What Book Are You Currently Reading? - Page 196

Angelixx · 07-03-2012, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morpheus1987

So far I have been enjoying it. I am about halfway through Book 2 (Cosette), and it is still holding up. There are some huge stretches where Hugo goes on about French history, etc. but I am finding that this is probably the most fleshed out book I have ever read. There have been some boring stretches, but overall I'm liking this version more than the abridged version.

I'm gonna definitely have to pick that one up then.

Ramplate · 07-03-2012, 09:07 PM

Finished The White House Boys man I hope those heartless b'tards are burning in hell by now, I also wish all the boys some measure of peace in the years they have left. That was a complete horror story for real. Between the orphanage and the reform school down there they never had an even break. They were beaten, and sometimes killed, for any and every reason that the administrators could think of.
Makes me wonder what my uncle Harry went through back in the 30's in reform school up here in Vermont if this horrible story was the norm in straightening out a troubled child.

Next is The Shooting Salvationist by David R. Stokes. The story of Rev. J. Frank Norris, an equally revered and hated leader of the first Baptist "mega-church", and the trial following the killing of an unarmed man in his church office.

Ramplate · 07-06-2012, 01:20 AM

The Shooting Salvationist was a pretty interesting trial story from history. Norris was certainly a character - narcissistic and very full of himself. He basically was his own worst enemy due to his vocal approach to politics and local goings on. He made as many people mad, as he did inspire.

Next I think i will switch gears and go back to Stephen King with 11-22-63 which is about a man who travels back to 1963 to try to change the outcome of the Kennedy assassination
This looks like a long book

morpheus1987 · 07-06-2012, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramplate

Next I think i will switch gears and go back to Stephen King with 11-22-63 which is about a man who travels back to 1963 to try to change the outcome of the Kennedy assassination
This looks like a long book

Awesome book, definitely the best book King has put out in the last few years. It is long, but very engrossing.

Ramplate · 07-06-2012, 06:39 PM

I really like it alot so far - I was born in 1961 but I can kind of relate to the time period. Its sort of bringing back some childhood memories

morpheus1987 · 07-07-2012, 04:14 PM

Just finished Les Miserables. It was certainly rewarding to get through the unabridged version, but it was definitely tedious at times. I would recommend it over the abridged version (if you have the time), but it does require a good deal of patience.

Now its on to The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov

**JBond** · 07-07-2012, 04:29 PM

Woo-hoo!

Brock Landers · 07-08-2012, 02:15 PM

Picked up On The Road: The Original Scroll. A few essays at the front, original character names added back in (so "Sal Paradise" is Jack Kerouac and "Carlo Marx" is Allen Ginsberg, etc.), and the main text of the novel is presented as one long paragraph -- just like how Kerouac originally typed the damn thing.

Yeah, I've outgrown Kerouac -- like Catcher in The Rye, he makes more sense when you're a teenager -- but it's still cool to have. For about five years, On The Road was my favorite book. Plus: Kerouac's the writer that made me really want to be a writer, so I do owe him that.

PsYkOoOoO · 07-09-2012, 10:02 AM

I slowed down my reading a bit because I was away on a holiday. I did manage to finish The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick and really couldn't get into it throughout the book. It was my second take on the book and it still didn't catch on, which was a little disappointing.

I've started reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy. So far, so good. I love the bleakness going on.

FranklinTard · 07-09-2012, 11:43 AM

i wasn't too big of a fan of... really any of mccarthy's works. i haven't checked out blood meridian yet, but i read child of god, the road, no country for old men, and the pretty horses trilogy (some other name, but i can only think of the first title), nothing stood out. i mean no country for old men was pretty awesome, but re reading it didn't add anything, if anything it lost its appeal. but for some reason if i see a book of his in the discount bin, i will inevitably grab it.

about halfway through red mars from kim stanley robinson. reminds me of foundation to a certain degree... and i'm really enjoying it. have to pick up green and blue mars though.

**JBond** · 07-09-2012, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsYkOoOoO

I slowed down my reading a bit because I was away on a holiday. I did manage to finish The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick and really couldn't get into it throughout the book. It was my second take on the book and it still didn't catch on, which was a little disappointing.

Yeah, that one didn't mesh with me. Great ending though. I really liked his "Ubik" though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FranklinTard

about halfway through red mars from kim stanley robinson. reminds me of foundation to a certain degree... and i'm really enjoying it. have to pick up green and blue mars though.

The Red Mars trilogy is pretty amazing. Epic in every sense of the word. Blue Mars was my favorite.

**JBond** · 07-09-2012, 02:09 PM

I've finished "Paladin of Souls" by Lois McMaster Bujold. Bringing my Hugo Count to 58.

I've now started "Roadside Picnic" by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky.

PsYkOoOoO · 07-09-2012, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBond

Yeah, that one didn't mesh with me. Great ending though. I really liked his "Ubik" though.

I read Ubik a few years ago and remember enjoying it a lot. I say that because I don't remember much about the book, unfortunately. I do hope that the other Dick books (haha, Dick books) aren't nearly as difficult to get into as The Man in the High Castle.

**JBond** · 07-09-2012, 07:38 PM

I'm going to be reading VALIS eventually.

Ramplate · 07-12-2012, 12:50 AM

Just finished 11-22-63 and wow I think that is one of his best books. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially the Audio narrator who brought all the interesting King characters to life. Intricately woven and fascinating.

Next I am going to listen to The Great Influenza by John M. Barry. it's about a terrible epidemic that broke out in 1918 that most likely started somewhere around Kansas and was quickly spread across Europe thanks to World War I.
It killed more people in 20 weeks than AIDS has killed in 20 years; it killed more people in a year than the plagues of the Middle Ages killed in a century.

PsYkOoOoO · 07-12-2012, 12:53 AM

I think I am buying more books than I have time to read them.

**JBond** · 07-12-2012, 01:07 AM

I do that a lot myself. I'm sitting on about 5 books right now.

PsYkOoOoO · 07-12-2012, 03:30 AM

Are you guys big buyers of books, or is borrowing from a library still a big thing in the US?

**JBond** · 07-12-2012, 03:37 AM

I "must" own every book I read. And it has to be new (unless it's impossible) and it must NOT have any picture from the movie on its cover that it may have been adapted to at some point.

**JBond** · 07-12-2012, 03:38 AM

I've finished "Roadside Picnic" by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky.

I have now begun "The City & the City" by China Mieville.

PsYkOoOoO · 07-12-2012, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBond

I "must" own every book I read. And it has to be new (unless it's impossible) and it must NOT have any picture from the movie on its cover that it may have been adapted to at some point.

Me too, because I tend to buy everything that I read. But when you hit a dud, you sometimes wonder if that's the best strategy to read books in the first place. I guess a more economical way of doing this is to borrow books in general, then try to buy whichever book that you liked. I tend to buy brand new books too, but I also own older editions of books that I love (like the first edition of The Silmarillion).

And yes, NEVER movie tie-ins. I'd buy the more expensive version of the book if it doesn't have a movie tie-in cover.

Ramplate · 07-12-2012, 06:20 AM

I don't get to the library much these days - we have an online library system in Vermont where I can check out a limited selection of audio books to download for a couple weeks.
Other than that I buy the recording downloads from sites like Audible or e-books from Amazon or Kobo - those are handy because I can change the print size to something large enough for my eyesight.

I don't have a lot of room for a large physical collection of books (I already have tons of comics and RPG books) but I did recently buy one out of print paperback.
I've always wanted to try reading Prisoner of the Horned Helmet by James Silke and Frank Frazzetta - its the first book in the Death Dealer series.

Deexan · 07-12-2012, 06:22 AM

I own a first edition of The Sil too, one of my most prized possessions. Nice one, PsYk.

Ramplate · 07-12-2012, 07:03 AM

I do own Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass - not first print obviously, but nicely bound and with bookmark ribbons attached.
I like having that

PsYkOoOoO · 07-12-2012, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deexan

I own a first edition of The Sil too, one of my most prized possessions. Nice one, PsYk.

How much did you buy yours for? Older editions of books are surprisingly affordable, depending on the titles. I also own a few editions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings from the 60s and 70s.

07-03-2012, 09:07 PM	#4877
Ramplate Muwahahaha!...Hamster. Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 25,786	Finished The White House Boys man I hope those heartless b'tards are burning in hell by now, I also wish all the boys some measure of peace in the years they have left. That was a complete horror story for real. Between the orphanage and the reform school down there they never had an even break. They were beaten, and sometimes killed, for any and every reason that the administrators could think of. Makes me wonder what my uncle Harry went through back in the 30's in reform school up here in Vermont if this horrible story was the norm in straightening out a troubled child. Next is The Shooting Salvationist by David R. Stokes. The story of Rev. J. Frank Norris, an equally revered and hated leader of the first Baptist "mega-church", and the trial following the killing of an unarmed man in his church office. __________________ "When I said 'nuke the Chinese' I meant put the take out in the microwave!" "We're not spies, mate. I don't even speak Russian." "What?" "I don't...Am I speaking Russian? How come I'm speaking Russian?"

07-06-2012, 01:20 AM	#4878
Ramplate Muwahahaha!...Hamster. Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 25,786	The Shooting Salvationist was a pretty interesting trial story from history. Norris was certainly a character - narcissistic and very full of himself. He basically was his own worst enemy due to his vocal approach to politics and local goings on. He made as many people mad, as he did inspire. Next I think i will switch gears and go back to Stephen King with 11-22-63 which is about a man who travels back to 1963 to try to change the outcome of the Kennedy assassination This looks like a long book __________________ "When I said 'nuke the Chinese' I meant put the take out in the microwave!" "We're not spies, mate. I don't even speak Russian." "What?" "I don't...Am I speaking Russian? How come I'm speaking Russian?"

07-06-2012, 06:39 PM	#4880
Ramplate Muwahahaha!...Hamster. Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 25,786	I really like it alot so far - I was born in 1961 but I can kind of relate to the time period. Its sort of bringing back some childhood memories __________________ "When I said 'nuke the Chinese' I meant put the take out in the microwave!" "We're not spies, mate. I don't even speak Russian." "What?" "I don't...Am I speaking Russian? How come I'm speaking Russian?"

07-07-2012, 04:14 PM	#4881
morpheus1987 I like turtles Join Date: May 2003 Location: The Dark Side of that's no Moon Posts: 6,421	Just finished Les Miserables. It was certainly rewarding to get through the unabridged version, but it was definitely tedious at times. I would recommend it over the abridged version (if you have the time), but it does require a good deal of patience. Now its on to The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov __________________ “You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.” - Winston Churchill

07-07-2012, 04:29 PM	#4882
JBond Beyond Join Date: May 2000 Location: Sol Posts: 67,670	Woo-hoo! __________________ The due date for Round 137 of the CS Film Club is Monday, July 1st, 2013. 59 out of 64 Hugo Award winners completed. "Die Hard 5 makes Die Hard 4 look like Die Hard 1" - Doomsday

07-08-2012, 02:15 PM	#4883
Brock Landers Ninja + Poet Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 27,020	Picked up On The Road: The Original Scroll. A few essays at the front, original character names added back in (so "Sal Paradise" is Jack Kerouac and "Carlo Marx" is Allen Ginsberg, etc.), and the main text of the novel is presented as one long paragraph -- just like how Kerouac originally typed the damn thing. Yeah, I've outgrown Kerouac -- like Catcher in The Rye, he makes more sense when you're a teenager -- but it's still cool to have. For about five years, On The Road was my favorite book. Plus: Kerouac's the writer that made me really want to be a writer, so I do owe him that. __________________ YOU'VE GOT THE TOUCH. YOU'VE GOT THE POWER. This will explain everything.

07-09-2012, 10:02 AM	#4884
PsYkOoOoO Exceptionally Normal Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Singapore. Posts: 22,482	I slowed down my reading a bit because I was away on a holiday. I did manage to finish The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick and really couldn't get into it throughout the book. It was my second take on the book and it still didn't catch on, which was a little disappointing. I've started reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy. So far, so good. I love the bleakness going on. __________________ W.

07-09-2012, 11:43 AM	#4885
FranklinTard Gangsta White Walls Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 15,805	i wasn't too big of a fan of... really any of mccarthy's works. i haven't checked out blood meridian yet, but i read child of god, the road, no country for old men, and the pretty horses trilogy (some other name, but i can only think of the first title), nothing stood out. i mean no country for old men was pretty awesome, but re reading it didn't add anything, if anything it lost its appeal. but for some reason if i see a book of his in the discount bin, i will inevitably grab it. about halfway through red mars from kim stanley robinson. reminds me of foundation to a certain degree... and i'm really enjoying it. have to pick up green and blue mars though. __________________ Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well- warmed, and well-fed. -Herman Melville (1819 - 1891) Last edited by FranklinTard; 07-09-2012 at 11:46 AM.

07-09-2012, 02:09 PM	#4887
JBond Beyond Join Date: May 2000 Location: Sol Posts: 67,670	I've finished "Paladin of Souls" by Lois McMaster Bujold. Bringing my Hugo Count to 58. I've now started "Roadside Picnic" by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky. __________________ The due date for Round 137 of the CS Film Club is Monday, July 1st, 2013. 59 out of 64 Hugo Award winners completed. "Die Hard 5 makes Die Hard 4 look like Die Hard 1" - Doomsday

07-09-2012, 07:38 PM	#4889
JBond Beyond Join Date: May 2000 Location: Sol Posts: 67,670	I'm going to be reading VALIS eventually. __________________ The due date for Round 137 of the CS Film Club is Monday, July 1st, 2013. 59 out of 64 Hugo Award winners completed. "Die Hard 5 makes Die Hard 4 look like Die Hard 1" - Doomsday

07-12-2012, 12:50 AM	#4890
Ramplate Muwahahaha!...Hamster. Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 25,786	Just finished 11-22-63 and wow I think that is one of his best books. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially the Audio narrator who brought all the interesting King characters to life. Intricately woven and fascinating. Next I am going to listen to The Great Influenza by John M. Barry. it's about a terrible epidemic that broke out in 1918 that most likely started somewhere around Kansas and was quickly spread across Europe thanks to World War I. It killed more people in 20 weeks than AIDS has killed in 20 years; it killed more people in a year than the plagues of the Middle Ages killed in a century. __________________ "When I said 'nuke the Chinese' I meant put the take out in the microwave!" "We're not spies, mate. I don't even speak Russian." "What?" "I don't...Am I speaking Russian? How come I'm speaking Russian?"

07-12-2012, 12:53 AM	#4891
PsYkOoOoO Exceptionally Normal Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Singapore. Posts: 22,482	I think I am buying more books than I have time to read them. __________________ W.

07-12-2012, 01:07 AM	#4892
JBond Beyond Join Date: May 2000 Location: Sol Posts: 67,670	I do that a lot myself. I'm sitting on about 5 books right now. __________________ The due date for Round 137 of the CS Film Club is Monday, July 1st, 2013. 59 out of 64 Hugo Award winners completed. "Die Hard 5 makes Die Hard 4 look like Die Hard 1" - Doomsday

07-12-2012, 03:30 AM	#4893
PsYkOoOoO Exceptionally Normal Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Singapore. Posts: 22,482	Are you guys big buyers of books, or is borrowing from a library still a big thing in the US? __________________ W.

07-12-2012, 03:37 AM	#4894
JBond Beyond Join Date: May 2000 Location: Sol Posts: 67,670	I "must" own every book I read. And it has to be new (unless it's impossible) and it must NOT have any picture from the movie on its cover that it may have been adapted to at some point. __________________ The due date for Round 137 of the CS Film Club is Monday, July 1st, 2013. 59 out of 64 Hugo Award winners completed. "Die Hard 5 makes Die Hard 4 look like Die Hard 1" - Doomsday

07-12-2012, 03:38 AM	#4895
JBond Beyond Join Date: May 2000 Location: Sol Posts: 67,670	I've finished "Roadside Picnic" by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky. I have now begun "The City & the City" by China Mieville. __________________ The due date for Round 137 of the CS Film Club is Monday, July 1st, 2013. 59 out of 64 Hugo Award winners completed. "Die Hard 5 makes Die Hard 4 look like Die Hard 1" - Doomsday

07-12-2012, 06:20 AM	#4897
Ramplate Muwahahaha!...Hamster. Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 25,786	I don't get to the library much these days - we have an online library system in Vermont where I can check out a limited selection of audio books to download for a couple weeks. Other than that I buy the recording downloads from sites like Audible or e-books from Amazon or Kobo - those are handy because I can change the print size to something large enough for my eyesight. I don't have a lot of room for a large physical collection of books (I already have tons of comics and RPG books) but I did recently buy one out of print paperback. I've always wanted to try reading Prisoner of the Horned Helmet by James Silke and Frank Frazzetta - its the first book in the Death Dealer series. __________________ "When I said 'nuke the Chinese' I meant put the take out in the microwave!" "We're not spies, mate. I don't even speak Russian." "What?" "I don't...Am I speaking Russian? How come I'm speaking Russian?"

07-12-2012, 06:22 AM	#4898
Deexan Integral Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 10,413	I own a first edition of The Sil too, one of my most prized possessions. Nice one, PsYk. __________________ You know it is frightening, You know it's like lightning SoundCloud Twitter

07-12-2012, 07:03 AM	#4899
Ramplate Muwahahaha!...Hamster. Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 25,786	I do own Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass - not first print obviously, but nicely bound and with bookmark ribbons attached. I like having that __________________ "When I said 'nuke the Chinese' I meant put the take out in the microwave!" "We're not spies, mate. I don't even speak Russian." "What?" "I don't...Am I speaking Russian? How come I'm speaking Russian?"