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Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Finished:
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...b25f65f69.jpeg Sad to admit it took me this long to read this one. Loved it. How are the rest of the books in the series? |
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
^ I read the first four Hitchhiker books as they came out. At the time, I thought that the first one was the funniest.
Finished Davy by Edgar Pangborn. A few hundred years after World War III, a depopulated society has stabilized at a medieval level. The Holy Murican Church has banned prewar knowledge, suppresses technology, and enforces devout ignorance. Davy is a coming of age book, about how a ignorant and superstitious slave boy took the first steps to become the sophisticated man who is telling the story. The man also tells what he's doing in the present between his reminiscences. I almost gave up early in the book, because I got tired of reading about the young idiot. He got smarter, and I'm glad I stuck with it. I understand why the book had such a high reputation. Davy was an important science fiction book back in 1964. It was an early book that had sex scenes and used four-letter words that were only made legal in 1959. It had a nonlinear plot. It's a whole lot more mature than the leering and lecturing in Stranger in a Strange Land (1961). It was driven by character instead of technology, which made it the book that inspired Ursula K. LeGuin to write SF. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...28836faad4.png |
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Finished:
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...4199600686.png https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...fa3c860319.png https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...54f0bab31e.png All three books are relatively short (>300 pages) and Scalzi has an easy writing style, so this was a fast trilogy to get through. I can see a good argument to be made for this just being a single book, since there's a significant amount of recapping in the 2nd and 3rd books. I've enjoyed everything I've read from Scalzi (besides this, Redshirts, Old Man's War, Locked In, Fuzzy Nation) and this is consistent with the others: a fun breezy style, snarky humor, colorful characters, and plot twists. |
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Just finished:
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...f04f2f42ed.jpg While it's not the best-written book that I've ever read, and while the plot contrivances got awfully melodramatic and piled up rapidly in the book's final 100 pages, I liked it anyway. I particularly liked its quietly emotional ending. Up next: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...1fd2ee5f0d.jpg |
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Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Originally Posted by brainee
(Post 13934067)
Finished:
All three books are relatively short (>300 pages) and Scalzi has an easy writing style, so this was a fast trilogy to get through. I can see a good argument to be made for this just being a single book, since there's a significant amount of recapping in the 2nd and 3rd books. I've enjoyed everything I've read from Scalzi (besides this, Redshirts, Old Man's War, Locked In, Fuzzy Nation) and this is consistent with the others: a fun breezy style, snarky humor, colorful characters, and plot twists. |
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Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Finished:
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...5000aea429.jpg I was pleasantly surprised by how well-written this book was. Up next: https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...01a3db5ebf.jpg |
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Finished:
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...5bb0d20abb.png I grew up on these kinds of books, so this was a blast to go through. I read a number of the ones mentioned in this book, and still have a number of them. Although reading this makes me regret all the books that I had, but got lost over the years for various reasons (resold to used book stores, loaned to friends and never returned, thrown out by my parents, or just lost into the void during my various moves over the 35 years of my adult life). I remember in the 90s how used bookstores were just packed with this stuff ... but now if you want the original paperbacks you probably have to pay a fortune through specialty online dealers. To be fair, a lot of these were crap (outside of cool-looking covers). Watching a crap cheesy 80s horror movie is a low time investment, so I can get enjoyment out of them. But reading a crap cheesy horror novel takes hours (even though they tend to be short). And I wonder how well the books I loved as a kid would hold up today. This did have me go through my personal collection. Some of the things I remember buying for a couple of dollars is being charged hundreds of dollars for online :eek: Makes me sorry I didn't buy more stuff in the 90s when it was plentiful (and I lived in an area with tons of great used bookstores). Something I saw on my shelves that was mentioned in the book, and I have no memory of reading, was: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...9f7e17b77f.png So I had to read it now! :D Monteleone is a familiar name, both for his writing and editing. It's a little unclear going in exactly what sort of horror book this would be. It ended up being a little of everything, and ultimately Lovecraftian cosmic horror. NYC subways are a great setting. It was a fun read, if a little clunky and rushed at times, and above-average for the "Paperbacks from Hell" era. |
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Finished:
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...83dcf1fb41.jpg I'll admit to being a little disappointed in this book; while it's valuable because it's got a lot of first-person anecdotes by the author (who played Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre), it's also oddly-sequenced and spends the last couple of chapters going into the psychology of why we like horror films. It's okay, but I doubt that I'll find myself wanting to reread it. Up next: https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...b8bf558493.jpg |
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Reading a hodgepodge of stuff currently, alternating between true crime (my version of a beach read), a compilation of Herman Melville short stories, Annie Lowrey's "Give People Money", and Piketty's "Capital".
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Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
The Chinese Maze Murders by Robert Van Gulik. Sadly, I have no more Judge Dee mysteries to read. This was the last one. In this book, Judge Dee has to solve three murders as usual, but he also has to deal with other important civil matters, all of which keep him hopping. The author brings in a mid-twentieth century stock character depraved lesbian that didn't age well, but only for about ten pages and it's not critical to the main plots. I liked the book.
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Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Reread The Console Wars, the book about the battle between videogame giants Nintendo and Sega (although in the later chapters it obviously throws in a little bit of Sony and Microsoft, but the focus is the initial pioneers, Nintendo and Sega (and yes, Atari is obviously discussed as well, almost as an ominous omen of sorts). Really great read, and very breezy. It's pretty lengthy, but if you're a kid that grew up with those competing systems (Super Nintendo vs. Genesis) then you'll find it very enthralling. And I can't wait for the adaptations that are on the way. My understanding is that CBS All Access has produced a documentary based on the book, and then we still (hopefully) have the Seth Rogen produced miniseries adaptation to look forward to down the road. It's a little disappointing that we haven't really heard much regarding the project since it was announced quite some time ago, but hopefully it's still in the pipeline. Lots and lots of potential with that project, and it should be able to attract a great stable of actors/actresses...
Death of the Territories - A book largely about the history of the WWF/WWE and how Vince McMahon kind of shaped the wrestling industry in innovative but sometimes unscrupulous ways. Incredibly, the book probably could've been even longer and went into greater detail, but nevertheless it's still a very solid read, filled with very amusing anecdotes, many of which wouldn't even be known by die-hard wrestling fans (and don't count me among the "fans"; I enjoyed WWF wrestling to an extent when I was growing up, mainly the Bret Hart, Razor Ramon, Diesel, 123 Kid, Undertaker, Doink, Marty Jannety, Steiner Brothers, Shawn Michaels, etc. era...I tuned out pretty much as soon as the "Attitude Era" came to be, with all the raunchiness and just plain ludicrous "adult-themed" material that followed). The book is almost more of a "business book"...or a "business/sports book hybrid"...It's just interesting seeing how the WWE was built and exactly what corners had to be cut and what sacrifices had to be made along the way...A very entertaining read, for those looking for a great non-fiction book. Nitro is another good wrestling/business book that focuses on the WCW side of things, and how and why things went wrong for that company and just how they eventually basically faded away and just lost any clout they had...But that book is kind of tome and is a very, very lengthy read...But again, if you're interested in the business aspect of wrestling, it's a fascinating read. Would also just add that I cannot wait to read Tarantino's novel of Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood, which I know either just came out or is coming out shortly...I intend to devour that one. And while I wasn't the biggest fan of the movie (it's still better than 90% of the crap out there, but with Quentin obviously expectations are always raised, maybe unfairly), but I've kind of heard the direction he's taking with the book and it really sounds interesting to me, and I think the chance to further explore the characters is a wise decision, as the movie was long enough and I don't think you could've added more in that format. A novel on the other hand? Seems to make sense based on the story he wanted to tell...And I gotta add, I absolutely love the cover of the paperback...It just looks really vintage and authentic... |
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Finished a few:
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...257857180d.png Hard to believe that it's been 15 years since World War Z came out (and it took Max Brooks this long to publish another novel). Despite also having a "memoirs and interviews" style, this felt a lot more like a conventional narrative novel (with the bulk of the book being 1st person from one character). And some parts it seemed like Brooks forgot (or didn't care) that the style was a journal, since the writing style didn't fit (especially during action sequences). Still, this was an entertaining book that would make a great movie. While zombies are pretty overdone, the world needs more Bigfoot stories :) https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...4e31a8d9d2.png https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...cef6d8892a.png This is Hank from Crash Course and SciShow videos (as an educator, I've been familiar with him for years). While science fiction isn't a surprise genre for his fiction debut, I was surprised at the serious and philosophical tone of these books (I suppose I was expecting more humor, although there is some of that). These really need to be considered one big book, since the first absolutely does not end in any kind of satisfying way. The main characters initially came across fairly unlikable to me (self-absorbed social-media obsessed 20-somethings), though I get that the author is writing what he knows. But I liked the big ideas and ambition that are tackled here: including first contact, advanced VR, cryptocurrency, capitalism-gone-bad, the power of social media, dangers of conspiracy theorists, fame, addiction, and nothing less than the meaning of life and happiness. |
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Finished:
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...a163517f3e.jpg I'm rather flabbergasted at how much I enjoyed this book. It's one of the most compulsively-readable books that I've ever experienced. Up next: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...54a929962d.jpg |
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https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...327dd21ffe.jpg
The Dragon Reborn - Robert Jordan Book 3 of the Wheel of Time series. |
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Over the course of the past week or two, I finished the following...
Offside: My Life Crossing the Line by Sean Avery with Michael McKinley - I think this is like the third time I've read this, and I still find it entertaining, even though Avery has obviously done a lot of douchey things and comes across as incredibly arrogant and full of himself; he still manages to be funny and tells some pretty funny anecdotes, some of which I buy and others I take with a grain of salt. And while I say that, he can still be self-deprecating at times, and he does occasionally admit to his foibles and whatnot. And he was very, very good at what he did on the ice (and basically fulfilled what was expected of him, otherwise he wouldn't of been in the NHL). Some of the more prominent topics include his beginnings with the Red Wings, his love of New York and playing for the Rangers (and even opening what sounds like a pretty hip restaurant/club, which was news to me), his hatred for John Torterella (and several other coaches and/or GMs), his love of fashion (even interning for Vogue while living in New York), the NHL lockout (this part was really fascinating, and I'd love to read another book that delved deeper into the whole saga, as apparently there was a lot of discord and disagreement among the various player factions), and his various encounters with celebrities and his various romances (most prominently Rachel Hunter, Rod Stewart's ex, and Elisha Cuthbert...and the book does go into the time he got in trouble for using the phrase "sloppy seconds" in reference to her subsequent relationship with Dion Phaneuf when he was on the Flames). BUT, the best part is probably when he discusses his encounters with Brodeur, including the infamous time when he waived his stick in Brodeur's face while screening him and the whole incident resulted in the NHL basically making a new rule/penalty because of his kind of ridiculous but sorta funny antics. It's a pretty breezy read, one that you often don't wanna put down, constantly telling yourself, "Just one more chapter, one more chapter before bedtime..." If you're a hockey fan, I'd recommend it. Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service by Carol Leonnig - Awesome, awesome book, covering the Secret Service from it's beginnings all the way to Trump, but the thick of the book really begins with the JFK Assassination and onward, covering each subsequent Administration. Even if you're familiar with much of American/Presidential History, there's still tons of stuff you'll learn, much of which is fascinating but also very, very frightening at times. Like, in several instances, it seems that the author reveals events and/or details that haven't been made public before. And it's incredible the access she was able to get and the pretty startling and amazing quotes/interviews she was able to record and conduct. And while I was initially a little annoyed when she'd repeat certain things from previous chapters, in the end I kind of understood why she did it, as the book is very dense and it would be easy to get lost or forget certain things. In that way, it almost feels like a textbook, only not as dry and much, much more enthralling and entertaining. And it really doesn't come across as partisan; it's just kind of, "Just the facts, ma'am." I'd highly recommend. Battle for the Soul: Inside the Democrats' Campaigns to Defeat Trump by Edward-Isaac Dovere - This was a pretty decent read, full of behind-the-scenes info and campaign details that haven't been revealed before. The only drawback I had was that the author focuses on certain campaigns that really didn't have much of chance to begin with and flamed out pretty swiftly...so it kind of just felt like he was just filling space at times. He also does seem to have a tendency to favour certain candidates over others, but maybe I was just reading into certain things too much. Overall, it's trying to act like it's the equivalent to those great books Ted White would write about "Making of the President 1960, 64, 68, etc.". It's not nearly on the level of those books, but it's a decent read. Political junkies should find enough to like about it that it's worth reading, and probably even worth buying and adding to the bookshelf (but preferably when it's out in paperback). Next, rereading John Branch's Boy On Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard, who most people know, but if you don't he was a much-feared enforcer in the NHL who would die young from addictions to painkillers, alcohol, and various drugs...I loved it the first time I read it, even though it's quite heart-breaking, and I look forward to reading it again... |
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That is the cover of the first Raymond Chandler book I ever read. I was playing Dungeons and Dragons in the early 1980s and I mentioned that I'd never read anything by Chandler. A friend pulled that book out of his pocket, slid it across the table to me, and told me to read it.
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Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Finished:
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...5538833f3e.png What you would get if you put Downton Abbey, Agatha Christie, Groundhog Day, and Quantum Leap in a blender. This is certainly a puzzle of a book, and combined with an older style of writing and dialog (in line with the early 20th century English setting) it takes a bit work on the reader's part. But I found it rewarding in the end. I liked how with each "redo" of the day, perceptions changed and the mystery took more shape (and events that didn't make any sense earlier were clarified later). |
Re: What Are You Reading? 2021
Boy On Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard - Just as good as the first time I read it, and very moving. Boogaard was a beast of a man but also kind of a teddy bear at heart, as numerous interviews/quotes from friends/family/teammates can attest to. It's just a really compelling read that raises a lot of questions about the role of "enforcers" in hockey and the effects that repeated blows to the head, and just the general mindset of having to essentially be prepared to fight any given night in order to secure employment can do to someone psychologically. Also explores what certain tough guys will do to cope, whether that be drugs/alcohol, or just develop a general malaise or depressed attitude. Any hardcore hockey fan would love this book...
Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year - Really good book that covers a vast array of talented musicians, most prominently Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, the Talking Heads, Genesis, George Michael, Cyndi Lauper, etc. Also discusses plenty of changes in the industry, including changes in radio airplay and the introduction of Compact Discs and the real introductions of rap/hip-hop. It bounces around a bit, and occasionally you kind of wish that certain acts would have gotten a more in-depth look, while others (especially certain acts that you may not be a fan of) can sometimes be given too much coverage, making certain chapters a little bit more of a slog to get through. But, there are enough amusing anecdotes and pretty fascinating stories and quotes that even when you read the odd chapter that kind of slows the book down a bit, there's almost always a follow-up chapter that draws the reader back in. To put how enthralling the book can be in perspective, I purchased the book yesterday morning and finished the last 100 pages earlier today...And then actually started making an iTunes playlist based on a lot of the songs that are covered in the book (sometimes I found it hard not to just tune out the book for a bit while I listened to some of the songs discussed within it, as there's plenty of music I have that I haven't listened to in quite some time, and the book just makes you want to fire up those tunes). Recommended for music and/or general pop culture fans... |
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