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Post by MaybeNever on Jan 12, 2010 18:12:44 GMT -5
After getting massively schooled in the "gospel according to Jesus" thread, I'm re-re-re-reading John Julius Norwich's "A Short History of Byzantium".
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Post by mistermuncher on Jan 12, 2010 18:41:51 GMT -5
Nick Cave's "The Death of Bunny Munro". Thus far, it seems to be a book about an arsehole, but a very good book about an arsehole.
Just finished Guillermo Del Toro/Chuck Hogan's "The Strain". Reasonably enjoyable guff about vampires, packed with decent ideas. Sadly, it's utterly hamstrung by the writing, which is functional at best, and horribly stilted the rest of the time. It's like Guillermo Del Toro is trying to describe the stuff in his head with the all vocabulary and panache of a middleweight fan-fic-er. If you can get past this, possibly rewriting it in your head as you go, you might enjoy it a lot.
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Post by The_L on Jan 17, 2010 20:28:26 GMT -5
Captain Hooker, good fucking luck with Dunces. I only got to page 60 before I was turned off by the complete lack of any sympathizable characters whatsoever.
Recently finished The Merchant of Venice. It was actually not quite as horribly antisemitic as I'd feared. It was bad about it, just not horrible. The non-Shylock parts were contrived, but cute, as is the standard for a Shakespearean comedy.
I have The Invisible Man. I got it from my grandmother's house, because she basically kept every book her kids ever enjoyed when they were living under her roof. (She also has the entire Left Behind series, but I can forgive her for that.)
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Post by captainhooker on Jan 18, 2010 21:29:06 GMT -5
Captain Hooker, good fucking luck with Dunces. I only got to page 60 before I was turned off by the complete lack of any sympathizable characters whatsoever. You didn't like Jones? The chainsmoking black dude in shades? Probably the best written black character in a comedy ever - totally class - no minstrelsy bullshit. Like a trickster w/o the farce. Anyhow, I love it. It's a comedy. I don't think there are supposed to be any sympathetic characters. Crazy story about its publication too. Finished Blood Meridian, too - great book, amazing prose - I followed it pretty well, but it's so dense that I'm going to have to read it again to really let it sink in. Taking a break and reading this: An interesting read, even if Gladwell's "well, golly gee" style feels a little dumb and unnecessary sometimes, like I'm sitting on my uncles knee while he tells me a story even though I'm 34.
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Post by Amaranth on Jan 18, 2010 23:33:32 GMT -5
Currently reading like four books in parallel. Got Dawkins with the God Delusion, which I was prompted to re-read as I'm in the middle of Hitchens' God Is Not Great, The next to most recent Alera Codex book (Not First Lord's Fury, but the one before...) by Jim Butcher, and because it was free on the Amazon Kindle service, I've been plodding through the Assassin's Apprentice by Robin ( ) Hobbes. Since they're all on my Kindle and I'm charging it in the other room right now, I can't be arsed to check the name on the last one. Butcher Rocks, and I'm hoping the Hobbes title gets better, because so far it's been one of those "well, I like the premise but...." sort of books. And I love Dawkins and Hitchens, even when I don't agree with them.
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Post by SimSim on Jan 19, 2010 18:15:27 GMT -5
I'm currently reading The Road. Damn, is that a depressing book.
Also, since it's semi-topical, I loved A Confederacy of Dunces. Yeah, none of the characters are really sympathetic, but they are very colorful, and it's a funny book.
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Post by captainhooker on Jan 19, 2010 22:09:32 GMT -5
I'm currently reading The Road. Damn, is that a depressing book. I've read that, No Country for Old Men, and as mentioned, Blood Meridian. Happy endings aren't his forte.
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Post by Vypernight on Jan 20, 2010 20:28:25 GMT -5
I read, 'Super villains and Philosophy,' which I thought would discuss interesting ways and motivations for various villains in fiction. This book managed to suck all the fun out of it by examining every little minute detail of a villain's persona and how it relates to various philosophical concepts.
The thing is, I actually like philosophy, and I Still got bored out of my skin by this book! It reminded me of 7th grade, when my teacher had us examine a comic strip and analyze in a 2 page paper of why it's funny. My answer, which got me a D, but I didn't care by that point, was a simple, "It's not anymore."
I should've known what to expect out of this book since the same company also made a philosophical book of The Simpsons, which included an entire chapter cover the symbolism of insights concerning Homer's gluttony and laziness.
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Post by disgruntledcolonel on Jan 21, 2010 15:33:46 GMT -5
Currently I'm dipping into Choral Masterworks: A Listener's Guide' by Michael Steinberg - very interesting reading, does exactly what it says on the tin. Next up is Laura Lippman's 'By a Spider's thread' and the 2009 Philadelphia 'Not for Tourists' guide.
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Post by Aqualung on Jan 21, 2010 16:11:34 GMT -5
I just requested On Bullshit by Harry Frankfurt from the library. Been meaning to read it for several years but I forgot about it for quite a long time.
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Post by Sleepy on Jan 21, 2010 18:40:34 GMT -5
Currently I'm reading Thinner by Stephen King.
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Post by Vypernight on Jan 25, 2010 5:04:42 GMT -5
"The Devil's Delusion," by David Berlinski.
It's supposed to be a response to, "The God Delusion," by a man who claims to be a secular Jew and agnostic. Since I'm an agnostic as well, and since I don't think highly of Dawkins or TGD, I figured it'd be an interesting read.
Instead, it goes completely in the opposite direction with arguments to counter Dawkins that are so thin, a kinder gardener could see through them. Also, for someone who claims to be a secular Jew, he loves quoting the NT a lot and making clear why the NT God is real and true. In addition, he slams Einstein, Darwin, and William James, though strangely enough, he has nothing but good things to say about Hawking. I later found out he's a close friend of Ann Coulter; I wish I knew that before I read the book.
Overall, it seems less like an argument against Dawkins and more like a Strawman. I may not be a fan of Dawkins, but I agreed with at least a few things he said. Berlinski is simply so full of **** that it's pouring out of his ears. Too bad nothing else is up there.
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ldm
Full Member
Posts: 108
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Post by ldm on Jan 26, 2010 17:12:30 GMT -5
Working through: Awesome book.
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Post by Pasta on Jan 31, 2010 17:03:14 GMT -5
I'm reading Notes From A Big Country, by Bill Bryson.
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Post by HarleyThomas1002 on Feb 1, 2010 18:04:25 GMT -5
Currently I'm reading Thinner by Stephen King. I found that book boring when I attempted to read it. I seriously found the movie to be better and I didn't even finish the book.
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