Book Thread

[CortJstr]

Other recent reads:  "Soon I Will Be Invincible" (enjoyable, even if it's treading oft-treaded ground)

I just finished this about a week ago. I was really worried early on that it would boil down to "Batman did it"

The Confusion was my favorite of the Baroque Cycle books. I would not recommend reading the mass-market paperback version as it totally screws up the chronology from what I understand.

[theinevitable]

I own all of those books (quicksilver, etc) but gave up halfway through the second. I need to try again.

this summer, I am going to read so many books, in between applying to every job that exists.

[miles]

I just finished this about a week ago. I was really worried early on that it would boil down to "Batman did it"

Fuck, that's the one! Thank you! I was watching The Venture Bros. the other day and remembered that someone had mentioned the show and the book in the same post. I couldn't remember what exactly the comparison was and I couldn't for the life of me remember the title, but somehow your Batman comment triggered it. This is going on my list.

I just finished Brighton Rock which took me a while because I haven't been giving myself much time to read. Also I've been reading a bunch of comics. Though I'm behind on all of them so I need to go see if I can find some back issues. Has anyone read Chew?

Next in my stack of books is some Evelyn Waugh, but I might change things up a bit and go straight for Soon I Will Be Invincible. And this girl I've been seeing is going to make me read Quicksilver once she finishes it, and after reading this thread that feels right.

[AugustWest]

I wouldn't bother with the Baroque Cycle unless you like pirates, physics and economics.   And swords.  And alchemy.  And chemistry.  And harem girls. Oh, and cryptography, of course.  Can't have a Stephenson novel without cryptography, can you?

[CortJstr]

I wouldn't bother with the Baroque Cycle unless you like pirates, physics and economics.   And swords.  And alchemy.  And chemistry.  And harem girls. Oh, and cryptography, of course.  Can't have a Stephenson novel without cryptography, can you?

This reminds me of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. You can read that book without visiting the website annotating it just fine so long as you are versed in Dominican Republic Spanish, The Simpsons, D&D, DR politics/history, Dune, and pro wrestling.

[jay-ell]

Just started listening to The Lightning Thief. Not as well-written as Harry Potter, and of course knowing the premise from film trailers ruins the first hour, but really an interesting concept.

[Asherdan]

Hope you like it , Jay-ell.

I was going to link Mark Monmonier's No Dig No Fly No Go as the recent UofChicago free e-book this month because I figure we got some people that loves maps and also some folks that might enjoy some dude's theories on how these instruments have shaped and funneled people and society. I'm enjoying it.

But then I checked the page and it looks like they've switched books on me to another by the same guy Cartographies of Danger.

I'm going to get it in line, from the guy's other book I can say that he is interesting and lays out with the ideas.

[Doc]

I'm about halfway through The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I didn't see the movie but I did read this comic. Which made me want to read it.
I like it so far but I'm not sure where it's going or if it might just be a really big piece of world building. Which I wouldn't mind, since I like world building.

[greenkoolayd]

I'm about halfway through The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I didn't see the movie but I did read this comic. Which made me want to read it.
I like it so far but I'm not sure where it's going or if it might just be a really big piece of world building. Which I wouldn't mind, since I like world building.

word has it that mr mccarthey was a poster on assbar.  im looking foreword to the book, regardless.

[Asherdan]

Just giving out a reminder, this months free e-book from the UoChicago Press looks interesting. I'm just working my way into it.

[pmcd9]

I'm reading a book titled Continental Drift by Russel Banks.  It was recommended by the guy at the bookstore, but so far I'm not liking it much.  Anybody read this one?

[jay-ell]

Pedro just finished The Time Traveler's Wife, and said it was incredibly good, but that I should not read it because it will make me feel terrible.

[Doc]

I read that a few years ago after my mum read it and passed it on.
It kind of reminded me of a classic sci fi novel in that it just takes one new idea and then the rest is about how that idea affects human relationships. I didn't find it as great as a lot of people did though.
Hell of a harsh ending though.

[schnitzelbank]

I have a stack of non-fiction eating my brain right now. I am tempted to read all the Dianna Wynne Jones books again. An NPR story on Stieg Larsson has me thinking of reading his books, and some magical realism by way of Isabel Allende sounds good. Oh wonk books, why must you be in the way and so full of information I need?

[Mr Trout]

I've been reading the Foundation novels by Isaac Asimov. They are so badass. Set 12,000 years in the future, the series is about the fall of the galactic empire told over the course of a thousand years, and the subsequent rise of the second galactic empire. Apparently the fall of the Roman empire was his big inspiration for the story. It is some of the best sci-fi I've read.