What Are You Reading

[ShoreRoadLady]

Lots of early Saint books. A great way to take a break from studying for my tax accounting test.

Well, maybe they'll be helpful in thinking up creative ways to avoid paying income tax.

I've finished reading Gold Comes in Bricks and Give 'Em the Ax, both by A.A. Fair (pseudonym of Erle Stanley Gardner). Vintage copies, too - I love the original dust jacket illustrations and the little "Victory Edition" mark in one of the books.

 

[Sunny]

Well, maybe they'll be helpful in thinking up creative ways to avoid paying income tax.

I've finished reading Gold Comes in Bricks and Give 'Em the Ax, both by A.A. Fair (pseudonym of Erle Stanley Gardner). Vintage copies, too - I love the original dust jacket illustrations and the little "Victory Edition" mark in one of the books.

*snort* Check this out:

"The Inland Revenue" from The Holy Terror: Simon finds himself up against an undefeatable enemy — the taxman — when Inland Revenue pursues him for back taxes after Templar publishes a novel. In order to come up with the money, Templar and his girlfriend, Patricia Holm, hatch a scheme to capture a blackmailer known as The Scorpion whose exploits have already led to a murder and several suicides. Templar's plan is complicated by a promise made to Inspector Claud Eustace Teal that he won't kill the villain this time.

(Darn you, now I'm wondering if illegal income at that time was taxable in the UK. It is now, here!)

What'd you think of Give 'Em the Axe? I just read that one. I still can't find Gold Comes in Bricks through PBS or BookMooch, though. I may have to fall back on ebay.

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

*snort* Check this out:

Quote:

"The Inland Revenue" from The Holy Terror: Simon finds himself up against an undefeatable enemy — the taxman — when Inland Revenue pursues him for back taxes after Templar publishes a novel. In order to come up with the money, Templar and his girlfriend, Patricia Holm, hatch a scheme to capture a blackmailer known as The Scorpion whose exploits have already led to a murder and several suicides. Templar's plan is complicated by a promise made to Inspector Claud Eustace Teal that he won't kill the villain this time.

I read that one - but it was in "The Saint vs. Scotland Yard" (U.S. title). That's what triggered my memory about taxes.

(Darn you, now I'm wondering if illegal income at that time was taxable in the UK. It is now, here!)

What'd you think of Give 'Em the Axe? I just read that one. I still can't find Gold Comes in Bricks through PBS or BookMooch, though. I may have to fall back on ebay.

Enjoyed it muchly. I loved it when they were taking Bertha's deposition. The way the lawyer twists things around is classic. Actually, all of Bertha's dealings with the accident were amusing.

I can't find the first two titles at my library, so we're about even. *sigh* I'll keep my eye out at used book sales from now on.

 

[Harp]

Haven't seen this thread in a while.

Quid agis amicus et munchkin?

 

[V-Sweetheart]

Vintage reading

I read actual vintage books, reproductions and good modern done in the style. For those who are interested in English deco period literature, I found an interesting UK Publisher named Persephone Books that specializes in little known UK lit. They are responsible for reprinting Miss Pettigrew Lives for the Day. They have some wonderful books that give a good feel of women's Homefront experience during WWII. They also have reproduced some ration based cookbooks and just really interesting writings on the 20th Century experience in the UK. I am reading Greenery Street, a book set during the 20s on the first year of marriage in the Sloane Square area of London. Cute.

 

[Dr Doran]

Quid agis amicus et munchkin?

valemus!

 

[Nighthawk]

Right now, The Maltese Falcon. (I finally got around to it.)

The thing is, it is very hard to see anyone but Bogie in the roll.

NH

 

[Sunny]

Enjoyed it muchly. I loved it when they were taking Bertha's deposition. The way the lawyer twists things around is classic. Actually, all of Bertha's dealings with the accident were amusing.

I know - it was awesome! She got SO tangled up, and you just know Donald knew everything that would happen and just what kind of a hole she would dig herself into. Heck, he could've done it to her himself if he'd bothered. lol

 

[kiltie]

Elmore Leonard

Right now, The Maltese Falcon. (I finally got around to it.)

The thing is, it is very hard to see anyone but Bogie in the roll.

NH

Red Harvest is a lot of fun, too.

I just finished The Hot Kid and moved on to it's sequal Up in Honey's Room. Lots of good 20s and 30s midwest gangster/lawman action. The hero is a little like Chilly Palmer ( very smooth, plans on the fly always panning out, etc...), but a lawman instead of a mobster.

 

[Harp]

Right now, The Maltese Falcon. (I finally got around to it.)

The thing is, it is very hard to see anyone but Bogie in the roll.

NH

...or anyone else as Rick Blaine in Casablanca.
Wrapped Round Up The Usual Suspects last week, surprised
that Bogart and Bergman were so distant off screen.

 

[Harp]

"The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943 - 1944"

Rick Atkinson's followup to "An Army at Dawn" about the US Army's evolution during WWII.

Read Atkinson's An Army At Dawn, haven't yet its sequel. Liked R.A.s
attention to detail and his account of personal relations commanders/subordinates,
especially Eisenhower/Bradley with Terry de la Mesa Allen, a most remarkable
officer.

Ever read Anton Myrer's Once An Eagle?; a tale about an Army
mustang's rise to lieutenant general from the Villa chase through advisory
period Saigon. Myrer, a WWII Marine and Harvard alum was required
reading at the War College. My Marine uncle had passed the book on to me
when I was a kid and it made an indelible impression; all the more so years
afterward when I returned to it as a student. I believe that Myrer may have
based his protagonist in OAE on Terry Allen.

Myrer also wrote The Last Convertible, a Harvard paean well worth
the time.

 

[carter]

The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail, A Play

We did a production of The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail when I was in college at JMU. I played Thoreau. That was more than a few years ago.
______________________________________________

I'm currently reading

"151 Pages. A good vintage hatmaking and millinery book can be hard to find at times. Even harder to find are books that discuss the proper tools and techniques used in making and restoring men's hats. This book is a rare find indeed! It includes instructions and techniques used in making, cleaning and restoring men's hats and many images of the rare tools used in the process.

This wonderful book covers the complete operation of a Prohibition Era Hat Maker's Shop. A fabulous resource that is filled with hard-to-find information that will be cherished by all lovers of vintage hats. Here are the contents of the book by chapter:

From the Business Man's Point of View
Establishing a Shop
Equipping and Arranging the Shop
Advertising and Business Systems
What to Charge
How to Make Out a Job Ticket
Preparing the Hats for Cleaning
Cleaning Soft Hats
Stiffening and Blocking
Ironing and Pouncing
Brim Work (Soft Hats)
Curling Soft Hats
Flanging
Renovating Velours, Beavers and Napped Hats
Shaping Soft Hat Styles
How to Conform a Hat
Cleaning Stiff Hats
Blocking Stiff Hats
Finishing Rough Hats
Trimming
Cleaning Straw and Body Hats
Bleaching Straws anf Body Hats
Bleaching and Stiffening Panama Hats
Blocking Panama Hats
Other Bleaching Methods
Renovating Women's Straw Hats
Ironing, Washing and Blocking Silk Hats"

 

[Nighthawk]

Red Harvest is a lot of fun, too.

The book I'm reading Falcon in has all of Hammett's novels under one cover (Volume 2 has his short fiction). I just had to skip ahead to Falcon, though.

NH

 

[Nighthawk]

...or anyone else as Rick Blaine in Casablanca.

Not to get too far off topic, but by some accounts he was an interesting choice in that role.

NH

 

[RetroPat]

I just started the second book in the Twilight series, New Moon. It's definitely as sophisticated literature as some of the over books currently being read here, but it's fast reading and I find the overall story engaging. I do however love reading the classics along with modern writing.

 

[carter]

Just received a 1st Edition (1956) of "The Cowboy At Work: All About His Job and How He Does It" by Fay E. Ward, who was an actual working cowboy. This book was referenced in one of the hat threads. Looking forward to raeding this one.

 

[Panache]

"Horror Show" by Greg Kihn. Yes, that Greg Kihn. A fair amount of the book is set in the fifties.

Fun stuff so far and a nice prelude to the Halloween season.

Cheers

Jamie

 

[Lulu-in-Ny]

"Horror Show" by Greg Kihn. Yes, that Greg Kihn.
Jamie

lol ... Wow. I was terrified of his video for "Jeopardy" when I was little. Creeps me out to this day...

I'm just started The Ghost in Love by Jonathan Carroll. Very good so far, but I love everything he writes, so I'm a little biased.

 

[Josephine]

"Horror Show" by Greg Kihn. Yes, that Greg Kihn.

"Our Love's in Jeopardy" Greg Kihn?!? Cool!

 

[eldonkr]

I mainly listen to podcast novels. I could talk your ear off all day about them, as I normally to do anyone with an iPod or the dumb luck to ask me what I'm listening to. But I'll choose not to today and just say if you want to know more you can check out my weekly show by following the link in my signature or you can just ask me.

Right now I'm listening to 7th Son: Obsidian by J.C. Hutchins and I'm reading "Wizard For Hire" The first three of the Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher