Books - Page 19

Raiderz4Life · 05-12-2012, 12:00 AM

I'm 3/4 of the way done with Abraham Lincoln Vamp Hunter haha

Dr. Gonzo · 05-12-2012, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Jones

Since the current discussion is trending towards dystopian novels, has anyone read 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami? I just started it today and read about a fifth of it already (it's 928 pages long.)

How are you liking it. It seems pretty popular so I will probably check it out. I was recommended Raw Shark Texts so I will probably read that next, after that Breakfast of Champions but I might check out IQ84 at some point soon because it seems pretty popular and sounds cool.

Jvig43 · 05-26-2012, 12:55 AM

Finished Nausea yesterday and say i am a little undecided about what I thought about it. There were parts I really enjoyed and emphasized Sartre's philosophical views well but having read alot of his other works I was a bit disappointed, I felt parts dragged. Regardless I think I am moving on to to either his "being and nothingness" for a second read through, or I may move on to Birth of a tragedy for a reread even though I despised it the first time.

Andddd since people were speaking of infinite jest a few posts back I may need to pick that up as well.

A Perfect Score · 05-26-2012, 01:25 AM

That was always the difference between Muhammad Ali and the rest of us. He came, he saw, and if he didn't entirely conquer - he came as close as anybody we are likely to see in the lifetime of this doomed generation.

Brent · 06-08-2012, 09:46 AM

She was sitting up now. My arm was around her and she was leaning back against me, and we were quite calm. She was looking into my eyes with that way she had of looking that made you wonder whether she really saw out of her own eyes. They would look on and on after every one else's eyes in the world would have stopped looking. She looked as though there were nothing on earth she would not look at like that, and really she was afraid of so many things.

goddamn Hemingway is amazing

1funguy · 06-08-2012, 10:18 AM

Finished Greg Palast's "Vulture's Picnic" recently. In the middle of "Black Tuesday" by Nomi Prins, then Gregg Allman's bio "My Cross to Bear". "The Breath of God" by Jeffrey Small is in the mail to me.

Nalej · 07-03-2012, 12:32 PM

Finished reading "Ready Player One". Loved it.
A lot of 80's video game, tv show and movie references.
It's pretty much the Matrix except people purposely plug into it to escape real world problems.

Recommended.

Probably going to start the Hunger Games Trilogy. Haven't seen the movie so no spoilers.

Nalej · 07-09-2012, 10:20 PM

Just finished The Hunger Games trilogy. Loved it. Amazing. Peeta's the effin' man.

Starting Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter. A couple chapters in and already pretty entertaining.

Was recommended Maze Runner trilogy. I'll most likely hit those up next.

WCH · 07-09-2012, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nalej

Finished reading "Ready Player One". Loved it.
A lot of 80's video game, tv show and movie references.
It's pretty much the Matrix except people purposely plug into it to escape real world problems.

Recommended.

Probably going to start the Hunger Games Trilogy. Haven't seen the movie so no spoilers.

I've always thought that this was more likely, if the scenario were ever going to take place. I'd probably plug into the Matrix if I could live out my "life" as a billionaire who bangs models and never has any troubles.

Bengals78 · 07-10-2012, 12:22 AM

this was a fun read

NotMyJob · 07-10-2012, 12:53 AM

1776 was a very bad year for the US until the very end.

Giantsfan1080 · 07-10-2012, 07:28 AM

I didn't like 1776 all that much I think McCullogh is an overrated historian. I finally just picked up Washington's biography by Chernow and started reading last night.

Nalej · 07-10-2012, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WCH

I've always thought that this was more likely, if the scenario were ever going to take place. I'd probably plug into the Matrix if I could live out my "life" as a billionaire who bangs models and never has any troubles.

It's a very good book. Going to be made into a movie, so I've heard.

Matthew Jones · 07-10-2012, 11:31 AM

Just got done with this one:

I'm going to be starting on Tess of the D'Urbervilles in preparation for my seminar next week. Does anyone have any opinions on the two?

Forenci · 07-10-2012, 01:49 PM

I'm re-reading a lot of all the old classics in preparation for a teaching job after grad school.

I'm hoping to get through Beowulf, Great Expectations and Jane Eyre in the next couple weeks.

I hope I get to teach 10th graders so I can make them read Gatsby. Gatsby is such a baller.

A Perfect Score · 07-10-2012, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forenci

I'm re-reading a lot of all the old classics in preparation for a teaching job after grad school.

I'm hoping to get through Beowulf, Great Expectations and Jane Eyre in the next couple weeks.

I hope I get to teach 10th graders so I can make them read Gatsby. Gatsby is such a baller.

Gatsby is my favorite novel of all time. Gorgeous prose. Fitzgerald was a master, and I feel he's really underappreciated as far as authors go.

I could give you a list of stellar novels to read in preparation!

nobodyinparticular · 07-10-2012, 02:16 PM

I just picked up The Silmarillion again.

First time I tried reading it was in 7th grade.

Me to my 7th grade self:

The writing is so freaking layered. It's crazy.

ncst8fan83 · 07-10-2012, 08:11 PM

Has anyone read any of Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon books? Also, anyone with a good suggestion for spy/espionage type adventure novels? Thinking about picking up The Company by Robert Littell as well and would welcome any thoughts by anyone who has gone through all 900+ pages of that sucker.

Cigaro · 07-10-2012, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nobodyinparticular

I just picked up The Silmarillion again.

First time I tried reading it was in 7th grade.

Me to my 7th grade self:

The writing is so freaking layered. It's crazy.

How does it compare to LOTR? I'm reading through the series now, Tolkien is surprisingly easy to read.

WCH · 07-10-2012, 08:42 PM

I remember having to read The Hobbit when I was in 7th grade. Half the class slept through it and the other half skimmed it (I was in the half that slept through it). The teacher couldn't convince us that this might be something worth reading.

7th Graders are too stupid to know good things.

1funguy · 07-11-2012, 05:00 AM

Breath of God by Jeffrey Small was pretty interesting. Fiction but offered up some intriguing ideas.

A Perfect Score · 07-11-2012, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WCH

I remember having to read The Hobbit when I was in 7th grade. Half the class slept through it and the other half skimmed it (I was in the half that slept through it). The teacher couldn't convince us that this might be something worth reading.

7th Graders are too stupid to know good things.

The Hobbit is far superior to the LOTR trilogy.

nobodyinparticular · 07-11-2012, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A Perfect Score

The Hobbit is far superior to the LOTR trilogy.

Although they are both from the same story line, you can tell that Tolkien didn't originally intend (or "realize" as he puts it) The Hobbit and LOTR were in the same universe. They have a very different flavor to them.

I like them both for what they are though. I like LOTR a little bit more though because he more carefully crafts the surrounding world IMO.

A Perfect Score · 07-11-2012, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nobodyinparticular

Although they are both from the same story line, you can tell that Tolkien didn't originally intend (or "realize" as he puts it) The Hobbit and LOTR were in the same universe. They have a very different flavor to them.

I like them both for what they are though. I like LOTR a little bit more though because he more carefully crafts the surrounding world IMO.

That's what bothers me about Tolkien. As much credit as he deserves for being one of (If not the biggest) contributor to the world of contemporary fantasy, he's ******* boring to read. I don't need two pages telling me what the bug on the leaf looked like.

nobodyinparticular · 07-11-2012, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cigaro

How does it compare to LOTR? I'm reading through the series now, Tolkien is surprisingly easy to read.

It's not an entirely completed work. It's not nearly as polished as LOTR or The Hobbit because it was published posthumously based off of Tolkien's notes.

This is a very different flavor of writing both in syntax and in type of story as well--which is purposeful for Tolkien. It reads more like mythology. The first part is like Cosmogony--dealing with the "gods" creating the world in a very fantastic way. After that it reads like various mythological stories of heroes on quests against fantastic evil.

It takes a different reading level than Tolkien's other writings, and I find myself reading it more slowly alright now just trying to digest everything.

If you've ever wondered about the stories that set the backdrop to LOTR--about when Moria was a working, thriving mine and kingdom, about Sauron's power and great battles before Middle-earth calmed down, definitely read this book.