Whatcha readin now? (book, books, reading, read) (4 Viewers)

[shuke]

Dog Logic by Tom Strelich. A pet cemetery owner finds a civilization living under his property in a bunker, where they've been since the Kennedy administration under the belief there was a nuclear war.

It's pretty heavy satire on how the current world and government would react. While funny and endearing, it just seemed to be over the top by the end of the book.

 

[TheFatKid]

Let's see what I've read recently........

Holly by Stephen King. I liked it but, if you don't like that character, I can see where it could get grating. Luckily, King shifts POVs to break it up some.

The Wager by David Grann. True-life tale of a British expedition and shipwreck in the early 1700s in South America during their war with Spain. Grann uses journal accounts to build his story. Excellent.

Killers Of The Osage Moon, also by Grann. The recent Scorsese film is based on this book. Kind of the same format as The Wager and also excellent.

I'm now on Wayward by Chuck Wendig. It's a sequel to his Wanderers from a few years ago. It's taken me a while to remember who some of the characters are, but I think I'm up to speed now. If you liked the first book, you should like this one.

About 80% through Wayward. Chuck and this story are out of control but I’m loving some Gumball the Golden right now.

 

[Sand]

Dog Logic by Tom Strelich. A pet cemetery owner finds a civilization living under his property in a bunker, where they've been since the Kennedy administration under the belief there was a nuclear war.

It's pretty heavy satire on how the current world and government would react. While funny and endearing, it just seemed to be over the top by the end of the book.

All I can think when I see this is which Fallout Vault did they end up being?

 

[kupcho1]

OK, break's over*. I'm diving back into Pulitzers: 1933's The Store by T.S. Stribling. I don't usually comment on these books until after I read them, but this one's 1st page was so intriguing I wanted to get a thought down. Here's the passage:

The heavy wife in the doorway hesitated at the Colonel's implication. She had wanted to go. She felt the gregarious impulse of fleshy persons to foregather with crowds, to laugh and fraternize with the audience, to propel her large body among her lighter fellows with the voluptuous and genial ruthlessness of a fat person.

Am I getting my hopes up too high thinking this could be a Confederancy of Dunces precursor? Fingers crossed.


* I wanted to read the 3 Body trilogy but it's a popular pull at the library, so that'll have to wait. Instead I read a massive 2 volume of all of Sir ACD's Sherlock Holmes.

 

[KarmaPolice]

We will see how long it lasts, but I started what I said I was thinking about - a more populist version of what kupcho is doing. I am curious about award winning books, but I know my limitations and thought doing Sci-fi and Horror award winners would have more chance of success and enjoyment. I wrote down the first few books that won both the Hugo and Nebula. I also wrote down the first few that won a Stoker or Shirley Jackson award. That second one is newer, seemed more interesting, and would feature more I haven't heard of. Anyway, fittingly that landed me on starting with...

Dune (1965).

I'm about 300pgs in. I will be honest here ,I groaned when I saw the title of the first book on the list. It's been one I've dragged my feet on reading because I had the impression it would be too long, a bit boring, and filled with terms and language that I won't get. Well, none of that applies yet and I have been loving it so far. It's more like Game of Thrones, but I find myself really liking the world building and different factions at play. The DNA of many things I've loved like Thrones and Star Wars are all right here, so it would make sense that would like this as well. The writing style isn't my favorite, mostly the switching POVs and thoughts within chapters - in that sense I guess I'd prefer a GRRM approach and 1POV/Chapter, but it's a small gripe and I've been finding myself wanting to carve out more time to read - which is what this is all about.

 

[shuke]

I wrote down the first few books that won both the Hugo and Nebula. I also wrote down the first few that won a Stoker or Shirley Jackson award.

Do you have this in a list that is shareable?

 

[KarmaPolice]

I wrote down the first few books that won both the Hugo and Nebula. I also wrote down the first few that won a Stoker or Shirley Jackson award.

Do you have this in a list that is shareable?

@shuke = HERE is the link I was using. I like Mental Floss stuff, so it caught my eye when I was searching.

 

[rockaction]

Am I getting my hopes up too high thinking this could be a Confederancy of Dunces precursor? Fingers crossed.

Yeah, I think it's an examination of racial issues in the South in a small town. I'm not sure that it's highly comedic.

 

[Ilov80s]

OK, break's over*. I'm diving back into Pulitzers: 1933's The Store by T.S. Stribling. I don't usually comment on these books until after I read them, but this one's 1st page was so intriguing I wanted to get a thought down. Here's the passage:

The heavy wife in the doorway hesitated at the Colonel's implication. She had wanted to go. She felt the gregarious impulse of fleshy persons to foregather with crowds, to laugh and fraternize with the audience, to propel her large body among her lighter fellows with the voluptuous and genial ruthlessness of a fat person.

Am I getting my hopes up too high thinking this could be a Confederancy of Dunces precursor? Fingers crossed.


* I wanted to read the 3 Body trilogy but it's a popular pull at the library, so that'll have to wait. Instead I read a massive 2 volume of all of Sir ACD's Sherlock Holmes.

Hmmm...curious to hear how it reads once you get further in but it sounds like it's going to be a tough read.

 

[Ilov80s]

Perfidia by James Elroy right now and rereading Night. I am trying to get back into reading again. Really been struggling with it the last few years. Perfidia is excellent, love Elroy's stuff. He does LA crime as good as anyone but Chandler. I read Night in high school and it had a deep impact on me. It's not quite as shaking 25 years later now that I've seen so much Holocaust stuff, but I am doing it because the kid is reading it for school and hoping she gets something out of it like I did. So far, so good. She hasn't read any books for school basically ever. This weekend she actually read a chapter ahead of where she needed to be.

After this I am torn between re-reading some of my all time favorites like The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, All the Light We Can Not See, The Master and Margarita or checking out some books from my too long want to read list like On the Road, The Recognitions and Mann's Doctor Faustus?

 

[rockaction]

On the Road

I was so amped to read this book and it did nothing for me. I've tried it several times and had the same reaction to it every time. Perhaps I need to try it at fifty years old just to be sure, but I don't think it's in the cards.

 

[Don Quixote]

On the Road

I was so amped to read this book and it did nothing for me. I've tried it several times and had the same reaction to it every time. Perhaps I need to try it at fifty years old just to be sure, but I don't think it's in the cards.

That was a rare DNF for me. Found it kind of boring and not that well-written.

 

[Ilov80s]

On the Road

I was so amped to read this book and it did nothing for me. I've tried it several times and had the same reaction to it every time. Perhaps I need to try it at fifty years old just to be sure, but I don't think it's in the cards.

Yeah, not sure if I am too old now? Oddly enough, I actually did read Big Sur and The Dharma Bums (which is not at all the usual order one would take with Kerouac) and liked but did not love either.

 

[rockaction]

That was a rare DNF for me. Found it kind of boring and not that well-written.

That's how I remember my experience. The first time I attempted it I was in thrall to the New Journalism movement and figured this might be something akin to the wonderful stuff I was reading by Thompson and Wolfe.

It wasn't like that at all.

 

[rockaction]

Yeah, not sure if I am too old now? Oddly enough, I actually did read Big Sur and The Dharma Bums (which is not at all the usual order one would take with Kerouac) and liked but did not love either.

I don't know, but if you liked his other books I would encourage you to give it a shot and report back. Maybe Don and I are missing something here. I just remember thinking it would be exciting and it was anything but.

 

[Ilov80s]

The smart phone/internet enabled ADHD is so real for me. I hate it. I read From Here to Eternity maybe 15 years ago and loved it. Incredible novel. I just look at it now and think how the hell did I ever read an 800 page book in a couple weeks?

 

[dino259]

Perfidia by James Elroy right now and rereading Night. I am trying to get back into reading again. Really been struggling with it the last few years. Perfidia is excellent, love Elroy's stuff. He does LA crime as good as anyone but Chandler. I read Night in high school and it had a deep impact on me. It's not quite as shaking 25 years later now that I've seen so much Holocaust stuff, but I am doing it because the kid is reading it for school and hoping she gets something out of it like I did. So far, so good. She hasn't read any books for school basically ever. This weekend she actually read a chapter ahead of where she needed to be.

After this I am torn between re-reading some of my all time favorites like The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, All the Light We Can Not See, The Master and Margarita or checking out some books from my too long want to read list like On the Road, The Recognitions and Mann's Doctor Faustus?

My kid is reading Night as well. Thought about giving it a read.

 

[rockaction]

The smart phone/internet enabled ADHD is so real for me. I hate it. I read From Here to Eternity maybe 15 years ago and loved it. Incredible novel. I just look at it now and think how the hell did I ever read an 800 page book in a couple weeks?

I can sympathize. I read you guys and your sorry-assed posts all day and don't have time for a good book. Heh.

 

[Ilov80s]

Yeah, not sure if I am too old now? Oddly enough, I actually did read Big Sur and The Dharma Bums (which is not at all the usual order one would take with Kerouac) and liked but did not love either.

I don't know, but if you liked his other books I would encourage you to give it a shot and report back. Maybe Don and I are missing something here. I just remember thinking it would be exciting and it was anything but.

Interesting. Exciting isn't how I would describe Big Sur (I remember that one better than Bums). I think Kerouac was pretty hard on depressants and opioids. The writing reflects that. Depressing, despaired. Dirty, desolate. Though Big Sur is the 60s when things were fully turning against him. He would't make it out of the decade. I could see how, in theory, On the Road should be the fun and exciting part of his journey.

 

[Ilov80s]

Perfidia by James Elroy right now and rereading Night. I am trying to get back into reading again. Really been struggling with it the last few years. Perfidia is excellent, love Elroy's stuff. He does LA crime as good as anyone but Chandler. I read Night in high school and it had a deep impact on me. It's not quite as shaking 25 years later now that I've seen so much Holocaust stuff, but I am doing it because the kid is reading it for school and hoping she gets something out of it like I did. So far, so good. She hasn't read any books for school basically ever. This weekend she actually read a chapter ahead of where she needed to be.

After this I am torn between re-reading some of my all time favorites like The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, All the Light We Can Not See, The Master and Margarita or checking out some books from my too long want to read list like On the Road, The Recognitions and Mann's Doctor Faustus?

My kid is reading Night as well. Thought about giving it a read.

It's a very very easy read in terms of language and length. The content of it is among the most disturbing accounts any person has ever put to paper. I would recommend it and there's a lot to talk about from it with your kid.

 

[Ilov80s]

The smart phone/internet enabled ADHD is so real for me. I hate it. I read From Here to Eternity maybe 15 years ago and loved it. Incredible novel. I just look at it now and think how the hell did I ever read an 800 page book in a couple weeks?

I can sympathize. I read you guys and your sorry-assed posts all day and don't have time for a good book. Heh.

lol exactly. I love my time here and chatting with everyone but Joan Didion and William Faulkner aren't posting here. I could easily find time for scrolling through here and still knocking out a couple chapters of Lonesome Dove.

 

[KarmaPolice]

The smart phone/internet enabled ADHD is so real for me. I hate it. I read From Here to Eternity maybe 15 years ago and loved it. Incredible novel. I just look at it now and think how the hell did I ever read an 800 page book in a couple weeks?

I feel this way and I am a tech hermit. Phones aside, I think most of us are used to doing multiple things at a time and have convinced ourselves that it's normal or we are good at it. It's been rough going when I try to kick start my reading over the years. I struggle getting through a short movie or reading for longer periods of time most days.

Sad to admit, but one thing I have found I do is substitute listening to a podcast with doing something and digesting it myself. That is a main reason I cut out most of my movie podcasts - I would catch myself watching a movie then soon after listening to a podcast reviewing it instead of just sitting with my own thoughts on it for awhile.

 

[shuke]

On the Road

I was so amped to read this book and it did nothing for me. I've tried it several times and had the same reaction to it every time. Perhaps I need to try it at fifty years old just to be sure, but I don't think it's in the cards.

I also was not a fan. I think I waited until I was too old to read it.

 

[Ilov80s]

The smart phone/internet enabled ADHD is so real for me. I hate it. I read From Here to Eternity maybe 15 years ago and loved it. Incredible novel. I just look at it now and think how the hell did I ever read an 800 page book in a couple weeks?

I feel this way and I am a tech hermit. Phones aside, I think most of us are used to doing multiple things at a time and have convinced ourselves that it's normal or we are good at it. It's been rough going when I try to kick start my reading over the years. I struggle getting through a short movie or reading for longer periods of time most days.

Sad to admit, but one thing I have found I do is substitute listening to a podcast with doing something and digesting it myself. That is a main reason I cut out most of my movie podcasts - I would catch myself watching a movie then soon after listening to a podcast reviewing it instead of just sitting with my own thoughts on it for awhile.

I kind of like the movie podcast because it's like getting to engage in a conversation about something I saw.

 

[KarmaPolice]

The smart phone/internet enabled ADHD is so real for me. I hate it. I read From Here to Eternity maybe 15 years ago and loved it. Incredible novel. I just look at it now and think how the hell did I ever read an 800 page book in a couple weeks?

I feel this way and I am a tech hermit. Phones aside, I think most of us are used to doing multiple things at a time and have convinced ourselves that it's normal or we are good at it. It's been rough going when I try to kick start my reading over the years. I struggle getting through a short movie or reading for longer periods of time most days.

Sad to admit, but one thing I have found I do is substitute listening to a podcast with doing something and digesting it myself. That is a main reason I cut out most of my movie podcasts - I would catch myself watching a movie then soon after listening to a podcast reviewing it instead of just sitting with my own thoughts on it for awhile.

I kind of like the movie podcast because it's like getting to engage in a conversation about something I saw.

That's the + of it for me, and many of them have behind the scenes info I wouldn't get elsewhere. Embarrassingly, what I would catch myself doing was downloading a podcast or two of a movie I was going to watch, then within a day listening to them. Often right away. No biggie if it's Back to the Future or something I've seen a ton and have strong opinions about. IMO it wasn't the best when it's a new movie or something I hadn't seen for a bit - I wasn't thinking about them enough on my own. I also was wasting a bunch of time and mental energy listening to multiple podcasts about the same movies, which was another reason I trimmed so many out. When I had 40+ movie podcasts at the ready at one point, something had to be done.

 

[Sand]

Perfidia by James Elroy right now and rereading Night. I am trying to get back into reading again. Really been struggling with it the last few years. Perfidia is excellent, love Elroy's stuff. He does LA crime as good as anyone but Chandler. I read Night in high school and it had a deep impact on me. It's not quite as shaking 25 years later now that I've seen so much Holocaust stuff, but I am doing it because the kid is reading it for school and hoping she gets something out of it like I did. So far, so good. She hasn't read any books for school basically ever. This weekend she actually read a chapter ahead of where she needed to be.

After this I am torn between re-reading some of my all time favorites like The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, All the Light We Can Not See, The Master and Margarita or checking out some books from my too long want to read list like On the Road, The Recognitions and Mann's Doctor Faustus?

My kid is reading Night as well. Thought about giving it a read.

Very, very few books are capable of the impact that this one has.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

On the Road

I was so amped to read this book and it did nothing for me. I've tried it several times and had the same reaction to it every time. Perhaps I need to try it at fifty years old just to be sure, but I don't think it's in the cards.

I also was not a fan. I think I waited until I was too old to read it.

This. I first read it as a teenager in the 1970s and thought it was really cool. I tried again maybe 15 or 20 years ago, and thought it was awful.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

still knocking out a couple chapters of Lonesome Dove.

Funny you mention this one. I watched the mini-series last weekend for the first time in many years and it reminded me of an idea wikkid and I were kicking around once - starting a re-read thread here for Lonesome Dove where we'd do maybe 2 or 3 chapters every couple of days and discuss them.

 

[Ilov80s]

The smart phone/internet enabled ADHD is so real for me. I hate it. I read From Here to Eternity maybe 15 years ago and loved it. Incredible novel. I just look at it now and think how the hell did I ever read an 800 page book in a couple weeks?

I feel this way and I am a tech hermit. Phones aside, I think most of us are used to doing multiple things at a time and have convinced ourselves that it's normal or we are good at it. It's been rough going when I try to kick start my reading over the years. I struggle getting through a short movie or reading for longer periods of time most days.

Sad to admit, but one thing I have found I do is substitute listening to a podcast with doing something and digesting it myself. That is a main reason I cut out most of my movie podcasts - I would catch myself watching a movie then soon after listening to a podcast reviewing it instead of just sitting with my own thoughts on it for awhile.

I kind of like the movie podcast because it's like getting to engage in a conversation about something I saw.

That's the + of it for me, and many of them have behind the scenes info I wouldn't get elsewhere. Embarrassingly, what I would catch myself doing was downloading a podcast or two of a movie I was going to watch, then within a day listening to them. Often right away. No biggie if it's Back to the Future or something I've seen a ton and have strong opinions about. IMO it wasn't the best when it's a new movie or something I hadn't seen for a bit - I wasn't thinking about them enough on my own. I also was wasting a bunch of time and mental energy listening to multiple podcasts about the same movies, which was another reason I trimmed so many out. When I had 40+ movie podcasts at the ready at one point, something had to be done.

Yeah that makes sense. I don’t usually listen unless I’ve seen the movie and remember it pretty well.

 

[kupcho1]

1933's The Store by T.S. Stribling

So I'm reading this book on-line as my library doesn't have it. I'm rolling along and come to a stop. "This preview does not include pages 26 - 29" What? Apparently the book isn't (fully) available on google books either. Let's look elsewhere; perhaps I'll buy it.
Nope.
Cheapest option is $40. Most of the available inventory are hundreds if not thousands of dollars for 1st editions, signed copies, etc.

I guess I will skip this one for now. In the event I live long enough to finish all of the others, I plan on purchasing the book and closing out the series with it.

 

[Ilov80s]

1933's The Store by T.S. Stribling

So I'm reading this book on-line as my library doesn't have it. I'm rolling along and come to a stop. "This preview does not include pages 26 - 29" What? Apparently the book isn't (fully) available on google books either. Let's look elsewhere; perhaps I'll buy it.
Nope.
Cheapest option is $40. Most of the available inventory are hundreds if not thousands of dollars for 1st editions, signed copies, etc.

I guess I will skip this one for now. In the event I live long enough to finish all of the others, I plan on purchasing the book and closing out the series with it.

So annoying. I ended up spending a sort of stupid amount of money for a copy of Fast Times at Ridgemont High because I had always wanted to read it and it's been out of print for awhile. I don't think that one got a Pulitzer though lol.

 

[beer 30]

We will see how long it lasts, but I started what I said I was thinking about - a more populist version of what kupcho is doing. I am curious about award winning books, but I know my limitations and thought doing Sci-fi and Horror award winners would have more chance of success and enjoyment. I wrote down the first few books that won both the Hugo and Nebula. I also wrote down the first few that won a Stoker or Shirley Jackson award. That second one is newer, seemed more interesting, and would feature more I haven't heard of. Anyway, fittingly that landed me on starting with...

Dune (1965).

I'm about 300pgs in. I will be honest here ,I groaned when I saw the title of the first book on the list. It's been one I've dragged my feet on reading because I had the impression it would be too long, a bit boring, and filled with terms and language that I won't get. Well, none of that applies yet and I have been loving it so far. It's more like Game of Thrones, but I find myself really liking the world building and different factions at play. The DNA of many things I've loved like Thrones and Star Wars are all right here, so it would make sense that would like this as well. The writing style isn't my favorite, mostly the switching POVs and thoughts within chapters - in that sense I guess I'd prefer a GRRM approach and 1POV/Chapter, but it's a small gripe and I've been finding myself wanting to carve out more time to read - which is what this is all about.

I read through the Dune series a few times when I was much younger, so much so that the paperbacks I have are falling apart they are so old. My daughter started reading the series after watching the first Dune remake on my recommendation. I told her to read the first 4 books. They are relatively short comparative to the rest of the series. If she isn't into them by then, no sense going on. She's on book 4 and struggling, thinking she will bail but at least she gets the gist of the series.

 

[beer 30]

Listening to Atlas Shrugged, really liking the audio on this. I've tried to read it but the size just makes it impossible for em to get through. Everything about this book still rings true today.

Finished this up over the weekend. If you haven't been exposed to Atlas Shrugged, take the time to do it, whether Cliff Notes, reading the whole book or doing the audio cheat like I did. Incredibly relatable to the things happening today.

PS - Don't, under any circumstances watch the movies and expect anything other than a good laugh out of them. You'll get the gist of the story but it's completely overshadowed but the low quality of the movies themselves. Good for a laugh after you've read it but I don't recommend watching before you finish the book.

 

[Ilov80s]

Listening to Atlas Shrugged, really liking the audio on this. I've tried to read it but the size just makes it impossible for em to get through. Everything about this book still rings true today.

Finished this up over the weekend. If you haven't been exposed to Atlas Shrugged, take the time to do it, whether Cliff Notes, reading the whole book or doing the audio cheat like I did. Incredibly relatable to the things happening today.

PS - Don't, under any circumstances watch the movies and expect anything other than a good laugh out of them. You'll get the gist of the story but it's completely overshadowed but the low quality of the movies themselves. Good for a laugh after you've read it but I don't recommend watching before you finish the book.

I don't know, some of my least favorite people I've ever worked with said that there was their favorite book and would constantly pressure people to read it (a long with with investing in gold).

 

[beer 30]

Listening to Atlas Shrugged, really liking the audio on this. I've tried to read it but the size just makes it impossible for em to get through. Everything about this book still rings true today.

Finished this up over the weekend. If you haven't been exposed to Atlas Shrugged, take the time to do it, whether Cliff Notes, reading the whole book or doing the audio cheat like I did. Incredibly relatable to the things happening today.

PS - Don't, under any circumstances watch the movies and expect anything other than a good laugh out of them. You'll get the gist of the story but it's completely overshadowed but the low quality of the movies themselves. Good for a laugh after you've read it but I don't recommend watching before you finish the book.

I don't know, some of my least favorite people I've ever worked with said that there was their favorite book and would constantly pressure people to read it (a long with with investing in gold).

Certainly tracks with the book and I'm an Ohio State fan so you might be on to something

 

[Brony]

Accidentally clicked on page 1 of this thread which dates to Feb 2004 (looks a lot like Feb 2024). I was perplexed why everyone was all of the sudden excited for Dan Brown's books.

 

[timschochet]

I no longer subscribe to the politics behind Atlas Shrugged. Beyond that, many of the scenes in the book, particularly the long speeches, are absurd, ridiculous, pompous. Many of the characters are ridiculous stereotypes and unbelievable. There are few criticisms of this novel that I’ve read that I don’t agree with.

Yet I still love it, ridiculous as it is. It’s a strong, compelling narrative and very fun to read. At times it’s brilliant. I feel the same way about it that I do about Battlefield Earth, another novel based on a ridiculous philosophy with a really absurd storyline- but fun to read.

 

[rockaction]

Oh, Atlas Shrugged. Ayn Rand. I wrote my senior thesis about Ayn Rand and her philosophy at college for my political science requirement. My professor, a conservative Catholic, was intrigued and kind about it. He forgave my rawness and my novice understanding of traditional philosophical readings and concepts. He was nice about my lack of advanced level knowledge, only really requiring that I nail the political philosophy of her writing and its import. If only the philosophers and academics had been so nice to Rand and her Objectivism.

Atlas Shrugged is a painstaking, tendentious book that I at one time related to and was impressed by. It helped shape my worldview. I can still remember the characters in the book and what they stood for. Rand had a great way of conveying a character's character through his or her name. Dagny Taggart, John Galt, Francisco d'Anconia, and Hank Rearden are all heroes. Wesley Mouch, Dr. Floyd Ferris, and Ellsworth Toohey are villains in their respective novels. I mean, really.

The speeches are long. The political philosophy black and white. The contrasts between the characters almost cartoonish at times. I half expected Wile E. Coyote to jump out halfway through the novel and catch Bugs Bunny somewhere in the collective. The book is still hotly debated to this day. Whittaker Chambers's famous National Review review of her book, which culminated with the line "To a gas chamber—go!" was probably the most famous review and article of the magazine's history, and was certainly fuel for Rand's schism with the American conservative movement. Her atheism and isolationism, the latter of which was a term she rejected as loaded, prevented all parties from calling a truce and becoming allies. She never forgave William F. Buckley or NR for running the review.

She would move forward, adamantly insisting on the progress and perfectability of man should only they use her academic philosophy as applied to life. What was that philosophy? One of reason and selfishness. Lest anybody think I exaggerate, she wrote a book called The Virtue Of Selfishness that held that man must act in his own self-interest at all times. To deviate from that is to act untruthfully and incorrectly. Altruism was a dirty word, charity much more so. Nobody was as penurious in their view of charity and altruism in philosophy as a whole. Not even Nietzsche would have adopted a Randian individualism. She kept a coterie of intellectuals and strivers around her that included Alan Greenspan, and she was quick to condemn and excommunicate anybody who did not agree with her or act according to her philosophy. She was, for all her leanings toward freedom, a tyrant when in charge.

But she could not convince anybody but a duped few to adopt her philosophy into their lives, which she insisted upon. We used to have a commenter over at Reason that pissed off all the Randians by having his handle be ¢ instead of the Galt Gulch $ she loved so much. He would absolutely crush the Rand acolytes whenever and wherever they showed up. He was one of the smartest people I've ever read on the internet—sharp as a tack and funny as all get-out. They'd line up in the comment section, one by one, and he'd just set 'em up and knock 'em down.

That's what I remember about Atlas Shrugged the most. Some internet mind that took all Randian comers and acolytes and never lost a fight. Just brilliant.

¢, miss ya, buddy.

 

[beer 30]

Who is ¢?

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I took an English Lit class in High School. This was back in the 1970s. First day, the teacher had a row of books lined up on his desk and it was stuff like Atlas Shrugged, 1984, one of Joyce's novels (can't recall which one), Moby **** (which I had already read and was not fond of) - you know, basically all of the "important" books that that you were supposed to read at the time if you're interested in reading. I think I knew all by title and reputation, even though Melville's was the only I had actually suffered through. I groaned when I saw those books and a couple of others in class did, too.

So the teacher - who made us call him by his first name (it WAS the '70s, after all) - said we're holding class outside that day. He enlisted some students to carry the books outdoors and had them throw the books into a dumpster. "Now - let's read some good stuff that's also interesting". I can't recall all of the books we read that semester (actually, two semesters, as I signed up for another). I know one was Charles Portis' True Grit and another was Pat Frank's Alas Babylon.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Did he encourage you to addressing him by "Oh, Captain, my Captain"?

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

About to embark on my 34th Tom Clancy, "Chain of Command". Of all the Clancy reincarnates I like Marc Cameron and Mark Greaney (Grey Man) the best. The last one "Target Acquired" by Don Bentley was really bad.

I haven't read any of the non-fictions but if I ever feel the need to build a nuclear submarine I know where to look.

Super late on these. I started with Rainbow Six and then do what I do, get obsessed and now I have virtually every Clancy Book on my shelf. (Thrift store, buy 4 get the 5th free FTW).

Do you have a personal opinion on the order to read them? Im leaning in order of publication but have read theres many ways to do them.

FWIW - I only plan on reading the books that were written while he was alive. (Yes I know he had help with many of the last ones)

 

[kupcho1]

(Yes I know he had help with many of the last ones)

He had help with the first one.

 

[Sand]

still knocking out a couple chapters of Lonesome Dove.

Augustus McRae is my favorite literary character. I read ~40 books a year so lots to choose from. Funny, when I think about it Logen Ninefingers is #2 - so wildly on the other side of the literature spectrum.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

(Yes I know he had help with many of the last ones)

He had help with the first one.

Please do tell. I’ve done some digging on Clancy. I’ve read a few things like he didn’t even know much about the games and when he was asked about some of his later series, he said he not only didn’t write them, he hadn’t even read them.

 

[TheFatKid]

I took an English Lit class in High School. This was back in the 1970s. First day, the teacher had a row of books lined up on his desk and it was stuff like Atlas Shrugged, 1984, one of Joyce's novels (can't recall which one), Moby **** (which I had already read and was not fond of) - you know, basically all of the "important" books that that you were supposed to read at the time if you're interested in reading. I think I knew all by title and reputation, even though Melville's was the only I had actually suffered through. I groaned when I saw those books and a couple of others in class did, too.

So the teacher - who made us call him by his first name (it WAS the '70s, after all) - said we're holding class outside that day. He enlisted some students to carry the books outdoors and had them throw the books into a dumpster. "Now - let's read some good stuff that's also interesting". I can't recall all of the books we read that semester (actually, two semesters, as I signed up for another). I know one was Charles Portis' True Grit and another was Pat Frank's Alas Babylon.

Thank for the reminder of Alas, Babylon somehow that dropped off my to read list, but it is back on.

 

[TheFatKid]

still knocking out a couple chapters of Lonesome Dove.

Augustus McRae is my favorite literary character. I read ~40 books a year so lots to choose from. Funny, when I think about it Logen Ninefingers is #2 - so wildly on the other side of the literature spectrum.

Love Logen Ninefingers is my top 10 for sure.

 

[kupcho1]

(Yes I know he had help with many of the last ones)

He had help with the first one.

Please do tell. I’ve done some digging on Clancy. I’ve read a few things like he didn’t even know much about the games and when he was asked about some of his later series, he said he not only didn’t write them, he hadn’t even read them.

There's an apocryphal story about a defense contractor who was discussing the book at a party and inadvertantly went a little further than the book did in describing an undersea monitoring system. Apparently that led to him losing his security clearance, which having lost it, was tantamount to being fired and blackballed in the industry.

Now I wasn't there for the conversation or subsequent clearance discussion, but having had to visit the Pentagon, I can tell you that you don't just wander the halls having conversations with people (even pre-911). The notion that an insurance salesman from the ****-house side of Maryland simply read some books and manuals, played a videogame and shot the **** with ex-submariners from the local power plant is laughable. The contents of the book were far too close to confidential information. I think it far more likely that he was spoon-fed some information to tweak the Soviets.

But that's just me.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

(Yes I know he had help with many of the last ones)

He had help with the first one.

Please do tell. I’ve done some digging on Clancy. I’ve read a few things like he didn’t even know much about the games and when he was asked about some of his later series, he said he not only didn’t write them, he hadn’t even read them.

There's an apocryphal story about a defense contractor who was discussing the book at a party and inadvertantly went a little further than the book did in describing an undersea monitoring system. Apparently that led to him losing his security clearance, which having lost it, was tantamount to being fired and blackballed in the industry.

Now I wasn't there for the conversation or subsequent clearance discussion, but having had to visit the Pentagon, I can tell you that you don't just wander the halls having conversations with people (even pre-911). The notion that an insurance salesman from the ****-house side of Maryland simply read some books and manuals, played a videogame and shot the **** with ex-submariners from the local power plant is laughable. The contents of the book were far too close to confidential information. I think it far more likely that he was spoon-fed some information to tweak the Soviets.

But that's just me.

I with you on everything except the video games. They were released way after his success but he admittedly knew nothing about them.

What’s crazy about all the technical details in his books- they all seem out of place to me. It’s breaks up the immersion.

I enjoy them for the riveting ops parts.

 

[kupcho1]

I with you on everything except the video games.

I saw that he credited some game called Harpoon in an article I read. I'm not familiar with it, or the timing as to when it was released.