What are you Reading now ..... other than comics ? 7 7

[delekkerste]

My leisure reading has plummeted since becoming a parent 18 months ago.  That said, I've managed to read a number of books over the summer, including:

Jack Reacher: A Wanted Man by Lee Child.  First Jack Reacher novel I've ever read, and I really enjoyed it.  Lots of unexpected twists and turns.

American Assassin by Vince Flynn.  This is the origin story of action hero Mitch Rapp (who has had a number of successful novels; this is also an upcoming movie).  Nothing earthshaking, but, as a fan of military/spy/counter-terrorism fiction, it was a fun read.  Takes place in the aftermath of the Pan Am 103 bombing in the early '90s.

Scores: How I Opened the Hottest Strip Club in NYC, etc. by Michael D. Blutrich.  Not a lot of salaciousness here, more of a story about the author's ties with the mob and how he got screwed over by the justice system. 

Confessions of a Wall Street Insider by Michael Kimelman.  A cautionary tale about the government's anti-insider trading efforts in the late 2000s, which arguably ended up turning into a witch hunt.  

Black Edge:  Inside Information, Dirty Money, and the Quest to Bring Down the Most Wanted Man on Wall Street by Sheelah Kolhatkar.  About the government's attempt to bring down hedge fund titan Steven A. Cohen for insider trading.  Pretty much the blueprint for the Showtime series "Billions". 

Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines and Habits of Billionaires, Icons and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss.  Another great book by Ferriss, highly recommended.

Edited August 10, 2017 by delekkerste

[NoMan]

Ann Rowe Seaman's bio on Jimmy Swaggart. If you love deep, dense bios Seaman is your woman. 

Looking forward to Jimmy McDonough's bio on Al Green, Soul Survivor. Ditto on McDonough: NY Times calls him the Literary Terminator. His bios on Neil Young, Tammy Wynette and Andy Milligan are mounumental and I couldn't care less about Young or Wynette. I read 'em cause Jimmy's that good. 

[skypinkblu]

I've been on a Brad Thor kick, his hero is Scott Harvath, a former secret service agent, turned secret for the President/ then secret for a private agency, agent. His character is similar to Flynn's Mitch Rapp. I think I completed the series, but don't ask me about individual books, they all kind of melt together. Some entertaining light reading if you don't get nightmares about being blown up by terrorists.

Just finished Ring of Fire by Brad Taylor, the newest in the Pike Logan series (about basically the same guy)...I like this one because they've started including some female agents.

Before that I read the latest by Ben Coes, same thing (I am starting to get them all mixed up), his hero is probably my favorite, Dewey Andreas. A superhero without specific super powers. Another government agent (I think they are all basically ex navy Seals) who can do just about ANYTHING.

Now, I'm going back over the Steve Berry books. Cotton Malone is a bookseller who WAS a secret agent, but Berry's books all have a historical background, some of it fantasy, some is very real. The stories sometimes remind me of Doc Savage.

I also read the newest by Baldacci, The Fix, the latest in the Memory Man series. Amos Decker is totally different than the spy guys, he was a former football star who was injured in his first pro game and developed total recall, he cannot forget anything, including some horrid incidents in his life.

[Pirate]

Started the Dark Tower series again.

[mikeyc67]

Interesting thread and some ideas for further reading.

Just back from holiday - my son has started me reading fantasy - finished the Mark Lawrence Prince of Fools trilogy and book Three of The Wheel of Time - also read Patrick Rothfuss' two books recently.

Now reading Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand

[piper]

I just finished a set of short stories by LE Modessit (Recluce Tales). A fun read for those who enjoy the Recluce Saga.

[Dick Pontoon]

Earlier this summer I read "Roman Candle: The Life of Bobby Darin" by David Evanier.

 

 

[Dick Pontoon]

Now I've just started "All the Things That You Are: The Life of Tony Bennett" by David Evanier.

[Bookery]

Yesterday was "National Book Lovers Day".  We celebrated it by getting out of the book business.  We'll still carry all of our comics, posters, and various collectibles (including some rare books and 1st editions)... but have given up on the basic literature and used book market after 33 years.  Too much competition from downloads, Amazon, and $1-bulk book operations.  Plus the last generation or two cares little on the whole for books.  We specialized in fiction... about 20,000 titles, and had a far better selection and lower prices than Half Price Books.  But after 500 years, the era of the independent bookseller is over.  But... a good run while it lasted.  (Besides... if it can't be viewed on a screen, it's not a real book anyway).

 

[ComicConnoisseur]

2 hours ago, Bookery said:

Yesterday was "National Book Lovers Day".  We celebrated it by getting out of the book business.  We'll still carry all of our comics, posters, and various collectibles (including some rare books and 1st editions)... but have given up on the basic literature and used book market after 33 years.  Too much competition from downloads, Amazon, and $1-bulk book operations.  Plus the last generation or two cares little on the whole for books.  We specialized in fiction... about 20,000 titles, and had a far better selection and lower prices than Half Price Books.  But after 500 years, the era of the independent bookseller is over.  But... a good run while it lasted.  (Besides... if it can't be viewed on a screen, it's not a real book anyway).

Sorry to hear that. It really is hard to compete with Amazon Kindle. I read about a book a week and unfortunately none are from independent booksellers,but all on Kindle Unlimited with occasionaly buying one at the whopping price of $2.99. The same thing happened with music albums, as in I want to hear a Beatles or Grateful Dead album I just click on my Kindle.

I see the same landscape happening to comic books with Comixology Unlimited which now has Marvel, and again on the Kindle.

I see variants and speculation have actually been the one reason to still buy comics because if you just want to read comics it is much cheaper on the Kindle. At least the variants and speculators give another reason to buy the comics.

Digital really has changed mainsteam way of buying media fast as even the once stable videogame market has seen many people rather download the video games by Steam than actually buy them now.

People also rather watch movies on Netflix than actually go to the big screen now.

Going to be tough going forward for book,comic book, video game, and music dealers to try to compete with the digital giant Amazon.

I wish all book/comic book sellers the best going forward.

 

Edited August 10, 2017 by ComicConnoisseur

[Comicopolis]

[Tony D]

Recently finished reading the pre-Dune trilogy, House Atredies, House Harkonen and House Corrino. I'm currently reading Stephen King's Desperation. I needed some lighter fare after finishing Ulysses by James Joyce.

[piper]

1 hour ago, Comicopolis said:

Nice book choice. The sun is shining in England?

[Comicopolis]

13 minutes ago, piper said:

Nice book choice. The sun is shining in England?

It won't last long.

[musicmeta]

Been watching "Outlander" on Netflix with the misses so I'm now reading the book by Diana Galbaldon.  Follows the series pretty closely.  Not bad.

[musicmeta]

On 8/9/2017 at 11:55 AM, delekkerste said:

Can't wait for the film next year!!

Thanks for the tip.  I'll check it out.

[jimjum12]

On ‎8‎/‎9‎/‎2017 at 2:55 PM, skypinkblu said:

I've been on a Brad Thor kick, his hero is Scott Harvath, a former secret service agent, turned secret for the President/ then secret for a private agency, agent. His character is similar to Flynn's Mitch Rapp. I think I completed the series, but don't ask me about individual books, they all kind of melt together. Some entertaining light reading if you don't get nightmares about being blown up by terrorists.

Just finished Ring of Fire by Brad Taylor, the newest in the Pike Logan series (about basically the same guy)...I like this one because they've started including some female agents.

Before that I read the latest by Ben Coes, same thing (I am starting to get them all mixed up), his hero is probably my favorite, Dewey Andreas. A superhero without specific super powers. Another government agent (I think they are all basically ex navy Seals) who can do just about ANYTHING.

Now, I'm going back over the Steve Berry books. Cotton Malone is a bookseller who WAS a secret agent, but Berry's books all have a historical background, some of it fantasy, some is very real. The stories sometimes remind me of Doc Savage.

I also read the newest by Baldacci, The Fix, the latest in the Memory Man series. Amos Decker is totally different than the spy guys, he was a former football star who was injured in his first pro game and developed total recall, he cannot forget anything, including some horrid incidents in his life.

Steve Berry  GOD BLESS....

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[namisgr]

'A Hologram For The King', by Dave Eggers.  Just a terrific writer.

Summer vacation starts next week with a trip to the beach, so I've loaded up on my favorite cheap novelist of the present, Carl Hiassen.  Finished the hilarious 'Double Whammy', about intrigue and murder on the professional bass fishing circuit, and now must choose between 'Sick Puppy' and 'Native Tongue'.

[Black_Adam]

I'm a big fan of Bernard Cornwell (Sharpe!) and a history buff so I grabbed this one on sale at Black Bond Books solely on his recommendation!

[Comicopolis]

17 hours ago, Comicopolis said:

It won't last long.

And it didn't - vanished today.