Book Thread

Chi · Post by **Chi** » Sun May 07, 2006 3:50 pm

Yup, haven't been reading much recently though. I usually read on the train and after work, and have been too stressed/knackered to find the motivation for either of those much during the last 6 months.

I just have to echo how awesome B0n3m4n's choices are! Referencing two of my favourite authors (and Neuromancer which is a great book) in a single post <3

I'm currently reading Machiavelli's The Prince (not got that far into it, but wondering why it was viewed as being so controversial "back in the day", as tbh it is quite tame so far), and have Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment" queued up to read next (don't ask why - it's a long story).

I've also recently read Orson Scott Card's "Seventh Son" (which was... interesting, but not all that I'd expected), and Albert Camus' "The Outsider" (in English, as I am too weedy to read it en Français).

Entr0pi3, about h2g2 back in 2G4 wrote:The nonsensical humor is somewhat funny... But it also felt like there was something a bit desparate about it. Or maybe it's just me ?

For me, a lot of the jokes work a lot better when you hear them, rather than read them. Also, as you mentioned the Hitch-hiker's Guide To The Galaxy has much humour that relies on nuances of language and peculiarly British idioms, and these will most likely less funny to non-British and non-native English speakers, or Americans ("The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't."), or especially in a translation! Anyway, the radio series was better!

WaWard · Post by **WaWard** » Sun May 07, 2006 4:23 pm

Doom wrote:hey guys does anyone here read anymore

I haven't read much lately. D:
At least no in terms of fiction and general literature that doesn't involve computing and programming. D:

Calbrena · Post by **Calbrena** » Mon May 08, 2006 1:19 pm

Hmmmm recently I've read a couple of really good books... I would recommend anything by Marguerite Duras, and South of the Border, West of the sun by Murakami (also planning to read other books from him). I've also read some book by Isaac Bashevis Singer and it was an interesting read too, can't find the original title anywhere though

(read it in French).

I'm currently reading Memoir of a geisha and enjoying it lots

Lord Golbez · Post by **Lord Golbez** » Mon May 08, 2006 3:51 pm

Doom wrote:hey guys does anyone here read anymore

I read some Square Gamer posts every day.

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Mon May 08, 2006 3:53 pm

Cell by Stephen King. Quite disturbing at times but overall rather funny.
Plus point: It's not as long and dragging as some of his other works
Minus point: Too many pop cultural references

dcom · Post by **dcom** » Mon May 08, 2006 4:45 pm

HARRY POTTER FTW

B0N3M4N · Post by **B0N3M4N** » Mon May 08, 2006 5:06 pm

Reading Hyperion by Dan Simmons.

Awesome book so far. If you like the Ender Saga, you might want to look into this.

Also Bag of Bones by Stephen King. Rather long but worth it. Don't be discouraged by the bland and generic summary on the back of the book. It's really great!

Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett was a Pratchett book I really enjoyed after finding some of his Discworld books a tad repetitive.

Night Watch by Sergej Lukianenko was awesome, even if the movie sucked. The book was great!

Eye in the Sky by Philip K. Dick was awesome also. Compared to Palmer Eldritch which I didn't like so much (mainly because I didn't get it)

Somehow my books tend to get more rather than less, though...

[edit:] Oh and sorry for being absent from sg and lj so long. I had loads to do with moving and getting an internship and planning Spain and so on. I can't promise to be on more often from now on. Sorry

I'll try

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Tue May 09, 2006 11:13 am

B0N3M4N wrote:Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett was a Pratchett book I really enjoyed after finding some of his Discworld books a tad repetitive.

I actually found that book one of the less interesting Discworld novels

BTW, Poppy Car books are

Undine · Post by **Undine** » Tue May 09, 2006 11:21 am

B0N3M4N wrote:
Night Watch by Sergej Lukianenko was awesome, even if the movie sucked. The book was great!

Though, I think the book is coming out here in August.

I don't know about the books yet, but for movies: Day Watch >>>>>>>>> Night Watch

B0N3M4N · Post by **B0N3M4N** » Tue May 09, 2006 3:17 pm

Damien wrote:
B0N3M4N wrote:Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett was a Pratchett book I really enjoyed after finding some of his Discworld books a tad repetitive.
I actually found that book one of the less interesting Discworld novels

I liked it lots because of the martial arts spoofs and the new characters. Fresh ideas, too. I also read The Truth by Pratchett and although it was good it didn't grip me as Thief of Time did.

Undine wrote:
B0N3M4N wrote:Night Watch by Sergej Lukianenko
Though, I think the book is coming out here in August.

I don't know about the books yet, but for movies: Day Watch >>>>>>>>> Night Watch

I sure hope so. If you say the second movie is good then maybe I should go see it after all when it comes out. I didn't plan to after the first one was disappointing.

I have the book sitting on my shelf for about a week but didn't get round to reading it. I probably will when I finish with Hyperion which gets better and better with each page

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Tue May 09, 2006 6:01 pm

If you liked ToT, you'll probably enjoy [google]Night Watch[/google] by Terry Pratchett (it's funny actually that it has the same title as the other book discussed in that post

I still need to get around to reading Going Postal and Thud!

B0N3M4N · Post by **B0N3M4N** » Tue May 09, 2006 8:44 pm

Damien wrote:If you liked ToT, you'll probably enjoy [google]Night Watch[/google] by Terry Pratchett (it's funny actually that it has the same title as the other book discussed in that post

I stumbled upon Night Watch once because the cover is a spoof on Rembrandt's painting Night Watch, also called "The Shooting Company of Captain Frans B. Cocq":

I think I'll read it next when I feel the want for some Pratchett humour
(Currently re-reading Soul Music with Stephi)

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Tue May 09, 2006 11:04 pm

I didn't even notice that

Quite clever

Soul Music was funny

B0N3M4N · Post by **B0N3M4N** » Thu May 11, 2006 10:07 am

Damn that Dan Simmons and his writing!

I finished Hyperion yesterday around 4 am and it was awesome to the last minute. And then it ended in a cliffhanger!!

Argh! Apparently it consists of 4 books total which I didn't know. I just ordered the second one.

I was hoping to decrease my book stack but no chance it seems. Lets hope the second book keeps the standards as high as the first one did.

Doom · Post by **Doom** » Sun May 14, 2006 12:32 am

Chi wrote:... have Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment" queued up to read next (don't ask why - it's a long story).

i'll ask you why you haven't read it sooner. ;|

isildur · Post by **isildur** » Mon May 15, 2006 4:07 am

I love Crime and Punishment, but I couldn't get through Karamazov. So damn long...