The Library - What are you reading now?

by **GopherHockeyFan** » Fri 8/27/10 8:05 pm

A couple other good reads.

Manhunt - The 12 Day Chase For Lincoln's Killer http://www.jameslswanson.com/

The First Family by Mike Dash http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/disp ... 1400067220

by **BlueBandit24** » Sat 8/28/10 11:14 am

Greyeagle wrote:
BlueBandit24 wrote:Those books are right up my alley. I'm a sucker for the international/domestic conspiracy stories. Right now I am reading Robert Ludlum's The Janson Directive...pretty much in line with the Bourne books. Solid read.

Me too, give Daniel Silva a shot, good reads.
If you like mystery give Lee Child a try. Reacher rules.

I picked up Silva's Moscow Rules, per your recommendation. Looking forward to checking it out.

by **Orion** » Sat 8/28/10 5:38 pm

Switching genre a bit, anyone like fantasy novels? I'll have to start a reread of The Wheel of Time series soon. Next book in the series comes out in October.

by **QueenofGopherHockey** » Sat 8/28/10 10:05 pm

MNGophers29 wrote:Ok so most of these books sound pretty adult-like to me. When I was in middle school I was big into the Hardy Boys, both the original version and the newer, modern books. I love mystery, page-turning type books that you just have to read one more chapter because the last one left you hanging. I didn't read books again really until this past fall. I was at Barnes & Nobel with the lady friend and I saw the section of local authors. One of the books was Purgatory Ridge by William Kent Krueger and I picked it up and read the synopsis and it talked about how the lead character, Cork O'Connor was from a fictitious town just south of the BWCA and that he was 25% Native American and 75% Irish. He is the sheriff up there and the county his is the sheriff for has an Indian reservation on it. The book rang true for me because I have the same blood and grew up at our lake home in Cass Lake and like Cork, I wasn't trusted by my full blooded Ojibwe cousins friend and I had trouble with the whites for hanging around the natives.

Anyhoo, I read the book in 2 days and then found out there were 8 other books in the series and I had just read the 3rd one. I went back and read every book over the next few months. Since then, I have recommended them to friends and family and everyone has loved them.

Sorry for the long post, but to make a long story short, they were amazingly written, brought back my passion for reading as I found myself completely absorbed into the characters of the book. I only wish there was a TV series or movie made for them! Now my problem is finding books that measure up.

I worked with Wm Kent Krueger, what now seems like a lifetime ago at the University. His novels are very well written with a great deal of local detail in them.

I have read the first 3 books so far, and intend to read the complete series eventually. Kent had written a lot of his manuscripts at a local coffee shop in St. Paul, near his home. Great guy and I am so happy he has been so successful!

Right now I am reading The Lost City of Z which is about the explorer Percy Fawcett who mapped out the Amazon river in South America and was looking for the City of Gold. Very intense with lots of detail.

QoGH

by **Aldy** » Mon 8/30/10 11:15 am

[quote="GopherHockeyFan
Highly recommend the prey series. The Virgil (That F'in!) Flowers series is excellent as well. I am also a big fan of Vince Flynn and Lee Child but now that I am finished with those three authors I am looking for something else. I have read 2 of Kent Kruegers books and might finish those up.[/quote]

Another local author you might want to try is P.J. Tracy. The first three books are set in the Twin Cities and are good reads (Monkeewrench, Live Bait and Dead Run). If you like Lee Child, you might also look into books by Robert Crais and Michael Connelly.

by **Golden FE Ranger** » Tue 8/31/10 8:01 am

SouthTexGopher wrote:"Red Storm Rising" is one of my favorites from Clancy...as is "Without Remorse." Both are excellent books to get yourself into reading Tom Clancy, although "Red Storm Rising" may seem far-fetched for those born after 1989.

I liked all the Clancy books, but "Without Remorse" stands out as one of my favorites. John Kelly is badass.

by **SouthTexGopher** » Tue 8/31/10 8:28 am

Golden FE Ranger wrote:
SouthTexGopher wrote:"Red Storm Rising" is one of my favorites from Clancy...as is "Without Remorse." Both are excellent books to get yourself into reading Tom Clancy, although "Red Storm Rising" may seem far-fetched for those born after 1989.

I liked all the Clancy books, but "Without Remorse" stands out as one of my favorites. John Kelly is badass.

Kelly/Clark has some interesting choices in applying punishment for certain crimes. The recompression chamber is an especially nice touch.

by **Next Crosby** » Thu 9/02/10 10:28 am

Stephen Hawking's new book could be a good one.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/ ... um=twitter

by **Dances With Gophers** » Thu 9/02/10 1:07 pm

Next Crosby wrote:Stephen Hawking's new book could be a good one.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/ ... um=twitter

"Spontaneous creation"? Nice. Explains the frigging dust bunnies everywhere in my house. :lol:

by **Golden FE Ranger** » Thu 9/02/10 1:54 pm

Dances With Gophers wrote:
Next Crosby wrote:Stephen Hawking's new book could be a good one.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/ ... um=twitter

"Spontaneous creation"? Nice. Explains the frigging dust bunnies everywhere in my house.

And the unfinished work piling up on my desk! :anger:

by **Always Lurking** » Thu 9/02/10 5:16 pm

I just finished Fugitive by Phillip Margolin. Pretty good read. In the genre of Grisham & Patterson.

by **Elm Grove Gopher** » Thu 9/02/10 5:19 pm

"The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History"

The first business book to keep me near a laugh throughout. Some great pictures, too. Those of the appropriate age will remember.. :lol:

by **Kelor** » Thu 9/02/10 5:59 pm

Elm Grove Gopher wrote:"The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History"

The first business book to keep me near a laugh throughout. Some great pictures, too. Those of the appropriate age will remember..

Wow!! The Yugo was around until just a few years ago? Who knew? :mrgreen:

by **Doughboy** » Sun 9/05/10 11:12 am

Golden FE Ranger wrote:
Kelor wrote:I just finished two fantastic books:

The Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell - Seriously this is top notch

Golf's Sacred Journey by David Cook - It came highly suggested and I now will do the same.

"Lone Survivor" is unbelievable. Marcus Luttrell is a true American hero and the story is one everyone should read. Rest in Peace Danny Dietz, Matthew Axelson, MOH winner Michael Murphy and the eleven SEALs and eight Army Night Stalkers aboard the Chinook helicopter "Turbine 33" who attempted to rescue the SEALs.

For those interested, the book SEAL of Honor tells the life story of Michael Murphy and is a great read. A little trivia some might find interesting here: Although the mission the SEALs were on is often referred to in the media as Operation Redwing or Red Wing, the actual name was Red Wings as the commanding officer was an avid hockey fan. The follow on operation was named Operation Whalers.

I am going to second this or third this. "Lone Survivor" is riveting. You actually feel like you are right there next to him. I remember reading this book till 2 or 3 am on some nights It is such an engrossing book. Everybody should read this it is that good.

by **BlueBandit24** » Sun 9/05/10 2:36 pm

Has anyone read Clive Cussler? I just started his book Night Probe; I'm hoping it's a good read.

by **bringbackjiffypop** » Sun 9/05/10 4:24 pm

BlueBandit24 wrote:Has anyone read Clive Cussler? I just started his book Night Probe; I'm hoping it's a good read.

I've read quite a few of his books and find them really entertaining. Not always very plausible, but they did raise the Titanic a year or two before Ballard discovered it and that it was snapped in two.

by **BlueBandit24** » Mon 9/06/10 9:45 am

bringbackjiffypop wrote:
BlueBandit24 wrote:Has anyone read Clive Cussler? I just started his book Night Probe; I'm hoping it's a good read.

I've read quite a few of his books and find them really entertaining. Not always very plausible, but they did raise the Titanic a year or two before Ballard discovered it and that it was snapped in two.

Great. Thank you.

by **Golden FE Ranger** » Wed 10/13/10 9:41 am

For those of you out there who are interested in military fiction, I might suggest the new book, "The Night Eagles Soared" by author S. B. Newman. Mr. Newman is a retired Army Special Forces soldier and this is his first book. If you go to his web site through October, you can order a signed copy of the book and Steve will make a donation to the Green Beret Foundation, which provides assistance to wounded Special Forces soldiers and their families. It is a great cause that is out to help guys who are at the "tip of the spear" taking risks for all of us. As was mentioned recently in the Headline News thread, the latest soldier to be awarded the Medal of Honor was a Green Beret.

I have not read the book yet; I received my signed copy in the mail yesterday. For those looking for some reading materiel, here is a chance to get it and help a very worthy cause. The link below is to the author's site:

http://sites.google.com/site/thenighteaglessoared/

Happy reading!

by **MAP** » Wed 10/13/10 1:51 pm

SouthTexGopher wrote:"Red Storm Rising" is one of my favorites from Clancy...as is "Without Remorse." Both are excellent books to get yourself into reading Tom Clancy, although "Red Storm Rising" may seem far-fetched for those born after 1989.

To those of us born before 1989 "Red Storm Rising" was extremely gripping. I literally could not put it down. Bought it on a Friday before a three day wekend and stayed up to 2 to 3 am through the weekend getting through it. Now that the Soviet Union has gone the way of the Fighting Sioux nickname, it may not be as gripping. :wink:

by **SouthTexGopher** » Wed 10/13/10 2:57 pm

Golden FE Ranger wrote:For those of you out there who are interested in military fiction, I might suggest the new book, "The Night Eagles Soared" by author S. B. Newman. Mr. Newman is a retired Army Special Forces soldier and this is his first book. If you go to his web site through October, you can order a signed copy of the book and Steve will make a donation to the Green Beret Foundation, which provides assistance to wounded Special Forces soldiers and their families. It is a great cause that is out to help guys who are at the "tip of the spear" taking risks for all of us. As was mentioned recently in the Headline News thread, the latest soldier to be awarded the Medal of Honor was a Green Beret.

I have not read the book yet; I received my signed copy in the mail yesterday. For those looking for some reading materiel, here is a chance to get it and help a very worthy cause. The link below is to the author's site:

http://sites.google.com/site/thenighteaglessoared/

Happy reading!

That's a great book. Steve was in the 7th SFG with my mentor and I've traded a few emails with him. I finished the book over the weekend. I can absolutely vouch for his authenticity as a retired SF soldier...as well as the integrity of the donations to the Green Beret Foundation. It's one of the better things you can buy for less than $20 (including shipping).

by **ScoobyDoo** » Wed 10/13/10 2:59 pm

I am into book two of Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series and loving every minute of it. I really like that there's 12 books in the series and counting.

by **Golden FE Ranger** » Wed 10/13/10 3:22 pm

SouthTexGopher wrote:
Golden FE Ranger wrote:For those of you out there who are interested in military fiction, I might suggest the new book, "The Night Eagles Soared" by author S. B. Newman. Mr. Newman is a retired Army Special Forces soldier and this is his first book. If you go to his web site through October, you can order a signed copy of the book and Steve will make a donation to the Green Beret Foundation, which provides assistance to wounded Special Forces soldiers and their families. It is a great cause that is out to help guys who are at the "tip of the spear" taking risks for all of us. As was mentioned recently in the Headline News thread, the latest soldier to be awarded the Medal of Honor was a Green Beret.

I have not read the book yet; I received my signed copy in the mail yesterday. For those looking for some reading materiel, here is a chance to get it and help a very worthy cause. The link below is to the author's site:

http://sites.google.com/site/thenighteaglessoared/

Happy reading!

That's a great book. Steve was in the 7th SFG with my mentor and I've traded a few emails with him. I finished the book over the weekend. I can absolutely vouch for his authenticity as a retired SF soldier...as well as the integrity of the donations to the Green Beret Foundation. It's one of the better things you can buy for less than $20 (including shipping).

You are tough to beat. I post a link to a book that has an official release date of less than ten days ago and you have already read it.
me = :blahblah:

"you should read the book"
you = :reading:

"already done"

I am looking forward to reading the book, and have the perfect time to do it picked out. Steve seems like a great guy and did a really nice job of personalizing my copy. I know it will have a permanent place on my bookshelf. I guess I will finish with the old adage, great minds think alike

.

by **Chris83** » Wed 10/13/10 7:37 pm

Currently reading "The Passage" by Justin Cronin. Good so far; reminds me of early Stephen King.

by **HockeyBum** » Thu 10/28/10 10:35 pm

I just read Ozzy Osbourne's biography ("I Am Ozzy"). I had low expectations for it, but it was good. Tons of hilarious anecdotes.

On the recommendation of someone in this thread (I can't remember who, and I'm too lazy to look it up), I read "Manhunt", about JW Booth and the Lincoln assassination. That was one of the better books I've read in awhile.

by **Tee09** » Thu 10/28/10 10:46 pm

For those of you who are engineers/scientists/like planes and cool stuff, I recommend Skunk Works, the memoirs of Ben Rich. It's pretty sweet.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... 8wIwADgA#p

by **davescharf** » Thu 10/28/10 11:26 pm

I'm reading American Assassin by Vince Flynn right now. I'm enjoying the 'prequel' nature of it.

For those into military reads, I've heard "Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds" is amazing from some friends of mine who have read it. I'm waiting for it from the library but I might not be able to wait that long.

by **GopherHockeyFan** » Fri 10/29/10 12:36 am

Just finished the latest Virgil "That F'n Flowers" novel by John Sandford... Bad Blood. Typical Sandford read, couldn't put it down. Good book, subject matter was a little intense. It's going back on the shelf tomorrow at the Apple Valley library as a "Lucky U" book.

by **trixR4kids** » Fri 10/29/10 2:10 am

The Rube wrote:Gotti: Rise And Fall by Jerry Capeci.

I had just finished "Wiseguy" by Nicolas Pileggi (the book "Goodfellas" came from) and wanted to compare the differences in styles of the main characters/families.

I've read them multiple times, and still find enjoyment from them both. Side note: it's amazing how many word-for-word phrases/quotes/etc Goodfellas used from the book. Henry Hill himself said the movie was probably about 95% true.

Wiseguy is excellent and fills in a lot of the details of Goodfellas that are missed in a 2 hour movie.

by **Golden FE Ranger** » Fri 10/29/10 10:43 am

GopherHockeyFan wrote:Just finished the latest Virgil "That F'n Flowers" novel by John Sandford... Bad Blood. Typical Sandford read, couldn't put it down. Good book, subject matter was a little intense. It's going back on the shelf tomorrow at the Apple Valley library as a "Lucky U" book.

I have this book and American Assassin mentioned above on the docket. I am pretty excited for both! I just finished the first of John Plaster's books on MACV-SOG, after reading the second. Both were excellent. I am now reading Good to Great by Jim Collins at the request of our new CEO.

by **Go Gophers!** » Fri 10/29/10 7:09 pm

Local Author, Peter Geye's "Safe from the Sea". Set on the North Shore of Minnesota.
http://unbridledbooks.com/our_books/boo ... m_the_sea/

GO GOPHERS!!!

by **Golden FE Ranger** » Mon 12/13/10 5:13 pm

I just finished The Unforgiving Minute by Craig M. Mullaney. Craig is a modern day Renaissance man: a West Point Graduate, Rhodes Scholar and US Army Veteran of Afghanistan. The story chronicles his experiences from the US Military Academy, to Ranger School, then to Oxford, and finally to a remote forward operating base near the Afghan/Pakistani border. There is a lot to be learned from this book. For me the lesson basically was that compared to Mr. Mullaney, I am lazy and dumb.

by **Chris Eckes** » Mon 12/13/10 5:34 pm

Finished the first Sandford "Lucas Davenport" novel RULES OF PREY. Thought it was good, not great, but I will definitely continue with the series at some point. Also just finished GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. Again, good not great. In GWTDT it seemed like nothing happened for 300 pages, and then EVERYTHING happened in like 20 pages, and then nothing happened for another 100-200 pages. Weird pacing.

Now I'm on THE HOBBIT for my first reread of it (read it last when I was like 9 years old... we'll see what I think of it this time around!)

by **Golden FE Ranger** » Mon 12/13/10 5:38 pm

The X Factor wrote:Finished the first Sandford "Lucas Davenport" novel RULES OF PREY. Thought it was good, not great, but I will definitely continue with the series at some point.

WHOA! WHOA!! WHOA!!! Lucas Davenport is a former Golden Gopher defenseman who goes on to become a cop who beats up :punch:

or shoots

MN's most violent criminals while playing Euchre :pelvic_thrust2:

(cross thread points) with some of MN's finest ladies. What more do you want?

by **BlueBandit24** » Tue 12/14/10 12:18 pm

I am reading Up Country by Nelson DeMille. It is about a Vietnam veteran who returns to Vietnam to solve a thirty year old murder for the American government and tackle some of his own demons regarding the war. Not quite finished; very good read thus far.

by **Chris Eckes** » Tue 12/14/10 1:20 pm

Golden FE Ranger wrote:
The X Factor wrote:Finished the first Sandford "Lucas Davenport" novel RULES OF PREY. Thought it was good, not great, but I will definitely continue with the series at some point.

WHOA! WHOA!! WHOA!!! Lucas Davenport is a former Golden Gopher defenseman who goes on to become a cop who beats up or shoots MN's most violent criminals while playing Euchre (cross thread points) with some of MN's finest ladies. What more do you want?

They didn't talk about Lucas playing for the gophs in the first book. I would have liked there to be more mystery in terms of who the killer actually was. But I suppose it's a thriller and not a mystery so I knew it going in.

He did play a lot of euchre, though. Like a TON of euchre. With every girl in the book pretty much.

GFER is the thread winner!!

by **Golden FE Ranger** » Tue 12/14/10 2:07 pm

The X Factor wrote:
Golden FE Ranger wrote:
The X Factor wrote:Finished the first Sandford "Lucas Davenport" novel RULES OF PREY. Thought it was good, not great, but I will definitely continue with the series at some point.

WHOA! WHOA!! WHOA!!! Lucas Davenport is a former Golden Gopher defenseman who goes on to become a cop who beats up or shoots MN's most violent criminals while playing Euchre (cross thread points) with some of MN's finest ladies. What more do you want?

They didn't talk about Lucas playing for the gophs in the first book. I would have liked there to be more mystery in terms of who the killer actually was. But I suppose it's a thriller and not a mystery so I knew it going in.

He did play a lot of euchre, though. Like a TON of euchre. With every girl in the book pretty much. GFER is the thread winner!!

Whoops, I forgot they did not reveal that in "Rules." After 20 or so, it is easy to lose track :oops:

.

by **sunbone** » Tue 12/14/10 2:13 pm

Just finished "Cities of the Plain" to complete Cormac McCarthy's Border Trilogy. Loved "Cities of the Plain" and "All the Pretty Horses." The middle book "The Crossing" didn't do anything for me. I love how descriptive his writing is and the symbolism, but it definitely isn't light reading at times. Think I need something lighter for my next book, maybe a Michael Connelly mystery or something like that.

by **SouthTexGopher** » Tue 12/14/10 2:56 pm

BlueBandit24 wrote:I am reading Up Country by Nelson DeMille. It is about a Vietnam veteran who returns to Vietnam to solve a thirty year old murder for the American government and tackle some of his own demons regarding the war. Not quite finished; very good read thus far.

Excellent book. A former employee of mine spent a good deal of his time in the area of Vietnam covered by DeMille in the book. He said the descriptions of terrain and weather are incredibly accurate.

by **Kelor** » Tue 12/14/10 7:57 pm

Still Standing: The Story of SSG John Kriesel

Just started it.

by **Golden FE Ranger** » Tue 12/14/10 9:38 pm

Kelor wrote:Still Standing: The Story of SSG John Kriesel

Just started it.

This is going on my short list. SSG Kriesel is tough like woodpecker lips!

by **Snowcool08** » Tue 12/14/10 10:03 pm

Kelor wrote:Still Standing: The Story of SSG John Kriesel

Just started it.

Is this the one by Buster Olney?

by **Beauner** » Wed 12/15/10 2:03 am

Snowcool08 wrote:
Kelor wrote:Still Standing: The Story of SSG John Kriesel

Just started it.

Is this the one by Buster Olney?

Jim Kosmo and John Kriesel are co-authors credited according to Amazon.
I might have to add this to the Christmas wish-list. I really enjoy when he's on with the Power Trip on KFAN. During the summers when I was at work at 6am I really enjoyed listening to him, and I think for as much of a buffoon that Mike Morris pretends to be/is, he truly does a great job (as does Chris Hawkey) tipping the cap to our veterans. If only more people on air would do the same. Their "true superstars" segment they do every day really is pretty cool.

Last year I got the Tony Dungy book Quiet Strength for Christmas and finished it in 3 days. That and Bill Simmons' Book of Basketball (read more for the comedy/my love of Bill Simmons' comedy than anything basketball related, although it did bring me to enjoy basketball more) were both very enjoyable reads. The Dungy book was very powerful IMO. I would strongly recommend it to anybody. My roommate read it after I did and he was moved to tears once or twice he said (especially when he talks about his son).

by **Golden FE Ranger** » Wed 12/15/10 8:47 am

Beauner wrote:Jim Kosmo and John Kriesel are co-authors credited according to Amazon.
I might have to add this to the Christmas wish-list. I really enjoy when he's on with the Power Trip on KFAN. During the summers when I was at work at 6am I really enjoyed listening to him, and I think for as much of a buffoon that Mike Morris pretends to be/is, he truly does a great job (as does Chris Hawkey) tipping the cap to our veterans. If only more people on air would do the same. Their "true superstars" segment they do every day really is pretty cool.

Last year I got the Tony Dungy book Quiet Strength for Christmas and finished it in 3 days. That and Bill Simmons' Book of Basketball (read more for the comedy/my love of Bill Simmons' comedy than anything basketball related, although it did bring me to enjoy basketball more) were both very enjoyable reads. The Dungy book was very powerful IMO. I would strongly recommend it to anybody. My roommate read it after I did and he was moved to tears once or twice he said (especially when he talks about his son).

Excellent post. The Dungy book is great.

by **Kelor** » Wed 12/15/10 9:09 am

Nice call on Dungys book. I just downloaded it.

by **BlueBandit24** » Wed 12/15/10 1:14 pm

SouthTexGopher wrote:
BlueBandit24 wrote:I am reading Up Country by Nelson DeMille. It is about a Vietnam veteran who returns to Vietnam to solve a thirty year old murder for the American government and tackle some of his own demons regarding the war. Not quite finished; very good read thus far.

Excellent book. A former employee of mine spent a good deal of his time in the area of Vietnam covered by DeMille in the book. He said the descriptions of terrain and weather are incredibly accurate.

It really is very descriptive of the area, and also of how life for Vietnam veterans is just different than everyone elses. DeMille is a Vietnam vet himself and really has a unique outlook.

by **Snowcool08** » Wed 12/15/10 1:59 pm

Beauner wrote:
Snowcool08 wrote:
Kelor wrote:Still Standing: The Story of SSG John Kriesel

Just started it.

Is this the one by Buster Olney?

Jim Kosmo and John Kriesel are co-authors credited according to Amazon.
I might have to add this to the Christmas wish-list. I really enjoy when he's on with the Power Trip on KFAN. During the summers when I was at work at 6am I really enjoyed listening to him, and I think for as much of a buffoon that Mike Morris pretends to be/is, he truly does a great job (as does Chris Hawkey) tipping the cap to our veterans. If only more people on air would do the same. Their "true superstars" segment they do every day really is pretty cool.

Last year I got the Tony Dungy book Quiet Strength for Christmas and finished it in 3 days. That and Bill Simmons' Book of Basketball (read more for the comedy/my love of Bill Simmons' comedy than anything basketball related, although it did bring me to enjoy basketball more) were both very enjoyable reads. The Dungy book was very powerful IMO. I would strongly recommend it to anybody. My roommate read it after I did and he was moved to tears once or twice he said (especially when he talks about his son).

Oh, I thought that was the name of Buster's new book. I guess I could have looked it up on Amazon myself. I will have to look into the Still Standing book and Dungy's book.

I bought the Book of Basketball last year as well but never touched it. I don't like basketball and only bought it because I enjoy Simmon's writing. I planned to eventually get to it and it's good to hear that it's not going to be a pain to get through.

by **Beauner** » Wed 12/15/10 2:07 pm

Snowcool08 wrote:I bought the Book of Basketball last year as well but never touched it. I don't like basketball and only bought it because I enjoy Simmon's writing. I planned to eventually get to it and it's good to hear that it's not going to be a pain to get through.

In typical Bill Simmons fashion he writes it like he would have a conversation with you, throwing in random wise-cracks and jokes and hilarious references. For however many pages it is about a topic that I used to not care a damn about (still don't care for it much but a little more now) I finished it very quickly.

by **GopherHockeyFan** » Fri 12/17/10 3:18 pm

Reading Lee Child's latest "Worth Dying For" started it last night and am about 3/4 finished, I think it's better than his last novel and one of the better ones overall in the Reacher series.

by **Greyeagle** » Mon 12/27/10 11:08 am

GopherHockeyFan wrote:Reading Lee Child's latest "Worth Dying For" started it last night and am about 3/4 finished, I think it's better than his last novel and one of the better ones overall in the Reacher series.

Looking forward to reading this.

My buddy Reimringer (Vestments) is on MPR right now. Great book.
http://www.amazon.com/Vestments-John-Re ... 1571310800

by **Kelor** » Mon 12/27/10 11:49 am

Here's a twist. I am by no means a bible thumper, but I downloaded the Bible on my ipad and am enjoying the read.

by **Bladepuller** » Mon 12/27/10 12:11 pm

Ghost Wars, by Steve Coll. It is about the US history in Afghanistan & won the Pulitzer Prize.

by **Golden FE Ranger** » Mon 12/27/10 1:13 pm

Bladepuller wrote:Ghost Wars, by Steve Coll. It is about the US history in Afghanistan & won the Pulitzer Prize.

Blade, let us know what you think, I may have to add it to my list. Kelor, I try to read a little of the Bible each day, whatever one's beliefs, there are some timeless lessons.

For Christmas I received the two books on leadership by MSG Paul Howe, Leadership And Training For The Fight: A Few Thoughts On Leadership And Training From A Former Special Operations Soldier and The Tactical Trainer: A Few Thoughts On Training And Training Management From A Former Special Operations Soldier. MSG Howe has led a pretty amazing life and I am looking forward to learning from his hard earned lessons. I will try to file a review upon completion.

by **Bladepuller** » Mon 12/27/10 1:57 pm

I will. It is not exactly a light read and it gets kind of tough to follow all the "non-english" names. I read the book "Charlie Wilson's War" but refused to see the movie. I'd also recommend reading that book.
I'm part way into a local biker's book also. SSP's own Richard "Deadeye" Hayes wrote on called "Outlaw Biker, My lLfe at Full Throttle. " He is a Los Valentes that I bought leather overalls from & got the book too. We are of the same generation. I'm kind of fascinated by motorcycle clubs. Never been nor wanted to be a patch holder but the committment that a club demands and that these guy's are more than willingly give.

by **SouthTexGopher** » Mon 2/07/11 1:29 pm

Badass LEGO Guns: Building Instructions for Five Working Guns

:lol:

by **BlueBandit24** » Wed 3/23/11 11:36 am

I recently finished The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva. Silva offers a different perspective on the terrorism/assassin genre since the main character, Gabriel Allon, works for Israeli intelligence. A very smooth read and I've enjoyed the Allon series. Kudos to Greyeagle for the author recommendation.

by **davescharf** » Wed 3/23/11 11:43 am

I finally finished Fighter Pilot by Christina Olds on my trip home from overseas. It's the memoir of WWII fighter ace (and near Vietnam Ace) Robin Olds. I felt it was really well written with lots of really cool war stories/anecdotes and a lot of history around the last days of the Army Air Forces and the start of the US Air Force.

by **Greyeagle** » Wed 3/23/11 8:23 pm

BlueBandit24 wrote:I recently finished The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva. Silva offers a different perspective on the terrorism/assassin genre since the main character, Gabriel Allon, works for Israeli intelligence. A very smooth read and I've enjoyed the Allon series. Kudos to Greyeagle for the author recommendation.

Glad you enjoyed it...I love the whole series.

I'm re-reading the Tim Dorsey books. If you like psycho, lovable, serial killers and his stoned out friend than Serg & Coleman are your guys. Think an even more twisted :shock:

Carl Hiasson

by **Norm** » Wed 3/23/11 8:29 pm

Just finished "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Lutrell. Man, those guys went thru hell. Thanks for the tip guys.

by **HockeyBum** » Wed 3/23/11 10:00 pm

Golden FE Ranger wrote:I just finished The Unforgiving Minute by Craig M. Mullaney. Craig is a modern day Renaissance man: a West Point Graduate, Rhodes Scholar and US Army Veteran of Afghanistan. The story chronicles his experiences from the US Military Academy, to Ranger School, then to Oxford, and finally to a remote forward operating base near the Afghan/Pakistani border. There is a lot to be learned from this book. For me the lesson basically was that compared to Mr. Mullaney, I am lazy and dumb.

I finished this book a few weeks ago. Overall, I thought it was good, but not great. It started strong with the West Point experiences, but I have to confess that I found the chapters about Oxford somewhat boring.

I'm not sure what to think of this guy. I admire all of the things he was able to accomplish and I respect anyone who serves in the military, but at the same time he came across as a little bit narcissistic. He goes on and on about losing ONE guy in his unit during his tour in Afghanistan. Not to minimize it, but did he really expect to go into a war as an infantry officer and not see casualties? It makes me wonder what a WWII or Vietnam vet would think about this guy. Soldiers in those wars saw far greater carnage and lost more buddies in one day than he did in a whole tour. The way he treated his father after his parents divorce also made me question his maturity (demanding an apology? Seriously?).

by **SouthTexGopher** » Wed 3/23/11 10:17 pm

Interesting that there's such a strong military theme to this discussion. I like it.

I just finished re-reading "The Long Gray Line" by Rick Atkinson. It's the story of West Point's class of 1966 - and it covers a great deal of ground in their careers and personal lives. I highly, highly recommend it.

by **GopherHockeyFan** » Wed 3/23/11 11:00 pm

If you are a fan of John Sandford, check out David Housewright (Rushmore Mckenzie series). Another local author. Like Sanford's books they are hard to put down once you start.

by **Beauner** » Thu 3/24/11 12:08 am

I finished Still Standing about SSG Kriesel about a month and a half ago and forgot to post it on here.
Big thanks to those of you who recommended it. Absolutely phenomenal story, phenomenal individual, and it really helps you change your perspective on life. There were multiple times where I thought to myself that I'd never be able to do something like that (which is a feeling I don't get very often because I had to undergo 16 surgeries in my first 18 years of being on this planet) and the attitude he took throughout the majority of the book was absolutely inspiring.
I gave it to my dad to read (and he never reads so I'm not sure if I'll ever get it back) but it is definitely a book I will be reading multiple times.
Thanks again for those who recommended it! :mrgreen:

by **Golden FE Ranger** » Thu 3/24/11 7:05 am

HockeyBum wrote:
Golden FE Ranger wrote:I just finished The Unforgiving Minute by Craig M. Mullaney. Craig is a modern day Renaissance man: a West Point Graduate, Rhodes Scholar and US Army Veteran of Afghanistan. The story chronicles his experiences from the US Military Academy, to Ranger School, then to Oxford, and finally to a remote forward operating base near the Afghan/Pakistani border. There is a lot to be learned from this book. For me the lesson basically was that compared to Mr. Mullaney, I am lazy and dumb.

I finished this book a few weeks ago. Overall, I thought it was good, but not great. It started strong with the West Point experiences, but I have to confess that I found the chapters about Oxford somewhat boring.

I'm not sure what to think of this guy. I admire all of the things he was able to accomplish and I respect anyone who serves in the military, but at the same time he came across as a little bit narcissistic. He goes on and on about losing ONE guy in his unit during his tour in Afghanistan. Not to minimize it, but did he really expect to go into a war as an infantry officer and not see casualties? It makes me wonder what a WWII or Vietnam vet would think about this guy. Soldiers in those wars saw far greater carnage and lost more buddies in one day than he did in a whole tour. The way he treated his father after his parents divorce also made me question his maturity (demanding an apology? Seriously?).

I really can not argue with your assessment. I did not find the Oxford portions to be as entertaining as I did enlightening. I had no idea, really, about the life of a Rhodes scholar. He does come off as being a little narcissistic, but he also describes things like Ranger school in great detail, which was worth it for me. I guess the book offered an interesting view into portions of life I would never see. Thanks for your review.

Norm wrote:Just finished "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Lutrell. Man, those guys went thru hell. Thanks for the tip guys.

That was a great book. Rest in peace Matt Axelson, Danny Dietz, and Michael Murphy and those that attempted their rescue. If you liked that book, I would reccomend picking up Robert's Ridge.

Thanks, Beauner, for mentioning Still Standing. I need to get that on my list.

by **Chris83** » Sat 3/26/11 6:48 pm

Just started "The Last Boy", a biography of Mickey Mantle by Jane Leavy. Very good so far.

by **Gopher Banker** » Sat 3/26/11 8:13 pm

Chris83 wrote:Just started "The Last Boy", a biography of Mickey Mantle by Jane Leavy. Very good so far.

Given to me as a gift at Christmas, and I wasn't too excited about it until I got into it. Really good read. I didn't know that much about Mantle, and Leavy did a pretty good job about being even-handed about his accomplishments, his injuries, and the damage he did to himself. A good read for any baseball fan.

by **BlueBandit24** » Mon 4/11/11 3:17 pm

I recently finished Darkess, Take My Hand by Dennis Lehane. I would not recommend reading Lehane's stuff if you're going through a rough patch. They take on a rather depressing tone. However, he always takes an interesting look into the human mind, and this book was a gritty police novel with plenty of dark moments. Very solid read if you're into that genre.

by **rowshkex** » Mon 4/11/11 5:27 pm

BlueBandit24 wrote:I recently finished Darkess, Take My Hand by Dennis Lehane. I would not recommend reading Lehane's stuff if you're going through a rough patch. They take on a rather depressing tone. However, he always takes an interesting look into the human mind, and this book was a gritty police novel with plenty of dark moments. Very solid read if you're into that genre.

I just returned from Haiti on a medical trip, and am about to start Mountains Beyond Mountains or Pathologies of Power, I haven't decided yet, haha... Anyone read either of these and have a recommendation?

by **FargoSiouxHater** » Wed 4/13/11 9:46 am

Has anyone read the new Ken Follett book, Fall of Giants? I've read several of his previous books, Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, and both were outstanding. Hoping for some good reviews before I go out and pick it up.

by **sunbone** » Wed 4/13/11 10:19 am

BlueBandit24 wrote:I recently finished Darkess, Take My Hand by Dennis Lehane. I would not recommend reading Lehane's stuff if you're going through a rough patch. They take on a rather depressing tone. However, he always takes an interesting look into the human mind, and this book was a gritty police novel with plenty of dark moments. Very solid read if you're into that genre.

I love Lehane's books. Well, except for "The Given Day", a little long winded. Just picked up "Moonlight Mile" and am looking forward to it.

by **BlueBandit24** » Sun 7/10/11 8:41 am

I just finished the first novel in the Jack Reacher series, Killing Floor, by Lee Child. A very cool book and I am looking forward to continuing the series.

by **Greyeagle** » Sun 7/10/11 8:56 am

BlueBandit24 wrote:I just finished the first novel in the Jack Reacher series, Killing Floor, by Lee Child. A very cool book and I am looking forward to continuing the series.

Love Child's Reacher books.......would love to see who would play Reacher if any are ever made into a movie.

by **Orion** » Sun 7/10/11 9:39 am

Greyeagle wrote:
BlueBandit24 wrote:I just finished the first novel in the Jack Reacher series, Killing Floor, by Lee Child. A very cool book and I am looking forward to continuing the series.

Love Child's Reacher books.......would love to see who would play Reacher if any are ever made into a movie.

It has to be Chuck Norris

by **Greyeagle** » Sun 7/10/11 9:59 am

Orion wrote:
Greyeagle wrote:
BlueBandit24 wrote:I just finished the first novel in the Jack Reacher series, Killing Floor, by Lee Child. A very cool book and I am looking forward to continuing the series.

Love Child's Reacher books.......would love to see who would play Reacher if any are ever made into a movie.

It has to be Chuck Norris

I was going to say too short but a quick search reveals The Midget (Tom Cruise) is apparently playing Reacher in an adaptation of One Shot. He's only short by a foot or so and about the last person I would have picked. Back in the day I could have seen Eastwood or (maybe) Nicholson.

by **Chris83** » Sun 7/10/11 10:59 am

I'm splitting time between "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson and "What the Night Knows" by Dean Koontz.

I know I'm pretty late to the Larsson "Millennium" series, but I'm enjoying it so far. A little slow in the beginning, but now ramping up.

As for the Koontz book, I would give it an "Okay" grade so far. Maybe it's just me getting older, but Koontz's more recent offerings don't read as well for me as her earlier books. Hopefully, it will improve as I get further into it.

by **streakygopher** » Sun 7/10/11 12:05 pm

Half way into Liar's Poker, the scintillating Wall Street tell-all by insider Michael Lewis. The book is an indictment on the callow, self-entitled boys' club that helps determine the financial outcome for millions of Americans. And, no matter how badly they butcher the job, guess who always gets paid?

He also wrote, subsequently, The Big Short, a veritable desk reference on Wall Street's reckless bungling of the 2008 mortgage meltdown. (if you're into this kinda stuff, it's a page turner)

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