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Whatcha readin now? (book, books, reading, read) (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter shuke
- Start date
JFT Ben
Footballguy
Am slowly working my way through the GOT series, 3/4 through book 2, hope to use my christmas vacation to kick most of book 3.
Anyways, have been on a comedy book audio-kick lately, here are four I've made it through and my grades. All were read by their authors:
Why we suck - Dennis Leary - Grade B: typical Leary ranting with some personal stories mixed in. Entertaining
I Drink for a reason - David Cross - Grade B: I really enjoy intelligent and quirky humor, which Cross delivers, sometimes very randomly, throughout the book. Most random chapters and hodge-podge stories and exerpts of the four, some hit, some miss the mark but mostly entertaining.
Bossypants - Tina Fey - Grade C: very feminist slant on working as a female in the entertainment/comedy business. I like Tina, but it wasn't very funny.
Bedwetter - Sarah Silverman - Grade C-: I like Silverman's style of intelligent, potty humor, but this book was mostly about her life coming from a middleclass family with a long section on her bedwetting which was pretty serious and sad. The book wasn't that funny, but some sections on her relationsship and stories with other comics, such as Dave Attell and Louis C.K. were funny at times.
Upcoming audiobooks in this genre I haven't gotten my hands on yet will be: Zombie Spaceship Wasteland (Patton Oswalt), and Skanks for the Memories (Dave Attell).
Anyways, have been on a comedy book audio-kick lately, here are four I've made it through and my grades. All were read by their authors:
Why we suck - Dennis Leary - Grade B: typical Leary ranting with some personal stories mixed in. Entertaining
I Drink for a reason - David Cross - Grade B: I really enjoy intelligent and quirky humor, which Cross delivers, sometimes very randomly, throughout the book. Most random chapters and hodge-podge stories and exerpts of the four, some hit, some miss the mark but mostly entertaining.
Bossypants - Tina Fey - Grade C: very feminist slant on working as a female in the entertainment/comedy business. I like Tina, but it wasn't very funny.
Bedwetter - Sarah Silverman - Grade C-: I like Silverman's style of intelligent, potty humor, but this book was mostly about her life coming from a middleclass family with a long section on her bedwetting which was pretty serious and sad. The book wasn't that funny, but some sections on her relationsship and stories with other comics, such as Dave Attell and Louis C.K. were funny at times.
Upcoming audiobooks in this genre I haven't gotten my hands on yet will be: Zombie Spaceship Wasteland (Patton Oswalt), and Skanks for the Memories (Dave Attell).
Instinctive
Footballguy
The Right to be Wrong - Seamus Hasson
Guy has some interesting ideas. Not sure I agree with all of them, but certainly some food for thought.
Guy has some interesting ideas. Not sure I agree with all of them, but certainly some food for thought.
johnadams
Footballguy
Stick with it. It's been awhile, but IIRC, it starts very slow for a pretty long while then really gets rolling. I think the first quarter to a third can be tough sledding. But like I said it's been awhile.I just finished The Passage. I'll read the next book, but not as good as I expected from reading the back cover synopsis.Just started The Exorcist.
D_House
Footballguy
In the past I month I read a few recent non-fiction titles on health care and diet:
Critical Condition, by Donald Bartlett and James Steele: a couple of Pulitzer-winning investigative journalists examine the American health care system, pre-Obamacare. Predictably, they find a lot wrong. Most of the work is centered on the changes in healthcare that resulted from the increased role that Wall Street played in decision-making starting in the 1980s. I think it was an engaging tutorial on the modern state of American health care but unfortunately because it was written in 2004, it's probably somewhat obsolete.
Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance, by Atul Gawande: This is a collection of essays grouped under broad subject categories that includes topics such as hospital infection control, Third World healthcare, and the ethical dilemmas facing physicians that assist with executions. Gawande is a thoughtful guy, his writing style simple and direct, but I think this collection would have been better served by eliminating spurious subject the headings. Some real insight could have been plumbed from some of the stories beyond trying to connect them to 'diligence' or 'ingenuity'.
The Jungle Effect: A Doctor Discovers the Healthiest Diets from Around the World, by Daphne Miller: I picked this up from the library after seeing it recommended in one of the Paleo/Primal diet threads. Here, Dr. Miller makes the case that the ancestral diets of certain disease 'cold spots' - places where modern disease occur much less frequently than average - are central to the health of those local populations. It's pretty convincing stuff, as she seamlessly connects anecdotes from people living in these areas with citations to scientific studies showing the benefits of particular nutrients that are enriched in the 'cold spot' diets (Omega-3 fats, for example).
The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan: Pollan writes like a star of literary fiction, and even though his topic here has by now been covered ad nauseum by several other books and documentaries (Food Inc, King Corn, etc.), this is still worth the read. I did get a little bored during his philosophical ramblings in the lead-up to his hunting experiences, but the first and second sections in particular are an incisive treatment of what is wrong with the American food production system and also how it can be improved.
Critical Condition, by Donald Bartlett and James Steele: a couple of Pulitzer-winning investigative journalists examine the American health care system, pre-Obamacare. Predictably, they find a lot wrong. Most of the work is centered on the changes in healthcare that resulted from the increased role that Wall Street played in decision-making starting in the 1980s. I think it was an engaging tutorial on the modern state of American health care but unfortunately because it was written in 2004, it's probably somewhat obsolete.
Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance, by Atul Gawande: This is a collection of essays grouped under broad subject categories that includes topics such as hospital infection control, Third World healthcare, and the ethical dilemmas facing physicians that assist with executions. Gawande is a thoughtful guy, his writing style simple and direct, but I think this collection would have been better served by eliminating spurious subject the headings. Some real insight could have been plumbed from some of the stories beyond trying to connect them to 'diligence' or 'ingenuity'.
The Jungle Effect: A Doctor Discovers the Healthiest Diets from Around the World, by Daphne Miller: I picked this up from the library after seeing it recommended in one of the Paleo/Primal diet threads. Here, Dr. Miller makes the case that the ancestral diets of certain disease 'cold spots' - places where modern disease occur much less frequently than average - are central to the health of those local populations. It's pretty convincing stuff, as she seamlessly connects anecdotes from people living in these areas with citations to scientific studies showing the benefits of particular nutrients that are enriched in the 'cold spot' diets (Omega-3 fats, for example).
The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan: Pollan writes like a star of literary fiction, and even though his topic here has by now been covered ad nauseum by several other books and documentaries (Food Inc, King Corn, etc.), this is still worth the read. I did get a little bored during his philosophical ramblings in the lead-up to his hunting experiences, but the first and second sections in particular are an incisive treatment of what is wrong with the American food production system and also how it can be improved.
ODoyleRules
Footballguy
Just finished Free Range Kids by Lenore Skenazy. In a nutshell, a non-fiction book on how helicopter parents are doing it wrong by worrying about the wrong kinds of risk. The philosophy of the book lines right up with my parenting belief, so I knew I wouldn't gain much from it, but I hoped that it shared info or stats about the real risks. It did, but I had to wade through a lot of preachiness and cutesy writing to get there. I recommend the philosophy advocated by the book, but wouldn't recommend the book.
Last night, I just figured out how to get Kindle books from my library onto my iPad while sitting on my couch. With that, just started Ready Player One reco'd by this thread.
Last night, I just figured out how to get Kindle books from my library onto my iPad while sitting on my couch. With that, just started Ready Player One reco'd by this thread.
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
This looks interesting. So what are some of the "real" risks you're alluding to?
ODoyleRules
Footballguy
Basically, fears of abduction (whether at the playground, bus stop or walking to school), dangerous toys, bad TV, tainted halloween candy are way overblown and there is little to worry about. Since the author came into the spotlight for letting her 9 yo kid ride the NYC subway by himself, the book focuses on abduction risks. On this risk, kids are 40x more likely to get killed in a car crash than be abducted by a stranger. And, if you wanted to get your kid abducted and put him on a random street corner, you'd have to wait about 25,000 days for that to happen (I need to double check this stat, but its an absurdly long time). It's not out to dismiss that there aren't some risks out there, but there's no reason for kids to live a sheltered life fearing an event that is extremely rare and random.'shuke said:
Mitch Robbins
Footballguy
Word from the wife is the first 50 pages are really meh, then it picks up and doesn't let you go.My reading time has suffered with a video game addiction flare-up.
I'm still working through Oblivion by DFW.
I ordered a copy of The Book of Evidence by John Banville almost a month ago and still haven't cracked the spine. This needs to happen, ASAP.
steelerfan1
Footballguy
finished his 2nd book.although his character is not jack reacher tough, the series ranks right up there for me so far.
also just finished the poachers' son. good book as well.
PizzaDeliveryGuy
extra sausage
Only half way in at this point and this may be the most boring book ever.
E Street Brat
Footballguy
I'm trying to find a cheaper/used copy of " Making sense of sqiqqly lines" could ya'll keep your eyes open for me?
http://cb-racing.com/book_reviews.html
TIA
http://cb-racing.com/book_reviews.html
TIA
igbomb
Footballguy
Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
Good stuff. First book in a new series and one I'll definitely catch more of. Great characters and really well-done setting. It will be interesting to see where it goes in volume two.
Good stuff. First book in a new series and one I'll definitely catch more of. Great characters and really well-done setting. It will be interesting to see where it goes in volume two.
eaganwildcats
Footballguy
Skyryder222
Footballguy
Streets is as grim as the others. I'm with you as both are so bleak, they're hard to read. The writing itself is great, but damn I winced a bunch reading 'em. I originally read them in the order published, then did a reread a few years ago in chronological (for the story) order. Man oh man, McMurtry must have either been going through some crazy stuff he needed to bleed out or he's just a seriously messed up dude.Also agree that they don't match up to Dove but, then again, no other novel does either. The more I read (& I ain't hard to please), the more I'm convinced it's the Great American Novel.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
Haven't had the attention span that I normally do for books lately, and when that happens I will turn to recommended books from the 'young adult' section like HP and The Hunger Games. Was catching on my AV podcast lately and one of them highly recommend the Chaos Walking trilogy. I started The Knife of Never Letting Go over the weekend, and am digging it quite a bit so far.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
This looks interesting. Added to my wishlist. Thanks for mentioning it.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
You've made it further than I ever did in Moby ****. I got about 50 pages into it before putting it down. Agree that it might be the most boring book I've ever attempted reading, and Melville is a pretty awful writer. Not sure why it's considered a classic.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I had to read this on assignment when I was in high school. I finished it but, my God, was it a tough go. Melville goes off on distracting asides dozens of pages long that really add nothing to the story or reading experience. There's a good 300 page novel hidden in there somewhere, but damned if I could find it.
Hov34
Eephus's Great Great Great Love Child
I'm about 30 pages in and struggling. Good to hear this.Definitely have to labor through the beginning.
I must have picked up this book and read the back cover at least 10 times. Good to hear someone promote it. It might make me finally pull the trigger.
igbomb
Footballguy
He's written two stand-alone sequels and is working on a third. I think it's important to read them in publication order as there is definitely tie-in from one to the next, but outside of the trilogy his other stuff has self-contained stories. I like that he is also using a different style/approach with each of the follow-ons. The trilogy is your classic big quest story (though different in several great ways). Then his stand-alones have been a revenge story (Best Served Cold), a war story (The Heroes), and coming soon a western-style story (Red Country). Really great stuff.
igbomb
Footballguy
I don’t really care for sci-fi that gets hung up on the concept or technology at the expense of the story. In this book, humans have found an engine that has enough power to send us beyond the asteroid belt to Saturn but not yet further. The author doesn't really spend any time explaining how this engine works. They just take it as a matter of course and tell their story. I haven't seen many books that use this area of space exploration. Most of the epic stuff out there starts with humans spread all over the galaxy/universe. I like that this series has us confined to our solar system.
TexanFan02
Footballguy
I had to read it for American Lit in college. I couldn't even stand the cliff notes. I guessed and got a B.
igbomb
Footballguy
The Big Short by Michael Lewis
I've never quite embraced Lewis like a lot of other folks out there seem to. I like pretty much everything he writes (though Liar's Poker wasn't very good) but he doesn't completely pull me in like Krakauer does. Having said that, this book might just be his best yet. I still recall my finance prof giving us his interpretation of what was happening during the 2008 bloodbath every week in class, so I feel that I'm quite a bit more informed than I might have otherwise been. Even with a good amount of knowledge of what went down, this book had such great characters that I think it would stand up whether you knew everything there was to know about the collapse or were totally ignorant. Very engaging. Right there with Moneyball in terms of character development.
Has anyone read Boomerang? Any good?
I've never quite embraced Lewis like a lot of other folks out there seem to. I like pretty much everything he writes (though Liar's Poker wasn't very good) but he doesn't completely pull me in like Krakauer does. Having said that, this book might just be his best yet. I still recall my finance prof giving us his interpretation of what was happening during the 2008 bloodbath every week in class, so I feel that I'm quite a bit more informed than I might have otherwise been. Even with a good amount of knowledge of what went down, this book had such great characters that I think it would stand up whether you knew everything there was to know about the collapse or were totally ignorant. Very engaging. Right there with Moneyball in terms of character development.
Has anyone read Boomerang? Any good?
ragincajun
Footballguy
Touche' on Burke.
This is what really makes me interested in reading it. Feels like human space travel might actually be plausible to those distances in the distant future (well, as plausible as a book like this can make it sound anyway).
buzzed through Ready Player One last weekend. an easy read and quite entertaining. seems like a perfect fit for a big budget hollywood movie and i think i'd like to see it on the big screen. liked the book overall but felt like it could have been meatier. the poster who said it is really more like a young-adult book nailed it. NTTIAWWT.
Pooch
More Yang than Yin
I read Moby **** in its entirety about 5 years ago and it did nothing for me. I was mad at myself afterwards for not quitting on it.
Just finished rereading Crime and Punishment and I can heartily recommend that one for a "classic" experience. Dostoevsky can describe the human condition like no other author I've ever read.
I just started on The girl with the dragon tattoo. Are the 2nd and 3rd novels pretty good?
Just finished rereading Crime and Punishment and I can heartily recommend that one for a "classic" experience. Dostoevsky can describe the human condition like no other author I've ever read.
I just started on The girl with the dragon tattoo. Are the 2nd and 3rd novels pretty good?
PizzaDeliveryGuy
extra sausage
I finally finished Moby ****. It never got better.I enjoyed Crime and Punishment but would rate The Brothers Karamazov and The Idiot ahead of it.
I am just finishing up The Picture Of Dorian Gray and have found it very interesting.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
Looking for some suggestions for short story collections. Never really read any, but lately I have been busy and find myself not finishing books. Thought this might be a good idea since I could read a story or two before bed. Just picked up Brave New Worlds which has stories about dystopian societies. Been a few stories in there that I have liked so far. What else would you recommend - doesn't have to be a certain genre, as I am up for most anything.
John Bender
Footballguy
Has "A Time To Betray" by Reza Khalili been mentioned in here yet? Finished it last week. One of the best books I've read in the last 10 years.
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
You could always pick up an anthology type of thing. For example, one I liked was My Favorite Horror Story, which was a collection of short stories picked by some of the top authors in the horror genre, with a preface by each why they liked it.Joe R. Lansdale has some decent collections, and his genre is difficult to pinpoint. Not really high brow lit, just good story telling.
If you want to be blown away by the "modern day Poe", try Thomas Ligotti.
Crazy Canuck
Footballguy
9 Stories, Salinger The Girl With Curious Hair, David Foster Wallace
Cathedral, Raymond Carver
Can't go wrong with any of them.
Tremendous Upside
Footballguy
So 2011 was my worst reading year ever. Mainly due to work craziness, but also some laziness. Devoted to turn it around in 2012. Goal is 100 books this year. Bought a kindle, which will help when commuting and traveling.
Starting off with a recent bio of TE Lawrence and a collection of Don Delillo short stories.
Starting off with a recent bio of TE Lawrence and a collection of Don Delillo short stories.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Joe Hill's 20th Century Ghosts is really good. The title is a little misleading as it's not a bunch of traditional ghost/horror stories, but would probably be better-described with "speculative fiction" (which is damned near as meaningless a term as "alternative" is to music). Hill writes really well and there are some stories in this book that are among the creepiest/touching/odd I've ever read. The "boxes" & um..."balloon" stories give me chills just thing about them.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
James Joyce's Dubliners and Ha Jin's The Bridgegroom are a couple of my favorite short story collections.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
It took me about five months, but I finally finished reading Shelby Foote's Civil War trilogy. Took a long time to get through, but well worth it. Most of the Civil War stuff I've read focused on the eastern theatre, and only some of the bigger battles in the west. Loved the detail that Foote applied to all of the battles.
Over the holidays, read The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football. I love Teddy Roosevelt and football; so, I thought would be a perfect combo, but I was kind of disappointed. The book probably could have been done in an article. The act of TR "saving football" is only a few pages in the book. TR does not even graduate college until about halfway through the book. But my view is as someone who has read Edmund Morris and several other books about TR, so someone who has not read a lot about TR may find it more interesting, as I feel like most of the book was recounting stuff I already read/knew.
Also started Destiny of the Republic.
Over the holidays, read The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football. I love Teddy Roosevelt and football; so, I thought would be a perfect combo, but I was kind of disappointed. The book probably could have been done in an article. The act of TR "saving football" is only a few pages in the book. TR does not even graduate college until about halfway through the book. But my view is as someone who has read Edmund Morris and several other books about TR, so someone who has not read a lot about TR may find it more interesting, as I feel like most of the book was recounting stuff I already read/knew.
Also started Destiny of the Republic.
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
ODoyleRules
Footballguy
I gave this book a go and didn't like it that much. Maybe it's because I don't read too much science fiction, but there were so many details that were not believable about the future that I struggled with the credibility of anything. I'm a huge fan of 80's pop culture, but I didn't feel like they made any thing interesting out of the references, besides just a Chris Farley-esque "remember Capn Crunch cereal... that was awesome"
Socrates11
Footballguy
Jutz
Footballguy
I read a review a while ago on this thread about the book Those Guys Have All The Fun. Basically the history of ESPN. The review said it was a bunch of blowhards telling stories, or something to that effect. While I can't disagree with that, I thought i would give a further review, or some other things to consider.
Yes, there are a ton of blowhards telling 'war stories' about the good ole days, and blah blah blah. And yes, it can get a bit tiring at times. And yes the book is very long but...
If you have the patients to listen to all the blowhard stories, I think there are enough interesting stories, and behind the scenes info that made the book worth it for me. As an example, one of the ESPN employees told a story about covering a baseball game with Tug McGraw, and getting to meet his son Tim before Tim was a major country star. I also felt like there was a lot of 'background' info given regarding particular scandals that allows the reader to piece together some things they may not have understood. They tell the backstory behind ESPN getting MNF, and putting Tony Kornheiser in with the rest of the booth. They explained how that happened, then why it didn't work out. All I can say is, it is one of those situations where I didn't really understand why MNF football with TK failed, but I feel like I have a much better understanding of all the workings behind the scenes, and I found it interesting.
Yes, there is a lot to get through to get to the interesting parts, but I think it was worth it. I have been watching ESPN for 30+ years. There were always things that happened in that span where i was like... WTF? What happened to this guy? Why is this show not on anymore? Who though of that show? How did Tony Realy get on TV? The book answers all those questions and more. Unfortunately, maybe too much more, but I did find it worth the read.
They also have all the background info on just about every scandal that happened at ESPN so there is a bit of a TMZ factor if you are into that. A guilty pleasure of mine I suppose.
Yes, there are a ton of blowhards telling 'war stories' about the good ole days, and blah blah blah. And yes, it can get a bit tiring at times. And yes the book is very long but...
If you have the patients to listen to all the blowhard stories, I think there are enough interesting stories, and behind the scenes info that made the book worth it for me. As an example, one of the ESPN employees told a story about covering a baseball game with Tug McGraw, and getting to meet his son Tim before Tim was a major country star. I also felt like there was a lot of 'background' info given regarding particular scandals that allows the reader to piece together some things they may not have understood. They tell the backstory behind ESPN getting MNF, and putting Tony Kornheiser in with the rest of the booth. They explained how that happened, then why it didn't work out. All I can say is, it is one of those situations where I didn't really understand why MNF football with TK failed, but I feel like I have a much better understanding of all the workings behind the scenes, and I found it interesting.
Yes, there is a lot to get through to get to the interesting parts, but I think it was worth it. I have been watching ESPN for 30+ years. There were always things that happened in that span where i was like... WTF? What happened to this guy? Why is this show not on anymore? Who though of that show? How did Tony Realy get on TV? The book answers all those questions and more. Unfortunately, maybe too much more, but I did find it worth the read.
They also have all the background info on just about every scandal that happened at ESPN so there is a bit of a TMZ factor if you are into that. A guilty pleasure of mine I suppose.
John Bender
Footballguy
I read it and thought it was great.Equally great by the same author is "Live From New York". Same format but it's the history of Saturday Night Live
gmbacm
Footballguy
Read this over the holiday and quite enjoyed it. Feel like the story was cut off too abruptly at the end - almost like he was on a deadline to finish the book. Could use a sequel. Any other similar genre recommendations out there?
Jutz
Footballguy
I also bought the "Live From New York" book. That is either next, or #2 in my queue. I am warming up to the format.
ODoyleRules
Footballguy
Just got Unbroken for Christmas and flew through it. Great book. I've read several other WWII books and this ranks with the best of 'em. I personally like the war stories that follow a front line soldier's experience and describe what it was like to be there moreso than books that talk about the strategy and the numbers of the war. This was definitely in the former camp. The difference in this book vs. other WWII books is that the majority of Unbroken is not focused on combat experiences per se.Not a huge book guy - but, more-so recently with the the e-reader/Kindle.Hard for me to find a good book - not into the sci-fi stuff.
LOVED this book though.
Couldn't put it down and whipped though it.
John Bender
Footballguy
My goal is to read 50 books this year.
Just finished "The Coming of the Third Reich" Part 1.
Just started The Studs Terkel book on WWII.
Anyone want to join me in this contest and keep their lists here, that'd be fun I suppose.
Look for a recommendation for a fluff book after I get done with Terkel.
Just finished "The Coming of the Third Reich" Part 1.
Just started The Studs Terkel book on WWII.
Anyone want to join me in this contest and keep their lists here, that'd be fun I suppose.
Look for a recommendation for a fluff book after I get done with Terkel.
