books you've read !
- Thread starter toniglandyl
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So am I 
. And also re-reading "the silmarillion". I just had to. I really enjoy reading the Ainulindalë and Quenta valequenta.
. And also re-reading "the silmarillion". I just had to. I really enjoy reading the Ainulindalë and Quenta valequenta.
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finished it a while back, currently reading the first Warhammer 40k Dawn of War, I have the silmarillion waiting along with Richard Branson's Autobiography and a Biography on Di Niro.
Mikhail Sholokhov - The Fate of a Man (Summary). I read this in the German translation. A novella that everyone should read (and can easily do so in less than two hours), perhaps as an introduction to Sholokhov or socialist writing in general.
Stephen E. Ambrose & Douglas G. Brinkley - Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy Since 1938. It's a double-edged sword. The book is very easy to read, at times even entertaining and delivers a wide description of Cold War politics (and to a lesser degree, World War II and the post-1991 world) but very obviously biased towards Eisenhower and Nixon, as well as against Reagan. It goes even so far as to present the October surprise conspiracy theory as undisputed fact, long after investigations have shown it to be wrong. However, the commented bibliography ("Suggestions for Further Reading") is an excellent starting point for further research. All in all, this work is not to be used on it's own, but can deliver a good introduction into the subject matter.
Alexandre Dumas - The Count of Monte Cristo (Wikipedia). Perhaps the classic adventure novel and at thus, something everyone should read at least once in their life. The version I consumed had annotations added that not only helped in understanding the various references (especially to ancient mythology) in the text, but also showed the many mistakes in the text and how they came to be. I found those to be most interesting as they (and the excellent introduction) certainly helped put this work in the context of history and Dumas' writing.
Stephen E. Ambrose & Douglas G. Brinkley - Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy Since 1938. It's a double-edged sword. The book is very easy to read, at times even entertaining and delivers a wide description of Cold War politics (and to a lesser degree, World War II and the post-1991 world) but very obviously biased towards Eisenhower and Nixon, as well as against Reagan. It goes even so far as to present the October surprise conspiracy theory as undisputed fact, long after investigations have shown it to be wrong. However, the commented bibliography ("Suggestions for Further Reading") is an excellent starting point for further research. All in all, this work is not to be used on it's own, but can deliver a good introduction into the subject matter.
Alexandre Dumas - The Count of Monte Cristo (Wikipedia). Perhaps the classic adventure novel and at thus, something everyone should read at least once in their life. The version I consumed had annotations added that not only helped in understanding the various references (especially to ancient mythology) in the text, but also showed the many mistakes in the text and how they came to be. I found those to be most interesting as they (and the excellent introduction) certainly helped put this work in the context of history and Dumas' writing.
I've been looking forward to making this post for months!
Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon.
FINALLY! I've been reading this 1085 novel (and it's a slow read) on and off for the past year and a half. It was entertaining, and honestly it's so huge that I'm going to back off a bit absorb what went on in that book. I think I like Gravity's Rainbow of all of Pynchon's work the most, but this one may grow on me.
And here's a wiki dedicated to the book for ****s and giggles
Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon.
FINALLY! I've been reading this 1085 novel (and it's a slow read) on and off for the past year and a half. It was entertaining, and honestly it's so huge that I'm going to back off a bit absorb what went on in that book. I think I like Gravity's Rainbow of all of Pynchon's work the most, but this one may grow on me.
And here's a wiki dedicated to the book for ****s and giggles
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Never read three Stephen King books in row. Bad for your mental health.
I did happen to pick very good ones in Carrie, Cujo, and Misery. I still want to see the movie version with Kathy Bates; I've heard its good.
I also really enjoyed Asimov's Foundation series. All five were really good, but I thought the third one, Second Foundation, was the best. The last two kind of deviated from the original story, but they were great reads nonetheless.
Now I can't pass up a an opportunity on a thread like this to remind everybody of the link to my website on my signature. I write short stories in my spare time, typically suspense thrillers, psychological thrillers, and I used to write horror. Also have some photos on there as well.
I did happen to pick very good ones in Carrie, Cujo, and Misery. I still want to see the movie version with Kathy Bates; I've heard its good.
I also really enjoyed Asimov's Foundation series. All five were really good, but I thought the third one, Second Foundation, was the best. The last two kind of deviated from the original story, but they were great reads nonetheless.
Now I can't pass up a an opportunity on a thread like this to remind everybody of the link to my website on my signature. I write short stories in my spare time, typically suspense thrillers, psychological thrillers, and I used to write horror. Also have some photos on there as well.
Body Tapestries by S.D. Lishan
I honestly don't know what to say. This book of poetry tells the story of the Duchess of Moisture, her lover Moonlit Lake and the epic war they waged. Simultaneously, there is the tale of Monkeyboy, who sees the girl he has a high school crush on screwing someone else. He kills himself and becomes an angel that helps those who wish themselves dead as well. Simultaneously, there are a number of place poems, and mood poems. Some of the poems can be read two ways (you can read them across or down) and almost all of the poems are perverted Sonnets (often called American Sonnets). It's really, really, really freaking weird and I've never read a book of poetry like it before.
~Jason
I honestly don't know what to say. This book of poetry tells the story of the Duchess of Moisture, her lover Moonlit Lake and the epic war they waged. Simultaneously, there is the tale of Monkeyboy, who sees the girl he has a high school crush on screwing someone else. He kills himself and becomes an angel that helps those who wish themselves dead as well. Simultaneously, there are a number of place poems, and mood poems. Some of the poems can be read two ways (you can read them across or down) and almost all of the poems are perverted Sonnets (often called American Sonnets). It's really, really, really freaking weird and I've never read a book of poetry like it before.
~Jason
Finally finished:
Quicksilver - Neal Stephenson
A very interesting piece of historical fiction dealing with the events around the time of the Age of Reason and the emergence of scientific thought. One thing the book really does a good job of highlighting is how interesting everything was in Europe at that time - politically, socially, and scientifically. In fact, so many interesting things were happening, that the background of the story would make a great read even without all the main plot events.
The plot itself is pretty meandering, which might help explain why the book is so damn long. The beginning is slow and pretty hard to get through. However, as with other Stephenson novels I've read, your patience is rewarded with a great climax that ties together most of the loose ends. The ones left hanging, I assume, will be picked up again in the following book of the series.
The strong points are pretty much what I've come to expect from Stephenson: (ultimately) an interesting plot, funny, and very, very intricate and clever.
The weak points are that it feels unfocused sometimes, has lots of extraneous details when you want to just get on with the story, and emotions are dealt with in kind of a matter-of-fact, offhand way. I like that aspect of his style in some cases, but in others the book really feels like it lacks warmth.
Overall I'd recommend it instantly to a Stephenson fan, somewhat less strongly to a historical fiction fan, and hesitantly to anyone else. For people new to this author, Cryptonomicon would be a better place to start.
Quicksilver - Neal Stephenson
A very interesting piece of historical fiction dealing with the events around the time of the Age of Reason and the emergence of scientific thought. One thing the book really does a good job of highlighting is how interesting everything was in Europe at that time - politically, socially, and scientifically. In fact, so many interesting things were happening, that the background of the story would make a great read even without all the main plot events.
The plot itself is pretty meandering, which might help explain why the book is so damn long. The beginning is slow and pretty hard to get through. However, as with other Stephenson novels I've read, your patience is rewarded with a great climax that ties together most of the loose ends. The ones left hanging, I assume, will be picked up again in the following book of the series.
The strong points are pretty much what I've come to expect from Stephenson: (ultimately) an interesting plot, funny, and very, very intricate and clever.
The weak points are that it feels unfocused sometimes, has lots of extraneous details when you want to just get on with the story, and emotions are dealt with in kind of a matter-of-fact, offhand way. I like that aspect of his style in some cases, but in others the book really feels like it lacks warmth.
Overall I'd recommend it instantly to a Stephenson fan, somewhat less strongly to a historical fiction fan, and hesitantly to anyone else. For people new to this author, Cryptonomicon would be a better place to start.
Hehe. I haven't read Snowcrash yet, so I couldn't say. The Diamond Age was good, but had some pretty bizarre sh*t.
I had a high school teacher who liked to quote some book reviewer he'd read one time: "How can patience be a virtue, when life is short and there are so many great things to read?"
I had a high school teacher who liked to quote some book reviewer he'd read one time: "How can patience be a virtue, when life is short and there are so many great things to read?"
Isaac Asimov - Robots and Empire (Wikipedia). The last of the books in the robot series, and also the best. While especially the previous part let me down on more than a few accounts, this one delivers a strong finish - that, truth be told, doubles as a major cliffhanger and thus as connector to the Empire and Foundation series. While the human characters are once again quite black and white, watching the two main robot characters evolve beyond their initial programming by reasoning is quite fascinating and perhaps the most interesting aspect of the novel.
Franz Kafka - Der Process (Wikipedia). The version I read had the unfinished and deleted fragments included, which are interesting and give a little lead as to what the missing parts could be like, but aren't really necessary for understanding the novel. As to that - while the (for Kafka) standard theme of the overwhelming bureaucracy and the ego vs. super-ego struggle are obvious I had trouble with the depiction of women in the novel. Are they nothing more than temptations and thus personalization of Josef K.'s guilt?
Peter Eric Hendrickson - Cracking the code (the fascinating truth about taxation in america)
Just a nice little book my friend sent me. It's about the wrongful and illegal taxation of 80% of the US population. Almost none of us here (in the forums I mean) are legally required to pay Federal Tax. I know the guy who sent it to me hasn't paid Federal tax in over 20 years. Since we are close friends, he sent the books to me for reading.
Anyways, if you really want to see how bad it is, I'd recommend picking up the book. Might even save yourself 10 grand a year
Here's a link to the site that goes along with the book http://www.losthorizons.com/
Just a nice little book my friend sent me. It's about the wrongful and illegal taxation of 80% of the US population. Almost none of us here (in the forums I mean) are legally required to pay Federal Tax. I know the guy who sent it to me hasn't paid Federal tax in over 20 years. Since we are close friends, he sent the books to me for reading.
Anyways, if you really want to see how bad it is, I'd recommend picking up the book. Might even save yourself 10 grand a year
Here's a link to the site that goes along with the book http://www.losthorizons.com/
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The Book of Salt by Monique Truong
Very good book about a gay Vietnamese chef who is banished from his home in the early 1920's and ends up in France as the live-in chef for Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. (fiction). Very well written and interesting, if sometimes uneven. I was certainly swept up in this novel and it was a wonderfully told story.
~Jason
Very good book about a gay Vietnamese chef who is banished from his home in the early 1920's and ends up in France as the live-in chef for Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. (fiction). Very well written and interesting, if sometimes uneven. I was certainly swept up in this novel and it was a wonderfully told story.
~Jason
Body Language by Kelly Magee
A truly phenomenal book of short stories. It comes as no surprise that Dan Chaon picked this book for the Katherine Anne Porter prize in short fiction. Like Chaon, Magee works best in the realm of magical realism--where real people are stuck in in fantastic situations. My favorite story by far was "Heat Rises" in which a carload of spring breakers are waylaid by an apocalyptic heat storm. Other stories include a lesbian who falls in love with a cross dresser, and a father who routinely has his young children leap from the top of their trailer onto the ground for practice.
Magee writes in a lush style that leaves me utterly exhausted after each story. This short collection took me quite a while to read because I just couldn't read more than one or two stories at a time; it's absolutely breathtaking.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Yeah, it's dark, yeah, it's depressing, but it is so freaking good. Wow.
~Jason
A truly phenomenal book of short stories. It comes as no surprise that Dan Chaon picked this book for the Katherine Anne Porter prize in short fiction. Like Chaon, Magee works best in the realm of magical realism--where real people are stuck in in fantastic situations. My favorite story by far was "Heat Rises" in which a carload of spring breakers are waylaid by an apocalyptic heat storm. Other stories include a lesbian who falls in love with a cross dresser, and a father who routinely has his young children leap from the top of their trailer onto the ground for practice.
Magee writes in a lush style that leaves me utterly exhausted after each story. This short collection took me quite a while to read because I just couldn't read more than one or two stories at a time; it's absolutely breathtaking.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Yeah, it's dark, yeah, it's depressing, but it is so freaking good. Wow.
~Jason
Tennessee Williams - A Streetcar Named Desire (Wikipedia). It was about time I read this one, and it made me want to read more plays immediately. I loved the contrast between the Stanley and Blanche characters, as well as Stella being torn between the two opposites.
"I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."
"I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."
anyone who likes descriptive language should read Titus Groan (and then the rest of the trilogy). check out the first paragraph of the novel:
and anyone interested in light philosophy (well, philosophy bundled into narrative, dunno how to describe it) should definitely read zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance
i don't read much so those are both well-known books but they are the two that i would say shouldn't be missed
the only book i've read recently is Maus, that comic-book portrayal of the holocaust. absolutely killed me, the last page is pretty much the most emotional **** i've ever read. i kept crying at random times for weeks afterwards just cuz i thought about it lol
and anyone interested in light philosophy (well, philosophy bundled into narrative, dunno how to describe it) should definitely read zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance
i don't read much so those are both well-known books but they are the two that i would say shouldn't be missed
the only book i've read recently is Maus, that comic-book portrayal of the holocaust. absolutely killed me, the last page is pretty much the most emotional **** i've ever read. i kept crying at random times for weeks afterwards just cuz i thought about it lol
F. Scott Fitzgerald - This Side of Paradise (Wikipedia). This is Fitzgerald's (more or less autobiographical) debut novel. As usual with the author, it features very elaborate and strong characters, but also some interesting experiments in style and form - some parts of the novel are written like a play and there's a great many letters and poems breaking up and supporting the narrative. The development of Amory Blaine's personality (or rather, his path to becoming a personage) through literature, college life and most importantly his romances is brilliantly described, and the criticism of the workings of the Ivy League colleges and the wealthy society in general is carried very well through the main character. This novel only strengthens my want for reading more of Fitzgerald's work.