Jen, which Vonneguts?

- I'm back with ol' Sammy Pepys... diary of 1662.

Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism & the Scapegoating of Femininity - Julia Serano.

God Bless You Mr. Rosewater and Breakfast of Champions.  They were pretty good, but not as good as some of his others imo.

I'm reading The road

It is totally awsome, bleak, post apocolyptic book full of ash, cold, starvation and despair. And a love of a guy for his son.

The imagery is just so startling. I'm totally hooked.

Depressing read, but a real page turner.

Not very big either, got it yesterday and am almost finished. Quick read but I think it makes a huge impact.

Quote from: Nicky on January 20, 2010, 06:55:51 PM
I'm reading The road

It is totally awsome, bleak, post apocolyptic book full of ash, cold, starvation and despair. And a love of a guy for his son.

The imagery is just so startling. I'm totally hooked.

Depressing read, but a real page turner.

Not very big either, got it yesterday and am almost finished. Quick read but I think it makes a huge impact.

God I hate those kind of books, lol.  My friend made me read Fahrenheit 451 a couple months ago and I still haven't forgiven him for making me finish it.

Give the people contests they win by remembering the words to more popular songs or the names of state capitals or how much corn Iowa grew last year. Cram them full of non-combustible data, chock them so damned full of 'facts' they feel stuffed, but absolutely 'brilliant' with information. Then they'll feel they're thinking, they'll get a sense of motion without moving. And they'll be happy, because facts of that sort don't change. Don't give them any slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy.

Fahrenheit 451 is only sad because its only become more true.

Quote from: tekla on January 20, 2010, 08:14:55 PM
Fahrenheit 451 is only sad because its only become more true.

Not sad- barren and dismal.  I do agree its message has aged really well and it did have a few nuggets to think about, but nothing that remotely made up for sucking the joy out of my life for a couple days.  I've had enough of that depression BS, thank you very much.

Also, omg the most ridiculous pulp-ish prose ever written.  And he killed off the one character that had any soul wayyy too early.  Maybe intentional irony I dunno, but the result was a story carried by husk-like caricatures of human beings set in a world in which I had no interest spending time, real or imagined.  Seriously, don't get me started, I could rant all night about that book.

Quote from: Jen on January 20, 2010, 06:45:22 PM
God Bless You Mr. Rosewater and Breakfast of Champions.  They were pretty good, but not as good as some of his others imo.

Sirens of Titan has become my favourite now, which is odd because I was less keen when I first read it.

Quote from: Pica Pica on January 24, 2010, 05:21:16 PM
Sirens of Titan has become my favourite now, which is odd because I was less keen when I first read it.

I feel the same way about Slapstick.  Well, I dunno if it's my fave, but I like it lots more than I used to.  I reread Slaughterhouse 5 recently and it sure took on a deeper meaning for me within the context of our recent times... speaking of timeless messages.

I haven't read Sirens of Titan yet, sounds like maybe I should.

Started Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. I loved Coraline and some of his short stories/picture books, and I'm really liking this book! 

I just finished reading Asimov's Foundation series and the robot novels. Really good stories. It's intersesting to see his idea of the Future from 50-60 years in his Future. I believe I will get some of his other books.

Quote from: Anastasia on January 28, 2010, 12:43:44 PM
I just finished reading Asimov's Foundation series and the robot novels. Really good stories. It's intersesting to see his idea of the Future from 50-60 years in his Future. I believe I will get some of his other books.

It's a long time since I read Asimov but he was a fine writter with a very clever mind. I think the Foundation series get too long, from memory the first three were very good and then it became a bit repetetive (IMO) .

He also wrote some excellent detective novels. I just can't place them in my mind. There was a book of short stories based on a detective/investigator theme, love to know if anyone can point them out.

I do so marvel at people who the endless imagination to keep writing so much stuff, and most of it very good.

Have you tried Dan Simmons Hyperion series? Again from memory three or four books. I found them a bit difficult to get into at first because the story is very elaborate and journies to the past and future and the plot tries not to reveal the end (soory if that makes no sense ). But I found the story very rewarding. I think one of the best reads I have had for making me think about novel construction and plot. And enjoyable.

Nothing like a good book; a man is a good cuddle, but a book keeps you happy for hours 

Sorry Guys

Cindy

I feel like I'm reading too many series at the same time right now, but they're all just piling up because of how much I've had to work for the last 6 months.  *frown*

Currently reading Black Sun Rising by C.S. Friedman, which is the first in a trilogy I've been lent.

On the backburner are:
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series (at book 9)
Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series (at book 9)
George R.R. Martin's series (haven't started yet)
and I keep getting pushed by people to read Harry Potter

I'm sure there are several others I'll be assaulted with as I finish these, but I tend to drift towards fantasy/sci-fi if it wasn't obvious

and I keep getting pushed by people to read Harry Potter

You can safely resist this.  Thin character development (and that's being charitable) is just the worst part.  But you know what's even worse about Harry Potter?  The movies are actually better than the books are.  Which pretty much says it all.

Quote from: tekla on January 29, 2010, 07:04:58 PM
and I keep getting pushed by people to read Harry Potter

You can safely resist this.  Thin character development (and that's being charitable) is just the worst part.  But you know what's even worse about Harry Potter?  The movies are actually better than the books are.  Which pretty much says it all.

Nice books for children to learn to understand reading as a pleasure and past time. I read the first three out of interest. First book was ok for a very light read. Went downhill from there .
I still don't know the ending, so that's how engrossed I became, haven't watched the films either.

Cindy

I read the books because my kids were reading them (among other things) and I read the books my kids were reading (its called parenting - and oh yeah, I listened to all them damn rap records too, only to go on and work with half of them).  I watched the movies, because I must confess, I'm a total slut for Alan Rickman - I'd watch anything if he is in it.

I'm a total slut for Alan Rickman

Best Sheriff of Nottingham ever (so far); yes an oxymoron brought to life , and the only reason to watch DH1. JMPO


Cindy

Still on the wheel of time series myself. Also reading Thomas Covenent The Unbeliever. But I don't remember the author and I'm too lazy to look. Sorry.

Right now I'm reading Cut, I really like it cause I can really relate to the main character.

Watership Down by Richard Adams.