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cloudchamber posted:That looks interesting, but I'm looking for non-fiction books about the phenomenon. https://www.amazon.com/Grand-Avenues-Visionary-Designed-Washington/dp/1400076226/
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Sep 3, 2016 00:06
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Thank The Mantis and fantasy zone, I'll keep those in mind if I'm still on a China kick after this month! Burning Rain, I will hopefully post my thoughts on them in the Reading Challenge around the beginning of October.
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Sep 3, 2016 04:58
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Borneo Jimmy posted:Oh sorry Will look into that one, thanks. Still wondering if anybody knows any books which look generally at the trend of completely new capitals being constructed for countries.
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Sep 3, 2016 19:42
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The Mantis posted:I know a lot of people didn't love it, but I'm a huge Cloud Atlas fan. It's whimsical and wild, but not terribly easy to read. Each "era" can take minute to acclimate. Read this. Also maybe Gone Away World.
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Sep 4, 2016 02:45
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cloudchamber posted:Will look into that one, thanks. Still wondering if anybody knows any books which look generally at the trend of completely new capitals being constructed for countries. That would be a pretty interesting topic. Esp because most of those places are loving terrible.
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Sep 4, 2016 09:35
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Hey there, just after a recommendation for a gift for my dad, seeing as you guys have demonstrated that you have good taste in the past! So, I gave him a copy of King Leopold's Ghost for his birthday a couple of years ago and didn't realize how much he actually enjoyed it, until I heard him going on about it to someone else, giving them a recommendation. As you can tell he's pretty interested in fairly grim books (especially historically-accurate stories that he can then look up and read more about afterwards. Also works of fiction such as the Wallander series, although I'm not 100% on what police/detective books he's read, so I can't be sure that I won't inadvertently buy him a duplicate), so any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
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Sep 7, 2016 04:50
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If you want grim nonfic: My Traitor's Heart, Rian Malan. One of my favourite nonfic books; a memoir of growing up as a sympathetic Afrikaner under Apartheid. Deeply shocking if you've not read about the (horrific) systemic abuse and murder under that system. Nothing to Envy, Barbara Demick. An incredibly detailed and compelling look inside the (horrific) way in which people live in North Korea, based largely on interviews with defectors In the same vein, Escape from Camp 14, Blaine Harden. Recounts the (horrific) life and eventual escape of a man born inside one of NK's detention/labour camps; essentially modern-day concentration camps. The Rape of Nanking, by Iris Chang, about, uh, the Rape of Nanking. Details the gruesome bits like Japanese officers having beheading competitions and the widespread sexual assaults and accompanying mutilation. Horrific. e: also The Graves Are Walking, by John Kelly, about the Irish potato famine. chernobyl kinsman fucked around with this message at 05:34 on Sep 7, 2016 |
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Sep 7, 2016 05:31
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I'm looking for a book or three on the theory and practice of translation. I'm currently in the process of learning two languages and somewhere along the line I'd like to help bring over some of the surprisingly many important books that are only available in their native language to the Anglosphere.
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Sep 8, 2016 02:37
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End Of Worlds posted:If you want grim nonfic: Thanks - I'll have to have a look at these, after! And yeah, I believe I read about what happened at Nanking online a while ago...must've been horrible, for the populace.
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Sep 8, 2016 02:51
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Looking for a 21st century Tom Clancy or Harold Coyle that isn't the modern Clancy franchise. Preferably hard science, hard military, in the next few decades this could happen kind of novel.
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Sep 9, 2016 00:13
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Yooper posted:Looking for a 21st century Tom Clancy or Harold Coyle that isn't the modern Clancy franchise. Preferably hard science, hard military, in the next few decades this could happen kind of novel. Oh yeah, I'm totally piggybacking this - any suggestions for things like the above (especially books akin to Red Storm Rising or maybe SSN, more than the other Clancy books) would be greatly appreciated by me, too.
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Sep 9, 2016 00:55
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I'm thinking about reading Choke by Chuck Palahniuk but only if it's more on the same level as Rant, as opposed to Pygmy. Absolutely loved Rant, hated Pygmy so much I gave up on it. Would I like Choke?
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Sep 9, 2016 06:26
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I was a big fan of the Millenium trilogy, particularly for the whole cyber justice angle. I know this book used to be serious hype, but I don't think Larson got enough credit for predicting the rise of cyber justice in the new millennium against the patriarchal establishment. Lisbeth was a really cool, sexy and interesting character as well. She and her crew would totally represent the elite aspects of anonymous if it hadnt been written years before anonymous existed. I'm looking for recommendations for new books that deal with cyber justice, but I'm not interested in anything like over the top cyber punk. I'd prefer if the material reflected real trends and technology. Bonus points if it involves sexually deviant super genius anarchist types.
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Sep 9, 2016 07:20
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Megaschmoo posted:I'm looking for a book or three on the theory and practice of translation. I'm currently in the process of learning two languages and somewhere along the line I'd like to help bring over some of the surprisingly many important books that are only available in their native language to the Anglosphere. David Bellos' Is That a Fish In Your Ear is a good one about different aspects of translation, even if it's not super deep on most of them. He's the translator of Ismail Kadare, Balzac, Georges Perec, etc., so he knows what he's talking about. You could also check out this list (I know it's goodreads, but..) https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/19477.Translation_Theory_Reading_List Depending on the language you plan to be working from, I'd just recommend jumping right to translating, tbh. Maybe do a short story that's already been translated, then compare it to a published version, and see what you could've done differently. Or do something that's old and a bit obscure but still interesting for a blog of your own. I'm really not sure if getting deep into the theory of translation would help you much, tbh
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Sep 9, 2016 07:53
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El Jeffe posted:I'm thinking about reading Choke by Chuck Palahniuk but only if it's more on the same level as Rant, as opposed to Pygmy. I liked Choke well enough when I was on a Palahniuk kick, but I never read Rant or Pygmy so I can't compare them. I think I prefer Survivor.
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Sep 9, 2016 08:40
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El Jeffe posted:I'm thinking about reading Choke by Chuck Palahniuk but only if it's more on the same level as Rant, as opposed to Pygmy. If you have to read Palahniuk, then Choke or Haunted is all you really need.
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Sep 9, 2016 15:04
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Burning Rain posted:David Bellos' Is That a Fish In Your Ear is a good one about different aspects of translation, even if it's not super deep on most of them. He's the translator of Ismail Kadare, Balzac, Georges Perec, etc., so he knows what he's talking about. I don't doo translating for a job like Burning Rain, but I also recommend just doing it. Trying poems are pretty cool cos they're usually pretty short and they force you to make big decisions on trying to preserve sound vs preserving meaning and when you get something that is a perfect fit for both you feel like a genius. It's not a theoretical text and is more just about how cool translating is but you might like to read The Ton Beau de Marot by Douglas Hofstadter, it'll give you a lot to think about
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Sep 9, 2016 15:21
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CestMoi posted:I don't doo translating for a job like Burning Rain, but I also recommend just doing it. Trying poems are pretty cool cos they're usually pretty short and they force you to make big decisions on trying to preserve sound vs preserving meaning and when you get something that is a perfect fit for both you feel like a genius. It's not a theoretical text and is more just about how cool translating is but you might like to read The Ton Beau de Marot by Douglas Hofstadter, it'll give you a lot to think about I'll third the suggestion to just dive right into the practice of translation. As someone who has translated different kinds of works from Persian and Classical Arabic into English, I can tell you from personal experience that it's extremely difficult to write about translation in broad, overarching terms. Every language—and every sort of work composed in each, be it religious scripture, poetry, a speech transcript, or a textbook—carries its own nuances that make it difficult to make general observations about "translation" as a theoretical discipline. I suspect that you will begin to form your own personal take on the endeavor as you engage in it more and more.
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Sep 9, 2016 17:45
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Solitair posted:I liked Choke well enough when I was on a Palahniuk kick, but I never read Rant or Pygmy so I can't compare them. I think I prefer Survivor. Franchescanado posted:If you have to read Palahniuk, then Choke or Haunted is all you really need. Thanks for the input, gonna buy it.
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Sep 9, 2016 18:46
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I recently finished The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes. It ends almost immediately after the bombing of Nagasaki. What are some good books about the period afterwards? I'm interested in either the rebuilding of Japan or the relationship between the US and the Soviets right after WWII and on into the cold war. Semi-related to this, I'm also looking for a good biography of Reagan and/or exploration of the Reagan presidency.
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Sep 12, 2016 03:21
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I read Mark Kurlansky's Cod a while ago; it was a lot of fun and still very informative. Recommend me your favorite books about food?
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Sep 12, 2016 10:23
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my bony fealty posted:I read Mark Kurlansky's Cod a while ago; it was a lot of fun and still very informative. Recommend me your favorite books about food? Kurlansky's Salt is also really good. I haven't found much more that does history/culture of food as well but David Foster Wallace's Consider the Lobster essay is definitely worth a read. Maybe Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. Less history more memoir but I also really liked Bill Buford's Heat, Jeffrey Steingarten's essay collections ( The Man Who Ate Everything and It Must've Been Something I Ate ), Bourdain's first couple books (Kitchen Confidential particularly but A Cook's Tour and Medium Raw are both solid and The Nasty Bits was OK), Michael Ruhlman's The Making of a Chef. MFK Fisher (The Art of Eating is a good starting point), James Beard, and Calvin Trillian's stuff can be really good, particularly if you want to see the genesis of modern food writing. Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink is a good essay collection. If you have any interest in food science, Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking is the Bible.
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Sep 12, 2016 15:31
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I recently finished Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States, by Andrew Coe. Very good book IMO. It's more of a history book like Cod and Salt are than a food writing book, but the descriptions of food are still fascinating. Banana by Dan Koeppel is fun also.
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Sep 12, 2016 16:06
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my bony fealty posted:I read Mark Kurlansky's Cod a while ago; it was a lot of fun and still very informative. Recommend me your favorite books about food? Paul Lukacs' Inventing Wine is really fascinating and incredibly well-researched, though it might be a bit tangential to "food" depending on how you think of it.
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Sep 12, 2016 16:19
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Grifter posted:I recently finished The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes. It ends almost immediately after the bombing of Nagasaki. What are some good books about the period afterwards? I'm interested in either the rebuilding of Japan or the relationship between the US and the Soviets right after WWII and on into the cold war. Semi-related to this, I'm also looking for a good biography of Reagan and/or exploration of the Reagan presidency. Can't help you with the first, but for the second you probably want Lou Cannon's Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power and President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime.
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Sep 12, 2016 18:32
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my bony fealty posted:I read Mark Kurlansky's Cod a while ago; it was a lot of fun and still very informative. Recommend me your favorite books about food? Beautiful Swimmers: Watermen, Crabs and the Chesapeake Bay by William Warner. Everything you ever wanted to know about Blue Crab.
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Sep 12, 2016 19:52
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Major Isoor posted:Hey there, just after a recommendation for a gift for my dad, seeing as you guys have demonstrated that you have good taste in the past! So, I gave him a copy of King Leopold's Ghost for his birthday a couple of years ago and didn't realize how much he actually enjoyed it, until I heard him going on about it to someone else, giving them a recommendation. Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland is a really grim book.
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Sep 13, 2016 14:42
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Visiting Cape Town at the end of the year and I would really like to read a good book about Mandela, or the fight to end apartheid + truth and reconciliation process in general. Any recommendations? Considering Long Walk to Freedom but in general I'm reluctant to read autobiographies.
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Sep 14, 2016 18:33
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Can someone give me a recommendation on a book about the Manhattan Projects/atomic bombs/history behind dropping them in WW2? Maybe that sounds a little too broad. I've been pretty interested lately in the development of the program and decision to actually utilize them, and I'd be really interested in learning more about it.
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Sep 18, 2016 20:53
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It's old, somewhat biased and there was some controversy about who said or didn't say what but Brighter than a Thousand Suns is a good read. Might be a good starting point, to give you the background for more modern and detailed stuff.
anilEhilated fucked around with this message at 21:33 on Sep 18, 2016 |
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Sep 18, 2016 21:30
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all history books are biased richard rhodes, the making of the atomic bomb is excellent and comprehensive
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Sep 18, 2016 21:32
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I've started rewatching Rectify on TV, where the premise is a man was sentenced to death row for 19 years before he is pardoned and set free. Could someone recommend me any books with similar plots? Disappearing or being locked away from society for years, and then trying to make the transition back?
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Sep 19, 2016 04:50
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Hughmoris posted:I've started rewatching Rectify on TV, where the premise is a man was sentenced to death row for 19 years before he is pardoned and set free. Could someone recommend me any books with similar plots? Disappearing or being locked away from society for years, and then trying to make the transition back? Forever War Return from the Stars Probably more - these are to do with time dilation from space travel as the catch so may be a bit more fantastical than you're looking for
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Sep 20, 2016 14:45
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Hughmoris posted:I've started rewatching Rectify on TV, where the premise is a man was sentenced to death row for 19 years before he is pardoned and set free. Could someone recommend me any books with similar plots? Disappearing or being locked away from society for years, and then trying to make the transition back? The Count of Monte Cristo
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Sep 21, 2016 02:07
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omg chael crash posted:Can someone give me a recommendation on a book about the Manhattan Projects/atomic bombs/history behind dropping them in WW2? The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb is a good revisionist take on the subject. It only has three and a half stars on amazon but the majority of those are one sentence reviews whining about liberals.
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Sep 21, 2016 14:45
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Looking to branch out into what I'm gathering is considered magical realism. The Master and Margarita is one of my favorite books of all time and I enjoyed 100 Years of Solitude as well although not nearly as much.
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Sep 24, 2016 22:45
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punch drunk posted:Looking to branch out into what I'm gathering is considered magical realism. The Master and Margarita is one of my favorite books of all time and I enjoyed 100 Years of Solitude as well although not nearly as much. I'd suggest the collected short stories of Borges as a good starting place.
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Sep 24, 2016 22:53
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Recommendations for good dystopian horror? Or science-fiction similar to the Strugatsky brothers?
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Sep 24, 2016 22:55
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FromTheStars-Dust posted:Recommendations for good dystopian horror? Metro 2033. I keep pushing that book all the time, but it hits all the right buttons for me. e: It's a Russian dystopian sci-fi horror.
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Sep 24, 2016 23:17
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punch drunk posted:Looking to branch out into what I'm gathering is considered magical realism. The Master and Margarita is one of my favorite books of all time and I enjoyed 100 Years of Solitude as well although not nearly as much. Read something by Alejo Carpentier, the dude who coined the term.
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Sep 25, 2016 04:21
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