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Quote (Dragon_Fire @ 20th November 2008 05:45)

Quote (BlitzSage @ 19th November 2008 18:43)

Quote (Clock Doc @ 9th November 2008 02:02)

On The Road- Jack Kerouac
Islands In The Stream- Ernest Hemingway
The Picture of Dorian Grey- Oscar Wilde

gotta love Hemingway.

hey, has anybody read Alice in Wonderland? is it good? i was thinking bout traking it down and reading it, but i kinda wanted someone's opinion.

The original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and it's sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There were two of my three favorite pieces as a boy and still have a huge place in my heart today, seconded only to Barrie's original Peter Pan works.

If you've only the more "Disney'd" version to go by, it's worth checking out just to see how much more different and truly twisted it is. Lewis Carroll was a spectacular writer.

thanks. i think i will try to find it.

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Praise Be To Helix!

I just started Anthem by Ayn Rand, once again as a read-on-your-own book for my advanced english class. I'm only about 25 pages in (which is, interestingly, about 1/4 of the book) but it's pretty interesting. I find dystopia novels to be intriguing though, so I admit to a bias.

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Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

Quote (Death Penalty @ 23rd November 2008 21:31)

I just started Anthem by Ayn Rand, once again as a read-on-your-own book for my advanced english class. I'm only about 25 pages in (which is, interestingly, about 1/4 of the book) but it's pretty interesting. I find dystopia novels to be intriguing though, so I admit to a bias.

oh, i read that last year. its really good. dont want to spoil it though. LOL.

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Praise Be To Helix!

I'm coming to find my local library is poor about completing series, usually only having one or two of an impertinent series that interests me. But what I find works on well is that most authors know how to make each title a next step in the series as well as its own novel. So the ability to start reading, say, at book number 2 in the series, is evident where you can pick up what's going on swiftly.

Such is the case of my newest rental, Fire and Sword, which is the second book in Simon Brown's Keys of Power series. A fine story, and makes me hope the library has another book within the series so I can continue.

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"When I turn the page
The corner bends into the perfect dog ear
As if the words knew I'd need them again
But at the time, I didn't see it."

~"This Ain't a Surfin' Movie" - Minus the Bear

Streetcar Named Desire.

I'm playing Stanley in our drama class. I absolutely love this play.

I'm reading Fight Club by Chuck Palanhiuk, (sorry if I spelt his last name wrong..)
Its a really amazing book, amazing movie, but a really amazing book =)

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*Sigh*....Times are tough

Quote (ktk3 @ 25th November 2008 04:13)

I'm reading Fight Club by Chuck Palanhiuk, (sorry if I spelt his last name wrong..)
Its a really amazing book, amazing movie, but a really amazing book =)

That novel was and probably still is one of the most significant reads I've ever actually read. To this day, I still often think of the characters. Tyler Durden has, in many respects, become a cultural icon due to the film and Brad Pitt's portrayl of him. He's so much more, though!

I know this has been fanboyed for over a decade now (which makes me feel sort of old, was 1998-99 really that long ago?) but it really is amazing.

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Okay, but there was a goat!

It's really clever that book. I must say, though, the film manages to retain a lot of what made the book so good. The Norton/Pitt combo works very well. I read that Edward Norton lost a lot of weight and stayed away from sunlight to make his character a stark contrast to Durden. Good job.

I've not read anything else by Chuck P. Any recommendations? I've seen an advert for "Choke" in the cinema which he apparently wrote.

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Scepticism, that dry rot of the intellect, had not left one entire idea in his mind.

Me on the Starcraft.

Quote

I've not read anything else by Chuck P. Any recommendations? I've seen an advert for "Choke" in the cinema which he apparently wrote.

Though some consider it a lesser work; I am quite fond of "Invisible Monsters". It is the most ****ed up buddy, road trip tale ever. Transvestites, drugs, mistaken identity and infomercials- so, basically, all of the things that make a story worthwhile.

"Choke" is also excellent. The only Chuck Palahniuk novel that I didn't take to really, was "Survivor".



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"You broke my f***ing sitar, mother f***er."
-Anton A. Newcombe

"Yet another 'use your sword to magically deliver death from above' character comes in somewhere between the Living Cabbage and Milkmaid character options." -red_beard_neo

SInce it took me about a day to read Anthem (I see we have a new member- FountainheadShrugged. Nice one ), I'm moving onto Gilgamesh. No good reasoning for it, I just happened to come across an old box of books that belonged to my dad during his college days. That shouldn't take too long either... I have no idea what I'll read after that.

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Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

I admit, I've fallen into the Twilght series like so many others. I'm gonna pick up a copy later today to read over break.

An amazing novel I just finished for the second time is Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. If you've seen the movie, which is pretty damn good, then you'll love the book. It's violent, especially for being about 9th grade students. Sorta like Lord of the Flies, but way better IMO. =)

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"The answer is, of course, that it would be best to be both loved and feared. But since the two rarely come together, anyone compelled to choose will find greater security in being feared than in being loved."
- Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

Quote (sweetdude @ 25th November 2008 12:36)

It's really clever that book. I must say, though, the film manages to retain a lot of what made the book so good. The Norton/Pitt combo works very well. I read that Edward Norton lost a lot of weight and stayed away from sunlight to make his character a stark contrast to Durden. Good job.

I've not read anything else by Chuck P. Any recommendations? I've seen an advert for "Choke" in the cinema which he apparently wrote.

Invisible monsters....thats just straight disturbing....I couldnt make it through the second time around

Necromancy simply because I'm happy that I finally have the entire Harry Potter series - I read them at first from the library, and only owned the final book in the series. No longer, as I got a box with the first six from my wife for Christmas.

Other than that, I'm enjoying my new subscription to Wired and my continuing sub to Popular Photography. I like my reading in small doses these days.

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"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

I'm currently reading a lot of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. It's always been my favorite genre, but I'm also currently writing a novel in that genre as well, so I'm trying to inundate myself with other writers. Write what you know, and all that.

I'm currently making my way through Brisingr, the third book of the Inheritance Trilogy. It deals with the return of the Dragon Riders in an overrun and evil empire. Most people probably know it by the first book in the series, Eragon, which was made into a movie that I heard was pretty bad, though I really enjoyed the book. I also enjoyed its sequel, Eldest, and I'm really enjoying Brisingr too. I think it's a good story that has really developed well as the author has grown older.

Christopher Paolini gets a lot of criticism for recycling a lot of Sci-Fi/Fantasy cliches, which I think is true to some extent but also a bit unwarranted. I mean, it's my favorite genre but it's also one of the most formulaic around. Anyone who thinks that Star Wars or Lord of the Rings was completely original should read Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. In fact, any fan of Sci-fi/Fantasy should read that book to see how ancient all these plots and motifs are. That's a long-winded way of saying that I like Paolini and his books despite some of the cliches. Plus, the kid was a NY Times best-selling author at age 19 so you gotta give him some credit. I'm nearly ten years old than that and wish I could say the same.

With school starting up again for me this week, a massive reading list has been plopped down on my lap. At the moment, I'm rereading Shakespeare's King Lear, Spencer's The Faerie Queene, Machiavelli's The Prince and Batman: Year One. (Yes, that is actually for a class.)

For my own pleasure, I'm currently reading the series that inspired HBO's True Blood. At the moment, I'm still on the first novel, Dead Until Dark, but I plan on going through all 9 currently in the series.

It's long and sometimes painful, but I've been considering rereading the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Don't get me wrong, I love those books to death and they remain some of the only fantasy pieces that I can stomach (let alone love like I do!) but Tolkien sometimes gave us too many details.


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Okay, but there was a goat!

My books of choice at the moment are Dragon Society by Lawrence Watt-Evans. I literally just began it today, but it already has my attention, which few books can really claim nowadays. It tells the tale of a man who had his village destroyed by nefarious dragons while he was young, and his lust for vengeance.

I've also received the latest from R.A. Salvatore, The Pirate King (which is actually a sequel to his brilliant piece The Orc King). Drizzt, a dark elf, fresh off his encounter, takes to the high seas in this one.


Jay, big ups on King Lear, school mandated though it may be. Lear is by FAR my favorite work of Shakespeare. You may have inspired me to re read it myself. If anyone else enjoyed the book, Akira Kurosawa made a great rendition of it on film (which I still believe is the best book to movie transition) called "Ran". Granted a few facts were swapped (i.e.: he has sons, not daughters. It's set in ancient Japan, etc.), but it's still a work of genius.

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"When I turn the page
The corner bends into the perfect dog ear
As if the words knew I'd need them again
But at the time, I didn't see it."

~"This Ain't a Surfin' Movie" - Minus the Bear

THE HOBBIT. finally. I got it or Christmas. I am really looking forward to it. It's not the fancy green version that costs quite a bit. But I didn't want hat version because all of my books tend to get bent and otherwise roughed up. I hope it is as good as LotR. I am a huge Tolkien fan, as well of any other authors who create mythopoeia.

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Praise Be To Helix!

Just finished Barry Goldwater's Conscience of a Conservative. It was great, and, while written almost 50 years ago, it has much practical application. Anyone who was interested in Ron Paul or pays any attention to what Pat Buchanan should check it out.

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Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

I've been on a political kick lately. I just read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, and am currently reading god is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens. I still haven't finished the Harry Potter series. I keep intending to get a copy of the last book, but things keep coming up that I have to use the money for. Also, for those who are into medieval settings, I read a book Series called The Belgariad and a continuing series called The Mallorean by David Eddings years ago, and it has been my favorite ever since. I'd probably rather read than watch TV or movies to be honest. Too bad, with so much college these days the only reading I get in is text book reading..

This post has been edited by Sephiroth on 9th January 2009 18:40

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Climhazzard is the timeless evil robot who runs some of the cool stuff at CoN (mostly logging chat, since there are no quizzes at the moment), all the while watching and waiting for his moment to take over the world. -Tiddles

I'm back in school and swamped with four English classes. Stupid English major. What was I thinking?

I've got the following to read for school:

Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Emma by Jane Austen
Much Ado about Nothing by The Bard
[various Native American creation myths]



Things I've recently read for fun:

The Catcher in the Rye
The Prisoner's Dilemma
Anna Karenina

Just started reading the Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice (Please dont kill me if I got the author wrong, Im fairly certain it's Anne Rice but I tend to get these things wrong) which is damn good XD My sister borrowed a whole stack of her books from a friend and I'm really looking forward to reading them all considering that Interview with a Vampire is one of my favourite movies ever =]

Also, although I hate to admit it, just finished reading Twilight, I suppose its not as terrible as I thought it would be. Still dont understand all the obsession though. But its alright =]

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*Sigh*....Times are tough

Quote (Kane @ 9th January 2009 21:11)

The Catcher in the Rye

My brother just bought that, but as I said earlier, I frequently mess up books. Plus, he's a neat-freak, so I'll have to find another copy to read.

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Praise Be To Helix!

I'm currently reading The House of the Dead by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I'm about half way through, and hoping it gets better. Perhaps Dostoyevsky interested me more when I was younger, or perhaps I exhausted the better books early.

Quote (Sabin @ 7th January 2009 13:21)

I've also received the latest from R.A. Salvatore, The Pirate King (which is actually a sequel to his brilliant piece The Orc King). Drizzt, a dark elf, fresh off his encounter, takes to the high seas in this one.

I really like the Drizzt books. Besides being great fantasy adventure stories, I also love the way that Salvatore turns the conventional race relations of the fantasy genre on its head. He does it in two ways, really. First, fantasy stories typically have clearly defined "good" races like elves and humans and "bad" races like orcs and goblins. By making a drow elf, an evil race in the Forgotten Realms settings, the hero of his stories he questions the assumptions about people being good or evil just by being born into a certain race. Second, it's also painfully obvious, especially in earlier stories by authors such as TH White and JRR Tolkien, that the bad races are typically the dark skined ones, i.e. in LoTR the elves are "fair skinned" and the orcs are "black." He focuses a lot on how Drizzt is distinguished from regular elves and identified as a drow by his dark skin, and how he has to overcome the prejudices typically associated with that. I think it's really awesome and unique how he deconstructs the typical racial assumptions of fantasy while telling a kick-ass story at the same time.

I picked up Finnegans Wake once. That was about all I did with it. Ulysses is still on my list of stuff to read too at this point. Joyce sort of knocks my socks off. I'm told Finnegans Wake has something to do with eternal reoccurrence, but, appropriately, I can't make heads or tails of it- pun somewhat intended. In the really long book department, I did however, manage to knock out War and Peace recently- which was really quite brilliant. Tolstoy is a friggin genius. Also just finished Nietzsche's Zarathustra- Really it's one of the most beautiful uses of language I've ever seen. His prose is markedly some of the best in the history of literature.

Still reading Anna Karenin for the last 6 months though. Just can't seem to make my way through it. I keep reading other books.

Right now though-

Rereading The Idiot by Dostoevsky. I'm actually almost done with his complete works. I just need to quit slacking. I'm definitely thinking about grabbing The Possessed later this month.



Dead Souls by Gogol- who's freaking HILARIOUS if you've never read him.

I'm also perusing about The Complete Stories of Kafka slowly- which I found in hardcover at a used book store for 5 dollars and was obligated.

I actually put all the serious stuff on hold for a bit recently to recouperate, and blew through The Silmarillion, by Tolkien, which was probably one of the best things I've ever read- nevermind how long I took to read it.

And also The Armageddon Rag by George RR Martin. It's a mystery novel that sort of makes commentary on the counterculture of the 60's. It's a long cry from Song of Fire and Ice, but still has it's fantasy charm with the band that's the main subject of the book being named "The Nazgul." I haven't gotten far, but it's pretty good.

My waiting list for books grows just about every day- and I want to check out that book Tommah mentioned. It cries reminiscent of Hesse's Glass Bead Game in the way it ties music in to it. (Say nothing of the content.) I may go and grab that one really soon.

And I agree with the above- Kant sucks.

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If you've been mod-o-fied,
It's an illusion, and you're in-between.
Don't you be tarot-fied,
It's just alot of nothing, so what can it mean?
~Frank Zappa

Sins exist only for people who are on the Way or approaching the Way

Quote (MogMaster @ 10th January 2009 14:38)

I'm also perusing about The Complete Stories of Kafka slowly- which I found in hardcover at a used book store for 5 dollars and was obligated.

Wasn't Kefka slightly influenced by him and his work?

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Praise Be To Helix!

Quote (BlitzSage @ 12th January 2009 18:12)

Quote (MogMaster @ 10th January 2009 14:38)

I'm also perusing about The Complete Stories of Kafka slowly- which I found in hardcover at a used book store for 5 dollars and was obligated.

Wasn't Kefka slightly influenced by him and his work?

Yes, Kefka was, as far as I know, inspired by Franz Kafka.

Currently I'm reading The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, book four. So Long and Thanks for all the Fish was the English title if I recall correctly.
I'm also reading the third book in the Magic (Or maybe it was Magyk? It's a series of books by Angie sage, anyway) series, the Alchemist.
I also recently (well, sometime at the end of 2008) finished The End, the last book in the series A series of unfortunate events about the Baudelaire siblings. I love the humour in those books, it's (IMO, at least) pretty similar to the one in the A Hithickers guide to the galaxy..

Quote (sweetdude @ 25th November 2008 12:36)

It's really clever that book. I must say, though, the film manages to retain a lot of what made the book so good. The Norton/Pitt combo works very well. I read that Edward Norton lost a lot of weight and stayed away from sunlight to make his character a stark contrast to Durden. Good job.

I've not read anything else by Chuck P. Any recommendations? I've seen an advert for "Choke" in the cinema which he apparently wrote.

Choke is a good Pahulinuk book, but IMO Invisible Monsters is by far his best work.

I just finished reading a couple financial books by Peter Bernstein. The first was The Price of Prosperity and the second being A Primier on Money, Banking and Gold. He's definately a Keynesian, which isn't quite up my alley, but the second one was informative at least.

I'm currently in the middle of The Language of God, which is an amazing book defending faith yet still embracing science. It's written by the leader of the human genome project, an athiest turned believer. Everything is well defended and objective: he sides with science when it's right, and he sides with religion when it's right.

I've just started into Milton Freidman's Capitalism and Freedom, which I'm pretty excited about, and once finals are over I plan on picking up a copy of Hayek's The Road to Serfdom.

So many things to read, so little time!

This post has been edited by Death Penalty on 21st January 2009 22:58

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Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!