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I just finished reading...
- Thread starter Squire Jons
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Gunnie Rose
New Member
Serving Crazy with Curry by Amulya Malladi
This book dealt with serious issues such as attempted suicide and strained family relationships in a way that was neither unrealistically optimistic nor depressing. I enjoyed the writing and the glimpse into an Indian-American family's circle.
Good book.
This book dealt with serious issues such as attempted suicide and strained family relationships in a way that was neither unrealistically optimistic nor depressing. I enjoyed the writing and the glimpse into an Indian-American family's circle.
Good book.
A_Pensive _Mind
New Member
Teach Yourself Stalin's Russia. Interesting stuff.
Rasputin. A biography of his life. The guy was a nutter! they just couldn't kill him. he cared not for poison, gun shot wounds, bludgeoning or castration! He was a trooper!
Rasputin. A biography of his life. The guy was a nutter! they just couldn't kill him. he cared not for poison, gun shot wounds, bludgeoning or castration! He was a trooper!
RolandOfGilead
New Member
The Davinci Code
It was alright, by no means the best book ever, but i liked the information in the story more than the story itself if you understand what i mean there...
It was alright, by no means the best book ever, but i liked the information in the story more than the story itself if you understand what i mean there...
raffaellabella
New Member
Just finished "Dorothy Parker in her own words". It's not your typical in-depth biography. The author gives a small bio on Mrs. Parker using her verse, quotes, and reviews to give the reader an understanding of who she was. I think it's a great book to start with if you want to read some of Dorothy Parker's work.
Well, the catch to mostly ordering books blind off the internet is not knowing exactly what they are. Jon Stewart’s _America_, while funny, totally surprised me in format.
As did Bill Maher’s newest _New Rules_ (2005).
As remains consistent, and pretty twisted, some “comedians” seem to be the only people with a firm grasp on Things Gone Wrong (Lenny Bruce, Bill Hicks, George Carlin, Groucho…) and Maher has always been very passionate about his beliefs. Beliefs, one being simply following the definitions of words, that managed to make big Amerikan corporations pulls their commercials from “Politically Incorrect” and then his eventual cancellation. Way to go people; you’ll piss and cry about “Friends” dissolving but continue to wipe your arse with the first amendment…
[…waiting for pulse to lower…]
Anyway, this book is sadly not a book of essays and observations like I had hoped, but an A to Z guide of, well, new rules. I’ll enclose a few of my favourites below.
Thankfully not everything is just a 3 or 4-lined joke, as at the end of each letter (chapter) there is something more of an essay. Many are very keenly observed and spot-on. These should be expanded upon editorials that get published on the front pages of newspapers and get discussed on “news” programs.
Instead, they are published in a not very well selling book, shelved in the “humor” section.
What-a-life.
************
all the below is copyright Bill Maher, published by Rodale.
New Rule
Cheering for Lance Armstrong doesn’t make you an international cycling aficionado.
Unless you can name one other rider in the Tour de France in the last 100 years, you’re not a fan. You’re just someone who likes it when American beats foreigners.
New Rule
Not everything is a conspiracy.
Black History Month is in February because Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were born in February, not because it’s the shortest month. Here’s the deal: You accept this on faith, and we’ll pretend you didn’t completely make up Kwanza.
New Rule
Just because your tattoo has Chinese characters in it, it doesn’t make you spiritual.
It’s right above the crack of your ass and it translates to “beef with broccoli”. The last time you did anything spiritual, you were praying to god you weren’t pregnant.
New Rule
I don’t need an annoying little sticker on each individual piece of fruit: Our borders aren’t secure, but we’re still going through the plums by hand?
New Rule
Tipping is for waiters, bathroom attendants and lap dancers only!
What is it with Starbucks, delis, even dry cleaners, all having little jars on the counter? Hmm, what’s 15 percent of “blow me”? Waiters get tips because they wait on you. If your job involves standing behind a counter cutting bagels in half, you’re not waiting on me – I’m waiting on you!
As did Bill Maher’s newest _New Rules_ (2005).
As remains consistent, and pretty twisted, some “comedians” seem to be the only people with a firm grasp on Things Gone Wrong (Lenny Bruce, Bill Hicks, George Carlin, Groucho…) and Maher has always been very passionate about his beliefs. Beliefs, one being simply following the definitions of words, that managed to make big Amerikan corporations pulls their commercials from “Politically Incorrect” and then his eventual cancellation. Way to go people; you’ll piss and cry about “Friends” dissolving but continue to wipe your arse with the first amendment…
[…waiting for pulse to lower…]
Anyway, this book is sadly not a book of essays and observations like I had hoped, but an A to Z guide of, well, new rules. I’ll enclose a few of my favourites below.
Thankfully not everything is just a 3 or 4-lined joke, as at the end of each letter (chapter) there is something more of an essay. Many are very keenly observed and spot-on. These should be expanded upon editorials that get published on the front pages of newspapers and get discussed on “news” programs.
Instead, they are published in a not very well selling book, shelved in the “humor” section.
What-a-life.
************
all the below is copyright Bill Maher, published by Rodale.
New Rule
Cheering for Lance Armstrong doesn’t make you an international cycling aficionado.
Unless you can name one other rider in the Tour de France in the last 100 years, you’re not a fan. You’re just someone who likes it when American beats foreigners.
New Rule
Not everything is a conspiracy.
Black History Month is in February because Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were born in February, not because it’s the shortest month. Here’s the deal: You accept this on faith, and we’ll pretend you didn’t completely make up Kwanza.
New Rule
Just because your tattoo has Chinese characters in it, it doesn’t make you spiritual.
It’s right above the crack of your ass and it translates to “beef with broccoli”. The last time you did anything spiritual, you were praying to god you weren’t pregnant.
New Rule
I don’t need an annoying little sticker on each individual piece of fruit: Our borders aren’t secure, but we’re still going through the plums by hand?
New Rule
Tipping is for waiters, bathroom attendants and lap dancers only!
What is it with Starbucks, delis, even dry cleaners, all having little jars on the counter? Hmm, what’s 15 percent of “blow me”? Waiters get tips because they wait on you. If your job involves standing behind a counter cutting bagels in half, you’re not waiting on me – I’m waiting on you!
Bonzo
New Member
Yesterday, I finished reading Mystic River by Dennis Lehane, and I really liked it. Books don't usually make me cry, but all of the characters' reactions to Katie's death had me very close to shedding a few tears. The only problem I had with it was
But, overall, a very good book.
the fact that the two young kids were the killers. Yeah, it was a pretty good twist, but it didn't feel right to me.
Bonzo said:
My one experience with reading Lehane made me want to cry to, but only because I attempted a brain-peel after being introduced to such insubstantial “writing”.
How is it exactly the plot “didn’t feel right” to you but it was still not a good book but a *“very good”* book??
Would this be like having a dinner consisting of burnt steak and decaying vegetables but it’s still, for reasons unknown, a ‘great meal’?
Bonzo
New Member
jay said:
I didn't say thet the plot didn't feel right, I said the twist didn't feel right. The book was great up until that point, and the anti-climax was fine, but it's only the twist that I didn't like. It's still a very good book, IMO. The book wasn't ruined because of it, but the twist didn't really satisfy me.
Bonzo said:
Hm. Well, a “twist” isn’t really an element independent of the plot.
It’s simply a term typing when the end of a plot (more than likely) takes a turn from what is perceived to be a/the typical ending.
One may not like the fact that Dorothy got home safely, but it’s a pretty sound plot-following, as the slippers were a device to show her she had the answer all along.
The “twist” is that it all took place in here head (well, maybe).
Simply part of the plot. The story.
Certain readers may have preferred she to stay in Oz and been a precursor to Bo Derek in Tarzan with Dorothy nekkid and frolicking with the Winkies (flying monkeys) and Oz-unmasked (think Ron Jeremy) but they (hopefully) understand that the structure of the story that was used ‘worked’.
So if the ending didn’t work for you, sorry, that’s part of the “plot”.
But this is semantics...
j
pwilson
New Member
The Crimson Petal And The White by Michael Faber. Excellent book with some of the most detailed imagery I've ever read. As has been mentioned here before, the reader is completely immersed in Victorian London with no frills. Very immersive and although I can't honestly say that I liked a single character, I found myself caring about what happened to them. I really enjoyed the ending, still has me thinking...
MonkeyCatcher
New Member
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt . It took me a little while to get used to the non-existence of speech marks, but apart from that a thoroughly good read. Highly recommended.
~MonkeyCatcher~
~MonkeyCatcher~
Breaca
Member
The Taking - Dean Koontz
Recently read The Taking by Dean Koontz. Thought the storyline was intriguing. Had me guessing throughout as to what was happening and why. I'd come to one conclusion only to have it dashed - mostly by his descriptive references to the odd entities running around. Smiled to myself when, at the end, my second guess was correct. Fairly new to Mr K having recieved a copy of 'By the Light of the Moon' from a friend only last year. Have read three of his novels now and have enjoyed them all. Would love to know how he comes up with his ideas
Recently read The Taking by Dean Koontz. Thought the storyline was intriguing. Had me guessing throughout as to what was happening and why. I'd come to one conclusion only to have it dashed - mostly by his descriptive references to the odd entities running around. Smiled to myself when, at the end, my second guess was correct. Fairly new to Mr K having recieved a copy of 'By the Light of the Moon' from a friend only last year. Have read three of his novels now and have enjoyed them all. Would love to know how he comes up with his ideas
raffaellabella
New Member
Canadians are just replanted Europeans. Same story as before....people go into country, kill or take over indigenous people...yada...yada...so essentially Canada can't be used as an example.
Lemming
New Member
I've just finished reading Magician by Raymond E. Fiest. To be honest I was disappointed. It took me ages to read but I stubbornly refused to not finish it, although it was not as good as I expected.
At times I felt it was a bit too influenced by Lord of the Rings in some ways, but in other ways I'd never read a book like it before.
I'm glad to get it over and done with, on to the new Harry Potter book now.
At times I felt it was a bit too influenced by Lord of the Rings in some ways, but in other ways I'd never read a book like it before.
I'm glad to get it over and done with, on to the new Harry Potter book now.
SFG75
Well-Known Member
Just finished up the last fifty pages of Clive Cussler's Valhalla Rising. The characters were well-developed and their "personalities" came out in the reading very solidly. There were some great twists and turns in the book, but it appeared to me that some of the scenes were "Rushed" and could've used some more development before the climax of the given action. Whether it was saving the cruiseliner or the undersea liner, the action appeared too quickly to be plausible.
With that being said, the book was a good page turner and I did enjoy it, though I don't think it measured up to the previous book that I read(Clancy's Op-Center; Mirror Image) The action parts were excellent and Cussler did a good job of explaining the history of a Viking raid, as well as the work of Jules Verne in the beginning of the story, that lead to the culmination of an "a-ha!" moment at the end. Speaking of, the very end is where the biggest twist and turn is. I won't spoil it for folks, but I will say that it's very surprising. At least it was to me.
With that being said, the book was a good page turner and I did enjoy it, though I don't think it measured up to the previous book that I read(Clancy's Op-Center; Mirror Image) The action parts were excellent and Cussler did a good job of explaining the history of a Viking raid, as well as the work of Jules Verne in the beginning of the story, that lead to the culmination of an "a-ha!" moment at the end. Speaking of, the very end is where the biggest twist and turn is. I won't spoil it for folks, but I will say that it's very surprising. At least it was to me.
Ya Krunk'd Floo
New Member
I am unable to comprehend why-oh-goddamn-why people continue to read Clive Cussler's books for young adults...
I recently finished 'A Confederacy of Dunces'. If you haven't read it, drop the Crapussler and pick it up.
I recently finished 'A Confederacy of Dunces'. If you haven't read it, drop the Crapussler and pick it up.
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