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Green Arrow
05-04-2014, 08:24 PM
My intention to start a forum review of "How the Scots Invented the Modern World" by Arthur Herman gave me an idea. What about doing regular reviews of political and historical books? Rather than just shoving them off into "Sights and Sounds" or "The History Room," what about a subforum dedicated specifically to book reviews? I plan to do them often, and maybe others would be interested in doing their own reviews. It could be like a tPF Book Club.

KC
05-04-2014, 08:29 PM
That might work, but it might work even better as a more broad sub-forum on Books and Literature.

Mister D
05-04-2014, 08:30 PM
Good ideas.

Peter1469
05-04-2014, 08:34 PM
We just need to keep it active. Empty sub-forums look bad.

Chris
05-04-2014, 08:34 PM
Sounds good, I can try and contribute as well.

The Xl
05-04-2014, 08:36 PM
I think it's a good idea.

Peter1469
05-04-2014, 08:39 PM
Green Arrow, start a poll in the VIP room.

Alyosha
05-04-2014, 09:25 PM
Will there be Jane Austen books read? If so, I'll participate. If this is guy books only I won't.

Green Arrow
05-04-2014, 09:31 PM
Will there be Jane Austen books read? If so, I'll participate. If this is guy books only I won't.

Any and all books. I will read Jane Austen and post about it for you 'cause you're my bud :tongue:

Gerrard Winstanley
05-05-2014, 02:59 AM
I'm all behind this.

Black_Widow
09-14-2014, 08:27 PM
I'm in!

nathanbforrest45
09-16-2014, 12:27 PM
The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers. Very interesting book written in 1908. It concerns two men's concern over the lack of defense against a possible German invasion of England from the North Sea. Its also a very good book about sailing!

Erskine Childers was a very strong patriotic Englishman when he wrote the book. He has been credited with inspiring the British government to develop an Intelligence Service which served the country well in WW2. Interestingly he was executed by the British government in the 1920' for his role in the Irish War of Independence. It seems he attempted to do the very thing he wrote about in The Riddle of the Sands, smuggle weapons into Ireland from Europe using the North Sea. Alas, he was captured and executed.

southwest88
12-04-2014, 12:44 PM
Annihilation / Jeff VanderMeer.

Summary: Area X has claimed the lives of members of eleven expeditions. The twelfth expedition consisting of four women hopes to map the terrain and collect specimens; to record all their observations, scientific and otherwise, of their surroundings and of one another; and, above all, to avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.

The first of a trilogy, v. good. Atmospheric, reminds me of Poe/Lovecraft. Nice creepy feel, v. appropriate for Day of the Dead. The other two are also out, @ the library.

Finished Authority (2nd) & Acceptance, the 3rd of the trilogy. Excellent work, Kafkaesque. If you liked the TV series Fringe, you might like this set. These are relatively short novels, easy to read.

PolWatch
12-04-2014, 01:00 PM
Great idea! so many books...so little time!

southwest88
12-09-2014, 04:08 PM
No country for old men - Cormac McCarthy - c 2005, 309pp. The basis for the movie of the same name, I had seen bits of the movie off & on. After seeing Javier Bardem's work in the movie, I wondered how his character wound up. Read the book - my first McCarthy. Set in the '80s, v. interesting take on sheriffs, law enforcement, TX & the drug trade. The book is more expansive than the movie, a kinda meditation on the land & the people who live there.

I'll have to look up more of his books. The library has this one, the movie, & several more of his Westerns. Looks like I'll have to mount up after all (I don't usually read Westerns, my taste runs more to SciFi - probably means I'll be reading his The road).

He has an excellent ear for dialog, I enjoyed a lot of the characters' interchanges.

PolWatch
12-09-2014, 04:19 PM
The Road is good...sad, but good

silvereyes
12-11-2014, 11:16 PM
No country for old men - Cormac McCarthy - c 2005, 309pp. The basis for the movie of the same name, I had seen bits of the movie off & on. After seeing Javier Bardem's work in the movie, I wondered how his character wound up. Read the book - my first McCarthy. Set in the '80s, v. interesting take on sheriffs, law enforcement, TX & the drug trade. The book is more expansive than the movie, a kinda meditation on the land & the people who live there.

I'll have to look up more of his books. The library has this one, the movie, & several more of his Westerns. Looks like I'll have to mount up after all (I don't usually read Westerns, my taste runs more to SciFi - probably means I'll be reading his The road).

He has an excellent ear for dialog, I enjoyed a lot of the characters' interchanges.
Hated that movie.

Green Arrow
12-12-2014, 01:51 AM
The Road is good...sad, but good

I thoroughly enjoyed it.