Read Any Good Books Lately?


 
A few of my favorites (I like flying/military biographies):
Chuck Yeager's biography is one of the best - he has had a charmed life! Bob Hoover's Bio is another good one.
Feet wet: reflections of a carrier pilot, by Paul Gillcrest. Started with the f6f hellcat all the way through to the f14 tomcat.
Chickenhawk by Robert Mason: personal bio of the helicopter war in Vietnam.

If you like action novels, you can't go wrong with any of the Jack Reacher books.


Chuck's autobiography is a great read! Will need to check out Bob Hoover based on your recommendation.

Marine Sniper about Carlos Hathcock during the Vietnam War was thrilling to read.

I finished Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road couple of months ago. It was written by Neal Peart, the drummer and lyricist for the band RUSH and is a must for the die-hard RUSH fan (with many allusions to the songs he wrote for the band) or anyone searching for an inspirational story of triumph over tragedy.
R.I.P Professor :(
 
“A life in 12 recipes” autobiography from Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
“The Apprentice” Jacques Pepin serious thumbs up on this one! Wonderfully written. I was living three blacks away from the place he was teaching Betty Upjohn (yep, THAT Upjohn) here in Kalamazoo.
I will be reading some less calorie driven things while I’m at the cottage.
“Cowboy Culture” a saga of 5 centuries. By David Dary
And I don’t know what else.
 
Chuck's autobiography is a great read! Will need to check out Bob Hoover based on your recommendation.

Marine Sniper about Carlos Hathcock during the Vietnam War was thrilling to read.

I finished Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road couple of months ago. It was written by Neal Peart, the drummer and lyricist for the band RUSH and is a must for the die-hard RUSH fan (with many allusions to the songs he wrote for the band) or anyone searching for an inspirational story of triumph over tragedy.
R.I.P Professor :(

Both very good books. I read Ghost Rider shortly after Neal's passing.
 
I am now reading the second book in a series of 22. And not for the first time. Here is what I am reading.

" The Joe Grey series is a series of mystery novels by American novelist Shirley Rousseau Murphy. Joe Grey is a feline detective based out of the fictional Bay Area town of Molena Point, California. " And.......he can talk. And he has a girlfriend cat ........that can also talk, but only their owners know that. And between them both, they help the local police in their town solve crimes.
 
I am now reading the 2nd book in the "Walt Longmire" series by Craig Johnson. So far I am enjoying them. It is hard not to imagine the TV characters when reading the book, but they do seem to blend in together nicely. lol
Finished the 3rd book last night. DH and I started watching the TV series on Netflix again. Anyone else a Longmire fan?
 
I am really enjoying an audiobook of "A Confederacy of Dunces". I have the book, but hearing the conversations vocalized is a lot of fun.
 
Phil, I don't remember what I thought of certain books years ago, but I do know that I am enjoying reading a lot of books over again. I haven't tried any yet, but I am curious to read some of the books from my childhood and see what I think of them now. Books like "Black Beauty, Bambi, Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz. I THINK it might be fun. lol
 
I just finished "T. Rex & the Crater of doom", by Walter Alvarez. Great detective story of how the extinction of the dinosaurs was postulated & confirmed over the course of 10 years. The first chapter, titled "Armageddon" is a fascinating but terrifying read.
 
“Big Oyster” by, Mark Kurlansky, history of the boom and bust of the New York oyster industry. Excellent, I really like his style, both “Salt” and “Cod” were great reads too,
“Black Flags, Blue Water” was good too, Dolin was the author, pirate book, interesting history.
Didn’t remember the cowboy book when I was up there! D’Oh!
 
“Big Oyster” by, Mark Kurlansky, history of the boom and bust of the New York oyster industry. Excellent, I really like his style, both “Salt” and “Cod” were great reads too,

Thanks Timothy for the idea. Going to order it for DH's birthday in Nov. He is from Long Island and used to be a clammer for a living. (Is that what you call them? lol)
 
I am now reading a series of "Heaven Lee Culinary Mystery" books by Lou Jane Temple. This one is called "Revenge of the Barbecue Queens" (#2). I would love to discuss this book with Chris and compare notes. I am about half way through the book, they are getting ready for a World Barbecue contest. Ms. Temple's books are laced with recipes.

"While researching what book to use next, I came across this recipe I copied out of one of Raichlens books. Not only did I find a great sounding BBQ sauce recipe, but I found a new series of books I just might start reading. Here is what Raichlen has to say about both."

"How much would the recipe for the perfect barbecue sauce be worth to you? Enough to kill for? Passions run pretty high in competition barbecue and that's what happens to one fictional Kansas City sauce meister, Pigpen Hopkins, in Lou Jane Temple's Revenge of the Barbecue Queens. Temple is a Kansas City mystery writer and her whodunit is the best study I know of the strange and colorful world of competition barbecue. The following recipe has been adapted from the rich apple cider, mustard,, coffee and beer barbecue sauce that one barbecue fiend found tasty enough to murder for."

Whodunit Barbecue Sauce

2 cups apple cider
1 bottle (12 oz) dark beer
1 1/4 cups ketchup
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup honey mustard
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup grainy Meaux-style mustard
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup cane syrup, such as Stein's
1/2 cup brewed coffee
2 TB. Worcestershire sauce
2 TB. Tabasco sauce
2 TB. soy sauce
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 habanero chili, seeded and minced
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large, heavy, nonreactive saucepan and stir or whisk to mix. Bring the sauce to simmer over medium heat. Continue simmering, uncovered, until thick and richly flavored, about 30 minutes, stirring from time to time. Use right away or transfer to jars, cover, cool to room temperature and refrigerate. The sauce will keep for several months. Makes about 9 cups

Source: "Barbecue Bible Sauces, Rubs and Marinades" - Steven Raichlen
 
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Do you do this? I now have 4 books that I started reading, just couldn't get into it for some reason or other at the time, set it aside and started a new book. Well, the last book, I picked up was #39 in the "Stone Barrington" series. Finished it last night. I will try to finish the books I have started before I start #40. lol
 
I just started reading the Chronicle of Narnia by C.S. Lewis to my son. I started with the Magician's Nephew which when I read them was the penultimate book. Now they are saying to start with that one which I think was a mistake because it's kind of weak compared to some of the others. My son's patience may have worn out on it. He's is only 4 though.
 
I’m currently reading The Kid Stays In The Picture book by Robert Evans. It’s about his life as a movie producer. It’s ok. The next book up will be Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man by Mary Trump. I have a Kindle which is great but my reading pace is slow because I spend a lot of time outside and I do like to watch some TV.
 
I am now reading a series of "Heaven Lee Culinary Mystery" books by Lou Jane Temple. This one is called "Revenge of the Barbecue Queens" (#2). I would love to discuss this book with Chris and compare notes. I am about half way through the book, they are getting ready for a World Barbecue contest. Ms. Temple's books are laced with recipes.

"While researching what book to use next, I came across this recipe I copied out of one of Raichlens books. Not only did I find a great sounding BBQ sauce recipe, but I found a new series of books I just might start reading. Here is what Raichlen has to say about both."

"How much would the recipe for the perfect barbecue sauce be worth to you? Enough to kill for? Passions run pretty high in competition barbecue and that's what happens to one fictional Kansas City sauce meister, Pigpen Hopkins, in Lou Jane Temple's Revenge of the Barbecue Queens. Temple is a Kansas City mystery writer and her whodunit is the best study I know of the strange and colorful world of competition barbecue. The following recipe has been adapted from the rich apple cider, mustard,, coffee and beer barbecue sauce that one barbecue fiend found tasty enough to murder for."

Whodunit Barbecue Sauce

2 cups apple cider
1 bottle (12 oz) dark beer
1 1/4 cups ketchup
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup honey mustard
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup grainy Meaux-style mustard
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup cane syrup, such as Stein's
1/2 cup brewed coffee
2 TB. Worcestershire sauce
2 TB. Tabasco sauce
2 TB. soy sauce
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 habanero chili, seeded and minced
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large, heavy, nonreactive saucepan and stir or whisk to mix. Bring the sauce to simmer over medium heat. Continue simmering, uncovered, until thick and richly flavored, about 30 minutes, stirring from time to time. Use right away or transfer to jars, cover, cool to room temperature and refrigerate. The sauce will keep for several months. Makes about 9 cups

Source: "Barbecue Bible Sauces, Rubs and Marinades" - Steven Raichlen
I finished this book the other day. I have it set aside to see if I want to go back and copy any of the recipes that were posted. I can't say any more without spoiling it for anyone that might read the book. But I can say it was very interesting reading about the workings of a BBQ contest, if what she says is correct. lol
 
Just picked up “Cajun Justice” by James Patterson. So far, i’ve liked his work, we’ll see how this one goes...
 
I requested a few Slim Aarons coffee table books from the library. Just watched a 1 hour documentary on him called "The High Life" on Amazon Prime. Made me want to check out the photographs that made him famous.
 
Just started this one. I put WW II books into two genres, like economics, they're either macro or micro. Macro = big picture , strategic viewpoint, generals, prime ministers, and presidents. Micro = in the foxhole or the cockpit, sergeants, gunners, pilots , and tank crews.

This one is starting out to be micro , lots a personal experience

Deadly Sky.jpg
 
I’ve been on a poli-sci kick lately.

The Power Worshippers: inside the dangerous rise of religious nationalism, Katherine Stewart, 2019. (pub. lib.)
Twilight of Democracy: the seductive lure of authoritarianism, Anne Applebaum, 2020. (pub. lib.)
🔛 The Authoritarians, Bob Altemeyer, 2006. (free download)
🔜 The Captive Mind, Czeslaw Milosz, 1953.
 

 

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