|
Awesome Andy posted:devices and desires I believe you are talking about the Engineer trilogy by K.J. Parker. I just finished the new Chuck Palahnuik, Snuff and I do believe that will be the last Chuck Palahnuik book I read. For the past 3-4 books of his, I had debated giving up on him, but I always held up hope that he would release a book that was something truly new (new for chuck). And the styles all end up being way too similar. Stick with his first 4 books. After that it gets repetitive.
|
#
?
May 23, 2008 17:00
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 14:11 |
|
|
The Last Hero, Terry Pratchett I thought the story itself was a little weak, but that it was ok because the illustrations were more than half the fun anyway. Being a big fan of the space program I absolutely loved all the Kite stuff.
|
|
#
?
May 24, 2008 01:20
|
|
|
1984 by George Orwell. Yeah, I hadn't read it before. It was pretty incredible. I thought that it definitely got better and better as it went on - the first third or so was an important exposure to the world he's living in, but it really gets awesome when he reads the book, which I thought was incredibly well written. Then the entire end from the thought police taking him and onward was just amazing and impossible to stop reading. It was so intense that I was practically shaking at bits. Good book. Definitely leagues above Animal Farm, which I'd already read.
|
|
#
?
May 24, 2008 01:58
|
|
|
Clouseau posted:Just finished Joe Meno's The Boy Detective Fails which I thought was just wonderful. It takes the Venture Bros type idea of exploring a pulpy childhood icon (in this case children's mystery books, like the Hardy Boys and Encyclopedia Brown) and putting them in a world with horrible consequences. What it does differently is it goes off more into the depressing dimensions of it rather than the straight up comical ones (not to say this book isn't funny, there are a series of rather absurd scenes). Pretty well written and an extremely quick read. I'd recommend it. That sounds interesting, and from the blurbs I read about it on Amazon I think I'm going to pick it up in a bit. I remember reading Hardy Boys/Encyclopedia Brown when I was a kid.
|
|
#
?
May 24, 2008 07:00
|
|
|
I just finished Escape by Carolyn Jessop. It's memoir about her life growing up in the FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints) church. For those of you who don't know of the FLDS, and maybe don't follow the news much, it's a fundamentalist Mormon sect, who just recently had their compound in Texas raided by Child Protective Services. Carolyn escaped five years ago, just as Warren Jeffs was coming to power. Most of the book deals with her life while married to Merril Jessop, a guy thirty years older than her. It's an interesting view into the psychology behind religious cults like this, and does a great job of explaining why more people don't leave the church. It was a great read, I'd recommend it to anyone, especially those who've read Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven which also covers the FLDS in-depth.
|
|
#
?
May 24, 2008 18:36
|
|
|
Just a few weeks ago I finished reading Daughters of the North by Sarah Hall (the book is also known as The Carhullan Army in some places). It centers around a dystopic England that is in the midst of an environmental crisis. Reproduction is strictly controlled, and all women and girls are fitted with "coils" that prevent pregnancy. The main character (whom we only know as "Sister") decides to flee the totalitarian society, leaving her job and her repressive marriage, to join a group of women on a farm outside the city living as "unofficials." They live in a sort of communal, feminist society, almost similar to a cult -- soon, they start to resemble rebel fighters. The book has a quite a lot to say, and is just as much a work of literature as it is a work of sci-fi. I also recently finished The Fall by Albert Camus. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting, but it was excellent and very thought provoking. The writing has a wonderfully unique style, and the ideas are expressed very eloquently. Mad Monk posted:Finished The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick last night. Really enjoyed it, I think I have it figured out or at least I have a theory about what was going on. It's a great read and one that will keep you thinking long after you've finished it.
|
|
#
?
May 24, 2008 20:29
|
|
|
probabilityzero posted:I also recently finished The Fall by Albert Camus. I finished this a few months ago, it was amazing and led me on an incredible French existentialist binge. Happen to have suggestions of anything I can read in this vein? The Fall was simply phenomenal. I just finished William Faulkner's the Sound and the Fury. Faulkner's obviously a spectacular author, and this book is amazing. It's dense as hell and hard to read, though. Expect to read numerous sentences multiple times, and he slips crazy depth into every sentence. It's divided by numerous narrators including a mentally handicapped man and an absolutely crazy man. If you're really into classic and excellent literature, and you love analysis and multi-faceted story telling, you should probably read this. Just get ready to be exhausted trying to piece it all together! Also just finished the Road by Cormac McCarthy. This was a much more straight-forward and thrilling narrative. It's by the same author of No Country for Old Men and is going to be made into a movie. It's an incredible post-apocalyptic story with a lot of tension and depth. Excellent summer reading, and probably best read before the movie comes out.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2008 00:31
|
|
|
Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries by Neil deGrasse Tyson The first 90% of the book was good and I learned some stuff that I hadn't heard of before, such as Lagrangian points. However, the last 10% he goes on a theological rant that I felt didn't have a place in the book. Oh well, still pretty good.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2008 04:22
|
|
|
Just finished The Yiddish Policeman's Union. What a loving great book. I haven't read anything else by Chabon, and I'd just heard this talked up randomly so I thought I'd check it out. Definitely one of my top five for the past decade.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2008 04:39
|
|
|
ProfessorFrink! posted:Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries by Neil deGrasse Tyson Last part could have been in a separate work. While it made some good points, it didn't seem to match the attitude of the rest of the book.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2008 04:43
|
|
|
Peglegington posted:Happen to have suggestions of anything I can read in this vein?
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2008 08:34
|
|
|
GGAllinThicke posted:
I'm much less patient than you, the last of his I finished was Lullaby. If you haven't already, maybe try Will Christopher Baer or Craig Clevenger; the friend who got me into Palahniuk likes them. I've only read The Contortionist's Handbook, but I thought it was great. I've been into pulpy stuff lately. I just finished Songs of Innocence by Richard Aleas (/Richard Ardai), and I was impressed. It's a great story, but the ending... it completely surprised me. It stands up to stuff I've read by John D. MacDonald.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2008 15:53
|
|
|
The Gunslinger. I had bought the book not knowing much about the Dark Tower series, and really didn't know what to expect. Roland's character and the setting are interesting. But despite that, except for the time that was spent in Tull, nothing interesting ever really seemed to happen. I don't want to call it boring, but it seems that something more should have happened. Ill probably pick up the second book, just see if anything does, but I'm afraid it will be more of the same. I know the series has a bit of a fan-base, so maybe someone here can tell me what to expect.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2008 16:36
|
|
|
Just finished The Black Lizard and The Beast in the Shadows by Edogawa Rampo. Two different short stories written by one of Japan's first mystery novelists. It was sort of fun, mindlessly entertaining -- key word mindless. If you thought about it too hard (or at all) it just became disappointing.
|
|
#
?
May 26, 2008 01:37
|
|
|
Galileo's Revenge This book is about junk science in the courtroom. It was a very interesting read, covering things like the Audi 5000, Bendectin, traumatic births, etc. A little out dated but entertaining if you're into law, science and odd trivia. I found this book through a reference in Genome, by Matt Ridley which I loved. One Day Me Talk Pretty - David Sedaris I liked this book a whole lot, genuinely funny and an easy read. It is well written compared to a lot of books of this kind, which can often read like a transcript of a standup comedy routine.
|
|
#
?
May 26, 2008 02:39
|
|
|
Billions and Billions by Carl Sagan. This book blew. It's the first Sagan I've read, and I suppose I was expecting something profound or at least marginally thought-provoking. I got nothing out of this book. I'll give him one more shot with Pale Blue Dot or something. edit: I'm currently 2/3 through The Right Stuff by Wolfe. This book is fantastic. I'll have to read some of his other stuff. Phlegmbot fucked around with this message at 04:29 on May 26, 2008 |
|
#
?
May 26, 2008 04:27
|
|
|
Just finished George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones and it was absolutely fantastic! I've never been much for high fantasy, but this book just straight up kicks rear end. This one book has so much content and character development that I feel like I read several books instead of just one. I was going to start Dan Simmons' Ilium next, but upon finishing AGoT, I immediately went out and bought the next two books in the series. I can't wait to see what happens, these books are like gifts that keep on giving.
|
|
#
?
May 26, 2008 06:20
|
|
|
ProudLarry posted:The Gunslinger. I had bought the book not knowing much about the Dark Tower series, and really didn't know what to expect. Roland's character and the setting are interesting. But despite that, except for the time that was spent in Tull, nothing interesting ever really seemed to happen. I don't want to call it boring, but it seems that something more should have happened. Ill probably pick up the second book, just see if anything does, but I'm afraid it will be more of the same. I felt the same way about this one; it was written so long before the next book in the series that it feels kind of disconnected. Book 2 (The Drawing of the Three?) is a lot more substantial and you get a lot of character development, which I feel King does really well. I've read through Book 4 and have been enjoying them, especially the background you get on Roland. The general impression seems to be that the series goes downhill between Book 5 and the end, but I'll probably end up finishing it sometime this summer because it's been pretty good so far. Then again, I tend to like King's work, especially his earlier stuff like It. If you don't like King's other books, you probably won't be won over by this series, and if you've never read anything by him, start with something else like The Shining or Salem's Lot.
|
|
#
?
May 26, 2008 06:26
|
|
|
Ovenman by Jeff Parker. Very funny book.
|
|
#
?
May 26, 2008 16:05
|
|
|
A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore the end seemed rushed, and the twist at the end you could see coming for like half the book I enjoyed it though I guess, interesting how the book is set in SF and alot of real places where worked into it, being from the area I knew the general areas the author was talking about
|
|
#
?
May 26, 2008 19:33
|
|
|
City of Thieves by David Benioff An historical fiction set in the bitter cold of the siege of Leningrad. After getting arrested for looting a dead body, the young narrator is in prison expecting to be executed. He meets a charismatic Red Army deserter and instead of execution, the two are sent on a mission to find a dozen eggs to be used in the wedding cake for a colonel's daughter. Their adventure takes them to various locales in and around the famished city of Leningrad and brings them in contact with a bunch of interesting and well developed supporting characters. The highlights of the novel include the development of the relationship between the two main characters, especially the narrator as he is forced to make the jump from young boy to manhood in the worst of circumstances, and the darkly comic moments that balance out some of the absolutely terrifying images of the siege, of which this book holds back nothing. It's no great and epic piece of literature and it's somewhat short, but it was a great read.
|
|
#
?
May 26, 2008 22:17
|
|
|
UncleNaughtyFingers posted:A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore If you haven't already, you should read his book Lamb. I haven't liked any of his other stuff particularly much, but A Dirty Job and Lamb were really good.
|
|
#
?
May 26, 2008 22:20
|
|
|
Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin. It's a book that at times seemed almost over-the-top with its flowery prose and magic, but it is so beautifully written and the story is so good that you can easily forgive that transgression. One of the best I've read in a very long time.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2008 02:26
|
|
|
Just finished with Horus Rising and I'm almost done with First and Last both by Dan Abnet and both set in the Warhammer 40K universe. I'm actually surprised by how much I'm enjoying these books, I tend to stay away from Sci Fi/Fantasy because so much of it is just terrible, especially if it's based on an existing lisence. But I have to hand it to the man, Dan Abnet knows how to tell a good story.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2008 02:57
|
|
|
I've been going on a reading kick lately. Finished the first ten Discworld books by Pratchett (great fun) and now working on some more serious fare. The Kite Runner is a great book that deals with two Afghan boys, one rich and one poor, and their adventures in Afghanistan (and America). The climax was, for me, a bit transparent but did not diminish the book. After that I finished The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein. This is a polemic about the head prophets of capitalism using "shock and awe" to push their policies on unwilling countries. Truly a scathing indictment of "free trade" and global capitalism: if we have to destroy a country and enslave its people (even if only temporarily) to force them to adopt free market measures, are these free market measures really so desirable? If the gap between the rich and the poor widens after these measures are implemented, and poverty skyrockets, are these policies really positive? Finally, I just finished The Raw Shark Texts about 10 minutes ago. Wow. What a book. I haven't read a book whose concept I so thoroughly enjoyed in a long, long time (and I read a fuckload). While there were parts of the book that felt amateurish (this is the author's first book, and some small sections feel inauthentic), overall the book is AMAZING. The first sections of the book are absolutely engrossing - the later half loses some of the frantic mindfuck but ultimately delivers. READ THIS BOOK IF YOU LIKE SCI-FI, FANTASY, HOUSE OF LEAVES, OR UMBERTO ECO (honestly, this book reminded me several times of a more readable, less obscure Foucault's Pendulum). Phlegmbot posted:Billions and Billions by Carl Sagan. Try The Demon-Haunted World: Or, Science as a Candle in the Dark. That and Cosmos are the only two of Sagan's books I've read (except for Contact) and they were both magnificent. Bi Barbarian fucked around with this message at 04:22 on May 28, 2008 |
|
#
?
May 28, 2008 04:20
|
|
|
The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger. I read the original edition, not one of the (relatively) newer revised editions. The only thing I didn't like, and I don't know if the new one fixes it, but I was kind of confused by what the hell happened with Jake at the end. Took me a couple times re-reading it. Otherwise, I liked it a lot. Favorite parts had to have been hearing about Roland's past. I'll probably be picking up the other ones... and maybe some of the other King books I've never read that I hear are tied into the story. What are Salem's Lot and The Stand about?
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2008 04:54
|
|
|
I just finished The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. It's an incredibly interesting and depressing read. Basic concept: people suddenly disappear for whatever reason, and so what happens to the stuff we leave behind? It's well thought out and researched, I highly recommend it. One thing that actually happened to me while reading it: I got to a section in which a scientist and Alan go to a pharmacy. They're looking at face cleaners, and they mention, by name, the apricot face scrub I use that I buy from Target. I sort of gasp, because they're talking about plastics in the ocean -- until they mention that it's actually a good product because it uses walnut shells as the scrubbers rather than tiny plastic beads. Definitely worth a read. Next up, I'm reading Lab 257.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2008 05:01
|
|
|
I finished two books recently. The first I finished was Blindness by Jose Saramago. I figured I had to read this since so many other people had read it, so there really isn't much need for me to go into too much depth about the story. I thought it was fantastic and was a great read. I love the style the book was written in. Saramago is a beautiful writer, and I was completely taken by how he conducted dialogue. Instead of following a single character, the entire conversation just happens. I enjoyed the fact that it's more like a giant block of text instead of broken parts that are said by individual characters. Blindness was a wonderful read and I'm happy I finally had a chance to read it. The second book I just finished was Why My Wife Thinks I'm An Idiot by Mike Greenberg, one of the hosts of the sports radio show Mike and Mike. I didn't expect much going into the book, and it made sure I didn't leave with any either. It was a look into Greenberg's diary that he kept for his counselor. So instead of him talking about sports, I got to read about how he is a metrosexual, why he cried, why his wife is so much better than he is, and why his kids are pretty chill. He's not a very good writer, and this is especially noticeable when they are entries into a journal for his own use. I don't think I've ever rolled my eyes more often at a book than I did at this one. Much of what he wrote were complete generalizations about how life should be spent, whether they relate to how we should treat kids or how we should deal with wives. He doesn't seem to do much right, so I don't understand why he feels he should make statements that he think are right every few pages. I ended up sitting back, rolling my eyes, and saying "Why couldn't this just be about sports." I guess I didn't really think it would be good, but I did expect more talk about sports. Whatever. Don't read it.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2008 08:03
|
|
|
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham - I saw the movie a couple of months ago and thought it was excellent, so I picked up the book on my last library trip. Really enjoyed it, though any way you cut it, it's not exactly a happy story even with Kitty's redemption in the end. Maugham's eye for characterization really carries the story well. Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo - It takes place over the course of a single day in a billionaire investment broker's life as he tries to get across town in his limo, only to be stalled by a presidential motorcade, a riot and a musician's funeral. Mixed thoughts about this one - DeLillo's got some interesting insights and the storyline is interesting (if implausible), though I never really connected with the protagonist or his problems.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2008 17:18
|
|
|
In the last couple weeks I've read Vurt by Jeff Noon - 1994 Arthur C. Clarke Award winner for science fiction and one hell of a ride. Sex, violence and lots and LOTS of drugs. Interesting first person narrative from an addict's point of view. and Inside Straight by George R.R. Martin and the Wildcards Consortium - Superheroes on a reality show. Each chapter is from a different character's viewpoint. Surprisingly in-depth and insightful for a superhero novel. A quick, fun read. Currently working on China Miéville's The Scar.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2008 00:27
|
|
|
I just finished Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo. I loved it for all the wrong reasons. gently caress communism.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2008 01:50
|
|
|
Just finished The Rum Diary by Hunter S Thompson... absolutely loved it Just started The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde... so far so good The Man In The High Castle is one of my favourites as well... PKD is amazing, I can't get enough of him.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2008 02:49
|
|
|
I just finished A Personal Matter by Kenzoburo Oe. It's about an underachiever called Bird who has to decide how to deal with the birth of his deformed son. At times it was slow, but Oe builds tension well leading up to Bird's final decisions.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2008 15:34
|
|
|
BIG CRACKER posted:What are Salem's Lot and The Stand about? I've only read The (Extended) Stand, which has about 400 more pages in, and it's fairly decent. It elaborates more on the deus ex machina ending, and it actually has a denouement. The very last page is terrible though, and I recommend not reading it and not counting it as part of the book. Anyways, it's about what if the world (America) accidentally unleashed a virus with a 99% kill rate, and what would the survivors (American) do, and what sort of evil would they face. It's good, and like most of his books, does have a few connections to the Dark Tower series. Unlike what someone else suggested, I started with The Gunslinger, and branched out from there, and I still like the DT books better than his other stuff. Just Finished: The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, which was apparently put together by superfans of Robert E. Howard. Most of the stories were good pulp fare, and I'm surprised by how modern they sound/read. I can imagine people just thrilling to so many severed heads and scantily-clad women during the Depression. I don't know if I'll finish the other collections though. Currently on A Storm of Swords and Iron Council and they're both different but awesome fantasy.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2008 20:29
|
|
|
Recently, I have finished: Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius - This was one hell of a biography. The author, Ray Monk, wove together a compelling narrative of one of the greatest minds to ever hit Western academic philosophy. He paints a picture of him that is both admirable and contemptible and most importantly ties his philosophical vision into his deeply personal life. If you have even the slightest interest in Wittgenstein or 20th century philosophy, I highly recommend this book. American Gods - I think we are all pretty familiar with this one. I really liked it. His language is vivid and beautiful. The characters are deep and interesting. The story is wild and fantastical, yet intensely believable. Awesome Stranger in a Strange Land - Again, another familiar novel. As someone intimately familiar with the counter-culture that this book revolves around, I saw it as an interesting foray into the mindset of the psychedelic 60s. While I rolled my eyes sometimes at the shallow exposition of Eastern thinking, overall I found it genuine and philosophically compelling, if not idealistic. Great book.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2008 22:35
|
|
|
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe. I loved this book. The story of Project Mercury is inherently interesting, but Wolfe is a great storyteller, which adds a whole extra dimension to things. I've added Bonfire of the Vanities to my reading list. Next up: Waterland by Graham Swift
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2008 07:32
|
|
|
Lost Horizon, James Hilton Useless factoid, "first paperback ever published!" Or at least it claims on the cover. Pretty good, but the prose was a little stuffy. I liked the protagonist, and of course I'm a sucker for "special places" like Shangri-La. The ending was a little ambiguous, so I don't know if I should cheer or cry.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2008 00:54
|
|
|
Oil by Upton Sinclair. I read this after watching "There Will Be Blood". I wasn't expecting it to be similar and it wasn't. I got a little tired of Upton Sinclair's Socialism/Communism theme. Also, the book ended very undramatically, I felt like nothing interesting or worthwhile happened. I guess I should stick to Sci-Fi.
|
|
#
?
Jun 1, 2008 20:19
|
|
|
Encryptic posted:The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham - I saw the movie a couple of months ago and thought it was excellent, so I picked up the book on my last library trip. Really enjoyed it, though any way you cut it, it's not exactly a happy story even with Kitty's redemption in the end. Maugham's eye for characterization really carries the story well. He is my all time favourite author, and this is one of my favourite works of his. If you want another book of his, find Cakes and Ale, which is terrific.
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2008 01:59
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 14:11 |
|
|
ProfessorFrink! posted:Oil by Upton Sinclair. What was your opinion of the movie, then?
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2008 04:52
|
|