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The New Coffee Room

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  3. What are you reading now?

What are you reading now?

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  • George KG George K

    @Doctor-Phibes agreed.

    It’s a clever concept, but as you say it’s almost like he’s running out of ideas on how to milk it. The fourth book, heavens River, is basically an adventure story into which he shoehorns the whole concept of “Bob “.

    Aqua LetiferA Offline
    Aqua LetiferA Offline
    Aqua Letifer
    wrote on last edited by
    #488

    @George-K said in What are you reading now?:

    @Doctor-Phibes agreed.

    It’s a clever concept, but as you say it’s almost like he’s running out of ideas on how to milk it. The fourth book, heavens River, is basically an adventure story into which he shoehorns the whole concept of “Bob “.

    👍 Concept
    🤨 Story

    Please love yourself.

    1 Reply Last reply
    • George KG Offline
      George KG Offline
      George K
      wrote on last edited by
      #489

      Because Bosch is so much fun...

      I believe this is #9 in the series.

      Screen Shot 2022-07-05 at 6.38.04 PM.png

      It continues to build on previous books. The one before this introduced Bosch's daughter, Madeliine. Other characters return as well.

      In the book right before this, Bosch had retired from LAPD, and is working as a private investigator. Here, a former colleague's wife asks him to investigate her husband's death.

      The previous book was written first-person. This one starts out as first-person, and then, after about 10 chapters, a seemingly-unrelated story begins to unfold, told in third-person, with a set of wholly new characters.

      Then, it all comes together, with the stories merging.

      So far (only about 100 pages left) it keeps the dichotomy between first and third-person narratives going.

      Fun.

      "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

      The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

      George KG 1 Reply Last reply
      • George KG George K

        Because Bosch is so much fun...

        I believe this is #9 in the series.

        Screen Shot 2022-07-05 at 6.38.04 PM.png

        It continues to build on previous books. The one before this introduced Bosch's daughter, Madeliine. Other characters return as well.

        In the book right before this, Bosch had retired from LAPD, and is working as a private investigator. Here, a former colleague's wife asks him to investigate her husband's death.

        The previous book was written first-person. This one starts out as first-person, and then, after about 10 chapters, a seemingly-unrelated story begins to unfold, told in third-person, with a set of wholly new characters.

        Then, it all comes together, with the stories merging.

        So far (only about 100 pages left) it keeps the dichotomy between first and third-person narratives going.

        Fun.

        George KG Offline
        George KG Offline
        George K
        wrote on last edited by
        #490

        @George-K said in What are you reading now?:

        Because Bosch is so much fun...

        I believe this is #9 in the series.

        Screen Shot 2022-07-05 at 6.38.04 PM.png

        Actually #10.

        Fun read. Typical Bosch. Lots of intertwined stories, with hearkening back to narratives told in the first nine novels.

        Harry' retired, and he's approached by the widow of a former colleague who asks him to investigate his death. The trail leads to the pursuit of a serial killer, Las Vegas, Harry's ex-wife, and other connections.

        Since it's (mostly) not set in LA, it has a different feel than the other stories.

        Fun, popcorn, read. Nice twist at the end where Harry discovers what he thought was the basis of the case was not that at all.

        "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

        The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

        1 Reply Last reply
        • George KG Offline
          George KG Offline
          George K
          wrote on last edited by
          #491

          Time to jump back into some science fiction...

          Screen Shot 2022-07-06 at 6.32.41 PM.png

          Gets good reviews.

          The blurb:

          The year is 2380. The Intersolar Commonwealth, a sphere of stars some four hundred light-years in diameter, contains more than six hundred worlds, interconnected by a web of transport "tunnels" known as wormholes. At the farthest edge of the Commonwealth, astronomer Dudley Bose observes the impossible: Over one thousand light-years away, a star . . . vanishes. It does not go supernova. It does not collapse into a black hole. It simply "disappears. Since the location is too distant to reach by wormhole, a faster-than-light starship, the "Second Chance, is dispatched to learn what has occurred and whether it represents a threat. In command is Wilson Kime, a five-time rejuvenated ex-NASA pilot whose glory days are centuries behind him.
          Opposed to the mission are the Guardians of Selfhood, a cult that believes the human race is being manipulated by an alien entity they call the Starflyer. Bradley Johansson, leader of the Guardians, warns of sabotage, fearing the Starflyer means to use the starship's mission for its own ends, .
          Pursued by a Commonwealth special agent convinced the Guardians are crazy butdangerous, Johansson flees. But the danger is not averted. Aboard the "Second Chance, Kime wonders if his crew has been infiltrated. Soon enough, he will have other worries. A thousand light-years away, something truly incredible is waiting: a deadly discovery whose unleashing will threaten to destroy the Commonwealth . . . and humanity itself.
          "Could it be that Johansson was right?

          "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

          The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

          George KG 1 Reply Last reply
          • Doctor PhibesD Offline
            Doctor PhibesD Offline
            Doctor Phibes
            wrote on last edited by
            #492

            I'm quite enjoying this - sort of Steam/cyber-punky Space Opera. Doesn't take itself too seriously.

            236c73e8-2bea-45eb-b362-71424bb4d603-image.png

            I was only joking

            JollyJ 1 Reply Last reply
            • Catseye3C Offline
              Catseye3C Offline
              Catseye3
              wrote on last edited by
              #493

              https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002YPOS2A?

              b2c98e75-2c5e-468a-a0b8-373e5a66ce44-image.png

              Knives at Dawn: America's Quest for Culinary Glory at the Legendary Bocuse d'Or Competition

              Sizzling sauté pans. Screaming spectators. Television cameras. A ticking clock.

              Fasten your seatbelt for the Bocuse d’Or, the world’s most challenging and prestigious cooking competition, where the pressure and the stakes could not be higher. At this real-life Top Chef, twenty-four culinary teams, each representing its home nation, cook for five and a half grueling hours. There are no elimination rounds—the teams have only this chance to cook two spectacular platters of food to be judged by a jury of chefs. Prize money, international acclaim, and national pride are on the line.

              Knives at Dawn is the dramatic story of the selection and training of the 2009 American team, overseen by a triumvirate of revered culinary figures, Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, and Jérôme Bocuse, icons portrayed here in intimate detail that only the author’s unparalleled behind-the-scenes access could yield.

              Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace. – Mike Ditka

              1 Reply Last reply
              • MikM Offline
                MikM Offline
                Mik
                wrote on last edited by
                #494

                Looks good, Cats!

                “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~Winston S. Churchill

                1 Reply Last reply
                • JollyJ Offline
                  JollyJ Offline
                  Jolly
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #495

                  alt text

                  “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

                  Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

                  brendaB 1 Reply Last reply
                  • Doctor PhibesD Doctor Phibes

                    I'm quite enjoying this - sort of Steam/cyber-punky Space Opera. Doesn't take itself too seriously.

                    236c73e8-2bea-45eb-b362-71424bb4d603-image.png

                    JollyJ Offline
                    JollyJ Offline
                    Jolly
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #496

                    @Doctor-Phibes said in What are you reading now?:

                    I'm quite enjoying this - sort of Steam/cyber-punky Space Opera. Doesn't take itself too seriously.

                    236c73e8-2bea-45eb-b362-71424bb4d603-image.png

                    Series?

                    I like a decent space opera.

                    “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

                    Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

                    Doctor PhibesD 1 Reply Last reply
                    • JollyJ Jolly

                      @Doctor-Phibes said in What are you reading now?:

                      I'm quite enjoying this - sort of Steam/cyber-punky Space Opera. Doesn't take itself too seriously.

                      236c73e8-2bea-45eb-b362-71424bb4d603-image.png

                      Series?

                      I like a decent space opera.

                      Doctor PhibesD Offline
                      Doctor PhibesD Offline
                      Doctor Phibes
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #497

                      @Jolly said in What are you reading now?:

                      @Doctor-Phibes said in What are you reading now?:

                      I'm quite enjoying this - sort of Steam/cyber-punky Space Opera. Doesn't take itself too seriously.

                      236c73e8-2bea-45eb-b362-71424bb4d603-image.png

                      Series?

                      I like a decent space opera.

                      There's two books, it's the Eschaton series.

                      If you find steam punk annoying, it might not work - he's a British writer I hadn't read until I started this one.

                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Stross

                      I was only joking

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      • George KG George K

                        Time to jump back into some science fiction...

                        Screen Shot 2022-07-06 at 6.32.41 PM.png

                        Gets good reviews.

                        The blurb:

                        The year is 2380. The Intersolar Commonwealth, a sphere of stars some four hundred light-years in diameter, contains more than six hundred worlds, interconnected by a web of transport "tunnels" known as wormholes. At the farthest edge of the Commonwealth, astronomer Dudley Bose observes the impossible: Over one thousand light-years away, a star . . . vanishes. It does not go supernova. It does not collapse into a black hole. It simply "disappears. Since the location is too distant to reach by wormhole, a faster-than-light starship, the "Second Chance, is dispatched to learn what has occurred and whether it represents a threat. In command is Wilson Kime, a five-time rejuvenated ex-NASA pilot whose glory days are centuries behind him.
                        Opposed to the mission are the Guardians of Selfhood, a cult that believes the human race is being manipulated by an alien entity they call the Starflyer. Bradley Johansson, leader of the Guardians, warns of sabotage, fearing the Starflyer means to use the starship's mission for its own ends, .
                        Pursued by a Commonwealth special agent convinced the Guardians are crazy butdangerous, Johansson flees. But the danger is not averted. Aboard the "Second Chance, Kime wonders if his crew has been infiltrated. Soon enough, he will have other worries. A thousand light-years away, something truly incredible is waiting: a deadly discovery whose unleashing will threaten to destroy the Commonwealth . . . and humanity itself.
                        "Could it be that Johansson was right?

                        George KG Offline
                        George KG Offline
                        George K
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #498

                        @George-K said in What are you reading now?:

                        Time to jump back into some science fiction...

                        Screen Shot 2022-07-06 at 6.32.41 PM.png

                        Gets good reviews.

                        OK. Did about 100 pages yesterday. Totally engrossing. Interesting prelude that seems irrelevant to the big story, but...

                        Then, today, I did about 50 pages and was falling asleep. 50 pages of ... nothing, other than how terrible the "storm" was.

                        I'll do a bit more, but if ⅓ of this book is nothing but filler, I'll give up.

                        "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                        The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                        George KG 1 Reply Last reply
                        • taiwan_girlT Offline
                          taiwan_girlT Offline
                          taiwan_girl
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #499

                          alt text

                          Interesting book. Covers the period from about 100 BC to the assassination of Julius Caesar (and a bit beyond). I did not know anything about this period in Rome, so gained some insight.

                          The book gives a pretty sympathetic view of Julius Caesar and gives the case that he was assassinated not because he was a dictator, but because he was a reformer who was threatening the "status quo" of the ruling Senate class.

                          One think that made me laugh a bit - politics have not changed in 2000 years.

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          • George KG George K

                            @George-K said in What are you reading now?:

                            Time to jump back into some science fiction...

                            Screen Shot 2022-07-06 at 6.32.41 PM.png

                            Gets good reviews.

                            OK. Did about 100 pages yesterday. Totally engrossing. Interesting prelude that seems irrelevant to the big story, but...

                            Then, today, I did about 50 pages and was falling asleep. 50 pages of ... nothing, other than how terrible the "storm" was.

                            I'll do a bit more, but if ⅓ of this book is nothing but filler, I'll give up.

                            George KG Offline
                            George KG Offline
                            George K
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #500

                            @George-K said in What are you reading now?:

                            I'll do a bit more, but if ⅓ of this book is nothing but filler, I'll give up.

                            Yeah, that it is.

                            Thanks, but...keep me interested, and side stories with no connection to the plot until, presumably, a lot later, are a waste of time. I hate "teasers." Just tell me the story and don't keep me guessing about why you're telling this side story.

                            Good. Bye.

                            "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                            The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            • George KG Offline
                              George KG Offline
                              George K
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #501

                              About ¼ of the way through this - I did tell you I was gonna read the book, didn't I?

                              image.jpeg

                              It's good so far. I may be prejudiced by having watched the series (I keep seeing Gary Oldman), but I'm enjoying nevertheless.

                              Short, easy read, which I hope to finish this week.

                              "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                              The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              • Catseye3C Offline
                                Catseye3C Offline
                                Catseye3
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #502

                                https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009KY5OFI?

                                Bought this on Kindle sale to read when I've gotten through the other must-reads that are languishing in the queue.

                                1daf85a7-3fd4-4079-92f8-f09e305bd20d-image.png

                                Amazon: "Historian Dee Brown uncovers an exciting episode in American history: During the Civil War, a group of Confederate soldiers opted to assist the Union Army rather than endure the grim conditions of POW camps. Regiments containing former Confederates were not trusted to go into battle against their former comrades, and instead were sent to the West as “outpost guardians,” where they performed frontier duties, including escorting supply trains, rebuilding telegraph lines, and quelling uprisings from regional American Indian tribes, which were sweeping across the Plains. This is an account of an extraordinary, though often overlooked, group of men who served in unexpected ways at a pivotal moment in the nation’s history.

                                "From the bestselling author of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, The Galvanized Yankees is “an accurate, interesting, and sometimes thrilling account of an unusual group of men [and] a fresh and informative study of the Old West in transition from frontier to stable society.”

                                Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace. – Mike Ditka

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                • brendaB Offline
                                  brendaB Offline
                                  brenda
                                  wrote on last edited by brenda
                                  #503

                                  8c6d2aad-c2b7-482b-a974-d5556403141b-image.png

                                  Listening to this while working in the yard. It's quite enjoyable to listen to this version, if you like detail. I'm almost half done with it, and there's much left to do in the yard.

                                  George KG brendaB 2 Replies Last reply
                                  • brendaB brenda

                                    8c6d2aad-c2b7-482b-a974-d5556403141b-image.png

                                    Listening to this while working in the yard. It's quite enjoyable to listen to this version, if you like detail. I'm almost half done with it, and there's much left to do in the yard.

                                    George KG Offline
                                    George KG Offline
                                    George K
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #504

                                    @brenda I enjoyed it. Isaacson’s books are an easy read.

                                    "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                    The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    • bachophileB Offline
                                      bachophileB Offline
                                      bachophile
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #505

                                      982DCE9F-8BA5-453B-9D49-F5861FD52DCF.jpeg

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      • jon-nycJ Online
                                        jon-nycJ Online
                                        jon-nyc
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #506

                                        Brenda - definitely give us a review when you’re done.

                                        Only non-witches get due process.

                                        • Cotton Mather, Salem Massachusetts, 1692
                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        • jon-nycJ Online
                                          jon-nycJ Online
                                          jon-nyc
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #507

                                          74ABD6E8-541A-4261-9850-599691D52FAF.jpeg

                                          Only non-witches get due process.

                                          • Cotton Mather, Salem Massachusetts, 1692
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