Bibliophile Thread

Postby **columbia** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 12:02 pm

The funny think about my anti-ebook stance is that I actually own a Kindle Fire, but I just got that because it was/is a pretty powerful device for the (on sale) price point.

Postby **Troy Loney** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 12:06 pm

I love the process of finishing a book and then browsing my library for the next to pick up. The issue is that is either have to buy more shelving or box up some junky stuff. I voted for more shelving but might get overruled on that by the mrs.

Postby **Troy Loney** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 12:08 pm

The funny think about my anti-ebook stance is that I actually own a Kindle Fire, but I just got that because it was/is a pretty powerful device for the (on sale) price point.

I actually found that I like ebooks for complex prose. You can manipulate the amount of text on a page and I find that helps when reading the page long sentences.

Postby **Gaucho** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 12:12 pm

I also purchased a Kindle fire, but sound found out that ebooks are not for me. I use it as a pretty basic tablet now, so I don't regret buying it.

Postby **dodint** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 12:46 pm

Kindle Fire is a bad gauge for the ebook reading experience. You can't beat the e-ink that comes on real Kindles. The only advantage to the cross-platform viewing is that if I need to reference something really quick I can look it up on my Android. I wouldn't sit and read a novel on the computer or non e-ink devices.

Postby **Gaucho** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 12:51 pm

True. I also tried a "normal" Kindle, however, and the experience was much the same. I simply need to turn pages.

Postby **dodint** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 12:54 pm

Oh, I get that. My wife is the same way. Just reiterating that the Kindle Fire is a media consumption device, the rest of the Kindle line are dedicated readers. I have a buddy at work that doesn't see the difference.

Postby **columbia** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 10:40 pm

Once I take care of the normal Sunday stuff, today's book is:

The Hacienda: How Not to Run a Club
Peter Hook

That was an entertaining read. Next up:

Read & Burn: A book about Wire

I'm assuming that they've consumed far less MDMA than has Hooky.

Postby **DigitalGypsy66** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 11:00 pm

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel was a great read.

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Tue Aug 11, 2015 7:57 pm

Trying to read Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time again...

Postby **columbia** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:57 am

Tolkien's fascination with Finland
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34063157

Postby **Gaucho** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:30 am

Trying to read Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time again...

Well?

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:41 am

Trying to read Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time again...
Well?

Made it to 150 pages into Swann's Way...

Postby **Gaucho** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:44 am

Trying to read Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time again...
Well?
Made it to 150 pages into Swann's Way...

In Search of Lost Time has been on my bucket list for maybe 25 years now. I wonder if I'll ever get around to reading it. I'll probably pick it up when I'm 65 only to find out that it bores the hell out of me.

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:47 am

When you are reading it you are simultaneously mesmerized by the brilliance of Proust's prose and so bored to tears that you consider whether being literate is worth the effort.

Postby **dodint** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:50 am

When you are reading it you are simultaneously mesmerized by the brilliance of Proust's prose and so bored to tears that you consider whether being literate is worth the effort.

Also true with Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Postby **eddy** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:56 am

Under the Empyrean Sky and Blightborn (first 2 of the heartland trilogy) by Chuck Wendig are both fun reads. I'm looking forward to his ROTJ and Force Awakens Star Wars bridge book that comes out next week. I"m taking a little break before the 3rd to read Z for Zacharia by Robert C. O'Brien (which I'm digging) and then hoping The Revenant comes in from the library request.

Postby **eddy** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:58 am

I will also pass the recommendation on from my wife who really like "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America" by Erik Larson

The book is set in Chicago, circa 1893, intertwining the true tales of Daniel H. Burnham, the architect behind the 1893 World's Fair, and Dr. H. H. Holmes, the serial killer who lured his victims to their deaths in his elaborately constructed "Murder Castle."

Postby **eddy** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 7:26 pm

Z for Zachariah was a short easy read. Good post apocalyptic book on paranoia and survival. There's some religious tie ins with Adam and eve and Cain and Abel... It actually made me think a lot about station eleven and how good that was. Looks like the movie is reinventing the story and adding characters that are not in the book. I enjoyed his writing and will pick up Mrs Frisby and the rats of nimh in the future . I will say I found a few moments questionable with the girl and was slightly annoyed.

Postby **Willie Kool** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 7:48 pm

Picked up the 3 book 'Silo Series' - Wool, Shift and Dust by Hugh Howey. Only 130 pages into the first book, but I'm really liking it so far.

Postby **large garlic** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 8:01 pm

When you are reading it you are simultaneously mesmerized by the brilliance of Proust's prose and so bored to tears that you consider whether being literate is worth the effort.

I did make it all the way through and found this to be pretty accurate. You slog through pages of excruciatingly thorough description of some minor nobleman's lineage, and just when you're about to give up, he drops in this mind-blowing passage about the nature of time (for example). I do think there's a payoff for getting to the end in terms of figuring out retroactively what he's trying to do (not just being able to say you made it through the whole thing).

Postby **shafnutz05** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 8:20 pm

Just finished reading "Halting State" by Charles Stross. Pretty darn fun book if you are at all into electronics, video games, MMOs, etc. It starts with a bank robbery that takes place in a virtual MMO world, and gets pretty crazy from there.

I am now moving onto American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I am damned excited to read this novel, trying so hard to save it for the beach next week but finding it difficult.

Postby **dodint** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 9:10 pm

Source of the post Just finished reading "Halting State" by Charles Stross. Pretty darn fun book if you are at all into electronics, video games, MMOs, etc. It starts with a bank robbery that takes place in a virtual MMO world, and gets pretty crazy from there.

How does it compare to Ready Player One?

Postby **shafnutz05** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 9:19 pm

Source of the post Just finished reading "Halting State" by Charles Stross. Pretty darn fun book if you are at all into electronics, video games, MMOs, etc. It starts with a bank robbery that takes place in a virtual MMO world, and gets pretty crazy from there.
How does it compare to Ready Player One?

I definitely preferred RP1...this book is extremely heavy on tech speak which took some getting used to, and I consider myself a pretty techie guy.

I borrowed another book by Stross (Rule 34), which should be interesting

Postby **dodint** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 9:21 pm

Source of the post I definitely preferred RP1...this book is extremely heavy on tech speak which took some getting used to, and I consider myself a pretty techie guy.

Cool. I may have a look. I miss Crichton a lot because he wasn't afraid to put some tech/engineering into a story.