Books you're currently reading??? - Page 3

SouthOfNoNorth · 11-20-2003, 10:44 AM

The Cryptonomicon lately, which is fantastic in my opinion. i'd have to say that i agree with the consensus about the wheel of time. i got a portion of the way through Path of Daggers and gave up. he's created a scope larger than he can deal with now, in my opinion. all of the female characters and a few of the males have kinda degenerated into cliches, from what i can remember.
A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin, is fantastic. i haven't read the third book in the series yet, but the first two were very good reads.
Also, Women, by Charles Bukowski. great stuff.

jinx · 11-23-2003, 09:28 PM

I just finished The Davinci Code, and am about to start Angels and Demons. Both by Dan Brown

I really liked davinci code, but I do have a few minor coimplaints. 1. I thought the charachters figured things out way to easily, they didn't ever really struggle and were almost always right. 2. Ending was lame.

wolf · 11-23-2003, 10:38 PM

Last Man Down - Battalion Commander Richard Picciotto, FDNY

tikat · 12-05-2003, 06:17 AM

I'm a little more than halfway through Quicksilver, and I like it even more than I liked Cryptonomicon. I've always had a thing for the period it's set in, though.

Now I have pirates on the brain, so I'm going to read some of Rafael Sabatini's books next. If I'm not sick of the 1700ishes by then, I'll go through the Three Muskateers books. It looks like Project Gutenburg has most of this.

I have also been meaning to read Richard Burton's translation of the Arabian Nights, partly for the stories themselves, but also because I'm curious about Burton and I hear the book has copious notes.

wolf · 12-05-2003, 01:47 PM

I was just starting on Dune: Butlerian Jihad (yes, I shamefacedly admit that I'm reading the "Dad's dead, so lets rape his literary legacy and make lots of money off it" series) but have switched over to Tony Hillerman's Talking God, mostly because the Hillerman book is a paperback, and the Dune-ish hardback is occupying too much space in the "bag of shit I take to work when it snows just in case there are no nuts".

A friend of mine gave me the Hillerman book, but I can't remember if I read it already or not. Might read the first chapter, have it all come back to me, and move onto something different.

Griff · 12-05-2003, 01:55 PM

Yah, I read Dune: House Atreides a while back. I read the old series as a yout and really got caught up in it... this series not so much. Why are we posting on the bad engrish thread, when we've had a couple of these book threads before? I'd hate to think we're dumbing down the cellar.

SteveDallas · 12-05-2003, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wolf
(yes, I shamefacedly admit that I'm reading the "Dad's dead, so lets rape his literary legacy and make lots of money off it" series)

I was too, but I could barely make it throught the end of the second book.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

tikat · 12-05-2003, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Griff
Why are we posting on the bad engrish thread, when we've had a couple of these book threads before?

Because it was the first book thread that I stumbled across, and was filled with the posting spirit.

Lead to a more grammatically correct book thread and I'll follow.

I haven't read any...any...of the Dune books. I've always meant to, but they keep getting pushed down the stack by quicker reads.

I've seen the movie and both Sci-Fi TV series, so I'm sure I have the Dune universe thoroughly covered.

amoeba · 12-05-2003, 03:55 PM

I'm reading this book called Mapping Human History by Steve Olson. It is the most interesting book I've read in a while. It's actually influencing what I might change my major to. It describes how humans came to be through studying genes. It really is an awsome book.

Chewbaccus · 12-05-2003, 06:13 PM

"The Family" by Mario Puzo. It's a historical bio-drama of sorts about the Borgia family when they held power in the Vatican. Puzo considered them the first crime family in history, and wrote it with them in the same positive light he had cast the Corleones and the Clericuzio.

Gotta love Puzo. The world's a darker place without him.

kerosene · 12-05-2003, 06:44 PM

Puzo wrote some good stuff...try Fools Die. Its also very eloquent, as most of his books are.

Oh yeah, and this is my 100th post! Yay!

wolf · 02-08-2004, 10:26 AM

Just finished Pattern Recognition by William Gibson.

It's different from his usual, since it's actually set closer to now ... which was a little strange to figure out, because time references are few and far between. We eventually know it's after 9/11/01, but not how far.

There's a couple of different subplots that more or less lurch through the book. I thought the pacing was extremely uneven on this one, which was a bit distracting, and the main character has a better backstory than her current existence, but it does pick up a bit. Unfortunately, after plodding along in minutae for the first three-quarters of the book, he seems to come to the realization that he's reaching the page limit for a salable novel and rushes to the finish line in an unsatisfying (for me) way.

Oh, and somebody has to tell him to lay off on the word "crepuscular" though. Once is too often. I know for-sure it's used twice, possibly three times. Oh yeah, and "liminal".

Nice vocabulary. Now go back to writing.

Oh, and what was Voytek doing with the ZX81s? Not the physical construction, but what was he going to run on the array? Or is that the next book? Could be, you know, since that was more interesting to speculate on rather than the truth behind the Footage.

Pi · 02-08-2004, 10:45 AM

International Law and the Use of Force - Christine Gray
Einführung in das Völkerrecht - Kimminich, Hobe
Have to do some homeworks!

Moby Dick - Melville
Her Privates We - Manning

dar512 · 02-08-2004, 12:15 PM

I just finished Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn. The story is set in an imaginary land much like Japan during their feudal conflicts. It's a good read.

jinx · 02-08-2004, 12:25 PM

The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire - Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence. Deepak Chopra.

I've never read Chopra before, but happened by this and thought it looked interesting. It's probably a bunch of crap though.

11-20-2003, 10:44 AM	#31
SouthOfNoNorth Colloquialist Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa Posts: 77	The Cryptonomicon lately, which is fantastic in my opinion. i'd have to say that i agree with the consensus about the wheel of time. i got a portion of the way through Path of Daggers and gave up. he's created a scope larger than he can deal with now, in my opinion. all of the female characters and a few of the males have kinda degenerated into cliches, from what i can remember. A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin, is fantastic. i haven't read the third book in the series yet, but the first two were very good reads. Also, Women, by Charles Bukowski. great stuff. __________________ Don't you worry about the day-glo orange life preserver, it won't save you. Swim for the shores just as fast as you're able.....

11-23-2003, 09:28 PM	#32
jinx Come on, cat. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: general vicinity of Philadelphia area Posts: 7,013	I just finished The Davinci Code, and am about to start Angels and Demons. Both by Dan Brown I really liked davinci code, but I do have a few minor coimplaints. 1. I thought the charachters figured things out way to easily, they didn't ever really struggle and were almost always right. 2. Ending was lame. __________________ Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good.

11-23-2003, 10:38 PM	#33
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Last Man Down - Battalion Commander Richard Picciotto, FDNY __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

12-05-2003, 06:17 AM	#34
tikat Paramour of Paradigm Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Conway, Arkansas Posts: 42	I'm a little more than halfway through Quicksilver, and I like it even more than I liked Cryptonomicon. I've always had a thing for the period it's set in, though. Now I have pirates on the brain, so I'm going to read some of Rafael Sabatini's books next. If I'm not sick of the 1700ishes by then, I'll go through the Three Muskateers books. It looks like Project Gutenburg has most of this. I have also been meaning to read Richard Burton's translation of the Arabian Nights, partly for the stories themselves, but also because I'm curious about Burton and I hear the book has copious notes. Last edited by tikat; 12-05-2003 at 06:19 AM.

12-05-2003, 01:47 PM	#35
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I was just starting on Dune: Butlerian Jihad (yes, I shamefacedly admit that I'm reading the "Dad's dead, so lets rape his literary legacy and make lots of money off it" series) but have switched over to Tony Hillerman's Talking God, mostly because the Hillerman book is a paperback, and the Dune-ish hardback is occupying too much space in the "bag of shit I take to work when it snows just in case there are no nuts". A friend of mine gave me the Hillerman book, but I can't remember if I read it already or not. Might read the first chapter, have it all come back to me, and move onto something different. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

12-05-2003, 01:55 PM	#36
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Yah, I read Dune: House Atreides a while back. I read the old series as a yout and really got caught up in it... this series not so much. Why are we posting on the bad engrish thread, when we've had a couple of these book threads before? I'd hate to think we're dumbing down the cellar. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

12-05-2003, 03:55 PM	#39
amoeba Writer of Writings Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Brewcity Posts: 14	I'm reading this book called Mapping Human History by Steve Olson. It is the most interesting book I've read in a while. It's actually influencing what I might change my major to. It describes how humans came to be through studying genes. It really is an awsome book. __________________ I'm usually not a praying [wo]man, but if you're up there, please save me, superman! -Homer Simpson

12-05-2003, 06:13 PM	#40
Chewbaccus Freethinker/booter Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 523	"The Family" by Mario Puzo. It's a historical bio-drama of sorts about the Borgia family when they held power in the Vatican. Puzo considered them the first crime family in history, and wrote it with them in the same positive light he had cast the Corleones and the Clericuzio. Gotta love Puzo. The world's a darker place without him. __________________ Like the wise man said: Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

12-05-2003, 06:44 PM	#41
kerosene Touring the facilities Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The plains of Colorado Posts: 3,476	Puzo wrote some good stuff...try Fools Die. Its also very eloquent, as most of his books are. Oh yeah, and this is my 100th post! Yay!

02-08-2004, 10:26 AM	#42
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Just finished Pattern Recognition by William Gibson. It's different from his usual, since it's actually set closer to now ... which was a little strange to figure out, because time references are few and far between. We eventually know it's after 9/11/01, but not how far. There's a couple of different subplots that more or less lurch through the book. I thought the pacing was extremely uneven on this one, which was a bit distracting, and the main character has a better backstory than her current existence, but it does pick up a bit. Unfortunately, after plodding along in minutae for the first three-quarters of the book, he seems to come to the realization that he's reaching the page limit for a salable novel and rushes to the finish line in an unsatisfying (for me) way. Oh, and somebody has to tell him to lay off on the word "crepuscular" though. Once is too often. I know for-sure it's used twice, possibly three times. Oh yeah, and "liminal". Nice vocabulary. Now go back to writing. Oh, and what was Voytek doing with the ZX81s? Not the physical construction, but what was he going to run on the array? Or is that the next book? Could be, you know, since that was more interesting to speculate on rather than the truth behind the Footage. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

02-08-2004, 10:45 AM	#43
Pi desperate finder Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Luxembourg Posts: 437	International Law and the Use of Force - Christine Gray Einführung in das Völkerrecht - Kimminich, Hobe Have to do some homeworks! Moby Dick - Melville Her Privates We - Manning

02-08-2004, 12:15 PM	#44
dar512 dar512 is now Pete Zicato Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago suburb Posts: 4,968	I just finished Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn. The story is set in an imaginary land much like Japan during their feudal conflicts. It's a good read.

02-08-2004, 12:25 PM	#45
jinx Come on, cat. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: general vicinity of Philadelphia area Posts: 7,013	The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire - Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence. Deepak Chopra. I've never read Chopra before, but happened by this and thought it looked interesting. It's probably a bunch of crap though. __________________ Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good.

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