What book(s) are you reading?
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BrownerandFry
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Just read the synopsis on Goodreads... that book just went to the top of my "reading next" list, as soon as I finish Dune: Messiah.
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Also, speaking of Dune, I just read the book for the first time to try and beat the movie's release. I've owned the book for like 10 years, but never found an excuse to read it in front of everything else on my list until now.
It was good... but I don't know if I've finished a book and felt such an abrupt cutoff that wasn't an intentional cliffhanger.
I mean, I guess you could consider it a cliffhanger... but all the setup and weirdness, just to have the climax happen in such short order that it almost felt like Herbert himself was writing it as an overview, rather than writing it the way he wrote most of the book, was weird. It's like you get 600 pages of intrigue, questions, setup, action, etc., and then the last 200 pages switches to "and then this happened and then this happened and then this and then it's over."
I'm gonna read Messiah, because I'm fascinated by the idea of Jesus, But In Space.
It was good... but I don't know if I've finished a book and felt such an abrupt cutoff that wasn't an intentional cliffhanger.
I mean, I guess you could consider it a cliffhanger... but all the setup and weirdness, just to have the climax happen in such short order that it almost felt like Herbert himself was writing it as an overview, rather than writing it the way he wrote most of the book, was weird. It's like you get 600 pages of intrigue, questions, setup, action, etc., and then the last 200 pages switches to "and then this happened and then this happened and then this and then it's over."
I'm gonna read Messiah, because I'm fascinated by the idea of Jesus, But In Space.
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More like "Muhammad, But In Space." Herbert had a very dim view of humanity in general and religion specifically.
zelezo vlk
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About 1/4 of the way through Brothers K. Why are all Dostoevsky characters crazy? Is it because Russia? They remind me of anime reactions.
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Bishop2b5
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He loves getting into the psyche of his characters, and crazy ones are interesting. I've always loved his books.
greyhammer90
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Dune is like Star Wars if Star Wars didn't care about you or your feelings.
ACamp1900
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IDK about the book... but my wife and her sister LOVE the 80s film and have forced me to watch it twice.... honest to goodness, no hyperbole,... the worst freaking film I've ever had to watch in my life. I loathe it.
Valpodoc85
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Confessions of a Heretic- Roger Scruton. Brilliant mind.
Bishop2b5
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You and I (and a few others) discussed the film in the movie thread. It's awful. It's one of the worst things ever filmed. It's just turrible, turrible in so many different ways and on almost every level.
NorthDakota
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So Dune is based? Guess I better see it then.
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The way Herbert kept everything grounded and almost actively avoided trying to make a grand spectacle of the technological stuff (from a future/sci-fi perspective) was very impressive, and is probably the most effective part of the book when you combine it with the story he's telling.
You get dropped into the future, where humans have colonized far reaches of space, with almost zero explanation or world-building. It's different enough to make you think about the progression that must have taken place, but doesn't beat you over the head and lean on it as part of the narrative. It's easy to step into Herbert's future without feeling lost, particularly with the callbacks to our own past.
I think it also helps that the worms are the only hint of truly "alien" life. It helps drive home the reality that the reader and our normal views on science fiction are unimportant lol.
Armyirish47
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Finally snagged the new(ish) Gladwell book The Bomber Mafia on muh library app.
ACamp1900
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This was a really enjoyable read,… highly recommend.
zelezo vlk
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Devoured Reverse of the Medal day 1 of my vacation. Just got 50 pages or so left in Letter of Marque. Then gonna switch back to Brothers K or mix it up.
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Just started Wheel of Time book three, The Dragon Reborn.
I'm only three or four chapters in, and I'm already getting frustrated at everybody being moody and brooding and throwing temper tantrums about how life isn't fair.
I get it; it might be realistic for the main characters to react to their newfound gifts the way they do, particularly since they lived relatively sheltered but happy lives, and so Jordan wants to be true to his characters... BUT THIS IS HIGH FANTASY, MAN.
SPOILERS:
PERRIN CAN TALK TO WOLVES. HE BATTLES WITH THE SPIRIT OF HIS FUR-CLAD, FOUR-LEGGED BREATHREN. BUT HE POUTS ABOUT IT. THEY TRY TO SAVE HIM FROM HIS TERRIBLE DREAMS TO WARN HIM OF IMPENDING DOOM, BUT HE IGNORES THEM, KNOWING THEY CAN SMELL AND SCOUT ENEMIES, BECAUSE IT MAKES HIM FEEL DIFFERENT. SHUT THE FUCK UP AND USE YOUR POWERS.
I'm only three or four chapters in, and I'm already getting frustrated at everybody being moody and brooding and throwing temper tantrums about how life isn't fair.
I get it; it might be realistic for the main characters to react to their newfound gifts the way they do, particularly since they lived relatively sheltered but happy lives, and so Jordan wants to be true to his characters... BUT THIS IS HIGH FANTASY, MAN.
SPOILERS:
PERRIN CAN TALK TO WOLVES. HE BATTLES WITH THE SPIRIT OF HIS FUR-CLAD, FOUR-LEGGED BREATHREN. BUT HE POUTS ABOUT IT. THEY TRY TO SAVE HIM FROM HIS TERRIBLE DREAMS TO WARN HIM OF IMPENDING DOOM, BUT HE IGNORES THEM, KNOWING THEY CAN SMELL AND SCOUT ENEMIES, BECAUSE IT MAKES HIM FEEL DIFFERENT. SHUT THE FUCK UP AND USE YOUR POWERS.
zelezo vlk
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Just finished My Father Left Me Ireland, getting Dubliners from the library hopefully tomorrow
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It gets a lot worse. I eventually gave up mid-way through Book 8, which was very painful to do since I had invested so much time in the series already. But I couldn't take the lack of character development (the naivete and gender politics don't improve) and...
Jordan's decision to start resurrecting Forsaken destroyed what little sense of progress the story offered up to that point.
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Armyirish47
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I plowed through the rest but I think if you skipped ahead after like book 5 and then picked up the last one you would still have a pretty good handle on things.
irishog77
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I guess with the onset of covid (and also some life changes), I have a read a shit ton in the last couple of years.
Here's some recommendations off the top of my head. Also, if anybody has read some of these please let me know, as I don't many that have read them.
The Jaylon Smiths (5 stars, cream of the crop):
The Bernie Gunther series- private detective in nazi Germany, as well as post-war Germany. The backdrop of Germany/eastern Europe/Russia is fascinating, interesting, depressing, and eye-opening (even for a history major). And Bernie Gunther is like a mix of Christopher Marlowe and Harry Bosch.
The Long Ships - I think about 500 people total have ever read this book. But it is a Viking saga that I couldn't put down. Starts a little slow, but I was genuinely sad when I finished reading it and couldn't read any more.
The Remains of the Day - holy shit, this was good. Deep on multiple levels. Like Plato's Republic, this is the type of book that could be used in multiple courses at a liberal arts school- education, philosophy, history, English, politics, etc.
The Last Kingdom Series - I had watched the first few seasons of the show on Netflix and really liked the show, but the books are way better. Uttred of Bebbanburg is an all time bad ass character. Plus, you have the whole history of England going on along with Vikings.
Thunderstruck by Erik Larson - I didn't really give a shit about Marconi, or his machine, nor even heard of the crime he chronicles along with it. But man, it was fascinating. Outstanding story and top-notch portrayal of late 19th century/early 20th century.
The Devil in the White City also by Larson - I never bought into the "Oh the architecture in Chicago is unrivaled" pretentious tripe you hear from so many people, but this was riveting...along with the parallel story of the world's fair being built...and probably the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history.
The Slow Horses series - I think i just finished the 5th one. I think apple+ is bringing this to the small screen. It's about a group of disgraced MI5 agents dumped into an office, but still yearning to do real intelligence work. Jackson Lamb, the head of the department, will go down in TV history as an all-time great character. You heard it here first. He will be known and loved like Tony Soprano, Walter White, Raylan Givens, etc.
The Pillars of the Earth - man, I wish I read this years ago! I was supposed to read it the summer before my senior year of high school, but saw it was 1,000 pages, and simply said, "Nope." An amazing display of life in the middle ages, plus a sweeping saga about the lives of multiple characters...with the building of a cathedral.
Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horrowitz - unfortunately, I can't say much about these, without giving things away. But if you like murder mysteries or like classic detective stories, these are outstanding.
The Sentence is Death and The Word is Murder by Horrowitz - a unique, modern spin on murder mysteries.
The Mike McGlinchey's (4 star, very solid but not spectacular):
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles- this was close to a 5-star, but not quite. If only because I figured out how the book would end. Otherwise, a fantastic look at communist USSR, with a true gentleman from the tsarist class as the protagonist. I think I actually liked "Rules of Civility" by Towles better, but I'm splitting hairs.
The Sun Also Rises - The first Hemingway book I ever read. The Piece de Resistance of the Lost Generation.
Dead Wake: the Last Crossing of the Lusitania - another Larson novel. Truly amazing and fascinating how he composed the book by diaries and interviews with witnesses and passengers. You feel like you're actually on the ship and a testament to him that you could feel as though your were on the journey, even though the ship sank.
Killers of the Flower Moon - a "holy shit, I never knew anything about this" type of history book. Members of the Osage Nation, the wealthiest place on earth, start dying. Why and how?
Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene - humorous send up about Cold War British espionage
Briarpatch by Ross Thomas - I found out, after the fact, that USA network made a series out of this. The series looked terrible and I never watched it. But I can tell the book is nothing like the series. It's a mid-80's mystery involving wealth, power, and secrets. I would call it a noir. The main character is extremely likable. He's like a deeper, slightly more verbose Mel Gibson in Payback.
Slaughterhouse 5 - I knew it would be weird, and it was. But I loved the flow of the book. I think a must read for any combat veterans and/or those interested in the aftermath of war.
The Road - Yep, it's depressing. But as a Christian, there is always hope. Even in absolute hell, there must be hope. *
A Farewell to Arms - great look at WWI, Europe, and the way life was and insights, hopes, and dreams of 100 years ago.
Hillbilly Elegy - loved the autobiographical story. You can't help but root for JD Vance. There's nothing earth-shattering nor particularly deep about the book, but a great look at Appalachian culture and how that helped spur on the opioid epidemic and loss of work and identity for many in our country.
American Rust by Phillipp Meyer - oddly enough, I am currently watching the TV show on Showtime...and absolutely hate it. The book wasn't woke. It simply tells the story of struggling characters in a struggling town in a dying part of America.
The JD Bertrand's (3 star, good in the right situation or for your particular taste):
The Pioneers by David McCullough - the settling of the northwest territory. Some parts are fascinating, but there's a good reason this portion of history is often glossed over in American history- there's just really not a lot to say. Particularly when compared with colonial exploration and expanse, as well as the exploration and settling of the American west some 50 years later.
A Month in the Country by JL Carr - A WWI English vet goes and works in the country for a month. That's about it. The description of the English countryside and way of life about 100 years ago was great though.
The Bruce Heggie's (really no reason whatsoever to take a chance on it):
For Whom the Bell Tolls - I kept trying to slog through it. Then, for the first time in my life, I quit a book. If I or you think Cormac McCarthy can be pretentious with words, he doesn't hold a candle to Hemingway here. About the only reason I can think of for reading this book is if you are literally stranded on a deserted island...and this is the only book, companionship, or form of entertainment you have.
*I'm currently halfway through Blood Meridian. It's supposedly McCarthy's magnum opus. I'm not that impressed. It's depressing, but quite realistic, like The Road, but McCarthy's pretentious way of imposing words on the dregs of society is almost nauseating sometimes. TBD on how I feel about this book. For now, I'd say it has an outside shot and being a 4 star, 3 star is likely, but very well could end up with Bruce Heggie.
Here's some recommendations off the top of my head. Also, if anybody has read some of these please let me know, as I don't many that have read them.
The Jaylon Smiths (5 stars, cream of the crop):
The Bernie Gunther series- private detective in nazi Germany, as well as post-war Germany. The backdrop of Germany/eastern Europe/Russia is fascinating, interesting, depressing, and eye-opening (even for a history major). And Bernie Gunther is like a mix of Christopher Marlowe and Harry Bosch.
The Long Ships - I think about 500 people total have ever read this book. But it is a Viking saga that I couldn't put down. Starts a little slow, but I was genuinely sad when I finished reading it and couldn't read any more.
The Remains of the Day - holy shit, this was good. Deep on multiple levels. Like Plato's Republic, this is the type of book that could be used in multiple courses at a liberal arts school- education, philosophy, history, English, politics, etc.
The Last Kingdom Series - I had watched the first few seasons of the show on Netflix and really liked the show, but the books are way better. Uttred of Bebbanburg is an all time bad ass character. Plus, you have the whole history of England going on along with Vikings.
Thunderstruck by Erik Larson - I didn't really give a shit about Marconi, or his machine, nor even heard of the crime he chronicles along with it. But man, it was fascinating. Outstanding story and top-notch portrayal of late 19th century/early 20th century.
The Devil in the White City also by Larson - I never bought into the "Oh the architecture in Chicago is unrivaled" pretentious tripe you hear from so many people, but this was riveting...along with the parallel story of the world's fair being built...and probably the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history.
The Slow Horses series - I think i just finished the 5th one. I think apple+ is bringing this to the small screen. It's about a group of disgraced MI5 agents dumped into an office, but still yearning to do real intelligence work. Jackson Lamb, the head of the department, will go down in TV history as an all-time great character. You heard it here first. He will be known and loved like Tony Soprano, Walter White, Raylan Givens, etc.
The Pillars of the Earth - man, I wish I read this years ago! I was supposed to read it the summer before my senior year of high school, but saw it was 1,000 pages, and simply said, "Nope." An amazing display of life in the middle ages, plus a sweeping saga about the lives of multiple characters...with the building of a cathedral.
Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horrowitz - unfortunately, I can't say much about these, without giving things away. But if you like murder mysteries or like classic detective stories, these are outstanding.
The Sentence is Death and The Word is Murder by Horrowitz - a unique, modern spin on murder mysteries.
The Mike McGlinchey's (4 star, very solid but not spectacular):
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles- this was close to a 5-star, but not quite. If only because I figured out how the book would end. Otherwise, a fantastic look at communist USSR, with a true gentleman from the tsarist class as the protagonist. I think I actually liked "Rules of Civility" by Towles better, but I'm splitting hairs.
The Sun Also Rises - The first Hemingway book I ever read. The Piece de Resistance of the Lost Generation.
Dead Wake: the Last Crossing of the Lusitania - another Larson novel. Truly amazing and fascinating how he composed the book by diaries and interviews with witnesses and passengers. You feel like you're actually on the ship and a testament to him that you could feel as though your were on the journey, even though the ship sank.
Killers of the Flower Moon - a "holy shit, I never knew anything about this" type of history book. Members of the Osage Nation, the wealthiest place on earth, start dying. Why and how?
Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene - humorous send up about Cold War British espionage
Briarpatch by Ross Thomas - I found out, after the fact, that USA network made a series out of this. The series looked terrible and I never watched it. But I can tell the book is nothing like the series. It's a mid-80's mystery involving wealth, power, and secrets. I would call it a noir. The main character is extremely likable. He's like a deeper, slightly more verbose Mel Gibson in Payback.
Slaughterhouse 5 - I knew it would be weird, and it was. But I loved the flow of the book. I think a must read for any combat veterans and/or those interested in the aftermath of war.
The Road - Yep, it's depressing. But as a Christian, there is always hope. Even in absolute hell, there must be hope. *
A Farewell to Arms - great look at WWI, Europe, and the way life was and insights, hopes, and dreams of 100 years ago.
Hillbilly Elegy - loved the autobiographical story. You can't help but root for JD Vance. There's nothing earth-shattering nor particularly deep about the book, but a great look at Appalachian culture and how that helped spur on the opioid epidemic and loss of work and identity for many in our country.
American Rust by Phillipp Meyer - oddly enough, I am currently watching the TV show on Showtime...and absolutely hate it. The book wasn't woke. It simply tells the story of struggling characters in a struggling town in a dying part of America.
The JD Bertrand's (3 star, good in the right situation or for your particular taste):
The Pioneers by David McCullough - the settling of the northwest territory. Some parts are fascinating, but there's a good reason this portion of history is often glossed over in American history- there's just really not a lot to say. Particularly when compared with colonial exploration and expanse, as well as the exploration and settling of the American west some 50 years later.
A Month in the Country by JL Carr - A WWI English vet goes and works in the country for a month. That's about it. The description of the English countryside and way of life about 100 years ago was great though.
The Bruce Heggie's (really no reason whatsoever to take a chance on it):
For Whom the Bell Tolls - I kept trying to slog through it. Then, for the first time in my life, I quit a book. If I or you think Cormac McCarthy can be pretentious with words, he doesn't hold a candle to Hemingway here. About the only reason I can think of for reading this book is if you are literally stranded on a deserted island...and this is the only book, companionship, or form of entertainment you have.
*I'm currently halfway through Blood Meridian. It's supposedly McCarthy's magnum opus. I'm not that impressed. It's depressing, but quite realistic, like The Road, but McCarthy's pretentious way of imposing words on the dregs of society is almost nauseating sometimes. TBD on how I feel about this book. For now, I'd say it has an outside shot and being a 4 star, 3 star is likely, but very well could end up with Bruce Heggie.
greyhammer90
the drunk piano player
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Rented Master and Commander from the public library. (Support your public library). I remember Zelezo told me I'd probably enjoy it so I'm looking forward to it.
irishog77
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Oh yeah, Deacon King Kong by James McBride was really good too. I’d put it in the 4-star category from above. It’s like A Confederacy of Dunces meets Pulp Fiction, but instead of taking place in New Orleans or LA, it occurs in 1960’s Brooklyn in a housing project. Some hilarious dialogue, larger-than-life characters, and lots of twists and turns.
irishog77
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I joined the library here a couple years ago. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made. As somebody who almost thinks zero government money should be spent on just about anything, I will say that public libraries are definitely a worthwhile expenditure for the citizenry.
BrownerandFry
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Yeah, just wander into your public library.
Introduce the grandkids to it.
I'm rereading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Reading "Mirror of Simple Souls" by Margarite Poirette. She gets it.
Veritate Duce Progredi
A man gotta have a code
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lol, just goes to show different strokes.
For Whom the Bell Tolls was one of the books I started one evening and stayed up until 3 or 4 AM to finish it because it captured me. I don't remember any pretentious words but then again, I'm not a troglodyte
Good list above, I've read some of them and some of them are new to me. I'll give a couple a try.