Hi all. I thought about posting a list of my favorite books and authors - Hemingway, Camus, Wolfe, Hunter Thompson, John le Carre, Ed Abbey, all the usual suspects - but decided instead I'd discuss what I'm reading right now. Please take notes; there will be a quiz.

Since I'm poor, I don't buy books.  I go to the library instead, every couple months or so, and get a grab bag of books on the topics I find interesting. It's getting harder and harder to find stuff I like though; I've lived in the same place for quite a few years now, and though we have a first rate library system, I've basically read everything there which interests me. Nowadays I'm reduced to combing my way back through the stacks, gleaning what I may have missed on previous trips, or looking through the new arrivals section. I've noticed though that they aren't getting as many new books in as they used to; my guess is that my library, like everybody else, has a reduced budget because of the faltering economy. Anyway, to what I'm reading right now.

Myths, Illusions, & Peace - Finding A New Direction For America In The Middle East, by Dennis Ross and David Makovsky

I'm nearly finished with this 0ne, and it's been a great read. What the authors have done is to deconstruct some of the many myths or fallacies about US policy in the Mideast over the last century or so, and to suggest more realistic approaches.  They do a good job of dismantling some of the absurd notions put forth by the NeoCons, and they're none too kind to the so-called "realist" school either, people in the mold 0f Henry Kissinger who base their policies on realpolitik and the belief that states, and even nonstate actors, always act in their own self interests. Surprisingly, that isn't always the case.

Archeology Of The High Plains, by James H. Gunnerson

This is for hardcore geeks only; in other words, it's right up my alley. If you want to find out about the Mount Albion Complex, which is the best known of the Early Archaic complexes of Northern Colorado, this is the book for you.

State of Denial, by Bob Woodward

This is the final tome in Woodward's magnum opus series about the inner workings of the Bush/Cheney administration. Though he has received some justifiable criticism for the way he traded journalistic independence for access to the key players in Bush's White House, it's still required reading for anyone who wants to get a glimpse behind the curtain of what historians will likely consider to be the  most disastrous presidency in US history.

The End of Empire; Attila The Hun And The Fall Of Rome, by Christopher Kelly

I haven't read this yet, but it looks to be fun. Here's part of a blurb from the dustcover: "Kelly has an unrivaled feel for the power game of late antiquity. His shrewd sympathy brings to life the concerns not only of Byzantine eunuchs and  nomadic warlords, but also of their victims, as he steers the hapless ambassadors at the center of his account, a brilliantly arranged Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, through times more disastrously out of joint than their philosophy could conceive" - Neil McLynn, professor of classics, Oxford Universivty

Byzantine eunuchs and nomadic warlords; it doesn't get any better than that!

Seeds of Terror - How Heroin Is Bankrolling The Taliban, by Gretchen Peters

This too promises to be a good read. The title is self explanatory, and I'm looking forward to reading this as the campaign season in Afghanistan kicks off, with us still supporting a regime which makes as much or more money off opium as the Taliban does.

Al-Anbar Awakening, Volumes I and II, by the Marine Corps University Press

Both these books are written by and for Marines, but I find them fascinating because they shed light on aspects of the the Sunni Awakening which weren't covered  by the press. The first volume is a series of interviews with Marine Corps and Army personnel who were directly involved in the Awakening and in such events as the  battle of Fallujah. The second is a series of interviews with Iraqis who were involved in the same  events. The two volumes taken together yield much information which may be of value as we move forward in Afghanistan.

 Zeke and Ned, by Larry McMurtry

There's not much by McMurtry I don't like, but this is one of his best as far as I'm concerned. It's set in the Cherokee Nation of eastern Oklah0ma after the Civil War, and is based on true events. The protagonists are two Cherokee men, Ezekiel Proctor and Ned Christie,  and the book follows their slowly escalating confrontation with the  local and federal authorities. It's hilarious at times but also deadly serious; if you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it.

The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

I love McCarthy's style; for my money he's one of our best modern novelists. This one is set (I think) in a post-apocalyptic America, but I haven't read it yet so don't tell me what happens or I'll have to murder you.

And for those of you who made it this far, thanks for reading. I hope you have a good week, and may your local library never run out of good books the way mine has. Damn it.