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Author Topic: Exciting New Book Thread  (Read 16426 times)

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Doc

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Re: Exciting New Book Thread
« Reply #15 on: June 10, 2007, 01:21:15 am »
I just finished reading Confessions of an Economic Hitman and Killing Hitler. Both non-fiction and both reasonably good.
Confessions is basically about a guy who describes his job as conning third world leaders into accepting crippling debt from the united states. It was an interesting read but I think the guy (John Perkins I believe but I can't remember right now) gives himself a bit too much credit for seeing through the scan all along etc. Fairly biased as most of these books are.

Killing Hitler was very interesting, it's suprising to see how many people failed to assassinate that fucker.
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Nabubrush

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Re: Exciting New Book Thread
« Reply #16 on: June 11, 2007, 02:08:53 pm »
Sorry about the misplaced close-tag. Also, I didn't realize everyone already knew about Wicked. I don't get out much.
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Ruta Bagas

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Re: Exciting New Book Thread
« Reply #17 on: June 11, 2007, 08:25:40 pm »
I am too horribly slow a worker to read anything not course-related at term time, and excellent as The Vision of Piers Plowman and the Wakefield cycle of mystery plays have been, I am getting a bit sick of all this Medieval Christianity-driven what-have-you. I'm pretty sure it's only the arse jokes keeping me going.

I am looking forward to the imminent return of Jasper Fforde to my life, though.

My copy of Never Let Me Go disappeared in mysterious circumstances when I was a few pages in. Alas, not while I was reading it, so I am not even left with a good anecdote.
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CortJstr

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Re: Exciting New Book Thread
« Reply #18 on: June 12, 2007, 01:31:08 am »
Right after I read Wicked I realized that I'd never actually read any Baum. So at work the next day I decided to head over the Project Guttenberg.

Right now I'm reading Midnight Tides. It's really interesting, especially the parts with Tehol but it tends to be pretty dense so it's hard to read during lunch when people are talking and the TV is on. But this is where I do most of my reading.
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theinevitable

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Re: Exciting New Book Thread
« Reply #19 on: June 14, 2007, 02:09:54 am »
my goodness, I had forgotten how much I love Winter of our Discontent. So good.
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theinevitable

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Re: Exciting New Book Thread
« Reply #20 on: July 24, 2007, 06:56:45 pm »
so. as I have read most of Grapes of Wrath at this point, I think I can shed some light on why the real Okies hated it. Basically, they are portrayed as idiots. Constantly being warned "don't go to california! there's no work! my whole family starved to death!" only to say such as "no, it can't be! we'll be fine!" Also such constant tidbits as "paw never did put much store by writin'. always made him feel uncomf'table."

Basically, Steinbeck's Okie is The Noble Savage. There are, I think, explicit comparisons made between the Okies and those they stole their land from.

It is making me enjoy my favorite book slightly less that... every character is just a horrible stereotype, except the preacher. Who, of course, is a misunderstood intellectual that the other characters constantly harass.

Also: the things these people get mad about confuse the hell out of me. They basically hate anyone who knows something, or thinks about something, or asks something, or expresses an emotion, or attempts to help them.
Kid: "well... I guess it was her time. Old folks got to die. I sure will miss 'er though."
pa: "WHY THE HELL YOU GOT TO TALK ALL THE GODDAMN TIME! YOU'VE EARNED A WHUPPIN, BOY! YOU'RE NO SON OF MINE, YOU DAMN FOOL!"
ma: "you're goddamn right. This boy never did learn his place."
« Last Edit: July 25, 2007, 12:03:42 am by theinevitable »
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Social pressures exist
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Nabubrush

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Re: Exciting New Book Thread
« Reply #21 on: July 24, 2007, 08:50:55 pm »
Quote from: theinevitable on July 24, 2007, 06:56:45 pm
"WHY THE HELL YOU GOT TO TALK ALL THE GODDAMN TIME! YOU'VE EARNED A WHUPPIN, BOY! YOU'RE NO SON OF MINE, YOU DAMN FOOL!"

 . . . Dad? Is that you?
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linnea

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Re: Exciting New Book Thread
« Reply #22 on: July 25, 2007, 12:33:51 am »
:(

Part of me hopes that and the bit about mum shooting up during pregnancy was just a joke. If it's not, I'm going to storm PDX with some chocolate chip cookies and a blanket. Why the fuck do people treat kids like that?
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KeithHernandez

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Re: Exciting New Book Thread
« Reply #23 on: July 25, 2007, 12:55:27 am »
Quote from: theinevitable on July 24, 2007, 06:56:45 pm
Basically, Steinbeck's Okie is The Noble Savage. There are, I think, explicit comparisons made between the Okies and those they stole their land from.


I don't want to get in an argument or anything, but, since I am an Oklahoman, I feel obligated to point out that North Carolinians (sp?) stole their land too.  Purposely or not, the way you phrased that kind of implies Oklahomans as the only people that stole land.
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smick

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Re: Exciting New Book Thread
« Reply #24 on: July 25, 2007, 01:17:41 am »
I just read some book about a young adult that can perform magic, and has some kinda destiny.

It was pretty awesome.
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theinevitable

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Re: Exciting New Book Thread
« Reply #25 on: July 25, 2007, 01:27:54 am »
oh, no. I am aware of that. they just... literally make that comparison.

a-so: the last harry potter book was basically wonderful. I love that Magical Lad.
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Re: Exciting New Book Thread
« Reply #26 on: July 25, 2007, 02:12:33 am »
I just got around to reading Company by Max Barry. As was its point I saw a lot of my own company in it. Like, why do we all just sit there mute while somebody reads PowerPoint slides to us. Slides that we've also already received copies of. I'd say it should be required reading for anybody that takes a position in personnel but only if they don't read the last 40 pages or so.
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AugustWest

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Re: Exciting New Book Thread
« Reply #27 on: July 25, 2007, 02:39:08 am »
Quote from: smick on July 25, 2007, 01:17:41 am
I just read some book about a young adult that can perform magic, and has some kinda destiny.

It was pretty awesome.

I just started a book like that this morning!
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Nabubrush

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Re: Exciting New Book Thread
« Reply #28 on: July 25, 2007, 02:45:13 am »
Quote from: KeithHernandez on July 25, 2007, 12:55:27 am
Quote from: theinevitable on July 24, 2007, 06:56:45 pm
Basically, Steinbeck's Okie is The Noble Savage. There are, I think, explicit comparisons made between the Okies and those they stole their land from.
I don't want to get in an argument or anything, but, since I am an Oklahoman, I feel obligated to point out that North Carolinians (sp?) stole their land too.  Purposely or not, the way you phrased that kind of implies Oklahomans as the only people that stole land.

All of us, be we Okies, North Carolinians, Oregonians, Alaskans, or what-have-you pretty much stole the land from some folks who are slightly darker complected (apologies in advance to anyone reading this who has any First Nation blood in you or whatever you like to think of yourself as).

Let's not all of a sudden start keeping track. It's like that Eddie Izzard bit - "yes, but do you have a flag?"

Also, Somebody nice, my circumstances weren't too worse or different than most anybody else's, but I welcome visitors bearing cookies. And blankets. And hugs.

The hickory switches wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't had to cut them myself.
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Nabubrush

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Re: Exciting New Book Thread
« Reply #29 on: July 25, 2007, 02:51:50 am »
OT: I just read John Harwood's The Ghost Writer and Preston & Child's The Cabinet of Curiosities. These are not literature, but they were both rollicking good times. Kinda spooky novels, with the Preston & Child book being a more contemporary thriller-type book. Recommended.
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