Read: The Alchemist -overall a good book not great but good, worth the read
Reading: Angels and Demons -so far so good
To Read: Its not About the Bike (lance armstrong)
Touching the Void
Steven Hawkings Book on Physics :cool:
Printable View
Read: The Alchemist -overall a good book not great but good, worth the read
Reading: Angels and Demons -so far so good
To Read: Its not About the Bike (lance armstrong)
Touching the Void
Steven Hawkings Book on Physics :cool:
recently read:
The Last Temptation - Nikos Kazantzakis. Great book, can't believe they excommunicated him for writing this.
Holy War - Karen Armstrong. A brief history of the crusades. Gives a good insight into how they have affected the current situation in the middle east.
The Salmon of Doubt - Douglas Adams. What can I say other then the man was a master and he will be dearly missed. Contains one of the greatest short stories of all time, "The Private Life of Genghis Khan."
all time favourites:
Duluth, Live From Golgotha - Gore Vidal.
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Anything by Kurt Vonnegut
I actually agree with you there, but thought White Noise was good even if all his follow up stuff was dissapointing. Palahniuk and McCarthy have the same problem to a lesser degree in some of their other work too, but Delillo definitely only got it right once.Quote:
Originally posted by iceman
God I hate Don Delillo. Talented, certainly. The guy can write, no question about it. Pretentious and overwrought? I think so.
IMVHO, of course.
Wow, to each his own, I guess. I thought it was a really easy read. One of my all-time favorites for sure. Nabokov is definitely a master of the written word.Quote:
Originally posted by 13
Be prepared... Tough read.
The last book I read ended up being a tough read for me: The Last Full Measure by Jeff Shaara. More because I'm in a mode where I'm only reading a few pages before bed than anything else. It took a long plane trip to finally knock that one off. I would definitely recommend The Killer Angels by Jeff's dad Michael to anyone. Excellent historical fiction about Gettysburg. The movie Gettysburg was based on this book.
If any of you like the Dan Brown "literature", like DeVinci Code or Angels & Demons, then please do yourself a favor and read Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco.
Excellent book that deals with the topic of the Knights Templar (discussed in Angels & Demons). However, Eco is a MUCH better writer.
A GREAT read.
England's Dreaming - Jon Savage. History of the Sex Pistols in particular and punk in general in the 70's. A bit overwrought perhaps but inspiring stuff.
The Seven Pillars of Wisdom - T.E. Lawrence. Classic adventure story, really interesting.
Gravity's Rainbow - Thomas Pynchon. Surrealist WWII goofiness. A very tough read (coming from a guy who likes tough reads).
For Whom the Bell Tolls - Hemingway. Perhaps my favorite book ever.
The Iranians - Sandra MacKey. History of Iran/Persia. Interesting.
Dead Babies - Martin Amis. Funny, meanspirited stuff. Amis is a bit too entralled with his own writing in my opinion, but he's a master of this kind of satire.
A billion other books.
Amen. I tried to read Underworld and instead just slept really well.Quote:
Originally posted by iceman
God I hate Don Delillo. Talented, certainly. The guy can write, no question about it. Pretentious and overwrought? I think so.
http://tetongravity.com/forums/showt...150#post161150
why people reinvent the wheel I'll never know
read Abbey, any Abbey if you like the outdoors and/0r the western US
http://www.abbeyweb.net/bibliography.html
Yeah, about 300 pages into Underworld my dog chewed the shit of the book, destroying it. I decided that her criticism was apt and never got another copy. I do agree White Noise was better, but man was I sick of that book by the end.
Currently: White Teeth by Zadie Smith, surprisingly good.
Recently: The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen. Long overdue on my list, again far better than I expected given its theme.
A few all-time favorites:
John Fowles - Mantissa
Vladimir Nabokov - Invitation to a beheading
Milan Kundera - Immortality
Ayn Rand - The fountainhead
Joseph Heller - Catch 22
Salman Rushdie - The Satanic Verses
Mihail Bulgakov - The Master and Margarita
...and as tonghands says, a billion other books.
I struggled with Pynchon, read his V. but didn't get through Gravity Rainbow.
Of course the tough read to beat them all is James Joyce's Finnegans Wake. Here are the first couple of paragraphs:
riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings
us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs.
Sir Tristram, violer d'amores, fr'over the short sea, had passencore
rearrived from North Armorica on this side the scraggy isthmus of Europe
Minor to wielderfight his penisolate war: nor had topsawyer's rocks by the
stream Oconee exaggerated themselse to Laurens County's gorgios while they
went doublin their mumper all the time: nor avoice from afire bellowsed
mishe mishe to tauftauf thuartpeatrick: not yet, though venissoon after, had
a kidscad buttended a bland old isaac: not yet, though all's fair in
vanessy, were sosie sesthers wroth with twone nathandjoe. Rot a peck of pa's
malt had Jhem or Shen brewed by arclight and rory end to the regginbrow was
to be seen ringsome on the aquaface. The fall
(bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronn tuonnthunntrovarrhounawnsk
awntoohoohoordenenthur- nuk!) of a once wallstrait oldparr is retaled early
in bed and later on life down through all christian minstrelsy. The great
fall of the offwall entailed at such short notice the pftjschute of
Finnegan, erse solid man, that the humptyhillhead of humself prumptly sends
an unquiring one well to the west in quest of his tumptytumtoes: and their
upturnpikepointandplace is at the knock out in the park where oranges have
been laid to rust upon the green since devlinsfirst loved livvy.
Good stuff, horizon
I just finished studyiing for an exam that required me to read the book "Analysis of Equity Investments: Valuation." As much fun as that was, I'm now looking for something a little less strenuous.
I picked up "Villa Incognito" by Tom Robbins this morning. "Glue" by Irvine Welsh is in the on deck circle.
I'll throw a few more in the ring.
Crichton's "Travlers" or "journey" i forget what the title was. Intersting insight to his life.
The Dan Brown stuff is good reading.
One of my tougher reads was "love in the time of Cholera"
Entertaining reads, anything by Krackauer (sp) or Bill Bryson.
For me it's Moby Dick. I made it through, but God it was slow.Quote:
Originally posted by horizon
Of course the tough read to beat them all is James Joyce's Finnegans Wake.
Someone else mentioned Irvine Welsh. The Marabou Stork Nighmares is a great read.
Just finished The Poisonwood Bible, very, very, good book in my oppinion- I reccomend it
Just started Crime and Punishment- confusing with all the russian names and stuff, yes, but very interesting so far
In the middle of both Da Vinci code and The Monkey Wrench Gang (abbey) but I keep getting more books to read for school that take up my reading time, so they are on the backburner for now...
Just finished Atlas Shrugged. WoW.
Reading Intelligence in War-Keegan
just ordered Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson.
don't care what you read, just read. additionally encourage kids to do the same.
However, as far as Kiyosaki goes. The man is an abject fraud. Rich Dad is a lie. This is of not issue, I like fiction. Just not fiction that is sold as true.
edit: want more?? http://www.johntreed.com/Kiyosaki.html
Just read all of the Dan Brown stuff:
Da Vinci Code
Angels & Demons
Digital Fortress
Deception Point
While travelling I read The Memory Cathedral by Jack Dann. An interesting, pseudo-historical, novelized account of Leonaro Da Vinci's life, with some speculation about an historically unacounted year of his life. During which, among many other things, he realizes his dream of creating a manned flying machine and, employed as a military engineer, uses a fleet of the devices to fight a war in Africa.
While travelling I also became intimately familiar with the British Airways Flight Safety Card. An interesting tale (and nicely illustrated). It tells the story of a tragically downed aircraft and how the passengers attempt a futile escape using silly-looking yellow slides and flotation devices. It was so good, I read it over and over - even the Chinese and Russian versions. Highly recomended. The humor and human tragedy really emerge after the free drink cart has rolled by your aisle several times.
http://www.cancoon.de/_safetycards/4000-4499/4396.jpg
Currently I'm reading "The Roaring 90s" by Joe Stiglitz. Economics is usually boring, but he makes it presentable.
Also reading "Kavalier and Clay" by Michael Chambon. It came very highly reccomended to me and so far I'm liking it, but it hasn't completely sucked me in. I'm also reading "Positively Fifth Steet" by James McManus about the WSOP and murder in Las Vegas - i'll definitely get through it quick cause I love playing cards, but pretty poorly written considering the plot subject he's given.
Great summer reading for me is anything that can get me so involved that I'd rather just sit outside and read than DO most anything. Life of Pi I read last summer and it was awesome!
Clavell somebody mentioned is great for this. Robert Louis Stevenson, Alexander Dumas, Vonnegut all do the trick for me.
If anybody reads spanish literature I love Gabriel Garcia Marquez and would reccomend Alberto Fuguet to anybody. "Mala Onda" and "Las Peliculas de mi Vida" are both just spectacular books. I would think there are english language translations available. A little girlier, but definitely fun, light reads (written in english) are books by Julia Alvarez (How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents, Yo!).
Which Vonnegut book should I read next? So far I've read:
Slaughterhouse 5
Cat's Cradle
Breakfast of Champions
God Bless You Mr. Rosewater
Timequake
And that's all I can remember...
I read Kavalier and Clay and have to say it never really sucked me in. It keeps moving ok, and I had no trouble finishing it, but just didn't have that extra something.Quote:
Originally posted by shamrockpow
Also reading "Kavalier and Clay" by Michael Chambon. It came very highly reccomended to me and so far I'm liking it, but it hasn't completely sucked me in
...
Great summer reading for me is anything that can get me so involved that I'd rather just sit outside and read than DO most anything. Life of Pi I read last summer and it was awesome!
Clavell somebody mentioned is great for this. Robert Louis Stevenson, Alexander Dumas, Vonnegut all do the trick for me.
A book I thought of that's one of those that you'd rather read over anything else is Hawaii by Michener. It's been many years since I read it, but I remember being engrossed at the time.
I would suggest his short stories. I believe it's called Welcome to the Monkey House or something like that I read it a while ago and I thought it was some of the most interesting stuff he had written. I also thought Jailbird was good.Quote:
Originally posted by shamrockpow
Which Vonnegut book should I read next? So far I've read:
Slaughterhouse 5
Cat's Cradle
Breakfast of Champions
God Bless You Mr. Rosewater
Timequake
And that's all I can remember...
"The Rise of the Creative Class" by Richard Florida is my current read but I don't think it would be a good beach book. It is interesting especially when you put it in the context of what local politicans tell you needs to be done to revive a local economy.
Shamrock, make sure to read the Sirens of Titan. That was a good one!
Sprite
(big Vonnegut fan)
Schmear, as I said in the other thread, Lolita is my alltime favorite book, ever. It's amazingly poetic and bizarre and funny.
I just finished something called Confessions of a Tax Collector by Richard Yancey. Surprisingly witty.
Am reading Alexander McCall Smith's series of books, starting with The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I'm on book two. They're a great summer read.
Just finishing up Glue. Good read with quite a few laughs mixed in with some brutal shit, so a typical Welsh novel. Also great for becoming proficient in Scottish slang in case you have been neglecting it...Quote:
Originally posted by TRock
Good stuff, horizon
I just finished studyiing for an exam that required me to read the book "Analysis of Equity Investments: Valuation." As much fun as that was, I'm now looking for something a little less strenuous.
I picked up "Villa Incognito" by Tom Robbins this morning. "Glue" by Irvine Welsh is in the on deck circle.
Not quite on par with Trainspotting or Ecstasy.
The Dawkins book is a great read. Although I still have no hope of understanding people, or anything at all really.Quote:
Originally posted by Spats
Guns, Germs, and Steel: Jared Diamond. Absolutely mandatory reading if you ever want to understand anything about people, cultures, technology, and why modern civilization developed where and when it did -- and not be bored. This book kicks so much butt.
The Blind Watchmaker: Richard Dawkins. Evolutionary theory explained with beautiful clarity. It's like a bunch of little mystery short stories: what about the eye? What about altruism? What's with insects, anyway? Fascinating, especially for anyone who has lingering doubts that the world might have actually been created in 4004 BC. If you have not read this you can't really hope to understand people, or anything at all really.
On the lighter side:
Kitchen Confidential: Anthony Bourdin. An insider's look behind the kitchen doors of fine restaurants. Sex, drugs, and lots of bad language. Came highly recommended to me by a professional chef.
:D
At the time I read that book, I was living in Alabama. The schools had just decided to put a sticker on the inside cover of high school biology textbooks explaining that evolution was just a theory, and as such, deserved to be considered on par with other theories, such as Creationism.
damn did not want to post in here again but
\
spats:
a freakin men!Quote:
Guns, Germs, and Steel: Jared Diamond. Absolutely mandatory reading if you ever want to understand anything about people, cultures, technology, and why modern civilization developed where and when it did -- and not be bored. This book kicks so much butt.
& green pow guy: I have read damn near everything the man has written & Bluebeard is by far my favorite.
from Breakfast of Champions ( 2nd favorite)
he brings back "the erstwhile American painter Rabo Karabekian, a one-eyed man" the depth of this book is different than the rest & blew me sideways
big thumb pointed skyward
Hal Clifford writes good bout ski towns too
For the twentieth time, I'm sure.Quote:
Originally posted by mr_gyptian
Just finished Atlas Shrugged. WoW.
edit: vitriol removal service.