Books: Reading Them, Writing Them, Discussing Them

[Chiefsmom]

I love books.  I learned to read at a very young age, thanks to my mom.  She always had a book near, as did my grandmother.
I have a nook, but to me, there is nothing like an actual book.

I will read anything, as long as it gets my attention in the first few pages.  If not, I try to struggle through it, or I just give up and set it aside, to either try again later, or pass it on to someone else.
Yeah, that includes trashy paranormal romance books.  But those I prefer the series ones, but I actually like the character buildup, and the action.  Shelley Laurenston (?) for example.  Also very funny.

I read a lot of metaphysical books, and alternative history books, I guess they might be called? (Conspiratorial?)  I love discussing them as well.
I am currently reading Anunnaki: Gods no more.  (Struggle a bit with all the "who bred with who, keeping the names straight)
I loved all the recommendations I found at ATS, and would love some more.
I have even been able to read a few of the books written by authors over there, and help edit one on a pre-read.
(for some reason, I see a mistake, spelling, space for a missing word, ect. and just can't let it go.  LOL)

So, I hope there are others that love books, and maybe want to discuss them as well, or recommend some, or heck, just complain about them.

[dbcowboy]

Currently re-reading some great books from my younger days by the British author James Herbert.

Highly recommend!

[Chiefsmom]

Horror!!!!

How did I forget that genre in my OP???
I have read everything Stephen King wrote, up til just after the accident.

Dean Koontz is my #1

I will definitely Check out Mister Herbert.

Thank you.

[Grace]

All the books I read anymore are either just for fun, I'm rereading Texas Ranger by James Patterson ATM, or books of a religious nature (for instance books on the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith or A Case for Amillennialism Understanding The End Times by Kim Riddlebarger etc. Things people find boring... Lol) 

I am excited to see some of the recommendations here though.. I'll keep an eye on your thread.

---

Currently re-reading some great books from my younger days by the British author James Herbert.

Highly recommend!

Oh I love his books!

[VioletDove]

My dad got me interested in reading. He read a lot in his spare time. He would also make some interesting sandwiches because it was easier to eat a sandwich while reading than use a fork. I can’t think of much he didn’t put between two slices of bread   I have the habit of doing the same thing. Gotta eat the bean or stew sandwiches kinda cold though or you may drop some on your book. 

Right now I have a Dean Koontz book, that I found at a second hand store, staring at me. I need to crack it open to see if I accidentally bought one I’ve read already.

[DISRAELI]

All the books I read anymore are either just for fun, I'm rereading Texas Ranger by James Patterson ATM, or books of a religious nature (for instance books on the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith or A Case for Amillennialism Understanding The End Times by Kim Riddlebarger etc. Things people find boring... Lol) 

I am excited to see some of the recommendations here though.. I'll keep an eye on your thread.

---

Currently re-reading some great books from my younger days by the British author James Herbert.

Highly recommend!

Oh I love his books!

My own books have a religious nature, so I'll happily recommend them as they get published. "Prophets, priests, and politics" (on O.T.history) is coming next.

[Chiefsmom]

All the books I read anymore are either just for fun, I'm rereading Texas Ranger by James Patterson ATM, or books of a religious nature (for instance books on the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith or A Case for Amillennialism Understanding The End Times by Kim Riddlebarger etc. Things people find boring... Lol) 

I am excited to see some of the recommendations here though.. I'll keep an eye on your thread.

---

Currently re-reading some great books from my younger days by the British author James Herbert.

Highly recommend!

Oh I love his books!

My own books have a religious nature, so I'll happily recommend them as they get published. "Prophets, priests, and politics" (on O.T.history) is coming next.

Wonderful to have you here!  I don't normally read religious books, but I am going to have to give one a try.  Any one in particular you would recommend for a first timer?

---

My dad got me interested in reading. He read a lot in his spare time. He would also make some interesting sandwiches because it was easier to eat a sandwich while reading than use a fork. I can’t think of much he didn’t put between two slices of bread   I have the habit of doing the same thing. Gotta eat the bean or stew sandwiches kinda cold though or you may drop some on your book. 

Right now I have a Dean Koontz book, that I found at a second hand store, staring at me. I need to crack it open to see if I accidentally bought one I’ve read already.

Smart Dad!
You know, Dean Koontz has so many of them, I've done the same thing, but I will re-read some of the old ones 2 or 3 times.

[DISRAELI]

All the books I read anymore are either just for fun, I'm rereading Texas Ranger by James Patterson ATM, or books of a religious nature (for instance books on the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith or A Case for Amillennialism Understanding The End Times by Kim Riddlebarger etc. Things people find boring... Lol) 

I am excited to see some of the recommendations here though.. I'll keep an eye on your thread.

---

Currently re-reading some great books from my younger days by the British author James Herbert.

Highly recommend!

Oh I love his books!

My own books have a religious nature, so I'll happily recommend them as they get published. "Prophets, priests, and politics" (on O.T.history) is coming next.

Wonderful to have you here!  I don't normally read religious books, but I am going to have to give one a try.  Any one in particular you would recommend for a first timer?

---

My dad got me interested in reading. He read a lot in his spare time. He would also make some interesting sandwiches because it was easier to eat a sandwich while reading than use a fork. I can’t think of much he didn’t put between two slices of bread   I have the habit of doing the same thing. Gotta eat the bean or stew sandwiches kinda cold though or you may drop some on your book. 

Right now I have a Dean Koontz book, that I found at a second hand store, staring at me. I need to crack it open to see if I accidentally bought one I’ve read already.

Smart Dad!
You know, Dean Koontz has so many of them, I've done the same thing, but I will re-read some of the old ones 2 or 3 times.

You might like "The Unseen Husband", which is a survey of the Song of Solomon. "Survey" means I don't claim to offer a full commentary, though I think I tell the full story. The one that's coming up is a survey of O.T. history through the eyes of the prophets.

[MrJesterium]

As a teen, I found R. L. Stine's Goosebumps series immensely helpful for developing a love for reading, it really lives up to the author's claim about its purpose of reading motivation. I'd always carry around his books with me during Sunday service and even on church nights.

I also used to own a short collection of Greek myths, which I drew inspiration from.

Nowadays I usually avoid fiction novels, prefer mostly non-fiction (philosophy, science, history). I make an exceptional case for Aesop's Fables and children's fairy tales.

I also struggle to keep my attention fixed on books. I found it helpful to start with the book's conclusion or look up a summary online. I write down notes to help me remember key info. I also try to summarize what I've read for people who show interest. I also ask people to try and prepare a summary for what they read in turn.

Books I will always recommend to people: Thomas Paine's Age of Reason, Julian's Against the Galileans

I'm currently reading Kepler's Somnium.

[A51Watcher2]

I am currently working on a book based on my database of 1947 UFO sightings in the USA.

I have a link here to a thread on ATS that gives an overview of these sightings for the entire year, not just the Kenneth Arnold to Roswell period. at the time of posting this thread I had 800+ sightings in my database and I now have 1300+.

The posts and replies are pretty prevalent in the beginning and then slow down for a bit then is updated further towards the end.

After reading all of these sightings across the entire nation that year I find it hard to believe the one that "crashes" was a weather balloon.

To be more exact I believe that 2 of them came down and crashed because our new monopulse radar caused one to crash into another in the formation.

Ask any Blue Angel pilot what happens when you fly in formation and deviate from your course, such as what happend and was noticed the first time a formation flew over a military base that had the new monopulse radar.

I have the newspaper sighting report in my database from the same day as Roswell detailing one craft slamming into another causing them both to instantly leave the formation at a downward angle heading towards Roswell.

Anyways, here's the link to my thread -

https://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread651611/pg1

[BIAD]

Anyways, here's the link to my thread -

https://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread651611/pg1

A fantastic link, thank you, A51.

[A51Watcher2]

I posted some additional sightings in one of karl 12's excellent threads

https://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thr...id20752741

---

An interesting footnote to the 1947 sightings was in 1948 and 49 nearly all sightings were of green fireballs for some reason.


So much so that in 49 a Top Secret conference was held with top Military brass and scientists.

Here are the declassified minutes of that meeting -

The Los Alamos conference on aerial phenomena, Feb. 16, 1949:

https://ufologie.patrickgross.org/bb/cao...949-16.htm

---

An interesting footnote to the 1947 sightings was in 1948 and 49 nearly all sightings were of green fireballs for some reason.


So much so that in 49 a Top Secret conference was held with top Military brass and scientists.

Here are the declassified minutes of that meeting -

The Los Alamos conference on aerial phenomena, Feb. 16, 1949:

https://ufologie.patrickgross.org/bb/cao...949-16.htm

[NightskyeB4Dawn]

I don’t know if you are a fan of Lee Child, but I love his “Reacher” series. 

I just started reading his new novel “The Secret”.

It feels like going home for the holidays. It feels familiar and like I have been away too long. 

I love Reacher and Secret Agent Pendergast. 

Two different series, but I love them both.

[LogicalGraffiti]

I love books.  I learned to read at a very young age, thanks to my mom.  She always had a book near, as did my grandmother.
I have a nook, but to me, there is nothing like an actual book.

I will read anything, as long as it gets my attention in the first few pages.  If not, I try to struggle through it, or I just give up and set it aside, to either try again later, or pass it on to someone else.
Yeah, that includes trashy paranormal romance books.  But those I prefer the series ones, but I actually like the character buildup, and the action.  Shelley Laurenston (?) for example.  Also very funny.

I read a lot of metaphysical books, and alternative history books, I guess they might be called? (Conspiratorial?)  I love discussing them as well.
I am currently reading Anunnaki: Gods no more.  (Struggle a bit with all the "who bred with who, keeping the names straight)
I loved all the recommendations I found at ATS, and would love some more.
I have even been able to read a few of the books written by authors over there, and help edit one on a pre-read.
(for some reason, I see a mistake, spelling, space for a missing word, ect. and just can't let it go.  LOL)

So, I hope there are others that love books, and maybe want to discuss them as well, or recommend some, or heck, just complain about them.

As an avid reader, what's your opinion on e-books?  I didn't think it would be as good as holding a real book but it's actually not bad.  Amazon Prime is my go-to when I want something quickly and will read on my phone in the Kindle app.  Just finished the Atlantis Gene trilogy by A.G. Riddle.
Atlantis Gene

[Ninurta]

Once upon a time, I had a home office, and 3 walls of it were lined floor to ceiling with loaded bookshelves. The third wall had a desk with my computer on it (a "lightning fast" 8088 processor in those days with a dot matrix printer, 640k of RAM and two 360k double-sided 5 1/4 floppy drives - state of the art!).

The books were every genre from religious (I had 29 different translations of the Bible, for instance), to science fiction, sword and sorcery, and just plain fantasy, along with technical physics and astronomy texts.

I recall one called "Gilgamesh the King" by Robert Silverberg. It was a retelling of the ancient Sumerian Gilgamesh tales, but with the magic elements toned down to realistic levels - Gilgamesh's encounters with Inanna, for example, involved the high priestess of Inanna rather than the goddess herself.

Anything by Robert A. Heinlein or Robert E. Howard was a safe bet to be on the shelves.

A book titled "The Alien" by Victor Besaw was a mind bending read, but it would probably be hard to find a copy now - I don't think it was ever printed in very large numbers, and I got my copy back in 1979. It wasn't about space aliens, it was about an outsider in a fantasy world.

Andre Norton wrote a lot of stuff I read back then, too. I was surprised when I found out that he was really a she. One that sticks out in my mind is "Daybreak: 2250 A.D.", formerly titled "Star Man's Son". It's about a young fella outcast from his community due to his being a mutant, and his explorations of the world as it was 200 years or so after the last, nuclear, war.

Lately all I've been reading is post-apocalyptic stuff, in particular Franklin Horton's "Borrowed World" series and his "Mad Mick" series. It doesn't hurt that I've known Franklin for years, and he's incorporated me into his "Borrowed World" series as the inspiration for a character named "Hugh" starting in about the 5th book of the series as I recall.

Over the years, I got used to moving a lot, and eventually just stopped unpacking after a move on grounds of futility - I'd just be packing up again shortly, so why bother unboxing? The resutl of that is that most of the stuff I own is still in boxes out in my storage buildings, among them what books I have left. I might go out there in a few days and poke through them to see if I can uncover any other gems I may have forgotten.

.

[p358]

You could try mine.

https://www.amazon.com.au/Symbiotic-Bond...author_mpb

I hope that link works.

I have 4 published and two waiting for an editor.  I lost the last editor because I didn't get the jabby jab. Lol.

More than happy to help any authors on here.

P

[RickinVa]

One book I can highly recommend (if you can find a copy) is Swan Song by Robert McCammon. It's 960 pages, fun ride from the first page.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_Song_...mon_novel)

[Infolurker]

World At War Series - Harry Turtledove.


It is WW2, and the Aliens invade..... 

Pretty freeking good.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldwar_series

[VioletDove]

One book I can highly recommend (if you can find a copy) is Swan Song by Robert McCammon. It's  960 pages, fun ride from the first page.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_Song_...mon_novel)

I read this one a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

[HaarFager]

Re: The Title -

I like all three!  Currently I'm reading one of Mark Twain's latest books - "Who Is Mark Twain?"  My last book was by Dostoevsky.  I'm into poetry books, too.

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Harry Turtledove.

I read one of his books called "Justinian."  Based on the real Roman emperor, fictionalized of course.  It was interesting in that it was told as one long chapter.  Enjoyed it immensely!