I just finished The Kite Flyers - excellent insight into Afghanistan and the muslim world. Not to mention the big questions of shame, redemption, friendship, children.
Posted by Eduardo_Sauron (Member # 5827) on :
The Da Vinci Code.
Posted by Mabus (Member # 6320) on :
I just finished reading People of the Owl, by the Gears. I don't know how accurate their portraits of Native American life are, but I find them fascinating.
Posted by amira tharani (Member # 182) on :
I think I've read The Kite Flyers - I think it's called The Kite Runner in the UK. It was by far the best book I'd read in a long time... gripped me the whole way through, made me think, made me cry in places (the last book I actually cried at was Lost Boys, which I read six years ago). It's a beautifully written book, and the writer knows his subject at a very deep level.
Since then I've been reading Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series, lent to me by my boyfriend who couldn't believe I'd missed them as a child (nor can I now, they are exactly the sort of books I would have loved then, and indeed still do). I've also read Karen Armstrong's biographies of the Buddha and of Prophet Muhammad - both very well written, erudite and sympathetic.
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
I just finished "Wicked," which was amazing, and I'm about to start Tracy Chevalier's "The Lady and the Unicorn," by the same lady who wrote "Girl With a Pearl Earring," another simply fantastic book.
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
Raia, I enjoyed "Girl With a Pearl Earring" as well. Grete (wasn't that her name?) was such an interesting character.
Right now I'm reading "The World According to Garp" and "The First Amber Chronicles." I keep having to put "Garp" down because it's kind of depressing, so then I pick up "Amber" to lighten the mood.
space opera
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
Yeah, Griet... she was! I thought it was just phenomenally written... I really felt like I was looking at the Vermeer painting the whole time. And the characters were so beautifully developed. I can't wait to start "The Lady and the Unicorn"... and that's a work of art I've actually seen, so it'll be even more interesting!
Posted by Ben (Member # 6117) on :
i'm currently reading "If Chins Could Kill" by Bruce Campbell
Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :
I should finish Eats, Shoots and Leaves today. I've enjoyd it and there are many things in it that I should remember, sadly, I don't think it'll stick. After that I'm bookless but I should be flying home this weekend and Mom always hooks me up with a pile of things to read.
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
If Chins Could Kill?
Is it good?
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
If Chins Could Kill is GREAT!
Posted by beatnix19 (Member # 5836) on :
I'm reading the misserable faces of my students right now. Pretty funny stuff. 1 out of 25 kids brought back there homework and completely wrecked my plans for the period so now they are writing an essay on the importance of responsibility. I guess I'll be reading those next. Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I finished Orwell's Burmese Days the other day. I'm reading Dan Brown's horribly written Digital Fortress right now, and I'm still working on the The Lands Beneath the Winds Vol. II, but I haven't actually read it for a couple of days.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
He was in town here recently and gave a speech and went over all the points he covers in the book, and then some. It was very informative.
Hey, Eduardo, I'll loan it to you after you're done with what you are reading now....
Farmgirl
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
Breaking the Da Vinci Code? *boggle*
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
I also loved Girl with a Pearl Earring, and have Wicked and Lady and a Unicorn on my shelf to read.
I'm currently reading Something Rotten -- A Thursday Next novel. Recent threads have made me realize just how far behind I am with my reading list!
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
I'm reading "Wall Around a Star" by Frederick Pohl and Jack Williamson. However, the whole trachyon transmission thing is really getting on my nerves, so as soon as I get to the library I'm going to get the first Amber book and try it out.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Flaubert's Parrot
I tried reading Harry Turtledove's How Few Remain, and while I loved the ideas and the concept and the ending (I cheated), the writing was so bad I couldn't get through it. It was bad enough to drive me back to "high" literature. Flaubert's Parrot doesn't have the alternative universe and imagination part, but the writing really is better. It's a joy in itself.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Yeah, I love Turtledove's ideas, but I often wince at his writing.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Just finished the Garden of Rama, which completes a series I should have read long ago.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
You know, years ago I tried to get into the Rama series, but it didn't quite happen.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
quote:I just finished "Wicked," which was amazing, and I'm about to start Tracy Chevalier's "The Lady and the Unicorn," by the same lady who wrote "Girl With a Pearl Earring," another simply fantastic book.
Wicked was my favorite Maguire book (although I never did get around to reading Lost) and Lady was quite excellent. Girl is on my future list.
I'm working my way through Terry Goodkind's "Sword of Truth" series, currently on book 5, "Soul of the Fire". I'm hoping to get through the series before the last Dark Tower book releases on the 21st.
Goody
Posted by Psycho Triad (Member # 3331) on :
The Gods of the North ~ a pretty detailed book about Norse mythology.
Lets Go! Ireland ~ a travel book about ireland, supporting my hopeless dream to travel there this winter.
Hatrack River Forum ~ some online thing that seems kinda, well, Evil.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Goody, I still need to make it through Song of Susannah. Not sure I can make it by the 21st! *moves it up on the list*
[ September 02, 2004, 01:09 PM: Message edited by: Christy ]
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
quote:World According to Garp
Mmmmm... I love John Irving. Read all his stuff.
Currently though I'm re-reading "Songmaster" and the "Earthsea" books.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I'm trying to get into Dandelion Wine. So far, I'm just confused. Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Where are you in the book Porter?
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
Psycho -- What else are you reading? Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
Plato's Apology... in the original Greek. Well, that's for a class, but I am reading the Crito (in Greek, of course) for fun.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
You didn't like the Rama series, Noemon? Hmm. I really liked them all, but I thought the first two were the best.
A.C. Clarke does tend to go off on tangents though.
Posted by Danzig (Member # 4704) on :
I just finished a translation of The Immoralist by some French author whose name I forget. I am about halfway through the collected stories of H. H. Munro, better known as Saki. Next is King Solomon's Mines, but I have actually read that before some years ago. The used bookstore was not out of Zelazny, but I have already purchased all the novels they had that I had not yet read.
I think I like used bookstores better than new bookstores, although both in the same store would be nice.
Posted by Danzig (Member # 4704) on :
Space Opera, how do you like the first Amber Chronicles? Have you read any other Zelazny?
blacwolve, do not check out the first Amber book until you are sure the library has the rest of the first series. I had to wait two years without knowing what happened next! Lord of Light is my favorite work by Zelazny, and it is a stand-alone novel.
The Rama series was weird. The first book was basically unconnected with the rest of the series, and was probably the most interesting. I read all the Clarke in my high school library and thought him basically overrated, but my high school library was not very large. I always find books I want to spend my money on more than his.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Yeah, I've never been terribly impressed with Clark. He's never struck me as bad, really, just not as great as he's cracked up to be. Now, I should say that it has been...oh, probably a decade since I last opened one of his books (could be more, could be less), and I was basically a different person a decade ago than I am now, so it's always possible that his stuff would really appeal to me, were I to reread it now. I don't remember it well enough to be able to tell you what it was I didn't like about it.
Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :
The problem with reading Irving's other works is that Garp is vastly superior to everything else he's ever written. I think you'll feel kind of letdown if you try his other things, I know I sure did. Certainly I never recommend any but Garp Posted by Danzig (Member # 4704) on :
What I disliked about it was the pace. I can deal with slower-paced stories when done well, such as Asimov's first three Foundation novels. Clarke just seemed a bit too realistic in describing every mundane detail, and did so in a way that neither added to the story nor made me think. On the other hand, it was not like he was a bad author, just not worthy of being placed on the same level as Asimov or Heinlein. Of course, I have never been a huge fan of hard science fiction, and Clarke seems to go in that direction more than those other two.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
And I thought Ciderhouse Rules was vastly superior to ...Garp. Different people, different tastes.
Clarke isn't a storyteller: one who can get you to care about his characters; about whether they have a past, or a future. He's an idea man, who writes to share his often brilliant combination of ideas with others who also like to play with ideas.
[ September 02, 2004, 03:27 PM: Message edited by: aspectre ]
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Rendezvous With Rama is disconnected because it was written something like 10 years before the others, and the only one written alone. It's more like a prologue and trilogy. Clarke is certainly an author who likes to put detail in his books, but that never bothered me. Much of of the detail is in there for some sort of reason. His characters I find rather stock characters- they are either weak or strong. However, I never found them boring, contrived or badly written.
Posted by Danzig avoiding landmarks (Member # 6792) on :
Lots of Asimov's characters were pretty stock too. I guess I just prefer his ideas better.
Posted by saxon75 (Member # 4589) on :
I'm currently reading The Horizontal Everest. Very interesting stuff.
I just finished The Eyre Affair, also a Thursday Next novel. Hey Christy, did you read The Eyre Affair? I thought it was a fun read.
quote:The problem with reading Irving's other works is that Garp is vastly superior to everything else he's ever written.
Gotta disagree with you there, man. A Prayer for Owen Meany was better for me than Garp, though I did like Garp immensely. Ever since I saw The Door in the Floor, I've been meaning to read A Widow for One Year. If the film is any indicator, the book will be excellent.
Posted by Fitz (Member # 4803) on :
Teshi, did you read Rama Revealed? Because that is, chronologically, the last part in the series. Or did you just read them out of order? Garden of Rama is part 3 of a 4 book series.
Posted by Derrell (Member # 6062) on :
I'm still working on War and Peace . I've reat a little over 20% of it. If I started reading something else, I'd never get through War and Peace as it has over 2000 pages. Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Fitz, when I said Garden of Rama I meant Rama Revealed. I'm just going mad, that's all.
Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :
Actually, I shouldn't pretend to have read the complete works of John Irving, I'm quite sure I haven't read them all. Sufficed to say, I thought it was quite marvelous and didn't enjoy Cider House nearly as much as I'd been lead to believe I would. Perhaps I'm still bitter Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
Danzig, I'm not sure what I think of the Amber Chronicles yet. I'm not very far in (maybe 100 pages or so?). I was surprised that the mystery of who Corwin truly is was solved so quickly; I suppose this means that there's lots of family drama and backstabbing to come. I like it, but so far I'm not in love with it yet.
As far as Irving goes, the only other thing I've read by him was "Cider House Rules," which I enjoyed. I just loved Homer. He is an author I plan to definately continue reading.
space opera
Posted by Gryphonesse (Member # 6651) on :
just finished re-reading the King of Ys series by Poul and Karen Anderson. I've always liked that series. Lucked upon it in Half-Price books one day. Before that, I scrounged and scoured and got back all of my Incarnations of Immortality books (Piers Anthony)and re-read that set.
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
*mutters* The Purdue Library doesn't have any of the Amber books, so instead I'm reading a book of Zelazny short stories, and then I'll attempt Ursula Le Guin for the 5th or 6th time.
Are Zelazny's books in the same style as his short stories? I'm not sure I could stand a whole book this oddly styled.
Luckily, walking around right off of campus today I discovered that they're moving the West Lafayette library to a location that's a fifteen minute walk away. I'm so relieved, the university's fiction selection leaves a lot to be desired.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
What LeGuin are you reading, blacwolve? Most of her stuff is quite good, but there are a couple that are a bit tedious. Always Coming Home leaps to find. Fascinating idea, but I've never made it through that one, I have to admit.
Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
I'm currently reading Lamb, the Gospel according to Biff, Christ's childhood pal which, although it sounds highly irreverent actually manages to be funny without being really sacreligious. I recomend it.
Posted by TimeTim (Member # 2768) on :
I'm reading no no boy for a class
I can't remember what was the last good book that I read. God it's been so long.
I agree that Clarke is not as good as he's been cracked up to be. I was extremely pissed off at the end of the Rama series.
I'm never going to read that again.
Posted by Eduardo_Sauron (Member # 5827) on :
Well...I love Arthur Clarke. Just finished reading "Childhood's End" and "Earthlight". Amazing stuff (for me, at least).
After that (and before "The Da Vinci Code" (I also bought the 'Breaking the...Code', Farmgirl, although I know one has nothing to do with the other)) I read "The Black Arrow", from Robert Louis Stevenson.
Sometimes I wonder how, being a Portuguese Language teacher I find so much time to read English/American fiction. Oh, well...geekness points for me Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
Rocannon's World, Planet of Exile, and City of Illusions it's one of those books that has 3 books in them. I've tried to read Left Hand of Darkness before, but I found it really boring and impossible to get into. So this is me seeing if I've matured since then, I guess.
Posted by Cashew (Member # 6023) on :
I read my last Arthur C. Clarke book about 10 years ago, and promised myself to not read any more... Nothing happens! His short stories are excellent, but too many of his full length novels are a waste of time. Right now I'm reading Red Rabbit by Tom Clancy, talky but fascinating. Oh, and also the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon, complete with misprints, grammatical errors, it's fascinating.
Posted by digging_holes (Member # 6237) on :
I just finished reading The Cross and the Switchblade, by Rev. David Wilkerson. What an incredible book! And it's a true story too!
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
You know, Eduardo, I'm pretty stunned by your grasp of US culture--how *is* it that you're so familiar with it? Are American TV shows, books, music, etc. so ubiquitous? I mean, I know that American culture is exported to the rest of the world, but seriously, you seem to be as conversant in US culture as anyone else on this board.
How common is AD&D down in Brazil? Is your degree of familiarity with our culture an exception or the rule?
Posted by Eduardo_Sauron (Member # 5827) on :
Hi, Noemon. I'm flattered for your compliments, although sometimes I'm kinda "lost in translation" when you people talk about "local stuff". First thing: 11 years of english course (from 7 to 11 years old). Mom and Dad thought (they're right) it was important to know a second language. Where I studied, they didn't only teach you the language. They made sure you know the culture too. Since it was centered in American english, and I had American teachers only...I had a good grasp in your culture. Second thing: Cable television. Have it since 1996. It means EVERY U.S. show, most news, etc. is available at home. Since almost all open tv channels are sucky (not only here. Everywhere I know), I've always watched a lot of foreign (meaning mostly American and English, so I could practice my english) tv shows. Third thing: the joys of Internet. I always liked to chat with english-speaking people and reading News sites such as BBC and CNN (although my english is still faulty). Fourth thing: I'm a geek! I love science fiction and fantasy books! Although we have good stuff written in Portuguese, I dare to say the best Science Fiction and Fantasy books (to my flawed knowledge) were and are being written in English.
Let's say that most people in Brazil know more about the U.S. than the average American knows about Brazil. It's pretty normal, since, as you said, American culture is exported to the rest of the world. Bu yes...I guess I may know a tad more than some of my countrymen, because of my background (thanks mom and dad).
Now about D&D...Brazil is home to the world's second biggest RPG Convention: the "Encontro Internacional de RPG". It means we have a lot of gamers over here. It's not mainstream yet, for all means. The Media still covers Cons and such as if covering a freak show: "Look! These guys do not play soccer or go to the beach in the weekends! They sit around and fiddle with colored dices, books and miniatures!" But there are a lot D&D books being written in Brazil, right now. Two of them by a good friend of mine, and I had the honor of being a beta tester. Some times I'm invited by schools or Universities to talk about using D&D (or other RPGs) to help teaching History, Literature and other subjects.
Tsc...tooo long a post.
Posted by Qrios (Member # 5259) on :
I have enjoyed Lois McMasters Bujold - the Miles Verkosigan books. And Loved LeGuin's Earth Sea books, and The Left Hand of Darkness, but that was in another world, before every other person was gay. (It was a novel concept back in the 70s) I found DaVinci Code fun, but not all that original. MiddleSex is an interesting look at how genes move through the generations . . . . Scary. What else is good in science fiction today?
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
I love Bujold!
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
quote: I was extremely pissed off at the end of the Rama series
I actually liked the end very much... I wonder why I like them. Danzig said they were "hard" science fiction; what does that mean?
Posted by Eduardo_Sauron (Member # 5827) on :
It kinda means that it's science fiction based in actual (or at least possible) science, not in plot devices and character development. In truth, it's more complicated than that, but I'm too sleepy right now...maybe tomorrow I can explain it better, if someone else don't do it instead. Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
I've always kind of divided soft and hard sci-fi the same way one normally divides the soft and hard sciences. i.e. soft = novels dealing with sociology, hard = novels dealing with physics. That said, I tend to stay on the soft side of sci-fi.
I finished "Garp." Bob, want to start a discussion?
space opera
Posted by JaimeBenlevy (Member # 6222) on :
Dune
Posted by Ben (Member # 6117) on :
those who have not, read MANHATTAN LOVERBOY by Arthur Nersesian
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