What good books have you read lately?

[Feanor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daycart1 -The System of the World- Neal Stephenson

Great book! I just finished the triology this summer. It took me 6 months next to the uni!


Edit: other recent reading is "Demian" from Herman Hesse. Loved it

 

[sionghchan]

I just read the "Shake Hands with the Devil: Failure of Humanity in Rwanda" by Maj Gen. Romeo Dallaire

Shake Hands with the Devil - Amazon Link

Absolutely gripping and definitely a book that will change your outlook about humanity and this world.

I'm also in the middle of the "Clash of Civilisation" by Samuel P. Huntington. Excellent insights into the current affairs of this world.

Clash of Civilisation - Amazon link

Another book that I just bought but haven't have time to get into yet, "Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fate of Human Society" by Jared Diamond. Can't say much yet but another Pulitzer Prize winner..

Guns, Germs and Steel - Amazon Link

Happy Reading!

 

[DJ Mauler]

already read it last year but am re-reading it because well its a good book

13 Cent Killers


its about a group of snipers in vietnam great book, the title of the book is basically because when the author was in vietnam bullets cost 13 cents so..

 

[steevc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feanor Quote: Originally Posted by daycart1 -The System of the World- Neal Stephenson Great book! I just finished the triology this summer. It took me 6 months next to the uni!

I'm reading it too. I've taken my time with the trilogy, reading other things in between for variation, but I'm sort of stuck in that period. I've done a couple of trips lately and took Lisa Jardine's The Curious Life of Robert Hooke : The Man Who Measured London as it's a bit lighter to carry around.

Anyone played with Reader2? It lets you log what you've read and is supposed to recommend other books. I've put a few in at my page, but haven't quite worked it all out yet. I suppose it's a sort of Audioscrobbler for books.

 

[Homeless]

just remembered as i look at my book shelves that i've also read John Stewart's America "text book"...which was good for a laugh, also read Dan Brown's DaVinci Code, which i really enjoyed...I got the audio book version of angels and demons to listen to on my ipod, but i cant get into listening to a book, so im gonna borrow it of a mate of mine...

 

[AndyKatz]

The Life of Pi, Yann Martel
Donald Spoto's biography of Marilyn Monroe
Les Miserables, unabridged.

Andy

 

[Capital R]

Some of my fav's are:
"Fight Club", "Choke" and "Invisible Monsters" by Chuck Palahniuk.
"Slaughterhouse Five" by Kurt Vonnegut.

Those are quality books, and I'm surprised they weren't mentioned earlier on in the thread. Right now I'm rereading "Shogun" by James Clavell.

 

[Usagi]

Currently in the middle of The Chinese Bell Murders - Robert Van Gulik

 

[pigmode]

HOMAGE TO CATALONIA - Orwell

 

[pabbi1]

In the Sword & Scorcery realm, look at Moorcock's 'Elric of Melnibone' series, and Donaldson's 'Illearth War' trilogy. Colfer's 'Artemis Fowl' stuff is a wee bit syrupy, but it is more kiddie fare.

I too just finisted 'Eragon' and 'Eldest' back to back, and found it enjoyable, but derivative, a wierd mix of Star Wars and LOTR, which, by derivative standards, isn't such a bad lineage. It seems Mr Paolini is quite a fan of Joseph Campbell as well.

The HBP is finally reaching the crescendo for how dark the Potter series is, and how well it matches human nature. I can only hope that the entirety of 'Goblet of fire' is as wonderfully dark as the latest trailer.

 

[daycart1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pabbi1 In the Sword & Scorcery realm, look at Moorcock's 'Elric of Melnibone' series, and Donaldson's 'Illearth War' trilogy. Colfer's 'Artemis Fowl' stuff is a wee bit syrupy, but it is more kiddie fare. .

The Donaldson, a sex-logy actually, was pretty strange when it first appeared. Some of its innovations have been widely copied.

Quite recently a seventh volume appeared--has anyone read it yet?

 

[pabbi1]

I'd forgotten about 'WGW', 'Mirror...' and 'The One Tree', even though they are all in the bookcase about 10' in front of me... I'd picked up the 3 'Gap' series (great sci-fi name - Thermopile), but wasn't aware of another Thomas Covenant book... looks like I've found my next read.

 

[geek707]

Iain M Banks
The State of the Art

 

[ooheadsoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danamr Iain M Banks The State of the Art

I just picked up Consider Phlebas and read a few pages of the prologue. I can live with the writing...I put most books down because the writing stinks (IMO) to high heaven. Not that I can write worth jack, of course.

 

[dvallere]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feanor Edit: other recent reading is "Demian" from Herman Hesse. Loved it

"Demian" is indeed an awesome book. If you have not read Hesse's "Narcissus and Goldmund" you would probably enjoy that as well. It is a similar story of 'living outside the box' though it is set hundreds of years before "Demian."