The Official Book Thread

[tim290280]

^^ Valley of the Horses, Clan of the Cave Bear...... there's an entire series that revolves around a female character set in early human tribes. Basically there is a lot of graphic sex in them.

The books themselves are also pretty decent reads, but most teenage boys skip to the sex scenes.

 

[El Freako]

I've had the same thing with Stephen King. I've got a lot of respect for him, but he swings from a visceral world and exploration to mindless meanderings. He wrote a few books of short stories that were fantastic but I think I've only finished a couple of his novels of the 5-6 I've started.

His short stories are amazing. Have your read his Dark Tower series?

 

[El Freako]

I wouldnt mind jumping on The Dark Tower bandwagon...
Any good?

I rate it, although some of the books are better than others.

Also, The Axis Trilogy by Sara Doulgass:
Battleaxe (1995)
Enchanter (1996)
StarMan (1996)


And the sequal trilogy, Wayfarer Redemption:
Sinner (1997)
Pilgrim (1998)
Crusader (1999)

Are by far one of the best fantasy series I have ever read.

 

[tim290280]

I started The Godfather recently only to be interrupted by all my other hobbies.

So far I have gotten into the story and it plays out much like the movies. It is very well written and visceral in nature. I'd swear I'm watching the movie again but this time in high def with more insight and details. So far I'd recommend anyone pick it up for a read, especially if you liked the films (and who didn't aside from Peter Griffin?).

In the meantime I've been reading up on woodworking, guitar building and small tube amp building. I am now officially knowledgeable enough in these areas to cause mayhem, dismemberment and possibly death or a very nice guitar-amp combo...... which ever comes first.

 

[warpig]

I hope they server beer in hell

its by Tucker Max and was a NY Times best seller... the shits rediculous

 

[tim290280]

I hope they server beer in hell

its by Tucker Max and was a NY Times best seller... the shits rediculous

Sounds kinda interesting. Synopsis?


I've just started reading my first Harry Potter book.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Nowhere near as lame as the movies. Although I am finding the self reverential parts of the text and some of the incidental instruments of the text to be poorly done. I suppose this is because Rowling is trying to write for a young audience (or just isn't able to use better story line linking techniques) and is also trying to create a larger and larger world of magic.

 

[Oloz]

It's a pretty good book with a lot of interesting interviews on very successful traders. If you're interested in trading currencies, futures, commodities, or stocks, I would recommend it.

 

[tim290280]

^^ so does it have some interesting tips on trading?

The more I understand about the stock market the less and at the same time more respect I have for it.

There was an interesting documentary on the history of money I saw recently. Biggest thing I got out of it was that the stock exchange was founded by a chronic gambler that wanted to be able to trade his East India Trading Company shares yet still buy them back (to fund his gambling and possibly profit on the rise and fall in value based on shipments). Today it is still nothing but chronic gambling with other people's money.

 

[jwill0214]

^^ so does it have some interesting tips on trading?

The more I understand about the stock market the less and at the same time more respect I have for it.

There was an interesting documentary on the history of money I saw recently. Biggest thing I got out of it was that the stock exchange was founded by a chronic gambler that wanted to be able to trade his East India Trading Company shares yet still buy them back (to fund his gambling and possibly profit on the rise and fall in value based on shipments). Today it is still nothing but chronic gambling with other people's money.

Yea if you just take a step back and really look at the stock market it is all about gambling. Your gambling to see if a company or currency does well.

 

[tim290280]

Just finished Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire and enjoyed it, even though it was a little bit too much of a kids book.

About to start Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Also have a book that I was a little concerned about.

My favourite book series of all time being added to by someone other than Douglas Adams? Recipe for disaster is immediately what springs to mind. But after reading the writer's blurb and a couple of pages I'm in little doubt that it will be a good read.

 

[jwill0214]

Tell me how you like order of the Phoenix when your done. I am a big Fan. I enjoy hearing others opinion on them, good or bad.

I haven't been able to read any real books lately, just textbooks. I only read during the summer.

 

[tim290280]

Tell me how you like order of the Phoenix when your done. I am a big Fan. I enjoy hearing others opinion on them, good or bad.

I haven't been able to read any real books lately, just textbooks. I only read during the summer.

Actually I've really enjoyed it. Much less of a kids book, nicely woven story and character arcs, plus the character emotions and charactisations were well done. Although a couple of things I've noticed is the poor use of language (which can be forgiven in some instances, but not in all of them), the grinding home of certain points to the stage of redundancy and so many peripheral characters that just exist, rather than have a life on the page.

I'm going to start doing a fair bit more reading, as I plan on writing in the future and I need to get a feel for story telling again (I used to read a lot and write a fair bit when I was younger).

 

[tim290280]

Ok I've now finished the Harry Potter series of books. Thoroughly enjoyed them and can recommend the later books in the series. As long as you can ignore some of the meandering storytelling and lack of editing you will enjoy this series.

I for one hope that JK Rowling picks the series up again, either following their kids or following the main protagonists as adults. I can see a multitude of plausible and entertaining plotlines that could come from either without jumping the shark.

After And Another Thing I intend to read Darkly Dreaming Dexter. From what I understand the first couple of books are terrific and then it jumps the shark.

I also received The Story of Danny Dunn by Bryce Courtenay for Xmas. I haven't read any Bryce Courtenay so I am not sure what to expect. My wife has read a few so his stuff can't be bad. Also want to take a look at the Southern Vampire Mysteries.

 

[jwill0214]

Glad you enjoyed the Harry Potter series, Tim.

I am also a big James Patterson fan. I really enjoy his Alex Cross books. They are simple reads.

 

[tim290280]

^^ I saw one of the Alex Cross books on special yesterday and decided not to buy it. Oh well. I have a stack to read anyway. I already need another bookshelf to hold all the books we have read. By we I mostly mean my wife, and by another bookshelf I mean I only just finished making the last one in October.

I was really surprised by the emotion that came through in the Harry Potter books. I can see why so many have become ennamoured with the series as you do get an emotional connection happening, something rather rare with fiction in my experience.

 

[Cork]

Oh good thread.

When it comes to Stephen King I agree with you guys. The Dark Tower series is amazing (Its like LOTR on a bad acid trip [Imean that as a total compliment]), and I enjoyed all the books that were touched on in that series(Salem's Lot, The Stand... etc), but some other stuff I didn't make it through the first 1/4.

Right now I'm in the middle of the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. I read the first 4 books when I was younger and never finished. I've set out to finish the series now that the final books are being published soon. He tells a really good story, but his books can get bogged down and convoluted with a TON of minute detail. And he can get fairly repetitve with how characters deal with certain situations. But it is quite an epic tail that spans over 12+ books. My mind is set, I am going to finish it. It's only 600 pages per book...

I've read some Dan Brown, and I must admit that I hated his books. It was a rollercoaster ride the whole time, but the ends are SO BAD. It's like one of those stories where the protagonist wakes up and the whole thing was just a bad nightmare and everything is okay now. Ugh, I wish I could un-read Digital Fortress and Angels and Demons.

 

[tim290280]

Oh good thread.

When it comes to Stephen King I agree with you guys. The Dark Tower series is amazing (Its like LOTR on a bad acid trip [Imean that as a total compliment]), and I enjoyed all the books that were touched on in that series(Salem's Lot, The Stand... etc), but some other stuff I didn't make it through the first 1/4.

I'm going to have to take a look at The Dark Tower series, although as much as I liked LOTR it wasn't fantastic, so I'm always wary of parallels being drawn to that.

Right now I'm in the middle of the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. I read the first 4 books when I was younger and never finished. I've set out to finish the series now that the final books are being published soon. He tells a really good story, but his books can get bogged down and convoluted with a TON of minute detail. And he can get fairly repetitve with how characters deal with certain situations. But it is quite an epic tail that spans over 12+ books. My mind is set, I am going to finish it. It's only 600 pages per book...

The author of the Mistborn series is finishing the Wheel of Time series. I stumbled across a reference to Mistborn and read a bit about both series due to Brandon Sanderson being involed in both. Both appear to be overly convoluted fantasy fiction, is this fair? I don't like epic for epic sake, it has to be a character arc and essentially life's journey that you are seeing parts of at a time. It is probably what makes Harry Potter work, you see a year of his life at a time. Each can build on the previous year, but remains a distinct story within a series, even though the overriding story is ever present.

I've read some Dan Brown, and I must admit that I hated his books. It was a rollercoaster ride the whole time, but the ends are SO BAD. It's like one of those stories where the protagonist wakes up and the whole thing was just a bad nightmare and everything is okay now. Ugh, I wish I could un-read Digital Fortress and Angels and Demons.

Dan Brown is the single most overrated writer in history. I'm going to pen my second book targeting some coverup by the Catholic, Judaism and Muslim churches, then ride the wave of controversy to record sales.

Don't get me wrong, The Da Vinci Code was a good read and well told, but no better than any other "airport novel". Koontz, King, Ludlum, Patterson, Clancy; all just as good.

 

[Skeptic]

I fucking hated the book Angels and Demons... I did however enjoy the movie.

 

[Cork]

I'm going to have to take a look at The Dark Tower series, although as much as I liked LOTR it wasn't fantastic, so I'm always wary of parallels being drawn to that.

Well, I only compare it to that because critics have said it. I think it's just meant to portray the size of the world King has created. Tolkein created Middle Earth, King created his own world, but just as big. There aren't any elves or orcs or stuff like that. There are demonic monorails, disease infested nuclear holocaust survivors, killer robots with lightsabers, brain eating psychics, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. Picture Clint Eastwood in a fantasy horror science fiction movie.

The author of the Mistborn series is finishing the Wheel of Time series. I stumbled across a reference to Mistborn and read a bit about both series due to Brandon Sanderson being involed in both. Both appear to be overly convoluted fantasy fiction, is this fair? I don't like epic for epic sake, it has to be a character arc and essentially life's journey that you are seeing parts of at a time. It is probably what makes Harry Potter work, you see a year of his life at a time. Each can build on the previous year, but remains a distinct story within a series, even though the overriding story is ever present.

Yes all the above is true. Robert Jordan had a stroke around book 7, and then passed away after book 11. The final book will be broken up into 3 parts (essentially being books 12, 13 and 14) and is being put together by Brandon Sanderson. I don't know about Mistborn, but the WoT is convoluted only in the way of detail imo. If the characters step into a room, you will be reading a description of exactly what the room looks like down to the rugs, and how the character feels about it. Most of the character arcs are good, but each has their own problems. I can't say I've enjoyed every part of the series so far, but every book has it's problems.

And with regards to I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell... Hilarious. It's man fiction. There is a lot of dispute as to whether or not Tucker actually did all this stuff himself, as he claims, or whether it is all made up. Regardless, every single one of his stories is hilarious, and I highly suggest reading it.

 

[tim290280]

^^ Just looked up I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, they have just released a movie about it, few clips on YouTube. Looks kinda funny.

I'm going to have a read of some of his stories on http://www.tuckermax.com/