What are you currently reading?

[SecurityGeek]

Just re-read Ghost Fleet - A Novel of the Next World War by P.W. Singer & August Cole. I work in corporate infosec, so this is a topic near to my heart. It's scary how far behind we really are in the cyber warfare arena. I have a slide deck from an NSA presentation on recent Chinese infiltration of our key infrastructure and commerce systems. Over 700 critical compromises in the US have been documented as having been committed by hackers employed by the Chinese military in the past 5 years, including major incursions into the manufacturing, energy, transportation, banking, communications, utilities, and defense sectors. The scariest part is that half our "leaders" don't even know enough about the threat to do anything about it.

[ttownsig]

I am currently reading The Great Zoo of China. Kind of a Chinese Jurassic Park.

[n5wd]

I'm a big fan of Tom Clancy and W.E.B. Griffith and military-techno fiction. And, I'm a big fan of science fiction, primarily space-opera/military/futurist/alien worlds rather than the wizards and fairae type of science fiction.

I've just discovered a guy that combines my interests quite nicely... Joshua Dalzelle (http://www.facebook.com/Joshua.Dalzelle) . I'm now reading the final novel (of 7) in the series: Omega Force. Here's a synopsis...

A former US Air Force pararescueman (the Air Force's contribution to Special Ops forces) is disillusioned after being deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan during the current fluff up, and takes his leave, retreating into the Rocky Mountains where he lives an self-isolated life. One night, an flying craft crashes nearby, and our hero grabs his AR-15 and his rucksack filled with medical supplies to go see if he can render any aid. Upon reaching the craft, it doesn't look like anything he's familiar with, but there's a ramp so he climbs in, only to be stuck inside with the craft decides to close up and take off.

He manages to get up tot he command level, and having been startled by an intelligent robot (OK, a man-made sentient lifeform), lets loose with a 5.56mm round into the avionics, causing some amount of trouble, and the alien stuns him into unconsciousness. Awaking later in the medical bay of the ship, he finds that he's on an incredible man-o-war being flown by Deetz, the automaton with a surly sense of humor. Co-opted into going along for the ride, the PJ, Jason Burke, becomes embroiled into space hijinks of the dangerous kind. Deetz turns out to be more than he looks like, and Jason Burke winds up taking over the spacecraft that he renames Phoenix, finds several new friends, and runs around the known galaxies as a future day good guy in search of bad guys to teach a lesson to.

There is adult language involved, some of which seems to be present just because the author can get away with it. Otherwise, sometimes it seems like it's a 13-year old boy talking. Nevertheless, the interpersonal (can you say that when you're talking about two non-Earthlings???) relationships that develop, the antics the crew of the Phoenix get in to, and the outside presence of rich, do-gooders helping out the crew of the Phoenix, help Omega Force (that's the name of this mercenary group) run around the galaxy keeping busy with ne'er do wells.

Like I said - I've finished the first six books... all in about a week. So, you can see that I've been well-entertained by the series, and can recommend it to anyone that wants a bit of swashbuckling intergalactic action that doesn't require much introspection or thought.

Available on Amazon in Kindle format (as well as hardcopy)..
Omega Force Series Omnibus (Books 1-3) $4.99 (not bad deal to get started to see if you'd like it)
Omega Force 7-books series ($24.93 - a bit of a discount over ordering them individually)
Omega Force (OF1) Omega Rising
Omega Force (OF2) Soldiers of Fortune
Omega Force (OF3) Savage Homecoming
Omega Force (OF4) The Enemy Within
Omega Force (OF5) Return of the Archon
Omega Force (OF6) Secret of the Phoenix
Omega Force (OF7) Redemption

[WildBill]

I hate to be boring, but I am currently reading "The Life of Andrew Jackson" by Robert V. Remini.
I just finished biographies of Woodrow Wilson, James K. Polk and James A. Garfield.
Last month I read "Star Trek Memories" by William Shatner and Chris Kreski.

[Richbirdhunter]

I'm currently reading this thread

[WildBill]

I'm currently reading this thread

I am grateful that you posted to let us know.

[fickman]

The Man in the High Castle

[John Galt]

God & Churchill by Jonathan Sandys and Wallace Henley

[GlassG19]

The Bible. I read everyday a few chapters in the Old Testament, a few chapters from Psalms, one chapter from Proverbs, one chapter from Acts, and then a a few chapters in the New Testament.

Books: Meet The Holy Spirit and Killing Kennedy

Yes sir, likewise, The Bible mainly on Sunday's.

[n5wd]

The Man in the High Castle

I watched the series on Amazonedout... wondered about the book. Is it any good?

[The Annoyed Man]

I usually have more than one iron in the fire.

I just finished reading two books...... "If You Survive: From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to the End of World War II, One American Officer's Riveting True Story" by George Wilson; and "The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor" by Jake Tapper.

I am currently working on (re-reading) both "Inside Delta Force" by Eric Haney, and the first book in Shelby Foote's excellent Civil War trilogy.

The above are all on Kindle. I also just received the Kindle version of "Devotion" by Adam Makos yesterday, and also the print version of "The Life of the Hunt" by John Barsness.........both of which I'll tackle next.

And of course, I try to read Scripture as often as I can, but I confess that I don't always do it every day. Frequently, though.

[fickman]

The Man in the High Castle

I watched the series on Amazonedout... wondered about the book. Is it any good?

It's had a few intriguing juxtapositions from our current society, but overall, it's not really what I expected. Very slow paced, but without deep character development. . . I'm about 80% of the way through it and so far I don't regret reading it, but I wouldn't give it a resounding recommendation, either.

I am interested in seeing the Amazon series. I think the imagery of the occupied cities I'm familiar with would be very compelling. There's not much of that in the book.

Other books I've also read in 2015 that I would recommend ahead of it:
East of Eden by Steinbeck
An American Tragedy by Dreiser
A Farewell to Arms by Hemingway
Dad is Fat by Gaffigan
Food: A Love Story by Gaffigan
Bossypants by Fey
Killing Lincoln by O'Reilly
Decision Points by Bush
Siddhartha by Hesse

(And with the kids):
Farmer Boy by Wilder
Skinnybones by Park
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Blume
Superfudge by Blume

Here's my short list for "up next":
Abide in Christ by Murray
The Martian by Weir

[The Annoyed Man]

Here's my short list for "up next":
Abide in Christ by Murray
The Martian by Weir

I had the good fortune to read "The Martian" before the movie came out, and boy am I glad I did. I loved the movie. I am going to buy the DVD of it. But as good as the movie was, the book is MUCH better. I grew up around the JPL community because of my parents' professorships at Caltech - which owned JPL. My father in law was a NASA/JPL engineer. Even though the story takes place in the not too distant future, and some of it is a little futuristic, it is totally believable for someone who grew up around that stuff. I recommend watching these two Andy Weir videos:

Andy Weir talks to the employees of Lawrence Livermore Labs:


Adam Savage (Mythbusters) Interviews Andy Weir:

[VMI77]

I am currently working on (re-reading) both "Inside Delta Force" by Eric Haney

That's the book the TV series "The Unit" is based on. "The Unit" is one of my favorite shows, by one of the few Hollywood conservatives/libertarians....David Mamet.

[fickman]

I had the good fortune to read "The Martian" before the movie came out, and boy am I glad I did. I loved the movie. I am going to buy the DVD of it. But as good as the movie was, the book is MUCH better.

I haven't seen the movie yet and got the same recommendation from another friend. Looking forward to it.