I just finished a couple different books. I try and keep a few going at a time:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman, and its sequel, the Anansi Boys.

The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas

One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters to Those Seeking God by Christian Scharen

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

Sabriel, by Garth Nix (including the two sequels Lirael and Abhorsen)

Eragon by Christopher Paolini (including the sequel Eldest) The movie comes out this winter. www.Eragonmovie.com

Now reading:

Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2 (Paperback)
by Steve Stockman (Can you tell I'm a fan?)

Vellum: The Book of All Hours by Hal Duncan

and

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Next in my pile of books to read are The Count of Monte Christo and the Man in the Iron Mask, both by Dumas.

And I'm waiting on the last Harry Potter. 'Cause I'm a big dork and not ashamed of it at all.

I've been reading Shadows in the Mist by Brian Moreland, a historical thriller set in WWII Germany.

Oh my gosh!!!! I forgot Harry!!

If it means I'm a dork, so be it.

I am also a Tolkien freak as well (ready the trilogy 8 times before I was 22 years old and have even read the Silmarilian).

And Philip, I have read both Eragon and Eldest ( the second book in the series) and have been a huge fan of Dumas since high school.

Reading some of the other posts made me realize I had left out one of my current non-fiction selections. I am reading a selection of letters and memos of Harry S. Truman, one of my all-time heros.

Can you tell I was an English Lit major?

Greg's observation about law school couldn't be truer about me. I was a fairly voracious reader before I entered the "Skinner Box" at Tech. Now, my reading consists primarily of reviewing food labels and instructions written in quasi-English for assembly of incredibly complex toys. I have been known to read Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine (for a while, as a deludedly aspiring watercolor painter, I used the fantastic photography in that periodical as subject matter). Prior to that, I was a history fanatic, like Greg as well. I seem to recall having read all of J. Frank Dobe's books, several tomes on old Indianola, a blow-by-blow account of Hurricane Carla when it ravaged the Texas coast and several books on the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Oh, yeah. I ate up Doyle's Sherlock Holmes collection, too. And, to confirm my status as a fellow dork, Phillip, I read every Hardy Boys book when I was a kid. At least twice.

Currently, I read the ticker at the bottom of the screen on ESPN. Does that count?

At least I think that was the name of Joe and Frank's aunt in the Hardy Boys series who often made unintelligible noises when responding to their dialog.

ah, Indianola, I'm bringing Dain Whitworth a tome on that very subject tomorrow.

Very interesting...

Amazing I could remember the Aunt's name was Gertrude. Of course, I have trouble remembering many other things. I have accumulated a massive warchest of unuseable information over my lifetime, except for in response to Brumley's posts!

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Originally posted by Scott Brumley:
....I seem to recall having read all of J. Frank Dobe's books,....

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Would this be the Horse Trader, Wild Cow Tales, etc. J.Frank Dobie??? If so, love his stories - hit home in undergrad where I lived on a ranch about 30 miles from civilization in any direction traveled.

OTHER THAN the TDCAA's DWI Investigation and Prosecution (and just about anything else from them)...

I read pretty much all fiction. As a kid, was Walter Farley, J.T. Edson, Luis Lamour and Jim Kjelgaard - Have all of them by these guys. I'd clean up whenever the book fair came to school. Mom would pay the tab so long as it fed my reading appetite.

Now I wait impatiently for certain authors - Lee Child, Daniel Silva, James Lee Burke, Walter Smith (Awesome stuff set in Africa), Clive Cussler, Tom Clancy and John Grisham (who had a new one come out at about the same time - or at least, thats when I finaly saw it - that I finished the Bar Exam - bought it and sat down in a Starbucks and read it in a day). No matter what I'm reading, I'll put it on the side if one of these hits authors hits the shelves.

I currently have 3 books going:
1) "Johnny Tremaine." I know, I know, it is for kids, but I like it too. So sue me.
2) "Making Sense of Search and Seizure Law" by Phillip A. Hubbart. He takes a different approach to 4th amendment law, with a heavy emphasis on the conditions and events in colonial America that gave rise to the amendment. I recommend it.
3) A history of the bicycle entitled "On Your Bicycle."

In line with my ongoing interest in the Old West, my nightstand currently has "A Decent, Orderly Lynching" by Frederick Allen. It's a well-researched account of the Montana gold fields of the late 1860's and the vigilante response to crime, including the hanging of Sheriff Henry Plummer. Mr. Allen was kind enough to autograph a copy when I met him in Wyoming this past July.

If you've ever owned a labrador retriever (or you are a dog lover of any kind), you should try "Marley & Me" by John Grogan. It is fun and easy, what I call "mindless" reading, that made me laugh so loud my husband had to turn up the TV! I am currently reading it for the second time.

How Soccer Explains the World by Franklin Foer

Soccerhead: An accidental journey into the heart of the American game by Jim Haner

Catch Them Being Good: Everything you need to know to successfully coach girls by Tony DiCicco

The Vision of a Champion: Advise and inspiration from the world�s most successful women�s coach by AnsonDorrance and Mia Hamm


I think I need help!!!! My daughters past time is possessing me.

Reading this thread today has reminded me of all the wonderful literature I have been exposed to. The comment about Sherlock Holmes brought back some real flashbacks and the Old West comments reminded me of me and my grandfather sharing Louis L'amour (his all-time favorite). I am surprised that no one has mentioned sci-fi (Harry is fantasy for those who don't know better) such as Anne McCaffrey and Isaac Asimov.

This thread also reminds me why I enjoy TDCAA so much, especially this forum.

I'm right there with Greg & Michael. If you catch me reading fiction it is probably going to be Trollope, Dickens or Jane Austen. (See a theme there?) I did just pick up a great little book: Defining the Worldby Henry Hitchings. It is the story of Samuel Johnson's work on his dictionary...I know it sounds dry but it is interesting. On a desert island? The Bible, Shakespeare and Barbara Tuchman. Paul, don't forget Ray Bradbury, Philip Jose Farmer and Tolkien. I'm wondering what John Stride is reading....

[This message was edited by BLeonard on 09-11-06 at .]

Yes, I'm sure that's where we'll all be this week -- at the Port Isabel library. The other illiterates and I will be on the beach, reading Food & Wine magazine, Cosmo, and learning the infamous do's and don'ts from Glamour.

Picked up an early work of non-fiction by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, "The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor". He has never let me down for good writing with a fantastical flair. I'm sure I'll find a balcony in Padre for some relaxation between meetings.

I've become addicted to podcasts in the car. Through iTunes, you can locate audio on your favorite subjects, from NPR shows to Rush, you can find anything, and most of it is free. Download, burn on a CD, take in the car for all that wasted time or listen to it on the plane ride, and it's amazing what you learn.

Last week, I heard a reading of The Cremation of Sam McGee, a 100-year old poem about the Yukon. Ended up replaying it for all my kids. Another favorite: All Songs Considered. An amazing intro into the new music that is out there.

Ben--you provoked me!

I usually have two or three on the go, but lately I have been reading less. The long winter nights will get me going again. Husbandry books on llamas and goats, histories of classic cars, flyfishing anthologies, any books by John Le Carre and John Irving, accounts about explorers, e.g., Shackleton, Hillary (I like to reread them), Jane Austen. Discounted books that look interesting from B & N or Hastings or the excellent 2nd hand bookstore on the Denton square.

The Banyan Tree by Christopher Nolan is a remarkable book that I have just read. The author has a most unusual writing style. He writes by hitting the keys of his typewriter with a pencil and the book is an extraordinary legacy.

The Amazing Adventures of Captain Gladys Stoutpamphlet and her Intrepid Spaniel Stig Amongst the Giant Pygmies of Beckles (volume 8)

Ethel the Aardvark Goes Quantity Surveying

The President's Neck Is Missing

I forgot to mention 3 others.
Mike Turico - writes fiction about sports. All are excellent.
Troon McAllister and Dan Jenkins - Write about gold - I don't play but both of these guys have me laughing out loud everytime I read them.

I rarely will re-read a book, but Troon McAllister is the rare exception. Writes about a golf hustler Eddie Caminetti... Can't put them down and feel sick whenever I am finished with them. I recomend you read them in their published order; "The Green", "The Foursome", "Scratch", and finally "Barranca" (Last one was my least favorite and it was pretty good).

Boyd Kennedy wrote:

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1) "Johnny Tremaine." I know, I know, it is for kids, but I like it too. So sue me.

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Is that the story of a kid who comes to Texas from Tennesee or some place about the time of the Texas revolution?

John Stride wrote

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Ben--you provoked me! I usually have two or three on the go, but lately I have been reading less. The long winter nights will get me going again. ... books on...flyfishing

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Have you read The Compleat Angler by Isaak Walton?

[This message was edited by BLeonard on 09-13-06 at .]

[This message was edited by BLeonard on 09-27-06 at .]

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Is that the story of a kid who comes to Texas from Tennesee or some place about the time of the Texas revolution?

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Johnny Tremaine took place during the Revolutionary War. In Boston, I think.