Sounds a lot like Gravity’s Rainbow…….Does anybody else have any advance info on the new Pynchon book for sale on Nov. 21?

Related posts:

1. Help me find a book, OT ......
2. **** Official OT Summer Book Club 2007 Request List **** ......

Here is an incomplete list of books that I can remember having read over the past two years. If you have any questions about any of them or want recommendations based upon your personal taste, let me know.

The Quiet American by Graham Greene
The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Nostromo by Joseph Conrad
Hell’s Angels by Hunter S. Thomspon
The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thomspon
Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail ’72 by Hunter S. Thomspon
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thomspon
The Great Shark Hunt by Hunter S. Thomspon
Theory of the Leisure Class by Thorstein Veblen
A Primate’s Memoirs by Robert M. Sapolsky
Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Island by Aldous Huxley
Naked Lunch by William S. Borroughs
Cien Anos de Soledad by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemmingway
The Dangerous Summer by Ernest Hemmingway
Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemmingway
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemmingway
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Into Thin Air by John Krakauer
Who Shall Live? By Victor Robert Fuchs
The Social Transformation of American Medicine by Paul Starr
Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar
Den of Thieves by James B. Stewart
Liars Poker by Michael Lewis
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky
Money by Martin Amis
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey
Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Riding Freight Trains in America by Duffy Littlejohn
Down and Out in London and Paris by George Orwell
Animal Farm by George Orwell
1984 by George Orwell
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
Jupiter’s Travels by Ted Simon
Riding High by Ted Simon
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
Tibetan Book of the Dead
The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The Analects by Confuscius
War and Peace by Tolstoy
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Dog Soldiers by Robert Stone
Everest to Arabia by Jaime Clark
The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac
Desolation Angels by Jack Kerouac
Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler
Gandhi: An Autobiography by Mohandas Gandhi
The Diamond Sutra and the Sutra of Hui Neng translated by Shambhala
Valuing the Earth edited by Herman E. Daly and Kenneth N. Townsend
Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo by Oscar Zeta Acosta
Nostromo by Joseph Conrad
Pages: 345
Genre: Fiction
Year: 1904
Summary/Review: A fictional account of a South American nation during imperialist times. Costaguana is a republic rich in resources that attracts many foreign opportunists looking to make their fortune. The story centers around Nostromo, an Italian dock worker beloved by all of the towns people, and the Gould Family that controls the San Tome mine in the town of Saluco. Conrad deeply hones in on the variety of relationships and motives that exist in this diverse boom town. Exploitation and violence, but also love color the underlying reality of the almost everybody’s existence here.

The writing of Conrad is very vivid to the point that it borders on verbose at points, but ultimately it builds the fictional setting with a depth that I haven’t seen from another author. The intertwined web of characters, ranging from foreign capitalists to lowly dockworkers to pugnacious dictators, are beautiful caricatures of power hungry expatriates driven by avarice that recognize no sovereign power.

The book has a rich and unique plot that kept me decently engaged and made the book really enjoyable. It is such an interesting account with a lucidity that gives it a historical feel where the names, places, and dates could have been substituted with many of the turbulent South American republics during this era.

I would recommend it to almost anyone unless the plot sounds particularly uninteresting to them. Linguistically it may be challenging and is therefore not for some. For those interested in knocking off important pieces from literary history, I believe this would fall into that category.

Other Similar Books:
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Cien Anos de Soledad by Gabriel Garc?a M?rquez
Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler
You have a good memory. I would have a hard time naming the last 10 books I read! LOL.

But, most of the books you have read I have either read recently or are on my list.

I actually just finished Cat’s Cradle yesterday. The book was strange because I didnt think it was great but I couldnt seem to put it down. Now that I have finished it, I appreciate it much more. It was the first Kurt Vonnegut book I have read and definately plan on reading more. I just purchased Slaughterhouse Five the other day.

That’s how most Vonnegut is, I think. Slaughterhouse Five was my first book by him, and I felt the exact same way you feel about Cat’s Cradle.
Gandhi: An Autobiography by Mohandas Gandhi
Pages: 505
Genre: Non-Fiction – Autobiography
Year: 1957 – Translation
Summary/Review: A personal account of Gandhi’s life beginning from childhood, covering his time in South Africa, and ending by detailing some of his political battles in India upon his return. It is instrumental in giving a background to how Gandhi developed his theory of Satyagraha and many of his other world changing ideals. A large portion of the book is spent on Gandhi’s examination of every aspect of his life, primarily his diet, sexual habits, and search for religious truth. These are all instrumental pieces in the development of Gandhi and his practices.

It can seem frustrating as you read about Gandhi grappling with aspects of his life to a point that most would find superfluous or pedantic. He is one of the most important figures in world history, so I think that it would behoove anyone to have at least some knowledge of his life, but maybe not to this degree.

Therefore I am not sure I would recommend this book to anyone unless they are interested in Gandhi, his political methods, Eastern Religions, or India’s history. There is much wisdom to be had if you are looking for it, but if you have a fixed set of ideals or view from religion or elsewhere, it is probably not a good book for you.

Other Similar Books:
?
What’s your opinion on Gatsby? I have a strange feelings about it. I feel like the ignorance of that time has made a comeback nowadays. Kind of like foreshadowing.

I thought that it was a good book and captured that era beautifully. It was not that great of a seller as far as I am aware until we saw the consequences fully manifested from that time and the preceding decades. These included: WWI, Great Depression, WWII. The most important developments in all of the affected nations were the creation of the welfare state and the ceding of a certain degree of power for the greater good. We seemed to have forgotten many of the lessons from this time and are thus bound to repeat the same mistakes.

There are a multitude of similarities between that era and today. I graduated with a degree in economics, so I am quick to note the wealth disparity, conspicuous consumption, heedless exuberance, high degree of technological change, tremendous demand for natural resources, and rapidly increasing globalization of both capital, commodities and product markets that occurred then and now, so the atavism that you feel is well founded.

These all create much strain on our economic and political systems. It is likely there will be severe consequences as institutions are unable to adjust to the rapidly changing external environment. I have written a paper arguing that we will see similar, but not as severe, consequences as a result. One main difference between then and now is the environmental variable that is a new constraint on our economies and nations. We will just have to see how this plays out.

Here is a good article on The New Gilded Age:

Ha I was going to say that a comparison of that age and the present would be a great paper, but it seems you have beaten me to it. I am unoriginal. Thanks for the insight and article.

Related posts:

1. What Are You Reading??? v.New ......
2. Writing A Book? ......

I looked up some info on it and read this on Wiki:

Porter is a beer with a dark colour. The history and development of stout and porter are intertwined. The name was first used in the 18th century from its popularity with the street and river porters of London. It is generally brewed with dark malts. The name "stout" for a dark beer came about because a strong porter may be called "Extra Porter" or "Double Porter" or "Stout Porter". The term "Stout Porter" would later be shortened to just "Stout". For example, Guinness Extra Stout was originally called "Extra Superior Porter" and was only given the name Extra Stout in 1840.

I must be missing the underlying difference, because they still seem like the same beers to me.

Can someone break the difference down for me, please?
they are similar but I believe stouts have an addition of a small percentage of chocolate malt (and thus darker) and tend to be of higher % abv

That’s the way it was broken down for me.

Pretty much, Stouts have more of a roasted/burnt taste and Porters have more of a chocolate flavor.

Seems the lines blur a lot between the two styles, though.
Stronger taste.. more of the burn/wood taste than the overly light chocolate, toffee, etc type malts

Grab this before you go:

Yeah, they’re two different beer styles and there’s substyles within the two.

One of the main differences is a stout will have roasted barley generally and a porter won’t.
Stouts usually contain more burnt malt although porters can also. You may see some porters served on nitrogen but stouts are much more likely to be nitro poured. I wouldn’t agree that stouts usually have a higher ABV (even Guinness which is 4.2% in the US is 7.2% in most other parts of the world, and tastes much better there too).
I forgot all about this thread.

I tried both of the beers in the 1st post, and don’t think my palette can tell enough difference to make a difference, really.

You’re palette will develop over time and you’ll soon be able to spot the differences between the two.
to bump this thread again but porters do have a more chocolate flavor but stouts lend them selves to adjucts, like oats, honey, chocolate nibs, ect.

How’d it turn out? You need to try a roasted coconut porter sometime.

It’s going into secondary this weekend.

My understanding is that porters are generally maltier, and stouts are drier.

Yep, pretty much.

That roasted coconut porter looks freaken cool.

It would be a NIGHTMARE to rack with an autosiphon! Even things that settle would likely get sucked up into that!

Hop bag over the end of the autosiphon

With that much coconut it would get clogged eventually, no?

Nope, really wasn’t an issue, I let it settle well before racking and tried to keep the siphon off the bottom until the very end. I think the size of it was just right and helped keep it from clogging. I wouldn’t move the carboy and try it immediately after though
So in the Beer Class I took this past quarter I learned that Porters started in England when British Porters (Bell Hops) would go to the pub after work and buy a cheap pitcher of ale then mix in a pint of stout to give the relatively flavorless ale more flavor cheaply without digging too deap into the pay check and as time went on it became it’s own beer style.

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2. Completely beer brewing kit for 600$ ......
3. Anyone still homebrew? ......

i wanna go try his beef wellington and risotto

beef.

and I would so love to go to one of his restraurants.
It’s got to be amazing for how much he tortures all of his chefs.
i suspect it’s aiiiiight… i ate at jamie oliver’s joint in london last summer and it was okay. eating an entree cooked directly by a chef opposed to something mass produced is obviously different.

No related posts.

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.

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