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[AugustWest]

I am so sick of books right now.  I had a book drift next to the bed, like a snow drift, only made of books.  I've started and discarded so many books after the first chapter lately.  I even cracked out my old favorite and gave up on it a few chapters in.  I can't get in to anything these days.

That's about where I am.  It happens every once in a while.

Although I did just finish a great book on tape -- The River of Doubt is about Teddy Roosevelt's expedition down an uncharted Amazonian river in 1912.  Excellent book, full of adventure plus insight into TR's character.  We could use a guy like that now.

I've been reading a couple of John Le Carre books lately (The honourable schoolboy and 's people), both of which I enjoyed but found a bit dry in parts. Some of the dry was in a good way, some just made it hard to read.

That's certainly true, especially with that triology (Did you read Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy first?)  I think part of the reason he's dry is that he's putting so much information into his prose.  His books hold up to second readings very well.  Two of his later books which I've really enjoyed are Our Game and his latest Absolute Friends.  I would especially recommend Absolute Friends.  Really, everybody should read it.  It's LeCarre's treatment of how governments have manipulated people and the media in the "War on Terror".  It's short, accesible and compelling.

[lprkn]

I'll read Absolute Friends, but only if they spell it Absolut and put a bottle of vodka on the front.

Somebody shoot me.

[wombat]

So now I'm on a quest for non-fiction - what've you got?

If you're interested in one about events (like the molasses flood) instead of things (like the cod book, which I read but am not left with a strong impression of), the most compelling piece of that sort of nonfiction I've read in fairly recent years was The Circus Fire by Stewart O'Nan.  Depressing of course though with like dead burnt children and stuff, don't say I didn't warn you.

And there you go - search for this book in Amazon and they recommend a half dozen other books on historic fires that killed a bunch of people.  Where were these authors back when I was eating this kind of stuff up? 

[side_show]

Non-fiction I have enjoyed:

The Kiss - a true story of a woman who had an affair with her father
The Kindness of Strangers: Peniless Across America - this book made me want to do the same across Canada
The Professor and the Madman - some of it's pretty boring, but who would have though the OED was partially created by a Madman?

[fixed link-Cort]

[AugustWest]

Non-fiction I have enjoyed:

The Professor and the Madman - some of it's pretty boring, but who would have though the OED was partially created by a Madman?

That one was pretty good, but probably was only worth a long article rather than a book.


Non-fiction eh?  Bestseller or not, I found Freakonomics pretty interesting. 

What about biographies?  Peter the Great by Robert K. Massie is awfully good.

[Hobot]

Okay I'll respond properly later after I've actually read the whole threat but I have to say this RIGHT NOW: side_show, The Professor and the Madman is my favourite book EVER.  I'm so excited I'm not even using superfluous commas!  Woo!

Sorry, just had to express my enthusiastic approval of that particular book, and of Simon Winchester's books in general.

[theinevitable]

hm. I read this at school, and had such a good comment to post. Ironically, my enlish teacher was about to walk up, so I closed the window.

I am in love with the typo "Manman".

[AlohaDawg]

If you are into turn-of-the century Big American Cities (Chicago) Historical Events (the 1893 World's Fair) famous architects and architecture (Daniel Burnham) and murder (The real-life mass murderer H.H. Holmes) then you realy ought to read The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.

I'm about to start it; my wife couldn't put it down.

[wombat]

That's another one that should have grabbed me, but when I tried to start reading it in the bookstore.... no go.  Very frustrating.  I need to send some books back in time to my earlier self, or something.

[misterqueue]

H.H. Holmes always interested me because he seemed like such a dapper fellow but at the same time had like a whole dungeon in his abode.

He was like a damned comic book villain come to life.  That doesn't happen often.. usually mass murderers are of the "not so bright and terribly terribly fucked up" variety.  (Not that he wasn't the latter mind.)

[miles]

Right now, Clockers by Richard Price and Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell.

I ordered two books by Douglas Adams:  Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, on Cort's recommendation, I believe.  They had better be GOOD!  They are next up.  Then Mr Mulliner Speaking and Midnight's Children.

But I'm also preparing for the LSAT (boo), and I need to kill on it, so I won't have as much time to read soon.  Other than LSAT prep shit.

[Doc]

Thanks for the recommendations AW, I shall check them out on the pronto. Unfortunately I couldn't find a copy of TTSS at my library which is kind of a shame because I would like to read about when he was just a miserable but good agent rather than miserable semi-retiree stuck in beauraucratic hell. Actually for some reason those books have reminded me of the Francis Urqhart trilogy: House of Cards, to Play the King and the Final Cut, which don't really need to be read in order since the continuity between them doesn't actually follow and of which I enjoy the Final Cut best by far.

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, on Cort's recommendation, I believe.  They had better be GOOD!  They are next up.  Then Mr Mulliner Speaking and Midnight's Children.

They are good indeed Miles, and have a much more linear (in some ways) storyline than hitchiker's. I just re-read holistic detective agency recently actually and I think it is my favourite Adams' book.

[side_show]

Ironically, my enlish teacher was about to walk up, so I closed the window.

I am in love with the typo "Manman".

Look out it's the attack of the Manman enlish teacher!  - sorry inevitable, I'd corrected my typo before I read your post here.

[jough]

Oh man, the Dirk Gently books are just awful, but in a delightful way.  At first you'll likely think WTF, D00D? but then slowly you'll start to think "What the fuck, dude?"

[jough]

Look out it's the attack of the Manman enlish teacher!  - sorry inevitable, I'd corrected my typo before I read your post here.

So what, you can't change it back for a dude?  Think about the print edition!  Now his comments won't make any sense.

Way to crush a young man's dreams, Smells.