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Whatcha readin now? (book, books, reading, read) (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter shuke
- Start date
Brady Marino
Footballguy
Update:Second book was ok. A few decent twists, a decent storyline that seems pretty logical considering where the first book left off.Third book...sucks. Period. It's a turd. Started off alright-ish, but the middle part has been like reading quicksand. Which leads me to another issue, which I will discuss below:
Katniss is about as likable as a fungo bat. I mean, she is completely devoid of personality outside of compassion for her sister and Gale. She totally treats Peeta like a complete tool in the first book, and is downright ####y to almost anyone that tries to help her. And then we get to the moment where this series jumps the shark: District 13. New landscape that's about as fun to envision as a bear cave. New people I could give a flying #### about. And of course, there's Katniss's typical indignant outlook on things, which we're forced to digest because we're looking through her eyes. The whole "revolution" idea seems intriguing, but because we're chained to Katniss's thoughts, hopes, emotions, and such, we're spared a lot of that.And of course, despite her sour#### towards everything, everyone goes out of their way to put her up on this pedestal. What did she do to deserve this? Manipulate Peeta into a fake romance that got an entire nation to fall in love with her like lemmings? She has come nowhere close to earning sympathy from those that try to help her.The third book then starts to drag with more Katniss melodrama. Ugh. I'm about at the middle point of Mockingjay and I'm ready for this thing to be over so I can move on to a book where we're not forced to look through the eyes of such an unlikable #####.Ok, rant over.
RedmondLonghorn
Footballguy
Currently reading My Friend the Mercenary by James Brabazon.
It is a pretty amazing memoir that describes the author's experiences as a photo-journalist and documentary filmmaker during the second Liberian civil war. Central to the story is the professional relationship and eventual friendship that developed between the author and his bodyguard, a mercenary and veteran of the Apartheid-era South African Defense Forces' notorious special operations units. The mercenary in question gets involved in a spectacular plot involving West African oil, Congolese diamond mines, and an attempted coup d'etat. It all goes horribly wrong.
Great read.
My Friend the Mercenary
It is a pretty amazing memoir that describes the author's experiences as a photo-journalist and documentary filmmaker during the second Liberian civil war. Central to the story is the professional relationship and eventual friendship that developed between the author and his bodyguard, a mercenary and veteran of the Apartheid-era South African Defense Forces' notorious special operations units. The mercenary in question gets involved in a spectacular plot involving West African oil, Congolese diamond mines, and an attempted coup d'etat. It all goes horribly wrong.
Great read.
My Friend the Mercenary
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Maelstrom
Footballguy
I just recently finished all three books, and I found the third book to be the worst of the three. You pretty much expected the revolution given the setup, even as early as book 1, and Katniss does get fairly irritating with her total lack of trust. The part I really disliked though ...
... was the superhuman beasts tracking her group. I know there is precedent from the first book, but it sure seemed like an easy way out and to knock off some characters so their threads didn't need to be tied up at the end. Also, it's one thing to kill off her companions in the games where they have to fight to the death, but seemed like there was no need for almost all of her companions to die. From there to the end I just wasn't too thrilled, I predicted her shooting the District 13 president (not that it was hard to see coming.) Not sure what exactly I would have preferred, and as a whole I still think it was a decent series. I think maybe having her get more into the character of the leader of the rebellion, train hard from the beginning, go into real combat, and become a true leader rather than a figurehead would have been more interesting. Then it could have setup a showdown between her and the D13 president when it turns out that D13 just wants to control the other 12 districts just like the Capitol was, just in reverse. I think the whole assassination plan is kind of out of character as well, I know it is setup through the book, but it really isn't her character.
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shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
Loved The Beach.
John Bender
Footballguy
If she likes violence, Water for Elephants is not a good choice but I would recommend it. Has she read "In Cold Blood". It's very violently graphic and well written. I just started MOckingbird.
Clifford
Footballguy
I think All the Pretty Horses has a broader appeal. The Crossing is much darker and philosophical. If you want to try out McCarthy I'd recommend suttree as his best, but Atph is a more accessible work. If you want to read something completely ####ed up of his get Child of God.
Chaos Commish
Footballguy
The Breach by Patrick Lee was sitting on a help yourself shelf in a hospital waiting room where I was spending a day, so I read 2/3rds of it. I went back a couple weeks later sat there and finished it. 
So I picked up the next one, Ghost Country and read it last weekend. I just finished the climax to the trilogy a few minutes ago. These were not great books. Sci Fi. Some interesting twists on old ideas. Ghost Country would be a fun movie. I think these may be the worst books I absolutely couldn't put down. Someone try them and tell me if I'm nuts.
So I picked up the next one, Ghost Country and read it last weekend. I just finished the climax to the trilogy a few minutes ago. These were not great books. Sci Fi. Some interesting twists on old ideas. Ghost Country would be a fun movie. I think these may be the worst books I absolutely couldn't put down. Someone try them and tell me if I'm nuts.
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
No ####ing way.The Breach by Patrick Lee was sitting on a help yourself shelf in a hospital waiting room where I was spending a day, so I read 2/3rds of it. I went back a couple weeks later sat there and finished it.
Chaos Commish
Footballguy
Mom's getting chemo in a fairly private location. Way.No ####ing way.The Breach by Patrick Lee was sitting on a help yourself shelf in a hospital waiting room where I was spending a day, so I read 2/3rds of it. I went back a couple weeks later sat there and finished it.
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
Sorry to hear. I thought you meant you went back just to read the book.Mom's getting chemo in a fairly private location. Way.No ####ing way.The Breach by Patrick Lee was sitting on a help yourself shelf in a hospital waiting room where I was spending a day, so I read 2/3rds of it. I went back a couple weeks later sat there and finished it.
The Flying Elvis
Footballguy
Just finished The Passage. Slow at parts and was a bit surprised by the jump forward but I did really enjoy it. Liked it and am happy that the sequel is coming out in the fall.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I just recently finished all three books, and I found the third book to be the worst of the three. You pretty much expected the revolution given the setup, even as early as book 1, and Katniss does get fairly irritating with her total lack of trust. The part I really disliked though ...
... was the superhuman beasts tracking her group. I know there is precedent from the first book, but it sure seemed like an easy way out and to knock off some characters so their threads didn't need to be tied up at the end. Also, it's one thing to kill off her companions in the games where they have to fight to the death, but seemed like there was no need for almost all of her companions to die. From there to the end I just wasn't too thrilled, I predicted her shooting the District 13 president (not that it was hard to see coming.) Not sure what exactly I would have preferred, and as a whole I still think it was a decent series. I think maybe having her get more into the character of the leader of the rebellion, train hard from the beginning, go into real combat, and become a true leader rather than a figurehead would have been more interesting. Then it could have setup a showdown between her and the D13 president when it turns out that D13 just wants to control the other 12 districts just like the Capitol was, just in reverse. I think the whole assassination plan is kind of out of character as well, I know it is setup through the book, but it really isn't her character.
I, too, got tired of Katniss' angst. My God, no wonder people think teenage girls are the worst animals on the face of the Earth. Of course, no of us are Collins' intended audience and I'm sure young women eat this stuff up.
Brady Marino
Footballguy
I'm doing "Wind Through The Keyhole" now and am liking it so far (maybe 25% done). It's not a behemoth of a book like some of the others in the series - maybe, what? 300-400 pages? - so I'll probably breeze through it by the weekend. As pro says, King could write a zillion of these where we go back to Roland's past (this one takes place after the flashback events of "Wizard & Glass").
at the second sentence of your spoiler. So true!Starting the Jack Reacher series at the first book, Killing Floor. Liking it so far, but it's very early. I know, it's one of those books I should have read a long time ago, but I haven't been a big reader since my early teen years (late 90's). Hunger Games + an Amazon Kindle Fire has gotten me back into the swing of reading again.
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Instinctive
Footballguy
They're all pretty similar. It's more like one huge story than a lot of other series I've read that have this many books, if that makes sense.
I have enjoyed them all.I'd recommend Vince Flynn's novels if you like Reacher as well.
RedmondLonghorn
Footballguy
I am about 2/3 of the way done with the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson.
I find the book fascinating, not because I am particularly enamored by Jobs (who was quite a #### in many ways), but because it is such an interesting history of the technology business.
I find the book fascinating, not because I am particularly enamored by Jobs (who was quite a #### in many ways), but because it is such an interesting history of the technology business.
E Street Brat
Footballguy
I just picked this up today.I'm no Apple fanboy either, just curious.about his story.I just finished "In the garden of beasts".What an incredible story. Highly recommend.
RedmondLonghorn
Footballguy
In the Garden of Beasts is high on my list of books to read next.I like this thread, but it seems very fiction-centric to me. Maybe we should have a non-fiction books thread. I mainly read non-fiction.
JFT Ben
Footballguy
My wife read these a few weeks back,
would like other recommendations for wife erotica I can tell her to buy. I'm not sure she's really a romance novel type but liked (barf) twighlight and Sookie Stackhouse stuff.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Someone started a non-fiction book thread recently. Shouldn't be buried too deep.I liked In The Garden Of Beasts - maybe not quite as much as Devil In The White City, but it's still a very interesting read.
Swing 51
Footballguy
Another positive for Skippy Dies here. Good read.Was just catching up with this thread yesterday. Picked this one up at the library today.Skippy Dies is one of the best books I've read in years. I highly recommend it.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I'm about 1/3 of the way through and am really enjoying Skippy Dies. It took me a few dozen pages to get used to the writing style - it's told in present tense and Murray doesn't always identify who's speaking - but now it's flowing along nicely. Like Eco, Murray has some pet themes/peeves/whatever he includes in the story that really have nothing to do with the plot. But, unlike Eco, he doesn't detour for a thousand pages to recount them - they are inserted efficiently and entertainingly into the narrative. I'm just on the other side of the Halloween Hop - one of the funniest & disturbing events I've ever read - and can't wait to see where Murray takes things from here on out.Another positive for Skippy Dies here. Good read.Was just catching up with this thread yesterday. Picked this one up at the library today.Skippy Dies is one of the best books I've read in years. I highly recommend it.
The Flying Elvis
Footballguy
Trying to get into the Aubrey/Maturin series by O'Brian... About 100 pages into it and it's tough to keep up with all the nautical terms. Is it worth it to try to get invested in the series?
Swing 51
Footballguy
Already Dead by Denis Johnson. Not very good. Surprised since I was a big fan of Tree of Smoke and read the novella Train Dreams which is getting a lot of praise. Maybe Already Dead was just over my head as I'm not into Nietzsche/philosophy.
Just about to start The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant, about moonshine bootleggers in Virginia during the Depression. The movie version, called Lawless, gets released in late August.
Just about to start The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant, about moonshine bootleggers in Virginia during the Depression. The movie version, called Lawless, gets released in late August.
John Bender
Footballguy
Just cracked open "John Adams" by McCullough.
Not a big Adams guy, but I liked 1776 so I thought I'd give it a whirl. If someone's read it and want's to stop me now, please do.
Not a big Adams guy, but I liked 1776 so I thought I'd give it a whirl. If someone's read it and want's to stop me now, please do.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Just finished Ball Four. May have lost some of its relevance over the past 40 years since it was published, but still a good read.
Starting Robert Caro's The Passage of Power. This one may take awhile, but love Caro.
Starting Robert Caro's The Passage of Power. This one may take awhile, but love Caro.
JFT Ben
Footballguy
Wrapped up "Wild Thing" by Josh Bazell over the weekend. Sort of a bigfoot mystery and a sequel (though only in the loosest sense, it's more of a new story with the same character) to his first book,though not as good as Beat the Reaper (which I'm re-reading now). A fun, easy summer read by the pool.
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John Bender
Footballguy
The Flying Elvis
Footballguy
Cracking open Lonesome Dove.
John Bender
Footballguy
Don Quixote
Footballguy
I read it when it came out, but I won't stop you. I had some complaints about it (I think McCullough was a bit too defensive of Adams in certain places where Adams probably deserves criticism--such as the Alien and Sedition Acts), but it was still a worthwhile read. If you liked 1776, you'd probably like John Adams too.
johnadams
Footballguy
Do tell which ones you prefer. Like many, I'm on a bit of a fantasy renaissance kick thanks to Game of Thrones TV show steering me to the larger book series and am looking for some good stuff to sink my teeth into. I think Abercrombie likes his characters a bit too much and wants them to have a deeper underpinning of essential goodness which reduces the sharpness of his characters at inopportune moments. (I guess my long winded way of saying that I agree). But I still found them to be breezy reads with some really good moments and a few characters that really sparkle.
John Bender
Footballguy
There he is,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 
T
T
Black Sunshine
Footballguy
About 2/3 the way through The First Counsel by Brad Meltzer.
Sand
Footballguy
Just finished The Wise Man's Fear. It was excellent - as good as the first one. Can't wait for the third. Now on to The Use of Weapons. Another good book - I've always liked Iain Banks. Also cracked open God's Jury: The Inquisition and the Making of the Modern World - learning lots I didn't know. Not sure how it will hold me, but so far so good.
Bengalsfan
Footballguy
Looking for something to read at the beach next week.....nothing heaving......prefer something more toward the thrilling, escapist direction.....open to pretty much anything.....from legal thrillers (ala Grisham) to fantasy.....just want something I don't want to put down.....not something I'll labor through.
Tell me what you got.
Thanks!
Tell me what you got.
Thanks!
Bengalsfan
Footballguy
someone please tell me in what order to read the Mitch Rapp books.....thinking about starting them at the beach next week. Should I go with Reacher or Rapp? I've never read any of either.
Bengalsfan
Footballguy
someone please tell me in what order to read the Mitch Rapp books.....thinking about starting them at the beach next week. Should I go with Reacher or Rapp? I've never read any of either.
Instinctive
Footballguy
Oh man, both are amazing. I have read the Rapp ones more than once and the Reacher ones only once though, so I suppose that means I prefer Rapp. I would start with FLynn's non-Rapp book that has a lot of the characters you'll see come up in Rapp books. I think it is called Term Limits - really good starting point, and I would follow it with Transfer of Power (if that's described as hostages in the White House)
Black Sunshine
Footballguy
I've read Term Limits and Transfer of Power. Both are good but be aware that Flynns conservative good liberal stupid politics shine thru a bit much with black and white characters.
Bronx Bomber
Footballguy
Look up Vince Flynn's Wikipedia page. It give the books in order. Id start with the first on Term Limits, then maybe jump to American Assassin (it the 12th book but actually all abou how Rapp came to be). Then just continue on from book 2. I loved them all.ETA: Mitch Rapp Series [7]Mitch Rapp, as portrayed by the author, is an under-cover CIA counter-terrorism agent. The primary focus of the character is thwarting Middle Eastern terrorist attacks on the United States and he is presented as an aggressive operative who is willing to take measures that are more extreme than might be considered commonly acceptable. His constant frustration with procedures and red tape are a major theme throughout the entire series. Profanity and adult themes are common, so the series is recommended for mature audiences.1. † Term Limits (1997) - ISBN 0-671-02317-9 2. Transfer of Power (1999) - ISBN 0-671-02319-5 3. The Third Option (2000) - ISBN 0-671-04731-0 4. Separation of Power (2001) - ISBN 0-671-04733-7 5. Executive Power (2003) - ISBN 0-7434-5395-6 6. Memorial Day (2004) - ISBN 0-7434-5397-2 7. Consent to Kill (2005) - ISBN 0-7432-7036-3 8. Act of Treason (2006) - ISBN 0-7432-7037-1 9. Protect and Defend (2007) - ISBN 978-0-7432-7041-0 10. Extreme Measures (2008) - ISBN 0-7432-7042-8 11. Pursuit of Honor (2009) - ISBN 978-1-4165-9516-8 12. American Assassin (2010) - ISBN 978-1-4165-9518-2 13. Kill Shot (2012) - ISBN 978-1-4165-9520-5 14. Last Man (fall 2012)† Contains some of the characters from the Mitch Rapp series, but Rapp himself does not appear.
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The Flying Elvis
Footballguy
Tougher and tougher to figure out which book I should read next. I jump around genres and have exhausted most fantasy which I read a lot last year. Anyone have any suggestions? Just looking for a good book regardless of genre but not really looking for any character series like stuff with Dirk Pitt or Reacher. For reference the last 5 books I have read are:
Lonesome Dove
The Passage
Lamb: Gospel According to Biff
Cloud Atlas
The Rook
Probably looking more towards the longer novels right now but not limited. Also not really looking to dive into any classics right now.
Lonesome Dove
The Passage
Lamb: Gospel According to Biff
Cloud Atlas
The Rook
Probably looking more towards the longer novels right now but not limited. Also not really looking to dive into any classics right now.
Todd Andrews
Footballguy
I think you might like In the Woods. Excellent debut literary crime novel set in Ireland. Really well done. There have been two sequels so if you like it there are two more very good books sitting out there.
facook
Footballguy
A couple of suggestions. If you liked The Passage, try Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons. It's outstanding. Another good one by Simmons that's a little more "reality" based is The Terror - a British explorer ship becomes locked in the Arctic Ice. I loved it.One of my all-time favorites is Shantaram by Gregor David Roberts.Finally, I'd recommend Cryptonomicon or The Baroque Cycle (a trilogy) by Neal Stephenson. Kind of his own genre, but highly entertaining.All of these are long and feature highly entertaining characters and fantastic storylines.'The Flying Elvis said:
facook
Footballguy
I've recently re-read The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub. Originally read this as a teenager and remember liking it much more back then.
Also re-read Desperation by King. Really enjoyed it much more the second time. I'd put it in the top third of King books.
Right now reading Dragonfly by John Farris. Picked it up at a used bookstore based solely on the Stephen King blurb on the cover (yeah, I've been in a King rut
). I'd give it a 2.5 out of 5 so far. I'll stick with it, but hoping for more.
Waiting for 11/22/63 and Dance with Dragons to hit paperback.
Also re-read Desperation by King. Really enjoyed it much more the second time. I'd put it in the top third of King books.
Right now reading Dragonfly by John Farris. Picked it up at a used bookstore based solely on the Stephen King blurb on the cover (yeah, I've been in a King rut
). I'd give it a 2.5 out of 5 so far. I'll stick with it, but hoping for more.Waiting for 11/22/63 and Dance with Dragons to hit paperback.
prosopis
Arizona Chupacabra
I am reading "Mrs Kennedy and me" by Clint Hill. He was the secret service agent assigned to Jackie Kennedy. He may be best known for jumping on the back of the car after Kennedy was assassinated. So far I am liking it. Interesting what a different time it was back then. Things have certainly changed.
I was born after the assassination so I did not experience the feelings people say they had about that time. I do think I am starting to truly understand how much and why people loved the Kennedy's. It must have been a horrible day in America
I was born after the assassination so I did not experience the feelings people say they had about that time. I do think I am starting to truly understand how much and why people loved the Kennedy's. It must have been a horrible day in America
