WWTBAM Bored

For me, it is _The State of Africa; A History of Fifty Years of Independence_ by Martin Meredith.

October was supposed to see us heading to Rwanda for 10 days with The Naughty Norwegian's cousin's wife, who is from there. Unfortunately the discovery that we were cooking up a wee one put that on hold, but we had dinner with her after she returned to Oslo to hear all about it.

One thing I learned after our discussions, and after trying to read up on the history there before we were to leave, is how much I have yet to learn about Africa. Aside from news images of refugees and the occasional movie, I know very little. Thinking back, it is amazing to me how little non-western history is taught to us in schools. Or at least that's how it was in my schools. I had vague notions that some parts had a lot of influence from certain European countries, and knew that corruption continues to be an enormous problem - but that's it. So it is really fascinating to be reading and learning about the history, because I am basically starting from scratch.

I had picked up another book specifically about the Rwandan genocide, but it was very dry and academic - and assumed that the reader already had a lot of knowledge on the conflict. This book is different. It is very readable, but also thorough. It gives the history of each country/territory as it transitioned into independence with the larger political landscape of Africa as the backdrop.

An excerpt, relating to the celebration surrounding Ghana's independence from Britain (the first country in Africa to do so):

"Messages of congratulations came from an aray of world leaders ... the most enthusiastic visitor was Richard Nixon, then the United States vice-president. From the moment he touched down in Accra, he rushed about shaking hands, hugging paramount chiefs, fondling black babies and posing for photographs. It was not always to good effect. Surrounded by a crowd of Ghanians at an official ceremony, he slapped one man on the shoulder and asked him how it felt to be free. 'I wouldn't know, sir,' replied the man. 'I'm from Alabama.'"

What good timing for you to ask!

I just started Beaufighters in the Night: 417 Night Fighter Squadron USAAF by Lt. Col. "Brick" Eisel. And on audiobook, Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome, by Steven Saylor.

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
by Nassim Nicholas Taleb


The Fracture Zone: My Return to the Balkans
by Simon Winchester

Wilde West
by Walter Satterthwaite
More than a whodunit or a Western, Wilde West also qualifies as historical fiction and psychological thriller. Its plot centers on the savage serial murders of red-headed prostitutes. Enter none other than Oscar Wilde, the young, witty, flamboyant British poet who, with his varied entourage, is making a lecture tour of the United States. Because the prostitutes are always slain in the cities Wilde visits, Federal Marshall Grigsby must consider Wilde and his friends as suspects. With point of view shifting between the melancholy, alcoholic Grigsby and the inspired, lusty, ever-jesting Wilde, as well as occasional scary plunges into the dark mind of the unknown killer

What do these books have in common? They were all available for mp3 download from my library.

MarleysGh0st wrote:What good timing for you to ask!

I just started Beaufighters in the Night: 417 Night Fighter Squadron USAAF by Lt. Col. "Brick" Eisel.

I hear that one is wonderful! It's on my "must order soon!" list.



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MarleysGh0st wrote:What good timing for you to ask!

I just started Beaufighters in the Night: 417 Night Fighter Squadron USAAF by Lt. Col. "Brick" Eisel. And on audiobook, Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome, by Steven Saylor.

Beaufighters in the Night: 417 Night Fighter Squadron USAAF.

Its the must have gift for the holidays! I am getting my Dad & fwh a copy from our friend Brick

I am not reading right now...will be by the end of the week!

Any suggestions?

fuzzy

Settling Accounts: Drive to the East

I discovered that I had already read all of Return Engagement before. DttE is the one I had read a portion of at Borders.

I checked out DttE, The Grapple, and In at the Death from the Garland Library. I hope I can finish them all by November 24th.

If you want to read a fascinating account of Africa, read Eddy Harris' journal, [i]Native Stranger[/i]. He's an African American who traveled through all of Africa and wrote about each country. It's a little dated, but fascinating. He's alternately impressed and frustrated by the Africans he met...

TheCalvinator24 wrote: I checked out DttE, The Grapple, and In at the Death from the Garland Library. I hope I can finish them all by November 24th.

That's what--about 2,000 pages, total? You're going to wear out your eyes!

Martha Grimes' "Dust" at the moment. It's the latest in her Superintendent Richard Jury mystery series. IMO, Jury's pretty much of a stiff (although he gets busy with 2 different colleagues in the first 50 pages of this one), but Melrose Plant (Jury's civilian sidekick) and his friends are an absolute hoot.

I finished up Leonie Swann's "Three Bags Full" -- a sheep detective story -- the other day. It was fun, but the ending disappointed somehow. Still well worth a look, if you like quirky mysteries starring sheep.

And I'm picking at about 3 books about Hawaii, in preparation for my trip.

Dewey's Ethical Thought, Jennifer Welchman
Musicophilia, Oliver Sacks

I am not reading either, just now, as I am at work. But I will start the Dewey tonight for school and the Sacks in a few days as a treat.

World Without End by Ken Follett. The long-awaited sequel to The Pillars of the Earth.

Ritterskoop wrote:Dewey's Ethical Thought, Jennifer Welchman
Musicophilia, Oliver Sacks

I am not reading either, just now, as I am at work. But I will start the Dewey tonight for school and the Sacks in a few days as a treat.

I haven't read the book yet, but I read a long excerpt from the Sacks book. It was fascinating!

I am reading a novel called Maynard and Jennica by Rudolph Delson.

The novel has 35 narrators and is quite amusing.

Lottery by Patricia Wood.

It's a wonderful debut novel about a man with a 76 IQ who wins $12 million in the Washington State Lottery.

It's written in first person, present tense POV - no small feat - and it really works.

PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:I am reading a novel called Maynard and Jennica by Rudolph Delson.

The novel has 35 narrators and is quite amusing.

35 narrators?

Sounds like somebody attempted a Bored novel.

MarleysGh0st wrote:What good timing for you to ask!

I just started Beaufighters in the Night: 417 Night Fighter Squadron USAAF by Lt. Col. "Brick" Eisel. And on audiobook, Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome, by Steven Saylor.

What a coincidence, I have that one too.

But will wait to read it after Dad reads his Christmas present.

I am reading the Patricia Cornwell book on Jack the Ripper.

christie1111 wrote:I am reading the Patricia Cornwell book on Jack the Ripper.

I read that when it came out. She makes a great case!

For fun - Mercedes Lackey's Owl Trilogy.

For Sanity - "Dealing with Difficult People"

MarleysGh0st wrote:

PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:I am reading a novel called Maynard and Jennica by Rudolph Delson.

The novel has 35 narrators and is quite amusing.

35 narrators?

Sounds like somebody attempted a Bored novel.

At the beginning of each section, the book telsl you who is talking, when they are talking and why they are talking.

I tried to start The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, but fell asleep before I could get past the review of past materials. I barely made it through the first Chronicles, and I fall asleep more easily now, so it's not too surprising. I'll have to make a trip to the library soon, I guess.

Although there are all those Erle Stanley Gardner books I bought at the last Friends of the Library booksale. Hmmmmmmmmm.

What I really want to do is find ALL the Travis McGee novels in one place. There's a relatively new reissue in paperback, but my library didn't get a complete set. At least not yet. And I want to read them in order.

Men of Tomorrow: Geek, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic Book, by Gerard Jones. All about the men who started the entire comic book genre, especially the superheroes. Creators and publishers, their biographies, and their creative (and not-so-creative, in the case of some of the publishers) processes.

Next on the list are a couple of David & Leigh Eddings books, and getting caught up with the Harry Turtledove "WWII in North America" alternate history. I think I'm two books behind in that series.

Broken Trust: Greed, Mismanagement, & Political Manipulation at America's Largest Charitable Trust by King and Roth.

About all noted above and them some by the people left to run the massive trust that was the amassed wealth of the last of the Hawaiian royal family in Hawaii that funds Kamehameha schools, amongst other things. No small part of the damage done by trustees, judges and politicians with Hawaiian ancestry, although they don't carry all the blame by any means.

And it must be pointed out that many of those that finally exposed the deceit were also of Hawaiian ancestry.

Wacky place, Hawaii. But not something you would know as a haole tourist. Have to spend a little time there to learn just how wacky it can be.

mrkelley23 wrote:I tried to start The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, but fell asleep before I could get past the review of past materials. I barely made it through the first Chronicles, and I fall asleep more easily now, so it's not too surprising. I'll have to make a trip to the library soon, I guess.

Wow, that brings back memories! Read those over 20 years ago. Didn't realize that a new Quartet was being written to go with the original two trilogies.

Might have to check that out. But that means I would likely need to reread the first six. Maybe something for my next long trip.

Back issues of People magazine. Can't have intellectual pursuits interfere with my quest for the Ultimate Prison Throw game...

tanstaafl2 wrote:[
Wacky place, Hawaii. But not something you would know as a haole tourist. Have to spend a little time there to learn just how wacky it can be.

I'd have to agree with you on that one!