What Are You Reading ?

[Music Head]

Has to be the best single volume book on the Civi War I have read. At 900+ pages it took awhile. When I read historical stuff I find myself constantly going back and rereading paragraphs/pages just trying to digest it. A lot of that with this one. The book actually goes back to the 1850's to set the stage for the climate that existed prior to the war. Wish it would have done the same for the recontruction period after. It ends shortly after Lincolns assasination. That happened only a few weeks after Lee's surrender. Hard to imagine the hostility that must ahve prevailed throughout the country. Surprised we ever pulled back together, or did we? Southerners are republicans, northerners are democrats.

Grade - A

next up - A Man In Full by Tom Wolfe

[Quaalude]

Thanks for sharing this book. I'm a Civil War buff myself. Ill be sure to pick this one up.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

NEIL YOUNG "waging heavy peace:a hippie dream"

got this one three weeks ago when released, finished it last night...
Neil's autobiography....
easy to read,reads more like 'his thoughts' than a proper bio book(bit like a journal)....
discussing everything from relationships with artists,romance,his love of trains(toy trains...he part owns 'lionel trains),music,drugs,his love of old cars,the environmentally friendly car he is designing...
his hatred for modern music ie:itunes,cds, and their compressed feel
youtube and ebay also get a mention or two
his thoughts on "r+r hall of fame"(why has Linda Ronstadt not been inducted?)
life in general,his health concerns(polio,epilepsy,annurysm's) and...
his thoughts about reforming Crazy Horse(which has now been done)

all up, a pretty good book from one of rock and roll's true survivors who still lives the "hippie dream"

4/5

[Music Head]

I live the hippie dream too
but I'd say Neils is a little more comfortable

[CRAZY-HORSE]

you're probably right there good Sir!

[Music Head]

Nice read. A little long at 700+ but it kept me interested. Novel about the wealthy and their excesses. Local politics in Atlanta plays a big part when the rich real estate developer taps out and the loans come due. Inner struggle whether to fight the powers or accept defeat. Nice twist when a lower income warehouse worker in California, who is unknowingly employed by the rich guy hook up. Karma intervenes when the two become friends. Nice surpise ending.

Grade - B

next up - Mark Twain by Ron Powers

[TraceNspace]

I haven't had time to read lately. Makes me sad. I've been so busy I need a break. I have had time to watch some movies with family and friends. There's been a lot of family time between the busy stuff. So, that's nice but I'd like some ME time

[PennyLane]

I am reading Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs. It is great so far.

[Waylonfan]

Poland A History by Adam Zamoyski who is actually Count Adam Stefan Zamoyski.

£15.99 hardback. He is related to the most very royal Zamoyski family he mentions in his book. Excellent author and he adds his own sense of humour sometimes too.

It goes right back to Poland when she was first 'born' yonks & yonks ago up to the present day. Very good reading.

[Music Head]

Very nice story of the man. A little drawn out at times but I sure learned a lot about the man. America's first stand up comic. Steve Martin meets Garrison Keillor meets Henry James. A master of eloquence with the english language. I think I have only read the two obvious of Mr Clemens work. Shame on me, 15 books out there. I need to do it. But back to this one. Well written with many excerpts from letters and notes from Samuel. The man married into money so he had a leg up shall we say. He loved performing in front of an audience as well as writing. A world traveler who wrote about what he saw. Counted a few presidents as friends plus leaders of other countries. Spent a lot of his life just traveling. Made it rich, lost it all, bankruptcy looming, made it rich again. Everybody loved him. Great story.

Grade - A

next up - Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks