Sgrizzle's posts on movies made me curious what other people read other than "Tulsanow" [;)] That and Snopes and I had been having a discussion on John Grisham's new book.
I read a lot of periodicals, much of it news or related to sailing. When it comes to books I like crime/legal stories (Nelson DeMille, Patricia Cornwell, John Grisham) biographies, and non-fiction stories of human struggle and overcoming adversity (of late, mostly nautical- think "The Perfect Storm" or "Sailing Alone Around The World by Joshua Slocum) and humor. I used to read more politicaly-related books, but I'm convinced that conservative pundits are on the RNC payroll and liberal pundits are on the DNC payroll.[xx(]
So what's on your bookshelf?
I don't read books. I read newspapers, magazines and websites. I just like current events more than history or non-fiction.
I read the Tulsa World seven days a week, Urban Tulsa, Oklahoma Eagle and all the local magazines every week or month, the USA Today, Daily Oklahoman and Dallas Morning News about three times a week each and the Wall Street Journal about once a week.
Years ago I went into the Novel Idea book store on 51st and walked around the store looking for a magazine on Fantasy Football. Perplexed, I went up to the counter and asked the guy where the magazine section was.
The clerk very snootily said, "Sir, we do not carry periodicals!". As I exited I yelled real loud, "You people who read books think you are so smart".
I then went next door to Albertson's and found the perfect magazine.
Right now, I'm revisiting parts of "Veeck as in Wreck," the 1960s autobiography of colorful baseball team owner Bill Veeck.
I just finished "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, which may be his best novel ever. It's bleak, but uplifting at the same time. A remarkable achievement.
Before that, I read the terrific "San Antonio Rose: The Life and Music of Bob Wills" by Charles Townsend.
There's no set pattern in my book-reading. I just grab whatever strikes my fancy at the time or whatever seems relevant in my life.
The periodicals I read are No Depression, Saveur, Blender, and Entertainment Weekly (when I can snag a good price on a subscription from time to time).
Bill Veck and Bob Wills were kings!
latest ..... Playing the Quantum Field.
I pass out copies of The Four Agreements to those in need of keeping their word. It's about integrity in todays world.
Catcher in the Rye, over and over and over...
jdb
When I was younger I read several books every week. Now, I have some eye problems and unless it is a very good story, it's really hard to concentrate.
My favorite authors are
Grisham and Clancy (latest from both aren't very good)
Alistair McLean
Michael Crichton
Donald Hamilton (Travis McGee)
And many others I can't remember offhand.
But now, I mostly surf the web and read photography and photoshop magazines.
I've had a hard time getting into the couple of Clancy books I've started to read. I'll revisit him at some point.
Do any of you ever go to Steve's Sundries for books and periodicals? It ain't Borders, but they've got some pretty obscure titles and great local interest books. I have been going there since, literally, I was three years old when it was more of a soda fountain and a place for my brother and I to get candy, and gum. When I had a Tulsa Tribune route, I picked up my papers on the sidewalk out front and would get a piece of pie and coke every afternoon. It's always nostalgic for me when I go in there.
I usually go to Borders or Barnes & Noble a couple of times a week, buy a coffee and a cookie and read all the magazines.
I did go to the used book store on Garnett recently and bought about a dozen Travis McGee books and a few Alastair McLean books to re-read.
I belong to a book club--we read a book a month. It's a great group, because we all have different interest, so we get a wide range of books, from spy novels to all the classics you never read in high school, to historical fiction.
Some of the better ones we read recently:
Non-fiction:
Under the Banner of Heaven
Freakonomics (not as good as I had anticipated, but still worth the read)
Classics:
East of Eden (one of the greatest books ever written)
To Kill a Mockingbird (maybe the best book ever, IMO. We are reading In Cold Blood right now, and I am anxious to compare writting styles--rumor is that Capote actually wrote for Harper Lee)
A Good Man is Hard to Find (Flannery O'Conner)
The Good Earth
More recent fiction:
The Red Tent
The Power of One
White Oleander
Map of the World
Charming Billy
Good, easy Christmas read:
Holiday on Ice by David Sadaris (especially Santaland Diaries)
Good mystery:
The Shadow of the Wind
Books to avoid, no matter what they say on Oprah:
The Memory Keeper's Daughter (I couldn't even finish this one, it was so bad)
One Thousand White Women (would win an award for the most unbelievable "historical fiction" book)
DaVinci Code (through all of the hype, critics overlooked one glaring point--the writing stinks.)
Oops--I forgot to plug my favorite Oklahoma book:
Fire in Beulah by Rilla Askew.
It won the Oklahoma Reads Oklahoma centennial contest:
http://www.okreadsok.org/sixpack/fourthsixpack/beulah/index.html
It should be required reading for all highschoolers in Tulsa.
Up until about 10 years ago, I read almost all of the time, but got out of that habit until recently. The Innocent Man was the first book I have read in about six months.
Some of my favorites are Catcher in the Rye, The Firm, The Stand, and a whole slew of short stories from various authors.
I plan to read the two books Conan and I discussed in another thread (Fritz's book and Dreams of Ada) soon. I'd like to read "The Four Agreements" that aox spoke of but will have to do some research to find it; sounds interesting.
quote:
Originally posted by pmcalk
Good, easy Christmas read:
Holiday on Ice by David Sadaris (especially Santaland Diaries)
I read this just last weekend on a plane - I wished it were twice as long! My seatmates kept looking at me as I laughed out loud....
PM- I read "In Cold Blood" about 6-8 months ago, Capote's prose is classic, and the story is gripping, but I found his prose somewhat tedious to read. The Joshua Slocum book I'd mentioned earlier is even more tedious since it was written around 1900. I love classic literature but it's definitely not a speed read like most of today's authors.
I liked DaVinci Code, but thought Angels & Demons was a far better book.
quote:
Originally posted by Conan71
PM- I read "In Cold Blood" about 6-8 months ago, Capote's prose is classic, and the story is gripping, but I found his prose somewhat tedious to read. The Joshua Slocum book I'd mentioned earlier is even more tedious since it was written around 1900. I love classic literature but it's definitely not a speed read like most of today's authors.
I liked DaVinci Code, but thought Angels & Demons was a far better book.
I shouldn't be so critical of DaVinci--I know many liked it; I just found it a little over the top in writing--kind of "Guy Noir" style of campy writing.
I have heard that Angles & Demons is much better.
I am looking forward to reading In Cold Blood, but I am sure it will keep me up at night.
quote:
Originally posted by snopes
Up until about 10 years ago, I read almost all of the time, but got out of that habit until recently. The Innocent Man was the first book I have read in about six months.
Some of my favorites are Catcher in the Rye, The Firm, The Stand, and a whole slew of short stories from various authors.
I plan to read the two books Conan and I discussed in another thread (Fritz's book and Dreams of Ada) soon. I'd like to read "The Four Agreements" that aox spoke of but will have to do some research to find it; sounds interesting.
If you like short stories, I just finished Runaway by Alice Munro--really enjoyed it. They are somewhat repetitive stories, but still really good.
I read the Bible ..... and the occasional Ann Coulter work of genius .... thats about it
quote:
Originally posted by Cubs
I read the Bible ..... and the occasional Ann Coulter work of genius .... thats about it
Got a real live thinker here!
I read these daily...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
http://spaceflightnow.com/
By far the best book I have read this year was, Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sorbel
The book is based on the actual letters that were found between Galileos Daughter and Galileo, and other historical knowledge about him. It weaves a rich story about them and takes you into the world of that time. You get the feeling of how they lived, what life was like during that time and place in history, ), the culture, politics, even what they ate. You get connected to them. I got all teary eyed when I read the last sentences on the last page. If you get the book, what ever you do dont cheat and read them.
http://www.galileosdaughter.com/book.shtml
I am currently reading "The Reformation" by Diarmaid MacCulloch
Well, I just read this weeks comment from Michael Bates in Urban Tulsa and can tell you he should go to divinity school...what Tulsa does not need is more of this type thinking...HE Won't Go Away! http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A15400
It would run off all the potential worldly thinkers....
Finished Tail of the Tiger by Clancy. Tony Hillerman doesn't write enough to keep me occupied. I do the occasional Louis L'Amour revisit (he kept me grounded with tales of New Mexico during Viet Nam), currently on a book called "Freakonomics" that is pretty interesting. Things like the fact (as the book states) a Realtor will sell their own property for about 3% more than they will sell someone else's property, but will keep it on the market about 10 days longer. 3% on a $300,000 property is $9,000. If that $9,000 is going into their pocket it is worth it. But assuming a 6% commission of which the agent gets 1.5% of the sales price, the agent is only getting an extra $135.00. So it is apparent an agent is out to get the best offer for themselves and wants their clients to take the first decent one that comes along.
Like I said, interesting reading.
quote:
Originally posted by Cubs
....the occasional Ann Coulter work of genius.....
I must of missed that one. Is this the same Ann Coulter that is doing Bill Maher? Or is there another one somewhere that is actually a genius and not a parrot? [}:)]
I miss Lewis Meyer.
You all should read Preposterous Papa. Its a riot.
I scan Fark (//%22http://www.fark.com%22) daily to get up-to-date on interesting and obscure news. I also watch the TulsaNow forums, for local interest.
Other than that, I don't get to read too many paper books. Typically, I'm too busy reviewing my course textbooks or looking at books for work.
quote:
Originally posted by Cubs
I read the Bible ..... and the occasional Ann Coulter work of genius .... thats about it
so you like fiction...
I'll read anything I find to be interesting... I used to work in a bookstore... so I've got a small collection non-fiction.
Regarding "The Innocent Man" by Grisham; Conan, I think you'll find these interesting. Just the other day I was in Ada visiting a relative and went by the old apartment that was the scene of Debbie Carter's murder and snapped two pictures. They aren't great, because for one I have a crappy little digital camera and (2) I didn't want to get out of my car and gawk. BTW, a very interesting sub-plot to this story. That apartment, the one in the picture? Not two years prior to the unfortunate murder, my uncle lived in that very apartment. I was in my late teens at the time, and went to visit - stayed there overnight in the same bedroom where the unfortunate incident took place. I thought it looked familiar from the picture in the book but wasn't sure until I spoke with my uncle (which he confirmed) and checked the place out for myself. Pretty interesting. Anyway, now for the recent pictures. The place has changed alot since that picture in the book was taken in the early 80s.
(http://www.fotothing.com/photos/dc4/dc47b27789ab880de13a009ce6d90b0f.jpg)
(http://www.fotothing.com/photos/432/432c117121d2ade8cc9e3acdf4116ae9.jpg)
quote:
Originally posted by snopes
Regarding "The Innocent Man" by Grisham; Conan, I think you'll find these interesting. Just the other day I was in Ada visiting a relative and went by the old apartment that was the scene of Debbie Carter's murder and snapped two pictures. They aren't great, because for one I have a crappy little digital camera and (2) I didn't want to get out of my car and gawk. BTW, a very interesting sub-plot to this story. That apartment, the one in the picture? Not two years prior to the unfortunate murder, my uncle lived in that very apartment. I was in my late teens at the time, and went to visit - stayed there overnight in the same bedroom where the unfortunate incident took place. I thought it looked familiar from the picture in the book but wasn't sure until I spoke with my uncle (which he confirmed) and checked the place out for myself. Pretty interesting. Anyway, now for the recent pictures. The place has changed alot since that picture in the book was taken in the early 80s.
Snopes,
Thanks for sharing the photos. That is incredibly wild that you had slept in that apartment before. A story always has a little more impact when you either recognize the names of people mentioned or know the places.
I'm half-way through Dennis Fritz's book, it's a little harder to read as he's not a skilled author like Grisham, though he does an adequate job as a first timer, basically writing his memoirs of things that happened 20 years ago. It's interesting and rare to first read the over-all view of the story by a third party (Grisham), then to see it through the eyes of one of the book's subjects (Fritz). Believe it or not, this book isn't quite as depressing as Grishams- but it doesn't go as in depth into Williamson's mental illness.
Fritz goes much further into the details of the jailhouse snitch "evidence" than Grisham did. I'm now absolutely convinced there were severe errors by the judge to allow Fritz to have ever been tried in the first place. I think had this happened somewhere else, he'd never even have been arrested. I definitely won't ever so much as drop a gum wrapper in Ada.
I think I might get a copy of Dreams of Ada after this about the Ward and Fontenot case. I've got six or seven other books on my night stand right now demanding my attention, but this story has really pulled me in. I'm curious to know what the talk is around Ada these days about Peterson and their police dept.
Some more tidbits of info about the book and community. I've been speaking to my relatives alot about this book and it's impact on the people involved, many of whom they know or knew at the time. From what I understand, Dennis Smith, one of the Detectives died of a heart attack this summer, shortly after receiving a courtesy copy of the book. His wife worked with my Uncle at the city of Ada and went into what I would consider "hiding" before the book's release. I also hear that Bill Peterson is having a very tough time (as he should) and is expressing some concern with the members of his church. I guess he goes there on a regular basis to wash off his sins. I imagine there is alot of guilt that will resurface due to the popularity of this book. I saw that it was number 2 on the NY Times bestseller list just the other day. My Uncle and other relatives that have lived in Ada all their lives have always said that although Ada is a good town, corruption at the city level has been rampant for decades. I hope this book really starts to eat away at those involved in the whole fiasco and they get some well-deserved come uppance.
I just read your last post Conan. I plan on getting those other two books as well. My uncle is just now reading The Innocent Man and has told me it seems to be accurate and he's only at the 80 page mark right now. He said that Bill Peterson was always someone you never wanted to cross your path and that many people in the city feared the guy, even to the point of losing their lives if they crossed him. I'll make sure and keep you posted as I hear more.
Here's another interesting anecdote. It doesn't have anything to do with the case, but it happened in Ada, in 1984, during the time all this was taking place.
Me and a friend were young, single, and living in Broken Arrow in the summer of '84. One Friday evening we started talking about wanting to get out of town and do something different. Out of the blue I said "why not take a trip to Ada? I know alot of people there and we can drag main and maybe even talk with some girls?" He was all for it and so we left that evening.
Not long after we got there we were just driving up and down the main drag minding our own business. Before too long we saw the flashing lights of a an Ada PD squad car and pulled over. We didn't have any alcohol (like most of the kids did) so we figured we had nothing to fear.
I can't remember the details but it ended up that my friend was thrown in jail for what the cops said was a traffic violation of some sort. It was either spinning his wheels or maybe something to do with his insurance being not up to date. Anyway, they threw him in the slammer, and said that he would have to pay a hefty fine (couple of hundred dollars).
So, I took his car all the way to Oklahoma City to pick up the money (which was closer than Tulsa) because the ATMs in Ada would not access his bank account. I drove back and basically gave the cops what I consider to be extortion money to get my friend out of jail. We left Ada that morning and my friend vowed never to return.
In retrospect I think the cops probably saw the out of town plates and figured on taking a couple of hundred dollars from some young out of towners.
Got this off the Ada Evening News website Conan. I don't have the book in front of me right now (my wife is GLUED to it) but wasn't Landrith the sitting judge on the Williamson case? It's also interesting to note that Bill Peterson (the DA, who is STILL there) is not prosecuting the case. I think lately he's taking extended leaves of absence trying to cleanse his soul.
http://www.adaeveningnews.com/local/local_story_340121935.html
Another interesting article. I'll try not and post so many times regarding this subject on the forum because I realize it's not the book of the month club and it may be boring to some...
http://www.adaeveningnews.com/siteSearch/apstorysection/local_story_285125955.html
I saw the sliger case on the news the other night and there was something on it in the TW. I couldn't help but wonder if it was another "guilt by association Ada style" case.
Something tells me that Peterson won't be serving another term as DA.
I believe Landrith presided over the hearing that released Williamson and Fritz.
Word around the camp fire is that George Clooney has bought the movie rights to Grisham's book.
Being an artist and a filmmaker, I read a lot of trade magazines related to these fields. I also get monthly gear catalogs that I read, looking for great deals on new and unusual equipment.
For relaxing I like such reads as Being Peace, and other books by Thich Nhat Hanh. I also still enjoy novels by Vonnegut, Ray Bradbury, and Richard Brautigan. I've never found anything any of these three wrote that I did not enjoy. I have also taken recently to reading Wikipedia!
[:P]
Fiction: I really enjoyed "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Siebold, and more recently "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
Auto-Biography: "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt" is great, so is "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggars.
Classics: I always reread Hemmingway (The Sun Also Rises always makes me want to see Spain). When I was a kid I coudn't get enough of Tolkien (I love his creation theory).
I agree with pmcalk's choices (David Sedaris' "Me Talk Pretty One Day" had me laughing out loud) and I agree with her on Davinci..it's an apple for crying out loud. How can it take 20 pages for Langdon to figure that out?