wilkes

I am currently reading The Historian, and while the concept of the book is excellent, I have been somewhat disappointed. Alot of the historical stuff in it is great, but I am just not sold on the character development.

I am getting ready to read the Historian. I have several books that I need to read and I think I will read it next. We are going to read a new book soon in this club so I will be reading two at once.

I enjoyed Balkan Ghosts when I read it, though it has been a number of years since I read it.

Have you read anything good on Greece? Romania? Turkey?

Has anyone read The Historian? It is excellent.

I didn't enjoy Mediterranean Winter as much as Surrender or Starve or Eastward to Tartary.

If you're doing the whole "Islamic World" thing, I think V.S. Naipaul's Among the Believers and Beyone Belief are the best in the sub-genre.

Balkan Ghosts is on my "to read" list...did you enjoy it?

I have read Balkan Ghosts by Kaplan. How are Mediterranean Winter and Soldiers of God?

Anyone else like books where place/location is important?

William Least Heat Moon, Robert Kaplan, Peter & Barbara Jenkins and Sigurd Olson all have some fantastic travel/place books. Of course, Travels with Charley, A Russian Journal (both Steinbeck), and On the Road (Kerouac) always rank high on my list.

There's an early 20th Century British female travel essayist who has a Middle East title re-issued. I keep meaning to check her, Patrick Fermur, Elinor Burkett and Bill Bryson out.

...I read too much.

Manitou sex doesn't matter here. Men are welcome too. I think men who read are sexy. LOL!

I am going to check out that book by the local lady. Man I have got a crapload of books to read!!

I too read Bookseller and found it readable and compelling. She also has a work about her experience in Baghdad--I have not read it yet but hope to soon.

What other travel type books haved interested you guys?

The Bookseller of Kabul is the only title I've read by her. Not surprised by anything in the book, namely the treatment of women in the Islamic world, but reading it through the story of one family put 'a human face' on it...so to speak.

I'm aware she received some bad press, but I enjoyed nonetheless. Albeit, I'm a sucker for place/travel-essay books.

As a Journalist from Norway, I don't know if she has any other title in English.

Manitou, what did you read by Seierstad?

Girls I would like to make a suggestion here too....I just recently seen a story in the Hickory paper about a woman in Statesville who wrote her first book, based on her story. It is called, Living nightmares of abuse. It is an emotional story of love, heartache and abuse....If you all like this kind of stuff, the reviews were so touching of what this woman went through growing up, and in her adult life. Barnes and Noble has the book now. I plan on getting it. The authors name is Phyllis Benton, if anyone is interested.

Is everyone here a woman?

Since I've read most of the books mentioned in these threads, to include Wicked!, I hope I'm not the only guy reading these titles.

I'm curious whether there's a Margaret Atwood following here. She's my favored female author. This last year I've also enjoyed Mary Doria Russell, Asne Seierstad, Beverly Swerling and Denise Giardina. I wish more serious female authors would have their voices heard.

A Million Little Pieces.

Movies that are made from books, don't tell the whole stories like the books does!!

One last suggestion:

The Beach, by Alex Garland

Do NOT watch the movie with Leonardo diCaprio, though, it was one of the worst interpretations that I've seen. But the book is by far #1 on my list of all-time favorites.

If you enjoyed the Lord of the Flies, The Beach is sort of a grown-up version. A 20-something guy discovers a paradise, only to destroy it.

Thin Ice sounds great! I will have to add that to my books to buy.

I have read The Lovely Bones and it was awesome! It is a book I could read again. I just bought one of the authors other books (can't remember the name) because I loved Lovely so much.

Also, Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold was a great book that you might want to pick. It was on the NY Best Sellers List last year (#1 for awhile, I think), which is when I read it. It's about a young girl that was murdered, and the story takes place after her death.

I might suggest Thin Ice, by Mark Bowen. I haven't read it yet, but it came highly recommended to me recently and the story line is interesting.

Thin Ice is the adventure story of the scientific team from Ohio State University, led by researcher Lonnie Thompson, that has spent the last two decades drilling ice cores in tropical mountain glaciers. Their aim is to retrieve information about climate history from the ice, but there has been a race against time as these glaciers melt, making new history.

Girls I have both of those books so either one would be great for me! Ya'll just let me know when and which. I love classics too and Oprah is now recommending classics so we could just read what she is reading some months.

I don't have a copy of the Historian but I think that Sherrie mentioned that she has it. I would be open to getting it, heck I am open to most any book.