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Whatcha readin now? (book, books, reading, read) (2 Viewers)

Finished War and Peace (the Epilogue was entirely unnecessary, particularly Part 2) and Perdido Street Station (which I thought was very good, I've not read any of the author's other works, but would not be unhappy to see these characters back again).

Next up: Absurdistan

 
kupcho1 said:
Finished War and Peace (the Epilogue was entirely unnecessary, particularly Part 2) and Perdido Street Station (which I thought was very good, I've not read any of the author's other works, but would not be unhappy to see these characters back again).

Next up: Absurdistan
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If you liked Perdido Street Station then pick up The Scar. While PSS was my favorite of the two, both are great reads and Mieville's ability to put you into that unique fantasy/horror/sci-fi world is incredible. Scar takes place immediately after the events of PSS but isn't really a sequel per se as it isn't the same characters and really only the beginning starts off in the same place. He has a couple of other books I haven't read yet because I heard they weren't as good as these two but I'll probably eventually get to them. He set the bar pretty high with PSS though.I just finished reading McCarthy's Blood Meridian and must say that it was an extremely vivid description of that time and place, unlike any other portrayal I've seen in a Western novel. Excellent book although some might be offput by the violence and twisted nature of it.

Next up is undecided at this moment but I do have quite a few good options.

 
Can't remember the title but it's by Rick Atkinson regarding the invasion of Sicily and Italy. Second in a series. His first was Army at Dawn about the North African campaign. Very good book.

 
Men-in-Cleats said:
kupcho1 said:
Finished War and Peace (the Epilogue was entirely unnecessary, particularly Part 2) and Perdido Street Station (which I thought was very good, I've not read any of the author's other works, but would not be unhappy to see these characters back again).

Next up: Absurdistan
Click to expand...
If you liked Perdido Street Station then pick up The Scar. While PSS was my favorite of the two, both are great reads and Mieville's ability to put you into that unique fantasy/horror/sci-fi world is incredible. Scar takes place immediately after the events of PSS but isn't really a sequel per se as it isn't the same characters and really only the beginning starts off in the same place. He has a couple of other books I haven't read yet because I heard they weren't as good as these two but I'll probably eventually get to them. He set the bar pretty high with PSS though.I just finished reading McCarthy's Blood Meridian and must say that it was an extremely vivid description of that time and place, unlike any other portrayal I've seen in a Western novel. Excellent book although some might be offput by the violence and twisted nature of it.

Next up is undecided at this moment but I do have quite a few good options.
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I also recommend The Scar if you liked Perdido. It was not quite as good as Perdido but pretty damn close. The third book in that world Iron Council was not very good and I wouldn't recommend it.
 
Fiddles said:
Men-in-Cleats said:
kupcho1 said:
Finished War and Peace (the Epilogue was entirely unnecessary, particularly Part 2) and Perdido Street Station (which I thought was very good, I've not read any of the author's other works, but would not be unhappy to see these characters back again).

Next up: Absurdistan
Click to expand...
If you liked Perdido Street Station then pick up The Scar. While PSS was my favorite of the two, both are great reads and Mieville's ability to put you into that unique fantasy/horror/sci-fi world is incredible. Scar takes place immediately after the events of PSS but isn't really a sequel per se as it isn't the same characters and really only the beginning starts off in the same place. He has a couple of other books I haven't read yet because I heard they weren't as good as these two but I'll probably eventually get to them. He set the bar pretty high with PSS though.I just finished reading McCarthy's Blood Meridian and must say that it was an extremely vivid description of that time and place, unlike any other portrayal I've seen in a Western novel. Excellent book although some might be offput by the violence and twisted nature of it.

Next up is undecided at this moment but I do have quite a few good options.
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Thanks, I'll have to add Scar (or is that The Scar ;) )to the queueI also recommend The Scar if you liked Perdido. It was not quite as good as Perdido but pretty damn close. The third book in that world Iron Council was not very good and I wouldn't recommend it.
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Fiddles said:
I just finished blood meridian by mccarthy and I actually didnt like it as much as the road or no countryI am easily bored when theres little dialog and there were long stretches of him describing sceneryI thought it picked up at the end though. The scene towards the end with the judge holding that meat umbrella and he has the fool with him were really disturbing. The judge gives hannibal lector a run for his money for sure.
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I would definitely rank them Meridian 1, No Country 2, The Road 3. Meridian is on a level all by itself. Just an amazing book. No Country is more straight forward and action packed...but Meridian has much better themes and characters.
 
Tough As Nails said:
Fiddles said:
I just finished blood meridian by mccarthy and I actually didnt like it as much as the road or no countryI am easily bored when theres little dialog and there were long stretches of him describing sceneryI thought it picked up at the end though. The scene towards the end with the judge holding that meat umbrella and he has the fool with him were really disturbing. The judge gives hannibal lector a run for his money for sure.
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I would definitely rank them Meridian 1, No Country 2, The Road 3. Meridian is on a level all by itself. Just an amazing book. No Country is more straight forward and action packed...but Meridian has much better themes and characters.
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Meridien is definitely less accessible, but it is a greater work of literature...It is just about the closest thing to Faulkner I have read...
 
Tremendous Upside said:
Tough As Nails said:
Fiddles said:
I just finished blood meridian by mccarthy and I actually didnt like it as much as the road or no countryI am easily bored when theres little dialog and there were long stretches of him describing sceneryI thought it picked up at the end though. The scene towards the end with the judge holding that meat umbrella and he has the fool with him were really disturbing. The judge gives hannibal lector a run for his money for sure.
Click to expand...
I would definitely rank them Meridian 1, No Country 2, The Road 3. Meridian is on a level all by itself. Just an amazing book. No Country is more straight forward and action packed...but Meridian has much better themes and characters.
Click to expand...
Meridien is definitely less accessible, but it is a greater work of literature...It is just about the closest thing to Faulkner I have read...
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Even though I think Meridian is far and away his best work...I would never recommend it to somebody as their first look at McCarthy. No Country is such a tension filled work right from the first page. It's one of those can't put it down type of novels. But once you're done with it...you really don't need to think about it anymore. Sure, there are some subtleties that can be examined and make the book deeper...but it's pretty self contained (which is why it makes such a great movie idea). Meridian is just dripping with imagery and symbolism that takes it into that all-time classic realm. I am horrified that Ridley Scott is connected to making Meridian into a movie.
 
SofaKings said:
Can't remember the title but it's by Rick Atkinson regarding the invasion of Sicily and Italy. Second in a series. His first was Army at Dawn about the North African campaign. Very good book.
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I read Army at Dawn, which I enjoyed. I will have to check this one out.
 
oso diablo said:
GSCGal said:
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. One of the best books I have read in the last decade, easily. And I guess that means in my life, since I'm 30.
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going to be a movie of this released next year, starring Johnny Depp. thanks for the suggestion. added to wish list.
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I actually saw that this was being made into a movie when I was rabidly Googling Gregory David Roberts in an effort to get my hands on anything else he may have written.I literally gasped when I read that Johnny Depp was starring - I think he will do a phenomenal job and cannot wait.

And in keeping with the point of this thread, I'm re-reading Into the Wild now. Read it when it was first published because my brother was friends with McCandless at Emory. Am a fan of most of Krakauer's stuff.

 
GSCGal said:
Am a fan of most of Krakauer's stuff.
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I loved Into Thin Air as a page turner...but got totally and completely flustered by his slanted view of the situation. I saw a couple interviews and rebuttals that make the whole book look like a complete work of fiction. Dude spins a good tale though. No doubt about that.
 
GSCGal said:
oso diablo said:
GSCGal said:
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. One of the best books I have read in the last decade, easily. And I guess that means in my life, since I'm 30.
Click to expand...
going to be a movie of this released next year, starring Johnny Depp. thanks for the suggestion. added to wish list.
Click to expand...
I actually saw that this was being made into a movie when I was rabidly Googling Gregory David Roberts in an effort to get my hands on anything else he may have written.I literally gasped when I read that Johnny Depp was starring - I think he will do a phenomenal job and cannot wait.
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the imdb link indicates that the movie is a casualty of the writers' strike. figure that just means postponed.interesting that you responded to this after a few months, as i just started reading this over the thanksgiving break. between work and family, it will take me a while to get through the 900+ pages.

 
roadkill1292 said:
Just finished The Disunited States of America, a lightweight book from Harry Turtledove where he envisions the original 13 colonies never uniting because of an inability to reach a compromise over the constitution. The country escapes the one big civil war, but instead is fragmented into smaller states which engage in numerous little wars, one of which is the setting of this book. Ohio bombs Parkersburg into rubble and invades Virginia.

I'm now early into Austin Murphy's Saturday Rules, a look at the 2006 college football season. I already like the way he contrasts the differences in the college and pro games to reach the same conclusion that I have -- for all its faults, that college football is a lot more fun.
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Just got done with the the Turtledove one. Pretty interesting premise marred by pretty pedestrian writing. I'm guessing it's supposed to be geared toward young adults, but it's somewhat annoying when he explains what was said instead of coming out with it. I felt like a dog whose owner spells O-U-T-S-I-D-E.
 
If anyone is looking for good sci-fi, I recommend any of the books that I've read by Jack McDevitt.

Ancient Shores

Eternity Road

Polaris

The Engines of God

Polaris and The Engines of God are each in a series, so Engines of God and A Talent for War are good starting places.

 
GSCGal said:
oso diablo said:
GSCGal said:
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. One of the best books I have read in the last decade, easily. And I guess that means in my life, since I'm 30.
Click to expand...
going to be a movie of this released next year, starring Johnny Depp. thanks for the suggestion. added to wish list.
Click to expand...
I actually saw that this was being made into a movie when I was rabidly Googling Gregory David Roberts in an effort to get my hands on anything else he may have written.I literally gasped when I read that Johnny Depp was starring - I think he will do a phenomenal job and cannot wait.

And in keeping with the point of this thread, I'm re-reading Into the Wild now. Read it when it was first published because my brother was friends with McCandless at Emory. Am a fan of most of Krakauer's stuff.
Click to expand...
I missed this post the first time around. Shantaram looks amazing. Going to pick up for the wife for xmas.
 
ladies what are your favorite books? building a list for the wife for xmas

anyone have any recommendations based on what your wife/gf likes?

tia

 
oso diablo said:
GSCGal said:
oso diablo said:
GSCGal said:
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. One of the best books I have read in the last decade, easily. And I guess that means in my life, since I'm 30.
Click to expand...
going to be a movie of this released next year, starring Johnny Depp. thanks for the suggestion. added to wish list.
Click to expand...
I actually saw that this was being made into a movie when I was rabidly Googling Gregory David Roberts in an effort to get my hands on anything else he may have written.I literally gasped when I read that Johnny Depp was starring - I think he will do a phenomenal job and cannot wait.
Click to expand...
the imdb link indicates that the movie is a casualty of the writers' strike. figure that just means postponed.interesting that you responded to this after a few months, as i just started reading this over the thanksgiving break. between work and family, it will take me a while to get through the 900+ pages.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I kind of forgot to check to see if anyone had responded to my post, and only recently thought to look when I saw it back up in recent threads.Upsetting that the movie is going to be a casualty of the strike. I will definitely re-read before the film, though sometimes I find it's better not to do so because movie's rarely live up to books... :shrug:

 
loser said:
roadkill1292 said:
Just finished The Disunited States of America, a lightweight book from Harry Turtledove where he envisions the original 13 colonies never uniting because of an inability to reach a compromise over the constitution. The country escapes the one big civil war, but instead is fragmented into smaller states which engage in numerous little wars, one of which is the setting of this book. Ohio bombs Parkersburg into rubble and invades Virginia.

I'm now early into Austin Murphy's Saturday Rules, a look at the 2006 college football season. I already like the way he contrasts the differences in the college and pro games to reach the same conclusion that I have -- for all its faults, that college football is a lot more fun.
Click to expand...
Just got done with the the Turtledove one. Pretty interesting premise marred by pretty pedestrian writing. I'm guessing it's supposed to be geared toward young adults, but it's somewhat annoying when he explains what was said instead of coming out with it. I felt like a dog whose owner spells O-U-T-S-I-D-E.
Click to expand...
:popcorn: It didn't look like he put much effort into that one, did it? It was like "Man, Christmas is coming up, I gotta crank something out -- and fast."
 
Sphere - Michael Crichton -- Really liked this one. Fast-paced, original story. One of his best.

Icebound - Dean Koontz -- One of his old ones. Not very good. The characters are very shallow and the plot is just silly.

The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell -- Excellent book. His chapters on smoking, NY crime and Blue's Clues were my favorites. But I always struggle with books like these since invariably someone comes along and points out that it's all crap. And since I'm not ambitious enough to do all of the research of the raw data to come to my own conclusion, a part of me always wonders if I've just been fed a bunch of bull. Same thing happened with Freakonomics.

 
Chaka said:
Steinbeck - Sweet Thursday.Got the recommendation from this thread. :excited:
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glad u liked it. another Steinbeck book along the lines of ST and Cannery Row is Tortilla Flatvery funny book about the local paisons who drink wine all day and find ways to get by drinking instead of workinggb Big Joe Portagee :excited:
 
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Don Quixote said:
I just finished reading Gary Shteyngart's Absurdistan. The New York Times named it one of the novels of the year, so thought I'd give it a whirl. The protagonist, a bit reminiscent of Ignatius J. Reilly, gets caught up in a civil war in the backwards country of Absurdistan. The first half of the book starts out kind of slow, with some good moments, but nothing really memorable. It starts to pick up in the second half and the characters and the satire presents itself a bit more clearly. I'm not sure I'd have named it one of the Top 10 books of the year, but still a pretty good read (if a fan of Confederacy of Dunces or Vonnegut, might be worth a read).
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Finished Absurdistan. Big :thumbdown: The petition for Israeli funds that Misha writes as Minister of Multiculti was one of the funniest things I've read in a long, long time.

Next up: Against the Day by Pynchon

 
I read Tony Dungy's book Quiet Strength this weekend.

I found it entertaining and inspiring. Dungy lives his life the way I'd like to live mine. There are so many stories out there about athletes doing some horrible things, it's a nice change to hear the story of a man who's more focused on having a positive impact on other people's lives rather than chasing money, fame and victory on the field.

 
Am about 600 pages into Shantaram and I absolutely love it. It's a little long winded and sometimes a bit too preachy/philosophical but it quickly becoming one of my favorite books even though I haven't even finished it yet.

 
ianfitzy said:
Am about 600 pages into Shantaram and I absolutely love it. It's a little long winded and sometimes a bit too preachy/philosophical but it quickly becoming one of my favorite books even though I haven't even finished it yet.
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my wife is reading this now and said it really sucks you in
 
Fiddles said:
ianfitzy said:
Am about 600 pages into Shantaram and I absolutely love it. It's a little long winded and sometimes a bit too preachy/philosophical but it quickly becoming one of my favorite books even though I haven't even finished it yet.
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my wife is reading this now and said it really sucks you in
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He does a real good join of establishing a connection to the character/him. You feel his pain and joys etc. You gain almost a vested interest in how the story goes. From what I understand it is semi autobiographical.
 
Recently finished:

The Unquiet, John Connolly

All The Pretty Girls, J.T. Ellison

Shoot Him if He Runs, Stuart Woods

Stone Cold , David Baldacci

For One More Day, Mitch Albom

I enjoyed them all.

Currently reading Blood of Angels by Michael Marshall...the follow up and conclusion to The Straw Men and The Upright Man.

 
Just finished:

London by Edward Rutherfurd

I like the style and he writes well, but by the end of his massive books I can't wait to finish them so I can read something else. After reading three of his books I think I'm done with him. I'll probably check out some Michener in a year or two but unless Rutherfurd starts writing books that take place outside the UK I don't think I'll pick another one up.

Of course, I think I said the exact same thing after finishing Russka.

Next up:

Financial Accounting final and then some Douglas Preston / Lincoln Child or Stephen King

 
GSCGal said:
oso diablo said:
GSCGal said:
oso diablo said:
GSCGal said:
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. One of the best books I have read in the last decade, easily. And I guess that means in my life, since I'm 30.
Click to expand...
going to be a movie of this released next year, starring Johnny Depp. thanks for the suggestion. added to wish list.
Click to expand...
I actually saw that this was being made into a movie when I was rabidly Googling Gregory David Roberts in an effort to get my hands on anything else he may have written.I literally gasped when I read that Johnny Depp was starring - I think he will do a phenomenal job and cannot wait.
Click to expand...
the imdb link indicates that the movie is a casualty of the writers' strike. figure that just means postponed.interesting that you responded to this after a few months, as i just started reading this over the thanksgiving break. between work and family, it will take me a while to get through the 900+ pages.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I kind of forgot to check to see if anyone had responded to my post, and only recently thought to look when I saw it back up in recent threads.Upsetting that the movie is going to be a casualty of the strike. I will definitely re-read before the film, though sometimes I find it's better not to do so because movie's rarely live up to books... :wub:
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This is a terrific book and I'm a fan of Johnny Depp, but I'm just not sure he's the guy for the part.
 
Just started Good as Gold by Joseph Heller.

I loved Catch-22 and Something Happened so much, I figured I'd read some more Heller.

 
shuke said:
shuke said:
Next up: Angry Candy by Harlan Ellison
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One great story, but otherwise meh. Getting ready to start Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.

On my Christmas wish list:

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk

No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

Dark Advent by Brian Hodge

Lost Echoes by Joe R. Lansdale
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Wife bought this after we saw the movie, and I just finished it. The movie was, as many said, very true to the book, down to exact dialogue sequences. Good book though. After I finished it I read The Road, which although enormously depressing is also very good.

 
igbomb said:
Just finished:

London by Edward Rutherfurd

I like the style and he writes well, but by the end of his massive books I can't wait to finish them so I can read something else. After reading three of his books I think I'm done with him. I'll probably check out some Michener in a year or two but unless Rutherfurd starts writing books that take place outside the UK I don't think I'll pick another one up.

Of course, I think I said the exact same thing after finishing Russka.

Next up:

Financial Accounting final and then some Douglas Preston / Lincoln Child or Stephen King
Click to expand...
I'm thinking about tackling those Rutherford books.
 
SofaKings said:
igbomb said:
Just finished:

London by Edward Rutherfurd

I like the style and he writes well, but by the end of his massive books I can't wait to finish them so I can read something else. After reading three of his books I think I'm done with him. I'll probably check out some Michener in a year or two but unless Rutherfurd starts writing books that take place outside the UK I don't think I'll pick another one up.

Of course, I think I said the exact same thing after finishing Russka.

Next up:

Financial Accounting final and then some Douglas Preston / Lincoln Child or Stephen King
Click to expand...
I'm thinking about tackling those Rutherford books.
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I really like them, but can't handle more than one every year or two. My ranking of the three I've read, best to worst: Sarum, Russka, London.
 
Am normally a classics/bestsellers/'whatever is recommended that is well-written' kind of gal. But recently a book was given to me as an "interesting read". Interesting is an understatement - I think this book will be for some, and certainly not for others.

Reading Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground by Michael Moynihan and Didrik Soderlind.

The blurb on the jacket:

Just before the turn of the Millenium, nearly 100 churches have been torched and desecrated by adherants of Black Metal, the most extreme form of underground music on the planet.

In an escalating unholy war, Black Metal bands and their obsessive fans have left a grim legacy of suicide, murder, and terrorism spreading from Norway to Germany, Russia, America and beyond...

Written by two journalists with unique access to the hellish demimonde, Lords of Chaos features hundreds of rare photos and exclusive interrogations with priests, police officers, Satanists, and leaders of demonic bands who believe the greater evil spawns the greatest glory.

(Really fascinating read, and for those FFAers who care, I am not a Satanist nor am I into extreme/death metal - HTH)

 
I'm trying to find a good book on the history of rome. Just looking for one book though. It doesn't have to be really in-depth but would like a good read. Any thoughts?

 
Just finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. :goodposting:

I am now reading A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore for the second time this year. Moore is phenomenal, he is the most entertaining author I have read in a long time.

 
Finished Foundation and am now on the second book in the series, Foundation and Empire. Have been going through some of the classics of sci-fi and this series definitely should be considered a classic. Excellent series as they've been tough to put down.

 
Chaka said:
Just finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. :thumbup:

I am now reading A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore for the second time this year. Moore is phenomenal, he is the most entertaining author I have read in a long time.
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Just finished this. Laughed out loud so many times. Prompted me to buy Lamb. First I'm going to read Vive La Revolution: A Stand Up History of the French Revolution, by Mark Steel. Steel is a socialist, a Brit, and a stand up comedian who explains the Revolution in a surprisingly accurate and thorough way. But he keeps it personal and approachable, sometimes pretty funny.

 
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