Atlas Shrugged, again.

 

Ironically, it was one of the boards here that triggered it.  Someone made a disparaging reference to a plant locating somewhere known for being business friendly instead of somewhere adjoining that "needed" it more.  It reminded me that I hadn't read it lately.

First books of fantasy and sci-fi series often end up being hard to read for one reason or another.  Which reminds me I need to get back to reading Malazan (series) sometime.  There is a brutal first book if there ever was one.

 

I hear that. I was practically falling asleep reading Dresden Files 1. Not a hard read at all, just incredibly boring. After the first few books, however, I was starting to burn through them in no time at all.

 

I really want to read the Ender's Game and Discworld sagas. I've got all of them on my kindle, just waiting to get started, though I've heard they both have pretty slow starts.

First books of fantasy and sci-fi series often end up being hard to read for one reason or another.  Which reminds me I need to get back to reading Malazan (series) sometime.  There is a brutal first book if there ever was one.

 

I hear that. I was practically falling asleep reading Dresden Files 1. Not a hard read at all, just incredibly boring. After the first few books, however, I was starting to burn through them in no time at all.

 

I really want to read the Ender's Game and Discworld sagas. I've got all of them on my kindle, just waiting to get started, though I've heard they both have pretty slow starts.

 

I don't think I'd call "Ender's Game" a slow start.

I agree Ender's Game (the first book of the series) is not really slow it's just completely different from the 3 books that follow it.  It doesn't suffer from the world building problems many first books have because it wasn't written to be a series but a magazine short story.  I'd argue that the weakest parts of the series are actually the 4th book and then books 6-8 (Ender's Shadow series).  The former because of a character focus change and then the latter because it's a "Great Game" story, which can really lose people's interest.

 

Added bonus, they're making an Ender's Game/Ender's Shadow movie.  What's the point of reading if not to be all snooty about it when they go make a movie about it right?  :wink:

 

 

I finished Gunslinger, I'm going to put the Dark Tower on hold while I pursue some other stuff. 

 

I read the first book and I'm about 20% through the second book of The Kingkiller Chronicle. It's a really fun series as long as you don't get ornery over an exceptional protagonist.  The author, Patrick Rothfuss is a really cool dude and I got to watch him do a Hangout the other day with Trey Ratcliff.  http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2012/02/09/patrick-rothfuss/

 

I read Ender in Exile.  So I'm in the home stretch with only one novel and a half dozen or so short stories to go as far as what has been published so far.

 

I'm going to start reading The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson soon.  It's the first and so far only book of The Stormlight Archive.  I'm just sick of meeting up with my buddies and inevitably being asked if I've read it yet.

 

Veronica Belmont one of the people that runs Sword and Laser the SciFi/Fantasy bookclub/podcast I follow is teaming up with some other internet famous ladies: Felicia Day (gaming/new media) Bonnie Burton (Star Wars crafts), Kiala Kazebee (Nerdist); to start a monthly vaginal fantasy bookclub/Hangout.  Basically that means bodice rippers.  I read the first book and I'll be starting the second book soon.  Not for everyone but the first two books have cost me a total of $7 (ebooks) and the podcast on top of that is a great value add for me.  It's also good to get more female protagonists in my reading.  http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/62938.Vaginal_Fantasy_Hangout

 

I told myself this week that I'm going to pick back up Malazan: Book of the Fallen series again but I've been saying that for 2-3 months.

So, since I can't watch the most recent season of Game of Thrones, I'm about to start reading the series. I figure I can read them all before Season 2 comes out on DVD. Plus it will give me something to do until the last WOT book comes out...hopefully around August.

 

Last March I decided to re-read that series (I dropped off after the 5th book years ago), so over the last year I read all 13 of the series. Didn't even realize that the last book wasn't complete until I went to buy it back in January. Grrr....it's only taken 22 years and 2 authors to get through this series. I can't even tell if it was worth it anymore.

Pat Buchanan's Suicide of a Superpower

basically 400+ pages of "white Christians need to pray & screw more". Dunno why he didn't have the type set in all caps.

&

Eric Voeglin's 1952 The New Science of Politics

Gotta look up words in English, Greek & Latin several times per page - yeesh

Picked up a beginners Latin book, too but it's not getting much attention yet.

As far as Atlas Shrugged goes

I'm with Billy

"Taming Your Spirited Child." Yeah, that's why.

Finishing up the steve jobs book

I am rereading The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven.  I haven't read it in 20+ years.

 

I recall thinking it a good story way back when ant it is still good.

 

Now I notice similarities between it and the Antares Trilogy by Michael McCollum.

 

A lot of people who say they like science fiction do not like science in their science fiction.  Both of these tales are called Hard SF.  I don't think much of The Hunger Games.

 

The Vorkosigan series is better for people who want really good characterization but her science is acceptable also.

 

psik

Proofs of the Real Existence, and Dangerous Tendency, of Illuminism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just finished Cell and the 11?/63 (time traveler tries to stop oswald). Cell was terrible, just terrible; the kennedy book pretty good.

Proofs of the Real Existence, and Dangerous Tendency, of Illuminism.

Thoughts?

Im not that far into it but I'll get back to you on that for sure. Stuff written in the 1700s are extroardinarily hard to read; the writing style is different and in print, the lower case "f" and "s" are practically identical so I basically have to decipher prose then read it. It's pretty annoying but an interesting read if you want to get at the very root of the Illuminati's historic intention to overthrow religion and government.

Stuff written in the 1700s are extroardinarily hard to read; the writing style is different

no pooh - gave up on The Federalist Papers & books by DeSade & Burke. The repetition and flowery crap are just nuts. SPIT IT OUT. If I had been an 18th century editor there would be so many more trees nowadays.....

Stuff written in the 1700s are extroardinarily hard to read; the writing style is different

The repetition and flowery crap are just nuts. SPIT IT OUT. If I had been an 18th century editor there would be so many more trees nowadays.....

 

LMAO. So true. I remember a few of my old teachers contending that we're not as articulate as we once were. If you actually read old documents, you'll realize the way we write now is just much more economical/efficient. Instead of reading all that "repeptition and flowery bullsh!t", we can spend our time getting a steady stream of facts without our brain wandering off.

^likewise for the music of that period, you know, like Bach, Mozart 'n all that other culturally irrelevant sh_t..like, who needs it?? :wave:

Im reading a bunch of bike stuff....

 

"Urban Bikers' Tricks & Tips:  " is pretty good (illustrated)

 

Big Book of Bicycling seems a bit more macho-sport oriented but some good stuff in there on exercise and nutrition..not really just for bikers

 

...from the zine world, On Bicycles: 50 Ways The New Bike Culture Can Change Your Life, which is more a collection of short essays.  This is a good bus book...a book to read on the bus.

 

Finally, Pedal Power is sort of interesting...more the political side of things. 

 

 

 

...and some Chicago stuff. ...this old multi-volume history from the 1930s.  Read that it was good and it is good...better than I expected....

 

Take a guess:

 

"They danced down the streets like dingledodies, and I shambled after as usual, as I've been doing my whole life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn...like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!"

 

Jack Kerouac never edited the words or sentences in his book? Just wrote on... Wow.

 

 

 

You know, my generation was basically made to believe that the 1950s were like an episode of Leave it to Beaver. They lied! The 1950's were F-CKED UP!

You know, my generation was basically made to believe that the 1950s were like an episode of Leave it to Beaver. They lied! The 1950's were F-CKED UP!

 

Are the two mutually exclusive?  I thought LitB was creepy.

 

Also, name a decade of the 20th century that *wasn't* F'ed up.  The 1990s?  Maybe?

.

Also, name a decade of the 20th century that *wasn't* F'ed up.  The 1990s?  Maybe?

 

I'm guessing somewhere in the vicinity of....NONE.

 

 

...But next time I hear and old-timer start a sentence with, "In my day..." I'm going to interject with,  "Oh, in your day, meaning Kerouac, Sex, Drugs and Jazz!? Please continue..."

Alfred Wainwright,  Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, Eastern Fells, and Erwin Raisz, Principles of Cartography.

 

I'm reading these because Im thinking of taking up mapping (doing hand-drawn maps) of my travels as a little hobby, to send to friends.  Wainwright has some nice maps and lettering for walks, and Raisz did those wonderful landform maps.  So Im trying to learn from them.

 

For more serious reading, there is this great hefty Rizzoli pub:  When Art Worked, The New Deal, Art, and Democracy

 

..the book also treats the Federal Writers Project and the theatre project, too...not only the visual arts.  But it goes in depth, touching on HABS as well as the famous murals.  This book was a good find...

I just bought 50 shades of Grey.

...But next time I hear and old-timer start a sentence with, "In my day..." I'm going to interject with,  "Oh, in your day, meaning Kerouac, Sex, Drugs and Jazz!? Please continue..."

 

You might get a kick out of going back and listening to popular 50s music and question what they're really talking about.  In high school I had a job where it was Golden Oldies all day, and one day I really paid attention to what they said and the implications of it.  It was a fun day of ripping on my middle aged coworkers for listening to such filth.

 

~~~

 

I'm reading Stormlight Archive: The Way of Kings.

About halfway through 'Chamber of Secrets' with my 5 year old.  This is our thing now at bedtime.  We read the 1st book and then watched that movie.  He loved both so we moved on to the second book.  I will let him watch that movie too.  Not so sure I will let him watch the 3rd movie when/if we get there...... although I will say that nothing seems to scare that kid.

I just bought 50 shades of Grey.

 

You are such a follower

I'll stick with Anaïs Nin

 

 

Recently finished The Historian. Awesome piece of historical fiction. Took me a while to read it because I had to keep going to other sources in order to fully grasp the history that was being referenced (I was a major slacker in school)

 

Now I am reading No Country for Old Men. I took me a bit to get used to his writing style and lack of punctuation (hello Twain), but I am enjoying it.

 

 

I just bought 50 shades of Grey.

 

You are such a follower

I'll stick with Anaïs Nin

 

 

Recently finished The Historian. Awesome piece of historical fiction. Took me a while to read it because I had to keep going to other sources in order to fully grasp the history that was being referenced (I was a major slacker in school)

 

Now I am reading No Country for Old Men. I took me a bit to get used to his writing style and lack of punctuation (hello Twain), but I am enjoying it.

 

 

 

I had no idea you read 50 shades of grey.  10 people, that report to me in various offices, are on the 2nd or 3rd book and they all say its "very descriptive" and "scandalous".  I love books, tv shows and movies like this!!

^My wife is tearing through the 50 Shades books, she was shocked when she first started reading them. Of course I had to explain the the difference between being submission and S&M to her. Sometimes her naivety is rather charming.

^My wife is tearing through the 50 Shades books, she was shocked when she first started reading them. Of course I had to explain the the difference between being submission and S&M to her. Sometimes her naivety is rather charming.

 

You had to explain or demonstrate?! 

^only explain..... pain isn't really her thing....

 

On topic. I am reading "Quicksilver" by Neil Stephenson, which is sort of a weird book and I am not sure where it's going.  Also started the "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" book that the first season of the TV show was based on.

 

 

 

^My wife is tearing through the 50 Shades books, she was shocked when she first started reading them. Of course I had to explain the the difference between being submission and S&M to her. Sometimes her naivety is rather charming.

 

You had to explain or demonstrate?! 

 

 

You and your wife should read this together: "Screw the Roses, Send Me the Thorns: The Romance and Sexual Sorcery of Sadomasochism"

 

http://www.amazon.com/Screw-Roses-Send-Thorns-Sadomasochism/dp/0964596008

 

It's actually a really good read

^My wife is tearing through the 50 Shades books, she was shocked when she first started reading them. Of course I had to explain the the difference between being submission and S&M to her. Sometimes her naivety is rather charming.

 

You had to explain or demonstrate?! 

 

 

You and your wife should read this together: "Screw the Roses, Send Me the Thorns: The Romance and Sexual Sorcery of Sadomasochism"

 

http://www.amazon.com/Screw-Roses-Send-Thorns-Sadomasochism/dp/0964596008

 

It's actually a really good read

 

WIFE??

 

 

  So now you're turning me into a lesbian??

^umm. I think that was directed at me...ya'know it's not all about you.....

 

Musky, I IM'd her that link. Let's see if she buys it. She is setup for one click shopping on Amazon, I say it's about a 75% chance...

 

^umm. I think that was directed at me...ya'know it's not all about you.....

 

LOL  It's isn't??  I guess I'll change my sur name to Guidice! HA!

what? mts reads more than blurbs? i dont believe it lol!

I just finished reading In the Garden of Beasts, by Erik Larson. Like other books by Larson that I've read, the story is factual and built around historical events, in this case the rapid growth of Nazi power in Germany in the years leading up to WWII as witnessed by William Dodd and his family.

 

Dodd was appointed by President Roosevelt as ambassador to Germany in 1933 and went to live in Berlin with his wife and son and daughter. Daughter Martha became swept up in the glitter and glamor of Berlin social life and became involved with various influential Germans, and she was slow to believe accounts of the persecution and brutality against Jews and others that went on out of public view.

 

Larson's narrative makes clear the motives that prevented the US and major European powers from stopping Hitler when he could have been stopped easily, and delves into the conniving among high-level people in American foreign service who sought to discredit and undermine Dodd, an unassuming, frugal history scholar whom they regarded as not a worthy member of their "pretty good club" of wealthy, influential, high-living gentlemen.

 

Larson tells a readable and engaging story while remaining faithful to historical accuracy, and the copious chapter notes at the end of the book testify to his exhaustive research. He brings a personal element to his narrative in his use of quotes from correspondence, journals, and where possible, interviews or transcriptions of interviews with the participants in events of the time.

Re-reading "Armchair Economist".  Very easy read, actually entertaining.  Funny stuff about how a group of lab rats & pigeons were taught the value of "work" and wages to perform tasks for a reward of food or rootbeer.  Another instance of how car accidents actually increased after seatbelts became mandatory along with padded dash boards, etc.  Bottom line, people respond to incentives.

I just bought 50 shades of Grey.

Now I am reading No Country for Old Men. I took me a bit to get used to his writing style and lack of punctuation (hello Twain), but I am enjoying it.

Cormac McCarthy rules

Are the 50 Shades books anything like the Anne Rice/A. N. Roquelaure books?

starting Elements of Semiology

Haha. Musky she order it and it arrived today. She called it my book.

^ if you like that blood meridian is his best. its just relentless. even tho its popular you can skip the road. its eh imo.

 

@CBC Awesome!

what? mts reads more than blurbs? i dont believe it lol!

 

Reading 'Sag Harbor' about this man reminiscing about this one summer in Sag Harbor, NY in the Hamptons. A Manhattan African AMerican Family that is Cosbyesque and has a beach home out on Long Island.

Rereading Kingdom Come. If DC made a direct adaptation, even animated, it would be huge!

^Loved that line in Kingdom Come - when Wonder Woman kisses Superman goodbye - the writer describes it as diamonds scraping against steel.....

:-)

Guy who got me into Cormac McCarthy was Garth Ennis, who wrote Preacher for DC or Vertigo  or somebody. That series had some good poo.

Hitman and The Boys are fantastic too

I read Hitman

Ennis did a one shot about life in Ireland that was really good - bittersweet. forget the name, tho.

Ennis writes some great stuff in general - Hellblazer, Unknown Soldier, the Kevin saga in the Authority (far and away my favorite series) - but what happened to Mark Millar? Nemesis and Superior....were so lame.

 

Also, Alan Moore's work on Supreme defies description. I mean, how to you even explain what he did with that series. Talk about making a mediocre series into something truly unique.

 

And then there is Neonomicon. Try to explain that one to your 18 year old nephew. I still dont know what to think.