What are you reading?

[dwoodward13]

Sagebrush Empire: How a Remote Utah County Became the Battlefront of American Public Lands by Jonathan P. Thompson

The author winds his own adventures in slickrock country with those of the previous settlers, and how the fight against federal lands (BLM, ect) by locals in this area came to be. A fascinating insight to a fight that will likely come to forefront once again. Fantastic book.

[DaveLanders]

Sagebrush Empire: How a Remote Utah County Became the Battlefront of American Public Lands by Jonathan P. Thompson

The author winds his own adventures in slickrock country with those of the previous settlers, and how the fight against federal lands (BLM, ect) by locals in this area came to be. A fascinating insight to a fight that will likely come to forefront once again. Fantastic book.

Thanks. This is the same author who wrote an excellent book: "River of Lost Souls" about the Gold King Mine disaster. So I added "Sagebrush Empire" to my reading list.

[dwoodward13]

Sagebrush Empire: How a Remote Utah County Became the Battlefront of American Public Lands by Jonathan P. Thompson

The author winds his own adventures in slickrock country with those of the previous settlers, and how the fight against federal lands (BLM, ect) by locals in this area came to be. A fascinating insight to a fight that will likely come to forefront once again. Fantastic book.

Thanks. This is the same author who wrote an excellent book: "River of Lost Souls" about the Gold King Mine disaster. So I added "Sagebrush Empire" to my reading list.

Yep! I mentioned that one a few pages back. Another excellent book.

[susanjoypaul]

Hampton Sides had a new book titled "The Wide Wide Sea".

If you like accurate historical research brought to life in an entertaining story-like adventure that leaves you feeling like you learned something along the way, this is a must read.

In this work, the telling of the 3rd of James Cook's round the world trips. Fun insight, Captain James Cook is the name that likely gave rise to t.v. character Captain James Kirk. The adventures of one being no less exotic and dangerous than the other.

It is cliche to say, but it draws you in and is hard to put down.

Great book. He did a presentation on it this past May at the local library here in Colorado Springs (he teaches at Colorado College). I went to see the preso and get my copy of In the Kingdom of Ice signed (another Sides favorite) and wound up sitting in front of the author's wife and son. Lots of cool tidbits in The Wide Wide Sea - like the one you mentioned about Captain Kirk - and the connection to William Bligh. The gossip at the library that day (yes, I eavesdropped) was that Hampton was doing research around Denver for his next book.

[Scott P]

Sagebrush Empire: How a Remote Utah County Became the Battlefront of American Public Lands by Jonathan P. Thompson

The author winds his own adventures in slickrock country with those of the previous settlers, and how the fight against federal lands (BLM, ect) by locals in this area came to be. A fascinating insight to a fight that will likely come to forefront once again. Fantastic book.

Thanks for pointing the book out. I'll have to read it.

[The_Ramp]

I'm currently working through the Dungeon Crawler Carl series- if you're looking for a fast, easy, and hilarious read, highly recommend, especially if you're a fan of video games or played them a lot when younger (like me).

https://www.goodreads.com/series/309211 ... awler-carl

[Old Goat]

How about reading some outdoorsy humor?
Looking at the list of book recommendations, I noticed a lack of books, especially outdoorsy books, that poke fun at "our adventures".
We do some questionable things in the wild, and we deserve to be satirically chided for those.
There are a lot of younger folk on this site who may never have had the chance to sit down with a copy of "Field and Stream" magazine.
For decades, Patrick McManus wrote short stories that appeared in the first few pages of that magazine. He was a brilliant satirist.
He poked fun at himself and things he had done in his childhood - things that we did, too. and we're lucky to still be alive.
If our mothers knew only half of what all we got away with .... ???
Over the years, McManus compiled his short stories into brilliant books. If it has been a while since you laughed so hard you cried, please purchase:
"A Fine and Pleasant Misery", "They Shoot Canoes, Don't they", "The Grasshopper Trap", "Rubber legs and White Tail-Hairs, "Never Sniff a Gift Fish", etc., etc., etc.

[Scott P]

How about reading some outdoorsy humor?
Looking at the list of book recommendations, I noticed a lack of books, especially outdoorsy books, that poke fun at "our adventures".

Maybe Into Hot Air. I haven't read it yet, but have it.

Also Escape from Kathmandu and Ascent of Rum Doodle.

[Rampaging Baloths]

I'm currently working through the Dungeon Crawler Carl series- if you're looking for a fast, easy, and hilarious read, highly recommend, especially if you're a fan of video games or played them a lot when younger (like me).

https://www.goodreads.com/series/309211 ... awler-carl

Love this series!

If others don't read it Mongo will be appalled!

[the_hare]

Reading "Cheap Land Colorado" written by journalist Ted Conover who first volunteers in and then moves into "the flats" in the San Luis Valley. Lots of interesting slice of life reporting on the wide swathe of valley residents, historical accounts, and questions answered like what's up with those unfinished subdivision-like roads near places like Lake Como Rd.

[12ersRule]

Here's a few I've read over the past year or so:

"Cat's Cradle" - Kurt Vonnegut. Fun one!
"The Last Englishman" = Keith Foskett. Common man doing the PCT trail. Didn't care for it at all.
"AWOL on the Appalachian Trail" - David Miller. Common man on the AT. Very good!
"River: One Man's Journey Down the Colorado, Source to Sea" - Colin Fletcher - very good!


Just started "The Man who walked through Time" - by Colin Fletcher. So far, so good!

Amazingly, I had totally forgotten I even read 'Cat's Cradle' and need to read it again apparently.
Also, forgot that I didn't care for the Foskett one either and I happened to get a trilogy of his trail adventures last Christmas and am about halfway into his AT one. Think it is probably the worst hiking adventure I've ever read and it reminded me
of something similar that sucked. Now I know what it reminded me of! He spends about 10% of the book talking about the actual trail or hiking on the trail, and the rest of the time just talking about all the stupid rest stops he took and what he ate.

Good books I've read recently. David Grann "The Lost City of Z", "Killers of the Flower Moon".

I don't read nearly as much as I used to, probably should get back to that. NYT puzzles seem to eat up a lot that time that was devoted to reading.

[aweskamp]

How about reading some outdoorsy humor?
Looking at the list of book recommendations, I noticed a lack of books, especially outdoorsy books, that poke fun at "our adventures".

Ascent of Rum Doodle is probably the best mountaineering satire out there. Chapters 37-40 of Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain also fit the bill. So so funny