What Are You Reading? 2021
03-07-21, 05:32 PM
#76
DVD Talk Legend
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
I'm sorry but I had to lay Foundation aside. It just seemed like it was going nowhere fast. Got to page 100 (eventually) and realized I'd lost the zest for reading. Put it aside and broke out The Great Book of Amber. Piqued my interest on page 1, hasn't let up...
03-08-21, 01:17 AM
#77
DVD Talk Legend
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Started:
03-08-21, 05:38 AM
#78
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
I finished this one yesterday. I enjoyed it well enough, but compared to his other releases under the Hard Case Crime label I’d call it way ahead of The Colorado Kid but way behind Joyland (which is a fave). It felt a bit paint by numbers compared to how he’s treated similar themes in the past. And there’s a revelation at the very end that came out of left field, was gross and completely unnecessary. It really detracted from my enjoyment to get hit in the face with
Spoiler:
03-10-21, 10:55 AM
#82
Formerly FunkDaddy J; DVD Talk Reviewer Emeritus
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
I finished this one yesterday. I enjoyed it well enough, but compared to his other releases under the Hard Case Crime label Id call it way ahead of The Colorado Kid but way behind Joyland (which is a fave). It felt a bit paint by numbers compared to how hes treated similar themes in the past.
Spoiler:
03-11-21, 07:18 PM
#83
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Id like to see him do a few more books with character, but aged up a bit. Theres a LOT of potential there. Hes more interesting than Holly, thats for sure! Of course as I wrote that I realized hed inevitably cross-over the characters.
03-12-21, 09:58 AM
#84
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Read:
I remember the beginning, hearing Cobain's angst and power in "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from another dorm room before Nirvana went big and I remember the end, MTV reporting Cobain's death and a televised vigil with Courtney Love reading his suicide note.
"No one is afraid of heights, they're afraid of falling down. No one is afraid of saying I love you, they're afraid of the answer."
- Kurt Cobain
I remember the beginning, hearing Cobain's angst and power in "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from another dorm room before Nirvana went big and I remember the end, MTV reporting Cobain's death and a televised vigil with Courtney Love reading his suicide note.
"No one is afraid of heights, they're afraid of falling down. No one is afraid of saying I love you, they're afraid of the answer."
- Kurt Cobain
03-12-21, 03:02 PM
#85
DVD Talk Legend
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Because of a review I read somewhere, I read this:
Not anything I'd recommend. The writing style was choppy, which I thought I'd get used to and never did. All of the characters became irritating as the book went on; not so much due to their being irritating, but the way the author wrote. Almost every sentence uttered was followed by a digression that was meant to give the character depth (I assume). The story was somewhat interesting, building into a mystery of what had happened in the world, but with an ending that was ultimately VERY unsatisfying by not explaining anything! A waste of time. Thumbs down. Blah.
I followed that with this:
And my faith in good storytelling has been restored! I didn't realize going in that this was a "young adults" book. Oh well, it still entertained!
Not anything I'd recommend. The writing style was choppy, which I thought I'd get used to and never did. All of the characters became irritating as the book went on; not so much due to their being irritating, but the way the author wrote. Almost every sentence uttered was followed by a digression that was meant to give the character depth (I assume). The story was somewhat interesting, building into a mystery of what had happened in the world, but with an ending that was ultimately VERY unsatisfying by not explaining anything! A waste of time. Thumbs down. Blah.
I followed that with this:
And my faith in good storytelling has been restored! I didn't realize going in that this was a "young adults" book. Oh well, it still entertained!
03-12-21, 06:17 PM
#86
DVD Talk Legend
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Finished:
03-14-21, 02:03 PM
#87
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
03-15-21, 10:29 AM
#89
DVD Talk Hero
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Read The Dain Curse by Dashiell Hammett. I started watching the James Coburn miniseries on Tubi and got interested in re-reading the book instead. I had forgotten how nightmarish it is. I'm glad I read it again.
The following users liked this post:
PileOfFudge (04-15-21)
03-16-21, 11:15 AM
#90
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Read:
Two more books from my friend's house last summer. It was interesting reading Sagan's scientific perspective forty and twenty-five years ago and how much has transpired like future missions that are now in the past. Pale Blue Dot was more philosophical with Sagan acknowledging that there are other priorities to consider than 'humans getting to space' but a nice expansion on Cosmos with lots of photos.
Incorrect but thought-provoking nonetheless. 
I enjoy when authors use quotes to begin their chapters, either a real world quote or a quotes from their characters, story, etc. Sagan uses various quotes from antiquity and more recent to encapsulate his chapters.
Two more books from my friend's house last summer. It was interesting reading Sagan's scientific perspective forty and twenty-five years ago and how much has transpired like future missions that are now in the past. Pale Blue Dot was more philosophical with Sagan acknowledging that there are other priorities to consider than 'humans getting to space' but a nice expansion on Cosmos with lots of photos.
In the old Persian story, a vizier renowned for his wisdom is asked which is more useful, the Sun or the Moon. "The Moon," he answers, "because the Sun shines in daytime, when its light out anyway."
I enjoy when authors use quotes to begin their chapters, either a real world quote or a quotes from their characters, story, etc. Sagan uses various quotes from antiquity and more recent to encapsulate his chapters.
We do not ask for what useful purpose the birds do sing, for song is their pleasure since they were created for singing. Similarly, we ought not to ask why the human mind troubles to fathom the secrets of the heavens... The diversity of the phenomena of Nature is so great and the treasures hidden in the heavens so rich, precisely in order that the human mind shall never be lacking for fresh nourishment.
― Johannes Kepler
― Johannes Kepler
03-17-21, 11:47 AM
#94
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Read:
Another book from my friend's house last summer. Overall I enjoyed it but I found the Holden character annoying with Miller as the noirish detective much more engaging -- quite the contrast between their chapters. I know there are other books and a TV series so I may check those out in the future.
Another book from my friend's house last summer. Overall I enjoyed it but I found the Holden character annoying with Miller as the noirish detective much more engaging -- quite the contrast between their chapters. I know there are other books and a TV series so I may check those out in the future.
03-18-21, 02:55 PM
#96
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Just started:
It's the first of a trilogy so I may be at it for a while. So far so good. The setting is something different, for me at least ... a fantasy set in Napoleonic Egypt. I'm less than 50 pages in and the writing style seems easy to read, although there's a bit of historical and cultural terminology that I'm still getting a grasp on. And it seems to be fast-paced, with already an exorcism, a djinn battling a demon, flesh eating ghouls, and a flying carpet.
It's the first of a trilogy so I may be at it for a while. So far so good. The setting is something different, for me at least ... a fantasy set in Napoleonic Egypt. I'm less than 50 pages in and the writing style seems easy to read, although there's a bit of historical and cultural terminology that I'm still getting a grasp on. And it seems to be fast-paced, with already an exorcism, a djinn battling a demon, flesh eating ghouls, and a flying carpet.
Overall really like it. The Arabian fantasy setting felt fresh to me (especially since the tone was much more adult that something like Aladdin). There were a lot of moving pieces to the story, but I thought the author did a fine job juggling them and making everything come together in a satisfying way. The books are not stand-alone though ... you really need to read all three, and in order.
03-19-21, 10:21 AM
#98
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Finished
I ended up really liking this one. The first half bounces around between characters a bit and it took me a while to figure out where the story was headed. It wasnt difficult to read, quite the contrary, it just felt like there was no thread tying all the characters together. However, once it became apparent that everything was coming together, the back half of the book was very hard to put down. I was reading the book on random work breaks, so it may not seem so disjointed if read in bigger chunks than I did.
Started
I ended up really liking this one. The first half bounces around between characters a bit and it took me a while to figure out where the story was headed. It wasnt difficult to read, quite the contrary, it just felt like there was no thread tying all the characters together. However, once it became apparent that everything was coming together, the back half of the book was very hard to put down. I was reading the book on random work breaks, so it may not seem so disjointed if read in bigger chunks than I did.
Started
03-21-21, 12:15 PM
#99
DVD Talk Hero
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Finished Holding Wonder by Zenna Henderson. More of her gentle, optimistic science fiction -- mostly. In the mix is a little girl reporting to the teacher about the marital trouble between her parents and a 1960s New Wave SF story which I think was an experiment. The bulk of the book is short stories about basically decent people dealing with weird situations. This book has been out of print for a long time.
