Book lovers, please share your readings and favorites

[NZRob]

I've been reading every non-fiction adventure book I can find over the past few years. Recent favourites inclulde:

The Expedition: Solving the Mystery of a Polar Tragedy, by Bea Uusma. Fascinating story (hot air ballooning across the Arctic in 1897, what could possibly go wrong) but also written unlike anything else I have read. Really compelling and interesting.

Batavia, by Peter Fitzsimons. Grim account of an extraordinary survival story from the early 1600's off the west coast of Australia. Like no survival story you've ever come across.

Next up is Riding in the Zone Rouge (Tom Isitt) about a 2000km bike race through the battlefields of WW1, immediately after the war in 1919, and; One Summer - America 1927 by Bill Bryson.

 

[luliski]

I decided to enter Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge for 52 books. Am ahead of schedule currently but Anna Karenina (800+ pages) started couple nights ago will take me a while.

“Moonwalking with Eistein: the art and science of remembering everything” by Joshua Foer was entertaining. It overlapped a bit with Anders Ericsson’s book on the science of expertise but from a journalist’s self-experiment and exploration perspective.

Alum book club is reading “The Sixth Extinction: an Unnatural History” by Elizabeth Kolbert. Looks to be a heavy topic which I need to balance with a lighter summer reading. Any suggestion?

John Muir Trail by Elizabeth Wenk.

 

[Tony S]

On the other hand, so far I have failed to get hooked by Moby Dick.

You're waiting for the wrong sharp implement.

 

[chip inderhol]

The only one I've read is "War and Peace." Years ago (pre-ebook) I was travelling for work and kept running out of airplane reading. So I decided to try something that would last.

It takes about 100 pages to get into it, but after that, it is a page turner. Sadly, I think it only lasted me one trip, maybe two.

On the other hand, so far I have failed to get hooked by Moby Dick. It might be time to try again.

War and Peace is the 800 pound book gorilla I have yet to take on. It stands on my bookshelf mocking me with it's enormity. It's funny you said it took 100 pages to get into it. I felt the same way about Moby Dick. Melville wrote in an odd yet somehow poetic style. Once in, I loved it. Also really loved Mary Shelley's style of writing when I read Frankenstein. But in general 19th century writers are hard for me.

 

[chilehed]

Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book, by Walker Percy

Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire, by Richard B. Frank

 

[Jerez]

Only Russian reading for me was Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita in college but I don't remember anything except the title. Spent two weeks in St. Petersburg and Moscow last autumn, figure I should pay proper respect to at least one of its literary figures.

I have that Claire Dane's reading on CDs! Two years ago books of dystopia didn't interest me much, so I only got through the first 2 CDs. Now we're living in it... I should qualify that I listened to several books instead of read them. Little Women was THE BEST bedtime book listening!!! I also started listening to Jeremy Irons read Lolita, but he dramatized it too much when I rather use my own imagination, so that one goes back on the to-"read" list.

Your German and my Chinese... last year I watched the classic Japanese film "The Tale of Ugetsu," then stumbled upon the book translated into Chinese. I figure it would be a closer translation from Japanese to Chinese than into English. Since I probably haven't read an entire book in Chinese in over 20 years...I imagine it being so taxing that... I rather tackle an 800+ page Russian novel in English!

Master and Margarita was my favorite book in high school age. Most people have never heard of it. Good for you! I bought it to re read but just couldn't get through it. Maybe a different translation but the language was so difficult. Like rereading Huck Finn today.

If you liked it back then, you might enjoy some of Charles Thayer's books if you can find them, like Bears in the Caviar. Do you recall the debauched party scene in Bulgakov's book? Well that was Thayer's real life. Marvelous books funny and true!

 

[Jerez]

I've been reading every non-fiction adventure book I can find over the past few years. Recent favourites inclulde:

The Expedition: Solving the Mystery of a Polar Tragedy, by Bea Uusma. Fascinating story (hot air ballooning across the Arctic in 1897, what could possibly go wrong) but also written unlike anything else I have read. Really compelling and interesting.

Batavia, by Peter Fitzsimons. Grim account of an extraordinary survival story from the early 1600's off the west coast of Australia. Like no survival story you've ever come across.

Next up is Riding in the Zone Rouge (Tom Isitt) about a 2000km bike race through the battlefields of WW1, immediately after the war in 1919, and; One Summer - America 1927 by Bill Bryson.

Try In the Kingdom of Ice by Hamton Sides. Real life adventure looking for the North Pole by sea.

Anything by Bryson is almost guaranteed good. Not an adventure book but his newish book The Body is great and timely.

 

[Monique]

A few months ago, I read through the entirety of the Vorkosigan Saga. It's a soft sci fi series - the focus is on exploring the personal and the societal, not creating plausible science or (ugh) describing space battles in minute detail. Many have received Hugo and Nebula awards or nominations. The author recommends reading them in internal chronological order, so that's what I did this time around. I find them to be a quick read. While I have favorites, it would be hard to pick one because they build on each other so much. However, The Mountains of Mourning is a novella that shows the more somber side of the series, A Civil Campaign is an homage to historical romances (dedicated to "Jane, Charlotte, Georgette, and Dorothy), The Warrior's Apprentice sets the tone for most of Miles' precocious and insane adventures ...

 

[mdf]

A few months ago, I read through the entirety of the Vorkosigan Saga. It's a soft sci fi series - the focus is on exploring the personal and the societal, not creating plausible science or (ugh) describing space battles in minute detail. Many have received Hugo and Nebula awards or nominations. The author recommends reading them in internal chronological order, so that's what I did this time around. I find them to be a quick read. While I have favorites, it would be hard to pick one because they build on each other so much. However, The Mountains of Mourning is a novella that shows the more somber side of the series, A Civil Campaign is an homage to historical romances (dedicated to "Jane, Charlotte, Georgette, and Dorothy), The Warrior's Apprentice sets the tone for most of Miles' precocious and insane adventures ...

Good tip! I read a few back in the 80s or 90s, but lost track of them.

 

[NZRob]

On the other hand, so far I have failed to get hooked by Moby Dick. It might be time to try again.

The real-life story behind Moby Dick - In the Heart of the Sea - is far more interesting than the novel!

On the subject of incredible survival stories, the book 438 Days really just about tops them all. The Mexican fisherman who survived for...438 days...on a small boat in the Pacific Ocean.

 

[Jerez]

The life of Frito Pi?

 

[chilehed]

On the subject of incredible survival stories, the book 438 Days really just about tops them all. The Mexican fisherman who survived for...438 days...on a small boat in the Pacific Ocean.

How about Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors.

Better yet, Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage.

 

[Rainbow Jenny]

I've been reading every non-fiction adventure book I can find over the past few years.

I thoroughly enjoyed these two adventure books:
The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko
Into Africa by Martin Dugard
Dugard is probably better known for his books with Bill O'Reilly, Killing XYZ...

War and Peace is the 800 pound book gorilla I have yet to take on. It stands on my bookshelf mocking me with it's enormity. It's funny you said it took 100 pages to get into it. I felt the same way about Moby Dick. Melville wrote in an odd yet somehow poetic style. Once in, I loved it. Also really loved Mary Shelley's style of writing when I read Frankenstein. But in general 19th century writers are hard for me.

Yes, W&P was precisely the book I was avoiding when I mentioned "too many characters," in hundreds and hundreds.
Frankenstein is on my reading bucket list.

 

[mdf]

Yes, W&P was precisely the book I was avoiding when I mentioned "too many characters," in hundreds and hundreds.

I'm pretty sure all those nobles in the opening drinking scene are just there for atmosphere, and you can forget their names with impunity. There aren't that many characters that matter for more than a few scenes -- most of them are, as they say, cannon fodder.

 

[NZRob]

How about Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors.

Better yet, Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage.

Both phenomenal stories, and books

 

[NZRob]

I thoroughly enjoyed these two adventure books:
The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko
Into Africa by Martin Dugard

I found The Emerald Mile so immersive I sent a message of congratulations to Kevin Fedarko. He was very gracious in reply. Then I sort of wanted to be a river guide for a while LOL

 

[Rainbow Jenny]

I found The Emerald Mile so immersive I sent a message of congratulations to Kevin Fedarko. He was very gracious in reply. Then I sort of wanted to be a river guide for a while LOL

I should write to my favorite authors too!

I don’t blame you for wanting to be a river guide after the. book. I read The Emerald Mile shortly after my 3 week private permit trip, as a last minute add on. We didn’t even know if the trip was going to happen because of government shutdown. Thankfully the river opened up a week before our trip. So the book is pretty special to me.

 

[Mothertucker]

The real-life story behind Moby Dick - In the Heart of the Sea - is far more interesting than the novel!

On the subject of incredible survival stories, the book 438 Days really just about tops them all. The Mexican fisherman who survived for...438 days...on a small boat in the Pacific Ocean.

How about Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors.

Better yet, Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage.

Touching the Void by Joe Simpson

 

[Carolinacub]

Let's get away from all this highbrow stuff.
Right now I've gone back to some old favorites and am re-reading the Sackett series of book by Louis L'Amour.

 

[NZRob]

Let's get away from all this highbrow stuff.
Right now I've gone back to some old favorites and am re-reading the Sackett series of book by Louis L'Amour.

my taste in books is a looooong way from highbrow.

Wikipedia mentions James Michener in its synopsis of the Sackett series. He wrote some of my favourite books - Poland, Alaska etc. Whoch then made me think of Edward Rutherford and books like London & Russia