Nick Parker 3,040 Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I've just read Moby DickOne of the most confusing literary adventures ever told. Nonetheless, it contains some great moments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fommes 153 Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmo Lewis 6 Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Whoa, let's keep perspective here. I did mention The Corrections a few posts ago. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fommes 153 Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmo Lewis 6 Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QMM 4 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I recommend everybody check out Chabon's Maps and Legends Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Breathmask 555 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Casino Royale for a second time.Good read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trent Hoyt 13 Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Slam by Nick Hornby. I read it in one day. I haven't read a book that fast in a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 75 Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Man this was a great book, I can't wait to see the upcoming movie adaptation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QMM 4 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QMM 4 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 If you thought Terminator Salvation was too bleak you're going to hate The Road Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 The Road is my kind of film. Post-apocalyptic western scored by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis? Count me in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wojo 2,453 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 If you thought Terminator Salvation was too bleak you're going to hate The RoadI 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 He was specifically referring to my complaining about Salvation's cinematography being too bleak. The Road looks fine from what I've seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wojo 2,453 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 75 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,200 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I've paused House of Leaves and begun reading The Beach.Books I've read since then:Small GodsLords 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Crichton 4 Posted June 9, 2009 Author Share Posted June 9, 2009 Man, I need to get my own copy of 1984. One of my absolute favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry B 50 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Man, I need to get my own copy of 1984. One of my absolute favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 I need to read 1984. I believe I have it somewhere in the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 75 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Big Brother does not approve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wojo 2,453 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 I need to read 1984. I believe I have it somewhere in the house.I've got a 1984 World Almanac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paleo 63 Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Breathmask 555 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Skywalker 1,795 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Crichton 4 Posted July 14, 2009 Author Share Posted July 14, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 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.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Golden compasses and amber spyglasses? What's with these books? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wojo 2,453 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I have to say that I ultimately agree, but I felt the first two had enough good to outweigh the bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wojo 2,453 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 The first two books were really good. The third was a letdown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trent Hoyt 13 Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I read Live and Let Die this weekend at the beach. Bond books are perfect for beach reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Breathmask 555 Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,200 Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I thought the film was pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,200 Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 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... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wojo 2,453 Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I just completed Heretics of Dune. Five down, one to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,369 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ollie 1,059 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,200 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 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 allMononoke 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). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,369 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 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 ServiceHaven't seen:1979 The Castle of Cagliostro1988 My Neighbor Totoro 2008 Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Crichton 4 Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,369 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 It is unavoidable. It is your destiny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 75 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 ....I am so glad Mario does not gain similar...abilities when he dons the Tanooki Suit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artyjeffrey 20 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I have never read a Harry Potter book.There, I got it out. Now to break the news to my family and friends... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ollie 1,059 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Crichton 4 Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joni Wiljami 1,206 Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 Now when we have come back to the middle-ages what comes to quality of the movies , I've startedto 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 undeathI feel so privileged to be able to read these books in their original language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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