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[KuroNeeko]

Now reading this and holy shit it's good. The rest of the series as good? Thanks again GAF for the recommendation.

The rest of the series is pretty good. It does slow down a bit and there are some pretty big "WTF whatever" moments but it's worth sticking with.

I just finished reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, which was a pretty decent read. Reading through the three Bourne novels for work right now.

 

[BrettWeir]

 

[Blindfutur3]

Fyodor Dostoevsky

 

[NEOPARADIGM]

Meh. I think I might be done with this sort of stuff. Bored off my ass.

 

[foomfoom415]

Currently reading this. I always like Vernor Vinge novels but I almost never finish them for some reason. My interest always end up gradually petering out. I'm about halfway through this one and I'm already succumbing to it. I don't know what it is. I always like his fleshed-out thoughts on future technologies and this is no exception. His characters are interesting though I don't really have the grasp on the main characters that I'd want to have at this point in a book. We'll see how it goes.

 

[Fritz]

What's up guys?

I need some recommendations. I'm planing a trip to the Middle East, i.e. Syria, Jordan and Israel. I'ld love to read up on the region beforehand. In particular on the history of the Orient with all the crussades and what not and on the Middle East Konflikt. I thought about Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom and probably a standard history textbook. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[Tralfamadore64]

Just finished "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall, and I have to say, it was pretty inspiring and completely changed my outlook on running. Highly recommended for anybody who spends any amount of time running.

Currently reading "Wise Blood" by Flannery O'Connor. Bought her collected works mainly for "A Good Man is Hard to Find" and "Everything That Rises Must Converge", but I have a hard time skipping significant portions of a book, even if it's a compilation.

And "Bright Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America" by Barbara Ehrenreich.

 

[Tralfamadore64]

What's up guys?

I need some recommendations. I'm planing a trip to the Middle East, i.e. Syria, Jordan and Israel. I'ld love to read up on the region beforehand. In particular on the history of the Orient with all the crussades and what not and on the Middle East Konflikt. I thought about Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom and probably a standard history textbook. Any help will be appreciated.

I'm sure there will be people with more intelligent recommendations, but I read "A History of the Middle East" by Peter Mansfield and enjoyed it. It's concise and gives you a good overview of the region without overwhelming you with too much info at once. From there I'd seek out books on more specific subjects if you feel you need to read more about them.

Also, this wouldn't hurt:

 

[Salazar]

What's up guys?

I need some recommendations. I'm planing a trip to the Middle East, i.e. Syria, Jordan and Israel. I'ld love to read up on the region beforehand. In particular on the history of the Orient with all the crussades and what not and on the Middle East Konflikt. I thought about Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom and probably a standard history textbook. Any help will be appreciated.

Charles Glass' Money For Old Rope: Disorderly Compositions is a collection of essays and reportage from a genuinely fine journalist who was a correspondent in Lebanon. You'd enjoy reading it, and you'd learn quite a bit. Better than Lawrence.

Tom Holland's Persian Fire is a glorious history of the doings of Xerxes and Cyrus. Probably the most reputable and charming popular classical historian about.

Thomas Asbridge's The First Crusade: A New History is remarkable, and probably the only book you'd need for your purposes (as I understand them) in that area.

 

[AnkitT]

Finished reading:

Smile or Die: How positive thinking fooled America and the World.
Was quite a good read, and since it reaffirms my own beliefs, somewhat useless.

Starting out with:

 

[Tralfamadore64]

Finished reading:

Smile or Die: How positive thinking fooled America and the World.
Was quite a good read, and since it reaffirms my own beliefs, somewhat useless.

Starting out with:

I didn't realize she was
so down on positiv thinking. She's got a
grudge!

 

[Fritz]

Big thanks Tralfamadore and Salazar, definitely will look into those!

 

[close to the edge]

Just finished "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall, and I have to say, it was pretty inspiring and completely changed my outlook on running. Highly recommended for anybody who spends any amount of time running.

Currently reading "Wise Blood" by Flannery O'Connor. Bought her collected works mainly for "A Good Man is Hard to Find" and "Everything That Rises Must Converge", but I have a hard time skipping significant portions of a book, even if it's a compilation.

[I MG]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41C4V8TB9GL.jpg[/IMG]

And "Bright Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America" by Barbara Ehrenreich.

[I MG]http://images.indiebound.com/499/087/9780805087499.jpg[/IMG]

Even though I don't currently run, I bought Born To Run after seeing an interview with the author on the Daily Show (Jon Stewart) which I found very interesting. I should start reading this.

 

[the nightman cometh]

Hitch 22 - The new Christopher Hitchens memoir is amazing

 

[luxarific]

Post-apocalyptic vampires. Not particularly original, but it's a nice beach book.

 

[Tralfamadore64]

Even though I don't currently run, I bought Born To Run after seeing an interview with the author on the Daily Show (Jon Stewart) which I found very interesting. I should start reading this.

You should. The book is very readable. There's a fascinating central narrative with equally fascinating tangents sprinkled throughout that range from race descriptions to new insights into human evolutionary theory.

And you know? I'm no marathon runner. I was awful at track and cross country in high school, and in the seven years since I've run now and again, but it had always been a chore, something I did because I didn't want to get fat(ter). I bought some vibram five fingers because I thought they'd make running more enjoyable for me

Spoiler

they have

, but I was still only running/walking about three miles at a time. Well, this book got me so excited about running, so ENTHUSIASTIC about running, and taught me so much that two miles into my thre. I went all Forrest Gump on it and kept adding mileage. For the first time in my life I ran six miles, and I never felt tired. I only stopped because it was late and the balls of my feet were tender from still adjusting to the vibrams. I could have done another mile or two or three easily. I'm not o e to buy into inspirational sports stories, but this book really reinvigorated me in numerous ways.

 

[CHEEZMO™]

Just got started on this:

Wish me luck!

 

[HunkyDory]

I didn't realize she was
so down on positiv thinking. She's got a
grudge!

Barbara Ehrenreich is fantastic, and Smile or Die is a bloody great book!

I think that she actually goes a little too far in her arguments in places, and there are times where she is more sarcastic than she is fair, but for the most part it's a great read.

Incredibly funny in places as well.

I've actually just started Nickel and Dimed after finishing up Bait and Switch a while back.

At the same time, I'm also halfway through,

 

[Tim the Wiz]

You should. The book is very readable. There's a fascinating central narrative with equally fascinating tangents sprinkled throughout that range from race descriptions to new insights into human evolutionary theory.

And you know? I'm no marathon runner. I was awful at track and cross country in high school, and in the seven years since I've run now and again, but it had always been a chore, something I did because I didn't want to get fat(ter). I bought some vibram five fingers because I thought they'd make running more enjoyable for me

Spoiler

they have

, but I was still only running/walking about three miles at a time. Well, this book got me so excited about running, so ENTHUSIASTIC about running, and taught me so much that two miles into my thre. I went all Forrest Gump on it and kept adding mileage. For the first time in my life I ran six miles, and I never felt tired. I only stopped because it was late and the balls of my feet were tender from still adjusting to the vibrams. I could have done another mile or two or three easily. I'm not o e to buy into inspirational sports stories, but this book really reinvigorated me in numerous ways.

Yeah, as much as I'd like to, I don't think I'll ever be comfortable with barefoot running. One prick from a discarded needle and it's HIV time.

 

[braves01]

I just finished this, and I highly recommend it for anyone who's already read some DeLillo.

Next, on to this:

 

[elrechazado]

The Omnivore's Dilemma - pollan
Good Calories Bad Calories - taubes
The Book of Basketball - simmons

 

[eznark]

After I finished The Unincorporated Man I checked out the website, and to my surprised found the sequel was already out. So the first came out in 2009 and the sequel was a year later. Let me tell you something, it absolutely shows. I'm just going to c&p my review from Good Reads:

Incredibly underwhelmed by this book. The first book in the trilogy, Unincorporated Man, began to unravel about 2/3 of the way through and this outing pretty much finishes that process. Kollin manages to eliminate everything interesting about the universe in the first few chapters and goes on for 400 more pages describing "epic" space battles in as sparse a manner as he can manage. The eventuality that the book is building to is saved for two paragraphs, delivered in the way of a newspaper clipping, in an epilogue.

Kollin spends the entire second half of the book rehashing the old "war blurs morality" discussion at great length and multiple times in multiple planes of existence. It's tired and mostly ill-conceived.

Unlike The Unincorporated Man, which developed some excellent characters and focused on interaction between the, this effort mostly forgets the characters (or ruins them). The female lead is immediately destroyed and twisted grotesquely, the fantastic protagonist (The Unincorporated man himself) is an afterthought for most of this outing, and the peripheral characters who got so much characterization previously are now mere props for grandiose nonsense.

The author mostly does away with the central theme of The Unincorporated Man (liberty) and moves on to religion and morality. The problem, it seems, is that Kollin is much more passionate about liberty than either of the central themes of this novel, so the portrayal of religion comes off as cartoonish and morality is a plot device.

The only reason to read this book is if the conclusion of the trilogy is excellent. The Unincorporated Man is mostly a decently self contained experience, so stop there until reviews start for the end of the trilogy so as not to ruin the experience.

 

[Tralfamadore64]

Yeah, as much as I'd like to, I don't think I'll ever be comfortable with barefoot running. One prick from a discarded needle and it's HIV time.

Ah, just choose your routes wisely and watch where you're going. CAn't live in fear of everything.

Honestly, the vibrams make a big, big difference. I run over grass and sharp gravel fairly often and never have a problem. It isn't pure barefoot, but it's the next best thing from what I understand.

 

[GhaleonQ]

Yukio Mishima's short stories and plays. Great!

 

[KidDork]

On the last fifty pages of Iain M. Banks Consider Phlebas, but couldn't resist picking this up and starting reading it last night.

I've enjoyed Doctorow's Little Brother, and never got around to reading his next novel, Makers. Thirty pages in and enjoying it so far. I especially liked it that it was hardcover and was only twenty bucks Canadian.

 

[The Technomancer]

Read this a few months ago, and absolutely loved it:

And finally got around to reading the sequel:

Very well written, incredibly engaging "fantasy" novels, except without any magic or supernatural. Although I swear the cover/title of the first book is designed to make it sound like a fantasy romance, which I was dreading, and which it most certainly was not

 

[ElectricBlue187]

Currently reading this. I always like Vernor Vinge novels but I almost never finish them for some reason. My interest always end up gradually petering out. I'm about halfway through this one and I'm already succumbing to it. I don't know what it is. I always like his fleshed-out thoughts on future technologies and this is no exception. His characters are interesting though I don't really have the grasp on the main characters that I'd want to have at this point in a book. We'll see how it goes.

I felt the exact same way once it started building up to the climax I was just thinking, "why am I still reading this?" The ideas and their implementation are great but the story just isn't terribly interesting

 

[eznark]

On the last fifty pages of Iain M. Banks Consider Phlebas, but couldn't resist picking this up and starting reading it last night.

I've enjoyed Doctorow's Little Brother, and never got around to reading his next novel, Makers. Thirty pages in and enjoying it so far. I especially liked it that it was hardcover and was only twenty bucks Canadian.

I don't blame you, the last 50 pages of Phlebas are excruciating awful.

 

[Wellington]

Awesome title. :lol

 

[KuroNeeko]

You ever get the feeling that there are just too many good books out there and that you'll never be able to read through all of them in one lifetime? ;.;

 

[Coeliacus]

High Fidelity.

It's one of my favourite films, so I figure I should read the book. I just started last night but I really like the really kinda frank writing style.

 

[Tralfamadore64]

You ever get the feeling that there are just too many good books out there and that you'll never be able to read through all of them in one lifetime? ;.;

Eh, you do what you can. No use complaining about things you can't change.

 

[Peronthious]

Just got started on this:

Wish me luck!

Good luck! I've only browsed the histories, haven't dug through the entire collection, but it's amazing how Herodotus managed to make a story out of every historical occurrence he found.

 

[Esch]

Reading this:

Four Kings. As a sports history text it's great. It lets you appreciate how great these individual fighters(Hagler, Hearns, Leonard, Duran) were in proper historical context. The conflict between these guys is presented perfectly. Great read for any boxing fan.

 

[Kodiak]

I've been trying to finish The Terror whenever I have a free moment.

I'm already convinced Dan Simmons is a genius by the first 400 odd pages.

Next up is the Dark Tower series and perhaps The Blade Itself, for some good violent fun.

 

[bumbillbee]

Just finished

Took me a little less than a month, although I didn't read it every day. So worth it. I'm not really a history fan, but Tolstoy made the Napoleonic Wars so interesting and really changed how I look at them and history in general. Plus, the more fictional parts were great, too. Prince Andrei is an incredible character, and his portrayal of Russian high society was fascinating.

I'm relaxing with some Krazy Kat and Peanuts right now, but I think I'll start Dead Souls soon.

 

[Tralfamadore64]

Finished Wise Blood yesterday afternoon and started on

It's the first Rushdie book I've read. I tried to read The Satanic Verses before, but became distracted for some reason. I'm absolutely in love with this book, though, so I'm sure I'll get to the Verses before too long.

Halfway through Bright-Sided. After that, I think I'll move on to

 

[Windom Earle]

It's really crappy but has a lot of truth about women about it

 

[mello]

I've had this on my shelf since Jul or Sept last year, I'm starting it tonight.

 

[eznark]

After reading the WaPo review (which sounded like an imam's review of a Rushdie text) I couldn't not pick up this book. I need to find out what is so "dangerous!"

It's short as hell and seems to be written for 8th graders so I expect I'll have it done by Sunday.

 

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

Damn you E3! and FF9 on PSP, i have read nothing this entire month.

 

[ymmv]

Finished Dan Simmons' Drood yesterday and started reading this:

 

[Undeux]

After reading the WaPo review (which sounded like an imam's review of a Rushdie text) I couldn't not pick up this book. I need to find out what is so "dangerous!"

It's short as hell and seems to be written for 8th graders so I expect I'll have it done by Sunday.

 

[Yasser]

 

[eznark]

Ew. I realize he has oodles of practice at fiction, but what made him think he could write a novel?

Read this review and tell me you aren't intrigued to read the hilarity this tome must contain.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/14/AR2010061405423.html

Also, check Amazon's best seller list.

 

[SoulPlaya]

Read the book last year, felt like a drudge, but some of the characters are really interesting.

 

[mike23]

Read this on Wednesday.

It was an easy read and better than I expected.


I started The Blade Itself, but his writing style threw me off a bit, so I moved it down my list for now

 

[The Chef]

Well now that I've had a little break after Atlas Shrugged I just another 1200 page monster:

So far so good.

And Im listening to:

This is my first Clancy book and dear god this book is terrrrrible. :lol but extremely entertaining in parts.

 

[Karakand]

Brecht out with your cock out.

 

[Karakand]

http://www.harpercollins.com/harperimages/isbn/large/6/9780060913076.jpg
really really enjoying this, though it took about 60-70 pages before it really "clicked" with me

I once had Shane Bettenhausen described to me as Genghis Cohen, but for Japanese video games.

Finished the first part of the Illuminatus! trilogy, The Eye in the Pyramid. Basically a 300-page long extended acid trip. It's one of the weirdest things I've read--constant switches in perspective, usually without any preamble, sometimes from 1st to 3rd and back, sometimes to historical events (JFK's death being one of the more prominent--and hilarious--examples. How many motherfuckers does it take to kill a President?). They explain something one way, only to switch it up and imply or outright state that the previous explanation was bullshit. Keep one eye open for Adam Weishaupt, and prepare to be illuminated. Good stuff.

Hail Eris.

I can't wait for you to get to Lake Totenkopf.

e: [un-enthused, coerced] Hail Eris.