Books that I have read
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Started:... 3/7/07. I think this book coulda been a lot more fun to read than it actually was. Everything was going great but then Nathaniel gets captured. I found the whole time he was in confinement to be way less compelling than it would have been had he been on a ship somewhere. However, he finds himself on the French flagship and it was interesting to see the battle of Trafalgar from the French perspective. The writing seems to be getting more sophistocated as the series. I hope that the next one is more interesting reading. I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed... I mean how could you mess up the Battle of Trafalgar?
I don't want to sound too negative though... I am totally enjoying this series... Maybe too much so because that's about all that I have been reading recently. So many books and so little time.
Finished:4/3/07 |
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Started 2/5/07 ... Slow starter, or it could be that I took too much time between this one and the last one in the series. Couldn't remember what happened before. Drinkwater is assigned a, you guessed it, corvette early in this novel. He is to take it into artic waters to thwart the French's designs on the whaling fleet. Almost a quarter of the way through it and I'm not bowled over yet. But the writing and description is dependable and sophisticated enough. I do like this series. |
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Started 1/22/07... Listening to this book via audio tape... haven't gotten too far yet but so far all I can say is awesome awesome awesome! The writing and description are astounding. I find myself listening to each CD multiple times and each time getting more out of it. On Amazon, this book is mostly ripped on for not being Cold Mountain. They're also troubled cuz this book doesn't seem to have a plot. I am not having any of these issues. Could be cuz I am listening to it instead of reading it. But the writing and the reading of it seems to just carry me away. I start it in my driveway and then seem to just wake up and I'm at work (of course this is bad for a number or reasons... but it does keep me driving within the speed limit which is what everyone seems to want me to do these days... but that's another story). I can't say enough good about this book/story and don't want it to end.
The book embodies the plight of the Cherokee indians in an almost super human character who was everywhere and everything to these people (I found this to be distracting). However there actually was a character (Will Thomas) who did many of the things that are described in the book. The book has a love story that reaches almost from beginning to end. Some aspects of the love story seemed a trifle unrealistic... however I know what the author is attempting to communicate so was able to stretch a bit.
Finished 2/13/07 ... Lovely book... the descriptions (usually something I tend to be bored with) were almost overpowering. There were some weak places that tended to distract but overall, I would definitely recommend this book as a listening experience. The narrater (Will Patton?) was awesome and makes it seem almost as if this book was meant to be read aloud. |
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Started 1/15/07... Been looking forward to reading this one for quite awhile. Turns out that the previous book was a good setup for this one as it introduced a lot of the characters that were in the high end rowing community in the late 70s and early 80s. There is also quite a bit more description specific to rowing. In addition, so far the author has shown a fun way of looking at things. I am enjoying this book.
Finished 2/1/07...
"The Shell Game" is a nice companion to "The Amateurs." "The Shell Game" recounts Stephen Kiesling's personal history of rowing in eights, focusing especially on the Yale-Harvard race, the Henley Royal Regatta, and the preparations and selection camp for the national team for the ill-fated 1980 Olympic Games. He was a philosophy major so I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that he lapses into philosophical discussions of the ancient Greeks et. al. from time to time. However these discussions tended to put me to sleep. I don't think this is Stephen Kiesling's fault in the writing. I think that was more because just I wanted to read about rowing and rowing races. Not sure if I would jump up and recommend this book to people but if you're into rowing... it's a MUST read. |
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Started: 12/31/06... My selection of this book falls in line with my new interest in rowing. Haven't gotten very far yet but I think it's about a small group of rowers on their path to the Olympics in the sport of rowing.
Finished 1/14/07... Fun read for someone who might be interested in the rowing events circa. 1984... otherwise it might be okay to miss this one. It's short though. Doesn't get much into any of the technical aspects of rowing. But it does go into a great deal of depth about the people. Very useful book for me but I would be reluctant to recommend it to anyone else. |
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Began: 10/20/06... This seems to be at least two books in one... first it's a travel narrative of the author's retracing Captain James Cook's explorations. Second it is an historical presentation of Cook's explorations. I'm not very far yet but it's keeping my interest. Frankly, I am jealous of the author's travels which serve as the foundation for the book. James Cook did much of his exploring in my favorite parts of the world.
Okay... finally finished this book on 12/31/06. Took me long enough huh... There are many great things to be said about this book. For one thing, I think that it's a refreshing way to package what could be some rather dreary historical information and to give it relavence. Was interesting to compare and contrast the places Cook explored now with the time that he discovered them for the western world. Also, before reading this book I had some idea that James Cook was an explorer however I didn't have much idea as to the extent of his contributions. Amazing! He was everywhere.
However despite the fact that this approach was a good one I began to find that I would reach for this book as reading material more as a duty than a genuine desire to find out what happens next... hence the fact that it took me over two months to finish it. However I think that this is more a reflection on me than it is the style and quality of writing. And incidently, I do feel some guilt over this. Feels a little like the author was casting pearls before swine... sort of like having a cretin like me read The English Patient (which I did read but got very little out of inspite of the fact that it was an acclaimed novel). For me, I think that this is one of those rare books that would be a lot more fun to research and write than it was to read.
One note... I did grow rather tired of Roger (the author's sidekick in his travels). I wonder if he was a real person or just made up for some comic relief.
In total... I do recommend this book... but to a limited audience. |
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This book was passed on to me by Bob at the pool. It started pretty slowly however now that the author has gotten past all the shore stuff and actually gotten out on the boat, it's starting to pick up a bit. It's frustrating though because these folks seem so woefully unprepared for the adventure ahead. What they are about to embark on is no lark. If you survive an adventure like this it's purely due to luck and I don't feel that it can be claimed as an achievement. So far I don't get that the author is in fact doing this (and I'm grateful). He almost seems like he's communicating his amazement that he lived in spite of all his lack of preparation. However that's very "between the lines" and may not be true at all. But I digress.
There is a big section about this Manual character... he's one of the crew on the boat. I want to call him a pussy but who knows, maybe if I were subjected to the same stuff, I'd become a pussy too. But I don't think so. However I would never have subjected myself to this ordeal in the first place. But... it sure would be awesome to get to see some of the things that they saw. I'm glad that Manual is finally out of the story.
The book is becoming a page turner and I am glad to be reading it. I wish that the author knew more about sailing though. For me that would be a fun little addition. It's frustrating to constantly have the sailing terminalogy butchered.
Okay... I finished it. The book just kept getting more and more interesting and exciting until at the end I have gotten to where I would recommend it to others. I really wish that there were at least some pictures or better maps though. The only pictures are on the book slip cover. You have to stay completely in your imagination in this book. My reading these days is taking a decidedly escapist tone. I hope that this doesn't mean that I'm having some kind of issue.
Finished 10/19/06 |
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From Publishers Weekly:
"In 1800, Lieut. Nathaniel Drinkwater wangles a command for himself though it's only aboard the "bomb tender" Virago, a 40-year-old former mortar ship. After Drinkwater makes Virago shipshape, she plays an important role in the 1801 attack on Copenhagen. En route to this climactic battle, Drinkwater contends with Navy politics, a cowardly blackguard of a purser, his own fugitive brother and, not least, the Danish artillery. The corruption, snobbery and pigheadedness of the Navy Office, "those portals of perfidy and corruption," is nicely conveyed, as is the Navy lore, augmented by an interesting, low-key portrait of the great Nelson."
This one was fun but I didn't enjoy it as much as I have previous Drinkwater novels. I don't think this was because of shortcomings in the book. I have just been distracted. The book had an added feature in that there was a bit of an historic tone in that it depicted the first battle of Copenhagen with ND right in the middle of the action. I am enjoying this series. However I have to take a little break from it to tend to some other reading. I want to read Berserk by David Mercy but I especially want to read State of Denial by Robert Woodward... Can't wait for that one. Also there's a book depicting the adventures of Captain Cook that I may read also before returning to the Nathanial Drinkwater series.
Finished 10/6/06 |
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Another in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series. I am enjoying the series so will probably go ahead and read all of them. They're fun but not especially meaningful unless you're a seafaring fan (as I clearly am). I will intersperse other books in with them as I move forward.
This one has an interesting spin. It takes place in the Middle East which is quite different from the usual stage for this kind of action (usually happening in the Mediterranean or North Atlantic). Otherwise the action is similar (which is what I think I like about it). Nathaniel is still serving under Griffith and continues to chase after Santhonax (who escaped since his capture in the previous book). Oh and the evil Lieutenant Morris (from the first book) is still lurking. I'm only about mid way through it right now so don't have a feel for what's going to happen.
This book has become one of those where you can't put it down when you should stop reading and turn out the lights... a real page turner. I really hope that the bad guy gets what he deserves. It is good summer vacation reading.
Finished 9/22/06 |
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Starts off in the same vein as his previous book. Some might be troubled by this but I was relieved. I have been waiting for about six months for this book (ever since I discovered it was available on Amazon) and was grateful when it arrived. I so totally love his outlook on life. We are so much on the same page (so to speak) on many things. If I were going to write, I would hope that my style and humor was something like his. Anyway... I am hoping not to read it too fast. These books take a lot less time to read than they do to write and I'm not expecting another one from him for quite awhile (if ever).
Finished the book on vacation (just as I read his first one on vacation last year). A bit different from the first book (as would be expected). Still the same Maarten Troost. Not as funny but he doesn't have to be funny all the time. Some topics just don't cut it. Interesting reading though. Prior to this, I didn't know anything about Fiji and the only thing I knew about Vanuatu was what I learned on the television show Survivor. I enjoyed the book and recommend reading it.
Finished 8/13/06 |
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A King's Cutter... (finished 6/20/06) The second in the Nathanial Drinkwater series. It's a fun read if you like this sort of stuff (and I clearly do... sailing, sea battles, intrigue... what's not to like). But it's nothing memorable. Ole Nat gets his first command. Sometimes I didn't like him very much. There isn't a lot to him as a character. But the sea battles were fun.
Finished early June 2006 |
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An Eye of the Fleet... Finished mid May of 2006... The first in the Nathanial Drinkwater series. Nate is a midshipmen on a frigate. There's all kinds of drama with his shipmates including having to deal with the senior midshipman trying to "bugger" him all the time. I think Nate got off unscathed due to help from his shipmates but it was close for awhile. There were all kinds of other adventures too. I don't remember this book much at all but I enjoyed it cover to cover.
Finished May 2006 |
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The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas... finished end of April, 2006 - VERY interesting... and FAST read. It's basically a compendeum of gripping and at times pretty dark, short stories. This author has really done something different here. It's also a fast read. I read the book in one evening or so and was bummed when I was done. It's very "now" writing. Not sure what that means but if you happen to pick this up and read it, you'll know what I mean.
I really recommend this book.
Finished late April, 2006 |
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This book is the first one in a new war ship in the Napoleanic war series with the main character being Charles Edgemont. I really like these types of books. I read the whole Richard Bolitho series, the whole Hornblower series, and started the Patrick O'brien series but I just couldn't deal with them so finally stopped after three. Was very happy to discover this one. There is a follow on book (by Jay Worrall) but while I have purchased it, haven't read it yet.
This book had a rather far fetched beginning but I didn't find it too troublesome. Basically ole Charles was the last officer standing after his ship essentially committed suicide by driving in front of a whole line of Man'o'wars during a battle (can't remember which one). His ship was all but sunk and almost all the officers were killed leaving him to finish up. However two or three Spanish ships struck their colors to his ship and so he was the recipient of quite a bit of prize money when all the spoils were divied up. It's nice to find yourself suddenly rich and having the favor of all those senior officers. After that, he just did the navy for fun.
I like the style and it was a fun read... AND had a lovely cover. I recommend it to all us Napoleanic War naval story buffs.
Finished late April 2006 |
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Rowing to Latitude by
Jill Fredston
- finished end of January, 2006... An outstanding book. It's a travelogue of rowing junkets that the author and her husband take over a series of years. She is in a rowing skiff and he is in a kayak. She has a marvelous, simple style and is able to communicate complex thoughts in a very few words (quite the opposite of me so I am all the more impressed). This book combines many of the basic food groups... there's adventure, travel, and interesting thoughts and ideas... and some humor, although not on the scale of Sex Lives of Cannibals. I very much recommend this book. |
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I loved this book. It starts out kinda slow. It's not a page turner. More of a gentle pastime. But before long you almost can't put it down. And it's beyond funny. There were a couple times when I was laughing so hard that I had tears in my eyes. Kinda embarrassing really to be laughing then look up to see everyone in the room looking at you.
Not sure that it made me want to go to Kiribati (pronounced kir-ee-bas)... but it sure as hell made me want to get away from this zombie like, cubical troll existence.
By Maarten Troost I totally recommend this book.
Finished early August 2005 |
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I had heard over and over how wonderful the Patrick O'Brian series was and how I silly it was that I hadn't read them. So finally I took the plunge expecting to relish them as I had others of this type of book. I toughed it out through Master and Commander... plowed through Post Captain (which was a total napper) and finally gave up after HMS Surprise. This author is a nightmare. There is no doubt in my mind that he knows his stuff about this era and sailing in these ships. However as a narrater, he's a mess. His discriptions are largely inaccurate when discribing a fleet action. The storyline is disjointed. The character development is just plain weird. The drama associated with the women that the two main characters were hanging around with was over developed and strained. I found that I just didn't care what happened with anyone. I was VERY disappointed. Normally I wouldn't think this was a very big deal. However folks absolute rave about this author. I just don't get it. Maybe the screen play version of Master and Commander is different. The studio may have forced this author into some kind of discipline. But I'm not feeling like taking a chance.
Anyway... I just wanted to warn you about this series. If you're a total junky for this kind of stuff and you're absolutely desperate for a fix then as a last resort, I would suggest these books. However I'm totally done with this series. |
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Absolutely awesome book. I thought that it was awesome just because the story unfolds at the pool where I swim almost every day. However I recommended it to a friend and he read it too. He also thought that it was an absolutely wonderful book. So I have no trouble recommending it to others. It's the story of a group of gifted swimmers on their road to the 2000 Olympics. Some made the full journey, some were waylaid along the way. However while the story seems to focus on one particular athlete, it's not really that athlete who is the whole center piece. He's just the focal point for the story. The real story is about the dedication of these athletes and their coach. It's one of those books that's hard to put down as you read. I wish this author would write more books... but so far I haven't seen anything. |
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Another absolutely awesome book... can't remember too much about it though cuz I read it a long time ago (not long after it came out). I remember that it really captured some of the flavors of the northwest that I remember from growing up there. The story was wonderful... but sad. Saw the movie too. When I heard that there was a movie, I just couldn't wait to see it. However I fully expected that it would be very different from my mental picture of how it was from reading the book and was braced for it. But the strange thing was that it was almost exactly as I pictured it. The colors, the characters, the scenes,... most everything. That may have been the first time that's ever happened for me. Anyway, it was a wonderful book... and a wonderful movie too. Oh and the book has a wonderful cover too. |
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This book was a very interesting read. It's about deep wreck divers who discover a WWII submarine that had sunk in deep water off the New Jersey coast. The story is about a series of dives by various divers to uncover the mystery of what this wreck was all about. As you might imagine there is lots of adventure... some without a happy ending. I recommend this book as a fun read and will give you some new insight into the world of deep wreck diving. |
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The last Margaret George book that I've read... Can't remember much about it other than I was surprised who interesting it was. It is historical fiction like her previous books. Very long and very detailed however VERY interesting. Like all long books, it can drag at times but mostly I am stunned by how much work and organization went into the book. |
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Second MG book that I've read... Historical fiction and endless... It took me months to read this book and I was traveling a lot at the time (so lots of time to read). Again, in Margaret George fashion there is an amazing amount of research and knowledge that went into the book. Before reading it I had no interest in Cleopatra and was just reading it because I was so interested in the Mary Queen of Scots book had read previously. This book was different though in that it seemed like MG had put a lot of herself in the writing. It wasn't just historical fiction. It seemed that there were a lot about love and love affairs that you would only know if you had been there (or were there at the time). Of course she expressed it through the love affair between Mark Anthony and Cleopatra... and Julius Ceasur and Cleopatra before that. This book drags a bit... especially in the beginning when she is setting up the scene. However once it gets going, it's full to the bursting point. This might be MG's best book. Unfortunately I read it in the late 90s so I don't really remember too much about it except my reaction. |
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First MG book that I ever read. Can't remember why I read it. It's kind of intimidating because it's so big. But it reads well. It's historical fiction of course and fed my interest at the time in the Queen Elizabeth era of England's monarchy. It's been a long time since I read it so I don't remember very much except that it introduced me to MG and set the table for her subsequent (subsequent for me anyway - I didn't read her books in the order that she wrote them) books. |
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A favorite book... not sure why though... the cover (has an awesome cover)? But it's much more than that. It's a passionate, somewhat insane love story and I guess that those are the love stories that appeal to me the most. I think that love should be insane. Practical love is boring... more like corporate mergers. There were tedious aspects to this book and parts that I didn't understand. But those aspects weren't very important. I think the important part was the atmosphere that the book created... the tone or feeling. Sanchez was able to convey that. I heard that he worked on this book for a very long time. Clearly he was trying to express something. I hope that I got it. If you're a literal reader, this book wouldn't likely be a first choice. Thomas Sanchez is clearly a powerful writer and I think I want to read some of his other work. |
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This is a favorite book too. It's like reading a painting. There was a movie too. It was like watching a painting. As a bonus it also has an awesome cover. It's a story of a Dutch painter and a serving girl and the relationship that they develop across the social boundries of the time. The story is mostly told between the lines of the narrative. This book also has a lot of atmosphere. It's a book that you race through but never want to end. I'm not having much luck describing the book here or explaining it's appeal to me. It's a fast easy read so I recommend that you check it out for yourself... except for those of you who have to have a lot of action in your reading... there isn't much of that here. |
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Odd that I would enjoy this book. I am a guy afterall. However I really did like the first two thirds or three quarters of this novel. The part where WWII happens is troublesome of course (this takes place about two thirds of the way through the book). War, by it's nature is unpleasant and that's where the whole geisha lifestyle begins to unravel so from then on, the book is less fun to read. It amazes me that the author is a man. He seemed to have incredible insights into women... or so I think... but being a guy, I know that I have absolutely no idea how women really think. Anyway, I really recommend this book to both women and guys.
Oh yes... there was a very well done movie made of the book. I recommend that also. Oh and the book has a lovely cover also. |
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This was a pretty amazing book. It was short but full. There was the story... then there was quite a bit between the lines (or so I thought). The story in this book seemed to be told at more than one level. The American was very american... naive, aggressive, unsubtle, clumsy. The British guy (the news guy... I can't remember either of their names cuz I read the book a long time ago) was very british in that he was worldly and cynical. And the Vietnamese woman was so vietnamese... did she represent the mystery and undercurrents of the far east? I don't know... But the book give you a lot to think about... or puzzle over. It took place in the years before the U.S. began sending it's military to Vietnam. This was an unusual look at that war for me.
Recently there was a movie released. I saw it but even though it didn't depart from the novel very much and the British reporter was played by Michael Caine, I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected to... but it did clear up or maybe emphasize some things in the book. |
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Cannery Row... I really like John Steinbeck and I am pretty sure that I have read all of his books (or at least all of them that I know about). I think that this may be my favorite of his novels. It's short and (like all Steinbeck novels) is an easy read. However, there are places where his descriptions are almost magical. There is one description of Cannary Row that goes beyond stunning. You are there. I don't know how he does it. And his characterizations of the people on the row makes these people just come alive. Just writing about the book makes me want to go read it again. Of course there are a number of his books that are like that. |
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East of Eden... I think this is Steinbeck's "best" novel. While I really enjoyed it and saw it as a masterpiece, it's not my absolute favorite... maybe my second favorite. There's a story in this book with characters and plot. Many of his other works are more like vignettes. That's not a criticism... it's actually a compliment since he manages to take the reader from vignette to vignette and still retain interest. Anyway... regarding East of Eden... it's been a long time since I read the book so I can't remember much about it. It seemed to parallel Genesis in that it pitted brother against brother... I just can't remember... but I do remember that I really enjoyed the book at the time that I read it. I wish I could carry on more. |
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I've also read almost all of Ernest Hemingway's novels. I had a rather pronounced EH period. Unfortunately, this was over thirty years ago so I don't remember much. I really want to reread one or two of his novels so I can get a feel for his writing now that I am a bit more sophisticated in my reading. This is one of the books that I would reread. I put For Whom The Bell Tolls here to represent all the EH novels that I have read. It was my favorite. Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck are my two favorite authors. |
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I remember reading this book about 30 years ago. But I don't remember much about it except that it was a really fun read. The only reason that I put it in this list was because everytime I added a book, this adding this book came to mind. It's always been a favorite of mine. Wish I could remember what it was about. Rabbits? But it was more than just about rabbits... I have no problem recommending this book for anyone. |
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I read this book ages ago... like in '74 or something. It took some doing to get into it though. Almost put it down a couple times. I'm sure glad that I didn't. This became one of my all time favorite books. I wish that I could remember more about it. At this writing... I read it 32 years ago... oy! But I can say that this book is a "must read". Add this to the list of books that I wish I had to read over again. |
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I loved this book! Can't remember exactly when I read it. I think I must have been in high school though. That would be around 1970 or so. This is a story of a guy who was stranded in Panama after World War Two ended. He had a girlfriend that he left during the war back in Australia. There were no carriers of any kind going back that way so in a rather extreme fit of self reliance, he bought a sailboat to sail his way over there. This book tells the story. The book is an easy read that is hard to put down. Like I keep saying over and over again, I wish I had the book to read over again.
For my part, I later got into sailing in a big way. I can direct your attention to this book as one of the reasons that I did that. |
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Another all time favorite book of mine. I read this one when I was pretty young too. High school I think... This may have been my first sailing book and really made sailing seem accessible to this Oregon boy during the seemingly endless Winter. I can say quite comfortably that this book also was a big reason for the start of my interest in sailing. Like Desperate Voyage, it's a true story about a guy from Cleveland, Ohio (I think) who modifies a little sailboat to have a reasonable chance of making it across the Atlantic Ocean. Of course he completes the voyage and goes on to write the book. It's an easy and interesting read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys this kind of reading. |
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| Return to Larry |
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