What are you reading in general?

Post by **dANdeLION** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 2:26 pm

Not true.

Post by **danlo** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 4:38 pm

that's a dumb point Darth...the 5th book may not even be finished for at least 10 years...

Post by **duchess of malfi** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 5:56 pm

I've been trying to read Pearl Buck's The Good Earth and am having a tough time with it...

I don't know if I've ever read a book that is so anti-female in my life.

Yet, while the main character calls his daughter "slave", she is the only one of his children he cuddles...and while he thinks his wife is ugly because her feet are not bound, when the famine comes he gives her the last handful of food in the house...

(edited to correct my usual poor spelling)

Post by **[Syl]** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 6:14 pm

Good book. Yes, there's a huge contradiction between what the character says and how he acts (also, contradictions between the values of the people and how people betray those values). The ending was a little too bleak to inspire me to read the others, though.

Post by **UrLord** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:13 pm

I don't have it yet, but I'll soon be picking up Nuklear Age by Brian Clevinger. Being a comedy along the lines of the Hitchhiker's Guide books and involving superheroes, it may not have the emotional depth of the books you guys are reading, but I'll tell you how it is when I'm done with it

Post by **Dawngreeter** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 2:42 am

danlo wrote:I was a real addict--the books couldn't be published fast enuf--I wanted 2 cut off 2 of my fingers--I wandered outcast unclean.

That's hilarious!! Just up to WGW I'm seeing all kinda situations in life and relating them to TC. Just the other day I told me wife she was just like TC "don't touch me".......

Post by **Avatar** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 1:24 pm

The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell by Aldous Huxley.

Two essays on the hallucinogenic experience.

--Avatar

Post by **[Syl]** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 1:41 pm

The first also being (as you most likely know, Avatar) the origin for the name of Morrison's The Doors.

Post by **Avatar** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 6:09 am

Yep, and I'm very fond of their music, or to be more accurate, their lyrics, as well. Both were also influenced by the famous Blake quote:

When the doors of perception are cleansed, then shall man see things as they truly are: Infinite.

Great stuff. Was going to re-read a book called Storming Heaven: LSD and the American Dream next, but changed my mind, and went for an old favourite fantasy instead.

--Avatar

Post by **ook** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 8:21 pm

Has anyone read 'decipher' by stel pavlou - brilliant. I am currently hooked on David Ambrose who wrote the discrete charm of charlie monk and coincidence. Have recently read Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen by Garth Nix and a f\ntastic book called Attention All Shipping (non fiction) by Charlie Connelly about the british shipping forecast. I have just bough the new Stel Pavlou called Gene and a book called Adept. I also love Katherine Kurtz/Deborah Turner Harris Adept novels and also Lammas Night

Post by **duke** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 11:07 pm

I read Dickens' 'Hard Times' a couple of years ago, and have been hooked on everything Dickens since.
I made the decision to read all of his novels in chronological order, and have so far read 'Pickwick Papers', 'Oliver Twist', 'Nicholas Nickleby', and 'The Old Curiosity Shop'.
Pickwick is a masterpiece, and the other three have their charms and pleasures for different reasons -
Oliver for its glimpse of the criminal element of London,
Nicholas for the adventure of it all,
and Curiosity Shop for an appreciation of Dickens ability to totally make the story up as he goes along.
I find Dickens to be 'laugh out loud' funny quite often, and his command of English is (IMO) the best I've ever read.

Oh, last year I jumped ahead and read 'Great Expectations'. But now I'm back on track, about to read 'Barnaby Rudge', once I finish 'Runes'.

Post by **Cheval** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 11:23 pm

Just finished today Tom Clancy's "The Sum Of All Fears".
The movie version does NO justice to the novel. The book was hard to put down.
If you like suspense and spy-type stories, then I recommend this one.

Post by **Dragonlily** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 4:50 am

I agree about SUM OF ALL FEARS, Cheval. And for a book of 900 pages to be difficult to put down is quite a feat.

Post by **Loredoctor** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 6:04 am

duke wrote:I read Dickens' 'Hard Times' a couple of years ago, and have been hooked on everything Dickens since.
I made the decision to read all of his novels in chronological order, and have so far read 'Pickwick Papers', 'Oliver Twist', 'Nicholas Nickleby', and 'The Old Curiosity Shop'.
Pickwick is a masterpiece, and the other three have their charms and pleasures for different reasons -
Oliver for its glimpse of the criminal element of London,
Nicholas for the adventure of it all,
and Curiosity Shop for an appreciation of Dickens ability to totally make the story up as he goes along.
I find Dickens to be 'laugh out loud' funny quite often, and his command of English is (IMO) the best I've ever read.

Oh, last year I jumped ahead and read 'Great Expectations'. But now I'm back on track, about to read 'Barnaby Rudge', once I finish 'Runes'.

He is funny; funnier than Wilde at times. Actually, more clever and important (for the times).

Post by **Cheval** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 11:53 pm

Just started on Dean Kootz's "Phantoms". (3rd time)

I have a few of his books and like "The Servants Of Twilight" the best so far.

Post by **lurch** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 2:59 am

..having re-read Runes,,now I'm of into Susan Clarkes,," Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell...so far i like it...referrenced above about the dickens sense of humor..Clarke carrys on the tradition...supposedly that of jane Austin as well..MEL

Post by **dennisrwood** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 4:07 am

the Danny Bonaduce autobiography.

my wife got it for me for Christmas.

Post by **Warmark Jay** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 7:09 pm

Just finished "Quicksilver", Book One in Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. Allow me to Rave - it's a massive book, in scope, ideas, characters, and length (we're talking doorstop). Neal takes the reader back to the late 1600's and shows us the true dawn of the Information Age through the eyes of three great characters, a Vagabond, a Spy and a Natural Philosopher. Highly recommended for history buffs and fantasy buffs - Neal shows us that our world can be as bizarre and fantastic as SRD's or Tolkien's. Be warned - it'll give you the literary equivalent of an ice cream headache.

Post by **Edinburghemma** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 10:10 pm

I absolutely loved Quicksilver and just got an ARC copy of the Confusion on ebay from the states cos I couldn't wait for it to come out in paperback here (don't like hardbacks). In fact anything by Stephenson I love.
At the moment I am reading Perdido Street Station by China Mieville. Good, but a tad disappointing.

Post by **Warmark Jay** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 6:47 pm

Highly recommend this one to history and fantasy buffs, I'm on page 60, so far so good.

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

What are you reading in general?

Re: It def dif!

After Runes now..

Neal Stephenson and The Baroque Cycle

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell