what are you reading lately?

[Redondo]

Just picked up  The Crossing by Michael Connelly

 

I've read most of his books

[mrwicked]

I'm doing an M.S.

 

Yeah man, I really enjoy data science. I'm pretty good at R and SAS which is pretty valuable to employers. 

 

That's pretty awesome, man. distributed systems is pretty cool, I'm taking a class on that next quarter. I'm taking a regular Systems course right now learning assembly, virtual memory, cache memory, yada yada.

 

failos how is the world of computer science academia going for you?

[Sam Sanchez]

Currently reading What Makes Sammy Run? by Budd Schulberg

 

 

Almost done and it's awesome. Manages to be great despite focusing on a very unlikable character. Focuses on the cutthroat, do anything to get ahead , 1940s Hollywood studio system written by someone who was the son of film producer and studio executive and who also wrote the screenplays for On the Waterfront and A Face in the Crowd.

 

 

Ben Stiller had wanted to adapt it but with no luck, and Spielberg has openly said it "should never be made" into a movie because of how anti-Hollywood it seems. Also has been accused of being anti-Semitic. I could see someone like Scorsese making a solid movie out of this, somewhere along the lines of Wolf of Wall Street.

[arch stanton]

I just saw that Umberto Eco died. I enjoyed The Name Of The Rose and Foucalt's Pendulum. So far 2016 seems like one long obituary.

[ELEVEN]

Humble Bundle is out with their latest

https://www.humblebundle.com/books

In essence you pay what you want for the bundle and it includes up to 12 books. Average donations is around $10 for the bundle, which gets you every book. Includes some interesting selections, including American Gods from Neil Gaman. Definitely a deal to look at if you are the type who likes to try out new authors, and this definitely is more of a sci-fi/fantasy collection.

They also have game bundles.

A portion of the proceeds goes to Charity.

American Gods is fantastic. I'm more of a noir/crime fiction/thriller enthusiast, but that was a great read.

[Guest]

failos how is the world of computer science academia going for you?

pretty damn tough. I have no life, and I'm constantly under stress haha.

 

I need to settle on a speciality ( probably software engineering ).

 

On the flip side, I have around ~10 courses until I get my degree.

 

Have you made progress on your new start-up yet? 

[Sam Sanchez]

American Gods is fantastic. I'm more of a noir/crime fiction/thriller enthusiast, but that was a great read.

 

What are some noir/crime/thriller books you'd recommend?

 

 

I've recently started reading heavily over the last couple years, and these type of books are some of my favorites. I've read a few Elmore Leonard already (Rum Punch, Out of Sight), Dashiell Hammet (Red Harvest, Maltese Falcon), The Big Sleep, Friends of Eddie Coyle, Silence of the Lambs, James M. Cain (Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity), etc.

 

I have a pretty decent list of stuff I've plan to read, just curious if there's anything in particular you'd recommend that I should bump up to the top?

[ELEVEN]

What are some noir/crime/thriller books you'd recommend?

I've recently started reading heavily over the last couple years, and these type of books are some of my favorites. I've read a few Elmore Leonard already (Rum Punch, Out of Sight), Dashiell Hammet (Red Harvest, Maltese Falcon), The Big Sleep, Friends of Eddie Coyle, Silence of the Lambs, James M. Cain (Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity), etc.

I have a pretty decent list of stuff I've plan to read, just curious if there's anything in particular you'd recommend that I should bump up to the top?

I didn't see this post earlier. Sorry about that.

I have been reading quite a bit of newer noir writers. Dennis Lehane is terrific. I like the Harry Bosch police procedurals from Michael Connoly. Charlie Huston has a great noir trilogy. Caught Stealing, Six Bad Things, & A Dangerous Man.

Duane Swierczynski's The Wheelman is a non stop thriller.

The Guards by Ken Bruen.

James Ellroy's LA Quartet of

The Black Dahlia

The Big Nowhere

LA Confidential

White Jazz

Pete Dexter is a writer I would loosely consider noirish, and a terrific talent.

So many more I could add.

Of those you mention above, Friends of Eddie Coyle is my favorite. I love me some Hammet as well.

[Slegnaac]

I just finished The Wheelman.  A very fast paced story.  

[Ray McKigney]

Reading a lot of Raymond Carver short stories. Cathedral is terrific so far.

[Tank]

6 hours ago, Slegnaac said:

I just finished The Wheelman.  A very fast paced story.  

did you like it? what was it about?

[Slegnaac]

I thought it was very good. The story revolves around a get away driver and a bank job that isn't 100% successful.  It is a page turner, or a screen swiper in my case.  

[ten ocho recon scout]

American desperado. It's about one of the Americans in cocaine cowboys. Really interesting.

[mrwicked]

started reading new book on plane: "city of thieves" by david benioff. turns out he's the guy that wrote 25th hour, and also now produces/writes game of thrones.

i rarely read fiction, but someone recommended this to me and i bought it on a whim. its during ww2, and two russians in nazi-blockaded leningrad are caught for simple crimes by a russian colonel. and he basically says i'll spare your lives if you go find me a dozen eggs to use for my daughters wedding cake (which is just such an absurd task during depths of war). so the story is about their trying to survive and hunt down eggs in leningrad and being nazi lines. its brutal but sometimes funny.

I'm about 2/3 done but enjoying it so far. its a super easy read, entertaining. 

here is the amazon description: 

"During the Nazis’ brutal siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov is arrested for looting and thrown into the same cell as a handsome deserter named Kolya. Instead of being executed, Lev and Kolya are given a shot at saving their own lives by complying with an outrageous directive: secure a dozen eggs for a powerful Soviet colonel to use in his daughter’s wedding cake. In a city cut off from all supplies and suffering unbelievable deprivation, Lev and Kolya embark on a hunt through the dire lawlessness of Leningrad and behind enemy lines to find the impossible.

By turns insightful and funny, thrilling and terrifying, City of Thieves is a gripping, cinematic World War II adventure and an intimate coming-of-age story with an utterly contemporary feel for how boys become men."

here is the NY times review:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/books/review/Fishman-t.html

Edited May 11, 2016 by mrwicked

[OCAngelsNotLAA]

18 minutes ago, mrwicked said:

started reading new book on plane: "city of thieves" by david benioff. turns out he's the guy that wrote 25th hour, and also now produces/writes game of thrones.

i rarely read fiction, but someone recommended this to me and i bought it on a whim. its during ww2, and two russians in nazi-blockaded leningrad are caught for simple crimes by a russian colonel. and he basically says i'll spare your lives if you go find me a dozen eggs to use for my daughters wedding cake (which is just such an absurd task during depths of war). so the story is about their trying to survive and hunt down eggs in leningrad and being nazi lines. its brutal but sometimes funny.

I'm about 2/3 done but enjoying it so far. its a super easy read, entertaining. 

here is the amazon description: 

"During the Nazis’ brutal siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov is arrested for looting and thrown into the same cell as a handsome deserter named Kolya. Instead of being executed, Lev and Kolya are given a shot at saving their own lives by complying with an outrageous directive: secure a dozen eggs for a powerful Soviet colonel to use in his daughter’s wedding cake. In a city cut off from all supplies and suffering unbelievable deprivation, Lev and Kolya embark on a hunt through the dire lawlessness of Leningrad and behind enemy lines to find the impossible.

By turns insightful and funny, thrilling and terrifying, City of Thieves is a gripping, cinematic World War II adventure and an intimate coming-of-age story with an utterly contemporary feel for how boys become men."

here is the NY times review:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/books/review/Fishman-t.html

I read this book too.  I really enjoyed it. 

[Homebrewer]

Since the summer reading season is here, and the Angels aren't taking up much time for many of us this year, I thought I'd revive this thread and see what people here are reading.

Myself, I've discovered a new (to me) author that I'm pretty obsessed with the last few months.

James Lee Burke.

His novels are set mostly in Louisiana Bayou Country and Texas and his writing style is highly descriptive and almost prose like. A few are collections of short stories. He runs the gamut from crime/detective to historical fiction to short stories.

I picked up a paperback just by chance and now I'm on a quest to read all 20 or so works by this guy. I'm totally absorbed. It's pretty much "guy stuff" too which makes it even more fun. Great reads.

http://jamesleeburke.com/

[Adam]

http://deadspin.com/how-america-s-favorite-sports-betting-expert-turned-a-s-1782438574

 

Great piece about those slimy sports betting pick sellers

[Adam]

38 minutes ago, Homebrewer said:

Since the summer reading season is here, and the Angels aren't taking up much time for many of us this year, I thought I'd revive this thread and see what people here are reading.

Myself, I've discovered a new (to me) author that I'm pretty obsessed with the last few months.

James Lee Burke.

His novels are set mostly in Louisiana Bayou Country and Texas and his writing style is highly descriptive and almost prose like. A few are collections of short stories. He runs the gamut from crime/detective to historical fiction to short stories.

I picked up a paperback just by chance and now I'm on a quest to read all 20 or so works by this guy. I'm totally absorbed. It's pretty much "guy stuff" too which makes it even more fun. Great reads.

http://jamesleeburke.com/

guy stuff like fixing cars or like banging prostitutes?

[Jobu]

Fixing cars. Shirtless. Talking about banging prostitutes. Cuz, Ya know, they totally have done that. Many times. 

Bruh. 

[Tank]

5 hours ago, Adam said:

http://deadspin.com/how-america-s-favorite-sports-betting-expert-turned-a-s-1782438574

 

Great piece about those slimy sports betting pick sellers

scum merchants. they're all over sports talk radio, especially during football season. "it's not too late to buy my guaranteed pick for monday night football. call now and i'll give you my three personal picks . . ."

[arch stanton]

Caveat emptor. When you're willing to give up cash for someone's opinion you get what you pay for.

[Homebrewer]

17 hours ago, Adam said:

guy stuff like fixing cars or like banging prostitutes?

Hookers and blow dude, hookers and blow.

[Lhalo]

Just ordered the hardback from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062444255/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Ray McKigney]

42 minutes ago, Lawrence said:

Just ordered the hardback from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062444255/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Hells Angels were bad news for anybody who got involved with them. George Harrison got friendly with them and invited them to Apple Records and they wouldn't leave for days. Harrison had to ask them to leave and everybody thought they were going to beat the shit out of him. Pretty interesting story.

[Docwaukee]

The Outliers by Gladwell.  Loved it.  

Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben.  Grabbed it as I was getting on a flight the other day.  Quick read.  Decent.  

I just bought 'The Centrist Manifesto' and a couple other books by Charles Wheelan as well as Nate Silver's 'The Signal and the Noise'.  Looking forward to them as well as 'Thinking Fast and Slow' by Kahneman.  

I have 'the Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci' by Spence sitting on my desk.  For whatever reason I can't get myself to start it.  Anyone ever read it?  

I might mix Dan Brown's 'Inferno' in there at some point as well.