Book Thread

[Freak Out]

I'm an avid reader and collect books as well as trade many at a local independent bookseller here in Anchorage so I figured I would start a thread about books we all have read lately and would recommend. I read a lot of non-fiction and finished this a week ago:

http://www.amazon.com/Free-Lunch-Wealthiest-Themselves-Government/dp/1591841917

The latest fiction I read was:

http://www.amazon.com/Three-Day-Road-Joseph-Boyden/dp/B000LMPL4W/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199406445&sr=1-1

I'm just using the Amazon links because it's easy...otherwise I would buy from a local independent like:

http://www.wavebooks.com/catalog/index.php

If your lucky like OPF you can go to Powells...

http://www.powells.com/

[Freak Out]

Anyone else buy advanced uncorrected proofs of books to read? If so where do you buy them?

[MJZiggy]

I haven't been able to read too much for the joy of it lately--mainly pattern and software books. Yum.

But if you're ever in Blacksburg, VA, there is a great little independent bookseller right on the main drag in town not far from the VT campus. Anyone know the name of that one?

[BallHawk]

We had somewhat of a thread on books here....

http://www.packerrats.com/ratchat/viewtopic.php?t=5838&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=kickass&start=20

You don't have to bump it, though. This thread'll do just fine.

Haven't read a fiction on my own accord in a while. I read To Kill a Mockingbird in school a month ago which was pretty good.

Last non-fiction was "The Art of Alfred Hitchcock: Fifty Years of His Motion Pictures" by Donald Spoto. Guy does some really good analysis of Hitchcock's works.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I read a lot of fiction, except not much recently, concentration problems. brain malfunction.

Lets see, most recently I read a Phillip K. Dick book called "The Man in the High Castle." Its a novel set in post World War II USA where Germany and Japan have won the war and occupy the U.S. Life is not quite as horrible as you might expect. A lot of people would like this book.

[Fosco33]

I read lots of fiction and healthcare industry focused non-fiction.

Just got started on the Vince Flynn series - pretty riveting so far!

[Badgerinmaine]

Re. FreakOut's question: I sometimes read books that are uncorrected proofs. I get them one of two ways. One is I am on the (unpaid!) staff of a website called Front Street Reviews. Part of the my work with them is that the editor offers to send me specific books that publishers want reviewed. However, I also write reviews just for the fun of it, essentially. Here is a link to a review I wrote of a book I just finished about the old American Association Milwaukee Brewers:

http://www.frontstreetreviews.com/Brewers.html

The review also has a link to the other reviews I have written for them; I think I've written nine or ten so far. Click on my name if you want to see them.

The other place I get them is at academic conventions. I am a political science professor at the University of Maine at Farmington (what else would someone who grew up in Madison teach? ), and when I go to conventions, publishers often have books in the field that are in proofs stage (especially the more mass-market ones).

If you like books, you might also want to check out one of my favorite websites, Bookcrossing:

http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Badgerjim

My handle is Badgerjim there, as you may have guessed The referral link will lead you to my "bookshelf", or you can just go straight away to bookcrossing.com . Not all the books I have on my shelf there are things I've read; many are ones my wife read or that I picked up to wild-release for people to find (which is a lot of what Bookcrossing is about).

[BallHawk]

Just a note, BM, your link the Frontstreet isn't working because it has 4 Ws at the beginning.

[BallHawk]

Fixed it the moment I posted it.

[Badgerinmaine]

My grad school adviser always thought I used too many words. This is one time I used too many letters.

(He once said to me, "Leaner prose, James! Leaner prose! You need to put your prose ON A DIET!") :P

By the way, I love the avatar--makes me think of the "Dramatic Chipmunk" (really a prairie dog, I know) YouTube video. Dah, dah, DAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[Badgerinmaine]

Re: Book Thread

I'm an avid reader and collect books as well as trade many at a local independent bookseller here in Anchorage so I figured I would start a thread about books we all have read lately and would recommend. I read a lot of non-fiction and finished this a week ago:

http://www.amazon.com/Free-Lunch-Wealthiest-Themselves-Government/dp/1591841917

I heard that one mentioned on the radio this week.

[packinpatland]

For anyone who read Ken Follet's The Pillars of the Earth(1989), his sequel, World Without End, should be good. With it being 1014 pages...........I'll let you know in awhile

[Freak Out]

We had somewhat of a thread on books here....

http://www.packerrats.com/ratchat/viewtopic.php?t=5838&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=kickass&start=20

You don't have to bump it, though. This thread'll do just fine.

Haven't read a fiction on my own accord in a while. I read To Kill a Mockingbird in school a month ago which was pretty good.

Last non-fiction was "The Art of Alfred Hitchcock: Fifty Years of His Motion Pictures" by Donald Spoto. Guy does some really good analysis of Hitchcock's works.

Sorry about that. I thought we had something like that going awhile back.

[Freak Out]

Re. FreakOut's question: I sometimes read books that are uncorrected proofs. I get them one of two ways. One is I am on the (unpaid!) staff of a website called Front Street Reviews. Part of the my work with them is that the editor offers to send me specific books that publishers want reviewed. However, I also write reviews just for the fun of it, essentially. Here is a link to a review I wrote of a book I just finished about the old American Association Milwaukee Brewers:

http://www.frontstreetreviews.com/Brewers.html

The review also has a link to the other reviews I have written for them; I think I've written nine or ten so far. Click on my name if you want to see them.

The other place I get them is at academic conventions. I am a political science professor at the University of Maine at Farmington (what else would someone who grew up in Madison teach? ), and when I go to conventions, publishers often have books in the field that are in proofs stage (especially the more mass-market ones).

If you like books, you might also want to check out one of my favorite websites, Bookcrossing:

http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Badgerjim

My handle is Badgerjim there, as you may have guessed The referral link will lead you to my "bookshelf", or you can just go straight away to bookcrossing.com . Not all the books I have on my shelf there are things I've read; many are ones my wife read or that I picked up to wild-release for people to find (which is a lot of what Bookcrossing is about).

My children and I have been sharing reviews and recommendations on http://www.goodreads.com/ lately. I found a small independent that sold uncorrected proofs and was hooked right away. I've since bought some to keep as part of a collection but mostly want a cheap printing to read.

[MJZiggy]

I'd correct their proofs--for a fee, of course.