kk - I'd like to read your thoughts after you've finished "The Surrendered." I was totally captivated by it. Hope you enjoy it.

I just finished reading the above mentioned book and must say it started out well but was disappointing towards the end. I felt that the author seemed to be in a rush to finish it and did not go into enough detail about the all important final battle. After all, this is what the whole story was leading up to.

I am reading Victory at Yorktown by Newt Gingrich at the moment. I love historical novels and this one is no exception.

I havent been reading as diligently as usual lately. We had a late starting summer that extended well into October so I spent much more time in the garden this fall. I did manage to get through 3 good books, however. I read "Quantum Man: Richard Feynmans Life in Science" by Lawrence M. Krauss. Richard Feyman was the physicist who discovered the cause of the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster. He was also one of the many physicists involved in the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bomb. A very interesting character. A good read if you like biographies with a scientific bent. One of the best novels I ever read was "Angle of Repose" by Wallace Stegner. It is about an invalid writer researching and writing a history of his grandparents in the western USA in the latter quarter of the 19th century. Stegners prose is so enjoyable it wouldn't matter what his subject is - a very enjoyable read. Also, I read Teddy Kennedy's autobiography: "True Compass" published a year or so before he died. I was not quite 18 when JFK was elected, not quite 21 when he was assassinated. When Bobby was gunned down I was just out of the service, 25 years old and in college. I had been quite captivated by both the Kennedy brothers. I was never a great fan of their younger brother. His longevity in the Senate brought me to develop a respect for him over time - though he never quite had the savoire-faire of his older brothers. His book, however, is very well written and gives a poignant if not tragic description of life in the Kennedy clan. Well worth the read - even if you don't share his political philosophy.

I couldn't agree more about "Angle of repose." It's one of the great American novels, as is his "The Big Rock Candy Mountain." Then there's "Dancing at the Rascal Fair" by Ivan Doig of Montana. One of the truly great stories of the West (no, no cowboys). -Orpheus-

Orpheus, welcome to the thread... "Dancing at the Rascal Fair" is my favorite of Doig's books - I've also enjoyed his others including and especially his autobiography "This House of Sky" about growing up in Montana. "Wolf Hall" sounds intriguing. Thanks for the suggestion.

Speaking of books: "Wolf Hall" by Hillary Mantell is at the top of my list right now. I'm only halfway through after a couple of months because one or two other books intervened, but I keep returning to it. It's a long saga about Henry the eighth's many wives and his quest for a male heir, told through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell. Mantell's command of the the English language, in all its historical permutations, is always surprising and colorful (colourful?). There are sequels already I believe, so I'd better get going. Historical characters, from the Archbishop to shopkeepers, speak in the vernacular of their class. In addition to the powerful story there is a linguistic delight on every page. It is an extraordinary accomplishment, and I highly recommend it.

Orpheus, I agree. It took me a while to get into Wolf Hall - couple of false starts- but I'm glad I kept going. About half way through I found I couldn't put it down. I think the sequel's called Bring Up the Bodies. I've been dropping lots of hints about what I'd like for Christmas!

Anybody read John Sandford thrillers? Can be violent but also funny and very well written.

Its time to revive this thread. Its been buried by an avalanche of therapy. My personal favorite kind of therapy is reading and I never seem to get enough of it. Since my last post I have read a few good books that I think might be worth your time: OPERATION MINCEMEAT - by Ben MacIntyre - An account of an actual clandestined operation during WWII by the British that used a cadaver, strategically placed, to fool the Nazis and allow the successful invasion by the allies of Sicily. One of the actual functionaries in the story is Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond books. A very interesting read. DREAMING WATER - by Gail Tsukiyama - this novel is about the short life of a young girl afflicted with Werners Syndrome - a condition that causes stunted growth and premature aging. The story has the added complication of growing up in the 1950s with a Japanese father and a caucasion mother. Very sensitively written, it is well worth reading. A FREE LIFE - by Ha Jin - this is a novel about a Chinese man who came to America as a college student and for various reasons was not able to go back to China. He eventually brings his wife and son to America and they set out on their quest of the American Dream - not such an easy task for an immigrant family. THE LOTUS EATERS - by Tatjana Soli - this novel is about a woman combat photographer in the Vietnam war. This is one of those novels that is hard to put down once you have begun to read - especially for those of us who served or were at least alive during that war. ALICE I HAVE BEEN - by Melanie Benjamin - this is a novel, although its written like a memoir - its probably not a book I would have chosen, but my daughter gave it to me and recommended it, so I had to read it and I am glad I did - its told from the perspective of an 80 year old woman, who, as a child, was the inspiration for ALICE IN WONDERLAND. It is an historical novel, so there is much truth in the story but also much fabrication - at the end of the story the author explains what was fabricated and why. If you liked the original ALICE I believe you will like this book.

I'm reading "Gone by Sundown" by Peter Leach about a racial incident in St. Gen. Missouri in the 1930s. The author will be on campus next Wednesday to talk about the book with those of us who are interested. I read all the time and love to hear what others are reading too. I get ideas about what I want to read next.

It is still here if anyone is interested...

Malcolm Gladwell: The Outliers; Jared Diamond: Guns, Germs and Steel; Antoine de St. Exupery: The little Prince; Don Miguel Ruiz: The four Agreements; BenjaminHoff: The Tao of Pooh, juist to name a few I have recently read.

I read Jared Diamond's book a couple years ago after he did a lecture on his research for National Geographic. He's a bit dry in person, but I enjoyed his book very much. I'm currently reading "Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin - another good read.

Read the Tao of Pooh. It is interesting and might be also instructive to some

I love to read,I bet I read a hundred,or more books last year.I have three boxes to give to someone,because I don't have room for them.I like books about the Amish people,love stories,mystries and biographies.When I was in school,I kept my nose buried in a book,after raising four children and helping raise four grandchildren,I now have time to read againand I love it.I also like talking with friendly people.There are no strangers here,only friends we haven't met.Goodnight everyone,I am sleepy as a dog.

I came accross a neat little piece I read many years ago: The diary of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain. Delightful reading!