Book Recommendations

[Cheap Shot]

The Hard Stuff: Dope, Crime, the MC5, and My Life of Impossibilities - Wayne Kramer memoir

"Led by legendary guitarist Wayne Kramer, The MC5 was a reflection of the times: exciting, sexy, violent, chaotic, and out of control, all but assuring their time in the spotlight would be short-lived. They toured the country, played with music legends, and had a rabid following, their music acting as the soundtrack to the blue collar youth movement springing up across the nation. Kramer wanted to redefine what a rock 'n' roll group was capable of, and there was power in reaching for that, but it was also a recipe for disaster, both personally and professionally. The band recorded three major label albums but, by 1972, it was all over."

I was a fan of the MC5 and their song Kick out the jams when it first came out (song has been on my gym playlist as long as mp3's have existed). Never knew much about the band as they fell off the radar pretty quick. Now I know why. There is a lot more to this book than a superficial money grab by an over the hill rock star. The book is none of those things. Its worth reading

Recommend.

FWIW I also enjoyed Springsteens memoir Born to Run. Both provide a certain perspective on 60's 70's culture and rock and roll.

[TheRoland]

Are there any operators-operating-operationally series that are worth the time? I've enjoyed Grey Man, the early Vince Flynn, and 'Dalton Fury''s stuff was fun before he passed.

A lot of the others in the genre seem to have either no experience with shooting or violence, or can't seem to ever make their characters feel like they might fail (a lot of the former special forces writers seem to do this).

[Medusa]

I’m really enjoying “Killing Commendatore” by Haruki Murakami. I find him very uneven and have disliked some of his other books, but this one strikes me as a cut above. When he’s on, he’s excellent.

[JAD]

I’m really enjoying “Killing Commendatore” by Haruki Murakami. I find him very uneven and have disliked some of his other books, but this one strikes me as a cut above. When he’s on, he’s excellent.

Strong concur. I liked Wind Up Bird very much, went back and read Norwegian Wood and dug it, but then gave up halfway through Kafka on the Shore. I thought he had declined; I'm pleased to hear he's just uneven. I haven't picked him up since the early aughties, thanks for reminding me.

[MK11]

Are there any operators-operating-operationally series that are worth the time? I've enjoyed Grey Man, the early Vince Flynn, and 'Dalton Fury''s stuff was fun before he passed.

A lot of the others in the genre seem to have either no experience with shooting or violence, or can't seem to ever make their characters feel like they might fail (a lot of the former special forces writers seem to do this).

I enjoy Peter Nealen's Praetorian series (there's a few more beyond what's linked). He's a former Recon Marine, writes fairly well, gets the gun stuff right. He's got another series called "Blackhearts" about contractors that's a take-off of mercenary fiction from the '80s but I haven't enjoyed those as much.

[Medusa]

Strong concur. I liked Wind Up Bird very much, went back and read Norwegian Wood and dug it, but then gave up halfway through Kafka on the Shore. I thought he had declined; I'm pleased to hear he's just uneven. I haven't picked him up since the early aughties, thanks for reminding me.

I liked windup bird ok but found it kind of forgettable.

Digression: Paolo Bacigalupi’s Wind-up Girl is outstanding, and if you haven’t tried his work, I commend it to you, suspect you would like it. Kafka on the Shore I finished but didn’t care for overall, albeit for reasons that likely differ from yours.

Haven’t read Norwegian Wood. Will see if the library has it.

[JDD]

I liked windup bird ok but found it kind of forgettable.

Digression: Paolo Bacigalupi’s Wind-up Girl is outstanding, and if you haven’t tried his work, I commend it to you, suspect you would like it. Kafka on the Shore I finished but didn’t care for overall, albeit for reasons that likely differ from yours.

Haven’t read Norwegian Wood. Will see if the library has it.

Wind-up girl is fantastic, and I enjoyed "The Water Knife." I think he does a good job with believable hard sci-fi distopic near futures.

I assume you have read some of N. K. Jemisin? I read the Inheritance Trilogy but for whatever reason it just did not stick with me.

[Medusa]

Wind-up girl is fantastic, and I enjoyed "The Water Knife." I think he does a good job with believable hard sci-fi distopic near futures.

I assume you have read some of N. K. Jemisin? I read the Inheritance Trilogy but for whatever reason it just did not stick with me.

Yes I’ve read about everything Bacigalupi has written and I concur 100 percent. Believable dystopias that will likely be prophetic. I enjoyed the Ship Breaker series, pitched as YA but pretty solid. I also liked the Tangled Lands book which he co-wrote.

I read some Jemisin, 100,000 Kingdoms. Super happy about her popularity, but I’m with you. Didn’t stick with me, didn’t want to read more. Much like Nnedi Okarafor - Binti was enough - more than enough. I’m still stoked these voices and stories are being heard.

[Medusa]

I should throw in a word in favor of Octavia Butler. The Xenogenesis books are highly original, rich, and sensual in an alien way.

[Gun Mutt]

Downloaded American Praetorians, looking forward to reading the series.

Thoroughly enjoying the posts between RB, JAD & JDD, opened me up to some authors I'd never even heard of, much less considered. In that vein, allow me to recommend The Journeys of Socrates by Dan Millman.

I've not read Millman's other works, but I always mean to get to them. At the time of my reading, I had no concept of his guru status nor his movie Peaceful Warrior, it was just a book recommended to me by another martial arts practitioner I knew. The book begins in Tsarist Russia at a military academy, the cold water training as part of life caught me early on and I knew I was reading about Systema, even though no style is ever named. Millman would later confirm that he was indeed describing his version of Systema, though he did not elaborate in that interview. Anyway, I liked it a great deal and if you read the weird side of fiction, you'll like it, too.