230 replies to this topic

[cornflakes]

Have you guys read any good books lately, or feel that a particular book sucked? Express your opinions here.

[bryncurry]

My friend told me the Supernaturalist was good. DONT read it. I hated it. Stupid.

I've been reading Gone with the Wind, and once again, I recommend it.
Ive also heard that the unabridged version of the Count of Monte Cristo is good.

[IronBreadCrumb]

I've been reading this comic about the Holocaust. It's called Maus. Jews are mice, germans are cats, french are frogs, poles are pigs and americans are dogs.

Pretty damn interesting.

[jmend1]

bryncurry, on Mar 24 2007, 12:37 PM, said:

My friend told me the Supernaturalist was good. DONT read it. I hated it. Stupid.

WHATTTTT???? I thought The Supernaturalist was a very good book. Eoin Colfer is a genius. You should read his Artemis Fowl Books. THEY ARE AWESOME!

[cornflakes]

Artemis Fowl was quite good, up till the Eternity Code, at least. I didn't like the Opal Deception much, as it seems to me that the plot was weak, with a generic villian, seeming suspiciously like just an excuse to get the old gang together again. Of course, it might just be that my reading tastes have become more discriminating, as the time-gap between the two was something like two years.

My friend recommended The Supernaturalist to me as well, but I didn't really get to it. The premise didn't interest me, I guess. I'll pick it up someday.

At the moment I seem to be on a 'modern classics' reading spree. I started with Catcher in the Rye a few weeks ago, moving on to Lord of the Flies, and then onto The Life of Pi. Of these, I enjoyed The Life of Pi the most, as I enjoy allegories the most. Catcher in the Rye was also rather affecting. I don't know why, but Lord of the Flies didn't work as well for me. Don't get me wrong, it's still a great book, but not on the calibre of the former two, in my opinion.

Before this I was reading almost entirely history, devouring titles like Penguin's History of the Twentieth Century, Penguin's History of Europe, Western Civilisation, Modern World History 1815-1990, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and the like, but I decided that I should read some fiction again, so I started reading storybooks again.

[bryncurry]

Im just reading historical fiction right now. I really dont want to read another Harry Potter type of book. Artemis Fowl was boring...I could never really be interested in that. The only Eoin Colfer book i really like is the Wish List. Which i recomend if you havent read it.

[cornflakes]

What books are you reading? I was reading almost purely historical fiction too, for a time.

One author I recommend in particular is Colleen McCullough. She's an excellent writer, detailed and solid on historical research. She wrote a series about the fall of Rome, from Marius to Octavius. It's interesting, though all the books are kinda thick, so don't get it unless you have patience.

[jmend1]

I think I'll give those a shot. Have you read anything by Orson Scott Card? By the way there is also a new Artemis Fowl book out called Artemis Fowl The Lost Colony It's the best one of the series.

[Reina]

Stephen King's It.
It's a really good scary book,although it has some "x" rated scenes in it...

[cornflakes]

Nope, I haven't read anything by Orson Scott Card...... he's a science fiction writer, no? I read Frank Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, Stephen Baxter and occasionally James Luceno.....

I am currently reading A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. This guy is a frigging genius. It's a general science book, and he writes in such an accessible manner that I even found myself interested in geology, a topic that would have normally put me to sleep. It's also chock-full of interesting facts, like:

Bill Bryson, on on E=mc2, said:

You may not feel outstandingly robust, but if you are an average-sized adult you will contain within your modest frame no less than 7 x 10^18 joules of potential energy -- enough to explode with the force of thirty very large hydrogen bombs, assuming you knew how to liberate it and really wished to make a point.

He also incorporates irony and dry humour in his writing:

Quote

Having solved several of the deepest mysteries of the universe, Einstein applied for a job as a university lecturer and was rejected, and then for one as a high-school teacher and was rejected there as well.

[Reina]

geez,I've never even HEARD of those people...

[cornflakes]

I guess I just read a lot...... I have to take an hour-long journey to school and back every day, so it helps to have a book. I haven't been reading as much since I got my iPod though.

[jmend1]

Good qoutes. I'm going to the library on Monday to get one of his books. Orson Scott Card wrote Enders Game, it's the greates SF I have ever read.

[cornflakes]

Oh..... he wrote Endymion or something too, right? Is that him?

[jmend1]

cornflakes, on Mar 25 2007, 10:16 AM, said:

Oh..... he wrote Endymion or something too, right? Is that him?

I'm not sure. Have you read any books by Lemony Snicket? His writing style is one of a kind.