Whatcha readin now? (book, books, reading, read) (9 Viewers)

[kerpow]

Polished off a couple quick reads recently:

The Man in the High Castle by Phillip K. **** is an alternate history set in the US after an Axis victory in World War II. Like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? the nature of reality is a major theme in this book. A cool device that he uses is a novel within a novel wherein that novel is about an alternate history to that world, which imagines what would have happened had the Allies won.

Just read this. I wish I hadn't.

Really? It's on my short list of books to read. I've heard nothing but great stuff.Why didn't you like it?

Very interesting premise. Just a piss-poor delivery. Went NOwhere.

Concur.

Yes, very dull.I'm about half way through World Without End - the sequel to the epic Pillars of the Earth. All about Cathedral Builders in the 11th/13th Century. Great stuff

 

[trader jake]

recently became a big fan of phillip **** (i read do androids dream of electric sheep a long time ago, but forgot much of it)...

I loved some films based on his work (Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report) but I've never read one of his novels. Any particular one, other than the three listed above, that would be a solid first read?

Reading the new book by one of my favorite authors Christopher Moore.

For whatever reason the covers of his books are eye catching but I could never bring myself to purchase one of them. What other author are his books similar too? (Chuck Palahniuk?) Same question as above, any particular one that would be a solid first read?

Read Gang Leader for a Day a little while back. If you liked this section of Freakonomics, then this is a must-read.

Loved Freakonomics. The blog is a very good read as well. I may have to check this out.

Bump...any suggestions with these?

 

[facook]

The Given Day by Dennis Lehane. End of WWI era novel set in Boston. Only about 75 pages in...already love it. The prologue stars Babe Ruth in a pickup baseball game in the middle of nowhere - just great stuff.

Lehane is the guy that wrote Gone Baby Gone. Very good writer, highly recommended.

 

[facook]

The Given Day by Dennis Lehane. End of WWI era novel set in Boston. Only about 75 pages in...already love it. The prologue stars Babe Ruth in a pickup baseball game in the middle of nowhere - just great stuff.Lehane is the guy that wrote Gone Baby Gone. Very good writer, highly recommended.

Highly recommend The Given Day. Really focused on labor strife in the late 19-teens. Unions, workers' rights, strikes, riots...very intriguing stuff. Also quite a bit on race relations - which were (still are?) a big deal in Boston. Only criticism is that it is probably 50 pages longer than it needs to be (at 700). Still, it's held my attention, and I think most people would enjoy Lehane's writing.

 

[Pooch]

The Idiot by Dostoevsky.

 

[shining path]

Reading Robert Charles Wilson's Spin and really liking it. Top quality science fiction/psychological novel.

 

[shining path]

Currently on book 2 of the "Ringworld" series. Fun and interesting. Similar to the Ender series in a lot of ways. The science part of things is great...the characters are solid but nothing special. I'll keep going to book 3...but I think I will have reached my limit with it after that.

Enjoyed Ringworld but haven't read any of the others. Not sure what the order is either. What is the second one that you are on?Currently reading The Moon is a Harsh Mistress from Heinlein. Good book.

Ringworld Engineers is the 2nd book. I think there are 5? Not sure. #3 is called "Ringworld Throne" and it's sitting on the nightstand waiting for me to finish the last 50 pages of Engineers. Unless it really blows me away...I won't continue on. 3 novels with the same concept is a ton unless you really, REALLY nail it. Ender is more fun and I had to put that down when the Bean stuff started. Too much of a good thing and all that...

I love Niven, but his writing is sometimes impenetrable. He leaves much too much description unwritten, beginning with an annoying (and presumably fixable) habit of not indicating who says what during a multi-way dialogue. Larry, I understand that you know who is speaking, but maybe you could help out the rest of us? Context can only take you so far at times.I think that's why I think his best stuff usually has a co-author (like Jerry Pournelle).

I just read another Known Space book (by Niven and some other guy) called Fleet of Worlds, featuring the puppeteer Nessus of Ringworld fame. Unfortunately it wasn't that good.

 

[beer 30]

The Art of War, Sun Tzu

Been wanting to read this for a while and found a cheap copy at the bookstore. I guess I never really thought about it but the same axioms of warfare he taught around 500 BC really haven't changed a whole lot since. I suppose other than new, exciting and more horrific ways to kill your fellow man there hasn't been a lot of change in how you go about it. History is cool that way.

 

[Cobra]

The Art of War, Sun TzuBeen wanting to read this for a while and found a cheap copy at the bookstore. I guess I never really thought about it but the same axioms of warfare he taught around 500 BC really haven't changed a whole lot since. I suppose other than new, exciting and more horrific ways to kill your fellow man there hasn't been a lot of change in how you go about it. History is cool that way.

Take the high ground and roll rocks down at them.

 

[igbomb]

I'm about 150 pages into Hyperion. It's good, but hasn't blown me away. Maybe it's a case of inflated expectations since half of the reviews you see of it claim it's the best scifi series ever.

I'll definitely stick with it, but so far it's far behind Ender's Game and The Sparrow for my favorite sci-fi novels.

 

[oso diablo]

The Rise of Christianity - Rodney Stark

one of the most interesting works of non-fiction i've read in a few years. Stark, a noted sociology professor, utilizes the tools of social science to draw novel inferences about how a small Jewish sect grew into the world's biggest religion.

 

[Leo Scanlon]

Harpo Speaks, the autobiography of the silent Marx brother, Harpo. Wonderful!

 

[igbomb]

I'm about 150 pages into Hyperion. It's good, but hasn't blown me away. Maybe it's a case of inflated expectations since half of the reviews you see of it claim it's the best scifi series ever.I'll definitely stick with it, but so far it's far behind Ender's Game and The Sparrow for my favorite sci-fi novels.

Finished this last night. It definitely got better, but I was a little let down that this entire book was just a prelude to the follow-up. It's not such a big deal since I can just pick up the next one, but it must have been irritating for those who read it when first published and then had to wait a couple of years.All in all, very good. And Sol Weintraub's story was just gut-wrenching. Easily the best of the novel.

 

[flysack]

The Idiot by Dostoevsky.

It gets a little dry after the first 200 page section. Stick with it. It picks up again and lives up to its rep as one of the best novels ever written.

 

[flysack]

Currently reading Marcel Proust's Swann's Way.

I'm reading it very very slowly, often times rereading 10 page sections two or three times.

AMAZING.

 

[Pooch]

Currently reading Marcel Proust's Swann's Way.

I'm reading it very very slowly, often times rereading 10 page sections two or three times.

AMAZING.

After reading and enjoying most of Kerouac's novels and of course reading his references to Proust , I guess at some point I'm gonna have to pick one up. Please tell me I don't have to start with In Search of Lost Time. It sounds laborious. That's the one Kerouac carried around all the time.

 

[roadkill1292]

The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria, an Indian immigrant to the U.S. who addresses the challenges posed by the emerging nations of the world -- not just China and India but also Iran, Brazil, Turkey, etc.

He's actually pretty positive about the way previously "broken" countries are developing and thinks that this will usher in a new era of global peace and prosperity. We're gonna have to adjust to not being the dominant power, however. He's also pretty critical of the way Americans have fallen victim to the fear mongering of an ever larger media hungering for a piece of the attention. I thought of Ham's pandemic thread while I was reading this.

 

[shuke]

Next up: Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien

I can't believe this won the National Book Award. I got all the themes, etc., but I just didn't really enjoy it. 4/10.Next up: Bagombo Snuff Box by Kurt Vonnegut. A collection of previously unreleased short stories. Probably one of only a few Vonnegut books I haven't read.

 

[facook]

Just quit The Gold Coast by Nelson Demille. I generally enjoy Demille, but this book was pretty terrible. Kind of hard to enjoy a book when NONE of the characters are likeable.

Now into The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry. Pretty good so far.

 

[igbomb]

Naked Economics by Charles Wheelan

Great breakdown of key global economic issues, where economists agree, and where they differ. No equations. No graphs. He just does a great job of taking a relatively neutral stance and sharing all sides of each issue. Everything from trade to globalization to governments role is covered. Personally, econ should be a required subject in high school and I would be more than satisfied if this book were the text for the course. It's interesting, objective, and not dry in the least.

Very highly recommended.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Finished up Drood by Dan Simmons awhile back. Very good, but then I'm a sucker for Simmons' writing anyway. This is not a fast-paced read, though it kept my interest throughout. Simmons did a great job with his narrator (Wilkie Collins - Charles Dickens' real-life best friend) and also with his portrayal of 1860s London. If you liked his recent The Terror, this is somewhat in the same style.

Moved onto The Lies Of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch after about a zillion recommendations. I'm only about 1/4 of the way in, but it reminds me of a cross between Perdido Street Station (for the unique world-building) & TV's "Mission Impossible" (for the intrigue). I guess it's classified as "fantasy" since it takes place in a fictional, sorta-medieval setting but so far I haven't run across any dragons, elves, or wizards. Although there's plenty of action, I have a feeling the setting is a red herring & that the plot isn't dependent on a fantasy backdrop (like LOTR and it's descendents). Anyway, I'm enjoying it so far - Lynch writes well & I like the characters he's introduced.

 

[roadkill1292]

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, who engaged Simmons in a 3-part email exchange last week on ESPN Page 2. I read a bunch of his work in The New Yorker, which I really liked, and then picked up this book, which is mostly about how our brains rely (or fail to) on snap judgments.

 

[oso diablo]

Finished The Sparrow. Good read, but i wouldn't say its fans will be the same as those that like The Shack, as someone suggested earlier. If anything, Emilio needs a visit to The Shack.

Tried 2666 next, but not the right time of year for something so meaty and ponderous. Maybe next winter.

Right now, i'm reading Do Hard Things, by twin teenagers Alex and Brett Harris. Would make a perfect graduation gift (HS or college) for any young adult of faith, and is a motivating read for anyone, regardless of faith. The general sentiment - that young adults can and must rise above the low expectations that modern society has for them - is mostly universal, even for a middle-aged guy like me.

 

[igbomb]

Watership Down by Richard Adams - I know I am in the minority on this one (perhaps an understatement) but I found this book to be really boring and gave up after 150 pages. I'd like to think that it was just the wrong time and mood for me to read it, but I doubt I'll give it another shot in the near future. Just wasn't interested in the story whatsoever.

The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien - This book was pretty weak. The archaic language was annoying, and the story was not compelling in the least. No emotion, boring characters with no personality, just all around bad.

 

[Kendall]

I started Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo about a week and a half ago. I've gotten a little busy and haven't been able to read much more of it recently. I'm probably going to restart and finish it this weekend. I've really enjoyed what I had read so far, but I have no background in economics.

 

[beer 30]

Just finished Tiger Force: A True Story of Men and War. Interesting story but I'd caution if you are going to read this book, go to the Tiger Force website first and read through their forum,specifically Tiger Force History 1967 & 1968.

Incredible story about a very elite force put together by Col. David Hackworth to "out guerrilla the guerrilla's". For the most part they did what was intended but for a brief period of time there was a contingent in the platoon that committed atrocities against the civilians of Vietnam. This book covers that period of time, details what happened and finishes with the subsequent case being swept under the rug in 1975. It's an interesting read but having read some of the information from the actual veterans on the website it certainly does not paint an accurate picture of what Tiger Force did throughout Vietnam and the stigma seems to haunt the current force in Iraq.

 

[pantagrapher]

Just started Red Sky at Morning by Richard Bradford.

 

[Hopheads]

I'm on a exploration kick.

Just finished Lost City of Z. It was a very interesting book covering the Amazon in the early 20th century.

Currently reading Into Africa, folling Stanley and Livingstone in the late 19th century.

 

[Tough As Nails]

To anybody who has read 2666 by Roberto Bolano...I am totally and completely bored by the endless descriptions of the murders in Mexico that stretch for like 400 pages. Tell me there's a payoff or tell me to skip them or tell me something to prevent me from putting the book away.

 

[kupcho1]

To anybody who has read 2666 by Roberto Bolano...I am totally and completely bored by the endless descriptions of the murders in Mexico that stretch for like 400 pages. Tell me there's a payoff or tell me to skip them or tell me something to prevent me from putting the book away.

I'm assuming you liked the first few parts (since you're in the middle now). I don't think it's the strongest section of the work. I wouldn't skip it, but if you hate it so much you'd quit reading entirely, skip that volume.

 

[Tough As Nails]

To anybody who has read 2666 by Roberto Bolano...I am totally and completely bored by the endless descriptions of the murders in Mexico that stretch for like 400 pages. Tell me there's a payoff or tell me to skip them or tell me something to prevent me from putting the book away.

I'm assuming you liked the first few parts (since you're in the middle now). I don't think it's the strongest section of the work. I wouldn't skip it, but if you hate it so much you'd quit reading entirely, skip that volume.

I feel bad skipping 300 pages. The first parts were ok...not great, but interesting enough. This middle section seems pointless. After the 3rd murder description, I felt like the point was made and it was getting old. I'm, literally, on murder description number 21 or something...and there are 250 pages to go in the section. Just wanting some reiteration that the time is well spent here.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Watership Down by Richard Adams - I know I am in the minority on this one (perhaps an understatement) but I found this book to be really boring and gave up after 150 pages. I'd like to think that it was just the wrong time and mood for me to read it, but I doubt I'll give it another shot in the near future. Just wasn't interested in the story whatsoever.The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien - This book was pretty weak. The archaic language was annoying, and the story was not compelling in the least. No emotion, boring characters with no personality, just all around bad.

I liked "Watership Down" but if it didn't grab you in 150 pages you probably did the right thing. At least "WD" isn't as overtly allegorical as some of Adams' other books. I was able to get through "Shardik" when I was a teenager, but it was tough going - even then I could see through what he was doing & it sucked any enjoyment out of the book for me.As for "Hurin", it's my least favorite part of "The Silmarillion" proper and that version is much shorter than "TCOH". I bought it but have never read it.

 

[igbomb]

Watership Down by Richard Adams - I know I am in the minority on this one (perhaps an understatement) but I found this book to be really boring and gave up after 150 pages. I'd like to think that it was just the wrong time and mood for me to read it, but I doubt I'll give it another shot in the near future. Just wasn't interested in the story whatsoever.The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien - This book was pretty weak. The archaic language was annoying, and the story was not compelling in the least. No emotion, boring characters with no personality, just all around bad.

I liked "Watership Down" but if it didn't grab you in 150 pages you probably did the right thing. At least "WD" isn't as overtly allegorical as some of Adams' other books. I was able to get through "Shardik" when I was a teenager, but it was tough going - even then I could see through what he was doing & it sucked any enjoyment out of the book for me.As for "Hurin", it's my least favorite part of "The Silmarillion" proper and that version is much shorter than "TCOH". I bought it but have never read it.

The only good thing I can say about The Children of Hurin was that is was short.

 

[shuke]

Just started Red Sky at Morning by Richard Bradford.

 

[facook]

Just finished Stone's Fall by Iain Pears, author of Instance of the Fingerpost.

A little slow in parts, but the payoff is pretty outstanding.

 

[flysack]

Currently reading Marcel Proust's Swann's Way.

I'm reading it very very slowly, often times rereading 10 page sections two or three times.

AMAZING.

After reading and enjoying most of Kerouac's novels and of course reading his references to Proust , I guess at some point I'm gonna have to pick one up. Please tell me I don't have to start with In Search of Lost Time. It sounds laborious. That's the one Kerouac carried around all the time.

It's really his only great novel, from what I know.Of course it's divided into 6 different books. You don't have to read all six in a row. Start with Swann's Way.

It's good, but I'll admit it's tough to just pick up and read. You need to work with it a bit - it demands some concentration and a quiet place.

Definitely not subway reading material.

 

[flysack]

To anybody who has read 2666 by Roberto Bolano...I am totally and completely bored by the endless descriptions of the murders in Mexico that stretch for like 400 pages. Tell me there's a payoff or tell me to skip them or tell me something to prevent me from putting the book away.

I'm assuming you liked the first few parts (since you're in the middle now). I don't think it's the strongest section of the work. I wouldn't skip it, but if you hate it so much you'd quit reading entirely, skip that volume.

I feel bad skipping 300 pages. The first parts were ok...not great, but interesting enough. This middle section seems pointless. After the 3rd murder description, I felt like the point was made and it was getting old. I'm, literally, on murder description number 21 or something...and there are 250 pages to go in the section. Just wanting some reiteration that the time is well spent here.

It is the worst section by far and I was very tempted to skip ahead. I didn't. I'm glad I didn't because it did seem (in some way) to add to the overall effect of the novel.However, that said, you could easily read the first 50 pages of Book 4, then skip ahead to Book 5.....which, btw, is PHENOMENAL.

 

[Tau837]

The Given Day by Dennis Lehane. End of WWI era novel set in Boston. Only about 75 pages in...already love it. The prologue stars Babe Ruth in a pickup baseball game in the middle of nowhere - just great stuff.Lehane is the guy that wrote Gone Baby Gone. Very good writer, highly recommended.

I have read four Lehane books (Mystic River, A Drink Before the War, Sacred, Prayers for Rain) and just bought two more. Love his work.Other favorite fiction authors:Michael ConnellyLee ChildAndy McNabSteve MartiniJohn LescroartJohn Hart

 

[flysack]

Next up: Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien

I can't believe this won the National Book Award. I got all the themes, etc., but I just didn't really enjoy it. 4/10.

Really? That's one of the few O'Brien books I never got around to reading. In the Lake of the Woods and The Things They Carried were both great. I'm surprised Cacciato didn't live up to the accolades.Also, on a personal note, I met O'Brien once in a bookstore by Colgate. Great guy. Real nice and totally down-to-earth. I could easily see kicking a pitcher or two of beer back with him.

 

[flysack]

To anybody who has read 2666 by Roberto Bolano...I am totally and completely bored by the endless descriptions of the murders in Mexico that stretch for like 400 pages. Tell me there's a payoff or tell me to skip them or tell me something to prevent me from putting the book away.

I'm assuming you liked the first few parts (since you're in the middle now). I don't think it's the strongest section of the work. I wouldn't skip it, but if you hate it so much you'd quit reading entirely, skip that volume.

I feel bad skipping 300 pages. The first parts were ok...not great, but interesting enough. This middle section seems pointless. After the 3rd murder description, I felt like the point was made and it was getting old. I'm, literally, on murder description number 21 or something...and there are 250 pages to go in the section. Just wanting some reiteration that the time is well spent here.

It is the worst section by far and I was very tempted to skip ahead. I didn't. I'm glad I didn't because it did seem (in some way) to add to the overall effect of the novel.However, that said, you could easily read the first 50 pages of Book 4, then skip ahead to Book 5.....which, btw, is PHENOMENAL.

Wait - 2666 check - Was the story of the incarcerated German computer tech in Mexico told in Book Four? If so, you need to read it.EDIT: you can just skip over the crime scene sections though.

 

[shuke]

Next up: Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien

I can't believe this won the National Book Award. I got all the themes, etc., but I just didn't really enjoy it. 4/10.

Really? That's one of the few O'Brien books I never got around to reading. In the Lake of the Woods and The Things They Carried were both great. I'm surprised Cacciato didn't live up to the accolades.

I'm sure it would for others, as it was highly acclaimed.

 

[shuke]

Next up: Bagombo Snuff Box by Kurt Vonnegut. A collection of previously unreleased short stories. Probably one of only a few Vonnegut books I haven't read.

Almost done, and can't wait to be. Most of this stuff is from his very early days writing for magazines like the Saturday Evening Post. Nothing too edgy and not much with a sci-fi slant. There's a reason all these stories were passed over when Welcome to the Monkey House was compiled.

Trying to figure out what to read next. This is 3 or 4 underwhelming reads in a row.

Here's a sample of what I have on my shelf unread. Any suggestions welcome:

Wiseguy - Nicholas Pileggi

Everville - Clive Barker

The Postman - David Brin

A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving

The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

Only Begotten Daughter - James Morrow

Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood

Alas, Babylon - Pat Frank

Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein

Altered States - Paddy Chayefsky

Childhood's End - Arthur C. Clarke

 

[patrickmcgroin]

just finished Down River by John Hart. Great, great mystery/legal thriller. Perfect for the summer.

a la Turow, Grisham, Raymond Chandler

That IS a great book. So is his first, "The King of Lies". I just read his newest one, "The Last Child". Picked it up and didn't put it down till I was finished.

 

[Tau837]

just finished Down River by John Hart. Great, great mystery/legal thriller. Perfect for the summer.

a la Turow, Grisham, Raymond Chandler

That IS a great book. So is his first, "The King of Lies". I just read his newest one, "The Last Child". Picked it up and didn't put it down till I was finished.

Haven't read The Last Child yet.

 

[patrickmcgroin]

just finished Down River by John Hart. Great, great mystery/legal thriller. Perfect for the summer.

a la Turow, Grisham, Raymond Chandler

That IS a great book. So is his first, "The King of Lies". I just read his newest one, "The Last Child". Picked it up and didn't put it down till I was finished.

Haven't read The Last Child yet.

Its really good. Lots of twists and turns, maybe a few too many, but a real good easy read. He can really "paint" a story so to speak. He is on a book tour right now in N.C., I may go to one of his stops. I met him last year at a "Meet the Author" at our local library. The 20 people that still read books in our county showed up.....

 

[HellToupee]

Just starting The Mad Ones: Crazy Joe and the Revolution at the Edge of the Underworld by Tom Folsom

http://www.amazon.com/Mad-Ones-Crazy-Revol...6731&sr=1-1

I'm a sucker for crime/gangster books and I'm just starting it but so far its good , real good.

A POWERFUL COLLISION OF TRUE CRIME AND POP CULTURE, THE MAD ONES CAPTURES THE REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT OF THE SIXTIES AND BRINGS TO LIFE ONE OF THE MOST VIBRANT ANTIHEROES IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

The Mad Ones chronicles the rise and fall of the Gallo brothers, a trio of reckless young gangsters whose revolution against New York City's Mafia was inspired by Crazy Joe Gallo's forays into Greenwich Village counterculture.

Crazy Joe, Kid Blast, and Larry Gallo are steeped in legend, from Bob Dylan's eleven-minute ballad "Joey" to fictionalizations central to The Godfather trilogy and Jimmy Breslin's The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight. Called the toughest gang in the city by the NYPD, the Gallos hailed from the rough Red Hook neighborhood on the Brooklyn waterfront. As low-level Mafiosi, they were expected to serve their Don quietly, but the brothers stood apart from typical gangsters with their hip style, fierce ambition, and Crazy Joe's manic idealism.

Joey aspired to be more than a common hood and immersed himself among the Beatniks and bohemians of the Village. Yearning to live the life of an artist, Joey wrote poetry, painted, and got his kicks devouring existential philosophy. Celebrated as the "king of the streets" by Dylan, Joey was embraced by the city's leading cultural figures as an antihero straight out of Camus.

Here, for the first time, is the complete story of the Gallos' war against the powerful Cosa Nostra, an epic crime saga that culminates in Crazy Joe's murder on the streets of Little Italy, where he was gunned down mid-bite into a forkful of spaghetti in 1972. The Mad Ones is a wildly satisfying entertainment and a significant work of cultural history.

 

[SierraKiloBravo]

Next up: Bagombo Snuff Box by Kurt Vonnegut. A collection of previously unreleased short stories. Probably one of only a few Vonnegut books I haven't read.

Almost done, and can't wait to be. Most of this stuff is from his very early days writing for magazines like the Saturday Evening Post. Nothing too edgy and not much with a sci-fi slant. There's a reason all these stories were passed over when Welcome to the Monkey House was compiled.

Trying to figure out what to read next. This is 3 or 4 underwhelming reads in a row.

Here's a sample of what I have on my shelf unread. Any suggestions welcome:

Wiseguy - Nicholas Pileggi

Everville - Clive Barker

The Postman - David Brin

A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving

The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

Only Begotten Daughter - James Morrow

Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood

Alas, Babylon - Pat Frank

Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein

Altered States - Paddy Chayefsky

Childhood's End - Arthur C. Clarke

I'd read Alas, Babylon next, followed by The Postman. Might try A Canticle for Leibowitz as well, although it's not on your list. I enjoy the post-apoc genre because it sets up the characters and then takes everything away, or you meet the characters well after everything has been taken away. Oryx and Crake actually fell completely flat for me. I put it down and never picked it back up.

 

[flysack]

Next up: Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien

I can't believe this won the National Book Award. I got all the themes, etc., but I just didn't really enjoy it. 4/10.

Really? That's one of the few O'Brien books I never got around to reading. In the Lake of the Woods and The Things They Carried were both great. I'm surprised Cacciato didn't live up to the accolades.

I'm sure it would for others, as it was highly acclaimed.

Meh, the National Book Award isn't all that. The process can be pretty political and douchey.

For example: who won the award in 1997? I haven't a clue, do you?

Most people don't. Know why?

Because that year both Phillip Roth's American Pastoral and Don Delillo's Underworld came out.

The committee apparently argued furiously over the two and the end result was a third book totally undeserving ended up winning out. I still don't know what it is.

I also still don't know how Cold Mountain won the National Book Award. It has to be one of the most boring, over-detailed pieces of crap I've ever read. Oh I'll admit it has a great love story at the heart of it, but the prose is just awful.

So I don't place much weight in the National Book Award. The top 5 finalists each year are a much better gauge than the actual award winner.

 

[5Rings]

Next up: Dark Advent by Brian Hodge.

More post-apocalyptic fiction. I've read a bunch of reviews of this that say it's as good as The Stand and Swan Song. My expectations aren't that high, though.

As expected, not nearly as good as The Stand or Swan Song, but still pretty good. I'd say I liked it better than Lucifer's Hammer. Prose was pretty decent for a horror/thriller at the beginning, reminded me a little of Dan Simmons, but got rather pedestrian once the action picked up.7/10

Weird thing is the cover has absolutely nothing to do with the story.

Next up: Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien

The Stand is one of my favorite books, just love it. Any recommendations on post-apocalyptic themed books?

 

[Sundays Rule]

Just finished Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Up next is one of Jim Butcher's books Fool Moon. I like his supernatural mysteries.