• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

Pit Book/Discussion Thread

#1 The Lost Sons of Omaha by Joe Sexton

If I am traveling somewhere I like to pick up a book (or more) that is related to the place. I read this book just before the College World Series last year. This book is about the shooting death of a young black man (Scurlock) by a young white man (Gardner) just days after George Floyd’s murder. With all that was going on in 2020 I do not have any recollection of this tragedy in Omaha.

It is clear Sexton had a lot of access to the families of both Gardner and Scurlock. He does an excellent job of building a timeline of events, but he devotes even more time to the backgrounds and lives of Scurlock and Gardner. You realize that they are not the caricatures portrayed by people trying to advance either themselves or their views. He provides a lot of background on Omaha as well, focusing on its history of racism. All of it is skillfully written and moves at a brisk pace.

My mind keeps returning to this book because the story is tough, it is complex, and it is heartbreaking in more than one way.
 
Just finished up "A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life" by film producer Brian Glazer. Quick read with some nice reminders about the power and benefits of curiosity along with some cool stories from his career.

Next book up is going to be the brand new novel from our very own IrishSlim.
 
Finished IrishSlims latest. It’s my favorite of his books and his best to date. Strongly recommend picking this one up.
 
Finished The World That Wasn't by Benn Steil - 500 pages of pre- and contemporary cold war era history via Henry Wallace, FDR's third VP and the 1948 Progressive Party's candidate. A really well written book overall, absolutely recommend to anyone interested in American politics and foreign policy during that time. The kind of influence mysticism had during that time period is pretty astounding, and the sixth chapter about his role in Nicholas Roerich's cult and legitimizing the dude's journey into Mongolia while Agriculture Sec. is just kind of incredible.
 
I’m about 1/3rd of the way through Demon Cooperhead, and the writing is incredible and the characters and environment very fleshed out and detailed. But it feels a little… too much? Like a little torture porn-ish? Anyone else feel this way?
 
Reading Wellness in conjunction with several bookclubs made up of p different social dynamics. P interesting to hear the reception of it via the circle.
 
finally got around to reading a Ben Lerner book -- Leaving Atocha Station, his first novel -- and I'm digging it so far
 
Anyone got any good non-fiction recs? I typically enjoy adventure/survival type stories and sports stuff the most. Some of my favorites in recent years:

The Wager
Miracle in the Andes
Into Thin Air
Unbroken
A Good Walk Spoiled
To Shake the Sleeping Self
The Last Action Hero
Phil
The Big Miss
Lone Survivor

Currently finishing up The Lost Boys of Montauk and haven't really liked it all that much.
 
tigerswood said:
Anyone got any good non-fiction recs? I typically enjoy adventure/survival type stories and sports stuff the most. Some of my favorites in recent years:

The Wager
Miracle in the Andes
Into Thin Air
Unbroken
A Good Walk Spoiled
To Shake the Sleeping Self
The Last Action Hero
Phil
The Big Miss
Lone Survivor

Currently finishing up The Lost Boys of Montauk and haven't really liked it all that much.
Click to expand...
Horse Soldiers - Doug Stanton
Endurance - Alfred Lansing
River of Doubt - Candace Millard


As for myself, I just read "There, There" by Tommy Orange. One hell of a debut novel, I'll say that. If you're into human nature / stories of interconnectedness through the lens of the Native American experience, it's a great one.
 
tigerswood said:
Anyone got any good non-fiction recs? I typically enjoy adventure/survival type stories and sports stuff the most. Some of my favorites in recent years:

The Wager
Miracle in the Andes
Into Thin Air
Unbroken
A Good Walk Spoiled
To Shake the Sleeping Self
The Last Action Hero
Phil
The Big Miss
Lone Survivor

Currently finishing up The Lost Boys of Montauk and haven't really liked it all that much.
Click to expand...
Do you like football?
Meat Market by Bruce Feldman
A Civil War by John Feinstein

Also

The Tiger by John Vaillant for survival stuff
 
All good stuff. Thanks, guys.

Forgot one of my other survival favorites - 438 Days by Jonathan Franklin is really, really good.
 
tigerswood said:
Anyone got any good non-fiction recs? I typically enjoy adventure/survival type stories and sports stuff the most. Some of my favorites in recent years:

The Wager
Miracle in the Andes
Into Thin Air
Unbroken
A Good Walk Spoiled
To Shake the Sleeping Self
The Last Action Hero
Phil
The Big Miss
Lone Survivor

Currently finishing up The Lost Boys of Montauk and haven't really liked it all that much.
Click to expand...
Really enjoyed Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe. It reads more like a true crime novel than history, but uses the murder of Jean McConville to frame the issues that rack Northern Ireland and give a glimpse into what living amidst that conflict was like.
 
Sweet. Sounds kind of like Under the Banner of Heaven with how it frames a historic/grisly murder against the history of the Mormon church and fundamentalism. Also one of my favorite books. Generally anything by Krakauer is fantastic imho.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top