What are you reading Chapter 4

[roccobass]

A reread. You’ll never think of these guys the same way, especially at night. I love the way he builds this story.

 

[WG Plum]

You have a real treat ahead. I almost envy you NOT having read Heinlein yet, because it means that you have years of unread great novels waiting for you!

I would recommend starting with my favorite Heinlein juvenile "Have Space Suit Will Travel," which is a classic in SF and was my first read. It set the stage well for my eventually reading everything Heinlein ever wrote. Although some of his early works such as Space Suit and "Podkayne of Mars" are referred to as juveniles, all of them make good reading for adults.

Two of my personal Heinlein favorites are "Glory Road" which is a fun read with an fun swashbuckling theme and interesting (almost fairy tale) premise, and "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" which is both a great story and an incredibly foreseeing book. It predicted the path of computer intelligence in a way that almost no one had thought of in 1966 when it was first published. I'm simply amazed at what Heinlein was able to predict in that book!!

The classic Heinlein "must read" (and Hugo award winner) is "Stranger in a Strange Land" which was published in 1961 helped set the societal stage for the 1960s. It has a couple of slow spots, but it's a wonderful story.

Heinlein is extremely quotable. My single favorite is from Stranger: "The best way to tell a lie is to tell the right amount of the truth, then shut up."

I’m pretty sure Have Space Suit was my first Heinlein too!

 

[kleinenenten]

You have a real treat ahead. I almost envy you NOT having read Heinlein yet, because it means that you have years of unread great novels waiting for you!

I would recommend starting with my favorite Heinlein juvenile "Have Space Suit Will Travel," which is a classic in SF and was my first read. It set the stage well for my eventually reading everything Heinlein ever wrote. Although some of his early works such as Space Suit and "Podkayne of Mars" are referred to as juveniles, all of them make good reading for adults.

Two of my personal Heinlein favorites are "Glory Road" which is a fun read with an fun swashbuckling theme and interesting (almost fairy tale) premise, and "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" which is both a great story and an incredibly foreseeing book. It predicted the path of computer intelligence in a way that almost no one had thought of in 1966 when it was first published. I'm simply amazed at what Heinlein was able to predict in that book!!

The classic Heinlein "must read" (and Hugo award winner) is "Stranger in a Strange Land" which was published in 1961 helped set the societal stage for the 1960s. It has a couple of slow spots, but it's a wonderful story.

Heinlein is extremely quotable. My single favorite is from Stranger: "The best way to tell a lie is to tell the right amount of the truth, then shut up."

I've got "Stranger In A Strange Land" on my shelf, as well as "Friday", "Job: A Comedy Of Justice", and "To Sail Beyond The Sunset". Need to get to those...

The problem is that I am growing my collection faster than I can read it!

 

[Jeff Scott]

The problem is that I am growing my collection faster than I can read it!

Same here!

 

[ryco]

Falk's Claim: The Life and Death of a Redwood Lumber Town
- Jon Humboldt Gates ©1983

Small town up in the hills about 10 miles east of Eureka, CA.
Est 1848 - mill closed 1937.

 

[Frosteeman]

The Land of Lost Things - John Connolly

Next up in my mission to finish incomplete book series is more of a sequel published 17 years after the first book, but it's a series to finish nonetheless. The first book was a bit of a disappointment, but the premise of this one makes me wonder if the potential in the first book could be more realized.

Also using it as a trial run with audiobooks. My steps goal has me taking a lot of walks and I found that narrative podcasts helped them go by faster when I don't have impressive scenery to enjoy. And what are audiobooks but the intermediate step between radio shows of the past and narrative podcasts of today? So far it's working out and it might be a good way to power through some of these series and other lower-stakes books on the to-read list.

 

[Jeff Scott]

 

[almost human]

The author takes us along on some of his outdoor adventures, exploring different national parks, wilderness areas and the like, and also gives a nice history of the creation of and fight for many of these places.

 

[kleinenenten]

Started reading The Collapse: The Accidental Opening Of The Berlin Wall yesterday. Fascinating stuff, and I didn't realize so much was going on in Leipzig at the time. I was aware of the various "vacations" people set up to try and escape, but not of mass protests. Loving it so far.

 

[LiptonJigglers]

Evolution of the Biosphere
By M.M. Kamshilov
MIR Publishers 1976.

 

[Balog]

Just finished “The Sundowner’s Dance” by Todd Keisling and starting on “Broken Monsters” by Lauren Beukes.

 

[WG Plum]

 

[Eli_Kyiv]

Jared Diamond - Upheaval

Started reading The Collapse: The Accidental Opening Of The Berlin Wall yesterday. Fascinating stuff, and I didn't realize so much was going on in Leipzig at the time. I was aware of the various "vacations" people set up to try and escape, but not of mass protests. Loving it so far.

Jared Diamond mentions the story of Berlin Wall falling in chapter 6 of this book, including Leipzig riots. I think I vaguely remember these...

 

[Jeff Scott]

Jared Diamond - Upheaval
View attachment 7246552

Jared Diamond mentions the story of Berlin Wall falling in chapter 6 of this book, including Leipzig riots. I think I vaguely remember these...

Do you know who did the ukiyo-e on the cover?

 

[Eli_Kyiv]

Do you know who did the ukiyo-e on the cover?

Certainly looks like Hokusai to me, but I'm no expert.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Certainly looks like Hokusai to me, but I'm no expert.

Perhaps, but I don't ever recall seeing one of his with an American ship. Hiroshige? more likely, one of their students/disciples?

 

[kleinenenten]

Jared Diamond - Upheaval
View attachment 7246552

Jared Diamond mentions the story of Berlin Wall falling in chapter 6 of this book, including Leipzig riots. I think I vaguely remember these...

As a fan of the band, I was most surprised to hear Rammstein name-dropped in The Collapse. Apparently, half of the members who were to form Rammstein played in their prior punk band at one of the larger protests. Certainly makes sense!

 

[Balog]

A reread. You’ll never think of these guys the same way, especially at night. I love the way he builds this story.

View attachment 7236814

“The Hollow Places” by T. Kingfisher is a sort of retelling of this in a modern setting. A bit more lighthearted/cozy horror, but I enjoyed it a lot.

 

[Balog]

Jared Diamond - Upheaval
View attachment 7246552

Jared Diamond mentions the story of Berlin Wall falling in chapter 6 of this book, including Leipzig riots. I think I vaguely remember these...

It’s worth noting that Diamond’s previous works have been pretty heavily criticized by actual historians. He tends toward pop history offering simple answers to complex questions, and I would be very wary of taking anything he writes as particularly accurate or insightful.

 

[Eli_Kyiv]

It’s worth noting that Diamond’s previous works have been pretty heavily criticized by actual historians. He tends toward pop history offering simple answers to complex questions, and I would be very wary of taking anything he writes as particularly accurate or insightful.

Yes, I know that. But he's a great storyteller, and that's why I read his books.