so what are you reading now?

[teetwoohsix]

"American Conspiracies" by Jesse Ventura, am in the last chapter now.

I've got to say, this book is an "eye opener" to say the least.

I've also been reading through the Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles 2010 price guide, there's a lot of cool items in there and it's pretty fun to learn about antiques.

[BradH]

Just started reading a book that's been out a while (2003 I think?), but that I had previously missed somehow. It's called "Rothstein" by David Pietrusza.

I'm guessing a lot of board members have already read it, but it's about the life of Arnold Rothstein, the mastermind behind the 1919 World Series fix. Outstanding book so far.

[judsonhamlin]

Originally Posted by BradH

Just started reading a book that's been out a while (2003 I think?), but that I had previously missed somehow. It's called "Rothstein" by David Pietrusza.

I'm guessing a lot of board members have already read it, but it's about the life of Arnold Rothstein, the mastermind behind the 1919 World Series fix. Outstanding book so far.

pietrusza is a fantastic writer. He has written two great books on presidential elections - 1960 and 1920: The Year of Five Presidents. Both are worth the time.
I just read a few good books on vacation: Badasses (about the Raiders), House of Bilqis (novel set in Pakistan), Project Azorian (about the Glomar Explorer and the attempt to raise a Soviet sub); and Wrestling with Moses (about Jane Jacobs and her fight to save lower Manhattan from developments planned by Robert Moses). All are recommended

[drc]

Last two books I read were Our Lady of the Flowers by Jean Genet and The Room by Hubert Selby Jr.

Our Lady of the Flowers was written by a man serving a life sentence in solitary cell in France, and the book is dreamlike/nightmare-like and very subversive. The prose is uniquely dreamlike and beautiful. It makes no difference to me, but I will note that the book is very homosexual.

The Room was written by Selby (Last Exit to Brooklyn, Requiem for a Dream) who is often ranked as the most disturbing serious writer of fiction, and this book, though profound and sad, is often ranked as the most disturbing book ever written. Selby said he couldn't read the book for 20 years after he wrote it. Comparable to Our Lady of the Flowers, the book is the first person narration of a petty criminal waiting in a cell before his trial. The criminal is deluded, pathetic, unreliable in what he says, broken and truly sick as he talks about his past and fantasizes about those who he perceives have wrong him. Its a fascinating and serious psychological book for the few who can stomach it. Most people who read the reviews for the book are scared to even touch it, though I didn't find it that bad.

An interesting thing about Selby, a Brooklyn heroine addict, is he was a devout Christian, and considered his books to be religious stories. It's just that his books were about the wretches and broken people of 'the other side' of New York City. Many who had read his books were surprised when the met him that he was such a nice, friendly guy. Also counterintuitively, he loved and raised songbirds and you'll find photos showing him with a bird on his shoulder.