So what have you been reading lately?

[15357]

No, you're absolutely wrong. It's all about totalitarianism. Look it up on Wikipedia if you don't believe me.

Wikipedia isn't always right. Anyway, from my view, that was not totalitarianism. Or at leaset one that I would support.

 

[Nat Turner]

Wikipedia isn't always right. Anyway, from my view, that was not totalitarianism. Or at leaset one that I would support.

Then your view is wrong. lol

 

[Darkside55]

Just finished George R. R. Martin's, "A Game of Thrones," this morning. Great read; it's fantasy without being too fantastic. No magic spells or anything of the sort, it's mostly medieval warfare. Now I'm on to reading The Belgariad, by David Eddings, which is also fantasy but high fantasy, with spells and Gods and all of that.

You mean Dan Brown? Don't bother D:

Angels and Demons was good. Don't read Deception Point though. It quickly loses whatever intrigue it had once you figure out what the "stunning discovery" is.

 

[DeusExMachina]

The Stranger by Albert Camus
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

I really gotta finish For Whom...

 

[JNightshade]

It's easy! The last three words are "The Bell Tolls"!

 

[spookymooky]

Recently finished the awesome Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein.

Currently working on:
Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy
and The Aeneid...in Latin :O

 

[Laivasse]

I'll be honest with you, i've never read a fiction book in whole in my life.
At school i would never get a fiction book out, i'd always be the one who would get the books about space or engines or whatever, the teachers told me to read more fiction.
Due to my choice it's probably why i don't have a soceity impregnated set of moral values like most people.

Um, you're hardly rare in not reading fiction. In school I was surrounded by people who hadn't touched anything since See Ben Run.

 

[venturon]

I'm finishing up Thud! by Terry Pratchett.

WHERE'S MY COW!?

 

[spookymooky]

I'm finishing up Thud! by Terry Pratchett.

Which are the best pratchett books? I love what I've read of him, but I've barely scratched the surface: Night Watch, Small Gods, and Masquerade.

 

[15357]

Then your view is wrong. lol

What is a 'wrong' view? We all have our crazy wacked up beliefs and views, and none of them are right or wrong, unless youre talking about right and left.

 

[Laivasse]

Which are the best pratchett books? I love what I've read of him, but I've barely scratched the surface: Night Watch, Small Gods, and Masquerade.

I used to read Pratchett way back and he has kind of a nostalgic connection for me. Small Gods is great. He really should have done more of those one-off scenario books like Small Gods because they were often among the best - Pyramids is another great one, and the characters in that don't turn up anywhere else.

Since you've read one book each out of the City Watch series and of the Witches series, you might find it good to go back and start from the beginning of those to get to know the characters and how it all develops.
The witches one starts way back in Equal Rites but I think Granny Weatherwax is the only one to appear in that - also because it's one of the very earliest DW books it feels a bit different. Wyrd Sisters and Witches Abroad have Magrat and Nanny Ogg in them; they are also good ones to read and work your way through.

For the City Watch books, that starts way back with Guards! Guards! (good one) and on to Men at Arms (also good - that's where Detritus, Angua and Carrot etc. all show up iirc), and then all the way up to the most recent like Thud. In fact the City Watch series seems to be the only one that Pratchett bothers writing on nowadays, which is a bit of a shame.

Personal favourites out of them all (iirc - it's been so long): Men at Arms, Pyramids (it was the very first one I read)...ugh, can't remember, but Small Gods was probably up there too.

Of course if you want to get a full taste of the DiscWorld stuff you have to read some stuff with Rincewind in (he's the char that featured in the 2 DW games I think). Those books start all the way back with the 2 very first novels in the DW, The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic (can't remember the proper order). Good series, I think the best one out of that one is maybe Interesting Times, but it's probably a good idea to read it in all in order. The Death series (Mort, Reaper Man on upwards) is good too.

This is basically just a list of almost every Discworld book, lol, but I hope it helps. If I were to recommend specific stuff I'd say read one of the one-offs, like Pyramids or maybe Moving Pictures, and then some of the series starters like Guards! Guards!, and just stick with and follow through what ever one has the characters you like best.

 

[spookymooky]

I used to read Pratchett way back and he has kind of a nostalgic connection for me. Small Gods is great. He really should have done more of those one-off scenario books like Small Gods because they were often among the best - Pyramids is another great one, and the characters in that don't turn up anywhere else.

Since you've read one book each out of the City Watch series and of the Witches series, you might find it good to go back and start from the beginning of those to get to know the characters and how it all develops.
The witches one starts way back in Equal Rites but I think Granny Weatherwax is the only one to appear in that - also because it's one of the very earliest DW books it feels a bit different. Wyrd Sisters and Witches Abroad have Magrat and Nanny Ogg in them; they are also good ones to read and work your way through.

For the City Watch books, that starts way back with Guards! Guards! (good one) and on to [/i]Men at Arms[/i] (also good - that's where Detritus, Angua and Carrot etc. all show up iirc), and then all the way up to the most recent like Thud. In fact the City Watch series seems to be the only one that Pratchett bothers writing on nowadays, which is a bit of a shame.

Personal favourites out of them all (iirc - it's been so long): Men at Arms, Pyramids (it was the very first one I read)...ugh, can't remember, but Small Gods was probably up there too.

Of course if you want to get a full taste of the DiscWorld stuff you have to read some stuff with Rincewind in (he's the char that featured in the 2 DW games I think). Those books start all the way back with the 2 very first novels in the DW, The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic (can't remember the proper order). Good series, I think the best one out of that one is maybe Interesting Times, but it's probably a good idea to read it in all in order. The Death series (Mort, Reaper Man on upwards) is good too.

This is basically just a list of almost every Discworld book, lol, but I hope it helps.

Yeah, it does, I think I'll start with the City Watch ones, then probably death. Thanks.

 

[Laivasse]

Yeah, it does, I think I'll start with the City Watch ones, then probably death. Thanks.

Glad to oblige :cheers:

 

[JFry]

It's only been mentioned once but I think if you like 1984 you should read A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. It's full of the big brother overtones alongside a glimpse of the future that is shaping up to be surprisingly accurate considering when the book was written.

 

[jerkasaur]

'Raising the Bar' ftw!

 

[French Ninja]

Prey by Michael Crichton, to further grow my distrust and hatred of robots.

 

[JNightshade]

I got Raising The Bar a while ago, and it's awesome! Of course, I read through the whole thing immediately, but it's great for a mellow read. It's perpetually open next to my bed.

Originally Posted by SpookyMooky
and The Aeneid...in Latin

I'm reading Ovid's Metamorphosis in Latin. It's not super-difficult, and it's pretty fun. I love all the dirty metaphors in Pyramus and Thisbe

NOTE: people who have not read The Ovid will not understand.

 

[DeusExMachina]

I read Kafka's Metamorphosis...

 

[JNightshade]

Was that the one about bugs? A friend of mine in college read a Metamorphosis, and it was about bugs of some sort... don't remember the details

 

[Icarusintel]

The Stranger by Albert Camus

Damn fine book, one of my favorites. I would reccomend The Plague (La Peste) if you haven;t read that yet.

I;m personally reading Albert Camus' "The Fall"
It's incredibly interesting and has a lot to say about mankind, especially concerning our relationships with others and ourselves

 

[dfc05]

Was that the one about bugs? A friend of mine in college read a Metamorphosis, and it was about bugs of some sort... don't remember the details

Yes, Kafka's was the one with the roach. I know it was all meant to be metaphoric and stuff... but I like to think that it was just a story about a man who turned into a giant cockroach. It's so much more entertaining that way. Especially the part where his dad runs around the room throwing apples at him.

 

[LiquidToast]

I've been reading my calculus text book a lot recently.

 

[Skaadi]

Question: Did anyone else find the ending of 1984 annoying? I suppose it was what I expected to happen but still......

 

[15357]

Question: Did anyone else find the ending of 1984 annoying? I suppose it was what I expected to happen but still......

winston redeeming himself? Nooo..

 

[Nat Turner]

Question: Did anyone else find the ending of 1984 annoying? I suppose it was what I expected to happen but still......

I thought it was fine.

 

[Skaadi]

That government was oppressive!

 

[Nat Turner]

That government was oppressive!

Yup, it's very oppressive. I think Mr. O'Brien was my favorite character. It's interesting how he helped write Goldstein's book, and understands how oppressive the Ingsoc government is, but still zealously supports it. He's like a total fanatic.

 

[Laivasse]

Question: Did anyone else find the ending of 1984 annoying? I suppose it was what I expected to happen but still......

Yeah, back when I was an idealistic teenager I hated the ending. Winston didn't 'redeem' himself as far as I understood it, he had his spirit completely subjugated. That didn't fit in with the kind of fighting spirit I liked to see in those days.

Nowadays I quite relish the image of 'a boot stamping on a human face, forever'...

 

[gick]

Wikipedia isn't always right. Anyway, from my view, that was not totalitarianism. Or at leaset one that I would support.

Sorry. Wrong.

1984 = teh sechs

Ive just finished Orwell's 'Homage To Catalonia'. Its a fascinating description of the Spanish Civil War through one man's eyes. Also it gives an example of a fully functional, large scale Anarchist community of several million people, that is, until the Russian Communists arrived and ****ed everything up. Detailed and graphic description of what it feels like to get shot through the neck too. :thumbs:

 

[gick]

Question: Did anyone else find the ending of 1984 annoying? I suppose it was what I expected to happen but still......

Not so much annoying, more like horrificlly depressing.

 

[15357]

That government was oppressive!

I rather liked the ending. It shows that fighting againsst authority is evil.

 

[jondy]

I rather liked the ending. It shows that fighting againsst authority is evil.

Numbers, for the love of god shut the **** up about North mother****ing Korea.

Although Kim-Jong's bodyguards are beasts.

 

[Zephos]

I'm reading "The Silmarillion" by J.R.R Tolkien

Sort of a "prequel of a prequel" to Lord of the Rings...very good read

 

[$kelet0r]

It shows that fighting againsst authority is evil.

so you're antipathy to North Korea is just a mild oversight then :|

 

[15357]

when did I mention N.Korea?

 

[VictimOfScience]

I am almost done with Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt andStephen J. Dubner. Its an incredibly insightful book that asks questions about society in a way that has not been done before. Sure, its by an economist and a writer, but the insights it leads to are interesting in the extreme and will help you look at everything in society a different way.

From the Amazon review:

For example, Levitt traces the drop in violent crime rates to a drop in violent criminals and, digging further, to the Roe v. Wade decision that preempted the existence of some people who would be born to poverty and hardship. Elsewhere, by analyzing data gathered from inner-city Chicago drug-dealing gangs, Levitt outlines a corporate structure much like McDonald's, where the top bosses make great money while scores of underlings make something below minimum wage. And in a section that may alarm or relieve worried parents, Levitt argues that parenting methods don't really matter much and that a backyard swimming pool is much more dangerous than a gun.

Linking the drastic decline of violent crime in the 90s to abortion being made legal in the early 70s? My interest is piqued....

 

[Direwolf]

In fact the City Watch series seems to be the only one that Pratchett bothers writing on nowadays, which is a bit of a shame.

What? The last one he wrote before Thud! (Going Postal) was completely new! A great book too.

 

[kaf11]

My absolute favorite author: James Ellroy.

After finishing the first three books in his L.A. quartet (The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, and L.A. Confidential) I was hooked. Later this semester I'll finish the last of the four: White Jazz. There is too much reading for school for me to start that now. If you're looking for a new author to love, pick up The Black Dahlia. Trust me, you've never read anything like this. If you're into film noir and the classic detective fiction authors (Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler) you'll be quite pleased.

As for my school reading the only thing worth mentioning is Bushido.

 

[Laivasse]

What? The last one he wrote before Thud! (Going Postal) was completely new! A great book too.

Yeah, I guess, but it was still based in Ankh Morpork and had characters reprised from other books. Maybe it's less that he writes only about the City Watch, but that he only seems to set stuff either in A-M, or base them on the Watch, or both. But I don't read Pratchett too much any more unless someone buys them for me, so quite a few DW books have slipped by me.

 

[Solaris]

I am almost done with Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt andStephen J. Dubner. Its an incredibly insightful book that asks questions about society in a way that has not been done before. Sure, its by an economist and a writer, but the insights it leads to are interesting in the extreme and will help you look at everything in society a different way.

From the Amazon review:


Linking the drastic decline of violent crime in the 90s to abortion being made legal in the early 70s? My interest is piqued....

I've just read that, an intresting book indeed.