Bills Mafia Book Club!

[TheyCallMeAndy]

What’s everyone reading? 
 

I’m a little half way through ‘The Hobbit,’ I read the first LoTRs in Highschool, but that’s when reading was a chore and I didn’t enjoy it. 
 

I’ve always been an off and on reader, I worshiped those Harry Potter books growing up, but I would fail to find anything to really grasp my interest as well. Since 2016 I was slowly working through the ‘Dark Tower’ series, but would take weeks-to-months longs breaks before finishing. 
 

I really recommitted to it half way through 2022 when on vacation in Salem and found a really cool looking book at one of their famous book shops, called “The Blade Itself.” I was HOOKED, wound up finishing 10 books in 2022, 13 in 2023, and started 2024 off strong. 
 

Definitely one of the best decisions I’ve made was to get back into reading. 
 

I can’t be the only one, right? 

[Augie]

I go out to lunch and read almost every day. It’s often the best hour of my day. I look forward to it and hate to say it actually upsets me when friends want to get together for lunch. I join them so I don’t become a complete hermit. 

 

I generally read the same kind of stuff including Grisham, Baldacci, Michael Connolly, etc. The last book outside of that genre was The Art of Racing In The Rain, which is told from the perspective of the dog. I’m a dog lover and enjoyed that one. 

 

When I got into real estate I learned to always have a book in my car. You never know when you’ll have a little time to kill waiting for appointments. I’d never even bring it in the house until I was finished. The book was for my spare moments and something to entertain me during lunch. 

 

 

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Edited January 25 by Augie

[TheyCallMeAndy]

27 minutes ago, Augie said:

I go out to lunch and read almost every day. It’s often the best hour of my day. I look forward to it and hate to say it actually upsets me when friends want to get together for lunch. I join them so I don’t become a complete hermit. 

 

I generally read the same kind of stuff including Grisham, Baldacci, Michael Connolly, etc. The last book outside of that genre was The Art of Racing In The Rain, which is told from the perspective of the dog. I’m a dog lover and enjoyed that one. 

 

When I got into real estate I learned to always have a book in my car. You never know when you’ll have a little time to kill waiting for appointments. I’d never even bring it in the house until I was finished. The book was for my spares moments and something to entertain me during lunch. 

 

Reading on my lunch break is the best part of my day as well, I totally get that! 
 

I’ve been working at replacing “mindlessly scroll FB reel time” with “read time.”

 

I’ve also found reading before bed helps settle my mind. Except “IT,” that just brings effed up dreams…

[Simon]

Total book nerd here.

 

Just finished Rick Atkinson's The Guns at Last Light, the third in a three book series that starts in N Africa, continues through Italy and finishes in Western Europe.

An outstanding and even-handed work if anybody is interested in the subject.

 

Now starting a re-read of Neal Stephenson's Termination Shock. While not necessarily his very best work, it's still rock solid. For my money he is the best fiction writer on the planet so even his "not my best" is far superior to almost everyone else.

 

 

[TheyCallMeAndy]

2 hours ago, Simon said:

Total book nerd here.

 

Just finished Rick Atkinson's The Guns at Last Light, the third in a three book series that starts in N Africa, continues through Italy and finishes in Western Europe.

An outstanding and even-handed work if anybody is interested in the subject.

 

Now starting a re-read of Neal Stephenson's Termination Shock. While not necessarily his very best work, it's still rock solid. For my money he is the best fiction writer on the planet so even his "not my best" is far superior to almost everyone else.

 

 

Love it, it’s also very interesting to see what other people are into, best way to expand the horizons! 
 

Bonus points for Goodreads, I love that App. 

[Toomstone.Part.Duex]

Just Finished  "My Effin' Life"  Geddy Lee's autobiography.    Great book!   The chapter about his parents/family in concentration camps is heartbreaking, and you can't put it down.  

 

I have this on deck:   "The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill"  By Brad Meltzer  (link below) 

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250777267/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Draconator]

15 minutes ago, Toomstone.Part.Duex said:

Just Finished  "My Effin' Life"  Geddy Lee's autobiography.    Great book!   The chapter about his parents/family in concentration camps is heartbreaking, and you can't put it down.  

 

I have this on deck:   "The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill"  By Brad Meltzer  (link below) 

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250777267/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2nd the kudos on Geddy's memoir. I listen to audiobooks, and to have Geddy read his story was amazing.

 

I'm currently listening to Atomic Habits by James Clear. He puts things so simple. I just also finished Unfuc* Yourself by Gary John Bishop. That was also a great listen.

[Augie]

This is where everybody makes me look like crap because I read cheesy commercial books that do absolutely nothing to make me a better, more informed person. I know this spot,  I’ve been here before!   😂 

 

But I enjoy them as an escape type thing. My wife reads almost exclusively self-improvement and leadership type stuff or spiritual stuff. I guess in this case opposites did attract. 

 

EDIT: I’m curious if you’ve (intentionally) read a book more than once? I know I read Catch-22 and The Winter of Our Discontent at least a couple times on purpose. Sometimes I’ll get 10-20 pages in and think it’s sounding too familiar, because it is.

 

 

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Edited January 25 by Augie

[TheyCallMeAndy]

9 minutes ago, Augie said:

This is where everybody makes me look like crap because I read cheesy commercial books that do absolutely nothing to make me a better, more informed person. I know this spot,  I’ve been here before!   😂 

 

But I enjoy them as an escape type thing. My wife reads almost exclusively self-improvement and leadership type stuff or spiritual stuff. I guess in this case opposites did attract. 

 

EDIT: I’m curious if you’ve (intentionally) read a book more than once? I know I read Catch-22 and The Winter of Our Discontent at least a couple times on purpose. Sometimes I’ll get 10-20 pages in and think it’s sounding too familiar, because it is.

 

 

.  

Dude I’m reading The Hobbit, and have read 3 of the Witcher books. Best two books I read last year were basically about a Viking clan with superpowers fighting a giant Wolf-God. I’m 35. 

As long as you enjoy it, it’s good reading!! 

[TheyCallMeAndy]

There are definitely books I’d totally read again, you miss things. First Law Trilogy is phenomenal, I’ll probably re-read Fellowship of the King. There are just sooooo many I’ve never checked out, it’s hard to go back and re-read something. 
 

Shadow of the Gods and Hunger of the Gods are absolutely phenomenal. 

[stuvian]

Just finished David Mamet's memoir "Everywhere an Oink Oink". Good stuff about Hollywood and film making

Edited January 25 by stuvian

[muppy]

I have shelves of books of all kinds. Mostly Christian based and cookbooks. 

 

But my favorite book series which has been around forever is the "Earth Childrens" series by Jean Auel.

 

They are personal historical prehistoric fiction with heroines, villianous weather, survival at it's base level and in the freezing cold some very hot sex and wild berry picking for sweets

 

LOL

 

They are voluminous books but page turning. A series of I think 4.

 

EDIT: I googled there were 6  total  books in the "earth Children" series

 

I need to find one for my next jury duty summons. NEVER go to jury duty without a book it is torturous

Edited January 25 by muppy

[TheyCallMeAndy]

17 minutes ago, muppy said:

I have shelves of books of all kinds. Mostly Christian based and cookbooks. 

 

But my favorite book series which has been around forever is the "Earth Childrens" series by Jean Auel.

 

They are personal historical prehistoric fiction with heroines, villianous weather, survival at it's base level and in the freezing cold some very hot sex and wild berry picking for sweets

 

LOL

 

They are voluminous books but page turning. A series of I think 4.

 

EDIT: I googled there were 6  total  books in the "earth Children" series

 

I need to find one for my next jury duty summons. NEVER go to jury duty without a book it is torturous

Now THAT is quite the range 😂🤣

[WhoTom]

I read a variety of stuff, from non-fiction to fiction of many genres. In non-fiction. I read science, "casual" Eastern philosophy, and occasional biographies.

 

In fiction, I like hard sci-fi - the kind that obeys the laws of physics and doesn't rely on magic like transporters, warp speeds, and universal translators. Don't get me wrong - I'm a Trekkie and a Star Wars fan, but for reading material, I lean toward the hard stuff. Asimov and Vonnegut are my favorites, but I've been reading some great sci-fi from lesser-known authors too. I read Asimov's autobiography, I.Asimov, a few months ago. I'm not sure how that's escaped me for all these years, but I'm glad I found it.

 

I don't read a lot of drama, but I recently read Exodus by Leon Uris. It's a novel about holocaust refugees. The plot and characters are made up, but the historical perspective is pretty accurate.

 

I also like mysteries, psychological thrillers, and books with zany humor, like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Augie, you asked if people re-read books. I read the original trilogy in college. Then another book came out, so I reread the trilogy before reading the fourth book. Then a fifth book ... and you can see the pattern. When Douglas Adams died in 2001, I re-read the entire series. That's the only one I've read more than twice, but I can think of a handful of books that I've read a second time.

 

 

 

[Another Fan]

I'm not a big reader but I bought this book recently that I thought was kind of cool.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Amboys-Historic-Neighborhoods-Images-America/dp/1540252019

 

 

My grandparents were from that town, dad was born there and went too school there, I went too church there, I still establish bakeries and restaurants there so the bottom line is I feel I have connections to it.

 

So it's cool to read old photos of places and events and what not.

 

Had no idea Arthur Ashe won a tennis tournament there in the 1960's or they even had such a thing.  

Edited January 26 by Another Fan

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I read a ton. Some non-fiction. But a lot of foreign-author fiction, and the stuff that usually gets short listed for the major fiction awards (eg, booker award).
 

I remember years ago there was a similar book thread on here and someone recommended a book. I read it, and it was horrendous. So I don’t trust any of you. 😁

[Simon]

5 hours ago, Augie said:

I’m curious if you’ve (intentionally) read a book more than once?

 

I can't even count the number of books I re-read occasionally.

My favorite piece of historical fiction is a trilogy over 2000 pages long and I've probably read it at least 4-5 times. And if you think I'm nuts, he wrote the entire 17,000 page manuscript by hand. It's in the Sci-Fi HOF along with the ink pots and cartridges he used. Talk about putting some love in your cooking. 🤯

 

1 hour ago, WhoTom said:

In fiction, I like hard sci-fi - the kind that obeys the laws of physics and doesn't rely on magic like transporters, warp speeds, and universal translators......I also like mysteries, psychological thrillers, and books with zany humor.

 

Fellow sci-fi geek here:

Here is a few things you might really like:

 

Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky

 

Live Free or Die - John Ringo

 

Broken Angels / Woken Furies - Richard K Morgan

 

Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson ( part of the infamous Cap'n Crunch chapter  )

 

 

Also, if you're a big fan of Kurt, his son Mark Vonnegut wrote a fascinating book called The Eden Express about his experience with manic depression and schizophrenia. 

 

 

 

 

[Simon]

4 hours ago, Augie said:

This is where everybody makes me look like crap because I read cheesy commercial books that do absolutely nothing to make me a better, more informed person.

 

If you like it, it's good. 

And that's all there is to it.

[Another Fan]

1 hour ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

I read a ton. Some non-fiction. But a lot of foreign-author fiction, and the stuff that usually gets short listed for the major fiction awards (eg, booker award).
 

I remember years ago there was a similar book thread on here and someone recommended a book. I read it, and it was horrendous. So I don’t trust any of you. 😁

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Waxing-On-The-Karate-Kid-and-Me-Hardcover-9780593185834/403711447?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=101174032&gclsrc=aw.ds&&adid=22222222227403711447_101174032_154854157839_20776801864&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=680763750869&wl4=pla-2252175854337&wl5=9004005&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=736879059&wl11=online&wl12=403711447_101174032&veh=sem&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqN7P0oX6gwMVpUhHAR2ynAl3EAQYAyABEgLWM_D_BwE

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

32 minutes ago, Another Fan said:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Waxing-On-The-Karate-Kid-and-Me-Hardcover-9780593185834/403711447?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=101174032&gclsrc=aw.ds&&adid=22222222227403711447_101174032_154854157839_20776801864&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=680763750869&wl4=pla-2252175854337&wl5=9004005&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=736879059&wl11=online&wl12=403711447_101174032&veh=sem&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqN7P0oX6gwMVpUhHAR2ynAl3EAQYAyABEgLWM_D_BwE

believe it or not, I read this, and it wasn’t that good!