Fiction or non-fiction? What’s on your bedside table?
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
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I used to read almost exclusively novels, but about 15 years ago, that began to change. Now I only read non-fiction, mostly political.
But I still recommend "A Prayer for Owen Meaney" every changce I get, to those who read good fiction.
City of God by EL Doctorow. Highly recommended for those who love great writing and striking ideas made alive by complex characters. For those who want a strong plot or a quick plot, not so much.
And thanks for the tip.
What’s beside my bed these days? (Sorry, no table to speak of.)
The latest Vanity Fair with new queen beeyot–excuse me–queen bee Carla Bruni on the cover.
Broken Vessels, by the late great Andre Dubus, and American Desert, by Percival Everett.
The latter is getting good.
non fiction. 99 %
Why doesn’t that surprise me?
😉
The Dream of Scipio by Iain Pears. Starting off slow but I liked his other book An Instance of the Fingerpost.
Fiction – Horror
Brian Keene – Dark Hollow
I love a horror novel and I read Ghoul by the same author and it was really really good. He is from central Penna. and uses Hanover, Spring Grove and York county locations in his novel. This one is a bit adult themed though so I don’t recommend it to the kids.
Mostly non-fiction these days. Recently finished The Horse, the Wheel, and Language by David W. Anthony. Currently about half way through Elegant Technology by Anthony Larson.
You, Boo, on the laptop.
Oh, and;
A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson
Calender, David Ewing Duncan
Don’t Know Much About Mythology, Kenneth Davis
A walk in the woods is one of my fav books Ever.
Non fictional: (1) Memoirs of a Psychic Spy, The Remarkable Life of U.S. Government Remote Viewer 001 by Joseph McMoneagle, and (2) The Phoenix Program by Douglas Valentine
If you like the book, hear from one of the program’s architect’s (Hal Puthoff) at this site. (I also highly recommend subscribing to the free newsletter. It’s the most interesting news I get.)
http://www.arlingtoninstitute.org/dr-harold-puthoff
Interesting mention of 2012 at that site.
One book I’m reading is Nephilim Stargates: The Year 2012 and the Return of the Watchers by Thomas Horn.
Also reading Buried in the Bitter Waters:The Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America by Elliot Jaspin.
Thanks for the reference, Lisa, I will check it out. I’ve heard of Puthoff and have met Russell Targ also. One time at the Monroe Institute, I listened to a talk given by McMoneagle. Small world is it not?
And Doug is a friend of mine. He recently sent me a bunch of MKULTRA files I haven’t had time yet to poke through..!
I decided a couple of years ago to try and read Bio’s on all signers of the Declaration of Independance.
I got tired of getting into debates with people and having them say ‘The founding father’s meant: (Insert reich wing talking point here)’ and my not having anything concreate to refute them…
So, I read a LOT of bios….
That’s a very smart move. I read recently (at Andrew Sullivan’s place I think) that hardly any of the “Founding Fathers” were “Christians” by today’s standards and we didn’t even have a “Christian” president (again, by today’s standards) for quite some time in the country’s history.
Currently at the top of the stack is James Tiptree, JR.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon
by Julie Phillips (recommended to me by AndiF) and Shrub: The Short But Happy Political Life of George W. Bush by Molly Ivins.
Tiptree Jr.’s SciFi/Fantasy is some of the most intriguing I’ve ever read.
There are also a couple of references on Scottish Clans for genealogical moods.
If I read fiction before bed, and it’s good, I won’t fall asleep. If I read nonfiction, and it’s good, I want to get up and take notes. And I can’t read something bad – not worth the time. So sadly, I don’t read in bed any more.
Just finished: The Last True Story I’ll Ever Tell by John Crawford, his book on being a National Guardsman in Iraq during the early days of the invasion.
Currently reading: China, Inc by Ted C Fishman regarding China’s explosive economic growth.
Just starting a bio on Emiliano Zapata.
I’m about to start CodeSpell.
Biden’s family has gathered in Delaware, according to Keith. Biden now trading in the 80s on Intrade.
It’s either a massive fake, or it’s Biden. And I’m thinking it’s Biden, since it’d be quite ridiculous to have his daughter and niece dragged in if it weren’t something big right now.
It seems there were a lot of family members visiting Bayh, too.
Meh. Well, I could live with it if true.
Thing is, Biden in the 80s during the Reagan regime was much like, well, Obama. I wish I could find the tape, but I remember seeing Biden giving the business to one of those two-bit cretins–can’t recall if it was Eagleburger or Meese–over that administration’s reluctance over sanctions on apartheid govt in South Africa. My God, it was a thing of beauty.
And after I finished watching, I found myself wondering, My God, what HAPPENED to him? Official Washington can really sap you of your passion, if not your priorities.
Maybe we’d find THAT Biden again. Maybe Biden will find that Biden again. And while I’m not gassed about him being D-MBNA (i.e., the Senator from every other corporation, including MBNA), IIRC, he is a strong, if lonely Amtrak advocate…maybe at Obama’s direction, he can also be in charge of revitalizing our rail.
I’d be OK with Biden.
Maybe a shot at the #2 job brings that Biden back. We did see flashes of the brilliant, young Biden during the primaries.
I’m fine with him if it’s true. I’d be pissed about Bayh.
And I kind of like that Biden is at least semi-human. Rides the train to work, isn’t filthy rich, wife’s a teacher, son served and is about to serve again.
We could do worse. I’ll say that much, and the rest I’ll file away under “We’ll See”.
I’ll say this, too: If having a shot at helping to put the first black president in office, and being his #2, doesn’t bring out good things and a lot of passion in a guy like Biden, I don’t know what will.
Yep. I think Biden is, fundamentally and at his core, a good egg.
Let’s do the damned thing! :<)
strictly recreational reading these days.
Red Lights by georges simenon, c.1955…it’s a bit like reading an extended narrative of a twilight zone episode, very dark.
See, when you said “recreational” I was expecting something along the lines of not total fluff, but perhaps something along the lines of George Pelacanos or something.
I mean, if you wanted dark, you could always pick up the Wash Post. Or the Times. Or Faux.
🙂
I kid, I kid. So how did you discover Red Lights?
are you familiar with it?
it was a bit of serendipity. l’ve been working my way through simenon’s voluminous output of mysteries with inspector maigret…still haven’t finished that, btw… was checking some out at the main library and the librarian suggested l look into his other work, suggesting this.
it’s very good, but very dark like l said.
No. But I figured if you liked it, then it was worth learning more about it, and the path you took to discover it!
Like Water for Elephants, by Sarah Gruen and Queen Bee Moms & Kingpin Dads by Rosalind Wiseman are my current reads.
I read mostly non-fiction, but will pick up fiction if it’s really good.
Right now, I have about 4 or 5 books on nightstand, but among them, I’m reading Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by President Carter and White House Ghosts by Robert Schlesinger.
And I just found out that Obama was in my hometown for an unscheduled visit–or at least, close enough for me to get there in five minutes. My parents didn’t get a chance to see him though…it was very quick, and a part of town they don’t frequent a lot anymore…no other reason, other than they don’t get down there often. Poo.
And apparently, Kaine has confirmed it’s not him. I’m genuinely bummed, but he’s needed right where he is for now (though I wouldn’t be mad if he was made part of the cabinet). The Lt. Gov, a five-alarm wingnut would have finished out his term.
You shouldn’t be bummed. I like Kaine better than some of the other picks, but he would have been tough to swallow for a variety of reasons.
Yeah, I know. That’s my heart talking,not my head. 🙂
Considering where he was–or was not–on choice, who would succeed him, that you can’t have two “outsiders” and other things, it just couldn’t be. I just talked to my MIL, and she’s said same: wanted Kaine, understand Biden.
But hey. Biden’s gonna do the damned thing. It’s cool, and I think the passionate, righteous side that I know is there can come on out. And not a moment too soon!
Obama/Biden. Let’s kick some ass!
Non-Fiction (but gaming related):
Quintessential Guide to Barbarians II.
And a can of Diet Cherry 7-up.
Non fiction on the bedside table, in the bathroom, in the living room, and in my commute bag. Usually have three or four books going at once. Haven’t read any fiction in years, and don’t miss it right now. I bought the last Harry Potter book when it first came out, and still haven’t touched it – don’t know who died (please don’t spoil it for me, I will get to it eventually).
Not surprisingly, nearly all the books I read are about the Middle East. One of the recent ones is about Iraqi women – just confirms what I already knew, and I sure wish it were required reading for every American, especially those who think Bush did Iraqi women some kind of favour. For those who might be interested, the book is Iraqi Women: Untold Stories from 1948 to the Present by social anthropologist Nadje Sadig Al Ali. I have heard several interviews of her, and she is really very interesting.
I am thinking of buying Ron Suskind’s book after hearing interviews he has done, and it seems to me that Andrew Bacevich’s recent book should be a must-read for all Americans and those who are affected by American policies.