What are you reading right now ?

[Mission]

I am reading Travelers and Travel Liars 1660 - 1800 by Percy G. Adams.

It's all about how people writing travel journals during this period intentionally lied in their accounts due to poor recollection, a desire to sell books and/or increase their prestige. Interestingly, the way the author presents it, this was not really done in a cynical way, it was done because that's was part of the writing fashion among many travel authors during this time period. I'm only a few chapters in. The section on the Patagonian giants was most enlightening. I came across them in one of the accounts I read which was quoting a Spanish author. (Probably Signor Pigafetta.) Several other amusing bits from various books come to mind as well - the mermaids, women fish (not mermaids) and some of the other amazing creatures cited in the various period travel books I have read.

[Grymm]

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovich sort of Harry Potter meets The Sweeney(Or Starsky and Hutch) and lined up next Jasper Fford's Eyre Affair.

[Daniel]

Patterns of Pillage: A Geography of Caribbean-Based Piracy in Spanish America, 1536-1718, by Peter R. Galvin, 1999. I never heard of it before I found it in Gelman Library yesterday. Semester's over, and I can read fun stuff again!

[hitman]

Just finished up In the Garden of Beasts by Eric Larsen. Great book well written and very informative. Best non-fiction I've read this year. I also listened to War Horse yesterday thanks to the library's online collection.

[madPete]

just finished Savage Wilderness by Harold Coyle. Now reading John Paul Jones by Evan Thomas

mP

[Tartan Jack]

I know this will sound either cool or nutty on here, but I've been rereading "Batman: The Long Halloween" and its sequel "Batman: The Dark Victory," mainly because they are Nolan's primary inspiration for his Batman series, along with various other Batman stories (esp. Knightfall/KnightQuest/KnightEnd for this summer's "Dark Knight Rises" film.

Rereading them, I realize how much dialogue was adapted straight from The Long Halloween and Dark Victory, esp. in The Dark Knight.

Oh, and I am a HUGE Batman and Joker fan . . .

[GentlemenScotty]

^{rereading "King of the Pirates " by a lad name o Fox}

[Jas. Hook]

The Spy by James Fenimore Cooper.

Jas. Hook

[hitman]

Just read The Thief by Clive Cussler, btw Jas Clive also has a book called The Spy and thanks for mentioning battle at sea as it has been awesome so far.

[jendobyns]

Sadly, I just read the info posted on the William Augustus Bowles Museum website about WAB. It's sooooo bad. Really, really wrong. It was difficult to get past the first paragraph. banging head on keyboard now

[hitman]

Just finished Battle at Sea by R.G. Grant. Great book just like Jas said.

[Jas. Hook]

Dewey Lambdin's Gun Ketch #5 in the Alan Lewrie series.

Jas. Hook

[hitman]

The Good Samaritan Strikes Again, by Patrick McManus. If you've never read McManus's easy going style of humor your missing out on a lot in life.

Jas I'm serious no spoilers from The Captains Vengeance on.

Edited June 25, 2012 by hitman

[Jas. Hook]

Hitman -

Pat McManus, good stuff!

Have you tried any of his Sheriff Bo Tully series?

Jas. Hook

[William Brand]

I'm in the middle of 'The Name of the Rose' for the third time.

[Jas. Hook]

Dewey Lambdin's HMS Cockerel book #6 in the Alan Lewrie series.

Jas. Hook

[hitman]

No Jas I can't say that I have read any from that series. I did however read two more of McManus's books yesterday, The Night the Bear Ate Gumbaw and Real Ponies Don't Go Oink. Great stuff as always and I'm half way through a really neat book called Gig. Real good so far its a collection of interviews with workers across pretty much all walks of life.

[Knight-Captain Alexander]

I just read "Ganymede" by Cherie Priest. Early 1890's, set in Louisiana and Seattle. Very early steam technology. I liked it very much. Pirates make an appearance, though in a very minor way. I would recommend it to anyone, and I'd be interested to see anyone else's opinion on this or any if her other books.

[Jas. Hook]

K-CA -

Hummm... Interesting that 'Ganymeade' should pop up twice recently as reads.

Black Steven posted in Pyracy Pop a futuristic pirate book called The Ganymeade Protocol.

Jas. Hook

[Jas. Hook]

Dewey Lambdin's Jesters Fortune book #7 in the Adam Lewrie series.

Jas. Hook

[hitman]

I finished up A Year in a Yawl last night. Its the trie story of four teens who built a thirty foot yawl and then became the first to sail the great circle route of the eastern U.S.. I believe this book is more for juvenile/ young adult crowd but it was okay despite the fact my copy from archive.org didn't display well on my phone. Gig was awesome and in an effort to keep if not ahead then at least on par with Jas I picked up Captain's Vengeance and am somewhere between a third and half way done with it.

[hitman]

I finished the Librivox audio book of Kipling's American Notes at work today. It was extremely well read very near professional quality audio and of course the writing was excellent. After reading it though I am left with one comment, No no Rudyard don't be shy let us know how you REALLY feel!

[mrbungle]

Under the black flag, history. i also just finished the republic of pirates under the black flag has a lot of interesting detail but not a page turner, the republic of pirates is well written and is a fast read.

[Jas. Hook]

As previously noted in the Pub by Mission, I just received from the Amazon folks The Pirates of the New England Coast 1630-1730 by G.F. Dow & J.H. Edmonds

Jas. Hook

[Red John]

Aye, "Republic of Pirates" is one of the best histories of the pirate account I've read - engaging and a page-turner as said. Just started "Empire of Blue Water" and while it's a non-fiction history of the Buccaneer era, it looks to be even more engaging and interesting than "Republic" was - a high standard to meet. Pleasant surprise too, as for me as for like most of us, the story of Morgan and Company is a pretty well trod path and I didn't think there was much any book could offer in addition to what I've already read in numerous sources. That was until I actually picked the book up and read a few pages, and had to get it! Just getting going on it and have to give it a rousing 'aye!' Next on the line: "If a Pirate I must Be . . ."