Men's Book Club discussion

In order to generate more activity around here, lets all share the book they are currently reading or are looking to read.

I am hoping that this could inspire some discussion if people have read the book or decide to read one of those being currently read.

I'm currently reading Apollo 8 and enjoying it. Thought it might be a good read for the December timeframe as the mission took place in December 1968.

Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon

Currently reading Swan Peak by James Lee Burke, a Dave Robicheaux mystery and #17 in the series. Really like his character development. Found a signed 1st at The Book Gallery in PHX so that's a bonus.

I am currently reading three books, as usual.
The first is a non-fiction book very popular a couple of years age, Indianapolis. It is the true accounting of the US Navy's tragic mishandling of its ship, The Indianapolis, which delivered the nuclear bomb and was then sunk. The Navy tried to escape responsibility for its loss by blaming the Captain.
The next book is a historical fiction novel by the superb writer, Roland Merullo. Once Night Falls tells the story of the last days of Mussolini and about the lives of Italians in Nazi occupied Italy.
The third book amazes me because it is so good, so entertaining and so out of my usual sphere of interest. It is a highly creative, very well written book entitled The City of Sleeping Books. It is a Fantasy novel and a great example of what well-written escapist reading can be.

I'm currently reading Clan of the Cave Bear. I got the idea to read this book from the PBS listing of 100 great books, etc.

Just started Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry. It's about a family in India dealing with an aging parent/step-parent, and the friction that causes between members of the next generation.

As I wrote previously, I am reading Roland Merullo's Once Night Falls. I find it more and more difficult to put down. Merullo's style and his expert delivery of the plot make his books really special, and I am very glad to have come across Once Night Falls.
my reading of Indianapolis will be on hold for the next several weeks while I indulge in more fiction. I read in somewhat extended bursts and moods, and right now, I am into fiction, especially suspenseful war fiction.
The other book I am reading, The City of Dreaming Books has begun to seem tedious to me. I am still overwhelmed by its terrific prose and incredible creativity, but, as I near page 200, the plot seems a lot less exciting or interesting.

I've finished Family Matters, but it has taken me a day or so to digest it enough to share a short review. I almost didn't this mention book earlier, because it seemed much more of a family drama, and maybe not all that appropriate for a specifically male book club.

As I said before, the narrative is about an aging father and the strains that happen as a result of his physical decline and need for care. My first thought was that the main question would be "What are we gonna do with Dad, now that he can't take care of himself?" My Dad passed away a couple of years ago, and I remember plenty of discussions with my sisters about this exact issue that resonate with Mistry's story. Some of the stresses that occur in the book rang very true in my own family. That is still a major (and interesting) theme in the book, but the deeper I got into the story, the more it seemed to be about the choices we make in life and the long-term consequences of those choices--who we marry, how we make our living, how we choose to spend our time and money. It's also a lot about the compromises that we make along the way, especially as we age. Maybe it's just that I'm getting older myself, but those aspects of the story seem to take over as the narrative progresses. We see, in flashback, how the father's life was strongly shaped by pressures from his parents and community. Then in real time, we see how his children's choices have sometimes unforeseen and drastic consequences on their lives, and there are suggestions toward the end of how some other choices will affect relationships with the next generation of the family.

The story moves at a leisurely pace. It's much more concerned with how the characters think and feel, rather than what they are doing. The setting is Mumbai in the 1990's and the major characters are Parsis, a religious minority, so there are lots of beliefs, foods and customs that would be new to most English-speaking readers. I'd recommend this to anyone who is in the mood to take stock of their life and the choices they are making.

Thanks David, sounds like one I'd enjoy.

Thanks for sharing, David.

I think I might have to pick that one up. My family is starting to enter that phase in our lives--might be good for me to read it.

Scott, did you finish The Andromeda Strain? Sounds like something I would like!

Earlier this month I finished The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek. It's a "horror" book written by YouTube's duo Rhett and Link.

I wouldn't really call classify it as "horror", but more like a thriller with some supernatural elements.

As a daily watcher of Rhett and Link's YouTube channel, Good Mythical Morning, I really loved this book, as many of the locations in their book's fictional world is based off of the same world that Rhett and Link grew up in. That alone made it worth the read to me.

I really don't think this book is for everyone, however, feeling like I know the authors so well, really bumped up my rating.

RATING: 4/5

I just finished reading 1984. Excellent book & one that is well worth reading again. I watched the 1984 movie starring John Hurt, too. That was great up until the very end when it lost it.

Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore was a hoot.

Last month, I read The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow. Wow! My library has the next 2, but I'm not sure I'm going to read them. Too depressing. Winslow impressed me a few years ago with Satori, an update to Shibumi by Trevanian. Anyone else a fan?

I am slowly reading Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. It would be a great book for this group.

Andy wrote: "I am slowly reading Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. It would be a great book for this group."

Read Hillbilly Elegy earlier this year. Would enjoy discussing it with you and the group.

I started that book a few months ago, but abandoned it in the second chapter. I don't remember why...

Maybe I'll have to give it another try.

Hillbilly Elegy was a pretty insightful look into the lives of the working poor in the south. Good memoir of a family and a culture in crisis.

AZ Book Guy wrote: "Hillbilly Elegy was a pretty insightful look into the lives of the working poor in the south. Good memoir of a family and a culture in crisis."

I had mixed feelings about the book. I think it made some good points, and agree that it describes one segment of the working, rural/small town southern poor. But it seemed to treat the author's family as perhaps more typical than I would believe to be true.

It's definitely a culture in crisis, but I think most American sub-cultures that are poor or under-educated are.

I’m currently reading Fraternity: An Inside Look at a Year of College Boys Becoming Men by Alexandra Robbins. Mostly centered on Greek life, but plenty of data about independent men too. The author interweaves investigative reporting with the personal stories of two boys having very different experiences of what it means to become a man.

I'm currently reading Why the Grateful Dead Matter. Not too far into it, but so far an interesting book

I recently wrapped up Jordan Peterson 12 Rules of Life: An Antidote to Chaos and it was very good and worth the read. Great for dads and all men alike.

I picked up 12 Rules but ultimately decided to put it down. Asking honestly, what value will I get from reading it? I don’t want to learn how to be a man or father, etc from such an angry and contentious person.

@Scott, I watched a few videos of him and that is all I saw, what seems like someone with a big chip on their shoulder. I have a bunch of friends who have read it and really like his book. Just don’t think it’s for me.

I just finished Grist Mill Road by Christopher J. Yates. It's an unusual fictional tale that mixes coming of age with a twisted crime. The book jumps back and forth in time in an interesting way, from childhood to adulthood. I would definitely call it a guy book because the characters are primarily male, although a female character is central to the story, and the nature of the story is male-centric. Hope that helps anybody looking for a good read.

First a comment on the group. Then a book. Then a thought on Jordan Peterson.

The group.

As a software guy I am always interested in user interface design and how it shapes our interactions with technology and people. I honestly feel that the format and design of the groups feature on Goodreads does not encourage what we are doing for a handful of reasons I won't get into. I have requested to join the facebook group, with some hesitation as I am trying to reduce, not increase, my Facebook usage. I am also fascinated by the fact that many of us seem to be reading two or three books at the same time, which I have always felt to be a personal character flaw. Thanks for showing me it isn't.

Books.

As a Jew living in Austria (I accepted a job in June and moved my family in August) I find myself drawn to the topic of WWII (generally) antisemitism in Europe. I am excited to read Once Night Falls. So thanks for that. I recently read Bloodlands, which is a non-fiction book about the murderous interplay between Hitler and Stalin in Eastern Europe. I wrote a bit about it here: https://link.medium.com/0dNpviAEe3 - I am also reading Hannah Arendt's famous book The Origins of Totalitarianism. Ugh. This post is too long for the app. Posting now amd then continuing....

Lol. That was a perfect example of the crappy user design Goodreads. It literally cut off my view of my own comment as I typed (iOS app). So the Hannah Arendt book is particularly good at tracing the history and roots of modern antisemitism back from the French Revolution.

Ok. Lastly a word on Jordan Peterson. I like 12 Rules for Life because it is well suited to my personality. I am a man who struggles with uncertainty, and craves black / white thinking. What I appreciate about Jordan Peterson is that he arrogantly says the world works a certain way. Ordinarily I would resist this kind of thinking, but after listening to his podcasts for years, and fighting with him in my imagination, I eventually realized he represents parts of my personality that I often neglect. But yes, this guy is a firebrand, and can both attract and contribute to some unsavory world-views.

That's it for me. :) Happy New Year!

@Matthew, thanks for your experienced/nuanced view on Peterson. I will feel good about my decision to not read his book and also feel good about y’all’s decision *to* read his book. ;)

A month late... but this topic still seems to be going on. I’m reading “Range” by David Epstein which focuses on generalists and how society, education, business etc. pushes us to become experts on one subject or career when those that have a broad range on interests are able to creatively solve problems that specialists overlook. Fascinating read and one that really has echoed much of my experience. Highly recommend.

I was hoping to see this group become more active but have not myself been on it because I was traveling. Nevertheless, it looks like there are some new comments here.
Before I left, I had started “Indianapolis” but did not take it with me on my trip. I have recently returned to reading it and it is even better that I recalled. It is truly the kind of book that would appeal primarily to men, but also to women who prefer non-fiction to fiction and who enjoy a well researched, well told story.
During my trip, I did read 4 ebooks and have posted reviews on them all. I highly recommend one, Lie with Me, and highly warn you not to bother with another, The Girls of Paris.
Another book I read over the last month was “The Labyrinth of the Spirits” by Carlos Zafon, and I highly recommend it as can be seen in my review of it.
In looking at recent discussions in this group, I liked the comments by David and by Matthew and am glad to see that they seem to have a thirst to be a part of a group about books that are more likely to appeal to men than to women.
Keep contributing everyone. There is hope for this group yet!

I like the sound of Indianapolis--unfortunately it has something like a 26 week wait time at my library. I might have to buy a copy...

Bill: I got my copy at a used bookstore, but it must also be available in e-format. As a book lover, I am sure you have favorite online used book sellers. Don’t wait for 26 weeks to check it out from the library. Strike while the iron is hot.

I only read e-books these days, but you are right--I shouldn't wait 26 weeks for the library. I'll download a copy and add it to my reading list.

OK--I have it now. I was going to read it after The Great Bridge, but after reading the Prologue, I really wanted to keep going.

I just finished a terrific historical nonfiction about America’s worst see disaster, the sinking of the Indianapolis. Indianapolis is the title of the book and it is a thorough accounting of what happened, of those affected by it, of the cover-up that followed it, and the eventual exoneration of its Captain. It is a perfect red for this group since I think it will have a strong appeal to men.

I have to put Indianapolis on my reading list. I had heard it was a good movie, but now, after a couple of recommendations here, I am looking forward to reading it.

Edward wrote: "I have to put Indianapolis on my reading list. I had heard it was a good movie, but now, after a couple of recommendations here, I am looking forward to reading it."

David wrote: "I've finished Family Matters, but it has taken me a day or so to digest it enough to share a short review. I almost didn't this mention book earlier, because it seemed much more of a f..."

It is early February and I just came across your post. Family Matters sounds like a great book I would very much ike to read and I wanted to thank you for telling us about it.
I am pretty old myself, and like the father in the novel, I think a great deal about the impact my upbringing and father had on me as well as the impact I am having on my own now adult children.
As regards my father's impact, I have to recall that everyone is fighting their own private batter and in so doing, at any point in time, they are doing the best they can.
When I realize that, I must then give myself a break and remind myself of exactly the same thing.
I believe I tuned into someone my father would have been proud of and probably even was, but he could never bring himself to express that.
My children have followed their own paths yet managed to be adults I am very very proud of, but unlike my father, I tell them.

Paul wrote: "Edward wrote: "I have to put Indianapolis on my reading list. I had heard it was a good movie, but now, after a couple of recommendations here, I am looking forward to reading it."

David wrote: "I..."

Paul--
Thanks for sharing your insights on "Family Matters". It sounds like it resonated with you much in the way it did to me.

Just finished Ava's Man by Rick Bragg:
Ava's Man
It's a biography of the author's grandfather, Charlie Bundrum, who he never knew personally. The research for the book was mostly talking to older relatives, so it feels a lot like a cross between a memoir, an extended eulogy and a collection of stories told at a family gathering.

Charlie was a rural southerner, born at the beginning of the 20th century. He made his living at different times with carpentry, factory work and making moonshine. He was uneducated, and was almost never financially secure. I could dig into my family tree in the same time period and find a lot of similar men. The author doesn't gloss over his grandfather's faults, but clearly has a lot of respect for him.

It is a modest story--Bragg seldom attempts to put his grandfather into the larger context of the 20th century south. He makes a couple of comments about how the unlettered rural southerner is a dying breed, but doesn't develop that theme further. The book was an enjoyable read--kind of nostalgic, and narrowly focused, but a sweet elegy for a grandfather the author never knew.

The Masculine in Relationship: A Blueprint for Inspiring the Trust, Lust, and Devotion of a Strong WomanHello Men, forgive the self promotion, but I'll offer up my book "The Masculine in Relationship" for this men's group. It was written out of personal experience and 12 years of men's work, and was written for men who want to feel more grounded and powerful in their relationship.

https://www.amazon.com/Masculine-Rela...