Good books

[1270d]

for those that enjoy historical fiction,  check out author "Conn Iggulden"   I have seven? of his books on Julius Ceaser and Ghengis Khan, and can't wait for the next of the Khan series.  (its out but im too cheap for hard cover)

[SwampDonkey]

The one I'm reading now is "Citizens Irving:K.C. Irving and his legacy" a historical book about Kenneth Collin Irving (KC) and then I am reading his Biography K.C. I have read these before, but it's been almost 20 years.

Some paraphrases:

"refiners had expanded heavily in the years following the OPEC crisis. When the Canadian market for refined products contracted, oil companies found themselves with too much refinery capacity and too little demand......to keep...immensely expensive installations running at any price, refiners spewed oil products onto the market, causing slashed prices and minuscule profits. The problem was greatest east of Ontario, where most of Canada's refineries were located, and where capacity outstripped demand by 70% in 1977."

In the 1979 Iranian crisis "the major oil companies were in on the action [buying spot market oil which it not on contract so it's inflated in value], [like the Israelis were doing fearing supply shortages], paying huge mark-ups for their crude and, in the process, adding millions of dollars to the value of these cargoes a few nautical miles out of port. The 1979 spot market panic was a gold mine for companies with oil to sell at these skyrocketing prices. K.C., for the first time in his life, became a speculator: from the moment spot prices began climbing in early 1979, Irving Oil was wheeling and dealing itself to huge profits. The company continued to buy tankerloads of crude from Socal at contract prices. But many of the ships never reached Saint John. Instead, the cargoes were sold on the spot market for prices many times higher than Irving could get in Canada.

All along, K.C. knew that having loads of excess production capacity would one day pay off. The refinery was now receiving calls from all over the world from customers eager to buy gas and other refined products. The buyers had to use Irving vessels, to make the delivery. Some days tankers were lined up 5 deep in the waters of the Bay of Fundy, waiting to fill up with Irving products.... Less than 30 % was exported to the US..Irving Oil had become one of the world's great oil traders.

In 1973 federal investigators scoured its headquarters along with those of Gulf, Shell, Texaco, Esso and 7 others. ..investigators left carrying 200,000 pages of documentation, which they hoped contained evidence that the oil companies had conspired together to fix prices. Robert Bertrand ...failed to find the smoking gun. But they found enough to conclude that Canadians were out of pocket by about $12 billion because of overcharging between 1958 and 1973. The study showed in detail how Irving and others bought imported crude and petroleum products at inflated prices and under agreements not reflected in changing world price conditions....companies reduced competition by selecting which firms received refined products and at what price.

The Royal Commission on Newspapers investigated the simultaneous closings of two newspapers [by the Irvings.] There were testy, often bitter exchanges with the commission members.....Arthur Irving gave this explanation  of the family's attitude to newspaper proprietorship. "We like the Saint John paper and that's the only one I'm involved with. I own 40 per cent and I intend to keep it forever...It is our privilege to own it, and nobody in this God-given room is going to take it away from us."

King Irving. ;) :D

[Brucer]

One of my favourite fiction authors is the late Dick Francis. He was professional steeplechase jockey in England and turned to writing when he retired. He wrote something like 44 adventure/mystery novels beginning with Dead Cert in 1962. His last book, Crossfire, was published in 2010, the year he died. As far as I know, they are all still in print.

All the novels involved horses in one way or another, but they weren't all about jockeys. As I recall, with only two exceptions each novel had a different main character. This means you can pretty much pick up any one of his books and read it independent of all the others.

I used to look forward each year to his latest offering. I'm going to miss not having a new one to read this year.

[clww]

The one I'm reading now my wife got me for Christmas from the Bailey's catalog-"High Climbers and Timber Fallers" by Gerry Beranek. A book with great stories and super photographs. There are some BIG trees in that book.

[bama20a]

Anybody read one lately?

I did a search of the archives for a book thread and came up with nothing ???

The Holy Bible, 8)

[Patty]

I just started on "Kite Runner" this morning. So far, so good.

[Raider Bill]

Cold Mountain got started last night.

[chain]

Good reference book for those into local geology and modern landscapes. Fascinating reading from a billions years to the ice age, to the modern era of how our drainages, soils, and foests developed and evolved.

"Missouri Landscapes" by Jon. L. Hawker

[1270d]

i have read kite runner and did not enjoy it :(

[Patty]

You did not like Kite Runner? I am about halfway through it, right at the part where the main character gets married. It is very thought provoking book for sure. Without giving away the whole book, can you say what you did not like about it?

So far I am coming away from the book thinking that humans are the same no matter what our culture......most are good, a few are not. I can't help but think when I am reading the book, what was happening in my life during the years he refers to.

[SwampDonkey]

Maybe you should read "Things Fall Apart", since we are onto other cultures. Written in 1958 by author Chinua Achebe of Nigeria. ;)

[jamesamd]

Tales of The Malazan Book of the Fallen.By Steven Erikson.
10 books in the series,about 1k pages each.
I'm into the 8th.
The best Fantasy series I have EVER read!
And,no,I do not sit on My A$$ all day and read,I work at least 14 Hrs. every day.
Jim

[deutz4]

I am a Ken Follett and Stephen King fan but why has nobody brought up John Sandford and the 'Prey' series. I pick one up and I can't stop.

[Patty]

Finished Kite Runner.....and then read Ayn Rand's "Anthem". Kite Runner was ok...not great.

Anthem knocked my socks off!! Great book! It was written in 1938, and should be a must read for every child, every adult.

I am now reading Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged". This was written back in 1957, yet could just as easily have been written yesterday. The same mind set applies today.

[Raider Bill]

Patty I am a Ayn Rand Fan too! Pretty incredible how what she wrote that so many years ago is now coming true. Don't forget Fountain Head.

[Patty]

Fountainhead was the book she wrote prior to Atlas Shrugged. I need to get it ordered. Have you read Anthem?

[ibseeker]

I should have started a list 45 years ago and kept it updated. I've read a few books more than once and not intentionally, nothing like getting to chapter 3 and thinking it seemed so familiar... :

How do most of you get your books?
Especially those of you with Kindles or iPads? What does a download cost and where do you find the best variety for the price?

The used book stores are all gone in my area. My wife and I started our own library but that was just ridiculously expensive and most books will only be read once. I use the public library, buying them got too expensive and the library has a search feature as well as a reading history log. I don't know what I'd do without the library, it's one of the best public services we can get.

Lately I've been into the post-apocalyptic books but it's probably time for a change...I've been shopping for survival stuff!

If you don't mind dark, disturbing and gritty then try Cormac McCarty...some of the paragraphs this guy writes I have to read a couple of times just so I'm sure I understand what he's written, even then I'm not sure. Some of his books are movies...All The Pretty Horses, No Country For Old Men, The Road.

[pineywoods]

How do most of you get your books?
Especially those of you with Kindles or iPads? What does a download cost and where do you find the best variety for the price

If you are a heavy reader, a kindle or a nook will save you a ton of money. They have built-in wireless internet access that takes you right to amazon or barnes and nobles web site. There's lots of titles on barnes and noble that are free. If not free, the prices run about half the price of a paperback.

[Raider Bill]

Fountainhead was the book she wrote prior to Atlas Shrugged. I need to get it ordered. Have you read Anthem?

Patty sorry I missed this question.

Yes I have read Anthem

[rbarshaw]

I am an avid SciFi reader, I have read all books by authors such as Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinline, Ray Bradbury, Jules Vern, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Aundre Norton, Ann McAffrey, And other more contemporary authors. Also lots of Fantasy, I just finished a series by R. A. Salvatore, the main character is a Dark Elf named Drizzt, quite an amazing series. Just so you all know that I am quite different ( read as crazy ), the other favorite books I like are technical books on most subjects.

I remember reading all of The Foundation series ( Asimov), The Pern series (McAffrey) and, the Dune series, these are some of the best books I have ever read.

[Brucer]

I am an avid SciFi reader ...

William Gibson, Spider Robinson, Robert Sawyer ???

[northwoods1]

Cold Mountain got started last night.

I really liked that book. Liked the movie too.

[northwoods1]

I am a Ken Follett and Stephen King fan but why has nobody brought up John Sandford and the 'Prey' series. I pick one up and I can't stop.

I just started Ken Follets sequel to Pillars of the Earth last evening. I forget what the name of it is. I'm about 60 pp. into it and so far it is holding my attention, only 1000 more to go :D, I actually think I might have to put this one down for a while I am beginning to get distracted with other things.

[northwoods1]

Finished Kite Runner.....and then read Ayn Rand's "Anthem". Kite Runner was ok...not great.

Anthem knocked my socks off!! Great book! It was written in 1938, and should be a must read for every child, every adult.

I am now reading Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged". This was written back in 1957, yet could just as easily have been written yesterday. The same mind set applies today.

I tried to read both of those Ayn Rand books and I just could not do it! Maybe I just wasn't ready for them yet

[northwoods1]

I should have started a list 45 years ago and kept it updated. I've read a few books more than once and not intentionally, nothing like getting to chapter 3 and thinking it seemed so familiar... :

How do most of you get your books?

Whenever I travel and go to a new city, or wherever really, I hit the used book stores. Lots of times I find really good deals on interesting and sometimes rare material. I did that for so long and then I began to have a problem with to many books accumulating. So i started to sell them online. That worked out real well for me I actually ended up with a little fund of profits to buy more books. The internet is a wonderful thing it has revolutionized finding and buying books for me. I still like to hit the books stores though