28/104-4043941-4040753?ie=UTF8&s=books

I'm still reading this one but I'm enjoying it so far:

Where Have All the Leaders Gone? by Lee Iacocca

http://www.amazon.com/Where-Have-All-Leaders-Gone/dp/1416532471/ref=pd_ts_b_78/104-4043941-4040753?ie=UTF8&s=books

[Mike_Lowery]

Brothers and Sisters - Bebe Moore Campbell

[nikki]

I just finished 'Saving Erasmus' by Steven Cleaver.

I'm now reading 'Life's a Beach' by Claire Cook.

[Leo Lakio]

The Ash Garden (http://www.amazon.com/Ash-Garden-Dennis-Bock/dp/0375727493/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-7140270-3710814?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181958779&sr=8-1) by Dennis Bock.
From Publishers Weekly
No matter how far they travel from Hiroshima, the protagonists of Canadian author Bock's roomy, thoughtful novel are marked by the effects of the atomic bomb. For Emiko Amai, the imprint lingers on her face, in the form of burn scars from the heat of the bomb's detonation in 1945, when she was six. For Anton Böll, a refugee German scientist who helped build the bomb, the scars are emotional, though he tried to transform his feelings into images in a series of secret films shot among Hiroshima's ruined buildings. For Sophie, Anton's wife, herself a half-Jewish refugee from Austria, there is the pain of exile, a debilitating illness and the heavy shadow of her husband's guilt. Though Anton claims that the bomb was dropped "to save lives," he remains acutely aware of the human cost, both to its victims and himself: "I know the world requires a certain payment from us... for the freedoms we enjoy. We have all paid." When Emiko confronts Anton in 1995 at a lecture in New York, he surprises himself by agreeing to participate in a documentary she's filming. He invites Emiko to the quiet house he shares with Sophie in Ontario, and as Sophie declines toward death, Anton tells Emiko all the ways he has influenced her life since Hiroshima. In his attempt to obliquely represent the overwhelming horrors of Hiroshima's destruction, Bock has created a group of characters with closely guarded emotional lives. When they reveal themselves, it's in flashes as brilliant as the splitting of the atom.

[nikki]

Last week I read two books: Girl With A Pearl Earring... now I'm anxious to see the movie. Also Waiting, by Ha Jin.

I'm currently reading Memoirs of a Geisha.

[Leo Lakio]

I'm currently reading Memoirs of a Geisha.I enjoyed that far more than I expected.

[Mike_Lowery]

What You Owe Me - Bebe Moore Campbell

[nikki]

Just started reading Blood Memory by Greg Iles. My first Greg Iles book.

[Adri]

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
http://www.amazon.com/Infidel-Ayaan-Hirsi-Ali/dp/0743289684/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1

I'm enjoying it so far :)

[Sharmagne]

I just finished On the Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin. It takes place in Wales at the turn of the last century.

I read it a long time ago it was a gift from my "Kane" when we were on a trip somewhere, but I can't rememebr where we were! It was somewhere special.

I enjoyed it just as much on the second read.

Now I am reading Roman Polanski's autobiography.

I am halfway through. I have had it in my library for many years and only just now decided I should read it. I am enjoying it very much.

[nikki]

I'm in between books, so I'm currently reading The South Beach Diet. It was just a dollar at the library -- hard cover, like new. I'm not going to follow the plan, but I'll incorporate some ideas into my meals.

[nikki]

Still waiting for a book to arrive in the mail.

In the meantime, I'm reading The Celestine Prophecy. What a bore. I can't get through a page without falling asleep. I know it was extremely popular 14 years ago. I hope it picks up.

[nikki]

I just started reading True Evil by Greg Iles

[Karen]

The Lost Books of the Bible and The Forgotten Books of Eden, all in one volume.

[Leo Lakio]

Just about to start Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows this week.

[Lalalinder]

The Assault on Reason by Al Gore

[Linkmeister]

Midway through Book 3 of Guy Gavriel Kay's fantasy trilogy The Fionavar Tapestry I put it down to read Deathly Hallows. It was kinda hard to do, too; that's a really good set of books. I keep finding these things published 20 years ago that I never knew about; it's humbling.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

God Is Not Great (http://www.amazon.com/God-Not-Great-Religion-Everything/dp/0446579807) by Christopher Hitchens. There are so many areas in which I disagree with the man but can he turn a phrase! Pure cranial porn. ;)

[808shooter]

Origin of Wealth (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/157851777X/sr=8-2/qid=1185268732/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_helpful/104-9175371-2724766?ie=UTF8&n=283155&qid=1185268732&sr=8-2#customerReviews) by Eric Beinhocker.

Economics has always been a big interest of mine and this book is the best economics book I have ever read. Something about macro economic theory has always bothered me but was not knowledgeable about the topic to put my finger on it.

This book laid to rest a lot of questions in my mind. I'm only 1/3 way through and it has been a very very good read thus far.

[cynsaligia]

for summer school, i'm reading "Communicating at Work: Principles and Practices for Business and the Professional."

i'm allso reading the august issues of Lucky, Allure, and Glamour magazines, as well as the issue of Time with Rupert Murdoch.

[Sprite]

God Is Not Great (http://www.amazon.com/God-Not-Great-Religion-Everything/dp/0446579807) by Christopher Hitchens. There are so many areas in which I disagree with the man but can he turn a phrase! Pure cranial porn. ;)

"Pure cranial porn?!?" I love that phrase! Did you coin that yourself or have you seen it somewhere before? I have called some things "orgasmic" that were not at all related to anything like that, but I think the feeling must have been the same. I think I like your phrase better! LOL! :D

[StephS]

I'm currently reading "1912 Facts About Titanic" by Lee W. Merideth. It's a collection of well-known and not so well-known facts about the RMS Titanic, her ill-fated maiden voyage, and the history of the White Star Line. There is a Titanic exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and being the Titanic enthusiast that I am, I had to pick that up.

The next book on my reading list is "Dean and Me" by Jerry Lewis, a biography of Jerry and his years doing comedy with Dean Martin. I've also read "Memories Are Made of This", Deana Martin's biography about her father, and I highly recommend them both.

[timkona]

The Education of a Coach. It's the story of Bill Belichek.

[StephS]

One of these days, I'm going to pick up my copy of "Soul Surfer" by Bethany Hamilton and re-read it. She is one of the gutsiest girls in surfing!

[Cameron]

I finally got around to picking up Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, by Douglas Adams. I've read the sequel, The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul, already and so I figured it was about time I hunted down the first installment:)

[PoiBoy]

standard reading... :)

http://historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html
A People's History of the Unites States by Howard Zinn

[sophielynette]

I was trying to read the Bourne Betrayal but I had to give up after the first chapter. I've always loved Robert Ludlum's Bourne series, but these are done by someone named Eric Van Lustbader, and he does -not- live up to the name. :(

[Leo Lakio]

I finally got around to picking up Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, by Douglas Adams. I've read the sequel, The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul, already and so I figured it was about time I hunted down the first installment:)

standard reading... :)

http://historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html
A People's History of the Unites States by Howard Zinn
Good choices - all are on my shelves.

[Leo Lakio]

"Here, There and Everywhere" by Geoff Emerick & Howard Massey.
Emerick's memoir of being the recording engineer for The Beatles.

[Leo Lakio]

Almost done reading the second of two biographies of Douglas ("The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy") Adams, Nick Webb's "Wish You Were Here." That was preceded by M.J. Simpson's "Hitchhiker." It works well to read them both, as Simpson takes a linear approach to Adams's life and work, while Webb is more lateral.

[infinitypro]

NEENZ: "Street Lawyer" J. GRISHAM, someone stole my book...had to start all over!

NOE: "THE SECRET."

[Adri]

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

http://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Book-1-Stephenie-Meyer/dp/0316015849/ref=pd_ts_b_38/105-1587779-0223666?ie=UTF8&s=books

[Leo Lakio]

About to start "A Hawaiian Life (http://www.rambles.net/kahumoku_hlife.html)" by George Kahumoku, Jr. & Paul Konwiser.

[anapuni808]

I was trying to read the Bourne Betrayal but I had to give up after the first chapter. I've always loved Robert Ludlum's Bourne series, but these are done by someone named Eric Van Lustbader, and he does -not- live up to the name. :(

I suggest you get some of Von Lustbader's older books - you might change your opinion. and Ludlum's early books (written when he was ALIVE) are better than the last of the Bourne series (written after he died).

[nikki]

Right now, I'm reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

[nikki]

I just started reading Happiness Sold Separately by Lolly Winston.

[greentara]

I just finished “Thousand Splendid Suns” still trying to recover…I think I liked it as much as “Kite Runner”.

[nikki]

I just started reading Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts. My first Nora Roberts book.

[cezanne]

The Ultimate Guide to Masonry and Concrete because I think it will be easy to build a hollow tile wall after I read it.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Special Topics in Calamity Physics...Lord, help me get through this awfully pretentious piece of brilliant writing (groan).

[CranBeree]

I just started reading Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts. My first Nora Roberts book.


i like her novels...she also writes as JD Robb..try the death series :)

[Adri]

Special Topics in Calamity Physics...Lord, help me get through this awfully pretentious piece of brilliant writing (groan).

I borrowed that book and tried, I swear I tried, but I could not get through it. Right now I'm reading The Sex Lives of Cannibals.

[Leo Lakio]

"Hitching Rides With Buddha" by Canadian humorist Will Ferguson. (Originally published in abridged form as "Hokkaido Highway Blues.")

While teaching English in southern Japan, he decides to follow Sakura Zensen (the Cherry Blossom Front), as the cherry blossoms appear across Japan. He starts at Cape Sata at the southern tip of Kyushu, and heads for Cape Sōya at the northern tip of Hokkaido --- hitchhiking for as much of the trip as possible.

Ferguson's writing style will appeal to fans of Bill Bryson's travel writings.

[U'ilani]

I just finished the audiobook of The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis. It really should be listened to rather than read since the demon, Wormwood, is performed by the brilliant John Cleese. You'd think Lewis had Cleese in mind when he wrote this. As to the book itself, Lewis's Wormwood very effectively reminds us of the various methods the true enemy uses to lead us astray.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

I just could not finish that other pretentious novel. (I cannot STAND when I cannot finish a book, but eh...) I picked up Lipstick Jihad (http://www.amazon.com/Lipstick-Jihad-Growing-Iranian-American/dp/1586481932)which is so far interesting and surprising as well as a bit unnerving, considering how frequently the notion is being tossed about that we should attack them. That fact isn't the thrust of the book, but I cannot help but wonder about the humanity that lies in a country, which no other has held the place in my psyche growing up like Iran has.

[Lalalinder]

How We Die by Sherwin B. Nuland.

It is a fascinating book about what happens to the human body when it dies from various causes.

[Adri]

The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold. I'm about halfway through and not sure if I am going to finish reading it. The writing and the characters are discordant. Even if it's supposed to be discordant because it's a depiction of madness, there's something lacking. I 'm halfway through the book and don't really care about the characters. It's not just that the story or the characters are repelling (because there can be compelling stories that are also repelling) but there's nothing engaging in the book so far.

[Mike_Lowery]

The Cornel West Reader

I wanted to see how he has influenced Michael Eric Dyson, yet have different perspectives on contemporary social issues. I must say that West is more philosophical, but does not play throw words around like Dyson does.

[nikki]

Half way through Good Grief by Lolly Winston

[IslandMystic]

Just started reading "Dreams from My Father" by Barrack Obama.

[zztype]

Don Quixote
Cervantes

Wow, dis bugga long!

[cynsaligia]

eric and i are reading the captivating memoir, "the tender bar" by jr moehringer.
(http://www.amazon.com/TENDER-BAR-J-r-Moehringer/dp/0786888768/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-5450229-4574363?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193299847&sr=8-1)

[NemesisVex]

The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century by Alex Ross.

An entire book about 20th Century composers may sound academic, but the writing is really riveting. It's interesting to read how the likes of Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Schoenberg and Debussy all reacted to each other's work.

[U'ilani]

Just starting Odd Thomas (http://www.amazon.com/Odd-Thomas-Novel-Dean-Koontz/dp/0553802496)by Dean Koontz and Eat, Pray, Love by E. Gilbert.

Also, if anyone knows a 5th or 6th grade boy who doesn't enjoy reading, I can heartily recommend The Lightning Thief (http://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Thief-Percy-Jackson-Olympians/dp/0786838655/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-5979709-0960430?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193564626&sr=1-1)by Rick Riordan, and the other 2 books in this Olympians series. My son loves them.

[Steven]

Outlaws by Kevin Sampson. I'm sorry I bought it and wouldn't recommend it.

[Leo Lakio]

Modern Recording Techniques (sixth edition) by David Miles Huber & Robert E. Runstein. It's the textbook for my classes in Audio Production (and Huber is one of the instructors.)

[jdub]

I'm half-way into To Kill A Mockingbird. Never read it, as it simply wasn't on the required reading list as i was edumacated. I'm enjoying it immensley. But now my affected Southern drawl is completely out of hand.

[sinjin]

"The Long Walk" by Slavomir Rawicz

"Cavalry officer Slavomir Rawicz was captured by the Red Army in 1939 during the German-Soviet partition of Poland and was sent to the Siberian Gulag along with other captive Poles, Finns, Ukranians, Czechs, Greeks, and even a few English, French, and American unfortunates who had been caught up in the fighting. A year later, he and six comrades from various countries escaped from a labor camp in Yakutsk and made their way, on foot, thousands of miles south to British India, where Rawicz reenlisted in the Polish army and fought against the Germans. The Long Walk recounts that adventure, which is surely one of the most curious treks in history." http://www.amazon.com/Long-Walk-True-Story-Freedom/dp/1592289444/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-5836211-1789231?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194386912&sr=1-1

[Adri]

Away by Amy Bloom. I'm enjoying it so far.

[Kalihiboy]

Bob Basso's "If B.S. Were Concrete I'd be Route 66", hilarious book!

Aj

[zztype]

Still chewing on Don Quixote. 1,000 pages of 8-point type. :eek:

[cprompt0806]

i need to read the secret again.

[glossyp]

I just finished The Last Season (http://thelastseason.com/) by Eric Blehm. An excellent book, though not a happy tale. Highly recommended, particularly for those who enjoy complex people and the merciless aspects of nature. Men's Journal review (http://thelastseason.com/reviews.html).

[Leo Lakio]

The Shroud of the Thwacker (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/05/AR2005100502134.html), a comic murder mystery (sort of) by actor/humorist Chris Elliott.

[Zovo]

Currently working my way through three novels:

The Divine Comedy: Dante
Moby Dick: Melville
The Princess Bride: Morgensternne

[Leo Lakio]

"Piece By Piece" - a semi-spiritual biographical collection of writings by musician Tori Amos, with music writer/critic Ann Powers.

[Jonah K]

I recently purchased a Sony eBook reader like the ones pictured below...
http://www.sonystyle.com/wcsstore/SonyStyleStorefrontAssetStore/img/135x135/PRS505SC.jpg

After plugging in a SD card with a couple of hundred books, I'm currently reading Haruki Murakami's "Kafka on the Shore", George Orwell's "Burmese Days", and Adam Smith's "An Inquiry into the Wealth of Nations." Thanks to websites like Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org), ManyBooks (http://manybooks.net/), MobileRead (http://www.mobileread.com/), etc. and a couple of memory cards, I'll soon have about 10,000 titles on my eBook reader without having to to go to a library or bookstore. :)

[U'ilani]

I recently purchased a Sony eBook reader like the ones pictured below...
http://www.sonystyle.com/wcsstore/SonyStyleStorefrontAssetStore/img/135x135/PRS505SC.jpg

After plugging in a SD card with a couple of hundred books, I'm currently reading Haruki Murakami's "Kafka on the Shore", George Orwell's "Burmese Days", and Adam Smith's "An Inquiry into the Wealth of Nations." Thanks to websites like Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org), ManyBooks (http://manybooks.net/), MobileRead (http://www.mobileread.com/), etc. and a couple of memory cards, I'll soon have about 10,000 titles on my eBook reader without having to to go to a library or bookstore. :)Could you tell us a bit about how you're liking the Sony eBook so far? Also, had you considered buying Amazon's Kindle instead? If so, why'd you choose the eBook over it? Thanks--I'm just trying to figure out if I need to beg Santa for it this Christmas.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

I have had plucker (http://www.plkr.org/) on my palm os cellphones for a few years now. The only book I keep on it continuously is the skeptics annotated bible (http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/) (a complete King James bible, but with full rips/references every way imaginable). I just can't get into reading books™ via the e-format.

Jonah, what do you like about your reader?

(btw, I just bought the NIV Archaeological Bible. Fascinating in its annotation. I wish these notes were in the Oxford Annotated Bible, but oh well).

[mel]

It's nice to be on vacation and enjoy the time to read a good book that has been in my family for years:

"OUTCAST Stallion of Hawaii" by Harlan Thompson is a book based on fact but a fictionalization of life on Kukuiau Ranch on the Big Island in the early 1950s. The story focuses on a mainland boy who moves to the ranch, learns the ins and outs of cowboy life and mends a broken horse. The story is based on and features some of the people in name who actually lived there back in the day.

[Bob P]

I'm in the process of re-readng the Patrick O'Brien Aubrey/Maturin series (Master and Commander) for about the 4th time. I've tried to get a few people into the series but I think they're one of those love 'em or hate 'em things.

[Adri]

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs

It's funny but not disrespectful and an easy read.

[sinjin]

"The Accidental President of Brazil" by Fernando Henrique Cardoso

Brazil is one of the countries that interests me most.

[Leo Lakio]

zzzzzzzzzzz...............
"PC Audio Editing With Adobe Audition 2.0" by Roger Derry
...............zzzzzzzzzzz

(Finished the Tori Amos book long ago; haven't had any real reading time since starting a new job - evenings have been busy with all kinds of activities --- and some sorta trivia contest thingie.)

[sinjin]

"Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey" by Chuck Palahniuk

Excellent but not for the faint of heart. Palahniuk is probably my favorite contemporary novelist.

[Bob P]

Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland. Very readable actually.

[buzz1941]

"The Barbary Wars," a history book that obviously started out as a thesis.

[zztype]

Blu's Hanging - Lois Yamanaka

[Random]

Just picked up the fourth book of the Temeraire series titled Empire of Ivory, written by Naomi Novik.

Sure hope that Peter Jackson would make a movie out of this, since he once expressed interest in it.

[skeeterbess]

Maybe TMI. Maybe cause you to decide I don't belong at HT:

The Princess Bride, 30th Anniversary Edition, by William Goldman. :)

[Random]

Maybe TMI. Maybe cause you to decide I don't belong at HT:

The Princess Bride, 30th Anniversary Edition, by William Goldman. :)
Hmm. I'll wait until they make a film out of it.

Oh, wait! There is! :p

[skeeterbess]

Blu's Hanging - Lois Yamanaka

And did you like it? I've read most of Yamanaka's stuff, seen several of her plays at Kumu Kahua. Darkly disturbing, very gritty, very much on target depicting local life/characters. I'll probably continue to read anything she produces, but she depresses me. :(

[skeeterbess]

Hmm. I'll wait until they make a film out of it.

Oh, wait! There is! :p

Hee! One of the few movies I've watched again and again, yet it never occurred to me to read the book until now. The two intros in this edition are worth the price of the book all on their own.

[zztype]

And did you like it? I've read most of Yamanaka's stuff, seen several of her plays at Kumu Kahua. Darkly disturbing, very gritty, very much on target depicting local life/characters. I'll probably continue to read anything she produces, but she depresses me. :(

Not pau reading Blu's Hanging yet. Reading it in little bits, in between reading a whole bunch of other stuff.

But I totally love it, but probably because it's so "real." Much of what she describes could have been written about my community, growing up. The same characters, the same sorts of events could have, sort of DID go on in my community.

It is painful to read, but I identify with it so much that I won't stop. Now I need to go get her other books.

I'd like to meet her one day and just talk story about small keed time. I bet i grew up "down the street" from her, in a sense.

[Leo Lakio]

The same characters, the same sorts of events could have, sort of DID go on in my community... I bet i grew up "down the street" from her, in a sense.That's why I enjoyed "The Life & Times of the Thunderbolt Kid," a memoir by one of my favorite authors, Bill Bryson. Though there is almost a decade between the era he writes about and the time I was a child, we grew up in the same part of Des Moines, Iowa, just a few blocks apart, and he's writing about the 'hood of my youth.

[skeeterbess]

I'd like to meet her one day and just talk story about small keed time. I bet i grew up "down the street" from her, in a sense.

Do you go to the plays at Kumu Kahua? (http://www.kumukahua.org/index.html) They've produced several of her plays over the last few years since I've been going. Always funny and sad and very, very local. Good stuff.

[timkona]

Currently reading the biography of Vince Lombardi. Did you know he coached at Army during the cheating scandal in 1951?

[Leo Lakio]

Just finished the biography of Bill Parcells. What a great coach.The Education of a Coach. It's the story of Bill Belichek.Currently reading the biography of Vince Lombardi.I sense a pattern here, Tim. Hope your recent return to posting (and reading) is a sign of some stability returning to your life.

[timkona]

Reading between the lines has always been your specialty Leo. ;)

My selection of reading material belies my passion for the game of football. Couple that with an aggressive coaching style that borders on mania, and an impressive win/loss record in 2 seasons of coaching in West Hawaii, and it should be obvious why I have not been invited back to either Konawaena or the local Pop Warner program. Too bad for the kids.

Winning sometimes takes a backseat to nepo-politics in Hawaii.

[U'ilani]

Currently reading and enjoying Joseph Finder's latest corporate thriller, Power Play (http://www.amazon.com/Power-Play-Joseph-Finder/dp/0312347480/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199402559&sr=1-2).

Also reading and enjoying a very compelling YA book titled Candy (http://www.amazon.com/Candy-Kevin-Brooks/dp/1904442617/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199402485&sr=1-4) by Kevin Brooks. I carry this one with me in my purse in case I'm standing in a long line at the bank or something like that.

[Donna]

Blu's Hanging - Lois Yamanaka

How is that book? I just finished a Lois-Ann Yamanaka book entitled, Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers, which made me somewhat nostalgic at her mention of things long-forgotten like the Checkers and Pogo Show.

I bought Father of the Four Passages at the same time, but found the story too dark and angsty for my taste. While I was on bed rest following my embryo transfer, hoping like mad that I can have a child of my own, it was far too disturbing to read about a character who aborted 3 babies and had thoughts of killing the one that she didn't.

I've read the reviews and the synopsis and it sounds like a compelling tale, but not one for me at this point in time.

From Publishers Weekly
Readers devoted to Yamanaka's Hawaiian trilogy (Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers; Blu's Hanging; Heads by Harry) will be pleased with her fourth novel, an uncompromising story of the tenaciousness of motherly love amid the chaos of drugs and dysfunction. In urgent, virtuosic prose, Yamanaka introduces a fierce, often wayward protagonist, Sonia Kurisu, who trips back and forth from past to present in her first-person narrative, evoking her nightmarish childhood punctuated by visions of God and the devil. Her unstable mother, Grace, abandons Sonia and Sonia's older sister, Celeste, to the care of their grandmother, while their wandering, koan-spouting father's attempts at communication only further distance him from his daughters. In an attempt to escape her troublesome and troubled family, Sonia leaves Hawaii for Las Vegas, struggling to finish college and raise her son, Sonny Boy. But she can't seem to pull herself together: she is haunted by the memory of the three children she aborted in Hawaii, all of whom begin to clamor for her attention in voices and visions. When Sonny Boy is diagnosed as autistic at age two, Sonia first overdoses on drugs, then returns home to Hawaii, where her journey toward reconciliation and recovery begins. Harsher than ever in its unflinching depiction of stifled rage and twisted love, and charged with a fervid yet earthy mysticism, this is Yamanaka's most challenging work to date. Suffused with pathos, but never overwhelmed by sentiment, the novel settles itself deep into the rhythms and passions of its protagonists.

[Sero1]

"Life of Pi" - Yann Martel

[zztype]

Re: Blu's Hanging...

Nadine Kam of the Star-Bulletin did an article about it many years ago with some info...

http://starbulletin.com/97/04/08/features/story1.html

From my reading, there are some really dark places and events in the story. I have not finished yet, (I read slowly.) so don't know how it all turns out. I'm not sure if it would suit your tastes, Champuru.

But I guess I am drawn to the story because it resembles very much my childhood in a small town. While not exactly the same, there are many characters and incidents in the story that I knew immediately.

Blu's Hanging is very "real," a "Reality Novel," to me.

I'll be looking forward to reading other Lois-Ann Yamanaka books.

[Adri]

The Book of General Ignorance by John Lloyd and John Mitchinson. Fast fun read that I can pick up and leave off and go back to later.

[Donna]

I'll be looking forward to reading other Lois-Ann Yamanaka books.

If you want, I'll send you the "Passage of Four Fathers" for your next Yamanaka read. Just email me your mailing address and it'll be on its way!

[U'ilani]

Currently reading and enjoying Joseph Finder's latest corporate thriller, Power Play (http://www.amazon.com/Power-Play-Joseph-Finder/dp/0312347480/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199402559&sr=1-2).

Also reading and enjoying a very compelling YA book titled Candy (http://www.amazon.com/Candy-Kevin-Brooks/dp/1904442617/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199402485&sr=1-4) by Kevin Brooks. I carry this one with me in my purse in case I'm standing in a long line at the bank or something like that.Power Play sucked. It was basically Die Hard at a corporate retreat. Still reading Candy. Just starting The Minister's Daughter (http://www.amazon.com/Ministers-Daughter-Aesop-Accolades-Awards/dp/0689876904)--it's set during the time of the witch trials, and is also part fantasy. Interesting so far. Lyrical writer.

[U'ilani]

Candy and The Minister's Daughter both had compelling stories; 3.5 out of 5 stars for each.

Just starting Alas, Babylon (http://www.amazon.com/Alas-Babylon-Perennial-Classics-Frank/dp/B000AEFEMK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200784085&sr=1-1). It's one of those nuclear aftermath stories. Looks good, and apparently a lot of people have read it, but I'd never heard of it before.

[mergecross]

currently reading Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray"