What book are you reading right now?

Oh Gawd, I just committed a terrible social faux Pas and started another similar thread.
Sorry Wordman, I'll request that admin transfer my posts here to not duplicate or draw from your worthy addition to the XS community
 
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell.

It's not the kind of thing I usually read. Quite a long historical novel, it deals with the Dutch trading post called Dejima on an artificial island in the harbour at Nagasaki around the turn of the Nineteenth century, when Japan was closed to the outside world apart from this solitary concession. So it deals with culture clash, corruption, diplomacy, the interplay of characters as Dejima is rocked by wider historic developments.

Based on real events. I don't know how much latitude Mitchell has allowed himself but he has clearly done a lot of research into the manners and cultures of the Japanese, the Dutch East India company and the Royal Navy.
 
I only use a Kobo ebook now. Miniscule in size and holds thousands of books which you can download free online on various sites. As a kid I didn't read a lot, but like all kids I read the usual kiddy fairyntales: Jack and Beanstalk, Hansel and Gretel, Pinocchio, The Bible, Rumpelstiltskin, The Emperors New Suit. Now I read adult fairy stories by authors like: Paterson, Grisham, Baldacci, Cussler, Higgins, Follet. Follet and Baldacci in particular write well, I'm reading Cussler at the moment. Before the ebook, I'd buy a paperback, find it boring and throw it away, quite expensive when you read a lot. With the ebook, there are a plethora of sites where you can download books free, if you don't like the book, nothing lost, just delete it.
Get an eBook, you'll never look back!
When I have time I also indulge another hobby, adding to a memoir I'm writing of my 25 year career in defence. I wrote this some time ago, just been adding to it as my memory is jogged. Most of the stories have been posted on an ex defence site I frequent, my writings have been well recieved, simply because I have jogged the memories of others, rather than my writing skills, I suspect. I'm now arranging it in sections, chapters if you like: Postings, my three police dogs, boot camp and so on.
 
Don't listen to music as much as I used to.
The old group's are fading, or have long faded.
Nothing new from Savoy Brown, ELP, Procol Harem, Moody Blues, and I could go on ad infinitem
But I also enjoy reading, guess my mother instilled that in me at a young age and after a long hiatus I have in recent years gotten back into it as I have lost interest in being Fucked by pay TV and being bombarded by Woke culture.
In my teens I voraciously read fantasy adventure, Robt. Howard, Michael Moorcock, Fritz Lieber etc. But also ancient history, pre-Columbian up through early mediaeval.
Graduated to American expansion (Manifest Destiny) and WW1-WW2. Took advice from the guy that posts the the ads on VFT who commented that the biography of Gen. James Doolittle was the best thing he ever read, "I could never be so lucky again". In that genre I have to agree.
In the 90's, early 2000's I was traveling a lot and got into recorded books, largely Who Done It's or Tom Clancy types and all 21 Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey/Maturin series, Tony Hillerman, James Lee Burke.
Don't want to sound chauvinist as there are some female author's I've found enthralling, Ursula K. leGuin, Evangeline Walton, Agatha Christie and most recently, and currently Harper Lee .


Just finished the complete Sherlock Holmes, found it at Ollie's for $12, prior to Christmas, and am following it with the Harper Lee which has been on my shelf for 3 years unread.
Having seen countless Sherlock Holmes films from Basil Rathbone, through my Favourite Jeremy Brett, to Benedict Cumberbach I never realised that 90% of them were short stories originally published in magazine's. It made the compilation very easy to read.
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LOL I still have my Robert Howard collection from my teen years. How many people even know who he was without the google machine?
I read non-fiction almost exclusively except for the classics. Right now, I'm rereading The Five Thousand Year Leap by Skousen
 
Equal rites
by a guy named Terry Pratchett
You could google him if you like smartass writers
I have almost all of his books, shame he died.

Best book ever, flipflop between Plutarch's Lives and Blackwood on Law { as you change so do they}
 
Don't listen to music as much as I used to.
The old group's are fading, or have long faded.
Nothing new from Savoy Brown, ELP, Procol Harem, Moody Blues, and I could go on ad infinitem
But I also enjoy reading, guess my mother instilled that in me at a young age and after a long hiatus I have in recent years gotten back into it as I have lost interest in being Fucked by pay TV and being bombarded by Woke culture.
In my teens I voraciously read fantasy adventure, Robt. Howard, Michael Moorcock, Fritz Lieber etc. But also ancient history, pre-Columbian up through early mediaeval.
Graduated to American expansion (Manifest Destiny) and WW1-WW2. Took advice from the guy that posts the the ads on VFT who commented that the biography of Gen. James Doolittle was the best thing he ever read, "I could never be so lucky again". In that genre I have to agree.
In the 90's, early 2000's I was traveling a lot and got into recorded books, largely Who Done It's or Tom Clancy types and all 21 Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey/Maturin series, Tony Hillerman, James Lee Burke.
Don't want to sound chauvinist as there are some female author's I've found enthralling, Ursula K. leGuin, Evangeline Walton, Agatha Christie and most recently, and currently Harper Lee .


Just finished the complete Sherlock Holmes, found it at Ollie's for $12, prior to Christmas, and am following it with the Harper Lee which has been on my shelf for 3 years unread.
Having seen countless Sherlock Holmes films from Basil Rathbone, through my Favourite Jeremy Brett, to Benedict Cumberbach I never realised that 90% of them were short stories originally published in magazine's. It made the compilation very easy to read.View attachment 233279
Bbbbbbbbbut what about Taylor Swift??? On a serious note, finished "The Real Lincoln" by Thomas DeLorenzo and am now reading "An Untutored Genius: The Military Career of Nathan Bedford Forrest" by Lonnie E. Maness, Ph.D. Yeah, I'm a redneck nerd.
 
Mostly a bedtime; reader alternate between fiction, (lots of westerns) and history. Fairly recently quite a bit about US history, relations in the Americas. think 1800's to early 1900's A lot went on that continues to influence current events.
 
“The Shortest History of War” by Gwynn Dyer. ( mankind’s history of waging war …. and why it’s always been a “thing”)

Second one , as I also amuse myself by shooting vintage rifles very long distances, and sometimes even accurately…

“the lee enfield story, by Ian Skennerton” I’m just finishing up a replica , with correct mid 1920s target sights, of one of the Lee Enfield rifles used by the Canadian Team at Bisley Range in England in 1925.
 
“The Shortest History of War” by Gwynn Dyer. ( mankind’s history of waging war …. and why it’s always been a “thing”)

Second one , as I also amuse myself by shooting vintage rifles very long distances, and sometimes even accurately…

“the lee enfield story, by Ian Skennerton” I’m just finishing up a replica , with correct mid 1920s target sights, of one of the Lee Enfield rifles used by the Canadian Team at Bisley Range in England in 1925.
Many today don't believe how accurate vintage rifles can be. Even 18th and 19th century muzzle loaders can reach out 500+ yards with deadly accuracy. There was a Tennesean by the name of Hinson, I believe, who took revenge on the Yankees for murdering his 2 sons. He would shoot across the valley and usually take out the highest ranking officer. They never caught him. BTW, I've seen the rifle, It's huge.
 
Many today don't believe how accurate vintage rifles can be. Even 18th and 19th century muzzle loaders can reach out 500+ yards with deadly accuracy. There was a Tennesean by the name of Hinson, I believe, who took revenge on the Yankees for murdering his 2 sons. He would shoot across the valley and usually take out the highest ranking officer. They never caught him. BTW, I've seen the rifle, It's huge.
Well, yes that’s very true! He was quite the legendary shot !

I got into vintage long range shooting mostly due to the challenge of it. There’s a lot going on to put rounds on targets when your rifle is over a 100 years old !

I load my own cartridges, and in particular, the black powder ones I run in 45-90 with a cast lead projectile

I also run an original Remington Roller ( well, the Receiver is dated 1878), but the barrel, a heavy 30 inch octagon, is newly manufactured . I’m pretty happy with her out to 800 metres .

I do have my favourites of course, and my 1898 Swedish Mauser in 6.5 Swede is just an absolute jewel to run.

My new to me target enfield and I are going to our first “competitive “ shoot in a few weeks so I’m not on the bike project the next two weeks, as I’ll be fine tuning this old number 1 mk 3 . I built it from a bare action with a new unfired Australian heavy barrel, so, we will see if I’ve set her up right soon enough !
 
Well, yes that’s very true! He was quite the legendary shot !

I got into vintage long range shooting mostly due to the challenge of it. There’s a lot going on to put rounds on targets when your rifle is over a 100 years old !

I load my own cartridges, and in particular, the black powder ones I run in 45-90 with a cast lead projectile

I also run an original Remington Roller ( well, the Receiver is dated 1878), but the barrel, a heavy 30 inch octagon, is newly manufactured . I’m pretty happy with her out to 800 metres .

I do have my favourites of course, and my 1898 Swedish Mauser in 6.5 Swede is just an absolute jewel to run.

My new to me target enfield and I are going to our first “competitive “ shoot in a few weeks so I’m not on the bike project the next two weeks, as I’ll be fine tuning this old number 1 mk 3 . I built it from a bare action with a new unfired Australian heavy barrel, so, we will see if I’ve set her up right soon enough !
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Well, yes that’s very true! He was quite the legendary shot !

I got into vintage long range shooting mostly due to the challenge of it. There’s a lot going on to put rounds on targets when your rifle is over a 100 years old !

I load my own cartridges, and in particular, the black powder ones I run in 45-90 with a cast lead projectile

I also run an original Remington Roller ( well, the Receiver is dated 1878), but the barrel, a heavy 30 inch octagon, is newly manufactured . I’m pretty happy with her out to 800 metres .

I do have my favourites of course, and my 1898 Swedish Mauser in 6.5 Swede is just an absolute jewel to run.

My new to me target enfield and I are going to our first “competitive “ shoot in a few weeks so I’m not on the bike project the next two weeks, as I’ll be fine tuning this old number 1 mk 3 . I built it from a bare action with a new unfired Australian heavy barrel, so, we will see if I’ve set her up right soon enough !
That's awesome. I'm a Civil War (War Between the States to us Southerners) reenactor and I love the smell of black powder (hate cleaning it though) Best of luck in your rifle match. Let us know how you did.
 
You bet !
I also run a pattern 53 enfield and a couple of Snider’s . I’m pretty sure the south ran these ?
(I also run the occasional cannon!, Here’s a pic of a reproduction French Iron 6 pounder on a garrison mount that I teach gunnery on. Was made by Southbend .)

You guys work hard to bring history alive ! Much respect for what you do! I have a few friends who do this and the research they do is awesome 👏
 

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You bet !
I also run a pattern 53 enfield and a couple of Snider’s . I’m pretty sure the south ran these ?
(I also run the occasional cannon!, Here’s a pic of a reproduction French Iron 6 pounder on a garrison mount that I teach gunnery on. Was made by Southbend .)

You guys work hard to bring history alive ! Much respect for what you do! I have a few friends who do this and the research they do is awesome 👏
I use an Italian Armisport '53 Enfield replica and I also own an original. The Armisport's are a very good copy. In the war, some sharpshooters used Whitworth's, but in general, Confederates used Enfields and captured Springfields. Early in the war, many Confederate units were equipped with whatever was brought from home, including flintlocks, shotguns and converted flintlocks. B.B. Forrest's eary unit was probably one of the most ill equipped, ragtag unit's out there, yet they were very successful. I was in the infantry line at Forrest's reburial in '21 and there were probably 200+ of us firing salutes along with a dozen or so cannon . It was one of the greatest memories I have.
 
So, did my vintage rifle shoot ! Finished the rifle late Friday night, (last Tuesday it was still a bare action with a barrel). packed my range bag and off I went Saturday morning in a cold bright winter day.
Competitive group of 50 shooters, and i with an untested rifle , and I still can’t believe it, came in 5th!!
Here’s a pick of it, with its mid 1920s Bisley Works target sight . Mines on the left
 

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So, did my vintage rifle shoot ! Finished the rifle late Friday night, (last Tuesday it was still a bare action with a barrel). packed my range bag and off I went Saturday morning in a cold bright winter day.
Competitive group of 50 shooters, and i with an untested rifle , and I still can’t believe it, came in 5th!!
Here’s a pick of it, with its mid 1920s Bisley Works target sight . Mines on the left
CONGRATS!!!
 
TICK TOCK
Just finished this:
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Thoroughly good read,
Ads. :devil:
 
TICK TOCK
Just finished this:
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Thoroughly good read,
Ads. :devil:
If you like dystopian novels, I recommend the William R. Forstchen trilogy "One Second After" "One Year After" and "The Final Day". They are about a EMP attack. Forstchen is a very interesting man and his books are real page turners IMHO.
 
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