Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[V-Adore]

I actually shook hands with Harvey Pekar, and was UNABLE TO SPEAK to him. This means that Harvey Pekar makes me more speechless than BRUCE CAMPBELL.

Word. As much respect as I have for Bruce Campbell, Harvey > Bruce, no question.

(He actually came within 15 minutes of me for a viewing/discussion of Splendor at the local modern-art museum; sadly enough, this was about three days after my first viewing of the film, and I was unable to attend. BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT.)

[AugustWest]

Which ones, I love Westlake -- great stuff.  I'm also a big fan of Lawrence Sanders.

I like Lawrence Sanders, too, but have read all of his stuff and am a little upset about his publisher sending out the vultures to pick on his corpse.

Agreed.  Scumsuckers.

and just started up with Updike's Rabbit Redux, but I'm having a hell of a time with it, because I already hate Rabbit so much.

 
Yeah, but the writing is just so damn good.  Also, it's kind of fun to read about suck flawed people.  What's interesting about this series is I found that as the series went on (Rich and At Rest), Rabbit became somewhat more sympathetic.  Ironically, by the end Nelson becomes just as self-absorbed and obnoxious as his father was.

[CortJstr]

As a side note, my former roommate's Mom goes to the same Temple as OSC.  She's friends with his wife.  It's neat.

Roughly where is this geographically? Because I've heard people say he lives around here.

I just finished re-reading Ultimate HG2G. Not sure what's next. I picked up Bruce Campbell's (sp?) autobiography at a book exchange but don't know if it's any good. And my mom got me like all the Dan Brown books for Christmas (which I'm guessing is really jus the same story 4 times over).

[jay-ell]

Greensboro, NC.  Ender Wiggin's hometown.

[pmcd9]

I'm trying to read the Bible.  This is my third attempt and i've yet to get out of the old testament.  I don't know if i'll make it this time either, but i'm slogging through as best as I can.  Reverend Lovejoy put it best, "it's a 2500 page sleeping pill."  I wanted to read the Koran, but thought I should read the Bible first.  At this rate I don't think reading the Koran is in the cards.

~Paul

[AlohaDawg]

the Bible is not easy, nor is the Koran. I would suggest reading a book called "The History of God" which is a study of the Divine figure in the three major Common Era religions. That will give you some good ideas about the similarities and differences among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The only problem with this book is that if you are a faithful believer, you will note that she looks at God more as a concept or a construct and not so much as Real, as Creator, speaking through the Prophets, etc. If you don't mind a sort of academic look, this is a good book for you.

[jay-ell]

I'm trying to read the Bible.  This is my third attempt and i've yet to get out of the old testament.  I don't know if i'll make it this time either, but i'm slogging through as best as I can.  Reverend Lovejoy put it best, "it's a 2500 page sleeping pill."  I wanted to read the Koran, but thought I should read the Bible first.  At this rate I don't think reading the Koran is in the cards.

~Paul

There are some good methods by which you can get a very solid overview of the Bible without actually reading evey word.  If you're interested, PM me and I'll hook you up.  Also, you might consider a modern translation -- I don't know what translation you're using, but I highly recommend The Message.  It's a beautiful translation in which much of the Torah/Old Testament reads like poetry.  If you've never read the whole Book, it's much easier to read it the first time through in a modern translation, and then to go back again later if you feel strongly about the KJV.  

That's my experience, anyhow.

[jough]

Just rent "The Ten Commandments" and "The Greatest Story Ever Told."

That way you can write your paper and you don't even have to read the book!

[PinkStainlessTail]

Cryptonomicon?  Eeeexcellent.  

Not the one I was thinking of, though it's superb. I was talking of... Quicksilver. Bingo.

I have just started this and it is pretty awesome. Also recently read Pattern Recognition: best thing Gibson's done since Mona Lisa Overdrive in my opinion.

[slink]

I have just started this and it is pretty awesome.

Good to know. I have been really looking forward to it, but I have read reviews coming to a whole range of conclusions. Still looking forward to it regardless mind you.

[PinkStainlessTail]

I have just started this and it is pretty awesome.

Good to know. I have been really looking forward to it, but I have read reviews coming to a whole range of conclusions. Still looking forward to it regardless mind you.

If you enjoyed the sprawling style of  Cryptonomicon you will probably like this one.

[Bozack]

Ah, Quicksilver's awesome. Stephenson is one of those authors whose works I keep by my bed and reread over and over. This leads to problems, however, when you read about a syphilitic dream about dancing corpses, fall asleep, and have a sex dream where the other party suddenly turns into an Albrecht Durher woodblock print of Death.
THIS CAN BE UNSETTLING.

[slink]

THIS CAN BE UNSETTLING.

Unsettling I can imagine, but stunning!
I do the same with Stephenson. His writing, like that of Gibson, David Mitchell, Murakami and China Meiville just has me reading them over and over. The language of all of them is stunning.
Diamond Age in some ways is my favourite, but Snowcrash is just too damn good to not be.

[CortJstr]

Ah, Fouc*ult's Pendulum.  What a great book.  The Davinci Code isn't fit to share the planet with it.

So my mom bought me all the Dan Brown books for Christmas. Since I didn't have any other new books I decided to go ahead and chug through them. While the stories themselves are insteresting the writing that gets you there is pretty sub-par. Any suggestions for books that are similar but good?

[slink]

I have to recommend a book I just started when I forgot to take what I was reading away with me...
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. It's really rather fun.
It's based around a literary detective named Thursday Next. Essentially, it's based in a different universe to ours, but with a lot of similarities. Kind of reminds me of Michael Marshall Smith in some ways.