What are you reading?

recently finished The Value of Others by Orion Taraban

a psychologists point of view on why men and women form relationships, why marriages don't succeed long term for a certain percentage of the population, among other topics regarding human relationships. Interesting read that shines some perspective.
 
The only issue I have with Libby is the 3 week period for longer books. Between work, etc., some longer books are taking me more than 3 weeks to get through. Minor quibble, though. I ended up buying one of them in soft cover to give me more time, but I'm trying to finish up a different one and I don't think I'll make it in the next few days, unfortunately. I'll have to re-borrow it to finish it up.
 
Just finished up Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson, book 5 of the Stormlight Archive. It is long - took me the full 3 weeks on Libby to finish up (similar to the Wheel of Time books, etc.).

I like the story overall, and man does he have some pretty exciting endings for some of his works - the entire series underwent some major changes in this one. It just took WAY too long getting there. ;) The first half of the book had too much exposition / dialogue. But once it got rolling it rounded into form. Looks like he has another 5 books planned to wrap up the series. It's gonna be a while, folks! Not Game of Thrones "while", but a while nonetheless.
 
I was really only reading this series while waiting for the The Handmaid's Tale to become available and someone had mentioned it online in passing.
Just polished off The Handmaid’s Tale. While suitably dystopian and certainly applicable to modern events to a certain extent, I was a bit underwhelmed with it overall. The ending is somewhat ambiguous but portends a more positive future.
 
I'm about halfway through Midnight in Chernobyl (history of the nuclear disaster) and it is very good. There's a LOT of people to keep track of, but in general you can keep up with the story pretty easily. The author does a good job of discussing the history of the plant, discussing the hazards of nuclear power and radiation exposure without getting too into the weeds, and explaining how Soviet bureaucracy and attitudes played into the construction of the complex (and others), inherent issues (both in design and construction), coverup of other accidents/incidents, performance of personnel at the plant, reasons for the disaster, disaster response (including available personnel and equipment), construction of the "sarcophagus", medical issues, legal proceedings, international impacts and responses, etc. I'll confirm whether the rest of the book is as good, but so far I recommend it if you are at all interested in this topic.

It appears that there are likely a few inaccuracies here and there with technical items and such, possibly due to relaying a highly technical topic in a non-technical way for such a history to be told, but I'm not going to get too hung up on that in relation to the overall story, which appears to be well researched.

I may also read through this, depending on length and interest after I'm done with the book:

Chernobyl Witness: A primary source compendium of 26 April 1986

Edit - well, that was quick. The book had a section with some photographs, etc., at the end so only about 2/3 of the book was actually text. Recommended.
 
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Just finished up The Folly of Realism by Alexander Vindman about the history and leadup to the current situation in Ukraine. A very interesting summary of the history of Ukraine both politically and culturally, it also does not pull any punches on the various US administrations and their missteps in nurturing a potential ally and strong partner that Ukraine could be to Europe. It also briefly traces Putin's rise to power in Russia and their approach to war. Recommended for anyone interested in the topic.
 
The Knowledge Machine by Michael Strevens

one individuals perspective on how scientific theory shouldn't be the only way we view the world and scientific evidence can be skewed to favor one side versus the other and vice versa, an interesting read indeed if you want to broaden the way you view science as a field.
 
I had taken a Brandon Sanderson break after all the Cosmere series, but just read Skyward (not Cosmere-related). Good, easy-to-read, and funny, this first book in a series keeps the action moving with a young female protagonist seeking to clear her dad's name in a sci-fi story set on a world far away from Earth. I won't get into details, but it had some shades of Ender's Game here and there as I read it. Just a few hints, mind you. But it is enjoyable Sanderson if you want something fun to breeze through. Looking forward to reading the sequel when it pops up on my Libby queue. Nice twist at the end as well.
Just finished the sequel, Starsight. Very easy to read, enjoyable, and he keeps the action moving. I breezed through it in just a couple of days. Now I'm very interested in what happens next. Two more books in the series.
 
Just finished the sequel, Starsight. Very easy to read, enjoyable, and he keeps the action moving. I breezed through it in just a couple of days. Now I'm very interested in what happens next. Two more books in the series.
Just finished #3, Cytonic. Less action-packed than the previous two and more character driven. I felt like the first 2/3 of the book could have been trimmed a little, but I think for the story he's telling it kind of makes sense. Interesting twist or two in this one - we'll see how it all plays out in the last book.
 
Just finished #3, Cytonic. Less action-packed than the previous two and more character driven. I felt like the first 2/3 of the book could have been trimmed a little, but I think for the story he's telling it kind of makes sense. Interesting twist or two in this one - we'll see how it all plays out in the last book.
Book #4, Defiant, definitely picks up the action again and wraps up satisfactorily. Well done.
 
I listened to an audiobook on the Libby app for the first time. It was for a local online book club-type deal. The audiobook portion of it worked well, but I'm not going to recommend the book (The Tenant). The first 2/3 (6 hours) could have been reduced by half without losing any of the story. The last third was better, with a couple of twists, but the book tone (and maybe somewhat the reader of the audiobook) just didn't do it for me. The author's depiction of the lead character also didn't really work for me.

I just finished reading The Will of the Many and it was pretty good (fantasy). It seemed to borrow at least some of the ideas from the works of Sanderson's Cosmere universe with maybe a touch or two of Harry Potter themes, but was entertaining and interesting. Unfortunately, it is the first in a series and the second doesn't come out for a few more months. Recommended if you like the genre.
 
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Just polished off the latest Preston and Child novel Badlands. A quick read (about 4 hours) and it keeps the action moving nicely. Recommend as a pleasant diversion from more weighty fare.
 
I have a bunch of freebie books on Kindle from Amazon Prime monthly offerings. I read a short story this morning by Lee Child that was one of these - Eleven Numbers. Good little story, and I guessed part of it before the reveal, but recommended for anyone who likes international intrigue and math.
 
I read another Amazon Prime freebie - Doomsday Match. Apparently, this is the author's (Jeff Wheeler) first dip into thrillers (as opposed to fantasy, apparently?) and focuses on a family on a vacation in Mexico that goes awry and having to ultimately compete in a Mayan game to save their lives. Nothing great overall, but a quick read and the first in a trilogy and it covers some Mayan history along the way. It could get better, and has some promise. If I ever get through some of the books I have stockpiled I might check out the sequel.
 
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Putin's People by Catherine Belton

a book on how Putin rose up in the ranks of the Kremlin to where he is today. an interesting take on KGB's influence in molding and creating oligarchs and reality of life in Russia. a good and fascinating read if interested in World History
 
Just finished Skyward Flight, a collection of three shorter stories in the Skyward "universe", but told from three different characters in the other stories. Very well done, especially the last one (the longest of the three).
 
Brandon Sanderson's The Reckoners Series (Steelheart, Firefight, and Calamity) is actually pretty good - definitely a lighter, fantasy-oriented trilogy. It deals with humans who get superpowers but most are not good, forming gangs, wiping out cities, etc. A bit of The Boys within the storyline, but more of a PG rated telling of it.
 
I've been working on this physical copy of the book for months due to length - in between and around the others I've been reading electronically (with their inherent due dates).

I cannot more highly recommend the book The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William Shirer for anyone remotely interested in the topic. Like many, I'm felt like I knew many of the "basics" about the war, but this book explains in detail the beginnings of the Nazi party, their rise to power, the personalities and failings of those in command, and the reasons for the early successes and late failures in their quest to conquer Europe. He details the rise and fall of that incredibly brutal, racist, and horrible regime with his almost unprecedented access to both news at the time and voluminous historical documents immediately after the war.

Shirer was an American foreign correspondent, news commentator, and historian who spend most of the time of Nazi control of Germany in Berlin working for Universal News Service and CBS. As such, he has a unique, first-hand view of events that took place in Germany during the time. He was there to hear the radio addresses, keep tabs on worldwide events, feel the pulse of the country itself, and met with numerous dignitaries and other news agencies in the course of his work.

Although this was written in 1959, the parallels in global politics and certain personalities of today essentially leap off the page. Charismatic leaders lying incessantly for political and personal gain, the subversion of courts and lawmakers to the wishes of the party, Russia's almost innate desire to conquer neighboring lands, political and military missteps that hold the balance of world power in play, making and breaking treaties at the drop of a hat, European unwillingness to band together to stop a common enemy from taking advantage, the mistakes and incorrect guesses that led to swings in power and success, and so on and so on. He goes into good detail on various strengths and weaknesses of the countries involved, their political reasons for certain actions, and the idiosyncrasies of individuals and made decisions.

Germany's abhorrent actions against certain racial and political groups is appropriately discussed and details of the horrors of the concentration camps, etc., is not glossed over.

Curiously, he doesn't always cover a lot of details at "ground level" - while including discussion on fighting during the winter in Russia, various strength and equipment levels, the attempts by various individuals to broker peace or wage war, international trade, various technological advances and limitations, etc., he doesn't touch on some things like use of amphetamines by the German soldiers to help them be more effective fighters or go into a lot of detail on the US or Japan with their offensives, other than how they impacted Germany. While discussed in terms of global impacts and how certain treaties or agreements were upheld or violated, early military actions are covered in more detail than later ones, largely due to the scope and scale of the war as it advanced. Despite this, he does do a good job of explaining things like why Germany couldn't invade Britian, why certain military and political decisions were made, why certain actions succeeded or failed, etc., but often more in an overview/summary than a granular analysis. Overall, I think it succeeds.

Everything is documented, footnoted, and attributed. Where there are ambiguities, he lays them out and discusses which seem most plausible and why.

One thing I wish they had included would be maps of various stages of the war as it progressed, as I did not keep a map next to me to try to track the various advances and losses on both sides. Also, he spends a little more space than I thought was necessary detailing the interactions of Hitler and Mussolini given the nature and end results of each - it is interesting how Hitler seemed to truly appreciate Mussolini as a friend and ally given the little actual support he provided on the field of battle.

This is a very educational yet engaging book that I will need to read again in the future to more fully grasp some of the nuance. There's a lot in here. Highly, highly recommended. I think a similar book written about the American/Allied side of the war would also be fascinating, especially in comparison to this one - if anyone has one to recommend, please let me know.
 
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I cannot more highly recommend the book The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William Shirer for anyone remotely interested in the topic. Like many, I'm felt like I knew many of the "basics" about the war, but this book explains in detail the beginnings of the Nazi party, their rise to power, the personalities and failings of those in command, and the reasons for the early successes and late failures in their quest to conquer Europe. He details the rise and fall of that incredibly brutal, racist, and horrible regime with his almost unprecedented access to both news at the time and voluminous historical documents immediately after the war.

One thing I wish they had included would be maps of various stages of the war as it progressed, as I did not keep a map next to me to try to track the various advances and losses on both sides.

Coincidentally, I was in CVS today picking up a prescription and what was staring back at me but this:

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So of course I had to get it. Looking forward to reading through this after completing the book just a few days ago.
 
I just polished off Chris Webber: By God's Grace - I got it as a gift and just hadn't gotten around to reading it with all the books stacked up on Libby, one after the other.

I'm not someone who reads sports memoirs. I enjoy watching sports, but my non-fiction typically is typically related to history and current events and sometimes how they relate (primarily) to all the rest of the stuff you've seen me post about in this forum. But this was a good book. I don't know if any of it is slanted in certain ways, but I also don't really care. It's his story to tell how he wants, and the sections about the Sacramento Kings in particular just brought back so many memories.
 
I think a similar book written about the American/Allied side of the war would also be fascinating, especially in comparison to this one - if anyone has one to recommend, please let me know.
It looks like the books The Allies and The Generals are pretty interesting and well-reviewed so I'm ordering those. Most stuff I'll read electronically on Libby or whatever, but for things like The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany I sometimes get the physical copy due to importance of the topic, size, and/or reading duration - if these are anywhere near as good they will also be well worth keeping on the shelf as well.
 
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