Just finished East of Eden by John Steinbeck and loved it. It is full of of both explicit and implicit references to the Cain and Abel story and is thought provoking in that regard. It is, ultimately, a book about forgiveness.

One of the things that Steinbeck is noted for is how much his novels are rooted in a place--in his instance it is the Salinas Valley in California. I've come to realize that I like that a lot in a novel. I've gone on in the past how much I like Shantaram and I one of the things I loved about that book was that really felt like I was in India.

Next up, The Autobiography of Mark Twain.

Give him "The Hobbit" (much more accessible than the entire LOTR series) and also "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman. Both are the kind of adventurous and fun reads that will appeal to a bright 11 year old boy.

I don't mean to be rude, but you got a Kindle for Christmas why?

bosox,
ender's game/the outsiders/hatchet were some of the books i liked when i was younger. will try to think of others.

Not everyone buys their own gifts for Christmas

I recommend the 'His Dark Materials' Trilogy for something you will both enjoy.

Is this the new edited version (Vol. 1) that just came out by the Mark Twain Project?

http://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-...4109108&sr=1-1

I recently purchased this first volume and started reading it. It is Pure Mark Twain, unadultered and as witty, funny, and caustic as ever. He speaks from the grave as if sitting next to you on the couch in front of a large fireplace with the logs blazing away, and the conversation wandering about like the flames from the logs.

If not, I assume you will read the Autobiography edited by Charles Neider? This is a good edition and a very worthwhile read. I enjoyed it immensely.


-Zeno

Has anyone read any of Mark Frost's stuff? The cowriter/creater of Twin Peaks alongside David Lynch?

Yea, it is the new one. I've just read the intro so far so I now realize that I should have been more specific because I now know there are earlier "autobiographies" out there. Really looking forward to it.

I broke one of my rules already though. I typically will not read an introduction until after I read the book. But in this instance when I looked at the table of contents and saw that the book started on page 200 and something I thought I better just start on page one because I would have felt weird starting that deep into the book.

Going back and forth between "Gates of Fire," "Greatness," and "Blue Like Jazz"

I just got my copy of The Autobiography of Mark Twain and I can't wait to jump into this beast. Also, a new publishing of Huck Finn removes the "N" word-- wtf.

A foolhardy attempt to bring Huckleberry Finn back to schools. The shades of Nahum Tate and Thomas Bowdler smile upon us.

did they substitute the word "ninja" for the n-bomb?


cuz thats what my friends and i do. just a suggestion

Just finished this, very very good.

However, while googling Marlantes I came across this



http://www.bryanappleyard.com/2010/0...tes-interview/

Check out EF Wilsons comments! Will give his book a go too, as I am a sucker for Vietnam stuff. 'Chickenhawk' being my favourite.

No. They substituted "slave."

You mean all they change is that one word? They don’t upgrade ****** Jim’s speech? – for shame:

“Oh, my lordy, lordy! Raf’? Dey ain’ no raf’ no mo’, she done broke loose en gone! – en here we is! [****** Jim at the very end of Chapter XII, Huckleberry Finn]


-Zeno

Come back to the raft agin, Huck honey!

After watching then reading Generation Kill, it wasn't hard to put Nathanial Fick's One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer on my reading list. I'm just over half way through and this book in every way has exceeded my expectations. The real Fick, shown here is far more impressive than the actor who portrayed him in the HBO series (and I'm saying this aware of the fact that in the HBO series and in the book Fick is portrayed as one of the "good guy, very competent" officers).

Coincidentally, found and read this column tonight. Note that both John Nagl and Fick now have key positions in the Center for a New American Security, which according to the column is Obama's favorite think tank on military affairs. If so it's a rare thumbs up for Obama from me.

As an aside while looking up the links for this post ran into this article on Generation Kill's Rudy Reyes, who also plays a prominent role in Fick's book.

Four and a half stars for Generation Kill (mini-series and book) and five stars for Fick and Fick's book. Also five stars for Rudy Reyes (and I'm not gay, not that there's anything wrong with that )

Ficks OBA:TMoaMO is the nuts

He's going to run for president in 20 years. count on it. He's like a Wesley Clark with more likeability

btw Generation Kill is a massively underrated HBO miniseries. I need to read the book.

Is "OBA" part of the new way of phasing things that, AFAIK (or can tell), I'm still not very good at, or an indication, given the title "veteran" under your avatar, that you've spent too much time in around military acronyms?

From the book and the one video I've seen the guy seems to have it. Unfortunately sometimes the political process seems to weed the best and brightest.

I didn't know it was underrated. If you haven't seen it I'd also recommend Restrepo, which was based on Sebastian Junger's War. Somewhere on the forum(s) there's at least one thread.

BTW, in the link to Junger's book on Amazon I posted above there's a very good piece where Junger and Even Thomas (author of "Generation Kill") interview each other. I also found reading the most negative reviews of "Generation Kill" and "War" (along with the comments the reviews generated) to be extremely fascinating. I'd post the links but I'm afraid new lounge moderator John Cole might ban me for excessive linkage .

EDIT: Realize I'm clueless (which I suppose is a known fact). Originally thought that "OBA" was a new acronym for "autobiography"!

I have jungers book on my shelf.

you might like Matt Gallagher's Kaboom as well

I just finished Jess Walter, The Financial Lives of the Poets (2009). I chose this on a whim after seeing it a bookstore, partly because I really wanted something light and funny (and quick) after Sabbath’s Theater. It served that purpose I guess, but given that Walter comes with a good track record (this is his third novel; his previous two include one Edgar winner and one National Book Award nominee), I found this very slight. It's certainly timely in its treatment of the current financial and housing crisis, but it leaned on familiar ideas (the protagonist tries to become a pot dealer to make the money he needs to save his house) and some very standard humour. Another American tale of the American dream gone bad and of the failure of the contemporary American male to cope with life.

I read this last night. It was short, but I liked it/them a lot.

Just started James Ellroy's "The Big Nowhere", set in LA before "LA Confidential". Seems really good so far.

I just finished "Fooled by Randomness" and started "Sacred Hoops" and both quote Yogi Berra. As I'm from Spain I never heard of him before but looks like a funny/interesting guy to read. He has written several books, should I try any of them?

Also any recommendations on the same line of "Fooled by Randomness"? I'm not into trading but enjoy it as a poker player.