Again, I couldn't locate an old thread, so I apologize for redundancy.

Tonight I'm reading My Custom Van... and 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays That Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face by Michael Ian Black, of Stella and Ed fame. I haven't been his hugest fan, but I have to say I'm enjoying his "essays." Funny stuff.

Nothing of audio interest urgent at the moment; reading Football's Eagle & Stack Defenses by Vanderlinden.

The Essential Tomb of Dracula vol. 3

Gene Colan and Marv Wolfman's classic run of 70 issues of Tomb of Dracula in the 1970s is just great stuff. (Yeah, the writer's name is really Wolfman!)

Reading this thread.

Just finished some graphic novels, The Killing Joke and The Death of Captain America. I love that my local library carries graphic novels, saves me a bunch of cash.

I enjoying them with a cold Rolling Rock and listening to my 2 channel system (Von Schwiekert VR1s, Rotel pre amp, ASL AV-25 tube amps, iPhone 3G) with some new albums from Wayne Brady (yes that Wayne and it' a fantastic old school R&B album) and Justice System.

For once I'm glad there's no new HD shows on my Tivo.

Screw the stock market, life is good.

Dave at Peace: The Rolling Stone Interview

Really cool interview with David Letterman, one of my heroes.

About room treatments :rolleyes:

Absolution Gap, by Alastair Reynolds.

Oh, here's Michael Ian Black reading an excerpt from his book:

The Elevator

How can you be reading his book if you are posting on and reading thread? Have to change the name of the thread to "What were/are you going to read tonight?"

I was reading a new manual on the new de-ice truck we have at work, absolutely thrilling, can't..... put...... it .....down.....zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Well, the good thing is that since it's a collection of essays, it's easy to read one and then do something else for a little while.

Sleep well, ice prince.

I don't want to go to school yet, mommy......zzzzzzzzzzz.....

Excluding everything on the internet, I'm currently reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon and The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film by Michael Ondaatje. Both great reads so far, which I recomend to any fans of light-hearted fiction/comics and film buffs, respectively.

Agreed, "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" was a good read.


Currently I'm trying to get into "Case Histories" by Kate Atkinson. It's not grabbing me yet, but I probably just need to sit down and devote some time to it.

Just finished my book. On to the next one!

I guess you need to read to make those races fly by faster, huh?

Charles, I just finished the interview with Letterman. I've always been a big fan.... thanks for the link!

No problem! Yeah, the guy still surprises me. The bits on his show aren't that good, and I wouldn't say he's the smoothest interviewer, but sometimes the interviews can take some interesting turns. I think the moments I enjoy the most are the segments between the monologue and the interviews, when he's just at his desk talking about whatever. For me, that's where he pulls ahead of every other talk show host. I watch Conan faithfully, too, and while generally I'm laughing more at his show, Letterman in those moments makes me realize just how much I'll miss him when he's off the air. I really need to go see a taping of his show before he retires.

Joyce and I had tix to go on a Monday night 4~5 years ago, and we were planning on going down the night before. Unfortunately that Sunday night the NYC and coastal CT areas got a foot of snow...18" to 24" in our area inland... and we just didn't want to risk our lives to make the 300 mile drive....

Besides reading this forum I am reading from a BBQ forum. I am in the middle of building a drum smoker. So this is where I've been gathering all of the info needed for the build.

Dude, friends don't let friends smoke drums....

Late Show Fun Facts

There's a lot of stuff to know in the world, and why wouldn't you want to concentrate on the facts that are fun? I'm glad to see the Fun Facts compiled in book form. I just hope they keep the segment going long enough to put out more volumes.

The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds. Nice, rock hard sci-fi by a British astrophysicist.

Frank Miller's Wolverine.

Master Handbook of Acoustics. Its a nail biter!

Ken Follett - World Without End.
Didn't think I'd like the predecessor, Pillars of the Earth, as it took a long time to discover how all his various separate plots and people would come together but once it does, it really keeps your interest.

This one is more of the same, many interwoven stories that keep you interested in topics that you wouldn't normally think would interest you. I do have to say that now that I'm at the 80% mark, it seems like maybe it should have been wrapped up and he is stretching it to come up with new developments and sub-plots. Still, I'm hooked enough to finish it though.

For those unfamiliar is a wide, medieval, cross section of relationships (of all sorts) complicated by the struggles of commoners verses the noble elite and religious morals verses religious corruption. It's centered around Masonry of all things. Actually building, not the organization. You may want to keep a geometry set handy.

A great window into what life in the middle ages was probably much more realistically like without the romanticism of noble and shiny knights and incorruptible folk heroes and such. Enough war and violence to keep your mancard intact as well.

I enjoyed both Pillars of the Earth and World Without End.

The Road To Omaha by Robert Ludlum. Very different from his usual Bourne series.

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. Probably one of the most impressive stories that I have read in a long time. Evidently will be released as a major motion picture.

http://www.shantaram-movie.com/

The Bush Boom

Interestingly, they don't keep it with other comedy titles.

(ok, I'm not actually reading it.)

Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin

I'm just flipping through tonight. This food looks like it'll do the job.

I wanted to make the Mac n Cheese Pancakes in this book, but the pancake batter mix I had expired in 2006 and 2005. I'll have to go to the store this week after I pick out some other recipes and decide on what other ingredients I'll need.

By Schism Rent Asunder by David Weber.
I've got 6 days left before I have to return it to the library.

It's going to be hard not to return that torn.

Ouch.

Boy, many of you read uplifting, educational stuff. I just read (voraciously, I might add) popular fiction with the occasional biography and/or World War II history thrown in.

Don't worry, Jack, my stuff is sci-fi.

Opus: 25 Years of His Sunday Best by Berkeley Breathed

It's been forever since I've read any of his stuff, so it's nice to see it again. I kind of wish he had a comprehensive collection like Bill Watterson had for Calvin and Hobbes.

Altered Carbon - Richard Morgan

Hey, Amazon keeps recommending that for me. How is it?

It's very good - sort of SF noir, told in first person, a little like Blade Runner. It's pretty "in your face" though. There are two other novels about the same central character. There's a great scene where he checks into a a hotel run by an artificial intelligence, and two thugs get the drop on him. The hotel "helps him out", with a 20mm canon. After all the mayhem is over, the hotel says:
"your room is ready sir"

I keep reading the product page for the EP800 and licking my lips.

Here.

Ok, my bad, turns out there is a "B" rated version to "Journey to the Center of the Earth:CORE " which was in Redbox, it had nothing to do with the one in theaters lately. Now I'll have to go rent the one that has no softporn.

Poor lad has turned old before his time. You're supposed to be looking at pictures of Regina spektor and drooling.

Let's strike a compromise; I'll have a three's company, alternating between the EP800 and Regina.

So Regina will pretend to be gay in case Mr. Roper shows up?

She'll probably pretend to be gay even if it's just me there.

Wait, is that what was going on?

I'm not reading it yet, but I've reserved Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett from the library, on my wife's recommendation.

That sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out.

I'm reading Ghosts/Aliens by Trey Hamburger. Yeah, that's my level of reading. I never really progressed after junior high.

Uh. . .that sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out. . .

Okay, right now I'm reading "Old Tin Sorrows" by Glen Cook. It's from a series of books known as The Garrett Files. Think pulp detective stories mixed with fantasy (swords and goblins and such). Yeah, it's a weird mix, but I totally love it.

See, Charles, you're not the only one that reads "different" type books. This one is out of print and I had to order it through Amazon from a used seller.

That sounds pretty cool. I really need to make more time to read so I can know what all of you are talking about. I guess I should get a library card, too.

Just be one of those creepy people that hang out all day at Barnes and Noble reading a fresh book off the shelf.

I read that one a bunch of years ago (before Oprah was into it) and found it quite amazing, one of the few novels I was absolutely thrilled to have read, sort of like the movies each year you can count on one hand that are most pivotal in keeping alive the excitement with cinema.

I got the nice Oprahized version (better printing and cover) for my wife last Christmas (?) but I don't think she ever read it.

Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds.

Superman Doomsday.

Now I have to go back and read the previous series. I read the Death of Superman years ago.

First SEAL by Roy Boehm... for about the 8th time.

Bren R.

I enjoyed Pillars of the Earth very much. If you do too, there is a year-old followup novel called World Without End . Ken Follett's web site refers to it as a sequel, but it's not really a continuation because it takes place 200 years after "Pillars." However, it does involve the cathedral and city of Knightsbridge and the offspring of some of the characters in "Pillars."

Another interesting and offbeat series of novels you might consider is the Egyptian Series by Wilbur Smith comprising River God, The Seventh Scroll, Warlock, and The Quest. If anyone had told me, before I read them, that I would enjoy novels with an Egyptian eunuch as the hero, I would have thought them nuts.

VIZ Media Online Manga - Fullmetal Alchemist

Trying to get through An essay on the principles of population by Thomas Malthus but its very straining when reading online.

Be honest, would it really be less straining if reading it in paper form?

Lol, I'm assuming you're referring to the content

Just finished Path of Revenge by Russell Kikrpatrick. It's much better than his earlier novels.

This forum.

So, last week I went to the bookstore and wanted to buy a book on Charles Schulz, but didn't want to spend twenty bucks. Instead I picked up Robert Ludlum's "The Bourne Identity." Not the typical book I go for, but I remember a coworker years back telling me about it and how different it is from the movie. And, it is very different from the film. I'm glad I saw the movie first otherwise I would've been hyper-critical of how things were left out and/or changed. I'm still amazed the book was written over twenty years ago and it's taken this long to adapt it to film. Also, a good example of how the movie is different, but very good in its own right.

I would like to read that at some point. Think you'll read the whole series?

Yeah, I'll read the whole series. Got a gift certificate for Barnes and Noble that's burning a hole in my pocket.

Go to the library for the books and spend it on some music instead.

As far reading, I'm working on "The Gods Return" by David Drake...last of the Crown of the Isles series.

“In the very shadow of the Wall the wildlings made ready, winding thick coils of hempen rope around one shoulder and down across their chests, and lacing on queer boots of supple doeskin. The boots had spikes jutting from the toes; iron, for Jarl and two others, bronze for some, but most often jagged bone. Small stone-headed hammers hung from one hip, a leathern bag of stakes from the other. Their ice axes were antlers with sharpened tines, bound to wooden hafts with strips of hide. The eleven climbers sorted themselves into three teams of four; Jarl himself made the twelfth man. ‘Mance promises swords for every man of the first team to reach the top,’ he told them, his breath misting in the cold air. ‘Southron swords of castle-forged steel. And your name in the song he’ll make of this, that too. What more could a free man ask? Up, and the Others take the hindmost!”

p. 407 of ll77, Book Three of the quadrilogy

I wouldn't earn a sword. Can I at least have a butter knife as consolation if I stay at base camp?

“Bolton’s silence was a hundred more times threatening than Vargo Hoat’s slobbering malevolence. Pale as morning mist, his eyes concealed more than they told. Jaime misliked those eyes. They reminded him of the day at King’s Landing when Ned Stark found him seated on the Iron Throne. The Lord of Dreadfort finally pursed his lips and said, ‘You have lost a hand.’

‘No,’ said Jaime. ‘I have it here, hanging round my neck.’

Roose Bolton reached down, snapped the cord, and flung the hand at Hoat. ‘Take this away. The sight of it offends me.’”

I like "misliked."

I read the first book of that series, I think. A Song of Ice and Fire? At least, Ned Stark rang a bell. I thought it was more than four books, though.

Yes I like his use of language in general, of course I’m always a sucker for a tale of the North (e.g., Winterfell), where I grew up, and miss desperately.

Medieval representations such as these are also illustrative of our sad origins with regard to lack of respect for gender and ethnicity, a history of which we do well in my opinion to continue to take note, even if only in fiction:

“’You’re the ugliest woman I’ve ever seen,’ he told Brienne, ‘but don’t think I can’t make you uglier. You want a nose like mine? Fight me, and you’ll get one. And two eyes, that’s too many. One scream out of you, and I’ll pop one out and make you eat it, and then I’ll pull your f*ing teeth out one by one.’

‘Oh, do it, Rorge,” pleaded Shagwell. ‘Without her teeth, she’ll look just like my dear old mother.' He cackled. ‘And I always wanted to f* my dear old mother up the arse.’

Jaime chuckled. ‘There’s a funny fool. I have a riddle for you, Shagwell. Why do you care if she screams. Oh, wait, I know.’ He shouted, ‘SAPPHIRES,’ as loudly as he could.

Cursing, Rorge kicked his stump again. Jaime howled. I never knew there was such agony in the world, was the last thing he remembered thinking. It was hard to say how long he was gone, but when the pain spit him out, Urswyck was there, and Vargo Hoat himself. ‘Thee’th not to be touched,’ the goat screamed, spraying spittle all over Zollo. ‘Thee hath to be a maid, you foolth! Thee’th worth a bag of thappireth!”

Of course the dark humor doesn't hurt my feelings either!

I've been waiting for the next book of that series to come out. I liked it a lot, because it takes chances most other books won't even come near to.

The protagonist leaves California for another state? I think I've read that. The first few chapters are hard to get through, but then it picks up after that.

Goodness. I'd be shocked at that sort of thing, but I just recalled some of the stuff I read; particularly by Alastair Reynolds or Peter F. Hamilton.

That looks interesting. I'll have to get it.

I'm reading "the name of the rose". It's a freind of mine's favorite book, so I had to read it.... Pretty good so far.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Name_of_the_rose

I'm about 1/2 way through Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children. This is the first serious litterature I have read in quite a while. I must say I am really enjoying it.

Our intrepid hero was informed by his superiors just hours before he left to pick up his Uhaul truck that they wanted him to stay in California another week. So, our hero moved and immediately drove back and worked like a dog and has just returned to his new place in Arizona and continues to drag things out of boxes.

Don't forget to make a trail of peanuts leading to certain death for any elephants you may have encountered.

. . .right off the third floor balcony. . .*evil laugh*

So do you at least have your home theater set up?

No, not yet. I'm trying to decide how to mount the QS8s. . .either stands or on the wall. Need to buy a drill for the latter. Just bought a couch for my HT room--that's what I turned the second bedroom into. My two channel rig is in the living room. My brother-in-law and me set that up last weekend when we drove here. He's the one that got me into this audio hobby and wanted to listen to my Vandersteens and Loreleis. I'll have to post some pics when I get everything set up.

Yeah, definitely post some pics... in this thread, just to keep everyone on their toes.

Yeah, starting new threads is WAY overrated!

Simon Rich - Free Range Chickens
This is free on the Stanza reader app on your iPhone or Touch. Also free on Amazon's Kindle. VERY funny, short 'essays'.

Jeff Kinney - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
If you like humor, you owe yourself a favor to read this Wimpy Kid series. It's for young adult readers but if you've ever been that tortured, nerdy soul growing up and then got your confidence, this is HILARIOUS. We reserved this at the library at my 6 year old daughter and I fought to see who could read it first. She won. I laughed hard, out loud in the first 15 pages. The Shel Silverstein reference made me laugh for a long time. This is the 3rd of the series. HIGHLY recommended for the whole family.

Also got our first Kindle 2. Still learning it, cool gadget. Not necessarily the most cost efficient device, but it can be very useful for a long vacation with a kid who reads 3 books/day.

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. Very gritty stuff

I killed time on my free afternoon in Ottawa in a Chapters. I picked up a copy of the graphic novel "The Watchmen" for my nephew because I recalled him complaining he lost his copy and wanted to re-read it before the movie comes out this month.

I started into it with the intent of just browsing it a bit out of curiosity and suddenly had it finished before I checked out of the hotel a day later. I'm not saying I wouldn't have enjoyed a simple comic book style, superhero story, but I have to admit, this was much more. It is one of the most dark and complex stories I have read in any format in a long time. A pleasant surprise.

I can't imagine a director of the upcoming movie being able to pull off all the time shifting, sidelines and more importantly the underlying morality and philosophical issues while having to deal with the cheesy costumes required, but if he can, it should be a blockbuster. If he can't, it will go down in serious flames.

Hmmm, do I get the graphic novel, or do I get the Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic Blu-ray?

I've been reading the graphic novel this week. Borrowed it from one of my coworkers. Like you, Andrew, I was surprised at how good it was, and I've also been wondering how the movie will come across.

CV, just get the graphic novel!

Ha ha, we'll see. It would be a pretty awesome book club if we all read the same comics.

The nerdiest and most awesomest book club ever!

I finished reading it about a week ago. It was a bit of a strange read for me though, as it is the first graphic novel I've ever read. I'm definitely not used to that format. I think I got enough so I have a good basis for the movie, but not so much that I'll be upset if they have some deviation from the book.

My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-Up by Russell Brand

It's starting out well. I really like his use of the language.

Get the graphic novel.

I'm reading the best news possible, which is that Regina Spektor's done with her new album, and it looks like June for a release. Jeff Lynne was one of the four producers, which made me happy. Almost as happy as her.

Still reading Russell Brand's book, and his writing makes me sick: "Life is not a theme park and if it is the theme is death." He has a lot of phrasing I wish I'd come up with.

Hey CV, since today is Saint patty's day, are you also a Lisa Hannigan fan? Maybe just for today or are you afraid it would be like cheating on Regina?

NEXT by michael crichton. pretty good book really.

I'm not aware of Lisa Hannigan. I'll have to check her out, even if it makes Regina jealous.

Maybe that is the reason TO check her out. Best way to make someone come running back to you (or to you in the first place) is to pretend like you like someone else. relationships 101.

So who do you tell your ring-wearer that you like every day? Do you keep inventing new love interests, or do you stick with a set handful?

Here, read this Time article about digital 3-D:

The Next Dimension

Geta, by Donald Kingsbury, a Canadian!
I'm reading it for the 4th time - it's one of my all time favourite SF books.

Book of Negros, by Lawrence Hill . (Also Canadian.)
For historical fiction, especially one based on the life of a girl who survives slavery, it's actually somewhat more uplifting than depressingm, at least as you move towards the end.

I don't have this book, but I'm thinking I may have to get it.

The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass. Very odd book, but very good.

I'm reading: The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality by Brian Greene.
Extremely interesting book. Brian is very good at explaining very complex subject matters in a way that a dummy like me can understand :-)

I'm still reading the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. Very interesting, yet very odd, literary alternate universe stuff.

I finally got around to reading and finishing Pillars of the Earth recently. I think it's going to put me on a historical fiction kick because I'm itching for more. Fortunately, there's a sequel to keep me going.

Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Peter. I suspect you'll enjoy the sequel as well.

As soon as I finished, I went to wikipedia and read up on the White Ship incident, Thomas Becket, Romanesque and Gothic architecture, and the various actual buildings in the novel.

I love books push me to learn.

I enjoyed both books in that series as well. Amazing that an author of fiction could induce an interest in architecture when I had only a visual interest in it before. I found the second book good but a bit long. It kept wrapping up plots then inventing new ones. I enjoyed it but the editor needed to take a stronger hand and get him to tie it together more. Personal opinion, of course.

Dilbert 2.0: 20 Years of Dilbert

I'm not very far in, but it's interesting hearing the origins of the strip so far.

The Astronomical Insignificance of Maya Date 13.0.0.0. by Vincent H. Malmström, Professor Emeritus (Geography), Dartmouth College

I have been meaning to read Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals by John Gray. Hope to get to it soon...

Aww, I just read the article on Regina Spektor in the latest issue of Spin.

Hey, I just got mine today, too!

South Park's Guide to Gaming - IGN TV

Quantum Mechanics for Dummies.

Do they have a version for extra dumb dummies? I've tried several times and I just don't get quantum mechanics.

I'm still trying to find Women for Dummies. It wasn't at the library, so maybe I'll check the bar. Maybe the Barbary Coast.

Yeah, maybe one in the "Complete Idiot's" series could help us.

Edit: I just tossed that title out, thinking that it was silly, but I decided to put it in to Google, and in addition to some articles, I find that "Quantum Physics for Dummies" has actually just been published and is available from Amazon.

Not my typical choice in material, but I recently read both "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels and Demons." Had I paid more attention I would have read them in the correct order, but it doesn't really matter as they mostly stand on their own. Both were very readable and I enjoyed both, but I have to say I liked "Angels and Demons" more. Not quite sure why.

John, and Fred, have either of you watched the movie "What The Bleep"? I've watched it over a dozen times and quite enjoy it.

Still don't have a grasp!

Zen and the art of motorcyle maintenance again. Great book.

Just finished A Salty Piece of Land by Jimmy Buffet. That was a nice light read.

I had to google the movie Cam. Sounds interesting.

I really enjoyed Zen when I read it. I was in my early 20's and doing quite a bit of travelling at the time.

WOW! Talk about a blast from the past. I think I've read it twice but the last time has to be more than 30 years ago. I don't remember a thing about it except that I thought it a REALLY good read. I may have to go back and hit it a third time.

Currently reading Gone Tomorrow the latest "Jack Reacher" novel from Lee Child. Just escapist, pulp fiction. You know.....really BAD bad guys; a good guy that can wipe out 4 of them with nothing but his hands and a piece of paper; politics; military. etc.

This one is a particular good mystery. I'm within 80 pages of finishing it and I still haven't got it all figured out. It's nothing pithy, just (IMHO) good entertainment (YMMV).

In fact, on this lovely sunny and mild Sunday morning, I think I'll eat some breakfast and crawl back into bed to see if I can finish it. A mixed blessing. Ya get to know how the story ends, but now a good book you've been really enjoying is finished. RATS! Fortunately, I have a Robert B. Parker "Jesse Stone" novel waiting in the wings.

Cryptic, by Jack McDevitt. It's a colleciton of his short stories. Fantastic stuff. I love how McDevitt always leaves you wondering--there's always a deeper mystery to his stuff that is left unresolved.

When I first found his books (completely by accident--forgot to decline my selections for the SF book club), I discovered that series combined two of my favorite things: sci-fi and archaeology! Ooooh...

No wonder you like Picard so much.

Hmmmmm, Dinosaur bones from the future.....
The overly mild mannered herbivores exist on a steady diet of legalized marijuana and the carnivores still have a ferocious roar, but it's only 140 characters long.

That's Funny!

I am in the middle of Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen. It is a fascinating book about an American mountain climber who decides to build a school in an isolated village in Pakistan.

You're not alone... "I think it is safe to say that no one understands quantum mechanics" -- Richard Feynman

I read Scott Adams(Dilbert)'s God's Debris a few weeks ago. Not sure if this book was suggested here or not. It was quite an amusing short read. It can be downloaded for free here.

Ex-Machina, a graphic novel.

Thanks for the link. I'll read it in a bit.

Me too.

I finally got around to finishing book one of The Wheel of Time series. Thanks to a Very generous CV and some used book store finds, I now have replaced all eleven books in the series that I lost to mold in storage a while back.

I'm not finding much time to read, (especially eleven, each rather lengthy on their own, novels) but I'm looking forward to trying to finish them in time for the release of the final chapters scheduled for 2010.

Started reading James Michener's Space on the planes back from Oklahoma yesterday. I think I'm a fan now.

Did you happen to sit beside Samuel L. Jackson and did he look at your book and say....

I have had it with this motherfing Space on this motherfing plane!

That reminds me of how he fixed it for television viewing:

"I have had it with these monkey fighting snakes on this Monday to Friday plane!"

Like know one knows what it was really meant to say...

Marina's blog. Can anyone help her out on this one?

Lord of the Rings

Truck: A Love Story


By the way, welcome venkmann!

Welcome, venkmann.

Working on Joe Abercrombie's first trilogy. Just finished the 1st one yesterday and stopping on the way home at the library to get #2.

Marina Diamandis's blog. If by some fluke I've ever been nice to you, please consider sending her a letter to the mailing address in this post and dropping my name in the middle somewhere.

Okay, reading Brandon Sanderson's WoT read-through comments made me start reading the Wheel of Time series again. I'm a bit older than the last time I read them, so I'm wondering how differently I'll feel about them. I kind of wish I could take a month off from work to read the whole series at a better pace. I have a feeling it will take me quite a while to get through it.

That's a good thing. I'm disappointed that I went through them so fast. 7 more months...

Yeah, that's true. That's one reason I was still hesitant to start reading them at all.

I think I want to hold off on another read through until the last book comes out.

6 and counting.
Someday I'm going to check each book and add up the total page count.

For the Philosophers in the group....

I just read, and re-read, Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew Crawford.

I’m not a philosophy major, but do enjoy studying it as an amateur and if I was twenty years younger, would go to school to study philosophy. Keeps the mind active, I believe. This book has a special meaning for me as it’s the world I live in; I am surrounded by “learned and knowledgeable” professionals that couldn’t fix a sink drain to save their lives, but tend to hold tradesmen and craftsman in intellectual contempt if they don’t hold a degree. Crawford holds a PHD in Political Philosophy, is a journeyman electrician and mechanic. He quit his job as a director of a prestigious think tank, opened up a motorcycle repair shop and wrote this very profound book delving into the value of work.

I just started "A User's Guide to the Brain", by John Ratey, MD. It'll be a fun refresher of neuroanatomy and function as I get ready to renew my board certification (every 10 years, I get a written exam).

Anybody interested in how the brain works will find this interesting. Very readable, not at all bogged down with terminology or jargon.

Ratey is the coauthor (with Ned Hallowell) of the excellent "Driven to Distraction" and its revision, "Delivered from Distraction." These are the gold standard on ADHD.

I started reading those last two, but.......


Too obvious?

That's why Chapter 1 is called, "The Skinny on ADHD. Read This If You Can't Read the Whole Book."

I kid you not. Good stuff, eh?

Is there a Cliff's Notes or at least Reader's Digest version on the first chapter?

A whole chapter just seems so positively grueling otherwise.

I told you I wasn't gonna fall for the ADHD routine this time. No more internet Rx for you!

But you've fallen for it every OTHER time I wrapped it in a shiny package!

I've slacked on reading the last two books by James P. Hogan. Although I do own everything he's written; most of it in hardback. I just learned that he died yesterday. I shall pick them back up again in his memory.

A nice interview with Louis C.K.

Reading this Wikipedia entry on Linn Berggren makes me sad. I preferred her vocals to Jenny's. At least now I know Linn wrote my favorite Ace of Base song, "Whispers In Blindness."

I've really gotten into Louie. Thanks for telling us about it.

Awesome. I love Louis C.K. He was always the funniest guest on the earlier Conan O'Brien shows. I'm glad he continues to find success.

About the origin of the name, "Häagen-Dazs."

An interview with Norm Macdonald.

Article about Sean Parker (of Napster and Facebook fame) on Vanity Fair's site. Interesting guy.

Ken's going to be reading Towers of Midnight soon, I'll bet. I only got partway into The Eye of the World when I semi-decided to re-read the series. I'm still going to re-read, but I've found it hard to dig in when I know the end still isn't written. There's only one more volume left after Towers of Midnight is released on Tuesday, though, right? Maybe now is the time to finally start my re-read. Well, after NaNoWriMo, anyway.

I got a look at someone's new Kindle last week. I was impressed with the screen. Very clear, and didn't seem fatiguing in the slightest to look at. I never saw the previous Kindles, though. I think it would make a good gift for my sister. Maybe.

Yup, one more, which has been (sigh) postponed until March 2012.

How to Beat Up Anybody by the World Champion Judah Friedlander. Entertaining so far. Not sure he's up to Robert Hamburger's level, but still good stuff.

Oh, there is a "reading" thread. Doesn't get to get much use; bunch of illiterate people on this forum I guess.

I'll have to remember this come the start of March.

Start of March. I just got The Wise Man's Fear, The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day Two, by Patrick Rothfuss. The first book in the planned trilogy, The Name of the Wind, is one of the best books I've ever read.

If you like fantasy in the least, and haven't checked it out, do so right now.

Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge by Grace Young

For a cooking dummy like me, this seems to be a great introduction. Everything is broken down very well, and it seems like it will take me as far as I want to go into stir-frying insanity.

Two days and 262 pages into The Wise Man's Fear. Not bad for a slow reader.

I do beg all of you, once again, if you have the slightest fondness for fantasy, e.g. you liked Neverending Story, or Princess Bride, you'd do much worse than to check out the first book, The Name of the Wind. I don't recommend books to people, to me they are more personal than music, but this is one of the best I've read in my life.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll put it in my Saved For Later for now and purchase it at some point.

Stir frying is a good place to start. The basic method is the same for each recipe, but you can get a fair variety of flavour with different sauces.

Now all you need is that GreenPan.

I actually went with a traditional carbon steel wok. The author of the book made a pretty strong case for them. Here's hoping I have the patience to get good at this. At least I'm being driven by my desire to eat better-tasting food. That should help.

Oh, but in addition to the 14" carbon steel wok, I did get something along the lines of the GreenPan: The 10" Green Earth Frying Pan by Ozeri. The reviews of GreenPan brand frying pans on Amazon.com kind of scared me away, with talk of bad batches. There were similar comments for other brands, but they seemed fewer in number.

Bump.

Since we're playin' with fire by talking politics in another thread, I figured I'd add religion to the mix. Mwah ha ha ha.

Seriously, this book looked interesting: "Patience with God: Faith for People Who Don't Like Religion (or Atheism)" by Frank Schaeffer.

From Publisher's Weekly: Author Schaeffer ("Keeping Faith") adopts a feisty tone in this essay about evangelical Christianity and aggressive atheism. In the first half of the book, he rebuts justifications from both sides, taking aim at the ideas of such celebrity atheists as Richard Dawkins as well as religious leaders like Rick Warren. Schaeffer asks each side to allow for an evolving religion in which allegory takes precedence over literalism. In the first half of the book, the author quotes lengthy passages from atheist writings, leaving little room for his own optimistic ideas. In the second half, he gives space for his own memories, recalling moments that led him to a middle path of hopeful uncertainty. Growing up in a well-known evangelical family, then leaving it behind for secular Hollywood, Schaeffer learned to see the world as aesthetic and contemplative rather than scientific. By embracing mystery and love, he suggests the two movements can exist side-by-side: It is possible to buck the trend of cynicism and to believe in each other more than in the rightness of our particular ideas.

---

Sounds intriguing. Anybody read it or anything else by the author?

I like the idea of hopeful uncertainty. It's kind of where I am, and where a lot of people I know are. And mysteries are cool. At least when I watch Scooby Doo with my 5 year old.

I found the book used on Amazon for less than $4 with free shipping thanks to Amazon Prime. I'll have it in a few days.

I think I'll pass. I really don't need someone else's confusing thoughts cluttering up my head.

Fixed

I Am Better Than Your Kids by Maddox

Great coffee table book containing critiques of children's artwork. The Alphabet of Manliness didn't live up to my hopes, and this one didn't win me right away, but now that I'm further in (half-way at this point), I've had quite a few laughs. Good stuff.

The Eye of the World

Yes, now that I have my Kindle, I've finally started re-reading The Wheel of Time. Hopefully I'll time it right and finish reading what's available right before the final book is released. Fingers crossed that I'll think it was worth the wait.

Rindle Dindle the Magic Dance Pony

Not reading it yet, but I ordered it! What kind of fool are you if you haven't?

The Global Economic System: How Liquidit...Economic Crises


Just some light reading, that is assigned reading......................

I just finished reading Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne, and started on Dragon Age: The Calling. They're not very good, but I needed more Bioware in my life.

Finally got to the library and picked up _The Dreaming Void_ by Peter F. Hamilton. Good stuff, but I'm glad I've read it before. It's a lot easier to follow.

Speaking of reading. Try this out. Kind of cool.
It's a .jpg so I couldn't was too lazy to edit the last line. Not that it matters. Feel free to, I just personally hate when stuff says that particular suggestion.

Wow, I guess I have a strong mind as I read that through right away.
Just finished Steven Tylers book (Does the Noise in my Head Bother You?). What a read!
Just started "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo."

I read Tyler's book too. Crazy stuff.

Now, like dakkon, I'm halfway through an equally crazy, but not the fun kind of crazy, book that's primarily about the US economic crisis.

Matt Taibbi's Griftopia is a frightening, shocking, and amazingly understable recounting of what caused, and is causing, everything from the current fuel price increases to the bailouts that began in 2008.

I'm also almost finished Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs. Again, great insight on the good and the bad there.

I'm still enjoying my Kindle, and I'm making good progress on my re-read of The Wheel of Time. I'm about a third of the way through the fifth book. I took a short break to read a friend's short story that she published on Amazon.com. It's a decently-written story that she had me read a while ago when she did it for class. I'd say she has more natural storytelling ability than I do, even if it's not something I'd normally read. (Pssst... She didn't edit it very well, though, since at least around the halfway mark typos start to show up.) It has inspired me to finish a story and publish on Amazon.com, too. It sounds really easy, and it would be fun to have something out there, even if very few people ever actually stumble onto it.

If any of you write a story and publish there, too, let me know, and I'll buy a copy, assuming you don't price it into the stratosphere. I can't imagine charging much for whatever I churn out. I still feel hopelessly far from earning any sort of real publishing deal, so this is really just an exercise in doing something because I can. In any case, I know some of you are very creative and have writing goals yourselves. This seems like a good way to dip your toes into the idea of publishing.

Kindle Direct Publishing

I've been reading a lot of self published stuff lately too. My leisure time to read right now is limited to brief attempts before I fall asleep at night so shorter stories and novellas suit me better right now.

With the ability to browse titles on the Internet and read other peoples reviews, and then buy instantly, often for 99 cents, it is much easier to make great choices other than "the safe bet" of the latest best seller.

I's also fun to watch as a short intro story by a complete unknown that you downloaded and read for free, like "Wool" goes on to be a full novel, then a trilogy on the best seller list.

All this couldn't happen in traditional book store. I'm still a bit nostalgic for a nice hard cover book if I know it's one I'll read more than once, but the digital age has really opened up possibilities for literature. Both for writers and the readers.

So Charles, you have done some writing. Where are the link(s).

It's here: "Ode to young, female Singers"

And his followup: "A Stalker's Guide to Skirting Around Restraining Orders"

I liked his "Gotta Try It: The Art of Buying and Consuming Mass Quantities of Esoteric Foods".

I'm about half way through the second book. I couldn't put the first book down, and find the second to be a bit slower, but just as good. The writing is very clever. Soon as I'm through this book, I start reading The Hunger Games.

I don't really recommend it, but you can find a sampling here. I don't have much that's complete, which is why I needed the kick in the pants. But if you read the last couple of NaNoWriMo beginnings I had, you can at least see my level of writing. Definitely at the level of self-publishing with no hopes of making money.

Mark and J.P.'s ideas sound better than anything I've actually written.

I'm not sure which one was written first, Avatar (James Cameron's) or these books "The Lodestone Trilogy" by Mark Whiteway but....

[[The following are not really spoilers if you read book covers....]]

The Lodestone books involve an indigenous, humanoid race with cat like tails who end up fighting the visiting, and more advanced, humans who are there for a rare mineral, lodestone, that is found only on that planet. There is also a giant 'tree of life' type scenario as it moves on. Sound familiar?

Again, I'm not sure which was written first and there are certainly lots of difference as well but the similarities are hard to avoid. To it's credit, the Lodestone books involve much more complex plots, but then again, Avatar was written as a blockbuster movie, not a trilogy. I don't want to compare them too heavily. They are very different writings.

I think I found it via a review on Wired.com. Pretty good sci-fi if you can get over the similarities to Avatar. The mineral is much better explained and the imagined physics of how it works is central to the storyline. Worth my $7.00 for the whole three books for sure.

My progress on The Wheel of Time has slowed, and I really can't slow down if I want to have all of the currently available books read by January, when the final volume is set to be released. I've been reading on the Kindle, which is nice, but I think there are even more typos than in the print versions, and I remember always noticing typos in those. To be fair, they're huge manuscripts, and I'd hate to be the editor, but it just seems weird that such glaring errors can survive multiple printings and then a digital version. The digital versions would be so easy to correct. In any case, I just finished book 6, Lord of Chaos, and the ending still makes me smile. I've always considered the first six solid reading, with A Crown of Swords being the first where Robert Jordan started to lose me with his meandering, but it's been a while since I've read them, and I'm hoping I'll be less put off this time around.

I just finished a four chapter demo of "Red Shirts". An intriguing and humorous concept. It's a Star Trek (ish) universe where the the ensigns and lower ranks have caught on that they are always doomed to a horrible death on away missions and that there must be some ominous reason behind it. Unfortunately, Scalzi's writing style didn't gel with me at all. I'm not sure if I'll buy the book.

Switched to "Neuromancer". Some classic science fiction (it invented the term "Cyberspace.") that I missed in the early 80s. It revolves around an ex computer hacker who 'jacks in' to a 3D Internet of sorts called, yup you guessed it, The Matrix. A former employer had him made biologically incompatible to ever do it again and so he becomes a drug addicted hustler in a futuristic, underworld city in China. Of course, he is given his ability back for one last 'do it or die' job involving a powerful artificial intelligence.

The author invented so many of his own words, slang and techno lingo that the book was actually a very frustrating read for the first 1/4 to a 1/3 but now that my brain has adapted to it, it is very intriguing. Full of over-the-top characters, plot twists and, of course, the classic "Can AI be considered a true life form?" dilemma.

Hi Charles,

I felt the same way about book 6/7 (loved 6, disliked 7), but now that I've reread them all at the same time, I don't mind so much. I've always seen 7 as a "getting people places" book, and it still is, but it's a lot less troublesome to be able to continue reading once they've GOTTEN there.

I just finished The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. Pretty good stuff, but does suffer from the "made up words" syndrome. About 25% of the way through it, I was wondering "Why am I reading this?" but I actually couldn't stop.

Before that, I reread the Oxford Time series by Connie Willis. Highly recommended, if you can handle huge emotional swings.

Ken,

I'm going to check out The Way of Kings.

I remember reading Connie Willis' The Doomsday Book years and years ago.



And. . . . I've got The Wheel of Time in my Amazon cart, wondering if I want to start rereading this series now. I've got a copy of WOT already, but it's pretty yellowed from age. Need a new one.

If all you've read is The Doomsday Book, you know what I mean about emotional swings. To Say Nothing of the Dog is mostly silly and funny, despite the topic. Blackout/All Clear is back to The Doomsday Book level of things. There's also a short story she wrote before the rest of it called Fire Watch, which fills in a little info.

I'm going to check out more of her stuff. Like I said, it was years ago, and I think the bookstore only carried The Doomsday Book. Ha ha, it was a little outside of what I was looking for at the time, but now I appreciate her doing something different with the genre.

Oh, it's very different from the rest of the genre. Much more historical fiction (sans the romance element) than sci-fi. Similar in some ways to what Harry Turtledove does with some of his alternate time series (namely the War of the States books, which are pure alt-history, no time travel or aliens involved).

I tried Turtledove a long time ago too, but, again, I wasn't really ready for that. Still stuck in the typical sci-fi/fantasy mindset of typical worlds and plot lines.

Recently, I read The Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. . . sure it's a little derivative, but I ended up liking it quite a bit. I thought the characters were the shining part. That reminds me, I need to check out his Dresden Files series.

Side point:
I wish there was some way to link my Amazon.com wishlist to my Amazon.ca wishlist.

Ken, had this one in my cart and then switched to "Mistborn" instead. So far, I'm enjoying it.

I just finished "the Prince of Thorns". Now I'm onto the second book of this series. I couldn't put the first one down. The main character is one of those hero villains you just want to hate, but find yourself liking. Very unique book.

Bump!

I've been reading a lot more of late. From a psychological perspective, I'm reading Passionate Marriage. The sex stories can seem a bit ... weird at first, but the principles seem good so far.

My church has me reading as well: in the couples group, we're starting Grace by Max Lucado. It's dynamite so far. I just joined a men's group that is starting Multiply by Francis Chan. I've heard good things about it also.

You're fearless. I like that.

I picked up "A Memory of Light" the other day. I can't believe Wheel of Time will finally be complete. Talk about a lifetime of reading.

First I have to finish Neal Peart and Kevin Anderson's "Clockwork Angels." I won't give it rave reviews but it's an interesting read if you are a fan of the Rush album of the same name.

P.S. Don't do like I did and accidentally grab "Clockwork Angel" at the book store. Along with just missing an "s" it also has a steampunk theme so the cover deceived me as well. Obviously I didn't check the author's name. I read it anyways. It's categorized as teen fiction and probably good for that target audience. I understand the series is quiet popular. However, I was more glad than disappointed when I hit the last page.

I'm working my way through WoT again before I read the last book. First half of Winter's Heart is tough going, I can see why people quit the series around there. Still, I keep discovering new things and more hints to stuff in future books.

I'm reading this thread.

How does it end?

With me saying, I haven't read a book book in several years.

I got my copy, but I'm not quite ready for it. I'm 7% into Towers of Midnight, though, so I'm getting there. There are certainly some weaker aspects to the series, but I simply want a few more great moments before it's over. No matter what, I think scope of the world, with all of its intricacies, was quite a feat.

I'm almost a third of the way through the final book, A Memory of Light. Here's hoping the end is satisfying.

Oh, I did finally finish Reamde by Neal Stephenson. I had to resort to the Audible version, because its just too huge get through on my own. So I let someone read it to me every night like a bedtime story.

Typical for Neal Stephenson its ending wasn't the best, but there are a few good set pieces along the way, and I think I laughed out loud at least three times. I still think he needs an editor that's not afraid to chop a 1000 page behemoth down to under 500 pages, but I guess wandering tangents are now his style.

Charles, you're a monster. I'm only halfway through book 12.

Recently finished Iron Coffins by Commander Herbert Werner. One of the few U-boat survivors, Werner details his account of the war from the beginnings when the Germans had a stranglehold on the Atlantic to the end with the Allied victory.

It's interesting to read history from the "other" side. Werner throws a few tidbits in their questioning Hitler and Nazi leadership while also stressing pride in his country and striving to do his part in the war for the love of his family and countrymen.

Skill and a lot of luck come into play for Werner to have survived. One of his main gripes about technological advances within the U-boat fleet is the lack of deployment for a device called the schnorkel, which is pretty much an air scoop attached to the u-boat allowing it to take in fresh air while running submerged, thus negating the need to surface repeatedly to recharge the batteries. This became particularly important after increased Allied air presence.

I enjoyed the book.

Finished The Dirty Streets of Heaven by Tad Williams. Interesting take on heaven and angles. Fist Tad Williams book I've ever read. I like his writing style and will pick up a couple more.

I know I'm opening myself up to 'snarkery' but after being handed a USB with about 1000 comics on it, I've found myself becoming a fan again. The artwork, storlines and character building have come a long way since I was a kid. He had digital copies of the entire original Avengers series from way back in the 60s so I'm able to compare.

The old originals are so terrible by today's standards that they are readable only for chuckles. The stories are simplistic in comparison and very fractured. Powers get tossed around, created and changed so much it's like they just couldn't be bothered to read their own previous episodes to get the powers or costumes right. Of course it's not fair to compare artwork as they were working with what they had in the day, except to say that many modern styles are truly amazing, but they are also very varied as well. Checking out what artist worked on a book actually means something now. You may love or hate their very personal style.

Gone is most of the tongue-in-cheek humour (well maybe except for Spiderman) and in it's place are dark, troubled characters. What's kind of cool though is that although there are thousands of new choices of all genres from Star Wars to Romance, but it is still the super-heroes of our youth that are still at the height of popularity.

There are still some cheesy ones being made though and I'm not much for when they do classic super-heroes in anime style (mostly cause that brings back the over-the-topness + cheesy humour.)

I really enjoyed starting with "A Vs. X" (Avenger's Vs. X-Men) as it re-introduced all the classic heroes and villains for me and the story lines were much more complex than "Hulk Angry so Hulk Smash", so to speak. The reason for the conflict was much more intricate & personal.

If anyone is interested in reliving their youth a bit, I highly recommend the 12 book "A Vs. X" series as a good first step. Also, the "Batman Arkham Unhinged". The newest Captain Marvel will surprise you as well.

With the exception of Batman, I'm definitely preferring Marvell vs. D.C. D.C. still seems to want to run with the more old-school, fractured storlines and a lot more cheesy humor (sorry to keep using the same term but it fits). I tried to get into the new JLA and Superman but so far Batman is my only D.C. regular read.

For non-traditional titles, companies like Dark Horse Comics and Image have some very original new titles like "The Manhattan Projects" (not what you think) is really cool. "Punk Rock Jesus" is a 'what if' story about a company cloning a possible Jesus from the Shroud of Turin and grooming him not as a religious savoir but as the lead in a rock band / marketing fiasco. Sounds ridiculous but an interesting read. Some of the newer Star Wars titles are pretty good as well. "Saga" is super popular among the 'hipster on my lawn' crowd but I'm having trouble adapting to it.

If you feel like another Robert Jorden sized journey, Marvell's "Civil War" series is very good and delves deep into the personal lives of all the major heroes. However, it's 107 books long and it isn't completely it's own series. To follow the complete story, you have to branch off into a bunch of other series as it spans the whole Marvel Universe. It would be near impossible to collect all these in print now but digital copies make it easy.

As a result of all this, I've actually subscribed to a few titles electronically via ComiXology. You can get digital copies the same day new titles go into print and often 1st editions are free for older titles so you can see if you like them.

Sorry for the novel.
I'm working from home today due to the weather but I'm waiting for a call back from our help desk about my VPN so my work laptop is dead in the water.

Bill Bruford - The Autobiography.
Interesting read so far regarding the music biz and early Yes.
I was fortunate to receive a signed copy when ordered from Burning Shed.

I've recently completed the Steve Jobs bio, and that of Mick Jagger. I've begun reading Keith Richards', and Springteen's is on deck after that.

As a pre-teen, the father of one of my friends was a sales manager for a magazine distributor, and once every couple of weeks or so he would bring home damaged comics. Ripped covers was enough to qualify. So my buddy and I would tackle a two foot tall stack of new comics pretty regularly. We read everything: DC, Marvel, even Disney stuff published by Gold Key, iirc.

In the end I found that I generally preferred the DC characters and stories. It was probably an age thing. I found the Marvel stuff more complex and often darker. These days, I'd probably prefer that. And if my interpretation is correct, it seems like that's how the market has gone of late anyway.

It disappoints me a little that my 13 yo son couldn't care less to read comics, though he goes through novels like a demon and has for years. We got him a Kindle for Christmas, and he loves it. Can I get him to read a comic or two on it? No....

I always preferred the Rocky and Bulwinkle comics myself.

Keith Richards book is really good. Even if you are not a fan of the Rolling Stones you will appreciate the history.

I have just finished the Passage series by Justin Cronin and Unbroken: A WW 11 story of Survival,Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. Wow! that's a long title. It took a while but now I have a Kindle, getting it reminds me of the how thrilled I was with my first remote! There's no turning back now.

Being a dude who remembers the time of no TV and for that matter no rock music, I started very young reading books and listening to radio shows thus creating movies in my head. I continue to this day creating the head movies!

Just finished John Scalzi's The God Engines on the plane today (from OKC to IAD). It was a quick read and pretty interesting, if you're into religiously-themes sci-fi.

I finally finished A Memory of Light last night. I enjoyed it, even if some stuff just sort of happened, rather than drawing me in. There were still enough moments to make me feel good about having read the series.

Charles is the Winner!!!!
I haven't started it yet. My latest, probably brief but admittedly infatuated, phase into a return to comic books has interrupted my book reading. I still have 1 book left from my wife's Christmas presents that I must read first to retain good favor, then it's on to the Memory of Light.

OK If you ever played D&D, video games, your a film, TV or music buff or just generally grew up in the 80s, YOU HAVE TO READ Ready Player One by Earnest Cline.

If you haven't discovered it yet, it's about the near future where the entire world spends much of their time on the next evolution of the Internet. A 3D virtual universe called Oasis where people game but also go to school, conduct commerce, etc.

The eccentric, billionaire creator dies and in his will he leaves his entire fortune and control of Oasis to any player who can find his hidden Easter Egg. The entire world becomes obsessed with the hunt and because the creator was obsessed with 80s nostalgia (you can travel to entire planets modeled after everything from Middle Earth to Bladerunner), everything 80s from music, games, movies etc. becomes all the rage again because the clues require that you know absolutely everything about everything 80s. Entire corporations form just to try and win the prize so they can control and monetize Oasis, ie "the badguys".

The story itself is great, the concept is pretty cool and if you are even remotely close to my age in body or spirit, you will be blasted with a lot of fun nostalgia that you probably forgot about.

I haven't had so much simple fun reading a book in a long time.

P.S.
MARK!!!
Did I mention that there is huge battle where somebody in the virtual universe gains the ability to turn into a skyscraper tall Ultraman!!

Jimmy Page Light & Shade. Very interesting read for Led Zep fans and musicians.
Also A Game of Thrones which took a while to get into however really enjoying the story.

I may take heat for this but it needs to be said....

So I came across an article saying that George Lucas sold the rights to his original Star Wars screenplay to Marvel and that they were doing it up in a comic series. I figured, "That should be interesting."

I don't think I have ever brought myself down to the level of using this acronym before but OMFG!!!!
It was soooooo terrible!!!! I'm only two books in and it is, by a very far stretch, the worst thing I have ever read in my life and in any possible media.

The story line is very different. That's OK. Characters with recognizable names are no where near who they are in the film (Luke is an established general with a beard.) That's OK. All the differences in itself are OK. Original drafts are often very different than the resulting movie. I was expecting that.

However, the story is so fragmented, so NOT interesting, there is no character development PERIOD, no plot development, stuff just happens out of the blue, It's just so SO BAD!

When The Phantom Menace came out, I wondered if George Lucas lost it. His storytelling ability, anyways. When Attack of the Clones came out, I actually hoped he would sell the rights to the third movie.

Now, I don't think he lost it. I think maybe ' he never had it'. It makes me very suspicious that when he brought the screenplay to the Universal Studios, it went something like this. "We can definitely make a movie out of Light Sabers, what a great idea. However, you have to agree to let our screen writers completely change your story...... cause you don't have one!"

Ok, I've seen all the movies (and liked most of them), but I would NOT, under any circumstances, look at what Lucas' perennially sophomoric dialogue looks like in print.

That crappy dialogue has made some of the best actors of their time sound like college freshman in Drama 101.

If one were to remove all of the FX, you would be left with a 1962 network soap opera with a black velvet drape as a background, a framed picture hanging (floating) on it, and yes, way, way more bad dialogue.

One might suggest that Lucas actually invented the contemporary graphic novel---not a novel, not a work of fine art, and not a "film."

Based on the age range so many of you fall into, I completely understand the strong influences special effects movies must have made on you as youguns. There are cultural biggies from everyone's youth that make a lasting impact, and there need not be "legitimate" or arguable reasons to hold on to those influences.

Look at some of the performances, character development, and dialogue in 2001 ASO, Blade Runner, or Alien. Compare those aspects to any Lucas movie (or Avatar) and I think you may come up short. Lucas characters are about their appearance, not their substance, and sure a squirrel pellets, not their essence.

Of course it's IMO! Unless I should start writing "IYO?"

Andrew, I have been visited by aliens since I was 9. Next time they stop by, I'm gonna ask them if they can give you back the time you've spent on this.

I would not disagree with you Bob.

But if your sending your alien friends, I'll skip the anal probes please.

Too late Murph.

You just don't remember.

I'm reading Dune for the first time. Not sure if I'm actually enjoying it, but...

As much as people regurgitate what others say, I don't think IMO is an of course. Not that they're using it only when they have a genuine opinion of their own, but still.

Yes, the effects were a major component, but it's not like we haven't had movies with amazing effects that didn't resonate with audiences. I can't defend what George Lucas has become, but with Star Wars and Indiana Jones, he somehow arrived at an incredible combination of elements. Something there sparked my imagination like nothing else in my childhood.

But yeah, George Lucas sucks now.

But at least you get to daydream about Sting?

I think I saw parts of the movie when I was a small child. So, not really, no...

Feyd, lovely Feyd.

I'm reading Carter Beats the Devil. Some people I follow on Twitter mentioned it and I bought it without knowing anything about it. It's not usually the kind of book I read, but I'm loving it. Here's a short description:

"Set against the backdrop of early 20th-century San Francisco during the heyday of such legendary illusionists and escape artists as Harry Houdini, this thoroughly entertaining debut by an amateur magician with an M.F.A. in creative writing is a fanciful pastiche of history, fantasy and romance."

Just finished with Atlas Shrugged, wow, that read took a while!
/Jeff

DId it help you see selfish people in a whole new light?

Star Wars is a different category than all three of the examples you cited. Those three are all good examples of real Scifi (and there are not many true scifi flicks out there). Starwars is more like space cowboys with cool special effects.

Interesting. I always enjoyed Frank Herbert and Dune (the first book) was one of his best.

Well, my point was not so much to discuss Star Wars but I think Fred nailed it with his reference to "real sci-fi" verses what it was, a simple adventure story that happened to be set in space with trend setting effects.

But therein lies my comparison to the screenplay. At least the movie had the basic story telling elements. Classic good verses evil, a young unlikely hero gets trained by the last martial master to save a princess from an impenetrable fortress led by a dark knight. Heavily borrowed, but fail-safe.

The original draft was, well I don't really know what it is yet because other than a military invasion, no discernible story has developed yet. It's like he took every idea for a movie he ever wrote on the scrap of a napkin, threw them into one of those Barrel of Monkeys toy containers, shook it, threw them on the floor and arranged them in completely random order.

Honestly, It's just one of those things that I won't be able to make you understand unless you read it yourself.

Ken, I can understand where you are coming from. Dune was masterful in some ways, but it is a very slow burn. I enjoyed it more in a second reading many years after the first, as a lot more of the details popped out as being relevant where they seemed to be just filer in my first read.

It's more the rather stilted writing and the constant shifts between 3rd person personal (ie, this person is thinking that, now this other person is thinking this). It's kind of awkward.

I had hoped that was exactly what I was expressing, but I guess my Canadian has become a bit rusty.

It's been some time since I read it, but I remember it being difficult to keep so many character names going on in my head.

re: Dune movies

There are 3 I'm aware of. The biggie, David Lynch's, is problematic, for sure, especially when one continually casts a bowling pin in lead (leaden?) roles. That, too, was hard to keep all the previous action in your head to follow the story line. The floating Kenneth MacMillan was way cool, though.

There was a SciFi channel 3 or 4 parter that I thought was somewhat better.

Too many words, not enough eh.

I can't imagine Star Wars as a comic graphic novel. I find most of them too disjointed as it is...

It's OK Fred, you can say the C word here.

I'm late posting this, but I figured I should come back and mention it. While I still haven't read a lot of comics, I was impressed by Jeff Smith's (of Bone fame, which I still haven't read) RASL. I attended his panel at Emerald City Comicon, and it sounded really interesting. He said he was inspired a lot by film noir at the time, and was reading a lot about Tesla and parallel universes at the time. The story came together for him from those three influences. If any of that interests you, and you aren't above comics, I'd say definitely check it out. I'm going to re-read it soon.

Will ya look at that Charles! The last post in this thread was in early October of last year!

No one here has read a book in over 7 months! Well, at least not at night.

Based on what some of you do at the office all day, I'm surprised a lot of you don't get more reading done there.

Were all waiting on you Mr. Culture.

I just started book 3 of the Mad Addam series by M. Atwood. This one if fluff compared to some of her other works, but I still like the way she writes.

The In-Between World of Vicram Lall is languishing on my night stand. Judging by the layer of dust its been there over a year now.

I also finally finished Midnight's Children by Rushdie about 4 months ago. Also watched the movie (directed by Deepa Mehta) and it was most excellent.

I'm already re-reading RASL by Jeff Smith. I'd recommend it again. Ha ha. I really like what he was able to do with the story.

I felt like something different and so I grabbed "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern. Wow. This has to be one of the most imaginative books I have read in a long time.

Every chapter adds something more to the fantastic. This is the whole point of the plot, I suppose, as the two circus 'influencers' try to outdo the other. The big accomplishment in the writing though is that it doesn't feel ridiculous, it just makes you curious to read more.

A great read if you feel like like a break from, well... practically anything else.

Alright you critics, don't laugh, at least not too much-
Just finished reading "The River King" by Alice Hoffman, (I was bored)saw the movie (liked some of the sound track), the book was better.
/Jeff