Books you read in 2021

Discussion in 'TMB Book Club' started by The Blackfish, Jan 1, 2021.

  1. clemsonvianj

    clemsonvianj Well-Known Member
    Donor

    1. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder (7.5/10)
    2. From Fish to Philosopher by Homer by William Smith (7/10)
    3. The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant (7.5/10)
    4. The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin (9/10)
    5. Sevens Heaven: The Beautiful Chaos of Fiji's Olympic Dream by Ben Ryan (8/10)
    6. Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living by Nick Offerman (9/10)
    7. The Italian Job by Gianluca Vialli and Gabriele Marcotti (7/10)
    8. Run Fast: How to Beat Your Best Time Every Time by Hal Higdon (6.5/10)
    9. A Promised Land by Barack Obama (9/10)
    10. Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers by Nick Offerman (7.5/10)
    11. Lies My Teacher Told Me; Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen (7.5/10)
    12. The Sorcerer's Apprentices: A Season in the Kitchen at Ferran Adrià's elBulli by Lisa Abend (7/10)
    13. Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America by Leslie Knope (6/10)
    14. Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World by Joseph Menn (6/10)
    15. Survival Fitness: The Ultimate Fitness Plan for Escape, Evasion, and Survival by Sam Fury (6/10)
    16. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss (9/10)
    17. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (8/10)
    18. Way of the Warrior Kid by Jocko Willink (8/10)
    19. Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins (9/10)
    20. Kokoro Yoga by Mark Divine (6/10)
    21. Interesting Stories for Curious People by Bill O'Neil (5/10)
    22. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brene Brown (8.5/10)
    23. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (9.5/10)
    24. Marc's Mission: Way of the Warrior Kid by Jocko Willink (7.5/10)
    25. The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins (8/10)
    26. Classic Clashes of the Carolina-Clemson Football Rivalry: AState of Disunion by Travis Haney (5/10)
    27. The Two-Income Trap by Elizabeth Warren (8/10)

    Somehow never finished the Hunger Games series - really enjoyed the final book and looking forward to the new prequel that is out.

    Kokoro yoga seems fine, just not an interesting read. Interesting Stories is basically "the Russians dug a big ass hole and go to the Hell" sort of tales; somewhat enjoyable, quick read.

    Dare to Lead and Marc's Mission are great "self-improvement" books that I'd recommend; Marc's Mission is aimed at kids though definitely well worth it for adults.

    The Jakarta Method and The Two-Income Trap were both recommendations from this thread that I'd re-recommend (Jakarta Method is about US anti-communism policy in the '40s-80s its impact on the world whereas Two-Income Trap discusses the changes to housing/schooling/credit cards that have lead to an increase in bankruptcy and financial misfortune for the middle-class in the US).

    Project Hail Mary is easily the best book I read this year and an all-time favorite. science fiction + heart + laughs + "wow, that's fucking cool." will make a really good movie I am sure. would highly, highly recommend it.
     
  2. Pasta88

    Pasta88 Canes, Bruins, Raps, Jays and Sunderland.
    Donor
    Miami HurricanesToronto Blue JaysToronto RaptorsBoston BruinsSunderland

    1. Wolf Hall Trilogy (Wolf Hall, Bring up the Bodies, The Mirror and the Light) by Hilary Mantel - 9.5/10

    2. A Children’s Bible: a novel by Lydia Millet - 8.5/10

    3. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - 8/10

    4. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - 5/10

    5. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan - 8.5/10

    6. The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell - 8/10

    7. Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell - 8.5/10
     
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  3. Roy

    Roy Well-Known Member
    Donor
    South Carolina Gamecocks

    I’ll at least give this a sample read on Apple Books, and a full read if I find it interesting, but labeling it “the two-wage TRAP” and tying THAT to increase in Bankruptcy and middle class misfortune makes me want to aggressively Jack off straight into the authors eye and then bitch slap the fuck out of them.

    But I’ll give it a read first before I go any further.
     
  4. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideIndianapolis ColtsBook Club

    1. A People’s History of the United States - Howard Zinn (8.25/10)
    2. Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 - John Maxwell (6/10)
    3. The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man - John Perkins (7/10)
    4. The Institute - Stephen King (7.5/10)
    5. This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate - Naomi Klein (8/10)
    6. The Burning Case for a Green New Deal - Naomi Klein (7.5/10)
    7. The Dead Zone - Stephen King (9/10)
    8. Grant - Ron Chernow (10/10)
    9. Bleak House - Charles Dickens (9/10)
    10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens (9/10)
    11. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (reread) (8/10)
    12. Nicholas Nickelby - Charles Dickens (8.5/10)
    13. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens (8/10)
    14. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens (9.5/10)
    15. The Magician’s Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia #6) - C. S. Lewis (6.5/10)
    16. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia #1) - C. S. Lewis (7.25/10)
    17. The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia #5) - C. S. Lewis (6.5/10)
    18. Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia #2) - C. S. Lewis (7/10)
    19. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia #3) - C. S. Lewis (7.5/10)
    20. The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia #5) - C. S. Lewis (6/10)
    21. The Last Battle (Chronicles of Narnia #7) - C. S. Lewis (6/10)
    22. Caste: The Origins of our Discontent - Isabel Wilkerson (9/10)
    23. Washington: A Life - Ron Chernow (9/10)
    24. Beartown - Fredrik Bachman (8/10)
    25. Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir (9.5/10)
    26. The Shadow of What Was Lost - James Islington (8/10)
     
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  5. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    I’ve been meaning to read that for a while now. Pretty good score
     
  6. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
    Donor
    South Carolina GamecocksCarolina PanthersCarolina Hurricanes

    I prefer inaudible versions myself

    :awesomeface:
     
  7. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideIndianapolis ColtsBook Club

    I think I would probably score it higher on reread or if I was reading an actual book as opposed to an audiobook. Was tough for me to keep all the characters, places etc… straight in my head.
     
  8. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Clemson TigersCarolina Panthers

    1. White Night (Dresden Files #9) - Jim Butcher (8.5/10) (reread)
    2. Small Favor (Dresden Files #10) - Jim Butcher (9/10) (reread)
    3. Turn Coat (Dresden Files #11) - Jim Butcher (9/10) (reread)
    4. Changes (Dresden Files #12) - Jim Butcher (9.5/10) (reread)
    5. Ghost Story (Dresden Files #13) - Jim Butcher (8/10) (reread)
    6. Cold Days (Dresden Files #14) - Jim Butcher (8.5/10) (reread)
    7. Skin Game (Dresden Files #15) - Jim Butcher (9/10) (reread)
    8. Peace Talks (Dresden Files #16) - Jim Butcher (8/10)
    9. Battle Ground (Dresden Files #17) - Jim Butcher (9/10)
    10. The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive #1) - Brandon Sanderson (10/10) (reread)
    11. Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive #2) - Brandon Sanderson (10/10) (reread)
    12. Edgedancer (Stormlight Archive #2.5) - Brandon Sanderson (8.5/10) (reread)
    13. Oathbringer (Stormlight Archive #3) - Brandon Sanderson (9.5/10) (reread)
    14. Dawnshard (Stormlight Archive #3.5) - Brandon Sanderson (8/10) (reread)
    15. Rhythm of War (Stormlight Archive #4) - Brandon Sanderson (9/10)
    16. Bloodline (Cradle #9) - Will Wight (7/10)
    17. The Rage of Dragons (The Burning #1) - Evan Winter (9.5/10)
    18. The Fires of Vengeance (The Burning #2) - Evan Winter (8.5/10)
    19. Bloody Rose (The Band #2) - NIcholas Eames (9/10)
     
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  9. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
    Donor
    South Carolina GamecocksCarolina PanthersCarolina Hurricanes

    1-7. Harry Potter Series (8/10)
    8. Killers Of The Flower Moon: The Osage Murders And The Birth Of The FBI / David Grann (10/10)

    9. 1000 Record Covers / Michael Ochs (5/10)
    More of a coffee table book, but I did read/look at it cover to cover so adding to my list. It's fun because it's kind of like looking through someone's old album collection. I know all the bigger names but it was fun to see some of the random albums considered canon by this book that I wasn't familiar with. More like seeing what it was like to be a record collector/consumer in that time and go through an old vinyl shop

    10. Abigail Adams / Woody Holton (7.5/10)
    Took me the first 50 pages to get going, because at first it just felt like paraphrasing a bunch of letters. After that became more of a narrative and I got into it more. She exchanged thousands of letters with people and Holton must have read them all.

    The main point of the book is to show you that women played active/non-passive roles in history too and it does a great job at that. John is the total side character; the book is all about Abigail's contributions. Farm management, financial speculation, educational decisions, land deals, she did it all while John was off to Europe or Philadelphia somewhere. Very helpful to read a history like Holton's to mix in with the usual white male narratives I grew up on

    Up Next:


    [​IMG]
     
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  10. Pasta88

    Pasta88 Canes, Bruins, Raps, Jays and Sunderland.
    Donor
    Miami HurricanesToronto Blue JaysToronto RaptorsBoston BruinsSunderland

    1. Wolf Hall Trilogy (Wolf Hall, Bring up the Bodies, The Mirror and the Light) by Hilary Mantel - 9.5/10

    2. A Children’s Bible: a novel by Lydia Millet - 8.5/10

    3. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - 8/10

    4. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - 5/10

    5. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan - 8.5/10

    6. The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell - 8/10

    7. Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell - 8.5/10

    8. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain - 8/10

    9. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid - 8.5/10
     
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  11. jkun

    jkun UGA, United, Falcons, Braves, Tennis, Chelsea
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    Georgia BulldogsAtlanta BravesAtlanta HawksAtlanta FalconsChelseaAtlanta United

    Hasn't been a great year so far... but still adding my read to motivate me more through the end of the year & contribute since I find a lot of my next books from this thread:

    1. We Were The Lucky Ones - 8.5/10
    2. Project Hail Mary - 9/10
    3. Anxious People - 9.5/10
    4. Currently reading - The Rage of Dragons (based on Billdozer's read above)
     
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  12. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Missouri TigersSt. Louis CardinalsChicago BullsSt. Louis BluesEvertonBook Club

    1. The Space Between Worlds by Miciah Johnson (7.5/10)
    2. Star Wars The High Republic : Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule (8/10)
    3. Black Buck by Mateo Askiripur (8/10)
    4. I am Legend by Richard Matheson (7.5/10)
    5. Moonflower Murders (Susan Reyland #2) by Anthony Horowitz (7.5/10)
    6. The List (Orphan X #5,5) by Gregg Hurwitz (8/10)
    7. Prodigal Son (Orphan X #6) by Gregg Hurwitz (8.5/10)
    8. Remote Control by Nnedi Okafor (7/10)
    9. Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Dark, by Claudia Gray (8/10)
    10. To Be Honest, by Michael Leviton (7/10)
    11. The Assassination of Fred Hampton, by Jeffrey Haas (8.5/10)
    12. The Orchard by David Hopen (10/10)
    13 Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and Crippling of American Democracy, by Adam Jentleson (8/10)
    14. We Could Be Heroes, by Mike Chen (6.5/10)
    15. Winter World (The Long Winter #1) by AG Riddle (8./10).
    16 The Solar War (The Long Winter #2) by AG Riddle (7.5/10
    17. The Lost Colony (The Long Winter #3) by AG Riddle (7.5/10)
    18. Beartown (Beartown #1) by Fredrik Backman (10/10)
    19. Us Against You (Beartown # 2) by Fredrik Backman (8.5/10)
    20. The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease and the End of an Empire by Kyle Harper (8/10)
    21. The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey (5.5/10)
    22. The Last One, by Alexandria Oliva (5/10)
    23. The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone, by Heather McGhee (8.5/10)
    24. The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson (7/10)
    25. Exo (Exo #1) by Fonda Lee (7/10)
    26. Cross Fire (Exo #2) by Fonda Lee (7.5/10)
    27. Empire Of Pain: The Secret History of Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe (9/10)
    28. Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: The Greater Good (Thrawn Asc. #2) by Tim Zahn (7.5/10)
    29. The Last Watch (The Divide #1) by JS Dewes (8/10)
    30. The Premonition: A Pandemic Story, by Michael Lewis (8/10)
    31. The Song of Achilles, by Madaline Miller (7/10)
    32. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir (10/10)
    33. A Man Called Ove, by Fredrick Backman (8/10)
    34. Machinehood by S.B. Divya (9.5/100
    35. The Anarchy: the East India Compay, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire, by William Dalrymple, (7.5/10)
    36. Immunity Index by Sue Burke (7/10)
    38. The Lies of Locke Lamorra (Gentleman Bastards Sequence #1) by Scott Lynch (9/10)
    39. Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gentleman Bastards Sequence #2) by Scott Lynch (7.5/10)
    40. The Republic of Thieves (Gentleman Bastards Sequence #3) by Scott Lynch (8/10)
    41. Star Wars The High Republic: The Rising Storm (High Republic #2) by Cavan Scott (8.5/10)
    42. War On the Border: Villa, Pershing, The Texas Rangers and an American Invasion by Jeff Guinn (8.5/10)


    Gentleman Bastards Sequence - Really like this books. Perfect style of fantasy for me. No a huge complex magic system or a billion characters. First book was the best. The second two were just ok, but the third sets up some cool shit for a 4th book that seems like it's never coming. cool cool.

    Star Wars - Great star wars book if youre a star wars nerd. They're doing a very good job w the new High Republic Era

    War on the Border - great book. I like history books that are written by journalists. They do a great job of detailing and making it more narrative and less dry than academic historians. Learned a shitload. Didnt really know much about this era outside of Mike Duncan's series on the Mexican Rev.
     
  13. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    1. Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive #4) - Brandon Sanderson (9/10)
    2. The Queen’s Gambit - Walter Tevis (9/10)
    3. Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History - S.C. Gwynne (7/10)
    4. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America - Erik Larson (7.5/10)
    5. Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA - Richard English (7/10)
    6. World Travel: An Irreverent Guide - Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever (6/10)
    7. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life - Walter Isaacson (7.5/10)
    8. The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth #3) - N.K. Jemisin (7/10)
    9. Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of the Empire in British North America, 1754-1766 - Fred Anderson (6.5/10)

    Currently reading (spoilered for size):
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
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  14. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Clemson TigersCarolina Panthers

    1. White Night (Dresden Files #9) - Jim Butcher (8.5/10) (reread)
    2. Small Favor (Dresden Files #10) - Jim Butcher (9/10) (reread)
    3. Turn Coat (Dresden Files #11) - Jim Butcher (9/10) (reread)
    4. Changes (Dresden Files #12) - Jim Butcher (9.5/10) (reread)
    5. Ghost Story (Dresden Files #13) - Jim Butcher (8/10) (reread)
    6. Cold Days (Dresden Files #14) - Jim Butcher (8.5/10) (reread)
    7. Skin Game (Dresden Files #15) - Jim Butcher (9/10) (reread)
    8. Peace Talks (Dresden Files #16) - Jim Butcher (8/10)
    9. Battle Ground (Dresden Files #17) - Jim Butcher (9/10)
    10. The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive #1) - Brandon Sanderson (10/10) (reread)
    11. Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive #2) - Brandon Sanderson (10/10) (reread)
    12. Edgedancer (Stormlight Archive #2.5) - Brandon Sanderson (8.5/10) (reread)
    13. Oathbringer (Stormlight Archive #3) - Brandon Sanderson (9.5/10) (reread)
    14. Dawnshard (Stormlight Archive #3.5) - Brandon Sanderson (8/10) (reread)
    15. Rhythm of War (Stormlight Archive #4) - Brandon Sanderson (9/10)
    16. Bloodline (Cradle #9) - Will Wight (7/10)
    17. The Rage of Dragons (The Burning #1) - Evan Winter (9.5/10)
    18. The Fires of Vengeance (The Burning #2) - Evan Winter (8.5/10)
    19. Bloody Rose (The Band #2) - NIcholas Eames (9/10)
    20. Kings of the Wyld (The Band #1) - NIcholas Eames (9/10)
     
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  15. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
    Donor
    South Carolina GamecocksCarolina PanthersCarolina Hurricanes

    1-7. Harry Potter Series (8/10)
    8. Killers Of The Flower Moon: The Osage Murders And The Birth Of The FBI / David Grann (10/10)
    9. 1000 Record Covers / Michael Ochs (5/10)
    10. Abigail Adams / Woody Holton (7.5/10)

    11. Universities And Their Cities: Urban Higher Education In America / Steven J. Diner (4/10)
    Boring. At least try to make it not read like a paper from grad school. Also was a little off the mark on the subject I wanted -- I wanted a more general discussion of "town vs. gown", but this had heavy emphasis on the word "cities" in the title. Mostly about big urban universities: NYU, Chicago, Johns Hopkins, Washington University St. Louis, etc.

    Up Next:

    Short fiction collection I helped fund by a guy I know on Kickstarter
     
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  16. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
    Donor
    South Carolina GamecocksCarolina PanthersCarolina Hurricanes

    1-7. Harry Potter Series (8/10)
    8. Killers Of The Flower Moon: The Osage Murders And The Birth Of The FBI / David Grann (10/10)
    9. 1000 Record Covers / Michael Ochs (5/10)
    10. Abigail Adams / Woody Holton (7.5/10)
    11. Universities And Their Cities: Urban Higher Education In America / Steven J. Diner (4/10)

    12. Short Complex: A Collection Of Short Stories / Chuck Brown (7/10)
    Used to work with this guy....quiet, IT type. Found out he wrote stories and I was like hell yeah, I'll contribute to your Kickstarter man. Hilarious to read the book and wonder what people/incidents at work might have inspired things. He could use an editor to help with style and grammar things but he's got some good story ideas, and he made me laugh out loud a few times. It does make you wonder when there's a first person story about suicide if the author is depressed irl :ohdear:

    Up Next:

    [​IMG]
    (Already started reading, this is great)
     
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  17. Kevintensity

    Kevintensity Poster/Posting Game Coordinator
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    Florida State SeminolesAtlanta BravesTampa Bay BuccaneersNashville PredatorsCalgary FlamesPoker

    1) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling 10/10
    2) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon 9/10
    3) American Assassin by Vince Flynn 10/10
    4) Darth Bane Path of Destruction by Drew Karpyshyn 9/10
    5) Darth Bane Rule of Two by Drew Karpyshyn 8.5/10
    6) Darth Bane Dynasty of Evil by Drew Karpyshyn 9/10
    7) Meat Market by Bruce Feldman 8/10
    8) Star Wars: Lost Stars by Claudia Gray 10/10
    9) NBA Jam by Reyan Ali 7.5/10
    10) The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel 8/10
    11) Kill Shot by Vince Flynn 8.5/10
    12) Think Like a Rocket Scientist by Ozan Carol 8.5/10
    13) How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates 9/10
    14) The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter 10/10
    15) Spark by John Rate 7/10
    16) Flash Boys by Michael Lewis 8/10
    17) Do the Work by Steven Pressfield 5/10
    18) Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho 8.5/10
    19) Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang 9/10
    20) Money: The True Story of a Made-up Thing by Jacob Goldstein 9.5/10
    21) Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn 8.5/10
    22) The Long Walk by Stephen King 9/10
    23) Limitless by Jim Kwik 6/10
    24) Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro 8.5/10
    25) Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 10/10
    26) Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy 8/10
    27) Muck City by Bryan Mealer 8.5/10
    28) Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann 8.5/10
     
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  18. clemsonvianj

    clemsonvianj Well-Known Member
    Donor

    28. Clemson Tough: Guts and Glory under Dabo Swinney by Larry Williams (5.5/10)
    29. Way of the Warrior Kid 3: Where there's a Will by Jocko Willink (8/10)
    30. The Cigarette Century by Allan M. Brandt (6.5/10)
    31. Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam Grant (9.5/10)
    32. The Great Wall: China Against the World, 1000 BC - AD 2000 by Julia Lovell (6/10)
    33. Muck City: Winning and Losing in Football's Forgotten Town by Bryan Mealer (7/10)

    Clemson book is probably only enjoyable if you're a Clemson fan.

    Way of the Warrior Kid books are awesome - definitely would recommend (again) for adults and kids (good life lessons and easy to read for all levels).

    The Cigarette Century and The Great Wall are okay books about topics you may or may not know a lot about. I felt Cigarette Century was an easier read given that I'm in the medical field; did feel the author repeated things 5 or 6 times (which maybe is helpful if you're not in the medical field?). The Great Wall was also sort of repetitive at times and include some original poems which I don't personally give two fucks about.

    Muck City was enjoyable - followed Glades Central during Kelvin Benjamin's senior season and rehashed a lot of what many of us may have read in shorter forms (i.e., Belle Glades has a lot of socioeconomic issues, some of the kids chase rabbits, Muck Bowl, and a fuck ton of football talent is there).

    Give and Take is probably my 1st or 2nd favorite book of the year and easily my favorite non-fiction of the year. Adam Grant is a great writer and organizational psychologist. would recommend him (reading "Originals" know and it's also really good).
     
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  19. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Missouri TigersSt. Louis CardinalsChicago BullsSt. Louis BluesEvertonBook Club

    1. The Space Between Worlds by Miciah Johnson (7.5/10)
    2. Star Wars The High Republic : Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule (8/10)
    3. Black Buck by Mateo Askiripur (8/10)
    4. I am Legend by Richard Matheson (7.5/10)
    5. Moonflower Murders (Susan Reyland #2) by Anthony Horowitz (7.5/10)
    6. The List (Orphan X #5,5) by Gregg Hurwitz (8/10)
    7. Prodigal Son (Orphan X #6) by Gregg Hurwitz (8.5/10)
    8. Remote Control by Nnedi Okafor (7/10)
    9. Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Dark, by Claudia Gray (8/10)
    10. To Be Honest, by Michael Leviton (7/10)
    11. The Assassination of Fred Hampton, by Jeffrey Haas (8.5/10)
    12. The Orchard by David Hopen (10/10)
    13 Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and Crippling of American Democracy, by Adam Jentleson (8/10)
    14. We Could Be Heroes, by Mike Chen (6.5/10)
    15. Winter World (The Long Winter #1) by AG Riddle (8./10).
    16 The Solar War (The Long Winter #2) by AG Riddle (7.5/10
    17. The Lost Colony (The Long Winter #3) by AG Riddle (7.5/10)
    18. Beartown (Beartown #1) by Fredrik Backman (10/10)
    19. Us Against You (Beartown # 2) by Fredrik Backman (8.5/10)
    20. The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease and the End of an Empire by Kyle Harper (8/10)
    21. The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey (5.5/10)
    22. The Last One, by Alexandria Oliva (5/10)
    23. The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone, by Heather McGhee (8.5/10)
    24. The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson (7/10)
    25. Exo (Exo #1) by Fonda Lee (7/10)
    26. Cross Fire (Exo #2) by Fonda Lee (7.5/10)
    27. Empire Of Pain: The Secret History of Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe (9/10)
    28. Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: The Greater Good (Thrawn Asc. #2) by Tim Zahn (7.5/10)
    29. The Last Watch (The Divide #1) by JS Dewes (8/10)
    30. The Premonition: A Pandemic Story, by Michael Lewis (8/10)
    31. The Song of Achilles, by Madaline Miller (7/10)
    32. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir (10/10)
    33. A Man Called Ove, by Fredrick Backman (8/10)
    34. Machinehood by S.B. Divya (9.5/100
    35. The Anarchy: the East India Compay, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire, by William Dalrymple, (7.5/10)
    36. Immunity Index by Sue Burke (7/10)
    38. The Lies of Locke Lamorra (Gentleman Bastards Sequence #1) by Scott Lynch (9/10)
    39. Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gentleman Bastards Sequence #2) by Scott Lynch (7.5/10)
    40. The Republic of Thieves (Gentleman Bastards Sequence #3) by Scott Lynch (8/10)
    41. Star Wars The High Republic: The Rising Storm (High Republic #2) by Cavan Scott (8.5/10)
    42. War On the Border: Villa, Pershing, The Texas Rangers and an American Invasion by Jeff Guinn (8.5/10)
    41. Falling by TJ Newman (7/10)
    42. (Re)born in the USA: An Englishman's Love Letter to His Chosen Home, by Roger Bennett (7/10)
    43. The Cellist (Gabriel Allon #21) by Daniel Silva (6.5/10)
    44. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Critchon (7/10)
    45. Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby (9/10)



    Knocked out slew of short quick beach read types

    Falling - Short quick 'beach read' type book. Action/Thriller about a plane hyjack. Fast paced, lots of plot holes and some incredible cheesy stuff. I wouldnt say this is a good book, but an junky entertaining read. One part was so bad I have to share. Might be the dumbest, cringiest thing Ive ever read

    Minor spoilers that wont ruin the book if you decide to read it
    One of the suspected crash sites is Yankees stadium. It's game 7 of the WS, Bottom 9th and 2 outs when the stadium gets the evacuation alarms. The players from both teams huddle up on the pitchers mound and decided to finish the game as some noble defiant gesture to let the terrorists know they didnt win
    So bad

    I did like the terrorists motivations and they werent cartoonish stereotypical bad guys.

    Reborn in the USA - Big Rog Bennett fan. Just enjoy his POV on life and his self deprecation. Enjoyable short memoir, for someone who doesnt really like memoirs. Some of the stories, I dont believe, as they're too perfect or 80s tv like ect


    The Cellist - This was pretty bad for Gabriel Allon standards. Felt like the author mailed it in

    Pirate Latitudes - This was Crichton's last novel, he didnt get to finish editing it. You could tell some stuff wasnt fully fleshed out, but it was still good. A classic pirate romp. Made me want to find more in this genre.

    Razorblade Tears - 2nd book Ive read by this author. Both great if you like gritty Appalachian / southern nior type thrilers. It's about two ex cons whose sons were married and murdered in what looks to be a hate crime. Both men were bigoted and bad fathers to their sons, didnt respond to them being gay very well . One is black the other is white. Both have their blind spots and biases. They decide to track down their sons murders. Great plot, characters, social commentary ect. The author is really good. highly recommend.
     
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  20. Pasta88

    Pasta88 Canes, Bruins, Raps, Jays and Sunderland.
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    1. Wolf Hall Trilogy (Wolf Hall, Bring up the Bodies, The Mirror and the Light) by Hilary Mantel - 9.5/10

    2. A Children’s Bible: a novel by Lydia Millet - 8.5/10

    3. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - 8/10

    4. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - 5/10

    5. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan - 8.5/10

    6. The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell - 8/10

    7. Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell - 8.5/10

    8. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain - 8/10

    9. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid - 8.5/10

    10. Beartown by Fredrik Backman - 8.5/10


    11. The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan - 9/10
     
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  21. Fusiontegra

    Fusiontegra My life is dope and I do dope shit.#SparedByThanos
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    Truman is Hail Mary Weir’s newest? 10/10 is pretty big talk.
     
  22. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Yes it's his latest. FWIW I also gave The Martian 10/10. I liked it just as much
     
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  23. Upton^2

    Upton^2 blocked just a park away, but I can't really say
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    I have been very bad at keeping up with this thread, but want to contribute for the rest of the year. Not in chronological order. I trained and ran a marathon at the beginning of the year so I got to listen to so many books. I wont rate all of the below but can bold the ones I really enjoyed.

    1. Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
    2. The Stranger - Albert Camus
    3. The Snow Leopard - Peter Mathiessen
    4. Desert Notebooks - Ben Ehrenreich
    5. Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned - Wells Tower
    6. A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
    7. Beautiful Animals - Lawrence Osborne
    8. The Inner Game of Tennis - Timothy Gallwey
    9. Enemies - Tim Weiner
    10. Empire of Pain - Patrick Radden Keefe
    11. Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann
    12. The Stranger - Harlan Coben
    13. Someone Who Will Love You In All Your Damaged Glory - Raphael Bob-Waksberg
    14. The Price of Peace - Zachary Carter

    15. Blitzed - Norman Ohler
    16. Hitler - Volker Ulrich
    17. The Defining Moment - Jonathan Alter
    18. 1177 BC - Eric Cline
    19. The End of Everything - Katie Mack
    20. Man's Search for Meaning - Victor Frankl
    21. Caste - Isbael Wilkerson
    22. This Life - Martin Hagglund

    23. H Is for Hawk - Helen Macdonald
     
  24. Upton^2

    Upton^2 blocked just a park away, but I can't really say
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    1. Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
    2. The Stranger - Albert Camus
    3. The Snow Leopard - Peter Mathiessen
    4. Desert Notebooks - Ben Ehrenreich
    5. Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned - Wells Tower
    6. A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
    7. Beautiful Animals - Lawrence Osborne
    8. The Inner Game of Tennis - Timothy Gallwey
    9. Enemies - Tim Weiner
    10. Empire of Pain - Patrick Radden Keefe
    11. Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann
    12. The Stranger - Harlan Coben
    13. Someone Who Will Love You In All Your Damaged Glory - Raphael Bob-Waksberg
    14. The Price of Peace - Zachary Carter

    15. Blitzed - Norman Ohler
    16. Hitler - Volker Ulrich
    17. The Defining Moment - Jonathan Alter
    18. 1177 BC - Eric Cline
    19. The End of Everything - Katie Mack
    20. Man's Search for Meaning - Victor Frankl
    21. Caste - Isbael Wilkerson
    22. This Life - Martin Hagglund

    23. H Is for Hawk - Helen Macdonald

    24. The Optimist: A Case for the Fly Fishing Life by David Coggins - 7/10. Have a trip scheduled to Montana in September and getting myself excited to go fly fishing, assuming climate change doesn’t ruin everything first. Just read an article on all the trout that are dying in the Montana rivers.
     
  25. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Yeah, they just set up hoot owl times and closed some sections of rivers. If you pull up the Orvis podcast they've been interviewing a lot of people in Montana, including the Fish and Game commissioner. I was lucky to get out there before it was bad.
     
  26. Upton^2

    Upton^2 blocked just a park away, but I can't really say
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    Was reading about that. We are scheduled to go early in the morning so fingers crossed. Just awful to read. When did you go?
     
  27. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    We were in Ennis. Floated the Madison a few times, the Yellowstone once. Then fished Slough Creek, the Ruby, Gibbon, and O'Dell Spring Creek. You can check out the fishing thread if you want to see more. I did trip posts on there.
     
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  28. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    What’s this all about? Huge Bojack Horseman fan here and I know that’s the creator
     
  29. Upton^2

    Upton^2 blocked just a park away, but I can't really say
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    A series of short stories similar to the show in that they're mostly around existential dread, relationships, and overall #sad. But i really enjoyed it and have come back to re-read some of the stories
     
    TC likes this.
  30. Fargin' Icehole

    Fargin' Icehole 50% soulless
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    What age is this appropriate for iyo? My daughter's fav show.
     
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  31. Upton^2

    Upton^2 blocked just a park away, but I can't really say
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    If she watches the show then I would say go for it, they are similar. But it is a tough emotional read at times
     
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  32. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    [​IMG]

    Has anyone read this? Just became aware of it, looks incredible

    Technology and increasing levels of education have exposed people to more information than ever before. These societal gains, however, have also helped fuel a surge in narcissistic and misguided intellectual egalitarianism that has crippled informed debates on any number of issues. Today, everyone knows everything: with only a quick trip through WebMD or Wikipedia, average citizens believe themselves to be on an equal intellectual footing with doctors and diplomats. All voices, even the most ridiculous, demand to be taken with equal seriousness, and any claim to the contrary is dismissed as undemocratic elitism.

    Tom Nichols' The Death of Expertise shows how this rejection of experts has occurred: the openness of the internet, the emergence of a customer satisfaction model in higher education, and the transformation of the news industry into a 24-hour entertainment machine, among other reasons. Paradoxically, the increasingly democratic dissemination of information, rather than producing an educated public, has instead created an army of ill-informed and angry citizens who denounce intellectual achievement. When ordinary citizens believe that no one knows more than anyone else, democratic institutions themselves are in danger of falling either to populism or to technocracy or, in the worst case, a combination of both. An update to the 2017breakout hit, the paperback edition of The Death of Expertise provides a new foreword to cover the alarming exacerbation of these trends in the aftermath of Donald Trump's election. Judging from events on the ground since it first published, The Death of Expertise issues a warning about the stability and survival of modern democracy in the Information Age that is even more important today.
     
  33. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    1. White Night (Dresden Files #9) - Jim Butcher (8.5/10) (reread)
    2. Small Favor (Dresden Files #10) - Jim Butcher (9/10) (reread)
    3. Turn Coat (Dresden Files #11) - Jim Butcher (9/10) (reread)
    4. Changes (Dresden Files #12) - Jim Butcher (9.5/10) (reread)
    5. Ghost Story (Dresden Files #13) - Jim Butcher (8/10) (reread)
    6. Cold Days (Dresden Files #14) - Jim Butcher (8.5/10) (reread)
    7. Skin Game (Dresden Files #15) - Jim Butcher (9/10) (reread)
    8. Peace Talks (Dresden Files #16) - Jim Butcher (8/10)
    9. Battle Ground (Dresden Files #17) - Jim Butcher (9/10)
    10. The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive #1) - Brandon Sanderson (10/10) (reread)
    11. Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive #2) - Brandon Sanderson (10/10) (reread)
    12. Edgedancer (Stormlight Archive #2.5) - Brandon Sanderson (8.5/10) (reread)
    13. Oathbringer (Stormlight Archive #3) - Brandon Sanderson (9.5/10) (reread)
    14. Dawnshard (Stormlight Archive #3.5) - Brandon Sanderson (8/10) (reread)
    15. Rhythm of War (Stormlight Archive #4) - Brandon Sanderson (9/10)
    16. Bloodline (Cradle #9) - Will Wight (7/10)
    17. The Rage of Dragons (The Burning #1) - Evan Winter (9.5/10)
    18. The Fires of Vengeance (The Burning #2) - Evan Winter (8.5/10)
    19. Bloody Rose (The Band #2) - NIcholas Eames (9/10)
    20. Kings of the Wyld (The Band #1) - NIcholas Eames (9/10)
    21. Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir (10/10)
     
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  34. Pasta88

    Pasta88 Canes, Bruins, Raps, Jays and Sunderland.
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    1. Wolf Hall Trilogy (Wolf Hall, Bring up the Bodies, The Mirror and the Light) by Hilary Mantel - 9.5/10

    2. A Children’s Bible: a novel by Lydia Millet - 8.5/10

    3. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - 8/10

    4. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - 5/10

    5. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan - 8.5/10

    6. The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell - 8/10

    7. Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell - 8.5/10

    8. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain - 8/10

    9. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid - 8.5/10

    10. Beartown by Fredrik Backman - 8.5/10

    11. The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan - 9/10

    12. Autumn by Ali Smith - 8.5/10
     
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  35. Kevintensity

    Kevintensity Poster/Posting Game Coordinator
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    1) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling 10/10
    2) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon 9/10
    3) American Assassin by Vince Flynn 10/10
    4) Darth Bane Path of Destruction by Drew Karpyshyn 9/10
    5) Darth Bane Rule of Two by Drew Karpyshyn 8.5/10
    6) Darth Bane Dynasty of Evil by Drew Karpyshyn 9/10
    7) Meat Market by Bruce Feldman 8/10
    8) Star Wars: Lost Stars by Claudia Gray 10/10
    9) NBA Jam by Reyan Ali 7.5/10
    10) The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel 8/10
    11) Kill Shot by Vince Flynn 8.5/10
    12) Think Like a Rocket Scientist by Ozan Carol 8.5/10
    13) How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates 9/10
    14) The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter 10/10
    15) Spark by John Rate 7/10
    16) Flash Boys by Michael Lewis 8/10
    17) Do the Work by Steven Pressfield 5/10
    18) Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho 8.5/10
    19) Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang 9/10
    20) Money: The True Story of a Made-up Thing by Jacob Goldstein 9.5/10
    21) Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn 8.5/10
    22) The Long Walk by Stephen King 9/10
    23) Limitless by Jim Kwik 6/10
    24) Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro 8.5/10
    25) Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 10/10
    26) Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy 8/10
    27) Muck City by Bryan Mealer 8.5/10
    28) Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann 8.5/10
    29) Misery by Stephen King 8.75/10
     
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  36. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    Have we ever done a favorite books/books that influenced you most thread? Been thinking about my top 10
     
  37. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    We usually do a top books of the year in this thread, but not overall. That would be a hard task, but go for it!
     
  38. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    1. The Space Between Worlds by Miciah Johnson (7.5/10)
    2. Star Wars The High Republic : Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule (8/10)
    3. Black Buck by Mateo Askiripur (8/10)
    4. I am Legend by Richard Matheson (7.5/10)
    5. Moonflower Murders (Susan Reyland #2) by Anthony Horowitz (7.5/10)
    6. The List (Orphan X #5,5) by Gregg Hurwitz (8/10)
    7. Prodigal Son (Orphan X #6) by Gregg Hurwitz (8.5/10)
    8. Remote Control by Nnedi Okafor (7/10)
    9. Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Dark, by Claudia Gray (8/10)
    10. To Be Honest, by Michael Leviton (7/10)
    11. The Assassination of Fred Hampton, by Jeffrey Haas (8.5/10)
    12. The Orchard by David Hopen (10/10)
    13 Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and Crippling of American Democracy, by Adam Jentleson (8/10)
    14. We Could Be Heroes, by Mike Chen (6.5/10)
    15. Winter World (The Long Winter #1) by AG Riddle (8./10).
    16 The Solar War (The Long Winter #2) by AG Riddle (7.5/10
    17. The Lost Colony (The Long Winter #3) by AG Riddle (7.5/10)
    18. Beartown (Beartown #1) by Fredrik Backman (10/10)
    19. Us Against You (Beartown # 2) by Fredrik Backman (8.5/10)
    20. The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease and the End of an Empire by Kyle Harper (8/10)
    21. The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey (5.5/10)
    22. The Last One, by Alexandria Oliva (5/10)
    23. The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone, by Heather McGhee (8.5/10)
    24. The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson (7/10)
    25. Exo (Exo #1) by Fonda Lee (7/10)
    26. Cross Fire (Exo #2) by Fonda Lee (7.5/10)
    27. Empire Of Pain: The Secret History of Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe (9/10)
    28. Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: The Greater Good (Thrawn Asc. #2) by Tim Zahn (7.5/10)
    29. The Last Watch (The Divide #1) by JS Dewes (8/10)
    30. The Premonition: A Pandemic Story, by Michael Lewis (8/10)
    31. The Song of Achilles, by Madaline Miller (7/10)
    32. Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir (10/10)
    33. A Man Called Ove, by Fredrick Backman (8/10)
    34. Machinehood by S.B. Divya (9.5/100
    35. The Anarchy: the East India Compay, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire, by William Dalrymple, (7.5/10)
    36. Immunity Index by Sue Burke (7/10)
    38. The Lies of Locke Lamorra (Gentleman Bastards Sequence #1) by Scott Lynch (9/10)
    39. Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gentleman Bastards Sequence #2) by Scott Lynch (7.5/10)
    40. The Republic of Thieves (Gentleman Bastards Sequence #3) by Scott Lynch (8/10)
    41. Star Wars The High Republic: The Rising Storm (High Republic #2) by Cavan Scott (8.5/10)
    42. War On the Border: Villa, Pershing, The Texas Rangers and an American Invasion by Jeff Guinn (8.5/10)
    41. Falling by TJ Newman (7/10)
    42. (Re)born in the USA: An Englishman's Love Letter to His Chosen Home, by Roger Bennett (7/10)
    43. The Cellist (Gabriel Allon #21) by Daniel Silva (6.5/10)
    44. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Critchon (7/10)
    45. Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby (9/10)
    46. The Tears of Dark Water, by Corban Addison (9.5/10)
    47. Ring Shout by Djeli P Clark, (7/10)
    49. Star Wars: High Republic: Out of the Shadows, by Justina Ireland (7.5/10)



    Fears of the Dark Water - Father and son take a gap year to circumnavigate the globe in a sail boat. Get kidnapped by somali pirates. This book was so good. The plot, the characters development ect all top notch. Would make a good book club book.

    Ring Shout - If you liked Lovecraft Country, you'll like this book. Black American monster hunters hunt down "Ku Kluxes' which are klansmen that are actually monsters. They feed on hate and indoctrinate people. Once you;ve built up enough hate, you turn into an actual monster. This was a quick read. More of a short story or novella than a full novel. Somewhere in between lengthwise.

    Out of the Shadows - Another High Republic book For being a YA novel, it was pretty good and definitely moved the plot of the entire High Republic project forward. Good for star wars nerds, if youre not a super SW nerd, dont bother reading it
     
    #288 Truman, Aug 4, 2021
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2021
  39. Upton^2

    Upton^2 blocked just a park away, but I can't really say
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    1. Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
    2. The Stranger - Albert Camus
    3. The Snow Leopard - Peter Mathiessen
    4. Desert Notebooks - Ben Ehrenreich
    5. Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned - Wells Tower
    6. A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
    7. Beautiful Animals - Lawrence Osborne
    8. The Inner Game of Tennis - Timothy Gallwey
    9. Enemies - Tim Weiner
    10. Empire of Pain - Patrick Radden Keefe
    11. Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann
    12. The Stranger - Harlan Coben
    13. Someone Who Will Love You In All Your Damaged Glory - Raphael Bob-Waksberg
    14. The Price of Peace - Zachary Carter

    15. Blitzed - Norman Ohler
    16. Hitler - Volker Ulrich
    17. The Defining Moment - Jonathan Alter
    18. 1177 BC - Eric Cline
    19. The End of Everything - Katie Mack
    20. Man's Search for Meaning - Victor Frankl
    21. Caste - Isbael Wilkerson
    22. This Life - Martin Hagglund

    23. H Is for Hawk - Helen Macdonald
    24. The Optimist: A Case for the Fly Fishing Life by David Coggins - 7/10.

    25. When Einstein Walked with Gödel - Jim Holt 6/10. A lot of short “articles” wrapped into a book. Scientific and mathematics and philosophy. I really enjoyed his book “Why Does the World Exist” which was written in more of a novel/timeline style. This was just a bunch of articles he had written over time and it was a slog to finish. Skipped a few of the sections to be honest.
     
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  40. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    I have the book "Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid" by Douglas Hofstader. I will read it one day, but man that is one of the most esoteric books I've ever seen. Not sure if anyone else is familiar. He basically draws all these crazy connections between math and music/art. Pages drawn all over them and shit
     
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  41. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    1-7. Harry Potter Series (8/10)
    8. Killers Of The Flower Moon: The Osage Murders And The Birth Of The FBI / David Grann (10/10)
    9. 1000 Record Covers / Michael Ochs (5/10)
    10. Abigail Adams / Woody Holton (7.5/10)
    11. Universities And Their Cities: Urban Higher Education In America / Steven J. Diner (4/10)
    12. Short Complex: A Collection Of Short Stories / Chuck Brown (7/10)

    13. Stamped From The Beginning: The Definitive History Of Racist Ideas In America / Ibram X. Kendi (10/10)
    Simply fantastic. One of the best books I've ever read. I'd put it on my aforementioned most influential list. My favorite type of book is one that helps you see something hidden that was always all around you. I recommend this to anyone, not just the most "woke" "SJW". This is really info you need to know if you live in this country.

    Up Next:

    [​IMG]
     
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  42. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    1. White Night (Dresden Files #9) - Jim Butcher (8.5/10) (reread)
    2. Small Favor (Dresden Files #10) - Jim Butcher (9/10) (reread)
    3. Turn Coat (Dresden Files #11) - Jim Butcher (9/10) (reread)
    4. Changes (Dresden Files #12) - Jim Butcher (9.5/10) (reread)
    5. Ghost Story (Dresden Files #13) - Jim Butcher (8/10) (reread)
    6. Cold Days (Dresden Files #14) - Jim Butcher (8.5/10) (reread)
    7. Skin Game (Dresden Files #15) - Jim Butcher (9/10) (reread)
    8. Peace Talks (Dresden Files #16) - Jim Butcher (8/10)
    9. Battle Ground (Dresden Files #17) - Jim Butcher (9/10)
    10. The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive #1) - Brandon Sanderson (10/10) (reread)
    11. Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive #2) - Brandon Sanderson (10/10) (reread)
    12. Edgedancer (Stormlight Archive #2.5) - Brandon Sanderson (8.5/10) (reread)
    13. Oathbringer (Stormlight Archive #3) - Brandon Sanderson (9.5/10) (reread)
    14. Dawnshard (Stormlight Archive #3.5) - Brandon Sanderson (8/10) (reread)
    15. Rhythm of War (Stormlight Archive #4) - Brandon Sanderson (9/10)
    16. Bloodline (Cradle #9) - Will Wight (7/10)
    17. The Rage of Dragons (The Burning #1) - Evan Winter (9.5/10)
    18. The Fires of Vengeance (The Burning #2) - Evan Winter (8.5/10)
    19. Bloody Rose (The Band #2) - NIcholas Eames (9/10)
    20. Kings of the Wyld (The Band #1) - NIcholas Eames (9/10)
    21. Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir (10/10)
    22. Artemis - Andy Weir (8/10)
     
  43. Pasta88

    Pasta88 Canes, Bruins, Raps, Jays and Sunderland.
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    1. Wolf Hall Trilogy (Wolf Hall, Bring up the Bodies, The Mirror and the Light) by Hilary Mantel - 9.5/10

    2. A Children’s Bible: a novel by Lydia Millet - 8.5/10

    3. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - 8/10

    4. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - 5/10

    5. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan - 8.5/10

    6. The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell - 8/10

    7. Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell - 8.5/10

    8. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain - 8/10

    9. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid - 8.5/10

    10. Beartown by Fredrik Backman - 8.5/10

    11. The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan - 9/10

    12. Autumn by Ali Smith - 8.5/10

    13. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders - 8.5/10

    One reflection on maintaining this list is that rating books is hard. I’m not really sure what separates an 8 from an 8.5 from a 9 in my eyes tbh.
     
  44. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    It’s all subjective obviously but my grading system is

    5 - finished the book but didn’t like it
    6 - finished the book, didn’t love it but glad I read it
    7. pretty good book. Enjoyed it
    8. Really good book loved it
    9. Almost perfect book but just something that prevents it from being perfect
    10. Perfect


    I try to be really stingy giving out 10s and every once and while I’ll finish a book that i hate read or the ending was so bad it pissed me off and I’ll give it a sub 5 rating
     
  45. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    Mine is similar to Truman. Sometimes I’ll adjust something a half point up or down after realizing I liked it a little more than/less than something else. 10 means perfect written and/or life changing
     
  46. Upton^2

    Upton^2 blocked just a park away, but I can't really say
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    1. Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
    2. The Stranger - Albert Camus
    3. The Snow Leopard - Peter Mathiessen
    4. Desert Notebooks - Ben Ehrenreich
    5. Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned - Wells Tower
    6. A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
    7. Beautiful Animals - Lawrence Osborne
    8. The Inner Game of Tennis - Timothy Gallwey
    9. Enemies - Tim Weiner
    10. Empire of Pain - Patrick Radden Keefe
    11. Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann
    12. The Stranger - Harlan Coben
    13. Someone Who Will Love You In All Your Damaged Glory - Raphael Bob-Waksberg
    14. The Price of Peace - Zachary Carter
    15. Blitzed - Norman Ohler
    16. Hitler - Volker Ulrich
    17. The Defining Moment - Jonathan Alter
    18. 1177 BC - Eric Cline
    19. The End of Everything - Katie Mack
    20. Man's Search for Meaning - Victor Frankl
    21. Caste - Isbael Wilkerson
    22. This Life - Martin Hagglund
    23. H Is for Hawk - Helen Macdonald
    24. The Optimist: A Case for the Fly Fishing Life by David Coggins - 7/10
    25. When Einstein Walked with Gödel - Jim Holt 6/10

    26. Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert Sapolsky - 8/10. So interesting and learned a lot. Starts off extremely detailed but it was worth it to get to the second half of the book which wraps all of the detailed biology into behavior of humans throughout history. Recommend.
     
    #296 Upton^2, Aug 10, 2021
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2021
    CBH, Fargin' Icehole, Truman and 2 others like this.
  47. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    South Carolina GamecocksCarolina PanthersCarolina Hurricanes

    This is my kind of book. Added to list
     
    Upton^2 likes this.
  48. Fargin' Icehole

    Fargin' Icehole 50% soulless
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    No County For Old Men - McCarthy

    So good. Most comparable to The Road out of his other books IMO. Both weren't as deep and there were fewer philosophical tangents than his other books. I mean they still had em, just less. Easy to see why those 2 made the best movies.
     
    Funshot Residue, CBH, Truman and 3 others like this.
  49. Upton^2

    Upton^2 blocked just a park away, but I can't really say
    Donor
    Clemson TigersAtlanta BravesCharlotte HornetsCarolina PanthersArsenal

    1. Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
    2. The Stranger - Albert Camus
    3. The Snow Leopard - Peter Mathiessen
    4. Desert Notebooks - Ben Ehrenreich
    5. Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned - Wells Tower
    6. A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
    7. Beautiful Animals - Lawrence Osborne
    8. The Inner Game of Tennis - Timothy Gallwey
    9. Enemies - Tim Weiner
    10. Empire of Pain - Patrick Radden Keefe
    11. Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann
    12. The Stranger - Harlan Coben
    13. Someone Who Will Love You In All Your Damaged Glory - Raphael Bob-Waksberg
    14. The Price of Peace - Zachary Carter
    15. Blitzed - Norman Ohler
    16. Hitler - Volker Ulrich
    17. The Defining Moment - Jonathan Alter
    18. 1177 BC - Eric Cline
    19. The End of Everything - Katie Mack
    20. Man's Search for Meaning - Victor Frankl
    21. Caste - Isbael Wilkerson
    22. This Life - Martin Hagglund
    23. H Is for Hawk - Helen Macdonald
    24. The Optimist: A Case for the Fly Fishing Life by David Coggins - 7/10
    25. When Einstein Walked with Gödel - Jim Holt 6/10
    26. Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert Sapolsky - 8/10

    27. Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know - 7.5/10 - Enjoyable read. A bit cringey knowing he's so close with Sheryl Sandberg but still enjoyable. About 'unlearning' what's ingrained throughout schooling and rethinking things. Good read for today I think.

    28. The Deficit Myth - Stephanie Kelton - 7/10 - Already familiar with MMT but wanted some more in depth on it. Got a bit repetitive at times and would've liked more specifics around implementation and how it would work, but seemed to be written for mass audiences which makes sense.
     
    CBH, clemsonvianj, Truman and 2 others like this.
  50. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    I still havent read any McCarthy. Really need to fix that.

    Also - Upton^2 if youre looking for specifics around implementation, Macro N Cheese, and The MMT Podcast are pretty good. They both also do a good job of label the episodes to see what the topic is. So you can skim to see what interest you.