What book(s) are you reading?

[Great Rumbler]

Here's the three finalists for fiction:

http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2012-Fiction

[Himu]

I finished with my latest batch of books, and I'm not sure what to go with next but I'm leaning on the latest Maddow book.

[Bebpo]

Been reading Storm of Swords and I got to this scene last night:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/bebpo/1334714246.jpg

[close]

oh shit.  This is getting interesting now.  HYPED for the rest of the series.

[Joe Molotov]

Here's the three finalists for fiction:

http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2012-Fiction

"Swamplandia!" by Karen Russell (Alfred A. Knopf), an adventure tale about an eccentric family adrift in its failing alligator-wrestling theme park, told by a 13-year-old heroine wise beyond her years

 

[Cormacaroni]

I don't remember when or how I got it (doesn't look like I paid for it), but I read The Score by Richard Stark on my kindle over the two days. Fun lil story. I'll have to look into the other Parker novels.

Also finished Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes last week. I had read about a third of Good Calories, Bad Calories last year, but all the in depth research and medical descriptions made me lose interest. This was a much more straightforward read. Now I'm back to avoiding carbs and checking the nutrition facts on everything.

I need more books. I haven't been too into games lately.

I think I tweeted the link when it was free on amazon. Glad you liked it! Darwyn Cooke is doing The Score as the next one of his comics adaptations of the Parker series, should be great. Due this summer I think.

[chronovore]

That's excellent news. Thanks again for those lovely hardcovers.

[Crash Dummy]

Here's the three finalists for fiction:

http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2012-Fiction

"Swamplandia!" by Karen Russell (Alfred A. Knopf), an adventure tale about an eccentric family adrift in its failing alligator-wrestling theme park, told by a 13-year-old heroine wise beyond her years

 

i too am struggling to decide between this and pale king

[Cerveza mas fina]

I keep saying I'm going to start The Name Of The Wind but I never do, despite the rave reviews

You should.

Just dont expect too much, it still is a fantasy story

[nice cat but chicken]

i picked up Inherent Vice fairly cheaply the other day. enjoying my casual reread. it's obviously pretty light (by Pynchon's standard?) but i often find myself laughing aloud at stuff like:

Back when, she could go weeks without anything more complicated than a pout. Now she was laying some heavy combination of face ingredients on him that he couldn't read at all.

also excitedly imagining how the proposed PTA/RDJ adaptation will turn out.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Also finished Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes last week. I had read about a third of Good Calories, Bad Calories last year, but all the in depth research and medical descriptions made me lose interest. This was a much more straightforward read. Now I'm back to avoiding carbs and checking the nutrition facts on everything.

I need more books. I haven't been too into games lately.

I nabbed the Kindle version of this.  Good read.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

(Image removed from quote.)

100 pages in and it's already depressing me.

Just got the kindle version of this as well.

[Beezy]

I guess I'll check that book out too. I'm almost done with Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. He makes being a cook/chef sound like the best and worst job ever.

[MrAngryFace]

Awww shit this is gonna be epic.



http://www.amazon.com/Pariah-Ravenor-Eisenhorn-Dan-Abnett/dp/1849702020/ref=pd_ys_ir_all_194

[Eric P]

i have no idea what is going on.

[chronovore]

I guess in celebration of the movie coming out, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter audiobook was on sale for US$5.95 on iTunes.

...

I should have known better, I really should. To some degree, it may have been better if it had not been an audiobook. For instance, I've been looking for audiobooks read by Alan Rickman or Tim Curry. Instead, whomever was reading this book would break halfway into a "Pepperidge Farm remembers!" tone of voice for Abe whenever something had to be read in character.

But, more than that, the book makes poor use of a couple of decent ideas, either by glossing over them, or bringing them to bear too late.

I'd started off pretty excited about the movie, and now I'm not particularly hopeful there.

[MrAngryFace]

For some reason I bought the horrible Game of Groans book- its so bad.

[Great Rumbler]

For some reason I bought the horrible Game of Groans book- its so bad.

Good Lord, MAF. Why are you reading that and not something by Terry Pratchett?

[Phoenix Dark]

For some reason I bought the horrible Game of Groans book- its so bad.

Good Lord, MAF. Why are you reading that and not something by Terry Pratchett?

when you gotta read you gotta read

[MrAngryFace]

I think my natural hate for Game of Thrones excitement made me buy it- it wasnt till I read through several bad fart jokes that I realized what id done

[Great Rumbler]

it wasnt till I read through several bad fart jokes that I realized what id done

I noted, through skimming the sample on Amazon, at least 4 in the first chapter alone. 

[chronovore]

Go get Bored of the Rings. At the very least, there are several sophomoric sex scenes, which is more in line with a Game of Thrones parody than LotR.

[Joe Molotov]

Go get Bored of the Rings. At the very least, there are several sophomoric sex scenes, which is more in line with a Game of Thrones parody than LotR.

Frodo X Sam?

[chronovore]

Go get Bored of the Rings. At the very least, there are several sophomoric sex scenes, which is more in line with a Game of Thrones parody than LotR.

Frodo X Sam?

IIRC, it's full-on hetero. My apologies for raising TheBore's hopes, en masse.

[MrAngryFace]

Imagine books written by a 13 year old boy and you've got bored of the rings and game of groans

[Great Rumbler]

Imagine books written by a 13 year old boy and you've got bored of the rings and game of groans

When your book starts out with a character named "Dildo Bugger," you might as well just shoot yourself in the face.

[MrAngryFace]

haha

[Joe Molotov]

Imagine books written by a 13 year old boy and you've got bored of the rings and game of groans

Or the Game of Thrones TV script.

[recursivelyenumerable]

or the Game of Thrones

Imagine books written by a 13 year old boy and you've got bored of the rings and game of groans

Or the Game of Thrones TV script.

fixed

[Joe Molotov]

I thought about posting that, but I think it's more fair to say "imagine books written by a fat middle-aged pedophile".

[Beezy]

(Image removed from quote.)

Excellent read- does a good job identifying the key events that created an environment where things like Iran-Contra, military privatization, and the gradual militarization of the CIA can occur, and how disconnecting americans from the sacrifice of war has promoted endless engagements.

I think my favorite thing about this book is how she pretty much skipped the beaten-to-death 9/11-post 9/11 GW Bush era issues to focus on what's currently going on in the Obama admin (drones, strike on osama in pakistan, etc..).

This book is more about the current American attitude towards war and how it got this way- not about right versus left. We ALL suck! Also its easy to read for people like me who buy more WarHammer 40k books than anything else

Just finished this. I probably facepalmed through the whole chapter about the handling of our nukes.

[MrAngryFace]

It's cool bro, they didn't splode!

[Eric P]

Just finished this. I probably facepalmed through the whole chapter about the handling of our nukes.

then you probably shouldn't read this book

http://www.amazon.com/How-End-Begins-Nuclear-World/dp/1416594213

[Beezy]

No kindle version. I guess I won't.

[magus]

i don't usualy read books,but if i wanted to pick one,do you guys have any good mysteries/murder mysteries you would recomend? the kind that would feature a very distinguished mentally-challenged plot twist? i find myself loving those when they come to videogame and i wouldn't mind trying to expand this to books

or alternatively something funny,a nice comedy

[Great Rumbler]

i don't usualy read books,but if i wanted to pick one,do you guys have any good mysteries/murder mysteries you would recomend? the kind that would feature a very distinguished mentally-challenged plot twist? i find myself loving those when they come to videogame and i wouldn't mind trying to expand this to books

I'm shamelessly plugging my own book here, but this is basically what you're looking for:

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-at-End-World-ebook/dp/B0072NYPO0/ref=lp_B0072V78NC_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335643123&sr=1-1

[Eric P]

i don't usualy read books,but if i wanted to pick one,do you guys have any good mysteries/murder mysteries you would recomend? the kind that would feature a very distinguished mentally-challenged plot twist? i find myself loving those when they come to videogame and i wouldn't mind trying to expand this to books

or alternatively something funny,a nice comedy

distinguished mentally-challenged like mind blowing or distinguished mentally-challenged like it's cheap and cheating?

[Great Rumbler]

distinguished mentally-challenged like mind blowing or distinguished mentally-challenged like it's cheap and cheating?

Here's your answer:

i find myself loving those when they come to videogame

[magus]

i don't care about how stupid and contrived you get as long as you surprise me

so i guess a bit of both,and great rumbler isn't your book kindle only? i was thinking about a book i could find on a library or something like that

[Cerveza mas fina]

Why the sudden interest in books?

I would recommend:

Il deserto dei Tartari / The Tartar Steppe

It's an italian book so bound to be in your library, it's nothing like you described, but I really like it. It's pretty bleak. Apperently it was 29th on the 100th greatest books of the century by Le Monde.

The plot of the novel is Drogo's lifelong wait for a great war in which his life and the existence of the fort can prove its usefulness. The human need for giving life meaning and the soldier's desire for glory are themes in the novel. Drogo is posted to the remote outpost overlooking a desolate Tartar desert; he spends his career waiting for the barbarian horde rumored to live beyond the desert.

Don't read anything more on Wikipedia, there are spoilers.

I thought about posting that, but I think it's more fair to say "imagine books written by a fat middle-aged pedophile".

The reason why I put down Game of Thrones down around page 100 and never came back.

[Eric P]

i don't care about how stupid and contrived you get as long as you surprise me

so i guess a bit of both,and great rumbler isn't your book kindle only? i was thinking about a book i could find on a library or something like that

Try some Fredric Brown.  I'd suggest in order:

The Far Cry
Comes a Candle
The Screaming Mimi.

They're all older, but hopefully they'll be at your library.

[Cormacaroni]

i don't usualy read books,but if i wanted to pick one,do you guys have any good mysteries/murder mysteries you would recomend? the kind that would feature a very distinguished mentally-challenged plot twist? i find myself loving those when they come to videogame and i wouldn't mind trying to expand this to books

or alternatively something funny,a nice comedy

This is completely distinguished mentally-challenged but very amusing nonetheless. Insane twists and wacky situations ahoy

[Eric P]

Surprised you didn't suggest the Harry Hole series of books he did. 

It's more in line with The Bore.

[Cerveza mas fina]

i don't usualy read books,but if i wanted to pick one,do you guys have any good mysteries/murder mysteries you would recomend? the kind that would feature a very distinguished mentally-challenged plot twist? i find myself loving those when they come to videogame and i wouldn't mind trying to expand this to books

or alternatively something funny,a nice comedy

This is completely distinguished mentally-challenged but very amusing nonetheless. Insane twists and wacky situations ahoy
(Image removed from quote.)

I just saw the movie. Hmm. Maybe the book is less insane.

[Madrun Badrun]

The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference, the new standard is so sexy

[Great Rumbler]

and great rumbler isn't your book kindle only? i was thinking about a book i could find on a library or something like that

There is another site where you can get a version of the book for just about any other digital device [.epub, PDF, ect.]:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/127529

And you actually can pick it up in paperback, though that obviously costs a bit more:

https://www.createspace.com/3784375

[MrAngryFace]

God dammmnnn this dude knows how to write space marine shit

[Big Barry Jazz]

Here you go, MAF. Looks like some poor, defenseless eldar are going to get their asses handed to them by some Primarchs in some upcoming book.

Some of the BL books sure do get some nice cover art .

Thought I'd try some classic sci-fi books so I started with Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. I was expecting great things but instead found it interminably dull. I think I would have appreciated it more if I'd been able to read it nearer to the time it was written but it occasional felt like I was reading an encyclopaedia. I was going to move on to A Journey to the Center of the Earth but I don't know if I can be bothered now.

[Eric P]

I'm currently reading a Harry Crews omnibus.  He was a southern writer who came from dirt farmer stock and became a fairly prolific essayist / novelist.  I haven't read anything by him in forever, so when he died a little while ago, I thought I'd seek some of it out again and become reacquainted.  The book I'm currently reading is A Childhood: The Biography of a Place which is about his youth and the area in which he grew up.  Violent, dark and nasty.  His father had a rough and tumble life.  The book is full of stories which aren't really unfamiliar to anyone who grew up in rural or Southern America.  However like the best writers working in this tradition, he's able to inject some much needed (often wry and ironic) humor into his tales.  Highly recommended. 

[MrAngryFace]

awesomme

[fistfulofmetal]

Just finished The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest.

The whole story is told in a very matter of fact way. It doesn't hide a lot of information to create a ton of plot twists for the most part. The few twist have impact.

I really appreciated the restraint when it comes to Lisbeth. The story could have really turned her into an ass kicking chick who's constantly beating dudes up, hacking computers, andjust generally being a badass. While they are a few instances of this to make the story interesting, for the most part she's portrayed as being kind of a bad person who doesn't think if others, is pretty childish, and is generally a dick. Her growth as a character is a long process that feels natural.

Overall the plot shows a lot of restraint as well. The way out opens up in book two, it could have really gotten out of hand but it takes things slowly and hand off most of the leg work to fishing out the cops and Blomkvist.

I'm really hoping Fincher end up making the two sequels.

[Eric P]

just wrapped this amazing piece of southern noir.  it was GREAT.  i read it in one day, in one sitting.



I have gone back to this, reading about 80 pages in my first day back.  This book is weird and goes places I did not expect.  The first 50 pages or so are pretty bog standard, but then it soon picks up and starts rewiring your brain's neural paths.  so far, so good.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

The Kindle version.  I've pimped this book before in the past and I'll pimp it again: this is an amazing book that should be considered required reading whenever some Portland effete handflapper frets about flyover country.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

(Image removed from quote.)

100 pages in and it's already depressing me.

Just got the kindle version of this as well.

I finally got around to finishing this book and to be honest, I found it to be a slog.  In a world where there are tons of Nickel and Dimed and Fast Food Nation type books out there, this one kind of fell short with me.  I don't think there's anything against it but having read a lot of these types of books before, it just kind of had a numbing effect.  Except for the surprise twist ending, but not in a good way.

I recommend it only if someone is relatively unfamiliar with these types of books.

Will end up getting Liminal States next because I feel compelled to read any Zack Parsons book.

[Eric P]

Every nation was kind of jerks during ww2.

[CajoleJuice]

You love books about food.

[Eric P]

food policy and history is now fascinating to me.

i will burn out and soon be reading about straight male ballerinas.

[Shadow Mod]

Just finished Sex at Dawn. Now I'm reading Sex and Punishment.

[MrAngryFace]

Just a bit in- great so far.

[chronovore]

John Shirley doesn't get enough credit. In general.

[Eric P]

seriously.