duct tape Posted May 22, 2013 #26 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Thanx, 5waldos. Anything that mixes Italy and art is right up my alley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Tothesunset Posted May 22, 2013 #27 Share Posted May 22, 2013 ...Would also recommend The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain... Thanks for that. Just got the Kindle version for a whole £0.00! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5waldos Posted May 22, 2013 #28 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Thanks for that. Just got the Kindle version for a whole £0.00! That is how I read it too. Except mine cost $0.00. Wait til you see the prices for his trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Tothesunset Posted May 22, 2013 #29 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Thanks for that. Just got the Kindle version for a whole £0.00! That is how I read it too. Except mine cost $0.00. Wait til you see the prices for his trip! At $1.50 to the £, yours was the better bargain!;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbslos18 Posted May 23, 2013 #30 Share Posted May 23, 2013 For Panama Canal transits, The Path between the Seas by David McCullough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5waldos Posted May 23, 2013 #31 Share Posted May 23, 2013 At $1.50 to the £, yours was the better bargain!;) I bargained hard for it. ;) You can do that on Amazon you know. Well, sometimes maybe perhaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herman The Cat Posted May 23, 2013 #32 Share Posted May 23, 2013 For those traveling out of or into Venice, this looks like a great book: City of Fortune: How Venice Ruled the Seas, by Roger Crowley. Here is the NY Times book review: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/books/review/city-of-fortune-how-venice-ruled-the-seas-by-roger-crowley-book-review.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Avery Posted May 27, 2013 #33 Share Posted May 27, 2013 The Only Way To Cross by John Maxtone-Graham is a great read onboard any ship. Lots of ship info in an entertaining format. After that, I go with most of the above but for easy fun reads, Stuart Woods goes well with a martini.:D And of course I agree with the poster about the menus.:eek::D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare WesW Posted June 19, 2013 Author #34 Share Posted June 19, 2013 sad to post popular thriller writer Vince Flynn at just 47, has died: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/06/19/mn-author-vince-flynn-dies-at-47/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancygp Posted June 19, 2013 #35 Share Posted June 19, 2013 sad to post popular thriller writer Vince Flynn at just 47, has died: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/06/19/mn-author-vince-flynn-dies-at-47/ WEs, this is so sad. Larry just sent me the same link a few minutes ago. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ging466 Posted June 20, 2013 #36 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Thankx for posting Wes. One of my all time favourite authors...so sad that he was so young. Cheers Jennifer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duct tape Posted June 20, 2013 #37 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Herman, just got that one. I don't think I can wait until a Venice cruise to read it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlondon Posted June 20, 2013 #38 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Even worse Tony Soprano just died in Rome:mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdnycruiser Posted June 21, 2013 #39 Share Posted June 21, 2013 As a history buff usually anything historical. Also have read all of Paul Therouxs' books on cruises. Just read his new one on return from our cruise from Africa. Interesting,as we shared many of the same observations of Africa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duct tape Posted June 21, 2013 #40 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Especially his fondness for NGOs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaisonRose Posted August 24, 2013 #41 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Stop in Portugal? Two engaging books for serious reading, both classics by honored authors The Crime of Father Amaro by Eça de Queirós, Margaret Jull Costa Eça de Queirs's novel is a lurid satire of clerical corruption in a town in Portugal during a period before and after the 1871 Paris Commune. "Young, virile Father Amaro arrives in Leira and is taken in as a lodger by São Joaneira. Her budding, devout, dewy-lipped daughter Amélia is soon lusted after by the young priest. What ensues is a secret love affair amidst a host of compelling minor characters: Canon Dias, a priest, glutton, and Sao Joaneira's lover; Dona Maria da Assuncao, a wealthy widow with a roomful of religious relics, agog at any hint of sex; Joao Eduardo, repressed atheist, free-thinker, and suitor to Amelia. Eca's incisive critique flies like a shattering mirror, jabbing everything from the hypocrisy of a rich and powerful Church, to the provincialism of Portuguese society of the time. The quote is from goodreads Equator. by Miguel Sousa Tavares It is 1905 and Luis Bernardo Valenca, a thirty-seven-year-old bachelor and owner of a small shipping company, is revelling in Lisbon’s luxurious high society. But his life is turned upside down when King Dom Carlos invites him to become governor of Portugal’s smallest colony, the island of São Tomé e Principe. Luis Bernardo is ill-prepared for the challenges of plantation life – used to a softer urban existence, he is shocked by the conditions under which the workers labour. But with the English closing in on São Tomé’s cocoa plantations, the island’s main means of survival, Luis Bernardo must endeavour to protect the island and its community. For detective story fans: A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson WW2thrilled: Dark Voyage by Alan Furst. 1941 freighter running war products for the allies, in the Med up to the Baltics. Interested in what it was like in the old days? Innocents Abroad. Mark Twain takes a very slow boat to the Holy Land, stopping everywhere on the way. South of France? A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle. Hysterical adventures renovating an old farmhouse in the Luberon Valley. Spain: Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart. Well reviewed book about the author's experiences settling into the life of Andalusia Italy Sicily..The Leopard by Giuseppe Lampedusa. Set in the 1860s, The Leopard tells the spellbinding story of a decadent, dying Sicilian aristocracy threatened by the approaching forces of democracy and revolution. The dramatic sweep and richness of observation, the seamless intertwining of public and private worlds, and the grasp of human frailty imbue The Leopard with its particular melancholy beauty and power, and place it among the greatest historical novels of our time. Serious literature, a classic. Italy WW2. Christ Stopped at Eboli, Carlo Levi. Deemed a political risk, a doctor. Is sent to a tiny remote village southeast of Naples, where he practices medicine amidst superstitious villagers. This memoir evokes Italy before the age of, well, electricity and plumbing. Wonderful reading. And, one of the best books I have read, and the least famous: The council of Egypt by Leonardo Sciascia. Abbot Vella is a schemer who sets out to exploit the Sicilian aristocracy by making reference to a fictitious ancient Arabic chronicle that enhances the rights of some families and justifies the claim of Naples over the island community. A real history lesson, this. And finally, Blue Latitudes by Tony Horowicz. Leave the Atlantic to follow Capt. Cook's explorations across the Pacific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARIANH Posted August 24, 2013 #42 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Such an interesting fun thread that if started now could grace the Water Cooler thread. Wouldn't you agree Host Dan - just what you said the thread was for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKCruiseJeff Posted August 24, 2013 #43 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Such an interesting fun thread that if started now could grace the Water Cooler thread. Wouldn't you agree Host Dan - just what you said the thread was for. Marleene, I think you will receive a lot of support for this idea! :) It hasn't happened yet (for some reason .... :eek:) but I predict there will shortly be a post stating: "What has this got to do with saling on Silversea ... totally off-topic ... should be elsewhere ....." .... followed by ... "Couldn't agree more" I'm sure therefore that in the interests of consistency your request will be supported and this merged with the watercooler. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bogey Posted August 24, 2013 #44 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Last time I stopped at the water cooler, it seemed to have become a retreat where witty folks could demonstrate their brilliance about a variety of topics -- generally unrelated to cruising. Good fun, I'm sure, but a place where info relevant to cruising might be overlooked. I'm afraid I might have missed some very interesting thoughts about reading and cruising if this thread was placed in the water cooler. Yes, I realize that by posting this, I open myself up to criticism for venturing off topic. So, here's a recommendation. Try the Dragon Tattoo trilogy in conjunction with a Silversea Baltic or Scandanavian cruise which stops in Stockholm. Then, take a shore excursion which takes you to various locations which appear in the novels. Warning, these books would receive an "R" rating due to graphic violence and explicit sexual situations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKCruiseJeff Posted August 24, 2013 #45 Share Posted August 24, 2013 No criticism at all.....:) But rules is rules! can't be one rule for one off-topic thread or OP, and another for everyone else can there? That is where it should clearly be - whether you approve or not! Just interested. Why Bogey? . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARIANH Posted August 24, 2013 #46 Share Posted August 24, 2013 No criticism at all.....:) Just interested. Why Bogey? . Just a word of caution Mr Jeff. It is against the "Rules" to discuss the provenance of anyones sobriquet , handle,nom de guerre, nickname etc. You run the risk of a severe talking to or worse, having your privileges surgically removed if you persist. Some would see this as a nonsense given the raft of personal information that can be gleaned from some postings. But, matey as you say "rules is rules". Previous discussions around this topic have been consigned to the ether. Much to the chagrin of some posters including that world renowned Scrivener -Writer100. He breached protocol by speculating as to the derivation of some sobriquet and was suitably sanctioned. Given your unblemished record to date you may wish to exercise care. However, with suitable precautions we may be able to dance around the topic in the confines of the Watercooler. So apologies all for straying off topic on this thread. Getting back on topic, could I recommend a good read for cruisers it's called the free pour (aka complimentary or included) wine list. A very rare limited edition that is difficult to find but rewards the effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKCruiseJeff Posted August 25, 2013 #47 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Just a word of caution Mr Jeff. It is against the "Rules" to discuss the provenance of anyones sobriquet , handle,nom de guerre, nickname etc. You run the risk of a severe talking to or worse, having your privileges surgically removed if you persist. Some would see this as a nonsense given the raft of personal information that can be gleaned from some postings. But, matey as you say "rules is rules". Previous discussion around this topic have been consigned to the ether. Much to the chagrin of some posters including that world renowned Scrivener -Writer100. I just wondered why he "picked it"! :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARIANH Posted August 25, 2013 #48 Share Posted August 25, 2013 I just wondered why he "picked it"! :p As Ronald Reagan said to Jimmy Carter "There you go again". Back to the Cooler with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARIANH Posted August 25, 2013 #49 Share Posted August 25, 2013 [quote name=bogey;39682594 Good fun' date=' I'm sure, but a place where info relevant to cruising might be overlooked. I'm afraid I might have missed some very interesting thoughts about reading and cruising if this thread was placed in the water cooler. .[/quote] You make a good point. However, it applies equally to this thread if contributions dry up for a while and it disappears below the radar ( way down the list and not on page1 when logging in to the Silversea page). In which case it would not be immediately obvious to a visitor to the site who was not "in the know". I guess from viewing the starter post that the intention was to capture a few suggestions for holiday reading. A fun post? In fact what has developed is an excellent resource for finding not only casual reading; but also nautical nuggets and literature linked to ports/ countries of call. A great way to savour the flavour of a place before you get there . Clearly there is much interest in cruise related literature. And there are some very well read and articulate cruisers. In theses circumstances, I wonder if a dedicated"Sticky" is justified. The rationale being that the topic is of wide appeal , deserves prominence and should be readily accessible. Just a thought:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bogey Posted August 26, 2013 #50 Share Posted August 26, 2013 It has been around a while, but Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons" is an interesting novel centered around the Vatican and Rome's churches. Several companies offer Rome tours focusing on the sights in the book. So, if you've seen all the usual Rome sights, this book, coupled with an Angels & Demons tour might be a good book to read on a Med cruise. Bogey (Why not?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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