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Read Anything Good Lately?

A forum about lifestyle: toys, gadgets, fine food, drinks and smokes.
 

Zak (netAirspace FAA) 28 Jun 12, 12:42Post
I am about to finish Gary Shteyngart's "Super Sad True Love Story" (a definite recommendation, though I'm not sure if Americans will like it ;) ), after already having finished Vol. I & II of "Game of Thrones".

So I'm looking for more input for my Kindle for the summer. Any recommendations? Fiction preferred, the non-fiction pile is still high enough with books about server administration, SEO, PHP programming and image processing :)) .
Ideology: The mistaken belief that your beliefs are neither beliefs nor mistaken.
JLAmber (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 28 Jun 12, 13:19Post
Shteyngart? Sounds absurd to me.

Have you tried any Will Self? The Book of Dave is a very good read.
A million great ideas...
Allstarflyer (Database Editor & Founding Member) 28 Jun 12, 13:42Post
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Finished that last one, and now currently working (slowly) through a book about Gettysburg. My Dad, for some reason, likes the JFK presidential period quite a bit as he's pushed a few books on that my way. {boggled}
miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 28 Jun 12, 14:09Post
1776 was a good read.

Reading Cold War in the Congo now...
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And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
GQfluffy (Database Editor & Founding Member) 28 Jun 12, 14:45Post
I'm not man enough to share what I'm almost finished reading. It's a trilogy...for people a bit younger than myself. A bit dark though... {blush}
Teller of no, fixer of everything, friend of the unimportant and all around good guy; the CAD Monkey
Zak (netAirspace FAA) 28 Jun 12, 14:52Post
GQfluffy wrote:I'm not man enough to share what I'm almost finished reading. It's a trilogy...for people a bit younger than myself. A bit dark though... {blush}

So, did you enjoy the material? :))
Ideology: The mistaken belief that your beliefs are neither beliefs nor mistaken.
miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 28 Jun 12, 14:53Post
GQfluffy wrote:I'm not man enough to share what I'm almost finished reading. It's a trilogy...for people a bit younger than myself. A bit dark though... {blush}


Let the missus read it. You will not be disappointed... :))
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 28 Jun 12, 15:09Post
GQfluffy wrote:I'm not man enough to share what I'm almost finished reading.

Fifty Shades of Grey? {laugh}


Orbit by John J. Nance
Basically, a guy wins a ride on a commercial space flight. Something goes wrong, he's left up there all alone. Most of the book deals with him coming to terms with his circumstances and the path his life has taken up to that point.

I've read a few of Nance's books already (Final Approach, Saving Cascadia, Headwind, Pandora's Clock, Fire Flight). This one, while good, isn't his best. Probably because commercial spaceflight is still pretty much a "theory" and Nance hasn't personally experienced it.



Fire Flight by John J. Nance
Forest fires and the men and women who fight them. Old aircraft on the verge of falling apart, but there's something not quite right with the maintenance records. Is the owner trying to save a buck or two or are the aircraft being flown "off the books" for the CIA?

I really liked this book. It gives a real good look at the lives of the people on the front lines of the fires (air and ground) plus enough suspense to keep you reading. There is, however, a incident where a Baron nearly looses a wing and flys back to the airport upside down. And lands on a flat bed trailer being pulled down the runway. Yeah.



The Captain's Airline by Captain Al Samson
Omega and Pacific have completed thier merger. After a terrible summer of crashes and other incidents, Omega decides it needs to implement Crew Resource Management. Some old school Captains resist. Others are supportive. Former Navy jetjock Brad Morehouse is part of the team implementing this program and he sees first hand just how badly it's needed.

This is an odd book. On one hand, it seems almost like a textbook on CRM. On the other, it seems like a novel about a man who helps a team of people bring an airline back from the brink of disaster. It's an ok read.
Make Orwell fiction again.
GQfluffy (Database Editor & Founding Member) 28 Jun 12, 15:18Post
Heh, no, but that could be next on the queue. :))

Another hint- they just made a major motion picture of them this spring...with the second one due out what, next year?
Teller of no, fixer of everything, friend of the unimportant and all around good guy; the CAD Monkey
Zak (netAirspace FAA) 28 Jun 12, 15:21Post
GQfluffy wrote:Heh, no, but that could be next on the queue. :))

Another hint- they just made a major motion picture of them this spring...with the second one due out what, next year?

As I said - did you like the material?
Or are you afraid of the "Pull man card" procedure if you admit it? :))
Ideology: The mistaken belief that your beliefs are neither beliefs nor mistaken.
miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 28 Jun 12, 15:21Post
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
GQfluffy (Database Editor & Founding Member) 28 Jun 12, 15:24Post
Katniss.

These damned books are surprisingly...filled with the "suck you in until you are finished". The author's writing style needs quite a bit of work...she always seems like she never completes an idea before moving on to something else.
Teller of no, fixer of everything, friend of the unimportant and all around good guy; the CAD Monkey
Allstarflyer (Database Editor & Founding Member) 28 Jun 12, 15:28Post
Edit - I see (later) now he's answered it.





Man card, hand it over.

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Last edited by Allstarflyer on 28 Jun 12, 15:56, edited 1 time in total.
Zak (netAirspace FAA) 28 Jun 12, 15:29Post
GQfluffy wrote:These damned books are surprisingly...filled with the "suck you in until you are finished". The author's writing style needs quite a bit of work...she always seems like she never completes an idea before moving on to something else.

Reportedly, LeBron James loves them, so I take it they are not too difficult to read... {duck} :))
Ideology: The mistaken belief that your beliefs are neither beliefs nor mistaken.
Nosedive 28 Jun 12, 17:05Post
John Glenn's autobiography. A good read about his life, though I wonder how much he white washed his time in the Senate. Anyone want to read it next? PM me, and I will ship it to you.

True Grit.

Greyhound, a 1980s version of on the road where a 12 yr old kid goes from CA to PA via Greyhound, all b/c his mother wants to get rid of him.

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris, a bunch of funny short stories about racist animals.

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut.

Currently reading a book on philosophy.
Boris (Founding Member) 28 Jun 12, 17:09Post
Nosedive wrote:John Glenn's autobiography. A good read about his life, though I wonder how much he white washed his time in the Senate. Anyone want to read it next? PM me, and I will ship it to you.

True Grit.

Greyhound, a 1980s version of on the road where a 12 yr old kid goes from CA to PA via Greyhound, all b/c his mother wants to get rid of him.

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris, a bunch of funny short stories about racist animals.

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut.

Currently reading a book on philosophy.

You're in law school and you still read for pleasure??? {bugeye}

I didn't read a damned thing I didn't have to for at least five years after I finished...
The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers...
Nosedive 28 Jun 12, 18:21Post
Boris wrote:
Nosedive wrote:John Glenn's autobiography. A good read about his life, though I wonder how much he white washed his time in the Senate. Anyone want to read it next? PM me, and I will ship it to you.

True Grit.

Greyhound, a 1980s version of on the road where a 12 yr old kid goes from CA to PA via Greyhound, all b/c his mother wants to get rid of him.

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris, a bunch of funny short stories about racist animals.

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut.

Currently reading a book on philosophy.

You're in law school and you still read for pleasure??? {bugeye}

I didn't read a damned thing I didn't have to for at least five years after I finished...


Haha. That was my reading list b/w my last final and the start of my internship. Now my reading is anything Lexis "recommends." {bored}
Cadet57 28 Jun 12, 22:05Post
Currently reading "Restorative Arts" by J.Sheridan Meyer. HATE. THIS. BOOK. It's "the" guide for mortuary RA skills but some of the techniques are outdated but I still have to test out on them. {sarcastic}

Last book I read was:

"Does This Mean You'll See Me Naked: Field Notes of a Funeral Director" :))

It was a pretty good book giving a layman's description of life (pardon the pun) in a funeral home. Also gave a few humorous stories that other directors would relate with.

Going to start reading "The Plague" by Camus after I'm done studying.
vikkyvik 29 Jun 12, 22:21Post
I've been on a rock band / rock musician kick fro the last couple years:

Currently reading Walk This Way (autobio of Aerosmith). Very good.

Previously read:

Scar Tissue (autobio of Anthony Kiedis). Very good.
Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd (autobio of Nick Mason). Decent, though very dry.
Life (autobio of Keith Richards). Extremely good.
Slash (autobio of....Slash). Good.

Next up: Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? (Steven Tyler).

Nosedive wrote:Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris, a bunch of funny short stories about racist animals.


I will have to read that. I read Naked, and it was hilarous, and poignant in parts.
ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 01 Jul 12, 00:54Post
Just finished Ascent From Darkness by Captain Al Kent.

I was employed as a commercial airline pilot until a hereditary mental illness caused my career to come to a screeching halt in 1993. Being grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration after seeking treatment for major depression was mandatory in order to comply with strict medical standards under the Code of Federal Aviation Regulations. My official diagnosis was eventually changed to bipolar disorder, and the ensuing loss of my career was rather devastating. Battling severe depression initially and later intense bipolar mood swings were extremely heavy burdens placed upon me at a fairly young age.

Many people in our society are stricken with debilitating illnesses of the mind and often face difficult uphill battles. I share my personal experiences in an attempt to illustrate that serious mental health issues can be treated successfully and ultimately conquered. Depression can strike anyone out of the blue and transform life into an extremely challenging struggle. Facing the barriers that such illnesses place in the lives of the afflicted often seem insurmountable, but can be overcome.

Ascent from Darkness is a factual account of my life thus far. I trust it will serve to inspire those individuals trapped in the darkness to have enduring hope...


I really wasn't too keen on reading an autobiography but seeing as it was written by an airline pilot and involved the struggles to regain his medical certificate, I thought I'd give it a shot. It reminded me of that jetBlue pilot a while back that broke down mid-flight.

It's a quick, but interesting read. I recommend it solely based on the mental health issues angle as I think, as the author does, that people with mental health issues get written off waaay too quickly.
Make Orwell fiction again.
ORFflyer (Founding Member) 03 Jul 12, 18:04Post
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And it's all Stefan's fault. :)) ;)

Actually, I'm not much into reading outside of periodicals, with the exception of NAS and AW of course. :))
Rack-em'. I'm getting a beer.
ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 17 Jul 12, 05:11Post
Finished Part 1 of Atlas Shrugged over the weekend. Aside from the fact that Ayn Rand has a fetish for the word "astonished," it's been a great read so far. It's also very eerily prophetic. {bugeye}
Make Orwell fiction again.
Spicoli 17 Jul 12, 05:39Post
"Cloud Hidden, Whereabouts Unknown" by Alan Watts.

fascinating read.
I root for natural disasters.

"Feast." A novel. (by Spicoli himself)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FJJKOZS
GQfluffy (Database Editor & Founding Member) 22 Jul 12, 23:16Post
The Feather Men...has anyone read it?
Teller of no, fixer of everything, friend of the unimportant and all around good guy; the CAD Monkey
Mark 22 Jul 12, 23:34Post
Critical Care Transport by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
Commercial aircraft flown in: B712 B722 B732 B734 B737 B738 B741 B742 B744 B752 B753 B762 B772 A310 A318 A319 A320 A321 DC91 DC93 DC94 DC1030 DC1040 F100 MD82 MD83 A223 CR2 CR7 E175
 

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