THE RECOMMENDED READ THREAD!!!

Robert Jadah

OK; we've all texted through reels and reels of what we like to watch.
But we're voicers; not Ebert.
We read for a living.
Howzabout what we've enjoyed recreationally reading lately?

I highly value my recent dash through Steve Martin's 'Born Standing Up' (2007-Scribner). Not only is he a thoughtful and articulate performer, this 207-page delight includes such wonderful (and VO-applicable) gems as:

"Thankfully, perseverance is a great substitute for talent."

"Through the years, I have learned there is no harm in charging oneself up with delusions between moments of valid inspiration."

"I understood I would never be hired in that situation, that the odds of confluence on a ceratin day of the producers' desires, my talent, and a good reading were low, and that the audition process was a dead end."

It's mildly funny, but hugely engrossing.

Dewey On!

Diane Havens · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008, 04:09 (GMT) Post subject:

Yes, you're right, Robert, we're voicers -- but can we only include titles we've read aloud?

if not, then I must say I also enjoy Steve Martin as an author, and, coincidentally have Born Standing Up on my reading list! I have read most of his books -- some of my favorites being Cruel Shoes, Pure Drivel, Shop Girl and The Pleasure of My Company. I also love his plays and both read and saw Picasso at the Lapin Agile.

Recently, on all my girlfriends' recommendations -- no, downright prodding, I have tried reading Eat, Pray, Love -- but find it, though delightfully written, too self-indulgent for me. I barely made it through Italy (eat).

Colin Campbell · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008, 04:16 (GMT) Post subject:

Is it in audio book form?

Erik Sheppard · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008, 04:45 (GMT) Post subject:

I just finished rereading Bukowski's Ham On Rye a few days ago.

It is certainly not for everybody, but if you're a fan, it is one of his best.

Diane Havens · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008, 12:55 (GMT) Post subject:

Yeah, Erik! Love Charles Bukowski! That book is his Catcher in the Rye. His poetry is wonderful as well.

Another great read by someone I admire greatly is by Studs Terkel And They All Sang -- his interviews with some of the greatest 20th century musicians. Terkel is a fascinating man in his own right -- his insights are delightful.

Cameron Thomas · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008, 14:16 (GMT) Post subject:

For any space race fans out there, check out "Flight" by Chris Kraft, the guy who headed the space program from the ground up (pun unintended).

As a Rush fan, I enjoy drummer/lyricist Neil Peart's writings..."Masked Rider", "Ghost Rider", and "Traveling Music."

Cheers,
Cameron

Bob Bair · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008, 16:36 (GMT) Post subject:

Cameron,
Wow, are we related in some way?

"Flight" was a great read. Another in that same area that I also read was "Failure is Not an Option" by Gene Kranz and "The Unbroken Chain" by Guenter Wendt. I have sitting on my shelf waiting for the time to read "We Have Capture", Tom Stafford; "First Man", Neil Armstrong, etc...

I'm also a HUGE Rush/Neil Peart fan. Probably the only music from my youth I still listen to. Also the only reason I read "Atlas Shrugged" and "Anthem".

But.... I am presently reading "Panzer Leader" by Heinz Guderian. Very detailed if you like reading about WWII German tank offensive.

A book I would recommend to anyone really interested in military flight is "Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War" by Robert Coram. He was a genius in energy management fighting tactics and is the biggest reason we have fighters today like the F-16, FA-18 and F-22. He hated these big hulking multi-role aircraft (F-111, F-14) that were supposed to do it all. He was a real maverick.

Scott Pollak · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008, 17:41 (GMT) Post subject:

Hoo boy... I love to read. I tend to go thru genres as my interests wax and wane.

For a while I was caught up in Ken Follett dramas. One of my very favorite alltime books was his massive "Pillars of the Earth", a book of around 1400 pages that I read in a matter of weeks. I could NOT put it down. Then went on to read many others by him.

Another all-time favorite is "A Confederacy of Dunces", a hysterical look at New Orleans thru the eyes of Ignatius J. Reilly, a complete slovenly loser. The author committed suicide before ever being published and his mother found the manuscript and had it published posthumously. Very sad life story, but a HYSTERICAL book.

Love Michael Crichton. "Sphere" is his best and one of my alltime favs.

Also enjoy a lot of the late Isaac Asimov's books, both fiction and non-fiction.

For a while I was immersed in Ann Rule's true crime sagas til I got tired of reading about murders.

Lately I've discovered the very witty and irreverent Christopher Moore, author of a number of very, very funny books, but my favorite was "Lamb: the Gospel according to Biff, Christ's childhood pal." Uptight Christians think it's sacrilegious. I think it's one of the funniest things I've EVER read. I literally was laughing out loud.

Nikki Saco · Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008, 02:08 (GMT) Post subject:

Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta novels. slash

I've read all of them. Book of the Dead is the most recent in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The audiobooks are good but not my favorite.

Favorite audiobook series is Rowling's Harry Potter books read by Jim Dale. He's amazing.

Jacob Keebler · Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008, 02:32 (GMT) Post subject:

Robert, Great Topic idea! I just read "Flydini's" Book myself (Born Standing Up). Against my best interest I read it all in one night. I too took some notes. Diane you are right, Steve Martin is a pretty awesome writer.

Colin, I haven't seen it in audio book form but I'm sure his marketing department would love the idea!!! Look at you all smart and bourbon drinking and ....ummm... producing.

Erik...Your Bukowski pick is quite revealing no? I'll save my story about getting lap-danced after finishing that one for another time.

Diane, I'm not a real expert (I just play one secretly in my head) but from what I gather Terkel is a master. I'm going to check out that book. Is that the one that deals with death?

Robert (B) Atlas Shrugged is a book that I'll never forget. Not only was it first reccomended by the most beautiful woman I have ever met, it's oh so brooding, and nearly prophetic that not a winter goes by where I don't consider pounding through all 1000+ pages for a re-read .

My one recent read (aside from Martin's) was a book about a pool hustler named Kid Delicious. Some guy from Sports Illustrated wrote it and while I can't really recccomend it as one of my favorites I'll send you some more detailed info. if you are really into gambling and billiards.

Be good have fun
-J[/i]

Robert Jadah · Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008, 05:30 (GMT) Post subject:

We seem to have more range in reading preferences than we do in VO deliveries.
A great place to find and chat with like-minded bookworms is www.shelfari.com.

Once you list your fifty favourite books, others with a high percentage of similar choices become your book buddies.

I liked Follett, too, Scott, but he lost me after the Eagles book. Like Stephen King and John Irving, he became too wordy once editors weren't allowed to touch his stuff anymore.
Try Gerald Seymour.

I highly recommend the irreverent Bill Bryson, especially his Australia travelogue (Notes from a Sunburned Country), and the spectacularly riveting and informative 'Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Everything' (I think; something like that, anyway).

I read it four times.

Read On!

Diane Havens · Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008, 13:45 (GMT) Post subject:

John Irving -- yes, and I did so love A Prayer for Owen Meany (I consider his best -- now in many high school curricula for required reading -- but made into a terrible film) I so much wanted to love everything else he wrote. I also thought The Fourth Hand was excellent, and Cider House Rules -- an important book as well. I have several other books by him on my shelf that are just unreadable, and so go unread.

(And, oh sure, Robert -- get us hooked into another website, so I never see the light of day again. Thanks for the link.)

And just so I can still recommend a MOVIE!! (this has everything to do with books, however) there is a fascinating documentary called STONE READER (Mark Moskowitz) -- a mystery of sorts, to find a lost author (Dow Mossman) who wrote one book, Stones of Summer and disappeared from the literary world. Very enjoyable. I got the book. Not so much.

John Bigl · Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008, 15:44 (GMT) Post subject:

making my way thru 2 books these days:
Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker, by James Gavin
and
A Distant Mirror, by Barbara Tuchman

i love jazz... i love listening to jazz.. i love stories about jazz musicians..

but, so far, Gavin's treatment of trumpeter/singer Chet Baker is annoying.. yes, Baker was a drug addict, not very nice to family and friends etc etc.. but, sheesh, Gavin could at least mention his music!!!

---------------------

the puckerbrush has the best assortment of used book stores, imo, and while browsing about i found a nice copy of Tuchman's 'A Distant Mirror - The Calamitous 14th Century'.. this is my third read of this amazing book and, as w/ many a fine book, i'm bound to come away w/ fresh insights and a deeper sense of the subject and author..

Read Well

Diane Havens · Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008, 03:39 (GMT) Post subject:

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by one of my favorite authors, Milan Kundera. Highly recommended. Also his, Immortality and Life is Elsewhere. Wonderful, rewarding reads.

Deby Cedars · Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008, 04:10 (GMT) Post subject:

Well I'm reading a "massage"book on Reiki .....a diet book The Makers Diet......but before that..... I read Memoirs of a Geisha ....after seeing the movie....I did not completely understand the movie....The book had a more realistic ending. I was kind of bummed to find at the end of the book that it was not a true story though.

I've never heard of that author you were reading Eric. I did read Catcher in the Rye a long time ago though.

I also love Erma Bombeck and books by Dr. Joice Brothers....even though your more likely to find these old books at the library than the book store.

For Christmas I got Sienfeld's wife's cooking book....That was a real disappointment.