[Ang]

I did enjoy A Few Good Men, but only cause of Jack Nicholsen. I don't like Tom Cruise because I don't agree with what he stands for, so I don't watch his films.

I am almost done with The Firm now. Mitch has already been snitched out and is on the run hiding in the apartment in Nashville. When I finish, I will hit the library and pick up a copy of A Time To Kill. Thanks for the suggestion and I'll let you know what I think of that book in a couple weeks......

[Southsider2k12]

This is what I am reading now. Its a bio of John Lennon, and so far I am stunned.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=j...itle#ps-sellers

I am in the very early years of the Beatles (they haven't even hit the States yet) and I never knew how awful Lennon was. He was a sexist/racist/homophobe/etc. He was a brawler, and he was a serial adulterer. I don't know if he changes in the later stages of his life, but I had never heard about this side of the guy. I am totally hooked on this book.

[Michelle]

This is what I am reading now. Its a bio of John Lennon, and so far I am stunned.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=j...itle#ps-sellers

I am in the very early years of the Beatles (they haven't even hit the States yet) and I never knew how awful Lennon was. He was a sexist/racist/homophobe/etc. He was a brawler, and he was a serial adulterer. I don't know if he changes in the later stages of his life, but I had never heard about this side of the guy. I am totally hooked on this book.

Hmm, that sounds really interesting. I'll have to take a look at it. I know the music of the Beatles pretty well, but I don't know much about any of their personal lives.

[Michelle]

It's been a good week in books. Here are two more that I really enjoyed

Confessions of a Teen Sleuth: A Parody
by Chelsea Cain



This is the memoir of the real Nancy Drew, girl detective. Nancy tells us that her life story was stolen by the author Carolyn Keene, and she is publishing this memoir to set the record straight. She tells the real story about her relationships with Ned Nickerson and Frank Hardy, her friendships with Bess and George, and the path of her life into adulthood and old age. Chelsea Cain perfectly mimics the style and formula of the old Nancy Drew books in this fond yet brutally funny send-up of the famous sleuth. Get to know the real Nancy Drew as she solves mysteries from the Prohibition era, World War II, the Summer of Love, and into the '90s. Bonus appearances by the Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames, the Bobbsey Twins, Kim Aldrich, Donna Parker, Encyclopedia Brown, and more! I was a big Nancy Drew fan when I was younger, and I laughed out loud at this revealing look into her world. An adult take on a childhood icon.

The Walls of the Universe
by Paul Melko



John Rayburn, a farm boy from Ohio, is having a bad day when things take a turn for the weird--his doppelganger shows up in his parents' pumpkin patch. As his doppelganger explains, he is also John Rayburn (but you can call him John Prime, for simplicity's sake), and he's from another corner of the Multiverse. He has a device that allows him to travel through the walls of the universe and visit the other versions of his world. John R takes him up on his offer to try out the device, but it turns out it doesn't quite work as described. Now John R is traveling across the Multiverse to try to find a way back to his world. Meanwhile, John Prime usurps John R's life and tries to get rich by "inventing" the Rubik's Cube--which doesn't exist in John R's version of the world. An entertaining page-turner for people who like soft sci-fi themes. It fizzles out a little in the end, but leaves room for a sequel.

[Yokas]

This is my second time responding to this thread. It would be really scary if I ever became technologically savvy. As it is, I stay mildly confused.
The book suggestions are wonderful! You've really enhanced my reading. Thanks everyone. I have a couple of suggestions that weren't mentioned. They were my favorite reads for this year.
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. This is about the 1893 Chicago World Fair. Great book! Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. This is about the circus during the Depression. Another great book. And last, The Power of One (I can't remember the author's last name; and I've loaned it to someone.) Probably my favorite book for the year. It is about a white boy growing up in Africa. It begins during WWII. The first 50 pages are brutal reading; but then it is wonderful!
I also want to mention books by Jodi Picoult. Wonderful writer. Her books all deal with social issues. She explores all sides of the issue. Good reading.

[Michelle]

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. This is about the 1893 Chicago World Fair. Great book! Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. This is about the circus during the Depression. Another great book.

I'm excited to read both of those, but they've been checked out constantly. Very popular

I've heard nothing but wonderful things about Jodi Picoult too. I don't think she's ever gotten a bad review. Generally, I don't like hot-topic "issue" books, but I do like psychological stories, unreliable narrators, and books with a twist... What book do you think I should start with?

[Yokas]

I'm excited to read both of those, but they've been checked out constantly. Very popular

I've heard nothing but wonderful things about Jodi Picoult too. I don't think she's ever gotten a bad review. Generally, I don't like hot-topic "issue" books, but I do like psychological stories, unreliable narrators, and books with a twist... What book do you think I should start with?

The Jodi Picoult that "got to me" was Mercy She did a remarkable job of showing all aspects of the effects of bullying.

[lbl]

Anyone need a laugh? Read Lamb: the Gospel According to Biff by Christopher Moore! In fact read anything by Christopher Moore.

Need thought? Read Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig.

Need beauty? Read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I know, I know they made you read it in high school...well, read it for real now, it's breathtaking, and heartbreaking.

Need hope? Read The teachings of Don Juan: The Yaqui Way of Knowledge by Carlos Castaneda (I'm sure some of you more "experienced" post-ers read this during a different stage of your life.)

Need love for life? Read Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. Read it hard! Get down on it! There are perspectives we should all be aware of!

Need grounding? Read The Color of Water by James McBride

Need a crazy twist ending, a quick read, but complex issues concerning the control of your destiny? (Gee i hope not), read Oedipus Rex by Sophocles the B.M.W. Knox translation.

that should do you for a while...

[Michelle]

I've been posting a ton in this thread recently, but I couldn't wait to share this book:

The Legal Limit
by Martin Clark



Mason Hunt is a law student who comes home to southern Virginia on break. He goes out to a party with his older brother Gates, a former high school football star turned degenerate. An argument at the party leads to an altercation on a lonely country road. Mason instinctively helps his brother with a cover-up, with long-term implications. A finely tuned examination of family ties vs. principle, with several complementary subplots examining what justice demands.

This book hits the trifecta--an engrossing plot, interesting and developed characters, and a strong sense of place. The ethical dilemmas facing the characters invite discussion. This legal thriller may be a good fit for fans of Scott Turow, George Pelecanos, and John Grisham, but it deserves to find a wide readership beyond those ranks as well.

[Michelle]

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. This is about the 1893 Chicago World Fair. Great book!

So I finally read Devil in the White City. Very interesting; thanks for the recommendation! It was a great read, full of interesting historical facts and plenty of drama. I was slightly put off by some of the author's invention. He included information from scenes couldn't have been part of the historical record (i.e., the expressions on Holmes' face; the author's interpretation of the incident with the skeleton in Holmes' childhood). Clearly, this makes the book more readable and interesting, but but wholesale invention in historical books bothers me a bit. Overall, though, it was very enjoyable.

In other reading, I loved Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell. A young man's grandparents are killed. He seeks retribution for them and falls into the mafia, becoming a hit man. Later, he enters witness protection and becomes a medical resident. But when he is recognized and his new identity is threatened, he has to take drastic action to save himself and others.



It's not a book for everyone--there's plenty of profanity, creative violence, and sexual situations in it. But that doesn't define it. It's a very dark, comic, literary story that moves at a rapid pace, footnoted with medical details for every situation. A very interesting read from a promising new talent. The film rights have been purchased, and Leonardo DiCaprio is set to star in it.

[Ang]

Hey SSder!! Thanks for the recommendation on A Time To Kill by John Grisham. Excellent story. I'm not quite finished, but it's so good I've been taking the book with me where ever I go. I read at every opportunity (even the intersections with the long traffic lights! ha ha)

They did make a movie of that one too. Matthew McConaughey and Samuel L Jackson starred in it... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117913/
I didn't catch the whole movie, only the end and I never knew what the name of the movie was, but as soon as I started reading that book, I knew. I'm glad to be able to know the whole story and will have to rent the movie so I can see the whole thing when I'm done. (I love Matthew McConaughey and want to marry him when I grow up)

[Southsider2k12]

The movie is awesome. You go through points where you love, hate, love, hate, and love the main character. It is really well done.

[Yokas]

Recently I finished reading The Reader Very dark. It's a German author writing about people during post WWII Germany. It was quite a book.

[mcstumper]

You want dark? I just finished Cormac McCarthy's "The Road". It's a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and son trying to survive. Now I am going to have to read a Christopher Moore book to ward off depression

[Yokas]

You want dark? I just finished Cormac McCarthy's "The Road". It's a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and son trying to survive. Now I am going to have to read a Christopher Moore book to ward off depression

I understand, and will join you!

[Michelle]

You want dark? I just finished Cormac McCarthy's "The Road". It's a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and son trying to survive. Now I am going to have to read a Christopher Moore book to ward off depression

I agree, but you do know what you're getting into when you read a post-apocalyptic book. It's not like I pick one up and think, "Hmm, end of the world, this ought to be good for some giggles."

[Michelle]

Speaking of post-apocalypse, I just finished reading Earth Abides by George R. Stewart. A disease wipes out most of the human race, leaving only scattered survivors. Our main character Ish, a young geologist and a great observer, chronicles the path of humans in the years after the plague and the changes to the earth. Good stuff. Originally published in 1969.

Also enjoyed The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet. Tecumseh Sparrow Spivet is a 12 year old cartographer living on a ranch in Montana. He maps every detail of his life and surroundings, as well as providing maps and illustrations for leading publications and exhibits. When his mentor enters him for the prestigious Baird award for illustrators at the Smithsonian and he wins (the Smithsonian is unaware of his age), he embarks on a cross-country trip to the nation's capital hobo-style. T.S. is a unique and refreshing narrative voice. The book is copiously illustrated with T.S.'s maps and illustrations. Loved it.

[Ang]

I've started the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Lindsay Boxer is a tough San Fransisco Homicide Detective and her character is so very real. I like these books better than the Alex Cross novels I guess because the hero is a woman, but also because they are so down to earth and full of feminine-type humor. It's been my experience that it's difficult for a man to write a story about women and have it be "real" but James Patterson has overcome that and these stories are excellent. So, if you're into murder mysteries, Check out the Women's Murder Club series, starting with 1st To Die

[IndyTransplant]

I've started the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Lindsay Boxer is a tough San Fransisco Homicide Detective and her character is so very real. I like these books better than the Alex Cross novels I guess because the hero is a woman, but also because they are so down to earth and full of feminine-type humor. It's been my experience that it's difficult for a man to write a story about women and have it be "real" but James Patterson has overcome that and these stories are excellent. So, if you're into murder mysteries, Check out the Women's Murder Club series, starting with 1st To Die

Welcome back Ang! We missed you.



If you are also a computer game player, there are games for the Women's Murder Club series. You can get these through Big Fish Games ($6.99 per game download or if you also want the CD an additional $7+ for the CD to be mailed to you) or Real Arcade (slightly higher price - $9.99, I think) or many other game sites.

[Southsider2k12]

Decoding the Pyramids John DeSalvo

I love a good research book on the pyramids, though this one trends much more mystical.