What are you reading now?

[Davidokun]

Ring Lardner
You Know Me Al: A Busher's Letters
Charles Scribner's Sons
1960

I purchased this humorous epistolary novel from Acres of Books circa 2002. I've added the rest of Lardner's baseball stories to my reading list.

[Davidokun]

F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby
Scribner
2004

This trade paperback was also given away anonymously by a neighbor. I vaguely recall having read the novel for school, many years ago. No doubt I appreciated it more this time around.

[Davidokun]

Leonard Ehrlich
God's Angry Man
Modern Age Books
1938

The unexpurgated edition in my collection was given away by a former colleague, who inherited a garage filled wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling with books, pamphlets, magazines, newspapers, playbills, etc. I highly recommend this historical novel, first published in 1932, about the life of abolitionist John Brown.

[Davidokun]

William Faulkner
Light in August
Vintage International
1990

This edition follows the text as corrected in 1985 by Noel Polk. It was also given away anonymously by a neighbor.

[Davidokun]

Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall
Mutiny on the Bounty
Back Bay Books
2003

I also purchased this tome from the local Borders Books and Music during their going-out-of-business sale in 2011. I've added the other two novels in the trilogy to my reading list. Coincidentally, last week I watched Red River on Turner Classic Movies. From Wikipedia:

Borden Chase and Charles Schnee wrote the screenplay based on Chase's original story (which was first serialized in The Saturday Evening Post in 1946 as "Blazing Guns on the Chisholm Trail").

From IMDb:

Writer Borden Chase readily admitted that the storyline was Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) with saddles and stirrups.

[Davidokun]

W. Somerset Maugham
Cosmopolitans
Avon Books

First published in 1936, this volume contains 29 very short stories that initially appeared in the pages of Cosmopolitan magazine. Also given away by the aforementioned former colleague, the edition in my collection was in such bad shape that I was forced to remove the pages from the binding to prevent further damage while reading. From "The Wash Tub", one of the stories therein:

"You must forgive me if I talk too much," he said presently. "This is the first chance I've had to speak English for three months. I don't suppose you will stay here long and I mean to make the most of it."

"Three months is a long time to stay at Positano."

"I've hired a boat and I bathe and fish. I read a great deal. I have a good many books here and if there's anything I can lend you I shall be very glad."

"I think I have enough reading matter. But I should love to look at what you have. It's always fun looking at other people's books."

He gave me a sharp look and his eyes twinkled.

"It also tells you a good deal about them," he murmured.

I confess that I also enjoy looking at other people's books. This thread is one way to indulge this desire from afar.

[Davidokun]

John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men
The Modern Library
1938

Probably also given away by the aforementioned former colleague. From Wikipedia:

An early draft of Of Mice and Men was eaten by Steinbeck's dog. As he explained in a 1936 letter:

My setter pup [Toby], left alone one night, made confetti of about half of my [manuscript] book. Two months [sic] work to do over again. It sets me back. There was no other draft. I was pretty mad, but the poor little fellow may have been acting critically.

[Davidokun]

Damon Runyon
The Best of Damon Runyon
Pocket Books
1940

Edited by E.C. Bentley, and originally published in 1938, this volume contains fifteen of Runyon's Broadway stories, including "The Lily of St. Pierre", which features two characters: the titular Lily, and Jack O'Hearts. One wonders if Bob Dylan borrowed these character names:

Bob Dylan - Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
https://youtu.be/agdoeRpTfHg

Also given away by the aforementioned former colleague, I just finished it this morning. Will track down the rest of his stories.

[SoCal45]

Madhouse At The End of The Earth
Julian Sancton
Crown Publishing, NY

Account of Belgian exploration to Antartica in 1897...a generation before Shackelton's exploration.

[DrJay]

Recently read "The Secret Game", about a 1944 basketball game between North Carolina College, now North Carolina Central University, and a very good team of Duke University medical students. Tons of backstory that added to my knowledge about the history of college basketball, and a stark picture of racism in the South during that era.

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Game-Wartime-Courage-Basketballs/dp/0316244627

[bambam1729]

Recently read "The Secret Game", about a 1944 basketball game between North Carolina College, now North Carolina Central University, and a very good team of Duke University medical students. Tons of backstory that added to my knowledge about the history of college basketball, and a stark picture of racism in the South during that era.

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Game-W.../dp/0316244627

That's a tremendous book - I got to meet the author, Scott Ellsworth, a few years ago when he came and spoke at Duke

[bambam1729]

Good book about the race to get the vaccines - "A Shot to Save the World" by Gregory Zuckerman. One of those you hated when you finished because it was such a good read.

[Dave]

W. Somerset Maugham
Cosmopolitans
Avon Books

First published in 1936, this volume contains 29 very short stories that initially appeared in the pages of Cosmopolitan magazine. Also given away by the aforementioned former colleague, the edition in my collection was in such bad shape that I was forced to remove the pages from the binding to prevent further damage while reading. From "The Wash Tub", one of the stories therein:



I confess that I also enjoy looking at other people's books. This thread is one way to indulge this desire from afar.

I enjoyed reading Somerset Maugham as well.

[DrJay]

That's a tremendous book - I got to meet the author, Scott Ellsworth, a few years ago when he came and spoke at Duke

Did you play in that game??

[Alcyallen]

Kyrik: Warlock Warrior.....Gardner G Fox

Here we have the classic heroic fantasy sandals in the sand stuff, demons, sorcery, monstrosities, magic swords, it's all there. Escapism at it's very best, what is around the next rock.......love it!

A little too much flesh on the cover above...


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