Patrick O'brien's Boat Books.

[unkiedev]

I've been blowing through Patrick O'Brien's "Master and Commander" books like a four year old through a bubble wand! WHOO WEE them's good reading.

I'm up to the third book. It seems characters spend a greater deal naked in this book then in the others, ESSPECIALLY Paul Bettany (Dr. Whatshisname, you know, Steven Maturin or something.) Dr. Bettany is naked in almost every other chapter.

I love these books, and can't wait to read all 20 and the three chapters of 21...but why's he naked all the time? Where I am in book three Dr. Maturin was naked, fishing for sea-snakes with Master Pullings. Is there something metatextual there, or am I just amped on sugar?

[Merey]

My Dad is obsessed with these books. He's a huge 18th and 19th C. British naval history nut, so these books are like gold to him.

Almost more for my Dad than for myself, I started reading the 1st book but I put it down because I got distracted with something else. However, I do intend to read them all sometime. The Regency era is my favorite historical era, so I'll read anything that takes place or was written in that time frame. And my Dad will be so thrilled that he'll have another one of his kids (my brother has read them all too) to discuss them with.

Also, I had two married professors in college who also read them all by reading to each other aloud each night. So adorable!

[unkiedev]

That is really cute, about the Proffessy Love-in.:p

My first exposure to these books was a nut in a local bar in Brooklyn. This older gentleman used to walk his two sheep dogs to a bar I used to frequent, let them hang around the place and drink guiness reading the Master and Commander books (the man, not the dogs). The man was a set designer for Broadway, and would disappear sometimes if he had a project.

I'm really enjoying them...I feel a little guilty, like when all I read as a kid were Hardy Boy novels. As good as the books are I feel like I'm not really reading, just consuming mental junk food...well researched, enjoyably nuanced mental junk-food, but you get the picture.

[Julusnc]

A fantastic series of books.I have read all of the by checking them out at my local library over the years.If I remember correctly 18 or 19 books make up the entire series.

I also enjoy the Sharpe's series in book form or movies.All take place on land but have a similar style and feel.

[Merey]

My first exposure to these books was a nut in a local bar in Brooklyn. This older gentleman used to walk his two sheep dogs to a bar I used to frequent, let them hang around the place and drink guiness reading the Master and Commander books (the man, not the dogs). The man was a set designer for Broadway, and would disappear sometimes if he had a project.

I need a local bar like this. I wish bars were more book-reading friendly. Coffee houses have kind of died-off here in NYC, but there are plenty of pubs that could easily substitute as nice, relaxing reading/studying places.

[unkiedev]

I need a local bar like this. I wish bars were more book-reading friendly. Coffee houses have kind of died-off here in NYC, but there are plenty of pubs that could easily substitute as nice, relaxing reading/studying places.

This was a bar called "The Pencil Factory" in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I used to work near there, and I'd hang out there afterwards.

New York has lots of good bars for reading, but only up to a point. Even the pencil bar gets too noisy for reading in after 7. If ya wanna read in a bar, go early, leave early.