Chefelf.com Night Life: Read any good books lately? - Chefelf.com Night Life

Jump to content

  • (5 Pages)
  • +
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Last »
  • You cannot start a new topic
  • You cannot reply to this topic

Read any good books lately?

#16 User is offline   SimeSublime Icon

  • Monkey Proof
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Moderators
  • Posts: 6,619
  • Joined: 06-May 04
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Perth, Western Australia
  • Country:Australia

Posted 22 September 2004 - 01:33 AM

Just gone back to re-read Ian Irvins "The View from the Mirror" quartet. Great fantasy set of books in an interesting world. I'm hoping the eigth(well, fourth book of the second quartet)comes out at the end of the year, so I'm reading the first seven again to refresh my memory.
The Green Knight, SimeSublime the Puffinesque, liker of chips and hunter of gnomes.
JM's official press secretary, scientific advisor, diplomat and apparent antagonist?
0

#17 User is offline   Creaux Icon

  • Mini Boss
  • PipPip
  • Group: Junior Members
  • Posts: 230
  • Joined: 23-September 04
  • Location:Pittsburgh, PA USA
  • Interests:Um, I like music, Studying religion from Catholocism to the occult, warhammer and DND and other nerdy things, being kind to people, freaking people out. And swords.
  • Country:United States

Posted 23 September 2004 - 12:31 PM

Lately? Hmm.Dragonlance Chronicles were a fun read, but now with school, I'm reading mostly school stuff. Then, that includes Norse Mythology and Folklore, English Histories and Meiji Japan's economic development, so I'm pretty happy. I'm also reading Some Crappy ™ version/condensation of the Kaballah, but haven't gotten too far into it yet.

If you're looking for a deeply fascinating, yet pretty quick read, I might reccomend Zhuge Liang's Way of the General. I personally like him better than the ever-present Sun Tsu. It's up on kongming.net.

Once on the site, go to the right hand panel, and click "History."

Then, about midway down the same panel, it should say "the art of war,"
and then below this it will say "way of the general."

What books top the lists of what you want to read?

And hello! *bows low*
0

#18 User is offline   Slade Icon

  • Full of Bombs and/or Keys
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Head Moderator
  • Posts: 8,626
  • Joined: 30-November 03
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Columbia, SC
  • Interests:I like stuff.
  • Country:United States

Posted 23 September 2004 - 01:31 PM

JYAMG I concur. Catch-22 was fucking brilliant. Easily the most hilarious book I've ever read. 1984 by Orwell is another of my favorites, Brave New World by Huxley as well. I'm slowly picking my way through Ender's Game during trips to do laundry. More vonnegut would be nice too. Also: Sun Tsu's Art of War and the Hagakure.

Hi, Creaux; You reccomend Way of the General over Art of War?
This space for rent. Inquire within.
0

#19 User is offline   Creaux Icon

  • Mini Boss
  • PipPip
  • Group: Junior Members
  • Posts: 230
  • Joined: 23-September 04
  • Location:Pittsburgh, PA USA
  • Interests:Um, I like music, Studying religion from Catholocism to the occult, warhammer and DND and other nerdy things, being kind to people, freaking people out. And swords.
  • Country:United States

Posted 23 September 2004 - 03:31 PM

Perhaps it is only because i've been raised in a society that has allready had plenty of impact from AoW, and because beautiful movies with Wesley Snipes in them are made, I tend to find good parts of Art of War either obvious or cliched'. Way of the General is interesting in that it also gives good advise for ruling as well, stuff similar to The Prince (a book I dig quite a bit...c'mon, "On conquoring lands with other people's armies"? What could POSSIBLY be more badass? Me knowing how to spell Conquering correctly the first time?). Also, the format is sort of amazing, with lots of lists of "eight qualities of effective generals" or "5 signs that an army is suffering from lack of leadership."

This post has been edited by Creaux: 23 September 2004 - 03:33 PM

0

#20 User is offline   Little princess Icon

  • Mini Boss
  • PipPip
  • Group: Junior Members
  • Posts: 176
  • Joined: 17-April 04

Posted 23 September 2004 - 09:36 PM

I finished Dirt Music by Tim Winton, great, and started Behind the Scenes at the Museum. It was lent to me by my friends mother. I'm loving it.
0

#21 User is offline   J m HofMarN Icon

  • Knows All The Girls Named Lola
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Members
  • Posts: 7,234
  • Joined: 24-May 04
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Rural Pahrump Nevada
  • Interests:Tyranny
  • Country:United States

Posted 28 September 2004 - 05:32 AM

I liked the hobbit very well as do I like all of Tolkien's work including the insanity of the Silmarillion. I have to say that my favorite books of modernity are from the beat generation. It is absolutely necessary that everyone read "On the Road" and "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"

As for older stuff I love T. H. White and also Oscar Wilde. If you want some uplifting poetry go out right now and grab Leaves of Grass by Whitman. It's really great to see American poetry that isnt some goth whining.

Quote

I don't know about you but I have never advocated that homosexuals, for any reason, be cut out of their mother's womb and thrown into a bin.
- Deucaon toes a hard line on gay fetus rights.
0

#22 User is offline   Chyld Icon

  • Ancient Monstrosity
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Crappy News Team
  • Posts: 5,770
  • Joined: 04-March 04
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Not Alaska
  • Country:United Kingdom

Posted 28 September 2004 - 06:04 AM

I managed to polish off "I, Robot" in just under two days. A bit samey, to be honest. "Aha, a robot has gone wrong! Lets do lots of inane tests to work out what's gone wrong! Aha, its suchandsuch awobble with its positronic brain! Hurrah, we're al saved from horrible gory death!"

Still quite a good read, though. I should go back over "Sophies World" again...
When you lose your calm, you feed your anger.

Less Is More v4
Now resigned to a readership of me, my cat and some fish
0

#23 User is offline   Helena Icon

  • Basher Extraordinaire
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Members
  • Posts: 1,327
  • Joined: 01-June 04
  • Location:UK
  • Interests:Current age: 22<br /><br />Current occupation: Auditor<br /><br />Interests: Reading, computer games, music, and Star Wars (obviously).<br /><br />Talents: Can't act, can't dance, can sing a little.<br /><br />Loves: Terry Pratchett's 'Discworld' series.<br /><br />Hates: Harry Potter. Surely I can't be the only one?
  • Country:United Kingdom

Posted 28 September 2004 - 06:54 AM

I'm reading the latest Terry Pratchett at the moment. Not bad, though like most of his recent books, it's not as funny as the earlier ones.
QUOTE
The sandpeople had women and children. We know this because Anakin killed them how could he tell? The children might be smaller but I never saw a sandperson with breasts. Did they hike their skirts and show him some leg or something?

QUOTE
Also, I can see the point of wanting to kidnap a human and use her as a slave, but they didn't. They tied her to a flimsy easel for a month. It's assumed they had to feed and give her water. What for? Was she purely ornamental? I can understand them wanting the droids, you can sell those for a lot of money, but a chick who's only skills are finding non-existand mushrooms and getting randomly pregnant, you're not going to get much.

- J m HofMarN on the Sand People
0

#24 User is offline   Just your average movie goer Icon

  • -
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Members
  • Posts: 4,140
  • Joined: 10-April 04
  • Gender:Not Telling
  • Country:Nothing Selected

Posted 28 September 2004 - 10:38 AM

The funniest Terry Pratchett book in my opinion is Guards! Guards! That was a non-stop riot. I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard from the first page to the last. Brilliant.
0

#25 User is offline   Helena Icon

  • Basher Extraordinaire
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Members
  • Posts: 1,327
  • Joined: 01-June 04
  • Location:UK
  • Interests:Current age: 22<br /><br />Current occupation: Auditor<br /><br />Interests: Reading, computer games, music, and Star Wars (obviously).<br /><br />Talents: Can't act, can't dance, can sing a little.<br /><br />Loves: Terry Pratchett's 'Discworld' series.<br /><br />Hates: Harry Potter. Surely I can't be the only one?
  • Country:United Kingdom

Posted 28 September 2004 - 10:47 AM

My favourites are Interesting Times and The Last Continent, although Guards! Guards! is extremely good as well. I tend to like the ones involving Rincewind best. wink.gif
QUOTE
The sandpeople had women and children. We know this because Anakin killed them how could he tell? The children might be smaller but I never saw a sandperson with breasts. Did they hike their skirts and show him some leg or something?

QUOTE
Also, I can see the point of wanting to kidnap a human and use her as a slave, but they didn't. They tied her to a flimsy easel for a month. It's assumed they had to feed and give her water. What for? Was she purely ornamental? I can understand them wanting the droids, you can sell those for a lot of money, but a chick who's only skills are finding non-existand mushrooms and getting randomly pregnant, you're not going to get much.

- J m HofMarN on the Sand People
0

#26 User is offline   Just your average movie goer Icon

  • -
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Members
  • Posts: 4,140
  • Joined: 10-April 04
  • Gender:Not Telling
  • Country:Nothing Selected

Posted 28 September 2004 - 10:49 AM

Yeah, it is always fun to see what Rincewind is up to. smile.gif
0

#27 User is offline   Creaux Icon

  • Mini Boss
  • PipPip
  • Group: Junior Members
  • Posts: 230
  • Joined: 23-September 04
  • Location:Pittsburgh, PA USA
  • Interests:Um, I like music, Studying religion from Catholocism to the occult, warhammer and DND and other nerdy things, being kind to people, freaking people out. And swords.
  • Country:United States

Posted 28 September 2004 - 12:13 PM

What is the best title in history? I would posit "shogun" or "barbarian-suppressing general," or perhaps "trismajistus" or "thrice-great."
0

#28 User is offline   J m HofMarN Icon

  • Knows All The Girls Named Lola
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Members
  • Posts: 7,234
  • Joined: 24-May 04
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Rural Pahrump Nevada
  • Interests:Tyranny
  • Country:United States

Posted 28 September 2004 - 07:12 PM

The best title is the one that never made it:

Peter Benchley couldn't decide upon a title for teh book that came to be Jaws. Among those he considered was "What's that gnoshing on me leg?"

Quote

I don't know about you but I have never advocated that homosexuals, for any reason, be cut out of their mother's womb and thrown into a bin.
- Deucaon toes a hard line on gay fetus rights.
0

#29 User is offline   Vwing Icon

  • Soothsayer
  • PipPipPipPip
  • Group: Junior Members
  • Posts: 657
  • Joined: 31-October 03

Posted 28 September 2004 - 08:57 PM

Chyld, I'll agree with you slightly on I, Robot. It does get a bit repetitive, but most of the time the way they solve what's wrong is really clever and cool, and also I just love how Asimov writes, quick and entertaining. Before you know it with him, you've read 400 pages and you want more.

Also I just finished reading The Phillip K. Dick reader, which is a whole bunch of his short stories, including Total Recall (which he actually titled We Remember it For You Wholesale), Minority Report, Paycheck, and Second Variety, which was apparently made into a movie called Screamers that I've never heard of. It was the first time I ever read anything by Dick, and it definitely was worthwhile, i'll probably read some of his novels now. However, I did think that Minority report, Paycheck, and Total Recall as movies were much more thought-provoking than the short stories. I understand that they're short stories and can't be developed as much, but Dick basically invents a good concept and then goes for the Twilight Zone-like twist ending, leaving you feeling unsatisfied, while the movies really were much more clever, complete, and insightful. Again, still very entertaining read.
0

#30 User is offline   Dragonspawn Icon

  • Mini Boss
  • PipPip
  • Group: Junior Members
  • Posts: 150
  • Joined: 22-September 04
  • Location:Malta
  • Interests:linkinpark... im mad for em!<br>Computers.... im comp nerd.<br>Scuba diving... i like going down on girl instructors... ahem, i mean with!

Posted 29 September 2004 - 01:24 PM

I finished reading scarecrow by mathew reiley, i f*cking love his books! ie read all of his xept ice station....
i also just finished reading norhtern lights by phillip pullman i think, great fantasy book, kicks the ass out of harry potter! just gotta get the sequels now (cant remember the names)
oh and allthough ages ago i read Dune by Frank Herbert and i loved it, looking for the sequels
0

  • (5 Pages)
  • +
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Last »
  • You cannot start a new topic
  • You cannot reply to this topic