AO Book Club

[Twisted Canuck]

I had a thought the other night, while reading a book that I found very interesting and engaging, I had a thought.... (I read a lot, Kindle has been a wonderful tool for me to read more without taking up more space in my house with lots of books, for which my wife is grateful).....

The thought was, 'I wish I could discuss some of these books I'm reading, and recommend some of them, and get other's recommendations'. And then I thought, there are a lot of very intelligent individuals with a diversity of opinions and insight on AO, who probably read a lot, and could steer me to interesting things to read. And I read a wide variety of books, historical, fiction, social and political, philosophy, technical journals on occasion....pretty much anything but junk romance. I even read the odd western on occasion. I still like Max Brand better than Louis L'amour (let the flaming begin!).

Anyway, as such, I thought it might be of interest to share what you are reading, maybe a brief Cliff's notes and recommendation or not. I'm hoping this could be done within the boundaries of the AO Forum rules, inasmuch as a book on political or religious topic could be mentioned without it turning into another One Of Those Threads. Just civil discourse, an "I'm reading this book by X and it's about topic Z, I liked/hated it but found it engaging because....". Something like that. As an avid, lifelong reader I'm always looking for a recommendation on a good read. I could probably put up dozens right now that are springing to mind, that are maybe on or off the beaten trail but that I really enjoyed.

I'm going to limit myself to current and last three reads, too start off, so that I don't go off the deep end immediately. So, with visions of a friendly, interesting Book Club type format in mind, and looking forward to contributions, here goes.

I am currently reading "Vision of the Anointed", by Thomas Sowell, and am halfway through. I've read the odd commentary of his, and someone on this forum has a quote of his as his signature line (can't remember who)...and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Sowell is an economist and political commentator, and this book is of a political nature as such. I haven't finished it, but totally recommend it. A brief synopsis here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vi...f_the_Anointed

Very engaging, revealing and readable, and though it was written 20 or so years ago it is absolutely current events material.


Prior to starting that, I spent the last five weeks reading the entire collected works of Jack London, for $2 whole dollars from Kindle. I had read Call of the Wild and White Fang as a teen, and thought to re-read them after 30+ years as I remember I enjoyed them. I was completely drawn in by his works, and there is way more too it than Klondike gold rush dog mushing stories (which I enjoyed btw). Everything from riding trains as a teen, to sealing, to sailing the South Pacific, to political treatise as fiction. I was very surprised at the socialist leanings he had (very common and fashionable for his time, especially among writers and intellectuals). He is quite articulate, and his grasp of philosophy was surprising....though I wasn't convinced on his politics I still enjoyed the fictional format of them. He also seemed to have a preoccupation with suicide, which I found a bit uncomfortable, more than a touch of nihilism in his writings. All a bit surprising from what I expected to be a good yarn of the Klondike kind of thing. My favorite three books of his would be Martin Eden (brilliant I thought), The Sea Wolf, and John Barleycorn (a book on temperance promoting prohibition which I totally disagree with but found compelling, as it predated prohibition).

And to round it out, I read Jordan Peterson's 12 Rules for Life recently. I won't go into it in depth, suffice to say I really enjoyed the down to earth, practical, common sense of the book, though I did find that on occasion he got into the deep end of the pool a bit. I suppose that is to be expected, he is an obviously highly intelligent man, he thinks things through on a deep level. I completely recommend this one, it's a best seller for a reason. My son is reading it and enjoying it currently.

So AO....any other readers on here who can contribute and make this an interesting thread?

[qwert]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

snip
So AO....any other readers on here who can contribute and make this an interesting thread?

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-...nary-call-arms

Good Luck, YMMV.

[Twisted Canuck]

Originally Posted by qwert

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-...nary-call-arms

Good Luck, YMMV.

Interesting list of things to do and read....in the last year I've actually read four of the books he mentions: Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, 1984, and Animal Farm. I think Atlas Shrugged should also be on his list, read that recently too....

[tirebob]

I too really enjoy Jack London's books, with Call Of The Wild and The Sea Wolf being probably my two favourites. I am also a huge fan of John Steinbeck's writing. East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath, Winter of Our Discontent, Cannery Row etc... Some of the best books I have ever read. Hemmingway, James Joyce, etc etc.. I guess you can say I am a huge fan of the classics.

That said I also can easily get sucked in by a cheesy spy novel. Aalso in our house, because we had kids who grew up in the time period, Harry Potter books are always on the shelf. I like to think I am quite well rounded in my fiction reading, and for non-fiction I really have no specific preference as much as just what catches my fancy at the time. I am reading some biographical stuff on Winston Churchill right now I am enjoying.

My interests are extremely wide and varying so I can always find something to read, and now with a 200km/day commute I have gotten into audio books so I can get in even more reading time! lol!

[Twisted Canuck]

Originally Posted by tirebob

I am also a huge fan of John Steinbeck's writing. East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath, Winter of Our Discontent, Cannery Row etc... Some of the best books I have ever read. Hemmingway, James Joyce, etc etc.. I guess you can say I am a huge fan of the classics.

Absolutely fantastic books there....complete works of Hemingway for a couple bucks on Kindle too, I love that thing! He is one of my favorites, Islands in the Stream, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Old Man & The Sea. And Steinbeck is awesome!

[HighlandHeart]

Originally Posted by qwert

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-...nary-call-arms

Good Luck, YMMV.

Smedley Butler's "War is a Racket" and Edward Bernays "Propaganda" are two great reads that most people have never heard of. Smedley Butler is a hero, the guy should be on a US postal stamp.

[HighlandHeart]

https://www.amazon.ca/Where-Wagon-Le.../dp/1895618843

Great book about the old days.

https://www.amazon.ca/Short-History-.../dp/0385660049

Great book about the even older days.

[qwert]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

Interesting list of things to do and read....in the last year I've actually read four of the books he mentions: Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, 1984, and Animal Farm. I think Atlas Shrugged should also be on his list, read that recently too....

Results of a poll for the most 'important' book of the 20th century -

1- 1984, written in 1948 (by kerosene lamp, in a stone cottage in NW Scotland, that possibly contributed to his death) by Robert Blair, aka George Orwell, (who studied under Aldous Huxley & father Julien).

He also wrote the best book of the Spanish Civil War, 'Homage To Catalonia', that reported the betrayals and treachery of the several Communist and Socialist divisions inside the Republican forces. It is a great example of how civil wars are used to further other agendas.

2- Brave New World - written in 1934 by Aldous Huxley, son of Julien H associate of HG Wells, (all interesting to research)

3- The Trial, written in 1923 by Franz Kafka, basis of movie with Jeremy Irons called 'The Castle'.

I have also read many other books by the above, all are worthwhile, some are spectacular experiences.

I recently re-read Atlas Shrugged and the Fountainhead, and found 3 more Ayn Rand books at the recent library book sale. She is an intriguing author with 'unexplained' connection to post war social engineers, and other 'deep state' actors and agents.

I also thoroughly enjoy everything Kurt Vonnegut ever wrote, I suggest reading in the same order as written and as his writing and characters evolved.

Others are
John Fowles (especially The Magus)
Joseph Heller (Catch 22)
William Golding (Lord of the Flies, & The Paper Chase)
Ken Kesey (The Last Go Round, is my favorite cowboy book)
Robertson Davies, (real 'old Canadian' characters & stories)
John Brunner (SF)

So many great books and writers, there is actual intelligence to be found off TV, Hollylies and the WWW.

Good Luck, YMMV.

[Twisted Canuck]

Kafka is interesting, I've been plowing through his collected works on and off this past year, as well as Vonnegut. Bit of a theme with a few of the authors that have come up?

Kafka can be a bit weird with some of his stuff though, hit and miss for me.

Loved Heller's Catch 22, and recently read Lord of the Flies again. I thinks Stephen King was inspired by that book!

[KegRiver]

I like !

I used to read a lot. Mostly first person life stories written by pioneers and homesteaders. I also enjoy some fiction and love anything funny.

I used to have an extensive library of such books but now I have a dozen or less left. Loaned out and never returned.

I've kinda given up reading. In recent years my eyesight makes reading for long periods uncomfortable.

I am also not good at writing reviews. But I do like the idea of AO members sharing in some way, what they have read.

My contribution;

The Homemade Brass Plate by Cornellia Lehn.

This is one book in a series of books about the real life story of pioneer doctor Dr. Mary Percy Jackson who dedicated her life to serving the people of the Peace River district in northern Alberta.

This book covers her life from immigration to Canada to her final years of life.

Dr. Jackson was our family doctor and the Dr. who delivered me into this world so admittedly I am biased in favor of this book. Still I strongly believe anyone interested in pioneer life or the founding of this province will love this book.

The book tells of the hardships of living in Northern Alberta before there were roads or telephones or hospitals. It tells of debilitating diseases, injuries and how the homesteaders took it all in stride.

The writing is spell binding. It paints graphic pictures of life back then. Plus the book has many photos from that era.

---------------------------------------------------

The next book I'd recommend is; How to *hit in the Woods, by Kathleen Meyer.

I think most men find answering the call of nature in the wilderness more or less a simple matter.

My 11 sisters taught me a long time ago, this is not so for women.
This book is a light hearted, often hilarious look at the subject.

Meant to be a how to book for first time adventurers it manages to also be one of the funniest books I have read.

-----------------------------------------------------

My final contribution are not books but authors that I know. One is my daughter and the other a close close friend.

First my daughter, N R Tupper and her book "Children of Dreki"

This is a sci fi book about a lady space ship captain and her struggle to escape her past and cement her future.

This is not my preferred genre so I'll leave the reviews to others who enjoy this sort of thing.

One reviewer had this to say about Children of Dreki;

"
The intriguing narration and plot direction build up the suspense nicely, page after page, as Kai tries to lead her crew and two suspicious people, Hawthorne and Ryn, out of Egeria. More problems arise and more secrets are discovered. It’s an engaging read from start to finish. Kai, Mallik, Uri, Haydn, Bristol and Tucker are well-fleshed out characters. This first novel in the Children of Dreki series is worth a read, particularly for lovers of sci-fi, fantasy and dragons. "


Last I'd like to say a bit about my friend Teresa Griffith.


Teresa is an outdoors kinda gal and her books, she has written a few, reflect that.


The book I'll talk about today is one I have a part in, I took the photo on the cover.


This is a book about re-enacting a part of the fur trade life, namely life on a York boat.

An authentic York boat was built and a volunteer crew recruited to run the Peace River from Dunvegan to Fort Vermilion. Every effort was made to duplicate the fur traders experience as closely as possible.

Period dress, period food, period boat. This is the story of that trip from the captain's prospective.


I first encountered the York boat and her crew at Notikenwin Provincial park while out fishing. Up to that moment I knew nothing about the trip, the boat and her crew.


Now I'm close friends with three of the original crew members and my photo graces the cover of this book about that first trip.


As for the book, I think it is a good read but again I am biased.

[Twisted Canuck]

I'm going to look for those Keg, they all sound interesting to me. The sci-fi that your daughter wrote sounds like some of the lighter reading I do when I need to give my brain a rest from some of the heavier serious stuff I go through. Sometimes reading is a discipline of the mind, more than for pleasure. Thanks for contributing Keg.

[sns2]

Not long ago, I completed A HIGHER LOYALTY: TRUTH, LIES, AND LEADERSHIP by James Comey. It was an astounding book. I bought the audio version of it, which can be hit and miss based on the narrator. However, Comey himself did the narration, and his emotion, and now familiar voice make all the difference in the world.

In his book, former FBI director James Comey shares his never-before-told experiences from some of the highest-stakes situations of his career in the past two decades of American government, exploring what good, ethical leadership looks like, and how it drives sound decisions. His journey provides an entry into the corridors of power, and a remarkable lesson in what makes an effective leader.

Comey served as director of the FBI from 2013 to 2017, appointed to the post by President Barack Obama. He previously served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and the U.S. deputy attorney general in the administration of President George W. Bush. From prosecuting the Mafia and Martha Stewart to helping change the Bush administration's policies on torture and electronic surveillance, overseeing the Hillary Clinton e-mail investigation as well as ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, Comey has been involved in some of the most consequential cases and policies of recent history. Regardless of your political slant, this is a fascinating retelling of a man who was put in the epitome of a no win situation before the week before the 2016 election.

I highly recommend this book.

[Twisted Canuck]

SNS2, in light of some of the controversy surrounding Comey, and some of his business background and so forth (I found his background fascinating, Business Insider has covered him extensively)...did you find any personal bias towards his book? I think I would have to really detach myself from preconceived notions, and would probably struggle to be unbiased towards his book...but would give it a go on your recommendation.

But honestly, i'm so sick of the Trump show, that anything connected to the drama of the White House (whether good or bad people involved) just turns me off...

That's about a half dozen books to look for already!

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

SNS2, in light of some of the controversy surrounding Comey, and some of his business background and so forth (I found his background fascinating, Business Insider has covered him extensively)...did you find any personal bias towards his book? I think I would have to really detach myself from preconceived notions, and would probably struggle to be unbiased towards his book...but would give it a go on your recommendation.

That's about a half dozen books to look for already!

After you read this book, you will see that the courage of his convictions, and devotion to the rule of law, made him equally hard on both Donald AND Hillary. I had no preconceived notions about him other than he struck me as someone who was in a helluva catch 22.

[Albertadiver]

Sorry, i had to. It''s Friday and I need about 8 mojitos.

https://www.amazon.ca/Wide-Mouthed-F...l_47l4ktv367_e

[Red Bullets]

Already a great thread.

This could be interesting. Great suggestion for a thread. I would be willing to participate on a thread like this if it fits with the theme. I am no where near the 'critique' writer like Twisted Canuck and others but could occasionally contribute note on a book or manuscript worthy of mention. I have found a place online that has umpteen thousands of books of all genres that a person can read for free. The books can be really old or up to date modern. Books that are public domain.

https://archive.org/

You can also listen to many of them online too. Archive.org is linked to https://librivox.org/ which has free audio books of all genres and for all ages. If you like you can volunteer on Librivox to read and record a chapter or two of a book or the whole book for others to listen to.

I am listening to this book right now. I have read portions of this book before it became audio. (Nice to have another voice in the house telling me the story.)

William T. Hornaday wrote this book in 1887 and is a great insight to the dismantling of the great herds of buffalo. His accounting of the buffalo herds is colorful and really makes a person realize just how this land was so different as recently as 15 decades ago. He was commissioned by the Smithsonian Museum to write the book.
https://archive.org/details/extermin...aday_128kb.mp3

I read lots of books related to Alberta and Canadian history. I enjoy first person accountings of the early explorers and settlers the most because I know many of the places they trod and speak of.

Twisted Canuck.... On Kindle you can buy " The Works of Ballantyne". You get all 54 of his books for $2.30. His writings are a very colorful regarding the people of our canadian past. Fact and rendition from the 1800's. From the villians, to the women to the adventurers. His books like "Away in the Wilderness" and "Fighting the Whales" are a great read so I imagine there are several others in the 54 books.

[Jason Bourne]

Originally Posted by sns2

Not long ago, I completed A HIGHER LOYALTY: TRUTH, LIES, AND LEADERSHIP by James Comey. It was an astounding book. I bought the audio version of it, which can be hit and miss based on the narrator. However, Comey himself did the narration, and his emotion, and now familiar voice make all the difference in the world.

In his book, former FBI director James Comey shares his never-before-told experiences from some of the highest-stakes situations of his career in the past two decades of American government, exploring what good, ethical leadership looks like, and how it drives sound decisions. His journey provides an entry into the corridors of power, and a remarkable lesson in what makes an effective leader.

Comey served as director of the FBI from 2013 to 2017, appointed to the post by President Barack Obama. He previously served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and the U.S. deputy attorney general in the administration of President George W. Bush. From prosecuting the Mafia and Martha Stewart to helping change the Bush administration's policies on torture and electronic surveillance, overseeing the Hillary Clinton e-mail investigation as well as ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, Comey has been involved in some of the most consequential cases and policies of recent history. Regardless of your political slant, this is a fascinating retelling of a man who was put in the epitome of a no win situation before the week before the 2016 election.

I highly recommend this book.

I just finished this book last night.Really enjoyed it too. It's kind of a shame he wasn't the 3rd candidate in that battle. I think he'd make a great President! He would be a great person to work for. Another one i listened to recently on audiobook while driving was the Andre Aggasiz biography called "Open". Very good story too.

[RandyBoBandy]

While waiting for spinal cord surgery, I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance...Fantastic read

[jpohlic]

Originally Posted by RandyBoBandy

While waiting for spinal cord surgery, I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance...Fantastic read

I've had this one in the camper for a few years and finally finished it this summer. I found the philosophy angle a bit too deep, especially towards the end of the book. Otherwise it was a decent read.

Currently reading "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein. A tale of a dogs life with his owner, from the dogs point of view. Only about 40 pages in and its a great read so far, other than someone nearby must be dicing a really strong onion..... sniff sniff

[S-in-Cochrane]

I am currently reading Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.

It’s a western ... sort of... It’s hard to explain. I’d say look it up for someone smarter than me to explain it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Meridian

I’m reading through McCarthy in chronological order.

Another one I’ve read relatively recently was Campfires in The Canadian Rockies.

https://www.safaripress.com/camp-fir...n-rockies.html




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[Parker Hale]

I'll start with my most recent read, Pierre Burton's The Klondike. A great book by a great story teller. Gives a glimpse into just how tough it was for those looking to strike it rich.
Next I'll add one that is a favourite of mine, Three Against the Wilderness by Eric Collier.

[Twisted Canuck]

I'll throw another recent read that I found quite fascinating, but it is a fairly heavy read (unless you have a solid background in astrophysics and physics I suppose). It is called 'The God Theory' by Bernard Haisch. This gives a better synopsis than I can. Not for the faint of heart to tackle, but an excellent book if you put the effort in. One of my 'mental discipline reads', as well as a new look at a topic that I still find myself curious about, and drawn to.

https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Bernard_Haisch


https://www.newscientist.com/article...ernard-haisch/

[Maxwell78]

A few must reads are:

"Endurance": Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Another is "Island of the lost" (another shipwreck book)
"Captain Scott" Robert F Scott's voyage to the south pole

[Indy]

One of the best recent reads was this:

https://bookoutlet.ca/Store/Details/...iABEgK7e_D_BwE

It changed the way I look at drug prohibition, YMMV.

This is interesting, currently half done (slow read for me):

https://bookoutlet.ca/Store/Details/...iABEgKYwvD_BwE

Not nearly as tin foil hat as it sounds.

My guilty pleasure has been this:

https://www.amazon.ca/Omega-Rising-F.../dp/B00B795UUS

Read the series...

[stob]

Critical Thought - Buckminster Fuller
7 Story Mountian - Thomas Moore
Catcher In the Rye
The Little Prince
Hemingway
Red Lights on the Praires
Kruppenstall
A Course in Miracles

[Mastodon]

Just read Call of the wild again. It was free on google play, and I downloaded it on my phone. I do prefer reading a book over using my phone, but this was a nice break from typical social media/online shopping.

[Twisted Canuck]

Well, I just finished Bob Woodward's book 'Fear:'....pretty much confirms what anyone watching the gong show at the White House might suspect....and then some. Great read, if a bit frightening. Anyway, I need to go do some light reading for a while to get past this ..maybe time to give Marcus Aurelius' 'Meditations' another read.

[Moosetalker]

listing every book I have read over the last half century would probably wear out my keyboard. There have been many ranging from Outdoor books to Books about the Vietnam conflict western's to SF and SFF.

A few of worth to look up.

In the Wild theme. Albertan Author.
Jack Ondrack's Big Game Hunting in Alberta Lots of Historical hunting pictures and information.

SFF Mallazan Books of the Fallen.
Canadian Author Steven Erikson. Series of 10. 700 to 900 page books perfect for the long November nights in camp. Warning not for the UN dedicated easily distracted/confused casual reader.

[frusig]

I am currentl reading House of Cards book. It's alright but the netflix series is better. Than I am reading Dexter Omnibus. Again, the book is alright but tv series is something else! But what I can recommend is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

[Okotok]

Just finished "The Invisible Hook" by Peter Leeson. It's about Pirate economics mainly in the 18th century during the golden age of pirates. A very interesting read. It was generally a lot more democratic and lucrative being a pirate as opposed to a Merchant sailor or any other legal seagoing trade other than the getting hanged if you were caught thing. They had inventive ways around that as well.