What are you reading in March 2012?

I read a review of a new movie entitled "Being Flynn," and decided to read the memoir it's based on, "Another Bullshit Night in Suck City," by Nick Flynn. On my drive to and from work I'm listening to "Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds," in an effort to stay informed so I can continue to have relevant conversations with my F-16 pilot son. Just finished "Snow" by Orhan Pamuk. Not a fun read, for sure, but a book I think of often.

I started on the Game of Thrones series in Feb. Got through the first four and am waiting for my local library to get me volume five.

While I'm waiting I read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and just started 11/22/63.

I have just received and am reading Final Analysis by Jeffreiy Moussaieff Masson

Currently reading Still Life by Louise Penny. It's okay so far. Some bits are quite funny but nothing compelling yet.

Here at the library getting ready to pick up A Dance with Dragons and bummed out to realize the next two books haven't been published yet.

Reading The Philadelphia Phillies by Lieb and Baumgartner - originally published in the early 1950s and recently reissued along with Paradise postponed, a novel by John Mortimer. Just finished Martin's Hundred about the archaeological finds at Carter's Grove mansion in Virginia. They expected the 18th century and found the early 17th on the same site.

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Sci-Fi 2 1/2 stars) This three book series was popular several years ago and with the movie coming out this month I decided to give it a read. Not bad story (for a youth/ young adult book), think it was over hyped though. (Just my opinion). Interesting concept and idea. (Have the 3rd book on the pile)

Count Luckner, The Sea Devil by Lowell Thomas (WW1 History 4 stars) This was a great book!! It's the story of Count Luckner and how he took a sailing ship (yes a square rigger) and raided allied shipping during WW1. If that isn't enough he was awarded a humanitarian medal by the Pope after the war because while doing the raiding he never so much as hurt a ship's cat. He took on the crews of the ships he sank on his own ship and let them go as soon as possible.
The first few chapters Lowell tells how he met and befriended Luckner, then Luckner tells his story in his own words, not only of his raiding but also how he ran away from home at a young age (he didn't want to carry on the family tradition of being a calvary officer) and went to sea.

A book about the Phillies? I lived in Philadelphia (Drexel Hills in the Drexel Brook Apartments) from 1949 - 1951. I lived just a few apartments from Bubba Church, one of the Whiz Kids, and he introduced me to Richie Ashburn and Robin Roberts at the height of their careers. Of course, being just 5 or 6 years old, all I knew about these guys was they were big league ball-players, just what I wanted to be when I grew up.

Just before we left, another resident of the apartments gave a pool party using the apartment pool. He had invited about 20 or 30 kids who were regulars on his TV dance show, Bandstand. The pool was kept available for apartment residents only. It meant absolutely nothing to me for fifty years until I saw a short film clip of the party and recognized the pool and was blown away that I had lived in the same apartments with Dick Clark.

For a change of pace, I'm reaching back into the 19th century with The Heart of Midlothian. I haven't read any Sir Walter Scott since I was in high school, when everyone had to read Ivanhoe.

It didn't take me long to get into the rhythm of it, Scottish dialect and all. I'm really enjoying the feel and flavor of this rich novel penned before all the modern rules about what authors must do and can't do in fiction were concocted. If truth be told, author intrusion has never bothered me one bit.