The Road - especially THAT ONE SCENE - made me sob genuine tears, and the list of books that have actually done that to me is insanely short.
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- Where the Red Fern Grows
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Goddamnit. I remember reading that in my mom’s car and crying and her asking me what was wrong and me not even being able to talk about it. The Dog Stars got me too, for very similar reasons.
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The Art of Racing in the Rain. I was working a dead end sales internship when in college and every day on lunch I would sit in the cafeteria and read. I still remember just uncontrollably bawling one day while reading this book.
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Can’t even think about that book without wanting to tear up
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Honestly, that’s what I meant when I wrote The Dog Stars. Any book with a dog as a main character tends to end the same way and I just can’t.
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C’mon man, auto onion dicer. My mom had a friend that taught 3rd grade, she said she once had an entire class crying on the Reading Rug during that one.
No spoiler, but my favorite part is when the main character “reaches all the way back to Arkansas” to punch the snotty town kid in the nose.
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We read that as a class in 5th grade…it was a blood bath. Even our teacher, Mr. Hilbom, as he was a hunter and had hunting dogs.
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Hey everyone! So, part of my goals each of the past 2 years has been reading “x” number of books. I’ve traditionally filled that with reading through some fictionally action/adventure series (Scott Harvath and Sean Dillon novels). This year I’m wanting to expand my horizons more and was curious if anyone had any good recommendations for non-fiction books. Not sure what I would really be into, but just kinda wanting to see if there are any goods ones that anyone has read lately to dive into.
Here’s one I know you’ll find of interest:
https://www.amazon.com/Then-Said-Barry-Told-Bob/dp/1572439971
Edit to add: I’ve really gotten into Erik Larson’s work lately - “Devil in the White City” (Chicago World Fair along with one of the most prolific serial killers of all time) was amazing, and “The Splendid and the Vile” (Churchill’s first year back as PM during WW2) was a really good read, too.
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Absolutely catches my fancy. Should have clarified that I’m looking more at non sports, but j just bought this one to tuck away!
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What type of non sports are you looking for?
Honestly just open to suggestions. I’ve never really been to into self help books, but like a good biography/historic book.
As @whk3 said, Devil in the White City is phenomenal, one of my favorites, but I think it is because I like architecture/city planning and serial killers. Erik Larson’s other works are also very good and easy reads since he writes them as if they are fiction, despite being based on historical evidence and well sourced. I thought In the Garden of Beasts was good. I have the Splendid and Vile but have not broken it open yet.
I read Dirt by Bill Bufford last year and enjoyed it, albeit slow at times. It chronicals his move to Lyon to become a french trained chef and does a good dive on the history of food there. We read The Last Ballad by WIley Cash last year for book club and I thought it was a good read. We also read The Day the World Came to Town which was a super easy and fun read.
I’m not the biggest non-fiction reader, so other’s might be better at suggestions, but those are a few that I can recommend, both independently and through Book Club.
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David McCullough is good for historical stuff. I’d recommend The Great bridge, The Pioneers, and The Path Between the Seas. Biographies you cant go wrong with Grant, by Ron Chernow. Six Frigates by Ian Toll is good too. Paris 1919 by Margaret McMillan is also excellent, imo. One Mans Terrorist by Daniel Finn is political history of the IRA too, not sure how dry you like your history though! Making Sense of the Troubles by David McKittrick is a good one re Ireland as well. As a non Western history one I might recommend Pity the Nation by Robert Fisk as well.
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I should also add that a good buddy of mine raves about Endurance by Alfred Lansing, which chronicles Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 attempt to sail to the South Pole.
Also, I know we talked abotu a hiatus of Book Club since it has been quiet on these fronts, but in my limited involvement, I have loved the joy it has brought me. Also, I assume there will be some people using it to help kick start a yearly reading goal (what I did in 2022), so I want to make some suggestions in hopes of getting this kickstarted.
I am eyeing February 26th. It is a Monday with a long enough lead time for people to get through a book. It’s also the first Monday after a holiday weekend which might give people some more flexibility. My suggestions are Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, and in honor of one of our newest roosts, Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by Ryan Stradal. Anyone have any thoughts, suggestions, feedback, etc?
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Check out David Senra’s Founders Podcast. He reviews a biography each week on company founders, but it’s also a great resource to finding interesting books!
I have also been saving books I want to read in an Amazon list: Amazon.com
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I’d love to jump into this, seems like it might be about to start back up again! I’ve been an avid reader forever, fell off a bit with kids and life but one of my 2024 goals is to read more. I don’t have any real recommendations, I’ll read pretty much anything.
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Any interest in restarting this?
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