Magnum Mania!

So, what's on your night stand these days? If nothing, what was the last book you read?

I'm working my way through Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival by Dean King, a harrowing tale of what the survivors of a 1815 shipwreck (the American merchant ship Connecticut) went through in the Sahara desert. Just a little light reading that involves an 800-mile desert trek of barbarism, murder, starvation, death, dehydration, and hostile tribes that roamed the desert on armies of camels. It's an amazing story of courage and endurance.

I'm in a reading slump right now. There are times I'm voracious and others when it just isn't working.

I've been struggling through Stephen Kings Duma Key now for about a month. I need a new Nelson DeMille, David Morrell or Tom Corcorran book to get my juices flowing again.

I should try a non-fiction book, maybe that'll work. The last two I read, Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl and Castner's Cutthroats (Saga of the Alaska Scouts)by Jim Rearden were both excellent.

I am reading The Fourth Hand by my favorite author, John Irving! I am loving it so far.

I have the "at work" books; the ones I will let people see me read and the "at home" books, which are chick lit.

At work, I just finished Death in a Prairie House, by William R. Drennan. It's about Frank Lloyd Wright and the murders at Taliesin. His lover, her children and four others were murdered by a deranged servant. It covers a not well known period in his life and discusses the change in his design philosophy after the murders.

At home, have about 30 pages to go of Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich. It is a typical, and hysterical Stephanie Plum novel.

Flying Tigers by Daniel Ford. I finished Failure Is Not An Option by Gene Kranz before that. Next up is Call Of Duty by Lyn "Buck" Compton of Band Of Brothers fame. I love reading. Too bad I had to wait until I was active duty in the Navy to realise how much I love to read.

MPS wrote:At home, have about 30 pages to go of Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich. It is a typical, and hysterical Stephanie Plum novel.

I didn't know there was a new Stephanie Plum book out! That may just get the gears working again. Thanks!

Just finished White Hunter, Black Heart...



Sadly, Peter Viertel passed away in November at age 86. He was married to Deborah Kerr for 47 years.

I'm reading The Great Pacific War by Hector Bywater. It was written in 1925. It is about a naval battle between Japan and the US, and it predicts the attack of Pearl Harbor.

I am currently reading an awesome book called Consent To Kill by Vince Flynn. I'm bummed out because I'm almost done with the book, but I don't want it to end. It's about a CIA agent who is so good at what he does he has a 20 million dollar bounty placed on his head...I'll stop there because I don't want to give anything away in case some of you want to read it. It is a great book.

I recently finished Michael Crichton's Next.

IKnowWhatYoureThinking wrote:I'm reading The Great Pacific War by Hector Bywater. It was written in 1925. It is about a naval battle between Japan and the US, and it predicts the attack of Pearl Harbor.

IKWYT, have you seen the movie (based on a true story), The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell? Billy Mitchell was an aviation pioneer in the Army and was eventually court martialed for public remarks he made. He was an amazing guy. Billy Mitchell was played by Gary Cooper and the Army prosecutor was played by George C. Scott (I think). Anyway, during his court martial, which took place in 1925, Mitchell predicted among other things that Pearl Harbor would be attacked, and that it would be attacked by Japan. He was nearly laughed out of the courtroom. He made this prediction 16 years before the attack. He made many other predictions which also came true. The B-25 medium bomber used throughout WWII was named for him (B-25 "Mitchell" or simply "Billy Mitchell"). The scene where he makes the predictions in court gives me goose bumps every time.

Just finished "High Profile" by Robert B. Parker and I read some of his "Spencer novels" and the other Jesse Stone books - just easy reading....

IslandHopper wrote:I am currently reading an awesome book called Consent To Kill by Vince Flynn. I'm bummed out because I'm almost done with the book, but I don't want it to end. It's about a CIA agent who is so good at what he does he has a 20 million dollar bounty placed on his head...I'll stop there because I don't want to give anything away in case some of you want to read it. It is a great book.

I recently finished Michael Crichton's Next.

IKnowWhatYoureThinking wrote:I'm reading The Great Pacific War by Hector Bywater. It was written in 1925. It is about a naval battle between Japan and the US, and it predicts the attack of Pearl Harbor.

IKWYT, have you seen the movie (based on a true story), The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell? Billy Mitchell was an aviation pioneer in the Army and was eventually court martialed for public remarks he made. He was an amazing guy. Billy Mitchell was played by Gary Cooper and the Army prosecutor was played by George C. Scott (I think). Anyway, during his court martial, which took place in 1925, Mitchell predicted among other things that Pearl Harbor would be attacked, and that it would be attacked by Japan. He was nearly laughed out of the courtroom. He made this prediction 16 years before the attack. He made many other predictions which also came true. The B-25 medium bomber used throughout WWII was named for him (B-25 "Mitchell" or simply "Billy Mitchell"). The scene where he makes the predictions in court gives me goose bumps every time.

I'll have to pick up that movie. I know Mitchell was a maverick, and I have read a little bit about him. Thanks for the heads up!

I think Coops and I are on the same page when it comes to the Space program, especially the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. All of the great shows on The Discovery Channel recently had me pickup Failure Is Not An Option as well. I haven't started yet as I found the need to go back and re-read The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe, a great movie and even better book!

IslandHopper,

Thanks for mentioning what sounds like a terrific read, Consent To Kill by Vince Flynn.

I'm off to Amazon right now to order it. It may be a bit like the A J Quinnell novels about Creasy, the ex-mercenary.

Steve wrote:I think Coops and I are on the same page when it comes to the Space program, especially the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. All of the great shows on The Discovery Channel recently had me pickup Failure Is Not An Option as well. I haven't started yet as I found the need to go back and re-read The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe, a great movie and even better book!

Agreed. You should also read Rocketman: Astronaut Pete Conrad's Incredible Ride To The Moon And Beyond by Nancy Conrad and Howard A. Klausner. I am sure you've already read A Man On The Moon by A. Chaikin, right? That's THE must read of them all!

Coops wrote:

Steve wrote:I think Coops and I are on the same page when it comes to the Space program, especially the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. All of the great shows on The Discovery Channel recently had me pickup Failure Is Not An Option as well. I haven't started yet as I found the need to go back and re-read The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe, a great movie and even better book!

Agreed. You should also read Rocketman: Astronaut Pete Conrad's Incredible Ride To The Moon And Beyond by Nancy Conrad and Howard A. Klausner. I am sure you've already read A Man On The Moon by A. Chaikin, right? That's THE must read of them all!

I will definitely pickup he Pete Conrad book, thanks! I do indeed have A Man On The Moon and of course what I consider the companion to it; the DVD Box Set of [/i]From The Earth To The Moon