| Good reading
Posted: 9/16/2008 10:45:06 AM | "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao"
Who is Wao? Is this a novel?
I love non-fiction. I think Steven Pinker's The Stuff of Thought, or The Blank Slate are excellent.
Al Gore's book The Assault on Reason was really powerful to me. Tell me if you've read it.
Thanks for this thread.  | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 9/16/2008 1:37:34 PM | I haven't read it. Anyone else?
I bought "The Secret" and my dog promptly chewed it, but it's still readable. I'll get to it soon. It's not really my cup of tea but most in my women's group are reading it and love it. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 9/16/2008 8:46:23 PM | | Last week finished This I Believe (collection of short essays from the radio series) and Blink - both were very good. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 9/17/2008 2:00:30 PM | I gotta admit, the Secret sounds like the worst least scientific, most deceptive "non-fiction" book I've encountered in a while. I know that that will bring some bad karma down upon me, but I don't think it'll really impact my life that much, which is the whole point. Their claims are too inflated.
We Don't Need Another Wave edited by Melody Berger was an interesting read, though a little extreme. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 9/17/2008 7:32:36 PM | | Anything and everything by Jane Austen. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 9/18/2008 6:31:00 AM | I've got a preteen in my house so I'm exposed to some books that would otherwise go unnoticed by me.
The Ember series (just 4 books so far) is a very quick and compelling read about actions, consequences and the damaging effect of revenge.
I just finished another 1st book of a series - The Dark Hills Divide - the author lives here in the PNW. It's a little more preachy and easy to figure out but it has talking animals which (IMO) compensate for its slightly didactic style and predictable plot.
Earlier this year, we ripped through the Warrior series - 4 clans of feral cats trying to live side by side - very very good read.
Finally, my daughter is moving into the vampire genre, starting with the Twilight series and has finally given me the first book to read. Now she is reading the first book of another vampire series called [something] Freak (Sorry - its too early to think straight).
Anyway, I like reading the books along with or a little behind her. It adds to our conversations and many of these teen books are very well written. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 9/18/2008 8:09:26 PM |
Msg 26:
"The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao"
Who is Wao? Is this a novel?
It's a novel that gets into the history of the Dominican Republic under Trujillo. If you like tragedies, this one is for you. I was depressed for two days after reading it.
A friend recommended The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer as an antidote to Diaz's darkness. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 9/20/2008 9:00:21 AM | C.S. Lewis is very well known for his Christian works. One of his best works is not from the Christian Genre and really is a MUST read.
"Till We Have Faces"
This tale of two princesses - one beautiful and one unattractive - and of the struggle between sacred and profane love is Lewis’s reworking of the myth of Cupid and Psyche and one of his most enduring works.
You will not only love this book, but will recommend it to others!
~Peace | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 9/21/2008 10:08:58 AM | | Commanding Wealth, Asara Lovejoy | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/2/2008 12:47:30 AM | | I love Vampire stories... really I read most anything I can get my hands on. I just picked up A long way gone ...true story about a child soldier. I am also reading a cheesy romance novel I picked up in the break room at work....has a huge pic of Fabio...woo hoo! Lol...I love cheesy romance novels too! | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/2/2008 7:49:58 PM |
Finally, my daughter is moving into the vampire genre, starting with the Twilight series and has finally given me the first book to read .
I picked them up to read as fast as my teen put them down. We are both waiting for the movie now. Just a few more days I think. I was notified for a possible extra role when they filmed near here. Unfortunately, at the time, the pragmatic side of me didn’t think I could put my “real” job and tiny benefits package at risk to be an extra for a few days.
I am now trying to plow my way through “Atlas Shrugged” Another one that my teen recommended. However, it has been a tedious process for me. I put it down over a couple months ago and will probably need to start over to refresh...ugh | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/2/2008 9:59:09 PM | I am now trying to plow my way through “Atlas Shrugged” Another one that my teen recommended. However, it has been a tedious process for me. I put it down over a couple months ago and will probably need to start over to refresh...ugh
I know what you mean. I've read Atlas Shrugged at least 3 times and everything else Ayn Rand wrote at least once. But we didn't just have it in the house, my family name is Atlas so was pretty much required to read it ;-)
Ayn goes onto long rants periodically. You can skim those sections. Just read the first and maybe last sentence in the paragraph and start reading again when it gets back to some action. Without spoiling the plot I'll tell you that you do find out who John Galt is and it's really kind of cool. So there is an, admittedly small, pay off for reading the whole thing.
But don't let anyone talk you into reading the Fountainhead. I'll let you in on a secret - it's the same story as Atlas Shrugged only with an architect instead of trains. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/3/2008 5:25:39 AM | | I just finished the John Adams biography. It is amazing to read about politics 200+ years ago and apply it to today's world. Not much has changed in the area of lies and mudslinging. We just don't have to wait for weeks or months to hear about it. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/3/2008 9:12:34 AM |
I just finished the John Adams biography
Then you would surely be highly entertained by reading the correspondence between John and Abigail, starting during their courtships. A crackling read that will force a smile, if not flat out laugh. Just google it. Their letters are online for free. If all feminists delivered the message as Abbie does, ours might well be a matriarchal society. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/3/2008 9:41:04 AM | | I'm digging out my black arm band for Studs and Hillerman. Sigh. Only the good die young. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/3/2008 11:49:11 AM |
would surely be highly entertained by reading the correspondence between John and Abigail, starting during their courtships. A crackling read that will force a smile, if not flat out laugh. Just google it. Their letters are online for free. If all feminists delivered the message as Abbie does, ours might well be a matriarchal society.
Ohhhh, I should pick up some tips. Abigail is a cousin on my father's side. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/3/2008 9:03:11 PM | Cynthia
Just read the first and maybe last sentence in the paragraph and start reading again when it gets back to some action
But don't let anyone talk you into reading the Fountainhead. I'll let you in on a secret - it's the same story as Atlas Shrugged only with an architect instead of trains
Thank you for the time saving tips! Maybe I will actually make it all the way through next time. The rain has started and the time has changed...rainy and dark early; might just be the time to try again! Need to find my reading glasses!
Another book along a different line: “Band of Sisters” American Women at War in Iraq. I am about half way through. Interesting read. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/4/2008 9:19:53 AM |
I love Vampire stories... really I read most anything I can get my hands on. Update -the new series of books my daughter is reading are the "Cirque Du Freak" books (not really new, they've been out for a while but they are new to me).
It is really a fresh break from the vampire love interest plots. It is about a 12 year old boy who has to save a friend by becoming an apprentice to a vampire which requires him to become half-vampire. The first issue book covers are absolutely hair-raising... the second run aren't as scary but still are pretty creepy. It isn't exceptionally demanding reading - you can rip through a book a night most likely - but I am still enjoying the read. I like the whole new twist on the vampire lifestyle and I like that it isn't laden with sloppy love triangles like the Twilight Series...
As for the movie "Twilight," my daughter and her BF are desolate. They already have their tickets for the movie, but they have told me NUMEROUS times - that's not what Bella looks like, that's not what Edward looks like and that's not what Jacob looks like - LOL - I just tell them, I know, I know... but Hollywood is Hollywood.
My daughter is reading "Breaking Dawn" right now... she said she read 300 pp of Bella moping about how much she misses Edward and was just about to give it up when Edward makes a surprise return... now all is right with the world... LOL  | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/9/2008 6:31:16 AM | | Whytwater, thanks for the tip. I would love to read those. The relationship between John and Abigail is one of the things that made the book a page turner for me. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/9/2008 7:14:23 AM | | You might really enjoy the Anita Blake series by Laurel K. Hamilton if you love vampire stories. They are well written, a bit erotic, and interesting as well. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/9/2008 7:17:45 AM |
Ohhhh, I should pick up some tips. Abigail is a cousin on my father's side.
It was you, Lady, who brought me to this pass.
Whytwater, thanks for the tip. I would love to read those. The relationship between John and Abigail is one of the things that made the book a page turner for me.
Delighted to be of service. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/10/2008 7:19:35 PM | I am reading the Idiot's Guide to Zen, something like that. I actually like these things, Idiots and Dummies. I sometimes can be rather useless with explaning something to a novice, plus I can get lost in the trees. Study the trees minutely.... Wonder the quantum mechanics of trees...
Anyway. A client needs something to deal with some crap, some practical suggestions for high-tension situations. I picked this up thinking I could discover some basic excercises that would be useful to her. Now I am hooked. She said I would be. We know each other too well.
I'm also reading at the Art of War. Again. Useful with the zen thing, a different perspective on it. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/10/2008 7:25:03 PM | I'm now reading Guns, Germs, and Steel (which my son misread as Guns, Germans, and Steel - which works too I guess). I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes history and/or anthropology.
Next on the nightstand is Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung? because my sister forced it on me the last time I was at her house. She and her husband each belong to book groups and it was the book of the month for one of their groups. Anyone ever read it? Your opinion? | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/10/2008 7:27:27 PM | | OMG, I love that book! And an Obama year, the year to read it! You might want to try "The War for God" about extremeists, same ilk. It too is very, very good but a tad deep. | |
|
| Good reading
Posted: 11/10/2008 7:29:01 PM |
OMG, I love that book!
which book? | |
|
Home
login 
