What books have you read this year?

This post does relate to ducks! I know it doesn't sound like it, but this year I did read a book on ducks. It was called Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks, 2nd Edition by Dave Holderread. My wife was kind enough to make this purchase on her kindle when I was trying to hatch duck eggs I found. It is full of great info!

Gotta love that Kindle. I happen to like to read old maritime novels, many of which were written over a 100 years ago. My favorite time period of this books are from 1400's up to the early 1900's.  Since many are old, I can find them for free using my wife's Kindle. Here's a list of the ones I have completed reading since January 2011:

Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum - This is a true story of a man circumnavigating the world in his boat the Spray. I believe it was about 46,000 miles in 3 years. He had some bad weather here and there, a run in with an outlaw in South America I believe. Think of it as reading a navigators diary. Free on the Kindle!  For additional fun, try reading about him and his life in Wikipedia. Wow.

Mr. Midshipman Easy by Frederick Marryat - This one about a young boy raised by foolish parents. Throughout the book he follows his father's philosophy teachings until the end when he finally comes around. He get's into some tight situations but manages to get out somehow. I believe the time setting of this novel takes place during the Napoleonic Wars. I also got this one free on the Kindle.

Afloat and Ashore: A Sea Tale and Miles Wallingford Sequel to Afloat and Ashore by James Fenimore Cooper - Free again! Really enjoyed this one. I found myself wanted to shout at the main character that the female friend of his was in love with him and for him to do something. He does, but at the very end of course! A really good read!

Ned Myers or, a Life Before the Mast by James Fenimore Cooper - That's right! Another one by Cooper. I had no idea he wrote this type of stuff and I believe there are a few more for me to discover. This is actually a true story as Cooper and this chap Ned where shipmates for a very short time. Much later in life Myers ran into Cooper and told him his life story which Cooper published. The story takes place before and just after the War of 1812. I read this book not knowing it was all true until the end and was blown away.

Jack in the Forecastle or, Incidents in the Early Life of Hawser Martingale by John Sherburne Sleeper - Free on Kindle. I honestly can't remember what this one is about as it is the first one I read.

Let's see. I re-read all of L. Ron Hubbard's Mission Earth books. That was a good read!

I'm currently reading Gnomes by Wil Huygen. My wife got this for me and I hadn't seen it in years but I remember the illustrations.  I'm also reading on the Kindle, The Sea Wolf by Jack London.  I also have this in movie format starring Chuck Connors.


Just had to yell at a couple of kids that were throwing large sticks at the ducks in the pond. Grrrrr. I hate this neighborhood!