What books are in your future?

[Eamonn]

Soon many of us will answer the call of the wild, move out of the recliner, tell our ever-loving that he or she can at least of a little while take custody of the remote.

Faced with only the joys of mother nature and the sweet sound of Scouts yelling we will fill the void with reading a few good books.

So what books do you plan to read or re-read this summer?

Eamonn

[local1400]

E, just finished "Murder on the Appalachian Trail" by Jess Carr. Very well written true story. Looking for "Eight Bulletts" about 1 murder/1 attempted murder of female couple on A.T. in PA. Also get many books on audio for my commute and listen to a lot. Listened to "The Smokejumper" by Nicholas Evans and had to hear twice it was so well done. Got a hammock E?

[John-in-KC]

Harry Potter VII is definitely on the list.

 

Probably will read Christopher Paolini's stuff, so I can converse with my son.

 

It's about past time to re-read lots of CS Lewis, starting with the Screwtape Letters, but including Chronicles of Narnia series.

[fgoodwin]

I have a stack of books on my night-stand waiting to be read, but at the top of the stack is "To Do My Best: James E. West and the History of the Boy Scouts of America".

 

I'll start that one as soon as I finish "The World According to Beaver: The Official Leave It To Beaver Book". I'm about 80% of the way through it now.

[OldGreyEagle]

Just before Summercamp a reading of "Lord of the Flies" always helps me understand camp dynamics

 

Then in late summer "To Kill a Mockingbird" is good, and if you ever see the movie, that is Robert Duvall for about 45 seconds as Boo Radely when he was like 19

 

I have always been a Herman Hesse fan, when I read his books I feel like I can see a little old German man sitting in the corner telling me a story. "Demian" is a great comming of age book, and it has no rottweilers, "Steppenwolf" is a great thought provoking book, "Siddhartha" shows what happens when you make the use of your available resources, and then "Magister Ludi, or the Glass bead Game" is wonderful.

Books to reas on a summer afternoon when you can take a break and contemplate

 

I would like to say I would be thinking of re reading I Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason", but I havent gotten through it once as yet

[packsaddle]

Just finished, "The Case of the Female Orgasm: Bias in the Science of Evolution" and Dawkins', "The God Delusion".

Starting, "The Evolution of Morality" and "Primates and Philosophers: How Morality Evolved".

Also taking a look at a very old book, "The Human Mind and the Behavior of Man" by Wells, Huxley, and Wells.

I'm rereading "Water From Heaven" as a senior seminar topic source.

 

A note off topic. While sitting for graduation, I was able to identify some of my (now much older) cub scouts who have attained degrees in their chosen fields. It is nice to see boys who start well as scouts and then continue to start well as professionals. This is the true reward for mentorship.

[TheScout]

Just started "The Campaigns of Napoleon." That is a hefty piece of work that should last me awhile.

[Sir_Scoutalot]

I just finished John Krakauer's Into Thin Air, which recounts his 1996 climb of Mount Everest in which four or five of his climbing partners perish after reaching the summit. An amazing read.

 

It was so good I started another book he wrote, Into The Wild. This true story details the tale of a young man who graduates college, then sets off on a bizarre western odyssey that ends when his remains are discovered on an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness.

[hot_foot_eagle]

Undaunted Courage will find its way into my foot locker again this year. Outdoors, diversity, adversity, friendship, and leadership . . . kinda reminds me of another organization I love.

 

 

[Eamonn]

For the past few weeks I have been reading a lot of stuff that deals with navigation and piloting.

I'm starting to think I'm more confused than ever.

Her Who Must Be Obeyed has ordered me a copy of Mike Greenberg's: Why My Wife Thinks I'm an Idiot.

I have to think she is trying to tell me something.

Last time I was in B&N, James Patterson's, 4th July. was on the reduced pile, I haven't read Step On A Crack yet and I'm thinking about buying The 6th Target .

I love John Grisham and have read everything he has done except for The Innocent Man - I'm not sure if I'm going to read it or not. I did look at it when it came out and even though I'm not for the death penalty, somehow it just didn't seem like a book that Grisham would write.

I have 3 Robert Ludlum books waiting for me to read. One is The Ambler Warning, which he started before he died and someone else finished. Everyone I have talked with about it tells me it stinks.

I also have a copy of No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin, it's a biography of the remarkable Roosevelt's (Franklin and Eleanor ) and an account of America during wartime.

I think Eleanor was a remarkable woman.

PBS aired the final installment of Dickens Bleak House, last night (it was a repeat) I really like Dickens and can re-read just about any Dickens book at any time.

Still maybe now that I have been on this side of the pond for a while I suppose I should try and catch up with Mark Twain? I have of course read and know Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, but other than that my education is sadly lacking.

Ea.

[epalmer84]

I'm re-reading "To Do My Best: James E. West and the History of the Boy Scouts of America". I'm slowly re-working the West article on Wikipedia, Boyce and Seton are next, then I need to find more stuff on Beard. I got sidetracked by John Colter- In a few months it will be the 200 year anniversary of his trek to Yellowstone, and it would be nice if I could get his birthplace to recognize him in some manner.

 

Ed

[SWScouter]

I believe I've read everything Grisham's published, including, "The Innocent Man." I enjoyed it. Well, as much as you can enjoy a book on that subject. It is good though, give it a shot.

 

I've read a lot of Patterson (or whoever writes his books these days) too. I like the short chapters; it's easy to stop at a moments notice - or not. The Women's Murder Club series is good entertainment. You mentioned, "4th of July" and "6th Target" so I can't tell where you are at in it. The series is: "1st to Die," "2nd Chance," "3rd Degree," "4th of July," "The 5th Horseman," and "The 6th Target." I suggest reading them in order, same as with his Alex Cross series. My wife received "The 6th Target" for Mother's Day. I plan to read it when she finishes. "Step on a Crack" is okay. Besides, "The 6th Target," I have a few other Patterson books ready to read such as "Season of the Machete," "See How They Run," and "Cradle and All."

 

I'm into John Sanford's Prey series too and "Invisible Prey" is about to be (or just) released. I'll definitely get my dirty paws on it. I may just suggest it as a Father's day gift.

 

I've gotten on a history kick lately too and have read David McCullough's "1776" and "John Adams." Both are very good. I received his Pulitzer prize winning "Truman" for my birthday and am looking forward to reading it. I would also like to read, "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I hear it is very good. Hot_foot_eagle mentions another great read about the Lewis and Clark expedition, "Undaunted Courage."

 

As far as an education in American literature goes, try Tom Robbins' "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" (1976). It's main character, Sissy Hankshaw is a young woman with extraordinarily long thumbs that hitch hikes around the country. Uma Thurman played her in the movie made in 93.

 

Boy that's a lot of reading! I don't know how long it will take to get through it all, and more keeps being published. Perhaps I should not volunteer as much. Nah.

 

SWScouter

[CalicoPenn]

I'll continue my recently started quest to read all of the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee mysteries written by Tony Hillerman.

 

I plan to re-read some of the Anna Pigeon mysteries by Nevada Barr (set in various National Parks, Anna is a Law Enforcement Ranger).

 

Also on the re-read list is A Density of Souls and The Snow Garden by Christopher Rice (Anne Rice's son).

 

On the non-fiction front, a re-reading of William Least Heat-Moon's Blue Highways around weekend campfires is sure to happen. The Journals of Patrick Gass (a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition), Into Thin Air (Jon Krakauer), The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln (CA Tripp), Hunting a Shadow - the Search for Blackhawk (Crawford Thayer), Chocolate (a history of chocolate by Mort Rosenblum), The Founding Fish (John McPhee), and an Edward Abbey tryptich - Postcards from Ed (Edward Abbey), Adventures with Ed (Jack Loeffler) and Edward Abbey, a Life (James Cahalan) are on deck.

 

Other items on the reading list this summer are Clouds & Weather, Rivers & Streams, Trees, Insects, Birds, Campfires, etc.

 

Calico

[Miki101]

epalmer, if you're re-working the West article on Wikipedia, I encourage you to check your sources carefully. That Wiki article has several factual mis-statements, making it somewhat unreliable.

 

 

[emb021]

"epalmer, if you're re-working the West article on Wikipedia, I encourage you to check your sources carefully. That Wiki article has several factual mis-statements, making it somewhat unreliable. "

 

Oh? I haven't checked the article, but I know I did a lot of fixup work on it, based on the Rowan bio. I'll have to take a look at it again.

 

Anyway, back the topic at hand.

 

Currently I have been reading the "Sword of Truth" series by Terry Goodkind. I don't usually go for fantasy (mainly perfer SF, thriller, and certain 'horror' and mystery authors). This is NOT a series for kids. And it has some vary interesting underlying philosophy to it.

 

This summer, I plan on reading the last Harry Potter book (most like plane reading). Also, the new 2 book series by Peter Hamilton (finally both out in paperback). There are a few series that will have its next work out that I am planning on getting, like Repairman Jack, Dirk Pitt, and a few others.