Books you're currently reading??? - Page 2

tonksy · 11-14-2003, 04:18 PM

i finished illusions by richard bach for the...nintieth time the other day. always get something different out of it. very 'small' book that isn't as light a read as it first seems.

perth · 11-14-2003, 04:53 PM

Re: Wheel of Time.

I dunno, it just really seems like he is dragging stuff on way longer than necessary. Its one thing to want to write a big, sprawling epic of a story. Its quite another to go on for 5 pages explaining just why person A is pissed off at person B. I can't make myself finish book five. I keep wishing someone would just kill all the main characters off already. Starting with Nynaeve, closely followed by Rand. Bleh.

On the other hand, I have thorougly enjoyed the "Voyage of the Jerle Shannara" series by Terry Brooks lately. Despite the numerous books in the Shannara series, Brooks can at least tell a complete story without this "Tune in next week!" crap.

Torrere · 11-15-2003, 10:04 PM

Nynaeve isn't all /that/ bad. I think that the most efficient amputation for the series would be to kill off or simply abandon the entire Perrin sub-plot; Perrin, Faile, Berelain, and all.

rockerreds · 02-10-2009, 01:15 PM

Philip K. Dick-Flow My Tears,the Policeman Said

09-04-2014, 03:56 AM

Just started Winter of the World by Ken Follett.

wolf · 11-16-2003, 12:07 PM

Mission Compromised - Oliver North (yes really. It's a surprisingly good thriller/mystery/spy novel. Of course, he had help. And made himself a (minor) character in his own novel)

I've been reading too much heavy shit lately, wanted something that wouldn't tax the cranium so much.

lumberjim · 11-16-2003, 12:20 PM

i just read the 1st book of the wheel of time and based upon this thread and the general feeling i got from book one, i don't think i'll finish the series(even though i bought book 2 and misplaced it). I remember noticing that he wastes time on the details of traveling far too frequently...I think he was trying to follow tolkeins formula, but the characters are not as charasmatic or exciting.

On the other hand i also just read "Lamb". What a great book! It's written from the perspective of "Biff", Christ's best friend, and addresses the missing 30 yrs of Jesus' early life. hysterical. Highly recommended reading. 84 thumbs up, as my son would say.

tonksy · 11-16-2003, 12:44 PM

i have had countless friends and one exhusband who raved about the wheel of time series...given that it had so much...enthusiasm placed upon it i tried valiantly to force my way through the first book to no avail.....i don't know how many times i have heard, "ah, if you just finish the first one you will see", i don't really care. i don't like to be bored. if a book doesn't grab me by the first 300 pages- guess what? it just gets added to the stacks of books littering my house never to be heard from again. i was a huge fan of the sword of truth series by terry goodkind but i found the same problem as i tried to read the 8th book 'a naked....somethingorother'. just dull, dull, dull.

Whit · 11-16-2003, 11:48 PM

      The problem I had with the "Wheel of Time" series is that it takes three books to cover three chapters worth of actuall events. It's annoying. Mostly since a lot of 'major events' become meaningless. Like a couple of major villians get knocked off and you think, "okay, two down." Then they get brought back. Useless waste of a few thousand pages...
      I recently read William Peter Blatty's "Legion." Loved it. Of course I tend to like stories with the good guys that are out of their league, in the "No, they really can't win" kind of way. Good stuff.
      I've liked all Ayn Rand's fiction, but don't read "We the Living." Not unless you've been happy for to long and are ready for a little depression.

JeepNGeorge · 11-17-2003, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Whit
[BI've liked all Ayn Rand's fiction, but don't read "We the Living." Not unless you've been happy for to long and are ready for a little depression. [/b]

I've stayed away from "We the Living" myself, but I've read the fountainhead twice. I enjoyed atlas shrugged except for the ending. The long narrative from John Galt at the end got a bit much (I think it was him) and put it down with a few pages left to read

Rand actually has the honors of being my favorite book quote. When Howard Roark replied to Tooheys' question of what he thought of him in the fountainhead. "But I don't think of you". Quite possibly the best line in written history. (At least in my mind

)

ladysycamore · 11-17-2003, 05:05 PM

Bad Blood: Crisis in the American Red Cross
by Judith Reitman

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...16614?v=glance

Scopulus Argentarius · 11-17-2003, 09:36 PM

Currently....

Edward Debono - I am right, you are wrong
95% - slow read

Edward Debono - Serious Creativity
90% slow read

D Chu - Explosive Power & Strength - Complex Traing for maximum results
decent - 80%

T Baechile, B Groves - Weight Training Steps to Success
decent - 80%

J. Carr - RF Circuits
30% - very technical slow read

Recently

Edward Debono - Sur/Petition
Good- but slow reading

Anyn Rand - The Fountainhead
Excellent but long

Uryoces · 11-17-2003, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sycamore
I can't read. Rho reads books to me and I memorize them. So, when I do pick one up, it looks like I can read.

Farenheit 451 is an excellent read. It's getting more and more relevant.

The stack next to my bed:
Nostromo, Joseph Conrad
Red Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson
The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony, Roberto Calasso
Winterhawk, Craig Thomas

Joseph Conrad, in Nostromo anyway, is like a huge biscuit of shredded wheat. I need to just sit down and make one night a week readin' night. No TV, no Internet.

elSicomoro · 11-17-2003, 10:23 PM

I've actually been thinking about doing more book reading...now if I would just drag my sorry ass up the street to the library...

Whit · 11-18-2003, 01:21 AM

Quote:

From Jeep:
Rand actually has the honors of being my favorite book quote. When Howard Roark replied to Tooheys' question of what he thought of him in the fountainhead. "But I don't think of you". Quite possibly the best line in written history. (At least in my mind )

      Yeah, I liked that, not quite as much as when Galt started talking the idiot bastards through the process of fixing the turture machine in Atlas Shrugged. Oh, yeah the Galt narrative was way to much like reading her non-fiction stuff. Save it for non-fiction books, I say. Really drags down the storyline.

11-14-2003, 04:18 PM	#1
tonksy 100:10100 Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: louisiana Posts: 96	i finished illusions by richard bach for the...nintieth time the other day. always get something different out of it. very 'small' book that isn't as light a read as it first seems. __________________ ...with all of our running and all of our cunning, if we couldn't laugh we would all go insane...

11-16-2003, 12:07 PM	#6
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Mission Compromised - Oliver North (yes really. It's a surprisingly good thriller/mystery/spy novel. Of course, he had help. And made himself a (minor) character in his own novel) I've been reading too much heavy shit lately, wanted something that wouldn't tax the cranium so much. __________________ 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

11-16-2003, 12:20 PM	#7
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	i just read the 1st book of the wheel of time and based upon this thread and the general feeling i got from book one, i don't think i'll finish the series(even though i bought book 2 and misplaced it). I remember noticing that he wastes time on the details of traveling far too frequently...I think he was trying to follow tolkeins formula, but the characters are not as charasmatic or exciting. On the other hand i also just read "Lamb". What a great book! It's written from the perspective of "Biff", Christ's best friend, and addresses the missing 30 yrs of Jesus' early life. hysterical. Highly recommended reading. 84 thumbs up, as my son would say. __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

11-16-2003, 12:44 PM	#8
tonksy 100:10100 Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: louisiana Posts: 96	i have had countless friends and one exhusband who raved about the wheel of time series...given that it had so much...enthusiasm placed upon it i tried valiantly to force my way through the first book to no avail.....i don't know how many times i have heard, "ah, if you just finish the first one you will see", i don't really care. i don't like to be bored. if a book doesn't grab me by the first 300 pages- guess what? it just gets added to the stacks of books littering my house never to be heard from again. i was a huge fan of the sword of truth series by terry goodkind but i found the same problem as i tried to read the 8th book 'a naked....somethingorother'. just dull, dull, dull. __________________ ...with all of our running and all of our cunning, if we couldn't laugh we would all go insane...

11-16-2003, 11:48 PM	#9
Whit Umm ... yeah. Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Arkansas, USA Posts: 949	The problem I had with the "Wheel of Time" series is that it takes three books to cover three chapters worth of actuall events. It's annoying. Mostly since a lot of 'major events' become meaningless. Like a couple of major villians get knocked off and you think, "okay, two down." Then they get brought back. Useless waste of a few thousand pages...       I recently read William Peter Blatty's "Legion." Loved it. Of course I tend to like stories with the good guys that are out of their league, in the "No, they really can't win" kind of way. Good stuff.       I've liked all Ayn Rand's fiction, but don't read "We the Living." Not unless you've been happy for to long and are ready for a little depression. __________________ A friend will help you move. A true friend will help you move a body.

11-14-2003, 04:53 PM	#2
perth Strong Silent Type Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 1,949	Re: Wheel of Time. I dunno, it just really seems like he is dragging stuff on way longer than necessary. Its one thing to want to write a big, sprawling epic of a story. Its quite another to go on for 5 pages explaining just why person A is pissed off at person B. I can't make myself finish book five. I keep wishing someone would just kill all the main characters off already. Starting with Nynaeve, closely followed by Rand. Bleh. On the other hand, I have thorougly enjoyed the "Voyage of the Jerle Shannara" series by Terry Brooks lately. Despite the numerous books in the Shannara series, Brooks can at least tell a complete story without this "Tune in next week!" crap.

11-15-2003, 10:04 PM	#3
Torrere a real smartass Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Kirkland, WA Posts: 1,121	Nynaeve isn't all /that/ bad. I think that the most efficient amputation for the series would be to kill off or simply abandon the entire Perrin sub-plot; Perrin, Faile, Berelain, and all.

02-10-2009, 01:15 PM	#4
rockerreds Infamous Defamer Join Date: May 2007 Location: Philadelphia,PA Posts: 50	Philip K. Dick-Flow My Tears,the Policeman Said

09-04-2014, 03:56 AM	#5
stellaleon Guest Posts: n/a	Just started Winter of the World by Ken Follett.

11-17-2003, 05:05 PM	#11
ladysycamore "I may not always be perfect, but I'm always me." Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: In Sycamore's boxers Posts: 1,341	Bad Blood: Crisis in the American Red Cross by Judith Reitman http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...16614?v=glance __________________ "Freedom is not given. It is our right at birth. But there are some moments when it must be taken." ~Tagline from the movie "Amistad"~ "The Akan concept of Sankofa: In order to move forward we first have to take a step back. In other words, before we can be prepared for the future, we must comprehend the past." From "We Did It, They Hid It"

11-17-2003, 09:36 PM	#12
Scopulus Argentarius Your current user title is: Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: BTR Posts: 301	Currently.... Edward Debono - I am right, you are wrong 95% - slow read Edward Debono - Serious Creativity 90% slow read D Chu - Explosive Power & Strength - Complex Traing for maximum results decent - 80% T Baechile, B Groves - Weight Training Steps to Success decent - 80% J. Carr - RF Circuits 30% - very technical slow read Recently Edward Debono - Sur/Petition Good- but slow reading Anyn Rand - The Fountainhead Excellent but long

11-17-2003, 10:23 PM	#14
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I've actually been thinking about doing more book reading...now if I would just drag my sorry ass up the street to the library...

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