At our bedsides: Saigon, Hanoi, media history, weird killer fish, sea stories and romantic vampires
Way back in 2007 we first asked What Books Are On Your Night Stand? and told you what the folks at BFP were reading. At the time there were a few surprises and some perfectly predictable books as well. Auntie Moses was reading “I’d Like To Ask Sister White” and Robert had a book about the creation of the Boeing 747 on his table. What could be more predictable?
As for unpredictable – that would be Cliverton. One of our commenters observed
“Anyone who reads Steven King AND Hilary Beckles is decidedly suspect…”
Have to say that we agree!
Today we’ve asked the question again and discovered as always that life is full of surprises. Unknown to each other, two of our friends are reading books about Vietnam – while Shona has gone over to the dark side. 😉
Used books because no one has money for new!
The common thread is that everyone is reading used books, passed around and traded. There isn’t a single current best seller or new book in the whole lot even in paperback. Is this a function of the economy? Thinking about it, it’s been a long time since anyone I know showed up with new softcover let alone a hardcover. How about you and your friends… any new hardcovers floating around?
We also asked our friend Ian Bourne to let us know what he’s reading. The Bajan Reporter is apparently reading an old book too.
So here’s the list of our books. We’d love to hear what you’re reading…
Marcus (That’s me)
The Far Side of the World – Patrick O’Brian
In our 2007 books article someone commented “Marcus a Reeman fan? Try Patrick O’Brian for a much better read.” Because of this I started on O’Brian’s Aubrey–Maturin novels set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. In the last three years I’ve read all twenty and I’m now making my way through the series again!
I still love Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, but the commenter was correct back in 2007: Patrick O’Brian is the Master and Commander of sea stories.
Shona
Just finishing: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Next read: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
How could a long-time reader of Danielle Steel novels (otherwise known as “chewing gum for the eyes”) surrender to the teenaged vampire Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer? Ask Shona because she’s reading Twilight for the second time and has Meyer’s first “written for adults” novel on the table too.
Woe! Oh Woe!
Robert
Reading three books at the same time…
Chickenhawk – Robert Mason
Thud Ridge – Jack Broughton
Bravo Two Zero – Andy McNab
Next up: Going Downtown – Jack Broughton
It’s a toss up as to who is the most voracious reader at BFP – Robert or Cliverton. This time around we’d say that if it’s a contest, Robert wins…
Our resident pilot Robert has three biographies on the go at the same time: one in the WC, one by his bed and one for “outside”. Whew!
Chickenhawk is the story of the helicopter war in Vietnam from 1964 to 1966 as told by a US Army pilot, Robert Mason. The interesting side story is that when the book was first published in 1983, the author was about to be sentenced for smuggling a boatload of ganja from Columbia to the USA. Mason did his time and came out to find he was a best selling author.
Thud Ridge was written by US fighter pilot Jack Broughton and actually published during the Vietnam war. That’s a no-no and he paid for it according to Robert.
Broughton’s second book Going Downtown was based largely upon his courts martial for attacking Soviet ships in Haiphong Harbour when he was forbidden to by his rules of engagement.
Robert says he’s looking forward to Going Downtown himself someday as Vietnam is one place he’s never been despite all his travels in Europe and Asia.
Cliverton
On the go…
Jaws – Peter Benchley
Manufacturing Consent – Edward S. Herman & Noam Chomsky
Next: Amusing Ourselves to Death – Neil Postman
“Anyone who reads Steven King AND Hilary Beckles is decidedly suspect…”
That’s what a commenter said about Cliverton back in 2007 and we have to agree that Clive’s taste is eclectic to say the least.
Clive’s current beside book is a ratty copy of the 1974 big best-seller Jaws that he found abandoned in a certain rum shop. He says he’s enjoying it especially that the book hasn’t been spoiled by him seeing the movie. The book plot differs substantially from the movie and it’s a little racy too!
Clive says that the Jaws shark in the movie is a sterile eating machine, but in the book it comes across as evil – making the book that much more compelling. Once again, the book wins over the movie!
(Jaws reminds me of a photoshop creation that was circulating recently. Some weird totally vicious fish supposed to have been discovered washed up on a Haitian beach. Anyone see it? Really creepy!)
Manufacturing Consent is the famous pre-internet book about the mass media. Clive is about half way through and says he’s floored by the evidence of the USA’s support of genocide in Central America and the Caribbean during the Reagan years – and how the American news media deliberately withheld the truth from the public.
He’s now reading the chapters on the American news media’s coverage of Vietnam and says he’ll write a full review when he’s done – the book has impressed him that much.
Amusing Ourselves to Death – Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman
“This book is about the possibility that Huxley, not Orwell, was right.”
Clive’s next book is another pre-internet book published in 1985 by Penguin Books. He picked it up used in the bargain bin (guess what shop!). Clive says he’s read everything and more by Marshall McLuhan, George Orwell and Aldus Huxley but upon reading the first page at the used book bin, he was hooked.
Clive says that the forward reminded him of the Barbados news media.
Here’s the forward that made Cliverton buy the book…
We were keeping our eye on 1984. When the year came and the prophecy didn’t, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves. The roots of liberal democracy had held. Wherever else the terror had happened, we, at least, had not been visited by Orwellian nightmares.
But we had forgotten that alongside Orwell’s dark vision, there was another – slightly older, slightly less well known, equally chilling: Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Contrary to common belief even among the educated, Huxley and Orwell did not prophesy the same thing. Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley’s vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.
What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy.
As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny “failed to take into account man’s almost infinite appetite for distractions”. In 1984, Huxley added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us.
This book is about the possibility that Huxley, not Orwell, was right.
That’s it for us folks. What are you reading?
Barbados Free Press 
Book(s) on Nightstand – Thoroughly addicted to Sookie Stackhouse series at the moment, tv and book, each is correct in its own right and author Charlaine Harris loves the divergence created by HBO writer Alan Ball.
Both series look at how Japanese created blood substitute so potent that Vampires come Out and vow not to attack humans anymore and the books/programme look at consequences of such a Revelation – Sookie, a young barmaid from Bon Temps in Louisiana, eventually discovers there really fairies and werewolves among other supernatural dangers.
Just completed books 5 & 6. In the fifth installment – “Dead As A Doornail,” Sookie’s brother Jason is now a were-panther, but his fellow shifters consider him a Prime Suspect in a series of shootings where the victims are all shape-shifters, can Sookie find the killer before her brother becomes kitty litter?
This as Eric tries to recall the “Witch War” episode (Book 4 – ‘Dead To The World’) where he was magicked into amnesia, will Sookie tell him of their brief yet passionate moments together? And the near tragedy which almost made it disappear forever?
Meanwhile, Sookie is sought as a catalyst by Alcide Herveaux for selecting a new Packmaster for the Shreveport werewolves – she meets a mysterious referee called Quinn, who has trouble keeping his eye on the match after meeting the young telepathic waitress… Will Alcide’s father succeed in his bid to be leader of the pack?
“Definitely Dead” is book six – the mysterious Quinn arrives at Merlotte’s Bar & Grill, where Sookie is usually rushed off her feet serving customers (when not dodging fangs or claws and other supernatural weaponry) he has two proposals for her – one personal and the other professional…
He wants her to be a consultant with her psi-abilities for undead Sophie, the Queen of Louisiana in an upcoming conference. On a more human, for want of a better phrase, level? Quinn asks Sookie for a date and she accepts!
What will Eric the 1,000 year old Viking do? Now he’s learned of their swift yet star-crossed moments? Will it be undead fang against raging striped-fur? Can you guess Quinn’s beast?
Even as Sophie agrees to undertake the task for Louisiana’s vampiric leader, she has to recover a stolen object and find out who made a Werewolf into a vampire before the First Dance of the arranged wedding between Sophie and the King of Arkansas…
As if poor Sookie did not have enough on her tray, she served this dreadful disclosure – Civil War vampire Bill, Sookie’s first lover, confesses as to how their relationship began and it’s not something she wanted to know, why?
The whole series up to to Book 9 awaits you at Pages across the island my children of the night (Book 10 is in Trinidad but not here yet, it was released in May 2010). No, you may not pay for it with garlic nor wooden stakes – but you will have a howling good time of it!
I agree about the used books. I buy nothing but myself.
I’m reading The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The girlfriend is reading Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
Just finished The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad (very interesting) and now reading Honeymoon in Purdah – An Iranian Journey by Alison Wearing.
They are both library books. I decided to join the library this summer in an attempt to get my two youngest children to read more. It worked, and I was very pleasantly surprised by the library itself. Good stuff.
There are many inspirational books out there
Mao’s Last Dancer—Li Cunxin
Three Cups of Tea —Mortensen/Relin
The Billionaire Who Wasn’t—Conor O’Clery
As an aside, The Vietnam Government although a single party socialist state is moving from communist party orthodoxy towards economic development. They have the same problem with cars and traffic as many places in the world, so cars have an import duty of 200% while motor scooters zero percent duty. Accidents are lowered by having a maximum speed of 50 KMH and 70 KMH on the highway. These speed limits are strictly enforced.
I may be wrong, but I understand that there are only
8 politburo members, who all have a driver. Vietnam has a population of roughly 88 million people. This would mean that for every 10 million or so people an elected official gets a chauffeur driven car and driver.
What can a country of 250,000-300,000 realistically afford in the way of bureaucratic costs on the international stage and what can be pooled with other caribbean countries?
Have just finished The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger very good & so much better than the film.
Am about to start ‘The Island’ by Victoria Hislop, set in Crete involving Spinalonga Island which was the Islands leper colony at one time. I choose it as I’d been there & found Spinalonga a strange place, it has a sad atmosphere, which I suppose is not surprising!
Most of the books I read are second hand but occasionally I buy books through Amazon when they have a sale & get friends to bring them over when visiting, then you’ve got a new book to add to the second hand circuit!
Looking for used books? Check the ARK book sale.(Animal Welfare Society of Barbados)
The book sale takes place on the first Tuesday of every month in front of Big B Supermarket.
I am currently reading Down Under by Bill Bryson, purchased at the book sale for 5.00 BBD’s
Need to hit either the library or the Book Den, thanks for the reminder!
I truly hope the availability of books and their exorbitant cost has improved somewhat in Barbados. Cave Sheppard was full to the rafters with pappy romance novels and any book actually worth reading cost a King’s ransom. Every friend I had coming down, I begged them to bring books!
hee hee… what is on my nightstand???….batteries not included 🙂
Aldous Huxley never saw Black Entertainment Television but his prophecy was fulfilled by BET. No other organization did so much to destroy afro-American families.
Just finished reading “The Book of Negroes”. A fiction novel that reads like a memoir – about an African woman who, as a girl in an African village, is captured as a slave. It follows her story as life unfolds from that point. Favourite book of the last 2 years.
If you can get your hands on a copy of “Don`t Stop The Carnival” by Herman Wouk, you will die laughing, while appreciating a classic on Island life. Example: nothing goes smoothly, or works the way it is supposed to.
It was published many years ago, but is a classic , and worth reading. I got mine on e Bay for $5 Us plus shipping, and it was worth it.
Currently reading “The Seat of the Soul” by Gary Zukav. To quote the back of the book, “Zukav explains that we are evolving from a species that pursues power based on perceptions of the five senses – the external power – into a species that pursues authentic power – power that is based upon the perceptions and values of the spirit.”
Next on the list is “Women, Food and God” by Geneen Roth.