Books: And What Are You Reading?

Clix Pix said:
Forgot to come back and say that yes, I did enjoy The Left-Handed Booksellers of London -- however, it seemed to take me a while to really get into it, to become truly interested in the characters and their well-being......it took well into the last third of the book before I was really involved. That is different than what happened with the other books of his that I've read.
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Agreed.

To my mind, nothing he has written comes close to the Abhorsen trilogy, but I do like his scene-setting and world-building, and I love - nay, absolutely adore - his ability to write credible, and strong female characters.

A recent book of his that I did enjoy - some of it was laugh aloud funny - was Frogkisser.
 
I do have Frogkisser -- bought it in paperback a while ago, and I quite agree: laugh-out-loud funny!

Yes, the Abhorsen Trilogy really is outstanding, and I am so glad you had suggested that I delve into it -- I really did enjoy that series and found it quite absorbing.
 
Clix Pix said:
I do have Frogkisser -- bought it in paperback a while ago, and I quite agree: laugh-out-loud funny!

Yes, the Abhorsen Trilogy really is outstanding, and I am so glad you had suggested that I delve into it -- I really did enjoy that series and found it quite absorbing.
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Frogkisser was rollicking, very funny at times, and came with some splendid female characters.

But, nothing approaches the Abhorsen trilogy, which reason, to my mind, the best thing that Garth Nix has written.

It is not just that I love strong female characters - and Lirael is a wonderful female protagonist, intelligent,hard-working, courageous, and decent, it is that in the Abhorsen trilogy, Garth Nix allowed his characters (especially Lirael and Sameth) a lot of time to develop - and gave us, the readers, a lot of time to get to know them well, - before their adventures started in earnest, so that you knew them and felt for them by the time they embarked on their respective dates wth destiny.

That, plus the two animal characters, The Disreputable Dog, and Mogget, meant that you had a terrific and balanced and most interesting quartet of characters to drive the story.
 
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Several books by (the historian) Margaret MacMillan have been requested (by me) in the library; I received notification that one (History's People) is already waiting for me, while another (The War That Ended Peace) is currently "in transit".

As a second book - a recent publication on Pakistan - is also "in transit", I shall wait until they both arrive, which is when I shall pay the library a visit, and shall also take the opportunity to return two books by Nick Hornby (Juliet Naked, and Just Like You) that I have read and enjoyed.
 
About to begin reading Anxious People, which I spotted on the shelf at the library the other day..... It will be followed by Architects of Memory and then Robin Cook's Genesis.
 
Anxious People is a truly intriguing book, not at all what I'd expected, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Very different in a lot of ways..... Finished it last night, just couldn't stop reading. Next up: Architects of Memory. This will be another departure from my usual reading fare.

SS, to answer your question, nope, can't recommend any good books about Alexander Hamilton, although I know there have been several (and you've probably already read them anyway).
 
Here's the thing; Re Hamilton, I haven't actually read a biography, good, bad or indifferent, and would welcome recommendations from anyone who might care to suggest one.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Here's the thing; Re Hamilton, I haven't actually read a biography, good, bad or indifferent, and would welcome recommendations from anyone who might care to suggest one.
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Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton was certainly well reviewed including by other historians.

cover art Ron Chernow Hamilton bio.jpg

It's quite a tome, over 800 pages long so I'm glad of having it in e-book format. It's fascinating and occasionally a slog --but then skimming is an option when one is not looking for more than a certain level of detail about this or that. I confess I am still making my way through it although I've had it for awhile... but then I often do that with books in the history and biography genres, so it's not for lack of interest but time, and wanting some diversity in my reading.

Anyway can't go wrong with it and the reviews are definitely not hype.

Chernow has written other well received biographies including two about US Presidents, George Washington and more recently Ulysses Grant. His book on Washington won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for biography.
 
Thanks to @yaxomoxay - late of this parish, but still active elsewhere, such as in the books thread in The Other Place - a biography of Alexander Hamilton, written by Ron Chernow, has been recommended.

This is the book considered the "ultimate" bio, according to @yaxomoxay, and thankfully, my local library seems to be able to obtain it for me; in common with @Clix Pix, I am a devotee of libraries (and books), and thus, I have placed a hold on this book and look forward to receiving it, and being able to read it.
 
Currently reading (or rather. re-reading) War - by Gwynn Dyer.

I have noticed that General (or, later, President) Grant seems to be enjoying a sort of rehabilitation, - challenging the "great general, but lousy president" narrative in that a number of good biographies have been published over the past few years.

Must take a look out for a good biography.
 
lizkat said:
Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton was certainly well reviewed including by other historians.


It's quite a tome, over 800 pages long so I'm glad of having it in e-book format. It's fascinating and occasionally a slog --but then skimming is an option when one is not looking for more than a certain level of detail about this or that. I confess I am still making my way through it although I've had it for awhile... but then I often do that with books in the history and biography genres, so it's not for lack of interest but time, and wanting some diversity in my reading.

Anyway can't go wrong with it and the reviews are definitely not hype.

Chernow has written other well received biographies including two about US Presidents, George Washington and more recently Ulysses Grant. His book on Washington won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for biography.
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My local library informs me that this book (I ordered it having read your post) is now "in transit" (as is his - that is, Chernow's - biography of General - or, President - Grant).
 
Gutwrench said:
No one is reading The Beautiful Poetry of Donald Trump, Rob Sears?
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Gutwrench said:
lol! No. I think it’s in the same vein as a Pet Rock. One might buy it merely for the cover art. Otherwise it’s a gimmicky collection of tweets.
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Scepticalscribe said:
That makes sense.

However, I think that I will reserve my hard-earned cash for something more worthy.
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This description at Amazon:
By simply taking the 45th President of the United States' tweets and transcripts, cutting them up and reordering them, Sears unearthed a trove of beautiful verse that was just waiting to be discovered.

As in what‘s the point? :) I’m trying to imagine the target audience for this, could it be his collection of knuckle draggers who get all poetic when they think of Donny having his way with them? ...or lyrical as he screws the country over? :unsure:
 
I paid a visit to the library, where three books awaited me, - among them, Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton, plus two by the excellent historian Margaret MacMillan - and took the opportunity to return two books.
 

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