What are you reading right now ?

[hitman]

Just finished up How to be Black by Baratunde Thurston which was a very fun little book. I also read The Neptune File by Tom Standage. It's a decent book but not as good as his other works imo.

Edited April 5, 2014 by hitman

[hitman]

The Sports Gene, an excellent look at what makes athletes, athletes.

[Daniel]

John Milton, Paradise Lost.

You ever notice that after a certain age, any work of classic literature that you pick up doesn't feel new? You've been hearing quotes from it your whole life; it's like it's familiar to you.

[Guest]

The "Instructions for 1040" ... not the funnest read that I've ever found (I shouldn't wait until the last minute to do my taxes)

Other than that.... "Mating in Captivity unlocking erotic intelligence" don't let the title fool you... it's about as much of a fun read as "Instructions for 1040"....

Well ... and the "Travellers" rule book for a game I'm setting up.... but I've read it before.

Dang... I gotta find something good to read...

[hitman]

The Thirteen Gun Salute by Patrick O'Brian...again

Jim Henson The Biography

A really interesting look at the man and his work. A little long perhaps but not in an offensive way.

[hitman]

John Milton, Paradise Lost.

You ever notice that after a certain age, any work of classic literature that you pick up doesn't feel new? You've been hearing quotes from it your whole life; it's like it's familiar to you.

Unfortunately all the time. Almost like an unintentional spoiler.

[hitman]

Desolation Island,

I'd long considered this my least favorite of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series however it now appears that it was more the audio book reader than the book. I originally got it as a freebie from Audible and chose their reader over the Black Hawk Audio edition. While the Audible reader made this a long slow bog of a book the faster, lighter, less borish,and tbh familiar voice of the Black Hawk reader made it much less of a brooding bore and to my surprise the book itself is rehabilitated.

[Daniel]

Desolation Island,

I'd long considered this my least favorite of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series however it now appears that it was more the audio book reader than the book. I originally got it as a freebie from Audible and chose their reader over the Black Hawk Audio edition. While the Audible reader made this a long slow bog of a book the faster, lighter, less borish,and tbh familiar voice of the Black Hawk reader made it much less of a brooding bore and to my surprise the book itself is rehabilitated.

That's neat; I listen to a lot of books on tape in my car, and I too find that the reader makes a big difference. For me, one of the worst things about Dana's Two Years Before the Mast was Bernard Mayse's reading of it; plodding, raspy, and mispronouncing the Spanish and sailing words.

On the other hand, I'm listening now to Cormac McCarthy's No Country For Old Men, and I am loving Tom Stechschulte's performance of it. He does the Texas accents perfectly, without making them all sound the same, and he has a great feel for the narrative; he picks up the pace in the action scenes, then slows down and savors the words in the reflective scenes. He really performs the book better than McCarthy wrote it (what the heck is up with all those "ands" McCarthy uses? Commas were invented for a reason).

[hitman]

The Nutmeg of Consolation by Patrick O'Brian

A lovely book that as it turned out alleviated a great deal of the boredom I had to deal with today. I'm only sad it's finished.

Daniel,

It is much the same with Simon Vance who reads the Aubrey/Maturin series for BlackStone audio. Where as the reader for the audible edition had a morose dark and brooding sort of voice with all characters very much sounding if not the same then very near it, Mr.Vance has an apparently limitless supply of voices in a light airy voice that fits the tales so much better!

[Jas. Hook]

I just started The Wrath of Brotherhood by Ozgurk K. Sahin (pub member)

I've only read about twenty pages and it was hard to put the book down at 11:30 last evening. I'll pay for that today.

Jas. Hook

[ozgurksahin]

I'm reading a few books, but the only piratey one is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/GENTLEMAN-FORTUNE-Adventures-Bartholomew-Roberts-ebook/dp/B00996K3P8/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1400008090&sr=1-3&keywords=gentleman+of+fortune">Gentleman of Fortune</a> by Evelyn Tidman. I'm about on part five, and it's an enjoyable read, but it looks like the author has perhaps tampered a bit with the sexual orientation of Bartholomew Roberts. Not sure why yet.

Ozgur K. Sahin

Also, I apparently don't know how to create a link as text on here. Bad Livejournal habits, I guess...

Edited May 13, 2014 by ozgurksahin

[state privateer]

I am currently reading "My Story" which is a fictional work that purports to be the journal of Benedict Arnold. A LONG book, over 600 pages long.

Just finished "Neptune's Militia", a factual account of citizen-sailors as opposed to the famous citizen-soldiers of the American Revolution.

[hitman]

Well in my rather odd way I appear to be rereading the Aubrey/Maturin series again having started at two points (Desolation Island and The Thirteen Gun Salute to be precise.) Rather distant both from each other and either end. O_o Oh well I have finished both The Fortune of War and The True Love or as I understand it Clarrisa Oaks outside America.

[Jas. Hook]

Patriot Pirates : Privateer War for Freedom and Fortune in the American Revolution. by Robert H. Patton

[hitman]

Ah the joys of audiobooks and truck driving, I've finished The Surgeon's Mate, The Wine Dark Sea, The Commodore, The Yellow Admiral, The Hundred Days, and Blue at the Mizzen. I have a hold on Master and Commander and on The Ionian Mission. I've also got the only copy of Neptune's Militia in the library's system on order.

[GregF]

For anyone interested in Philip Ashton, the pirate captive and castaway (1722) or the pirates Edward Low, Francis Spriggs, John Phillips, and others -- a terrific review of my new book, out this week, in today's Boston Globe:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/2014/05/31/book-review-point-cutlass-the-pirate-capture-bold-escape-and-lonely-exile-philip-ashton-gregory-flemming/2W65DmD9rOJvlvWMwITofN/story.html

[madPete]

Awesome! adding to my list.

mP

[GregF]

Related to above, an interesting interview (listen online or download podcast) with Fieldstone Common about Edward Low, piracy topics and research, Philip Ashton, and my new book. Have a listen if you want -- share any comments or other perspectives on topics discussed.

http://www.fieldstonecommon.com/point-of-cutlass-greg-flemming/

[madPete]

Barnes and Noble just notified me that they shipped my order!

Pressure is on now, GregF! LOL

mP

[GregF]

That's fantastic! I hope you enjoy the book -- but either way, let me know what you think. It'd be great to have a discussion about Low, Spriggs, and their crews.

Thanks for the interest!

Greg

[Jas. Hook]

I'm getting backed up a bit... Greg's book At the Point of a Cutlas came in from Amazon last week but I haven't started it yet. The Wrath of Brotherhood by Ozgurk K. Sahin is in the Ebook que and partially read. I just finished the reprint of Blackbeard & the Carolina Pirates by Shirley Carter Hughson.

[ozgurksahin]

Woohoo! Glad to be helping you be backed up. I'm working on 3 eBooks right now as well, on top of going to Origins Game Fair this week.

[Jas. Hook]

Oz... write slower!

Another small find at the Hampton History Museum (a great stop while in Hampton) was Out of the Sea Came Pirates by Mark St.John Erickson.

[ozgurksahin]

Hah. Don't need help there! I'll be at Origins Game Fair for several days, but with my full time job and all, I've been lucky to do 5 pages a week when I can get anything done. That should be changing soon.

[hitman]

Master and Commander

The Ionian Mission

Treasons Harbor

I'd almost forgotten how much fun it is to live (if only for a while in Mr. O'Brian's world.