First thing is get yourself some real meat, not some pre-packaged shit. For the first one we’ll use some mortadella, provalone, prosciutto and sopresatta. and get good meat and cheese, its not that much more money for a decent brand.

now everything else, some good and fresh european sandwich rolls, some arugula, a tomato, some good oilve oil (i use some homemade oil but you can get pretty good stuff almost anywhere)

Next is chop up your arugula ( I throw the stems out but you can keep them if you like them)

now put in a bowl and toss with some olive oil and throw in some ground black pepper.

now cut up some roasted peppers, buy the fresh ones they have not the ones in the jars.

now toss them with the arugula (cutting them into thin strips works best,

now slice your roll and drizzle some oil on it (dont go to heavy because as soon as you squeeze the sandwich to bite into it all of the juices will squeeze out into the roll so you dont want to over do it now)

next I sliced up a tomato (no pics of that) then put your meat on the bread, If I had gotten bigger rolls I woulda used more meat but this is plenty on a roll this size, add all three meats then top with a slice or two of tomato.

now top with your arugula pepper mix

a few slices of that provalone and throw the lid on that bitch

now stand back and admire your work

I also made another one with smoked mozzarella arugula and tomato for you non meat eating panzies.

Ignore the S&S label I just use this bottle to refill with teh homade stuff

go ahead and fucking hate cause that bitch was delish.

Now thats a sandwich, you have to have all fresh good ingredients or it’s not nearly as good. Good choices on meat also.
good sandwich. a nice touch is after you drizzle olive oil on the inside of the bread, throw it in a fry pan for a minute to warm it up, then build sandwich, then put whole sandwich in pan with a little olive oil on the outside, press down a bit to help get things inside warm.
MMMMM.

also, roma or cherry tomatoes work better, they are less watery. you can subsistute basil for arugula, and dont ever ever EVER let me see stop and shop olive oil in a pic again.

you didnt read the other thread but I just use that bottle because I got a gallon of homemade olive oil and its easier then pouring out of a gallon container, plus it has the drizzel top
12 bucks plus what I had at home, and I got about 4 sandwiches and had enough proscuitto for an egg sandwich in the morning. so about 4 bucks a sandwich I guess.

you make your own?

my grandmother brought back about 5 gallons that her sister in italy made. like I said i just use the old bottle to fill up, thats why that label is so old, I don even think they use that logo anymore.
muffuleta

you should have heated that baby up

Looks good.
Looks good. And we have the same plates. I have a set in black and a set in white.

Related posts:

1. Italian pasta recipes ......
2. Post all your spaghetti sauce recipe’s!! ......
3. stupid easy, stupid good everyday nothing fancy chicken breast recipe ......

The only thing I can think of would be putting sauce on a pan or something and covering it in cheese and pepperoni then baking it.
Slice up a shitload of pepperoni and put a layer in the bottom of a baking pan. Then a layer of sauce and a layer of cheese. Another layer of pepperoni, then sauce and cheese until you have as many layers as you want. Maybe add a bit of basil and other spices if you want. Bake in oven at some temperature for some amount of time and you have your grease ball.

I saw this idea/recipe for Portable Pizzas on Better.tv. It might be what you’re looking for. Here is the link…

no crust you say? i dono if i can help you there, but i can tell you how to make a minimal crust pizza.

actually in the province of italy where pizza was born (outside rome), yeast was scarse so pizza makers used a flat bread similar to tortillas (literally flour and water) these pizzas had little to no crust and i can guarentee tasted better than pizza hut. Even in italy today, a real italian pizza will be completely flat with almost no crust, no poofiness, and tond of flavor.

but enough about history. if you choose to use a tortilla, use a flatbread, LARGE tortilla, (like the one chipotle uses) and combine any pizza recipe substituting only the bread!

hope i helped!
Maybe this could work. Take a some parmesan cheese and grate it and make it into circles and bake them on a greased baking sheet, like these :

But bigger, or how ever you want.

Then put down some sauce and add your toppings and add more cheese and you should be all set.

I’ve got a long weekend coming up which will be the perfect time to experiment. I’ll keep these in mind and add my own touch to it and try to document it the best I can.

GENIUS!! i actually was making those today for a spinach salad! while there still warm i shape them into cups and put salad, or mozarella and tomatos or whatever in them, eddible cups!
ps, dont use that stuff in the green bottle, it will just burn and tastle like poo
grease a pan and essentially make a cheese type omelette after getting the cheese gooey so that you can add ingredients to the middle and flop it over on top

conversely, you can just line a baking dish with enough cheese at the bottom and make it an upside down version

I remember one time I was going through tough times and had nothing but a bag of shredded cheese and some spices.. i made some mean fucking cheez-its
Call it what you want, if there’s no crust, it ain’t pizza.

I finally made a test run on it to see how it turned out. I used pepperoni’s, covered in sauce, covered in cheese, with a few pepperoni’s on top. It was delicious. I didn’t take any pictures because I used premade sauce. I’m going to remake it once I perfect my sauce.

I also saw a recipe that was like a pizza/ penne pasta casserole before.

That’s what it pretty much ended up being without the pasta.

Related posts:

1. Best Cookie recipe ......
2. Best way to cook my pork roast ......
3. i’ve been looking for a good recipe for months… ......

Two and a half years into it, and I’ve had some real eye-opening moments. I’m no closer now to finding a common denominator to the wines I like — and thus being able to predict whether I will like an untasted wine — than when I began. I’ve been taking meticulous notes and have several favorites, but with one or two exceptions I haven’t had the same wine twice.

I’ve been learning to cook the corresponding regional food as I go, and I’m about ready to get serious with some cooking classes, which should add a new dimension to the experience. After the red wine tour is done, I’d like to do white wine and sparkling wine.

I’m sure there’s something I’ve missed in the plan, but stumbling onto new, unexpected tastes is most of the fun. Any thoughts?

Year 1
 Bordeaux
  The basics: tannin, acid, fruit, oak
  Non-classified bordeaux
  Regional differences: Medoc, Pomerol, Graves
  Veriticals and horizontals
  Terroir basics
  Great growths (as budget allows)

Year 2
 Burgundy
  Vintages -- finding a good one
  Effects of aging: Burgundy vs Bordeaux
  Regional differences -- Cd Beaune, Pouilly Fuissee, Pommard
 Beaujolais
  Food pairings
 Spain
  Rioja
  Basque wine & cuisine
  Ribero del Duero, Castillon, etc

Year 3
 DETOUR: Dessert wines
  Sauternes
  Tokaji, eiswein, port
 Italy
  Italian grapes
  Barolo, Barbaresco, Piedmont cuisine
  Brunello
  Other Sicillian/Tuscan/Chianti  <-- I am here
 Optional: other French -- CdP/Rhone, Languedoc, etc

Year 4
 Chile
 Argentina
  Malbec
  Comparison to Spain
 Australia and New Zealand
  Syrah
  Penfolds verticals (as budget allows)
  NZ bordeaux-style blends

Year 5: America! (Travel as allowed)
 Napa Valley
  District comparisons
 Sonoma Valley
 Single-varietals
 Cult wines (as budget allows)
 Meritage
 OR/WA Pinot Noir
 Understanding oak

Wow five years, thats a long time. But I’m in the same boat after a few years I still feel like I’m still not well experienced. So are you going to start exploring French cooking first? Have you found any good books?

That’s one of the things that got me started on this…I went to a cooking school in Provence years ago, and fell in love with both traditional French bistro fare and Provencal cuisine. As I’m working through the list, I’m trying to learn the appropriate regional dishes and styles. (I spent two weeks trying to do a proper sauce bordelaise…)

So far, I’ve become pretty fluent in:

• French bistro
• Preparing game (when available)
• Northern French cream-based sauces, stews
• Terrines, some pates
• Provencal/mediterranean, seafood
• Some pastry work
• Basque and Catalan
• Piedmont cuisine…mmm bagna cauda

To stay interested, I’ll take some detours on the cuisine as well. Last month I spent two weeks exploring pesto and pesto-like sauces and preparations: chimmichurri, charmoula, etc.

It takes 5 years because this is all self-education. I’m not doing anything special, other than really getting to know my wine guy, and not preparing the same dish twice (I haven’t repeated a dish in 3 years now). If I did the wine and food as a formal education, it’d take a fraction of the time and I’d know the fundamentals a little better.
I love Eiswein and port, haven’t been able to get into tokaji – the Hungarian stuff is a little weird for my tastes

Year 1
 Bordeaux
  The basics: tannin, acid, fruit, oak
  Non-classified bordeaux
  Regional differences: Medoc, Pomerol, Graves
  Veriticals and horizontals
  Terroir basics
  Great growths (as budget allows)

Year 2
 Burgundy
  Vintages -- finding a good one
  Effects of aging: Burgundy vs Bordeaux
  Regional differences -- Cd Beaune, Pouilly Fuissee, Pommard
 Beaujolais
  Food pairings
 Spain
  Rioja
  Basque wine & cuisine
  Ribero del Duero, Castillon, etc

Year 3
 DETOUR: Dessert wines
  Sauternes  <-- I am here
  Tokaji, eiswein, port
 Italy
  Italian grapes
  Barolo, Barbaresco, Piedmont cuisine
  Brunello
  Other Sicillian/Tuscan/Chianti
 Optional: other French -- CdP/Rhone, Languedoc, etc

Year 4
 Chile
 Argentina
  Malbec
  Comparison to Spain
 Australia and New Zealand
  Syrah
  Penfolds verticals (as budget allows)
  NZ bordeaux-style blends

Year 5: America! (Travel as allowed)
 Napa Valley
  District comparisons
 Sonoma Valley
 Single-varietals
 Cult wines (as budget allows)
 Meritage
 OR/WA Pinot Noir
 Understanding oak

well im taking my acceptance exam for the guild in april -im only 21 now but have done a ton of research and taken every class possible, doesnt hurt im a world class drunk.

anyway that is a very intelligent plan, but i think you will waste a very good amount of time and money on certain things (unless you are very passionate of these things, ie, cult wines, penfold vertical) but this is a great plan.

first look at your local colleges and see what courses they offer regarding wine, this has been a great help to me. 2nd drink as much wine as possible in your budget.
third and most importantly enjoy yourself because in the end its just grape juice so don’t take it too seriously.

International Sommelier’s Guild?

correct.

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2. attn: food/wine people in the upstate, ny area… ......
3. Wine Recomendations ......

Just finished Haunted. I only found it mediocore. Maybe I was expecting too much. Some of the short stories were really well done, but the overall connecting story did nothing for me.

Rereading Huxley’s Brave New World at the moment.
Boy’s Life by Robert R. McCammon

Ooo, was scopin’ the website, short stories online, for you horror fans.

just got done reading ‘on killing’ very intersting book
the davinci code, finally

i just finished superstud (life story of the guy who wrote teh show freeks & geeks. well. part 2 of his life story. ‘kick me’ was part 1)
Fouth volume of The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, the first one is kind of dull but all the others have been great so far.
The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason

ok so far, halfway through, kinda slow

i’ve always wanted to check that out, how is it?
within the last month, HPotter series, Anita blake series – laurell hamilton, tale of 2 cities, a brave new world, watchers – dean koontz, can you guess which two were summer reading
I’m reading like 8 books right now, but am into Unexpected Life by Queen Noor and Empire Falls. Has anyone seen the HBO movie of Empire Falls?
I’m part way into Robert Jordan’s New Spring. It’s the Prequel to the Wheel of Time series… which I use to have every single one and then Katrina happened

Plus, haven’t been able to read much now w/ classes going.
Howard Zinn A People’s History of the United States : 1492-Present
This book was mentioned in Good Will Hunting when Will first meets Robin Williams, and will said "this book will knock his socks off". Well it truely is great you should all go read it.
Just got done reading LotR again. Looking for something new. Especially now that Im back at my school job, which allows me tons of time to read or do whatever.

Just picked that up today, not so great?

really good miniseries
The Wizards of Armageddon – Fred Kaplan

Book Description
This is the untold story of the small group of men who have devised the plans and shaped the policies on how to use the Bomb. The book (first published in 1983) explores the secret world of these strategists and the nuclear age and brings to light a chapter in American political and military history never before revealed.

Dopefiend by Donald Goines

I have never read anything so crazy

He is like an unbrainy Burroughs
Deadhouse Gates : Book Two of The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson.

The second of the projected 10 volumes of the Malazan Book of the Fallen raises the stakes set by Gardens of the Moon [BKL My 15 04]. From the Holy Desert Raraku, in the land of the Seven Cities, the seer Sha’ik sends her followers out on a holy war known as the Whirlwind. It bears more than a passing resemblance to the current violent Islamic jihad, but Erikson’s scholarship is sufficiently thorough to enable him to avoid simpleminded likeness making. His imagination is also sufficient to bring the setting of the Seven Cities vividly to life, although his realism is rather literally gritty, including a great deal of sand and gravel that will inevitably recall for some readers a country in which American troops are now fighting. The opposition to the Whirlwind is varied but includes the inevitable mercenaries, limned in the manner that stems from David Drake’s sf and in fantasy is practiced particular skillfully by Glen Cook. Erikson is making his dark characters and grisly battles very much his own, however, and fantasy readers with a strong appetite for world building and action ought to enjoy his efforts.

I hated Running with Scissors it was too gross, I couldnt bring myself to finish the last 30 pages
Ended up returning the Rule of Four since I’d heard some pretty MEH reviews…

i’m still reading angels and demons.

with school and work, i havent been able to spend enough time reading it.

plus, i’ve become addicted to comic books again *sigh*
Update:

I read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, it was interesting, he uses a bunch of anecdotes to persuade the reader that an incredible amount of info can be attained in extremely small "thin slices" of experience i’d give it a 7.6/10

I just started The Game by Neil Strauss, he goes off to live with an "international group of professional pickup artists" and being that i suck at teh ladies, so far it is quite interesting to me! Although $30 is a bit steep for a soft cover book
Has anyone read or heard of "the cube" ? Strauss talked highly of it in his book but i can’t find anything about it on the interwebs
I thinking about reading "will" by g. gordon liddy

my brother loved that book.

I have read quite a few books recently, here are the more memorable ones:

Mmories of my melancholy whores: It’s a short, interesting love story about a really old man and a really young whore. I read it in one sitting, Garcia Marquez is a fantastic writer

Ugly Americans: a true account of stock traders that go into Japan in the mid 90′s and rape their stock market for a shit ton of money. Ben Mezrich does a good job of telling a true story in a narrative fashion, interesting read.

Busting Vegas: Another Mezrich true narrative, this one about MIT kids who travel the world raping casinos at blackjack.

The professor, the banker and the suicide king: a true story by Michael Craig about somee rich Texan who goes to vegas to play the pros in heads up holdem for HUGE money. Poker + Tall money + Vegas = win, but The writing is meh and im in no hurry to finish this
I just finished Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishigura, and it was really a good book. He does a great job of making you see the meaning in all sorts of mundane interactions. With that being said, the book was 250 pages of mundane interactions, with an ending i’d give a 6/10.

The backstory and plot really give this book depth and make it quite relevant. I couldn’t put it down. I give it a 7.9/10
Myth of Invariance: The Origins of the Gods, Mathematics and Music from the Rg Veda to Plato (Paperback)
Humanity: A Moral History of the 20th Century

It’s an excellent, tremendously important book, but fucking wretched to read
Just finished "The Glass Castle" by Jeanette Wells. It was okay, a little sad at times.
I am now rereading a favorite of mine, "Drawing Down the Moon" by Margot Adler.
Last week I finished A Man Without a Country by Vonnnegut. I’m currently reading Teacher Man by Frank McCourt. Next on the list is Blink and Jonathon Stroud’s new book.

How do you like Vonnegut? I bought slaughterhouse 5 and cats cradle, buty i’ve found so many good books recently i have not even cracked them
Has anyone read "Not Without my Daughter" by Betty Mahmoody?
It’s an awesome book.

"Atlas Shrugged" Ayn Rand pp.509
"Skinny Legs and All" Tim Robbins

and just finished
"Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller
BLJ was a great book, especially for anybody who struggles with the conceptof being "liberal" and being Christian, definately recomend it!!

I like his older work. This one was…alright. It’s more political rambling than a story of any kind, but I did think it was an interesting insight into the man itself, as I haven’t read much about him.

AWESOME! I love McCammon’s books. My favorites are Wolf’s Hour and Swan Song.

Read recently:
Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal
The Great and Secret Show & Everville by Clive Barker

Currently reading 24 Declassified: Operation Hell Gate.
Fun, fast read. Each chapter is an hour, and you don’t have to wait a week. This book is PRE-Season 1.

I like hemingway’s style of writing a lot. He uses so few words to convey so much meaning.

Reading right now:
Deliverance – James Dickey
Just finished:
The Rule of The Bone

That’s my favorite book of his. It’s excellent.

Mine too. The first time I read it kinda freaked me out. Poor boring Richard being pretty much forgotten and invisible to London above, the whole concept fucked with my head.
I’m reading two books right now (one stays upstairs, the other downstairs ).
The first is ‘Beyond Choice. Reproductive Freedom in the 21st Century’ by Alexander Sanger. I just started this one.
The second I’m about 1/4 of the way into. It’s really interesting and full of facts about the history of pregnancy/abortion. It is ‘Pregnancy and Power. A Short History of Reproductive Politics in America’ by Rickie Solinger.
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

About 3/4 through, and I can’t put it down.
Just finished "Car" by Harry Crews and starting "A Tramp Abroad" by Mark Twain
Just finished Skinny Legs and All, by Tim Robbins, a great book, quite funny as well
I’m Currently reading ”Veronika Decides to Die” By Paulo Coelho .

I luved it ,

Recently finished "Haunted" by Chuck Palahniuk,
now on "Oblivion" by David Foster Wallace….
Just finished the last of the Baroque books by Neal Stephenson. Now on "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Heinlen.
jack reacher series by lee child, pretty good, just something too keep my mind off of other more pressing matters

how were they?

Good. I like Stephenson a lot. I know some people were irked by some of the t I’m not a good enough history student for those to bother me.
Just finished re-reading Peter F. Hamilton’s "Pandora’s Star", now on the second and final book of the saga, "Judas Unchained".

Is that a Xanth novel? I haven’t read Piers Anthony in years.

that’s the same reason i bought it. i’m reading it right now.

i’m also reading the jungle by upton sinclaire and just finished catch 22

The Jungle was really good. Interesting story, and disturbing to know that was what the industry was really like.

so far it seems really good. the conditions in the US for immigrants were pretty ridiculous. almost makes you wonder how any of them survived.
Just finished Capote’s In Cold Blood
Almost done with The Agony and the Ecstasy
The Colony is next in line
I’ve been a bad reader lately, normally I’m not the kind of guy that picks up a book and then doesn’t finish it, but I find I’m working my way slowly through a whole wack of books lately. For example I’m currently reading:

Vellum, Hal Duncan
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Dusk, Tim Lebbon
The Light Ages, Ian R. MacLeod
Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond
Quicksilver, Neal Stephenson

All those I found I was reading a lot slower than normal, so I mixed em up with some more pulpy stuff. Lately books more like that I’ve read include all the Vlad Taltos books (I love the trade paperback omnibus editions, made it so much easier to finally track these down), the four Vampire Earth books that are currently out, the last book of the Swan War by Sean Russell, The Knight by Gene Wolfe, and probably a few others I’ve forgot to mention.

I see Acesn8s still reads a lot of the same books I do.
I am not myself these days- Josh Kilmer-Purcell

It’s an amazing book….everyone should def. check it out…
not reading much at the moment but looking for suggestions in espionage and anything related. Recently read "I Was Saddam’s Son" and "By Way Of Deception" both very excellent reads.

Anyone want to suggest books similar to these?
im currently in the middle of The Amber Room by Steve Berry, really liking it so far although i find his writing style occassionally hard to follow. next im going to read the 3 lord of the rings books as i never read them when i was younger and i figured now was as good a time as any.

also i just finished Deception Point by Dan Brown, good book although im sure some of you find his stuff too mainstream
I’m going to pick upa few books this weekend, just not sure what I’m in the mood for.

Maybe "The Life of Pi", maybe "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" maybe something completely different.

I loved Slaughterhouse 5 and Cat’s Craddle. Read em. Good stuff.
I’m reading "Lamb" by Chirstopher Moore. Kind of a new author for me. I have read his "Practical Demonkeeping" which I thought was awesome.

Also, I just finished "Already Dead" by Charles Huston. It’s about a vampire who is a PI in NY and he goes around killing Zombies. I know I know, but it’s really not as hokey as it sounds. Not a masterpeice but very entertaining.
- I also like that’s it’s a Vampire storie that is not also a romance novel -
does anyone have any suggestions on books/writers in the mystery genre? doesnt have to be the same style as dan brown, but that type mystery. large scale type stuff.

rule of four is pretty good
I just bought Captain Alatriste by Arturo P?rez-Reverte. He’s a spanish author whose novels have been translated into a variety of languages. It’s a swashbuckling/mystery in the style of Scaramouche, Captain Blood, and the Three Musketeers.

Here’s the amazon.com summary.

"The Acadians – A People’s Story Of Exile And Triumph" – by Dean Jobb
Just read and devoured the Bonehunters by Steven Erikson, it was pretty good, and tied up a lot of loose plot threads that had been hanging. It still wasn’t on the level of Memories of Ice, which was the best one by far imho, but I’d say it was on par with the rest of the series (Malazan Tale of the Fallen).

I highly recomend his book "The Lust Lizard Of Meloncholy Cove".
I’m currently reading The Magus by John Fowles. It has some several interesting portions of depth and interest that are seperated by dozens of pages of boring material containing lots of meaningless details. but apparently its a classic, and as i read it, i can see why. its well ahead of its time (written in the 40′s i believe).
The previous book i read was the Rule of Four, which i thought was good but not great. It’s not like the Davinci Code, for those who have heard it is. In the Code, the literary puzzles are the subject and essense of the storyline. In the rule of four, the author narrates first person about his everyday experiences and happens to be doing some literary puzzles on the side. If you enjoy mysteries, which is always the most popular genre amongst book readers, then i’d recommend taking a look at it.
The next book I’m planning on reading is Manliness, by Harvey Mansfield, a nonfic research oriented book on that topic.
I am reading a short-story anthology by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, c 1920′s or so. Great early Japanese nihilism, Akira’s Rashomon was actually based on two of akutagawa’s stories.

"The German High Command at War: Hindenburg and Ludendorff conduct World War I" by Robert Asprey

About the military duo who directed Germany’s war effort in the last two years of the First World War.

"The Rites of Spring" by Modris Eksteins

Just finished this great book.

"Goodbye To All That" by Robert Graves
Elizabeth Kostova’s "The Historian" just finishing it up now, its reald dead in some parts, but others its pretty good.
Great if you like travel, exotic lands and Dracula!
i recently read da vinci code & then angels & demons. I’m not actually a very big reader, but my wife keeps telling me to read "blink" my malcolm "someone or another." i’ve started "a brief history of time" about a hundred times, but i get halfway through & the head ache i get is so bad, i cant look at the book for a month.

Always reading the "what to expect…" series & looking for something interesting to get my hands on.

I heard Dan Browns two books are great.
I am a library reader, and its close to impossible to
get either of those from the library.
I am looking forward to reading those – did you like them?

"The Age of Reason Begins" by Will and Ariel Durant

Part of the Durant’s multi-volume series on Western civilization, this covers the late 16th to mid 17th century. Includes chapters on Elizabeth I of England, Cardinal Richelieu of France, the Dutch revolt against the Spanish, and the Thirty Years War.
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

I’m in the mood for a "fuck the people who want to mooch off of my work" story, so I’m rereading it.

Third volume of Churchill’s six book memoirs of the Second World War.
Working on "The Glass Bead Game" by Hermann Hesse….

"The Origins of the War of 1914" by Luigi Albertini

Three volume set on the origins and outbreak of the First World War.

"Nicholas and Alexandra" by Robert Massie

The story of the last Czar and Czarina of Russia, who were forced to abdicate because of the Russian Revolution and were later killed by the Bolsheviks.

"The War of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien

Third volume of a three book set which shows how Tolkien concieved and developed the "Lord of the Rings", with commentary by Tolkien’s son, Christopher.

"Le Morte D’Arthur" By Thomas Malory

The classic 15th century account of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

I read the first half not to long ago.

One of my favorites. I also have read De Troyes "Arthurian Romances" and Wolfram von Eschenbach’s "Parzifal" as well.

I haven’t read either of those. I did read Steinbeck’s version. In the back are letters he wrote to his editor. Very cool.

Troyes and Eisenbach’s version’s of King Arthur are older than Mallory’s. Kind of difficult to read if you’re not used to the medieval style of writing.
Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano’s Story of Life in the Mafia

Also reading "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen on a Palm TX- a copy I
downloaded from Project Gutenberg. I used OpenOffice to convert the text
to Palm .PDB format.

Has anybody else downloaded texts form Project Guenberg?

Really not shaping up to be as good as I hoped it would be.
A Fan’s Notes by Fredrick Exley.

Mothafuckas.

Brilliant vocabulary

"Nathanial Hawthorne: Tales and Sketches"

A complete collection of Hawthorne’s shorter writings.
vince flynn books. just finished separation of power and now reading executive power. i wish there was more bourne-type spy action and less political stuff going on. anybody got suggestions on some hardcore spy books? ive read all the bourne books.
The Book of the New Sun
A Stranger in a Strange Land

No Man’s Land 1918: The Last Year of the Great War" by John Toland

The story of the last year of World War I in which the Germans almost won with their offensives in the spring of that year, only to be stopped and then pushed back by the Allied armies untill the German surrender in November.

"Jude the Obscure" by Thomas Hardy
Now on "Sailing to Byzantium", a story collection by Robert Silverberg-
About 30% of the way through "Pride and Prejudice"……

"The Hinge of Fate" by Winston Churchill

4th volume of Churchill’s memoir of the Second World War

i found it disgusting.if u likr readin such books try jean sasson.her princess and sequals is very famous and also sohire kassogi.(spl)

im reading the same book….how do you like it?…..iv been dying to talk to some1 about the book.
andrew jackson: life and times by h.w. brands

he writes just like he gives lectures
recently finished: catch-22, the fountainhead by ayn rand.
just started: unweaving the rainbow by Richard Dawkins
on the list: atlas shrugged or A Confederacy of Dunces

I’m part way into Robert Jordan’s New Spring. It’s the Prequel to the Wheel of Time series… which I use to have every single one and then Katrina happened Plus, haven’t been able to read much now w/ classes going.

Is the wheel of time series any good? I hear the first 6 are good but then it sort of drags on.

Confederacy of Dunces was great, probably the funniest book I’ve ever read.

I think books 9 and 10 drag on a bit, book 11 was really good though. Now it’s back to waiting for the rest of the books to come out.
Going Postal – Terry Pratchett … again
The Curse of Chalion – Lois McMaster Bujold … again

… uh, I got nothin’ new besides cookbooks, so guess what! You’re getting those, too.

grill (stylish food to sizzle) – Linda Tubby (pff)
panini, bruscetta, crostini – Viana la Place
Soup & Stew – Williams-Sonoma
Grilling – Williams-Sonoma (need moar of these books)
Young & Hungry – Dave Lieberman
Barefoot in Paris – Ina Garten
Barefoot Contessa – Ina Garten (need moar of these books, too, but Ms. Contessa doesn’t write very fast)

That’s pretty much how I feel. The first two trilogys were worth reading but the rest of the series feels like Robert Jordan is just trying to stretch out the plot.

Andrew Jackson : His Life and Times
been on a bit of a presidential biography kick as of late. Its a little dry but pretty good so far.
I just finished Skeleton Crew – Stephen King, and started Kafka on the Shore by Murakami Haruki. I havn’t been able to put it down yet.

Just got done reading this book, nice read, not too long either I finished in less than a week.
"Lee’s Lieutenants, Volumes 1, 2 and 3" by Douglas Freeman

Classic three volume set on the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia’s commanders. I think the abriged one volume is the only one in print, but the older three book set can probably be tracked down on used book websites. A must have for the American Civil War buff.
Now reading "Great tales and poems of Edgar Allen Poe"
I just finished "A Painted House" by John Grisham. I really enjoyed it. If you haven’t read it, it’s about a 7 year old boy in Arkansas in 1952. He and his family are cotton farmers and they’ve hired Mexicans and ‘hill people’ to work with them. It chronicles a couple months of their life and the trials they go through as well as events that happen with the Mexicans and the hill people.
Just finished The Da Vinci Code and 3/4 done with The Firm-John Grisham..

Looking into reading The Count Of Monte Cristo…
I have been devouring everything by John Krakauer this week.
Into thin Air –
Into the wild –
Eiger Dreams – not done yet but good so far

I also read The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway, i really enjoyed it.

A.J.P. Taylor’s diplomatic history of Europe from the revolutions of 1848 to the end of the First World War.

It’s too bad the author is hospitalized for a rare blood disease and unlikely to survive long enough to write the final book in the series. I’m hoping for him, though, and for some sort of closure on this epic. I’ve been reading it off and on for the past decade.

I just finished "The Code Book" by Simon Singh, and am about to start "John von Neumann and the Origins of Modern Computing" though. TCB was pretty interesting, and I’ve been looking forward to the latter book for a while now, so I hope it doesn’t disappoint.
I started "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson. I intended it to be my bathroom book, but it’s so interesting that i stopped reading 100 Years of Solitude

"The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton

Ive decided to read classics this summer and so far have read all of Jane Austen’s books, one by DH Lawrence and one by Charlotte Bronte. Im not sure what will be next after this one.
about half way through The Husband by Dean Koontz. Great so far.

I knew nothing about this. I found his blog where he says he might have more than year . . . depending on tests.

Dirty Medicine- Martin J. Walker

I’m about half way through, great and informative book so far. I happen to pick it up at a great used book store chain in AZ.
Deep Six – Clive Cussler

Just finished harry potter and the half blood prince for the second time.
Notes from the Underground

Dostoevsky
In the last month or so

Harry Potter Series
Lord of The Rings Trilogy
The Bourne Trilogy
Fight Club
The Davinci Code
1-3 of Song of Ice and Fire by George Martin (Much better than the fourth, which i’m reading now, but am definitely looking forward to the fifth since it brings back my favorite characters)

Next on my list are some of Christopher Moore’s novels
Then maybe either
Bill Bryson – A Short History of Nearly Everything
or
Jared Diamond – Guns, Germs, and Steel
I’m currently reading Digital Fortress by Dan Brown, ‘The Meaning of Hitler’ by Sebastian Haffner () and ‘The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory’ by Brian Greene ().
Middle Sex by Jefferey E. is a really good book. I am now on Infinite Jest by David Wallace…pretty good so far.
Montaigne’s Essays. Erasmus’ Praise of Folly before that.
1984, it wasnt what i expected at all, but I am really enjoying it

Great historical fiction about the battle of Gettysburg.
I’m reading Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind the Da Vinci Code.
the perks of being a wallflower Stephen Chbosky

Fifth Horseman by James Patterson and Rules of Prey by John Sandford
i am just now getting around to reading Michael Crichton’s State of Fear. I am half way through it. It has taken me awhile to read cause it hasn’t really "hooked" me like most of his other books.

i bought both of those recently, as soon as i finish the book i am reading i am going to read Fifth Horseman
Just finished "the Innocence" by Harlen Coben. Aamazing book

Just about to finish "lincoln Lawyer" bye Michael Connelly. Also a fantastic book

Just started reading "Big Bang – The Origin of The Universe" this week.

Just finished "Cocaine" by Dominic Streatfield,
now on "Hard Times" by Charles Dickens….

To the poster reading "Lolita"…….is it worth a read? Overrated or not?

It was very much worth it. It has some of the most elegant prose I’ve ever read.

I read "The Life of Pi" a little while ago. I went through it fast but after I finished I was left with this kind of feeling.

Currently reading:

Not much of a selection at our crap-happy exchange so this was a find.
All Quiet on the Western Front. Best book I’ve ever read.

I’d like to concur with this. The man’s prose is astonishingly elegant and witty.

Recently went through:
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales – didn’t get it, was just a slow, tedious read
Saramago’s Blindness – great story, taut pacing, and excellent observations
Marquez’s Memories of My Melancholy Whores – a short read, very clever and honest; fantastic book

Currently trudging through Sartre’s Nausea, I’m finding it wearisome and nonsensical.

I’ve read "Blindness" and I have "The Cave" in my to-read stack……would you have any
insights as to Jose Saramago’s curious writing style for these two books? His prose has the
appearance of a "wall of words" without any quotation marks or other formatting
for character dialog….

Yeah, that caught me offguard at the beginning, it was really the first time I had seen someone do that. And now that I think about it, I’m surprised not more people are doing it; if you think of the millions of books out there, just about all of them have the exact same dialogue formatting, it’s kind of monotonous.

When he used it in Blindness (the only book of his that I’ve read) I found that it made things more cohesive. It has less of a break, or a separation, between the characters’ dialogues and the environment and action descriptions. So I felt the characters were more integrated with their world, more realistic and believable, than they would of been had their speech been broken up by formatting and quotations.

I’d definitely like more authors to try such experiments.
bought to finish "To Kill A Mockingbird" and pick up "Speak"
Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, the guy has amazing control of language.

100 Years of Solitude

"Marlborough: His Life and Times" by Winston Churchill

A revelation to me, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, was the English military genius who led the armies of the Grand Coalition in halting the French armies of Louis XIV from dominating Europe in the early 1700′s. Winston Churchill was a decendant of Marlborough.

"The Wallace" by Nigel Tranter

William Wallace was the guy the movie "Braveheart" was about.

"The Coming Fury" by Bruce Catton

I haven’t read the Catton Civil War trilogy in a while, because Shelby Foote’s set pretty much blows it away, but the first volume of Catton’s is still one of the best accounts of how the American Civl War began.
I am currently reading Stephen King’s Dark Tower series and I am on the 7th and final book.

After that I am going to be reading Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead.
Read Sam Harris’ tiny new "Letter to a Christian Nation"; it’s a bit repetitive after "End of Faith", but still clever and witty enough to be worth a 4/5.

The Red Shirt and the Cross of Savoy" by George Martin

The story of Italy’s Risorgimento, which was the movement to gain the independence and unification of Italy in the 19th century.

"The Second World War" by Winston Churchill

Churchill’s memoirs of World War II. Finishing up the last volume in this set.

now that he has finally finished the series, I’m ready to start reading – I refused before… I picked up the gunslinger from the library yesterday

Now I’m reading chick hogan prince of thieves – it’s a real page turner reminiscent of Mystic River

I just got done reading Tom Clancy’s Net Force: The Archmedes Effect, his latest I believe of the Net Force Series. I really enjoy this series, its based on computer crimes that the Government agency "Net Force" tries to figure out, Very interesting.

I’m currently looking for some books to read… anyone have any suggestions. I would read the Da Vinci Code but I’ve already seen the movie and I know the book is better than movies but I dont know if I could read all of it seeing as I’ve seen the movie.

Anyone know any other good computer crime type of books, I’ve already read Dan Browns Deception Point which was good.

"The Social Contract and other discourses" by Jean Jacques Rousseau

A look at European history, culture, and philosophy from 1756 to 1789.

One heck of a mindbender……..This book rattled me as
much as Gravity’s Rainbow did….I have Danielewski’s
"Only Revolutions" in my to-read-stack.

The guy certainly has a way with words……..
House of Leaves, Slouching Toward Nirvana, The Dark Light Years, Count Zero, Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail ’72, and a book of T.S. Elliot poetry.

Also, scary as hell.

Blue Blood by Edward Conlon. It’s really well written and a good read. I’m very interested in law enforcement and what not though, so that also plays into my opinion as well.

First book of Shelby Foote’s Civil War trilogy, this set is one of my all time favorites. Foote has been accused of being too much of a Southern sympathizer, but I think he has a lot of empathy for both sides and really gives you some idea on what both Lincoln and Jefferson Davis had to go through while running their respective war efforts. Great read every time!

A look at not only Abraham Lincoln but also the members of his cabinet, most of whom were more prominent in politics than he was at the beginning of his presidency. Not only was Lincoln busy fighting the Civil War, he had to deal with the clashing egos of his cabinet members, which he was mostly successful in doing. Almost all of these men came to revere Lincoln by the time of his assassination.
Atlas Shrugged is really bogging me down… I’m 430 pages into and it really isn’t very good, I fail to see all the hype around it
Just finished Oliver Sack’s "The Man who Mistook his wife for a hat", which is a collection of stories about the famous neurologist’s clients. Gets jargon-y at times, but he sticks to the lived experiences of his patients. A fascinating read.

I certainly recommend it.
I’ve been reading Foucaults Pendulum for the past month and a half. Its taking forever because I’ve been looking up almost all of the references he makes.

Barbara Tuchman is one of my favorite historical authors. Most of her writings have been about the 19th and 20th centuries, but here she gives us a look a 14th century Europe. A few of the events she focuses on is the beginning of the Hundred Years War between England and France, and the first appearance of the bubonic plauge in Europe.

Reading this after Tranter’s William Wallace book gives you an interesting contrast between the way the same historical evants were viewed by different people, with Wallace representing the common people and Robert Bruce the Scottish nobles.

The autobiography of 18th century philosopher and writer Jean Jacque Rousseau. He pretty much quarrelled with every writer of note from his time, so it will be interesting hearing his side.
im in the sword of truth series by Terry Goodkind, now im in the 4th book, Temple Of The Winds, very good shit

I want to finish the series so I can start this…

Covers the midpoint of the Civil War, including the Battles of Chancellorsville, Gettyburg, Vicksburg, and Chickamauga.

"Albert Sidney Johnston: Soldier of Three Republics" by Charles Roland

Biography of the top ranking Southern general at the beginning of the Civil War, he was killed early on at the battle of Shiloh. He served in the armies of the United States, Texas (when it was an independent country), and the Southern Confederacy, hence the book’s title.

I started this but never was able to get into it.

I am reading The Grapes of Wraith, never read it before.
Hemingway’s "The Sun Also Rises", it’s excellent. The man has an unassuming, simple prose, makes for pleasant reading.

Really good, BTW. It’s not outlandish sci-fi scenarios, just a grounded, reasonable analysis of why we’re living in dangerous times. Much of it is downright scary and depressing.
Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys, and Lama Surya Das’ Letting Go of the Person You Used to Be.

Bunch of others too… I can’t seem to read one at a time. Lemmy Kilmister’s autobiography. La Vey’s Satan Speaks. Cheesy Splinter Cell book
Just finished Oracle Night by Paul Auster, Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn, and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie

About to start:

About the various expeditions for a north-west sea passage through the arctic to the Pacific and the hunt for the North Pole. One thing I dislike about this book is the author’s bad habit of giving away crucial parts of the story to the reader too soon. The best example of this is his account of John Franklin’s failed expedition. Instead of gradually showing what happened to Franklin through the findings of the various followup expeditions that went searching for him in the 12 years after his disappearance, the author tells you right away that he and his entire crew died. Not a minor quibble here, as this is one of the main stories of the book.

His first novel, Dickens follows the exploits of Mr Pickwick and his friends.

Historical novel about King Henry IV of England and his falling out with his friend and supporter Henry Percy.

Autobiography of famous Civil War general.

LOVE this series. However the only other vampire books I could think of would be something by Anne Rice. Sorry

Robert Neville is the last living man on earth … but he is not alone. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville’s blood. By day he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn. How long can one man survive like this?

I just finished reading Secret Commandos by Major John Plaster

Very interesting book about a Special Forces recon team in Vietnam.
The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child.

I’ll be jumping back into the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher when I’m done.
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Second time I have read it. Hasn’t lost anything.

About the various expeditions for a north-west sea passage through the arctic to the Pacific and the hunt for the North Pole. One thing I dislike about this book is the author’s bad habit of giving away crucial parts of the story to the reader too soon. The best example of this is his account of John Franklin’s failed expedition. Instead of gradually showing what happened to Franklin through the findings of the various followup expeditions that went searching for him in the 12 years after his disappearance, the author tells you right away that he and his entire crew died. Not a minor quibble here, as this is one of the main events of the book. However, he does well in the telling of the Peary-Cook North Pole controversy.

Weir is one of my favorite writers on the medieval period.

John Barrow was Second Secretary of the Admiralty of Great Britain in the early 19th century, and he was the driving force behind most of the explorations that were undertaken by the British navy during that period, including the many expeditions to find a northwest passage through the Arctic.

Fourth volume of the Durant’s History of Civilization series, this covers the period of European and Middle Eastern history from 300 to 1300.

Almost a dual biography of the two men who both claimed to be the first to reach the North Pole. The Peary-Cook controversy was settled at the time in favor of Peary, but many people think both of them lied about reaching the Pole.

James Longstreet was a Confederate general who served with the Army of Northern Virginia. His account of the Civil War upset many former Confederates as Longstreet criticized Robert E. Lee for the loss at Gettysburg, while some believed the blame should have been placed on Longstreet himself.

This focuses on the murders themselves and not with wild theories on who the murderer really was, like so many of the sensationalist books about this topic.

Look at Jim Butcher (more wizards than vampires, but there are a handful of vampires throught his series). Read the Dresden files by him in order. VERY entertaining.

Only other vampire writer I know of is Anne Rice…
Just started Carl Hiassen’s Native Tongue. I haven’t read a novel in years and heard good things about the author. Usually into history and other nonfiction stuff.

Good, well written book so far.
Just finished Way of the Peaceful Warrior, and am now reading The Journeys of Socrates
Just finished

Ham on Rye & Post Office by Charles Bukowski last week… haha first two books i’ve read since last semester. I’m reading the last book of the ‘trilogy’ called ‘Women’.

I loved it and just finished reading it. It was in your face and brutally honest. The movie didn’t compare tho, except for the Finch house which was exactly what I pictured. I can’t believe that kid survived.. my family seems like the Beavers now..
I’m reading The Black Dahlia now. it’s lacking overall so far..
Unruly Women: The politics of social and sexual control in the old south, by Victoria Bynum.

Its for my History of the South class, but its really interesting.

I read that a few weeks ago. Wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Had a few funny parts, but most of it was just sad and pathetic.
WOW

I am gonna love this forum/thread!!!!

Gotta go to lunch now but will post the books I’m currently reading later.

I’m so excited…
I just read I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell yesterday, it hilarious
i’m reading a collection of short stories by H.P. lovecraft and the jungle by upton sinclaire depending on my mood
If you like Sinclair’s The Jungle you might like Diet for a New America by John Robbins – it tells what it’s really like in the meat packing plants now.

reading Ayn Rand – The Fountainhead, so far its great

I just came into this thread to say that i’ve just started this book.
<.<

Reading:

1776

&

The World is Flat by Friedman

Bought: "The God Dellusion" yesterday. Should finish up 1776 this evening I hope (60 pages left – 45 minutes of reading or so…)

I tried reading The World is Flat. Got it from the library, and just ran out of time. It’s not a book I can sit and read, say, 100 pages of in a row. But I did like what I read…

great read. I read it after Atlas Shrugged, though in retrospect I wish I had read it before.

I just finished The Know-It-All by AJ Jacobs. It’s made for a very interesting and funny read.

again, not vampires, but if you read The Hollows series by Kim Harrison you will probobly like it.
Kurt Vonnegut- Cat’s Cradle

just got it tonight, about 75 pages in. probably finish it by Monday. good book so far, too bad it took his death for me to start reading him.

dean koontz is a pretty good writer-he has a book called whispers that is his best ever as far as i am concerned. great twist at the end, blows your mind. he isn’t quite as good as steven king is but steven king has not written anything (in my humble opinion anyway)REALLY good since he wrote IT, and the ending of that one kind of left me cold. His older stuff like The Stand, and Nightmares and Dreamscapes were awesome books, as well as Carrie. Christine was fairly good, as was cujo, but Insomnia just put me right to sleep, pardon the pun, lol. I liked Thinner, good idea as far as being believable, but then again, who believes in gypsy curses anymore??I guess i like his writing because he can really make you picture what hes talking about, and he comes across as being very a very average guy.
what is everyones take on the vampire chronicles by anne rule??

Yeah…learned somethings about him when he passed and it’s got me interested to at least read Slaughterhouse Five…so we’ll see.

I like what I’ve read so far (only about 30pgs so far) but for me it’s relegated as a toilet read right now…I’ve got more important books that carry with me.

"History of the Crusades: Volume 1" by Steven Runciman

Classic account of the Crusades, this covers the First Crusade and its origins.

and…

Covers the establishment of the Frankish kingdoms created in the aftermath of the First Crusade, the start and failure of the Second Crusade, and the retaking of Jeruselum by the Moslems led by Saladin.

Biography of controversal English king, Kendall believes Richard to be maligned by both his Tudor successors and Shakespeare.

Beginning of a second medieval trilogy by Penman, this historical novel mainly follows the story of Matilda, Queen of England and the usurption of her throne by her cousin Stephen of Blois.

Paul cooperated with writer Barry Miles in this biography of McCartney’s life, from his childhood to the breakup of the Beatles. Usually "official" bios aren’t that interesting, but this is a pretty good read.

Well….WE’RE WAITING!!!

Curently I’m finishing The works of Julius Caesar. It’s taken forever to finish as I did not devote the time to it that I ought.

My next book will be Reminiscences of the Civil War by General John B. Gordon.

After that I plan to pick up a book recommended to me by a fellow OTer Montcalm and Wolfe: The French and Indian War or Mosby’s Rangers

it’s a novel that takes place in a hospital – think "scrubs"? – pornographic, scary re: the medical stuff
, funny – not a serious read, I got it second hand..so far so good.

About 100 pages so far.
Great read.

Eleanor is probably the most famous medieval woman in history. She was married to two kings, Louis VII of France whom she divorced, and Henry II of England, and two of her sons by Henry became Kings of England.

Lewinson compiled a record of all the Beatles recording sessions, and gives a summery of them day by day. Also added are comments from Beatles producer George Martin and other engineers at Abbey Road studios. A must have for Beatle fanatics.

Great biography on the Beatles. Author Philip Norman does have a Pro-John Lennon bias, plus since his book first came out in the early 80′s it repeats quite a few Beatles myths that have since been dispelled (the Beatles smoking pot in the restroom of Buckingham Palace before being presented with the MBE by the Queen, etc.)

Biography of the leading general of the Catholics in the Thirty Years War. Wallenstein was eventually assassinated by his employer, Emperor Ferdinand, when it was feared that he was becoming too powerful by his victories.
I just cracked open Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. What an enormous book. I’m 50ish pages in and about to read some more right now; so far it’s been great and I love her writing.

Reading ‘Memory, Sorrow and Thorn’ – Tad Williams
as well as ‘Two Wheels Through Terror’ by Glen Heggstad.
Burning Rainbow Farm: How a Stoner Utopia Went Up in Smoke by Dean Kuipers

A Confederacy of Dunces, just finished….wasn’t bad.

Now reading Bloodsucking Fiends – Christopher Moore.

Loved Bloodsucking Fiends, I get a kick out of Moore. Didn’t get through Dunces, have to give it another go.

Yeah, I was only introduced to Moore a few weeks ago but I’m hooked. Have read Lamb, A Dirty Job, have Bloodsucking Fiends now and Fluke ready to go next. He’s hysterical.
Fury of Calderon – Jim Butcher

I’m loving it so far I haven’t read a book in a couple months that had me waiting to get home to find out what happens next.

Covers the explosion of art, philosophy, and culture in 14th and 15th century Italy

Fleming recounts all the various attempts to reach the North Pole from the mid 19th century to early 20th. It’s amazing how many of these explorers that claimed to have reached the North Pole (Peary, Cook, Byrd) are strongly suspected of lying about their claims. Never realized it till I read deeper into this subject.

Third and last volume of the classic set on the Crusades. This covers the Third Crusade and all the other ones following it.
"The King’s Peace: 1637-1641" by C.V. Wedgwood

First volume of Wedgwood’s trilogy on the English Civil War

Great modern retelling of the legends of King Arthur

Classic account of the 17th century European conflict between Catholic and Protestant states

Massie is one of my favorite historical authors, and he does a great job with this biography of the Czar who helped modernize Russia, although at great cost to both himself (he had his son executed for opposing his reforms) and to Russia.

Another one of my favorite authors, Barbara Tuchman, with a social, cultural, and political study of the 20 years leading up to the First World War. Have reread this many times.
currently 100 pages in The Zahir, by the guy who made The Alchemist, and so far so good
I’m still working my way through Watership Down. This is taking me forever.
Just bought:

Chuck P- Survivor
Vonnegut- Slaughterhouse 5
Hesse- Siddartha & Steppenwolf
Joyce- Portrait of the Artists as a Young Man & Ulysses
Percy- The Moviegoer
Dostoyevsky- Crime and Punishment

I’ll be busy for the next couple months

The Island of the Day Before – Umberto Eco

I love the way this guy writes
Just finished The Kite Runner and will start reading Harry Potter (book 5) pretty soon
Got 4 chapters left in Lord of the Flies. Then schoolwork.

Then Guns, Germs, and Steel. Then I might read Brave New World and The Natural.

A study of Robert Peary’s still disputed claim to be the first to reach the North Pole
Right now..

half way through.. Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
Just finished Lord of the Flies. Beginning "Guns, Germs, and Steel" tomorrow.
Just finished: Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

Started:

Great account of the French and Indian War of 1755-62, which saw the French expelled from North America and set the stage for the clash between Britain and her colonies

Massie’s massive narrative of how Great Britain and Germany, which were on friendly terms in the 19th century, came to be on opposing sides in the First World War

Barbara Tuchman shows in four different examples (the Trojan War, the Catholic Popes causing the Reformation, Great Britain losing the American colonies, and the U.S. involvement in Vietnam) how governments often follow policies directly counter to it’s self-interest
"The Old South Illustrated" by: Porte Crayon
Just finished Hush by Mark Nykanen, getting ready to start Life of Pi by Yann Martel
life of pi is good.

i read survivor by chuck palahniuk on the flight from atlanta to beijing the other day.
this summer i have read:

Atlas Dhrugged

The God Delusion

God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything

Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character

What do YOU Care What Other People Think?: Further Adventures of a Curious Character

currently reading:

The Cheese Monkeys

i will also read:

Snow Crash

by the end of the summer
This summer i have read…

-The Mystery Guest
-American Skin

Currently working on…
-Sex and Electricity

Still need to read….
-Atlas Shrug
-Catch 22
-What the Buddha Taught
-One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch

did I suggest that book to you?

How did you like it?
The Broker by John Grisham. I’m a little over half way through. It’s a bit uneventful for my taste, but hopefully things pick up.
"Brother Odd" by Dean Koontz and "Short & Tall Tales" by Lillian Jackson Braun.
I am reading really lite right now.

No, a friend of mine did. It was okay, I loaned it to a friend of mine that is an art therapist. I figured she would enjoy it.

I just started Invisible Monsters by Chuck P.
If you like Vampires….

Count St. Germain series by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly
Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton

I would rate it as a must read if you are into history/WW2.

From Publishers Weekly
In the exciting eighth supernatural thriller from bestsellers Preston and Child (after 2006′s The Book of the Dead), FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast and his ward, Constance Greene, seek peace of mind at a remote Tibetan monastery, only to fall into yet another perilous, potentially earthshaking assignment. The monastery’s abbot asks them to recover a stolen relic, the cryptic Agozyen, which could, in the wrong hands, wipe out humanity. The pair follow the trail to a luxury cruise ship, where a series of brutal murders suggests the relic’s evil spirit might already have been invoked. Fans of earlier books focused on a thinly disguised American Museum of Natural History may find less at stake among the new cast of secondary characters, but the fate of Constance, who claims to have aborted the child of Pendergast’s villainous younger brother, remains a potent subplot. While not as frightening as others in the series, this entry still shows why the authors stand head and shoulders above their rivals in this subgenre. (Aug. 28)

Book Description
FBI Special Agent Pendergast is taking a break from work to take Constance on a whirlwind Grand Tour, hoping to give her closure and a sense of the world that she’s missed. They head to Tibet, where Pendergast intensively trained in martial arts and spiritual studies. At a remote monastery, they learn that a rare and dangerous artifact the monks have been guarding for generations has been mysteriously stolen. As a favor, Pendergast agrees to track and recover the relic. A twisting trail of bloodshed leads Pendergast and Constance to the maiden voyage of the Britannia, the world’s largest and most luxurious ocean liner—and to an Atlantic crossing fraught with terror.

"The road to hell is paved with stuffed dogs"

Just finished The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron
a journey through texas

about a saddle trip through texas in 1854 very interesting to see how things were then

finally got around to reading this one
Reading this now… some of the quantum physics stuff is over my head, but Einstein’s life is actually pretty interesting…

NEXT by Michael Crichton

very good so far
I’ve been reading too much manga, so I had to find an actual, real novel.

Just found Colin goes to Zobeland online. Downloaded it and enjoyed it, but there’s only 3 chapters so far. I want more!
dexter in the dark by jeff lindsay and inside delta force by eric haney
A lot of you are reading some really deep books this holiday season! I actually just picked up The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston. Anyone heard of it?
I am *supposed* to be reading Anna Karenin for my book club, but I honestly can’t get through it. It’s easy enough, it’s just the fact that there are sooo many pages and with such small type, too! I can’t possibly become that interested in the characters or the story since I’ve already seen the movie anyway.

i totally forgot i was gonna read this (and dreadnought) two years ago. about time i got to it.

They’re great books, one of my all time favorites

I meant to pick up Anna Karanina as well but I went with Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy instead. It’s a good thriller so far

I met Dave Eggers. He was high as shit Nice guy though.
I just finished A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess last night. I think it was the best novel I’ve read yet.

I just picked up Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay and Slaughterhouse Five by Vonnegut.
I’m almost done with:

next up is:

I finished Slaughterhouse Five last night. Best book I’ve read to date

I finished this not too long ago and I wasn’t impressed.

It wasn’t horrible but something just didn’t do it for me.

All I heard was good things which is why I picked it up in the first place.
Most recent reads:
The Road- Cormac McCarthy
Promise Me- Harlan Coben
Into the Wild- John Krakauer

I enjoyed into the wild the most, can’t wait to see the movie on DVD. Promise Me was also pretty good.

I Just started reading I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell by Tucker Max and it is hilarious!
Christopher Moore – A Dirty Job

pretty witty so far

I thought it was decent. I want to read "Lamb" by him.

You should try Carl Hiaasen if you like Christopher Moore.
Does anyone know of any good forums for discussing books in detail?

All I have really found are threads like this or similar where people only give a slight description of the book and since I read more than any of my friends I need something else.

The main reason I am interested is I have been finishing a lot of what people are considering ‘amazing’ or ‘the best book I have ever read’ and I am curious if I am missing something.

Is there something on here similar that I missed?

Would any of you guys be interested in a thread?
this thread is great.

currently reading the wind up bird chronicle by murakami.

Just my opinion, but the best place to do what you’re describing would be this thread here. Lots of people post in here and probably have it in their thread subscriptions, so there’s more chance of sparking off some literature discussions.
I just finised up "The Sanctuary" by Raymond Khoury. Not too bad, check the reviews online. I just wish the ending hadn’t wound up so quickly.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman

just got done reading the Bleachers by Micheal Criton and the week before that I read Inside the delta force (4th time) the week before that.

I am in need of some good books I am going threw a book a week, recommend me some good books.

After I read a couple more Christopher Moore books "American Gods" is next on my list.

I’ve also looked at "Inside Delta Force" a number of times at the local library…is it as interesting as it sounds?
Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz

amazing
Finished Kurt Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions yesterday. Ending was a bit anti-climatic, considering how much build-up there was, but overall a good book. Some very original ideas throughout.

Started Khaled Husseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns this morning. Hope it’s as good as his previous book.

Seconded.

Feels like a long read.

yup

I was dragging through the first half with splashes of greatness but now it really picked up and I’m about finished.

I rarely just give up on a book because it usually ends up getting better and this is a perfect example.
Was reading Gimp by Mark Zupan, finished it.

Just finished Slash (GnR Guitarist) a couple weeks ago.
im reading Firstborn, the third part to the Time Odyssey series by Stephen Baxter and Arthur C Clark. its good so far but i cant remember who everyone is and whats going on since the second one came out like 2 years ago.
I started I am Legend today.

I will be finished by tomorrow, if not today.
I move quicker than this thread. Ha ha.

I just read The Great Gatsby for the first time and was kind of disappointed.

I will probably be reading The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy next. Should keep me busy for a while.

Once the weather gets better around here I am going to slow down immensely on the reading.
just finished Post Office by Bukowski

Still trying to get through Why I am a Christian, that book reads like a philosophy paper
can somebody recommend something that can provide some thought-provoking insight? It can be fiction or non-fiction, classic or modern…preferably something with some humor and wit

Some books I recently completed and thought were interesting and/or touching…

Glass House – Jeannette Walls
God Delusion – Dawkins
The Game – Strauss
Franny and Zooey – Salinger
I don’t really have a recommendation but, I read The Game(quite a long time ago) and I genuinely enjoyed it.

I didn’t take the pickup stuff literal but instead read it for entertainment of which it delivered.

The actual message it ended with seemed fairly true.

I felt the same way when I finished it.
I am thinking of reading Catcher in the Rye because I can’t remember if I have read it or not.

I am currently reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
It’s very good so far, maybe a little too analytical for my tastes.
i just finished Touch the Dark y Karen Chance and now im reading On Basilisk Station by David Webber
I am currently reading Busting Vegas.

Pick it up if you haven’t already.

I read Bringing Down the House quite a while back and I will probably pick up Ugly Americans considering how much I like these two.

I’m reading Dexter in the Dark too…
I just finished The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, stunning read; it was beautiful.

Currently Reading:

• Jack Kerouac – The Dharma Bums
• Milan Kundera – The Book of Laughter and Forgetting
• David Sedaris – Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
• David Sedaris – Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules
• Robert Penn Warren – All the King’s Men

I own On the Road by Jack Kerouac but I haven’t read it yet.

I have had All the King’s Men for a couple years but I have never read it.

Just last week I opened it up for the first time, read 15 pages and quit.

I’ll eventually give it another try.
yeah, AtKM was a rough go for the first 20 pages. then it got interesting – I love Warren’s writing style
Just finished Eric Clapton’s autobiography, starting Rum Diary by Hunter S Thompson – really good so far

I really enjoyed it throughout.

The odd thing is I have never read Fear and Loathing.

I’ve seen the movie but never read the book that practically anyone who reads at all has read numerous times.

It’s on the list.

I haven’t read it either, I went to pick it up and they didn’t have it so I just got The Rum Diary instead

To tell you the truth I wanted to read F&L more after I read The Rum Diary than after I watched F&L.

And I liked the movie.
Working through 3 books right now.

What am I reading?

Nothing.

It seems like I’m not the only one.

I’m tempted on buying this.
I just finished reading Choke by Chuck Palahniuk and I cannot figure out why people think that books was so great. It had little direction, no real conflict, and the book was basically about nothing.
when the outlaw demon wails by Kim Harrison. I love her books
I’m starting this one tomorrow:

The late Hunter S Thompson was my favorite author… I can’t wait to read what his close friend, Ralph Steadman, has to tell. I hear it’s not altogether faltering.

Very strange….she’s got a Kafka-meets-Rod Serling thing goin’ on…
This and her other book "Stranger Things Happen" are highly
recommended if you like your reading weird…
read these while I took a break from the internets:

The Brooklyn Follies – paul auster
Life of Pi – yann martel
Mother Night – vonnegut
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time – mark haddon

Almost done this, surprisingly readable
I just picked these hard covers up for free – students "donated" them after being offered a dollar for the buybacks.

They’re pretty highly rated, I hope they’re good!
I wanna read this one I heard an interview with the author on the radio and it sounds freakin great!!! btw: 5/5 stars on amazon from 13 reviewers

and it answers questions like this:
• Could an average guy start in the WNBA?
• Would sumo wrestlers make great NFL linemen?
• How easy is it for pro athletes to get laid?
• How good are pro golfers at miniature golf?
• Do pro athletes really play drunk or high?
• How would a fan hit against a major league pitcher?
also, could a guy in a fat suit block shots from pro hockey players and could someone outrun michael johnson on one of those airport horizontal people movers?

Is it as good as the title/cover/assumptions people have about the organization???

Its ok. It goes into a lot of detail about an English revolt. Some things do make sense, some do not, and some the author admits is a long shot. If you are into history and Templar’s/Masons then I say pick it up.
I just finished this:

GREAT book.

this is on my list to get – which I typed up last night, after going to the library and blanking on things that I was hoping to pick up

I just finished

fiction – I think it would make a good movie – about a guy who changes his identity often, a quick read. (edit – I just peeked over at IMDB, this IS being made into a movie!)

I got this:

because it takes place locally, and read the first 50 pages quickly. About a teenage girl who disappears (was abducted and molested?) then returns. The characters seem unlikeable. Right now that is making for a good read, I’m not sure if it will remain so.
Just finished

It was good. Long winded at some points but good.

I can’t wait to see the movie, I think it will be released in November
Just finished "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch

FANTASTIC, I am currently acquiring his other books….just got Blood Meridian…supposedly theres something tricky about the ending

movie?

Viggo Mortensen will be the father, Kodi Smit-McPhee ( ) will be the son, and Charlize Theron in the small role of wife/mother. Robert Duvall is rumored to be the old man they find in the street, so this movie has some star power in it (much like No Country for Old Men did).

Yeah, I have a thing for Viggo

Just finished I Am Legend by Richard Matheson and before that was The Dead Zone by Stephen King.

Is this any good so far? I’m about to start Founding Brothers
Finished The Road. It was different.

Now I am reading

Just finished Tony Dungy’s "Quiet Strength"

Yea, I’m almost done with it and I’ve really enjoyed it. I consider myself something of an aficionado on the founding generation (Ive read a LOT of primary sources (their actual letters, etc) in addition to lots of biographies about them and the times) but it actually gave me a pretty new insight into the whole issue of the Indian Removal Policy.

and Founding Brothers was excellent.
Just finished I capture the castle by dodie smith and now I’m reading the da vinci code by dan brown
Read two books in the past 3 days:

One of the best novels I’ve ever read–an impressive debut for Steven Hall.

Absolutely amazing as well, also Craig Clevenger’s first novel. Styled very much like Chuck Palahniuk.

Starting this tomorrow:

Catch – 22 by Joseph Heller

Planning on reading Night by Ellie Wiesel today since it is only about 110 pages long.

i am currently reading catcher in the rye! i don’t like it as much as i remembered liking it in highschool…

either way this summer i wanted to read books that were popular to teach in highschool, anyone have some that i’m missing?

Lord of the Flies
Animal Farm
Montana 1948
Ordinary People
Catcher in the Rye
The Scarlet Letter
The Great Gatsby
The Hot Zone
Grapes of Wrath
Fahrenheit 451
There are No Children Here

Books that i didn’t read in HS, but are common HS books that i’d like to read and never have..

Of Mice and Men (Completed)
tale of two cities
Les Miserables

How do you like it? I read the first, wasn’t impressed. Didn’t hate it but it could of been cut down some.
Currently reading:

Bought these at a used book store but haven’t started reading them.

Just finished

Now gotta figure out what to pick up next, any suggestions?

What you into?

I read a fantasy called ‘The Name of the Wind’ by Patrick Rothfuss recently and really enjoyed it. It’s a 3-parter with 2 more on the way. Only criticism is that it’s long as fuck, drags in some areas and at times, the protagonist is untouchable. But it’s still a good read, and it’s in paperback now. Check it out on Amazon.

Usually into similar books like the one I just read.. I also enjoyed "Gates of Fire" by Steven Pressfield. Like a little mystery and etc..

But I’m picking up "The Name of the Wind" in like 5 minutes. Thanks =]

In high school we read for our summer projects:

Night – Elie Wiesel (sp?)
Black Boy – Richard Wright
A Farewell to Arms – Ernest Hemingway
Russian Course: a complete course for beginners!! by nicholas j. brown
just finished reading this. thought it was a pretty amazing book about Post 9/11 NYC and the American Dream…and it’s centered around cricket eve. book is definitely getting a lot of hype now.

Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury and Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut.

I reading both of those right now.

I finished both of the above and also read Book 1 of the Chronicles of Narnia and started on Book 2, Prince Caspian.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
about to start reading the new james bond novel

and then the second in the twilight series

This is an excellent book. I strongly recommend if you have never read it.

I am starting The Road by Cormac McCarthy today.

Amazing book. Don’t forget to pick up his next novel too. "A Spot Of Bother"

I added it to my Bookmooch wishlist the day I finished the book.
Finishing up That Dark and Bloody River tonight most likely

Then next up I have either The Wilderness War or The Frontiersman

All books abotu settling the Ohio River Valley
Finished "The Forever War" a few days ago, just started on

I just finished the Road by Cormac McCarthy.

I am starting Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut today.

Both good books
Favorite book of all time = Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

Right now I’m into:

Eats, Shoots, and Leaves by Lynne Truss
The Lone Ranger and Tanto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

Same here…kinda, actually just finishing Eclipse.
i just finished Rant, by chuch (i know you guys hate him etc)

i just started the great gatsby, not really into it thus far, want to read either Island by Huxley or World War Z
Yardsale always sack rides this guy, figured I’d give this book a try.

Not very far into it but it is already interesting. A page turner to say the least.

Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley by Christopher John Farley
Reading this again:

Also reading this for the first time:

just finished this. i love this series and have been reading it for years.

now im going to start

Reading some hippie garbage

I like it so far, saw the movie, liked it, so I figure the book would be good, it is.

That was such a bitch to get through.

meh you think? I kinda enjoy it.
the handbook was really slow. but the rest of it was epic.

I enjoyed it over all but thought parts of it dragged on. But it was so long ago that I read that, I guess it doesn’t matter now.
its really different from the last ones though

Really? I love that book. I have read it a handful of times.
I am reading Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson. It is written strictly with stories and quotes from people in his life. Very interesting.

Did you read it for school? Books are completely different if you’re reading them for leisure instead of work. I’ve reread books and loved them, while at school I wanted to shoot myself.

I guess you just don’t think of it as assigned chapters when you read it for leisure.

I read the book on my own for fun. Maybe I’ll go back and read it again and see if my opinion changes.
Just started getting back into reading. Its been a loooong time. Just finished this & now looking for something new to start.

Great book btw.

Related posts:

1. Wine Recomendations ......

I have a wheat that I am going to be bottling in the next couple of days. I was actually just thinking about what to buy next.
I have a vanilla porter in primary right now(boiled on thursday) and I have an amber that’s bottle conditioning.

I’m gonna get a kolsch going in about a week for a lawnmower beer, followed by a citrusweizen, and another go-round of american red.

Nice!
I have a honey porter that I finished and bottled 3 weeks ago, but now it looks like I didn’t wait long enough since the caps are starting to bulge I just hope they don’t start exploding so I put them in the fridge.

How long did you let it ferment?

I would definately start using a Hydrometer if you arent already.
I just finished another lawnmower batch (in keg) and transferred a pale to secondary. w00t.
Just got back from the homebrew store. Making a slightly modified American Red and a Wheat-blonde with a kolsch yeast that should be interesting at the very least.
I’ve still got about 20 gallons of mead aging in their carboy. I might have to bottle some so I can make some wine or more mead.
I just bottled a Wheat and am getting ready to start a Austrialian Pale Ale.

Wow that is a lot of mead.

I am going to start working on a blood orange hefe based on a recipe from Dog Fish Head. It sounds tasty.

Make sure whatever you are fermenting in stays nice and cold. Lagers need colder temps.

Well its not all straight mead. I just cannot remember all the different names it gets when you add things to it. I do them in 5 gallon batches. I have a great vanilla bean/cinnamon going, a blueberry, a strawberry, and then a dry and sweet straight up batch. I’ve also been aging them for a few years. As soon as I get some more carboys though I’ve got a few more pounds of honey to make some more.
What is involved in making a steam style of beer, i remember reading some where that it used loger yeast and let it firment at ale temps. if some one knows please let me know.

I think I have a book or two with some info but here is a recipe kit that is suppose to be a clone of Anchor’s Steam Beer.

Transferred my vanilla porter to secondary (finally) and put 2.5 bourbon soaked vanilla beans in after it. Should be tasty in about 2 weeks.

I’m doing the boil on my strange Wheat-blonde w/ kolsch yeast tonight.

Nice.

I am waiting on my latest Amber Ale to finish up. Should be a good one.
I’m trying to drink some of the beer that currently fills every inch of my 9cu-ft chest freezer so I can homebrew again. Gonna keg this time around. Thinking about making a lager too.

Yeah, ive been through HBT’s recipe database.
I’m working on an American Red recipe right now, but my next brew will likely be an APA. I’m pumped.
I just got a Scottish 60 Ale in the mail from Northern Brewer yesterday. I will be starting that this weekend after I bottle my Austrialian Pale Ale.
Brewing the hefe tomorrow. I couldn’t find any blood oranges local so im just using normal ones.
I just bottled my Australian Pale Ale last night, it smells good and I am looking forward to trying it.
Kolsch just finished brewing (literally) and im about to do a lawnmower again.

It’s hot as hell. I hate brewing when its hot.
I ordered a propane burner for outside a few days ago. $30 from amazon, so I’m waiting for that to come before I start my APA. My mom’s neighbor apparently has a full sized keg (15.5 gallons) that he wants to give me, so I’m going to have a free keggle once I cut the top off, so I can do full boils.

Oh, and I’m making a kegerator in the next 2 weeks. 2 Corny kegs, so I can stop storing so many bottles.

Oh, and I boiled my Wheat Blonde 2 weeks ago yesterday, and the krausen STILL hasn’t fallen yet. It’s intense. I’m thinking of leaving it in primary til I have time to do the boil on the apa.

Making the jump to kegging will be the greatest thing you’ve ever done.

Are you doing a 4912 kegerator or a keezer?

And stop whoring the free lifetime membership thread with your pictures.
I want that.
lol, I ran out of photos, I’ll take lots more this weekend for that thread.

I’m doing the 4912. It’s going to be a dual faucet. On wednesday I almost ordered it from fry’s online, but after discussing it with my bf, we decided to wait til friday(today) to order it, because we’ll be driving by on our way to and from a shooting competition. I looked at it yesterday morning and it had jumped $50 in price overnight! Turns out that Sanyo discontinued the 4912, so it can’t be gotten at bestbuy. Luckily Costco offers free shipping and a slightly higher price.

I’m getting a dual tap tower + CO2 +a perlick faucets + all the other stuff from kegconnection, and Brewtopia’s selling me a few of the kegs he picked up for his brewery, so once he gets those over from the peninsula, I should be ready to roll! I just have to get the stuff from kegconnection ordered.

I have a propane burner showing up on tuesday (for full boils) and the Sanyo showing up wednesday. I’m sure my apartment manager lady is going to think we’re crazy. This week we had 500 10mm bullets shipped to us also.

I’m SO pumped to start kegging. After my "wtf is this" bottling mishap I’m certainly ready to be done with all that hoopla and storing it.

Its so much easier. The only bitch is not having bottles around when you need them. ie a homebrew competition or if you want to give a friend a few beers. The beer gun is good, but still.

I did the 4912 and it was easy as hell. I got mine from Best Buy the week before they were discontinued.
Yeah, I think I might get some carb drops (whichever ones don’t have malt extract in them) and keep them on hand in case I ever have more than a flat 5 gallons of beer to go in the kegs. That’ll make bottling a few easy, and then there’s the simple counterpressure filler. After spending over an hour bottling a batch of porter that I’ve been putting off til last night, I’m MORE than ready to start kegging. It’s like racking to the bottling bucket, then sealing it and being done.
Where could I find a list of things I would need to get started on something like this?

Homebrewing or Kegging?

I ended up overpaying for my kit, but it had literally everything I needed and I haven’t bought more supplies(except ingredients) until recently (5+ batches) when I decided to move up to kegging and full boils. If you like to "watch" things and stay informed on the progress of your stuff, you’d be better off getting a carboy as a primary fermentation vessel, because you can watch the convection currents, the trub building, and the krausen doing it’s thing, instead of just watching a bucket bubbling. There are 2 choices to go with as far as "carboy" style fermentation/clearing vessels. Many people use "better bottles" which are food-grade plastic jugs, similar to water cooler bottles. These are lighter and don’t break if you drop them. They also can develop scratches inside if you use a carboy brush to scrub off dried on protein and dead yeast, which makes keeping them effectively sanitized very difficult, they also show "wear" by scratching and whatnot on the outside. They’re also fairly oxygen permeable, so aren’t suitable for long-term bulk aging such as a mead or barleywine would need.

Glass carboys are heavier, cost more to ship, are breakable (ever spill 5 gallons of water all over the floor? Imagine 5 gallons of very sticky water!), but they also "last" better, you can scrub them all you want and not worry about scratching them, IMO, they look better, and if you’re careful with them at all, they’re really very easy to handle.

Here’s what mine came with, and I use all of the stuff, so look into getting everything
Detailed Description
The Deluxe Homebrewing Starter Kit Includes:

6 Gallon Glass Carboy Fermenter complete with Stopper, Airlock, Carrying Handle, and Stick-on Thermometer.
5 Gallon Glass Carboy Fermenter complete with Stopper, Airlock, Carrying Handle, and Stick-on Thermometer.
Siphoning System featuring the "Auto-Siphon"
Funnel
Bottling System with Bottle Filling Wand
2 Cases of 22oz Beer Bottles
Bottle Capper and Bottle Caps
20 Quart Stainless Steel Brewing Pot
Boil Proof Brewing Spoon
Floating Glass Thermometer
Hydrometer and Testing Jar
Carboy and Bottle Cleaning Brushes
Cleaning Kit containing PBW Cleaner and Star San Sanitizer
"How To Brew" Text
Your Choice of any Coopers Pre-Hopped Beer Kits to get started!
where did you get that kit?

Also, how would you rate your homebrews compared to standard bottled beer, and/or microbrew bars?

Do you think your beer tastes better than most nationally distributed beers, or is this mostly for the fun and pride of brewing your own?

I’ve never had any homebrew stuff so I am curious as to how it compares.

I really love beer, and I am constantly trying to find new stuff to try out and learn about. I’ve been thinking of doing this for some time now, but didn’t really know where to start.
I picked it up locally, but the shop I got it from has a site. Like I said, I overpaid, and the price listed on their site is more than I ended up paying in store.

My homebrew is at least as good as commercial craft beers. The main reason that I do it is for the fun and pride, but I also like to cook, and this sort of goes along with that. There’s a ton of interesting science involved in it that I totally dig also. I had a batch not turn out very good, but it isn’t the end of the world, it has a strong coriander flavor, so I use it for cooking. Besides, I’m only out about $25 in ingredients, and I learned a lesson – Don’t leave coriander in the fermenter. One advantage of homebrew is the huge amount of recipes out there, and so many different styles. "I wonder what a vanilla porter would taste like…" well, make it! I did. I’ve found that for the cost of a 6-pack at specialty beer stores, you can make 2 cases of whatever style beer you like. I just got a 1 gallon glass jug (super cheap wine) to try an "apfelwein" recipe which is essentially apple juice, corn sugar, and dry white wine yeast. I don’t know of anywhere to get this locally, so this is my only chance to try it.

When it comes down to it, you can pick up a hobby which is relaxing, requires some level of drinking to perfect, and has you drinking craft quality beer regularly, instead of breaking yourself buying bottle after bottle of specialty beer and having no understanding of the components and processes, and nothing tangible to show for it.
Did you hear about carboys? The company that makes them in Mexico went out of business. No more 6.5 gallon glass carboys for a while, if ever.

I might see if I can have a welder I know make me a large steel fermenter. I am guessing the issue with it will be keeping it air tight so I need to do some research.

Why not just get a pony or corny keg to ferment in? Or you could use the ever popular Ale Pail. I have a 6.5 gallon glass carboy, and I’m sure many can be found on craigslist if you keep your eyes open for them.

I hadnt heard that. So, there is only one place that makes those carboys? Sounds like a business opportunity!

Thanks for the heads up, I had been thinking about picking up another 1 or 2.

They’re still making carboys in Italy, but now they have to retool for the 6.5′s

They said that 5 gallons are going up to 50-60 each and 6.5′s are expected to get up to 100.00 until shipments start rolling back in again.

This is the time to either go with a conical or switch to Better Bottles.

Since I brew so much, having (and paying for) 10 conicals just doesn’t make sense.
I’ll wind up buying one and going to better bottles.

I just checked and the two places I would normally buy from have them on back order. That sucks. I guess I will be looking into Better Bottles.

Austin Homebrew, Northern Brewer and Midwest all have them still, at close to the same price.

I didnt check them because I imagine shipping would raise the cost but it may be worth it giving the current situation.

All 3 places have good prices on shipping.
Hefe turned out great. Wonderful nose of banana, clover, and some orange sweetness (from the orange zest).

Taste was strong banana, clove, some wheat, and a light hint of orange.

I just cracked my first beer of an Australian Pale Ale I did and it turned out to by my best beer yet. It is excellent. I may have to do another batch of it.

Nice!

I am going to do this one again for sure. Cheap, easy, but wonderful tasting.
I just got them in the last few days. 3 of them will be full in the next week. Then I’m going to work on stockpiling beers that need some time to age like ambers and maybe a Christmas beer.

Beats the hell outa bottling!

I need to get my kegging equipment. I have 7 kegs and a small fridge now.

Congrats!

What are you paying for them out by you?
I paid $25 for the two double handled ones locally from a guy I know who’s setting up a brewpub, and I got 4 single handled ones from the Chico Company in CA for $96 shipped. All got new seals and a nice long oxyclean soak.

25.00 is actually a pretty decent price.
I catch them on sale from Adventures in Homebrewing for 20.00 once or twice a year.

Watch the oxy soaking..
I soaked one of mine to clean it when I bought it and forgot about it. 3 days later it had pitted it a little bit on the inside. I’ve read others having the same problem on HBT.
Yeah. The oxyclean is basically just hydrogen peroxide. I only leave glass to soak for more than a few hours.

I’m making a blonde on the cheap today. It’s getting apricots later this week, but I may leave some out without them, and I want it to taste super clean, so I’m filtering all the water through my brita, and decided not to use bottled water to top off, so I’m filtering a bunch, then I’m going to boil it, cool it, put it in bottles, then chill it. I forsee this being a LONG process. lol

It is, i’ve done the preboil before.

What I am trying now is using camden tablets. I use a very small amount to purify the water and it seems to work great. They are usually used in wine making but at low doses are great for purifying water.
Oh really? Like how many tablets per 3-4 gallons of water? I just got some to kill all the bugs in the apricots I’m putting in secondary with this blonde.

I’m using Oxyclean.

1 tablet is good for 30 gallons.

but using 1 tablet for 5 gallons is suppose to be okay.

I used half a tablet for 5 gallons and it came out just fine.

Related posts:

1. Wine Recomendations ......

Thanks for starting the thread…I’ll sticky it for a while.
Here’s one of my faves for a $20-ish red for a nicer occasion.

Bonny Doon “Cardinal Zin”- big, spicy, yummy. Very good with beef or lamb.

Another under $20

Chateau Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
About $16 per bottle in VA. Great Cab year after year. Early 90′s are great. Great balance with mellow tannins and nice friut. Will age for 10-15 years but is great when young.

I just had the Chard this weekend:

Chateau Souverain Chardonnay Barrel Fermented Sonoma County

Great value. Priced around $12 a bottle in VA
Definitely leans to the dry-er side of chardonnays, nice subtle acidity with mellow oak
Sweet I’m way too much of a noob to recommending wines.

Wine Noob’s are welcome post what you like. Any info is good for wine drinkers of all levels. The important thing is that trying different wines and finding out what you like is the most fun part of wine drinking. The more you drink, the more you learn.
Sweeeeet

I’ll step in with many a recommendation
No, that’s the problem. I’m too poor to have tasted many wines.
I’m going to have a field day with this thread tomorrow….at work.

no problem. the great thing about wine is that there is something to fit anybody’s budget.

Are you in the wine business or somehing? If so, group buy?
Valley of the moon Sangiovese
About $12 a bottle in VA
Mellow, good flavor. A lighter red from an area not known for Sangiovese grapes – Sonoma County

I’ll post some recommendations when I get home tonight. My wife may start frequenting this forum too, she knows a hell of a lot more than I do. I’ve been trying to get her off the shite MSN wine forum she’s on now but there wasn’t a real alternative for her

this is a great wine!

pretty much any 97 california cab ownz.

i’m also a fan of turning leaf cab, i’ve tried the 97 through 00 and they’ve all been decent *edit* and beringer founder’s estate cab is very good as well */edit*

i’m a varietal man meself, cab sauvignon specifically the woman is more of a white wine fan
I’m just starting to get into wine, so I really don’t have much of a foundation of knowledge on the matter. I’d like to pick up a book or two that would give me a good introduction to wine…any suggestions?
the first book i got was parker’s wine buyer’s guide 6th edition by robert parker jr. the beginning of the book has concise info on basic wine service, storage, purchasing, stemware, as well as the business side of things. the rest of the 1600 page book consists of ratings and tasting notes for many wines in most major wine producing areas.

i took that book with me when i lived in spain for awhile to help guide my purchases there and in paris.

eta:

a hardcover edition is available and i have it.

Pick up a copy of The Wine Avenger, by Willie Gluckstern. I personally haven’t read it yet, but my wife has and she said it was great. (still working on getting her in this forum I think she’ll have to register again)

Robert Parker is usually referred to as ‘The God’ of wine reviewers. His books are very good.
Here’s another one:

Simi Winery ChardonnayVA retail price about $10
Good easy drinking chard. Not over oaked like alot of California chard’s.

Winmaker description:

Composed of top quality fruit from Sonoma’s Russian River and Carneros growing regions, Simi Chardonnay is characterized by its excellent balance, luscious fruit flavors and long, elegant finish. The 2003 vintage produced fully ripe and flavorful fruit with superb concentration and balance thanks to an extended growing season. Aged in French oak, silky smooth in texture and accented by topical fruit, pear, spice and toasty oak, this wine is a true reflection of the Sonoma County appellation.

THE WINE
Appearance: Brilliantly clear, light and golden straw colored.
Aroma: Vibrant tropical fruit with pear, white peach, and vanilla lightly spiced with clove, cinnamon and toasty oak.
Taste and Texture: Lush, creamy texture enhanced by citrus notes and flavors of pear, apricot and tropical fruit. Hints of vanilla and oak that carry through to a long, lingering finish.
Appellation: Sonoma County

WINEMAKING DETAILS
Varietal composition: 100% Chardonnay
Time in Oak: 6 months
Type of Oak: 100% French Oak; 18% new
Total Acidity: 6.6 g/l
pH: 3.59
Alcohol: 13.5%

Our Chardonnay complements scallops with tomato and fennel ragout, warm calamari salad, shrimp ravioli and mustard vinaigrette. Or try it with these featured recipes:
That stuff was $18 at my local store tonight or I would’ve bought a bottle

What I bought tonight:

Bummer. I guess we are spoiled for wine prices here in VA. Is there high taxes on liquor in TX?
I had this last Weekend:

2001 Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel
Approx $13/bottle in VA

This is a BIG wine. Lots of fruit, lots of complexity. Ravenswood’s tagline is “No Wimpy Wines” This is definitely not a winp. Its big, smells great, looks great and is a great value. Beware, this is a BIG wine.
This wine stands up to spicy meals…mainly because it has ballz.
We drank it with a pizza with spicy italian sausage and green peppers.
Wine Maker’s Description:
FLAVOR PROFILE: Bright, flashy, ripe raspberry, blackberry and vanilla flavors are wrapped around a soft sweet fruit core highlighted by scents of cinnamonComposition: 95% Zinfandel, 4% Carignane, 1% mixed blacksAppellation: Sonoma CountyAging: 24 months in French oak, 35% newAlcohol: 14.5%Ageability: Up to 10 years
Next pay check… I’m buying something from this thread.
No, it’s the same as typical sales tax. I’m not sure why vine is more expensive. Hard liquor is cheaper, as is beer.

Finca Flichman Malbec Mendoza 2004 (Argentina) ~$7
We picked up a bottle of this over the weekend at Total Wine and it was excellent. I’m not as good at describing wines as my wife is, so here’s a cut and paste from the net, it matches up with what i remember:

“The Malbec is my favourite with big chunks of chocolate-laden fruit and a touch of spice. There are not many wines which offer quite as much flavour for money as this range does” Christine Austin, Yorkshire Post

Here’s the label:

The one I posted? Shit. I dunno. I guess it would be in the foreign section, we did a tasting at Total Wine and this was one of the featured wines, so they had it right there at the tasting table.
I’m a huge fan of Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio. Its around $20 per bottle, but its so good.
If you’re looking for something different, I stumbled on a Canadian Rose from the Niagara region(Ontario)@12$, it’s tart and pairs well with chicken or fish, especially if garlic is on the menu.

i’m the noob of noobs to wine…what do you mean by “big wine”?

i’m buying something tomorrow…i need something good to go with a steak…
He probably means that it has a very strong flavor, and a lot of noticeable tastes in said flavor.

Try some Penfold’s Koonunga Hill (any red) if you can find it locally. Fantastic with meat, I’ve found.

Exactly what Minty said. It has big bold complex fruit flavors (lots of dark cherry flavor, some current), big meaty tannins. Its also about 14.5% alcohol which is on the high side for wines.
The nice thing is that since the fruit and tannins are strong, it doesn’t just taste like alcohol.
Its great with spicy food and perfect with steak.
I had this tonight:

Smoking Loon Merlot 2003

Not as dry as most merlots I’ve had, but still has a very good flavor. Fruity, but not overbearing.

That’s good stuff, we’ve had it a few times.
For parties and a cheap wine I usually go with

Rex Goliath or Rex and Goliath Pinot Noir
or

Little Penquin Shiraz.

Not something i drink all the time or for my own taste but cheap to pickup for parties
For a decent chard imho I always have liked Kendal Jackson. It is a little on the wet side for my tastes however anyone I have ever given it to complements it for its fruity flavor with a tad bit of ‘woody’ flavor (for lack of a better term.)
just figured I’d throw one out there…

Merryvale’s “Starmont” Cabernet
76% Cab Sauv, 20% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
14.5% by vol

its a bit on the more spendy side for some (depending on location, it varies from about 15-27), but IMO, well worth it
These are all $10 and under

NZ Riesling
Pepperwood Grove Zin 2001
Any Riojas <–they’re all Spanish
Smoking Loon Syrah
Black Opal Shiraz
Coppola Rosso – anything
Marques de Caceras – anything <-my favorite brand. I’m drinking a 03 Rioja as I type this

you can hardly ever go wrong with a spanish wine as they are all so well made
I love Amarone, especially Tomassi bottlings

I first tasted it at a wine dinner hosted by a local Tuscan restaurant (now defunct). It was paired with farm-raised venison served with a heavy fig-based sauce. Good grief, it was fucking incredible.

It is really the only wine I drink, because I love it so, especially with a straight-up ribeye

I’ll have to check out the publications mentioned, try some other wines.

Okanagan Falls, B.C., Canada

“Spicy aromas of lichee fruit, orange blossom and violets, followed by rich, full flavours of passion fruit, lichees and ripe melons. This wine is a wonderful complement to curries and other Asian cuisine, especially where ginger, anise, hot peppers and soya sauce is used. $13.99 (CDN)”

I’m going to look for this one tonight. My wife is a fiend for Thai food and it’s been a few days. Is it really sweet, like a Reisling?

Depends on the winery, but yes, it can get very sweet and fruity. The Columbia winery version is like drinking lychee juice.

We sell this at the restaurant as a glass pour. Not a big mover. But nice.

We always joke that as a rule of thumb with wines like that, the longer the name, the sweeter it is.

We also sell this. It’s definitely one of our favorites as far as inexpensive wine goes.
Had this last week

$86 a bottle

It’s incredibly rich, very long finish… almost viscous on the tongue.

A customer ordered 4 bottles for his table. They always left a taste in the each bottle.

Haven’t been able to find any yet . I have yet to try any of the really well-stocked wine shops yet though.

I did grab a bottle of this tonight — never had it, but I’ve heard good things about it. Cheaper than the Amarone, for sure

Now I have to get something to eat with it

2004 Sauvignon Blanc – Napa Valley – $20
That is good stuff. It’s one of my regular purchases.

That along with Penfold’s Bin 128 Coonawara Shiraz.

I also liked Chateau St. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon ( 2002? )

My favorite under $15 wines :

Yellowtail Shiraz – It’s an Australian wine. It’s not too strong and it is smooth to the taste. Around $12 – $14 for the big bottles.. highly recomended if you like Shiraz.

Beringer White Zin – Not very costly, very tasty if you like White Zin. Around $11 for a big bottle…. They also have a Beringer White Merlot that I recently tried and liked, around the same price.

I like the big bottles!
Charles Shaw, aka 2 Buck Chuck. Sold by the case at Trader Joes for about $30. VERY good, it was actually winning wine tasting comparisons a few years back.

Dr. Frank Dry Riesling (2004) Limited
This dry Riesling, presenting a green gold hue, displays the traditional qualities of Dr. Frank???s Riesling : crisp acidity, a pronounced mineral character and layers of fruit aromas. Descriptors include honeysuckle, apple, pear, quince and a slight hint of petrol. The ripeness of the grapes resulted in a great texture with a lingering fruity aftertaste.

Awards:
2005 DOUBLE GOLD: San Francisco International Wine Competition; GOLD: Tasters Guild Wine Competition, Riverside International Wine Competition; CHAIRMAN’S BEST OF CLASS: Long Beach Grand Cru

Had some over the weekend to celebrate my 1 year anniversary.
Spy Valley make a really good Gewurtztraminer in addition to the Reisling. It will be in the New Zealand/New World wine section
Gewurtztraminers are not typically very sweet. They tend to be on the crisp side. Little acidic, some mineral notes. In a blind tasting you can pick out a Gewurtz because they smell like petrol on the nose. They are a good complement to Thai food. An Alsation Reisling would also go great. They are off-dry and would cut the spice of Thai cuisine.
This is my personal “under $20″ favorite. A nice red:

Bolla Valpolicella

Dry, full and well-balanced, Valpolicella has a spicy flavor of cherries, berries and other dark fruits. This ruby red wine is particularly good with meat dishes such as roast beef, beef stew and lamb. Serve also with steak fajitas, veal and highly seasoned cheeses.

I dont think this will help much, but I got back from my trip to Italy and they said this year, 2005, has been their best harvest year for a couple of years. So when 2005 hit the market, roughly Jan-Mar, it would be wise to stock up.

Italy also has a strange thought about which years are best, they believe every year after leap year is a good year. Which has been true. 1997 great, 2001 good, and 2005 should be great as well.

just a heads up post I guess this is.

I love Valpolicella.

2 of my recent favorites are Virginia wines.

2002 Horton Norton
Norton is a native Virginia grape that produced the internationally prize winning clarets of the Monticello Wine Company of Charlottesville in the late 1800′s.
Our Norton has a dark, rich color and an intensely fruity aroma of plums and tart cherries. Ageing in oak for 14 months has given this wine a long, flavorful, spicy finish. A wine for game, grilled sausages, and spicy ethnic foods.

2002 Keswick Trevillion
This unique blend of Touriga, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Norton was aged in French and American oak barrels for sixteen months. This well-balanced wine has soft, velvety red fruit and sufficient tannins and structure to age further.

Both are under $20, and delicious.

The other I had recently was

Castello di Gabbiano Chianti, DOCG

new to the whole wine thing. what is a good fruity wine to drink? not really looking to drink with much food or anything. just something to relax with and have a glass or two. i had merlot not too long ago. it wans’t too bad. but i was looking for something fruitier and sweeter.

This wine usually never lets me down. This and something by them called Ruby Cabernet which is more fruity.

I’m addicted to wine….and cheesecake. Mmmm…

Chianti reseva, I’ve been drinking a lot of this lately….

Reisling eiswein, its great if you can afford it!
delicious
I almost peed myself seeing that 1970 TF Port, Chef.

I LOVE Sourgal 2003 Moscato DiAsti, Elio Perrone Wines
Yep, I like them floofy.
Muscats are among my FAVS.
…and hey, that TF port is as old as I AM!!! Born the same year! LOL
Although I prefer a 40 year old, a 35 year old port would also be so freakinin awesome!

Since you mentioned Merlot I’m guessing you’re interested in sweeter Reds.

Anything made with Concord grapes are going to be about the sweetest wine (short of dumping suger in the mix) you can find.

Try and find something like a young Chambourcin that hasn’t been oak aged. Maybe a wine made from DeChaunac grapes.

Check your local area and see if there is a winery/vineyard around. Usually you can do a tasting there. Tell the server what you like (semi-sweet etc) and they’ll hook you up.

MUSCATS, like the one (with bubbles, but you can get them without) I recommended earlier are sweet and easy to drink. They fall under the “nectar” category of wines. So look for Muscat, Moscato, Muscato, ( that’s the type of grape)in the name. Most of them are really good, though I have had one or two that I did not like. I don’t like Kokopelli Muscat. I do like their white Zin, and you might want to try white zinfandels too, if you like sweeter wines.
Sandeman Founder’s Reserve Port
It’s not vintage, but it’s alright.
Pairs well with dark chocolate.
if you like viogniers, try yalumbo.

it’s cheap (<$20) and quite delicious.
I’ve been drinking Tomassi’s pinot grigio alot lately. It’s only thirteen bucks a bottle and is dryer than most pinot grigios at the price point. Very good, cheap dinner wine. I’ve noticed it has just recently moved into a 2004 vintage, so the quality may change.

Yeah, I have been thinking about trying out more Austallian wines. New World wines (like Aussie) are made from grapes that are allowed to ripen more than Old World wines.(european)
New World wines are made to have much more flavor to them, to stand on their own, but Old World wines don’t do that because they believe wines should always be paired with food, and should not overpower the food.
This is what I have learned recently, anyway.

It’s true–food is king in Europe. This is also a natural result of the difference in growing seasons. Europe has shorter growing seasons than the New World, and so their grapes tend to yield much dryer and less sweet wines (with exceptions, of course).

Yeah, that’s what I heard too. The growing seasons are shorter, so they kind of CAN’T produce a more “new world style” of wine, in general.
I think I only saw one or two Pinot Noir recommendations….Anyone have more? I haven’t liked the couple that I have tried. One I only bought for the name, which is “Vampire” and it’s from Transylvania, so I thought the novelty of it was cool. It’s a decartion in my kitchen because the wine, to me, is craptacular.
I am still not willing to totally give up on Pinot Noirs yet. I think I just haven’t found a good one. I got an Aussie one today, but the name is escaping me….
If anyone wants to tell me some good Pinot Noir pairings, feel free.

Yeah, the Aussie Pinot Noir was way better. (had it with Havarti)
New World wines FTW.

I don’t know if it was mentioned in this thread, but New Zealand makes some great pinot noir. Check that out as well.

Lovely. Thank you.
I am looking into getting wine, but port and sherry sound like my sort of game. I am looking for something fun to drink and relax too as summer is coming up, I figure it’d be nice to try something new.

What would be great value, budget/entry wines that would be great to drink on their own? I am used to drinking mixed drinks and bottled beers, so I could use some enlightenment.
Port and sherry aren’t really summer drinks. They have a higher alcohol percentage than non-fortified wines.

For the summer try a sauvignon blanc or Alsatian Riesling. Alsatians are drier than German Rieslings and are great aperitifs.

For Sauv Blancs, try Forefathers, St. Supery, Kenwood, or Pepi.

Pierre Sparr makes a great Alsatian Riesling for $10.

Try some Oregon or Washington St. Pinots. Archery Summit is fantastic out of Oregon. MacMurray is a good, affordable pinot out of Sonoma.
Some of the best Cabernets in Australia come out of Coonawarra. For Shiraz, look for McClaren Vale.

I will keep that in mind. Thanks!
I really like Cavit Pinot Grigio. It’s under $20 and has a great taste.
I just got back from a summer in italy and visited Chianti. I brought home a bottle of Castello Di Verazzanno Chianti Classico 2001 Reserve.

I’m a wine noob so i couldn’t tell you anything specific about it except that it was absolutely delicious. i guess it would go well with meat. At the vineyard we tasted it with prosciutto and salami.

Only downside is the price, i paid 47 euro for a 1.5L. I dont know what the price is here in the states.
Went to a Italian Restaurant recently and had a bottle of Rutherford Ranch Cabernet and it was really good. I’m not good with the wine lingo but I like cabernet for its dryness (I call it) or the amount of tannins. It cost $30 for the bottle at the restaurant but you can find them at stores for as low as $12. Contradictory to what I liked this is not as dry but had a nice flavor, thought I would share.

I have been told by a sommelier from Japan, that anything chilean is usually great cause the temp is usually great every year.
it’s very inexpensive and great day to day drinking wine.

I myself love the merlots from chile.

For something much more tanic and robust i usually love Italian Amerone
I just had Folie a Deux winery’s Menage a Trois Red. It’s a blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.

I found it very smooth, slightly tannic (I’m not a big tannin fan), and lightly oaked – just a hint of it.

Since it’s a young wine, we aerated it before drinking.

Figured I’d toss in my limited experience here….forgive my lack of terms for tastes, I’m new at describing wines!

Got a few bottles of Twin Fin 2004 Chardonnay on sale one weekend. Cracked open a bottle and had it over two day’s dinners. Great stuff!
Sweet, fragrant, smells of tropical fruit…..pineapple, melons…..didn’t taste really any oaking. Went excellent with my shrimp alfredo pasta.

Also got some Rosemount 2002 Cabernet/Shiraz. Another good, fairly sweet wine. Fairly full-bodied, strong flavor, went well w/ a spicey dinner. Possible chocolate/plum taste?

A while back I tried a bottle of Turning Leaf’s Pinot Noir. I’ll admit I didn’t know much about Noir’s at the time and was expecting something different. It had a very nice, soft taste, light texture. Nice taste, hard to describe it, but it would be a nice wine to enjoy it’s subtleties on its own. I had to pay attention to my sips to catch its flavors.

I’ve also tried many of Yellow Tail’s wines; particularly their shiraz, cabsav, and cab/shiraz mix. All were very nice, sweet, easy drinking wines. Big taste, fairly thick body. To me, though, these taste like they have a sweetener added or something…they have a distinct different sweetness to them that sticks out in the aftertaste. While I really enjoy their reds, I wouldn’t be proud to bring the name up to any wine aficionados.

I did not like Alice White’s Shiraz at all! Not recommended at all!
Is it true that Merlot is regarded as a “cheap” Cabernet? I know they are different grapes, but I was told you shouldn’t pay alot for Merlot; if your going to spend some money, get a Cabernet instead.

This is completely false. Two of the most expensive wines in the world, Chateau Petrus and Chateau Le Pin, are almost 100% merlot.

There are excellent merlots out there that are far better than a lot of cabs. Duckhorn, Matanzas Creek, Cuvaison, and Swanson are fantastic and are all above $25.

About Chiantis, make sure the Chianti you buy is from the Chianti Classico region. The appellation of Chianti is too large for consistency. The Classico region is how the appellation was originally delineated.
What’s OT think of Seven Deadly Zins?

I’ve been on a zifandel kick lately, and have had a few that I think are really good.

The seven deadly zins might just be my favorite, but I also liked the Rancho Zabaco, and the Ravenswood. I also liked the Francis Coppola Zifandel…

If you’re into zinfandel, try Rombauer. It’s unreal. Ridge is another label that gets a lot of attention, though I personally think they’re overrated for the price. Liar’s Dice is another zin that I could drink any day.
I’ve been buying alot of Prosecco lately. It’s a light sparkling wine that is affordable and delicious. With fruit juice (peach, I think), it can be mixed into a traditional Italian beverage.

Prosecco is good for one thing, bellinis.

mmmm…it was pretty good with a white tomato soup.
I love this thread! I hope y’all don’t mind a newcomer joining in?

While I’m in no way any kind of expert, I have been “experimenting” with wines for a few years now. It started with cooking for a cancer patient. Need to drastically lower salt, tenderize meat and increase flavor without adding other spiciness? Wine! Real wine, too, not that supermarket cooking wine stuff.

A very dear friend was born and raised in a small, rural farming area of northern Italy. I complained to her about trying to like reds but just couldn’t do it. She told me she was sure my problem was that I was an American Sipper. Drink Reds with meals! They make love with the right foods and your palette gets all the benefits. Drinking (sipping) them alone, like we so often do with whites, is like sleeping alone in a double bed. Consider the whites as foreplay, or the cigarette afterwards. The Reds are the heart of the relationship. I took her advice and my taste buds have been purring ever since.

About a year ago, somebody here asked about pinot noirs — my current favorite, extremely affordable, belongs to Rosemont Estate. In fact, I very much like many of their contributions. I really like the blends as they are so very drinkable and all of them, including their reds, can at least take a slight chill.

Right now I’m working on a bottle of Two Oceans Shiraz. It’s a South African (2006) and not bad. Next up will be a Shiraz/Pinotage blend from the Sebeka Wineries (2006), also of South Africa.

Now that summer is approaching, I’m turning more to the younger wines — they are more fruity with less smoke -n- oak and can always take a chill. They are just about always less expensive.

Has anyone here had much experience with the old vine Zins? Are they worth the hunt and expense?

Also, for those just learning about wine, please try the whimsical label from CA — Pink Truck and Red Truck. Chill them well and enjoy. I doubt you’ll pay more than $12. They are both delightful!

Thank you for so many great recommendations and thanks for letting me post!
Arrogant Frog Ribbet Red (France)- Just under 15, great with food or just on it’s own.
3$ a bottle and the only good thing to come fromw wal-mart….

Tres Rios (red) -You’d be suprised what 3 bucks can get you. My dad grew up in spain and he copares it to when he would go to the vinyards and pay a quarter to fill up a bottle – always a random mix of wines

But specifically my two favorite reds are the:

Black Opal (just had 2003) cabernet from southeastern australia

Jacobs Creek Shiraz (only had 2003-4)
I came here to recommend two excellent ports: Graham’s 10 Year Tawny Port ($30) and Dow’s 10 Year Tawny Port ($30). I won’t go on at length about their character… you will just have to trust my recommendation. Both are magnificently complex and smooth.
Has anyone drank Paraduxx? A wine geek convinced me to buy a bottle, but I haven’t opened it yet. What should I expect?

Made by Duckhorn so it should be good. It’s a big wine from what I’ve heard, Cab/Zin blend mostly.
Tried Chateau Roquefort Bordeaux, it was 13 dollars. Great taste, definately will be great once it has aged, like most bordeaux’s.

I’ve had several bottles and that’s exactly what it is.
My favorites are Pouilly Fuisse (dry, medium-full bodied, white and Relax (a riesling approx $10) I haven’t met anyone who didn’t like Relax. It’s light and fruity but not in an artifical “arbor mist” kind of way.
i am SO SICK of redbull and monster energy drinks – does anyone have any better ideas, i just need to stay awake for homework and well, to stay awake haha
comprehensive wine guide?

I saw one at the local liquor store, complied by the owner/staff/whoever. It paired generally every type of wine with suggested food. Anyone have anything like this?
#1.) book- wine bible by Karen MacNeil, great easy read, or the culinary institute of america’s textbook also excellent resource.

#2.) wines- less than 25, basically any rhone style wine from australia. Syrah grenache blends, rutherglen red is a great one, as well as pillar box red, and innocent bystander.
For higher end. Cab/blend-trefethen halo (01 preferably)
shafer hillside select
bryant family
seavey
joseph phelps insignia
rubicon
bordeaux-cht. grand puy lacoste
cht. pavie
merlot-twomey
northstar
shafer
Other reds-shafer relentless
stags leap petite sirah
earthquate petit sirah and zinfandel.
I really like their Syrah and Cab Sauvignon!

If you live in Virginia, you should check out Williamsburg Winery’s Governor’s White. It’s sweet, but REALLY easy to drink. It’s perfect to have around for parties when you are unsure if people like wine or not. Lovely, and cheap too!
You should also visit their winery, it’s beautiful– and just a hop away from Colonial Williamsburg!

hrm?
I just knocked off a bottle of Copolla pinot grigio, 8 bucks from Whole Foods, it was delicious.

I am not an expert, but not a supern00b either. Here are some of my favorites (I’m not that well rounded yet)

Pinot Noirs:
Estancia
Montes
Au Bon Climat (I like the $22 bottle–the $60 bottle (isabelle) is not much better in my opinion)
Talley (yum–about $37 though)
domaine drouhin –very tastey — about $50 though, once I saw it at sam’s for $35 which was an exciting day (should have bought a few bottles cause it was sold out the next day)

Syrah
6th Sense
Mettler

One of my favorites has got to be the robert hall rhone de robles….its a rhone blend from california and should be around $22 in the store. great overall wine and if you don’t like it, you may not be a red wine drinker

A really cheap one I found at whole foods is morro bay cab…its under $10 but very drinkable…it looks to be a bit more expensive online so maybe whole foods gets a good deal on it. either way, its great and i’ve drank nearly a whole bottle and didn’t feel awful the next day

About 9 months ago I knew absolutely nothing about wine and I have learned a lot (yet still barely scratched the surface) by going to wine bars and talking to wine shop owners/employees. They really seem to be willing to help and give you their opinions
o i forgot a merlot i like: markham merlot. I haven’t tried too many merlots and I know they are considered to be crap, but i really enjoyed that one

Merlots are not crap. Most expensive wines in the world are Merlot (Chateau Le Pin and Petrus)

Excellent merlots:
Swanson (personal favorite)
Duckhorn
Matanzas Creek
Cuvaison
I’ve found everything from Wilson out in Sonoma to be good stuff. They’re still pretty small so you won’t see a wide distribution but great stuff.
my two favorites at the moments:

Silver Oak Cab 2003 Alexander Valley ~$60

Black Stallion Muscat Napa Valley ~$30 for a half bottle. Has very strong pineapple flavors to it. A wonderful dessert wine. I made a dessert using a reduction of this with some blackberries and asian pears, topped with a coconut whip cream that was ungodly good.
suprised i havn’t seen the name Fetzer in this thread yet.

definitely my favorite Budget cab (~$8-$10), and i’m sure many of you would not be able to tell the difference between this and a $30 cab.

available at most supermarkets/everywhere
Fetzer is never a good recommendation unless you’re homeless.

I must have bought a bad bottle, casue that shit made me want to puke. I literally poured the bottle down the sink after the first glass.
Wine intimidates me

I buy this Georgian wine often, it tastes pretty good to me

Any suggestions for good not so expensive wine that comes in a fairly small bottle? The g/f doesn’t drink at all so it’s just me I can’t kill a bottle in 3 days.
If you go to a larger wine specialty store they should have a selection of 375ml bottles.
Check out Pomelo.

It’s a light, crisp Sauvignon Blanc that sells for about $10.

It’s not syrupy and it tastes like a ton of grapefruits without tasting like a cheap fruit-flavored wine.

I recommend buy 2 bottles at once just because it could become a guzzler.

Is anyone still in here?
I need a recommendation on a good Pinot Noir. Ill be bringing it to a dinner at a friends house and want something sub $20. Im normally a cab kinda guy so im stuck.
1999 Wynns Coonawarra John Riddoch Cab Sav

Wow. Very big wine. Gutsy as. Had it with a chunky venison pie which is really the only suitable match (apart from maybe steak), Could have done with another few years in the cellar but overall very, very, very drinkable

The problem is it is a very strictly limited release, only released in good years and in limited numbers. But if you ever get the chance to pick up this fine Aussie red give it a go

well if its not too late

try and oregon pinot, like cherry hill or A to Z both right under 20 and not too shabby at all.
can someone recommend a ’58? hopefully something i can buy online — not looking to break the bank though.

i don’t really have any knowledge about wines, but i’m looking to get this as an anniversary present.

does it have to be wine or port…also what state do you live in because shipping laws will be an issue.

if you dont want to break the bank go with a colheita port.

i suppose it doesn’t necessarily need to be either.

i didn’t realize there might be shipping laws. i’m in nj. is there anything i have to worry about?

i’ll look into the colheita port.

Only thing I’ve found:

Nice…sounds really good. I’ll check it out!
2005 columbia crest grand estates merlot or cab. $8.99. Great wine for the price and 2005 was a great year in columbia valley

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