Bibliophile Thread

eddy
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Bibliophile Thread

Postby eddy » Tue Apr 14, 2015 10:22 am

picked up old man's war by John Scalzi. So far so good.

Also picked up Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel which got some excellent reviews. looking forward to reading this after the wife gets through. Anyone read this?
An audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days of civilization's collapse, Station Eleven tells the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.
No, but I almost grabbed it twice. I'd be interested in what you think of it. It lost out in favor of The Marauders this time for me though:

"When the BP oil spill devastates the Gulf coast, those who made a living by shrimping find themselves in dire straits. For the oddballs and lowlifes who inhabit.../the coast/...these desperate circumstances serve as the catalyst that pushes them to enact whatever risky schemes they can dream up to reverse their fortunes. At the center of it all is Gus Lindquist, a pill-addicted, one armed treasure hunter obsessed with finding the lost treasure of pirate Jean Lafitte."

"Sad, grotesque, hilarious, breathtaking...stands with ease among the work of such stylistic predecessors as Twain, Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard. One thing that gives “The Marauders” its own clear hallmark is its quicksilver prose. The book’s other standout aspect is how it demands and earns sympathy for all but its most evil characters and for the fate-blasted but nature-blessed locale they inhabit..." WSJ
my wife started reading it last night knowing nothing about it. She couldn't put it down and was dragging this morning because she stayed up way to late reading it. She said she loved everything about it so far which is making me want to get through my book faster so I can jump on it...

LeopardLetang
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Bibliophile Thread

Postby LeopardLetang » Wed Apr 15, 2015 12:00 am

Wow that's a good sign. Seems like she's a somewhat avid reader and likes your taste and vice versa. That's pretty cool

eddy
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Bibliophile Thread

Postby eddy » Wed Apr 15, 2015 8:28 am

Wow that's a good sign. Seems like she's a somewhat avid reader and likes your taste and vice versa. That's pretty cool
yeah, we're pretty much like an old couple now. Put the kids to bed and go upstairs and read for a few hours. It's nice having the same tastes, but sometimes it gets a little competitive when we are both trying to read the same book, luckily she can pretty much read at double the pace as me, so that helps the turnaround.

I got about half way through Old Man's War last night, after the first 40 pages it really starts to kick into gear. I see now that there are 6 more books. I have no idea if they are direct sequels, but I'm loving the universe he is creating.

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Bibliophile Thread

Postby LeopardLetang » Wed Apr 15, 2015 9:19 am

Old Man's War looks pretty intense. Hugely imaginative but also technologically researched. Something a younger me would have devoured, but I've just re-found my reading boots after a decade seemingly stuck in the mud, so I'd need to hear unbelievable reviews from you to be motivated to jump into that enormous world he's creating. Lots of cool ideas in there though from reading up on it.

I seem to be able to read 30 pages an hour these days no matter what book it is. I assume that's pretty slow but that doesn't bother me at all. When I'm into a book I don't want it to end anyway

eddy
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Postby eddy » Wed Apr 15, 2015 9:32 am

I'm not a very fast reader and I'm the same way in that I don't want it to end. Only time it starts to bother me is when I start reading about other books and my to read list gets a little too long and I want to get to them.

If you haven't checked out The Forever War by Joe Haldeman, you should look into that over Old Man's War. It has a lot of the same similarities, but it's just the one book.

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Bibliophile Thread

Postby LeopardLetang » Wed Apr 15, 2015 11:36 pm

Interesting. Apparently there are two or maybe three pseudo sequels to that book. Another huge world looking immensely into the future which looks pretty mind boggling and fun. I'm not certain I'm up to these mega science fiction books quite yet.

I think I'm trying to find a quirky little voice that's just coming of age. A book highlighted by it's creative prose more than its subject matter. Though setting matters a lot to me. Something third world or isolated or backwoods or exotic. A simple but weighted theme. Delving into something small in scope.

Reviews that say the author takes radical chances but pulls it all together brilliantly catch my eye I've noticed.

eddy
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Bibliophile Thread

Postby eddy » Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:08 am

Finished John Scalzi's Old Man's War. I thought it was terrific and look forward to reading more of this series (even if they are all not direct sequels). Seems like these sequels hold up much better than those to Forever War. Highly Recommend.

On to Station Eleven (which my wife loved).

LeopardLetang
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Bibliophile Thread

Postby LeopardLetang » Tue Apr 28, 2015 8:23 pm

Finished station eleven this morning. I thought it was written extremely well. I realized that I was really enjoying it when just over halfway through I knew there weren't enough pages left to satisfy me. The book feels like a prelude to an epic.

The Marauders was a fun read with outstanding characters. The dialogue was a blast. I even incorporated some of it into my own jargon to my girlfriend's dismay.

I've had a lot of free time lately.

Started reading The Valley. A story more about the actual valley than about the soldiers in Afghanistan. Apparently a genre crossing mystery/war novel.

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Postby shafnutz05 » Tue Apr 28, 2015 8:26 pm

Reading Midnight Plague by Gregg Kelzer. Pretty cool book about the development of biological weapons leading up to D-Day. While I love the premise, and enjoy the book for the most part, definitely a missed opportunity in a few ways to make it even better.

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Postby Freddy Rumsen » Tue Apr 28, 2015 9:08 pm

Starting the U.S.A. trilogy by John Dos Passos

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Postby PFiDC » Wed Apr 29, 2015 10:07 am

Just finished the first Hunger Games. I don't care what anyone says, that's a fantastic book and story. Really looking forward to the other 2. It's young adult fiction so it reads quick and easy. I finished it in 2 days of reading.

Going to start The First Fifteen lives of Harry August today.

LeopardLetang
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Postby LeopardLetang » Sat May 02, 2015 2:02 am

Finished The Valley.

My blood pressure is still through the roof over the last forty pages. I wanted to throw the book three stories off my deck and watch it explode like a grenade instead of finishing it. I did finish it however and did throw the hardback book onto the floor of my apartment in frustration.

I'd been writing my review of it in my head for the last two days. How it was the most thrilling book I've read in a decade. Incredibly enthralling. Outstanding. Not necessarily a classic by any means but just simply excellent. I didn't want to read a modern military based book but I gave this a chance and fist pumped myself for doing so.

All my thoughts centered around how I could relay my love for this book without exaggerating.

However there was a minor flaw in the first few chapters. An omen. What seemed like intentional confusion from the author. I'd wanted to throw the book across the room for a minute. But I trudged through and had marveled since at the great clarity and reality he painted over the next three hundred pages. There was intense brilliance in those pages.

But then at the climax the confusing fog of war returned. Often centered around the pronoun "he." He said this and he replied that. Wait which guy was which he. I'd backtrack to no avail. I could let that fly but it got worse.

As another annoyed reviewer explained, the author would lead the main character up to some answer to the mystery but the author wouldn't reveal it to the reader. At first that was acceptable. But eventually there were a dozen things the reader never learned.

Could a more intelligent reader have put the clues together? Should I know what's happening!?

Multiple chapters droned on for pages. The main character in those chapters simply a "he." Until finally in the last few sentences the identity of the character was revealed. I found it impossible to take in the detailed descriptions of the scene without knowing who I was reading about.

The best book I've ever read that I hated so much. But not important enough to re-read to try to decipher. Of course maybe I'm supposed to come out the other end of this like a lieutenant. F.u.b.a.r. Bullet wound through the shoulder. Recovering, safe, back at base. Grasping through blurred figments of memory. Unable to discern reality.

I'd be ok with that conclusion. Except the main character acts like he's got it all tied up. As if he's my superior officer, and I'm not "need to know"

And yet I'm sitting here, the hungry reader - the supposed audience - fuming. Desperately trying to fight past that feeling. Desperately trying to still give it five stars. But now just trying to forget it. Helpless to get satisfaction. I feel exactly like I do after the penguins lose an overtime game in the playoffs. Nothing to do but maybe vent and then move on.

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Bibliophile Thread

Postby LeopardLetang » Sat May 02, 2015 2:30 am

Actually I'm still fuming and I'd like to flesh out that analogy. The book was like watching a penguins playoff game in the past without instant replay.

A great game. First period still. 0-0. A power play for the pens. A slick hold in at the point from the defenseman. Tick tack toe passing. A yawning net. ...the cable feed goes out. For ten minutes. Back to action and the score is 1-1. Eff.

But ok. Back in business. Great game. Amazing. Punishing their D. Quality chances. A goal! Continued excellence. Nodding your head continuously as if to the beat of your favorite song throughout the game. But then a penalty on the pens. The tv didn't show it. The announcers complain about it being a terrible call. The opposition scores swiftly. Overtime. The opposition scores swiftly. Crying inside but physically you just clench your teeth, your covers pulled tightly around your shoulders, until sometime deep in the night when finally a graceful unconsciousness releases your earthly struggles from your will.

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Postby Reveutopique » Sat May 02, 2015 4:23 am

bird box:
Malorie, a young mother of two children known simply as Boy and Girl, is a survivor living in a postapocalyptic world, raising her children to use all their senses, especially their listening skills, as sight is not an option here. In this world, the survivors struggle to stay alive by living indoors with all the windows boarded up. The sight of whatever is outside is causing people to become violent murderers, as well as suicidal, in the most horrific ways possible.
I loved that book! I wish there were more survival horror books around. I think they are making a movie of it.

I started the Shining by Stephen King. I don't know how I like it yet. I never found Stephen King movies to be scary but I love the concept of The Langoliers and I love the Shining.

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Postby shafnutz05 » Fri May 08, 2015 12:45 pm

Finished The Bird Box
I enjoyed it, finished it in 24 hours :lol:

My question though...what happened to Gary?

eddy
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Bibliophile Thread

Postby eddy » Fri May 08, 2015 1:22 pm

Finished The Bird Box
I enjoyed it, finished it in 24 hours :lol:

My question though...what happened to Gary?
good question, from what I can remember, she made it down to answer the phone and he was just gone. I just figured he moved on to the next house. Now you got me thinking, was Don gone too?

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Postby shafnutz05 » Fri May 08, 2015 1:30 pm

Finished The Bird Box
I enjoyed it, finished it in 24 hours :lol:

My question though...what happened to Gary?
good question, from what I can remember, she made it down to answer the phone and he was just gone. I just figured he moved on to the next house. Now you got me thinking, was Don gone too?
Nope. She found Don's body and it looked like he was trying to get back into the basement.

eddy
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Bibliophile Thread

Postby eddy » Fri May 08, 2015 1:37 pm

Finished The Bird Box
I enjoyed it, finished it in 24 hours :lol:

My question though...what happened to Gary?
good question, from what I can remember, she made it down to answer the phone and he was just gone. I just figured he moved on to the next house. Now you got me thinking, was Don gone too?
Nope. She found Don's body and it looked like he was trying to get back into the basement.
righteo. still sticking with he moved onto the next place. I loved the intensity of the scenes when they went out for water and something was close. freaked me out a bit.

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Postby shafnutz05 » Fri May 08, 2015 1:40 pm

I desperately wanted to know what those creatures were. I guess it's better that we are left with endless speculation. Where did they come from? A different plane of existence? What is their purpose? Are they malevolent, or not able to control what happens?

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Postby obhave » Fri May 08, 2015 2:19 pm

Read "The Slow Regard of Silent Things" by Patrick Rothfuss. It was okay. Would have been happier with something shorter, dragged on a little bit at parts. It was interesting to learn more about Auri.

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Postby Freddy Rumsen » Fri May 08, 2015 5:11 pm

Reading Zora Neale Thurston's autobiography "Dust Tracks On the Road"...just awesome

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Postby Reveutopique » Fri May 08, 2015 9:55 pm

I desperately wanted to know what those creatures were. I guess it's better that we are left with endless speculation. Where did they come from? A different plane of existence? What is their purpose? Are they malevolent, or not able to control what happens?
It doesn't sound like the things mean to harm. They don't ever try to come inside on their own. They do come in when people let them inside. I thought they had an angelic look to them but what if that's just what they want us to think. What if they are so hideous our minds do a mental 180 and it breaks us?

I wondered about that.

The well scene freaked me out too and the guy at the beginning who insisted she take off her blind fold.

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Postby Troy Loney » Mon May 11, 2015 11:58 am

A few weeks ago, I went on to my torrent site and picked out a bunch of audio books. But for whatever reason, only a few would show up on my itunes match. One of the ones that would play on my phone was Fountainhead. I had my reservations, but I got into it, and was definitely entertained. Well, at least most of it, when Gail Wynand becomes a central character, the thing falls apart into boring nonsense. Howard Rourke's version of nihilism is pretty funny and Dominique is such an entertaining lunatic.

So anyway, Atlas Shrugged also worked ( I tried the first foundation book, but was bored to death with it in between) and tried that. Atlas Shrugged was garbage. That is all, the ideas are at least presented in an entertaining way in Fountainhead, AS is just redundant.

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Postby shafnutz05 » Mon May 18, 2015 7:20 pm

Mr. Mercedes. Fantastic page turner. Not the usual fare from King but a great read nonetheless

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Postby Freddy Rumsen » Mon May 18, 2015 7:29 pm

Just started reading a memoir of a German Panzer officer on the Eastern Front...

Hell would be preferable.

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