I've been meaning to read this for ages. It has taken a while to get a feel for, but I'm slowly starting to enjoy it.
I've been meaning to read this for ages. It has taken a while to get a feel for, but I'm slowly starting to enjoy it.
The Hero with a Thousand faces by Joseph Campbell; it's an examination into how all the world myths are essentially the same story.
Hannibal by Thomas Harris. I've fallen in love with the on-going TV series and decided to read the books; I finished Red Dragon and SotL in the past month and am loving Hannibal so far (I know a lot of people aren't big on it, and I'm still early on, but so far all of the development of Mason is great and it's yet to lose me). Finished Gone Girl I think last week and posted about that in the respective thread.
Zadie Smith's 'White Teeth.' After listening to this - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features...210b7#b03bg4v7 - I finally decided to do it. So far, it actually is as good as people say.
@elevenism and @Pillfred
(The first Dark Towers 1-4 were incredible. I can't believe there will be a number 8. It makes sense though, seeing as how number 7 ended.)
Doctor Sleep, by Stephen King
The evil force in this one is a group of RV people who torture children in order to gain vitality and longevity.
It's kind of a mess really, but the last third of the book really picks up steam and makes it worth reading. This isn't one of King's stronger efforts.
Last edited by cashpiles (closed); 07-31-2014 at 12:13 AM. Reason: name mentions
Anyone read the Dark Tower series by Stephen King? I've always wanted to read them and they have a 4 book box-set. What do you all think? I'll likely be getting it though.
Originally written in the mid to late 60s, this is a highly entertaining collection of stories about various companies and financial situations around the time. The dated nature of the accounts adds an interesting historical perspective as well.
@cashpiles , number 8 has already come out. it's called The Wind Through the Keyhole, and it's set between 3 and 4. I loved it.
And Doctor Sleep...picks up "steam," eh?
I thought it was pretty good. Then again i'm as obsessed with king as i am NIN.
I don't miss a king book.
I've read all of them except Mr. Mercedes, which i'm struggling through right now.
It's a very strange departure for king...a hard boiled detective story.
edit: i'm sorry, i meant between 4 and 5, not 3 and 4.
Last edited by elevenism; 08-02-2014 at 12:16 AM.
I'm reading 'Feral: Rewilding the land, sea and human life' by George Monbiot. Really interesting.
Here's a clip of his TED talk on the subject about how reintroducing wolves to a national park changes the environment. Worth a watch.
Got the ebook version of Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and the Year of his Pilgrimage. Can't wait to start. Read some reviews saying it's super good.
Murakami is like that. Full of ambiguity. I think my hardback is only like 300 pages so it is short compared to others.
It does take a bit to get into, I liked Dharma Bums better.
So finished the book thief really enjoyed the story an style in which it was written. Burned through Sick Puppy which i thought was pretty damn funny. Considering my general world view I'm not sure if my mom should have sent it to me but alas I'm not independently wealthy so i won't become an eco terrorist soon. Other than rereading some old books in small doses I've decided to finally read Fierce Invalids in Hot Climates. After which I'm gonna have to find the book i owe the library and get that sucker back so i can feed my growing reading addiction.
Just finished Dark Places by Gillian Flynn.
Now i'm reading Orange is the New Black (which isn't a WHOLE lot like the show plotwise,) and How To Expel Demons and Break Curses (which isn't a clever title...it's a reference book/instruction manual. i've had a few run-ins with evil spirits)
This is an old as hell post but my adoration for The Dark Tower is way too strong to not respond, so let me just vouch for it and tell you that it's the best book series I have ever read and honestly changed how I viewed fiction, writing and reality in a way I didn't think could happen. I read all seven at a moderately young age after getting into Stephen King through books like The Talisman, The Stand, etc., and along the way of reading these seven I read several more from him. Pretty much every single book the man has ever published can, in one way or another, be linked back to The Dark Tower series, and it all makes perfect sense in a fantastic way. The characters in that series are some of the most genuine, human-like people I've read in my entire life and even though it divided a lot of people, I still think the ending to it is absolutely spectacular. As a whole, it's a wonderfully weird, poignant and beautiful series that totally deserves reading.
Oh, and since I'm currently finishing up Thomas Harris' Hannibal series with Hannibal Rising (and nobody shoot me, but I'm actually enjoying it a fair bit), is your profile pic referencing Red Dragon?
Thanks I'll check them out! I've read some of the Stand! I will definitely be getting everything Stephen king. I'm glad it has touched you in such a positive way. That makes me excited. It is actually referencing Hannibal. I've read the silence of the lambs. I'm a fan of everything I've watched though. I'll definitely be reading the rest of them. Oh yeah and Storm of the Century is my favorite Stephen king work ever. I was fascinated by it when I was 10
Just finished Farenheit 451. Looking at some aspects of the present world around me, I'm rather disturbed.
There was a post on Reddit the other day about how ironic it is to read Fahrenheit 451 on a Kindle, I found that pretty great.
If you've not read them, I'd really recommend reading 1984 and Brave New World soon, as all three form a great trilogy of different ideas and perspectives on dystopia and how society could progress for the worse. All three have very different takes, and yet all three have strong merit and points to make.
@theburningreptile : Maybe it's because I was young at the time, but really, TDT series just had a major impact on me. To this day it's affected how I view relationships with others and how I try to live my life. I've been an aspiring writer for ages and those books really struck a chord with what you can do in fiction and how stories can impact people. It's just got such an astounding scope and scale to it, it's incredible. Also, you really should check out the rest of the Hannibal series. It's a love-it-or-hate-it sort of thing, but the third book, Hannibal, is by far my favorite of the three. If the dark poetry aspects of the series is what you love about it, you'd love that one.
Last edited by implanted_microchip; 09-06-2014 at 03:22 PM.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/714vNK4-d8L.jpg
Reading for a class. Three chapters in, and it's really inspirational!
I was a bit disappointed with the latest Murakami. A bit too sloppy, cliched but it was still compelling enough to finish it.
Over half way through Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. Really good, funny and quirky book that takes a look at American society and vices. He was such a great man.
Michael Connelly's The Drop. I found it collecting dust in my apartment. How it got there, I have no idea. Also, a sales book on question based selling.
Started off well, got super-boring half-way through. Basically just a series of conversations between powerful men about politics, economics, religion. There are some good ideas here (especially about the interelations between capitalism, religion, imperialism), but as fiction this feels inadequate.
There is one female character who appears for a few pages (in mostly negative light), and a girl is mentioned briefly (with regards to trying on jewelry). Tsk tsk Asimov. Bechdel test: failed.
just got the fourth Johannes Cabal book and started it last night. Jonathan L. Howard is a great writer.
the first book was great, the second was my favorite, the third was excellent (though i don't know as much about lovecraft as i wish i did in order to get some of the references/humor), and the fourth seems very promising so far.
also recently read The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero and it was one of the most fun times i've had reading a book in quite a while.
I just finished A Clockwork Orange. Brilliant.
I think I'll try again, I've only made it 9 books through the cycle...
The Eye Of The World by Robert Jordan
It occurred to me last week that I've read The Lord Of The Rings, the Dark Tower cycle (annually), the Sword Of Truth cycle, A Song Of Fire And Ice cycle (to this point), all of the Shannara books, and all of the Xanth books, but have never finished The Wheel Of Time. The world is so intricate, and I'll admit, still a little daunting even with all of the Fantasy/Epic literature I read.
(Edit): My wife is currently reading Blood Always Tells by Hilary Davidson.
Last edited by Aywok; 10-06-2014 at 12:43 PM.