"Jcarr" (jcarr)
12/01/2014 at 13:05 • Filed to: Books
3
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"Jcarr" (jcarr)
12/01/2014 at 13:05 • Filed to: Books | 3
| 38 |
I decided the other day that I was going to cut back on TV/video games/internet(but not OPPO!) and set aside some more time for reading.
I'm currently in the middle of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (I bought the book 4 or 5 years ago and never finished it), but after that I'll need some new ideas.
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I like WWII, naval history, military history, etc., but I'm open to anything. Here are a few I've really enjoyed:
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Sidenote: anyone use a Kindle? Worth it?
f86sabre
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 13:10 |
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I'm reading the Great North Road by Peter F Hamilton. If you like hard sci-fi with massive world building then Hamilton is solid. The Commonwealth books are very good as are the Nights Dawn Trilogy.
Based on your list I would recommend Skunk Works by Ben Rich. Very good book about Lockheed.
My citroen won't start
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 13:12 |
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Saramago.
MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 13:13 |
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I use a kindle fire that I use the crap out of. I miss real books sometimes though and still have a very large physical library.
It seems you're more into non-fiction?
I've got great fiction writers that have fictional plot lines you might like based on your above interest in history/military themed books.
Obvious - Tom Clancy
Vince Flynn
Brad Thor
David Baldacci (some of these move away from military/spy novels but I could direct you if you want)
Steve Berry
Raymond Khoury
these should keep you busy for a while. Unfortunately Tom Clancy passed away, as well as Vince Flynn who was way too young and died of cancer, there's a fellow author he used to work with that is at least finishing his last book that was in progress though.
I'm all caught up and have read every single Vince Flynn, Clancy (real ones not the off shoot "Clancy" brand books by other authors), Brad Thor, Steve Berry and Raymond Khoury. Man, Baldacci has a lot of books tho and some aren't my thing.
Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 13:15 |
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I have a nook, not really a fan of it though. I use it from time to time but much prefer print.
and 100 more
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 13:16 |
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I don't read often, and haven't read in awhile, but one of my favorites is Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami. Its a mindfuck.
Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 13:16 |
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T5Killer
> f86sabre
12/01/2014 at 13:17 |
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Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East is my current read.
After that I have a HUGE list of books I need to read.
Xyl0c41n3
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 13:17 |
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I have a nook and I love it. I have one of the plain jane ones, the kind with an e-ink screen, not one of the color ones that double as a cheap tablet. I take it with me pretty much everywhere.
If you do get some sort of e-reader, be sure to also download Calibre. It's a free app you install on your PC that allows you to manage your library. Also, if you download ebooks that are a different format than what your e-reader can handle, Calibre can convert it for you. You can also do other stuff like edit metadata, add tags, etc. It's very useful.
As for what's on my list right now, an opponaut recommended The Art of Racing in the Rain , so I'm reading that. I'm taking a brief break from The Dresden Files to do so. After that, I've got about another 300 books waiting in my queue... mostly sci-fi, some horror, magic realism, etc.
anothermiatafanboy
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 13:18 |
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Ive just started Seabiscuit. It is quite good, as was her other book, "Unbroken", which is soon to be released as a film.
MarquetteLa
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 13:18 |
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If you like war stories, I'd recommend "Guns Up!", a first-hand account of the Vietnam War by Johnnie M. Clark, a U.S. Marine M60 gunner. Incredibly heartwrenching story. http://www.amazon.com/Guns-Up-Firsth…
CB
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 13:19 |
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I'm reading a hell of a lot of research papers on human trafficking right now. Not exactly fun reading.
For military history, check out Shake Hands With The Devil by Romeo Dallaire. It's about the Rwandan genocide. It's super sad, but really good.
I realized I may have the most depressing collection of readings of all time.
RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> Xyl0c41n3
12/01/2014 at 13:20 |
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Have you tried Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series yet? It's actually really good, judging by the first book (I picked it up).
BoulderZ
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 13:20 |
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Currently reading The Founding Fish by my favorite author, John McPhee. Non-fiction work about the shad and it's role in North American history and culture. My all-time favorite book, also by McPhee, is The Control Of Nature . That one's about three very concrete instances where humans have very consciously picked fights with earth surface processes, the people involved, and the many ramifications.
http://www.amazon.com/Control-Nature…
Rico
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 13:21 |
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Haven't read it yet but I am buying it.
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RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 13:22 |
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I'm a huge history buff, but lately I've been awash in fiction. Doc Smith's Lensman series (one book so far), Jim Butcher's Codex Alera (ditto), Larry Correia's Grimnoir series, and I'm trying to get back into The Name of the Wind, which I ended up interrupted on.
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Xyl0c41n3
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/01/2014 at 13:25 |
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I have not! But it's going on my list now. Thanks, Rover. ^_^
MCS2014
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 13:26 |
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2 books for people interested in cars (and the businesses around them):
1) No Angel, The secret life of Bernie Ecclestone, by Tom Bower
http://www.amazon.com/No-Angel-Secre…
2-) Crash Course: The American Automobile Industry's Road to Bankruptcy and Bailout-and Beyond, by Paul Ingrassia
http://www.amazon.com/Crash-Course-A…
As for kindle, yes, it is amazing!
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MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/01/2014 at 13:29 |
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you could combine history and fiction like I do!
Check out Steve Berry and Raymond Khoury
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RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
12/01/2014 at 13:34 |
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Grimnoir does that - somewhat. Alternate universe 30s, with (basically) magic, but very dry and superhero-ey sort of magic. I also read Operation Luna by Poul Anderson, which is much more of a totemic/squishy magic alternate history wheeze - sequel to this . Also, come to think of it, I never did finish Naomi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon series.
I'm kind of mired in genre fiction at the moment, in short.
jariten1781
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 13:40 |
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Well, I'm an Audible junkie. Audio books make the commute so much more tolerable (except it sucks when I get to the parking garage and am in the middle of a good chapter). I usually go with lighter stuff on there and am currently working my way through Jim Butcher's 'Dresden Files' which is a great hardboiled/Noir-ish fantasy series (set in Chicago of all places).
For print I've got Gene Wolfe's 'The Land Across' queued up. Just need to find a good quiet weekend to tackle that since Gene's books require very detailed reading as they're incredibly layered and every word means something. Usually 2-3 reads required to really 'get' everything he put down. Probably my favorite author, and if you haven't read him I'd highly recommend the 'Book of the New Sun' series or 'The Fifth Head of Cerberus' if you can find it.
Since you've got a submarine book on there let me recommend what I always recommend to new guys here at work (I'm a former submarine officer and still work in the field):
2 Quintessential:
WWII era, mostly about leadership and tactics:
http://www.amazon.com/Wahoo-Patrols-…
http://www.amazon.com/Clear-Bridge-P…
Only good book (IMO) about life on a nuclear submarine not too technical:
http://www.amazon.com/Around-World-S…
This one's a bit sketchier because it's based on compiled interviews and docs so it's not 100% authentic like the previous 3. A very good read though if you look through the narration tone and take the perspective that it's individual redacted accounts.
http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Mans-Blu…
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RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> Xyl0c41n3
12/01/2014 at 13:40 |
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If you like the sort of Horatio Hornblower/Master and Commander type nautical fiction, Naomi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon series might also be worth a shot. Semi-armored dragons with naval bombardment crews and Royal Marines on board at alternate-history Trafalgar. Kind of fun.
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MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/01/2014 at 13:48 |
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Gotcha.
What I like about Berry and Khoury is they find something real and resurrect it with a cool story around it.
Berry picks a crazy old artifact that's lost - Library of Alexandria for example. And leads a quest to it.
Khoury brings back something from 500 years ago and you jump between past and present.
Both are pretty interesting and I always have to read the epilogue/author's note at the end to go "ok what from this shit was real"
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Jcarr
> MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
12/01/2014 at 14:00 |
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I have most of the Clancys in audio form. In the middle of Executive Orders, but now that mowing season is over I don't bust out the iPod that much.
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f86sabre
> jariten1781
12/01/2014 at 14:06 |
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I listened to Red Shirts on my drive from Miami to Atlanta on Saturday. Saved me. I've only listened to a few books recently, but The Martian was the best production and a damn fine book.
Klaus Schmoll
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 14:06 |
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I'm a big fan of post-modern literature. I devour everything Douglas Coupland releases within hours of me getting aware of it. Generation X, J-Pod, Generation A... All good books which are fun to read and contain lots of pop culture references.
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Xyl0c41n3
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/01/2014 at 14:10 |
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I haven't read those, either. That's kind of what I love about whenever someone makes a book post somewhere on kinja: I always find so many new things to read.
I don't generally read much military fiction, but dragons, you say? And alternate history? That's sounds fun! ^_^
The last series I was reading that was in a similar military sci-fi vein was David Weber's Safehold series. It's seven books so far. The first 2-3 were really engaging, but then it started to drag on almost like he was getting paid by the word like sci-fi authors of old.
It's still an interesting premise, though. Humanity almost gets annihilated by a superior alien race, so a last-ditch effort is made to save us on a planet called Safehold. And since the alien race seeks out and destroys any sort of life that's technologically advanced at all, the leaders of the surviving group force everyone to give up all technology by reprogramming their thinking/beliefs during cryostasis, and creating a religion that will enforce the anti-technology thinking. So, you've got people fighting against religious oppression and fighting old school naval battles on wooden ships. It's a pretty political storyline.
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RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> Xyl0c41n3
12/01/2014 at 14:21 |
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Slightly less political, but hewing to his broader mil-scifi roots like Honor Harrington, David Weber wrote a very interesting four-book series with John Ringo called the Empire of Man. A young fop prince ("Roger Ramius Sergei Chiang MacClintock") who is Heir Tertius to the Empire of Man... basically gets stranded on an iron age backwater planet with a company of marines by an assassination attempt, and then proceeds to grow the hell up fast and travel to the other side of the planet. On the way, getting involved in local struggles as needed to progress, and recruiting large numbers of locals, who end up returning to earth with him to overthrow the usurpers who tried to kill him off. It's kind of odd in that it's almost like a British expeditionary force in the wilds story +1000 years and in space. Books are: March Upcountry, March to the Sea, March to the Stars, and We Few.
Since it's fairly short, it doesn't drag too much, and the combination of Ringo's small unit tactics background and Weber's large force strategy, with the technical interests of both, works quite well. Not particularly political, though it does touch on this and that theme, but it does make for an interesting take overall: what if you had a bunch of "imperialists" who just wanted to get home?
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Xyl0c41n3
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/01/2014 at 14:39 |
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Thank you so much for all the reccs, Rover!
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RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> Xyl0c41n3
12/01/2014 at 14:44 |
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A corollary to "How do you make sure something gets done? Give it to a busy man" is surely "How do you get something read? Give to to someone with too many books on their list".
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Xyl0c41n3
> jariten1781
12/01/2014 at 14:44 |
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I'm reading Dresden Files, too! ^_^
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Xyl0c41n3
> CB
12/01/2014 at 14:45 |
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Anything publicly available you're willing to share?
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Xyl0c41n3
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/01/2014 at 14:48 |
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Hehehe. Compliment accepted. Thank you, sir! ^_^
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CB
> Xyl0c41n3
12/01/2014 at 14:55 |
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They're all available on university databases (which sharing can result in some copyright law issues that I'm not willing to deal with), but the gist of it is that we really have no idea how big an issue it is, policing and getting convictions is nearly impossible due to the fact that the only evidence that is gained is from witness testimony (and victims and traffickers very rarely want to come forward), and it really isn't a top priority for police here in Canada. I've got an RCMP report here from 2010 about the issue, but most of my other stuff is behind paywalls.
I'm not doing any original research, just doing a comparison on human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation between Canada and Thailand as a group project, and looking at police powers in relation to the issue.
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MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 15:10 |
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I read every Clancy in print, I felt he deserved more than an e-book so I did print.
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jariten1781
> Xyl0c41n3
12/01/2014 at 15:10 |
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The audio books are read by James Marsters (Spike from Buffy) who does a pretty spot-on Harry if you're looking for something to listen to while driving.
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Xyl0c41n3
> CB
12/01/2014 at 15:11 |
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Yeah, I figured you were in some sort of university setting, which is why I asked about publicly available works. I really miss having the kind of access you get by being a student.
I'm interested in human trafficking issues because I live in Texas and our border with Mexico means we get a LOT of human trafficking. Mostly from Mexico and Central America, but also sometimes from places much farther away.
Thank you so much for replying.
PNW Hoon
> Jcarr
12/01/2014 at 15:17 |
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Clancy! Just started Rainbow 6 after finishing No Remorse. John Kelly is a bad ass mo-fo.
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CB
> Xyl0c41n3
12/01/2014 at 15:20 |
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If there's anything I'll miss about university, it'll be super easy access to information. Gods damn is it great to have everything so close.
And check with the FBI or maybe the Texas Department of Public Safety to see if they have anything? There may also be some NGOs that are doing research in the area. And don't forget that trafficking is a two-way street! Odds are that there are some Americans being smuggled out through the border as well.
Any time! I'm full of knowledge and wrong opinions just waiting to be shared.