AO Book Club - Page 4

Erik · #91 09-28-2018, 12:40 AM

Lots of good titles in this thread.

Been on a classics rip lately. Got an audio recording of lectures about Ancient Greek history from the library which led me to read Homer's Iliad. Next up is the Odyssey. Kinda neat to read something that has endured for nearly 3000 years.

FQ2 · #92 09-28-2018, 01:11 AM

The Cold Dish: A Longmire Mystery (Walt Longmire Mysteries Book 1)

Can watch it also on Netflix.

Based on the Walt Longmire mystery novels by best-selling author Craig Johnson, this contemporary crime drama stars Australian actor Robert Taylor in the title role, the charismatic and dedicated sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyo. Longmire patrols the county with a brave face and sense of humour, but deep inside he hides the pain of his wife's recent death. With the urging of his daughter, Cady, and the help of Vic, a new female deputy, Longmire gains a new appreciation of his job and decides to run for re-election. He's committed to putting his life back together, one piece at a time, and he often calls on best friend and confidant Henry Standing Bear for support.

Lorne D · #93 09-28-2018, 10:15 AM

X2

Red Bullets · #94 09-28-2018, 12:47 PM

A great book for people who like hunting. Could be hard to find but worth looking for.

A Sporting Chance: Unusual Methods of Hunting
by Daniel P. Mannix, published in 1967.

This is a factual book about Daniel Mannix's hunting styles. This guy goes hunting using every kind of weapon and hunts using falconry, blowgun, boomerang, crossbow, terriers, hounds, ferrets, and a few more. The coolest hunt he does is use a cheetah to run coyotes. Some pictures in the book.

Twisted Canuck · #95 09-28-2018, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

...The coolest hunt he does is use a cheetah to run coyotes. Some pictures in the book.

I ran a coyote this morning with a 180 gr TSX from the .300 win mag, it was pretty cool too at 75 yards. I've got pictures on my phone, probably won't be writing a book...

It was so foggy that was as far as I could see. Or the coyote apparently. If you're not a bull moose, and you come in to a cow call, expect there to be consequences. Enough said.

Red Bullets · #96 10-10-2018, 04:38 PM

A reminder that October is Canadian Library Month. Read a book.

Currently I am re-reading this old book. Written by John McDougall in 1896.

It is about John and his travels on the Alberta prairies and parklands in the 1860's. His trials and tribulations that happened 160 years ago at places we love and know. This is a good reflection of how winters were back then.

Saddle, Sled and Snowshoe.

https://archive.org/details/saddlesl...dorich/page/n5

Twisted Canuck · #97 10-10-2018, 04:59 PM

Good bump on the thread. I am currently reading another Thomas Sowell book, Black Rednecks and White Liberals: Hope, Justice, Mercy and Autonomy in the American Health Care System.

Fascinating background on the cultural and economic origins of the 'redneck' southern population, and how it was absorbed and morphed into the black ghettos of America. Only a quarter of the way through, but learned a lot already. I really enjoy the academic and scholarly precision of his writing, as well as how easy it is to get absorbed in his insightful analysis of the information he presents. It's not remotely dry or dull, he combines history, economics, politics, and race issues into a format that is intellectually stimulating and provocative. Much better than the title might suggest!

Indy · #98 10-10-2018, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drhu22

Here is one I really enjoyed...
Sailing Alone Around the World (audiobook)
by Joshua Slocum
https://archive.org/details/sailing_...und_librivox_1

Here is another good source for audiobooks (mostly Librivox books)...
http://www.loyalbooks.com/genre/Non-...e%20and%20more!

Finding books read by good readers is the trick, here are some...
https://www.learnoutloud.com/content..._narrators.php

If you liked Slocum, and haven't yet done so, try Moitessier (The long way).

A great light listen is Etymologicon by Mark Forsyth.

Ronji · #99 10-10-2018, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

I've seen a lot of good mentions on historical works on pioneers, and western type histories. I figured I'd throw in one of my favorite historical reads of all time, The Civil War: A Narrative by Shelby Foote. It's a 3 volume set, and while I was recovering from a triple hernia surgery a few years back, that is what I read. Every day. For a couple of months.

It's a fabulously researched and we'll written history, there is so much information about so many historical figures, both military and political. If you ever wanted a first hand glimpse into the mind of Jeb Stuart, or 'Stonewall' Jackson, General Lee, Abraham Lincoln, Quantrell and his raiders...its all there and so much more. Once you start, you will be drawn in, truly fascinating stuff on one of the most formative times in American history.

I read this series as well. It is excellent. Shelby Foote has a unique way in his narration. He was also a huge part of the mini series on the Civil War by Ken Burns as well.

Muller · #**100** 10-11-2018, 07:39 AM

The Strange Death of Europe.
Douglas Murray.

See what our children/gr children’s future looks like if we don’t change direction.

Red Bullets · #**101** 11-10-2018, 11:30 PM

Thought I would mention this book. Being Remembrance day Nov 11 it seems fitting. I am just going to get a copy and read it. Have heard it is a good read.

Three Day Road written by Joseph Boyden.

Excerpt from https://www.overdrive.com/media/254410/three-day-road

Set in Canada and the battlefields of France and Belgium, Three-Day Road is a mesmerizing novel told through the eyes of Niska—a Canadian Oji-Cree woman living off the land who is the last of a line of healers and diviners—and her nephew Xavier.

At the urging of his friend Elijah, a Cree boy raised in reserve schools, Xavier joins the war effort. Shipped off to Europe when they are nineteen, the boys are marginalized from the Canadian soldiers not only by their native appearance but also by the fine marksmanship that years of hunting in the bush has taught them. Both become snipers renowned for their uncanny accuracy. But while Xavier struggles to understand the purpose of the war and to come to terms with his conscience for the many lives he has ended, Elijah becomes obsessed with killing, taking great risks to become the most accomplished sniper in the army. Eventually the harrowing and bloody truth of war takes its toll on the two friends in different, profound ways. Intertwined with this account is the story of Niska, who herself has borne witness to a lifetime of death—the death of her people. In part inspired by the legend of Francis Pegahmagabow, the great Indian sniper of World War I, Three-Day Road is an impeccably researched and beautifully written story that offers a searing reminder about the cost of war.

6510stewart · #**102** 11-11-2018, 09:32 AM

A Very good book that I have read is called A soldier of the great war,by Mark Helprin. It’s about 800 pages of some dense reading ,but his writing is some of the most beautiful i have read. It starts out with the view of an old man at the end of his life looking back on his experiences in the first world war, his search for the love of his life, and his constant search for beauty in the world around him ,even in the midst of brutality and death. Some of the more powerful scenes such as the execution of his entire unit at Stella Maris, a prisoner of war fortress which they were being held in for desertion , have stayed with me for years Its a book that I would say changed my life somewhat by reading .
Another good one is The bush soldiers, by John Hooker. It’s an alternative history where the Japanese have invaded Australia in World War II and the Protagonist, a World War I veteran gets together with his civilian friend,a British officer, a padre and a young teenage boy get to fight a rear guard action if you will, against the advancing Japanese. In the end the hostile land of northern Australia takes a brutal toll on them more so than the enemy themselves.

Sushi · #**103** 11-11-2018, 06:52 PM

I just read Call of the Wild and it is indeed excellent and easy to get through as it is fairly short and reads at a swift pace.

One very poignant book that is kind of a tough read is Shake Hands With The Devil by Romeo Dallaire.

Twisted Canuck · #**104** 11-22-2018, 08:23 PM

I just watched Stephen Harper being interviewed by Ben Shapiro, was quite interesting. If only he were still PM....*sigh*

Anyway, his new book 'Right Here Right Now' was a good bit of the discussion. I ordered it on Amazon, and the hardcover is on sale right now for half price, about the same as a kindle download so I bought it....maybe some day I can get it signed by our best PM ever....anyway, thought I'd mention it as its a great price, and I expect it will be a great read. National Post had an excerpt a few weeks back, and I really enjoyed it. Hopefully it gets here before Christmas...dang postal strike!

Okotok · #**105** 12-20-2018, 10:40 AM

Just read "Washington Black" by Esi Edugyan. I liked it. Goodreads describes the plot as:

Washington Black is an eleven-year-old field slave who knows no other life than the Barbados sugar plantation where he was born. When his master's eccentric brother chooses him to be his manservant, Wash is terrified of the cruelties he is certain await him. But Christopher Wilde, or "Titch," is a naturalist, explorer, scientist, inventor, and abolitionist. He initiates Wash into a world where a flying machine can carry a man across the sky; where two people, separated by an impossible divide, might begin to see each other as human; and where a boy born in chains can embrace a life of dignity and meaning. But when a man is killed and a bounty is placed on Wash's head, Titch abandons everything to save him. What follows is their flight along the eastern coast of America, and, finally, to a remote outpost in the Arctic, where Wash, left on his own, must invent another new life, one which will propel him further across the globe. From the sultry cane fields of the Caribbean to the frozen Far North, Washington Black tells a story of friendship and betrayal, love and redemption, of a world destroyed and made whole again--and asks the question, what is true freedom?

tacomama · #**106** 12-20-2018, 10:57 AM

SAS Survival Handbook, by John "Lofty" Wiseman.

It was an excellent all rounded survival handbook. Covered everything from basic survival, to shelter, food, plants, animals, hunting, trapping, rescue, SHTF scenarios, home security, and more and more....

https://www.amazon.ca/SAS-Survival-H...5328486&sr=1-1

Twisted Canuck · #**107** 12-20-2018, 11:07 AM

Glad this thread got brought back up. I am almost finished reading Stephen Harper's book 'Right Here Right Now'. Fabulous, our former and best PM is indeed a brilliant man. Recommend this for all Canadians to read.

After I'm done that I have two books sitting beside my chair, by the same author, Yuval Noah Harari. The first is 'Sapiens', the second is '21 Lessons for the 21st Century'. They came highly recommended to me by my uncle and I'm looking forward to them. Any of our readers here that are familiar with those titles? Thoughts?

Okotok · #**108** 12-20-2018, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

Glad this thread got brought back up. I am almost finished reading Stephen Harper's book 'Right Here Right Now'. Fabulous, our former and best PM is indeed a brilliant man. Recommend this for all Canadians to read.

After I'm done that I have two books sitting beside my chair, by the same author, Yuval Noah Harari. The first is 'Sapiens', the second is '21 Lessons for the 21st Century'. They came highly recommended to me by my uncle and I'm looking forward to them. Any of our readers here that are familiar with those titles? Thoughts?

I read Sapiens a couple of years ago. Definitely worth the time.

Flatlandliver · #**109** 12-20-2018, 12:47 PM

The Arctic Grail by Pierre Burton is one of my favourite reads and rereads
12 rules for life by Jordan Peterson is my latest

Eddy62 · #**110** 12-21-2018, 06:05 AM

Wife loves Brad Meltzer novels going to start reading The Escape Artist today might be a Novelist I will enjoy, I have always been into Autobiographies.

Merry xmas all.

Twisted Canuck · #**111** 02-10-2019, 09:14 AM

Time to bring this back up, with a really excellent book I just picked up on Kindle and am working on. This one is really well written, it will make you think. It is called 'Unjust: Social Justice and the Unmaking of America' by Noah Rothman. I highly recommend it to anyone who is at all interested in and/or appalled by the identity politics and social 'justice' issues that are going on today. While written from an American perspective, it is obviously completely relevant to us in Canada as well, as the situation is a mirror to some extent of what is going on there. Enough similarities to be alarming at any rate though. Rather than write my review, I will borrow from the book:

There are just two problems with “social justice”: it’s not social and it’s not just. Rather, it is a toxic ideology that encourages division, anger, and vengeance. In this penetrating work, Commentary editor and MSNBC contributor Noah Rothman uncovers the real motives behind the social justice movement and explains why, despite its occasionally ludicrous public face, it is a threat to be taken seriously.

American political parties were once defined by their ideals. That idealism, however, is now imperiled by an obsession with the demographic categories of race, sex, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, which supposedly constitute a person’s “identity.” As interest groups defined by identity alone command the comprehensive allegiance of their members, ordinary politics gives way to “Identitarian” warfare, each group looking for payback and convinced that if it is to rise, another group must fall.

In a society governed by “social justice,” the most coveted status is victimhood, which people will go to absurd lengths to attain. But the real victims in such a regime are blind justice—the standard of impartiality that we once took for granted—and free speech. These hallmarks of American liberty, already gravely compromised in universities, corporations, and the media, are under attack in our legal and political systems.

This book doesn't just slice and dice the left, it also takes on the right wing identity politics and populist movement as well and shows them as both inherently dangerous to civil discourse and the rule of law. Fascinating stuff.

Okotok · #**112** 02-10-2019, 09:49 AM

Looks like a relevant and interesting read there Twisted. I just finished a "Homage to Catalonia" written by George Orwell about his time fighting in the Spanish civil war. A bit of a partisan slant, but written from his first hand experiences.

Ronji · #**113** 02-10-2019, 09:55 AM

I recently read the Liberation Trilogy by Rick Atkinson. Its an interesting take on WW 2. Very well written, and I highly recommend it.

Twisted Canuck · #**114** 02-10-2019, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okotok

Looks like a relevant and interesting read there Twisted. I just finished a "Homage to Catalonia" written by George Orwell about his time fighting in the Spanish civil war. A bit of a partisan slant, but written from his first hand experiences.

I just finished re-reading 'For Whom The Bell Tolls', Hemingway's best work on the Sapnish Civil War imo...: I will look for Orwell's book, haven't read that one.

omega50 · #**115** 02-10-2019, 12:17 PM

Belonged to a book club in Millarville late 90's.

Hoping someone knows the title and author of a book we read.

Most depressing read ever.

Basically a Toronto couple moves to Alberta sometime pre WW2 to a homestead somewhat North of Central Alberta.

Tree stumps everywhere-no arable land-get sick and winter hits and they are starving. Snowed in desperate for food they hike to a neighbors for some food-they are in the same boat and barely surviving on rabbits

Somehow survive winter and finally a grouse comes close to the cabin in early spring-Things are looking up and she is very frail. Has a hangfire in her .22 trying to shoot the grouse-looks down the barrel after it does not fire and it drills her between the eyes

End of story. lots of other depressing details that I can't seem to remember.

Hoping someone in AO land can clue me in .

1899b · #**116** 02-10-2019, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by omega50

Belonged to a book club in Millarville late 90's.

Hoping someone knows the title and author of a book we read.

Most depressing read ever.

Basically a Toronto couple moves to Alberta sometime pre WW2 to a homestead somewhat North of Central Alberta.

Tree stumps everywhere-no arable land-get sick and winter hits and they are starving. Snowed in desperate for food they hike to a neighbors for some food-they are in the same boat and barely surviving on rabbits

Somehow survive winter and finally a grouse comes close to the cabin in early spring-Things are looking up and she is very frail. Has a hangfire in her .22 trying to shoot the grouse-looks down the barrel after it does not fire and it drills her between the eyes

End of story. lots of other depressing details that I can't seem to remember.

Hoping someone in AO land can clue me in .

Wow....

Twisted Canuck · #**117** 02-10-2019, 01:18 PM

Yeah, I can't help with that book but it sounds like something Stephen King might have written if he spent a winter in the bush near Lacrete.....sounds really depressing.

SLH · #**118** 02-11-2019, 12:33 PM

Saw a quote from Ed Abbey years ago and I had to read some of his stuff; "When a man's best friend is his dog, that dog has a problem." Desert Solataire and The Journey Home are great.

Aldo Leopold Thinking Like a Mountain and A Land Ethic are great.

Read some James Michner really liked "Hawaii" historical accounts of its history based on stories of fictional people. The account of the first sighting of the north star and original journey north where revelations, something you dont know or would ever have thought of.

The Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin is a great old book.

The Extermination of the American Bison Hornedy.

For a simple easy funny motivational read get Living with a SEAL: 31 days training with the toughest mayn on the planet

Fish along · #**119** 02-12-2019, 12:33 AM

I love this thread,im getting to see what people read and their thoughts of the read,fascinating ,I generaly read fiction or autobiographies,im not an intellect by any stretch,my first most remembered book was Moonfleet, by John Meade Falkner,then Prestor John, by John Buchan.I loved Burroughs Tarzan,and Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling,and so many more,and I have to mention Robert Service,love his works.

Okotok · #**120** 02-12-2019, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLH

Saw a quote from Ed Abbey years ago and I had to read some of his stuff; "When a man's best friend is his dog, that dog has a problem." Desert Solataire and The Journey Home are great.

Aldo Leopold Thinking Like a Mountain and A Land Ethic are great.

Read some James Michner really liked "Hawaii" historical accounts of its history based on stories of fictional people. The account of the first sighting of the north star and original journey north where revelations, something you dont know or would ever have thought of.

The Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin is a great old book.

The Extermination of the American Bison Hornedy.

For a simple easy funny motivational read get Living with a SEAL: 31 days training with the toughest mayn on the planet

I grew up on Michener as it seemed he was one of my parents favourite authors. Some good history lessons. I read the Source in grade 7 or so and I think I've read pretty much everything he's wrote since then. I read Hawaii before going there for the first time. His books are a great way of learning history in a story.