kimcatch22 Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 That is indeed a really great book, but the book I love most about the war in Vietnam (even more than Tim O'Brien's stuff!) is "Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered from All Sides" by Christian Appy. It's a collection of interviews with pretty much every type of person involved with the war. It's not just the soldiers and policy makers on each side, but people like the flight attendants who worked on the commercial flights that carried young draftees to the war (and back home again when they made it), vietnamese poets and novelists, the people who risked their lives to maintain the Ho Chi Minh trail, and dozens more. It's huge, but incredibly readable, and it means a lot to me that all those voices have been recorded.Oh man, how have I not read this one? Thanks for the heads up, I will track down a copy right now... Link to post Share on other sites
mpolak21 Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 That's my favorite book EVER. (Technically it's two short stories, but ya know.) I've read it more times than I can count. Sorry I missed this post, but I love it as well, it's wonderful and quite possibly my favorite as well. This one is next up for me. --Mike Link to post Share on other sites
rrgunn Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 World Without End - Ken Follett Total trash - but historic trash, at least. Link to post Share on other sites
poppydawn Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I bought "Little Children" by Tom Perrotta to read while I wait for "The Abstinence Teacher" to arrive from the library. Link to post Share on other sites
PigSooie Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 "Kitchen Confidential" Anthony Bourdain Link to post Share on other sites
Tenderloin Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I picked this up a few days ago and can't seem to put it down. It's an amazing study of what life was like in the Robert Taylor Homes in the years leading up to its demolition. Link to post Share on other sites
kimcatch22 Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 I picked this up a few days ago and can't seem to put it down. It's an amazing study of what life was like in the Robert Taylor Homes in the years leading up to its demolition.I see the foreword note at the bottom. Is this the grad student who helped the Freakonomics guy research the chapter on drug dealers? Link to post Share on other sites
poppydawn Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 "Kitchen Confidential" Anthony Bourdain One of my all-time favorites. If you haven't read "A Cook's Tour", do so. While the show was good, it totally skipped the part about Tony being whacked on hash when he was with the Bedouins. Some things just don't cut the mustard at Food TV. Link to post Share on other sites
Tenderloin Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 I see the foreword note at the bottom. Is this the grad student who helped the Freakonomics guy research the chapter on drug dealers? yes, yes it is. Link to post Share on other sites
anthony Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Suffering through this right now. Not very far, but the whole thing seems so corny and overblown. I can retell the story in three sentences: I'm scared. I know.The man pushed the cart down the road. I will admit that there have been some beautiful sentences/paragraphs, but I don't care at all about either character. Man, just die already. We get it. You're sick. Boy, stop complaining. For this way of life being the only thing you've ever know, you sure do seem pretty bewildered by everything. Ha! After finishing it, I feel exactly the same. I don't see that big deal. S. King writes better End Of The World stories. The Stand is in my top 5 novels ever. Now I am reading: Link to post Share on other sites
Good Old Neon Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Ha! After finishing it, I feel exactly the same. I don't see that big deal. S. King writes better End Of The World stories. The Stand is in my top 5 novels ever. With all due respect, I think most folks who find fault with McCarthy Link to post Share on other sites
Calexico Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Holy coincidence! I was just about to put this up too. Re-reading it again, possibly my favourite book of all time. Now being made into a movie with Leo DiCap and Kate Winslet....I am so very afraid! Link to post Share on other sites
Azzurri Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Holy coincidence! I was just about to put this up too. Re-reading it again, possibly my favourite book of all time. Now being made into a movie with Leo DiCap and Kate Winslet....I am so very afraid! yeah, this is a great book. Yates writes perfectly. You should try another of his novels, Easter Parade....another masterpiece in my opinion. Link to post Share on other sites
mpolak21 Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 I think I might have to pick up Revolutionary Road now, after reading a little more about it. --Mike Link to post Share on other sites
Calexico Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 yeah, this is a great book. Yates writes perfectly. You should try another of his novels, Easter Parade....another masterpiece in my opinion. Oh yes, Easter Parade is to die for. Such a shame he was basically unknown while he was alive. Some initial success and then drifting into jobbing around as a copy writer and worked on the Kennedy staff as a writer for a while too. Big push on this year to re-issue all his work and he has been heavily featured in a lot of Sunday supplements here over the last few weeks. Better late than never I suppose. Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 KISS: Behind the Mask - Official Authorized Biography by David Leaf and Ken SharpRonnie: The Autobiography by Ronnie Wood both for 5 books at barnes and noble Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 I'll pick up The Things They Carried on Saturday.Picked it up last weekend and am about 45-50 pages in. I like his writing. This caused me to put the book down and think about it on the bus to work today, referring to his own writing: "But the thing about remembering is that you don't forget. You take your material where you find it, which is in your life, at the intersection of past and present." It goes on into more traffic comparisons, but a great analogy I thought. I had a good feeling about the book before I even started as he's sporting a Red Sox cap on the author's page in the back. Link to post Share on other sites
kimcatch22 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Picked it up last weekend and am about 45-50 pages in. I like his writing. This caused me to put the book down and think about it on the bus to work today, referring to his own writing: "But the thing about remembering is that you don't forget. You take your material where you find it, which is in your life, at the intersection of past and present." It goes on into more traffic comparisons, but a great analogy I thought. I had a good feeling about the book before I even started as he's sporting a Red Sox cap on the author's page in the back. My copy of this book is all highlighted and written in where I loved awesome quotes like that one. One of my favorites might be the one the book title comes from: "They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried." That quote sums up my understanding of the war. If you like TTTC, his If I Die In A Combat Zone is a nice complement to it. Fills in some gaps in the stories and provides a different perspective -- I think he wrote that one much earlier than TTTC. Link to post Share on other sites
bobbob1313 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Picked it up last weekend and am about 45-50 pages in. I like his writing. This caused me to put the book down and think about it on the bus to work today, referring to his own writing: "But the thing about remembering is that you don't forget. You take your material where you find it, which is in your life, at the intersection of past and present." It goes on into more traffic comparisons, but a great analogy I thought. I had a good feeling about the book before I even started as he's sporting a Red Sox cap on the author's page in the back. I'm going to go buy this this weekend so I can reread it. I haven't read it in about 4 years, and I'm really looking forward to getting into it again. Link to post Share on other sites
bobbob1313 Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Just finished this one up, it's a must read for football fans. I couldn't put it down, it's a great story of a young football prospect, and it's also about the evolution of football in the last 20 years. Anyone who read Lewis' Moneyball will be familiar with his skill of mixing story telling with analysis. Link to post Share on other sites
Good Old Neon Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 My copy of this book is all highlighted and written in where I loved awesome quotes like that one. One of my favorites might be the one the book title comes from: "They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried." That quote sums up my understanding of the war. If you like TTTC, his If I Die In A Combat Zone is a nice complement to it. Fills in some gaps in the stories and provides a different perspective -- I think he wrote that one much earlier than TTTC. Might I also recommend Michael Herr Link to post Share on other sites
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