Books Thread

I've been thinking of re-reading The Dark Tower series for years but then I remember how off-the-rails the last 3 books are and I just groan to myself and don't.

 

I actually haven't read it. I think that's the only related story I haven't read. I stopped keeping up on SK books in general shortly after The Dark Tower concluded.

 

I'm re-reading the Star Trek Eugenics Wars novels by Greg Cox. They detail Khan's rise to power during the 1990's and the events that lead to him being discovered by the Enterprise. If you are a super nerd like me or just like a good story, they are a really good read! The author has taken not only a ton of Trek references and worked them into the story, but a lot of real-life events come into play as well. He also has a third novel about Khan titled To Reign in Hell about his exile on Ceti Alpha V.

 

Was reading Poetry and Nabokov. Now re- reading Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace.

 

I am just about to finish Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I want to pick up One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Marquez.

 

I always loved Lit. and English.

It was the only thing I looked forward in school besides locking myself in my room and screaming myself to sleep.

English and History, at least in HS, had some great teachers. They'd actually get up and interface with us kids.

 

A Confederacy of Dunces by Toole is always worth the read. That book had me rolling.

Spoiler: Book Spoiler

Although the part where Ignatius masturbates to dead dog is just disturbing.

 

Same, because, apparently, I hate myself.

And this comes right after A Void by Georges Perec. What am I even doing with my life?

 

I read a book called "The World's Strongest Librarian" about a guy whose two passions were bodybuilding and research - so he became Conan the Librarian. He also has Tourette's and has all kinds of problems due to it.

Not fantastic literature, but a fun and interesting read.

 

Im currently reading conan the barbarian. It was personally interesting to find out robert howard was in Lovecraft's circle and they had some philosophical disagreements about mankind.

 

I'd like to read more Redwall. So far I've only read Mossflower.

Actually just fantasy novels in general. Can't get enough of them.

 

One of the most interesting books I've read in a long time was Sun Tzu's The Art Of War. I was always into history, combat in general (wars, martial arts, etc.) and foreign cultures/philosophy. That and the fact I enjoy traveling to new places and being adventurous.
Point still stands, many of what is written in it can apply to every day situations as well.

 

I usually read a few books at a time, but I have been reading a biography about Thomas Jefferson - it's getting to the revolution, it's going to get nuts soon.

I borrowed Benjamin Franklin's autobiography which also has some of his other writings, including info on the Junto, which was a self-improvement and book sharing society he founded in Philadelphia for other tradesmen. I really like the idea of a Junto.

They're my favorite Founding Fathers and also were interesting besides their involvement in politics.

I'm also reading a book on Ontario, which is the closest province of Canada to Ohio, where I live.

 

I adore the Redwall books, I've been going through and reading the whole series again. I'm pretty sure I own every book.

 

I gave my copy of Mossflower to my girlfriend of the time for her to read. So of course I never got it back.

 

They're all pretty good! I can't read them anymore because it's...too easy of a read for me now? I can't enjoy Brian Jacques writing much anymore. If you like fantasy, check out the Kingkiller Chronicles. Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear are beautiful and I fell in love with them from the first sentence and onward. If you like animals and weird fantasy type things I would also suggest anything by David Clement-Davies.

Spoiler: Firebringer being one of the books by him

This is the story of Rannoch, a red deer born in ancient Scotland. The story begins on the night his father, Brechin, was murdered, and his mother, Eloin, taken by the servant of the Lord of the Herd, Sgorr, to stand by Drail as his mate. But Rannoch is no ordinary deer; for he bears a white mark on his forehead resembling an oak leaf. This is special because this very oak leaf is the mark discussed in the Prophecy and the symbol of the deer god, Herne.

Spoiler: The Sight and Fell, also books of his

At the beginning of the novel, a Dragga (the term a wolf uses for the dominant male of a pack) named Huttser, and his mate, the Drappa (The term for dominant female), Palla, seek a cave in the side of a mountain in which Palla had grown up, and where she can nurse the pups that were growing in her womb. They are trying to find this cave in order to raise their cubs in secret from Morgra, Palla's evil half-sister. Many dark rumors have cropped up around Morgra, and some say that she is afflicted with a feared power known as the Sight. Morgra has dark intentions for the wolf pack, which revolve around a legend which brings the wolves together with their most feared enemy: Man. The family experiences trying times and survives through death, sorrow, and pain to stand against Morgra and her hatred.

Early Robert Jordan, for example his Wheel of Time books are a good fantasy read, though they drag later on since Robert Jordan likes to describe how exactly boobs sit in a dress for 12 pages. Luckily for the series, not for him, he passed away and Brandon Sanderson took over the remainder. I also suggest the Drizzt series.

 

My biggest problem with Redwall is that none of the animals have any room for moral ambiguity. Well, cats do but I've only heard one example of a character born of a "vermin" species even trying to be something other than evil, and he wound up going crazy and turning evil from the stress of not being evil? I didn't read that one so I'm not sure if that's exactly how it happened.

I've heard of that one actually. My older sister was an even bigger fantasy novel buff than I was and said that it dragged on later in part because you kept getting repeat characters, like she was thinking of getting a map of the setting and putting a bunch of pins in it to show where each knife-throwing expert went when no longer needed for the scenario, only to be replaced not long after by another, different knife-throwing specialist.

I'm pretty curious about that one because I keep hearing about the imitators it spawned at the gaming table. All I know him as is the one guy you play in the bonus level of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. Maybe I should read some DragonLance novels too if I can find them.