Suburbankidz
Well-known Member
Talented guy but such a tragic story
Whatcha Reading Right Now?
- Thread starter Hewitt2
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Suburbankidz
Well-known Member
Excellent book and a tough read. It really freaked me out.
NackAttack
Active Member
Yes sir! I just finished the first four Murderbot stories and then Network Effect. I am currently reading PKD’s short stories while I decide what novel to tackle next. I have a lot of catching up to do because I’ve only been reading Sci-Fi for a few years. I usually pick up books on the Hugo and Nebula list.
JimmyM
Diamond Member
I found Daltrey's autobiography compelling. When I read Pete Townsend's autobiography, he didn't write much about Keith Moon and how his playing affected the band, nor did he indicate whether or not he tried to help Moon and his addictions. On the other hand, Daltrey did try to help Moon with his problems on multiple occasions, and knew exactly what Keith's drumming brought to the band.
Yep, Daltrey loved Keith’s drumming, but wasn’t really keen on Entwistle while Pete loved how his bass playing sounded like a lot more people. Daltrey always wanted him to turn down and cut treble, and Entwistle would turn up. He says he should have left him alone now, but the end result would probably have been the same.
NackAttack
Active Member
I’ve read all but the latest 3 Reacher novels. I still like reading them, bout halfway through the series I stopped enjoying them as much.
I've only read the first one, "Killing Floor," which coincidentally was the plot for the entire first season of the TV show, so I knew all along what was going to happen. Still a good show, though, as was the second season. Anthony Michael Hall is apparently the head bad guy for season three, so us Brat Pack fans are looking forward to him chewing up the scenery.
GretschedHive
Gold Member
That's about the same for me too--maybe the latest 4, in my case. I've enjoyed every one of them as I'm reading them but I'm not sure I'll ever reread any of them. They're very high quality from a craft POV and certainly Lee Child must work quite hard to be so prolific.
I've been reading Let the Old Dreams Die, a short story collection by Swedish writer John Ajvide Lindqvist, author of Let the Right One In, which was later made into a Swedish film and then the American version, retitled Let Me In, starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloë Grace Moretz, Elias Koteas and Richard Jenkins. As with the films, the short stories are hauntingly wonderful stuff.
Mr Farkle
Well-known Member
I haven’t read that one yet, but “No Man is An Island” is a lifetime companion book for me. I keep going back to it. I’m currently reading through New Seeds of Contemplation. Merton is a great antidote to a lot of contemporary thought/teaching.
BobC
Silver Member
C-47 & R4D Units of the Pacific and CBI. Just finished The Forgotten Fifteenth by Barret Tillman. I'm about ready to start on P-38 Lightning vs. Bf 109 North Africa, Sicily and Italy 1942-43 by Edward Young, then Tempest Squadrons of the RAF ands Malta Spitfire Aces.
In case you haven't guessed, I'm a total WWII aviation junkie. I buy these Osprey aviation books all the time, on eBay and Amazon.
In case you haven't guessed, I'm a total WWII aviation junkie. I buy these Osprey aviation books all the time, on eBay and Amazon.
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cbphoto
Diamond Member
In 2011, I received a phone call from some guy saying he was from the Army. He claimed the Army had found bones of one of my relatives and needed my DNA for proof. I laughed and hung up on him.
A few minutes later I get a call from a cousin. She says the guy is legit, and I must go to army.mil and seek out family repatriation services. I do this, and my call eventually connects me with the man who initially called me.
He vaguely explains that someone, somewhere, found remains. After the army researched the crash records, they concluded my family could be related to one of the deceased. If the remains were from a relative, they would be buried according to instructions from the next closest of kin (which was an aunt of mine). I was apprehensive but agreed to the DNA test. (I am the last surviving male in my father's bloodline, and the X-Y chromosome is how they identify relatives.) A month later, a DNA test (multiple swabs of the back of my throat) was sent to me. I returned it and forgot about it.
Six months later I get an email with a ONE-TIME-ONLY link to a folder on a government server. It turns out, the pilot was my uncle. The folder had lots of information. His plane was shot down west of Italy, on a bombing run in Italy.
What surprised me the most was that the army used first-hand witness testimony of the crash! This is one of seven, and they were all fairly detailed:
His remains were interred next to his mother, as per the instructions from my aunt (sister of the deceased). I never heard anything else on the matter.
I was shocked at the army's effort to reconnect the deceased with their families. The army fellow I spoke with said it's a non-stop job, and my initial distrust was S.O.P.
BobC
Silver Member
Very cool story. They are still finding missing WWII vets, and with DNA testing what it is today, identifying men is so commonplace.
BobC
Silver Member
I read this a while ago. Clark was extremely talented, easily the best songwriter in The Byrds, but fell victim to drugs and drink. His solo career never really took off.
flamateurhour
Active Member
Murderbot for the win! Such a cool series.
cbphoto
Diamond Member
I'm reading the authorized biography of Tom Petty. It has plenty of detail about Tom & his bandmates, but, for me, the author injects too much of his style into the writing, like he's trying too hard to be cool. But I like Stan Lynch more and more. At a press conference, a reporter asks Stan what he likes most about being in the band:
cbphoto
Diamond Member
I just finished this book and found my opinion of the band went down the toilet. Bonzo was a belligerent drunk, Page became a heroine addict, John Paul was practically ostracized due to his disdain for the slop they made while high (live & in the studio). Plant participated in the groupie antics with booze & pot, and when his 5-year old son died he fell apart (it was the beginning of the band's demise).
While working yesterday, I played their albums sequentially, from first to last. I still prefer #1–4. Everything after that doesn't move/entertain me like the first four. After album #4, they became incredibly wealthy and with it, drug addled.
Interesting fact: all concerts on all tours were paid in cash, before they stepped onto the stage. Their manager, Peter Grant, leveraged their popularity to get this kind of deal. At various points in their career, they'd have trunk loads of cash in the plane/bus/hotel. This was very helpful for buying drugs and avoiding the taxman. But it also brought arrogance, like when Bonzo beat someone up, then littered cash on their face saying, "Here. Go clean up."
The book is researched very well. Literally half the volume is bibliography and sources of quotes. Lotsa details about their lives. Not much detail about Bonham's kit, but some tidbits about Page's guitars. The turn-off for me was when the author described the music in each album. Like anyone describing a work of audio art, words fall short and lotsa words fall even shorter.
The story is so tragic in its own way. They really did have a sum greater than its parts, but let drugs destroy it.
