What's The Last Book You Read?

[Nick Parker 3,049]

I've just read Moby Dick

One of the most confusing literary adventures ever told. Nonetheless, it contains some great moments.

[fommes 165]

I was reminded in another thread of Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, and, if the image I've built of you through the years is correct, I think you might enjoy it.

I stopped halfway through that one. Didn't like very much about it.

I don't know you anymore, man.

That must be one of the best American books of the last ten years. I can't imagine anyone putting this down.

[Elmo Lewis 7]

Whoa, let's keep perspective here. I did mention The Corrections a few posts ago. . .

[fommes 165]

Yeah, The Corrections is another, for sure. Just to be clear, the phrase 'best of' doesn't limit itself to two books or so. But I honestly can't imagine someone not liking Kavalier & Clay.

[Elmo Lewis 7]

Well, Chabon's style and gusto in narrating the story might distract one from its weaknesses. Although I couldn't really specify what those are.

[QMM 4]

I recommend everybody check out Chabon's Maps and Legends

[Mr. Breathmask 624]

Casino Royale for a second time.

Good read.

[Trent Hoyt 13]

Slam by Nick Hornby. I read it in one day. I haven't read a book that fast in a long time.

[Red 75]

The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Man this was a great book, I can't wait to see the upcoming movie adaptation.

[QMM 4]

I picked up Guillermo Del Toro/Chuck Hogan's The Strain yesterday and it's a very enticing read. Opening so far reminds me of Michael Crichton, which is fine. The opening is pretty much the death boat from Nosferatu but with an airplane, which is cool.

[Koray Savas 2,260]

The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Man this was a great book, I can't wait to see the upcoming movie adaptation.

I've heard nothing but great things about it, I need to pick it up sometime.

Last book I read was The Giver by Lois Lowry. I'm thinking of moving on to Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

[QMM 4]

If you thought Terminator Salvation was too bleak you're going to hate The Road

[Koray Savas 2,260]

The Road is my kind of film. Post-apocalyptic western scored by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis? Count me in.

[Wojo 2,458]

If you thought Terminator Salvation was too bleak you're going to hate The Road

I don't think people dislike Terminator Salvation because it's bleak, though. Most movies set in dystopic post-apocalyptic futures are "bleak," especially compared to the relatively posh present. "The Matrix" is bleak, at least the "real world" aspects, not the virtual simulation of 1999. "Blade Runner" is bleak.

There's got to be something else about Terminator 4 that turns people off after seeing it. I'm turned off without seeing it. But I'm really looking forward to The Road. I like dystopic movies that look they could happen tomorrow, not into our future by a few decades or more.

[Koray Savas 2,260]

He was specifically referring to my complaining about Salvation's cinematography being too bleak. The Road looks fine from what I've seen.

[Wojo 2,458]

Oh. Well, the color palette in Salvation does look too bleak from the bits of the trailer I see, so that comment makes sense. I misunderstood, once again.

[Red 75]

The Road is my kind of film. Post-apocalyptic western scored by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis? Count me in.

It's not really a western, it's, well, a road movie. A story about the journey of two characters from point A to point B.

[Marian Schedenig 11,695]

I've paused House of Leaves and begun reading The Beach.

Books I've read since then:

Small Gods

Lords and Ladies

(both by Pratchett and excellent... these really keep getting better - or perhaps I'm just understanding them better. Some awesome concepts and ideas)

Digital Fortress - Dan Brown. Horribly written, even worse than expected. And the most ridiculously absurd plot I can imagine. It did get exciting towards the end. Brown is odd - Solomon Key will show if he really was a one hit wonder (Angels & Demons) or if he can still write something convincigly exciting.

Physics of the Impossible - Michio Kaku. Quite interesting, and give the impression that the author, even though he obviously simplifies a lot, knows what he's writing about. Particularly interesting to read about quantum theory after the two Pratchetts mentioned above.

Also started re-reading 1984 (I've read that over 10 years ago), but today Dickens' Tale of Two Cities arrived, so I'll probably put that on hold, too.

[John Crichton 4]

Man, I need to get my own copy of 1984. One of my absolute favorites.

[Henry B 51]

Man, I need to get my own copy of 1984. One of my absolute favorites.

[Koray Savas 2,260]

I need to read 1984. I believe I have it somewhere in the house.

[Red 75]

Big Brother does not approve.

[Wojo 2,458]

I need to read 1984. I believe I have it somewhere in the house.

I've got a 1984 World Almanac.

[paleo 78]

Reading Pompeii by Robert Harris at present. So far very entertaining (and I hope they will, as planned, make a nice movie out of it). It was about time for a novel like this; the approach by Bulwer-Lytton really is a bit old-fashioned

[Mr. Breathmask 624]

I'm currently reading the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. I'm in the last chapter of The Subtle Knife and I'm really liking it so far. The first book is a little slow to start, but once Lyra sets off with the Gyptians it doesn't let up. Pullman reads like an author very much in command of his own writing. Good stuff.

[Luke Skywalker 2,386]

a bought the trilogy a pair of weeks ago...

I dont know when i will read them since the waiting list is so long...

I'm on to Dark Lord the rise of Darth vader now, interesting read when it is about characters we know. The main character thought, well you care for them, but it not the same. (and you know the majority is going to die... being surviving jedi and all...)

And i got a load of other star war books in tow...

And the dragonlance core books, that i bought in english and i will re-read when the last 'lost chronicle' is released.

[John Crichton 4]

Somewhere In Ireland A Village Is Missing An Idiot and An Idiot For All Seasons by the hilarious Irish player turned commentator (and born again Texan) David Ferherty. Both books are just reprints of his best Golf Magazine columns, but there are few things that have made me laugh harder in my life. I need to get his book on the history of the Ryder Cup.

[Nick Parker 3,049]

I'm currently reading the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. I'm in the last chapter of The Subtle Knife and I'm really liking it so far. The first book is a little slow to start, but once Lyra sets off with the Gyptians it doesn't let up. Pullman reads like an author very much in command of his own writing. Good stuff.

Just wait until you get to The Amber Spyglass. So disappointing....

[Koray Savas 2,260]

Golden compasses and amber spyglasses? What's with these books?

[Wojo 2,458]

The titles are in reference to supernaturally imbued devices that the book's protagonists use during the course of the story. A golden compass answers pictorially any question that its user presents to it. A subtle knife cuts open the boundaries between parallel universes. I can't really explain what the amber spyglass does without giving away the plot of the third book for Marc, and because it's way too involved to actually explain here.

The series as a whole left me feeling empty and disappointed. There were moments of good storytelling and adventure, but I could have done without so much of the preachiness-for-the-sake-of-preaching-against-mainstream-religion-as-we-know-it. I suppose this trilogy is meant to be a selected account of a much larger battle between good and evil over the centuries across multiple dimensions, though the books are by no means devoid of detail histories. I think that by leaving out some of the motives and relying so much on allegory, the book takes on a false sense of pomposity that other works like The Lord of the Rings managed to make seem more real. I can't decide if the trilogy deserves a second read through, or tossed into the rubbish.

[Nick Parker 3,049]

I have to say that I ultimately agree, but I felt the first two had enough good to outweigh the bad.

[Wojo 2,458]

The first two books were really good. The third was a letdown.

[Trent Hoyt 13]

I read Live and Let Die this weekend at the beach. Bond books are perfect for beach reading.

[Mr. Breathmask 624]

Finished Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. The third book is indeed a little less exciting than the others. Not bad, but I think I liked The Subtle Knife best.

Read Jurassic Park again for the heck of it.

I'm now about a hundred pages from the end of my second re-read of The Neverending Story.

[Marian Schedenig 11,695]

Howl's Moving Castle, a late birthday present. Wonderful, actually! Kind of a mix between Alice and Wizard of Oz. I should see the movie someday, although I've mostly heard not so good things about it.

[Koray Savas 2,260]

I thought the film was pretty good.

[Marian Schedenig 11,695]

Somehow, this wouldn't be my story of choice for a cartoon adaptation. When reading it, I kept seeing "real" people. I'll see the movie eventually, but of the two Myazakis I've seen so far, I only really liked one. Both had good Hisaishi scores though...

[Wojo 2,458]

I just completed Heretics of Dune. Five down, one to go.

[Jay 46,245]

Somehow, this wouldn't be my story of choice for a cartoon adaptation. When reading it, I kept seeing "real" people. I'll see the movie eventually, but of the two Myazakis I've seen so far, I only really liked one. Both had good Hisaishi scores though...

Wow, which 2 did you see? I've seen all his films except Totoro and Ponyo and loved them all

[Ollie 1,375]

Somewhere In Ireland A Village Is Missing An Idiot and An Idiot For All Seasons by the hilarious Irish player turned commentator (and born again Texan) David Ferherty. Both books are just reprints of his best Golf Magazine columns, but there are few things that have made me laugh harder in my life. I need to get his book on the history of the Ryder Cup.

Good choices, both of those are hilarious at times.

[Marian Schedenig 11,695]

Somehow, this wouldn't be my story of choice for a cartoon adaptation. When reading it, I kept seeing "real" people. I'll see the movie eventually, but of the two Myazakis I've seen so far, I only really liked one. Both had good Hisaishi scores though...

Wow, which 2 did you see? I've seen all his films except Totoro and Ponyo and loved them all

Mononoke and Spirited Away. Quite admired the latter, but Mononoke seemed all over the place to me (although I prefer its score - at least the Symphonic Suite, I don't have the OST).

[Jay 46,245]

Yea, Mononoke is somewhat different from all the others. I dunnno. I like them all, but I think if I had to rank them, I'd go (best to worst):

2001 Spirited Away

1984 Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind

1992 Porco Rosso

1986 Castle In The Sky

2004 Howl's Moving Castle

1997 Princess Mononoke

1989 Kiki's Delivery Service

Haven't seen:

1979 The Castle of Cagliostro

1988 My Neighbor Totoro

2008 Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea

[John Crichton 4]

Somewhere In Ireland A Village Is Missing An Idiot and An Idiot For All Seasons by the hilarious Irish player turned commentator (and born again Texan) David Ferherty. Both books are just reprints of his best Golf Magazine columns, but there are few things that have made me laugh harder in my life. I need to get his book on the history of the Ryder Cup.

Good choices, both of those are hilarious at times.

I'd start quoting him around here but you and me would be the only ones who got it.

I'm about 2/3 of the way through Half Blood Prince again, I wanted to read it again after seeing the movie. And now I'll probably have to read Book 7 again too.

[Jay 46,245]

It is unavoidable. It is your destiny

[Red 75]

Yea, Mononoke is somewhat different from all the others. I dunnno. I like them all, but I think if I had to rank them, I'd go (best to worst):

Have you seen Pom Poko?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kTcJAg84os

[Nick Parker 3,049]

....

I am so glad Mario does not gain similar...abilities when he dons the Tanooki Suit.

[artyjeffrey 20]

I have never read a Harry Potter book.

There, I got it out. Now to break the news to my family and friends...

[Ollie 1,375]

Somewhere In Ireland A Village Is Missing An Idiot and An Idiot For All Seasons by the hilarious Irish player turned commentator (and born again Texan) David Ferherty. Both books are just reprints of his best Golf Magazine columns, but there are few things that have made me laugh harder in my life. I need to get his book on the history of the Ryder Cup.

Good choices, both of those are hilarious at times.

I'd start quoting him around here but you and me would be the only ones who got it.

I need to find his other two, one is a work of fiction I believe (A Nasty Bit Of Rough) and his Ryder cup book.

[John Crichton 4]

Actually I think A Nasty Bit of Rough is an autobiography.

Another golf book I'm going to get at some point is Bob Smiley's Follow the Roar. His Fore Right blog is a must-read for golf fans.

[hornist 1,261]

Now when we have come back to the middle-ages what comes to quality of the movies , I've started

to read more books. And found my old hero Mika Waltari , very prolific finnish writer.

I'm just reading Sinuhe , The Egyptian , just finished The Adventurer/Mikael Karvajalka and

The Wanderer/Mikael Hakim.

The best of his historical novels is The Etruscan/ Turms the undeath

I feel so privileged to be able to read these books in their original language.