Two, one a bit heavier than the other. Heretic Blood: The Spiritual Geography of Thomas Merton by Michael Higgins. Basically, it traces Merton's life and thought as a monk and activist to its roots in the writings of William Blake. Since I like Merton and Blake, I'm digging it. In fact, the only thing I don't like about it is that Michael Higgins wrote it, and not me. The bastard. Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva. It's a mystery set in Providence, RI. My wife is from Rhode Island, and we heard an interview with the author on NPR earlier this week, so I grabbed it at the library. Not too bad. I'll check out his second book in a week or two.
Forgot to mention I'm reading a second, as well. In addition to the Faulkner, I'm reading Wodehouse's A Damsel in Distress.
Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits by Bill Porter. Porter is a translator of Chinese poetry (under the pen name Red Pine). This is his reports of his travels in the mountains of China about 20 years ago, to see how the tradition of Taoist and Buddhist hermits was faring in the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution. Better than expected, but at the time, the new threat was the Chinese government turning the monastaries and convents into tourist parks. That seems to have happened, from what I can tell.
The Parisian Prodigal: A Fool's Guild Mystery, by Alan Gordon The continuing adventures of the Fool Theo, as he unravels mysteries in the 13th Century. As always, Gordon's snappy wit shines through and makes for a fun read.
There's a quite remarkable fictional account of the Aztecs called (cleverly enough) Aztec by Gary Jennings. For something simultaneously historical and contemporary (albeitwritten fromt he Spanish perspective), Bernal Diaz de Castillo's The Conquest of New Spain has more amazement and adventure in its pages than anything you could imagine in a fantasy novel. An odder choice to be sure: I enjoyed a sci-fi book by Orson Scott Card called Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus that approaches the Maya in an interesting fashion (to say more would be to ruin it). As for Porfirio Diaz, I"ve read several things. My favorite is more about Mexico City than Porfirio Diaz, but the city reflected much about Diaz. It is called The City of Mexico in the Age of Diaz and is written by Michael Johns. Actually I think not enough people look at/study Mexico City as one of the great centers of human history. Folks look to places in the Middle East, to China, to the great cities of Europe and go back in time with them. You could go back several thousand years looking at high civilizations in the Valley of Mexico and find no end of fascinating material.
America Unchained by Dave Gorman Gorman's an English comedian that sets out to go from Los Angeles to New York via car and to use no chain related services along the way. No staying in Holiday Inns or Hiltons, no eating at Subway or Applebee's, and no buying gas from Shell, Texaco, etc. I'm only a few chapters in, but it's not going very well for him so far. Pretty sad commentary that it's so difficult.
I'll have to check that out. I read Googlewhack a couple years ago and this sonds more interesting. Coincidently, I saw him on a DVD just last week : turns out he has a small part in 24 Hour Party People.
A collection of short stories by Walter Miller, who is best known for the apocalyptic science fiction classic A Canticle for Leibowitz.
Jo Nesbo's The Snowman. This week, I am staying in the house my wife and I sre trying to sell, fixing up a few things, overseeing other things and tying up loose ends. I have a couple of camp chairs, a small boom box, and an air mattress. The books I brought with me were way too heavy to read in an empty house. For some reason, this works just fine. Next up, another book that, as wit Nesbo and deSilva, I first heard of as part of NPR's Crime in The City Series... Death at la Fenice by Donna Leon.
Quite enjoyed Nesbo's books. Seems to be excellent translations done on them. Also read "The Redbreast" and "The Leopard" and he has a couple more out there Im keeping a lookout for.
Yeah: he's a guy I'll keep up with. Here's a link to that NPR story, with audio or text http://www.npr.org/2012/07/23/156910051/jo-nesbos-fiction-explores-oslos-jagged-edges I liked this part And in between working as a crime novelist, Nesbo works as the lead singer in one of Norway's most popular pop rock bands, Di Derre. He's also been a successful stockbroker, a journalist and, early on, a star professional soccer player in Norway's premier league. So, has he ever failed at anything? "I was a really bad taxi driver," Nesbo says, laughing. "I only collided twice, but it was one time too much."
The quote thingy won't work (long running script? Whatever that is. Just love the new improved program) Anyhoo, Nesbo sounds quite the guy, doesn't he. Must be great to have a life were the only thing you failed at was cab driving...Nice to hear a "Good luck story" for a change, I'll pay for another book.
I'll be checking out The Red Breast When I get back home. I'm damn glad I read The Snowman in the middle of a hot humid summer. Death at La Fenice is starting out well, but it doesn't look like it's going to get as dark as Nesbo does. Yet, anyway.
Snowman was pretty heavy wasn't it? Good read though. I'm into a fun light travel book now. "Europe on 5 Wrong Turns a Day." Fun reading. When I first moved to LA in the late 60's seems everyone was travelling with E5D. Now you 'may' be able to buy a coffee for that. "When Doug Mack picked up a 1963 edition of Europe on Five Dollars a Day, he stumbled on an inspired idea: to boldly go where millions have gone before, relying only on the advice of a travel guide that's nearly a half century out-of-date. Add to the mix his mother's much- documented grand tour through Europe in the late 1960s, and the result is a funny and fascinating journey into a new (old) world, and a disarming look at the ways the classic tourist experience has changed- and has not-in the last generation. After a whirlwind adventure spanning eight countries-and costing way more than five dollars a day-Mack's endearing account is part time travel, part paean to Arthur Frommer's much-loved guide, and a celebration of the modern traveler's grand (and not-so-grand) tour."
Been combining the Walt Longmire novels with this: Recent book about the Bonus Expeditionary Force of the early 1930s, which sought immediate payment of a wartime bonus promised on a deferred basis - from then end of WWI until 1945! There are some flaws in the book, but it is a pretty good read overall.
Interesting combination.. Funny though. All the 'visiting family' have gone out shopping and left me alone. (Well it took some kicking and srceaming!) So I've just watched last Sunday's Longmire episode I'd recorded, Wasn't a bad one. I think the final episodes are on this Sunday.
I heard Frank on To the Best of Our Knowledge and was intrigued. Excellent. Plus, he writes very well. A fun and insightful read.
Not ripping on your reading material, and if it took me more than 30 seconds to find this I was just going to post this link, but, Jonah just lost his job over this book. Seems he imagined some quotes from Bob Dylan? Damn shame if he ruined an otherwise good book through sheer laziness.