Books

[Apothos]

I just finished reading the Timothy Zahn duology of 'Spectre of the past' and 'Vision of the future' (i had the second part for ages without being able to find the first anywhere because of the backwater arm pit of the uk where i live) - and now i have ran out of books i own that i havent read.

Suggestions please...











the bible and other assorted religious books/texts will not be considered.

[Tietäjä]

Let's see... What do we have here....

Friedrich Nietschze - Antichrist (or any other, Nietschze's production is generally quite good)
Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451
J.R.R Tolkien - The Book of Lost tales

To name a few. I'll be back to this thread when I come up with other ideas.

[sh@dow]

The Internet for Idiots

[Tietäjä]

Originally posted by sh@dow
The Internet for Idiots

That is, for people like you then?

[sh@dow]

no I read it years ago and am therefore recommending it, whats wrong with that?

p.s your book list sounds like a list for pussies

[[GAP]Obiwan]

have you tried the 'jedi academy trilogy'?

[Cmdr_Cyrax]

I must suggest The seafort saga beginning withMidshipman's hope by David Feintuch. Basicly a naval military space adventure type thing. If youre looking for a book where the good guys fight the bad guys, win and live happily ever after - this is not it.

Truely ace.

[Tietäjä]

Adolf Hitler - Mein Kampf

I'm reading that one currently.

Light reading:
Anything by Robin Hobb. Start off with the Apprentice Trilogy then read the Liveship Traders.

[acropolis]

Originally posted by Miasma



Any good? or does he just whine about his hard life and how his country betrayed him?

Worst book ever.

Still better than Nietschze.

I don't get it, do people really feel that they want to learn something from Hitler?

[JammyJim]

Art of War by Sun Tzu
War and Peace by Tolstoy
The Prince by Machiavelli

[Tietäjä]

Originally posted by Miasma



Any good? or does he just whine about his hard life and how his country betrayed him?

Actually, Hitler wrote 'Mein Kampf' before being 'Führer', as when he was in prison.

It's interesting, from my point of view. But pretty harsh to read, dry, boring. Good stuff on propaganda though.

[Booge8]

Originally posted by JammyJim
War and Peace by Tolstoy

have you actually read that james or are you trying to be all growed up?

Originally posted by Booge8


have you actually read that james or are you trying to be all growed up?

I've read that.

I love these posts. They're just a brilliant excuse for everyone to show everyone else how much more cultured and intelligent they are. It's the modern day equivalent of measuring penis sizes.
So I'm going to break the mold.
I recommend: the Thomas the tank engine books - which are truly excellent... any Postman Pat ones.. My favourite character is his cat - if you look at everything Pat does from the perspective of his cat the books are hilarious... umm... the Very hungry caterpillar board book is a classic... and I'll come up with some more later.

[Helveticus]

Originally posted by Lord Boredom


I've read that.

I recommend: the Thomas the tank engine books - which are truly excellent... any Postman Pat ones.. My favourite character is his cat - if you look at everything Pat does from the perspective of his cat the books are hilarious... umm... the Very hungry caterpillar board book is a classic... and I'll come up with some more later.

How could you forget the 'Spot the Dog' or 'Where's Wally' books?

[Gayle29uk]

Originally posted by Booge8


have you actually read that james or are you trying to be all growed up?

During my youth I read War and Peace to see what all the fuss was about. My advice to anyone who hasn't read it is...don't! It's bloody awful.

Let's be honest, we've all read some of the pretentious books but that's no reason to encourage others to do the same. If anyone wants my copy of Castaneda's 'Yaqui Way of Knowledge' they're welcome to it, it's utter ****e

Personally I love fantasy/sci-fi novels so I'd go with Eddings (light reading), Feist (the Empire trilogy was fabulous), Gemmel (he always makes me cry), Heinlein (a man like Lazarus Long could probably even get ME into bed!), and of course Terry Prattchett

[queball]

Originally posted by acropolis
Worst book ever.

Britney & Lynne Spears - A Mother's Gift

Still better than Nietschze.

People read books about Nietzsche, not his writings themselves . But Nietzsche - Thus Spake Zarathustra.

I don't get it, do people really feel that they want to learn something from Hitler?

Yes. Don't you like learning?

I would advise that nobody reads "The Naked and the Dead" by that Mailer fellow as it is long and boring and ****e.

I hate the fact that when i start reading a book i have to finish it.

That book almost broke me of the habit.

[Gayle29uk]

Sophie's Choice did it for me. Never finished it, never going to finish it.

Originally posted by Gayle28uk
Sophie's Choice

Who's it by?

What's it about?

How much did you read (how many pages out of the total number)?

[acropolis]

Originally posted by queball

Yes. Don't you like learning?

Perhaps you misinterpret.

If I read a book, I either want to be 'entertained,' or given new and interesting thoughts. I'm not sure what other people look for (perhaps to show off?).

Mein Kampf is one of the least entertaining books ever, and unlike War and Peace or Moby GIANT PENIS, the author (Hitler) had no real interesting perspective or philosophy.

So, in contrast to your statement, 'Mein Kampf' sucks because I like learning.

[Gayle29uk]

Originally posted by Dace




Who's it by?

What's it about?

How much did you read (how many pages out of the total number)?

Can't remember and cba to google.

An author and a polishwoman who was in the concentration camps.

About 400 pages (less than halfway) before I got to the point where I no longer cared if it was going to get better or not, I just wanted to do somethign else.

[Marilyn Manson]

Originally posted by Apothos
Suggestions please...

Read Brideshead Revisited now, Mc****.

[Belgarath The Sorcerer]

Stephen King
Philip K. Dick
Asimov
Peter F. Hamilton
Patricia Cornwell


Read everything by them.

[W]

I only ever read scifi, so that's all I can suggest

Originally posted by Belgarath The Sorcerer
Stephen King
Philip K. ****
Asimov
Peter F. Hamilton
Patricia Cornwell


Read everything by them.

L.E.Modesitt Jr, Heinlein, Ursula Le Guin, Gibson, Friedrik(sp) Pohl and Wil McCarthy all belong in that club (the club of those you should read everything from)

Also, code of the lifemaker by Hogan is a classic.

Originally posted by Belgarath The Sorcerer
Stephen King
Philip K. ****
Asimov
Peter F. Hamilton
Patricia Cornwell


Read everything by them.

King - Some of his books aren't so good and even those that are are a bit simple so ... BELGY LIES!

**** - I like ... BELGY (for once in his life) TRUES!

Asimov - I've read ALOT of his short stories. He's OK. Not the greatest tho so ... BELGY (kinda) TRUES!

Hamilton - Some of the best Sci fi i've read so ... BELGY (goes with popular opinion and ) TRUES!

Cornwell - Haven't read so can't comment. Name sounds familiar tho.

[acropolis]

Originally posted by Belgarath The Sorcerer
Stephen King
Philip K. ****
Asimov
Peter F. Hamilton
Patricia Cornwell


Read everything by them.

Finishing all King's would take decades (especially as he is still pumping them out).

My two cents: Dr. Seuss rocks. Seriously. I've got "Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are" right between Ibsen's plays and 'Complex Variables,' and Seuss is the one I always go back to (apologies for finishing with a preposition).

Originally posted by Dace


King - Some of his books aren't so good and even those that are are a bit simple so ... BELGY LIES!

I could teach a class on 'It'

simply brilliant perhaps.

Originally posted by W
L.E.Modesitt Jr,

Stay with his Sci Fi stuff (i really like it).

I read the first book in his Saga of Recluse thing and although it was goodish i later discovered that none of the next 10 books are inter-related.

As such his fantasy stuff annoyed me.

BTW the best Fantasy (although it has some Sci fi aspects to it) "book" is "The Coldfire Trilogy" by C.S. Friedman.

If you haven't already read it i suggest you do.

The art cover work rocks too (especially on the last book).

[Belgarath The Sorcerer]

Originally posted by W
I only ever read scifi, so that's all I can suggest

L.E.Modesitt Jr, Heinlein, Ursula Le Guin, Gibson, Friedrik(sp) Pohl and Wil McCarthy all belong in that club (the club of those you should read everything from)

Also, code of the lifemaker by Hogan is a classic.

I should have included Heinlein, Modesitt Jr and Le Guin, but I haven't read any Gibson, Friedrik(sp) or Pohl, so I couldn't comment on them.

Originally posted by acropolis
Finishing all King's would take decades (especially as he is still pumping them out).

No. It depends on how fast you can read. A practised reader can read quickly, I read the complete version of The Stand in three days when I was about 14 (I was off school ill at the time though).
You could probably get through all Kings books in less than a year.

[Belgarath The Sorcerer]

Originally posted by Dace

**** - I like ... BELGY (for once in his life) TRUES!

I am quite likeable in my own way.

Originally posted by Belgarath The Sorcerer
I read the complete version of The Stand in three days

How long is that book?

[acropolis]

Originally posted by Dace




How long is that book?

depends on version paperback or hard, but it runs a bit longer than it, maybe 1400-1600 pages.

Originally posted by Belgarath The Sorcerer
I am quite likeable in my own way.

Just because you are the fattest person at weight watchers and people are relieved that it's not them doesn't mean they actually like you.

Originally posted by Belgarath The Sorcerer

No. It depends on how fast you can read. A practised reader can read quickly, I read the complete version of The Stand in three days when I was about 14 (I was off school ill at the time though).
You could probably get through all Kings books in less than a year.

That's what's ****ed my reading up. Between the ages of 11 and 15, I only read sci-fi or fantasy. Wasn't too long before I got into the habit of speed reading, and now it's a real effort to appreciate literature. Whenever I'm tired I fall into the habit of speed-reading, and thus miss the glorious language, superb metaphors, and general subtleties of decent writing. sigh. Eddings, Feist, etc.. ruined my life. Le Guin is good though.

[Belgarath The Sorcerer]

Originally posted by Dace




How long is that book?

The paper back copy I own is nearly three inches thick, and a quick search on Google says it's 1135 pages long.

Originally posted by Belgarath The Sorcerer
The paper back copy I own is nearly three inches thick, and a quick search on Google says it's 1135 pages long.

Hmmmmm.

So how quickly do you read then?

ie do you know how long it takes you to read a page/ 100 pages?

Originally posted by Dace




Hmmmmm.

So how quickly do you read then?

ie do you know how long it takes you to read a page/ 100 pages?

I can manage 100 pgs in under half an hr. .. perhaps 20 mins... Not that I want to, because the only thing I can appreciate then is the plot.

EDIT: Actually.. on reflection, that's an over exaggeration. Change that to 40ish mins... and scratch the 20.

Originally posted by Lord Boredom


I can manage 100 pgs in under half an hr. .. perhaps 20 mins... Not that I want to, because the only thing I can appreciate then is the plot.

EDIT: Actually.. on reflection, that's an over exaggeration. Change that to 40ish mins... and scratch the 20.

Do you actually read every word or do you just skim?

[acropolis]

Originally posted by Lord Boredom


That's what's ****ed my reading up. Between the ages of 11 and 15, I only read sci-fi or fantasy. Wasn't too long before I got into the habit of speed reading, and now it's a real effort to appreciate literature. Whenever I'm tired I fall into the habit of speed-reading, and thus miss the glorious language, superb metaphors, and general subtleties of decent writing. sigh. Eddings, Feist, etc.. ruined my life. Le Guin is good though.

I'm the exact opposite. It sometimes takes me ten minutes to read a page, because every sentence I read triggers my brain to go off in some zany direction.

I have no 'attention span' to speak of.

I think I'm ADD

Anyway, if you are looking for truly shallow liberal propaganda at the 4th grade reading level (and I know you all are) you can't go wrong with John Grisham.

Originally posted by Dace




Do you actually read every word or do you just skim?

that's definitely skimming.
I'm not sure what I do... I jump prepositions, adjectives and adverbs.. and if I get bored, I'll automatically jump half a page... it's completely unconsious unfortunately.. I realise after I've read a page that I didn't read it properly and have to start again.

[JonnyBGood]

The last few books I read were


Immanuel Kant - A critique of pure reason
Kim Stanley Robinson - The Years of rice and salt
Jean Jacques Rousseau - The Social Contract and a discourse on the origins of inequality
Descartes - Meditations on First Philosophy
Wilful Murder The Sinking of the Lusitania - Diane Preston
Civilisation - Kenneth Clark


I just started trying to read the Quran.

[Belgarath The Sorcerer]

Originally posted by Lord Boredom

Wasn't too long before I got into the habit of speed reading, and now it's a real effort to appreciate literature. Whenever I'm tired I fall into the habit of speed-reading, and thus miss the glorious language, superb metaphors, and general subtleties of decent writing.

I've found that sitting in a chair all afternoon reading a book can be suprisingly tiring.

I'm reading Black House, by Stephen King and Peter Straub at the moment (obviously not right now), and the writing is absolutely first rate, top draw stuff.

Originally posted by Lord Boredom
that's definitely skimming.
I'm not sure what I do... I jump prepositions, adjectives and adverbs.. and if I get bored, I'll automatically jump half a page... it's completely unconsious unfortunately.. I realise after I've read a page that I didn't read it properly and have to start again.

See i read a page a minute and i read every word when i do that (which is apparantly rather fast).

Also i have really good concentration and i usually finish a book after i've initially sat down to read it.

This has led me to be pissed off at other people on many occassions.

My dad for instance.

I read a good (non-sci fi/fantasy) book and pass it on to my Dad and tell him he really should read it.

Months later and he's still only a couple of chapters in.

All this when its taken me like 5 hours to read it.

Originally posted by Dace


See i read a page a minute and i read every word when i do that (which is apparantly rather fast).

Also i have really good concentration and i usually finish a book after i've initially sat down to read it.

Do you take it in though??
That's one of my problems. Right after I've read a book, I can't remember much of what happened unless I'm reminded, and often I can't remember character names. I've recognised these names as shapes and never assigned any phonetic value to them, so I have no idea how to say em.

I'd like to be able to read like acropolis. Read every page properly.. consider every word properly.

surprised nobody's mentioned douglas adams yet... hitchhiker, as well as Dirk Gently's holistic detective agency, and the long dark tea-time of the soul.

i see you've discovered Zahn, im entertained by him...

uhm, Orson Scott Card is good... I remember Ender's Game being quite a good read.

then of course there's Catch-22
my personal favorite.

[JonnyBGood]

Originally posted by Lord Boredom


Do you take it in though??
That's one of my problems. Right after I've read a book, I can't remember much of what happened unless I'm reminded, and often I can't remember character names. I've recognised these names as shapes and never assigned any phonetic value to them, so I have no idea how to say em.

I'd like to be able to read like acropolis. Read every page properly.. consider every word properly.

I used to do exactly the same thing, learn to recognise when you speed-read it (as that's basically what you're doing) and when you start, stop and reread what you've been reading. If you naturally slow yourself down it'll become easier and easier.

Originally posted by Lord Boredom
Do you take it in though??

often I can't remember character names. I've recognised these names as shapes and never assigned any phonetic value to them, so I have no idea who to say em.

I do take it all in.

But ... i also have trouble with remembering names.

I know who the people are i just couldn't spell their names if i was pushed to (for instance my nick is the "crazy" alter ego of a character in the Novel "Dark Moon" by David Gemmel. The sane part of the charatcer is called Taritino [i think] but every time i read it i read Tarintino)

Originally posted by JonnyBGood



I used to do exactly the same thing, learn to recognise when you speed-read it (as that's basically what you're doing) and when you start, stop and reread what you've been reading. If you naturally slow yourself down it'll become easier and easier.

Which is more or less what I'm trying to do.
After all, wtf is the point in speed-reading Virginia Woolf, or Henry James, or James Joyce. You miss so much. If I can't stop the speed-reading, I'll be condemned to a life of airport novels.

Originally posted by Lord Boredom
If I can't stop the speed-reading, I'll be condemned to a life of airport novels.

unlucky