What are you reading lately?

[keith]

I've finished the Expanse series, and am tossing up between the Expanse short stories, or The Dictionary of Lost Words for next

[Foggy]

I vote Expanse short stories.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Prairie Fires The Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder is a grim read so far. She was born in 1867 in Wisconsin near Lake Pepin which is the widest section of the Mississippi River. The book was in the 2017 10 Best Books of the New York Times Book Review.

The Civil War, Native Americans and the U.S. Government battling with the government causing harm to the Native Americans, prairie fires caused by mass logging in the Midwest, a nationwide depression, the Ingalls living in virtual poverty, and documented locust plagues are just a few of the things I have read so far. This is a true biography unlike others which are hagiography.

I am taking it in bites. We are living in luxury in comparison.

[Foggy]

Last (6th) book in the Junkyard Pirate seies, by Jamie McFarlane, Junkyard Ghost Ship.

I like series that are well-written and have interesting characters and a semi-entertaining plot. If I'm willing to sit down over a beer with the characters in the book, you got me.

This is not great literature, but they're fun.

I found another series by the same author, Jamie McFarlane, and this one has 20 books in the series. I bought the first one, and we'll see.

[Foggy]

I found another series by the same author, Jamie McFarlane, and this one has 20 books in the series. I bought the first one, and we'll see.

I have finished the Junkyard Pirate series, and I loved it all the way to the end. Didn't get old, even the sixth and final book.

Some authors just can't stay fresh in a long series. When I finish the last book in a series and I'm pissed because there aren't any more to read, I know I found an author I can hang with.

So now I'm 81% through the first book in the 20-book series by the same author, and ... and it's an earlier work by Jamie McFarlane, and the first book of the 20, so not quite as great as the Junkyard Pirate books ... but I like it. I like the characters. I like the writing. I've been looking for something to tide me through the post-operative period following the grand opening of my left shoulder, and this will do nicely.

I am not disappoint.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

I am reading Jo Nesbo's series about Norwegian homicide detective Harry Hole.

[Maybenaut]

I am reading Jo Nesbo's series about Norwegian homicide detective Harry Hole.

That was really good. That guy was seriously messed up.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

I am reading Jo Nesbo's series about Norwegian homicide detective Harry Hole.

That was really good. That guy was seriously messed up.

Yep!

[Estiveo]

For those of you interested in WWII histories, my friend Greg has put together his grandfather's memoirs and the book is released this month. I've been following Greg's progress as he put this together over the last few years, and it's a pretty unique insight to one man's view of the the war.

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[SuzieC]

I'm reading James Comey's debut crime novel Central Park West. Although it has received mixed reviews and I know, Comey, I am liking it. Comey's long history with the FBI and as a federal prosecutor is really on display as his characters assemble a prosecution of a notorious mob assassin. Projected to be the first of a 3-book series.

[Foggy]

Started the 13th book in a 20-book series. Whew! Still fun, tho ...

[Dr. Ken]

I think I finished up the Dresden files which was recommended to me I just finished Battleground this morning. Outside of reading the Jack Reacher books I've been jumping around looking for some new stuff to read. I read Dan Jones' Power and Thrones aboutt he middle ages as well as The Templars. I have a few historical books on my list

[Foggy]

I started a new series by Jenny Schwartz, and the first book is Doctor Galaxy. I keep telling y'all, this lady has a deep and humorous understanding of the human psyche, and I love reading her books. She's an Australian, mates. Jenny Schwartz good, Satan bad.

[Volkonski]

Just finished "The Girl in the Eagle's Talons" the 7th book in the Millennium Series and the 1st one by new author Karin Smirnoff.

The new author does a good job of copying the style of the original 3 books. The plot is gripping. The ending sets up the next 2 books from the same new author. When she is done Millennium will be a trilogy of trilogies.

If you liked the previous adventures of Lisbeth Salander and "Kalle" Blomquist you will like this one.

[pipistrelle]

Has anyone read The Fall of Wisconsin by Dan Kaufman?

National bestseller

"Masterful." —Jane Mayer, best-selling author of Dark Money

The Fall of Wisconsin is a deeply reported, searing account of how the state’s progressive tradition was undone and Wisconsin itself turned into a laboratory for national conservatives bent on remaking the country. Neither sentimental nor despairing, the book tells the story of the systematic dismantling of laws protecting the environment, labor unions, voting rights, and public education through the remarkable battles of ordinary citizens fighting to reclaim Wisconsin’s progressive legacy.

[Volkonski]

"Hercules Poirot and the Greenshore Folly" by Agatha Christie. Written in 1954 this was not published until 2014.

Christie offered to write a novella to be sold to a magazine with the profits to go to her church for new stained glass windows.

She wrote it but it proved to be an awkward length. Too long to be published in a single magazine copy. Too short to run in installments. No magazine wanted to buy it.

Undaunted she wrote a shorter Miss Marple story which sold easily.

Later she expanded the Poirot story into a novel under the title "Dead Man's Folly" which was published in 1956. The Miss Marple short story was included in a collection of Christie stories called "Double Sin and other Stories" but the original Poirot novella remained unpublished for 60 years.

If you like Christie then "Greenshore Folly" will not disappoint. It differs enough from "Dean Man's Folly" to be worth a separate read. The Kindle version is only $2.99.

[John Thomas8]

I find it entertaining to switch between Agatha Christie and Rex Stout. Good brain exercise.

[MN-Skeptic]

The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science, A Scientist's Warning, by Peter J. Hotez.

Dr. Peter Hotez is one of the heroes of the pandemic. He helped develop a nonprofit Covid vaccine for use internationally.

I've just checked out the book from my library. The chapters in the book -

An Army of Patriots Turns against the Scientists
Health Freedom Propaganda in America
Red COVID
An Anti-science Political Ecosystem
A Tough Time to Be a Scientist
The Authoritarian Playbook
The Hardest Science Communication Ever
Southern Poverty Law Center for Scientists

The book includes 45 pages of literature cited.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading it.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

MN - I am telling Hubby about this book. He loves nonfiction like this!

[Luke]

Here's something super cool -- Libby, the book/audiobook app available through US libraries free, just added a feature called Newsstand. It's almost every magazine free. Instead of having to check it out and all that, now you pick all the titles you want and each time a new issue comes out, it's in your account for a week. Every category from health to entertainment to science, all the big name titles. I don't know how they're doing it (of course it's legit) and I don't care. It's terrific, check it out.

[Foggy]

I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down.

[AndyinPA]

[Shizzle Popped]

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There's a meme for everything!

[Shizzle Popped]

I just started reading the second volume of William Shirer's memoirs, The Nightmare Years: 1930-1940. Shirer was a journalist and the author of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich among other books. The first volume, The Start: 1904-1930 is extremely well written and describes in some detail what it was like growing up in Chicago and then Iowa before all the modern conveniences we take for granted today even existed, followed by his early career with the Chicago Tribune in Europe. The second volume is about India and living in Germany through the rise of Nazi Germany and the very first part of the war. Very interesting and well written books. I may follow this with the the two Berlin Diaries books before I read the third volume.

[Volkonski]

I can strongly recommend both Berlin Diary books.

Very interesting to see what he wrote about events day by day as it was happening.