What are you reading right now (II)?

[Bodhisattva]

Empires of the Silk Road: A History of Central Eurasia from the Bronze Age to the Present by Christopher I. Beckwith

 

[Padreruf]

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. Excellent novel with flowing prose and a narrative that keeps one guessing. Theo is an older, mysterious man who lives by generous acts of kindness and love.

 

[Bodhisattva]

Clive Cussler's Ghost Soldier by Mike Madden

A novel of The Oregon Files

 

[Bodhisattva]

re-read Genghis Kahn and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford

 

[Bodhisattva]

re-read Genghis Kahn by R.P. Lister

 

[Bodhisattva]

The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East by Nicholas Morton

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Silence of the Lambs

 

[Bodhisattva]

Tom Clancy's Defense Protocol by Brain Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Any thoughts on John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series?

It’s been recommended to me, and the premise sounds fascinating. But science fiction isn’t usually my thing.

So I’m on the fence and would appreciate any opinions.

 

[Bodhisattva]

Any thoughts on John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series?

It’s been recommended to me, and the premise sounds fascinating. But science fiction isn’t usually my thing.

So I’m on the fence and would appreciate any opinions.

I have not read from this author. But, after a quick review, his works sounds interesting. If you do dive in, let me know how you like it and I may follow suit.

 

[Bodhisattva]

Emperor of the Seas: Kublai Khan and the Making of China by Jack Weatherford

 

[Bodhisattva]

A History of Thailand by Chris Baker

 

[Bodhisattva]

Clive Cussler's Desolation Code by Graham Brown

A novel from The NUMA Files

 

[Bodhisattva]

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

 

[Bodhisattva]

Edge of Honor by Brad Thor

 

[Bodhisattva]

Tom Clancy's Line of Demarcation by M.P. Woodward

 

[Bodhisattva]

Nero by Conn Iggulden

Book 1 of the Nero series

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Just finished, “When Winter Came,” by Mary Beth Sartor Obermeyer. It’s about the author’s grandfather. He was a country doctor in rural Iowa during the flu pandemic of 1918-19.

It gets good reviews, and I expected to be impressed. I was underwhelmed.

The doctor’s personal story is impressive, going back to a frail childhood in Luxembourg, to family support through medical school in Chicago to a long and respected career as a rural GP in Iowa. Well done, Dr. Sartor.

But the book was beyond a tribute to the author’s grandfather. It was a paean, getting on toward sanctification.

Out of a 300-page book, only about 65 pages are devoted to what the title would lead you to expect. There are way too many imagined conversations, way too much energy devoted to establishing a scantily-documented connection with the Mayo Clinic, and way too much dewey-eyed devotion to a man who I’m sure was an inspirational grandfather.

So I liked about 65 out of 300 pages — a bit over 20%. The rest was genealogical research and a sentimental tribute to a grandfather.

And yes, I’m the minority of one that thought Field of Dreams was stupid.

 

[Bodhisattva]

An Inside Job by Daniel Silva

 

[Bodhisattva]

Tyrant by Conn Iggulden

Book 2 of the Nero series